affection consisteth in this that it be in greatnesse correspondent to the greatnesse of the euill diligently waied with the seuerall circumstances of it and also moderated and qualified with contentation in respect of the will of God by the which the said euill came to passe Sect. 2. Of corrupt ioy and sorrow THese affections ioy and sorrow doe remaine in the corrupt state of man yet after a farre diuerse manner for whereas before the ioy of man was chiefly in God in spirituall things now it is wholly in carnall sensuall and earthly pleasures before man neuer thought himselfe well but when he was praising seruing God meditating on his loue the manifold blessings receiued from him now man neuer thinketh on God if he by some outward meanes as the lawes of mē or the auoiding of the sham of the world be drawen to some spiritual exercise as is the hearing of the word praier or any other he taketh no manner of pleasure in it Yea it is irkesome tedious vnto him his minde and affections being set vpon worldly pleasures as namely in the abundance vanetie goodnesse and sweetnesse of meates and drinkes in sleepe and idlenesse in carnal and filthy lustes in pastime and merie companie in gorgeous apparrell statelie buildings large reuenewes in health strēgth riches honour and preferment in children friends and prophane knowledge or in some other of the same kind Not as if there might not a lawfull pleasure be taken in corporall and outward blessings as hath beene declared but man passing by God the giuer of all these blessinges placeth his whole ioy and felicitie in the fruition of them and so maketh them his Gods As the Apostle doth plainlie witnesse that the coueteous man is an idolatour He is not stirred vp by the sweetenesse which he feeleth in the vse of the creaturs to reioyce delight himselfe in God the giuer of them but is by them more alienated from God and being euen drunke with sensualitie forgetteth and contemneth God much more in prosperitie then in aduersitie and therefore God doth so often forewarne the people of Israel of forgetting him whenas they come into that pleasant land flowing with milke honny whither they went Hence it commeth that the ioy of a carnall man is vnconstant vncertaine and momentany euen as is the matter of his ioy For as no worldly thing is constant so the ioy which ariseth of worldly things must needes be vnconstant Yea while it doth continue it is not pure and sincere ioy but mingled with much sorrow and vexation of minde it being impossible that any man should haue such perfect ioy in this world in respect of worldly blessings as is voide of all manner of crosses and griefe And therefore Salomon saith Prou. 14. 13. That the hart of the wicked man is heauie euen while he laugheth and that sorrow is the end of his ioy Thus we see the sinfullnesse of mans ioy in this corrupt state Likewise his sorrow is not such as it ought to be he is indeede often grieued but not for the want of the fauour presence and grace of God not for his sins by the which he doth displease dishonour God not for the miserable estate of his soule rotting in ignorance atheisme infidelitie These things neuer trouble him but if he be in anie worldly miserie if in pouertie sicknesse danger prison in the displeasure of any greate and mightie man then he is ouerwhelmed and euen stricken deade with sorrow As for the miseries wherein he seeth other men to be the scripture doth often teach vs and daily experience doth testifie the same that a carnall man is cruell mercilesse voide of all pittie and compassion Sect. 3. Of holy ioy and sorrow IT now remaineth that we declare the holines of these affections in the state of regeneration wherein both ioy and sorrow haue so greate and continuall vse as that they may seeme to striue for the preheminence whether of them should beare the greater sway in the faithful Renewed ioy ariseth of the inward sense and feeling of the loue and mercie of God in Christ whereby a faithfull man knowing assuredlie that he hath attained remission of all his sinnes safetie and freedome from the anger and iudgements of God eternall happinesse with all spirituall and temporall blessings tending therevnto is and that not without good cause replenished in his soule with an exceeding and vnspeakable ioy in regard of this his happie state the greatnes whereof no man either knoweth or can expresse but he in whome it hath pleased God to worke it by his holie spirite Yea if we shall compare this renewed ioy with the ioy which man had in his first estate we shall see that the faithfull haue both greater cause of reioycing and greater ioy then man had in his perfect happinesse in that he hath not only attained to a more perfect absolute and certaine happinesse but also hath escaped the contrarie miserie euen the eternall wrath of God due vnto him for his sinnes whereof man had no taste in his first estate This ioy differeth from the ioy of the carnall man in many respectes the one reioyceth in God the other in the creatures the one in temporal vaine and momentanie the other in spirituall heauenlie and eternall things the one in the good estate of his bodie the other in the good estate of his soule The one sheweth his ioy in the vse of carnall pleasures the other in spirituall exercises Eph. 5. 18. Be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be ye filled with the spirit speaking to your selues in psalmes and spirituall songs making melodie to the Lord in your heartes And lastly the one is continuall constant abiding yea florishing so much the more in the middest of the greatest afflictions Rom. 5. 3. Act 16. 15. The other is short and vncertaine being cleane dashed with the least crosse that doth happen This renewed ioy although it be so exceeding great as hath beene saide yet it is mixed and indeede tempered with much sorrow so it hath pleased God in great wisdome and mercy to giue to his children in this life not the absolute perfection of that ioy and happinesse which he hath prepared for them but rather to temper the exceeding sweetnesse of it with sorrow and afflictions that so the bitternesse of the one might make the other the more welcome and acceptable vnto them The causes of this sorrow are diuerse some in the faithfull themselues some in others in themselues first and cheifly their sinnes whereby they doe displease and dishonour God who hath shewed himselfe to them so gratious bountifull and mercifull Secondly the manifolde temptations crosses and afflictions which doe daily befal them these howsoeuer by the gratious assistaunce of Gods spirit they doe often encrease this spirituall ioy yet being bitter and oftentimes intollerable to flesh and bloude they doe preuaile against
praises of God the godly count the greatest pleasure and happinesse in the worlde Psal. 62. 6. My mouth is filled euen as it were with marrowe and fatnesse that is with the most sweete and pleasant thinges when as I prayse the Lorde saith the prophet and againe Psal. 84. 5. Blessed are they that stande in thy courtes ô God for why they shall euermore be praising thee For although the faithfull might praise God though they liued out of the Church in a wildernesse yet for the greater aduancement of Gods glory they desire and labour that they may praise God not among wilde beastes and trees but in the assembly of Gods people as it were before many witnesses Nowe as touching the second duety of the creature which is to moue onely in the creator and by vertue receiued from him we knowe that as the bodies of the faithfull doe not moue themselues but are moued by the power of the soule within their bodies so neyther their bodies nor soules are moued by any other power but by the holy spirite of God for they doe not thinke their owne thoughtes desire their owne pleasures speake their owne wordes or doe their owne workes but are wholly moued and ordered by the spirite of God Lastly this property of a faithfull man is worthy to be noted that he is not onely patient in regard of the greatest euils which can be laid vpon him in in this worlde as hath beene declared in the chapter of Filiall subiection but also woulde be content if that it shoulde please God to destroy him vtterly and eternally Iob. 13. 15. If God kill me shall I not trust in him so Dauid saith 2. Sam. 15. 26. If I haue found fauour in the eies of God hee wil bring me backe againe to see the place of his worship but if he say I haue no pleasure in him what then beholde here I am let him doe to me whatsoeuer seemeth good in his owne eyes CHAP. XI Of mans subiection to God as to an husband THus wee see the diuers kindes of the renewed subiection of man correspondent to the kindes of created subiection to the which there is one other kinde of subiection to be added the which was not in the state of innocency and therefore coulde not be lost by the fall of man This is the subiection of the wife to the husband by the which bond it hath pleased God of his vnspeakable mercy and loue to tie the faithfull to himself so that they should be to him not onely as subiectes sonnes seruantes schollers and creatures but also as his espoused wife This straunge mariage is celebrated and extolled in that song of songes the which is wholly to be vnderstood of this spirituall mariage betwixt God and the faithfull likewise it is set downe Ephe. 5. verse 22. to verse 33. The husband is the wiues head as Christ is the head of the Church therefore as the Church is in subiection to Christ so ought wiues to be to their husbands This kinde of subiection is called Ephe. 5. 32 A great mysterie and therefore it needeth to be explained after this manner The riches of the loue and mercy of God redeeming man from sinne and death is so exceeding great as that he thinking it a small matter to restore him to that perfect and excellent estate from the which he fell doth aduance him to a higher degree both of holinesse of happines Hence it cōmeth that man is more nearely ioyned to God then he was before both in subiectiō in conformity But what bond of subiectiō can ioine man more neerely vnto God then the sonne is to his father after the which manner man was before ioyned to God as hath beene declared We answere that although this coniunction which is betwixt the sonne and the father be verie great yet the worde of God teacheth vs that a greater may be giuen to wit that which is betwixt the wife and the husband for this coniunction maketh two distinct persons to become one person and one flesh Mat. 19. 5 but that other coniunction hath no such strange effect And therefore it hath pleased god in mercy to tie knit man to himselfe not only with those bonds of subiection wherewith he was tied to him in the state of innocency but also with this newe and most straite bonde taking all the faithfull vnto himselfe not onely as his loyall subiectes as faithfull seruantes as toward schollers as orderly creatures and lastly as naturall sonnes but also as a most deare and beloued wife ioyned to himselfe with such an indissoluble bond of loue on his part and such loyall affection on their partes as shall neuer be broken euen as the husband taketh to himselfe his beloued spouse on whom he will bestowe all his loue riches care and whome he will defend against all euils and dangers whatsoeuer This contract made betwixt GOD and his Church is set downe Ezech. 16. the wordes are many yet worthy to be remembred Nowe when I went by thee and looked vpon thee behold◠thy time was come yea euen the time to wooe thee then spred I my clothes ouer thee to couer thy dishonesty yea I made an oth vnto thee contracted my self with thee saith the Lorde God and so thou becamest mine owne Then washed I thee with water and purged thy bloud from thee and I annointed thee with oyle I clothed thee with broidred worke and shodde thee with badgers skinne and I girded thee about with fine linnen and couered thee with silke I decked thee with costly apparrell I put braselets vpon thy handes a chaine about thy necke and I put a frontlet vpon thy face and earings vpon thine eares and a beautifull crowne vpon thine head Thus wast thou decked with gold and siluer and thy raimente was of fine linnen and of silke and of broidred worke thou diddest eate fine flowre home and oyle marueilous wast thou and thou diddest luckilie prosper into a kingdome and thy name was spread among the heathen forthy beautie c. For the further declaration hereof if we do consider the notable resemblance which is betwixt mariage and this new coniunction of man to God we shall haue greate cause to admire the wisdome of the holy ghost who in enditing the scriptures doth paint out such darke mysteries with so liuely colours and doth so fit earthly types to spirituall thinges The grounde of this newe coniunction whereby man is more nearely firmely and surely tied to God then he was before is the incarnation of Christ wherein our nature was inseparably vnited to the godheade in one person euen as the wife which before was of a diuers kinde bloude and name being now espoused to her husband becommeth one flesh bloude and bone with him yea one person called by one and the same name so that as the wife being thus as it were incorporated to her husband is more nearely
maketh a speidie gainfull and happie voiage howsoeuer if that she chaunce to meete with a rocke or to runne vpon some sand she is in greater danger then if she had made lesse hast and borne a lower saile So where the strength and force of these affections is wanting there is as lesse danger in respect of sudden falles so lesse abilitie of aspiring to any high degree of holines for that the graces of the holy spirit wanting their sailes or being be calmed for want of winde often lie floting vp and dowen and doe not make so euident or notable progresse in their course Of these renewed affections the most notable is called loue an affections so often commended vnto vs and so highly extolled in the scriripture as if it contained not one part onely but euen the wholle substance of created holinesse in the which respect it is saide to be The fulfilling of the lawe Math. 22 40. Rom. 13. 8. and the one halfe of renewed holinesse the which is vsually cōprised in these two words Faith and Loue which is sayde 1. Cor. 13. 13. To be greater then faith But that we giue neither more nor lesse to this affection then is due vnto it this is to be held that holinesse whether created or recreated doth not consist either in any one or in a fewe but in many graces amongest the which loue hath the first place assigned vnto it yea often the denomination either of the wholle holinesse of man or more commonly of the holinesse of all the practicall faculties Not as if it were the only grace for there are many distinct graces euen as many as there are distinct faculties of mans soule required in perfect holinesse or yet as if it were the chiefe grace for faith hath the first place although in nature it be not so excellent as loue which is an heroicall grace being the foundation and as it were the subiect and ground-worke not onely of loue but also of all other graces and of all holinesse whether created or renewed Why then is loue more spoken of and inculcated in the scripture then faith or any other grace We answere that the spirit of God hauing continually in enditing the scripture respect to the capacitie of men propoundeth and commendeth vnto them holinesse not so much in grosse and in generall as in some particulars which are more easely surely and certainly conceaued then the generall in the which respect loue is preferred before faith as being more euident apparant and sensible and therefore a more sure and infallible marke and note of generall holinesse The great appearance of loue ariseth of these two causes First because whereas faith hath relation to God onely loue extendeth it selfe both to God and men Secondly where as faith lieth hidden in the heart and minde loue is outward practical and therefore more apparant and sensible Againe loue is preferred before all other practicall graces because holinesse consisteth as partly in duties to be performed in respect of our selues so cheifely in duties to be perfourmed to others namely to God and to men the which a man cannot performe as he ought vnlesse he beare a loue and a harty desire of the good both of God and of man Thus much of loue in generall The particulars of it are these First the regenerate man loueth God aboue all the thinges in the worlde desiring his good in the aduancement of his glory much more then his owne saluation From the which fountaine of the loue of God springeth the loue of all men but especially of the Godly who are renewed according to the image of God in holinesse and iustice Psal. 16. 3. All my delite is in the holy ones which are here on earth and cheiflie in those which excell in vertue This loue of the saintes is an infallible signe of true regeneration and of the true loue of God namely whenas a man loueth an other hartelie and vehemently euen as it were his owne naturall sonne or brother for this cause onely he being otherwise astraunger vnto him for that he seeth in him manifest signes and argumentes of true and vnfained godlinesse 1. Ioh. 3. 14. We knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren And Ioh. 13. 35. By this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples if ye loue one another Nowe we come to the other fountaine of loue namely selfe-loue the which also hath place in the regenerate although in an other manner then in carnall men For they loue themselues yet so as that they loue God more by infinite degrees and their brethren as themselues Againe they doe not shewe or vse this selfe-loue in prouiding earthly and sensuall pleasures for their bodies but in procuring the eternall saluation of their soules and yet they doe and ought to loue themselues more then they doe any other yea to be more carefull for the good estate of their owne bodies and soules then of the bodies and soules of their brethren Yet this must be vnderstood in equall comparison for a faithfull man ought not to loue his owne bodie and to desire the safetie thereof more then the eternall saluation of his brother the which ought to be procured yea with the losse of our owne temporall liues Ioh. 3. 16. As Christ laide downe his life for vs so we ought to lay downe our liues for our brethren Yet a man neede not depriue himselfe of life for the safetie of the temporall life of his brother being a priuate man nor of eternall life for the procuring of his eternall saluation If any man doe here obiect the examples of Moses Paul of whom the one desired to haue his name blotted out of the booke of life and the other to be accursed from Christ for the good of the Iewes We āswere that the Iewes were then to be cōsidered not simplie as mē but as the whol visible church of God the confusion whereof coulde not but be a great hinderaunce to Gods glory the which ought to be procured euen with the eternall confusion of our owne soules if the case doe so require For so Moses alledgeth that if God did destroy his owne people the Egiptians who were spitefull enimies to God and his worshippe would laugh at their distruction and blaspheme God himselfe And so we cannot doubte but that the glory of God shall be wonderfully enlarged by the conuersion of the Iewes and therefore it may be more desired then our owne saluation From this fountaine of selfe loue flow the afore saide streames of speciall loue whereby the faithfull man is affected more to those who doe any way come neare himselfe then to those who are estraunged from him This partial loue is good and lawefull for why shoulde not man encline and cleaue more to those whom God hath ioyned more nearely vnto him Hence commeth the speciall loue due to parentes which cannot be wanting but in him
worldly polices and shifts by the which a man flattereth himselfe in that palpable decrease as if he were in as good an estate as euer he was So that we may compaire the decrease of faith to a violent feuer the which as it may soone kill a man so it may soone be amended but this latter kinde is like vnto a lingering consumption wherein as a man pineth away by little and little not on a suddaine but liuing in it for the space of many yeares so he cannot be cured of it but in some longe space because it is so confirmed in all the members of his body Yet both these kindes of decreases are most fearefull conditions and those from the which it standeth euery Christian in hande dayly to desire the Lorde for his mercy sake in Christ to deliuer him and rather to take him out of this world being in the state of perfect godlinesse then to suffer him to fall so grieuously as no doubt he doth to many of his deare seruauntes Lastly it may here be asked what is the issue of these great falles which happen to the faithfull whether they continue in them till death or else recouer their former estate We aunswer that God as he doth for a time humble them vnder the tiranny of sinne Sathan and their owne corrupt fleshe so he doth in his good time shewe forth the powerfull and mighty vertue of his holy spirit which all this while lyeth lurking in the heartes of the faithfull being in the first moment of their regeneration giuen vnto them as an vnseparable guide and ruler to bring them through the manifolde temptations of Sathan and the hinderaunces of their saluation to the glorious presence of God in heauen By this meanes it commeth to passe that the faithful man doth after long struggling with his enimies yea after that he hath bene a long time in bondage vnder them yea cleane dead in outward appearaunce not onely recouer his former degree of holinesse but also become more strong in all spirituall graces then he was before as we reade Es. 40. 29. God will giue strength to him that is cleane wearied so that he shal goe from strength to strēgh renew his age as doth the eagle he shall bring fourth more fruite in his age and become more zealous in seruing God then he was at any time before Yet sometime it pleaseth God to make an end of these spirituall conflictes not by withdrawing the force of the temptation from the faithfull but by taking them frō it out of this worlde which is the kingdom of sathan to that state wherein they shall no more be troubled with any such temptation as may endaunger their saluation So that the faithfull doe sometimes departe this life as in the middest of temptation so in the decrease of holinesse Yet we are not to doubt of their saluation for he that is once engrafted and vnited to Christ by a true faith as all the regenerate are whether he dy in a holy life or in some sinne whether in repentaunce or in impenitency whether in full assuraunce of faith or in much doubting yea although he seeme to despaire of himselfe alwaies he dieth in Christ and therefore in the fauour of God and in the state of eternall life For in the greatest decrease of holinesse which can befall to a faithfull man there remaineth some sparkes of grace but especially the loue of God of his glory and of his children will shewe it selfe and also the roote of faith otherwise perhaps inuisible in the greatest agonie or tempest of temptation whatsoeuer CHAP. VIII Of the encrease of renewed holinesse AS in the naturall birth of man his body commeth into the worlde not so greate and strong as afterwarde it becommeth but little weake and impotent so in the spirituall birth of regeneration the soule of man is not in the first moment indued with perfection but with a small measure of renewed holinesse from the which it is to growe and goe on forwarde to a perfect estate For the first act of regeneration doth put into the faculties of the soule not the actuall habit of spirituall graces but the seedes and beginning of them which are continually to be increased by the worde and spirit of God Hence it is that the newe man in the faithfull hath his infancie wherein the graces of gods spirite are as yet in small measure In the which respect it is compared to a graine of mustard seede which being at the first the least of all seeds becommeth verie great and to leauen which at the first is in some one parte onely of the dowe but in time spreadeth it selfe ouer the whole lump This meannesse of spirituall strength appeareth euen in the Apostles themselues whome being as yet his disciples and schollers Christ doth often put in minde of the weakenesse of their faith Ioh. 6. 12. I haue many thinges to say vnto you but ye can not beare them now And Act. 19. 2. There were at Ephesus certaine beleeuing disciples who were so weake in knowledge that they were ignoraunt of the holy Ghost Likewise the Apostle writeth to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 3. 1. 2. That he coulde not speake vnto them but as vnto babes in Christ not in knowledge but in practise and there fore coulde not giue vnto them any stronge meate but onely milke to drinke Of this weakenesse in capacitie and knowledge there is mention made Gal. 4. 19. Rom. 6. 19. Hereof commeth weaknesse in faith Rom. 14. And also necessarily the weaknesse of all the other partes of holinesse wherein no Christian ought to rest as contenting himselfe with that small measure of grace but ought rather to be caried forwarde to perfection Especially seing that this state of spirituall infancy is easely ouerthrowne and brought to nothing by the malice of sathan it being weake and not able to resiste the force of temptation And therefore although some doe abide longe in this weake estate and perhaps end their dayes in it yet vsually God giueth to those who are truely regenerate a daily increase a newe supply of grace insomuch that in a competente time they become of ripe age and of perfect strength in Christ. Wherevnto a christian is then come when as he is not destitute of any grace needfull for the performance of any christian duty but leadeth a life in euery respect holie and vnblamable proceeding from those spirituall graces which haue bene described in the third Sections of the first and second partes of this treatise And yet this perfect estate of a christian is not the highest degree of grace which may be attained in this life for besides and beyond that measure of grace which the faithfull doe ordinarely attaine vnto it pleaseth God to endue some of his seruantes with a more plentifull abundaunce of all spirituall graces as he promiseth Math. 25. 29. That to him that hath there shall more be
hauing greater means of knowing beleeuing and obeying God then man had on earth yea their sinne came from themselues by the suggestion of their owne mindes and the inclination of their wils but man sinned by their prouocation temptation and delusion who as if they had committed a small offence in sinning themselues did adde to their owne sinne the sinne of mankind Moreouer it was not needfull that God should restore these rebels to their former state for the illustration of his loue towardes this creature forsomuch as there are yet in heauen in the state of happinesse many thousands of holy Angels which are so many witnesses and preachers of the endlesse loue of God towards them Againe it was needfull for the working of the saluation of the elect that there shoulde be some aduersarye power opposing it selfe and labouring by all meanes to hinder it that so both the graces bestowed on men might be stirred vp and exercised and the power of God preseruing them from so great danger made manifest Lastly by this vncurable state of these Angels it appeareth that there neither is nor yet can be in any creature any such absolute perfection as that it might be able of it selfe by any proper inherent and naturall vertue and strength beeing not supported by the grace of God eyther to keep for euer or to recouer any good happy estate If it be obiected that the Angels may repente and so obtaine saluation wee answere first that it is vnpossible by reason of the nature of their sinne beeing the sinne against the holie Ghost that they shoulde euer truely repent and secondly that if they coulde after some sorte repente yet they are altogether vncapable of saluation because God hath not taken vnto himselfe the nature of Angels as he hath done the nature of man and so by ioyning it to himselfe who is life it selfe made it a liuing and holy nature the which is needfull for saluation as will appeare more at large in the treatise of iustifying faith Chap. 4. Sect. 3. But to leaue these foule spirits in the bottomlesse pit of hell let vs returne to the consideration of this third state of man the which although in substance it be nothing but the first estate restored yet it is to be preferred before it in these respectes First because it is certaine immutable and eternall it being impossible that any who is once brought from death to this state of saluation should returne backe againe but the first state of man was not onely variable but very short and momentanie as hath beene declared This ariseth not of any naturall and inherent strength of man but of the meere grace and loue of God supporting all his elect seruants in this state and watching ouer them least at any time they should fall away Secondly both the partes of the goodnesse of this estate which are the outward and inward coniunction of man with God or more plainely his happinesse and holinesse are greater then they were before The increase of happinesse the next section doth declare and for the other we cannot doubt but that the loue of man yea all the other partes of his holinesse are increased and doubled towardes God who nowe is not onely his Lorde and creator but also his sauiour and redeemer As he must needes loue more to whome manie sinnes are forgiuen then he who is saued by his owne holinesse for life is not of it selfe so acceptable at any time as it is after death Whereof more at large in the laste Chapter of the third parte of this treatise CHAP. II. Sect. 1. Of the happinesse wherein man was created HAppinesse is the enioying of the greatest highest and chiefest good to wit that which is fully perfectly primarely eternally essentially and onely good as is God onely Math 19. 17. There is none good but God onely Thus doe the Angels in heauen enioy God whose face or more plainely whose glory shining as clerely as the grace of a man doth in his face they doe continually behold Likewise man before his fall liued thus happily in the presence of God with whome he had daily and as wee may say familiar conuersation yea God did many waies reueale himselfe and his glory to him especially in the garden wherein he placed him This is perfect felicitie for hee who hath God who is the fountaine of all blessings ioy and pleasures hath all thinges belonging to happinesse Psal. 16 11. Thou shalt make me knowe the path of life for there is fulnesse of ioy in thy face or presence and in thy right hande there are pleasures for euermore From this fountaine of happinesse there flowed many streames euen all blessings whatsoeuer the preseruation or dignitie of the body soule or of the whole person of man did any way require first for his body it was in respect of the outwarde forme and proportion maiesticall beautifull gracious purchasing feare and reuerence of the other baser creatures and fauour euen in the sight of God for whose glory maketh whatsoeuer is any way commendable in the creature this remaneth in parte euen in the corrupt estate 1. Chro. 12. 8. Dauids men of warre had faces like Lyons Act. 7. 20. Moses being new borne was gratious in the sight of God Secondly the body of man was immortall whereof there is no question to be made seing that the scripture doth euery where teach vs that death came in by sinne 1. Cor. 25. 56. the sting whereby death killeth is sinne Rom. 5. 12. by Adam sinne came into the worlde and by sin death If we shoulde examine this doctrine by naturall reason it woulde be found very doubtfull for it may seeme that the body of man being made of earth shoulde of necessitie at length be resolued into earth againe as well as the bodies of all other cretures yea that it consisting of contraries continually fighting and consuming one another coulde not possibly but be at length destroyed For nothing that is deuided in it selfe can continue for euer Yea besides this naturall death mans body may seeme to haue bene subiect to outward violence as if it shoulde haue bene pierced with a sword or throwen downe from a high rocke no reason can shewe howe the immortality of it shoulde be preserued Whereunto we answere first that we are not to doubt of the word of God howsoeuer our shallow heads are not able to sound the depth of it Secondly that we may as wel suppose man to be immortall as to liue almost a thousand yeares as we read Gen. 5. 27. that Methuselā did for we may well thinke that those long liues of the fathers before the flood were euen the reliques of that immortalitie wherewith Adam was endued at the first neither are we to think it impossible to God to endue mans body with such an exact equall temperature as should continue for euer As for violent deaths although we cannot deny but man was
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
this life and partly or rather perfectly and wholly in the worlde to come for howsoeuer it may seeme an impossible thing to finde any felicitie in this vaine and transitorie worlde especially in the godly who of all men are most miserable yet God in his mercie vouchsafeth to his seruantes the beginning and as it were a taste of that endlesse ioy which is laide vp in store for them in heauen by the which they may be comforted and vphelde in the mids of those infinite miseries which accompany them whiles they abide in this world This happinesse is not outward and apparant to mens eyes but inward and spirituall for the bodies of Gods elect are as much subiect to sores sicknesses to death it selfe as are the bodies of the reprobate yea in their wiues children friends kinsfolke goods posterity and in all outward respects they are no lesse yea vsually much more miserable then the reprobate although if wee speake properly these outward euils doe not make them miserable but doe make for their good and eternall saluation and therefore wee are to seeke for this beginning of our happinesse in the soules of Gods children and chiefly in their mindes and vnderstandinges For if happinesse doe consist in seeing God and in beholding his glorie as Christ teacheth vs Math. 5. 8. Then wee are not destitute of a greate part of it euen in this life in the which we doe many waies see God although not so fully as wee shall doe heereafter 1. Cor. 13. 12. For heauen and earth euen all the creatures of God are full of the glorie of God Rom. 1. 20. The inuisible thinges of God to wit his Godhead and his power are seene since the creation of the world being considered in the creatures If by naturall men of whome the Apostle speaketh how much more by spirituall For howsoeuer carnal and worldly minded men beholding the glorious creatures of God are no more affected then are the brute beastes which neuer once lift vp their eies to heauen yet the godly doe heereof conceiue matter of great ioy Besides we see God daily in his actions in his iudgements powred on sinners in his mercies shewed towards the godly yea in his patience and goodnesse towardes all men But besides all this we haue yet another meanes of seeing God so farre excelling the former as the beholding of the kinges owne person is more ioyfull to his naturall subiectes then is the sight of his stately palaces For we haue the worde of God euen the doctrine of the Gospell wherein we see God in his mercy that is in his greatest glorie yea we see God in Christ his onely naturall sonne in whome the glorie of God shineth more clearely then in the heauen of heauens For hee is the expresse and liuely image of the Father the brightnesse of his glory and the engrauen forme of his person and thus we see God plainely as in a cleare cristall glasse with his face open or vncouered yea by this sight wee are transformed into the same image from glorie to glorie euen as from the spiritte of God 2. Cor. 3. 18. Thus all the faithfull beholding God in Christ are truely happie howsoeuer they doe not with their bodely eyes see the heauens open and the sonne of God standing at the right hande of the Father as Steuen did Act. 7. 56. To this felicitie of the minde is to be referred the peace of conscience the which being a continuall feast maketh a man happy and ioyfull in the middest of the greatest sorrowes and miseries And to be shorte in the rest answerable to this state of the minde is the will with the affections by the which he cleauing to God louing him aboue all earthly pleasures and delighting in him is replenished with vnspeakable ioy This is the happinesse whereof wee may be made partakers in this life the which eternall happinesse followeth so called because all the partes of it which are nowe to bee mentioned continue and endure for euer without any chaunge or alteration whatsoeuer It consisteth in these thinges First in immunitye or freedome from all daungers troubles miseries calamities crosses sorrow sinne wants imperfections and infirmities whatsoeuer can be named or imagined The body shal not be pinched with hunger thirst nakednesse or disgraced with any deformitie or wearied with labour the darknesse shal not shut vp our eyes and hinder them from seeing for there is continuall light health shal not be impaired by sicknesse or beauty and strength with age the bodie shall not be inflamed by choller or luste or distempered with surfitting and drunkennesse or yet preserued by the corruption of the carkasses of dead beastes It shall not be as it is now of so lumpish and heauy a mould that we cannot without wearinesse and trouble lift vppe our handes or eies to heauen but it shall be a spirituall body that is endued with such perfect strength beauty agilitie lightnesse impassibilitie soliditie and incorruption as if it were a spirite rather then a sensible substance and yet it shall be still a sensible substance endued with the same forme which now it hath but of farre diuerse qualities Likewise the minde being free from al ignorance errour and doubting shall see God clearely and in him all thinges there shalbe no peruersnesse of the will or any inordinate desires no such vncertaine freedome of will as might endanger our estate by drawing vs from God To be short we shall haue daily conuersation in the presence of God Who shall be all in all vnto vs we shall be glorious in bodie and soule euen as are the holy Angels yea euen as is Christ the sonne of God according to his humanitie although not in the same degree but we are not able to declare the particulars of this estate the which then shall be reuealed vnto vs and therefore we must conclude this matter with that saying of the Apostle 1. Cor. 2. 9. Neyther eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor the minde of man once conceiued or imagined those ioyes which God hath prepared for them that loue him Yet we haue a typicall description of this happinesse Reuel 21. CHAP. III. Sect. 1. Of the holinesse wherein man was created THus much of that happinesse wherein man was created the which was not absolute but conditionall for it was giuen to man with this condition That he should liue in perfect holinesse conforming himselfe to the will of God in all thinges in the performance whereof if hee did faile at any time he was forthwith to be wholly depriued of the said happy estate for euer Where we are not to imagine that God did deale hardly with man in imposing so straite a condition for he could not possibly haue done otherwise as we will easely confesse if we consider that happinesse is nothing else but the enioying of Gods presence and company into the which it is more impossible
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
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
and legall holinesse although not perfect in this life by his spirit Yet because the morall law was giuen for this end to shew man his vnrighteousnesse by commaunding inherent righteousnesse hence it is that by legall righteousnesse is vsually meant proper or inherent righteousnesse and so by legall faith is meant that faith which looketh for hapinesse by inherent righteousnesse the which may more fitlie be called naturall faith because it was ingrauen in the nature of man as the other kinde is supernaturall yet we call it legall faith because perfect inherent righteousnesse is nothing but the perfect keeping of the lawes and commaundementes of God as sinne is defined 1. Ioh. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne is the breaking of the law whether it be the morall lawe written Exod. 20. the which was ingrauen in the heart of Adam in his first creation or any other law yea euen of things in nature indifferent inioyned to man by God the transgression wherof is a transgression of the morall lawe for the creature sinneth whensoeuer he disobeyeth the voyce word lawe and commaundement of God whether in a thing in nature indiffereÌ„t or simply vnlawful Thus did Adam sinne and fall away from God by eating the fruite of a certaine tree which he was forbidden to touch So that by this legall faith none can trust in God for eternall happines but onely he who in his owne person fulfilleth the whole law of God and that in deed in word in thought in will and in affection yea in the vniuersall puritie of this nature being free from all curruption of sin The which thing forsomuch as it cannot possibly be performed by any of the sons of Adam all being stained with that originall impurity which cannot by any meanes in the world be shaken off Hence it followeth that this naturall faith cannot haue place in any of them onely the holy Angels which continue in their naturall purity holinesse are endued with it for they trust for happinesse by the meanes of their owne perfect righteousnesse Yet this their happinesse is not so to be attributed to their proper obedience as that it be wholly denied to the grace of God for where the Apostle saith Rom. 4. 4 If saluation bee by works it is not of grace he meaneth the meere fauour of God remitting sinne the which hath place iâ— the other kind of faith yet euen the holy Angels although they be saued by works that is by their owne perfect holines yet their holines coÌ„meth from the grace of God without the which supporting them in all temptations suggested by their own free minds and wils or by the reprobate Angels they coulde not stand Sect. 2. Of infidelitie THus much of faith Nowe we come to the first kinde of rebellion wherby man falleth away from God called infidelitie for that it is both in name and nature cleane contrarie to faith For by it man ceaseth to trust and depend vppon GOD renouncing his patronage and protection as being altogether vnable to bestow any good thing much lesse perfect happinesse vpon his clients and therefore he seeketh for another Lorde and king in whom to trust So that as faith is affiance on Gods promises so this kinde of rebellion may not vnfitlie be called defined defiance or distrust in Gods promises propounding happinesse to the holinesse of the creature and eternall miserie to his disobedience The first example of infidelitie is the diuell with his wicked Angels who not acknowledging God to be the giuer of happinesse did beginne to seeke for it else where in the which consultation he saw that as there was no creature more excellent then himselfe so there was no meanes of attaining happinesse so like as for to relie himselfe vpon himselfe vpon his owne strength power wit policies and inuentions by the which he did perswade himselfe that he should become far more happy then he could be by continuing in that obedience and alleagance which he did owe to God The second example of infidelitie was Adam who was by the deceit and perswasion of Sathan drawen away from trusting in God and on his worde to trust in the â—euill and in that meanes of attaining happinesse which he did shew vnto him In Adam all mankind fell from faith to infidelitie wherein it remaineth all men being bred â—orne brought vp without any affiance in God relying themselues for their happinesse onely on themselues their owne wit learâ—ing beauty strength friendes riches nobilâ—tie yea on sinne Sathan and this present world and no more depending vpon God tâ—en if there were no God For victorie they trust in chariots and horsemen for health in the phisition for life in meate and drinke for riches in their owne industrie or in their parents for glory honor in vvorldly preferments and dignities not once vpon any occasion acknovvledging God or looking vp to heauen This infidelitie or defiance of God commeth of vnbeliefe which is the blindnesse of the minde or the ignorance of man not seeing the euident trueth of Gods promises but beeing perswaded that his worde is altogether voyde of trueth and that his promises are nothing but faire pretences his feareful threatnings nothing but vaine skar-crowes terrifying and fraying none but religious fooles and that the whole course of the worlde is not ordered by his decrees will and prouidence but by nature chaunce fortune and the counsell oâ— man So we reade Ephe. 4. 18. The Gentiles haue their vnderstanding darkned and so are alienated or estraunged from God bâ— the ignoraunce which is in their mindes and 2. Tim. 3. 8. Men of corrupt mindes anâ— reprobate as touching faith Lastly this blindnesse of minde the companion and cause of infidelitie commeth by our naturall corruption from the fall of Adam for wheras once the light of his minde was darkned by the delusion of the Diuell insomuch that he thought euill to be good and the way leading to extreame misery to be the onely meanes of the greatest happinesse it could not be but that his will affections actions and all the faculties both of bodie and soule shoulde be corrupted for that one of them doth followe the disposition of an other so that a corrupt mind bringeth a peruerse will and a sinfull will and inordinate affections doe darken the minde as hath bene alreadie shewed Hereof it followeth that infidelitie doth both separate a man form God and also depriue him of all the partes of holynesse yea insteed thereof filleth all the parts and faculties of a mans soule and body with the corruption of sinne For man renouncing God is wholly separated frome him neither can any longer receiue any blessing from him for euen as a subiect or tennant discliaming his king and Lorde and relying himselfe vpon a newe master euen one who is a deadlie and professed enimy to his first maister doth incontinently depriue himselfe of all those farmes landes houses prefermentes and commodities whatsoeuer the
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
the faithfull for that otherwise they could not be prepared and made fit for the enioying of eternall glory And that in these respects First in that the faithfull are left for a while in crosses troubles sorrow sinne and all manner of misery they haue time giuen vnto them to consider both their owne naturall estate howe wretched they are of themselues and also the excellencie of that glory which is prepared for them in heauen and so see and acknowledge the vnspeakable goodnesse of God who hath freed them from the one and will at the appointed time bring them to the other The which thing cannot be so duelie waied and considered by man when he is in the state eyther of extreeme misery or of absolute glory as it is by the faithfull in this present life the which is a mixt state consisting partly of sinne and misery and partly of holinesse and happinesse partly of life and partly of death so that as a man cannot at any time so well diâ—cerne a thing to be black or crooked as when he layeth it beside that which is white or straight so the faithfull doe more easely and truely conceiue their owne misery and Gods mercy in this life wherein they doe sensibly feele them both then eyther they did before regeneration in which time they knew neither themselues nor God or then they shall doe in the world to come wherein their naturall misery is not felt in their owne bodies and soules as it is in this life but onely remembred and beheld in the reprobate Wherein God dealeth with sinfull man as earthly kings deale sometimes with rebels malefactors whom although they purpose not onely to pardon their offence but also to receiue into fauour and loue and so doe restore them from death to life from shame to honour yet they doe not at the first admit them into the highest degree of their fauour to their secret counsell or to their personall presence Thus did King Dauid deale with Absolon 2. Sam. 14. 22. who after that he was pardoned and receiued into fauour was two yeares in IerusaleÌ„ before that he saw the kings face And thus doe the faithfull after that they are fully iustifyed from the guilt of their sinne they doe not forthwith rush into heauen but remaine heere on earth in the outward court of Gods palace waiting till they may be admitted into the glorious presence of God in heauen For we are not to thinke that there ought to be the same manner of the first creation of man of his regeneration that as in the first so also in the second birth man ought incontinently as soone as he doth existe to be made perfectly happy as if happinesse were a small and light matter which might be lost in one moment of an houre recouered in another And therefore we are to put a difference betwixt the first and the second happinesse of man the first beeing giuen immediately by God whereas the other is gotten although not by the helpe yet by the meanes of man who is in some sort to worke his owne saluation and must be endued in this life with some measure of grace whereby hee may be prepared for the fulnesse of it in the worlde to come the which thing cannot be done vnlesse his saluation be deferred for otherwise there woulde be no triall of his faith and loue yea no vse of hope patience praier and such other spirituall graces for the working whereof God doth defer the happinesse of his elect This the Apostle doth plainely teach vs Rom. 8. 24. 25. 26. saying If the thing hoped for be seene hope is no hope for how can a man hope for that he seeth but if we hope for that we see not then we doe with patience abide for it Likewise our hope being thus deferred the spirit helpeth our infirmities in praying for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed Thus we see how it commeth to passe that hope hath so necessary and great vse in this third estate Now we are to declare the nature of it more particularly by shewing first what it is secondly what relation it hath to faith thirdly what are the vses and commodities which it bringeth lastly what are the signes by the which it may be knowen For the first Renewed hope is an expectation of celestiall glory or of eternall glory in heauen This definition giueth vs to vnderstand that the obiect whereat this holy affection aimeth and looketh is not present but to come and yet not any future thing but that which is good for not onely hope but all other affections and the whole will of man yea euen when they are sanctified and in their purest and holiest estate doe abhorre and eschew all euill whether present or future and doe cleaue onely to that which is good for man And yet not any future good is the obiect of this hope but the chiefest good which indeed is all manner of good and euen happinesse it selfe For so we are to thinke that as faith trusteth in God for happinesse so hope waiteth for it And although both faith and hope sometimes take hold of a particular good as Abraham both trusted and hoped in God for Isaac and as the man sicke of the palsey did for bodily health yet neyther faith nor hope rest in a particular good but onely through it looke at the generall good vsing it as a meanes way token or pledge of the generall good and happinesse Yea further there is this difference that faith and hope doe for the most part apprehende a particular good whether it be a temporall blessing or a spirituall grace doubtingly vnlesse there be a special promise of it as was that which God made to Abraham of Isaac as not being absolutely needfull for their happinesse and therefore not needfull to be graunted by God but they lay holde on happinesse which is the vniuersall good without doubting or any exception whatsoeuer So that by hope we meane hope of eternall glory in the which sense this word is vsed throughout the writings of the Apostles Lastly the obiect of hope is not any terrestriall good or happinesse as was that wherein Adam was created but a celestiall happinesse as it hath beene in parte described heretofore In the second place we are to declare the nature of hope by comparing it with faith with the which it agreeth in these respectes First faith is the cause and as it were the mother of hope for a man cannot hope to come to heauen vnlesse he be first taught by faith the right way and true meanes of saluation Yea he is more then madde who thinketh once to enter into the glorious presence of God in heauen being not first cleansed by faith from the filthinesse of his sinne but whome faith iustifyeth him hope glorifyeth Againe as faith bringeth foorth hope so hope like a louing and gracious childe cherisheth and vpholdeth faith for how coulde any man rely himselfe
being in happy innocency the holy Angels being in perfect glory yea the brute and senselesse creatures feare in regard of the glorious maiesty of God and shall the faithfull being sinful and miserable not be affected therewith But we know that the seruants of God haue alwaies feared his glorious presence Thus the people of Israell make it an impossible thing that a man shoulde see the glorie of God and liue And Manach Sampsons fafather saith Iudg. 13. 22. We shall die because we haue seene God Further the faithfull are not freed from the feare which the committing of sinne bringeth with it for although they know that no sin tho neuer so hainous can depriue them of the eternal loue of God in Christ or of eternall saluation yet they ought so much the more to feare to displease or dishonour God then Adam did in his innocency because God hath shewed himselfe more louing gratious and bountifull to them in their regeneration then he did to Adam in his first creation for God sheweth his loue farre more in bringing some fewe from the common death of mankind to eternall saluation then he did in creating all in a common state of life Neyther are we to thinke that the faithfull liuing in this worlde are so exempted from sustaining the punishment of sinne as that they doe not in this regard also feare God for although if we speake properly it cannot stand with the iustice and equity of God to punish the faithfull for their sinnes the which he hath already punished to the full in the death of Christ yet the fatherly chastisements which he layeth vpon them for their great presumptuous sinnes to keepe them and others from committing the like are often so sharpe as that they doe not without cause seeme to be grieuous and fearefull punishmentes Hence it is that this sentence is annexed to those grieuous iudgementes which befell any of the people That all Israell may heare and feare the Lord. The vses of this grace are as before to restraine the faithfull from sinne for although that be true which the heathen poet saith Odâ—runt peccare boni virtutis amore oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae yet two motiues are more effectuall then one especially in this corrupt state wherein the faithfull retaining some reliques of their corrupt nature are often frayed from sinne by feare when as the loue of God is not able to restraine them Pro. 16. 6. and 3. 7. and 14. 16. A wise man feareth and escheweth euil In this respect The feare of God is called the beginning of wisedome that is of an holy and vnblameable life Psal. 10. 10. Pro. 11. 7. because the godly man doth alwaies behaue himselfe as in the presence of the great and fearefull God of heauen Hitherto the rest of the vses mentioned in the first section of this chapter are to be referred which it is not needfull to repeate Yet there is one speciall commodity which the faithfull reape by this grace to wit immunity from temporall plagues for euen as it is said of a fierce and roring Lion that in the heate of his rage he spareth those beastes which yeelding themselues to his power doe by feare and trembling aske mercy at his handes so when as God is so prouoked to anger by the sinnes of his seruantes that no praiers or vowes can pacify him yet this submisse feare of his wrath doth quench the burning heat of it by the which meanes it commeth to passe that this feare of God doth not breed any trouble or disquietnes in the minds of the godly but rather freeth them from the feare of all euill whatsoeuer and therefore to conclude this chapter euery faithfull man ought to labour with all care both to haue in his heart and to expresse in his whole life and behauiour this singular grace of the feare of God that so he may call God his feare as he is called the feare of Isaac Gen. 31. 42. 53. where Iacob doth sweare to Laban by the feare of his father Isaac that is by God whom onely and no other thing in the world Isaac feared Thus we are exhorted Heb. 12. 28. Let vs labour to please God with reuerence and feare For euen our God is a consuming fire CHAP. VII Sect. 1. Of the subiection which man in his innocency did owe to God as to his father THus we see the first part of mans subiection with the particular dueties thereof the second kind of subiection is that which the sonne oweth to the father for God was to man in the state of innocency not onely a liege Lord and soueraigne King but also a gracious and louing father and that by vertue of the first creation the which is a kinde of generation For the creator giueth being and existence to the creature as the father doth to the sonne Yet not all the creatures are in this respect to be accounted or called the sonnes of God no more then men doe account those senselesse things which they fashion and make of clay woode or any such matter to be their children although they be their workemanship and therefore there is somewhat else in man which maketh him the sonne of God to wit the likenesse or similitude of man to God for man doth resemble God so as we see the sonne doth his father not in the outward shape of his body for God hath no shape neyther can be resembled to any thing that either is or can be imagined but in the inward holines of his soule the which is called in scripture The image of God whereof more hereafter Yet this is here to be noted that although man be by his originall and naturall state the sonne of God yet he is not so his sonne as is the second person of the Godhead who partaketh the very essence of the father whereas man hath not in him any part of gods essence but onely a shadow or light resemblance of it So that the second person is the sonne of God as is the natural sonne begotten by any man and therefore is of the substance of his father not differing from him in any respect saue only that the one is the father the other the sonne but man is the sonne of God so as he who is a son by some accidentall meanes as by law by adoption by tuition by susception or by any other way beside natural procreation For these sonnes do not participate the nature essence of their fathers but only do resemble them perhaps in countenaÌ„ce conditions name or in some such outward respect whereas in nature kinde and substance they are far differing from them But to proceed Man being not a senselesse or brutish but a reasonable creature is the son of God not he onely but also all the holy Angels who being likewise indued with the image of God are called the sonnes of God Iob. 1. 6. The sonnes of God came on a
ioyned to him then anie other whosoeuer whether sonne kinsman orfriende and may more confidently looke to be enriched and protected by him so the faithfull being now in the humaine nature of Christ thus espowsed made one person with GOD are more nearely ioyned to him then man was in the state of innocencie wherein God did not take vnto him selfe the nature of man and therefore did not acknowledge man to be as his beloued spouse and a part of his owne person but only as his subiect seruant scholler creature and sonne All which are distinct persons from the King maister teacher creator and father and so may more certainly and vndoubtedly looke to be not only protected and saued from death by the strength of God their new husband but also to be enriched by him with all spirituall and heauenly blessings belonging to a holy and happie estate Thus we see the manner of this new subiection the duties belonging to it are all those which a dutifull wife oweth to her husband as namely that she please him and cleaue inseparably to him For the first as the Apostle writeth 1 Cor. 7. 34. As she that is maried careth for worldly things how she may please her husband so ought the faithfull endeauour by all meanes to please their heauenly husband by being pure both in bodie and soule doing all those things which they know are acceptable in his sight especially by performing the second duty to wit that they renounce all other things in the world and cleaue fast to God without separation euen as the wife forsaketh father mother sisters brethren kinred acquaintance and betaketh her selfe wholly to her husband This dutie of the church to Christ is notably described Psal 45. 11. 12. Heare ô daughter encline thine care forgette thy people and thy fathers house so shall the King haue pleasure in thy beautie for he is thy Lord and worshipp thou him Yea there can no wife haue so good cause to performe all loyall dutie to her husband as the faithfull haue in respect of God For if it should please some greate prince to aduance some base poore and miserable woman to the dignitie of being his wife all men would say that she could not by any duties of subiection shew her selfe sufficiently thankfull how then shall sinfull man who of himselfe is the most wretched creature in the world but is now espowsed to God the King of Kings behaue himselfe in any measure so dutifully as he oâ—â—ht The second part of this treatise wherein is handled the second part of mans holinesse and sinfulnesse to wit his conformitie or likenesse to God with the contrarie vnlikenesse or defermitie CHAP. I Sect. 1. Of the image of God in man in his pure estate IT hath bene declared that the good estate of the reasonable creature whether man or Angel consisteth in this that he be ioyned to God the fountaine of all goodnesse both personally or locally in happinesse and also spiritually in perfect holinesse The which holinesse hath two partes Subiection and Conformitie For so it hath pleased God in greate wisdome to ioyne these two together in his reasonable creatures least that they should be too much either debased by the one or lifted vp by the other For if they had beene made like to God without subiection they woulde easely haue bene brought to thinke theÌ„selues â—quall to God and if they had bene subiect to â—od without any likenes or reseÌ„blance to him â—ey should haue lacked that wherein their â—hole excellencie and dignitie doth consist â— haue bene in the same condition with the â—ute beastes Thus God hath created the â—ule of man in an equal temperament â—f contrarie qualities that so the one might â—ualifie and preserue the other The subâ—ection of man is already declared nowe â—olloweth his conformitie which is that â—arte of mans holinesse wherein he resembleth God or is like vnto God vsuallie â—alled in scripture the image of God for as there is a likenesse and similitude betwixt â—n image and that whereof it is the image so there is in respect of this parte of mans holinesse a likenesse betwixt God and man For the better vnderstanding of this matter and the easier resoluing of those manifolde doubtes which are moued about it it is needfull that we declare what God is to whom we make man to be like The essence of God is so infinite secrete and hidden that it cannot be conceaued in our mindes much lesse expressed in words to the capacitie of others For whereas it is saide Iohn 4. 24. That God is a spirite the meaning is that the nature of God is not visible and sensible but mysticall and wonderfull as are spirites For otherwise the name of spirite as it is giuen to Angels is too grosse to expresse the essence of God Yet it hath pleased God in mercie to make himselfe knowen vnto vs by his properties vsually called by the diuines the attributes of God as his knowledge wisdome iustice mercy loue power eternitie and such other For as we in common speache going about to describe any man doe mention his vertues qualities and conditions saying that he is honest gentle faithfull liberall iust and learned so we haue reuealed vnto vs in scripture no other essence or nature of God but the aforesaide attributes and therefore if we woulde describe God we must say that he is a certaine essence most simple without any manner of composition existing of it selfe and from whom all creatures and actions doe exist being eternall without beginning or ending infinite in knowledge wisdome iustice mercie loue strength power and in all goodnesse holinesse and puritie Thus we see in part what God is now the image of God in the creature is whenas it is like to God in some of the aforesaid â—espectes as when the creature is endued with knowledge wisdome iustice power â—oue mercie or any other of the attributes of God But it may be here obiected that â—f the attributes of God which are his essence may be giuen to any creature then â—t shoulde be partaker of gods nature and so be a God We answere that the attributes of God may be in the creature although not so as they are in God for example God hath strength and the creature hath strength euery one more or lesse Yet there is this difference that the strength of God is essentiall vnto him and a part of his nature but the strength of the creature is a qualitie or accidental thing which may be spared as when we see two sunnes the one is a true substance but the other is onely the reflexion of the beames of the true sunne In God it is primarelie as in the fountaine but the creature hath his strength from God in God it is infinite in the creature it is finite God hath all strength the creature hath but some yea the strength of the mightiest creature is great weakenesse in comparison of the
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
Chap. 8. Sect. 1. For if we shoulde suppose that some one man in this state of innocency did liue solitarelie by himselfe not hauing the companie or helpe of any other yet we are not to thinke that he woulde haue bene ignorant of God but rather to be perswaded that howsoeuer he might want the knowledge of some particulars the which doth not make an imperfect knowledge also be inferiour to others in measure of knowledge yet he shoulde haue bene endued with the perfect knowledge of God For as hath bene said this state of happinesse is of the same kinde with the happinesse of the Angels in heauen although in degree of knowledge and all other graces it be farre inferiour to it For this is a certaine and generall rule that in all states of innocency whether they be in heauen or on earth whether in this world or in the worlde to come God doth reueale himselfe to his reasonable creatures face to face that is immediatlie without the mediation of any creature as God saieth Numb 12. 8. That he spake to Moses face to face mouth to mouth But he spake to the people by the mediation of Moses Thus 1. Cor. 13. 12. To see God face to face as the Godly shall in the worlde to come is opposed to the knowing of God by the ministerie of man as the faithfull doe in this life wherein God doth reueale himselfe to them by his ministers as one man speaketh to an other by an interpreter or messenger not in personall presence Yet this immediate teaching doth not hinder but that in this state of innocencie one man might haue his knowledge encreased by an other as God did reueale some particulars to one more then to another or that the weakenesse of mans infancie and childehood shoulde not be supported by teachers as hath bene declared Thus much of the potentiall knowledge called by philosophers the suffering vnderstanding or facultie of the minde the which in conceauing any thing doth suffer the impression of knowledge as waxe doth suffer when as any forme is imprinted in it Nowe we come to actuall knowledge called the agent facultie because knowledge being once gotten is not idle but working in the minde and doth not onely moue it selfe but also is the beginning of motion to all the other faculties of the bodie and soule As touching the measure of mans actuall knowledge in his innocencie the which poynt onely resteth to be considered it is to be defined by his happinesse and by comparison made with the knowledge of the faithfull in their regeneration For first man knewe whatsoeuer might any way make for his good and happie estate as namely he had the perfect knowledge of God which is a great parte of happinesse beholding him daily and continually although not in his essentiall forme which is incomprehensible yet in the cleare euidence of his glory Besides he had the knowledge of all the creatures whose formes kindes natures properties vertues qualities and commodities he did perfectly comprehend as appeareth in that Adam gaue to euery beast a name agreeable to his nature He knew howe to gouerne families and common-wealthes with meete orders and lawes and in generall whatsoeuer thing did any way belong to the necessitie vse pleasure or commoditie of humaine life Secondly we may gather the measure of the created knowledge by comparing it with renewed knowledge For if we should put together in one man the knowledge of the best most learned diuines politicians physitions logicians mathematicians philosophers and of all that are most excellent in any kinde yet it is not so great sound pure subtil perfect as the knowledge of mā in the state of innocencie And no maruel seing he had far more excellēt meanes of knowledge whether we regard his own nature therein the puritie and integritie of all his senses and faculties both outward and inwarde or yet his scholemaister and teacher who was Godhimselfe Sect. 2 Of the sinfulnesse of the mind or of the ignoraunce of man in his corrupt estate THus much of mans knowledge in his pure estate from the which we come to his corrupt state as out of the cleare sunne-shine into a darke dungeon for as before the fall of man his minde was enlightned with the perfect knowledg of God of al things in the world so since the fal it is ouercast euen wholly possessed with palpable darknesse being destitute not onely of all actuall knowledge but also of all abilitie of attaining the true knowledge of God by any facultie vertue industrie or any meanes inherent in himselfe the which in the former section we call potentiall knowledge for the first kinde of knowledge namelie actuall reall or that which is already gotten it is euident to the eyes of all that list to consider it that the naturall knowledge of man is mere darknesse and ignorance By naturall knowledge we meane that knowledge which is◠and may be seene in all vnregenerate men who are come to yeares of discretion and haue neither encreased nor decreased that knowledge which they haue of themselues Both which accidentes may happen to carnall men as we are to declare in the third part of this treatise Chap. 6. In this sorte of men we are to account all ignorant people who hauing beene brought vp in rudenesse and ignorance not vsing the meanes of getting knowledge as the heareing reading and learning of the worde of God haue no other opinion of God and of religion then those rudimentes and beginnings which they brought from their mothers wombes and which they haue gotten or rather which haue crept into their mindes by little and little they not seeking or looking after any knowledge not out of the bookes of the scripture but out of the creatures The which being dayly beheld felt and enioyed can not but leaue some impression of the knowledge of God in the mindes of those who haue any sparke of reason remaining in them Hence it is that man euen in this his corrupt estate thinketh that there is a God that this God is of great power and therefore to be feared that he is the giuer of all good thinges and therefore to be worshipped honored in way of thankfulnesse that he is iust and there fore will punishe sinners and rewarde good and innocent men Likewise he hath some knowledge of the second table yea more then of the first whereby he can decerne right from wrong honest thinges from vnhonest so that he condemneth theft oppression incest adulterie murther and such like grosse sinnes For although many doe diminishe this light of nature and become such detestable atheistes as to fay in their heartes that there is no God yet man naturally thinketh otherwise as appeareth plainely both by the word of God and by common experience For the first we haue this doctrine Rom. 1. 19. 20. that which is knowen of God that is so much as God hath made knowen to all
1. 26. Brethren you see your calling that not many wise men are chosen the reason heereof is euident for it is needful that he who would beleeue the word of God should renounce his own knowledge so farre as it is contrary to the other But the more wit and learning a man hath the more he attributeth to it to himselfe to his own strength Whereas they who haue a small measure of these giftes doe not trust so much vnto them as the wise man witnesseth saying That there is more hope to win a foole to wisedome then one who thinketh or knoweth himselfe to be wise and so is wise in his owne eyes Thus we see the great ignorance of God which is in all vnregenerate men nowe for the knowledge which man hath of the creatures we may say with the prophet Ier. 2. 13. Man hath forsaken God the fountaine of wisedome and then what wisedome can be in him For as he is ignorant of God so is he of the creatures of God being naturallie so void of all manner of knowledge as that he seemeth not to differ from a bruite beast but onely in the outward proportion of his body and the faculty of speaking Nay he is more ignorant then are the brute beasts whereof there are almost none which knoweth not and that without any teacher euen by the secrete instinct of nature what is good and euill for it selfe yea the secret vertue of some hearbes or of other things which may stande them in stede but man being anie way distressed knoweth not how to goe either to God or anie naturall thing for helpe being so farre from knowing other things that he knoweth not the partes temperamentes frame disposition infirmities and diseases of his owne bodie or anie thing belonging to it or the preseruing or healing of it saue only the outward members and fashion of it Neither is there any cause why man should bragge of that greate knowledge which he is able to attaine vnto whenas he giueth himselfe to search it out We do not denie but that God graunteth thus much to the labour of industrious men that they attaine to knowledge some more others lesse but the learnedest philosopher in the world cannot denie but that he is not only actually ignorant of many things but also naturally vnable to pearce into the depth of the wisdome of God in the creatures that by reason of the dulnesse shallownesse of his wit which cannot finde out the true causes formes reasons and vertues of naturall things as why the load-stone draweth iron to it of the which kinde infinite instances might be brought And if they chance to finde out the vertue and qualitie of anie thing it is done not by considering the causes but by marking the effectes and so not by knowledge or anie good cunning as we say but by chance and by experience the schoole-maister of fooles Sect. 3. Of renewed knowledge IT remaineth that we consider how God of his greate mercie and goodnesse doth renewe in all his faithfull seruants this first and chiefe parte of his glorious image We call it the first and chiefe part because that in the worke of regeneration the illumination of the minde with the true knowledge of God both hath the first place and also is the cause of all the rest of mans holinesse For as Christ doth teach Math. 6. 23. If the eye haue light in it it doth enlighten the wholle bodie but if it be darke there is nothing but darknesse in the bodie That is if the minde of man which is the eye of the soule be trulie sanctified and renewed with knowledge there followeth holinesse in all the faculties of the soule and in the whole man But if there be darknesse and ignorance in the minde there is nothing but sin in all the partes of man Neither can it be otherwise for as it is impossible that a man should either trust or hope in God or loue feare obey him or performe any dutie of holinesse vnto God whome he doth not know in his mercie loue goodnesse promises power iustice and the rest of his attributes so is it no lesse impossible that any man should know and be fully perswaded that God is true in his promises mercifull bountifull and iust and not be affected to him accordingly And therfore the first action of the holy spirit framing the new man in the elect is to take out of their mindes their naturall dulnes vnbeleefe and ignorance and to make them able to conceiue vnderstand beleeue and know God Thus the Apostle teacheth Rom. 12. 2. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mindes that ye may approoue the good and acceptable will of God so Eph. 4. 13. Be renewed in the spirit of your mindes and so put on the new man Thus he praieth for the Colossians Col. 1. 9. That they might be filled with the knowledge of the will of God in all wisdome and spiritual vnderstanding And thus it is saide Act. 16. 14. That whilst Paul preached the gospel although the reprobate did not conceiue or vnderstand it Yet God opened the hart that is the minde of Lidia to beleeue his word This illumination of the minde is the most sensible and euident thing in regeneration and that whereby they that denie the work of the holy spirit in renewing the faithful may most plainly be conuinced for what is more wonderful then that men who before were dull rude simple and vnlearned yea vncapable of any kinde of knowledge should on a sudden become able to comprehend in their minds most stedfastly to expres in words very sēsibly the hiddē mysteries of christiā religiō Yet this experience teacheth to be true the Apostle witnesseth the same The spirituall man discerneth all things This commeth not by anie naturall strength but by the worke of God yet he doth not inspire this knowledge immediatly but by the meanes of the ministerie of his holy word And therefore it behooueth euerie one who would feele in himselfe this wonderfull worke of God in changing his minde to giue himselfe diligently and continually to the hearing reading and meditating of the word of God Lastly this renewed knowledge is not either so greate or yet so generall as was the knowledge of man in his pure estate wherein he knewe God and all other things perfectlie but the faithful know God his word will actions so farre forth only as is needful for their saluation As for the knowledge of the creatures that is to be hoped for in the life to come wherin we hope for our ful adoptiō euen the redētiō of our bodies the senses faculties wherof are whilst we remaine in this life as dul and weake in the faithfull as in the vnbeleeuers And therefore they remaine as ignorant as touching this secundarie knowledge of the sensible creatures as doe the other Yea the knowledge of God as all other partes of
damnation The second kinde of a false excusing conscience is that which doth not onely excuse but also iustifie a man for that for the which it should condemne him such is the senselesse blockishnesse of a corrupt minde This conscience is in those who serue God after a false deuised manner and so thinke that their will-worship doth make them acceptable to God which in â—rueth is most abhominable in his sight They thinke that they aduance his glorie when as they set vp idolatrie and that when they persecute the true ministers Apostles and seruantes of God They doe God good seruice as we read Iohn 16. 2. They thinke that they shalbe heard of God for their much babling sake Math. 6. 7. for saying ouer and ouer so many creedes and pater nosters And lastly that they shall be saued for those actions the which howsoeuer they cary a shew of religion and deuotion yet they are grieuous sinnes before God and those for the which the doers should be condemned although they had not sinned in any other kinde Thus much of a false excusing conscience Now followeth a false accusing minde and conscience This is contrary to the former kinde for it accuseth where it shoulde excuse and iudgeth that to be vnlawfull which is lawfull This false testimony of the conscience commeth of the ignorance of christian liberty accounting things in nature indifferent as altogether vnlawfull whereof it commeth that men thinke it a sinne to eate this or that meate on this or that day to mary to be in this or that company to weare this or that apparrell to vse this or that kinde of recreation and so of many other thinges which are neither commaunded nor forbidden in the word but left indifferent and in the which a brother or sister is not in bondage but God hath called them in peace the which although it be not so euill and dangerous as is the other kinde for that it is safer and better for a man to feare in doing that which he might boldly doe then to be bolde in doing that which he ought not doe yet it is an euil and sinfull conscience displeasing in the eyes of God who as he hath in great mercy giuen vs great liberty in Christ so it is his will that we should although be sparing in the vse of it whenas it doth not further our edification and saluation yet not babes in knowledge and vnthankfully ignorant of the great benefits bestowed on vs. If it be heere obiected that this false accusing conscience cannot be truly said to be in the vnregenerate man because whatsoeuer is done by him being destitute of faith it is a sinne although it be in the vse of things indifferent and might be lawfully done by a faithfull man We answere that the conâ—cience of an vnregenerate man shoulde not accuse because he doth vse any indifferent thing as because he eateth or drinketh as it vseth to doe and therefore it is a false accuser but because he doth it without faith whereby both his person and all his actions should be made acceptable to God Thus we see what is the false or lying conscience Nowe let vs see how it is a true witnesse for according as the light or knowledge of the mind is more or lesse so is this true testimony of the conscience sometimes excusing truly and sometime accusing truely Rom. 1. 15. For although it be impossible that the conscience of an vnregenerate man should truly cleare him of sinne and the punishment thereof because his whole life yea euery particular action of his life and euery part of his body and faculty of his soule is polluted with sinne yet as a carnall man may be free from some particular sinne so his conscience may truely excuse him in that behalfe But the chiefe vse of the conscience is to accuse truely for sinne committed in the doing whereof it is very forcible and as it is commonly said in steede of a thousand witnesses therefore hath God in greate wisedome left some light in the minde of sinfull man that he might be conuicted by himselfe and so left inexcusable Yea sometimes it commeth to passe that this conscience is not onely the witnesse but also the executioner stirring vp such fearefull stormes of anguish feare sorrowe shame and desperation as are most intollerable and may be truely said to be the very flames of hell fire This is verified by the tragicall ende of the traitour Iudas at whose horrible treacherie whenas all men held their peace this witnesse euen his owne conscience stept foorth and did not onely accuse and conuince him by his owne mouth which saide vnto him thou hast sinned in betraying innocent bloode but also did execute him with his owne hands which brought him to a fearefull and shamefull ende Yet this witnesse is not alway thus diligent in doing his duety but onely eyther after some hainous sinne be committed as in the aforesaid example and chiefly whenas it is stirred vp awaked by some iudgement powred out vpon the sinner Thus did the conscience of Iosephs brethren sleepe till their trouble and danger which befell them in Aegypt did awake it Gen. 42. 21. or at the least til the iudgmeÌ„t be denounced against him thus we read Act. 2. 37. That many of the Iewes were pricked in their harts that is were troubled in their consciences and mindes by hearing of their horrible sin committed in crucifying Christ. Otherwise the conscience is idle for the most part and lulleth men a sleepe in sinne deferring the doing of his duety til the day of iudgement wherein the volumes of all mens consciences shall be laid open this is called a seared benummed or senselesse conscience and surely it is the most fearefull estate that any man can be in and yet it is a common thing for who seeth not how most men goe on from day to day euery man in his owne sinfull waies hauing no remorse of conscience but put farre from themselues the euill day as if there were neither heauen nor hell and that God would neither doe good nor euill Lastly it may heere be asked whether this true testimony of an accusing conscience be a sinfull or a lawfull action of the minde Whereunto we answere that whatsoeuer thing is holy that is lawfull for this light of nature which is in the mind and conscience is a relique of the image of God and of the same nature with it and that the sinne which the conscience doth truely accuse doth no more make it impure then the guiltinesse of a fellon or traitour doth any way touch him who giueth true testimonie of it Sect. 3. Of a renewed conscience and of the certaintie of saluation THis particular knowledge and motion of the minde which we call conscience hath place and force in the faithfull both in accusing and also in excusing For the first we know that the faithfull haue both the true knowledge of sin by the
often to passe that the infirmities and sinnes appeareing in the life of a faithfull man make the sinceritie of his religion doubtfull to others yet he himselfe feeling the inwarde worke and motions of Gods spirite is vndoubtedly perswaded that he is the childe of God We confesse that a man truly regenerate may haue his faith sore shaken and the holinesse of his life greatly blemished by the force of temptation and so may for a time want in part or wholly this assurance of saluation Yet this doth not hinder him from hauing it at an other time yea all the daies of his life as may be seene in most of the faithfull Lastly we are not to thinke that this assurance of saluation is or can be to a faithfull man a motiue to sinne and dissolutenesse of life with the which it cannot stand For as it is gotten by holynesse whereby a man seeth that he is endued with the spirite of God and effectuallie called to beleeue the Gospell so it is lost by a sinfull and wicked life the which sheweth plainlie that a man is destitute of true faith and of Gods spirite for by the fruite the tree is knowen nay there is nothing of greater froce in restraining the faithfull from sinne then this that they knowe that the committing of any one wilfull sinne doth wound their owne consciences and diminish this notable treasure of assurance of saluation For as he that taketh one or a fewestones out of a wall although he doe not ouerthrow the building yet he maketh it the weaker so a fewe sinfull actions in the life of a faithfull man although they can not depriue him of this assuraunce it hauing bene gathered and as it were builded vp with the holinesse of many yeares yet they doe diminishe it and can not but trouble his conscience CHAP. IIII. Sect. 1. Of the created holinesse of mans memorie IT had bene little auailable for the holy and happie estate of man that he was endued with those notable faculties of conceauing vnderstanding and knowing Gods will and word when God did reueale himselfe vnto him if he had not bene made able to retaine the saide knowledge for the time following For otherwise God shoulde haue powred his graces into a bottomlesse or broken vessell which coulde not keepe or containe any thing and man shoulde haue reaped little profit by that which woulde be as soone lost as gotten For this cause God in great wisdome did endue the soule of man with a speciall facultie vsually called memory by vertue whereof man in this state of innocencie doth safelie keepe whatsoeuer the minde doth truely conceaue and so when occasion serueth doth giue the saide knowledge backe againe to the minde to be thought vpon meditated vttered in worde and followed in peed so that the memory is the storehouse of the soule wherin thinges both newe and old are carefully laide vp and faithfullie preserued and as it were the register of the minde taking a note of euery thing which commeth into it This facultie as all the other of mans soule was in the state of innocencie so perfect and of such strength as that by it man might at any time call to minde not euerie trifling thing which he had heard and seene a thousand yeares past for so his memorie shoulde haue bene confounded and in a manner infinite but whatsoeuer thing had at any time bene reuealed vnto him by God or was conceaued by his naturall faculties if so be it were a matter of any importance the knowing and remembring whereof might serue to some notable vse and profite vnto him As for other common matters of life which it was more gaine to loose then to keepe in these humaine infirmitie preuailed to forgetfulnesse For we are not to thinke that man was in this respect or any other as God is whose nature being euerie way infinite doth in one moment and with one motion of mind remember or rather knowe all particulars that haue bene done at any time For God doth thinke of all thinges together without confusion but the minde of man being not onely finite but also hauing in it a kinde of weaknesse if we compare him with the Angels can not thinke of many much lesse of infinite thinges at once but of one thing after an other and so doth the memorie remember those particulars which were committed to the custody of it letting goe matters of no vse that there may be place for thinges of importance as are the actions comaundementes apparitions reuelations and worde of God In the knoweing and remembring whereof the happinesse and holinesse of man did consist and therefore it stood him in hande to commit these thinges to sure custodie the which we are not to doubt but that he did so as that after many thousand yeares he was able to remember that which might any way serue for his good Neyther â—â—ede we maruaile thereat considering the frailtie of our owne memories which are neuer good when they are at the best and are soone cleane lost by sicknesse age or any such meanes For as is the strength of the bodie whereby as by an instrument the soule worketh so are the faculties of the minde and therefore as the body of man did continue in perfect vigour for many thousand yeares yea for euer so did his minde or memorie retaine the first vigour without being diminished Whereby we see that man in this facultie of memorie whereby his knowledge was made eternall did notablie resemble God whose nature is eternall Sect. 2. Of the sinfulnesse of mans memory AS in all other respectes so also in regard of this faculty man since the fall is so changed from his first estate that he scarse seemeth to be the same creature that he was hauing as wholly lost this faculty of a reasonable soule as if he had neuer beene endued with it For howsoeuer in regard of earthly worldlie and sensible things this faculty is after a sort remaining in man yet it hath no manner of force or power to retaine heauenlie and spirituall matters and the true knowledge of God and no maruaile for how shal the memory keepe when as the mind cannot conceiue it But mans corruption cannot so be cloaked in this behalf as if it it were wholly in the minde and not in this and other faculties For although the fountaine of it be in the minde which is the moouer and gouernour of the other faculties yet each faculty hath his peculiar fault the which may plainely be seene in the memory For suppose that which doth daily come to passe that a carnall man doth not onely heare the word of God for fashions sake but also marke and in some measure vnderstand it a man would thinke that all were safe and brought to a good passe the minde hath done his duety in conceiuing the trueth of the word as the body hath done in hearing so that now the word of God is come to the memory and
this is to be ascribed not to any natural impossibility of sinning which is not to be admitted or supposed in any creature no not in the humane nature of Christ to the which the sinne of mankind could not haue beene imputed if it had beene naturally vncapable of sin but to the loue and grace of God who doth continue vphold them in their holy state not by mangling their nature and detracting any natural faculty as potentiall will or any other but by cōfirming their actuall will in the natural inclination of it to good onelie Lastlie this natural impossibilitie of sinning would make man either a God as hath beene said or which is liker a senselesse stocke not hauing in himselfe perfect life the full power of mouing himself For how can we suppose that Adam shoulde haue been created a liuing and a reasonable creature not to haue beene able to will to eate the forbidden fruit or to do any other thing incident into his nature If it be saide that God might haue confirmed him with his grace We answere that that is true but he neither was bound to doe it neither did or could thinke man worthy of more grace who did abuse so many and so excellent graces as he had by nature Sect. 2. Of the sinfulnesse of the will AS there is nothing but horrible confusion in that cōmonwealth wherein neither the prince can rule nor the people obey the one wanting wisedome and counsell whereby he should make righteous lawes commaunding good and forbidding euill the other due moderation whereby they might be restrained from euill and so the raynes of licentiousnesse being let loose to the furious multitude all is filled with thefts murthers adulteries and all manner of hainous enormities that we may come nearer home making the sēsible misery of the body a type of the spirituall misery of the soule as when one blinde man leadeth another it cannot be but that both of them should fall into the ditch So the case standeth with the sinfull disorderly soule of man wherein the mind being voyd of knowledge is not able to direct the practicall faculties from euil to good And if happily there be some good motion suggested by the minde wherein there is a little light remaining since the first creation yet it is not followed and obeyed but frowardly reiected by the practicall faculties and so the vnderstanding faculties which are darkened blinded by the fall of man leading the practicall faculties which by their owne nature are blind and by sinfulnes peruerse cannot but lead man into the pit of sinne and of eternall destruction But let vs consider these practicall faculties in particular first the will then the affections As all the other faculties of man so also the will hath lost the created holines and what maruaile is it that the will it selfe is sinfull seeing by it all the other faculties of mans soule and body were made sinfull Yea it is more sinfull then the former faculties and so is iustly punished for being the cause of mans sinfulnesse for it doth more if more can be abhorre and refuse good then the minde is ignorant of it The meanes whereby the will became sinfull was the owne default for it being created by God actually onely good and potentially more good then euill did by refusing good and choosing euill make it selfe for euer vnable eyther to choose good or to refuse euill and that by continuing in that wrong way wherein it had made one step in choosing forbidden fruit and by adding one degree of peruersnesse to another till at length it became habituall and naturall to it The sinfulnesse of mans will in this his corrupt state is the actuall and potentiall inclination of it only to euill This definition needeth some explication and proofe it being greatly controuerted and oppugned by many who as if they were not of the progenie of Adam thinke that his fall doth not belong vnto them neither hath taken from them the created holinesse of will and therefore they affirme and defend that the will of man euen in this corrupt estate is if not actually inclined to good yet so free that it may of it selfe incline it selfe and the whole man either to euill whereof no man doubteth or yet to good wherein the whole controuersie standeth But this opinion is not to be receiued for it is an enimie both to gods glorie in that it taketh a way the supernaturall worke of his spirite in regenerating the faithfull and ascribeth the saluation of man not to the loue mercie and power of God but to the naturall faculties and inherent strength of man and also to the saluation of mē whome it deceaueth with a vaine shew of conuersion faith and holinesse And therefore that the truth of this matter may appeare We will first set downe the state of it by shewing what is good and euill and what it is to haue freewill in regard of both or rather either of good or euill Good therefore is to be defined by God who only is good therfore the only rule of goodnes for whatsoeuer in the creature is agreeable to the goodnesse of God that is straigth good as whatsoeuer is disagreeing frō it is crooked euill Yet this goodnesse of God is not that which is essentiall to his nature and cannot be comprehended by anie creature but a finite created and accidentall goodnesse which God hath put into euerie one of his creaturs as a shadow of his infinite goodnesse Now in man this goodnesse is his holinesse and happinesse not deuised by himselfe but appointed by God and reuealed in his word Contrarilie euill is the sinfullnesse and wretchednesse of man yea although it haue neuer so greate an appearance of goodnes holines happinesse yet if it be not that holinesse and happinesse which is agreeable to the will of God it is euil sin misery This goodnes is the obiect of mās wil or the thing wherevnto he enclineth himselfe who in the state of innocencie had power to will choose true goodnes yea he did actuallie choose it being in all his thoughtes wordes deedes faculties and in his whole nature and state made by his owne free-will conformable to the will of God But as touching the will or proper inclinatiō of man in this his corrupt state we do vtterly denie that he is able by any naturall facultie in himselfe by anie imagining inuenting or discoursing by anie wit wisdome learning reading or knowledge by any good education instruction and exercise or ingenerall by anie meanes that a naturall man can vse or that all the men or Angels in the world can vse in his behalfe without the supernaturall worke of Gods spirit changing his nature to incline himselfe to that which is good that is to that holinesse and happinesse which is agreeable to the will of God Or more plainly he cannot say thus with himselfe and doe accordingly This is the
true and only happinesse appointed by God for man This holinesse is the only way which God hath appointed that man should walke in as in the way leading to that happinesse This is the onlie happinesse which I do of my selfe propound to my selfe that in this way of true holines I will walk all the daies of my life I will by cōtinuall studying and hearing the word by restraining my owne desires and auoiding all occasions of sinne and by such meanes as I can vse get the true and sound knowledge of God true faith and hope of eternall glorie and of the resurrection of the deade true repentance mortification of sin and of all my corrupt affections yea an vnfained loue of God and of all goodnesse and in summe all the spirituall graces which are the partes of mans holinesse and the means of saluation This I haue resolued with my selfe to doe not that I thinke that I am able to attaine the perfection of these things but yet my whole will inclination affection desire care studie indeauour and labour shalbe set on these things This is to haue free will to good not for a man to say I desire to be a holy man and to be in heauen after this life but to incline and bende his wholle bodie soule and all the faculties of them both to holy and heauenly things The which thing is as impossible for a naturall man to doe as it is for him to flie vppe to heauen But how can this be proued First the scripture saieth Gen. 6. 5. All the motions of the thought of man are onlie to euill 2. Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are able to think any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God Ioh 6. 44. No man can come vnto me vnlesse he that sent me doe draw him For the which doctrine of the impossibility of naturall inclination to good it is said Ver. 4. 66. of the saide Chapter that many left Christ as dispairing to attaine to that which he affirmed to be impossible in respect of the strength of man And Ioh. 8. 43. Ye do not know my doctrine because ye cannot heare it That is because ye cānot of your selues vnderstand beleeue Rom. 8. 7. The cogitations of the flesh neither are subiect to the lawe of God neither can be they that are in the flesh cannot please God And Rom. 9. 16. It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man doth not perceaue spirituall things for they are folishnesse to him neither can he perceaue them because they are spiritually discerned Gall. 2. 8. Ye are saued by grace in faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Besides this euident voice of the scripture the authoritie whereof ought to be sufficient without any other proofe we see this error of freewill to be plainly confuted by the experience of all times and places For if man were by nature free to choose either good or euill why shoulde not the choyse of good of holinesse and of the way which leadeth to saluation be if not as common as the other yet a very common and ordinary matter But we see that of the naturall men which haue liued and doe liue in the worlde not one of a thousand haue once set foote in the right way of regeneration and saluation And no maruaile for howe shoulde a man choose that as the onely good which he did neuer knowe and whereof he neuer dreamed or hearde in the which state all men are by nature being altogether ignorant of the true God his worde worshippe and religion and so hauing no meanes of knowledge but their owne senses which doe reiect that God worshippe and religion which is not agreeable to the iudgement thereof the which doth plainely shewe the impossibilitie of this freedome of will For nothing hath freewill to that which is against the nature of it as God hath not freewill to euil a man to flie a horse to speake If it be obiected that a man may haue a desire inclination and will to that which is impossible for him to doe and accomplishe We aunswere that this is nothing to the purpose For when we deny that there is in man any freedome of will to good we doe not deny that a carnall man may wish that he were holy and happie but that he cannot accomplishe or begin the worke of his regeneration and saluation The which beginning and working of grace commeth from the will which is the fountaine of action enclining men with all the faculties of soule and body to any thinge Now regeneration is a thing contrary to the corrupt nature of man for that faith and humaine reason do fight together no lesse then doe wisdome and foolishnes 1. Cor. 1. 18. And so in all the other partes of holinesse This is confirmed also by continuall and daily experience For if regeneration were agreeable to mans nature it woulde be common and ordinarie whereas it is and alwaies hath bene a rare miracle not to be founde among many thousandes of men Nay which is more men doe neither of themselues and their owne inclination seeke after it nor can by any meanes which they can vse be brought vnto it In other studies faculties and exercises men doe daily profite and go forwarde none being so dull and blockish but that he may with paines in continuaunce of time be brought to knowledge But no paines no time no excellency of giftes in the minister can make men religious or to be endued with the true knowledge and obedience of God Yea for the most part the more that men are taught religion the more blockish and backwarde they become and so continue all their life time We confesse that God doth sometime bestow on carnall and reprobate men spirituall graces yea a shadowe of regeneration whereby both the mindes of men are inlightned to see the trueth and also their wils and affections lightly enclined to loue and embrace it As we are to declare in the last part of this treatise But this chaunge commeth not of man but from God neither is it an effectuall and totall inclination to good and therefore not that which is ment in this question of freewill But the maintainers of freewill will perhaps yeeld to this that no man can choose the right way before he doe deliberate of it and that nothing is deliberated of which is not first knowen And therefore that freewill is not actually in an ignorant man but being as it were fettered and chained by ignoraunce is stirred vp and set loose by the knowledge of the worde of God with the which whosoeuer is endued hauing the right and the wrong way propounded vnto him by the preaching of the gospell the same man hath freedome of will either to choose or to refuse eternall saluation with the meanes of it yea
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
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
this spirituall ioy by reason of the infirmitie of the flesh and although they cannot cleane extinguishe it yet they coole and diminishe it yea and so driue it into a corner as that it doth not any way appeare Yea euen the ordinarie misery and vanitie of this life being compared with the happinesse of the life to come doth worke in the faithfull sorrow sighes and grones as we read Rom. 8. 13. Beside this matter of sorrow which they haue in themselues they are continually sore grieued and euen tormented in themselues when as they beholde the vaine and wretched estate of the creatures being moued to pittie euen by the miseries of the brute beastes the horrible sinnes which abounde euery where and the generall atheisme which raigneth in the worlde to the greate dishonour of the name of God And much more whenas they consider the calamities miseries abuses corruptions and defections of the churches professing the name of Christ. These thinges doe and that iustly worke continuall greife in the heartes of the Godly yet this greife is moderated with patience and contentation in the will of God and so it be commeth a godly sorrow which doth not bringe them to desperation and death as carnall sorrow doth but is at length the cause of greater ioy And thus omitting for breuities sake the rest of the affections which haue not so common and notable vse in the life of man we conclude this second part of mans holinesse to wit his conformity to God The third part of this treatise of the chaunges hapening in the three estates or of the degrees of holinesse and sinfulnesse CHAPTER I. Of the chaunges hapening in the three estates of man in generall THe mutabilitie of the creature whereby the identitie of God is illustrated appeareth not onely in the generall diuersitie of mans state which sometimes is innocent and happie other times sinfull and miserable and againe becommeth holy here on earth and glorious in heauen but also in the particular chaunges hapening in his seuerall states whereof none can make him so immutable as that he may say truely of himselfe I am that I was and will be that I am and no otherwise As touching his created holynesse it coulde not be either so firme and stedfast but that it might be in some sorte diminished or so absolutly perfect but that it ought daily to be encreased But this vncertaintie and mutabilitie appeareth farre more plainelie in his other estates the one of naturall sinfulnes the other of renewed holines of both which there are in a māner as many degrees as there are carnall regenerate men in the world For although the corruptiō of sin haue already so possessed all the partes faculties of body soule be as deeply imprinted into the soule of man as the spottes are in the skin of a leopard and therefore may seeme not to admitte any encrease by reason of the greatnesse or any decrease by reason of the naturalnes of it yet both these chaunges may be seene the one vsually in most vnregenerate men who doe daily plunge themselues deeper and deeper in to the pit of sin adding one sin to another and thirst to drunkennesse as the scripture speaketh the other in diuerse both within and without the church Likewise in regeneration the faithfull man neuer standeth at one stay but doth alwaies grow either vpwarde or downewarde in godlynesse For as vsually he encreaseth his spiritual strength chaunging his christian infancie with a ripe and constant age and adding grace to grace till he become a perfect man in Christ so sometimes he decreaseth in holinesse as we see the bodies of men doe in old age and so as it were returning the same way he came falleth into one sinne after another and so decreaseth in holinesse although not totally and finally yet greiuously and fearefully Thus the spirituall state of man chaunging it selfe from lesse to more and from more to lesse from good to euill and from euil to good yea from good to better and from euil to worse is as variable as is the moone which continually decreasing or increasing in light appeareth euerie night in a newe forme These chaunges differences and degrees are necessarie to be knowen of all christians that so they may be either sought after or auoided as they are either good or euill And therefore we are here to declare the degrees both of the holinesse and also of the sinfulnesse of man not the conuersion of one estate into another the which is the argument of the two former partes of this treatise but the proper chaunges of each state as first howe Adam continuing in the state of innocencie might either haue decreased or increased in holinesse Secondly howe a carnall man abiding in his naturall sinfullnesse may be more or lesse sinfull And Lastly howe a regenerate man may decrease or increase in spirituall graces Of these in order if first we put the reader in minde that these chaunges are made from that measure of created holinesse of sinfulnesse and of renewed holinesse which hath bene declared in the two former partes of this booke wherein although sometimes for illustration a higher degree both of holinesse and of sinne be mentioned yet we haue indeauoured to sette downe that mediocritie as it may be called of holinesse both created and renewed which is to be seene ordinarily and vsually in men in the state of innocencie and of regeneration and likewise that measure of sinne which is naturall to all men and may be seene in many vnregenerate men not in all because in some it is diminished nor in most because vsually it is encreased as afterward will appeare CHAP. II. Of the chaunges of created holinesse IT may be doubted how man liuing and continuing in his innocent and happy estate could decrease in holinesse especially seeing that as hath beene said in the first part Chap. 3. Sect. 2. all the partes of his holinesse were so tyed and linked together that he could not loose any particular grace without loosing all nor commit the least sinne in the state of innocency because by committing sinne and in the very act and moment of committing it he should fall from his innocency into a sinfull state Wee answere that although all this be true yet there must a difference be put betwixt the want of a grace and the small measure of it and so betwixt the committing of sinne and the decreasing in holinesse which may be without sinne and that in this state if so be it be with these conditions first that this decrease be not so great as that any grace or part of holinesse be wholly wanting for thereof sinne would necessarily follow Secondly that it be not continuall or finall but onely for some short space of time In this manner we may well thinke that particular graces as faith loue temperance might be in man in the state of innocency sometimes in great and sometimes in small measure
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
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
say the hauen is founde then farewell all daunger and hap-hazard being although not in full possession of happinesse in heauen yet past al peraduenture of perishing here on earth yet it commeth often to passe that such fearefull tempestes are raised by the malice of sathan the vnrulinesse of the flesh and the entismentes of the worlde that both the faithfull themselues and also others beholding them doe not without cause feare shipwracke of faith and of good conscience and so the losse of eternall saluation the which pretious iewell they cary in these weake vessels For as sometime they are by the grace of God and the powerfull workeing of his spirite euen lifted vp to heauen in the aboundaunce of spirituall graces and the great measure of santification wherewith they are endued so at other times they are by the frailtie of the fleshe plunged into grieuous sinnes and so in a manner cast downe into hel as men void of all goodnesse This commeth to passe first and cheifely by the will and pleasure of God withdrawing the assistaunce of his spirit from the faithfull man and so leauing him to the temptations of sathan and his owne flesh suffereth him to fall not to his destruction but for the encreasing of his holinesse For euen as a man by his intemperance or any other kinde of misgouerning his body falling into some daungerous sickenes hath after his recouery more perfect helth greater strength then he had before his sicknesse because he is now schooled taught by wofull experience to know his owne strength which he seeth now to be but weaknesse whereof he did presume so much be fore and whatsoeuer thing is of force either to preserue or to impaire his health and so to be carefull and diligent in vsing the one wary in auoiding the other so fareth it with a christian in regard of the spirituall health of his soule for he being now by the mercie of God raised vp from some grieuous fall receiueth a greate encrease of holines and of spirituall graces He seeth his own weaknes how vnable he is of himselfe to resist temptation or the corrupt motions of his owne flesh and so he is humbled both in respect of God and of his brethren which is a grace much esteemed in the eyes of God Further he becommeth more carefull in auoiding all occasions and prouocations of sinne and in vsing all holie exercises of hearing the word of praying and all other means whereby he may be strengthned and encrease in holinesse Hence is is that this decrease of holinesse is in a manner cōmon to all the faithful although not in the same measure For so it pleaseth God to leaue thē at one time or other to themselues and to the temptations of sathan that so he may both see what is in them as he did to Ezechias 2. Chro. 32. 31. and also shewe to them their greate weaknesse The means of this decrease is the crafty malitiousnes of that old serpēt who goeth about continually seeking which of the faithfull he may most hurt vsing al that liberty which God graunteth vnto him imploying his whol time about no other busines but in putting euill motions into the mindes and willes of men and in casting baites before their eyes and other senses wherewith to catch them Secondly this decrease commeth by reason of the reliques of sin which remaine in the faithfull as long as they remaine in the flesh and which doe continually send forth som sinne or other euen as the roote of a tree being left in the ground will sproute forth although the bodie of the tree be cut downe Hither we are to referre the manifould occasions of all manner of sinnes which doe offer them selues in the course of manslife and therefore it is no maruaile that there happen to a Christian manifould chaunges and decreases of godlinesse no more then it is that a man is wounded being in the midst of many malicious enimies that he is scorched who is forced to cary fier in his bosome or lastly that he is defiled who is alwayes among vessels ful of pitch But to declare this doctrine more particularly as the greate vse and necessitie of it doth require in that we speake of the decrease of renewed holinesse we suppose a certaine state and ripenesse which ought to be in all Christians and is to be seene in most of those men who are truely regenerate which is a holy and vnblamable life proceeding from a sanctified soule being endued in some good measure with all and euerie one of those partes of holynesse which haue beene described in the thirde sections of the first and second partes of this treatise This state may be called the ripe age of a Christian who as he doth from his infancie and childhoode whereof hereafter grow vp till he come to a ripe man in Christ so when he is come to this state he doth not there stand at a stay for there is not any setled estate in this life either of holinesse or of sin but somtimes groweth on to a greater measure of perfectiō wherof in the next chapter or else he decreaseth in holinesse and so groweth backward euen as we see it to come to passe in the bodies of men which being come to their ripnes do daily decrease in strength and vigour till at the length they become as weake impotent as they were in their first infancie This decrease is now to be considered in the diuerse kindes of it which are two Particular and Generall Particular decrease is when as some one part of holinesse is lost the other remaining for although no one part of holinesse can be wanting but the whole soule of man is the worse in that respect as we knowe that if any one member of the bodie be brused or maimed all the rest doe suffer with it yet one part either of bodie or soule may be out of order the whole being in the naturall disposition This particular decrease hath many degrees The first is when as the holinesse of a man regenerate doth faile in some outward action by giuing place vnto some euident and palpable sin For as for light small offences commited in thought inword and in some kindes of deeds these are not to be accounted any decrease of holines because they cannot be auoided but will alwaies be found euen in thē who are endued with the greatest measure of sanctification but great sins such as are murther adultery theft periurie or any other of that sort are seldome found in men truly regenerate and being founde they doe impaire the outward holinesse of their liues For no man doth account that life so holy wherein grosse sinnes are somtimes found as that which is without spot of grieuous sin This decrease doth often happen to the faithfull as we know Peter sinned by denying Christ Dauid by committing adulterie and murther Noah in drunkennes Lot in incestand many others in other kinds of
sins being thereto caried by the force of tēptation as in a great tempest by a mightie gale of winde before they could be thinke themselues what they were about to doe or what would be the issue of it Whereof it commeth that this decrease of holinesse staying it selfe in one or a few actions doth not necessarily argue any inward want of the contrarie grace or anie inward decrease of holinesse either going before or following after because a man may fall into it as of a sudden before he be aware and immediatly recouer his former station by true and vnfained repentance As we are not to iudg either Dauid voide of continencie for that adulterie committed with Berseba or Peter to haue wanted faith because he did at one time renounce the faith or Noah to haue beene an intemperate person because he was once drunke no more then we are to thinke him a weake man who stumbleth by chaunce at a blocke lying in his way and yet doth streight way saue himselfe from falling Yea sudden sinne may be with greater graces then they haue who are free from the aforesaide sinnes of Noah Lot Dauid Peter being farre inferior in holinesse to them Yet it is the dutie of all who professe themselues the seruāts of God to labour by all meanes to keepe themselues pure and free as from the least and most secret sin so especially from open grosse sins and that for these causes First because by them they dishonour God his religion worshippe and name opening the mouthes of Atheistes and infidels to blaspheme his holy name the which thing ought to be more grieuous and bitter vnto them then a thousand deathes and torments Secondly they prouoke God to lay some fearefull punishment vppon them who howsoeuer he suffereth the reprobate ones to goe on all their life time in sinne yet he neuer suffereth any notorious sinne of his seruantes to goe vnpunished Thirdly they wound their owne consciences by a feareful expectation of Gods heauie iudgmentes they grieue the holy spirite against whose will they commite that sinne they offend their brethren shewing themselues to be if not wholly destitute of that speciall grace wherewith they shoulde haue bene restrained from sinne yet but weake Christians in that respect as we may be bold to iudge that the faith of Peter the continency of Dauid the temperaunce of Noah were at the time of their falles but weake howsoeuer they were endued with a great measure of other graces Lastly one hainous sin is to be auoyded because vsually it draweth moe after it for when as a man hath once taken a tast of sinne and felt the sensuall sweetnes of it he is farre more easely drawen to it then he was before and so he goeth frō the first degree of the decrease of holynes to the second namely to an habit of some one sin or the want of some particular grace the which appeareth by the often committing and iterating of the same sinne yea after that the faithfull man hath often by repentaunce laboured to purge himselfe from that sinne and by prayer to obtaine the contrarie grace at the handes of God This decrease also hath somtimes place in a man truely regenerate especially in that kinde of sinne whereunto he is either by the naturall constitution of his body and minde or an euill custome gotten before his conuersion naturally enclined whether it be pride anger couetousnesse or any other sinne But as it is farre more grieuous then the first degree so it is with greater care to be avoyded for it doubleth and tripleth the wrath and heauy iudgementes of God the offence of the godly the reproach of the gospell the dishonour of God and the corsiue of a gnawing conscience and Lastly it maketh a ready way for higher degrees of decrease to wit the habites of diuers sinnes the want of many particular graces and so to the highest and most fearefull degree which is a generall decrease of holynesse which is nowe briefly to be declared Where first we are to put a difference betwixt a generall and a totall decrease A generall decrease is when all the partes of renewed holynesse and of spirituall graces receaued are diminished but a totall decrease is an vtter decay of holinesse as whereby nothing is left This can not happen to any one who is truely regenerate who in the greatest extremitie and depth of his fall retaineth some reliques of Gods spirite and of grace receaued yea somelife of faith whereby he liueth to God in christ howsoeuer he be to the eyes of all men and euen in his owne coscience a deade rotten stocke Euen as we know that the trees haue heate and life in their rootes in the middest of the coldest and sharpest winter yea as many beastes ly all the winter long in holes of the earth without eating drinking stirring or hauing any iotte of heate sense or life in any of their outwarde partes and yet there is a remnant of life and of heat lurking in the hearte which being in sommer stirred vppe doth reuine the beast so that it is able to go or runne vp and downe and to performe all naturall actions in the same manner as it did before This Christ doth plainely teache Ioh. 4. 14. saying Whosoeuer drinketh of the water which I shall giue him that is whosoeuer beleeueth in me as it is expounded Iohn 7. 38 shall neuer be more a thirst but the water that I will giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life and 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not totally for the seed of God remaineth in him and therefore he can not fall cleane away from God because he is borne of God yet a man regenerate may decrease not onely in one in a fewe or in many graces but also generally in all spirituall graces This decrease of renewed holynesse is of two kindes for as of bodilie diseases some begin at the hart which is the roote and fountaine of life in the body and so spreade themselues ouer all the members of the body others haue their beginning in some outwarde and inferiour partes and pierce in till that they come to the hearte so of these generall decreases of holynesse which are as grieuous diseases of the soule some begin at faith which is the roote and fountaine of spirituall life and so hauing stopt the fountaine doe easily drie vp the streames issuing from it others begin at the meaner and baser partes of sanctification and so first kill the fruite then the braunches and the body of the tree til at length they take hold of the roote it selfe Both these waies doth sathan vse to destroy this wounderfull worke of regeneration wrought in the faithfull by the spirite of God The first way is the nearest and readiest for if faith once faile all holinesse falleth to the grounde whereas faith may stand in some sorte although most of the
that seeketh for it in this world doth no otherwise then if he shoulde labour to finde out in some parte of the earth a mine of so pure golde as is not mixed with earth base mettall or any manner of drosse And therefore we are with the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. to thinke that the grace of God is sufficient for our saluation although it be not altogether free from sinne And as for this angelicall purity it is to be hoped for not in this worlde but in heauen where all the faithfull shall both in happinesse and in holinesse be made like to the angels yet it being reuealed in the worde of God may be knowen of vs in this life yea it being the marke whereat we must ayme in this life although we are not to hope to hit it it is needefull to be knowen And lastly it is to be handled in this place because it is nothing else but the absolute perfection and highest degree of renewed holinesse For as the bodies and the soules of the faithful shallbe the same in the world to come that they are in this world so also shall their holinesse Neither can it be otherwise For God is the same both in earth and in heauen to day and to morrow now and for euer The subiection of the creature to God and the image of God in the creature is the same at all times in substance although some particulars haue not so greate vse in the state of perfecte happinesse as they had before to wit all those the obiectes whereof are either future or euill as namely hope sorrow pittie and such other affections yet these also shall haue both place and vse in the world to com although not so greate as the other In the which respect we may declare this celestiall encrease of renewed holinesse by comparing it with the created holinesse of mans innocent estate the which commeth verie neare vnto it and is as a mean betwixt the greatest abundance of holines which can be had in this life and this celestiall holinesse for as it is greater then the one so it is lesse then the other So that if we would know what is the holinesse wherewith the faithfull shallbe endued in the world to come and shall shine as the glorious Angels in heauen let vs haue recourse to all the first Sections of the two former parts of this treatise For al the parts of the holinesse of mans first estate as well of his subiection as of his conformitie to God belong to his last estate in heauen wherein man is not exempted from subiection to God but still remaineth first his subiect and therefore ought to trust and hope in him yea to feare him secondly his sonne and therefore he ought to reuerence imitate and seeke vnto him and so in the other kindes of subiection there declared Where this is to be noted that of the two kindes of faith legall and euangelicall handled in the first part of this treatise not the latter but the former is part of this celestiall holinesse For in the life to come the elect shall be restored to that perfect inherent holinesse wherein Adam was created by vertue whereof without any inputed righteousnesse borrowed from anie other they shall looke for happinesse euen as the holie Angels doe Likewise for the other part of holinesse which we call the conformitie of man to God we are not to doubt but that the faithfull shall in the world to come haue the faculties of minde memorie will and affections so disposed as hath beene declared For all these are common to all thinges which are indued with reason Now as touching the difference it is this celestiall holinesse is more excellent and exceedeth the other for as the bodies of the faithfull shalbe more glorious pure and after a sort spirituall then was the bodie of Adam in his innocenceie as we reade 1. Cor. 15. 48. So also shall the faculties of the soule and bodie be more able readie quicke in performing their seuerall duties and functions We shal haue more full and certaine affiance in him as in our King be more like to him as to a father more quick in obeying his commaundementes as seruants ought to be to their maisters our mindes shalbe more capable of knowledge and more enriched with actuall knowledge 1 Cor. 13. We shall see God face to face that is we shall haue familiar coÌ„uersation in the presence of God as full perfect a knowledge of God of his will word actions and creatures yea greater then that which man had by his first creation Likewise the will although of it selfe it shalbe as it was before free either to good or euill yet it shalbe by the grace of God continually enclined only to good and preserued from vsing the naturall freedome in choosing euill Whereof it commeth that this celestiall holinesse is not mutable and vncertaine as was the created holinesse of man but immutable and the same for euer and therefore much more excellent FINIS REade if thy copie haue it otherwise Pag. 9. lin 28. would beleeue and pag. 30. 2. set the comma before Often and lin 3. read former safetie pag. 31. lin 14. miseries happening in this pag. 43. 6. in the euent p. 65. 11. they existe pag. 82. 29. that so he might pag. 108. 24. when faith faileth pag. 190. 24. things â—s of beastes pag. 226. 12. 13. 14. so also in the minds of men yet their actuall knowledge was lesse or greter as men did giue themselues pa. 303. 9. will for although a carnall man pag. 314 2. a senselesse lumpe pag. 315. 11. he createth 22. to that only pag. 364. 6. effectuall to saluation and 27. of whome Of the state of innocency and life Of the state of sinne and death Rom. 3. 4. Mat. 25. 41. Of the state of regeneration saluatioÌ„ Mat. 19. 17. Psal. 16. 11. Of the happinesse wherein man was created 1. Chro. 12 8 Acts. 7. 10. 1 Cor. 15. 56 Rom. 5. 12. Gen. 5. 27. Of the miserable state of man since the fall of Adam Gen. 31. 24. Of the renewed happinesse of mn Math. 5. 8 1. Cor. 13. 12. Rom. 1. 20. Heb. 1. 2. 2. Cor. 3. 18. Act. 7. 56. Reuel 21. 3. 23. 1. Cor. 15. 28. Ioh. 3. 2. Phil. 3. 21. 1. Cor. 2. 9. Reuel 21. Of the holinesse wherein man was created 1. Cor. 6. 17. Mich. 6. 8. Ia. 2. 10 Of the sinfulnesse of man â—â—salm 51. 7. Of the renewed holynesse of man Ioh. 3. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 23. Mah. 19. 26. â—â—hn 3. 4 Gal. 2. 8. Iohn 3. 8 1. Sam. 10. â— 2. Cor. 13. 5. 1. Ioh. 3. 10 Of faith in generall and of legall faith Heb. 11. 11 Iam. 1. 19. Coll. 2. 2. Rom. 4. 22. Mat. 9. Of legall faith â— Iohn 3. â—xod â—â— Rom. â— â— Of infidelâ—â—â— Ephes. 4. 18. â— Tim. 3. 8. Heb. 3. 12. Of iustifying faith Heb. 10. 4 Mich. 6. 7. 2. Sam. 21.