life is by one euen Christ and none shall liue but by him And that not any one man whatsoeuer old or yong male or female shall euer enter into life except he be changed from that he is by nature by a heauenly power of grace through the Spirit Christ himselfe fully ratifieth and confirmeth saying Verily I say vnto thee except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdom of God And againe the second time Verily verily I say vnto thee except a man be borne of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Meaning by a man euery child of man without exception of what age or sex soeuer if he be one conceiued and borne of flesh he must be borne againe of water and of the Spirit or else he cannot be saued Meaning by water a heauenly power whereby the heart which is naturally euen from the birth hard and stubburne being seasoned with Adams sinne euen from the conception is dissolued and made meeke and tender as water and by the spirit a heauenly gift of the holy Ghost which comforteth his tender heart and brings vnto it from God in and through Christ peace and ioy vnspeakable and that children are capable of this in and from the womb let the babe which sprang in his mothers wombe for ioy giue testimonie And if any shall say Christ doth not call a child new borne a man let him reade these words of Christ A woman when she trauaileth hath sorrow because her houre is nigh but as soone as she is deliuered of the child she remembreth no more the paine for ioy that a man is borne into the world If children dying before they commit actuall sinne are saued because they haue no originall pollution of sinne as these silly men say then Christ died not for children neither was he promised vnto them nor yet are they saued by him but by their owne innocencie and so this promise The Seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents head belonged only to Adam and Euah and not to any of their children because they were to be borne all innocents without sinne These with many other absurdities will follow from this their doctrine But it is an error as their other points are and therefore error must needs be the consequence of it If one should aske these men at what age a child may commit an actuall sinne whereby it doth lose it innocencie and perfection of nature and then at what age it is capable of the new birth and also why the lust or thought of euill in the heart as well as an act of euill may not take their innocencie and vertue of nature from them It is much to be maruelled what answers they would make But to leaue them to better conderations hoping they will now see their folly and learne to be wiser for time to come Their sixt point That none ought to be baptized but such men and women of yeares onely as haue attained to true repentance and iustifying faith being both in the account of the Church and in the sight of God regenerate persons and that the baptisme of children vsed is no baptisme at all but is the marke of the Beast spoken of in Reuelat. 13. Answ THe doctrine of the Church of God is that not only such men and women of yeares as haue true repentance and iustifying faith but that all which do beleeue Iesus to be the Christ and acknowledge him submitting themselues to be informed and guided by his word and Gospell may be baptized though as yet they neither haue true repentance nor iustifying faith and that the children of all such may be baptized That such as haue true repentance iustifying faith may be baptized it is granted of all men without any further consideration to be past all question but it is euident there may be such who yet notwithstanding may not lawfully be baptized Cornelius Lydia and the Eunuch were true worshippers of God as the Spirit testifieth of them and therefore had both true repentance iustifying faith before they knew Christ to be come in the flesh yet these might not be baptized till they did know and acknowledge Christ to be come in the flesh and that Iesus Christ was he but Christ being manifested vnto them the Scriptures concerning him being vnfolded and God opening their hearts to attend vnto the same and they beleeuing the truth thereof were baptized being now of all other the meetest persons therefore For we are to know that when Christ came into the world he found the people in seuerall conditions some though but few very true Israelites who had both repentance and iustifying faith before Christ as touching his personall appearing in the flesh was known vnto them as Simeon Nathaniel those before named and others For the same way to saluation that is now was euer euen from the dayes of Abell and shall be to the end as repentance from dead workes and faith towards God c. And some poore repentant sinners and these were few also which had not yet Iustifying faith but onely trauelling vnder the burthen of their sins did much desire to be releiued Such were those poore which are spoken of the bruised and heauy laden Sicke lost dead c. And others were they that had neither repentance nor faith as the multitudes of the Iewes and of the whole world and to these seuerall sorts of people the Gospell was preached in seuerall maners To the first sort that Christ was now come euen the messenger of the couenant whom they desired in their hearts to see and heare as one that did spiritually dwell in their hearts already these beleeuing were baptized To the second was preached that Christ is come and also that the glad tidings of peace and reconciliation with God in him did belong to them in particular and therefore Christ calleth these particularly saying Come vnto me all ye c. Againe The Sonne of man is come to seeke and saue that which is lost c. The poore haue the Gospell preached vnto them and these beleeuing and acknowledging Christ were baptized And to the other third sort Christ was not to be preached in any such special peculiar manner as to the former but more generally as namely that Christ is come in the flesh c and that repentance and remission of sinnes is granted in his name so that whosoeuer doth repent and beleeue the Gospell shal be saued Now they that did beleeue and accknowledge the truth of these things as Iudas the many disciples mentioned in the fourth and sixt of Iohn the thornie and stony ground Simon Magus with many others were and might lawfully be baptized though they had not yet true repentance nor iustifying faith Nay it is manifest that neither Christ nor his Apostles did reiect any from the outward baptisme for the want thereof so as they did beleeue and outwardly submit themselues to the
beleeue and acknowledge him and submit themselues to be informed by his word though they had not yet either true repentance or iustifying faith For they knew that such a beliefe and profession as made men meet for outward baptisme might be where iustifying faith was not and that both that beliefe profession and baptisme did but make a Christian outwardly as the outward profession and circumcision of the Iewes did but make a Iew outwardly and no better did they iudge or conclude of any but when they saw better cause Now concerning the baptizing of children which they say is no baptisme at all but do call it the marke of the Beast we affirme that the children of all such beleeuers as may themselues be baptized may also be baptized and that it is not nor can be the marke of the Beast spoken of but is true outward baptisme First to auoid many of their vaine and idle obiections and that we may come the more cleerer to the point let vs remember that it is sufficiently proued already that all haue sinned in Adam and that death is passed on all for that all haue sinned in him being polluted from their very conceptions and that therefore there is a necessitie of a new birth from aboue of water and of the Spirit as wel to the yongest man of dayes or houres as to the eldest man of yeares So that whosoeuer is borne of the flesh he must be borne again from aboue of the Spirit either sooner or later if he be saued and that although repentance and faith be the parts of this new birth and that repentance hath these parts whereby it is exprest in men of yeares sorrow for sinne confession of sinne and desire of pardon as we haue before defined and that iustifying faith which is the other part of this new birth be an assurance or full perswasion wrought in the repentant heart by the Spirit of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes and reconciliation with God in Iesus Christ as we haue also defined it I say in men of yeares who also do confesse with the mouth as it is written With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation yet neuerthelesse the true nature of both these parts of the new birth may be in another maner defined and still remaine the same in substance as the first part is called in Scripture A heart of flesh an humble and contrite heart a broken heart and Saint Paul calleth it the fleshly tables of the heart in which regard it is called the baptisme of water and the birth of water which we define thus namely that it is a speciall effect or working of the holy Ghost whereby the heart which is naturally hard and stubburne euen from the birth is made soft and tender as water or as flesh is in comparison of a stone that so it may receiue the impression of the grace and loue of God The second part which is called the baptisme of the holy Ghost and the birth of the Spirit we define to be a speciall gift of the Spirit also but more excellent which writeth and sealeth in the soft and tender heart of flesh grace and peace from God in Christ and filleth it with heauenly comfort and ioy like vnto that which is said of Iohn being in his mothers womb when the voice of the salutation of Mary sounded in the eares of Elizabeth The babe leaped in her womb for ioy which doubtlesse was caused by the Spirit of Christ in the soule of the child Now in this sort children are capable of both the parts and so of the whole new birth which in them is no other in nature but the very same which is in men of yeares though it be not outwardly so exprest as we may perceiue by the words of Paul to the faithfull of the Church of Corinth Forasmuch saith he as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs written not with inke but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart For as the law of death was written in tables of stone and all the hard and stonie hearts of the whole posteritie of Adam not onely might but also did and doe receiue euen in their very conceptions a deepe impression thereof so on the contrary the law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus euer was is and is to be written in hearts of flesh soft and tender hearts and in no other And therefore it was that God did promise to take away from his elect the hard and stonie heart and to giue them a heart of flesh an humble and broken heart because his pleasure and promise is to dwell with such to reuiue and comfort them and no other And to speake plainly howsoeuer perhaps some doe otherwise conceiue it is not our act of beleeuing that doth iustifie vs but it is the free gift of grace sealed in our hearts by the Spirit of Christ whereby God iustifieth vs which grace and Spirit is the cause of our act of beleeuing or faith by which we are so often said in Scripture to be iustified where the effect is named for the cause by reason it is thereby made apparent vnto vs as also in another sense we are said to be iustified by works because works do demonstrate and make manifest our faith to others as it is said of the primitiue Church of Rome that their faith had shined throughout the world meaning by works which are the effects of faith So that Saint Paul calleth the faithfull the Epistle of Christ not so much for their act of beleeuing as in respect of the grace of God which was written in their hearts by the Spirit of Christ by which they did now beleeue and crie Abba Father as it is written He hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts which crieth Abba Father And for this cause the grace of the Gospell is called The law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus These things being so what should now let that children may not be baptized Are they capable as we see of regeneration and are they not capable of the signe thereof May their hearts be sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and may not the filth of their flesh be washed off with water for the baptisme of water is bnt the doing away of the filth of the flesh as Saint Peter speaketh euen as outward circumcision was but the cutting off the fore-skin of the flesh representing the cutting off the sinnes of the flesh the circumcision of the heart as also baptisme doth For the circumcision which was the cutting off part of the fore-skin of the flesh and that baptisme or washing away the filth of the flesh we doe not say that the one was a type of the other but were both types of one truth namely the baptisme or purification of
saying And the poore haue the Gospell preached vnto them or receiue the Gospell as some translations haue it for the word doth import such a preaching as doth imply a receiuing of it in the heart of him to whom it is so preached as also doth the words of Esay before mentioned And although all haue it preached vnto them in the former generall maner yet none haue it preached vnto them in this speciall peculiar sort but these poore repentant persons onely who alone are capable of the receit thereof by faith vnto Iustification this is that effect of the holy Ghost in the heart of man which the Scriptures call The baptisme of Iohn the baptisme of water the baptisme of repentance the birth of water the baptisme which Iohn preached the preparation of the Gospell of peace repentance which is the beginning of the Gospell of Iesus Christ the first principall of the doctrine of Christ the beginning and first part of regeneration as the Scripture declareth it the labour and trauell in the birth but not the full perfection of the new birth onely the soule of the sinner trauelleth readie to be deliuered this is the second effect of the holy Ghost but the first peculiar Then doth God in the third place reach forth his hand and taketh hold of this poore labouring soule and by another speciall effect and power of the holy Ghost doth deliuer him and bring him forth washeth him cleanseth him from his bloud wherein he lay polluted his sinnes which cried out so iustly against him and lay so heauy vpon him easeth him of all and writeth in his heart of flesh his contrite repentant heart his couenant of mercie and loue which it so much desired assuring it that he is now reconciled with him and that his sins are cleane forgiuen and forgotten neuer to be reckoned or remembred more and that he hath loued him and doth loue him in Iesus Christ and will neuer put him out of fauour so long as Christ remains in fauour This is the special administration of the word and that gift of the Spirit whereby Christ is formed in the heart of the poore repentant sinner through faith by which he is iustified from all his sinnes and his heart sanctified and is the second part and finishing of the new birth and these are alwayes together in the act of iustification the word the Spirit and faith so that a sinner cannot be said to be actually iustified till the couenant of remission of sinnes which God hath made to the repentant sinner be applied by the Spirit to his broken heart and that he beleeueth in his heart that his sinnes be forgiuen and that God loueth him in Iesus Christ and this administation of the word gift of the Spirit and faith are expressed in Scripture and distinguished from all other administrations of the word gifts of the Spirit and kinds of faith whatsoeuer by seuerall distinct names As first this administration of the word is called in Scripture The glad tidings of peace and good things good tidings the binding vp of the broken heart libertie to the captiues The opening of the prison to them that are bound Comfort to the mourners The reuiuing of the spirits of the humble and contrite The couenant of the remission of sinnes The couenant of life and peace The kingdome of God Ease Rest to the soule The word of his grace The word preaching peace by Iesus Christ The word of reconciliation c. And it is so called in regard of the great and speciall benefit it bringeth doth administer vnto the soule of the repētant sinner by the applicatiō of the Spirit And for that it is directed of God and appointed to be preached to such and to no 〈◊〉 For though the Gospell be preached to all in a generall consideration as before is shewed yet as it is here intended it belongeth to none nor is to be preached to any but the repentant only And repentance though it be a part of the Gospel as it is sometimes in a generall maner proposed yea the beginning and first principle thereof and a peculiar gift of the Spirit as before also is noted yet as it is intended in these seuerall Scriptures repentance is no part but onely the preparation thereunto or the making ready the heart of a sinner for the same in which consideration Iohn the Baptist and our Sauiour both preached saying Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand where they make repentance to be one thing and the kingdome of God the glad tidings of the Gospel another require repentance in the first place as a thing necessary to be effected in them before they could receiue by faith the glad tidings of the Gospell the kingdome of God which was at hand to follow after and to be preached vnto them thereupon Which order was also obserued by the Prophets before as Dauid To day saith he if you will heare his voice harden not your hearts c. lest ye enter not into his rest In which words he declareth plainly to the people that if they would beleeue the promise of entrance into rest and so by faith enter thereinto they should vnharden their hearts that is to say repent otherwise there was no possibilitie of beleeuing of entrance And secondly as the speciall administration of the word which is so peculiar to the repentant is distinguished from all other common administrations so is the Spirit or rather the effect of the Spirit by which this glad tidings of peace is applied vnto and written in the heart of the repentant set forth and distinguished also in Scripture from other gifts of the Spirit by peculiar and distinct names as The baptisme of the holy Ghost The birth of the Spirit The renewing of the holy Ghost The Spirit of Christ The Spirit of the Sonne which crieth Abba Father the Spirit of adoption the Spirit of life the Spirit of truth the Comforter the anointing of the holy Ghost and such like And it is so called in regard of the speciall effects it worketh in the hearts of the repentant beyond those that are common to others as faith righteousnesse peace ioy in the holy Ghost and other vnspeakable comforts and treasures of life And thirdly as the word and Spirit so the faith which the Spirit causeth in the heart of the repentant by the application of the same word of God and the testification of his loue vnto it is also exprest and distinguished from all other kinds of faith by speciall distinct names as The faith of Gods elect The faith of Christ The faith of Iesus Christ The effectuall faith The faith of the Sonne of God The faith of the Saints Their most holy faith Their precious faith The faith which iustifieth The faith which sanctifieth the heart The faith of Abraham
venome therefrom whereby they burst asunder so likewise doe all such persons who haue not their hearts established with true sauing grace but with sundry meates that is to say with sundry strange and different opinions I call them strange because they were neuer heard of in all the Scriptures as hereafter shall appeare running from one forme of religion vnto another vntill at last they come to sucke and feed vpon that poysonable heresie of the Familists who are not worthy to haue so much as the name or title of religion giuen vnto them it being not onely the last straine or faction they commonly run into but also destroying and damnable whereby the word of God is by them blasphemed and the way of life and truth euill spoken of to the great dishonour of the great and mightie Ichouah who will one day breake and teare them in peeces as with a rod of iron when none shall be able to deliuer them as a iust recompence of reward for all such as take pleasure therein So then beloued brethren friends or kindred of what sex or condition soeuer whether yong or old rich or poore be exhorted and forewarned hereby not giuing the least heed vnto any lying spirits vnder what pretence soeuer they haue may can or will present themselues vnto you but on the contrary labour by the grace and power you haue or shall receiue of the Lord to resist and auoid them euen as our Lord and Master did that archspirit and enemie of all mankind knowing that if the least way be giuen you will be in danger to be inthralled and insnared by their deceiuings And although some of them be more defectiue and more dangerous to infect the soules of men then others be as most certaine there are for there are degrees as well in difference of spirits as of nature and naturall parts yet I say they which may conceiue haue most soundnesse in their opinion it will be found vpon due and iust triall not to be that which they would seeme both vnto themselues and others to be which hereafter will appeare Of these things my beloued I can in some measure best aduertise you being through want of the true sauing knowledge and vnderstanding of God and his truth caught and intangled by some of them wandring vp and downe amongst the drie hils and mountaines conceiuing comfort when alas I was far from it and the farther I wandred vp and downe in that Egyptian darknesse the more intricate labyrinth of error and darknesse my soule was plunged into like vnto a blind man who hauing not his perfect sight goes on in darknesse vntill at last he falls into a pit of destruction for want of a guide to conduct and leade him and especially when I walked with the Anabaptists which way and practise of theirs shall euidently appeare to euery honest true and sanctified heart not onely to ouerturne and race the foundation of all Christian religion but also in as much as in them lieth to destroy the faith of Iesus Christ all which time though strangely deluded yet was I kept by the power and prouidence of God from being seduced and led into that destroying and irrecouerable way of death before mentioned namely the Familists though very nigh vnto it hauing one foote entred therein whiles I walked with the people aforesaid vntill at last the Lord in his appointed time was pleased to giue me a true sight of the misery wherein I was plunged one meanes whereof being the rod of correction which God had laid vpon me it draue me the more seriously to examine things and to consider with my selfe whether the cause for which I suffered would any whit auaile me vnto saluation or whether it would minister comfort vnto me in that great and teerible day of the Lord. So vpon a more serious suruay of those positions I then maintained I found them all too light yea so light as they were not able to stand against those truths which the holy Scriptures teach and maintaine whereupon immediatly I reiected my former receiued opinions as erronious and wicked so that I may say and that truly with that holy man Dauid It was good for me that I was corrected and chastised for till then I went astray Yet notwithstanding though I was cleane escaped therefrom within a short time after I was so far from hauing or enioying true peace and comfort that in stead thereof my poore distressed soule was accompanied with nothing but strange feares terrors and guiltinesse of conscience crying out against me for nothing but vengeance the misery whereof was such as caused me to lament the time wherein I was borne not regarding wife children or any friends whatsoeuer that came to visit me The misery wherein I was did depriue me of being sensible of the least ioy either in heauen or on earth being altogether benummed therewith compassed and set about with many strange and fearfull apparitions of temptations the primary and first cause thereof was that originall guilt which I drew from the loines of my first parents being the very seed and spawne of all my actuall transgressions and so being confounded vtterly lost yea oft times in despaire fearing there was mo mercie with God for me my sins being so heauy a burden vpon my soule then euen then when I was in greatest despaire God by his Spirit was pleased to worke in me a contrite and broken heart whereby it was turned from being a stubburne and stonie by dissoluing 〈◊〉 into a heart of flesh as soft as water and therein through 〈◊〉 infinite loue and goodnesse did by a more speciall work 〈◊〉 his Spirit write his euerlasting couenant of loue and mercy â—â—ich it so much sued sought and longed for with full assurâ—â—â—â— of the remission of all my sins whereby I stand sealed 〈◊〉 the day of my redemption is accomplished in the second resurrection that as certaine as my Redâ—emer liueth and cannot die so certaine I am that one day I shall enioy that glorious inheritance purchased through the merits of Iesus Christ which happie and blessed estate my soule could not enioy whiles it stucke fast in the quick sands of Anabaptistry being euen welnigh smothered and ouerwhelmed in error and darknesse vntill the Lord was pleased to open the eyes of my vnderstanding by hearing the word and doctrine of truth which is maintained by and in the Church of England as namely the doctrine of repentance free iustification by faith Gods eternall predestination and election from the foundation of the world that no man hath free will or power to obtaine his owne saluation and that originall sin to be in all the posteritie of Adam euer since we fell from that happie blessed estate which once we had in him with many other excellent truths all which is such a certaine and sure foundation that whosoeuer can attaine to walke in the power thereof the gates of hell shall neuer ouercome nor destroy him yet
The faith which worketh by loue c. And it is so called in regard of the special grace mercie loue of God in Iesus Christ which is shed abroad and sealed by the Spirit in the heart of him that possesseth it and also in respect of the excellent fruite it doth produce and cause to come forth of the same heart which is now truly sanctified by it and in which Christ being now formed dwelleth as mortification to sinne and to this present world loue to God and to Christ the Lord who hath so truly loued them loue to the truth loue to the children of God loue to all men which fruite we will also search for the true nature of and enquire how the Scriptures doe seuer it from all outward appearances and shewes which come neare vnto it hauing the forme thereof but is not the same in truth and power Like as the trees that are planted by the riuer side do bring forth their fruit in due season and as the good ground which hauing receiued the seed that is sowne therein bringeth forth fruit a hundred sixtie and thirtie fold and as the earth which drinking in the raine that cometh oft vpon it bringeth forth herbs meet for him by whom it is dressed so do these righteous trees and branches of the Lords owne planting his good ground and earth which he hath thus dressed and watered bring foorth fruite meete for him their Lord the good husband-man that hath planted dressed them First as they haue receiued mercie at the hands of God by faith and are assuredly perswaded in their hearts of the forgiuenesse of their sinnes so doe they now perfectly and truly euen from their very hearts hate all sin yea and the garment that is defiled therewith and abstaine from all appearance of euill mourning and lamenting when at any time they do but think thereon and mortifying their members and affections of flesh do restrain them frō their old accustomed wayes remēbring that they are washed and redeemed with a great price euen with the blood of the Lamb of God that they should now be holy as their heauenly Father is holy that hath chosen them And though they finde the law of their members to rebel and fight against the law of their minds enticing them night day with strong motions and perswasions to regard and giue entertainment againe to their former lusts and pleasures yet they remembring the day of their feare and great distresse sigh and weepe in soule to thinke that they should yet be constrained by the force of their owne flesh members thereof to cast but an eye or once to thinke vpon that which now their soules do loathe and from which they haue been so graciously deliuered And therefore remembring Lots wife and the end of those that hauing taken the plough by the hand looke behind them by whose examples their Lord hath forwarned them dare not presume to turne aside and grieue the holy Spirit whereby they are sealed vnto the day of redemption but if they should through the strength of temptation and their owne weaknesse fall they go foorth and weep bitterly till they be restored by faith to strength againe and neuer fall or looke behind them so as to giue entertainment in soule to their old delights of sin againe or to embrace this present world or pleasures thereof as aforetime nay though they be hated reuiled and scorned of all men and made a gazing stocke both to men and Angells yet still they go on their way out of the camp following their Lord and willingly bearing his reproach counting his rebukes greater riches then all the pleasures of the Egypt of this world which is now crucified to them and they to it And so in patience possesse they their soules hauing an assured hope that though now they goe on their way weeping sowing precious seed yet there will come a day wherein they shall returne with ioy reape the fruit of their labours and bring their sheaues with them Secondly as they doe hate sin and mortifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof and crucifie vnto themselues this present world and themselues vnto it so doe they now on the contrary part loue God with all their heart and with all their soule and delight in him and in his wayes and this their loue vnto him is caused by that loue wherewith he first loued them which he hath shed forth and sealed in their hearts by his holy Spirit and wherEof they are now assuredlie perswaded as it is written Wee loue him because he loued vs first And as to be beloued of God is a blessing beyond all comparison a treasure not to be vttered so their loue to him is a fruit which no man is able to conceiue the nature of but they alone in whose hearts his loue is first shed forth and they certainly perswaded thereof And as they loue God the Father so doe they loue Christ his Sonne who hath redeemed them from the thraldome of their sinnes and their loue to him is likewise caused by his loue which was first made knowne to them and is exprest in this that while they were his enemies he died for them that they should be reconciled to God his Father and be made the Sonnes of God by adoption in him And greater loue then this hath no man that one should die for his enemies and specially such a one to bring them to so great honour therefore their loue to him is also vnspeakeable And as they loue God the Father and Christ the Redeemer so loue they the children of God who are borne of him and made partakers with them of his grace and loue in Christ As it is written He that loueth him that begetteth loueth him also that is begotten of him And this their loue vnto the children of God as it is not now for naturall respects though in that regard they also loue them but because they are in grace and loue with God and do belong to Christ whom they serue and belong vnto So their loue vnto them is heauenly and spirituall and such as no man hath nor can attaine vnto vnlesse he be borne from aboue of water and the Spirit as they are For the children of this world who are borne but of flesh as they know not the children of God that are borne begotten of him because they know not him that hath begotten them nor Christ whom they serue and follow so neither doe nor can they loue them for his sake nor haue part and fellowship with them in their spirituall and heauenly communion They pray together as children of one Father the Lord of hosts and praise his name with one accord they suffer together as members of one bodie euen that body whereof Christ is the head they weepe together and they reioyce together and are of like
of the Lord though they be inlightned and taste as much of the good word of God as either Cain or the Iewes did God vseth threatnings oft times to bring that seed which he promised to call to repentance he giueth them repentance he promiseth grace to the repentant in a speciall particular maner he giueth them faith also to receiue it he promiseth likewise saluation absolutely to these beleeuers he admonisheth them because they of themselues are apt to fall yea and would fall and perish if they stood by their owne strength if God did not sustaine them and had not ordered and disposed of all things for their safetie and wel being he commandeth them to watch and to pray and he giueth them his Spirit which helpeth their infirmities without the which they know not what to aske and it maketh request vnto God for them with sighs and grones which cannot be exprest not because they may yet perish but because they should not perish and for that they are weake and apt to fall and grieue the Spirit He also chasteneth them not for their hurt nor in his wrath but that they should not be condemned with the world And because God hath appointed them to be holy and so to saluation therefore he hath appointed all these things For as he before the world was purposed to saue them so likewise did he determine of the way and meanes whereby to saue them and the meanes is as certaine as his decree And Gods promises concerning life eternal to speake properly are not vpon any conditions though he doth seeme so to propose them to the world but they are absolutely free without any condition of our parts It is true God will saue none but such as repent and beleeue his Gospell bring forth fruite endure to the end c. yet these are not conditions for God giueth all these things to his elect as freely as he gaue Christ vn-them he conformeth them hereby to the image of Christ else grace and saluation were of due debt by desert which to teach is erroneous and Antichristian And although God did elect men in Christ from the foundation of the world yet did not the Elect fall from their Election in the fall of Adam neither did Adam himselfe lose his Election by his fall as they would infer thereupon for Gods Election was not of man considered in his innocencie but of men 〈◊〉 foreseene fallen and therefore they are said to be chosen in Christ who was to be a reconciler and mediator for sinners and not for innocent persons So that the obiection of them which say if the Elect cannot fall out of Gods fauour then did not all fall in Adam If the elect cannot fall from their election then haue not all sinned is very carnall and wicked much like vnto that of the Saduces which said Whose wife shall she be in the Resurrection who like fooles knew not that in the resurrection they neither marry nor giue in marraige So they being ignorant of the wisedome and foreknowledge of God giue out If the elect cannot fall from their election then haue not all sinned And are as bould and thinke themselues aswell armed hereby against the certainty and continuance of Gods election as the Saduces thought themselues against the resurrection when they came in scorne thereof to pose Christ But I omit their friuolous obiections as not hauing any collour of reason because also we shall haue occasion to cleere those things hereafter Thus as we haue said God first publisheth his Gospell and all doe enioy some benefit thereby many are inlightned by it and are made partakers of some common gifts of the Spirit but few are made partakers of those which are speciall and peculiar And this is the order which God doth vse for the calling sanctifying and sauing of his elect First after they are inlightned to know his truth he calleth them in a speciall maner to repentance then in the second place by a more excellent gift of the Spirit he iustifieth the repentant soule from his sinnes and sanctifieth his heart and then thirdly they being now ingrafted into Christ their head doe bring forth fruit in him as before we haue described And these are the plantation of God the trees of righteousnes which the Scriptures speak of God is the husbandman and this is the maner of his husbandry And thus hath he seuered and distinguished his plants from all carnal vnregenerate Christians vnder what name or title soeuer they passe or in what outward estate or Church soeuer they liue And blessed is that man that hath part with them in those speciall gifts and treasures of life for on such the second death shall haue no power Thus haue we proued that whosoeuer is borne from aboue of water and the Spirit Iustified by faith in Christ whose names are written in the booke of life frō the foundation of the world shall neuer fall away nor haue their names razed out of the booke of life againe And that God doth neuer alter his purpose or promise but that all his decrees and promises shall surely come to passe Their fift point That there is no Originall sinne but that all children of all maner of people in the world as well heathens Infidels Idolaters worshippers of Diuels all kind of blasphemers fornicators vncleane persons whatsoeuer as of the faithfull are free from all pollution of sinne both in the conception and birth and dying before they commit actuall sinnes are saued Answ THe truth is though to our shame and sorrow it may be spoken that sin hath taken hold of all the whole posterity of mankind and all are corrupted by a perpetuall seed of generation orignially from Adam so that euery child of man that is borne of flesh as well of the faithfull as of the vnfaithfull is by nature the child of pollution and wrath and dying vnregenerate perrisheth from the glory of God and from the ioy of his presence for euermore This we neede not now to stand to argue for besides the manifold testimonies of Gods word which testifie against vs long and lamentable experence hath sufficiently proued it and doth dayly proue it vnto vs so that we haue more need to mourne for our selues in regard of the euill that is sowne in our natures thereby and to weepe for our children also which are bred and borne of vs as Christ charged the daughters of Ierusalem to doe for themselues and for their children then to stand to dispute the points or once to question whether it be so or no. Neuertheles to stop the mouthes of such as doe deny it we say that when Adam sinned all sinned together with him because all mankind were then in him and therefore when God cast Adam out of Paridice he cast all his posteritie out of Paracice with him and when God cursed the earth he cursed it not to his person alone but all that were to come of him as well