CHAP. I. The bond of Nature.
What is chiefely to be desired?

THat God may bee glorified in our sal­vation. The glory of God. Wherein trusting him for our parts we are princi­pally to intend his glory. For vnlesse we wil mocke God, and deceiue our own soules, we must desire as we pray; first that the name of God may [Page 2]bee hallowed by the advancement of his King­dome, in the vniuersall subjection of all to his ho­ly will: then that wee may bee saued, through his grace, by pardon of our sinnes, protection in temp­tations, and deliuery from euill: and by the way, that we may be supplyed with things needfull for this life, by his ordinary providence, and all to the eternall praise of his Kingdome, power and glory. Which is not only the first, and greatest part, but the very end, and reason of our most earnest, and devoted desires, not onely of things spirituall and temporall for our better enablement, and incou­ragement in his seruice here, but euen also of life eternall hereafter; that seeing wee cannot through our owne default, so glorifie God in this life, as we ought, and might, if we had beene so happy, we may yet happily bee saued through his grace, and mer­cy, to his eternall praise, and glory in the world to come. Neither hath CHRIST heerein taught vs to pray otherwise then GOD comman­ded vs to doe. For 1. Tim. 1.5. the end of the Law is loue, 2. Tim. 3.2.4. not of our selues, but of God, Deut. 6.5 with all the heart, with all the soule, with all the minde, and with all the strength. This is true godlines in the zeale of his glory. A duty neuer repealed, but ratified by the Law giuer him­self here in person, saying, Matt. 22.37.38.39. This is the first & great Commandement, and the other is like vnto it, namely, that thou loue thy neighbour as thy selfe: both in Incompara­biliter plus cha­ritatis Deo quam nobis, fratri autem quantum nobis ipsis impendere debemus; nam Deum propter se, nos verò & provimos propter Deum diligere debe­mus. Aug. de arin. l. 8. c. 8. a second place vnto God, that is, for his sake, and according to his will, to doe and to be done by, as he hath commaunded. The reason why we should [Page 3]principally intend GOD his glory trusting him for our safety, is intimated in the first wordes of the prayer, calling GOD our heauenly Father, grounded vpon the first Article of our faith, In God the Father Almighty, maker of Heauen & Earth. For a sonne honoureth his father, the father provi­deth for his children. Now GOD is our Fa­ther both by Nature and Grace, who made vs, & all things both in Heauen and Earth, redeemed vs by his Sonne Christ Iesus, calleth vs by the Holy Ghost, and thereby communicateth himselfe, and all good vnto vs, & wil bring vs to euerlasting life, that we may eternally praise him. Rom. 11.36. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to him bee glory for euer and euer. Amen.

Wee made not our selues, The Author of our good. neither can wee saue our selues therefore we are not our owne, but his creatures & instruments, Act. 17.28. in whom we liue, moue, & haue our being. Prov. 16.4. Who made all things for himself, yea e­uen the wicked for the day of euill. Initio non quasi indigent Deus hominem plasmavit Adam sed ut haberet in quem collo­caret sua bene­ficia. Non solum ante Adam, sed & ante omnem conditionem glorificavit verbum patrem suum manens in eo, & ipse à patre glorificabatur quem­admodum ipse ait, Pater clarifica me, &c. Qui in [...]umine sunt, non ipsi lumen illuminant, sed illuminantur ab eo. Irenaeus lib. 4. adversus haeres. cap. 28. Not that his glory depends on the creature: for as there was light, when yet there was no starre in the Heauen to ex­presse it, no body on earth to reflect it, so was Ioh. 17.5. the glory of God with himselfe, before the world was. Only it pleased him by the exuberance of his goodnes, to manifest his glory in vs, whom hee made after [Page 4]his owne Image, Et c. 31. Non indigebat De­us dilectione hominis. Dee­rat autem ho­mini gloriâ Dei, quam nul­lo modo poterat percipere, nisi per eam obse­quentiam, quae est ergà Deum. not to gain any accession of glo­ry by vs to himselfe, who is himselfe all-sufficient, but by communicating his goodnesse to make vs most glorious, Rom. 11.22. had we continued in his goodnessè, to the praise of his glory. Art requires some com­pleate materials to worke vpon, and Nature out of a rude matter produceth euery creature, but Deus non [...] so­lùm vt à Pla­tone, sed [...] dicendus. Iust. Mart. in exhort. ad Gent. God who is aboue both, made all of Ex ni­hilo ter­mi­nati­vè non ma­teri­aliter. Iul. Scal. exerc. 6. sect. 13. nothing, by crea­tion. Which the deepest Philosophy, most busie in the search of Nature, could neuer fully reach, nor can comprehend by discourse of reason, howsoe­uer some of them seeme to haue had some notice thereof. For the wisest of that profession supposing generally, that of Ex nihilo ni­hil sit in natu­ra constituta, non constituenda. Vid. Tertul. adversus Hermogin. nothing, nothing can be, vanished away in their imaginations, of the Si nulla fuit genitalis o­rigo, Terrarum & coeli semperque aeterna fuere, Cur supra bellum Thebanum & funera Troiae. Non alias alij quoque rescecinere Poetae. Lucret. lib. 6. Vid. Theoph. An­tioch. adversus Autolyc. lib. 2. Worlds eter­nity, or of an eternall creation, or else of a naturall manner of productiō of al things, out of some mat­ter, and by some meanes, when as yet there were none of thē. But Neb. 11.3. we through faith vnderstand by the word of God, in the history of the Creation, that the Worlds were framed by the Quin & Deum foecundissimo verbo creasse mundum aliquoties agnoscere videtur Trismegist. Neque materia, nec no­vo consilio opus fuisse Deo ad mundi creatiouem asserere videtur. Algazel. contra A­verroem. Word of God; so that things which are seene, were not made of things which doe ap­peare. The last of all was man, as it were a recapitu­lation of all, for whō all was made. Who as he had an interest in al the creatures by his making, so God [Page 5]gaue him power to vse them all by his blessing. Psal. 8.6. For hee made him to haue dominion ouer the worke of his hands, and put all things vnder his feete. Of all the creatures, the Angels who were made the first day, when they were all made Angels of Angelus est imago Dei, manifestatio occulti luminis &c. Dionys. Are­op. de diuin. nomin. cujus ve ba prosequi­tur. Alex. de Ales. part. 2. qu. 20. memb. 3. art. 2. & Bona­vent. l. 2: sent. distinct. 9. ad textum. light, & man who was made the last day, a light shining in darkenesse, hauing his diuine soule pent vp in a bo­dy of clay, are only called the [...] &c. A Deo profecta semina non so­lum. ea quibus pater meus me procreavit & patrem avus, verumetiam, in res omnes è terra nascentes, ac praecipuè in ratione praedi­ta. [...]. Quidnino­minet quispiam eum filium Dei? Arrian. epise. l. 1. c. 9. sons of God, Iames 1.17. who is the Father of lights. And againe, wee are his sonnes by grace, who of his owne will Iames 1.18. begat vs by the word of truth through faith in his Sonne. Iohn. 1.12.13 For to as many as receiue him, to them he giues power to become the sonnes of God, euen to them that beleeue on his Name, which are borne not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Who for his part failes not to provide for our good, both in the course of nature, and in the state of grace. For if an earthly father knowes how to provide good things for his children, how much more doth our Father which is in Heauen? Acts 14.17. vvho neuer left himselfe vvithout vvitnes doing good. And if hee make Mat. 5.45. his sunne to rise on the euill and on the good, and send raine on the iust and on the vniust, hee will certainely cause the Mal. 4.2. sunne of righteousnesse to arise, and Es. 60.1. shine vpon his gracious children, and will c. 44.3. send downe sweete dewes of his spirit into their hearts. And Rom. 8.32. he that hath giuen vs his Son, how shall he not with him giue vs all things also. Nay our heauenly Father preuents vs with all good things both of nature and grace, and all to this end, that we [Page 6]should haue the good nature, or the grace to vse all to the praise of his glory. Which whilest we prin­cipally intend, wee may be well assured, that in the end wee shall be no loosers, both because our true happinesse consists naturally in the [...]: Deus salu­taris est, sed & bonumipsum salutare, Arrian. Epict. l. 2. c. 8. Summum a­mare bonum summa est beatitudo. August. epist. 111. ad Iulian. fruition, and admiration of Gods glory, according to the covenant of nature, Levit. 18:5. Rom. 10.5. doe this and liue: and also because the glory of God is ingaged vpon the saluation of his faithfull people by the covenant of grace, Habak. 2.4. Rom. 1.17. The Iust shall liue by his faith.

In assurance whereof the faithfull children of God haue beene well content, The true Zelotes of God's glory. not onely to frame their liues to his glory, but to lay downe their liues for his sake, putting the last adventure of their soules, that they could make, in well-doing; 1 Pet. 4.19. into the hands of God a faithfull Creatour. The Lord Himself Phil. 2.6. being in glory equall with God the Father, & that without robbery, was willing to be abased, in the forme of a seruant, to the pit of hell, that the will of GOD might be done on earth by man, for the redeeming of his Kingdome in vs, to the glory of his holy Name. For although the flesh was weake, which for the time put him in a terrible ago­ny, yet, he soone resolued, being strong in the spirit, Luke 22.42. Not my will but thy will be done. Iohn 12.27.28. Now is my soule troubled, and what shall I say? Father, saue mee from this houre: but for this cause came I to this houre, [Page 7]Father, glorifie thy Name. And at this marke of our high calling his zealous Saints resolued by his grace through faith, presse hard in hope and loue. Abraham was content to submit so farre to the will of GOD, as to Gen. 22. sacrifice his sonne Isaacke, whom he loued, and with him for ought that appea­red, his owne and all mens expected happinesse. For the promise that in his seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed, was before restrayned to Isaacke, Gen. 21.12. Heb. 11.17.18. In Isaacke shall thy seed be called. Only he beleeued that God was able to raise him vp from the dead, V. 19. from whence also he receiued him as in a fi­gure. Moses wished to be Ex. 32.32 rased out of the Booke of life, rather then that God should not maintaine his owne glory, in the safety and prosperity of his peo­ple Israel, whereon his glory lay ingaged. Iob resol­ueth in his greatest affliction, Iob. 13.15. though the Lord slay me yet will I not forsake him. The three children Sha­drach, Mesach, & Abednego, were resolute not to giue the glory of God to Nebuchadnezzar in his golden image, whatsoeuer came of them, though they pe­rished. Dan 3.17.18 Our God, say they, whom we serue, is able to de­liuer vs out of thine hands, O King, and hee will deliuer vs: but if not, bee it knowne vnto thee, O King, that wee will not serue thy gods, nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set vp. S ^t Paul was content to be Rom. 9.3 [...] A­nathema from Christ for his brethrens sake, not in mere naturall affection to them, though it were great, but in a feruent zeale of Gods glory, which now might seeme to lye at stake with thē. Because V. 4. to them be­longed the adoption, & the glory, & the covenant. And [Page 8]generally all the new borne, which onely are the true borne children of God, seeme to bee of the same minde, Christianos di­cit Plinius Se­cundus omnia vitia detestari, sanctissimè vive­re, & hoc solum in eis posse re­prehendi, quod nimis faci è pro Deo suo profundant vi­tam, quod (que) horis antelucanis furgant ad canendas laudes Christi. l. 10. ep. 97. ad Traian. who reioyce not only in hope of the glory of God, but euen in their greatest tribulati­ons; Heb. 10.34. suffering ioyfully the spoiling of their goods, yea of their Heb. 11.35.36.37. liues vvith most exquisite torments, because the Rom. 5.5. loue of God is shed abroad in their hearts, 1 Pet. 1.8. vvhom hauing not seene they loue, in vvhom though novv they see him not, yet beleeuing they reioice vvith ioy vnspeak­able and full of glory.

Nay & euery creature doth euen by nature spend it self to set forth the glory of the Creator in some sort or other, To glorisie the creatoris the glory of the creature. being then most happy when it can serue best, and is most vsed to that end for which it was made. Iob. 12.7. Aske now the beastes, and they shall teach thee, & the foules of the aire, & they shall tell thee. Or speake to the earth, & it shall teach thee, and the fishes of the sea shall declare vnto thee. If wee were not dull of hearing, might we not perceiue an Cicero in Somn. Scip. harmony of the Spheares, & the Earth below with a deepe base in consort to the Heauenly quier, & euery creature of God bearing his part, & all cōming in with a full Chorus to the close: Glory be to God on high; as it were an Eccho or report to that word of vvisdome, povver, & goodnes, wherby they were all made: Psal. 145.10. All thy vvorks praise thee, O God; & the more excellent the worke is, the more it [...] &c. Si Phidiae esses ef­figies meminis­ses vtique & tui ipsius, atque eti­am sculptoris. [...]; Talis artificis cùm sis opifici­um, quarè id ip­sum dedecoras? Arrian. Epict. l. 2. c. 8. cōmends the Maker. Yet is al this but in dumb Psal. 19.1. V. 3. The Heauēs declare the glory of God, & the firmament shevveth his handywork. But there is no speech nor language vvhere their voice is [Page 9]not heard, vnlesse it be the Rom. 8.22. v. 21. groaning of the Creation, vnder the burden of corruption, all abased, being a­bused by sinne to the dishonour of the Creatour. Wherefore it earnestly expecteth, v. 19. and vvaiteth for the manifestation of the Sonnes of God, that it may bee deliuered in their glorious liberty. Of all the creatures, v. 21. man only in this inferiour world, was made with an vnderstanding heart to know God, & with speech to praise him, which was his excellency aboue other creatures. In which respect, the holy king, cals Psal. 108.1. his tongue his glory, accounting this vse thereof, when we blesse God, the greatest happines, Psal. 84.4. Blessed are they that dwell in thine house, they shall bee euer praising thee. Now the whole world is Gods house, for there his Esa: 6.1. temple is, wheresoeuer he manifesteth his glo­ry, which wee may behold & contemplate in his workes, whithersoeuer we looke. Gen. 28.17. Surely this is none other but the house of God. And the large volume of nature, if there were none other, is it not a faire copy of Gods glory, laide before our eies in his temple, that we should reade it and praise him? Which he hath written with his owne finger, as it were in em­blemes & hieroglyphikes, even things themselues. Euery vvorke of God being a vvord, for hee spake things; euery day a line, & there is not a day with­out a line. Psal. 19.2. Day unto day vttereth speech, & night unto night sheweth knowledge; v. 4. their line is gone out through all the earth. And the whole text fairely continued in the course of nature, notwithstanding the many parenthesies of miraculous euents, & our cōtinual di­gressions. But if this volume be too large, read man [Page 10]the epitomy of all, know thy selfe, & know all. And who can hide such knowledge in him, but it will breake forth into the Ego condi­toris nostri ve­rum hymnum compono: exi­stimoque in co veram esse pie­tatem, nō tau­rorū hecatom­bas ei plurimas sacrificari, & casias aliaque sexcenta odo­ramenta ac vn­guenta suffumi­gari: sed si no­verim ipse pri­mus deindè & aliis exposue­rim, quaenam sit illius sapientia, quae virtus quae bonitas. Hoc autèm omne invenisse quo pacto omnia adornarentur summae sapi­entiae est: effe­cisse autèm omninò quae voluit, virtutis est invictae ac insuperabilis. Gal. l. 3. de vsu. part. c. 10. praise and glory of God, that made him. Psal. 139.14. I will praise thee O Lord, for I am fearefully and wonderfully made. Yet are there greater won­ders then this, which God hath made knowen vn­to vs. 1. Tim. 3. v. 16. Without controuersie, greate is the mystery of godlines: God was manifest in the flesh, iustified in the spirit, seene of Angels, preached vnto the Gentiles, be­leiued on in the world, receiued vp into glory. And all this to bring vs vnto the same glory, whereof wee are assured by his spirit. And now what greater happines, than to haue our hearts full of ioy, & our mouthes of [...]. Arrian: Epict. l. 1. c. 16. praise vnto our God in whom we enioy all good? Such was the happines of man, and his cheife delight in the state of innocencie, who cal­led all things, as they were presented to him, by their Gen. 2.19. names, speaking of them, no doubt, to the glory of God the Creatour. And such is the glory, & happy estate of the Saints & Angels, in heaven, who cease not day and night, saying, [...] &c. Hominem Deus animal praestantissimum, et vt suae naturae respondens, ita vniuersi constitutionis oculum in mundo collocavit. Quamobrem hic & rebus imposuit nomina, quarum fuit signator. Euryphamus Pythagoricus, l. de vita ex Stobaei Ser. 101. holy, holy, holy, Lord God Al­migty, which was and is and is to come. Rev. 4.8. Thou art wor­thy, O Lord, to receiue glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

All the glory that we can do our God & heaven­ly Father is only in his name, which he hath, How wee should glori­fie God pre­scibed by the law of Na­ture. as it were, gotten by himselfe, by his Exod. 33.19. workes, and pub­lished by his word, c. 34.5.6. proclayming his name, The Lord, the Lord, &c. we can adde nothing to his glory in Person, who is aboue all glory and praise. Psal. 50.23. Who so offe­reth praise, he glorifieth God. Yet must vvee glorifie him, not only in word, praising his workes, but in deed also, doing his word, Mat. 5. c. 16. That others seeing our good workes, may glorifie our Father which is in heaven. Mich. 6.8. Wherefore, he hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, whose Dei voluntas est non tan­tum recta, sed etiam regula, Bonav. in sent. lib. 1. dist. 41. q. 2. in conclus. will is the rule of all good, & who only knowes how himselfe will be served. Which he hath pre­scribed at first by nature, since by the law giuen in ten cōmandements, as it were Exod. 34.28. ten words, requiring so many duties, & forbidding so many sins, in ge­nerall, with all their particulars & accessaries. A perfect law for man to haue liued by to the glory of God the law-giuer. Which hee thereby pre­scribes in the same manner, and order, as wee are taught to desire the same of God by prayer. For the hallowing of his name in heart, word, and deed, he gaue vs the three first commandements, that wee should know, and acknowledge him, the only true God, with faith, feare, and loue, and none other by that name, or with any such religious honour and affection. Esay. 42.8. This is my name, saith he, and my glory will I not giue vnto another. The fourth commande­ment prescribes his kingdome, and the other six his will, to bee done by vs in earth, as it is in heaven. Yet so as that the glory of God is interessed, not [Page 12]onely in the immediate worship, & hallowing of his name, but even in our carriage, and dealings a­mongst our selues. Insomuch that if a man doe but Prov. 30.9. Rom. 2.24. steale any way, he taketh the name of God in vaine, & causeth it to be evill spoken of. It was iust that the Creatour should giue a law to his creature, where­by every one should Rom. 14.4. stand or fall to his owne master. VVherefore God left not thinges to themselues when hee made them, to doe as might chance by the contingence of secondary causes, nor to the ar­bitrement of men & Angels, but hee set a generall course for nature by instinct; in his seuerall bles­sings vpon euery kinde, [...]. Non modo te condidit, sed e­tiam tibi soli credidit, & quid faceres in mandatis de­dit. Arrian. E­pict. l. 2. c. 8. he gaue a law vnto man in his making, & the Angels do his commandements. Neither was that Iam. 2.8. royall law any impeachment to the liberty of mans will, which although it haue an arbitrarie power over the locomotiue, and other like faculties, yet had it never the absolute com­mand of it selfe, but was to bee subiect to the arbitrement of divine providence, and to the commandement of the Almighty. VVherefore man was not left to his owne will, but was by na­ture made willingly subiect to the Iam. 1.25. law of libertie, which God commanded him for his good. Other thinges were made by a word of command; Psal. 148.5. For hee commanded and they were created, but man was made by a word of counsell, Gen. 1.26. Let vs make man; a reasonable creature, capable of coun­sell, as it were priuie to his owne making, and conscious of the word whereby hee was made. [Page 13]And God created him vers. 27. Ita imago est ut ad imaginem sit, (i) non ae­quatur parili­tate, sed qua­dam similitu­dine accedit. Aug. l. 7. de Trin. c. 6. in his owne image according to his likenes, namely with a conscience, and good liking of his will, a man after his owne heart, like minded as hee intended. Which appeares partly by the remainders of the law in our corrupt Lex est ratio summa insita in natura, quae iubet ea quae facienda sunt, prohibetque contraria. Ea­dem ratio cum est in hominis mente confir­mata, & con­fecta, lex est. Cic. de leg. l. 1. Et mox [...] con­stituendi vero iuris ab illa summa lege capiamus Exordium, quae saeculis omnibus antè nata est, quam scripta lex vlla, aut quam omninò ciuitas constituta. hearts. Rom. 2.14 For the Gentiles which had not the law did by Nature the things of the law: vvhich shewed the vvorkes of the law vvritten in their hearts, Ante legem Moy [...]i scriptam in tabulis lapideis, legem fuisse contendo non scriptam, quae naturalitèr intelligebatur, & à Patribus custodiebatur. Ter­tul aduersus Iudaeos. Ista lex quae in corde scribitur, omnes continet nationes, & nullus est qui hanc legem nesciat: Hieron. tom. 3. ep. ad Algasian: q. 8. In lege temporali nihil est iustum & legitimum quod non ex hac aeterna sibi homines deriuauerint. August. de lib. arb. l. 1. c. 6. their consciences also bea­ring vvitnes. But by our Coll. 3.10. renewing in knowledge after the image of him, that created vs, it is manifest, that man was made vvith an vnderstanding of himself, and of Gods will concerning him, and not onely so, but with an heart to doe accordingly. For Eph. 4.24. the new man is created in righteousnesse and true holi­nesse, the very text, and tenour of the two tables of the law, in two vvordes. And now 2. Cor. 3.17. vvhere the spirit is, there is liberty: againe, not from the law to doe as vvee lust the miserable bondage of sin vnto Satan, but to the law, to doe as we should, the grati­ous liberty of the sonnes of God.

The naturall reason of the law is yet so ap­parant, that for the duties of the second Table, Naturall reason of the Law. [Page 14] Ex sapientis­simorum sen­tentijs princi­pem legem il­lam & vltimam mentem esse omnia ratione aut cogentis aut vetantis Dei: ex qua le­ges illae lauda­tae, quae generi dantur huma­no. Cic: de leg. l. 2. all nations generally haue followed and imbraced the same, as being most agreable to mankinde, by nature a sociable, and civill creature, only the Non ulla vnquam lex sanxit qui fu­rari voluerit culpae reus e­rit, sed qui furatus fuerit, inquit Cato pro Rhodiens. last commandement is without the compasse of mans law to search or punish. Because God only tries the hearts. Yet Has patitur poenas peccan­di sola volun­tas. Nam scelus intrà se taci­tum qui cogi­tat vllum, facti crimen habet. Cedo si conata peregit. Iuve­nal. Satyr. 13. morall Philosophy goes farre by reason to moderate passions, and affections. And the Stoikes, vvho were not the worst moralists, goe yet a step farther, even beyond reason, to roote vp naturall affection. Howbeit none of them could by the light of nature, reach to the roote of this law, namely our naturall corruption: vvhereof that sect, either by common sence, or by some intelli­gence, might yet seeme to haue a kinde of consci­ence. But Rom. 7.7. I had not knowne lust, saith the Apostle, namely that the first motion thereof is sinne, if the Law had not said, Thou shalt not lust. Now for the duties of the first table, there could bee no reaso­nable doubt of the three first commandements, that they are naturall, if vve did but rightly vnder­stand, and duely consider the nature of God. Nulla gens est tàm fera, quae non etiamsi ignoret qua­lem Deum habere deceat, tamen habendum sciat. Cic: l. 1. de leg. Ne­ver were any so brutish, but that in Vnius Dei virtu­tes per mundanum opus diffusas, multis vocabulis inuocamus, quoniam nomen eius. cuncti proprium videlicet ignoramus. Maximus nomine gentilium ep: ad Augustum in­ter suas 43. Cui nomon omne convenit vis illum fatum vocare? non errabis. Hic est, ex quo suspensa sunt omnia, causa causarum. Visillum prouidentiam dicere? rectè dices. Est enim cuius consilio huic mundo prouidetur, ut inconcussus eat, & actus suos explicet. Vis illum naturam vocare? non peccabis. Est enim ex quo nata sunt omnia, cuius spiritu viuimus. Vis illum vocare mundum? non falleris. Ipse enim est totum quod vides totus suis partibus inditus, & se sustinens vi sua. Sen: Natur. Quaest. l. 2. c. 45. some sort they haue acknowledged a prime cause, a supreame power, which made and ouer-rules all. Rom 1.20. The [Page 15]invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearely seene, being vnderstood by thinges that are made, euen his eternall power and Godhead. And if we doe but fetch our owne pedigree, as needes we must, from one Luk. 3.38. man, at the last, we shall finde, that one God, whose sonne he was, even the worke of his hands. Act. 17.26.27. For God made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and determined the times be­fore appointed, and the boundes of their habitation, that they should seeke the Lord. And if vvee obserue the course of times, vvee shall come to the auncient of dayes, Act. 14.17. vvho hath neuer left himselfe vvithout vvit­nes at any time: vvhose being beyond time, vvithout place, aboue nature must needes bee infinite, and therefore Neque in na­tura, neque extra, duo pos­sunt esse infini­ta. Iul: Scal: exercit: 395. Socrates damnatus ad cicutam, à vita quam à senten­tia, de vno Den, decedere maluit. Plato orsus e­pistolam ab vno Deo age­bat seriò ad Dionys. ep. t 3. Cum iurant, cum optant, cum gratias a­gunt, non Iovem aut Deos multos, sed Deum nominant. Lactant: l. 2. de ver. sap. c. 1. Anima licet falsis dijs exancillata, cum tamen resipiscit, ut ex crapula, & somno, De­um nominat, & quod Deus dederit, omnium vox est, iudicem quoque contestatur il­lum, Deus videt, & Deo commendo, & Deus mihi reddet. O testimonium animae naturalitèr Christianae. Tertul. in Apolog. singular, admitting no partner. For the second commandement, vve can vvorship God no otherwise then we can know him. But that which can be known of God, namely hiseternal power & Godhead, was neuer seen by any man, but only vn­derstood by the effects thereof, in his workes, & by his vvord. Nor can he be expressed but by vvord, whom we know only by name, beleiuing his word. Neither the nature of God, who is invisible, nor of man, whose heart was most answerable, cā in reasō [Page 16]the worship of God by any Solem & lu­nam specula Dei non ado­randa, sed spe­ctanda, mun­dumque illius templum dicit Plutarchus de Iside & Osiri­de. creature or outward shape, no whit agreeable to either. For the third commandement it were most vnreasonable in na­ture to take the name of God in vaine, when nature it selfe tels vs for Deus & na­tura nihil fa­ciunt frustrà. a principle, that God made nothing in vaine, as if God were nothing but an empty name, who is all in all, and all the bonour wee can doe him is onely in his name. De die septi­mo qui inter omnes morta­les celebris est, magna a­pud plerosque ignorantia est: hic enim dies qui inter om­nes mortales celebris est Sabbatum vo­catur, graecè si quis interpre­tetur, Septi­mana dicitur. Hoc nomine mortales om­nes diem istum appellant, at nominis cau­sam nesciunt plerique. Theoph. Antiochen: Patriarch: l. 2. ad Autolycuum. The greatest dif­ficulty of naturall reason, is for the fourth com­mandement, not because there is no such reason thereof, but because nature it selfe being corrupt, and disturbed by sinne, beareth little or no mention, and remembrance of the first creati­on, nor can hardly bee perswaded thereof. But God hath therefore expressely giuen vs the rea­son of that law, plainely taken from the vvorke­manship of nature it selfe, Namely that it was finished in six dayes, and so Si­cut cùm benè operamur ipse dicitur operari in nobis cuius munere operamur: ita cum requiescimus ipse requiescere dicitur quo donante requiescimus. August. ep. 119. ad Ianuar. agens dc Sabbato. rested, as it seemes in its perfection, and gaue, as it were, rest vn­to God on the seaventh day. Wherefore, the Lord blessed the seaventh day and hallowed it. Of which Septem dies sunt qui volumine temporum per sua ve­stigia reuocantur. Aug. ep. 86. ad Casulan. period of time there seemes still to bee some mention in nature, notwithstanding our [Page 17]corruption, namely by the continuall changes of [...] for­mam lunę com­plectitur: nam prima est corni­culata, quam [...] Graeci vocant: deindè medilunia, quā dicunt [...], Dehine di­midsato maior, quae dicitur [...]. Mox plena, quae dici­tur [...]. I­tem tres formas praedictas desi­ciens repetit. Hic numerus, lunae cursum significat, nam vnum 2.3.4.5.6.7. faciunt 28. Martian. Ca­pel. Satyric. l. 7. de Heptade. Ecclesia verò adhuc in ista mortalitate carnis constituta, propter ipsam mutabilitatem lunae nomine in scrip­turis signatur. August ep. 119 agens de Sabbato. Vid. Isidor Eccles. offic. lib. 1. cap. 31. sublunary things, every seaven dayes, [...] &c. Hipp lib. 2. aph 24. I­dem de carn. [...]. as Phisitians obserue, who are most versed in the workes of na­ture, & accordingly to be credited in their faculty. And something there is in it that the very Quis enim sacrum illum diem. per singulas hebdomadas recurrentem non honorat? Philo Iudaeus de vniversis genti­bus loquens lib 2. de vita Mosis. Idem testatur Iosephus lib. 2. contra Apion. ad finem. Hea­thens haue solemnised the seaventh day, although they knew not why, but vainely consecrated it to the resting planet Vid. Clav. in cap. 1. Iohan. de Sacro Bosco. pag. 84. [...] die septimo post natum puerum ei nomen imponebatur, vtpote die auspicatissimo Scholiast: in Aristoph. ad Aves. Vid. quae habet Clemens Alexandr. lib. 5. Strom. ex Homero Hesiodo, & Callimacho. Saturne, as it might seeme for the slow motion thereof, or to some other such Amnis sabbati­cus qui in Iudaea sabbatis omnibus siccatur. Plin. natur. hist. lib. 31. cap. 2. Aliter enar­rat Iosephus de bel. Iud. lib. 7. cap. 24. Vid. Fulleri Misc [...]ll. lib. 1. cap. 9. fond imagination. But we who by Heb. 11.3. faith vnderstād that the worlds were framed by the word of God (the first ar­ticle of our creed) can easily admit in common e­quity, the naturall reason, which God hath given of this law: And knowing that the Sabbath was made for man in his best estate, for whom all things were made, and hee last of all with vnderdanding to behold, and praise God in his glorious worke, that he might rest in so doing most glorious and happy; vpon which day it seemes the man was so excer­cised, when he gaue names to all things according [Page 18]to their natures to the glory of the creatour; wee are well perswaded that there is, and ever will bee a perpetuall cause even in nature, to remember the Sabbath once in seaven dayes, so long as the Rom. 8.21.22. creation groneth vnder the burthen of corruption, vntill wee enter into his rest, and enjoy an eternall Sabbath in glory.

Vpon this law stood the covenant of Nature, Doe this and liue. The cove­nant of Na­ture. To liue is to be doing, for life is the energie of nature, and consists in action. And to doe this law, which God had by nature inacted in man, should haue beene the naturall life of man. Not a meanes to attaine life, which hee then already had in present fruition, but the very forme and manner of liuing, and that well and happi­ly; [...]. Arist. Ethic. l. 1. c. 7. a perpetuall well doing, and perfect bee­ing in that blessed estate, wherein hee was made. Luke 10.26.28. What is written in the law? This doe and thou shalt liue. For these things if a man doe he shall liue in them, not for the doing, but in the doing of them. And Iames 1.25. who so looketh into the perfect law of liberty, beeing a doer of the worke, that man shall bee blessed in his deede. Of which covenant God gaue Primordialis data est lex A­dae & Evae in paradiso, quasi matrix omni­um praecepto­rum Dei &c. Tertull. adversus Iudaeos; Quae lex ei sufficeret sheffet custodita. ibid. man in his inno­cency as it were Erat homini in lignis alijs alimentum in hoc Sacramentum. Aug. two Sacraments. The Hac generali & primor­diali Dei lege, quarn in arboris fructu observari Deus sanxerat, omnia praecepta legis po­sterioris specialiter indita fuisse cognoscimus, quae suis temporibus edita germinaverunt. Tertul. adversus Iudeos. In hac enim lege Adae data omnia praecepta condita recognos­im us, quae posteà pullularunt data per Moysen. Ibidem. tree of know­ledge respecting the law, doe this; and the tree of life, respecting the promise, liue. By the former it plea­sed [Page 19]God to make triall of mans faith and obedi­ence. A small matter, as it may seeme, a trifle, the greater was the sinne, in eating the forbidden fruite, whatsoever it was, of the tree of knowledge, of good and evill. So it was called by God his in­stitution, who forbad it, to proue, & make knowne, what a creature Haec ipsa quo que possibilitae eveniendi non levitati ipsius, qui non move­tur, sed retum facilitati, quae naturâ non in­dignante mo­ueri possunt, convenienter ascribitur. Ioan: Sarisber: Poli­crat: l. 2. c. 21. could doe of it selfe, and would do being left to it selfe, which was by nature free to chuse, and indifferently inclinable to good or evill. It stood not with the counsell of the Al­mighty & only wise God, nor with the condition of a reasonable creature, that man should be in­forced to do his duty vpon necessity, whom he had made arbitrary, or that all Quae igitur cum fiunt ca­rent existendi necessitate, ea­dem prius quam fiant sine necessitate fu­turasunt. Booer. de consol. phil. lib. 5. pros. 4. contingency of second causes should bee intercepted in the course of na­ture by his Almighty power, howsoever by his pro­vidence the effects shall certainely follow, which hee in his secret [...]. Sui­das. counsell foreseeth, and preordai­neth to his glory, vpon their free, or contingent, and sometimes contrary operations. Sicut series retum Dei providentiam non immutat, sic & aeterna dispositio retum naturam non pe­rimit. Ioan. Sarisber: Policrat: lib. 2. c. 20. Every thing hath its owne course together with God his pro­vidence, and God hath his purpose notwithstan­ding their deficience. Sin which is an evill and ab­erration of our actions from the righteous law of God, is the defection of the creature from the crea­tour, and not the Deus non est auctor illius reicuius est vltor. Fulgent. l. 1. c. 19. ad Monim: [...]. Eurip. effecting of the creatour by the creature. For it is not an effect, but a Nemo quae­rat efficientem causam malae voluntatis, non enim est efficiens, sed deficiens, quia necil­la est effectio sed defectio. August. l. 12. de Civ. Dei. c. 7. Malum nihil est cum id facere ille non possit, qui nihil non potest: Booet de consol. Phil. l. 3. pros. 12. defect in the [Page 20]doing. The [...]. Bas. Ho­mil. Quod Deus non est author malorū. p. 422. default whereof resteth vpon the im­mediate doer, and redoundeth not to the first mover, who will haue euery thing worke in its own kind. No man could haue had any Iohn. 19.11. power against Christ, except it had beene giuen him from aboue. Yet did not that excuse his adversaries, nay therefore they had the greater sinne. For the greater the Non quera­mur de autho-, re nostro Deos si beneficia eiu, corrumpimus & ve essent con­traria efficimus Sen. quaest: nat. l. 5. c. 18. gifts, the greater the fault, if they be abused. The Devill cannot do any thing without God, yet [...] Neque tamen quoniam mu­tabiles vires habemus, improbitatis nostrae culpa in Deum conferenda est. Non enim in facultatibus sunt vitia led in habitibus &c. Nemes lib. de natura homin. when hee speakes a lye he speaketh of his owne: for hee is a lyar, and the father of it. Iohn. 8.44.

Who being the first Apostate from God, The Fall. and the perpetuall enemy to God, and man, affecting to be the Naturales im­patientias in ipso diabolo de­prehendo iam tunc cū dominū Deum vniversa opera quae fe­cisset imagini suae, id est, ho­mini subjectisse impatienter tu­lisset Tertul. de pat. Adeò decepit eum quia inui­derat. ibid. Prince & God of this world in a proud emulation of God himselfe, and an Eph. 2.2. Ioh. 14.30. 2. Cor. 4.4. envious indignation a­gainst man, whom God had deputed as it were his Vicegerent, here vpon earth, soone tooke occasion by the inhibition, and watching his oportunity, wrought subtilly vpon the womans frailty, in na­ture 1. Pet. 3.7. the weaker vessell, and by hir prevailed also a­gainst the man, with whom naturally the womans importunate weakenesse is most powerful. And like as Ahitophell after his example gaue counsell since to a rebellious sonne against his father, so did the Devill perswade the man to 2 Sam. 16.21. vsurpe vpon that which God had precisely reserued vnto him­selfe, the knowledge of good and evill ( Acts 15.18. foreknowne vn­to [Page 21]God are all his workes and the issues of them from e­verlasting) pretending that by this meanes, the mā should become as God himselfe, with absolute power, and command over the creature, whereof before hee had but the bare vse, & that only vpon allowance, & with limitation. Thus was he fondly perswaded to preferre his owne vaine affected glory to the glory of God, wherein he stood vntill then tru­ly glorious and most happy. And so the forbidden tree proued indeed as it was Ideo arbor il­la appellata est scientię dignos­cendi boni & mali, non quia inde talia quasi poma pende­bant, sed quic­quid esset arbor illa cuiuslibet pomi, cuiuslibet fructus esset, i­deò sic vocata est quia homo qui nollit bo­num à malo discernere per praeceptum, discreturus erat per experimentum, vt tangendo vetitum invenirct supplicium. Aug. in Psal. 70. called, the fruite of knowledge of good and evill, by mans sinne and transgression. For now he learned what it ment by woefull experience, who knew not what evill should be, vntill he felt it, nor what was his own good with God, vntill he had Non solum vt sint dij homines else desierunt, sed etiam qui quasi dij erant suam gratiam per­diderunt Ambrol. lost it. A losse not to himselfe alone, but through his default, to all his posterity, who being in his loynes are Falso queritur de natura sua genus humanum. Salust. initio bel. Iug. iustly atteinted of his re­belliō; because it was the covenāt of nature which he violated. And we naturally are not only made guilty of that In quo erat natura communis, ab ejus vitio est nullus immunis Aug. ep. 106. ad Pau­lin. Restat vt in illo primo homine peccasse omnes intelligantur, quiain illo fuerunt omnes, quando ille peecauit, vnde peccatum nascendo trahitur, quod nisi renascendo non soluitur. August. contra duas Pelagian. ep. lib. 4. c. 4. original sin, by imputatiō, but are by Peccara parentum alienasunt proprietate actionis, nostra sunt contagione propaginis. idem l. 6. contra Iulian. c. 4. propagation corrupted with sin, or Peccatum Originarium, vitium, languor, [...] Vetus iniquitas. Ig­nat. ep ad Trallian. vice originary the polluted issue thereof, in al mankind, as an [...]. O insirmitatem me­am! Nam meam dico istam primi parentis infirmitatem. Greg. Nazianz. orat. 38. he [Page 22]reditary disease infecting the blood, and a stigmaticall skarre, that cannot bee done away, vntill nature it selfe shal be dissolued. For after that the man in his person had once viciated our nature, hee begate a sonne in his owne Genus huma­num in parente primo, velut in radice, putruit, & ariditatem traxit in ramis. &c. Greg. ep. 53. lib. 7. indict. 2. likenesse, and after his image, the likenesse of sinne, and the image of corruption. Natura erat seminalis ex qua propaga­mur, quâ scili­cet propter pec­catum vitiata, & vinculo mortis obstricta, iusteque damnata non alterius conditionis ho­mo ex homine nasceretur. Aug. l. 13. de Civ. Dei c. 14. And do not wee all sinne, if we liue to it, after the Rom. 5.14. simi­litude of Adams transgression, Liberum arbitri­um captivatum non nisi ad peccatum valet, Aug. ad Bonifac. l. 3. c. 8. preferring the plea­sures of sinne to the law of God, Act 7.51. alwayes resisting the will of God? As our Fathers did so do wee. Rom 7.11. For sinne taking occasion by the commandement, worketh in vs all manner of concupiscence, deceiueth, and by it slay­eth vs.

Thus the law which by the covenant of nature Rom. 7.10. was appointed to life, The Law e­ver in force. is by our transgression, and perversnesse become vnto vs C. 8.2. the law of sinne and of death, nature it selfe beeing iudge. For the very Gentiles without the law had their Rom. 2.15. Quos diri conscia facti. Mens haber at­tonitos & sur­do verbere cae­dit, Occultum quatiente ani­mo tortore fla­gellum. Iuve­nal. Satyr. 13. thoughts ac­cusing or else excusing one another; C. 1.32. knowing the iudge­ment of God, that they who commit such things as are forbidden by the law, are worthy of death. For the covenant of nature being to do this and liue, the not doing thereof, but the contrary, must needes bee death pro magnitudine culpae illius naturam damnatio mutavit in peius, vt quod poenalitèr praecessit in peccantibus hominibus primis, etiam naturalitèr sequeretur in nascentibus coeteris. August. de Civ. D. l. 13. c. 3. ipso facto. Gen. 2.17. In the day thou eatest thou shalt dye [Page 23]the death. For our breaking the law could not disa­null the law, but that it is ever in force to binde vs, although never of force to inable vs to performe our duties. Nor could the forfet of our bond dis­charge our debt to God, but that his law is ever of force against vs, to exact the penalty, if there were not a remedy. But hath not God abrogated the law of nature, by contracting with vs a covenant of grace? Nay thereby he hath established the law of an holy life. Exod. 34. v. 28. Deut. 4. v. 13. The words of the covenant were the ten Commandements. At the first promise of grace, there was a law of perpetuall Gen. 3.15. enmity set betweene the seede of the woman and of the serpent; and in the contract of the covenant with Abraham, obedience to God his law is conditioned being implyed in his charge, Gen. 17.1. walke thou before mee & be thou perfect. But when God establshed that covenant with the children of Israell, hee gaue them the law written most authentically with his owne finger, in Exod. 31.18. two tables of stone, to bee kept for a testimony of his cove­nant with them, in the Deut. 10.5.1. Kings 8.9. Heb. 9.4. arke of his gratious Numb. 10.35.36. Psal. 24.7.8. presence for ever. And by the new testament, wherein the same covenāt is renewed as he promised. Ier. 31.32.33. God will put his law in our mindes, which was then put in the arke, and will write it in our hearts, which before was written in stone, that wee may serue him in newnesse of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter. Did Christ Iesus then when he came proue so vnlike Moses, of whom he had said Deut. 18.15. that he should be like vnto him? did he set himself so much against Moses, as vtterly to dislike, and abolish that eternall law, which was [Page 24]given by his ministery? Nay hee the lord over his owne house, wherein Moses was a faithfull ser­vant, ratifies the law in every title. Saying Mat. 5.19. whoso­ever shall breake one of these least commandements, and shall teach men so, hee shall be called the least in the kingdome of heaven. v. 17. For he came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it; and he did so, not onely as the great prophet, expounding it aright, and giuing the true meaning thereof against the vaine glosses of the Scribes and Pharises; nor yet farther as the great high priest, making satisfaction for our transgressi­ons thereof, but as the soveraigne Lord and King, hee ratified it a royall law for euer. And there­fore in the Apostles commission he gaue them ex­presse charge to teach them, Age Marcion omnes (que) iam commiserones & coodibiles e­ius Haeretici; quid audebitis dicere? Resci­ditnè Christus priora praecep­te non occi­dendi, non a­dulterandi, non furandi? Ter. aduersus Marci­on. l. 4. c. 36. whom they baptised, Mat. 28.20. to do whatsoeuer he had commanded them. Now wee know what commandement they gaue vs by the Lord Iesus, the very same things in substance (as Saint Paul reckons them vp. 1. Thess. 4. and elswhere) which had beene formerly given in command by Moses, & were at first writtē in mans heart to know & to do, & were ever acknowledged due by the light of nature. Wherof they were very careful, be­ing tēder, least by any means, their doctrine of grace by Rom. 3.31. faith, should in that respect be misconstrued.

Wherefore the law remaines the perpetuall rule of our duty, The Case. whereby we should liue vnto God his glory; though it be now altogether vnsufficient for our safety, Rom. 8.3. being weake through the flesh. Rom. 3, v. 19. Now we know that what things soever the law sayth, it saith to them who are vnder the law, from the which [Page 25]none are exempt, Iew nor Gentile, Christian, nor Heathen, that euery mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. For by the deedes of the Law, there shall no flesh be iustified in his sight. Which wee are taught euer to acknowledge to the praise of the glory of his justice, and mercy, in the latter part of the prayer. First, that being shut out for the present from the tree of life, in the Paradise of GOD, whereof wee might haue eaten, and haue liued for euer, we now justly stand bound ouer vnto death, liuing only vpon sufferance, and begging our bread from day to day. Secondly, the guilt of sin, by Natures admonition, doth continually gaule our consciences, with Ipsa confusio & verecundia quae semper turpitudinum castra sequun­tur, quasi crude­lissimi carnisi­ces conscien­tiae, lacessunt & improperant peccatori, & in­stant quasiquae­dam Eumoni­des, agitatrices, furiae, reprehen­sionis stimulos cordi saucio of­figentes Ipsa se malitia praeju­dicat & punit. Arnold. Bonae­val. de operibus sex dier. cap. 16. shame, sorrow, and feare, whilest we doe nothing but trespasse one an other, and all against GOD, transgressing his righteous Law: whereby our life is lost, and death the forfeite and penalty of natures bond, is a debt due by vs, which we can not avoyde, nor recouer, vnlesse God shew mercy and forgiue. Thirdly, praying against temp­tations, wee acknowledge that euery thing in the world which should haue beene for our wealth, is now by Gods just proceedings become vnto vs Quibus accedendo animae consentiendo (que) quam in­vexere sibi, adjuvant servitutem, & sunt quodam modo propriâ libertate captivae. Boeth, lib. 5. pros. 1. an occasion of falling. For it is iust with God to Fiunt eadem peccata & peccatorum supplicia praeteritorum, & supplicio­rum merita futurorum, Aug. l. 5. c. 3. contra Iul. Pelag. pu­nish vs by the same things wherby we haue offended him; whilest through lust we take to heart all occa­siōs of sin, as tinder takes fire, & vse all means with rage and fury, as fire doth fuell, to accomplish [Page 26]our owne destruction. These are the 2 Tim. 2.26. snares of Sa­tan, vvherein hee taketh men captiues at his pleasure, these are the chaines and fetters of darknes, where­by he leadeth thē on, that they Psal. 69.27. fall from one vvic­kednes to another, and neuer come into the righteousnes of God, without his speciall grace and mercy. Thus [...], 1 Ioh. 5. v. 19 Heb. 2 14. he that hath the power of death, that is the Deuill, be­ing Gods executioner, holdeth men captiues through the feare of death all their life long, and all the long life of eternall death, vnder the power thereof, Psal. 49.14. which gnaweth vpon them, like sheepe, that lye in Hell, where the worme dieth not, and the fire neuer goeth out. Yet howsoeuer it fare with vs, God neither will, nor can be defeated of his glory, who Eph. 1.11. Non fit prae­ter cius volun­tatem, etiam quod fit contra ejus volunta­tem. Aug. En­chiric. 100. worketh all things wonderfully after the counsell of his owne Will, e­uen whilest hee suffereth them to doe what [...]: Cùm enim sit potestas, & natura liberae potestatis, nihil neque naturae necessitate, ne (que) legis sanctione facit. Nemesius lib. de naturâ hominis c. 38. possi­bly they can, against the Lavv of his revealed will, prescribed vnto them. For he will get Himselfe glo­ry vpon the proud and haughty, and vpon all that forget God, as he did vpon Exod. 14.17. Pharaoh and his Hoste, in their just confusion, and vtter destruction. So that the very Rom. 3.5. vnrighteousnesse of men, will they nill they, shall commend the righteousnesse of God, V. 7. vvhi­lest the truth of God doth more abound through their lye vnto his glory. And by his speciall grace and provi­dence, this generall defectiō shall turne in the end; to the advantage of his Elect, in the advancement of his glory. Who knoweth to bring light out of darkenesse, and good out of evill. Rom. 9.22. What if God vvilling then to shevv his vvrath, and to make his [Page 27]povver knovvne, suffered at the first, and Quod non statim in pecca­tores vindicat, patientia est, non negligen­tia. Non isle pa­tientiā perdidit, sed nos ad poe­nitentiam reservavit. Aug. de verbis Apost. Serm. 35. endure still vvith much long suffering, the vessels of vvrath fitted to destruction: And that hee might make knovvne the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, vvhich he had prepared vnto glory?

CHAP. II. The Couenant of Grace.
How shall we be saued, and God be glorified by vs?

BY grace we are saued through faith, The articles and authors of Grace. whereby God is glorified. For wee by faith receiuing the benefit, giue him the Eph. 1.6. praise of the glory of his grace, whereby he prevents vs, where­in he accepts vs, wherewith he succours vs, & hauing first brought saluation vnto vs, will finally bring vs to salvation, according to the articles of the co­venant of his grace in our Creed where the agree­ment is first drawne betwixt God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, on the one part, and the holy Ca­tholicke [Page 28]tholicke Church, on the other, as he saith, Ier. 31.33 I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the conditions of the Covenant are expressed, first for this life present, the Communion of Saints, on our part with God, and with one an other in loue, ac­cording to his Law; and on Gods part, the conti­nuall forgiuenesse of our sinnes: For so is the Co­venant, Ier. 31.33.34. Heb. 10.16.17. I will put my Lawes in their hearts, saith GOD, and in their mindes will I write them. And their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more. And for the life to come, God will recouer vs from death, by the resurrection of our bodies, and we shall euer liue in his sight, praising him, as hee saith, Ps: 50.15. I will deliuer thee, and thou shalt glorifie me. Who himselfe alone is the only and all-sufficient cause of our saluation, and that of his free grace & goodnes: the author and first mouer, the Mediatour & procurer, the immediate worker & dispenser of all in all. The vnsearchable loue of God the Father, who made all things, and ^c whose desire is to the worke of his hands, fore-seeing that man would not abide in honour, to glorifie him vnto eternall life, according to the course of Nature, provided from euerlasting this way of grace, to glorifie himselfe in our saluati­on. Which hee hath euer from the beginning pro­mised; & in time performeth, 2 Tim. 1.9. calling and sauing vs, according to his owne purpose and grace, which was giuen vs in Christ Iesus before the World began. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer, hath abundantly performed the same for vs, 2, Cor. 1.20. in whom all the promises of God are yea, & in him Amen, [Page 29]to the glory of God by vs, 1 Pet. 1.20.21 who verily was fore-ordai­ned before the foundatiō of the World, but was manifest in these last times for vs, who by him doe beleeue in God, that raised him frō the dead, & gaue him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God. The Holy Ghost who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, doth by an entire fellovvship, most comfortably communi­cate the same grace vnto vs, Rom. 8.16. testifying to our spirits that vve are the children of God in Christ, that we are in grace and fauour with him, and thereby work­ing Heb. 12.28. grace in vs againe, to serue him vvith reuerence and godly feare, Eph. 1.14. the earnest of our purchased possession, vvhereby vve are sealed to the day of redemption. Al­though the severall parts of our saluation bee thus seuerally attributed to the Persons of the Trinity, for distinction in respect of their order, and the oe­conomy amongst themselues, according to their personall proprieties, yet is our whole saluation, as all the outvvorkes are, the ioint vvorke of the Trini­ty. But in this whole mystery of grace, the eye of our faith is most set vpon our Lord IESVS, the mal. 3.1. Angell of the Couenant, Heb. 12.24. the Mediatour of the nevv Testament, Heb. 3.1 the Apostle and High Priest of our calling, 1 Pet. 2.25. the Pastor and Bishop of our soules, Heb. 2.10. the captaine of our saluation, the C. 12.2. author and finisher of our faith. Because Col. 1.19. in him it pleased the Father all fulnesse should dvvell. Ioh. 1.16. And of his fulnesse vve all receiue by his Spirit, e­uen grace for grace. The Son of God the Me­diatour.

As he said of Abraham, so might he haue saide of Adam, before he was, I am. For he is the [...]. Sybil. apud Lactant. l. 4. de vera sapientia c. 6. eter­nall [Page 30]Sonne of God, Iohn. 1.1. his Word, and Prou. 8. Wisdome, Iohn. 1.9. the light Iam 1.17. of the Father of lights, Heb. 1.3. the expresse Image of GOD, and brightnes of his glory, Exo. 23.20.21. c. 33.14. Esai 63.9. the Angell of his presence, very God of very God, begotten not made, Mich. 5.2. whose goings out haue beene from euerlasting, and Es. 53.8. who can declare his generation? Christus est homo etsi De­us, Adam novis­simus etsi sermo primarius. Ter­tul. de resur. carn. Although hee bee called the second Adam in regard of the flesh assumed; for, the worke of our redemption, as it was promi­sed from the beginning, Prov. 8.22. The Lord possessed him, his essentiall word and wisedome, in the beginning of his way before his workes of olde, the Rationem verò eorum, quae Deus ab ae­terno in sapien­tia, id est in vni­genito verbo disposuit, creans ibi omnia si­mul, quae post­modum conse­quenter produ­cit in opera, se­cundùm provi­sum ordinem singula tradu­cens &c. Ioan. Sarisber. Poli­crat. l. 2. c. 21. mirrour of his minde, the Col. 1.15. Image of the invisible God, the first be­gotten of euery creature. By whom hee purposed to make all things, to preserue some Angels, to reco­uer Nulla est personarum acceptio, quia sic alius gratis honoratur, vt alius debito non frau­detur. Et mox, Nec vlla est personarum acceptio in duobus debitoribus aequaliter reis, fi alteri dimittitur, ab altero exigitur, quod paritèr ab vtroque debetur. August. ad 2. ep. Pelag. l. 2 c. 7. some men, of whom hee made choice in him, with a non obstante, notwithstanding the generall fall at once in Adam, and our continuall failing his grace, and fals in sin. For the Almighty and onely wise God proceedes not meerely vpon oc­casion, or according to a bare speculatiue Scientia existentium praescientia futurorum, dispositio faciendorum, provi­dentia gubernandorum, praedestinatio salvandorum, est. Ioan. Sarisber. Polycrat. l. 2. c. 21. previsi­on of what would happen, but by provision with Almighty power, most wisely and justly ordered by his prouidence, to accomplish his owne purpose: Eph. 1.11. who worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will. Wherefore it seemes most agreeable to Scrip­ture, and to the nature of the mystery of his will, [Page 31]therein revealed vnto vs, which Durand, in 1. sent. dist. 41. q. 1. art. 9. Thom. Aq. 1. part. q. 23. art. 4. some haue well observed, that election was first ordine naturae, in the Sonne of God, as being the mirrour, and then predestination by him, as the Mediatour; that being an act of Gods praescience, this a Primitiva dis­ponentis Dei gratia. Ioan. Sa­risber. Policrat. l. 2. c. 22. praedisposing of his providence. Rom. 8.29. For whom God did fore-know, that is, approue, and make choice of in him, in whom he foresaw all things before he made them, from e­uerlasting, Antiqui prae­destinationem ad electos vt plurimum re­strinxerunt Fr-Iun. Thes. The­ol. 10. §. 2. vid. Hypognost. l. 6. Inter gratiam & praedestina­tionem hoc tantum interest, quod praedesti­natio est gratiae praeparatio gratia verò jam ipsa donatio. Aug. de praedest. sanct. c. 10. those he did predestinate, to be conformed to the Image of his Son, in their order and time, that he might be the first-borne amongst many brethren. Eph. 1.4.5. And againe, he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the World, that we should be holy and vnblameable be­fore him in loue, hauing predestinated vs to the adopti­on of children by Iesus Christ, to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will. Now Christ is the Medi­atour by whom all things are done, as they were purposed in him the mirrour, from euerlasting. Hee was the Mediatour of creation, Ioh. 1.3. by whom all things were made, and without him was not any thing made that was made. Col. 1. v. 16. For by him all things were created that are in Heauen, and that are in Earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were created for him, & by him. He is the Mediatour of conseruation, Heb. 1.3. vp­holding all things by the Word of his power. Col. 1. v. 17. For hee is before all things, & by him all things consist, as well men as Angels, C. 2. v. 10. for we are all compleate in him which is the Head of all principality and power. And he is the Mediatour of redemption, for the sons of men. A different manner of mediatiō by Christ, for effecting [Page 32]that one eternall election of men, and Angels in him. By whom they were confirmed that they should not fall, wee are recouered though wee did fall at once in Adam, and doe often fall foule our selues. Col. 1.18. For he is the Head of the body the Church, who is the beginning, the first borne from the dead, that in all things he might haue the preheminence. None could bee the Lords Christ, to performe the offices of Iesus, the Sauiour, implyed in that title, Mat. 1.21. to saue his people from their sinnes, from the power and do­minion of sinne, from the punishment, damnation for sin; but the Sonne of God himselfe C. 3.17. in vvhom alone he is vvell pleased, and by whom all the powers of Satan could be conquered. 1 Iohn 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God vvas manifested in the flesh, that hee might destroy the vvorkes of the Deuill, and deliuer vs into the liberty of the sonnes of God. Iohn 8.36. Now if the Sonne make vs freee, then are vve free indeed.

Therefore the Sonne of God, The son of man. the middle Person of the three in order, became a middle person be­twixt God and vs, by participation of each nature, that he might be a fit meanes, and all-sufficient Me­diatour of our reconciliation, and redemption. Gal. 4.4. When the fulnes of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, as was promised from the be­ginning, Gen. 3.15. The seede of the woman shall breake the ser­pents head, and was afterwards more plainely pro­phesied, Es. 7.14. Behold a Virgin shall conceiue and beare a son, & thou shalt call his Name Immanuel. The blessed Virgin Mary, Luke 1.35. by the power of the Highest, through the [Page 33]vvorking of the Holy Ghost, Non autem omnes sunt si­cut Maria, vt dum de Spiritu Sancto conci­piunt, verbum pariant. Am­bros. l. 2. in Lucam. Vbi virgo benè credula mentē suam & ossu­um aperuit yt diceret, Ecce ancilla &c. mox iuxtà dictum Angeli. Spiritus San­ctus superve­niens in eam per apertas fidei ianuas, se­se infudit: quò autem? nimi­rùm priùs in sacrarium pu­dici pectoris, deindè in tem­plum sacri v­teri, ut Christi matrem faceret. &c. Rupertus l. 1. de operibus Sp: S: c. 9. &, c. 10. con­ceptusiste Spiritus Sancti non generatio sed operatio est. conceived, bare, and brought forth our Saviour in the flesh. Luk. 1.35. Therefore also that holy thing vvhich vvas borne of her, is called the sonne of God. As at the first Gen. 1.2. God spake the vvord, and the spirit moned vpon the deepe, working therein an obedientiall power to be what God would: So in the fulnesse of time, the Word himselfe was made man of the blessed virgin, Hunc ergò cum confiteamur, natum de Spiritu Sancto, & Maria-virgine, quomodo non sit filius Spiritus Sancti, & sit filius virginis Mariae, cum & de illo, & de illa sit natus, explicare difficile est. Proculdubiò quippe, non sic de illo, ut de patre, sic autem de illa, ut de matre natus est. August: Enchir. ad Laurent. c. 38. by the ouersha­dowing of the same spirit, which wrought Et idem lib. 1. de pecca­torum meritis & remiss. c. 29. Non concupiscentia carnis, sed obedientia mentis virgo concepit. &c. faith and obedience in her heart, whereby shee became in­deede the mother of the Sonne of God. At first shee doubted at the Angels message; Luk. 1. v. 34. Non dubitat esse faciendum, quod quomodò fiat inqui­rit. Ambros. in Lucam: l. 2. obstabant quidem adhùc multa, quae carnis rationi dubium mouere poterant, sed procul explosis illis omnibus, diuinae voluntati sese committit, et it à ex fide concipit, sicut de Sarah in epistola ad Hebraeos scribitur, Gualte [...]. hom. 3. die con­ceptionis. How shall this bee, seing I know not a man? But Atque iam tune spititu donatam fuisse Mariam non est dubium. Sed signi­ficatur singularis & efficacissima Sp. S. operatio, ut supra Samp. et prophet. ib. vvhen the spirit of God came vpon her (which might well be e­ven whilest the Angell was speaking, Acts 10.44. As vvhilest Peter yet spake, the Holy Ghost fell on all them vvhich heard the vvord) then shee be­leeued what was told her; that the Sonne of God should become her child, assuming flesh of her, & then shee said, Luk. 1.38. Contingat mihi secundum verbum tuum, conceptus est voti. Ambros. l. 2. in Lucam. Be it vnto me according to thy [Page 34]vvord. She conceiued the Word first in her Deum verum prius mente quàm ventre fuscepit virgo. Rupertus l. 1. de operibus Sp. S. c. 9. Mente prius quam carne concepit. Ger­sontin prooem. centil. Responde O virgo Verbum, et suscipe Verbum, pro­fer tuum, et suscipe diui­num. Bern. hom. 4. super­missus, &c. Responde Verbum, et suscipe Filium, da fidem et senti virtutem. Aug. Serm. de nativ. heart by faith, and then his flesh in her wombe. Heb. 11.11. Did not Sarah her selfe receiue strength through faith to con­ceine, & vvas deliuered of a child vvhen shee vvas past age, because shee iudged him faithfull vvho had promi­sed? So did the blessed Virgin; & more then so, Faelix Maria quae Dei promissionem corde amplexa, sibi totique mundo salutem concepit ac peperit. Calu. in locum. by faith; Lege­rat Maria, ecce concipiet in utero, et pariet filium, imò credidit futurum, sed quomodo heret non anteà legerat. non enim quemadmodum fieret, vel prophete tanto fuerat reue­latum. for she hauing heard & beleeuing that the seed of the vvoman should breake the serpents head, as it was promised at the beginning, that a virgine should conceine and beare a sonne, God with vs, as it was afterward prophesied, and now beleeuing through the Holy Ghost that shee her selfe was so highly honoured to bee that vvoman, that virgin, blessed amongst vvomen, Tantum enim mysterium non hominis fuit, sed Angelorum ore promendum. Ambros. lib. 2. in Lucam. as shee was greeted by the Angell, she became, not onely the mother, but the Mifit Deus Filium suum natum, non per mulierem, sed ex muliere. Bafil. in locum. matter of Christ his humane na­ture. And therefore her cosen Elizabeth congratu­lating her conception, said, Blessed is she that Luk: 1.45. Vides minimè dubitasse Mariam, sed credidisse, etideò fructum fidei consecutam: Ambros: in verba Elizabet: Beata quae cre­didisti: l: 2: in Lucam. Dicens, beata quae credidisti, apertè indicat, quià verba Ange­li, quae dicta ad Mariam fuerant, per Spiritum agnouit. &c. Greg. hom 1: in Ezek. Itaque ab illa mox discedit Angelus, v [...]potè confecto planè negotio, cujus causa ad illam missus fuerat: Gualter: hom: 3: die conceptionis. be­leeued, for there shall be a performance of the things that vvere told her of the Lord. Thus the eternall [Page 35]sonne of God assumed, or tooke vnto himselfe the humane nature, and without confusion of natures, became God and man in one person.

It was necessary that Christ should bee as well man, as God, to discharge his threefold office. The offices of Christ. First of a Prophet to bring vnto vs the word of reconciliation, the glad tidings of sauing peace & trueth. For man hauing sinned, could no more en­dure to heare God himselfe speake in his maiesty. And therefore when the Law was giuen, they cra­ved an intercessor, saying, Exod. 20. v. 19. Let vs not heare the voyce of God any more, lest vve die, wherefore Gal. 3. v. 19. the law vvas ordained by Angels in the hand of a Me­diatour. And for the gospell, Moses promised them, saying, Deut. 18. v. 15.16. The Lord your God shall raise vp a Pro­phet vnto you, from the midst of your brethren, like vn­to me, him shall you heare. Therefore the sonne of God came vailed vnder the flesh, that hee might familiarly, and yet powerfully teach vs his Fa­thers will. Againe, because Heb: 8:3. euery High Preist is or­dained to offer gifts, and sacrifices, therefore it vvas of necessity that Christ should haue somewhat also to offer. And that such as was shadowed by their sacri­fices, as might bee acceptable to God, and a­vaileable for vs. Heb: 9.22. But vvithout shedding of blood is no sacrifice, no remission, c. 10.45. Neither is it pos­sible that the blood of buls and of goates should take away sinne. Wherefore vvhen hee commeth into the vvorld he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou vvouldest not haue, but a body hast thou prepared me. It was iust with God, that man should make [Page 36]satisfaction for mans transgression, and it was meet for vs, that so the children of men might haue the benefit of the Sonne of mans merit. Lastly, for his greater conquest, and of the more glori­ous redemption of vs, and for the kingdome in vs, to the Father, from the handes of our ene­mies, it became our Lord, and King, the cap­taine of our salvation, to take our feeble nature, and that of the weaker vessell, that hee might shew his strength in our weakenes, and conquer Satan at his owne weapon. Heb. 2.14. Hee vvas therefore partaker of flesh and blood, v. 15. that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devill, and deliuer them, vvho through the feare of death, vvere all their life time subiect to bondage. v. 10. And it became him for vvhom are all thinges, and by vvhom are all thinges, in bringing many sonnes vnto glory, to make the captaine of their sal­vation perfect through sufferings, that he might bee Isay. 45.21. a iust God and a Sauiour. All which offices are accordingly discharged, and performed for our reconciliation and redemption, by that one Mediatour betwixt God and man, the man Christ Iesus. The office of the great Prophet he performed in the dayes of his flesh. Ioh. 7.46. Hee spake as neuer man spake, and sealed the trueth of the vvord, which hee had preached with his blood, as generally all the Prophets did. Act. 7.52. For vvhich of the Prophets haue they not slaine. The office of the High Priest hee performed at his death, himselfe the sacrifice, himselfe the [Page 37]Priest, as hee had foretold by the vvord of his Prophesie, and hee euer makes it good vnto vs by the power of his Majestie. Hee suffered a cruell, a shamefull, a cursed death, vpon the crosse, measuring out the heigth, and depth, the length, and breadth, of his merit and satisfaction, for the sinnes of the whole world. Heb. 12.2. And now he that endured the crosse despising the shame, is set downe at the right hand of the throne of God. Where hee exerciseth his regall power and authority, with all might and maiesty, making good his word and sacrifice with God, for his faithfull people, against all the enemies of his-grace. Act. 5.31. For him hath God exalted with his right hand, to bee a Prince and a Sauiour, to giue repentance vnto Israell and forgiuenes of sinnes. And hee shall come againe to iudge both the quicke and the dead: Es. 33.22. The Lord is our iudge, the Lord is our Law-giuer, the Lord is our King, hee will saue vs. Wherefore although it bee the scandale of the Iewes, and the reproach of Christians with them, and with all Infi­dels vnto this day, that Christ should come in the forme of a servant, and should suffer such indignity, and extremity as Iesus did, not beseem­ing the innocency, and excelleney of such a per­son; as they supposed the Messiah should bee: yet is it our glory, that the Sonne of God hath vouchsafed vs such grace, and Gal. 6.14. God forbid that vvee should glory, saue in the crosse of Christ Iesus, Luk. 24.26.27 knowing by all the Scriptures, that hee ought to suffer such thinges, and so to enter into his glory. As [Page 38]it was shewed by the 1. Pet. 1.11. Prophets through the spirit of Christ, that was in them, testifying before hand, his sufferings and the glory that should follow. Habak. 2.3. The visi­on whereof is yet for an appointed time, but in the end it shall speake and not lye. Which wee are well assured, because the promises are by him al­ready performed. For hee hath broken the ser­pents head, in that hee ouercame the Deuils temptations in person, cast him out of posses­sion in other men, triumphed ouer principali­ties, and powers on his crosse, and led them captiue when hee ascended, and hath euer since Magnus De­us Pan mor­tuus est. vide Plutarchi li­bellum de defe­ctu oraculo­rum. silenced their deluding oracles, and hee will shortly trample Satan vnder our feete. And for the other promise of the blessing vpon all nations, hee hath Eph. 2.16. reconciled all vnto God in one body by the crosse, ha­ving slaine the enmity thereby, who came and preached peace to vs, that were afarre off, and to them that were nigh. Gal. 3.8. The very same Gospell which was preached before to Abraham, in thee shall all the na­tions bee blessed, was thus performed. v. 14. For now the blessing of Abraham is come on the Gentiles, through Iesus Christ.

The grace of our Lord Iesus. 1. Cor. 1.30. Who of God is made vnto vs wisdome, righteousnes, sanctification and redemption. Wisdome in the ac­knowledgement of him by faith, Colos. 2.3. Wisdome. in vvhom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge; and of the Father by him, Matth. 11.27. Cui enim veri­tas comperta sine Deo? Cui Deus cognitus sine Christo? Cui Christus exploratus sine Spiritu Sancto? Tert. l. de an; c. 1. For no man knoweth the Father but the Sonne, and hee to whom the Sonne hath reuealed him; And both by the Holy Ghost, who procee­ding [Page 39]from the Father and the Sonne, spake by the Prophets and Apostles, and still speakes in their word, to the heart of euery true beleeuer. 1. Cor. 12.3. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost, by whom we also crie Abba Father. Prov. 30.4. Tell mee now, who is hee that ascended and descended, and hath establish­ed the bounds of the earth, what is his name, and what is his sonnes name, if thoucanst tell? If thou canst not tell, v. 2. Surely thou art more brutish than any man, and hast not the vnderstanding of a man. v. 3. Thou hast not learned wis­dome, nor hast the knowledge of the holy. 1. Iohn. 5.20. But vvee know that the Sonne of God is come, and hath giuen vs an vnderstanding, that wee may know him that is true: and we are in him that is true, euen in his Sonne Iesus Christ. This is the true God and eternall life. For Iohn. 17.3. This is life eternall, to know the onely true God, and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ, whereby wee are made wise vnto saluation.

Christ is our righteousnes, Righteous­nesse. even Ier. 33.16. the Lord our Righteousnes. Rom: 3:25. Iustitia Dei dicitur, non qua iustus est Deus, sed quam dat ho­mini Deus, vt iustus sit ho­mo per Deum. August. tract. 26. in Iohan. whom God hath set forth to bee a propitia­tion, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousnes, that hee may be iust, and the iustifier of him that beleeueth in Iesus. Rom. 10.5. Moses describeth the righteousnes of the Law, that the man that doth those thinges shall liue, by them. Which Saint Paul applies vnto vs in Christ: That v. 6.7. wee need not ascend into heaven, nor descend into the deepe to seeke the man, Christ is the man, who hath ful­filled all righteousnes, and hath Christi caro damnauit peccatum, quod nascendo non sensit, quod moriendo crucifixit, vt in carne nostra esset justificatio per gratiam, vbierat antè colluvio per culpam. Ambros: cont: Novatian: de poeni­tentia: lib: 1. cap. 2. satisfied for our [Page 40]vnrighteousnesse. Rom. 10.4. Wherefore hee is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth. Cap. 5.18. Obedientia in vtramlibet partem pro­penderit, aut culpam adiun­git aut grati­am. Haec nos in primo Adā traxit ad mor­tem, haec nos in Adam se­cundo ad vi­tam vocavit. Ambros. l. 1. de Iacob & vita beata. cap. 3. For as by the offence of one man, iudgement came vpon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousnesse of one, the free gift is come vpon all men, to iustifica­tion of life. Whereof they are altogether igno­rant, Rom. 10.3. who going about to establish their owne righte­ousnesse, hauc not submitted themselues to the righte­ousnesse of God. But Luk. 7.35. Deus ergò sapientia est quia sapientia Dei Filius est: & mox, Iustificemus ergò Dominum vt iustificemur à Domino. Ambros, in Luc. l. 6. c. 1. wisdome is iustified of her children: And as it is our glory to glorifie God, so to iustifie him is our righteousnesse.

Againe Christ is our Sanctification, Sanctifica­tion. for Heb. 2.11. both hee that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one, both of one nature, hee having as­sumed the flesh, and wee through him being made 2. Pet. 1.4. partakers of the diuine nature by his spirit, & both in one case, hee in our steade 2. Cor. 5.21. being made sinne for vs, and vvee in him by grace, Col. 1.21.22. vvhom hee reconciled in the body of his flesh, through death, to present vs vnto God, holy and vnblame­able, and vnreproveable in his sight. For as hee satisfi­ed God for vs by his suffering; so he sanctified vs vnto God, by offering vs vp in himself. Lo I come, saith he, to doe thy will O Lord. And he submitted vn­to the death, saying, not my will, but thy will be done. [Page 41] Heb. 10.9.10. By the which wil we are sanctified, by the offering of the body of Iesus, once for all. And by that offering hee hath perfected for euer all those that are sanctified. Rom. 5.19. In ptimo Adam offendimus, non faciendo prae­ceptum; in se­cundo autem Adam reconciliati sumus obedientes vsque ad mortem crucis. Irenaeus lib. 5. advers. haeres. Where­fore as by one mans disobedience many were made sin­ners, so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous.

Lastly Christ is our redemption. Redemption Gal. 3.13. Delevit chiro­graphum, debita nostra, & affixit illud cruci, vti quemadmodum per lignum fa­cti sumus debi­tores Deo, per lignum accipia­mus nostri de­biti remissio­nem, Irenaeus­lib. 3. cap. 17. For he hath re­deemed vs from the curse of the law, being made a curse for vs. For it is written: Cursed is every one that han­geth on tree. And wherefore was the death on the tree accursed aboue all kindes of death but as the serpent was accursed aboue all beastes of the field? Both for the first transgression, whereof the ser­pent was the inst [...]t, the tree the occasion. The father of all mankind would needes eate the sinfull fruite of the forbidden tree, and the sonne of man must needes tast the deadly fruite of the cursed tree; to recover our saluation, as it were back a­gaine by the same way. 1. Cor. 15.22. Wherefore as in Adam all dyed, so in Christ shall all be made aliue. Who hauing on the tree satisfied the law, Colos. 2.14.15. ‘blotted out the had wri­ting of ordinances that was against vs, and tooke it out of the way, nayling it vnto his crosse. And hauing so spoyled principalities & powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.’ For when the law was satisfied and [Page 42]cancelled, Satans commission for Quomodo mors à capite superata videtur quae tanta ad­huc libertate saevit in mem­bra? victa pla­nè mors opus diaboli & pec­cati poena, victum peccatum causa mortis, victus & malignus ipse, & peccati au­thor & mortis. Nam & peccatum licet simul cum Christo cruci ipsius non dubitetur af­fixum, adhuc tamen interim non regnare quidem, sed habitare etiam in ipso, dum viveret Apostolo permittebatur. Sic & mors ipsa minimè quidem adhuc abesse cogitur, sed cogitur non obesse. Bernard. serm: in transit: S. Malachiae. death which he had by the law, expired. 1. Cor. 15.55.56.57. ‘O Death where is thy sting, O graue where is thy victory? The sting of death is sinne, and the strength of sinne is the law. But thankes bee to God which giueth vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ.’

Thus the grace of God, The spirit of Grace. that bringeth saluation, hath appeared vnto vs in Christ Iesus, by which Eph. 2.8. grace wee are saued through faith; and that not of our selues it is the gift of God, who worketh all grace in vs by his spirit. As by the word & spirit of God eve­ry thing was made at first as God would haue it: So now he calleth men Deus quos dignatur vocat, & quem vult re­ligiosum facit. Ambros. l. 6. in Lucam: c. 46. whom he pleaseth, out of the world that lyeth in wickednes, & they Hic absque c­mendicatisali­unde suffragijs quos cōpungit inungit, quos invitat consum­mat, quod prae­cipit efficit. Ar­nold. Bonav. lib. de operibus sex dierum cap. 2. moued & enlightened by his spirit belieue & come. Haec erit vis divinae gratiae, potentier vtique natura, habens in nobis subjacentem sibi liberam arbitrij potestatem, quod [...] dicitur. Tertul:de an. cap. 21. With­out whose grace wee haue no present faculty, or ability by nature to make meanes for grace, or of our selues to vse the meanes being offered, Eph. 2.1. c 4.18.19. Being dead in sinnes and trespasses, alienated from the life of God, past feeling. For although wee haue the same Potentias habemus potestatem amisimus. powers of nature as at the first, yet haue we not the same natur all power to vse them, being in our selues [Page 43]vtterly indisposed and disabled; as paralytikes haue little or no vse of their limmes and sences. And is it not often so with perfect men, Po­tentia prima secunda that they haue not the power (as wee say) to doe on a suddaine an ordi­nary thing at hand, [...]. Chrisost, in [...]ad Corinth. hom. 24. or to make vse of that which is their owne? Eccl: 5.19. Every man to whom God hath giuen riches and vvealth, and hath giuen him power to eate thereof, and to take his portion, and to reioyce in his la­bour, this is the gift of God. And if it bee so with vs in these naturall things and temporall, how much more Neque fideles fiunt, nisi libero arbitrio, & ta­men illius gratia fideles fiunt qui eorum a pote­state tenebra­rum liberavit arbitrium. Au­gust, ep. 107. ad Vitalē. mox ab initio. in things spirituall and eternall? 1. Cor. 2.10.11. Againe what man knoweth the things of a man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God by whom they are revealed vnto vs. For v. 9. they are such as eye hath not seene, nor eare heard, nei­ther haue entred into the heart of man. And natu­rally nothing enters into the heart but by some sense, whereby wee haue all our intelligence. Now [...]. Haec abs (que) me­liori afflatu, ac [...] diviniore virtu­te, non posunt venire in con­templationem hominum. Origen l 4. contr: Celsum. the things of God are not perceiued by sense, nor comprehended by science, but by manifestation of the trueth to every mans conscience, in the sight of God, through a priuate intelligence, betwixt him & vs by his spirit, whereby he revealeth himselfe in the word, [...]. Neque enim ab vllis perspici aut intelligi possunt, nisi quibus Deus & Christus eius concesserit intelligentiam. Iust Mattyr. in Di­alog. cum Triphone Iudaeo. to whom he pleaseth, from vnder the letter, as Christ did sometimes manifest himselfe to be the word, the Sonne of God, from vnder the flesh. Prou. 17.16. Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a foole [Page 44]to get wisdome, seing he hath no heart to it? 1. Cor. 2.14. For the naturall man receiueth not, nor indeede perceiveth the things of God, both because all our Iam. 3.15. naturall wis­dome being carnall is earthly, and sensuall, if not deuil­lish; and because the things of God are supernatu­rall. But 1. Cor. 2.14. they are spiritually discerned, by the same spirit, whereby they were revealed. Iob. 32. v. 8. Surely there is a spirit in man, but the inspiration of the Almighty gi­ueth them vnderstanding.

Every grace of God in vs, Preventing Grace. is the impresse of the like grace of God towards vs expressed in Christ Ie­sus, [...]: Vocat Chrisost: eius (que) discipulus Isio­dor. Pelus. [...]. Chrisost. [...]. impressed on our hearts by the Holy Ghost, the almner & dispenser of the manifold gifts and graces of God, 1. Cor. 12.11. ‘dividing to every man sueuerally, as hee will, Eph. 4 7. according to the measure of the gift of Christ.’ Iob. 1.16. Of whose fulnesse we all receiue euen grace for grace, but every grace in its order, first faith, then those that are of faith, to wit, loue and hope. 2. Cor. 3.18. For we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of God, namely c. 4.6. in the face of Iesus Christ, v. 4. by the light of his glorious Gospell, c. 3.18. are changed into the same image frō glory to glory, euen as by the spirit of the Lord. God that spake things at the first, when he spake them their being, still Rom. 4.17. calleth things that are not, is if they were, & anon they are so; Hos. 2.23. [...] Pet. 2.10. He saith to thē that were 'not his people, thou art my people; and they moued by the holy Ghost say, Thou art my God Gal. 4.9. Now we know God by faith, Ab initio fi­dei misericor­diam consecutisumus, non quia fideles eramus, sed vt essemus. August. ep. 105: ad Sixtum. Fidem vocat Clemens Alexand: [...], primam salutis inclinationem l. 2. [...]. Fides est prima quae subjugat animum Deo. August. lib. de agone Christiano. c. 9. or rather we are knowne of God in Christ, 2. Tim. 2.19. hauing this seale, The Lord know­eth [Page 45]who are his. 1. Iohn. 4.10. And herein is loue, not that wee loued him, but that he loued vs, & sent his son to be a propitia­tion for our sins. Non habet homo vnde di­ligat Deum ni­si ex Deo, Aug. l. 15. de tri. c. 17. Tales nos amat Deus, qualesfu­turi sumus ip­sius dono, non quales sumus nostro merito, Conciliū Arau­sicanū 2. can. 12. vid. plur. c. 25. Amor Dei▪ quo pervenitur ad Deum, non est nisi à Deo pa­tre, per Iesum cum Spiritu Sancto. Per hunc amorem creatoris, benè quisque vtitur creaturis Aug­lib. 4. cont. Iul. c. 3. ad caleem. When wee were not louing vnto him, nor any thing louely in our selues, but Ezek. 16.6. lay weltring in our blood, & were Colos. 1.21. enemies in our minds by evill workes; then he reconciled vs vnto himselfe in Christ, & Ezech. 16.6. passing by, said vnto vs, liue, yet now having Rom. 5.5. the loue of God shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs, 1. Pet. 1.8. we loue him also though wee haue not seene him, & Rom. 5.2.3. wee reioyce not onely 'in hope of his glory, but in our afflictions for his sake, with ioy vnspeakeable and full of glory, 1. Pet. 4.14. because the spirit of glory & of God resteth vpon vs. And still wee follow after in hope, God succouring vs with his grace, Phil. 3.11.12. if hauing not yet at­tained, wee may be any meanes apprehend that for the which wee are apprehended of Christ Iesus. Eph. 1.13.14. ‘In whō af­ter that we beleiued, we were sealed with that ho­ly spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our in­heritance, vntill the redemption of the purchased possessiō, vnto the praise of his glory.’ Reu. 22.17. Now the spi­rit & the bride say, come, & let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is a thirst come, and whosoeuer will, let him take the water of life Ideogratia quia gratis datur, ideo gratis datur, quia non quasimerces redditur post discussionem metitorum, sed donum da­tur post delictorum veniam. August. de verbis Domini: serm. 61. freely.

If it were in man to prevēt God by preparing & dispo­sing himselfe vnto grace, or any way to make himself more worthy thereof thē others, why should not Rom. 9.13. Is­rael that followed after the law of righteousnes, haue at­tained [Page 46]to the law of righteousnesse? ‘Because they sought it not by faith.’ True: but why did they not beleeue? because they [...]. Chrisost. homil. 30. in acta At post. had not the grace, Matth. 13.11. For to them it was not giuen to know the mysteries of of the kingdome of heaven. And for them who re­ceiued the Gospell vnto salvation, Saint Paul who was Phil. 3.5.6. an Hebrew of the Hebrewes, and concerning the righteousnesse which is by the law blamelesse, professeth saying, Tit. 3.5. ‘not by the worke of righteousnes which we haue done, but according to his mercy he sa­ved vs.’ And how did Rom. 9.30. The Gentiles which followed not after righteousnes, attaine vnto righteousnes evē the righteousnes which is by faith? Rom 10.20. Esaias is bold & saith, ‘I was found of those that Fides erat quę data est non o­ranti; quae vti­que nisi data esset, orare non posset. quomo­do enim invo­cabunt &c. Aug. ep. 105. ad Six­tum. sought mee not, I was made manifest to those that asked not after mee.’ 1. Cor. 1.26. And why are not many wise called, Deum praete­rijsse multos philosophos, homines acu­ti ingenij, & eximiae eruditi­onis, praeteriisse etiam multos, qui, si civiles mores spectes, innocentes erant, & vitae probatae, vt enim divitias misericordiae suae patefaceret, id magis consequitur, si eos adducat, qui & magis reluctentur, & propter vitae merita ab ea magis sint alieni, quam si eos qui humanae rationi videntur esse aptiores. August. 1. lib. ad Simplicianum quaest. 2. many who haue the same meanes, and far better naturall parts, helpes of art, and commendations of life, then some poore Publicans and sinners? Wee see our calling, How that Mat. 20.16. many are called but few are chosen, as it pleaseth him, 2. Tim. 1.9. ‘who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling, not according to our workes, but according to his owne purpose and grace, which was given vs in Christ Iesus Ele­cti sunt ante mundi constitutionem, ea praedestinatione, in qua Deus sua futura facta praescivit, electi autem lunt de mundo ea vocatione, qua Deus id quod praedestinavit im­plevit. August. de praedest. sanct. c. 17. be­fore the world began.’ 2. Thess. 2.13. ‘Wee are bound there­fore to giue thankes vnto God alwaies, for the be­loued [Page 47]of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen them vnto salvation through sanctification of the spirit, and beliefe of the trueth, wherevnto wee are called by the Gospell.’ Whilest many others stand [...]: Iud. 4. [...], proscripti Plu­tarch. in Syll. p. 825. & 863. proscribed by the law, whereby they were of old fore written to condem­nation. For the law remaineth an Col. 2.14. hand-writing a­gainst them vncancelled, 2. Thess: 2.10. who receiue not the loue of the truth that they might be saued.

Hab. 2.4. Now the just shall liue by his faith, The state of Grace. for it shall bee vnto him according to his faith, which is of life, from God the father, in Christ Iesus his sonne our saviour, by the Holy Ghost, quickning the Holy Habet popu­sus Dei pleni­tudinem suam, & quāvis mag­na pars hominū salvantis gratiā aut repellat, aut negligat, in ele­ctis tamen & praescitis, atque ab omnium ge­generalitate di­scretis, specialis quaedā censetur vniversalitas, vt & detoto mun­do, totus mun­dus liberatus, & de omnibusho­minibus omnes homines vide­antur assumpti. Ambr. de vocat. Gent. lib. 1 c. 3. Ca­tholique Church, which is his body, Eph. 1.23. the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all. A life of grace here by re­conciliation and communion with God, and a life of glory hereafter, thorough the forgiuenesse of sinnes, and resurrection of our bodies to eternall life; The 1. Pet. 3.7. grace of life in Christ worketh in vs a life of grace by his spirit. For the sanctifying gra­ces of GOD rest not in the habit, but are in acti­on. 1. Thess. 1.3. The worke of faith, the labour of loue, the patience of hope. Heb. 11. By faith A bell, by faith Abra­ham, by faith every one of the holy men in the cloud of witnesses, did some notable worke, which did evidēce their faith to be indeed, as they professed. v. 16. Wherefore God was not ashamed to be called their God. Iam. 2.22. Faith wrought with their works, for Heb. 11.6. without faith it is impossible to please God, Iam. 2.22. & by workes was their faith made perfect: For the perfection of vertue consists [Page 48]in action. So must ‘ c. 1.4. Patience haue her per­fect worke;’ 1. Ioh. 3.18. So must loue be not in word, neither in tongue, but in deede and in trueth. Iam: 2.15.16. ‘If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute of dayly foode, and one of you say vnto them depart in peace, bee you warmed and filled, notwithstanding you giue them not those things, which are needfull to the body, what doth it profit?’ 20.26. Faith without workes is dead, and so is loue, no faith indeede, but a bolde presumption; no loue indeede, but a meere pretence. Iam. 2.18. "Shew mee thy faith by thy workes, but do thy workes before God in faith. By faith our selues are iustified before God, by good workes our faith and profession are iustified, and appro­ved vnto men. For thereby it appeares that wee are in the faith, and that our faith is in God. Tit. 3.8. ‘This therefore is a faithfull saying, that they which haue beleeued in God, bee carefull to maintaine good workes. Iam. 2.26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith whith­out workes is dead also.’ And if our faith be dead, whereby wee liue, how dead are we? Iud: 12. twice dead & plucked vp by the roots. Rom: 3.4 5. C. ‘We are justified by a liue­ly faith,’ sayth Saint Paul, Iam: 2. We are not iustified by a dead faith, saith S ^t Iames, wherefore little children, ‘ 1. Iohn 3.7. Let no man deceiue you, saith S ^t Iohn. Hee that doth righteousnesse, is righteous, even as hee is righteous. 1. Tim: 1.14. Now the grace of our Lord is ex­ceeding abundant, with faith and loue, which are in Christ Iesus.’ 2. Pet: 1.3. According as his Divine [Page 49]power hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine vnto life & godlines, through the knowledge of him that hath called vs to glory and vertue.

Now although the whole Church, and euery true member thereof, whom the Father hath chosen, whom the Sonne hath redeemed, whom the Holy Ghost hath effectually called, through sanctificatiō & sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus, bee holy in Gods ac­count, & although God bee glorified in his Saints here vpō earth, by their blessed cōmunion with him, & with all men in loue, wherby they are also high­ly dignified, & in a manner diefied, 2 Pet. 1.4. being made par­takers of the divine nature, so that they doe far excell al the world besides 1 Iohn 5.19. that lieth in wickednes: In hac vita multi sine cri­mine, nullus vero esse sine peccatis valet. Greg. in Moral. Vae etiam lau­dabili hominū vitae, si remota misericordia discutias eam. Aug. l. 9. confes. c. 13. Nemosine pec­cato. Negare hoc sacrilegi­um est, Solus enim Deus si­ne peccato est. Confiteri hoc Deo immuni­tatis remedi­um est. Am­bros. in Ps. 118. v. vlt. yet whē all is done, we beleeue & confesse, that we haue stil need of farther grace & mercy, euen the forgiuenes of our sins, if by any meanes we may attaine the resur­rection of our bodies to eternall life. Wherfore as on the one side, 1 Iohn. 1.6. If we say that wee haue fellowship with God, & walke in darknes, we lye, & doe not the truth. So on the other side, V. 8. If we say that we haue no sin, wee deceiue our selues, and the truth is not in vs. But if we confesse our sins, he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins, & to cleanse vs frō all vnrighteousnes. If any man think that being of the Church, & in the cōmunion of Saints, hee needeth not the forgiuenesse of sins to the last, let him also raise his own body, frō death to life. Phil. 3.20, 21. But wee looke for the Sauiour, the Lord Iesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it maybe fashioned like vnto his glorious body, inheriting eternal life. Which begins so soon as we beleeue, Iohn 5.25. for the houre is come, that the dead heare the voice of the son of God, & they that heare it liue, & neuer ends, nor shall euer be quite interrupted by sin, nor death. V. 24. For he that beleeueth hath euerlasting life, & shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life.

The briefe of all is, The praise of the glory of Gods grace. that, Habak. 2. The iust shall liue by his faith; which the Prophet Habakucke receiued of God, like as Moses receiued the Law, namely vpon his watch-towre, with expresse charge v. 2. to write it, and to make it plaine on tables. And the Apostle hath giuen vs the constat thereof, purposely Gal. 3. ‘compa­ring the two covenants together. v. 11. That no man is justified by the Law in the sight of GOD it is manifest, For the Iust shall liue by faith. v. 12. And the Law is not of faith, but the man that doth them, shall liue in them. Rom. 3.27. Where is boasting now? It is excluded. By what Law? By the Law of workes? Nay, but by the Law of faith. 1 Cor. 1.31. That according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.’ Which we doe, if we beleiue & doe as we professe: if denying our selues, & al other means, we ascribe the Totum Deo deturqui vosun­tatem hominis bonam praepa­rat adjuvan. dam, & adju­vat praepara­tam. August. Enchir. ad Lau­rent. c. 37. whole worke of our saluation to God alone, indeauouring so to liue, as may Tit. 2.10. adorne the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things, and not cause 1 Tim. 6.1. his Name & doctrine any way to be blaspheamed. First acknowledging our own naturall vnworthines, & vntowardlines, 2 Cor. 3.5. who are not able of our selues, to think any thing as of our selues, wee giue God the praise of his Hominis bo­num propositū adjuvat quidem subsequens gra­tia, sed nec ipsū esset nisi praece­deret gratia. Aug. l. 2. contra duas Pel. ep. c. 9 preventing grace, Phil. 2.13. who worketh in vs both to will, and to doe, of his good pleasure. And then of his Sine illo vel operante vt ve­limus, vel coo­perante cum volumus ad bo­na pietatis ope­ra nihil vale­mus. Idem de. grat. & lib. arb. c. 27. assi­sting grace if we be willing, & obey, 2 Cor. 6.1. and receiue not his grace in vaine, Mat. 3.8. but bring forth fruites meete for repentance. For by well-doing wee shall shew forth the praises of him, 1 Pet. 2.9. that hath called vs out of darknes, into his marvailous light, V. 12. & shall thereby occasion others also to glorifie God in the day of their visitation. Iohn 15.8. Here­by [Page 51]God is glorified, that ye beare much fruit. Againe ac­knowledging our vnanswerablenesse yet to the grace receiued, by reason of our continuall infirmities, we giue him the Majoris prętij beneficium est quod praestatur indignis. Salvi­an. l. 4. de. gub. Dei, praise of the al-sufficiency of his grace to saue vs, notwithstanding our manifold deficience therefrom, whilest 2 Cor. 12.9. ‘his strength is made perfect in our weaknes. Therefore wee glory in our infir­mities, that the power of Christ may rest vpon vs.’ And withal confessing our continuall sinnes, we giue him the praise of his righteousnes, 1 Iohn 1.9. who is iust to for­giue vs our sinnes, though many times hee suffer not malefactors to goe vnpunished. Iosh. 7.19. As Ioshuah willed Achan to make confession of the fact, & to giue glory to GOD. And as Dauid himselfe did, saying, Ps. 51.4. against thee haue I sinned, & done this euill in thy sight, that thou maist be iustified when thou speakest, & cleare when thou iudgest. Lastly, beleeuing the resurrection of the body, ‘we giue God the praise of the Eph. 1.19. exceeding greatnes of his power to vs-ward who beleue, Phil. 3.21. according to the mighty working of his power, whereby he is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe. As Ro. 5.17.18.20 A­braham beleiuing God, who quickneth the dead, against hope beleeued in hope, & staggered not at the promise through vnbeleefe, but being strong in faith, gaue glory to God.’ And if we giue him the praise of the glory of his grace, Ps. 84 11. hee will giue vs both grace & glory, & no good thing shall he with-holde from them that liue a godly life. Ier. 9. v. 23. ‘Wherefore let not the [...]. Basil. hom. in Psal. 33. wise man glory in his wisedome, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glo­rieth, [Page 52]glory in this, V. 24. that hee vnderstandeth, and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise louing kindnes, judgment & righteousnesse in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’

CHAP. III. The Testaments.
VVhat assurance is there of the Co­venant of Grace?

WE haue GOD his Word for it in the Scripture, and that in two Testaments, both written from his owne mouth, and by the direction of his Spirit.

The covenant of grace being not a bargaine made with God by our owne selues, The Will. but procured for vs by the intercessiō of a Mediator, & that through his death, he therefore disposeth the e­state of life so purchased, to the 1 Pet. 3.7. heires of grace, by Will and Testament. Luke 22.29. I bequeath, saith he, a Kingdome vnto you, as my Father hath bequeathed vnto me. A Te­stamēt is a covenāt by wil, Heb. 9.16.17. made good by the death of [Page 53]the Testator, who alone prescribes the conditions on both sides, because he inables the Executour, who prouing the Will, stipulates & giues his faith by accep­tilation. For he that accepts the offer, vndertakes & bindes himself to performe the conditiō. So is the estate of grace conveyed by Berirh. Foe­dus. [...]. Testamentum. vid. Iun. paral. l. 3. in c. 9. ad Heb. ver. 15. &c. covenant testat, or by testament covenanted, in which respect the tearmes are promiscuously vsed. And the authentike bookes of Scripture, being the publike instruments of God his will in writing, are called testamēts, because they contein the Quae Deus occulta esse vo­luit, non sunt scrutanda: quae autem manife­sta fecit non sunt neganda, ne in illis illici­tè curiosi, & in istis damnabi­liter invenia­mur ingrati. Ambros. l. 1. de vocat. Gent. c. 7. perfect will of God concerning vs in Christ Iesus; the Gospell declaring what hee will doe for vs, the Law what seruice he wil haue vs doe vnto him. Whatsoeuer els is mentioned in Scripture, whether God's promises or threats of things tēporal or eter­nall, or his works of creatiō, or providence, his bles­sings or iudgments, or whether the words or deeds of men or angels, good or bad, all serue one way or o­ther to confirme, or illustrat the will of God, cōcer­ning vs, in some point of the Law, or in some article of our Creed. Which two parts of the couenant, as it were the condition & the obligation, haue bin euer the same in substāce, though not always in like mā ­ner dispensed, especially the Gospell by reason of some weighty circūstances. The Law was neuer gi­uen or made positiue without the Gospel, neither is the Gospel now without the Law, although the old testa­ment be vsually called the Law, & the new the Go­spel, because the Law is predominant in the one, and the Gospell in the other; and the forme of the cove­nant, is in the one logall, in the other Evangelicall.

At first it was only a promise by word of mouth, The Word. Gen. 3.15. The seed of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head. Which GOD afterwards drew in forme of Cove­nant with Abraham, saying, c. 12.3. ‘In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed.’ Rom. 4.11. And he re­ceiued the signe of circumcision, a seale of the righteous­nesse of faith. It pleased the Son of GOD in personall appearances, to converse with men more familiar­ly, & to acquaint them with his Fathers will, and purpose by liuely voyce, whilest yet they walked with him, in their vprightnes & simplicity. Habet vocalis traditio nescio quid latentis onergiae. Hier. Such kind of instruction, by the Word himself in person, did best befit the infancy of the Church, that wee might betrayned vp by degrees to spell his grace, when it should afterward be committed vnto vs in writing. And it was needfull for the first beleeuers to haue a more immediate conference with God, that they might beginne to vs in the faith, with a full assu­rance. Who also being long liued & faithfull, might more safely transfer the will of GOD committed to their trust, by tradition to their posterity, for many generations. Gen. 18.17.18 19. Shall I hide from Abraham, sayth the Lord, that thing which I will doe, seeing that Abraham shall become a great & mighty nation, & all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him, and they shall keepe the way of the Lord.

But when once the Church was growne by the blessing of GOD, The Scrip­ture. as he had promised, into a nation, then confirming the covenant with them, which he had made with their Father Abraham, GOD [Page 55]gaue them the copy of his Will in writing, Exod. 31.18. the ten com­mandements written with his owne finger, & the whole Lavv written by Moses, with the history of the Cre­ation, & of his prouidence from the beginning of the world. And after Moses was gone, c. 33.11. vvith vvhom God spake face to face, he continually stirred vp other Prophets, whom he instructed Numb. 12.6. by dreams & visions & secret inspirations, rising vp early, & sending them day by day vnto his people Israel, whom they ac­quainted, in the name of the Lord, with his will frō time to time, according to the Lavv & the testimo­ny. Whose prophesies or sermons were recorded by themselues, & other Quihaec scrip­serit valdè su­pervacue quae­ritur. Ipse haec scripsit qui haec scribenda dicta­vit. Quid aliud agimus nisi le­gentes literas magni eujus­dam viri de ca­lamo perscru­tamur? Graeg. praef. in Iob. c. 1. Haec prius per prophetas, de­inde per seip­sum, posteà per Apostolos, quantum satis esse judicavit, locutus, etiam scripturam con­didit, quae canonica nominatur, eminentissimae authoritatis: Cui fidem habemus de his re­bus quae ignorare non expedit, nec per nosmetipsos scire idonei sumus. August. de civ. Dei lib. 11. cap. 3. publike notaries to the same spirit of truth, & were receiued by the people of God, Hos. 8.12. to vvhō he had vvritten the great things of his lavv, whereby they might try & examine the same, Rom. 3.2. & to vvhō his Oracles vvere committed in trust, their chie­fest prerogatiue & advantage aboue all nations, vn­till himself came and confirmed all, saying, Iohn 5.39. Search the Scriptures for they testifie of mee. 2 Tim. 3.16. All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God, & the prophesie came not in old time by the vvill of man, but the holy men of GOD spake as they vvere moued by the Holy Ghost. Heb. 1.2. But in these last dayes, God hath spoken vnto vs by his Sonne in the flesh. For c. 2.3. the great saluation began to be spoken by the Lord himselfe, as it is reported in Act. 1.1. the Gospell, a treatise of all that Iesus began both to doe and teach, and Heb. 2.3.4. it was confirmed to vs by those that heard him. God al­so [Page 56]bearing them witnes both with signes & wonders, & diuers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his ovvn vvill. 2. Pet. 1.15. Apostolos i­dem Evangeli­um quod prae­oncionaverant postea per Dei voluntatem in Scripturis no, bis tradidisse fundamentum & columnam fidei nostrae su­turum dicit Irenaeus l. 3. c. 1. Who also provided that after their decease, the Church might alwayes haue a memori­all of those things which they had preached. And therefore after their acts, it was not greiuous vnto them to write the same things which they had taught, & for vs it vvas a safe thing, that by their se­verall epistles, some of them to the Church in general, which were accordingly dispersed, in many places, others to certaine particular Churches, which they also Coloss. 4.16. were to communicate vnto others, as it were so many copies, in so many mens hands, to be Ipsi sanè pau­ci esse debue­runt, ne multi­tudine vilesce­ret, quod cla­rum religione esse oporteret, nec tamen ita paucivt corum non sit mican­da consensio. Aug. de Civ. D. produ­ced, all consenting in the same truth, we might be as­fured of God his will, & confirmed in the present truth. And last of all S. Iohn, who was, as wee may say, of Christ his bosome, besides his Gospell, and E­pistles, continued on by revelation vntill his comming againe, foretelling all things cōcerning the Church of God in the mean time, which experience makes good dayly in our eyes.

Now wee may bee sure that the Scripture is the Word of God, That the Scripture is the Word of God. Not only because it saith so, but proues it by a threefold argument not to be eluded. The intent of it, The consent in it, The event by it. Non ex sapi­encia sapiena Deus, sedex sa­piente Deo sa­pientia proce­dit. Orig. ad Rom. in calce. Theo­logie is not the inventiö of humane study, but as the name imports, it is the Word of God, which he spake, and which speakes of him. For God is both the author and the matter thereof, & all in Christ, Col. 2.3. in vvhom are hid all the treasures of vvisdome & knovv­ledge. Which mystery provided in the counsell of [Page 57]God from everlasting, it was needfull for vs to know from the beginning, that we might haue the benefit thereby, and God the glory by vs. Edocuit au­tem Dominus, quoniam De­um scire neme possit, nisi Deo docente, hoe est sine Deo non cognosci De­um: Irenaeus: l: 4: c. 14: And that could not be, but by God his owne vvord, who onely was priuie to his owne purpose. Therefore the eternal vvord and vvisdome of the Father, Prov. 8:31. Who was euer delighted to bee vvith the sonnes of men, hath spoken in diuerse manners, at sundry times; at first in personall appearances, Praeludia in­carnationis Tertul: the forerun­nings of his incarnation, afterwards by his forewitnessing spirit in the Prophets, for Revel: 19:10: the testimony of Christ Iesus is euermore the spirit of pro­phesie, and now at last in the flesh, as was promised from the begining. Hee is the Word in substance, whereof the Scripture is the utterance. The vnbe­leeving Iewes cavilled with Iesus, Iohn: 8.13. that his testi­mony of himselfe was not good, v. 15. iudging of him after the flesh, and according to their manner c. 5.44. vvho re­ceiued honour one from another, and sought not the ho­nour that comes from God.

But as Christ then proved himselfe to bee the Word incarnate, The intent of Scrip­ture. so doth the Scripture proue it selfe to bee the vvord written. Iohn: 7.18. Hee that speakes of him­selfe, seekes his owne glory: but hee that seekes his glory that sent him, the same is true, and there is no vnrighte­ousnes in him. So did Christ seeke the glory of God vnto the death, so doth the Scripture throughout. For it is the maine scope both of the law and of the gospell; and of all that haue spoken or written the word of God. For they speake not in their owne names, in any vaine-glory, but in the name [Page 58]of the Lord, thus saith the Lord; and they conceale not their faultes, and infirmities, that God only may haue the glory of his owne word. Which though it be sometimes Num verò Deus & men­tis & vocis & linguae artifex, disertè loqui non poterit? Imò verò sum­ma providen­tia carere fuco voluit ea, quae diuina sunt, vt omnes in­telligerent, quae ipse om­nibus loque­batur. La­ctant. plaine, is alwaies Ps. 19.8. pure, though sometimes darke, is alwayes Heb. 4.12. powerfull, & in all re­spects most Institui ani­mum intende­re in Scripturas sanctas, vt vi­derem quales essent. et ecce video rem non compertam superbis, ne (que) nudatam pue­ris, sed incessu humilem, suc­cessu excelsam, & velatam my­sterijs. August. l. 3. confes. c. 5. maiesticall. Againe, Iob. 5.3.4. I receiue not testi­mony from man, saith Christ, but these things I say, that yee might be saved. Indeede in matter of judgement, where there is a claime of right, & a strickt procee­ding in law, Deut. 17.6. Ioh. 8.17. euery vvord shall stand, in the mouths of two or three witnesses. v. 15. c. 5.45. But I iudge no man, saith Christ. So for the Scripture first of the old Testa­ment: Rom. 15.4. ‘Whatsoeuer thinges were written afore­time, were written for our learning, that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might haue hope.’ And for the Gospell in the New Testament: Ioh. 20.31. These things are written, sayth Saint Iohn, that yee might beleeue, that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God, and that beleeuing you might haue life through his name.

Wee may bee sure all this is not forged by any creature, man or Angell, good or bad: for none that hath any feare of God, durst arrogate to him­selfe such power, & authority, as is proper to God alone; and no Deuill nor instrument of his, would euer speake so much good of God, and Nulla alia scriptura nisi ista immediatè ducitad vitam beatam, quae sola est vita simplicitet quia mortem neseit. Lyranus in prolog: in SS. bibl. so much for our good, to his glory in our saluation. It is our part [Page 59]therefore to giue him the glory, that we may reape the benefit. Iohn. 3.33. ‘Hee that hath receiued the testi­mony of Christ, hath set to his seale, that God is true;’ but he 1. Iohn. 5. that beleueeth not, hath made God a lyar, because hee beleeueth not the record that God gaue of his Sonne. And this is the record, that God hath giuen to vs eternall life, and this life is in his Sonne. It were vnrea­sonably foolish for vs in this case to demand far­ther proofe of God his word, because it is a case not of iudgement but of couenant, and that of his free grace, for our only benefit, not for any advantage to himselfe; and that vpon this onely condition, that wee truely beleeue and accept it. Ioh. 5.24. Hee that beleeueth shall neuer come into condemnation, ‘ Ioh. 3.18. Hee that be­leeueth not, needeth no more iudging, hee is al­ready condemned in himselfe, because hee hath not beleeued.’ For therefore his sinne remai­neth, for the which the law condemneth. Will condemned malefactors stand vpon it, to haue the King proue his pardon, before they will accept it? [...]. 1. Tim. 1.15. This therefore is a faithfull saying & worthy of all ac­ceptation, that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners. Let him receiue it that can, saying, I am the cheife.

For the consent of Scripture, The consent in Scrip­ture. it hath in effect bin declared already, the summe whereof is, that the Law and the Prophets giue testimony to Christ, fore­telling what he should doe. Ioh. 5.39. Search the Scriptures, saith he, for they testifie of me. Quibus Do­minus testi­monium perhibet, tanquàm testibus suis. Aug. l. 2. contra ep. Gaudentii. c. 23. And he againe giues [Page 60] testimony vnto them, performing what they fore­spake of him. Ioh. 5.36. The workes, saith hee, that the Father hath giuen me to finish, the same workes doe witnesse of mee. For all things were foretold of him, Ioh: 13:19. that when they came to passe wee might beleeue. So that the two Testaments giue Nàm quia latorem duo testamenta per vnum pacta Deum in Chri­sto copulat vna fides, Lex anti­qua novam firmat, veterem nova complett In veteri spes est, in novitate fides. Sed ve­tus at (que) no­vum coniun­git gratia Christi. mutuall testimony one to the other in Christ, and both giue testimony of him, and he to them: like Exod. 25.18. c: 37: 8. 9. Nonne tan­quam duo Se­raphin cla­mant adinui­cem concinen­tiam laudis altissimo: Ita duo testa­menta fideliter concordantia sacratam con­cinunt verita­tem Deo? Aug. ep. 119: ad Ia­nuar. as the 2. Cherubims, ouer the mercie seate, point with their wings one to the other, and both looke downe into the Arke of the couenant. They in the Old Testament 1. Pet. 1.12. [...]. minister the thinges, which are now reported vnto vs, by them that haue preached the Gospell vnto vs, with the Holy Ghost sent downe from heaven, which thinges the Angels desire to looke into: ‘ Eph. 3.9.10. Even the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all thinges by Iesus Christ, which now by the Church is made knowne vnto principalities and powers, in heavenly places, euen the manifold wisdome of God, according to the eternall pur­pose, which hee purposed in Christ Iesus our Lord.’ The word in substance and the word in vtterance, the two principall pillars of God his Church stand like the 1. Kings: 7.21. two pillars in Solomons porch, Iachin and Boaz. The word giues testimony vnto Christ, first foretelling, and then reporting all thinges of him, and Christ in whom is strength, shall stablish his word, performing all things accordingly. The same reason evicts by processe from the word of God, that Iesus is the Christ, and by regresse from Christ, that the Scripture is the word of God: [Page 61]for if those thinges bee fulfilled in Iesus which were spoken of Christ, and which none could fore­tell but God, then is Iesus the Christ, & the Scrip­ture the word of God. 2. Cor. t. 20. Now all the promises of God are yea, and in him amen, to the glory of God by vs. The Prophesies of the Messiah are precisely obserued, throughout the Gospell, to bee fulfilled in him, with this note, That it might bee fulfilled which vvas spoken by the Prophets. The offices of Christ intima­ted in that title, and shadowed in the Law, are all ac­cordingly discharged by our Lord Iesus, as the A­postle demonstrates by a perpetuall paralel, in his epistle to the Iewes; who stood much therevpon.

Whatsoeuer is future, is vntill then obsoure. The old Le­gall Testa­ment. So was the covenant in the Old Testament, and that so much the more, because it was in a legall forme, and went on in a legall tenor by command vvith pro­mise, as that of workes did. Exod. 34.28. Ps. 78.5. Hee declared vnto them his covenant which hee commanded them to performe, even ten commandements. Nay not onely the mo­rall duties, but euen the graces which had beene promised, were commanded in certaine types, and fi­gures, to be obserued, and their faith thereof to be professed by rites and ceremonies. The Law was so giuen, that it might be, not onely an hand writing of ordinances against them, but withall an hand lea­ding of them vnto Christ the euer promised Mes­siah, so shadowed vnto them. Quid est a­liud hodièque gens ipsa Iudaeorum, nisi quaedam scriniaria Christianorum, balulanslegem & Prophetas ad testimonium assertionis ecclesiae. Aug: contra Faustum Manichaeum: l 12. c. 23. Et idem in Psal: 56. In qua erergo opprobrio sunt Iudaei? Codicem portat Iudaeus, vndè credat Christianus: Librarij nostri facti sunt, quomodo solent serui post dominos codicesferre stisti portando deficiant, illi legendo proficiant. And it euer remaines [Page 62]vnto vs an hand-writing against them who haue not beleeued. For it should haue beene their Gal. 3.24. Schoole­master vnto Christ, v. 19. For it vvas added because of transgressions, to keepe them within the pale of the couenant, which they were euer most ready to transgresse, and to leade them to the fountaine of grace, which else they would neuer haue sought: whilest by the one law they knew how God would bee served, and failing thereof, they might perceiue by the other, how yet notwithstanding they should bee saued. A kinde of discipline fitted to the Gal. 4.1. nonage of the Church and frowardnes of that people, that by visible things they might be drawne on, and be kept vnder by the Law, as it were Gal. 3.23. guar­ded, and shut vp, and paled in vnto the faith, which should afterward bee reuealed. The ceremoniall law, given by Moses, in certaine signes and figures, pro­per to that time of infancy, for the helpe of their faith, is now ceased, since the things themselmes came in sight. 1. Cor. 13.10. For when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away: as the lesser lights are swallowed vp in the glorious splendour of the Sun. Wherefore to practise those ceremonies of figure, which are abolished, being accomplished, were Iew­ishly to deny Christ, and to bring in practise their ceremonies of order, by any imposed, or with any supposed necessity, which was the vvall of partition, is very repugnant to Christian liberty. Galo: 5.1. we must there­fore stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made vs free; else Christ shall profit vs nothing. The iudiciall law proper to that kingdome of the Iewes, for their [Page 63] civill gouernment, although it be not necessarily in­ioyned vs, yet being God his owne commentary vpon the morall law, and an absolute forme of go­vernment, appointed by God himself, for his owne people, cannot be vnworthy our imitation, in the e­quity thereof, so farre as it may stand with these times, and with the conditions of seuerall nations. But the morall law of the necessary duties of loue, abideth for euer. 1. Cor. 13.8. For loue neuer failes, but is euer more and more perfected, from a kinde of servile feare at the first entrance, to a vvilling obedience, and from the vvill here, to a perfect deed hereafter.

Iobn: 1:17: The Law vvas given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. They vnder the Old Testa­ment lightly following the letter, mistooke the meaning, 2 Cor: 3:13. not looking to the end of that vvhich vvas to bee abolished, vvherevnto Moses had an eye vnder the vaile. For they perceiued not so well the grace intended by the legall Testament, which the perfe­ction of the morall law, whereof they could not but faile, should haue forced them to seeke; and the imperfection of the typicall law Heb: 7:19: vvhich made nothing perfect, should haue led them to finde: But they generally rested in the in opere ope­rato: vvorke done, as was com­manded by either law, when as themselues were vnsufficient to doe the one, and the other was in it selfe as vnsufficient to helpe them. Heb: 10:1. For if the sacrifi­ces vvhich they offered yeare by yeare, continually, ha­ving a shadow of good things to come, and not the reall forme of them, could make the commers therevnto perfect, vvould they not haue ceased to bee offered? [Page 64] Heb. 7.11. And if perfection vvere by the first Testament, vvhat farther neede vvas there that another Preist should arise, a Preist of another order, v. 16. made after the power of an endlesse life? ‘ c. 9.15. For this cause therefore Christ is the Mediatour of the New Testament, that by meanes of death for the re­demption of transgressions, that were vnder the first Testament, they vvhich are called might re­ceiue the promise of eternall inheritance.’ The New Evangeli­call Testa­ment.

And now the Gospell preached vnto vs, what is it, but the performance of that Rom. 1.1.2. vvhich vvas pro­mised long before by the Prophets in the holy Scripture? What is it but 1. Pet. 1.12. the report of those things vvhich they did minister vnto vs? What is it but the revelation of that grace in Christ which was shadowed in the law? What is it but the Act. 13.32. glad tidings, how that the promise vvhich vvas made vnto the Fathers, God hath fulfil­led the same vnto vs? For Heb. 4.2. the same Gospell vvas prea­ched vnto them and vnto vs. Iste intelle­ctus Ecclesiae Catholicae conuenit, quae & veteris et novi Testa­menti vnam asserit proui­dentiam, nec distinguit in tempore quos conditione consociauit. Hieron: l. 2. com. in ep. ad Gal. c. 4. The old couenant in the New Testament, promised by the Old, performed by the New, [...]. Iust. Mart. Quaest, & Resp. ad Orthod: p. 354. Novum Testamentum in veteri est figura­tum, & vetus in no vo est revelatum. Aug. contr. adu. legis. l. 1. c. 17. shadowed in the Old, reuealed in the New, reserued to one nation by the Old Testa­men, extended to all nations by the New. The new couenant spoken of in the old Testament, not a coue­nant vpon new conditions, but a new condition of the old couenant. No new couenant ( 1. Ioh. 2.7. as Saint Iohn speakes of the commandement) but the old cove­nant which was from the beginning. And yet a new couenant God makes with vs, vvhich thing is true in him and in vs: In him, because the couenant is renewed, as hee promised in the seed of Abra­ham, [Page 65]which is Christ, with all nations of the earth. Gal. 3.8. For the scripture foreseing that God would instifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospell vnto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. It is true in vs because we are Israel spiritu­alis à carnali non nobilitate patriae, sed no­vitate gratiae, nec gente sed mente distin­guitur. August: doct. Christ. l. 3. c. 34. renewed thereby. p. 2. Cor. 5.17. For if any man be in Christ Iesus hee is a new creature, Old thinges are past away, behold all things are become new. The new Testament is ever new, being once perfected, never to bee an­tiquated. Heb. 7.18. But there is verily a disanulling of the commandement going afore, for the weaknesse and vn­profitablenesse thereof. The covenant of promise was rather a promise, then a covenant, and the typicall Testament was Regem ex­pressurus pi­ctor, cum suo equitatu & hostibus vi­ctis in trium­pho, rudi ad­huc operi line. as tenues & obscuras indu­cit, quae au­tem totum complectun­tur quod erat effigiandum, quae tamen ita picta non discernuntur, nisi à peritissi­mis: sed po­steaquam co­lores & splendidos & florentes obduxit, tunc omnia siunt illustriora, & accedentibus facile cognita, & perspecta redduntur. Serm. in dictum Pauli, Nolo vos ignorare fratres Chrisost. 1. Cor. 10. a draught of God his purposed will aforehand, rather then the Testament it selfe, and therefore vntill it was fully inacted, it was rather called a testimony, then the Testament. Ps. 78.5. Hee established a testimony in Iacob, and appointed a law in Israell, which hee commanded our Fathers. For it tended vnto this, as a testimony of what was intended and should after bee performed, Yet was that legall-testimony or typicall testament for the time a conspicuous monument of God his sin­gular grace, and trueth vnto his people, ac­cording to the covenant with Abraham their father. In which respect Moses e­xulteth in their behalfe, saying, Deut. 4.7.8. What nation [Page 66]is there so great that hath God so nigh vnto them, as the Lord our God is in all things, that we call vpon him for? And what nation is there so great that hath statutes and iudgements so righteous, as all this law which Iset before you this day? But the will of God was not made compleat, nor consummat vntill Christ. Heb. 9.16.17.18. For a Testament is not of force vntill the death of the testa­tour whereupon neither was the first testament dedicated without blood. But at the last when all was perfor­med indeede, by the mediatour, and testatour him­selfe, which was promised, and prefigured, then was his Testament consummat, as his act and deede for ever. And his will is his deede to them that proue it. The event of Prophe­sies.

Nay the Word proues itselfe to be of God Es: 44.7. c. 42.9. ‘For who as I saith the Lord shall call and shall declare it, and set in order for me, since I appointed the auncient people?’ To instance in one or two pro­phesies, most pertinent to our purpose, proving at once that Iesus is the Christ, and the Scripture the word of God. That of Iacob at the beginning, concerning the state of God his Church, and king­dome, that it should be amongst his Children the Israelites vntill Christ, and that then it should be ex­tended throughout the whole world: and that of Haggay, towards the end, concerning the glory of the second temple, a tipe also of the Church. Gen. 49.10. The scepter saith Iacob, shall not depart from Iudah, nor a law-giuer from betweene his feete vntill Shilo come: and vnto him shall the gathering of the people bee. Accor­dingly the state of the Iewes had its groth, flou­rishing, [Page 67]and decaying vntill Christ Iesus came. When they made open profession, saying Ioh. 19.15. we haue no king but Caesar. Vntill then the scepter was in Iudah, or the lawgiuer, some inferiour magistracy, betwixt his feete, the Iewes were a certaine nation, yea the peculiar people of God. Psal. 114.2. Iudah was his san­ctuary and Israel his dominion; But since Christ came, the gathering of the people hath beene vnto him, all nations of the earth haue sought vnto him for the blessing, whole kingdome is ouer al, the Church being now Catholike, and Vniversall. Es. 2.3.4. Out of Si­on the law is gone forth, and the word of the Lord, the scepter of his kingdome, frō Ierusalē: all natiōs flow vnto it, & he iudgeth amonge the people. For the other prophesie; Hag. 2.9. that the glory of the second temple should be greater then was of the former, it was fulfilled when the sonne of God, the Lord of his house was presented in this second temple; 1. Pet. 2.4.5. ‘vpon whom a liuing stone disalowed indeed of men, but cho­sen of God and pretious, wee also as liuely stones are built vp a spirituall house. Eph. 2.21. And being fitly framed together in him, grow into an holy tem­ple in the Lord.’ This was the glory of the se­cond temple, when Hag. 2.7. the desire of all nations came and filled this house with glory, greater glory then was of the former, as much as the Heb. 3. Lord of the house ex­celleth the house, Iohn: 2.21. [...]. Et I esus aderat, Deus & templum, Deus, inquam tempore omniantiquior, & templum no­vum, vno eodemque die dissolutum, ac tertio post die excitatum atque in saecula manens. Greg. Nazianz, orat. 43. its [...] p. 698. as the temple of his body excelleth [Page 68]the body of the the temple, as much as a spirituall house of liuely stones excelleth a materiall house of earthly stones; as much as the Church Catholike ex­celleth the narrow compasse of Iury. At this time by meanes of these and the like predictions, which could not but bee generally rumored abroade, the desire of all nations was kindled, and the expectati­on of all people was awakned. Pluribus per­suasio inerat, antiquis Sacer­dotum literis contineri, eo ip­so tempore fo­re, vt valesceret Oriens, profe­cti (que) Iudaea rerū potirentur. Ta­cit. Hist. lib. 5. Percrebuerat Oriente toto, vetus & con­stans opinio, esse in fatis, vt eo tempore Iu­daeâ profccti rerum potiren­tur. Sueton. lib. 10. It was com­mon throughout that part of the world, that the Lord of the whole world should come forth of Iudea, as the Heathen writers, together with Iosephus, doe witnesse, whose testimony in this case can­not be suspected. Now the time was come, that the desire of all nations should come, in whom they should all bee blessed. Malach. 3.1. And the Lord him­selfe whom they sought, came suddenly into his tem­ple, even the Angell of the couenant, whom wee de­light in. Luke 2.28. &c. Wherevpon the just old Simeon, hauing Christ in his armes, sang his Nunc dimit­tis, Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes haue seene thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, to bee a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to bee the glory of thy peo­ple Israell. For this was their glory, and the glo­ry of their Temple, that Rom. 9.4. to them pertained the a­doption, and the glory: and the covenants, and the giuing of the Law, and the service of God, and the promises. Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is ouer all, God blessed for euer. Amen. Many other [Page 69]things were foretold of him that should come, which were accordingly fulfilled in Christ Iesus. Act: 7.24. For all: he Prophets from Samuel & those that follow after as many as haue spoken, haue likewise foretold of these dayes. Whose other predictions of tempo­rall things also were all generally subordinate to things spirituall, and eternall in Christ Iesus. So it pleased God to temper them together, as the promise of an abundant seede to Abraham, and the gathering of the Gentiles in him; the promise of the land of Canaan, and of an heauenly kingdome; the perpetual succession of Davids race in the king­dome of Israel, and the eternall kingdome of Christ in his Church; the prophesie of the Iewes delive­rance from their captiuity, and of the generall re­surrection; Christ his prophesie in the Gospell of the destruction of Ierusalem and of the end of the world, Prophetiae in vicem sibi tempora conci­nunt vt aliquā ­dò ex futuris. praeterita, ali­quandò ex prae­teritis futura probētur Greg. praef. in Ezech. that by the event of these temporall things in their seasons, they and wee might be the better assured of the eternall to be fulfilled in the end: and that by the hope of things eternall we may be com­forted howsoeuer it goeth with vs in the meane­time. Is it not the word of God who speakes things and they are so? Hee foretold things to come in the old Testament, but by the new he brings thē to passe.

For Rom. 1.16. the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to every one that beleeueth, The power of the Gos­pell. effecting that in vs which it tels vs. The glutton in the Gospell was perswa­ded that Luke. 16.30. if one might come from the dead his brethren would beleeue him, though they did not hearken to Moses and the Prophets. Behold Christ [Page 70]risen from the dead, how by vertue of his quickning spirit, in this word of life, he gaineth every where in­finite beleeuers, and so recovereth them from death to life. Behold so many Ipse modus quo mundus credidit, si con­sideretur, incre­debilior (resur­rectione viz: mortuorum) invenitur. Incre­dibile est mun­dum rem tam incredibilem credidisse. In­credibile est ho­mines ignobiles, infirmos, pau­cissimos, imperi­tos, rem tam incredibilem tam efficaciter mundo, & in il­lo etiam doctis persuadere po­tuisse. Aug: lib. 22. de Civ: Dei: c. 5. & c. 8. Quisque adhuc prodigia, vt cre­dat, inquirit magnum est ip­se prodigium, qui mundo cre­dente non cre­dit. Aug. l. 22. de Civ. Dei. c. 8. witnesses come from the dead, all giuing testimony to the word of God. The Gentiles Luke 1.79. who sat in darkenesse and in the shadow of death, and sinners of all sorts, who had Eph. 2. c. 3.19. beene dead in sinnes and trespasses, alienated from the life of God, and past feeling. Never did the word of any man or any oracle gaine that generall credit, and beget such a new life in men, so holy, so happy, nor all that ever men and angels could speake did make such a blessed change throughout the world, as the Gospell hath done; and that by most vnlikely meanes, and motiues. A few, simple, plaine, illiterate, men telling plainly what they must loose and what they must suffer, in the world whosoever would imbrace their doctrine. Neither could the most obstinate vnbeleeuers, potent adversaries, and despe­rate enemies of the Gospell, though they conspi­red, and practised against it never so maliciously, ever bee able to suppresse, or withstand the mighty power of God his word; but it certainely prevai­led to their vtter ruine and confusion. Neither is it therefore any preiudice to the power & authority of God his word: although it obtaineth not the same effect with all men. Is. 55.10. For it never returnes void, but effecteth that for which it was sente 2 Cor. 2.16 being the sa­vour of life vnto life in them that are saued, and the sa­vour of death vnto death in them that perish. C: 4.4. ‘In whom the God of this world hath blinded the [Page 71]mindes of them which beleiue not, least the light of the glorious gospell of Christ, who is the i­mage of God should shine vnto them.’ Esdras 4.41. Great is the truth and it prevaileth.

Now is the effect shewes the vertue of the cause but giues it not, so doth the Church, The Church the professed company of beleeuers, giue testimony, but not autho­rity to the truth of God his word. 1. Tim: 3.15. For the Church is the pillar of truth; not that the truth of God his word relyeth on the Church, but because the Church is inlightned by the word of truth, where­by it reflecteth light againe vnto the word, being in the world, as Exod. 13. the pillar of light, that went be­fore the Israelites in the wildernesse. Phil. 2.16. For the sonnes of God shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life. Especially the faithfull mi­nisters of the word, whom Christ therefore cal­leth Mat: 5.14. the light of the world: And if their Reu. 2.5. candlesticke be set vp in a setled, and flourishing Church, great and glorious is the light thereof, especially in the holy assemblies, and most principally in generall counsels. A faire way-marke, and a forcible induce­ment to way-fairing men, to bend their course that way. But yet all this cannot make one true beleeuer. Quis enim imponat mihi necessitatem vel colendi quod nolim, vel quod velim non colendi? Lact. lib. 5. de vera sap. cap. 14. Religionis non est cogere religionē, quae sponte suscipi debet, non vi. Tertul. ad Scapulam. No authority of the Church can command faith in a man, vnlesse Hos. 2.14. Cathedram habet in coelo qui corda docet. Aug. God speake to his heart, muchlesse doth it giue truth to the word. They both are the proper worke of the same Sicut Christus legis & prophetarum impletio est, ita spiritus Evangelij. Chrisost. [...]. Basil. in ps. 95. spi­rit of truth, expressed in the Scripture, impressed [Page 72]on the heart of euery true beleeuer. 1. Iohn 5.6. It is the spi­rit that beareth witnesse because the spirit is trueth. 1. Cor. 14.37.38. ‘Wherefore if any one thinketh himselfe to be spi­rituall, let him acknowledge the things that are written, even the scripture to be the word of God.’ But if any will be ignorant let him be ignorant still. 1. Corinth. 14.23.24.25. The comming together of the whole Church in some place, suppose it be in counsell, or for diuine service, occasi­oneth one that beleeueth not, or that is vnlearned to come in, but it is the word there preached, that entereth into him, and convinceth him and iudgeth him, that openeth the secrets of his heart, and then falling downe on his face he worshippeth, & reporteh that God is in them of a truth. Euangelio non crederem, nisi me Catho­licae Ecclesiae commoueret authoritas Au­gust. The Church being more sensible may happily first moue a man, but Ego solis ca­nonicis Scrip­turis sine vlla recusatione de­beo consensum. Idem August. contr. Pelag. de natura & grat. [...]. Ego in sola Scriptura acquiesco The­odoret, Dial. 1. c. 6. the Scripture being most certaine doth at last resolue every beleeuer. They who liue in some low bottome may take no­tice that the Sunne is risen, by the shining there­of vpon some high and eminent Church, but who so getteth vp thither sees the Sunne it selfe risen, and perceiues with his owne eyes that hee is in the hemisphere of light, and sayth as the men to the woman of Samaria; Iohn. 4.42. Now I beleeue, not because of thy saying, I haue heard it my selfe, and know it indeed that it is the word of life. 1. Ioh. 5.9. If we receiu the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater. v. 10. He that beleeueth hath the Testimony in himselfe, he that leeueth not hath the testimony against himselfe, because Iohn. 12.48. the word that hath beene spoken, that shall iudge him at the last day.

In the meane time Christ the Testator hath ap­pointed some with power and authority in his Church to publish and require his word, The Ad­ministra­tors and o­verseers. as admi­nistrators and ouerseers to his Will and Testament. The ministers of the Gospell are to administer the the same with the Sacraments, as the 2 Cor. 5.20. Ambassa­dours of Christ, and 1 Cor. 4.1. stewards of the mysteries of God, hauing charge 1 Tim. 4.16. Act. 20.28. to looke to themselues and their do­ctrine, and to all the flock ouer which the holy Ghost ma­keth them ouerseers. For the commission once gi­uen by Christ to the Apostles, was not to cease with them, but to continue euen Mat. 28.19.20. so long as the pre­cept bindeth, and as his promise supporteth, which is vnto the worlds end. Wherefore they ordeined o­thers, by laying on of hands, to succede them in that office and ministery, with power also to doe the like, so to deriue the same by a perpetuall suc­cession to all posterity Per ministros dispares Dei munus aequale est, quia non il­lorum, sed ejus est. August. contra Cres­con. lib. 3. c. 6. loquitur de Bapt. Now though the ministers of the Gospell be all of the same order, with equall power to administer, yet are they not all of the same degree as ouer-seers. But some are in higher place 2 Tim. 5.22. Tit. 1.5. to ordeine Elders, 1 Tim. 1.3. to charge the Pastours to teach no vari­ous doctrine, ch. 5.19.20. to heare and to censure them, Tit. 1.11. to stop their mouthes, and to silence them. ch. 3.30. And after the first and second admonition, vtterly to reiect a man that is an he­reticke. Who hauing this speciall power of Iurisdi­ction reserued to them, for 1 Cor. 14.40. decency and order sake, are therefore called Bishops, by an excellency, that is Speculatores. Inspectores. Vid. Duaren. de sacr. Eccl. minist. ac benef. lib. 1. cap. 7. ouerseers. Besides these, whose speciall office is [Page 74]in the Gospell, God hath also ordayned the civill Magistrate, from the beginning, 1 Pet. 2.13.14. whether the King as supreame, or the governours that are sent by him, Custos vtri­usque tabulae. Vid. Duarenum de sacr. Eccl. Minist. ac be­nef. l. 1. c. 5. & 6. to administer his Law, and to ouersee the due performance, and execution thereof, with power of life and death (according to the Lavv of Nature euer in force) 1 Pet. 2.14. for the punishment of euill doers, & for the praise of them that doe well. Whereunto all Nati­ons euen by the light of Nature haue submitted, V. 13. but wee must submit our selues to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake. Rom. 13.4. The Magistrate is the Hoc ju­bent Impera­tores quod ju­bet & Chri­stus, quia cùm bonum jubent, per illos non jubet nisi Chri­stus, Aug. ep. 166. Minister of God to thee for thy good, if thou doe that which is good, but if thou doe that which is euill, bee afraide, for hee beareth not the sword in vaine. These two ministrations, the one ciuill, the other Ecclesiasticall, doe by mutual offices, as the Law and the Gospell, jointly, and mutually support one another, for the building vp of the bo­dy of Christ his Church, and kingdome. The Vos Episcopi estis, corum quae in Eccle­sia sunt agen­da; ego verò episcopus ex­tra Ecclesiam a Deosum con­stitutus. Con­stantinus Im­perator. vt refert Eusebius in ejus vita, lib. 4. cap. 24. magistrate can not giue, what himselfe hath not, the power of orders, to administer the Word and Sacraments. But where it pleaseth Isai 49.28. God to raise vp Kings and Queenes to be nursing Fathers, and nursing mothers to his Church, they may, and will giue leaue, to such as are ordained to exercise their ministry, in their dominions, assisting, them, [Page 75]and providing for their maintenance 1 Cor. 9.14. worthy the Gospell of Christ Iesus. And they can Quandò Imperatores veritatem te­nent pro ipsa veritate contra errorem ju­bent, qued quis­que contemp­serit ipse sibi ju­dicium acqui­rit. August. ep. 166 [...]. Arist. pol. l. 3. c. 11. command their people to heare them, to 2 Chron. 34.32. enter covenant with God by their ministery, and to keepe the same at least in the outvvard act, and they will not be negligent by all meanes to prouide for the peace of the Church. Rex nolentibus praeest, episcopus volentibus: ille terrore subijcit, hic servituti donatur; ille corpora custodit ad morrem, hic animas servat ad vitam. Hie­ron. ad Heliodor in Epitaph, Nepotian. The Ministers of the Law haue power ouer mens goods, the Ministers of the Gospell haue power to dispense the good things of God. They can banish & cast out of their coūtryes & dominions; These can excōmunicate out of the Church of Christ Iesus. Mat. 10.28. Iohn 19.10.11. They can kill the body ha­uing povver giuen them from aboue. 1 Cor. 5.5. These can de­liuer ouer vnto Satan the lewde and vngodly, such as loue not the Lord Iesus.

Yet both Civill and Ecclefiasticall Ministers and ouerseers are to doe Scripture the absolute canon of Faith and Life. In his quae apertè in Scrip­tura posita sunt inveninntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque vivendi. August. de doct. Christ. lib. 2. cap. 9. Adoro Scripturae plenitudinem. Tertul. adversus Hermogen. all according to the ex­presse will of GOD, concerning vs in Christ Iesus. Whose word in Scripture is the absolute Sacra Scriptura regula credendi certissima & tutissima, Bellarm. lib. 1. de verbo Dei cap. 2, § 13. rule and cannon both of faith and life. 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. The A­postle saith, that all Scripture (which then was only [Page 76]the olde Testament) being giuen by inspiration of God, was Divinus ser­mo habet in publico, vndè parvulos nu­triat; servat in secreto vndè mentes subli­mium in admi­ratione suspen­dat. Quasi qui­dam quippe flu­vius planus & altus, in quo & agnus ambulet & elephas na­tet. Greg. in praefat. in lib. Moral. ad Le­and. c. 4. profitable, for doctrine, for reproofe, for cor­rection, for instruction in righteousnesse, that the man of God might be perfect, throughly furnished to all good workes. By it Iohn 5.39. Christ himselfe was content to bee tryed, and the Act. 17.11. 1 Cor. 15.3.4. 1 Tim. 6.3. Apostles by the same, and by the Gospell of Christ, which they preached. Nay the Law it selfe before they had the Prophets, was the perfect will of God in respect of parts. Ps. 19.7.8. The Law of the Lord, saith the holy King, is perfect, converting the soule, the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. And therefore the Prophets themselues were to be tryed thereby. Is. 8.20. To the Law and to the testimony, if they speake not according to this truth, it is because there is no light in them. Insomuch that if their doctrine were not agreeable therevnto, Deut. 13.1.2.3. though they confirmed it with a signe, and with a mi­racle that came to passe, yet the people had warning not to harken to such, for it was but to trye them, and to proue them whether they loued the Lord their GOD, with all their heart, and with all their soule. And since it pleased GOD once to expresse his Will by writing, Spiritus Sanctus ita Scripturas sa­cras modifica­vit, vt locis a­pertioribus fa­mi occurreret, obscurioribus autem fastidia detergeret. Nihil enim feré de illis obscuritatibus eruitur, quod non asibi planissimè di­ctum reperiatur. Aug. l. 2. de Chr. doct. c. 6. the Holy Ghost hath so ordered the matter, that almost euery seuerall booke in Scrip­ture is a perfect modell of GOD his Will in respect of parts, howsoeuer it pleased God by degrees to re­veale his grace euer more and more, vntill all was consummate in Christ Iesus, as now wee haue it in [Page 77] ‘the New Testament. Gal. 3.15. If it bee but a mans Te­stament, yet if it bee confirmed, no man disanul­leth it, nor addeth thereunto.’ And shall any now Rom. 12.3. thinking of himselfe more highly then hee ought, or Aeternam i­gitur legem mundis animis fas est cognos­cere, judicare non fas est. Aug. de vera re­ligione c. 31. presuming to know more then is meete, dare to vsurpe authority aboue the Testament of Christ in the Scripture to prescribe against it, or to dictate any thing Lacte gyp­sum malè mis­cetur. Irenaeus l. 3. adversus haeres. c. 19. Quod de Scrip­turis authorita­tem non habet, eâdem facilita­te contemni­tur quâ pro­batur, Hieron. in Mat. 23. besides it, as the absolute will of GOD, to binde the conscience with necessity, to ‘ 1 Pet. 5.3. domineere ouer GODS heritage, to smite his fellow-seruants, and to vsurpe dominion ouer the faith. Deut. 17.18.19.20. The King sitting vpon his throne, was bound to haue a copy of the Law of GOD with him, and to reade therein all the dayes of his life, that hee might learne to feare the Lord his God, to keepe all the words of his Law and his Statutes to doe them; that his heart might not bee lifted vp aboue his brethren, and that hee might not turne aside from the com­mandement to the right hand, or to the left.’ And for the Ministers of the Gospell, 1 Tim. 6.3.4.5. if any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, euen the wordes of our Lord IESVS CHRIST, and the doctrine which is according to godlinesse, he is proud, knowing nothing, and is destitute of the trueth, supposing that gaine is godlinesse, from such vvith­dravv thy selfe. Gal. 1.8.9. Nay if any preach any other Go­spell though an Angell from Heauen, let him bee ac­cursed. Revel. 22.18.19. I testifie to euery man, saith S. Iohn for conclusion of all, (& his testimony is true.) that if any man shall adde vnto these things, God shall adde [Page 78]vnto him the plagues that are vvritten in this booke, Canon & a­mussis neque additionem patitur, neque ablationem. Theophilact, in 3. c. ad Philipp. and if any man shall take avvay from the vvords of the booke of this Prophesie, God shall take avvay his part out of the Booke of life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things that are vvrit­ten in this booke.

CAP. I. THE STIPVALATION of Faith by [...]e Sacraments.
How is the covenant transacted be­twixt God and vs?

BY the word of God on his part, The An­swere of a good con­science. as hath beene declared in the two Testaments, which being accepted on our parts by faith, that worketh by loue, and resteth in hope, is mutually sealed, and confir­med on both sides, by two Sacraments. Heb. 4.2. The word preached profiteth not vnlesse it be mixed with faith in them that heare it; nor faith professed vnlesse it [Page 2]worke by loue in them that haue it; nor haue we then attained, but rest still in hope of the glory of God, to be revealed in vs. Faith in a larger sense, and not vn­vsuall, implieth the other graces, being a full assent to the word of truth, accepting the grace offered in the Gospell vpon trust, answering the law by loue, which is the fulfilling of the law and the end there of. For 2. Tim. 1.5. the end of the commandement is loue out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith vnfaigned. Which when all is done expecteth the full accom­plishment of the promises, but of the law, and of the Gospell in hope; Heb. 10.36. waiting with patience that after we haue done the will of God, we may receaue the pro­mise. Thus we stipulate with God, & Rom. 12.2. proue his will, what is that good, that acceptable and perfect will of God, and Ioh. 3.33. set to our seales that God is true. Rom. 1.17. And thus the righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith. From the truth of God a faithfull creatour, to our faith in him, his vnworthie creature. And in vs from one degree of faith to another, vntill we receiue the end of our faith, euen the saluation of our soules.

The faith more especially is that whereof we make confession, THE CREED saying I beleeue in God, &c. according to the Apostles Creed. So it is called, not only because it agrees with the Apostles doctrine, being the very summe and substance thereof, and might happily be Russinus in Symbol. Isiod. l. 2 de Eccl. officiis c. 23. Aug. ser. 131 Ambr. ser. 38. agreed vpon by themselues, as the absolute 2. Tim. 1.13. forme of sound words, and the rule of the [...]. Athan. erat 4. coutrà Arianos. analogie of faith, but principally because it is the very forme of the 1. Tim. 6 3. words of our Lord Iesus Christ, the great Heb. 3.1. Apostle and high Priest of our calling. Which, besides his ge­nerall [Page 3]doctrine, he seemes to haue expresly commit­ted in trust to the Apostles, in the very same order, in­stituting the two Sacraments, to bee administred by them, and their successours, in his Church for euer: Eph. 2.20. Which is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles, & Prophets, Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone. Regulam ve­ritatis immobi­lem per baptis­mum accepimus Iraen. adv. heres. l. 1. c. 1. Baptisme in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost, takes vp the former part of the Creed, to the holy catholique Church, which is holy, being Eph. 5.26. sanctified and cleansed with the washing of water by the word. And it is catholike admitting all commers by baptisme, as the Lord appointed saying, Mat. 28.19. Goe teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost. Vid. Martin. procatech. tract. 4. Which part of the Creed, being at first expressed in those few words, and aunciently so vsed in baptisme, was after enlarged with more articles, especially con­cerning the second person, by occasion of heresies that did arise. The supper of the Lord, which the A­postle calls 1. Cor. 10.16 the Communion, beginning with the com­munion of saints, includes it, and the articles follow­ing. For Christ instituting this sacramēt, cals Mat. 26.28 the cup the blood of the New Testament, saying expresly that it was shed for many for the remission of sinnes: and for the other two benefits of communion in the body and blood of Christ, namely the resurrection of our bodies, and life everlasting, S ^t Iohn reports them plainely from Christ his owne mouth, saying, Ioh. 6.5 [...]. who­soever eateth my flesh & drinketh my blood, hath euer­lasting life, and I will raise him vp at the last day; as he doth in like manner speak of our regeneration by bap­tisme [Page 4]c. 3. For S. Iohn onely, of all the Evangelists, doth not expresly report the very institution it selfe of the Sacraments, but insteed thereof, as it seemeth, the spirituall graces intended by them. Christ therefore himselfe is the author and finisher of our faith. Who gaue vs his word by the Apostles, wherevpon we be­leeue, according to their Creed, the In ea regula incedimus, quam ecclesia ab Apo­stolis, Apostoli à Christo, Christus [...] Deo tradidit. Tertul. de praes. c. 14. badge and cog­nisance of the Church catholike and Apostolike for ever. 2. Cor. 4.13. So they beleeued and therefore so spake, and wee hauing the same spirit of faith, doe also beleeue & there­fore so speake. And so it must bee in the couenant of grace, for God will write it in our hearts. Euery man must haue as it were by heart the copy of grace, the evidence of his saluation, the charter of life, the coun­terpane of the couenant, betwixt God & vs, as it were a duplicate of the proued will of God, to produce the same for himselfe, in his owne person, assenting to the truth, and consenting with the Church, rather then barely to alledge God his word for it, although the word of God be the ground of our faith; for hee may alledge the word that never beleeues it, or else per­verts it, as they that are 2. Pet. 3.16. unlearned and vnstable doe to their owne destruction. But the iust shall liue by his faith.

Vpon these tearmes the couenant passeth by Sacramenta mutuambabent relationem [...]. mu­tuall stipulation, The sacra­ments. betwixt God and vs in the sacra­ments, which are certaine [...], fidelia, seu pignora. [...]; ipsasacrificia per quae faedera intercedente iure­iurando sanciebantur. [...]. Homer. Iliad. 2. mysticall acts and deeds thereof; on his part by his word, and instituti­on, and on our parts by faith, and acceptilation; As [Page 5]in ciuill contracts, besides the bookes drawen; and a­greed vpon, there are by institution, custome or com­pact, other instrumentall meanes, as it were morall instruments of conueiance, as signing and sealing, liurey and season, or something in earnest, representing the whole interest. Mysticall acts they are, because done in a Sacramentū, [...]. mystery, wherein some Sacramentū dicitur sacrum signum, siue sanctum secre­tum. Bernard Serm. 1. de caen. dom. sacred, and secret matter is farther intended, by that which is outward­ly done; and vsed. The spirituall things signified by the outward elements are the all sufficient Signum est res preter speciem quam ingerit sen sibus aliud aliquid exse faciens in cogi­tationem veni­re, Aug. l. 2. de doctr. Christ. cap, 1. Verbum visi­bile. Aug. hom. in Iohan. 80. meanes of grace, the body and blood of Christ the mediatour, once offered by himselfe for vs. The foreskinne cir­cumcised was it not a type of the promised seed, to A­braham, and his prosterity; Rom. 9.5. of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, God blessed for euermore? The paschall lambe did it not represent Christ, the lambe slaine from the begining of the world in the counsell of God? And now 1. Cor. 5.7, Christ our passeouer is slaine, 1. Pet. 1.19. a lambe without blemish, and without spot. The water in baptisme is it not the v. 2. sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ? The Cor. 10.16. bread which wee breake, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? But besides these spirituall things, which are the meanes grace signified by the outward elements, there are also spi­rituall acts of grace, to wit our admission into the ca­tholicke Church, and the communion of saints, inten­ded by the outward actions, whereby the sacraments are administred and receiued, and without the which they are not compleate, being, as their names im­port; certaine Res gesta. Isiod: Docentur eriam homines socra­menta esse acti­ones diuinitus institutas. Po­lon. confess. Sacramenta ex­ercitia sunt Calv inst. lib. 4. c. 14.6. Signum practi­cum Bel. cere­monia, ritus so­lennis. L. 1. de [...] Sacram. c. 9.10 11. acts that consist in the doing. Not the foreskinne but the cutting of it, as God had ap­pointed, [Page 6]was the circumcision, not the lambe but the eating of it, as was prescribed, was the passeouer; not the water but the Baptismus non est aqua, quae est res per manens: sed lotio in aqua, quae est operatio transiens. Gab. dist. 4. q. 2. dub. 4 washing, dipping, or sprinkling with it, in the name of the Father, sonne, & Holy ghost is baptisme; not the bread and wine, but the vsing of them according to Christ his institution, is the com­munion. Howsoeuer the materialls themselues, visi­ble, or spirituall, or both, may sometimes be called by the names of the sacraments, as 1. Cor. 10.16. the cup the com­munion, c. 5. v. 7. Christ the passeouer, by a figuratiue speech, most vsuall in things of so neere relation, and not vn­fit in figuratiue ordinances: yet the elements al­though consecrated, are not compleat sacraments, vntill the other actions pertinent concurre, whereby they are administred, and receiued; nor doe they con­tinue sacraments any longer, then while they are so vsed. A mans deeds what are they to any one, though in writing, signed and sealed with his owne hand and seale, vnlesse they bee deliuered and receiued, as his act and deed?

By baptisme the sacrament of our new birth, BAPTISME the Tit. 3.5. lauer of regeneration, the seale of adoption, initiati­on and admission into the Church, and Heb. 12.23. company of the first borne, which are written in heauen, the coue­nant is contracted, God preuenting vs with his grace, which by the other sacrament is confirmed or renew­ed. Iohn. 3.5. Except a man bee borne againe of water and the holy Chost, he cannot enter into the kingdome of hea­uen. When being regenerate, wee take new names, Christian names, Es: 44.5. One shall say I am the Lords, and an other shall call himselfe by the name of Iacob, and an [Page 7]other shall subscribe with his hand vnto the Lord, and syrname himselfe by the name of Israell. Now because we are by nature the Eph. 2.3. Children of wrath, and by cor­ruption v. 1. dead in sinnes and trespasses, wee cannot be new borne, but by a kinde of resurrection from the dead. Therefore Coloss. 2.12. wee are buried with Christ in baptisme, wherein also we are risen with him thorough the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Whereof the water in baptisme is a most significant signe. For water was the first ele­ment, Gen. 1.2. vpon which the spirit of God moued, and pro­duced all things according to the word, and will of God. 2. Pet. 3.5. By the word of God the heauens were of old, and the earth consisting of the water, and in the wa­ter. And wee by sinne being as water spilt vpon the ground, doe by the grace of God in Christ, thorough his spirit Es. 44.4. spring vp againe as willowes by the water courses, Ps. 92.12 1 [...] and shall flourish in the house of our God, as Ps. 1.3. trees planted by the riuers side. Es. 44.3. I will powre out wa­ter, saith God, vpon him that is thirsty, and flouds vp­on the dry ground, I will power my spirit vpon thy seed, and my blessing vpon thy ofspring. Whether we respect our regeneration, admission, or spirituall re­surrection, all which concurrent graces are intended by this sacrament, it implyeth a reciprocall act be­twixt God and vs. His call our answere; his iustifica­tion of vs by acceptance in Christ, our [...]. 1 Pet 3.21. [...]. Mat. 3.6. Vid: Act. 8.37. Anima non la­uatione sed res­ponsione sancitur Tertulide resur. carn. stipulation of a good conscience towards him; his remission of our sins (For 1 Iohn. 1.7. the blood of Christ clenseth vs from all sinne) our repentance from dead workes, to serue the liuing God, hauing our Heb. 9.14. consciences purged by his blood, who [Page 8]thorough the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God. And therefore it is also called the sacra­ment of Act. 2.3. repentance for the remission of sins. Deut. 26.17.18. Lauacrum illud èst obsignatio si­dei. Tertul. lib. de penit. Now thou hast avouched the Lord this day to bee thy God; & the Lord hath auouched thee to be one of his people.

Of this contract there are 1. Iohn. 5.7. three that beare wit­nesse in heauen, the Father the Word & the Holy ghost: & these three are one. For 1. Pet. 1.2. we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, thorough sanctifica­tion of the spirit, and sprinkling of the blood of Christ. 1. Iohn. 5.8. And there are three that beare witnesse in earth, The spirit and the water and blood, and these three agree in one. For Christ Eph. 5.26. sanctifieth, & clenseth his Church, with the washing of water by the word, that is by his blood, thorough the spirit, whereof the water and the word are the most significant signes, and instrumen­tall meanes. 1. Iohn 5.6. This is he that came by water and blood, euen Iesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood; and Es. 53.12. poured out his soule which is in the blood for vs. And now he V. 10. seeth his seed, Psal. 22.30. a seed that ser­veth him, accounted to him for a generation. Ioh. 6.63. It is the spirit that quickneth them, euen the renewing of the holy Ghost by the washing of regeneration. And 1 Ioh. 5.6. it is the spirit that beareth witnesse vnto them, be­cause the spirit is trueth. For Eph. 1.13.14 Vnde tanta vir­tus aquę, vt cor­pus tangat, & cor abluat, nisi faciente verbo? Non quiadicitur sed quia credi­tur, Aug. tract. 80. in Iohan. after that wee beleeue we are sealed with that holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance; & the pledge of our adop­tion. The minister indeed baptiseth in the name of the Father, and of the sonne, and of the holy ghost, by vertue of God his word, and of the commission gi­uen by Christ Iesus. But it is God himselfe that giues [Page 9]the blessing. As by Aaron and his sonnes he ordai­ned the blessing of the children of Israel saying. Num. 6.27. They shall put my name vpon them, and I will blesse them.

In a Church once planted, Poedobap­tisme. baptisme is administred vnto all that come, or are brought therevnto, even to new borne infants, by Christ his ordinance, and may not be neglected, or needlesly deferred. First because we haue Omnis anima eous (que) in Adam censetur, donec in Christo recen­seatur. Tert. lib. de anima. c. 40. need to bee regenerated so soone as wee are borne, being still borne in sinne, which Crescit cum aetatibus culpa. Ambr. lib. de Noe & Arca c. 22. groweth eve­ry day stronger and stronger vpon vs. Secondly chil­dren haue right of admission into the couenant, and Church of Christ Iesus, so soone as they are borne. Act. 2.39. For the promise is made to vs, and to our children. I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed, and not to ours only, but to all afar off. For now all nations are called and by baptisme to be admitted. Math. 28.19. Goe teach all nati­ons baptising them. So that in what nation soeuer the Gospell is preached & generally receaued, all there­in may be baptised, being presented therevnto by the Church. Wherein some especially, who Accommodat illis mater Ec­clesia aliorum pedes vt veni­ant, aliorum cor vt credant, ali­orum linguam vt confiteantur. Aug. ser. 10. de verb. Apostoli. present them, vndertake for them, as it were new parents in the Lord. For he is a father that doth a fathers part, as in the Gospell Luc. 10.29. &c. he is a neighbour, that doth the part of a neighbour. Thirdly baptisme is presently due be­cause Christ hath set no time for it, whereas the eight day was appointed for circumcision, but hath indefi­nitely commanded saying, Mark. 10.14. suffer little children to come vnto me, for to such belongeth the kingdome of heauen. And so it seemes the Apostles did, for they baptised whole 1. Cor. 1.16. housholds, amongst whom it is more then likely there were some children. Lastly as chil­dren [Page 10]haue need and are capable of baptisme, so is it profitable vnto them, principally as a meanes of re­generation ordained by Christ, through the grace of God, and withall because their godly parents, & they who sustaine that place, are bound thereby and made more carefull, to teach them; and themselues are oc­casioned to enquire and learne what As the Isra­clites of the Passover. Exod 12.26. that solemne service meanes, and to performe the same. As for the vow in baptisme, Sicut ergà se­cundum quen­dam modum sa­cramentum cor­poris Christi, corpus Christi est, & sacramē ­tum sanguinis Christi, sanguis Christi est, ita et sacramentum fi­dei, fides est. Aug. ep. 23. ad Bonifac. it Sequitur in corde conversio cuius mysterium pracessit in cor­pore, Aug. l. 4. de bapt. c. 24. respecteth the time to come, whereof we are capable from the first, as 1. Sam. 1.11. Samuel was vowed by his mother before he was borne, and wherein we must bee answerable to the last. For the faith required, wee are baptised into it; For God pre­venteth vs with his grace, and thereby inableth vs to be his schollers. Tit. 2.11.12. The grace of God that bringeth sal­vation teacheth vs: [...]. Mat. 28.19. Goe teach saith Christ, or make Disciples, baptising them: and bee Act. 2 38. baptised say they every one of you and you shall receaue the gift of the ho­ly Ghost. And so likewise for repentance it is indeed conditioned in baptisme, Ibid. Repent and bee baptised. Whereof such as be of age must giue present Vid. Mat. 3.6. testi­mony, with Act. 8.37. confession of their faith. But for little chil­dren they are baptised innocents in Christ, as they are borne peccants in Adam: and for actuall transgressi­ons, (which repentance doth properly respect) they are called innocents; I am sure their cause is much bet­ter in that respect; then in elder age: when by repen­tance we must vndoe as much as is done of our liues. Wherefore Christ saith. Mat. 18 3. Quantò magis à baptismo pro­biberi non debet infans, qui re­cens natus nihil peccauit, nisi quod secundum Adam carnaliter natus, contagium mortis antiquae prima natiuitate c [...]ntraxit? Qui ad remission em peccatorum ac [...]ipiendam hoc ipso facilius accedit, quod illiremittuntur, non propria, sed aliena peccata, Cypt. in ep. ad. epis. Fidum de infant: bapt. Except yee become as little [Page 11]children, yee cannot enter into the kingdome of hea­ven.

Baptisme being the Sacrament of inititation is but once, into the couenant and state of grace, Anabap­tisme. which is but one for all men, being once administred, as Christ hath instituted. Not 1. Cor, 1. one of Paul, an other of Apollo, another of Cephas, an other of Christ, as if Christ were divided, or we baptised into any mans name, sect, or faction. We beleeue one baptisme, for the remission of sinnes. Eph. 4.5. One Lord, one faith, one baptisme. And that but once. Sicut genera­tio carnalis vna est, nec repeti vterus potest, ita regeneratio spi­ritualis. Semel enim nascimur, semel quo (que) re­nascimur. Aug. tract: in Iohan: 11. cap. 12. Once borne, once new borne. For it is vn­to life eternall, which once begunne neuer endeth. Rom. 6.3. Knowe yee not that so many of vs as were baptised into Christ, were baptised into his death, v. 9. that as Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, v. 11. so we once dead vnto sinne, are aliue vnto God for euer through Iesus Christ our Lord? Wherefore should a­ny then be rebaptised? For as for them, who Heb: 6. hauing beene once inlightned, and haue tasted of the heauenly gift, and were made partakers of the holy Ghost, and haue tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, it is impossible to renew them againe vnto repentance; and for them in whom though they fall, 1. Ioh. 3.9. the seed remaineth, another baptisme is needlesse. For by the grace of God remai­ning in them Art, Eccles. Angl. 16. they may recouer and amend their liues.

Yet are there certaine mysticall acts though ¹ not other sacraments, namely confirmation and penance, Confirma­tion and Penance. which are appendants to the sacraments, and in this [Page 12]case and other like of good vse in the Church, for cor­rection, and instruction. For by the one, children that haue beene baptised are confirmed in the faith, when they come to age, wherevnto they were baptised: When themselues, assuming the vow of baptisme, 1. Pet. 3.21. stipulat a good conscience towards God, and ratifie what was vndertaken for them by their sureties. By the other such as are Vid. 1. Cor. 5 excommunicate, or deserue to be debarred the communion, hauing any way viola­ted, or scandalized the communion of Saints, are hum­bled, both for the satisfaction of the Church whom they haue offended, and for their owne reformation. That hauing renewed their vow in baptisme by re­pentance, they may bee absolued and Vid. 2. Cor. 2 readmitted to the Communion. Which See the Pre­face to the commination in the com­mon prayer­booke. godly discipline, (more fre­quent in the primitiue Church) is much to bee wished, that it may be againe restored with vs, to adde vigor, and life, to the word and Sacraments. For although excommunication for sinne, and absolution from sinne, be vertually implied in the word and Sacraments, for what is preaching, but a generall proclamation of par­don, to all penitent beleeuers, and a publike denuncia­tion of God his curse against obstinate vnbeleeuers? And what are the Sacraments, but the personall apply­ing of remission, and grace to every man in particular, and the detaining of them from the Communion, but the retaining of their sinnes? Yet the positiue sen­tence of binding and loosing, in a iudiciall proceeding is more powerfull with the conscience, & being Christ his Mat. 18.18. Ioh. 20.23. ordinance, is ratified in heauen, where it is right­ly administred.

Our Birth is at once, Communi­on. but our life in grace is a con­tinued act, and therefore hath continuall need of spi­rituall nourishment, to repaire what is wasted daily by sinne, and corruption, wherewith we are incom­bred, and for our growth to a perfect man in Christ Iesus. Our naturall life consists in the Vita animae deus est, haec corporis, hac fugiente soluitut hoc, perit haec desti­tuente deo, vnion and communion of the body with the soule, and our life supernaturall in the vnion, and communion of our soule with God; which is in Christ, who Iohn. 14.6. is the life, & Col. 2.9. in whom the fulnes of the Godhead dwelleth bo­dily. By what meanes he became partaker of our mor­tality, flesh and blood, by the same hauing conquered sinne and death, he makes vs partakers of his immor­tality and diuine nature, imparted in him to the hu­mane, and by it to vs. The Church and all the mem­bers thereof are in Christ, as Eue and all her children were in Adam; Gen. 2.23. flesh of my flesh saith he, and bone of my bone. That as wee drew corruption from Adam with his nature, so from Christ wee deriue incorrup­tion by his grace. Nay nearer then so; Eph. 5.30. wee are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones; not only deriued from him, or new begotten by him, but perpetually subsisting in him. As the Iohn. 15.4.5. graft in the stocke, which yeeldeth vs continuall sap, and spirituall nourishment vnto eternall life. Iohn. 14.19. Because I liue saith he, ye shall liue also. At that day you shall know that I am in the Father, and you in mee, and I in you. So dearely hath Christ loued vs, v. 20. and so nearely hath hee vnited vs vnto himselfe, that he is not satisfied, as not inioying himselfe, without vs, Eph. 1.23. his body, the Church, the fulnesse of him, that filleth all in all. 1. Cor. 12.13, And as all the [Page 14]members being many are one body, so also is Christ, namely his Church. Of which communion wee haue this other Sacrament.

Poculum im­mortalitatis, quod confectum est de infirmita­te nostra, & veritate diuina, habet quidem in se vt omnibus prosit, sed si non bibitur non me­detur. Prosp. in responsione ad obiectionem Vincentianam. The cup of blessing which wee blesse, No tran­substantia­tion. 1 Cor. 10.16. is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which wee breake, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body, for wee are all partakers of one bread. Bread still, though consecrated, yea and receaued; For it is the [...]. communion, not the Not [...] nor [...]. commixtion or confusion of his body with the bread, as if they were kneaded toge­ther, nor the Nor [...], seu [...]. translation of the bread into his body as if the one were supplanted by the other. But it is the But [...]. communion of his body, by a common vni­on of them both in the sacrament: which doth neces­sarily consist both of the outward signe, and inward grace. Whereof there is such a A [...]. Nazianz. [...]. Theodoret. [...]. Macarius hom. 27. reciprocall relation, and mutuall coniunction in a sacrament, by diuine institution, that they necessarily concurre as inte­grant parts thereof, without either of which it is no sacrament. And therefore to signify their neare and intimate vnion, they vsually haue one an others Solet res quae significat cius rei quam significat nomine nominayi. August. quaest. 57. super. Leuit. [...]. Talis est praedica­tio qualem admittit rerum conuenientia. Arist. [...]. names. Christ instituting this sacrament said this is my body, as Iohn. 6. elswhere he calls his body bread. His bo­dy was not then made paste, no more is the bread here made Flesh. But this being this, that is bread naturally, is the body of our Lord in a mystery, not changed from bread into his body, by a Possunt sacramen­ta honorem habere vt religiosa, non autem stuperem vt admiranda. August. lib. 3. de trinitate: 9.10. miracle. So that in [Page 15]respect of the whole sacrament, the mysticall substance whereof consisteth both of the sanctisied bread, and of Christ his sacred body, they may bee said in some sort to be Qui est à ter­ra panis percipi­ens vocationem dei, iam non communis panis est, sed euchari­stia ex duabus rebus constans, terrena, & ce­lesti. Ireneus: lib. 4. adver. haeres. cap. 34. consubstantiat, not in themselues, but in a third consisting of both. For neither the body of Christ without the bread, nor the bread without his body is the sacrament entire, but the one with the o­ther; both together, not in place, but in vse, being not contiguat, but Simul sunt relatè, cum e [...] closse sint [...]. coordinat to this end, by a spiri­tuall instiution, not by any corporall commixtion or composition. The bread, being consecrated to so high a mystery, doth truely, and really, but yet Poculum non­nè communi­tatio sanguinis Christi est (i) illa res externa visibilis, qua sanguis domini nobis exhibetur? Sic panis quem frangimus, est illa res externa visibilis, qua efficimursocij & membra cooporis Christi, sicut dicitur, evangelium est potentia Dei, (i) res seis instrumentum quo deus est efficax, Melancht: in 1. ad Corinth. 10. sacramen­tally, not only signifie, but represent, and indeed pre­sent, the very body of our Lord, not in the element, but in the sacrament, to euery right receiuer.

By faith we may be partakers Ego corpus Iesu Euangeli­um puto, & quando dicie qui non comme­derit carnem meam & bibe­rit savguia [...]m meum, licri & in mysterio possi [...] intelligi, tamen verius corpus Christi & sanguis eius, sermo scripturarum est. Hieron. in Psal. 147. spiritually of Christ his body without the sacred bread: Participa­tion by Faith: And without faith in his word we cannot receaue his body in the sacra­ment, but Multi de [...]ltari accipiunt & moriuntur, & accipiendo moriuntur. Aug. tract. 26. in Ioh. are deepely guilty thereof not 1. Cor. 11.29. Reliqui discipuli manducauerunt panem dominum Iudas panem domini. August. discerning the Lords body. Which commeth to passe either thorough vnbeleife of his word, who hath said this is my body, as when his body is nor at all discerned in the sacrament by faith, which is the Heb. 11.1. euidence of things not seene, and v. 27. discerneth him that is invisi­ble, but the sacred bread is taken as common, and so [Page 16] prophaned: or else by misbeleife of his meaning, as when his body is not Eiteram sequi, & signa pro re­bus quae his sig­uisicantur acci­pere, servilis est infirmitatis. Aug. lib. 3, de doctr, Christ. Cum figisrate dictum sic acci­pitur tanquam propriè dictum sit carnaliter sa­pitur. Ne (que) vlla mors animae congruentius appellatur Aug. de doct. christ. l. 3. cap. 5. discerned from the bread, but confounded therewith; which two must needs bee di­stinct in themselues, how neare soeuer conioyned in the sacrament. Now wee cannot possibly be more re­all partakers of any corporall thing, then by eating it, and seeding on it, whereby wee receaue it into our bowels, and conuert it into our substance; neither after generation, is there any such meanes of life, as nutri­tion, without which it would soone vanish and fade away, wherefore we are not only borne againe by wa­ter and the holy ghost, but continually sustained and nourished vp to Eternall life, & that by the very bo­dy and blood of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ. Iohn 6.51.55.56. I am the liuing bread saith hee which came downe from heauen, if any man eate of this bread hee shall liue for euer; And the bread which I will giue is my flesh, which I will giue for the life of the world. My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drinke indeed. Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him. But the spirituall food of our soules is not as the corporall food of our bodies, assimilated vnto vs, but wee are Hic panis in causam vitae appetendus, & deuorandus au­ditu, & rumi­nandus intelle­ctu, & side di­gerendus. Ter­tul. lib. de resur. Quid paras os & dentes, crede & manducasti. August. Haec quoties a­gimus, non den­tes ad morden­dum acuimus, sed fide syncera panem sanctum frangimus. Cyprian: in Sermon: de caena domini. changed into it. The body of Christ for our spirituall nourishment: is not made carnall food, the sacred bread is not turned into flesh, but we are made spiritually minded to feed thereon by Nam & ille panis viuus & cibus mentis, ergo traiiciatur in viscera animae tuae, transeat in affectiones tuas, & in mores tuos. Bern. Serm. 5. de aduentu domini. faith in his word, who hath saide this is my body (for Deut. 8.3. Mat. 44. man shall not liue by bread only, but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God) and to [Page 17]be made like vnto him, 1 Pet. 4.1.2. who suffered for vs in the flesh, arming our selues likewise with the same minde. For hee that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne. That he no longer should liue, the rest of his time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Doe wee now abolish the law by faith? Commu­nion in loue. God for­bid, nay we establish the law by an expresse article of our creed, & confirme it by this sacrament. For what els is the cōmunion of saints, & the sacrament therof? For 2. Cor. 6.14. what cōmunion hath light with darkenes? 1. Iohn. 1.6. If we say we haue cōmunion with him, & walke in darknes, we lye, & doe not the truth. But we walke in Darknes, if wee know not God, for v. 5. God is light, and in him is no darknes at all. 1 Ioh. 2.4. And he that saith I know him and keepeth not his comandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him. But hee that keepeth his comandements dwelleth in him, and he in him. To will, and to nill the same things is the sure bond of all amitie and friendship. Now because the communion betwixt God and vs is of infinite disparity, therefore his will is a law to vs, and our obedience is true loue vnto him. And weebeing many are thereby knit together in one body, holding the vnity of the spirit in this bonde of peace. Wherefore as wee vowe in baptisme that we will keepe Gods holy will & commandements, and walke in the same all the daies of our life: so by this other sacrament wee renew the same vow, so often as wee receiue it, repenting our sinnes past, the trans­gressions of that righteous law, resoluing and sted­fastly purposing, thorough Gods grace, to leade a new [Page 18]life, in all thankfull obedience vnto him, and true loue and charity amongst our selues. Wherevpon we receaue the blessed sacrament of Christs body & blood, most deepely binding our selues thereby to performe the same; and in the assured faith of Gods grace and helpe, that wee may walke in the strength of this spirituall food, the way of life by the law pre­scribed vnto vs.

When first the couenant was confirmed by Mo­ses with the Israelites at Horeb, The Law conditio­ned. God gaue them the law, & they accepted saying Exod. 19.8. all the words which the Lord hath commanded wee will doe, and be obedient. And when he renewed the same couenant with them in the land of Moab, they gaue their faith that they would obey. And so doe wee. Deut. 26.17.18. They avouched the Lord to be their God, and so doe we the Father Son & Holy ghost; and God auoucheth the holy catholike Church, as then he did them, to be his people. They promised to walke in his waies, and to keepe his com­mandements, and his iudgements; as they expected his blessing, c. 27. they bound themselues with an oath and with a curse, all which in effect wee likewise doe, to liue as becometh his saints, euen as wee expect his mercy, to forgiue vs our sinnes, and the power of his grace, to bring vs to ternall life. Wherevnto we binde our selues by vow and consignation, and as it were by contesseration in the sacraments. The law was not only giuen and required by God, but appro­ued & accepted by them, in their hearts to doe it, as their mouthes professed. In which respect Moses said, Deut. 30.14. the word is very nigh thee, in thy mouth, and [Page 19]in thine heart that thou maist doe it. Howbeit they breake their faith giuen, and their spirit was not sted­fast with God. Ps. 78.37. Their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his couenant. But now hauing renewed his couenant, as he promised, Gal. 3.7. with the children of Abraham that are by faith, the holy catholike Church, that they shall be his people, and that he will be their God; Ier. 31.33. Lex dei in cor­dibus scribitur non quia per na­turam praeven­ta sit gratia, sed quia per grati­am reparata est natura. August. de ver a inno­cent. cap. 258. hee puts his law in their inward parts, and in their hearts he writes it, euen the communion of saints, thorough faith, that wor­keth by loue. For beleeuing in Christ Iesus, we doe thereby acknowledge that the Law is holy, iust, and good. Holy in respect of the things commanded, else were not wee sinfull, who haue disobayed, nor nee­ded wee a mediatour. Iust in respect of the penalty inflicted, else why should Christ haue dyed that wee might be deliuered? Good in respect of the end pur­posed, life to the doer. Which Christ hath done, and liues for euer, and wee also by faith in him. If the same minde be in vs, that was in Christ Iesus, to be obedi­ent to the will of God vnto the death.

Cant. 8.6. Loue is stronger then death, The coue­nant indis­soluble. that neither life nor death can dissolue the communion betwixt God & his church, or any true member thereof; Whom hee hath set as aseale vpon his heart, as a seale vpon his arme, to loue and to defend for euer. For so hee saith; Heb. 13.5. I will neuer leaue thee nor forsake thee. c. 6.7. And being willing more abundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise, the immutability of his counsell, he hath con­firmed his word by the sacraments in his blood. v. 8. That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for [Page 20]God to lye, wee might haue a strong consolation, who haue fled for refuge, to lay holde vpon the hope set be­fore vs. We may therefore be bolde vpon it, if need be, to lay downe our liues for his sake, in whom our life is hid with God, knowing that euen in death wee shall be more then [...] Rom. 8.37. conquerours thorough him that lo­ued vs. Mat. 20.22.23. Can ye drink saith Christ of the cuppe wher­of I shall drinke, and can yee bee baptized with the baptisme wherwith I shall be baptized. And they said we can. And hee said yee shall. So must all 2. Tim. 3.12. Act. 14.22. suffer af­fliction some way or other, that will liue Godly. It is the portion of our cuppe, and calling, conditioned by God, vndertaken by vs in these sacraments; where­by we are assured that 2. Tim. 2.12. if we suffer with him, wee shall raigne with him. Wee are baptized into the death of Christ And the holy communion is not only a sacra­ment of the grace of life vnto vs, but a sacrifice of vs vnto God, and a protestation of our seruice vnto him, euen vnto the death, after the example of Christ Iesus. In [...]. Monumenta salutaris passio­nis. Basil in cannonditur. 1 Cor. 11.26. commemoration of whose meritorious suffe­rings, with a thankfull remembrance thereof, wee [...]. Monumenta salutaris passio­nis. Basil in cannonditur. 1 Cor. 11.26. se [...] forth his death vntill he come, & Rom. 12.1. offer vp our selues a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God, thorough Iesus Christ, consecrating & vowing our selues, what­soeuer we are, whatsoeuer we haue, wholy to his ser­uice, who hath redeemed vs. 2 Cor. 5.14.15. For the loue of Christ constraineth vs because we thus iudge, that if one dy­ed for all, then were all dead; and that hee dyed for all, that they which liue, should not henceforth liue vnto themselues, but vnto him that died for them, and rose againe. Heb. 13.15. By him therefore let vs offer the sacrifice of [Page 21]praise to God continually, that is the fruite of our lips, giuing thankes to his name, v. 16. not forgetting to doe good and to communicate, for with such sacrifice God is well pleased.

CAP. II. Faith working by loue according to the Lawe.
How doth faith worke by loue?

According to the law, teaching vs to doe what God hath commanded. The law establish­ed by faith Although faith rest not in our workes, which the law requireth, yet are Eph. 2.10. wee Gods workeman­ship, created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes, which [Page 22]God had before ordained, not only in his counsell, but by his law, that we should walk in them. And Gal. 3.12. although the law bee not of faith, that is of things to bee only beleiued, but to be done; for the man that doeth them shall liue in them, yet doth the law require faith, Heb. 11.6. without which it is impossible to please God. There­fore the law prescribeth faith in the first place, and throughout, namely that wee acknowlege god the lawgiuer, to be the lord our God, the only true God, and performe that faith vnto him, by an vniuerfall, & vniforme obedience, to the whole law, and euery title thereof, in regard of him that commandeth. Which iustifieth our faith to be in God, when it answereth his Servus qui ex domini iussu ea facit tantum­modò quae vult facere, non dominicam im­plet voluntatem sed suam Salv. l. 4. de guber. Die. whole will, as well of command as of promise, as well in one duety as in another. When God gaue the law to the Israelites, hee made himselfe knowne vnto them, by his wonderfull deliuery of them, out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, there­by to binde their obedience in faith to him, the only true God. Which was but a type and figure of the great saluation, from the power of satan by Christ Ie­sus. By faith in whose name, thorough his spirit, wee truely know, and rightly acknowledge the only true God. And the faith of God his loue to vs in Christ, knits our hearts againe in loue to God, and for his sake towards all men, as he hath commanded: & im­proues the formall worship of God vnto all sincerity in spirit and in trueth, and the common ciuility of the world vnto Christian charity zealous of good workes, for his glory that hath called vs to the know­ledge of his grace. For if God so loued vs as wee be­leiue [Page 23]then ought we also to loue one another, much more him who is the God of all grace and loue. Neither doe we beleiue indeed if wee loue not. Wee beleiue not Christ his incarnation, death, passion, resurrecti­on, and ascension, &c. Vnlesse Phil. 2.5. &c the like minde bee in vs that was in Christ Iesus. Who to redeeme the glory of god in vs, laide aside his owne glory, equall with the father, and humbled himselfe in the forme of a seruant, vnto the death of the crosse. As the fathers loue to the sonne begat in him the like affection to­wards vs, so doth Christ his Nullaest ma­ior ad amorem inuitatio quam praeuenire a­mando. Nimis (que) durus est ani­mus, qui delecti­onem, si nolebat impendere, nolit & rependere. August de ca­tèch. rud. cap. 4. loue, if wee embrace it by a true and a liuely faith, worke in vs the like loue towards our bretheren for his sake. Iohn. 15.9.10 As the father, saith hee, hath loued mee, so haue I loued you, continue you in my loue. If you keepe my commandements, ye shall abide in my loue, euen as I haue kept my fathers com­mandements, and abide in his loue. It is all one in the law, to loue God and to keepe his commandements. And Iohn. 14.23.24. if you loue mee saith Christ, keepe my comman­dements.

Which because we can in no sort doe of our selues, Gods law our pray­er. 2. Cor 3.5. who are not able as of our selues, so much as to thinke any good, therefore being preuented with his grace, Phil. 2.13. who worketh in vs both to will and to doe of his good pleasure; wee desire of God by prayer (as Christ hath taught vs) what he doth require of vs by the law. In omnibus e­nim monitis dei at (que) mandatis, vna cadem (que) ratio est, & di­vinae gratiae & humanae e­bedientiae. Nec ob aliud vnquam datur praeceptum, nisi vt quaetatur praecipientis auxilium. Prosp. Who therefore commandeth that wee may know what to craue of him. And it is our faith which by prayer obtaineth, what the law requireth. The graces inspired of God, faith, hope, and loue, breathe all a­gaine [Page 24]vnto godby prayer, Rom. 8.26. the spirit helping our in­firmities with groanes that cannot be expressed. For as the naturall life, so the spirituall confists in respira­tion, by hearing and praying, without the which there can be no true life, and well doing. Therefore Phil. 1.9.10. this we pray, that our loue may abounde yet more, & more, in knowledge and in all iudgement, that wee being in­structed out of the law, may approue the things that are more excellent, that wee may be sincere and with­out offence, till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruites of righteousnesse, which are by Iesus Christ, vn­to the glory and praise of God. Rom. 10.14. But how shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeved? By faith in the sonne of God wee know and beleeue in him, the only true God, and worship him in spirit and in truth. Gal. 4.6. Who hath sent downe the spirit of his sonne in­to our hearts, Faith in the trinity denyes not the v­nity of God. crying Abba father.

Doth our faith now in the trinity contradict the vnity, & transgresse the commandements. Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me. Nay the trinity of persons establisheth the vnity of the Godhead, whilest him­selfe is acknowledged the author, mediator, and doer of all in all. [...]. Plato in Philebo. & in Timaeo, [...], quo sensu vide Proclum. Is autem dicit Triadem exse omnia efficere. Who being infinit is not confined by any person: and the persons being distinct, are not con­founded in God. [...]. Serapidis responsum Thuli: in Aegipto. De his vide August. lib, 10. de civ. Dei. cap. 23. In deo vnasubstantia sed tres per­sonae: in Christo duae substantiae, sed vna persona. In Trinitate alius at (que) alius, non asiud at (que) aliud: In saluatcre aliud atq, aliud, non alius at (que) alius. Vincent: Ler inens: cont: Her. cap. 19. The father is God in his infinit es­sence or being, the sonne the same God in his infinit presence, and glorious appearing, the holy ghost the [Page 25]same god in his infinite power, & wonderfull working, three persons but one God: As to be, to be true, to be good, are all one, because transcendents. Some re­semblance wee haue of this great mystery in nature, but with great inequality, for what proportion can there be of things finite to that which is infinite? Two are much vsed in Scripture, the light, and the word. Gen. 1. The light which was three daîes before the sun, and then condensed into that glorious body, and euer since diffused thence thoroughout the world, is all one and the same light. So the Iames, 1.17. father of lights, that in­habiteth the light, that none can approach, and the Mat. 4.2. sunne of righteousnesse, Col. 2.9. in whom all the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily, and the holy Ghost the Eph. 1.17.18 spirit of illumination, are all one and the same God. Againe it is the same thing that the minde thinketh, and the word signifieth, and the voice vttereth. So is the Father as the minde conceauing, the Sonne as the word conceaued or Trismegistus Deum dicit ali­um [...] gonu­isse, vt refert Lactantius l. 4. de vera sapien­tia c. 6. Omne quod pra­dit ex aliquo se­cundum sit eius necesse est de quo prodit, non ideo tamen est separatum, se­cundum antem vbi est duo sunt, & tertius vbi est tres sunt. Tertul, contra Praxeam, c. 8. begotten, the holy Ghost as the voice or speech vttered, and imparted to all hearers, all one and the same God. Wherefore the Vni [...]as Mo­narchiae est tri­nitas oeconomiae, quarum altera non destruit al­teram, ibid. c. 2. Trinity of persons doth not deny the vnity of God, nay our faith in them, keepes vs close to that one and the on­ly true God, whilst he alone is acknowledged the au­thor and giuer, the mediatour and procurer, the Alm­ner and dispenser of all grace, and good things vnto vs. The superstitious thorough want of this faith, sup­posing it vnfit to presse with their prayers immediat­ly vpon God himselfe, or to imploy him in our af­faires, would vse the intercession of Saints, and nego­tiation of Col. 2.18.19. Angels, in a voluntary humility, vainely [Page 26]puft vp in their fleshly mindes, and not holding the head which is Christ. Who did not only dye for vs to be a 1 Ioh. 2.1.2. propitiation for our sinnes, but euer liues an ad­vocate with the Father making intercession for vs, neither is there any other. 1. Tim. 2.5. For as there is but one God, so there is but one mediatour betweene God and man, the man Christ Iesus. Iob. 5.1. Call now if there bee any that will answer thee, and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne? Es. 63.16. Doubtlesse O Lord our God, thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of vs, and Israel acknowledge vs not, thou O Lord art our father, our redeemer, thy name is from euerlasting. Ps. 73.25. Whom haue we in heauen but thee? and there is none vpon earth, that we desire with thee.

To praise the name of God and to pray vnto him, Christ the onely i­mage of God to be worshiped by faith in his name. by faith in his name, are the speciall parts of religious worship, intimated in the second commandement by bowing downe, because such gesture we vse, when wee giue thankes or make request, or doe any reverence, or worship. ⁱ Who so offereth praise glorifieth me saith God. ^h And to heare prayer is his praerogatiue. Now because we conceaue not, nor haue any Qui verò nul­lo potest sensu perspicuè videri facilè nequit ag­nos [...]i. Quod au­tem non agnos­citur diligenter coli non potest, nisi per medium Ioan. Sarisber. Policr. l. 5. c. 3. actuall vn­derstanding, but by imagination, which is an imagina­ry presentation of that to the minde which it inten­deth; therefore that wee may not wander in our ima­gination, nor frame to our selues any vnbeseeming Image, or conceit of God to whom we bow, he hath Ponitur nobis anteoculos Christus, tanquam perspicud Dei invisibilis imago, Col. 1.5. in cuius facie Deus pater (quialio qui procul esset absconditus) nobis apparet, ne nuda Dei maiestas immen­se suo sulgore nosabsorbeat. Calv. in Joh. 5.22. giuen vs his sonne Heb. 1.3. the expresse image of his person, 1. Tim. 3.16. God manifested in the flesh. In expectation of whom [Page 27]the euer promised Messiah, God gaue his people the Arke of his gratious presence, and afterwards the glorious temple, 1. King. 8. in which, and towards which their prayers being made were heard, and their seruice ac­cepted. Wherein also they were prescribed a forme of religion, in outward Sed quid pro­fero Numam, cū & patres fidei nostrae, veteris legis sacrificiae asserant institu­ta, ne in daemo­nicrum cultu populus occupa­tus, verae religi­onis dedisceret cultum, &c? Io­an, Sarisber, Po­licrat. l. 5. c. 3. rites, and ceremohies, and all to keepe them from Idolatry and will worship, in a faithfull expectation of him that should come. 2. Cor. 5.16. Num vt homi­nem adorabimus Immanuelem? Absit. Delira­mentum enim hoc esset, & de­ceptio ac error. In hoc [...]enim ni­hil ab ijs diffe­remus, qui crea­turam, vlirà fa­ctorem & con­ditorem colunt. Cyril. lib. de re­cta fide ad The­odosium. Et in anathe­matismum oc­ta vum. Vna ad­oratioue colimus Immanuelem, sed secundum quod essentialiter Dei filius, factꝰ est bypostatica vnione caro, &c. And when he was come, they who knew him after the flesh, would thenceforth knowe him no more in that maner. For while they had his bodily presence, the Ioh 16.7. Act. 1.6.8. Apo­stles themselues were not so capable of his spirit. Much lesse may we knowe Christnow, and acknow­ledge him with religious worship, in any Non vult se Deus in lopidibus coli, Ambros. in ep. ad valentinum contra Sy­machum 31. Nonest dubium quin religio nulla sit vbicun (que) simulachrum est. Lact. l. 2. de vera. sap. c. 19. Impossibile est vt qui Deum novit, supplex fiat statuae, Orig. contra Cels. l. 7. Sic omnino errare meruerum, qui Christum & Apostolos eiusnon in sanctis codicibus, sed in pictis parietibus quaesiverunt, August. de consens. Evangel. l. 1. image or pi­cture, which cannot expresse his Godhead, and there­fore cannot be the image of his person, consisting of God and Man, and subsisting wholy in God; neither can it expresse the whole man, but his body onely, if peraduenture it bee the right picture thereof, which who knowes? The word expresseth his minde, and by the Gospell wee haue a true and liuely Crucifix, Gal. 3.1. Christ Iesus evidently set forth before our eyes, cruci­fied amongst vs. Whom by the eye of faith (which is Heb. 11.1. v. 27. the evidence of things not seene) we may discerne be­ing now otherwise vnto vs invisible. And wheresoe­ver we are, if we beleeue in Christ, we shall neuer bee [Page 28]far to seeke where, and how to worship God. Ioh. 4.21.23 The houre is now come when (as our Saviour told the su­perstitious woman) neither on that mount, nor at Ie­rusalem, but the true worshippers shall worship the Fa­ther in spirit and in truth. 1 Ioh. 5.20.21 In hoc quod fe­cit hunc mundū coelo terra (que) con­spicuum, & an­tequam imbue­reatur in side Christi, not us omnibus genti­bus Deus. In hoc autem quod non est iniuriis suis, cum dtis falsis colendus, not us in Iudaea Deus. In hoc verò, quod pater est huius Christi, per quem tollit peccatum mun­di, hoc nomen cius prius eccul­tum omnibus, aunc manifesta­vit iis, quos de­d [...] ei pater ipse de mundo. Aug. tract. 105. super Iohan. The Father in the sonne who is the truth, by the holy Ghost. For we know that the sonne of God is come, and hath giuen vs an vnder­standing that we may knowe him, that is true, and wee are in him that is true, even in his sonne Christ Iesus. This is the true God and eternall life. Babes keepe your selues from Idols. Phil. 2.10, 11 At the name of Iesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. At his name, not at his picture, in his name, not by his image, all prayers and praises offered vp to God the Father are accepted with him. 1. Tim. 2.8. And now we pray every where lifting vp holy hands, Mal. 1.11. and from the rising of the sun, vnto the going downe of the same, the name of the Lord is great among the Gentiles. And in every place incense is offered, and a pure offering, euen Rev. 8.4. the pray­ers of the Saints, by the hand of the Angell of the coue­nant, Christ Iesus, at the altar of God his presence. For the Ps. 141.2. powring out of our prayers is as the incense, and the lifting vp of our hands as the evening sacri­fice.

But Lev. 10.3. God will be sanctified of all that come nigh vnto him. Propha­nesse, Hy­pocrisie, Blasphemy 2. Tim. 2.19. Let everyone therefore that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquitie. Heb. 12.29. For our God is a consuming fire, and will consume those with fire of his indignation, Le. 10.1. that offer strange fire vpon his [Page 29]altar. He is a iealous God, and will not hold him guilt­lesse that taketh his name in vaine. Which we doe, if either we take notice of his word, and works, without due affection, whereby he makes his name knowne; or if we vse any notification of him, but in his worship, or to his honour, with true religion and devotion. The Philosophers Rom. 1.21.22. who professed themselues wise, became fooles. Because when they knewe God by his workes of creation, they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull. But the due notice of God his workes by his word, thorough the working of his spirit, begets faith in vs, and that faith restraines from all evill by feare, and prouokes by loue to Igitur qui in­notentiam colit, domino suppli­cat, qui iustiti­am, deo libat, qui frandibus absti­net, oropitiat de­um, quihominē pericuto surripit, opimam victii­mam caedit. Min. Fael. oct. good workes; that we may 2. Cor. 6.1. not receiue the grace of God in vaine, nor take his name in vaine, & cause it to be euilspoken of. Is. 29.14. Mat. 25 8. Hy­pocrites draw neare God with their mouthes, and ho­nour him with their lips, but their hearts are farr off, Ezek. 33.31. running after couetousnesse. Ps. 66.18. But if I regard iniquity the lord will not heare me. Ps. 50.16.17 To the wicked God saith, what hast thou to declare my statutes, or to take my couenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest to bee refor­med. Prov. 28.9. The very prayer of the wicked is abominable, euen a mocking of God to his face, as the Mat. 27.29.30. souldiers bowing the knee mocked Christ, saying haile king of the Iewes and smote him with their hands. Where­fore Solomons counsell is god, Eccl. 5.1. v. 2. keepe thy foot when thougoest into the house of God, and bee more ready to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles, for they consi­der not that they doe euill. And that our mouthes be not rash, nor our hearts hasty to vtter any thing before God, Dauid his resolution is good in our greatest passions, [Page 30]and perturbations. psal. 39.1. I said I will take heed to my waies, that I offend not with my tongue. Least by cur­sing, swearing, forswaring wee pull downe the curse of God vpon vs, and cause Zach. 5.2.3.4. the flying roule to come forth; & to enter into our houses, to consume thē with the timber therof, & the stones thereof, & to cut vs off on this side, & on that side according to it. Yet are there greater prophanations then these, whereby the name of God is blasphemed. Iob. 34.18.19. Is it fit to say to a king thou art wicked, and to princes yee are vngodly? How much lesse to him that accepteth not the persons of princes? Yet desperat & forelorne malecontents, Es. 8.21. will curse their God and their king; and looke vpwards, when they are hardly bestead. And there are worse blas­phemers then these; the bloody persecutors of God his seruants, sticke Iames 2.7. not to blaspheme that worthy name of Christ, whereby wee are called. 1 Cor. 12.3. But no man spea­king by the spirit of God calleth Iesus accursed. And yet there are worse blaspheamers then they, Heb. 6.4. who hauing beene made partakers of the holy ghost, fall away despe­rately & malitiously to blaspheme Manifestꝰ est a side lapsus, & crimen maximae superbiae, vel a scripto recedere, vel non scriptum admittere, Basil: sermo: de fide. the known truth, & the spirit of truth being possessed with a spirit of contradictions, for whō there is no mercy, Heb. 6.6. no place for repētance. The prophane vnbeleeuer Acts. 7.51. resisteth the spirit of God, the formall professor Eph. 4 30. greiues the spirit of god, the lewde liuer 1 Thes. 5.19. quencheth the spirit of God, but the blasphemous apostata, Heb. 10.29. doth despite vnto the spirit of grace. But if we beleeue indeed as wee were baptised, & haue professed, in the name of the Father, Sonne, and Holy ghost, our hearts, and tongues, and deeds, will all ioyne together with the blessed An­gels, [Page 31]and all the powers of heauen, crying holy, holy, holy, lord God of saboth. Hallowed be thy thrice glorious name, O thou holy one, as thou hast com­manded.

That the name of God may bee knowne, The Chri­stian sab­bath of the holy Ca­tholike Church. and wor­shipped, as by euery man in priuate, so by all of vs in publike, God hath appointed the sabbath for the ho­ly assemblyes, representing the holy catholike Church, in acknowledgement of his kingdome, atten­ding his grace, in holy exercises, and Christian du­ties, and expecting his glory. Which day may not be otherwise imployed farther then necessity enforceth, (which is god his dispensation, and hath no law) or then mercy to our selues, & others requireth [...]at. 12.7. which God will haue and not sacrifice. Of which duty some question hath beene made of late, whether it bee of faith, I suppose for these reasons principally. First be­cause in nature there is little or no appearance of rea­son for the sabbath, that it should bee morall. Second­ly because it seemes not to be any where expressely recognised in the new testament, as the other com­mandements are, but rather to bee slighted both by Christ and his apostles. Thirdly because in keeping the sabbath the Iewes were to obserue certaine ceremo­nies, which are now abolished by the Gospell. And lastly because Christians haue neuer kept that day, which the Iewes did, & the commandement seemes to prescribe. Which doubts if they may be cleared, I hope the ten commandements will holde together, and not breake company, being all of the same kinde, and Exod. 31.18. c. 34.38. written with God his owne finger. He spake these [Page 32]ten words and added no more vnto them. For the na­turall reason of the sabbath somewhat hath already beene said in the proper place thereof, concerning the I book. ch. 5. law of nature. But may not a law be morall for the vse thereof, vnlesse it be naturall in respect of the cause? Christ hath promised that where two or three are gathered together in his name, he will bee in the midst of them. Now although God be euery where, at all times, yet for our Ne inordinata congregatio po­puli fidem mi­nuoret in Cor­ste, proptereà dies aliqui con­stituti sunt, vt in vnum oomes pariter venire­mus, Hieroniad Gal. 4. meetings, there must needs be a set time, which it is iust that God, who appoints the meeting, should designe, and not wee. There may be holy assemblyes as that of Acts 10. Cornelius vpon any day, to heare the word, to praise God, and to pray vnto him, as occasion is offered inseason, and out of season, & the Lord will be found in them. But on the Lords day the holy assemblies must bee, and that weekely, because hee hath commanded, and hath giuen vs the reason which we haue belecued.

Now for that which Christ said or did we may bee well assured that his intent was not to violate the law of the sabbath, The sab­bath not abrogated by Christ. who came not to breake the law, but to fulfill it, and was therein so punctuall and exact, Mat. 3.15. to performe all righteousnesse, that if it were but a cere­mony, he would haue obserued it; because all was to continue vntill the vaile, of the temple, his body, was rent. Hee often tooke occasion indeed by their grea­test assemblies on the sabbath daies, to doe some mi­racles, & workes of mercy in their sight, to confirme the truth of what he taught, namely that hee was the Lord of the sabbath, and the mercifull sauiour of the world. This lesson hee first read vnto them out of the [Page 33] Luk. 4.16.17.18. Prophet Isaiah, in one of their Synagogues, as his custome was, on the sabbath day. Which they should now haue taken forth by him, being the chiefe and principall end of their sabbath. But when they per­versely misconstrued his doings, he iustifying the same as also his Disciples plucking the eares of corne, to sa­tisfie their hunger, tooke occasion to teach them bet­ter what was the right vse of the sabbath. Not a Cui septima quae (que) fuit lu [...] Ignava — Invenal. Sat. 14. & Sat. 6. Observant vbi festa mero pede sabbata reges. De itinere sa­batico. Quos etiam irridet, Plutarch. libel. de superstitione. super­stitious cessation from worke, but a spirituall attention to the workes of God, euer admitting our workes of mercy, and of necessity. And if Christ thereby abroga­ted the sabbath, then did hee abolish the other com­mandements also whereof he said, Mat. 5. So and so it hath beene said vnto you of old, but I say vnto you, thus and thus shall yee doe; and then was the Sabbath abroga­ted long afore by the Prophet Isaiah, in the name of the Lord. Isa. 1.13. The new moones and sabbaths, the calling of solemne assemblies, I cannot away with. But this Christ hath taught vs concerning the sabbath: Mark. 2.27. That it was made for man & not man for the sabbath; as in­deed the whole law was made for man, not to breake, but to keepe it, for his owne good. This especially was a provisionall statute for his benefit, Quian. dura­bile non est quod requie caret, o [...] tium quoddam sanctum Deus praecepit, vt in­satiabilem ho­minum cupidi­tatem fraenaret, qui tam seipso [...] quam servos suos nimijs laboribus exhauriunt, modo lucrum faciant. Gualterus homil. 56. in Luc. partly in re­gard of his body, whose worldly heart would else giue him no rest, but would make him out-worke Gods curse, if God did not allow vs a rest, supplying vs the while with necessaries by his ordinary prouidence, Exod. 16.24. as he did the Israelites by miracle; but principally for his soules good, that he might attend, and receaue [Page 34]the Homini non ante septimum laetalis inaedia est. Plia. hist. nat. l. 11. c, 53. Pleri (que) ex his qui septem diebus nihil edere, aut bibere volunt in his moriuntur, quod si quidam eos super averint, nihilominus tamen moriuntur. Hyp. l. de carn. ad sinem. Non possunt boni mores ne secundum naturam quidem ipsam, apud eos homines constare, qui vnum de septem diebus, non observant, & sanctificant domino. Iun. de Pol. Mosis, c. 8. spirituall food thereof vnto eternall life.

As for the Apostles, The Sab­bath not a­brogated by the A­postles. S ^t Paul writing to the Gala­tians condemnes the superstitious Gal. 4.10. obseruing of daies and months, and times, and yeares in generall, whereof the Iewes accounted some more holy, & the Gentiles some more happy. But to the Colossians he speakes of Sabbaths by name, reckoning thē amongst shadowes, he saith Coloss. 2.16. let no man iudge you in respect of the Sabbaths, a phrase which he vseth Rom. 14.4.10.13. elsewhere, for­bidding all censuring, & contending about things in­different, amongst which he reckons the obseruing of a day, and it may bee, that set day for the Sabbath; for he saith V. 6. he that obserueth a day, obserueth it to the Lord, and he that obserueth not a day to the Lord, hee not obserueth it: for the which hee would not haue them iudge one another. To the same purpose hee speakes of the sabbath to the Colossians. Is the sab­bath then a thing indifferent? Then were it no morall commandement. The sabbath is not a thing indiffe­rent, but at that time there were different daies of sab­bath; one which the Iewes obserued, and were for a Ceremonie ab Apostolis, non vt foetida cada­vera mox pro­fanè abiicieban­tur, sed religiose ad sepulturam deducebantur. Postquam vero semel sepultae fu­erunt, fi quis e­as refodere at (que) observare vellet, non esset pius funeris deductor, sed impius sepul­turae violator, August. ep. 19. ad Hieron. while to be borne withall, as for other ceremonies; an other which the beleeuing Gentiles obserued, as they were taught by the Apostles, in honour of Christ his resurrection: and therefore the Apostle there speakes of Sabbaths. Now it seemes that as the Co­rinthians, and the Galatians, so also the Colossians, [Page 35]were troubled with false Apostles, or with some such as in this case walked not vprightly, but would com­pell the Gentiles to obserue the same day, amongst o­ther things, which the Iewes did: of whom he warnes them at the 8. ver: and in this 16. ver: armes them a­gainst their censures. Let no man iudge you in this case, for as for the set day of the sabbath, which the Iewes stand vpon, it is but as their new moones, & the like ce­remonies; which Christ buried when hee lay their whole sabbath day in the graue; the substance is Christ and his resurrection, Si nobis non resurrexit, vti (que) non resurrexit, qui sibi cur re­surgeret, non ha­bebat. Ambr. in orat. de fide re­sur. which Christians are to honor, where of he speakes Col. 2.12. a little before, and an on againe in the C. 3. v. 1. beginning of the next Chapter. Brifley, whilst there were two sabbath daies in vse, the one obserued by the Iewes, the other by the beleeuing Gentiles, hee would not haue them troubled at any mans censure in that respect, nor to contend amongst themselues thereabout, but to looke to the maine, and to hold it which was on their parts. Non tempora observamus, se [...] quae illis signifi­cantur tempori­bus, Aug. contrae Adimant. c. 16. He remoueth the ceremo­ny of the sabbath, to establish the substance.

It seemes then there was something ceremoniall in the sabbath, which is the next obiection. The Iewes typical vse of the Sab­bath aboli­shed. The law it selfe was not ceremoniall but morall, only there was a ceremoniall vse annexed vnto the law for the time, to be obserued by the Iewes. As the Gen. 9.13. Rainebow, a natu­rall impression in the cloudes, is made a signe by God his appointment, that there shall be no more any vni­versall deluge; and Gen. 2.24. mariage instituted in Paradise, was after vsed for Eph. 5.23. a type of the vnion betwixt Christ and his Church. The Iewes had a threefold typicall vse of the sabbath: First Exod. 31.13. it was a discretiue signe that [Page 36]they were the only people of God, because besides them none observed the sabbath. Which figure ceased in Christ, by whom the partition wall was cast downe, and the light of the comfortable day of rest brake forth vnto all people. Wherefore now wee keepe the sabbath not on the Iewes day, as if we were their Sa­batarian proselites, and had title by them, but on the Lords day, Gal. 3.28. in whom there is neither Iew nor Gentile, but all are one in Christ. Secondly it was a memora­tiue signe vnto them Deut. 5.15. for a perpetuall remembrance of their deliuery out of Egypt: Which vse likewise was taken away in Christ, who hath redeemed vs from the miserable bondage of sinne, and Satan, where of their deliuerance was a type, and consequently that vse of the sabbath, in remembrance thereof. The third typi­call vse of their sabbath was Heb. 4. a figuratiue signe of their rest in the promised land, which was accomplish­ed in Christ, who thorough death is entred for vs, and leads vs the way into the heauenly Canaan. And gene­rally all outward observances, as Exod. 16.29. not to goe out of their places on the sabbath day, Cha. 35.3. not to kindle a fire, Ier. 17.21. not to carry a burden; and the respects to outward things, in all which they were more superstitious then was required; were all poedagogicall appendices of the Sabbath proper to the Iewes, in whom the Church was trained vp by temporall, and sensible things, and in a most strict, and seuere manner. Sic ergò intel­ligendum est, si­ve in isto die volubili septi­mo prandiatur, siue à quibusdā etiam ieiunetur, tarzen sabbato spirituali sabba­tum carnale ces­sisse [...] quando in isto sempite [...]na & vera requie sconcupiscitur, in illo vacatio temporalis iam superstitiosa contemnitur, Aug. ep. 86. ad Casalam. [...]. Non igitur sabba­tizemus more [...]udaico, velut otio gaudentes. [...], &c. Sed vnusquis (que) nostrum sabbatizet spiritualiter. Ignat. in Epist. ad Magnesios. All which are eased [Page 37]or remitted in Christ, by whom wee are plainely taught to looke vnto things spirituall and Eternall, & are therein exercised with a more free, and reasona­ble seruice. All typicall vses of the sabbath tending to Christ his comming in the flesh, & the things per­formed already by him, for the work of our redempti­on, are ceased, and all the seruices belonging there­vnto. Yet in respect of things [...] Ad super­nae siquaem vitae statum spectat. Greg. Nazianz: de noua donanica crat. 43. Repu­diamus ergoe­am carnalem tum apostolo, & approbamus eam spiritualem cum apostolo, qui sabbati qui­etem non obser­uamus in tem­pore, sed signum temporale intel­ligimus, & ad aeternam quie­ [...]em quae illo signe significatur aciem mentis intendimus. August. l. contra Adimant Mani­chaeidiscip. cap. 16. perpetually spirituall, and of eternall, which are yet to come the sabbath may still haue some typicall vse. Ezek. 20.12. It is a signe for euer that God sanctifieth his people, and a figure of our E­ternall rest, Rev. 14.13. when wee shall all rest from our labours, Isa. 66.23. and when from one sabbath to another all flesh shall come before him. [...], Heb, 4.9. There remaineth therefore a rest, or sabbath keeping, to the people of God.

Now for the day, the law doth not say expressely, The Chri­stian sab­bath day within the compasse of the cō ­mande­ment. what seauenth day shall be the sabbath which may be any in respect of number and order, according as wee begin to reckon; but appointing or allowing six daies indefinitely for ordinary labour in our cal­lings, it commandeth the Sed si sabbatum audierit, non intelligit nisi vnum diem de septem, qui continuo volumine repètuntur. Aug. de Doctr. chr. l. 3. c. 5. Iam hinc abinitio doctrinam hanc nobis insmu­at deus, erudiens, in circulo hebdomadae, diem vnum integrum segregandum & seponendum in spiritualem operationem. Chrisost homil. 10. in Genes. seauenth to bee kept ho­ly to the worship of God, as god made all things in six daies and rested on the seauenth, not specifying which were the six daies, or which the seauenth, ei­ther [Page 38]in the precept or in the reason. How doth it ap­peare that the World was begunne vpon sunday, that saturday must needs be the seauenth? And if the sab­bath which is the period of the weeke, were not ob­serued nor commanded all that time, from the crea­tion to the beginning of the law, (as some say) by what monuments shall it appeare, that the weekly account of daies was kept vntill then, iust in the same order as it was in the creation? The first sabbath that we read of since the creation, was Exod. 16. when God gaue the Israelites Manna from heauen, the seauenth day after the sixe daies, whereon they gathered the Man­na, reckoning from the day of their murmuring, what­soeuer day of the weeke, the fifteenth day of the se­cond moneth, after their departing out of the Land of Egypt. But suppose (as it is not vnlikly) whatsoe­uer weekely reckoning had beene formerly kept of the dayes, that God when hee gaue the law, did set them the very seauenth day in order from the creati­on, yet were the daies since that altered, Iosuah. 10.13 when the sunne stood still at the prayer of Iosuah, and Isai. 38.8. when it went backe for a signe to Hezekiah. Whereby the sab­bath, if it must be the seaventh part of the weeke, con­sisting of 24 houres was certainely altered, that it came either later in the space of time, or sooner in the number of daies. Si Iudeus sab­batum colendo dominicum ne­gat quomodo Christianus ob­seruat sabbatū? An simus Chri­stiani & domi­nicum colimus: aut simus Iudaei vt sabbatum ob­seruemus? Ne­mo enim potest duobus dominis seruire. Nonné ita loquitur tanquam sabbati alius dominus fit alius dominici? Nec illud andit quod & ipse commemorauit: Deminusest enim sabbati filius hominis August. ep. 86. ad Casulan. Howsoeuer the same authority which appointed one seauenth day at the creation, hath appointed this other, which wee now obserue euer since the redemption, and both within the com­passe [Page 39]of the same commandement, which indefinit­ly alloweth vs six daies for our workes, and apponit­eth the seauenth for a sabbath to the Lord.

Mark. 2.28. The sonne of man is Lord of the sabbath. The Lords day desig­ned by Christ for the sab­bath. And that he did make this the sabbath, the Apostle insinuats sufficiently, writing to the Iewes, when hee saith, Heb. 4.9.10. Vid: Iun. paral: [...]. 3. in locum. There remaineth a rest to the people of God, for hee that is entred into his rest, that is Christ, he also hath ceased from his workes, as God did from his: Leauing them to gather the conclusion, namely that as God when he had created all things rested the seauenth day ad sanctified it, Si dei requies causa sanctisica­tionis diei est, consequenter v­bi maior et ve­rior eius re­quies, illic san­ctificatio copio­sior. Rupertus de diuin: offic. l. 7. c. 19. so Christ when he had finished the worke of our redemption, rested this seauenth day, and sanctified it, in honour of his Cuius benefi­cii commemora­tio successit me­moriae creatio­nis, non tradi­tione humana, sed Christi ipsius obseruatione, at (que) instituto. Iun: in 2. cap. Gen, resurrection. God gaue them time and place the sabbath, and the land of Canaan, to lead them by degrees, in types to the eternall rest in heauen; they Heb. 3. & 4. ch. wanted faith to dis­cerne what was figured. Ch. 4.6.7. Seeing therefore that it re­maineth that some must enter in, and they to whom it was first preached, entred not in because of vnbeleife, againe therefore he limiteth a certaine day, saying to day after so long a time. v. 5. If Iosuah had giuen them rest, who brought them into the land of Canaan, if there they should haue set vp their rest, then would hee not afterward haue spoken of another day, v. 9. there remai­neth therefore a rest, even a sabbath keeping, for the people of God, a farther place, for which another day is appointed. Christ buried their sabbath, in so much as it was ceremoniall, namely that set day, and their sacrificing seruices, and outward obseruances in his graue, where hee lay that whole day of their sabbath, [Page 40]and rising againe the next day, when all his labours ceased, he thereby sanctified that day a sabbath, to all that beleeue in him; pointing vs to the Requies est quaedam ab om­ni labore omni­um molestiarum sancta at (que) per­petua: in eadem nobis ex hac vi­ta sit transitus, quem dominus noster Iesus Christus sua pas­sione demonstra­re ac consecrare dignatus est. Inest autem in illa requie non desidiosa segni­tia, sed quaedam ineffabilis tran­quilitas actio­nis otiosae. Aug. ep. 119. ad Ia­nuar. [...], &c. At post sabbatum omnis Christi amator domini cum celebret diem, resurrectioni consecratum dominicae, reginam & principem omnium dierum. Ignat: in epist: ad Magnesios. Iure igitur sanctae congregationes die octavo in ecclesiis fiunt. Inquit Cyrillus ib. 12. In Ioan. cap. 58. eternall rest, which he had now fully purchased for vs, and where­into he will bring vs, by the resurrection of our bodies also, in Euerlasting life. And therefore though all his former life he obserued the Iewes sabbath in their assemblies, yet after that hee was risen from the dead he thenceforth obserued this new day of rest, ^x giuing his disciples meeting vpon this day when they were as­sembled together, and ^y againe that day sennight. And after himselfe was ascended, hee sent downe the holy Ghost vpon them, when they were met together a­gaine on this day. Which it seemes the holy Ghost would haue well noted, saying, in such precise termes, that it was when the day of Pentecost [...] Act. 2.1. Lev. 25.15. was fully come, for that being reckoned as was ^a appointed, fifty daies from the morrow after the passeouer, which was that yeare on the saturday, to the morrow after the seauenth sabbath, it must needs be this very day of the weeke which is our sabbath. So that on this same day Christ rose, appeared twice, and thirdly sent the holy ghost, euery time when they were assembled, and lastly appeared Revel. 1.10. to S ^t Iohn being in the spirit on the Lords day, teaching thereby the Church represented in them, to assemble euer on [...], sublimi vti (que) sublimior, & admirabili admirabilior. Greg: Wazianz. de nova deminica, orat. 43. p. 700. that day, and euery one to bee spiritually minded, and exercised in re­membrance [Page 41]of his resurrection, attendance on the holy ghost, and expectance of our finall glory in the presence of God the father. It is therefore most fitly called Quia enius sabbati tunc ap­pellabatur dies qui nunc domi­nicus appella­tur: August. ep. 86. ad Casulan. the Lords day, Ps. 118.24. This is the day which the Lord hath made, wee will reioice and be glad in it. And it may bee called sunday in a better sense then the Ecce enim dies solis adest. Sic enim barbaries diem domini­cum vocitare consueta est. Greg. Turonensis: Histor. lib. 3. cap. 13. hea­thens knew, because on this day Malach. 4.2. Solis autem die commu­niter omnes conuentum agimus, quandoquidem, is primus dies est, quo deus è tenebris & mate­ria, quam prius creauerat, versa, mundum essecit, & Iesus Christus seruator noster, eo ipsodie a mortuis resurrexit. Iuslin: Martyr apolog. lib. 2. the sunne of righte­ousnes arose with healing vnder his wings. But how­soeuer the name be, the duty of a sabbath remaines to bee performed by the expresse law of God inuio­lable.

Which the Apostles were carefull to obserue, The Lord ^s day hath euer bin obserued as the sab­bath by the church as ap­peares not only by their former assemblies, & exerci­ses on that day, but afterwards againe. Act. 20.7. and by their doctrine. The spirit calling all things to their remembrance which Christ had taught and commanded them. For that very day the Apostle ap­pointed to be religiously kept, not only at Colossi as it hath beene shewed, but expressely in the Church of 1 Cor. 16.1. Corinth and Galatia, and accordingly, wee may well suppose, in all other Churches. This day thus instituted, the Die dominico, qui est dies re­surrectionis slis­diosius templum domini adite. — Quid enim apud deum ex­cusare poterit, qui eo die ad audiendum verbum dei salutare, de resurrectione non conuenit? Clem; Const. l. 2. c. 59. Church of Christ hath euer since kept as their sabbath, and that aunciently with such seuere necessity, as that for this very cause the whole Vid. Euseb. Eccles, bist. lib. 5. cap. 11. & Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 21. Greeke Church, was excommunicated by Victor Bishop of Rome, (whose authority and proceedings therein I [Page 42]vndertake not) because they would keepe Easter the Lord his holy day in honour of his resurrrection, vpon any day of the weeke, if it were the [...] quartadecimam foureteenth day of the moneth, and not put it ouer to this day of the weeke Vid. I fiodor: de ecclesiast. offic. l. 1. cap. 31. It was de­creed by the counsell of Nice. Ruffinus lib. 1. cap. 6. Cur id obserue­tur cum pascha celebratur vt sabbatum oc­currat. Hoc e­nim proprium Christiane reli­gionis est. Aug. ep. 119. ad Ia­nuar: & paulo post, Orbi vni­verso Christia­no persuasum est, eo modo pas­cha celebrari oportere. as the first and great sabbath, whence all the other throughout the yeare are reckoned. Were the Lords day kept weekly, as other holy daies are yearely, only as an holy day, not as the sabbath, then were the daie of the moneth fittest for Easter, as for other holy daies, but being the same seauenth day of the weeke must of necessity be kept, the yearely holy day must be translated to this day of the weeke, rather then the weekly sabbath varied euery yeare by that holy day. See the conference at Hampton Court. p. 45. reprinted: 1625. In the Synod called and held by the late King Iames of blessed memory, when many things were not found need full to be amended, the motion for a stricter course to reforme the prophaning of the sabbath day, by that name without scruple, Tertio Caroli. Constanti [...]us Imperat: grauissima authoritate sanciuit dominicum. Enseb. lib. 4. de eius vita. which now (blessed be God) is happily inacted by Parliament, founde a ge­ner all and vnanimous consent. For they well percea­ued that if this duty were remitted, the life of religi­on, which hath a long time languished, would soone be vtterly extinct, and vanish. Cum ex septem diebus vnus in domini honorem consecratus sit, religionis prorsus dissolutae suerit nos ali­orum dierum ad opera vsu contentos non esse, ne (que) illum domino eximium, & in violatum conser­vare, sed ipsum etiam vulgarem facere. nostris (que) operibus applicandum putare. Leo imperat Novel. 54. For howsoeuer it may be pretended, instead of the seauenth to keepe euery day holy, yet is it easily seene, that many who make no religion of the sabbath, are indeed euery day alike, prophane enough; whereas they who doe most [Page 43]devoutly redeeme some time of respit euery day, from their owne affaires, to the seruice of God, doe most earnestly desire, and carefully vse the helpe of the seauenth day, to repaire their defaults on the o­ther sixe.

To conclude, The sab­bath re­spects the kingdome of God. of all the commandements in the morall law, the sabbath especially is of faith, not only in God the father because of the creation, but in Christ the redeemer, and throughout the whole creed, acknowledging Gods kingdome of nature, grace, and glory. That day which the Iewes obserued, was as their other holy daies, & new moones, Colos. 2. v. 17. a sha­dow; the body is of Christ; Namely the Ephes. 1.23. 1. Cor. 12.12. catholicke Church, which is the body of Christ, his redeemed kingdome, for which he prayed, and dyed. For that being euery where dispersed, is in many places gathe­red together, and generally resembled, by the holy as­semblies, on the Lords day. Ideo upostosi nê ecclesia cum Iu­deorum super­stitionibus ali­quid communè haberet, otium illud sacrum in sequentem diem transtulerunt. At ijdem non tantum sibi per­miserunt, vt preceptam diei septimi obseruae­tionem, in deci­mum aut quem­cun (que) alium extenderent. Horum igitur exemplo nos insisterc conuenit, nesub liber totis Christianae praetextu in illis ludamus. quae deux certacum ratione instituit, & illa tandem in licentiam dege­neret, quae vt consusionem gignit, ita animos tandem ab omni religione alienat, Gualt. in Lu­cam. hom. 56. And therefore the Iewes day of sabbath, wherby they were distinguished from all others, as the peculiar people of God, is now al­tered, the grace thereof being extended vnto all nati­ons. For now from one sabbath to another, from that of theirs to this of ours, and from one Lords day to an other, all flesh comes to worship before him. And this we pray, that his kingdome may come yet more, and more, euen the power of his grace, that the holy catholicke church may become euery day more and more sanctified, and enlarged, vntill wee all come to [Page 44]be glorified with him, in that eternall rest whereinto hee is entered for vs. Psal. 84.1. How amiable are thy taberna­cles O Lord of hostes. My soule longeth yea euē fainteth for the courts of the Lord. A day in thy courts is bet­ter then a thousand elswhere. Heb. 10.19, &c, Hauing therefore bold­nesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus, by a new and liuing way, which hee hath consecrated for vs, thorough the vaile that is to say his flesh, let vs draw neere, with a true heart in full assurance of faith, not forsaking the assembling of our selues together, Quum deus noster singulari sua erga nos charitate è sep­tem diebus v­num duntaxat instaurandae fidei nostrae, at­que adeo vitae aeternae, sancti­ficauit, ei (que) diei vt sacrae in eo administratae rèligiones, ad permouendam salutem nostram essent efficaces, bene dixit, deploratum sane is se contemptorem demonstrat, sicut salutis propriae, ita tam admiraudae dei no stri in nos benificentiae, eo (que) omnino indignum, qui in populo dei viuat, quicun (que) non studiat eum ipsum diem domino deo suo glorificando, & procurandaesaluti propriae sanctificare, &c, Bucer, lib. 1. de regno Christi: cap. 11. lege totum cap. as the manner of some is, but exhorting one an other, & that so much the more as wee see the day approching. Let thy kingdome come O Lord Psal. 110.3. that thy people may be willing now in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holinesse from the wombe of the morning. Ps. 65.1. Then shall praise waite for thee O God in Sion, and vnto thee shall the vow be performed in Ierusalem.

Thus the duties of Loue to God are all directed vnto him, The per­fect will of God to be done on earth. and exercised by faith in Christ, with true godlinesse; and this faith againe is approued to God by the workes of loue, in all goodnesse towards men, for his sake, whereunto all the dueties of the second table are reduced. 1 Ioh: 3.23. For this is the commaundement of God, that wee should beleeue on the name of his sonne Iesus Christ, and loue one another as hee gaue vs commaundement.

All the duties of loue prescribed, by the law are by [Page 45]faith improued to an higher degree of perfection then the letter imports; hee being the Mat. 5. interpreter, who was the lawginer, and shall bee our iudge. For now wee see that not only the acts but thoughts and occasions of euill are vnlawfull, and wee finde our selues bound in conscience to performe our duties to men, Colos. 3.22, 23. not with eye seruice as men pleasers, but with singlenesse of heart, fearing God; And whatsoeuer wee doe, to doe it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men. The first and last commandemets, which are the two great commandements including all the rest, ex­pressely require the heart. Thou shalt haue no other gods, Nor couet an others goods. Mat. 15.9. Out of the heart pro­ceede euill thoughts, murders, adulteries, thefts, false witnesse, &c. which are transgressions of the seuerall commandements, and by them forbidden, as they are any way followed or embraced by vs. But by the last commandement the first motion of euill arising in our corrupt hearts is condemned, and wee are thereby made guilty of the sinne that is in vs by na­turall corruption. Rom. 7.7. I had not knowne lust except the law had said, Thou shalt not lust.

Howsoeuer the law be giuen for the most part in negatiue termes, to restraine first of all frō grosse iniu­ries, and exorbitances, and from all the occasions, and appendants of sinne, which are not allowable at any time, yet doth the affirmatiue of the law, not only where it is expressed; but as it implyed in the prohi­bitions, binde vs at all times, though not to all times, to doe good vnto all, as we haue opportunity. So far must wee bee from doing any euill vnto others, as ra­ther [Page 46]willingly to suffer euill of others for well doing, if it may not be otherwise. And the workes of perfecti­on as some call them, supposing that they are only [...]. Plato. As wher Christ saith I coun­sell thee to buy of mee &c. Rev. 3.18. Consitium inclu­dit proeceptum Bellarm. Est instrumen­tum praecepti. Thom. Praeceptum ex hypothesi. counselled in the Gospell, and therefore arbitrary, are indeed cōmanded by the law, Ps. 19.7. for the law is per­fect, and are duties necessary for euery man to doe, if there bee As in time of persecution or first planta­tion of the Gospell. So did the first conuerts. vid. Act. 2.44.45. & cap. 4.32.34. Cause and the case require. And otherwise who hath required these things at your hands? When the young man whom Christ bad sell all that he had, and giue to the poore, that hee might follow him, Math. 19.21. if hee would be perfect, went away sorrowfull, be­cause hee had great possessions; then said Iesus vnto his disciples, verily I say vnto you, v. 23. That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen. Christiani v­nuiscuius (que) of­ficium est vt a­nimo propter Christum relin­quat omnia, par atus etiam ex facto relin­quere vbires desiderauerit. Iun. in Bell. contra: 5. lib. 2. c. 8. S. parag. 42. Now that is necessary without which we cannot enter into heauen. And what did Christ inioine him more then is intended by the precepts of the law, as hee hath in­terpreted the same? Mat. 5.38. &c. Ye haue heard it hath beene said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, but I say vnto you that yee resist not euill, but whosoeuer shall smite thee on thy righ cheeke, turne to him the other also, & if any man sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him haue thy cloake also. Is it a greater matter to sell that wee haue, and giue freely to the poore, then to giue to an aduersary, that hath already by force, or fraud gone beyond vs? We are not forbidden Vid Augustin. epistlo. quint. ad Marcellin. all plea of right, nor required causelesly to depart with our own; For this were to abet, and animate malefa­ctors, & vnreasonable men; & to frustrat God his or­dinance, [Page 47] Rom. 13.4. whose minister the magistrate is for thy good. No more are wee counselled to cast away our goods, which are the blessings of God, Act. 17.26. who hath appointed vs the bounds of our habitation; nor needlesly to liue vpon the almes of others, Act. 20.35. remembring the words of the Lord Iesus, how he said; it is more blessed to giue then to receaue. But wee are taught to possesse our soules in patience, vnder the pressures of the world, Rom. 12.21. not to be overcome of evill, but to ouercome evil with good. Praeparatione animi. Aug. pas­sim. vid. Sixt. Senens. Bibliot. Sanct: li. 6. An­notat. 156. And to be willing to part with the lesser good for the greater, where we may not enioy both. Again Mat. 5.21. yee haue heard it hath beene said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, but Isay vnto you that whosoeuer is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of iudgement, and whosoeuer shall say thou foole, shall be in danger of hell fire. Now tell me, whether is it easier to containe the tongue, or to extend the hand? Saint Iames saith, Iamer. 3.2. if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. Mat. 5.27. Farther yee haue heard it was said by them of old. Thou shalt not commit adultery, but I say, whosoeuer looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery already with her in heart. And therefore if thy right eye offend thee, plucke it out, and cast it from thee, for it is profitable for thee, that one of thy members perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Now whether doe they more Mat. 19.12. that make themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauē? Neither the one sort, nor the other, are commanded or counselled to vse violence on their owne bodies, either to castrate, or exoculate themselues. Eph. 5.29. For no man ha­teth his owne flesh, but nourisheth it, and cherisheth it [Page 48]euen as the Lord the Church. Yet must all occasions of sinne be avoided vpon necessity, and the 1. Cor. 9.27. body be kept vnder, Gal. 5.24. the flesh crucified, Col. 3.5. the members mortified, that they may be Rom. 6.13. instruments of righteousnesse vnto God, and not the weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sin 1. Cor. 9.27. least we proue reprobates. Generally these and the like heroicke works of grace and perfection, are dire­ctly commanded where God giues ability, that's his gift, and layes a necessity, that's his call, Mat. 19.12. and hee that can let him doe them; Extrà necessi­catis discrimea non sunt operis praecepta sed af­fectus, in praepa­ratione animi seruanda, vt sci­licet semper pa­rati simus. Aug. de his Christi mandatis, vid. Sixt, Senens. Biblioth, sanct. l. 6. Annot. 156. But although it bee a dutie pleasing God to depart with all one hath; when the Lord himselfe, either by expresse commandement, Mat. 19.21. or by his calling & provi­dence, offering a iust occasion. Heb. 10.34. enioyneth vs to doe it: yet the presump­tuous doing hereof without any such calling is vnlawfull: B. White: Orthod. pag. 66. Sciendum est ergò Christum non impossibilia praecipere sed perfecta. Hieron. in 5. Math. otherwise they are not so much as counselled: for the counsells of God are for our 1. Cor. 7.35. profit, not to lay a snare vpon any. Mich. 6. v. 8. He hath shewed thee ô man, what is good, and what doth the Lord re­quire of thee, but to doe iustly, and to loue mercy, and to walke humbly with thy God?

We see by faith, The hea­venly con­versation. what perfection the law requires, as Christ hath interpreted the same; which euery faithfull soule aimes at, & desires to attaine. Where­fore beleeuing Quoniam vi­tam humanam post resurrectio­nem similem di­cit esse venturā vitae angelicae, consequens est vitam muada­nam ad vitam quae postmodum speratur disponi vt in carne viventes, carnaliter non viuamus. Greg. Nisen. the cōmunion of Saints & Angels, we pray as he hath taught vs, that the will of God may bee done by vs on earth, as it is done by them in heauen, that is perfectly. For although the wil of God be not prescribed them by this very law, nor in the selfe same things as to vs, in regard of their excellent condition, Ps. 103.20. yet doe they his commandements, hearkning to the voice of his word; & they obserue as it were the same [Page 49]things which are inioyned vs, in a perfect and more eminent manner, as will appeare in the particulars, for our imitation. 5. Com­mande­ment. How glorious is the heauenly Es. 6.2.6. Colos. 1.16. 1. Thes. 4.16. &c. hierarchy, keeping their stations, Angels, Archan­gels, Dominions, principalities, powers, thrones, Che­rubins, Seraphins. Iudg. 5.20. The starres also in the firmament march in their order. 1. Cor. 15.41. And one starre differeth from another starre in glory. It was pride and presumption that cast downe the divell and his Angels from hea­ven like lightning, Iud. v. 6. who kept not their first station, but as the Isai. 14.13. Prophet alludes by the morning starre, ap­plying it to the proud king of Babel, he said I will ex­alt my throne aboue the starres of God, I will sit vpon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north, I will ascend aboue the heigth of the clouds. I will bee like the most high. v. 12. How art thou fallen O Lucifer sonne of the morning? 6. Com­mande­ment. As for murtherers, Ioh. 8.44. they are of their father the Divell, who was a murtherer from the beginning. [...]. 1. Ioh 3.12. Cain was of that wicked one the Di­vell, and slew his brother. But the blessed Angels of heaven Ps. 91.12. beare vs vp in their armes, Ps. 34.7. and pitch their tents about vs for our safegard. 7. Com­mande­ment. Mat. 22.30. They marry not nor giue in marriage, God hauing made them all at once pure spirits, but they honour our mariages. And are the glad messengers of God his blessing vpon the ma­riage bed; as Gen. 18. vnto Abraham, and vnto Iudg. 12. Manoah and his wife. Malac. 2.15. Did not he make one, yet had he the resi­due of the spirit, and might haue made all men at once, as he did the Angels. And wherefore one? That he might seeke a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, that the seed of God be no way adulterated, & [Page 50] imbased. The divell that foule seducing spirit, hath de­vised another doctrine, to disgrace God his holy or­dinance of mariage, and is become a lying spirit in the mouths of his Nuptiarum aditus interclu­dunt, & promi­scuè convenire hortantur. Aug. de Manichaeis quaest. 72. in Nov. Testam. false Prophets, forbidding to marry. 1. Tim. 4.1.3 A principall point of the doctrine of Diuells, prouo­king to all vncleanesse, and opening a gap to all con­fusion. Act. 10.15. But what God hath sanctified that call not thou, nor cause thou to be called, common or vncleane. 8. Com­mande­ment. It was the Diuels delight to Iob. 1. rob Iob of all that hee had. He set the Sabaeans, and Chaldaeans on worke, as he doth all others of that trade. But the blessed An­gels 1. King. 19.5 Mat. 4.11. minister vnto vs, and receaue vs hence into everlasting habitations. 9. Com­mande­ment. It is the Divell that is Rev. 12.10. the accuser of his brethren, and a false one. Ioh. 8.44. For he is a li­er and the Father of it. But the blessed Angels, Iud. v. 9. bring no rayling accusations, no not against the Diuell him­selfe in their greatest conflicts. 10. Com­mande­ment. Lastly the blessed Angels hauing fulnesse of ioy, and all sufficiency in God, enuy not the glory prepared for vs, as the Di­vell did our first happinesse, and doth still maligne, and oppose by all meanes, our purchased redemption; Luk. 15.10. but they reioice exceedingly at the conuersion of a sin­ner, 1. Pet. 1.12. they longe and desire to looke into the accomplish­ment of God his glory in vs. So must wee Phil. 2.4. looke not euery man on his owne things only, but euery man also on the things of others: and not only eschew the euill forbidden, but doe all good vnto all men implied in the law, Eccl. 9.10. whatsoeuer our hand findeth to doe, as wee haue ability, and opportunity. Ps. 16.2. Our goodnesse indeed extendeth not vnto God, nor to the glorified Saints, & Angels, (for what good can we doe vnto them?) V. 3. but [Page 51]to the Saints that are on the earth, and to such as ex­cell in vertue, whilst Gal. 6.10. we doe good vnto all, especially to them who are of the houshold of faith. Whereby yet we Cum ipsis an­gelis sumus vna civitas Dei, cu­ius pars in nobis peregrinatur pars in illis opi­tulatur, Aug. de civ. D. l. 10. c. 7. hold communion with the heauenly host, in imi­tation of them, indeauouring to doe the will of God in earth as it is done in heauen, by the blessed Angells; & following the examples of holy men, 1. Cor. 11.1. as they haue beene followers of Christ Iesus, that we may bee all like vnto our heauenly father, Eph. 5.1. Eorum filii dici­mur quorum a­ctus imitamur. Orig. in Ezek. hom. 4. followers of God as deare children, Ps. 119.89. O Lord thy word is setled in heauen for e­ver. 90. Thou also hast established the earth, and it abi­deth. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen, V. 91. ac­cording to thine ordinances, for all are thy servants.

CAP. III. The Refuge of Hope.
Doe you now by grace fulfill the Law, and merit glory by good workes? Wee are saved by hope.

NO, God knowes, we all sinne continually, and still Rom. 3.24. come short of the glory of God. Which we acknowledge in the regresse of the prayer, Heb. 6.18.4.16. flying for refuge, to the throne [Page 52]of grace to lay hold on the hope that is set before vs. Rom. 8.24. For we are saued by hope in respect of the full accom­plishment of our purchased redemption, and of the reall fruition thereof, which we are now assured of, & whereinto wee are firmely estated by faith. What is hope but a faithfull expectation of good things to come. V. 24. V. 25. Hope that is seene, is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then doe we with patience wait for it. In the meane time we are not worth the bread wee eat, but haue need to beg it vpon almes, at the hands of God, from day to day: much lesse are we worthy eter­nall life and glory. For although by the grace of God we vnfainedly desire, and faithfully endeavour to liue according to the tenor of the perfect law of libertic, yet who dares stand to be tryed by the rigour of that royall law?

For the Illud autem praeceptum non penitùs imple­tur ab homine in bac mortali vita, sed expar­te non ex toto, quia ex parte di­liginues, in futu­ro autem imple­bitur ex toto. Pet. Lomb. l. 3 sent. dist. 27. lit. F. whole law is required of every one, The law perfect, we imperfect. inso­much, that Iam. 2.10. whosoever offendeth in any one point, is guilty of all, C. 3.2. but in many things we offend all, many things we know, many more that we know not. Ps. 19.12. Who can tell how oft he offendeth? O cleanse thou me from my secret sinnes. The Law requireth the whole man, Deut. 6.5. Mat. 22.37 all his heart, all his minde, all his soule, all his strength; but we, as 1. Cor. 13.9. we knowe but in part, so we loue, and so we doe but in part, the least part of what wee ought. Rom. 7.22.23. We may happily delight in the law of God after the inner man, Legem implere, id est, non concupiscere. Quis ergò hoc qui vivit potest. August. de tempore serm. 49. but still there is another law of the mem­bers [Page 53]warring against the law of the minde, which often brings vs into captiuity to the law of sin. Rom. 7.14. The law is spirituall & perfect, but we are partly carnall, & therfore imperfect. For althoug 1 Tim. 1.14. the grace of God be exceeding abundant with faith & loue which are in Christ Iesus, and shall be in the end, 2 Cor. 12.9. sufficient for vs vnto salua­tion, because it euer Rom. 5.20. superaboundeth our still abound­ing sinnes, yet in the meane time who is sufficient for it. 2 Cor. 4.7. We haue the heauenly gift in Nemo esse si­ne delicto potest, quamdiu Car­nis indumento oneratus est, cu­ius infermit as triplici modo subiacet dominio peccati, factis, dictis, cagitatio­nibus, & C. La­ctant, l. 6. Instit. cap. 13. carthen vessels, whereby we faile our best actions, we corrupt our best workes with carnall respects, wee staine and pollute the best motions that arise in vs, euē as the purest foū ­tain water, running thorough a filthy channell drawes corruption. All our Hos. 6.4. goodnes is as the morning dew, Es. 64.6, all our Ipsa iustitia nostra ad exa­men diuinae iu­stitie deducta iniustia est, & sor det in destricti­one iudicis, quod in aestima­tione fulget ope­rantis: Greg: Mor. lib. 5. cap. 8. righteousnesse as polluted ragges. Iob 9 30.31. If I wash myselfe saith righteous Iob with snowe water, & make my hands neuer so cleane, yet shalt thou plunge mee in the ditch, and mine owne cloathes shall make mee fil­thy. What is that ditch but natures corruption, draw­en by a perpetuall trench, thorough all man kinde, from the loines of our first parents? Whereof holy king Dauid was by his fall caused to complaine, Psal. 51.5. I was shapen in iniquity & in sin hath my mother con­ceaued mee. And what are the Zech. 3.3. filthy cloathes, but the carnall motions, which being fashioned to our cor­rupt hearts, doe like our garments Heb. 12:1. easily beset vs, and can neuer bee cleane put off, vntill nature it selfe bee dissolued? Which made Saint Paul cry out, Rom. 7.24. O wret­ched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death. Solomon puts the question to all men [Page 54]liuing, Prov. 20.9. w̄ho can say mine heart is cleane, I am pure from my sinne? And himselfe being now become a preacher of repentance, makes the answer for all, Eccl. 7.20. There is not a iust man vpon earth that doth good & sinneth not. If there be any, be hee as iust as Iob, Iob. 38.3.40 7. let him gird vp his loines like a man. I will demand of thee saith God, and declare thou vnto mee. Wilt thou disa­null my iudgement? Wilt thou condemne me that thou maist be righteous? Rom. 3.4. Nay let God be true, but euery man a lyer, let God be iust, but euery man a sinner. Gal, 3 19. Wherefore then serues the law, it was added because of transgressions; that wee may know our Sedcur praeci­pitur homini ista perfectio cum in hac vita eam nemo habeat. Quia non recte curritur, si quo currendum est nesciatur. Pet. Lomb. l. 3. Sent. dist. 27. lit. G. du­ties and defaults. Rom. 4.15. Where no law is, there is no transgression, 1. Ioh. 3.4. for sinne is the transgression of the law, Rom. 5.13. and without the law sinne is not imputed. Where sinne is not acknowledged grace is not accepted; Rom. 3.20. but by the law is the knowledge of sinne. Rom. 5.20. Therefore the law entred that the offence might abound, but where sinne abounded grace hath superabounded. The law euer remaines the perpetuall rule of our duety, though vnsufficient for our safety, Rom. 8.3. being weake through the flesh. And now it hath a double vse; first directly to shew vs Nec latuit prę­ceptorem, praece­pti pondus homi­num excedere vires, sed iudica­vit ex hoc ipso suae illos insuffi­cientiae admone­re, & vt scirent sanè ad quem iustitiae sinem niti pro viribus oporteret: Bernard. sup. Cant serm. 50. what is good, and evill, that Rom. 2.18. wee may approue the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law, and that wee may performe the same in all holy obedience to him that commaun­deth; then obliquely to bring vs by Data est enim lex superbis hominibus, & viribus suis totum tribuentibus vt cum implere non possent legem datam, praevaricatores inuenirentur, & facti rei sub lege, peterent misericordiam à legis condito­re. August. de actis cum Felice. Manich. l. 2. c. 11. repentance to the Heb. 4.16. throne of grace, that we may obtaine mercy and finde [Page 55]grace to helpe in the time of need. In which respect it is a Gal. 3.24. schoolemaster still to bring vs vnto Christ, redu­cing vs vnto him obliquely, as it were per impossibile, not that the law is of things [...], Basil. 19. hom. Nemo ad im­possibile obliga­tur. Non deus im­possibilia iubet, sed inbendo ad­monet, & facere quod possis, & petere quod non possis. Aug. l. de natura & gratiae cap. 43. impossible, but because we are still impotent, and vnable. Both which vses of the law Saint Iohn hath put together, saying, 1. Iohn. 2.1. [...] These things I write that you sinne not, but if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous, and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes. Now 1. Tim. 1.8. we knowe that the law is good if a man vse it lawfully, knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man, namely not to iustifie a man, nor to condemne any whom God hath iustified; but the law is made for the lawlesse and disobedient, to curbe and condemne them, who will not be reformed, y. 11. accor­ding to the glorious gospell of the blessed God.

Now if our workes done in grace be not answera­ble to the law of an holy life, Good works not well done. then sure they can not merit eternall life and glory. The things happily are good, that we doe, in their owne nature, and according to the law of God, and they may doe good, being be­neficiall vnto others; as to honour our betters is good and the law of God, almes deeds are good, and doe good to the poore, and yet are they not so good as to merit for vs eternall life & glory at the hands of God. First because they are not so Querb abs te vtrum haec ope­ra bona benè fa­ciant, an malè. Si enim quam­vis bona male tamensatit, ne­gare non potes eum peccare, qui malè quodibe [...]t facit. August. contra Iulian. Col. 1036. l. 4. c. 3. well done as they ought in regard of some necessary circumstance; Vnbelee­vers may happily doe the things which God requi­reth, but not their duties, because they doe them not in conscience to him that commandeth, and without faith it is impossible to please God. Then if wee of faith [Page 56]doe some duties and neglect others, when he that hath commanded one, hath commanded all. Can some few good workes make satisfaction for so many euill, Heb. 11.6. Whosoever will be saued: before all things it is ne­cessary that he hold the Ca­tholike faith, which except a man belieue faithfully, hee cannot bee sa­ved, Athanas. his Creed. Aliud est quod sponte impendi­tur naturae, aliud quod praeceptis dominicis ex charitate debe­tur obedientiae. Greg. hom, 27 in Evang. Hoc peccarunt, quod homines sine side, non ad eum finem ista opera retulerunt ad quem referre debuerunt. Aug. l. 4. cont. Iulian. c. 3. Sordet natura sine gratia. Prosper. ep. ad Russi­num. which we haue done, and compensation for so many other good workes, which wee haue left vndone? And yet the very workes of faith, by some carnall re­spects interuening, are not so good, nor so well done in true loue as they ought. For true 1. Cor. 13.4.5. Plenissima charitas, quae iam non possit augeri, quamdiu hic homo vivit, est in nemine; quam diu [...]utem augeriopotest, profecto illud quod minus est quam debet, ex vitio est, ex quo vitio, non est qui faciat bonum, & non peccat. Aug. ep. 29. ad Hier. loue vaunteth not it selfe, is not puffed vp, seeketh not her owne, but gene­rally their works, who most stand vpon them, are done either in vaine glory, or with carnall confidence, or in a superstitious opinion of meriting thereby vnto them selues, and as seeking their owne good, more then the glory of God. Wherefore although wee build vpon the 1 Cor. 3.11.12.13.15. foundation Christ Iesus, yet because there is a mixture of trash, wood, hay, stubble, with our purest gold, siluer, pretious stones, wee shall suffer losse in our workes, and our selues be saued euen so as by fire.

Againe what congruity is there of Gratianon est vllo modo si non sit gratuita om­nimodo. August. ep. 106 ad Bon. grace & Meritum meum miseratio domini. Bernard. bomil. 61. in canticum cant. me­rit, Grace and merit in­competi­ble. that workes should merit thorough grace Rom. 11.6. For if by grace, then it is no more of workes; otherwise grace is no more grace: but if it bee of workes, then it is no more grace, otherwise worke is no more worke. More­ouer good workes are properly such as doe good, as almes deedes and the like. Psal. 16.2. Now our goodnes extend­eth [Page 57]not to God, but descendeth from him, Iam. 1.17. from whom cometh downe euery good and perfect gift. It is of God his grace if we doe any good, for what hast thou which thou hast not receaued? All therefore that wee can possibly doe is no more, nor so much as wee owe, and that by a double bond, first of nature, now of grace; & therefore Luk. 17.10. when all is done we are but vnpro­fitable seruants, and can challenge nothing vpon de­sert, as due debt, at the hands of God. Lastly if the workes done in grace be good, and perfect, and may be thought to merit vpon compact with God, yet what Non dignus suisti quem iu­stificatum glo­rificaret. Aug. de verb. Apost. serm. 2. Si quis omnem obedientiam impleret & ta­men omma ma­la & paenas perferret, quae cadere possunt in naturam hu­manam vt Iob, non tamen haec condigna erunt gloriae suturae Orig. in Rom. 8. condignity is there in the best of them, equiva­lent in iust price, and value to the glory that is prepa­red for vs? The effect cannot exceed the cause. But our iustification excells all workes before grace, and our finall saluation all workes done in grace, Quod est meritum homi­nis ante grati­am, cum omne meritum noshū non faciatin nobis nisi gratia, & cumdeus coronat merita nostra nihil aliud coronat, quam dona sua? Sicut enim ab initio fidei misericordiam consecuti sumus, non quia sideles cramus, sed vt essemus: sic in sine quod erit in vita aeterna, coronabit nos, ficut scriptum est; In miserscordia & miseratiouibus, August. ep. 105. ad Sixtum praesbyterum. as much as grace excells corruption, and as the state of glory shall excell this of grace. Martyrdome suffering ill with patience for doing well, the worst that men can inflict, for Christ cause, the best that a man can vnder­take, is not equall in worth to eternall life. Rom. 8.82 I reckon saith Saint Paul, as hauing made a iust and exact computation, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared, to the glory that shall be reuealed in vs. Cor. 4.17. For the affliction is but light and for a moment, which worketh for vs a farre more ex­ceeding and eternall weight of glory. It worketh for vs, and wee worke by it, for 2 Tim. 2.12. if wee suffer with Christ [Page 58]we shall also raigne with him. And wee by Rom. 2.7. patience in well doing Phil. 2.12. worke out our saluatiō, as by a means seru­ing thereunto, yet is it not a meritorious cause deser­uing the same. Which blessed estate, because it is proposed afore hand for our encouragement, and per­formed in the end, with approbation of our weake indeauours, and doth abundantly Si accepturus es vitam aeter­nam, iustitiae quidem stipen­dium est, sed ti­bi gratia est, cui gratia est ip­ipsa iustitia, &c. August: ep. 105. ad Sixtum pres­bit crum. recompence what­soeuer in the meane time, wee doe or suffer, for his sake that bestowes it, therefore it is Heb. 11.26. called the recom­pence of reward. And yet when all is done, it is the free gift of God, Iohn. 1.16. who giueth grace for grace Mat. 13.12. accumulat­ing more grace vpon him that hath more. Ps. 84.11. Hee will giue both grace and glory, if wee haue the grace to giue him the glory.

Our greatest perfection is in aiming at it, The Chri­stian hope & Per hoc quan­tum mihi vide­tur, in ea quae perficienda est iustitia multum in hac vita ille profecit, qui quam longe sita perfectione iu­stitiae, prosicien­d [...] cognou [...]: August. de sp. & lit. c. 36. Haec est hominis [...]ra sapientia imperfectum se nosse, at (que) vt ita loquar, cunctorum incarne iustorum imperfecta perfectio est, Hieron. lib. [...] dial. adversus Pel. cv. 15. acknow­ledging our own imperfectiō, to looke for it in hope, & to longe for it in the mirrour of all pefectiō Christ Iesus. Phil. 3.12.13. S ^t Paul suffered the losse of all things making no reckoning of them, that he might winne Christ, yet did not he account himselfe to haue attained, or to be already perfect, but forgetting the things behinde, hee reaching forth pressed toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. v. 14. Let vs therefore as many as bee perfect be thus minded. Heb. 11. All the holy men in the cloud of witnesses liued by faith & euery one of thē did by faith some good & remarke­able worke but they dyed also in the faith, not hauing receiued the promises, but expecting them by faith & hope in the grace & mercy of God. Act. 15.11. & we beleiue that [Page 59]thorough the grace of our lord Iesus Christ we shall bee saued euen as they. Tit. 3.7. Who being iustified by his grace, are made heires according to the hope of eternall life. Propter incer­titudinē propriae iustitiae & peri­culum inanis gloriae turissi­mum est fiduci­am totam in sola Dei miseri­cordia & be­nignitate repo­nere. Beliarm: de iustificat: lib. 5. cap. 7. Quis ferato­rantem, non ho­minibus, sed ip­si domino men­tientem, qui la­bijs fibi dicit di­mitti velle, & corde dicit que sibi dimittantur peccata non ba­bere. Concil: Melcuitan: Can: 8. And they who most presume of their workes whilest they liue, are glad if they haue the grace to dye in the faith, renouncing all merit of workes, to fly vnto the throne of grace, for mercy. Iud. 20. v. 21. And yee beloned saith Saint Iude, building vp your selues on your most holy faith, praying in the holy Ghost, keepe your selues in the loue of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ, vnto eternall life. Yet is not our saluation the lesse certaine, because the finall accomplishment thereof is expected by hope, and is not presently put into our owne hands. For as our faith is, so is our hope, Heb. 11.1. faith being the ground of things hoped for, and the reason of the hope that is in vs, both of them therefore are firme, and sure, because built vpon the rocke Christ Iesus. Mat. 16.18. Vpon this rocke as Saint Peter beleeued and confessed, Thou v. 16. art Christ the sonne of the liuing God, the holy catholicke Church is built, v. 18. against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile, but that eue­ry true member thereof, liuing and dying in the com­munion of saints shall, notwithstanding sin, & death, attaine by forgiuenesse of sinnes,, and the resurrection of the body, eternall life. And therefore Rom. 5.2. wee reioice in hope of the glory of God, as if wee had already attai­ned. To beleeue and hope as a Christian is not as the termes are vulgarly vsed, and may perhaps sound in prophane eares, to haue an vncertaine opinion and doubtfull expectation, which indeed can bee no better in the things of men, subiect to falshood and vanity, [Page 60]But it is to be certainely assured, fully perswaded and firmely resolued, 2 Tim. 1.12. knowing whom wee haue trusted, that he is able to keepe that which wee haue commit­ted to him against that day. No weake nor vncertaine hold, but Heb. 6.19. an anchor of the soule; both sure and sted­fast, entring into that which is within the vaile, whi­ther the fore runner euen Iesus is entred for vs. Faith­full hope is such an assurance, Rom. 8. as Saint Paul profes­seth by the helpe of Gods spirit, knit together and firmely bound vp with that 28.29.30. golden chaine of the cer­tanity of saluation in Christ Iesus. Wherevpon with a bold confidence he bids defiance to all the enimies of grace? v. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? &c. I am perswaded that neither death, nor life, nor Angells, nor Principalities, nor powers, nor things preset, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God, which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. As our faith and affiance is more and more fixed in God, thorough Iesus Christ, by his spirit, and approued vnto him by loue in well doing, so is Si quis & cre­dit etdiligit, bene agendo & prae ceptis obtempe­rando efficit, vt etiam speret se ad id quod cre­dit esse ventu­tum August: de doctor: Christ. l. 1. cap. 37. the assurance of our saluation more and more confirmed in vs. For true 1. Tim. 4.8. godlinesse hath the promises both of this life and of that which is to come. Of this life: Mat. 6.33. Seeke ye first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof, and all these things shill be administred vnto you. And for the life to come, Pl. 50.23. To him that ordereth his conuersa­tion aright will I shew the saluation of God. Therefore as wee beleeue so wee pray in hope, which is our last re­fuge, that our heauenly Father who knoweth whereof we stand in need, will in his ordinary prouidence [Page 61] giue vs things needfull for this life, to whom hee hath giuen grace, first to seeke his kingdome and the righ­teousnesse thereof: [...]. &c. Est autem duplici honoris & mu­neris genere ho­mo affectus, quod & ipseso­lus poenitentiâ veniam peccato­rum impetrat, et eius vnius cor­pus quamvis mortale & ca­ducum, aeternll & immortale redditur. [...]. Quorum alterum quod ad corpus pertinet propter animum: alterum quod ad animum propter corpus consecutus est. Nemesius lib. de natura hominis, c. 1. And that he will freely and fully forgine vs our daily sinnes and trespasses, of his meere grace in Christ Iesus, remembring whereof wee are made, to whom he giues this grace, for his sake to for­giue one another. Farther wee beleeue, and pray in hope, that he will guid, and keepe vs ever hereafter by his spirit, in the way everlasting, though it please him to lead vs thorough manifold temptations, and that he will deliuer vs in the end from all evill, even from death it selfe, and from him that hath the power there­of, that is the Divell, by the resurrection of our bodies to the eternall praise of his kingdome, power, and glo­ry, in the life to come. ^z The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever. Forsake not the workes of thine owne hands.

Bread the Lev. 26.26. staffe of life, Our daily bread. being the most necessary of all temporall things, implies the rest. It was God his decree, that in Gen. 3.19. the sweat of our browes wee should eat our bread, and it is the Apostles iniunction in the name of the Lord Iesus, 2. Thes 3.10. that if any man will not work he shall not eat, wherevpon hee exhorteth every one V. 12. with quietnesse to worke and to eat his owne bread. Although it bee our bread, our owne bread, yet it is Gods gift, without whose blessing, Ps. 127.2. it is in vaine to rise vp early, and so late to take rest, & to eat the bread of carefulnesse. Iam. 4.2. Yee lust and haue not, yee kill & desire [Page 62]to haue, and cannot obtaine, yee fight and warre, and yet yee haue not, because yee aske not, yee aske and re­ceaue not, because yee aske amisse, that you may con­sume it on your lusts, which should bee for our dayly and necessary vse. Some haue not of their own to eat, Ps. 128.2. But thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands, O well is thee and happy shalt thou be; others haue not the Eccles. 4.8. pow­er to eat of their own, either not the health, or not the heart, 5.19. this is also the gift of God. And he giues it pow­er to Ps. 104.15. strengthen mans heart, and to sustaine our life from day to day. Therefore it is called [...] Mat. 6.11. daily bread, adsubstantiall, or supersubstantiall bread, because be­ing digested into our bodies, it adds daily beyond its owne nature and substance, thorough the blessing of God, to our substance, what the labour of life daily consumes. What is there in bread, to make blood & flesh, and spirits? But God giues it vertue, and power beyond the nature, and substance thereof, to doe vs good, speaking a blessing on it for our vse. Deut. 8.3. Mat. 4.4. Where­fore man shall not liue by bread only, but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 1. Tim. 4.5. Prov. 30.8. And it is sanctified and made convenient for vs by the word of [...]. Honestum hoc insuper, Deum i [...]itio comae & prandii inuocari Diotogenes lib. de s [...]ctiltate. God and prayer. Yet it sustaines vs but from day to day, for it is but daily bread, and not as the tree of life, whereof if the man had eaten hee should haue liued for euer. The Manna which God gaue the Israelites from heauen, it was but daily bread, it would not or­dinarily keepe vntill the morrow, and Ioh. 6.49. they that did eat thereof are dead. Such is the condition of this life and the things thereof. 1. Cor. 15.19 And if in this life only wee had hope, then were wee of all men most miserable. [Page 63]Wherefore our Ioh. 6.27. labour must bee not so much for the food that perisheth, but for the meat which endureth to eternall life, the supersubstantiall bread indeed, Cant. 8.7. a­boue all the substance of our house, Ps. 119.14. and to bee reioyced in aboue all substance. Which Christ giues vnto vs, for him hath the Father sealed. Ioh. 6.51. I am the liuing bread, saith he, which came downe from heauen, if any man eat of this bread he shall liue for euer. Gods prouidence doth not exclude ours in the vse of ordinary meanes, but requires it, directs, and giues a blessing therevnto, both in the things of this life, and for a better. But this is our folly, we will either doe all our selues or no thing. And commonly we can be content to leaue all to God for the world to come, but in the things of this world we will bee our owne caruers. Of the two Luc. 16.8. the children of this world are in their generation wiser then the children of light. They will provide for this life, and we must provide, V. 9. that we may be re­ceaued into everlasting habitations.

Wherin finding how short our store comes of such a purchase, how vnworthy Gods grace we walk, Forgiue­nes of sins. how ill we deserue thorough our owne corruption, vtter­ly distrusting and disclaiming our selues, wee flye a­gaine vnto the throne of grace for pardon of our sins, protection in temptations, and rescue in the end from all evill. Who can forgiue sinnes but God only, a­gainst whom we sinne, and doe euill in his sight? For howsoeuer wee trespasse, wrong, Omniamandata Dei facta depu­tantur, quando quiequid non fit ignoscitur. Aug. l. 1. Retrac. c. 19. and giue offence one to another, which we may and must forgiue, so farre as concernes vs, yet can no man forgiue the sinne, which is the transgression of the law, but hee only who is the [Page 64]law-giuer. He forgiues Ps. 32.5. the iniquity of our sin. Exod. 34, 7. The Lord, the Lord forgiuing iniquity, transgression, and sinne. And he forgiues [...]. our debts, the obligations of sinne, & penalties for sinne, to whom we are so much bound in duty, and by whose law we stand bound ouer vnto death, Rom. 6.23. the iust wages of sinne. Ps. 49.7.8. None can by any meanes redeeme his brother, or giue a ransome to God for him. For it cost more to redeeme their soules, so that he must let that alone for euer. Isa. 43.25. But I, even I am hee, saith God, that blotteth out all thy transgressions for mine owne sake, and will not remember thy sinnes. For when the offence is pardoned the Impium est à Dto diminidiaem sperare veniam. August. punishment is re­mitted, because it is the forgiuenesse of our debts, the penalties of sinne. When Christ cured any of their diseases he vsed to say Mat. 9.6. Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. For they are the cause of all our maladies, the remissi­on whereof is therefore a present, and a perfect reme­dy. Ps. 103.3 4. God forgiueth all our sinnes, and healeth all our infirmities, so that they shall not tend to destruction in eternall death, the iust wages of sinne, and our due debt for the same. Rom. 5.10. For if when we were enimies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne, much more being reconciled shall we be saued by his life. By whose grace we obtaine the forgiunesse, not only of Rom, 3.25. sinnes past before grace, thorough the forbearance of God, but of our Quotidianae incu [...] sionis: Orabant autem vtiq, iam fideles iam apostoli. Nā ista oratio Do­minica magis fi­delibus datur. Si debita illa tantummedò dicerentur quae per baptismum dimittuntur, ca­techumenis con­geueret magis orare, Dimitte nobis debita no­stra, Aug. in Ps. 142. daily sinnes, and trespasses, for which he hath taught vs as duely to aske pardon, as for our daily bread, with faith to obtaine. Rom. 5.16. For not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift, for the iudgement was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many of­fences to iustification, euen so many, and so long, as [Page 65]we haue grace to beleeue, and repent. Iustification a terme in law, denoting an act of the iudge, not any habit in the party iustified, being once passed vpon vs in grace, Rom. 8.28. according to his eternall purpose, is neuer re­versed, but standeth more firme then the law of the Medes and Persians, howsoever it be often reacted & confirmed. It was purposed of God to every one of his elect in his counsell from everlasting, it was purchased and procured for them in the fulnesse of time, by the death and passion of Christ Iesus. It is published and proclaimed throughout the world, by the preaching of the Gospell, it is testified and applied to every peni­tent beleeuers conscience in the sight of God by his spirit, and is sealed by the Sacraments, and being ap­prehended by faith is often Multò firmi­or est fides, quā reponit poeniten­tia. Lactant. l. 5. c. 14. renued by repentance. Whereby every poore publican that with true faith, and repentance cryes God mercy, Luk. 18.14. goes away more iustified thē any proud Pharisee that iustifies himselfe. Iob. 33.23.24 And if there be a messenger, an interpreter, one of a thousand, to shew vnto man his righteousnesse, in his greatest a gonie and distresse, God is gracious vnto him and saith deliuer him from going downe to the pit, for I haue founde a ransome for him. Mat. 18.18. Whatsoeuer is loo­sed on earth, it is loosed in heauen, for it is God that doth it and not man, In quo quem (que) invenerit suus novissimus dies, in hoc cum com­prehendet mun­di novissimus dies; quoniam qualis in eo quis­q, moritur talis in die illo iudi­cabitur, Auguss. ep. 28. which shall at the last bee pro­nounced in open court, when Christ that is our ad­vocate, shall be our iudge. For as our first admission into the state of grace was by Rom. 3.25. remission of sinnes past, thorough the forbearance of God. So shall our admissi­on at the last be into the state of glory, by the publike absolution, and acquitting of vs at the tribunall of [Page 66]Christ Iesus from all our sinnes, and trespasses. [...] 34. Come yee blessed of my father receaue the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world, [...] 4.6.7. which bles­sednesse of man, is by righteousnesse freely imputed vn­to him, as David describeth it saying, Ps. 32.1.2. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen; & whose sinnes are covered; Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord will not impute sinne.

Yet haue wee no immunity to sinne, No immu­nity to sin. as it were a warrant dormiant, or pardon afore hand, for we haue no hope of forgiuenesse, but onely vpon condition of faith, & repentance; no easie matter, nor in our pow­er to doe at our pleasure. Hee that giues pardon to the penitent, will not alwaies giue repentance to every peccant. Neither doth repentance stand vpon such easie tearmes, but that flesh and blood chuseth rather to dye in sin, then vnto sin, by crossing, and crucifying and mortefying it selfe. For the which every true pe­nitent vndergoes a severe discipline, & if the Church and our selues neglect it, God inflicteth the same vp­on his childrē many times with sore strokes, for their humiliation, and amendment. Ps. 89. Hee will not vtterly take away his louing kindnesse from them, when they breake his statutes, and keepe not his commandements, but he will visit their transgression with a rod, and their sinne with stripes. And besides all the exercise of mortification, God lookes for Mat. [...].8. fruits worthy a­mendment of life, implied in this one condition, that we forgiue one an other, without which wee cannot aske forgiuenesse at his hands. And if not without forgiuing them that trespasse against vs, certainly [Page 67]not without Non dimitti­tur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum. Aug. ep. 54. ad Maced giuing satisfaction to them whom our selues haue trespassed. Mat. 5.23.27 if thou bring thy gift to the altar, & there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leaue there thy gift before the altar, and goe thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Mat. 18. How will God deale with that servant, to whom he forgiues an hundred talents, if hee will not forgiue his fellow seruant an hundred pence? Will he not deliuer him vnto the tormētors vn­till he hath paid all that is due? And good reasō, Luc. 7.43.47 Secundum bo­minem plus for­tasse offendit qui plus debue­rat, sed per mi­sericordiam do­mini causa mu­tatur, vt ampli­us diligat qui amplius debuit, si tamen gratiā consequatur. Ambr. l. 6. com­ment. in Luc. cap. 31. for hee must needs; I am sure hee had need, loue much to whō much is forgivē, & 1. Pet. 4.8. loue will couer a multitude of sinnes, Mat. 18.22. not seauen times, but seauenty times seauen. A wonderful grace of God, where it pleaseth him to be­stow it, so mortifying the wrath of man, Iam. 1.20. which work­eth not the righteousnesse of God: so mollifying the heart of man that wee become Mat. 5.44: &c like our heauenly fa­ther, louing our enimies, blessing them that curse vs, doing good to them that hate vs, and praying for them which dispightfully vse vs. And if God giue vs such grace to forgiue one another, hee hath grace in store to forgiue vs, and 1. Ich. 3.19 hereby wee assure our hearts before him. Insomuch that as before we desired to doe the will of God on earth, as it is in heauen, so now wee pray God that is in heauen, to forgiue vs, as wee on earth, thorough his grace, doe forgiue one another; both alike, though nothing equall.

Now thou art made whole goe thy way and sinne no more least a worse thing befall thee. The care is, Temptati­ons. after we haue obtained the forgiuenesse of our former sinnes, and trespasses, that we relapse not, which is euer [Page 68]more and more dangerous; and therefore our humble suit, and supplication is, that God will not so lead vs into temptations, but to deliuer vs from the evill thereof, sin & death. We pray not absolutely against temptation, 1. Cor. 5.10. for then must wee needs goe out of the world. It is the will of God, wherevnto [...]. Duc me o Iupiter, & tu fa­tum, co quo sum à vobis destina­tus. Sequar enim alacriter. Quod sinoluero & im­probus [...], & sequar nihilomi­nu [...], Epict. En­chir. c. 77. we must sub­mit, to lead vs thorough a world of temptations, into the kingdome of heauen, as hee led the children of Deut. 8.2. Israel thorough the wildernesse into the land of Ca­naan, to humble vs and to proue vs, and to knowe what is in our heart, and withall to manifest the [...]inquam ser­vi Dei tentatio­nes diaboli susti­nere po [...]uissent, si nequitiam e­ius pietas dei nô temperaret vel refręnaret. Ber­nard. l. de m [...]do bene vivend. Ser. 67. power of his grace in vs, to the praise of his glory. Thorough whose strength, 2. Cor. 12.9. which is seene in our weaknesse, Rom. 8.37. we are in all these things more then conquerours. For it is a greater glory to haue Eph 6.12. wrestled with principalities, & powers. [...]. Nec vero si succumbamus, prohibemur in hac pugna quō mi­nus denuò decertemus. [...]. Et iterum si non obtineas, aggredi licebit. quod sisemel viceris, similis ei es qui succubui [...] nunquam. Arrian. Epict. l. 3. c. 25. and to overcome, then not to haue beene at all assaulted by them. We must Ium. 1.2.3. therefore count it all ioy when we fall into divers temptations, knowing this that the triall of our faith worketh patience, Rom. 5.4.5, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope ma­keth not ashamed. 1. Pet. 1.6.7.8. When the triall of our faith shall bee found to praise, and honour, and glory; at the appearing of Iesus Christ. In whom therefore beleeuing we reioice with ioy vnspeakable and full of glory, [...]. Ita (que) dolores provenientes ex tentationibus, quas sustinemus, aut voleates aut recusantes, sunt ad profectum vtiles, Arrian. Epictet. lib. 3. c. 25. ad calcem. though now for a season, if need bee, we are in heauinesse thorough ma­nifold [Page 69]temptations. Which are indeed many, and ma­nifold, within and without, on the right hand, and on the left; even so many as there are things in the world and motions in our minde,, and mouers of both. Tho­rough which it pleaseth God to lead vs, ordering the occasions, giuing leaue to Satan to winnowe vs, and leauing vs sometimes to our selues, whō Extrema mū ­di atrocius ten­taturus aggredi­tur, quia tanto fit fervētior ad saeuitiam, quan­to se viciniorem sentit ad paenam Greg. mor. l. 34. cap. 1. Satan subor­nes against our selues with a world of motiues, redu­ceable, to three principall heads, 1. Ioh. 2.16. the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Iam. 1.3.4.5. But let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot bee tempted with euill, neither tempteth he any man. But euery man is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust and entised. Then when lust hath conceaued, it bringeth forth sinne, and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death. Which evill of sin, & death, Satan intēdeth, & we deprecate with God, without whose will wee can not bee tempted, nor can resist, or escape, [...], Ad sacrum bel­lum cum carnis vitiis gerendum nos confera mus oportet: Sic tamen, vt non in nobis ipsis fiduciam collocemus, verum diuino subsidio victori­am permittamus. Isidor. Pelus. l. 2. ep. 143. Et mox. [...]. In divina autem ope, atq, auxilio si siduciam nostram positam habeamus, victoriam fa­cile consequemur. without his power & help.

1. Iohn. 3.9. Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sin, Preserua­tion. Omne quod radicaium est, nutritur catore solis, & non a­rescit. August. tract. 3 in 1. ep. Ioh. Radicata est charitas, securus esto, nihil mali procedere potest. tract. 8. in [...]and. ep. for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sinne because he is borne of God. Not, that hee sinneth not at all, or only falls into some smaller sinnes, or that such sinnes are veniall of their owne nature, but he doth not com­mit sinne, he makes it not his practise, and trade of life: & though every sin be mortal for the Rom. 6.23. wages of sin [Page 70]is death, yet doth not he sinne vnto death for by the grace of God, he shall haue time and grace, to repent, Ezek. 18.22. and then all his transgressions that he hath commit­ted, they shall not bee mentioned vnto him, in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall liue. Although all sinne bee mortall by the law, and worthy of death, yet doth not the childe of God sinne vnto death, Audeo dicere superbis esse v­tile cadere in aliquod apertū, manifestum (que) peccatum, vnde sibi displiceant, qui iam placen­do ceciderant. August. lib. 14. de ciuitate dei cap. 14. Sed etsi ali­quando prede­stinatorum ali­quis ad eius slatum infectus contabuit, ar­mis poenitentiae accinctus forti­or securior (que) surrexit & ex­pertus admissi turpitudinem, hostem, sugge­storem, & se consentaneum mira indignati­one exhorruit, & rursum cau­tior & muniti­or ad conflictus accessit Arnold. Abb. Bonaeual. de operibus sex dier. cap. 4. nay though hee die for his sinne, yet doth he not dye in his sinne, that dyeth in the Lord. And how­soeuer we fall daily thorough our frailty, and may fall dangerously by force of temptation, and depart for the time from the grace giuen, abusing the gift of grace which was in vs, yet shall wee not fall from the grace of God towards vs, reserued for vs in Christ Iesus. He neuer repents him of giuing, howsoeuer we may depart from the grace giuen by abusing our gifts, but he that giues, forgiues his beloued, Iohn. 13.1. and whom he loues he loues vnto the end. Neither shall they who are effectually called according to his purpose, In sanctorum cordibus iuxta quasdam virtutes semper permanet (spiritus) iuxta quasdam vero recessurus venit, & ven­turus recedit, &c. In his ita (que) virtutibus, sine quibus mimime advitam pervenitur, spiritus sanctus in Electorum suorum cordibus permanet, in his vero per quassanctitatis virtus demon­stratur, aliquando misericorditer presto est, aliquando misericorditèr recedit. Gregor. hom. 5. in Ezech. vtterly depart from the grace giuen, but shall by the seed thereof, remaining in them Ar. eccel: Angli. 16. recouer and amend their liues. For Rom. 11.29. the gifts & calling of God are with­out repentance, and cap. 6.14. no sine shall haue dominion ouer them, who are not vnder the law but vnder grace. Ier. 32.40. I will make saith God an euerlasting couenant with them, that I will not turne away from them to doe [Page 71]them good; but I will put my feare in their hearts, that they shall not depart from mee. And as by the feare of God we are restrained from the dominion of sinne all our life time, so 1 Pet. 1.5. by the power of God thorough faith, we are kept vnto saluation ready to bee reuealed in the last time. Fides aeterna res est, à spiritu scribitur, v [...] ma­neat. Ambros: in 2. Cor. 3. Quomodo pot est amitti, per quod fit vt non amit­tatur etiam, quod posset a­mitti? August. de bono persev. c. 6. Faith is not only the first answer to Gods call, wereby we enter, and are admitted, into the state of grace, nor yet farther the continuall mo­uer of our hearts, in Charitas quae deseripotuit nunquam vera. fuit. August. ep. 111 ad Iuli­an: Ficta chari­tas. est, que de­serit in aduersi­tate. vid. Sixt. Senens. bibl. lib. 5. annot. 240. loue, according to the will of God, as hath beene shewed, but also the finall grace whereby wee persist vnto the end, recouering many slips and falls in sinne, yea and redemption from death it selfe, if we dye in the faith of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, and resurrection of our bodies vnto eternall life. Petrus in lap­su gradum fideì remisit, actum intermisit, ha­bitum non ami­sit, motum (que) in eo fuit spiritua­lis vitae robur non amotum, concussum non excussum. Tertul. See M ^r Hookers sermon of the certainty and perpetuity of faith in the elect, saying The faith therefore of true beleeuers, though it haue many grieuous downfalls yet doth it still continue invincible; it conquereth & recouereth it selfe in the end. Fides fundit orationem, fusa oratio impe­trat fidei firmitatem non quae nunquam concutiatur, sed quae concussa nunquam epprimatur. August de verb. Dom. serm. 36. And howsoeuer 2 Tim. 2.17.18. the faith of some may for the time be ouerthrowne in part, as theirs in the article of the resurrection was by Hymeneus and Philetus, who erred concerning the truth thereof, v. 25. yet will God giue thē repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, whō he will saue, which by the grace of God shall spring againe out of that seede of faith that remaineth in them. Rom. 3.3. Shall our vnfaithfulnesse make the truth of God of none effect? 2 Tim. 2.12.13. It is a faithfull saying if wee deny him he will also deny vs. If wee beliue not, if wee doubt and erre in some things, for the time, yet hee abideth faithfull, and cannot deny himselfe. For v. 19. the [Page 72]foundation of God abideth sure, and hath this seale, The Lord knoweth who are his. And they who are once iustified with God, being effectually called Rom. 8.28. accord­ing to his purpose, are neuer vniustified againe. For howsoeuer their sinnes may be such as deserue no lesse by the law yet their persons being vnder grace in Christ, Iohn. 5.24. they shall neuer come into condemnation, but are passed from death to life.

Now Rom. 8.10. although the spirit be life because of righte­ousnesse, Resurre­ction. yet the body is dead because of sinne, a body of sinne and of death, and therefore Exue corpus istud quod cir­cumfers, vesti­mentum igno­rantiae, funda­mentum praui­taetis, vinculum corruptionis mortem viuam, cadauer sensibi­le, sepulchrum portatile, dome­sticum surem. Hermes in Pe­mandro. the body from whence our corruption springs originally, & wherein it resides perpetually, Lex est non paena perire. must bee dissolued, (the soule being separated by death) or at least some way chan­ged, that it may be made a glorious body, at the appea­ring of Iesus Christ. Our Quam deus manibus suis ad imaginem sui struxit, quam de suo af statu ad viuacitatis suaesimilitudinem ani­mauit, quam incolatui, fructui, dominatui totius suae operationis praeposuit, quam sacramentis. dis­ciplinis (que) vestiuit, cuius munditias amat, castigationes probat, passiones sibi appreciat, haeccine non re­surget totiens dei? Absit vt deus manuum suarum operam, ingenii sui curam, afflatus sui vaginam, molitionissuae reginam, liberalitatis suae haeraedem, religionis suae sacerdotem, testimonii sui mili­tem, Christisui sororem in aeternum destituat interitum. Tertul. de resur: carnis. bodies are the worke of Gods hands, as our soules are from him, he made the first mans body of the dust of the earth and breathed into it the spirit of life, and Psal. 139.15. he fashioneth our bodies belowe in the earth, Plato in Timoeo vt habet August: de civ. Dei. 22. scribit animas non posse in aeternum esse, sine corporibus Hinc [...] commenti sunt philosophi, & poetae metamorphosm. De cir­cida Arcadescribit Aelianus quod magno desiderio sit mortuus, inquiens sperare se conventurum ex Philosophis Pythagoram, ex historicis Haecateum, ex musicis Olympum, ex poetis Homerum. neither is man compleat longer then he consists both of soule and body. Now Iob. 14.15. God who hath a desire to the worke of his hands, will reco­uer and saue the whole man, & make him to liue, not­withstanding [Page 73]the malitious practise of Satan, the murtherer, to the contrary. Whereof hee hath giuen euidence in the whole course of nature, euening and morning, winter and summer, and in his speciall pro­uidence ouer his Church and people, by their Mi­raculous deliuerances, and recoueries from captiuity and desolation, as it were from death, therefore vsu­ally called their Isai, 26.19. Ezech. 37. resurrection. Doe wee not see how Eccl. 1.4. one generation passeth, and an other generation cometh, but the earth abideth for euer, as it were the common stage and theatre of nature, so long as it en­dureth. But when all parts are acted, heauen and earth and all shall be dissolued. For as all the parts, so the vniverse the whole systeme of nature, begunne with time, continues in time, which is the measure of moti­on, vntill time that spends all, hath spent it selfe, when Rev. 10.6. time and temporall things shall bee no more. 2. Pet. 3.13. But a new heauen & a new earth, eternall wherein dwelleth righteousnesse. A folly it is that some aske 1. Cor. 15 35 36. with what body shall wee come? No question the same body else were it not a [...] &c. [...], Lucianus Pythagorāvena lem exponens. quis emet? quis esse supra homi­nes affectat? quisscire vni­uersi concentum & reviviscere. resurrection. The same body howsoe­uer changed, as in this life, wee feed not, wee slepe not, but our bodies are altered, our digested food supply­ing what nature had consumed; we are not cured but our bodies are altered, Physicke repairing what disea­ses had corrupted, and wasted. Insomuch that some haue doubted whether we be the same bodies in age, as we were in youth. As a ship is still the same that where it decaies hath new plancks clapt on, vntill in every place all be changed; so are our bodies. And though all be dissolued into the first materials, yet be­ing [Page 74]againe put together, by the same almighty hand which made all of nothing, it is the same mans body, the same body of the same soule, whereby it was, and euer shall be Forma princi­pium indiuidua­tionio. indiuiduated, howsoeuer it be widdow­ed for a time, and wonderously changed in the end, & in the meane time vtterly putrified, and corrupted. As the first mans body, who was made after the image of God, and bare a maiesty amongst the creatures, was changed by sinne, and became subiect to manifold diseases, to shame to death, and yet was still the same body, so through death our bodies shall haue the vt­most of that change, and yet bee raised the same bo­dyes, and changed againe 1 Cor. 15.42.43.44. from weaknesse to power, from corruption to incorruption, from dishonour to glory, Phil. 3.21. for they shall bee fashioned like vnto Christ his glorious body. As the pure spirits of wine, or the spi­rits of life, in a man are bodies, spirituall bodies, and the quintescence of any mettall, or minerall extracted from the grosse elements, is of a celestiall nature, and yet both it and the spirits are bodies, the same bo­dyes purified, sublimated; in like manner though farre more excellent, shall bee the resurrection of our bo­dies, when God hath as it were distilled them through natures great lymbecke, of what forme soe­uer, whether through the earth, or water, or bowels of beasts, or by fire (as all that remaines at the last day) and shall extract a glorious body, that shall inherit immortality. 1 Cor. 13.51. We shall not all sleepe, but we must all be changed some way or other, v. 4 [...]. for as we haue borne the image of the earthly, so shall wee beare the image of the [Page 75]heauenly. V. 26. The last enimy that shall bee destroyed is death, and that by the resurrection of our bodies, to eternall life. Rev. 21.4. When God shall wipe away all Faelices la­chrymae quas benignae manus conditoris ab­stergunt. teares from our eyes, & there shall bee no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there bee any more paine, for the former things are passed away which were temporall, & the life to come shall bee Dies iste quem tanquam extre­mum reformidas, aeterninatalis est. Sen. ep. 102. Idem ep. 24: Moriar? Desmam alligari posse, desinam aegrotare posse, definam mori pesse, [...]. Quod interim morimur, ad immortalitatem morte transgredimur: nec potest vita aeterna succedere nisi hinc contigerit exire. Non est exitus, sed transitus, & temporali itinere decurso adaeterna transgressus. Cypr. de mortal. eternall.

A life of glory to the children of God. Life e­uerlasting, and glo­rious. The lowest degree whereof doth infinitly exceed the greatest glory of this world. Looke how much the life of a per­fect man, enioying all outward happinesse in this beau­tifull, and goodly world, excels the condition of a weake, poore, and wretched Embrio, shut vp in the wombe, a closse and darke habitation, so much & in­finitly much more doth the eternall Cuius rex ve­ritas, cuius lex charitas, cuiuo modus aeterni­tas. August. ep. 5. ad Marcelli­num. life of glory, in the highest heauens excell this life, and all the glory of this world. Nay as much as the life of Grace, in the assurance of God his favour, and speciall loue, excels all worldly profits, pleasures, and preferments so much, and infinitly much more, doth the fruition of Gods glorious presence excell this present state of grace. For this consists in vsing the meanes, then wee shall enioy the end of all our desires, and endeavours. It is vsually expressed by such things as we know, and most esteeme, a crowne, a kingdome, a paradise, a citty [Page 76]of gold and pretious stones, life, ioy, glory, 1. Cor. 2.9. but eye hath not seene, nor eare heard, neither haue entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath pre­pared for them that loue him. Such as they who had but a vision thereof in Christs Mat. 17. transfiguration, would gladly haue made their abode in the admirati­on thereof for euer; such as 2. Cor. 12.2.4 he who was wrapt into the third heauens, hauing heard, might not vtter; such wherewith we may well Rom. 8.18. reckon, that all the suffe­rings of this present world are not worthy to bee com­pared, 2. Cor. 4.17. an exceeding and eternall waight of glory. Wherein though all the Saints of God shall haue Ps. 16.11. fulnesse of ioy, and pleasures for euermore; yet shall it be in different degrees; for there are many and Ioh. 14.2. diuers mansions in Gods house, and different degrees of glory 1. Cor. 15.41 as one starre differeth from another starre in glory. Dan. 12.3. For they that are wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament: but they that turne many vnto righ­teousnesse as the starres for ever and ever.

The estate of glory which wee beleiue, and expect, in eternall life, is not only a well being, but a perpetuall and perfect well doing, which is to liue indeed in the ioyfull fruition of all good. When the most excellent faculties shall bee imploid on the most admirable ob­iect, in the most exquisit manner, and abundant mea­sure, with eternall ioy and glory. It is the grace of God towards vs now to take such notice, and to make such account of vs, as we beleiue, but it shall bee our glory then to knowe him, [...]. Cor. 13.12 as we are knowne of him. Now we knowe but in part. Wee see now in a glasse darkely, [Page 77]but then shall we see face to face, 1. Ioh. 3.2. we shall see him as he is, Iob. 19.27. and we shall behold him with these eyes, whereby we shall become like vnto him, full of glory in our foules and bodies, by the manifestation of his glory vpon vs, Exod. 34.30. as Moses face shone, when hee came downe from him in the mount. Colos. 3.4. Now is our life hid with Christ in God but when Christ, who is our life, shall ap­peare, then shall we appeare with him in glory. So well shall we be, and as well shall we doe. For as wee shall receaue glory of God in the vision of his glory in Christ, so shall we giue all honour and glory to him; and as we shall behold him with these eyes, so shall we praise him with these tongues. Ps. 137.4. Who can sing the song of the Lord now in a strange land. But Ps. 108.1.2. when our glory shall awake, even this excellent instrument of praising God, which is our glory, aboue other crea­tures, then 1. Cor. 13.1. the tongues of men, & Angels shall be the eternall trumpets of God his glory. Rev. 4.6.8. The foure beasts full of eyes, rest not day and night saying, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. V. 9. And when those holy ones giue glory, and honor, and thankes to him that sits on the throne, who liueth for euer and euer, V. 10. then also the foure and twenty El­ders fall downe before him that sits on the throne, and worship him that liueth for euer and ever, and cast their crownes before the throne saying, thou art wor­thy O Lord to receaue glory, and honour, and power. And all the Saints shall come in with a full quire, sin­ging Rev. 15.3. the song of Moses and of the Lambe, great and marueilous are thy workes Lord God Almighty, iust [Page 78]& true are thy waies thou king of Saints. Ps. 145.10.11 Yea all thy works shall praise thee O Lord, and thy Saints shall blesse thee. They shall speake of the glory of thy kingdome, and talke of thy power. For thine is the kingdome, power, and glory. For euer and euer. Amen.