A Golden Chain

Secondly, this rule doth as it were, lead us by the hand, to the consideration the fearful estate of many people among us. We have had for the space of thirty years and more the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and the more plentifully by reason of the schools of learning. But what hath been the issue of it? I doubt not but in many it hath been the means of their conversion & salvation: but to speak generally of the greater part there is little or no fruit to be seen. The most after this long preaching remain as blind, as impenitent, as heard hearted, and as unreformed in their lives as ever they were, though they have heard the Lord calling them to repentance from day today, and from year to year. Well if this rule be the truth of God, as no doubt it is, then I say plainly, that there is a most fearful judgment of God among us. My meaning is not to determine or give sentence of any man's person, of any town or people, nevertheless this may be avouched, that it is a terrible and dangerous sign of the wrath of God, that after this long and daily preaching, there is still remaining a general hardness of heart, impenitence, and want of reformation in the lives of men. The smithes stithie, the more it is beaten the harder it is made: and commonly the hearts of men, the more they are beaten with the hammer of God's word, the more dull, secure, and senseless they are. This being so, it stands every man in hand to look to his own estate. We are careful to fly the infection of the bodily plague: oh then! how careful should we be to fly the common blindness of mind and hardness of heart, which is the very plague of all plagues, a thousand fold worse then all the plagues of Egypt? And it is so much the more fearful, because the more it takes place, the less it is perceived. When a malefactor on the day of assise is brought forth of the iayle, with great bolts and fetters to come before the judge, as he is going all men pity him and speak comfortably unto him: but why so? because he is now to be arraigned at the bar of an earthly judge. Now the case of all impenitent sinners is far more miserable, then the case of this man: for they lie fettered in bondage under sin and Satan; and this short life is the way, in which they are going every hour to the bar of God's justice, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, there to be arraigned and to have sentence of condemnation given against them. Now canst thou pity a man that is before an earthly judge, and wilt thou not be touched with the misery of thine own estate who goest every day forward to the bar of God's justice; whether thou be sleeping or waking, sitting or standing, as a man on the sea in a ship goes continually toward the haven, though he himself stir not his foot. Begin now at length to lay this point to your hearts, that, so long as ye run on in your blind ways without repentance, as much as ye can, ye make post hast to hell-ward: and so long as you continue in this miserable condition, as Peter saith, Your judgment is not far off, and your damnation sleepeth not. Thirdly, seeing those whom God hath purposed to refuse shall be left unto themselves, and never come to repentance, we are to love and embrace the word of God preached & taught unto us by the ministers of the Gospel: withal submitting our selves unto it, and suffering the Lord to humble us thereby, that we may come at length out of the broad way of blindness of mind and hardness of heart leading to destruction, into the strait way of true repentance and reformation of life, which leadeth to salvation. For so long as a man lives in this world after the lusts of his own heart, he goes on walking in the very same broad way to hell, in which all that are ordained to condemnation walk: and what a fearful thing is it, but for a little while to be a companion in the way of destruction with them that perish: and therefore I say once again, let us all in the fear of God, lay his word unto our hearts, and hear it with reverence, so as it may be in us the sword of the spirit to cut down the sins and corruptions of our natures, and work in us a reformation of life and true repentance.

The third point concerning the decree of Reprobation, is the Judgment to be given of it. This judgment belongeth to God principally and pro • erly, because he knoweth best what he hath determined concerning the estate of every man, and none but he knows who they be which are ordained to due and deserved damnation. And again, he only knoweth the hearts and wills of men, and what grace he hath given them, what they are, and what all their sins be, and so doth no angel nor creature in the world beside. As for men, it belongs not to them to give judgment of reprobation in themselves or in others, unless God reveal his will unto them and give them a gift of discerning. This gift was bestowed on sundry of the Prophets in the old testament, and in the new testament on the Apostles. David in many psalms makes request for the confusion of his enemies, not praying only against their sins, (which we may do) but even against their persons, which we may not do. No doubt he was guided by God's spirit, and received thence an extraordinary gift to judge of the obstinate malice of his adversaries. And Paul prays against the person of Demetrius, saying, The Lord reward him according to his doings. And such kind of prayers were lawful in them, because they were carried with pure and upright zeal, and had no doubt a special gift whereby they were able to discern of the final estate of their enemies. Again, God sometimes gives this gift of discerning of some men's final impenitence to the Church upon earth, I say not, to this or that private person, but to the body of the Church or greater part thereof. S. John writing unto the Churches saith, There is a sin unto death (that is, against the holy Ghost) I say not that thou shouldest pray for it: in which words he takes it for granted, that this sin might be discerned by the Church in those days. And Paul saith, If any man believe not the Lord Jesus, let him be had in execration, Mara-natha, that is, pronounced accursed to everlasting destruction. Whence it appears, that the Church hath power to pronounce men rejected to everlasting damnation, upon some special occasions, though I dare not say ordinarily and usually. The primitive Church with one consent prayed against Julian the Apostate, and the prayers made were not in vain, as appeared by the event of his fearful ende. As for private and ordinary men, for the tempering and rectifying of their judgments, in this case they must follow two rules. The one is, that every member of the Church is bound to believe his own election. It is the commandment of God binding the very conscience, that we should believe in Christ. Now to believe in Christ, is not only to put our affiance in him, and to be resolved that we are justified and sanctified and shall be glorified by him, but also that we were elect to salvation in him before the beginning of the world, which is the foundation of the rest. Again, if of things that have necessary dependence one upon another, we are to believe the one then we are to believe the other. Now election and adoption are things conjoined, and the one necessarily depends upon the other. For all the elect (as Paul saith) are predestinate to adoption: and we are to believe our own adoption: and therefore also our election. The second rule is, that concerning the persons of those that be of the Church, we must put in practice the judgment of charity, and that is to esteem of them as of the elect of God till God make manifest otherwise. By virtue of this rule the ministers of God's word are to publish and preach the gospel to all without exception. It is true indeed there is both wheat and darnel in God's field, chaff and corn in God's barn, fish and dross in God's net, sheep and goats in Christ's fold: but secret judgments belong unto god, & the rule of love, which is to think & wish the best of others, is to be followed of us that profess faith working by love.

It may be demanded, what we are to judge of them that as yet are enemies of God. Ans. Our duty is, to suspend our judgment concerning their final estate: for we know not whether God will call them or no: and therefore we must rather pray for their conversion then for their confusion.

Again, it may be demanded, what is to be thought of all our ancetours and forefathers that lived and died in the times when popery took place. Ans. We may well hope the best and think that they were saved: for though the Papacie be not the Church of God, and though the doctrine of Popery rase the foundation, yet nevertheless in the very midst of the Roman Papacie, God hath always had a remnant which have in some measure truly served him. In the old testament when open Idolatry took place in all Israel, God said to Elijah, I have r • served seven thousand to myself that never bowed knee to Baal: and the like is and hath been in the general apostasy under Antichrist. Saint John saith, that when the woman fled into the wilderness for a time, even then there was a remnant of her seed which kept the commandments of God, and had the testimony of Jesus Christ. And again, when ordinary means of salvation fail, then God can and doth make a supply by means extraordinary, and therefore there is no cause why we should say, that they were condemned.

Thirdly it may be demanded, whethether the common judgment given of Francis Spira that he is a reprobate be good or no? Ans. We may with better warrant say no; then any man say, yea. For what gifts of discerning had they, which came to visit him in his extremity; and what reasons induced thē to give this peremptory judgment. He said himself that he was a reprobate: that is nothing; a sick man's judgment of himself is not to be regarded. Yea, but he despaired; a senseless reason: for so doth many a man year by year, & that very often as deeply as ever Spira did; and yet by the good help of the ministry of the word, both are and may be recovered. And they which will avouch Spira to be a reprobate, must go further and prove two things, that he despaired both wholly and finally: which if they cannot prove, we for our parts must suspende our judgments, and they were much to blame that first published the book.

Lastly it may be demanded, what is to be thought of them that make very fearful ends in raving and blaspheming. Ans. Such strange behaviors are oftentimes the fruits of violent diseases which torment the body, and bereave the mind of sense and reason: and therefore if the persons lived well, we must think the best: for we are not by outward things to judge of the estate of any man. Solomon saith, that all things come alike to all, and the same condition to the just and to the wicked.

Thus much of the parts of Predes • ination. Now follows the use thereof: and it concerns partly our judgments, partly our affections, and partly our lives. The uses which concern judgment are three. And first by the doctrine of Predestination we learn that there cannot be any justification of a sinner before God by his works. For God's election is the cause of justification, because whom God electeth to salvation after this life, them he electeth to be justified in this life. Now election it self is of grace and of grace alone, as Paul saith, Election is by grace, and if it be of grace, it is no more of works: or else were grace no grace: therefore justification is of grace and of grace alone: & I reason thus. The cause of a cause is the cause of all things caused: but grace alone is the cause of predestinatiō, which is the cause of our vocatiō, iustificatiō sanctification, &c. Grace therefore is also the alone cause of all these. Therefore the Scriptures ascribe not only the beginning, but also the continuance and accomplishment of all our happiness to grace. For first, as election, so vocation is of grace. Paul saith, God hath called us not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace. Again, faith in Christ is of grace. So it is said, To you it is given to believe in Christ. Also the iustificatiō of a sinner is of grace. So Paul saith plainly to the Romans: you are justified freely by his grace. Again, sanctification and the doing of good works is of grace. So it is said, We are his workemanshippe created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them. Also p • rseuerance in good works and godliness is of grace. So the Lord saith, I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will never turn away from them to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Lastly, life everlasting is of grace. So Paul saith, Life everlasting is the gift of God through Jesus Christ. Now they of the Church of Rome teach the • lat contrary: they make two justifications; the first whereby a man of an evil man is made a good man: the second, whereby of a good man he is made better. The first they ascribe to grace; but so, as the second is by works. Secondly hence we learn, that the art of judicial astrologie is vain and frivolous. They that practice it, do profess themselves to tell of things to come almost whatsoever, and this they do by casting of figures: and the special point of their art is to judge of men's natiuities. For if they may know but the time of a man's birth, they take upon them to tell the whole course of his life from year to year, from week to week, and from day today, from the day of his birth to the hour of his death: yea that which is more, they profess themselves to tell all things that shall befall men either in body, goods, or good name, and what kind of death they shall die. But that this their practice is not of God, but indeed unlawful, it may appear by this, because it stands not with the doctrine of God's predestination. Two twins begotten of the same parents, and borne both at one and the same time, by the judgment of Astrologians must have both the same life and the same death, and be every way alike both in goods and good name: yet we see the contrary to be true in Jacob and Esau, who were borne both of the same parents at one time. For Jacob took Esau by the heel, so as there could not be much difference b • tweene them in time: yet for all this Esau was a fierce man and wild, given to hunting; but Jacob was mild of nature, and lived at home: the one had favor at God's hand and was in the covenant, but God kept back that mercy from the other. Again, in a pitched field are slain a thousand men at one and the same time: now if we consider the time of their births it may be, they were borne at a thousand sundry times, and therefore under so many diverse positions of the heavens and so by the judgment of all Astrologers should have all diverse and sundry lives and ends: but we see according to the determination of the counsel of God, they have all one and the same end: and therefore this must admonish all those that are brought up in schools of learning, to have care to spend th •• r times in better studies: and it teacheth those that are fallen into any man • of distress, not to have recourse unto these fond figure-casters. For their astrologicall judgments are false and foolish, as we may see by the two former examples. Thirdly, the knowledge of God is one of the most special points in Christian religion: & therefore the Lord saith, Let him that rejoice, rejoice in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me. For I am the Lord which show mercy and judgment in the earth. And our Savior Christ saith, This is life eternal to know thee, the only very God, and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ. Now God's predestination is a glass wherein we may behold his majesty. For first, by it we see the wonderful wisdom of God, who in his eternal counsel did foresee and most wisely set down the state of every man: secondly his omnipotency, in that he hath power to save and power to refuse whom he will: thirdly his justice and mercy both joined together in the execution of election: his mercy in that he saveth those that were utterly lost; his justice in that he ordained Christ to be a mediator to suffer the curse of the law, and to satisfy his justice for the elect: fourthly his justice in the execution of the decree of Reprobation; for though he decreed to hold back his mercy from some men, because it so pleased him, yet he condemneth no man but for his sins. Now the consideration of these and the light points, bring us to the knowledge of the true God.

The uses which concern our affections are these. First the doctrine of predestination ministers to all the people of God matter of endless consolation. For considering God's election is unchangeable, therefore they which are predestinate to salvation cannot perish: though the gates of hell prevail against them so as they be hardly saved, yet shall they certainly be saved; therefore our Savior Christ saith, that in the latter days shall arise false Christ's and false prophets, which shall show great signs and wonders, so that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect. In which words he takes it for granted, that the elect of God can never finally fall away. And hereupon he saith to his disciples when they rejoiced that the devils were subject to them, rather r • ioice that your names are written in heaven. And S. Paul speaking of Hymenaeus and Alexander, which had fallen away from the faith, least the church would be discouraged by their fall, because they were thought to be worthy men and pillars of the Church; he doth comfort them from the very gounde of elect • on, saying, The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seal: The Lo • d k ••• eth who are his. Where God's election is compared to the foundation of an house, the building whereof may be shaken, but the groundwork stand • h fast: and therefore Paul saith further, Who shall lay anything to the cha • ge of God's elect? Now then that we may have comfort in distress, and something to stay upon in all our troubles: we in this world are as strangers in a far country: our passage homeward is over the sea of this world: the ship wherein we sails is the Church: and Satan stirs up many blasts of troubles and temptations • and his purpose is to sink the ship, or to drive it on the rock; but we must take the anchor of hope and fas • en it in heaven upon the foundation of God's election: which being done, we shall pass in s • fetie and rejoice in the midst of all storms and tempests. Secondly whereas God refuseth some men and leaves them to themselves, it serves to strike a fear into everyone of us whatsoever: we lie, as S. Paul saith in the like ca • e, the Jews being the natural branches are broken off through unbelief, and thou standest by faith: be not high m • nded, but fear. This indeed was spoken to the Romans, but we must also lay it unto our hearts. For what is the best of us, but a lump of clay? and howsoever in God's counsel we are chosen to salvation, yet in our selves we are all shut up under unbelief, and are fit to make vessels of wrath. Our Savior Christ calleth Judas a devil, and we know his lewd life and fearful end: now what are we better then Judas by nature? If we had been in his stead, without the special bless • ing of God, we should have done as he did: he betrayed Christ; but if God leave us to our selves, we shall not only betray him, but by our sins even crucify him a thousand ways. Furthermore, let us bethink our selves of this, whether there be not already condemned in hell, who in their lives were not more grievous of • endours then we. Isaiah calleth the people of his time a people of Sodom & Gomorrhah; giving the Jews then living to understand, that they were as bad as the Sodomites, & as the people of Gomorrhah, on whom the Lord had shown his judgments long before. If this be true, then let us with fear and trembling be thankful to his majesty that he hath preserved us hitherto from deserved damnation.

The uses which respects our lives and conversations are manifold. First, seeing God hath elected some to salvation, & hath also laid down the means in his holy word whereby we may come to the knowledge of our particular election, we must therefore as Saint Peter counselleth us, give all diligence to make our election sure. In the world men are careful and painful enough to make assurance of lands and goods to themselves and to their posterity: what a shame is it then for us, that we should be slack in making sure to our selves the election of God, which is more worth then all the world beside? and if we shall continue to be slack herein, the leases of our lands and houses and all other temporal assurances shall be bills of accusation against us at the day of judgment to condemn us. Secondly, by this doctrine we are taught to live godly and righteously in this present world; because all those whom God hath chosen to salvation, he hath also appointed to live in newness of life, as Saint Paul saith, God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him. And again, We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them. And, God hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth. The Elect are vessels of honor: and therefore all those that will be of the number of the Elect, must carry themselves as vessels of honor. For so long as they lie in their sins they be like vessels of dishonor, employing themselves to the most base service that can be, even to the service of the devil. The sun was ordained to shine in the day, and the moon in the night, and that order they keep; yea every creature in his kind observeth the course appointed unto it by creation, as the grass to grow, and trees to bring forth fruit: now the elect were ordained to this ende to lead a godly life; and therefore if we would either persuade our selves or the world, that we are indeed chosen to salvation, we must be plentiful in all good works, and make conscience of every evil way: and to do otherwise, is as much as to change the order of nature, and as if the sun should cease to shine by day and the moon by night. Thirdly, when God shall send upon any of us in this world crosses and afflictions, either in body or in mind, or any way else (as this life is the veil of misery and tears, and judgment must begin at God's house) we must learn to bear them with all submission and contentation of mind. For whom God knew before, them he hath predestinate to be made like unto his son. But wherein is this likeness? Paul saith, in the fellowship of his afflictions, and in a conformity to his death. And the consideration of this, that afflictions were ordained for us in the eternal predestination of God, must comfort our hearts, and restrain our impatience so oft as we shall go under the burden of them. Hence again we learn, that they which persuade themselves that they are in the favor of God, because they live at ease in wealth and prosperity, are far deceived. For Saint Paul saith, God suffereth with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction, to make known his power and to show forth his wrath on them. This being so, no man then by outward blessings ought to plead that he hath the love of God. Sheep that go in fat pastures come sooner to the slaughterhouse then those which are kept upon the bare common: and they which are pampered with the wealth of this world, sooner forsake God, and therefore are sooner forsaken of God, then others. Solomon saith, No man knoweth love or hatred, that is, by outward things: for all things come alike to all: the same condition is to the just and to the unjust, to the wicked and good, to the pure and polluted. Lastly, it may be an offense unto us, when we consider that the doctrine of the Gospel is either not known, or else despised and persecuted of the whole world; but we must stay our selves with this consideratiō, that nothing comes to pass by chance; that God knows who are his; and that there must be some in the world, on whom God hath in his eternal counsel purposed to manifest his power and justice. Again, Ministers of the Gospel may be discouraged, when after long preaching they see little or no fruit of their labors: the people whom they teach remaining as blind, impenitent, and unreformed as ever they were. But they must also consider, that it is the purpose of God to choose some to salvation and to refuse others: and that of the first, some are called sooner some later, and that the second being left to themselves never come to repentance. To this Paul had regard when he said, If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that perish. And again, We are unto God the sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish.

Hitherto I have delivered the truth of this weighty point of religion, which also is the doctrine of the church of England: now it followeth that we should consider the falsehood. Sundrie Divines have devised, and in their writings published a new frame or platform of the doctrine of Predestination: the effect whereof is this. The nature of God (say they) is infinite love, goodness, and mercy it self: and therefore he propounds unto himself an ende answerable thereunto, and that is the communication of his love and goodness unto all his creatures. Now for the accomplishing of this supreme and absolute ende, he did four things. First he decreed to create man righteous in his own image: secondly, he foresaw the fall of man after his creation, yet so, as he neither willed nor decreed it; thirdly, he decreed the universal Redemption of all and every man effectually by Christ, so be it they will believe in him: fourthly, he decreed to call all and every man effectually, so as if they will, they may be saved. This being done, he in his eternal counsel foreseeing who would believe in Christ, did thereupon elect them to eternal salvation: and again foreseeing who would not believe but contemn grace offered, did thereupon also decree to reject them to eternal damnation.

This platform howsoever it may seem plausible to reason, yet indeed it is nothing else but a Deuise of man's brain: as will appear by sundry defects & errors that be in it. For first whereas it is avouched that Adams fall came by the bare prescience of God, without any decree or will of his, it is a flat untruth. The putting of Christ to death was as great a sin as the fall of Adam; nay in some respects greater. Now that came to pass not only by the foreknowledge of God, but also by his determinate counsel. And therefore as the Church of Jerusalem saith, Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselves together to do whatsoever thine hand and thy counsel had determined before to be done: so may we say, that Adam in his fall did nothing but that which the hand of God and his counsel had determined before to be done. And considering the will of God extends it self to the least things that are, even to sparrows; whereof none do light upon the ground without our heavenly father, how can a man in reason imagine that the fall of one of the most principal creatures that are, shall fall out altogether without the will and decree of God. And there can be nothing more absurd then to sever the foreknowledge of God from his counsel or decree. For by this means, things shall come to pass God nilling, or not knowing, or not regarding them. Now if anything come to pass God nilling it, then that is done which God would not have done; and to say so, is to bereave him of his omnipotency. And if we shall say that things fall out, God not knowing of them; we make him to be imprudent, and deny his omniscience: lastly, if we shall say that a thing is done, God not regarding it; we bring in an idol of our own brains, and stablish the idle-god of the Epicures. But it is objected to the contrary, that if God any way decreed and willed the fall of Adam, then he was the author of sin: which once to say, is blasphemy. Ans. The argument follows not. There be three actions in the will of God; one whereby he doth absolutely will anything and delight in it: and of all such things God himself is the author. The second is, wholly or absolutely to Nill a thing: and all things thus nilled, cannot possibly come to pass, or have the least being in nature. There is also a third action which comes as a mean between the two former, which is remissly or in part both to nill and will a thing; whereby though God approve not evil as it is evil, and therefore doth it not: yet he willeth the permitting of it to be done by others, or the being of it; because in respect of God that decreeth the permitting of evil, it is good that there should be evil. And on this manner and no otherwise God willed the fall of Adam: and therefore in the reason of any indifferent man, though he decreed the fall, yet shall he be free from the blame thereof, which lies wholly upon the doer; these two caveats always remembered: first that God by his will did not contstrain or force the will of Adam to sin, or infuse into it any corruption; and that therefore he sinned willingly and freely, only by the necessity of immutability, and not by the necessity of coaction: secondly that God willed the fall for a most worthy ende, which was, to lay down a way tending to the manifestation both of justice and mercy. Again, it is alleged that if God willed Adams fall, then his will is flat contrary to it self, because he wills that which he had by express commandment forbidden. Answ. Indeed if God should both will and forbid one and the same thing, in one and the same respect, there should be a contradiction in God's will: but that God doth not. He forbad Adams fall, as it was sin: for so in every commandment sin as it is sin is condemned and punished: and yet because it was in a new respect, a means of manifesting his glory, who is able to bring light out of darkness; therefore he willingly decreed the permission of it. Incest as it is sin, it is condemned in the seventh commandment, and punished with death: yet as incest was a punishment of David's adultery, God is said to take his wives and to give them to his son Absalom.

Some again, as it appears by their writings, fear to ascribe unto God so much as a permission of Adams fall: but no doubt they are deceived. For if these rules be true; that God is omnipotent: that he works all things that are by the counsel of his will, and governs them: that he hath care and regard over man: that nothing is hid from him: that he is unchangeable, there must needs be permission of evil. If the devil could not enter so much as into an heard of swine without Christ's permission, shall we think that he could compass the fall and overthrow of man, without a permission? Indeed to permit, is not to hinder evil when one may; and with men it is a fault, but not with God, because he is not bound to hinder the evil which he permits.

The second fault is, that they make the Prescience of man's faith and unbelief, to be the impulsive cause of God's decree. For they say that God eternally decrees to save or refuse men, because he did foresee that they would believe or not believe. But indeed it is a manifest untruth. Among the causes of all things that are, there is an order set down by God himself, in which order some causes are highest some lowest, some in the midst. Now the highest cause of all is that, which ouerrules all and is overruled of none: and that is God's will, beyond which there can be no higher cause: for God is placed above all, and subject to none. And this very will of his is the cause of all things that have being: for we must not imagine that a thing first of all existeth, and then afterward is willed of God; but first of all God wills a thing, and then afterward it comes to have a being. Now to say that foreseen faith or unbelief are the moving causes whereby God was induced to ordain men either to salvation or to just damnation, is to undo this divine order of causes, and to displace the links; in that God's will is made a secondary or middle cause subordinate to other causes placed above it: yea this is to make the will of God to depend upon the quality and condition of the creature, whereas contrariwise all things depend upon God's will. Again, Paul saith that God hath opened the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he had purposed to himself: whereby he makes a distinction between the creature and the Creator. Men, when they purpose the doing of any thing, borrow reasons of their purposes and wills out of themselves from th • things to be done; because man's bare will is no sufficient cause to warrant the doing of this or that, in this or that manner, unless there be just reason. But God's will is a simple and absolute rule of righteousness, and a thing is good, so far forth as God wills it. Therefore there is no cause, why he should go forth of himself for external inducements and reasons of his eternal counsel: his very will in himself is a sufficient reason of all his purposes and decrees. And hereupon Paul saith, that God's purpose was in himself, to show that there is no dependence of his will upon the creature, and that in ordering and disposing of his decrees he had no reference or respective consideration of the qualities and works of men. Thirdly by this doctrine, there is fastened upon God want of wisdom, who is wisdom it self: and that is very absurd. A simple man that hath in him but a spark of the wisdom of God, first of all intends with himself the ende and event of the business to be done, and then afterward the means whereby the ende is accomplished: but in this platform God is brought in, in the first place to foresee and consider with himself the means which tend to the ende, namely faith and unbelief of men, and then afterward to determine with himself what shall be the ende and final condition of every man either in life or death: as if a man should purpose with himself to build an house without any consideration of the ende why; and afterward conceive with himself the particular uses to which he will apply it. Fourthly hence it followeth, that faith shall not only be an instrument, but also an efficient cause in the act of justification of a sinner before God. For the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused; but foreseen faith is an impulsive cause whereby God was moved to choose some men to salvation (as it is said:) and therefore it is not only an instrument to apprehend Christ's righteousness, but also a cause or means to move God to justify a sinner; because justification proceeds of Election which comes of foreseen faith: now this is erroneous by the doctrine of all Churches, unless they be Popish. Fifthly, this doctrine takes it for granted, that all both young and old, even Infants that die in their infancy, have knowledge of the Gospel, because both faith and unbelief in Christ presuppose knowledge of our salvation by him: considering that neither ordinarily, nor extraordinarily men believe or contemn the thing unknown. But how false this is, even common experience doth show. Lastly, this platform quite overthrows it self. For whereas all men equally corrupt in Adam, are effectually both redeemed and called, the difference between man and man, stands not in believing or not believing, for all have power to believe: but in this properly, that some are confirmed in faith, some are not. Now when all without exception are endued with grace sufficient to salvation, I demand why some men are confirmed in grace, and others not confirmed; as also of Angels, some were confirmed and stand, and some not confirmed, fell? No other reason can be rendered but the will of God. And to this must all come, strive as long as they will, that of men being in one and the same estate some are saved, some justly forsaken, because God would. Again, as the foreseeing of • aith doth presuppose God's giui • g of faith, unless men will say it is natural: so the foreseeing of faith in some men alone, doth presuppose the giving of faith to some men alone. But why doth not God confer the grace of constant faith to all? no other reason can be rendered, but because he will not. Thus then those men whose faith was foreseen, are saved, not because their faith was foreseen, but because God would.

The third fault is, that they ascribe unto God a conditional Purpose or counsel, whereby he decrees that all men shall be saved, so be it they will believe. For it is every way as much against common sense, as if it had been said, that God decreed nothing at all concerning man. A conditional sentence determines nothing simply but conditionally, and therefore vncertenly: and when we speak of God, to determine vncertenly, is as much as if he had determined nothing at all, specially when the thing determined is in the power of man's will, and in respect of God, the decree may come to pass or not come to pass. Men, if they might always have their choice, desire to determine of all their affairs simply without condition: and when they do otherwise it is either because they know not the event of things, or because things to be don are not in their power. No reason therefore that we should burden God with that, whereof we would disburden our selves. Again, the majesty of God is disgraced in this kind of decree. God for his part would have all men to be saved: why then are they not? men will not keep the condition and believe. This is flat to hang God's will upon man's will, to make every man an Emperor, and God his underling, and to change the order of nature by subordinating God's will which is the first cause to the will of man, which is the second cause: whereas by the very law of nature, the first cause should order and dispose the second cause. But for the justifying of a conditional decree it is alleged, that there is no eternal and hidden decree of God beside the Gospel, which is God's predestination revealed. Ans. It is an untruth. There be two wills in God, one whereby he determineth what he will do unto us or in us: the other, whereby he determineth what we shall do to him: Now Predestination is the first: whereupon it is commonly defined to be the preparation of the blessing of God, whereby they are delivered which are delivered, and the Gospel is the second. Again, Predestination determines who they are, and how many which are to be saved, and hereupon Christ saith, I know whom I have chosen: but the Gospel rather determines what kind of ones and how they must be qualified which are to be saved. Lastly, Predestination is God's decree it self: and the Gospel is an outward means of the execution of it: and therefore though the Gospel be propounded with a condition • yet the decree of God it self, may be simple and absolute.

The fourth defect, is the opinion of Universal saving grace, a • pertaining to all and every man: which may be fitly termed the School of universal Atheism. For it pulls down the pale of the Church, and lays it wast as every common field: it breeds a carelessness in the use of the means of grace, the word and Sacraments; when as men shall be persuaded that grace shall be offered to everyone effectually, whether he be of the Church or not, at one time or other, wheresoever or howsoever he live: as in the like case, if mē should be told that whether they live in the market town or no, there shall be sufficient provision brought them, if they will but receive it and accept of it, who would then come to the market?

Universal grace hath three parts. Universal Election: universal Redemption: universal Vocation. Universal Election of all and every man, is a witless conceit: for if men universally be appointed to grace without exception, then there is no electing or choosing of some out of mankind to grace: and if some alone be appointed to grace, as it must needs be in election, then is not grace universal. And it is flat against the word of God. For Christ avoucheth plainly that fewer be chosen then called, and (as afterward we shall see) all are not called. And he further saith, that all which are given unto him shall be one with him and have life everlasting: but all men shall not be one with him and have life everlasting: and therefore all men are not given to Christ of the father, that is, ordained to salvation. And the Scripture saith, that all men's names are not written in the book of life: and that the kingdom of heaven was not prepared for all. And whereas men build this their universal election upon the largeness of the promise of the Gospel: upon the like ground they might as well make an universal decree of Reprobation, whereby God decrees all men to be damned indefinitely upon this condition, if they do not believe. Now if universal Reprobation be absurd, as it is indeed; then universal Election of all and every man must take part therewith.

As for the universal Redemption of all and every man, it is no better then a forgery of man's brain. There shall be many in the day of judgment of whom Christ shall say, that he never knew them. Again he saith, He which believeth not is already judged, and the wrath of God abides upon him. But if all were effectually redeemed, & only condemned for not believing in Christ, it should have been said that they are already judged, and that the wrath of God not abides but returns upon them. Christ makes no intercession for the world: and therefore his redemption is not effectual to all men. For the intercession is the means of applying the satisfaction. If it be said that by the world is meant only contemners of grace, it appears to be otherwise in that Christ opposeth the world to them which are the fathers, and are given to Christ by him: thereby signifying that by the world he means all such as are not the fathers, and were never given to Christ. And he lays down his life for his sheep: now the sheep have all these brands or marks; they hear his voice, they know him, they follow him, they shall not perish, none shall pluck them out of Christ's hands: and these are only such of whom Paul saith; Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect: it is God that justifieth who shall condemn? And if this should be true, that Christ was crucified and died no less to make satisfaction for the sins of the damned, then for the sins of Peter and Paul and the rest of the Saints, it follows necessarily that all their sins are forgiven: considering that remission of sin depends inseparably upon satisfaction made to God's justice for sin: and satisfaction doth necessarily abolish all fault. We grant that Christ's death is sufficient to save many thousand worlds: we grant again it is every way most effectual in it self: but that it is effectual in, or unto the person of every man, that we deny. For if it were thus effectual, then it should be applied to the person of every man, as to Cain, Judas, Nero, Heliogabalus, &c. even as the plaster is laid to the sore: being applied, Christ's righteousness should be imputed for the justification and sanctification of all and every mā: and thus some justified before God and sanctified should after go to hell and be damned, whereas David, never so much as dreaming of this divinity saith, that they are blessed which have the pardon of their sins: and Paul, that they which are justified have peace with God. But let us hear what reasons may be alleged to the Vniuersalitie of redemption: I. Ezekiel 33. v. 11. As I live saith the Lord, I will not the death of the wicked: but, that the wicked return from his wicked way. Answ. The place is to be understood not simply but in respect; of the twain God rather wills the repentance of the sinner then his death. Again, he wills not death as it is the destruction of his creature; and so this place may be understood: yet nevertheless he wills the same as it is a means of manifestation of his justice: and therefore the prophet Isaiah saith, that God createth evil. II. 1. Tim. 2. God would have all men to be saved and come to the acknowledgement of the truth. Ans. The place is meant not of the persons of all particular men, but of the orders and kinds of men. For in the first verse Paul exhorted Timothy that prayer should be made for all men: and in the second verse opening his own meaning, he addeth these words, for kings and all that be in authority: as though he should say, we must pray not only for private men and for the common people, but also for public persons, though they persecute the Gospel. But why? because in that very order God hath his elect which shall be saved. And on this manner Paul expounds himself elsewhere. There is neither Jew nor Grecian: there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ. III. Rom. 11. v. 32. God hath shut up all in unbelief that he might have mercy on all. Ans. The word all, must be understood of all that are to be saved, both of Jews and Gentiles, as the article added to all importeth, and the meaning is, that God will save all whom he purposeth to save of his mercy, and not of their merit, because all are sinners as well Jews as Gentiles: thus Paul expounds himself, Galat. 3.22. The scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ should be given to them that believe. And if we should expound the word all, for every particular man, as some would have it, Paul must contradict himself, who said before that God would have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth, and in this very chapter his drift is to prove the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles. IV. John. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he hath given his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life: and John. 6. • 1. I will give my flesh for the life of the world. Answ. By world, we must not understand every particular man in the world, but the Elect among the Jews and Gentiles: for in both these places Christ doth overthwart the conceit of the Jews, which thought that they alone were loved of God, and not the Gentiles. And howe this word is to be understood in the new testament, Paul doeth fully declare. Rom. 11. v. 12. If (saith he) the fall of them, that is, the Jews, be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, &c. and v. 15. If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving be but life from the dead. Where by the world, he vndestandes the body of the Gentiles in the last age of the world. And thus he fully declares his own meaning, when he saith to the Corinthians, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. V. Rom. 14. v. 15. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died. 2. Pet. 2.1. Denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation. Therefore Christ died for them also which are condemned. Answ. The reason is not good. For in these and such like places the scripture speaks of men, not as they are indeed before God, but as they are in appearance and profession, and as they are in the acceptation with men. For so long as a man holds and embraces the Christian faith, so long in the judgment of charity we must esteem him to be one that is redeemed by Christ, though indeed he be not. And this is the meaning of Peter when he saith, that false prophets deny the Lord that bought them. IV. In the preaching of the gospel grace is freely offered not only to the Elect, but to all men indifferently: and God in offering grace deludes no man: and therefore Christ's death appertains and belongs to all men indifferently. Answer. The preaching of the Gospel is an ordinance of God appointed for the gathering together and the accomplishment of the number of the elect: and therefore in the ministry of the word, grace and salvation is offered principally and directly to the elect;, and only by consequent to them which are ordained to just damnation: because they are mingled with the elect in the same societies: and because the ministers of God, not knowing his secret counsel, in charity think all to be elect. And though God in offering grace do not confer it to all, yet is there no delusion. For the offering of grace doth not only serve for the conversion of a sinner, but also to be an occasion by men's fault of blinding the mind and hardening the heart, and of taking away excuse in the day of judgment.

To conclude this point; Universal redemption of all men, we grant: the Scripture saith so: and there is an universality among the elect and believers: but universal Redemption of all and every man as well the damned as the elect and that effectually, we renounce as having neither footing in the scripture, nor in the writings of any ancient and orthodox divine, for many hundred years after Christ, his words not depraved and mistaken.

As for Universal vocation, it is of the same kind with the former • because it is slatte against the word of God in which is fully set down a distinction of the whole world from the creation to the days of Christ, into two parts: one, the people of God being received into the covenant: the other, (being the greatest part of the world) No-people, and forth of the covenant. From the beginning of the world to the giving of the law, the Church was shut up in the families of the Patriarchs: and the covenant in the very family of Abraham was restrained to Isaac: and the members of these families, for this cause, were called the sons of God: the rest of the world beside being termed as they were indeed, the sons of men. From the giving of the law til Christ, the nation of the Jews was the Church of God, and the rest of the world beside, no people of God. And therefore Isaiah calls them prisoners and them that are in darkness: and Ose, Such as are without mercy and no people: and Zechariah, Such as are not joined to the Lord: and Paul. Such as are set to walk in their own ways, being without God and without Christ in the world. And this distinction between Jew and Gentile stood till the very ascension of Christ. And hereupon when he was to send his disciples to preach, he charged them not to go into the way of the Gentiles; and not to enter into the cities of the Samaritans, but rather to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel: and when the woman of Canaan made request for her daughter, he gave a denial at the first upon this distinction, saying, It is not meet to take the children's bread and give it unto dogs: and again, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It will be said, that this distinction arose of this, that the Gentiles at the first fell away from the covenant, & contemned the Messias. It is true indeed of the first heads of the Gentiles the sons of Noah: but of their posterity it is false, which in times following did not so much as hear of the covenant, and the Messias. The Prophet Isaiah saith of Christ, A nation that knew not thee, shall run unto thee. And Paul speaking to the Athenians saith, that the times of this their ignorance God regarded not: but now admonisheth all men everywhere to repent: and to the Romans he saith, that the mystery touching Christ and his benefits was kept secret since the world began, and now opened and published among all nations. And if the Gentiles had but known of the Messias, why did not their Poets and Philosophers who in their writings notoriously abuse the Jews with sundry nickenames, at the least signify the contempt of the Redeemer. Wherefore to hold, and much more to avouch by writing, that all and everyone of the heathen were called, it is most absurd: and if it were so, the Caniballs and the sauadge nations of America should have known Christ without preaching which by the histories of the discovery of those countries, is known to be false.

Again, if the: Vocation of every man be effectual, then faith must be common to all men either by nature or by grace, or both: now to say the first, namely that the power of believing is common to all by nature, is the heresy of the Pelagians, and to say it is common to all grace, is false. All men have not faith, saith Paul: nay many to whom the Gospel is preached, do not so much as understand it and give assent unto it; Satan blinding their minds that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should not shine unto them: and to say that faith is partly by nature & partly by grace, is the condemned heresy of the semi-Pelagian: for we cannot so much as think a good thought of our selves.

The last defect in the platform is, that they ascribe unto God a wrong end of his counsels: namely the communication of mercy or goodness in eternal happiness. For the absolute and sovereign ende of all God's doings must be answerable to his nature, which is not mercy and love alone, but also justice it self: and therefore the right ende is the manifestation of his glory both in justice and mercy by the express testimony of scripture. Again, if the communication of his goodness were the highest end of all his counsels, all men without exception should be saved, because God cannot be frustrated of his end and purposed: & if but one man be damned, he is damned; either because God will not save him, or because he cannot. If they say he will not, then is he changeable; if he cannot, then is he not omnipotent, considering his purpose was to convey happiness to all creatures.

Thus much of the efficient cause of the Church, namely God's predestination: which doctrine could not here be omitted considering no man can believe himself to be a member of the Church, unless withal he believe that he is predestinate to life everlasting. Now we come to the second point, namely the Mystical union, which is the very form of the Church, whereby all that believe are made one with Christ. To the causing of this union two things are required, a Donation or giving of Christ unto that man, which is to be made one with him: and a Coniunction between them both. Of the first, the Prophet Isaiah saith, Unto us a child is borne, and unto us a son is given: and Paul, Who spared not his own son, but gave him for us all: how shall he not with him give us all things also? And touching it sundry points must be considered. The first is, what is meant by this giving? Ans. It is an action or work of God the Father by the holy ghost, whereby Christ as redeemer in the appointed time is really communicated to all ordained to salvation in such manner, that they may truly say, that Christ himself withal his benefits is theirs, both in respect of right thereto, and in respect of all fruit redounding thence, and that as truly as any man may say that house and land given him of his ancetours is his own both to possess and to use.

The second point is, what is the very thing given? Answ. Whole Christ God and man is given, because his humanity without his godhead, or the godhead without the humanity doth not reconcile us to God. Yet in this giving there must be a diverse consideration had of the two natures of Christ • for the communication of the godhead is merely energeticall, that is, only in respect of operation; in that it doth make the manhood personally united unto it to be propitiatory for our sins and meritorious of life eternal. And to avouch any communication of the godhead in respect of essence, were to bring in the heresy of the Manichees, and to maintain a composition and a commixtion of our natures with the nature of God. Again, in the manhood of Christ we must distinguish between the subject it self, the substance of body and soul, and the blessings in the subject which tend to our salvation. And the communication of the aforsaid manhood is in respect of both, without separation: for no man can receive saving virtue from Christ, unless first of all he receive Christ himself, as no man can have the treasure hid in the field, unless first of all he have the field: and no man can be nourished by meat and drink unless first of all he receive the substance of both. And this is the cause why not only in the preaching of the word but also in the institution of the Lord's supper, express mention is made, not only of Christ's merit, but also of his very body and blood, whereby the whole humanity is signified, as appears by that place where it is said, that the Word was made flesh. And though the flesh of it self profit nothing as S. John saith, yet as it is joined to the godhead of the son and doth subsist in his person, it receiveth thence quickening virtue, to revive and renew all those to whom it shall be given. Lastly, among the blessings that are stored up in the manhood of Christ for our salvation, some are given unto us by imputation, as when we are justified by the righteousness indeed inherent in his manhood, but imputed unto us: some by infusion, as when holiness is wrought in our hearts by the spirit, as a fruit of that holiness which is in the manhood of Christ, and derived from it, as the light of one candle from another.

The third point is, in what manner Christ is given unto us. Ans. God the father giveth Christ unto his Church not in any earthly or bodily manner, as when a king bestoweth a gift with his own hand, and putteth it into the hand of his subject: but the manner is altogether celestial and spiritual: partly because it is brought to pass by the mere divine operation of the holy Ghost: & partly because in respect of us, this gift is received by an instrument which is supernatural, namely, faith, whereby we lay hold on, and apply unto our selves the Evangelical promises. And this manner of giving may be conceived thus. A man that never stirred foot out of England holds and enjoys land in Turkey: but how comes it to be his? Thus: the Emperor was willing and content to bestow it; and the man for his part as willing to accept and receive it: and by this means that which at the first was the Emperors, by mutual consent becomes the man's. In the same manner God the Father hath made an Evangelical covenant with his Church: in which of his mercy he hath made a grant of his own son unto us, with righteousness and life everlasting in him: and we again by his grace accept of this grant and receive the same by faith: & thus by mutual consent according to the tenor of the covenant, any repentant sinner may truly say, though I now have mine abode upon earth, and Christ in respect of his manhood be locally in heaven; yet is he truly mine to have and to enjoy, his body is mine, his blood is mine. As for the giving & receiving of the body & blood of Christ in bodily manner (which the Papists maintain in avouching the real transubstantiation of bread and wine in the sacrament into the body and blood of Christ, and the Lutherans also in teaching that his body and blood is substantially either in, or with, or under the bread and wine) is an erroneous conceit flat opposite to sundry points of the Cbristian faith. For Christ to this very hour retaineth still the essence and essential properties of a true body, and we believe that really and visibly he ascended into heaven, and there abides till his second coming to the last judgment: who then having but common reason would imagine a communication of the body of Christ pent up in the element of bread, and conveyed into our bodies by the mouth and stomach.

The third point is, whether we are not lords of Christ, he being thus given unto us. Ans. No: for this donation is not single but mutual. As Christ is given to us, so we again are given to Christ, as he himself saith, Those whom thou hast given me, Father, I have kept. And we are given unto him in that our bodies and souls are made his not only as he is God, but also as he is our redeemer: and our sins with the guilt thereof are made his by imputation, and the punishment thereof is wholly laid upon him. This is all the dowry which the Church, being the spouse of Christ, hath brought unto him.

The fifth point is, how any man in particular may know that Christ is given unto him of the Father. Ans. When God gives Christ to man, he withal gives man grace and power to receive Christ, and to apprehend him with all his benefits: and this we do when we utterly renounce our selves, this world and all things therein, bewail our sins past, resting on the death of Christ for the pardon of them all, and as it were with both the arms of faith catching hold upon him in all estates, both in life and death. When the heart of any man is truly disposed and inclined to do these and the like things, we may truly say, that God hath given him grace to receive Christ.

The second thing required to make us one with Christ is, the Mystical union, which is a Coniunction whereby Christ & his Church are actually coupled into one whole Mystical body. Now that we may the better conceive the nature of it, sundry questions are to be moved. The first, what kind of conjunction this is. Ans. In the scripture we meet with three kind of coniunctions. The first is, conjunction in nature, when sundry things are coupled by one and the same nature. As the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost, being three distinct subsistances are all one, and therefore joined in one godhead or divine nature. Now Christ and the believer are not joined in nature: for thē they twain should have one body and soul. The second conjunction is in person, when things in nature different, so concur together, that they make but one person; as the body and soul make one man: and the godhead of the son with his manhood make but one Christ: in whom there is an union of distinct natures with unity of person. Now Christ and a Christian are not joined in person: for Christ is one person, Peter a second, and Paul a third distinct from thē both: & so many men as there be, so many several persons. The third conjunction is in spirit; and this is the conjunction meant in this place: whereby Christ and his Church are joined together: for the very same spirit of God that dwelleth in the manhood of Christ and filleth it with all graces above measure, is derived thence and dwelleth in all the true members of the Church, and filleth them with the like graces in measure, and therefore S. John saith, Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit. Hence it follows, that the bond of this conjunction is one and the same spirit descending from Christ the head to all his members, creating also in them the instrument of faith whereby they apprehend Christ and make him their own.

The second is, what are the things united? Ans. Not the body of the believer, to the body of Christ, or the soul to his soul, but the whole person of the man to the whole person of Christ: yet in this order; we are first of all & immediately joined to the manhood of Christ, & by the manhood to the godhead.

The third question is, what is the manner of this conjunction. Answ. We must not think that Christ and his Church are joined by imagination, as the mind of man and the thing whereof he thinks: or by consent of heart as one friend is joined with another, and as the Jews converted were all of one heart and soul: or by any abode in one place, or by touching, as sea and lande are both joined together and make one globe: or by any composition or cōmixtion of substances, as when many ingredients are put together, to make one medicine. But this conjunction is altogether spiritual as the former Giving was; and incomprehensible to man's reason: and therefore we must rather labor to feel it by experience in the heart, then to conceive it in the brain. Yet nevertheless it shall not be amiss to consider a resemblance of it in this comparison. Suppose a man having the parts of his body disjoined far asunder, his head lying in Italy, one arm in Germany, the other in Spain, and his legs with us in England: suppose further all these parts or quarters have all one soul, extending it self unto them all, and quickening each of them severally as though they were nearly joined together: and though the parts be severed many hundred miles asunder, yet the distance of place doth not hinder the conjunction, considering one and the same soul doth enlarge it self and give life unto them all. In the same manner the head of the Mystical body Christ our Savior is now in heaven, and some of his members in heaven with him, and some in earth: and of these, some in England, some in Germany, some in Italy, some in Spain, distant many thousand miles asunder: and the spirit of God is as it were the soul of this body which giveth spiritual life to all the members: distance of place doth not hinder this conjunction, because the holy Ghost which linketh all the partes together is infinite.

The benefits which we receive by this Mystical union are manifold. For it is the ground of the conveyance of all grace. The first is, that by means hereof every Christian as he is a Christian or a man regenerate hath his beginning and being in Christ, howsoever as he is a man he hath his being and subsisting in himself, as Paul saith, Ye are of God in Christ. And, We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones. Howe will some say can this be? After this manner. The comparison is taken from our first parents. Eve was made of a rib taken out of Adams side, he being cast into a slumber: this being done, Adam awaked and said, This now is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh Christ was nailed on the cross and his most precious blood was shed, and out of it arise and spring all true Christians; that is, out of the merit of Christ's death & passion, whereby they become new creatures. Secondly, everyone that believeth in Christ by reason of this union hath an unspeakable prerogative: for hereby he is first united to Christ, and by reason thereof is also joined to the whole trinity, the father, the son, and the holy Ghost, and shall have eternal fellowship with them. Thirdly, sundry men specially Papists deride the doctrine of justification by imputed righteousness: thinking it as absurd, that a man should be just by that righteousness which is inherent in the person of Christ; as if we should say, that one man may live by the soul of another: or be learned by the learning of another. But here we may see that it hath sufficient foundation. For there is a most near and strait union between Christ and all that believe in him: and in this union Christ with all his benefits according to the tenor of the covenant of grace, is made ours really: & therefore we may stand just before God by his righteousness; it being indeed his, because it is in him as in a subject; yet so, as it is also ours; because it is given unto us of God. Now there is no such union between man and man, and for that cause one man cannot live by the soul of another, or be learned by the learning of another. Fourthly frō this fountain springes our sanctificatiō, whereby we die to sin and are renewed in righteousness and holiness. Wormes & flies that have lien dead all winter, if they be laid in the sun in the spring time begin to revive, by virtue thereof: even so, whē we are united to Christ, & are (as it were) laid in the beams of this blessed son of righteousness, virtue is derived thence, which warmeth our benumbed hearts dead in sin, and reviveth us to newness of life: whereby we begin to affect and like good things, and put in practice all the duties of religion. Fifthly, hence we have the protection of God's angels; for they always wait and attend on Christ, and because we are made one with him, they attend upon us also. Lastly by reason of this union with Christ, every believer cometh to have interest & to recover his title in the creatures of God, and to have the holy and lawful use of them all. For we must consider, that although Adam created in the image of God, was made lord over all things in heaven and earth; yet when he fell by eating the forbidden fruit; he, and in him all mankind lost the title and use of them all. Now therefore that a man may recover his interest, he must first of all be united and made one with Christ: and then by Christ, who is Lord and King over all, shall he recover that title in the creatures of God, which he had by creation; and be made lord over them again. But some will say, if this be so, then a Christian man may have and enjoy all creatures at his pleasure; and therefore the goods of other men. Ans. The reason is not good, for in this life we have no more but right unto the creature, and right in it, that is, actual possession is reserved for the life to come. Therefore we must content our selves with our allowed portions given unto us by god, by his grace using them in holy manner, expecting by hope the full fruition of all things till after this life. Again, if all title to the creatures be rocouered by Christ, it may be demanded, whether infidels have any interest to their goods or no? Ans. Infidels before men are right lords of all their lands and possessions which they have obtained by lawful means; and in the courts of men they are not to be deprived of them: but before God they are but usurpers, because they hold them not in capite, that is, in Christ: neither have they any holy and right use of them, for to the unclean, all things are unclean. And they must first of all become members of Christ before they can hold and enjoy • them aright, and use them with good conscience.

The duties which are to be learned of the doctrine of this union are manifold. And first of all we are taught to purge our hands and hearts of all our sins, and especially to avoid all those sins whereby men's bodies are defiled, as drunkenness, uncleanness, fornication: for they drive away the spirit of God from his own house, and dissolve the bond of the conjunction between Christ & us. Secondly we must everyone of us, which profess our selves to be members of Christ, labor to become conformable unto him in holiness of life, and to become new creatures: for this union requireth thus much. Let a man take the grifts of a crabtree, and set them into good stocks: yet will they not change their sap, but bring forth fruit according to their own nature, even sour crabs: but it must not be so with us: we are indeed wild oliues, & the branches of wild vines; yet seeing we are persuaded that we are grafted into Christ and made one with him, we must lay aside our wild and sour nature, and take upon us the nature of the true vine, bear good fruit, have good juice in us, and render sweet wine. Thirdly we are taught hence to be plentiful in all good works, considering we are joined to him that is the fountain of grace. And therefore Christ saith, I am the true vine and my father is the husband man: every branch that beareth not fruit in me, he taketh away: & everyone that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bear more fruit. And the Prophet Isaiah compares the Church of God to a vineyard with a tower and a wine-press in it. And God himself comes often down unto it, to see the fruits of the valley, to see if the vine bud, and the Pomegranets flourish. And further we must bring forth fruit with patience. For the Lord of this vineyard comes with crosses and afflictions, as with a pruning knife in his hand, to pare and to dress us that we may be fit to bring forth fruit plentiful in duties of piety to God, and in duties of love to all men, yea to our enemies. Christian men are trees of righteousness growing by the waters of the sanctuary: but what trees? not like ours: for they are rooted upward in heaven in Christ, and their grains and branches grow downward that they may bear fruit among men.

Hitherto we have heard what the Church is, now to believe the Church is nothing else but to believe that there is a company of the predestinate made one in Christ, and that withal we are in the number of them.

Before we proceed any further, three rules must be observed touching the Church in general. The first, that Christ alone is the head of the Catholic Church, and that he neither hath nor can have any creature in heaven or earth to be his fellow herein. For the Church is his body, and none but he can perform the duty of an head unto it: which duty stands in two things: the first is, to govern the Church by such power and authority whereby he can and doeth prescribe laws properly binding the consciences of all his members; the second is, by grace to quicken and to put spiritual life into thē, so as they shall be able to say, that they live not, but Christ in them. As for the Supremacy of the sea of Rome whereby the Pope will needs stand ministerial head to the Catholic Church, it is a satanical forgery. For the headship (as I may term it) of Christ is of that nature or quality, that it can admit no deputy. Whether we respect the commanding or the quickening power of Christ before named. Nay Christ needs no vicar or deputy; for he is all sufficient in himself and always present with his Church, as he himself testifieth, saying, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst among them. And whereas all commissions cease in the presence of him that gives the commission: it is as much pride and arrogancy for the Pope to take unto himself the title of the head and universal Bishop of the Church; as it is for a subject to keep himself in commission in the presence of his King.

The second rule is, that there is no salvation out of the Church, and that therefore everyone which is to be saved must become a member & a citizen of the Catholic and Apostolic Church: and such as remain forever out of the same perish eternally. Therefore S. John saith, They went out of us, they were not of v •• for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us: but this cometh to pass that it might appear, that they are not all of us. And again, that such as be holy, are in the city of God; but without, that is, forth of the Church are dogs, en • hanters, whoremongers, adulterers, &c. And the Ark out of which all perished, figured the Church, out of which all are condemned. And for this cause Saint Luke saith, that the Lord added to the Church from day today such as should be saved. And the reason hereof is plain: for without Christ there is no salvation, but out of the militant church there is no Christ nor faith in Christ: and therefore no salvation. Again, forth of the militant church there are no means of salvation, no preaching of the word, no invocation of God's name, no Sacraments, and therefore no salvation. For this cause every man must be admonished evermore to join himself to some particular church being a sound member of the Catholic church.

The third rule is, that the church which here we believe is only one. As Christ himself speaketh, My dove is alone, and my undefiled is the only daughter of her mother. And as there is only one God and one Redeemer, one faith, one baptism, and one way of salvation by Christ only, so there is but one church alone.

The Catholic church hath two parts: the church Triumphant in heaven, and the church Militant on earth.

The Triumphant church may thus be described: It is a company of the spirits of just men, triumphing over the flesh, the devil, and the world, praising God. First I say it is a company of the spirits of men as the holy Ghost expressly termeth it, because the souls only of the godly departed, as of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, &c. are as yet ascended into heaven, and not their bodies. Furthermore the properties of this company are two. The first is, to make triumph over their spiritual enemies the flesh, the devil, the world: for the righteous man so long as he lives in this world is in continual combat without truce with all the enemies of his salvation: and by constant faith obtaining victory in the ende of his life, he is translated in glorious and triumphant manner into the kingdom of glory. This was signified to John in a vision in which he saw an innumerable company of all sorts of nations, kindreds, people, and tongues stand before the Lamb clothed in long white robes with palms in their hands, in token that they had been warriors, but now by Christ have gotten the victory and are made conquerors. Their second property is to praise and magnify the name of God, as it followeth in the former place, saying Amen: praise and glory, and wisdom, and thanks, honor, power, and might be unto our God for evermore. Hence it may be demanded whether Angels be of this Triumphant church or no? Ans. The blessed Angels be in heaven in the presence of God the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost, but they are not of the mystical body of Christ, because they are not under him as he is their redeemer, considering they cannot be redeemed, which never fell: and it cannot be proved that they now stand by the virtue of Christ's redemption: but they are under him as he is their Lord and King, and by the power of Christ as he is God, and their God, are they confirmed. And therefore as I take it, we cannot say, that Angels are members of the mystical body of Christ or of the triumphāt church; though indeed, they be of the company of the blessed.

The church Militant may be thus described: It is the company of the elect or faithful, living under the cross, desiring to be removed and to be with Christ. I say not that the Militant church is the whole body of the elect, but only that part thereof which liveth upon earth: and the infallible mark thereof is that faith in Christ which is taught and delivered in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles: and this faith again may be discerned by two marks. The first is, that the members of this company live under the cross, and profit by it in all spiritual grace. And therefore it is said, that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdom of heaven. And our Savior Christ saith, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross every day and follow me. The second mark is a desire to depart hence and to be with Christ, as Paul saith, We love rather to be removed out of this body and to be with Christ. And again, I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ, which is best of all. Where yet we must remember, that the members of Christ do not desire death simply and absolutely, but in two respects: I. that they might leave off to sin, and by sinning leave to displease God. II. That they might come to enjoy happiness in heaven, and to be with Christ.

Touching the general estate of the Militant church, two questions are to be considered. The first, how far forth God is present with it, assisting it by his grace. Ans. God gives his spirit unto it in such a measure, that although the gates of hell cannot prevail against it, yet nevertheless it remains still subject to error both in doctrine and manners. For that which is true in every member of the church is also true in the whole: but every member of the Militant church is subject to error both in doctrine and manners: because men in this life are but in part enlightened and sanctified; and therefore still remain subject to blindness of mind and ignorance, and to the rebellion of their wills and affections: whereby it comes to pass that they may easily fail either in judgment or in practice. Again, that which may befall one or two particular churches may likewise befall all the particular churches upon earth, all being in one and the same condition, but this may befall one or two particular churches to fail either in doctrine or manners. The church of Ephesus failed in leaving her first love, whereupon Christ threateneth to remove from her the candlestick. And the church of Galatia was removed to another Gospel from him that had called them in the grace of Christ: now why may not the same things befall twenty yea an hundred churches which befell these twain. Lastly experience showeth this to be true, in that general Councils have erred. The Council of Nice being to reform sundry behaviors among the Bishops and Elders, would with common consent have forbidden marriage unto them, thinking it profitable to be so; unless Paphnutius had better informed them out of the Scriptures. In the third Council at Carthage certain books Apocrypha, as the book of Sirach, Toby, and the Maccabees are numbered in the Canon, and yet were excluded by the Council of Laodicea. And the saying of a Divine is received, that former Councils are to be reformed and amended by the latter. But Papists maintaining that the Church cannot err, allege the promise of Christ: Howbeit when he is come which is the spirit of truth, he will lead you into all truth. Ans. The promise is directed to the Apostles, who with their Apostolical authority had this privilege granted them, that in the teaching and penning of the gospel they should not err: and therefore in the council at Jerusalem they conclude thus, It seems good unto us and to the holy Ghost. And if the promise be further extended to all the Church, it must be understood with a limitation: that God will give his spirit unto the me • bers thereof to lead them into all truth, so far forth as shall be needful for their salvation.

The second question is, wherein stands the dignity and excellency of the Church. Ans. It stands in subjection and obedience unto the will and word of his spouse and head, Christ Jesus. And hence it follows, that the Church is not to challenge unto her self authority over the Scriptures, but only a ministry or ministerial service whereby she is appointed of God to preserve and keep, to publish and preach them, and to give testimony of them. And for this cause, it is called the pillar and ground of truth. The church of Rome not content with this, saith further that the authority of the Church in respect of us is above the authority of the Scripture, because (say they) we cannot know Scripture to be Scripture but by the testimony of the Church. But indeed they speak an untruth. For the testimony of men that are subject to error cannot be greater and of more force with us, then the testimony of God who cannot err. Again, the Church hath her beginning from the word: (for there cannot be a Church without faith, & there is no faith without the word, & there is no word out of the Scriptures) and therefore the Church in respect of us, depends on the Scripture, and not the Scripture on the Church. And as the lawyer which hath no further power but to expound the law, is under the law: so the Church which hath authority only to publish and expound the Scriptures, cannot authorize them unto us, but must submit her self unto them. And whereas it is alleged that faith comes by hearing, and this hearing is in respect of the voice of the Church, and that therefore faith comes by the voice of the Church: the answer is, that the place must be understood not of that general faith whereby we are resolved that Scripture is Scripture, but of justifying faith, whereby we attain unto salvation. And faith comes by hearing the voice of the Church; not, as it is the Churches voice, but as it is a ministry or means to publish the word of God, which is both the cause and object of our believing. Now on the contrary we must hold, that as the carpenter knows his rule to be straight, not by any other rule applied unto it, but by it self: for casting his eye upon it, he presently discerns whether it be straight or no: so we know and are resolved that Scripture is Scripture, even by the Scripture it self, though the Church say nothing, so be it we have the spirit of discerning when we read, hear, and consider the Scripture. And yet the testimony of the Church is not to be despised, for though it breed not a a persuasion in us of the certainty of the Scripture, yet is it a very good inducement thereto.

The militant Church hath many parts. For as the Ocean sea which is but one, is divided into parts according to the regions and countries against which it lieth, as into the English, Spanish, Italian sea, &c. so the Church dispersed over the face of the whole earth, is divided into other particular churches according as the countries are several in which it is seated, as into the Church of England and Ireland, the Church of France, the Church of Germany, &c.

Again • , particula • Churches are in a twofold estate: sometime lie hid in persecution, wanting the public preaching of the word, and the administration of the Sacraments: and sometimes again they are visible, carrying before the eyes of the world an open profession of the name of Christ: as the moon is sometime eclipsed and sometime shineth in the full. In the first estate was the Church of Israel in the days of Elijah, when he wished to die: because the people had forsaken the covenant of the Lord, broken down his altars, slain his Prophets with the sword, and he was left alone and they sought to take his life also. Behold a lamentable estate, when so worthy a Prophet could not find another beside himself that feared God: yet mark what the Lord saith unto him, I have left seven thousand in Israel, even all the knees that have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth that hath not kissed him. Again it is said, That Israel had been a long season without the true God, without priest to teach, and without the law. Neither must this trouble any that God should so far forth forsake his Church: for when ordinary means of salvation fail, he then gathereth his Elect by extraordinary means; as when the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness wanting both circumcision and the Passover, he made a supply by Manna and by the pillar of a cloud. Hence we have direction to answer the Papists, who demand of us where our Church was three-score years ago before the days of Luther: we say, that then for the space of many hundred years, an universal Apostasy overspread the whole face of the earth; and that our Church then was not visible to the world, but lay hid under the chaff of Popery. And the truth of this, the Records of all ages manifest.

The second estate of the Church is, when it flourisheth and is visible, not that the faith and secret election of men can be seen (for no man can discern these things but by outward signs) but because it is apparent in respect of the outward assemblies gathered to the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments, for the praise and glory of God and their mutual edification. And the visible Church may be thus described: It is a mixed company of men professing the faith, assembled together by the preaching of the word. First of all I call it a mixed company, because in it there be true believers and hypocrites, Elect and Reprobate, good and bad. The Church is the Lord's field, in which the enemy soweth his tares: it is the corn flour, in which lieth wheat and chaff: it is a band of men, in which beside those that be of valor and courage, there be white liuered soldiers. And it is called a Church of the better part, namely the Elect whereof it consisteth, though they be in mumber few. As for the ungodly, though they be in the Church, yet they are no more parts of it indeed, then the superfluous humors in the veins, are parts of the body. But to proceed; how are the members of the visible Church qualified and discerned? the answer followeth in the definition, professing the faith. Whereby I mean the profession of that religion which hath been taught from the beginning, and is now recorded in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles. And this profession is a sign and mark whereby a man is declared and made manifest to be a member of the Church.

Again, because the profession of the faith is otherwhiles true and sincere, and otherwhiles only in show: therefore there be also two sorts of members of the visible church, members before God and members before men. A member of the church before God is he, that beside the outward profession of the faith, hath inwardly a pure heart, good conscience, and faith unfeigned, whereby he is indeed a true member of the church. Members before men, whom we may call reputed members, are such as have nothing else but the outward profession, wanting the good conscience and the faith unfeigned. The reason why they are to be esteemed members of us, is; because we are bound by the rule of charity to think of men as they appear unto us; leaving secret judgments unto God.

I added in the last place, that the Church is gathered by the word preached, to show that the cause whereby it is begun and continued, is the word: which, for that cause is called the immortal seed whereby we are borne anew, and milk, whereby we are fed and cherished to life everlasting. And hence it followeth necessarily, that the preaching of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, joined with any measure of faith and obedience, is an infallible mark of a true church. Indeed it is true, there be three things required to the good estate of a church, the preaching of the Gospel, the administration of the Sacraments, and due execution of Discipline according to the word: yet if the two latter be wanting, so be it there be preaching of the word with obedience in the people, there is for substance a true church of God. For it is the banner of Christ displayed, under which all that war against the flesh, the devil, the world, must range themselves. As the Lord saith by the Prophet Isaiah, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard unto the people, and they shall bring their sons in their arms, and their daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. Hence it followeth, that men which want the preaching of the Gospel, must either procure the same unto themselves; or if that cannot be, because they live in the midst of idolatrous nations, as in Spain and Italy, it is requisite that they should join themselves to those places where with liberty of conscience they may enjoy this happy blessing. Men are not to have their hearts glued to the honors and riches of this world; but they should be of David's mind, and rather desire to be dorekeepers in the house of God, then to dwell in the tents of ungodliness. In the Canticles, the spouse of Christ saith, Shew me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest at noon: for why should I be as she that turneth aside to the flocks of thy companions. To whom he answereth thus: If thou know not, O thou the fairest among women, get thee forth by the steppes of the flock, and feed thy kids by the tents of the shepherds: that is, in those places where the doctrine of righteousness and life everlasting by the Messias, is published. When the Shunamites child was dead, she told her husband that she would go to the man of God, to whom he answered thus; Why wilt thou go to him today, it is neither new moon nor Sabbath day: whereby it is signified that when teaching was skarse in Israel, the people did resort to the Prophets for instruction and consolation. And David saith, that the people wheresoever there abode was, went from strength to strength till they appeared before God in Zion. And oftentimes, they being Proselytes, there abode must needs be out of the precincts of Jewry.

Thus we see what the visible Church is: now further concerning it, three questions are to be skanned. The first is, how we may discern whether particular men and particular Churches holding errors, be found members of the Catholic church or no. For the answering of this, we must make a double distinction, one of errors, the other of persons that err. Of errors, some are destroiers of the faith, some only weakners of it. A destroier is that, which overturneth any fundamental point of religion; which is of that nature, that if it be denied, religion it self is overturned; as the denial of the death of Christ, and the immortality of the soul, justification by works, and such like: and the sum of these fundamental points is comprised in the Creed of the Apostles and the Decalogue. A weakening error is that, the holding whereof doth not ouerturue any point in the foundation of salvation; as the error of freewill, and sundry such like. This distinction is made by the holy Ghost, who saith expressly that the doctrines of repentance, and faith, and baptisms, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection, and the last judgment, are the foundation, namely of religion: and again, that Christ is the foundation, and that other doctrines consonant to the word, are as gold and silver laid thereupon. Secondly, persons erring, are of two sorts: some err of w • aknes, being carried away by others; or of simple ignorance, not yet being convicted and informed concerning the truth. Some again err of obstinacy, or affected ignorance, which having been admonished and convicted, still persevere in their forged opinions. This being said, w • e now come to the point. If any man or Church, shall hold an error of the lighter kind, he still remains a member of the Church of God, and so must be reputed of us. As when a Lutheran shall hold, that images are still to be retained in the church; that there is an Universal Election of all men, &c. for these and such like opinions may be maintained, the foundation of salvation vnrased. This which I say is slatly avouched by Paul. If any man (saith he) build on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones; timber, hay, or stubble, his work shall be made manifest by the fire, &c. and if any man's work burn, he shall loose, but yet he shall be safe himself. And therefore the hay and stubble of men's errors that are beside the foundation, on which they are laid, do not debar them from being Christians or members of the church. A man breaks down the windows of his house; the house stands: he breaks down the roof or the walls; the house yet stands, though deformed: he pulls up the foundation; the house it self falls and ceaseth to be an house. Now religion which we profess is like an house or building: and some points thereof are like windows, doors, walls, roofs, and some are the very foundation: and the former may be battered, the foundation standing. Again, if the error be directly or by necessary consequent, even in common sense ag • inst the foundation, consideration must be had whether the Church or party erreth of weakness or malice: if of weakness, the party is to be esteemed as a menber of the Catholic church. And thus Paul writes unto the church of Galatia, as to a church of God, though by false teachers it had been turned away to another Gospel, and embraced the fundamental error of justification by works. But when any man or church shall hold fund • mental errors in obstinacy or affected ignorance, we are not then bound to repute them any longer as churches or Christians, but as such to whom condemnation belongs, as Paul showeth by the example of Jannes and Jambres. And as Jannes and Jambres, saith he, withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth, men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. Yet withal, this caveat must ever be remembered, that we rather condemn the error then the person that erreth, because God's mercy is like a bottomless sea, whereby he worketh what he will and when he will in the hearts of miserable sinners.

The second question is, where at this day we may find such visible Churches as are indeed so • nd members of the Catholic church. And for the resolving of it, we are t • go through all countries and religions in the world. And first to begin with Turks and Jews, we are not in any wise to acknowledge their Assemblies for churches, because they worship not God in Christ who is the head of the church.

As for the Assemblies of Papists which have been a great part of the world, if thereby we understand companies of men holding the Pope for their head, and believing the doctrine established in the council of Trent; in name they are called churches, but indeed they are no true or sound members of the Catholic church. For both in their doctrine and in the worship of God, they rase the v • ry foundation of religion, which will appear by these three points. First of all they hold justification by works of grace: avouching that they are not only justified before God by the merit of Christ, but also by their own doings. Which opinion flatly overturneth justification by Christ. For as Paul saith to the Galatians, If ye be circumcised Christ profiteth you nothing, that is, if ye look to be justified by the works of the ceremonial law, ye are fallen from Christ: join circumcision and Christ together in the matter of justification, and ye do quite overthrow justification by Christ. Now if this be true, which is the word of God that cannot lie, then we say to the Papists; If ye will needs be justified by works of grace, ye are fallen from grace. The second point is, that they maintain daily real sacrifice of the body of Christ in the Mass for the sins of the quick and dead. And this is also a fundamental heresy. For Christ's sacrifice on the cross must either be a perfect sacrifice or no sacrifice: and if it be often iterated and repeated by the Mass-priest, it is not perfect but imperfect. The third point is, that they worship the Images of the Trinity and of Saints departed, and their Breaden-god, which is as vile an abomination as ever was among the Gentiles: all being directly against the true meaning of the second commandment, and defacing the worship of God in the very substance thereof. Thus then it appears that the old church of Rome is changed, and is now at this day, of a spouse of Christ become an harlot: and therefore no more a church of Christ indeed, then the carcass of a dead man that weareth a living man's garment is a living man, though he look never so like him. And whereas they plead for themselves that they have succession from the Apostles, the answer is, that succession of person is nothing without succession of doctrine, which they want: and we see that Heretics have succeeded lawful Ministers. Secondly, whereas it is alleged that in the Popish assemblies the sacrament of Baptism is rightly for substance administered; and that also it is a note of a Church, three things may be answered. First, that baptism severed from the preaching of the gospel, is no more a sign of a Church, then the seal severed from the indenture is of force; & that is nothing. Circumcision was used in Colchis, yet no church, and among the Samaritans • and yet no people. Secondly, Baptism in the assemblies of the Church of Rome, is as the purse of the true man in the hand of the thief: and indeed it doth no more argue them to be Churches, then the true man's purse argues the thief to be a true man. For baptism though it be in their assemblies, yet doth it not appertain unto them, but unto another hidden Church of God, which he hath in all ages gathered forth of the midst of them. Thirdly, though they have the outward baptism, yet they by necessary consequent of doctrine, overturn the inward baptism that stands in justification and sanctification. Moreover, whereas it is alleged, that they maintain the books of the old and new testament penned by the Prophets and Apostles; the answer is, that they do it with adding to the Canon, and by corrupting the native sense of the Scriptures in the very foundation: and therefore they are but as a lantern that shows light to others & none to it self. Fourthly, it is further said that they hold the Creed of the Apostles, and make the same confession of faith that we do. I answer that in show of words they do so indeed: but by necessary consequents in the rest of their doctrine they overturn one of the natures and all the offices of Christ, and therewithal most of the articles of the Creed. And herein they deal as a father, that in outward show tenders the body of his child, and will not abide the least blemish vopn it: and yet by secret conueiances inwardly annoys the heart, the brain, or the liver, and so in truth destroys the same. Fifthly it is alleged, that Antichrist must sit in the temple of God, that is, the Church: therefore say some that desire an union between us and the Papists, popish assemblies are true churches: but the argument is not good. For it is one thing to be in the Church, and another thing to be of it. And Antichrist is said to sit in the Church, not as a member thereof, but as an usurper, or as the pyrate in the ship of the merchant: and hence it cannot be proved, that the assemblies of Papists are Churches, but that in them and with them there is mingled another hidden Church in the midst whereof Antichrist the Pope ruleth, though himself hath no part therein. Lastly, whereas some, being no Papists, think their churches to be like a body diseased and full of sores and wounds from the head to the foot, and the throat also cut, yet so as life is still remaining; we may better think, (their foul errors considered and their worship of God, which is nothing else but a mixture of Judaism and Paganism) that it is a rotten and dead corpse void of spiritual life. And therefore we have severed our selves from the Church of Rome upon just cause: neither are we schismatics in so doing, but they rather; because the ground and the proper cause of the schism is in them.

As for the ass • mbli • s of Anabaptists, Libertines, Antinomies, Tritheits, Arians, Samosate ••• ns, they are no churches of God, but conspiracies of monstrous heretics iud ••• lly condemned in the primitive Church, and again by the malice of Satan ••• ued and revived in this age. The same we are to think and say of the Famili • of love.

As for the Churches of Germany commonly called the Churches of the Lutherans, they are to be reputed of us as the true churches of God. Though their Angustane Confession have not satisfied the expectation of other Reformed Churches: yet have they all the same enemies in matter of religion, & do alike confess the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost: and of the office of the Mediator, of faith and good works, of the Word, the Church and the Magistrate, are all of one judgment. They differ indeed from us in the question of the sacrament, but it is no sufficient cause to induce us to hold them as no Church: for that there is a true or real receiving of the body and blood of Christ in the Lord's supper, we all agree; and we jointly confess that Christ is there present so far forth that he doth truly feed us with his very body and blood to eternal life: and all the controversy lies in the manner of receiving; we contenting our selves with that spiritual receiving which is by the hand of faith, they adding thereto the corporal, whereby they imagine thenselves to receive Christ with the hand and mouth of the body. And though to maintain this their opinion, they be constrained to turn the ascension of Christ into a disparition, whereby his body being visible becomes invisible, yet in the main points we agree: that Christ ascended into heaven: that he entered into his kingdom in our name and for us: that we are governed and preserved by his power and might: and that whatsoever good thing we have or do, proceeds wholly from the grace of his spirit. Indeed the opinion of the Vbiquitie of the body of Christ reviveth the condemned heresies of Eutiches and Nestorius, and it overturneth by necessary consequent most of the articles of faith: but that was private to some men, as Brenz and others, and was not received of whole churches: and whereas the men were godly & learned, and we are vncerten with what affection, and how long they held this error, we rest our selves in condemning it, leaving the persons to God. Again Popish Transustantiation, and Lutherian Consubstantiation, are both against the truth of the manhood of Christ; yet with great difference. Transubstantiation is slatte against an article of faith: for if Christ's body be made of bread, and his blood of wine (which must needs be if there be a conversion of the one into the other) then was not he conceived and borne of the virgins Marie: for it cannot both be made of bakers bread and of the substance of the virgin. Again it abolisheth the outward sign in the Lord's supper, as also the analogy between the sign and the thing signified, and so overturns the sacrament: but Consubstantiation doth not so, neither doeth it overturn the substance of any article of Religion, but only a main point of Philosophy; which is, that A body doth occupy only one place at once.

Furthermore, the Churches of Helvetia, and Savoie, and the free cities of France, and the low Countries, and Scotland, are to be reverenced as the true Churches of God, as their confession make manifest. And no less must we think of our own Churches in England and Ireland. For we hold, believe, and maintain, and preach the true faith, that is, the ancient doctrine of salvation by Christ, taught and published by the Prophets and Apostles, as the book of the articles of faith agreed upon in open Parliament do fully show: and withal now we are, and have been ready to testify this our faith, by venturing our lives even in the cause of religion against foreign power, and especially the Spaniard: and hereupon all the Churches in Europe give unto us the hand of fellowship. And whereas sundry among us that separate and indeed excommunicate themselves, give out that there is no Church in England, no Ministers, no Sacraments: their peremptory asseverations wanting sufficient ground, are but as paper-shot. They allege that our assemblies are full of grievous blots and enormities. Ans. The defects and corruptions of Churches must be distinguished: and they be either in doctrine, or manners. Again corruptions in doctrine must further be distinguished: some of them are errors indeed, but beside the foundation; and some errors directly against the foundation: and these overturn all religion, whereas the former do not. Now it cannot be shown that in our Churches is taught any one error that razeth the foundation, and consequently annihillateth the truth of God's Church. Indeed there is controversy among us touching the point of Ecclesiastical regiment: but mark in what manner. We all jointly agree in the substance of the regiment, confessing freely that there must be preaching of the word, administration of the Sacraments according to the institution, and the use of the Power of the Keys in admonitions, suspensions, excommunications: the difference between us is only touching the persons, and the manner of putting this government in execution: and therefore men on both parts, though both hold not the truth in this point; yet because both hold Christ the foundation, they still remain brethren and true members of Christ. As for corruptions in manners, they make not a Church to be no church, but a bad church. When as the wicked Scribes and Pharisees sitting in Moses chair, taught the things which he had written, the people are commanded to hear them, and to do the things which they say, not doing the things which they do. And whereas it is said, that we hold Christ in word, and deny him indeed; that is answered thus: denial of Christ is double, either in judgment, or in fact: denial in judgment joined with obstinacy, makes a Christian to be no Christian; denial in fact, the judgment still remaining sound, makes not a man to be no Christian, but a bad Christian. When the Jews had crucified the Lord of life, they still remained a Church, if any upon earth: and notwithstanding this their fact, the Apostles acknowledged that the covenant & the promises still belonged unto thē: & they never made any separation from their Synagogues, till such time as they had been sufficiently convicted by the Apostolical ministry that Jesus Christ was the true Messias.

Thus we see where at this day we may find the true Church of God. Now I come to the third question; and that is, at what time a man may with good conscience make separation from a Church. Ans. So long as a Church makes no separation from Christ, we must make no separation from it: and when it separates from Christ, we may also separate from it: and therefore in two cases there is warrant of separation. The one is, when the worship of God is corrupt in substance. And for this we have a commandment, Be not, saith Paul, unequally yoked with infidels: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, or what communion hath light with darkness, or what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath the believer with the infidel? or what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? wherefore come out from among them and separate • our selves, saith the Lord. And we have a practice of this in the old testament. When Jeroboam had set up idols in Israel, then the priests and Levites came to Judah and Jerusalem to serve the Lord. The second is, when the doctrine of religion is corrupt in substance: as Paul saith, If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is puffed up: from such separate yourselves. A practice of this we have in the Apostle Paul, who being in Ephesus in a Synagogue of the Jews, spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and exhorting to the things which concern the kingdom of God: but when certain men were hardened and disobeyed, speaking evil of the way God, he departed from them, and separated the disciples of Ephesus: and the like he did at Rome also. As for the corruptions that be in the manners of men that be of the Church, they are no sufficient warrant of separation, unless it be from private company, as we are admonished by the Apostle Paul; and by the examples of David and Lot. By this which hath been said, it appears that the practice of such as make separation from us, is very bad and schismatical, considering our Churches fail not either in the substance of doctrine, or in the substance of the true worship of God.

Now to proceed in the Creed. The Church is further set forth by certain properties and perogatives. The properties or qualities are two, holiness and largeness. That the Church is holy, it appears by Peter, which calls it an holy nation, and a chosen people: and by S. John, who calls it the holy city. And it is so called • that it may be distinguished from the false Church, which is termed in Scriptures the synagogue of Satan, and the malignant Church.

Now this holiness of the Church is nothing else but a created quality in every true member thereof, whereby the image of God, which was lost by the fall of Adam is again renewed and restored. The author of it is God by his word and spirit, by little and little abolishing the corruption of sin, and sanctifying us throughout, as Christ saith, Father, sanctify them in thy truth, thy word is truth. And holiness must be conceived to be in the Church on this manner: it is perfect in the Church Triumphant, and it is only begun in the Church militant in this life: and that for special cause, that we might give all glory to God; that we might not be high minded, that we might work our salvation with fear and trembling; that we might deny our selves and wholly depend upon God. Hence we learn three things: first that the Church of Rome erreth in teaching that a wicked man, yea such an one as shall never be saved, may be a true member of the Catholic Church: for in reason, every man should be answerable to the quality and condition of the Church whereof he is a member: if it be holy, as it is; he must be holy also. Secondly we are everyone of us, as Paul saith to Timothy, to exercise our selves unto godliness, making conscience of all our former unholy ways, endeavoring our selves to please god in the obedience of all his commandments. It is a disgrace to the holy Church of God that men professing themselves to be menbers of it, should be unholy. Thirdly our duty is, to eschew the society of Atheists, drunkards, fornicators, blasphemers, and all wicked and ungodly persons, as Paul saith, Be no companions of them and have no fellowship with unprofitable works of darkness. And he chargeth the Thessalonians, that if any man among them walk inordinately they have no company with him that he may be ashamed.

The largeness of the Church is noted in the word Catholic, that is, general or universal. And it is so called for three causes. For first of all it is general in respect of time; because the Church hath had a being in all times and ages ever since the giving of the promise to our first parents in Paradise. Secondly it is general, in respect of the persons of men: for it stands of all sorts and degrees of men, high and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, &c. Thirdly it is Catholic or universal in respect of place; because it hath been gathered from all parts of the earth, specially now in the time of the New Testament; when our Savior Christ saith, that the Gospel shall be preached in the whole world. To this purpose John saith in the Revelation, I beheld and loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds, and people's, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the lamb, clothed with long white robes and palms in their hands.

And the Church which we here profess to believe, is called Catholic, that we may distinguish it from particular Churches, which are not believed, but seen with eye, whereof mention is made often in the Scriptures. Rom. 16.5.1. Cor. 16.19. the Church in their house: and, the Churches of Asia. Coloss. 4.15. Salute Nymphas and the Church in his house. Act. 11.22. the Church of Jerusalem. Act. 13.1. the Church at Antioch, &c.

That the Church is Catholic in respect of time, place, person, it ministers matter of endless comfort unto us. For hereby we see that no order, degree, or state of men are excluded from grace in Christ, unless they will exclude themselves. Saint John saith, If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Now it might be answered, it is true indeed Christ is an advocate to some men, but he is no advocate to me. Saint John therefore saith further, and he is the reconciliation for our sins, and not for our sins only, but for the whole world, that is, for all believers of what condition or degree soever.

Thus much of the properties of the Church: now follow the perogatives or benefits which God bestoweth on it, which are in number four. The first is expressed in these words, The communion of Saints. Where communion signifieth that fellowship or society that one hath with another: and by Saints we understand not dead men enrolled in the Popes calender, but all that are sanctified by the blood of Christ, whether they be living or dead: as Paul saith, Unto the Church of God which is at Corinthus, to them that are sanctified in Jesus Christ Saints by calling. And, God is the God of peace in all the Churches of the Saints. Now if we add the clause I believe, unto these words, the meaning is this; I confess and acknowledge that there is a spiritual fellowship & society among all the menbers of Christ, being the faithful servants and children of God: and withal I believe that I am partaker of the same with the rest.

This communion hath two parts, fellowship of the members with the head, and of the members with themselves. The communion of the members with their head is not outward, but altogether spiritual in the conscience: and for the opening of it, we must consider what the Church receiveth of Christ, and what he receives of it. The Church receives of Christ four most worthy benefits. The first, that Christ our Mediator, God and man, hath truly given himself unto us, and is become our lot and portion, and withal God the father, and the holy spirit, in him, as David saith, Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup: thou shalt maintain my lot: the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places: yea I have a fair heritage. And, My flesh faileth: and my heart also: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever. The second is, the Right of adoption, whereby all the faithful whether in heaven or earth are actually made the children of God. The benefit is wonderful, howsoever carnal men esteem not of it. If a mā should either by election or birth, or any way else be made the son and heir of an earthly prince, he would think himself highly advanced: how highly then are they extolled which are made the sons of God himself? The third benefit is a title and right to the righteousness of Christ in his sufferings, and his fulfilling of the law. The excellency of it is unspeakable, because it serves to award the greatest temptations of the devil. When the devil replieth thus, thou art a transgressor of the law of God, therefore thou shalt be damned: by means of that communion which we have with Christ we answer again: that Christ suffered the curse of the law to free us from due and deserved damnation: and when he further replies, that seeing we never fulfilled the law, we cannot therefore enter into heaven: we answer again, that Christ's obedience is a fulfilling of the law for us, and his whole righteousness is ours to make us stand righteous before God. The fourth benefit is a right to the kingdom of heaven, as Christ comforting his disciples saith, Fear not little flock, it is your fathers pleasure to give you a kingdom: and hence it is sundry times called the inheritance and the lot of the Saints.

Furthermore, for the conveyance of these benefits unto us, God hath ordained the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments, specially the Lord's supper: and hath commanded the solemn and ordinary use of them in the Church. And hereupon the Lord's supper is called the Communion. The cup of blessing (saith Paul) which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ: and the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ: that is, a sign and seal of the communion.

Again, the things which Christ receiveth of us are two: our sins with the punishment thereof made his by application or imputation: and our afflictions with all the miseries of this life which he accounts his own, and therefore doth as it were put under his shoulders to bear the burden of them. And this communion between Christ and us is expressed in the scriptures by that blessed and heavenly bargain in which there is mutual exchange between Christ and us: he imparts unto us, milk and wine without silver or money to refresh us, and gold tried by the fire that we may become rich, and white raiment that we may be clothed, and eye-salve to anoint our eyes that we may see: and we for our parts return unto him nothing but blindness and nakedness, and poverty, and the loathsome burden of our filthy sins.

The second part of the communion is that which the Saints have one with another. And it is either of the living with the living, or of the living with the dead. Now the communion of the living stands in three things: I. the like affection: II. in the gifts of the spirit: III. in the use of temporal riches. For the first; communion in affection is, whereby all the servants of God are like affected to God, to Christ, to their own sins, and each to other. They are all of one nature and heart alike disposed, though they be not acquainted nor have any external fellowship in the flesh. As in a family children are for the most part one like another & brought up alike: even so it is in God's family which is his Church: the members thereof are all alike in heart and affection: and the reason is, because they have one spirit to guide them all: and therefore Saint Peter saith, The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul, neither any of them said that anything of that which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. And the Prophet Isaiah foretelling the unity which should be in the kingdom of Christ, saith, The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie with the kid, and the calf and the lyon, and the fat beast together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed, and their young ones shall lie together: and the lyon shall eat straw like the bullock. The sucking child shall play upon the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand into the cockatrice hole. By these beasts are signified, men that be of a wicked and brutish nature: which, when they shall be brought into the kingdom of Christ, shall lay aside the same and become loving, gentle, courteous, and all of one mind. And S. Peter requires of the Church the practice of brothely love, and that is to carry a tender affection to men, not becanse they are of the same flesh, but because they are joined in the bond of one spirit with us. Furthermore by reason of this that all the children of God are of one heart, there follows another duty of this communion, whereby they bear one the burdens of another, and when one member is grieved all are grieved; when one rejoiceth all rejoice, as in the body when one member suffereth all suffer.

The second branch of their communion, is in the gifts of God's spirit, as love, hope, fear, &c. And this is shown, when one man doth employ the graces of God bestowed on him, for the good and salvation of another. As a candle spendeth it self to give light to others: so must God's people spend those gifts which God hath given them for the benefit of their brethren. A Christian man howsoever he be the freest man upon earth, yet is he servant to all men, especially to the Church of God to do service unto the members of it by love for the good of all. And this good is procured, when we convey the graces of God bestowed on us to our brethren: and that is done five ways. I. by example: II. by admonition: III. by exhortation: IV. by consolation: V. by prayer. The first, which is good example, we are enjoined by Christ, saying, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which in heaven. And that our hearts might be touched with special care of this duty, the Lord sets before us his own blessed example, saying, Be ye holy as I am holy: and, Learn of me that I am meek and lowely. And Paul saith, Be ye followers of me as I follow Christ : and the higher men are exalted, the more careful ought they to be in giving good example. 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 For let a man of note or estimation do evil, and he shall presently have many followers. Evil example runs from one to another l • ke a leprosy or infection: & this Christ signified when he said that the fig tree planted in the vineyard, If it bears no fruit makes all the ground barren. The second means of communication of the gifts of god unto others, is admonition, which is an ordinance of God whereby Christian men are to recover their brethren from their sins. A man by occasion fallen into the water is in danger of his life; & the reaching of the hand by another is the means to save him. Now every man when he sinneth doth, as much as in him lieth, cast his soul into the very pit of hell: and wholesome admonitions are as the reaching out of the hand to recover him again. But it will peradventure be said, howe must we proceed in admonishing of others? Ans. We are to observe three things. The first is, to search whether we that are to reprove, be faulty our selves in the same thing or no. First we must take out the beam that is in our own eye, and so shall we see clearly to pul out the mote in our brothers eye. Secondly, before we reprove, we must be sure that the fault is committed: we must not go upon hear-say or likelihoods: and therefore the holy Ghost saith, Let us consider or observe one another to provoke unto love or good works. Thirdly, before we reprove, we must in Christian wisdom make choice of time and place: for all times and places • erue not to this purpose. And therefore Solomon saith, It is the glory of a man to pass by an offense. Furthermore in the act of admonishing, two things are to be observed: I. a man must deliver the words of his admonition (so far forth as he can) out of the word of God, so as the party which is admonished, may in the person of man see God himself to reprove him. II. his reproof must be made with as much compassion and fellow feeling of other men's wants as may be. As Paul saith, If any man be fallen by occasion into any fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one with the spirit of meekness. The third way of communicating good things to others is exhortation: and it is a means to excite and stir them on forward, which do already walk in the way of godliness. Therefore the holy Ghost saith, Exhort one another daily, least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. But alas • the practice of this duty, as also of the former is hard to be found among men; for it is usual in families that masters and fathers instead of admonishing their servants and children, teach them the practice of sin in swearing, blaspheming, slandering, &c. and as for exhortation, it is not used. Let a man that hath the fear of God offend never so little, instead of brotherly exhortation he shall hear his profession cast in his teeth, and his hearing of sermons: this practice is so general, that many beginning newely to tread in the steppes of godliness, are hereby daunted, and quite driven back. The fourth way is consolation, which is a means appointed by God whereby one man should with words of heavenly comfort refresh the souls of others afflicted with sickness or any other way feeling the hand of God either in body or in mind. And this duty is as little regarded as any of the former. In time of men's sickness neighbors come in, but what say they? I am sorry to see you in this case, I hope to see you well again. I would be sorry else, &c. Not one of an hundred can speak a word of comfort to the weary: but we are faulty herein. For with what affection do we believe the communion of Saints, when we our selves are as dry fountains, that do scarce convey a drop of refreshing to others. The last means is prayer, whereby gods Church procureth blessings for the several members thereof and they again for the whole. And herein lies a principal point of the Communion of saints; which ministereth notable comfort to every Christian heart. For hence we may reason thus: I am indeed a member of the Catholic Church of God, and therefore though my own prayers be weak, yet my comfort is this, I know that I am partaker of all the good prayers of all the people of God dispersed over the face of the whole earth my f • llowe members, and of all the blessings which God bestows on them. This will make us in all our troubles to say with Elisha, Fear not, for they that be with us are more then they that be with them. When the people of Israel had sinned in worshipping the gold̄ calf the wrath of the Lord was kindled and made a breach into them, as canon shot against a wall: but Moses the servant of God stood in the breach before the Lord to turn away his wrath, least he should destroy them. And the prayer of Moses was so effectual that the Lord said, Let me alone, as though Moses by prayer had held the hand of God that he could not punish the people. And some think that Stevens prayer for his enemies when he was stoned was a means of Paul's conuersiō. And surely though there were no other reason, yet this were sufficient to move a man to embrace Christian religion, considering that being a member of the Church he hath part in all the prayers of the Saints through the world, & of the blessings of god that come thereby.

The third part of this communion is in temporal things, as goods, and riches: whereby I mean no anabaptisticall communion, but that which was used in the primitive Church, when they had all things common in respect of use: and some sold their goods and possessions and parted them to all men, as everyone had need. And by their example we are taught to be content to employ those goods which God hath bestowed on us, for the good of our fellow members within the compass of our callings, and to our ability, and beyond our ability if need require. Paul saith, Do good to all but specially to them which are of the household of faith.

The communion of the living with the dead stands in two things: the one is, that the Saints departed in the Church Triumphant do in general pray for the Church militant upon earth, desiring the final deliverance of all their fellow members from all their miseries. And therefore in the Apocalypse they cry on this manner, Howe long Lord holy and true! doest not thou judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth. I say in general, because they pray not for the particular conditions and persons of men upon earth considering they neither know, nor see, nor hear us: neither can they tell what things are done upon earth. The second is, that the godly on earth do in heart and affection converse with them in heaven, desiring continually to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Now whereas the Papists do further enlarge this communion, avouching that the Saints in heaven make intercession to Christ for us, and impart their merits unto us; and that we again for that cause are to invocate them, and to do unto them religious worship, we dissent from thē, being resolved that these things are but inventions of man's brain, wanting warrant of the word.

Lastly, to conclude, a question may be demanded, how any one of us may particularly know and be assured in our selves, that we have part in this communion of Saints. Ans. Saint John opens this point to the full when he saith, If we say that we have fellowship with him, and yet walk in darkness, we lie: but if we walk in the light, as he is light, then we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Christ purgeth us from all our sins. In which words he makes knowledge of God's will joined with obedience, to be an infallible mark of one that is in the communion: as on the contrary, ignorance of God's will, or disobedience, or both to be tokens of one that hath neither fellowship with Christ, or with the true members of Christ. And therefore to ende this point, if we would have fellowship with Christ, let us learn to know what sin is, and to • he from the same as from the bane of our souls, and to make conscience of every evil way.

The duties to be learned by the communion of the Saints are manifold. And first of all if we do believe the fellowship which all the faithful have with Christ and with themselves; and be resolved that we have part therein, then must we separate and withdraw our selves from all ungodly and unlawful societies of men in the world whatsoever they be. Vnlawfull societies are manifold, but I will only touch one, which everywhere annoyeth religion, and hindereth greatly this communion of Saints, and that is, when men join themselves in company to pass away the time in drinking, gaming, &c. Behold a large fellowship which beareth sway in all places; there is almost no town but there is at the least one knot of such companions: and he that will not be combined with such loose mates, he is thought to be a man of no good nature: he is foisted forth of every company; he is nobody: and if a man will yield to run riot with them in the misspending of his time and goods, he is thought to be the best fellow in the world. But what is done in this society? and how do these cup-companions spend their time? surely the greatest part of day and night is usually spent in swearing, gaming, drinking, surfeiting, revelling, and railing on the ministers of the word, and such as profess religion; to omit the enormities which they procure to themselves hereby: and this behavior spreads it self like a canker over every place, & it defiles both town and country. But we that look for comfort by the communion of Saints, must not cast in our lot with such a wicked generation, but separate our selves from them. For undoubtedly their society is not of God but of the devil: and they that are of this society, cannot be of the holy communion of Saints: and surely except the Magistrate by the sword, or the Church by the power of the keys do pull down such fellowship, the holy society of God's Church and people must decay. Excommunication is a censure ordained of God for this end, to banish them from this heavenly communion of the members of Christ, that live inordinately and have communion with men in the works of darkness.

Secondly by this we are taught, that men professing the same religion, must be linked in • ocietie and converse together in Christian love, meekness, gentleness, and patience: as Saint Paul taught the Philippians, If there be any fellowship of the spirit, if there be any compassion and mercy, fulfill my joy, that we may be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of like judgment. And again, Keep (saith he) the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Why? mark how his reason is fetched from this communion: Because there is one body, one spirit, even as you are called into the hope of your vocation, one Lord, one • aith, one hope, one baptism, one God and father of all, which is above all and in all. And no doubt the same reason made David say, All my delight is in the Saints which be upon earth.

Thirdly every Christian man that acknowledgeth this communion, must carry about with him a fellow-feeling, that is, an heart touched with compassion in regard of all the miseries that befall either the whole Church or any member thereof, as Christ our head teacheth us by his own example, when he called to Saul, and said, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? giving him to understand, that he is touched with the abuses done to his Church, as if they had directly been done to his own person. The Prophet Amos reproveth the people, because they drank wine in bowles, and anointed themselves with the chief ointments: but why? was it not lawful for them to do so? yes: but the cause for which they are reproved followeth: No man (saith he) is sorry for the affliction of Joseph. In the midst of their delights and pleasures they had no regard or compassion of the miseries of the poor Church and servants of God elsewhere in affliction, which every man ought to show forth in the practice of all duties of love: and therefore Paul saith, Pray always with all manner of prayers and supplications in the spirit, and watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplications for the saints. And he highly commendeth the Philippians for communicating to his afflictions. And further he biddeth Philemon to comfort Onesimus his bowels in the Lord. And S. John saith, If a man's life would save his neighbors soul, he must lay it down, if need require. We have all of us daily occasion to practice this duty towards the afflicted members of God's Church in other countries. For howsoever we enjoy the Gospel with peace, yet they are under persecution for the same: and so oft as we hear report of this, we should suffer our hearts to be grieved with them, and pray to God for them.

We must here be admonished not to seek our own things, but to refer the labors of our callings to the common good especially of the Church whereof we are members. As for them that seek for nothing but to maintain their own estate and wealth; and therefore in their trades use false weights and measures, the ingrossing, corrupting, mingling of wares, glozing, lying, smoothing, swearing, forswearing, dissembling, griping, oppressing of the poor, &c. they may plead for themselves what they will, but in truth they never yet knew what the communion of Saints meant.

Lastly, considering we are all knit into one mystical body, & have mutual fellowship in the same, our duty is both to redress the faults of our brethren and to cover them, as the hand in the body lays plaster upon the sore in the foot or in the leg, and withal covers it. Love covers the multitude of sins. And when men disgrace their brethren for their wants, and blase them to the world, they do not the duty of fellow members.

Thus much for the first benefit bestowed on the Church: the second is, Forgiuenesse of sins: which may be thus described, Forgiuenesse of sins is a blessing of God upon his Church procured by the death and passion of Christ, whereby God esteems of sin as no sin, or, as not committed. In this description I have couched five points, which we are severally to consider. The first, who is the author of forgiveness of sins? Ans. God, whose blessing it is: for sin is only committed against God, & the violating of his laws and commandments are properly sins. And the offense done to any man or creature is no more in it self but an offense or injury: yea the breach of man's commandment is no sin, unless it do imply withal the breach of God's commandment. Therefore it is a prerogative belonging to God alone to pardon sin: and when we are taught to say, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us, the meaning is not, that we forgive sins as they are sins, but only as trespasses, that is, losses, hurts, and damages done unto us by men. It may be further said, God hath given this power and commandment to his ministers to forgive sins, saying, Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted. Ans. God's ministers do not properly forgive sins, but only in the name of God according to his word pronounce to a penitent sinner that his sins are pardoned and forgiven of God: and therefore it is a most certain truth that none can forgive sins but God only: it was avouched by the Pharisees and not denied by Christ. Hence it follows that remission of sin, being once granted remains forever, because God's love unto the elect is unchangeable, and his decree concerning their salvation cannot be altered. The second point is, to whom remission of sins is given? Ans. To the Catholic church, that is, to the whole company of men predestinate to salvation: as Isaiah saith, The people that dwell therein (that is, the Church) shall have their sins forgiven. And, they shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be named, a city sought out and not forsaken. And if there had been an universal remission of sins to all men as some do dream, it should not here have been made a peculiar prerogative of the Church. The third point is, what is the means whereby pardon of sin is procured at God's hand? Ans. The death and passion of Christ: so Paul saith, Christ died for our sins: that is, Christ died to be a payment and satisfaction to God's justice for our sins. And S. John saith, The blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin. And Peter saith, Knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and g • ld from your vain conversation, &c. but with the precious blood of Christ as of a •• mbe undefiled and without spot. The fourth point is, after what manner sin is forgiven? Ans. By an action of God, whereby for the merit of Christ, he esteems and accounts sin as no sin, or, as if it had never been committed. Therefore David saith, Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sin. And in Isaiah the Lord saith, I have put away thy transgressions like a cloud, and thy sins as a myst. Now we know that clouds and mystes which appear for a time, are afterward by the sun utterly dispersed. And King Hezekiah when he would show that the Lord had forgivē him his sins, saith, God hath cast them behind his back, alluding to the manner of men, who when they will not remember or regard a thing, do turn their backs upon it. And Micah saith, that God doth cast all the sins of his people into the bottom of the sea, alluding to Pharaoh, whom the Lord drowned in the bottom of the red sea. And Christ hath taught us to pray thus: Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors: in which words is an alluding to creditors, who then forgive debts, when they account that which is debt as no debt, & cross the book. Hence it appears, that damnable and vile is the opinion of the church of Rome, which holdeth that there is a remission of the fault without a remission of the punishment: and here withal fall to the ground, the doctrines of human satisfactions, and indulgences, and purgatory, and prayer for the dead, built upon this foundation, are of the same kind.

Moreover, we must remember to add too this clause, I believe, and then the meaning is this. I do not only believe that God doth give pardon of sin to his Church and people (for that the very devils believe) but withal I believe the forgiveness of mine own particular sins. Hence it appears, that it was the judgment of the Primitive Church that men should believe the forgiveness of their own sins.

By this prerogative we reap endless comfort: for the pardon of sin is a most wonderful blessing, and without it every man is more miserable and wretched then the most vile creature that ever was. We lo • th the serpent or the toad; but if a man have not the pardon of his sins procured by the death and passion of Christ, he is a thousand fold worse then they. For when they die, there is the ende of their woe and misery: but when man dieth without this benefit, there is the beginning of his. For first in soul till the day of judgment, and then both in body and soul for evermore, he shall enter into the endless pains and torments of hell; in which if one should continue so many thousand years as there are drops in the Ocean sea, and then be delivered, it were some ease: but having continued so long (which is an unspeakable length of time) he must remain there as long again, and after that forever and ever without release: and therefore among all the benefits that ever were or can be thought of, this is the greatest and most precious. Among all the burdens that can befall a man, what is the greatest? Some will say, sickness, some ignominy, some poverty, some contempt: but indeed among all, the heaviest and the greatest, is the burden of a man's own sins, lying upon the conscience and pressing it down, without any assurance of pardon. David being a king had no doubt all that heart could wish; and yet he, laying aside all the royalties and pleasures of his kingdom, saith this one thing above all, that he is a blessed man that is eased of the burden of his sins. A lazar man full of sores is ugly to the sight, and we cannot abide to look upon him: but no lazar is so loathsome to us, as all sinners are in the sight of God: and therefore David counted him blessed, whose sins were covered. It may be some will say, there is no cause why a man should thus magnify the pardon of sin, considering it is but a common benefit. Thus indeed men may imagine, which never knew what sin meant: but let a man only as it were, but with the tip of his finger have a little feeling of the smart of his sins, he shall find his estate so fearful, that if the whole world were set before him on the one side, and the pardon of sins on the other, he would choose the pardon of his sin before ten thousand worlds. Though many drowsy Protestants esteem nothing of it, yet to the touched conscience it is a treasure, which when a man finds, he hides it, and goes home and sells all that he hath and buys it. Therefore this been • it is most excellent, and for it the members of God's Church have great cause to give God thanks without ceasing.

The duties to be learned hence are these. And first of all here comes a commō fault of men to be rebuked. Everyone will say, that he believeth the remission of sins, yet no man almost laboreth for a true and certain persuasion hereof in his own conscience: and for proof hereof, propound this question to the common Christian; Doest thou persuade thyself, that God gives remission of sins unto his Church? The answer will be, I know and believe it. But ask him further: Doest thou believe the pardon of thine own sins? & then comes in a blind answer, I have a good hope to Godward, but I cannot tell, I think no man can say so much: for God saith to no man, thy sins are pardoned. But this is to speak flat contraries, to say they believe, and they cannot tell: & it bewrays exceeding negligence in matter of salvation. But let them that fear God, or love their own souls health, give all diligence to make sure the remission of their own sins: withal, avoiding hardness of heart, and drowsiness of spirit, the most fearful judgments of God which everywhere take place. The foolish virgins went forth to meet the bridegroom with lamps in their hands as well as the wise, but they never so much as dreamed of the horn of oil, till the coming of the bridegroom. So many men live in the Church of God as members thereof, holding up the lamp of glorious profession: but in the mean season they seek only for the things of this life; never casting, how they may assure themselves in conscience touching their reconciliation with God, till the day of death come.

Secondly, if we be here bound to believe the pardon of all our sins, then we must every day humble our selves before God, and seek pardon for our daily offenses: for he gives grace to the humble or contrite; he fills the hungry with good things, when the rich are sent empty away. When Benhadad the King of Syria was discomfited and overcome by the king of Israel, by the counsel of his servants, who told him that the kings of Israel were merciful men, he sent them clothed in sackcloth with ropes about their necks to entreat for peace and favor. Now when the king saw their submission, he made covenant of peace with him. We by our sins most justly deserve hell, death, and condemnation every day, and therefore it standeth us in hand to come into the presence of God and to humble our selves before him in sackcloth and ashes, craving and entreating for nothing in the world so much as for pardon of our sins, and that day by day without ceasing till the Lord give this blessed answer to our consciences, that all our sins are put out of his remembrance. We must not think that God putteth grace into men's hearts when they lie snurting upon their elbows, and either not use or despise the means: but we must first use the means partly by making confession of our sins to God, and partly by crying to heaven for pardon: and then when by his grace we begin to desire grace, he gives further grace.

Lastly, if we believe the pardon of our sins, then we must change the tenor and course of our lives, and take heed of breaking God's commandments by doing any of those things, whereof our consciences may accuse us, and tell us, that by them we have displeased God heretofore. A man that for some misdemeanor hath been cast into prison and lien there many years winter and summer in cold irons, when he obtains liberty, he will often bethink himself of his old misery, and take heed forever least he fall into the same offense again: and he which hath seen his own sins and • elt the smart of them, and withal by God's goodness obtained assurance touching the pardon of them, will never wittingly and willingly commit the like sin • anymore, but in all things change the course of his life. As for such as say, that they have the pardon of their sins, and yet live in them still; they deceive themselves and have no faith at all.

Thus much for the second benefit which God bestoweth on his Church, namely remission of sins: now followeth the third in these words: The resurrection of the body. In the handling whereof sundry points must be considered. The first, whether there be a resurrection or no? This question must needs be handled, because Epicures and Atheists in all ages, and at this day some do call this article in question. Now that there is a resurrection of the body after death, it may be proved by many arguments, whereof I will only touch the principal. The first is taken from the work of redemption. Saint John writeth, that Christ came to dissolve the works of the devil: which are sin, and by sin death: and hence I reason thus: If sin and death are to be dissolved utterly, then the bodies of the faithful which are dead in the grave, must needs be made alive: otherwise death is not abolished: but sin and death must be utterly abolished, therefore there shall be a resurrection. Secondly, God had made a covenant with his Church, the tenor whereof is this, I will be thy God, and thou shalt be my people. This covenant is not for a day or an age, or for a thousand years or ages, but it is everlasting and without ende, so as God's people may say of God forever, God is our God: and likewise God will say of his church for evermore, this people is my people. Now if God's covenant be everlasting, then all the faithful departed from the beginning of the world must be raised again to life. And if God should leave his people in the gra • e under death forever, how could they be called the people of God? for he is a God of mercy and of life it self: and therefore though they abide long in the earth, yet they must at length be revived again. This argument Christ useth against the Sadducees, which denied the resurrection: God is not the God of the dead but of the living, but God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which are dead, & therefore they must rise again. The third argument must be taken frō the tenor & order of God's justice. It is a special part of gods glory, to show forth his mercy on the godly, and his justice upon the wicked in rewarding them according to their works, as the Apostle saith, God will reward every man according to his works: to them that by continuance in well doing, seek glory, & ho • our, • n • immortality, life eternal: but unto them that disobey the truth, that be content •••• and obey unrighteousness, shall be indignation and wrath. But in this life God rewardeth not men according to their doings: and therefore Sa •• mon speaking of the estate of all men in this world, saith, All things come alike to all, and the same • ondition is to the just and unjust, to the good and bad, to the pure and polluted, to h •• that offereth sacrifice, and to him that offereth none. Nay, which is more, here t • e wicked flourish, and the godly are aff •• cted. The ungodly have hearts ease and all things at will, whereas the godly are oppressed and overwhelmed with all kind of miseries, and are as s • ee • e appointed for the slaughter. It remains therefore that their 〈◊〉 needs be a general resurrection of all men after this life, that the righteous may obtain a reward of God's free mercy, and the wicked utter shame and c • n • usion. But some will say, It is sufficient that God do this to the soul of every man, the body needeth not to rise again. I answer, that the ungodly man doth not work wickedness only in his soul, but his body also is an instrument thereof: and the godly do not only practice righteousness in their souls, but in their bodies also. The bodies of the wicked are the instruments of sin, and the bodies of the righteous are the weapons of righteousness: and therefore their bodies must rise again, that both in body and soul they may receive a reward, according to that which they have wrought in them. The fourth argument, which is also used by Paul is this: Christ himself is risen, and therefore all the faithful shall rise again; for he rose not for himself as a private man, but in our room and stead and for us. If the head be risen, then the members also shall rise again: for by the same power whereby Christ raised himself, he both can and will raise all those that be of his mystical body, he being the first fruits of them that sleep. The fifth argument is taken from express testimony of Scripture. Job hath an excellent place for this purpose, I am sure (saith he) that my Redeemer liveth, and he shall stand the last on the earth, and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet I shall see God in my flesh, whom I myself shall see and mine eyes shall behold, and none other for me. And Saint Paul to the Corinthians avoucheth and proveth this point at large, by sundry arguments which I will not stand to repeat; this one remembered: If (saith he) the dead rise not again, then your faith is vain, our preaching is in vain, and the godly departed are perished. The sixth argument may be taken from the order of nature, which ministereth certain resemblances of the resurrection; which though they be no sufficient proofs, yet may they be inducements to the truth. Both Philosophers and also Divines have written of the Phoenix, that first she is consumed to ashes by the heat of the sun, and that afterward of her ashes riseth a young one: and on this manner is her kind preserved. Again swallows, worms, and flies, which have lien dead in the winter season, in the spring, by virtue of the sun’s heat, revive again: so likewise men fall in sownes & trances, being for a time without breath or show of life, and yet afterward come again. And (to use Paul's example) before the corn can grow and bear fruit, it must first be cast into the ground and there rotte. And if this were not seen by experience, men would not believe it. Again every present day is as it were dead and buried in the night following, and yet afterward it returns again the next morning. Lastly we read how the old Prophets raised some from death: and our Savior Christ raised Lazarus among the rest, that had lien four days in the grave and stank: why then should any think it impossible for God to raise all men to life?

But let us see what reasons may be alleged to the contrary. First it is alleged that the resurrection of bodies resolved to dust and ashes, is against common sense and reason. Ans. It is above reason but not against reason. For if impotent and miserable men, as experience showeth, can by art even of ashes make the most curious workmanship of glass, why may we not in reason think, that the omnipotent and everliving God is able to raise men's bodies out of the dust. Secondly it is said, that men's bodies being dead are turned into dust, and so are mingled with the bodies of beasts and other creatures, and one man's body with another, and that by reason of this confusion, men cannot possibly rise with their own bodies. Ans. Howesoeuer this is impossible with men; yet it is possible with God. For he that in the beginning was able to create all things of nothing, is much more able to make every man's body at the resurrection of his own matter, and to distinguish the dust of men's bodies from the dust of beasts, and the dust of one man's body from another. The goldsmith by his art can sunder diverse metals one frō another: & some men out of one metal can draw another, why then should we think it impossible for the almighty God to do the like? It may be further objected thus: A man is eaten by a wolf, the wolf is eaten by a Lyon, the Lyon by the fowls of the air, & the fowls of the air eaten again by men: again one man is eaten of another, as it is usual among the Cannibals. Now the body of that man which is turned into so many substances, especially into the body of another man, cannot rise again: and if the one doeth the other doeth not. Ans. This reason is but a cavil of man's brain: for we must not think, that whatsoever entereth into the body, and is turned into the substance thereof, must rise again and become a part of the body at the day of judgment; but every man shall then have so much substance of his own as shall make his body to be entire and perfect: though another man's flesh once eaten be no part thereof. Again it is urged, that because flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of God: therefore the bodies of men shall not rise again. Ans. By flesh and blood, is not meant the bodies of men simply, but the bodies of men as they are in weakness, without glory, subject to corruption. For flesh and blood in Scripture, signifies sometime the original sin and corruption of nature, and sometime man's nature subject to miseries and infirmities, or the body in corruption before it be glorified, and so it must be understood in this place. Lastly it is objected, that Solomon saith, The condition of the children of men, and the condition of beasts are even as one condition. Now beasts rise not again after this life: and therefore there is no resurrection of men. Ans. In that place Solomon expoundeth himself. They are like in dying: for so he saith, as the one dieth, so dieth the other: he speaketh not of their estate after death.

The second point to be considered, is the cause of the resurrection. In mankind we must consider two parts, the Elect and the Reprobate; and they both shall rise again at the day of judgment, but by diverse causes. The godly have one cause of their resurrection, and the ungodly another. The cause why the godly rise again, is the resurrection of Christ, yea it is the proper cause which procureth and effecteth their resurrection. In the scripture Adam and Christ are compared together, and Christ is called the second Adam: these were two roots. The first Adam was the root of all mankind, and he conueieth sin, and by sin death to all that sprang of him, Christ only excepted: the second Adam which is the root of all the Elect, conueieth life both in body and soul to all that are united to him: and by the virtue of his resurrection they shall rise again after this life. For look as the power of the godhead of Christ when he was dead in the grave, raised his body the third day: so shall the same power of Christ his godhead, convey it self unto all the faithful, which even in death remain united unto him, and raise them up at the last day. And for this cause Christ is called a quickening spirit. Now the cause why the wicked rise again, is not the virtue of Christ's resurrection, but the virtue of God's curse, set down in his word: In the day that thou shalt eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt die the death, that is, a double death both of body and soul. And therefore they arise only by the power of Christ as he is a judge, that this sentence may be verified on them; and that they may suffer both in body and soul eternal punishment in hell fire.

Furthermore S. John setteth down the outward means whereby the dead shall be raised, namely the voice of Christ: The hour shall come (saith he) in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and they shall come forth. For as he created all things by his word, so at the day of judgment by the same voice all shall be raised again. This may be a good reason to move us to hear the ministers of God reverently: for that which they teach, is the very word of God: and therefore we are to pray that it may be as effectual in raising us up from the grave of sin in this life, as it shall be after this life in raising us up from the grave of death unto judgment.

Thirdly, we are to consider what manner of bodies shall rise at the last day. Ans. The same bodies for substance: this Job knew well, when he said: I shall see him at the last day in my flesh, whom I myself shall see and none other for me, with these same eyes. Nevertheless the bodies of the elect shall be altered in quality, being made incorruptible and filled with glory.

The last point to be considered, is the ende why these bodies shall rise again. The principal end which God intendeth is his own glory, in the manifestation of his justice and mercy. Now at the last day, when all men shall be raised to judgment by the voice of Christ, the godly to life, and the wicked to condemnation; there shall be a full manifestation both of his mercy and justice: and therefore by consequent a full manifestation of his glory.

Thus much for the doctrines touching the Resurrection: now follow the uses. First it serveth wonderfully for the comfort of all Christian hearts. David speaking not only of Christ, but also of himself, saith most notably: Mine heart is glad, my tongue rejoiceth, and my flesh also doth rest in hope. Why so? For (saith he) thou shalt not leave my soul in grave, neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Though the days of this life be days of woe and misery, yet the day of the resurrection shall be unto all the children of God a time of rejoicing and felicity, & as Peter saith, it is the time of refreshing. Whosoever is now an hungered, shall then eat and be filled with the fruit of the tree of life: and whosoever is now naked, shall be then clothed with the white garments dipped in the blood of the Lamb: and whosoever is now lame, shall have all his members restored perfectly. And as this day is joyful to the godly, so on the contrary it is a day of woe and misery to the ungodly: as S. John saith, they that have done evil shall come forth to the resurrection of condemnation. If they might cease to live after this life, and die as the beast doth, O thē it would be well with them; for then they might have an ende of their misery: but the wicked must after this life rise again to condemnation, which is the accomplishment of their eternal woe and wretchedness; a rueful and doleful case to consider, and yet is it the state of all unbelieving and unrepentant sinners. If a man were bidden to go to bed, that after he had slept and was risen again he might go to execution, it would make his heart to ache within him: yet this, yea a thousand fold worse is the state of all impenitent sinners: they must sleep in the grave for a while, & thē rise again, that a second death may be inflicted upon thē in body & soul, which is the suffering of the full wrath of God both in body & soul eternally. This being so, let us embrace the good counsel of S. Peter, who saith, Amend your lives & turn, that your sins may be done away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. If a man die reap̄taunt for his sins, it is a day of refreshing; but if he die in his sins, impetent, and hard hearted, it is a day of eternal horror, desperation, & confusion.

Again, if we believe that our bodies shall rise again after this life, & stand before God at the last day of judgment, we must daily enter into a serious consideration of this time, and have in mind that one day • we must meet the Lord face to face. A traveler comes into an Inn having but a penny in his purse, he sits down and calls for all store of provision and dainties: now what is to be thought of him? surely in the judgment of all men his behavior betokens folly, or rather madness. But why? because he spendes freely and hath no regard to the reckoning which must follow: howe foolish then & mad is the practice of every man that liveth in his sins, bathing himself in his pleasures in this world, never bethinking how he shall meet god at the last day of judgment, and th • re make reckoning for all his doings. An ancient divine w • ites of himself that this saying ran in his mind, and sounded always in his ears: Arise ye dead and come unto judgment. And this ought always to be sounding in our ears, that while we have time we should prepare our selves to meet God at the last day.

Thirdly, if we believe the resurrection of the body, we are not to weep & mourn immoderately for our friends deceased. Our Savior Christ did weep for Lazarus, and when Stephen was stoned to death, certain men that feared God buried him, and made great lamentation for him: and therefore mourning is not condemned: and we must not be as stocks, that are bereft of all compassion: yet remember we must, what Saint Paul saith to th • Thessalonians: I would not, brethren, have you ignorant concerning those which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, as others which have no hope. For the godly man properly dieth not, but lays himself down to take a sleep after his manifold labors in this life; which being ended he must rise again to joys everlasting: and therefore we must needs moderate and mingle our mourning for the deceased, with this and such like comforts.

Fourthly, we are taught hence to labor and strive against the natural fear of death: for if there be a resurrection of our bodies after this life, then death is but a passage or middle way from this life to eternal life. If a beggar should be commanded to put off his old rags, that he might be clothed with rich & costly garments, would he be sorry because he should stand naked a while til he were wholly bestripped of his rags? No surely; well, thus doeth God when he calls a man to death: he bids him put off his old rags of sin and corruption, and be clothed with the glorious robe of Christ's righteousness: and our abode in the grave is but for a space, while corruption be put off. This is Paul's argument, saying, We know that when our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved, we have a building given of God, which is an house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens.

Fifthly, whereas the godly are subject to manifold afflictions and miseries, both in body and mind in this life, here they shall find a sufficient stay to quiet and calm their minds, if they consider that after this short life is ended, there will ensue a joyful resurrection. Job in the extremity of all his temptations, made this the comfort to his soul, that one day he should rise again, in which he should enjoy the glorious presence of his Creator. And the Holy Ghost saith, that the servants of God in the days of Antiochus were racked and tormented, and would not be delivered: why so? because they looked for a better resurrection.

Lastly, the consideration of this point serveth to be a bridle to restrain a man from sin, and a spurr to make him go forward in all godliness of life and conversation. Saint Paul had hope toward God, that the resurrection of the dead should be both of the just and unjust. Now what did this move him unto? Mark: Herein (saith he, that is, in this respect) I endeavor myself always to have a clear conscience towards God and towards man. And let us for our partes likewise remember the last judgment, that it may be a means to move us so to behave our selves in all our actions, that we may keep a good conscience before God and before men: and let it also be a bridle unto us to keep us back from all manner of sin. For what is the cause why men daily defile their bodies & souls with so many damnable practices, without any remorse of conscience? Surely they never seriously remember the day of the resurrection after this life, wherein they must stand before Christ to give an account of that which they have done in this life, whether it be good or bad.

Thus much of the duties: now mark it is further said, The resurrection of the body. If the body rise, it must first fall. Here then this point is wrapped up as a confessed truth, that all men must die the first death. And yet considering that the members of the Church have the pardon of their sins which are the cause of death, it may be demanded, why they must die? Ans. We are to know that when they die, death doth not seize upon them, as it is in his own nature, a curse: for in that respect it was borne of Christ upon the cross, and that for us: but for two other causes, which we must think upon, as being special means to make a man willing to die. I. They must die that original corruption may be utterly abolished: for no man living on earth is perfectly sanctified; and original sin is remaining for special causes to the last moment of this life, and then it is abolished and not before. II. The godly die that by death as by a straight gate they may pass from this vale of misery to eternal life. And thus Christ by his death makes death to be no death, and turns a curse into a blessing.

And to proceed: It is not here said, the resurrection of the soul, but of the body only; what then (will some say) becometh of the soul? Divers have thought, that the souls then, though they do not die, yet are still kept within the body (being as it were asleep) till the last day. But God's word saith to the contrary. For the souls of the godly lie under the altar, and cry, How long Lord Jesus? Dives in soul did suffer the woe and torments of hell: and Lazarus had joy in Abraham's bosom. Again some others think, that men's souls after this life do pass from one man's body to another: and Herod may seem to have been of this opinion: for when news was brought him of Christ, he said, that John the Baptist being beheaded was risen again, thinking that the soul of John the Baptist was put into the body of some other man. And for proof hereof, some allege the example of Nebuchadnezzar, who forsaking the society of men, lived as beasts, and did eat grass like a beast: & they imagine that his own soul went out of him, and that the soul of a beast entered in the room thereof. But this indeed is a fond conceit: for even then he had the soul of a man when he lived as a beast, being only stricken by the hand of God with an exceeding madness, whereby he was bereft of common reason; as doth appear by that clause in the text, where it is said, that his understanding or knowledge returned to him again. Again, some other think, that the soul neither dieth nor sleepeth, nor passeth out of one body into another, but wandereth here on earth among men, and oftentimes appeareth to this or that man: and this is the opinion of some heretics, and of the common people, which think that dead men walk: & for proof hereof some allege the practice of the witch of Endor, who is said to make Samuel to appear before Saul: but the truth is, it was not Samuel in deed, but only a counterfeit of him. For not all the witches in the world, nor all the devils in hell are able to disquiet the souls of the faithful departed, which are in the keeping of the Lord without wandering from place to place. For when men die in the faith, their souls are immediately translated into heaven, and there abide till the last judgment: and contrariwise if men die in their sins; their souls go straight to the place of eternal condemnation, and there abide as in a prison, as Peter saith. In a word, when the breath goeth out of the body, the soul of every man goeth straight either to heaven or hell; and there is no third place of abode mentioned in Scripture.

To conclude, the resurrection of the body is expressly mentioned in the Creed, to show that there is no resurrection of the soul, which neither dieth, nor sleepeth, but is a spiritual and invisible substance, living and abiding forever as well forth of the body as in the same.

Thus much of the third prerogative or benefit: now followeth the fourth and last, in these words, And life everlasting. To handle this point to the full, a • d to open the nature of it, as it deserveth, is not in the power of man. For 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 both the prophet Isaiah and Saint Paul say, that the eye hath not seen, & the ear hath not heard, neither came it into man's heart to think of those things which God hath prepared for those that love him. Again Paul when he was wrapped into the third heaven saith, that he saw things not to be uttered. Neuertheles we may in some part describe the same, so far forth as God in this case hath revealed his will unto us. Wherefore in this last prerogative, I consider two things; the first is, Life it self, the second is the Continuance of life, noted in the word everlasting. Life it self is that whereby anything acteth, liveth, and moveth it self: and it is twofold, uncreated or created. Vncreated life is the very godhead it self, whereby God liveth absolutely in himself, from himself, and by himself, giving life and being to all things that live and have being: and this life is not meant here; because it is not communicable to any creature. Created life is a quality in the creature; and its again twofold: natural, spiritual. Natural life is that whereby men in this world live by meat and drink, and all such means as are ministered by God's providence. Spiritual life is that most blessed and happy estate, in which all the Elect shall reign with Christ their head in the heavens after this life, and after the day of judgment forever and ever. And this alone is the life which in the Creed we confess and believe: and it consisteth in an immediate conjunction and communion or fellowship with God himself: as Christ in his solemn prayer to his father a little before his death, signifieth: I pray not for these alone, but for them also which shall believe in me through thy word, that they all may be one as thou, O father art in me and I in thee, evē that they may be one also in us. And whē S. John in the Revelatiō saith, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be their God with them: he showeth that the very foundation of that happiness which god hath prepared for his servants stands in a society between God and them, whereby God shall dwell with them in heaven, and they again shall there enjoy his glorious presence.

Touching this Communion, three points must be considered. The first is, in what order men shall have fellowship with God? Ans. This communion shall be first of all with Christ as he is man; and by reason that the manhood of Christ is personally united to the godhead of the son, it shall also be with Christ as he is God; and consequently with the father and the holy Ghost. The reason of this order is, because Christ, though he be the author and the fountain of eternal life as he is God, yet he conueies the same unto us only in and by his flesh or manhood. Yet must we not here think that life proceedeth frō the manhood it self, as from a cause efficient: for the flesh quickeneth not by any virtue frō it self, but by the Word to which it is personally united; it being as it were a pipe eternally to convey life from the godhead unto us.

The second point is, in what thing this communion consisteth? Ans. Saint Paul openeth this point to the very full, when he saith, that after Christ hath subdued all things unto him, then God shall be all in all, that is, God himself immediately shall be all good things that heart can wish to all the elect. But some men may say, What? is not God all in all unto us even in this life? for whatsoever good things we have, they are all from him. Ans. It is true indeed God is all in all even in this life: but howe? not immediately but by outward • means; and that also in small measure. For he conueies his goodness and mercy unto us so long as we live on earth, partly by his creatures and partly by his word and Sacraments: but after this life is ended, all helps and outward means shall cease: Christ shall give up his kingdom, and as he is Mediator shall cease to put in execution the office of a priest, a prophet, or a king: all authority and power shall be abolished: and therefore all callings in the three main estates of the Church, the Common-wealth, the family shall have an ende; there shall be no more magistrate and subject, Pastor and people, master and servant, father and son, husband and wife: there shall be no more use of meat, drink, clothing, respiration, physic, sleep: and yet for all this, the condition of men shall be many thousand fold more blessed then ever it was. For the Godhead in the Trinity immediately without all means shall be all things to all the chosen people of God in the kingdom of heaven, world without ende. This may seem strange to man's reason, but it is the very • lat truth of the word of God. S. John in the description of the heavenly Jerusalem, saith that there shall be no temple in it. Why, how then shall God be worshipped? mark what followeth, the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. Whereby is signified, that although now we use the preaching of the word, and the administration of the Sacraments, as means of our fellowship with God: yet when this life is ended, they must all cease, God and Christ being instead of all these means unto us. And he adds further, The city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it. What then will some say, must there be nothing but darkness? Not so. For the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light of it. Again he saith, that in the Paradise of God, there is the river of water of life, and the tree of life bearing fruit every month, and that is Christ. And therefore we shall have no need of meat, drink, apparel, sleep, &c. but Christ himself our head and redeemer shall be instead of them all unto us: on whom, all the elect shall feed, and by whom both in body and soul they shall be preserved evermore. If a man would have glory; the father, son, and holy ghost shall be his glory: if a mā desire wealth and pleasure, God himself shall be wealth and pleasure unto him, and whatsoever else the heart of man can wish. Hence it appears, that this communion is most admirable; and that no tongue can tell, nor heart conceive the least part of it.

The third point is, touching the benefits or perogatives that proceed of this communion, and they are in number six. The first is, an absolute freedom from all wants. In the mind there shall be no ignorance, no unbelief, no distrust in God, no ambition, no envy, anger, nor carnal lust, nor terror in conscience, or corrupt affection. In the body there shall be no soar, no sickness, nor pain: for God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: nay thē all defects or wants in body or soul or in both shall be supplied, and the whole man made perfect every way.

The second is perfect knowledge of God. In this life the Church and all the servants of god know him but in part. Moses would have seen gods face, but he was permitted to see only his hinder parts; and as Paul saith, now we know in part, and darkly as through a glass. In this life we can no otherwise discern but as an old mā through spectacles: & the creatures, but specially the word of God and the Sacraments are the spectacles of our mind, wherein we behold his justice, mercy, love, &c. and without them we can discern little or nothing: yet after this life, when that which is perfect is come, and that which is imperfect is abolished; we shall see God as he is to be seen, not as through a glass, but face to face, and we shall know him as we are known of his majesty, so far forth as possibly a creature may. God indeed is infinite, and therefore the full knowledge of his majesty can no more be comprehended by the understanding of a creature, which is finite, then the sea by a spoon: yet nevertheless God shall be known every way of man, so far forth as a creature may know the Creator. Now upon this that the elect have such fullness of knowledge, it may be demanded, whether men shall know one another after this life or no. Ans. This question is oftener moved by such as are ignorant, then by them that have knowledge: and oftentimes it is tossed in the mouths of them that have little religion in their hearts: and therefore I answer first, men should rather have care to seek howe they may come to heaven, then to dispute what they shall do when they are there: the common proverb is true, it is not good counting of chickins before they be hatched. Secondly, I say that men in heaven shall know each other: yea they shall know them which were never known or seen of them before in this life: which may be gathered by proportion, out of God's word. Adam in his innocence knew Eve, whom he had never seen before, & gave her a fit name so soon as she was created. And when our Savior Christ was transfigured in the mount, Peter knew Moses and Elias, whom before he had never seen: and therefore it is like that the elect shall know each other in heaven, where their knowledge and their whole estate shall be fully perfected. But whether they shall know one another after an earthly manner, as to say, this man was my father • this was mine uncle, this my teacher, &c. the word of god saith nothing: and therefore I will be silent, and we must be content a while to be ignorant in this point.

The third prerogative of everlasting blessedness is, that the Elect shall love God with as perfect love as a creature possibly can. The manner of loving God, is to love him for himself, and the measure is to love him without measure: and both shall be found in heaven. For the Saints of God shall have an actual fruition of God himself, and be as it were swallowed up with a sea of his love, and wholly ravished therewith: for which cause, as far as creatures can they shall love him again. Again, the love of a thing is according to the knowledge thereof, but in this life God is known of man only in part, and therefore is loved only but in part: but after this life, when the Elect shall know God fully, they shall love him without measure: & in this respect love hath a prerogative above faith or hope, howsoever in some respects again they go beyond love.

The fourth prerogative is, that the Saints of God keep a perpetual Sabbath in heaven. In this life it is kept but every seventh day, and when it is best of all sanctified, it is done but in part; but in heaven every day is a Sabbath: as the Lord saith by the Prophet Isaiah, From month to month, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come and worship before me: & therefore the life to come shall be spent in the perpetual service of God.

Fifthly, the bodies of the elect after this life in the kingdom of heaven shall be like the glorious body of Christ: so Paul saith, Christ Jesus our Lord shall change our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious body. Now the resemblāce between Christ's body and ours, standeth in these things: as Christ's body is incorruptible, so shall our bodies be void of all corruption: as Christ's body is immortal, so ours in the kingdom of heaven shall never die: as Christ's body is spiritual, so shall ours be made spiritual, as the Apostle saith, It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body ; not because the body shall be changed into a spirit, for it shall remain the same in substance, and that forever: but because it shall be preserved by a spiritual and divine manner. For in this life it is preserved by meat, drink, clothing, sleep, physic, rest, and diet, but afterward without all these means the life of the body shall be continued, and body and soul keep together by the immediate power of God's spirit forever and ever. Thus the body of Christ is now preserved in heaven, and so shall the bodies of all the elect be after the day of judgment. Furthermore as Christ's body is now a shining body, as doth appear by his transfiguration in the mount, so in all likelihood after the resurrection the bodies of the elect shall be shining and bright, always remaining the same for substance. Lastly, as Christ's body after it rose again from the grave, had this property of agility beside swiftness, to pass from the earth to the third heaven, being in distance many thousand miles frō us, and that without violence: so shall the bodies of the Saints. For being glorified, they shall be able as well to ascend upward, as to go downewarde, and to move without violence, and that very swiftly.

The sixth and last prerogative, is an unspeakable and eternal joy •• David saith: In thy presence is fullness of joy: at thy right hand there are p ••• ares for evermore. It is said that when Solomon was crowned king, the people rejoiced exceedingly. If there were such great joy at his coronation, whi • h was but an earthly prince, what joy then shall there be when the Elect shall see the true Solomon crowned with glory in the kingdom of heaven? It is said that the wise men which came from the East to worship Christ, when they saw the star standing over the place where the babe was, were exceedingly glad: howe much more shall the elect rejoice, when they shall see Christ not lying in a manger, but crowned with immortal glory in the kingdom of heaven? Wherefore this joy of the elect after this life is most wonderful, and cannot be uttered.

The property of life eternal, is to be an inheritance which God bestoweth on them which are made his sons in Christ, who is the only begotten son of the father. Hence it follows necessarily, that in the Scriptures it is called a reward, not because it is deserved by our works, as the Church of Rome erroneously teacheth: but for two other causes. First because life eternal is due to all that believe by virtue of Christ's merit. For his righteousness is made ours by imputation, so con • equently the merit thereof is also ours: and by it, (all personal merits in our selves utterly excluded,) we deserve or merit eternal happiness as a reward; which nevertheless in respect of our selves is the free and mere gift of God. The second is, because there is a resemblance between eternal life and a reward. For as a reward is given to a workman after his work is done; so everlasting life is given unto men after the travails and miseries of this life are ended.

The degrees of life are three. The first is in this life, when men being justified and sanctified, have peace with God. Many imagine, that there is no eternal life till after death: but they are deceived, for it begins in this world: as our Savior Christ testifieth, saying, Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my words, and believeth him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but hath passed from death to life. This being so, we are hence to learn a good lesson. Considering we look for life everlasting after this life, we must not deceive our selves, lingering and deferring the time till the last gasp; but we must lay the foundation of life eternal in our selves in this world, and have the earnest thereof laid up in our hearts against the day of death. But how is that done? we must repent us heartily of all our sins, and seek to be assured in conscience that God the father of Christ is our father, God the son our redeemer, and God the holy Ghost our comforter. For as Christ saith, this is life eternal to know thee the only God, and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ. And we must go further yet, endeavoring to say with Paul, that we live not, but that Christ liveth in us: which when we can say, we have in us the very seed of eternal life. The second degree is in the ende of this life, when the body freed from all diseases, pains, and miseries, is laid to rest in the earth, and the soul is received into heaven. The third is after the day of judgment, when body and soul reunited shall both be advanced to eternal glory.

Again in this third degree of life, there be in all likelihood sundry degrees of glory. Daniel speaking of the estate of the elect after this life, saith, They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for evermore. Now we know there is difference between the brightness of the firmament and the brightness of the stars. Again there be degrees of torments in hell, as appears by the saying of Christ, It shall be easier for Tyrus and Sidon in that day then for this generation: and therefore there be proportional degrees of glory. And Paul saith, There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another in glory: so is the resurrection of the dead. In which words he applies the differences of excellency that be in the creatures, to set forth the differences of glory that shall be in men's bodies after the resurrection. Furthermore, (if we may conjecture) it may be, the degrees of glory shall be answerable to the diverse measures of gifts and graces bestowed on men in this life, and according to the imployance of them to the glory of God and edification of the Church. And therefore the twelve Apostles who were exceedingly enriched with the gifts of the spirit, and were master-builders of the Church of the New Testament, shall sit on 12. thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. But it may be objected, that if there be degrees of glory in heaven, some shall want glory. Ans. Not so: though some have more, and some less, yet all shall have sufficient. Take sundry vessels whereof some are bigger, and some less, and cast them all into the sea: some will receive more water and some less, and yet all shall be full and no want in any: and so likewise among the Saints of God in heaven, some shall have more glory some less, and yet all without exception full of glory. And whereas it is alleged that all the laborers in the vineyard receive each of them a penny equally for their hire; the answer is, that our Savior Christ in that parable intends not to set forth the equality of celestial glory, and what shall be the state of the godly after this life: but the very drift of the parable is to show, that they which are called first, have no cause to brag or insult over others which as yet are uncalled, considering they may be made equal or be preferred before them.

Thus much of life it self: now follows the continuance thereof, which the Scriptures have noted in calling it eternal or everlasting. And to this end Paul saith, that Christ hath abolished death, and brought not only life, but also immortality to light by the Gospel. And this very circumstance serves greatly to commend the happiness of the godly: in that, after they have made an entrance into it, they shall never see term of time or end. Suppose the whole world were a sea, and that every thousand years expired, a bird must carry away, or drink up one only drop of it: in process of time it will come to pass that this sea though very huge, shall be dried up: but yet many thousand millions of years must be passed before this can be done. Now if a man should enjoy happiness in heaven only for the space of time in which the sea is in drying up, he would think his case most happy and blessed: but behold the Elect shall enjoy the kingdom of heaven not only for that time, but when it is ended, they shall enjoy it as long again: and when all is done, they shall be as far from the ending of this their joy, as they were at the beginning.

Having thus seen what life everlasting is, let us now come to the use of the article. And first of all, if we believe that there is an eternal happiness, and that the same belongs unto us, then we must use this present world & all the things therein as though we used them not: and whatsoever we do in this world, yet the eyes of our minds must be always cast toward the blessed estate prepared for us in heaven. As a pilgrim in a strange land hath always his eyes toward his journeys end, and is then grieved when by any means he is out of the way: so must we always have our minds and hearts set on everlasting life, and be grieved when we are by any way hindered in the straight way, that leadeth thereunto: we have a notable pattern of this duty set out unto us in the Patriarke Abraham, who being called of God, obeyed to go out into a place, which he should afterward receive for inheritance, and he went out, not knowing whither he went: and by faith abode in the land of Canaan, as in a strange country and as one that dwelt in tents. Now the cause that moved him was life everlasting: for the text saith, He looked for a city having a foundation, whose builder and maker is God. And we ought everyone of us for our parts to be little affected to the things of this life, never setting our hearts upon them, but using them as a pilgrim doth use his staff in the way: so long as it is an help and stay for him in his journey, he is content to carry it in his hand; but so soon as • t beginneth to trouble him, he casteth it away.

Secondly all that • rofesse the Gospel of Christ, may hence learn to bear the crosses and afflic • ions which God shall lay on them in this world. It is God's usual man • to begin corrections in his own family upon his own children; and as P • ter saith, Judgment beginneth at God's house. Look at a mother that weans her child, layeth wormwood or some other bitter thing upon her breast, to make the child loath the milk: so likewise God makes us often feel the mis • ries and crosses of this life, that our love and liking might be turned from this world and fixed in heaven. As raw flesh is loathsome to the stomach; so is every sinner and unmortified man loathsome unto God: till the Lord by afflictions mortify in him the corruptions of his nature, and specially the love of this world. But when a man is afflicted, how shall he be able to endure the cross? Surely by resolving himself that the Lord hath prepared life everlasting for him. Thus we read that Moses by faith when he was come to age, refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter, and chose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt. But I pray you: what moved Moses to be of this mind? The reason is added: Because he had respect to the recompense of reward, that is, he had always a special regard to life everlasting, and that was it that made him content and willing to suffer affliction with the people of god. Here then behold a notable president for us to follow. In which we are taught that the best way to endure afflictions with patience, is to have an eye to the recompense of reward: this is it that makes the yoke of Christ easy and lightsome. When it shall please God to bring unto us a cup of afflictions and bid us drink a draught thereof to the very bottom, the meditation of life eternal must be as sugar in our pockets to sweeten the cup withal.

Lastly, if this be true, that God of his goodness and endless mercy towards mankind, hath prepared life everlasting, yet not for all men, but for the elect whose names are written in the book of life, we must above all things in this world seek to be partakers of the same. Let us receive this as from the Lord, and lay it to our hearts, whatsoever we do evening or morning, day or night, whether we be young or old, rich or poor; first we must seek for the kingdom of heaven and his righteousness. If this benefit were common to all and not proper to the Church, less care might be had: but seeing it is proper to some alone, for this very cause let all our studies be to obtain the beginnings of li • e everlasting given in this life. For if we have it not, whosoever we be, it had been better for us that we had never been borne, or that we had been borne dogs and toads then men: for when they die, there is an ende of their misery; but man, if he loose everlasting happiness, hath ten thousand millions of years to live in misery and in the torments of hell: and when that time is ended, he is as far from the end of his misery as he was at the beginning. Wherefore, I pray you, let not the devil steal this meditation out of your hearts, but be careful to repent of all your sins, and to believe in Christ for the pardon of them all; that by this means ye may come to have the pawn and earnest of the spirit concerning life everlasting, even in this world. What a miserable thing is it, that men should live long in this world, and not so much as dream of another till the last gasp. Let us not suffer Satan thus to abuse and bewitch us: for if we have not eternal life in this world, we shall never have it.

Hitherto by God's goodness I have shown the meaning of the Creed: now to draw to a conclusion, the general uses which are to be made of it, follow. And first of all we learn by it, that the Church of Rome hath no cause to condemn us for heretics: for we do truly hold and believe the whole Apostolical Symbole or Creed, which is an epitome of the Scriptures and the very key of faith. It will be said, that we deny the Popes supremacy, justification by works, purgatory, the sacrifice of the Mass for the sins of the quick and the dead, the invocation and intercession of Saints, &c. which ar • the greatest points of religion. It is true indeed, we deny and renounce them as doctrines of devils: persuading our selves that if they indeed had been Apostolical, and the very grounds and pillars of religion, as they are now avouched to be; they should in no wise have been left forth of the Creed. For it is an oversight in making a confession of faith, to omit the principal points and rules of faith. It will be further said, that in the Creed we believe the Church, and so consequently are to believe all these former points which are taught and avouched by the Church: but this defense is foolish. For it takes this for granted, that the Church of Rome is the Church here meant which we deny, unless they can prove a particular Church to be universal or Catholic. Nay, I add further, that the principal grounds of popish faith, for which they contend with us as for life and death; are not mentioned in any other Creedes which were made by the Churches and Councils for many hundred years after Christ.

Secondly the Creed serves as a storehouse of remedies against all troubles and temptations whatsoever. I. If a man be grieved for the loss of earthly riches, let him consider that he believes God to be his Creator, who will therefore guide and preserve his own workmanship, and by his providence minister all things needful unto it. And that he hath not lost the principal blessing of all, in that he hath God to be his father, Christ to be his redeemer, and the holy Ghost to be his comforter: and that considering he looks for life eternal, he is not to be over much careful for this life: and that Christ being our Lord will not forsake us being the servants in his own house, but will provide things needful for us. II. If any man be grieved in respect of outward disgrace and contempt, let him remember that he believes in Christ crucified, and that therefore he is to rejoice in contempt for righteousness sake. III. They which are troubled for the decease of friends • are to comfort thenselves in the communion of Saints, and that they have God the Father and Christ and the holy Ghost for their friends. IV. Against bodily captivity, let men consider that they believe in Christ their Lord, whose service is perfect liberty. V. Against the fear of bodily diseases • we must remember the resurrection of the body, in which all diseases and infirmities shall be abolished. VI. If a man fear death of the body, let him consider that he believes in Christ, which died upon the cross, who by death hath vanquished death. VII. The fear of persecution is restrained, if we call to remembrance that God is a Father Almighty, not only able but also willing to repress the power of the adversary, so far forth as shall be for the good of his children. VIII. Terrors arising of the consideration of the last judgment are delayed by remembrance of this, that Christ shall be our judge who is our redeemer. IX. Fear of damnation is remedied by consideration that Christ died to make satisfaction for us, and now sits at the right hand of his father to make intercession for us: and by the resurrection of the body to life everlasting. X. Terrors of conscience for sin are repressed, if we consider that God is a Father, and therefore much in sparing, and that it is a prerogative of the Church to have remission of sins.

An advertisement to the Reader.

GOod reader, there was a book of late published in London under this title, PERKINS, upon the Lord's prayer. In it I have double injury. First it was printed without my knowledge or consent. And secondly the book is faulty both in the matter and manner of writing. In the matter, these things are not well set down.

First the commandment of prayer, very easily to be kept. pag. 3.b.

2. Prayer is the restauration of the Gospel. 7.b.

3. The three first petitions concern God's glory; the three latter, the means of God's glory. 1.b.

4. God's name taken for his deity, and not for his attributes or titles. 15.b.

5. A man must pray for the day of his death. 26.a.

6. Repentance is sufficient not only to bring a true faith, but also to renew it. 34. • .

7. A lesson in the Lord's prayer taken out of Popery. 45.a.

8. The doctrine of satisfaction for sin is a most vile doctrine. 52.b.

9. God and the devil agree in the manner of temptation. 61.b.

10. God offereth men the occasion to sin. 62.a.

Likewise the manner of writing hath other faults.

First, in the middle of the Lord's prayer, there is placed a discourse of the Lord's supper.

2. The end of the Lord's prayer is not expounded at all but friuolously.

3. There are very many places, which have no common reason in them, as First, God's angels do his will in countenance. 39.b.

2. Our daily bread is communicating bread. 45.b.

3. To walk before God in the truth of the satisfaction of God's justice. 51.a.

4. To purge a clear conscience. 51.b.

5. The pages 65.66.67. are so penned, as the reader cannot know what was my meaning.

Now, considering by this vngoaly practice, Christian and well disposed people are much abused, to omit the injury done to myself: I thought it my duty to make a redress by publishing this treatise according as the points therein were delivered: otherwise I was not willing to have set down anything in the way of Exposition of the Lord's prayer: because it is already sufficiently performed by others.

AN EXPOSITION OF THE Lord's prayer, in the way of Catechism. Seruing for ignorant people, by M. Perkins. Matth. 6. verse. 9. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father, &c.

THe occasion, and so also the coherence of these words with the former is this. The Evangelist Matthew setting down the sermons and sayings of our Savior Christ keeps not this course to propound everything as it was done or spoken: but sometime he sets down that first, which was done last; and that last which was done before: according as the spirit of God directed him. Which thing is verified in these words, where the prayer is mentioned; yet the occasion wherefore our Savior Christ taught his Disciples to pray, is not here specified. But in S. Luk. 11. 1. the occasion of these words is evident. For there it is said that the disciples of our Savior knowing that John taught his disciples to pray, made request to their master that he would do the same to them likewise.

These few words set before the pr • ier are a commandment, and it prescribes unto us two duties: the first, to pray: the second, to pray after the manner following. Touching the first point, considering very few among the people know how to pray aright, we must learn what it is to pray.

To make prayer is to put up our request to God according to his word from a contrite heart in the name of Christ, with assurance to be heard.

For the better opening of these words, we are to consider six questions. The first is, to whom we are to pray. The answer is, to God alone: Rom. 10.14. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed, &c. Mark howe invocation and faith are linked together. And Paul's reason may be framed thus. In whom we put our affiance or belief, to him alone must we pray: but we believe only in God: therefore we must only pray to him. As for Saints or angels, they are in no wise to be called upon: because not the least title of gods word prescribes us so to do: because they cannot hear our prayers, and discern what are the thoughts and desires of our hearts: and because invocation is a part of divine worship, and therefore peculiar to God alone.

Objection. What need any man pray unto God, considering he knows what we want before we ask, and is ready and willing to give that which we crave. Ans. We pray not for this ende to manifest our case to God as though he knew it not, or to win and procure his favor and good will, but for other weighty ends. First, that we might show our submission and obedience to God, because he hath given us a direct commandment to pray, and it must be obeyed. Secondly, that we may by invocation show forth that we do indeed believe and repent: because God hath made the promise of remission of sins and of all good blessings to such as do indeed repent and humble themselves under the hand of God, and by true faith apprehend and apply the promises of God unto themselves. Thirdly, we pray to God that we may (as our duty is) acknowledge him to be the fountain, author, and giver of every good thing. Lastly, that we might ease our minds by pouring out our hearts before the Lord: for to this ende hath he made most sweet and comfortable promises. Pro. 16.3. Psal. 37.5.

Objection. What need men use prayer, considering God in his eternal counsel hath certainly determined what shall come to pass? Ans. As God determines what things shall come to pass: so he doeth with all determine the means whereby the same things are effected. Before all worlds God decreed that men should live upon earth, and he decreed likewise, that meat, drink and clothing should be used that life might be preserved. Now prayer is one of the most excellent means whereby sundry things are brought to pass: therefore God's eternal counsel touching things to come, doth not exclude prayer and like means, but rather include and imply the same.

The second question is, what kind of actiō prayer is? Ans. It is no lip-labor, it is the putting up of a suite unto God, and this action is peculiar to the very heart of a man. Rom. 8.26. The spirit makes request for us. But how? with groans in the heart. Exod. • 4.15. The Lord saith to Moses, Why criest thou? yet there is no mention made that Moses spake any word at all: the Lord no doubt, accepted the inward mourning and desire of his heart for a cry, Psal. 38.10. and 11.4.

The third question is, what is the form or rule according to which we are to pray? Ans. It is the revealed will and word of God. A man in humbling his soul before God, is not to pray as his affections carry him, and for what he list: but all is to be done according to the express word. So as those things which God hath commanded us to ask, we are to ask, & those things which he hath not commanded us to ask, we are in no wise to pray for, 1. John 5.14. This is the assurance which we have of him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. This then is a special clause to be marked, that men must pray in knowledge, not in ignorance. Here weigh the case of poor ignorant people: they talk much of praying for themselves and others, they imagine that they pray very devoutly to God: but alas they do nothing less, because they know not what to ask according to gods will. They therefore must learn God's word, and pray according to the same, else it will prove in the end that all their praying was nothing but as mocking, and flat dishonoring of God.

The fourth question is, with what affection a man must pray? Ans. Prayer must proceed from a broken and contrite heart. This is the sacrifice which God accepteth. Psal. 51. 17. When Ahab abased himself, though he did •• in hypocrisy, yet God had some respect unto it. 1. King. 21.29. saith the Lord to Elijah, seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me? This contrition of heart stands in two things. The first of them is a lively feeling of our own sin, misery, and wretched estate, how that we are compassed about with innumerable enemies, even with the devil and his angels, and within abound even with huge seas of wants and rebellious corruptions, whereby we most grievously displease God, and are vile in our own eyes. Being therefore thus beset on every side, we are to be touched with the sense of this our great misery. And he that will pray aright, must put on the person and the very affection of a poor wretched beggar, and certainly not being grieved with the rueful condition in which we are in our selves, it is not possible for us to pray effectually, Psal. 130.1. Out of the deepest called upon thee, O Lord: that is, when I was in my greatest misery, and as it were not far from the gulfs of hell, then I cried to God, Isaiah 26.16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. 1. Sam. 1.15. I am a woman (saith Anna) of an hard spirit: that is, a trouble soul, and have poured my soul before the Lord. Hence it appeareth, that the ordinary prayers of most men grievously displease God, seeing they are made for fashion only, without any sense and feeling of their miseries, commonly men come with the Pharisee in ostentation of their integrity, and they take great pains with their lips, but their hearts wander from the Lord. The second thing required in a contrite heart, is a longing desire and hungering after God's graces and benefits whereof we stand in need. It is not sufficient for a man to buckle as it were, and to go crooked under his sins and miseries: but also he must have a desire to be eased of them, and to be enriched with graces needful.

Thus Hezekiah the King, and the Prophet Isaiah the son of Amos prayed against Sennacherib, and cried unto heaven. 2. Chr. 32.10. Where we may see what a marvelous desire they had to obtain their request. So also Rom. 8.16. The spirit maketh request with groans so great that they cannot be uttered, as they are felt. David Psal. • 43.6. saith, that he desireth after the Lord, as the thirsty land. Now we know that the ground parched with heat, opens it self in ri • ts and crannies, and gapes towards heaven as though it would devour the clouds for want of moisture, and thus must the heart be disposed to God's grace, till it obtain it. The people of Israel being in grievous a • fliction, how do they pray? They pour out their souls like water before the face of the Lord. Lament. 2. 1 • .

The fifth question is, in whose name prayer must be made. Ans. It must not be made in the name of any creature, but only in the name and mediation of Christ. John. 14.14. If ye ask anything in my name I will do it. A man is not to present his prayers to God in any worthiness of his own merits. For what is he to make the best of himself, what can he make of himself? by nature he is no better then the very firebrand of hell, and of all God's creatures on earth the most outrageous rebel to God, and therefore cannot be heard for his own sake. As for Saints, they can be no mediators, seeing even they themselves in heaven are accepted of God not for themselves, but only for the blessed merits of Christ. If any man sin (saith Saint John 1. epist. chap. 2.1.) we h •• e an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ. But howe proves he this? It follows then, And he is the reconciliation for our sins. His reason stands thus, he which must be an advocate, must first of all be a reconciliation for us; no saints can be a reconciliation for us, therefore no Saints can be advocates. Therefore in this place is manifest another fault of ignorant people. They cry often, Lord help me, Lord have mercy upon me. But in whose name pray they? poor souls like blind bayards they rush upon the Lord, they know no mediator in whose name they should present their prayers to him. Little do they consider with themselves, that God is as well a most terrible Judge, as a merciful father.

The sixth question is; Whether faith be requisite to prayer or not. Ans. Prayer is to be made with faith, whereby a man must have certain assurance to be heard. For he that prayeth must steadfastly believe, that God in Christ will grant his petition. This affiance being wanting, it maketh prayer to be no prayer. For how can he pray for anything effectually, who doubteth whether he shall obtain it or no.

Wherefore it is an especial point of prayer, to be persuaded, that God to whom prayer is made, not only can, but also will grant his request. Mar. 11. 24. Whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye shall have it, and it shall be done unto you. Here we see two things required in prayer: the first, a desire of the good things which we want: the second is faith, whereby we believe that God will grant the things desired. The ground of this faith is reconciliation with God, and the assurance thereof. For unless a man be in conscience in some measure persuaded that all his sins are pardoned, and that he stands reconciled to God in Christ, he cannot believe any other promises revealed in the word, nor that any of his prayers shall be heard.

Thus much of the definition of prayer: now let us see what use may be • made of • his commandment, Pray ye thus. Seeing our Savior commands his di •• iples • and so even us also to pray to God, it is our duty not only to present our prayers to God, but also to do it cheerfully and earnestly. Rom. 15. 30. Also brethren I beseech you that ye would strive with me by prayers to God for me. What is the cause why the Lord doth oft defer his blessings after our prayers? No cause, but that he might stir us up to be more earnest to cry unto the Lord. Exod. 32. 10. When Moses prayed to God in the behalf of the Israelites, the Lord answers, Let me alone: as though his prayers did bind the Lord, and hinder him from executing his judgments. Wherefore this is good advise, for all Christian men to continue and to be zealous in prayer. If thou be an ignorant man, for shame learn to pray, seeing it is God's commandment, make conscience of it. We see that there is no man, unless he be desperately wicked, but will make some conscience of killing and stealing • and why is this? Because it is God's commandment, Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not • teale.

Well then, this also is God's commandment, to pray. Let this consideration breed in thee a conscience of this duty: and although thy corrupt nature shall draw thee away from it, yet strive to the contrary, and know it certainly, that • he breach of this commandment makes thee as well guilty of damnation before God as any other. Furthermore, this must be a motive to prick thee forward to this duty, that as God commands us to pray, so also he gives the spirit of prayer, whereby the commandment is made easy unto us. If the Lord had commanded a thing impossible, then there had been some cause of discouragement, but commanding a thing through the grace of his spirit very easy and profitable: how much more are we bound to obedience of the same? Again, prayer is the key whereby we open the treasures of GOD, and pull down his mercies upon us. For as the preaching of the word serves to declare and to convey unto us God's graces: so in prayer we come to have a lively feeling of the same in our hearts. And further, this must move us to prayer, seeing in that, we have familiarity with God's majesty. It is an high favor for a man to be familiar with a prince; howe much more then to be familiar with the king of kings the mighty Jehovah? This then can be no burden or trouble unto us, being one of the many perogatives that god bestows on his church. For in the preaching of the word, it pleased God to talk to us, and in prayer, God doth vouchsafe us this honor, to speak, and as it were familiarly to talk with him, not as to a fearful Judge, but as to a loving and merciful God.

Consider also that prayer is a worthy means of defense, not only to us, but also to the Church & thē that are absent. By it Moses stood in the breach, which God's wrath had made into the people of Israel, and stayed the same, Psal. 106. 23. By this, Christian men fight as valiant champions against their own corruptions, and all other spiritual enemies, Eph. 6. 18. Infinite were it to show how many blessings the Lord had bestowed on his servants by prayer. In a word, Luther, whom it pleased God to use as a worthy instrument for the restoring of the gospel, testifieth of himself, that having this grace given him to call upon the name of the Lord, he had more revealed unto him of gods truth by prayer, then by reading and study.

The second point of the commandment, is to pray after the manner propounded in the Lord's prayer. Where it is to be noted, that the Lord's prayer is a direction, and as it were a samplar to teach us how and in what manner we ought to pray. None is to imagine that we are bound to use these words only, & none other. For the meaning of Christ is not to bind us to the word, but to the matter and to the manner, and to the like affections in praying. If this were not so, the prayers of God's servants set down in the books of the old and New Testament, should all be faulty, because they are not set down in the very same words with the Lord's prayer, nay this prayer is not set down in the same words altogether by Matthew and Luke.

And whereas sundry men in our Church hold it unlawful to use this very form of words as they are set down by our Savior Christ for a prayer; they are far deceived, as will appear by their reasons. First (say they) it is scripture, and therefore not to be used as a prayer. I answer, that the same thing may be the scripture of God, & also the prayer of man, else the prayers of Moses, David, and Paul, being set down in the scriptures, cease to be prayers. Again (say they) that in prayer we are to express our wants in particular, & the graces which we desire: now in these words all things to be prayed for, are only in general propounded. I answer, that the main wants that are in any m • n, and the principal graces of God to be desired, are set down in the petitions of this prayer in particular. Thirdly, they plead that the pattern to make all prayers by, should not be used as a prayer. I answer, that therefore the rather it may be used as a prayer, and sure it is that ancient and worthy Divines have reverenced it as a prayer; choosing rather to use these words then any other, as Cyprianus Sermon de orat. Dominic. And Tertullian lib. de fuga in persequntione. And August. Sermon 126. de tempore. Wherefore the opinion is full of ignorance and error.

Well, whereas our Savior first gives a commandment to pray, and then after gives a direction for the keeping of it, this he doth to stir up our dullness, and to allure us by all means to this heavenly exercise of prayer: wherefore still I say, employ yourselves in prayer fervently and continually, and if you cannot do it, learn to pray. Thus much of the commandment of our Savior Christ: now follow the words of the prayer.