Entry 1

Before we come to handle the particular pointes of the Creed, it is very requisite that we should make an entrance thereto by describing the nature, properties, and kindes of faith, the confession and ground whereof is set foorth in the Creede. Faith therefore is a gift of God, whereby we giue assent or credence to Gods word. For there is a necessarie relatiō between faith & gods word. The cōmon property of faith is noted by the authour of the Hebrews, when he saith, Faith is the ground of things hoped for: and,¹ the demonstration of things that are not seene. For all this may be understoode, not onely of iustifying faith, but also of temporarie faith, and the faith of miracles. Where faith is said to be a ground, the meaning is, that though there are many things promised by God, which men do not presently enioy, but only hope for; because as yet they are not: yet faith doeth after a sort giue subsisting or being vnto them. Secondly it is an euidence or demonstration &c. that is, by beleeuing a mā doth make a thing as it were visible, being otherwise invisible & absēt.

Faith is of two sorts: either common faith, or the faith of the elect: as Paul saith, he is an Apostle according to the faith of Gods elect: which also is called faith without hypocrisie. The common faith is that,² which both elect and reprobate haue, and it is threefold. I. is historicall faith, which is, when a man doth beleeve the outward letter and historie of the word. It hath two partes; knowledge of Gods worde, and an assent to the same knowledge: & it is to be found in the deuill and his angels.³ So S. Iames saith, the devils beleeve and tremble. Some will say, what a faith haue they? Answ. Such as thereby they understand both the Law and the Gospell: besides they giue an assent to it to be true: and they do more yet, in that they tremble and feare. And many a man hath not so much. For amongst vs, there is many a one, which hath no knowledge of God at all, more then he hath learned by the common talke of the world: as namely, that there is a God, and that he is mercifull, &c. and yet this man will say, that he beleeueth with all his heart: but without knowledge it can not be that any should truly beleeue, & therfore he deceiveth himselfe. Quest. But whence haue the devils historicall faith? were they illuminated by the light of the spirit? Answ. No: but when the Gospell was preached, they did acknowledge it, and beleeued it to be true, & that by vertue of the reliques of Gods image, which remained in them since their fall. And therefore this their faith doeth not arise from any speciall illumination by his spirit, but they attaine to it by the light of nature, which was left in them from the beginning.

The second kind of faith is Temporary faith: so called because it lasteth but for a time and season, and commonly not to the end of a mans life. This kind of faith is noted unto us in the parable of the seede, that fell in the stony ground. And there be two differences or kinds of this faith. The first kinde of temporary faith hath in it three degrees. The first is, to know the word of God and particularly the Gospell. The second, to giue an assent unto it. The third, to professe it, but to goe no further: and all this may be done without any loue to the word. This faith hath one degree more then historicall faith. Examples of it we haue in Simon Magus, Acts. 8.13. who is said to beleeue, because he held the doctrine of the Apostle to be true▪ and withall he professed it: and in the devils also, who in some sort professed, that Christ was the sonne of the most highest, & yet looked for no saluation by him, Mark. 5.7. Act. 19.14. And this is the common faith that abounds in this land. Men say they beleeue as the prince beleeueth, and if religion chāge, they will change. For by reason of the authoritie of princes lawes, they are made to learne some litle knowledge of the word: they beleeue it to be good, & they professe it: & thus for the space of thirtie or fourtie yeres they will heare the word preached, and receiue the sacraments, and yet be as void of grace as euer they were at the first day: & the reason is, because men doe barely professe it, without either liking or loue of the same. The second kinde of temporarie faith hath in it fiue degrees. For by it first a man knows the word. Secondly, he assenteth unto it. III. he professeth it. IIII. he reioyceth inwardly in it. V. he bringeth forth some kind of fruit: and yet for all this hath no more in him, but a faith that will faile in the end; because he wanteth the effectuall applicatiō of the promise of the gospel, & is without all maner of sound conversiō. This faith is like corne in the house top, which groweth for a while, but when heate of sommer cōmeth, it withereth. And this is also set forth vnto vs in the parable of the seede, which fell in a stony ground,⁴ which is hastie in springing up: but because of the stones, which will not suffer it to take deepe roote, it withereth. And this is a very common faith in the Church of God: by which many reioyce in the preaching of the worde, and for a time bring forth some fruits accordingly with shewe of great forwardnesse, yet afterward shake of religion and all. But (some will say) howe can this be a temporary faith, seeing it hath such fruits? Answ. Such a kind of faith is temporary, because it is grounded on temporarie causes which are three. I. A desire to get knowledge of some straunge pointes of religion. For many a man doth labour for the fiue former degrees of temporarie faith, onely because he desires to get more knowledge in scripture, then other men haue. The second cause is a desire of praise among men, which is of that force that it will make a man put on a shewe of all the graces, which God bestoweth on all his children, though otherwise he want them: and to go very farre in religion; which appeareth thus. Some can very bitterly weepe for the sinnes of other men, and yet haue neither sorrowe nor griefe for their owne: and the cause hereof is nothing else but pride. For he that sheddes teares for another mans sinnes, should much more weepe for his owne, if he had grace. Yet thus are many men disposed euen of pride and nothing else. Againe, a man for his owne sinnes will pray very slackly and dully, when he prayeth priuately: and yet when he is in the company of others will pray very fervently and earnestly. From whence is this difference? surely often it springeth from the pride of heart and from a desire of praise among men. The third cause of temporarie faith is profit, commodity, the getting of wealth and riches. These make man to receive religion, and if other religion come, they will receiue it aswell as this. But such studies not the gospell, because it is the gospell, but because it brings wealth, peace, and riches with it. And these are the three causes of temporarie faith.

The third kind of faith is the faith of Miracles: when a man grounding himselfe on some speciall promise or revelation from God, doeth beleeve, that some straunge & extraordinarie thing, which he hath desired or foretold, shall come to passe by the work of God. This must be distinguished from historicall & temporarie faith. For Simon Magus had both these kindes of faith,⁵ but yet wanted this faith of miracles, & therfore would haue bought the same of the Apostles for mony. Yet this faith of miracles may be in hypocrites, as it was in Iudas, & at the last iudgement it shall be found to haue bin in the wicked & reprobate; which shal say to Christ, Lorde, in thy name we haue prophesied,⁶ and cast out deuils, and done many great miracles.

And thus much for the three sorts of common faith: Now we must come to the true faith, which is the faith of the elect. It is thus defined: Faith is a supernaturall gift of God in the mind, apprehending the sauing promise with al the promises that depend on it. First, I say, it is a gift of God, Phil. 1.29. to confute the blind opiniō of our people, that think that the faith wherby they are to be saued, is bred & borne with thē. I adde that it is a gift supernaturall; not onely because it is aboue that corrupt nature in which we are borne, but also because it is aboue that pure nature, in which our first parents were created. For in the state of innocencie they wanted this faith, neither had they then any neede of faith in the same God as he is Messias: but this faith is a new grace of God added to regeneration after the fal, & first required in the couenant of grace. And by this, faith differeth from the rest of the gifts of God, as the feare of God, the loue of God, the loue of our brethren, &c. for these were in mans nature before the fall, and after it they are but renewed: but iustifying faith admits no renewing. For the first in grafting of it into the heart, is in the conuersion of a sinner after his fall.

The place and seat of faith (as I thinke) is the minde of man, not the will: for it stands in a kinde of particular knowledge or perswasion, and there is no perswasion but in the minde. Paul saith indeede, that we beleeue with the heart, Rom. 10. but by the heart he vnderstands the whole soule without any limitation. Some doe place faith partly in the minde, and partly in the will, because it hath two parts; knowledge, and affiance: but it doth not stand greatly with reason, that one particular and single grace should be seated into diuerse parts of the soule.

The forme of faith is, to apprehend the promises, Gal. 3.14. that we might receiue the promise of the spirite through faith. and Iohn 1.12. to receiue Christ, and to beleeue, are put one for another; and to beleeue, is to eate and drinke the bodie and bloud of Christ. To apprehend properly, is an action of the hand, which laies hold of a thing, and puls it to it: and by resemblance it agrees to faith, which is the hand of the soule, receiuing and applying the sauing promise.

This apprehension of faith, is not performed by any affection of the will, but by a sound and particular perswasion, whereby a man is resolued that the promise of saluation belongs vnto him. Which perswasion is wrought in the mind by the holy Ghost, 1. Corint. 2.12. And by this, the promise which is generall is applied particularly to one subiect.

By this, sauing faith differeth from all other kinds of faith. From historicall; for it wanteth all apprehension, & standeth onely in a generall assent. From temporarie faith, which though it make a man to professe the Gospel and to reioyce in it, yet doth it not throughly applie Christ with his benefits. For it neuer brings with it any thorough touch of conscience or liuely sense of Gods grace in the heart. And the same may be said of the rest.

The principal and maine obiect of this faith is, the sauing promise, God so loued the world, that he gaue his onely begotten sonne, that whosoeuer beleeues in him, shall not perish, but haue euerlasting life. But some will say, Christ is commonly said to be the obiect of faith. Answ. In effect it is all one to say the sauing promise, and Christ promised, who is the substance of the couenant. Christ then as he is set forth vnto vs in the word and sacraments, is the obiect of faith. And here certaine questions offer themselues to be skanned.

The first, What is that particular thing which faith apprehendeth? Answ. Faith apprehendeth whole Christ God and man. For his Godhead without his manhoode, and his manhood without his Godhead doth not reconcile vs to God. Yet this which I say must be conceiued with some distinction according to the difference of his two natures. His Godhead is apprehended not in respect of his essence or nature, but in respect of his efficacie manifested in the māhoode: his manhood both in respect of the substance it selfe, and also in respect of the efficacie and benefits thereof.

The second, In what order faith apprehēds Christ? Ans. First of all it apprehends the very body & blood of Christ: & secondly the vertue & benefits of his bodie and blood: as a man that would feele in his bodie the vertue of meate and drinke, must first of all receiue the substance thereof.

To go forward. Besides the mayn promise, which cōcernes righteousnes & life in Christ, there be other particular promises touching strēgth in temptatiōs, cōfort in afflictiōs, & such like, which depēd on the former: & they also are the obiect of iustifying faith: & with the very same faith we beleue thē, wherwith we beleeue our saluatiō. Thus Abrahā by the same faith wherwith he was iustified, beleued that he shold haue a son in his old age. Rō. 4.19.22. And Noe by that faith wherby he was made heire of righteousnes, beleeued that he & his family should be preserued in the flood. And hereupō it comes to passe that in our praiers, besides the desire of things promised, we must bring faith whereby we must be perswaded, that God will graunt vs such things as he hath promised: and this faith is not a new kinde or distinct faith from iustifying faith. Thus we see what sauing faith is.

Whereas some are of opiniō, that faith is an affiāce or cōfidence, that seems to be otherwise: for it is a fruit of faith,⁷ & indeede no man can put any confidence in God, till he be first of all perswaded of Gods mercy in Christ towards him.

Some again are of mind, that loue is the very nature and forme of faith: but it is otherwise. For as cōfidence in God, so also loue is an effect which proceeds frō faith. 1. Tim. 1.5. The end of the law is loue frō a pure heart and good conscience & faith vnfained. And in nature they differ greatly. Christ is the fountain of the waters of life. Faith in the heart is as the pipes & ledds that receiue in & hold the water: & loue in some part is as the cocke of the cōduit, that lets out the water to euery cōmer. The property of the hād is to hold; & of it self it cānot cut: yet by a knife or other instrumēt put into the hād, it cuts: the hād of the soule is faith; & his property is to apprehend Christ with al his benefits, & by it self it cā do nothing els: yet ioyn loue to it, & by loue it wilbe effectual in al good duties.⁸

Now to proceed further: first we are to cōsider, how faith is wrought: 2. what be the differēces of it. For the first, faith is wrought in & by the outward ministery of the gospel accōpanied by the inward operatiō of the spirit, & that not suddēly, but by certē steps & degrees: as nature frameth the body of the infant in the mothers wombe, 1. by making the brain and heart, 2. by making veines, sinewes, arteries, bones. 3. by adding flesh to them al. And the whole operation of the spirit stands in two principall actions. First, the enlightening of the minde: the second, the moouing of the will. For the first, the holy Ghost enlightens mens mindes with a further knowledge of the lawe then nature can afoard; and thereby makes them to see the sinnes of their hearts and liues with the ouglines thereof, and withall to tremble at the curse of the lawe. Afterward the same spirit opens the eye to vnderstand and consider seriously of righteousnes & life eternal promised in Christ. This done, then comes the second worke of the holy Ghost, which is the inflaming of the will, that a man hauing considered his fearefull estate by reason of sinne, and the benefits of Christes death, might hunger after Christ; and haue a desire not so much to haue the punishmēts of sinne taken away, as Gods displeasure: & also might enioy the benefits of Christ. And whē he hath stirred vp a man to desire reconciliation with God in Christ, then withall he giues him grace to pray not onely for life eternall; but especially for the free remission and pardon of all his sinnes: and then the Lordes promise is, Knocke and it shall be opened,⁹ seeke and ye shall finde. After which he further sends his spirit into the same heart that desireth reconciliation with God, and remission of sinnes in Christ, and doth seale vp in his heart the liuely and plentifull assurance thereof.

The differences and degrees of faith are two: I. a weake faith: II. a strong faith. Concerning the first, this weake faith shewes it selfe by this grace of God, namely an vnfained desire, not onely of saluation (for that the wicked and gracelesse man may haue) but of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure signe of faith in euery touched and humbled heart, and it is peculiar to the elect: and they which haue this, haue in them also the substance of true sauing faith: which afterwards will grow vp to a strong faith. Reasons, I. Promise of life euerlasting, is made to the desire of reconciliation, Psal. 10.17. Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the poore. Psal. 143.6. My soule desireth after thee, as the thirstie land. Psal. 145.19. He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him. Matth. 5.6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes, for they shalbe satisfied. Revel. 22.6. J will giue vnto him which is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely. II. The hungring desire after grace is a sanctified affection: where one affection is sanctified, all are sanctified: where all are sanctified, the whole man is sanctified: and he that is sanctified, is iustified and beleeues. III. God accepts the will and desire to repent and beleeue, for repenting and beleeuing indeede: wherefore this desire of reconciliation (if it be soundly wrought in the heart) is accepted euen as faith before God. But carnall men will say, If faith, yea true faith shew it selfe by a desire of reconciliation with God in Christ for all our sinnes, then we are well ynough, though we liue in our sinnes: for we haue very good desires. J answer, That there be in many men sundrie fleeting motions and desires to do good things which grow to no issue or head, but in time vanish as they come. Now such passions haue no soundnes in them, & must be distinguished from the desire of reconciliatiō with God, which comes from a bruised heart, which brings alwaies with it reformation of life: therefore such as liue after the couse of this world, and thinke notwithstanding that they haue desires that are good, deceiue themselues.

Nowe faith is saide to be weake, when a man either failes in the knowledge of the Gospell; or else hauing knowledge, is weake in grace to applie vnto himselfe the sweete promises thereof. As for example, we know that the Apostles had all true sauing faith (except Iudas) and when our Sauiour Christ asked them,¹⁰ whome they thought that he was; Peter in the person of the rest, answered for them all, and said: Thou art Christ, the Sonne of the liuing God: for which our Sauiour commended him, and in him, them all, saying: Thou art Peter, & vpon this rocke, (that is, vpon Christ, which Peter did professe in the name of them all) will I builde my Church. And yet after we shall finde in the Gospell, that they are called men of litle faith.¹¹ Now they failed in knowledge of the death of Christ, and of his passion, and resurrection; and were caried away with a vaine hope of an earthly kingdome. And therefore when our Sauiour shewed them of his going downe to Ierusalem and of his sufferings there, Peter a little after his notable confession began to rebuke Christ, & said, Master, haue pitie on thy selfe, this shall not be vnto thee. And vntil he had appeared to them after his death, they did not beleeue his resurrection.

Again, weake faith though it be ioyned with knowledge, yet it may faile in the applying or in the apprehension and appropriating of Christs benefits to a mans owne selfe. This is to be seene in ordinary experience. For many a man there is of humble and contrite heart, that serueth God in spirite and truth, yet is not able to say without great doubtings and wauerings; I know and am fully assured that my sinnes are pardoned. Now shall we say, that all such are without faith? God forbid. Nay, we may resolue our selues, that the true child of God may haue a hungring desire in his heart after reconciliation with God in Christ for all his sinnes with care to keepe a good conscience, and yet be weake some time in the apprehension of Gods mercie and the assurance of the remission of his owne sinnes.

But if faith faile either in the true knowledge, or in the apprehension of Gods mercies, how can a man be saued by it? Answ. We must knowe that this weake faith will as truly apprehend Gods mercifull promises for the pardon of sinne, as strong faith, though not so soundly. Euen as a man with a palsie hand can stretch it out as well to receiue a gift at the hand of a king, as he that is more sound, though it be not so firmely and steadfastly.

The Church of Rome beares men in hand, that they are good Catholicks, if they beleeue as the Church beleeues; though in the meane season they can not tell what the Church beleeues. And some Papists commend this faith by the example of an old devout father, who beeing tempted of the deuill, was asked how he beleeued, he answered that he beleeued as the Church beleeued: beeing againe asked how the Church beleeued, he answered, as I beleeue: whereupon the deuill (as they say) was faint to depart. Well, this fond and ridiculous kind of faith we renounce, as being a means to nozle men in blindnes, superstition, & perpetuall ignorance: yet withall we doe not denie but that there is an implicite or foulded faith; which is, when a man as yet hauing but some little portion of knowledge in the doctrine of the Gospell, doth truely performe obedience according to the measure thereof; and withall hath care to get more knowledge, and shewes good affection to all good meanes whereby it may be increased. In this respect a certain ruler, who by a miracle wrought vpon his childe, was mooued to acknowledge Christ for the Messias, and further to submit him selfe to his doctrine,¹² is commended for a beleeuer, and in the like case the Samaritanes.

And thus much of weake faith: which must be vnderstood to be in a man not all the daies of his life, but while he is a yong babe in Christ. For as it is in the state of the body, first we are babes & grow to greater strength as we growe in yeres; so it is with a Christian man. First he is a babe in Christ, hauing weake faith, but after growes from grace to grace, till he come to haue a strong faith: example whereof we haue in Abraham, who was strong and perfect both in knowledge and apprehension. This strong faith is, when a man is endued with the knowledge of the Gospel & grace to apprehend and applie the righteousnes of Christ vnto himselfe for the remission of his own sinnes: so as he can say distinctly of himselfe and truly, that he is fully resolued in his own conscience, that he is recōciled vnto God in Christ for all his sinnes, & accepted in him to life euerlasting. This degree of faith is proper to him that begins to be a tall man and of ripe yeares in Christ. And it commeth not at the first calling of a man vnto grace. And if any shall thinke that he can haue it at the first, he deceiueth him selfe. For as it is no nature: first wee are babes, and then as we encrease in yeares, so wee growe in strength: so it is in the life of a Christian; first ordinarily hee hath a weake faith, and after growes from grace to grace, till he come to stronger faith: and at the last he be able to say, he is fully assured in his heart & conscience of the pardon of his sinnes & of reconciliation to God in Christ. And this assurance ariseth from many experiences of Gods fauour and loue in his life and preseruation, which brings a man to this, that he is fully perswaded, that God is his God, and God the father his father, and Iesus Christ his redeemer, and the holy Ghost his sanctifier.

Now howsoeuer this faith be strong, yet is it alwaies imperfect, as also our knowledge is; and shall so long as we liue in this world be mingled with contrarie vnbeliefe and sundrie doubtings more or lesse. A great part of men amōgst vs, blinded with grosse ignorance, say they haue faith, & yet indeed haue not. For aske them what faith they haue, they will answer, they beleeue that God is their father, & the Son their redeemer, &c. aske them how long they haue had this faith, they will answer, euer since they could remember: aske them whether they euer doubt of Gods fauour? they will say, they would not once doubt for all the worlde. But the case of these men is to be pitied: for howsoeuer they may perswade themselues, yet true it is, that they haue no sound faith at all: for euen strong faith is assaulted with temptations and doubtings: and God will not haue men perfect in this life, that they may alwaies goe out of themselues, and depend wholly on the merit of Christ.

And thus much of these two degrees of faith. Nowe in whom so euer it is, whether it be a weake faith, or a strōg, it bringeth forth some fruit, as a tree doth in the time of sommer. And a speciall fruit of faith, is this confession of faith, I beleeue in God, &c. so Paul saith, With the heart a man may beleeue vnto righteousnes,¹³ and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation. Confession of faith is, when a man in speach and outwarde profession doth make manifest his faith for these two causes. I. That with his mouth outwardly he may glorifie God both in bodie and soule. II. That by the confession of his faith, he may seuer himselfe from all false Christians, from Atheists, hypocrites, and all false seducers whatsoeuer. And as this is the dutie of a Christian man, to make profession of his faith; so here in this Creede of the Apostles, we haue the right order and forme of making it set downe, as we shal see in hādling the parts therof.

The Creede therefore sets downe two things concerning faith, namely the action of faith and his obiect, which also are the parts of the Creede. The action in these words, I beleeue: the obiect in all the words following, in God the Father almightie, maker &c. And first let vs begin with the action.

I beleeue in God.) We are taught to say, I beleeue, not we beleeue, for two causes. First (because as we touched before) in the Primitiue Church this Creede was made to be an answer made vnto a question, which was demanded of euery particular man that was baptized: for they asked him thus; What dost thou beleeue? then he answered, I beleeue in God the Father, &c. and thus did euery one of yeares make profession of his faith: and it is likely that Peter alluded hereunto, saying,¹⁴ the stipulation or answer of a good conscience maketh request to God. The secōd cause is, howsoeuer we are to pray one for another, by saying, O our father, &c. yet when wee come to yeres, we must haue a particular faith of our own: no mā can be saued by anothers mans faith, but by his own, so it is said: The iust shall liue by his faith. But some will say, this is not true.¹⁵ For children must be saued by their parents faith: the answer is this; the faith of the parents doth bring the child to haue a title or interest to the couenant of grace and to all the benefits of Christ: but yet it doth not applie the benefits of Christs death, his obedience, his merits, and righteousnes vnto the infant: for this the beleeuer doth only vnto himselfe & to no other. Againe some may say, if they doe not apprehend Christs benefits by their parents faith, how then is Christs righteousnes made theirs? Answ. By the inward working of the holy Ghost, who is the principall applier of all graces, whereas faith is but the instrumēt. And this is true, men of yeares are iustified by their own faith; & the infāt by some other special working of Gods holy spirit.

Furthermore, to beleeue signifieth two things; to conceiue or vnderstand any thing, and withall to giue assent vnto it to be true: and therefore in this place, to beleeue signifieth to know and acknowledge that all the points of religion which followe, are the truth of God. Here therefore we must remember, that this clause (I beleeue) placed in the beginning of the Creede, must be particularly applied to euery article following. For so the case stands, that if faith faile in one maine point, it faileth a man in all: and therefore faith is said to be wholly copulatiue.¹⁶ It is not sufficient to hold one article, but he that will hold any of them for his good, must hold them all: and he which holdes them all in shewe of words, if he ouerturne but one of them in deede, he ouerturnes them all.

Againe, to beleeue is one thing, & to beleeue in this or that is another thing: and it conteineth in it 3. points or actions of a beleeuer. 1. to know a thing: 2. to acknowledge the same: 3. to put trust and confidence in it. And in this order must these three actions of faith be applied to euery article following which concerneth God. And herein is contained a speciall matter. For alwaies by adding them to the words following, we doe applie the article vnto our selues in a very comfortable manner. As I beleeue in the father, and doe beleeue that he is my father; and therefore I put my whole trust in him, and so of the rest.

Now we come to the obiect of generall faith, which is either God or the Church; in handling of both which, I wil obserue this order. I. I will speake of the meaning of euery article. II. Of the duties which we ought to learn thereby. III. And lastly, of the consolations which may be gathered thence. Concerning God, three things are to be considered. And first by reason of manifold doubtings that rise in our minds, it may be demanded, whether there be a God? many reasons might be vsed to resolue those that haue scruple of conscience: otherwaies we are bound to beleeue that there is a God without al doubting. As for those Atheists which confidently auouch there is no God, by Gods lawe they ought to die the death: nay, the earth is too good for such to dwell on. Malefactours, as theeues and rebells, for their offences haue their rewarde of death: but the offence of those, which denie that there is a God, is greater; and therefore deserues the most cruell death.

The second point followeth, namely what God is? Answer. Moses desiring to see Gods face, was not permitted but to see his hinder parts:¹⁷ and therefore no man can be able to describe God by his nature, but by his effects & properties; on this or such like maner: God is an essence spirituall, simple, infinite, most holy. I say first of all, that God is an essence, to shew that he is a thing absolutely subsisting in himselfe & by himselfe, not receiuing his being from any other. And herein he differeth frō all creatures whatsoeuer, which haue subsisting & beeing from him alone. Againe I say that he is an essence spirituall, because hee is not a kinde of body, neither hath he the parts of the bodies of mē or other creatures, but is in nature a spirit inuisible, not subiect to any of mans senses. I adde also, that he is a simple essence, because his nature admits no maner of composition of matter or forme or parts. The creatures are compounded of diuers parts, & of varietie of nature, but there is no such thing in God: for whatsoeuer thing he is, he is the same by one & the same singular and indiuisible essence. Furthermore he is infinite; and that diuers waies: infinite in time, without any beginning and without end: infinite in place; because he is euery where and excluded no where, within all places, and foorth of all places. Lastly he is most holy, that is, of infinite wisdome, mercie, loue, grace, goodnes, &c. and he alone is rightly tearmed most holy, because holinesse is of the very nature of God himselfe; wheras among the most excellent creatures it is otherwise. As for example, a man is one thing, and the holines of man is another. Thus we see what God is: and to this effect god describes himself to be Iehova Elohim;¹⁸ & Paul describes him to be a King euerlasting, immorall, inuisible, & onely wise, to whom is due all honour & glorie for euer.

The thirde point is, touching the number of Gods, namely whether there be more Gods then one or no. Ans. There is not, neither can there be any more Gods then one. Which point the Creede auoucheth, in saying, I beleeue in God, not gods: and yet more plainly the Nicene Creede and the Creede of Athanasius, both of them explaning the words of the Apostles Creede on this maner, I beleeue in one God. Howsoeuer some in former times haue erroneously held, that two Gods were the begining of all things, one of good things, the other of euill things: others, that there was one God in the old testament, an other in the new: others againe, namely the Valintinians, that there were 30. couple of gods: and the heathen people (as Augustine recordeth) worshipped 30. thousand gods: yet we that are members of Gods Church, must hold and beleeue one God alone, & no more, Deut. 4.39. Vnderstand this day and consider in thine heart, that Iehovah he is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath: there is none other. Eph. 4.8. One God, one faith, one baptisme. If it be alleadged that the Scripture mentioneth many gods, because¹⁹ Magistrates are called gods,²⁰ Moses is called Aarons god,²¹ the deuill and all idols are called gods. The answer is this: They are not properly or by nature gods, for in that respect there is onely one God: but they are so tearmed in other respects. Magistrates are gods, because they be Vicegerents placed in the roome of the true God, to gouerne their subiects: Moses is Aarons god, because he was in the roome of god to reueale his will to Aaron: the deuill is a god, because the hearts of the wicked would giue the honour vnto him, which is peculiar to the euerliuing God: idols are called gods, because they are such in mens conceits and opinions, who esteeme of them as of gods. Therefore Paul faith, an idole is nothing in the worlde,²² that is, nothing in nature subsisting, or nothing in respect of the diuinitie ascribed vnto it.

To proceede forwarde, to beleeue in this one God, is in effect thus much. 1. to knowe and acknowledge him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his worde: 2. to beleeue him to be my God: 3. from mine heart to put all mine affiance in him. To this purpose Christ saith, This is eternall life to knowe thee the onely God, and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ.²³ Nowe the knowledge here meant, is not a bare or generall knowledge, for that the deuills haue, but a more speciall knowledge whereby I know God not onely to be God, but also to be my God, and thereupon doe put my confidence in him.

And thus much of the meaning of the first wordes, I beleeue in God, &c. Nowe followe the duties which may be gathered hence. First of all, if wee are bound to beleeue in God, then wee are also bound to take notice of our naturall vnbeliefe, to checke our selues for it, and to striue against it. Thus dealt the father of the childe that had a dumme spirite, Lord, (saith he) J beleeue, Lorde helpe myne vnbeleefe. And David,²⁴ Why art thou cast downe my soule? and why art thou so disquieted in me? wayt on God.²⁵ And that which our Sauiour Christ said once to Peter should a man say euery day to himselfe: O thou of little faith, why hast thou doubted? But some may say, wherein standes our vnbeleefe? Answer. It standes in two thinges I. In distrusting the goodnesse of God, that is, in giuing to little or no affiance to him; or in putting affiance in the creature. For the first, fewe men will abide to be told of there distrust in God: but in deede it is a common and rife corruption: and though they soothe themselues neuer so, yet their vsuall dealings proclaime their vnbeleefe. Goe thorough all places, it shall be founde that scarce one of a thousand in his dealings makes conscience of a lie: a great part of men gets their wealth by fraud and oppression and all kinde of vniust and vnmercifull dealing. What is the cause that they can doe so? Alas, alas, if there be any faith, it is pinned vp in some by-corner of the heart, and vnbeleefe beares sway as the lorde of the house. Againe, if a man had as much wealth as the world comes to, he could finde in his heart to wish for an other, and if he had two worldes, he would be casting for the thirde, if it might be compassed: the cause hereof is, men haue not learned to make God their portion, and to stay their affections on him: which if they could doe, a meane portion in temporall blessings would be enough. Such men will not yeilde that they doe indeede distrust the Lord, vnlesse at some time they be touched in conscience with a sense of their sinnes, and be thoroughly humbled for the same: but indeede distrust of Gods goodnesse is a generall and a mother sinne, the ground of all other sinnes, and the very first and principall sinne in Adams fall. And for the second part of vnbeleefe, which is an affiance in the creature, reade the whole booke of God, and we shall finde it a common sinne in all sorts of men, some putting their trust in riches, some in strength, some in pleasures, some placing their felicitie in one sinne, some in an other. When King Asa was sicke,²⁶ he put his trust in the Phisitians, and not in the Lorde. And in our daies the common practise is, when crosses and calamities fall, then there is trotting out to that wise man, to this cunning woman, to this sorcerer, to that wisard, that is, from God to the deuill, and their counsell is receiued and practised without any bones making. And this shewes the bitter roote of vnbeleefe, and confidence in vaine creatures; let men smoothe it ouer with goodly tearmes as long as they will. In a worde, there is no man in the worlde, be hee called or not called, if he looke narrowly vnto himselfe, hee shall finde his heart almost filled with manifolde doubtings and distrustings, whereby hee shall feele him selfe euen carried away from beleeuing in God. Therefore the duetie of euery man is, that will truely say that hee beleeues in God, to labour to see his owne vnbeleefe and the fruits thereof in his life. As for such as say they haue no vnbeleefe, nor feele none; more pitifull is their case. For so much the greater is their vnbeleefe.

Secondly, considering that wee professe our selues to beleeue in God,²⁷ wee must euery one of vs learne to knowe God. As Paul saith, How can they beleeue in him, of whome they have not heard?²⁸ and howe can they heare without a preacher? therefore none can beleeue in God but hee must first of all heare and be taught by the ministerie of the word to know God aright. Let this be remembred of young and olde. It is not the pattering ouer of the beleefe for a prayer, that will make a man a good beleeuer, but God must be knowne of vs and acknowledged as hee hath reuealed him selfe partly in his worde and partly in his creatures. Blinde ignorance and the right vse of the Apostles Creede will neuer stande together. Therefore it stands men in hande to labour and takes paines to get knowledge in religion, that knowing God aright, they may come steadfastly to beleeue in him.

Thirdly, because wee beleeue in God, therefore another duetie is to denie our selues vtterly,²⁹ and to become nothing in our selues. Our Sauiour Christ requires of vs to become as little children, if wee would beleeue. The begger dependes not on the releefe of others till he finde nothing at home: and till our hearts be purged of selfe-loue and pride, wee can not depende on the fauour and goodnes of God. Therefore he that would trust in God, must first of all be abased and confounded in him selfe, and in regard of him selfe be out of all hope of attaining to the least sparke of the grace of God.

Fourthly, in that we beleeue in God, and therefore put our whole trust and assurance in him: wee are taught,³⁰ that euery man must commit his bodie, his soule, goods, life, yea all that hee hath into the handes of God, and to his custodie. So Paul saith, I am not ashamed of my sufferings, for I knowe whome I haue beleeued,³¹ and am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day. A worthie saying: for what is the thing which Paul committed vnto the Lorde? surely his owne soule and the eternall saluation thereof. But what mooues him to trust God? surely his perswasion whereby hee knowes that God will keepe it. And Peter saith:³² Let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit their soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull creatour. Looke as one friende layeth downe a thing to be kept of another: so must a man giue all that hee hath to the custodie of God. Fewe or none can practise this, and therefore when any euill befalls them eyther in bodie or in goods, or any other way, then they shewe them selues rather beastes then men in impatience. For in prosperitie they woulde not trust in God, and therefore in aduersitie when crosses come, they are voyde of comfort. But when a man hath grace to beleeue and trust in God, then hee commits all into Gods handes: and though all the worlde should perish, yet hee would not be dismaide. And vndoubtedly if a man will be thankefull for the preseruation of his goods, or of his life, hee must shewe the same by committing all he hath into Gods handes, and suffer him selfe to be ruled by him.

³³Nowe followes the consolations and comforts which Gods Church and children reape hereby. First, he that beleeues in God, and takes God for his God, may assure him selfe of saluation, and of a happie deliuerance in all daungers and necessities. When God threatned a plague vpon Israel for their idolatrie,³⁴ good king Iosiah humbled him selfe before the Lorde: and he was safe all his daies. And so King Hezekiah, when Senacherib the king of Ashur offered to inuade Iudah, he trusted in the Lorde, and praied vnto him, and was deliuered. Whereby we see, if a man trust in God, he shall haue securitie and quietnesse,³⁵ as Iehosaphat saide to the men of Iudah. And our Sauiour Christ when he was vpon the crosse, and felt the whole burden of the wrath of God vpon him, cryed, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me. And it appeareth in the Epistle to the Hebrewes, that Christ was heard in that he feared:³⁶ whereby we are giuen to vnderstand, that they shall neuer be vtterly forsaken that take God for their God.³⁷ And King Dauid hauing experience of this, vseth most excellent speaches for this ende, to shewe that the ground of his comfort was, that God was his God. And it is said that Daniel had no manner of hurte in the Lyons denne;³⁸ because hee trusted in the Lorde his God. And contrariwise, such as distrust God are subiect to all miseries and iudgements. The Israelites in the wildernesse beleeved not God, and trusted not in his helpe, therefore God was angry,³⁹ and his fire was kindled in Iacob, and wrath came vpon Israel.

God, the Father Almightie

Some haue thought that these wordes are to be coupled with the former without distinction, as if the title of God had bene proper to the first person the Father, and not common to the rest: and thus haue some heretikes thought. But indeed there must a pause or distinction be made, that the name or title of God may be set in the fore-front, as common to all the three persons following. For that is the very intent of the order of this Creed, to teach vs to beleeue in one God, who is distinct into three subsistances or persons called the Father, the Sonne, the Holy Ghost. And here offers it selfe to be considered euen one of the greatest mysteries of our religion: namely, that God is the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost: and againe, that the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost are one and the same God. Some at the first may possibly say, that this cannot stande because it is against all reason that one should be three, or three one. The answere is, that indeed if one and the same respect be kept, it is not possible, but in divers considerations and respectes it may. And thus the Father, the Sonne, & the Holy Ghost are three, namely in person; and againe, they three are one, not in person, but in nature. By nature is meant, a thing subsisting by it selfe, that is common to many: as the substance of man consisting of body and soule common to all men, which we call the humanity of a man, is the nature of man. By person is meant, a thing or essence subsisting by it selfe, not common to many, but incommunicable: as among men, these particulars, Peter, Iohn, Paul, are called persons. And so in the mysterie of the Trinity the diuine nature is the godhead it selfe simply and absolutely considered; and a person is that which subsisteth in this godhead, as the Father, the Sonne, the Holy Ghost. Or againe, a person is one and the same godhead not absolutely considered, but in relation, and as it were, restrained by personall or caracteristicall proprieties: as the Godhead or God begetting is the father, God againe considered not simply but so farre foorth as he is begotten is the Sonne; and God proceeding of the Father and the Sonne, the Holy ghost. And if any man would conceiue in mind rightly the divine nature, he must conceiue God or the Godhead absolutely: if any of the persons, then he must conceiue the same godhead relatiuely with personal proprieties. Thus the godhead considered with the propriety of fatherhood or begetting is the father: & cōceiuing the same godhead with the proprietie of generation, we conceiue the sonne, & the godhead with the proprietie of proceeding, & we conceiue the Holy Ghost. Neither must it seeme strange to any that we use the names of nature and person to set forth this misterie by: for they haue bene taken up by common consent in the primitive Church, & that upon weighty consideration to manifest the truth, & to stop the mouthes of heretikes: & they are not used against the proper sense of the scriptures, nay they are therein⁴⁰contained. Thus wee see how it comes to passe that the three things signified by these names, Father, Sōne, holy Ghost, are ech of them one & the same God. And this mistery may well be conceived by a cōparison borowed frō light. The light of the sunne, the light of the moone, & the light of the aire for nature and substance are one & the same light: & yet they are 3. distinct lights. The light of the sunne being of it selfe & from none, the light of the moone from the sunne, & the light of the aire frō them both. So the divine nature is one, and the persons are three, subsisting after a divers maner in one and the same nature.

And for the further clearing of the point, we must yet further marke & remember two things: namely, the vnion & the distinction of the persons. The vnion is, whereby three persons are one not simply, but one in nature, that is, coessentiall or consubstantiall; having all one godhead. For the father is God, the sonne is God, & the holy ghost is God: now there are not 3. distinct Gods, but one God, because there is one God & no more in nature; considering that the thing which is infinite is but one & is not subiect to multiplicatiō: & the Father is this one God, as also the Sonne and the holy ghost. And as these three persons are one in nature, so whatsoeuer agrees to God simply considered, agrees to them all three. They are all coequall and coeternall: all most wise, iust, mercifull, omnipotent by one & the same wisdome, iustice, mercie, power. And because they haue all one godhead, therfore they are not only one with another, but also ech in other, the father in the sonne, & and the sonne in the father, and the holy ghost in them both. And we must not imagine that these three are one god, as though the father had one part of the godhead, the sonne an other part, & the holy ghost a third. For that is most false, because the infinite and the most simple godhead is not subiect to composition or division: but euery person is whole god, subsisting not in a part, but in the whole godhead: & the whole entire godhead is communicated from the father to the sonne, & from both father & sonne to the holy ghost. But some may yet say, that this doctrine seemes to be impossible; because three creatures, as for example, Peter, Paul, Timothy being three persons, & so remaining, cannot haue one and the same nature, that is, the same body & the same soule. Ans. Three or moe mē may haue the same nature⁴¹ in kind, but the truth is, they cannot possibly haue a nature which shalbe one & the same⁴² in number, in them all three. For a man is a substance created & finite, & the bodies of men are quantities, & therfore divisible & separable one from another. Hereupon it comes that the persons of men are not only distinguished by proprieties, but also divided & sundred one from another. And though Peter, Paul, Timothy, haue all one common & universall forme, yet they three are not one man, but 3. men. Now it is otherwise with the divine nature or godhead which is uncreated and infinite, and therefore admittes neither composition nor division, but a distinction without any separation: so as the three persons subsisting in it, shall not be three gods, but one and the same god.

Yet further some will obiect, that it is truly said of the father, that hee is god, but the same godhead is not in the sonne, nor in the holy ghost; for the sonne and the holy ghost haue their beginning from the father. Answer, The sonne and the holy ghost haue not a beginning of their nature or of their godhead from the Father, but of their person only: the person of the Sonne is from the Father; and the person of the Holy ghost, is both from the Father and from the Sonne: but the Godhead of all three persons is vncreate and vnbegotten, and proceeding from none. Yet some may say, both the Sonne and the Holy Ghost haue receiued from the Father all their attributes, as wisedome, knowledge, power, &c. Now he that receiueth any thing from another, is in that respect inferiour to him that giueth it: and therefore the sonne and the Holy ghost are not God as he is. Ans. We must know, that, which the Sōne receiueth of the Father, he receiueth it by nature, and not by grace; & he receiueth not a part but all that the Father hath, saving the personall proprietie. And the Holy Ghost receiueth from the Father and the Sonne by nature and not by grace: and therefore though both the Sonne and the Holy Ghost receiue from the Father, yet they are not inferiour to him but equall with him. And thus much is necessarie to be learned of the vnion betweene the three persons in Trinitie, whereby they being three haue all one and the same godheade.

The second point to be considered is, that though these three haue but one godhead, and all make but one God: yet they are distinguished one from another: for the Father is the Father, and not the Sonne, nor the Holy Ghost: the Sonne is the Sonne and not the Father nor the Holy ghost: and the Holy Ghost is the Holy ghost, not the Father nor the Sonne. This distinction of the persons is notably set forth vnto vs in the baptism of our Saviour Christ: where it is said,⁴³ that when Iesus was baptized, hee came out of the water: there is the second person: and the Holy ghost descended upon him in the forme of a dove: there is the thirde person: and the Father the first person pronounced from heauen, that hee was his beloved Sonne in whome hee was well pleased. And we must not conceiue this distinction in such manner as though these three, Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost were three names of one God. For the three persons doe not in name or word, but really in truth distinctly subsist in the same divine nature. Neither must we imagine that the three persons are three formes or differences of one god, as some heretikes haue dreamed, who taught that the father alone is God, and that he is called a Father in one respect, the Sonne in another, and the Holy ghost in a thirde. For this were nothing else but to make the personall proprieties to be nothing but imaginarie accidents, which indeede, or at the least, in mans conceit, might come and goe, and be either in the persons or foorth of them. For the personall relations though in⁴⁴ minde they may be distinguished from the divine essence, yet⁴⁵ indeede they are one with it. But some will say, if they make this distinction, there is rather a quaternitie then a trinitie: for the godhead is one, the father an other, the sonne a third, and the holy ghost a fourth. Thus some heretikes haue obiected against the distinction of the trinitie: but it is untrue which they say▪ for the godhead must not be severed from the father, nor frō the sonne, nor frō the holy Ghost: for the father is God or the whole godhead, so also is the sonne and the holy ghost: and the godhead likewise is in euery one of these three persons, and euery one of them subsisting in the godhead, and the godhead must be conceived to be in them all, and not as a fourth thing out of them. And therefore we must still maintaine, that these 3. persons are distinguished and not deuided, as three men are deuided in being and substance: for this division can not be in them, because all three haue one divine nature and one godhead. This is the misterie of all misteries to be receiued of us all, namely, the trinitie of the persons in the vnitie of the godhead. This doctrine must be reteined and holden for these causes. I. because by it we are able to distinguish this true God from all false Gods and Idols. II. Because among all other pointes of religion this is one of the chiefest, being the verie foundation thereof. For it is not sufficient for us to know God as we can conceiue of him in our owne imagination: but we must know him as he hath revealed him selfe in his worde. And it is not sufficient to saluation to beleeue in God confusedly, but we must beleeue in one god distinct into three persons, the Father, the Sonne, the holy Ghost: yea & more then this, we must hold & beleeue that God the father is our father, the sonne our redeemer, the holy ghost our sanctifier & comforter. Well then, if we must in this maner beleeue in god, then we must also know him: for we can haue no faith in the thing which is utterly unknown. wherfore if we would beleeue in the father, son, or holy ghost, we must know them in part, Ioh. 17. This is life eternall to know thee the only God, and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Ioh. 14.17. The world can not receiue the spirite of truth because it hath neither seene him nor knowen him. 1. Ioh. 2.23. Whosoever denieth the sonne hath not the father. Thirdly, this doctrine directs us in worshipping God aright: for vnitie in trinitie, & trinitie in vnitie is to be worshipped: one God must be worshipped in the father, in the sonne, and in the holy ghost: & if we worship God the father without the sonne & the holy ghost: or if we worshippe the sonne without the father and the holy ghost: and the holy ghost without the father & the sonne, we worship nothing but an Idol. Againe, if we worship the 3. persons not as one God, but as three gods, then likewise we make three Idols.

Note further, that of all the three persons, the first person the father is set in the first place, and is described to us by three things. I. by his title that he is a father. II. by his attribute that hee is Almightie. III. by his effect, that hee is maker of heaven and earth: of these in order as they lye in the Creede. And first of the title (father.) It may seeme that he hath some prerogatiue over the sonne and the holy ghost, because he is set before them: but we must know he is set before them neither in regard of time, nor of dignitie, for therein all three are equall; but in regarde of order onely. The father is the first, the sonne the second, and the holy ghost the third: as may appeare by this similitude. If three Emperours equall in dignity should meete all in one place, beeing equall also in power and maiestie, if all three should sit downe, though one be no better then an other; yet one of them must needes sit downe the first, and another in the seconde place, and then the thirde: but yet wee can not say, that he which sate downe first is the chiefest. And so it is in the Trinitie, though none be greater or above another; yet the Father is in the first place, not because he is before the sonne, or the holy ghost in dignitie or honour, but because he is the fountaine of the deitie, the sonne being from him, and the holy ghost from them both.

Nowe let us come to the title of the first person.⁴⁶ The name Father in Scriptures is ascribed either to God taken indefinitely, and so by consequente to all the three persons in Trinitie: or particularly to the first person alone. For the first, God is a Father properly and principally, according to the saying of Christ, Call no man father vpon earth, for there is but one your father which is in heaven: that is,⁴⁷ principally: whereas earthly parentes, whome wee are commaunded to worship and honour are but certaine images or resemblances of our heavenly father, having this blessing that they are fathers from him. And hereupon this title agrees in men, not simply, but so farre forth as God honoureth them with fatherhoode in calling them to be fathers, whereas god himselfe receiues this honour from none. God is tearmed a father in respect both of nature and grace. Hee is a father in regard of nature, because hee created and gouerneth all things. In this regard hee is called the⁴⁸ father of spirits, and⁴⁹ Adam is called the Sonne of God. Hee is a father in respect of grace, because wee are regenerate by him, and accepted to be his sonnes by adoption thorough the merite of Christ. And in this respect the second person as well as the first is called⁵⁰ a Father, and saide to haue an offspring⁵¹ or seede and⁵² children. But when the name of Father is giuen to the first person, 〈◊〉 is done upon a speciall consideration, because he is a father by nature to the seconde person begetting him of his owne substance before all worldes. By this it appeares, that out of the title of the first person, wee may fetch a description thereof on this maner. The Father is the first person in Trinitie, begetting the sonne. Nowe to beget is the personall proprietie whereby he is distinguished from the other two. If it be said that the creatures doe beget, & that therefore to beget is not proper to the father: the answere is, that in this point there are many differences betweene God the father & all creatures. First the father begets the sonne before all eternitie: and therefore God the Father begetting, and the sonne begotten are equall in time, whereas in earthly generation the father is before the sonne in time. Secondly, God the father begets his Sonne by communicating unto him his whole essence or godhead, which can not be in earthly parents, unlesse they should be abolished and come to nothing. Whereas neuerthelesse, God the Father giuing his whole nature to his sonne, retaines the same still, because it is infinite. Thirdly, the father begetts the sonne in himselfe & not forth of himselfe: but in earthly generation the father begetting is forth of the child, and the child forth of the father. And that must not trouble vs which heretikes alledge against this doctrine, namely, that if the father who is of one nature with the sonne, did beget the sonne, then hee did beget himselfe: for the godhead of the father doth not beget either the godhead or the person of the sonne: but the person of the father begets the person of the sonne, both which in one godhead are really distinct.

Thus we see what the father is. Nowe to beleeue in the father, is to be perswaded, that the first person in Trinity, is the father of Christ,⁵³ and in him my father particularly, and that for this cause I entend & desire for euer to put my trust in him.

The duties which wee may learne hence are manifolde. And here we haue occasion offered first of all to consider who is our father by nature.⁵⁴ I shall say to corruption (saieth Iob) thou art my father▪ and to the worme, thou art my mother seeing god vouchsafeth this great prerogatiue to them that loue him, that he will be their father: therefore Iob in consideration hereof would haue euery man to haue recourse to his owne naturall condition, to see who is his father by nature. Iob saith, corruption is his father: but if we mark the condition of our nature, we shall further see euery man is by nature the child of wrath, and that Sathan is his father: for so long as a man walkes in his sinnes (which euery man doth by nature) so long doth he shew himselfe to be the liuely child of the deuill. And thus Christ reasoneth against the Scribes and Pharises. Yee are of your father the deuill, and the lustes of your father ye will doe. And true it is,⁵⁵ that no childe is so like his father that begat him, as euerie man by nature is like the deuill: and the whole tenour and course of his naturall life without grace is a liuely resemblance of the disposition of Satan. Secondly, euery one that beleeves God to be a Father, and in Christ his father,⁵⁶ must as a good child be obedient to his fathers will. So Salomon saith, A wise sonne maketh a glad father. How?⁵⁷ by doing his will: and therefore when one tolde our Sauiour Christ that his mother and breethren stoode without, desiring to speake with him, he saide,⁵⁸ Whosoever shall doe my fathers will which is in heaven, the same is my father, my sister, and mother: where wee may note, that hee that will haue God the Father to be his Father, and Christ Iesus his brother, must doe the will of God the father. And hence God saith, If I be a master, where is my feare? If I be a father, where is my honour?⁵⁹ Where is plainely taught this seconde duety; that if God be our father, then as good children wee must shewe obedience unto him: but if wee be disobedient vnto him, then we must knowe, that that former saying of Christ will be verefied vpon vs: that because men doe the lustes of the devill: therefore they are the children of the deuill. But least this fearefull sentence be verefied of vs, it is the duety of euerie man that maketh this confession, that hee beleeues God to be his father, first to labour to knowe Gods will; and secondly, to perfourme continuall obedience unto the same. Like unto a good childe that would faine please his father, and therefore is alwaies ready to do the best he can. And without doubt that man which unfainedly takes God for his father, is then most grieued, when as by any sinne he displeaseth him, & no other crosse or calamity is so grieuous unto him. The greatest grief that the prodigall sonne had, was that he had offēded his father by sinning against heauē, & against him: the same also must be our griefe: and all our care set on this, how we may be obedient children to this our louing father. Thirdly, that mā that beleeues God to be his father,⁶⁰ must imitate and follow him: for it is the will of God that his children should be like vnto himselfe. Now we follow God especially in 2. things. I. In doing good to them that persecute vs: so saith our Sauiour Christ,⁶¹ Pray for them that hurt you, that you may be the children of your father which is in heaven: for hee maketh the sunne to rise on the evill and on the good, and sendeth raine on the iust and uniust. II. Our heavenly father is mercifull: for he is a father of the fatherlesse:⁶² and therefore he that will be a sonne of this father must be mercifull to his poore breethren, as Iob saith of himselfe, I was the eyes to the blind, & I was the feete unto the lame:⁶³ I was a father unto the poore. Fourthly, seeing wee beleeue God to be our father, we are hereby taught onely to vse moderate care for the things of this life: for if a man know himselfe to be the child of God, then he also knowes that God will provide for him, as wee know in a family the father provideth for all. Now God is a father, and his Church is his family; therefore if thou wilt be a mēber of Gods Church, & a child of God, thou must cast thy care on god,⁶⁴ & follow the counsell of Christ: Be not to carefull for your life what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink. And mark his reason drawen from the point which we haue in hand. The fowles of the heauen (saith he) they neither sow nor reape, nor carrie into barnes: and yet your heavenly father feedeth them: are not ye much better then they. But alas, the practise of the worlde is contrarie: for men haue no care for the knowledge of Gods worde, nor the meanes of their salvation: all their mindes are set on the things of this life: when as Christ saith, First seeke the kingdome of heaven, and the righteousnesse thereof, and all these things shall be ministred vnto you. If you shoulde see a young man provide for himselfe, and no man else for him, wee woulde say, surely his father is deade: euen so, when a mans care is set wholly both day and night for the things of this life, it argues that God hath either cast him off, or else that he takes him for no father of his. Fiftly, if God he our father, then wee must learne to beare any crosse patiently that he shall lay upon us, either in bodie or in minde,⁶⁵ and alwaies looke for deliverance from him▪ for whome the Lorde loueth, them hee chastiseth: and if yee endure chastising (saith the Apostle) God offereth himselfe unto you as vnto children:⁶⁶ which may appeare more plainly by this comparison. If two children shoulde fight, and a man comming by, shoulde parte them, and after beate the one, and let the other goe free: euerie man that seeth this will say, that that childe which hee beates is his owne sonne. Euen so, when God chastiseth vs, he sheweth himselfe unto us as a father, if we submit our selues. Nowe if our earthly fathers corrected us, and we gaue them reverence, taking it patiently: should we not much rather be in subiection to the father of spirits that wee may liue. Therefore the conclusion is this: if we displease God, be ye sure, he will correct us; & when his hand is upon us we must not murmure against him, but beare it with a milde spirite: and furthermore, when wee are under the crosse, we must alwaies looke for deliverance from this our father onely. If a sonne when hee is beaten should flee to his fathers enemies for helpe and counsell; it woulde argue that hee were but a gracelesse childe. Sundry and divers calamities and crosses befall men in this life, which they can not brooke; and therefore it is a common practise of many among us in these dayes, when Gods hande is upon them, to goe for helpe to the deuill; they seeke for counsell at witches and wise men, (as I haue said) but let them looke unto it, for that is the right way to double their miserie, and to shewe themselues lewde children. Lastly, if wee confesse and beleeue god to be the father of Christ,⁶⁷ and in him our father also; then in regarde of our conuersation, wee must not frame our selves like unto the world: but the course of our liues must be in righteousnesse, and true holinesse. Paul exhorteth the Corinthians to separate themselues from Idolaters,⁶⁸ alledging the place out of the olde Testament, where the Lorde biddeth the Israelites to come out from Idolaters,⁶⁹ and to touch no vncleane thing: and the reason followeth out of Ieremie,⁷⁰ that if they doe so, then God will be their father, and they shall be his children, even his sonnes and daughters: which reason Paul vrgeth in the next chapter to this effect:⁷¹ considering wee haue these promises, that therefore wee shoulde cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite, and growe up unto holines in the feare of the Lorde: where, if wee marke the place diligently, wee shall finde this lesson, that euerie man who takes God for his father, must not onely in this sinne of Idolatrie, but in all other sinnes separate himselfe, that men by his godly life may knowe whose childe he is. But some will say, this exhortation is needlesse amongst vs; for wee haue no cause to separate our selues from others, because all amongst vs are Christians, all beleeve in God and are baptised, and hope to be saved by Christ. Answer. In outward profession, I confesse, wee carrie the shewe of Christians, but in deede and trueth, by our lives and conversations, very many among vs denie Christ: for in euerie place the common practise is, to spende the time in drunkennesse and surfetting, in chambering and wantonnesse; yea, great is the companie of those that make a trade of it: take this conversation from many men, and take away their liues. And on the Lordes day it may bee seene both publiquely and priuately, in houses and in the open streetes, there is such reuell, as though there were no God to serve. In the sixe dayes of the weeke, manie men walke verie painefully in their callings: but when the Lordes day commeth, then every man takes license to doe what hee will: and because of the princes lawes, men will come formally to the Church for fashions sake: but in the meane time, how many do nothing else but scorne, mocke, and deride, and as much as in them lieth, disgrace both the worde and the ministers thereof? so that the cōmon saying is this: oh he is a precise fellow, he goes to heare Sermons, he is too holy for our cōpanie. But it stands men in hand to take out a better lesson, which is, if we will haue God to be our father, wee must shewe our selues to be the children of God by repentance and newnesse of life: he can not be but a gracelesse child, that will lead a rebellious life flat against his fathers minde. Let us then so behaue our selves, that we may honour our father which is in heauen, and not dishonour him in our liues and callings: rather let us separate our selues from the filthinesse of the flesh, loathing those things which our father lotheth, and fleeing from those things which our father abhorreth.

And thus much for the duties. Now follow the consolations which arise from this point.⁷² But first we are to know that there are three sortes of men in the world. The first are such as will neither heare nor obey the word of God. The second sort are those which will heare the word preached vnto them but they will not obey: both these sortes of men are not to looke for any comfort hence. Now there is a third sort of men, which as they heare Gods worde; so they make conscience of obeying the same in their liues and callings: and these are they to whome the consolations that arise out of this place doe rightly belong, and must be applyed unto.

First therefore, seeing God the father of Christ, and in him the father of all that obey and doe his will, is our father, here note the dignitie and prerogative of all true beleeuers: for they are sonnes and daughters of God as saith S. Iohn, So many as received him to them he gaue a prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God: even to them that beleeve in his name.⁷³ This priviledge will appeare the greater if we consider our first estate; for as Abraham saith, We are but dust and ashes, and in regard of the deprauation of our natures,⁷⁴ we are the children of the deuill: therefore of such rebels to be made the sonnes of God, it is a wonderfull priviledge and prerogative, & no dignitie like unto it. And to enlarge it further, he that is the sonne of God, is the brother of Christ, & fellow heire with him; and so heire apparant to the kingdom of heauen: and in this respect, is not inferiour to the verie angels. This must be laid vp carefully in the hearts of Gods people, to confirme them in their conversation among the companie of vngodly men in this world.

Secondly if a man doe indeauour himselfe to walke according to Gods worde, then the Lord of his mercie will beare with his wants: for as a father spareth his owne son, so will God spare them that feare him.⁷⁵ Now a father commaunds his child to write or to apply his booke: though all things herein be not done according to his mind, yet if he find a readinesse with a good indeavour, he is content, and falls to praise his childs writing or learning. So God giueth his commandement, and though his servants faile in obedience; yet if the Lord see their heartie indeavour, and their vnfeigned willingnesse to obey his will, though with sundry wants, hee hath made this promise and will performe it, that as a father spareth his sonne, so will he spare them. If a child be sicke, will the father cast him off? nay, if thorough the grievousnesse of his sicknesse he can not take the meat that is giuen him, or if he take it, & for faintnesse pick it up againe, will the father of the childe thrust him out of dores? no: but he will rather pitie him. And so when a man doth indeauour himselfe through the whole course of his life to keepe Gods commandements, God will not cast him away, though through weakenesse he faile in sundry things and displease God. This prerogatiue can none haue, but he that is the child of God: as for others when they sinne, they doe nothing else but draw downe Gods iudgements upon them, for their deeper condemnation.

Thirdly hence we learne, that the childe of God can not wholly fall away from Gods fauour, I doe not say, that hee can not fall at all: for he may fall away in part, but hee can not wholly: and so oft as he sinnes, he depriues himselfe in part of Gods fauour. David loued his sonne Absolon wonderfully, but Absolon like a wicked sonne played a lewde pranck, & would haue thrust his father out of his kingdom: And David although he was sore offended with Absolon, & shewed tokens of his wrath, yet in heart he loued him, and neuer purposed to cast him off. Hereupon when he went against him,⁷⁶ he commanded the Captaines to intreat the yong man Absolon gently for his sake. And when he was hanged by the haire of the head in pursuing his father, then David wept and cried. O my sonne Absolon, my sonne Absolon, would God I had dyed with thee, Absolon my sonne. And so it is with God our heauenly father, when his children sinne against him, and thereby loose his loue and fauour, and fall from grace, he forsakes them: but how farre? Surely he shewes signes of anger for their wickednesse, & yet indeed his loue remaines towards them still: and this is a true conclusion, the grace of god in the adoptiō of the elect is unchāgeable, & he that is the childe of God can neuer fall away wholly or finally. On the contrary, that is a bad and comfortlesse opinion of the Church of Rome;⁷⁷ which holdeth that a man may be iustified before God: and yet afterward by a mortall sinne, finally fall from grace and be condemned.

Fourthly, the child of God that takes god the father for his father, may freely come into the presence of god, & haue liberty to pray unto him. We know it is a great priviledge to come into the chamber of presence before an earthly prince: and fewe can alwaies haue this prerogatiue though they be great men: yet the kings owne sonne may haue free entrance, & speake freely vnto the king himselfe, because he is his sonne. Now the children of God haue more prerogative then this: for they may come into the chamber of presence, not of an earthly king, but of Almightie God the king of kings, and as they are the sonnes of god in Christ, so in him they may freely speake unto God their father by prayer. And this ouerthrowes the doctrine of such as be of the Church of Rome, which teach and hold, that a man must come to speake to god by prayer through the intercession of saintes: for say they, the presence of god is so glorious, that we may not be so bolde, as of our selues to speake unto him; but needs must haue the intercession of others.

Lastly, God will provide for all his Church and children all things needfull both for their bodies and soules: so our Sauiour Christ bids his disciples take no thought what they should eate, or what they shold drinke, or wherewith they should be clothed, adding this reason, For your heavenly Father knoweth all your wants. And if we take thought, it must be moderate, and not distrustfull: it is a part of the fathers dutie to provide for his family and children, and not the children for the father. Now shall an earthly father haue this care for his children: and shall not our heauenly father much more provide for those that feare and loue him? Nay marke further, in Gods Church there be many hypocrites which receiue infinite benefites from God, by reason of his elect children with whome they liue: and we shall see this to be true, that the wicked man hath ever fared better for the godly mans cause. Sodome and Gommorrha receiued many benefites by reason of righteous Lot: and when the Lord was purposed to destroy Sodome, he was faine to pull Lot forth of the citie: for the text saith the angell of the Lorde,⁷⁸ coulde not doe any thing till he was come out of it. So also in Pauls daungerous voyage towardes Rome, all the men in it fared better for Pauls company: for the Lord told Paul by an angel, that there should be no losse of any mans life, for the Lord had given to him all that sailed with him.⁷⁹ And undoubtedly if it were not for some few that feare God, hee would poure downe his vengeance upon many nations and kingdomes, there is such excesse of wickednesse in all sortes. Againe, if the Lord doe thus carefully provide for his children all kind of benefites; what a wonderfull wickednesse is this, for men to get their liuing by ungodly meanes: as vsurie, carding, dicing, and such like exercises. If a man were perswaded that God were his father, and would provide sufficiently both for his body and soule; so that using lawfull meanes he should euer haue enough: out of all doubt hee woulde neuer after the fashion of the world use unlawfull and profane meanes to get a liuing. But this prooveth, that howsoeuer such men say, God is their father, yet indeede they deny him.

And thus much of this title, father, the first thing whereby the first person is described. Now followeth the second point, namely his attribute of omnipotencie in this worde almightie. And whereas the father is saide to be almightie, it is not so to be vnderstood as though the Sonne were not almightie, or the holy Ghost not almightie: for euery propertie and attribute (saue the personall properties) is cōmon to all the three persons. For as God the Father doth impart his Godhead vnto the Sonne, and to the holy Ghost; so also he doeth communicate the proprieties thereof to them.

God is omnipotent two waies: I. Because he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will. II. Because he is able to doe more then he will doe. For the first, that God is able to doe whatsoeuer he will, Dauid saith: Our God is in heauen, and he doth whatsoeuer he will: for there is nothing that can hinder God; but as he willeth, so euery thing is done. Secondly, that God can doe more then hee willeth to be done, it is plaine where Iohn Baptist saith:⁸⁰ God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham: though God can doe this thing, yet he will not doe it. So likewise when Christ was betraied, the Father could haue giuen him more then 12. legions of Angels to haue deliuered him out of their hands, but yet he would not: and the like may be said of many other things. The father is & was able to haue created another world, yea a thousand worlds; but he would not, nor will not. And likewise Christ beeing vpon the crosse, was able at their bidding to haue come downe, and saued himselfe from death; but he would not: and therefore this is true, the Lord can doe any thing that he willeth to be done actually, yea and more then he will. But some will say; God can not doe some things which man can doe,⁸¹ as God can not lie, nor denie himselfe▪ and therefore he is not omnipotent. Answ. Although some haue thought God could doe these things; and that he did them not, because he would not: yet we must knowe and beleeue that God can neither lie, nor denie himselfe: indeede man can doe both, but these and many other such things, if he could doe them, he could not be God. God indeede can doe all things which shewe foorth his glorie and maiestie: but such things as are against his nature, he can not doe, as for example: God can not sinne, and therefore can not lie: and because he can not doe those things, therefore he is omnipotent: for these and such like, are workes of impotencie: which if God could doe, he were but an impotent God. Secondly, he can not doe that which implies contradiction: as when a thing is, to make it at the same time to be, and not to be: as when the sunne doth shine, to make it at the same instant to shine and not to shine. And therefore false is the doctrine of the Church, which in their transubstantiation make the body of Christ, (whose essētiall propertie is to be only in one place at once) to be circumscribed, and not to be circumscribed; to be in one place, and not to be in one place.

And thus much for the meaning. Now follow the dueties wherunto we are mooued by this doctrine, of Gods omnipotencie.⁸²

First, whereas God the Father is said to be Almightie, we are taught true humiliation: Humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God,⁸³ saith Peter: where he giueth an exhortation to humilitie, & alledgeth the cause, because God is almightie. To make this more plaine: Euery one of vs was borne in sinne, and by nature we are most wretched in our selues: nowe what an one is God? Surely he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will, yea and more then he will, and is able to destroy such as rebell against him euery moment. Therefore our duetie is, to cast downe our selues for our sinnes in his presence. This true humiliation was that, which our Sauiour Christ would haue brought the young man in the Gospell vnto, when he bad him goe sell all that he had, and giue to the poore. Therfore whosoeuer thou art, take heede thou must: for if thou runne on in thy wickednes, and still rebell against God, it is a thousand to one at length he will destroy thee. For he is an almightie God, and able to doe whatsoeuer he will: his hand is mightie, it boots not a man to striue with him: for he was neuer yet ouermastered, and for this cause we must needes cast downe our selues vnder his hand. It is a fearefull thing (saith the holy Ghost) to fall into the hands of the liuing God:⁸⁴ therefore if we would escape his heauie & terrible displeasure, the best way for vs is, to abase our selues, and be ashamed to follow our sinnes. Christ biddeth vs not to feare him that is able to kill the bodie, and can goe no further: but we must feare him that is able to cast both bodie and soule into hell fire.⁸⁵ Example of this we haue in David, who when he was persecuted by his owne sonne Absalon, he said vnto the Lord, If he thus say,⁸⁶ J haue no delite in thee, behold here I am, let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes. But some will say, I will liue a little longer in my sinnes, in lying▪ pride, Sabbath-breaking, in swearing, dicing, gaming, and wantonnes: for God is mercifull, and in my olde age I will repent. Answ. Well, soothe not thy selfe: but marke, vsually when God holds back his hand for a season, he doth, as it were, fetch a more mightie blow, for the greater confusion of a rebellious sinner; therefore humble, submit▪ and cast downe thy selfe before God, and doe not striue against him: his hand is mightie, and will ouerthrow thee. Though thou hadst all learning, wisdome, might, riches, &c. yet (as Christ said to the young man) one thing is wanting, that thou shouldest be humbled; & vntill thou be hūbled, nothing is to be looked for, but Gods iudgement for sinne.

Secondly, seeing God is almightie; we must tremble and feare at all his iudgements, wee muste stand in awe, quake, and quiuer at them: as the poore child doth, when he seeth his father come with the rodde. Example of this we haue often in Gods word: as when the sonnes of Aaron offered strange fire before the Lord, he sent fire from heauen, and burned them vp.⁸⁷ Nowe Aaron he was very sorie for his sonnes: but when Moses told him, that the Lord would be glorified in all that came neare him, then the text saith, Aaron held his peace. So also wee reade that the Apostles reprooued Peter, for preaching vnto the Gentiles:⁸⁸ but when Peter had expounded the things in order which he had seene, then they helde their peace, and glorified God. As also Dauid saith: I held my tongue, O Lord, because thou didst it.⁸⁹ Isaiah saith, In hope & silence is true fortitude.⁹⁰ If a man be in trouble he must hope for deliuerance, and be quiet and patient at Gods iudgements. But the practise of the world is flat contrarie. For men are so farre from trembling at them, that they will pray to God that plagues, curses, and vengeance may light vpon them, and vpon their seruants and children. Now the Lord beeing a mightie God, often doth answearably bring his iudgements vpon them. Againe, many carried with impaciencie, wish themselues hanged or drowned: which euils they thinke shall neuer befall them: yet at the length God doth in his iustice bring such punishments vpon them. Nay further in all ages there are some, which doe scorne and mocke at Gods iudgements. Hereof wee had not farre hence a most fearefull example. One beeing with his companion in a house drinking on the Lords day,⁹¹ when he was readie to depart thence, there was great lightning and thunder: whereupon his fellow requested him to stay, but the man mocking and iesting at the thunder and lightning, said (as report was) it was nothing but a knaue cooper knocking on his tubbs, come what would, he would goe: and so went on his iourney; but before he came halfe a mile from the house, the same hand of the Lorde which before he had mocked, in a cracke of thunder stroke him about the girdlestead, that he fell downe starke dead. Which example is worthie our remembrance, to put vs in minde of Gods heauie wrath against those which scorne his iudgements: for our duetie is to tremble and feare: and it were greatly to be wished, that we could with open eye beholde the terriblenesse and fearefulnesse of Gods iudgements: it would make a man to quake and to leaue off sinne. If a man passe by some high and daungerous place in the night when he cannot see, he is not afraid; but if yee bring him backe againe in the day, and let him see what a stiepe and daungerous way he came, he will not be brought to goe the same way againe for any thing: so it is in sinning; for men liuing in ignorance and blindnes, practise any wickednes, and do not care for Gods iudgements: but when God of his goodnes bringeth them backe, and openeth their eyes to see the downefall to the pit of hell, and the iudgements of God due to their sinnes: then (they say) they will neuer sinne as they haue done, but become newe men, and walke in the way to eternall life.

Thirdly, we are taught by the Apostle Paul, that if we be to doe any dutie to our brethren, as to releeue them, we must doe it with chearefulnesse: for hee laboureth to perswade the Corinthians to cherefull liberalitie; and the reason of his perswasion is, because God is able to make all grace to abound towards them.⁹² Where also this duetie is taught vs, that seeing God is omnipotent and therefore able to make vs abound, therefore we must giue cherefully to our poore brethren which want.

Fourthly, whereas there are many in euery place, which haue liued long in their sinnes, euē from their cradle; some in wantonnesse, some in drunkennes, some in swearing, some in idlenes, and such like: out of this place, to all such there is a good lesson, namely that euery one of them doe nowe become new men, and repent of all their sinnes, for all their life past. For marke what Paul saith of the Iewes, which cut off from Christ through vnbeleefe, & haue so continued in hardnes of heart, and desperate malice against him, almost 16. hundreth yeares:⁹³ If (saith he) they abide not still in vnbeleefe, they may be grafted into their oliue again: and his reason is this, because God is able to graft them in againe. Euen so though we haue liued many yeres in sinne, (and sure it is a dangerous and fearefull case for a man to liue 20, 30, or 40, yeres vnder the power of the deuill:) yet we must know that if we wil now liue a new life, forsake all our sinnes, & turne to God, we may be receiued to grace, & be made a branch of the true oliue, though we haue borne the fruits of the wild oliue all our life long. But some will obiect, that they haue no hope of Gods fauour, because they haue beene so grieuous sinners, and continued in them so long. Answ. But know it, whosoeuer thou art, God is able to graft thee in; & if thou repent, he will receiue thee to his loue & fauour. This must be obserued of all, but especially of such as are olde in yeares, and yet remaine ignorant without knowledge; they must turne to the Lorde by repentance: otherwise, if they continue still profane and wicked, they must knowe this, that their damnation comes post hast to meete them, and they to it.

⁹⁴And thus much for the dueties. Nowe followe the consolations which Gods Church reape from this, that God the father is omnipotent. First, the wonderfull power of God serueth to strengthen vs in prayer vnto God; for he that will pray truly, must onely pray for those things for which he hath warrant in Gods word: all our prayers must be made in faith, and for a man to pray in faith, it is harde: therefore a speciall meanes to strengthen vs herein, is the mightie power of God. This was the ground and stay of the leaper whome our Sauiour Christ clensed: Lord (saith he) if thou wilt,⁹⁵ thou canst make me cleane. And in the Lords prayer, when our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs to make sixe petitions; in the ende he giueth vs a reason, or motiue to induce vs to stand vpon, and to wait for the benefits before craved, in these words: Thine is the kingdome, thine is the power, &c.

Secondly, hence we learne this comfort, that all the gates of hell shal neuer be able to preuaile against the least mēber of Christ. I doe not say they shal neuer be able to assault, or tempt them, for that may be: but they shall neuer ouercome them. How (will some say) may we be resolued of this? I answer, By reason of faith: for if a Christian man do beleeue that God the father, and in Christ his father, is almightie, no enemie shall euer be able to preuaile against him. So S. Iohn reasoneth: Little children, yee are of God, and haue ouercome them,⁹⁶ that is, all false teachers, because greater is he that is in you, that is, Christ Iesus by his holy spirite, who is God, and therefore almightie, then he that is in the worlde, that is, the spirit of Sathan: therefore you neede not to feare. So Dauid compareth him selfe to a sillie sheepe, and saith: Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death, that is,⁹⁷ as it were in the mouth of the lyō, yet I will feare none evill: why so? because the Lord is with him: thy rodde (saith he) and thy staffe comfort me.

Thus much for the benefits. Now whereas it is saide the first person is a father, as also almightie: ioyne these two together, and hence will arise singular benefits and instructions. First, whereas we are taught to confesse, that the first person is a father almightie, we and euery man must learne to haue experience in himselfe, of the mightie power of this almightie father. Why, will some say, that is nothing, for the deuil and all the damned soules feele the power of the Almightie? True in deede they feele the power of God▪ namely as he is an almightie Iudge condemning them▪ but they feele not the power of an almightie father: this is the point whereof we must learne to haue experience in our selues. Paul prayeth that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of glorie,⁹⁸ would giue vnto the Ephesians the spirite of wisdome, to see what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in them which beleeue, according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ. Which place must be cōsidered: for here the Apostle would haue vs haue such a speciall manifestation of Gods power in our selues, like to that which he did once shew forth in Christ. But how did Christ see and find the power of God as he was man? Answ. Diuers waies: I. On the crosse he died the first death; which is the separation of bodie and soule: and he suffered the sorrowes of the second death. For in his soule he bare the whole wrath of God, and all the panges of hell, and after was buried and laide in the graue, where death triumphed ouer him for the space of three daies. Now in this extremitie God did shew his power, in that he raised Christ from death to life. And looke as his power was manifested in Christ the head: so must it be manifested in all his members: for euery man hath his graue, which is naturall sinne and corruption, which we draw from our first parents, and looke as a man lies dead in the graue, and can mooue neither hand nor foote: so euery man by nature lieth dead in sinne. Now as God did shewe his power in raising Christ from death: so euery one must labour to haue this knowledge and experience in him selfe of the mightie power of God, in raising him from the graue of sinne to newnes of life. For thus Paul makes a speciall request, that he might knowe Christ, and the vertue of his resurrection, that is,⁹⁹ that he might feele in him selfe that power whereby Christ was raised from death to life, to raise him also from the bondage of his sinnes to a new life more & more. Furthermore, whē Christ was vpon the crosse, and all the gates of hell were open against him, then did▪ hee vanquish Sathan; he bruised the serpents head, and as Paul saith, he spoiled principalities and powers, and made a shew of them openly, and hath triumphed ouer them in the crosse:¹⁰⁰ he ouercame the deuill, and all his angels by the power of his almightie father, and by his owne power as he is God. And euen so must Christian men labour to finde the same power in themselues of this almightie father, by which Christ did triumph ouer sathan, that by it they may tread him vnder their feete, which men can neuer doe by any power in themselues. Againe, Christ praieth that that cuppe might passe from him: and yet he saith;¹⁰¹ Not my will, but thy will be fulfilled. For it was necessarie that Christ should suffer. And this request was heard, not because he was freed from death: but because God his father Almightie gaue him power and strength in his manhoode to beare the brunt of his indignation. Nowe looke as this power was effectual in Christ Iesus the head, to make him able and sufficient to beare the panges of hell: so the same power of God, is in some measure effectuall in all the members of Christ, to make them both patient, and of sufficient strength to beare any affliction, as Saint Paul saith: beeing strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes.¹⁰² And this is a notable point which euery one ought to learne: that wheras they confesse God to be their almightie father, they should here withall labour to feele and haue experience in themselues, that he is almightie in the beginning and continuing of grace vnto them, and in giuing thē power and patience to suffer afflictions. Further, Christ Iesus when the worke of our redemption was accomplished,¹⁰³ was lifted vp into heauen, and set at the right hande of God in heauenly places, farre aboue all principalities and powers, &c. euen by the power of his father: well, as this power was made manifest in the head: so must it be in the members thereof. Euery child of God shall hereafter see and feele in himselfe the same power, to translate him from this vale of miserie in this life, to the kingdome of heauen. Wherefore to conclude, we haue great cause to be thankefull and to praise God for this priuiledge, that he sheweth his power in his children in regenerating them, in making them die vnto sinne, and to stand against the gates of hell, & to suffer afflictions patiently: as also that he translates thē from death to life. And euery one should shew his thankfulnes in labouring to haue experience of this power in himselfe, as Paul exhorteth vs in his epistles to the Colossians & Ephesians: yea, read all his epistles, & we shal finde he mentioneth no point so often as this, namely the mightie power of God, manifested first in Christ, & secondly in his mēbers: and he accounteth all things losse that he might know Christ, & the vertue of his resurrection.¹⁰⁴ This point is the rather to be marked, because his power in the matter of grace is not to be seene with eye; & fewe there be in respect that haue felt the vertue thereof in themselues: for the deuill doth mightitily shew his cōtrary power in the greatest part of the world, in carrying them to sinne and wickednes.

Secondly, hence we learne that which Paul teacheth, namely to know,¹⁰⁵ that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God. God is almightie, & therfore able to do whatsoeuer he wil: he is also a father; & therfore is willing to doe that which is for our good. But some will say, we are subiect to many crosses, yea to sinne: what? can our sinnes turne to our good? Ans. If God almightie be thy father, he wil turne thine afflictions, yea thy sinnes which by nature are euill, beyond all exspectation vnto thy saluation. And this God will doe to all such as be obedient vnto him: yet no man must hereupon presume to sinne.

Thirdly, whereas we beleeue that God is a mightie father, it serues to confirme Gods children in the promises of mercie reuealed in his word. The chiefest whereof is, that if men will turne from their sinnes, and beleeue in Christ, they shall not perish, but haue life euerlasting. I know some men wil make it an easie thing to beleeue, especially those which neuer knewe what faith meant. But such persons neede no meanes of confirmation of faith: therfore let all those which haue tasted of the hardnes of attaining vnto it, learne how to stablish their wauering hearts in the promises of God, by the consideration of these two points: God is a father; and therefore he is willing: he is also almightie, and therefore he is able to performe his promises. He that will be truly resolued of Gods promises, must haue both these setled in his heart, and build on them as on two foundations.

It followeth, Creatour of heauen and earth] We haue spoken of the title of the first person, & of his attributs: now we come to speake of his effect, namely the creation: but before we come to it, we are to answer a certaine obiection which may be made. At the first it may seeme strāge to some, that the worke of creation is ascribed to the first person in Trinitie the father: whereas in the Scripture it is common to them all three equally. And first that the father is Creatour, it was neuer doubted: as for the second person the Sonne, that he is Creatour,¹⁰⁶ it is euident: all things are made by it, that is, by the Sonne, who is the substantiall word of the father, & without it was made nothing that was made. And againe, it is said, that God by his Sonne made the worlde. As for the holy Ghost,¹⁰⁷ the worke of creation is also ascribed vnto him, and therefore Moses saith, the spirit mooued vpon the waters: and Iob saith:¹⁰⁸ his spirit hath garnished the heauens: How thē is this peculiar to the father, being cōmon to al the three persons in trinitie? I answer, the actions of God are two-fold: either inward, or outward. The inward actions are those, which one person doth exercise towards another: as the father doth beget the sonne, & this is an inward action peculiar to the father: for all inward actions are proper to the persons from whome they are. So the Sonne doth receiue the godhead frō the father; & the holy Ghost frō thē both; & these are inward actions peculiar to these persons. So likewise for the father to send his sonne, it is an inward action proper to the father, & cannot be cōmunicated to the holy Ghost: & the sonne to be sent by the father onely is a thing proper to the sonne, & not cōmon to the father, or to the holy Ghost. Now outward actions are the actions of the persons in the Trinitie to the creatures: as the worke of creation, the work of preseruatiō, & of redemption. These & all such actions are cōmon to all the three persons: the father createth, the sonne createth, & the H. Ghost createth: & so we may say of the works of gouernment, & of redemption, & of all outward actions of the persons to the creatures. But some again may say, how then can the work of creation, being an outward action of God to the creature, be peculiar to the first person the father? I answer, the work of creation is not so proper to the first person the father, as that it cannot also be common to the rest: for al the three persons ioyntly created all things of nothing; onely they are distinguished in the manner of creating. For the father is the cause that beginneth the worke,¹⁰⁹ the sonne puts it in execution, the holy Ghost is the finisher of it. And againe, the father createth by the¹¹⁰ sonne & by the H. Ghost: the sonne createth by the holy Ghost, & frō the father: the H. Ghost createth not by the father, nor by the sonne; but frō the father & the sonne. And this is the reason why the work of creation is ascribed here vnto the father, because he alone createth after a peculiar manner, namely by the sonne, and by the holy Ghost: but the sonne and the holy Ghost create not by the father but from him.

Thus hauing answered the obiection, we come to speake of the creation it selfe. In handling whereof, we must withal treat of the Counsell of God, as being the cause thereof, & of the Gouernment of the creatures, as beeing a worke of God whereby he continues the creation. And the order which I wil obserue, is first to speake of the Counsell of God, and secondly of the exequution of his Counsell, which hath two speciall branches, the first the creation, the second the preseruation or gouernment of things created.

The Counsell of God, is his eternal & vnchangeable decree, wherby he hath ordained al things either past, present or to come, for his own glorie. First I cal it a decree, because God hath in it set down with himselfe & appointed as soueraigne Lord, what shall be, what shal not be. I adde further, that al things whatsoeuer come vnder the cōpasse of this decree; as Paul saith, He worketh al things according to the coūsel of his wil.¹¹¹ And our Sauiour Christ saith, that a sparrow cānot fall on the ground without the heauenly father:¹¹² yea further, he tels his disciples, that the very haires of their heads are numbred, meaning that they are knowne and set downe in the counsell of God. And considering that God is King of heauen and earth; and that most wise, yea wisdome it selfe; and most mightie, yea might and power it selfe: it must needs be that he hath determined how all things shall come to passe in his kingdome, with all their circumstances, time, place, causes, &c. in such particular maner, that the very least thing that may be, is not left vnappointed and vndisposed.

The counsell of God, hath two properties, eternitie, and vnchangeablenes. It is eternall, because it was set downe by God from euerlasting before all times, as Paul saith, God hath chosen the Ephesians to saluation before all worlds.¹¹³ And he saith of himselfe, that he was called according to the purpose of God, which was before all worlds. Againe, the same counsell once set downe, is vnchangeable. God saith, I am Iehovah, and I change not. With God (saith S. Iames) there is no variablenes, nor shadow of change. Nowe such as God is, such is his decree and counsell. And he beeing vnchangeable, his counsels also are vnchangeable.

Gods counsell hath two parts, his foreknowledge, and his will or pleasure. His foreknowledge, whereby he did foresee all things which were to come. His will, whereby in a generall manner he wills and ordaines whatsoeuer is to come to passe: and therefore such things as God altogether nilleth, can not come to passe. Nowe these two parts of the counsell of God must be ioyned together, and not seuered. Will without knowledge is impotent, and foreknowledge without will is idle. And therefore such as holde that God doth barely foresee sundrie things to come, no manner of way either willing or decreeing the issue and euent of them, doe bring in little better then Atheisme. For if we say that any thing comes to passe either against Gods will, or God not knowing of it, or not regarding it, we shall make him either impotent or careles, & rase the very foūdation of Gods prouidence.

And this decree of God must be conceiued of vs as the most generall cause of all things subsisting: beeing first in order hauing all other causes vnder it, and most principall, ouerruling all, ouerruled by none.

Thus we see what is to be held touching Gods counsell: now for the better clearing of the truth, three obiections of some difficultie are to be answered. First may some man say, if God decree and ordaine all things whatsoeuer, then he decreeth and ordaineth sinne. But God decrees not sinne in as much as it is against his will: and therefore he decrees not all things. Answ. We vse not to say, that God doth simplie will or decree sinne, but onely in part, adding with all these caueats. I. That God willeth and decreeth sinne, not properly as it is sinne, but as it hath in it sundrie regards & respects of goodnes, so farforth as it is a punishment, or chastismēt, or trial, or action, or¹¹⁴ hath any existēce in nature. II. God can so vse euill instruments, that the work done by them beeing a sinne, shall neuerthelesse in him be a good worke: because he knows how to vse euill instruments well. If it be further alledged, that God willeth no wickednes, Psal. 5.5. we must know, that Gods will is twofold, generall, & speciall. Generall, whereby God willeth & decreeth that a thing shal be: & by this kind of will he may be said to wil sinne; & that without sinne. For though he decree it thus, yet he doth not instill wickednes into the heart of any sinner, & his decree is onely for a most excellent end. For in regard of God which decreeth, it¹¹⁵ is good that there should be euill▪ To this purpose Augustine saith excellently, By an vnspeakeable manner it comes to passe, that that which is against Gods will, is not without his will.¹¹⁶ Now the special wil of God is that whereby he willeth any thing in such maner, that he approoueth it, & deliteth in it. And thus indeede we can not say without blasphemie, that God willeth sinne. Thus then we see in what manner and how farforth God may be said to decree sinne.

Againe it may be obiected thus. If all things be determined by the vnchangeable decree of God, then all things come to passe by an vnchangeable necessitie: and men in their actions haue no freewill at all, or libertie in doing any thing. Ans. This must be learned as a certen rule, that the necessarie decree of God, doth not abolish the nature of the second causes, and impose necessitie vpon the will of mā, but only order & incline it without any constraint, to one part. As for example: when a people is gathered togeather to heare Gods worde, there is none of them but they know that they come thither by Gods prouidence (and in that respect necessarily) yet before they come, they had all freedome and libertie in themselues to come or not to come: & Gods eternall counsell did not hinder the libertie of our wills, in comming or not comming, nor take away the same: but onely incline and turne them to the choice of one part. An other example hereof we may haue in our Sauiour Christ, whose state and constitution of bodie, if we regard, he might haue liued longer: yet by the eternall counsel of God, he must die at that place, at that time, at that houre where and when he died. Whereby we may see, that Gods counsel doth not hinder the wil of mā; but only order & dispose it. Which answer being wel marked, we shall see these two will stande together: the necessarie and vnchangeable counsell of God, and the free will of man. And againe, that the same action may be both necessarie and contingent: necessarie in regard of the highest cause, the coūsell of God; not necessarie but contingent in respect of the second causes as among the rest, the will of man.

Thirdly, some will yet obiect against this doctrine, that if all things come to passe according to gods vnchāgeable decree, then what needs the vsing of any meanes? what needs the preaching of the word, & receiuing of the sacraments? what needes any lawes, princes, magistrates, or gouernment? what needs walking in mens ordinarie callings? all is to no ende: for let men play or worke, sleepe, or wake; let him doe what he will, all is one: for Gods eternall counsell must needs come to passe: therefore it may seeme in vaine for men to busie themselues about such things. Ans. But we must know, that as God hath appointed all things to come to passe in his eternall and vnchangeable counsell; so in the same decree, he hath together set downe the means & waies whereby he will haue the same things brought to passe: for these two must neuer be seuered: the thing to be done, & the means whereby it is done. We may read in the Acts in Pauls daungerous voyage towards Rome, an Angel of the Lord told Paul,¹¹⁷ that God had giuen him all that sayled with him in the ship: nowe the souldiers and marriners hearing this, might reason thus with thēselues; Seeing God hath decreed to saue vs all, we may doe what we will, there is no danger, for we shall all come to land aliue: but marke what Paul saith, except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be safe:¹¹⁸ where we may see, as it was the eternall counsell of God to saue Paul, & all that were with him: so he decreed to saue all by this particular meanes of their aboad in the ship. King Ezechias was restored to his health, & receiued from God a promise that he should haue 15. yeares added to his daies,¹¹⁹ & the promise was confirmed by signe: nowe, what doth he? cast off all means? no: but as he was prescribed, so he applieth a bunch of drie figges to his sore, and vseth still his ordinarie dyet. Therefore it is grosse ignorance & madnes in men to reason so against Gods decree; God in his vnchangeable counsell, hath decreed & set down all things how they shal be; therefore I will vse no means, but liue as I list: nay rather we must say the contrarie; because God hath decreed this thing or that to be done: therfore I wil vse the means which God hath appointed to bring the same to passe.

Now followes the Creation, which is nothing else but a worke of the blessed Trinitie, forming & framing his creatures which were not before, & that of nothing. The points to be knowne concerning the creation, are many. The first, is the thing by which God did begin & finish the creatiō. And we must vnderstande, that at the first God made all things, without any instrument or meanes, & not as men do which bring to passe their busines by seruants & helps; but only by his word & commandement: as the Psalmist saith, He commanded, and all things were made. In the beginning God said,¹²⁰ Let their be light, & there was light: & by the same meanes was the creatiō of euery creature following.¹²¹ The very power of the word and cōmandement of God was such, as by it that thing was made & had a being, which before was not. It may be demanded, what word this was by which God is said to make all things. Ans. The word of God in scripture is taken 3. waies: for the substantiall word: for the soūding or written word; for the operatiue or powerful word. The substātial word, is the secōd person begottē of the substāce of the father. Nowe howsoeuer it be true, that God the father did create al things by his word, that is, by his Sōne: yet doth it not seeme to be true that by these words [God said, let there be, this or that] that the Sōne is ment. For that word which God gaue out in the creation was in time, wheras the Sōne is the word of the father before all times: and againe, it is a word common to the three persons equally, whereas the Sō is the word of the father onely. Furthermore, it is not like that it was any soūding word stāding of letters & syllables, & vttered to the creatures after the vsuall maner of mē, that was the cause of thē: it remains therfore that all things were made by the operatiue word,¹²² which is nothing but the pleasure, wil, & appointmēt of God, & is more powerful to bring a thing to passe, then all the meanes in the world beside. For Gods willing of any thing is his effecting & doing of it And this is prooued by Dauid, when he saith, He spake the word, and they were made: he cōmanded, and they were created. Hence we must take out a speciall lesson, needefull to be learned of euery man. Looke what power God vsed & shewed in making the creatures when they were not, the same power he both can & wil shew forth in recreating & redeeming sinful mē by the pretious blood of Christ. By his word he created mans heart when it was not; & he can & will as easily create in any of such a new heart,¹²³ specially whē we vse the good means appointed for that end. As, when Christ said to dead Lazarus,¹²⁴ Lazarus come forth, he arose & came forth of his graue, though boūd hād & foot: so whē the Lord speaks to our dead hearts by his word & spirit, we shal rise forth of the graues of our sinnes & corruptions. In the creatiō of the great world, God said let there be light, & presently darknes gaue place: & the same he cā do to the little world, that is, to man. We are by nature darknes, & let God but speake to our blind vnderstādings, our ignorāce shal depart, & we shal be inlightned with the knowledge of the true God and of his wil: as Paul saith,¹²⁵ God that cōmaunded the light to shine out of darknes is he which hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ.

Secondly, God made all creatures, without motion, labour, or defatigation; for his very bidding of the worke to be done, was the doing of it. And this thing no creature can doe, but God onely, though vnto Adam labour was without paine before the fall.

Thirdly, the matter & the first beginning of all creatures was nothing, that is, all things were made, when as there was nothing whereof they might be made, as Paul saith, God calleth those things which be not, as though they were.¹²⁶ And indeed in the first creation, al things must be made either of the essence of God or of nothing: but a creature can not be made of the essence of God, for it hath no parts, it is not divisible, and God made all things that were made out of himselfe or his owne essence: the conclusion then is, that the framing of the creatures in the beginning, was not of any matter, but of nothing. This must teach us to humble our selves: Many there be that stande upon their ancestours: but let them here looke whence they came first, namely, as Abraham saith of himselfe, of dust and ashes. And what was this dust and ashes made of? Surely of nothing: wherefore every mans first beginning is of nothing. Well then, such men as are caried away with their pedigree and descent, if they looke well into it, they shall finde small cause to boast or bragge. And this cōsideration of our first beginning must moue vs to true humiliatiō in our selves.

Fourthly, God in framing his creatures, in the beginning made them good: yea, very good. Now the goodnesse of the creature is nothing else, but the perfect estate of the creature, whereby it was conformable to the will and minde of the Creator allowing and approouing of it when he had made it: for a creature is not first good, and then approoved of God: but because it is approoved of God, therefore it is good. But wherein will some say, standes this goodnesse of the creature? I answer, in three things. I. in the comelinesse, beautie, and glorie of euery worke in his kinde both in forme and constitution of the matter. II. in the excellencie of the vertue which God hath giuen to it: for as he hath appointed euery creature for some especiall end: so he hath fitted and furnished it with sufficient power and vertue for the accomplishing of the same end. III. in the exceeding benefite and profitablenesse that came by them to man. But since the fall of man this goodnesse of the creature is partly corrupted and partly diminished. Therefore when wee see any want, defect or deformitie in any of them, we must haue recourse backe againe to the apostasie of our first parents, and remember our fall in them, and say with a sorowfull heart, this comes to passe, by reason of mans most wretched sinne which hath defiled heauen and earth, and drawen a curse not onely upon himselfe, but upon the rest of the creatures for his sake, whereby their goodnesse is much defaced.

Fiftly. the end of creation, is the glory of God, as Salomon saith, God made all things for his owne sake: yea even the wicked for the day of evill.¹²⁷ And God propounds this principall end to himselfe, not as though he wanted glorie, and would purchase it unto himselfe by the creation; for hee is most glorious in himselfe, and his honour and praise being infinite, can neither be increased nor decreased: but rather that he might communicate and make manifest his glorie to his creatures, and giue them occasion to magnifie the same. For the reasonable creatures of God beholding his glory in the creation, are mooved to testifie and declare the same among men.

The sixt shall be touching the time of the beginning of the world, which is, betweene fiue thousand and sixe thousand yeres agoe. For Moses set downe exactly the computation of time from the making of the worlde to his owne daies: and the Prophets after him haue with like diligence set downe the continuance of the same to the verie birth of Christ. But for the exact account of yeeres Chronologers are not all of one minde. Some say there be 3929. from the creation to Christes birth, as Beroaldus: some 3952. as Hierome and Bede: some 3960. as Luther and Io. Lucidus: some 3963. as Melancthon in his Chronicle & Functius: some 3970. as Bullinger and Tremellius: some towards 4000. as Buntingus. Now from the birth of Christ to this day are 1592. yeeres, and adding these together, the whole time amounteth. And God would haue the verie time of the beginning of the world to be revealed, 1. that it might be knowen to the Church, when the couenant of grace was first giuen by God to man, and when it was afterward renewed, and how Christ came in the fulnesse of time, Gal. 4. 2. that we might know that the world was not made for the eternall and euerliuing God, but for man. 3. that we might learne not to set our hearts on the world and on the things therein which haue beginning and end, but seeke for things eternall in heauen. And before the time which I haue named began, there was nothing beside God, the world it selfe and all things else were vncreated. Some men use to obiect and say, What did God doe all that while before the world was? how did he imploy himselfe? what was he idle? Answer. The Iewes to this bad question make as badde an answere. For they say he was continually occupied in making many litle worlds, which he continually destroyed as he made them, because none pleased him till hee made this. But we must rather say, that some things are reuealed which God did then, as that he decreed what should come to passe when the world was: & that thē the blessed persons in Trinitie did take eternall delight ech in other. If any man will needs know more,¹²⁸ let him heare what Moses saith, Secret things belong to the Lord our God,¹²⁹ but things revealed to vs and to our children for ever: and let him marke what one eluding the question, answered: namely,¹³⁰ that God was making hell fire to burne all such curious persons as will needs know more of God then hee hath revealed to them: for where God hath not a mouth to speake, there we must not haue an eare to heare: therefore wee must let such curious questions passe.

Seventhly, some may aske in what space did God make the world? I answer. God coulde haue made the world, and all things in it in one moment:¹³¹ but he began and finished the whole worke in sixe distinct daies. In the first day he made the matter of all things and the light: in the second the heauens: in the third day he brought the sea into his compasse, and made the drie land appeare, and caused it to bring forth hearbs, plants, and trees: in the fourth hee made the Sunne, the Moone, & the Starres in the heauen: in the fifth day hee made the fishes of the sea, the foules of the heauen, and euery creeping thing: in the sixth day hee made the beastes of the field, and all cattell, and in the end of the sixt day he made man. Thus in sixe distinct spaces of time, the Lorde did make all things: and that especially for three causes. I. to teach men that they ought to haue a distinct and serious consideration of every creature: for if God had made the world in a moment, some might haue said, this work is so mistical, that no man can speak of it. But for the preventing of this cavill, it was his pleasure to make the world and all things therein in sixe dayes: and the seventh day he commaunded it to be sanctified by men, that they might distinctly and seriously meditate upon euerie worke of the creation. II. God made the world, and euery thing therein in sixe distinct daies, to teach vs, what wonderfull power and libertie he had ouer all his creatures: for hee made the light when there was neither Sunne nor Moone, nor starres: to shewe, that in giuing light to the world, he is not bound to the Sunne, to any creature, or to any meanes: for the light was made the first day: but the Sonne, the Moone, and the Starres were not created before the fourth day. Againe, trees and plantes were created the third day: but yet the Sunne, Moone, and the Starres, and raine which nourish and make hearbs, trees, and plantes to growe were not created till after the third day: which shewes plainely, that God can make trees, plants, & herbs to grow without the meanes of raine, and without the vertue and operation of the Sunne, the Moone, & the Starres. III. he made the worlde in sixe distinct dayes, and framed all things in this order, to teach us his wonderfull providence of his creatures: for before man was created he prouided for him a dwelling place, and all things necessarie for his perpetuall preseruation, and perfect happinesse and felicitie. So also he created beasts and cattell: but not before he had made hearbs, plants, and grasse, and all meanes whereby they are preserued. And if God had this care ouer man when as yet hee was not: much more will God haue care ouer him now when hee is, and hath a being in nature.

And thus much concerning the pointes of doctrine touching the creation. The duties follow. And first by the worke of creation we may discerne the true Iehouah from all false gods & idols in the world. This Esaiah maketh plain, bringing in the Lorde reasoning thus: I am God, and there is no other God besides me. How is that prooued? thus: I forme the light, and create darkenesse, I make peace, and create evill:¹³² I the Lord doe all these things. If a man aske thee how thou knowest the true God from all false gods: thou must answere, by the worke of creation: for he alone is the maker of heauen and earth, and all things in them. This propertie can not agree to any creature, to any man, saint, or Angell: nay, not to all men and all Angels they can not giue being to a creature which before was nothing. Secondly, wheras God the Father is the Creatour of all▪things, and hath giuen unto man reason, understanding, and abilitie, more then to other creatures, we are taught to consider and meditate of the worke of Gods creation. This the wise man teacheth vs, saying, Consider the worke of God. And indeed it is a speciall dutie of euery man which professeth himselfe to be a member of Gods Church,¹³³ as he acknowledgeth God to be the Creatour, so to looke upon his workemanshippe and view and consider all creatures. A skilfull workeman can haue no greater a disgrace, then when hee hath done some famous thing▪ to haue his friende passe by his worke, and not so much as looke upon it. If it be demaunded for what ende must we looke upon the worke of Gods creation? I answere, that in it wee may see and discerne Gods power, wisedome, loue, mercie, and providence, and all his attributes, and in all things his glorie. This is a most necessarie dutie to be learned of euery man: we thinke nothing too much or to good to bestow on vaine shewes, & plaies, idle sportes and pastimes, which are the vanities of men, and we doe most willingly beholde them: in the meane season utterly neglecting and contemning the glorious worke of Gods creation. Well, the Lorde God hath appointed his Sabaoth to be sanctified not only by the publique ministerie of the worde, and by private prayer, but also by an especiall consideration and meditation of gods creatures: and therefore the duetie of euery man is this, distinctly and seriously to view and consider the creatures of God; and thereby take occasion to glorifie his name, by ascribing vnto him the wisedome, glorie, power, and omnipotencie that is due unto him for the same.

Thirdly, wee must giue God the glorie in all his creatures, because hee is the creatour of them all. So in the Revelation the foure and twentie Elders fall downe before him, and say, Thou art worthy, O Lorde, to receive glorie and honour,¹³⁴ and power: giuing this reason: for thou hast created all things, and for thy wills sake they are and haue beene created. Reade the Psalmes 147. and 148. both which tende to this, that God may be praised, because he is the Creatour of all things, and therefore must haue all the glorie. Wee knowe, that when men beholde any curious worke of a cunning and skillfull craftesman, straightway they will leaue the worke, and inquire after him that made it, that they may praise his skill. The same is our dutie in this case, when we come abroad, and beholde every where in all the creatures the admirable and unspeakeable wisedome, goodnesse, and power of God, then wee must make hast from the creature, and goe forwarde to the Creatour, to praise and glorifie him: and herein must wee shewe our selues to differ from bruite beasts, in that in the vse and view of Gods creatures, we doe returne due glory, praise, and honour unto the creatour.

Our fourth duty is set downe by the Prophet Amos, who moouing the people to meete God by repentance, addeth a reason taken frō the creation:¹³⁵ He that fourmeth the mountaines & createth the winds, which declareth unto man what is his thought, which maketh the morning darkenesse, &c. the Lord God of hosts is his name. The meaning of the Prophet is this, God is a terrible iudge, & we are as traitors & rebels against him: therfore the best way that we can take is this: he is cōming to iudgement, let us therfore meete him & fall downe before him, & humble our selues under his mighty hād. And the holy ghost by the prophet would mooue the people to meete God by serious repētance, by a reason framed thus: If God who is their iudge, be able to create the winds, and to forme the moūtaines, & to make the morning darknes: then he is also able to make an eternall iudgement for their confusion. And therfore all such as be impenitent sinners, let thē prepare themselues to turne unto him: & surely if men had grace to lay this to their hearts, they would not liue so lōg in their sinnes without repentance as they do: nay rather, they would prepare themselues to meet him in the way before he come to iudgement, because he is a creator, & therefore able to bring infinite punishments upon them at his pleasure, and to bring them to nothing as he made them of nothing. And let them know it, whosoeuer they be that go forwarde in their sinnes, that God the creator whensoeuer hee will, can opē hell to deuoure them: & that he can shew him selfe as mightie in his iudgement to mens destruction, as he was in the beginning in giuing us a being when we were nothing. Wherefore notable is the practise of David, who ineures himself to the feare of god by the consideration of his creation, saying, I am fearefully and wonderfully made, &c.¹³⁶

Lastly, those which haue bin impenitent sinners all their life past▪ must not only learne to repent for their sinnes; but also endeauour to perfourme obedience unto gods word. God is a creatour, and the thing created shoulde in all respectes be conformable to his will: for David saith, Thine hands have fashioned me, & framed me,¹³⁷ give me vnderstanding therfore that I may learne thy cōmandemēts. And good reasō, for there is no man of any trade, but hee would faine haue all that he maketh and deuiseth to be used: but yet so as the use thereof must be conformable to the will of the maker. For this cause Moses that faithfull servant of God saieth, that the people of Israel dealt wrongfully with the Lord, why? For he hath created them, and proportioned them, he is their father and he bought them: yet they haue dishonoured him by corrupting themselues towardes him by their vice. All creatures in heauen and in earth doe the will of the Creatour, except man, and the deuill and his angels: for the Sunne, the Moone, and the starres, they keepe that course which God hath appointed them: but man though he be bound to doe the will of God, because god is his Creator, yet he rebells against him. The potter if in tempering his clay he can not make and frame it according to his minde, at length hee will dash it in peeces: so God, hee createth man, not that he should doe his owne will, but gods will: and therefore that man whosoeuer he be that followeth the lustes of his owne wicked heart, and will not be brought to be conformable to gods will, but continues rebellious still, the Lorde in his wrath will confound him eternally. Therefore it standes euery man in hand to yeeld himselfe plyable unto gods will, & to indeauour to obey it by keeping a good conscience before god and all men, and by walking faithfully in his calling: otherwise the ende will be confusion. If a man haue a trade and other men come into his shoppe, and use such instruments as be there to a wrong end, though they were their owne, yet it would grieue him to see it: so god created all things for his owne use, and for the accomplishing of his will: but rebellious man conformes himselfe to the deuils will, and thereby no doubt he grieuously offendeth god.

And thus much of the duties. Now in the third place follow the consolations unto Gods Church and people.¹³⁸ First as S. Paul saith, God is a creator, yea a faithfull creator. The properties of a faithfull creatour are two. I. he will preserue his creature: no man is so tender ouer any worke as hee that made it, for he can not abide to see it any way abused. Now God being a faithfull creatour, tenderly loues all his creature. So Iob reasoneth with God, that hee will not cast him off, because he is the worke of his hands. II. God will beare with his creature,¹³⁹ to see whether it will be brought to any good ende and use before he will destroy it. And to use the former comparison: The potter will turne and worke the clay euery way to make a vessell unto his minde: but if it will frame no way, then he will cast it away and dash it against the wall. And so God who created man and still preserueth him, and useth all meanes to make him conformable to his will, before hee cast him away. The Lorde did long strive with men in the olde worlde, to turne them from their wickednesse: but when nothing would serue them, it is saide,¹⁴⁰ It repented the Lorde that hee had made man on the earth. Amongst us euery one is the creature of God: now if wee shall rebell against this our creator, it may be, he will beare with us for a time: but if we continue therein, and do not turne to him by repentāce, he will bring upon us a finall destruction both in body and soule. Yet I say, before he doe this he will trie all meanes to preserue us, and turne us unto him: and afterwarde, if nothing will serue, then he will shew forth his power in mens confusion: & therefore it stands us in hand to looke unto it.

Secondly, looke what power the Lord did manifest in the creation of all things, the same power he both can and will make manifest in the redemption of mankind. In the beginning God made all things by his worde; and so likewise he is able still to make by the power of his word, of a wicked man that is dead in sinne, a true and liuely member of Christ: which the Prophet Isay signifieth when he saith, The Lord that created the heavens and spred them abroad, hee that stretcheth forth the earth and the body thereof, &c.¹⁴¹ I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnesse. This must not encourage evill men in their wickednesse, but it serueth to comfort the people of God, considering that the same God which once created them, is also as able to saue them: and will shewe himselfe as mightie in their redemption, as hee did in creating them of nothing.

And thus much of the Creation in generall. Now it followeth that we come to the handling of the partes thereof. For it is not said barely that God is a creatour; but particularly that he is a creatour of heauen & earth: of both which we will speake in order: and first of the creation of heauen. Heaven] in Gods worde it signifieth all that is aboue the earth: for the aire wherein we breath is called Heauen. And according to this acception of the worde, there are three heauens, as Paul saith, He was taken up into the third heauen. The first of these Heauens is that space,¹⁴² which is from the earth upward unto the firmament, where the starres are. Thus we reade often in the Psalmes, the birdes which flie in the aire betweene the earth and the starres, are called the foules of the heaven: and when God sent the floode to drowne the olde world, Moses saith, the windowes of heauen were opened:¹⁴³ meaning, that God powred downe raine from the cloudes abundantly, for the making of a floode to drowne the worlde. The second heauen is that which conteineth the Sunne, the Moone, and the starres: so Moses saith, that God in the beginning created the Sunne, the Moone,¹⁴⁴ and the Starres, and placed them in the firmament of heauen. Besides these two heauens, there is a thirde which is inuisible: and yet it is the worke of Gods handes: and it is that glorious place where Christ in his manhoode sitteth at the right hande of the father: and whether the soules of the faithfull departed are carried, and placed: and in which at the end of the world shall all the elect both in bodie and soule, haue perfect ioy and blisse in the glorious sight and presence of God for euer. But for the better conceiuing the trueth, wee are to scanne and consider three questions. First, whether this third heauen be a creature; for many haue thought it was neuer created, but was eternall with God himselfe: but it is a grosse errour contrarie to Gods worde.¹⁴⁵ For the Scripture saith, Abraham looked for a citie (meaning the heauenly Ierusalem, this thirde heauen) having a foundation whose builder and maker is God. Further, if it be eternall, it must either be a creatour or a creature: but it is no creatour, for then it shoulde be God: and therefore it must needes be a creature. But some will say, the Lorde is eternall, and this thirde heauen hath alwaies beene the place of the Lords abode, and therefore it is also eternall. Answer. True it is that God doeth shewe his glorie and maiestie in the thirde heauen: but yet that cannot obtaine his godhead: as Salomon saith, Beholde the heavens, and the heavens of heavens are not able to containe thee.¹⁴⁶ Wherefore though God doeth manifest his eternall glorie in this thirde heauen: yet it doeth not follow that therefore it shoulde be eternall: for he needes no place to dwell in: for hee is every where filling all things with his presence excluded from no place. The seconde question where this thirde heauen is? Answere. There are some protestants say, it is euery where: and they hold this opinion, to maintaine the reall presence of the Lordes body in or about the Sacrament. But if it were euery where, then hell shoulde be in heauen which no man will say: but heauen indeed is aboue these visible heauens which we see with our eyes: so the Apostle saith,¹⁴⁷ Christ ascended on high farre above all heauens, &c. And againe it is saide of Steven, that beeing full of the holy ghost, He looked up steadfastly into the heauens,¹⁴⁸ and sawe them open, and the sonne of man standing at the right hand of God. Thirdly it may be demanded, why God created this thirde heauen? Answer. God made it for this cause, that there might be a certaine place, wherein he might make manifest his glorie and maiestie to his elect angels and men: for the which cause it was created a thousand folde more glorious then the two former heavens are▪ in which respect it is called Paradise,¹⁴⁹ by reason of the ioy and pleasure arising from Gods glorious presence. And our Sauiour Christ calleth it the house of God his father;¹⁵⁰ because into it must be gathered all Gods children. It is called the kingdome of heaven, because God is the King thereof, and ruleth there in perfect glorie. True it is, God hath his kingdome here on earth: but he ruleth not so fully and gloriously here, as hee shall in heauen: for this is the kingdome of grace, but that is the kingdome of his glorie, where he so reigneth, that he will be all in all, first in Christ, and then in the elect both Angels and men.

Now followes the duties wherunto we are moved principally in consideration of the making of the third heauen. First, if God created it especially for the manifestation of his glorie unto men, that at the ende of this world, by the fruition of Gods most glorious presence, there they might haue perfect ioye and felicitie: wee haue occasion here to consider the wonderfull madnesse of the worlde that reigneth euery where among men, which onely haue regarde to the state of this life, and cast all their care on this world: and neuer so much as dreame of the ioyfull and blessed estate which is prepared for Gods children in the highest heauen. If a man hauing two houses, one but a homely cottage, and the other a princely pallace, should leaue the better, and take all the care and paines for the dressing up of the first, would not euerie man say, he were a mad man? yes undoubtedly. And yet this is the spirituall madnesse that reigneth euery where among men: for God hath prepared for us two houses, one is this our bodie which we beare about us, which is an house of clay, as Iob saith, Wee dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is dust,¹⁵¹ which shall be destroyed before the moth:¹⁵² and as Peter saith, a Tabernacle or tent, which wee must shortly take downe; and wherein we abide but as pilgrimes and strangers.¹⁵³ Againe, the same God of his wonderfull goodnesse hath provided for us a second house in the third heauen, wherein we must not abide for a time and so depart: but for euermore enioy the blessed felicitie of his glorious presence. For all this marke a spirituall phrensie possessing the mindes of men; for they imploy all their care and industrie for the maintaining of this house of claye, whose foundation is but dust: but for the blessed estate of the second house, which is prepared for them in the kingdome of heauen, they haue no regarde or care. They will both runne and ride from place to place day and night, both by Sea and lande: but for what? Is it for the preparing of a mansion place in the heauenly Ierusalem? Nothing lesse, for they will scarse goe forth of the doore to use any meanes whereby they may come unto it: but all their studie is to patch vp the ruines and breaches of their earthly cabbine. Now let all men iudge in their owne consciences, whether as I haue saide, this be not more then senselesse madnesse? Againe, the body is but a tabernacle, wherein we must rest as it were for a night, as a stranger doeth in an Inne, and so away: but the second house is eternall in the heavens, an everlasting seate of all felicitie. And therefore our dutie is aboue all things, to seeke the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof as Christ himselfe biddeth us.¹⁵⁴ And if the Lorde haue there prepared such a place for vs, then wee must in this worlde use all good meanes, whereby we may be made worthy the fruition of it: & also fitte and ready at the day of death to enter into it: which at the day of iudgement we shall fully possesse both in soule and body, and there reigne eternally in all happinesse with God Almightie our creatour, the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost. But some may say, how shall a man so prepare himselfe that he may be fitte for that place? Answer. This the holy ghost teacheth us: for speaking of this heauenly Ierusalem, hee saith, There shall enter into it none uncleane thing, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or lyes:¹⁵⁵ The meanes then to make our selues fitte, is, to seeke to be reconciled to God in Christ for our sinnes past, and withall, to indeauour to haue an assurance of the free remission and pardon of them all in the blood of Christ. And as touching that part of life which is to come, wee must remember what S. Iohn saith,¹⁵⁶ Euery one that hath this hope purifieth himselfe: meaning, that he which hath hope to reigne with Christ in heauen, vseth the meanes whereby he may purifie and keepe himselfe from sinne, as also he saith after, that he which is borne of God keepeth himselfe and the wicked one toucheth him not. Signifying,¹⁵⁷ that all such persons as are truly iustified and sanctified, carrie such a narrowe and straite watch ouer the whole course of their liues and conuersations that the deuill can neuer giue them deadlie wounds, and wholly ouercome them. Now the man that is resolued in his conscience of the pardon of his sinne for the time past, and hath a steadfast purpose in his heart to keepe himselfe upright, and continually to walke in righteousnesse and true holinesse all the daies of his life: this man, I say, is prepared and made fitte to enter into the heauenly Ierusalem: come death when it wil, he is readie. And howsoeuer hee must not looke for heauen here upon earth, yet hee is as it were in the suburbes of this heauenly citie: and at the ende of this life, the king thereof the Lorde Iesus will open the gates and receiue him into his kingdome: for hee is alreadie entred into the kingdome of grace, beeing prepared also, one day when God will to enter into the kingdome of glorie. To conclude this point, let euery man in the feare of God, be mooued hereby to set his heart to prepare him selfe; that when God shall call him hence, hee may be fitte to enter into that glorie. Secondly, seeing God hath prepared the thirde heauen for us, it teacheth euery man in this worlde to be content with the estate wherein God hath placed him, whether it be high or low, rich or poore: why so? because here he is but a pilgrime, and liues in a cottage of clay, and in a tent wherein he must abide but a while, as a pilgrime doth, oftentimes carrying his house about with him; and wee shall in better sort accept the afflictions which God sends us in this life; if we remember that there is prepared for us a place of ioy, which must be our resting place and perfect felicitie for euermore. This was the practise of the children of God, especially of Abraham: for when the Lorde called him out of his owne countrey, hee obeyed, and by faith abode in the promised lande,¹⁵⁸ as in a straunge countrey, as one that dwelt in tentes with Isaac and Iaakob, heires with him in the same promise: and the reason followeth, for hee looked for a citie having a foundation whose builder and maker is God. They beleeued that these things which the Lorde promised, were shadowes of better things: and hereon stayed them selues, beeing well content with that estate wherto god had called them. So Paul was contented to beare the afflictions which God had laide upon him, and his reason was,¹⁵⁹ Because (saieth hee) wee looke not on thinges which are seene, but on things which are not seene: for the things which are seene are temporall, but the thinges which are not seene are eternall. And in the next chapter: Wee knowe (saith hee) that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed, wee have a dwelling given vs of God, that is, an house not made with handes, but eternall in the heavens. And for this cause his desire was rather to remoove out of this bodie, and to be with the Lord.

And thus much concerning Heauen. Now followeth the seconde part of Gods creation in these wordes, And Earth] Earth signifieth the huge masse or bodie standing of sea and lande, on which wee liue, and all things that be in or upon the earth whatsoeuer: as Paul saith, For by him were created all things that are in heaven or in earth, &c.¹⁶⁰ In other Creedes which were made since this of the Apostles, being expositions of that; there is added Maker of all things visible and invisible. Here wee haue occasion to speake of all creatures, but that were infinite: therefore I will make choise of these two, good Angels and Men.

I. That Angels had a beginning it is no question: for Paul saith,¹⁶¹ that by God all things were created in heauen and earth, things visible and invisible, whether thrones, principalities or powers. And in respect of the creation, angels are called the sonnes of God.¹⁶² But the time & day of their creation can not be set downe further then this, that they were created in the compasse of the sixe daies. For Moses saith, Thus, namely in the compasse of the first sixe daies, the heauens and the earth were fashioned, and all the hoast of them: that is, all varietie of creatures in heauen and earth serving for the beautie and glorie thereof: whereof no doubt the Angels are the principall.

II. Touching the nature of angels, some haue thought that they are nothing but qualities & motions in the minds of men, as the Sadduces and the Libertines of this time: but the truth is, that they are spirits, that is, spirituall and invisible substances, created by God, and really subsisting: for the scripture ascribes unto them such kind of actions which can not be perfourmed by the creatures, saue only such as be substances: as to stand before the throne of God, to behold the face of the Father, to carry mens soules to heauen, &c. yet must we not imagine that they are bodily substāces consisting of flesh and bone. And though they tooke upon them visible shapes & formes, & did eate and drinke in the company of men,¹⁶³ & thereupon are called Men in scripture: yet they did this by diuine dispensation for a time, that they might the better performe the actions & businesses among men, to which they were by God appointed. And the bodies of men which they assumed, were no partes of their natures united to them, as our bodies are to us; but rather they were as garmēts are to us, which they might put off & on at their pleasure. If any shall aske, whence they had these bodies, the answer is, that either they were created of nothing by the power of God, or framed of some other matter subsisting before. If againe it be asked what became of these bodies when they laide them downe, because they used them but for a time, the answere may be, that if they were made of nothing, they were againe resolued into nothing: if made of other creatures, that then they were resolued into the same bodies of which they were first made; though indeed we can define nothing certenly in this point.

III. Angels are reasonable creatures of excellent knowledge and understanding, farre surpassing all men saue Christ. Their knowledge is threefold: naturall, revealed, experimentall. Naturall, which they receiued from god in the creation. Revealed, which God makes manifest to them in processe of time, wheras before they knew it not. Thus God revealed to Gabriel the mysterie of the seuentie weekes, Dan. 8. & 9. And in the Apocalyps many things are revealed to the Angels that they might reveale them to us. Experimentall knowledge, is that which they get by obseruing the dealings of god in the whole world, but specially in the Church.¹⁶⁴ And thus Paul saith, that to principalities and powers in heauenly places is the manifold wisdom of god by the Church.

IV. And as the knowledge,¹⁶⁵ so also the power of the good Angels is exceeding great. They are able to doe more then all men can. Therefore Paul calls them mightie Angels, 2. Thess. 1.7.¹⁶⁶ Yea their power is farre superiour to the power of the wicked angels, who since the fall are vnder them and cannot preuaile against them.

V. The place of the aboad of Angels, is the higest heauen, vnlesse they be sent thence by the Lord, to doe some thing appointed by him. This our Sauiour Christ teacheth when he saith, that the angels of little ones doe alreadie behold the face of the father in heauen. And the wicked angels before their fall were placed in heauen, for they were cast thence.

VI. That there be certaine distinctions and diuersities of angels, it is very likely, because they are called thrones and principalities and powers, Cherubim and Seraphim.¹⁶⁷ But what be the distinct degrees and orders of angels, and whether they are to be distinguished by their natures, gifts, or offices, no man by Scripture can determine.

VII. The ministerie of angels to which the Lord hath set them apart is three-fold, and it respecteth either God himselfe, or his Church, or his enemies. The ministery which they performe to God, is first of all to adore, praise, and glorifie him continually. Thus the Cherubims in Esaies vision cry one to another, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts:¹⁶⁸ the world is full of his glorie. And when they were to publish the birth of the Messias, they begin on this manner,¹⁶⁹ Glorie to God in the highest heauens, peace on earth. And Iohn in his vision heard the angels about the throne, crying with a loud voyce, Worthie is the Lambe, &c. to receiue power, riches, and strength, wisedome, and honour, and glorie, and praise.¹⁷⁰ And indeed the heighest ende of the ministerie of angels is the glorie of God. The second, is to stand in Gods presence, euermore readie to do his commandements, as Dauid saith, Praise the Lord,¹⁷¹ yee his Angels that excell in strength that doe his commandements in obeying the voice of his word. And here is a good lesson for vs. We pray daily, that we may doe the will of God as the Angels in heauen doe it: let vs therefore be followers of the holy angels in praising God and in doing his commandements as they doe.

The ministerie of angels concerning the Church, standes in this, that they are ministring spirits for the good of them which shall be heyres of saluation.¹⁷² The good is three-fold; in this life, in the ende of this life, and in the last iudgement: againe, the good which they procure to the people of God in this life, is either in respect of bodie or soule. In respect of the bodie, in that they doe most carefully performe all manner of duties which doe necessarily tend to preserue the temporall life of Gods children, euen from the beginning of their daies to the ende. Dauid saith, that they pitch their tents about them that feare the Lord.¹⁷³ When Agar was cast foorth of Abrahams familie, and wandred in the wildernes, an angell comes vnto hir and giues hir counsell to returne to hir mistres and humble hir selfe. When Elias fled from Iesabel, he was both comforted,¹⁷⁴ directed, and fedde by an angell. And an angel bids the same Elias be of good courage and without feare to go to King Achazias & reprooue him.¹⁷⁵ Angels bring Lot and his familie out of Sodom and Gomorrha, before they burne the cities with fire & brimstone.¹⁷⁶ When Iacob feared his brother Esau, he saw angels comming vnto him: and he plainly acknowledgeth that they were sent to be his protectours and his guides in his iournie. Abraham beeing perswaded of the assistance of Gods angels in all his waies,¹⁷⁷ said to his seruant, The Lord God of heauen, who tooke me from my fathers house,¹⁷⁸ &c. will send his angell before thee. The wise men that came to see Christ, are admonished by Angels to returne another way:¹⁷⁹ & Ioseph by the directiō of an angel fled into Egypt, that he might preserue Christ frō the hāds of the cruel tyrāt▪¹⁸⁰ the tēts of the Israelites was garded by angels. The 3. children are deliuered frō the fierie furnace, & Daniel out of the lyōs den by angels. Whē Christ was in heauines they ministred vnto him & cōforted him:¹⁸¹ & they brought Peter out of prisō & set him at liberty.

Againe, the Angels procure good vnto the soules of the godly, in that they are maintainers and furtherers of the true worship of God, and of all good meanes, whereby we attaine to saluation. The law was deliuered in mount Sina by angels: and a great part of the Reuelation of Iohn.¹⁸² They expound to Daniel the 70. weekes. They instruct the Apostles touching the returne of Christ to the last iudgement. Angels forbid Iohn to worship them,¹⁸³ but to worship God the creatour of heauen and earth. They set the Apostles out of prison, and bid them teach in the temple. An angel brings Philip to the Eunuch that he may expound the scriptures to him. Lastly, they reueale the mysteries and the will of God, as to Abraham that he should not kil his sonne Isaac, to Marie and Elizabeth the natiuitie of Iohn Baptist,¹⁸⁴ and of Christ our Sauiour, & al this they do according vnto the wil of God, Gal. 1.8. Beside all this,¹⁸⁵ angels reioyce at the conuersion of sinners by the ministerie of the Gospell. And for the Churches sake, they protect not onely particular men, but euen whole nations and kingdomes.

The ministerie of Angels in the ende of this life, is to carie the soules of the godly into Abrahams bosome, as they did the soule of Lazarus.¹⁸⁶ And in the day of iudgement to gather all the Elect that they may come before Christ, and enter into eternall fruition of glorie both in bodie & soule.

The third & last part of the minsterie of angels, concerns Gods enemies; & it is to execute iudgements on all wicked persons and impenitent sinners. Thus all the first borne of Egypt are slain by an angel.¹⁸⁷ When Iosua was about to sack Ierico, an angel appeared vnto him as a captaine, with a drawn sword to fight for Israel. When the host of Senacherib came against Israel,¹⁸⁸ the angel of the Lord in one night slue an hundred eightie and fiue thousand. Because Herod gaue not glorie vnto God, the angel of the Lord smote him so as he was eaten vp of lice and died.

And thus we see what points we are to marke touching the good Angels. Now followeth the vse which we are to make in regard of their creation. First, whereas they are Gods ministers to inflict punishments vpon the wicked, here is a speciall point to be learned of vs; that euery man in the feare of God take heede how he liueth and continueth in his sinnes, for the case is dangerous considering that God hath armies of angels, which stand readie euery where to execute Gods heauie iudgements vpon them that liue thus. Whē the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord, Moses saith, they were naked, that is, open to all the iudgements of God;¹⁸⁹ euen destitute of the guard of his good Angels. Wretched Balaam that wizard went to Balaac to curse the children of Israel: and as he went, it is said, the angel of the Lord stood in his way with a drawne sword: and if the asse had not beene wiser then his master, the angel had slaine him. Whereby it appeares, that when we rush on into the practise of any sinne, we doe as much as in vs lieth to cause God to send downe his iudgements vpon vs for our sinnes; and that by the ministerie of his angels. Secondly, we are taught another lesson by Christ himselfe: See (saith he) that you despise not one of these little ones: now marke his reason:¹⁹⁰ for I say vnto you, that in heauen their Angels doe alwaies behold the face of my father. By little ones he meaneth young infants which are within the couenant; or others which are like to young infants in simplicitie and innocencie of life and humilitie. And Christ will not haue them to be despised. A duetie very needefull to be stoode vpon in these times. For now adaies if a man carrie but a shewe of humilitie, of good conscience, and of the feare of God, he is accoūted but a sillie fellow, he is hated, mocked, & despised on euery hand. But this ought not to be so. For him whome God honoureth with the protection of his good angels, why should any mortall man despise? And it stands mockers and scorners in hand to take heede whome they mock. For though men for their parts put vp many abuses and iniuries, yet their angels may take iust reuenge by smiting them with plagues and punishments for their offences.

Thirdly, seeing angels are about vs, & serue for the good of men, we must doe whatsoeuer we doe in reuerent and seemely manner, as Paul giues counsell to the Philippians; Brethren, saith he, whatsoeuer things are true, whatsoeuer things are honest,¹⁹¹ iust, pure, and pertaine to loue, of good report: if there be any vertue, if there be any praise, thinke on these things: many men doe all their affaires orderly for auoiding shame; but we must do the same vpon a further ground, namely because Gods holy angels wait on vs. And considering that men haue care to behaue themselues well when they are before men: what a shame is it for a man to behaue himselfe vnseemely either in open or in secret, he then beeing before the glorious angels. Paul saith,¹⁹² that the woman ought to haue power on her head, because of the Angels, that is, not onely the ministers of the Church, but Gods heauenly angels, which daily wait vpon his children, and guard them in all their waies.

Fourthly, this must teach vs modestie, and humilitie: for the angels of God, are very notable and excellent creatures; and therefore they are called in the Psalmes Elohim,¹⁹³ gods: yet how excellent so euer they be, they abase themselues to become guardiens and keepers vnto sinneful men. Nowe if the angels doe so abase themselues; then much more ought euery man to abase and humble himselfe in modestie, and humilitie before God; and what so euer our calling is, we must not be puffed vp but be content. This is a necessarie dutie for all, but especially for those which are in the schooles of the Prophets: whatsoeuer their gifts or birth be, they must not thinke themselues too good for the calling of the ministerie. And if God haue called vs thereunto, wee must be content to become seruants vnto all in the matter of saluatiō; though the mē be neuer so base or simple: for no mā doth so farre excell the basest person in the world, as the glorious angels of God doe exceede the most excellent man that is: therefore seeing they vouchsafe to become seruants vnto vs, we must not think our selues to good to serue our poore brethren.

And thus much of the duties. Nowe follow the consolations that arise from this, that God hath giuen his glorious angels to serue for the protection & safegard of his Church and people. If mens spirituall eyes were open, they should see the deuill and his angels, and all the wicked of this world to fight against them: and if there were no meanes of comfort in this case, then our estate were most miserable. But marke; as Gods seruant hath all these wicked ones to be his enemies: so he hath garrisons of angels that pitch their tents about him, and defend him from them all. So Dauid saith, He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee, and they shall keepe thee in all thy waies that thou dash not thy foote against a stone:¹⁹⁴ where the Angels of God are compared to nurces, which carie litle children in their armes, feede them, and are alwaies readie at hand, to saue them from falls and many other dangers. When the king of Syria sent his horses & chariots to take Elisha the Lords prophet, because he reuealed his counsell to the king of Israel: his seruant saw them round about Dothan where he was,¹⁹⁵ and he cried, Alas, master, what shall we doe? then Elisha answeared, Feare not: for they that be with vs, are more then they that be with them: and he besought the Lord to open his seruants eyes, that he might see: & the Lord opened his eyes, & he looked & behold, the mountains were full of horses and charriots of fire round about Elisha. So likewise not many yeares agoe, our land was preserued from the inuasion of the Spainyards, whose huge Navie lay vpon our sea coasts: but how were we deliuered from them? surely by no strength nor power, nor cunning of man; but it was the Lord, no doubt, by his Angels that did keepe our coasts, and did scatter our enemies, and drowne them. Let enemies rage, and let them doe what they will, if a man keepe himselfe in the waies which God prescribeth, he hath gods angels to guide and preserue him: which thing must mooue men to loue and imbrace the true religiō, & to cōforme thēselues in all good conscience to the rule of Gods word. For when a man doth not so, all the angels of God are his enemies, and at all times readie to execute Gods vengeance vpon him: but when mē carrie themselues as dutifull children to God, they haue this prerogatiue that Gods holy Angels doe watch about them, and defend them day and night from the power of their enemies, euen in common calamities and miseries. Before God sends his iudgements on Ierusalem, an angel is sent to marke them in the foreheads that mourne for the abominations of the people.¹⁹⁶ And this priuiledge none can haue,¹⁹⁷ but he whose heart is sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and that man shall haue it vnto the end.

And thus much of the creation of Angels. Nowe it followes to speake of the creation of Man: wherein we must cōsider 2. things: I. the points of doctrine: II. the vses. For the points of doctrine. First, Man was created and framed by the hand of God, and made after the image of God: for Moses brings in the Lord speaking thus,¹⁹⁸ Let vs make man in our image, &c. in the image of God created he them, which also must be vnderstood of Angels. The image of God, is nothing els but a conformitie of man vnto God, whereby man is holy, as God is holy: for Paul saith,¹⁹⁹ Put on the new man which after God, that is, in Gods image, is created in righteousnes & true holines. Now I reason thus: wherin the renewing of the Image of God in mā doth stand, therin it was in the beginning: but the renewing of Gods image in man doth stand in righteousnes and holines: therefore Gods image wherein man was created at the beginning, was a conformitie to God in righteousnes and holines. Now whether Gods image doth further consist in the substance of mans bodie & soule, or in the faculties of both, the Scripture speaketh nothing. This Image of God hath two principall parts: I. wisdome: II. holines.²⁰⁰ Concerning wisdome Paul saith, Put ye on the new man which is created in knowledge, after the Jmage of him which created him. This wisdome consisteth in three points: I. in that he knew God his creator perfectly: for Adam in his innocencie knew God so farforth as it was conuenient for a creature to know his creatour. II. He knewe Gods will so farre forth as it was conuenient for him, to shew his obedience thereunto. III. He knewe the wisdome and will of his creatour touching the particular creatures: for after Adam was created, the Lorde brought euery creature vnto him, presenting them vnto him as being lord and king ouer them, that he might giue names vnto them. Whereby it appeares that Adam in his innocencie did know the nature of all creatures; and the wisdome of God in creating them, els he could not haue giuen them fit names: & when God brought Eue vnto Adam, hee knewe hir at the first, and saide, This is nowe bone of my bone,²⁰¹ and flesh of my flesh, shee shalbe called woman, &c. The second part of Gods image in man, is holinesse and righteousnesse; which is nothing else but a conformitie of the will and affections, and of the whole disposition of man both in bodie and soule, to the will of God his creatour. Yet we must remember that Adam in his innocencie had a changeable will, so as he could either will good or euill: he was created with such libertie of will, as that he could indifferently will either. And we must not thinke that the will of the creature was made vnchangeably good: for that is peculiar to the will of God, and hereby is the Creatour distinguished from the creature.

And here two things offer them selues to be considered. The first, why the man is called the image of God, and not the woman.²⁰² Answer. He is so called, not because holines and righteousnes is peculiar to him which is common to both: but because God hath placed more outward excellencie and dignitie in the person of a man then of a womā. The second, how Christ should be called the image of God. Ans.²⁰³ He is so called for 2. causes. First, because he is of the same substance with the father; & therefore is his most absolute image, and as the author of the Hebrewes saith, the brightnes of his glorie and the ingraued forme of his person.²⁰⁴ Secondly, because God beeing inuisible doth manifest himselfe in Christ; in whome as in a glasse we may behold the wisdome, goodnes, the iustice and mercie of God.

The seconde point to be considered in the creation of man, is the dignitie of his person: for David saieth, thou hast made man litle inferiour to the Angells,²⁰⁵ and crowned him with glorie, and worshippe. This dignitie stands in foure points. I. A blessed communion with the true God: for Paul speaking of the Gentiles which were not called, saith they were strangers from the life of God.²⁰⁶ Where by the contrarie we may gather, that our first parents in their innocencie liued the life of God, which is nothing else but to lead such a life here on earth, as that the creature shal haue a blessed and immediate fellowship with God, which stands in this, that before the fall of man, God reuealed himselfe in a speciall manner vnto him, so as his very bodie and soule was a temple and dwelling place of the Creatour. This fellowship betweene God and man in his innocencie, was made manifest in the familiar conference which God vouchsafed to man: but since the fall, this communion is lost: for man cannot abide the presence of God. And therefore when Peter had fished all night, and caught nothing, our Sauiour bad him cast downe his net to make a draught,²⁰⁷ who did so; but when he saw the great multitude of fishes that were taken, at this sight beholding but as it were some sparkes of the glorious maiestie of God in Christ, hee fell downe at his feete, saying, Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinner. The second point wherein mans dignitie consisteth, is that man was made lord and king ouer all creatures, as Dauid saith, Thou hast made him to haue dominion in the works of thy hands:²⁰⁸ and therefore God hauing created him in his image, he biddeth him rule ouer the fishes of the sea,²⁰⁹ ouer the foules of the heauen, and ouer euery beast that mooueth vpon the earth: and afterwarde hee brought them all to him, as to a soueraigne lorde and king to be named by him: and answeareably euery creature in his kinde gaue reuerence and subiection vnto man before his fall, as vnto their lorde and king. Where by the way wee must remember, that when wee see any creature that is hurtfull and noysome vnto man, and would rather deuoure him then obey him; it must put vs in minde of our sinne: for by creation we were made lordes and kings ouer all creatures, and they durst not but reuerence and obey vs: but the rebellion of man vnto God is the cause of the rebellion of the creatures vnto vs. The third part of mans dignitie by creation is, that before his fall he had a wonderfull beautie and maiestie aboue all creatures in his bodie: whereupon Dauid saith, The Lord hath crowned him with glorie and worship.²¹⁰ And in the renewing of the couenant with Noe, God saith,²¹¹ That the dread and feare of man shalbe vpon all creatures: which nowe though it be but small, yet it plainly sheweth what was the glorie and maiestie of mans person at the first. The fourth dignitie of mans estate in innocencie is, that his labour was without paine or wearinesse: if he had neuer fallen hee should haue laboured in the garden▪ but so as hee should neuer haue beene wearied therewith. That it is so, it is plaine, for when Adam had falne, God saide, In the sweat of thy face, shalt thou eate thy breade: nowe if the paine in labour come after as a curse vpon man for his transgression, then before his fall man felt no paine in his affaires. And in these foure thinges consisteth mans dignitie which he had in the creation.

Now in the third place followeth mans calling before his fall: which is two-fold: I. particular: II. generall. Mans particular calling was to come into the garden of Eden, to keepe it, and to dresse the trees and fruits thereof. This shewes vnto vs a good lesson, that euery man must haue a particular calling wherein he ought to walke: and therefore such as spend their time idlely in gaming and vain delights, haue much to answer to God at the day of iudgement. This will not excuse a man to say then, that he had land and liuing to maintaine himselfe, and therefore was to liue as he list, for euen Adam in his innocencie had al things at his will, and wanted nothing, yet euen then God imployed him in a calling: therefore high and low, none must be exempted, euery man must walke in his proper calling. Adams generall calling, was to worship his Creator, to which he was bound by the right of creation, considering the morall law was written in his heart by nature. Which is signified in the decalogue; where the Lord requires worship and obedience of his people, because he is Iehovah, that is, one which hath beeing in himselfe,²¹² and giues beeing to all men by creation. For the better vnderstanding of this point, we are to consider three things. I. The place where Adam did worship. II. The time. III. The sacraments. For the first, God euer since the beginning had a place where he would be worshipped,²¹³ and it is called Gods house, which then was the garden of Eden. For it was vnto Adam a place appointed by God for his worship, as Church-assemblies are vnto vs: where also the Lord at time did in a speciall manner shew himselfe vnto his creature. Touching the time of Gods worship, it was the seauenth day from the beginning of the creation, the Sabboth day. And here we must note, that the keeping of the Sabboth is morall. Some indeede doe plead that it is but a ceremonie; yet falsly: for it was ordained before the fall of man, at which time Ceremonies signifying sanctification had no place. Nay marke further: Adam in his innocencie was not clogged with sinne as we are: and yet then he must haue a set Sabboth to worship God his creator: and therefore much more neede hath euery one of vs of a sabboth day, wherein we may seuer our selues from the workes of our callings, and the workes of sinne, to the worship of God in the exercise of religion, and godly meditation of our creation. This point must be learned of vs, for when no occasion is offered of busines, then men will formally seeme to keepe the sabboth: but if their come occasion of breaking the sabboth, as traffique, gaming, and vaine shewes, then sabboth farewell, men will haue their pleasures, let them worship God that will. But let vs remember in the feare of God, that who so euer continueth in the breach of this lawe beeing morall, God will no lesse poure forth his punishments vpon them, then for the breach of any other commandement: the consideration whereof, must mooue euery man to a reuerent sanctifying of the Lords day.

Now for Adams sacraments, they were two: the tree of life: and the tree of knowledge of good and euill: these did serue to exercise Adam in obedience vnto God. The tree of life was to signifie assurance of life for euer, if he did keepe Gods commandements: the tree of knowledge of good and euill, was a sacrament to shew vnto him, that if he did transgresse Gods commandements, he should die: and it was so called, because it did signifie that if he trāsgresse this law, he should haue experience both of good and euill in himselfe.

Now in the fourth place followeth the ende of the creation of man, which is two-fold. First, that there might be a creature to whome God might make manifest him selfe, who in a speciall manner should set forth and acknowledge his wisdome▪ goodnes, mercie, in the creation of heauen and earth, and of things that are in them, as also his prouidence in gouerning the same. Secondly, God hauing decreed to glorifie his name in shewing his mercie and iustice vpon his creature, hereupon in time createth men to shew his mercie in the saluation of some, and to shew his iustice in the iust and deserued damnation of other some. And therefore he hath appointed the creation specially of man, to be a means of manifestation and beginning of the execution of his eternall counsell.

Thus much concerning mans creation in generall. The speciall parts of man, are two; bodie, and soule. And the reason why the Lord would haue him stand on these two parts is this: Some creatures made before him were onely bodily, as beasts, fishes, foules: some spirituall, as Angels: now man is both; spirituall in regard of his soule, corporall and sensible in regard of his bodie; that nothing might be wanting to the perfection of nature. If it be alleadged that man consistes of three parts, bodie, soule, and spirit; because Paul praies that the Thessalonians may be sanctified in bodie,²¹⁴ soule and spirit: the answer is, that the spirite signifies the minde whereby men conceiue and vnderstand such things as may be vnderstoode: and the soule is there taken for the will and affections; and therfore these twaine are not two parts, but onely two distinct faculties of one and the same man.

The bodie of man at the first was formed by God of clay or of the dust of the earth, not to be the graue of the bodie, as Plato said, but to be an excellent and most fit instrument to put in exequution the powers and faculties of the soule. And howsoeuer in it selfe considered, it is mortal; because it is compounded of contrarie natures called Elements: yet by the appointment of God in the creation, it became immortall till the fall of man.

As for the soule, it is no accidentarie qualitie, but a spirituall and inuisible essence or nature,²¹⁵ subsisting by it selfe. Which plainely appeares in that the soules of men haue beeing and continuance as well forth of the bodie as in the same; and are as well subiect to torments as the bodie is. And whereas we can and doe put in practise sundrie actions of life, sense, motion, vnderstanding, we doe it onely by the power and vertue of the soule.

Hence ariseth the difference between the soules of men, and beasts. The soules of men are substances: but the soules of other creatures seeme not to be substances: because they haue no being out of the bodies in which they are: but rather they are certain peculiar qualities arising of the matter of the bodie, and vanishing with it. And it may be for this cause that the soule of the beast is said to be in the bloode;²¹⁶ whereas the like is not said of the soule of man.

And though mens soules be spirits as angels are, yet a difference must be made. For angels can not be vnited with bodies so as both shall make one whole and intire person; whereas mens soules may: yea the soule coupled with the bodie is not onely the moouer of the bodie, but the principall cause that makes man to be a man.

The beginning of the soule is not of the essence of God; vnlesse we will make euery mans soule to be God: neither doth it spring of the soule of the parents, for the soule can no more beget a soule, then an angel can beget an angel. And Adam is called a liuing soule, and not a quickning soule. And earthly fathers are called the fathers of our bodies,²¹⁷ and not of our soules. It remaines therefore as beeing most agreeable to the Scriptures, that the soules of men are then created by God of nothing, when they are infused into the bodie.

And though the soules of men haue a beginning, yet they haue no end, but are eternal. And when they are said to die, it is not because they cease at any time to subsist or haue beeing in nature, but because they cease to be righteous or to haue fellowship with God.

Whereas our bodies are Gods workemanship, we must glorifie him in our bodies, and all the actions of bodie and soule, our eating and drinking, our liuing and dying, must be referred to his glorie; yea we must not hurt or abuse our bodies, but present them as holy & liuing sacrifices vnto God.²¹⁸ And whereas God made vs of the dust of the earth, we are not to glorie and boast our selues, but rather to take occasion to praise the great goodnes of God, that hath vouchsafed to honour vs beeing but dust & ashes. And after that man is created, what is his life? alas, it is nothing but a little breath: stop his mouth and his nostrils, and he is but a dead man. By this we are put in minde to consider of our fraile and vncerten estate, and to lay aside all confidence in our selues:²¹⁹ and for this cause the Prophet Esay teacheth vs to haue no confidence in man, because his breath is in his nostrils. Againe, let vs marke the frame and shape of mans bodie. Al other creatures go with their bodies & eyes to the ground-ward; but man was made to goe vpright: & whereas all other creatures haue but foure muscles to turne their eyes round about,²²⁰ man hath a fifth to pul his eyes vp to heaven-warde. Nowe what doth this teach vs? surely that how so euer wee seeke for other thinges, yet first of all and aboue all, wee should seeke for the kingdome of heauen, and the righteousnesse thereof: and that our whole desire should be set to enioy the blessed estate of Gods children in heauen. Secondly, it teacheth vs in receiuing Gods creatures, to returne thankfulnesse vnto▪ God by lifting vp the heart to heauen for the same. These are very needefull and profitable lessons in these daies; for most men in deede goe vpright: but looke into their liues, and they might as well goe on all foure: for in their conuersation they set their whole hearts vpon the earth, as the beast doth, and their eyes vpon the thinges of this worlde: hereby they doe abase them selues, and deface their bodies, and beeing men make themselues as beasts: we shall see great numbers of men that runne and ride from place to place, to prouide for the bodie, but to seeke the kingdome of heauen where their soules should dwell after this life in ioy for euer, they will not stirre one foote.

Thirdly, mans bodie by creation, was made a temple framed by Gods own hands for himselfe to dwell in:²²¹ therefore our dutie is to keepe our bodies pure and cleane, and not to suffer them to be instruments whereby to practise the sinne of the heart. If a man had a faire house wherein he must entertaine a prince, and should make hereof a swinestie, or a stable, would not all mē say, that he did greatly abuse both the house and the prince: euen so mans bodie beeing at the first made a pallace for the euerliuing God; if a man shall abuse it by drunkennesse, swearing, lying, fornication, or any vncleannesse, hee doth make it in stead of a temple for the holy Ghost, to be a stie or stable for the deuill. For the more filthie a mans bodie is, the more fit it is to be a dwelling place for sinne and Sathan.

Fourthly, man by creation was made a goodly creature in the blessed image of God: but by Adams fall men lost the same, and are nowe become the deformed children of wrath: our dutie therefore is, to labour to get againe our first image, and endeauour our selues to become new creatures. If a noble man should staine his blood by treason, after his death the posteritie will neuer be at rest, till they haue got away that spot: Man by Adams fall, is become a limme of the deuill, a rebell and traytor against Gods maiestie: and this is the state of euery one of vs: by nature we are at enmitie with God, & therefore we ought to labour aboue all things in the world, to be restored in Christ to our first estate and perfection, that so we may become bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh, beeing iustified and sanctified by his obedience, death, and passion.

Fiftly, man was created that there might be a way prepared, whereby God might shew his grace and mercie in the saluation of some, and his iustice in the deserued damnation of others for their sinnes: and in the creation of man Gods eternall counsell begins to come into exequution. Hereupon it stands vs in hand to make conscience of euery euill way, beeing repentant for all our sinnes past, and hauing a constant purpose neuer to sinne more as we haue done, that by our good conuersation here in this life wee may haue assurance that we be eternally chosen to saluation by the Lord himselfe.

Lastly, whereas wee haue learned that the soule of man is immortall, wee are hereby taught to take more care for the soule, then for the bodie. For it can not be extinguished. When it is condemned, euen then it is alwaies in dying, and can neuer die. But, alas, in this point the case is flat contrarie in the worlde: for men will labour all their life long to get for the bodie, but for the soule they care little or nothing at all, chuse it whether it sinke or swimme, goe to heauen or to hell, they looke not to it. This doth appeare to be true, by the practise and behauiour of men on the Lordes day: for if the nomber of those which come to heare Gods worde, were compared with those which runne about their worldly wealth and pleasure, I feare me the better sort would be found to be but a little handfull to a huge heape, or as a droppe to the Ocean sea, in respect of the other. But wilt thou goe an hundred myle for the encrease of thy wealth, and delight of thy bodie? then think it not much to go ten thousand miles (if neede were) to take any paines for the good of thy soule, and to get foode for the same.

And thus much for the duties. Nowe follow the consolations. Although by reason of the fall of man wee can haue but little comfort nowe: yet the creation doth confirme the vnspeakeable prouidence of God ouer his creatures, but especially ouer man, in that the Lord created him the sixth day: and so before hee was made prepared for him a Paradise for his dwelling, and all creatures both for his vse and comfort. And if he were thus carefull for vs when we were not, then no doubt he will be much more carefull for vs at this present, in which we liue and haue beeing. Nay, marke further, since the fall man eates and drinks in quantitie a great deale, which in common reason should rather kill him, then turne to the strength and nourishment of his bodie: yet herein doth the wonderfull power of the Creatour most notably appeare: who hath made mans stomacke as a lymbecke or styll to digest all meats that are holesome for his nourishment and preservation.

And thus much for the Creation. Now in these words, Maker of heauen and earth] is more to be vnderstoode then the worke of creation, namely Gods prouidence in gouerning all things created, as he appointed in his eternall decree: and therefore Saint Peter saith, God is a faithfull creatour, that is, God did not onely make heauen and earth, and so leaue them, as masons and carpenters leaue houses when they are built: but by his prouidence doeth most wisely gouerne the same. Now therefore let us come to speake of Gods prouidence. And first of all the question offers it selfe to be considered, whether there be any prouidence of God or no: for the mindes of men are troubled with many doubtings hereof. And to make the question out of all doubt, I will vse foure arguments to confirme the providence of God. The first is the testimonie of the scripture, which ascribeth the euent of all particular actions, euen such as are in themselues casuall, as the casting of lots and such like to the disposition of God:²²² which also teacheth that euen men themselues, which are endued with reason and understanding haue neede to be guided in all things and gouerned by God;²²³ and blameth those that denie Gods prouidence. Why sayest thou, O Iacob, and speakest, O Israel, my way is hid frō the Lord,²²⁴ & my iudgement is past ouer by my God? The secōd argumēt may be taken frō the order which appeareth in the whole course of nature. First to begin with families; there is to be seen an eutaxy or seemely order, in which some rule & some obey: & the like is to be found in townes, cities, cuntries, and kingdoms: yea euen in the whole world: in which all things are so disposed, that one serueth for the good of another. Trees and hearbs, and grasse of the fieldes serue for beasts and cattell: and beastes and cattell serve for men: the heauens aboue serue for them which are beneath: and all the creatures which are aboue and beneath serue for God. This argueth that God is most wise and provident in ordering and disposing all things whatsoeuer. The third argument is taken from the conscience specially of malefactours. Suppose a man that commits a murder so closely that no man knowes thereof; and that the partie himselfe is free from all the daunger of lawe: yet shall he haue his owne conscience to accuse, upbraid, and condemne him, yea euen to freight him out of his wit:, and to giue him no more rest then hee can finde upon the racke or gibbet. Nowe this accusation and terrour of conscience is nothing else, but the forerunner of an other most terrible iudgement of God, who is Lorde of all creatures and Iudge of all men. And this also prooues the prouidence of god. For if the conscience can finde a man out, and lay his faults to his charge, how much more shall god himselfe the creatour of the conscience see and consider all his doings. The fourth and last argument is this. The prophesies of things to come should be uncerten or false, if god gouerned not the world. But now considering things many yeeres agoe foretold, come to passe in the same maner as they were foretold by the Prophets and Apostles: hereby we must certenly conclude that there is a prouidence of god whereby all & euery thing is gouerned.

Against the prouidence of god sundrie things be alledged. The first and speciall is, that prouidence and disorder, confusion and order can not stand together. Nowe in the worlde there is nothing but disorder and confusion in seditions, treasons, conspiracies, and subuersions of kingdomes: where also sinne and wickednesse prevailes. Answere. It is true indeed there hath beene confusion in the worlde euer since the fall of man and angels: and it ariseth not from God, but from them alone: who as they did at the first transgresse the will of God, so they doe what they can to turne all upside downe. Now then confusion and disorder is onely in respect of the deuill and his instruments: but in regard of God in the very middest of all confusion there is order to be found: because hee can and doeth dispose it to the glorie of his owne name, and to the good and saluation of his chosen, as also to the confusion of his enemies.

Againe it may be obiected that with ungodly and wicked men all things goe well, and contrariwise with the godly all things goe hardly. For through the worlde none are more molested and more vnder outward miserie then they: but if there were any prouidence of God then it should be otherwise; the godly should florish, & the wicked perish. Ans. The consideration of the outward estate of men in the world, was to David an occasion of a sore temptation. For when he saw the wicked to prosper alway, and their riches to increase, he brake foorth and said, Certenly I haue cleansed my heart in vaine,²²⁵ and washed mine hands in innocencie. Now if we would repell this temptation, as David afterward did, then we must goe into the Lords sanctuary with him & learne to be resolued in these points.²²⁶ I. Though the godly be laden with miseries, yet euen that, by the especiall prouidence of God, turnes to their great good. For euerie man since the fall of Adam is stained with the lothsome contagion of sinne. Nowe the childe of God that is truly regenerate, and must be fellowe heire with Christ after this life in the kingdome of glorie, must in this life be cast into the Lords furnace, that in the fire of affliction hee may more and more be scoured and purified from the corruption of his nature, & be estranged from the wickednes of the world. II. The prosperous successe of the wicked, their spoiles, their reuenewes, and all their honour turnes to their greater woe and miserie in the end: as doth appeare in Iobs historie, and in the examples of the Chaldeans, of Davids enemies, and of Dives and Lazarus.

Thirdly it may be obiected that many things came to passe by chance, & therfore not by gods prouidēce: because chance & providence cānot stand together. Ans. We must distinguish between chance & mere chance. Chāce is, whē any thing comes to passe, the cause therof being unknown not simply but in respect of man: & therefore in regarde of mē which know not the reason of things, we may say there is chance: & so the spirit of God speaketh. Time and chance cōmeth to them all. And againe,²²⁷ By chance there came down a priest the same way. Now this kind of chāce is not against the prouidēce of god, but is ordered by it. For things which in regard of men are casuall, are certenly known & determined by god. Mere chance is whē things are said or thought to come to passe without any cause at all. But that must be abhorred of us as ouerturning the providence of God.

Thus seeing it is plain that there is a providēce, let us in the next place see what it is. Prouidēce is a most free & powerful actiō of god wherby he hath care ouer al things that are.

Prouidence hath 2. partes; knowledge & gouernment▪ Gods knowledge is, whereby all things from the greatest to the least are manifest before him at all times. As David saith, His eyes will consider: his eye liddes will trie the children of men,²²⁸ And againe, Hee abaseth himselfe to beholde the things that are in the heaven and the earth. And the Prophet Hanani said to Asa,²²⁹ The eyes of the Lorde behold all the earth. And S. Iames saith, From the beginning of the worlde God knoweth all his workes.²³⁰ This pointe hath a double use. First, as S. Peter saieth, it must mooue us to eschew evill and doe good: why? Because, saith he, the eyes of the Lorde are upon the iust,²³¹ and his covntenance against evill doers. Secondly it must comfort all those that labour to keepe a good conscience. For the eyes of God beholde all the earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart towardes him.²³²

Gouernment is the seconde parte of Gods providence, whereby he ordereth all things and directeth them to good ends. And it must be extended to the verie least thing that is in heauen or earth,²³³ as to the sparrowes, and to oxen, and the haires of our heads. And here we must consider 2. things, the maner of gouernment, and the meanes.

The maner of gouernment is diuers according as things are good or euill. A good thing is that which is approoued of God. As first of all the substances of all creatures; euen of the deuils themselues: in whome whatsoeuer is remaining since their creation is in it selfe good. Secondly, the quantities, qualities, motions, actions, and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good. Againe, good is either naturall or morall. Naturall, which is created by God for the lawfull use of man. Morall, which is agreeable to the eternall and unchangeable wisdome of God, revealed in the morall law.

Now God gouerneth all good things two waies. First by sustaining and preseruing them that they decay not: secondly by moouing them that they may attaine to the particular ends for which they were seuerally ordeined▪ for the qualities and vertues which were placed in the Sunne, Moone, Starres, trees, plantes, seedes, &c. would be dead in them and be unprofitable, unlesse they were not only preserued, but also stirred up and quickened by the power of God so oft as he imployes them to any use.

Euill is the destruction of nature: and it is taken for sinne or for the punishment of sinne. Now sinne is gouerned of God by two actions: the first is an operative permission. I so call it, because god partly permitteth sinne, and partly worketh in it. For sinne as it is commonly taken hath two parts; the subiect or matter, and the fourme of sinne: the subiect of sinne is a certaine qualitie or action; the forme is the anomie or transgression of Gods law. The first is good in it selfe, and euery qualitie or action so farre forth as it is a qualitie or action is existing in nature, and hath God to be the authour of it. Therefore sinne though it be sufficiently euill to eternall damnatiō, yet can it not be said to be absolutely euill as God is absolutely good, because the subiect of it is good, and therefore it hath in it respectes and regardes of goodnesse. In respect of the second, that is the breach of the lawe it selfe, God neither willeth, nor appointeth, nor commaundeth, nor causeth, nor helpeth sinne, but forbiddeth, condemneth and punisheth it: yet so, as by withall he willingly permitteth it to be done by others, as men and wicked angels, they being the sole authors & causes of it. And this permission by God is vpon a good ende: because thereby he manifesteth his iustice and mercie. Thus it appeares that in originall sinne, the naturall inclination of the mind, will, and affections in it selfe considered, is frō God, and the ataxie or corruption of the inclination in no wise from him, but onely permitted: and that in actuall sinne the motion of the bodie or mind is from God, but the euilnes & disorder of the motion is not frō him, but freely permitted to be done by others. As for exāple in the act of murder, the actions of moouing the whole bodie, of stirring the seuerall ioyntes, and the fetching of the blowe whereby the man is slaine, is from God; for in him we liue, mooue, & haue our being:²³⁴ but the disposing & applying of all these actions to this end, that our neighbors life may be taken away & we thereby take reuenge upon him, is not frō God, but from wicked men and the deuill.

Gods second action▪ in the gouernment of sinne, is after the iust permission of it, partly to restraine it more or lesse according to his good will and pleasure, and partly to dispose and turne it against the nature thereof to the glorie of his owne name, to the punishment of his enemies, & to the correcting and chastisement of his elect.

As for the second kind of evill called the punishment of sinne, it is the execution of iustice, and hath God to be the authour of it. And in this respect Esai saith, that God createth evill:²³⁵ and Amos, that there is no evill in the citie which the Lord hath not done. And God as a most iust iudge may punish sinne by sinne, himselfe in the meane season free from all sinne. And thus the places must be understood in which it is said,²³⁶ that God giueth kings in his wrath, hardeneth the heart, blindeth the eyes, mingleth the spirit of errours, giueth up men to a reprobate sense, sends strange illusions to beleeue lies, sends euill spirits giuing them cōmandement to hurt, and leaue to deceiue, &c.

Thus hauing seene in what manner God gouerneth all things, let vs nowe come to the meanes of gouernment. Sometimes God worketh without meanes, thus he created all things in the beginning; and he made trees & plants to grow and florish without the heate of the sunne or raine: sometimes he gouernes according to the usuall course & order of nature, as when he preserues our liues by meate & drinke: yet so, as he can & doth most freely order all things by meanes either aboue nature or against nature, as it shall seeme good unto him. As when hee caused the sunne to stand in the firmament,²³⁷ & to go back in Achas diall: when he caused the fire not to burne the three children: when he kept backe dewe and raine three yere in Israel: when hee made waters to flowe out of the rocke: when hee caused Elias cloake to deuide the waters of Iorden: when he caused iron to swimme: when he preserued Ionas aliue three daies and three nightes in the whales belly: when he cured diseases by the strength of nature incurable, as the leprosie of Naaman; the issue of blood, and blindnesse, &c.

Among all the meanes which God useth, the speciall are the reasonable creatures, which are no passiue instruments, as the toole in the hande of the workeman, but actiue, because as they are mooued by God, so againe beeing indued with will and reason, they mooue themselues. And such instruments are either good or euill. Euill, as wicked men and angels. And these he useth to doe his good will and pleasure, euen then when they doe least of all obey him. And considering that the sinning instrument which is mooued by God doeth also mooue it selfe freely without any constraint on Gods part: God himselfe is free from all blame, when the instrument is blame-worthy. In directing the instrument God sinneth not: the action indeede is of him, but the defect of the action from the instrument: which being corrupt, can it selfe do nothing but that which is corrupt; God in the meane season by it bringing that to passe which is uerie good. The whole cause of sinne is in Satan and in us: as for god, he puts no wickednes into vs, but the evill which he finds in us he mooues, orders, and gouernes, and bends it by his infinite wisdome, when and in what maner it pleaseth him, to the glorie of his name, the euill instrument not knowing so much, nay intending a farre other ende. As in the mill the horse blind-folded goes forward, and perceiues nothing but that he is in the ordinarie way, whereas the miller himselfe whippes him and stirres him forward for another end, namely for the grinding of corne. And this is that which we must holde touching Gods providence ouer wicked men and angels: and it standes with the tenour of the whole bible. Iosephs breethren sold him into Egypt verie wickedly euen in the testimonie of their owne consciences: yet Ioseph having respect to the counsell and worke of god, which he performed by his brethren, saith, that the Lorde sent him thither. And the Church of Ierusalem saith,²³⁸ that Herode and Pontius Pilate did nothing in the death of Christ but that which the hand and counsell of God had determined to be done:²³⁹ because, though they wickedly intended nothing but to shewe their mallice and hatred in the death of Christ: yet God propounding a further matter by them then euer they dreamed of, shewed forth his endles mercie to man in the worke of redemption. On this maner must all the places of scripture be understood,²⁴⁰ in which it is said, that god gaue the wiues of Dauid to Absolon: that God mooved David to number the people: that he commanded Shemi to raile on David: that the Medes and Persians are his sanctified ones: that the revolt of the ten tribes was done by God, &c. By all these examples it appeares, that we must not sever gods permission from his will or decree, and that wee must put difference betweene the euill worke of man, and the good worke of God which he doth by man: and the whole matter may yet be more clerely perceiued by this comparison. A thiefe at the day of assise is condemned, and the magistrate appointes him to be executed; the hangman owing a grudge to the malefactour, useth him hardly and prolongeth his punishment longer then he should. Nowe the magistrate and the hangman doe both one and the same worke: yet the hangman for his part is a murderer, the magistrate in the meane season no murderer but a iust iudge putting iustice in execution by the hangmā. So God though he use euill instruments, yet is he free from the euill of the instruments.

And further we must here marke the difference which must be made in gods using of all kinds of instruments. Whē he useth good creatures, as angels, hee worketh his will not onely by them but also in them: because hee inspires them and guides them by his spirite, so as they shall, will, & doe that which hee willeth and intendeth. As for evill instruments, he worketh by them only and not in them; because he holdes backe his grace from them and leaues them to themselves, to put in practise the corruption of their owne hearts.

Thus much of the partes of Gods prouidence: now follow the kinds thereof. Gods prouidence is either generall or speciall. Generall is that which extendes it selfe to the whole world and all things indifferently,²⁴¹ euen to the deuils themselues. By this providence God continues and mainetaines the order which he set in nature in the creation, and he preserues the life, substance,²⁴² and the being of all and euery creature in his kinde.

The especiall prouidence is that, which God sheweth and exerciseth towards his Church and chosen people,²⁴³ in gathering and guiding them, and in preserving them by his mightie power against the gates of hell. And therefore Gods Church here upon earth is called the kingdome of grace, in which he shewes not onely a generall power ouer his creatures, but withall the special operation of his spirite in bowing & bending the hearts of men to his will.

Thus much concerning the doctrine of Gods prouidence. Now followes the duties. First seeing there is a providence of God ouer euerie thing that is, wee are hereby taught to take good heede of the transgression of the least of Gods commaundements. If men were perswaded that the prince had an eie every where, doubtles many subiects in England would walke more obediently to the lawes of the land then they doe: and durst in no wise worke such vilanies as are daily practised. Well, howsoeuer it is with earthly princes, yet this is least wanting in God: he hath an eye euerie where: wheresoeuer thou art there god beholdeth thee, as Dauid saith, God looked downe from heauen upon the children of men, to see if there were any that woulde vnderstand and seeke God.²⁴⁴ Therefore except thou be brutish and past shame, take heed of sinne. If men had but a sparke of grace, the consideration of this would make them loath the practise of wickednes. Eliah saith to Ahab, As the Lord God of Israell liveth before whom I stand,²⁴⁵ there shall be neither dew nor raine these 3. yeres. Where the Prophet confirmeth his speech with an oth saying, As the Lord of hosts liueth it shall be so. & least Ahab should thinke he made no conscience what he said, he addeth this clause, that he stood in the presence of God. As if he should say: howsoeuer thou thinkest of me, yet as it standes me in hand so doe I make conscience of my worde: For I stand in the presence of God, & therefore know it, as the Lord liueth there shalbe no raine nor dewe these three yeres. So Cornelius hauing an eye at gods prouidence, doth mooue himself, & all his houshold to a solemne hearing of the worde of God deliuered by the mouth of Peter, saying, that they were all present before God, to heare all things commaunded of him.²⁴⁶ As these men had regard to Gods prouidence, so we likewise must behaue our selues reuerently, making conscience of our behauiour both in words and workes: because wheresoeuer we be, we are in the presence of God. Secondly, if there be a providence of God ouer euerie thing, then we must learne contentation of minde in euery estate: in aduersitie under the crosse when all goes against us we must be content, because Gods prouidēce hath so appointed. So David in the greatest of his griefes was dumbe and spake nothing; his reason was,²⁴⁷ because thou Lord diddest it. And when Shemei cursed Dauid, Abisha would haue had the king to haue giuen him leaue to haue slaine him: but Dauid would not suffer it, but said, He curseth euen because the Lord hath bidden him curse David:²⁴⁸ who dare then say, wherefore hast thou done so? In whose example wee may see a worthy paterne of quietnesse of mind. When a crosse commeth, it is a harde thing to be patient: but wee must draw our selues thereunto by consideration of Gods especiall providence. Thirdly when outward meanes of preseruation in this life doe abounde, as health, wealth, honour, riches, peace, and pleasure, then we must remember to be thankfull; because these things alwaies come by the prouidence of God. So is Iob thankefull both in prosperitie and aduersitie: The Lord, saieth hee, gave,²⁴⁹ and the Lord taketh away: blessed be the name of the Lord. Indeede to be patient in every estate and thankfull to God is a verie hard matter: yet will it be more easie, if we learne in all things that befall us in this life, neuer to seuer the consideration of the things that come to passe from Gods providence. For as the bodie and the soule of man (though we see onely the body) are alwaies together, as long as a man liueth: so is Gods prouidence ioyned with the thing done: wherefore as we looke on the thing done, so we must also in it, labour to see and acknowledge Gods providence. As for example: a mans house is set on fire, and all his goods consumed; this verie sight would make him at his wittes ende: but now as he beholdes this euent with one eye, so with the other eye he must at that verie instant looke vpon Gods blessed prouidence. When a man beholdes and feeles the losse of friends, hee will be soone grieued, if hee be not a verie stock or stone: yet that he may not be ouerwhelmed with griefe, hee must euer with one eye looke at the pleasure of God herein. This practise will be an especiall meanes to stay the rage of any headstrong affection in all our afflictions. In the worlde the manner of men is, if health, wealth, and ease abound to thinke all is well: but if crosses come, as losse of friends, and losse of goods, then men crie out, as being straught of their wits: the reason is, because they looke only at the outward meanes, and shut up Gods prouidence in them, & can not see into the good will and providence of God out of all meanes. Againe, when a man is stored with riches, honour, wealth, and prosperitie, he must not barely looke on them, but behold withall Gods goodnesse and blessing in them: for if that be wanting, all the riches in the world are nothing. Likewise in receiuing thy meate and drinke thou must looke further into the blessing of God upon it: which if it be away, thy meate and thy drinke can no more nourish thee then the stone in the wall. And the same must we doe in euery businesse of our callings: which if men coulde learne to practise they woulde not so much ttust to the meanes, as honour, wealth, fauour, &c. but to God himselfe. The Lord by the Prophet Habaccuc reprooueth the Chaldeans for offering sacrifices unto their nets: which sinne they committed, because they looked onely vpon outward things:²⁵⁰ & like blind moles had no power to see further into them, and to behold the worke of God in all their proceedings. And this is the verie cause why wee are unthankefull for Gods benefites: for though we behold the bare creatures, yet are wee so pore-blinde that wee can not discerne any blessing and prouidence of God in them. Therefore let us learne to looke upon both ioyntly together, and so shall wee be thankefull unto god in prosperitie, and patient in adversitie with Iob and David. This lesson Paul learned: I can be abased (saith he) and I can abound every where, in all things I am instructed,²⁵¹ both to be full, and to be hungry: and to abound, and to be in want.

Fourthly, seeing gods prouidence disposeth all things, wee are taught to gather obseruations of the same, in things both past, and present: that we may learne thereby to be armed against the time to come. Thus Dauid when hee was to encounter with Goliah, gathered hope and confidence to himselfe for the time to come, by the obseruation of Gods prouidence in the time past: for, saith he, when I kept my fathers sheepe,²⁵² I slewe a Lion and a beare that devoured the flocke: now the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lyon, and out of the paw of the beare, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistim.

Fiftly, because Gods prouidence disposeth all things, when we make lawfull promises to doe any thing, we must put in, or at the lest conceiue this condition (if the Lord will) for S. Iames saith,²⁵³ that we ought to say, If the lord will, and if we liue, we will do this or that. This also was Davids practise: for saith he to all the congregation of Israel,²⁵⁴ If it seeme good to you, & if it proceed frō the lord our god, we will send to and fro.

Sixtly, seeing Gods prouidence is manifested in ordinary meanes, it behooueth euery man in his calling to use them carefully: & when ordinary means be at hand, we must not looke for any help without them, though the Lord be able to do what he will without means. Ioab when many Aramites came against him, he heartened his souldiers though they were but few in number,²⁵⁵ bidding them be strong & valiant for their people, & for the cities of their God, & then let the lord do that which is good in his eyes. And our Sauiour Christ auoucheth it to be flat tēpting of god for him to leap downe frō the pinacle of the tēple to the ground, wheras there was an ordinarie way at hand to descend by staires. Hence it appeares, that such persons, as will use no means wherby they may come to repent & beleeue, do indeed no more repent & beleeue, then they cā be able to liue which neither eat nor drink. And thus much of the duties. Now follow the cōsolatiōs: first, this very point of gods special prouidēce is a great cōfort to gods church: for the lord moderateth the rage of the deuill and wicked men, that they shall not hurt the people of God. Dauid saieth,²⁵⁶ The Lorde is at my right hand, therefore I shall not 〈◊〉. And when Iosephs breethren were afraide for selling him into Egypt, hee comforteth them saying, that it was God that sent him before them, for their preseruation.²⁵⁷ So king Dauid when his owne souldiers were purposed to stone him to death, hee was in great sorrow; but it is said, hee comforted himselfe in the Lord his God.²⁵⁸ where we may see that a mā which hath grace to beleue in God, and rely on his prouidence in all his afflictions & extremitie:, shall haue wonderfull peace and consolation.

Before we can proceede to the articles which followe, it is requisite that we should intreate of one of the greatest workes of Gods prouidence that can be; because the opening of it giueth light to all that insueth. And this worke is a Preparation of such meanes whereby God will manifest his iustice and mercie. It hath two partes, the iust permission of the fall of man, and the giuing of the couenant of grace. For so Paul teacheth when hee saith, That God shut up all under unbeliefe that he might have vpon al.²⁵⁹ And againe, The scripture hath concluded all under sinne, that the promise by the faith of Christ Iesus should be given to them that beleeue.

Touching the first, that wee may rightly conceiue of mans fall, we are to search out the nature and parts of sinne. Sinne is any thing whatsoeuer is against the will and word of God: as S. Iohn saith, Sinne is the transgression of the law. And this definition Paul confirmeth when he saith,²⁶⁰ that by the law comes the knowledge of sinne: and, where no lawe is, there is no transgression: and, sinne is not imputed where there is no law.

In sinne wee must consider three things: the fault, the guilt, the punishment. The fault is the anomie or the inobedience it selfe, and it comprehends not onely huge and notorious offences, as idolatrie, blasphemie, theft, treason, adulterie, and all other crimes that the world cries shame on: but euery disordered thought, affection, inclination: yea, every defect of that which the Law requireth.

The guilte of sinne is, whereby a man is guiltie before God, that is bound and made subiect to punishment. And here two questions must be skanned: where man is bound? and by what? For the first, Man is bounde in conscience. And hereupon the conscience of every sinner sits within his heart as a little iudge to tell him that hee is bound before God to punishment. For the second, it is the order of diuine iustice set downe by God which bindes the conscience of the sinner before God: for hee is Creatour and Lorde, and man is a creature, and therefore must either obey his will and commandement, or suffer punishment. Now then by vertue of Gods law, conscience bindes over the creature to beare a punishment for his offence done against God: yea it tels him, that hee is in daunger to be iudged and condemned for it. And therefore the conscience is the Lordes Sergeant to infourme the sinner of the bonde and obligation whereby he is alwaies bounde before God.

The third thing which followeth sinne is punishment, and that is death.²⁶¹ So Paul saieth, The stipend of sinne is death: where, by death we must understand a double death, both of body and soule. The death of the bodie is a separation of the bodie from the soule. The second death is a separation of the whole man, but especially of the soule from the glorious presence of God. I say not simply from the presence of God, for god is euerie where: but onely from the ioyfull presence of Gods glorie. Now these two deaths are the stipends or allowance of sinne: and the least sinne which a man committeth, doth deserue these two punishments. For in euerie sinne the infinite iustice of god is violated: for which cause there must needs be inflicted an infinite punishment, that there may be a proportion betweene the punishment and the offence. And therefore that distinction of sinne which papistes make namely, that some are in themselues veniall, and some mortall is false, & hereby confuted: otherwise in respect of men sinnes are either veniall or mortall. Veniall to the elect, whose sinnes are pardonable in Christ: but to the reprobate all sinnes are mortall.

Neuerthelesse we holde not all sinnes equall, but that they are greater or lesse according to the diuersitie of obiectes and other circumstances.

Thus much of sinne in generall: now we come to the partes of it. The first sinne of all that euer was in man, is the sinne of Adam, which was his disobedience in eating the forbidden fruite.²⁶² In handling whereof sundrie pointes are to be opened, but let us beginne with the causes therof.

The outward efficient cause was the deuill. And though he be not named by Moses in the historie of the fall, yet that is not to trouble us: for we must not conceiue otherwise of the serpent, then of the instrument and mouth of the deuill. For it is not likely that it being a bruite creature should be able to reason and determine of good and euill, of trueth and falshood. Now in this temptation the deuill shewes his mallice and his fraude. His malice, in that, whereas hee can not ouerturne god himselfe, yet he labours to disturbe the order which he hath set downe in the creation, & especially the image of god in the most excellent creatures on earth, that they may be in the same miserable condition with himselfe. His fraud, first in that hee beginnes his temptation with the woman being the weaker person, and not with the man, which course hee still continues: as may appeare by this, that²⁶³ more women are intangled with witchcraft and sorcerie then men. Secondly he shewes his fraude, in that he proceedes very slily and intangles Eue by certaine steppes and degrees. For first by moouing a question he drawes her to listen to him, and to reason with him of gods commaundement. Secondly, he brings her to looke upon the tree and wishly to viewe the beautie of the fruite. Thirdly hee makes her to doubt of the absolute trueth of gods worde and promise, and to beleeue his contrarie lies. Fourthly, hauing blinded her minde with his false perswasions, shee desires and lustes after the forbidden fruite and thereupon takes it, eates it, & giues it to her husband.

The inwarde cause, was the will of our first parentes, euen in the testimonie of their owne consciences, as Salomon saieth, This haue I found that God made man righteous,²⁶⁴ but they haue found many inventions. But it may be obiected that if Adam were created good, he could not be the cause of his owne fall, because a good tree can not bring forth euill fruite. Answer. Freedome of will is foure fold: 1. freedome to euill alone: this is onely in wicked men and angels, and is indeed a bondage: the seconde is freedome to good alone, and that is in God and the good angels: the third is freedome to good in part, ioyned with some want of libertie by reason of sinne: and this is in the regenerate in this life: the fourth is freedome either to good or to euill indifferently. And this was in Adam before his fall, who though he had no inclination to sinne, but onely to that which was acceptable to God: yet was hee not bound by any necessitie, but had his libertie freely to chuse or refuse either good or euill. And this is euident by the verie fourme of Gods commaundement in which hee forbids Adam to eate the forbidden fruite: and thereby shewes that he being created righteous and not prone to sinne, had power to keep or not to keep the commandement: though since the fall both hee and wee after him can not but sinne. Wherefore Adam being allured by Satan, of his owne free accord changed himselfe and fell from God. Now then, as the good tree changed from good to euill brings foorth euill fruite: so Adam by his owne inward and free motion changing from good to evill brings forth euill.

As for God, hee is not to be reputed as an authour or cause any way of this sinne. For hee created Adam and Eue righteous, indewed them with righteous willes: and hee tolde them what hee woulde exact at their handes and what they coulde perfourme: yea hee added threatnings, that with the feare of daunger hee might terrifie them from sinne. Some may say, whereas God foresaw that Adam woulde abuse the libertie of his will, why woulde hee not preuent it. Answere. There is a double grace, the one to be able to will and do that which is good, the other to be able to persevere in wvilling and doing the same. Now God gaue the first to Adam, and not the second. And he is not to be blamed of vs, though hee confirmed him not with new grace, for he is debter to no man to giue him so much as the least grace; whereas he had alreadie giuen a plentifull measure thereof to him. And God did hold backe to conferre any further grace vpon iust cause. I. It was his pleasure that this fact should be an occasion or way to exercise his mercie in the sauing of the elect, and his iustice in the deserued condemnation of impenitent sinners. And vnlesse Adam had fallen for himselfe & others; there should haue bin found no miserie in men, on whome God might take pitie in his sonne, nor wickednes which he might condemne; and therefore neither manifestation of iustice, nor mercie. II. Againe, it was the will of God in part to forsake Adam, to make manifest the weaknesse of the most excellent creatures, without the speciall and continuall assistance of God. III. There is a double libertie of will, one is to will good or euill: this belongs to the creature in this world, and therefore Adam receiued it. The other, is to will good alone. This he wanted, because it is reserued to the life to come. And though hee knewe no cause of this dealing of God, yet is it one steppe to the feare of God for vs to hold that good and righteous which hee appointeth or willeth: and not to square the workes and iudgements of God by our crooked reason. And yet to come to reason it selfe. Who can here complaine of God? Can the deuill? but God did not cause him to tempt or deceiue our first parents. Can Adam and Eue? but they fell freely without any motion or instigation from God, and their owne consciences accused them for it. Can the posteritie of Adam? but the elect receiue more in Christ then they lost in Adam: and the reprobate, ouerwhelmed with the burden of their owne sinnes and thereupon receiuing nothing but due and deserued damnation can not finde fault. But some may further reply and say, he that foreseeth an euill and doth not preuent it, is a cause of it: but God did foresee the fall of man, and did not preuent it. Answer. The rule is generally true in man, that the foreseer of an euill not preuenting it, is in some sort a doer of it▪ for it is the sentence of the law of God, to which man was bound from the first creation. But God is aboue all his lawes, and not bound to them: he is an absolute lord and law-giuer; and therefore his actions are not within the compasse of lawes, as mens are. Whereupon it follows, that though he did foresee mans defection, yet is hee free from all blame in not preuenting of it. For with him there be good causes of permitting euill.

And though God be no cause of mans fall, yet must wee not imagine that it came to passe by chance or fortune, whereas the least things that are come to passe with Gods prouidence; neither was it by any bare permission without his decree and will: for that is to make an idle prouidence: neither did it happen against the will of God, he vtterly nilling it: for then it could not haue bin vnlesse we denie God to be omnipotent. It remaines therefore that this fall did so proceede of the voluntarie creation of Adam,²⁶⁵ as that God did in part ordaine and will it, not as it was a sinne against his commandement, but as it was further in the counsell of God a way to exequute his iustice and mercie. Against this which I say, diuers things are obiected. First, that if Adam did that which God in any respect willed, then he did not sinne at all. Answ. He that willeth and doth that which God willeth for all that sinnes; vnlesse he will it in the same manner with God and for the same end. Nowe in the permitting of this fact, God intended the manifesting of his glorie: but our first parents intending no such thing, sought not only to be like but also to be equal with god. Secōdly, it is alledged that Adam could not but fall necessarily if God did decree it. Answ. Adams fall that came not to passe without Gods decree, and therefore in that respect was necessarie; was neuerthelesse in respect of Adams freewil contingent and not necessarie: Gods decree not taking away the will but onely ordering it. Lastly, it is alledged that Gods will is the cause of Adams will, and Adams will the cause of his fall, and that therefore Gods will shall be the cause of the fall. Answer. It must be graunted that Gods will is a moouing cause of the wills of euill men; yet marke how: not as they are euill wills simply, but as they are wills: and therefore when God inclines the euill will of his creature to his good purpose, he is nothing at all intangled with the defect or euill of his will.

Touching the time of the fall, the receiued opinion in former ages hath bin that our first parents fell the same day in which they were created, and therefore Augustine writes that they stoode but sixe houres. And though we can not determine of the certen time, yet in all likelihood was it very short. For Moses presently after that he had set down the creation of man, without the interposition of any thing else, comes immediately to the fall. And considering the nature of the deuill is without ceasing to shew his mallice, no doubt he tooke the first occasion that possibly might be had to bring man to the same damnation with himselfe. And our Sauiour Christ saith, that the deuill was a manslayer from the beginning,²⁶⁶ namely from the beginning nor of the creation of the world, or of time, but of man. And Eue saith, we shall eate of the fruite of the trees▪ of the garden, it may be,²⁶⁷ insinuating that as yet shee had not eaten when the deuill tempted her.

Touching the greatnes of mans fall, some haue made a small matter of it, because it was the eating of an apple or some such fruit. But wee must not measure the greatnes or the smalnes of a sinne by the obiect or matter whereabout it is occupied, but by the commaundement of God, and by the disobedience or offence of his infinite maiestie. And that this fact of Adam and Eve was no small fault, but a notorious cryme and Apostasie in which they withdrawe them selues from vnder the power of God, nay reiect and denie him, will appeare if wee take a viewe of all the particular sinnes that be contained in it. The first is vnbeleefe, in that they doubted and distrusted of the trueth of Gods worde which hee spake to them. The seconde is contempt of God, in that they beleeued the lyes of the deuill rather then him. For when God saith, In the day that ye shall eate thereof, ye shall die the death,²⁶⁸ it is as nothing with Eve: but when the deuill comes and saith, Ye shall not die at all ▪ that shee takes fast hold on. The third is pride and ambition. For they did eate the forbidden fruit that they might be as gods,²⁶⁹ namely as the father, the sonne, the holy Ghost. The fourth is vnthankfulnes. God had made them excellent creatures in his owne image: that is nothing with them to be like vnto him, vnlesse they may be equall vnto him. The fifth is curiositie, whereby they affected greater wisdome then God had giuen them in the creation, and a greater measure of knowledge then God had reuealed to them. The sixth is reprochful blasphemie, in that they subscribe to the sayings of the deuill, in which he charged God with lying and enuie. The seuenth is murder. For by this meanes they bereaue themselues and their posteritie of the fellowship and graces of Gods spirit, and bring vpon their owne heads the eternall wrath of God. The eight is discontentation, in that they sought for an higher condition then that was, in which God had placed them. In a word, in this one single fact is comprised the breach of the whole law of God. And wee should often thinke vpon this, that we may learne to wonder at the iust iudgements of God in punishing this fall, and his vnspeakeable goodnes in receiuing men to mercie after the same.

And here we must not omit to remember the largenesse of Adams fall. Sinnes are either personall, or generall. Personall are such, as are peculiar to one or some fewe persons and make them alone guiltie. Generall, that is common to all men: and such is Adams fall. It is a sinne not onely of the person of one man but of the whole nature of man. And Adam must be considered not as a priuate man, but as a roote or head bearing in it all mankinde: or as a publike person representing all his posteritie, and therefore when hee sinned, all his posteritie sinned with him; as in a Parliament whatsoeuer is done by the burgesse for the shire, is done by euery person in the shire. As Paul saith, By one man sinne entred into the world,²⁷⁰ and so death went ouerall for as much as all haue sinned. And here lies the difference betweene Adams fall and the sinnes of men, as Cains murder, which makes not the posteritie of Cain guiltie, because he was neuer appointed by God to be the roote of his posteritie, as Adam was: and therefore his sinne is personall, whereas Adams is not. Yet this which I say, must not be vnderstood of all the sinnes of Adam, but onely of the first.

From the fall of Adam, springeth originall sinne, not onely as a fruit thereof, but also as a iust punishment of it. And after the foresaid fall, it is in Adam and his posteritie, as the mother and roote of all other sinne: yet with this distinction, that actuall sinne was first in Adam, and then came originall, but in vs first is originall sinne, and then after followes actuall.

Originall sinne is tearmed diuersly in Scriptures, as the flesh, the old man, because it is in vs before grace:²⁷¹ concupiscence, sinne that is readie to compasse vs about, the sinning sinne: and it is commonly tearmed originall, because it hath bin in mans nature euer since the fall, and because it is in euery man at the very instant of his conception and birth, as Dauid plainly saith, Behold, I was borne in iniquitie, and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me:²⁷² not meaning properly his parents sinne (for he was borne in lawfull marriage) but his owne hereditarie sinne, whereof he was guiltie euen in his mothers wombe.

But let vs search the nature of it. Considering it hath place in man, it must be either the substāce of body or soule or the faculties of the substance, or the corruption of the faculties. Now it cannot be the substance of man corrupted: for then our Sauiour Christ in taking our nature vpon him, should also take vpon him our sinnes, and by that meanes should as well haue neede of a redeemer as other men: and againe, the soules of men should not be immortall. Neither is it any one or all the faculties of man. For euery one of them as namely the vnderstanding, will, affections, and all other powers of bodie or soule were in man from the first creation, whereas sinne was not before the fall. Wherefore it remains that originall sinne is nothing els but a disorder or euill disposition in al the faculties & inclinations of man, wherby they are all caried inordinatly against the law.

The subiect or place of this sinne, is not any part of man, but the whole bodie and soule. For first of all, the naturall appetite to meat and drinke, and the power of nourishing is greatly corrupted as appeares by diseases, aches, surfetts, but specially by the abuse of meat and drinke. Secondly, the outward senses are as corrupt,²⁷³ and that made Dauid to pray that God would turne his eyes from beholding of vanitie: and Saint Iohn to say, whatsoeuer is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. Thirdly, touching the vnderstanding,²⁷⁴ the spirit of God saith, that the frame of the heart of man is onely euill continually: so as we are not able of our selues to thinke a good thought. And therefore withall, the will of man and his affections are answerably corrupt; and hereupon the doctrine of Christ is, that we must renownce our owne wills. Lastly, all mans strength in good things is nothing out of Christ.

The propagation of this sinne, is the deriuing of it from Adam to all his posteritie, whereby it runneth as a leprosie ouer all mankinde. But in what manner this propagation is made, it is hard to define. The common opinion of Diuines is, that it may be done two waies. The first is this. God when he created Adam in the beginning, set downe this appointment and order touching the estate of man, that whatsoeuer Adam receiued of God, he should receiue it not onely for himselfe, but for his posteritie, and whatsoeuer grace of God he lost, he should loose not onely to himselfe, but to all his posteritie. And hereupon Adam when he sinned, he did depriue first of all himselfe, and then secondly all his posteritie of the image of God; because all mankinde was in his loynes when he sinned. Now then vpon the former appointment, when the soules of men are created and placed in the body, God forsakes them, not in respect of the substance of the soule or the faculties, but onely in respect of his owne image, whereof the soules are depriued; after which followes the defect or want of righteousnes, which is originall sinne. And God in depriuing man of that which Adam lost, is not therefore to be thought to be the author or maintainer of sinne, but a iust iudge. For this depriuation of the image of God, so farfoorth as it is inflicted by him vpon mankinde, it must be conceiued as a deserued punishment for the sinne of Adam and all men in him which they pulled vpon themselues. The second way is,²⁷⁵ that the corruption of nature is deriued from the parents in generation by the bodie; for as sweete oyle poured into a fustie vessell, looseth his purenes and is infected by the vessell: so the soule created good, and put into the corrupt bodie, receiues contagion thence. And this coniunction of the pure soule with the corrupt bodie, is not against the goodnes of God; because it is a iust punishment of the sinne of all men in Adam. It may be this which hath bin saide will not satisfie the mindes of all. yet if any will be curious to search further into this point, let them know that there is another matter which more concerns them to looke vnto. When a mans house is on fire, there is no time then to inquire howe and which way and whence the fire came, but our dutie is with all speede and expedition to vse all good meanes to stay it. And so considering that our whole natures are really infected and poisoned with the loathesome contagion of original sinne, which is a weight sufficient to presse down the soule to the gulfe of hell, it stands vs in hand a thousand fold more to the vse meanes whereby it may be taken away, then to dispute how it came.

Some may alleadge against the propagation of sinne, that holy parents beget holy children, which are void of originall sinne, because it stands not with reason, that parents should conveigh that to their children which they them selues want, namely the guilt and the punishment and the fault of sinne in part. Answer. I. Men are not in this life perfectly holy. For sanctification is but in part, and therefore they cannot possibly beget children pure from all sinne. Secondly, parents beget children as they are men, and not as they are holy men; and by generation they deriue vnto their children nature with the corruption thereof, and not grace which is aboue nature. Take any corne, yea the finest wheat that euer was, winnow it as cleane as possibly may be: afterward sow it, weede it also when it is sowne, and reape it in due time, and carrie it to the barne; when it is thresht, you shall finde as much chaffe in it as euer was before: and why? because God hath set this order in the creation that it shall spring and grow with the stalke, eare, blade, and all: so likewise though the parents be neuer so holy, the children as they come of them are conceiued and borne wholly corrupt, because God tooke this order in the creation, that whatsoeuer euill Adam procured, he should bring it not onely on himselfe, but vpon all his posteritie: by vertue of which decree, the propagation of sinne is continued without any interruption, though parents themselues be borne anew by the spirit of God.

And here we must not omit to speake of the quantitie or greatnes of originall sinne, for the opening whereof we must consider three points. The first, that originall sinne is not diuers, but one and the same in kinde in euery man, as the generall and common nature of man is one and the same in all men. The second, that this sinne is not in some men more, in some men lesse, but in euery man equally, as all men doe equally from Adam participate the nature of man, and are equally the children of wrath. Some, it may be, will say, that this can not be true, because some men are of better natures then others are: some of disposition cruell and seuere, some againe gentle and milde; some very licentious and disordered, some very ciuill. Answer. The differences that be in men that want the feare of God, arise not of this that they haue more or lesse originall corruption; but of the restraint and limitation of mans corruption. For in some God brideleth sinne more then in others, and in them is found ciuilitie: and againe in some lesse, and in such the rebellion of nature breakes foorth vnto all misdemeanour. And indeede if God should not keepe the vntoward dispositions of men within compasse, otherwhiles more, otherwhiles lesse, as it shall seeme good vnto his maiestie: impietie, crueltie, iniustice, and all manner of sinnes would breake out into such a measure that there should be no quiet liuing for men in the world, and no place for Gods Church. And thus it is manifest that although all men be not equall in the practise of wickednes, yet they may be equall in the corruption of nature it selfe. The third point is, that Originall sinne is so huge and large euery way, that it may truly be tearmed the roote or seede not of some fewe sinnes, but of all sinnes whatsoeuer, euen of the very sinne against the holy Ghost. We must not imagine it to be an inclination or prones to one or two faults; but a prones to all and euery sinne that is practised in the world; and that in all persons yong and old, high and low, male and female. It is a most horrible villanie for a man to kill his father, or his mother, or his child: yet some there be that doe so: at the hearing whereof we vse to wonder, and to testifie our dislike by saying, that the doers thereof were wicked & diuelish persons, and it is truly saide. Neuerthelesse we must vnderstand that although we abstaine from such hainous practises, yet the very root of such sinnes, that is, a disposition vnto them, is found in vs also. Iulian the Apostata both liuing and dying blasphemed Christ. Herod and Pontius Pilate & the wicked Iewes crucified him, and Iudas betraied him. Men vse to say that if Christ were now aliue, they would not doe so for all the world. But let vs better consider of the matter. The same naturall corruption of heart that was in thē, is also in vs, we being the childrē of Adam as well as they: and by the force of this corruption, if Christ were now liuing on earth, thou wouldest, if like occasion were offered, either doe as Iudas did in betraying him, or as Pilate did, deliuer him to be crucified, or as the souldiers, thrust him through with their speares, or as Iulian, pierce him with all maner of blasphemies, if God withhild his graces from thee, and leaue thee to thy selfe. In a word, let men conceiue in minde the most notorious trespasse that can be, though they doe it not, nor intend to doe it, nor neuer doe it: yet the matter, beginning, and seed thereof is in themselues. This made Ieremie say, The heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things, who can know it?²⁷⁶ It is like an huge sea the bankes whereof cannot be seene, nor the bottome searched. In common experience we see it come to passe, that men protestants to day, to morrowe papists▪ of Christians, heretikes; nowe friends, but presently after foes; this day honest and ciuill men, the next day cruell murderers. Now what is the cause of this difference; surely the hidden corruption of the heart, that will thrust a man forward to any sinne when occasion is offered. This point must be remembred and often thought vpon.

From originall sinne springeth actuall, which is nothing els but the fruit of the corrupt heart, either in thought, word, or deede.

Thus much touching mans fall into sinne by Gods iust permission: Nowe followes the good vse which we must make thereof. First by this we learne to acknowledge & bewaile our owne frailtie. For Adam in his innocencie beeing created perfectly righteous, when hee was once tempted by the deuill, fell away from God: what shal we doe then in the like case which are by nature sold vnder sinne, & in our selues a thousand times weaker then Adam was? Many men there be that mingle themselues with all companies, tell them of the danger thereof, they will reply that they haue such strong faith that no bad companie can hurt thē. But, alas, silly people, Satan bewitcheth them, and makes them to beleeue falshood to be truth: they knowe not their miserable estate. If Adam, saith Bernard, had a downefall in Paradise, what shall we doe that are cast foorth vpon the dunghil? Let vs therefore often come to a serious consideration of our owne weaknes, and follow withall the practise of Dauid, who being priuie to himselfe touching his owne corruption, praieth to God on this manner, Knit my heart to thee,²⁷⁷ O Lord, that I may feare thy name. Secondly, we learne hereby absolutely to submit our selues to the authoritie of God, and simply to resolue our selues what soeuer he commāds is right and iust, though the reason of it be not known to vs. For Eve condiscended to listen to the speach of the serpent, and without any calling shee reasoned with it of a most weightie matter, and that in the absence of Adam her head & husband, namely of the truth and glorie of God: & hereby was brought to doubt of Gods word, & so ouerturned. Thirdly, if all men by Adams fal be shut vp vnder dānation, there is no cause why any of vs should stand vpon his his birth, riches, wisdome, learning, or any other such gifts of God: there is nothing in vs that is more able to couer our vilenes and nakednes, then figgetree leaues were able to couer the offence of Adam from Gods eyes. We stand vnder the wrath of God by nature, and cannot attaine to euerlasting life of our selues. Wherefore it doth stand euery one of vs in hande to abase our selues vnder the hand of God, in that we are become by our sinnes the very basest of all the creatures vpon earth, yea vtterly to dispaire in respect of our selues, and with bleeding hearts to bewaile our owne cases. There is no danger in this: it is the very way to grace: none can be a sound member of Christ till his conscience condemne him, and make him quite ont of heart in respect of himselfe. And the want of this is the cause why so fewe perceiue any sweetnes or comfort in the Gospell: and why it is so little loued and imbraced now adaies. Lastly, if all mankinde be shut vp vnder vnbeleefe, the dutie of euery man is, to labour in vsing all good meanes whereby we may be deliuered from this bondage, and to pray to God with David, Create in me a cleane heart, O God, and renewe a right spirite within me. And cry out with Paul, O wretched man that I am,²⁷⁸ who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death! And we must neuer be at rest till we haue some assurance in conscience that in Christ wee haue freedome from this bondage, and can with the Colossians giue thanks that we are deliuered from the power of darknes,²⁷⁹ and translated into the kingdome of Christ. This should be the affection of euery man, because the spirituall thraldome vnder sinne is of all miseries most loathsome and burdensome. And in this respect the day of death should be vnto vs most welcome, because it doth vnloose vs frō this miserable estate, in which we do almost nothing but displease God. For this is the greatest griefe that can be to the children of God, by their sinnes to offend their mercifull father. And as for all those which feele not the weight of their naturall guiltines and corruptions, but lie slumbring in the securitie of their hearts, they are therfore the more miserable, in that beeing plunged in the gulfe of all miserie, yet they feele no miserie.