Abrahams Faith, Part 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. 2. How God hath gouerned his church in one religion in all ages, which is declared before and after the fall of Adam. 2. And by the diſpenſation of times, ſince the promiſe of Chriſt firſt giuen to Adam, which is in three ſorts, the fathers before the law, the Iewes vnderunder the law & the Gentils vnderunder the goſpel. 3. In all theſe three times was there a differēce in the outward face of gouernment but not in ſubſtance of religion. 4. Which by Gods iudgements & manifeſtation of his ſpirit hath bene alwaies maintained & preſerued. 5. And this will be a witnes of our religion now profeſſed in England, againſt all Atheiſtes, Papiſtes, and other wicked men in the day of Chriſt Ieſus.
NOw this foundation being layed: becauſe my purpoſe is to ſhew, that God alwaies ſet foorth and allowed but one faith and religion, I will in the next place briefly ſhew howe God hath adminiſtred his church from the beginning of the world, namely in what order he hath gouerned his people,aPſal. 37.12. & 48.3. Hier 10.25. Whom hee choſe to himſelfe to know him, and call vponupon his name. Firſt we are to remember that the world hath bin in two eſtates, and a third we looke for. For before the fall of Adam, when mans hart was vpright, being made after the image of God in knowledge, holines, and righteouſnes; his religion was pure and his faith in God, and his louelove towards God, & al creatures were righteous: & his eſtate happy, enioying the preſence & glory of God. But this eſtate indured not long: for the diuel enuying mans happines, allured the womā Euah to eat of the forbiddē fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and euill, and by her Adam was partaker of the ſame tranſgreſſion:bEp. 2.1.2.12. Tit. 3.3. Gen. 6.5. ſo man fell cleane from al religion and became the vaſſal of Satan, dead in ſinne, loſt that holie image ſo far, that both mind, will, and affections were onelyonly euill: and by his very nature he was the child of wrath, and without God in the world, that is to ſay, he was of no religion: and in this eſtate he was moſt miſerable, curſed, and damnable. Here our moſt gracious and mercifull God, pitying our moſt wofull condition,cGen. 3. calleth man to an accompt, chaſtiſeth him, condemneth the ſerpent and teacheth him againe the true religion by giuing him the promiſe, that The ſeede of the woman ſhoulde breake the ſerpents head: that is, that by Chriſt hee would ouer throw the power of the diuell. VponUpon which promiſe he buildeth his church of ſuch of the ſons of Adam, as hedEph. 1.4.5. in his eternal counſel had choſen to be adopted to himſelfe in Chriſt Ieſus:dEph. 1.4.5. cRo. 9.18.22.leauing all others vntounto themſelues, to remaine in their ſins, for their iuſt cōdemnation. And theſe his elect he reſtoreth to that former happy eſtate wherin they were created; which thing hee doth (during this world) byfMath. 28.19. Eph. 4.11. inſtructing them in the true & pure religion, which is the faith of Chriſt & the fruits thereof in true repentāce & amendement of life, by the louelove of God & of his neighbor, which two things hauehave their meaſure and are vnperfect in this life, but they ſhalbe perfect in the life to come. Faith is vnperfect becauſe ourg1. Cor. 13.9. knowledge is vnperfect, yet becauſe it is fixed in Chriſt the ſon of God, it is ahEph. 6.16. ſhield to quēch the fiery darts of the diuel, ſo that by it weiRom. 5.1. are righteous in gods ſight, & hauehave peace with God thorow Ieſus Chriſt: but when in the life to come wee ſhall hauehave akPſal. 17.15. 1. Io. 3.2. perfect ſight of God, & ſee him as he is, then that which is vnferfect ſhall be done away: our louelove in this life is much more weake becauſe it anſwereth notlIacob. 3.2. to the perfection of the law moral or Gods holy image, and therefore vnles by the ſhield of faith in Chriſt we were defended we ſhould neuer recouer our former eſtate of happines: but by faith there is giuen vntounto vsus theaRom. 8.23. Eph. 1.13. firſt fruits of the ſpirit, and an earneſt of our ſaluation euen in this our pilgrimage, but afterward the ſame alſo ſhalbe made perfect, whenb1. Cor. 15.54 our corruption ſhal put on incorruption & our mortality ſhalbe ſwalowed vp of life: & enioying the glorious liberty of the ſons of God, wec2. Tim. 4.8. ſhall be crowned with the crowne of righteouſnes, which is laid vp in ſtore for all them which louelove the comming of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
2. And here is to be noted, that between this time of mans innocencie & the time of the glory of Gods elect, is thedEph. 1.10. diſpēſation of times wherin God gathereth his elect, and nurtureth his church in one certain kind of religion, holy right, pure & catholike, ſo far as by his gracious gift in this life his people are made capable: therby ſanctifying them & ſeperating them from this preſent euil world, &eColoſ. 1.13. tranſlating thē out of the power of darkneſſe into the kingdome of his deer ſon. And this we find to be in iij. ſorts in regard of the maner of gouernment, in the diſpenſation of iij. diuerſities of times, & yet but in one rule of faith & religion. The times were theſe. 1. From the promiſe of God made to Adam, vntil the giuing of the law in mount Sinay or Horeb, during the ſpace of 2513. yeres. 2. From the giuing of the law vntil the preaching of Io. Bap. and ſending of the Apoſtles to preach to all the world about ſome 1445. yeres. 3. From that*That is 30. yeres after Chriſt birth. time to our daies ſom 1569. yeres, & this is to continue till the end of the world, when Chriſt ſhal come again to iudge the quick and dead. In the firſt the maner of gouernment in regard of the perſons, ouer whom it was extended: they were the fathers of the firſt world & al the whole world of al nations & languages, & in regard of the things then in vſe,Read Gen. 3.4.6.8.9.12. Rom. 3.1.9.4.5 they had not the law of God nor any part of his word written, but were taught & cōmanded by viſions & dreams from heauen, & many were endewed with the ſpirit of propheſie. In the ſecond the manner of gouernment touching the perſons was this: they were one nation called laſtly Iews, firſt Iſraelits and ſomtime Hebrewes, and in regard of the things, they had Moſes law written and ſo preſerued in bookes for the perpetual vſe of the church; and this law was in three ſorts, the morall written in two tables, ſhewing in ten words all dueties to God and man: the ceremonial law conſiſting in ordinances of rites, ſacrifices and the leuiticall prieſthood, by which order it pleaſed God in thoſe daies to be outwardly worſhipped: & the iudicial law which were ciuil lawes and ſtatutes, for the puniſhment of euill doers and ordering of the common wealth of that people, as was moſt fit for the time, for the true and holie religion. And vnderunder theſe three they were gouerned vntill the comming of Chriſt. And becauſe they often times fell away vntounto idolatrie, God raiſed vp prophets, to bring them to repentance, who inſtructed them according to the law, & ſhewed them alway the true faith and religion, with the right order and maner of gouernment. NowaEph. 2.11.12. while that the church was in this one nation of the Iewes, the gentils (which are all the nations and languages of the worlde beſide) were left out from being the people of God, & of his viſible church, which thing began at the circumciſion of Abraham, in that God ordaining it, did call it the couenant, that is a ſigne of the couenant, namly that Abraham and his ſeed ſhould be the people or church of God, and they that were not circumciſed ſhold be none of his church, which being ſome 400. yeres before the giuing of the law, in that ſpace the ſin of the gentils came to their perfection; and ſo the Iewes were then and thenceforth diſtinctly knowen to bee of a differing religion and faith concerning God, from all people vnderunder heauen whatſoeuer.bRom. 1.1.2.3.4. The third ſort in regard of the perſons are the gentils that is all nations and languages after the comming of Chriſt, and in regard of the things, they had the goſpel, which Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of GOD being made man of the virgin Marie, did preach, ordaine, and commit to writing, to be preſerued for the euerlaſting benefit of the church which being preached by the Apoſtles of Chriſt, as well to the Iewes as to the Gentils, at his commaundement and by his commiſſion: the Iewes for their vnbelefe fel away, and being left to the hardnes of their hart, were reiected, and ceaſed to be the viſible church of God, & remaine ſcattered ouer the face of the whole earth vntill this day; and the gentils hearing and receiuing the goſpell and ſubmitting them ſelues by faith vntounto the doctrin of Chriſt, became Gods people againe, and his viſible church, and ſo the true religion hath remained among the gentils in one place or other vntil this day, and of this number are we of the church of Englande one happie part: The Lord our God, and merciful father in Ieſus Chriſt be praiſed therefore.
3. Now in all theſe times, notwithſtanding that the outward face of the church, by the ceremonies and maner of gouernment, did verie much differ: yet in all theſe was but one ſubſtance of religion, conſiſting in the knowledg of one true and liuing God, and in the worſhip of his diuine maieſtie, by faith in the holy promiſe of Ieſus Chriſt: which promiſe was made vntounto Adam, Abraham, and Dauid, declared by the prophets & preached to the gentils in the goſpel. For ſo AdamaGen. 4.1.2.3 trained vp his ſons by ſacrifice to worſhip God, arguing their expectation of the Meſſias or ſeed of the woman to come. And therforebHeb. 11.2.3.4. Abel, Enoch, Noe, & Abraham are wel reported of, for their faith and to hauehave pleaſed God. VntoUntoc1. Pe. 3.10.11 Noe the ark, & vntounto Abraham circumciſion, being types and figures of Chriſt, were helpes in this faith & religion: ſo in the law all the prieſtes, & their ſacrifices and ſeruice, yea al the law,dRom. 10.4. Gal. 3.22. ponited out Chriſt, as thend therof and concluded all vnderunder ſin, that the promiſe, by the faith of Ieſus Chriſt might be giuen to them that beleeue. And the prophets which beſt vnderſtood the law, ſhew the maine ſubſtance of their religion to be in faith, when they ſay.eEſai 26.16. He that beleeueth in him (meaning Chriſt) ſhal not make haſt. fAaback. 2.4.The iust ſhal liue by faith. gPſal. 34.8.Taſt and ſee how gracious the Lord is, bleſſed is the mā that truſteth in him. Which thing witneſſeth the Apoſtle ſaying.hRom. 15.4. Whatſoeuer things are written afore time, are written for our learning, that we thorow patience and comfort of the ſcripture might hauehave hope, and that the i2. Tim. 3.15.ſcriptures (ſpeaking of the law and prophets) are able to make one wiſe vntounto ſaluation thorow faith in Ieſus Chriſt: And laſtly touching the goſpell, it is moſt cleare, that bykGal. 3.26. Act. 24.14. beleefe in Chriſt wee are made Gods people, & in this beleef we worſhip and ſerue God, as in one true & pure religion. Therefore they which are taughtlMath 28.19. Act. 2.38. cap. 16.31. Iacob. 1.6. Heb. 11.6. are baptized, when they beleeue and ſo receaued into the church: ſuch are ſaid to be ſaued, ſuch are ſaid to pray aright, and generally ſuch are ſaid to pleaſe God.
4. Now to conclude this place we may obſerue, the wonderful adminiſtration of God, in vpholding of this one true religion & faith of Chriſt in all ages of the world; and that in two things. Firſt in his iudgments, and ſecondly in the diuers manifeſtation of his ſpirit: as concerning the firſt, the ould world falling into a moſt horrible apoſtaſie,mGen. 6. by prophane and vnequal yoking of the children of God, with the children of men, God ſtirred vp Noe the preacher of righteouſnes & in his family, preſerued the true faith when all the whole world was fallen away, & therefore drowned by waters. Then after the floud ſom 400. yeres, when idolatry had ouercrept the world in the poſterity of Noe, namely after the confounding of the languages, and that they were become many nations: GodaGen. 12. Ioſhuah. 24.2. called Abraham and taught him the faith and pure religion of Chriſt, when hee gaue him the promiſe. That in his ſeede all the families of the earth ſhould be bleſſed, and in his poſteritie namly of his ſonbGen. 17.19. Act. 14.16. Iſaak, when all the nations of the world were left to their own waies the ſame was preſerued: and althogh the IſraelitscPſ. 78. & 106 many times departed from the true God, to follow the maners & faſhions of the gentils, yet he reduced thē home again, by his plagues & puniſhments, & ſomtimes by hisd1. Kin. 18.3…. Eſai 6.13. prophets, and ſomtimes deſtroying the multitude reſerued a ſmal remnant, as a ſeed plot, among whom he preſerued the true faith and religion. And laſt of all, when they had many times prouoked God by their vnbeleefe and rebellion, he caſt them vtterly off and ingrafted the gentils; & although among theſe there hath bin great*The firſt 300. yeres after Chriſt. perſecution, & a moſt horrible apoſtaſy both by⁂Mahomet and the Pope. eaſt and weſt, yet hath he alwaies had his witneſſes, who keeping the faith, hauehave profeſſed the true religion of Chriſt, and nowe according to hise word, the ſame is renewed and taketh hold againe in the open eyes of all the world, amonge the elect of God & his choſen people, whō he calleth by his goſpel. A thing verily, fore propheſied byfGen. 9.27. Gen. 12.3. Deut. 32.21. Eſai 49.6. Rom. 15.18. Noe, taught and promiſed to Abraham, threatned by Moſes, plainely foretold by the prophets, and fully accompliſhed by Chriſt, and of theſe things we hauehave now had 1602. yeres triall & experience, the Lords moſt holy name be praiſed. But as touching the manifeſtation of the ſpirit, marke with me, that the ſame promiſe, which to Adam was generallgGen. 3. cap. 12. cap. 49.10. Eſai 9.6.7. Matth. 1. in the ſeede of the woman, was more ſpeciall to Abraham to be in his ſeede, and in his poſteritie more certaine in Iuda, and yet in Iuda more particuler in the houſe and linage of Dauid, and yet more plainly and neerly by the prophets that he ſhould be borne ofhEſai 7.14. a virgin; yea hee is alſo ſo thoroughly deſcribed in the prophets, that there is ſcarſe any action of Chriſt, or accident befalling him, which Matthew the euangeliſt, in his hiſtorie doth not confirme by ſome prophet or other: Yet is Iohn Baptiſt more cleere then they all, when he could point out his verie perſon, ſaying,iIoh. 1.36. Behold the lambe of God, Howbeit that grace of reuelation which was in the Apoſtles, excelled all the reſt, for the veriea1. Pet. 1.12. Ephe. 3.10. Angels admire the manifolde wiſedom of God, as it is now taught in the church of God by their doctrin, and therefore in compariſon of the clere manifeſtation of the goſpel, now in theſe laſt times, to the more obſcure reuelation of the former ages, it is calledbColoſ. 1.26. Eph. 1.8. a miſtery had ſince the worlde began and from al ages, but now is made manifeſt to his ſaints, and this moſt abundantly in all wiſedome and vnderſtanding. And this was of ſuch power that neither the malicious gaineſaying and tumultuous reſiſting of the Iewes, nor the furious & outragious perſecutions of the gentils, for 300. yeares, nor the ſubtill vndermining of wilie hereticks, nor the ſmoking darkenes of Antechriſt, could ſtand before the wiſedome of the ſpirit, but that the idols of the heathen and the fooliſh rudimentes of the world, were ſcattered before the preaching of the faith and religion of Chriſt, as the ſmoke or clouds are driuen before the wind. And when all thecDan. 3.35.44. 1. Pet. 2.6. monarkes of the world were broken & became like the chaffe of the ſommer flowers, whom the winds carieth away, this Ieſus Chriſt, as a ſtone cut without hands, although he were refuſed of the builders is not onelyonly become the heade of the corner, but alſo filleth the whole earth, and groweth to a kingdome, that neuer ſhall hauehave end, ſo long as Sun & Moone endureth. And as this religion, ſo the ceremonies and maner of gouernment, ordeyned by Chriſt are to remaine vntill the end of the world: for ſo ſaith Chriſt, when hee gaue cōmiſſion fordMath. 28.19.20. the preaching, baptizing & teaching of all his cōmandements: Loe I am with you alway vntounto the end of the world: & the Apoſtle affirmeth that the Lordes ſupper is toe1. Cor. 11.26 ſhewe the Lordes death till hee come,fEph. 4.12.13. and his miniſters are to gather together the ſaintes, till we all meete in the vnitie of faith, and he muſtg1. Cor. 15.24.25. raigne till all his enemies bee put vnderunder his feete, and in the ende deliuer vp his kingdome to his father, and then God ſhall bee all in all.
5 All which things if the Atheiſtes of our time, and ſuch as bee of no religion, or of the popiſh and hereticall ſuperſtition, could ſee and conſider, they would come home to vsus, and caſt themſelues downe before Chriſt and ſay: God is with you of a truth. But this continuance of one vnchangeable truth in religion, by the adminiſtration of Gods iudgements & manifeſtation of the ſpirit, being found with vsus in this realme of England (as hereafter in this treatiſe doth euidently appeare) ſhalbe a witneſſe againſt all ſuch in the day of iudgement, when they ſhould remember, that they in their liues time, willingly wold not know, nor obey the truth, but had pleaſure in vnrighteouſneſſe. I pray God open our eyes, that while the light is among vsus, we may beleeue it, louelove it, and walke in it, as the children of light, to the glorie of God and our owne comfort & euerlaſting ſaluation, in Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. Amen.