A Familiar Treatise Laying Down Cases of Conscience, Title page – Dedication
A FAMILIAR TREATISE, laying downe CASES OF CONSCIENCE, Furthering to perſeuerance in SANCTIFICATION.
By Thomas Cooper, preacher of Gods word.
Printed at London by Iohn Beale, for William Welby, and are to be ſold at his ſhop, at the ſigne of the Swan in Paules Church-yard. 1615.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL, MY HARTIE Wel-willers, the Ladie Rumney, Mr. Springham, Mr. Slany, Mr. Parkhust, Mr. Clarke, Mr. Vincent, Mr. Moſley, and Mr. Thaire, and the reſt of my Christian auditors, and louing neighbors, grace, merciemercy and peace from God the Father, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, bee multiplied.
RIght worſhipfull, and dearely beloued in the Lord Ieſus: It is the merciemercy of the Lord, that wee are not vtterly conſumed, becauſe his compaſsions faile not. Hath not our long proſperitie hardened our hearts, and lulled vsus in ſecuritie? And when we ſay, peace and ſafety, may not a ſudden destruction come vponupon vsus, as the trauaile vponupon a woman with childe, and we ſhall not eſcape? Doe not our impudent and deſperate ſinnes, daily call downe for vengeance againſt vsus, in that we put the euill day farre from vsus, that wee may ſtill approach to the ſeat of iniquity, hardning our hearts yet more and more that we cannot repent? And is not the enuious man buſie to ſow tares, now wee are aſleepe? Are not our aduerſaries watchfull and dil gent in their malicious and bloody practiſes againſt the Church of God, practiſing daylie the ouerthrow thereof? will any thing ſerue their turne but to roote cut and destroy, and are we generally any better then ſuch trees as are able to bee hewen downe, and caſt into the fire? Hath this vnprofitable fig-tree for all this dreſsing and fencing, for all this lopping and donging, yet brought forth fruit worthie of repentance? Surely though we ſhould neuer ſo much ſtand vponupon our iustification with Saul, that wee hauehave fulfilled the Commandements of the Lord, that we are an holy people, the Lord ſhall finde no iniquity in vsus, &c. yet the bleating of the ſheepe, and lowing of the oxen: the ſparing of Agag. and reſeruing of his offals, is a notorious euidence to conuince our hypocriſie. And therefore, though we flatter our ſelues with Agag, that the bitterneſſe of death is paſt, becauſe happilie the Lord in great patience hath yet waited vponupon vsus, and put off many deſperate blowes, that might hauehave light heauilie vponupon vsus: yet certainly when hee ſees a conuenient time he will execute vengeance, and wound the hairie ſcalpe of all thoſe that goe on in their wickedneſſe. And is not this a ſpeciall euidence, that we goe on in our ſinnes, and intend not repentance, becauſe we either hate to be reformed, and hauehave caſt the word behinde our backes: or els heape vp teachers according to our own luſts, which may prophecie of new wine and ſtrong drinke, to morrow ſhall be as to day, or much more aboundant? And is it not a fearefull argument of the wrath of God, readie to ſeaze vponupon vsus, in that wee hauehave choſen and embraced the world, that thirſts after our blood, and hauehave caſt out that ſword which ſhould ſtand in the gappe, to turne away the vengeance? What then is the reaſon that we are not vtterly conſumed that our aduerſaries the Papiſts, hauehave not had their deſire? Surely they ſhall not ſay, where is now our God? becauſe they ſhal not blaſpheme that great & glorious Name of our God, which is called vponupon of vsus: And therfore, not vntounto vsus oh Lord, not vntounto vsus, but vntounto thy Name giuegive the glory, euen for thy truth & righteouſnes ſake. Thogh we are not worthy of the leaſt of Gods mercies, thogh we hauehave deſerued to be ouerwhelmed with all his plagues, yet the Lord is worthy of all praiſe and glory: and therefore he hath deliuered vsus, that we might glorifie him: and ſhall not the Iudge of al the world do right? wil he puniſh the righteous with the wicked? muſt not Lot be taken out of Sodom, before the vengeance be inflicted? ſhall not euen one be a means to ſpare the Citie for his ſake? Behold, here another ground of the patience of God, euen the holy ſeed that yet remaines the Lord hath a litle flocke which is as deare vntounto him, as the apple of his eye: this hath hee choſen it vntounto him in Ieſus Chriſt, before the foundations of the world were laid. This he hath made glorious through his beautie, which he hath ſet vponupon it: this he hath promiſed to bee with vsus to the end of the world & can any thing be againſt vsus if the lord be with vsus? ſhall not he make our enemies our footſtool? ſhal not the lord tread Satan vnderunder our feet? bleſſed be God in Ieſus Chriſt, that hath made bare his mighty army in the ſight & acknowledgment of our enemies? Did not the papiſts once acknowledge that God was become a lutheran? do they not feel to this day, that he that keeps Iſrael doth neither ſlūber nor ſleep? hath not our God watched ouer vsus, when wee hauehave ſlept in ſecurity? hath not hee foght for vsus, when our carnal weapōs hauehave bin confounded? hath he not got himſelf the glory of al our deliuerā ces, that ſo we might at length giuegive him the glory of his free mercies, that ſo we might not be afraid of any euill tidings, that ſtill we might feare, and depart from euil while the wicked rage, & are careles? ſurely howſoeuer the pit is digged for the wicked, and the conſumption decreed ſhall paſſe ouer to the confounding of hypocrites howſoeuer ſinner in Sion ſhalbe afraid, and feare ſhall take hold of the hypocrits, when Gods wrath approcheth yet ſhall the vpright heart then lift vp their heads becauſe their ſaluation draweth neere. The purging of the Church of hypocrites ſhalbe the preparing thereof to greater glorie and ſafetie, and the anointed of the Lord ſhall gaine more honour and ſecuritie, when the Lord Ieſus ſhalbe more aduanced vponupon his holy hill of Sion. And are not our enemies haſtening hereunto? hath not the patience of policie enraged them more and more, and doth not their wickedneſſe ſo breake out, that it can no longer be endured? Is it not time together with the ſafety of our ſoules, to prouide alſo for the ſecuritie of our liues and ſtates? Bleſſed bee the Lord for the vigilance and courage of the ſtate. Oh, bleſſed bee our God for his watchfulneſſe ouer vsus, were not all our building and watching elſe in vaine? And is it not then more then time to keepe our God waking by our prayers and teares? Is it not his time to awake out of ſecuritie, that ſo we may make our peace with God, that he may ſtil for his glory preſerue the peace of his Churches, that he may ſtill preuent and confound the enemies of his Church? And could I now hold my peace in this day of good tydings, when the Lord hath euen againe giuen vsus our liues for a prey, and pluckt vsus as a prey out of the teeth of the deuourer? HaueHave I not vowed a yeerely remembrance, for that great deliuerance from the gunpowder Treaſon? and doth the glorious Lord ſtill giuegive new occaſions to reuiue that great deliuerance? Are not his mercies renued eueryevery morning vntounto his, ſo great is his faithfulneſſe, and ſhall not we renew our thankfulneſſe by renewing our repentance? Shall wee not remember from whence wee are fallen, by remembring from whence we hauehave been deliuered, that ſo we may iuſtifie the free merciemercy of our God in our great deliuerances: and renewing our right in Ieſus Chriſt that ſo we may recouer our firſt louelove, and be enabled to walke worthy of the mercies of our God, in ſtrengthening the things that are readie to die, and continuing with all patience and perſeuerance, that no man take away our Crowne from vsus? Are not our earthly Crownes often ſhaken, that ſo we may bee ſure of the heauenly inheritance, which cannot bee ſhaken, that ſo we may haſten from this priſon, to that citie which is aboue? And hath not our gratious God giuen vsus euen Eagles wings, that we may mount vp from the louelove of this world, that we may flie away from the entiſing vanities theeof, & ſo come to that eternall reſt? May we not liue by faith in the experience of theſe ſo ſtrange and vnexpected deliuerances: that he which hath deliuered, doth all ſtill deliuer vsus, yea for his Names ſake will deliuer vsus from all vnreaſonable men, yea from eueryevery euill worke, that ſo we may be made meet for that glorious inheritance? And ſhall not this litle ſparke yeeld ſome light hereunto, till the depth of miſchiefe being further diſcouered, the candle may be lighted, and ſet vp vponupon the hill, to direct all to come out of Babylon, to further the Saints in their iourney to the heauenlie Ieruſalem: ſurely as it pleaſeth God to lend oportunity and libertie, ſo ſhall I not be wanting by Gods grace, from that light, to kindle ſuch a torch, that may either burne vp all the ſtubble of Popery, or elſe may ſufficientlie warne vsus to auoid the danger thereof. Meane while I hauehave thought good to take this occaſion, to maintain the ſoundnes of our ſpirituall ſtanding and recouery out of any decayes therein, that ſo wee may bee thereby fitted to thoſe further mercies which the Lord hath in ſtore for vsus. And ſeeing it hath pleaſed God to make you instruments (beloued) of my ſetling in the Citie, and exerciſe of my calling, I hauehave accounted it my duetie to conſecrate theſe firſt fruits of my ſetled labours vntounto you: beſeeching the Lord to giuegive you vnderſtanding in all things: and to preſerue you blameleſſe and vnſpotted in theſe euill times, vntounto the day of Ieſus Chriſt, to whoſe gratious protection I doe moſt hartily commend you, resting in him.
Your worſhips poore remembrancer at the throne of Grace, THOMAS COOPER.