Clause 8

Now hauing spoken hitherto of the first person the father, and also of the sonne, it followeth in the next place to speake of the third person, in these words, J beleeue in the holy Ghost. In which we may consider two things, the title of the person, and the action of faith repeated from the beginning. The title is, holy Ghost, or Spirit. It may here be demaunded, how this title can be fit to expresse the third person, which seemes to be common to the rest: for the father is holy, and the sonne is holy: againe the father is a spirit, and the sonne is a spirite. Answer. Indeede the father and the Sonne are as well to be tearmed holy in respect of their natures, as the third person: for all three subsisting in one and the same Godhead, are consequently holy by one and the same holines: but the third person is called holy, because beside the holines of natures, his office is to sanctifie the Church of God. Nowe if it be said that sanctification is a worke of the whole Trinitie, the answeare is, that although it be so, yet the worke of sanctification agrees to the holy Ghost in speciall maner. The father sanctifieth by the Sōne and by the holy Ghost: the Sonne sanctifieth from the father and by the holy Ghost: the holy Ghost sanctifieth frō the father and from the sonne by himselfe immediatly: and in this respect is the third person tearmed holy. Againe the third person is tearmed a Spirit, not only because his nature is spirituall (for in that respect the father is a spirite and the sonne is a spirit;) but because he is spired or breathed frō the father and from the sonne, in that he proceeds from thē both. Thus we see there is speciall cause why the third person is called the holy Ghost.

Now the action of faith which concernes the third person, is to beleeue in him. Which is, I. to acknowledge the H. Ghost as he hath reuealed himselfe in the word. II. In speciall to beleeue that he is my sanctifier and comforter. III. To put all the confidence of my heart in him, for that cause. In these words are comprised foure points of doctrine, which are to be beleeued concerning the H. Ghost. The first, that he is very God. For we are not to put our affiance or confidence in any but in God alone. And no doubt the pennars of the Creed in that they prefixed these words, I beleeue in, before the article of the third person, meant thereby to signifie that he is true God, equall with the father and the sonne, according to the tenour of the Scriptures themselues. Peter saith to Ananias: Why hath satan filled thine heart,¹ that thou shouldest lie vnto the holy Ghost? and continuing the same speach, he chaungeth the tearme onely, and saith, Thou hast not lied vnto men, but vnto God. Whereby he insinuateth that the holy Ghost is very God. In the vision of the Prophet Isai, the wordes by him set down are thus: I heard the voice of Iehoua, saying, whome shall I send,² &c. and he said, go and say to this people: Ye shall heare in deede, but ye shall not vnderstand. But Paul quoting the same place, spake on this maner: Well spake the H. Ghost by Esay the Prophet,³ saying, goe vnto this people and say vnto them. Now these places being compared together make it plaine, that the title of Iehovah, agreeth to the holy Ghost. But yet the enemies of this truth which thinke, that the holy Ghost is nothing else but the action or operation of God, obiect out of the Scriptures to the contrarie: I. God knoweth the Sonne: the holy Ghost knoweth not the Sonne: for none knoweth the sonne but the father:⁴ ergo the holy Ghost is not God. Answer. That place excludeth no person in Trinitie, but onely creatures, and false gods, and the meaning is this: None, that is, no creature, or idole god, knoweth the sonne of God, but the father. And the opposition is made to exclude creatures, not to exclude the holy Ghost. Againe they obiect, that the holy Ghost maketh request for vs with groanes and sighes that cannot be vttered:⁵ ergo the holy Ghost is not God, but rather a gift of God. For he that is true God can not pray, groane, or sigh. Answer. Pauls meaning is thereby to signifie that the holy Ghost causeth vs to make requests, and stirreth vp our heartes to groane and sigh to God: for he said before, we haue receiued the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, father.⁶ Yet further, they obiect the wordes of the angel Gabriel to the virgin Marie, saying,⁷ The vertue of the most high hath ouershadowed thee: and hence they gather, that if the holy Ghost be the vertue of God, then he is not God indeede. Answ. As Christ is called the word of God, not a word made of letters or syllables, but a substantiall word, that is, beeing for euer of the same substance with the father: so in this place the holy Ghost is called the vertue of the most highest, not because he is a created qualitie, but because he is the substantiall vertue of the Father & the sonne: & therfore God equal with them both. Furthermore they alledge, that neither the Scriptures nor the practise of the Primitiue Church doth warrant vs to pray to the holy Ghost. Ans. It is not true. For whensoeuer we direct our praier to any one of the three persons, in him we pray to them all. Besides, we haue example of praier made to the holy Ghost in the word of God. For Paul saith to the Corinthians,⁸ The grace of our Lord Iesus, the loue of God the father, and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you all. And the words are as if Paul had said thus; O father, let thy loue, O sonne, let thy grace, O holy Ghost, let thy fellowship be with them all. And therefore this first doctrine is true, and as wel to be beleeued as any other, that the holy Ghost is God.

The second point is, that the holy Ghost is a distinct person from the father and the sonne. Hereupon the articles touching the three persōs are thus distinguished, I beleue in the father, I beleeue in the sonne, I beleeue in the H. Ghost. This point also is consonant to the Scriptures which make the same distinctiō. In the baptisme of Christ, the father vttereth a voice from heauen, saying, This is my beloued Sonne, in whom I am well pleased: & not the Sonne,⁹ or the holy Ghost. Secondly the Sonne stoode in the water, and was baptised by Iohn, and not the Father, or the holy Ghost. Thirdly, the holy Ghost descended from heauen vpon Christ in the forme of a doue; and not the father, or the sonne, but the holy Ghost alone. Christ in his commission vnto his disciples, saith, Goe teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the father,¹⁰ the sonne, and the holy Ghost. Now if the holy Ghost had beene the same person either with the father, or with the sonne, then it had beene sufficient to haue named the father and the sonne onely. And the distinction of the third person from the rest, may be conceiued by this, that the holy Ghost is the holy Ghost, and not the father or the sonne.

The third point to be beleeued is, that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father and the sonne. For a further proofe hereof, consider these places. Paul saith, Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit:¹¹ for the spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any mā haue not the spirit of Christ, he is not his, & againe,¹² Because ye are sonnes, God hath sent forth the spirit of the sonne into your hearts: where we may obserue that the holy Ghost is the spirit both of the father and of the sonne. Now the holy Ghost is called the spirit of the father, not onely because he is sent of him, but because hee proceedeth from the father; as Christ saith to his disciples: When the comforter will come, whome I shall send vnto you from the father,¹³ euen the spirit of truth, which proceedeth of the father, he shall testifie of mee. And therefore likewise he is the spirit of the sonne, not onely because he is sent of the sonne, but also because he proceedeth from him. Againe, in the trinitie the person sending doth communicate his whole essence and substance to the person sent. As the father sending the sonne doth communicate his essence and substance to the sonne. For sending doth presuppose a communication of essence. Now the father and the sonne send the holy Ghost: therefore both of them communicate their substance and essence vnto the same person. Thirdly Christ saith, The holy Ghost hath receiued of mine,¹⁴ which he shall shew vnto you, namely knowledge and truth, to be reuealed vnto his Church. Whēce we may reason thus: the person receiuing knowledge from an other, receiues essence also: the H. Ghost receiueth truth & knowledge from Christ to be reuealed vnto the Church: & therfore first of all he hath receiued substance and essence from the sonne. But some peraduenture will say, where is it written in all the Bible in expresse words, that the holy Ghost proceeds frō the sōne as he proceeds frō the father. Ans. The Scripture saith not so much in plaine tearmes; yet we must know that that which is gathered forth of thē by iust cōsequēt, is no lesse the truth of God, then that which is expressed in words. Hereupon all Churches, saue those in Greece, with one consent acknowledge the truth of this point.

The fourth and last point is, that the holy Ghost is equal to the father & the sōne. And this we are taught to acknowledge in the Creede, in that we doe as well beleeue in the holy Ghost as in the father and the sonne. And though the holy Ghost be sent of the father & the sonne, yet (as I haue said before) that argues no inequalitie (for one equal may send an other by consent) but order onely, wherby the Holy Ghost is last of all the three persons. Againe in that the H. Ghost receiueth from the sonne, it prooues no inferioritie. Because he receiues from the sonne whatsoeuer he receiues by nature, and not by grace. And he receiues not a part, but all that the sonne hath, sauing the proprietie of his person.

Now follow the benefits which are giuen by th H. ghost, & they are of 2. sorts: some are cōmō to all creatures, & some are proper to men. The benefit of the H. Ghost common to all creatures, is the worke of creation & preseruation▪ For all things were created & made, & afterward preserued by the H. Ghost. So Elihu saith, The spirit of God hath made me. And Moses saith,¹⁵ In the beginning the spirit mooued vpon the waters. The phrase is borrowed from a bird, who in hatching of her young ones sits vpon the egges, mooues her selfe vpon them, and heates them. And so likewise the holy Ghost in the beginning did by his owne power cherish and preserue the masse or lumpe whereof all things were made, and caused it to bring foorth the creatures. This beeing euident that the holy Ghost hath a stroake in the worke of creation and preseruation, we must vnfainedly acknowledge that we were first created, and since that time continually preserued by the benefit euen of the third person.

The benefits proper vnto men, are of two sorts: some are common to all men both good and badde, and some proper to the elect and faithfull. The benefits common to all men are diuerse: I. the gift of practising a particular calling. As in the bodie seuerall members haue seuerall vses; so in euery societie seuerall men haue seuerall offices and callings, and the gifts whereby they are inabled to performe the duties thereof, are from the holy Ghost. When Gedeon became a valiant captaine to deliuer the Israelites, it is said he was cloathed with the spirit.¹⁶ Bezaleel and Aholiab beeing set apart to build the tabernacle, were filled with the spirit of God in wisedome and in vnderstanding,¹⁷ and in all workemanship, to finde out curious workes, to worke in gold and in siluer and in brasse; also in the art to set stones, and to carue in timber, &c. By this it is manifest, that the skill of any handicraft is not in the power of man, but comes by the holy Ghost. And by this we are taught to vse all those gifts well, wherby we are inabled to discharge our particular callings, that they may serue for the glorie of God, and the good of his Church: and those that in their callings vse fraud and deceit, or else liue inordinately, doe most vnthankfully abuse the gifts of the holy Ghost, which one day they must answeare for.

The second gift common to all, is Illumination, whereby a man is inabled to vnderstand the will of God in his word.¹⁸ The Iewes in the reading of the old testament had a vaile ouer their hearts: and the like haue all men by nature, to whome the word of God is foolishnes. Paul at his conuersion was smitten blinde, and skales were vpon his eyes: the like also be ouer the eies of our mindes; and they must fall away before we can vnderstand the will of God. Now it is the worke of the holy Ghost to remooue these skales and filmes from our eies. And for this very cause hee is called the annointing and eyesalue: for as it doth cleare the eyes,¹⁹ and take away dimnesse from them; so doth the holy Ghost take away blindnes from our mindes, that we may see into the truth of Gods word. This beeing a common gift, and receiued both of good and badde, it standeth vs in hand not to content our selues with the bare knowledge of the word, but therewithall we must ioyne obedience, and make conscience thereof, or else that will befall vs which Christ foretold,²⁰ that he which knoweth his masters will and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.

The third gift of the holy Ghost, is the gift of prophecie,²¹ whereby a man is made able to interpret and expound the Scriptures. Now albeit this gift be very excellent and not giuen to euery man, yet is it common both to good and badde. For in the day of iudgement when men shall come to Christ and say, Master we haue prophecied in thy name, he shall answer again, I neuer knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquitie. Hereupon those that are in the calling of the ministerie, and haue receiued the gift of prophecie, must not herewithall be puffed vp. For if they be not as wel doers of Gods will, as teachers, their gifts wil turne to their further condemnation. As the carpenters that built Noahs arke when the floode came were drowned, because they would not obey Noahs preaching: so those that haue the gifts of prophecie, and are builders in Gods house, if they build not themselues as well as others, for all their preaching at the day of iudgement, they shal be condemned▪ and therefore it standeth them in hande, not to content themselues with this, that they know and teach others Gods wil, but they themselues must be the first doers of the same.

The fourth common gift of the holy Ghost, is Abilitie to bridle and restraine some affections, so as they shall not breake out into outragious behauiour. Haman a wicked man, & an enemie to Gods Church, when he saw Mordecai the Iew sitting in the kings gate, & that he would not stand vp nor moue for him, he was full of indignatiō, neuertheles the text saith, that he refrained himselfe. And when Abimelech an heathen king had taken Sara Abrahams wife,²² God said vnto him: I know that thou diddest this with an vpright heart: and the text addeth further, I haue kept thee,²³ that thou shouldest not sinne against me. And thus the Lord giueth to men, as yet without the spirit of sanctification, this gift to bridle them selues, so as in outward action they shall not practise this or that sinne. For why did not Abimelech commit adulterie? surely because God kept him from it. Againe, in the histories of the heathen we may read of many that were iust, liberall, meeke, continent, &c. and that by a generall operation of the holy Ghost that represseth the corruption of nature for the common good. Here then if any man aske, how it commeth to passe that some men are more modest and ciuill then others, seeing all men by nature are equally wicked, the answeare may be▪ not as the common saying is, because some are of better nature then others (for all the sonnes of Adam are equall in regard of nature: the childe new borne in that respect is as wicked as the eldest man that euer liued) but the reason is, because God giueth this common gift of restraining the affections more to some then to others. This must be considered of vs all. For a man may haue the spirit of God to bridle many sinnes, and yet neuer haue the spirit to mortifie the same, and to make him a new creature. And this beeing so, we must take heede that we deceiue not our selues. For it is not sufficient for a man to liue in outward ciuilitie, & to keepe in some of his affections vpon some occasion (for that a wicked man may doe) but we must further labour to feele in our selues the spirit of God, not onely bridling sinne in vs, but also mortifying and killing the same. In deede both of them are the good gifts of Gods spirit, but yet the mortification of sinne is the chiefest, beeing an effectuall signe of grace, and proper to the elect.

The fifth grace and gift of the holy Ghost is, to heare and receiue the word of God with ioy. In the parable of the sower, one kinde of badde grounde are they, which when they haue heard,²⁴ receiue the word with ioy. And this is that which the author of the Hebrues calls the tasting of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come. We knowe that there is great difference betweene tasting of meate and eating of it. They that sit downe at the table doe both tast and eate, but they that dresse the meate doe onely see and tast thereof: so it is at the Lords table. Many there be that haue this gift, truly both to tast and eate of the bodie and bloode of Christ offered in the word and sacraments: and some againe doe onely tast and feele the sweetenesse of them and reioyce therein, but yet are not indeede partakers thereof. Now if this be so, then all those which heare the worde of God must take heede how they heare, and labour to finde these two things in themselues by hearing: I. that in heart and conscience they be thoroughly touched and humbled for their sinnes: II. that they be certēly assured of the fauour and loue of God in Christ, and that the sweete promises of the Gospell doe belong to them: and in consideration hereof they must make conscience of all sinne both in thought word & deede, through the whole course of their liues. And this kinde of hearing bringeth that ioy which vanisheth not away.

Thus much of the benefits of the holy Ghost common to all men both good and bad: now follow such as are proper to the Elect▪ all which may be reduced vnto one▪ namely the Inhabitation of the spirit, whereby the elect are the temples of the H. Ghost: who is said to dwell in men, not in respect of substance (for the whole nature of the H. Ghost cannot be comprised in the bodie or soule of man) but in respect of a particular operation: and this dwelling stands in two things. The first that the holy Ghost doth abide in them, not for a time onely, but for euer: for the worde, dwelling, noteth perpetuitie. Secondly, that the holy Ghost hath the full disposition of the heart, as when a man commeth to dwell in an house, whereof he is lord, he hath libertie to gouerne it after his owne will: now this disposition of the hearts of the faithfull by the holy Ghost, standeth in fiue speciall & notable gifts, euery one worth our obseruation.

The first is a certen knowledge of a mans owne reconciliation to God in Christ. As it is said in Isai, By his knowledge my righteous seruant shall iustifie many.²⁵ And Christ saith, This is life eternall that they knowe thee to be the onely very God, and whome thou hast sent Jesus Christ.²⁶ This knowledge is not generall, for then the deuils might be saued; but it is particular, whereby a man knoweth God the father to be his father, and Christ the redeemer, to be his redeemer, and the holy Ghost to be his sanctifier and comforter. And it is frō the speciall worke of the H. Ghost, as Paul saith,²⁷ The spirit of God beareth witnes to our spirits, that we are the children of God. And, we haue receiued the spirit which is of God,²⁸ that we might knowe the things that are giuen vnto vs of God.

The second gift is regeneration, whereby a man of a limme of the deuill is made a member of Christ, and of a child of satan (whome euery one of vs by nature do as liuely resemble as any man doth his owne parent) is made the child of God. Except a man (saith our Sauiour Christ) be born againe by water and the spirit,²⁹ he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen. Iohn Baptist in saying that Christ baptized with the H. Ghost and fire, compares the spirit of God to fire and water. To fire for two causes: I. as it is the nature of fire to warme the bodie that is benummed and frozen with cold: so when a man is benummed and frozen in sinne, yea when he is euen stark dead in sinne, it is the propertie of the holy Ghost to warme and quicken his heart, and to reuiue him. II. Fire doth purge and eate out the drosse from the good mettall: now there is no drosse nor canker that hath so deepely eaten into any mettall as sinne into the nature of man, and therefore the holy Ghost is as fire to purge and eate out the hidden corruptions of sinne out of the rebellious heart of man. Againe the holy Ghost is compared to cleare water for two causes: I. man by nature is as drie wood without sappe, and the propertie of the holy Ghost is as water to supple and to put sappe of grace into the dead and rotten heart of man. II. the propertie of water is to clense and purifie the filth of the bodie: euen so the holy Ghost doth spiritually wash away our sinnes, which are the filth of our nature; and this is the second benefite of the H. Ghost. By this we are taught that he which would enter into the kingdō of God, & haue the H. Ghost to dwell in him, must labour to feele the worke of regeneration by the same holy spirit: and if a man would know whether he haue this worke wrought in him or no, let him marke what S. Paul saith, They that are of the spirit, sauour the things that are of the spirit: but they that liue after the flesh,³⁰ sauour the things of the flesh. If therefore a man haue his heart continually affected with that which is truly good, either more or lesse; it is a certen token that his wicked nature is changed, and he regenerate: but contrariwise if his heart be alwaies set on the pleasures of sinne, and the things of this world, he may iustly suspect himselfe that he is not regenerated. As for example: if a man haue all his minde set vpon drinking & gulling in of wine and strong drink, hauing litle delight nor pleasure in any thing els, it argues a carnal mind and vngerenerate, because it affects the things of the flesh; & so of the rest. And on the cōtrary, he that hath his minde affected with a desire to do the wil of God, in practising the works of charitie & religion, he I say, hath a spirituall and a renewed heart, and is regenerate by the holy Ghost.

The third worke of the holy Ghost is, to gouerne the hearts of the elect: this may be called spirituall regiment. A man that dwelleth in a house of his owne, orders & gouerns it according to his owne will: euen so the holy Ghost gouerns all thē in whō he dwelleth, as Paul saith, they that are the sonnes of God are ledde by his spirit,³¹ a most notable benefit: for looke where the holy Ghost dwelleth, there he wil be Lord, gouerning both heart, minde, will, and affections; and that two waies: I. by repressing all badde motions vnto sinne, arising either from the corruption of mans nature, from the world, or from the deuill. II. by stirring vp good affections and motions vpon euery occasion: so it is saide, The flesh (that is, the corruption of mans nature) lusteth against the spirit:³² and the spirit (that is, grace in the heart) lusteth against the flesh; and that after a double sort: first by labouring to ouermaster and keepe downe the motions thereof: secondly by stirring vp good motions and inclinations to pietie and religion. In Esay the holy Ghost hath most excellent titles: The spirit of the Lord: the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding: the spirit of counsell, and of strength:³³ the spirit of knowledge, and of the feare of the Lord. Now he is so called, because he stirreth vp good motions in the godly, of wisedome, of knowledge, of strength, of vnderstanding, of counsell, and of the feare of the Lord. And Saint Paul saith, that the fruits of the spirit are ioy, peace, loue, long suffering, gentlenes, goodnes, faith, meekenes, temperance, &c. all which are so tearmed,³⁴ because where the H. Ghost ruleth, there he ingendreth these good gifts and motions of grace: but among all the inward motions of the spirit, the most principall are these: I. an vtter disliking of sinne, because it is sinne. And that is, when a man hath an eye not so much to another mans sinnes, as to his owne, and seeing them▪ is truly sorowfull for them, and disliketh them, and himselfe for them, not so much because there is a place of torment, or a day of iudgement to come, wherin he must answer to God for them all: but as if there were no hell or iudgement, because God is displeased by them, who hath beene vnto him a most louing and merciful father in redeeming him by Christ. The second is an hungring desire aboue all things in this world, to be at vnitie with God in Christ for the same sinnes. This is a motion of the H. Ghost, which no man can haue but he in whom the H. Ghost doth dwell. The third, the gift of heartie praier. For this cause the H. Ghost is called the spirit of supplications, because it stirreth vp the heart,³⁵ & makes it fit to pray: & therefore Paul saith, that the spirit of God helpeth our infirmities: for we knowe not what to pray as we ought,³⁶ but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed. This is an ordinarie worke of the holy Ghost in all that beleeue: and he that would know whether he haue the spirit dwelling truly in his heart, shall know it by this: A mother carrieth hir child in hir armes, if it crie for the dugge and suckes the same, it is aliue: being obserued many daies together if it neither crie nor stirre, it is dead. In like manner it is an vnfallible note of a true child of God to cry to his father in heauen by praier, but he that neuer crieth nor feeleth himselfe stirred vp to make his mone to God, is in a miserable case, and he may well be thought to be but a dead childe: and therefore let vs learne in praier vnfainedly to powre out our soules before God, considering it is a speciall gift of the holy Ghost bestowed on the children of God.

The fourth worke of the holy Ghost in the heart of the elect is, comfort in distresse, and therefore our Sauiour Christ calleth him the comforter whome he will sende: and in the Psalme he is called the oyle of gladnes,³⁷ because he maketh glad the heart of man in trouble and distresse. There be two things that fill the heart full of endlesse griefe: I. outward calamities, as when a man is in any daunger of death, when he looseth his goods, his good name, his friends, and such like. The second thing is, a troubled conscience, whereof Salomon saith, A troubled spirit, who can beare it? and of all other it is the most heauie and grieuous crosse that can be. When as the hand of God was heauie vpon Iob, this was the soarest of all his affliction, and therefore he crieth out that the arrowes of the almightie did sticke in his soule. Now what is the comfort in this case? Answer. In the middest of all our distresses the holy Ghost is present with vs, to make vs reioyce and to fill vs with comforts that no tongue can expresse. And hereupon, the vngodly man when afflictions befal him, is readie to make away himselfe, because he wanteth the comfort of the holy Ghost.

The last benefit wrought in the hearts of the elect is, the strengthening of them to doe the weightiest duties of their callings: and hence the holy Ghost is called the spirit of strength.³⁸ There be diuerse things to be done of a Christian man that are farre beyond the reach of his power; as first, when he seeth his owne sinnes and is truly humbled for them, then to lift vp the hand of faith to heauen, and thereby to catch hold on the mercie of God in Christ, is the hardest thing in the whole world: and this doe all those know to be true in some part, which know what it is to beleeue. Secondly it is as hard a thing in the time of temptation to resist temptation, as for drie wood to resist the fire when it begins to burne. Thirdly, when a man is put to his choice, either to loose his life, goods, friends, and all that he hath, or else to forsake religion; euen then to forsake all and to sticke vnto Christ, is a matter of as great difficultie as any of the former. Fourthly, when a man wanteth the ordinarie meanes of Gods providence, as meat, drinke, and cloathing, then at the very same instant to acknowledge Gods prouidence, to reioyce in it, and to relie thereon, is as much as if a man should shake the whole earth. It is against our wicked nature to trust God, vnlesse he first lay down some pawne of his loue and mercie towards vs. How then, will some say, shall any one be able to doe these things? Answer. The holy Ghost is the spirit of strength, and by him we doe al things, as Paul saith, J am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me.³⁹

Concerning these gifts of the holy Ghost, two questions may be mooued. First, what is the measure of grace in this life. Answer. Small in respect. In this world, we receiue, as Paul saith, but the first fruits of Gods spirit: and the earnest of the spirit.⁴⁰ Nowe the first fruits properly are but as an handfull or twaine of corne, to a whole corne field, containing many acres and furlongs of ground. And the earnest in a bargaine it may be is but a pennie laid downe for the paying of twentie thousand pound. The second question is, whether the graces of the H. Ghost may be wholly lost or not. Answer. The common gifts of the spirit may be lost and extinquished: But the gifts proper to the Elect can not. Indeede they may be diminished and couered as coales vnder ashes, and as the sappe in the roote of the tree in the winter season, not appearing at all in the braunches; and the feeling of them may be lost: but they cannot either finally or totally be abolished. It is true that God doth forsake his children; but that is only in part, as he left Ezechias to prooue & try what was in his heart. A mother that loues her child most tenderly,⁴¹ sets it downe in the flore, lets it stand & fall & break the face, and all this while shee hides her selfe, not because her purpose is to leaue her childe quite, or to make it hurt it selfe; but that when shee taketh it up againe, it may loue her the better. So dealeth the Holy Ghost with men to make them see their own weakenesse & frailtie: he hides himselfe as it were in some corner of the heart for a season, that they may the more earnestly hunger after grace, the want whereof they felte.

The use of this article whereby we confesse that we beleeue in the Holy Ghost is manifold. First, considering that all the giftes which any man hath, whether they be giftes of knowledge in the worde of God, or of humane learning, or againe giftes whereby men are inabled to practise their trades or handicraftes, doe come not from our selues but from the holy ghost, we are taught this dutie. Looke what giftes soeuer we for our partes haue receiued of the spirit of God, we must use them so, as they may euer serue for the glorie of God and good of our brethren, and not to the practising & setting forth of any maner of sinne, and by consequent to the seruice of the deuill. For that is as if a man receiuing riches and reuenues of his prince should straight way go to the princes enemie & employ them for his benefite; which were a point of exceeding trecherie.

Furthermore in euery place the greater part of men are blind and ignorant persons both young and olde: and aged folkes as they are ignorant themselues, so they nuzzle up their youth in ignorance. Conferre with them, you shall find that they can say nothing but that which may be learned by common talke, as that there is a God, and that this God must bee worshipped: but aske them further of the meanes of their saluation, and of their duties to God and man, and they will answere you that they are not booke-learned: tell them further that the ordinarie means to bring men to knowledge is the preaching of the word, which if they will not use, they shalbe inexcusable; they will say, alas, we are dull of memorie and can not learne. Well, for all this, thou saiest thou beleeuest in the holy ghost, and hee is thy schoole-master to teach thee: though thy capacitie be dull, yet he is able to open thine understāding: for as there is outwarde teaching by the minister, so the worke of the holy ghost is ioyned withall to enlighten the conceit of the minde, that they which heare the worde with reuerence may profite thereby and get knowledge. But if for all this men will not learne, but remaine ignorant still, then let them marke the example of the sonnes of Eli: he in some part did rebuke them for their wickednesse, but yet they woulde not obey; and the reason is there set downe, because the Lorde would destroy them. In the same manner howsoeuer we may not iudge of any mans person,⁴² yet this may be said, that if men refuse to heare the worde of God when they may, or if in hearing they will not obey, it is a fearefull signe that God will at length destroy them. When a trumpet is sounded in a mans eare, and hee lyes still, not stirring at all, hee is certenly deade. And surely when the trumpet of the gospell is sounded in the eares of our hearts, if we awake not out of our sinnes to newnesse of life, wee are no better then deade men before God. Wherefore the case beeing thus dangerous and the punishment so great, let us labour in time for the knowledge of Gods will, and preuent Gods iudgements before they light upon us.

Thirdly, as the Apostle saith, If we live in the spirite, wee must walke in the spirit,⁴³ that is, if we be dead unto sinne by the power of the holy ghost, and be raised up to newnesse of life, then we must walke in the spirite. Now to walke in the spirite, is to leade our liues in shewing forth the fruites of the spirite.⁴⁴ In Esai the holy ghost is compared unto water powred foorth on the drie land, which maketh the willowes to blossome and to beare fruite: wherefore those that haue the giftes of the spirit must be trees of righteousnes bringing forth the fruits of the spirit, which (as they are set downe by Paul) are principally nine.

The first fruit is love, which respects both God and man. Loue unto God is an inwarde and spirituall motion in the heart, whereby God is loued absolutely for himselfe. This loue shewes it selfe in two things. I. when a mans heart is set and disposed to seeke the honour and glorie of God in all thinges. II. when a man by all meanes strives and endeauours himselfe to please God in euery thing, counting it a most miserable estate to liue in the displeasure of God: and the hearte that is thus affected, can haue no greater torment then to fall into sinne, whereby God is offended and his displeasure prouoked. By these two signes a man may know whether he loue God or no, and by them also must hee testifie his loue. Now our loue to man is a fruite of this loue of God: for God is to be loued for himselfe: man is loued for God. This loue must not be in shew onely, but in deede and action. Saint Iohn biddeth us not to loue in worde and tongue onely,⁴⁵ but in deed and trueth. Brotherly loue doth not alwaies lie hid, but when an occasion is offered, it doeth breake forth into action; it is like fire, which though for a time it be smothered, yet at length it breakes forth into a flame. And so much loue a man sheweth to his neighbour as he hath, and where none is shewed, none is.

The second fruite is Ioy, when a man is as glad at the good of his neighbor as at his own good: & this is a speciall worke of the holy ghost. For the nature of man is to pine away and to grieue at the good of another; and it is a worke of grace to reioyce thereat. Paul saieth, Reioyce with them that reioyce.⁴⁶ And this was the holy practise of the friendes and neighbours of Zacharias and Elizabeth, when Iohn Baptist was borne,⁴⁷ They came and reioyced with them.

The third fruit of the spirit is Peace. Of this Paul speaketh most excellently, saying, If it be possible, as much as in you is have peace with all men. It is nothing else, but cōcord which must be kept in an holy manner, with all men,⁴⁸ both good & bad so farre forth as can be. Isai the Prophet speaking of the fruits of the gospell saieth, The woolfe shall dwell with the lamb, & the leopard with the kid, &c. Where note▪⁴⁹ that in the kingdome of Christ, when a man is called into the state of grace, howsoeuer by nature he be as a wolfe, as a leopard, as a lyon, or as a beare, yet he shal then lay away his cruell nature, and become gentle and liue peaceably with all men. Now for the practising of this peace, there are three duties especially to be learned & perfourmed: I. rather then peace shoulde be broken, a man must yeeld of his owne right. When Publicanes came to our Sauiour Christ for tribute, he had a lawfull excuse: for howsoeuer he liued in lowe estate among them, yet hee was the right heire to the kingdome, & therefore was free: neuerthelesse he stood not on his priuiledge, but calleth Peter, saying, Least wee offend them, goe to the sea and cast in an angle, and take the first fish that commeth up:⁵⁰ and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt finde a peece of twentie pence: take it, and give it to them for thee and me. Here we see that our Sauiour Christ, rather then he woulde breake the common peace, yeeldes of his owne right: and so we must doe if we will be good followers of him. Secondly when any man shall sinne either in worde or in deed, specially if it be upon infirmitie, wee must auoide bitter invectiues and mildely tell him of his fault, and in all meekenesse and loue labour for his amendment.⁵¹ So Paul teacheth us, saying, If any man be fallen into any fault by occasion, restore such an one with the spirite of meekenesse, considering thy selfe, least thou be also tempted, &c. Beare yee one anothers burden. Thirdly euery man within the compasse of his calling, must be a peace-maker betweene them that are at variance. This is a speciall duty of godlines and christianitie, and therefore our Sauiour Christ doeth highly commend such, and pronounceth this blessing upon them,⁵² that they shall be called the children of God.

The fourth fruite of the spirit is long suffering: and it standeth in two pointes: I. when a man deferreth his anger and is hardly brought to it: II. being angrie doth yet moderate the same, and stay the hotnesse of that affection. For the first, to bridle anger, it is a speciall work of the H. ghost, and the meanes to attaine vnto it are these: I. not to take notice of the iniuries and wrongs done unto us, if they be not of great moment, but to let them passe, as not knowing them. Salomon saith, It is a mans discretion to deferre his anger.⁵³ Now how is that done? It is added in the next words: It is the glory of a man to passe by infirmitie: that is, when a man shall ouershoote himselfe, either in word or in deede, to let it passe either wholly, or till a time convenient, as though we knew not of it. The second way to deferre and bridle anger is, when a man hath iniuried us either in word or deede, to thinke with our selues that wee haue iniured others in the same maner: and for this cause Salomon saith, Give not thine hearte to all the wordes that men speake,⁵⁴ least thou doe heare thy servant cursing thee: For oftentimes thine heart also knoweth that thou hast cursed others. A man must not listen to euerie mans wordes at all times: but hee is to thinke that he hath spoken or done the same to other men, and that now the Lord meeteth with him by the like, as it is saide, With what measure yee meete,⁵⁵ it shalbe measured to you againe. This is a thing which few consider. Euill men desire good reporte and woulde haue all men speake well of them, whereas they can speake well of none: but indeede they must begin to speake well of others before others shall speake well of them. Thirdly, a man must consider how God dealeth with him. For so often as he sinneth hee prouoketh god to cast him away and to confound him eternally, yet the Lorde is mercifull and long suffering. Euen so when men doe offend and iniury us, wee must doe as God doth: not be angry but fight against our affections, endeauouring to become patient & long suffering as God is with us. The second propertie of long suffering is to keepe the affection of anger in moderation and compasse. It is not alwaies a sinne to be angry, and therefore it is said of Christ (in whome was no blemish of sinne) that he was angry:⁵⁶ yet wee must looke that our anger be moderate and not overlong, as Paul saith, Let not the sonne goe downe vpon your wrath.

The fift fruite of the spirite is gentlenesse, whereby a man behaueth and sheweth himselfe friendly and courteous to euerie man, as Paul saith to Titus, Put them in remembrāce that they speake evill of no man, that they be no fighters but soft,⁵⁷ shewing all meekenesse unto all men, whether they be good or badde. This gentlenesse standeth in these pointes: First to speake to euerie man friendly and louingly. II. to salute friendly and courteously. III. to be readie upon euery occasion to giue reuerence and honour to euery man in his place. It is made a question of some whether a man is to salute & speak unto them that are knowen to be lewd & wicked men: but here we see what our dutie is in that we are taught to be curteous to all men both good and badde, yet so as wee approoue not of their sinnes: as for that which S. Iohn saith of false Prophets, Receive them not, neither bid them God speed,⁵⁸ it is to be understood of giuing an outward approbation to false teachers.

The sixt fruit is goodnesse, which is, when a man is ready to doe good and become seruiceable in his calling to all men at all times upon all occasions. This was to be seene in that holy man Iob▪ he saith, that hee was eyes to the blind, and feete to the lame,⁵⁹ a father unto the poore, and when he knew not the cause, he sought it out. And S. Paul shewed this fruite most notably after his conuersion, for he saith, that hee was made all things to all men that he might save some.⁶⁰ Hee was content to undergoe any thing for the good of any man. And as we haue heard, the godly are trees of righteousnes bearing fruit not for themselues but for others, and therfore Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians giueth this rule,⁶¹ Do service one to another in love. In these daies it is harde to finde these duties perfourmed in any place. For both practise and proverbe is commonly this, Every man for himselfe, and God for us all: but it is a gracelesse saying, and the contrary must be practised of all that desire to be guided by the spirit.

The seuenth fruite is faith: Faith or fidelitie standeth in these two duties. One to make conscience of a lie, and to speake everie thing whereof we speake, as we thinke it is, and not to speake one thing and thinke another. A rare thing it is to find this vertue in the world now a daies: who is he that maketh conscience of a lie? and is not truth banished out of our coastes, considering that for gaines and outward commodities men make no bones of glosing and dissembling? but alas, the practise is damnable, & the contrarie is the fruite of the Holy Ghost, namely to speake the truth from the heart: and he that can doe this by the testimonie of God himselfe shall rest in the mountaine of his holinesse,⁶² euen in the kingdome of heauen. The second point wherin fidelitie consisteth is, when a man hath made a promise that is lawfull and good, to keepe and performe the same. Some thinke it is a small matter to breake promise, but indeed it is a fruite of the flesh; and contrariwise a fruite of the spirite to perfourme a lawfull promise: and a mans word should be as sure as an obligation: and in conscience a man is bounde to keepe promise so farre foorth as hee will, to whom the promise is made. Indeed if a man be released of his promise, he is then free: otherwise if wee promise and doe not perfourme, we doe not onely cracke our credit before men, but also sinne before God.

The eighth fruite of the spirit is meekenesse, which is a notable grace of God, when a man prouoked by iniuries doth neither intend nor enterprise the requitall of the same. And it standes in three duties. The first is to interprete the sayings and doings of other men in better part as much as possibly may be. The second when men mistake and misconstrue our sayings and doings, if the matter be of smaller moment, to be silent and patient as Christ was when hee was accused before the high priestes and Pharisies: this being withall remembred, that if the matter be of weight and moment, we may defend our selues by soft and milde answeres. The thirde is not to contend in word or deede with any man, but when wee are to deale with others to speake our mind and so an end.

The last fruite of the spirit is temperance, whereby a man bridleth his appetite or lust in meate, drinke, and apparell. In bridling the lust, these rules must be observed. I. Eating and drinking must be ioyned with continuall fasting, after this manner. Wee must not glutt our selues, but rather abstaine from that which nature desireth, and as some use to speake, leaue our stomackes craving. II. A man must so eate and drinke, as afterwarde he may the better be inabled for Gods worship. Creatures are abused when they make us unfitte to serue God. The commō fault is; on the sabbath day men so pamper themselues, as that they are made unfitte both to heare and learne Gods worde, and fitte for nothing but to slumber and sleepe: but following this rule of temperance these faultes shall be amended. III. This must be a caueat in our apparell, that we be attired according to our callings in holy comelinesse. The Lorde hath threatned to visite all those that are cloathed in straunge apparell.⁶³ And holy comelinesse is this, when the apparell is both for fashion and matter so made and worne, that it may expresse and shew forth the graces of God in the heart, as sobrietie, temperaunce, grauitie, &c. and the beholder may take occasion by the apparell, to acknowledge and commend these vertues. But lamentable is the time, looke on men and women in these daies, and you may see and reade their sinnes written in great letters on their apparell, as intemperance, pride, and wantonnesse. Euerie day new fashions please the world, but indeede that holy comelinesse which the Holy Ghost doeth commend to us is the right fashion when all is done. And these are the nine fruites of the spirit, which wee must put in practise in our liues and conuersations.

Fourthly if we beleeue in the holy ghost, and thereupon doe persuade our selues, that hee will dwell in us: wee must daily labour as wee are commaunded to keepe our vessels in holinesse and honour unto the Lorde:⁶⁴ and the reason is good. If a man be to entertaine but an earthly prince or some man of state, he would be sure to haue his house in a readinesse, & all matters in order against his comming, so as euery thing might be pleasing unto so worthy a guest: well now, behold, wee put our confidence and affiance in the holy ghost, and doe beleeue that he will come unto us, and sanctifie us, and lodge in our hearts. He is higher then all states in the world whatsoeuer, and therefore we must looke that our bodies and soules be kept in an honourable and holy manner, so as they may be fitte temples for him to dwell in. S. Paul biddeth us not to grieve the holy spirite,⁶⁵ where the holy ghost is compared to a guest, & our bodies and soules unto Innes: and as men use their guestes friendly and courteously, shewing unto them all seruice and dutie: so must wee doe to gods spirite which is come to dwell and abide in us, doing nothing in any case, which may disquiet or molest him. Now there is nothing so grieuous unto him as our sinnes, and therefore we must make conscience of all manner of sinne, least by abusing of our selues, we do cause the holy ghost as it were with griefe to depart frō us. When the arke of the couenant which was a signe of the presence of God, was in the house of Obed Edom, the text saieth, that the Lord blessed him and all his house:⁶⁶ but when the holy ghost dwelles in a mans heart, there is more then the arke of the Lorde present, euen God him selfe: and therefore may we looke for a greater blessing. Now then shall we grieue the holy goost by sinning, seeing we reape such benefite by his abode? It is saide, that our Sauiour Christ was angrie when hee came into the temple at Ierusalem, and saw the abuses therein. Now shall hee be angrie for the abuses that are done in a temple of stone, and seeing the temples of our bodies which are not made of stone, but are spirituall, figured by that earthly temple, seeing them (I say) abused by sinne, will he not be much more angry? Yea we may assure our selues, he can not abide that. And therefore if wee beleeue in the holy ghost, wee must hereupon be mooued to keepe our bodies and soules pure & cleane. And further to perswade us hereunto, we must remember this, that when we pollute our soules and bodies with any manner of sinne, wee make them euen stables and styes for our wretched enemie the deuill to harbour in. For when Sathan is once cast out, if afterward wee fall againe to our olde sinnes and loosenesse of life, and so defile our bodies, they are then most cleane and neate for him to dwell in: whereupon he wil come and bring seuen other deuils worse then himselfe, and so a mans last ende shall be worse then his beginning. Now what a fearefull thing is this, that the body which should be a temple for the holy ghost, by our sinnes should be made a stable for the devill. Further S. Paul biddeth us, not to quench the spirit. The graces of the holy spirite in this life are like sparks of fire,⁶⁷ which may soone be quenched with a little water. Now so oft as we sinne, we cast water upon the grace of God, and as much as wee can put out the same: therefore it standes us in hand to make conscience of euery thing wherein wee may offende and displease God. And wee may assure our selues, that so long as wee liue and lie in our corruptions and sinnes, the Holy Ghost will neuer come and dwell with us. Hee is a pure spirite, and therefore must haue an undefiled temple to dwell in.

Thus we haue heard what is to be beleeued concerning the father, sonne, & holy ghost: now looke as we beleeue in God distinguished into 3. persons: so we must remember that when wee perfourme diuine worshippe to him, we may distinguish the persons, but wee are not to seuer them: when wee pray to the father, wee must not omit the sonne or the Holy Ghost, but make our praiers to them all: for as in nature they are one, and in person not deuided but distinguished: so in all worshippe wee must neuer confounde or seuer the persons, but distinguish them, and worship the trinitie in unitie and untie in trinitie: one God in three persons, and three persons in one God.

Footnotes

1. Act. 5.3.4. ↩

2. Isa. 6.9. ↩

3. Act. 28.15. ↩

4. Mat. 11.27. ↩

5. Rom. 8.26. ↩

6. Rom. 8.15. ↩

7. Luk. 1.31. ↩

8. 2. Cor. 13.13.
   ↩

9. Math. 15.16. ↩

10. Matt. 28.19. ↩

11. Rom. 8.9. ↩

12. Gal. 4.6. ↩

13. Ioh. 15.26. ↩

14. Ioh. 14.16. ↩

15. Iob 33.4. Gen. 1▪2▪ ↩

16. Iud. 6.34. ↩

17. Exod 31.3. ↩

18. Heb. 6.4. ↩

19. 1. Ioh. 2.20. Apoc. 3▪18.
    ↩

20. Luk. 12.47 ▪ ↩

21. 1. Cor. 12.10 ▪
    ↩

22. Hest. 5.10▪ ↩

23. Gen. 20.6. ↩

24. Luk. 8.13. ↩

25. Esa. 53.11. ↩

26. Ioh. 17.3. ↩

27. Rom. 8.16. ↩

28. 1. Cor. 2.12.
    ↩

29. Ioh. 3.5. Math. 3.11. ↩

30. Rom. 8.5. ↩

31. Rom. 8.14. ↩

32. Gal. 5.17. ↩

33. Esa. 11▪2. ↩

34. Gal. 5.22. ↩

35. Zach. 12.10. ↩

36. Rom. 8.26. ↩

37. Ioh. 15.26. Psal. 45.9. ↩

38. Esa. 11.2. ↩

39. Phil. 4.12. ↩

40. Rom. 8.23. 2. Cor. 1.22. ↩

41. 2. Chr. 32.31
    ↩
42. 1. Sam. 2.25.
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43. Gal. 5.25. ↩

44. Esa. 44.3, 4. ↩

45. 1. Ioh. 3.18.
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46. Rom. 12.15. ↩

47. Luk. 1.58. ↩

48. Rom. 12.18. ↩

49. Esai. 11.6. ↩

50. Mat. 17.26, 27. ↩

51. Gal. 6.1. ↩

52. Mat. 5.9. ↩

53. Prov. 19.11. ↩

54. Eccles. 7.23. ↩

55. Mat. 7.2. ↩

56. Mar. 3.5. ↩

57. Tit. 3.2. ↩

58. 2. Iohn. 10.
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59. Iob. 36.15. ↩

60. 1. Cor. 9.22.
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61. Gal. 5.13. ↩

62. Psal. 15. ↩

63. Tit. 2.3. ↩

64. 1. Thess. 4.4.
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65. Eph. 4▪30. ↩

66. 2. Sam. 6.11.
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67. 1. Thes. 5.1▪
    ↩