z.Boeke. ~ Cafu ofConfcience. 4-9 ' L Q.!!eflion. Whether there..be ayol~ ' A thelight of grace miniflers the ground, and giues further proofc and euidcnce: ond the light of glory ycclds perfedion of aiTurance, makingchar perfedly andfullyknown,wh~eh by the former degrees was 'but wrakely and impcrfedlycomprehendtd. c()f thcfe three in order. SeEI. 1. m Efote wee conic toan(wer tbc<l.!Jellion~this one ea· ueat mu!l beremcmbred, that it is amaineGround The light of nature is that light, which Argument and P<inciple i'n all Reli· the view and confideration of the creatures fwm thc gions whatfoeuer, not to B both in generallandpatticular,atfordethvn· ~~'~:~!~• bee doubted of, or cal· to man. fromrhehghr of nature, there are c,cation.: ledmto qudlion, That there is a God. Hefiuediflinchrgumems,toprooucrhat there brewes 1!. 6. Hu th.r comrn<th toGod,mufl isaGod:theconfiderarion"hereoflfillnor odu•• rh•• God u. As fat rhofe that are beevnprcfirable, euento him that is beflfet· commonly rearmed Atheifls, which denie led in this point. that there is a God, theyare to bee puntOJed I. Thefirfl is taken from the creation and with death, a•not wotthie to liuein humane frame of the great bodteof the world, and focietie; and the grcatell torment that can thethingcs therein contained. Romanes t. bee douifed by·thcwirreofman, is toogood 10, Tht inuiji61e tl11•gu of him, tlw u, hut· fonhem. For if thofe bee holden as traitors mn•ll power and godhead, •re ~non·ot by tht to an earthly Prince , and are mofl de· Crwion of thtWorld, buing o•nfidered •• hu ferucdly ad'iudged to death, that reuile his wor~es. And out of this excellent frame of perfon, and dcnic his lawfull authoritie :then the world; rhe ttuth of the Godhead may they that call into queflion the Godhead, bee fundrte waycs prooued and mainrai· are much moreworrhie to be elleemed tr•Y· ned. tours to God, and confequently to beare the .FirCI,Iwould aske thir q~eHion:Thirgood. iufl punifhment of-their rebellion, death it G Jy frame of the world, had itabeginning, or felfe. ' nobeginningl For this caufe I doe not meane to difpute Let eitherpart,or bothbe taken.Let it firfl rhe quellion, whether there bee a God or bee [aid, ·it had no ~eginning, but is eternall, no; and.thcreby minilleroccafion of daub· as the Atheifl.holdcth. Then I rcafon rhus: ring aod deliberation in that which· is the If it had 110 beginning, the world it felfc is onelJ maine Ground and pillar ofChriltian God, and all the creaturesrhar are therein, rcligioh: but rather my purpofe is, in 0JCW· from thcgreatcftand highe~,ro theleall and tng that there is a God, to remoou<, or at bafell; yea,euery droppe of water in the fea, leall to helpe an inward corruption of the and euery corneof [and by the feafhore, are foule,rhat is great and dangerous, whereby Gods. The rcafon is, bccaufc acccrding to the heart and confcience by nature denieth thisopinioll,they haue their becingof them· God and his prouidence. The.wou11d in lho [clues without beginning; and that which is b:>dicthat plucl<cs out the hcarr,isrhe moll ..rubllancc of itfelfe,and harh no beginning, daogerou•wound ·chat can bee: and that o; is very God. pinion that takcrhaway the Godhead, doth Againc, ifthe world hath no beginning, in effect rend and plucke out the very heart J;). then it bath alfono ending, For thatr>hich of the foul-e. Thiscaueat premifcd, I come is witltour begtnning, is without ending. to the point in hand, to fhewrhatthere is a Now all thingcs in the world are lyable to God. corruptton, and confequently arc fubied to And fOr out better knowledge and alfu. anende. Forwharfocuet is corruptible, the ranee of thistruth, wear• to remember thus famcisfinite: therefore the world had a bemuob,tharGod hath giucnvmo man athree· ginning. (oldelight: the one ofnature; the other of Now if it had a beginning; then I de. grace,and thetbird of gloric. A11d by thefe, maund, huw it was made? did tt make it felfel a:i by fo many degrees of knowledge, the or was it made ofnothing1Ifitbce affirmed, minde bceing inlighrcncdbyGod, receiucth that it made irfclfc,then the world was before direction in the truth of the Godhead,both it was. If it be faid,it came from norhing,rhat for this prcfcntlife, and forthat which IS to alfo cannot be. For norhing brings forth no. cdme. rhing: and that which is nothing in it felfe, ;, M it beedemaunded, in whatorder God I cannot bringfotthfomcthing: therefore it is hatb rcueilcd this light vnto man: I an[wer, abfurd in rea[on to fay,rhat nothing brought rbatrhc light of nature ferueth to giue abefoorth this world. And hereupon it mull l"g'-in_nc:!n~g!..a:::n:::d:Jp!::r.:e!::pa::r::at:.io::n::.r:.:o:.:·r:::h:::is:.:k:::n:.:o:::w:::lc:.:dl>gC:e::.:L.:..::n:::••=d:::e~s :_:rc::;n:;:Ja:_:i:_:ne:.for a truth, that there was E ~ fomc
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=