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A Golden Chain

William Perkins 1600
Perkins presents a systematic theological chain linking predestination, calling, justification, and glorification as interconnected elements of salvation.

EEBO-TCP A09339 (passages 0–327) (TEI), original spelling, printed page numbers

From the text

The opening of the work as printed, from p. 1, in the spelling of this edition.

p. 1CHAP. 1. Of the bodie of Scripture and Theologie.

THe bodie of Scripture, is a doctrine sufficient to liue well.

It comprehendeth many holy sciences, whereof one is principall, others are handmaids or retainers.

The principall science is Theologie.

Theologie, is the science of liuing blessedly for euer. Blessed life consisteth in the knowledge of God. Ioh. 17:3. This is life eternall, that they know thee to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Christ Iesus. Esai 53.11. By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant (viz. Christ) iustifie many. And therefore it consisteth likewise in the knowledge of our selues, because we know God by looking into our selues.

Theologie hath two parts: the first of God, the second of his workes.

p. 1CHAP. 2. Of God, and the nature of God.

THat there is a God, it is euident: 1. by the course of nature: 2. by the nature of the soule of man: 3. by the distinction of things honest and dishonest: 4. by the terrour of conscience: 5. by the regiment of ciuill societies: 6. the order of all causes hauing euer recourse to some former beginning: 7. the determination of all things to their seuerall ends: 8. the consent of all men well in their wits.

God is Iehouah Elohim. Exod. 6.2. And Elohim spake vnto Moses, and said vnto him, I am Iehouah: and I appeared vnto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Iacob, by the name of God almightie, but by my name Iehouah was I not knowne vnto them. Exod. 3.13. If they say vnto me, What is his name? What shall I say vnto them? And God answered Moses, I am that I am: Also he said, thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel, I am hath sent me vnto you. And God spake further to Moses, Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel, Iehouah Elohim, &c. hath sent me vnto you. In these wordes, the first title of God, declareth his Nature, the second his Persons.

The Nature of God, is his most liuely and most perfect essence.

The perfection of the nature of God, is his absolute constitution, by the which he is wholly complete within himselfe Exod. 3. 13. I am that I am. Act. 17.24. God that made the world, and all things that are therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heauen and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giueth to all life and breath and all things.

p. 2The perfection of his Nature, is either Simplenes, or the Infinitenes therof.

The Simplenesse of his nature, is that by which he is void of all Logical relation. He hath not in him, subiect or adiunct. Ioh. 5.26. As the Father hath life in himselfe, so hath he giuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe: conferred with Ioh. 14.6. I am the way, the truth, and the life. 1. Ioh. 1.7. But if we walke in light, as he is in light: conferred with v. 5. God is light, and in him is no darkenesse. Hence it is manifest, that to haue Life, and to be Life: to be in Light, and to be Light, in God are all one. Neither is God subiect to generalitie, or specialtie: whole, or parts: matter, or that which is made of matter: for so there should be in God diuers things, and one more perfect then another. Therefore, whatsoeuer is in God, is his essence, and all that he is, he is by essence. The saying of Augustine in his 6. booke and 4. chap. of the Trinitie, is fit to prooue this: In God (saith he) to be, and to be iust, or mightie, are all one: but in the minde of man, it is not all one to be, and to be mightie, or iust: for the minde may be destitute of these vertues, and yet a minde.

p. 2Hence it is manifest, that the Nature of God is immutable and Spirituall.

Gods immutabilitie of nature, is that by which he is void of all composition, diuision, and change. Iam. 1. 17. With God there is no variablenesse nor shadowe of changing. Mal. 3.6. I am the Lord and am not changed. Where it is saide, that God repenteth, &c. Gen. 6.6. the meaning is, that God changeth the action, as men doe that repent: therefore repentance, it signifieth not any mutation in God, but in his actions, and such things as are made and chaunged by him.

Gods Nature, is spirituall in that it is incorporall, and therefore inuisible. Ioh. 4.24. God is a spirit. 2. Cor. 3. 17. The Lord is the spirit. 1. Tim. 1.17. To the King eternall, immortall, inuisible, onely wise God, be glorie and honour for euer and euer. Col. 1.15. Who is the image of the inuisible God.

The infinitenesse of GOD, is twofolde: his Eternitie, and Exceeding greatnesse.

Gods eternitie, is that by which he is without beginning and ending, Psal. 90. 2. Before the mountaines were made, and before thou hadst formed the earth and the round world, euen from euerlasting to euerlasting, thou art our God. Revel. ◊. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, that is, the beginning and ending, saith the Lord, Which is, Which was, and Which is to come.

Gods exceeding greatnes, is that by which his incomprehensible nature is euery where present, both within and without the world. Psal. 145.3. Great is the Lord, and worthie to be praised, and his greatnes is incomprehensible. 1. King. 8.27. Is it true indeede that God will dwell on the earth? behold the heauens, and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee: how much lesse is this: house that I haue built? Ier. 23. 24. Doe not I fill the heauen and earth, saith the Lord? Hence it is plaine:

First, that he is onely one, and that indiuisible, not many. Eph. 4.5. One Lord, one faith, one Baptisme, one God and Father of all. Deut. 4. 35. Vnto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God, and that there is none but he alone. 1. Cor. 8.4. We know that an idoll is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. And there can be but one thing infinite in nature.

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Contents

  1. To the Christian Reader.
  2. CHAP. 1. Of the bodie of Scripture and Theologie.p. 1
  3. CHAP. 2. Of God, and the nature of God.p. 1
  4. CHAP. 3. Of the life of God.p. 3
  5. CHAP. 5. Of Gods glorie, and blessednesse.p. 5
  6. CHAP. 5. Concerning the persons of the Godhead.p. 6
  7. CHAP. 6. Of Gods workes, and his decree.p. 8
  8. CHAP. 7. Of Predestination and Creation.p. 10
  9. CHAP. 8. Of Angels.p. 11
  10. CHAP. 7. Of man, and the estate of innocencie.p. 12
  11. CHAP. 10. Of sinne, and the fall of Angels.p. 13
  12. CHAP. 11. Of mans fall and disobedience.p. 15
  13. CHAP. 12. Of Originall sinne.p. 16
  14. CHAP. 13. Of actuall sinne.p. 19
  15. CHAP. 14. Of the punishment of sinne.p. 22
  16. CHAP. 15. Of Election, and of Iesus Christ the foundation thereof.p. 23
  17. CHAP. 16. Of the Vnion of the two natures in Christ.p. 25
  18. CHAP. 17. Of the distinction of both Natures.p. 27
  19. CHAP. 18. Of Christs Natiuitie and Office.p. 27
  20. CHAP. 19. CONCERNING THE OVTWARD MEANES of executing the decree of election, and of the…p. 36
  21. CHAP. 20. Of the first commandement.p. 38
  22. The Resolution.p. 38
  23. The affirmatiue part.p. 39
  24. The negatiue part.p. 40
  25. CHAP. 21. Of the second Commandement.p. 42
  26. The Resolution.p. 43
  27. The negatiue part.p. 44
  28. The affirmatiue part.p. 51
  29. CHAP. 22. Of the third commandement.p. 54
  30. The Resolution.p. 54
  31. The negatiue part.p. 54
  32. The affirmatiue part.p. 59
  33. CHAP. 23. Of the fourth Commandement.p. 61
  34. The Resolution.p. 61
  35. The affirmative part.p. 64
  36. The negatiue part.p. 65
  37. CHAP. 24. Of the fifth commandement.p. 66
  38. The Resolution.p. 66
  39. The affirmative part.p. 67
  40. The negatiue part.p. 71
  41. The Resolution.p. 73
  42. The negatiue part.p. 73
  43. The affirmatiue part.p. 77
  44. CHAP. 26. Of the seuenth Commandement.p. 82
  45. The Resolution.p. 82
  46. The negatiue part.p. 82
  47. The affirmatiue part.p. 85
  48. CHAP. 27. Of the eight Commandement.p. 88
  49. The Resolution.p. 88
  50. The negatiue part.p. 88
  51. The affirmatiue part.p. 93
  52. CHAP. 28. Concerning the ninth Commandement.p. 95
  53. The Resolution.p. 95
  54. The negatiue part.p. 95
  55. The affirmatiue part.p. 98
  56. CHAP. 29. Of the tenth Commandement.p. 100
  57. The Resolution.p. 100
  58. The negatiue part.p. 101
  59. The affirmatiue part.p. 101
  60. CHAP. 30. Of the vse of the Law.p. 101
  61. CHAP. 31. Of the couenant of Grace.p. 102
  62. CHAP. 32. Of the Sacraments.p. 95
  63. CHAP. 34. Of the Lords Supper.p. 111
  64. CHAP. 35. Of the degrees of executing Gods decree of Election.p. 113
  65. CHAP. 36. Concerning the first degree of the declaration of Gods loue.p. 114
  66. CHAP. 37. Concerning the second degree of the declaration of Gods loue.p. 121
  67. CHAP. 38. Concerning the third degree of the declaration of Gods loue.p. 124
  68. CHAP. 39. Of Repentance and the fruits thereof.p. 128
  69. CHAP. 40. Of Christian warfare.p. 129
  70. CHAP. 41. Of the first Assault.p. 130
  71. CHAP. 42. Of the second Assault.p. 131
  72. CHAP. 43. Of the third Assault.p. 134
  73. CHAP. 44. Of the patient bearing of the crosse.p. 136
  74. CHAP. 45. Of the calling vpon God.p. 138
  75. CHAP. 46. Of Christian Apologie, and Martyrdome.p. 139
  76. CHAP. 47. Of Edification, and Almes among the faithfull.p. 140
  77. CHAP. 48. Of the fourth degree, of the declaration of Gods loue: and of the estate of the…p. 141
  78. CHAP. 49. Of the estate of the Elect, at the last day of iudgement.p. 143
  79. CHAP. 50. Of the estate of the Elect after iudgement.p. 144
  80. A Corollarie, or the last conclusion.p. 145
  81. CHAP. 50. Concerning the order of the causes of saluation according to the doctrine of…p. 146
  82. Errours of the Papists in their distributing of the causes of…p. 149
  83. The I. errour.p. 149
  84. The Confutation.p. 149
  85. The II. errour.p. 150
  86. The III. errour.p. 151
  87. The IV. errour.p. 151
  88. The V. errour.p. 152
  89. The VI. errour.p. 152
  90. The VII. errour.p. 153
  91. The VIII. errour.p. 154
  92. The IX. errour.p. 154
  93. The X. errour.p. 155
  94. The XI. errour.p. 156
  95. The XII. errour.p. 156
  96. The XIII. errour.p. 157
  97. The XIIII. errour.p. 160
  98. The XVI. errour.p. 161
  99. The XVII. errour.p. 162
  100. CHAP. 52. Concerning the decree of Reprobation.p. 163
  101. CHAP. 53. Concerning the execution of the decree of Reprobation.p. 164
  102. CHAP. 54. Concerning a newe deuised doctrine of Predestination, taught by some new and…p. 167
  103. The I. errour.p. 168
  104. The Confutation.p. 168
  105. The II. errour.p. 172
  106. The III. errour.p. 172
  107. The IIII. errour.p. 174
  108. The conclusion.p. 175
  109. CHAP. 55. Of the state and condition of the Reprobates when they are dead.p. 175
  110. CHAP. 56. Of the condemnation of the Reprobates at the last iudgement.p. 175
  111. CHAP. 57. Of the estate of the Reprobates in hell.p. 176
  112. A Corollarie.p. 176
  113. CHAP. 58. Of the application of Predestination.p. 176
  114. AN EXCELLENT TREATISE of comforting such, as are troubled about their Predestination…p. 180

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Lectures Upon the Revelation
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Of the Calling of the Ministry
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