vpon allowance with limitation Thus was he fondly perswaded to preferre his owne vaine affected glory to the glory of God wherein he stood vntill then truly glorious and most happy And so the forbidden tree proued indeed as it was i Ideo arbor illa appellata est scientię dignoscendi boni mali non quia inde talia quasi poma pendebant sed quicquid esset arbor illa cuiuslibet pomi cuiuslibet fructus esset ideò sic vocata est quia homo qui nollit bonum à malo discernere per praeceptum discreturus erat per experimentum vt tangendo vetitum invenirct supplicium Aug. in Psal 70. called the fruite of knowledge of good and evill by mans sinne and transgression For now he learned what it ment by woefull experience who knew not what evill should be vntill he felt it nor what was his own good with God vntill he had k Non solum vt sint dij homines else desierunt sed etiam qui quasi dij erant suam gratiam perdiderunt Ambrol lost it A losse not to himselfe alone but through his default to all his posterity who being in his loynes are l Falso queritur de natura sua genus humanum Salust initio bel Iug. iustly atteinted of his rebelliō because it was the covenāt of nature which he violated And we naturally are not only made guilty of that m In quo erat natura communis ab ejus vitio est nullus immunis Aug. ep 106. ad Paulin Restat vt in illo primo homine peccasse omnes intelligantur quiain illo fuerunt omnes quando ille peecauit vnde peccatum nascendo trahitur quod nisi renascendo non soluitur August contra duas Pelagian ep lib. 4. c. 4. original sin by imputatiō but are by n Peccara parentum alienasunt proprietate actionis nostra sunt contagione propaginis idem l. 6. contra Iulian. c. 4. propagation corrupted with sin or o Peccatum Originarium vitium languor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vetus iniquitas Ignat ep ad Trallian vice originary the polluted issue thereof in al mankind as an p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O insirmitatem meam Nam meam dico istam primi parentis infirmitatem Greg. Nazianz. orat 38. he reditary disease infecting the blood and a stigmaticall skarre that cannot bee done away vntill nature it selfe shal be dissolued For after that the man in his person had once viciated our nature hee begate a sonne in his owne q Genus humanum in parente primo velut in radice putruit ariditatem traxit in ramis c. Greg. ep 53. lib. 7. indict 2. likenesse and after his image the likenesse of sinne and the image of corruption r Natura erat seminalis ex qua propagamur quâ scilicet propter peccatum vitiata vinculo mortis obstricta iusteque damnata non alterius conditionis homo ex homine nasceretur Aug. l. 13. de Civ Dei c. 14. And do not wee all sinne if we liue to it after the s Rom. 5.14 similitude of Adams transgression t Liberum arbitrium captivatum non nisi ad peccatum valet Aug. ad Bonifac. l. 3. c. 8. preferring the pleasures of sinne to the law of God v Act 7.51 alwayes resisting the will of God As our Fathers did so do wee x Rom 7.11 For sinne taking occasion by the commandement worketh in vs all manner of concupiscence deceiueth and by it slayeth vs. Thus the law which by the covenant of nature y Rom. 7.10 was appointed to life The Law ever in force is by our transgression and perversnesse become vnto vs z C. 8.2 the law of sinne and of death nature it selfe beeing iudge For the very Gentiles without the law had their a Rom. 2.15 Quos diri conscia facti Mens haber attonitos surdo verbere caedit Occultum quatiente animo tortore flagellum Iuvenal Satyr 13. thoughts accusing or else excusing one another b C. 1.32 knowing the iudgement of God that they who commit such things as are forbidden by the law are worthy of death For the covenant of nature being to do this and liue the not doing thereof but the contrary must needes bee death c pro magnitudine culpae illius naturam damnatio mutavit in peius vt quod poenalitèr praecessit in peccantibus hominibus primis etiam naturalitèr sequeretur in nascentibus coeteris August de Civ D. l. 13. c. 3. ipso facto d Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thou shalt dye the death For our breaking the law could not disanull the law but that it is ever in force to binde vs although never of force to inable vs to performe our duties Nor could the forfet of our bond discharge our debt to God but that his law is ever of force against vs to exact the penalty if there were not a remedy But hath not God abrogated the law of nature by contracting with vs a covenant of grace Nay thereby he hath established the law of an holy life e Exod. 34. v. 28. Deut. 4. v. 13. The words of the covenant were the ten Commandements At the first promise of grace there was a law of perpetuall f Gen. 3.15 enmity set betweene the seede of the woman and of the serpent and in the contract of the covenant with Abraham obedience to God his law is conditioned being implyed in his charge g Gen. 17.1 walke thou before mee be thou perfect But when God establshed that covenant with the children of Israell hee gaue them the law written most authentically with his owne finger in h Exod. 31.18 two tables of stone to bee kept for a testimony of his covenant with them in the i Deut. 10.5.1 Kings 8.9 Heb. 9.4 arke of his gratious k Numb 10.35.36 Psal 24.7.8 presence for ever And by the new testament wherein the same covenāt is renewed as he promised l Ier. 31.32.33 God will put his law in our mindes which was then put in the arke and will write it in our hearts which before was written in stone that wee may serue him in newnesse of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter Did Christ Iesus then when he came proue so vnlike Moses of whom he had said m Deut. 18.15 that he should be like vnto him did he set himself so much against Moses as vtterly to dislike and abolish that eternall law which was given by his ministery Nay hee the lord over his owne house wherein Moses was a faithfull servant ratifies the law in every title Saying n Mat. 5.19 whosoever shall breake one of these least commandements and shall teach men so hee shall be called the least in the kingdome of heaven v. 17. For he came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it and he did so
not onely in the immediate worship hallowing of his name but even in our carriage and dealings amongst our selues Insomuch that if a man doe but g Prov. 30.9 Rom. 2.24 steale any way he taketh the name of God in vaine causeth it to be evill spoken of It was iust that the Creatour should giue a law to his creature whereby every one should h Rom. 14.4 stand or fall to his owne master VVherefore God left not thinges to themselues when hee made them to doe as might chance by the contingence of secondary causes nor to the arbitrement of men Angels but hee set a generall course for nature by instinct in his seuerall blessings vpon euery kinde i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non modo te condidit sed etiam tibi soli credidit quid faceres in mandatis dedit Arrian Epict l. 2. c. 8. he gaue a law vnto man in his making the Angels do his commandements Neither was that k Iam. 2.8 royall law any impeachment to the liberty of mans will which although it haue an arbitrarie power over the locomotiue and other like faculties yet had it never the absolute command of it selfe but was to bee subiect to the arbitrement of divine providence and to the commandement of the Almighty VVherefore man was not left to his owne will but was by nature made willingly subiect to the l Iam. 1.25 law of libertie which God commanded him for his good Other thinges were made by a word of command m Psal 148.5 For hee commanded and they were created but man was made by a word of counsell n Gen. 1.26 Let vs make man a reasonable creature capable of counsell as it were priuie to his owne making and conscious of the word whereby hee was made And God created him o vers 27. Ita imago est ut ad imaginem sit i non aequatur parilitate sed quadam similitudine accedit Aug. l. 7. de Trin. c. 6. in his owne image according to his likenes namely with a conscience and good liking of his will a man after his owne heart like minded as hee intended Which appeares partly by the remainders of the law in our corrupt p Lex est ratio summa insita in natura quae iubet ea quae facienda sunt prohibetque contraria Eadem ratio cum est in hominis mente confirmata confecta lex est Cic. de leg l. 1. Et moxâ— constituendi vero iuris ab illa summa lege capiamus Exordium quae saeculis omnibus antè nata est quam scripta lex vlla aut quam omninò ciuitas constituta hearts q Rom. 2.14 For the Gentiles which had not the law did by Nature the things of the law vvhich shewed the vvorkes of the law vvritten in their hearts r Ante legem Moyâ—i scriptam in tabulis lapideis legem fuisse contendo non scriptam quae naturalitèr intelligebatur à Patribus custodiebatur Tertul aduersus Iudaeos Ista lex quae in corde scribitur omnes continet nationes nullus est qui hanc legem nesciat Hieron tom 3. ep ad Algasian q. 8. In lege temporali nihil est iustum legitimum quod non ex hac aeterna sibi homines deriuauerint August de lib. arb l. 1. c. 6. their consciences also bearing vvitnes But by our Å¿ Coll. 3.10 renewing in knowledge after the image of him that created vs it is manifest that man was made vvith an vnderstanding of himself and of Gods will concerning him and not onely so but with an heart to doe accordingly For t Eph. 4.24 the new man is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse the very text and tenour of the two tables of the law in two vvordes And now u 2. Cor. 3.17 vvhere the spirit is there is liberty againe not from the law to doe as vvee lust the miserable bondage of sin vnto Satan but to the law to doe as we should the gratious liberty of the sonnes of God The naturall reason of the law is yet so apparant that for the duties of the second Table Naturall reason of the Law x Ex sapientissimorum sententijs principem legem illam vltimam mentem esse omnia ratione aut cogentis aut vetantis Dei ex qua leges illae laudatae quae generi dantur humano Cic de leg l. 2. all nations generally haue followed and imbraced the same as being most agreable to mankinde by nature a sociable and civill creature only the y Non ulla vnquam lex sanxit qui furari voluerit culpae reus erit sed qui furatus fuerit inquit Cato pro Rhodiens last commandement is without the compasse of mans law to search or punish Because God only tries the hearts Yet z Has patitur poenas peccandi sola voluntas Nam scelus intrà se tacitum qui cogitat vllum facti crimen habet Cedo si conata peregit Iuvenal Satyr 13. morall Philosophy goes farre by reason to moderate passions and affections And the Stoikes vvho were not the worst moralists goe yet a step farther even beyond reason to roote vp naturall affection Howbeit none of them could by the light of nature reach to the roote of this law namely our naturall corruption vvhereof that sect either by common sence or by some intelligence might yet seeme to haue a kinde of conscience But a Rom. 7.7 I had not knowne lust saith the Apostle namely that the first motion thereof is sinne if the Law had not said Thou shalt not lust Now for the duties of the first table there could bee no reasonable doubt of the three first commandements that they are naturall if vve did but rightly vnderstand and duely consider the nature of God b Nulla gens est tà m fera quae non etiamsi ignoret qualem Deum habere deceat tamen habendum sciat Cic l. 1. de leg Never were any so brutish but that in c Vnius Dei virtutes per mundanum opus diffusas multis vocabulis inuocamus quoniam nomen eius cuncti proprium videlicet ignoramus Maximus nomine gentilium ep ad Augustum inter suas 43. Cui nomon omne convenit vis illum fatum vocare non errabis Hic est ex quo suspensa sunt omnia causa causarum Visillum prouidentiam dicere rectè dices Est enim cuius consilio huic mundo prouidetur ut inconcussus eat actus suos explicet Vis illum naturam vocare non peccabis Est enim ex quo nata sunt omnia cuius spiritu viuimus Vis illum vocare mundum non falleris Ipse enim est totum quod vides totus suis partibus inditus se sustinens vi sua Sen Natur. Quaest l. 2. c. 45. some sort they haue acknowledged a prime cause a supreame power which made and ouer-rules all
Hallowed be thy thrice glorious name O thou holy one as thou hast commanded That the name of God may bee knowne The Christian sabbath of the holy Catholike Church and worshipped as by euery man in priuate so by all of vs in publike God hath appointed the sabbath for the holy assemblyes representing the holy catholike Church in acknowledgement of his kingdome attending his grace in holy exercises and Christian duties and expecting his glory Which day may not be otherwise imployed farther then necessity enforceth which is god his dispensation and hath no law or then mercy to our selues others requireth n â—at 12.7 which God will haue and not sacrifice Of which duty some question hath beene made of late whether it bee of faith I suppose for these reasons principally First because in nature there is little or no appearance of reason for the sabbath that it should bee morall Secondly because it seemes not to be any where expressely recognised in the new testament as the other commandements are but rather to bee slighted both by Christ and his apostles Thirdly because in keeping the sabbath the Iewes were to obserue certaine ceremonies which are now abolished by the Gospell And lastly because Christians haue neuer kept that day which the Iewes did the commandement seemes to prescribe Which doubts if they may be cleared I hope the ten commandements will holde together and not breake company being all of the same kinde and o Exod. 31.18 c. 34.38 written with God his owne finger He spake these ten words and added no more vnto them For the naturall reason of the sabbath somewhat hath already beene said in the proper place thereof concerning the p I book ch 5. law of nature But may not a law be morall for the vse thereof vnlesse it be naturall in respect of the cause Christ hath promised that where two or three are gathered together in his name he will bee in the midst of them Now although God be euery where at all times yet for our r Ne inordinata congregatio populi fidem minuoret in Corste proptereà dies aliqui constituti sunt vt in vnum oomes pariter veniremus Hieroniad Gal. 4. meetings there must needs be a set time which it is iust that God who appoints the meeting should designe and not wee There may be holy assemblyes as that of Å¿ Acts 10. Cornelius vpon any day to heare the word to praise God and to pray vnto him as occasion is offered inseason and out of season the Lord will be found in them But on the Lords day the holy assemblies must bee and that weekely because hee hath commanded and hath giuen vs the reason which we haue belecued Now for that which Christ said or did we may bee well assured that his intent was not to violate the law of the sabbath The sabbath not abrogated by Christ who came not to breake the law but to fulfill it and was therein so punctuall and exact u Mat. 3.15 to performe all righteousnesse that if it were but a ceremony he would haue obserued it because all was to continue vntill the vaile of the temple his body was rent Hee often tooke occasion indeed by their greatest assemblies on the sabbath daies to doe some miracles workes of mercy in their sight to confirme the truth of what he taught namely that hee was the Lord of the sabbath and the mercifull sauiour of the world This lesson hee first read vnto them out of the * Luk. 4.16.17.18 Prophet Isaiah in one of their Synagogues as his custome was on the sabbath day Which they should now haue taken forth by him being the chiefe and principall end of their sabbath But when they perversely misconstrued his doings he iustifying the same as also his Disciples plucking the eares of corne to satisfie their hunger tooke occasion to teach them better what was the right vse of the sabbath Not a x Cui septima quaeque fuit luâ— Ignava Invenal Sat. 14. Sat. 6. Observant vbi festa mero pede sabbata reges De itinere sabatico Quos etiam irridet Plutarch libel de superstitione superstitious cessation from worke but a spirituall attention to the workes of God euer admitting our workes of mercy and of necessity And if Christ thereby abrogated the sabbath then did hee abolish the other commandements also whereof he said y Mat. 5. So and so it hath beene said vnto you of old but I say vnto you thus and thus shall yee doe and then was the Sabbath abrogated long afore by the Prophet Isaiah in the name of the Lord. z Isa 1.13 The new moones and sabbaths the calling of solemne assemblies I cannot away with But this Christ hath taught vs concerning the sabbath a Mark 2.27 That it was made for man not man for the sabbath as indeed the whole law was made for man not to breake but to keepe it for his owne good This especially was a provisionall statute for his benefit b Quian durabile non est quod requie caret oâ— tium quoddam sanctum Deus praecepit vt insatiabilem hominum cupiditatem fraenaret qui tam seipsoâ— quam servos suos nimijs laboribus exhauriunt modo lucrum faciant Gualterus homil 56. in Luc. partly in regard of his body whose worldly heart would else giue him no rest but would make him out-worke Gods curse if God did not allow vs a rest supplying vs the while with necessaries by his ordinary prouidence c Exod. 16.24 as he did the Israelites by miracle but principally for his soules good that he might attend and receaue the d Homini non ante septimum laetalis inaedia est Plia hist nat l. 11. c 53. Plerique ex his qui septem diebus nihil edere aut bibere volunt in his moriuntur quod si quidam eos super averint nihilominus tamen moriuntur Hyp. l. de carn ad sinem Non possunt boni mores ne secundum naturam quidem ipsam apud eos homines constare qui vnum de septem diebus non observant sanctificant domino Iun. de Pol. Mosis c. 8. spirituall food thereof vnto eternall life As for the Apostles The Sabbath not abrogated by the Apostles St Paul writing to the Galatians condemnes the superstitious e Gal. 4.10 obseruing of daies and months and times and yeares in generall whereof the Iewes accounted some more holy the Gentiles some more happy But to the Colossians he speakes of Sabbaths by name reckoning theÌ„ amongst shadowes he saith f Coloss 2.16 let no man iudge you in respect of the Sabbaths a phrase which he vseth g Rom. 14.4.10.13 elsewhere forbidding all censuring contending about things indifferent amongst which he reckons the obseruing of a day and it may bee that set day for the Sabbath for he saith h V. 6. he that
to worship before him And this we pray that his kingdome may come yet more and more euen the power of his grace that the holy catholicke church may become euery day more and more sanctified and enlarged vntill wee all come to be glorified with him in that eternall rest whereinto hee is entered for vs. ſ Psal 84.1 How amiable are thy tabernacles O Lord of hostes My soule longeth yea euē fainteth for the courts of the Lord. A day in thy courts is better then a thousand elswhere t Heb. 10.19 c Hauing therefore boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus by a new and liuing way which hee hath consecrated for vs thorough the vaile that is to say his flesh let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith not forsaking the assembling of our selues together u Quum deus noster singulari sua erga nos charitate è septem diebus vnum duntaxat instaurandae fidei nostrae atque adeo vitae aeternae sanctificauit eique diei vt sacrae in eo administratae rèligiones ad permouendam salutem nostram essent efficaces bene dixit deploratum sane is se contemptorem demonstrat sicut salutis propriae ita tam admiraudae dei no stri in nos benificentiae eoque omnino indignum qui in populo dei viuat quicunque non studiat eum ipsum diem domino deo suo glorificando procurandaesaluti propriae sanctificare c Bucer lib. 1. de regno Christi cap. 11. lege totum cap. as the manner of some is but exhorting one an other that so much the more as wee see the day approching Let thy kingdome come O Lord * Psal 110.3 that thy people may be willing now in the day of thy power in the beauties of holinesse from the wombe of the morning x Ps 65.1 Then shall praise waite for thee O God in Sion and vnto thee shall the vow be performed in Ierusalem Thus the duties of Loue to God are all directed vnto him The perfect will of God to be done on earth and exercised by faith in Christ with true godlinesse and this faith againe is approued to God by the workes of loue in all goodnesse towards men for his sake whereunto all the dueties of the second table are reduced y 1 Ioh 3.23 For this is the commaundement of God that wee should beleeue on the name of his sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as hee gaue vs commaundement All the duties of loue prescribed by the law are by faith improued to an higher degree of perfection then the letter imports hee being the a Mat. 5. interpreter who was the lawginer and shall bee our iudge For now wee see that not only the acts but thoughts and occasions of euill are vnlawfull and wee finde our selues bound in conscience to performe our duties to men b Colos 3.22 23. not with eye seruice as men pleasers but with singlenesse of heart fearing God And whatsoeuer wee doe to doe it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men The first and last commandemets which are the two great commandements including all the rest expressely require the heart Thou shalt haue no other gods Nor couet an others goods c Mat. 15.9 Out of the heart proceede euill thoughts murders adulteries thefts false witnesse c. which are transgressions of the seuerall commandements and by them forbidden as they are any way followed or embraced by vs. But by the last commandement the first motion of euill arising in our corrupt hearts is condemned and wee are thereby made guilty of the sinne that is in vs by naturall corruption d Rom. 7.7 I had not knowne lust except the law had said Thou shalt not lust Howsoeuer the law be giuen for the most part in negatiue termes to restraine first of all frō grosse iniuries and exorbitances and from all the occasions and appendants of sinne which are not allowable at any time yet doth the affirmatiue of the law not only where it is expressed but as it implyed in the prohibitions binde vs at all times though not to all times to doe good vnto all as we haue opportunity So far must wee bee from doing any euill vnto others as rather willingly to suffer euill of others for well doing if it may not be otherwise And the workes of perfection as some call them supposing that they are only e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato As wher Christ saith I counsell thee to buy of mee c. Rev. 3.18 Consitium includit proeceptum Bellarm. Est instrumentum praecepti Thom. Praeceptum ex hypothesi counselled in the Gospell and therefore arbitrary are indeed cōmanded by the law f Ps 19.7 for the law is perfect and are duties necessary for euery man to doe if there bee * As in time of persecution or first plantation of the Gospell So did the first conuerts vid. Act. 2.44.45 cap. 4.32.34 Cause and the case require And otherwise who hath required these things at your hands When the young man whom Christ bad sell all that he had and giue to the poore that hee might follow him g Math. 19.21 if hee would be perfect went away sorrowfull because hee had great possessions then said Iesus vnto his disciples verily I say vnto you h v. 23. That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen i Christiani vnuiscuiusque officium est vt animo propter Christum relinquat omnia par atus etiam ex facto relinquere vbires desiderauerit Iun. in Bell. contra 5. lib. 2. c. 8. S. parag 42. Now that is necessary without which we cannot enter into heauen And what did Christ inioine him more then is intended by the precepts of the law as hee hath interpreted the same * Mat. 5.38 c. Ye haue heard it hath beene said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth but I say vnto you that yee resist not euill but whosoeuer shall smite thee on thy righ cheeke turne to him the other also if any man sue thee at the law and take away thy coat let him haue thy cloake also Is it a greater matter to sell that wee haue and giue freely to the poore then to giue to an aduersary that hath already by force or fraud gone beyond vs We are not forbidden k Vid Augustin epistlo quint. ad Marcellin all plea of right nor required causelesly to depart with our own For this were to abet and animate malefactors vnreasonable men to frustrat God his ordinance l Rom. 13.4 whose minister the magistrate is for thy good No more are wee counselled to cast away our goods which are the blessings of God m Act. 17.26 who hath appointed vs the bounds of our habitation nor needlesly to liue vpon the almes of others n Act. 20.35
bread to make blood flesh and spirits But God giues it vertue and power beyond the nature and substance thereof to doe vs good speaking a blessing on it for our vse m Deut. 8.3 Mat. 4.4 Wherefore man shall not liue by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God n 1. Tim. 4.5 Prov. 30.8 And it is sanctified and made convenient for vs by the word of o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honestum hoc insuper Deum iâ—itio comae prandii inuocari Diotogenes lib. de sâ—â—ctiltate God and prayer Yet it sustaines vs but from day to day for it is but daily bread and not as the tree of life whereof if the man had eaten hee should haue liued for euer The Manna which God gaue the Israelites from heauen it was but daily bread it would not ordinarily keepe vntill the morrow and p Ioh. 6.49 they that did eat thereof are dead Such is the condition of this life and the things thereof q 1. Cor. 15.19 And if in this life only wee had hope then were wee of all men most miserable Wherefore our r Ioh. 6.27 labour must bee not so much for the food that perisheth but for the meat which endureth to eternall life the supersubstantiall bread indeed Å¿ Cant. 8.7 aboue all the substance of our house t Ps 119.14 and to bee reioyced in aboue all substance Which Christ giues vnto vs for him hath the Father sealed u Ioh. 6.51 I am the liuing bread saith he which came downe from heauen if any man eat of this bread he shall liue for euer Gods prouidence doth not exclude ours in the vse of ordinary meanes but requires it directs and giues a blessing therevnto both in the things of this life and for a better But this is our folly we will either doe all our selues or no thing And commonly we can be content to leaue all to God for the world to come but in the things of this world we will bee our owne caruers Of the two * Luc. 16.8 the children of this world are in their generation wiser then the children of light They will provide for this life and we must provide x V. 9. that we may be receaued into everlasting habitations Wherin finding how short our store comes of such a purchase how vnworthy Gods grace we walk Forgiuenes of sins how ill we deserue thorough our owne corruption vtterly distrusting and disclaiming our selues wee flye againe vnto the throne of grace for pardon of our sins protection in temptations and rescue in the end from all evill Who can forgiue sinnes but God only against whom we sinne and doe euill in his sight For howsoeuer wee trespasse wrong Omniamandata Dei facta deputantur quando quiequid non fit ignoscitur Aug. l. 1. Retrac c. 19. and giue offence one to another which we may and must forgiue so farre as concernes vs yet can no man forgiue the sinne which is the transgression of the law but hee only who is the law-giuer He forgiues y Ps 32.5 the iniquity of our sin z Exod. 34 7. The Lord the Lord forgiuing iniquity transgression and sinne And he forgiues * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our debts the obligations of sinne penalties for sinne to whom we are so much bound in duty and by whose law we stand bound ouer vnto death a Rom. 6.23 the iust wages of sinne b Ps 49.7.8 None can by any meanes redeeme his brother or giue a ransome to God for him For it cost more to redeeme their soules so that he must let that alone for euer c Isa 43.25 But I even I am hee saith God that blotteth out all thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes For when the offence is pardoned the d Impium est à Dto diminidiaem sperare veniam August punishment is remitted because it is the forgiuenesse of our debts the penalties of sinne When Christ cured any of their diseases he vsed to say e Mat. 9.6 Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee For they are the cause of all our maladies the remission whereof is therefore a present and a perfect remedy f Ps 103.3 4. God forgiueth all our sinnes and healeth all our infirmities so that they shall not tend to destruction in eternall death the iust wages of sinne and our due debt for the same g Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enimies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled shall we be saued by his life By whose grace we obtaine the forgiunesse not only of h Rom 3.25 sinnes past before grace thorough the forbearance of God but of our i Quotidianae incuâ— sionis Orabant autem vtiq iam fideles iam apostoli NaÌ„ ista oratio Dominica magis fidelibus datur Si debita illa tantummedò dicerentur quae per baptismum dimittuntur catechumenis congeueret magis orare Dimitte nobis debita nostra Aug. in Ps 142. daily sinnes and trespasses for which he hath taught vs as duely to aske pardon as for our daily bread with faith to obtaine k Rom. 5.16 For not as it was by one that sinned so is the gift for the iudgement was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences to iustification euen so many and so long as we haue grace to beleeue and repent Iustification a terme in law denoting an act of the iudge not any habit in the party iustified being once passed vpon vs in grace l Rom. 8.28 according to his eternall purpose is neuer reversed but standeth more firme then the law of the Medes and Persians howsoever it be often reacted confirmed It was purposed of God to every one of his elect in his counsell from everlasting it was purchased and procured for them in the fulnesse of time by the death and passion of Christ Iesus It is published and proclaimed throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospell it is testified and applied to every penitent beleeuers conscience in the sight of God by his spirit and is sealed by the Sacraments and being apprehended by faith is often m Multò firmior est fides quaÌ„ reponit poenitentia Lactant. l. 5. c. 14. renued by repentance Whereby every poore publican that with true faith and repentance cryes God mercy n Luk. 18.14 goes away more iustified theÌ„ any proud Pharisee that iustifies himselfe o Iob. 33.23.24 And if there be a messenger an interpreter one of a thousand to shew vnto man his righteousnesse in his greatest a gonie and distresse God is gracious vnto him and saith deliuer him from going downe to the pit for I haue founde a ransome for him p Mat. 18.18 Whatsoeuer is loosed on earth it is loosed in heauen for it is God that doth it and