therefore imagine to finde Christ where and how we list but we must seeke him in the word and sacraments and there must we receiue him if we desire to receiue him aright The second point to be considered is How faith is a meanes to iustifie I answer thus Faith doth not iustifie as it is an excellent worke of God in vs for then all vertues might be meanes of iustification as well as faith It doth not iustifie as it is an excellent vertue in it selfe because it is imperfect and mingled with vnbeleefe It doth not iustifie as a meanes to prepare and dispose vs to our iustification for so soone as we begin to beleeue in Christ we are iustified without any disposition or preparation comming betweene faith and iustification Lastly it doth not iustifie as it containes in it all other vertues and good workes as the kernell containes the tree with all his branches For then should it be a part yea the principall part of our iustice Whereas Saint Paul distinguisheth iustice and faith saying that our righteousnes is of God vpon faith and not for faith but by faith Now then faith iustifies as it is an Instrument or hand to apprehend or recceiue the benefits of Christ for ours and this apprehension is made when we doe indeede beleeue Christ and his benefits to be ours And least any should imagine that the very action of faith in apprehending Christ iustifieth we are to vnderstand that faith doth not apprehend by power from it selfe but by vertue of the couenant If a man beleeue the kingdome of France to be his it is not therefore his yet if he beleeue Christ and the kingdome of heauen by Christ to be his it is his indeede not simply because he beleeues but because he beleeueth vpon commandement and promise for in the tenour of the couenant God promiseth to impute the obedience of Christ vnto vs for our righteousnes if we beleeue The third point is whether faith alone be the meanes to obtaine the iustice of Christ for vs or no I answer it is the onely meanes without the helpe of any other vertue or worke For Paul here teacheth that faith apprehendeth Christ for righteousnes without the law that is without any thing that the law requireth at our hands And here by this exclusiue particle without the law he teacheth three things The first that nothing within vs is an efficient or meritorious cause either principall or lesse principall in whole or in part of our iustification or reconciliation with God The second that nothing within vs is an instrument or meanes to applie the obedience of Christ vnto vs but faith which is ordained of God to be an hād to receiue the free fauour of God in the merit of Christ. The third that our renouation or sanctification is no matter forme or part of our iustification but that it wholly stands in the imputation of the iustice of Christ. In a word Paul vtterly excludes all things that are within vs whether by nature or by grace frō the act of iustificatiō that in this article onely grace onely Christ onely faith onely mercie in pardon of sinne may raigne It may be here obiected that Abraham was iustified not by faith alone but by workes as S. Iames teacheth I answer there is a double iustification one of the person whereby a man of a sinner is made no sinner the second is the iustification of the faith of the person whereby faith is declared to be true faith and this second is by workes and of it S. Iames speaketh as appeareth v. 18. where he saith Shew me thy faith by thy workes And whereas he saith that Abraham our father was iustified by workes his meaning is that Abraham by workes iustified himselfe to be a true beleeuer yea the father of all the faithfull and his faith was made perfect by workes verse 22. that is declared or iustified to be a true faith The fourth or last point is when and howe long faith alone iustifieth I answer not onely in the beginning of our conuersion but also in the continuance and finall accomplishment thereof For here Paul desires in the day of iudgement to stand before God onely by the iustice of faith without his owne iustice of the lawe And Paul brings in Abraham as I haue noted before in the very middest of godly conuersation and holy obedience to be iustified without any workes by his faith in the Messias And Paul auoucheth three things of faith by it we haue accesse to the grace of God by it we stand in the same grace by it we reioice vnder the hope of glorie Thus then we see there is one onely waie of iustification namely that we are iustified and accepted of God to life eternall through grace alone by faith alone for Christ alone in the beginning middle and ende of our conuersion And here is plainly discouered the errour of the church of Rome It makes a double iustification one whereby a sinner is made of an euill man a iust mā and this they say is by faith alone the second is whereby a man of a iust man is made more iust and this they say is by faith and workes togither but falsely as I haue shewed By all this which hath beene said we see howe righteousnesse comes by and vpon the faith of Christ. And hence we learne that it stands vs in hand to proue whether we haue faith or no because where is no faith there is no iustice Secondly our dutie is to labour for such a faith that can and doth iustifie it selfe to be true faith by workes of loue to God and men Thirdly we must by this faith rest and wholly relie our selues on the obedience of Christ both in life and death yea whatsoeuer doeth befall vs. Though God should reach out his hād destroy vs we must stil rest vpō him Secondly if our iustice be foorth of vs and we must by faith trust God for it then much more must we trust him for health wealth libertie peace foode and raiment and for all the things of this life And if we cannot trust him in the lesse we shall neuer trust him in the principall Therefore it is our part to walke in the duties of our callings and to obey God therein for the successe of our labours to trust him vpon his word yea when all worldly helpes and succours faile to trust in him still If we cannot trust him for our temporall life we shal neuer trust him for our saluatiō The second gaine which Paul desireth is fellowship with Christ in the 10. verse Where it is set forth first generally and then by his partes Generally in these wordes That I may knowe him Here it must be remēbred that knowledge is twofold knowledge of faith of experience Knowldge of faith is to be assured of Christ and his benefits though it be against all humane reason hope experience Of this Paul
handled The first is what are the sufferings of Christ I answer not onely the sufferings which he indured in his owne person but also those which are indured of his members Thus Saul persequuting the church is saide to persequute Christ himselfe And Paul saith that he fulfilled the rest of the afflictions of Christ in HIS OWNE FLESH And whereas the Lord said of the people of Israel I haue brought my son out of Egypt it is applyed by Saint Matthew to Christ himselfe Yet here it must be remembred that if the members of Christ suffer either ciuill or ecclesiasticall punishments for euill doing they are not the sufferings of Christ. For when Saint Peter had said Reioice in that you are partakers of the sufferings of Christ he addeth further Let no man suffer as an euill doe◠opposing the one kinde of sufferings to the other Therefore our sufferings are then to be accounted the sufferings of Christ when they are for good cause and for the name of Christ. For the secōd point fellowship with Christ in his death is either within vs or without vs. That within vs is called the mortification of the flesh or the crucifying of the affections and the lustes thereof The other without vs is the mortification of the outward man by manifold afflictions and of this Paul speakes in this place and it may be thus described out of this text Fellowship with Christ in his death is nothing but a conformitie in vs to his sufferings and death And it is a thing worthy our cōsideration to search wherein standes this conformitie For in two respects there is no conformitie betweene our sufferings and the sufferings of Christ. For first of all God powred forth on Christ the whole malediction of the law due to our sinnes and by this meanes shewed vpon him iustice without mercie Contrariwise in our afflictions God moderates his anger in iustice remembers mercie because he laies no more vpon vs then we are able to beare Secondly Christs sufferings are a redemption satisfaction to Gods iustice for our sins so are not ours because before God we stand but as priuate persons for this cause the sufferings of one man cannot satisfie for an other and there is no proportion betweene our sufferings the glorie which shall be reuealed And Christ saith of himselfe I haue tread the wine-presse alone Nowe this conformitie standes as I take it properly in the manner of suffering and that in foure things First of al Christ suffered for a iust and righteous cause for he suffered as our redeemer the righteous for the vnrighteous And so must we likewise suffer for righteousnes sake Secondly Christ in suffering was a myrrour of all patience and meeknesse And we in our sufferings must shewe the like patience And that we be not deceiued herein our patience must haue three properties It must be voluntarie that is we must willingly and quietly renounce our owne wills and subiect our selues in our sufferings to the will of God Patience perforce is no patience Againe it must not be mercenarie that is we must suffer not for bie respects as for praise or profit but for the glorie of God and that we may shewe our obedience to him Hence it appeares that the patience of the papist that suffers in way of satisfaction is no right patience Lastly our patience must be constant If we endure afflictions for a brunt and afterwarde beginne to grudge and repine casting off the yoke of Christ we faile in our patience Further if it be demaunded whether the affections of griefe sorrowe may stand with patience I answer yea for Christian religion doth not abolish these affections but onely moderate them and bring them in subiection to the will of God when we lie vnder the crosse The third point wherein standes our conformitie with the sufferings of Christ is this Christ learned obedience by the things which he suffered not because he was a sinner but because beeing righteous he had experience of obedience And we likewise in our sufferings must be more carefull to take the fruit thereof then to haue them taken away And the fruite of them is to learne obedience thereby specially to the commandements of faith and repētance When Iob was afflicted of God not for his sins but that he might make a triall of his faith and patience he neuerthelesse in the end tooke an occasion thereby to renewe his olde repentance And Paul saith that he receiued in his owne flesh the sentence of death that he might learne by faith to trust in god alone Lastly Christs sufferings were euen to death it selfe euen so must we resist sinne fighting against it to the shedding of our blood Faith and good conscience are things more pretious then the very blood of our hearts and therefore if neede be we must conforme our selues to Christ euen in the paines of death This is that conformitie of which Paul here speaks of which also he magnifies as a speciall gaine And there be many reasons thereof For first of all this conformitie is a marke of Gods child For if we obediently endure afflictions God in them by them offers himselfe as a father vnto vs. Secondly it is a signe that the spirit of God dwelleth in vs as Peter saith If ye be railed vpon for the name of Christ the spirit of glory and of God resteth vpon you Thirdly the grace of God is most of all manifested in afflictions in which God seemes most of all in mans reason to withdrawe his grace Gods power is made manifest in weakenesse Afflictions bring foorth patience not of themselues but because then the loue of God is shed abroad in our heartes Hope of eternall life sheweth it selfe most in the patient bearing of afflictions In peace and ease naturall life raignes Contrariwise in our sufferings naturall life decaies and the spirituall life of Christ apparently shewes it selfe Lastly this conformitie with Christ is the right and beaten way to eternal life By many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of heauen That we may raigne and liue with Christ we must first die with him The estate of humiliation is the way to the estate of exaltation and glorie first in him and then in vs. The vse of this doctrine followes Here we see what for this life is the condition of all true beleeuers namely that after they are made partakers of Christ and his benefits by the vertue of his resurrection they must also be made conformable to his death The commandement of our Sauiour Christ to thē that wil be his disciples is To denie themselues and to take vp their owne crosses euery day And there be three waightie causes why God will haue it so The one that he may correct sinnes past the other that he may preuent sins to come the third that he may proue what
condemned for our sinnes The third mysterie is the sight of Angels who desired to looke into the Incarnation of Christ in which they sawe three things as Luke testifieth The first that it was a means to manifest the glorie of God the second that it brought peace and good successe to men vpon earth the third that it was a meanes to reueale the good will of God to the world The fourth is the preaching of Christ to the Gentiles This appeares to be a great mysterie because the knowledge of Christ was kept secret from the nations for the space of more thē 4000. yeares For from the creation to Moses the church of God was shut vp in a litle familie from Moses to Christ it was included within the precincts of Iewrie which was not so much as the fourth part of England The fift mysterie was the Conuersion of the world to the faith of Christ. And this is so much the greater wonder because this conuersion was wrought by the preaching of the gospel which is flatte against the naturall reason and will of man and therefore vnfit to perswade and the preachers hereof were simple and silly men to see to and some of them which were converted were the very Iewes that crucified Christ. The last mysterie was the ascension of Christ into glorie The greatnes of this mysterie appeares in two things The first that Christs ascension was a reall and full opening of the kingdome of heauen which had formerly bin shut by our sinnes The second that the ascension of Christ was no personall or priuate ascension for he ascended in the roome and stead of all the Elect and they ascended together in and with him and now after a sort are together in and with him in glorie Thus we see the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ in respect of the Mysteries contained therein the like excellencie appeares in the effects thereof which are two the knowledge of God and of our selues For the first by the knowledge of Christ we know God aright Hence Christ is called the brightnes of the glorie of the Father and the ingrauen image of his person and the image of the inuisible God And Paul saith notably that when God shineth in our hearts by the light of the Gospel his glorie is to be seene in the face of Christ. The wisdōe power goodnesse of God is made manifest in Christ and that more fully then euer it was in the creation In the creation Adam beeing but a meere man was our head but in the estate of grace Christ is our head God and man By creation we receiue but a naturall life to be continued by foode by Christ we receiue a spirituall to be preserued eternally without foode by the operation of the spirit As the spouse of Adam was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh so is the spouse of Christ bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and that in more excellent manner because euery particular man as he is borne anew and the whole catholike church the true spouse of Christ springeth ariseth out of the merit and efficacie of the blood that distilled out of the heart side of Christ. In the creation God makes life of nothing but by Christ he drawes our life forth of death and changeth death it selfe into life Againe in the law the iustice of God is set downe and reuealed in Christ we see more namely perfect iustice and perfect mercie reuealed to the full yea which is a wonder iustice and mercie reconciled Lastly in Christ we see the lēgth the breadth the height the depth of the loue of God in that God vouchsafeth to loue the Elect with the very same loue wherewith he loueth Christ. As by Christ we know God so also by Christ we know our selues and that on this manner First we must consider that in the Passion he tooke our person vpon him and that vpon the crosse he stoode in our place roome and stead Secondly we are to consider the greatnes of his agonie and passion set forth vnto vs especially by fiue things The first is the testimonie of the Euangelists who say in emphaticall wordes that he was full of sorrow and grieuously troubled The second his complaint that his soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto the death and that he was forsaken of the father The third his praier with strong cries saue me frō this houre let this 〈◊〉 passe The fourth the comming of an Angel to comfort him The last his sweate of water and thicke or clotted blood Now in Christ thus considered we see the greatnes of Gods anger against vs for our sinnes we see the greatnes of our sinnes we see the vilenes of our persons we see the hardnes of our hearts that neuer so much as sigh for our offences for which the sonne of God swette water and blood we see our vnthankfulnes that little respect or regerd this worke of Christ. Lastly we see our dutie that we are to be throughly touched with true repentance and to humble our selues as it were to the very pit of hell for if the son of God mourne and crie for our sinnes imputed we are much more to crie and to bleed in our hearts for them seeing they are ours properly and by them we haue pierced Christ. And thus the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ is manifest Hence we learne sundry things first if the knowledge of Christ be so excellent we may not maruell that by the mallice of the deuill it hath bin corrupted many hundred yeares in the Romish church which teacheth that the Gospel is nothing else in effect but the law of Moses perfected Now if this were so Christ doubtlesse died in vaine and we might place our hope in our owne righteousnes and the promise of life eternall by Christ should be of none effect For the law neuer iustifies before God till it be perfectly kept which condition of perfection if men could performe there should be little neede of Christ or of the Gospel Secondly if this knowledge be of such excellencie it must be learned of vs and that in speciall manner If to other inferiour learning we lend the vnderstanding and memorie to this we are to applie the whole man The minde must learne it by opening it selfe to conceiue it the memorie must learne it by storing it vp the will and affections must learne it by resigning and conforming thēselues in their kinde vnto it Thus Paul teacheth that to learne Christ as the truth is in Christ is to put off the old man and to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and holinesse Thirdly by this we learne to value prize the knowledge of Christ aboue all things in the world The Angels of God themselues desire to profit in this knowledge Dauid who in the darknes of the old Testament desired to be a dorekeeper in the house of God
but by Adams disobedience imputed to vs are we made sinners therefore we are made iust by the obedience of Christ imputed Bernard vsed this reason Whome saith he another mans fault defiled another mans water washed Yet in calling it another mans fault I doe not denie it to be ours otherwise it could not defile vs. But it is another mans because we all not knowing of it sinned in Adam It is ours because we haue sinned though in an other and it is imputed to vs by the iust iudgement of God though it be secret Yet that thou maist not complaine ô man against the disobedience of Adam there is giuen thee the obedience of Christ that beeing sould for naught thou maist be redeemed for naught Again the doctrine of imputed iustice he teacheth expresly saying Al are dead that the satisfaction of one might be imputed to all as he alone bare the sinnes of all Againe Death is put to flight by the death of Christ and the righteousnes of Christ is imputed to vs. Fourthly Paul saith Christ is made vnto vs of God iustice that is iustice imputed for in the next words he saith he is made our sanctification that is our iustice not imputed but inherent Fiftly as Christ was made sinne so are we made the iustice of God but Christ was made our sin not by any conueiance of any corruption into his most holy heart but by imputation We therefore are made the iustice of God by like imputation And least any man should yet surmise that this iustice is not imputed but infused into vs Paul saith We are made the iustice of God IN HIM that is in Christ. Hence it followeth manifestly that there is no vertue or worke within vs which iustifieth before God and that our iustice whereby we are iust in the fight of God and accepted to life eternall is out of vs placed in Christ. Thus much haue the Fathers obserued vpon this text of Paul Augustine saith that Christ was made sinne that we might be made iustice not our iustice but Gods iustice neither in vs but in him as he declared sinne not to be his but ours not placed in him but in vs. Hierome saith Christ being offered for vs tooke the name of sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him not ours nor in vs. In the same manner speake Theophilact Anselme Sedulius presbyter and others Lastly mā considered as a creature before his fall owed vnto God the fulfilling of the lawe which as a certaine tribute was daily to be paid vnto him After the fall he doubled his debt because he then became debter to God of a satisfaction due for the breach of the lawe Now the not paiment of this double debt is our vnrighteousnes But where may we find a sufficient paiment for this debt We our selues by our sinnes daily increase the said debt And our owne workes though proceeding of faith are no conuenient paiment because we cannot by one debt paie an other And if we shall search through heauen and earth there is nothing to be found that may stand for paiment with God but the obedience of the Redeemer which he hath presented and laid downe before the throne of the Almightie as an endlesse treasure to make paiment in our behalfe And because the said obedience is a satisfaction for our vnrighteousnes it is also our iustice in the acceptation of God By these and other reasons it appeares that nothing can absolue vs before God and procure the right of eternall life but the onely obedience of the Mediator Christ God and man that without any vertue or worke of ours Hence it followes that the present Church of Rome corrnpts the article of iustification by mingling things togither which can no more be compounded and mingled togither then fire and water namely the iustice of the gospell with the iustice of the law For it makes a double iustification the first containes two parts pardon of sinne by the death of Christ and the infused habit of charitie The second is by workes which they say do meritoriously increase the first iustification and procure eternall life Here we see the soueraigne medicine of the Gospel namely remission of sinnes tempered with the poison of the lawe For though vertues and workes prescribed in the lawe haue their place as good giftes God in our liues and cōuersations yet whē they are set vp higher and brought within the circle of iustification as meritorious causes they are put quite out of their place and are no better then poison and hereupon are tearmed of Paul losse and dongue But such as desire to be tearmed Catholickes alleadge for themselues against vs that the obedience of Christ that is the righteousnesse of an other cannot possibly be our righteousnesse I aunswer that the iustice of another may be our iustice if it be really made ours And this is true in Christ. For when we begin to beleeue in him though our persons remaine euermore distinct and vnconfounded yet are we made one with him and according to the tenour of the Euangelicall couenant are we giuen to him and he to vs so as we may truely say Christ is mine as we can truly say this house or this land is mine Now if Christ be ours then also his obedience is not onely his but ours also his because it is in him ours because with him it is giuen vs of God Againe they alleadge That when Paul refuseth the righteousnesse of the lawe he means nothing els but the workes of the lawe that are perfourmed by the strength of nature and that he doth not exclude the workes of Grace I answer it is false for he speakes of himselfe in the time present when he was a Christian Apostle and therefore he excludes all righteousnes of his own which he had by the law euen when he was an Apostle And the obiection Rom. 6. 1. what then shall we sinne that grace may abound cannot be inferred vpon iustification by workes of grace but vpon a iustification by the obedience of Christ imputed to vs without all workes of our owne Againe that we are iustified not by the iustice of the lawe but by the iustice of faith here is the foundation of our comfort For hereupon if we be tempted in the time of this life we may oppose against the tempter this our iustice If Satan plead against vs that we are sinners and therefore subiect to eternall damnation let vs answere him that the obedience of Christ hath freed vs from this damnation If he plead further that we neuer fulfilled the lawe and consequently that we haue no right to eternal life we must answer him that Christ fulfilled the lawe for vs. If he shall vexe and vpbraid vs with the consideration of our manifold wants and corruptions let vs tell him that so long as we turne vnto God from all our euill waies bewaile our corrupttions and beleeue
meeknesse patience and obedience be in vs which was in Christ. For the same fruites argue the same spirit v. 9. Not hauing mine owne righteousnes which is of the law but that which is of the faith of Christ c. The Apostle hauing taught in generall tearmes that Christ is his gaine here beginnes to declare the same in more particular sort For he sets downe a threefold gaine which he desired to obtaine of Christ the first is the righteousnes of Christ the second is inward fellowship with him the third is the resurrection of the bodie to eternall glorie Now this righteousnesse of Christ which Paul makes his first gaine is handled in the 9. verse for the better knowledge whereof I will first open the meaning of the wordes And first of all it must be knowne that they are an exposition of the wordes which went before For whereas Paul had desired to be found in Christ now he shewes his owne meaning that he desired therein nothing els but that he might be accepted of God for Christs sake and be esteemed righteous in his righteousnes And that this righteousnesse may be the better discerned he sets downe two sorts of iustice the one he refuseth the other he desireth and chooseth The righteousnes refused he calls it his owne because it is within him and it is exercised by the powers of his soule namely his minde will affections He saith further it is of the law that is of the workes which the Law requireth for as Paul saith the righteousnes of the law is this He that doth these things shall liue therein Againe of the iustice desired he saith it is by the faith of Christ that is it ariseth of the obedience of Christ apprehended by faith For in this manner to the Romanes he puts the faith of Christ for faith in the blood of Christ. And whereas some man might happily say that euen this righteousnes is ours as the former Paul addeth further that it is of God wholly and onely and not of vs either in whole or in part beeing freely giuen of him vpon our faith that is when we beleeue In these few wordes Paul coucheth many weightie points of doctrine I will distinctly propound them one by one First of all he makes a double iustice one of the Law the other of the Gospel yea he opposeth them as contraries in the case of iustification and that they may the better be conceiued he describes them seuerally Touching the iustice of the law he sets it downe by two things First he saith it is within vs because it is nothing els but a conformitie of heart life to the will of God reuealed in the said law And the law knowes not the righteousnes which is without vs. Secondly he notes the matter of it that it consists of such vertues and workes as the law prescribeth Now the iustice of the Gospell it is likewise set forth by foure things First it is not in vs but forth of vs because Paul opposeth it to the righteousnesse which is ours and within vs. Secondly Paul sets downe the matter of it or the person in whome it is namely Christ. Of whome Ieremie saith Iehoua is our righteousnes And Christ must be considered two waies as God and as Mediatour according to which two respects he hath a double righteousnes One as God and that is infinite and therefore incommunicable The other as Mediatour is the Obedience of Christ which he performed in his manhood consisting of two parts his sufferings in life and death and his fulfilling of the law for vs. And this very obedience which is in Christ and not in vs is the very matter of the iustice of the Gospel Thirdly Paul sets downe the meanes whereby this iustice is made ours and that is Faith which doth rest on Christ and applie his obedience to vs. Lastly Paul sets downe the author of this Iustice and that is God who of his grace and mercy freely giues Christ and his obedience vnto vs when we beleeue Out of these foure points a definition of the Iustice of the Gospell may be framed thus It is the righteousnes of the Mediatour namely the obedience of Christ giuen vs freely of God and receiued by our faith By this distinction of Legall and Euangelicall iustice we learne the difference of the Law and the Gospel The Law promiseth life vpon the condition of our workes or obedience performed according to the tenour of the law The Gospell requires not the condition of merit or of any work to be done on our parts in the case of our iustification but onely prescribes vs to beleeue in Christ and to rest on his obedience as our iustice before the Tribunall of God Secondly by this we learn that the church of Rome and the learned therein are ignorant of the right difference betweene the Law and the Gospel For they teach that the righteousnesse which stands in our inherent vertues and workes done by vs is required for iustification as wel in the Gospell as in the Law and that the difference lies onely in this that the law is more darke and without grace the Gospel more plaine hauing also the grace of God annexed vnto it to inable vs in our own persons to doe that which both law and Gospell require But this is indeede to make a confusion of the law and Gospell and to abolish the distinction of the twofold iustice before named which may not be The second point of doctrine deliuered by Paul is That a sinner standes iust before the tribunall seat of God not by the iustice of the law but by the iustice of faith which is the obedience of Christ without any works of ours And because this point of doctrine is of great moment and is withall oppugned of many I will further confirme it by some speciall reasons First of all in the iustification of a sinner God manifests his mercie and iustice to the full For as Paul saith he iustifieth freely by his grace and in iustifying he is not onely a iustifier but also iust Now this concurrence of mercie and iustice is no where to be found but in the Obedience of Christ performed by him in our roome and stead As for all Christian vertues and works of godly men they are by mercie accepted of God but they do not satisfie the iustice of God according to the tenour of the law Secondly Paul in the epistle to the Rom. considering Abrahā not as an idolater vnconuerted but as a beleeuer yea as the father of all the faithfull saith that then he was iustified without workes and that his faith that is the Messias apprehended by his faith was counted vnto him for righteousnesse long after his conuersion Nowe as he who is a patterne for vs to follow is iustified so must we be iustified and no otherwise Thirdly as by Adams disobedience we are made sinners so by Christs obedience are we made righteous but