Theoph. Of the office of Christ First therefore we must see how Christ performed the office of King Prophet and Priest And afterward how hee communicateth the same with the faithfull Mat. He did the office of a king when by his diuine power he deliuered vs from the tyranny of our enemies the deuill sinne and death whom hee ouercame that he might make vs his seruants and subiects to his kingdome which indeed he doth continually exercise in vs when he ruleth vs by the scepter of his word and by the power of his spirite He did the office of a Prophet in that hee declared all the will of God vnto vs by his word he gaue the holy Ghost by the helpe whereof it might be vnderstood of vs and we yeeld our consents vnto it This office also hee exerciseth euerie day when by the ministerie of the word and working of the Spirite he causeth vs daily to profite and to go forward in that knowledge Finallie he did the office of a Priest when vpon the Crosse he offred his body and bloud for vs to God the Father that he might bee a satisfaction for our sinnes The execution of which office is also at this day when he maketh intercession for vs. Now this priesthood of Christ is the truth and fulfilling of all the sacrifices of the old Testament Theoph. Let vs now speake of our kingdome priesthood and prophetship Mat. Apot. 1. 6. We are spiritually kings in Christ that we may ouercome the deuill and sinne 1. Pet. 2. 9. We are Priests through him to offer vp an acceptable sacrifice of praise to God Act. 2. 17. Wee are prophets that being taught the truth wee may teach others and open to them the misteries of the kingdome of Heauen Theoph. It hath bin sufficiently declared how Christ hath deliuered vs from condemnation as also by what means he hath made vs fit to attain to eternal life Now the third point remaineth namely why it is necessary that his gifts should be made ours Mat. Because otherwise they shall no way helpe vs to the satisfying of the perfect iustice of God euen as other mens riches profit not to deliuer vs out of debt except they become ours Theoph. How therefore may his gifts become ours Mat. If we be made one with him For by the benefite of that vnion we are made partakers of all his spirituall Of the vnion with Christ graces and riches which are no lesse imputed vnto vs before God thē as if they were ours by nature For this cause the Apostle saith Coloss 1. 22. that we are by Christ reconciled in that bodie of his flesh through death By which wordes of his he meaneth that the merite of Christs death pertaineth not to anie but vnto such as be grafted into his bodie and are made his members Theoph. Can therfore no man be partaker of Christs gifts except he be made one with him Mat. He cannot Euen as a woman cannot be partaker of the riches and honor of some great man except she be ioyned with him in mariage that they become one bodie and one flesh the mēbers also cannot draw life from the head if they be not ioyned with it There is therefore no true partaking of Christ except there be an vnion with him For this cause therefore Christ said to the Capernaits Vnlesse ye eate of the flesh of Ioh. 6. the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall haue no life in you In which words he plainly sheweth that we are not partakers of his gifts vnto saluation except we be as nearely coupled with his humanitie as meate and drinke are ioyned with our bodie which of all others is a most neare vnion For meat drinke when they are digested in our stomach are so turned into our substance that they cannot be distinguished much lesse separated from it Theoph. This doctrine also is aboue the capacitie of man Mat. Ephes 5. 32. It is indeed Wherefore Paule speaking of it saith that it is a great misterie Now if we can neuer so litle see the bodie of the Sunne but our eyes do dazell how can our mindes pierce to that inaccessible light of the diuine maiestie to conceiue his heauenly mysteries such as be the points which we haue hādled first 1. Concerning the Trinitie 2. Of the vnion of two natures in Christ 3. And of coupling the faithfull with the humane nature of Christ It is therfore our duty rather holily to beleeue these three fundamentall points or principles of Christian religion then curiously to examine them by the rule of our reason CHAP. IIII. Of Faith by the which we are made one with Christ and so be partakers of all his gifts Theophilus HItherto I haue hard First that God which is perfectly iust doth no way absolue the guiltie Secondly that men which are most miserable sinners are before the iustice of God guiltie of eternall death Thirdly that Iesus Christ by his death hath satisfied the exact righteousnesse of God which is imputed vnto vs to the end that being set free from condemnation we may be partakers of eternall life so as we be ioyned with him It remaineth therefore that I vnderstand how we are made one with Christ Mat. By faith euen as he him selfe testifieth in the prayer which he made to God for all the faithfull in these words Ioh. 17. 20. Father I pray thee for such as shal beleeue in me that they may be all one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. Whereunto also that saying of Paul is to be referred Ephes 3. 17. that Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith And herevpon it is that these sentences be often repeated in the Scriptures 1 That euery one which beleeueth in him is absolued an◠discharged Act. 13. 39. 2 Is made the child of God Iohn 1. 12. 3 Doth not perish but hath euerlasting life Iohn 3. 16. In which places those things be attributed to faith which we receiue of Christ alone to the ende we may vnderstand that both he and his gifts are committed to vs by faith Theoph. Thou hast touched a little concerning the righteousnesse of faith which I desire to haue declared Of Iustification by thee somewhat more at large for I perceiue that Paule oftentimes speaketh of it Mat. To be iustified before God is to be accompted iust that is to say without blot vnreproueable Now Paule doth often handle this point because it is one of the speciall groundes of our faith For no man can please God but he that is iustified Theoph. How so Mat. Because as God is perfectly iust and holy so he loueth holinesse and iustice on the other side hee hateth vnrighteousnesse therefore we can haue no fellowshippe with him to be partakers of his heauenly glorie except we be perfectly righteous Therefore he saith that no vncleane thing shall
condeÌ„nation to be proued confirmed because he aboundeth with innumerable both infirmities and sinnes for the which he is found guiltie before the most iust iudgement seate of Almightie God Mat. Of maÌ„s free will Man is not onely as thou sayest defiled with many vices and infirmities but also by his own nature 1. an enemie of God 2. Full of wickednesse 3. A seruant of sinne That is to say such a one as hath neither will nor power to do well Th. Thou doest indeed very much throw down man Mat. Gen. 6. 5. I do it not but God himself in these words The wickednesse of man is great in the earth Gene. 6. 5. and all the imaginatioÌ„s of the thoughts of their heart is only euil continually Moreouer in the same Chapter he teacheth vs Verse 3. that man is nothing else but flesh And Saint Paule plainly affirmeth Rom. 8. 7. that the vnderstanding of the flesh is enmitie against God because saith he it is not subiect to the law of God for indeed it cannot be The same also he affirmeth in another place when he saith Col. 1. 21. that we are strangers from God and enemies our mind being set vpon euill workes As if he should say that the enmitie hid in the heart was bewrayed by euill deeds Rom. 7. 14. In another place also the same Apostle saith that we are carnall sold vnder sinne that is that we are the bondslaues of sinne 2. Cor. 3. 5. Yea he proceedeth so farre to say that of our selues we are not sufficient to thinke much lesse able to do that which is good Theoph. But was this the mind of the Apostle to shew that all generally be bondmen of sinne Mat. Rom. 3. 9. Yea verily For speaking of the natural corruption of man out of the testimonie of Dauid he plainly saith We haue proued before that both Iewes and Gentiles be vnder sinne As it is written there is none iust no not one there is not any which vnderstandeth Psal 14. 3. 53. 3. or which seeketh after God They haue all gone out of the way they haue bin made altogether vnprofitable There is none that doth good no not one The faithfull indeed be exempted from that number but yet not because they be not such by nature But because God such is his mercy amendeth our wickednesse and corruption by the benefit of regeneration whereby he worketh in vs both the will and the power to do well as in the proper place shall be more largely declared But all the vnbeleeuers as they be vnprofitable to any good worke so they are carried with great violence vnto euill Theoph. But the thing of it selfe seemeth to prooue that it is otherwise For there be as there euer haue bene some which haue bene endued with most excellent gifts Mat. The Scripture saith it cannot be that an ill tree should bring foorth good fruit It may in deede sometime bring foorth such as be faire to the outward appearance which notwithstanding are not good So also a man may find many infidels which do works hauing a beautifull shew but such as cannot be good in deed For the heart which God specially looketh vnto is corrupt and vncleane for it cannot any way be made cleane but by faith Therefore the Apostle saith Act. 15. 9. Rom. 14. 23 What soeuer is not of faith is sinne Theoph. Wherein standeth that vncleannesse of the heart Mat. In that doing those beautifull works they be neither touched with the loue nor feare of God and therfore do not thinke of yeelding him obedience neither is it maruell seeing they know him not Whom notwithstanding no man can loue or feare before he do know him Theoph. What is it then that mooueth them to do those works which are so faire in shew Mat. cause 1 Some because naturally they be not giuen to the vices which they leaue cause 2 Others because they be restrained by a slauish feare of Gods iustice or else for that they dreame to deserue somthing at the hands of God cause 3 Others for feare of lawes or lest they should do any thing that might hinder their prosperitie cause 4 Or else their lustes doe striue as the â—…des so as that which is the stronger preuayled ouer the rest and bridleth them from breaking â—…orth into action As for example A vaingloriouâ— man will make a shew to be liberall to the end he â—ay serue the turne of his ambition On the othâ—…â—…de a couetous man that he may spare charges wiâ—… light by honor although his mind within be â—… fire with ambition A proud man will be bounâ—… to get prayse among the coÌ„mon people Shâ—â—…at feareth the reproch of the people alâ—… her mind be defiled with vnchast lusts yet outwardly will be chast Finally the vnfaithfull neuer respect the glorie of God when they thinke to do good works Which neuerthelesse is as it were the very life of good works so as if it be wanting they cannot be acceptable vnto God Theoph. If therefore all the goodly deeds which the vnfaithfull do be of no account with God he shall be in no better case which carrieth himselfe modestly keepeth vnder the lusts of his flesh then he which passeth away all his life dissolutely Mat. No verily not so For God rewardeth those works but only in this life And oftentimes also he giueth theÌ„ such things in respect whereof they did their good deeds as health quiet life prayse good report among men and such like Therfore our Sauiour Christ saith that the Scribes Pharisies in that they prayed Mat. 6. 16. and fasted to be praysed of men had their reward Mat. 11. 22 Moreouer the state of such as in this life haue behaued themselues modestly shall be easier in the day of iudgement then of the other Theoph How can it be that God should reward works which he liketh not being such as were not done for his sake Mat. Therby he declareth how pleasing a thing true obedience is vnto him for asmuch as he rewardeth the very shadow of it Adde this hereunto that he hath regard vnto those workes not as they come from vncleane pâ—…sons but from himselfe Theoph. 〈◊〉 what sense sayest thou that those workes come from Goâ— Mat. I say that â—…d to the end that order eueÌ„ disposing of things may 〈◊〉 kept in the world doth bridle the wickednesse of some and so maketh them fit to follow vertue In respect â—…ereof we feare not in our common speach to call them â—…ll borne or of a good nature whereby we meane that 〈◊〉 from the beginning of their life God gaue them somâ— speciall grace Which if it be not there is no doubt but 〈◊〉 be such as they are liuely pictured out of the Apostâ—… 〈◊〉 after he hath sayd Rom. 3. 12. that there is not one which doth good straightway he addeth Psal 5. 10. Their throat is an open sepulcher they haue vsed their
the infinite maruellous wisedome of God which by a way altogether wonderfull hath knit or ioyned together his perfect iustice with his perfect mercy and that as well to his owne glory as to our saluation and benefite Mat. True indeed But if thou do with a litle more diligence marke that way thou shalt find three things which the reason of man could neuer haue deuised and which out of Christ are found no where else for the auoyding of the punishment due for our sinnes and they be these That we should our selues pay our debts vnto God or else seeke another which is both able to pay them and also doth acquite vs of them or that God himselfe should forgiue vs whatsoeuer we be indebted vnto him Theoph. I would haue these things declared by thee a little more largely Matth. First therefore I will shew that these three cannot any where be found sauing in Christ And verily whatsoeuer men can imagine they shall neuer find in themselues wherewith to satisfie God Who also as the Apostle saith Rom. 11. 32 hath shut all vnder sinne that he might haue mercy vpon all Neither shall they find any creature in heauen or in earth sufficient to doe this office But if they flie vnto God his mercy to obtaine forgiuenesse of their sinnes his perfect iustice will be a let which requireth to be fully satisfied Theoph. Let vs now see how God hath ioyned these three things together in Christ to reconcile his exceeding great mercy with his most perfect righteousnesse vnto our saluation Matth. Being made one with Christ by faith and therefore also partakers of his goods wee our selues pay all our debtes vnto God and that of the riches of Christ which are truely made ours And by this meanes the perfect iustice of God is fully satisfied which indeed requireth this that he which oweth the debt should pay it Neuerthelesse another hath payd it for vs namely Christ who alone hath drunke vp the cup of God his wrath and as the Apostle saith hath 1. Pet. 2. 24 borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tree And therein most manifestly appeareth the great mercy of God that gaue his most dearely beloued Sonne for vs his enemies vnto a most shamefull death Finnally because he that hath satisfied the heauenly Father for vs is his dearely beloued Sonne euerlasting God with the Father freely giuen vnto vs the continuall forgiuenesse of sinnes as hath bin sayd is ioyned with his satisfaction and that doth especially make stedfast and sure his immeasurable mercy Theoph. Verily a notable discourse and very full of comfort Let vs now returne to the exposition of our petition Why is this clause added in the end as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs Matth. That is according to the promise made vs of the forgiuenesse of our sins vpō this condition that we forgiue them that hurt vs. And Christ would haue it expresly mentioned because he knew how hardly we forgiue others their trespasses Therefore in this clause he calleth vs to remember that wee shall not obtaine forgiuenesse of our sinnes at the hands of God except we also forgiue our neighbours their offences Hereupon is that threatning of God by the Prophet against the Israelites When you shall stretch out your hands Isay 1. 15. I will hide mine eyes from you although you make many prayers I will not heare you for your hands are full of bloud Theoph. Therefore this manner of speech doth not appoint an equalitie as if God forgaue vs so much as we shall forgiue Mat. No not so For our forgiuenesse euen as we our selues be imperfect is alwayes imperfect and sauoureth of the vncleannesse of our flesh whereupon it commeth to passe that euen in them that are most regenerated notwithstanding they doe vnfainedly forgiue as God requireth and desire no reuenge yea rather be ready to do good vnto such as haue hurt them and do daily pray for them yet there remaineth some bitternesse so as we do not embrace them with that affection of heart which we would haue embraced them with if we had alwayes beene well pleased with them which if God should do we were in very ill case Therefore this is the meaning of this petition ô Lord according to thy promise forgiue vs our sinnes fully and perfectly as the most perfect God For as much as we as most imperfect men according to thy commandement haue bene fauorable vnto them that haue hurt vs. Theoph. In what place are this commandement and promise Matth. They be presently added by Christ after this prayer in these wordes If you forgiue men their offences Mat. 6. 14. your heauenly Father will also forgiue you But if you shall not forgiue men their offences neither will your Father forgiue you your offences Theoph. I grant it is very right that we should doe those things to our neighbours which we desire to be done to ourselues And so that God doth most worthily denie them forgiuenesse that will not forgiue their neighbours Matth. True especially seeing our sinnes against God whereof we craue pardon are farre more grieuous and farre more in number then are they which our neighbours can euer commit against vs. And this doth Christ plainly teach in an excellent parable whē he saith Mat. 18. 23 The kingdome of heauen is like vnto a king which would demand an account of his seruants And when he began to recken there was one brought vnto him which ought ten thousand Talents And when he was not able to pay it his Lord commanded him to be sold and his wife and children and all he had and the debt to be payd The seruant therefore fell downe and besought him saying Master appease thine anger towardes me and I will pay thee all Then that seruants master had compassion vpon him and loosed him and forgaue him the debt but when the seruant was departed hee found one of his followes that ought him an hundreth pence and he layd hands vpon him tooke him by the throat saying pay me that thou owest Thē his fellow fell downe at his feete and besought him saying appease thine anger towards me and I will pay thee all yet he would not but went cast him into prison till he should paie the debt And when his other fellowes saw what was done they were verie sory and came and declared vnto their maister all that was done Then his maister called him and said vnto him O euill seruant I forgaue thee all that debt because thou prayedst me oughtest not thou also to haue had pitie vppon thy fellow euen as I had pitie on thee So his maister was wroth and deliuered him vnto the Iaylers till hee should pay all that was due vnto him So likewise saieth Christ shall mine heauenly Father do vnto you except ye forgiue from your hearts each one to their brother their trespasses The sixt petition And leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs
enter into the holy Apoc. 21. 27 Citie Theoph. How then are we iustified or made righteous before God Mat. In the Scriptures there be two righteousnesses set forth to vs which also do verie much differ the one from the other These are 1 The righteousnesse of the law and 2 The righteousnesse of faith But the holy Scriptures do teach vs that we cannot be iustified by the former which is of the Law to the end we might flie to the other which is of faith Theoph. Declare vnto me wherein both these righteousnesses do stand as also what the difference is betweene them Math. The righteousnesse of the law is the perfect keeping of the law For if we did but fully and perfectly fulfill whatsoeuer that cōmandeth we should by our works be iust before God neither should we need anie other righteousnesse But the Apostle in diuerse places sheweth Rom. 3. 20. Gal. 3. 11. that this can not be for as much as all men be sinners and therefore vnrighteous which shall not be omitted by vs when we speake of workes and therefore he concludeth that we are iustified by faith But the righteousnesse of faith is the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ which by faith is freely imputed vnto vs of God By these things thou mayst vnderstād what the difference is betwixt the righteousnesse of the law and the righteousnesse of faith 1 The Law requireth it of our selues but faith calleth vs from our selues to seeke for it in Christ in whō onely it is and that indeed perfectly 2 Againe the Law requireth vs to obserue and do all that it commandeth otherwise it threatneth the curse But faith requireth this one thing namely that we beleeue and promiseth all kind of blessings to such as beleeue 3 Finally the righteousnesse of the Law comming from our selues should set vp merit put away grace Contrariwise the righteousnesse of faith which is from God taketh away merit and setteth vp grace Theoph. Now I vnderstand wherin both these righteousnesses consist and in what things the one differeth from the other But I thinke it may be gathered of your wordes that we are not properly iustified by faith but by the merit of Christ Mat. Thou gatherest rightly For if faith should iustifie by any inward vertue as it is always weake imperfect our righteousnesse also should be imperfect Faith therefore is as it were an instrument wherewith we take hold vpon our perfect righteousnesse which is in Christ which Paul plainly expresseth in these words All haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. 24. 25. but are iustified freely that is to say by his grace by the redemption made in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud 1 First the Apostle witnesseth that all men be vnrighteous for as much as all men haue sinned and therefore be depriued of the fauour of God 2 Then he teacheth vs that the righteousnesse by the which we are iustified before God hath the foundation in the onely merit of Christs death wherewith God is pacified so as he is become mercifull and fanourable vnto vs. 3 To conclude he sheweth that freely by faith we are made partakers of that righteousnesse of Christ How often soeuer therefore this manner of speach is vsed by the Apostle we are iustified by faith he vnderstādeth that this is done by the most perfect righteousnesse obedience and satisfaction of Iesus Christ which gifts are imputed vnto vs when we are by faith made one with him Theoph. it followeth then that all our righteousnesse is onely in imputation Mat. Yea truely For it is necessary to the end we may be accounted righteous before God that our vnrighteousnesse be not imputed vnto vs and that Christes righteousnesse be imputed Now Christ performeth both these the imputation of whose giftes causeth that our sinnes be not layd to our charge for as much as by the benefite of that imputation they be couered remoued out of the sight of God although he knoweth euery one of them so as he can tell their very number This case therefore standeth as it doth with the blacknesse of a coale set on fire which blacknesse we know to be in the coale although we see it not with our eves Theoph. Psal 32. 1 That excellent saying of Dauid calleth these things to my remembrāce Blessed are they whose iniquities be forgiuen and whose sinnes be couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne But seeing our righteousnesse and all our saluation dependeth vpon faith in Christ tell me what faith is Mat. Faith in Christ is a certaine speciall assurance by the which we know that we are partakers of the merite of the death and resurrection of Christ so as it is satisfaction for vs and forgiuenesse of all our sinnes which indeed is the foundation of the Christian faith Gal. 2. 16. Ioh. 6. 47. Rom. 3. 23. Ephes 2. 8. Whereupō it is that they be indifferētly vsed For somtime the scripture saith that we are iustified by faith in Crhist and somtime it ascribeth it simply vnto faith Theoph. What then is faith Mat. Of Faith The word faith hath many significations For sometimes it is as much as a promise to performe somwhat thereupon to keepe faith is the same with standing to a mans promise signification 1 Hereunto may be referred the saying of Paule God is faithfull as if he had sayd that God which men doe often neuer faileth of his promise signification 2 Somtimes also it is taken for the gift to worke miracles as when Paule saith 1. Cor. 13. 2. that if he had all faith so as he could remoue mountaines yet if he had not loue that he were nothing signification 3 Besides it signifieth the wholesome doctrine of godlinesse as when Paule chargeth Titus Tit. 1. 13. Admonish them that they be sound in faith In which sense he is cōmonly sayd to thinke ill of the faith which erreth frō the puritie of doctrine signification 4 But the most proper signification of the word faith is that wherof we speake in this place whereof also there is so often mention in the Scriptures Gal. 2. 16. Ephes 2. 8. when in euery place we are sayd to be iustified and saued by faith and that without faith no mā can please God Heb. 11. 6. Thē indeed faith is the certifying of vs of the loue of God toward vs. Theoph. But why saydest thou at the beginning that faith in Christ is the foundation of faith it selfe Mat. Because we cannot certainly determine that God will be mercifull vnto vs except we do first know that Christ by his death hath made satisfactiō to God for our sinnes and reconciled him vnto vs. Therefore Peter saith 1. Pet. 1. 21. that through Christ we beleeue in God which raised him from the dead and gaue him glorie that our faith and hope might be in