any grace in himselfe from god but also to speake of them as time and occasion serued he foūd by experience that he was so farre of to shutt God out from ordering and disposing of all these men and their matters that he tooke it rather for fury and madnesse in men to think otherwise specially seeing both men matters plainely say that there is nothing be it neuer so smale but that all and euery one of them are gouerned according to the becke and good pleasure of almighty God And as for mā himselfe he was so far of frō guiding gouerning these things that either he knewe not his owne estate in the things themselues or els if he had them whether they were things worthy either to be beloued or to be hated he could not tell howe to vse them Nowe what will this auaile to prooue doubting for our good estate and forgiuenesse of our sinnes before God whereas it speaketh that the vnregenerate whose beastly blindnesse and blockishnes is so great that neither can they discerne of Gods administration gouernment of their owne estate and condition nor of the things that God in mercy or iudgement hath beene pleased to lay vpon them Surely they are so wide and indeede vnnaturall vnreasonable that from meere naturall men will iudge of those that are inlightened and sanctified from God But we will leaue this and proceed to the sifting examining and answering of such places as they produce and alleadge out of the newe Testament specially such as they make most account of and presse most as they that must beare the stresse of this cause Places out of the newe Testament 1 The first place which they obiect out of the newe Testament is Rom. 3. verse 28. which they turne thus We thinke that a man is iustified by faith without workes and therevpon they inferre and inforce that sith the Apostle vseth the worde of thinking that therefore no man can certenly affirme concerning his owne iustification But we haue many exceptions against this interpretations as first that though it be so in the old latine translation yet the word that the Apostle vseth in the originall is of a more sure and certen signification For the vvord signifieth to reason or to gather togeather or out of the premises to put downe a collected or sure assertion and the same to deliuer also in wordes or speech And this almost all the greeke interpreters the best expositors of their owne words haue obserued and specially Theophilactus who turneth the simple verbe that the Apostle vseth by a compound which signifieth by reasoning to euince together and out of such thinges as were not onely probablie but trulie put downe necessarilie to effect and conclude But suppose we had not this in iust and sufficient answer yet we know and beleeue that there is great difference betweene doubting and thinking the one alwaies containing in it and vnder it vncertaintie and the other manie times hauing certaintie adioyned with it For though we will not denie but that sometimes in the latin tongue the word to thinke is doubtingly vsed yet we shall finde in good and approued authors that very often it signifieth after the propounding of diuers opinions and sentences to choose out that which a man will affirme and mainteine And so we doubt of it in this place it implieth not a doubtfull and vncerten imagination for in a matter of so great importance the Apostle would not deale so sleightely with the Chuch and the members of it but an assured and steadfast affirmation which as yet may appeare by the nature of the greeke word aboue mentioned so me thinketh it is confirmed by the weight of the cause or matter the the Apostle hath in hand which is free iustification through faith in Christ of which howsoeuer sometimes some good men in the weaknesse of their faith and beholding of their owne vnworthinesse may or doe doubt yet the doctrine of it was is and euer shall be most sure and stable And therefore vnlesse they would cōtinually confound the tearmes of doubting and thinking this text or testimony will doe them no good And if it should be of such a doubtfull signification alwaies then must it so likewise in all places for that which is so at all times is the same euery where and cannot be varied as in respect of difference or distāce of place But that cannot be so for we shall see this word in other places namely in some places of this epistle cannot admit or receiue this doubtful sense and therefore not heare neither we will but take one in stead of all namely Rom. 8. verse 18. For I thinke that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glorie which shal be shewed vnto vs. What shall we thinke that the Apostle doubted of this point whether that our sufferings here and the glory to be reuealed in the life to cōe were vnequal surely he knewe and felt well enough the great oddes and difference that is betwixt them and that maketh him in another place to say our light affliction which is hut for a while causeth vnto vs a far more excellent and eternall weight of glory And I suppose verily the grossest papist in the world and greatest merite-monger amongst them would not defend this that there is a partie betweene the sufferings of all or any of the Saints and the infinite and incomprehensible ioyes of eternall life Besides what Logitian is there that seeth not that there is in this argument falacia homo nymias that is as we may say of the equivocatiō or doubtfull and diuers signification of the word to thinke which though sometimes in some places it may signifie to doubt yet that hath bin shewed on this part yet here for the reasons aboue alleadged it must signifie certenty and assurednes though not of the feeling of this truth alwaies in the hearts and mindes of the godly who somtimes feele it and sometimes not yet of truth and certenty of the doctrine it selfe which can be no more vncerten then God himselfe from whome it cōmteh or thē the spirit it selfe by which the Apostle preached deliuered the same To conclude this is the plaine meaning of the Apostle that from the former disputation or points that before had bin handled he did necessarily gather finely cōclude that a christian or faithfull man was iustified through faith in Christ and not by the workes of the law And good reason he should conclude so out of the premisses for he had before euinced proued this that all men whether they were Iewes or Gentiles the Gentiles without the lawe the Iewes by vnder the lawe were sinners and transgressors of the lawe therefore destitute void of righteousnes in of themselues righteous they must be if they would be saued but that they could not be without Christs righteousnes the same apprehēded by faith only And therefore
though that this may suffice for full answere vnto all yet it liketh vs a little further to inlarge our selues herein If our iustification before God and reconciliation with God did depend either of the lawe it selfe or of the dignitie and worthinesse of our workes then the maior proposition should of necessitie be true but that cannot be because the lawe is not giuen to iustifie but to condemne rather and we knowe that all our righteousnes is as a defiled cloath so indeed we should neuer surely conclude with our selues touching our saluatiō or finde peace of conscience at home in our hearts So that neither of those beeing true the maior or propositiō cannot be soūd or right But sith our iustificatiō before God reconciliation with God is not of the law or of the dignitie of our workes but is from Christs absolute obediēce the holy gospell which euery where teacheth that Christ was therefore sent and came into the world that he might saue sinners and redeeming vs from the curse of the lawe might make vs righteouse through faith in him The maior or proposition separated as we see it is from Christ and vnderstood as it must be and may appeare by the minor not of Christs but of our obedience can not be true Besids sith the worde generally and more particularly the Gospel a speciall part of it euery where instructeth vs not to respect our owne dignity or worthinesse which indeed is none but all manner of vnworthines nor yet to beholde our owne vnworthinesse otherwise then to humble vs before God and in our selues and to make vs to runne vnto Christ and to his righteousnes more earnestly speedily then we do but sendeth vs vnto Christ and to his merite and worthinesse that so for his sake we may be reconciled vnto God that is to say both iustified and sanctified before him and receiued vnto eternall life there is no reason to receiue but much and greate reason to refuse this minor as vnsound insufficient either vtterly excluding or els no whit at all mentioning Christ who of god is made vnto vs wisdome righteousnes sanctification and saluation and in whome being iustified through faith we haue peace towards god c. Yea we say further that sith by the lawe righteousnes cannot come vnto men as the Apostle sheweth in many places of his writings and namely in his epistles to the Romanes and Galathians the doctrine of the Gospell was therefore made manifest that both it might discouer vnto vs a meane a manner yea and matter of iustification that in the lawe could not be found out and also teach vs howe to appropriate and apply the same vnto our owne hearts Lastly concerning the minor we answere and say that no man hath in himselfe as of himselfe that perfect and obediēce of the lawe that they speake of Howebeit we are assured that all that haue Christ haue it because they doe by faith lay hold of Christ and his perfect obedience the want or lacke of then owne in themselues being so farre of frō hindring Christs righteousnes to them and in them that it rather furthereth them thereto For he that is filled with his owne can haue no part of Christs the reason is because he that is full though it be but of airy and windie matter or as we say bad repletions can hardly or not at all till he be purged of that admit any more but also because there is such a flat opposition betweene Christs righteousnesse and mans that they cannot both be at one and the selfe same time in one and the selfe same subiect but the hauing of the one is the priuation of the other as the Apostle sheweth in many places of his writings and namely Rom. 10. verse 3. and also Rom. 11. verse 5.6 Psal 3.6 And this me thinketh might satisfie any reasonable mā yea stoppe his mouth from barking or bellowing against the trueth of God Howebeit our aduersaries yet presse this point further and obiect saying Christ saith in the Gospell If any man loue me he will keep my commandements or sayings or wordes But no man keepeth his word therefore say they no man knoweth whether God loue him yea or no. First for the forme of the syllogysmo and then for the matter In the conclusion there is more then is in the promises For whereas the maior teacheth vs that obedience to Christs word is a signe vnto other and a pledge vnto our selues of some loues that God hath wrought in our hearts towards him the conclusion turneth it vp side downe and saith no man can know whether God loue him yea or no as though our loue Gods loue were all one or as though God loued not many I will not say vnto eternall life for that loue onely belongeth to the elect but in many outward respects from which also as it should seeme Christ himselfe Math. 5. inferreth this doctrine loue thē that hate you c. And maketh this comfortable vse of it that you may be the children of your heauēly father who can set his sunne to shine his raine to raine vpon the iust and vniust Nowe to the matter All the doubt resteth in the true and naturall meaning of this phrase keepe my words and sayings That our sauiour should meane thereby absolute obedience and performance thereof there is no likelyhood for he that knewe the hearts of al knew also that euen in the best there were great defects and wants and to haue deliuered such a speech I meane in that sense and meaning had beene by his owne wordes to haue crossed and thuarted his owne knowledge and to haue spoken more indeede then truth was Why thē what is it that he would signifie and set out vnto vs therby surely this much that the care and conscience that the faithfull had to obey his will and these good beginnings and proceedings that they had made therein by his spirit he would accept them as absolute and couered with the fulnes of righteousnes and obedience that was and is in himselfe and so present them in the sight of his heauenly father Neither doth that dislike me that one aunswere hereto namely that this beeing a sentence or saying of the Gospell must not be vnderstood of the perfect fulfilling of the lawe of God for that is a manner of speech belōging rather to the law then to the Gospell but of faith and a good conscience or as we haur heard already the beginning and grooth in goodnesse that god by his word and spirit hath wrought in the heart of the regenerate For in this sentence as it is a part and peece of the voice of the gospell these tearmes to keepe Christs saying or word signifie nothing els but by faith to imbrace and to hold fast the trueth and puritie of that doctrine that in the Gospell is commended vnto vs concerning Christ and as sound members of the Church to professe it openly and as faithfull
vs acquainted withal And we know that we must not iudge of this matter à priori as the school mē say that is by things going before for we knowe them not but by things following which may be discerned because they are described and set downe vnto vs in the word nor yet besides or without the word for then we shall wāder in darkenes more grosse then that of Egypt be ouertakē with many odd and swimming conceits But we must out of the word by consequents according to the word determine of the matter otherwise we shall not onely speake at aduenture but faile because there not else where God hath for this and al other matters misteries plainely and plentifully reuealed his will And though it be true that euen the writinges before the law was giuen and after it was deliuered doe describe this matter vnto vs yet wee must principally fetch it from the gospell because therein God doth especially discouer the decrees that he hath made with himself from before all times concerning our saluation in which Gospell we shall see more testimonies and tokens giuen vnto vs for the assurance of our hearts in it then as yet we haue heard of as Christs death yea the death of the crosse for the redemption of mankinde the mistery of the calling both of Iewes and Gentiles by the ministerie of the word saith and repentance giuen vnto men through the hearing of the word preached the iustifying and sauing of them which through faith beleeue in Christ and by meanes thereof take hold of him to eternall life and lastly the testimony pleadge of the spirit bearing record vnto our spirits that we are Gods sonnes yea heires yea fellow heires with our Sauiour Christ in which respect it is also else where called the earnest of our inheritance Ephesians the first ver 14. And this I thinke may suffice for this point 6 Their sixt argument or reason is thus framed He that hath not in himselfe the perfect obedience of gods law cannot certainely conclude that he pleaseth god but must of necessitie still doubt because we know that nothing can please god but perfect obedience and againe this condition is added to the law doe this and thou shalt liue also keepe the cōmaūdements c. But no mā hath in him that perfect obedience therefore no man can certainely conclude that he pleaseth God To all which we answer that we haue many things iustly to except against it As first that the maior or proposition is not onely fraile but false in the sense that they set it downe in yea though that it haue adioyned vnto it a double reason to strengthen it withall For a mā may haue a good thing yea that good thing they speak of namely perfect obedience in himself though not of himselfe and yet be sure that by reason of that which frō another is imputed vnto him he pleaseth God If they would haue dealt plainely and haue said thus he that hath neither in himselfe nor of himselfe perfect obedience cānot be sure that he pleaseth God and so haue adioyned vnto it such a minor as followeth namely that no man hath either in himselfe or of himselfe that perfect obedience therefore c. it had beene somewhat to the purpose I confesse but then their falshood would more easilie haue beene espied and that made them to halt or at the least to dissemble in vsing this terme onely in himselfe and leauing at that other of himselfe of which also no doubt they meane it and in other places inforce it very farre and that in plaine tearmes audible voice though here they mētiō it not For we the faithful I mean hauing the righteousnesse of Christ communicated and imputed vnto vs haue it in our selues though indeede not of our selues and from the same reape singular consolation and assurance yea much more then from anie righteousnesse wee haue or can haue of our owne For our owne could be no better when it were at the best then that which our first parentes had by creation and yet wee see that notwithstanding the excellencie and integritie thereof they were subiect to falling as the euent declared but wee ingrafted into Christ are free from that feare that so hauing in that and manie other respectes more then we lost in Adam our comfort might be the more large and certaine By all which we may perceiue that the Maior both in the words of it and in their meaning is vntrue or at the least cōmeth short of that it should in that it excludeth or mentioneth not the absolute and perfect obedience of our Sauiour with which beeing clothed as if it were with the vnspotted garment of our elder brother we cannot choose but stand as pure and cleane in the sight and presence of Almightie God As for the proofes adioyned to the proposition we confesse the trueth of them in themselus though we cannot but acknowledge that they are impertinently to no purpose alleadged or brought in here for though we haue none of our owne yet wee haue Christs absolute obedience imputed vnto vs which is as our owne in as much as he is our head and we his members and he and we make but one bodie in as much therefore as he is the person with whome onely God is well pleased and in whome alone he hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe accepting of his offring of himselfe once for all as a full and sufficient price not onely to pay our debts to redeeme vs out of prisō but to bring vs into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of god we should no more doubt of this then if one hauing paid our debtes we were sure to be acquitted and discharged thereof no not so much of this as of that because men that haue satisfied for vs may demaund it againe and molest vs if we pay it not whereas our Sauiour Christ will not or cannot doe in the exceeding pitie and compassion of his loue towardes vs any such thing And as for the places alleadged we aunswere that though in our faylings and fallinges we hauing not performed the thinges that are cōmaunded vs they may and doe make vs to doubt as in respect of our vnworthinesse yet neuer were they propounded by God to make vs doubt of or distrust his power good will c. towardes vs but rather as to sett out the absolute righteousnesse that is in him and our manifold and continuall breaches of his lawe so it may cause vs to go out of our selues to fly frō him as a seuere iudge and to runne vnto Iesus Christ who is placed betweene him and vs not onely to remooue and take away all his wrath but to purchase all his fauour and so the lawe by that meanes both in the light of it and in the threts of it our breaking of it euery way indeed become as the Apostle saith our scholmaster to lead vs vnto Christ And