becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnesse Mat. 3. 15. Math. 3. 15. so that the perfect holinesse and righteousnes not of the Godhead but of the humane nature of Christ wherein he performed perfect obedience both active and passive in fulfilling the whole law of God is the formall cause of our Justification which only after the nature of the forme dat nomen esse that is giveth unto us not only the name but also the true being of righteous men in the sight of God and that it is this obedience of Christ alone that is the only forme that makes us perfectly righteous in the sight of God is flatly expressed by the Apostle Rom. 5. 19. saying Rom. 5. 19. that as by the disobedience of one man Adam many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man Christ shall many he meanes both Jewes and Gentiles present and to come bee made righteous Upon which place the words of the learned Expositors are very effectuall saying thus The Apostle flatly pronounceth that we are made righteous with Christs righteousnesse and withall sheweth what manner of righteousnesse it is when he calleth it obedience saying By the obedience of one man many are made righteous where it is to be marked what it behoveth us to bring into the sight of God if we will by works be made righteous namely the obedience of the Law and Perfect obedience our righteousnesse that also not in one or two parts perfect but in all points absolute which because we are not able to attaine unto by our holy walking therefore this of meere grace he communicateth unto us And this I say is only that which formes us and makes us perfectly righteous in the sight of God which Luther Luther in his Treatise of threefold righteousnesse in his Treatise of threefold Righteousnesse handles notably the short summe whereof is thus As there is a sinne that is essentiall originall and another mans which yet makes us sinners whereof is mention Psal 5â— Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinnes hath my mother conceived me and whereof Christ speaketh saying An evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit And Rom. 5. By one mans disobedience many are made sinners Rom. 5. and againe By the offence of one man the fault is come upon all men unto condemnation So there is a justice or righteousnesse contrary to this which likewise is essentiall originall and another mans and yet makes us righteous which is the righteousnesse of Christ whereof Christ speaketh Iohn 3. 3. Except a man be borne again Iohn 3. 3. of water and the holy Ghost in this free righteousnesse figured in beholding the brazen Serpent he cannot see the kingdome of God and Rom. 5. By the righteousnesse Rom. 5. of one man is the free gift of righteousnesse come upon all men unto Iustification of life and againe By the obedience of one man are many made righteous this is as I said our Lot our capitall Foundation our Rock and our whole Substance in which we rejoyce and glory for ever wherein we are made the righteousnesse of God 2 Cor. 5. 21. and wherein Christ is made unto us wisdome 2 Cor. 5. 21. righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. and whereof the Apostle saith Other foundation may 1 Cor. 1. 30. 1 Cor. 3 11. Rom. 1. 17. Rom. 10. 10. no man lay 1 Cor. 3. 11. This is made ours by faith Rom. 1. 17. The just by faith shall live and againe Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man beleeves unto righteousnesse This is bestowed upon us in Baptisme this is that which properly the Gospel preacheth Rom. 1. Rom. 1. and it is not the righteousnesse of the law but the right ousnesse of free grace By this a man is made Lord of all things because his righteousnesse hath looked downe from heaven and herein mercy and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other truth shall spring out of the earth for without this mercy a man in all his righteousnesse is an hypocrite and without this righteousnesse his conscience is unquiet this grace makes a man true and just and this true righteousnesse brings peace thus Christ frames all them that belong to him with this same one righteousnesse of his owne strange and undeserved of others and makes them just righteous and saved that as by another mans sinne we were made sinners lost and damned so by another mans righteousnesse we are made righteous and saved and therefore I called this righteousnesse an essentiall righteousnesse and eternall and as Daniel saith everlasting because when a man hath it it alwayes abides and remaines neither doth sometimes faile as the actuall righteousnesse doth as it is said Psal 111. Psal 111. 3. 3. his righteousnesse endures for ever and ever Only Christ is eternall and everlasting and therefore his righteousnesse is everlasting and yet ours and makes us everlasting This is the mercy of God the Father this is the grace of the new Testament wherein the Lord is sweet to them that taste him In this must we be saved and in no other for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved Acts Acts 4. 12. 4. 12. and therefore said David deliver me in thy righteousnesse But as there is another sort of sinne called actuall sin which is the fruit of originall and these whether they arise in thought word or deed are our owne proper sinnes so contrary unto this there is a righteousnesse called actuall righteousnesse flowing from faith and from the foresaid essentiall righteousnesse and this is our righteousnesse and our owne proper righteousnesse not because we alone doe work it but because we work together with the foresaid first righteousnesse called the righteousnesse of another hitherto Luther but this first righteousnesse called the righteousnesse of another is the forme that makes us perfectly righteous in the sight of God as we see before wherewith Zanchius speaking by the same spirit although he differ a little in words yet agrees all one in sense saying thus The formall cause that is to say the righteousnesse wherewith we are justified or made righteous is twofold A twofold righteousnesse the one by which we are reputed and also are truly and perfectly righteous to God-ward whereof the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5. saying By the obedience of one are many made righteous this is our true righteousnesse But saith he there is another righteousnesse which being communicated unto us by the spirit of Christ and indeed inherent in us and shewing it selfe outwardly by works consisteth of the mortification of the old man and quickening of the new man of an hatred of sinne and love of righteousnesse by which we are just but how before men and are acknowledged and counted for righteous before them And this righteousnesse we affirme to be an effect of that former and although the Apostle doth not separate this
oppression and bondage of the Law did flie to the succour of the Gospel then twinklingly and glimmeringly shining a farre off yet we deny that they were so endued with the spirit of freedome and assuredness that they did not in some part feele both feare and bondage by the Law yea in such measure that in comparison of us they were both children and under the testament of bondage and feare Nay S. Paul is not content to liken them to little children under the Schoolmasters rod But also to men shut up in prison and to servants under an hard Apprenticeship eagerly longing for their freedome by the comming of Christ that might fully reveale the making them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely Galath 3. 23 24. Thus was Gal. 3. 23 2◠the glory of Free Iustification hid and vailed under the severity and rod of the Law whereby they seemed not justified but rather as the Apostle saith as slaves and servants ever for their defaults under the whip and more like malefactors in prison than sonnes and heires of such glorious benefits as is the fulnesse of Free Iustification And such were the children of the Old Testament The second time comming betweene the Law and ◠the time of Iohn Baptist the Gospel was the time of Iohn Baptist continuing unto the death of Christ and was more glorious than the time of all the Prophets before by reason of the glory of his ministery for although he revealed sinne terribly by the Law so that the Scribes and Pharises that thought themselves so holy and righteous were glad to be washed of him yet because he pointed with his finger to the Messiah that was now come and preached yea and sealed by Baptisme a more full exhibiting of free Iustification saying looke how truely I wash your bodies with water so truely is the Messiah come among you ready with his blood to wash away all your sins for you may behold and see among you the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world Iohn 1. 29. Whereupon although Iohn came short of Iohn 1. 29. two points that made the ministery of all the former Prophets very glorious as first to foretell things to come and secondly to confirme the same with miracles whereof Iohn did neither yet so glorious was his ministery that among all the Prophets borne of women arose not a greater Prophet and Minister than Iohn because by his pointing to the Messiah now come and present he did not only preach and seale by baptisme a fuller exhibiting of the glory of free Iustification but thereby also the former legall severity that then lay upon the children of God and the school-masterlike governement began to slacke and cease for although Iohn laid open culpas their sins and the danger of the same belonging to the wicked and so divided and applied the Law rightly yet de poenis that is concerning any punishments inflicted upon Gods children we read none but rather many judgements and punishments by Christs miracles were healed and removed away Whereupon though Peters foule fault of denying and grosse forswearing his Master and others sinnes were in that middle state taken notice of yet no punishments were inflicted upon them for the same for Ambrose saith of Peters denyall and tears we do read but of any satisfaction or punishment we read not no not when the ungratefull Samaritans Luke 9. 53 54. though afterwards converted refusing to receive Christ Iames Iohn would in a legall rigour have had fire to come downe from heaven to consume them yet would Christ inflict none whereof two reasons may be yeelded first because the upshot and fulnesse Two reasons why sinnes were not punished in Iohn Baptists time of all punishment of all the sinnes of the Elect was now going to be acted and executed in the death of Christ upon the Crosse drowning all punishments and Schoole-master-like whippings inflicted in former times And secondly because the Bride that was a childe before and under the rod now the fulnesse of time being come Galat. 4. 4. was as one Galat. 4. 4. growne to full age no longer under a schoole-master but preparing to attire herselfe in the wedding-garment of that righteousnesse which her Bridegroome had now actually wrought Mat. 3. Herein to marry her Mat. 3. Hos 2. 29. unto himselfe in righteousnesse for ever Hos 2. 29. And this expiring of the schoole-master-like whippings vailing and darkening free justification Christ himselfe testifieth saying The Law and the Prophets prophecied untill Iohn since that time the Kingdome of God is preached and every man presseth into it Luke 16. 16. Matth. Luke 16. 16. Matth. 11. 13. 11. 13. for what was the prophecying of the Law or what else did the Law prophecie and what did the Prophets agreeing with the Law principally preach to the children of God then but as if they had not been justified a severe exacting of righteousnesse with large promises to the doers of the same as if they were to merit the favour of God and his blessings temporall and spirituall but with threats of wrath and anger and sharp punishments to his children failing in the same and not only threatning these things but also executing the same sharply upon them as wee heard before this was the prophecying of the Law untill Iohn being the meere schoole-master-like government that ceased with Iohn which the Apostle to the Galat. testifieth more fully saying But after that faith that is Christ the object of faith is come we are no longer under a Schoole-master Galat. 3. 25. upon Gal. 3. 25. which words of the Apostle the exposition of the learned Interpreters is worth the marking saying thus Iam Paedagogii munus expirâsse nec locum ampliùs habere diseriè affirmat that is now the Apostle flatly or expressely affirmeth that the office of the schoole-mastership is expired and hath place no more Not but The Law is to preached that the Law is to be preached as hereafter shall bee further shewed but that the former legall whippings of the old people of God under the old Testament driving them as little children to obedience by feare thereby vailing and darkening free justification was now expired and ended which the said learned interpreters expresse more largely thus But we Jewes and people of God under the old Testament were in times past children under the Law as under a schoolmasters ferula But Christ being exhibited and come now being by faith growne to full age wee are under the schoolemastership of the Law no more as not needing that legall schoolemastership being emancipati by our full growne age The Law therefore hath the use of that direction no more and therefore it ought not to be joyned and mingled with faith After this manner doth the Apostle lay forth not only the use of the Law but also shewes why it ought to bee but for a
am he that putteth away and abolisheth thine iniquities and will remember thy sinnes no more Esay 43. 25. Ierem. 31. 34. Aâ—d not only so But Esay 43. 25. Ierem. 31. 34. also I cloathed thee with broydred work I girded thee about with fine linnen and covered thee with silk I decked thee also with ornaments and I put bracelets upon thy hands and a chaine on thy neck thus wast thou decked with gold and silver and thus wast thou perfect through my beauty which I put upon thee All which as a learned Writer treating of Free Justification truly saith signifieth that God purgeth us with the blood of Christ from all sin and adorneth us with the rich robe of his own righteousnesse and thus hee and none but hee by himselfe alone makes us in his own sight perfectly holy and righteous freely Yea how absolutely God resumes this work wholy and only into his own hand is notably expressed Why God only worketh righteousness by the Apostle with Gods intent and reason why hee so reserves this work only in his own hand saying That hee may shew declare or manifest at this time what his righteousness namely wherewith hee justifieth us farre passing the righteousnesse of men or Angels That he might be just that is declared to bee just in that none can please him but such as are righteous in his sight with such a perfect holinesse and righteousnesse and that he only may be a maker of him righteous that beleeveth in Iesus Rom. 3. 26. and hence Rom. 3. 26. it is that this righteousnesse wherewith we are made so perfectly holy and righteous in Gods sight is so often by S. Paul called the righteousnesse of God both because â—od alone worketh it uâ—on us and because it alone makes us approvedly righteous in the sight of God as where S. Paul saith Rom. 3. 21. 22. But now is Rom. 32. 22. the righteousness of God made manifest without the Law having witness of the Law and of the Prophets to wit the righteousness of God by the faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that do beleeve Upon which place the true Orthodox exposition of Chrisostome is worthy the marking who faith thus Paul expresseth two great matters in this place both that thou art made righteous and that also without the Law thou attainest these good things moreover he said not simply righteousness but the righteousness of God declaring the gift to be the greater for the dignity of the giver and the promise easily to be effected and done Another reason why God reserves this work in his own hand to be wrought only by himself is because it is too great and too glorious a work for any meere creature to doe it or to have any hand in it for what work can bee more excellent than to make a creature righteous in the sight of God seeing also it is the cause of removing all evill and the procuring of all good unto the creature and this is testified by Augustine saying Quid magnificentius quà m justificare impium hoc est ex impio justum facere that is what is more magnificent than to justifie a wicked man that is of a wicked man to make him just and righteous And therefore the conclusion of Zanchius upon this point is most true saying Solus etiam est qui potest c. that is It is only God alone that of a man conceived of uncleane seed can make him cleane Iob 14. 4. especially say I Iob 14. 4. in this case of making him above sense and feeling perfectly righteous in the fight of God freely The second efficient cause of our Justification together The second efficient Cause of our â—ustification with the meritorious meanes more immediatly working and effecting the same is Christ as he is the Mediator both God and man who as it is Revel 1. 5. washing us from our sinnes in his owne blood and Revel 1. 5. procuring unto us thereby a perfect righteousnesse cried out upon the Crosse It is finished that is the prophecie of Daniel prophecying that seventy weeks of yeers should be fulfilled before iniquity should be sealed up and finished and sin made an end of and abolished and everlasting righteousnesse brought in is now accomplished and finished but how By the slaying saith Daniel of the Messiah so that it is Christ and the blood of Christ that hath by himselfe purged us from our sins and made us righteous freely Heb. 1. 3. and therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 1. 3. we are justified freely by his grace but how through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3. 24. his Rom. 3. 24. blood alone justifieth us and therefore very aptly speaketh Augustine saying there have been are and shall be many just men just us autem justificans nemo nisi Christus that is but both just and also justifying and making others righteous there is none but Christ Vpon the truth whereof ariseth that unlike likenesse between Adam and Christ which the Apostle speaks of Rom. 5. wherein none must participate Rom. 5. nor be any Agent or doer with Christ namely that as by the disobedience of one man Adam many were made perfect sinners before they have done or thought any evill work as namely Infants which are perfect sinners before they begin to speak or think any evill all their evill actions afterwards but shewing how evill one man Adam hath made them so by the obedience of one man Christ are many made perfectly righteous before they speak or think any good work all their good works of Sanctification done afterwards but shewing how perfectly good Christ hath made them to Godward freely Whereupon the exposition of Chrysostome upon that place is very proper saying Chrysostomes Exposition thus As Adam unto all that came of him although they had not eaten of the tree became the author of sinne and death So Christ unto all that are of him although they have not lived righteously became a procurer of righteousnesse and life even that righteousnesse which by his Crosse he freely gives unto us all hence he is called Iehovah our righteousnesse that is the only cause making us righteous and also Melâ—hisedec The second maine point to bee considered and Secondly the Formall cause marked in our perfect Justification is the Formall Cause or the very forme it selfe making us perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God wherein two things are to be marked first what it is secondly the excellency 1 What it is 2 The excellency of it of it for the first namely what this formall cause forming us perfectly righteous is we must observe that it is the perfect obedience both active and passive of the Mediator Christ which being made under the law he performed in fulfilling the whole law for us perfectly whereof Christ spake when â—e said unto Iohn the Baptist Let it be so now for thus it
truth saying This is a passive and heavenly righteousnesse which we have not of our selves that is our active doings but receive it from heaven which wee work not but which by grace is wrought in us mark meerly passively wrought in us and apprehended by faith whereby we mount above all Lawes and Works Then he proceeds and saith What will some man say do we then nothing doe wee work nothing for the obtaining of this righteousnesse I answer saith he nothing at all For like as the earth ingendereth not raine nor is able by her own strength labour and travell to procure the same but receiveth it of the meere gift of God from above so is this heavenly righteousnesse a meere passive righteousness given us of God without our works or deservings for in this we work nothing we render nothing unto God but only we receive and suffer another to work in us mark to work in us that is to say God therefore it seemeth good unto me to call this righteousnesse of faith or Christian righteousnesse the passive righteousnesse but that it is wrought in us not inherently and actively but is thus in us meerely mystically that is after a secret and unutterable manner utterly hid to reason sense and seeling and so to be comprehended and apprehended by faith only he expresseth plainly in the next words saying This is a righteousness hidden in a mystery which Luther ibid. the world doth not know yea Christians themselves doe not throughly understand it and can hardly take hold of it especially in the time of tentations therefore it must bee diligently taught and continually practised for who so doth not understand and apprehend this righteousnesse if hee doe but know the horriblenesse of the least sinne in the sight of God must needs in afflictions and terrors of conscience be overthrown for there is no comfort of conscience so sirme and so sure as this passive righteousnesse Neither doe these foresaid Dispensers of Gods mysteries only as Doctor Whittaker and especially Luther abundantly testifie That this righteousnesse of Christ is mystically even in us and passively wrought even in us but also other learned and faithfull Restorers of the Gospel in the Church doe testifie as Calvin likewise shewing that those words of the Apostle Rom. 8. 4. Namely that the righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in us is not wrought as the Papists doe expound it by inherent and active fulfilling of the Law by us but passively by imputation presently addeth the manner how saying For the Lord Christ c. And again intreating upon those words in Iob 15. 15. Behold the heavens are not clean in Gods sight How much more is man abhominable and filthy which drinketh iniquitie like water he saith more plainly after this manner That although mans nature bee thus defiled and made abominable by sinne yet there remaines this remedy against the same That all our filthinesse is washed away with the blood of Gods Sonne and his righteousnesse being imputed unto us and wee thus cloathed in his garments are acceptable to our good God why because saith he we have a perfect and more than Angelicall righteousnesse in us he meanes not inherently and actively in us for of this he is both against the Papists and against the Anabaptists in all his writings a continual and earnest Impugner but mystically objectively and passively in us as by the power of Gods imputation we are though spiritually yet truly cloathed with the garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse abolishing mystically all our filthinesse from before God and making us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely the full passive manner whereof he enlargeth out of Ambrose by a similitude in another place plainly thus That as Iacob having not of himselfe deserved the preheminence of the first begotten Son did cloath How Iacob got the blessing himselfe in the faire cloathes of his elder brother whereby Isaac smelling the sweet and well pleasing savour of his eldest Son Iacob got thereby into the favour of his father and received the blessing of the elder brother to his own benefit and commodity so we being by the power of Gods imputation cloathed with the precious purenesse of Christ The Lord Christ doth in such sort communicate his righteousnesse with us that after a certaine marvellous manner hee poureth the force thereof into us so much as belongeth to satisfie the Iustice of God whereby we get a testimony of righteousness in the sight of God Yea so great a testimony of righteousnesse in the sight of God that Luther testifieth that God doth see nothing else in true beleevers but a meere cleansing and righteousnesse saying thus Christ by dying upon the Cross hath so purged and perfectly cleansed us from all â—â—nnes that God would see nothing else in the whole world if it did beleeve but a meere How this righteousnesse is in us makes us per 〈◊〉 righteoâ—s â— Gâ—ds sâ—ght cleansing and righteousness Now that this righteousnesse though mystically yet is so truely in us that it makes us above our sense and feeling perfectly righteous in the sight of God whereby we are not imaginarily counted righteous as the Papists doe cavill but Verè reipsa facti sumus justi that is truly and in very deed made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely although I wonder that any Protestants of any reading should doubt thereof much lesse by mouth and pen deny it seeing it is not only evidently taught in the Scriptures but also testified abundantly of all except two or three at the most the best Dispensers of Gods mysteries especially such as by this Doctrine reformed the Church and were the first Restorers of the Gospel amongst us so that I dare undertake to collect out of Luthers workes a thousand testimonies of this Doctrine That by the power of Gods imputation facti sumus justi we are truly made righteous in the sight of God And although I have briefly touched this before in my first defining of Free Iustification yet because by reason of the old sore of outward seeing and feeling the contrarie it is so hardly beleeved it is necessarie that I further prosecute this point and prove both by plaine Scriptures and common consent of the learned that by this forme of Christs perfect righteousness we are not barely counted righteous but are after the nature of the from truly and in very deed made perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely and that as all other formes doe so this also gives us not only the name but also the being of persons made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely THe first plaine expresse Scripture is Rom. 5. 19. Scrip. 1. Rom. â— 19. Proving we are not only counted but are indeed perfectly righteous in Goâ—â— sight where the Apostle not speaking of sanctification untill hee comes to the sixth
righteous in Gods sight whereupon those large promises made in the Psalms unto the Iust and righteous must needs be understood of the first way by which they are objectively and passively with Christs righteousnesse imputed though mystically yet truly made perfectly righteous just and Saints in the sight of God freely therefore it is well and truly noted by Calvin saying to this effect I grant that the Saints are called righteous declaratively of their inherent holinesse of life yet for as much as by all their endevour they doe not fulfill righteousnesse it selfe it is meet that this inherent righteousnesse such as it is doe give place to the Being made righteous by faith from whence it hath that which it is But yet Luthers observation out of Paul strikes this naile more fully to the head saying That Paul calleth them only righteous which are justified through the promise or through faith in the promise without the Law And no marvell that Paul calls them that are justified only righteous seeing God himselfe having freely justified Abraham made him thereby so truly God calleth Abraham Iustice and righteousnesse righteous in his own sight that God was not content to call him by his justification righteous but even justice and righteousnesse it selfe saying Esay Esay 41. 2. 41. 2. Who raised up Iustice or Righteousnesse from the East and called him to his foot Now seeing it is most true that Luther collecteth That if the Father of the Jewish Nation was made so truly righteous in the sight of God without the Law and before the Law that God called him Justice and Righteousnesse it selfe in his sight so that we his children may much more assure our selves now under the time of the Gospel that wee are made as righteous as he was by the same meanes What greater joy fuller assurance can we have than that we are not imaginarily counted and titularly called righteous but are though mystically yet in truth and in very deed formed and made perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely seeing with the first and with the last I am the same saith the Lord Esay 41. 4. Whereby wee Esay 41 4. may see how true that testimony of Master Downham and of other our English Divines is effectually beating down that Popish slander That Protestants hold in Free Iustification only a false-reputing and imaginary counting righteous in the sight of God saying expresly of Free Justification in divers places after this manner Neither are we imaginarily righteous but God makes us perfectly righteous indeed by washing away our sinnes with the precious blood of Christ and by appropriating and applying unto us his sonnes righteousnesse by virtue of his spirit principally and a lively faith instrumentally and so being made really and in truth partakers of Christs righteousness God reputes us not imaginarily but as we are mark as we are and that in truth perfectly just and righteous The selfe same thing doth Zanchius in his Treatise of Iustification upon Ephes 2. 5. Zanchius abundantly testifie in his Treatise of Justification upon Eph. 2. 5. saying likewise expresly in divers places That we are not only reputed and counted but also verè sumus truly are perfectly righteous before God and that also because God by clothing us with his Sonnes righteousnesse doth reipsa in very deed make us so For saith he God forbid that when the Apostle saith God doth justifie the ungodly we should so understand it as that he which is simply wicked and ungodly him God should absolve as godly and should pâ—onounce him to bee righteous which is in very deed unjust seeing the Scripture saith that God doth hate the wicked and his wickednesse And for as much as God is the highest wisdome truth and justice but all men by their own nature are unjust and no man can make himselfe just and righteous but only God Therefore it followes saith he that God doth absolve no man and pronounce him just and righteous but him quem prius fecerit justum that is whom first hee hath made righteous by his grace then hee shewes how God doth make a man righteous by his grace saying thus But as the righteousnesse is twofold as we shewed before by which wee are justified that is saith he by which fimus justi we are made righteous so God bifariam facit homines Two manner of wayes made righteous justos that is doth two manner of wayes make men righteous First when not imputing their sinnes unto them he forgives all their iniquities because they are extinct and clean put out by the blood of Christ and on the contrary by clothing them with his Sons righteousnesse doth make them righteous as the Apostle testifies saying By the obedience of one man namely imputed are many made righteous Seeing then this is a true and perfect righteousnesse who saith he may say that they are not of unjust verè justos esse factos truly made just and righteous which have in Christ gotten and attained this righteousnesse Secondly God sanctifieth them by inherent righteousnesse Seeing then saith he God doth with both these righteousnesse nos justos reipsa efficere that is make us in very deed righteous with the first righteous before himselfe with the other righteous before men It can by no meanes be said when God doth justifie his Elect that hee doth absolve men that are simply wicked and unjust and pronounce them just and righteous because this were directly repugnant both to his high justice and truth sed justos à se factos absolvit God absolveth only the just that is first he makes them just and righteous and then absolves them Again he saith thus Although God doth make them righteous with both these righteousnesse yet he doth not absolve and pronounce them righteous for their inherent righteousnesse because it is unperfect but only because he hath made them perfectly righteous before himselfe with his Sons righteousnesse imputed standing complete before God only by that Last of all concerning this point he shewes how a man may know in his owne heart and how hee himself and others may discern that he is justified absolved before God from all fault and blame and freed from all sinne guilt and punishment and pronounced just before God and an heire of his heavenly kingdome and so as I said before is made a true Christian freely Zanch. in loco communi de Iustif in Ephe. 2. 5. before God namely when he assenteth to this maine proposition of the Gospel and assumes the assurance of it to himselfe in his own heart to wit That The maine proposition of the Gospel whosoever beleeves in the Son of God Christ Jesus that by his obedience tam justus factus sit coram Deo he is made as righteous before God quam per inobedientiam Adae injustus factus fuerat as he was by the disobedience of Adam made unrighteous for as much as the obedience of Christ
his garments we are acceptable to our good God why because wee have more than an Angelicall righteousnesse in us Neither is this perfect righteousnesse idlely in us but makes us as perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely as it Calvin upon Iob 15. 15 6. is righteous in it selfe As Calvin in the beginning of his next Sermon upon the same place of Iob plainely testifieth saying Herein we have to consider Gods great goodnesse towards us in cloathing us with a righteousnesse that surmounteth the righteousnesse of the Angels we are as wretched and miserable sinners as can be viz. in our sense and feeling and yet notwitâ— standing God makes us mark how he saith not makes Christ only for us but makes us righteous after a more excellent and pretious manner than the very Angels are in respect of their own nature onely For saith he Christs righteousnesse is given unto us which farre surmounteth the righteousnesse of the Angels If this perfect righteousnesse be Our righteousnesse farre execeding the righteousnesse of the Angels by the power of Gods imputation not only in us but also doe make us thus perfectly righteous in the sight of God is it any marvell that we are so holy that we are unblameable and without fault in the sight of God The same in a manner Chrysostome also testifieth Chrysâ—stome upon Rom. 9. 30. 31. upon those words That the Gentiles that followed not righteousnesse have attained unto righteousnesse But Israel which followed the law of righteousnesse could not attaine the law of righteousnesse Rom. 9. 30 31. saying thus Tu siquidem O Iudaee c. For thou O Jew saith the Apostle hast not found that righteousnesse which is of the law for having transgressed the law thou art made subject to the Curse by another way namely by faith have found a greater righteousnesse mark a greater righteousnesse than this of the Law For here saith he three things are effected first that the Gentiles have found and attained righteousnesse secondly that they have attained it not following after it that is bestowing no paines or labour about it And thirdly they have found a greater than that which is by the Law whereupon in the next Chapter upon these words Christ is the end or perfection of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth the same Chrysostome concludeth thus There is Chrysostome in Rom. 10. no cause therefore why thou shouldst fear as a transgressor of the Law if so be that thou beleevest in Christ why Because thou hast fufilled this Law and hast now received a far greater righteousnesse Because it is most true that Master Downham avoucheth in his Treatise of Justification Master Downham in his Treaâ—ise of Iustification That we are made partakers of a more excellent righteousnesse than we lost in Adam required againe in the Law even the righteousness of God as the Apostle saith Rom. 3. 22. which consisteth not only in the absence saith Rom. 3. 22. he of evill and sinne but also in the presence of all actuall perfect and everlasting holinesse and righteousnesse in which we being made thus perfectly righteous in the sight of God must needs bee without all blame and without all fault in his sight freely The second reason flowing from the effect of our 2 The second reason of our happy eâ—taâ—e justification convincing why we are made so holy that we are unblameable and without fault in Gods sight is because this â—imputing and mysticall cloathing of us with Christs righteousnesse doth not only make our persons both bodies and soules perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God but also all our works vocations affaires and businesses that we take in hand are made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely so that First all our naturall actions as our eating and 1 The naturall civill and religious works of bâ—leevers are made perfect in the fight of God drinking and the marriage bed and such like are honorable being made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God Secondly our civil actions as honest buying and selling and other works of our civill vocations are made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God And Thirdly our religious works as our prayers and almes hearing the Word reading receiving of the Sacraments and other works of our Christian vocations even all the works of our hande are made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God not by the perfection of our sanctification because that only works an unwillingnesse a battel and a striving against the least sinne in all these sorts of actions because it knowes that no sinne is little in the sight of God but yet it will not bee perfect in it selfe untill the life to come How then are all these sorts of actions in Gods Quest children made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God I answer freely by the perfection of Justification Answ so that as it is said on the one side of them that are not justified That the unbelieving are defiled and abhominable unto whom nothing is pure whereby not only their minds and consciences are defiled Tit. 1 15. Tit. 1. 15 16. Hag. 2. 14. 16. but also the Prophet Hag. 2. 14. cryeth out So are all the works of their hands and that which they offer in the Temple is unclean So on the other side To the pure that is to them that are justified and washed and purified from their sins by the blood of the Lamb all things are pure saith the Apostle and all the works of their hands and whatsoever they offer in the Temple is perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely and thereby acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God whom nothing pleaseth but that which is pure and perfect But how and after what manner are they made so Quest perfectly righteous I answer because Justification doth abolish from Answ before God all their infirmities and all the imperfections of their sanctification because otherwise all their infirmities and imperfections of their sanctification that are but infirmities and imperfections in respect of themselves would bee if they were not abolished from before God by Justification damnable filthinesse in the sight of God and make all the righteousnesse of their sanctification and holy walking as a foule filthy mestruous cloth that is as I said before damnable sinne and filthinesse in Gods sight neither doth Christs righteousnesse in the justified abolish only all the infirmities and imperfections of their works of sanctification but also presents all their works and holy walking to bee perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely and by this meanes are made continually acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God if they bee not pretended infirmities of unbeleeving and unjustified hypocrites but meere infirmities of imperfectly sanctified persons for of such sanctified persons only God saith by the
glory belonging and reserved as due unto the substance it selfe But when Christ the truth it selfe came signified by those figures and did fully exhibit himselfe to performe fully the truth that was represented in those figures Then the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God did so fully purge and purifie our consciences from dead works to serve the living God that now there is no need of any more Sacrifice for sin because God doth not so much as remember our sins any more Heb. 10. 17. 18. And Heb 10. 17 18. why because with that one offering of himselfe hee hath made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified The new Testament passing the Old in foure circumstances Where let us marke the full perfection of the New Testament above the Old here compared the one with the other and the New passing the Old in foure circumstances First he saith not inchoatively and imperfectly as it is said of the Old Testament that it made nothing perfect Heb. 7. 19. but perfectly Secondly he saith not that he will make perfect but he hath made perfect signifying that this perfect making of us righteous in the sight of God is already perfectly done Thirdly not for a season to be by intercourses often renewed with new Sacrifices as the Papists doe counterfeit in their Masse but perpetually and continually And Fourthly not onely for long times as whole yeers and such like but for ever and ever as the doctrine of our Church speaketh Thus hath Christ made all his children and Church righteous quarto modo that Christ hath made us righteous quarto modo is omnes solos semper first omnes all that are sanctified secondly solos only they that are sanctified and thirdly semper he hath made them perfectly righteous continually and for ever Hence he is called Melchisedec that is the King of righteousnesse because he makes all his subjects thus righteous secondly none but his subjects only thirdly all his subjects are made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God only and for ever And therefore did the Prophet Daniel ch 9. 24. prophesie of Christ That at his comming he should not onely make an end of sin but also bring in an everlasting righteousnesse that is making the children of God perfectly righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God for ever and ever Hence we see the reason why the learned doe pronounce the justified children of God to be not only fully and completely but also sufficiently righteous before God For if the child of God be thus completely and perfectly righteous in the sight of God then he is sufficiently righteous in the sight of God but if he be not sufficiently righteous then is he not perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God But that the justified child of God is above his sense and feeling even sufficiently righteous in the sight of God is plainly testified by God himselfe 2 Cor. 12. where 2 Cor. 1â— we may see that Saint Paul feeling the remnants of corruption hanging upon him and not only doubting as the circumstances of the place shew that he was not sufficiently righteous in the sight of God but also grieving at the same and therfore praying thrice that is oftentimes to God against the same God answered him saying My Grace viz. of Free Justification the Grace of graces called often the Grace of God and gift by Grace Rom. 5. is sufficient for thee that is makes thee Rom. 5. sufficiently perfectly righteous from all spot of the remnants of thy corruptions in my sight freely and then adds the reason why he should be content with this rich grace of Free Justification saying For the power of my grace of Free Iustification is manifested and made perfect in thy weaknesse because if thou hadst not weaknesse and corruption in thee thou shouldst have no need of my grace of Justification but in that I make thee from all those infirmities which thou seelest to hang upon thee sufficiently and perfectly righteous in my sight freely herein my free Grace of Justification is greatly magnified and glorified Which reason did so greatly content Saint Paul that he said Very gladly therefore will I rejoyce rather in mine infirmities what simply no but that the power of Christs grace making me thus sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely may dwell in me Thus we may see how true that saying of Calvin is of Justification in another place That Justification finding us naked of our own righteousnesse doth so cloath and enrich us with the righteousnesse of Christ that the saying in Luke 1. 52. is fulfilled Hee filleth the hungry 〈…〉 53. with good things for Paul hungring after his owne inherent righteousnesse when his own inherent righteousnesse could never have made him sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God is sent away filled with the power and rich grace of Christ making him sufficiently and perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely Which treasure saith Luther Esaiah inwardly considering did in the tenth of his Prophecy say The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousnesse as if he had said Faith which is a briefe and summary fulfilling of the Law tanta justitia credentes replebit that is shall replenish the Beleevers with so great righteousnesse ut nulla alia read justitiam opus habeant that they shall not have need of any other thing to make them more righteous Rom. 10. 10. Which Paul also doth testifie Rom. 10. saying For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse whereby he hath no need of works to make him righteous in the sight of God sed omni bono repletur vereque filius Dei efficitur that is but is replenished freely with all goodnesse and truely made the Son of God Iohn 1. 12. Iohn 1. 12. Yea that the true Beleever is made sufficiently and perfectly righteous because he is by Free Justification thus freely replenished with all righteousnesse in the sight of God is likewise plainly taught and cleerly testified in the doctrine of our Church taught by the Doctrine of our Church in the Sermon of the resurrecâ—ion first Restorers of the Gospel in this land saying in the Sermon of the Resurrection of Christ after this manner It had not been enough to be delivered by his death from sin except by his resurrection wee had beene endued with a perfect and everlasting righteousnesse whereby the true righteousnesse looking downe from heaven is in most liberall largenesse dealt by the holy Ghost upon all the world by whose assistance wee be replenished with all righteousnesse c. Doubt not of the truth of this matter how great and high soever these things be it becommeth God to doe no little deeds how possible soever they seeme to thee And no marvell
horrible Luth. in Gal. 1. 3. thing once to think of God out of Christ Secondly he desires not to bee found out of himselfe in Christ only and thirdly hee discernes not the antithesis and flat contrariety that is between the blessed estate what it is to bee in Christ and the cursed estate what it is to bee in our own selves out of Christ which cannot stand together but doe utterly overthrow one another for although it is true that wee may yea and ought to consider and ever and continually to remember what we were when we were in our own selves out of Christ as Paul teaches Ephes 2. as namely dead in trespasses and sins following Ephes 2. the course of the world without God in the world the children Why we have continuall feeling of sin left in us of wrath and such like Yea and God hath left a feeling of these things to dwell still in us as if wee were not translated out of sinne into righteousnesse out of our selves into Christ out of death into life out of damnation into salvation That as I have often said we may live by the faith of Gods power working these upon us by himselfe alone and not by our sense sight and feeling although I say wee may and ought thus to consider what we were yea and are to our sense and feeling in our own selves yet notwithstanding wee are not in our own selves after that we are justified and converted but only in Christ although we finde the fruit operation and power thereof but according to our faith Proofs that being justified wee are not in our own selves but in Christ only are evident in the foresaid Epistle to the Ephes 2. saying Ephes 2. Remember that yee were in times past Gentiles in the flesh that is your own selves and lost nature yee were I say at that time out of Christ and without Verse 11. 12. God in the world vers 11. 12. and were by nature the children of wrath vers 3. But now saith he being in Verse 3. Christ Iesus yee which once or in times past were farre off are made neere by the blood of Christ vers 13. Now Verse 13. therefore yee are no more mark the word no more Strangers and Forreiners but Citizens with the â—aints and of the houshold of God vers 19. Thus are we now being by Verse 19. Justification translated out of our own selves into Christ But yet we may be considered as we see here what we were yea and what wee are to our sense and feeling in and of our selves being considered out of Christ when yet wee are not out of Christ as For example a graft or branch of a wild bitter An apt similitutede Olive being grafted into the sweet Olive and now partaking of the nature of the sweet Olive may yet notwithstanding bee considered what it was and what it is considered in and of it selfe and yet now it is not in it selfe and in its own nature and condition but in the sweet Olive and grown into the nature of the sweet Olive Or yet more plainly thus A poore woman that was in extreame poverty and in great Another plain fimilitude debt and arrested and cast into prison although shee be from thence taken out and married to a rich noble man and so her debt discharged and shee made of poore rich in apparell wealth and honour yet notwithstanding shee may bee considered and she her selfe ought in true gratitude often to call to minde what shee was and what shee is considered in and of her own selfe And yet indeed shee is not as shee was neither yet in her own selfe but in her husband altogether in a free state and in a rich condition And in this sense did S. Paul say and the true right faith must ever say I live not now but Christ lives in mee and in that I now live I live by the faith in the Sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for mee namely to Justifie me and thereby hath made mee by himselfe alone perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Neither doth God behold us being Justified in the imperfections of our sanctification why because as I have abundantly shewed before both by expresse Scripture as also by the unanimous consent of all the best Dispensers of Gods mysteries That Justification doth not only present us and our persons perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely but also taketh away from before God and abolisheth all the imperfections of all our works out of the sight of God so that to the pure and to the believing all things are pure as to the unbelieving nothing is pure but their best good works are filthy and abhominable in the sight of God Now then when both the persons of the believing are by Christs righteousnesse perfectly pure in the sight of God and when all the imperfections of their works are abolished out of Gods sight thus making them also perfectly pure and righteous in the sight of God how then doth God see them in the imperfections of their sanctification but to say when God hath justified both us and our works that God sees us in the imperfections of our sanctification is another evident mark of an hypocrite that was never An evident mark of an hypocrite yet truly humbled for the imperfections of his sanctification nor ever yet truly killed with the Apostle by understanding the tenth Commandement making both him and all his righteousnesse and best good works as a menstruous cloath that is damnable sinne in the sight of God for then hee would be glad to take the benefit of Free Justification to make him clean in the sight of God from all the imperfections of his best good works in the imperfections of his sanctification for hee would easily see that if all his righteousnesse be as a menstruous cloath in the sight of God by reason of the imperfections of his sanctification how horrible are the imperfections themselves that make his sanctification so filthy and loathsome in the sight of God and how farre are these from the minde and faith of the Apostle that would not be found in his own righteousnesse of sanctification that was of the Law but only in the righteousnesse which is of God through faith and yet These dare be found in the fight of God and will uphold also that God beholds his children in the imperfections of their sanctification But are not these imperfections of our sanctification ever to our sense and feeling like to continuall running soares in us Psal 77. 2. Psal 38. 3. and make us to our sense and Psal 77. 2. Psal 38. 3. Rom. 7. 24. feeling miserable Rom. 7. 24. And is not Justification given us as the balme of Giliad to heale these soares of the imperfections of Iustification
joy a prayse and an honour before all Nations of the earth which shall heare all the good that I doe unto them and they shall feare and tremble for all the goodnesse and for all the wealth that I shew unto them Upon which words the exposition of Pellican is very remarkable Pellican upon Ieâ— 3â— 8. 9. saying Vbi praedicabitur Evangelium regni c. When the Gospel of the Kingdome shall be preached God will doe such great good things unto his faithfull ut prae magnitudine gratiae obstupescat omnis caro that all flesh shall bee astonied at the greatnesse of his Grace And Paul expoundeth what this wonderfull Grace is saying whereas all have sinned and so are deprived of the glory of God wee are justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3. 24. Marke Rom. 3. 24. the word freely and let us throughly understand the meaning thereof namely God respecting no worthinesse in us to deserve so glorious a benefit nor respecting any unworthinesse in us to hinder us from taking this glory but giving it us freely to heale all our unworthinesse and to make us freely worthy of all his other blessings both temporall and eternall and why or to what end doth he all this the Apostle answereth Ephes 2. 7. saying That hee may shew to Ephes 2. 7. the ages to come the exceeding riches of his Grace through his goodness towards us in Christ Iesus and that also to the praise of the glory of his Grace Ephes 1. 6. Whereby saith Ephes 1. 6. Chrysostome nequit sermone comprehendi c. it cannot be expressed with words with how great benefits wee are endued and honoured withall for saith he they are not only riches but abundant riches and not only abundant riches but given also to shew abundancy and not the abundancie of men but of God so that in all respects they must needs be unmeasurable and wonderfull great Shall wee then by foolish feare of our unworthinesse drown the the word freely resist as I said before the good pleasure of God that would have us freely to take it and refuse his rich bounty and so trample the glory of the exceeding riches of his grace under feet no let us rather utterly trample this feare of our unworthinesse under fâ—et because it would not only rob us of our good but also Christ of his glory The third Remedy against feare of applying to our selves so great glory of Free Justification Is to remember The third Remedy agaâ—nst the feare of applâ—â—g so great gâ—oâ—yâ—o 〈◊〉 â—â—lves is Matth. 6. 33. how highly it pleaseth God and how precious he counteth such applying of his benefits by faith God rewarding the same with all blessings temporall and eternall according to that saying of Christ Matt. 6. 33. Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnes whereof Paul spake saying That I may not be found in mine own righteousness which is after the Law but the righteousness which is of God through faith and then saith Christ all other things shall bee cast upon you But because we shall speak further hereof when wee come to the effects of Justification I will only repeat for feare so precious a saying worthy ever to be remembred should be so soone forgotten that Exhortation before mentioned namely Cast away the raggs of thy owne righteousnesse Philip. 3 8 9. And if Philâ— 8. 9. over thou wilt get the blessing wrap thy selfe in this garment of the righteousness of thy elder brother Christ And when thy Father shall savour the smell of thy garments he shall bless thee and say Behold the smell of my Sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed feare not to bee compleat in him this long white Robe needs no inching no ceking no patching Say with the holy Martyr and live and die with it in thy mouth only Christ only Christ The reason whereof is plainly expressed by S. Paul saying That they that are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham But as many as are of works are under the curse Gal. 3. 9. 10. Upon which words the exposition Gal. 3. 9 10. of Luther is worthy to be adjoyned and ever to be remembred saying thus Wee must seperate the believing Abraham from the working Abraham as farre a sunder as there is distance betwixt heaven and earth A man believing in Christ is altogether a Divine Person the child of God the Inberitor of the world a Conquerour of Sinne Death the World and the Devill therefore he cannot be praised and magnified enough Let us not suffer this faithfull Abraham to lie hid in his grave as he is hid from the Iewes but let us highly extoll and magnifie and let us fill both heaven and earth with his name So that in respect of this faithfull Abraham wee see nothing at all in the working Abraham For when wee speak of this faithfull Abraham wee are in heaven but afterwards doing those things which the working Abraham did which were in comparison fleshly and earthly Rom. 4. 1. wee are among men in earth The believing Rom. 4. 1. Abraham therefore filleth heaven and earth So every Christian through his faith filleth heaven and earth heaven with his faith and earth with his works And thus much for the strengthning of Faith CHAP. XIIII Of the Vtility and Majestie of Free Iustification THus having spoken of the nature and parts of Free Justification and strengthned faith in the same Now it remaines that I shew unto the possessors of it what an inestimable Jewell they have of the same in shewing the exceeding utility and majestie of it which although I confesse it passeth the ability either of men or Angels to expresse according to the worth and excellency thereof because I acknowledge the saying of Luther upon Pauls reproving of Peter to his face before the Congregation to be most true That such and so great is the utilitie and majesty of Free Iustification that whosoever rightly esteemeth the same to him all other things shall seem but vile and nothing worth For saith he What is Peter what is Paul what is an Angel from heaven what are all Creatures to the Article of Iustification Which if wee know and so esteeme then are wee in the cleere light but if we be ignorant thereof and so lightly regard it then are wee in most miserable darknesse Yet notwithstanding I hold it necessary a little to point at this excellent utility and majestie of Free Justification and leave the full handling thereof to others of greater gifts than my selfe and will only touch six fruits Six effects of Free justification and effects which the more any look into marking but the nature truth and excellency of them the more they shall see the utility and majestie of free Justification to be
to the true Christ who hath by Justification by his blood and by his spirit of Sanctification eso wonderfully knit us into his own body That he makes us happy and blessed only in his own selfe alone for ever that we need not to hearken after any false Christ for more happinesse any other way Why Because to assure us that hee doth communicate both himselfe and all his riches unto us he communicates also unto us his very name That as a wife as Calvin saith is intitled with the name of her husband so is the Church and true children of God truly intitled with the name of her husband Christ And again saith he In hoc verò sita est nostra consolatio quod sicut Christus pater unum sunt ita nos cum eo unum sumus Vnde haec nominis communicatio ita Christus that is Herein consisteth our consolation that as Christ and his Father are one so wee are one with him from whence comes this communicating of name so is Christ But the sweetnesse and comfort of this consolatior consisteth herein That as every one is married by his true Justifying faith particularly to Christ so he must apply this union to his own selfe in particular without which it becomes unfruitfull and unprofitable yet not swarving hereby from the former doctrine but a making of that which is generall to all to bee thine own in particular by applying it to thine own selfe in particular Thus did Paul saying I live not now then Paul belike is no Paul but who lives then Christ lives in me that is as Luther expounds it I live not in mine onw person nor in mine own substance but Christ lives in me Indeed saith he the person liveth but not in himselfe and therefore he saith I live not now but Christ lives in me Is est mea forma Hee is my forme more neerly joyned and united to me than the colour or whitnesse to the wall Christ therefore saith Paul thus joyned and united unto mee and abiding in me liveth this life in me which I now live Now Christ living in me I am dead to the Law that is He abolisheth the law to me damneth sin destroyeth death At Christs presence the Law sinne and death doe vanish away For it cannot bee but at his presence all these must needs vanish away for Christ is everlasting Righteousnesse everlasting Peace Consolation and Life and to these sin the terror of the law heavinesse of minde hell and death must needs give place So Christ living and abiding in me taketh away and swalloweth up all evills which vex and afflict mee This union and conjunction then is the cause that I am separated from my selfe and translated into Christ and his kingdome which is a kingdome of grace righteousnesse peace joy life salvation and glory yea by this unseparable union and conjunction which is through faith Christ and I mark this particularity I are made as it were one body in spirit Hence it is for this particular application of applying this close union to our selves in particular did Origen say as we heard before quod per unum Christum fiunt multi Christi that by one Christ there are many Christs because they are transformed to the Image of him who is the Image of God But Luther upon Pauls foresaid application describes the manner of this particular application with fuller demonstration saying thus Quare fides purè est docenda c. Wherefore faith must be purely taught namely that thou art so entirely and neerly joyned unto Christ that he and thou are made as it were one person which cannot be severed but is perpetually joyned together so that thou mayst boldly say Ego sum Christus I am Christ that is to say Christs righteousnesse victory and life are mine And againe Christ may say Ego sum ille peccator I am that sinner that is his sinnes and his death are mine because he is united and joyned unto me and I unto him For wee are so united together by the spirit that wee are become one flesh and one bone For so saith the Apople Ephes 5. Wee are members of the body of Christ of his Ephes 5. flesh and of his bones So that this faith doth couple Christ and me more neere together than the husband is coupled unto his wife The fourth excellent benefit of Free Iustification is 4. Adoption our most glorious adoption whereby wee are made the true sonnes and daughters of the living God Therefore doth S. Iohn say As many as received him namely to justifie them by his blood and death Ioh. â— 1â— To them he gave the prerogative or dignity to be the Sons of God as verily and truly as ever they were the Sonnes and Daughters of their naturall Parents And the Apostle Paul testifieth That Christ hath redeemed us from under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sonnes And because wee are Sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts to cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 5 9. also S. Iohn crying out in admiration Gal 4. 5. 6. of this great dignitie saith Behold what love the Father hath shewed towards us that we things of nothing Psal 144. 4. Should be called the Sonnes of God! And Psalm 144 4. now are we the Sonnes of God But it is not made manifest what we shall be but wee know that when he that is the Sonne shall appeare we shall be like him 1 Ioh. 3. 1. 2. 1 Ioh 3. 1. 2. Yea we are so truly made the children of God that we are become also heires of eternall life so saith the Apostle Tit. 3. 7. Wee being justified by his free grace Tiâ— 3. 7. are made heires according to the hope of eternall life and againe Rom. 8. If we be children we are also heires Rom. 8. even the heires of God and fellow or joynt-heires with Christ But neither is this high benefit conferred upon us except we be first justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous by his grace according to that saying of a learned Dispencer of the mysteries of the Gospel which is this If we bee Sonnes then are wee justified in Gods sight freed from sinne and indued with righteousness so fully reconciled unto God seeing the Lord infinite in Iustice would never admit any into such an high degree of favour who were yet polluted in their sins and destiâ—ute Nemo sit hâ—râ—s sautis â—teâ—nae 〈◊〉 sitâ—u 〈◊〉 fide Pic. in Heb. 11. 7. of righteousness Whereunto agreeable is also that saying of Piscaâ—oâ— nemo fit haeres c. No man is made an heir of eternall salvation but first he is made just and righteous by faith Thus God by the meanes of Free Iustification having delivred us from the power of darknesse and translated us into the kingdome of his deare Sonne hath made us meet to be pratakers of the inheritance
with self-deceiving and appearing zeales of God as S. Paul testifieth saying I beare them record they have the zeale of God why what is the zeale of God which they had that is First for matter not following now as in ancient times their owne inventions and false worships of grosse idolatry but now zealously following the law of righteousnesse even the works of Gods owne Law Rom. 9. 31. 32. And secondly for end Rom. 9. 31 32. ayming at the glory of God why what was more to be desired yes but it was not according to knowledge why but they wanted no knowledge as wee may see granted by Paul himselfe Rom. 2. 17. to 20. and Rom. Rom. 2. 17. to 20. and 9. 4. 9. 4. for they knew the whole word of God and how often any word of moment was repeated from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Malachy True but yet they were ignorant of one maine point by which Iustification the heart and life of all knowledge they were ignorant of all for they only knew not free Iustification which is the forme soule heart and life of all the rest because that alone giveth both unto God and unto Christ their full glory for so it followeth in Paul for they being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God did goe about to establish their owne righteousnesse For because the nature of man dares not think The ground of the establishing of our owne righteousnesse of any fellowship and communion with God without a righteousnesse therefore they being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God freely and compleatly wrought upon them by God must needs goe about to establish their owne righteousnesse that is to winne and retain the love and favour of God by their fervency of good works and zeale of Gods glory in doing his law and when this blinde affection of false-doing Gods will doth reign in men being ignorant of the excellency and full and true doing of Gods will in free Iustification then they desire by some notorious zealous good works to out-passe the ordinary course and road-way of walking every man within the limits of his vocation doing the duties of the same comfortably and faithfully to Gods glory in winning and Blinde and rash zeale profiting his neighbours but out-starting others will have some singular zealous works to winne and retaine the said love and favour of God towards them hence flow the superstitious inventions of Popery hence commeth the rash zeale of the Brownists hence commeth the blinde holinesse of Familists hence commeth the painted zeale and holinesse of Anabaptists little differing in truth from Papists they do so stablish their owne righteousnesse of holy duties and works but that encroaching and returning neere to Judaisme they keep themselves closer as they think to the Morall Law of performing universall obedience to all Gods Commandements and so likewise of all other Sects and Religions and of all other Ape-Saints and Peacock-Christians as Luther truly calleth them whatsoever being ignorant of free Iustification But when they come by true faith to see rightly into free Iustification how utterly their sins by the imputation of Christs perfect righteousnesse are freely abolished out of Gods sight and how perfectly and compleatly holy and righteous they are made freely without works and what a full entrance there is hereby into the full favour of God peace and joy of conscience and to all the rest of the glorious benefits of the Gospel then they begin to say Here are the words of eternall life and whither shall we goe then they begin to see that God hath placed them in their vocations for them thereby to practise and testifie their thankfulnesse for those free-given benefits of the Gospel that doe make them so compleat before God and therefore they care for nothing but to keep themselves within the limits of their vocations and to doe the duties of the same faithfully and zealously to Gods glory in benefiting their neighbours And thus they serve God in spirit and truth of faith when all the world runneth awhoring after their owne inventions both of false-supposed true worships and also of doing their vocations in a false manner And therefore doth Luther truly say thus of this powerfull operation and effect Luth. in Gal. 2. 20. of free Iustification Wherefore I say as I have oftentimes said That there is no remedy against Sects or power to resist The only remedy against all Sects them but this only Article of Christian righteousnesse if we lose this Article it is impossible for us to withstand any errors or Sects As we may see at this day in the fantasticall spirits the Anabaptists and such like who being fallen away from this Article of free Iustification will never cease to fall erre and seduce others untill they come to the fulnesse of all iniquity except they be reduced home to rest only in free Iustification For whiles this doctrine pacifying and quieting Luth. in verse 16. the conscience remaineth pure and uncorrupt Christians are made judges over all kindes of doctrine Idem in Chap. 1. 4. The danger of work-mongers whereby a light is opened and a sound judgement is given unto us so as we may most certainely and freely judge of all kindes of life whereby we easily discerne all such Sects as trust rely and hang upon their works to be wicked and pernicious whereby the glory of Gods wrath against sin and Christs works and doings are not only defaced but also utterly taken away and our owne advanced and established Yea upon faith alone of Free Iustification by Christ followeth a most certain knowledge and understanding a most joyfull conscience and a true judgement of every Chap. 3. 28. kinde of life and of all things else whatsoever For they which know and understand it can judge of faith they can discerne a true feare from a false feare they Chap. 3. 23. can judge of all inward affections of the heart and discerne all spirits c. So that if we stick to this anchor-hold of the true manner of free Iustification both the Pope and Satan shall be put to flight because where this knowledge of free-Iustification is retained and this doctrine preached all Heresies and Sects are easily overthrowne Fifthly the laying out of the excellency of free Fifth Effect It rooteth up Covetousnes the root of all â—â—ill Iustification worketh also this powerfull effect namely it is the only meanes to eradicate and utterly root out that inbred originall corruption called Covetousnesse the root of all evill and the love of all vaine pomp and earthly riches so deeply rooted and inwardly infecting the heart that if the heart be not seisoned with some feeling of the worth of the heavenly riches the naturall man in the dead Faith is violently carried upon the least occasion for a little lucre not only to break all lawes both of God and man but also to betray himselfe his soule his
is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. 38. 39. Thus the word of Christ by which we are now cleane Ioh. 15. 3. Rom. 8. 38 39. that is which justifieth us by the righteousnesse of Ioh. 15. 3. Christ is the onely thing which bringeth us to the Luth. Serm. in Ioh. 14. Father And as the joyfull knowledge of Justification doth Iustification enlargeth the heart towards our neighbours thus enlarge the heart to God-ward so doth it also enlarge the heart with true love and willing and ready practice doing of all duties of love to man-ward not drawne thereto with the terrours of the Law or hireling-like with respect of our owne profit but cheerfully and freely For when I beleeve this undoubtedly Luth. serm of nativity of Christ that Christs blood and righteousnesse have freely made me perfectly holy and righteous so enriching me with all the riches of Christ bestowing upon me whatsoever he hath whereby I want nothing I burst forth and say If God shew unto me so great benefits and favour in his beloved Sonne that he suffereth him to bestow all things upon me I also will doe the like againe and bestow all things whereby I may doe good to my neighbours and the members of Christ and so I doe not mount with my body up into heaven but I turne my eyes to men and goe thither where my neighbour is oppressed with adversity poverty sicknesse sin or errour and I help him wherein soever I True good worâ—s indeed am able Thus doe thou whosoever thou art which mindest to doe true good works as thou wouldst have it done to thy selfe if thou wert troubled with poverty so doe thou to thy neighbour being poore Againe if thy neighbour be a sinner and thou seest it but thou thy selfe art justified without sin by having in Christ a holy Nativity goe preach unto him whereby he also may be delivered but thou must doe all these things freely in every respect as Christ hath done for thee without all works or deserts of pure grace love and mercy such works see thou doe if thou wilt doe good and Christian works indeed But hee that doth not firmely trust in this divine Idem in serm of salvation by grace without works bounty cannot but be remisse and slow to doe well to his neighbour and so witnesse the faintnesse and weaknesse of faith which is the fountaine of all duties and benefits As contrariwise the stronger faith and greater insight into the worth and excellency of Christs benefits that one is endued withall so much more dutifully and with ready minde he endeavoureth to doe good unto his neighbours And thus in these two faith and love all both doctrine and life worthy Faith and love doe comprehend all of Christ doe consist whereby man is made as it were a meane between God and his neighbour that he may receive from God above and give unto his neighbour beneath and be as it were a conduit-pipe through which the divine goodnesse doth continually flow unto his neighbours And such men are like unto God which in Christ receive of God whatsoever he hath and doe againe by their good deeds declare themselves as it were the Gods of others and fulfill the prophecy of the Prophet Psal 82. I have Psal 82. said yee are gods and yee all are the children of the most high Wee are children of the most high by being righteous by faith whereby of nothing we are made the heires of God and we are Gods by love which Idem in Gal. 2. 3. The right sound doctrine â— of works maketh us beneficiall to others Thus never any taught more sound and godly doctrine as touching good works than we doe at this day For if a man feele in his heart a sweetnesse in this promise of God That the blood of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth make him cleane from all sinne and so is undoubtedly perswaded that he is of the company of them whom Christ hath made to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle of sinne or any such thing he is assuredly such aâ—one and Christs spouse indeed for as we beleeve so commeth it unto us Then will such a man by and Luther In sermon of salvation by Christ alone by have regard of his neighbour and help him as his brother care for him give unto him lend unto him comfort him briefly doe no otherwise unto him than he desireth to be done unto himselfe and all this proceedeth from hence for that the bountifulnesse and goodnesse of Christ hath replenished his heart with sweetnesse and love that it is a pleasure and joy unto him to doe good unto his neighbour yea and he is The meek and loving disposition of a true Christian grieved if there bee none towards whom hee may be serviceable And besides all this he is tractable and lowly towards all men he doth not esteem the temporall pleasure and pride of life hee judgeth no man hee defameth no man he interpreteth all things in the better part when hee seeth that the matter goeth not well with his neighbour and that hee fainteth in faith waxeth cold in love and that his life is not on every Luther In serm of lost sheep side approveable he prayeth for him and is sore grieved if any commit any thing against God and his neighbour In summe the root and sap are sound for they are in a flourishing Vine to wit Christ and therefore such fruits come forth But where the true and joyfull knowledge of being righteous by faith is not there such fruits are alwayes wanting Thus where the Gospel is truly in the heart it makes Ibid. a man to be such a one as doth not look while the Radinesse to doe good Law commeth but is so full of joy in Christ that he is with speed carried unto good works Tit. 2. 14. Tit. 2. 14. doing well to all men as much as he is able and that of his owne accord before the Law come into his minde Moreover he bestoweth both body and life having no regard what he must therefore suffer and so he is full of good works which voluntarily flowing as it were out of a continuall fountaine are derived unto many And all this as I said at the beginning is effected Iustification is like the fire and Sanctiâ—ication like the heat by it because it is the joyfull knowledge of Iustification that doth regenerate and sanctifie us Iustification is like the fire so that he that is not zealous in holinesse and righteousnesse by Sanctification it is to be feared that he never had the fire in his brest of Iustification or letteth the fire goe out by forgetting as Peter saith that hee was purged from his old sinnes 2 Pet. 1. 9. And that 2 Pet. 1. 9. the knowledge of Free Iustification is that which regenerateth and sanctifieth us Is not only manifest by the doctrine taught in
the first and sixth Chapters to the Rom. but also by the example of Nicodemus who at the first was neither regenerate nor knew nor could learne what it meant which made him to come unto Christ by night being ashamed to come in the day but after that Christ had taught him Free Iustification by the similitude of the brazen Serpent lifted up in the wildernesse freely healing us Then he was a new man enflamed with zeale to defend Christ before the faces Iohn 7. 50 51 52. of the Rulers even at mid-day Iohn 7. 50 51 52. For Christ first makes us righteous by the knowledge of himselfe in the holy Gospel and afterward he createth a new heart in us bringeth forth new motions and giveth unto us that assurance whereby we are perswaded that we please the father for his sake also he giveth unto us a true judgement whereby wee prove and try those things which before we knew not or else altogether disliked So that take a kettle of A plaine comparison cold water which we would have to be hot it would be a foolish part to set it beside the fire and then charge it to be hot and to threat it that else it shall be spilt but put fire under it then will it begin to be warme but if it grow not hot enough put more fire under and if there lie a green stick or block that keepeth away the heat yet put under more fire and then it wil burne up the block and make the water throughly hot So our soule is this block our affections are like to water as cold to God as may be but if we call unto people for Sanctification zeale and works the fruits of the same only with legall terrours not putting under the fire of Iustification we shall either but little move them or else with a constrained sanctity make them worse hypocrites twofold more the children of hell than they were before Mat. 23. 15. but if we put under the Matth. 23. 15. fire of Christs love in freely and gloriously justifying us this burneth up all lets and maketh us hot indeed and zealous to good works Tit. 2. 14. Tit. 2. 14. Againe how inseparably Justification as the cause Iustification Sanctification inseparable and Sanctification as the effect goe both together may be represented by this Similitude Take a piece of carrion as bigge as the top of ones finger that smelleth very foule and wrap it up in a great piece of musk the musk not only taketh away the foule sente from mens nostrills smelling then nothing but musk but also causeth the carrion it selfe by little and little being overcome of the more forceable cause to lose its owne bad sente and begin to smell sweet of the musk So we being wrapped by the mighty power of Gods imputation in the righteousnesse of Christ it doth not only take away the stink of sin Ioel 2. 20. from the Iâ—eâ— 2. 20. no strils of God but also maketh us by little and little to leave this corruption and sanctifieth us more and more to all holinesse of conversation So that our works doe not purifie us but when as before we are pure justified and saved we work those things which may bring profit to our neighbour and honor to God This joyfull knowledge of Justification is that Freeing truth freeing truth whereof Christ spake saying you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Iohn 8. 32. Iohn 8. 32. Cal. 5. 1. For by the Law is the knowledge of sin by faith is the obtaining of the grace of Justification is the healing of the fault of sin by the healing of the soule is the freedome of will by the freedome of the will is the love of righteousnesse by the love of righteousnesse is the doing of the Law All these things which I have knit thus together have their testimonies in Scripture The Law saith thou shalt not lust faith saith heale my soule for I have sinned against thee The grace of Justification saith Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee and thou hast healed me freedome of will saith I will sacrifice a free-will offering unto thee the love of righteousnesse saith The Law of thy mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of gold and Psal 119. silver the doing of the Law saith I have sworne and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Lawes How Iustificatus per siâ—lem qu mâ—do â—otest mâ— juâ—â—e deâ—nceps operari can a man then being justifed that is made just and righteous by faith choose but work justly and righteously This is the liberty wherein Paul also testifieth wee are made free saying Stand fast in the liberty wherein Christ hath made us free Gal. 5. 1. He speaketh not of Gal. 5. 1. a civill liberty much lesse of a carnall and fleshly liberty Luther ibid. whereby people of the world will doe what The true Christian liberty they list but of a spirituall and divine liberty reigning in the conscience there it resteth and goeth no further and it is a freedome from the Law sin the dispeasure of God death hell and damnation Yea this Christian liberty swalloweth up at once and taketh quite away the whole heap of evills the Law sin death Gods displeasure and briefly the serpent himselfe with his head and whose power and in the stead thereof it placeth righteousnesse peace everlasting life and all goodnesse Now since enimies are overcome and we be reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne it is certaine that wee are righteous before God and whatsoever we do pleaseth A happy change him by which meanes the schoolmaster-like bondage and terrours of the Law are changed into the liberty of the conscience and consolation or joyfull newes of the Gospel revealing the righteousnesse of Christ wherewith we are both justified and quickened Yea this joyfull knowledge of Iustification is the meanes whereby we put on Christ two wayes according to Christ put on two wayes Luther in Gal. 3. 27. the Law and according to the Gospel according to the Law as it is said Rom. 13. Put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ that is follow the examples and virtues Rom. 13. of Christ doe that which he did and suffer that which he suffered as Peter saith Christ hath suffered for us 1 Pet 2. 21. leaving us an example that we should follow his steps But the putting on of Christ according to the Gospel A new creation consisteth not in imitation but in a new birth and a new creation First to God-ward by putting on by 1 towards God faith Christs innocency his righteousnesse his wisedome his power his saving-health his life and his spirit Thus is Adams old coat cast off and abolished before God and we apparelled with remission of sins righteousnesse peace consolation joy of the spirit salvation and life
faithfully no man charitably serveth the necessity of his brother the griefe hereof maketh mee sometime so impatient that many times I wish such Swine which tread pretious pearles under their feet were yet still People of Gomorrah nâ—t governed by the Gospel of peace remaining under the tyrannie of the Pope For it is impossible that this people of Gomorrah should be governed by the Gospel of peace But wee tell such carelesse contemners although they beleeve us not but laugh us to scorne that if they use their bodies and their goods after their own lusts as indeed they doe for they neither help the poore nor lend to the needy but beguile their brethren in bargianing snatching and scraping unto themselves by hook and by crook whatsoever they can get we tell them I say that they be not free brag they never so much of their liberty neither are they in Mount-Zion that Celestiall Heb. 12. Rom. 14. 17. Revel 22. 15. Ierusalem Heb. 12. the Kingdome of heaven Rom. 14. 17. but without Revel 22. 15. and have lost Christ and Christian liberty are become bond-slaves of the Divell and are seven times worse under the name of Christian liberty than they were before under the tyrannie of the Pope for the divell which was driven out of them hath taken unto himselfe seven other fiends worse than himselfe and is returned into them againe Therfore the end of these men is worse than the beginning because they are worse Idolaters under the name of Christ than they were before under but the Pope But to conclude let every one of us remember that saying of S. Paul that Circumcision that is all outward forme of true religion and of the true worship of God availeth nothing nor uncircumcision that is all outward wisdome polity and excellency whatsoever availeth nothing before God but faith that maketh a new creature First new before God by Justification Secondly new to ones own selfe by Sanctification And thirdly new to our neighbours by love out of a pure heart Thus doth a Christian first fulfill and accomplish the Luth in Gal. 5. 23. The Law two wayes fulfilled Law inwardly by faith for Christ is the perfection and fulfilling of the Law unto righteousnesse to all that doe believe Rom. 10. 4. and then outwardly by works thus is he justified in heaven and earth the Gospel justifieth him in heaven and the Law on earth Rom. 10. 4. and thus is this new creature created unto the Image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse which inwardly is perfectly righteous in the sight of God with an heavenly righteousnesse by Iustification and outwardly is holy and cleane in the flesh by Sanctification And as many as walk according to this rule peace shall be upon â—al 6. 16. them and mercy as upon the Israel of God Gal. 6. 16. FINIS Free Justification was first enjoyned to be diligently taught for the Reformation of the Church by King Henry the eighth but was by King Edward the sixth and Queene Elizabeth principally established by Parliament and singled out from all the rest of the established Articles of Religion and reduced into Sermons and Homilies to be after the Peoples sight of their lost estate and wofull misery by sin principally taught and chiefly knowne and understood of all the Subjects and Commons of the Land for these foure causes especially FIrst because it is the onely immediate cause and means of our peace with God For Being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. and our assurance of free salvation by Jesus Christ and therefore is called the Justification of life Rom. 5. 18. For Whom God justifieth them he also glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. Secondly because it is the ordinance of God and cause contrary to the judgement of Popish and Carnall Reason that powerfully causeth people to leave their sinnes and to live a true sanctified and godly life Titus 2. 11. to 15. Rom. 5 and 6. Chapters Thirdly because it is the chiefest cause and meanes to discover and suppresse the Romish Antichrist Popery Arminians Brownists Anabaptists Familists and all other Superstitions Sects Errors and Schismes out of the Land and to establish unity peace and concord in matters of Religion and of assurance of free salvation and makes every man to keepe in a lawfull vocation and to doe it profitably in love Galat. 5. 13. Fourthly to direct Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to goe with a right foot to the truth of the Gospel Galat. 2. 14. in sound preaching and pure declaring of the Word of God by true faith of Free Justification Because saith the established Doctrine of our Church sincere Preachers ever were and ever shall be but a few and their preaching of Gods Word most sincere in the beginning by processe of time waxeth lesse and lesse pure and after is corrupt and last of all quite laid downe and left off because Free Justification is a Doctrine hardly learned in a Church and soone lost againe Galat. 1. 6. and yet is the true strength happinesse and safety of the whole Land Esay 52. 1. to 6. Hereupon the fifth part of the Sermon against disobedience and rebellion established by Queene Elizabeth teacheth the Commons that such Bishops or Ecclesiasticall persons as by pride and ambitious rule doe by termes of Error Schisme or Heresie hinder this maine light of Gods Word from the people and the chiefest Traytors in the Land And the sixth and last part largely teacheth that such Subjects and Commons to whom through ignorance of Gods Word this light of righteousnesse and Sun of understanding doth not shine although they may bragge as did sometimes the Jewish Clergy and people that they cannot lacke knowledge yet are such by the blind dead faith Traytors to God Traytors to their King Traytors to their owne soules and bodies and Traytors to the whole Land and Country And hereupon the testimony of the learned Protestant Writers is most true saying Sicut sola fide in Christum veram Justitiam Salutem consequrmur it a nihil difficilius quam hoc hominibus persuadetur nihil Satan praesertim candidus ille Satan aquè oppugnat Certaine fundamentall Positions or Doctrines of Religion tending to peace and to the reducing of Popish Arminians and Anabaptisticall Ministers and people to the true saving faith and to the established Protestant Doctrine of the Church of England by the Godly authority and publique consent of Parliament to be faithfully taught and diligently observed and kept of all the subjects for the quieting of their consciences in the assurance of their free salvation by Jesus Christ and for the suppressing of the Romish Antichrist in all Superstitions Errors Sects and Schisms for the beating down of sin and all vitioâ—snesse of life out of the Land for the maintaining and keeping of peace and unity in the matters of Religion by the pure preaching of the Law and of the Gospel as followeth in these five Poynts
or Positions FIrst the horrible filthinesse of sinne is such to Gods infinite pure and righteous Nature and so defiles a man before God Mark 7. 20. that God cannot but abhoâ—â—e â—urse and deâ—est the creature that hath any sinne in his sight as these and such like Scriptures teach Deut. 27. 26. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Rom. 5. 12. Hab. 1. 13. Job 15. 15. 16. And this true meaning of the Law and right understanding thereof this revealing the infinite pure and righteous Nature of God and the horrible filthinesse of sin is to be diligently taught and continually preached of all faithfull Ministers in every mixt Congregation Esay 58. 1. 2. Secondly that the best good workes of the most sanctified children of God as they though moved thereunto by the holy Ghost do them are sin because of their originall corruption and by breaking the tenth Commandement in them thereby they are so slaine that is truely humbled by feeling themselves and all their best workes to be so shut up under sin that they daily bewail that they can performe no obedience nor do any good worke before God in any of all his Commandements as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 7. 9 10 11 12 13 14 18. 24. Galat. 3. 22. Rom. 4 5. Phil. 3. 8. 4. Esay 64. 6. Thirdly that the onely remedy to heale this our wofull misery by sinne thus seen and felt to hang fast upon us in this life this only remedy is Free Justification whereby God by the power of his sonnes perfect righteousnesse Esay 61. 10. that all our sins being utterly abolished not out of us 1 John 1. 8. 10. that there may be place for faith Heb. 11. 1. Rom. 4. 18 19 20. to 25. but yet truely abolished form before God or out of Gods sight Colos 1. 22. Wee and all our workes are of unjust made just before God that is so perfectly and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely that as the expresse Word of God teacheth and the Protestant Writers abundantly testifie God doth not and by reason of his actuall power can see no sinne in his justified children freely I say by faith only without workes and our perfect workings And I say by faith onely without workes because faith onely sees this and faith onely enjoyes this and thus we and all our workes both naturall workes civill workes or morall workes and religious workes are perfectly pure and cleane in Gods sight Acts 15. 8 9. Titus 1. 15. and doe fully please satisfie and content God because we are fulfillers of the whole Law of God in his fight for the righteousnesse of the Law is thus freely fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 4. Thus by Christs stripes we are healed Esay 53. 5. thus God forgiving all our sins is ever well pleased and at perfect peace with us for being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. and are freely made and adopted the sons and the daughters of the living God Rom. 9. 26. And thus are truely blessed Rom. 4. 6. for As many as are of faith of Free Justification are blessed with faithfull Abraham Galat. 3. 8 9. and shall be certainely glorified for whom God justifieth them also he glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. And thus we see how perfectly by Christs stripes we are healed Esay 53. 5. And all this Protestant Doctrine of Free Justification and these two parts of the same are cleerely and abundantly taught by these and such like Scriptures Esay 43. 25. Esay 44. 22. 23. Iohn 1. 29. Heb. 1. 3. Heb. 9. 13. 14. 26. 1 Iohn 1. 7. Revel 1 5 6. Dan. 9. 24. Rom. 3. 21 22. Ephes 5. 26 27. Rom. 5. 17 18 19 21. Revel 3. 18. Colos 1. 22 23. Rom. 8. 4. Colos 2. 10. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 9. 30. Esay 61. 10. Phil. 3. 8 9. Tit. 1. 15. Heb. 11. 4. Fourthly that this true faith of Free Iustification contrary to the judgement of Popish and carnall reason unseparably brings the holy Ghost to dwell in people Galat. 3. 2. Acts 10. 44. Acts 13. 38 39. 52. which holy Ghost infallibly inflames our hearts with true love Galat. 5. 6. and makes the true beleevers in right zeale of Gods glory and in true thankfulnesse to break off from sinne and to mortifie by true repentance their former profane life and ungodly conversation and brings forth a declarative obedience righteousnesse and readinesse to every good worke now made good workes indeed freely by Free Iustification and so brings forth a sincere and though an unperfect yet a free and cheerfull walking in and keeping of all Gods will and Commandements declaratively to manward which is true sanctification And thus is the Law not destroyed by Free Iustification but established Rom. 3. 21. and written in the hearts of true beleevers and they are fulfillers and keepers of the Law two manner of wayes first perfectly making their hearts perfectly righteous freely to the full content and satisfying of God by faith as it was said before of Free Iustification as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 10. 4 5 6 10. Acts 15. 8 9. Heb 8. 10. Secondly it is written in their hearts and they are fulfillers and keepers of the Law inchoatively actively and declaratively to manward by love and true sanctification as these Scriptures teach Galat. 5. 13 14. Rom. 13. 8 9 10. Yea this true faith of Free Iustification deeply truely and soundly learned is a thing of perfect vertue and wonderfull operation strength and power to bring forth all good motions inwardly and all good workes out wardly or else it is not the true lively justifying faith but the blinde dead faith that leaves men in sinne death and double damnation as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 5. and 6. whole Chapters teach Titus 2. 11. to 15. 1 Iohn 3. 3. to 10. Ephes 2. 10. Ephes 4 5 6 whole Chapters Rom. 12 13 14 15 whole Chapters Iames 2. 14. 17. to 26. Matth. 5. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 9. 5. That all such Ministers as doe not diligently teach and cause people diligently to observe and keep this established true Protestant doctrine but do deny sophisticate and wrangle against the same must needs be like the false brethren amongst the Galathians in the dead faith doting about questions and making controversies about the Law and works and cannot but seduce the people from Christ that is from the simplicity of the faith that is in Christ Jesus to depend and hang for assurance of their salvation upon the Law and works and cannot but be troublers of the Church Gal. 1. 7. and of peoples consciences distracting them into Popery Arminianisme Anabaptisme Familisme Brownisme and all manner of Sects and Schisms about works because by a carnall understanding of Free justification they cannot but rest in the light of reason morall virtues and religion of nature described Rom. 2. 14 15. varnished and deceitfully gilt over with the titles of Grace Graces
ingenuously acknowledge my weaknesse herein This meditation I say being an effectuall meanes to apprehend it deeper and deeper and to encrease thy knowledge and faith in it especially when thou feelest thy conscience pricked and troubled with sinne will even breath the spirit of God and life into thy soule as Paul testifieth saying Received you the spirit by hearing the Law Or by hearing of faith viz. of free Justification preached Gal. 3. 2. And so will be as it were the soule of thy soule to revive thee to eternall life yea thou shalt feele that thy often meditating in this heavenly gift like Naamans seventimes washing of himselfe in the River Iordane will assure thee clearer and clearer that all the spirituall leprosie of thy sinnes is washed away cleane out of Gods sight By which renewing as it were thy Baptisme thou mayst be anew strengthened with the spirituall inward seale of joy and gladnesse Ps 51. 7 8. Neither let thy unworthinesse of so great a benefit deterre thee from taking it because it is given thee freely I say freely that is God respecting no worthinesse in thee to deserve it nor no unworthinesse in thee to hinder thy free taking of it but only pittying thy misery doth give it thee freely to this end to declare the glory of his free Grace and to heale freely all thine unworthinesse and to make thee freely worthy of all the other benefits and blessings of God both temporall and eternall Thus Christian Reader if Christianly passing by all my weaknesses in handling this glorious free benefit yet if thou shalt here finde that the learned Writers collected have said some thing that may edifie thee in thy most holy faith then shall I be well content and fully satisfied Commending thee to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build further I with all my poor endeavours doe wholly rest Thine in true Christian affection JOHN EATON The Contents of this Treatise according to the order of the Chapters CHAP. I. OF the necessity of Free Iustification and of the right and joyfull knowledge thereof shewne 1 Because of Gods extreme hatred of sin 2 Because Iustification is the summe of the Gospel 3. The foundation of the Church both before and since the comming of Christ 4 The strongest Armes against assaults of the Devill pag. 2. 3. infra CHAP. II. OF the nature of Free Iustification as 1 What it is pag. 7 2 Who are capable of this glorious benefit ibid. 3 How it is wrought upon us pag. 20 Three maine things revealed in the word of God concerning sinne pag. 8. infra A pithie opening of the tenne Commandements pag. 11 A fivefold punishment belonging to the least sin pag. 17 That wee are two manner of wayes made righteous p. 22 CHAP. III. OF the parts of Iustification as 1 Of the first part p. 24 2 Of the excellency of this first part described by six Emphaticall Scripture phrases expressing the same where the said Texts are opened and explained p. 29 CHAP. IIII. OBjections against this first part of Iustification especially against the fifth emphaticall Scripture phrase expressing the excellency of this first part of free Iustification answered and the faith thereof described and cleered pag 43 1 The distinction and difference of the Objectors is to bee marked ibid. 2 Their objections from places of Scripture are answered as first Sins we have in us 1 Ioh. 1. 8. and who can say his hart is pure for in many things we sin all Iam. 3. 2. Ergo God who is Almighty and searcheth the hearts and reines seeth them in us Can any thing bee hid out of his sight pag. 47 Secondly He that made the eye shall not he see Psal 94. p. 52 3 God knoweth the sinnes of his justified children infinitly more perfectly than they themselves doe as you your selfe confesse Ergo hee seeth them in them because knowing and seeing are all one in God All which places are fully discussed and cleered Two reasons shewing how knowing and seeing in God may be said to differ p. 68 How God knowes the sinnes of his children and of Reprobates p. 71 CHAP. V. WHerein other Scriptures objected are cleered and answered as 1 That all things are open and naked to Gods eyes c. Heb. 4. 13. p. 73 2 God knoweth our sitting down and rising up and understandeth all our thoughts Psal 139. p. 76 3 Against thee have I sinned and done evill in thy sight Psal 51. 4. p. 80 Paul complaineth of sinne and saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. Ergo. p. 87 5 If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things 1 Ioh 3. 20. p. 88 6 God saw sin in the justified Church of Corinth and punished them for the same 1 Cor. 11. And also in divers of the Churches of Asia Revel 2. 3. Ergo the children of God are not made so perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God that God sees no sinne in them p. 92 7 Paul had remnants of sin in him and prayed thrice against the same that it might depart from him 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. Ergo the children of God are not made by Iustification so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God that God sees none in them p. 84 The maine essentiall difference between the Law and the Gospel p 83 How the Iustification of a Church and of a particular man are different p. 92 CHAP. VI. WHerein is contained an answer to the second rank of objections of such examples of David and others as were justified persons and yet God saw and took notice of sin in them and corrected punished some of thē for the same p. 97 A distinction between the time of the Law the time of Ioh. Baptist and the time of Christs death upon the crosse p. 98. infra Two reasons why sinnes were not punished in Iohn Baptists time p. 104 A threefold prerogative of the New Testament p. 110 CHAP. VII COntaining answers to the third rank of objections expressing certaine Reasons proving that the justified children of God are not made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God that God sees no sin in them as 1 God doth correct with crosses and afflictions yea and punish his justified children for sin ergo p. 120 Where are discussed two severall sorts of crosses 1. Legall 2. Evangelicall p. 121. deinceps Together with the uses of Evangelicall crosses p. 127 3 Scriptures explained p. 129 Twelve Absurdities arising from the confounding of the aforesaid crosses p. 135 CHAP. VIII COntaining answers to three other objected Reasons as 1 If wee bee made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely that God sees no sin in us what need we to pray daily in the Lords prayer forgive us our trespasses p. 147. 154 2
the judicious Reader will make no scruple to passe by them THE Honey-Combe of Free Iustification by Christ Collected out of the meere Authorities of Scripture and common and unanimous consent of the faithfull Interpreters and Dispensers of Gods mysteries upon the same especially as they expresse the excellency of Free Justification CHAP. I. Of the necessity of the joyfull knowledge of Free Iustification BVt now is the Righteousnesse of God made manifest without the Law having witnesse of the Law and of the Prophets to wit the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ unto all or in all and upon all that beleeve Rom. 3. 21 22. Here he handles the principall and chiefest point Tractat principalem locum qui est de Iustitia Christiana item de sapientia Christiana seude gloria Christi Luth. in Psal 130 459. Sisalutem querimus quaerenda prinâ—m juâ—itia est c. Calv. in Rom. 1. 17. Marlor ibid. of salvation which is concerning Christian Righteousnesse or concerning Christian Wisedome or the glory of Christ For if we seek at Gods hand for salvation that is for life we must first seek for Righteousnesse by the which being reconciled unto God we being thus in his favour doe obtaine life For that we may be beloved of God wee must first of necessity bee righteous seeing he hateth unrighteousnesse For whereas the Gospel is said to be the power of Prius justos esse necesse est Calâ— Marlor ibid. God unto salvation even therefore because it reveals the righteousnesse of God we must therein mark the Sclater upon the Roman cap. 1. 17. necessity of righteousnesse unto eternall life such a necessary antecedence there is of righteousnesse as that without it there is no hope to bee saved Gods justice inclining him to punish his purity to hate all unrighteousnesse For God is of pure eyes and cannot see evill he cannot behold wickednesse but he must needs destroy the sinne or the sinner Habak 1. 13. Habak 1. 13. Calv in Galat. cap. 2. ver 16. sermo 12. Because God being the soveraigne Righteousnesse he must needs hate us whilst he sees us in our sinnes then standeth it in hand for us to be made righteous before we can be in Gods favour Yea I adde further that it must be with such a righteousnesse so compleatly Sclater ibid. perfect as that it may endure the strict censure of Gods justice Galath 3. 10. Gal. 3. 10. Now then the exhortation of our Saviour easily Sclater ibid. followeth That we should therefore first and principally above all things seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse Math. 6. 33. such a righteousnesse as may stand before God and endure the triall of his justice There is a remnant of this Principle even in nature if it bee not too farre degenerate That it is righteousnesse whereby Gods favour and Kingdome must bee obtained and therefore the very Gentiles by the light of nature have performed some both religious offices towards God and civill duties to men as it were to winne and procure Gods favour thereby But what this righteousnesse is and how to be found here nature shewes her blindnesse and vanisheth away in vaine confidence of selfe-righteousnesse and civill honesty of which notwithstanding our Saviour pronounceth that it is utterly unavaileable to Gods kingdome Phil. 3. 8 9. Haec summa Evangelii haeâ— summa est omnium beneficiorum Christi Calv Rom. chapt 1. 17. Marlor Mat. 5. 20. and Paul that had as much of it as any counts it but dunge and drosse in comparison Philip. 3. 8 9. Therefore is Justification the very summe of the Gospel yea this is the summe of all the benefits of Christ for with them that are made righteous and reconciled God is present he endues them with new Tractat ergo pricinpalem â—â—il nostre salutis Iustificationem scilicet cuius pura cognitio sola Ecclesiam servat Luth. in Psal 130. Est Sol illuminans Ecclesiam paradisus seu caâ—um gratiae Luth. ibid. E contra cum hac c. simulamittiâ—ur christus c. ibid. Eoni igitur Pastoris est c. Lut. in Psa 130. light and with eternall life he heareth them hee defendeth them in all their troubles Therefore he handles here the principall and chiefest point of our salvation namely Justification the pure knowledge whereof alone saveth the Church for it is the knowledge of the truth and of life for which the Gospel is called the power of God unto salvation Yea it is the Sunne enlightening the Church it is the Paradise or rather heaven of grace On the contrary when this knowledge of Justification is lost together with it is lost Christ and life and the Church neither any judgement of doctrines or of spirits is left but darknesse and blindnesse possesseth all things Therefore it is the duty of a good Pastor that hee suffer not himselfe to be drawne away with any disputations from the daily and continuall handling of this point For unlesse the speciall grace of Christ do help Mr. Fox Preface before Luther upon the Galathians Sect. 7. hard â—t is to flesh and blood to comprehend this mysticall and joyfull doctrine of Justification so strange it is to carnall reason so dark to the world so many enimies it hath that except the spirit of God from above doe reveale it Learning cannot reach it Wisdome is offended Nature is astonied Devils doe not know it Men doe persecute it Briefly as there is no way to life so easie so there is none so hard easie to whom it is given from above hard to the carnall sense not yet inspired the ignorance whereof is the root of all the errors sects and divisions in the world Omnis geneâ—is tentationibus obruuntur ani mi Luth. Pâ—al 130. Yea this point being lost mens mindes are overwhelmed with all kindes of temptations Therefore give all diligence that you may have this principall point diligently knowne and firmely Hunc igitur prinâ—ipalem locum date operam ut diligenter c. firmiter fundatum habeatis Luth. Psal 1 0. verse 4 grounded Neither let any of you bee so arrogant that he should think that he hath fully attained this divine and heavenly wisdome For whilst Satan and the world and our owne reason are of any force wee shall never be perfect in this knowledge Yea I doe therefore so much beate upon it because Ego ideo saepius eum inculâ—o Luth. in Psal 130. I know that Satan goeth about nothing more than that he may take away this knowledge from the sight and mindes of men hitherto principally tend all the stirres which he raiseth up both publickly and privately that men busying their heads in new disputations should forget this article for Satan feeles the force and power of this article For Justification by which of unjust we are made just Homilie of Iustification
is made light with the Sun-beames For the Lord Christ being Sol justitiae the Calv. Institâ—t l b. 3. cap. 11. sect 23. Sunne of righteousnesse Malac. 4. 2. doth in such sort communicate his righteousnesse with us that after a certaine marvellous manner he poureth the force thereof into us so much as serveth to satisfie the justice of God For seeing before the Tribunall seat of God it is esteemed no righteousnesse except it be the perfect and absolute obedience of the Law as Christ alone Suam juslitiam in nos transferendo nos juslâ— reddit is thus righteous so by conveying his righteousnesse upon us nos justos reddit he makes us righteous So that as the Brazen Serpent was of strength through the promise of God to strike health into Acts and Monuments upon Patr. the wounded and dying beholders and made them againe strong and healthfull much more is the body of Christ being the object of our faith of power to strike righteousnesse to our soules and so to make us not inherently and actively as the Papists hold but objectively and passively freely in the sight of God and truly and really just and righteous For as by the disobedience of one man Adam many were made sinners before they have done any evill work so by the obedience of one man Christ are many made freely righteous before they have done any good Rom. 5. 15. work Rom. 5. 19. Because by his knowledge my righteous servant shall justifie that is make many just and righteous for hee shall beare their iniquities Esay 53. 11. Esay 53. 11. Calv. iâ— Esay iâ—id The Philosophers gave many goodly precepts of righteousnesse but they could not bestow that righteousnesse Philosâ—pâ—i multa praeâ—lara praecepâ—a tradiderunt c. Pei sâ—â—justi siâ—nt upon any yea the law of God it selfe which containeth the perfect rule of righteousnesse yet through our weaknesse it is unpossible that by it we can attaine unto righteousnesse but in the schoole of Christ men are not only taught righteousnesse but Doctrine of the Church of England in tâ—e serm oâ— Iustiâ—cation part 3. by being justified are in very deed made righteous For to justifie is that of unjust wee are made just before God For so saith the Apostle Paul He that beleeveth in Siâ— enim dicit Apostolus c. Ex impio facit justum August him that justifieth the ungodly what is meant by justifieth the ungodly or wicked that is which of a wicked and ungodly man maketh him just si justificatur impius ex impio justus fit that is if a wicked man bee justified of wicked he is made just and righteous So that the word that we are justified is not to be taken only in the judiciall signification namely that Zanch. in Eph. 2. 5. God only reputeth accounteth and pronounceth us just and righteous and so quitteth us from all guilt and Loco commu de â—ustificat Sect. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. punishment only in which judiciall signification some doe barely rest But also it must be taken in the naturall and proper signification as it is made of justus and sio the force whereof is to be seene in other like words as in albifico to make white sortifico to sortifie or make strong because so powerfull a thing is the Lords imputation of righteousnesse that it doth verè reipsa facere nos justos that is truly and in very Two manner of wayes made righteous realnesse make us just and righteous And that also two manner of wayes First by imputing unto us his Sonnes righteousnesse he utterly abolisheth from before himselfe all our sinnes and freely makes us passively just and righteous which serveth to make us truly and in very deed perfectly just and righteous in Gods owne eyes and this is called Justification And secondly he reneweth us by his spirit unto inherent and active holinesse and righteousnesse which later is unperfect in this life and serveth to approve us for righteous to the eyes of men and is called Sanctification Thus when God hath both these wayes verè reipsa truly and in very deed made us righteous then hee reputeth accounteth and pronounceth and calleth us righteous absolving us thereby from all guilt and punishment which otherwise would stand neither with his perfect truth nor power nor wisedome nor justice Therefore God doth justifie no wicked man but Perk. in Heb. 11. ver 7. first makes him just and righteous in and by Christ and then accounteth him so Because hee was wounded for our transgressions hee was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by making us of unjust just and righteous before God thus by his stripes wee are healed Esay 53. 5. Esay 53. 5. Thus is Christ the Physitian which healeth all our Doctrine of the Church of England in the sermon of our misery part 2. diseases thus is he the Saviour which saveth his people from all their sinnes Let us all then with one accord burst out with joyfull voyces and say with the Prophet Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which so wonderfully forgiveth all thine iniquities that of unjust making thee freely just before God thus healeth all thine infirmities for by his stripes we are made whole But how perfectly we are healed is to be seene by the parts of Justification following CHAP. III. Of the parts of Iustification and first of the first part and excellency thereof THe parts of Justification are two The first part of free Justification is that whereby we being by the power of Gods imputation so cloathed with the wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse that of unjust we are made just before God have thereby all our sinnes that we feele daily dwelling in us so aboue our reason sense and feeling that it may be by the faith of Gods power quite taken away from before God and so utterly abolished out of his fight that we have not one spot or wrinkle of sinne or any such thing in the sight of God because the blood of Christ doth make us cleane from all sin as these Scriptures following do abundantly testifie In those dayes of the Kingdome of Christ and at Ierem â—0 20. that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall bee sought for and there shall bee none and the sinnes of Iudah and they shall not be found but how commeth this Iohn 1. 25. Praecipuum Christi officium breviter quidem sed dilucidè exponit c. quod sciâ—â—câ—t â—â—ccata mundi tollens c. Qùioquid est injustitiâ— per Christum tolli to passe thus Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world Here he laies forth briefly yet plainly the chiefe office of Christ namely that by the sacrifice of his
imperfections of Sanctification yet as I said before God saw them all abolished out of his sight by his rejoycing in the day of Christ Iohn 8. 56. Ioh. 8 56. whereby God was so farre from seeing Abraham to have one spot or wrinkle of sin or any such thing in his sight Ephes 5. 27. Colos 1. 22. that hee not only did not as Ephes 5. 27. Coloss 1. 22. S. Iames speaks cast him in his teeth with any sin but also when in outward appearance hee seemed to lye in his distrust lying and dissembling equivocating that his wife was his sister even then did God power out many needfull blessings upon him as sheep and oxen and he-Asses and men-servants and maide-servants and shee-Asses and Camels and plagued Pharaoh and his house Pharaoh and the King of Gerar. and received his prayer for the removing away of judgments from the King Gerar when the heathen King seemed in that action more sincere just and righteous than hee because even then though mystically to us yet truly all his thoughts words and deeds all his rising up and lying down were made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Thus did God alwayes see Abraham a true Abraham in whom in his sight was no guile so excellent a thing is Free Iustification But on the other side of them that are not Justified Actiōs naught with out Iustification although their actions be as sincere as was the King of Gerars yet God both knowes and sees all their rising up and lying downe that is all their thoughts words and deeds to bee like Ieremies other basket of figges exceeding bad their sincerest thoughts and actions nothing profitting them except Iustified Abraham pray for them because God sees in all their best thoughts best words and best deeds nothing but sin although in some more sin than in others according to that saying Prov. 21. 27. The sacrifice or Prov. 21. 27. prayer of the wicked is abhomination when he bringeth it with his good minde how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked minde And all because their sins are not abolished out of Gods sight nor they made perfectly holy and righteous from all sinne in the sight of God freely and so both they and all their best seeming Luk. 16. 15. very holy sincere good works are sin loathsome and abhomination in the sight of God as these Scriptures further Tit. 1. 15. 16. Pag. 2. 15. Obj. out of Psal 51. 4. prove Tit. 1. 15 16. Hag. 2. 15. Luk. 16. 15. The next place of Scripture much stumbled at is Ps 51. 4. where David saith Against thee only have I sinned and done evill in thy sight As also that place of Scripture Psal 90. 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before and Psal 90. 8. thee and our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance ergo the children of God are not freely made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God that God sees no sinne in them To which I answer that the true cause of stumbling Answ at these and such like places is for want of discerning and rightly distinguishing between the voyce of the Law and the voyce of the Gospel between the voyce of Gods children judging of themselves in their temptations according to their sense and feeling and their voyce of Faith For in the first of the foresaid places David being also at that time under the Schoolmastership of the Law Galat. 4. 1 2. doth plainly pronounce Gal. 4. 1. 2. his dangerous case by the Law and judging according to his present sense and feeling what hee was to finde at Gods hand by the Law in which sense he saith in an other place I am cast out of thy sight Psal 31. 22. And so if wee judge according to the Law it is questionlesse that all our sins are in Gods sight and as it there followes shewing plainly that the saying is legall God is cleere when he judgeth us for the same to misery death and damnation but in the seventh he makes a flat Antithesis and opposition between this state and that there expressed saying Purgeme with Hysop and I shall be clean wash thou me and I shall be whiter than snow And this is the voyce of the Gospel and faith Now all the Question is what sin God saw in David Quest when he had obtained this request and was from all spot of sin in the sight of God made whiter than snow which now to us is fully exhibited by Christ under the time of the Gospel against which wee should not wrangle but for which we should now leap for joy So likewise concerning the other place of Scripture viz. Thou hast set our secret sinnes in the light of thy Countenance This sentence is also meerely legall describing our Answ misery in the state of nature and by the law and as the children of God consider themselves in themselves and doe judge of themselves according to sense and feeling which is contrary to faith and the state that they are in by faith for that Psalm consisting of two principall parts in the first part to the twelfe vers Moses describeth and bewaileth our miserable case that all men are in by nature and by the Law as the words in the precedent and subsequent verses doe fully shew namely that wee pine away in the anger of God and are consumed in his wrath For which Augustine maketh this saying all one with that place that describes our lost state in the Second to the Ephes saying Ephes 2. 1. 2 5. We were by nature the children of wrath as wel as others And whilst we are in this case of nature it is no question but that God sets all our secret sins in the light of his countenance and so are consumed in his wrath But in the second part of that Psalme Moses apprehending by faith the restoring of man again by the Messiah to come doth pray for the performance full accomplishment of the same in that God would be pacified towards his servants fil us with mercy in the morning And now by the blood of Christ whereby the day spring from on high hath visited us all our secret sins are utterly abolished out of his sight whereby all anger and wrath as the Apostle saith is slaine Ephes 2. 16. Ephes 2. 16. And the nature of all our crosses afflictions and even of death it selfe is hereby as greatly changed as was the water which at the marriage at Caana was turned Iohn 2. 9. 10. into wine but that every man hath the benefit fruit and experience hereof according to his faith Mat. 9. Math. 9. 29. 29. Heb. 11. This is to preach the Gospel this is to Heb. 11. 6. Mark 16. 15 16. Rom. 10. 15. make our feet beautifull in bringing the glad tidings of peace and the glad
tidings of good things But if wee Ministers of the Gospel as some faile too dangerously The main difference between Law Gospel Luth. in Galat. 3. 2. herein doe not wisely discerne and heedfully distinguish between such voyces of the Law and the voyce of the Gospel especially in this essentiall difference That the Law only teacheth what we ought to doe but the Gospel teacheth what we ought to receive Therefore the Law and the Gospel are two contrary doctrines for Moses with his Law is a severe exactor requiring of us by feare and hope of reward what we should work and that we should give briefly it requireth by precepts and exacteth by threatnings Contrariwise the Gospel giveth freely and requireth of us nothing else but to hold out our hands and to take that which is offered Now to exact and to give to take and to offer are cleane contrary and cannot stand together because the voice of the Gospel standeth only in freely receiving good things of God Lâ—â— in Galat. 3. 12. to the praise of the glory of his grace Contrariwise the Law and works consisteth in exacting with threats in doing by works and in giving to God but faith and the voice of the Gospel requireth no works of us or that wee should yeeld and give any thing unto God but that wee beleeving the promise of God should receive of him As Abel offering his sacrifice giveth unto God but he beleeving receiveth of God Whereupon the voyce of the Law exacteth and constraineth men to holy walking by feare of punishment and hope of reward and maketh Hypocrites but the voice of the Gospel constraineth to holy walking by love and maketh true Christians And if this difference be not marked in reading the Scripture and distinctly applied to due persons in preaching the Law and the Gospel are mixed and confounded together and so neither true Law preached nor true Gospel but an hotâ—hpotch of both to the marring of both just like the mingling and mixing together of water and wine which maketh flash matter of both and is rejected of God Esay 1. 22. And therefore most worthy Esay 1. 22. of often reading and faithfull remembrance for the avoiding of divers inconveniences is that Treatise in the book of Martyrs united by English Professors to Scottish Patrick places concerning the true discerning right distinguishing and fit applying of the Law and the Gospel to the quite overthrowing of Popery plainly shewing that as the Law and the Gospel are joyned together in both the Testaments as well in the new as in the old so they ought in a mixt congregation to be joyned together in preaching but yet distinguished to divers persons applying the Law to whom the Law belongs and applying the Gospel to whom the Gospel belongs and so to divide the Acts and Monuments upon Patricks places word of God aright But because commonly the greatest multitude doe lie under the Law therefore doth Christ and the Apostles as it is there said much and often supply the part of Moses And as Christ himselfe untill his death was under the Law which Law he came not to break but to fulfill so his Sâ—rmons for the most part runne all upon the perfect doctrine and works of the Law shewing and teaching what we ought to doe by the right Law of justice and what danger ensueth in not performing the same All which places though they be contained in the book of the new Testament yet are they to be referred to the doctrine of the Law As for example where Christ thus preacheth Blessed are they that are pure in heart for they shall see God c. Mat. 5. Againe Math. 5. 3. Except yee become as little children yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of heaven Mat. 18. Item Not Math. 18. 4. every one that saith Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my father shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven Mat. Math. 7. 21. 7. Item the parable of the unkinde servant justly cast into prison for not forgiving his fellow servant Mat. 18. The casting of the rich glutton into hell fire Math. 18. Luke 16. Item He that denieth me before mea I will Luke 16. 23. deny him before my Father Luke 12. these with many Luke 12. 9. other such like places revealing sin and threatning punishment doe I say pertaine to the doctrine of the Law So then to know when the Law speaketh and when the Gospel speaketh and skilfully to discerne the voyce of the one from the voyce of the other that neither preachers nor hearers take the Law for the Gospel nor the Gospel for the Law this rule is to be observed that when there is any morall work commanded to be done upon paine of punishment or upon promise of any reward either temporall or eternall there is to be understood the voyce of the Law Contrarywise where the promise of life favour salvation or any blessings and benefits are offered unto us freely without all our deservings and simply without any condition annexed of any Law either naturall ceremoâ—iall or morall all those places whether they be read in the old Testament or in the new are to be referred to the voice and doctrine of the Gospel hitherto this witnesse which rule Two Vses of 〈◊〉 diligently observed hath especially these two excellent uses First it serves to apply the Law and the Gospel rightly to their right due persons as not to give the mourning gowne to a marâ—ying person and the wedding-garment to a funerall corps but to give the mourning gowne to the funerall corps to whom it belongs and the wedding-garment to the marrying person to whom it belongs Secondly it serves to give to each their due proper force strength and power as to the Law her due terrors and severity being altogether killing and to the Gospell her due sweetnesse and glory being altogether quickning But if Preachers neglect this rule and so taking the Law for the Gospel and the Gospel for the Law doe confound them by mixing and mingling them together either in their essence or objects or end either directly and professedly as the Papists doe or indirectly by preposterous urging men to a constrained righteousnesse by legall terrors then as Luther truely saith they pervert the Gospel and become the Ministers of the Divell And yet saith he such perverters of the Gospell can abide nothing lesse then to heare that they are perverters of the Gospell and the Apostles of the Divell nay rather they glory above others in the name of Christ and boast themselves to be the most sincere Preachers of the Gospel But because they mingle the Law with the Gospell they must needs be perverters of the Gospell because it doth not only blemish and darken the knowledge of Grace but also it doth take away Christ with all his benefits and utterly overthroweth the Gospell The next place of Scripture likewise objected is Rom. 7. viz.
That Paul was a man as perfectly justified as any and yet he complaines of sin in himselfe and Rom. 7. 24. Objected saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me ergo The children of God are not made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God that God sees none in them To which I answer that all ought to have that feeling Answ in themselves that Paul had but yet the argument followes not because it is not Saint Pauls intent in that place to discribe in what state he and the justified children of God doe stand in the sight of God but what he and all the true children of God by the imperfection of their sanctification doe feele in themselves For hee there describing the battle that is in Gods children betweene the flesh and the spirit doth shew that whilst they looke into themselves and compare the imperfection of their sanctification with the perfection of the spirituall Law of God they doe finde and feele no good thing in themselves but meere wretchednesse which makes them so much the more to goe by faith wholy out of themselves and in the sight of God to be found only in Christ and in his righteousnesse Phil. 3. 9. Whereby all those sins and Phil 3 9. imperfections of their sanctification that they feele in themselves as a menstruous cloath are above their sense and feeling utterly abolished out of Gods sight by justification and they made from all spot of sin perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely Which the Apostle testifies in another place saying He that knew no sinne was made sin for us that we being translated into him might be made the very righteousnesse of God 2 Cor. 5. 21. this is their state in the sight of 2 Cor. 5. 21. God For indeed as I said before in the answer to the first objection what place is there for faith to beleeve that we are thus perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God if we did not feele the contrary in ourselves and how may they that are of faith with faithfull Abraham bee blessed Galat. 3. 9. if they feele no Gal. 3. 9. wretchednesse in themselves which feeling must continue untill having gotten the victory by faith they triumph in the experience of Gods truth And therefore should these objectors not only fixe their eyes upon the battel but looke also upon the ensuing victory for after this battel betweene feeling and faith presently followes the victory the Apostle not only giving thanks to God that he was delivered by Christ Rom. 7. 25. but also shewing wherein that victory did Rom. 7. 25. consist both in the cause of it and in the effects of triumphing the effect of triumph in these words Now then there is no judgement no punishment no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus The cause why followes because the righteousnesse of the Law though not inherently and actively of us yet objectively and passively is fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 4. whereby Rom. 3. 5. 4. above our sense and feeling we are made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely Which as I said before contrary to their sense and feeling is the state in which they stand Rom. 5. 2. compleat Rom. 5. 2. in the sight of God Colos 2. 10. Colos 5. 10. 1 Iohn 3. 20. Objected Clered and expounded The next place of Scripture by which they will seeme to triumph is 1 Iohn 3. 20. where Saint Iohn saith If our hearts condemne us of sinne God is greater than our hearts and knowes all things Which objection although I might easily without absurdity put off with the former distinction betweene Gods knowing and seeing yet because the true meaning of the Apostle makes strongly for the present truth which they think by misunderstanding the same to make strongly against it therefore is this place to be further opened Herein lying their error that they apply this to the justified children of God which is spoken of the wicked and hypocrites for Saint Iohn setting downe in all that Epistle the markes of discerning true Christians from hypocrites both the verse going afore and the verse following after doe plainely shew that the twentieth verse is spoken of hypocrites The true meaning whereof is this If our hearts that is our consciences doe accuse and condemne us of willing practising any sinne it declares first that we are blinde and see not what an infinite horrible thing the least sinne is in the sight of God that it cannot be abolished but by the blood of the Son of God and yet dare willingly practise it Secondly the accusation terrors and condemning of conscience for the same shew our unbeleefe that we doe not truely trust Christ that he with his blood alone hath made us cleane from all sin in the sight of God and so rob Christ of his glory not beleeving that by cloathing us with his owne righteousnesse of unjust he hath made us just that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely whereby all accusation terrors and condemning of conscience would cease and end in peace for being justified by faith wee have peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. Thirdly by Rom. 5. 1. our willing practising of any sin we are unthankfull for so great benefits literally professed and so being blinde unfaithfull and unthankefull in Gods covenant we are hypocrites and then that sin that our evill condemning conscience doth accuse us of being not abolished is much more odious in Gods sight yea although wee flatter our selves thinking and seeming to our selves to be for all this true Christians yet God knowes and sees all our unbeliefe distrust unthankfulnesse and hypocrisie much more than wee our selves doe and must needs much more condemne us than our owne accusing evill consciences he being so infinite in knowledge and perfect in justice and as the fountaine of righteousnesse hating so infinitely all unrighteousnesse But then in the next verse follows the antithesis or contrary description of a true Christian saying Beloved if our conscience doth not condemne us then have we boldnesse towards God that is if the peace of conscience casting out the accusations terrors and condemnings of conscience doe reigne in your heart then it shewes plainly that in truth Phil. 4. 7. Colos 3. 15. you yeeld to Christ the glory of his blood and righteousnesse in making both you and your consciences of unjust just that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely and so are no hypocrites in the Covenant of God because he hath made you good consciences quitting and excusing you of all sin two manner of wayes First by Justification that not only cleeres your conscience from all sin and condemning terrors for the same but also makes
you and your consciences perfect in holinesse and righteousnesse freely to God-ward and in the sight of God as the Apostle testifieth saying that the blood of Christ hath made our consciences so cleane that we are made holy and perfect concerning the conscience Heb. 9. 9. 14. whereby Heb. 9. 9. 14. being once purged with Christs blood wee have no more conscience of sinne Heb. 10. 2. 14. that is no more Heb. 10. 2. 14. accusations terrors and condemnings of conscience for sin because as it was said before Being justified by faith that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely wee have peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ Whereupon ariseth a threefold boldnesse as first Abrahams A threefold boldnesse ariseth from true justifying faith friendship and familiarity with God secondly a boldnes to promise to our selves from God all good things both temporall and eternall and thirdly boldnesse to pray for the same with assurance to receive whatsoever we ask because the prayer of a righteous man that is made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely cannot but availe much I am 5. 15 Iam 5. 15 16 17 16 17. And as our consciences are thus made good to God-ward by Justification so secondly they are made good to men-ward by Sanctification because when we see that the least sin is such an infinite horrible thing in the sight of God that we must needs be made cleane from all spot of sin in the sight of God though it cost the price of the blood of the Son of God to effect it then we keep his Commandements and doe those things that are pleasing to God zealously in the sight of men also Therefore to conclude with S. Iohn This is the Commandement of all Commandements that we beleeve in the name or power of Iesus Christ that of unjust he makes us just that is perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely by which we practise all Commandements and so doe manifest that wee have the holy Ghost and are not hypocrites neither towards God by Justification nor towards men by Sanctification To the next Scriptures viz. that God saw sin in the justified Church of the Corinths and punished them for the same 1 Cor. 11. and also in the Churches of 1 Cor. 11. 30. Asia Revelat. 2. and 3. ergo the children of God are Rev. 2. and 3. objected and cleared not made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely that God sees no sin in them I say that as this is a Papisticall cavill also objected against the Protestants defending the perfection of free Justification so doe I answer with the Protestant Antagonists that these examples when people and whole Churches are alleaged as the Corinths the Churches of Asia and the Church of the Hebrews and such like they alter the question and come not within the compasse of that whereof we speak for it is one thing to speak of the Justification Iustification of a Church and a particular man different of the whole body of a people and another thing to speak of the Justification of one particular man because a true particular child of God is justified absolutely but an whole Church or Nation is not justified absolutely but respectively Some in the same and sometime the greater multitude falling away and are collectively reproved being Reprobates in which sense Paul said that all Asia was turned away from him 2 Tim. 1. 15. Againe othersome may bee 2 Tim. 1. 15. in the dead generall calling of Christianity of Gods election but not yet effectually called nor justified Bearing a name that they live but they are dead Revel 3. Revel 3. 1. 1. Such were they of whom the Apostle speaketh saying some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame 1 Cor. 15 34. Such also were the luke-warme 1 Cor. 15. 34. Laodiceans that were not yet cloathed with the white raiment that their filthy nakednesse do not appeare whom yet in love for the Election sake Christ rebuked and willed to get on the white garment that their filthy nakednesse might not appear before Revel 3. 17 18 19. him Revel 3. 17 18 19. Againe other some although they be justified and thereby all their sins utterly abolished out of Gods sight yet they finde the fruits effects benefits experience and comforts of the same but weakly according to their weak faith wherby they are exercised with many crosses and afflictions to the raising up of their faith to apprehend more fully the Grace of Justification that hath abolished all their sins out of Gods sight such as it appeares were those Corinthians of whom the Apostle speaketh in that eleventh to the Corinthians saying For this cause many of you are sick and many weak c. For what cause namely because you discern not the Lords body Here was weak faith according to which they found agreeable that great axiome of the Gospel Bee it unto thee according to thy Matt. 15. 2â— faith But fourthly and lastly some are absolutely justified and these are they that are here spoken of properly such were those few names in Sardis which had not defiled their garments that is they had not mixed and corrupted Free Iustification whereby they walked with Christ in white that is in the glory of the same for they thereby are worthy Revel 3. 4. Such also are those Revel 3. 4. Revel 7. 9 13. great multitudes of all Nations spoken of Revel 7. which were cloathed with long white Robes viz. Of Christ righteousnesse and had Palmes of victory over sin death the Devill and all euils in their hands of faith And cry with a loud voyce that is joyfully and zealously saying salvation commeth of our God that sitteth upon the Throne and of the Lamb that is withdrawing utterly from their works and ascribing the whole cause and glory of their salvation only and alone to God the Father and to his Sonne Iesus Christ And they have washed and enlarged their long Robes that is they have extolled dignified and magnified the glory of Free Iustification as Paul did 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 10 11. saying If the 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 10 11. ministration of condemnation were glorious much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glory And againe I count all things losse and doe judge them to bee dung that I may be found in Christ not having mine own righteousnesse of sanctification by my walking after the Law which is but dung but the righteousnesse which is of God by the faith of Iesus Christ Philip. 3. 9. moreover Psal 3. 9. these have made their long Robes white in the blood of the Lamb that is they beleeve that the blood of Christ hath made them in the sight of God from all sin whiter than snow Psal 51. 7. and
That great and glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God Psal 87. 3. Psal 87. 3. But yet both Christ and these glorious things were vailed yea and greatly obscured and darkned but how or with what vaile even with the bondage terrors and legall government not only of the Ceremoniall Law as the Papists hold but also of the morall Law whereby sinne was severely taken notice of and also punished sharply in Gods children For they having then but a little glimmering under types figures and shadowes of the glory of Free Iustification and of the other glorious benefits of the Gospel and good things to come Heb. 10. 1. for supply whereof Heb. 10. 1. they were chiefly driven to righteousnesse with the legall rigour and government wherein God was eager in all the Old Testament to exact and extort their good works and righteous living to this end greatly magnifying and extolling the legall righteousnesse of holy and righteous living promising and giving large temporall benefits whilst they did them Deut. Deut. 28. 28. And not only severely threatning the failers in in them Levit. 26. but also sharply whipping the disobeyers Levit 26. being with the same Majestie that he spake unto them ten the Commandments in thundering and lightening suddenly ready also to take vengeance on every offence both upon good and bad with sterne and horrible punishments Thus was Moses for an unadvised word not only typically but also legally and morally strucken with death that hee entred not into the land of promise thus was Vzzah strucken dead for staying up the Arke thus was Ionah cast into the Sea thus was Eli his neck broken for not correcting his children hence came their Captivities and carrying away into Babilon Hence came their terrible Famines whereby the mothers were driven to eat their own children with such like examples innumerable the whole preaching of the Prophets running chiefly upon this straine Hereupon it was that the Apostle said unto the Hebrews converted to the Gospel Yee are not Heb. 12. 18 19 20 21. come to the bodily mountaine nor unto the burning with fire nor to blacknesse and darkness and tempest so terrible that Moses said I feare and quake And againe Rom. 8. 15. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage to feare Rom. 8. 15. again Yea God kept the people of the Old Testament under this bondage of feare with such severity that the Manichees and othes Heriticks fondly conceited upon the same that there were two Gods one ca'v Insitut â—â—â— 2. cap. 11. sect 3. of the Old Testament that governed the people in rigorousnesse and another of the New Testament that governes peoples in gentlenesse Whereas it is but one and the same God that governed his people of the Old Testament with such severity and rigour for Two causes of the severity of the Old Testiment two causes or respects First to shew that nothing pleased him but that perfect righteousnesse revealed in his Law And therefore if their foot did step a little awry from the same they were presently for their disobedience severely punished Secondly to make them by the burthen hereof to groan for the comming of the Messiah that should freely cloath them with that perfect righteousnes which as the Apostle saith Rom. 3. 21. Rom. 3. 21. Was witnessed in that Law which the Apostle testifieth in the Epistle to the Galath 3. 24. and is the proper Gal. 3. 24. meaning of that place namely that the Law executed with such severitie was the Jewes Schoolmaster to drive them to Christ that they might be made righteous by faith Hence it was that although they were the true children of God as well as we and heires of the same blessings that we be yet as the same Apostle there testifies Galath 4. 1 2 3. they were in comparison Gal. 4. 1 2 3 of us like little children and like Wards in The Church of the Old Testament under the three infirmities of infants their non-age and thereby under these three infirmities of little children from which wee are now freed As first they had not a cleer sight and a ripe understanding by the death of Christ of the greatnesse of the riches of the Gospel and of the worth of their spirituall treasures as little children and Wards know not the worth of their rich lands and inheritance but saw them darkly as things a farre off Heb. 11. 13. it being Heb. 11. 13â— true that a learned Dispenser of Gods Mysteries Calv. Insiit lib. â— cap. 11. sect 5. saith That it behoved before the Sun of righteousnesse was risen there should neither be so great brightness of revelation nor so deep sight of understanding And therefore God so gave them in measure the sight of his word that they saw Christ and his riches as yet a farre off and darkly Secondly like heires in their non-age that have not their whole inheritance but as it were little pittances thereof administred unto them for comfort food and apparell as a secret testimonie that the whole land in the hand of their Guardians is theirs So these as the Apostle saith Received not the promises Heb. 11. 13. but as it were little pittances of Heb. 11. 13. their riches outwardly administred unto them under shadows types and figures of the blood of Buls and Goats which were not able to make them perfect concerning the conscience Heb. 9. 9. and therefore were faine to be renewed every yeer Heb. 10. 1 2 4 11. Because the Old Heb. 9. 9. Heb. 10. 1 2 4 11. Heb. 7. 19. Testament made nothing perfect Heb. 7. 19. That being likewise true that the foresaid Dispenser of Gods Mysteries saith That the store of heavenly riches whereof there is offered unto us in the Gospel a more plentifull enjoying they did but a little sip of it Thirdly as the little Child whilst he is a Child is under Tutors and Governours that is in feate and terrours of the rod of the Schoolmaster and of sharp corrections for his honest and vertuous education So they were under such severitie of the Law that if they did as I said before but step a little awry they had the Law as a Schoolmaster that took notice of their sins and sharply scourged them for the same thus constraining them to holinesse and righteousnesse by fear as a Schoolmaster doth children to vertuous education Galath 4. 1. But to them that object that David and Gal. 4. 1. Object Daniel and the Prophets were not little children to us but wee rather little children to them they having more freedome of conscience from the feare and bondage of the Law than wee I answer that that Answ makes little to our commendations that they profited in the Gospel more being under the time of the Law than we being under the time of the Gospel but yet I adde that further answer of Calvin That although they feeling the
the glory of his blood neither let that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord that letteth goe this foundation of all blessings that only gives him acceptable and approved entrance unto God to finde all experimentall outward blessings whatsoever The third place of Scripture declaring the true nature of these Evangelicall crosses and afflictions is that of 1 Pet. 1 6 7. laying out also the fruits effects and 1 Pet. 1. 6. 7. explained profits of the same saying Now for a season you have manifold temptations mark againe how Peter also cals their afflictions by the name of temptations trials but to what end and use are they namely That the triall of your faith in Christ the Son of God freely justifying you being much more precious than gold that perisheth though it be tryed in the fire may be found to your praise and honour glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ More examples of these crosses and afflictions meerely Evangelicall are these places 2 Corinth 11. In stripes 2 Cor. 11. above measure in prison more plenteously in death often Of the Iewes five times received I forty stripes save one I was thrice beaten with rods I was once stoned I suffered thrice shipwracks in journying often in perills of waters in perills of Robbers in perills in the City in perills in the Wildernesse in perills in the Sea c. In wearinesse and painfulnesse in watchings often in hunger and thirst in cold and nakednesse What sundry varietie of crosses and afflictions are here and yet all Evangelicall Againe 2 Cor. 12. 9. Very gladly therefore will I rejoyce rather 2 Cor. 12. 9. in my infirmities that the power of Christ which is Free Iustification Rom. 1. 16 17. may dwell in me Therefore Rom. 1 16. 17. I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in anguish for Christs sake For when I am weak then am I strong And again 1 Pet. 4. 13. 1 Pet. 4. 13. But rejoyce in as much as you are made partakers of Christs sufferings c. And again Heb. 10. 34. Yee suffered Heb. 10. 34. with joy the spoyling of your goods And that place to the Heb. 12. 5 6 7 8. necessary to bee explained and Heb. 12 5 6 7 8. necessary to bee explained answered because it is so much objected where the Apostle saith For whom the Lord loveth hee chastiseth and scourgeth every Sonne whom hee receiveth But if yee be without chastening whereof all are partakers then are you bastards and not Sonnes c. Although the Apostle speaking to a whole Nation as the plurall number shewes it is as I said before beside our question because an whole Nation and Church consisteth of divers sorts of Professors collectively reproved yet I answer more fully and plainly thus that the place is most true and verified upon all Gods children two manner of wayes For if we understand the place of the common and worser sort among the Hebrewes in the dead generall calling not yet converted and effectually called or putting their hand to the plough were ready to look back as it may seem that he did meane such by his telling them of their hands that hung down and of their weak knees and of their halting that their turning out of the way may be healed as he doth with much sharpnesse reprove them divers times in that Epistle then that place is legall and to be understood of legall corrections and punishments that must be the School-master to drive them home effectually to Christ that so they may be soundly healed by being truly and in sincerity made partakers of Gods holinesse and righteousnesse by Justification and so bring forth better fruits of righteousnesse by sanctification and so belongs to the first sort of crosses and afflictions that as I said are legall But if the place be to be understood of the better sort of Professors truly converted and absolutely justified such as he saith in another place of the same Epistle as suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods and of these he seemes to speak most properly because hee saith that although they suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods yet they had not resisted unto blood then this place is Evangelicall and to be referred to Evangelicall crosses and afflictions not only because he makes no expresse mention of suffering for any sin but also because he saith expresly that by those crosses and afflictions their faith was exercised for their profit that they might be made partakers of Gods holinesse which is principally done by Free Iustification for although being by their faith once justified they are ever justified having all the imperfections of their Sanctification that they daily feele in themselves ever abolished out of Gods sight being made cleane and whiter than snow in his sight from 1 Iohn 1. 7. all sinne 1 Iohn 1. 7. and they ever perfectly holy and righteous from all sin and rebuke before God and in his sight Colos 1. 22. yet the trialls and exercising of Colos 1. 22. that faith that hath made them such before God makes them still partakers of Gods holinesse and righteousnesse both of Justification and Sanctification more and more experimentally in themselves by the encrease of their faith from faith to faith as I said before Rom. 1. 17. Yea God hath so wonderfully Rom. 1. 17. dignified faith that although the least graine of mustard-seed of true faith doth make the true child of God perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely yet be he never so perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God yet he findes the fruit experience and benefit thereof but according to his faith according to that maine Axiome of the Gospel Be it unto thee according to thy faith whereupon it is most certaine that God chasteneth every son whom he receiveth and that also with a double or twofold A twofold chastisement of Gods people chastisement both with the chastisement or crosses and afflictions of correction and with the chastisement or crosses and afflictions of trialls but yet not to be mixed and mingled and confounded together but first before faith with the afflictions and crosses of corrections to bee the lashes of the Schoolmaster of the Law to drive them to Christ but after faith is come with the glorious crosses and afflictions of trialls and exercisings of our faith to make our faith strong that may bring us into reall experience of all Gods blessings and graces Neither is this distinction any new device but such as not only walketh in the old and good way of Gods word but also is testified by the Dispensers of God mysteries Ante remissionem esse supplicia peccatorum post remissionem autem certamina exercitationesque justorum Aug. de peccat merit remis lib. 2. cap. 34. Vide D. Abb. against satisfactions Twelve absurcities in
mingling Evangelicall and Legall crosses 1 both ancient writers and moderne Antagonists against the Papists for Augustine saith thus Before forgivenesse or Iustification they are the punishments of sin but after forgivenesse they are the fights and exercises of the just This distinction of crosses and afflictions must be diligently in preaching and teaching observed because the first are Legall causing feare that by love must more and more be cast out 1 Iohn 4. 18. and the other are Evangelicall causing joy and love for if this distinction of Legall and Evangelicall crosses be not diligently kept and distinguished then there will follow these twelve maine absurdities and inconveniences As first not a true and right dividing of the word of God by reserving and applying the Law and the Gospel to their due right and proper objects to whom they rightly belong in the congregation as to apply the Law and meerly nothing but the killing Law and that also in his full vigour and force to the loose carelesse and secure ones in the least sin to whom the Law belongs untill they be terrified with the horriblenesse of the least sin in the sight of God And on the other side to apply the Gospel and meerly nothing but the healing and quickning Gospel to the humbled and terrified ones to whom only the Gospel belongs to raise them up to joy love and zeale of glorifying God 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 9 12. Mark 2. 11 12. Luth. in Galat. cap. 3. 19. for the same 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 9 12. Mark 2. 11 12. whereupon the saying of Luther is most true That unlesse the Gospel be thus plainly discerned and in practise distinguished from the Law the true Christian doctrine cannot be kept sound and uncorrupt But contrariwise if this difference be known and kept then is also the true manner of Iustification truly known and kept Secondly to tell these humbled ones terrified with horriblenesse of the least sin and now by justification made glad joyfull and zealous that they are not made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely but that God doth see their foule sins in them and is ready to correct and punish them for the same is to pull off againe the wedding garment and to put upon them a mourning garment of blowes and beating in the marriage feast Matth. 22. 2. and Matth. 22. 2. to make the children of God or rather Spouse of Christ not to have on the wedding garment in the marriage feast ver 11 12. Verse 11. 12. 3 Thirdly not feeling how powerfull the treasures of the Gospel alone are both to abolish all sin from before God and by joy and zeale thereof to mortifie all sin in our selves they goe to borrow helpe by feare from the whippings of the Law as if the Gospel that kils the old man and makes us alive and raiseth us up from the spirituall death to life were not able to encrease that life begun and sufficient to bury the old man utterly except it borrowed helpe of the whippings of the Law and so make a miscillane and mixture of the Law and Gospel and thus preach as Luther truely saith neither true Law not true Gospel but a miscillane and marring of both and thereby make miscillane Christians that is meere hypocrites Gal. 4. 25. Gal. 1. 4. 25. 4 Fourthly by this mixture and mingling of whipping to righteousnesse joyned with free justification in the faithfull as Luther truely saith upon these words of the Apostle viz. They intend to pervert the Gospel of Christ Gal. 1. 7. The preachers of the Gospel saith he become Galat. 1. 7. the Apostles of the Devill because this mingling doth not only blemish and darken the knowledge of Grace but also it taketh away Christ with all his benefits and it secretly undermines and utterly overthrowes the Gospel And yet saith he such perverters of the Gospel can abide nothing lesse than to heare that they are the Apostles of the Devill nay rather they glory above others in the Name of Christ and boast themselves to be the most sincere preachers of the Gospel but because they mingle the Law with the Gospel as if one should mingle blacke and white and marre both and so darken Grace they must needs be perverters of the Gospel because Fifthly they deny Christ to have by himselfe alone made us whole that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely for all the Devills in hell cannot deny but that looke how much sinne God sees in us and whips us for the same so much doe we come short of being of unjust made just that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely Sixthly they blemish and extenuate the glory of perfect Reconciliation In that they grant that wee are so reconciled to God by Christ that God is become our Father but they paint him out like an angry Father everseeing sin in us and ever standing with a rod or staffe in his hand lifted up over our heads with which by reason that he ever seeth some fault and blame in us he is ever ready not to strike us down yet to crack our crownes and sorely to whip us and to be-cudgel us throughly whereas the Gospel describes him to be not only become our loving Father but also our well pleased Father at perfect peace and perfect reconciliation with us so perfectly satisfied by Christ that we have not one spot or wrinkle of sin or any such thing in his sight freely Ephes 5. 27. and thereby Ephes 5. 27. are without all fault and without all blame and reproofe in his sight as the originall words import Col. 1. 22. Colos 1. 22. vers 23. If we continue rooted and stablished in this faith vers 23. But alas here we are so far from being grounded and stablished in this faith that we lose not these benefits as Iames saith by wavering but by wrangling contradiction and gaine-saying them we cast them quite away but how farre more Evangelically doth a right Reverend Divine indeed as it were with one stroke B. Baâ—ing upon the Lords Prayer the fifth Petition by taking away both the cause and and the effect beat downe both these absurdities reasoning both from the abolished cause which is sin and removed effect which is correction and all punishment against the Papists after this manner and invincible demonstration Ejus quod non est non est poena Peccatum remissum non est Iohn 1. 29. Ergo peccati remissi non est poena Iohn 1. 29. That is of that which is not there is no temporall punishment correction or paine Forgiven sin is not or hath no being before God Iohn 1. 29. Therefore of forgiven sinne there is no temporall punishment Seventhly this mingling of the Law and the Gospel saying that God sees sin in his justified children to
the Gospel and that these are the things which the holy Ghost shewes unto them Christ himselfe testifies saying When the spirit of truth is come hee shall glorifie mee mark that but how or after what manner shall hee glorifie Christ it followes for hee shall take of mine namely that the blood of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God doth make us cleane in the sight of God from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Ioh. 1. 7. Ioh. 16. 14. And shall shew it unto you Ioh. 16. 14. certainly if the spirit doe not shew us this nobody will shew it us for the whole world the flesh our own sense and feeling and the Devill do all shew us the contrary but yet saith Christ when the spirit shall come he shall judge contrary to all these for he shall judge the whole world of Beleevers in my ascension of nothing but righteousnesse verse 10. Because as Luther truly saith Verse 10. upon that place In eo enim transitupeccatum in justitiam absorptum est that is in that passage of his into heaven the sinne of Beleevers is absorpted and swallowed up into righteousnesse Whereupon it followes of necessity that such preachers as blend these two glasses and intermix them and so do darken them and such people as see not that they are cleane from all sinne in the sight of God freely may justly suspect themselves to be sensuall as Iude saith not having the Spirit shewing plainely that they see no more of the foulnesse of sin then the light of nature teacheth and so did never look rightly by the spirit into the glasse of the Law to be truly touched with the foulnesse of sin it selfe Secondly they did never look rightly into the glasse of the Gospel to see themselves translated out of sin into righteousnesse and unbeliefe being blind to discern these things of the spirit 1 Cor. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 2. 14. as before shee went about to make God blind so now shee falsifies the witnesse of the holy Ghost saying that he testifies of â—inne the work of the Divell in the justified children of God when taking only of Christ and of his benefits and shewing them to Beleevers he testifieth only of righteousnesse Iohn 16. 10. and so glorifies Ioh. 16. 10. 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Christ and his blood 1 Iohn 1. 7. THe sourth reason objected is this The Lord by Fourth Reason objected his spirit doth mortifie our sinnes daily Rom. 8. and shall he not see those sinnes which by his spirit he doth mortifie ergo the children of God are not with the wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely To which I answer That as this reason doth seeme Answ most plausible to naturall reason so it is that by which these Objectors doe not only most of all delude and deceive themselves and others but also is the Papists cunningest thiefe which they use after the cleanliest manner to rob Christ of his glory against which my heart yearns But oh that it did burne more against it But that we may understand the deceit of this argument we must mark two things first that the expresse words of the Text in this objection serpent-like suppressed are these If ye that is the faithfull doe mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit Rom. 8. Rom. 8. 13. 13. Secondly we must mark that this mortifying is all one with that saying of S. Iohn And he that hath this 1 Ioh 3. 3. hope doth purifie himselfe c. And with that saying of S. Paul who although as an elect vessell to preach unto the Gentiles did most of all urge and presse free Act. 9. Iustification yet hee saith Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7 1. Now 2 Cor. 7. 1. wee must not understand that wee purifie that wee mortifie that wee cleanse our selves no not by the spirit properly to the sight of God For this is the meere and only and proper work of Christs blood and of the spirit cloathing us with Christs righteousnesse who thus alone by himselfe only purifieth us from our sins properly in the sight of God as the Apostle saith Heb. 9. 14. For if the blood of Buls and Goats sprinkling Heb 9. 14. the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall sprit offered himselfe without spot to God purifie your conscience from dead works c. and is set downe to be one of the maine things that declare the glory of Christs â—od-head Heb. 1. 3. where among other praises Heb. 1. 3. of the power of his Godhead this is one That hee hath purified us from our sins by himselfe and therefore it is rightly said in the Doctrine of our Church taught by the first Restorers of the Gospel in this land in King Edward dayes That it is the greatest arrogancie and presumption of man that Anti-christ could set up against God to affirme that we take away that we purifie that we cleanse our own sinnes out of the the sight of God either in whole or in part But how then will some say doe we purifie and Quest cleanse our selves I answer that wee cleanse and mortifie and purifie Answ our selves only Declaratively to the sight of men that is we only declare both to our selves and to others in the way of thankfulnesse that the holy Ghost hath by cloathing us with the wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse purified mortified cleansed and utterly abolished all our sins out of Gods sight freely Whereby the holy Ghost sees us not properly mortifying cleansing and purifying our sins out of the sight of God our selves for then hee should see us robbing Christ of that glory which his blood hath freely done before wee begin but when the wedding-garment wrought by his blood hath freely purified them out of Gods sight then the spirit we being thus first clean in his sight enters into us to dwell in us which otherwise he would not doe but being entred and dwelling in us he enables us by walking holily and righteously to avoyd and purifie out of our own sight sense and feeling and out of the sight of other men that sin which the wedding-garment hath purified and abolished before out of the sight of God and so we meerely declare before the spirit that hee himselfe and Christs righteousnesse have originally and properly cleansed and purified away and utterly abolished them out of Gods sight freely And this is that which S. Paul expresly teacheth in the sixth to the Romans for having shewed in the three next precedent Chapters how freely of unjust we are made just that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely unto naturall reason objecting that then we may live freely in sinne as we list hee answers nay that is
an exceeding weighty point worthy the diligent marking and yet not sufficiently marked that there are Two kindes of mortification of sinne two kindes of mortification of sin the one legall the other Evengelicall And this is the difference between them that the 1 Evangelicall Evangelicall mortification beleeving with the heart and confessing with the tongue Rom. 10. 10. that the Rom. 10. 10. blood of Christ hath made us cleane in the sight of God from all sinne 1 Iohn 1. 7. that only poysons us before God unto the death of hell and so we are freely and 1 Iohn 1. 7. preciously healed of the same hereupon by crucifying our corruptions so abolished out of Gods sight wee will not eat of this deadly poyson of hell any more as David said of the delightfull and well-pleasing conversation of the wicked in sinne Let me not eat of their delicates But let the righteous rather smite mee friendly and reprove me And thus the Evangelicall zeale doth mortifie sinne to our selves in meere thankfulnesse that the spirit of God dwelling in us shewes us that we are cleane and by the blood of Christ have no sin to mortifie in the sight of God But the Legall mortification desiring to bee her 2 Legall owne Physician and striving for feare of punishment either temporall or eternall or upon a secret hope lurking in the heart of procuring and retaining Gods favour and good will by her diligent endeavours of crucifying and mortifying sinne out of the sight of God by the assistance as she saith of Gods spirit by her selfe thus robs Christ of the foresaid glory of his blood and by all her diligent labouring against sin doth never obtaine the assistance of the spirit which comes only by the foresaid healing by Free Justification Gal. 3. 2. And so hath her sinnes by all her diligent Galat 3. 2. labouring in mortification never truly mortified nor abolished neither before God nor themselves And this was the old Pharisaicall mortification who as the Apostle testifies did with a legall fervent love of God Rom. 10. 2. follow the law of righteousnesse Rom. 10. 2. Rom. 9. 31. Acts 26. 7. Rom. 9. 31. instantly serving God day and night Acts 26. 7. for they had certaine speciall points and sentences of the Law written round about in the borders The Plâ—aâ—isaicall stâ—ictâ—esse of their garments that they might never be out of their eyes they praied no men more they fasted twice in the week the bed that they lay upon as Epiphanius writeth was but little more than a span broad and yet that they might sleep with lesse ease they strewed sharpe things under them Briefly all their life in appearance was such and all their apparell and behaviour so seemely and decent that if a man would paint out wisedome sobriety mortification and perfect holinesse he could have no better patterne And therefore they were called Pharisaei that is divided Why called Pharâ—â—â—â— as men in holinesse and perfection of life farre passing all the rest of the people and that also by the assistance of Gods Spirit as they thought and professed for as the good Jewes professed that they had the benefit of all spirituall graces but by the Spirit of God confessing that God gave them his good Spirit to instruct them Nehem. 9. 20. and acknowledge that Nehem 9. 20. Verse â—0 it was the Spirit that spake in their Prophets vers 30. And as David said Stablish and uphold me with thy free Spirit Psal 51. 12. so these meerely legall devout Psal 51. 12. ones that by their devoutnesse drave Paul out of their coasts did professe that all their devotions and mortifications were by the spirit whereupon Zidkiab that struck Micaiah a box on the eare said When went the 1 Kings 22. 24. Spirit of the Lord from me unto thee But because they sought not mortification at the fountaine of the Spirit which is Free Iustification Galat. 3. 2. but as Galat. 3. 2. the Apostle saith Being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and going about to stablish their owne righteousnesse did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God Rom. 10. 3. therefore they were utterly voide of the Rom 10. 3. Spirit and had not one sparke of true mortification Yea this very opinion of mortifying sinne our selves The heart of Pâ—pâ—ry by the Spirit properly out of the sight of God is the very heart of Popery the very essentiall forme of Anabaptisme the very root of all Justiciaries the very pride of Lucifer the very joyning in check-mate with Christ or rather in parting stakes with him to take the greater part of glory to our selves in granting that he doth abolish and take away the guilt and the punishments which are the lesser but we purifie away and mortifie and cleanse our selves by the spirit from sinne it selfe which is the cause and greatest of all evills when as it is the sole glory of Christ alone properly to to purifie and cleanse away from before God by himselfe alone all sinne especially Heb. 1. 3. for by this selfe mortifying Heb. 1. 3. and selfe-cleansing our sins by the spirit properly out of the sight of God such must needs goe about to make themselves good and every day better and better in the sight of God which is the patching with God before spoken of and just the Papists second Justification and flat deniall and nullifying of the true Justification yea this legall mortification is the ground-work and foundation of the Eremites first The foundation of the Eremites and of Anchorites of Nunneries living by rootes in the Wildernesse even to mortifie their sinnes by the spirit out of the fight of God of Anchorites shutting themselves up in walls to mortifie their sinnes out of Gods sight by the spirit and was the first foundation stone in the building of all Nunneries and Abbies to mortifie their sinne out of Gods sight by the spirit and although these devout legall morter-makers mortifiers I should say of their sinnes doe appeare both in their owne opinion and in the judgement of others to be by their legall zealous holy and godly living the most religious and most holy men in the world yet they are nothing so in truth but doe overflow with all manner of hidden corruptions which they themselves see not as envy malice disdaine preposterous judgement selfe-conceitednesse pride contempt of God in his chiefest matters slavish feare and utter retracting under faire pretences to doe zealously the duties of their vocations where any danger appeares being blindenesse it selfe in the right understanding of the Gospel full of secret grudgings whisperings evill speakings and manifold breakings or rather flat contemnings of the ninth commandement by evill surmisings and misconstruings of the words and deeds of others wherein especially they bewâ—â—y themselves And to conclude these Saints as Luther saith are the bondslaves of Satan and therefore are driven to thinke
himselfe the spirituall worker and Author of them making them in our apprehension correspondent and agreeable to the Almighty nature and glorious working of so wonderfull a workman Fifthly the literall knowledge although it bee never so great doth not change him that is in it but leaves him in his former old nature and corrupt conversation as if he were prophane it leaves him still prophane if he were meerely civill honest it leaves him still meerely civill honest if he were blindly zealous with a legall zeale it leaves him still blindly zealous with a legall zeale of advancing works works and doing as wee may see by the example of S. Paul who before his conversion followed the righteousnes of the Law Rom. 9. 31. and was zealous towards God Act. Rom 9. 31. Aâ—ts 22. 3. 26. 7. 22. 3. serving God instantly day and night Act. 26. 7. And yet was but in this literall knowledge Yea as this literall knowledge findes a man in death and condemnation so it leaves him in death and condemnation saving that it leaves him in greater condemnation than if hee never knew any thing at all Bâ—â— the spirituall knowledge wholy changeth him that is in it and makes him to leave his old corrupt course of life and to live a godly conversation and not only makes him that was prophane or meerly civill to become zealous of Gods glory but also changeth the legall zeale of advancing works into the Evangelicall zeale of advancing Christs benefits and to doe all good duties zealously in meere thankfulnesse for the same because he that by this spirituall knowledge with open face beholdeth as in a looking glasse the glory of the Lord is changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. Sixthly and lastly as the spirituall knowledge discerning the deep things of God counts them and embraceth them as precious and glorious so the literall knowledge resting in the bare letter cannot perceive nor receive the deep things of God that is the excellency of Christs benefits because it counts and rejects them as absurd and foolish yea very foolishnesse it selfe 1 Cor. 2. 14. and because great learning 1 Cor 2 14. The ground of contention and wrangling againstâ—râ—e justification counts it her wisdome to confute that which she takes for foolishnesse hereupon ariseth unfallibly against the preaching of the excellency of Christs benefits strong sophisticating and bold contention because the literall learning being mounted up upon the horse of pride for this knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor. 8. 2. 1 Cor. 8. 2â— And being pricked forward with two spurres the one of envie at her brothers gift of preaching the glory of Christ and the other of vaine glory lest this literall learning loose some of her praise she rusheth out like a warre-horse into the battle of contention and yet layes all the blame hereof upon the preaching of the excellency of Christs benefits yea so strongly doth this literall knowledge judge the excellency of Christs benefits to be meere foolishnesse and thereupon so impudent in contention against the same that Luther upon these words Then is the slander of the â—uther upon Gal. 5. 11. Crosse abolished Gal. 5. 11. proveth with many arguments that Paul taketh it for a most certaine signe that the Gospel of Christ and righteousnesse of faith are not rightly preached and is not the Gospel if it be preached without contention against it for saith hee when the crosse is abolished and the rage of the false Apostles wrangling sophisticating and persecuring ceaseth on the one side and offences and scandals on the other-side and all things are in peace this is a sure token that the Devil keeping the entrie of the house the pure doctrine of Gods Word is taken away Because saith he it cannot be but as long as the Gospel flourisheth the crosse and offence thereof must needs follow it or else truly the Devil is not The Devill rageth against the Gospel rightly levelled at and hit but slightly glanced at but if he be rightly hit indeed he resteth not but beginneth horribly to rage and to raise up by these literall vaine-glorious men all the troubles he can And again notably writeth Luther upon these words but as then he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit even so is it now whose whole exposition is worthy to be often read of the children of faith the sum and effect whereof is thus This persecution Luther on Gal. 4 29 vers alwaies remaineth in the Church especially when the word of God is powerfully brought to light and the doctrine of the Gospel flourisheth to wit that the children of the flesh mock the children of the promise and persecute them And therefore Paul in this place armeth the godly asore-hand that they should not be offended with these persecutions sects and offences As if he should say if we be the children of the promise and born after the spirit holding that righteousnesse commeth without works meerely by the promise we must surely look to bee persecuted of our brother which is born after the flesh that is after the Law and works and yet shines in the righteousnesse and glorious works of the Law that is to say not only our open enimies which are manifestly wicked shall persecute us but also such as at the first were our deare friends with whom we were in religion familiarly conversant in one house which received from us the true doctrine of the Gospel shall become our deadly enimies persecute us extreamely for they are brethren after the flesh and will persecute their brethren which are born after the Spirit and so raise hurries and molestations Indeed they lay the blame and fault in our doctrine when they themselves are the authors of these troubles and persecutions But because they are perswaded by this literall knowledge that they persecute that which is absurd and but meere foolishnesse they cannot beleeve this that they are the authors of these troubles and much lesse can they beleeve that it is they which murmur rise up and take counsell against the Lord and his annoynted nay rather they think that they maintaine the Lords cause that they defend his glory and doe him acceptable service in persecuting us The reason whereof is this expressed by Luther in other places upon the Galathians speaking against vaine-glory and therefore as worthy the often reading as the former the summe also whereof is thus That such is the nature of these literall and vaine-glorious Ministers of Satan That they can make a goodly shew that they are very charitable humble lovers of concord and are indued with all other fruites of the Spirit also they protest that they seek nothing else but the glory of God and the salvation of mens souls and yet being full of vaine-glory and doing all things to seeme learned and godly and so to get praise and estimation among
men they doe nothing else but with their cavills sophisticating and calumniations under a colour of cleering the truth paint over and hide their own ignorance bemuddy the cleer truth disquiet the minds of the simple and trouble mens consciences and so are the true and proper authors of dissention and sects And this Paul complained of not only respecting the present times but also foresaw in spirit that there should bee an infinite number of such in the Church even to the Worlds end for when God sendeth faithfull labourers into his harvest by and by Satan raiseth up his ministers also who will in no case bee counted inferiour to those that are rightly called here straightwaies riseth dissention the wicked will not yeeld one haires-bredth to the godly for they take themselves that they far passe them in wit in learning in godlinesse in spirit and in all other vertues And on the other side the godly although The godly in matters of charity are flexible but unyeelding in matters of faith in matters of charity they are as flexible as a reed enduring all things and suffering all things yet in matters of faith knowing that a little leven doth leven the whole lump they dare not and much lesse ought they to yeeld to the wicked lest the doctrine of faith doe come in danger For alas the faithfull Minister knowes that the Gospel is not delivered unto us that we should thereby seek our own praise and glory or that the people should honour or magnifie us which are the Ministers thereof but to the end that the benefits and glory of Christ might be published and known and that the Father might be glorified in the bounty and riches offered unto us in Christ his Son who thereby enricheth us with his heavenly and eternal good things as for the other they regard not this but to get praise and liking and estimation with the people doe rather sophisticate and wrangle against the benefits of Christ thus provoking one another and envying one another which is a sure token that neither such Teachers nor such Hearers doe live and walk after the spirit but after the flesh and works thereof and so consequently with the Galathians to hold the truth they with the Galathians doe loose the true Doctrine Faith Christ and all the gifts of the holy Ghost and by kicking against the benefits of Christ become worse than the heathens and prove meere ministâ—rs of Satan some of them never failing from time to time to accuse the benefits of Christ not only of error but also of heresie and blasphemie Whereupon comes most truly to passe that Luther saith in the former alleaged place That he that will preach Christ truly and confesse him to be our righteousnesse must be content to heare that he is a pernicious fellow and that he troubleth all things because it cannot be but that Ismael must persecute Isaac and yet Ismael was outwardly and in his own opinion a lover of religion he sacrificed and exercised himselfe in well-doing therefore he mocked his brother Isaac and so persecuted him But Isaac again persecuteth not Ismael Whereupon the same faithfull Dispenser of Gods mysteries concludeth with a weightie saying That who so will not suffer the persecution of Ismael let him not professe himselfe to be a Christian But if those that lie in this literall knowledge bee such meere mocking and persecuting Ismaelites untill God opens their eyes and converreth them let any man judge whether they bee any just cause by their sophisticating and wrangling to stop our faith and to make us to doubt and waver in the excellency of Christs benefits though they excell in all literall learning and in the legall zeale shining as I said before in the righteousnesse and glorious workes of the Law and holy walking never so much THe fifth Remedy to overcome doubting to grow The fifth Remedy against doubting strong in saith is to set often before our eyes the dignity glorious nature and exceeding excellency of beleeving namely that the beliefe that the blood of Christ doth make us cleane from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely is such a good worke in the sight of God as passeth all other good workes whatsoever nay rather if all the good workes and holy walking that were even done or shall be done in the world were heaped together and compared with this one work of beleeving yet all they joyned together are not comparable to beliefe which is not only testified by Christ himselfe in his answer to the Jewes when they asked him dreaming of workes What shall we doe that we may worke the workes of God He answered and said This is the worke of God that is the work of all workes that ye beleeve on him whom he hath sent namely to justifie and make you freely righteous in the sight of God but also many reasons grounded upon the very heart and Essence of the Gospel confirm the same as especially may appear by these three maine priviledges of faith As Three maine priviledges of saith 1 It giveth exceeding glory to God foure wayes to Iustice First for the exceeding honor glory that we give to God the Father that also foure manner of wayes as first this beliefe laying hold only of Christ his righteousnesse as only able and ful sufficient to make us from all spot of sinne perfectly righteous in Gods sight freely makes us as Chrysostome saith to conceive a right and high estimation of God for his perfect justice of hating all sin and loving perfect righteousnesse in that he could bestow no benefit upon us as a benefit excepthe had first given us so wonderfully his own Son to justifie and make us perfectly righteous in his own sight and so we give him the praise honour glory of his justice Secondly if we beleeve and take 2 Of truth fast hold of this benefit that God by washing us in his Sonnes blood hath made us cleane from all spot or wrinkle of sinne in the sight of God freely thus perfectly blessing us Galath 3. 8. we give him the glory Galat. 3. 8. of his truth having so gloriously and manifoldly promised the same and by beleeving doe set to our seale that God is true Iohn 3. 33. Thirdly if so farre beyond Iohn 3. 33. our carnall sense and feeling and outward appearance 3 Of power and all outward likelihood we beleeve that God by clothing us with his owne Sons righteousnesse hath made us cleane from all spot of sin in his owne sight freely truely performing upon us such unlikely to present sense and feeling yea and impossible things wee give him the glory of his omnipotent Rom. 4 19 20. power Rom. 4. 19 20. Fourthly by beleeving that God by cloathing us with the wedding-garment of 4 Of rich grace his Sons perfect righteousnesse hath made us perfectly holy righteous from all spot and wrinkle of sin
the winde and tossed to and fro Neither let that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord a double or doubtfull minded man is unstable in all his wayes I am 1. 6 7 8. Fearefull examples Iam 1 6 7 8. ever to be set before our eyes to make us strive against Fearfull examples of doubting doubting much more to take heed of wrangling against the excellency of Gods mysteries are First Peter who whilst he rested upon the word 1 Peter Come went safely upon the waters but when he looked at the outward swelling of the windes and waves and began upon the likelyhood of them to prevaile to doubt presently he began to sink Mat. 14. 30. so Math. 14. 30. 2 Zachary Secondly Zacharias when he began to consider outward appearances and likelyhoods of impossibilities of that which the Angel had spoken by reason of his owne old age and his wives impossibility to naturall reason to conceive and thereupon doubted of that which was from heaven spoken was presently strucken dumbe Luke 1. 20. Luke 1. 20. Thirdly the Prince that looking upon outward and 3 The Prince present unlikely hoods and thereupon with the other old unbeleeving Jewes Psal 78. 41. did limit the power Psal 78. 41. of God and so did run into doubting and unbeliefe was trodden under foot of the people and died 2 King 7. 17 20. The reason whereof is concluded by 2 Kings 7. 17 20. God that the just by faith shall live but if any withdraw himselfe namely by doubting and unbeliefe my soule saith God shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. Heb. 10. 38. 38. But we are not they which by doubting and unbeliefe doe with-draw our selves unto peâ—dition and follow not the righteousnesse of works and preposterous holy walking according to the law of righteousnesse as the Jewes did Rom. 9. 31. but follow faith unto the Rom. 9. 31. conservation of our soules verse 39. and therefore Verse 39. briefe but wise and faithfull like Luther â—o him that hath an eare to heare is that saying of Luther namely De libertate Christiana that the first and principall care of every Christian man ought to be in this especially That setting aside all confidence in Gods sight of holy walking he strengthen his faith more and more and by daily encreasings grow in knowledge Whereof not of works but of Christ Jesus and of him crucified for him being so delivered to death to abolish from before God his sinnes and risen againe to make him freely righteous which is the admonition of Peter 2 Epist 3. 18. for as much as none other works doe make a true Christian The same advice giveth Christ himselfe the Lord of wisedome who in the sixth of Iohn when the Luth. ibid. Iohn 6. 28. Jewes asked a question what they should doe to doe the works of God excluding the multitude of works and their preposterous holy walking according to the law of righteousnesse Rom. 9. 31. wherewith he Rom. 9. 31. perceived them to swell and to be puft up in themselves seeming humble yet full of pride Luke 18. 11. Luke 18. 11 did prescribe unto them one only rule saying This is the work of God to beleeve on him to make you freely righteous Rom. 10. 3 4. whom he hath sent for him Rom. 10. 3 4. hath God the father sealed thereunto whereof riseth such a necessity of beleeving and resting only upon this before God that Christ maketh this the short and long of all That he that believeth viz. That the blood of Christ the Sonne of God doth make him cleane from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely 1 Ioh. 1. 7. and is Baptized that is hath this 1 Ioh. 1. 7. my washing of him clean from all sin with my blood sealed unto him putting him out of all doubt hereof by Baptisme shall be saved but he that beleeveth not this shall be damned Mark 16. 16. This is Christs short Mark 16. 16. and long But why is he damned that believeth not this The reason hereof is the horribleness of unbelief notably expressed by the learned Calvin saying thus No injury more grievous can be offered unto God the Father 〈◊〉 in Ioh. 3. 33. sheweth the horriblenesse of unâ—eliefe and unto Christ his Sonne than when the joyfull newes of his Gospel is not beleeved for the truth of God is not acknowledged But God cannot bee spoyled of his truth but his whole glory Majesty are abolished Therfore look how much the faith of the godly maketh to the glory of God so much on the contrary doth the unbeliefe of the wicked not believing in Christ make to the grievous reproach of God Not that their wickednesse doth hurt the truth of God but that in respect of them or as much as lies in them they accuse and condemn God of falshood and lying But peradventure some man will say What is this Quest unbeliefe that is thus horrible before God not only in the effects of it hitherto described but even in the essence and being of it in it selfe I answer That this is plainly expressed by the learned Answ Beza saying thus Significat hoc loco 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Beza in Rom. â—â— 20. that is unbeliefe in this place signifieth Absence of assent or agreement to the word spoken and uttered by God such as is of them to whom the words of the Gospel except they be brewed to agree with humane reason are vel ludibrio vel offendiculo that is either toyish as a merriment or else an offence to them as absurd foolish and hurtfull so that the power of God promising so great so difficult and so unlikely a thing is utterly rejected as if hee did promise that which is impossible to himselfe or else they doe despise nullifie and set light of his will revealed in the same as speaking one thing and willing an other thus running into all those eight inconveniences and evils spoken of before because most true and weighty and therefore worthy often to be thought upon is that testimony of Luther saying thus As there is no honour De liberâ—ate Christianae like unto the opinion conceived of truth and righteousnesse wherewith we doe reverence willingly obey and most highly esteeme of him whom we doe beleeve for what are we able to ascribe to any person more than truth righteousnesse and goodnesse of all parts perfect and absolute And contrariwise it is a detestable reproach to conceive a secret opinion of a man to be false faithlesse and wicked so stands the case between God and the soule of man by beliefe for as long as it beleeveth stedfastly in God that promiseth it doth account him in that which he speaketh even above reason sense and feeling to be true and righteous than which opinion can nothing bee more acceptable to God This is the highest honour of
also All câ—â—aâ—ures were â—â—thout sin but man was righteous and had the Image of God that we bee made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God is for the full satisfaction of his justice because as God made us at the first not only clean from all sinne as he made his other creatures as the sheep the Horse the Lamb the Birds and such like all which he saw in their kinds to be exceeding good but also above all his other creatures hee made us in Adam perfectly holy and righteous in his own Image and saith by his Law revealing his constant will and nature herein Cursed is every one that continueth not in that righteousnesse in all things So his Justice is not Iustice is not satisfied till man â—eturn to his â—â—â—â—ity fully satisfied untill he behold us not only clean from all sinne but also perfectly holy and righteous in his sight and therefore the Apostle testifieth that as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man must many bee made righteous Rom. 5. 19. Rom. 5. 19. Thirdly it is necessary for the glory of Christ who that he by himselfe may perfectly heale us of the evill and losse brought upon us by Adam it is requisite that hee doe not only free us from all sinne but also that hee make us perfectly holy and righteous in his fathers sight Whereupon ariseth Pauls comparison in the fifth to the Romans between Adam and Christ That as Adam brought upon all his sinne and thereby death So doth Christ to heale perfectly this sore bring upon all his righteousnesse and thereby life Whereby the Apostle testifies That the Gentiles that followed not righteousnesse have attained unto righteousness Rom. 9. 30. Rom. 9. 30. Fourthly it is necessarie that not only our sinne be abolished but also that we be made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God for our behoofe and urgent necessity because as by suffering our punishment and making us by his blood clean from all sin he hath thereby taken away the punishment and all the evils both temporall and eternall that were due to our sins So that we may bee made worthy and meet Righteousness the cause of all good things for eternall life and capable of all the blessings of the Gospel both temporall and eternall it is necessarie that he make us perfectly holy and righteous in his Fathers sight the necessity whereof is plainly expressed by the Apostle Rom. 5. 21. where he saith That Grace doth reign by righteousnes unto eternall life Rom. 5. 21. through Iesus Christ our Lord As if hee should say Grace indeed now reignes to procure all blessings and benefits both temporall and eternall upon us But how By righteousnesse But where shall we have it freely by Jesus Christ our Lord that is that the Grace of God may bee of force to procure unto us all blessings Christ must of necessity first make us with his righteousnesse perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely all which necessities the Doctrine of our Church delivered by the first Restorers of the Gospel in this Land doth seeme to shut up in this one short sentence That it had not been enough to be delivered by his death from sin except by his resurrection Hoâ—â—â—â— of the 〈◊〉 wee had been endued with a perfect and everlasting righteousnesse Now then let us proceed to describe what this second part of Free Justification is which is as followeth The second part of Free Justification is a wonderfull The dâ—fiâ—ition of the second part oâ— fâ—ee justification mysticall work and benefit of the Gospel by which we being by the power of Gods imputation cloathed with the wedding-garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse are so endued or rather thought not inherently and actively yet Evangelically and passively so mystically formed with Christs own perfect righteousnesse that we have not only all our sinnes together with the imperfections of our sanctification ever whilst we are in this life dwelling in us incomprehensibly swallowed up and utterly abolished as is before shewed in the first part but also we are without the help of any good works to make us righteous made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely Shining now in this life with Christs good works more glorious in perfect holinesse and righteousnesse inwardly in the sight of God than the â—unne shines gloriously in our eyes when he shineth in his brightest hue by which only we are made worthy of and do take possession of all the rest of the benefits and unsearchable treasures of the Gospel as these Scriptures and the rest following doe abundantly prove Seventy weeks viz. of yeeres are determined upon the holy City that is the Church what to doe not only to finish trangressions and so to reconcile iniquities and to seale up and make an end of all sin but also to bring in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9. 24. whereupon Daniel 9. 24. the learned Interpreters say thus Here are two benefits rehearsed which should come by the Messiah The first is the taking away of sinne The other is the bringing in and giving of a perfect and everlasting Righteousness For saith another sinne is finished or come to an end iniquitie is clean put out and there is preached to the whole world an everlasting righteousness They which doe beleeve in Christ by faith in him are purified and have gotten and attained an everlasting righteousness But for the better understanding of this description of this second part of Justification let us briefly open those foure points that are used to explaine and fully to cleer a matter as first the efficient The foure causes of this second part of Justification cause of our Justification secondly the formall cause thirdly the materiall cause and fourthly the finall cause all in this head point of salvation very necessary the marking First the efficient cause of our Justification is twofold The first primary efficient cause who is it that undertaketh to justifie and make us so perfectly holy and righteous is God himselfe the Father the Sonne The efficient cause and the holy Ghost these are the first efficient cause of our Justification which evidently sheweth the full ablenesse of these workmen and how easily this work may be brought to passe and wrought upon us and how dangerous a matter it is to extenuate diminish or any way to disparage this excellent work the description of whose working is under a similitude notably expressed by the Prophet Ezekiel saying In the day that thou wast born when I passed by thee I saw thee cast out and polluted in thine own blood and I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood thou shalt live yea even when thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee thou shalt live Then washed I thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy blood For I even I
from the former yet he placeth our true Justification and the making of us righteous to God-ward in the former thus saith Zanchie But in another place he shewes that this righteousnesse of Christ is the only formall cause of our Justification and salvation yet more plainly namely upon those words of the Apostle That Christ died in the body of his flesh to make us holy and unblameable and without fault in Gods sight Colos 1. 22. he saith thus Zanchie on Colos 1. 22. Here we have the formall cause of our salvation which is holinesse of life and true righteousness by which it is brought to pass that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without fault and unblameable in the sight of God But this saith he cannot be the righteousness of our works and holiness of life begun in us because that is unperfect as David himselfe said Enter not into judgement with thy servant for no flesh is righteous in thy sight only the righteousnesse and holinesse of Christ is perfect in the sight of God and this being imputed unto us is the â—ormall cause of our salvation Thus it being sufficiently shewed what the formall cause of our Justification making us thus perfectly righteous in the sight of God is now let us mark a little the excellency of it both in the nature and in the operation of it First concerning the nature of it although 2 The excellency of the formall cause is both in the nature and operation that doth shew the excellency of it which is said before namely that it is an obedience and a fulfilling of the Law in all points absolute yea and a perfect everlasting righteousnesse yet the thing that shewes it to be exceeding excellent is because it is a righteousnesse that passeth the righteousnesse not only of men but also as Calvin truly saith even of Angels because it is the righteousnesse of that person that is not only man but also God for which cause it is called often in the new Testament the righteousness of God and amongst other places most emphatically Rom. 3. 21 22. where S. Paul beginning to Rom. 3. 21 22. write of it saith thus But now is the righteousness of God made manifest without the law having witness of the law and of the Prophets to wit the righteousness of God by the faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that doe beleeve Why it is called the righteousnesse of God Where it is twice together called the righteousnesse of God not only because God is the free giver of it and because God himselfe approves of it as the only 1 Because of the person both God and man righteousnesse pleasing God but also because it is the righteousness of that person that is very God and therefore of wonderfull operation and efficacie as it is plainely testified by the learned Dispensers of Gods mysteries saying thus This righteousness is called the righteousnesse of God not only because it is the free gift of God and because God by giving the same shewes himselfe to be righteous that is faithfull and true and because it is opposed to the righteousnesse of man but also because it is the righteousnesse of that person that is both God and man And therefore a farre more excellent righteousnesse many wayes than that which Adam had in the state of innocency for that was the righteousnesse of a meere man this is the righteousnesse of him that is both God and man Then for the effects The righteousnesse of Secondly the effects of Christâ— righteousnesse Christ is meritorious of eternall life it overcame death subdues the Devill none of which Adams righteousnesse could doe And again Christs righteousnesse is eternal and immutable but Adams righteousnesse was Thirdly immutable but temporarie and mutable Fourthly wee are in Christs righteousnesse Restored to a more excellent Fourthly restoring to an everlasting estate state than wee lost in Adam which was but terrene and mutable but by this Justice and perfect righteousnesse we receive an heavenly everlasting and immutable kingdome Hence it is that S. Paul prized this righteousnesse so highly saying touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law I was unrebukeable But I count all things losse and doe judge them but dung that I may be found not having mine own righteousnesse which is after the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousness which is of God through faith Philip. 3. 8 9. therefore I conclude the excellency of this point with that excellent note of learned Beza that these things being diligently considered doe manifestly declare what is meant by that word the Righteousnesse of God Namely that perfection and high integritie with which whosoever is endued he is presented before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Paul saith Coloss 1. 22. that is so holy that hee is Coloss 1. 22. unblameable and one that cannot be reproved of any fault The third point to be marked in our perfect Justification The third cause is the subject matter and is twofold is the Subject of this righteousnesse or the Matter formed with this righteousnesse and it is to be observed that this subject or matter formed with this righteousnesse is twofold either the subject or matter inherently legally and actively formed with this righteousnesse or the subject and matter Evangelically and freely formed and made righteous with this righteousnesse First the subject or matter inherently legally and actively formed with this form of perfect righteousness is the manhood of Christ â—esus because it is Christ only who comming not to destroy but to fulfill the Law Mat. 5. 18. was to this end conceived of the Mat. 5 18. holy Ghost and being formed perfectly righteous in his mothers wombe was thus borne inherently and perfectly righteous and in the residue of his whole life afterwards fulfilled the whole Law actually workingly and perfectly for which cause the Apostle saith that he was made under the Law Gal. 4. 8. because hee Gal. 4. 8. actually fulfilled both actively and passively the whole Law for which cause also he is inherently and actively called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That holy and just one Acts 3. 14. and Acts. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 19. the Lamb without spot or blemish 1 Pet. 1. 19. But secondly concerning the subject or matter Evangelically and freely made righteous Two thing doe here offer themselves to bee marked of us first who they bee that are thus Evangelically and freely made Two things to be marked all light and perfectly righteous and secondly the manner how they are thus Evangelically and freely formed and made all light and perfectly righteous in the sight of God Concerning the first we are to observe that none 1 The Elect called are made thus righteous are made thus perfectly holy and righteous but such of the Elect as are effectually called because although all the
Now are yee clean through the word that I'have spoken unto you Ioh. 15. 3. And again Hee Ioh. 15. 3. that is washed saith Christ to Peter needeth not save to wash his feet that is but to declare by the holy walking of sanctification that hee is washed why Because He is clean every whit that is not imaginarily but truly perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely and because some unbeleever or some weak Christian may say yea I shall be so clean and truly righteous in the next life nay sayth Christ I doe not say you shall be so cleane but you are cleane but not all speaking of Iudas that should betray him plainly teaching that all they that are not in Iudas his case that is which although they deny for a while in weaknesse as Peter did yet doe not obstinately and finally deny that Christ doth truly wash them now in this life from all their sinnes are now in this life clean every whit that is not imâ—ginarily but truly perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely and they shall at length come to confesse the same and glorifie Christ for it as Peter did although it seemed so strange unto him at the first that Christ was faine to tell him that if hee did not so truly and throughly wash him that hee were thereby clean every whit hee had no part in him but was in Iudas his condition Wherein we see how necessary it is above all things and that this indeed is that one thing that is only necessary that we labour to come to assurance of faith that wee are by the power of Gods imputation so cloathed both within and without with Christs perfect righteousnesse that it being thus even mystically in us it so makes us not imaginarily and slightly but truly and perfectly clean every whit in the sight of God and to conclude and shut up this point that this word of righteousnesse is neere us that it is not only in our mouth but also though mystically yet truly in our hearts making us truly and perfectly righteous in the sight of God whereby there is no A second Scripture proving Christs righteâ—usnesse to be in us is Rom. 8. 4. judgement or condemnation belonging unto us is utterly undeniable by one place of Scripture that I will alledge more and that is Rom. 8. 4. For many granting that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus yet they doe not sufficiently marke the cause why expressed in the fourth verse that is the ground and full assurance stablishing the conscience why there is no condemnation or Judgement to them that are in Christ Iesus namely because the righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 4. For saith S. Paul that which was impossible Rom. 8. 4. to the Law namely to make us inherently perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God by our doing and fulfilling it by reason it was weak through the infirmity of our flesh God sending his own Son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh viz. that he might shew what the power and Almightinesse of his God-head was able to doe above the Law for sin so arraigned condemned and executed sinne in his own flesh that hee might mystically and utterly abolish the same from before his Father but why or to what end or intent did he so namely that by the power of his imputation of the same unto us the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us what inherently and actively for us to fulfill it as the Papists pervert this place no but that impleretur it might bee marke Be passively and objectively fulfilled in us bringing forth this effect in us not to walk after the flesh but after the Spirit And therefore whereas Durandus the Papist would prove by that place That Christ had by his death brought this to passe that wee may inherently and actively fulfill the Law because Paul saith The law must bee fulfilled in us true saith hee very actutely it is fulfilled in nobis but not à nobis that is whereas God is true and unchangeable in that definitive sentence Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things to doe them and Heaven and Earth may passe away but one jot or tittle of this sentence cannot passe away untill it is fulfilled Therefore God passing in truth justice and constancie a thousand thousand times that heathen King that having made a just Law that whosoever committed adulterie with another mans wife should loose both his eyes that had carried him into that pestiferous inconvenience to the Common-Wealth and therefore his own and only Sonne being taken committing that fact that he might be found true just and unchangable in his Law did that his Son might not be made utterly unserviceably for the Common-Wealth first put out one of his own eyes that had brought forth so incontinent a Son and secondly put out one of the eyes of his Son that so the rigor of his Law might be satisfied and he be found true just constant and unchangeable in his Law God I say passing this King in these virtues if I may so speak as far as the substance passeth the shadow that he might bee found correspondent to his excellent nature true just and unchangable in his Law and definitive sentence belonging to the same saying Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things to doe them First that we may not be quite marred and utterly lost by the rigor of his Law God sends his own Son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh inherently and actively to doe and fulfill all things that were written in the book of the Law in our flesh and for sinne so arraigned condemned and executed sin in flesh that he uttetly abolished the same from before God by his death And Secondly by the power of his imputation doth so truly cloath us both within and without with this his Sons doing and fulfilling of the Law perfectly that we also How we continue in all things perfect in Gods sight continue in all things to doe them in the sight of God not inherently and actively by our own doing but because his Sonnes perfect doing all things is objectively and passively so truly in us that we are made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God with that doing freely and so the rigor of his Law is satisfied and fulfilled truly in us and God continueth correspondent to his most excellent nature true just constant and unchangable in his Law because wee continue in all things to doe them in his sight in nobis in our selves and yet doing nothing herein as the learned Whittaker said à nobis actively of our selves Luther of the argument of the Epistle to the Galath wherein we may see how truly and Evangelically Luther in shewing the argument of the Epistle to the Galathians testifieth this
chapter but only of free Justification saith thus For as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many what be counted righteous no but made righteous The Antithesis or rather likenesse in contraries is very plain that as the first Adam infecteth all that come of him with such originall corruption that every little Infant before it hath done or thought any evill is not barely counted a sinner but by his first birth is truly made a true and reall sinner so the second Adam so truly endues with his own righteousnesse all that come of him that every little Infant before it hath done or thought any evill being justified is not barely counted but truly made righteous herein only lying the difference That the little Infants is by the first Adam made so inherently sinfull with originall sin that it cannot but actually practise the same afterwards in life and conversation but by the second Adam it is mystically above sense and feeling that it may bee by the faith of Gods power made so truly and really righteous to God-ward that it cannot but in time by discerning Christs love inherently and actively declare the same afterwards to men-ward by sanctification Hence is that saying of Chrisostome before cited That as Adam unto all that came of him although they had not eaten of the Tree became the Author of sinne and death So Christ unto all that are of him although they have not yet lived righteously became a maker of them righteous even with that righteousnesse which by his crosse he freely gives unto us all Herewith accordeth the Doctrine of our Church taught by the first Restorers of the Gospel amongst us saying more plainly thus That wee by the virtue of Christs blood shed upon the Crosse are cleane purged from our sinnes and made righteous againe in the sight of God What doe the Doctrine of our Church and first Restorers of the Gospel say that we are barely counted righteous no but that we are made righteous againe alluding without doubt by the word againe unto the state of Adam in Paradise that as truly as the first Adam made us sinners when before his fall we had no sinne in sight of God So the second Adam Christ hath not come any whit short of his work also and done lesse upon us but hath made us though mystically yet truly perfectly holy and righteous again from all spot of sinne in the sight God freely this also do other faithfull Expositors that were the first Restorers of the Gospel testifie plainly unto us adding also reasons why it must needs bee so that Christ by conveying his righteousnesse into us doth indeed and truth make us righteous in the sight of God saying thus For seeing before the Tribunall Seat of God it is esteemed no righteousnesse except it bee the perfect and absolute obedience of the Law as Christ alone is thus righteous so by conveying his righteousnesse into us and upon us nos justos reddit that is he makes us righteous Let us here marke three reasons plainly expressed why wee must of necessity bee not barely counted Three Reasons why wee are made righteous but indeed and truth made righteous in the sight of God First because before the Tribunall Seat of God that is in the truth of his Justice which alwayes reigns as it were in his breast it is esteemed of him no righteousnesse except it bee the perfect and absolute righteousnesse of the Law therefore no bare counting righteous will serve the turne Secondly because God doth by the power of his imputation convey this perfect and absolute righteousnesse of Christ into us for so these learned Expositors testifie that the manner of this work is suam justitiam in nos transferendo that is by conveying his righteousnesse into us and upon us this is that mysticall cloathing before spoken of Thirdly because nos justos reddit that is as they may be truly understood either God by his powerfull imputation conveying his righteousnesse into us doth make us righteous or else more immediately that the righteousnesse of Christ so mystically conveyed into us doth make us righteous whereupon these said learned faithfull Expositors doe plainly conclude upon the foresaid first alledged proofe of Scripture thus Quotquot ergò ex Deo nati c. As many therefore as are born of God and therefore ordained to eternall life justi constituuntur are made righteous non modò propter sed per unius obedientiam that is not only for but also By the righteousnesse of one man Christ That is not only for the righteousness inherently and actively in Christ but also by that righteousnesse objectively and passively conveyed into us and so though myâ—â—ically yet truly making us perfectly righteous in the sight of God THe second proofe of Scripture proving that wee Scrip. 2. Ephes 5. 25 26 2. are not barely counted but truly made righteous in the sight of God is Ephes 5. 25 26 27. where the Proâ—ing we aâ—e not only counted buâ— are iâ—deed righteous in Gods sight Apostle saith that Christ gave himselfe for his Church what to doe to sanctifie it and hath made it cleane by the washing of water through the word but for what purpose and intent hath he made it clean by shedding his blood for it Namely that he might make it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing Marke how he saith not That he might count it a glorious Church but make it to himselfe a glorious Church And whereas some have objected that the word Object might importeth that this place is to be understood of our making righteous by our sanctification by which we shall be made so righteous that we shall have no spot or wrinkle in the life to come I answer that Answ although our sanctification bee now unseperable from our Justification and yet will not be perfect untill the life to come and then it shall be so perfect that wee shall not have one spot or wrinkle of sin to our selves and own sight sense and feeling yet notwithstanding all Interpreters that I have read doe understand the place to be meant of Justification also by which it is verified upon us that we have not even in this life one spot or wrinkle of sinne in the sight of God freely and Six reasons proving the true meaning of that place of Scripture I think that this place is properly and chiefly to be understood of Free Iustification for six reasons apparent in the Text. First for the scope of the place which is to exhort Christian Husbands to deale with their Wives as Christ hath already dealt with them as by a pattern perfectly done upon them Secondly our sanctification is wrought by us and by the spirit of God enabling us thereunto but this example is appropriated to Christ a lone in giving himselfe to shed his blood to effect it which
ever all them that are sanctified This is the onely Purgatory say these Our onely Purgatory is Christs blood first Restorers of the Gospel amongst us Where in all Christian men must put their whole trust and confidence Now that Gods imputation and spirituall cloathing with his Sonnes righteousnesse doth so really make us righteous that after the manner of the forme dat nomen esse that is it gives us both the name and being righteous although it be cleare and manifest by this former point because whatsoever is made so or so we see by dayly experience that they bee and are so called accordingly yet because it makes to the confirmation of the former point as evident effects of the truth of the former let me briefly touch this also And first that this spirituall cloathing with Christs righteousnesse doth so really make us righteous that only that gives us the name of truly just and righteous persons in the sight of God is manifest by that often repeated axiome of the Apostle The Iust by faith shall live For although some doe darken the sense both of the Prophet and of the Apostle by saying The Iust shall live by faith by joyning the word Faith to the Verb or Predicate shall live yet the true sense and meaning of the Apostle as it is in the Hebrew and Greek is that by faith should bee joyned with the subject Iust as if the Apostle had said they that are by faith made just shall live for the Apostle shewing that the righteousnesse that saves us is offered onely in the Gospel and is revealed to every one from faith to faith that is the more faith hee hath and the more it doth encrease the more hee sees and embraceth this righteousnesse that truly makes him just and righteous in the sight of God he confirmes the same by the Prophet Habakuk saying The just by faith shall live wherein he teacheth two things evidently First that it is faith only embracing and applying the righteousnesse revealed in the Gospel that makes a man just and righteous in the sight of God And Secondly that this righteousnesse not only names him just and righteous but makes him to live also a Christian godly life in this world and then to eternall glory in the world to come so that the Apostle likens this righteousnesse of the Gospel to the soule as if a Christian had two soules in him first as he is a man and secondly as he is a Christian his soule as he is a man is his naturall soule by which he lives truly only to this world but his soule as he is a Christian Christs righteousnesse is to a Christian as the soule is to the body is Christs righteousnesse that also sanctifies him and so is like the life that the soule works in the body and makes him live a godly Christian life in this world and also makes him to live unto eternall glory in the life to come And as the Physitians say that the vital spirits are they that knit and combinde the soule and body together so faith is like those vitall spirits that combinde the righteousnesse of Christ and the Christian together Whereby as the soule gives unto a man both the name and essentiall being of a man so doth the righteousnesse of Christ apprenhended by faith give unto a man both the name and essentiall being of a Christian and makes him to live the life of a Christian in this world and to live unto eternall glory in the life to come and as by reason of the Divine understanding soule made to the Image of God God is said to be neere and to dwell in us whereby as S. Paul saith Acts 17. 28. In him we live Acts 17. 28. and move and have our being and are of his generation so by reason of Christs righteousnesse apprehended by faith Christ himselfe dwelleth in us saith the Apostle by this faith Eph. 3. 17. Whereby in Christ Eph. 3. 1â— wee live and move and have our being and are of his generation or off-spring that is to say Christians All which S. Paul doth testifie Gal. 2. 20. by his own Gal. 2. 20. example in the plainest words that can be saying I live not now but Christ lives in mee and in that I now live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for mee namely to justifie me by his blood and make mee perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely The truth whereof Luther cleerly seeing with the spirituall eye of faith doth with as excellent a spirit testifie the same against the whole world of Papists saying This is the true meane to become a Christian even to bee justified by faith in Iesus Christ and why Because it is most true that Master Downham testifieth of Justification Downham of Iustification saying The beleever is cloathed with the most glorious robe of Christ Iesusâ— his righteousnesse and so appearing before God both clean from all sinne and endued with a perfect righteousnesse he is justified reconciled and eternally saved Now what can bee required more to make a true Christian I grant that where this is there will follow unfallibly a renewed sanctified life with zeale of Holy life maketh not but only declareth a Christian Gods glory but this makes not a Christian but consequently declares and outwardly shewes that he is already before thus freely made a Christian because he being thus clean from all sinne in the sight of God as is here described hath not only the name and imaginary counting but also the essentiall being of a person perfectly just and righteous in the sight of God freely hence it is that the children of God are called by no other name in all the Psalmes and whole word of God more commonly than by the name of the righteous Iust and Saints because they Beleevers are Saints two wayes are so two manner of wayes First they are righteous Just and Saints to God-ward by Justification And Secondly They are righteous Just and Saints to man-ward by Sanctification the first way to God-ward is perfect because otherwise it is no righteousnesse to God-ward which cannot love any thing but that which is perfect but the second way to manward is unperfect which yet being done in sincerity is sufficient for man that is unperfect and therefore because this later way is so exceeding imperfect both in respect of the perfection of the justice and righteousnesse revealed in the Law as also in respect of the perfection of Gods righteous nature described in the Law that loves nothing but that which is perfect in his sight therefore all those large promises made in the Psalms and Old Testament unto the righteous cannot be understood as the Papists conceive of the Saints inherent righteousnesse because David that had so great a measure of inherent righteousnesse cryed out that by this inherent righteousness shall none be found
is not of lesse force and efficacie to make him righteous than was the disobedience of Adam to make him unrighteous this man hath the true faith and him doth God acknowledge count and pronounce righteous and so doth quit him from all faults that can be objected against him and thereby free him from all the guilt and punishment due to his sinnes By all which it is cleerer than the noone day That before a man can be free from all guilt and punishment of sinne and from the power of the same he must not only bee barely counted but must first be though objectively and passively yet truly and in very deed made perfectly holy and righteous spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And therefore that the true Beleever is not only truly and indeed made righteous but also perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely remaines to bee proved by the expresse Word of God and unanimous consent of all the best and faithfull Dispensors of Gods Gospel in the next Chapter CHAP. XI That the true Beleever is not only made righteous but also compleatly fully sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely NOw that the excellency of Free Justification is such and so great that it doth not onely make the justified person meerely righteous but also compleatly fully sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely although it might be proved by many proofes of Scriptures yet I will insist with the consent and Foure placeâ— of Scripture proving that the juâ—â—fied are compleatly and 〈◊〉 righteous reasons of the learned but onely in soure and that with as great brevity as weighty a matter can possibly require THe first is Ephes 5. 25 26 27. where the Apostle 1. Ephes 5 25 26 27. appropriating the worke there spoken of only to Christ and his blood and therefore belongs properly as I shewed before to Free Justification saith thus Christ gave himselfe for his Church for what cause to sanctifie it and hath made it clean by the washing of water through the word But to what end or purpose hath he so done To make it to himselfe a glorious Church How glorious Not only not having now at this present time one spot or wrinkle of sinne or any such thing as is before shewed in the first part to Free Justification which is wonderfull but also holy yea unblameably holy Can possibly the wit and understanding of man wish and desire a more perfect holinesse than to be so unblameably holy in the sight of God who is of so pure and perfect eyes Whereupon the testimony of Polanus in his partitions treating of Free Justification is worthy the marking saying after this manner We must be perfect in Gods sight and that in all the degrees of true and entire righteousnesse Ephes 5. 27. but so Ephes 5. 27. perfect we cannot be but Christ Colos 2. 10. whose true and entire righteousnesse in every respect is imputed unto us which thing Vrsinus also agreeing with others propoundeth in the place alledged for thus he writeth The Repentant persons are perfect mark are perfect in the sight of God not onely in the parts of true pietie all which are begun in them by sanctification but also in the degrees of true and entire righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto them as it is said Col. 2. 10. Coloss 2. 10. In him wee are marke wee are compleat and perfect Where we see that the righteousnesse of Christ being the forme that makes us righteous in the sight of God is not onely absolute and perfect in it selfe but also formes and makes us perfectly righteous in the sight of God And this is yet more fully expressed by Hemingius upon 1 Iohn 1. 7. saying Non satis est c. Heming upon 1 lohn 1. 7. It is not enough to have our sins forgiven and cleansed away unlesse also righteousnesse be bestowed upon us therefore the obedience of the Law is required in Christ that it may be imputed unto us whereby we appeare plenè justi fully just and righteous in the sight of God Where let us mark that he saith not that Christ may appeare fully righteous in the sight of God for us but that we may appeare fully and perfectly just and righteous in the sight of God freely The same is confirmed by other faithfull Expositors and Dispencers Marlor P. Mart. in 1 Cor. 1. 8. of Gods mysteries upon 1 Cor. 1. 8. saying Vnto Beleevers without all controversie is imputed the righteousnesse of Christ by which it is brought to pass that we appeare prorsus sancti irreprehensibiles in conspectu Dei altogether holy and unblameable in the sight of God Can any man wish any more than to be altogether holy and unblameable in the sight of God The cause whereof to be onely Free Iustification is plainly expressed by Master Downham in his Treatise upon Justification saying The Beleever is cloathed with the most glorious robe of Christ Iesus his righteousnesse and so appearing before God both clean from all sin and endued with a perfect righteousnesse he is justified reconciled and eternally saved And this making of us perfectly righteous in the sight of God is Gods forgivenesse and pardon which is not like mans forgivenesse but is great and glorious like God the forgiver which few understand and by not understanding the same doe run into divers absurdities and yet is plainly taught and testified by Acts 13. 38. 39. Saint Paul Acts 13. 38 39. where when he had said Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sins that we might understand that Gods forgivenesse is not a weak and slender thing like mans forgivenesse that doth not make the thing forgiven any whit the better but that Gods forgivenesse is a strong mighty and powerfull thing that makes the creature forgiven perfectly holy and righteous in his sight he presently addeth in the next verse by way of exposition what he meaneth by Gods forgivenesse saying Even from all things from which ye could not be iustified that is made perfectly righteous by the Law of Moses By him every one that beleeveth is justified that is made perfectly righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely And this Calvin also plainely witnesseth saying upon the same Calvin upon Acts 13. 38 9. place of Acts 13. after this maner You see that after mention of sorgivenesse of sins Iustification is added in place of an exposition And this the Apostle seemes to presse Rom. 3. as a peculiar priviledge of the New Testament to be revealed under the time of the Gospel Where speaking ver 25. of remission of sinnes that are past through the forbearance of God he sheweth that now under the time of the Gospel that forgivenesse is revealed to be the righteousnesse of God made manifest without the Law even the righteousnesse
all purity and perfection it Babington in Exod. selfe but also the Arke which the mercy-seat covered being a Figure of the Church although it was made The Arke a lively type of our glorious state of fine Shittim-wood signifying our sanctification yet besides this it was covered all over both within and without with the same beaten gold that the mercy-seat was made of Whereby it appeared in view both within and without as glorious as the mercy-seat it selfe So are we cloathed both within without with Christs perfect righteousness whereby our sins being abolished out of Gods sight we are made both within without even wholy exceeding glorious in the sight of God And therefore it is truly testified by Master Smith writing upon Psal 51. verse 7. Upon those Master Smith upon Psa 51. 7. words Wash thou me and I shall be whiter than snow That when a man is washed from his sinnes by faith in Christs blood then he is made of a most vile and loathsome sinner and filthy unclean limb of the Devil a blessed member of Iesus Christ beautifull and glorious in the eyes of God being covered in Christs righteousnesse Whereof hee makes this worthy use saying That this should therefore be a surpassing comfort to Gods children That although they seeme vile base and miserable in the blind eyes of sinfull men who thereupon despise scoffe and contemn them yet to remember that because they are washed in the blood of Christ and cloathed with the most pure robe of Christs righteousnesse they are even in this life in so blessed and so excellent state and condition that they are most faire most lovely beautifull and glorious in the eyes of God our heavenly Father So that in truth the Sun doth not shine more gloriously in our eyes than the Church and true children of God in this righteousnesse of Christ shines gloriously in the sight of God as is cleerly illustrated by Revel 12. 1. Shewing the glorious condition of the Church that lively Icon expressed Revel 12. 1. Which every child of God should have as a bright looking glasse before their eyes to see therein how gloriously the Bridegroom Christ Jesus hath decked their soules with the wedding-garment of his own righteousnesse as with the Vesture of the gold of Ophir and although they cannot look much in other looking-glasses without A true and godly looking-glasse to be often used of Christians danger of pride and vanity yet this will humble them and therefore they should never leave looking in this glasse untill they begin to rejoyce for this glorious state with joy unspeakable and glorious â— Pet. 1. 8. And 1 Pet. 1. 8. this it is And there appeared a great wonder in heaven a Woman cloathed with the Sunne and the Moone was under her feet and upon her head a Crowne of twelve Starres First observe that it is not simply a wonder but a â— great wonder so great that a naturall man cannot conceive the mystery of it but this glory from heaven is ready to strik him more blinde as it did Paul himselfe at the first Act. 26. 13. 8. 9. of which he also Acts 26. 13. and 8. 9. when the skales were fallen from his eyes said Behold yee despisers and wonder and vanish away for I will work a work of free Justification ver 39. in your dayes which yee shall not beleeve though a man would declare it unto you Act. 13. 41. Yet it is such a great wonder that Acts 13. 41. it makes the children of God that by the spirit do discerne the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. 11. 12. to be 1 Cor. 2 10 11 12. â—avished with joy and wonderment Ier. 33. 8. 9. Secondly where is this wonder In heaven that is Ier. 33. 8. 9. 2. in the joyfull time and state of the Gospel fully revealing the treasures and mysteries of Christ called therefore especially for the full revealing of the glory of Free Iustification every where in the new Testament the Kingdome of heaven Mat. 11. 11. 12. Mat. 11. 11 11. 3 Thirdly what appeared A Woman that is generally the true milirant Church but particularly every true beleever because they are married to Christ by true faith as truly as any woman can bee married unto her husband Hos 2. 19. Hos 2. 19. 4 Fourthly what is said of this Woman amicta Sole shee is cloathed with the Sunne namely that shineth in the Firmament that is spiritually cloathed with this perfect righteousnesse of Christ which swalloweth up and utterly abolisheth all the shadowish darknesse of her sins and makes her to shine in perfect holinesse and righteousnesse as gloriously in Gods eyes as the bodily Sun shines gloriously in our eyes when he shineth in his brightest hue Thus hath Christ made her to himself a glorious Church Ep. 5. 27. For which the Gospel Eph. 5. â—7 teaching this is said to exceed in glory 2 Cor. 3. 9. 2 Cor. 3. 9. Fifthly and hath the Moone under her feet by the Moone is meant two things first our own righteousnesse 5 By the Moone is meant first our sanctification under our feet 1 even of sanctification which as it is like the Moone because it is spotted and changeable so we must have it under our feet in two respects as Marks to discern that wee are cloathed with the glorious Sunne of Christs righteousnesse First wee must have it under our feet by making no account of the righteousnesse of our sanctification before God by reason and in comparison of the wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse which is the Sunne that we are so gloriously cloathed withall so that wee must make it no part of our wedding-garment but have it in that respect under our feet that is count it as Esay did as a menstruous cloath Esay 64. 6. and as dung meet to lie under our feet as Paul did saying I count all things losse and doe judge them to bee dung that I may be found in Christ how noâ— having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law which the learned expound to be our righteousnesse of works wrought according to the law not onely before our Justification but also our righteousnesse of sanctification wrought according to the law of God after our Justification But in what then would Paul be found Onely in the righteousnesse which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3. 8 9. Quasi dicat say the learned pro nihilo habeo Phil. 3. 8 9. meam justitiam modo mihi contingat vera justitia that is I count my righteousnesse as nothing so that I may be found in the true righteousnesse because as Chrysostome saith When the Sun shines it is but losse to Chrysost in Phil. 3. 8 9. sit by a candle light Why because saith he Dei est justitia it is Gods righteousnesse it is wholly a gift from
That is This Kingdome verily is the Kingdome of Christ whereby he himselfe by his spirit and beliefe of the Gospel reignes in the minds of his Elect but how justificans eos salvans justifying and saving them which gift of God even Esay testified to be so great Vt universam creaturam ad exulâ—andum gratulandum provocet that he provokes all creatures to rejoyce and exult for joy saying Rejoyce yee heavens for the Lord hath done it shout yee lower parts of the earth Burst forth into praises ye mountaines For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and will be glorified in Israel but how hath he redeemed Iacob and how will he be glorified in Israel namely by putting away our transgressions as Esay 44. 22. 23. clarknesse and our sinne as a mist Esay 44. 22 23. Proinde hoc regnum Christi rectè caelorum regnum vocatur c. Therefore this Kingdome of Christ say the learned Expositors is rightly called the Kingdome of heaven Viget enim in eo coelestis potentia omni terrenae incomparabiliter praestans that is for there reignes in it an heavenly power and passing incomparably all earthly excellencie whereby wee are freed from sinne and death and doe enjoy eternall peace and the abundance of all good things not seeing our King but yet worshipping him reigning in heaven fide animi with the faith of our soule believing his Gospel But what is it to believe his Gospel these learned Dispensers of Gods mysteries answer saying credere Evangelio est gratuitam justitiam amplecti that is to beleeve the Gospel is to embrace the free given righteousnesse making us perfectly and thus gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And this is the Kingdome of God whereof Christ spake when he sent forth his seventie Disciples Luk. 10. saying Goe your wayes and say unto them Luk. 10. The Kingdome of God is come neere unto you But into whatsoever City yee shall enter if they will not receive you Goe your wayes out into the streets of the same and say Even the very dust which cleaveth on us of your City we wipe off against you And it shall be easier for Sodom than for you Notwithstanding know this that the Kingdome of God was come neere unto you verse 9. 10 11. verse 9. 10 11. O good Lord if the sentence was so terrible in the mouth of the seventy Disciples before Christ had dyed to effect this how fearefull must it needs be now after he hath groaned out his blood and life upon the Crosse saying It is finished and how happy and blessed are they that are Members and Citizens of his Kingdome but such Citizens were the Ephesians when the Apostle said thus unto them Now therefore yee are no more Strangers and Forreiners but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes 2. 19. For yee Ephes 2. 19. are not come saith the Author to the Hebrews with the people of the Old Testament unto the Mountain that might not be touched nor unto burning fier nor to blacknesse and darknesse and tempest the sight whereof was so terrible that Moses said I feare and quake But yee are come unto the Mount-Zion and to the Citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels c. The glory whereof made S. Paul to burst forth in such great thanksgiving for the Justified and converted Colossians saying Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet or worthy to bee partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light But how hath hee made us so meet and worthy Quest Answer even in that he hath delivered us from the Answ power of darknesse and out of this present evill world as he saith to the Gal. 1. 4. And hath translated us into the Gal. 1. 4. Kingdome of his deare Son by the forgivenesse of sins Whereby saith Luther we are translated out of sinne into righteousnesse out of Gods wrath into his perfect favour out of death into life For saith he when sinne is taken away in the place of sinne succeedeth righteousnesse in the place of wrath grace and reconciliation in the place of death life and in the place of damnation salvation Is not this a blessed Kingdome and are not they in a truly blessed state and condition that are Citizens in this Kingdome for when a man is translated out of sinne into righteousnesse who sees not All blessedness accompaineth the righteousness of Christ that all blessednesse must needs follow thereupon especially being so perfect a righteousnesse making us so perfectly holy and gloriously righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Hence it is that Christ is called Melchisedec That is the King of righteousnesse and peace and why but because he makes all his Subjects above their sense and feeling that it may be by faith of his power perfectly holy and gloriously righteous in the sight of God freely and so abounding in Peace and Joy for the same Such a new people saith Luther writing against the Jewes upon Daniel 9. 24. and such a new Ierusalem is the holy Christian Luth. on Dan. 9. 24. Church gathered of Iewes and Gentiles Hi certâ— sciunt c. These certainly know that by Jesus Christ peccatum esse plenè abolitum that their sinne is perfectly abolished all prophecie and promise is fulfilled and an everlasting righteousnesse is brought in For he that beleeveth in him all his sinnes are sealed up made an end of and abolished est in aeternum Iustus and hee is made everlastingly righteous and for ever for which wee need not runne to Jerusalem For saith he in another place In this Kingdome of Lâ—thâ— on his Arga. before the Galath heaven we be made righteous by the Christian righteousnesse which nothing pertaineth to the righteousnesse of the Law or active righteousnesse But this righteousnesse is heavenly which wee work not but which by grace is wrought passively in us placing us in the Kingdome of heaven where is no Law no sin no remorse or sting of conscience no death but perfect joy righteousness grace peace life salvation and glory And thus is the Kingdome of heaven Righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. CHAP. XIII The Faith of Iustification strengthened NOw because the two soresaid enimies of Free Justification namely naturall reason and unbeliefe will bee objecting something against this second part of Free Justification to the darkning and if it can to the utter frustrating of the same Let us now add something for the strengthening of Faith against such objections and they are only two that I have at any time heard of the first objection and last refuge of unbeliefe is this Yea I am perfectly righteous and a sinner also in Object Oâ— unbeliefe the sight of God for as God beholdes me in Christ he sees me perfectly
righteous but as he beholds mee in my selfe he beholds mee a sinner at leastwise in the imperfections of my sanctification for as when Christ hung dying upon the Crosse God saw him a sinner by the imputation of our sinnes unto him and yet notwithstanding saw him perfectly righteous also in himselfe so doth he see us perfectly righteous in Christ and sinners also in our selves To which objection I answer First generally that the scope of this Objection is Answ to make the Arke and Dagon stand together which by no meanes will be but more particularly I will first shew the weaknesse and falsitie of the two reasons taking away the Pillars whereon it resteth and then shew the absurdities of the position it selfe And first of the later reason which because it seemes to bee drawn from the Apostle appeares to be the stronger and therefore I will shew the true meaning of the Apostle that we must hold too and then wherein it is stretched upon the tenter-books to conclude that which the Apostle meaneth not For first although it is true That as by the Almighty power of Gods imputation Christ was cloathed and as Luther truly saith inwrapped in our sins as he was inwrapped in our flesh and blood So we by the same Almighty power of Gods imputation are cloathed and inwrapped in Christs own righteousnesse whereupon concurres this following agreement That as Christ by Gods imputation As Christ was truly a sinner and cursed so is a Beleever truly just and blessed in him and by him putation was made not an imaginary sinner but really a true sinner for us and so truly and really suffered the curse of God and true rending and tearing upon the Crosse even unto true and reall death for true sinne that God saw truly upon him so we likewise by Gods imputation of Christs righteousnesse unto us are made not imaginarily as the Papists cavill but really and truly righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely and so truly and really blessed not to an imaginary life for an imaginary putative righteousnesse as the Papists cavill but to a true and reall inheritance of everlasting life for Christs true everlasting righteousnesse that God sees truly upon us and wee made truly perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by the same As this I say is the scope of the Apostle wherein wee agree so in other points stretched further there is great difference and utter dislike especially in three things overthrowing this reason because Three reasons why Christ was both a sinner and righteous at one time otherwise than we are it is streched further than the foresaid scope of the Apostle For First that Christ might be a true and perfect Mediator and Redeemer it was necessarie that our sins being imputed unto Christ and he hereby made a sinner It was necessary I say that God at that very present time should in him see also a everlasting righteousnesse like a sea swallowing up a spoonfull of Inke and utterly abolishing our sinnes layed upon him whereby he might bee able to cleere himselfe from our sinnes and so free both himselfe and us from sinne the curse and death that was upon him for otherwise hee could not bee a perfect Mediator and Redeemer and therefore it was necessary that God should see him at the same time both a sinner and yet endued with a greater and everlasting righteousnesse putting out and abolishing all our sins by Gods powerfull imputation layed upon him but there is no necessity of the like in us but contrariwise we being now by the power of Gods imputation cloathed with the wedding-garment of that perfect and everlasting righteousnesse of Christ and thereby translated out of the kingdome of sinne and darknesse into Christs Kingdome of righteousnesse and light God sees our sinnes abolished by a double meanes first by Christ abolishing them in and from Our sinnes are abolished by two meanes himselfe by his death and resurrection and secondly hee sees them abolished in and from us by that perfect and everlasting righteousnesse of Christ wherewith wee are cloathed and made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely For if God should not see our sins by his Sons righteousnesse utterly abolished out of his sight and so we not made only meerly the righteousnesse of God in his sight then our sins should stand unabolished as check-mate with the righteousnesse of Christ that is invisibly upon us as if some darkness were so grosse and thick that God could not see his Sun beames of force to swallow up and abolish the same so we make by this conceit Christs righteousnesse not able to abolish them utterly out of the sight of God which to say or think were grievously derogatory to Christs perfect and everlasting righteousnesse But because Christs righteousnesse wherewith wee are mystically cloathed is of more force utterly to abolish our sinnes out of Gods sight than the Sun-beames comming with her full force into a dark house is able to abolish darknesse therefore saith Christ to his Spouse complaning of sinne and darknesse to her sense and feeling Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art not both faire and The Bâ—leever cannot bee both faire and foule in Gods sight soule as I was upon the Crosse but thou art all faire my love before me by the power of my righteousness there is not one spot in thee And the Elect vessell put a part to dispence this great mysterie shewes the reason hereof saying we have not one spot or wrinkle or any such thing in the sight of God Ephes 5. 27. why Because Ephes 5. 27. the righteousnesse of the Law is though not inherently and actively as the Papists would have it yet Evangelically and passively fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 4. but for Rom. 8. 4. the righteousnesse of the Law to be fulfilled in us in the sight of God and yet for God to see one spot or wrinkle in us and so wee to be both faire and soule in Gods sight are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flat contraries that overthrow one another and cannot stand together whereby wee may see how true that saying of Luther is who as Master Foxe testifies came forth in Pauls Luther came in Pauls veine of preaching veine of teaching and said By Christ dying upon the Crosse he hath so purged our sinnes out of Gods sight that God doth see nothing else in the whole world Luther in Caâ— chap. 3. vers 13. of true Beleevers but a meere cleansing and righteousnesse A second reason and difference why Christ was both a sinner and righteous in the sight of God otherwise than we are is taken from the end why Christ was made a sinner and righteous for he was made a sinner but for a while untill his sea of righteousnesse had swallowed up and utterly abolished our sinnes out of Gods
Sermons of many of our Protestants but both a-like jusling Christ out of his office because you shall finde that both a-like preach these as if Christ himselfe alone had not made us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely but suppressing this you shall heare abundantly That doing of these we are pleasing to God beautifull approved acceptable just righteous holy beloved the children of God true Christians blessed of God with all manner of blessings heires of salvation and what not And yet you shall heare in some Protestants Sermons that which I feare by these manifold absurdities is farre worse namely that we are by Justification made as perfectly cleane from all sinne and as righteous as Christ himselfe in the sight of God and yet we are sinners also in the sight of God these are like a shrewd Cow that gives a good milch and then kicketh it all downe when she hath done For certainly this is that which Chrysostome Luther Chrysost Luther Erasmus Pellican upon Gal. 2. 17 18 19 20 21. Erasmus Pellican and other Interpreters upon these verses Galat. 2. 17 18 19 20 21. doe say to bee a making our selves transgressors by building up that againe which we grant to be destroyed It is an abrogating Many Preachers destroy what they builâ—ed of the grace of Christ and blasphemy to say when Christ hath made us perfectly and sufficiently righteous from all sinne in the sight of God freely that we are yet found sinners our selves before God and so must needs make up some righteousnesse to heale this sinne by the law and good works wrought by the spirit as the Papists say in the sight of God the words of Chrysostome cited by Calvin are plaine saying thus Si quaerentes c. If we seeking to be made righteous in Christ nondum plenè justi sumus sed adhuc immundi are not yet full and compleatly just and righteous but are yet uncleane neither Christ alone sufficeth to righteousnesse it followeth that Christ is the Minister of that doctrine which leaves men in sinne hoc absurdo proposito blasphemiae insimulat Paulus eos qui partem justitiae attribuunt legi c. this absurdity being proposed Paul accuseth all those of blasphemy which give to the law any piece of making us righteous although it be wrought by the spirit as the Papists say and call it a righteousnesse not of the law but of the Gospel But saith Luther Si hoc verum est c. if this be true that we are justified and made righteous by Christ impossibile est nos esse peccatores it is impossible that we should be sinners But if we being justified are yet found sinners then he that is justified and holy in Christ is not justified or holy but hath need of the righteousnesse and holinesse of the law besides the righteousnesse of Christ to heale him and make him righteous that way that he is yet a sinner in the sight of God and is not healed by Christ Whereupon Luther truely concludeth saying thus It cannot bee therefore but that the Papists and all such as are ignorant of the righteousnesse of Christ aut non rectè tenent or do not rightly understand the same namely how perfectly holy and righteous it makes them from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely it cannot be but they must needs mingle and so confound the Law and the Gospel turne Christ into Moses and Moses into Christ and pervert the whole Gospel of Christ yea and runne into those fifty discommoâ—ities against Christs glory discovered in the Epistle to the Galathians layed open by Luthers exposition upon the same and briefly collected and prefixed in a short Table in the beginning of that Treatise of Luther upon the Galathians translated into English and allowed by publick authority plainly shewing how good life and good works proposterously taught before there is a right faith and joyfull knowledge of free Justification grounded soundly in the heart Doe under the name of the Gospel overthrow the Gospel rob Christ of his glory and procure many other fearefull and dangerous evills to the soules of men and hurt of the whole Church Being exceedingly to bee lamented that so great evills are so dangerously neglected under a pretence and fair visour of a godly life and a carefull endeavour by the spirit of God as the Papists and others boast of serving of God and walking religiously in all Gods Commandements The fourth absurditie is That if we be both righteous and sinners in the sight of God wee are reconciled and not reconciled wee are adopted and not adopted for wherefore are we reconciled and adopted but because we are made righteous in the sight God but therefore it must follow by the nature of Contraries that because we are sinners also in the sight of God we are neither reconciled nor adopted Briefly as we are righteous in the sight of God so we must goe to heaven but as wee are sinners in the sight of God so we must goe to hell But is not this to bee S Iames his double â—â—nded man Saint Iames his double-minded man in the highest degree and in the highest points of salvation that is unstable in all his wayes Neither saith he let that man think that hee shall receive any thing of the Lord Iam. 1. 7 8. For doth not this saith when Christ hath Iames 1. 7. 8. undertaken to wash away our sinnes which is the Devils dung that only defiles a man in the sight of Mark 7. â—5 God Mark 7. and utterly abolish them out of his Fathers sight doth not this faith I say that wee are both righteous and sinners also in the sight of God deny the efficacie of the blood of Christ to have washed away our sinnes and so leaves the abominable and loathsome dung of our sinnes being the image of the Devill still in his fathers sight And if Justification being brought in to this end even to abolish our sinne from before God should yet leave us foule and filthy to his Fathers view doth not this faith not only frustrate Justification of his appointed end but also make it like the garments of Davids Messengers which the Ammonites clipped so short that they were not Iustification made like the garments of Davids Messengers able to hide their shame which is most horrible once to conceive of Christs glory Free Iustification seeing Christ himselfe did command the Laodiceans to get on his white-garment that their filthy nakednesse might not appeare Revel 3. 18. And if it were a terror and a Revel 3. 18. smiting to Davids heart to cut off but a little of the lappet of Sauls garment ought it not to be an exceeding terror to a Christian heart to clip so short the garment of Christ as to think that it doth not utterly abolish and cleane put our of Gods sight all our sinnes leaving none for us to
new life to the eyes of men Yea more although our inherent righteousnesse of sanctification flowing thus from our Justification be imperfect in it selfe and makes all our actions imperfect in righteousnesse yet so mighty is this originall righteousnesse as Luther calls it in respect of the secondarie inherent actuall righteousnesse of our The exceeding efficacy of our originall righteousnesse that is Christs sanctification That as the Sun-beames lying continually in a house that can cast forth continually nothing but shadowish darknesse doth continually swallow up that shadowish darknesse and makes both the house and all things in the house all light so doth the glorious Sun of Righteousnesse Christ Jesus by the power of his imputation so cloath us with his own righteousnesse that continually swallowing up and abolishing the imperfections of our sanctification doth make and continually preserve and present us and all our actions that were darknesse in themselves to be all light in the Ephes 5. 8. Lord Ephes 5. 8. that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne continually in the sight of God freely Which comparison between Adam and Christ although it is proposed as equall to shew the truth reallnesse and verity between them as vers 19. where the Apostle saith that As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners So by the obedience of one are many also made righteous Yet in other places is the working of Christ shewed to be farre more rich plentifull and abundant in making us perfectly righteous than the working of Adam in making us sinners so that the Apostle to expresse the plentifull working of Christ above Adam doth not stick to use the words Abounding in the work of Christ above Adam lesse than foure times in the later part of that fifth chapter saying That although through the offense of one many bee dead Yet much more doth the grace of God and gift by Grace abound unto many yea although the Law entred in upon sinne and made sinne to abound and to be out of measure sinfull yet grace in Iustification abounds much more so that saith hee they which receive the abundance of grace and this gift of righteousnesse doe even reigne in life by this Iustification of life But that saying 2 Cor. 5. 21. is more admirable that He which knew no sin 2 Cor. 5. 21. was made sin for us that we being translated into Christ might be made the very righteousnesse of God The Abstract importing as I said before that we are made so perfectly completely and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely That we are nothing else but meer righteousnesse in the sight of God And hath Christs work passed Adams making of sinners in swallowing up and utterly abolishing all our sinne from before God as if Iosephs barnes had swallowed up the leane kine in Pharaohs vision and made us so richly plentifully and abundantly righteous in the sight of God and shall we be troubled more with the feeling of Adams work upon us than be filled with joy with the exceeding glory of Christs work upon us should we not by such regard of sense and feeling that is of old Adam and weaknesse of faith greatly dishonour the God-head of Christ in the second Adam This comparison between Christ and Adam doth Luther also strongly presse for the strengthning of faith saying thus For as we cannot deny but that wee are all sinners and are constrained to say that through the sinne of Adam we were all lost were made the enimies of God and guilty of eternall death for this doe all terrified hearts feele and confesse and more indeed sometimes than they should doe so can wee not deny but that Christ died for our sinnes that he might make us righteous for he died not to justifie the righteous but the unrighteous and to make them the children of God and Inheritors of all spirituall and heavenly blessings therefore when I feele and confesse my selfe to be a sinner through Adams transgression why should I not say that I am made righteous through the righteousnesse of Christ especially when I heare that hee loved me and gave himselfe for me This did Paul most stedfastly beleeve and therefore he speaketh these words with so great vehemencie and full assurance which He grant unto us in some part at the least which hath loved us and given himselfe for us The third help to strengthen our weak faith to beleeve above our sense and feeling that we are made thus perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely Is for the inconveniences and evills that otherwise will follow this distrust briefly and plainely expressed by Luther saying thus Except thou dost beleeve above thy sense and feeling and confesse that thou art thus righteous in the sight of God thou dost great injury to Christ who hath made thee cleane by the washing of water through the word who also died upon the â—rosse condemned sinne and killed death that through him thou mightest obtaine righteousnesse and everlasting life these things thou canst not deny except thou wilt openly shew thy selfe to be wicked and blasphemous against God and utterly to despise God and all his promises Iesus Christ with all his benefits and so consequently thou canst not deny but that thou art righteous Now concerning the other part of the objection Object namely that we feele so great unworthinesse in our selves that wee dare not assume so great glory to our selves that we are made so perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous in the sight of God as that wee are only and meerly the Righteousnesse of God in his sight To which I answer againe with Luther that there Answ be two great causes beside the malice of the Devill why we doe not beleeve and so receive this precious gift First the inestimable greatnesse of the gift is the cause that we do not beleeve it and because this incomparable treasure is freely offered therefore it is despised And secondly because as Luther truly saith in another place the doctrine of the Gospel speaketh of farre other matters than any Book of policy or Philosophy yea or the very Book of Moses himselfe to wit of the unspeakable and most divine gifts of God which farre passe the capacity and understanding both of men and Angels whereby the inestimable A threefold remedy against feare of applying so great riches greatnesse of Gods bounty in the gift engenders in us an hardnesse to beleeve it But for this there is a threefold Remedy able to strengthen us effectually in faith The first is expressed by Luther saying after this manner We must not weigh so much how great the thing is that is given and how unworthy we are of it for so should the greatnesse of the gift and our unworthinesse terrifie us but we must principally consider first the greatnesse of the giver and secondly that
carnall and sold under sinne then he felt that in him that is in his flesh dwelt no good thing and cried out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Thus did the tenth Commandement kill him being by the right understanding of free Iustification effectually enlightened in the Law Fourthly and lastly this right knowledge of free 4 It opens the closets of heaven Justification opens unto us the very closets of heaven whereby as it were with Stephen the heavens being opened it shewes us all the admirable glory of Christ and all the riches of heaven so that never did Moses being upon the top of Mount Pishgah more brightly see all the beauty and glory of the land of Promise than we being justified by faith doe see all the riches treasures and glory of the Kingdome of Christ whereby with S. Paul wee desire to know nothing else save Iesus Christ and him crucified to purchase unto us such unsearchable riches Ephes 3. 8. Yea we begin Ephes 3. 8. truly to count all things losse for the excellent knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord and to judge them to be dung that we may winne Christ and be found in him not having our owne righteousnesse of holy walking according to the Law but the righteousnesse which is of God through faith in Jesus Christ Phil. 3. 8 9. whereby we behold in this Justification Phil. 3 8 9. as it were in a looking-glasse the glory of God with open face and are changed into the same glory from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. of which excellent 2 Cor. 3. 18. light that thus comes by the right knowledge of free Justification because I have spoken further of it in the first chapter of this Treatise I will end with that pithy testimony of Calvin who upon Galat. 2. 16. Calvin on Gal. 2. 16. most truly saith thus That without the knowledge of this benefit of Iustification we know neither our owne filthinesse nor Gods righteousnesse but if we doe rightly know it with a joyfull understanding of it as it alone makes us as Peter saith a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people unto God so it makes us to shew forth the virtues and praises of him who hath called us out of darknesse into his marvelous or wonderfull light 1 Pet. 2. 9. The second maine point shewing the majesty and 2 The second maine point shewing the majesty of free Iustification utility of the right knowledge of free Justification is That it not only delivers us from the fivefold punishment belonging to the least sin spoken of before in the second chapter which God by his righteous nature and revealed law daily executeth upon one or other in one place or other but also it is the only cause that brings upon us and puts us in possession of all the contrary great and glorious benefits of the Gospel six of the principall and chiefest whereof although notongue of man or Angels is able to lay forth The deep sea of God mercy the unsearchable riches and glory of them yet I will briefly touch them leaving them to the large plummet of thy meditations to sound the bottome of this deep sea which the deeper thou soundest the more thou shalt finde thy selfe swallowed up with the unsearchable riches of these benefits which I will briefly handle in order as in an experimentall feeling and naturall order they depend one upon another and hang together like links in a chaine The first wherof depending upon this head-link Justification and is as I said the only cause thereof is everywhere called in the new Testament Reconciliation or Reconcilement or Attonement with God Rom. 5. 9 10 11. whereby Rom. 5. 9 10 11 notwithstanding our manifold daily infirmities not only all the displeasure and anger of God for our sins is done away and utterly abolished from between God and us according to the prophecy of Esay to be fully exhibited under the time of the Gospel saying Feare Esay 54. 4 5 7 8 9 10. not for thou shalt not be ashamed neither shalt thou bee confounded for thou shalt not be put to shame yea thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widow-hood any more For he that made thee is thine husband whose name is the Lord of hostes and thy Redeemer who shall be called the God of the whole world For a little while I have forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer For this is unto me as the waters of Noah For as I have sworne that the waters of Noah shall no more goe over the earth so have I sworne that I will not be angry with thee nor rebuke thee Not only I say all the displeasure and anger of God for our sins and daily infirmities is thus done away whereby as the Apostle saith Christ by his death upon the Crosse hath slaine anger Ephes 2. 16. Ephes 2. 16. but also we are reconciled to God and restored into his compleat love perfect peace and full favour again and are truly blessed of God whereby we have entrance or accesse unto God with boldnesse and confidence through faith in Christ Ephes 3. 12. This is that which was Ephes 3. 12. testified by the Prophet Hosea to be fully brought to passe under the time of Christ saying I will heale their rebellion I will love them freely or as the originall Hosea 14. 4. word imports abundantly for mine anger is turned away from him This is the joyfull song which the Angels of heaven sung and testified at the birth of Christ saying Glory be to God on high in earth Peace and good will The Angels song towards men that is the whole glory of this reconcilement of God with men must be given to God only whereby perfect peace is made on earth and not only peace but also good will towards men that is full favour and perfect good will is made and stablished for ever between God and men This also is the joyfull Sermon that God the father preached from heaven at the baptizing of his Son saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well-pleased Mat. 3. 17. Math. 3. 17. that is in whom I am become not only a loving Father but also a well-pleased Father so farre from all anger so farre from all displeasure that I abound only 〈◊〉 Luther with perfect peace reconciled good-will and perfect A great difference between the delivery of the Law and the publication of the Gospel from heaven favour constant and enduring for evermore Which voice of God from heaven Luther expounding saith most effectually after this manner This sermon was not like the sermon
yee were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise where we see againe that we are first beleevers of Justification and then after if not tempore in time yet naturâ in nature and order afterwards sealed with the Spirit of Sanctification dwelling in us The Reasons are first because otherwise the holy 1 First Reason Ghost should come to dwell in a foule hog-stie defiled with sin which because hee utterly abhorres therefore first he makes cleane the house and prepares us for himselfe by Justification thus purifying our hearts first to himselfe by applying unto it Christs righteousnesse so preparing and making us fit houses and Temples for himselfe to dwell in and then comes and dwells in us renewing our nature Secondly to our selves and to our sense and feeling by sanctification another Reason is because it is the proper office of the holy Ghost to glorifie Christ but how doth he glorifie Christ By taking his things and shewing them unto us Iohn 16. 14. whereby the Iohn 16. 14. holy Ghost by the preaching of the Gospel shewing to his elect the excellency of Christs righteousnesse and enabling them to receive the same by faith and so to be spiritually and mystically clothed with it to glorifie Christ in this his righteousnesse He enters in it and by it into all the faithfull to dwell in them thus glorifying the righteousnesse of Christ and thereupon it comes to passe that look how freely the righteousnesse of Christ is by the preaching of the Gospel bestowed upon them that feele their misery by sin to justifie and heale them freely so freely also is the holy Ghost bestowed upon them to dwell in them and therefore in the very preaching of free Iustification whilst the Preacher is yet speaking doth God use principally and especially to raine downe the holy Ghost upon the Hearers even whilst they do nothing but sit still and reverently heare Justification freely preached unto them Whereupon Paul convinced the Galathians by saying Received yee the holy Ghost by the law that is by hearing works works preached No how then By hearing of faith that is free Justification preached Gal. 3. 2. An evident example Gal. 3. 2. hereof is extant Acts 10. 44. where we may see that Acts 10. 44. as Peter was preaching Christ and free justification by him even whilst he was yet speaking the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word Another notable example besides many others in that book is Acts 13. Acts 13. where likewise we may see that when Paul had very powerfully preached the Resurrection of Christ and eagerly pressing the maine fruit and benefit that comes thereof namely free justification saying Be it knowne unto you men and brethren that by this man is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sinnes and lest we should conceive Gods forgivenesse to be a slight thing not Gods forgivenesse is a most excellent and glorious forgivenesse making the creature perfectly holy and righteous like mans forgivenesse He presently expounds what hee meanes by Gods forgivenesse and shewes what a glorious thing Gods forgivenesse is above mans saying Even from all things from which you could not be justified that is made perfectly righteous by the law of God by him every one that beleeveth is justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And when there were some Jewes among them that marvelled and wondered and murmured against it that they that had not laboured for it should freely have the same righteousnesse equall with them that had laboured all day long in the heat of the day to get it to whom Paul answereth saying Behold ye despisers and wonder and vanish away for I will work a work in your dayes which yee will not beleeve though a man should declare or demonstrate it unto you And yet some others both Jewes and Gentiles besought Paul that he would preach the same words to them the next Sabbath day which also he did but what was the end and effect of this vehement preaching of free Iustification namely this That the Disciples hearts were filled with joy and with the holy Verse 51. Ghost vers 51. And if any man here object That these are extraordinary examples belonging only to the Primitive Church I grant that it is true concerning the outward visible raining downe of the holy Ghost for the first miraculous stablishing of the Gospel by visible appearances of the same but not for the inward spirituall working of Justification and raining downe of the holy Ghost upon Gods children spiritually and invisibly to dwell in them for this is essentiall and perpetuall to the Gospel as S. Paul testifies 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 9 10. proving thereby 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 9 10. The glory of the Gospel above the Law the glory of the Gospel above the Law saying That although the ministration of death and condemnation that is the giving of the Law was glorious so that the children of Israel could not behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance which glory was to be done away how shall not the Gospel be much more glorious why because the Law did exact at our hands that we should give to God a perfect righteousnesse but the Gospel gives unto us a perfect righteousnesse freely and thereby is the perpetuall administration of the Spirit unto us whereby saith he this ministration of righteousnesse doth exceed in glory So that we see that the preaching of free Justification is the administration or ministeriall giving both of perfect The holy Ghost unseparable from Christs righteousnesse righteousnesse and also of the holy Ghost unseparably ever going with the same for the holy Ghost will not forsake the wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse but to glorifie the same will goe in it and with it whithersoever it goes filling the heart where they two abide with joy and right zealous new obedience Another Reason why the holy Ghost goes so unseparably ever with the righteousnesse of Christ is Because the preaching of free Iustification is after a more peculiar manner called the voice of Christ because it is the only and sole saving voice of Christ Iustification is Christs voice alone but the voice of Christ being rightly and powerfully uttered is not a dead weak thing but is mighty and goes with a lively breath breathing out no lesse than the holy Ghost upon the attentive and reverent Hearers of free Iustification the only soule-saving and sole-saving voice of Christ making them to live a new life according to that saying of Christ verily verily I say unto you the houre shall come and now is that the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it namely as the voice of the Sonne of God shall live Iohn 5. 25. surely they Iohn 5. 25. must needs live when the voyce of Christ thus breathes the holy Ghost into them
Chrysostome saith again Homil. 61. thus Vnum Corpus sumus membra ex carna ejus ossibus ejus non tantùm hoc per charitatem fiamus Chrysost in Hom. 61. verùm reipsa in illam misceamur carnem that is Wee are one body with him and members of his flesh and of his bones and we are made this not only by love but wee are mingled in very deed into his flesh Christ being desirous thus to shew his uttermostlove upon us Againe in the same place hee saith thus Propterea semet ipsum nobis immiscuit suum in nos Corpus contemperavit ut unum quid efficiamur tanquam Corpus capiti coaptatum ardenter enim amantium hoc est That is For this cause he hath mingled his own selfe into us and hath tempered together his own body into us that wee may be made one same thing with him as the body is conjoyned with the head for this is the manner of such as love ardently Also Calvin saith thus Non solùm individuo societatis nexu nobis adhaeret sed mirabili quadam Communione in unum corpus nobiscuÌ„ coalescit indies magis magis donec unum penitus nobiscum fiat That is Christ cleaveth unto us not only by an unseparable knot of fellowship or friendship but by a certaine wonderfull communion he growes every day more more into one body with us untill at length he be made altogether one thing with us Master Deering Master Deering upon Heb. 2. 11. also upon Heb. 2. 11. testifies As by joynts and sinewes our members bee really knit and made one body to the head so really truly and indeed by one Spirit are we knit into Christ and as perfectly and substantially made one with him as our members are one with our head The fifth Similitude expressing this wonderfull union 5 Graines of Coâ—ne one Loafe into Christ is that we are as truly with all the children of God united and made one with Christ as many graines of corne make one Loafe of Bread and many grapes make one Vine And this is plainly taught by the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 17. saying For we that are many are one 1 Cor. 10 17. bread and one body because we are all partakers of one bread and have been all made to drink into one spirit 1 Cor. 12. 13. Upon which place the learned Interpreters 1 Cor. 12. 13. say thus Qui ergo Christi corpus accipiunt non multa sunt corpora sed unum corpus For saith Augustine quemadmodum panis ex multis granis unitur c. As one loafe is united together of many graines so that the graines doe not appeare and yet they are graines but joyned together with an uncertaine discerning so are wee joyned one with another into Christ The sixth and last Similitude of this wonderfull union 6 Bread Wine in the Lords Supper becomes one with the receiver Ioh. 6. 56. in to Christ is That we are as truly really and substantially united and made one with Christ as the bread that we eat and the wine that we drink in the Lords supper is made one with us As Christ himself testifieth Ioh. 6. 56. saying Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Whereupon Zanchius truly inferreth saying thus An non substantialiâ—er realiter unitur cibus potus illi qui edit bibit c. That is is not the meat and drink substantially and really united to him that eateth and drinketh Yes certainly so that of the meat eaten and of him that eateth the meat is mâ—â—â— but one substance neither can the meat and drink bring life except they bee united with him that eateth and drinketh it in one substance And therefore he concludes saying Sicut realiter c. As therefore the bread is truly and really united and made one with us that eat it so also truly and in very deed is the flesh of Christ united and made one with us that spiritually eat the same Thus we see how really unsearchably miraculously and wonderfully we are united and made Iustification is the ground and cause of our union with Christ Phil. 3. 8. one with Christ Now that it is our Free Iustification that works and brings this glorious benefit to passe upon us Is most evident and plaine by S. Paul Phil. 3. 8. where the Apostle saith thus Yea doubtlesse I count all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord c. That I may win Christ and be found in him That is be sound united and ingraffed into him but how or by what meanes is this brought to passe he shewes saying By not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Where we see evidently that the true meanes to bee found united into Christ is to be clothed in this rich robe of Christs righteousnesse Hence is the truth of that usuall speech That in Christ wee are pure and cleane from all our sinnes And this also Beza witnesseth plainly in his notes upon this place saying thus This is to be in Christ to bee found not in a mans own righteousnesse but clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto him The Reason hereof â—â— because Christ will have no Reason â—oul leprous members united and made one with him and therefore hee first washeth us in his blood and makes us cleane from all our sinnes and then knits and unites us as fit members into his own selfe The order also and naturall dependencie of these benefits upon one another confirme the same for we cannot bee knit into Christ before we have the holy Ghost dwelling in us the holy Ghost comes not to dwell in us before we be reconciled to God and we are not reconciled to God before we have all our sinnes abolished out of Gods sight But when all our sins are abolished and wee made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Then the holy Ghost comes and dwells in us and knits us and unites us as fit members into the blessed body of Jesus Christ then we are by the Wedding-garment alone of Christs righteousnesse made above our sense and feeling fit Brides for so glorious a Bridegroome For saith Augustine Such an head must have condignum corpus a body suteable to it selfe such a Bridegroome must have condignam uxorem non habentem rugam aut maculam as we heard before a Bride agreeable to himselfe not having to God-ward one spot or wrinkle or any such thing Ephes 5. 27. For say the learned Interpreters upon Ephes 5. 27. 1 Iohn 3. 5. 1 Ioh. 3. 5. In Christ that is in his body the Church is no sin For say they Non de Christi persona hic agit sed de toto corpoâ—e that is
Colos â— â—2 13. of the Saints in light Coloss 1. 12. 13. 5. The meâ—nâ—s of our glorâ—h atioa Fiftly and lastly this free Justification is the only immediate cause and meanes of our finall glorification and of setting us in the right and assurance of eternall lise Therefore doth the Apostle say Whom God justifieth them he glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. Hence it is also Rom. 8. â—0 Rom 5. 18. that hee doth call it the Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. Because to the Enjoyers of it by faith it doth freely and undoubtedly bring life and eternall salvation which the same Apostle againe testifieth when hee saith Grace doth reign indeed but how By righteousnesse or through righteousnesse unto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 21. As if he should say Rom. 5. 11. Grace indeed doth infallibly bring eternall life and yet by this only meanes that men of necessity bee first justified and freely made perfectly holy compleatly righteous before God or else grace it selfe reigneth not unto eternall life Hereupon S. Chrysostome saith Chrysost in Rom. truly thus For where righteousnesse is there necessarily doth everlasting life goe withall and also infinite other Radix vitae Calv. ex Marlo Sicut â—eccatum non nisi mortâ—m parere potest ita donum illud Dei nâ—fâ—ra scilicet justificatâ—o vitae aeteâ—nae beaâ—iâ—â—dinem nobis a â—sertivel si mavis quemadmodùm mortis causa pcccatum est c. good things even as where there is sinne there is death for righteousnesse is more than life seeing it is the very root of life Herewithall agree the modern Expositors saying thus As sinne cannot but bring forth death so that gift of God namely our Iustification bringeth upon us all blessednesse and eternall life or if you had rather thus As sinne is the cause of death so the righteousnesse which is freely given us by Christ hath restored unto us eternall life Faith therefore of Free Iustification is sure of eternall life and so sure that it glorieth and rejoyceth in eternall life because Free Iustification only doth make us fit or worthy or sufficiently meet Luther in Gal. 1. 6. to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light by which only God hath delivered us out of the power of Id in cap. 1. 17. darkness and hath translated us into the kingdome of his Colos 1. 12. 13. deare Son Colos 1. 12. 13. For thus are we translated out of sinne into righteousness out of Gods wrath into his well-pleased favour out of cursednesse into blessednesse out of death into life for when sinne is taken away in the place thereof commeth righteousnesse in the place of wrath reconciliation and grace and free and well-pleased favour in the place of death life and in the place of damnation salvation CHAP. XVI Of the other foure fruits or effects declaring the Vtility and Majesty of Free Iustification THe third maine point shewing the Majejestie The third effect is Peace and loy in the conscience and Utility of Justification is That whereas the want or the ignorance of it is the losse of all true peace and joy in God so the right knowledge and apprehension thereof is the lively spring of joy and of a good conscience bursting forth into a joyfull confession and glorifying of God both in heart and tongue See this is that sweet Song of Mary Luke 1. 46 47. Where she saith My soule magnifieth the Lord and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour for seeing the imperfections of our Sanctification are in this life so great That all our Righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloath If wee know not assuredly that by this glory of Justification all our sins which simply of themselves as the Image of the Devill God so cloatheth are quite and clean abolished from before him and that wee are perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God wee cannot have but rather doe disanull that Peace and great joy unspeakable and glorious That Justification by such perfect abolishing of all our sinnes from before God and free making as so perfectly rigteous in the sight of God doth hereby bring unto us For which the Gospel is expresly called joyfull newes from heaven without which joy we are not sure that we are delivered out of the kingdome of Satan which is sinne and death but by this joy the faithfull soule the true Bride of Christ may feele it selfe to be entred with Christ into the Eride-Chamber which is the kingdome of heaven For the kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost And whosoever in these things serveth Christ are accepted unto God and are approved of men Rom 14. 17. 18. But if thou ask how Rom. 14 17 thou maist attaine so great righteousnesse as may bring such peace and joy The Apostle answereth That being justified that is freely made perfectly holy and righteous by faith we are so compleatly righteous and become so just and saved That having no need of any works hereunto at all but through faith only obtaining true righteousnesse sufficiently Wee have peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. For seeing only sinnes doe breed displeasure between Rom. 5. 1. Sola pe cata simultâ—tem pariant â—â—st uaâ—ex impiâ—s peâ—ateribus c. Phil. 1 7. Incredibi'e gaudiuâ— Marlo in Rom. 5. 1. God and man after that of ungodlinesse and sinners we are made just and righteous from hence it must needs bee that forthwith true peace doth presently arise and this peace that is to say quietnesse and tranquilliâ—y of minde and securitie of conscience which doth passe all understanding Phil. 4. 7. and doth breed in the hearts of the faithfull incredible and wonderfull joy indeed the Law sinne and failing in works terrifieth the conscience oppresseth it with feares and heavinesse of spirit and plucketh it from the assurance of righteousnesse of life and all goodnesse Luth. Gal. 4. 2 3. therefore let us not suffer the Law in any case to beare rule in our conscience especially seeing it cost Christ so great a price to deliver the conscience from the Schoolmaster-like slavery of the Law let the godly learn therefore that the Law and Christ are Why the Law is not to beare rule in the conscience two contrary things whereof the one cannot abide the other for when Christ is present the Law may in no case rule but must depart out of the conscience Idem in Gal. 5 22. and leave the bed which is so straight that it cannot hold two as Esay saith and give place only to Christ Let him only reign in righteousnesse in peace in joy and life that the conscience may sleep and repose it selse in Christ the Bridegroomes bosome without any feeling of the Law sin and death for the fruits of the The voyce of the Bridegroome spirit are not only love but also joy
neighbour King and countrey and what not for a little thick clay vaine pomp and earthly pelfe and all because he seeth no greater riches proposed unto him nor the farre passing gaine that is in godlinesse that is in Free Justification But when men are brought to see their owne cursed estate and wofull misery that by nature they are plunged into and then have effectually the heigth depth length and breadth of the inestimable riches Ephes 3. 8. and glorious treasures of Ephes 3. 8. free Iustification by Christ opened unto them Then they become like the wise Merchant in the Gospel who having found the treasure hid in the field for joy thereof departeth and selleth all that hee hath of high esteeme and buyeth that field Math. 13. 44. A notable example whereof and cleere paterne for any man that is wise to look into is Paul who when he came in truth to taste of these unsearchable riches of free Iustification then he began to cry out I count all things losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may be found in Christ How by not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is by the faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God through faith Phil. 3. 8 9. The sixth and maine point shewing the majesty Sixth Effect is Sanctifcation and the true Evangelicall Repentance and utility of this benefit of â—ustification is That the true joyfull knowledge of the same is the only powerfull meanes to regenerate quicken and sanctifie us and to make us truly to love feare and truâ—t in God working in us the true Evangelicall repentance in sincerity hating sin because it is sin and in truly loving all holinesse and righteousnesse and thus it is Gods holy fire that enflameth his people with right thankfull zeale of Gods glory in carefull and diligent walking in all Gods Commandements by willing cheerfull and ready practising of all duties of love both towards God and our Neighbours and so making it manifest that Justification and Sanctification are inseparable companions that goe infallibly together A true Beleever is a Saint two wayes making every true Beleever a double Saint or rather a true Saint two manner of wayes as is expressed in the Table following Every true Beleever is a true Saint two manner of wayes not to be separated but thus to be distinguished 1 By Justification which serveth to make him a true Saint only in the eies of God two wayes 1 Because Christs blood washing away and abolishing all his sins he hath this property of a true Saint that he is clean from all his sins in the sight of God 1 Iohn 1. 7. 2 Because being clothed and passively formed with Christs righteousnes he hath the second property of a true Saint that he is perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God Rom. 5. 19. 2 By Sanctification which serveth to make him a true Saint to the eyes of men and that also two wayes 1 By mortifying and crucifying all sin every day more and more as Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs do crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts 2 By walking though not perfectly yet sincerely and zealously in all Gods Commandements Psal 18. 22. So Zachary Elizabeth his wife being both just before God by free Justification walked in all the Commandements of God without reproofe declaratively to man-ward The differences between these two are these ten 1. Justification serveth to approve us for true Saints to the eyes of God Sanctification serveth to approve us true Saints to the eyes of men 2. Therefore our Justification is perfect that is making us to Gods eyes cleare as the Sun Cant. 6. 9. but Sanctification is unperfect making us to the night of this world faire as the Moon Cant. 6. 9. 3. Our Justification is perceived by faith only Sanctification is perceived by sense and feeling 4. Our Justification is heavenly and more spirituall our Sanctification is fleshly Rom. 4. 1. and as a menstrous cloath Esay 64. 6. in comparison 5. Justification dignifieth our Sanctification Sanctification is dignified of Justification Heb. 11. 4. 6. Justification is meerly passive to us and freely given of God and is the sole glory of Christ Sanctification is active and rendred to God in way of thankfulnesse and is the glory of man Rom. 4. 2. 7. Justification is the cause of Sanctification Sanctification is the effect of Justification 8. Justification is meritorious of all the favour and blessings of God Sanctification of it selfe merits nothing at all 9. Justification is the cause enriching us with all the other benefits and treasures of the Gospel Sanctification sheweth that we are so enriched 10. God leaveth our Sanctification so imperfect in this life that all our rejoycing and joy unspeakable and glorious may be in Justification Rom. 14. 17. For first that Justification worketh in us the true First the true love of God Luke 7. 4â— love of God is plainly testified by Christ himselfe Luke 7. 47. saying to whom a little is forgiven he doth love but a little but to whom being a great debtor much is forgiven especially with such a forgivenesse as Gods is wherein a greater over-plus of riches is also given him to make him sully rich he doth love much For no man is righteous but he that hath a true Nemo eâ—im jusius 〈◊〉 nisi qui c. feeling of his sinnes neither except hee feele them with a true touch can he else embrace this righteousnesse but whosoever hath this knowledge that his Necesse est ut Dâ—um dil gal Marlot ibid. sins through Christ are so richly forgiven him it must needs be that he love God much Then of this true love of God ariseth the true Evangelicall Seâ—ondly Evangelicall Repentance repentance grieving at all sin not for feare of punishment but through love becomming zealous against all sin both in himselfe and in others An example whereof is the justified woman who before was so great a sinner yet being justified and pronounced no sinner by Christ how great was her repentance Quidâ—am sâ—bi voâ—â—nt tam profuâ—ae 〈◊〉 quid assidua â—edumisenta for what meant her abundant tears what meant the often kissing of his feet what meant her pretious ointment but that she acknowledged she had been a grievous sinner and pressed with a great burthen Nam pâ—â—catis for Christ â—atiam abolius novam juâ—â—â—tiam adepta of damnation And now she embraced the mercy of God so much the more ardently by how much she acknowledged her need thereof to be the greater for because In hoc uno insâ—slit Chriâ—â—us c. her sins by the grace of Christ were abolished and she had attained a new righteousnesse Hence did Christ insist on this one point that although she had
or remembrance of works but freely making them compleatly righteous seen and enjoyed by faith only apprehending this promise On this wise the promise of God doth give freely unto us that which the Commandement doth exact of us perforce and doth fulfill that which the Law doth straightly command By this meanes therefore the soule through faith only without works believing in the Word of God is justified sanctified pacified delivered replenished with all goodnesse and is truly made the daughter of God For such as the Word is as namely this The blood of Iesus Such as the word is such is the believing soule Christ the Sonne of God doth make us cleane from all sin 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Such becommeth the soule made by force of the Word even as a fiery plate of Iron doth glow 1 Ioh. 1. 7. and glister like unto fire by meanes of uniting the fire and the plate together thus is Gods Word glorified thus is the faithfull soule delivered from all sinnes made safe from death guarded from Hell and endowed with the everlasting righteousnesse life and saving health of her husband Christ and on this wise doth Christ couple her unto himselfe a glorious Spouse not having spot or wrinckle making her clean with the Fountaine in the Word of Life of Righteousnesse and of salvation Wherefore who is able to value the royalty of this marriage accordingly who is able to comptehend the glorious riches of this grace This I say must be secondly taught without any respect or remembrance of works and be throughly grounded and planted in the soule and reigning in the heart with joy Else should faith and works not remaine within their bounds but be confounded Therefore doth Paul prosecute this argument Luth. in Gal. 3. â—7 to the Gentiles very diligenâ—ly For he fore saw in spirit that this mischiefe should creep into the Church That the Word of God should be confounded that is to say that the promise should be mingled with the Law and so the promise should be utterly lost for when the promise is mingled with the Law it is now made nothing else but the very Law for whosoever In chap. 2. 17. doe not perfectly understand the Article of Iustisication must needs confound and mingle the Law and grace together But where this rich and loving husband Christ takes unto wise this poore and wicked Harlot redeeming her from all evills laying all her sins upon his own shoulders whereby they are swallowed up in him as darknesse is swallowed up in the Sun-beames Esay 44. Esay 4 22. 22. For it behoveth that all sin be swallowed up at the very sight of Christ cloathing and enrobing her with his own righteousnesse and garnishing her with all his own Jewels Whose hearts hearing these things will not melt for very joy and wax ravished for very love of Christ having received so great consolation To the which love he can never possibly attaine by any Lawes or works at all Then thirdly will follow works of love and thankfulnesse Works of love in a manner of their own accord with a little help of direction and exhortation flowing from a true right thankfull zeale of Gods glory making them willing and ready to grow and cheerfully to walk in all the holy duties of all his Commandements Thus The mighty power of the Goâ—pel to true sanctiâ—ication is Justification making us perfectly holy and righteous freely in the sight of God and works safely taught and not confounded the one with the other but both in their due bounds powerfully stablished works Lâ—th Serm. iâ— Tit. 3. 5. thereby joyfully flowing forth Yea as soone as thou feelest by true saith this bountisulnesse and love of God towards men not through works of righteousnesse which we have done Tit. 3. 4. thou canst not in this case be idle for surely that love of God and pleasure which thou enjoyest in him will not suffer thee to be idle thou shalt be enslamed with a marvellous study and desire to doe what things soever thou canst know will be an honour unto thy God so loving and bountifull unto thee and will turn to praise glory and thanksgiving unto him thou shalt passe for no precept thou shalt feele no compulsion of the Law having a most ready will pleasure to doe whatsoever things thou shalt know to bee acceptable unto God whether they bee contemptible The chiefe disposition of the believing soul or noble small or great thou shalt count them a like But first of all it shall be thy desire that this blessed knowledge of God and rich benefits and treasures by Christ may be common to all others Whereupon by and by thy love will shew it selfe and will assay all meanes to make this truth of Salvation manifest unto all rejecting and condemning whatsoever others either-teach or say that agreeth not with this truth whereby it will come to passe that Satan and the World which heare nothing so unwillingly as this truth will rise against thee with all their might will by and by trouble thee The Great Learned Rich and Mighty of the World will condemn thee of heresie and madnesse Howbeit if thou be endued with this joyfull faith it cannot bee but that thy heart being thereby cheered should even as it were laugh and leap for holy joy in God being voyd of all care and trouble and be made above measure confident Fourthly hence it is also manifest that it is this 4 True trust and confidence in God Eph. 1. 13. joyfull knowledge of Iustification which worketh in us a sound trust and true confidence in God making us to goe forward in our vocations both common of Christianitie and particular of our places against all the oppositions of the whole world doing the duties of the same with courage boldnesse and constaney whatsoever come of it The reason and ground of which trust and courage is expressed by S. Paul in Rom. 8. 32. saying If when we were sinners God spared Rom. â— 32. not his Son but gave him for us all to death to justifie us how shall he not with him we being now justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous in his sight but give us all things also so that wee know that all things work together for the best unto us For the cause that bringeth all evill upon us and keepeth away good things from us is sinne saith the Prophet Ierem. 5. 25. But if our sinnes be by the blood Iereâ— 5. 25. of Christ so utterly abolished that we are cleane in his sight from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1. 7. then what is there 1 Ioh. â— 7. left to bring any evill upon us or to hinder good things from us Againe seeing the only thing that separates between us and our God and the only thing that hideth his face from us that he will not heare is sin Isa 59. 2. If the Lamb of God have taken away our sins
time hitherto these witnesses Now when the rising Solis Iustitiae of the Sun of righteousnesse had dispelled the mist of this pedagogie Iohn Baptist being filled with joy in hearing the voyce of the Bridegroome began so to open the Kingdome of Heaven by preaching and sealing by Baptisme such a cleere manifestation of free justification that not only unperfect Apollos that knew but the Baptisme of Iohn only became servent and zealous in the way of the Lord Acts 18. 25. but also many others were so replenished Acts 18. 25. with joy and zeale that they even pressed with violence into the Kingdome of Heaven and the violent tooke it by force Mat. 11. 11 12. And such were the children of Mat. 11. 11 12. the middle time in the time of Iohn Baptist But now thirdly the third time from which Christ Thirdly the time from which Christ groaned out his blood and life Iohn 19. 30. groaned out his blood and life upon the Crosse crying out it is finished Iohn 19. 30. namely that both Culpa the sinne it selfe and reatus the guilt and poena the punishment and all by the full exhibiting of the wedding-garment by this infinite meanes of his owne death upon the crosse are so utterly and infinitly abolished and such an everlasting righteousnesse is so fully brought in upon Gods children and his glorious resurrection manifesting this righteousnesse to bee so fully wrought upon us that this time is most glorious of all yea as the Apostle saith Exceeding in glory 2 Cor. 3. 9. 10 11. For now is fulfilled and finished that 2 Cor. 3. 9 10 11. Zechat 13. 1. Prophecy of Zechary saying In that day there shall bee a fountaine opened to wash away sinne and uncleanesse Why were not the sins of Gods people washed away before that day that the Prophet speakes of Yes but whereas they had before vessels as the Brazen Sea and such like to wash in signifying their spirituallwashing then at that day of Christs death the full flowing fountaine of Christs blood should so abundantly wash them cleane from all their sins that they should from all their uncleanesse be made in the sight of God whiter than snow Now is fulfilled and finished that Prophecy of Daniel saying Seventy weekes are determined upon thy people to finish transgressions and to make an end of sins and to make a reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse Doth the Prophet promise here no more than the people of God had before those seventy weekes what a kinde of prophecy were that yes although all the children of God had as Calvin saith a little sip taste of all these graces by which they were saved yet the full fountaine and flowing streame of them were after those seventy weekes of yeares at the death of Christ poured out upon the holy City of Gods Church in a more excellent manner and in a more abundant measure And this the Prophet Ieremie also testifieth to be proper to the time of Christ saying thus in those daies and Ierem. 50. 1â—â— at that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for but there shall be None This None spoken as God speakes in truth is a glorious condition but when shall this be even in those dayes and at that time that Daniel before spake of namely at the death and resurrection of Christ wherein as Calvin speakes The flowing store of Christs riches are disbursed unto us Hence come those mighty voyces of the dispensers of Gods mysteries before set downe full of spirituall Majesty and glory passing the Ministery of Iohn Baptist Namely first of Luther saying And that there is no more sinne in the Church since Christ now reigneth marke here is the third time specified since Christ now reigneth wee daily confesse in the Apostles Creed when we say I believe that there is an holy Church which is indeed nothing else but as if we should say I believe that there is no sin in the Church of God for they which believe in Christ are no sinners but are holy and righteous Lords over sin and death and living forever But faith only sees this c. So likewise doth Calvin magnifie this third time saying Now therefore under the new Testament God doth not so much as remember our sins because there is now made one cleansing for them all once making us perfect for ever Otherwise the Prophet should say in vaine or to no purpose that this should be the benefit and glory of the new Testament that God will not so much as remember our sins any more Ierem. 31. 34. Hence from the glory Ierem. 31. 34. of this third time is that saying of Luther That whosoever have not confidence in this one point that his sins are so perfectly taken away and utterly abolished out of Gods sight now by the blood of Christ that God doth see no sin in us without doubt they are damned viz. so long as they continue to rob this third time of her glory and Christ of this full revealed efficacy of his blood And what should I stand to recite any more of the witnesses of the glory of free justification before set down seeing as one saith of Luthers speeches so I may say of all their testimonies before expressed that they are sayings of high contemplation of Christ and mighty voyces of free justification full of spirituall Majesty describing the glory of this third time which Saint Paul saith doth exceed in glory and wherein as Calvin truely saith the least Minister doth now in his Ministery Calv. Institut lib. â— cap. 94 Sect. 5. excell and passe Iohn Baptist because he could not thus expresse this same incomparable strength and glory which after Iohns time appeared in his resurrection which glory Peter doth generally describe to consist 1 Pet. 1. The glory of the new Testament consists in three things mainely in three things First that the old Prophets did diligently search into this glory but found that the full streame thereof should not bee administred unto them but unto us Secondly that it should consist in the sufferings and most wonderfull actuall death of the very Son of God Thirdly in such glorious effects ensuing the same that the very Angels stand in admiration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the glories that follow upon those actuall sufferings of the Son of God For now the vaile of the Paedagogie before mentioned is rent into two pieces from the top to the bottome Mat. 27. 51. Now the way to the holy of Math. 27. 51. Heb. 9. 8. holyes before shut up is gloriously opened Heb. 9. 8. Now the Queen comes forth cloathed with the vesture of gold of Ophire being all glorious within Psal 45. 9. 13. Psal 45. 9 13. and enters with joy and gladnesse into the Kings palace verse 15. that is into the Kingdome of heaven here Verse 15. set up on earth by Christ which is