And this I take to be the meaning of this text which speaketh not of iustification by faith but onely of the practice of common duties which faith putteth in execution by the helpe of loue III. Reason Faith is neuer alone therefore it doth not iustifie alone Ans. The reason is naught and they might as well dispute thus The eie is neuer alone from the head and therefore it seeth not alone which is absurd And though in regard of substance the eie be neuer alone yet in regard of seeing it is alone and so though faith subsist not without loue and hope and other graces of god yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without thē al. IV. Reason If faith alone doe iustifie then we are saued by faith alone but we are not saued by faith alone and therefore not iustified by faith alone Ans. The proposition is false for more things are requisite to the maine ende then to the subordinate meanes And the assumption is false for wee are saued by faith alone if we speake of faith as it is an instrument apprehending Christ for our saluation V. Reason We are saued by hope therefore not by faith alone Ans. Wee are saued by hope not because it is any cause of our saluation Pauls meaning is onely this that we haue not saluation as yet in possession but waite patiently for it in time to come to be possessed of vs expecting the time of our full deliuerance that is all that can iustly be gathered hence Nowe the doctrine which we teach on the contrarie is That a sinner is iustified before God by faith yea by faith alone The meaning is that nothing within man and nothing that man can do either by nature or by grace concurreth to the act of iustification before God as any cause thereof either efficient material formal or final but faith alone all other gifts graces as hope loue the feare of God are necessarie to saluation as signes thereof cōsequents of faith Nothing in mā cōcurs as any cause to this work but by faith alone And faith it selfe is no principall but onely an instrumentall cause whereby we receiue apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnesse for our iustificatiō Reason I. Ioh. 3.14,15 As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life In these words Christ makes a comparison on this maner when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fierie serpents his cure was not by any phisicke surgerie but onely by the casting of his eies vp to the brasen serpent which Moses had erected by Gods commandement euen so in the cure of our soules when we are stung to death by sinne there is nothing required within vs for our recouery but onely that we cast vp and fixe the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousnes Reason II. The exclusiue formes of speech vsed in scripture prooue thus much We are iustified freely not of the lawe not by the lawe without the lawe without workes not of workes not according to workes not of vs not by the workes of the lawe but by faith Gal. 2.16 All boasting excluded onely beleeue Luk. 8.50 These distinctions whereby workes and the lawe are excluded in the work◠of iustification doe include thus much that faith alone doth iustifie Reason III. Very reason may teach thus much for no gift in man is apt fit as a spirituall hand to receiue apply Christ and his righteousnes vnto a sinner but faith Indeede loue hope the feare of God and repentance haue their seuerall vses in men but none serue for this ende to apprehend Christ and his merits none of them all haue this receiuing propertie and therefore there is nothing in man that iustifieth as a cause but faith alone Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church Ambr. on Rom. 4. They are blessed to whome without any labour or worke done iniquities are remitted and sinne couered no workes or repentance required of them but onely that they beleeue And cap. 3. Neither working any thing nor requiting the like are they iustified by faith alone through the gift of God And 1. Cor. 1. this is appointed of God that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall be saued without any worke by faith alone freely receiuing remission of sinnes Augustine There is one propitiation for all sinnes to beleeue in Christ. Hesyc on Leuit. lib. 1. c. 2. Grace which is of mercy is apprehended by faith alone and not of workes Bernard Whosoeuer is pricked for his sinnes and thirsteth after righteousnes let him beleeue in thee who iustifieth the sinner and beeing iustified by Faith alone he shall haue peace with God Chrysost. on Gal. 3. They said he which resteth on faith alone◠is accursed but Paul sheweth that he is blessed which resteth on faith alone Basil. de Humil. Let man acknowledge himselfe to want true iustice and that he is iustified onely by faith in Christ. Origen on c. 3. Rom. Wee thinke that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe and he saith iustification by faith alone sufficeth so as a man onely beleeuing may be iustified And therefore it lieth vpon vs to search who was iustified by faith without works And for an exāple I thinke vpon the theife who beeing crucified with Christ cried vnto him Lord remember me when thou cōmest into thy kingdome and there is no other good worke of his mentioned in the Gospell but for this alone faith Iesus saith vnto him This night thou shalt be with me in paradise III. Difference The third difference about iustification is concerning this point namely how farreforth good workes are required thereto The doctrine of the Church of Rome is that there be two kinds of iustification the first and the second as I haue said The first is when one of an euill man is made a good man and in this workes are wholly excluded it beeing wholly of grace The second is when a man of a iust man is made more iust And this they will haue to proceede from workes of grace for say they as a man when he is once borne can by eating and drinking make himselfe a bigger man though he could not at the first make himselfe a man euen so a sinner hauing his first iustification may afterward by grace make himselfe more iust Therefore they hold these two things I. that good works are meritorious causes of the second iustification which they tearme Actual II. that good works are means to increase the first iustificatiō which they cal habitual Now let vs see how farforth we must ioyne with them in this point Our consent therefore stands in three conclusions I. That good workes done by them that are iustified doe please God and are approoued of him and therefore haue a reward II. Good workes are necessarie to saluation two
mercie in that he pardoned their sinne for the merites of his Sonne Eph. 1. 18. That the eies of your vnderstanding may be lightned that ye may knowe what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his Saints 19. And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towardes vs which beleeue according to the working of his mightie power 20. Which he wrought in Christ. Chap. 3.18 That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height 19. And to knowe the loue of Christ. All these things the Lord himselfe hath thus decreed and in his good time will accomplish them to the glorious praise of his Name Pro. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the daie of euill CHAP. 50. Concerning the order of the causes of saluation according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome THere are two things requisite to obtained saluation Predestination and the Execution thereof Predestination is a foreordaining of the reasonable creature to grace in this life glory in the life to come Sebast. Cattaneus Enchirid. tract 1. chap. last This in regard of the first effects thereof which are vocation election and ordination to eternall life hath the cause of it in God namely his will but in regard of the last effect which is the execution of such an ordinance and the obtaining of eternall life it hath the cause of it from man because according to the common opinion Gods predestination is by reason of workes foreseene in men that is God doth therefore predestinate or reiect some man because he foreseeth that he will well or badly vse his grace But for the more euident declaration of this these seuen conclusions must be set downe I. The Predestination and Reprobation of God do not constraine or inforce any necessitie vpon the will of man II. God hath predestinated all men that is he hath appointed and disposed all men so as they might obtaine eternall saluation III. Man is neither by necessitie nor chance saued or condemned but voluntarily IV. God hath predestinated some other hath he reiected V. Those whome God hath predestinated by his absolute predestination which can not be lost they shall infallibly die in grace but they which are predestinate by that predestination which beeing according to preâ—ent iustice may be lost by some mortall sinne which followeth are not infallibly saued but oftentimes such are condemned and loose their crowne and glory Hence ariseth that position of theirs that he which is iustified may be a reprobate perish eternally Torrensis Aug. Confess 2. booke 4. chap. 20. Sect. Therfore predestination is not certaine seeing it may be lost VI. God alone doth know the certaine and set number of them which are predestinate VII There is one set number of them which are predestinate or reprooued and that can neither be increased nor diminished The execution of Predestination is either in infants or those of yeres of discretion Concerning infants the merite of Christ is appliyed vnto them by baptisme rightly administred so that whatsoeuer in originall corruption may truely and properly be accounted for sinne it is not onely as I may say not pared away or not imputed but vtterly taken away For there is nothing that God can hate in such as are renued Concil Trid. 5. sect 5. Can. Neuertheles they are vrged to confesse that there remaineth yet in such as are baptized concupiscence or the reliques of sinn The which seeing it is left in men for them to wrestle withall it hath not power to hurt such as yeeld not vnto it The execution of predestination in such as are of riper yeares hath sixe degrees The first is vocation whereby men not for their owne merits but by Gods preuenting grace through Christ are called to turne vnto God The second is a preparation to righteousnesse whereby men through the inherent power of free-will do apply themselues to iustification after that the same power is stirred vp by the holy Ghost For free-will is onely somewhat diminished and not extinguished and therefore so soone as the holy Ghost toucheth and inlighteneth the heart it worketh togither with the same spirit freely assenting vnto the same This preparation hath seuen degreesâ— Biel. 4. booke 14. dist 2. quest The first is faith which is a knowledge and an assent whereby men agree that those things are true which are deliuered concerning God and his will reuealed in the word of God This is the foundation of iustification and prepareth the heart because it stirreth vp free-will that it may affect the heart with those motions by which it is prepared to iustification I. The act of faith is to apprehend the ouglines of sin the wages therof II. After this followeth a feare of Gods anger and of hell fire III. Then begin men to dislike and in some sort to detest sinne From these ariseth a certaine disposition which hath annexed vnto it the merite of congruitie yet not immediate nor sufficient but imperfect IV. At the length faith returneth to the contemplation of Gods mercies beleeueth that God is readie to forgiue sinnes by the infusion of charitie into those which are before sufficiently prepared and disposed V. Out of this contemplation proceedeth the act of hope whereby faith beginneth to desire and to waite on God as the chiefest good VI. Out of this act of hope ariseth loue whereby God is loued aboue all things in the world VII After this loue followeth a new dislike and detestation of sinne not so much in regard of feare of the punishment in hell fire as in regard of the offence of God who is simply loued more then all other things VIII After all these followeth a purpose of amendment of life and here comes in the merit of congruitie that is sufficient or els the immediate sufficient and last disposition before the infusion of grace The third degree of Predestination is the first iustification wherby men of vniust are made iust not only through the remission of their sinnes but also by a sanctificatioÌ„ of the inward maÌ„ by his voluÌ„tary receiuing of grace gifts The efficient cause of this iustification is the mercy of God and the meritorious passion of our Sauiour Christ whereby he purchased iustification for men The instrumentall cause is baptisme The formall cause is not that iustice which was inherent in Christ but which he infuseth into man and that is especially hope and charitie The fourth degree is the second iustification wherby men are of iust made more iust the cause hereof is faith ioyned with good workes It is possible for such as are renued to keepe the commaundements And therefore it is false that a iust man committeth so much as a veniall sinne in his best actions much lesse that he deserueth eternall death for the same The fift degree is the reparation of a sinner by the
them are morall works and workes of grace but these are excluded from iustification and working mans saluation Eph. 2.10 And Paul beeing regenerate saith thus of himselfe I am not guiltie vnto my selfe of any thing yet am I not thereby iustified VI. The cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused but grace without works is the cause of mans predestination the which is the cause of his iustification and therefore grace without workes shall much more be saide to be the cause of iustification Obiect I. Levit. 18.5 He that keepeth my statutes shall liue in them Ans. This saving is a legall sentence and therefore sheweth not what men can doe but what they should doe Obiect II. Psal. 119.1 Blessed are those that walke in the Law of the Lord. Ans. Man is not here said to be blessed because he walketh vprightly but because the person of such walker is by the merits of Christ iustified before God Obiect III. Iudge me according to my righteousnes Psal. 7. And the fact of Phinees was imputed to him for righteouses Ans. These places are not meant of that righteousnes of the person by which it is righteous before God but of the righteousnes of some particular cause or worke For where as Dauid was accused of this crime that he did affect Sauls kingdome he in this point doth in the words aboue mentioned testifie his innocencie before God Obiect IV. We are iudged according to our workes therefore also by them iustified Ans. The reason is not alike because the last iudgement is not the iustifying of a man but a declaration of that iustification which he had before obtained Therfore the last iudgement must be pronounced and taken not from the causes of iustification but from the effects and signes thereof Obiect V. Make you friends of vnrighteous Mammon c. that they may receiue you into eternall habitations Ans. This they doe not as authors of saluation but as witnesses of the same Obiect VI. Dan. 4.24 Redeeme thy sinnes by righteousnes and thine iniquitie by mercie towards the poore Ans. It is rather breake off thy sinnes then redeeme for so is the originall now men breake off their sinnes by ceasing from them not satisfying for them Obiect VII Euill workes condemne therefore good workes iustifie Answ. It followeth not because good works are not perfectly good as euill works are perfectly euill Obiect VIII We are saued by hope Rom. 8. Answer We must distinguish betwixt iustification and saluation saluation is the end iustification is one degree to come to the ende but there is more required to the ende then to a degree subordinate to the ende therefore we are saued by hope and faith but iustified by faith alone Obiect IX Affliction causeth eternall glorie 2. Cor. 4.17 Ans. This is doth not as by it owne merit effecting the same but rather as a path and way manifesting and declaring the same Obiect X. Iam. 2.21 Abraham was iustified by workes Ans. Not as any cause of iustification but as a manifestation thereof Obiect XI He that is iust let him be more iust Ans. This place must be vnderstood of iustification before men namely of sanctification or an holy life not of iustification in the sight of God Obiect XII We are iustified by faith therefore by a worke Ans. We are iustified by faith not as it is a vertue and a worke but as it is an instrument apprehending the iustice of Christ whereby we are iustified And in this respect faith is said by the figure called Metonymia to be imputed to vs vnto righteousnesse Obiect XIII The workes of grace are dyed in the blood of Christ. Ans. They are indeed dyed therein but to the ende they might the better please God not iustifie man and whereas they are so stained as that they neede dying in the blood of Christ therefore can they not any waies iustifie sinnefull man And the person of the worker is as well died in Christs blood as is his work yet he can not say that his person doth therefore iustifie him And as I haue now prooued that this doctrine of the Papists is very erronious so I also auouch that it is most ridiculous Because for a man to say that inherent righteousnes is by good works namely the fruits of righteousnes augmented is as if a man should say that the vine is made more fruitfull by bearing grapes or that the internall light of the sunne is augmented by the externall emission of the beames Luthers saying is farre more true Good workes doe not make a good man but a good man doth make workes good The XIIII errour Grace is quite extinguished or rather vtterly lost by any mortall sinne The Confutation I. The word of God doth manifestly declare that it is farre otherwise Ioh. 6. All that the Father giueth me shall come vnto me and him that commeth vnto me I cast not away Math. 16.16 Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church so that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it 1. Ioh. 2.19 They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. Rom. 5. 1. Beeing therefore iustified we haue peace with God Now how could this be true if he that was before iustified could any way quite fall from grace and so perish II. The elect after their very grieuous fallings from God forthwith repented them of their sinnes as we may see in the example of Dauid Peter c. the which argueth that they had not quite fallen from grace and lost the spirit of God III. If grace be once vtterly lost then the ingraffing of that partie into Christ is quite abolished therefore for such as repent there must needs succeed a second new ingraffing into Christ then it will also follow that they must of necessitie be baptized anew which is absurd to thinke But for all this we denie not but grace may in part and for a time be lost to the end that the faithfull may thereby acknowledge and know their weaknes and for it be humbled but that there is any totall or finall falling from grace we vtterly denie The XV. errour It is possible to fulfill the Law in this life The Confutation The Law is euangelically fulfilled by beleeuing in Christ but not legally by doing the works thereof Reason They which are carnall cannot possibly fulfill the law of God but the most regenerate so long as they liue in this life are carnall in part Rom. 7.14 I am saith Paul of himselfe carnall and sold vnder sinne Prou. 20. Who can say Mine heart is pure I am pure from sinne Eccles. 7. There is none so iust vpon earth which doth good and sinneth not Psal. 130. If thou Lord obserue what is done amisse Lord who shall abide it We are daily taught to pray vnto God Forgiue vs our sinnes Exception Indeede if the iustice of the faithfull be absolutely
a thing is done God not regarding it we bring in an idol of our owne braines and stablish the idle-god of the Epicures But it is obiected to the contrarie that if God any way decreed and willed the fall of Adam then he was the author of sinne which once to say is blasphemie Ans. The argument followes not There be three actions in the will of God one whereby he doth absolutely will any thing and delight in it and of all such things God himselfe is the author The second is wholly or absolutely to Nill a thing and all things thus nilled can not possibly come to passe or haue the least beeing in nature There is also a third action which comes as a meane betweene the two former which is remissely or in part both to nill and will a thing wherby though God approoue not euill as it is euill and therefore doth it not yet he willeth the permitting of it to be done by others or the being of it because in respect of God that decreeth the permitting of euill it is good that there should be euill And on this manner and no otherwise God willed the fall of Adam and therefore in the reason of any indifferent man though he decreed the fall yet shall he be free from the blame thereof which lies wholly vpon the doer these two caueats alwaies remembred first that God by his will did not constraine or force the will of Adam to sinne or infuse into it any corruption and that therefore he sinned willingly and freely onely by the necessitie of immutabilitie and not by the necessitie of coaction secondly that God willed the fall for a most worthie ende which was to lay downe a way tending to the manifestation both of iustice and mercie Againe it is alleadged that if God willed Adams fall then his will is flat contrarie to it selfe because he wills that which he had by expresse commandement forbidden Answ. Indeede if God should both will and forbid one and the same thing in one and the same respect there should be a contradiction in Gods will but that God doth not He forbad Adams fall as it was sinne for so in euery commandement sinne as it is sinne is condemned and punished and yet because it was in a new respect a meanes of manifesting his glorie who is able to bring light out of darknesse therefore he willingly decreed the permission of it Incest as it is sinne it is condemned in the seuenth commandement and punished with death yet as incest was a punishment of Dauids adulterie God is said to take his wiues and to giue them to his sonne Absolom Some againe as it appeares by their writings feare to ascribe vnto God so much as a permission of Adams fall but no doubt they are deceiued For if these rules be true that God is omnipotent that he works all things that are by the counsell of his will and gouernes them that he hath care and regard ouer man that nothing is hid from him that he is vnchangeable there must needes be permission of euill If the deuill could not enter so much as into an heard of swine without Christs permission shall we thinke that he could compasse the fall and ouerthrow of man without a permission Indeede to permit is not to hinder euill when one may and with men it is a fault but not with God because he is not bound to hinder the euill which he permits The second fault is that they make the Prescience of mans faith and vnbeleefe to be the impulsiue cause of Gods decree For they say that God eternally decrees to saue or refuse men because he did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue But indeede it is a manifest vntruth Among the causes of all things that are there is an order set downe by God himselfe in which order some causes are highest some lowest some in the midst Now the highest cause of all is that which ouerrules all and is ouerruled of none and that is Gods will beyond which there can be no higher cause for God is placed aboue all and subiect to none And this very will of his is the cause of all things that haue beeing for we must not imagine that a thing first of all existeth and then afterward is willed of God but first of all God wills a thing and then afterward it comes to haue a beeing Now to say that foreseene faith or vnbeleefe are the moouing causes whereby God was induced to ordaine men either to saluation or to iust damnation is to vndoe this diuine order of causes and to displace the linkes in that Gods will is made a secondarie or middle cause subordinate to other causes placed aboue it yea this is to make the will of God to depend vpon the qualitie and condition of the creature whereas contrariwise all things depend vpon Gods will Againe Paul saith that God hath opened the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed to himselfe whereby he makes a distinction betweene the creature and the Creatour Men when they purpose the doing of any thing borrow reasons of their purposes and wills out of themselues from thâ— things to be done because mans bare will is no sufficient cause to warrant the doing of this or that in this or that manner vnlesse there be iust reason But Gods will is a simple and absolute rule of righteousnesse and a thing is good so farre forth as God wills it Therefore there is no cause why he should goe forth of himselfe for externall inducements and reasons of his eternall counsell his very will in himselfe is a sufficient reason of all his purposes and decrees And hereupon Paul saith that Gods purpose was in himselfe to shew that there is no dependance of his will vpon the creature and that in ordering and disposing of his decrees he had no reference or respectiue consideration of the qualities and workes of men Thirdly by this doctrine there is fastened vpon God want of wisdome who is wisdome it selfe and that is very absurd A simple man that hath in him but a sparke of the wisdome of God first of all intends with himselfe the ende and euent of the businesse to be done and then afterward the means whereby the ende is accomplished but in this platforme God is brought in in the first place to foresee and consider with himselfe the meanes which tende to the ende namely faith and vnbeleefe of men and then afterward to determine with himselfe what shall be the ende and finall condition of euery man either in life or death as if a man should purpose with himselfe to build an house without any consideration of the ende why and afterward conceiue with himselfe the particular vses to which he will applie it Fourthly hence it followeth that faith shall not onely be an instrument but also an efficient cause in the acte of
iustification of a sinner before God For the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused but foreseene faith is an impulsiue cause whereby God was mooued to choose some men to saluation as it is saide and therefore it is not onely an instrument to apprehend Christs righteousnesse but also a cause or meanes to mooue God to iustifie a sinner because iustification proceedes of Election which comes of foreseene faith now this is erroneous by the doctrine of all Churches vnlesse they be Popish Fifthly this doctrine takes it for graunted that all both young and olde euen Infants that die in their infancie haue knowledge of the Gospell because both faith and vnbeleefe in Christ presuppose knowledge of our saluation by him considering that neither ordinarily nor extraordinarily men beleeue or contemne the thing vnknowne But how false this is euen common experience doth shew Lastly this platforme quite ouerthrowes it selfe For whereas all men equally corrupt in Adam are effectually both redeemed and called the difference betweene man and man standes not in beleeuing or not beleeuing for all haue power to beleeue but in this properly that some are confirmed in faith some are not Now when all without exception are indued with grace sufficient to saluation I demaund why some men are confirmed in grace and others not confirmed as also of Angels some were confirmed and stand and some not confirmed fell No other reason can be rendered but the will of God And to this must all come striue as long as they will that of men beeing in one and the same estate some are saued some iustly forsaken because God would Againe as the foreseeing of â—aith doth presuppose Gods giuiâ—g of faith vnlesse men will say it is naturall so the foreseeing of faith in some men alone doth presuppose the giuing of faith to some men alone But why doth not God conferre the grace of constant faith to all no other reason can be rendered but because he will not Thus then those men whose faith was foreseene are saued not because their faith was foreseene but because God would The third fault is that they ascribe vnto God a conditionall Purpose or counsell whereby he decrees that all men shall be saued so be it they will beleeue For it is euery way as much against common sense as if it had bin saide that God decreed nothing at all concerning man A conditionall sentence determines nothing simply but conditionally and therefore vncertenly and when we speake of God to determine vncertenly is as much as if he had determined nothing at all specially when the thing determined is in the power of mans wil and in respect of God the decree may come to passe or not come to passe Men if they might alwaies haue their choise desire to determine of all their affaires simply without condition and when they doe otherwise it is either because they know not the euent of things or because things to be don are not in their power No reason therefore that we should burden God with that whereof we would disburden our selues Againe the maiestie of God is disgraced in this kind of decree God for his part would haue all men to be saued why then are they not men will not keepe the condition and beleeue This is flat to hang Gods will vpon mans will to make euery man an Emperour and God his vnderling and to change the order of nature by subordinating Gods will which is the first cause to the will of man which is the second cause whereas by the very law of nature the first cause should order and dispose the second cause But for the iustifying of a conditionall decree it is alleadged that there is no eternall and hidden decree of God beside the Gospel which is Gods predestination reuealed Ans. It is an vntruth There be two wills in God one whereby he determineth what he will doe vnto vs or in vs the other whereby he determineth what we shall doe to him Now Predestination is the first whereupon it is commonly defined to be the preparation of the blessing of God whereby they are deliuered which are deliuered and the Gospel is the second Againe Predestination determines who they are and how many which are to be saued and hereupon Christ saith I know whom I haue chosen but the Gospel rather determines what kind of ones and how they must be qualified which are to be saued Lastly Predestination is Gods decree it selfe and the Gospel is an outward meanes of the execution of it and therefore though the Gospel be propounded with a conditionâ— yet the decree of God it selfe may be simple and absolute The fourth defect is the opinion of Vniuersall sauing grace aâ—pertaining to all and euery man which may be fitly tearmed the Schoole of vniuersall Atheisme For it pulls downe the pale of the Church and laies it wast as euery common field it breeds a carelesnes in the vse of the means of grace the word and Sacraments when as men shall be perswaded that grace shal be offered to euery one effectually whether he be of the Church or not at one time or other wheresoeuer or howsoeuer he liue as in the like case if meÌ„ should be told that whether they liue in the market towne or no there shall be sufficient prouision brought them if they will but receiue it and accept of it who would then come to the market Vniuersall grace hath three parts Vniuersall Election vniuersall Redemption vniuersall Vocation Vniuersall Election of all and euery man is a witlesse conceit for if men vniuersally be appointed to grace without exception then there is no electing or choosing of some out of mankind to grace and if some alone be appointed to grace as it must needes be in election then is not grace vniuersall And it is flat against the word of God For Christ auoucheth plainely that fewer be chosen then called and as afterward we shall see all are not called And he further saith that all which are giuen vnto him shall be one with him and haue life euerlasting but all men shall not be one with him and haue life euerlasting and therefore all men are not giuen to Christ of the father that is ordained to saluation And the Scripture saith that all mens names are not written in the booke of life and that the kingdome of heauen was not prepared for all And whereas men build this their vniuersall election vpon the largenesse of the promise of the Gospel vpon the like ground they might as well make an vniuersall decree of Reprobation whereby God decrees all men to be damned indefinitely vpon this condition if they doe not beleeue Now if vniuersall Reprobation be absurd as it is indeede then vniuersall Election of all and euery man must take part therewith As for the vniuersall Redemption of all and euery man it is no better then a forgerie of mans braine There shall be many
meditation of life eternall must be as sugar in our pockets to sweeten the cup withall Lastly if this be true that God of his goodnesse and endles mercy towards mankind hath prepared life euerlasting yet not for all men but for the elect whose names are written in the booke of life we must aboue all things in this world seeke to be partakers of the same Let vs receiue this as from the Lord and lay it to our hearts whatsoeuer we doe euening or morning day or night whether we be young or old rich or poore first we must seeke for the kingdome of heauen and his righteousnes If this benefit were common to all and not proper to the Church lesse care might be had but seeing it is proper to some alone for this very cause let all our studies be to obtaine the beginnings of liâ—e euerlasting giuen in this life For if we haue it not whosoeuer we be it had beene better for vs that we had neuer beene borne or that we had beene borne dogges and toades then men for when they die there is an ende of their miserie but man if he loose euerlasting happinesse hath ten thousand millions of yeares to liue in miserie and in the torments of hell and when that time is ended he is as farre from the end of his miserie as he was at the beginning Wherefore I pray you let not the deuill steale this meditation out of your hearts but be carefull to repent of all your sinnes and to beleeue in Christ for the pardon of them all that by this meanes yee may come to haue the pawne and earnest of the spirit concerning life euerlasting euen in this world What a miserable thing is it that men should liue long in this world and not so much as dreame of another till the last gaspe Let vs not suffer Satan thus to abuse and bewitch vs for if we haue not eternall life in this world we shall neuer haue it Hitherto by Gods goodnes I haue shewed the meaning of the Creede now to draw to a conclusion the generall vses which are to be made of it follow And first of all we learne by it that the Church of Rome hath no cause to condemne vs for heretickes for we doe truly hold and beleeue the whole Apostolicall Symbole or Creede which is an epitome of the Scriptures and the very key of faith It will be said that we denie the Popes supremacie iustification by workes purgatorie the sacrifice of the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead the inuocation and intercession of Saints c. which arâ— the greatest points of religion It is true indeede we denie and renounce them as doctrines of deuills perswading our selues that if they indeede had beene Apostolicall and the very grounds and pillars of religion as they are now auouched to be they should in no wise haue beene left forth of the Creede For it is an ouersight in making a confession of faith to omit the principall points and rules of faith It will be further saide that in the Creede we beleeue the Church and so consequently are to beleeue all these former points which are taught and auouched by the Church but this defence is foolish For it takes this for graunted that the Church of Rome is the Church here meant which we denie vnlesse they can prooue a particular Church to be vniuersal or Catholike Nay I adde further that the principall grounds of popish faith for which they contend with vs as for life and death are not mentioned in any other Creedes which were made by the Churches and Councells for many hundred yeares after Christ. Secondly the Creede serues as a storehouse of remedies against all troubles and temptations whatsoeuer I. If a man be grieued for the losse of earthly riches let him consider that he beleeues God to be his Creatour who will therefore guide and preserue his owne workmanship and by his prouidence minister all things needefull vnto it And that he hath not lost the principall blessing of all in that he hath God to be his father Christ to be his redeemer and the holy Ghost to be his comforter and that considering he lookes for life eternall he is not to be ouer much carefull for this life and that Christ being our Lord will not forsake vs beeing the seruants in his owne house but will prouide things needefull for vs. II. If any man be grieued in respect of outward disgrace and contempt let him remember that he beleeues in Christ crucified and that therefore he is to reioyce in contempt for righteousnes sake III. They which are troubled for the decease of friendsâ— are to comfort theÌ„selues in the communion of Saints and that they haue God the Father and Christ and the holy Ghost for their friends IV. Against bodily captiuitie let men consider that they beleeue in Christ their Lord whose seruice is perfect libertie V. Against the feare of bodily diseasesâ— we must remember the resurrection of the bodie in which all diseases and infirmities shall be abolished VI. If a man feare death of the bodie let him consider that he beleeues in Christ which died vpon the crosse who by death hath vanquished death VII The feare of persecution is restrained if we call to remembrance that God is a Father Almightie not onely able but also willing to represse the power of the aduersarie so farre forth as shall be for the good of his children VIII Terrours arising of the consideration of the last iudgement are delaied by remembrance of this that Christ shall be our iudge who is our redeemer IX Feare of damnation is remedied by consideration that Christ died to make satisfaction for vs and now sitts at the right hand of his father to make intercession for vs and by the resurrection of the bodie to life euerlasting X. Terrours of conscience for sinne are repressed if we consider that God is a Father and therefore much in sparing and that it is a prerogatiue of the Church to haue remission of sinnes Trin-vni Deo gloria AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAYER In the way of Catechising seruing for ignorant people Corrected and amended Hereunto are adioyned the prayers of Paul taken out of his Epistles By W. Perkins Printed for Iohn Porter and Ralph Iackson 1600. To the right Honourable Edward Lord Russell Earle of Bedford Grace and peace be multiplied RIght Honourable if you consider what is one of the chiefest ornaments of this Noble state vnto which God hath aduanced you it wil appeare that there is none more excellent then the spirit of grace and prayer For what doth your heart affect would you speake the languages Behold by prayer you may speak the most heauenly tongue that euer was euen the language of Canaan Would you haue the valor of knighthood By prayer you may stand in place where Gods hande hath made a breach and doe as much as all the chariots and
waies first not as causes thereof either conuersant adiuvant or procreant but onely as consequents of faith in that they are inseparable companions and fruits of that faith which is indeede necessarie to saluation Secondly they are as necessarie as markes in a way and as the way it selfe directing vs vnto eternall life III. We hold and beleeue that the righteous man is in some sort iustified by works for so the holy Ghost speaketh plainely and truly Iam. 2.21 That Abraham was iustified by workes Thus farre we ioyne with them and the very difference is this They say we are iustified by workes as by causes thereof we say that we are iustified by workes as by signes and fruits of our iustification before God and no otherwise and in this sense must the place of S. Iames be vnderstood that Abraham was iustified that is declared and made manifest to be iust indeed by his obedience and that euen before God Now that our doctrine is the truth it will appeare by reasons on both parts Our reasons I. Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Some answer that ceremoniall workes be excluded here some that morall works some works going before faith But let them deuise what they can for themselues the truth is that Paul excludeth all works whatsoeuer as by the very text will appeare For v. 24. he saith We are iustified freely by his grace that is by the meere gift of God giuing vs to vnderstand that a sinner in his iustification is meerely passiue that is doing nothing on his part whereby God should accept him to life euerlasting And v. 27. he saith iustification by faith excludeth all boasting and therefore all kind of works are thereby excluded and specially such as are most of all the matter of boasting that is good workes For if a sinner after that he is iustified by the merit of Christ were iustified more by his owne workes then might he haue some matter of boasting in himselfe And that we may not doubt of Pauls meaning consider and read Eph. 2.8,9 By grace saith he you are saued tâ—rough faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast himselfe Here Paul excludes all and euery worke and directly workes of grace themselues as appeares by the reason following For we are his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that weâ— should walke in them Nowe let the Papists tell me what bee the workes which God hath prepared for men to walke in and to which they are regenerate vnlesse they bee the most excellent workes of grace and let them marke howe Paul excludes them wholly from the worke of iustification and saluation II. Gal. 5.3 If ye be circumcised ye are bound to the whole lawe and ye are abolished from Christ. Here Paul disputeth against such men as would bee saued partly by Christ and partly by the workes of the lawe hence I reason thus If a man will be iustified by workes he is bound to fulfill the whole lawe according to the rigour thereof that is Pauls ground I nowe assume no man can fullfill the lawe according to the rigour thereof for the liues and workes of most righteous men are imperfect and stained with sinne and therefore they are taught euery day to say on this manner forgiue vs our debts Againe our knowledge is imperfect and therefore our faith repentance and sanctifiâ—atioÌ„ is answerable And lastly the regenerate man is partly flesh and partly spirit and therefore his best workes are partly from the flesh and in part onely spirituall Thus then for any man to bee bound to the rigour of the whole lawe is as much as if he were bound to his owne damnation III. Election to saluation is of grace without workes therefore the iustification of a sinner is of grace alone without workes For it is a certen rule that the cause of a cause is the cause of a thing caused Now grace without workes is the cause of election which election is the cause of our iustification therfore grace without workes is the cause of our iustification IV. A man must first be fully iustified before he can doe a good worke for the person must first please God before his works can please him But the person of a sinner cannot please God till he be perfectly iustified and therefore till hee be iustified he cannot doe so much as one good worke And thus good workes cannot be any meritorious causes of iustification after which they are both for time and order of nature In a word whereas they make two distinct iustifications we acknowledge that there be degrees of sanctification yet so as iustification is onely one standing in remission of sinnes and Gods acceptation of vs to life euerlasting by Christ and this iustification hath no degrees but is perfect at the very first Obiections of Papists Psal. 7.8 Iudge me according to my righteousnesse Hence they reason thus if Dauid be iudged according to his righteousnes then may he be iustified therby but Dauid desires to be iudged according to his righteousnes and therefore he was iustified thereby Ans. There be two kindes of righteousnesse one of the person the other of the cause or action The righteousnes of a mans person is whereby it is accepted into the fauour of God into life eternall The â—ighteousnes of the action or cause is when the action or cause is iudged of God to be good and iust Nowe Dauid in this psalme speaketh onely of the righteousnesse of the action or innocency of his cause in that he was falsely charged to haue sought the kingdome In like manner it is said of Phineas Psal. 166.31 that his fact in killing Zimri and Cosbie was imputed to him for righteousnes not because it was a satisfaction to the lawe the rigour whereof could not be fulfilled in that one worke but because God accepted of it as a iust worke and as a token of his righteousnes and zeale for Gods glorie II. Obiect The Scripture saith in sundrie places that men are blessed which doe good workes Psal. 119.1 Blessed is the man that is vpright in heart walketh in the lawe of the Lord. Ans. The man is blessed that indeauoureth to keep Gods commandements Yet is he not blessed simply because hee doth so but because he is in Christ by whome he doeth so and his obedience to the lawe of God is a signe thereof III. Obiect When man confesseth his sinnes and humbleth himselfe by praier and fasting Gods wrath is pacified and staied therefore praier and fasting are causes of iustification before God Answ. Indeede men that truely humble themselues by praier and fasting doe appease the wrath of God yet not properly by these actions but by their faith expressed and testified in theÌ„ whereby they apprehend that which appeaseth Gods wrath euen the merits of Christ in whome the
Father is well pleased and for whose sake alone he is well pleased with vs. IV. Obiect Sundrie persons in Scripture are commended for perfectionâ— as Noe and Abraham Zacharie and Elizabeth and Christ biddeth vs all bee perfect and where there is any perfection of workes there also workes may iustifie Ans. There be two kinds of perfection perfection in parts and perfection in degrees Perfection in part is when being regenerate and hauing the seedes of all necessarie vertues wee indeauour accordingly to obey God not in some few but in all and euery part of the law as Iosias turned vnto God according to all the law of Moses Perfection in degrees is when a man keepeth euery commandement of God and that according to the rigour thereof in the very highest degree Nowe then whereas we are commanded to be perfected and haue examples of the same perfection in scripture both commandements and examples must be vnderstood of perfection in parts and not of perfection in degrees which caÌ„â—ot be attained vnto in this life though we for our parts must daily striue to come as neere vnto it as possibly we can V. Obiect 2. Cor. 4. 17. Our momentany afflictions worke vnto vs a greater measâ—re of glorie nowe if afflictions worke our saluation then workes also doe the same Ans. Afflictions worke saluation not as causes procuring it but as means directing vs thereto And thus alwaies must we esteeme of works in the matter of our saluation as of a certen way or a marke therein directing vs to glorie not causing and procuring it as Bernard saith they are via Regni non causa regnandi The waie to the kingdome not the cause of raigning there VI. Obiect We are iustified by the same thing whereby we are iudged but we are iudged by our good works therfore iustified also Ans. The proposition is false for iudgement is an act of God declaring a man to bee iust that is alreadie iust and iustification is another distinct act of God whereby he maketh him to be iust that is by nature vniust And therefore in equitie the last iudgement is to proceede by workes because they are the fittest meanes to make triall of euery mans cause and serue fitly to declare whome God hath iustified in this life VII Obiect Wicked men are condemned for euill workes and therefore righteous men are iustified by good workes Ans. The reason holdeth not for there is great difference betweene euill and good workes An euill worke is perfectly euill and so deserueth damnation but there is no good worke of any man that is perfectly good and therefore cannot iustifie VIII Obiect To beleeue in Christ is a worke and by it we are iustified if one worke doe iustifie why may we not be iustified by all the workes of the law Ans. Faith must be considered two waies first as a worke qualitie or vertue secondly as an Instrument or an hand reaching out it selfe to receiue Christs merit And we are iustified by faith not as it is a work vertue or qualitie but as it is an instrument to receiue and apply that thing whereby we are iustified And therefore it is a figuratiue speech to say We are iustified by faith Faith considered by it selfe maketh no man righteous neither doth the actioÌ„ of faith which is to apprehend iustifie but the obiect of faith which is Christs obedience apprehended These are the principall reasons commonly vsed which as we see are of no moment To conclude therefore we holde that workes concurre to iustification and that we are iustified thereby as by signes and effects not as causes for both the beginning middle and accomplishment of our iustification is onely in Christ and hereupon Iohn saith If any man beeing already iustified sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ and he is the propitiation for our sinnes And to make our good workes meanes or causes of our iustification is to make euery man a Sauiour to himselfe The V. point Of merits By merit we vnderstand any thing or any work whereby Gods fauour life euerlasting is procured and that for the dignitie and excellencie of the worke or thing done or a good worke done binding him that receiueth it to repay the like Our Consent Touching merits we consent in two conclusions with them The first coÌ„clusion that merits are so farre forth necessarie that without them there can be no saluation The second that Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer is the roote and fountaine of all merit The dissent or difference The popish Church placeth merits within man making two sorts thereof the merit of the person and the merit of the worke The merit of the person is a dignitie in the person whereby it is worthie of life euerlasting And this as they say is to be found in Infants dying after baptisme who though they want good workes yet are they not void of this kind of merit for which they â—eceiue the kingdome of heauen The merit of the worke is a dignitie or excellencie in the worke whereby it is made fitte and inabled to deserue life euerlasting for the doer And works as they teach are meritorious two waies first by couenant because God hath made a promise of reward vnto them secondly by their own dignitie for Christ hath merited that our works might merit And this is the substance of their doctrine From it we dissent in these points I. We renounce all personall merits that is all merits within the person of any meere man II. And we renounce all merit of workes that is all merit of any worke done by any meere man whatsoeuer And the true merit whereby we looke to attaine the fauour of God and life euerlasting is to bee found in the person of Christ alone who is the storehouse of all our merits whose prerogatiue it is to be the person alone in whome God is well pleased Gods fauour is of infinit dignitie and no creature is able to doe a worke that may counteruaile the fauour of God saue Christ alone who by reason of the dignitie of his person beeing not a meere man but God-man or Man-god hee can doe such workes as are of endles dignitie euery way answerable to the fauour of God and therefore sufficient to merit the same for vs. And though a merit or meritorious work agree only to the person of Christ yet is it made ours by imputation For as his righteousnes is made ours so are his merits depending thereon but his righteousnes is made ours by imputation as I haue shewed Hence ariseth another point namely that as Christs righteousnes is made ours really by imputation to make vs righteous so wee by the merit of his righteousnesse imputed to vs doe merit and deserue life euerlasting And this is our doctrine In a word the Papist maintaineth the merits of his owne workes but we renouuce them all and rest only on the merit of Christ. And that our doctrine is trueth and theirs
the course of Gods iustice to vndergoe the punishment Here a doubt may be mooued whether sinne be a thing existing or not The answere is this Of things which are some are positiue other primitiue Things positiue are all substances together with those their properties effects inclinations and affections which the Lord hath created and imprinted in their natures The thing is called priuatiue which graunteth or presupposeth the absence of some such thing as ought to bee in a thing Such a thing is sinne the which properly and of it selfe is not any thing created and existing but rather the absence of that good which ought to bee in the creature Sinne hath two parts A defect or impotencie and is a confusion or disturbance of all the powers and actions of the creature Impotencie is nothing els but the very want or losse of that good which God hath ingrafted in the nature of his creature The fall was effected on this maner First God created his reasonable creatures good indeede but withall changeable as we haue shewed before For to bee vnchangeable good is proper to God alone Secondly God tried their obedience in those things about which they were conversant Deu. 13.13 Thou shalt not hearken to the wordes of the Prophet or vnto that dreamer of dreames for the Lord your God prooueth you to knowe whether you loue the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soule Thirdly in this triall God doth not assist them with new grace to stand but for iust causes forsaketh theÌ„ Lastly after God hath forsaken them and left them to themselues they fall quite from God no otherwise then when a man staying vp a staffe from the ground it standeth vpright but if he neuer so little withdraw his hand it falleth of it selfe The fall is of men and Angels The fall of Angels is that by which the vnderstanding pointing at a more excellent estate and of it own accord approouing the same together with the will making especiall choice thereof they albeit they might freely by their integritie haue chosen the contrarie were the sole instruments of their fall from God 2. Pet. 2.4 If God spared not the angels which sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darkenes to be kept vnto damnation c. Iud. 6. The Angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserued in euerlasting chaines c. Ioh. 8.44 He was a murtherer from the beginning and continued not in the trueth for their is no trueth in him In the fall of Angels consider First their corruption arising from the fall which is the deprauation of their nature and is either that fearefull malice and hatred by which they set themselues against God or their insatiable desire to destroy mankinde to the effecting whereof they neglect neither force nor fraud 1. Ioh. 3.8 He that committeth sinne is of the diuell because the diuell sinned from the beginning For this cause was the Sonne of God reuealed to dissolue the works of the diuell 1. Pet. 5.8 Your aduersarie the diuell goeth about like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devoure Eph. 6.12 You striue not against flesh and blood but against Principalities and powers and wordly gouernours the princes of darkenes of this world against spirituall wickednesses which are in supercelestiall things II. Their degree and diuersitie for of these Angels one is cheife and the rest attendants The chiefe is Beelzebub prince of the rest of the diuels the world farre aboue them all in malice Matth. 25.41 Away from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell his angels 2. Cor. 4.4 Whose minds the god of this world hath blinded Revel 12. 7. And there was warre in heauen Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon the dragon his angels fought Ministring angels are such as waite vpon the diuell in accomplishing his wickednesse III. Their punishment God after their fall gaue them ouer to perpetuall torments without any hope of pardon Iude vers 6.2 Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darkeâ—es to be kept vnto damnation This he did first to admonish men what great punishment they deserued Secondly to shew that grieuous sinnes must more grieuously be punished The fall of Angels was the more grieuous because both their nature was more able to resist and the diuell was the first founder of sinne Their punishment is easier or more grieuous Their easier punishment is double The first is their deiection from heauen 2. Pet. 2.4 God cast the Angels that sinned into hell The second is the abridging and limitation of their power Iob. 1. 12. The Lord said vnto Satan Behold all that he hath is in thine hand onely vpon him lay not thine hand The more grieuous paine is that torment in the deepe which is endlesse infinite in time and measure Luk. 8.31 And they besought him that he would not command them to goe downe into the deepe CHAP. 11. Of mans fall and disobedience Adams fall was his willing reuolting to disobedience by eating the forbidden fruite In Adams fall we may note the manner greatnesse and fruite of it I. The manner of Adams fall was on this sort First the diuell hauing immediately before fallen himselfe insinuateth vnto our first parents that both the punishment for eating the forbidden fruite was vncertaine and that God was not true in his word vnto them SecoÌ„dly by this his legerdemain he blinded the eies of their vnderstanding Thirdly being thus blinded they begin to distrust God and to doubt of Gods fauour Fourthly they thus doubting are mooued to behold the forbidden fruit Fiftly they no sooner see the beautie thereof but they desire it Sixtly that they may satisfie their desire they eate of the fruit which by the hands of the woman was taken from the tree by which act they become vtterly disloyall to God Gen. 3.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Thus without constraint they willingly fall from their integritie God vpon iust causes leauing them to themselues and freely suffering them to fall For wee must not thinke that mans fall was either by chance or God not knowing it or barely winking at it or by his bare permission or against his will but rather miraculously not without the will of God but yet without all approbation of it II. The greatnes of this transgâ—â—â—â—â—â— must be esteemed not by the externall obiect or the basenes of an apple but by the offâ—nâ—â— it containeth against Gods maiestie This offence appeareth by many trespasses committed in that action The 1. is doubting of Gods word 2 want of faith For they beleeue not Gods threatning In that day ye eate therof you shal die the death but being bewitched with the diuels promise ye shal be like gods they cease to feare Gods punishment and are inflamed with a desire of greater dignitie 3. Their curiositie in
sacrament of Penance The which is as it were the second boord after a shipwracke The cause why this reparation is necessarie is because men loose the grace of iustification by euery mortall sinne The last degree is the fruit of iustification namely the glory of eternall life the which works done in grace doe ex condigno condignly merit of sufficient worthinesse Condigne merite is when as the reward is after such sort due as that if it be not giuen iniustice will be committed This by the rigor of iustice is due Two conditions are requisite to make a merit I. That a reward should by some compact or bargain be due And this condition is in works in regard of God For God in the Scriptures hath promised a reward to such as work wel II. That besides this compact whereby the debter is bound there should bee also some worthines in the worke or some proportion of the worke to the reward The worthinesse or dignitie of the worke dependeth I. on Christ because Christ did not only merite that his owne proper actions should be meritorious but the actions also of his members II. On the holy Ghost For the holy Ghost doth inspire excite and mooue men to doe III. On an Habituall grace which is a certaine participation of the diuine essence Thus much concerning the degrees of executing Predestination Nowe followeth the applying of Predestination particularly to the persons of men No man so long as he liueth in this mortall life ought so much to presume on the secret mysterie of Gods predestination as to determine vndoubtedly that he is in the number of them whome God hath ordained to eternall happines For no man without especiall reuelation can know whome God hath chosen to be his heires Sess. 6. c. 12. The summe of all these is this God by a certaine grace giuen freely or rather a grace preuenting or comming before the which is tearmed an especiall aid doth mooue a man that he may dispose himselfe vnto his iustifying grace namely that he may beleeue feare repent loue propound to himselfe newnes of life c. Furthermore if a sinner do by his free-will yeeld his assent vnto this diuine motion and doth consequently and accordingly rightly dispose himselfe God doth incontinently forgiue him his sinne and withall doth infuse into him iustifying grace by which he may doe good workes and so by them merit eternall life Bellarmine Errours of the Papists in their distributing of the causes of saluation And thus is the doctrine of the Church of Rome surely a very blasphemous doctrine and no better to be accounted of then as a gallowes set vp for the torture and massacre of mens consciences And that this may the more manifestly appeare to be so I will set downe the most principall points of popish doctrine in this case The I. errour Predestination is onely of the Elect the Reprobate they are onely foreknowne The Confutation The name of Predestination by a figure called Synecdoche the whole for the part is taken indeed sometimes in the good part and spoken of the Elect and faithfull called as Rom. 8.30 Whome he predestinated them also he called and whome he called them also he iustified and whome he iustified them also he glorified So are the Ephesians saide to be predestinate into the adoption of the sonnes of God Eph. 1.5 Yet may this word Predestination neuerthelesse generally be extended vnto the decree of God whether it be that of predestination to eternall life or the other vnto eternall death The reasons I. Act. 4. 27,28 They gathered themselues together against thine holy sonne Iesus to doe whatsoeuer thine hand thy counsel had determined or foreordained or predestinated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before to be done II. August de Bono persev chap. 17. he calleth Predestination the disposition of future workes and in his 15. booke of the Citie of God chap. 1. he deuideth all mankinde into two cities whereof one is predestinate to raigne with God eternally the other predestinate to vndergoe eternall punishment with the deuill And in his Manuel to Laurentius chap. 100. he saith That God hath iustly predestinated wicked men vnto punishment and mercifully predestinated the good vnto grace Thomas of Aquine 1. part quest 23. artic 4. It mattereth not in regard of the name of predestination whether a man be said to be predestinate to life eternall or not Furthermore for a man to say that the Reprobates are foreknowne not predestinate it is very iniurious because Gods foreknowledge may in nothing which is to be be seuered from his will and eternall decree For that which beeing hereafter to be is foreknowne of God that assuredly will come to passe and shall be and that either by the will of God or without his will if with his will then no doubt he both decreed preordained the same if without or against his will how is God then said to be omnipotent And surely euill it selfe albeit god wil it not in his approouing or allowing will yet willeth he the free and willing-permission thereof August in his Manuel or Enchiridiō to Laurētius chap. 100. hath an excellēt saying to this purpose Although saith he that those things which are euill in that they are euill cannot be good yet that there are not onely good but also euill things it is very good to the intent that after a marueilous and vnspeakeable manner that thing may not be besides or without his will which also is done against his will because it should not be done vnlesse he suffered it neither doth he suffer it against his will but willingly The II. errour That Predestination is mutable For according to the common opinion of the Papists whosoeuer is predestinate he is contingently predestinated as well on Gods part as on mans whence it followeth that he which is predestinated that is appointed to saluation may be condemned and he which is foreknowne that is appointed to damnation may be saued The Confutation The contrarie to this their doctrine is most true Namely that the decree of God concerning euery mans eternall both saluation damnation is from all eternitie set downe and immutable The reasons I. Testimonies of scripture Rom. 11.29 The gifts and calling of God they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are without repentance Mat. 24.24 There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall doe great signes and miracles so that if it were possible they should deceiue euen the elect Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne 2. Tim. 2.19 The foundation of god standeth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are his II. Election reprobation they are in God not in men nowe there can be nothing in God which is not immutable Mal. 3.6 I Iehouah am not changed Esay 46.10 My counsell shall stand and I will doe whatsoeuer I will III. If this Popish conclusion should
Matth. 11.28 No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whoâ—â— the Sonne will reueale him Luke 8. To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God Philip. 2. It is God which worketh in you to will and to doe 1. Cor. 12. 13. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Briefly he who according to God is to be created to righteousnes and holiness Eph. 4.24 cannot any waies dispose himselfe to iustification or new creation For it is impossible that a thing not yet created should dispose it selfe to his creation The IX errour That preparation to grace which is caused by the power of free-will may by the merit of congruitie deserue iustification The Confutation These things smell of more then Satanicall arrogancie For what man but such an one as were not in his right mind would beleeue that he vnto whom so many millions of condemnations are due could once merit the least dramme of grace The prodigall sonne he was not receiued into fauour by reason of his deserts but by fauour Luk. 15.21 His sonne said vnto him I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne The X. errour The faith of the godly or that which iustifieth is that whereby a man doth in generall beleeue the promised blessednes of God and by which also he giueth his assent to other mysteries reuealed of God concerning the same The Confutation Faith is not onely a generall knowledge and assent to the historie of the Gospel but further also a certaine power both apprehending and seuerally applying the promises of God in Christ whereby a man doth assuredly set downe that his sinnes are forgiuen him and that he is reconciled vnto God Reasons I. A particular assuraÌ„ce of the fauour of god is of the nature of faith Eph. 3.12 By whom we haue boldnes and entrance with confidence by faith in him Rom. 4.20 Neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in the faith and gaue glorie vnto God 21. Beeing fully assured that he which had promised was also able to do it Heb. 10.22 Let vs draw nere with a true heart in assurance of faith II. Particular doubtings is reprehended Mat. 14. â—â— O thou of litle faith why didst thou doubt Luk. 12.29 Hang ye not in suspence III. That which a maÌ„ praieth for to god that must he assuredly beleeue to receiue Math. 11.24 But the faithfull in their praiers make request for adoption iustification and life eternall And therefore they must certainely beleeue that they shall receiue these benefits IV. Rom. 5.1 We beeing thâ—refore iustified we haue peace with God But there can be no peace where there is not a paâ—ticuâ—ar assurance of Gods fauour V. That which the spirit of God doth testifie vnto vs particularly that must also be beleeued particularly But the spirit of God doth giue a particular testimonie of the adoption of the faithfull Rom. 8.16 Gal. 4.6 This therefore is in like sort to be beleeued Whereas they say that no man hath a particular assurance but by especiall reuelation as was that which Abraham and Paul had it is false For the faith of these two is set downe in Scripture as an example which we should all follow For this cause Abraham is called the Father of the faithfull and Paul testifieth the very fame of himselfe 1. Tim. 1.16 For this cause saith he was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on me all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life Againe whereas they say that we haue a morall assurance but not the assurance of faith it is a popish deuise For Rom. 8.16 The spirit of adoption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together beareth witnesse to our spirits Where we see two witnesses of our adoption our owne spirit and the spirit of God Our spirit doth testifie morally of our adoption by sanctification and the fruits thereof and therefore also the spirit of God witnesseth after another manner namely by the certaintie of faith declaring and applying the promises of God Obiect I. We are commanded to worke our saluation with feare trembling Ans. This feare is not in regard of Gods mercie forgiuing our sinnes but in respect of vs and our nature which is euer prone to slide away and starting from God Obiect II. In respect of Gods mercie we must hope for saluation but in respect of our vnworthines we must doubt Ans. I. We may not at all lawfully doubt of Gods mercie because doubtfulnes is not of the nature of faith but rather a naturall corruption II. If we consider our owne vnworthines it is out of all doubt that we must be out of all hope and despaire of our saluation Obiect III. There be many sinnes vnknowne vnto vs and so also vncertaine whether they be pardoned vnto vs. Answer He that certenly and truly knoweth that but one sinne is pardoned him he hath before God all his sinnes remitted whether they be knowne or vnknowne Obiect IV. No man dare sweare or die in the defence of this proposition I am the child of God or in Gods fauour and iustified Answ. They which haue an vnfained faith will if they be lawfully called not onely testifie their adoption by an oath but seale it also by their blood Obiect V. A man may haue this faith which the Protestants talke of and lie in a mortall sinne and haue also a purpose to perseuere in a mortall sinne Ans. It is farre otherwise for Act. 15.9 True faith purifieth the heart These Sophisters doe further affirme that this faith which to them is nothing but a knowledge and illumination of the mind concerning the truth of Gods word is the roote and foundation of iustification The which if it be true why should not the deuill be iust for he hath both a knowledge of Gods word and thereunto by beleeuing doth giue his assent who notwithstanding he haue such a faith yet can he not be called one of the faithfull Here they except and say The deuils faith is void of charitie which is the forme of faith But this is a doting surmise of their owne braine For charitie is the effect of faith 1. Tim. 1.5 But the effect cannot informe the cause The XI errour Mans loue of God doth in order and time goe before his iâ—stification and reconciliation with God The Confutation Nay contrarily vnlesse we be first perswaded of Gods loue towards vs we neuer loue him For we loue him because he loued vs first 1. Ioh. 4.19 Againe it is impossible that Gods enemie should loue him but he which is not as yet iustified or reconciled to God he is Gods enemie Rom. 5.9,10 Neither is any man before the act of iustification made of Gods enemie his friend The XII errour Iufused or inherent iustice is the formall cause of iâ—stification
whereby men are iustified in the sight of God The Confutation We doe contrarily hold that the materiall cause of mans iustification is the obedience of Christ in suffering fulfilling the law for vs but as for the formall cause that must needes be Imputation the which is an action of God the Father accepting the obedience of Christ for vs as if it were our owne Reasons I. Looke by what we are absolued from all our sinnes and by which we obtaine eternall life by that alone are we iustified But by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs we are absolued from all our sinnes and through it we are accepted of God to eternall life the which we cannot doe by inherent holinesse Therefore by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs are we alone iustified This will appeare to be true in the exercises of inuocation on Gods name and also of repentance For in tentation and conflicts with sinne and Satan faith doth not reason thus Now I haue charitie and inherent grace and for these God will accept of me But faith doth more rightly behold the sonne of God as he was made a sacrifice for vs and sitteth at the right hand of his Father there making intercession for vs to him I say doth faith flie and is assured that for this his sonne God will forgiue vs all our sinnes and will also be reconciled vnto vs yea and account vs iust in his sight not by any qualitie inherent in vs but rather by the merit of Iesus Christ. Rom. 5.19 II. As Christ is made a sinner so by proportion such as beleeue are made iust But Christ was by imputation onely made and accounted a sinner for vs. 2. Cor. 5. 21. For he became a suretie for vs and a sacrifice for our sinnes vpon which all both the guiltinesse of Gods wrath and punishment for vs was to be laide Hence is it that he is said to become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a curse for vs Therfore we againe are made iust only by imputation III. The contrarie to condemnation is remission of sinnes and iustification is the opposite of condemnation Rom. 8. 33. It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Therefore iustification is the remission of sinnes Now remission of sinnes dependeth onely vpon this imputation of Christs merits IV. Albeit infused and inherent iustice may haue his due place his praise and also deserts yet as it is a worke of the holy Ghost it is not in this life complete and by reason of the flesh◠whereto it is vnited it is both imperfect and infected with the dregges of sinne Esai 64. Therfore before Gods iudgement seate it cannot claime this prerogatiue to absolue any from the sentence of condemnation Obiect I. This imputation is nothing els but a vaine cogitation Answ. I. Yes it is a relation or diuine ordinance whereby one relatiue is applied to his correlatiue or as the Logitians say is as the foundation to the Terminus II. As the imputation of our sinnes vnto Christ was indeede something so the imputation of Christs iustice vnto vs must not be thought a bare conceit III. Againe the Church of Rome doth her selfe maintaine imputatiue iustic◠namely when as by Ecclesiasticall authoritie shee doth applie the merits and satisfactions of certain persons vnto other members of that Church Whence it is apparant that euen the Popes indulgences they are imputatiue Obiect II. Imputatiue iustice is not euerlasting but that iustice which the Messiah bringeth is euerlasting Ans. Although after this life there is no pardon of sinnes to be looked for yet that which is giuen vs in this life shall to our saluation continue in the life to come Obiect III. If iustification be by imputation he may before God be iust who indeede is a very wicked man Ans. Not so any waies for he that is once by imputation iustified he is also at that same instant sanctified The XIII errour There is also a second iustification and that is obtained by workes The Confutation That popish deuice of a second iustification is a fantasticall delusion For I. The word of God doth acknowledge no more but one iustification at all and that absolute and complete of it selfe There is but one iustice but one satisfaction of God being offended therefore there cannot be a manifold iustification II. If by reason of the increase of inherent iustice iustification should be distinguished into seuerall kindes or parts we might as well make an hundreth kinds or parts of iustification as two III. That which by order of nature doth follow after full iustification before God it cannot be said to iustifie But good workes doe by order of nature follow mans iustification and his absolution from sinnes because no worke can please God except the person it selfe that worketh the same doe before please him But no mans person can please God but such an one as beeing reconciled to God by the merits of Christ hath peace with him IV. Such workes as are not agreeable to the rule of legall iustice they before the tribunall seat of God cannot iustifie but rather both in and of themselues are subiect to Gods eternall curse For this is the sentence of the Law Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them Now the works euen of the regenerate are not squared according to the rule of legall iustice wherefore Dauid being as it were stricken with the cōsideration of this durst not once oppose no not his best works to the iudgement of God that by them he might plead pardon of his sinnes whence it is that he crieth out and saith Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for then no flesh liuing shall be iustified in thy sight The like doth Iob 9.3 If he namely such an one as saith he is iust contend with God he cannot answer him one of a thousand And Dan. 9. 18. We doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies V. Iustification by works let them be whatsoeuer they can be doth quite ouerturne the foundation of our faith Gal. 5.2 If ye be circumcised Christ will profit you nothing and v. 4. Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law ye are fallen from grace In this place the Apostle speaketh of them not which did openly resist Christ and the Gospel but of such as did with the merit of Christ mingle together the workes of the Law as though some part of our saluation consisted in them Exception This place doth onely exclude such morall works of the flesh as doe goe before faith or the workes of the law of Moses Ans. This is vntrue For euen of Abraham being already regenerated and of those his works which were done when he was iustified Paul speaketh thus To him not which worketh but which beleeueth is faith imputed Those works which God hath prepared that the regenerate should walke in
plunged into a sea of most grieuous afflictions and ouerwhelmed with the gulfes of most dreadfull temptations euen then then I say we should not be discouraged but lift vp our hearts by feruent praier to God Thus did Christ when in the garden he was about to drinke the cuppe of the wrath of God and to sucke vp the very dregges of it and Dauid saith that out of the deepes he called of the name of the Lord and was heard The fifth point what is the matter and forme of this prayer Answ. Christ praies to be deliuered from the death and passion which was to come saying on this manner Father let this cuppe passe from me yet with two clauses added thereto If it be possible and Not my will but thy will be done But it may be demanded how it could be that Christ knowing that it was his Fathers will and counsell that he should suffer death for man and also comming into the world for that ende should make such a request to his Father without sinne Answ. The request proceedes onely of a weaknes or infirmitie in Christs manhood without sinne which appeareth thus We must still consider that when he made this prayer to his father the whole wrath of God and the very dolours and pangs of hell seazed vpon him whereby the senses and powers of his minde were astonished and wholly bent to releeue nature in this agonie For as when the heart is smitten with griefe all the blood in the bodie flowes thither to comfort it so when Christ was in this astonishment the vnderstanding and memorie and all the parts of his humane nature as it were for a time suspending their owne proper actions concurred to sustaine and support the spirit and life of Christ as much as possibly might be Now Christ beeing in the middest of this perplexed estate prayeth on this manner Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe And these words proceede not from any sinne or disobedience to his Fathers will but onely from a meere perturbation of minde caused onely by an outward meanes namly the apprehension of Gods anger which neither blinded his vnderstanding nor tooke away his memorie so as he forgot his fathers will but onely stopped and staied the act of reasoning and remembring for a little time euen as in the most perfect clocke that is the motion may be staied by the ayre or by mans hand or by some outward cause without any defect or breach made in any part of it It may be obiected that Christs will is flatte contrarie to the wil of his father Ans. Christs will as he is man and the will of his father in this agonie were not contrarie but onely diuers and that without any contradiction or contrarietie Now a man may will a diuers thing from that which God willeth and that without sinne Paul desired to preach the word of God in Asia and Bithynia but he was hindred by the spirit For all this there is no contrarietie betweene Paul and the spirit of God but in the shew of discord great consent For that which Paul willeth well the spirit of God willeth not by a better will though the reason hereof be secret and the reason of Pauls will manifest Againe the minister in charitie reputing the whole congregation to be elect in holy manner seeketh and willeth the saluation of euery one which neuerthelesse the Lord in his eternall counsell willeth not Now betweene both these wills there may be and is a difference without contrarietie For one good thing as it is good may differ from another but it cannot be contrarie vnto it It may further be alleadged that in this praier there seemes to be a combate and fight in the minde will and affections of Christ and therefore sinne Ans. There are three kind of combates the one betweene reason and appetite and this fight is alwaies sinnefull and was not in Christ the second is betweene the flesh and the spirit and this may be in Gods child who is but in part regenerate but it did not befall Christ who was perfectly holy The third is a combate of diuers desires vpon sundrie respects drawing a man to and fro This may be in mans nature without fault and was in Christ in whome the desire of doing his Fathers will striuing and struggling with another desire whereby nature seekes to preserue it selfe caused him to pray in this manner The sixth point is in what manner Christ prayed Answ. He praied to his Father partly kneeling partly lying on his face and that with strong cries and teares sweating water and blood and all this he did for our sinnes Here then behold the agonie of Christ as a cleare chrystall in which we may fully see the exceeding greatnes of our sinnes as also the hardnes of our hearts We goe vaunting with our heads to heauen as though it were nothing to sinne against God whereas the horrour of the wrath of God for our rebellions brought downe euen the sonne of God himselfe and laide him groueling vpon the earth And we cānot so much almost as shed one teare for our iniquities wheras he sweates blood for vs. Oh let vs therefore learne to abase our selues and to carrie about vs contrite and bleeding hearts and be confounded in our selues for our sinnes past The last point is the euent of the prayer which is to be heard as the author of the Hebrewes saith Christ Iesus in the daies of the flesh did offer vp vnto his father prayers and supplications with strong cries and teares vnto him that was able to saue him and was also heard in that thing which he feared But some will say how was Christ heard seeing he suffered death and bare the pangs of hel and the full wrath of God if he had beene heard he should haue beene deliuered from all this Answ. We must know that God heares our praiers two waies I. when he directly graunts our request II. when knowing what is good for vs he giues not vs our requests directly but a thing answerable thereunto And thus was Christ heard for he was not deliuered from suffering but yet he had strength and power giuen him whereby his manhood was made able to beare the brunt of Gods wrath And in the same manner God heareth the praiers of his seruants vpon earth Paul praied to be deliuered from the angel Satan that buffeted him but the Lord answered that it should not so be because his grace whereby he was inabled to resist his temptation was sufficient and Paul finding the fruit of his prayers on this manner protests hereupon that he will reioyce in his infirmities Others pray for temporall blessings as health life libertie c. which notwithstanding God holds backe and giues in stead thereof spirituall graces patience faith contentation of minde Augustine saith God heares not our prayers alwaies according to our wills and desires but according as the things asked shall be
came forth of Christs side which signifieth the inward washing away of sinne and the purging of the heart by Christs blood which also is and was signified by the outward washing of the bodie with water in baptisme The third witnes he calls blood alluding to the blood that issued out of Christs side whereby is signified the expiation or satisfaction made to Gods iustice for mans sinne The same vse had the ceremoniall sprinkling in the old testament typically signifying the sprinkling of Christs blood Now these three witnesses are not to be sought for in heauen but euery Christian man must search for them in his owne heart and conscience and there shall he finde them in some measure And this water and blood flowing out of the side of Christ beeing now dead signifieth that he is our iustification and sanctification euen after his death and that out of his death springs our life and therfore as Eue was made of a ribbe taken out of the side of Adam so springs the Church out of the blood that flowes out of the side of the second Adam Hauing thus intreated of Christs execution let vs now come to the last point namely the excellencie of Christs passion cōsisting in these two points I. a Sacrifice II. a triumph For the first when Christ died he offered a propitiatorie and reall sacrifice to his father and herein his death and passion differeth from the sufferings and deaths of all men whatsoeuer In this sacrifice we must consider foure things I. who was the priest II. what was the sacrifice III. what was the altar IV. the time wherein this sacrifice was offered The priest was Christ himselfe as the author of the epistles to the Hebrewes prooues at large from the third chap. to the 9. and of him we are to consider these foure points The first what is the office of Christs priesthood Ans. The office of Christs priesthood stands in three things I. to teach doctrine and therefore he is called the high priest of our profession that is of the Gospel which we professe because he is the author and Doctour of the same II. to offer vp himselfe vnto his father in the behalf of man for the appeasing of his wrath for sinne III. to make request or intercession to God the father that he would accept the sacrifice which he offered on the crosse for vs. The second point is According to which nature he was a priest whether in his manhood or in his godhead or both togither Ans. The office of his priesthood is performed by him according to both his natures and therefore he is a priest not as the Papists would haue him according to his manhood onely but as he is both God and man for as he is a Mediatour so is he a priest but Christ is a Mediatour according to both natures each nature doing that which is peculiar to it conferring something to the worke of redemption and therfore he is a priest as he is both God and man The third point After what order he is a priest Ans. The Scripture mentioneth two orders of priests the order of Leui and the order of Melchisedeck Christ was not a priest after the order of Aaron and yet notwithstanding in that priesthood were many notable rites whereby the priesthoode of our Sauiour Christ was resembled and we may note fiue especially First in the annointing of the high priests as of Aaron and his sonnes after him oile was poured on his head and it ran down to the very edge of his garments whereby was signified that Christ the true high priest was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes that is that his manhoode was filled with the gifts and graces of God both in measure number and degree aboue all men and angels Secondly the sumptuous and gorgious apparell which the high Priest put on when he came into the sanctuarie was a signe of the rich and glorious robe of Christs righteousnesse which is the puritie and integritie of his humane nature and of his life Thirdly the speciall parts of the high Priests attire were first the Ephod the two shoulders whereof had two onyx stones whereon were engrauen the names of the twelue tribes of Israel sixe names on the one stone and sixe on the other as stones of remembrance of the children of Israel to God ward secondly the brestplate of iudgement like the worke of the Ephod wherein were set twelue stones according to the names of the children of Israel grauen as signets euery one after his name Now by these two ornaments were figured two things in Christ by the first that he carries all the Elect on his shoulders and supports them by his spirit so lōg as they are in this world against the world the flesh and the deuill By the second that Christ our high priest beeing now in his sanctuarie in heauen hath in memorie all the Elect their very names are written as it were in tables of gold before his face and he hath an especiall loue vnto them and care ouer them Vpon this ground the church in the Canticles praies on this manner Set me as a seale on thy heart and as a signe◠vpon thy arme And indeede this is a matter of comfort vnto vs all that Christ hath our seuerall names written in pretious stones before his face though he be now in heauen and we on earth and that the particular estate of euery one of vs is both knowne and regarded of him Againe God gaue to Moses the Vrim and Thummim which was put on the breastplate of the high priest when he was to aske counsell from God of things vnknowne before the mercie seat whence God gaue answer What the Vrim and Thummim was it is not knowne and it is like it was not made by any art of man but giuen by God and how it was vsed we can not tell but yet the signification of the words affoardeth matter of meditation Vrim signifies lights and Thummim signifies perfections And by this a further matter was prefigured in Christ who hath the perfit Vrim and Thummim in his breast first because in him are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge secondly because he reueales to his Church out of his word such things as none can know but the children of God as Dauid saith The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him And for this cause the spirit of Christ is called the spirit of wisdome and reuelation and the spirit of God whereby we know the things that are giuen vnto vs of God as namely our election vocation iustification and sanctification in this life and our eternall glorification after this life yea to euery member of Christ within his Church he giues a speciall spirit of reuelation out of the word whereby he may know that God the father is his father the sonne the redeemer his redeemer and the holy Ghost his
Whereby he denies the consequence of the proposition on this manner Though God should elect some to saluation and reiect some others and that vpon his will yet were there no iniustice with God The reason of this answer followes in the 18. verse God hath absolute power or freedome of will whereby without beeing bound to any creature he may and can first of all haue mercie on whome he will and secondly harden whome he will For the proofe of the first that God hath mercie on whome he will he laies downe the testimonie of Moses vers 15. I will haue mercie on him on whome I will shew mercie and I will haue compassion on him on whome I will haue compassion And in verse 16. makes his collection thence that it namely the purpose of God according to election verse 11. is not in him that willeth or in him that runneâ—h but in God that sheweth mercie Whereby he teacheth that the free election of God in order goes before all things that may in time befall man and that therefore neither the intentions and endeauours of the minde nor the workes of our life which are the effects of election can be the impulsiue causes to mooue God to choose vs to saluation The second that God hardens whome he will is confirmed made plaine by the testimonie of Scripture concerning Pharao verse 17. In the 19. verse there followes an other obiection arising out of the answer to the former on this manner If God will haue some to be hardened and reiected and his will can not be resisted then with no iustice can he punish theÌ„ that are necessarily subiect to his decree but God will haue some to be hardened and reiected and his will can not be resisted therfore saith the aduersarie with no iustice can hee punish man that is necessarily subiect to his decree Here marke that if there had beene an vniuersall election of all men and if men had beene elected or reiected according as God did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue the occasion of this obiection had beene cutte off But let vs come to Pauls answer In the 20. verse hee takes the assumption for graunted that some are reiected because God will and that the wil that is the decree of God can not be resisted and onely denies the coherence of the proposition checking the malipert pride of the aduersarie and shewing that the making of this wicked and blasphemous collection against the will of God is as if a man should sue God at the lawe and bring him as it were to the barre and plead against him as his equall whereas indeede the creature is nothing to the creatour and is absolutely to submit it selfe to his will in all things In vers 21. he proceedes to a second answer shewing that Gods will is not to be blamed because by his absolute soueraigntie and the right of creation hee hath power to choose men or to reiect and harden them And where there is right and power to doe a thing the will of the doer is not to be blamed Now that God hath this right and power ouer his creature it is prooued by a comparison from the lesse to the greater on this manner The potter hath power ouer the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessel to honour and another to dishonour therefore may God much more make some vessells of mercy and some vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The first part of the comparison is vers 21. the second part vers 22 23. And least any man should thinke that God makes vessels of honour and dishonour without sufficient and iust cause in himselfe as the potter may doe therefore he sets downe endes of the will of God he makes vessels of dishonour to shewe his wrath and to make manifest his power and againe he condemnes no man til he haue suffered him with long patience And he makes vessells of honour that he might declare the riches of his glorie vpon them Hence it is manifest first that the ende of predestination is the glorie of God which is to be made manifest partly in his iustice and partly in his mercy secondly that men are not elected or refused of God for their foreseene corruâ—tions or vertues for then Paul would not haue said the God made vessels of dishonour but that being so alreadie he left them in their dishonour Thus from the 6. verse of this chapter to the 24. Paul hath described vnto vs the doctrine of Gods eternall predestination and that by the iudgement of Diuines in all ages The order of Gods Predestination is this It is the propertie of the reasonable creature to conceiue one thing after another whereas God conceiues all things at once with one act of vnderstanding and all things both past and to come are present with him and therefore in his eternall counsell he decrees not one thing after another but all things at once Neuerthelesse for our vnderstanding sake we may distinguish the counsel of God concerning man into two acts or degrees the first is the purpose of God in himselfe in which he determines what he wil do and the end of al his doings and that is to create al things specially man for his owne glory partly by shewing on some men his mercy and vpon others his iustice The second is an other purpose whereby he decrees the execution of the former and laies downe meanes of accomplishing the ende thereof These two acts of the counsell of God are not to bee seuered in any wise nor confounded but distinctly considered with some difference For in the first god decrees some men to honour by shewing his mercy and loue on them and some againe to dishonour by shewing his iustice on them and this man more then that vpon his will and pleasure and there is no other cause hereof known to vs. In the second knowne and manifest causes are set downe of the execution of the former decree For no man is actually condemned yea God decrees to condemne no man but for his sinnes and no man is actually saued but for the merit of Christ. Furthermore this latter act of the counsell of God must be conceiued of vs in the second place and not in the first For euermore the first thing to be intended is the ende it selfe and then afterward the subordinate meanes and causes wherby the end is accomplished Againe the second act of Gods counsell containes two other one which setteth downe the preparation of the meanes whereby Gods Predestination beginnes to come in execution and they are two the creation of man righteous after the image of God the voluntarie fall of Adam and withall the shutting vp of all men vnder damnation the other appoints the applying of the seuerall meanes to the persons of men that Gods decree which was set downe before all times may in time bee fully accomplished as shall afterward in particular appeare Predestination hath two
of vs that professe faith working by loue It may be demanded what we are to iudge of them that as yet are enemies of God Ans. Our dutie is to suspend our iudgement concerning their finall estate for we knowe not whether God will call them or no and therefore we must rather pray for their conuersion then for their confusion Againe it may be demaunded what is to be thought of all our ancetours and forefathers that liued and died in the times when poperie tooke place Ans. We may well hope the best and thinke that they were saued for though the Papacie be not the Church of God and though the doctrine of Poperie rase the foundation yet neuerthelesse in the verie midst of the Romane Papacie God hath alwaies had a remnant which haue in some measure truely serued him In the olde testament when open Idolatrie tooke place in all Israel God said to Eliah I haue râ—serued seuen thousand to my selfe that neuer bowed knee to Baal and the like is and hath bene in the generall apostasie vnder Antichrist Saint Iohn saith that when the woman fled into the wildernesse for a time euen then there was a remnant of her seede which kept the commandements of God and had the testimonie of Iesus Christ. And againe when ordinarie meanes of saluation faile then God can and doth make a supplie by meanes extraordinarie and therefore there is no cause why we should say that they were condemned Thirdly it may be demanded whethether the common iudgement giuen of Francis Spira that he is a reprobate be good or no Ans. We may with better warrant say no then any man saie yea For what gifts of discerning had they which came to visit him in his extremitie and what reasons induced theÌ„ to giue this peremptorie iudgement He said himselfe that he was a reprobate that is nothing a sicke mans iudgement of himselfe is not to be regarded Yea but he despaired a senselesse reason for so doth many a man yeare by yeare that very often as deepely as euer Spira did and yet by the good helpe of the ministerie of the word both are and may be recouered And they which will auouch Spira to be a reprobate must goe further and prooue two things that he despaired both wholly and finally which if they cannot prooue wee for our parts must suspende our iudgements and they were much to blame that first published the booke Lastly it may be demanded what is to be thought of them that make very fearefull endes in rauing and blaspheming Ans. Such straunge behauiours are oftentimes the fruits of violent diseases which torment the bodie and bereaue the minde of sense and reason and therefore if the persons liued wel we must think the best for we are not by outward things to iudge of the estate of any man Salomon saith that all things come alike to al and the same condition to the iust and to the wicked Thus much of the parts of Predesâ—ination Nowe followes the vse thereof and it concernes partly our iudgements partly our affections and partly our liues The vses which concerne iudgement are three And first by the doctrine of Predestination we learne that there cannot be any iustification of a sinner before God by his workes For Gods election is the cause of iustification because whome God electeth to saluation after this life them he electeth to be iustified in this life Nowe election it selfe is of grace and of grace alone as Paul saith Election is by grace and if it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no grace therefore iustification is of grace and of grace alone I reason thus The cause of a cause is the cause of all things caused but grace alone is the cause of predestinatioÌ„ which is the cause of our vocatioÌ„ iustificatioÌ„ sanctification c. Grace therefore is also the alone cause of all these Therefore the Scriptures ascribe not onely the beginning but also the continuance and accomplishment of all our happinesse to grace For first as election so vocation is of grace Paul saith God hath called vs not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace Againe faith in Christ is of grace So it is said To you it is giuen to beleeue in Christ. Also the iustificatioÌ„ of a sinner is of grace So Paul saith plainly to the Romans you are iustified freely by his grace Againe sanctification and the doing of good workes is of grace So it is said We are his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them Also pâ—rseuerance in good workes and godlines is of grace So the Lord saith I will make an euerlasting couenant with them that I will neuer turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Lastly life euerlasting is of grace So Paul saith Life euerlasting is the gift of God through Iesus Christ. Nowe they of the Church of Rome teach the â—lat contrarie they make two iustifications the first whereby a man of an euill man is made a good man the second whereby of a good man he is made better The first they ascribe to grace but so as the second is by workes Secondly hence we learne that the art of iudiciall astrologie is vaine and friuolous They that practise it doe professe themselues to tell of things to come almost whatsoeuer and this they doe by casting of figures and the speciall point of their art is to iudge of mens natiuities For if they may knowe but the time of a mans birth they take vpon them to tell the whole course of his life from yeare to yeare from weeke to weeke and from day to day from the day of his birth to the houre of his death yea that which is more they professe themselues to tell all things that shall befal men either in bodie goods or good name and what kinde of death they shall die But that this their practise is not of God but indeede vnlawefull it may appeare by this because it standes not with the doctrine of Gods predestination Two twinnes begotten of the same parents and borne both at one and the same time by the iudgement of Astrologians must haue both the same life and the same death and be euery way alike both in goods and good name yet we see the contrarie to be true in Iacob and Esau who were borne both of the same parents at one time For Iacob tooke Esau by the heele so as there could not be much difference bâ—tweene them in time yet for all this Esau was a fierce man and wilde giuen to hunting but Iacob was milde of nature and liued at home the one had fauour at Gods hand and was in the couenant but God kept backe that mercie from the other Againe in a pitcht field are
we first loued God but because he first loued vs As though he had said therefore wee loue GOD because hee first that is before the foundation of the world louing vs in Christ by the ingrauing of his loue in our hearts causeth vs to loue him againe as a father So loue is said to wit that loue by which wee loue God to be of God that is to proceede of the loue of God towards vs. And Paul writeth that the loue of God namely that loue by which he loued vs to be shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs and by this shedding of the loue of God in our hearts it commeth to passe that loue is also wrought in our hearts towards God And therefore by that sound loue by which we seele our selues to loue God we are made to know how great that loue of God is by which hee loued vs from all eternitie in Christ. And what is that loue else but predestination In like manner election by which he singled vs from the rest of the world in Christ that we might be holy before him begets in vs a certain image euen of God himselfe that is another election by which we renouncing all other Gods which are worshipped in the world make our choice of this our true God Iehouah to be our god that he may be alwaies before our eies he which sanctifieth vs and the author of our whole saluation Wherefore through this constant election which is in vs we perceiue that the election which is in god as concerning vs is firme and sure not onely as we gather the cause by the effect but also as we gather the patterne by the picture like as by the similitude of the forme of a seale fashioned in waxe we doe easily vnderstand what is the very forme and fashion of the seale Therefore it is manifest that it is the manner of God by the effects of his election predestination imprinted in vs to reueale to euery one of vs his own election and predestination And that two waies both because there are certaine effâ—cts of predestination and by the effects the causes are known and also because there are certaine liuely types of Gods foreknowledge and election by which we are sealed vp vnto God Now by the imprinting of these formes types in vs as the seale is in wax the very first patterns themselues are knowne what they are Furthermore that there is no man elected to eternall life which shal not be sealed vp in the time appointed with these markes of Gods election It is manifest out of these places of scripture which treat of election and predestination The Apostle teacheth that we were elected that wee might be holy and without blame Also he teacheth that all they whome God hath predestinated are likewise called and iustified and by consequent indued with faith and knowledge of God by which they take him for their father with loue also wherewith they loue him as a father Also with a good will and constant purpose by which they desire constantly his glorie Againe he saith in another place the foundation standeth sure hauing this seale in respect of GOD the Lord knoweth who are his Nowe in respect of vs hee putteth downe another seale saying let him depart from iniquitie which calleth vpon the name of the Lord for with this marke all the elect are branded They call vpon the name of the Lord and depart from iniquitie seeking after holinesse and a good conscience And this is that sealing which is so often mentioned in the scriptures As when in the Apocalyps it is said that an innumerable multitude was sealed to the Lord. For like as the father sealed Iesus Christ as hee was man Mediator so also the rest of his children he hath sealed doeth daily seale with sure notes and seales to distinguish them from other men the childreÌ„ of this age For God is said to haue annointed vs and sealed vs and giuen vs the earnest of his spirit in our hearts And again to haue sealed vs with the holy spirit of promise and that to the daie of redemption As it is easie to discerne a right seale from a counterfeit so the true soules of God by the sealing of the spirit are distinguished from hypocrits lawful children froÌ„ bastards It remaineth that we should declare some effects of predestination by which as by markes and seales the Elect may be discerned from Reprobates The first effect of Predestination is Christ himselfe as he is a Mediator and a Sauiour dwelling in our hearts by his holy spirit For as we are elected in him and by him redeemed so by the sprinkling of his blood wee are clensed and sealed and by his dwelling in vs quickened for hee is our life and that eternall and therefore wee are seuered from Reprobates which alwaies remaine in death as in the holy Scriptures we are taught Wee say that this is the first effect of Predestination because we can enioy none of the gifts of god either of election vocation or iustification except in Christ and by Christ For hee hath poured out all the effects of predestination into vs. In that therefore euerie elect faithfull man feeleth Christ to dwell in him and to quicken him hee hath a seale in himselfe by which he may know that he was elected to euerlasting life in the same Christ A part and beginning of which life is this spirituall life by which we now liue to God And as euerie man knoweth himselfe to be the sonne of God in Christ because he calleth vpon God from his heart as a father he may conclude that hee is predestinated to be the sonne of God for Christs cause And that by this first note the faithfull may know that they are elect to eternall life the Apostle sheweth Know ye not saith he your selues that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates And no doubt a Type of this kind of sealing was that sealing which was done in Egypt by the blood of the Lambe namely when the houses of the Israelites were sprinkled with this blood that they might be discerned from the houses of the Egyptians and so be passed ouer vntouched of the Angel And by Christ as by the chiefe effect yea and the cause too of all the effects which followe all other effects of Predestination are put into vs and we are sealed with them The Apostle nameth three principals our calling to wit effectuall our iustification and glorification This third effect we shall obtaine in the life to come the two first in this life And to these two may verie well be referred all other which we receiue in this life by Christ with the effectuall we ioyne a sound hearing of the word of God and the vnderstanding of it accompanied with great and constant delight and ioie faith also and a true knowledge of the deitie humanitie and office of Christ.
I answer that they to whome Christ came not neither hath spoken vnto them haue an excuse not of euery sinne but of this sinne that they haue not beleeued in Christ. Againe It remaines to inquire whether those who before Christ came in his Church to the Gentiles and before they heard his Gospell haue bin or are preuented by death may vse this excuse Doubtles they may but they shall not therefore escape damnation For whosoeuer haue sinned without the law shall perish without the law As for the reasons which some of the schoolemen haue alleadged to the contrarie they are answered all by men of the same order and I will briefly touch the principall First it is obiected that the holy Ghoâ—t shall iudge the world of sinne because they haue not beleeued in Christ Ioh. 16.9 I answer that by the world we must not vnderstand all and euery man since the creation but all nations and kingdomes in the last age of the world to whome the Gospel was reuealed Thus hath Paul expounded this word Rom. 11.12 The fall of them is the riches of the world and the diminishing of them is the riches of the Gentiles v. 15. The casting of them away is the reconciling of the world Secondly it is obiected that the law binds all men in conscience though the greatest part of it be vnknowne to them Answ. The law was once giuen to Adam and imprinted in his heart in his first creation and in him as beeing the roote of all mankind it was giuen to all men and as when he sinned all men sinned in him so when he was enlightened all were enlightned in him and consequently when his conscience was bound by the law all were bound in him And though this knowledge be lost by mans default yet the bond remaines still on Gods part Now the case is otherwise with the Gospel which was neuer written in mans nature but was giuen after the fall and is aboue nature Here a further replie is made that the couenant made with Adam The seede of the woman shal bruise the serpents head was also made with his seede which is all mankind and was afterward continued with Abraham to all nations I answer again that Adam was a root of mankind onely in respect of mans nature with the gifts and sinnes thereof he was no roote in respect of grace which is aboue nature but Christ the second Adam And therefore when God gaue the promise vnto him and faith to beleeue the promise he did not in him giue them both to all mankinde neither if Adam had afterward fallen from faith in the Messias should all mankind againe haue fallen in him Moreouer that the promise of grace was not made to Adams seede vniuersally but indefinitely it appeares because when God did afterward renew the couenant he restrained it to the familie of Noe and Abrahamâ— and in Abrahams familie it was restrained to Isaac In Isaac saith the Lord shall thy seede be called yea in the very tenour of the couenant there is a distinction made of the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent which seede of the serpent is a part of mankind and it is excluded from the couenant And whereas the Lord promised to Abraham that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed the promise must not be vnderstood of all men in euery age but of all nations in the last age of the world And thus Paul hath cleared the text Gal. 3. 8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles through faith which was done after Christs ascension he preached before the Gospel to Abraham In thee shall nations be blessed Lastly it may be obiected that if any man be ignorant of the doctrine of saluation by Christ it is through his owne fault it is true indeede that all ignorance of the doctrine of saluation comes through mans fault sinne but sinne must be distinguished it is either personall or the sinne of mans nature Now in them that neuer heard of Christ their ignorance in this point proceedes not of any personall sinne in them but onely from the sinne of mans nature that is the first sinne of Adam common to all mankinde which sinne is punished when God leaues men wholly to themselues Now many things there be in men proceeding from this sinne which neuerthelesse are no sinnes as the manifold miseries of this life and so I take the ignorance of things aboue mans nature altogether vnreuealed to be no sinne but a punishment of originall sinne Thus much of the persons which are bound by the Gospel now let vs see how farre forth they are bound by it God in the Gospell generally reueales two points vnto vs the first that there is perfect righteousnes and life euerlasting to be obtained by Christ the second that the instrument to obtaine righteousnes and life eternall is faith in Christ. Moreouer when this Gospel is dispensed and preached vnto vs God reueales vnto vs two points more the first that he will make vs particularly to be partakers of true righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ the secoâ—d that he will haue vs without doubting to beleeue thus much of our selues And for this cause euery man to whome the Gospel is reuealed is bound to beleeue his owne election iustification sanctification and glorification in and by Christ. The reasons and grounds of this point out of the word of God are these I. 1. Ioh. 3.23 This is his commandement that we beleeue in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaué vs commandement Now to beleeue in Christ is not confusedly to beleeue that he is a Redeemer of mankind but withall to beleeue that he is my Sauiour and that I am elected iustified sanctified and shall be glorified by him This is graunted of all men yea of the Papists themselues which otherwise are enemies of this doctrine For Lumberd saith To beleeue in God is by beleeuing to loue and as it were to goe into God by beleeuing to cleaue vnto him and as it were to be incorporate into his members II. Paul Gal. 2. 16. â—irst of all propounds a generall sentence That a man is not iustified by the workes of the law but by the faith of Christ. Afterward he addes a speciall application Euen we namely Iewes haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Iesus Christ and in v. 20. he descends more specially to applie the Gospel to himselfe I liue saith he by the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me And in this kinde of application there is nothing peculiar to Paul for in this very action of his he auoucheth himselfe to be an example vnto vs 1. Tim. 1. 16. For this cause saith he was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should shew first on me all long suffering vnto the ensample of them which
hinder our assurance For God makes manifest his power in our weaknes 2. Cor. 12. and he wil not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flaxe Isa. 42. Thirdly if a man loue God for his mercies sake and haue a true hope of saluation by Christ he is in Christ and hath fellowshippe with him and he that is in Christ hath all his vnworthines and wants laide on Christ and they are couered and pardoned in his death and in respect of our selues thus considered as we are in Christ we haue no cause to wauer but to be certen of our saluation and that in regard of our selues The fourth point touching the iustification of a sinner That we may see how farre we are to agree with them and where to differ first I will set downe the doctrine on both parts and secondly the maine differences wherein we are to stand against them euen to death Our doctrine touching the iustificatioÌ„ of a sinner I propound in 4 rules Rule I. That iustification is an action of God whereby he absolueth a sinner accepteth him to life euerlasting for the righteousnes merit of Christ. Rule II. That iustification stands in two things first in the remission of sinnes by the merit of Christ his death secondly in the imputation of Christ his righteousnes which is an other action of God whereby he accounteth esteemeth that righteousnes which is in Christ as the righteousnes of that sinner which beleeueth in him By Christ his righteousnes we are to vnderstand two things first his sufferings specially in his death and passion secondly his obedience in fulfilling the law both which go togither for Christ in suffering obeied and obeying suffered And the very shedding of his blood to which our saluation is ascribed must not onely be considered as it is passiue that is a suffering but also as it is actiue that is an obedience in which he shewed his exceeding loue both to his father and vs and thus fulfilled the law for vs. This point if some had well thought on they would not haue placed all iustification in remission of sinnes as they doe Rule III. That iustification is from Gods meere mercie and grace procured onely by the merit of Christ. Rule IV. That man is iustified by faith alone because faith is that alone instrument created in the heart by the holy Ghost whereby a sinner laieth hold of Christ his righteousnes and applieth the same vnto himselfe There is neither hope nor loue nor any other grace of God within man that can doe this but faith alone The doctrine of the Romane Church touching the iustification of a sinner is on this manner I. They hold that before iustification there goes a preparation thereunto which is an action wrought partly by the holy Ghost and partly by the power of naturall freewill whereby a man disposeth himselfe to his owne future iustification In the preparation they consider the ground of iustification and things proceeding from it The ground is faith which they define to be a generall knowledge whereby we vnderstand and beleeue that the doctrine of the word of God is true Things proceeding from this faith are these a sight of our sinnes a feare of hell hope of saluation loue of God repentance such like all which when men haue attained they are then fully disposed as they say to their iustification This preparation beeing made then comes iustification it selfe â— which is an action of God whereby he maketh a man righteous It hath two parts the first and the second The first is when a sinner of an euill man is made a good man And to effect this two things are required first the pardon of sinne which is one part of the first iustification secondly the infusion of inward righteousnes whereby the heart is purged and sanctified and this habite of righteousnes stand specially in hope and charitie After the first iustification followeth the second which is when a man of a good or iust man is made better and more iust and this say they may proceede from workes of grace because he which is righteous by the first iustification can bring forth good workes by the merit wherof he is able to make himselfe more iust and righteous and yet they graunt that the first iustification commeth onely of Gods mercie by the merit of Christ. I. Our consent and difference Now let vs come to the points of difference betweene vs and them touching iustification The first maine difference is in the matter thereof which shall be seene by the answer both of Protestant and Papist to this one question What is the very thing that causeth a man to stand righteous before God and to be accepted to life euerlasting we answer Nothing but the righteousnes of Christ which consisteth partly in his sufferings and partly in his actiue obedience in fulfilling the rigour of the law And here let vs consider how neere the Papists come to this answer and wherein they dissent Consent I. They graunt that in iustification sinne is pardoned by the merits of Christ and that none can be iustified without remission of sinnes and that is well II. They graunt that the righteousnes whereby a man is made righteous before God commeth from Christ and from Christ alone III. The most learned among them say that Christ his satisfaction and the merit of his death is imputed to euery sinner that doth beleeue for his satisfaction before God and hitherto we agree The very point of difference is this we hold that the satisfaction made by Christ in his death and obedience to the law is imputed to vs and becomes our righteousnesse They say it is our satisfaction and not our righteousnesse whereby we stand righteous before God because it is inherent in the person of Christ as in a subiect Now the answer of the Papist to the former question is on this manner The thing saith he that maketh vs righteous before God and causeth vs to be accepted to life euerlasting is remission of sinnes and the habite of inward righteousnes or charitie with the fruits thereof We condiscend and graunt that the habite of righteousnes which we call sanctification is an excellent gift of God and hath his reward of God and is the matter of our iustification before man because it serueth to declare vs to be reconciled to God and to be iustified yet we denie it to be the thing which maketh vs of sinners to become righteous or iust before God And this is the first point of our disagreement in the matter of iustification which must be marked because if there were no more points of difference betweene vs this one alone were sufficient to keepe vs from vniting of our religions for hereby the Church of Rome doth rase the very foundation Now let vs see by what reasons we iustifie our doctrine and secondly answer the contrarie obiections Our reasons Reason I. That very thing which must â—e our righteousnes