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cause_n	believe_v	justification_n	justify_v	1,647	5	8.0786	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40368	King Jesvs is the beleevers prince, priest, and law-giver, in things appertaining to the conscience, Isai. 55.4. Heb. 7.17. Jam. 4. 12. Or, The loyall spouse of Christ hath no head, nor husband, but royall King Jesvs. Written by Francis Cornwell, a minister of Jesus Christ, out of the learned workes of Mr. John Fox in his book of Martyrs, excepting onely some explanations of his owne, for the benefit of the reader.	Cornwell, Francis.; Foxe, John, 1516-1587. Actes and monuments.	1645 (1645)	Wing F2041; ESTC R208105	18,659	46

When the children of Israel were bid of Moses to look up to the brasen serpent neither could the serpent have helped them except they had looked up nor yet their looking upward have profited them unlesse they had directed their eye unto the said brasen serpent as the onely object set up of God for the same purpose for them to behold so all poore sinners are commanded in the Gospel to look up to Jesus whom they have pierced Zech. 12. 10. now a crucified Jesus cannot help them except they looke up nor yet their beleeving or looking upward cannot profit them unlesse they direct the eye of their faith unto the said crucified Jesus as the onely object set up of Gods free grace for them to behold Iohn 3. 14. Thus our faith directed by Gods own Spirit Zech. 12. 10. to the body of Jesus crucified is the onely meanes whereby Christs merits are applied to us and we now justified before God according to the doctrine of Paul who in expresse words defining what this faith is and how it justifieth saith If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. 9. Besides this what action or quality soever is in man either hope charity or any other kind of faith or beleeving be it never so true except it apprehend this object which is the body of Christ the Sonne of God that loved us and gave himselfe for us it serveth not to justification And that is the cause why wee adde this particle onely to faith and say that Faith onely in Christ justifieth us to exclude all other actions qualities Thus farre Mr. Fox the Writer addes qualifications marks signes evidences of sanctification as poverty of spirit mourning for sinne hungring and thirsting after Christ love to the brethren universall obedience or gifts or workes of beleevers as repentance for sinne or any other acts of humiliation fasting praying weeping mourning or reformation or deed of charity from the cause of justifying But you destroy qualifications markes signes and evidences of sanctification Doe I destroy qualifications c. because I will not make them causes of my justification Markes signes and evidences of sanctification flow from faith and not faith from them they are the fruits as I may so speake of a justifying faith and declare what kind of faith it is that justifieth namely repenting faith working faith They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourne over him as one mourneth for an onely sonne and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-borne Zech. 12.10 Because nothing can expiate my sinne but the bloud of my Christ therefore I repent But a good tree is knowne by his fruit Mat. 7.17 To others not to it selfe for if the good tree could speake it would say I am not a good tree because I beare good fruit but by vertue of my union with my good root I bring forth good fruit So we are not good men because wee shew forth to others these markes signes qualifications and evidences of our sanctification as poverty of spirit mourning for sinne hungring and thirsting after Christ c. but by vertue of our union with our good root the Lord Jesus wee bring forth this good fruit Iohn 15. 5. I am the Vine and yee are the branches hee that abideth in mee and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without mee yee can doe nothing These Objections and the Answers were inserted by the Writer to shew that though hee deny markes signes qualifications and evidences of sanctification as causes of justifying yea and he utterly denyeth them to be the first evidence of Justification for that were to robbe faith of his prerogative Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the evidence of things not seen though hee deny them à priori yet hee acknowledgeth them à posteriori from the effects as a secondary witnesse and as an evidence that the spirit of Jesus dwelleth in you of a truth which causeth this life and fruit of holinesse so to abound in you Thus farre the Writer declareth his judgement Now to Mr. Foxes words againe For so much as there is no other knowledge nor gifts of men given of God to man be it never so excellent can stand before the judgement of God unto justification of a poore sinner or whereunto any promise of salvation is annexed but onely this faith looking up to this spirituall Brasen Serpent that is to the body of Christ Jesus for us crucified Zech. 12. 10. As for example When the Turke saith that hee beleeveth in one living God that made heaven and earth his beleefe therein is true yet it justifieth him not because it lacketh the right object which is Christ Jesus crucified So when the Jew saith that he beleeveth in one God maker of heaven and earth and beleeveth also the same God to be omnipotent mercifull just and true of promise and that hee hath elected the seed of Abraham true it is that hee beleeveth and yet all this serveth him not because Jesus Christ crucified the Sonne of God is not joyned with all And though the said Jew should be never so devout in his prayers or charitable in his almes or precise in keeping the Law and beleeve never so stedfastly that hee is elect to be saved yet hee is never the nearer to salvation for all this so long as his faith is not grounded upon the head Corner-stone which is the person and body of Jesus Christ the true Saviour seeing there is salvation in none other Acts 4. 12. After like sort it may be said of the Papist when hee saith that hee is baptized and beleeveth in the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost three Persons and one God and also confesseth that Jesus is the Sonne of God which died for our sinnes and rose againe for our righteousnesse c. his beleefe therein is true and indeed would save him if hee did stay his salvation in this faith and upon Christ his Saviour onely according to the promise and grace of God and goe no further but that hee doth not for neither doth hee admit Christ onely to be his perfect Saviour without the help of Patrons Deeds Advocates and Mediatours nor yet permitteth his faith in Christ onely to be the meanes of his justification but setteth up other by-meanes as hope charity Sacrifice of the Masse confession pennance satisfaction merits and pardons supposing thereby to worke his justification before God contrary to the word of promise Iohn 3.16 and to the Gospel of grace Gal. 3. 8. Thus farre Mr. Fox Now the Writer inserteth a few words Thus the Papists declare from what stock they spring even from Iezebel of Rome the mother of all fornication that hath the true character of an harlot 1 King 3. 26. that can be content with a divided Christ But

the true Spouse of Christ will have a whole Christ or none in point of Justification or Intercession for Christ will not give his glory to another And Saint Paul telleth us that if wee bring circumcision to adde to Christ in point of Justification as without which hee were not a perfect Saviour Christ profits nothing Gal. 5.2 Now to Mr. Fox And thus much of the true causes of our justification after the doctrine of Saint Paul Concerning which causes this distinction furthermore by the way is to be added that as touching the originall causes of our salvation which be divers and sundry some are externall and without us some are internall and within us Of the externall causes which are without us the first and principall is the mercy and grace of God Of this followeth Predestination and Election Rom. 9. 11. 12. then Vocation which is of free grace nothing in the creature is the cause of it 1 Cor. 2. 26 27 28 29 30. 2 Tim. 1.9 The last and next cause to this is the death and bloud-shedding of Christ whereby wee are redeemed And all these be externall causes because they are without us Of internall causes that be in man through the gift of God Ephes. 2.8 there is but one and no more in Scripture appointed that is our faith in Christ which is the gift of God in us Phil. 1.29 Besides this there is no gift of God given to man vertue worke merit nor any thing else that is any part or cause of salvation but onely this gift of faith to beleeve in Christ Jesus And this is the cause why wee hold that faith onely justifieth meaning that amongst all the workes deeds actions labours and operations whatsoever man doth or can doe there is nothing in man that worketh salvation but onely his faith given him of God to beleeve in Christ Jesus his Sonne that was crucified for him Following therein the trade of Saint Pauls teaching who in precise words so ascribeth Justification to Faith that hee excludeth all other actions of man and workes of the Law and therefore in the Epistle to the Romanes Saint Paul reasoning of the glory of justifying asketh this question How this glory is excluded By what law of workes Nay but by the law of faith Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law Rom. 3.27 28. Thus farre Mr. Fox Now the Writer will insert a few words in explanation of a Text of Scripture in setting out the dignity of faith Ioh. 3. 16. To the saving knowledge of the promise of life rendered to a beleever in Jesus Christ there is required these six particulars The first is the freenesse of grace offered It requireth nothing precedent in any man no qualifications preparations dispositions whatsoever no freedome from any sinne in one kind or other no antecedent sorrow or remorse for sinne but that it is freely and willingly tendered by the Lord to be embraced and beleeved by the most unworthiest of men as by the worthiest of all But is there no qualification in the soule precedent to faith If there be any qualification in the soul precedent or going before faith then there may be something pleasing to God in the soule before faith received But there is nothing pleasing unto God before faith the reason is Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God Therefore I conclude there is no qualification preparation disposition whatsoever in the soule pleasing unto God before faith received for as for poverty of spirit and mourning for sinne and hungring and thirsting after Christ and his righteousnesse these flow from faith and they are the effects and fruits of that faith that justifieth The second is the fulnesse of this grace which standeth chiefly in two things 1. In the extent of it to all sinnes so that no sinnes whatsoever or how many soever or of what continuance soever can make a man in his naturall condition uncapable of this pardon and forgivenesse of them there offered As for the sinne against the holy Spirit Mat. 12. 31. that is a sinne against light and grace received as appeareth Heb. 6.6 2. In the extent unto all persons thereof of what ranck or condition soever or of what number soever instance if ten or an hundred or ten thousand of the greatest and foulest sinners in the world accepting that is to say beleeving the promise of life in Christ shall be as readily and certainly pardoned as the smallest number of the lightest offenders that ever were These two things are in the note of the universality Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish The third is the knowledge of the Gospel which requireth the apprehension of the way and of the means of conveyance and of the derivation of this grace to the world and that is in and by Jesus Christ as for his sake onely The fourth is the incommunicablenesse of this pardoning and saving grace either in whole or in part in any other way or by any other meanes whatsoever then by and through Christ alone This third and fourth I conceive to bee expressed in these words in him that is In Christ Jesus and in Christ Jesus so intirely that hee joyneth nothing with him to trust on or confide in besides Gal. 5. 2,3 The fifth is that act or condition in the creature by which God doth actually instate him in the possession of this grace which is faith or beleeving of the promise of life in Jesus Christ In this word beleeveth The sixth is the infinite benefit in this grace received by faith or beleeving that is salvation clearly expressed in these words shall not perish but have everlasting life So much the Author or Writer inserteth The last part of this Treatise that the Author hath taken out of Mr. Foxes writings is out of the Summary collections of the errours heresies absurdities contained in the Popes doctrine contrary to the rule of Gods word and the first institution of the Church of Rome Tome 1. part pag. 22. This errour and heresie of the Church of Rome though it seeme at the first sight to the naturall reason of man to be but of small importance yet if it be earnestly considered it is in very deed the most pernicious heresie that ever almost crept into the Church upon which as the only foundation all or the most part of all the errours absurdities and inconveniences of the Popes Church are grounded For this being once admitted that a man is not justified by his faith in Christ alone but other meanes and qualifications or evidences of sanctification must be sought by our owne working and merits to apply the merits of Christs Passion unto us then is there neither any certainty left of our salvation nor end in setting up new meanes and markes and signes and merits of our owne devising for the getting of the assurance of the remission of sinnes Neither hath there been any

man to whom the Lord imputeth no sin c. Psal. 31. 2. and also of all the Prophets which as St. Peter saith give record to him that through his Name all that beleeve in him shall receive remission of their sinnes c. Acts 10.43 Which being so as it cannot be denyed then what need these private and extraordinary remissions to be brought into the Church by eare confession by meritorious deeds and by Popes pardons Or any other act of humiliations which words are inserted by the Writer For if there be no condemnation but by the Law and if the Law it selfe be captived crucified abolished and departed which was the first husband what condemnation can there be to them that be in Christ Jesus the beleevers second husband or by whom shall it come If there be no condemnation but a free and generall deliverance for all men once gotten by the victory of Christ from the penalty of the Law what needeth then any particular remission of sinnes at sundry times bee sought for at the Priests hands or the Popes pardons Hee that hath a generall pardon needeth no particular If remedy for sinne be generall and perpetuall once gotten for ever to all them that be in Christ Jesus what needeth any other remedy by auricular confession If it be not generall and perpetuall how is it then true that Saint Paul saith The Law is crucified and condemnation abolished Or how standeth Redemption perpetuall and generall if remission of sinnes be not generall For what is Redemption else but remission of sinnes or sins bought out Or what else to kill the Law but to discharge us from condemnation for ever Hee that delivereth his friend for a time out of his enemies hand doth him a pleasure but hee which killeth the enemy out of the way giveth perpetuall safety So if remison of sinnes by Christ were for some sins and not for all the Law then must needs live still but now the killing and crucifying of the Law importeth full remission of sinnes to be absolutely granted and our safety to be perpetuall But here percase will be objected of some How standeth remission of sins certaine and perpetuall seeing new offences being daily committed doe daily require new remissions Hereunto I answer Albeit sinnes doe daily grow whereby wee need daily to desire of God to forgive us our trespasses c. yet notwithstanding the cause of our remission standeth ever one and perpetuall neither is the same to be repeated any more nor any other cause to be sought for besides that alone This cause is the sacrificed body of Christ once upon the crosse Heb. 10.14 for all sinnes that either have been or shall be committed Besides this cause there is salvation in none other Act. 4. 12. neither confession nor Priests prayer nor mens pardon nor any qualifications of ours that remitteth sinnes Furthermore as the cause is one and ever perpetuall which worketh remission of sinnes unto us so is the promise of God ever one once made and standeth perpetuall that offereth the same to the faith of the repenting sinner And because the said promise of God is alwayes sure and cannot faile which offereth remission to all that beleeve in Christ being limited neither to time nor number therefore we may boldly conclude that at what time soever a repenting sinner beleeveth and by faith applieth to himselfe the sacrifice of Christ hee hath by Gods own free promise remission of his sinnes whether they were done before or after Baptisme And moreover for so much as the said promise of God offereth remission of sinne to the repentant sinner by no other meanes nor condition but onely one that is by faith in Christ therefore excluding all other meanes and conditions of mans working Thus Fox the Writer addes yea and marks and signes and qualifications as poverty of spirit mourning for sinnes or any other acts of humiliation to be joyned with faith in Christ in point of Justification Wee saith Mr. Fox say that what repenting sinner soever beleeveth in Christ hath already in himselfe and needeth not to seeke to any Priest perpetuall assurance of remission of sinnes not for this time or that time onely but for ever and a day for the promise saith not He that beleeveth in Christ shall be pardoned this time so he sinne no more neither doth it say the Law is stayed or the sentence reprived but saith plainly that the Law with her condemnation and sentence herselfe is condemned and hanged up and shall never rise again to condemne them that be in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. and promiseth indeterminately without limitation remission of sinnes to all that beleeve in his Name Acts 10.43 And in another place the Scripture speaking absolutely saith Sin shall not prevaile over you and addeth the reason why saying because yee are not under the law but under grace Rom. 6. 14. adding this lesson withall as followeth in the same place Not that sinners should sinne more therefore because they are under grace but onely that weak infirmity might be relieved broken consciences comforted and repenting sinners holpen from desperation to the praise of Gods glory for God forgiveth not sinners because they should sinne So neither doth infirmity of falling diminish the grace of Christ but doth rather illustrate the same as it is written My strength is made perfect in weaknesse 2 Cor. 12.9 and again Where sinne abounded there super aboundeth also grace Rom. 5. 20. In remission of sins therefore these foure things must concurre together First the cause that worketh it which is the sacrifice of Christs body Secondly the promise that offereth Thirdly Faith that apprehendeth Fourthly the repenting sinner that receiveth it Thus farre Mr. Fox The Writer addes an Objection If faith onely justifie a poore sinner in the sight of God why then is repentance added to faith in point of Justification saying The repenting sinner receiveth it If you demand of me what it is that justifieth a soule in the sight of God I answer onely faith Rom. 4. 22. but I adde repentance to declare what is the nature of that faith which justifieth a soule it is repenting faith working faith and this faith worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. And although sins doe daily grow which daily provoke us to crave remission of our daily sinnes yet as touching the cause that worketh the pardon of our daily sinnes it is the sacrifice of Christs body once offered for all upon the crosse and the means which apprehendeth the said cause unto us is faith onely and these remaine alwayes one and perpetuall besides which there is none other cause or meanes to be sought of man So that to them that be repenting sinners and be in Christ Jesus there is no Law to condemne them though they have deserved condemnation but they are under a perpetuall kingdome and a heaven full of grace and remission to cover their sins and not to impute their iniquities through the

promise of God in Christ Jesus our Lord Therefore wicked and impious is the Doctrine of them First which seek any other cause of remission of sins save in the bloud of Christ our Saviour onely 1 Iohn 1. 7. Ephes. 1.7 Heb. 9.14 10.4 Act. 4.12 Secondly which assigne any other meanes to apply the bloud-shedding of Christ unto us besides onely faith Iohn 3. 16. God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Thirdly and especially which so limit and restraine the eternall priviledges of Christs passion as though it served but only for sins done without and before faith and that the rest after baptisme committed must be done away by confessions pardons and satisfactory deeds or as the writer addeth but not Mr. Fox some qualifications of our owne And all this ariseth because the true nature of the Law and the Gospel is not knowne nor the difference rightly considered between the times of the one and of the other as before hath been by Mr. Fox largely discussed Neither againe doe they make any distinction between the malediction of the Law and the true use of the Law thus far Mr. Fox but the Writer inserteth these words as it is enjoyned a beleever by his Law-giver King Jesus Iam. 4. 12. There is but one Law-giver to the beleever for to such St. Iames wrote his Epistle that is able to save and destroy which is Iesus who is become a beleevers Head and Husband who doth not onely shew a beleever what is his will but giveth him strength to doe his will and in case there be defects as who transgresseth not his bloud pardons all and his love covers all Rom. 7.4 Phil. 4.13 1 Ioh. 2. 1 2. Therefore whensoever they hear us speak of the Law of Moses that whole rigid yoke that bound us over to death and damnation for every trespasse and transgression done against it to bee to a beleever abolished though we hold it in force at this day with all his strength sting and curses to the unbeleever to wit to the lawlesse and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and profane for murtherers of fathers and murtherers of mothers for man-slayers For whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers for liars for perjured persons and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine 1 Tim. 1. 9 10. they maliciously slander us as though wee gave liberty to the flesh and carnall men to live as they list whereas we teach that though Christ by his death hath freed us from the first husband the Law Rom. 7.4 Yee are my brethren become dead to the Law what Law was this the Ceremoniall Law no for that was the remedy against the rigid yoke of the Law in case there were sinnes of ignorance committed Numb. 15. from the 22. Verse to the 29. Verse which typified out a Christ which is the onely sacrifice for sinne Heb. 10. 14. but the Morall Law which onely discovereth to man his sinne Rom. 3. 20. By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law cometh the knowledge of sinne That Law which bindeth the soule over to the curse for the transgressions against it is the Morall Law Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the workes of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to doe them Quest How are wee freed from this curse the Morall Law bindeth us over to Answ. By the body of Christ Rom. 7.4 to wit crucified Quest How prove you it Answ. Gal. 3. 13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on the tree That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that wee might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Yet the end why Christ hath freed us by his death from the first and our cruell husband the Law was not to live as flesh and nature lusteth but that wee should be married to another even to the Lord Jesus that was raised againe from the dead that he should be our Head Lord and Husband who hath not taken away the equity and true use of the Law as it is a rule of holinesse for all his justified ones to walke in so it remaineth in force to this day and shall for ever as Christ testifieth Mat. 5. 21 22. Yee have heard that it was said by them of old time Thou shalt not kill But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement c. So that Christ sheweth there are more wayes to breake the sixth commandement then by laying violent hands upon thy brother And so forward Christ teacheth his justified ones the spirituality of the Law from the 21. Verse to the latter end of the Chapter As Christ now sheweth us what is his Law and will wee should walke in so hee commandeth us in love to doe them Ioh. 14. 15. If yee love mee keep my commandements and in case there be defects his bloud pardons all our trespasses and his love covers all Tell mee then thou beleeving soule dost thou desire to live under thy first husband the Law which shewed thee onely what to doe and gave thee no strength to doe it as thy second husband Christ Jesus doth and in case thou failest but in one title of thine obedience in thought word or deed thou must perish for ever But by the Law cometh the knowledge of sinne for Saint Paul saith I had not known lust to be sin except the Law had said Thou shalt not lust Rom. 7.7 therefore the Morall Law is not abrogated First As the Law is the rule of holinesse to discover to justified man how to walke holily toward God and man the equity of that Law remaineth but the power by which a beleever walketh according to that rule of holinesse is Jesus Christ Gal. 2.20 Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me So that a beleever doth not now worke for life and for heaven and salvation as hee did when hee was under the Law but from life that is to say from that principle of grace received Col. 2.6 7. As yee have received Iesus Christ the Lord so walke in him Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as yee have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving Hence Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with mee Secondly The rigidnesse of the yoke that bindeth every observer of the Law under the curse is taken away by Christ Gal. 3.13 so that the power and