to serve vnto our iustification by that wherein he is made our righteousnes And secondly if we shal distinguish the matter of our righteousnes it selfe in Christ from the action of God in iustifying by it wee shall perceyve evidently that the matter of our righteousnes consisteth only in the death and bloud of Christ and that all the rest of Christes obedience doeth serve not as the materiall but rather as the subordinate efficient causes of our iustification And so all the three former opinions touching the obedience of Christ may well agree in one when the question is concerning the action of God in iustifying and not concerning the particular matter of the righteousnes which God imputes vnto vs vnto iustification For there is no parte of Christes obedience which is not as it is said in the schooles causa sine qua non that is a cause without the which wee cannot be iustified For if he had not bene a man and a iust man and a Priest and such a Priest as we have said yea if hee had not risen from the dead and ascended vnto heaven and made intercession for vs his death and bloud could never have iustified vs. And yet still his death and bloud is the only matter of our righteousnes but so as it is the bloud of such a sacrifice offred by such a Priest vpon such an Altar in such a Tabernacle carried in by the same Priest after resurrection from the dead into the heavens And as by vertue of the same bloud the same Priest sittinge at the right hande of God maketh intercession for vs. Thus the matter is not of such moment being rightly waighed and charitablie considered that it needed ever to have bred such bitter contention amongst brethren in the Church of God CHAPTER XXVI HAving thus spoken of the materiall cause of our righteousnes it followeth now that we speake of the formall cause In the which three thinges are specially to be marked for clearing vnto vs how and in what manner wee are made the righteousnes of God by the death and bloud of Iesus Christ our Lord. The first is Gods giving vnto vs. The second is Gods imputation of that which is given vs. The third is the cause moving him both to give and impute For God iustifieth vs by gift by imputation and by grace Neither can the true forme of our iustification bee knowne of vs a right except we acknowledge all these three in it For mā hath no saving grace which he hath not receyved of God according to the saying of the Apostle 1. Cor. chap. 4. ver 7. For who hath seperate thee or what hast thou that thou hast not receyved and if thou hast receyved it why gloriest thou as if thou hadst not receyved it And to the same purpose saith I am 1. chap. 17. All good giving and every perfect gifte is from above Therefore also our righteousnes speciallie is called a gift and a gift by grace Rom. chapt 5. ver 15. 16. 17. as also Rom. chap. 6. vers 23. but the gift of God is eternall life Where the word gift if that place be rightly vnderstood doth signifie righteousnes given vs of God Secondly howsoever many confounde imputation and giving as one thinge as in some sense they may both bee taken for one yet it is expedient for our sounder knowledge that wee distinguish them For howsoever nothing is imputed which is not given yet many things are given which are never saide to be imputed Yea moreover in which imputation hath no place Beside the imputation of a thing if we shall rightly consider it doth alwayes presuppone the thing imputed to be in our possession either by nature working or gift as by Gods grace wee shall heare hereafter And therefore in the forme of our iustification Gods giving of a thing vnto vs is to be distinguished from his imputing of it Specially if we marke one thing which is flat contrarie sayings and yet of equall force vsed by the spirit of God in the description of iustification For sometimes it is defined by imputation of righteousnes and sometimes by not imputation of sinne Thirdly in the manner and forme of our iustification grace is specially to be considered because both the givinge and imputation of the thing given is of meere grace Therefore are wee saide to bee iustified freely by grace so that the perfect forme of our iustification consisteth in this that is in Gods gracious givinge and gracious imputinge of thinge given vnto vs to bee our righteousnes So that whosoever make our iustification to consist without giving of righteousnes or without imputing the thinge given or esteeme eyther the matter of our righteousnes which is given vs to be given otherwise then by grace or to be imputed as righteousnes vnto vs otherwise then by grace doe destroy the true forme of the iustification of a sinner before God And because this is a pointe of speciall moment and bringeth great light in the matter of iustification wee will speake severally of these three pointes And first touching the action of Gods giving Secondly of the action of Gods imputation Thirdly of his grace as the only cause of both Touching the first there be two thinges which are given vs of God vnto iustification The I. is faith The II. is Christ both these giftes of God are necessarie vnto iustification as we shall see by Gods grace hereafter when we speake of iustificatiō it self Therfore in this place wee will onely speake of faith as it is the gift of God in which we have these pointes to be marked First what kinde of gift it is Secondly to whom it is given Thirdly what faith it selfe is And fourthly to what ende and vse it is given First then that it is a gift and the gift of God it is cleere in the Scriptures according as wee have showen before of all the saving graces of God and therefore it is called by the Apostle Heb. chap. 7. vers 4. a heavenly gift and in Ephe. chap. 2. ver 8. it is expresly called the gifte of God And the same Apostle Phil. chap. 1. ver 29. teacheth vs that to beleeve in Christ is a gift given vs. Therefore 1. Cor. chap. 12. It is uombred amongst the giftes of God by his spirit So that in this there is no great contradiction but the speciall question is what kinde of gift it is that is whether it bee a naturall or a supernaturall gift Depending either vpon the naturall power which God hath created in man or vpon the supernaturall power of God For clearing hereof We are to consider that which in the scriptures is spoken concerning faith First touthing the ground and cause of our beleeving Secondly touching the propertie that is attributed vnto faith and which still is in him that beleeveth And thirdly touching certaine effectes attributed vnto faith Besides these things which heereafter will shewe them selves when we treate both to whom faith is given and
Christ onely who being ordeyned of God the Meane of al his mercie to Mākinde he commeth in as Mediatour betweene God vs in all things decreed of God for vs so as we are to expect nothing of all that is decreed concerning the vessels of honour whether it bee in making of vs sonnes or making vs cōforme to the Image of his Sonne in righteousnes and glorie but only in and through Iesus Christ our Lord in whom alone all the promises of God are yea and amen For he is the first borne among all the sonnes of God and the beginning and first begotten of the dead for it is the Fathers will that in all things hee have the praeeminence Rom. chap. 8. ver 29. Col. chap. 1. ver 18. Thus albeit God in him selfe and of him selfe ordayne vs to great dignitie and manifold vnspeakeable blessings yet this honour doeth he reserve vnto his only begotten sonne that of all these blessings we shall enioye none except in through him onely so that it is true that we are ordayned to nothing without Christ but not in that deceitfull sense whereby the mindes of many are deluded as though he were the cause why GOD doth ordeyne vs to adoption The Scripture teacheth vs farre otherwise distinguishing betwixt the cause why God decreeth vs to adoption and the cause why he ordeyneth vs to this adoption through Christ onely Setting downe the cause of the Decree to be his owne will good pleasure in him selfe And declaring the cause why he ordeyneth vs to be adopted through Christ to be this that Christ might be the first borne among manie brethren and that he might have the praeeminence in all things wherevpon it followeth that albeit he be not the cause why we are ordeyned to adoption yet notwithstanding seeing it is Gods will to performe towards vs his gracious purpose and good pleasure of his wil only in and through Christ that of necessitie we must first enioy him before we can enioy any thing of that that is decreed And therefore it was the Fathers will that in him should all fulnes dwell Coloss chap. 1. vers 19. That out of his fulnes we all should receyve Iohn chapt 1. vers 16. And for this same cause is it said That God hath made him wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption and that vnto vs 1. Corinth chapt 1. verse 13. For whatsoever God hath made Iesus Christ the Mediatour he hath made him that for our cause so that the love of God to vs and the good pleasure of his wil towards vs is the cause why Christ is made of God the meane of our salvation And therefore in the consideration of Gods Decree Christ as Mediatour commeth in order after the consideration of that wherevnto we are ordayned although in the executiō and performāce of Gods Decree Christ in vs must goe before all other things ordayned for vs for that is the nature of all Meanes which are subordinate to that whereof they are appointed to be Meanes Thus God first in order purposeth and decreeth what to doe to vs and secondly by what Meanes but when hee performeth his Decree he first prepareth the Meanes and then accomplisheth thereby his purpose and decree towardes vs. For if the Lord had never ordayned vs that are men to bee made his sonnes he had never ordayned his sonne to bee made a Man this is cleere by the Apostles speech wherein he declareth the cause why the sonne of God did take mans nature vpon him Hebr. chap. 2. ver 14. saying For asmuch therefore as the children were partakers of flesh and blood even he likewise tooke part with them And thereafter shewing the cause why not only he tooke our nature◠but also did take it with the same infirmities sinne only except wherewith our nature is indued he vseth these speeches For it became him in all thinges to be made like to his brethren Hebrewes chap. 2. vers 17. according to which grounde it is saide in another place That God sent his Sonne in the flesh in the similitude of sinnefull flesh Roman chap. 8. vers 3. This point is evidently cleare by the same Apostles speech Galath chap. 4. verses 4. and 5. when hee sheweth the ende wherefore God sent his sonne in the flesh saying VVhen the fulnes of tyme was come God sent foorth his owne Sonne made of a woman c. that we might receyve the adoption Letting vs see that in Gods execution hee giveth vs the adoption to the which he ordayned vs by the same Meane thorough the which he ordayned to give it vs. Thus we may see evidently that that parte of Gods Decree touching the Meane of our adoption doeth in order of Decreeing depende vpon the former parte touching the adopting of vs but in order of performing the sending of Christ made of a woman and made vnder the Law and made righteousnes sanctification and redemption c. doth goe before our adoptiō For he was not made the cause of eternall salvation to his owne till he was perfited Hebr. chap. 5. vers 9. For which cause the Apostle sayeth Hebr. chap. 2. vers 10. when hee gives the reason why he was made to taste of death That Christ being to bring many children to glorie it became him for whom are all these things and by whom are all these thinges to perfite or to consecrate the Prince of their salvation through afflictions This shall be yet more cleare if wee consider who it is that is appointed the Meane of our adoption that is not the Father nor yet the holy Ghost but the Sonne only and that because hee onely is that vnto the which wee are ordayned For this grounde we must holde that what so ever wee are made by grace it must firste bee in GOD him selfe and then made ours by our communion and fellowship with GOD. Now this blessing of sonne-shippe which is ordeyned vnto vs is no propertie of the Father nor yet of the Holy Ghost but of the seconde person onely who by that propertie is distinguished both from the Father and from the Holy Ghost and therefore although the Father and the Holy Ghost doe with the Sonne not onely ordeyne vs to adoption but also adopt vs yet they neither ordeyne vs to adoption neyther doe adopt vs through any but the Sonne alone for the Father and the Holy Ghost are not the Sonne neither can be because their personall properties are incommunicable howsoever their naturall properties bee common yea one and the same in all three because the nature of all three is most simply one and the same Of which it commeth to passe that we being adopted thorough Christ and so consequently called to the communion of Christ in that which he is by subsisting that is sonnes wee are also made partakers of the Divine nature as sayeth the Apostle Peter that is we are made like to all three in that which they are by nature for all three have but
his seed after him Therefore no man that is not of this seed doth obtayne any part of the promise because it is a benefite belonging to none except to the seed onely Of which it is manifest that we must bee Abrahams seed before we have right to the promise Now what is meant by the seed the Apostle telleth vs Gal. chap. 3. vers 16. saying he sayeth not to the seeds as speaking of many but vnto thy seede as of one which is Christ That is Christ mystically considered with his members who all spirituallie ingraft in him make the body whereof hee is the heade as is manifest by the Apostles speech 1 Corinth chapter 12. vers 12. Nowe we are made the seed by our Adoption For to be the seed of Abraham is to be the children of God as is cleere by the Apostle Rom. chap. 9. where he saieth Neither are they all children because they are the children of Abraham but in Isaack shall thy seed bee called that is they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed This same the Apostle confirmeth Gallat chapter 3. verse 29. saying And if yee be Christs then are yee Abrahams seed and heyres by promise Of these things it followeth first that to be of the seed and to be the children of God and to be Christs is all one thing Secondly that wee must be the children of God that is of the seed before wee can enioy the promise And so consequently that we must be Adopted before we be iustified seeing iustification is a part of the promise made vnto the seede as is cleere by the words of the Covenant Ierem. chap. 31. and Hebr. chap. 8. I will be mercifull to their vnrighteousnesse and I will remember their sinnes and iniquities no more This ground is yet more cleere by the Apostles speech Rom. chap. 9. where he answereth the doubt which might rise vpon the reiection of the Iewes videli Whether GOD had fayled in performing of his promise seeing they were the seed of Abraham which were reiected The Apostle answeres this and cleeres the constant truth and veritie of God in performing his promise vnto the seed according to his Covenant by defining the seed aright shewing that they are not accounted for the seed because they are the children of Abraham according to the flesh but because they are children of the promise In which discourse the Apostle layeth those as necessary and infallible grounds First that we must be of the seed before wee claime the promise Secondly that beeing of the seed wee must be partakers of the promise For otherwise God should faile in his truth and his word should be of none effect Of which things we may perceyve that the grace of God in which standeth our Adoption by which wee are made of the seed must goe before all the graces contained in the promise which is made vnto the seed seeing the beeing of the seed is the ground and foundation of enioying the promise This leades vs to the knowledge of another point which serves to cleare our iudgement touching this same ground To wit in what order to place the fruites and effects of our faith Which as we shall heare hereafter is the effectuall instrument of God by the which all blessings are communicate vnto vs. For in this life wee enioy no saving blessing but by faith onely for by it we embrace our Adoption and are made the Sonnes of God As witnesseth the Apostle Galath chap. 3. vers 26. saying ye are all the Sonnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ and by faith we apprehend our righteousnes are iustified Rom. c. 3. v. 28. Gal. c. 3. v. 8. And so of all the rest of the blessings Thus both the parts of the Covenant are wrought effectuate in vs by God through faith for by it wee are both made the seed and doe obtaine the promise but as being the seed must goe before the enioying of the promise even so that fruite of faith in Christ whereby wee are made the Sonnes of God must in order of dispensation goe before that fruite of faith whereby we are made that which is promised vnto the seed and so consequently by faith wee must first be made Sonnes before we be made iust Thus much touching these five grounds which serves for cleering the order of the blessing of God dispensed vnto vs in Christ Which was the third of these foure points which we laid downe as necessarie to leade vs to the knowledge of the right nature of the saving benefites of God and so perticularlie of Iustification So that it followeth that wee should enter to speake of the last of the foure touching the difference of one benefite from another but first it shall not be amisse to speake somewhat of that other opinion which houldeth Iustification to bee in order before Adoption and to consider the groundes wherevpon it is buylded CHAPTER XV. THE grounds of any moment which I have marked whervpon this opinion is buylded are two The first is It is thought an impossible thing that God should adopt vs before he iustifie vs. Because God cannot esteem those that are vniust to be his Sonns And this is the cause apparantly that makes so many to put reconsiliation in the first place and to divide it in iustification as the first part thereof and Adoption as the last The other ground is taken out of the Scripture especially out of that saying which is in the 1. of Ioh. ver 12. Where it is said as many as receiued him to them he gave prerogative to be the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name which are borne not of blood nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God As concerning the first ground although it seeme to have great shew of trueth yet it is most dangerous if it be not rightly conceived For it may import so much as that the love of God and his grace is not free and freelie bestowed vpon vs if so bee it should be builded vpon our Iustification Which is contrarie to the course of Gods trueth in Scriptures Which sheweth plainly that God loved vs even while yet wee were sinners and vniust yea while wee were enemies Romanes chapter 5. and that when wee were polluted in our owne blood hee did pittie vs and of his love did promise life vnto vs and washed vs with water and purged away our blood from vs and anoynted vs with oyle and decked vs with ornaments Ezek. chap. 16. Whereby it is evident that our Iustification is not the cause why God acknowledgeth vs to be his children but by the contrarie his taking of vs to be his children is rather the cause why hee doth wash away our filthines from vs iustifieth vs. For seeing the Lord loveth vs before he iustifieth vs there must bee some ground of this love
creatures These have bene the causes of my vnwillingnes to give any thing in write and that now being overcome by your request I doe follow a plaine maner of declaration of my minde without contention with anie or direct disputing against anie as being resolved to have no parte in the noysome wrangling of this contentious age But as one desirous to walke honestlie in all things I endevour to keepe mee within the measure of my owne faith and to benefitt the Church of God with that which he hath given me not hindring nor envying that others who have receyved more do more good in our common Lords worke Of whom as hee who is onely able to give it I most humbly crave the gratious direction of his spirit in this and all my labours with his blessing therevpon to your comfort and theirs who shall have the vse thereof His grace be with you Middelburgh 20. Iuly 1615. Yours in the Lord Jo. Forbes A Table of things contayned in this Treatise according to the order of the Chapters CHAPTER I. FOure groundes proponed which serve to make vs conceyve aright of the nature of the benefits dispensed vnto vs by God in Christ 1. The knowledge of Gods Decree 2. Of Christ as Mediator 3. Of the order of the benefits 4. Of their difference Chap. II. Of the two chief things to be considered in Gods Decree to wit the substance and chief cause of it The twofold description of Gods Decree or Predestination And of that which is the most proper Chap. III. Of the substance of Gods Decree consisting in three things 1. the persons who are ordayned 2. that wherevnto they are ordayned 3. the meane whereby Of which the first two are spoken of in this chapter Chap. IV. The third part of the substance of Gods Decree touching the meane of adoption that is IESVS CHRIST Chap. V. Of the cause moving God to decree that is the will of God cleared from the Persons who are ordayned vnto adoption Chap. VI. The same cause cleared from that thing wherevnto they are ordayned Chap. VII The same cleared from the meane whereby they are ordayned to be adopted Chap. VIII Of the second groūd which is touching Christ the Mediator Chap. IX Of the third ground touching the order of Gods benefites specially of Adoption and Iustification and of five things serving to cleare the same Chap. X. Of the first of those fiue touching the order of subsistinge of the persons of the Trinitie Chap. XI Of the second of these five touching the severall obiectes wherein the grace of God is to be considered Chap. XII Of the third of these five touching the difference of order betwixt Gods dispensation and our perception Chap. XIII Of the fourth of these five touching the different extent or largenes of Gods benefites amongst them selves Chap. XIIII Of the last of these five touching the covenant of God Chap. XV. Of the first reason why most men place Iustification in order before Adoption Chap. XVI Of the second reason why most men place Iustificatiō before Adoptiō drawen from Io. 1. 12. examined in the first point that is touching the persons there described Chap. XVII The examination of the same reason from the second and third pointes therein to be considered that is the benefit bestowed and him who bestoweth it Chap. XVIII Of the fourth and last ground serving to cleare the nature of Gods benefites touching the difference of these benefits and first of the divers manner of speach vsed in scripture touching them 2. Of these things wherein they agree and vse hereof Chap. XIX Of the twofold distinction of the benefits 1. according to the maner that we enioy them 2. according to their particular nature Chap. XX. A proposition of the doctrine of Iustification things therein to be intreated And first of the divers opinions of men touching iustification in generall Chap. XXI The foure principall points controverted 1 touching the efficient cause 2. touching the materiall cause 3. touchinge the formall cause 4. touching the subiect iustified and the first handled Chap. XXII Of the second point touching the materiall cause of Iustification the different opinions of men reduced to foure principall and examination of them Chap. XXIII Of the true matter of our righteousnes what it is wherein the first handled shewing that Christ only is the matter therof Chap. XXIIII Of the second point touching that wherein Christ is our righteousnes the different opinions of men therein and the truth examined by six grounds out of the word Chap. XXV Of those things in Christ which are required to make that wherein he is our righteousnes to be righteousnes both in his Person Priesthood and actions Chap. XXVI Of the formall cause of iustification cōsisting in three things 1. in Gods giving 2. in his imputing 3. in the maner of both that is by grace The gift being two fold the first which is faith is first intreated of in foure pointes and first what kinde of gift it is Chap. XXVI Of the second point touching faith to whom it is given and in what part or facultie it is wrought Chap. XXVIII Of the third point touching faith what it is of the divers significations of it of the true signification of it when it is said to be imputed vnto righteousnes of the particular nature thereof both as it is wrought by God in our hartes and as our heartes worke by it Chap. XXIX Of the fourth and last point touching faith that is the end vse wherefore it is given vnto vs consisting in foure things Chap. XXX Of the second gift which God giveth in iustifying which is Christ crucified Chap. XXXI Of the second point touching the forme of Iustification consisting in imputation the signification of the word the thinges that are said to be imputed and what it is that in iustification is imputed Chap. XXXII Of the third point touching the forme of iustification consisting in the grace of God Chap. XXXIII Of the obiect of iustification both what man is in him selfe and what by grace when he is iustified Chap. XXXIIII Of the finall cause of iustification Chap. XXXV Of the description of iustification considered in the particular points thereof gathered out of the former grounds FINIS A Treatise tending to cleare the Doctrine of Justification CHAPTER I. THE Evangelist Luke willing to make Theophilus to acknowledge the certaintie of those things whereof he had bene instructed did search out perfectly all thinges from the beginning and then did write vnto him frō point to point According to whose example for giuing the more full assurāce to mindes desirous of knowledge it shall not be amisse being to treat of the true nature of the Iustification of a sinner that we first beginning at the very foundation do shortlie speak of those points vpon the knowledge whereof chieflie dependeth the light and evidence of this matter Amongst divers others there are foure principall groundes vpon the
his members but in God him self For the benefites of God towards Mankinde and the fruites of his love to the vessels of honour are clearely distinguished in scripture in three degrees The first is of those things which God doth in him selfe of which kinde are his purpose foreknowledge predestination The second is of those things which he doth in Christ the Mediator of which kinde are our election redemption and blessing of vs with all spirituall blessings c. The third is of those thinges which he doeth in vs through Christ of which kinde are our adoption or calling our iustification and sanctification and glorification c. By the second pharse the spirit of God would teach vs that albeit in God there be many things set downe in scripture to be considered as the fountaynes of Gods working as namely his infinite wisedome his omnipotent power his infinite goodnes c. yet this action of predestinating vs to adoption is only attributed to the will of God which limiteth the infinitenes both of his wisedome power goodnes in all his actions outward toward the creatures both in their creation and government dispensation of all blessings towards vs both bodily spirituall Heereby we may learne that our blessednes if wee shall examine it in the cause doth surmount all reason and all the capacitie of the reason of man and Angell seeing it is builded vpon no reason of any creature or ground of reason in any creature but vpon the will of the Creator which is not mooved directed or ruled by any thing that is in the creature but by it selfe alone and is the rule of all reason in the creature and of things done by the Creator vnto the creature This shall yet be more easily perceyved if we shall severally consider it in those three pointes of the substance of Gods Decree before mentioned that is in the persons predestinate in the thing whereto they are predestinate and the Meane whereby Concerning the persons who can give a reason why Iacob should be beloved and Esau hated before any of them had done either good or evill except onely the Will of God as it is written I will shew mercie to whom I will shew mercie and will haue compassion vpon whom I will haue compassiō Exod. chap. 33. ver 19. Rom. chap. 9. ver 15. And the spirit of the Lord giving the reason why the Lord did set his loue vpon Israell and did choose them doth remove all respectes which can bee considered in them First their number Deut chap. 7. saying The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a precious people vnto him selfe above all people that are vpon the earth the Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor choose you because you were more in number then any people for you were the fewest of all people Secondly he removeth their power and strength Deutero chap. 8. saying Beware least thou say in thy heart My power and the strength of myne owne hande hath prepared me this aboundance And thirdly he remoueth their righteousnes Deut. chapt 9. saying Speake not thou in thine heart saying For my righteousnes the Lord hath brought me in to possesse this Land And shortly after in the same chap. Vnderstand therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good Lande to possesse it for thy righteousnes for thou art a stiffnecked people Fourthlie he cleareth this ground most evidently in the 10. chapter of Deutero by removing all praerogative and respect of right or reason in respect of right why the Lord should haue chosen thē aboue any other people all people being alike belonging to the Lord saying Behold heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord thy Gods and the earth and all that therein is notwithstanding the Lord set his delight in thy Fathers to loue them and did choose their seed after them even you above all people as appeareth this day Moreover the same point is yet further cleared by the Lord him selfe in the Prophesie of Ezechiel chap. 16. by removing all respect of their worthines or perfection declaring their wretched estate in them selues in filthines and naturall corruption in the very tyme when the Lord did choose them saying In thy nativitie when thou wast borue thy navell was not cut c. And when I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thy owne blood and saide vnto thee When thou wast in thy blood thou shalt live c. And this ground is made cleare by Christ him selfe Math. chap. 11. vers 25. 26. when he speaketh of the persons vpon whō the Lord bestoweth his grace and of the reason moving him thereto saying I thanke thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes It is so Father because thy good pleasure was such These wordes doe plainely teach vs that the will of God onely without any reason in the creature yea which is more contrarie to all reason that may seeme to bee in the creature is the cause of Gods mercy towards man When the simple are preferred to the wyse the weake to the strong the poore to the rich the vyle to the honorable and which is yet more strange the sicke to the whole and sinners to the righteous Therefore to conclude this point we shall see sufficiently the evidēce of it by comparing the first of Iohn vers 13. with the first of Iames vers 18. in the 1. of Iohn it is said That the prerogative to bee the fonnes of God is given to those who are borne not of bloods nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God And in Iames it is said That of his owne will God begate vs. Of which it appeareth evidently that the persons who are ordayned vnto adoption are pre destinate chosen and called for no cause without God either in Christ as Mediator or in them selves but only of Gods free will good pleasure For it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Rom. chap. 9. ver 16. CHAPTER VI. WE are next to consider the same ground in that wherevnto we are ordayned which is adoption including in it our conformitie with Christ in righteousnes holines life and glory c. of all which benefites there is not one which is not the gift of God and that of meere grace according to his wil good pleasure For albeit al blessings be in Christ yet neither he nor any of thē in him are given to vs but according to the wil of God so that he is a Saviour Redeemer of none but of such as pleaseth God of his good will so that his death satisfaction for sinne is not for any nor imputed as righteousnes vnto any for any cause either in Christ or Man but only to such as it is the wil of God to give it
therefore doeth the Apostle say Rom. chap. 11. ver 7. that the Election hath obtayned it to shew vs that the cause of obtayning the promise all blessings therein contayned dependeth neither vpon Christ as Mediator nor vpon Man but vpon the Lords free choice who giveth Christ for whō and to whom he will and therefore is Christ him self called the gift of God Iohn chap. 4. ver 10. and Iohn chap. 3. ver 16. because even he is given vnto vs of grace according as the words of Iohn declare manifestly saying God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne And although all power bee given vnto Christ both in heaven and earth yet in dispensing of life he is limited by the Fathers will and therefore saith him selfe that al power is given him to this end that he may give eternal life not to all simply and indifferently but to all that the Father hath given him Iohn chap. 17. vers 2. And that because such is the Fathers will as Christ him self witnesseth Ioh. cha 6. ver 39. This is the will of my Father that sent me that of all which hee hath given me I should loose none and the reason why hee restrayneth his dispensation of life vnto the Fathers will whose will and pleasure is that he should save only those whom he had given vnto him is declared by Christ him self in the verse immediately preceeding saying I am come downe from heaven not that I should doe myne owne will but the will of him that sent me which wordes plainly teach vs that the dispensation of life dependeth not vpon the will of Christ as he is Mediator much lesse vpon the will of Man but only vpon the good wil pleasure of God And this is cleere in all the blessings bestowed vpon vs in Christ of al the meanes which God grants vs to bring vs to the communion of the blessings which all are said in scripture to be according to the will of God and to be given vs freely by grace as namely the revelation of the mysterie of godlines Eph. chap. 1. ver 9. preachers to reveale it Eph. cha 3. ver 7. c. and Gala. chap. 1. ver 15. 16. also the benefit of our calling 2. to Timot. chap. 1. vers 9. also our beleeving and by faith assenting to the calling of God 1. to the Corint cha 12. ver 9. 11. and Ephe. chap. 2. ver 8. Phil. chap. 7. ver 29. and 2. chap. ver 13. Rom. chap. 11. ver 7. Ioh. chap. 6. ver 36. 37. and 44. 45. and Math. chap. 11. vers 25. 26. and Mat. chapt chap. 13. ver 11. Also the gift of perseverance 1. to the Corinthi chapt 1. vers 8. 9. and Iohn chap. 10. verses 28. 29. and 1. Epist of Iohn chapter 2. vers 27. and chapter 3. vers 9. 1. to the Corinthians chapter 15. vers 57. and 58. 1. epist to the Thess chap. 5. ver 23. 24. and 2. epist to the Thessal chapter 16. verse 17. and I eremy chap. 31. vers 32. 33. and chap. 32. ver 40. so forth of all the remanent benefites of God and namely of our Iustification for we are iustified freely by grace And therefore even the righteousnes of Christ whereby we are iustified is said to be the gift of God that of free grace Rom. chap. 5. vers 15. 16. 17. For of whatsoever worth vertue value the satisfaction made by Christ be of in Gods sight far exceeding al vnworthines and weaknes of all mankinde yet it is no farther extended nor given to any moe but such as is the good will pleasure of God Neither is it contrarie vnto this that all the blessings of God are said to be in Christ and we said to be blessed with all spirituall blessings in him For neither he nor they in him are made ours for any cause either in him or vs but onely by the will good pleasure of God which is manifest by the saying of the Apostle Ephe. chap. 1. ver 6. which is That God by his grace hath freely made vs acceptable to him selfe in his beloved Sonne Which wordes doe evidently witnes that although GOD give vs no blessing but in Christ yet the cause moving God is only his owne grace and good pleasure which excludes all other cause whatsoever either in Christ or in vs. Neither is this to be vnderstood of the benefites themselves onely but also of their measure which also dependeth wholy vpon the purpose and good pleasure of Gods will Which is cleare by the speech of Christ in the 20. chapt of Math. ver 23. And Marke chap. 10. ver 40. where he sayeth To sit at my right hande and at my left hande is not myne to give but to whom it is prepared of my Father Moreover this is not onely to be vnderstood of the blessinges them selves and of their measure but also of all the circumstances concerning their dispensation Which wholy depend vpon the will of God who hath assigned the seasons which were ordeyned before and the bounds of mens habitatiō Act. chap. 17. vers 26. And who hath put the times and seasons in his owne power Actes chap. 1. vers 7. and hath appointed a day of grace to every one that shal be called Hebr. chap. 3. ver 13. and 15. and Hebr. chap. 4 vers 7. 8. and 9. so that the reason that one is called from the wombe another in his mid-age another in the houre of his death why the Gospell is salvation first vnto the Iewes and next vnto the Gentiles why Christ did come at such a time died at such a time and the Gentiles not called till such a time is the onlie appointmēt of Gods will who as saith the Apostle Ephe. chap. 1. vers 11. Doth all things according to the counsell of his owne will Thus it is manifest that not onely the blessings in Christ the measure of them but all circumstances of these blessings either in respect of persons place time or maner doe depend wholie vpon the counsell of Gods will CHAPTER VII IT resteth now thirdly that we trye the truth of this same ground in the third point of the substance of Gods Decree that is in the Meane whereby we are predstinate vnto adoption which is Iesus Christ of whom it is manifest in the Scriptures that he is the Meane of our happines by the same will of God as is evident by the Apostle Coloss chap. 1. vers 19. 20. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnes dwell and by him to reconcile all things to him selfe making peace by the blood of his crosse For first there was no cause in Christ why hee should haue beene made Man and sinne for Man Secondly there was no cause nor reason in vs which could move the Father to give him to the death for vs or which could move him to become our brother and to lay down his life
when he sayeth that Christ did give prerogative to bee the sonnes of God only to those who were borne of God plainelie distinguishinge the Fathers worke in begetting vs to be his sonnes from the worke of the sonne in giving vs the prerogative to bee sonnes which verifieth that to be a sonne by birth and to be a sonne by prerogative are not to be taken in one sense nor for one benefite but for two distinct actions of the first two persons of the Trinitie Which the same Apostle Iohn seemeth playnly to confirme 1. Epist chap. 3. vers 1. 2. When he ascribeth the benefite of being called the sonnes of God vnto the love of the Father and the benefite of the beeing that which the sonnes of God are in prerogative and dignitie vnto the Sonne by whose appearing vnto vs wee are made that which the sonnes of God should bee And therefore in this life according as hee hath appeared vnto vs by the Fathers worke in our calling bringing vs vnto him illuminating our vnderstandinge with the knowledge of him and by faith making vs one withhim so have wee receyved the prerogative to be the sonnes of God in righteousnes and holines with freedome and boldnesse to call his Father our Father but because as yet he is not manifested vnto vs in all the prerogatives of the sonnes of God therefore although wee bee now both sonnes by Adoption and likewise in some measure by prerogative and dignitie yet it is not fully manifested what wee shall be but when he shall appeare in glory then shall wee appeare like him in all things In which likenes either in parte or in whole accomplished in vs standeth the prerogative of the sonnes of God For cleering of which point wee are to observe that saying of the Apostle 1. Cor. chap 1. vers 30. For of him you are in Christ Jesus who is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption In these wordes two distinct actions are attributed vnto the Father which must needes preceed in order that action of the Sonne whereby he gives vs prerogative to be the sonnes of God The first action of the Father is the making of Christ vnto vs wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption which are indeed the prerogatives of the sonnes of God The second action of the Father is the making vs to bee in Christ to the end that we may bee pertakers of these blessings which Christ is made of the Father vnto vs. Which action of making vs to be in Christ cannot be distinguished from making of vs sonnes and Adopting of vs. Vpon which two workes of the Father followeth the action of the Sonne who when we are by the Father in him hee maketh vs pertakers of all his own prerogatives dignities glory And after this worke of the Sonne followeth the action of the holy Ghost sealing vp in our hearts both our Adoption or son-ship and the prerogatives belonging to the sonnes of God Of this distinct consideration of the distinct working of the Father Sonne and the Holy Ghost it may easilie appeare that the worke of the Sonne is mistaken in this place when it is interpreted to be Adoption or making of vs sonnes simplie wheras it is to bee vnderstood of a benefite succeeding our beeing sonnes by Adoption which is already accomplished when we are begotten and borne of God the Father after which it is the Sonnes parte to make vs in condition and estate the sonnes of God by communicating with vs the prerogative and dignitie and authoritie which is proper to the sonnes of God Thus fare have we thought good to speake touching the order of the benefits of God in which point we have more largely insisted because it is the speciall ground wherevpon ryseth not only the oversight of good men but also divers heresies of wicked men in this age And we have further labored to cleere that place of Iohn which most misleades men in this matter that thereby it may be manifest that by the Scriptures rightly vnderstood Adoption goeth in order before Iustification CHAPTER XVIII HAVING finished the three first grounds serving to cleere the nature and order of the saving benefites of God Now it rests that wee speake of the last which is touching the speciall distinction and difference of those benefites amongst themselves In which point leaving all other opinions we wil follow that which hath the greatest warrand and cleerest evidence in the truth of God which only in all such thinges wee are to follow as our guide and informer But before we beginne this point there are three things needfull to be considered of vs. The first is the diverse manners wherein the spirit speaketh of them in the Scriptures The second is what things they have common in which they all agree and have no difference The third is the vse that we are to make for our instruction of the preceeding point In these three things wee will be shorter perhaps then their nature requyreth setting them downe in short propositions Touching the first we are to marke that in the Scripture those benefites are set downe two manner of wayes that is either confusedly or then distinctlie The confused manner of speech is likewise two fold First when as in respect of the inseparable coniunction of these blessings and presence infallible of all the rest where one is beeing all lincked together and every one imperting and impleying all the rest the Scripture putteth one for all The second manner is when some one benefite is putt for another and these two sortes of speeches are playne by these places Rom. chap. 8. vers 23. 2 Cor. chap. 5. vers 19. Eph. chap. 1. vers 7. Col. chap. 1. vers 14. Rom. chap. 5 vers 9. 10. 11. c. The distinct manner of speech is when these benefites are both in name and signification specially distinguished one from another as namely Rom. chap. 8. vers 30. 1 Cor. chap. 1. vers 30. This we thought good first to marke because there is great probabilitie that in not consideration of the spirites different manner of speaking is the speciall ground and cause of many mens mistaking of the speciall difference and true order of these saving benefites of God As speciallie when Iustification and Adoption are made partes of reconsiliation which beeing properly taken doeth in order according to the Scriptures succeed to them both As also when one benefite is defined by the propertie of another which error many doe fall in Wee are therefore to take heed that wee put a speciall difference betwixt one and the same benefite according as it is vsed by the spirit of God in proper or improper manner of speech when either it is put in the owne proper signification or when it is put particularly for another benefite then it selfe or generally for all Touching the second point there be six special things wherein all the saving benefites of God agree The first is in their originall or
according as it is set downe in the truth of God And intreating of these three we shall touch by the way everie one of these points mentioned in doing whereof if we shall insist somewhat more largely then shall seeme expedient to riper iudgements yet we hope that heerein we shall easily be pardoned seeing we take this paynes not for the instruction of those that are of greater iudgement then our selfe but for the helpe and cōfort of the simplest sorte Who in this mayne point of salvation may through the diversitie of opinions be brought in danger of destruction For seeing there is no hope of life to anie but such as are iustified by the righteousnes of God which is by the faith of Christ it must followe that this Iustice being taken away and any other whatsoever put in the place thereof all ground and certeyntie of salvation must needes bee also taken away To come then to the first point there be foure principall different opinions beside the opinion of Osiander which beeing odious to all we need not to speake of The first is of those who devide the worke of Iustification betwixt God and man Christs merit and mans merit faith and works grace debt the Law the Gospell but in divers respects and considerations For in respect of that which they call the first righteousnes which they esteeme nothing but a preparation of a man to iustifie himself by a formall righteousnes infounded in vs by grace they give place to God as the author worker and to his grace as the cause moving him and vnto Christs sufferings as the cause meriting that grace vnto faith as the benefit in founded into vs by grace and vnto the Gospell as the instrument whereby this benefit is wrought in vs. Yet with God his grace they ioyne man in this worke ascribing vnto him freedome of will so that God by his grace man in his will concurre in the worke God by his grace helping mans will to beleeve But in respect of that which they call the second righteousnes wherein they place the merit of eternall life they seclude God from beeing the Iustifier and ascribe iustification to man him selfe they seclude grace and establish workes of free will they seclude Christ and the merit of his obedience and place them selves and the merit of their owne workes they seclude beleeving and establish working and for the Gospell place the Law The second opinion is of those who in iustification make God to be the Iustifier and that of his grace and that by faith but as our worke of our free will yet not of the Law but of the Gospel secluding Christ and his obedience wholy from our righteousnes as likewise the Law and the workes thereof So they give to God the worke of Iustifying but the matter of their righteousnes they wholy ascribe to their owne worke and act in beleeving and place grace in nothing but in Gods gracious accepting of mans imperfect faith in place of the perfect righteousnes of the Law and attribute vnto the merit of Christes obedience this gracious acceptation of our faith as though hee had dyed and suffered not for our Iustification but to merit and obtayne at Gods hande that our owne worke of beleeving should bee graciously accepted as perfect righteousnes albeit in it selfe imperfect and where they may seeme to agree with the papist in asscribing righteousnes to their owne working they thinke that they doe sufficientlie purge them selves from that blott by this subtill evasion that they doe not attribute their righteousnes to a worke of the Lawe but to a worke of the Gospell The third opinion is of those who attribute the worke of Iustification vnto God but place their righteousnes partlie in their faith as their owne worke and partly in the obedience of Christ and make two actions of God in Iustifying In the one whereof they give place vnto grace in the other not The first action is the imputation of our imperfect faith for righteousnes and that by grace The second action is the imputatiō of Christs perfect obedience for the supplying of that which is wanting in our imperfect faith for righteousnes and that by Iustice All these three opinions doe attribute Mans righteousnes either wholy or in parte to his owne working The first and last doe ioyne grace merit together in Iustification Which things are most contrarie to the truth of God whether the workes bee of nature or of grace of the Law or of the Gospell The fourth and last opinion is of those who attribute the worke of Iustification to God alone and placeth our righteousnes onely in Christes obedience and doe acknowledge saith to be nothing but the applying and apprehending instrument of Christes obedience and the Gospell to bee the instrument of faith and all to be of grace because God giveth Christ to bee righteousnes vnto vs by grace and imputes his obedience vnto vs by grace and by grace giveth vs faith and vnto faith the Gospell so that they attribute the whole prayse of the Iustification vnto God and place the whole matter of righteousnes in the obedience of Christ secluding all workes of men eyther of the Lawe or of the Gospell and acknowledge the grace of God to be the onely cause moving God to iustifie vs by Christes obedience as likewise of the giving of vs faith to apprehend it and this opinion only agreeth with the trueth CHAPTER XXI NOw we come to these things wherein especially stands the chiefest controversies whereby the trueth of Iustification is most darkened which we will reduce all to these foure points The first shal be touching the efficient cause of Iustification The second shal be touching the materiall cause of it The third shal be touching the formall cause The fourth shal be touching the subiect that is iustified Vnder these foure are comprehended the chiefe controversies touching this matter For touching the finall cause there is no great disagreement therefore we have no need to speake much of it yet notwithstanding because it serves to cleare that which we have so much insisted in before touching the order of Adoption and Iustification we will speake something thereof after the other foure First then touching the efficient cause of Iustification the controversie is only with the Papistes for in this point albeit they agree with vs in parte or rather in shew yet they disagree from vs in the chiefest substance of this question For wee saye that God onely doeth Iustifie but they albeit they graunt the first Iustification to God in parte yet they asscribe the second Iustification wherein they place the merit of eternall life wholy to man him selfe Now for discussing this controversie wee have three thinges that may sufficientlie cleare our iudgement therein The first is the manner and forme of the Scripture phrase touching the Iustification of a man The second is the testimonie of the Scripture declaring who it is that
seeing they are neither in the state of the iust nor of the wicked Men doe not see what a foundation this opinion layeth for establishinge the Papistes Limbus Patrum and vainely invented Purgatorie Furthermore this opinion seemeth to imply a contradiction in it selfe For first it affirmeth that the actuall obedience of Christ is imputed vnto vs as righteousnes and yet they holde that it doth not iustifie vs from punishment Secondly they confesse that it maketh vs innocent and yet denie that it maketh vs iust Which are thinges impossible For whatsoever is imputed as righteousnes must iustifie vs and whatsoever maketh vs innocent must necessarily make vs iust For nothing but righteousnes can make a man innocent before God Therefore seeing that sentence of Iohn asscribeth the purging of all sinne to the bloud of Christ be it originall or arctuall it is the safest way for vs being warranted by the H. Ghost to accompt it onely the matter of our righteousnes and to beware of adding any thing too it Whereof we have not the like expresse warrant And to make this ground yet more sure we are to coÌ„sider the nature of the death and suffering of Christ Which is manifest by the wordes of Christ him selfe Math. cha 20. ver 28. Marke cha 10. ver 45. where he sayeth The sonne of man is not come to bee served but to serve and to give his live a ransome for many therefore was he called Iesus because he saved vs from our sinnes And for the same cause we are saide in his bloud to have redemption and by the bloud of his crosse to be reconciled vnto God And for this same cause the Lord is said to have set him foorth a propitiation for sinne in his bloud and to have wounded him for our transgressions to have broken him for our iniquities and to have made him sinne and a curse for vs. All which phrases import three thinges The I. is that Christ did pay by his death a price for vs to set vs at libertie from sinne The II. is that by his death he reconciled vs vnto God removing his wrath froÌ„ vs. The III. is that God did execute vpon him in his death the iudgement due to vs for our iniquities therefore is hee saide not to have spared his owne sonne Vpon the which it followeth that both the whole price of our Redemption the whole matter of our peace and the whoie satisfaction for our sinnes consisteth in the death of Christ and so consequently of our full righteousnes Now as we have said before the iudgemeÌ„t of God is alwayes according to truth so that in wounding his sonne for our transgressions he behoved to have chastised him in proportion and measure answerable to all our iniquities So that this satisfaction by his death being layde in ballance with the perfect obedience of the Law required of vs it behoved in the iustice of God to be of equal waight with it and no lesse able fully to answere the iustice of God then the full obedience of the Lawe For the onely iust GOD and Iudge of all the worlde can not ordayne a punishment and satisfaction to his iustice for sinne neither execute it in greater or lesser measure or proportion of iustice then the fault required Hereof it must follow seeing Christes death bloud is the chastisement of our peace punishmeÌ„t inflicted of God for the sinnes of his elect it must contayne in it as full iustice righteousnes as the full accomplishment of the Lawe by vs should have done therefore saith Ioh. That the bloud of Iesus purgeth vs from all iniquities to teach vs that his bloud being imputed vnto vs as our righteousnes by God doth put vs in the same estate case touching righteousnes vnto life before God wherin we should have bene if we had performed the condition of the law which is do this thou shalt live and therfore it being equivalent in the iustice of God to that which was required of vs vnto life it is in vaine to adde anything vnto it vnto perfect righteousnes This same is also cleere by the Apostles speech Rom. cha 3. ver 25. when he sheweth that God did set foorth Christ a propitiation in his bloud to shew his righteousnes to this end that he might be iust For heere two thinges are to be observed serving to this purpose The first is that only in the bloud of Iesus the righteousnes of God whereby we are iustified is to be seene The second is that by the sight thereof God is knowne to bee iust in sparing his elect and iustifying them freely by the redemptioÌ„ that is in Christ Wherevpon it must follow that Christ in his death must have in most full and perfect manner answered the iustice of God no lesse then our full and perfect obedience should have done otherwise it could never have shewen the righteousnes of God neither could he have bene manifested iust in iustifying vs thereby For the Law of God is fulfilled and the righteousnes or iustice of God therein required is accomplished two manner of wayes that is eyther by doeing all thinges commanded therein or els by suffering such punishment as in the iustice of God for the transgression thereof is in iust proportion answerable therevnto so that in eyther of these fully finished the iustice of God vnto eternall life is answered The sixt ground is builded vpon the lawe of the Priesthood which was ordayned particularly of God for this end to make expiation of our sinnes and bring vs vnto God Which two benefites were shadowed in two actions of the Levâ—ticall high Priest in the day of expiation The first was in offering sacrifice for the peoples sinnes and sprinkeling the bloud thereof before the Lord. The second was the carying of the names of the Tribes of the Lord into the Sanctuarie ingraven in the two stones vpon his shoulders and twelve vpon his brest for a remembrance continually before the Lord Exod. 28. Now the Law of this Priesthood is that none performe this office before the 30. yere of his age as is manifest Nomb 4. where all that enter in the assemble to doe the worke in the tabernacle of the congregation are commanded to bee nombred from 30. yeare olde and above vntill 50. according to which lawe Christ him seife who was the substance of all those shadowes did not enter in that office vntill hee began the thirtie yeare of his age as is cleere Luke chap. 3. vers 21. Heereof it must followe that no action performed by Christ before that time can be accompted the action of expiation of sinne or reconciliation of vs vnto God therefore the Scripture attributeth our redemption and reconciliation and particularlie our iustification to no action preceeding but to his death thereafter following and the action of bringing vs vnto God is particularie asscribed by the Apostle Peter vnto the death of Christ 1. Epi. chap. 3. vers 18. And the Apostle declareth that
it then that it be the bloud of a man or yet of a iust man For no man that is nothing more but a man can possibly redeeme his brother or give his ransome to God that he may live still for ever So precious is the redemption of their soules and the continuance for ever sayeth the Prophet Psalm 49. For the bloud of no flesh can be able to satisfie the infinite iustice of God For he that liveth not for ever can never be the cause of eternall life vnto others and he that is not eternall can never bring in eternall righteousnes and no righteousnes but that which is eternall can possibly procure eternall life For all being infinit that is the iustice that wee have transgressed infinit our guiltines in trasgressing infinite the punishment of our guiltines infinite as being the iust recompence of the transgression of an infinit iustice proceeding from the iust iudgement of an infinit God it is impossible that a finit creature can performe it seeing he should never be able to loose the sorrowes of death Therefore it is required that the bloude should be the bloud of him who is eternall to the end that hee should not be holden of death eternally Act. chap. 2. vers 24. and that his bloud might be of an infinite value and that our righteousnes might be eternall and make vs eternally righteous therefore is it saide by the Apostle that God hath purchased his Church with his owne bloud Act. chap. 20. 28. thus it is required in the bloud that iustifieth vs before God that it bee not onely the bloud of a man and of a iust man but also that it bee the bloud of him who is God blessed for ever and all these considerations are necessarilie requisit in the bloud vnto our iustification thereby And as in the bloud so in the shedding of it divers things are required in it to the same end Which that wee may the more cleerely perceyve we are first to consider that the shedding of bloud must needes be by way of oblation and sacrifice Therefore Christ is saide to have offered vp him selfe a sacrifice of a sweet smelling favour vnto God Ephe. chap. 5. vers 2. and also he is said to have bin made manifest once to put awy sinnes by the sacrificing of him selfe Heb. chapt 9. vers 26. and therefore also saith the Apostle that Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for vs 1. Cor. chap. 5. ver 7. Now the things requisite in the offering of this sacrifice are partlie to be considered in the nature of the sacrifice it selfe and partly in those thinges which are necessarilie required for the offering of a sacrifice Touching the sacrifice it selfe besides that it must bee by bloud because without shedding of bloud there is no remission it must needes be but one and of such nature as never needeth to be repeated For the sacrifices that are oft repeated can never sanctifie the commers therevnto And therefore it is said That we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once Heb. chap. 10. ver 10. And againe in that same Chap. verse 12. it is said But hee having offered by one sacrifice for sinne sitteth for ever at the right hand of God Of which it is manifest that this sacrifice alone without anie other thing ioyned therewith and without anie iterating of it contrarie to the blasphemous doctrine of the papistes must needs make vs eternally righteous according to which it is said by the Apostle That Christ is entered into heaven not that hee should offer him selfe often because then it behooved him to die often But as it is appointed that men once die and thereafter commeth the iudgement even so Christ also being once offered to take away the sinnes of many hee shall appeare the second tyme without sinne c And this point is most cleerlie set downe Heb. cha 10. ver 14. where it is said For by one offering he hath consecrated for evermore those which are sanctified Wherevpon it must followe seeing by one offering hee hath obtayned vs eternal remission according to the promise of God in his covenant and their finnes and their iniquities I will never remēber anie more that there remayneth no more sacrifices for sinne For according to the saying of the Apostle VVhere remission of sinnes is there is no more sacrifice for sinne Heb. chap. 10. vers 18. The thinges that are required for the offering of a propitiatorie sacrifice for sinne are especially three The first is a Priest For none but a consecrate Priest appointed by God and not by man might ever offer sacrifice for sinne vnto God The second is the Altar vpon which it must bee offered The third is the Tabernacle or Sanctuarie wherein it must be offered The thinges to be considered in the Priest concerne partly the nature of the Priesthood it selfe and partly the actions to be performed by the Priest Touching the nature of the Priesthood The first thing to be considered is that no man can take this office to him selfe but he who is called of God Heb. cap. 5. ver 4. 5. The second thing to be considered is that it must not bee according to the order of Aaron but according to the order of Melchisedeck For there is no perfection by the Levitical Priesthood Hebr. chap. 7. ver 11. and this that he must bee according to the order of Melchisedeck comprehendeth vnder it these particular pointes First that he is not made a Priest by the Lawe but according to the power of endlesse life For as we have saide if his Priesthood had bene after the Lawe it could never have made vs perfect For the Lawe made nothing perfect Hebr. chap. 7. ver 19. And of this ground followeth other two consequences The first is that seeing hee is made a Priest after the power of endlesse life none save hee alone can ever enioye this Priesthood For as sayeth the Apostle Amongest the Leviticall Priestes many were made Priestes because ther were not suffered to endure by reason of death but Christ because hee endureth for ever hath a Priesthood which can not passe from him to an other Hebr chap. 7. ver 23. 24. The seconde consequence is as saveth the Apostle Hebr. chap. 7. ver 25. That hee is able perfectly to save those that come to God by him seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for them The third thing to bee considered in the nature of the Priest is as sayeth the same Apostle That he bee without sinne because such a High Priest it became vs to have as is holy harmeles vndefyled and seperate from sinners Hebr. chapt 7. 26. Which also was expreslie commanded in the Lawe Levit. chap. 21. where it is saide VVho soever of the seede of Aaron hath any blemish hee shall not come neare to offer the sacrifices of the Lorde neither shall he presse to offer the bread of his God neither shall he goe in vnto the vayle
nor come neare the Altar least he pollute my Sanctuarie The fourth thing to be marked in the Priest is that hee must not be vpon the earth For if hee were vpon the earth hee were not a Priest Heb chap. 8. vers 4. Therefore is it saide of him After that hee had offered one sacrifice for sinne he sitteth for ever at the right hande of God Hebr. chapt 10. ver 13. as also That the heavens must conteyne him vnto the tyme that all things be restored Act. chap. 3. ver 21. The fift thing to be considered in the Priest is that he behooved to be subiect to infirmities that having experience of them he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest Hebr. chap. 2. ver 17. and chap. 4. ver 15. Nowe wee come to the actions to bee performed by the Priestes Which likewise are of two sortes The firste sorte are those which are performed in offering of the sacrifice The seconde sorte is those which are to be performed after the oblation In the Sacrifice especially is to bee considered First the Priestes puttinge all our iniquities and sinues vpon the head of the offeringe that hee may beare them all Accordinge to which it is saide of Christ That hee bare the sinne of many Esay 53. 12. And the Apostle Peter sayeth That he him selfe did beare our sinnes in his body vpon the tree For he was made sinne for vs. The second action consisteth in killing of the offering before the Lord. according to which it is saide of Christ That hee offered vp him selfe by the eternall spirit vnto God Hebr. 9. 14. And he is saide to put away sinne by the sacrifice of him selfe Hebr. 9. 26. And Christ him selfe saieth I lay downe my life that I might take it againe no man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe Iohn chapt 10. vers 17. 18. According to which also Esay saith That he pâ—wred out his soule vnto death Chap. 53. ver 12. The third action is the offering of the sacrifice it selfe by fire vnto the Lord. And al these actions are accoÌ„plished in the death of Christ in the which principally consisteth the matter of our righteousnes for therein was hee made both sinne and a curse for vs. The actions following are especially three which all serve to our iustification by his death and bloud although they be no parte nor portion of the righteousnes it selfe The first is his rising from the dead The second is his sitting at the right hande of God in heaven The third is his making intercession for vs. Therefore the Apostle in the 8. chap. to the Rom. ver 34. setteth downe these foure actions of Christ as the things whereby wee are saved from all condempnation when he sayth VVho shall condemne it is Christ that hath died or rather who is risen againe who also is at the right hande of God and who also maketh intercession for vs. Which saying is carefully to bee marked of vs for many waightie reasons First it sheweth vs that as the worke of God in iustifying vs doth save vs from all accusation so the groundes whereby we are saved from being condemned of God that is by which we are iustified and absolved are these foure actions of Christ whereof his death is first Secondly it cleareth that point which we have in hande to wit that many things serve to our iustification which are no parte of our righteousnes For his resurrection his ascending into heaven and sitting at the right hande of God and his interceding for vs are all necessarily required to our iustification and yet none of them is any parte of the matter of that righteousnes which is imputed vnto vs. For his rysinge from the dead is not our righteousnes and yet except he had risen we could not have bin iustified by his death according to the saying of the Apostle 1. Cor. chap. 15. ver 17. If Christ be not raysed your faith is vaine ye are yet in your sinnes For so longe as Christ was holden of death vnder the guiltines of our sinnes we could never be absolved from sinne death in the sight of God because our satisfaction and redemption although they were in doeing were not fully performed vntill Christ having vtterly abolished sinne was raysed from the dead but his suffering beeing finished and hee having loosed the sorrowes of death our redemption and satisfaction for our sinnes were fullie accomplished and so our righteousnes full and compleate in Gods sight By the imputation whereof GOD then might iustly iustifie vs. Therefore is it said by the Apostle Rom. chap. 4. 25. that he was delivered to death for our transgressions and is risen againe for our iustification Shewing vs that as the matter of our righteousnes consisteth in Christes death because he was delivered therevnto for our sinnes so the iustification of vs by his death dependeth vpon his resurrection because therein his death was ended and so the satisfaction for our sinnes and our righteousnes was fully and perfectly finished Likewise his entring into heaven and sitting at the right hande of God is no parte of the matter of our righteousnes and yet it is a necessarie action of his Priestlie office required vnto our iustification by that which is our righteousnes For the high Priest once a yeare in the day of expiation entered into the most holy place with the bloud of the expiatorie sacrifice to make an attonement for the children of Israel The true sanctuarie resembled by the most holy place is heaven into which the bloud of our sacrifice must be brought by Iesus Christ our high Priest there to make our attonement Therefore is it said That Christ being come a High Priest of good thinges to come entered once by his owne bloud in the most holy place and obtayned eternall redemption Hebr. chap. 9. ver 11. 12. and therefore also is it saide That if hee were on the earth he were not a Priest Heb. chap. 8. vers 4. For which cause in that same place the Apostle esteemeth this to bee the chieff and principall point of all that had bene spoken of his Priesthood videlicet that we have such a high Priest that sitteth at the right hande of the throne of the maiestie in heaven c. Thus howsoever the sacrifice of Christ in his death or his bloud be the matter of our righteousnes and that Christ in his bloud be ordayned a propitiation for vs yet to the iustifying vs by that bloud this action of our High Priest even the entring with the bloud into heaven is necessarily required Even so also concerning his intercession albeit it bee not the matter of our righteousnes yet it serveth to our iustification by his blood For all his intercession is by vertue thereof that God by it and for it may pardon all our iniquities and iustifie vs. For this action is the end of the three former that is of his death resurrection and ascending into heaven
nothing vnto life and salvation but Christ and him crucified and this worke of the Father which is the beginning of all grace is expressed in the Scriptures by Gods teachinge vs according as Christ sayeth Iohn chap. 6. ver 45. Every one that hath heard of the Farher and hath learned of him cōmeth vnto me Shewing vs thereby that the first cause of our beleeving or rather the first parte and portion of the worke of faith wrought in our heartes by God consisteth in God teaching of vs according to his promise made in his covenant Esay chap. 54. ver 13. And all thy children shal be taught of the Lord. And Ierem. chap. 31. ver 33. 34. I will put my lawe in their inward partes and write it in their heartes and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and everie man his brother saying knowe the Lord For they shall all knowe mee from the least of them vnto the greatest of them sayeth the Lord. For it is true which Christ speaketh Math. chap. 11. ver 27. No man knoweth the Sonne but the Father neyther knoweth any man the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne will reveyle him So that the knowledge of God is a secrete belonging to God alone which no flesh is everable to attayne vnto by any power of his owne naturall light and vnderstanding therefore saieth the Apostle that this is the wisedome of God hid in a mysterie which none of the Princes of this worlde have ever knowne 1. Cor. 2. For as he saith in that same chapter The naturall man perceyveth not the thinges of the Spirit of God For they are foolishnes vnto him neyther can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned And this he confirmeth by a strong argument in that same chapter vers 11. saying For what man knoweth the thinges of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him even so the thinges of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God For which cause also in that same place he attributeth the cause of all our knowledge vnto God reveyling vnto vs by his spirit the thinges that are given vs of God according to which Christ saieth vnto Peter when hee did confesse him to bee the Christ the Sonne of the living God that flesh and bloud had not reveiled that vnto him but his Father which was in heaven Math. cha 16. ver 17. thereby witnessing plainly that no naturall light nor information of mans owne minde can possibly make a man to know Iesus to be the Christ and sonne of the living God but that this knowledge commeth vnto our heartes by the supernatural gift and revelation of God by his spirit according to which the Apostle saith 1. Cor. chap. 1. ver 18. That the preaching of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnes but vnto vs that are saved it is the power of God For God hath cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent and hath made the wisedome of this worlde foolishnes For by that wisedome the world doeth not know God therefore sayth the Apostle in that same place VVee preach Christ crucified vnto the Iewes even a stūbling blocke and vnto the Graecians foolishnes but vnto them which are called both of the Iewes Graecians we preach Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God Thus it is playne that this wisedome and light of the heart whereby we know Christ crucified to be our onely Saviour and Sonne of God is a gift supernaturally given vs by God when he calleth vs and therefore saith Christ That it is not given to every man to know the secretes of heaven Math. chap. 13. vers 11. shewing vs thereby that the power to knowe these things is givē vs of God Which is yet more cleere by the speech of Christ touching them to whom this gift is not given when he sayeth that seeing they doe not see and hearing they heare not neither vnderstande And this worke of God in the scriptures is signified by opening of the eyes of our vnderstanding Ephes chapt 1. ver 18. and sometymes by opening of the heart Actes chapt 16. ver 14. And in this firste worke of God by his grace consisteth the chiefe foundation of our strength as is showen by Ioh. 1. Epi. chap. 5. vers 5. saying VVho is it that overcommeth the worlde but hee that beleeveth that Iesus is the sonne of God As likewise this is the seale of out Adoption as witnesseth the same Apostle 1. Epi. chap. 5. saying Every one that beleeveth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God And thirdly on this dependeth our ereruall life as witnesseth Christ him selfe Iohn chap. 17. ver 3. This is eternall life that they knowe thee the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ and therefore whosoever is ignorant of this point and so much more they that impugne it shal never inherit eternall life according to Christs owne testimonie Ioh. ca. 8. ver 24. Therefore I said vnto you that ye shall die in your sinnes for except yee beleeve that I am hee yee shall die in your sinnes To conclude this point then the first action of God in man and so the first gift bestowed vpon the heart of man vnto life is the power and facultie of conceyving and knowing God in Christ the Saviour as he is reveyled in the worde accordinge to the saying of Iohn Epi. 5. 20. But we knowe that that sonne of God is come and hath given vs a minde to knowe him that is true and wee are in him that is true that is in that his Sonne Iesus Christ this same is that very true God and that eternall life The second worke of God wherein our faith consisteth is in giving a wil to come to Christ and to enioy him to obey him according to the saying of the Prophet Psalm 110. 3. Thy people shall come willingly at the time of the assemblinge of thine armie in holy beautie For as the vnderstanding power of man is darkened al his wisdome is but foolishnes so his will is rebellious against Gods will in all thinges so that as he cannot naturally perceyve nor know the thinges of God so can he not naturally will nor desire the thinges of God and this oftentymes is signified in scripture by the hardnes of mans heart that cannot repent and by his stiff-neckednes and by resisting of the holy Ghost according to the words of God by the Prophet Esay ca. 65. ver 2. 3. I have spred my hands out all the day to a rebellious and gaine-saying people c. And this worke of God is expressed in scripture by the phrase of Gods drawing vs Ion. 6. 44. No man can come vnto me except the Father that hath sent me drawe him as likewise is signified by the opening of the eare as Esay cha 50. ver 5. The Lord GOD hath opened myne eare and I was not rebellious neyther turned I backe This also is
signified by the Lord Ier. 32. when he promiseth that he would put his feare in their heartes that they should not departe from him and most cleerly Eze. cap. 36. 26. 27. A newe heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stonie heart out of your body and will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes For this cause it is that Christ calleth them blessed who honger and thirst for righteousnes For it is most certaine that the earnest desire of the heart to enioye Christ and his righteousnes c. is an vndoubted token of Gods saving grace and of his effectuall calling in the which he bestowes this as a supernaturall gift vppon the elect as the seconde effect of his working power whereby hee changeth our willes which are of them selves rebellious and maketh them willing to come vnto Christ and to obey his voyce Therefore is it saide That God is the worker both of the will and of the deed of his good pleasure in vs Phil. cap. 2. 13. so this is the second parte of that supernatural gift of faith when as our will maketh choise of that which is the will of God and wee submit our willes to his will in all thinges which is most contrarie to the nature of fleshe For as sayth the Apostle Rom. chap. 8. ver 7. The wisedome of the fleshe is not subiect to the Law of God neither can be Therefore doeth the Prophet David say That the man is blessed whom the Lord choses and causes to come Psalm 65. 4. It is for this same cause that David prayeth so often that God would incline his heart to his statutes The thirde parte of Gods workinge in givinge Faith vnto vs is the sanctification of our affections to make vs to love Christ above all thinges and that by the powring of his love in our heartes by his holy Spirit For as hee inclineth our myndes to mynde heavenly thinges by insinuatinge his mynd towardes vs in Christ Iesus into our myndes as by the sense and feelinge and proofe of his good will towarde vs in all thinges hee drawes out willes vnto his will So by the sense of his love in his giving his deare Sonne to the death for vs while wee were his enimies hee enflames our heartes with the love of him againe so that with our affection wee are set vppon Christ more then all thinges and are content to lose all things that we may gaine him Therefore saith Christ Math. cha 10. ver 37. He that loveth father or mother better then mee is not worthie of me c. And Luke chap. 14. ver 26. If any man come vnto mee and hate not his Father and Mother VVife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his owne life also he can not be my Disciple Wherein it appeareth most plainly that faith is a gift supernaturall seeing it bringeth a supernaturall love into the heart which overcommeth all the love and affection which can be in nature especally when it overcommeth the love of man to him selfe and his owne life Fourthly the Lord by working faith doeth imprinte his knowledge and his will and love to vs in our memories working such a stedfast impression in our hearts of his mercie and grace towards vs in Christ as can never be defaced therefore the wicked in the booke of God are noted by this name they that forget God whereas the childrē of God have him alwayes before theit eyes Thus the Lord when he worketh faith in our hearts he worketh it in all the powers of our soule filling the whole heart with such supernaturall vertue and power in all the faculties thereof whereby the heart which of it selfe naturally could never be able to knowe or to desire or to love or to keepe any heavenly thing belonging vnto life and godlines is made able both to knowe and to will and to love and with the will and affection to apprehende and to keepe constantly the Lord Iesus and all blessings in him vnto eternall life And all these pointes are wrought by God in the heart of everie one of his elect particularly as in them selves so also concerning them selves so that their knowledge and assurance of the trueth of the things reveyled touching Christ and redemption in him is not a generall notion perswasion of the heart that God hath given his sonne to be a Redeemer to mankinde and that he hath performed redemption in his death for such a faith not onely the reprobate but Sathan him selfe hath but it is a particular sight and assurance of every mans owne heart concerning him selfe that God hath elected him for him in particular hath given Christ to bee a Redeemer and hath made him particularly vnto him wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption For it is not my faith-concerning the minde of God vnto others nor yet of the minde of God conceyved generally toward all his elect but the particular knowledge and assurance of his minde concerning my selfe that doeth saue mee For the iust shall live by his owne faith Habac. chapt 2. ver 4. But this will appeare more cleerely in the next point while we consider Faith being newe wrought in our hearts howe we are saide with our heart to beleeve In this point we have to consider First that it is the man him selfe who beleeveth Secondly that it is his heart whereby he beleeveth And thirdly beleeving is the action which man performeth with his heart As for the first man is said to beleeue because that this supernaturall gift is given him of God and that in his heart it is effectuall in him in all the points forespoken for by Gods enlightning of him he sees and by his teaching he vnderstandes and by the Lords enclining of his will he willeth and by the Lords sanctifying of his affection he loveth and by the Lords imprinting and writing in his minde and sealing by his spirit whatsoever he reveyleth vnto him he both possesseth retayneth and keepeth Christ and all the blessings promised in him so that faith actively considered is nothing but the motion of mans hearte which is wrought in him by the spirit of God and therfore in substance nothing els but the very action of GOD in man but considered in a divers manner that is passively as it is wrought by God in him and actively as he by this working of God in all the powers of his soule apprehendeth and receyveth grace from God so that the action of man in beleeving with the heart is nothing but his knowing acknowledging of things by Gods making him know and acknowledge them and his willing them by Gods making him to will them and his loving by Gods making him to love them and his apprehending and retayning them by Gods making of him to apprehende and reteyne them GOD imprinting writing and
sealing them in mans heart This worke therefore of man is likewise attributed vnto God vnder these two phrases First when it is saide that he giveth vs to come vnto the sonne Iohn chap. 6. ver 65. Secondly the Fathers giving vs vnto the sonne Iohn chap. 6. ver 37. and 17. 6. Thus the motion of man with his heart being moved of God is called mans beleeving with the heart eveÌ„ as a wheele which of it selfe caÌ„not move yet being moved by an other doth move whose motion therefore though it be but one yet is said to bee the motion of two that is of the maner and of the thing moved and therefore is both actively and passively to be considered in the one sense God is said to bring vs vnto Christ in the other sense we are saide to come vnto Christ and this is carefnlly to be marked least with a great many we erre in esteeming faith to be mans owne proper worke flowing from the natural power of his owne will and so mistake the saying of the Prophet the iust shall live by his owne faith as alfo Christes forme of speach when he sayeth thy faith hath saved thee for faith is called ours and our owne not in respect that we are the Authors the cause or workers of it but because we possesse it and are the speciall subiectes of it in the which it is wrought by God as also because it concerneth onr selves in particular and what wee beleeve wee beleeve it particularly touching our selves so that faith is called our owne faith in the Scriptures of God to declare the perticular nature of savinge faith in two particular thinges The firste is that it is not the faith that GOD workes in another mans hearte but the faith which hee worketh in myne owne hearte that saveth me Secondly it is not the faith which I have in myne owne hearte concerning others but the faith that I have concerning my selfe in particular that saveth me So that this worde vsed by the Spirit of God saying thy faith hath saved thee and the iust by his owne faith shall live is set downe not to designe the cause but the subiect of savinge faith and that in two respectes that is both in respect of him in whom it is wrought and also in respect of him concerning whom it is wrought so that my faith that saveth mee must bee wrought by GOD in my owne hearte and what hee maketh mee beleeve hee must make mee beleeve it concerninge my selfe in particnlar If the Papistes did rightly vnderstande this they would see that every particnlar Christian hath a particular warrant by particular revelation from God of the certaintie of his owne salvation For when hee saide to beleeue with the heart the same beleeving includes in it a particular knowledge by the particular revelation of God in his heart coÌ„cerning him selfe in particular that hee is chosen and elected of God that Christ is given for him that in him hee is redeemed that in him hee hath remission of his sinnes that through him hee shal be glorified Secondly they should likewise knowe and with them such as in the Church of God follow their opinion that when it is saide that man with the heart beleeveth the heart is not to bee esteemed the cause of beleeving as though naturally of it selfe it could beleeve but as a wheele moved by another doth move so our heartes action of beleeving is nothing but the action of God moving our heartes CHAPTER XXIX NOW it followeth that we speake of the vse and ende wherefore this supernatural gift is given vnto man this shortlie we may reduce vnto foure points The first is faith is given for knowledge Secondly faith is given for possession of the things knowen Thirdly faith is given for keeping and constant retayning the things possessed and that during this life Fourthly faith is given for practise Wee saye that it is given for these vses during the time of this life because that in the life to come both knowledge possession and keeping are performed in vs by another meane that is by sight For in this worlde wee walke by faith and therefore doe neither knowe possesse nor keepe but by faith but in the world to come we shall walke by sight for we shall see him as he is and therefore we shall both knowe posses and keepe by sight Now concerning the first vse and end of faith which is knowledge we are to remember the saying of the Apostle 1. Corinth chap. 2. ver 9. the things which God hath prepared for his elect are such which the eyes of man hath not seene and which the eare hath not heard which hath not entred in the hart of man Whereby the Apostle will declare vnto vs that the thinges which God hath ordayned for our glory are such as the heart of man can never possibly of it selfe conceyve therefore as sayeth the Apostle Iohn God must needes give vs a minde to knowe them before wee ever can perceyve them and this minde that God giveth is a beleeving heart For the heart of man is able by faith to know thinges to will affect thinges to enioye and possesse things and to keepe and retayne them which of it selfe by all the power of reason will c. it never could nor possibly can bee able to knowe possesse c. Thus we saye by faith that the worlde was made by the word of God and that thinges that are seene were made of thinges which did not appeare Hebr. chapt 11. which all the Philosophers and Princes of the world by all the light of nature could never vnderstand For the things of God are not naturally but spiritually discerned therefore the naturall man can not perceyve them In the same sense Abraham is saide to have seene the day of Christ and to have reioyced and by the vertue of our faith it is that we knowe IESVS to be that Christ and the sonne of God and by faith we knowe that we are elected of God and by faith we knowe that in Christ alone consisteth our adoption our righteousnes fanctification and redemption so that wee knowe that it is impossible to any man to be the sonne of God or iust or holy or free from death but in and by Christ onely thus take me away faith from the heart it is impossible to all the wisedome of the wisest hearte ever to vnderstande these thinges and to know them for vndoubted verities therefore it is as wee haue marked before that Christ sayeth to Peter Flesh and bloud hath not reveyled that vnto thee but my Father that is in heaven Math. chap. 16. For this cause Christ sayth vnto the Iewes Except yee beleeve that I am bee yee shall die in yonr sinnâ—â— Shewing vs by that speech that there is no way to knowe Christ to be the sonne of God but by beleevinge onely Nowe this knowledge that commeth by faith is not to bee taken in that sense wherein sometymes
cause our righteousnes is saide to bee the righteousnes of God which is by faith and the righteousnes which is through the faith of Christ Phil. chap. 3. ver 9. And Christ is saide to bee a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Rom. chap. 3. ver 25. All serving to teach vs that faith is not our righteousnes it selfe but only the meane by the which we attayne to that which is our righteousnes that is Christ in his bloud for in that sense is righteousnes faid to be through faith and by faith Moreover it is for this same cause that faith is called in the Scriptures the faith of Christ Rom. chap. 3. where righteousnes is saide to be the righteousnes of God by the faith of Iesus and that because the whole matter and substance which by faith wee eyther knowe or apprehende vnto righteousnes is onely Christ Sometimes it is called the faith of his name Acts cha 3. ver 16. as also the faith in his name as Ioh. chap. 1. ver 12. because all the vertue strength and power whereby we beleeve to bee iustisied is in Christ alone and in the vertue of his death and resurrection so that the vertue is not in faith it selfe but in Iesus apprehended by faith Sometimes againe it is called the faith towardes Christ Act. chap. 20. ver 21. because faith setteth nothing before it as the obiect but Christ alone for the Gospell which is the worde of faith propoundeth not any thing vnto vs but onely Christ as eyther promised or given vnto vs of God to bee the matter eyther of our righteousnes sanctification or redemption Sometimes againe it is called the faith in Christ Gal. chap. 3. ver 26. and that for two causes First because that wherein by faith our heartes are fastened and in the which our heartes only setleth their full confidence of righteousnes and remission of sinnes is onely Christ in whom onely our faith is and we also by faith for thereby we are made to be in him and hee in vs and therfore in the scripturs to be in Christ to be in the faith are put indifferently Rom. cha 8. vers 10. compared with 2. Cor. cha 13. ver 3. 5. And for this same respect the proper effectes of Christ him selfe are attributed vnto faith The second Reason is because faith neither suffereth vs to rest vpon it nor on our selues nor on anie other thing nor yet in any thing that is in faith or in our selves or in any thing except Christ onely and that which is in him as the ground of our confidence or as the matter of our righteousnes or blessednes therefore are we saide in him to have redemption in him to be made righteousnes and in him to be circumcised For whatsoever we are made by Faith we are made it in Christ and what soever faith maketh to be ours it is also in Christ therefore faith maketh not God our God but in Christ nor vs the children of God but in Christ nor righteous but in Christ c. For whatsoever faith layeth holde on it findeth it in Christ so that the hart of man when it beleeveth vnto righteousnes sendeth out faith fixeth it in Christ thereby laying holde vpon him and his obedience vnto righteousnes bringing him and his obedience with all the vertue both of his death and life into our heartes to dwell in them Sometimes also it is called the faith by Christ because hee is the Author Fountayne and occasion of it not so much because he with the Father and holy Ghost doeth worke it as because hee alone is the meane and occasion of it For as the Father redeemeth vs by Christ and by him maketh vs his sons and righteousnes c. so also he maketh vs to beleeue by Christ so that take mee away Christ all ground and foundation of saving faith in God is taken away for God hath layde the whole foundation of our beleefe in him alone For which cause Pet. 1. Epist chap. 1 ver 21. sayeth That by his meanes wee beleeve in Gâ—d and in that same place it is saide That God hath raysed him from the dead and given him glorie that our faith and hope might bee in God And to this same effect the same Apostle sayeth in the same chapter ver 3. That God hath begotten vs againe to a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead Vpon which respect it is that the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. chap. 15. ver 17. sayeth expresly If Christ bee not raysed your faith is vayne Vpon which we may easilie gather that faith is a vaine fooilsh faith whereby a man is made to beleeve or hope for any blessing from God which maketh it not first to bee performed by God in Christ For our faith of our vnioÌ„ with God ariseth vpon the knowledge of Christ his assuming in vnitie of person our nature vnto his the faith of our being the sonnes of God ariseth vpon Christ the man our brother being the very sonne of GOD our faith that God will make vs righteousnes ariseth vpoÌ„ this that God hath made Christ sinne for vs and so foorth of the rest the hope of our resurrection is builded vpon his resurrection the hope of our assention vpon his assention the hope of our glorification vpon his glorification so that the Lord worketh in our heartes neither faith nor hope in him of any blessing whatsoever whereof hee doeth not first reveyle vnto vs a cleere ground and evident fouÌ„dation in Iesus Christ the sonne And therefore it may appeare how detestable a doctrine that is and execrable be the teachers of it that affirmeth that a man may be saved without the knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord. Thus by all these phrases concerning faith the Lord would teach vs that Christ is the matter and hee is the ground of all whatsoever wee beleeve and that there is nothinge in Christ which is not made ours by faith And for this same purpose in Scriptures it is sometimes called the faith in the bloud of Christ Rom. chap. 3. ver 25. and that to teach vs what is the particular thing in Christ wherein God hath made him our righteousnes and whereby the Lord would haue vs to beleeve remission of sinnes in him for albeit Christ be vno vs all and that in all thinges and doeth fill vs all in all thinges yet as wee haue marked before there is no benefite which wee apprehende by faith in Christ but it hath the owne particular ground and foundation wherevpon it is builded and therefore as his faith is but vaine who expects his resurrection in Christ if he doe not know Christ to bee risen againe so his faith must be vaine who beleeveth the remission of sinnes in Christ and yet knoweth not that Christ did shed his bloud expressely for his iniquities For as God begettes vs to the hope of life by the resurrection of Ieses from the dead so he begetteth vs
favour Man neyther any wayes deservinge it by his worthines nor paying any thing to God for it and that this is the meaning of the worde it is most evident by this other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is indifferently put for grace the one being sometimes interpreted by the other as Rom. chap. 3. ver 24. Being iustified freely by his grace where the word which is rendered freely is dorean which word secludeth both price and merit Concerning price it is cleere Math. chap. 10. ver 8. Yee have receyved freely give freely And 2. Thess chap. 3. ver 8. Neither tooke we bread of any man freely Concerning merite it is likewise manifest that this word secludeth it by Ioh. chap. 15. ver 25. They hated me freely that is without cause or deserving so that this word maketh iustification to be a worke of God freely done And this we marke that we may know it secludeth not the merit of Christ although that merit be imputed to vs by grace and by this consideration we shall learne to reconcile two sayings of scripture that seeme to be repugnant The first is Esay chap. 52. ver 3. Yee shal be redeemed without monie The other is 1. Cor. chap. 6. ver 20. For yee are bought for a price The one seemeth to make our redemption free without price the other seemeth to say the contrarie Yet both are true for in respect of man him selfe hee hath paide no price at all to God for his redemption but as concerning Christ he hath given a deare price even his life bloud for our redemption So the word Grace secludeth not the merit of Christ nor the price that he hath payed for vs nor ought els ordayned of God by his grace as causes and meanes subordinate to his grace for our iustification but onely secludeth whatsoever thinge is in man or can proceed from man who hath nothing of him selfe whereby to deserve righteousnes neither hath any thing to give to God to obtayne righteousnes For who hath given to God first that he should recompence him Rom. chap. 11. vers 35. And this third pointe of the forme of our iustification is necessarie to be added to the other two First for the right knowledge both of Gods giving and imputing of faith and Christ to our iustification Secondly for preserving vs from the errours of those who mistake the true meaning of the word grace in our iustification Concerning the first there is a distinctiō of the giftes of God and also of the imputation of God Touching the giftes they be eyther such as are natuall given by God indifferently to al are belōging to our natural life or thē they are gifts supernatural belonging to a supernatural life The first sorte the Lord giveth by naturall meanes as by procreation by naturall generation and by his generall providence extended over all But the second he giveth not but by speciall grace and by a speciall providence and particular love in the Lord IESVS there being no ground nor cause in them to whom hee giveth them why they should have thē nor any meanes in their power to procure them Thus faith and Christ by faith are given vs of God not for any worthines in vs nor for any thing given to God by vs but the Lord giveth vs both faith and Christ vnto iustification freely of his meere grace Secondly touching imputation there is an imputation by debt and an imputation by grace therefore that it may bee knowne that neither faith nor Christes merite is imputed to vs by debt the scripture plainly sheweth that this imputatiō is by grace that is first that faith which is now givē vs secondly that Christ who is givē vs by faith is ours not by any right that we have vnto thē by iustice that accompting of them ours is not by debt but of meere mercy grace so that our whole iustificatiō in al that is either given vs or imputed vnto vs to iustifie vs both in the giving in the imputing is of Gods free grace The secōd vse of the knowledge hereof is to preserve vs from their errors who take the name of grace in our iustification for the gifts of grace inherent in vs be it faith or sanctification or the fruites of our righteousnes And secondly from their error who take the name of grace for a gratious acceptatiō of our imperfect faith whereas grace in iustification is relative to the giving imputing of faith not to the accepting of it For in respect of faith given by grace and imputed by grace wee are said to be iustified by grace not in respect of Gods accepting of it at our handes by grace And thus much concerning the forme of our iustification CHAPTER XXXIII IT olloweth that we now speake of the obiect of iustification that is the man whom the Lord doeth iustifie who is two maner of wayes to be confidered First as he is in him selfe by nature Secondly what he is by grace before he be iustified As concerning him selfe wee have two places of scriptures which doe manifestly instruct vs what man is in him self when God iustifieth him The first is Rom. 4. 5. where God is said to iustifie the vngodly the other Rom. 5. 10. where God is said to have iustified vs while we were enemies and this sheweth the vanitie of the Papists who wil have a man formalie iust before he be iustified Touching that which he is by grace it is in many parts of the scripture evidently declared that he must beleeve before he be iustified that is must have faith wrought in his heart in that sorte that he may be iustified for like as Acts 14. it is saide that Paul perceyving that the creeple mā had faith to be made whole he did heale him even so the Lord first giveth vs faith to bee made iust and then iustifieth vs. For we are to consider that although faith bee the instrument of Gods power to make vs able to apprehende Christ and all his blessings in him yet in the worke of iustification it is particularly to be restrayned both as it is wrought by God in our heartes and as our heartes worketh by it vnto the particular benefite of righteousnes in Christ like as in all the rest of the benefites faith is alwayes to be particularly restrayned to every one of them in the particular apprehension of them Moreover we see the truth of this same in the order set downe by the Apostle Rom. 8. when he sayth whom he hath called them he also hath iustified whereby it is evident that God iustifieth not a man vntill first he hath obtayned that degree of grace which God bestoweth vpō a man whē he calleth him of which it followeth that he must have Christ reveyled vnto him he must likewise be come to Christ must have embrased him by faith and that not only as the sonne of God for in that point of faith consisteth his