elected vs as the Apostle teacheth for the commendation of his glorious grace but if election bee not of â—race then grace deserues not all the praise but we ourselues haue something whereof wee may glory Fiftly let vs consider the iudgement of antiquitie Augustine saith Aâ— he that is Christ 〈◊〉 predestinated to be our head so are weâ— to bee his 〈◊〉 hers Humana hic merita 〈…〉 Leâ— mens meritâ— hâ—â—e 〈◊〉 silent which perished in Adam 〈◊〉 And let the grace of God beâ—â—e the â—way and raigne And againe In one and the same cause one 〈◊〉 forsaken another is taken 〈◊〉 assumitur gratia prâ—stante non merito in mercie and not of merit And againe He hath elected none worthy but by electing him he hath made him worthy It is the grace of God whereby he hath elected me not because I am worthie but because it vouchsafed to make me Videte charissimi See my beloued how that hee doth not elect men good but maketh those to be good whom he hath elected And elsewhere he saith that God loued no other thing in Iacob then his owne free mercy He loued Iacob by his free mercie and hated Esau by his iust iudgement Hierome also speaking of Iacob and Esau saith that the election of the one and the reiection of the other doth not demonstate their merits but the will of the Elector and reiector and further also confesseth that it is in the power and will of God to elect or reiect a man without good or euill workes Angelome also saith that Christ hath predestinated some to eternal libertie quickning them by his gracious mercie Finally this trueth will appeare if wee shall remooue the false causes which might seeme to perswade God to chuse vs for his people First therefore we are not elected for foreseene 〈◊〉 as these arguments ensuing will sufficiently prooue vnto vs. First God is the primarie and principall authour of all his actions Now the supreame and first ground or author depends of no externall ground or beginner But God should depend of an externall ground if hee could not elect whom he would vnlesse faith did mooue him Secondly euery cause is before the effect now Faith is alter Election as the Holy Ghost sheweth when hee sayth So many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued It was well sayd of one Christ first apprehends vs and this apprehension of his workes in vs the apprehension of faith whereby we lay hold vppon him Faith is a meane which tends to the end wherunto the elect are ordained Wherefore seeing that Election must needs be before the end it must also bee before Faith which is a meane leading to the end Thirdly faith is not the cause of vocation and iustification moouing God to call and iustifie therfore it is no impulsiue cause of election For â—he cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused If faith then were the cause of Election it should be also the cause of vocation which is an effect thereof But it is not so as the Apostle teacheth Tit. 5. â— Lastly the Scripture no where saith that we are elected for fore-seen faith What reason then haue wee to beleeue it Wee conclude therefore that wee are not elected for faith and with Iustine Martiâ— wee call those blest Qui sunt praesciti vt crederent Which are fore-knowne that they should beleeue And we say according to Augustine that those are elected Non qui eliguntur quia crediderunt sed quâ— eliguntur vt credant which are elected to beleeue not because they haue beleeued I haue obtained mercie saith Paul that I should bee faithfull Non quia fidelis â—ram not because I was faithfull as Augustine speaketh Secondly we are not elected for any fore-seene workes For first the Apostle excludes all workes from being the causes either of election or of reprobation Rom. 9.11 12. And teacheth that Election is not in him that runneth that is it is not to be attributed to his industrie or indeauours Secondly good workes can merite nothing of God because he is the author of them and they are due vnto him and are not equiualent and proportionable to his grace Thirdly we are elected that we should be holy and should doe good works therefore it were absurde to imagine that good workes did mooue God to elect vs. Hierome saith The Apostle saith not he hath elected vs Cum essemus sancti wheÌ„ we were holy sed vt essemus but that we should be holy And Augustine saith The election of grace doth not onely preuent or go before mens works but before faith whence all good works do flow Thirdly Election is not made for the wil of maÌ„ or for that maÌ„ would it For the Apostle painely professeth that it is not in him that willeth but in God which sheweth mercie By will is meant the cogitation desire or endeuour of our minde which the holy Ghost excludeth from Election Secondly the will of man is not eternall and therefore cannot be the cause of eternall election For the efficient cause must goe before the effect in time or at least in nature But the will of man is not in nature before Gods election much lesse then in time Lastly if we were elected for our owne will many grosse absurdities would ensue First the grace of God should bee subiect to mens wills as Prosper affirmeth that is the grace of Election should be inferiour to the will of man as the effect is to the cause the will of man should bee more excellent then the grace of God Secondly it were as Prosper saith to make the beginning of saluation to bee in him that is saued Thirdly it were in mans power to be either an elect or a reprobate if he would Fourthly all certaintie of Election would be taken away seeing the will of man is instable and vncertaine Fiftly election would be casuall as depending vppon the will of man which is mutable and so God should be made an Idol of Fortune that is he should chuse if man would and not chuse if man would not We conclude therefore that the will of man is not the efficient cause of Election Fourthly God doth not elect any man for his birth or beauty or for any prerogatiue or excellencie in his person For God is no accepter of persons and these things are not before Election but come after it Secondly that which Moses saith of the generall election of all the Isralites may bee as truely sayd of the speciall election of all true Isralites that God hath not chosen them for their multitude but of his own loue nor for any dignitie in them but of his owne meere mercie We see God respected not the eldership of Cain but choose Abell hee regarded not the riches of Nâ—bal the wisedome of Achitophel the beauty of Absolom the comlinesse of Saul the princely blood of Iezebel
represent the whole realme in the Parliament euen so did Adam represent the person of his whole posteritie Whatsoeuer he receiued of God he receiued it for himselfe and for all his progeny and what he lost he likewise lost for himselfe and for them all as wee see a man by high treason doth taint his blood and disgrace his posteritie Iustine saith By sinning Adam made his posteritie obnoxious vnto death made them vniuerso All guiltie of his first offence The Lord saith Gregorie did so make Adam as that he might procreate children without sinne if hee continued in the obedience of his Creator but because the soule of man refused to obey her Lord the procreation of children is in sinne Wee see now that Creation is a meane of the execution of Gods election For a man must first be before he can be saued Yet it is no speciall or peculiar meanes For all that are created shall not be saued some shall be damned All men saith Prosper are of God created but of this vniuersalitie or companie some are to bee damned with the Diuell others shall raigne with Christ The Permission of the fall is that whereby God suffred Adam and his sonnes to reuolt fall into sinne and did not hinder the fall which he could haue done if it had so pleased him But hee would not hinder it because such was his pleasure for certaine causes best knowne vnto himselfe In the meane let no man thinke that God was iniurious For 1. he was not indebted to vs to confirme vs by his grace to keepe vs from declining 2. this fall was by God permitted for the greater benefit of all his Elect. For their glory procured by Christ which had neuer been if man had neuer fallen doth farre surpasse the glorie which was giuen them in their creation Great are the euils saith Gregorie which wee suffer by reason of that first offence but what faithfull man would not indure greater rather then want so great a Redeemer Thirdly though God not bound to let did permit this fall yet it is not to be ascribed vnto him as to the cause thereof For hee did not incline his heart to sinne hee did not infuse the least corruption into his soule neither did hee with-draw any grace before inspired into him but hee fell by his free-will through his owne default at the perswasion and suggestion of the Diuell Tertullian saith truely As God brought man into the state of life so man brought himselfe into the state of death The beginning and root of sinne is in our selues saith Basil It cannot be saith Austen that hee which raiseth vs from sinne should make vs fall into sinne Thou art not a God saith Dauid that loueth wickednes neither shal euil dwel with thee Man therefore as Fulgentius saith hath the cause of his iniquitie in his owne proper will not froÌ„ Gods predestination If any man decline from iustice and pietie he runnes head-long of his owne will hee is drawne by his owne concupiscence he is beguiled through his perswasion Nihil iâ—i Pater the father hath no oare in this boat the Sonne is no agent of this sinne the holy Ghost is no worker of this wickednesse And though we should say that God willed that reuolt yet we must know that God did not will it positiue so as to produce effect or giue being to it but negatiuè desereâ—do because his will was to leaue Adam to himselfe and not to preserue him from reuolting that he might bee prooued by temptation and that it might appeare what the creature is able to doe when the Creator shall with-draw the staffe of his grace and cease to support Therefore we conclude with Clemens That the fault of mans chusing of that which was forbidden is not to be transferred or ascribed vnto God Thus we see the second meanes of the Execution of Election Which is a very necessary meane For if a man had not fallen then had there been no place for vocation iustification by Christ and sanctification by the Spirit But though this meane is necessarie yet it is not appropriated to Election because then all that fell should be restored But as Ambrose saith Liberatur parâ— hominum parte pereunte as some are deliuered so some are destroyed The wicked saith Iob are kept vnto the day of destruction The righteous onely shall be saued CHAP. IIII. What effectuall Calling is the parts causes effects subiects place time maner properties and signes of it are declared THvs much concerning the common meanes seruing for the execution of Gods Election The speciall are these three Effectuall Vocaâ—ion Iustification and Glorification that is as Trelcarius saith The gracious beginning proceeding and the glorious accomplishing and consummation of the blessings of God For the first Effectuall vocation or calling is an action of God translating men from the kingdom of darkenesse to his owne Kingdome And it is two-foldeâ— Extraordinary and Ordinary Extraordinary vocation is an immediate and speciall worke of the Spirit whereby without outward meanes hee smiteth the heart and inwardly speaketh to the soule and by the infusion of grace doth make the heart to answere his call and drawe neere vnto him This calling without the ministerie of the word is very rare and vnusuall But the Lord that is aboue meanes is not tyed to meanes but can worke without meanes when it pleaseth his Maiestie so to doe Effectuall vocation which is ordinary is that Whereby God calleth out of darkenesse into his marueilous light from the power of Sathan vnto God those whom he knew from eternitie and predestinated vnto life of his meere fauour by the promulgation of the couenant of grace or preaching of the Gospell Or It is when grace is not onely offered but giuen also by God through the effectuall working of his Spirit in our heartes which is the beginning of grace in vs hee himselfe laying the first foundation of it by giuing power to receiue the word to mingle it with faith and to bring foorth the fruites of new obedience This ordinary effectuall calling hath two parts Inuitement and Admission Inuitement is when God offers remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to them that beleeue Outwardly by the preaching of the Gospell Inwardly by the inspiration of heauenly desires Admission is when men are entred into the kingdome of grace and it is either outward or inward Outward admission is made in Baptisme Inward admission is when men are taken out of old Adam and by faith ingraffed in to Christ For by this insition into Christ men are made reall members of Gods kingdome Haec ille For the better conceiuing and vnderstanding of this Calling these points ensuing are worthy our consideration The efficient cause of effectuall Calling is Almightie God By him we are called vnto the fellowship of his Sonne He hath called vs vvith an holy calling
men in making choise of whom hee list to bee his vessels of honour and temples for his Spirit to inhabit And finally it teacheth vs to loue our brethren who are elected by the same God and for the same ends that we our selues are Fourthly Ministers are by Pauls example bound to teach their people the whole counsell of God and to keepe backe nothing which is commodious therefore they must teach them this doctrine Lastly Ministers must not suppresse or keepe backe that which is reuealed but rather proclaime and diuulge it For things reuealed as this is belong to vs and to our children for euer as Moses writeth Yea they ought to do it the more diligently that they may preserue them froÌ„ those infectious errors which many turbulent and erroneous spirits doe publish to the world and stay them from abusing this so holy a doctrine as many doe to licentious luxurious liuing The iudgement of Caluin is worthy to bee embraced who saith We shall neuer be throughly perswaded that our saluation â—oth flow from the Fountaine of Gods free mercie vntill we bee acquainted with his eternall Election The Scripture is the Schoole of the holy Ghost wherein as nothing is omitted necessarie to be knowen so nothing is taught but that which is expedient for a man to know We must therefore beware that we do not keepe the faithfull from that which the Scripture deliuereth concerning Predestination leâ—t we seeme maliciously to defraud them of that which God doth affoord vnto them or reprooue his Spirit as if hee had reuealed things fit for some considerations to be concealed The fift and last thing to be considered is the maner of propounding and handling of this doctrine Here these duties must be obserued First that this doctrine bee deriued onely from the word of God and not fetcht from the forge of mans braine For the word is a sure Rule to direct our vnderstanding And it is the cheifest point of sobrietie to make GOD our Schoole-master when we learne and then to leaue learning when he leaues teaching When he leaues speaking then wee should leaue inquiring Hee which curiously pries into Gods secrets runnes himselfe into an inextricable labyrinth and findes not that wherewith his curiositie may be satisfied Secondly this doctrine ought to bee deliuered in conuenient and fit tearmes that the trueth thereof may be discerned and no point obscured and that the sublimitie and maiestie thereof be not eclipsed and debased Thirdly it is fit that before this doctrine be preached to the people the Minister do first acquaint them with more familiar points of Religion that his labours may be more prosperous and beneficiall These things haue beene deliuered by way of a Preface I will now speake of the decree of Election and of the Execution of it CHAP. 2. What Election is There bee two distinct acts thereof The causes of it Efficient Materiall and Formall Three ends thereof Sixe effects of it Two subiects of it Fifteen prerogatiues of the Elect. 〈◊〉 properties of Election Many signes thereof are set downe ELECTION to euerlasting life is the speciall decree of God touching the conferring of eternall saluation by Christ the Redeemer to certain men of meere mercie and good will Or The degree of Election is that whereby God hath appointed some vnto his glorious grace in the obtaining of their saluation and celestiall life by Christ. Or it is as Augustine teacheth the preparation of a free donation whereby God hath made vs vessels of mercie before the creation of the world vnto the adoption of the sonnes of God by Iesus Christ In the decree of Election there are two distinct preordinations or acts of the diuine counsell the former concerning the end the latter concerning the meanes tending vnto the end This the holy Ghost seemeth to haue taught most clearely Rom 9.11 where he saith That the purpose which is according to Election might remaine firme By which we see a distinction put betwixt the purpose of God his election And in Rom. 8.29 30. The decree is expresly distinguished from the execution of it which the Apostle placeth in vocation iustification and glorification The first act in the decree of Election is a part of the diuine purpose whereby God doth assume certaine men to be created passing by all other vnto his euerlasting loue and fauour and by assuming them doth make them vessels of mercy and honour The second act is the purpose of sauing or of conferring glorie whereby God doth ordaine and separate the same men being to fall in Adam vnto saluation and celestiall glory These two acts must not be seuered but distinguished The former is of men to be created and the latter is of men that are both created and corrupted By the former men are ordained vnto grace and by the latter the meanes are subordained whereby grace may be conferred and declared For this latter prepares a way for the complement and execution of the former The efficient cause of Election or the Electour is God Almightie Father Sonne and Holy Ghost For such workes as are wrought by God vpon the creature are common to the three persons the maner of working peculiar to each of them being reserued And the Scripture expresly sheweth that the Father the Sonne did elect vs Eph. 1.4 Iohn 15.16 For howsoeuer Christ himselfe is elected as hee is our Mediatour yet as hee is the eternall Word or Sonne of the Father he doth elect as well as the Father Now seeing the worke of election belong to them we may not exclude the holy Ghost who hath one common Godhead with them The cause which mooued God to elect those which are elected was his meere good will and nothing els as appeareth by these reasons First by the word of God Hee hath saith Paul predestinated vs according to the good pleasure of his will At this time also a reseruation is made according to the election of grace Secondly if Christ did not merite as he was a man to bee vnited to the person of the word and to bee borne wholy voyd of sin there is no cause for vs to thinke but that our election vnto life is of the free grace of God But Augustine doth confidently and most truely teach that the man-head of Christ was thus aduanced for no merit of worke thereof but freely had it Therefore it is absurde to thinke that we were not elected of Gods free grace Thirdly if the Patriarch Iacob was elected by grace then Election is of grace but the former is true as Paul doth witnesse Rom 9. â—1 Before the children were borne and when they had neither done good nor euil that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by works but by him that calleth it was said vnto her the elder shall serue the yonger Therefore we also are elected of grace Fourthly God hath
shall see the good pleasures of the Lord in the land of the liuing and shall haue an house not made with handes but eternall in the heauens And what greater ioy can any man desire to enioy then to be assured that he is elected to eternal ioy Fourthly this assurance is the more excellent considering the woe of the Reprobates which want it and the wearisome sights and inexplicable terrors of such as are swallowed vp of dispaire Fiftly this priuiledge is the more to be accounted of because we may enioy it dayly through our life and for that the longer we be partakers of it the sweeter it is vnto vs. Lastly this assurance is an infallible argument of true faith by which wee come to Christ we approch to the Father and hasten to heauen For faith is an enemie to doubting and incredulitie and is an vndoubted certenty or perswasion Thus much concerning the subiects of Election It remaineth yet to speak of the properties and signes thereof and thence wee passe to the accomplishent of it The properties of it are especially three First it is most free without all obligation conpulsion externall instigation or preuision of future preparations merits faith For hath not the Potter libertie ouer his clay to make of the same lumpe one a vessell vnto honour and another a vessell to dishonour Who can compell the Almightie Or what is before his will Why did he make no more worldes then one Why did he make choise of the Israelites aboue all nations Why made he no more kindes of creatures or set no more Sunnes to shine in the heauens Who art thou that thou darest dispute with God The will of God saith Austen is the cause of all things that are And Hugo saith that of Gods will which is the cause of all things there is no cause Deus est liberrimum agens God is a most free Agent and doth whatsoeuer he will Therefore Aquinas saith well that the difference betwixt the saued and the damned proceedes from the principall intentions of the first Agent Secondly the decree of Election is from all eternitie not onely before we did beleeue but before wee were Gods Election and reprobation was past vpon Iacob and Esaâ— before they were borne and ere they had done good or euill And the Apostle teacheth that God did chuse vs before the foundation of the world Sedulius saith that God purposed with himselfe ante omnia mundi tempora before the beginning of the world to saue those that beleeue In like manner also S. Austen saith He fore-knew vs before he made vs and elected vs in his fore-knowledge Cum nâ—ndum fecisset when yet he had not made vs. And againe intra mundum facti sumus ante mundum electi sumus wee were made after the world but wee were elected before the world For as one saith well like as Dauid was annointed and appointed to be king long before he entred to his kingdome and as Moses was designed to be the deliuerer of Israel forty yeeres before he exercised his office so the Elect of God were long agoe ordained to saluation though the accomplishment thereof they must expect with patience Thirdly the election of God is constant perpetuall immutable and inuiolable For the principles and first grounds of things are stable and vnmoueable and that which is contingent mutable and vncertaine is therefore barred from being an originall or ground Now the decree of election is the foundation and scaturidge of saluation therefore it is certaine stedfast and vnchangeable Secondly God the author of Election is an immutable vnresistable and constant Agent or Architecht and doth seriously and effectually separate and elect some men vnto himselfe therfore his decree cannot but bee fulfilled Thirdly the Scripture is euident in auouching this truth My counsell saith the Lord shall stand The foundation of God saith Paul remaineth sure The decree of Election is called a foundation for two causes First because it is the beginning and well-spring of our saluation and of all the meanes tending to saluation Secondly it is so termed for the surenesse and firmnesse of it because the same is neuer shaken but remaines immutable For euery foundation hath this necessarie condition that it bee strong and steddy so as that the rest of the building may stay vpon it surely and not be remoued And such a firme foundation is Gods election For whosoeuer are elected shall still remaine elected and shall neuer bee reiected This is my fathers will saith Christ that of all which he hath giuen me I should loose nothing Those whom he loued euer hee loueth for euer Firmissime tene Hold saith S. Augustine most assuredly and nothing doubt at all Neque perire posse aliquem that neither any of those can perish whom God hath predestinated vnto the kingdome of heauen nor that any of those can by any meanes come whom he hath not predestinated vnto life Now if none of the Elect can perish then Gods election remaineth constant So much for the properties the Signes of Election are many First the loue of God is the ground of election And Gods loue is best knowne by his best gifts the best things hee reserueth for those whom he best loueth As Ioseph sent vnto Beniamin more messes of meate and gaue him richer giftes and more costly suites of apparell then to the rest of his brethren so the Lord bestoweth the best gifts vpon his owne children Now the graces of regeration the spirituall gifts of faith hope and loue are without all comparison the most principall Therefore he that hath faith hope and loue may assure himselfe of Gods loue and that hee is in electorum albo in the ranke and roll of Gods elect these being infallible tokens and vndoubted effects of Election and fore-runners of eternall life Secondly there is as one hath excellently deliuered a knowledge in God whereby he knowes who are his and this knowledge brings foorth an other knowledge in vs whereby wee know God for our God There is an election in God which works in the Elect another election wherby they chuse God for their God The loue whereby God loueth vs workes in vs another loue wherby we loue God Christ first apprehends vs this apprehension of his works in vs the appreheÌ„sion of faith wherby we lay hold vpon him Hoec ille If these things therefore be in vs we may conclude infallibly that we are the elect of God For they are the fruits of his loue the works of his spirit therfore irrefragable testimonies and tokens of Election The sun by his light shines vpon vs and by the same light we view and behold the sunne To conclude these also are sure signes of Election which I will set downe as I finde them in the workes of that zealous Preacher 1. A rebuking of sinne inwardly a pouertie of spirit from thence
Yee are saith Peter a chosen generation that ye should shew foorth his vertues that hath called you And againe As hee which hath called you is holy that is God so Iude 1. But here we must beware that wee doe not separate the persons For it is a worke common to the Trinitie One saith well God the Father doth call vs in Christ by the Spirit for he is absolute Lord of all his Creatures and therefore he may call out of the kingdome of darkenesse into his owne kingdome whom he will His instruments are the Ministers of the word and therefore are called Conorkers Fathers Sauiours His ordinary outward meanes is the preaching of the Gospell Hee hath called you by our Gospell saith Paul The Law serues to prepare the heart for grace but it is the oyly drops of the Gospell that by the power of the Spirit doe soften the heart and make it supple and pliable it like Balme doeth reuiue and comfort the heart The Gospell is the power of God that is the instrument of Gods power to saluation to all that beleeue Afflictions also losses crosâ—es sicknesse good examples and the like are by Gods blessing good preparatiues of grace but the preaching of the Gospell is the proper instrument of the Spirit for the effecting of grace By it God speakes to the eare of the soule and by it as by a Pipe hee conueyes his graces into the cisterne of our hearts Now GOD when hee calles a man performes a double worke of grace First he doth illuminate vs by his holy Spirit infusing a new and heauenly light into our minde being so blind before as that it neither saw nor could see the things which doe belong to the spirit of God The naturall man saith Paul perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them In like manner also in the will which is altogether peruerse and wholly fallen from God he worketh an vprightnesse and in all the affections a new holinesse Hence proceeds that new man which is created after God in righteousnesse and true holinesse Secondly he causeth vs being enlightned and thus changed to apprehend his mercy to desire and affect our amendement and to answere vnto his call like Dauid VVhen thou saidst Seeke yee my face mixe heart answered vnto thee O Lord I will seeke thy face When God had pierced Dauids eare with the augur of his Spirit he answered Lo I come The primary cause or the foundation of this vocation is the free grace of God For this Vocation is of gift and not of merit of Grace and not of Nature God calling whom he will and againe whom he will either not calling or not calling them effectually The Apostle saith that hee hath called vs with an holy calling not according to our works bâ—t according to his own purpose grace The meritorious cause of this effectuall Calling is the merits of Christ For Christ hath merited in our behalfe that the Holy Ghost should bee sent into vs to illuminate and adorne our hearts with his graces The matter whereof this Vocation doth consist is a speciall powerfull and inward worke of the Spirit The forme and as it were the life and soule thereof is the illumination and information of the mind and an efficatious bending conforming and working of the heart wil whereby it becomes obedient to the voice of God and returnes as it were an audible and liuely Eccho into his eare The end is double first the glory of God and the commendation of his mercie to whom we must ascribe both grace and nature and of whom we haue receiued our soules and bodies yea and the very soule of our soules which is his Spirit The second end of this vocation is our deliuerance and translation out of ignorance infidelitie sensualitie and rebellion vnto spirituall grace and glory For we are called out of darknesse into light that we might walke in light and no longer serue the Prince of darknesse We are called out of the world vnto God to the end that wee should relinquish the lusts of the world and serue God that walking vprightly before him in this world wee may reigne like Princes with him in the world to come The effects and fruites of this Calling are a reformed iudgement a fleshy heart a yeelding vnto the Lord a sâ—ight from the works of darknesse an attentiue and hungry eare a spirituall relishing and receiuing of the solacious and sweete promises of the Gospel When a skilfull Musitian hath once strung tuned and strucke his instrument it sends out many pleasant and sweet soundes so when the Lord hath once breathed his Spirit of life in at the nostrils of our soules when he hath once tuned the strings of our sinfull hearts and hath toucht them with the finger of his spirit he makes them send forth many delectable and harmonious sounds wherein he takes delight When Christ had cried to Lazarus being dead and said Lazarus Come foorth He forthwith reuiued and came foorth of the graue So when Peter had said to dead Tabitha Tabitha arise She opened her eies immediatly and sate vp Euen so when he shall vouchsafe to call a man with his powerfull voice and shal effectually speake vnto the heart and say Arise thou that sleepest in thy sinne come foorth of the graue of iniquitie stand vp and walke in the wayes of righteousnes his call is so mightie and his word so powerfull and vnuanquishable that the man to whom hee doth so speake must needs awake arise come foorth and walke The voice of the Lord saith Dauid is mightie the voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedars it deuideth the flames of fire it maketh the Wildernesse to tremble and discouereth the Forrests These are the effects of that voice In like maner the voice which God speaketh to the eare of the soule in his effectuall Vocation is so mightie and so glorious as that it rendeth the heart and makes it tremble it discouereth the soule and diuides in twaine and peirceth into the most secret places of it And looke as at the sound of the seauen Trumpets the wall of Iericho fell flat downe and as at that efficatious voyce of Christ saying I am he his enemies that came to apprehend him went away back-ward and fell to the ground euen so when Gods voice shall sound in a mans eare and when Christ shall speake effectually vnto the heart the walles of hell shall reele and totter the fortresses of iniquitie shall be ruinated the castles of sinne shall be cast downe our spirituall enemies shall bee driuen backeward the strong man Satan shall bee fettered and his cursed workes dissolued These are the admirable effects of this glorious voyce these are the worthy workes of Gods effectuall Calling We may therefore iustly say The voyce of the Lord is mightie The voyce
some of them were before their calling notorious sinners committing â—orrible and transcendent enormities â—et now since their calling they were rashed and sanctified and so become new men And as concerning the Thessalonians he saith that the Gospel was not to them in word onely but also in power and much assurance and that they became followers of him and of the Lord and receiued the word in much affliction with ioy of the holy Ghost and turned to God from Idoles to serue the liuing and true God and increased in faith and mutuall loue and were patient faithfull in al their persecutions afflictions So then if with the Romanes we performe heartie obedience to the word if with those Corinthes we be rich in spirituall graces and haue purged our heartes by true repentance from our former iniquities if we be mortified and renewed if like those good ThessaloniaÌ„s we receiue and beleeue the Gospell if we follow the Lord his faithfull embassadours if we entertâ—ine the word with ioyfulnesse notwithstanding all afflictions if we turne to God from all our owne Gods our owne delights and vanities to which wee had wedded our heartes if our faith increase and our loue abound and if we haue patience and faith as they had in all our crosses and afflictions then may we assure ourselues that wee are effectually called as they were Finally Peter exhorting vs to giue diligence to make calling sure addeth that if we doe these things wee shall neuer fall Now what these things are hee sheweth to wit that they would ioint vertue with their faith and with vertue knowledge with it temperance and with temperance patience with patience godlines with it brotherly kindnes and with brotherly kindnes loue If therfore these graces shine within vs and bee fast rooted in our hearts and vnited in our liues we may assure our soules of our effectuall calling if we do these things we shall neuer fall and if we shall neuer fall then may wee safely conclude that God hath effectually called vs to light and glorie And thus much concerning effectu-vocation which is the first meane whereby God executeth his eternall Election CHAP. 5. What Iustification is All the causes of it Fiue effects of it The subiects and time of it Fiue properties thereof Foure tokens of it THE second is Iustification For those whom hee calleth effectually in time hee also iustifieth actually in time To iustifie is to repute or account one iust Pro. 17.15 He which iustifieth the wicked that is he which reputeth and iudgeth him to be iust is an abomination to the Lord. Luke 16.15 You iustifie your selues before men that is You would be esteemed iust To be iustified is to be cleared or to bee reputed iudged and pronounced iust To be iustified then before God is to be reputed and esteemed righteous in his sight Iustification therefore in his proper significatioÌ„ is an Acceptance wherby God esteemeth vs as righteous being receiued into fauour Or Iustification is a iudiciall and gracious worke of God by which hee iudgeth the Elect being in themselues obnoxious to the accusation and curse of the Law to be iust by faith for Christ through the imputation of his iustice and that vnto the praise of his glorious grace and to their owne saluation The principall efficient of Iustification is God the Father in the Sonne by the holy Spirit For who can forgiue sinnes but God alone It is God that iustifies I saith the Lord euen I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities It 〈◊〉 meet that he should be our pardoner who was our Creator and that he should bee the giuer of grace who was to all the author of nature It is his office to absolue the guiltie by whose iustice hee was made guiltie It beloÌ„gs to him to pronounce a man to be iust whose will is the rule of iustice it is his prerogatiue to giue sentence of life and death because he is by nature right and office the highest Iudge The instrument whereby the benefit of Iustification is offered and proclaimed is the Gospel which therefore is called the word of life the word of saluation the word and ministerie of Reconciliation The outward instruments whereby our iustification is sealed and confirmed to vs are the two Sacramentes and thereupon Circumcision is called the Seale of the righteousnesse of faith The inward Sealer of our iustification is the Holy Ghost who testifieth and sealeth it to our consciences so as that we may perswade our hearts of it The Ministers and liuely instruments for the proclaiming testifying and pronouncing our iustification to vs are the Messengers and Prophets of the Lord according to that of Christ whose sinnes ye remit they shall be remitted to them and whose ye retaine they shall be retained The onely internall instrument whereby we apprehend and receiue the grace of iustification offered vnto vs by God is a true sauing faith Iustifying faith is a gift whereby wee apprehend Christ and his benefits Or it is a worke of Gods Spirit in the heart whereby we receiue and lay hold on Christs obedience for the pardon of our sinnes with God and his accepting of vs as righteous in his â—ight The authour of faith is God For vnto vs It is giuen to beleeue This is the worke of God saith Christ that yee beleeue in him whom hee hath sent Faith both begun and finished is the gift of God as Austen truly teacheth The proper forme and life of faith is not charitie which is a distinct gift of God and a fruite of vnfeigned Faith but the Apprehension and Application of Christ and his benefites vnto our selues particularly The proper obiect of a sauing faith is Iesus Christ God-man and Mediator betwixt God and man Remigius saith My whole faith is in Christ by him alone I beleeue that I am iustified and saued And Beda saith The scope of my faith is Christ the end or marke of my faith whereat it aymeth is the Sonne of God Now to be iustified by faith is to be iustified of God for the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith or as Caluin speaketh he shall be iustified by faith who being excluded from the righteousnesse of works apprehendeth the righteousnesse of Christ by faith wherewith he being inuested doth appeare in the sight of God as righteous and â—ot a sinner So that faith doth iustifie in respect of her obiect onely and not as any meritorious or proper efficient of iustification Euen as the hand that receiueth the treasure which is giuen doth not make the receiuer rich but the treasure it selfe so neither the worke or action of faith doth iustifie vs but Christ himselfe whom we doe apprehend And this faith be it weake or strong is yet able to receiue the righteousnesse of Christ euen as a palsie or shaking hand may receiue a iewel of a king as
truely though not so firmely as the hand that is whole and sound And further this sauing faith is the onely hand whereby wee doe receiue Christ and his merites No man is iustified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ Basil saith This is to glorie in the Lord when a man doth not boast of his ovvne righteousnesse but doth acknowledge that hee is destitute of true righteousnes that he is iustified by faith alone in Christ Chrisostom saith Without faith no man hath obtained life but I am able to shew that a faithfull man both liued and obtained the kingdom of heauen without workes For the thiefe did onely beleeue and was iustified It was well said by Roffensis Fides faeta bonis operibus iustificat ante partum Faith being bigge with good works doth iustifie a man before it bring them forth For as S. Augustine saith Good works doe not goe before him that is to be iustified but follow him that iâ— already iustified And though good workes must neuer bee seuered from faith in the person iustified yet they must be sundred in the act of iustification Though the eie bee not alone yet it sees alone and though the head consult inuent alone yet it is not alone but ioyned to the body so though faith be not alone in the faithfull man yet it alone doth iustifie And thus wee see how to esteeme of faith the Sacraments and the Ministers of God alwaies remembring to ascribe our iustification vnto God Father Sonne and Holy Ghost as the proper and principall efficient thereof as the Scriptures teach vs and confessing with Primasius that God doth iustifie the wicked per solam fidem by faith alone and not by workes The internall impulsiue cause of Iustification which mooueth God to iustifie vs is his grace and meere beneuolence and not our works past present or to come how glorious so euer Paul saith we are iustified freely by his grace And Augustine saith that it is the ineffable grace â—f God that hee which is guilty should be iustified Because all men are shut vp vnder sinne the saluation of man as Anselme saith doth not now consist in the merits of men but in the mercie of God Yea Bellarmine himselfe ingeniously confesseth that by reason of the vncertenty of our owne righteousnesse and the danger of vaine glory Iutissimum est it is the safest course to repose our fiduciam Whole confidence in solu Deâ— misericordia in the Sole mercie and goodnesse of God Now then we must not imagine that this grace of God is procured by our workes but that it doth proceed freely from the Lord. No merit of man saith Anselme doth goe before the grace of God Thou hast done no good saith Augustine and yet remission of sinnes is giuen thee Let thy works be marked and they are found euill If God should reward those workes according to their due he should condemne them But God doth not giue thee the punishment that is due but giues thee grace which is not due And againe he saith The grace without which neither Infants nor men of yeares can be saued is not payed by deserts but giuen without desert and thereupon is called grace The externall impulsiue cause or meritorious efficient of our iustification is not our owne workes virtues or obedience First because they bee the Lords due by vertue of many bonds When we haue done all that is biddeÌ„ vs we haue done but our due no more then wee were bound to due Now shall wee thinke that the discharging of one duetie can satisfie Gods iustice for the omission of many dueties and the commission of many faults Secondly all our righteousnesse is as a stained cloth Gregorie saith All mâ—ns righteousnâ—s iâ— found to be vnrighteousnes â—f God strictly iudge it Our very iustice being brought to the rule of Gods iustice is iniustice that stinketh in the sâ—uerity of the Iudge which shineth in the estimation of the Worker And albeit our good works are perfit in respect of the Spirit from whom thee first flow yet are they polluted when they passe from vs because they ruÌ„ through our corrupted hearts and wils as faire water which runnes through a dirty channell Shall wee now say that our perfect righteousnesse can merit any thing of that righteous Iudge before whose iustice nothing polluted can stand vncondemned Wo vnto the laudable life of men sath Aâ—gustine if God should examine it and lay aside his mercie Thirdly our best actions are not answerable to the benefits of iustification But in reason hee which meanes to merit any thing must bring that which is equal to that which hee seekes to merit fourthly he that wil merit of another must not thinke to merit of him vnâ—esse he bring some thing of his owne to merit with and not that which is his of whom hee doth intend to merit But all our vertues our Faith and good workes are Gods so farre as they bee good and not ours For what haue we which wee haue not receiued Without me saith Christ Ye can dâ—e nothing Of our selues we are not able to thinke one good thought When we eâ—ther beleeue or worke though that faith be ours and albeit the workes â—e ours yet when we haue them we haue them not of our selues but they are giuâ—n of God Whatsoeuer saith Augustine Cornelius wrought well Totum Dâ—o dandam est it must all be ascribed vnto God lest any maÌ„ happily should exalt himself Therfore it is absurde to think we merit any thing by good deedes Fiftly good workes in nature follow Iuâ—tification Augustine saith Iustification goes before the doers of the law Mâ—â— being iustified by beleeuing begin afâ—erwards to liue righteously And Saint Paul saith that God doth iustifie the Vngodly By which then it is plainâ— that no man is iustified for his works Finally wee haue the sentence of the Scriptures with vs and the iudgement of the auncient Church Wee haue beleeued in Iesus Christ saith Paul that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the lame because that by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified God both saued vs not according to the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to his mercie Ambrose saith Let no man glorie in works because no man is iustified by his works Augustine faith The vngodly is iustified by faith without the merits of good workes Primasius saith It is Gods purpose to iustifie the wicked by faith alone without the workes of the law or any other merits of ours whatsoeuer Hâ—miniâ— iustitia indulgentia Deâ— Gods pardon saith Bernard is mans righteousnesse My merit saith hee is Gods mercie Wee conclude therefore saying with Ambroâ—e Wee are not iustified by works but by faith because fleshly 〈◊〉 is an impedimeÌ„t to