sins and Gods accepting of vs as righteous men Remission of sins is a gracious act of God whereby for the merit and satisfaction of Christ he doth perfectly forgiue both the fault and punishment Therefore Paul saith that by him wee haue redemption through hiâ— blood euen the forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace and that there is no condemnation to theÌ„ that are in Christ Iesus who hath by himself purged our sins and by whom the Father hath reconâ—iled vâ— vnto himselfe Now it were absurd to thinke that the punishment is retâ—ined when the sin is remitted For if the proper cause bee defaced then the effect thereof must needs be also abolished If the bodie bee remoued the shadow thereof remaines not So if sin bee pardoned the punishment is remitted As for the crosses which the faithfull suffer they are to bee reputed curses or penalties of vengeance inflicted of God as of an ireful direful Iudge but they are to be esteemed onely as tryals or as punishmeÌ„t of castigatioÌ„ imposed of god as a louing father desiring the welfare weldoing of his childreÌ„ As many as I loue saith the Lord I rebuke chasten He scourgeth euerie sonne vvhich he receiueth If therefore ye be vvithout correction whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes Novv no chastening for the present seemeth to bee 〈◊〉 but grieuous yet afterward it bringeth the 〈◊〉 fruit of righteousnes vnto theÌ„ which are thereby exercised The Lord tries vs by afflictions as gold is tried in the furnace with fire He keeps vs by the crosse within our limits as water is held in with bankes And with the thorny hedge of troubles vexations hee keepes vs within our owne walkes and pastures being by nature giuen to break out and stray Therefore Dauid saith Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy word it is good for mee that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest For it is certaine God scoureth away the infirmities of his Saincts by many afflictions It is the Lord which sendeth crosses to his children to saue theÌ„ that they freese not with the wicked world in their dregs For this end saith Cyprian the Lord rebuketh that hee might amend vs to this end he mends that he might saue vs. Augustine saith that sorrowes before pardon of sins are the punishments of sinners but after pardon they are the trials and exercises of iust men And so for death it selfe the sting and strength thereof which is sin is abolished by the death of Christ vpon the crosse therefore is to bee reputed but as a triall or chastisement whereby the Lord doth teach vs humilitie and the flight of sinne and doth exercise and proue our faith fortitude and patience And though in respect of sinne it be the entrance of Hell yet through the death of Christ it is become the gate of heauen and as Cyprian speaketh Ianua vitae the dore of life It doth as it were conuey vs out of the wildernes into Canaan out of a troublesome Sea into a quiet hauen and out of earth into heauen from woe to weale and from men to God yea it becomes the death of sinne that first gaue life to it We conclude therefore this truth with Vrsinus saying God doth not hate vs neither hath he a will to punish vs for those sins for which Christ hath sufficiently satisfied in whom also we haue remission of those sins of omission and all other our sins so that by his onely merit we are reputed righteous before God The second part of Iustification is Gods gracious acceptation wherby he doth for the merit of Christs actiue obedience by faith receiued of vs account vs iust and pure and honours vs with the crowne of life And in this respect we may truely be sayed to be iust perfect and holie men because we stand clothed with the most perfect righteousnes of Christ which is reputed ours in which appearing before our heauenly father wee doe receiue a blessing as Iacob did of Isaack hauing on his elder brothers garmeÌ„ts Neither must it seeme strange vnto vs that we should be accepted righteous for the righteousnes of an other For albeit this righteousnesse be Christs primarily and by way of inherence yet it is ours by Gods donation and by the application of faith As the paiment of our debt is another mans so farre forth as it is discharged by him but it is our payment as it is imputed to vs. Aquinas saith well The head and the member is as one mysticall person and therefore the satisfaction of Christ pertaineth to all the faithfull as to his members The forme or formall cause of Iustification is not faith loue nor any other vertue neither is it an infused quality or habituall sanctity inherent in vs. For this were to confound iustification and sanctification which are very different acts as wee shall hereafter shew But the righteousnesse of Christ imputed considered as it is imputed of God is the forme of iustification Or the proper and onely true forme of iustification is the free imputation of the righteousnes of Christ by which the merit and obedience of Christ are applied to vs by vertue of that neare communion whereby he is in vs and we in him Now God is said to impute the righteousnes of Christ vnto a man when hee doth adiudge decree and giue it to him and account and reckon it as his owne and for the merit and worthines of it doth pardon acquite him and repute him righteous O sweete exchange saith Iustin Martyr O vnsearchable vvorkemanship O benefits surpassing all expectation that the iniquity of manie should be couered in one iust person and that the iustice of one should make manie that are vniust to be reputed iust If one saith Bernard did die for all then all died to wit that the satisfaction of one might be imputed vnto all as that one bare the sins of all Now Christ bare our sins and was made sin for vs not as if our sins had beene infused into him and had beene inherent and inhabitants in him but because they were imputed to him and reputed his as if they had beene committed by him he supplying our place as our Surety and Mediator euen so his righteousnes is made ours not as though it were infused or translated into vs as a thing inherent and inhabiting in vs but because it is reputed ours and imputed freely to vs as if wee our selues had wrought it in our owne persons And of this opinion was S. Augustine We are the righteousnes of God in him as he is sin in vs to vvit by imputation With whom consenteth Vrsinus the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ is not the transfusion of righteousnes or of qualities into vs but the absolution from sins in the iudgement
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
neither were all the seed of Abraham elected as was Abraham It is God who makes vs meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saintes and not any prerogatiue or dignitie in vs. We call Christ our Sauiour because he by his dignitie and merit hath deserued our saluation of God for vs euen so wee might be called our owne Electors if we did mooue God to elect vs by our dignities or prerogatiues Finally God respects not these things in sauing vs therefore neither in electing vs. For if they did mooue God to elect vs they should also perswade him to redeeme and saue vs which is against the Scripture in many places Finally the merit of Christ is not the efficient or impulsiue cause of election though it be of saluation For the efficient cause of election which is without beginning must also bee without beginning but the merit of Christ is not froÌ„ eternitie therfore it is not the efficient cause of eternall election Secondly if Christ himselfe as Mediator was elected froÌ„ all eternity then his merit is not the cause of electing but the former is true out of Peter the latter therefore is also true Thirdly the effect of eternall election is not the cause thereof but the merit of Christ is the effect of election For God did not elect vs because Christ was to die for vs but on the contrarie Christ did therefore die for vs because God had elected vs in him Therefore the merit of Christ is not the efficient cause of Gods election Wherefore we do conclude and with Caluin we doe auerre according to the truth Hoc consilium quoad Electos in gratuita eius misericordia fundatum esse that the foundation of Gods Election is laied in his free mercie He will haue mercie on whom he will and chuseth whom he pleaseth And so much for the efficient and impulsiue cause of election The materiall cause or matter of Election is threefold first in which that is in Christ the Mediatour secondly about which that is about certaine men thirdly of which it doth consist of which last wee now entreat and that is the counsell of God For election is nothing but the counsell of GOD for the separation of some men to eternall life The formall cause is the ordination assumption and separation of certaine men from all others to the fruition of present grace and future glory The ends of Election are three The former concernes God that doth elect the 2. latter concerne those that are elected The first is the glory of God and the celebration and declaration of his mercy Rom. 9.23 That hee might declare the riches of his glorie vpon the vessels of mercie which he hath prepared vnto glorie Eph. 1.6 He hath chosen vs to the praise of his glorious grace The glory of God is the supreme end of all things therefore of election And if we be commanded to make it the scope of all our actions wee need not doubt but that God doth aime at it in all his The second end of Election is that we should bee holy and blamelesse before God Augustine saith well He chose vs not because we were then holy neither yet because wee would hereafter prooue holy but he rather chose vs to this end that in the time of grace we might be holy through good works The third end is the saluation and glory of the Elect. Therefore they are sayd to be Ordained to eternall life and prepared vnto glorie and chosen vnto saluation We may not thinke that Election is the absolute wil of God without any end It were impietie to attribute such a will to God as hath no scope or end proposed to it For if nature doe nothing in vaine or to no end and purpose much lesse doth God The effects of Election are the meditation of Christ adoption vocation sauing faith iustification and glorification which comprehendeth two things first regeneration or sanctification in which is conteined perpetuall repentance that is auersion from all euill and conuersion vnto God loue righteousnesse the hatred of sinne the study of good workes calling vpon God true humilitie a desire to see Christ constancie in professing the true faith to the last gaspe For Gods Election is the roote of all the gifts of God in vs and the foundation of all his sauing benefits Secondly glorification comprehendeth in it the complement and fruition of all glory in the life to come that is of all holines and happinesse with the Lord foreuer The Subiect of Election is double The first is the subiect in whom we are elected This subiect is Christ Hee hath chosen vs in him saith Paul Now we are not elected in Christ as hee is God or the Word simply so considered For in this respect he is our Elector as he saith himselfe I know whom I haue chosen Neither are wee elected in him as a meere man For a meere man was not fit for vs to bee elected in But we are elected in him as he is God-man our Head and eternall Mediator in whom God hath placed all spirituall blessings which hee would communicate to vs in his good time And wee are elected in Christ because we were not capable in ourselues of so great excellencie He only as Polanus truely teacheth is the fit meane in whom we were elected considering that by election there is made an vnion and coniunction of vs with God the electour Caluin alleaging that speech of Paul He hath chosen vs in Christ saith that it is all one as if he had said that God because he found nothing worâ—hie of his election in all the seed of Adam did therefore turne his eies vnto his Christ that hee might elect members as it were out of his bodie whom hee would take vnto the fellowship of life It were therefore very absurd to dream of any election out of him hee being the foundation of the execution of Election in respect of the beginning meanes and end The other subiect is the Obiect of Election or the persons that are elected And these are not all the sonnes of Adam without exception of any For first hee that taketh all and refuseth none cannot properly be said to chuse For election supposeth a reiection He which makes a choice refuseth some Secondly whom God electeth hee doth also glorifie But all are not glorified therefore all are not elected Thirdly sauing faith is peculiar to the Elect and not common to all and is a true effect of Gods election Now many being destitute of true faith for euer it must needs bee that they are also out of Gods election Fourthly the Scripture shewes that some are elected and some refused Rom 11.7 The Elect haue obtained it but the rest are blinded God hath made the wicked for the day of euill Gregory saith well Deus miro modâ— God being the creator of all alike hath admirablie
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
of God for the righteousnes of an other For iustification and remission of sins are the same For to iustifie is for God not to impute sin vnto vs but to accept vs for righteous to absolue or pronounce vs iust for the righteousnesse of Christ imputed The end of Iustification in respect of God is the glory of God in an admirable composition of iustice and mercie of iustice because hee would haue his sonne to satisfie for our sins rather then that they should escape vnpunished and of mercie because it pleased him to impute and appropriate the satisfaction of his sonne vnto vs rather then we wretches should be destroyed But some will perhaps imagine that God shewed neither iustice nor mercie no iustice because he punished an innocent for the nocent set his teeth on edge whereas they had eaten the soure grapes and no mercie because hee forgaue none without a satisfaction It is true indeed that the innocent was punished but yet it was done willingly and not by constraint and he was of the same nature with the nocent and was also such a potent innocent as that he did satisfie the iustice of the Iudge to the vtmost and conquer all his punishments with facilitie Neither must we deeme the mercie of God to be withheld or not exhibited because he did not forgiue without a satisfaction For first it was of his sole benignitie and perfect mercie without the preuision of any merit that he came to satisfie who made the satisfaction for vs. Herein saith Iohn is that loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to be a reconciliation for our sins Secondly it is his grace that hee doth apply the satisfaction of his sonne vnto vs who were disposed thereunto by no gift or merit Thirdly we must consider that Gods iustice is so infinitely absolute as that we could not bee iustified without a Mediator God could not forgiue sinne without a satisfaction For otherwise what need was there that the soone of GOD should be brought as he was to such horrible miserie and to such an accursed death A kinde father would try any way rather then he would expose his owne and onely sonne to extreame terrors and miserie And lest any man should imagine that it is in Gods power to remit or to reteine sinnes like debts we must know that there are two kinds of debts For there is a debt which eclipseth and hurteth the honour of the Creditor and there is also a debt which doth not touch it If the debt do not hurt his honour it may vvith great encrease of honour be rmitted vvithout any recompence at all as vvhen a king forgiueth his seruant the debt of some thousands of câ—ovvnes This debt as it did not hurt the maiestie of the king so it might be forgiuen vvithout anie hurt to his maiestie But if debts doe hurt the honour and maiestie of the Creditour and doe directlie impugne his nature and glorie vvithout doubt they cannot at his pleasure be remitted vvithout satisfaction And such debts are sins at vvhich infringe the rule of Gods eternall vvill are enemies to it so as that they cannot be purged and forgiuen vvithout a penaltie but Gods iustice and vprightnes vvill bee diminished But yet though his mercie could not shoulder out his iustice or any whit eclipse it yet his iustice did not bereaue him of his mercie For of his ovvne meere mercie hee found out the way to redeeme and saue vs when we did not so much as thinke of any such thing and therefore as we ought to admire the seueritie of his iustice so we should also magnifie his endles grace and mercie The endes of Iustification in respect of our selues are that we may be pleasing vnto God that wee may haue peace of conscience and true tranquilitie of minde that being redeemed from miserie wee might bee saued and finally that wee should striue against the streame of our owne corruptions and keepe a constant course in pietie or to vse the words of Zacharie That wee being deliuered out of the handes of our enemies should serue him without feare all the daies of our life in holinesse and righteousnesse before him For Christ gaue himselfe for vs that wee should be zealous of good vvorkes and bare our sinnes on the crosse that vve being dead to sinne should liue is righteousnesse To this end saith Bucanus are wee iustified by faith for Christ that the old man being abolished by the efficacie of Christ crucified Christ may liue in vs and wee by the study of good workes may shew our selues thankefull vnto God for so great a benefite Therefore Paul almost in all his Epistles drawes his doctrine of sanctification and good workes out of the doctrine of Faith or Iustification as the effect out of the cause or as an necessarie consequent from the Antecedent Hâ—c ille In like maner Augustine saith Christ died for the vvicked but not that the wicked should remaine dead but that being iustified they should be conuerted from vvickednesse beleeuing in him vvhich iustifieth the vngodly For God hateth impietie And againe Grace doth iustifie or hee iustifies by grace that he which is iustified might like iustly So then one maine end of our iustificatioÌ„ is that abandoning all iniquitie we should lead our liues in sanctitie The effects and consequents of Iustification are diuers The immediate effect of Iustification is adoption by vvhich the Elect doe now actually please God as his sonnes and coheires of Christ For so soone as the Electare absolued from their sinnes they are foorthwith adopted into the right â—nd priuiledges of the children of God A second effect of Iustification is peace of conscience to wit when we perceiue our selues to be deliuered from our sins before Gods iudgemeÌ„t seat and the iudgement of our owne conscience For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and being iustified by faith wee haue peace vvith God euen that peace vvhich passeth all vnderstanding whereas there is no true peace to the wicked but they are like the raging sea that cannot rest vvhose waters cast vp mudde and mire or else they are structen with a spirituall Apoplexcy which hath reaued them of all true sense and are so benummed in their conscience that they can feele nothing till it be roused and awaked Thirdly our iustification makes vs haue accesse to God by prayer with confidence to be heard for Christ For sinne was the Make-bate and wall of partition betwixt God and vs now our sinnes are done away when wee are iustified and therefore with boldnesse wee may approach vnto the throne of Grace We haue now receiued the Spirit of adoption by vvhich vvee crâ—e Abba Father that is by vvhich vve conceiue very good hope in him to vvhom wee pray like suppliants that hee will in fatherly affection tovvard vs giue
work and with Primatius God doth iustifie the vngodly but not by works which â—e wanteth For if he should iustifie him according to workes he must be punished and not deliuered The externall moâ—â—er then and meritorious efficient of our Iustification is Christ by his obedience For God made him to be sinne for vs who knew no sinne that â—e should be made the rightousnesse of God in him Wee are iustified through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set foorth to bee a reconciliation through faith in his blood Augustine saith Christ alone hath 〈…〉 the punishment for vs without his 〈◊〉 demerits that we might obtaine grace by him without good merits Christ saith Basill is true righteousnesse vvho is made vnto vs of God righteousnesse vvisdom sanctification and redemption As the 〈◊〉 couered the dike and the Decalogue so he couereth 〈◊〉 sinne and hee hides our bodies and soules from the furious indignation and vengeance of God Now the obedience of Christ is two-fold actiue and passiue The former stands in his perfite fulfilling of the Law the latter is contained in his passion both in life and death By the passion of Christ our sinnes are remitted Therefore Peter saâ—th that he bare our sinnes vpon the Crosse And Iohn likewise saith that he washed vâ— from our sinnes in his blood And long before them the Prophet Esay saith that he was vvounded for our transgressions and by his stripes we are healed Remission of sins saith Chrysostome is on the blood of Christ His death saith Amâ—â—ose is the iustification of sinners By it gods iustice is fully satisfied his wrath is appealed and â—ll punishments temporall and eternall deserued by sin are quite remoued By his fulfilling of the Law we are reputed and esteemed righteous For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth â—e was made vnto vs of God righteousnes By the obedience of this one maniâ— shall be made righteous Lord saith Bernard I will remember thy righteousnes onely for that is also mine For thou art made vnto me righteousnes of God Now this his righteousnesse is not ours but his originally is made ours by Gods tree imputation It is imputed to vs by God accounted ours Christ being our Suretie and standing in our stead and so appropriated to vs as if we had performed it in our owne persons Bernard saith that the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed to vs. And againe the iustice of another is assigned vnto man because he wanted his owne The satisfaction of one is imputed vnto all And no maÌ„ must thinke it strange that the obedience of Christ could satisfie for the disobedience of all the Elect make them to bee reputed righteous with God For in that it was the obedience of God that is of that holy man who was true God it was of endlesse merit of inualuable value with the Lord. The perfection and merit of this obedience comes from the dignity of his person that did obey And though iustification bee through Christ yet God may bee sayed to iustify freely because it comes freely to vs wee doe nothing for it and because also it was his free loue which moued him to send his sonne to suffer for our sins and to fulfil the Law fully for vs. Neither must any man imagine that Christ did not fulfill the Law for vs but for himselfe onely and consequently that his actiue obedience is not imputed to vs. For Christ is not onely our redemption but he is also the perfection of the Lawe for vs that beleeue in him Whereupon it is that Ambrose saith He hath the perfection of the Law who beleeueth in Christ Moreouer Whole Christ is giuen vnto vs with his benefits Otherwise if his Passiue obedience were onely imputed to vs it would follow that haâ—fe Christ were onely giuen vs Patientem non Agentem to wit as he is a Patient and not an Agent or dooer of those things which are pleasing to his Father and auferentem peccatâ— onely as he takes away sin and death and not affâ—rentem iustitiam bringing righteousnes But he was not borne for himselfe but for vs and was giuen vnto vs that hee might both doe for vs the things that were to be done and suffer the things which were to be suffered Againe Christ as man fulfilled the Lawe for himselfe that hee might be in both natures an holy high Priest so continue Neuerthelesse as Mediatour God and Man hee became subiect to the Law and in this regard he did not fulfill tâ—â— Lawe for himselfe neither was he bound so to doe Neither must this seeme strange to any that the Law should both exact obedience and the penalty too For howsoeuer in the state of innocency the Law threatned the penaltie and onely exacted obedience yet since the fall it doth both exact obedience the punishment The threatning of the Law exacts the punishment the precepts exact obedience And albeit Christ hath kept the Law fully for vs yet none must from thence conclude that therefore we are not bound to keepe the Law â—hat saith one which Christ did we are not bound to doe for the same end and in the same maner Now he fulfilled the law in way of redemption and satisfaction for vs and so doe not we fulfill the Law but onely in the way of thankefulnesse for our redemption And though we be bound to obey the Lawe yet wee must not thinke that God will reiect our obedience for the weakenes of it as hee would haue reiected Christs if his had beene imperfect For he was our Mediatour and therefore his obedience was of necessitie to be most perfect or else Gods iustice had not been satisfied and so we had perished and besides all our imperfections and defects whatsoeuer are couered with his perfection as with a vaile and so our weake obedience is accepted and not contemned Finally for our comfort we must know that if we respect the Trueth of that righteousnes which is imputed to vs weare accounted as truly righteous before God as Christ himselfe is but if we regard the quantity and subiect Christ is more iust theÌ„ we Because he is originally and actually righteous but we by imputation he is subiectiuely iust and by inherency but we by application relation in him and vnto him And yet we must not therefore thinke our selues to be redeemers For his obedience is imputed to vs onely for our owne redemption and not as it is the price of redemption for all the Elect. As for example Christs righteousnes is imputed to Peter not as it is the price of redemption for All but as it is the price of redemption for Peter And so much for the efficient causes of our Iustification The matter of iustification according as are the parts thereof is twofold Remission of