things saith Saint Augustine The righteousnesse of God not our righteousnesse In him not in vs. So then looke how Christ was made sinne for vs in the same manner are wee made the righteousnesse of God in him But Christ was not made sinne by infusion or inherencie of sinne but onely by imputation So we that we may be saued must bee iustified not by our inherent righteousnesse which at the best is imperfect but by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ who of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 4. This righteousnesse is imputed to euery true beleeuer for it is faith onely whereby we apprehend Christ with all his benefits as we may see if we compare together Faith Hope and Charitie Faith like a hand receiueth and layeth hold on the obiect Christ therefore S. Iohn maketh receiuing of Christ and beleeuing in him all one Hope onely expecteth looketh for the accomplishment of that which faith beleeueth and with patience waiteth for it Charitie distributeth her good things to the benefit of others Hence it is that faith onely is said to iustifie because it is the onely instrumentall cause of our iustification in that it alone doth apprehend Christ by whom we are iustified Scriptures for this are plentifull From all things saith Saint Paul in his Sermon at Antioch from which ye could not be iustified by the Law of Moses by Christ euery one that beleeueth is iustified And disputing the question of iustification he doth thus determine it Therefore wee conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the deeds of the Law This saith Saint Bernard is the Apostles meaning that a man is iustified freely by faith 5. Our iustification is of Gods free grace and mercy This the Apostle auoucheth That all men are iustified freely by his grace A trueth so euident that it hath obtained the Aduersaries ingenuous confession For the vncertaintie of our own righteousnesse saith Bellarmine and the perill of vaine-glory it is most safe to repose our whole confidence in the sole mercy and fauour of God Thus euen our Aduersaries being witnesses our Christian reformed Religion directeth men the safest way to heauen 6. It is for the onely merit of Iesus Christ therefore the Apostle hauing said That we are iustified freely by his grace addeth through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ. And venerable Bede saith That Christs death is our life his condemnation our iustification Thus we see what Iustification is now that it belongeth only to the Church and is a concomitant of saluation our Creede may teach vs where we are directed to beleeue as speciall priuiledges of the Catholike Church the forgiuenesse of sinnes and the Resurrection to life euerlasting And the Apostle saith That wee being iustified by his grace should bee made heires according to the hope of eternall life Where wee haue in one text both the persons to whome Iustification doth belong we saith the Apostle that is the Church and faithfull people of God and the inheritance of eternall life following The last grace accompanying saluation is Sanctification It is a grace of God whereby a man being iustified is in euery part of soule and body renewed by the Spirit of God no more to liue in sinne but to walke in newnesse of life It is in a word the renewed image of God consisting in knowledge righteousnes and true holinesse You may see it in the lesson that grace teacheth all her children which is To deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world being zealous of good workes Iustification and sanctification differ in foure points 1. Iustification is before sanctification in nature though both be together in time for as the branch must first be in the Vine before it can by vertue of the sap bring forth fruit so a man must bee first in Christ by faith before hee can be a new creature and so bring forth the fruit of holinesse 2. Iustification is without vs in Christ as was said before but Sanctification is within vs inherent and infused by the Spirit of God 3. Iustification is that whereby we stand absolued and made iust in the sight of God but by Sanctification wee are onely declared to be iust 4. Iustification doth quiet the conscience by reconciling it and making it at peace with God for being iustified by faith wee haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ. But Sanctification cannot doe so because our best actions are imperfect and in regard of their defect stand in need of pardon If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand Now that Sanctification is also the Churches peculiar heare the Apostle shewing the difference betweene men out of the Church and such as are in it speaking of their prophanenesse before their calling he saith and such were some of you but telling them of their change he addeth but ye are washed but ye are sanctified It is therefore the stile or addition of the Church Vnto the Church of God saith Saint Paul which is at Corinth To them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saints And we beleeue in our Creede the holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints That it doth accompany saluation is more then manifest for without it no man shall see the Lord but being â—reed from sinne we haue our fruit in holinesse and the end euerlasting life Therfore we must know that sanctificatioÌ„ is such a necessary antecedent though no meritorious cause of Saluation that notwithstanding no man shal be saued for the merit of it yet no man can be saued without it because true sauing faith the instrumentall cause of our iustification and saluation worketh by loue and can be no more without sanctity and good workes then fire can bee without heat or water without moisture To conclude then if there be no saluation without election calling iustification and sanctification and none of these to be found but only in the Church of God it followeth necessarily that there is no saluation out of the Church 3 There are certaine meanes appointed of God to worke and encrease sauing grace which if they shall be found to be the Prerogatiue of the Church it cannot be denied but that there onely Saluation is to be had for in reason the end cannot ordinarily be attained without the meanes leading vnto it Our Sauiour telling the woman of Samaria of the Water of life she answered him Sir you haue nothing to draw withall and the well is deepe from whence then haue you that Water of life Indeede the well is profound and deepe from whence we must fetch the euer-liuing Water and the womans reason may teach vs that we had need of instruments and meanes to conuay it vnto vs. Now the meanes to effect
new Ierusalem That great Citie The holy Ierusalem So againe it is called The Citie of the liuing God The heauenly Ierusalem It is compared to a Citie in two respects that is to say Defence and Priuiledge We know that Cities are places of refuge to defend the inhabitants from the force of enemies So is the Church to the true members of it the onely place of eternall safetie Therefore it is that the faithfull in their triumphant Song doe to the praise of God sing in this manner Wee haue a strong Citie saluation will God appoint for walls and bulwarkes And the Prophet Ioel foretelling the state of the Christian Church saith In mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliuerance So that in this heauenly Citie entred into heere vpon earth is our onely securitie of saluation without it there can be no safetie at all Heereupon Saint Augustine alluding to those words of the Psalme Praise the Lord O Ierusalem praise thy God O Sion for he hath made fast the barres of thy gates When saith he the barres of the gates are fast as none can come in so none can goe out intimating thereby that they that belong not to this Citie of God the Church but remaine without cannot haue the benefit of Defence but lye open to eternall ruine whereas on the contrary they that are so in it that they are also of it can neuer be surprized by any enemy but may sing comfortably with Dauid Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marueilous kindnesse in a strong or fenced Citie Againe Cities or Common-wealths haue their priuiledges immunities and freedomes wherein the Citizens and Freemen onely are interessed To this purpose that Father citeth the definition of Scipio in Tullie de Rep. Respublica est res populi That is The weale-publike is the peoples wealth Or thus The common-wealth is the wealth or wellfare of the Commons It is so with the Church Therefore of this immunitie and freedome the Apostle speaking of the Catholicke Church saith Ierusalem which is aboue is free and telling the Ephesians that before their conuersion they were without Christ and were aliens from the common-wealth of Israel and were strangers from the couenant of Promise and had no hope and were without God in the world he saith But now in Christ Iesus yee which were farre off are made neere by the Blood of Christ and afterwards addeth these words Now therefore ye are no more strangers and Forreiners but Citizens with the Saints meaning heereby that they had now being entered into the Church attained vnto the immunity and freedome of the Citie of God But wherein consisteth this freedome Among other priuiledges it doth mainely and principally consist in freedome from sinne and condemnation for sinne Hence it is that S. Paul assureth the faithfull That sinâ—â— shall haue no dominion ouer them and that being freed from sinne they haue their frâ—â—ie in holinesse and the end euerlasting life Againe that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus By this it is euident that the priuiledge of eternall life and happinesse is the peculiar right of the Citie of God the Church It is also likened vnto a Mother So saith the Apostle That Ierusalem which is aboue is the mother of vs all This semblance standeth in two things First the Church as a Mother doth conceiue and bring foorth children to God by the immortall seede of the Word of God in the Ministery of the Church whereunto S. Paul alluding saith to the Galatians My little children of whom I trauell in birth againe vntill Christ bee formed in you Secondly the Church as a Mother doth after her children are borne and brought foorth feed and nourish them with the sincere milke of the Word of God out of her two brests the sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and as they grow in strength giueth them not onely milke but also strong meate As therefore no man can liue the life of nature but hee must haue a mother by whom hee must bee conceiued and brought foorth into the world and must withall haue conuenient nourishment for preseruation of life So no man can liue the life of grace heere and the life of glory for euer vnlesse he be borne of his Mother the Church and nourished in it to euerlasting life To this purpose is that noted saying of an ancient Father Hee shall neuer haue God for his Father that hath not the Church for his Mother The Church is againe compared to a Vine as wee may see by the complaint of the faithful vnto God in the Psalme Thou hast brought a Vine out of Egypâ— c. why hast thou then broke downe her hedges And by Gods complaint concerning his Church O Inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iudah iudge I pray you betweene me and my Vineyard When I looked that it should bring foorth grapes it brought foorth wilde grapes Our Sauiour Christ vnder the Parable of the Vine describeth the Church likening himselfe to the body or stocke and the members of his Church to the branches I am saith he the Vine ye are the branches It is inferred vpon the words going before noting the due proportion betweene the Vine and the Church As the branch saith Christ cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me This he further amplifieth in these words He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth foorth much fruit for without mee ye can doe nothing If a man abide not in me he is cast foorth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned All this importeth thus much That vnlesse we be ingrafted into Christ the true Vine and so become liuely branches in the body of the Church wee can haue no hope of life and saluation For saith S. Augustine out of this body the holy Ghost quickneth no man This Doctrine of saluation in the Church onely is not onely thus illustrious by the bright-shining light of so many Diuine Similitudes and Parables but is also warranted by euident and inuincible reason grounded vpon the Word of God 1. It is a Principle vndenyable That there is onely one sauing truth And therefore the Apostle saith that all men whom God will haue saued he will haue to come to the knowledge of the Truth Now this truth is no where to be found but in the Church of God Hence it is that the godly are termed The righteous nation that keepâ—th the truth And S. Paul stileth the Church The pillar and ground of truth And for this cause the Spirit whereby the Church is guided is called The Spirit of truth and it was promised by our Lord Christ
that it should come and guide the Church into all truth If then there can be no saluation without the knowledge of the truth and no sauing truth but onely in the Church it consequently followeth That there is no saluation out of the Church 2. There are certaine graces that accompany saluation which are the peculiar of the Church of God they may be all included in these foure that is the grace of Election the grace of Vocation the grace of Iustification and the grace of Sanctification all which ioyntly and inseparably haue their period and end in Glorification This we may plainely see by that golden chaine of mans saluation in the Epistle to the Romanes whereof not one linke can bee broken by the greatest power of hell Whom God did predestinate saith the Apostle them hee also called and whom he called them he also iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified That these graces are concomitant to saluation and the peculiar of the Church is not only manifest for the generall by this golden chaine neuer worne of any but the faithfull but it will more euidently appeare if we examine the particulars As for Predestination and Election whereby God doeth choose men to saluation of his free grace and mercie without any merit in man it is so proper to the Church that S. Peter calleth it A chosen generation A peculiar people S. Paul saith of the Church that they are the chosen of God in Christ before the foundation of the world accâ—rding to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace Our Sauiour distinguishing the sound members of the Church from hypocrites such as Iudas saith I speake not of you all I know whom I haue chosen And of the faithfull hee saith Yee haue not chosen mee but I haue chosen you and ordained you Then to be a sound member of the Church and to bee Elect is all one and not to be Elect though in the Church is no benefit to saluation Therefore Saint Luke hauing said in our Text that the Lord added to the Church such as should be saued saith afterward in equiualent phrase of speech that as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued To this accordeth that saying of S. Gregorie speaking of the Church Within these limits saith he are all the Elect without them are all the reprobate yea although they may seeme to be within the bounds of faith No marueile then though S. Peter aduising the faithfull to secure their owne saluation doth counsell them to doe it by giuing diligence to make their Election sure Touching Vocation or calling I meane effectuall calling the effect of Election whereby God doth conuert the soules of men to himselfe calling them out of the society of the world into the Communion of Saints as it were out of darknesse into light it is also such a property of the Church that it cannot possibly bee separated from it Therefore the Church is sayd to bee The called of Iesus Christ and to bee those who are the called according to the purpose of God and partakers of the heauenly vocation Now that it is a companion of saluation is euident by that exhortation of the Apostle exciting the faithfull that they would walke worthy of God who hath called them vnto his Kingdome and glory where we may see that Glorification is the terminus ad quem that is the end whereunto tendeth the calling of Gods people And that they shall neuer faile of this end hee secureth them by the fidelity of the Caller God saith he is faithfull by whom ye were called vnto the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. And againe Faithfull is he that calleth you who also will doe it And therefore the Apostle speaking of graces that accompany saluation and by name of effectuall vocation the fruit of election doth confidently assure the Romanes that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance A Text so cleere for the inseparabilitie of Gods effectuall calling and consequent saluation that our Rhemish aduersaries who euery where catch any thing that may but seeme to make for themselues or against vs are heere vpon this verse constrained to be mute and say nothing but onely leaue a Blanke Come wee now to Iustification It is a word of great varietie for the signification of it but we need trouble our selues with no more but this one distinction It is either that whereby we stand iust before God or that whereby wee are declared to be iust before men The former is properly Iustification the latter is called Sanctification Yet both are sometimes included vnder the name of Iustification as wee may see by that golden chaine of the Apostle before cited Whom he called them he also iustified and whom he iustified them hee also glorified otherwise the chaine had beene imperfect and had lacked a maine lincke without which Glorification could not follow This distinction of Iustification before God and before men is grounded vpon these words of Saint Paul If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glorie but not before God and it doth fitly reconcile Saint Paul and Saint Iames the one speaking of Iustification before God which wee haue now in hand the other of Iustification before men or Sanctification which we shall touch in the next place Now concerning Iustification before God we are to consider both what it is that it is proper to the Church as also that it is a necessary antecedent of Saluation Iustification then is an action of God whereby he pardoning all sinnes imputeth righteousnesse to euery true beleeuer out of his free grace and mercie for the onely merit of Iesus Christ. The branches being many require distinct explication 1. It is an action of God So much intimateth the Apostle Who saith hee shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that iustifieth 2. It consisteth in the pardon of sinnes To this purpose the same Apostle alledgeth the Psalme As Dauid saith hee declareth the blessednesse of the man to whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne 3. It is a meere imputation of righteousnesse out of man in Christ Iesus alone that doth cause a man to stand iust in the sight of God and not any merit of workes in man himselfe for as was said before to constitute a blessed man God imputeth righteousnesse without workes This imputed righteousnesse not inherent in vs but out of vs in Christ is expresly noted by Saint Paul where he saith That Christ who knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him Marke heere two