And this I take to be the meaning of this text which speaketh not of iustification by faith but onely of the practice of common duties which faith putteth in execution by the helpe of loue III. Reason Faith is neuer alone therefore it doth not iustifie alone Ans. The reason is naught and they might as well dispute thus The eie is neuer alone from the head and therefore it seeth not alone which is absurd And though in regard of substance the eie be neuer alone yet in regard of seeing it is alone and so though faith subsist not without loue and hope and other graces of god yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without thē al. IV. Reason If faith alone doe iustifie then we are saued by faith alone but we are not saued by faith alone and therefore not iustified by faith alone Ans. The proposition is false for more things are requisite to the maine ende then to the subordinate meanes And the assumption is false for wee are saued by faith alone if we speake of faith as it is an instrument apprehending Christ for our saluation V. Reason We are saued by hope therefore not by faith alone Ans. Wee are saued by hope not because it is any cause of our saluation Pauls meaning is onely this that we haue not saluation as yet in possession but waite patiently for it in time to come to be possessed of vs expecting the time of our full deliuerance that is all that can iustly be gathered hence Nowe the doctrine which we teach on the contrarie is That a sinner is iustified before God by faith yea by faith alone The meaning is that nothing within man and nothing that man can do either by nature or by grace concurreth to the act of iustification before God as any cause thereof either efficient material formal or final but faith alone all other gifts graces as hope loue the feare of God are necessarie to saluation as signes thereof cōsequents of faith Nothing in mā cōcurs as any cause to this work but by faith alone And faith it selfe is no principall but onely an instrumentall cause whereby we receiue apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnesse for our iustificatiō Reason I. Ioh. 3.14,15 As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life In these words Christ makes a comparison on this maner when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fierie serpents his cure was not by any phisicke surgerie but onely by the casting of his eies vp to the brasen serpent which Moses had erected by Gods commandement euen so in the cure of our soules when we are stung to death by sinne there is nothing required within vs for our recouery but onely that we cast vp and fixe the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousnes Reason II. The exclusiue formes of speech vsed in scripture prooue thus much We are iustified freely not of the lawe not by the lawe without the lawe without workes not of workes not according to workes not of vs not by the workes of the lawe but by faith Gal. 2.16 All boasting excluded onely beleeue Luk. 8.50 These distinctions whereby workes and the lawe are excluded in the work◠of iustification doe include thus much that faith alone doth iustifie Reason III. Very reason may teach thus much for no gift in man is apt fit as a spirituall hand to receiue apply Christ and his righteousnes vnto a sinner but faith Indeede loue hope the feare of God and repentance haue their seuerall vses in men but none serue for this ende to apprehend Christ and his merits none of them all haue this receiuing propertie and therefore there is nothing in man that iustifieth as a cause but faith alone Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church Ambr. on Rom. 4. They are blessed to whome without any labour or worke done iniquities are remitted and sinne couered no workes or repentance required of them but onely that they beleeue And cap. 3. Neither working any thing nor requiting the like are they iustified by faith alone through the gift of God And 1. Cor. 1. this is appointed of God that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall be saued without any worke by faith alone freely receiuing remission of sinnes Augustine There is one propitiation for all sinnes to beleeue in Christ. Hesyc on Leuit. lib. 1. c. 2. Grace which is of mercy is apprehended by faith alone and not of workes Bernard Whosoeuer is pricked for his sinnes and thirsteth after righteousnes let him beleeue in thee who iustifieth the sinner and beeing iustified by Faith alone he shall haue peace with God Chrysost. on Gal. 3. They said he which resteth on faith alone◠is accursed but Paul sheweth that he is blessed which resteth on faith alone Basil. de Humil. Let man acknowledge himselfe to want true iustice and that he is iustified onely by faith in Christ. Origen on c. 3. Rom. Wee thinke that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe and he saith iustification by faith alone sufficeth so as a man onely beleeuing may be iustified And therefore it lieth vpon vs to search who was iustified by faith without works And for an exāple I thinke vpon the theife who beeing crucified with Christ cried vnto him Lord remember me when thou cōmest into thy kingdome and there is no other good worke of his mentioned in the Gospell but for this alone faith Iesus saith vnto him This night thou shalt be with me in paradise III. Difference The third difference about iustification is concerning this point namely how farreforth good workes are required thereto The doctrine of the Church of Rome is that there be two kinds of iustification the first and the second as I haue said The first is when one of an euill man is made a good man and in this workes are wholly excluded it beeing wholly of grace The second is when a man of a iust man is made more iust And this they will haue to proceede from workes of grace for say they as a man when he is once borne can by eating and drinking make himselfe a bigger man though he could not at the first make himselfe a man euen so a sinner hauing his first iustification may afterward by grace make himselfe more iust Therefore they hold these two things I. that good works are meritorious causes of the second iustification which they tearme Actual II. that good works are means to increase the first iustificatiō which they cal habitual Now let vs see how farforth we must ioyne with them in this point Our consent therefore stands in three conclusions I. That good workes done by them that are iustified doe please God and are approoued of him and therefore haue a reward II. Good workes are necessarie to saluation two
mercie in that he pardoned their sinne for the merites of his Sonne Eph. 1. 18. That the eies of your vnderstanding may be lightned that ye may knowe what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his Saints 19. And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towardes vs which beleeue according to the working of his mightie power 20. Which he wrought in Christ. Chap. 3.18 That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height 19. And to knowe the loue of Christ. All these things the Lord himselfe hath thus decreed and in his good time will accomplish them to the glorious praise of his Name Pro. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the daie of euill CHAP. 50. Concerning the order of the causes of saluation according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome THere are two things requisite to obtained saluation Predestination and the Execution thereof Predestination is a foreordaining of the reasonable creature to grace in this life glory in the life to come Sebast. Cattaneus Enchirid. tract 1. chap. last This in regard of the first effects thereof which are vocation election and ordination to eternall life hath the cause of it in God namely his will but in regard of the last effect which is the execution of such an ordinance and the obtaining of eternall life it hath the cause of it from man because according to the common opinion Gods predestination is by reason of workes foreseene in men that is God doth therefore predestinate or reiect some man because he foreseeth that he will well or badly vse his grace But for the more euident declaration of this these seuen conclusions must be set downe I. The Predestination and Reprobation of God do not constraine or inforce any necessitie vpon the will of man II. God hath predestinated all men that is he hath appointed and disposed all men so as they might obtaine eternall saluation III. Man is neither by necessitie nor chance saued or condemned but voluntarily IV. God hath predestinated some other hath he reiected V. Those whome God hath predestinated by his absolute predestination which can not be lost they shall infallibly die in grace but they which are predestinate by that predestination which beeing according to preâ—ent iustice may be lost by some mortall sinne which followeth are not infallibly saued but oftentimes such are condemned and loose their crowne and glory Hence ariseth that position of theirs that he which is iustified may be a reprobate perish eternally Torrensis Aug. Confess 2. booke 4. chap. 20. Sect. Therfore predestination is not certaine seeing it may be lost VI. God alone doth know the certaine and set number of them which are predestinate VII There is one set number of them which are predestinate or reprooued and that can neither be increased nor diminished The execution of Predestination is either in infants or those of yeres of discretion Concerning infants the merite of Christ is appliyed vnto them by baptisme rightly administred so that whatsoeuer in originall corruption may truely and properly be accounted for sinne it is not onely as I may say not pared away or not imputed but vtterly taken away For there is nothing that God can hate in such as are renued Concil Trid. 5. sect 5. Can. Neuertheles they are vrged to confesse that there remaineth yet in such as are baptized concupiscence or the reliques of sinn The which seeing it is left in men for them to wrestle withall it hath not power to hurt such as yeeld not vnto it The execution of predestination in such as are of riper yeares hath sixe degrees The first is vocation whereby men not for their owne merits but by Gods preuenting grace through Christ are called to turne vnto God The second is a preparation to righteousnesse whereby men through the inherent power of free-will do apply themselues to iustification after that the same power is stirred vp by the holy Ghost For free-will is onely somewhat diminished and not extinguished and therefore so soone as the holy Ghost toucheth and inlighteneth the heart it worketh togither with the same spirit freely assenting vnto the same This preparation hath seuen degreesâ— Biel. 4. booke 14. dist 2. quest The first is faith which is a knowledge and an assent whereby men agree that those things are true which are deliuered concerning God and his will reuealed in the word of God This is the foundation of iustification and prepareth the heart because it stirreth vp free-will that it may affect the heart with those motions by which it is prepared to iustification I. The act of faith is to apprehend the ouglines of sin the wages therof II. After this followeth a feare of Gods anger and of hell fire III. Then begin men to dislike and in some sort to detest sinne From these ariseth a certaine disposition which hath annexed vnto it the merite of congruitie yet not immediate nor sufficient but imperfect IV. At the length faith returneth to the contemplation of Gods mercies beleeueth that God is readie to forgiue sinnes by the infusion of charitie into those which are before sufficiently prepared and disposed V. Out of this contemplation proceedeth the act of hope whereby faith beginneth to desire and to waite on God as the chiefest good VI. Out of this act of hope ariseth loue whereby God is loued aboue all things in the world VII After this loue followeth a new dislike and detestation of sinne not so much in regard of feare of the punishment in hell fire as in regard of the offence of God who is simply loued more then all other things VIII After all these followeth a purpose of amendment of life and here comes in the merit of congruitie that is sufficient or els the immediate sufficient and last disposition before the infusion of grace The third degree of Predestination is the first iustification wherby men of vniust are made iust not only through the remission of their sinnes but also by a sanctificatioÌ„ of the inward maÌ„ by his voluÌ„tary receiuing of grace gifts The efficient cause of this iustification is the mercy of God and the meritorious passion of our Sauiour Christ whereby he purchased iustification for men The instrumentall cause is baptisme The formall cause is not that iustice which was inherent in Christ but which he infuseth into man and that is especially hope and charitie The fourth degree is the second iustification wherby men are of iust made more iust the cause hereof is faith ioyned with good workes It is possible for such as are renued to keepe the commaundements And therefore it is false that a iust man committeth so much as a veniall sinne in his best actions much lesse that he deserueth eternall death for the same The fift degree is the reparation of a sinner by the
Matth. 11.28 No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whoâ—â— the Sonne will reueale him Luke 8. To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God Philip. 2. It is God which worketh in you to will and to doe 1. Cor. 12. 13. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Briefly he who according to God is to be created to righteousnes and holiness Eph. 4.24 cannot any waies dispose himselfe to iustification or new creation For it is impossible that a thing not yet created should dispose it selfe to his creation The IX errour That preparation to grace which is caused by the power of free-will may by the merit of congruitie deserue iustification The Confutation These things smell of more then Satanicall arrogancie For what man but such an one as were not in his right mind would beleeue that he vnto whom so many millions of condemnations are due could once merit the least dramme of grace The prodigall sonne he was not receiued into fauour by reason of his deserts but by fauour Luk. 15.21 His sonne said vnto him I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne The X. errour The faith of the godly or that which iustifieth is that whereby a man doth in generall beleeue the promised blessednes of God and by which also he giueth his assent to other mysteries reuealed of God concerning the same The Confutation Faith is not onely a generall knowledge and assent to the historie of the Gospel but further also a certaine power both apprehending and seuerally applying the promises of God in Christ whereby a man doth assuredly set downe that his sinnes are forgiuen him and that he is reconciled vnto God Reasons I. A particular assuraÌ„ce of the fauour of god is of the nature of faith Eph. 3.12 By whom we haue boldnes and entrance with confidence by faith in him Rom. 4.20 Neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in the faith and gaue glorie vnto God 21. Beeing fully assured that he which had promised was also able to do it Heb. 10.22 Let vs draw nere with a true heart in assurance of faith II. Particular doubtings is reprehended Mat. 14. â—â— O thou of litle faith why didst thou doubt Luk. 12.29 Hang ye not in suspence III. That which a maÌ„ praieth for to god that must he assuredly beleeue to receiue Math. 11.24 But the faithfull in their praiers make request for adoption iustification and life eternall And therefore they must certainely beleeue that they shall receiue these benefits IV. Rom. 5.1 We beeing thâ—refore iustified we haue peace with God But there can be no peace where there is not a paâ—ticuâ—ar assurance of Gods fauour V. That which the spirit of God doth testifie vnto vs particularly that must also be beleeued particularly But the spirit of God doth giue a particular testimonie of the adoption of the faithfull Rom. 8.16 Gal. 4.6 This therefore is in like sort to be beleeued Whereas they say that no man hath a particular assurance but by especiall reuelation as was that which Abraham and Paul had it is false For the faith of these two is set downe in Scripture as an example which we should all follow For this cause Abraham is called the Father of the faithfull and Paul testifieth the very fame of himselfe 1. Tim. 1.16 For this cause saith he was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on me all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life Againe whereas they say that we haue a morall assurance but not the assurance of faith it is a popish deuise For Rom. 8.16 The spirit of adoption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together beareth witnesse to our spirits Where we see two witnesses of our adoption our owne spirit and the spirit of God Our spirit doth testifie morally of our adoption by sanctification and the fruits thereof and therefore also the spirit of God witnesseth after another manner namely by the certaintie of faith declaring and applying the promises of God Obiect I. We are commanded to worke our saluation with feare trembling Ans. This feare is not in regard of Gods mercie forgiuing our sinnes but in respect of vs and our nature which is euer prone to slide away and starting from God Obiect II. In respect of Gods mercie we must hope for saluation but in respect of our vnworthines we must doubt Ans. I. We may not at all lawfully doubt of Gods mercie because doubtfulnes is not of the nature of faith but rather a naturall corruption II. If we consider our owne vnworthines it is out of all doubt that we must be out of all hope and despaire of our saluation Obiect III. There be many sinnes vnknowne vnto vs and so also vncertaine whether they be pardoned vnto vs. Answer He that certenly and truly knoweth that but one sinne is pardoned him he hath before God all his sinnes remitted whether they be knowne or vnknowne Obiect IV. No man dare sweare or die in the defence of this proposition I am the child of God or in Gods fauour and iustified Answ. They which haue an vnfained faith will if they be lawfully called not onely testifie their adoption by an oath but seale it also by their blood Obiect V. A man may haue this faith which the Protestants talke of and lie in a mortall sinne and haue also a purpose to perseuere in a mortall sinne Ans. It is farre otherwise for Act. 15.9 True faith purifieth the heart These Sophisters doe further affirme that this faith which to them is nothing but a knowledge and illumination of the mind concerning the truth of Gods word is the roote and foundation of iustification The which if it be true why should not the deuill be iust for he hath both a knowledge of Gods word and thereunto by beleeuing doth giue his assent who notwithstanding he haue such a faith yet can he not be called one of the faithfull Here they except and say The deuils faith is void of charitie which is the forme of faith But this is a doting surmise of their owne braine For charitie is the effect of faith 1. Tim. 1.5 But the effect cannot informe the cause The XI errour Mans loue of God doth in order and time goe before his iâ—stification and reconciliation with God The Confutation Nay contrarily vnlesse we be first perswaded of Gods loue towards vs we neuer loue him For we loue him because he loued vs first 1. Ioh. 4.19 Againe it is impossible that Gods enemie should loue him but he which is not as yet iustified or reconciled to God he is Gods enemie Rom. 5.9,10 Neither is any man before the act of iustification made of Gods enemie his friend The XII errour Iufused or inherent iustice is the formall cause of iâ—stification
whereby men are iustified in the sight of God The Confutation We doe contrarily hold that the materiall cause of mans iustification is the obedience of Christ in suffering fulfilling the law for vs but as for the formall cause that must needes be Imputation the which is an action of God the Father accepting the obedience of Christ for vs as if it were our owne Reasons I. Looke by what we are absolued from all our sinnes and by which we obtaine eternall life by that alone are we iustified But by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs we are absolued from all our sinnes and through it we are accepted of God to eternall life the which we cannot doe by inherent holinesse Therefore by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs are we alone iustified This will appeare to be true in the exercises of inuocation on Gods name and also of repentance For in tentation and conflicts with sinne and Satan faith doth not reason thus Now I haue charitie and inherent grace and for these God will accept of me But faith doth more rightly behold the sonne of God as he was made a sacrifice for vs and sitteth at the right hand of his Father there making intercession for vs to him I say doth faith flie and is assured that for this his sonne God will forgiue vs all our sinnes and will also be reconciled vnto vs yea and account vs iust in his sight not by any qualitie inherent in vs but rather by the merit of Iesus Christ. Rom. 5.19 II. As Christ is made a sinner so by proportion such as beleeue are made iust But Christ was by imputation onely made and accounted a sinner for vs. 2. Cor. 5. 21. For he became a suretie for vs and a sacrifice for our sinnes vpon which all both the guiltinesse of Gods wrath and punishment for vs was to be laide Hence is it that he is said to become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a curse for vs Therfore we againe are made iust only by imputation III. The contrarie to condemnation is remission of sinnes and iustification is the opposite of condemnation Rom. 8. 33. It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Therefore iustification is the remission of sinnes Now remission of sinnes dependeth onely vpon this imputation of Christs merits IV. Albeit infused and inherent iustice may haue his due place his praise and also deserts yet as it is a worke of the holy Ghost it is not in this life complete and by reason of the flesh◠whereto it is vnited it is both imperfect and infected with the dregges of sinne Esai 64. Therfore before Gods iudgement seate it cannot claime this prerogatiue to absolue any from the sentence of condemnation Obiect I. This imputation is nothing els but a vaine cogitation Answ. I. Yes it is a relation or diuine ordinance whereby one relatiue is applied to his correlatiue or as the Logitians say is as the foundation to the Terminus II. As the imputation of our sinnes vnto Christ was indeede something so the imputation of Christs iustice vnto vs must not be thought a bare conceit III. Againe the Church of Rome doth her selfe maintaine imputatiue iustic◠namely when as by Ecclesiasticall authoritie shee doth applie the merits and satisfactions of certain persons vnto other members of that Church Whence it is apparant that euen the Popes indulgences they are imputatiue Obiect II. Imputatiue iustice is not euerlasting but that iustice which the Messiah bringeth is euerlasting Ans. Although after this life there is no pardon of sinnes to be looked for yet that which is giuen vs in this life shall to our saluation continue in the life to come Obiect III. If iustification be by imputation he may before God be iust who indeede is a very wicked man Ans. Not so any waies for he that is once by imputation iustified he is also at that same instant sanctified The XIII errour There is also a second iustification and that is obtained by workes The Confutation That popish deuice of a second iustification is a fantasticall delusion For I. The word of God doth acknowledge no more but one iustification at all and that absolute and complete of it selfe There is but one iustice but one satisfaction of God being offended therefore there cannot be a manifold iustification II. If by reason of the increase of inherent iustice iustification should be distinguished into seuerall kindes or parts we might as well make an hundreth kinds or parts of iustification as two III. That which by order of nature doth follow after full iustification before God it cannot be said to iustifie But good workes doe by order of nature follow mans iustification and his absolution from sinnes because no worke can please God except the person it selfe that worketh the same doe before please him But no mans person can please God but such an one as beeing reconciled to God by the merits of Christ hath peace with him IV. Such workes as are not agreeable to the rule of legall iustice they before the tribunall seat of God cannot iustifie but rather both in and of themselues are subiect to Gods eternall curse For this is the sentence of the Law Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them Now the works euen of the regenerate are not squared according to the rule of legall iustice wherefore Dauid being as it were stricken with the cōsideration of this durst not once oppose no not his best works to the iudgement of God that by them he might plead pardon of his sinnes whence it is that he crieth out and saith Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for then no flesh liuing shall be iustified in thy sight The like doth Iob 9.3 If he namely such an one as saith he is iust contend with God he cannot answer him one of a thousand And Dan. 9. 18. We doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies V. Iustification by works let them be whatsoeuer they can be doth quite ouerturne the foundation of our faith Gal. 5.2 If ye be circumcised Christ will profit you nothing and v. 4. Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law ye are fallen from grace In this place the Apostle speaketh of them not which did openly resist Christ and the Gospel but of such as did with the merit of Christ mingle together the workes of the Law as though some part of our saluation consisted in them Exception This place doth onely exclude such morall works of the flesh as doe goe before faith or the workes of the law of Moses Ans. This is vntrue For euen of Abraham being already regenerated and of those his works which were done when he was iustified Paul speaketh thus To him not which worketh but which beleeueth is faith imputed Those works which God hath prepared that the regenerate should walke in
iustification of a sinner before God For the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused but foreseene faith is an impulsiue cause whereby God was mooued to choose some men to saluation as it is saide and therefore it is not onely an instrument to apprehend Christs righteousnesse but also a cause or meanes to mooue God to iustifie a sinner because iustification proceedes of Election which comes of foreseene faith now this is erroneous by the doctrine of all Churches vnlesse they be Popish Fifthly this doctrine takes it for graunted that all both young and olde euen Infants that die in their infancie haue knowledge of the Gospell because both faith and vnbeleefe in Christ presuppose knowledge of our saluation by him considering that neither ordinarily nor extraordinarily men beleeue or contemne the thing vnknowne But how false this is euen common experience doth shew Lastly this platforme quite ouerthrowes it selfe For whereas all men equally corrupt in Adam are effectually both redeemed and called the difference betweene man and man standes not in beleeuing or not beleeuing for all haue power to beleeue but in this properly that some are confirmed in faith some are not Now when all without exception are indued with grace sufficient to saluation I demaund why some men are confirmed in grace and others not confirmed as also of Angels some were confirmed and stand and some not confirmed fell No other reason can be rendered but the will of God And to this must all come striue as long as they will that of men beeing in one and the same estate some are saued some iustly forsaken because God would Againe as the foreseeing of â—aith doth presuppose Gods giuiâ—g of faith vnlesse men will say it is naturall so the foreseeing of faith in some men alone doth presuppose the giuing of faith to some men alone But why doth not God conferre the grace of constant faith to all no other reason can be rendered but because he will not Thus then those men whose faith was foreseene are saued not because their faith was foreseene but because God would The third fault is that they ascribe vnto God a conditionall Purpose or counsell whereby he decrees that all men shall be saued so be it they will beleeue For it is euery way as much against common sense as if it had bin saide that God decreed nothing at all concerning man A conditionall sentence determines nothing simply but conditionally and therefore vncertenly and when we speake of God to determine vncertenly is as much as if he had determined nothing at all specially when the thing determined is in the power of mans wil and in respect of God the decree may come to passe or not come to passe Men if they might alwaies haue their choise desire to determine of all their affaires simply without condition and when they doe otherwise it is either because they know not the euent of things or because things to be don are not in their power No reason therefore that we should burden God with that whereof we would disburden our selues Againe the maiestie of God is disgraced in this kind of decree God for his part would haue all men to be saued why then are they not men will not keepe the condition and beleeue This is flat to hang Gods will vpon mans will to make euery man an Emperour and God his vnderling and to change the order of nature by subordinating Gods will which is the first cause to the will of man which is the second cause whereas by the very law of nature the first cause should order and dispose the second cause But for the iustifying of a conditionall decree it is alleadged that there is no eternall and hidden decree of God beside the Gospel which is Gods predestination reuealed Ans. It is an vntruth There be two wills in God one whereby he determineth what he will doe vnto vs or in vs the other whereby he determineth what we shall doe to him Now Predestination is the first whereupon it is commonly defined to be the preparation of the blessing of God whereby they are deliuered which are deliuered and the Gospel is the second Againe Predestination determines who they are and how many which are to be saued and hereupon Christ saith I know whom I haue chosen but the Gospel rather determines what kind of ones and how they must be qualified which are to be saued Lastly Predestination is Gods decree it selfe and the Gospel is an outward meanes of the execution of it and therefore though the Gospel be propounded with a conditionâ— yet the decree of God it selfe may be simple and absolute The fourth defect is the opinion of Vniuersall sauing grace aâ—pertaining to all and euery man which may be fitly tearmed the Schoole of vniuersall Atheisme For it pulls downe the pale of the Church and laies it wast as euery common field it breeds a carelesnes in the vse of the means of grace the word and Sacraments when as men shall be perswaded that grace shal be offered to euery one effectually whether he be of the Church or not at one time or other wheresoeuer or howsoeuer he liue as in the like case if meÌ„ should be told that whether they liue in the market towne or no there shall be sufficient prouision brought them if they will but receiue it and accept of it who would then come to the market Vniuersall grace hath three parts Vniuersall Election vniuersall Redemption vniuersall Vocation Vniuersall Election of all and euery man is a witlesse conceit for if men vniuersally be appointed to grace without exception then there is no electing or choosing of some out of mankind to grace and if some alone be appointed to grace as it must needes be in election then is not grace vniuersall And it is flat against the word of God For Christ auoucheth plainely that fewer be chosen then called and as afterward we shall see all are not called And he further saith that all which are giuen vnto him shall be one with him and haue life euerlasting but all men shall not be one with him and haue life euerlasting and therefore all men are not giuen to Christ of the father that is ordained to saluation And the Scripture saith that all mens names are not written in the booke of life and that the kingdome of heauen was not prepared for all And whereas men build this their vniuersall election vpon the largenesse of the promise of the Gospel vpon the like ground they might as well make an vniuersall decree of Reprobation whereby God decrees all men to be damned indefinitely vpon this condition if they doe not beleeue Now if vniuersall Reprobation be absurd as it is indeede then vniuersall Election of all and euery man must take part therewith As for the vniuersall Redemption of all and euery man it is no better then a forgerie of mans braine There shall be many
of blood but Christ as he is God cannot die For no passion can befall the Godhead Therefore it was needefull that he should become man that in mans nature he might die and fully satisfie Gods iustice for mans offence Lastly he that must make reconciliation betweene God and man must be such an one as may make request or speake both to God and man For a Mediatour is as it were a middle person making intercession betweene two other persons the one offended the other offending Therefore it is necessarie that Christ should not onely be God to speake vnto the father for vs and to present our prayers vnto him but also man that God might speake to vs and we to God by Christ. For howsoeuer before the fall man could speak to God euen face to face yet since the fall such feare possesseth mans corrupt nature that he cannot abide the presence of God but flyeth from it Nowe whereas I say that it was necessarie that the sonne of God for the causes before alleadged must become man the necessitie must be vnderstood in respect of Gods will and not in respect of his absolute power For if it had so pleased God he was able to haue laid downe an other kind of way of mans redemption then by the incarnation of the sonne of God and he appointed no other way because he would not Thus much of the Incarnation in generall Nowe followe the duties which arise of it And first we are taught hereby to come to Christ by faith and with all our hearts to cleaue vnto him Great is the deadnesse and sluggishnesse of mans nature for skarse one of a thousand care for him or seeke vnto him for righteousnesse and life euerlasting But wee shoulde excite our selues euery way to drawe neare to him as much as possibly we may for when he was incarnate he came neere vnto vs by taking our nature vpon him that wee againe whatsoeuer we are might come neere vnto him by taking vnto vs his diuine nature Againe when Christ was incarnate he was made bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh and therefore proportionally wee must labour to become bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh which we shall bee when we are mystically vnited vnto him by faith and borne anewe by his spirit Moreouer Christ by his incarnation came downe from heauen to vs that we being partakers of his grace might ascend vp to heauen by him And thus we see how the meditation of Christs incarnation should be a spurre to prick vs forward still more and more to come to Christ. Secondly Christs incarnation must be a patterne vnto vs of a most wonderfull and straunge humilitie For as Paul saith Being in the forme of God and thinking it no robberie to bee equall with God made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him forme of a seruant and humbled himselfe and became obedient to death euen to the death of the crosse Yea so farre forth he abased himselfe that as Dauid saith he was a worme and no man And this teacheth vs to lay aside al selfe-loue and pride of heart and to practise the duties of humility as the Apostle exhorts the Philippians in the same place and that shall we doe when we beginne to cast off that high opinion which euery man by nature conceiueth of himselfe and become vile and base in our owne eies Secure drowsie protestants thinke themselues blessed and say in their hearts as the Angel of the Church of Laodicea said I am rich increased with goods and haue need of nothing whereas indeed they are most miserable and wretched and poore and naked and blind And the same fond opinion possesseth the mindes of our ignorant people who chant it in the very same tune saying that God loues them and that they loue God with al their hearts and their neighbours as themselues that they haue perfect faith in Christ and euer had not once so much as doubting of their saluation that all is well with them and that they are past all danger whatsoeuer in the matter of their saluation and therefore neede not take so much care for it Thus yee may see howe men are commonly carried away with vaine and fond conceits of their owne excellencie And truely so long as this ouerweening of our owne righteousnesse raignes in our hearts let preachers speake and say what they will we can neuer become followers of Christ in the practise of humilitie Some will say peraduenture that they neuer had any such opinion of their owne righteousnes but I answere againe that there was neuer yet any man descending of Adam saue Christ but he had this proud phantasie ruling and raigning in him till such time as God gaue grace to chaÌ„ge alter his heart this inward pride the lesse we discern it the more it is and the more we discerne it the lesse it is Therefore though as yet thou see it not in thy selfe yet labour both to see it to feele it to striue against it casting down thy selfe for thy own miserie after Christs own example who being God abased himselfe to the condition of a miserable man For thou shalt neuer be filled with the good things of god till thou be emptied of selfe-loue and selfe-liking For this cause let vs purge and emptie our selues of all conceit of our own righteousnes that god may fil our hearts with his grace Furthermore the incarnation of Christ is the ground and foundation of all our comfort as the names of Christ seruing to expresse the same doe testifie Iâ—akob in his last Testament saith that the scepter shall not depart from Iudah in Shilo that is the Messias come Nowe the name Shilo signifieth the tunicle or skinne that lappeth the infant in the mothers wombe called by the Phisitians the secundine and by a kind of figure it is put for the Sonne of God in the wombe of the virgine made man And Iob to comfort himselfe in his affliction saith I knowe that my redeemer liueth Nowe the word which he vseth to signifie his redeemer by is verie emphaticall for it signifieth a kinsman neere allied vnto him of his owne flesh that will restore him to life And the Lord by the prophet Esay calleth Christ Immanuel that is God with vs which name importeth very much namely that whereas by nature we haue lost our fellowshippe with God because our sinnes are a wall of partition seuering vs from him yet neuerthelesse the fame is restored to all that beleeue by the Mediatour Christ Iesus because his diuine nature is coupled to mans nature and so the word is made flesh And this strait coniunction of two natures into one person ioynes God to men and men to God yea by Christ we are brought to God and haue free accesse vnto him and againe in him we apprehend God and are made one with him And further whereas Christ beside
humiliation and then into glorie so it is with his members first they must be abased in this life and secondly exalted in the world to come He that will raigne with Christ and be exalted must first suffer with him and be humbled he that will weare the crowne of glorie must weare first a crowne of thornes they that will haue all teares wiped from their eyes must here first in this life shedde them And the children of God before they can sing the song of Moses and of the seruants of God and of the lambe must first swimme through the sea of burning glasse whereby it is signified that those which after this life would sing songs of praises to Christ must in this life be cast into a sea of miserie And if this be true then we may heare learne that it is a wretched case for a man in this life to haue perpetuall ease rest and quietnes both in bodie soule goods good name for we see by Christs example that through aduersitie we must come to happines and if a man would haue rest and peace in the life to come then in this life he must looke for trouble persecution and sorrow Indeede in the iudgement of the world they are blessed that alwaies liue at rest but before God they are most miserable and as oxen which are made fatte in the best pasture readie for the slaughterhouse euery day Secondly here is an excellent consolation for those which professe the Gospel of Christ in the time of trouble and persecution they must reioyce because the state of humiliation in this life is a signe that they are in the plaine and right way to saluation and glorie A man is to take his iourney into a farre countrey and inquiring for the way it is told him that there are many plaine waies but the straight and right way is by woods and hills and mountaines and great daungers now when he is trauailing and comes into those places he gathereth certenly that he is in the right way so the childe of God that is going to the kingdome of heauen though there be many waies to walke in yet he knowes that there is but one right way which is very straight and narrowe full of trouble sorrowe and persecution full of all manner of crosses and afflictions and when in this life he is persecuted and afflicted for good causes whether in bodie or in minde if he be content to beare his crosse it argueth plainely that he is in the right way vnto saluation for through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of heauen The humiliation of Christ is first of all set downe in the Creede generally and secondly by his parts or degrees Generally in these words Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate Where we must consider two things the Passion it selfe and vnder whome it was For the first that we may the better conceiue the passion in his owne nature seuen speciall points must be opened I. The cause efficient The principall cause of the passion as it is the price of our redemption was the decree and prouidence of God as Peter saith expressely that Christ was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God The impulsiue cause that mooued God to worke our saluation by this meanes was nothing in man for al mankinde was shut vp vnder vnbeleefe and therefore vnable to procure the least fauour at Gods hand but the will and good pleasure of God within himselfe The instruments which the Lord vsed in this busines were the wicked Iewes and Gentiles and the deuill himselfe by whome he brought to passe the most admirable worke of redemption euen then when they according to their kind did nothing els but practise wickednes and malice against Christ. II. The matter of the passion is the whole malediction or curse of the Law containing in it all manner of aduersities and miseries both of bodie and minde All which may be reduced to three heads the temptations of Christ his ignominies and slaunders his manifolde sorrowes and griefes especially those which stand in the apprehension of the vnsupportable wrath of God III. The forme of the passion is that excellent and meritorious satisfaction which in suffering Christ made vnto his father for mans sinne We doe not rightly consider of the passion if we conceiue 〈◊〉 to be a bare and naked suffering of punishment but withall we must conceiue it as a propitiation or a meanes satisfactorie to Gods iustice The passion considered as a passion ministers no comfort but all our ioy and reioycing stands in this that by faith we apprehend it as it is a satisfaction or a meanes of reconciliation for our offences In this very point standes the dignitie of the passion whereby it differs from all other sufferings of men whatsoeuer Therefore most damnable and wicked is the opinion of the papists who besides the alone passion of Christ maintaine workes of satisfaction partly of their owne and partly of the Saints departed which they adde to the passion as an appendance thereof IV. The ende of the passion is that God might bring to passe a worke in which he might more fully manifest his iustice and mercie then he did in the creation and that is the reconciliation betweene God and man And here remember with the passion to ioyne the actiue obedience of Christ in fulfilling the law for Christ in suffering obeyed and in obeying suffered And they must be ioyntly conceiued together for this cause In reconciliation with God two things are required the remoouing of sinne in regard of the guilt of the fault and the punishment and the conferring or giuing of righteousnes Nowe the passion of Christ considered apart from his legall obedience only takes away the guilt and punishment frees man from death and makes him of a sinner to be no sinner and that he may be fully reconciled to God and accepted as righteous to life euerlasting the legall obedience of Christ must also be imputed And therfore in the Scriptures where all our redemption is ascribed to the death and passion of Christ this very obedience which standes in the perfect loue of God and man must be included and not excluded V. The time of the passion was from the very birth of Christ to his resurrection yet so as the beginnings onely of his sufferings were in the course of his life and the accomplishment thereof to the very full vpon the crosse VI. The person that suffered was the sonne of God himselfe concerning whome in this case two questions must be resolued The first how can it stand with Gods iustice◠to lay punishment vpon the most righteous man that euer was and that for grieuous sinners considering that tyrants themselues will not doe so Ans. In the passion Christ must not be considered as a priuate person for then it could not stand with equitie that hee should be plagued and punished for our offences but as one
a thing is done God not regarding it we bring in an idol of our owne braines and stablish the idle-god of the Epicures But it is obiected to the contrarie that if God any way decreed and willed the fall of Adam then he was the author of sinne which once to say is blasphemie Ans. The argument followes not There be three actions in the will of God one whereby he doth absolutely will any thing and delight in it and of all such things God himselfe is the author The second is wholly or absolutely to Nill a thing and all things thus nilled can not possibly come to passe or haue the least beeing in nature There is also a third action which comes as a meane betweene the two former which is remissely or in part both to nill and will a thing wherby though God approoue not euill as it is euill and therefore doth it not yet he willeth the permitting of it to be done by others or the being of it because in respect of God that decreeth the permitting of euill it is good that there should be euill And on this manner and no otherwise God willed the fall of Adam and therefore in the reason of any indifferent man though he decreed the fall yet shall he be free from the blame thereof which lies wholly vpon the doer these two caueats alwaies remembred first that God by his will did not constraine or force the will of Adam to sinne or infuse into it any corruption and that therefore he sinned willingly and freely onely by the necessitie of immutabilitie and not by the necessitie of coaction secondly that God willed the fall for a most worthie ende which was to lay downe a way tending to the manifestation both of iustice and mercie Againe it is alleadged that if God willed Adams fall then his will is flat contrarie to it selfe because he wills that which he had by expresse commandement forbidden Answ. Indeede if God should both will and forbid one and the same thing in one and the same respect there should be a contradiction in Gods will but that God doth not He forbad Adams fall as it was sinne for so in euery commandement sinne as it is sinne is condemned and punished and yet because it was in a new respect a meanes of manifesting his glorie who is able to bring light out of darknesse therefore he willingly decreed the permission of it Incest as it is sinne it is condemned in the seuenth commandement and punished with death yet as incest was a punishment of Dauids adulterie God is said to take his wiues and to giue them to his sonne Absolom Some againe as it appeares by their writings feare to ascribe vnto God so much as a permission of Adams fall but no doubt they are deceiued For if these rules be true that God is omnipotent that he works all things that are by the counsell of his will and gouernes them that he hath care and regard ouer man that nothing is hid from him that he is vnchangeable there must needes be permission of euill If the deuill could not enter so much as into an heard of swine without Christs permission shall we thinke that he could compasse the fall and ouerthrow of man without a permission Indeede to permit is not to hinder euill when one may and with men it is a fault but not with God because he is not bound to hinder the euill which he permits The second fault is that they make the Prescience of mans faith and vnbeleefe to be the impulsiue cause of Gods decree For they say that God eternally decrees to saue or refuse men because he did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue But indeede it is a manifest vntruth Among the causes of all things that are there is an order set downe by God himselfe in which order some causes are highest some lowest some in the midst Now the highest cause of all is that which ouerrules all and is ouerruled of none and that is Gods will beyond which there can be no higher cause for God is placed aboue all and subiect to none And this very will of his is the cause of all things that haue beeing for we must not imagine that a thing first of all existeth and then afterward is willed of God but first of all God wills a thing and then afterward it comes to haue a beeing Now to say that foreseene faith or vnbeleefe are the moouing causes whereby God was induced to ordaine men either to saluation or to iust damnation is to vndoe this diuine order of causes and to displace the linkes in that Gods will is made a secondarie or middle cause subordinate to other causes placed aboue it yea this is to make the will of God to depend vpon the qualitie and condition of the creature whereas contrariwise all things depend vpon Gods will Againe Paul saith that God hath opened the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed to himselfe whereby he makes a distinction betweene the creature and the Creatour Men when they purpose the doing of any thing borrow reasons of their purposes and wills out of themselues from thâ— things to be done because mans bare will is no sufficient cause to warrant the doing of this or that in this or that manner vnlesse there be iust reason But Gods will is a simple and absolute rule of righteousnesse and a thing is good so farre forth as God wills it Therefore there is no cause why he should goe forth of himselfe for externall inducements and reasons of his eternall counsell his very will in himselfe is a sufficient reason of all his purposes and decrees And hereupon Paul saith that Gods purpose was in himselfe to shew that there is no dependance of his will vpon the creature and that in ordering and disposing of his decrees he had no reference or respectiue consideration of the qualities and workes of men Thirdly by this doctrine there is fastened vpon God want of wisdome who is wisdome it selfe and that is very absurd A simple man that hath in him but a sparke of the wisdome of God first of all intends with himselfe the ende and euent of the businesse to be done and then afterward the means whereby the ende is accomplished but in this platforme God is brought in in the first place to foresee and consider with himselfe the meanes which tende to the ende namely faith and vnbeleefe of men and then afterward to determine with himselfe what shall be the ende and finall condition of euery man either in life or death as if a man should purpose with himselfe to build an house without any consideration of the ende why and afterward conceiue with himselfe the particular vses to which he will applie it Fourthly hence it followeth that faith shall not onely be an instrument but also an efficient cause in the acte of
into one whole Mystical bodie Now that we may the better cōceiue the nature of it sundrie questions are to be mooued The first what kinde of coniunction this is Ans. In the scripture we meete with three kinde of coniunctions The first is coniunction in nature when sundrie things are coupled by one and the same nature As the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost being three distinct subsistances are all one and therefore ioyned in one godhead or diuine nature Nowe Christ and the beleeuer are not ioyned in nature for thē they twaine should haue one bodie and soule The second coniunction is in person when things in nature different so concurre togither that they make but one person as the bodie and soule make one man and the godhead of the sonne with his manhood make but one Christ in whome there is an vnion of distinct natures with vnity of person Nowe Christ and a Christian are not ioyned in person for Christ is one person Peter a second and Paul a third distinct from thē both so many men as there bee so many seuerall persons The third coniunction is in spirit and this is the coniunction meant in this place whereby Christ and his Church are ioyned togither for the verie same spirit of God that dwelleth in the manhood of Christ and filleth it with all graces aboue measure is deriued thence and dwelleth in all the true members of the Church and filleth them with the like graces in measure and therefore S. Iohn saith Hereby wee knowe that we dwell in him and he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his spirit Hence it followes that the bond of this coniunction is one and the same spirit descending from Christ the head to all his members creating also in them the instrument of faith whereby they apprehend Christ and make him their owne The second is what are the things vnited Ans. Not the bodie of the beleeuer to the bodie of Christ or the soule to his soule but the whole person of the man to the whole person of Christ yet in this order we are first of al immediately ioyned to the manhood of Christ by the manhood to the godhead The third question is what is the manner of this coniunction Answ. Wee must not thinke that Christ and his Church are ioyned by imagination as the minde of man and the thing whereof he thinkes or by consent of heart as one friende is ioyned with another and as the Iewes conuerted were all of one heart and soule or by any abode in one place or by touching as sea and lande are both ioyned togither and make one globe or by any composition or cōmixtion of substances as when many ingredients are put togither to make one medicine But this coniunction is altogither spirituall as the former Giuing was and incomprehensible to mans reason and therefore wee must rather labour to feele it by experience in the heart then to conceiue it in the braine Yet neuerthelesse it shall not be amisse to consider a resemblance of it in this comparison Suppose a man hauing the parts of his bodie disioyned farre asunder his head lying in Italy one arme in Germanie the other in Spaine and his leggs with vs in England suppose further all these parts or quarters haue all one soule extending it selfe vnto them all and quickening each of them seuerally as though they were neerely ioyned togither and though the parts be seuered many hundred miles asunder yet the distance of place doth not hinder the coniunction considering one and the same soule doth inlarge it selfe and giue life vnto them all In the same manner the head of the Mysticall bodie Christ our Sauiour is nowe in heauen and some of his members in heauen with him and some in earth and of these some in England some in Germanie some in Italy some in Spaine distant many thousand miles asunder and the spirit of God is as it were the soule of this bodie which giueth spirituall life to all the members distance of place doth not hinder this coniunction because the holy Ghost which linketh all the partes togither is infinite The benefits which we receiue by this Mysticall vnion are manifold For it is the ground of the conueiance of all grace The first is that by means hereof euery Christian as he is a Christian or a man regenerate hath his beginning and being in Christ howesoeuer as he is a man hee hath his beeing and subsisting in himselfe as Paul saith Ye are of God in Christ. And We are members of his bodie of his flesh and of his bones Howe will some say can this be After this manner The comparison is taken from our first parents Eue was made of a rib taken out of Adams side he beeing cast into a slumber this beeing done Adam awaked and said This nowe is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh Christ was nailed on the crosse and his most pretious blood was shed and out of it arise and spring all true Christians that is out of the merit of Christs death passion whereby they become newe creatures Secondly euery one that beleeueth in Christ by reason of this vnion hath an vnspeakable prerogatiue for hereby he is first vnited to Christ and by reason thereof is also ioyned to the whole trinitie the father the sonne and the holy Ghost and shall haue eternall fellowship with them Thirdly sundrie men specially Papists deride the doctrine of iustification by imputed righteousnes thinking it as absurde that a man should be iust by that righteousnesse which is inherent in the person of Christ as if we should say that one man may liue by the soule of another or be learned by the learning of another But here we may see that it hath sufficient foundation For there is a most neere and strait vnion betweene Christ and all that beleeue in him and in this vnion Christ with all his benefits according to the tenour of the couenant of grace is made ours really therfore we may stande iust before God by his righteousnesse it beeing indeede his because it is in him as in a subiect yet so as it is also ours because it is giuen vnto vs of God Nowe there is no such vnion betweene man and man and for that cause one man can not liue by the soule of another or be learned by the learning of another Fourthly frō this fountaine springes our sanctificatiō wherby we die to sin and are renued in righteousnes and holines Wormes flies that haue lien dead al winter if they be laid in the sunne in the spring time begin to reuiue by vertue thereof euen so whē we are vnited to Christ are as it were laid in the beames of this blessed sonne of righteousnes vertue is deriued thence which warmeth our benummed hearts dead in sinne and reuiueth vs to newnes of life whereby we begin to affect and like good things and put in practise all
as it were swallowed vp with a sea of his loue and wholly rauished therewith for which cause as farre as creatures can they shall loue him againe Againe the loue of a thing is according to the knowledge thereof but in this life God is knowne of man onely in part and therefore is loued onely but in part but after this life when the Elect shall knowe God fully they shall loue him without measure in this respect loue hath a prerogatiue aboue faith or hope howesoeuer in some respects againe they goe beyond loue The fourth prerogatiue is that the Saints of God keepe a perpetuall Sabbath in heauen In this life it is kept but euery seuenth daie and when it is best of all sanctified it is done but in part but in heauen euery day is a Sabbath as the Lord saith by the Prophet Esay From moneth to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come and worship before me therefore the life to come shall be spent in the perpetuall seruice of God Fifthly the bodies of the elect after this life in the kingdome of heauen shal be like the glorious bodie of Christ so Paul saith Christ Iesus our Lord shall chaÌ„ge our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious bodie Now the resemblaÌ„ce betweene Christs bodie and ours standeth in these things as Christs bodie is incorruptible so shall our bodies be void of all corruption as Christs bodie is immortal so ours in the kingdom of heauen shal neuer die as Christs bodie is spirituall so shall ours be made spirituall as the Apostle saith It is sowen a naturall bodie it is raised a spirituall bodie not because the bodie shall be changed into a spirit for it shall remaine the same in substance and that for euer but because it shall be preserued by a spirituall and diuine manner For in this life it is preserued by meate drinke cloathing sleepe physicke rest and diet but afterwarde without all these meanes the life of the bodie shall be continued and bodie and soule keepe togither by the immediate power of Gods spirit for euer and euer Thus the bodie of Christ is nowe preserued in heauen and so shall the bodies of all the elect be after the day of iudgement Furthermore as Christs bodie is nowe a shining bodie as doth appeare by his transfiguration in the mount so in all likelihood after the resurrection the bodies of the elect shall be shining and bright alwaies remaining the same for substance Lastly as Christs bodie after it rose againe from the graue had this propertie of agilitie beside swiftnes to passe from the earth to the third heauen beeing in distance many thousand miles froÌ„ vs and that without violence so shall the bodies of the Saints For beeing glorified they shall be able as well to ascend vpwarde as to goe downewarde and to mooue without violence and that very swiftly The sixth and last prerogatiue is an vnspeakable and eternall ioy â—â— Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnesse of ioy at thy right hand there are pâ—â—â—ares for euermore It is said that when Salomon was crowned king the people reioiced exceedingly If there were such great ioy at his coronation whiâ—h was but an earthly prince what ioy then shall there be when the Elect shall see the true Salomon crowned with glorie in the kingdome of heauen It is said that the wise men which came from the East to worship Christ when they sawe the starre standing ouer the place where the babe was were exceedingly glad howe much more shall the elect reioice when they shall see Christ not lying in a manger but crowned with immortall glorie in the kingdome of heauen Wherefore this ioy of the elect after this life is most wonderfull and cannot be vttered The propertie of life eternall is to be an inheritance which God bestoweth on them which are made his sonnes in Christ who is the only begotten sonne of the father Hence it followes necessarily that in the Scriptures it is called a reward not because it is deserued by our workes as the Church of Rome erroniously teacheth but for two other causes First because life eternall is due to all that beleeue by vertue of Christs merit For his righteousnesse is made ours by imputation so conâ—equently the merit thereof is also ours and by it all personall merits in our selues vtterly excluded we deserue or merit eternall happines as a reward which neuerthelesse in respect of our selues is the free and meere gift of God The second is because there is a resemblance betweene eternall life and a reward For as a reward is giuen to a workeman after his worke is done so euerlasting life is giuen vnto men after the trauailes and miseries of this life are ended The degrees of life are three The first is in this life when men beeing iustified and sanctified haue peace with God Many imagine that there is no eternall life till after death but they are deceiued for it beginnes in this world as our Sauiour Christ testifieth saying Verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my wordes and beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life This being so we are hence to learne a good lesson Considering we looke for life euerlasting after this life we must not deceiue our selues lingring and deferring the time till the last gaspe but we must lay the foundation of life eternall in our selues in this world and haue the earnest thereof laide vp in our hearts against the day of death But how is that done we must repent vs heartily of all our sinnes and seeke to be assured in conscience that God the father of Christ is our father God the sonne our redeemer and God the holy Ghost our comforter For as Christ saith this is life eternall to know thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And we must goe further yet endeauouring to say with Paul that we liue not but that Christ liueth in vs which when we can say we haue in vs the very seede of eternall life The second degree is in the ende of this life when the bodie freed from all diseases paines and miseries is laid to rest in the earth and the soule is receiued into heauen The third is after the day of iudgement when bodie and soule reunited shall both be aduanced to eternall glorie Againe in this third degree of life there be in all likelihood sundrie degrees of glory Daniel speaking of the estate of the elect after this life saith They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euermore Now we know there is difference betweene the brightnesse of the firmament and the brightnesse of the starres Againe there be degrees of torments in hell as appeares by the saying
set vp his Sacrament as a signe vpon a high hill whence it may be seene on euery side farre and neere to call againe them that be runne away And with this Sacrament he as it were clocketh to them as a hen doth for her chickens to gather them vnder the wings of his mercy and hath commaunded his Sacrament to be had iâ—â— continuall vse to put vs in minde of his continuall mercie laid vp for vs in Christ blood and to witneâ—â—e and teâ—tifie it vnto them and to be the seale thereof For the Sacrament doth much more liuely print the faith and make it sinke downe into the heart then doe bare wordes onely Now when the words of the testament and promises are spoken ouer the bread this my bodie that was broken for you this is my bloode that was shed for you they confirme the faith but much more when the Saâ—rament is seene with the eies and the bread broken the wine powred out looked on yet more when I taste it smell it As you see when a man maketh a promise vnto another with light words betweene themselues and so they departed he to whome the promise is made beginneth to doubt whether the other spake earnestly or mocked and doubteth whether he will remmber his promise to abide by it or no. But when any man speaketh with aduisemeÌ„t the words are more credible if he sweare it confirmeth the thing more and yet the more if he strike hands if he giue earnest if hee call record if he giue hand writing seale it so is he the more and more beleeued for the heart gathereth lo he spake with aduisement deliberation and good sadnesse he clapped hands called record and put to his hand and seale the man cannot be so faint without the feare of God as to denie all this shame shall make him abide his promise though hee were such a man as I could not compell him if hee would denie it And thus we dispute god sent his sonne in our nature made him feele our infirmities and named his name Iesus that is a Sauiour because he should saue his people from their sinnes and after his death he sent his Apostles to preach these glad tydings to thrust them in at the eares of vs set vp a Sacrament of them to testifie them and to seale them and to thrust them in not at the eares onely by rehearsing the promises of the testament ouer its neither at our eies only in beholding it but beat them in through our feeling tasting and smelling also and to be repeated daiely and to be ministred to vs. He would not thinke we make halfe so much a do with vs if he loued vs not and would not haue his Sacrament to be a witnesse and testimonie betweene him and vs to confirme the faith of his promises that wee should not doubt in them when we looke on the seales of his obligations wherewith he hath bouÌ„d himselfe and this to keepe the promises and couenants better in mind and to make them the more deepely to sinke into our hearts and bee more earnestly regarded Timoth. Considering that this which you say is too plaine great shame it is that there is such neglect of the Sacrament as there is and that it is so seldome vsed but surely want of faith and the securitie which ouerspreadeth this our countrie is the cause of it the Lord if it be his will remooue the same Now let me heare a little how you lead your life and haue your conuersation among men Euseb. I haue my conuersation among men as sincere as I can in righteousnes and holines which is after Gods commandements our Sauiour saith Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Timoth. It is but a dim light which we can carrie before men and small are our good workes and to be esteemed of no value if wee were preachers or rich men or noble men then we might saue soules giue good counsell helpe many by your almes but you and I are poore men of base birth and of lowe degree how can we then doe any good workes Euseb. As touching good workes by that measure of knowledge that god hath giuen me I thinke that all workes are good which are done according to the obedience of Gods law in faith and with thanksgiuing to God and with a minde desirous of his glorie alone and I thinke that I or any man els in doing them please God whatsoeuer I doe within the lawe of God as when I make water And trust me if either wind or water were stopped I should feele what a pretious thing it were to doe either of both and what thankes ought to bee giuen God therefore Moreouer I put no difference betweene workes but whatsoeuer commeth into my hands that I doe as time place and occasion giueth and according to my degree For as touching to please God there is no worke better then other God looketh not first on my workes as the worlde doth or as though he had neede of them but God looketh first on my heart what faith I haue to his word how I beleeue him trust him and howe I loue him for his mercie that he hath shewed to me hee looketh with what heart I worke and not what I worke how I accept the degree he hath put me in not of what degree I am Let vs take example You are a minister and preach the word I am a kitchin boy and wash my masters dishes Of the Ministery harke what the Apostle saith If I preach I haue naught to reioice in for necessity is put vpon me If I preach not the gospel as who should say God hath made me so woe is to me if I preach not If I do it willingly saith he then I haue my reward that is then I am sure that Gods spirit is in me and that I am elect to eternall life If I doe it against my will the office is committed to me that is I doe it not of loue to God but to get a liuing thereby and for a worldly purpose and had rather otherwise liue then doe I that office which God hath put vpon me but doe not please God So then if you preached not or in preaching had not your heart aright you minisâ—er the office and they that haue the spirit of God heare his word yea though it were spoken by an Asse and the woe belongeth to you but and if you preach willingly with a true heart and conscience to God then you shall feele the earnest of eternal life and the working of the spirit of God in you and your preaching is a good worke in you Now I that minister in the kitchin and am but a kitchin boy receiue all things at the hand of God know that God hath put me in such an office submit my selfe to his wil and serue my master not as a
redemption you must waite for it till after this life you would bee kissed with the kisses of Christs mouth but here in this worlde you must bee content if you may with Marie Magdelen kisse his feete For the perfection of a Christian mans life standes in the feeling and confession of his imperfections And as Ambrose saith obedience due to God standes more in the affection then in the worke Christian. But why will God haue those whome hee hath sanctified labour still vnder their infirmities Minister The causes are diuers First hereby he teacheth his seruants to see in what great neede they stand of the righteousnes of Christ that they may more carefully seeke after it Secondly he subdueth the pride of mens heartes and humbleth them by counteruailing the graces which they haue receiued with the like measure of infirmities Thirdly by this meanes the godly are exercised in a continuall fight against sinne and are daily occupied in purifying themselues Christian. But to goe on forward in this matter there is another cause that makes me feare least I haue no true repentance Minister What is that Christian. I oftentimes find my selfe like a very timberlog voide of all grace and goodnes froward and rebellious to any good worke so that Iâ— feare least Christ haue quite forsaken me Minist As it is in the strait seas the water ebs and flowes so is it in the godly in them as long as they liue in this worlde according to their owne feeling there is an accesse recesse of the spirit Otherwhiles they be troubled with deadnes and dulnes of heart as Dauid was who praied to the Lord to quickeâ— him according to his louing kindnes that he may keepe the testimonies of his mouth And in another place he saith that Gods promises quickened him Which could not be vnles he had beene troubled with great dulnes of heart Againe sometimes the spirit of God quite withdraweth is selfe to their feeling as it was in Dauid In the day of my trouble saith he I sought the Lord and my soule refused comfort I did think vpon god and was troubled I praied and my spirit was ful of anguish Againe Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shewe no more fauour hath God forgotten to be mercifull c. The Church in the Canticles complaineth of this In my bed I sought him by night whome my soule loued I sought him but I found him not And againe My wellbeloued put in his hand by the hole of the doore and my heart was affectioned towards him I rose vp to open to my welbeloued and my hands did drop down mirrhe my fingers pure mirrhe vpon the handles of the barre I opened to my welbeloued but my welbeloued was gone and past mine heart was gone when he did speake I â—ought him but I could not finde him I called but he answered me not Contrariwise God at some other times sheds abroad his loue most aboundantly in the hearts of the faithfull and Christ lieth betweene the breasts of his Church as a posie of myrrhe giuing a strong smell Christian. But how can he bee a Christian that feeles no grace nor goodnes in himselfe Minister The child which as yet can vse no reason is for all that a reasonable creature and the man in a swowne feeles no power of life and yet hee is not dead The Christian man hath many quames come ouer his heart and he fals into many a swown that none almost would looke for any more of the life of Christ in him yet for all that he may bee a true Christian. This was the state of Peter when he denied our Sauiour Christ with cursing and banning his faith onely fainted for a time it failed not Christian. I haue now opened vnto you the chiefe things that troubled me and your comfortable answers haue much refreshed my troubled minde The God of all mercie and consolation requite you accordingly Minister I haue spoken that which God out of his holy word hath opened vnto me if you find any helpe thereby giue God the praise therfore carrie this with you for euer that by many afflictions both in the bodie and the minde you must enter into the kingdome of heauen Raw flesh is noysome to the stomack is no good nourishment before it be â—odden and vnmortified men and womeÌ„ be no creatures fit for God and therefore they are to be soaked and boyled in afflictions that the fulsomnes and rankenes of their corruption may be delayed and that they may haue in them some relish acceptable vnto God And to conclude for the auoiding of all these temptations vse this sweete praier following which that godly Saint Master Bradford made Oh Lord God and deere father what shall I say that feele all things to bee in manner with me as in the wicked Blind is my minde crooked is my will peruerse concupisceÌ„ce is in me as a spring of stinking puddle O how faint is faith in me how little is my loue to thee or thy people how great is my selfe loue how hard is my heart by reason whereof I am mooued to doubt of thy goodnesse towards me whether thou art my mercifull father and whether I be thy child or no indeed worthily might I doubt if that the hauing of these were the cause not the fruit rather of thy children The cause why thou art my father is thy merciful goodnesâ— grace trueth in Christ Iesus which cannot but remaine for euer In respect whereof thou hast borne me this good wil to bring me into thy Church by baptisme and to accept me into the number of thy children that I might be holy faithfull obedient and innocent and to call me diuers times by the ministerie of thy word into thy kingdome besides the innumerable other benefits alwaies hitherto powred vpon me All which thou hast done of this thy good will which thou of thine owne mercie barest to me in Christ before the world was made The which thing as thou requirest straightly that I should beleeue without doubting so wouldest thou that I in all my needs should come vnto thee as to a father make my mone without mistrust of beeing heard in thy good time as most shall make to my comfort Loe therefore to thee deare father I come through thy sonne our Lord our Mediatour and Aduocate Iesus Christ who sitteth on thy right hand making intercession for me I pray thee of thy great goodnes and mercie in Christ to be mercifull to me a sinner that I may indeed feele thy sweet mercie as thy child the time oh deare father I appoint not but I pray thee that I may with hope still expect and looke for thy helpe I hope that as for a little while thou hast left me so thou wilt come and visit me and that in thy great mercie whereof I haue great neede by reason of my great miserie Thou
kept vncerten till the time to come are thrust into the text by head shoulders and Hierome hath them not Secondly I answere that the holy Ghost doth not deny simplie the knowledge of gods loue or hatred as though there could be no certaine assurance of it in this life If wee vnderstand the wordes thus then the argument of the holy Ghost must be framed on this manner If loue or hatred were to bee knowne then it must be knowne by the outward blessings of God but it cannot be knowne by the outward blessings of God for all things come alike to all therefore loue and hatred cannot be known The proposition is false For loue may bee knowne other waies then by outward benefits and therefore the reason is not meete to be ascribed to the spirit of trueth Wherefore the true and proper sense of the wordes is that loue or hatred can not be iudged or discerned by outward blessings of God Saint Bernard speakes of this text on this manner that no man knowes loue or hatred namely by him yet that God giues most certaine testimonies thereof to men vpon earth And serm 5. de Dediâ— his words are these Who knowes if he be worthie loue or hatred who knowes the mind of the Lord Here both faith and truth must needes helpe vs that that which is hidden in the heart of the father may be reuealed vnto vs by the spirit and his spirit giuing testimony perswades our spirit that we are the sonnes of God and this perswasion is caused by his calling and iustifying vs freely by faith And S. Hierome though commonly abused to the contrarie saith no more but that men cannot knowe loue or hatred by the present afflictions which they suffer because they know not whether they suffer them for triall or punishment Obiect 3.1 Cor. 4. I iudge not my selfe I know nothing by my selfe Here Paul as not being priuie to his owne estate reâ—useth to giue any iudgement of his righteousnes Ans. It is manifest by the wordes of this epistle that certaine in Corinth boldly more then wisely censured the Apostles ministerie and withall disgraced it in respect of the ministerie of other teachers Therefore Paul in this chapter goes about to make an Apologie for himselfe speaking nothing of his owne person and the estate thereof before God but onely of his ministerie and the excellency thereof And this is the iudgement of Theodoret Aquinas Lira vpon this text And when he saith I iudge not my selfe his meaning is I take not vpon me to iudge of what value and price my ministerie is before God in respect of the ministerie of this or that man but I leaue al to God Here then Paul refuseth onely to giue iudgement of the excellencie of his owne ministerie and in other causes he refuseth not to iudge himselfe as when he said I haue fought a good fight I haue kept the saith hence sorth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous iudge shal giue me 2. Tim. 4.8 And Chrysostome on this place saith that Paul refused to iudge himselfe not simply but onely for this ende that he might restraine others and teach them modestie And where Paul saith I knowe nothing by my selfe the speech is not generall but must bee vnderstood of the negligences and offences in the compasse of his ministerie For hee was priuie to himselfe that in simplicitie and godly purenes hee had his conuersation in the worlde 2. Cor. 1.12 and he knew this by himselfe that nothing should seuer him froÌ„ the loue of God in Christ. Rom. 8.38 Obiect 4. That we may be iustified there is somewhat required in vs namely faith and repentnnce and where these are wanting a man cannot be iustified Now no man can be certen by the certaintie of faith that he repents of his sinnes with all his heart and that he hath such a faith as God requires at our hands considering there is no testimonie in the word of our faith and repentance in particular Therefore no man can be certaine by certaintie of faith that his sinnes are pardoned Ans. It is not necessarie that any man should bee certaine by faith of his faith repentance because faith is only of such things as are present whereas faith and repentance are truely preâ—ent in all that truely beleeue and repent it shall be sufficient if a man may any way be vnfallibly certaine that he hath them And though some men falsly perswade themselues that they beleeue yet he that hath true faith indeede knowes that he hath true faith euen as certainly as he that vnderstands that hee vnderstands Paul saith to the Corinthians Prooue your selues whether yee bee in the faith or no 2.13.5 hereby giuing them to vnderstand that all which beleeue haue the spirit of discerning to know certainely that they doe beleeue Againe he saith of himselfe 2. Tim. 1.12 I knowe whome I haue beleeued And S. Iohn saith 1. epist. 3. 24. By this we knowe that he dwels in vs by the spirit which he hath giuen vs making no question of it but that he which hath the spirit knowes that hee hath the same And testimonies of men are not wanting in this case August Euery one seeth faith to be in his owne heart if hee beleeue if not he seeth it to be wanting Againe A beleeuer seeth his owne faith by which hee answereth that hee beleeueth without doubt and Hee which loueth his brother more knoweth the loue whereby he loueth then his brother whome hee loueth Againe whereas it is said that hauing faith yet we know not whether it be sufficient or no I answer that faith beeing without hypocrisie is sufficient to saluation though it be vnperfect God more respects the trueth of our faith then the perfection thereof And as the hand of the child or of the palsie man though it be feeble is able to reach out it selfe and receiue an almes of a Prince so the faith that is but weake is able to apprehend and receiue Christ with all his benefits Obiect 5. Prov. 28. Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies Phil. 2. Worke your saluation with feare and trembling Ans. There is threefold feare one of nature the second of grace the third of distrust Feare of nature is that wherby the nature of man is troubled with any thing that is hurtfull vnto it and therefore auoideth it Feare of grace is that excellent gift which is called the beginning of wisdome and it is a certaine awe or reuerence vnto God in whose presence we doe whatsoeuer wee doe Feare of distrust is when men tremble at the iudgements of God for their sinnes because they haue no hope of mercie Of these three the first was good by creation therefore it was in our Sauiour Christ but since the fall it is defectiue The third is a vice called slauish feare And the second is that which is commanded in these and
and alteration For he which hath a good coÌ„science hath also care to keepe good conscience in all things V. Presumption is peremptorie without doubting whereas the testimonie of conscience is mingled with manifold doubtings Mark 9.24 Luk. 17. 5. yea otherwhiles ouercharged with them Psal. 77.7,8 VI. Presumption will giue a man the slip in the time of sickenes and in the houre of death and the testimonie of good conscience stickes by him to the ende and euen makes him say Lord remember nowe â—owe I haue walked before thee in trueth and haue done that which is acceptable in thy sight Isa. 38.2 The duties of conscience regenerate are two in speciall manner to giue testimonie and to excuse The speciall thing of which conscience giues testimonie is that we are the children of God predestinate to life euerlasting And that appeares by these reasons I. Rom. 8.16 The spirit of God witnesseth togither with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Now the spirit of man here mentioned is the minde or conscience renewed and sanctified To this purpose saith Iohn He that beleeueth hath a witnesse in himselfe 1. Ioh. 5.10 II. That which Gods spirit doth testifie to the conscience the conscience can againe testifie to vs but Gods spirit doth testifie to the conscience of a man regenerate that he is the childe of God 1. Cor. 2.12 Therefore the conscience also doeth the same III. He that is iustified hath peace of conscience Rom. 5.1 Nowe there can bee no peace in conscience till conscience tel the man which is iustified that he is indeed iustified IV. That which the conscience may know certenly it may testifie but conscience may know certenly without reuelation the mans election and adoption as I haue before prooued therefore it is able to giue testimonie of these Againe the regenerate conscience giueth testimonie of a certaine kinde of righteousnesse beeing an vnseparable companion thereof and for this cause it is called of some the righteousnesse of a good conscience Now this righteousnes is nothing els but an vnfained earnest and constant purpose with endeauour answerable thereto not to sinne in any thing but in all things whatsoeuer to please God and doe his will Hebr. 13.18 Pray for vs for wee are assured that we haue good conscience in all things desiring to liue honestly 2. Cor. 1.12 Our reioycing is this the testimonie of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse and not in fleshly wisdome wee haue had our conuersation in the worlde 1. Cor. 4.4 I knowe nothing by my selfe Esa. 38.2 Lord remember now howe I haue walked before thee with an vpright heart and haue done that which is acceptable in thy sight I adde this clause in all things because that obedience which is the signe or fruit of good conscience of which also it giues testimonie is generall shewing it selfe in all and euery commandement of God Philosophers haue said that Iustice is vniuersall because he which hath it hath all vertues But it is more truely said of this Christian righteousnes or new obedience that it is vniuersall and that he which can performe true obedience in one commandement can doe the same in all Act. 23.1 Men and brethren I haue in all good conscience serued God till this day Psal. 119.6 Then shall I not bee confounded when I shall haue respect to all thy commandements Act. 24.16 In the meane season I endeaâ—our my selfe or take paines to haue a conscience without offence towards God and towards men This shewes that there is a great number of men professing the Gospell that want good conscience For though they shew themselues very forward and willing to obey God in many things yet in some one thing or other they vse to follow the swinge of their owne wills Many are diligent to frequent the place of Gods worship to heare the word preached with liking to receiue the Sacraments at times appointed and to approoue of any good thing all this is very commendable yet these men often when they depart home from the congregation say in effect on this manner Religion stay thou here at the Church doore till the next Sabbath For if we looke into their priuate conuersations the gouernment of their families or their dealings in their particular callings we shall with griefe see much disorder and little conscience It is a common practise with sicke men when they make their wills on their death beds in the very first place to commend their bodies to the graue and their soules to God that gaue them in hope of a better resurrection and all this is well done but afterward they bequeath their goods gotten by fraud oppression and forged cauillation to their owne friends and children without making any recompence or satisfaction But alas this should not be so for obedience that goes with good conscience must be performed to all Gods commandements without exception and if it be done but to some alone it is but counterfait obedience and he that is guiltie in one is guiltie in all As regenerate conscience giues testimonie of our new obedience so it doth also by certaine sweete motions stirre men forward to performe the same Psal. 16.7 My reynes that is the minde and conscience inlightened by the spirit of God teach me in the night season Esai 30.22 And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee saying This is the way walke ye in it when thou turnest to the right hand and when thou turnest to the left Now this word is not onely the voice of Pastours and teachers in the open ministerie but also the voice of renewed conscience inwardly by many secret cogitations snibbing them that are about to sinne A Christian man is not onely a priest and a prophet but also a spirituall king euen in this life and the Lord in mercie hath vouchsafed him this honour that his conscience renewed within him shall be his solliciter to put him in minde of all his affaires and duties which he is to performe to God yea it is the controller to see all things kept in order in the heart which is the temple and habitation of the holy Ghost The second office of conscience regenerate is to excuse that is to cleare and defend a man euen before God against all his enemies both bodily ghostly Psal. 7.8 Iudge thou me O Lord according to my righteousnes and according to mine innocencie in me Againe 26.1,2 Iudge me O Lord for I haue walked in mine innocencie c. Prooue me O Lord and trie me examine my reynes and my heart That the conscience can doe this it specially appeares in the conflict and combat made by it against the deuill on this manner The deuill beginnes and disputes thus Thou O wretched man art a most grieuous sinner therefore thou art but a damned wretch The conscience answereth and saith I know that Christ hath made a satisfaction for my sinnes and freed me from daÌ„nation The deuill replieth againe
waies first not as causes thereof either conuersant adiuvant or procreant but onely as consequents of faith in that they are inseparable companions and fruits of that faith which is indeede necessarie to saluation Secondly they are as necessarie as markes in a way and as the way it selfe directing vs vnto eternall life III. We hold and beleeue that the righteous man is in some sort iustified by works for so the holy Ghost speaketh plainely and truly Iam. 2.21 That Abraham was iustified by workes Thus farre we ioyne with them and the very difference is this They say we are iustified by workes as by causes thereof we say that we are iustified by workes as by signes and fruits of our iustification before God and no otherwise and in this sense must the place of S. Iames be vnderstood that Abraham was iustified that is declared and made manifest to be iust indeed by his obedience and that euen before God Now that our doctrine is the truth it will appeare by reasons on both parts Our reasons I. Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Some answer that ceremoniall workes be excluded here some that morall works some works going before faith But let them deuise what they can for themselues the truth is that Paul excludeth all works whatsoeuer as by the very text will appeare For v. 24. he saith We are iustified freely by his grace that is by the meere gift of God giuing vs to vnderstand that a sinner in his iustification is meerely passiue that is doing nothing on his part whereby God should accept him to life euerlasting And v. 27. he saith iustification by faith excludeth all boasting and therefore all kind of works are thereby excluded and specially such as are most of all the matter of boasting that is good workes For if a sinner after that he is iustified by the merit of Christ were iustified more by his owne workes then might he haue some matter of boasting in himselfe And that we may not doubt of Pauls meaning consider and read Eph. 2.8,9 By grace saith he you are saued tâ—rough faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast himselfe Here Paul excludes all and euery worke and directly workes of grace themselues as appeares by the reason following For we are his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that weâ— should walke in them Nowe let the Papists tell me what bee the workes which God hath prepared for men to walke in and to which they are regenerate vnlesse they bee the most excellent workes of grace and let them marke howe Paul excludes them wholly from the worke of iustification and saluation II. Gal. 5.3 If ye be circumcised ye are bound to the whole lawe and ye are abolished from Christ. Here Paul disputeth against such men as would bee saued partly by Christ and partly by the workes of the lawe hence I reason thus If a man will be iustified by workes he is bound to fulfill the whole lawe according to the rigour thereof that is Pauls ground I nowe assume no man can fullfill the lawe according to the rigour thereof for the liues and workes of most righteous men are imperfect and stained with sinne and therefore they are taught euery day to say on this manner forgiue vs our debts Againe our knowledge is imperfect and therefore our faith repentance and sanctifiâ—atioÌ„ is answerable And lastly the regenerate man is partly flesh and partly spirit and therefore his best workes are partly from the flesh and in part onely spirituall Thus then for any man to bee bound to the rigour of the whole lawe is as much as if he were bound to his owne damnation III. Election to saluation is of grace without workes therefore the iustification of a sinner is of grace alone without workes For it is a certen rule that the cause of a cause is the cause of a thing caused Now grace without workes is the cause of election which election is the cause of our iustification therfore grace without workes is the cause of our iustification IV. A man must first be fully iustified before he can doe a good worke for the person must first please God before his works can please him But the person of a sinner cannot please God till he be perfectly iustified and therefore till hee be iustified he cannot doe so much as one good worke And thus good workes cannot be any meritorious causes of iustification after which they are both for time and order of nature In a word whereas they make two distinct iustifications we acknowledge that there be degrees of sanctification yet so as iustification is onely one standing in remission of sinnes and Gods acceptation of vs to life euerlasting by Christ and this iustification hath no degrees but is perfect at the very first Obiections of Papists Psal. 7.8 Iudge me according to my righteousnesse Hence they reason thus if Dauid be iudged according to his righteousnes then may he be iustified therby but Dauid desires to be iudged according to his righteousnes and therefore he was iustified thereby Ans. There be two kindes of righteousnesse one of the person the other of the cause or action The righteousnes of a mans person is whereby it is accepted into the fauour of God into life eternall The â—ighteousnes of the action or cause is when the action or cause is iudged of God to be good and iust Nowe Dauid in this psalme speaketh onely of the righteousnesse of the action or innocency of his cause in that he was falsely charged to haue sought the kingdome In like manner it is said of Phineas Psal. 166.31 that his fact in killing Zimri and Cosbie was imputed to him for righteousnes not because it was a satisfaction to the lawe the rigour whereof could not be fulfilled in that one worke but because God accepted of it as a iust worke and as a token of his righteousnes and zeale for Gods glorie II. Obiect The Scripture saith in sundrie places that men are blessed which doe good workes Psal. 119.1 Blessed is the man that is vpright in heart walketh in the lawe of the Lord. Ans. The man is blessed that indeauoureth to keep Gods commandements Yet is he not blessed simply because hee doth so but because he is in Christ by whome he doeth so and his obedience to the lawe of God is a signe thereof III. Obiect When man confesseth his sinnes and humbleth himselfe by praier and fasting Gods wrath is pacified and staied therefore praier and fasting are causes of iustification before God Answ. Indeede men that truely humble themselues by praier and fasting doe appease the wrath of God yet not properly by these actions but by their faith expressed and testified in theÌ„ whereby they apprehend that which appeaseth Gods wrath euen the merits of Christ in whome the