in some sort made ours even by application The subject indeed wherein this justice is inherent is Christ we are the object to which this justice is directed sith it is imputed unto us 2. That the word Imputation is more strict than Application The former is spoken of God only the latter of God and us 3. That God otherwise applieth Christs justice unto us than we doe God applyeth it by imputation and we apply it by faith and acceptation 4. That this phrase of the Church To justifie The signification of the phrase To justifie proved by the Grammaticall derivation of it in divers languages In hipâ—â—â— signifieth not legally that is To make one just who is unjust by infusing the quality of justice but evangelically that is To repute him which is unjust for just and righteous and to absolve him from all guilt and not to punish him and this for anothers justice and satisfaction imputed unto him So the Scripture useth this word and almost in all tongues it beareth no other signification for the Hebrew word Hadzdik Exod. 23. â— Prov. 17.15 signifieth To absolve a guilty person To pronounce him guiltlesse I will not justifie a wicked person He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth sometime To pronounce a man just and righteous and sometimes To punish an offender and both on good knowledge of his cause by due examination and judiciall processe as Suidas well observeth Mat. 12.37 So saith Christ By thy words thou shalt be justified The former signification is used two waies in Scripture For either it signifies not to condemne but To absolve in judgement Rom. 8.33 as Who shall condemne the Elect of God it is God that justifieth Hee departed justified rather than the other or it signifieth To pronounce and proclaime just Luke 18.14 As Wisedome is justified of her children That thou mayest be justified in thy sayings Howbeit both significations in this Question come to one end But that to justifie should be used for to make just or to infuse an habit of justice is no where found amongst the Latines and were it read in Latine Authours yet in Scripture and in the Church it is otherwise used as the alledged places apparently prove which can be understood no other way than of the absolution and free accepting a sinner to grace and favour Who shall accuse Gods Elect it is God that justifieth The Publicane departed justified that is absolved and more accepted of God than the Pharisee Acts 13.39 For from all things from which yee could not be justified by the Law of Moses by him every one that beleeveth is justified Here To be justified doth evidently signifie to be absolved Rom. 3.24 26 28. 4.5 5.9 10. to receive remission of sins All are justified freely by his grace A justifier of him which is of the faith of Jesus A man is justified by faith without the workes of the law To him that worketh not but beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Being now justified by his bloud Reconciled to God by the death of his Son 6. Why Christs satisfaction is made ours or in what sort God imputeth it unto us for righteousnesse The cause of Christs satisfaction applyed and imputed is in God only not in us THe perfect fulfilling of the law performed by Christ for us is made ours or applyed unto us through the alone and free mercy of God as who from everlasting did predestinate us to this grace and freely chose us in Christ to whom he might apply of his meere grace of faith that justice and righteousnesse at his appointed time according to the good pleasure of his will as the Apostle speaketh that is according to his meere good pleasure not being moved with any holinesse which hee foresaw would be in us The reason is because there can be no good thing in us except God first worke in us Wherefore all imagination and affirmation of merit is to be taken away as which fighteth with the grace of God and is a deniall of his divine grace For the grace and mercy of God is the only cause of both applications He of his goodnes infinite and passing measure applyeth Christs merit unto us and maketh that we also may apply the same unto us The cause therefore why this application is wrought is in God alone but not at all in us that is it is neither any thing foreseen in us neither also our apprehension and receiving of this justice for all the gifts and graces which are in us are effects of the application of Christs merit and therefore that merit of Christ is no way applied unto us for the works sake which wee doe but this is done as the Apostle teacheth Ephes 1.5 According to the good pleasure of his will Whereupon also it is said What hast thou that thou hast not received 1 Cor. 4.7 By grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 Christ is then in respect of our justification 1. As the subject and matter wherein our justice is 2. As the impellent cause because he obtaineth it 3. As the chief efficient because he together with his Father doth justifie us and giveth us faith whereby wee beleeve and apprehend it The mercy of God is as the impellent cause thereof in God Christs satisfaction is the formall cause of our justification giving the very life and being unto it Our faith is the instrumentall cause apprehending and applying unto us the justice or righteousnesse of Christ We must note therefore How we are justified by the grace of God how by Christs merit and how by faith that we are justified by the grace of God by the merit of Christ and by faith but by each of these in a severall sense and meaning The first position is understood of the impulsive cause which is in God the second of the formall cause in Christ the third of the instrumentall cause in us We are justified by the mercy or grace of God as a principall impellent cause wherewith God being urged and moved justifieth and saveth us We are justified by the merit of Christ partly as by the formall cause of our justification inasmuch as by Christs obedience applied unto us we are accepted of God and being clothed as it were with this raiment are reputed just partly as by an impulsive and meritorious cause inasmuch as God absolveth us for his sake Wee are justified by faith as by an instrumentall cause whereby we apprehend Christs righteousnesse imputed unto us The common received opinion saith We are justified by faith correlatively that is we are justified by that whereunto faith hath relation to wit the merit of Christ which faith apprehendeth For faith and the
respecteth and as an instrument apprehendeth Object 5. Evill workes condemne Therefore good workes justifie Ans 1. These contraries are not matches For our evill workes are perfectly evill our good workes are imperfectly good 2. Although our good workes were perfectly good yet should they not deserve eternall life because they are debts Unto evill workes a reward is due by order of justice unto good works not so because wee are obliged and bound to do them For the creature is obliged to his Creator neither may hee of the contrary binde God unto him by any workes or meanes to benefit him And evill workes in their very intent despight God but good works yield him no profit or delight Object 6. Hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous Therefore not hee that beleeveth Answ 1. Hee is righteous before men that is by doing righteousnesse 1 John 3.7 hee declareth himselfe righteous to others but before God wee are righteous not by doing righteousnesse but by beleeving as it is written Rom. 3.20 By the workes of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight 2. John sheweth there not how wee are righteous but what the righteous are as if he should say that he that is regenerated is also justified because by doing righteousnesse he testifieth to the world that he is justified So then in this reason the fallacy is a taking that which is no cause of justification instead of the true cause thereof Object 7. Christ saith Many sins are forgiven her because shee loved much Luke 7.47 Therefore good workes are the cause of justification Ans 1. Christ here reasoneth from the latter to the former from the effect which cometh after to the cause which goeth before In that the woman loved Christ much Christ thence gathereth that many sins were forgiven her and because there was a great feeling in that woman of the benefit it must needs therefore be that the benefit is great and many sins are forgiven her That this is the meaning of Christs words appeareth by the parable which he there useth 2. Not every thing that is the cause of Consequence in reason is also the cause of the Consequent or thing it selfe which followeth in that consequence of reason Wherefore it is a fallacy of the Consequent if it be concluded Therefore for her love many sins are forgiven her For the particle because which Christ useth doth noâ— alwaies signifie the cause of the thing following It followeth not The Sun is risen because it is day Therefore the day is the cause of the rising of the Sun The contrary rather is true Quest 64. But doth not this doctrine make men carelesse and profane Ans No For neither can it be but they which are incorporated into Christ through faith should bring forth the fruits of thankfulnesse a Mat. 7.18 John 15.5 The Explication THis Question of the Catechisme is a prevention of the Papists slander against the doctrine of Justification by faith Ob. 1. Doctrine which maketh men secure and profane is not true and therefore not to be delivered But this doctrine of free justification by faith maketh men secure and profane Therefore it is not true nor to be taught or delivered in the Church Ans Here is a fallacy of accident If the doctrine of free justification by faith make men secure this happeneth by accident The naturall effect of this doctrine is an earnest desire of shewing our thankfulnesse towards God But this accident objected by the adversaries of this truth falleth out not because men doe apply but because men doe not apply to themselves the doctrine of grace Repl. 1. Even those things which fall out to be evill by an accident are to be eschewed But this doctrine maketh men by an accident evill Therefore it is to be eschewed Ans Those things which fall out to be evils by an accident are to be eschewed if there remaine no greater and weightier cause for which they are not to be omitted which become evill to men through their owne default But wee have necessarie and weighty cause why this doctrine ought to be delivered and by no meanes to be omitted namely the commandement and glory of God and the salvation of the Elect. Repl. 2. That which cannot hart wee need not to eschew But according to the doctrine of justification by faith sinnes to come cannot hurt us because Christ hath satisfied for all both which are past and which are to come Therefore wee need not to beware of sinnes to come Now this is apparently absurd Therefore the doctrine whence this Consequent ariseth is likewise absurd Ans 1. We answer to the Major of this reason that we need not beware and take heed of that which cannot hurt namely whether it be taken heed of or no. But sins to come hurt not that is hurt not them which are heedfull and penitent yet they hurt them who are carelesse and unrepentant 2. Therefore we also deny the Minor for God is alwaies offended with sins and his displeasure is the greatest hurt that can befall man Further sins bereave us of conformity with God and purchase bodily pains unto the faithfull howsoever eternall paines be remitted unto them Hither belong other arguments of the Papists wherewith they oppugne this doctrine of Justification by faith such as are these following Object 2. That which is not in the Scripture is not to be taught or retained That wee are justified by faith only is not in the Scripture Therefore it is not to be retained Ans To the Major we say that which is not in the Scripture neither in words nor in sense is not to be retained But that we are justified by faith only is contained in Scripture as touching the sense thereof for we are said to be justified freely by grace without the works of the law Rom. 3 2â— 28. Gal. 2.15 Ephes 2.8 9. Titus 3.5 1 John 1.7 without the law not of works not of our selves not of any righteousnesse which wee have done by faith without merit Also the bloud of Christ is said to cleanse us from all sin And these are all one To be justified by faith alone and To be justified by the bloud and merit of Christ apprehended by faith only by receiving and beleeving deserving nothing by faith or other works Now the reasons why we are to retain against the Papists the exclusive particle only have been heretofore declared and inlarged Object 3. That which is not alone doth not justifie alone Faith is not alone Therefore faith doth not justifie alone Ans If the conclusion be so understood as it followeth out of the premisses on this wise Faith therefore doth not justifie alone that is being alone the argument is of force For justifying faith is never alone without works as her effects Faith justifieth alone but is not alone when it justifieth having works accompanying it as effects of it but not as joynt causes with it of justification But if
justifying faith The summe of all is If the word justified in this text of James be understood properly of justification before God then the name of faith there signifieth a dead faith If faith be taken for true justifying faith then the ambiguity rests in the word justified Object 9. That which is not required unto justification is not necessary to be done but it is necessary that good works be done Therefore they are required to justification Ans The Major is false because there may be many ends of one thing Though good works are not required to justification yet they are required in token of thankfulnesse and to the setting forth of Gods glory As it is said Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works Mat. 5.16 and glorifie your Father which is in heaven For this cause good works are necessary to be done More causes of them shall hereafter in the doctrine of mans thankfulnesse be alledged and declared Obj. 10. It is said that Phinees work and deed was imputed unto him for righteousnesse Therefore good works justifie Psal 106.31 Ans This is a mis-construing of the phrase used in the place alledged For the meaning of it is that God approved of this work but not that he was justified by that work Gal. 2.16 Psal 143.2 For by the works of the law flall no flesh be justified in his sight Object 11. Ten crownes are part of an hundred crownes in payment of a debt Therefore good works may be some part of our justice before God Ans There is a dissimilitude in these examples For 1. Ten crowns are a whole part of an hundred crowns and being ten times multiplyed make up the whole summe of the debt but our workes are not a whole and perfect part but an imperfect part of the obedience we owe and being multiplyed an hundred thousand times yet never make any perfect obedience 2. Ten Crownes may be accepted by the Creditour for a part of the debt due unto him because there may be some hope of payment of the rest but good works are not accepted by God as a part of our justice because there is no hope of full payment to be made by us and all imperfection or defect is condemned by the law Object 12. The justice or righteousnesse which Christ brought is eternall Dan. 9.24 Osianders arguments against imputed righteousnesse For the Messias as Daniel saith bringeth everlasting righteousnesse But imputed righteousnesse is not eternall Therefore imputed righteousnesse is not given by Christ. Ans We deny the Minor for imputed justice is eternall 1. By perpetuall continuation of imputation in this life 2. By perfection of that justice which is begun in us For both that righteousnesse which is imputed unto us and that which is begun in us is the righteousnesse of Christ and both of them shall be eternall For we shall be acceptable and pleasing unto God for ever through his Son Christ Therefore imputation also shall be continued or rather shall be changed into our owne justice and righteousnesse Repl. Where sin is not there is no place for remission or imputation In the life to come sin shall not be Therefore there shall be no place there for remission or imputation Ans We grant the whole reason if it be conceived aright In the life to come shall not be remission of any sin then present yet there shall be a remission of sins past inasmuch as the remission which was once granted in this life shall continue and endure for ever that is our sins which were long since forgiven us in this life shall never be imputed to us againe And moreover that conformity which we shall have with God in the life to come shall be an effect of this imputation Object 13. The Lord is our righteousnesse Therefore we are not justified by imputed righteousnesse Jerem. 23.6 but God himself essentially dwelling in us is our righteousnesse Ans In this saying of Jeremie the effect is put for the cause The Lord is our justice or righteousnesse that is our Justifier even as Christ is said to be made unto us of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that is a Teacher of wisdome a Justifier a Sanctifier and Redeemer 1 Cor. 1.30 That justice which is God himself is not in us because so God should be an accident to his creature and become justice in man For justice and vertue are things created in us not the essence of God Osiander who objecteth this doth not discerne the cause from the effect that is uncreated justice from created justice As we live not or are wise by the essence of God for this is all one as to say that we are as wise as God so also we are not just by the essence of God Wherefore nothing is more impious than to say that the essentiall justice of the Creatour is the justice of the creatures for thereof would follow that we have the justice of God yea the very essence of God OF THE SACRAMENTS Quest 65. Seeing then that onely faith maketh us partakers of Christ and his benefits ON THE 25. SABBATH whence doth it proceed Answ From the holy Ghost a Ephes 2.8 6.23 John 3.5 Phil. 1.29 who kindleth it in our hearts by the preaching of the Gospel and confirmeth it by the use of the Sacraments b Mat. 28.19 20 1 Pet. 1.22 23. The Explication THis Question pointeth out unto us the coherence and connexion of the doctrine of Faith and the Sacraments For Faith whereon the former immediate discourse hath insisted is ordinarily wrought in us of the holy Ghost by the Ecclesiasticall Ministery whereof there are two parts the Word and Sacraments The holy Ghost by the Word kindleth faith in us and fostereth strengtheneth and sealeth it unto us when it is once kindled by the Sacraments For the Word and Gospel is as a Charter or Letter Patent the Sacraments are as seales thereunto annexed For whatsoever is promised us in the Word of the obtaining of our salvation by Christ the same the Sacraments as signes and seales annexed unto the Word as it were unto a Charter or Letters Patents confirme unto us more and more thereby to help and relieve our infirmity It remaineth therefore that we now proceed to intreate of the Sacraments the signet of faith adjoyned to the Word and Gospel Object It is said that the Spirit and the Word work faith in us and the Sacraments nourish it being wrought How then differ these three one from another Answ Very much Three differences between the Spirit and the Word and Sacraments in working faith in us 1. The holy Ghost worketh and confirmeth faith in us as the efficient cause thereof the Word and Sacraments as instrumentall causes 2. The holy Ghost also can work faith in us without them and the Word and Sacraments without the holy Ghost can work nothing 3. The holy Ghost
glorification The fourth degree of liberty is in man perfectly regenerated after his glorification or after the end and consummation of this present life In this liberty the Will shall be only free to chuse good and not to chuse evill and this shall be the perfect liberty of our will by which we shall not only not sin but shall abhorre nothing more then sin and also shall not be able to sin any more The reasons thereof are these 1. Because in the mind shall shine the perfect knowledge of God Two reasons of our perfect liberty after glorificatâ—on and his will in the will and heart a most perfect and exceeding inclination to obey God an exceeding love of God and a joy resting in God and an agreeablenesse or conformity with God Wherefore no place shall be for ignorance for errour or any doubting of God yea or for the least stubbornnesse against God 2. That conformity in the elect of all their inward powers and faculties with God and the effectuall guiding of the holy Ghost shall be continued to all eternity This last degree or liberty after mans glorification greater then the first before hâ—s fall because thâ—s excludeth all possibility of falling the other did not For the blessed Saints are never forsaken but continually ruled by the holy Ghost in all their actions in the celestiall life For which cause it cannot possibly be that any motions or actions of man there should once swerve from righteousnesse And therefore it is said They are as the Angels of God in heaven Neither by this meanes is the liberty of will taken away or diminished but is truly confirmed and perfected in the blessed Angels and men Forasmuch as both the understanding is free from all errour ignorance and doubtfulnesse and lightened with the perfect knowledge of God Mat. 22.30 and the heart will free from all stubbornnesse and without all soliciting or suggestion to withstand God is carried with an exceeding love of God and an alacrity to obey the known will of God And hence it appeareth also how much more excellent our state shall be then was Adams before his fall Adam truly before his fall was perfectly conformed to God but hee could will both good and evill and therefore had some infirmity joyned with his excellent gifts even a power to depart from God and lose his gifts that is hee was changeably good But we shall not be able but to will good only And as the wicked are only carried to evill because they are wicked so shall we also onely love and chuse good because we shall be good It shall be then impossible for us to will any evill because we shall be preserved by Gods grace in that perfect liberty of will that is The use of this doctrine concerning the diversity of liberty which is in God and in man and of the divers degrees of mans liberty we shall be unchangeably good It is necessary that this doctrine Of the similitude and difference of free-will which is in God and his creatures and in divers states and degrees of mans nature delivered hitherto out of the Scripture should be manifest and known in the Church for many and weighty causes 1. That this glory may be given to God that he alone is the most free agent whose liberty wisdome dependeth of no other and that all the creatures are subject to his government 2. That we may remember that they who wittingly and willingly sin or have cast themselves into a necessity of sinning are not at all excused and so not God but their own wils declining of their owne accord from Gods commandements to be the cause of their sins 3. That wee may know God alone to be of himselfe and unchangeably good and the fountaine of goodnesse but no creature to be able neither to have nor to keep more goodness then God of his free goodnesse will work and keep in him and therefore he must desire it of him and ascribe it received to him 4. That we knowing God to be a most free governour of all things may confesse that hee is able for his glory and our safety to change those things which seem most unchangeable 5. That we knowing from what excellency of our nature we have fallen by our owne fault may the more deplore and bewaile our unthankfulnesse and magnifie Gods mercy who advanceth lifteth us up even to a greater excellency 6. That knowing the misery and naughtinesse of our nature and disposition if once God forsake us we may be humbled in his sight and ardently desire to wade and come out of these evils 7. That having knowledge of that liberty into which the Son of God restoreth us we may the more desire his benefits and be thankfull unto him for them 8. That knowing wee are by the mercy of God alone severed from them that perish that we rather then they might be converted we be not lifted up with an opinion of our goodnesse or wisdome but ascribe the whole benefit of our justification and salvation not to any cause appearing in us but to the mercy of God alone 9. That acknowledging the weaknesse corruption which remaineth even in us regenerated we may seek for justification in Christ alone and may withstand those evils 10. That knowing our selves not to be able to stand against tentations without the singular assistance of the holy Spirit we may ardently daily desire to be preserved and guided by God 11. That understanding that we are not preserved against our will but with our wils we may wrestle with tentations and endeavour to make our calling and election sure 12. That understanding the counsel of God concerning the converting of men by the doctrine of the Gospel and ministery of the Church we may embrace earnestly and desirously the use thereof On the fourth Sabbath Quest 9. Doth not God then injury to man who in the Law requireth that of him which he is not able to performe Answ No a Eph. 4.24 For God hath made man such a one as hee might performe it b Gen. 3.13 1 Tim. 2.13 Wisd 2.23 but man by the impulsion of the Divell c Gen. 3.6 Rom. 5.12 Luk. 10.30 and his own stubbornnesse bereaved himselfe and all his posterity of those divine graces The Explication THis question is an objection framed by humane reason against the question here proposed For if man be so corrupt that he is no way apt to do any thing well in vain God seemeth and unjustly to require at his hands perfect obedience to the Law Object He that requireth or commandeth that which is impossible is unjust God in the Law requireth of man that which is impossible to wit perfect obedience which hee is not able to performe Therefore God seemeth to be unjust Ans The Major is to be distinguished He is unjust that commandeth things impossible 1. Except himselfe first gave an ability to perform those things
wit as touching their accomplishment and consummation Some reconcile the difference of these two in this manner Faith apprehendeth the promises proposed in the Creed concerning things to come Hope the things themselves promised which are to come But this reconcilement is not so popular and easie to be conceived by the vulgar fort as is the other Object 2. Faith is the evidence of things which are not seen Therefore not of things present Answ It is the evidence of things which are not seen to wit by the outward sense but they are seen by the eyes of the mind even as if they did lie open to the eyes of the body Again they are not seen as is afore-shewed in respect of their accomplishment and consummation 5. What are the causes of faith How the H. Ghost is the principall efficient cause of faith Ephes 2.8 THe first and principall efficient cause of faith both historicall temporary and of working miracles is the holy Ghost howbeit hee is cause of these by his divine generall working only but he is cause of justifying faith by a speciall kinde of working By the grace of God ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God who enlightneth the minde that it may understand the word and moveth the will that it may assent unto the word once understood Object The divell hath historicall faith It is therefore wrought in him by the holy Ghost Ans Yea even whatsoever faith is in the divell is wrought by the Spirit of God but that by a generall and universall working only as hath been said whereby he worketh in all not by a speciall and proper action because by such a kind of working the holy Ghost fashioneth and frameth a justifying faith in the elect alone For verily whatsoever knowledge and understanding is in divels and hypocrites God effecteth it by his Spirit but not so as to regenerate or justifie them that they might rightly acknowledge him to be the authour of this gift and magnifie him therefore for after this manner hee worketh faith in the elect alone The divels therefore and hypocrites have faith from the Spirit of God but the elect from the Spirit of God sanctifying them The word of God preached the instrumentall cause of faith Rom. 1.16 Rom 10 17. 1 Cor 4.15 The instrumentall cause of faith in generall is the whole word of God comprehended in the books of the old and new Testament in which writings also are contained many works and miracles of God besides the word But the chief and proper instrument of justifying faith is the preaching of the Gospel The Gosel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that beleeveth Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God This instrument doth the holy Ghost use yet not as necessary in regard of his working but arbitrary and at his own good pleasure both to stir up faith in us and to nourish strengthen and increase the same Wherefore ordinarily justifying faith is never engendered in those who are of yeers to receive it without the preaching of the Gospel Speciall revelation the cause of faith of miracles The formall cause of faith The object of faith The subject of faith The ends of faith The cause of that faith which worketh miracles is not simply the word of God but there must necessarily come thereto an especiall or immediate revelation from God The formall cause of justifying faith is a certain knowledge and confidence in Christ The object of it is whole Christ and his benefits promised in the word The subject or part of man wherein it remaineth is the understanding will and heart of man The end or finall cause 1. The glory of God to wit the celebration of his truth justice bounty mercy which hee hath shewed in the sending of his Son and in the giving of faith in him 2. Our salvation that wee may receive the blessings which are promised in the word 6. What are the effects of faith The effects of faith THe effects of justifying faith are 1. The justifying of us before God 2. Joy resting on God and peace of conscience Being justified by faith we have peace with God 3. Our whole conversion regeneration and all our obedience which followeth faith and beginneth at the same time with faith For by faith God purifieth our hearts Rom. 5.1 To the effects of faith appertaine also the consequents thereof that is increase of spirituall and corporall gifts and the receiving of the things themselves which faith aimeth at Acts 15.9 The first then and immediate effect of justifying faith is justification from this afterwards flow all other benefits purchased by the bloud of Christ which all we beleeve to be given us by faith faith it selfe being the cause of them for That which is the cause unto any cause of any effect is likewise a cause of that effect If thererefore faith be the next cause of our justification in respect of us it is also a cause of those things which necessarily follow justification Thy faith hath saved thee Luke 8.48 In a word The effects of faith are justification and regeneration which is begun here and is to be perfected in the life to come Rom. 3.28 10.10 Acts 13.39 7. Unto whom faith is given Justifying faith is given to all the elect and to them only Joh. 6.44 10.26 Matth. 13.11 Acts 13.48 Rom. 8.30 Ephes 2.8 Rom. 10.16 2 Thes 3.2 Mat. 7.22 JUstifying faith is only proper to the elect and that to all of them for it is given to the elect alone and to all the elect even to infants as concerning some inclination No man can come to mee except the Father which hath sent mee draw him Ye beleeve not for ye are not of my sheep It is given to you to know the secrets of heaven but unto them it is not given And they beleeved as many as were ordained to everlasting life Whom he predestinated them also he called and whom hee called them also hee justified Faith is the gift of God All have not hearkened to the Gospel For all men have not faith Temporary faith and the faith of miracles is given to those who are members of the visible Church only that is hypocrites Have wee not by thy Name done many great works Cast out divels But now neverthelesse this faith of miracles ceaseth which flourished in the primitive Church for that now the doctrine is sufficiently confirmed Historicall faith all they have who are by profession of the Church whether they be of the godly or reprobates yea and they also who are not members of the Church but enemies as divels and tyrants Historicall is a part of justifying faith because there can be no assent or perswasion of a thing which is not first known Object Historicall faith is a good work The divels have historicall faith Therefore they have good works Answ Historicall
the God-head signifieth not the person which hath both names but only the divine nature it selfe But of God which is the concrete name the properties not of the God-head only but of the man-hood also may be affirmed because God signifieth not the divine nature but the person which hath both the divine nature and the humane Object 3. There is no proportion between temporall punishment and eternall Christ suffered onely temporall paines and punishments therefore he could not satisfie for eternall punishment Answ There is no proportion between temporall and eternall punishment if they be considered as being both in the same subject but in diverse subjects there may be The temporall punishment of the Son of God is of more value and worth than the eternall punishment of the whole world for divers causes heretofore alledged Object 4. If Christ satisfied perfectly for all then all must be saved But all are not saved Therefore he satisfied not perfectly for all Answ Christ satisfied for all men as concerning the application of his merit and satisfaction True it is that Christ fulfilled the Law two wayes 1. By his owne righteousnesse 2. By satisfying for our unrighteousnesse and both these he performed most perfectly But the satisfaction is made outs by our private application which is two-fold the former is wrought by God when he justifieth us for his Sons merit and causeth us to cease from sin the latter is effected by us through faith For we then apply unto our selves the merit of Christ when by a true faith we are perswaded that God remitteth our sins for his Sons sacrifice and satisfaction and without this application Christs satisfaction availeth us nothing Object 5. There were also propitiatory sacrifices in Moses Law Answ There were no sacrifices which might properly be termed expiatory but those that were were shadowes onely of Christs sacrifice which onely is propitiatory Hebr 10.4 1 John 1.7 1 John 2.2 For it is impossible that the bloud of Buls and Goates should take away sinnes The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne He is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world 2. Whether Christ suffered according to both natures CHrist suffered not according to both natures neither according to his God-head but according to his humane nature onely both in body and soule For his divine nature is immutable impassible immortall and very life it selfe which cannot die Now he so suffered according to his humanity that by his death and passion he made satisfaction for infinite sinnes of men And the divinity sustained and upheld the humanity in the griefes and paines thereof and raised it againe to life when it had been dead Christ was put to death concerning the flesh but was quickned in the spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 4.2 John 2.19 Rev. 1.18 John 10.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes the just for the unjust that he might bring us unto God Destroy this Temple and I will raise it up againe in three dayes I was dead and loe I am alive I have power to lay downe my life and to take it up againe These testimonies prove that there was another nature in Christ besides his flesh which other nature neither suffered nor died Irenaeus saith As Christ was man that so he might be tempted Lib. 3. cont hares so he was the Word that so he might be glorified The Word indeed and Deity so resting in him that he might be tempted crucified and suffer death and yet united to his humanity that so he might overcome temptation death c. Object God purchased the Church with his owne bloud therefore the God-head suffered Ans It doth not follow Acts 20.28 because an argument from the concrete which is God to the abstract which is the God head is of no consequence Againe the kind of affirmation is altered God is said to have dyed by a figurative speech which is Synecdoche use when we signifie the whole by a part as whole Christ by God and by a communicating of the properties But when it is said The God head died this affirmation admitteth no figure seeing the subject in it is a meer abstract The concrete signifieth the subject or person having the nature or forme but the abstract signifieth the bare nature and forme onely Wherefore as the argument doth not follow A man is compounded of the clements and is corporeall Therefore his soule also is corporeall this cannot follow because all things agree not to the forme which agree to the subject the soule is the forme of man man is the essentiall subject of the soule So neither doth it follow Christ-God died therefore Christs God-head died For from the concrete to the abstract the reason doth not follow 3. The causes impellent or motives of Christs Passion John 3.16 1. THE love of God towards mankind So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son 2. The mercy of God towards man fallen into sin Of his mercy he saved us Titus 3.5 3. The will of God to revenge the injury of the Devill who in reproach and despight of God averted us from him and maimed the image of God in us in despight of the Creatour 4. The finall causes or ends of the Passion THE finall causes and fruits of Christs Passion are all one save that they differ in divers respects For in respect of Christ who suffered they are termed finall causes in respect of us they are called fruits The finall causes or ends of his Passion are 1. The manifesting of the love goodnesse mercy righteousnesse of God while he punisheth his Sonne for us 2. That his Passion might be a sufficient ransome of our sins or the redeeming of us The chiefe finall causes then are The glory of God and our salvation To the former finall cause belongeth the knowledge of the greatnesse of sinne that we may know how great an evill sinne is and what it deserveth To the latter belongeth our justification wherein all the benefits are comprehended which Christ merited by dying and by his freeing himselfe from death Hence know we that death is not now pernicious and hurtfull to the godly and therefore not to be feared Quest 38. For what cause should he suffer under Pilate as being his Judge Answ That he being innocent and condemned before a civill Judge a John 18.38 Mat. 27.24 Luk. 23.14 15. John 19.4 might deliver us from the severe judgement of God which remained for all men b Psal 69 5. Esay 53.45 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 The Explication MEntion is made of Pilate in Christs Passion 1. Because Christ did receive from him a testimony of his innocency that thereby we might know that he was pronounced innocent by the voyce of the Judge himself 2. That we might know that he though innocent was notwithstanding solemnely condemned 3. That we might be advertised of the fulfilling of the prophecy Eâ—ck â—1 27 I will over-turne
of this Syllogisme is evidently proved out of the law Hee that doth these things shall live in them Cursed is every one which abideth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to doe them The Minor is out of doubt Levit. 18.5 Deut. 27.26 Why our workes are imperfect seeing wee doe many evill things which we ought to leave undone and we leave many good works undone which we should doe yea we mingle much evill with that good we doe that is we doe it amisse The complaints and daily prayers of Saints are witnesse hereof Forgive us our sins Enter not into judgment with thy servant Wherefore imperfect works can make no perfect righteousnesse Psal 143.2 This is the first cause why we cannot be justified by our works namely Ten causes why wee cannot be justified by workes or partly by faith and partly by workes 1. Because our justice should by this meanes be imperfect seeing our works are imperfect Many other causes there are For 2. Though our workes were perfect yet are they due debt so that by them we cannot acquit our sins that are past When ye have done all those things which are commanded you say We are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to doe 3. They are none of ours but Gods who worketh them in us 4. They are temporary and have no proportion with eternall rewards Luke 17.10 whereas between a merit and reward there must be some proportion 5. They are the effects of justification therefore not the cause 6. If by them we were justified we should have whereof to boast but the Scripture saith Not of workes lest any man should boast himselfe 7. The conscience should be destitute of solid or sure comfort 8. Christ should have died without a cause 9. There should not be the same way to salvation in both Testaments if Abraham were justified by faith onely and wee by works Ephes 2.9 Rom. 4.16 whether by works alone or works joyned with faith it skilleth not 10. Christ should be no perfect Saviour because some part of our righteousnesse and salvation should be without him Gal. 2.21 Quest 63. How is it that our good works merit nothing seeing God promiseth that he will give a reward for them both in this life and in the life to come Answ That reward is not given of merit but of grace a Luke 17.10 The Explication IN this Question is contained a prevention of an argument of the Papists brought for justification before God for our workes and merits Obj. 1. Reward presupposeth merit so that where reward is there is also merit for Reward and Merit are correlatives whereof if one be put the other is put also But everlasting life is proposed as a reward for good workes Therefore also the merit of good workes is everlasting life Answ The Major is sometimes true as concerning creatures as when men may merit or deserve of men But neither alwaies among men doth it follow that there is merit where there is reward for men also oftentimes give rewards not of merit or desert Now it is unproperly said of God that he proposeth eternall life unto our works as a reward for we can merit nothing at Gods hand by our works Or if they thus presse and urge their reason Object That is a merit whereunto a reward appertaineth But a reward appertaineth to good workes Therefore by order of justice good workes are merits Answ That is a merit whereunto a reward appertaineth by force of covenant or bond But the reward of good works is of grace In reward two things are to be considered 1. Obligation or binding 2. Compensation or recompensing Here is no obligation but compensation followeth works through grace There is therefore a reward of workes because compensation followeth them and God for this cause especially promiseth to reward our workes 1. To testifie unto us that good workes please him Three causes why God promiseth to reward our workes 2. To teach us that eternall life is proposed onely to them that strive and labour painefully 3. Because hee will as surely give us a reward as if wee had deserved it Hither may be referred all such like arguments of the Papists whereby they labour to establish the merit of workes Object 2. Wee are justified by faith Faith is a worke Therefore wee are justified by workes Ans 1. The consequence of this reason is denied because more is in the conclusion than in the premisses of which premisses this onely followeth Therefore wee are justified by that worke which wee grant to wit as by an instrument or meane not as any impellent cause as themselves understand it for wee are justified by faith as by a meane of attaining our justification and wee are not justified for faith that is for the merit of faith 2. The kind of affirmation is diverse For in the Major faith is understood with relation to Christs merit in the Minor it is taken absolutely and properly Object 3. Our justice is that whereby wee are formally or essentially just Therefore wee are by faith formally and essentially just Answ The consequence of this reason is to be denied because the kinde of affirmation is diverse For the Major is meant properly but the Minor correlatively and figuratively * Per Metalepsin else it were false For properly not faith but the correlative object of faith namely Christs merit which faith beholdeth and applieth to it selfe is our justice 2. Either there are foure termes in this Syllogisme because the Major treateth of Legall justice the Minor of Evangelicall or else the Major is false For Evangelicall justice is not formally in us as whiteness is in a wall but is without us even in Christ and is made ours by imputation and application through faith Object 4. That which is imputed unto us for righteousnesse for it we are righteous Faith is imputed to us for righteousnesse as Paul saith Therefore For faith we are righteous and not only By faith Ans Againe the kind of affirmation is of proper in the Major proposition made figurative in the Minor The Major is true of that which is properly and by it selfe imputed for righteousnesse The Minor is true of that which is correlatively imputed for righteousnesse because by faith is correlatively understood the object of faith unto which faith hath relation for Christs merit which is apprehended by faith is properly our justice and the formall cause of our justice The efficient of our justice is God applying that merit of Christ unto us The instrument all cause of our justice is faith And therefore this proposition we are justified by faith being Legally understood with the Papists is not true but blasphemous but being taken correlatively that is Evangelically with relation to Christs merit it is true For the correlative of faith is the merit of Christ which faith also as a joynt Relative or correlative
we perceive by the works of faith true obedience and true conversion For exercise of our faith That by good workes our faith may be exercised cherished strengthened and advanced For they who give themselves over to corrupt lusts against their conscience in them faith cannot be and therefore neither a good conscience neither a confidence and trust in God as being appeased and favourable unto them For wee have through faith only a feeling of Gods favour towards us and a good conscience If yee live after the flesh ye shall die I put thee in remembrance Rom. 3.13 2 Tim. 1.6 that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands To grace our calling Ephes 4.1 That by good workes wee may shew forth and grace our life profession and calling I pray you that ye walke worthy of the vocation wherewith yee are called For avoiding of punishments Mat. 7.19 Rom. 8.13 Psal 39.12 That we may escape temporall and eternall punishments Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is cut downe and cast into the fire If yee live according to the flesh ye shall die Thou with rebukes doest chasten man for sin To obtaine rewards 1 Tim. 4.8 That we may obtain at Gods hands corporall and spirituall rewards which according to the promise accompany good works Godlinesse is profitable unto all things c. For except God would have the hope of rewards and the feare of punishments to be motive causes unto good works hee would not use them in admonitions promises and comminations III. We must doe good works also in respect of our neighbour To edifie him by our example 2 Cor. 4.15 Phil. 1.24 That wee may be profitable to our neighbours by our good example and so edifie them In respect of our neighbour and that All things are for your sakes that most plenteous grace by the thankesgiving of many may redound to the praise of God That I abide in the flesh is more needfull for you To avoide offence Mat. 18. â— Rom. 2.24 That offences may be avoided Woe be unto that man by whom offences come The Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you To winne the faithlesse unto Christ Luke 22.32 That we may winne unbeleevers and by our words and deeds and example convert them unto Christ When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Here the question is moved Whether good workes be necessary to salvation Some have defended simply and peremptorily that they are necessary thereunto others on the contrary have maintained stifly that good works are pernicious to salvation Both formes of speech are ambiguous and scandalous especially the latter which seemeth to condemne not onely the confidence on good works but also the study and desire of performing them Wherefore the latter is utterly to be rejected The former must thus be declared or expounded That Good workes are necessary to salvation not as a cause of our salvation nor as a merit deserving such a reward but as part of salvation it selfe or an Antecedent of salvation which is to come after or as a meanes without which we cannot attaine the end And after the same sort also may be said That good workes are also necessary unto justice and righteousnesse or unto justification or in them that are to be justified namely as a consequent following Justification wherewith Regeneration is unseparably joyned But yet I would not use these kindes of speaking 1. Because they are ambiguous and doubtfull 2. Because they breed contentions and administer occasion of cavalling unto the Adversaries 3. Because the Scripture doth not use them which must be followed of us in speaking more safely say that good works are necessary in them that are justified and them that are to be saved To say that they are necessary in them who are to be justified is an ambiguous kind of speech seeing it may be so understood that they are required before Justification and so become a cause of Justification But Augustine hath rightly refuted this opinion saying Good works goe not before them that are to be justified but follow them that are justified Hence ariseth a direct answer to this objection Obj. That is necessary to salvation which whosoever have not they cannot be saved But they which have no good workes cannot be saved as it is said in the 87. Question of this Catechisme Therefore good works are necessary to salvation Ans We answer by distinguishing the Major proposition That without which no man can be saved is necessary to salvation that is either as a part of salvation or as some necessary precedent of salvation and so we grant the conclusion but not as a cause or merit of salvation If the Major be thus understood wee condescend unto it For good works are very necessary to salvation or rather in them that are to be saved for it were better so to speak and avoid ambiguity as a part of their salvation and as a precedent thereof but not as a cause or merit 6. Whether good works merit any thing before God THis sixth Question ariseth out of the fifth as the fourth did out of the third For when men heare that we receive rewards of God by our workes they presently conclude that we merit somewhat by them Wherefore we are to know that good works indeed are necessary and therefore are to be done also for the rewards insuing them Out works merit not at Gods hands but yet that they merit nothing no not the least of Gods gifts either corporall or spirituall The reasons hereof are most true and evident Because they are imperfect and that 1. In parts 2. In degrees Gal. 5.17 Our works are imperfect as well in parts as in degrees of accomplishment In parts because we omit many things which the Law prescribeth and do many evill things which it prohibiteth and alwaies mingle evill with good as both Scripture and experience testifieth The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye doe not the same things that ye would Now imperfect works not only merit nothing but are also condemned in the judgement of God Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things c. They are imperfect in degrees Deut. 27.26 because the best workes of the Saints are uncleane and defiled in Gods sight seeing they are not done by such as are perfectly regenerate nor with so great love of God and our neighbour as the Law requireth The Prophet saith even of good workes Esay 64.6 Wee have all been as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse is as filthy clouts Phil. 3.8 Paul Pronounceth as much of his I think all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have counted all things losse and doe judge them to be dung that I might winne Christ Thus
neighbour is 614. Justification The signification of the word 384. How we are justified by grace how by Christs merit how by faith 385. Three causes why faith onely justifieth 386. Foure reasons of our maintenance of this doctrine against Papists ibid. Ten causes why we cannot be justified by works 387. That this doctrine doth not make men either carelesse or profane 389.390 With what difference faith and works are required in them that are to be justified 390. Vide Faith Works K KEy What the power of the Keyes of Gods Kingdome is and why called a key 481.482 Two parts of the power of these keyes 483. To whom the power of these keyes is committed 485. How the power of the keyes differeth from the civill power 488.489 Kill How the Letter is said to kill 23. King Christians are Kings 237. Kingdome What Christs kingdome is 233. what is the kingdome of Christians 237. Foure differences between Christs kingdome and ours 237. How the kingdome of heaven is opened 480. 481. The power of the keyes of this kingdome and what those keyes are 481. 482. Of Gods universall and speciall kingdome 634. The parts of Gods kingdome ibid. c. How manifold ibid. Who is king and head in this kingdome 635. Of the Citizens and Laws of this kingdome 635. 636. Its enemies and laws 636. How it is said to come ibid. Why we are to desire that it might come 637. L LAW The differences betweene the Law and the Gospel are two pag. 2. What it requireth of us 36. A distinction of Law and faith 38. Why the love of our neighbour is called the second commandement 38. What it is to examine our selves by the law and how we do apply the curse of the law to our selves 39. What the law is in generall 516. Its parts 517. How far abrogated and not abrogated by Christ 519. 520. 522. By faith the Law is three waies established 523. In what the Morall law differeth from the Gospell 523. 524. A difference between civill and ecclesiasticall laws 544. Foure uses of the ceremoniall law 617. Two of the Judiciall and Morall law ibid. Seven uses of the Morall law in nature restored 618. Why we are to desire the perfect fulfilling of the law by us in this life ibid. c. How the law is the Letter and how the Gospel is the Spirit 621. Christ in himselfe fulfilled the law two waies 621. And in us two waies ibid. The law is said to increase sin two waies ibid. Letter What is meant by the word Letter in holy Writ 23. How the Letter is said to kill ibid. Liberality What. 608. The affinity between liberality and parsimony 609. Life Eternall life what 375. Who giveth it 376. To whom for what cause how 377 When. 378. Whether in this life we may be assured of everlasting life 378. Lord. Why Christ is called Lord why Our Lord and how many waies 268. 269. Lost Five meanes by which the Spirit is lost 346. Love Why the love of God is called the first and greatest commandement in the law 37. The law and feare of God how they differ 537. Lust What. 602. Three kinds of it 602. 603. Lying What with distinctions 611. M MAgicke What. 534. Magistrates Foure duties which they owe. 592. Man What maner of creature he was made by God pag. 40. The end of his creation ibid. What the image of God is in man 42. How far forth lost and how repaired in man 43. 44. It was necessary that man should have free power either to stand or fall 71. No other creature could sat is fie for man but man 113. How the parts of mans body are attributed to God 152. Marriage What. 613. Its causes 604. Eight conditions of lawfull marriage 604. Whether it be a thing indifferent or no. 605. The duties of married persons ibidem Masse The originall of the word 456. 457. the difference betweene the Lords Supper and it 456. 457. 458. Nine causes for which the Masse is to be abolished 460. Meanes It must be used for three causes 217. Mediatour Our Mediatour must be very man pag. 114. 115. He must be very God 116. Reasons 116. 117. Eight reasons why the Sonne not the Father nor the holy Ghost should be Mediatour 118. 119. What a Mediator is and what need man hath of one 120. The office of a Mediatour 121. What our Mediatour doth for us with the benefit of his Mediatourship 122. Three things in the person of a Mediatour 123. There can be but one Mediatour 123. Christ Mediatour according to both natures 229. Whether there be two natures in Christ our Mediatour 273. The office and properties of Christs Mediatourship 285. 286. 287. Member What it is to be a member of Christ 243. Mercy Arguments of the mercy of God in preserving his creatures 163. Merits No good work of the creature meriteth reward 217. The efficacy of Christs merits performeth three things unto us 223. Whether our good works can merit 514. 515. Ministers Ministry What. 587. It s end degrees and duties 587. 588. Vnto whom it is to be committed 588. Miracles How true miracles are discerned from false 9. Misery Why the knowledge of our misery is necessary 34. Whence knowne 36. It s name and nature ibid. Known two waies 39. Modesty What. 594. Murther Why internall murther is forbidden 596. N NAme Foure significations of distinctions of Gods name 556. The parts and vertues of the right and lawful usage of the name of God 558. What the name of God signifieth 632. Nature Whence the wickednesse of mans nature ariseth 45. Why Nature cannot throughly shew what God is 150. Whether there be two natures in Christ our Mediatour 273. The truth of Christs humane nature proved 273. Sin is not of the nature of mans flesh but an accident only thereof 275. The union of the two natures in Christ 278. A rule touching the properties of both natures in Christ 281. 282. c. Whether Christ suffered according to both natures 293. Neighbour Why the love of our neighbour is called the second commandement 39. O OAthes Vide. Swearing pag. 569. c. Whether all oaths are to be kept 573. why the Israelites kept their oath made with the Gibeonites 574. Omnipotency Three things signified by Gods omnipotency 159. Two differences betweene the Church of God and Philosophy in conceiving of Gods omnipotency ibid. Order A double liberty of the Church in matter of order 18. There is order in the most disordered things 208. P PArents Foure reasons why parents rather then other Governours are to bee obeyed 590. Foure duties of Parents 591. Passeover What it was 467. 468. Its ends and uses 468. 469. Passion Vide Suffering What we beleeve concerning Christs passion 290. What is meant by the name of Christs passion 291. Three differences betweene Christs passion and mens sufferings 292. The causes impellent of Christs passion 294. the ends of it ibidem Passions Humane passions attributed to God for two reasons
grievously Answ The eating of the Apple was no small sinne but manifold and outrageous in which was conceived Pride Vnthankefulnesse Apostasie c. as hath been already proved Therefore God justly inflicted a great punishment on mankind for the same Repli Yet at the least hee should have spared mans posterity because himselfe hath said Ezek. 18.20 The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father Answ True if so the sonne be not partaker of his fathers wickednesse But here all are partakers of Adams iniquity 2. What were the causes of the first sin The causes of sin are the Divels instigation mans will freely yeelding unto it THe first sinne of man sprang not from God but from the instigation of the Divell and from the free-will of man For the Divell provoked man to fall away from God and man yeelding to the inticing allurements of the Divell freely revolted from God and wilfully forsook him Now although God left man destitute in his temptation yet he is not the cause of his fall or sinne or destruction of man For in that dereliction or forsaking of man God neither intended nor effected any of these but he proved and tried man to shew how impotent and unable the creature is to doe or retaine ought that is good God not preserving and directing him by his Spirit and together with his triall of man hee in his just judgement suffered the sinne of man to concurre but he was no cause or efficient of it Fleshly wisdome thus reasoneth against this doctrine Object Whosoever with-draweth grace in the time of temptation without which the fall cannot be avoided hee is the cause of the fall but God with-held from man his grace in the time of temptation without which hee could not but fall Therefore God was the cause of the fall Answ The Major is true onely of him who with-holdeth grace when hee is obliged and bound not to with-hold it and him who with-draweth it from such a one as desireth it not from such a one as wilfully rejecteth it and of him who of despight and malice with-draweth it But it is not true of him who is neither bound to preserve and maintaine the grace which hee sometime gave and who with-holdeth it not from such a one as desireth to have it continued but from him who is willing hee should so doe and voluntarily refuseth it and who denieth it not therefore because hee envieth the offendors righteousnesse and life eternall or is delighted with the sinne but onely to this purpose to try him to whom hee hath imparted grace For hee who forsaketh any man on this manner is not the cause of sinne howsoever in him who is thus forsaken sinne necessarily followeth this dereliction and with-drawing of grace Now God in the temptation of man with-held his grace from him not after the former but the latter manner here expressed Wherefore God is not the cause of mans sinne and destruction for with-drawing but man for wilfull rejecting of grace Repl. Whosoever will that such a one be tempted whom he certainly knoweth that he will fall if he be tempted he willeth his sinne which falleth but God would that man should be tempted of the Divell whom he certainly knew that hee would fall for otherwise and against the will of God man could not have been tempted Therefore God is the cause of mans fall Answ This Major is denied as false if it be simply and precisely taken For he is not the cause of sin who will that he who is apt to fall be tempted onely for cause of triall and to make manifest the creatures infirmity Now God in this sense and with this intent suffered man to be tempted that is to be proved But the Divel tempting man to the end that he might sinne and be separate and distracted from God and man willingly obeying the Tempter against the commandement of God they both are the true causes of sinne But of the causes of sinne more shall be spoken hereafter 3 What the effects of the first sinne are THE effects of mans first sinne are Guilt of death Guiltinesse of death and a privation and destruction of Gods Image in our first Parents Originall sinne Originall sinne in us their posterity that is to say the guilt of eternall death and the corruption and aversenesse of our whole nature from God Actuall sinne All actuall sinnes which are sprung of originall for that which is the cause of the cause is also the cause of the effect But the first sinne in man is the cause of his originall sinne and this of his actuall sinne Punishments inflicted for sin All the evils of punishment which are inflicted for sinnes Therefore the first sinne of man is the cause of all other his sins and punishments Now whether it stand with Gods justice to punish the posterity for the sinne of the parents it shall hereafter in the common place of Originall sinne be fully resolved 4 Why God permitted the first sin of man GOD could have kept man from falling if hee would The causes of Gods permission of the first sin but hee permitted him to fall that is hee gave him not the grace of resistance against the temptation of the Divell and that for two causes To shew mans weaknesse and infirmity That it might stand for an example of the weakenesse and infirmity of the creature were it not supported and preserved in originall righteousnesse by the Creator To shew his mercy justice and power That by this occasion God might shew his goodnesse mercy and grace in saving the Elect by Christ and that hee might shew his justice and power in punishing the wicked and reprobate for their sinnes according to these sayings of Scripture God hath shut up all in unbeliefe Rom. 11.32 Rom. 9.22 23. that he might have mercy on all and every mouth might be stopped And God to shew his wrath and make his power knowne suffered with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and that hee might declare the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy which hee hath prepared unto glory This doctrine concerning the Creation and fall of man is necessary for the Church for many causes and uses which it hath 1. Wee must know that man was created of God without sinne The necessity and use of this doctrine of mans creation lest God be imagined the authour or cause of sinne 2. Whereas mans body was fashioned of clay let us thinke of our frailty that wee be not lifted up with pride 3. Seeing that the workmanship of God is so admirable in the framing of mans body and seeing it was created for the ministery of Gods worship and for God to dwell in and for everlasting life let us neither abuse it to dishonesty neither willingly destroy it neither make it a stie of Divels but keeping it chaste and clean endeavour that it be a temple and
corruption are become guilty of the everlasting anger of God neither can they doe any thing pleasing and acceptable to God Rom. 5.14 Psal 51.5 Originall sin containeth two things except remission be granted for the Sonne of God the Mediatour and a renewing of their nature by the holy Ghost Of this sinne it is said Death reigned even over them also that sinned not after the like manner of the transgression of Adam In sin hath my mother conceived mee Originall sinne then containeth two things Guilt of eternall damnation The guilt of eternall damnation for the sinne of our first Parents Corruptâ—on of mans whole nature The corruption of mans whole nature after the fall Of both these Paul saith By one man sinne entred into the world Rom. 5.12 and death by sinne and so death went over all men forasmuch as all men have sinned The vulgar definition passing under Anselmus his name containeth the same in effect with this our definition save that it more obscurely thus propoundeth it Originall sinne is a want of originall righteousnesse which should be in us Anselm's definition of originall sin For originall righteousnesse was not onely a conformity of our nature with the Law of God but also it comprehendeth in it Gods acceptation and approbation of this righteousnesse Now by the fall of man in stead of conformity there succeeded in mans nature deformity and corruption and guiltinesse in stead of approbation Such is that definition also of Hugo Cardinall Originall sin as that which we draw from our birth Hugo Cardinall his definition through ignorance in our understanding and concupiscence in our flesh The errour of the Pelagians and Anabaptists in the doctrine of originall sin Against this doctrine of Originall sin in times past did the Pelagians strive as at this day the Anabaptists doe denying that there is any Originall sin because that neither the posterity are guilty by reason of the first Parents fall neither is sin derived into them from their ancestors by propagation but every one sinneth and becometh faulty by imitation onely of the first Parents These Pelagians Saint Augustine hath confuted in many bookes Others grant that all became faulty by reason of the fall of our first Parents but they deny that such corruption was bred in us as might deserve condemnation for the defects as they think with which we are borne are no sin But against these Sectaries and Schismaticks wee are to hold these foure Theoremes or Positions 1. That all mankind is held guilty of Gods everlasting wrath Foure Theses of the doctrine of originall sin Foure proofes shewing that originall sin is derived by nature unto posterity for the disobedience of our first Parents 2. That there are in us besides this guilt defects and inclinations repugnant to the Law of God even from the houre of our birth 3. That these defects and inclinations are sins and deserve the eternall wrath of God 4. That these evils are derived not by imitation but by the propagation of a corrupt nature from our first Parents unto all their posterity except Christ only The first second and third are sufficiently confirmed in that which hath already been spoken The fourth is thus proved Testimony of Scripture Ephâ—s 2.3 Rom. 5.18 19. Job 14.4 Psal 51.5 John 3.5 By testimonies of Scripture Wee are by nature the children of wrath as well as others By the offence of one the fault came upon all men to condemnation By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse I was borne in wickednesse Except a man be borne of water and of the spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Death of Infants Isa 48.8 Gen. 8.21 De bono mortis cap. 11. Infants dye and are to be baptised therefore they have sin But they cannot as yet sin by imitation It must needs be then that sin is bred in them Whence it is said I called thee a transgressour from the womb The heart of man is evill from his youth And Ambrose saith Who is just in the sight of God whereas an infant of a day old cannot be cleere from sinne Every thing which is borne carrieth with it the nature of that which bare it 3 Community or participation of nature between parents and children as touching the substance and accidents proper to that speciall kind But wee are all born of corrupt and guilty Parents We therefore all draw by nature in our birth their corruption and guilt From the double grace of Christs death Justification and Regeneration By the death of Christ who is the second Adam we receive a double grace Justification and Regeneration therefore it followeth that out of the first Adam there issued and flowed a double evill the guilt I meane and corruption of our nature otherwise wee had not stood in need of a double grace and remedy The Pelagians objection 1. Object If sinne be propagated from the Parents unto their posterity it passeth to the off-spring either by their body or by their soule Not by the body because that is bestiall and unreasonable nor by the soule because that is not derived by deduction out of the soule of the Parents whereas it is a spirituall substance which may not be severed into parts neither is it created corrupt by God whereas God is not the authour of sin Wherefore certainly originall sinne passeth not by nature from the Parents unto the children 1. Answ We deny the Major because the soule being created by God pure and undefiled may draw naughtinesse and corruption from the body though it be brutish into which it is infused Neither is it absurd to say that the evill disposed temperature of the body is an unfit instrument for the good actions of the soule and corrupteth the soule not being established in her righteousnesse so that it presently falleth from her integrity as soone as it is infused and united unto the body 2. Answ We likewise deny the consequence and coherence of the Major because in it there is not made a sufficient account and reckoning of the parts by which Originall sin passeth For it passeth neither by the body nor by the soule but by the offence of our Parents in regard whereof God even whilest hee createth mans soule bereaveth it of Originall righteousnesse and other such like gifts which hee gave on that condition to our first Parents that they should continue or lose them to posterity according as they themselves either kept or lost them Neither is God in so doing either unjust or the cause of sin for this privation or want of righteousnesse is in respect of God which inflicteth it for the offence of our first Parents no sinne but a most just punishment although in respect of the Parents which draw it unto themselves and their posterity it be a sinne Wherefore if the whole Major be laid downe thus Originall sinne
passeth unto posterity either by the Body or by the Soule or by the Sinne of Parents and merit of this privation of righteousnesse If the Major I say be thus proposed the fault of the Argument is soon espied for as Originall sinne first sprung in our Parents by their offence so by the same it is conveighed unto posterity This is not that little chinke of which the Schoolmen so doubtfully dispute to wit of the deduction of our soule from our sinfull Parents and of the pollution of the soule by meanes of the body coupled therewith but this is that wide gate by which originall sinne violently rusheth into our nature as Paul witnesseth By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Repli 1. The privation or want of originall righteousnesse is sinne Rom. 5.19 But God inflicteth this punishment of privation creating our soule in us bereft of those gifts which otherwise he would have endowed it withall if Adam had not sinned Therefore herein God is the authour of sinne Answ There is in the Major a fallacy of Accident This privation is sinne in respect of Adam and us sith that by his and our fault with might and maine we pull it unto us and greedily receive it for that the creature should be destitute of righteousnesse and conformity with God it is repugnant to the Law and is sinne But in respect of God it is a most just punishment of Adams and our disobedience agreeable unto nature and the Law of God Repli 2. Yea but God ought not to punish Adams offence with such a punishment whereby he knew the destruction of all mankind would follow and ensue Answ Yea rather let Gods justice be satisfied and let the whole world perish and come to nought It behoved God in regard of his exact justice and truth to take vengeance in this sort on the pride of man because the offending and displeasing of the highest good merited the most extreme punishment that is the eternall destruction of the creature and God hath said Thou shalt die the death Now it is of his free mercy that out of this generall ruine he saveth some I meane the Elect through Christ Object 2. The desiring of their proper objects is naturally incident to each faculty and appetite Therefore it is no sinne Answ The ordinate desires of their objects which God appointed them are no sins but the inordinate and such as are against the Law they are sinnes For simply or meerly to desire is of it selfe no sinne and the appetite or desire is good because it is naturall but to desire contrary to the Law this is sinne Object 3. Originall sinne is taken away from the Saints of God Therefore they cannot derive it unto their posterity Answ We answer to this Antecedent that originall sinne is taken away from the Saints of God as concerning the guilt of it which is remitted unto them by Christ but yet as concerning the pure essence thereof that is as it is a sinne repugnant to the Law so it remaineth in them For although they be withall regenerated by the holy Ghost unto whomsoever their sinne is forgiven yet that renewing is not perfected in this life Wherefore the godly also doe derive such a corrupt nature to their posterity as themselves have Repli That which the Parents themselves have not they cannot derive unto their posterity But the guilt of Originall sinne is taken away from regenerate Parents Unrighteousnesse and damnation from our Parents but righteousnes by the grace of Christ Therefore at least the guilt is not derived Answ We must distinguish of the Major The Parents indeed conveigh not that to their posterity which by nature they have not But they are freed from the guilt of sinne not by nature but by the grace and benefit of Christ Wherefore Parents by nature derive unto their posterity not righteousnesse which is freely imputed but unrighteousnesse and damnation unto which themselves by nature are subject And the cause why they derive their guilt unto them Why the parents righteousnesse is not derived unto their children and not their righteousnesse is this Because their posterity are not borne of them according to grace but according to nature neither is grace and justification tied to carnall propagation but to the most free election of God Examples hereof wee have Jacob and Esau c. Austin illustrateth this point by two similitudes the one is of the graines of corn which though they are sown purged by threshing from their stalke chaffe beard and eare yet spring againe from out of the earth with all these and this cometh to passe because the purging is not naturall to the graine but is the work of mans industry The other is of a circumcised father who though himselfe have no fore-skin yet he begetteth a son with a fore-skin and this cometh to passe because Circumcision was not by nature in the father but by the Covenant Object 4. If the root be holy the branches also are holy Rom. 11.16 Therefore the children of the Saints are holy and without originall sinne Answ Here is committed a fallacy of ambiguity for holinesse in this place signifieth not a freedome from sinne or integrity and uprightnesse of nature but that prerogative and priviledge of Abrahams posterity whereby God for his league made with Abraham had appointed alwayes to convert some of his posterity and to endow them with true and inward holinesse and because all the posterity of Abraham had obtained the right and title of the externall Church Object 5. Your children are holy Therefore without originall sinne 1 Cor. 7.14 Answ This is a fallacy drawne from the abuse of a common manner of speech They are holy not that all the children of holy men are regenerate or have holiness from carnall propagation for it is said When they had neither done good nor evill I have loved Jacob Rom. 9.11 13. and have hated Esau but the children of the godly are holy in respect of the externall fellowship of the Church that is to say they are to be counted for Members or Citizens of the Church and so also for the chosen and sanctified of God except themselves when they come to age declare themselves to be others by their unbeliefe and impiety Object 6. They are more miserable unto whom the sins of all their ancestors are derived then they unto whom have stretched but the sins of some of their ancestors But if sin passe from the Parents unto the children then unto the latest of their posterity come the sins of all the ancestors unto the former only their sins that lived before them So then the latter are more miserable then all the rest which would be absurd and not agreeable to the justice of God Answ 1. It were not absurd although God would punish more heavily and more forsake the latter of the posterity then the former For how many more sins are committed and heaped up by mankind
omitted but those which are sins by accident ought not to be omitted but to be reformed and performed after the manner and the end which God hath prescribed Externall discipline therefore is necessary even in the unregenerate 1. In respect of the commandement of God 2. For avoiding the grievousnesse of punishments which ensue upon the breach of discipline 3. For the preservation of the peace and society of mankind 4. For a way and entrance of conversion which is stopped by persevering and persisting in manifest offences If instance be given Hypocrisie is sin of it selfe and is to be avoided as Mat. 6. it is said Be not as Hypocrites but the discipline or outward behaviour of the wicked is hypocrisie Therefore it is sin of it selfe and they should omit it We answer to the Major The good actions of hypocrites are not to be omitted but their hypocrisie therein only to be eschewed by distinguishing the diversity of Hypocrisie There is a double Hypocrisie one is in workes not commanded of God done for ostentation sake or to deceive as those which Christ mentioneth Matth. 6. to make a Trumpet to be blowne before him when he giveth almes to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets to look sowerly and disfigure his face in fasting and all other superstitious and humane traditions which appertaine not to the edifying of the Church That these things are to be omitted and left undone there is no doubt as it is said In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandements of men And therefore they are here expresly condemned and forbidden of Christ There is another hypocrisie in workes commanded of God but not done after that manner which God requireth These are not to be left undone but to be corrected and to be done without hypocrisie that is with true faith and godlinesse as in the same place Christ teacheth of almes prayer fasting not to be omitted of the godly but to be otherwise performed then they were of Hypocrites So also is there a great difference between the sins of regenerate men and unregenerate for as it hath been heretofore especially in the second distinction of sin said In all the regenerate there remain as yet many reliques of sin as 1. Originall sin 2. Many actuall sins as of ignorance omission and infirmity which neverthelesse they acknowledge and bewaile and strive and struggle with them and therefore lose not a good conscience nor endanger the remission of their sinnes 3. Some also sometimes fall into errours which fight with the foundation it selfe or into sins against their conscience for which they lose a good conscience and many gifts of the holy Ghost and should be condemned if they persevered in them unto the end but they perish not in them because they repent in this life In the mean time there resteth a three-fold difference The difference of the sins of the regenerate and the unregenerate Rom. 7.16 Luke 21.22 1 John 3.9 1 Pet. 1.23 Jos 4.2 3. Psal 37.24 whereby the regenerate differ in sinning from the wicked 1. Because the purpose of God is to keep the Elect for ever 2. In the regenerate when they offend there is assured and certaine repentance in the end 3. In these when they slip there remaineth some spark of true faith and repentance which is sometimes greater and mightier and so wrestleth against sin that they fall not into Reigning sin or errours repugnant to the foundation sometimes lesse and weaker and is for a time overcome of temptation but yet it prevaileth so far that they who are once truly turned unto God make not a finall Apostasie from him as appeareth in David Peter c. In the unregenerate when they sin none of these is found but the contrary altogether By this which hath been spoken it is manifest for what cause this difference of sinnes which are of themselves sins Two uses of the difference between sins which are of themselves sins and those which are made so by an accident and by an accident sins is necessary 1. Lest that a false perswasion of their own righteousness or merits should rest in mens minds 2. Lest with sinnes which are of themselves sinnes should be cast away also good things which come to be sins but by an accident and so should be increased and heaped up the sins and punishments of mankind 4. What are the causes of sin GOD is the cause of no sinne as is proved 1. By testimonies of Scipture God saw those things which he had made Gen. 1.31 Psal 5.4 and they were very good Thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickednesse c. 2. Because God is exactly and perfectly good and holy so that no effect of his is evill 3. Because he forbiddeth all sinne in his Law 4. He punisheth all sin most severely which he could not rightly do if he wrought or caused it 5. He himselfe destroyeth not his owne Image in man therefore he causeth not sinne which is the destruction of this Image The proper and onely efficient cause of sinne is the will of Divels and men The cause of sin is the will of Divels and men Wisd 2.24 John 8.44 whereby they freely fell from God and robbed and spoiled themselves of the Image of God Through envie of the Divell came death into the world But death is the punishment of sinne Ye are of your father the Divell and the lusts of your father ye will do hee hath beene a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him When hee speaketh a lye 1 John 3.8 then speaketh he of his owne for he is a lyar and the father thereof He that committeth sinne is of the Divell for the Divell sinneth from the beginning For this purpose appeared the Sonne of God Rom. 5.12 that he might loose the worke of the Divell By one man sin entred into the world An order in the causes of sin The Divell The Divell then was the cause of the first sinne or of the fall of our first Parents in Paradise provoking man to sinne Mans will and with the Divell mans will freely declining from God and yeelding obedience to the Divell The first sin That first fall of Adam is the efficient cause of Originall sin both in Adam and in his posterity By one mans disobedience many were made sinners and the precedent and as it were preparative cause of all actuall sins in posterity is originall sinne The sin that dwelleth in mee doth evill When lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sinne The accidentary or casuall motives to sinne are those objects which solicite men to sinne Sinne tooke an occasion by the commandement Originall sin Rom. 7.17 James 1.5 Rom. 7.8 and wrought in me all manner of concupiscence Actuall sins precedent are the causes of other actuall sins which follow whereas the Scripture lessoneth us
either to Will or Not to will but it is not Not to will for then either that should not be done which God is said to permit or something should be done that God would not both of which are absurd Wherefore to Permit is the same that to Will and by a Consequent God when hee permitteth sinne doth will sinne Wee deny the Consequence because there is not a sufficient ennumeration of the diversities of will in the Minor for God is said to Will and not to Will a thing after two waies Either to will as when together he both liketh and worketh a thing or as he liketh a thing onely under which also is comprehended his commanding but doth not worke it And he is said Not to will any thing either as he both disliketh and hindereth a thing or as he onely disliketh it but doth not forbid or hinder it Both which kindes of will are contained in the Major but onely one of them in the Minor which is both to dislike and hinder a thing from being done For it God in that sense would not sinne to be committed then those absurdities should follow which they speake of But when we say that God will not sinnes wee understand that they doe greatly displease him and yet that God hindereth them not from being committed which also is not to Will but to Not will sinne For God can will nothing but that which is agreeable to his owne nature and goodnesse neither doth the holie Scripture shew any where that God will those things which are contrary to his nature in such sort as they are contrary God the cause of mans will but not of the corruption or his will is not a cause of sin whereof mans will corrupted is a cause This is also objected Hee that is the cause or the efficient of a Cause is also the author of the Effects of that cause if not the next yet afarre off But God is the cause of that Will which is the cause of sinne therefore is hee the cause of the Effect of the Will that is of sinne Wee answer to the Major by distinguishing of the cause For a cause which is afarr off a cause is sometimes by it selfe and sometimes onely by an accident a cause That is a cause by it selfe of an effect which doth not onely bring forth the next cause of the effect but also doth move and governe it in bringing forth the effect which it selfe intended or unto which it was appointed as when God frameth and bendeth the will of men which himselfe made to good workes or to such actions as himselfe will have done when the Father or Master bringeth up his Son or his Schollar to good things and the learning which he instilleth into his minde moveth him to doe well when the Sun and raine maketh the earth fertill and the earth bringeth forth corne But when the cause which is a farre off a cause either doth not move the next cause of the effect or doth not intend or minde the effect neither is appointed thereunto it cannot be said to be a cause of that effect but by an accident as when of a good Father is borne an evill and evil-living Son or of an evil Father a good and wel-living Sonne when a godly Magistrate by his commandement â—oveth the will of a wicked executioner to execute a guilty person and he being impelled either by desire of revenge or by hatred or by cruelty reioyceth at his evil whom hee executeth and so committeth murther before God and lastly when one maketh a sword and another useth it well or ill Now as aften as the next cause is either before the bringing forth of the effect depraved or in the very bringing of it forth either by it selfe or by an other cause then bringeth it forth a bad effect which the cause removed or a farre off that either bringeth forth or moveth this next cause neither intendeth neither as by any ordination or appointment unto it produceth As when the will and hand of the cleaver purpose to cut a thing and the iron being too dull causeth that to breake which is taken in hand to be cut So also God maketh and moveth the will but because the will of men is depraved by the Divel and it selfe it bringeth forth sin which God neither when hee maketh nor when hee moveth the will intendeth or mindeth to bring forth Wherefore it followeth not at all that God is the cause of those things which are committed by his creatures depraved and corrupted of themselves Likewise it is objected Second causes are able to doe nothing without the first cause which is good Wherefore neither is sinne brought forth neither doe they deprave themselves but that also the first cause worketh it with them We answer to the Antecedent The second causes doe nothing without the first cause that is without the first cause preserve and move them to doe God the first cause doth not concurr with secuâ—dary causes to the bringing forth of sin Esa 30.1 so farre forth as it is good which they doe but they doe without the first cause concurring with them to the bringing forth of evill as it is a fault or of sinne Woe to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take counsell but not of me and cover with a covering but not by my spirit that they may lay sinne upon sinne Likewise they object That which is good cannot by sinning corrupt it selfe except it be some otherway corrupted as it is said A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit The will of the Devill Adam before the fall of both was good Therefore it could not corrupt it selfe by sinning except it were by some other meanes corrupted We deny the Major For although the creature be good How the good will of man corrupteth it selfe yet God not preserving his goodnesse that is moving or willing that his wil should be moved by outward objects neither in the meane season lightning and governing the will with the knowledge of his owne divine wil it is not onely possible but it must necessarily follow that he must sin become an evil tree and through his owne wil and fault avert himselfe from God run to worse and worse and purchase blindnesse the just punishment of sin both unto him and his John 15.5 as it is said Without me ye can doe nothing That is not of God but of man and the Devill which maketh sin Againe they object He that is the cause of those things which make sin is the cause of sin God is the cause of those things which make sin that is of the Action which is the matter and of the privation of righteousnesse in man which is the forme of sin Wherefore he is the author of sin To these the answer hath been made before For the Minor is to be denyed because the action and privation of the divine light and direction doe make sin as they
in heaven is perfect Answ First these and the like speeches speake of that perfection which is not of degrees but of parts or of the integritie and sincerity of the obedience begun in them Perfection of degrees or obedience perfect in degrees is that which hath not only all the parts of obedience but that degree also which the law requireth in us Such a perfection have not the regenerate in this life They have indeed all the parts of obedience begun in them but yet weakely so that they are here daily more and more perfected but attaine not to the chiefe and due degree thereof untill they enjoy the life to come The perfection of parts is the integrity of obedience or whole obedience begun according to the whole law or it is a desire and endeavour to obey God and withstand corrupt lusts according not to some onely but to all the commandements of his law The perfection of sincerity is a desire or study of obedience and godlinesse not feigned but true and earnest albeit somewhat be wanting to the parts as touching the degree This perfection to wit both the integrity and sincerity of obedience is in all the regenerate For unto them it is proper to submit themselves to the commandements of God even to all without exception and to begin in this life all the parts of true godlinesse or obedience This is called also the justice of a good conscience because it is a necessary effect of faith and pleaseth God through Christ And albeit in all men even in the most holy much hypocrisie remaineth as it is said Rom. 3 4. Every man is a lyar yet there is a great difference betweene them who are wholly hypocrites and please themselves in their hypocrisy having no beginning or feeling of true godlinesse in their hearts and those who acknowledgeing and bewailing the remnants of hypocrisy which are in them have withall the beginning of true faith and conversion unto God Those hypocrites are condemned of God these are received into favour not for this beginning of obedience in them but for the perfect obedience of Christ which is imputed unto them And therefore to this declaration or exposition another is also to be added That they who are converted are perfect in the sight of God not only in respect of the parts of true godlinesse which are all begun in them but also in respect of the degrees of true and perfect righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto them as it is said Colos 2.10 Heb. 10.14 1 Cor. 2.6 14.20 Ephes 4.19 Ye are all complete in him With one offering hath he consecrated for ever them that are sanctified But they reply That the perfection also of degrees is attributed unto the Saints in the Scripture 〈◊〉 Wee speake wisdome among them that are perfect Be perfect in understanding Till wee all meet together in the unity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man and unto the measure of the age of the fullnesse of Christ But these places also doe not call them perfect in respect of the law of God that is in respect of the degree of knowledge and obedience which the law requireth in us but in respect of the weaker who have lesse light and certainty and readinesse confirmed by use and exercise to obey God to resist carnall lusts and to beare the crosse For so is this perfection expounded That we be no more children Ephes 4.14 Heb. 5.14 Philip. 3.12 wandring and carried about with every winde of doctrine Not as though I had already attained to it or were already perfect They oppose against these answers a place out of John 1 John 4.17 18. Herein is the love perfect in us that we should have boldnes in the day of judgement for as he is even so are we in this world There is no feare in love but perfect love casteth out feare for feare hath painfulnesse and he that feareth is not perfect in love But S. John meaneth not that our love towards God Our regeneration and newnesse of life doth assure us of justification as being an effect thereof Rom. 5.5 but Gods love towards us is perfect that is declared and fully known unto us by the effects or benefits of God bestowed upon us in Christ Or as Saint Paul speaketh Rom. 5. where hee saith That the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost is the cause why wee doe without feare and with boldnesse expect the day of Judgement and of this mercy and free love of God towards us he signifieth that by this token or testimony we are assured because in this life we are reformed by the holy Spirit to his Image For by our regeneration we are assured of our justification not as by the cause of the effect but as by the effect of the cause Now though regeneration be not perfect in this life yet if it be indeed begun it sufficeth for the confirmation and proving of the truth of our faith unto our consciences And these very words which S. John addeth Love casteth out feare shew that love is not yet perfect in us because wee are not perfectly delivered in this life from feare of the wrath and judgement of God and eternall punishment John 3.21 1 John 3.23 Psal 119. For these two contrary motions are now together in the godly even the feare and love of God in remisse and low degrees their feare decreasing and their love and comfort or joy in God increasing untill joy get the conquest and perfectly cast out all trembling in the life to come when God shall wipe away every teare These places of Scripture are to be understood of the uprightnesse of a good conscience not of any perfect fulfilling of the Law in the godly Object 5. Hee that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds might be made manifest that they are wrought according to God If our heart condemne us not then have we boldnesse towards God I have not declined from thy Law Therefore the good workes of the regenerate may be alledged and stand in Gods judgement as perfectly answerable unto his Law Answ These and the like sayings doe not challenge to the godly in this life perfect fulfilling of the Law but the uprightnesse of a good conscience without which faith cannot consist or stand as neither can a good conscience without faith As it is said Fight a good fight having faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.18 19. And Then being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 wee have peace towards God through our Lord Jesus Christ For a good conscience is a certaine knowledge that we have faith and a purpose to obey God according to all his commandements and that wee and our obedience though maimed and scarce begun please God not for that it satisfieth his Law but because those sins and defects which remaine in us are forgiven us for the satisfaction of Christ
it was alwaies necessary The necessity of mans delivery not absolute but depending on the unchangeable wil decree of God Exod. 33.11 Because God hath most freely and unchangeably decreed and promised this delivery published and impossible it is that he should lie or be deceived As I live I desire not the death of a sinner but that the wicked turne from his way and live From the end of the Creation Ephes 1.6 Psal 86.46 Because God in the beginning created man that he might for ever be magnified of him He hath made us to the praise of the glory of his grace And Hast thou made all men for nought From the end of sending his Son into the world John 6.39 40. Mat. 9.13 Mat. 18.11 Rom. 4.25 Gal. 2.21 Because God did not in vain send his Son into the world neither did Christ die to no purpose I came downe from heaven to do his will that sent me And this is the Fathers will which sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing I am come to call sinners to repentance The Son of man is come to save that which was lost He died for our sins and is risen again for our justification If righteousnesse be by the Law then Christ died without a cause From the stature of God Because God more enclineth to the exercising and setting forth of his mercy then of his anger But he sheweth his anger in punishing the wicked therefore much more will he shew his mercy in saving the godly 4. Whether we may expect and hope for perfect delivery How our delivery is perfect THe delivery and setting of man at liberty is in this life complete and perfect but as by a beginning onely and in some measure or degree in the next it shall be perfect by a finall consummation and in all competent degrees Our delivery is now perfect but as concerning the parts thereof from both evils both of crime and paine that is all the parts of obedience are begun in the redeemed or beleever so that as long as we live here it is daily augmented by new accessions and increasing but then it shall be perfect also in degrees when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes the perfect Image of God renewed in us and God shall be all in all that is shall immediatly blesse us with exceeding happinesse so that nothing shall remain in us repugnant to God but whatsoever shall be in us that shall be of God This is proved 1. Because God is not a deliverer in part only but saveth and loveth perfectly those whom he saveth 1 John 17. The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne to wit as touching both the formall parts thereof the guilt and the corruption of sinne 2. Because he will perfectly punish the wicked that they may exactly satisfie his justice by their punishments Therefore will he likewise perfectly deliver the godly from punishment because hee is more inclined and propense to mercy then to anger For Christs benefit is not imperfecter or of lesse force then the sin of Adam which it would be if he did not perfectly deliver because we have all lost all our righteousness salvation and blessedness in Adam We must therefore expect and look for perfect delivery but by degrees as hath been declared namely in this life perfect in the resurrection more perfect and in our glorification most perfect 5. By what meanes delivery may be wrought Two necessary meanes of our delivery THis our delivery may be wrought and accomplished Satisfaction By a full and sufficient satisfaction for our offence committed that is by eternall punishment or such a temporall punishment as is correspondent and equivalent with eternall Regeneration By a purging and abolishment of sinne in us and a renewing of our nature that is a restoring of the righteousnesse we have lost and new fashioning of the Image of God in us or a perfect regeneration of our corrupt nature both these are necessary for our delivery 1. Satisfaction is necessary Why satisfaction is necessary because the mercy of God as heretofore hath been shewed overthroweth not his justice which must be satisfied and the Law bindeth us either to obedience or punishment Now by obedience satisfaction cannot be made because our precedent obedience is already impaired by the fall and our obedience were it any which hath followed since the fall cannot satisfie for the former offence whereas man is every moment obliged thereunto as to a present debt Therefore obedience being once defective there remaineth according to the commination If thou shalt eate thereof thou shalt die the death no other satisfaction but by enduring punishment which punishment being once sufficiently payd God is reconciled with the offendor and delivery may follow thereon 2. The cleansing from sinne Why regeneration is necessary and renewing of our nature is likewise required For God will on that condition accept of this satisfaction and for it pardon our sin so that we leave off to offend him hereafter through our sins and be thankful unto him for our reconciliation For to be willing to be received into Gods favour and yet not to be willing to cease from sinning is to mock God But we cannot cease from sinning unless our nature be renewed Thus then mans delivery is possible to be effected to wit if such a satisfaction be made whereby condigne punishment and equall to the fault is suffered and which no after-slip and offence annihilate or make void Quest 13. Are wee able to satisfie by our selves Answ Not a whit Nay rather we do every day encrease our debt a John 9.1 and 15.16 Psal 130 3. Mat. 6.12 16.26 18.25 The Explication SIth it is out of doubt that the meanes of our delivery consisteth in the satisfaction and cleansing of our sin it is further demanded by whom this satisfaction and cleansing of sin may be performed whether by us or by some other and if by some other whether by any meere creature and if by no meere creature by what then and what kinde of Mediatour To the first of these interrogatories answer is made in this thirteenth Question to the other two which follow in the fourteenth and fifteenth Questions of the Catechisme Two causes why we can make no satisfaction by obedience Satisfaction cannot be performed of us and by us neither by obedience nor by punishment Not by obedience 1. Because what good soever we do by vertue of present bond and obligation we owe it unto God By it therefore we cannot satisfie for our former faults For we can deserve nothing at Gods hands for the present much lesse for time to come neither can a double merit for the time both present and to come issue out of one satisfaction 2. In the Catechisme a more familiar reason is yeelded Because we dayly heap up offences and debts For we sin uncessantly
all other things of their being therefore called Jehovah as if you would say Being by himself and causing others to be Sâ—iâ—ituall Incorporeall invisible and to no sense of man perceivable Likewise in that he liveth of and by himselfe and quickeneth or giveth life to other things Joh. 1.18 4.24 Acts 17.24 â—8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Object 1. He oftentimes appeared Ans True in a bodily form assumed for a time Object 2. He was seen face to face Ans That is by the clear knowledge of the mind and not with the bodily eyes Object 3. He hath the parts of a mans body Ans Indeed they are ascribed unto him after the manner of men Object 4. The bodily man is the image of God Ans Surely he is so in the essence of his soul in the faculties and uprightnesse thereof Ephes 4. in wisdome righteousnesse and true holinesse not in the shape and figure of his body Intelligent Witnesse hereof is the mind of man and the notions shining therein which all proceeded from God Psal 94.9 Now He that planted the ear shall he not hear Eternall Having neither beginning nor end of being Thou art God from everlasting and world without end Psal 90.2 Other from the creatures Not Nature it self as some dream not the matter or form not any part but the sole efficient and the only maker of all things neither intermingled with any thing but of a quite different or other essence and utterly unlike all things 1 Cor. 8.6 Acts 17.29 Object 1. All things are of God Ans I grant they are by creation out of nothing Object 2. We are the generation of God Ans Yea verily by a similitude of properties John 1.13 and by creation Object 3. The Saints are born of God Ans Questionlesse by regeneration through the holy Ghost Object 4. We are made partakers of the divine nature Answ Undoubtedly by the dwelling of God in us and by our conformity with him Obj. 5. Christ is God and hath a divine body Ans To wit by a personall union and glorification Incomprehensible 1. In our cogitation and the cogitation of any creature 2. In the unmeasurablenesse of his essence 3. By communication of the essence which is in such sort the very substance of the three persons of the Divinity that it remaineth in number one and the same Most perfect in himself 1. Sole possessor of all blessednesse 2. And that in himselfe and of himself 3. with sufficiency to replenish all other things Object 1. The Lord hath made all things for himself Prov. 16.4 Answ Not to aid himselfe by them but to communicate himselfe to them Object 2. Hee useth the creatures ministery in accomplishing many of his works Answ Not as needing but honouring the creature Object 3. Wee yeeld him worship Answ It is our debt his due and the issue is our good and benefit alone Object 4. To whom is given that which is due unto him to him something cometh thereby more then hee had before Answ This assertion is false of that which is due by order of justice and pertaineth to the felicity of the giver Obj. 5. God rejoyceth in our obedience Ans He doth so our obedience being an object not an efficient cause of his rejoycing Unchangeable 1. In his essence 2. In his will 3. In place because he is immense and filleth all things Object 1. God repenteth him of things done Ans To repent and such like humane affections are attributed to God by Anthropopathy or after the manner of men Object 2. He promiseth and threatneth that which he performeth not at all Ans True but a condition and exception is alwaies understood Object 3. He dependeth on a changeable condition Ans To wit changeable in respect of mans will but not of Gods decree and counsell Object 4. He changeth his precepts observances and works Ans Namely according to his everlasting decree Omnipotent 1. He can do and doth all things which he still 2. And that at his beck without difficulty 3. As having all things in his own power Object Many things he cannot do Ans They are then the works of impotency and imperfection as to lie to die Of exceeding wisdome 1. In beholding and understanding himselfe and perceiving at once the whole order of his minde and nature which hee doth perpetually and exceeding perfectly 2. In being the cause of all knowledge in Angels and men Of exceeding goodnesse 1. Because Gods whole nature is such as is revealed in the Law and the Gospel 2. Because he is the cause and rule of all good in his creatures 3. Because hee is the most supreme good 4. Because he is the very essence of goodnesse Just 1. In respect of his generall justice and righteousnesse whereby hee willeth and worketh unchangeably such things as he hath commanded in his Law 2. In respect of his particular justice whereby he immutably dispenseth aright rewards and punishments In that he is the rule of righteousnesse and square of uprightnesse in his creatures Object 1. Hee doth good to the evill and heapeth evils on the good Answ Hee doth but not finally but onely for a time Object 2. Hee doth not punish the wicked out of hand Answ For he providently deferreth their punishments for speciall occasions best known to himself Object 3. No harm should ever be done to the good Answ Not to those which are perfectly good which wee in this life are not Object 4. Hee doth something contrary to his law Answ He abridgeth certainly something from his generall will by his speciall will Object 5. Hee giveth to men of equall condition unequall rewards Answ Yet giveth he to each of them that which no way is their due Repl. They are due by order of justice Ans God is bound unto no man Repl. Promise is a debt Ans The promise of creatures not of God the Creatour True 1. Because he hath the true and certain knowledge of all things 2. Because he neither willeth nor speaketh things repugnant or contrary 3. Because he faineth nothing nor deceiveth any man 4. Because he never changeth his mind 5. Because he ratifieth his sayings by the events of things 6. Because he enjoyneth and prescribeth truth to be kept of all Object 1. Hee fore-telleth that which hee will not have done Ans He fore-telleth that it shall come to passe but conditionally Object 2. He deceiveth the Prophets Answ That is Ezek. 14.9 he in his just judgment delivereth them up to the divell to be seduced Chaste 1. By reason of the exceeding purity of his nature 2. Because he is the lover and author of chastity 3. Because he doth most severely detest and punish all uncleannesse both internall and externall 4. Because by this notable note of difference he distinguisheth himself from unclean spirits and filthy divels 1 Thess 4.3 4. This is the will of God even your sanctification and that ye should abstain from
born of the Virgin Mary 2. Because God is not changeable and therefore the Deity is not changed into flesh 3. Because the Word took flesh and was not changed into flesh What then doth Christs conception of the holy Ghost signifie and import Three things thereby are signified The forming of Christs flesh Luke 1.35 That the masse of his humane nature was created or formed in the wombe of the Virgin miraculously and besides the order of things disposed of God in nature by the immediate working and operation of the holy Ghost without the seed and substance of man The power of the most High shall over-shadow thee Object But wee are also made of God Answ Wee are made of God mediately Christ immediately The sanctifying of Christs flesh That the holy Ghost did the same moment and by the same operation cleanse this masse and from the very point of the conception sanctifie it in the mothers wombe that is sith it became not the Word Foure causes of this sanctifying the Sonne of God to assume unto himselfe a nature polluted with sinne he therefore caused that originall sinne should not issue into it and that for these causes 1. That hee might be a pure sacrifice and a sufficient ransome for our redemption Hee hath made him to be sinne for us which knew no sinne 2 Cor. 5.11 that wee should be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2. That he might also sanctifie us by his sanctitie and holinesse For if Christ had been a sinner he could not have satisfied for us but himselfe should have remained in death Therefore could hee not have been our sanctifier neither by merit nor by his power and efficacy Heâ— 2 11. 7 16. For hee that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one Such an High Priest it became us to have which is holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners 3. It was not agreeable unto the Word the eternall Sonne of God to unite personally unto him humane nature being stained and defiled wherein he dwelleth as in his own Temple For God is a consuming fire 4. That wee might know that whatsoever this Sonne speaketh Deut. 4 2â— it is the will of God and the truth For Whatsoever is borne of flesh which is sinfull and not sanctified is flesh falshood and vanity Object But he was borne of a mother which was a sinner Why then should not Christ have sin Answ The holy Ghost doth best know how to sever sin from mans nature For sin is not the nature of man but came else-whence even from the Divel Mary therefore was a sinner but the Masse of flesh which was taken out of her substance was by the operation of the holy Ghost at the same instant sanctified when it was taken The uniting of his flesh to his God head The third thing which is sanctified in that Christ is said to be conceived by the holy Ghost is the union of the humane nature with the Word For the flesh of Christ was together both created or formed and also sanctified and united to the Son of the holy Ghost immediatly but of the Father and the Son by the Spirit The sense and meaning then of this Article Which was conceived by the holy Ghost is The full meaning of the Article conceived by the holy Ghost 1. That the holy Ghost was the immediate author of the miraculous conception of the flesh of Christ 2. That he separated all uncleannesse and contagion of originall sin from this conceived off-spring 3. That he united in the very moment of the conception the flesh with the Word in a personall union It is added further in the Creed that he was born of the Virgin Mary that is of the Virgins substance Five causes why Christ was born of the Virgin Mary namely that we might know him to â—e and that chiefly for these causes True man That the truth of the humane nature assumed by the Son of God might hereby be signified unto us to wit that he was conceived by the power of the holy Ghost and born true man of the substance of Mary his Mother that is Though the flesh of Christ were miraculously conceived yet it was taken and born of the Virgin Tâ—â—â— seed of David That wee might know Christ our Mediatour to be the true seed of David that is to be true man and our brother who hath humane flesh made not of nothing neither else-whence but issued from the seed of David Isaac and Abraham of whom also the virgin Mary her selfe came yea of the very selfe same masse of Adam whereof both they and wee are The Messias That it may certainly appeare unto us that this Jesus born of the Virgin is that Messias promised unto the Fathers Behold a Virgin shall conceive Esay 7.14 Gen. 3.15 and beare a Sonne The seed of the woman shall break the head of the Serpent For it was fore-told by the Prophets that the Messias the Redeemer of mankinde should be borne of the stock of David and that by a miraculous conception and birth having a Virgin for his Mother Wherefore seeing both that is both the prophesies and the miracles are in this Jesus fulfilled there can be no doubt but that this is the Messias true man and true God the reconciler of God and man Without sin That this Christs birth of a Virgin might be a testimony that he is pure and without sin sanctified in the wombe of the Virgin by the vertue of the holy Ghost A signe of our new birth John 1.13 That wee might know the Analogie which is between Christs nativitie and the regeneration of the faithfull For Christs birth of the Virgin is a signe of our spirituall regeneration which is not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Quest 36. What profit takest thou by Christs holy conception and nativitie Ans That he is our Mediatour a He. 7.26 27. and doth cover with his innocency and perfect holinesse my sins in which I was conceived that they may not come in the sight of God b 1 Pet. 1.18 19. 1 Pet. 3.18 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 8.3 4. Esay 53.11 Psal 32.1 The Explication Two benefits of Christs conception and nativity TWO benefits wee reape from Christs conception and nativity Confirmation of faith A confirmation of our faith that hee is the true Mediatour Consolation A consolation that we through this Mediatour are justified before God The reason hereof is because he cannot be a Mediatour between God and men who is not himself man who is not righteous who is not united with the Word that is who is not by nature true God and true man and of sufficiency and ability to bestow on us his salvation purchased for us For such an High Priest it became us to have which is holy harmlesse underfiled separate from sinners
contradiction as if thou shouldst say I am certain of my reward therefore I will not run for a reward is not given but to him that runneth These propositions do one mutually follow another To be certain of salvation and To have a desire of conversion and amendment of life 2. What predestination is The difference between predestination and providence PRedestination differeth from providence as a speciall from the generall For providence is the eternall counsell of God concerning all creatures but predestination is the eternall counsell of God concerning the saving of men and angels Wherefore predestination is the eternall most just and unchangeable counsell of God of creating men of permitting their fall into sin and eternall death of sending his Son into flesh that he might be a sacrifice and of converting some by the word and the holy Ghost for the Mediatours sake and saving them in true faith and conversion justifying them by and for him raising them up to glory and bestowing on them eternall life and of leaving the rest in sin and eternall death and raising them up to judgment and casting them into eternall pains Here is spoken of men which shall be saved and not saved therefore to them onely and not to angels doth this definition of predestination agree The parts of predestination are Election and Reprobation Election is the eternall Election unchangeable free and most just decree of God whereby he hath decreed to convert some to Christ to preserve and keep them in faith and repentance and by him to give them eternall life Reprobation is such a decree of God as whereby he hath decreed to leave some Reprobation according to his most just judgement in their sins to punish them with blindnesse and damnation and condemn them being not made partakers of Christ everlastingly That election likewise as also reprobation are both the decree of God these and the like sayings do prove I know whom I have chosen His grace was given to us before the world was John 13.18 2 Tim. 1.9 Rom. 9.18 He hath mercy on whom he will But therefore election and reprobation were made by counsell and therefore both are a decree and that eternall because there is no new thing in God but all from everlasting and the Scripture doth manifestly say Ephes 1.4 that God hath chosen us before the foundation of the world Seeing then he hath chosen us hee hath therefore rejected the rest that which the very word of choosing doth shew For whatsoever is chosen the same is chosen other things being rejected 3. What are the causes of predestination or election and reprobation THe efficient and motive cause is the good pleasure of God It is so O Father The efficient cause of our election Gods good pleasure not any thing in us Ephes 2.3 because thy good pleasure was such God hath not foreseen any thing in us for which he should choose us for there can be no good in us as of our selves seeing we are by nature the children of wrath as well as others For if any good be found in us that he doth work wholly in us and he worketh nothing in us which he hath not decreed to work from everlasting Wherefore the alone gracious and free good pleasure of God or the alone free mercy of God is the efficient and motive cause of our election Our election I say is of grace and free that is not in respect of any good foreseen in us Rom. 9.18 John 15.16 He hath mercy on whom he will that is he freely giveth what he giveth Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you God hath predestinate us to be adopted through Jesus Christ unto himselfe The cause of reprobation is in GOD. Ephes 1.5 according to the good pleasure of his will See further Rom. 9.11 Col. 1.12 2 Tim. 1.9 10. In like manner also the efficient cause of reprobation is the most free good pleasure of God For we being all by nature the children of wrath had all perished if sinne were the cause of reprobation Wherefore the cause of reprobation is not in men themselves but that is in God his will of shewing forth his justice Therefore of particular men why this man is elected and the reprobated there can be no other reason given but the good pleasure of God only But the cause of damnation is altogether in men which is sin For God will declare his justice in the damnation of the reprobate He therefore condemneth no man not ordaineth unto condemnation unlesse it be for sin neither willeth he the damnation as it is damnation but as it is a just punishment Now punishment taketh not place but there where sin was before seated The cause of damnation is the free will of divels and men The principall cause therefore of damnation is the free will of Divels and men because of their owne accord they fell from God But the first cause of salvation is the eternall and free election of God whereof God foresaw no cause in us why he would convert us unto Christ rather than others why he would save and redeeme us out of the common and generall destruction wherein all were plunged rather than others The supreme finall cause of Predestination is Gods glory and the last and proper finall cause of election is the manifestation of Gods goodnesse and mercy in freely saving the Elect. The next and nearest finall cause of our election is our justification when God doth in his Sonne freely account us for righteous Both which finall causes the Apostle compriseth in these words He hath predestinated us to the praise of the glory of his grace wherewith he hath made us freely accepted in his beloved Ephes 1.6 Likewise of the contrary The first finall cause of reprobation is the declaration of Gods justice severity and hatred against sinne in the reprobate Rom. 2.9 God would to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction Object 1. God did foreknow our workes therefore he chose us for our works Ans He did foreknow those good things which he purposed to work in us as also he foreknew the persons otherwise he could not have foreknowne any good workes So could he not have foreseene any evill except he had purposed to permit the same Object 2. Whomsoever God chose in Christ them he found in Christ for he in Christ benefiteth none but those who are in Christ Ephes 1.3 God chose us in Christ Therefore he found us in Christ that is he foresaw that we should be accepted of Christ that we would beleeve rather than others and would become better than others and therefore he chose us Answ We deny the Major For the reason alledged holdeth not true in election but in the effects of election and in the consummation of Christs benefits which are imparted unto none but such as are in
we may in some sort conceive what life eternall is Life is defined among the Philosophers diversly What life is and it is indeed a word of divers significations and signifying divers things Generally both as touching God and Angels living soules and plants it is the existence or being of a living thing For even Spirits live but they have not that from any quickning soule but from their very nature and essence But in wights or creatures possessed of living soules life is properly the being of living creatures which is nothing else but To be indued with a living soule or To have in him a living soule For What a soule is the soule is that whereby such a wight liveth or the essentiall forme of life which who have live It is taken both for the first act that is for the very living and being and for the second act that is for the operation of a living thing Thus therefore it is more fully defined Naturall life is the existence or abiding of the soule in a quickned body and the operation of a living thing Or it is the act and perfection of the soule executing operations proper to a living thing Or finally it is an aptitude of a living thing to work the operations proper unto it and is also the operations themselves by reason of the union of the body with the soule Now when we mention everlasting life we restraine the word life for then we speak of the everlasting life of men and Angels That is called everlasting 1. Which hath neither beginning nor ending so God is everlasting 2. Which hath no beginning and yet hath an ending as the decree of God What everlasting meaneth 3. Which hath a beginning but shall have no end as Angels and the soules of men c. And in this third sense our heavenly life is called everlasting life that is a life having beginning but without end So then the everlasting life of man is nothing else but the eternall being of a regenerate and glorified man which being What everlasting life is is to have the image of God restored according to which man was at the first created to wit to be endued with perfect wisdome righteousnesse and felicity or with a true knowledge and love of God joyned with eternall joy And here in these acts of acknowledging and loving God we for plainenesse sake include the faculties and powers of acknowledging and loving God For to be able to acknowledge God aright and love him no lesse belong to the spirituall life then to acknowledge and love him 1 Cor. 2.14 seeing The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can know them Againe we thus describe it Everlasting life is a perfect restauration of Gods image in us and eternall joy resting on God celestiall glory and abundant fruition of all good things which are required to the state of perfect happinesse More briefly it is a perfect conformity of man with God consisting in the true and perfect knowledge and love of God and in the glory of both soule and body So that to the full understanding of the essence of everlasting life Two parts of this life we are to consider these two things Uunion An union both of our body and soule with God Conformity with God A conformity with God which issueth out of this union as an effect proceedeth from his cause Now this conformity is a perspicuous and evident knowledge of God and his will and his works perfect righteousnesse joy fixed in God incomparable glory wherewith our bodies and soules shall flourish and shine as the Sunne and a sufficiency of all good things in God pertaining to true and perfect blisse All these things doe somewhat expresse the maner and forme of everlasting life Now if we adde hereunto the efficient and finall causes thereof An ample definition of everlasting life an absolute full definition may be thus framed Everlasting life is the eternall habitation or dwelling of God in the Elect by the holy Ghost and the true knowledge of God his will and all his works kindled by the same spirit immediatly in their hearts and true and perfect righteousnesse and wisdome that is a perfect conformity and correspondence of their will and powers and operations with the mind and will of God as also a joy resting on God and a sufficiency of all good things in God as touching both soule and body freely bestowed by God through Christ on the Elect begun in this life and to be perfected in the life to come to this end to glorifie and magnifie God through all eternity The particular proofe of each part of this definition All the parts of this definition are taken out of the Scripture Gods eternall habitation in us John 14.23 John 14.16 It is the eternall habitation of God in us by the holy Ghost I and my Father will come unto him and will dwell with him He shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Knowledge of God and perfect wisdome John 17.36 It is the knowledge of God and perfect wisdome This is life eternall that they know thee to be the onely very true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Righteousnesse Luke 20.36 It is righteousnesse They are equall unto the Angels and are the sonnes of God sith they are the children of the resurrection Joy John 16.22 It is joy in God Your joy shall no man take from you Sufficiency in God Revel 21.22 23. 1 Cor. 15.28 1 Cor. 13.33 It is sufficiency in God The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And the City hath no need of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shine in it for the glory of God did light it and the Lamb is the light of it God shall be all in all All those good things which we possesse here shall then be perfect When that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be abolished Without interruption Revel 21.4 Luke 1.33 Dan. 7.27 It shall not be interrupted God shall wipe away all teares Of his Kingdome shall be no end And the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the holy people of the most High whose Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome that is which hath neither beginning nor ending Object Everlasting life is to live everlastingly But the wicked also shall be raised and be immortall because they shall live eternally Therefore the wicked shall have everlasting life Answ No consequence is currant or of force when it is deduced but from one part onely of a definition For by the name of everlasting life is not meant the presence of the soule in the body that is the naturall life but this being presupposed there is further meant a spirituall life which the holy Ghost worketh in the Elect by
Jesus Christ and him crucified Yee are compleat in him By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous With his stripes wee are healed The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all This cup is the New Testament in my bloud which is shed for you All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Being justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son 2 Cor. 8.9 Gal. 3.13 Ephes 1.7 1 John 1.7 Hee being rich for our sakes became poore that wee through his poverty might be made rich Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law when he was made a curse for us By whom wee have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of sins The bloud of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God cleanseth us from all sinne Now that Christ might performe obedience and satisfie for us it behooveth him to be our Mediatour being by himselfe just and holy For such an high Priest it became us to have holy harmlesse undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens Heb. 7.26 All these things are true perfectly and wholly in Christ for he hath perfectly fulfilled the law for us 1. By the holinesse of his humane nature 2. By his obedience for hee became obedient to the death even to the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 And the former fulfilling of the law namely the holinesse of Christs humane nature was requisite for the other even for his obedience This obedience and satisfaction of Christ is our satisfaction and our proper justice for which we please God for which wee are received into favour with God the Father and which is imputed unto us That former fulfilling of the law is indeed imputed also unto us namely the humiliation and justice or righteousnesse of Christs humane nature that wee may be reputed holy before God but this holinesse of Christ is imputed unto us for his obedience or satisfaction sake because he satisfied for us Gods justice in sustaining eternall punishment and paines which we should have sustained everlastingly Hence is it that the effusion of Christs bloud as being the complement and consummation of Christs satisfaction is only said to be our justice and righteousnesse 1 John 1.7 The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin that is not onely from that which is of commission but also from that which is of omission Wee are to distinguish between these questions 1. How a reasonable creature may be just before God 2. How man being a sinner may be just before God 3. Whether a reasonable creature may merit or deserve ought at Gods hand To the first question wee answer That a reasonable creature may be just before God by the conformity of the law inherent in him as blessed Men and Angels are just To the second That man being a sinner is just by the imputation onely of Christs merit and of this question is our speech when wee speak of Justification But a man which is a sinner cannot in himself be just before God 1. Because before his justification his workes are corrupt 2. Also after his justification the works of a man which is a sinner are imperfect 3. When they are perfect as in the life to come they shall be yet can we not satisfie for the sin past for wee owe those works when we doe them To the third That no reasonable creature can deserve ought at Gods hand When yee have done all say We are unprofitable servants Luke 17.10 For neither is Christs obedience verily any merit in this respect as if any good came to God by it but in respect of the dignity of the person because it was Christ that suffered it is called merit 5. How Christs satisfaction is made our justice and righteousnesse WHereas it may seem absurd that we should be justified by that which is another mans we are further to expresse more plainly how Christs satisfaction and obedience becometh ours For except it be made ours or applyed unto us we cannot be made just for it as a wall is not white except whitenesse be fastned on it Chrâ—sts satisfaction made ours two waies The satisfaction therefore or justice of Christ is made ours or applyed unto us two waies that is by a double application By himselfe imputing or applying it unto us God himselfe applyeth it unto us that is he imputeth unto us Christs righteousnesse and for it accepteth us for righteous no otherwise than if it were ours By applying it unto our selves We apply it unto our selves when wee apprehend by faith Christs righteousnesse that is when we are stedfastly perswaded that God doth impute apply and give it unto us and for it reputeth us for just absolving us from all guilt There is then a double application one in respect of God another in respect of us The application in respect of God is the imputation of Christs righteousnesse when God accepteth Christs righteousnesse which hee performed that it might be effectuall and forcible on our behalfe and in regard thereof accounteth us for righteous no lesse than if we had never sinned or at least had payed a sufficient punishment for our sinnes The application in respect of us is the very act of beleeving whereby we resolve our selves that it is imputed and given unto us c. Both applications must necessarily concurre For God applieth Christs righteousnesse unto us on this condition that we our selves also should apply it unto our selves through faith For though a man offer another a courtesie or benefit yet if hee to whom it is offered receive it not is not applyed unto him it is none of his Wherefore without this our application Gods application is not at all and yet our application is also from God For God first imputeth unto us Christs satisfaction then he ingendreth faith in us whereby we may apply the same imputed unto us So then Gods application goeth before and is the cause of our application which is of faith albeit his is not without ours John 15.16 When we may be assured of Christs satisfaction imputed unto us as Christ saith Yee have not chosen me but I have chosen you Now we may then be assured that Christs righteousnesse or satisfaction is imputed unto us of God when we earnestly desire Gods grace and feel the holy Ghost to work in us a true confidence in the Mediatour That which is now spoken of both applications both Gods and ours doth manifestly shew 1. That it is no absurdity to say Wee are justified by anothers justice For the justice Foure conclusions issuing out of the former doctrine for which by faith applied unto us we are reputed just is not simply anothers but is
which are not converted is done without faith and is therefore sin and abomination before God First therefore those things which are spoken of Conversion are in few words to be expounded Then ensueth the common place of good works for by them we declare our thankfulnesse towards God and true conversion cannot stand without good works Afterwards is adjoyned the doctrine which intreateth of the law whereby we learn to know good works For those are truly said to be good works by which we worship God aright and shew our selves to be thankfull which are done by faith according to the rule and prescript only of Gods law Because God will chiefly be worshipped of us and magnified by invocation and for this cause we shew our thankfulnesse most of all by prayer and thanksgiving at length the common place of prayer shall be lastly annexed These things we purpose to declare briefly and in order here following ON THE 32. SABBATH Quest 86. When as wee are delivered from all our sins and miseries without any merit of ours by the mercy of God only for Christs sake for what cause are we to doe good works Answ Because after that Christ hath redeemed us with his bloud he reneweth us also by his Spirit to the image of himselfe that we receiving so great benefits should shew our selves all our life time thankfull to God a Rom. 6.13 12.1 2. 1 Pet. 2.5 9. 1 Cor. 6.20 and honour him b Matt. 5.16 1 Pet. 1.12 Secondly that every of us may be assured of his faith by his fruit c 2 Pet. 1.10 Matth. 7.17 18. Galat. 5.6 22. And lastly by our honest and good conversation may win others unto Christ d 1 Pet. 2.12 Romans 14.19 Matthew 5.16 The Explication THis Question concerning the impulsive causes of good works is moved in the first place and before we come to handle the Question of mans conversion not that good works goe before conversion but for the orderly connexion of this latter part of Catechism with the former For out of the doctrine of free satisfaction humane reason thus argueth He is not bound to satisfie for whom another hath already satisfied Christ hath satisfied for us Therefore there is no need that we should do good works Ans The Conclusion containeth more then the premisses enforce that which followeth out of the two former propositions is this Therefore we our selves are not bound to satisfie and thus much we grant 1. In respect of Gods justice which exacteth not a double payment 2. In respect of our salvation for which if wee were bound to satisfie it should be no salvation at all Farther also we are obliged unto obedience and good works in regard of those causes which are in this Question inlarged 1. Because good works are the fruits of our regeneration by the holy Ghost which is perpetually united with free justification For whom hee called them also he justified and glorified Rom. 8.30 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified 1 Cor. 6.11 Therefore they who perform no good works declare themselves to be neither regenerated by the Spirit of God nor redeemed by Christs bloud 2. To testified our thankfulnesse towards God for the benefit of our redemption Rom 6.13 12.1 Give your members weapons of righteousnesse unto God Give up your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable serving of God 3. That God may be honoured by us Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Mat. 5.16 That by your good works which they shall see 1 Pet. 2.12 they may glorifie God in the day of visitation 4. Because good works are fruits of faith by which we judge of our owne faith and of the faith of others Give diligence to make your calling and election sure 1 Pet. 1.10 after which words of Peter certain copies insert these words by good works Matth. 7.17 Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit A good tree cannot bring forth evill frruit Galat. 5.6 22. Faith worketh by love The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance 5. That we may win others unto Christ When thou art converted Luke 22.32 1 Pet. 3.1 strengthen thy brethren Let the wives be subject to their husbands that even they which obey not the word may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives Let us follow those things which concern peace Rom. 14.9 and wherewith one may edifie another These causes are with diligence to be urged and unfolded unto the people in our sermons of exhortation and hereunto tendeth the whole sixth Chapter and part of the eighth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans as far as the sixteenth Verse Three causes why justification and regeneration have a necessary coherence For farther declaration of the first cause we may observe that the benefit of justification is not given without the benefit of regeneration 1. Because Christ hath merited both to wit remission of sins and the dwelling of God in us by his holy Spirit Now the holy Ghost is never idle but alwaies working and so maketh those men in whom he dwelleth conformable unto God 2. Because by faith the hearts are purified Acts 15.9 For in them to whom Christs merit is by faith applied is kindled a love of God and earnest desire of performing things acceptable unto him 3. Because God imparteth the benefit of justification to none but to them which prove thankfull But no man can prove thankfull but he which receiveth the benefit of regeneration Therefore neither of these can be separated from the other We are farther to note the difference of the first and second cause The first sheweth us What Christ worketh in us by the vertue and power of his death The second teacheth us What things we are bound unto in regard of the benefits we have received Quest 87. Cannot they then be saved which be unthankfull and remain still carelesly in their sins and are not converted from wickednesse unto God Ans By no means For as the Scripture beareth witnesse neither unchaste persons nor idolaters nor adulterers nor theeves nor covetous men nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers shall inherit the kingdome of God a 1 Cor. 6.9 Ephes 5 5 6. 1 John 1.14 The Explication THis Question is a collection or consequent issuing out of the former Question and depending thereon For whereas good works are the fruits of our regeneration and are the thanks we owe unto God and evident arguments of true faith which whosoever have they onely are saved on the contrary it followeth that evill works are the fruits of the flesh unthankfulnesse to God and cleer arguments of infidelity wherein whosoever persevere they cannot be saved Therefore they who are not converted from their evill
in God How beit they are acceptable unto him in Christ the Mediatour through faith that is for the merit and satisfaction of Christ imputed unto us by faith and for his intercession with the Father for us For as wee our selves please God not in our selves but in his Son so also our works being imperfect and defiled in themselves yet are accepted of God for the righteousnesse of his Son wherewith whatsoever is imperfect and uncleane in them is covered so that it cometh not into Gods sight The person who is the Agent of good works must first be acceptable to God and then the workes please him Otherwise the very best works of man without faith are not gratefull unto God but are an abomination unto him because they are nothing but hypocrisie And the works of the person which pleaseth God so please God as the person himself doth Now the person pleaseth God for the Mediatours sake that is by the imputation of the righteousness and sanctification or satisfaction of Christ being clad therewith as with a garment before God and therefore the works also of the person are for the Mediatours sake pleasing and acceptable unto God God doth not examine our imperfect justice and our works as they are in themselves according to the strict rigour of the law according to which he should rather condemne them but regardeth and considereth them in his Son Hence is it that God is said to have had respect unto Abel Gen. 4.4 and to his offering to wit in his Son in whom Abel beleeved Whence Christ also is called our High Priest by whom our workes are offered unto God Heb. 11.4 He is called also the Altar whereon our prayers and works being put are pleasing to God whereas otherwise they should stink in the fight of God Wherefore it followeth that we doe as it were supply and repaire our want and defect with the perfection of Christs satisfaction in Gods judgement Therefore saith Paul Phil. 3.9 That I might be found in him that is not having mine owne righteousnesse which is in the Law but that which is of the faith of Christ c. 5. Why we are to doe good workes and whether they be necessary BEfore in the 86. Question certain impulsive causes unto good works were specified and expressed which pertain unto this place namely Our regeneration having a necessary coherence with our Justification Our gratefulnesse for our Redemption Our glorifying and magnifying of God The confirmation of our faith and election and our good example unto others whereby to winne them unto Christ These weighty causes may most amply be enlarged if we reduce them to these three Classes or principall heads to wit if we say that good works are to be done by us in respect 1. Of God 2. Of our selves 3. Of our neighbour I. Inrespect of God they are to be done In respect of God that Because of the commandement Mat. 5.16 1. Because of the commandement of God Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven God requireth the beginning of obedience in this life and the perfection thereof in the life to come Wherefore we are necessarily to give our selves to good works John 15.12 Rom. 6.13 1 Theff 4.3 that we may perform due obedience unto God who requireth it of us This is my commandement that ye love one another Being made free from sin yee are made the servants of righteousnesse This is the will of God even your sanctification For Gods glory For the glory of God For the setting forth of Gods glory is the chief end why God commandeth and will have good works to be done of us that both by them we may worship and magnifie God and others seeing the same may glorifie out heavenly Father like as that saying of Christ before alledged out of S. Matth. doth teach us To testifie our thankfulnesse Because of that thankfulnesse which the regenerate owe. It is right and just that by whom we are redeemed and from whom we receive exceeding great benefits and those of all sorts we should also love magnifie worship reverence him and declare our love and thankfulnesse towards him by our good works and obedience But God deserveth all our duties by his benefits and wee merit not his benefits by any or all our duties therefore wee owe unto him thankfulnesse in lieu of them which is to be declared in our obedience and good works Rom. 2.1 I beseech you brethren by the mercy of God that you give up your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable serving of God Ye are made an holy Priest-hood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ II. We are to doe good works also in respect of our selves In respect of our selves and that For confirmation to our selves of our faith Mat. 7.18 James 1.20 Phil. 1.11 That by our good works we may make testimony of our faith and may be assured thereof Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit That faith which is without works is dead Filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Now by our works wee must needs know that wee have faith because the effect is not without his cause and wee must know the cause by his proper effect When as therefore we finde not in our selves good works or new obedience wee are hypocrites neither have we faith but an evill conscience For true faith only which never wanteth all her fruits bringeth forth as a fruitfull tree good works obedience and amendment of life and these fruits likewise discern and distinguish true faith from historicall and temporary faith and so also from hypocrifie For our assurance of remission of sins That we may be assured that we have obtained remission of sinnes through Christ and are for Christs sake justified before God for justification and sanctification are benefits linked together which so cleave together and that necessarily as they never can be severed or pulled asunder For Christ obtained both for us at once namely both remission of sins and the holy Ghost who stirreth up in us by faith the study and desire of good works and new obedience For our assurance of our Election 2. Pet. 1.10 That we may be assured of our Election and Salvation Give diligence to make your calling and election sure These proceed from the cause next going before For God hath chosen from everlasting of his free mercy those only which are justified for the merit of his Son Whom hee predestinated Rom. 8.30 them also he called and them also he justified Therefore we are assured of our Election through Justification and that we have received from Christ our Justification which is never given unto the Elect without Sanctification wee know by faith And that we have faith
said to be free 164.165 Free-will The state of the maine question about free-will 75. What it is 76. The difference of it in God Angels and Men. ibid. 77.78.79 Whether there be any free-will in us and what it is 82.83 The manner and degrees of mans free-will 83.84.86.87 The beginning of mans will to good whence it is 91. Reasons why the Regenerate use liberty not onely to good but to evill also 92.93 G GOds Whence sprang the multitude of gods 163. But there is but one proved by eight arguments 168.169 Glory Two things signified by Gods glory 156. God How he is the cause of sinne not as sinne but as punishments 67. Vide plura 68.69.70 Sin is not made of God because it is no creature but the corruption of a creature 71. God though the mover of wicked wils yet not the mover of the wickednesse of the will 80. God is said to wish any thing two waies 87. Meerly GOD could satisfie for man 114. Three causes of mens doubting whether there be a God 146. Reasons proving that there is a God ibidem c. Who and what God is 149.150 Why Nature cannot throughly shew what GOD is 150. The Theologicall and Philosophicall descriptions of GOD. 151. A threefold difference of God and Idols ibidem How the parts of mans body are attributed to GOD. 152. More concerning the explication of Gods attributes 152.153.154.155 c. Three things meant by Gods unchangeablenesse and five reasons of it 157. How he is said to repent ibidem Of his goodnesse and righteousnesse 160. Proofes that there is but one God 168.169 Two significations of the word GOD. 169. God a Father in divers respects 179. Gods providence what and why to be knowne 193.197 Arguments against the Divinity of the Sonne and holy Ghost 262.263 How GOD is said to be Our God 532. What it is to have other gods 533. Errours touching God ibid. God Foure significations of Gods Name 556. Goodnesse Six significations of Gods goodnesse in Scripture 160. All good is done by the will of God 199. what things are said to be good ibid. Gospel The differences betweene the Law and Gospel are two pag. 2.126 yea foure 130. The Gospel what and its threefold signification 127. What order is to be observed in teaching the Law and the Gospel 128. It s perpetuity in the Church ibid. c. How the Gospel was promised to our Fathers 129. It s proper effects 131. It s certainty how it appeareth ibid. Grace Gods deniall of grace no cruelty but oft a way to greater mercy 85. Readinesse of minde to receive grace is not before conversion but after 89. Gravity What. 594. H HAllow What it signifieth 632. How wee pray for the hallowing of Gods name 633. Hand What the right hand of God signifieth 322. Foure things wherein Christs sitting at Gods right hand consisteth 322. A full description of it 323. How he may be said to sit alwaies there 324. With other circumstances 325.326 Head Christ is our head in three respects 235. Heaven Two Arguments why GOD is said to be specially in heaven 184. Heaven is the seate of the Elects blessednesse ibid. What heaven signifieth 313. How Christ ascended thither 314. Vide Ascension Hell Of Christs descending into hell 303. The significations of the word hell in Scripture ibid. c. The use of Christs descending into hell 306. Heresies Divers sorts of them confuted 296. Holy What it signifieth 632. Vide Hallow Holy Ghost Of the sinne against the holy Ghost 59. Why called Vnpardonable ibidem c. Why so called 60. Rules touching this sinne ibid. The differences betweene other sinnes pardoned and this of the holy Ghost 60.61 It is not incident to the Elect. ibid. c. We may not judge any man to sin against the holy Ghost untill we see him dead in apostasie and blasphemy 61. How the Sonne was conceived by the holy Ghost 270.271 What we beleeve concerning the holy Ghost 335. With many necessary circumstances concerning that person in Trinity à pag. 335. and 346. It s proceeding from the Sonne proved three waies 338. It s divers titles 341. Its gifts of two sorts 342. What is meant by giving the holy Ghost 343.344 The sending of it is no locall motion 344. How retained and how lost 345. A distinction between blasphemy against God and against the holy Ghost 558. vide Spirit Hope Faith and Hope how they differ 137. Vices contrary to Hope 536. Humanity What. 600. Humility What. 538. Hypocrisie What. 541. I JEhovah No English word will retaine it but the word Lord. 261. Jesus Why the Son of God was called Jesus 220. What the name signifieth and the differences between his name and others so named 121. How the whole three persons may be said to be Saviours ibid. From what evils and how Jesus saveth us 222.223 Whom he saveth 224. Why Jesus is called Christ 226. Two causes for which Jesus was called Christ 227. Idols Idolatry A three-fold difference of God and Idols 151. Idolatry what it is 527. Two sorts of Idols 334. A twofold Idolatry 540. Image What the image of God is in man 42. How far lost 43. How repaired 44. Christ called the image of God in two respects 43. So Angels and Men. ibid. The ends for which God preserveth a remnant of his image in man 44. Whether any images may be made 546.547 The divers names of an image 547. Images not simply forbidden 547. Two sorts of unlawfull images 548. Foure reasons of the unlawfulnesse of making an image of God 548. A Table for the distinction of images 549.550 Whether all worship at images be forbidden 590. Why images are to be abolished 551. Eight causes why images are to be abolished in Churches ibid. How and by whom they are to be abolished 552. Three differences between the images in Solomons time and ours 553. Impossibilities Whether God were unjust in imposing impossibilities pag. 99. The causes and ends of his commanding them 100. Incarnation A confession of the incarnation of the Word by the father of Antioch 289. c. Inclinations Proofes that corrupt inclinations are sin 51. Indifferent Things indifferent are diligently to be discerned from Gods worship 541. Indignation What. 599. Infants Whether they sin wanting will 54. Their baptisme proved to be meet and lawfull by foure arguments 417. Anabaptists objections against it answered 418.419 How infants beleeve 420. Two reasons why infants may not be admitted to the Lords Supper though they are to Baptisme 421. Intercession How Christ maketh intercession for us 318. Judge Judgment Of the last Judgement with 13. circumstances thereof See à pag. 327. ad 334. Just Justice Christ perfectly just foure waies 115. How we are just before God 379.382 What our justice is and how manifold 380.381 In what Justice differeth from Justification 381. How Christs satisfaction is made our justice 383. Vide Righteous or Righteousnesse Communicative Justice what 606. What originall justice towards God and our
157. Patience What. 539. Perfection In what sense the Scripture doth attribute perfection to the works of the Regenerate 94. How God is most perfect in himselfe 155. Whether our conversion hath perfection in this life 505. Whether our works be perfectly good and being not so how they can please God 510. 511. Whether those that are converted may perfectly keep the commandements of God 615. 616. Permit Permission Three causes why God is said to permit sinne 201. Gods permission of sin confirmed by Scripture 202. Gods permission is the withdrawing of his grace ibid. Person Of the three persons in the Trinity and why named three being but one in substance 146. What a person is 170. The difference betweene Essence and Person ibid. 171. The reason why this difference is to be held ibid. What reference Essence hath to Person 172. The properties of the Persons are distinct and divers 257. 258. Whether Christ be one person or more 275. 276. Objections against it answered ibid. c. Philosophy It s nature and lawfull and fruitfull use thereof 3. The differences betweene it and Church doctrine ibid. worlds creation unknowne to Philosophers 182. Their Arguments against it ibid. Prayer What 624. Foure sorts of it ibid. why prayer is necessary for Christians ibid. Eight conditions of true prayer 626. A difference of things to be prayed for 627. A difference betweene the prayer of the godly and of the wicked 628. The Lords Prayer expounded ibid. c. The causes why Christ taught us that forme ibid. c. Predestination Vide Election Nine circumstances thereof 352. c. what 355. the difference between it and Providence ibid. Its causes 355. 356. The effects of it 357. Whether unchangeable 357. 358. whether we can be certaine of our predestination 358. Presence A five-fold maner of Christs presence 317. Pride What. 538. Priest Priesthood What Christs Priesthood is 231. The high Priests prerogative under the law ibid. Three differences betweene the Priests and Prophets under the law 232. Christ the true prefigured high-priest ibid. Foure differences betweene Christ and other priests 232. 233. What a Christians priesthood is and its particulars 236. How Christ maketh us Priests ibidem Promises Gods promises not unprofitable to the unregenerate 91. Prophanenesse What. 541. Prophet Propheticall What Christs propheticall function is and the signification of the name Prophet 229. Two kinds of Prophets ibid. Foure testimonies of the truth of the Prophets doctrine of old ib. What a Prophet of the New Testament is 230. Christ a Prophet from the beginning ibidem Six differences betweene Christs being a Prophet and others before him ibid. c. Providence What Gods providence is 194. 197. The proofes of it 194. 195. 196. 202. Two parts of it 197. The degrees of Gods providence and testimonies of it 203. Proofes of his generall and particular providence 204. 205. c. Places of Scripture wrested against Gods providence 218. What the knowledge of Gods providence profiteth us ibid. Just causes why it may be knowne 219. The deniall of it shaketh all the grounds of Religion ibid. Punishment How God may be said to will punishment 68. The degrees of punishments of the ungodly 103. 104. The conditions of him that may be punished for another 113. The evill of punishment is a morall good and is done by God for three causes 199. Q. QUickning How the spirit quickneth pag. 23. Three parts of quickning 503. why the latter part of our conversion is called quickning 504. Quietnesse Two significations of the word in Philosophy 183. R REason How far we listen to Reason in divine matters 443. Reconcile It hath foure parts 120. No reconciliation without a Mediatour ibid. Regeneration It is but begun in this life pag. 55. The regenerate lose the grace of God in part but not whole in this life 56. The good workes of the regenerate not perfect in this like 93. 94. In what sense the Scripture attributes perfection to the works of the regenerate 94. Regeneration doth assure us of Justification 95. Christs Godhead proved by our regeneration 251. 252. Whether the regenerate can perfectly keep the law 616. A threefold difference betweene the regenerates and unregenerates sinning ibid. Repentance How God is said to repent 157. Reprobation How reprobates are said to be lightned and sanctified 61. Resurrection What Christs resurrection profiteth us 306. The manifold circumstances of his resurrection 306. 307. 308. The fruits of it 310. Five Reasons for our resurrection 311. more of it 364. 365. c. What it is and the errours concerning it 370. Proofes of its certainty ibid. c. The same body shall rise 372. How when and by what power the resurrection shall be 373. For what end and to what estate we shall rise 374. Reward No good worke of the creature meriteth reward pag. 217. 387. Three causes why God promiseth to reward our works 388. Riches Whether it be lawfull to desire them 644. Or to lay them up for hereafter 645. Righteousnesse The righteousnesse of God both generall and particular 160. How we are righteous before God 379. What righteousnesse is in generall and how manifold 380. Vide Justice Imputed righteousnesse is eternall 392. S SAbbath Three causes why the commandement of the Sabbath was so severely commanded 576. What the Sabbath is and how kept both by God and men ibid. What works are forbidden on the Sabbath 577. Two reasons why our children and families must keepe the Sabbath ibid. Objections about the Sabbath answered 577. 578. Why our cattell must rest on the Sabbath 578. How manifold the Sabbath is 578. 579. Many Sabbaths in the Old Testament 579. A Table of the distinction of the Sabbath 580. How the Sabbath belongeth to us Christians ibid. A double difference betweene the Christian and Jewish observation of the Sabbath 582. The causes why the Sabbath was instituted ibid. How the Sabbath is sanctified and how profaned 583. 584. 485. Saints What is meant by the Communion of Saints 360. Popish objections for invocation of Saints answered 562. 563. 564. c. Sacraments They are signes of the Covenant 124. 393. The originall word Sacrament what 394. It s definition with its difference from other signes 395. Their ends 396. 397. Sacrament and Sacrifice how different 397. How the old and new Sacraments differ 398. The difference of the signes and things signified in the Sacraments 399. What is the right and lawfull use of Sacraments 341. What the wicked receive in the Sacraments ibid. in what the Word and Sacraments agree and in what they differ 402. their number 403. Vide Baptisme and Supper of the Lord. Satisfaction Of Legall and Evangelicall satisfaction 108. We can make no satisfaction for two reasons 112. No other creature could satisfie for man but man 113. Meerely God could not satisfie for man 114. Christs satisfaction is made ours two waies 383. When we may be assured of Christs satisfaction imputed unto us 384. Why and how 384. 385. Sacrifice
made a curse for us upon the tree hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law e Ephes 1.7 Col. 1.14 We have redemption by his bloud f Col. 1.20 Having made peace by the bloud of his Crosse by him he hath reconciled all things to himselfe hath reconciled them in the body of his flesh by death g 1 Pet. 1.18 We are redeemed by the precious bloud of the immaculate Lamb. h Isa 53.5 By whose stripes we are healed i 1 John 1.7 The bloud of Christ purgeth us from all our sins k Rev. 19. 7.14 Thou hast redeemed us by thy bloud They have washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe The latter is this The Scripture defines our whole justification by remission of sins through the bloud of Christ therefore onely the effusion of bloud is that by imputation of which we are justified and the remission of sins is our whole righteousnesse They confirme the Antecedent by testimonies of Scripture l Luke 18.13 God be mercifull to me a sinner I tell you that he went downe unto his house justified rather then the other m Acts 13.38 Be it knowne to you that to you is preached remission of sins through him and from all things from which by the Law you could not be absolved by him all that beleeve are justified Here to be absolved to be justified to have remission of sins are the same things David pronounceth that man blessed to whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works n Rom. 4.7 Psal 32.1 Blessed are they whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are hid Blessed is the man to whom God imputeth no sin o Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth who shall condemne It is Christ who is dead c. p 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling to himselfe the world by not imputing to them their sins q Ephes 1.7 In whom we have redemption by his bloud that is remission of sins c. They have also other arguments which for brevities sake I omit they alledge also for themselves the Catechisme of the Palatinate qq 37.45.66.55.57.72.76.80.84 c. In which it is taught that we obtaine remission of sins justice and life eternall for the alone sacrifice of Christ on the Crosse and that onely the bloud of Christ purgeth us from all sin which very thing is every-where found in the Directory of the Palatinate Hitherto the different opinions concerning justice I now passe to the second head where I will briefly shew without prejudice to others what I can approve or disapprove in those who follow the first opinion I cannot see how they can prove out of Scripture the imputation of Gods essential justice or why that should be said to be imputed seeing man was never obliged either to the possession or performance of it for God never conferred upon man his essentiall justice and man never lost it They make God then unjust as if he did require of man divine justice which he never gave him nor ever will give him The reason is a Paralogisme non causae for although whole Christ is a King Priest and Saviour and whole Christ justifieth yet it is knowne that he performes the effects of his office among which is justification by the distinct operations of his natures therefore whole Christ justifieth but one way according to his divinity to wit as the efficient cause another way according to his humanity to wit as a meritorious cause and the dignity of the merit flowes from the dignity of the person that is from the deity of the Mediatour But from hence it doth not follow that the deity can challenge any part of the merit being the fountaine of merit It behooved then the Mediatour to be God not that the deity or justice of the deity might be imputed to us or according to Osianders madnesse essentially dwelling in us might become our justice but for the cause explained in the Catechisme q. 17. Therefore the justice of the divinity differs from merit as the cause from the effect Other inconveniences also of this opinion belong to the two ensuing therefore I joyne the second and third opinion together for they differ not save onely that the one makes two parts the other three parts of imputative justice All which opinions are subject to the same inconveniences 1. All confound the justice of the person and of the merit of Christ which the Scripture oftentimes conjoynes but doth also manifestly distinguish as the efficient cause or sine qua non and the materiall cause of our justice as My righteous servant by his knowledge shall justifie many For such an High-Priest became us who might be holy separated from sinners that he might offer not for his owne but for the sins of the people Him who knew not sin he hath made sin for us that we c. 1 Pet. 3. Christ suffered once the just for the unjust And so our Catechisme quest 15.16 2. These distinctions which they make betweene not unjust and just betweene not transgressing of the Law and fulfilling of the Law betweene not dead and alive they have more subtlety then verity being indeed equivalent termes as I will afterward shew for of necessity he that before God is not unjust must be just who transgresseth not the Law fulfils it who is not dead is alive Seeing all these are immediate contraries one of which being affirmed or denied the other must necessarily be affirmed or denied 3. If by the imputation of the passive obedience we are not as yet just but onely not unjust how is this true We are justified by the bloud of his Son We are reconciled by his death c 4. If remission of sins be not whole justification how can that be true Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven Rom. 4. c. how doth the Apostle in the same place take for the same thing To impute righteousnesse and Not to impute sin 5. If the omission of obedience to the Law and the imperfection of our holinesse are not expiated by Christs passive obedience but necessarily that must be covered with Christs actuall obedience this with his naturall holinesse how againe can this be true The bloud of Jesus Christ purgeth us from all sin unlesse perhaps omission and imperfection be not sins 6. If we are not justified by the passive but by the active obedience of Christ how is it that Christ died not in vaine For what need was there that Christ should die and by his death procure to us pardon for our sins if by his just and holy life he had already merited righteousnesse for us for righteousnesse necessarily presupposeth remission of sins 7. It is manifest that all these partitions of Christs merits into two or three members do exceedingly derogate either from the death of Christ or from the justice of God For these
two or three parts of our justice are either three perfect justices of Christ every one of which apart satisfieth the Law or they are so many imperfect justices concurring to make up one perfect righteousnesse If they are imperfect do they not manifestly derogate from the death of Christ If perfect how is not God unjust who for one fault demands two or three perfect satisfactions whereas his justice requires but one 8. If a part of our justice must be sought for here a part there a part in the death a part in the actuall Antecedent obedience and a part in the naturall holinesse of Christ is not our faith dangerously distracted and our comfort undermined 9. Lastly that which chiefly with-holds me is that I reade no-where in Scripture such a tripartite or bipartite division of our justice I reade no-where that Christs humane holinesse is imputed to us that either it or any part of it is our righteousnesse If any man hath read it I intreat him to shew it that I may also reade and beleeve it Neither do I reade this any-where of actuall obedience nor do the five testimonies which they bring prove any such thing which I briefly shew thus Out of that saying Rom. 5. they conclude more then followes for the consequence will not hold We are justified by Christs obedience ergo by his active obedience The Apostle sets in opposition Christs obedience and Adams disobedience not as action against action but as satisfaction against the fault as the remedy against the disease otherwise the sinnes of omission were not transgressions but Adams sin was not onely a perpetration of evill but the omission of good also Now the obedience which he understands here in another place he doth more expresly declare saying He was made obedient to death even the death of the Crosse But this was the obedience of his exinanition and of death and of the same obedience Theophylact interprets both places Therefore we deny that in this other place which they object the second time any mention is made of two obediences for the text sheweth that the Apostle speakes of his continuated obedience Even to the death of the Crosse Phil. 2. which began when he assumed a servile condition and ended with his death Gal. 4. Neither doth that place Gal. 4. availe any whit to the active obedience for how Christ for us was made subject to the Law the Apostle himselfe explaines cleerely chap. 3. He redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham may be extended upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus But this is understood of Christs voluntary humiliation even to the death appointed by the Law for our sins How notwithstanding this place may be understood of the servitude to the whole Law I will speake hereafter In that saying to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1. the Apostle joyneth foure things but not as parts of imputed justice for who will reckon among these wisdome or redemption it selfe but as the chiefe heads of Christs benefits of which some do helpe us onely by imputation as justice others by reall participation also in this life inchoatively in the other life perfectly as all the rest Hence then no partition can be proved In that place to the Romans is the fallacy of Figura dictionis Rom. 8. for there The Law of the Spirit of life doth not signifie life or Christs active obedience much lesse his formall holinesse but it signifieth the doctrine or quickning grace of the Gospell The place is somewhat obscure but by the scope the simple meaning may be knowne that the remainders of the flesh condemne not godly men if so be they make resistance against them by the helpe of the Spirit What the Apostle said in the first verse he proves in the second by supposing his owne person from the effect of the Gospell The Law saith he of the spirit of life that is the doctrine or grace of the Gospell which is the ministery of the Spirit of life or of that which makes us live in Christ Jesus hath made me free that is hath absolved me and all the faithfull and pronounceth us free from the law of sin and of death that is from condemnation with which the Law threatneth sinners therefore the Apostle opposeth here the law of the Spirit and the law of death as he opposeth the ministery of the Spirit and the Ministery of condemnation 2 Cor. 3.8 as if he would say Although that killing law endeavoureth to condemne those that are justified in Christ Jesus because of the remainders of sin in them with which as yet they wrestle yet the Law of the Spirit of life that is the living doctrine and grace of the Gospell doth absolve them from damnation notwithstanding these remainders of sin seeing these also are pardoned them through Christ for The bloud of Jesus Christ purgeth us from all sin and from all remainders of sin This without prejudice to other mens judgements seems to me to be the genuine meaning of the Apostle But this by the way I hasten to the other Arguments To the sixth wee have already answered Christ wholly quickneth us but one way as he is the efficient another way as he is the matter of righteousnesse And neverthelesse he all justifieth although his passion or death is onely said to be imputed for he all suffered and dyed Neither is his active obedience excluded from merit or justification though it is not said to be imputed which is that the seventh Reason would have For how can the efficient cause or that which is called sine qua non be excluded from its effect Truly both the obediences as well the active as the passive were required in the Mediatiour for our justification but after a divers way that as the cause sine qua non or without which the effect cannot be produced as also his naturall holinesse this as the matter In the eighth Reason we deny the Antecedent For it was never heard that the Law did oblige both to obedience and punishment at the same time but every law obligeth dis-junctively not copulatively either to obedience or to punishment For so long as obedience is performed the Law obligeth no man to punishment that is it pronounceth no man guilty of punishment but promiseth life but when obedience is violated then the Law obligeth the sinner to punishment This is generally true both of divine and humane lawes Therefore their suppositions which they here assume are untrue and repugnant to Gods justice 1. That Adam before his fall at once was tyed to obedience and punishment 2. That man after his fall and so the Mediatour for man was obliged both to fulfill the Law and to suffer punishment When obedience indeed is violated the sinner is bound to make satisfaction by punishment this being performed he is no more a sinner and he is tyed to obedience not to that for the violation
to obedience and punishment together for it were great iniquitie to oblige them to punishment that obey the Law but dis-junctively either to obedience of his humane justice with the Law as the chiefe perfection of the person of the Mediatour without which he could not be our High-Priest and Saviour so the justice of his merit or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not onely the bloud and death but comprehends also all the obedience of his humiliation from the minute of his conception even till the death of the Crosse For the whole life of Christ being full of miseries and sorrowes what else was it then a perpetuall suffering and punishment for our sins For by the order of divine justice whereas Christ was most just his life should not have been miserable and calamitous but altogether sorrowlesse fortunate and happy but in that it was miserable it was by reason hee suffered and satisfied for our sins 4. Therefore when the Scripture points out to us justice in the bloud crosse and death of Christ he doth not speak exclusively as if the sufferings that went before his death did nothing belong to his merit but synecdochically comprehending under the complete finishing of our redemption all the antecedent degrees also that is the beginning encrease and consummation The beginning was in his Incarnation when having assumed the forme of a servant hee became poore c. for us The encrease was throughout all his life which he led in perpetuall miseries tentations and dangers being subject to Gods wrath for us Lastly the consummation was in his crosse and death when giving up the ghost he cried out It is finished All these the Prophet conjoynes in the price of our redemption which Christ paid for us He did truly beare our infirmities Isa 53. and took upon him our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and with his stripes we are healed So the Apostle 2 Corinth 5. When he was rich be became poore for us that we by his poverty might be rich So Herb. 2. He was made somewhat inferiour to the Angels by suffering of death But chiefly Phil. 2. Being in the forme of God he emptied himselfe taking the forme of a servant and he humbled himselfe being made obedient even to the death of the Crosse Nor will their cavill availe in saying that the Apostle speaks not here of the matter of our justice it is enough that he here extends Christs obedience which elsewhere he shewed was our justice to his whole humiliation Neither is that place Hebr. 9.22 against us Without shedding of bloud there is no remission It onely followes from hence that the shedding 〈◊〉 bloud is not excluded from the cause of remission but that it is the cause sine qua non of this But it will not follow that it is the onely cause or that death which followed or the antecedent sufferings are excluded Therefore to Christs death belongeth the whole obedience of his humiliation even to the death of the Crosse 5. But why the Scripture ascribes merit which Christ hath purchased for us in all the course of his obedience to his death as if it were peculiar onely and proper to that the reason is because the sufficiencie of merit consisteth in the death of Christ alone for had hee not dyed the obedience of his humiliation had not been absolute neither had the wrath of God in threatning death to Adam been satisfied Therefore all the rest of Christs obedience without dying had been an insufficient merit and unprofitable to us But they who attribute the merit of justice to his active obedience or naturall holinesse they make void doubtlesse the death of Christ This explication true and consonant to Scripture being observed it will appeare 1. That there is something amisse in both sides of the controvertents in the former because they confound the justice of the person with the justice of merit and by dividing merit into many heterogeneall parts they doe not onely disturbe our faith and comfort but also against Scripture they separate justification from Christs death In the later because from the justice of merit they exclude the whole life of Christ with his humility and sufferings that went before his death And they oppose the exclusive particle Alone in their phrases as when they say The death of Christ alone justifieth His bloud alone purgeth to his life and antecedent obedience whereas it is opposed in meritorious or materiall causes partly to personall justice partly and chiefly to mens merits and all other externall causes except they restraine this particle Alone to sufficiency of which wee have said in the fifth position Againe it will appeare that this will be an easie way to reconcile the controversie if all of them will agree to urge against the Papists and mens merits all these common passages in which as I said already they agree concerning free justification of faith by Christs imputed justice and that they would not use scrupulous disputations concerning this justice or the matter of imputative justice before the people in their Sermons but that they would use Scripture phrases and be content that we are justified not by workes but by faith not by our owne righteousnesse but by anothers obedience to wit by the bloud and death of the Son of God imputed to us and applyed by faith c. For these are sufficient to beget true comfort to all and to refute humane merits As for the controversie it selfe if it must at all be handled in the Schooles it is needfull for a tolerable reconciliation to beware on both sides that the Disputants minds may not be too much alienated The later sort are offended at the partition of merit into so many divers pieces because they see many absurdities spring from thence and the Scripture to be wronged On the other side the former are offended by restraining merit to the death of Christ because they feare lest his life and antecedent obedience be excluded against the Scripture What shall be done then It is needfull that the one forbeare to divide the matter of merit into two three or foure as they use and that they doe not separate the merit of justice from Christs death nor justification from remission of sins That the others restraine not merit to the effusion of bloud upon the Crosse or to the three dayes death and that they exclude not his life and antecedent obedience And both must distinguish with the Scripture personall justice from merit as the efficient cause or sine qua non from the materiall seeing many inconveniences must arise of confusion by which the sense of Scripture is overthrowne the consciences are disturbed and occasion of cavilling is ministred to Papists as we shewed in the first and second Position 2. Let the personall justice of the Mediatour be rightly limited according to the third Position 3. Let the justice of merit be rightly defined and let the Synecdoche
and in the obedience of faith by the grace of the holy Ghost On the other side what sort of men he hath appointed to condemne to wit such as are not converted Infidels strangers from Christ both which is taught in the Gospell So many good men chiefly Politicians judge of this Article neither do they think it fitting to wade deeper into this Controversie especially seeing it seemes to ascribe all the meanes of salvation fully to God to Christ and to grace And truly here should be no question if the Authors meant onely this that by this Article is explained the popular doctrine of the qualities of those that shall be saved or damned But because in the Conference they professe Coll. Hag. p. 84. That this Article containes the doctrine of predestination to salvation but deny that the qualities of those that shall be saved to wit faith and perseverance proceed from predestination as from their fountaine but contend that these are in order before predestination or election and not obscurely they make them depend upon mans will whence necessarily God must be robbed of the full glory of our salvation man must be puffed up with pride our Christian comfort in life and death must be undermined free justification and the assurance of salvation must be denied whatsoever they pretend in their garnished speeches to the contrary Therefore this Article cannot be simply approved of and it is full of equivocations and dangerous swelling phrases under which Pelagianisme is under-hand brought into the Church which fraud that it might appeare the lesse they purposely abstaine from the word predestination Now in Austines time the Pelagian Heresie was thus 1. That Adams sin hutted no man but himselfe and that man is not borne now in a worse condition then he was created 2. That Christ was seene and died to expiate all sins committed by imitation of Adam 3. That salvation in Christ is so proposed to all men that whosoever will beleeve and be baptised may be saved 4. That God fore-knew before the foundation of the world who were to beleeve and doe good works and who were to continue in the Faith being assisted by grace and that he predestinated for his kingdome whom he fore-saw being freely called would beleeve above others and would be worthy of their calling and should die an happie â—eath 5. That the grace of God was given to all men according to their merit for the better using of their free-will 6. And that in this life so much is given that man may if he will be free from all sin Against this Heresie Hierome and Austine disputed at large and Austine retracted three whole Chapters Tom. 7. in opusculis 1. Concerning originall sin 2. Of grace and the cause of predestination 3. Of the perfection of righteousnesse Pelagius in the Synod of Palestina being condemned did so farre revoke his errour that he wished Anathema to him that thinks or sayes Apud Augustin de grat Christi cap. 2. that the grace of God by which Christ came into this world to save sinners is not necessary not onely every houre or every moment but also to every one of our actions and who goe about to take this away they shall be punished eternally Who would not cleere Pelagius in this case but under the buskin of this word grace he deluded the Palestine Bishops as Austine sheweth he left behinde him two disciples Caelestius and Julianus young men of a sharpe wit and with whom Austine in Africa had much adoe At last this infection flew over the Mediterrane-sea into Sicilie and Marsiles in France not all of it but onely so much as concerned the point of grace and predestination and the death of Christ the Asserters of which were called Semi-pelagians and the remainders of the Pelagians of which points there are extant the Epistles of Prosper Aquitanicus and of Hilarius Arelatensis to Austine whose learned Answer contained in two Books of the predestination of the Saints and of the good of perseverance and in a third concerning correction and grace To which Answer if the Authors of these Articles at this day would stand as they may and should stand for it is altogether S. Pauls doctrine the matter had beene decided ere this For indeed Arminius with his followers have at this day re-assumed the cause of the Marsilians and Syracusians but somewhat more handsomly dressed Neither could he be ignorant of this and therefore he used but little ingenuity in his tergiversation when he wrote in the Articles That he acknowledgeth neither Semi-pelagianisme objected against him nor nine nor five nor foure inches of it But to returne to the Article in it there be divers equivocations as shall appeare 1. The first lofty phrase lieth hid in Gods immutable Decree According to Scripture that is Gods immutable Decree which absolutely is not changed nor by the creatures can be changed for so God pronounceth himselfe immutable and his counsell immutable Mal. 3.6 Isaiah 46.10 I am God and change not My counsell shall stand and I will do all that I have decreed But they understand that God by an immutable Decree indeed hath decreed to save beleevers in regard of the species that is none but beleevers but not by a decree altogether immutable in respect of the individuals to wit of this or that beleever but under a condition if this or that beleever do not cause a change For they thinke as appeares by the fifth Article that they who beleeve to day may be unbeleevers to morrow and againe of unbeleevers may come to beleeve consequently therefore they thinke that God to day may decree not to save which yesterday by his immutable decree he appointed to save and that againe he can decree to save them still changing their condition If this be to give to God an immutable decree let themselves judge sure Jam. 1.17 no shadow can be more changeable then such a decree which the Scripture denieth The Authors Decreti Holland pag. 5. place such a decree in God Mat. 11.21 23.37 denying That any by God are invited to salvation to whom he hath not altogether decreed to give salvation for this being granted we must say that God had altogether decreed to give salvation to the Cities of Judea and Galilee whom Christ by preaching invited to salvation but seeing they beleeved not they were not saved therefore either he before did â—ot decree to save them or afterward he changed his decree 2. The second â—â—â—â—ing phrase and that the chiefest the foundation of the rest containing the â—â—â—â—â—e of the whole cause and difference of both parts is in the word appointed This according to the Scripture signifieth to us that God not onely from eternity appoâ—â—â—ed to save them who in time beleeve and persevere and are saved but also to elect them in Christ and to predestinate them to salvation and decreed to bestow on them qualities requisite to salvation to wit faith
of our Catechisme which saith That by nature we are propense to hate God and our neighbour that we are so corrupt that to doe well we are altogether unapt This sure is it which resistible grace goeâ—h about to abolish Out of all this it is manifest that the Remonstrants in both Articles Art 1. coth 7. especially in the closure of the fourth either abuse the equivocation of the word grace explained above affirming that the operation of calling perswading exciting grace which they call adventitious and precedaneous is resistible which orthodoxall men deny not and so with vain debates they trouble the Church and State or by understanding the operation of grace producing faith and conversion they dangerously corrupt the doctrine of grace with Pelagius or lastly they do entangle themselves again with the knot of contradiction in ascribing to operating grace alone faith and conversion and making the same resistible that is indifferently depending from the will of man Again while they professe that faith is the meer gift of God and yet make the same to depend resistibly from the assent of mans will they fall into such contradictions that no Sophistry can reconcile But Col. p. 502. when the Adversary as we said before is forced to contradict himselfe it is knowne that he is subdued They deny that grace whether resistible Col. p. 226. or not proceeds from Gods absolute decree for this they hate worse then dog or snake But it is sufficient that the Apostle witnesseth this where he conjoynes vocation not externall onely Rom. 8.30 but most properly internall justification the producer of faith immediately with predestination as the effect with the first cause But what-ever this is it will no wise help their turn Suppose there were no predestination in heaven no election yet this most firm principle of Scripture remains asserted by Austin in the fore-alledged places That Almighty God hath a most omnipotent power over the wills of men and that he can according to his pleasure either leave the wills themselves in their sins or encline them to good i.e. make them irresistible to his grace With which principle if resistibilitie of grace could stand which they feign i.e. the imbecillitie and indifferencie for effecting of faith and that power of mens wils in rebelling against grace and God himself working in man I say if these could stand God could not be Almighty nor would there ever be any conversion of man to God nor regeneration which is so evident that no Sophistry can elude it And this is sufficient concerning the 3d. 4th Article And how tolerable these are every man may see ARTICLE V. Who are by true faith ingraffed into Jesus Christ and therefore partakers of his quickning Spirit they have power sufficient to fight against Satan sin the world and their owne flesh and to obtain the victory but by the help of the grace of the holy Spirit So Jesus Christ is present by his spirit to them in all tentations stretching out his hand and confirming them if they be ready for the combate if they require his help nor be wanting to themselves and this so much Hebr. 3.6 14. 2 Pet. 1.10 Jude 3. 1 Tim. 1.14 Heb. 11.15 that by no cunning of Satan or strength can they be seduced or taken out of Christs hands according to that of John 10. No man can take them out of mine hand But whether these same may not by their negligence desert their beginning in Christ and embrace again this present world and whether they may not fall off from the holy doctrine once delivered to them make shipwrack of their consciences and fall away from grace ought to be weighed fully out of holy Scriptures before they can be taught with full tranquillitie of mind and plenitude of confidence The Examination WHereas the Remonstrants in this Article professe that they deliver in their Conference the doctrine of the Saints perseverance in faith wee may justly wonder why they are so wary in expressing the word perseverance or persevering and much more why they are afraid once to name God except it be because they betray in the adversative clause that they would have both the name and the thing quite extermined out of the Church But their consciences did so dictate to them that God would never blesse so wicked a designe that they cannot endure perseverance should be called the gift of God Col. p. 407. and are not ashamed to write that it is ill done to call it so But if we must speak the truth by this means they do too much bewray their perversnesse and ignorance For is it not perversnesse to say that is not rightly called the gift of God which God hath so often in Scripture promised to bestow upon the faithfull and which the Saints so earnestly desire God to bestow on them Is it not ignorance to deny perseverance to be a gift and that infused and not to think that perseverance is nothing else but faith it selfe persevering to the end But is not faith the gift of God infused Col. p. 502. Do not they themselves confesse that it is the meer gift of God But they cannot be ignorant that Austin in a book by it selfe asserted the gift of perseverance against the remainders of the Pelagians to which book he gave the title Of the good of perseverance the argument thereof is nothing else but the same to wit That perseverance in faith to the end is the gift of God is to be sought of God and is given truly to all that are called and predestinate according to the purpose of God This is Austins opinion These men throughout all their Conference as appeares can well enough endure the perseverance of the Saints but no waies that it should proceed from predestination as the effect from the cause or that it should be held certaine seeing all the engines of these five Articles are devised and directed to overthrow the counsell of Gods discretive predestination And on the contrary to erect the idoll of self-power in us But let us weigh the words of this fifth Article The fifth answereth the fourth For whereas the fourth with the third is very bountifull in extolling of grace but what it gave in the last clause it took away so this very carefully provides for the means and security of salvation in the faithfull in the three former parts for it is quadripartite as it seems 1. That they have meanes sufficient to resist Satan and sin by the help of grace 2. That Jesus Christ in all tentations is present with them and reacheth out his hands to them 3. That he so confirmes them that they cannot be seduced or taken out of Christs hands by any deceit or violence of Satan With such large priviledges they have sufficiently provided for perseverance But as before so here there is poyson in the taile for what they granted in the adversative appendix they call it in
hath sent He that beleeveth in the Son hath everlasting life That all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father This is a certain and invincible argument of the Deity of the Son for faith is a worship due only to God OF THE NAME JESVS But that it may be the better understood that by the name Jesus the office of the Sonne of God the Mediatour is designed these foure questions are to be considered 1. What is signified by the word Jesus 2. From what evils he saveth or delivereth 3. How hee saveth 4. Whom hee saveth 1. What the name Jesus signifieth THe question touching the name Jesus concerneth not so much the Etimologie and peculiar sense which this name importeth but especially respecteth the office of the Son of God therin implyed The word Jesus in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 1.21 and in Hebrew Jehoscuah or Jescuah signifieth a Saviour and Authour of safety which Name God himself gave unto the Mediatour 0166 0 in the new testament This true Etymon or original signification of this word is assigned by the Angel saying For he shall save his people from their sinnes Luke 1.31 The Son of God therefore is called Jesus in respect of his office by an excellencie 1. In that he is our Mediatour who saveth and delivereth from the evils both of crime and punishment 2. And that alone 3. Yea and most perfectly whether we respect the number of these evils hee delivereth us from them all or the degrees of them hee hath utterly annihilated the greatest yea and smallest portion of them And the salvation which he tendereth unto us is righteousnes and life everlasting Jesus is our Saviour This is gathered out of his very name because he hath not a bare title without the thing it selfe but farther therewith performeth and executeth the office of a Mediatour Object Many others were called by the Name Jesus and were Saviours of their People as for example Josuah the Captaine of Israel and divers other Therefore from this name it is not necessarily argued and inforced that Christ onely is our Saviour Answ Others had this name because they were typicall Saviours prefiguring and resembling this true Saviour Repl. Yea but the Parents of Josuah when they gave their young Infant this name could not so much as suspect that by him should come the delivery of the people of Israel Answ What then yet GOD knew and thereupon so directed their wils that they should call him Josuah Now there is a great difference between those other and this our Jesus Differences between the true Jesus our Saviuor and others of the same name 1. Others had this name imposed on them by the will of men this our Jesus had his name given him by an Angel 2. Others were but types and shaddowes this was the true prefigured Jesus 3. God by them bestowed onely corporall and temporall benefits upon his people the Israelites but by this Jesus he saveth all the chosen dispersed through the whole world from all evils both of body and soule from sin and death everlasting 4. they were only instruments and ministers by whom Christ gave safety and benefits temporall to the people Christ is the authour of all good things both temporall and eternall and these he by his own efficacy bestoweth on whom he will Thus the Son of God is called Jesus by an excellency above others being the true Saviour 1. Because he exempteth and freeth us from all evils of crime and paine 2. Because he alone worketh this freedome and delivery That the Sonne of God onely is that Saviour is shewed by the places of Scripture following There is no salvation in any other 2. Jesus alone is our Saviour Acts 4.12 John 3.18 1 John 5.11 1 Tim. 2.5 Esa 43.11 25. Rom. 5.19 How the whole three persons are said to be Saviours For among men there is given no other name under heaven whereby wee must be saved Hee that beleeveth not in the Sonne is condemned already because hee beleeveth not in the name of the onely begotten Son of God God hath given unto us eternall life and this life is in his Son There is one God and one Mediatour between God and man which is the man Christ Jesus I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Object The Father and the holy Ghost also are our Saviours Therefore not the Sonne alone Ans 1. It is a fallacy affirming that to be simply and wholly so which is but in some respect only so True it is they all save mankinde but the difference is in the manner of their saving For The Father by sending the Son The Father saveth as the fountaine of our delivery because he sendeth his Sonne into flesh by him to deliver us but the Father himselfe is not sent The holy Ghost by being sent of the Sonne The holy Ghost saveth as an immediate effector or worker of regeneration sent from the Father by the Sonne into the hearts of the chosen The Son only by ment and efficacy The Sonne saveth b◠his merit and efficacy and thus becometh sole Mediatour paying the ransome giving the holy Ghost regenerating and raising us up unto life eternall Wherefore this efficacy and effectuall working it self is common to all three persons yet the order and manner of working is different and appropriate to each But the ransome the Sonne onley hath paid The particle alone executes all creatures from being Saviours 1. Cor. 2.11 Ans 2. The Sonne is called the onely Saviour in respect of the creature to whom he is opposed and from whom he is descerned that is from the word of salvation not the Father and the holy Ghost but the creatures onely are excluded For no creature delivereth from sin and death So it is said The things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God but it followeth not hereof that the Father and the Son know not themselves For the Spirit in that place is compared with the creature not with the Father and the Son 2. From what evils he saveth or delivereth HE delivereth us from all evils both of crime and paine most fully and perfectly From the evill of crime for so the Angel testifieth Hee shall save his people from their sinnes The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne that is that it may not be imputed unto us Mat. 1.21 1 John 1.7 and that it may not raigne in us but be abolished and so we at length leave off to sin Wherefore also he delivereth us from all paine and punishment For the cause being taken away which is sinne the effect is taken away which is punishment Rom 8.1 Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus I give unto them eternall life This salvation
then which this our Saviour Jesus Christ bringeth us is righteousnesse and life everlasting Seventy weeks are determined to finish the wickednesse and to seale up the sinnes and to reconcile the inquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse Dan 9.24 1 Cor. 1.30 Hee is made unto us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 3. How hee saveth Christ saveth us 1. By his merit HE saveth us after two sorts by his merit and by his efficacy 1. Hee saveth us by his merit or satisfaction because by his obedience passion death and intercession he hath merited for us remission of sinne reconciliation with God the holy Ghost salvation and life everlasting Testimonies hereof are these If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father 1 John 2.2 Jesus Christ the just And hee is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world that is for the sinnes of all sorts of men of what soever age place or degree The bloud of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God purgeth us from all sinne 1 John 17. Rom 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be are conciliation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousensse by the forgivenesse of sinnes By the obedience of one many shall be made righteous He was wounded for our transgressions Rom. 5.19 Esa 53.5 he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes wee are healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid upon us the iniquitie of us all 2 Cor. 5.2 Gal. 3.13 Hee hath made him to be sinne for us which knew no sin that we should be made the righteneousnesse of God in him Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law when hee was made a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus Galat. 4.4 Galat. 3.13 that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith God sent forth his Son made of a woman and made under the Law that is made an execration or curse For wee are delivered not from the obedience but from the curse of the Law that he might redeeme them that were under the Law that wee might receive the adoption of the sonnes Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God By the which will we are sanctified even by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once offered By these and very many the like places of Scripture it is manifest that for Christs merit we are not only freed from punishment the remission of our sins being obtained but are also reputed righteous before God adopted of him to be his Sons blessed endued with the holy Ghost sanctified and made heires of everlasting life By his efficacy and powerfull working Christ saveth us by his efficacy power and operation because he not only obtaineth by his meriting for us remission of sins and that life which wee had lost but also applyeth effectually unto us by vertue of his Spirit through faith the whole benefit of our redemption For what benefits he merited by his death he doth not retain them unto himself but bestoweth them on us For salvation and life everlasting which himself had before he purchased not for himself but for us as being our Mediatour Therefore he revealeth unto us his Fathers will instituteth and maintaineth the ministery of his word whereby he giveth the holy Ghost by whom he worketh in us both faith whereby we applying Christs merit unto our selves may be assured of our justification in the sight of God through the force thereof and also conversion or the desire and love of new obedience So by his word and spirit he gathereth his Church he bestoweth and heapeth on in all blessings necessary for this life defendeth and preserveth it in this life against the force of Divels and the world and against all corporall and spirituall assaults of all enemies even to the end so that not one of those which are converted perisheth finally at length their bodies being raised in the last day from the dead hee fully delivers the Church from all sin and evill advancing it unto everlasting life and glory casting the enemies thereof into perpetual pain and torment To comprise the whole in a word his efficacy by his word and spirit regenerateth us in this life The efficacy of Christs merit performeth three things unto us 1. Our regeneration Mat. 18.17 and preserveth or sustaineth us being regenerate lest we fall away in the end raiseth us unto life eternall Of his revealing himself unto us and regenerating us speak these places No man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveale him No man hath seen God at any time John 1.18 the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Mat. 3.11 John 15 26. Ephes 4.8 10 11. 1. John 3.8 He that cometh after mee will baptise you with the holy Ghost and with fire I will send unto you from the Father the Spirit of truth When he ascended up on high he gave gifts unto men He ascended up on high that he might fill all things For this purpose appeared the Son of God 2. Our perseverance therein John 14.1 Mat. 28.20 John 14.18 23. that he might loose the workes of the Divel Of his raising us from death these Scriptures make evident mention I will raise him up in the last day No man shall take my sheep out of mine hands I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish 3. Our Resurection from death Joh. 6.54 10.28 1 Cor. 15.28 Ephes 5.27 When all things shall he subdued unto him he shall make unto himselfe a glorious Church in the sight of God which he gathereth from the beginning of the world unto the end Hereby we may understand that the giving of the holy Ghost is a part of our salvation or delivery by Christ Jesus our Mediatour For the holy Ghost is he by who Christ effectually performeth this which he being our Intercessor with his Father hath promised his Father in our behalfe that is he teacheth us by illuminating our minds with the knowledge of God and his divine will and regenerateth or sanctifieth and guideth and stablisheth us that we may begin the study of holines persist and profit therein untill sin be fully abolished in us and sin being abolished death must needs be abolished which that he might together with death destroy Christ was sent of his Father into the world Christ is our most perfect Saviour Christ saveth us from all evils whether of crime or punishment by