of vs that professe faith working by loue It may be demanded what we are to iudge of them that as yet are enemies of God Ans. Our dutie is to suspend our iudgement concerning their finall estate for we knowe not whether God will call them or no and therefore we must rather pray for their conuersion then for their confusion Againe it may be demaunded what is to be thought of all our ancetours and forefathers that liued and died in the times when poperie tooke place Ans. We may well hope the best and thinke that they were saued for though the Papacie be not the Church of God and though the doctrine of Poperie rase the foundation yet neuerthelesse in the verie midst of the Romane Papacie God hath alwaies had a remnant which haue in some measure truely serued him In the olde testament when open Idolatrie tooke place in all Israel God said to Eliah I haue râ—serued seuen thousand to my selfe that neuer bowed knee to Baal and the like is and hath bene in the generall apostasie vnder Antichrist Saint Iohn saith that when the woman fled into the wildernesse for a time euen then there was a remnant of her seede which kept the commandements of God and had the testimonie of Iesus Christ. And againe when ordinarie meanes of saluation faile then God can and doth make a supplie by meanes extraordinarie and therefore there is no cause why we should say that they were condemned Thirdly it may be demanded whethether the common iudgement giuen of Francis Spira that he is a reprobate be good or no Ans. We may with better warrant say no then any man saie yea For what gifts of discerning had they which came to visit him in his extremitie and what reasons induced theÌ„ to giue this peremptorie iudgement He said himselfe that he was a reprobate that is nothing a sicke mans iudgement of himselfe is not to be regarded Yea but he despaired a senselesse reason for so doth many a man yeare by yeare that very often as deepely as euer Spira did and yet by the good helpe of the ministerie of the word both are and may be recouered And they which will auouch Spira to be a reprobate must goe further and prooue two things that he despaired both wholly and finally which if they cannot prooue wee for our parts must suspende our iudgements and they were much to blame that first published the booke Lastly it may be demanded what is to be thought of them that make very fearefull endes in rauing and blaspheming Ans. Such straunge behauiours are oftentimes the fruits of violent diseases which torment the bodie and bereaue the minde of sense and reason and therefore if the persons liued wel we must think the best for we are not by outward things to iudge of the estate of any man Salomon saith that all things come alike to al and the same condition to the iust and to the wicked Thus much of the parts of Predesâ—ination Nowe followes the vse thereof and it concernes partly our iudgements partly our affections and partly our liues The vses which concerne iudgement are three And first by the doctrine of Predestination we learne that there cannot be any iustification of a sinner before God by his workes For Gods election is the cause of iustification because whome God electeth to saluation after this life them he electeth to be iustified in this life Nowe election it selfe is of grace and of grace alone as Paul saith Election is by grace and if it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no grace therefore iustification is of grace and of grace alone I reason thus The cause of a cause is the cause of all things caused but grace alone is the cause of predestinatioÌ„ which is the cause of our vocatioÌ„ iustificatioÌ„ sanctification c. Grace therefore is also the alone cause of all these Therefore the Scriptures ascribe not onely the beginning but also the continuance and accomplishment of all our happinesse to grace For first as election so vocation is of grace Paul saith God hath called vs not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace Againe faith in Christ is of grace So it is said To you it is giuen to beleeue in Christ. Also the iustificatioÌ„ of a sinner is of grace So Paul saith plainly to the Romans you are iustified freely by his grace Againe sanctification and the doing of good workes is of grace So it is said We are his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them Also pâ—rseuerance in good workes and godlines is of grace So the Lord saith I will make an euerlasting couenant with them that I will neuer turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Lastly life euerlasting is of grace So Paul saith Life euerlasting is the gift of God through Iesus Christ. Nowe they of the Church of Rome teach the â—lat contrarie they make two iustifications the first whereby a man of an euill man is made a good man the second whereby of a good man he is made better The first they ascribe to grace but so as the second is by workes Secondly hence we learne that the art of iudiciall astrologie is vaine and friuolous They that practise it doe professe themselues to tell of things to come almost whatsoeuer and this they doe by casting of figures and the speciall point of their art is to iudge of mens natiuities For if they may knowe but the time of a mans birth they take vpon them to tell the whole course of his life from yeare to yeare from weeke to weeke and from day to day from the day of his birth to the houre of his death yea that which is more they professe themselues to tell all things that shall befal men either in bodie goods or good name and what kinde of death they shall die But that this their practise is not of God but indeede vnlawefull it may appeare by this because it standes not with the doctrine of Gods predestination Two twinnes begotten of the same parents and borne both at one and the same time by the iudgement of Astrologians must haue both the same life and the same death and be euery way alike both in goods and good name yet we see the contrarie to be true in Iacob and Esau who were borne both of the same parents at one time For Iacob tooke Esau by the heele so as there could not be much difference bâ—tweene them in time yet for all this Esau was a fierce man and wilde giuen to hunting but Iacob was milde of nature and liued at home the one had fauour at Gods hand and was in the couenant but God kept backe that mercie from the other Againe in a pitcht field are
mercie in that he pardoned their sinne for the merites of his Sonne Eph. 1. 18. That the eies of your vnderstanding may be lightned that ye may knowe what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his Saints 19. And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towardes vs which beleeue according to the working of his mightie power 20. Which he wrought in Christ. Chap. 3.18 That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height 19. And to knowe the loue of Christ. All these things the Lord himselfe hath thus decreed and in his good time will accomplish them to the glorious praise of his Name Pro. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the daie of euill CHAP. 50. Concerning the order of the causes of saluation according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome THere are two things requisite to obtained saluation Predestination and the Execution thereof Predestination is a foreordaining of the reasonable creature to grace in this life glory in the life to come Sebast. Cattaneus Enchirid. tract 1. chap. last This in regard of the first effects thereof which are vocation election and ordination to eternall life hath the cause of it in God namely his will but in regard of the last effect which is the execution of such an ordinance and the obtaining of eternall life it hath the cause of it from man because according to the common opinion Gods predestination is by reason of workes foreseene in men that is God doth therefore predestinate or reiect some man because he foreseeth that he will well or badly vse his grace But for the more euident declaration of this these seuen conclusions must be set downe I. The Predestination and Reprobation of God do not constraine or inforce any necessitie vpon the will of man II. God hath predestinated all men that is he hath appointed and disposed all men so as they might obtaine eternall saluation III. Man is neither by necessitie nor chance saued or condemned but voluntarily IV. God hath predestinated some other hath he reiected V. Those whome God hath predestinated by his absolute predestination which can not be lost they shall infallibly die in grace but they which are predestinate by that predestination which beeing according to preâ—ent iustice may be lost by some mortall sinne which followeth are not infallibly saued but oftentimes such are condemned and loose their crowne and glory Hence ariseth that position of theirs that he which is iustified may be a reprobate perish eternally Torrensis Aug. Confess 2. booke 4. chap. 20. Sect. Therfore predestination is not certaine seeing it may be lost VI. God alone doth know the certaine and set number of them which are predestinate VII There is one set number of them which are predestinate or reprooued and that can neither be increased nor diminished The execution of Predestination is either in infants or those of yeres of discretion Concerning infants the merite of Christ is appliyed vnto them by baptisme rightly administred so that whatsoeuer in originall corruption may truely and properly be accounted for sinne it is not onely as I may say not pared away or not imputed but vtterly taken away For there is nothing that God can hate in such as are renued Concil Trid. 5. sect 5. Can. Neuertheles they are vrged to confesse that there remaineth yet in such as are baptized concupiscence or the reliques of sinn The which seeing it is left in men for them to wrestle withall it hath not power to hurt such as yeeld not vnto it The execution of predestination in such as are of riper yeares hath sixe degrees The first is vocation whereby men not for their owne merits but by Gods preuenting grace through Christ are called to turne vnto God The second is a preparation to righteousnesse whereby men through the inherent power of free-will do apply themselues to iustification after that the same power is stirred vp by the holy Ghost For free-will is onely somewhat diminished and not extinguished and therefore so soone as the holy Ghost toucheth and inlighteneth the heart it worketh togither with the same spirit freely assenting vnto the same This preparation hath seuen degreesâ— Biel. 4. booke 14. dist 2. quest The first is faith which is a knowledge and an assent whereby men agree that those things are true which are deliuered concerning God and his will reuealed in the word of God This is the foundation of iustification and prepareth the heart because it stirreth vp free-will that it may affect the heart with those motions by which it is prepared to iustification I. The act of faith is to apprehend the ouglines of sin the wages therof II. After this followeth a feare of Gods anger and of hell fire III. Then begin men to dislike and in some sort to detest sinne From these ariseth a certaine disposition which hath annexed vnto it the merite of congruitie yet not immediate nor sufficient but imperfect IV. At the length faith returneth to the contemplation of Gods mercies beleeueth that God is readie to forgiue sinnes by the infusion of charitie into those which are before sufficiently prepared and disposed V. Out of this contemplation proceedeth the act of hope whereby faith beginneth to desire and to waite on God as the chiefest good VI. Out of this act of hope ariseth loue whereby God is loued aboue all things in the world VII After this loue followeth a new dislike and detestation of sinne not so much in regard of feare of the punishment in hell fire as in regard of the offence of God who is simply loued more then all other things VIII After all these followeth a purpose of amendment of life and here comes in the merit of congruitie that is sufficient or els the immediate sufficient and last disposition before the infusion of grace The third degree of Predestination is the first iustification wherby men of vniust are made iust not only through the remission of their sinnes but also by a sanctificatioÌ„ of the inward maÌ„ by his voluÌ„tary receiuing of grace gifts The efficient cause of this iustification is the mercy of God and the meritorious passion of our Sauiour Christ whereby he purchased iustification for men The instrumentall cause is baptisme The formall cause is not that iustice which was inherent in Christ but which he infuseth into man and that is especially hope and charitie The fourth degree is the second iustification wherby men are of iust made more iust the cause hereof is faith ioyned with good workes It is possible for such as are renued to keepe the commaundements And therefore it is false that a iust man committeth so much as a veniall sinne in his best actions much lesse that he deserueth eternall death for the same The fift degree is the reparation of a sinner by the
them are morall works and workes of grace but these are excluded from iustification and working mans saluation Eph. 2.10 And Paul beeing regenerate saith thus of himselfe I am not guiltie vnto my selfe of any thing yet am I not thereby iustified VI. The cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused but grace without works is the cause of mans predestination the which is the cause of his iustification and therefore grace without workes shall much more be saide to be the cause of iustification Obiect I. Levit. 18.5 He that keepeth my statutes shall liue in them Ans. This saving is a legall sentence and therefore sheweth not what men can doe but what they should doe Obiect II. Psal. 119.1 Blessed are those that walke in the Law of the Lord. Ans. Man is not here said to be blessed because he walketh vprightly but because the person of such walker is by the merits of Christ iustified before God Obiect III. Iudge me according to my righteousnes Psal. 7. And the fact of Phinees was imputed to him for righteouses Ans. These places are not meant of that righteousnes of the person by which it is righteous before God but of the righteousnes of some particular cause or worke For where as Dauid was accused of this crime that he did affect Sauls kingdome he in this point doth in the words aboue mentioned testifie his innocencie before God Obiect IV. We are iudged according to our workes therefore also by them iustified Ans. The reason is not alike because the last iudgement is not the iustifying of a man but a declaration of that iustification which he had before obtained Therfore the last iudgement must be pronounced and taken not from the causes of iustification but from the effects and signes thereof Obiect V. Make you friends of vnrighteous Mammon c. that they may receiue you into eternall habitations Ans. This they doe not as authors of saluation but as witnesses of the same Obiect VI. Dan. 4.24 Redeeme thy sinnes by righteousnes and thine iniquitie by mercie towards the poore Ans. It is rather breake off thy sinnes then redeeme for so is the originall now men breake off their sinnes by ceasing from them not satisfying for them Obiect VII Euill workes condemne therefore good workes iustifie Answ. It followeth not because good works are not perfectly good as euill works are perfectly euill Obiect VIII We are saued by hope Rom. 8. Answer We must distinguish betwixt iustification and saluation saluation is the end iustification is one degree to come to the ende but there is more required to the ende then to a degree subordinate to the ende therefore we are saued by hope and faith but iustified by faith alone Obiect IX Affliction causeth eternall glorie 2. Cor. 4.17 Ans. This is doth not as by it owne merit effecting the same but rather as a path and way manifesting and declaring the same Obiect X. Iam. 2.21 Abraham was iustified by workes Ans. Not as any cause of iustification but as a manifestation thereof Obiect XI He that is iust let him be more iust Ans. This place must be vnderstood of iustification before men namely of sanctification or an holy life not of iustification in the sight of God Obiect XII We are iustified by faith therefore by a worke Ans. We are iustified by faith not as it is a vertue and a worke but as it is an instrument apprehending the iustice of Christ whereby we are iustified And in this respect faith is said by the figure called Metonymia to be imputed to vs vnto righteousnesse Obiect XIII The workes of grace are dyed in the blood of Christ. Ans. They are indeed dyed therein but to the ende they might the better please God not iustifie man and whereas they are so stained as that they neede dying in the blood of Christ therefore can they not any waies iustifie sinnefull man And the person of the worker is as well died in Christs blood as is his work yet he can not say that his person doth therefore iustifie him And as I haue now prooued that this doctrine of the Papists is very erronious so I also auouch that it is most ridiculous Because for a man to say that inherent righteousnes is by good works namely the fruits of righteousnes augmented is as if a man should say that the vine is made more fruitfull by bearing grapes or that the internall light of the sunne is augmented by the externall emission of the beames Luthers saying is farre more true Good workes doe not make a good man but a good man doth make workes good The XIIII errour Grace is quite extinguished or rather vtterly lost by any mortall sinne The Confutation I. The word of God doth manifestly declare that it is farre otherwise Ioh. 6. All that the Father giueth me shall come vnto me and him that commeth vnto me I cast not away Math. 16.16 Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church so that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it 1. Ioh. 2.19 They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. Rom. 5. 1. Beeing therefore iustified we haue peace with God Now how could this be true if he that was before iustified could any way quite fall from grace and so perish II. The elect after their very grieuous fallings from God forthwith repented them of their sinnes as we may see in the example of Dauid Peter c. the which argueth that they had not quite fallen from grace and lost the spirit of God III. If grace be once vtterly lost then the ingraffing of that partie into Christ is quite abolished therefore for such as repent there must needs succeed a second new ingraffing into Christ then it will also follow that they must of necessitie be baptized anew which is absurd to thinke But for all this we denie not but grace may in part and for a time be lost to the end that the faithfull may thereby acknowledge and know their weaknes and for it be humbled but that there is any totall or finall falling from grace we vtterly denie The XV. errour It is possible to fulfill the Law in this life The Confutation The Law is euangelically fulfilled by beleeuing in Christ but not legally by doing the works thereof Reason They which are carnall cannot possibly fulfill the law of God but the most regenerate so long as they liue in this life are carnall in part Rom. 7.14 I am saith Paul of himselfe carnall and sold vnder sinne Prou. 20. Who can say Mine heart is pure I am pure from sinne Eccles. 7. There is none so iust vpon earth which doth good and sinneth not Psal. 130. If thou Lord obserue what is done amisse Lord who shall abide it We are daily taught to pray vnto God Forgiue vs our sinnes Exception Indeede if the iustice of the faithfull be absolutely
wise doe Secondly by the manner of perswasion for the holy Ghost draweth not reasons â—rom the workes or worthinesse of man but from Gods fauour and loue and this kinde of perswasion is far different from that which Satan vseth Thirdly by the effects of that testimonie For if the perswasion arise from presumption it is a dead perswasion but contrarily it is most liuely and stirring if it come from the holy Ghost For such as are perswaded that they are elected and adopted children of GOD they will loue god they wil trust in him and they will call vpon him with their whole heart IV. If the testimonie of Gods spirit be not so powerfull in the elect then may they iudge of their election by that other effect of the holy ghost namely Sanctification like as we vse to iudge by heate that there is fire when wee cannot see the flame it selfe V. And of all the effects of sanctification these are most notable I. To feele our wants and in the bitternes of heart to bewaile the offence of GOD in euery sinne II. To striue against the flesh that is to resist and to hate the vngodly motions thereof and with griefe to think them burthenous troublesome III. To desire earnestly and vehemently the grace of God and merite of Christ to obtaine eternall life IV. When it is obtained to account it a most pretious iewel Phil. 3.8 V. To loue the minister of Gods word in that he is a minister and a Christian in that he is a Christian and for that cause if neede require to be readie to spende our blood with them Mat. 10.42 1. Ioh. 3.16 VI. To call vpon God earnestly and with teares VII To desire and loue Christs comming and the day of iudgement that an ende may bee made of the daies of sinne VIII To flie all occasions of sinne and seriously to endeauour to come to newnesse of life IX To perseuere in these things to the last gaspe of life Luther hath a good sentence for this purpose Hee that will serue God must saith he beleeue that which cannot bee seene hope for that which is deferred and loue God when he sheweth himselfe an enemie and thus remaine to the ende VI. Nowe if so be all the effects of the spirit are very feeble in the godly they must know this that God trieth them yet so as they must not therewith be dismaied because it is most sure that if they haue faith but as much as a graine of mustard seede and bee as weake as a young infant is it is sufficient to ingraffe theÌ„ into Christ therefore they must not doubt of their election because they see their faith feeble and the effects of the holy Ghost faint within them VII Neither must hee that as yet hath not felt in his heart any of these effects presently conclude that hee is a Reprobate but let him rather vse the word of God and the Sacraments that hee may haue an inward sense of the power of Christ drawing him vnto him and an assurance of his redemption by Christs death and passion VIII No man may peremptorily set downe that himselfe or any other is a reprobate For God doth oftentimes preferre those which did seeme to be most of all estranged from his fauour to be in his kingdome aboue those who in mans iudgement were the children of the kingdome Hence is it that Christ saith The Publicanes and harlots goe before you and many an one is called at the eleuenth houre as appeareth by that notable example of the thiefe vpon the crosse The vses which may be made of this doctrine of predestination are very many First for our instruction we are taught these things I. That there is neither any iustification by workes nor any works of ours that are meritorious For election is by the free grace of God and therefore in like sort is iustification For as I saide before the cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused And for this reason in the worke of saluation grace doth wholly challenge al to it selfe Rom. 11.5 At this time there is a remnant through the election of grace 2. Tim. 1.9 Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was Phil. 1. 29. Vnto you iâ— is giuen for Christ that not onely ye should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake Rom. 3.24 Wee are iustified freely by grace Tit. 3.5 Not by the workes of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercie he saued vs. Ezech. 36. 27. I will cause you to walke in my statutes Rom. 6.23 The gift of God is eternall life II. That Astrologie teaching by the casting of Natiuities what men will be is ridiculous and impious because it determineth that such shall be very like in life and conuersation whom God in his predestination hath made vnlike Iacob and Esau borne of the same parents and almost in the same moment of time for Iacob held Esau by the heele as he was borne were of most vnlike dispositions and had diuers euents The like may we see in all twinnes and others which are borne at the same time III. That God is most wise omnipotent iust and mercifull O the wonderfull riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! howe vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding on t Eph. 1.5 Who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Secondly beeing the seruants of Christ we are admonished I. To fight against all doubting and diffidence of our saluation because it neither depeÌ„deth vpon workes nor faith but vpon Gods decree which is immutable Math. 24.24 Luk. 10.20 Reioice that your names are written in the booke of life Rom. 8.33 Who shall any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne 2. Tim. 2.19 This teacheth that the anker of hope must be fixed in the trueth and stabilitie of the immutable good pleasure of God so that albeit our faith bee so tossed as that it is in danger of shipwracke neuerthelesse it must neuer sinke to the bottome but euen in the middest of danger take hold vpon repentance as on a board so recouer it selfe II. To humble our soules vnder the mightie hand of God for wee are as clay in the hand of the potter Rom. 9.21 They through infidelitie are broken off but thou standest through faith Be not high minded but feare III. To giue all glorie to God 2. Thess. 2.13 We ought to giue thankes alwaie to God for you brethren beloued of the Lord because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation IV. To beare crosses patiently Rom. 8.29 Those which he knewe before he hath also preâ—estinate to be made like to the image of his sonne This likenesse
Matth. 11.28 No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whoâ—â— the Sonne will reueale him Luke 8. To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God Philip. 2. It is God which worketh in you to will and to doe 1. Cor. 12. 13. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Briefly he who according to God is to be created to righteousnes and holiness Eph. 4.24 cannot any waies dispose himselfe to iustification or new creation For it is impossible that a thing not yet created should dispose it selfe to his creation The IX errour That preparation to grace which is caused by the power of free-will may by the merit of congruitie deserue iustification The Confutation These things smell of more then Satanicall arrogancie For what man but such an one as were not in his right mind would beleeue that he vnto whom so many millions of condemnations are due could once merit the least dramme of grace The prodigall sonne he was not receiued into fauour by reason of his deserts but by fauour Luk. 15.21 His sonne said vnto him I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne The X. errour The faith of the godly or that which iustifieth is that whereby a man doth in generall beleeue the promised blessednes of God and by which also he giueth his assent to other mysteries reuealed of God concerning the same The Confutation Faith is not onely a generall knowledge and assent to the historie of the Gospel but further also a certaine power both apprehending and seuerally applying the promises of God in Christ whereby a man doth assuredly set downe that his sinnes are forgiuen him and that he is reconciled vnto God Reasons I. A particular assuraÌ„ce of the fauour of god is of the nature of faith Eph. 3.12 By whom we haue boldnes and entrance with confidence by faith in him Rom. 4.20 Neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in the faith and gaue glorie vnto God 21. Beeing fully assured that he which had promised was also able to do it Heb. 10.22 Let vs draw nere with a true heart in assurance of faith II. Particular doubtings is reprehended Mat. 14. â—â— O thou of litle faith why didst thou doubt Luk. 12.29 Hang ye not in suspence III. That which a maÌ„ praieth for to god that must he assuredly beleeue to receiue Math. 11.24 But the faithfull in their praiers make request for adoption iustification and life eternall And therefore they must certainely beleeue that they shall receiue these benefits IV. Rom. 5.1 We beeing thâ—refore iustified we haue peace with God But there can be no peace where there is not a paâ—ticuâ—ar assurance of Gods fauour V. That which the spirit of God doth testifie vnto vs particularly that must also be beleeued particularly But the spirit of God doth giue a particular testimonie of the adoption of the faithfull Rom. 8.16 Gal. 4.6 This therefore is in like sort to be beleeued Whereas they say that no man hath a particular assurance but by especiall reuelation as was that which Abraham and Paul had it is false For the faith of these two is set downe in Scripture as an example which we should all follow For this cause Abraham is called the Father of the faithfull and Paul testifieth the very fame of himselfe 1. Tim. 1.16 For this cause saith he was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on me all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life Againe whereas they say that we haue a morall assurance but not the assurance of faith it is a popish deuise For Rom. 8.16 The spirit of adoption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together beareth witnesse to our spirits Where we see two witnesses of our adoption our owne spirit and the spirit of God Our spirit doth testifie morally of our adoption by sanctification and the fruits thereof and therefore also the spirit of God witnesseth after another manner namely by the certaintie of faith declaring and applying the promises of God Obiect I. We are commanded to worke our saluation with feare trembling Ans. This feare is not in regard of Gods mercie forgiuing our sinnes but in respect of vs and our nature which is euer prone to slide away and starting from God Obiect II. In respect of Gods mercie we must hope for saluation but in respect of our vnworthines we must doubt Ans. I. We may not at all lawfully doubt of Gods mercie because doubtfulnes is not of the nature of faith but rather a naturall corruption II. If we consider our owne vnworthines it is out of all doubt that we must be out of all hope and despaire of our saluation Obiect III. There be many sinnes vnknowne vnto vs and so also vncertaine whether they be pardoned vnto vs. Answer He that certenly and truly knoweth that but one sinne is pardoned him he hath before God all his sinnes remitted whether they be knowne or vnknowne Obiect IV. No man dare sweare or die in the defence of this proposition I am the child of God or in Gods fauour and iustified Answ. They which haue an vnfained faith will if they be lawfully called not onely testifie their adoption by an oath but seale it also by their blood Obiect V. A man may haue this faith which the Protestants talke of and lie in a mortall sinne and haue also a purpose to perseuere in a mortall sinne Ans. It is farre otherwise for Act. 15.9 True faith purifieth the heart These Sophisters doe further affirme that this faith which to them is nothing but a knowledge and illumination of the mind concerning the truth of Gods word is the roote and foundation of iustification The which if it be true why should not the deuill be iust for he hath both a knowledge of Gods word and thereunto by beleeuing doth giue his assent who notwithstanding he haue such a faith yet can he not be called one of the faithfull Here they except and say The deuils faith is void of charitie which is the forme of faith But this is a doting surmise of their owne braine For charitie is the effect of faith 1. Tim. 1.5 But the effect cannot informe the cause The XI errour Mans loue of God doth in order and time goe before his iâ—stification and reconciliation with God The Confutation Nay contrarily vnlesse we be first perswaded of Gods loue towards vs we neuer loue him For we loue him because he loued vs first 1. Ioh. 4.19 Againe it is impossible that Gods enemie should loue him but he which is not as yet iustified or reconciled to God he is Gods enemie Rom. 5.9,10 Neither is any man before the act of iustification made of Gods enemie his friend The XII errour Iufused or inherent iustice is the formall cause of iâ—stification
whereby men are iustified in the sight of God The Confutation We doe contrarily hold that the materiall cause of mans iustification is the obedience of Christ in suffering fulfilling the law for vs but as for the formall cause that must needes be Imputation the which is an action of God the Father accepting the obedience of Christ for vs as if it were our owne Reasons I. Looke by what we are absolued from all our sinnes and by which we obtaine eternall life by that alone are we iustified But by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs we are absolued from all our sinnes and through it we are accepted of God to eternall life the which we cannot doe by inherent holinesse Therefore by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs are we alone iustified This will appeare to be true in the exercises of inuocation on Gods name and also of repentance For in tentation and conflicts with sinne and Satan faith doth not reason thus Now I haue charitie and inherent grace and for these God will accept of me But faith doth more rightly behold the sonne of God as he was made a sacrifice for vs and sitteth at the right hand of his Father there making intercession for vs to him I say doth faith flie and is assured that for this his sonne God will forgiue vs all our sinnes and will also be reconciled vnto vs yea and account vs iust in his sight not by any qualitie inherent in vs but rather by the merit of Iesus Christ. Rom. 5.19 II. As Christ is made a sinner so by proportion such as beleeue are made iust But Christ was by imputation onely made and accounted a sinner for vs. 2. Cor. 5. 21. For he became a suretie for vs and a sacrifice for our sinnes vpon which all both the guiltinesse of Gods wrath and punishment for vs was to be laide Hence is it that he is said to become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a curse for vs Therfore we againe are made iust only by imputation III. The contrarie to condemnation is remission of sinnes and iustification is the opposite of condemnation Rom. 8. 33. It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Therefore iustification is the remission of sinnes Now remission of sinnes dependeth onely vpon this imputation of Christs merits IV. Albeit infused and inherent iustice may haue his due place his praise and also deserts yet as it is a worke of the holy Ghost it is not in this life complete and by reason of the flesh◠whereto it is vnited it is both imperfect and infected with the dregges of sinne Esai 64. Therfore before Gods iudgement seate it cannot claime this prerogatiue to absolue any from the sentence of condemnation Obiect I. This imputation is nothing els but a vaine cogitation Answ. I. Yes it is a relation or diuine ordinance whereby one relatiue is applied to his correlatiue or as the Logitians say is as the foundation to the Terminus II. As the imputation of our sinnes vnto Christ was indeede something so the imputation of Christs iustice vnto vs must not be thought a bare conceit III. Againe the Church of Rome doth her selfe maintaine imputatiue iustic◠namely when as by Ecclesiasticall authoritie shee doth applie the merits and satisfactions of certain persons vnto other members of that Church Whence it is apparant that euen the Popes indulgences they are imputatiue Obiect II. Imputatiue iustice is not euerlasting but that iustice which the Messiah bringeth is euerlasting Ans. Although after this life there is no pardon of sinnes to be looked for yet that which is giuen vs in this life shall to our saluation continue in the life to come Obiect III. If iustification be by imputation he may before God be iust who indeede is a very wicked man Ans. Not so any waies for he that is once by imputation iustified he is also at that same instant sanctified The XIII errour There is also a second iustification and that is obtained by workes The Confutation That popish deuice of a second iustification is a fantasticall delusion For I. The word of God doth acknowledge no more but one iustification at all and that absolute and complete of it selfe There is but one iustice but one satisfaction of God being offended therefore there cannot be a manifold iustification II. If by reason of the increase of inherent iustice iustification should be distinguished into seuerall kindes or parts we might as well make an hundreth kinds or parts of iustification as two III. That which by order of nature doth follow after full iustification before God it cannot be said to iustifie But good workes doe by order of nature follow mans iustification and his absolution from sinnes because no worke can please God except the person it selfe that worketh the same doe before please him But no mans person can please God but such an one as beeing reconciled to God by the merits of Christ hath peace with him IV. Such workes as are not agreeable to the rule of legall iustice they before the tribunall seat of God cannot iustifie but rather both in and of themselues are subiect to Gods eternall curse For this is the sentence of the Law Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them Now the works euen of the regenerate are not squared according to the rule of legall iustice wherefore Dauid being as it were stricken with the cōsideration of this durst not once oppose no not his best works to the iudgement of God that by them he might plead pardon of his sinnes whence it is that he crieth out and saith Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for then no flesh liuing shall be iustified in thy sight The like doth Iob 9.3 If he namely such an one as saith he is iust contend with God he cannot answer him one of a thousand And Dan. 9. 18. We doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies V. Iustification by works let them be whatsoeuer they can be doth quite ouerturne the foundation of our faith Gal. 5.2 If ye be circumcised Christ will profit you nothing and v. 4. Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law ye are fallen from grace In this place the Apostle speaketh of them not which did openly resist Christ and the Gospel but of such as did with the merit of Christ mingle together the workes of the Law as though some part of our saluation consisted in them Exception This place doth onely exclude such morall works of the flesh as doe goe before faith or the workes of the law of Moses Ans. This is vntrue For euen of Abraham being already regenerated and of those his works which were done when he was iustified Paul speaketh thus To him not which worketh but which beleeueth is faith imputed Those works which God hath prepared that the regenerate should walke in
came forth of Christs side which signifieth the inward washing away of sinne and the purging of the heart by Christs blood which also is and was signified by the outward washing of the bodie with water in baptisme The third witnes he calls blood alluding to the blood that issued out of Christs side whereby is signified the expiation or satisfaction made to Gods iustice for mans sinne The same vse had the ceremoniall sprinkling in the old testament typically signifying the sprinkling of Christs blood Now these three witnesses are not to be sought for in heauen but euery Christian man must search for them in his owne heart and conscience and there shall he finde them in some measure And this water and blood flowing out of the side of Christ beeing now dead signifieth that he is our iustification and sanctification euen after his death and that out of his death springs our life and therfore as Eue was made of a ribbe taken out of the side of Adam so springs the Church out of the blood that flowes out of the side of the second Adam Hauing thus intreated of Christs execution let vs now come to the last point namely the excellencie of Christs passion cōsisting in these two points I. a Sacrifice II. a triumph For the first when Christ died he offered a propitiatorie and reall sacrifice to his father and herein his death and passion differeth from the sufferings and deaths of all men whatsoeuer In this sacrifice we must consider foure things I. who was the priest II. what was the sacrifice III. what was the altar IV. the time wherein this sacrifice was offered The priest was Christ himselfe as the author of the epistles to the Hebrewes prooues at large from the third chap. to the 9. and of him we are to consider these foure points The first what is the office of Christs priesthood Ans. The office of Christs priesthood stands in three things I. to teach doctrine and therefore he is called the high priest of our profession that is of the Gospel which we professe because he is the author and Doctour of the same II. to offer vp himselfe vnto his father in the behalf of man for the appeasing of his wrath for sinne III. to make request or intercession to God the father that he would accept the sacrifice which he offered on the crosse for vs. The second point is According to which nature he was a priest whether in his manhood or in his godhead or both togither Ans. The office of his priesthood is performed by him according to both his natures and therefore he is a priest not as the Papists would haue him according to his manhood onely but as he is both God and man for as he is a Mediatour so is he a priest but Christ is a Mediatour according to both natures each nature doing that which is peculiar to it conferring something to the worke of redemption and therfore he is a priest as he is both God and man The third point After what order he is a priest Ans. The Scripture mentioneth two orders of priests the order of Leui and the order of Melchisedeck Christ was not a priest after the order of Aaron and yet notwithstanding in that priesthood were many notable rites whereby the priesthoode of our Sauiour Christ was resembled and we may note fiue especially First in the annointing of the high priests as of Aaron and his sonnes after him oile was poured on his head and it ran down to the very edge of his garments whereby was signified that Christ the true high priest was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes that is that his manhoode was filled with the gifts and graces of God both in measure number and degree aboue all men and angels Secondly the sumptuous and gorgious apparell which the high Priest put on when he came into the sanctuarie was a signe of the rich and glorious robe of Christs righteousnesse which is the puritie and integritie of his humane nature and of his life Thirdly the speciall parts of the high Priests attire were first the Ephod the two shoulders whereof had two onyx stones whereon were engrauen the names of the twelue tribes of Israel sixe names on the one stone and sixe on the other as stones of remembrance of the children of Israel to God ward secondly the brestplate of iudgement like the worke of the Ephod wherein were set twelue stones according to the names of the children of Israel grauen as signets euery one after his name Now by these two ornaments were figured two things in Christ by the first that he carries all the Elect on his shoulders and supports them by his spirit so lōg as they are in this world against the world the flesh and the deuill By the second that Christ our high priest beeing now in his sanctuarie in heauen hath in memorie all the Elect their very names are written as it were in tables of gold before his face and he hath an especiall loue vnto them and care ouer them Vpon this ground the church in the Canticles praies on this manner Set me as a seale on thy heart and as a signe◠vpon thy arme And indeede this is a matter of comfort vnto vs all that Christ hath our seuerall names written in pretious stones before his face though he be now in heauen and we on earth and that the particular estate of euery one of vs is both knowne and regarded of him Againe God gaue to Moses the Vrim and Thummim which was put on the breastplate of the high priest when he was to aske counsell from God of things vnknowne before the mercie seat whence God gaue answer What the Vrim and Thummim was it is not knowne and it is like it was not made by any art of man but giuen by God and how it was vsed we can not tell but yet the signification of the words affoardeth matter of meditation Vrim signifies lights and Thummim signifies perfections And by this a further matter was prefigured in Christ who hath the perfit Vrim and Thummim in his breast first because in him are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge secondly because he reueales to his Church out of his word such things as none can know but the children of God as Dauid saith The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him And for this cause the spirit of Christ is called the spirit of wisdome and reuelation and the spirit of God whereby we know the things that are giuen vnto vs of God as namely our election vocation iustification and sanctification in this life and our eternall glorification after this life yea to euery member of Christ within his Church he giues a speciall spirit of reuelation out of the word whereby he may know that God the father is his father the sonne the redeemer his redeemer and the holy Ghost his
iustification of a sinner before God For the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused but foreseene faith is an impulsiue cause whereby God was mooued to choose some men to saluation as it is saide and therefore it is not onely an instrument to apprehend Christs righteousnesse but also a cause or meanes to mooue God to iustifie a sinner because iustification proceedes of Election which comes of foreseene faith now this is erroneous by the doctrine of all Churches vnlesse they be Popish Fifthly this doctrine takes it for graunted that all both young and olde euen Infants that die in their infancie haue knowledge of the Gospell because both faith and vnbeleefe in Christ presuppose knowledge of our saluation by him considering that neither ordinarily nor extraordinarily men beleeue or contemne the thing vnknowne But how false this is euen common experience doth shew Lastly this platforme quite ouerthrowes it selfe For whereas all men equally corrupt in Adam are effectually both redeemed and called the difference betweene man and man standes not in beleeuing or not beleeuing for all haue power to beleeue but in this properly that some are confirmed in faith some are not Now when all without exception are indued with grace sufficient to saluation I demaund why some men are confirmed in grace and others not confirmed as also of Angels some were confirmed and stand and some not confirmed fell No other reason can be rendered but the will of God And to this must all come striue as long as they will that of men beeing in one and the same estate some are saued some iustly forsaken because God would Againe as the foreseeing of â—aith doth presuppose Gods giuiâ—g of faith vnlesse men will say it is naturall so the foreseeing of faith in some men alone doth presuppose the giuing of faith to some men alone But why doth not God conferre the grace of constant faith to all no other reason can be rendered but because he will not Thus then those men whose faith was foreseene are saued not because their faith was foreseene but because God would The third fault is that they ascribe vnto God a conditionall Purpose or counsell whereby he decrees that all men shall be saued so be it they will beleeue For it is euery way as much against common sense as if it had bin saide that God decreed nothing at all concerning man A conditionall sentence determines nothing simply but conditionally and therefore vncertenly and when we speake of God to determine vncertenly is as much as if he had determined nothing at all specially when the thing determined is in the power of mans wil and in respect of God the decree may come to passe or not come to passe Men if they might alwaies haue their choise desire to determine of all their affaires simply without condition and when they doe otherwise it is either because they know not the euent of things or because things to be don are not in their power No reason therefore that we should burden God with that whereof we would disburden our selues Againe the maiestie of God is disgraced in this kind of decree God for his part would haue all men to be saued why then are they not men will not keepe the condition and beleeue This is flat to hang Gods will vpon mans will to make euery man an Emperour and God his vnderling and to change the order of nature by subordinating Gods will which is the first cause to the will of man which is the second cause whereas by the very law of nature the first cause should order and dispose the second cause But for the iustifying of a conditionall decree it is alleadged that there is no eternall and hidden decree of God beside the Gospel which is Gods predestination reuealed Ans. It is an vntruth There be two wills in God one whereby he determineth what he will doe vnto vs or in vs the other whereby he determineth what we shall doe to him Now Predestination is the first whereupon it is commonly defined to be the preparation of the blessing of God whereby they are deliuered which are deliuered and the Gospel is the second Againe Predestination determines who they are and how many which are to be saued and hereupon Christ saith I know whom I haue chosen but the Gospel rather determines what kind of ones and how they must be qualified which are to be saued Lastly Predestination is Gods decree it selfe and the Gospel is an outward meanes of the execution of it and therefore though the Gospel be propounded with a conditionâ— yet the decree of God it selfe may be simple and absolute The fourth defect is the opinion of Vniuersall sauing grace aâ—pertaining to all and euery man which may be fitly tearmed the Schoole of vniuersall Atheisme For it pulls downe the pale of the Church and laies it wast as euery common field it breeds a carelesnes in the vse of the means of grace the word and Sacraments when as men shall be perswaded that grace shal be offered to euery one effectually whether he be of the Church or not at one time or other wheresoeuer or howsoeuer he liue as in the like case if meÌ„ should be told that whether they liue in the market towne or no there shall be sufficient prouision brought them if they will but receiue it and accept of it who would then come to the market Vniuersall grace hath three parts Vniuersall Election vniuersall Redemption vniuersall Vocation Vniuersall Election of all and euery man is a witlesse conceit for if men vniuersally be appointed to grace without exception then there is no electing or choosing of some out of mankind to grace and if some alone be appointed to grace as it must needes be in election then is not grace vniuersall And it is flat against the word of God For Christ auoucheth plainely that fewer be chosen then called and as afterward we shall see all are not called And he further saith that all which are giuen vnto him shall be one with him and haue life euerlasting but all men shall not be one with him and haue life euerlasting and therefore all men are not giuen to Christ of the father that is ordained to saluation And the Scripture saith that all mens names are not written in the booke of life and that the kingdome of heauen was not prepared for all And whereas men build this their vniuersall election vpon the largenesse of the promise of the Gospel vpon the like ground they might as well make an vniuersall decree of Reprobation whereby God decrees all men to be damned indefinitely vpon this condition if they doe not beleeue Now if vniuersall Reprobation be absurd as it is indeede then vniuersall Election of all and euery man must take part therewith As for the vniuersall Redemption of all and euery man it is no better then a forgerie of mans braine There shall be many
with the oyntment of the Spirit which is the true eye salue and doe plainly behold the sonne of righteousnes they enioy his presence they effectually feele his comfortable heate to quicken and reuiue them XX. From this sense and tast of Gods grace proceed many fruits as first generally he may doe outwardly all things which true Christians doe and he may lead such a life here in this world that although he cannot attaine to saluation yet his paines in hell shal be lesse which appeareth in that our Sauiour Christ saith it shall be easier for Tyrus and Sydon for Sodom and Gomorâ—ha then for Capernaum and other cities vnto which he came in the day of iudgment XXI Also the reprobate may haue a loue of God but this loue can be no sincere loue for it is only because God bestoweth benefits and prosperitie vpon him as appeareth in Saul who loued God for his aduancement to the kingdome here is a difference betweene the Elect and reprobate the Elect loue God as children their fathers but reprobates as hirelings their masters whom they affect not so much for themselues as for their wages XXII Also a reprobate hath often a reioycing in doing those things which appertaine to the seruice of God as preaching and praier Herod heard Iohn Baptist preach gladly and the second kind of naughtie ground receiueth the word preached with ioy XXIII A Reprobate often desireth them whom he thinketh to be the children of God to pray for him As Pharao desired Aaron and Moses to pray to God for him So did Simon Magus desire Peter to pray that none of the things which he had spoken against him should come to passe But yet they cannot pray themselues because they want the spirit of Christ. XXIIII He may shew liking to Gods Ministers he may reuerence them and feare to displease them Thus did Simon Magus who at Philips preaching beleeued wondred at his miracles kept companie with him And Herod is said to feare Iohn knowing that he was a iust man and holy also he gaue reuerence to him Antonius the Emperour called Pius though he was no Christian yet in a generall parliament held at Ephesus he made an act in the behalf of Christians that if any man should trouble or accuse a Christian for beeing a Christian the partie accused should goe free though he were found to be a Christian and the accuser should be punished And Plinius secundus gouernour of Spaine vnder Trajanus the Emperour when he saw an innumerable companie of Christians to be executed being mooued with compassion he wrote in their behalfe beeing no Christian vnto Trajanus to spare them that could be charged with no crime and his letter is yet extant XXV He may be zealous in the religion which he professeth and fall from that profession as the Galatians did who after that they had receiued Paul as an Angel and would haue plucked out their eyes to haue done him good yet they fell from the doctrine which he had taught them to iustification by the works of the Law which flat ouerthroweth iustification by faith alone The same appeareth in Iehu who was very zealous for Gods cause for the defacing of idolatrie and thereupon God blessed him in his children yet neuerthelesse he was a wicked man and followed the vile sinnes of Ieroboam his father XXVI After that he hath sinned he doth in many things in which he is faultie amend and reforme his life and doth professe great holines outwardly Herod he did many things which Iohn Baptist in preaching mooued him vnto Saul when he was to be chosen king professed great humilitie They may represse their vices and corruptions and so moderate themselues that they breake not out as did Haman of whome it is written that when he was full of indignation against Mordecai yet he refraine himself And herein the Elect and the Reprobate differ for the elect are somewhat reformed in euery one of their sinnes But the reprobate though he be amend in many faults yet someone fault or other he cannot abide to haue it reformed and by that in a vile manner the deuill wholly possesseth him As Herod who did many things yet would not leaue his brothers wife And no doubt in Iudas most of his sinnes in appearance were mortified and yet by couetousnesse the deuill possessed him and held him fast chained in bondage vnder him For one sinne is sufficient to him that by it he may bring a man to damnation Secondly in infidels liuing honestly the spirit of God bridleth the force of sinne the corrupt nature that it breake not out as it doth in many other But in Christians that are indeed godly the same spirit not only represseth the corruptioÌ„ of nature outwardly but also mortifieth it within at the root regenerateth the whole maÌ„ into a new creature Thus then neither the faithfull nor infidels doe effect any thing that is laudable but by the spirit of god the faithful by the spirit of regeneration infidels by the same spirit only suppressing the outward act of sinne XXVII Beside this he may haue the gift of working miracles of casting forth deuils of healing and such like and this power of doing strange miracles shall be vsed as an excuse of some of the reprobates in the day of iudgement XXVIII Oftentimes vnto him is giuen the gifts of the holy Ghost to discharge the most waightie calling that can be in any common wealth And this is meant when God is said to giue Saul an other heart that is such vertues as were meet for a King XXIX A reprobate may haue the word of God much in his mouth and also may be a preacher of the word for so prophecying in Christs name shal be vsed as an excuse of reprobates and we know that among the twelue Apostles Iudas was a reprobate And this may be wel perceiued in the resemblance of tasting which the author to the Hebrewes vseth We know that cookes commonly which are occupied in preparing of bankets haue as much feeling and seeing of the meat as any other and yet there is none that eateth lesse of it then they for their stomackes are cloyed with the smell and taste of it so in like maner it may come to passe that the minister which dresseth prouideth the spiritual foode may eate the least of it himselfe and so labouring to saue others he may be a reprobate And it is thought that some of them which built the Arke were not saued in the Arke but perished in the floud XXX When as a reprobate professeth thus much of the Gospell though in deed he be a goat yet he is taken for one of Gods sheepe he is kept in the same pastures and is folded in the same fold with them He is counted a Christian of the children of God and so he taketh himself to be
saluation but with feare and trembling Phil. 2.12 8 He burneth with zeale of the spirit c. And so the rest of the affections are exercised about the promises of God in Christ and by this meanes is the deepe rooting of the word in the heart Thus it commeth to passe that the Reprobate falleth away from faith in the day of triall and temptation but the Elect cannot be changed XXXIIII Thus it appeareth how farre a reprobate may proceed in religion the consideration of this point I direct vnto two sorts of men Carnall gospellers and Papists Carnall gospellers are such among vs as know the word but obey it not or such as bearing a profession neither know it nor obey it And the best of these come short of reprobates in two points 1. In faith they come short of the deuill most of them The deuill beleeueth and trembleth but they contrariwise liuing in their sinnes beleeue and hope How comes this to passe The deuill knoweth the Gospel and the points of it and withall he beleeueth the terrible threatnings of the law and therefore trembleth Drowsie Protestants beleeue the Gospel as the deuill doth though he conceiues the points of it better then they doe as for the law and the threatnings thereof they doe not beleeue them and that makes them euen when they liue in their sinnes to hope and presume of mercie Therefore the deuill beleeues more of Gods word then they doe Secondly they come short of wicked men in outward obedience The young man not yet conuerted to Christ when he was bidden to keepe the commaundements of the second Table answered that he had kept them from his youth and therefore our Sauiour Christ looked vpon him and loued him although this externall obedience was not sufficient for Christ telleth him that one thing is wanting vnto him And in another place he saith except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisies you cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Now the carelesse Gospeller is farre from performing this in so much that commonly he makes an open practise of sinne one way or other The causes of their carelesnes are first a perswasion that a man may repent when he will because the Scripture saith At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart God will put all their wickednesse out of his remembrance But indeed late repentance is seldome true repentance and it may be iustly feared least that repentance which men when they are dying frame to themselues die also with them Secondly they flatter themselues imagining that the best man that is hath seuen falles euery day into grosse sinnes whereas the place which they abuse out of the Prouerbs The righteous man falleth seuen times in a day and riseth againe it is rather to be vnderstood of falls into affliction then falls into actuall sinnes Thirdly they deceiue themselues most falsly thinking small sinnes or hidden sinnes to be no sinnes and grossest sinnes in which they liue and lie most dangerously to be but sinnes of infirmitie XXXV By this which hath bin said the professours of Christian religion are admonished of two things First that they vse most painfull diligence in working their saluation in attaining to faith in dying to sinne in liuing to newnesse of life and that their hearts be neuer at rest till such time as they goe beyond all reprobates in the profession of Christ Iesus Seest thou how farre a reprobate may goe presse on to the straight gate with maine and might with all violence lay hold on the kingdome of heauen Slial Herod feare and reuerence Iohn Baptist and heare him gladly and wilt thou neglect the Ministers and the preaching of the word shall Pharao confesse his sinne nay shall Satan beleeue and tremble And wilt not thou bewaile and lament thy sinnes and thy wicked conuersation It behooueth thee to feare and take heed least wicked men and the deuill himselfe rise in iudgement and condemne thee For if thou shalt come short of the duties of a reprobate and doe not goe beyond him in the profession of the Gospel sure it is thou must looke for the reward of a reprobate The second thing is that the professour of the Gospell diligently trie and examine himselfe whether he is in the state of damnation or in the state of grace whether he yet beare the yoke of Satan or is the adopted child of God Thou wilt say this need not thou professest the Gospell and art taken for a Christian yet marke and consider that this often befalleth reprobates to be esteemed Christians and they are often so like them that none but Christ can discerne the sheepe from the goates true Christians from apparant Christians Wherefore it behooueth all men that shew themselues to be Christians to lay aside all pride and all selfeloue and with singlenes of heart to put themselues into the ballance of Gods word and to make iust triall whether in thē repentance faith mortification sanctification c. giue waight answerable to their outward profession which if they doe let them praise God if not let them with all speede vse the meanes that they may be borne anew to the lord and may be inwardly guided by his holy spirit to giue obedience to his will least in the day of Gods trial they start aside from him like a broken bow and fall againe to their first vncleannesse XXXVI To come to the second sort of men and to conclude let the most zealous Papist that is trie himselfe and his whole estate with a single heart as in the presence of Gods maiestie and he shall finde that by his whole religion and profession he doth come short of a reprobate or at the least not goe beyond him in these points before named The Lord open their eyes that they may see it Amen THE ESTATE OF A CHRISTIAN MAN IN this life which also sheweth how farre the Elect may goe beyond the Reprobate in Christianitie and that by many degrees I THe Elect are they whome God of the good pleasure of his will hath decreed in himselfe to choose to eternall life for the praise of the glorie of his grace For this cause the Elect onely are saide to haue their names written in the booke of life II Whome God electeth them he calleth in the time appointed for the same purpose This calling of the Elect is nothing els but a singling and a seuering of them out of this vile world and the customes thereof to be citizens of the kingdome of glorie after this life And the time of their calling is tearmed in Scriptures the day of visitation the day of saluation the time of grace III. This seuering and choosing of the elect out of the worlde is then performed when God by his holy spirit indueth them with true sauing faith a wonderfull gift peculiar to the
with all his heart and with full consent and so doth not the first Secondly though he fall into any sinne yet he doth not lie long in it but speedily recouers himselfe by reason of grace in his heart Hence it is manifest that sinnes of infirmitie are committed onely of such as are regenerate As for the man vnregenerate he can not sinne of infirmitie whatsoeuer some falsly thinke For he is not weake but starke dead in sinne And sinnes of infirmitie are such onely as rise of constraint feare hastinesse and such like sudden passions in the regenerate And though they sin of weaknes often by reason of this spirituall combat yet they doe not alwaies for they may sinne against knowledge and conscience of presumption To come to the second point the regenerate man can not doe the good which he would because he can not doe it perfitly and soundly according to Gods will as he would Paul saith To will is present with me but I finde no meanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfitly to doe that which I would In this point the godly man is like a prisoner that is gotten forth of the gayle and that he might escape the hand of the keeper desires and striues with all his heart to runne an hundred miles in a day but because he hath straight and waightie bolts on his legges cannot for his life creepe past a mile or twaine and that with chasing his flesh tormenting himselfe So the seruants of God doe heartily desire and endeauour to obey God in all his commaundements as it is saide of King Iosias That he turned to God with all his heart with all his soule with all his might according to all the lawes of Moses c. yet because they are clogged with the bolts of the flesh they performe obedience both slowly and weakely with diuers slippes and falls Thus much of the combat now let vs see what vse may be made of it First of all by it we learne what is the estate of a Christian man in this life A Christian is not one that is free from all euill cogitations from rebellious inclinations and motions of will and affections from all manner of slips in his life and conuersation for such an one is a meere deuise of mans brain and not to be found vpon earth But indeed he is the sound Christian that feeling himselfe laden with the corruptions of his vile and rebellious nature bewailes them from his heart and with might and maine fights against them by the grace of Gods spirit Againe here is ouerthrowne the Popish opinion of merit and iustification by workes of grace on this manner Such as the cause of workes is such are works themselues The cause of works in man is the mind will and affections sanctified in which the flesh and the spirit are mixt together as hath beene shewed before Therefore works of grace euen the best of them are mixt workes partly holy and partly sinnefull Whereby it is euident to a man that hath but common sense that they are not answerable to the righteousnes of the law and that therefore they can neither merit life or any way iustifie a man before God If any reply that good works are the works of Gods spirit and for that cause perfectly righteous I answer it is true indeede they come from the H. Ghost that can not sinne but not onely or immediatly For they come also frō the corrupt minde will of man and in that respect become sinnefull as sweete water issuing out of a pure fountaine is by a filthy channell made corrupt Thirdly we doe hence learne that concupiscence or originall sinne is properly and indeede sinne after baptisme though it please the Councill of Trent to decree otherwise For after baptisme it is flat contrarie to the spirit and rebells against it Papists obiect that it is taken away by baptisme Answ. Originall sinne or the flesh is taken away in the regenerate thus In it there be three things the guilt the punishment the corruption the first two are quite abolished by the merit of Christs death in baptisme the third that is the corruption remaines still but marke in what manner it remaines weakned it remains not imputed to the person of the beleeuer Lastly hereby we are taught to be watchfull in praier Watch and pray saith Christ c. for the spirit is readie but the flesh is weake Rebecca when two twins stroue in her wombe was troubled and saide Why am I so wherefore shee went to aske the Lord namely by some Prophet So when we feele this inward fight the best thing is to haue recourse to God by praier and to his word that the spirit may be strengthened against the flesh As the children of Israel by compassing the citie of Ierico seuen daies and by sounding rammes hornes ouerturned the walls thereof so by serious inuocation of Gods name the spirit is confirmed and the turrets and towres of the rebellious flesh battered The voice of a man 1. Carnall of Euill I doe that which is euill and I will doe it Good I do not that which is good and I will not do it 2. Regenerate of Euill I doe the euill which I would not Good I doe not doe the good which I would 3. Glorified of Euill I doe not that which is euill and I will not doe it Good I doe that which is good and I will doe it A salue for a sicke man OR A TREATISE CONTAINING THE NATVRE DIFFERENCES AND KINDES OF DEATH AS ALSO THE right manner of dying well And It may serue for spirituall instruction to 1. Marriners when they goe to sea 2. Souldiers when they goe to battell 3. Women when they trauell of child PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND VERTVOVS LAdie the Ladie Lucie Countesse of Bedford THe death of the righteous that is of euery beleeuing and repentant sinner is a most excellent blessing of God and brings with it many worthie benefits which thing I proue on this maner I. God both in the beginning and in the continuance of his grace doeth greater things vnto his seruants then they do commonly aske or thinke and because he hath promised aide and strength vnto them therefore in wonderfull wisdome hee casteth vpon them this heauie burden of death that they might make experience what is the exceeding might power of his grace in their weakenes II. Iudgement beginnes at gods house the righteous are laden with afflictions temptations in this life therefore in this worlde they haue their deaths and hells that in death they might not feele the torments of hell and death III. When Lazarus was dead Christ said He is not dead but sleepeth hence it followeth that the christian man can say My graue is my bedde my death is my sleepe in death I die not but onely sleepe It is thought that of all terrible things death is most
And this I take to be the meaning of this text which speaketh not of iustification by faith but onely of the practice of common duties which faith putteth in execution by the helpe of loue III. Reason Faith is neuer alone therefore it doth not iustifie alone Ans. The reason is naught and they might as well dispute thus The eie is neuer alone from the head and therefore it seeth not alone which is absurd And though in regard of substance the eie be neuer alone yet in regard of seeing it is alone and so though faith subsist not without loue and hope and other graces of god yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without thē al. IV. Reason If faith alone doe iustifie then we are saued by faith alone but we are not saued by faith alone and therefore not iustified by faith alone Ans. The proposition is false for more things are requisite to the maine ende then to the subordinate meanes And the assumption is false for wee are saued by faith alone if we speake of faith as it is an instrument apprehending Christ for our saluation V. Reason We are saued by hope therefore not by faith alone Ans. Wee are saued by hope not because it is any cause of our saluation Pauls meaning is onely this that we haue not saluation as yet in possession but waite patiently for it in time to come to be possessed of vs expecting the time of our full deliuerance that is all that can iustly be gathered hence Nowe the doctrine which we teach on the contrarie is That a sinner is iustified before God by faith yea by faith alone The meaning is that nothing within man and nothing that man can do either by nature or by grace concurreth to the act of iustification before God as any cause thereof either efficient material formal or final but faith alone all other gifts graces as hope loue the feare of God are necessarie to saluation as signes thereof cōsequents of faith Nothing in mā cōcurs as any cause to this work but by faith alone And faith it selfe is no principall but onely an instrumentall cause whereby we receiue apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnesse for our iustificatiō Reason I. Ioh. 3.14,15 As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life In these words Christ makes a comparison on this maner when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fierie serpents his cure was not by any phisicke surgerie but onely by the casting of his eies vp to the brasen serpent which Moses had erected by Gods commandement euen so in the cure of our soules when we are stung to death by sinne there is nothing required within vs for our recouery but onely that we cast vp and fixe the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousnes Reason II. The exclusiue formes of speech vsed in scripture prooue thus much We are iustified freely not of the lawe not by the lawe without the lawe without workes not of workes not according to workes not of vs not by the workes of the lawe but by faith Gal. 2.16 All boasting excluded onely beleeue Luk. 8.50 These distinctions whereby workes and the lawe are excluded in the work◠of iustification doe include thus much that faith alone doth iustifie Reason III. Very reason may teach thus much for no gift in man is apt fit as a spirituall hand to receiue apply Christ and his righteousnes vnto a sinner but faith Indeede loue hope the feare of God and repentance haue their seuerall vses in men but none serue for this ende to apprehend Christ and his merits none of them all haue this receiuing propertie and therefore there is nothing in man that iustifieth as a cause but faith alone Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church Ambr. on Rom. 4. They are blessed to whome without any labour or worke done iniquities are remitted and sinne couered no workes or repentance required of them but onely that they beleeue And cap. 3. Neither working any thing nor requiting the like are they iustified by faith alone through the gift of God And 1. Cor. 1. this is appointed of God that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall be saued without any worke by faith alone freely receiuing remission of sinnes Augustine There is one propitiation for all sinnes to beleeue in Christ. Hesyc on Leuit. lib. 1. c. 2. Grace which is of mercy is apprehended by faith alone and not of workes Bernard Whosoeuer is pricked for his sinnes and thirsteth after righteousnes let him beleeue in thee who iustifieth the sinner and beeing iustified by Faith alone he shall haue peace with God Chrysost. on Gal. 3. They said he which resteth on faith alone◠is accursed but Paul sheweth that he is blessed which resteth on faith alone Basil. de Humil. Let man acknowledge himselfe to want true iustice and that he is iustified onely by faith in Christ. Origen on c. 3. Rom. Wee thinke that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe and he saith iustification by faith alone sufficeth so as a man onely beleeuing may be iustified And therefore it lieth vpon vs to search who was iustified by faith without works And for an exāple I thinke vpon the theife who beeing crucified with Christ cried vnto him Lord remember me when thou cōmest into thy kingdome and there is no other good worke of his mentioned in the Gospell but for this alone faith Iesus saith vnto him This night thou shalt be with me in paradise III. Difference The third difference about iustification is concerning this point namely how farreforth good workes are required thereto The doctrine of the Church of Rome is that there be two kinds of iustification the first and the second as I haue said The first is when one of an euill man is made a good man and in this workes are wholly excluded it beeing wholly of grace The second is when a man of a iust man is made more iust And this they will haue to proceede from workes of grace for say they as a man when he is once borne can by eating and drinking make himselfe a bigger man though he could not at the first make himselfe a man euen so a sinner hauing his first iustification may afterward by grace make himselfe more iust Therefore they hold these two things I. that good works are meritorious causes of the second iustification which they tearme Actual II. that good works are means to increase the first iustificatiō which they cal habitual Now let vs see how farforth we must ioyne with them in this point Our consent therefore stands in three conclusions I. That good workes done by them that are iustified doe please God and are approoued of him and therefore haue a reward II. Good workes are necessarie to saluation two
waies first not as causes thereof either conuersant adiuvant or procreant but onely as consequents of faith in that they are inseparable companions and fruits of that faith which is indeede necessarie to saluation Secondly they are as necessarie as markes in a way and as the way it selfe directing vs vnto eternall life III. We hold and beleeue that the righteous man is in some sort iustified by works for so the holy Ghost speaketh plainely and truly Iam. 2.21 That Abraham was iustified by workes Thus farre we ioyne with them and the very difference is this They say we are iustified by workes as by causes thereof we say that we are iustified by workes as by signes and fruits of our iustification before God and no otherwise and in this sense must the place of S. Iames be vnderstood that Abraham was iustified that is declared and made manifest to be iust indeed by his obedience and that euen before God Now that our doctrine is the truth it will appeare by reasons on both parts Our reasons I. Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Some answer that ceremoniall workes be excluded here some that morall works some works going before faith But let them deuise what they can for themselues the truth is that Paul excludeth all works whatsoeuer as by the very text will appeare For v. 24. he saith We are iustified freely by his grace that is by the meere gift of God giuing vs to vnderstand that a sinner in his iustification is meerely passiue that is doing nothing on his part whereby God should accept him to life euerlasting And v. 27. he saith iustification by faith excludeth all boasting and therefore all kind of works are thereby excluded and specially such as are most of all the matter of boasting that is good workes For if a sinner after that he is iustified by the merit of Christ were iustified more by his owne workes then might he haue some matter of boasting in himselfe And that we may not doubt of Pauls meaning consider and read Eph. 2.8,9 By grace saith he you are saued tâ—rough faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast himselfe Here Paul excludes all and euery worke and directly workes of grace themselues as appeares by the reason following For we are his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that weâ— should walke in them Nowe let the Papists tell me what bee the workes which God hath prepared for men to walke in and to which they are regenerate vnlesse they bee the most excellent workes of grace and let them marke howe Paul excludes them wholly from the worke of iustification and saluation II. Gal. 5.3 If ye be circumcised ye are bound to the whole lawe and ye are abolished from Christ. Here Paul disputeth against such men as would bee saued partly by Christ and partly by the workes of the lawe hence I reason thus If a man will be iustified by workes he is bound to fulfill the whole lawe according to the rigour thereof that is Pauls ground I nowe assume no man can fullfill the lawe according to the rigour thereof for the liues and workes of most righteous men are imperfect and stained with sinne and therefore they are taught euery day to say on this manner forgiue vs our debts Againe our knowledge is imperfect and therefore our faith repentance and sanctifiâ—atioÌ„ is answerable And lastly the regenerate man is partly flesh and partly spirit and therefore his best workes are partly from the flesh and in part onely spirituall Thus then for any man to bee bound to the rigour of the whole lawe is as much as if he were bound to his owne damnation III. Election to saluation is of grace without workes therefore the iustification of a sinner is of grace alone without workes For it is a certen rule that the cause of a cause is the cause of a thing caused Now grace without workes is the cause of election which election is the cause of our iustification therfore grace without workes is the cause of our iustification IV. A man must first be fully iustified before he can doe a good worke for the person must first please God before his works can please him But the person of a sinner cannot please God till he be perfectly iustified and therefore till hee be iustified he cannot doe so much as one good worke And thus good workes cannot be any meritorious causes of iustification after which they are both for time and order of nature In a word whereas they make two distinct iustifications we acknowledge that there be degrees of sanctification yet so as iustification is onely one standing in remission of sinnes and Gods acceptation of vs to life euerlasting by Christ and this iustification hath no degrees but is perfect at the very first Obiections of Papists Psal. 7.8 Iudge me according to my righteousnesse Hence they reason thus if Dauid be iudged according to his righteousnes then may he be iustified therby but Dauid desires to be iudged according to his righteousnes and therefore he was iustified thereby Ans. There be two kindes of righteousnesse one of the person the other of the cause or action The righteousnes of a mans person is whereby it is accepted into the fauour of God into life eternall The â—ighteousnes of the action or cause is when the action or cause is iudged of God to be good and iust Nowe Dauid in this psalme speaketh onely of the righteousnesse of the action or innocency of his cause in that he was falsely charged to haue sought the kingdome In like manner it is said of Phineas Psal. 166.31 that his fact in killing Zimri and Cosbie was imputed to him for righteousnes not because it was a satisfaction to the lawe the rigour whereof could not be fulfilled in that one worke but because God accepted of it as a iust worke and as a token of his righteousnes and zeale for Gods glorie II. Obiect The Scripture saith in sundrie places that men are blessed which doe good workes Psal. 119.1 Blessed is the man that is vpright in heart walketh in the lawe of the Lord. Ans. The man is blessed that indeauoureth to keep Gods commandements Yet is he not blessed simply because hee doth so but because he is in Christ by whome he doeth so and his obedience to the lawe of God is a signe thereof III. Obiect When man confesseth his sinnes and humbleth himselfe by praier and fasting Gods wrath is pacified and staied therefore praier and fasting are causes of iustification before God Answ. Indeede men that truely humble themselues by praier and fasting doe appease the wrath of God yet not properly by these actions but by their faith expressed and testified in theÌ„ whereby they apprehend that which appeaseth Gods wrath euen the merits of Christ in whome the
Father is well pleased and for whose sake alone he is well pleased with vs. IV. Obiect Sundrie persons in Scripture are commended for perfectionâ— as Noe and Abraham Zacharie and Elizabeth and Christ biddeth vs all bee perfect and where there is any perfection of workes there also workes may iustifie Ans. There be two kinds of perfection perfection in parts and perfection in degrees Perfection in part is when being regenerate and hauing the seedes of all necessarie vertues wee indeauour accordingly to obey God not in some few but in all and euery part of the law as Iosias turned vnto God according to all the law of Moses Perfection in degrees is when a man keepeth euery commandement of God and that according to the rigour thereof in the very highest degree Nowe then whereas we are commanded to be perfected and haue examples of the same perfection in scripture both commandements and examples must be vnderstood of perfection in parts and not of perfection in degrees which caÌ„â—ot be attained vnto in this life though we for our parts must daily striue to come as neere vnto it as possibly we can V. Obiect 2. Cor. 4. 17. Our momentany afflictions worke vnto vs a greater measâ—re of glorie nowe if afflictions worke our saluation then workes also doe the same Ans. Afflictions worke saluation not as causes procuring it but as means directing vs thereto And thus alwaies must we esteeme of works in the matter of our saluation as of a certen way or a marke therein directing vs to glorie not causing and procuring it as Bernard saith they are via Regni non causa regnandi The waie to the kingdome not the cause of raigning there VI. Obiect We are iustified by the same thing whereby we are iudged but we are iudged by our good works therfore iustified also Ans. The proposition is false for iudgement is an act of God declaring a man to bee iust that is alreadie iust and iustification is another distinct act of God whereby he maketh him to be iust that is by nature vniust And therefore in equitie the last iudgement is to proceede by workes because they are the fittest meanes to make triall of euery mans cause and serue fitly to declare whome God hath iustified in this life VII Obiect Wicked men are condemned for euill workes and therefore righteous men are iustified by good workes Ans. The reason holdeth not for there is great difference betweene euill and good workes An euill worke is perfectly euill and so deserueth damnation but there is no good worke of any man that is perfectly good and therefore cannot iustifie VIII Obiect To beleeue in Christ is a worke and by it we are iustified if one worke doe iustifie why may we not be iustified by all the workes of the law Ans. Faith must be considered two waies first as a worke qualitie or vertue secondly as an Instrument or an hand reaching out it selfe to receiue Christs merit And we are iustified by faith not as it is a work vertue or qualitie but as it is an instrument to receiue and apply that thing whereby we are iustified And therefore it is a figuratiue speech to say We are iustified by faith Faith considered by it selfe maketh no man righteous neither doth the actioÌ„ of faith which is to apprehend iustifie but the obiect of faith which is Christs obedience apprehended These are the principall reasons commonly vsed which as we see are of no moment To conclude therefore we holde that workes concurre to iustification and that we are iustified thereby as by signes and effects not as causes for both the beginning middle and accomplishment of our iustification is onely in Christ and hereupon Iohn saith If any man beeing already iustified sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ and he is the propitiation for our sinnes And to make our good workes meanes or causes of our iustification is to make euery man a Sauiour to himselfe The V. point Of merits By merit we vnderstand any thing or any work whereby Gods fauour life euerlasting is procured and that for the dignitie and excellencie of the worke or thing done or a good worke done binding him that receiueth it to repay the like Our Consent Touching merits we consent in two conclusions with them The first coÌ„clusion that merits are so farre forth necessarie that without them there can be no saluation The second that Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer is the roote and fountaine of all merit The dissent or difference The popish Church placeth merits within man making two sorts thereof the merit of the person and the merit of the worke The merit of the person is a dignitie in the person whereby it is worthie of life euerlasting And this as they say is to be found in Infants dying after baptisme who though they want good workes yet are they not void of this kind of merit for which they â—eceiue the kingdome of heauen The merit of the worke is a dignitie or excellencie in the worke whereby it is made fitte and inabled to deserue life euerlasting for the doer And works as they teach are meritorious two waies first by couenant because God hath made a promise of reward vnto them secondly by their own dignitie for Christ hath merited that our works might merit And this is the substance of their doctrine From it we dissent in these points I. We renounce all personall merits that is all merits within the person of any meere man II. And we renounce all merit of workes that is all merit of any worke done by any meere man whatsoeuer And the true merit whereby we looke to attaine the fauour of God and life euerlasting is to bee found in the person of Christ alone who is the storehouse of all our merits whose prerogatiue it is to be the person alone in whome God is well pleased Gods fauour is of infinit dignitie and no creature is able to doe a worke that may counteruaile the fauour of God saue Christ alone who by reason of the dignitie of his person beeing not a meere man but God-man or Man-god hee can doe such workes as are of endles dignitie euery way answerable to the fauour of God and therefore sufficient to merit the same for vs. And though a merit or meritorious work agree only to the person of Christ yet is it made ours by imputation For as his righteousnes is made ours so are his merits depending thereon but his righteousnes is made ours by imputation as I haue shewed Hence ariseth another point namely that as Christs righteousnes is made ours really by imputation to make vs righteous so wee by the merit of his righteousnesse imputed to vs doe merit and deserue life euerlasting And this is our doctrine In a word the Papist maintaineth the merits of his owne workes but we renouuce them all and rest only on the merit of Christ. And that our doctrine is trueth and theirs