consciences of all sinners Contrariwise Christ Iesus is perfectly righteous and in him are three inestimable benefits answerable to the three former euils first the sufferings of Christ vpon the Crosse sufficient for all mens sins secondly the obedience of Christ in fulfilling the Law thirdly the perfect holinesse of the humane nature of Christ and these are three soueraigne medicines to heale all wounded consciences and as three running streames of liuing waters to bathe and to supple the bruised and contrite heart Now commeth Faith and first layeth hold on the sufferings or passiue obedience of Christ which being imputed and appived to the sinner hee is deliuered from guilt and condemnation and so the first deadly wound is cured Againe Faith layeth hold vpon his actiue obedience in fulfilling the Law which being imputed and applyed the person of the sinner is accepted as perfectly iust before God and so the second deadly wound is cured Thirdly Faith applyeth the holinesse of his humane nature called his habituall or originall righteousnesse whereby hee is accepted of God as perfectly holy and so the third deadly wound is cured And thus we see how this righteousnesse is become ours and wee it And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken touching the meaning of the wordes Now followeth the vse of doctrine And to omit many other doctrines which might be gathered out of this place I will content my selfe with this one which the wordes doe naturally afford being almost expressed in the Text to wit hence we are taught what is the formall cause of the iustification of a sinner before God viz. a reciprocall translation of our sinne vnto Christ and his righteousnesse vnto vs the which comprehendeth the whole forme of Iustification wherein there are two things first a not imputing of sin secondly an imputing of righteousnesse for that our sinnes may not be imputed vnto vs necessarily they must be imputed vnto Christ and that we of sinners may become iust his righteousnesse must be imputed vnto vs. In a word then the forme of Iustification is the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ vnto the beleeuer for the remission of sinnes and for righteousnesse This point because it is a fundamentall principle and a maine ground and piller of our religion and not a little controuerted betweene the church of Rome and vs I will stand the longer in the handling of it both that we may be confirmed in the truth of so necessary doctrine as also armed with the armour of proofe against all the assaults of the aduersaries wherewith they shall impugne it And that wee may proceede in some order wee will consider these three things first what imputation is secondly that it is the formall cause of the Iustification of a sinner before God thirdly we will touch some of the principall obiections which are alledged to the contrary by that apostaticall and hereticall Church of Rome And to beginne with the name Imputation is a Metaphor borrowed not from numbers Arithmetique as some haue thought but from a kinde of contract called acceptilation wherein the creditor is content to accept the payment of the suretie in the behalfe of the debter euen as if hee had discharged it in his owne person Touching the vse and acception of the word it is two-fold in Scriptures the first is when an inherent qualitie or action proceeding thence is imputed vnto reward or punishment for reward mention is made of it Rom. 4.4 to him that worketh the wages are imputed an example of it wee haue in Phinchas Psal 106.31 whose worke the Lord imputed vnto him for righteousnesse that is hee approued it accepted it and rewarded it for the faith of the worker For punishment wee haue an instance 2 Sam. 19.19 where the varlet Shimei doth beseech Dauid on this manner Let not my Lord impute wickednesse vnto me that is let him not inflict the punishment of my sinne vpon mee 2. Tim. 4.26 At my first answering no man assisted mee but all forsooke me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge The second is when something out of a mans selfe is by imputation made his as though it were inherent in him or wrought by him thus it is vsed Rom. 2.26 Thy vncircumcision is made Circumcision if thou beest an obseruer of the Law So to Philemon verse 18. If Onesimus hath done thee any hurt impute it to me or set it on my score I will repay and in this latter sense we are to speake of it in this place Imputation therefore may be thus described It is an action of God accepting the all-sufficient and perfect Obedience of Christ in the behalfe of the beleeuing sinner vnto satisfaction and iustification Now then to come to the first point that Imputation thus described is the forme of the iustification of a sinner before God though many arguments might be vsed yet I will content my selfe with these two both which are contained in this Text the former whereof may be framed thus After what manner Christ became a sinner after the same manner wee are made iust but hee became a sinner not by infusion of any corrupt qualities into his holy nature which were blasphemie once to conceiue but by imputation of our sin onely therefore we are iust before God not by infusion of any habituall grace into our corrupt natures but by imputation of his righteousnesse onely This argument is firme and inuincible and cannot be deluded being so surely grounded vpon this Text If it be replyed as indeede it is that if this reason of reciprocall imputation be so firme and of such force why doe not the like consequents follow of both to wit why doth not the imputation of our sinne vnto Christ as well bring with it inherent corruption in him as the imputation of his righteousnesse vnto vs inherent grace in vs. Ans The reason is farre vnlike for first though sin be of a very poysonfull nature yet there is not the like force and power in sinne to defile and to pollute as in grace to purge and to sanctifie Rom. 5.15 The gift is not so as is the offence noting that there is more vertue and efficacie in grace to sanctifie and to saue then in sinne to defile and to destroy And indeed Grace is like vnto fire which though it be for quantitie small yet for efficacie great Againe the humane nature of Christ is so replenished with holinesse that it is not at all capable of sinne but mans nature is not so stained and corrupted with sinne but that it is capable of grace being at the first created after the Image of God and afterward againe to be reâ—…ed by Christ and therefore considering that Christ is not so capable of sinne as man is of holines the reason is of no moment The latter reason may be gathered out of the wordes of the Apostle where hee saith That wee might be made the righteousnes of God in him Whence I
their ministeriall head that which they denie vnto the imperiall as they foolishly distinguish But not content with this they pleade further for themselues saying that there is no necessitie of the imputation of righteousnesse because wee are iustified by an inherent righteousnesse receiued from Christ by infusion this they labour to confirme by testimonie of Scripture principally out of Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one man many dye out of which place they reason thus As the imputatiue disobedience of Adam did truly print into the nature of man corruption and sinne and not putatiuely onely as they speake so the imputatiue obedience of Christ doth print into the nature of man holinesse grace and notiby imputation onely This argument they take to be so firme and so strong that it admitteth no answere which notwithstanding being well weighed is of no moment for if all were graunted nothing could be proued vnlesse it could be shewed that this righteousnes printed in our natures and resident in vs were that whereby a sinner is iustified before God which cannot be as is manifest by this reason That righteousnesse which must absolue and acquite a sinner before God must be absolute and perfect and in all points answerable and correspondent vnto the rigour and extremitie of the morall Law but our inherent righteousnesse is not such nay Psal 143.2 Dan. 9.18 it is imperfect in this life and therfore Dauid and Daniel durst not oppose it to the seuere examination of gods iudgement seat but renounced it and relyed themselues onely vpon the meer mercy of God merit of Christ and so haue the Saints of God done from time to time Paul 1 Cor. 4.4 Though he had a great measure of this inherent righteousnesse yet testifieth plainely that hee is not thereby iustified and S. Iohn telleth vs 1 Ioh. 3.11 that it is mingled and blemished with sinne in this life and if any man think otherwise he is no better then a lyar and an hypocrite But let all be granted which this place in shew of wordes and according to their interpretation will or can afford it serueth as much to stablish iustification by imputation as by inherencie yea and more rather by how much the cause is of greater force then the effect for as the imputatiue sinne of Adam was the cause of inherent corruption in mans nature euen so the imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ is the cause of inherent grace in the faithfull And now to take this weapon out of their hands which they haue drawne as it were to cut the throate of Imputation it may fitly be retorted vpon their owne heads on this manner As the imputatiue disobedience of Adam was sufficient to make all men guiltie and culpable of condemnation before God though it left behinde it no print or impression of corruption in the nature of man euen so the imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ is sufficient to discharge and absolue vs of this guilt though it should bring with it no inherent righteousnesse in vs. Ob. Further they reason for themselues out of Dan. 9.24 the righteousnesse of the Messias is an eternall righteousnesse but this imputatiue righteousnesse ceaseth at the end of this life ergo An. Though the act of imputation of righteousnesse ceaseth after death because there is no remission of sins this life ended yet the righteousnesse imputed abideth still and standeth a man in stead to discharge and set him free from all the sins of his life by-past which otherwise the Lord might require at his hands Againe it remaineth in an inseparable fruit and effect of it which is perfect holinesse to wit a conformitie of the whole man vnto the will of God Thus being destitute of Scriptures they flye vnto reason pleading for themselues in this manner Obiect Christ the second Adam did restore no more then the first Adam lost but the first Adam neuer had and therefore could neuer lose this imputatiue righteousnesse ergo Ans The proposition is false for Christ as hee was euery way farre more excellent then Adam was so he is far more liberall in conferring grace and in bestowing his gifts then Adam was prodigall in losing them and in depriuing himselfe and his posteritie of them and therfore vouchsafed many more and greater gifts vnto vs then Adam euer lost for first Adam neuer had iustifying Faith neyther indeede was it necessary in that estate hee beleeued in God but hee knew not neyther beleeued in the Messias but Christ hath vouchsafed vs this supernaturall gift of iustifying Faith Againe Adam had not the grace of confirmation and finall perseuerance and therfore being tempted sell though the free motion of his owne will but wee haue the second grace that is of corroboration whereby wee are preserued in the state of grace which is the priuiledge of the state of redemption before the state of innocencie Adam had power to haue stood if hee would but hee had no power to will that hee could but we by the blessing of God haue in some part both the posse and the velle insomuch as it is not possible for vs being once in the state of grace eyther totally to fall or finally to perish For the Assumption Adam had the same righteousnes for substance which we haue but not in one and the same manner Adam had it resident in his person by inherencie but wee haue it out of our selues from another by imputation Now being destitute both of Scriptures and reason they try another way if not to stablish their own supposed righteousnes yet to bring our doctrine of imputation into contempt and therefore they search their wits labouring by all meanes to fasten some grosse absurdities vpon it but all in vaine First therefore they reason thus If the righteousnesse of Christ be the righteousnesse of a sinner then euery sinner that beleeueth is as righteous as Christ and consequently a Sauiour both which are absurd the ground of this argument is because the selfe-same perfect righteousnesse which is in Christ both for parts and degrees is made his by imputation the which is necessary because the righteousnesse which iustifieth must be absolute and in all points answerable vnto the morall Law For the answering of this first consider the absurditie of this kinde of reasoning in the like instances If the light of the Sunne be the light of the Ayre then the Ayre is as lightsome as the Sunne and consequently the Sunne it selfe that is the fountaine of light and heate If the heate of the fire be the heate of a mans hand then the hand is as hot as the fire If the water of the fountaine be the water of the riuer then the riuer is the fountaine or as copious and cleere as the fountaine Who can endure to heare this idle and foolish talking for it deserueth not the name of reasoning nay whose eares doe not glow to heare it But to satisfie this cauill and sophistication more fully both the
our guilt and punishment shall be translated vnto Christ alone and not the fault as Bellarmine and the Rhemists would haue it then necessarily by righteousnesse in the second member wee must vnderstand the reward and fruit of righteousnesse which cannot stand because the very righteousnesse it selfe is imputed to iustification as afterward we shall shew Secondly it is vnequall and vniust yea altogether impossible to impose our guilt vpon Christ and not our sinne because sinne and guilt goe inseperably together and where there is no sinne there can be no guilt therefore that our guilt might be laid vpon Christ necessarily our sinne must after a sort be made his and annexed vnto him that is by imputation Wherefore the more conuenient exposition and as I take it the better befitting this place is if by sinne we vnderstand a grieuous and notorious sinner the abstract emphatically noting the haynousnesse of the offence And indeede the offence must needes be great not which he had committed but which was imputed vnto him all the sinnes of the Elect their periuries blasphemies adulteries murthers oppressions and Heresies being laid vpon him so that he might iustly be termed and yet without disgrace vnto his person Luther in Gal. 3.13 Caluin idem blasphemus periurus haereticorum haereticissimus as Luther speaketh Now if any man shall reply and say these are contrary one to another for Christ to be a sinner and to be no sinner the answere is easie there is no contradiction vnlesse the same respect be obserued in both hee is verily a sinner and verily no sinner in a diuers and sundry consideration hee is verily no sinner properly personally and by act of inherencie he is a sinner truely yet relatiuely and by act of imputation For vs. That is so many of vs as are elected and doe beleeue for we may not thinke that our Sauiour Christ vndertooke the discharge of all mens sinnes before God to answere and satisfie the iustice of God for them all for then why are not all men saued Col. 1.14 In whom we haue redemption by his bloud that is the remission of sinnes Out of which place I reason thus All that are effectually redeemed by Christ on Gods part they haue the pardon of their sins but all and euery particular singular man haue not the pardon of their sinne ergo all and euery particular man are not effectually redeemed by Christ on Gods part The proposition is manifest out of the wordes of the text where redemption and remission of sinnes are inseperably yoaked and coupled together and reason doth enforce the same that where the iustice of God is fully satisfied nothing can be further obiected vnto or required of the sinner on satisfaction necessarily followeth and dependeth the abolishment of all sinne and guilt for the Assumption that is likewise cleere For if all men had the pardon of their sins then some who are effectually called iustified sanctified and vnited vnto Christ may totally fall away from grace and finally perish which is a hellish and vncomfortably doctrine the reprobates may be members of the Catholike Church which is a Popish doctrine then the gifts and calling of God should be such whereof hee did repent him if the pardon of sinne once giuen could be frustrate and made void Wherefore those men that hold and teach that our Sauiour Christ tooke vpon him the discharge of all mens sinnes to appease and pacifie the wrath of God for them all as well of Caine as of Abel of Esau as of Iacob of Pharaoh as of Moses of Iudas as of Peter of reprobate as of elect they erre and are greatly deceiued as might be shewed at large if this Text did giue me so fit occasion That we That is so many of vs as doe beleeue Here comes three things to be expounded first what this righteousnesse here mentioned is secondly why it is called the righteousnesse of God thirdly how we become it and it ours This righteousnesse that wee may the better conceiue wee must remember this distinction There is in Christ a twofold righteousnesse according to the diuersitie of his nature the one is vncreated and infinite which is the righteousnesse of the Deitie called by Diuines his essentiall righteousnesse the other is created and finite which is the righteousnesse of the humanitie The former is not here intended or spoken of by the Apostle as may appeare by two reasons first this righteousnesse is infinite and therefore incommunicable and if it could be communicated yet the finite creature were not capable of it considering that that which is infinite can neither be part nor accident of that which is finite secondly if wee could be capable of it wee should be Deified and then the Apostle might more sitly haue said that wee might be made righteous Gods in him then the righteousnesse of God in him Wherefore the dotage of Osiander concerning the iustification of a sinner by his essentiall righteousnesse is to be abhorred and renounced as blasphemous heresie absurd and ridiculous euen to common sense As for the place 2 Pet. 1.4 where it is said that the faithfull are made partakers of the diuine nature it maketh nothing for the patronaging of this errour for by Nature is not meant substance but diuine qualities of wisdome holines righteousnes liuelily representing the nature of God who is wisdome holines and righteousnesse it selfe The latter is the righteousnes of the humanity which is here which is two-fold originall which is the puritie and integritie of his nature viz. the conformitie of the whole man vnto the will of God actuall which is eyther actiue which he achiued in fulfilling the Law or passiue in his sufferings Now this whole righteousnesse is imputed vnto vs to iustification as after wee shall declare In the second place this righteousnesse is called the righteousnesse of God and that for three causes first because God is the sole Author and giuer of it Nature doth not afford neither good education al that free-will the good vse of the gifts of Nature doth or can afford is no more but an outward ciuil righteousnes before men which cannot iustifie a sinner before God secondly God alone accepteth it for in the behalfe of the sinner therby giuing him absolution from guilt and title and interest vnto life thirdly in respect of the subiect because it is in that person which is not onely man but also God in whom it is reserued as in a store-house for the vse of the Church Thirdly this righteousnesse becomes ours after this manner Sinne is that which makes a man vnrighteous and the childe of wrath and vengeance now in sinne there are three things hurtfull vnto man the first is condemnation or guilt which is an obligation to punishment the second is actuall disobedience vnto the morall Law the third is originall corruption the fountaine of all sinne these are three deadly wounds and three running sores in the harts and
euer obserued him diligent in his studie wittie in discourse apprehensiue of truth deepe in knowledge powerfull in preaching vigilant in practising and a perfect patterne of grauitie and sobrietie in the whole course of his life and conuersation And if the spirit of that iudicious Mr. Perkins might be found in any Diuine I thinke it appeared in him It is the Art of Arts to preach well to diuide the word and to saue soules hee excelled in this Art and that he might grow in this knowledge he tooke such paines that like vnto a seruiceable candle in giuing light to you he consumed himselfe Though there be too many Bookes in this scribling age and the paper is worth more then the things that are written in them as Socrates once said when he would write nothing yet of some mens Labours there are too few For though they should write but that which before hath beene written yet by reason of their credit in the Church the soundnesse of their iudgement the vprightnesse of their life their experience in cases of controuersie and conscience and that loue which their auditors haue had to them and their doctrine they might by writing doe much good Wee reade not indeede that our Sauiour Christ committed of himselfe any thing to writing yet his Apostles hee made as his Hand and Secretaries to commend the New Testament to the Church of God Our aduersaries the Papists daily doe assault the Church with deadly weapons the poyson of Aspes is vnder their pennes if these Fooles were not answered to their Folly they would be too proud Our Aduersary the Diuell casteth daily new deuised darts into the minds and Consciences of people if he should not be resisted by the Sling of Dauid hee would soone triumph ouer the Israel of God True it is indeede that by the mouth of the Preacher wee receiue much good and the liuely voyce giues much life to discourse but when after hearing wee may with our eyes peruse that which our eare hath heard wee shall the better ponder and know and remember and affect that which otherwise we might vtterly forget and make our hearts as rich in grace as our Bookes are full of goodnesse To this end that which was preached vnto the eare in the assembly of many learned Diuines and by name before that Reuerend Doctor Redman late Bishop of your Diocesse I am bold to publish to your view that by the finger of this Herculean labourer you may know what the whole man was And the same I am bold to dedicate to your Worship as a testimonie of your long loue to me and my desire to be thankfull to you When I liued in your Parish a painfull Preacher I found seeming fauor at the hands of some curious but substantiall fauour of diuers courteous and true meaning people How in the first yeere of my comming I was entertained by that graue Senator Mr. Francis Rugge then the third time Maior of that happy Citie I cannot forget whose house was vnto me rather an habitation then an Inne How euer after I was welcome to you and continually was fed at your table I must not forget vnlesse I would be thought an vnthankfull man I acknowledge all with much thanks both to God for such a friend and to you for such friendship and desire that when both you and I shall haue gone the way of all flesh the kindnesse which you haue shewed to me may of all into whose hands this little Booke shall come he had in remembrance I am now at an end I present vnto you this learned Sermon of the Iustification of a sinner before God with an excellent Prayer which Mr. New-house gaue me written with his owne hand I doubt not of your kinde acceptance of them both and I trust they will be a welcome New-yeeres gift to the whole Citie who I hope will euer obey them that haue the ouer-sight of them Hebr. 13. and submit themselues to them for they watch for their soules euen as they that must giue accounts that they may doe it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for them Now I pray that as the true feare of God hath so encreased your happy dayes vpon earth that you haue attained to the age of fourescore yeeres and for aboue fortie yeeres past haue liued a worthy Senator of a most worthy Citie so it would please God when your glasse is runne and Death shall call for you you may with old Simeon depart in peace with faithfull Samuel be lamented for and after receiue the end of your Faith which is the saluation of your Soule Thus crauing pardon recommending you your vertuous Wife M ris Anne Layer with that bountifull and godly Widdow M ris Anne Rugge to the protection of the Almighty I humbly take my leaue From Mr. Andrew Curwaynes house in Salisburie-rents at S. Martins in the Fields Decemb. 3. 1611. Your Worships euer in the Lord ROBERT HILL A SERMON PREACHED AT Great S. Maries in Cambridge 2 COR. 5.21 For he made him which knew no sinne to be sinne for vs that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in him FRom the ninth verse of this Chapter to the eighteenth the Apostle commendeth his faithfulnesse and sinceritie in the execution of his function Apostolicall From the eighteenth verse vnto the end hee commendeth the doctrine of the Gospell and that by a double argument the former whereof is taken from the Authour or efficient cause who is GOD himselfe the latter from the effect to wit reconciliation betweene God and man and therefore it is called the Ministerie of reconciliation Further this effect is enlarged by sundry arguments first from the Authour who is also God himselfe secondly from the subiect viz. the World by a Metonimie of the subiect men liuing in the world and by a Synecdoche of the whole for the part the Elect in the world thirdly from the forme viz. the not imputing of sinne fourthly from the adiuuant causes that is the Ministers of the word to whom the dispensation of this heauenly ambassage is committed verse 19. and 20. fiftly from the meritorious impulsiue cause which is the worke of Christs Mediatorshippe in vndertaking the discharge of mans sinne before God verse 21. Wherein three things more particularly are to be considered First our Sauiour Christ the Redeemer and reconciler of the world is described by his adioynt or propertie which is puritie of nature and immunitie from sinne in these words Which knew no sinne Secondly his worke is propounded whereby hee merited and procured at the hands of his Father attonement and reconciliation between God and man in these words became sinne for vs. Thirdly this work is amplified from the vse and end of it which is the iustification of a sinner before God in the last words that we might be made the righteousnesse of GOD in him Thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of the coherence order and
resolution of these wordes Now to descend to a more particular examination of them let vs first of all search the true and proper meaning of the wordes and then proceede to the vse of doctrine and edification which they shall naturally afford First therefore whereas the Apostle saith he made him the meaning is God the Father in his eternall and vnchangeable counsell decreed and appointed him which knew no sinne to become sinne for vs and answerably in fulnesse of time sent his Sonne to take vpon him flesh that is mans nature that in the same he might worke and suffer whatsoeuer was to be done and suffered for the accomplishment of mans redemption This appeareth to be so both because the outward and external works of God stretch themselues not onely to the diuels themselues but to the executions thereof as also because this worke of Redemption and Reconciliation betweene God and man as it was begun in the decree of God so it was continued in the incarnation of Christ and then finished and accomplished when all our sinne and guilt was laid vpon him and he paid the ransome for them all And least this should seeme strange and hard to any that Christ being very God should be any way subiect or subordinate vnto the decree of God the Scripture is plaine and pregnant in this point 1 Pet. 1.20 He was fore-appointed or fore-ordained from the beginning of the world viz. to this worke of mediation And our Sauiour Christ himselfe speaketh plainely Iohn 6.27 Him hath the Father sealed that is signed and singled by setting as it were a stamp and marke vpon him thereby separating him vnto this worke This we shall the better conceiue if wee doe but remember this distinction Christ is to be considered of vs two wayes first absolutely as he is God in which respect being equall with the Father and the holy Ghost he decreeth determineth together with them all things that are or come to passe in heauen or in earth secondly with limitation or addition viz. as hee is God incarnate God manifested in the flesh the mediator and reconciler of the world in which respect hee may be truly said to be vnder the decree of God though not in respect of his Nature yet in respect of his Office Which knew no sin The meaning is not that our Sauiour Christ was ignorant of the nature qualitie and force of sinne all our sinnes being laid vpon him but he knew no sin to wit experimentally eyther inherent in his person or practised in his life in a word he was no sinner at al eyther by the guilt of Adams first transgression or by the corruption of nature proceeding thence or by any actual offence committed in all his life The Scripture is cleere and euident in this point And first for original sin that is the guilt and corruption of nature Lu. 1.35 The Angell Gabriel in his salutation to the Virgine Marie saith that that which shall be borne of her shall be holy that is pure and free from all staine and contagion of originall sinne Hebre. 4.15 Hee was tempted in all things like vnto vs yet without sinne And though this were a sufficient reason to exempt our Sauiour Christ from all actuall sinne yet the Scripture is not wanting in this point also Ioh. 8.46 he cleareth himselfe from all actuall transgression when hee saith Which of you can conuince or rebuke me of sinne And for them both 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ suffered the iust for the vniust iust in nature iust in actions Heb. 7.26 Such an high Priest it became vs to haue as is holy vndefiled innocent and separate from sinners And the reason is rendred in the wordes following because hee must not be like to the high Priests of the Law who being sinners themselues first offered sacrifice for themselues and then for the people but hee must be an absolute and perfect high Priest that he may be in all points an absolute and a perfect Sauiour The ground of all this is the extraordinarie and miraculous sanctification of our Sauiour Christ in the womb of the Virgin wherof there be two parts the first is the stay stoppage of the guilt of Adams first transgression with the corruption of nature proceeding thence which was done on this manner God in the beginning tooke this order touching man that whatsoeuer good he had he should haue it for himself and his posteritie and whatsoeuer euill or hurt he brought vpon himselfe that hee should deriue it to euery one of his posterity descending from him insomuch as euery father is in stead of Adam to conuey vnto his childe not onely nature and substance but the guilt also and corruption of nature now that this euill might be preuented in Christ God in great wisdome appointed that he should be immediately conceiued by the holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgin without any manner generation by man insomuch as hee tooke substance from Marie without the guilt and corruption of nature Obiect If it shall be obiected as the spirit of errour hath found one only cauill against this cleere truth that all that are in Adam haue sinned in him but our Sauiour Christ was in Adam ergo An. The proposition is not true vnlesse it be thus expounded All that are in Adam haue sinned in him sobeit they descend from him by ordinary generation Rom. 5.12 the holy Ghost saith by one man sinne entered into the world he doth not say from one man signifying that Adam conueyeth the corruption of nature to no more then he doth beget for the Assumption it must be distinguished our Sauiour Christ was in Adam not simply as other men are but in part onely that is in regard of substance which hee tooke from Adam but not in regard of the propagation of nature by ordinarie generation All other men are from Adam and by Adam but hee is from him onely and not by him as by a begetter and procreant cause The second part is the infusion of holinesse into the manhoode of Christ so farre forth as is meet for the person and office of a Mediator Became sinne for vs. These words at the first sight may seeme to imply a contradiction but being rightly expounded all difficultie will easily be remoued Some expound Sinne a sacrifice for sinne by a Metonimie of the subiect Sinne being the obiect of sacrifice specially of the propitiatory sacrifice which was conuersant about the expiation of sinne this exposition is Orthodoxe agreeable to the Analogie of Faith the tenure of Scripture and the vse of the word which often in the Scripture admitteth this trope as might be shewed in many places of the old Testament if neede were Neuerthelesse it seemeth not to be so fit and sutable vnto this place that for two reasons principally first because of the Antithesis here vsed by the Apostle wherein if by one member viz. Sinne wee vnderstand a sacrifice for sinne and no more so as