fourthly fully purposing to conforme our selues according to Gods holy Lawes and Commandements Which sorrow of heart for by-past sinne and good purpose of mind to preuent sinne hereafter if wee shall find in vs then may wee perswade our selues of true and vnfained Repentance Touching our Faith in this manner Sin was that by which man became miserable and because he brake the commandements of God and lightly regarded the behests of the most High therefore was he not onely turned out of his most blissefull and happy estate but stood guiltie of eternall death and condemnation both of body and soule for sinne When man sinfull man stood in this dolefull case destitute of all help and succour either from himselfe or other creature liuing in the world it pleased God of his owne loue and free mercy graciously to behold wretched man and to send him a Sauiour euen Iesus Christ the righteous promising remission of sins libertie from the snare of the diuell and in stead of condemnation euerlasting life to all those which with a true faith and stedfast beliefe lay hold on Christs merits applying the promises of God in Christ to their owne soules in particular This when wee shall haue diligently weighed in our mindes then let vs turne to our hearts and see whether wee feele our consciences assured by the Spirit of God that the punishment of our sinne is fully in Christ discharged and that whatsoeuer â—ee hath done for man appertaineth not onely vnto others but euen to vs also And thus if wee shall perceiue our hearts affected wee may perswade our selues of a true and liuely faith Touching Charitie on this wise As charitie is the fruit and effect of a true and liuely faith so that it is impossible we should haue a sound faith but wee must bee fruitfull in good workes and deeds of charitie for as the light can in no wise bee separated from the sunne nor heate from the fire so neither can these two inseparable vertues be disioyned but if faith be the root good workes and charitable deeds will be the fruit insomuch that hereby may wee more then probably iudge of the purenesse and sinceritie of our faith So likewise many be those fruits and effects of true charitie and Christian loue which if by our search wee shall find in vs wee may certainely assure our hearts of the possesion of that rich gemme and precious vertue Charitie They be set downe by Gods own Spirit the Pen-man is the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 13.4 5 c. Loue suffereth long is bountiful loue enuieth not loue doth not boast it selfe it is not pussed vp it disdaineth not it seeketh not her owne things it is not prouoked to anger it thinketh not euill c. This place when wee haue read distinctly and discreetly let vs enter into a serious cogitation and examine our selues first whether wee bee reconciled vnto such as wee haue offended and heartily forgiue such as haue offended vs and secondly bee readâ—e withall to doe them all the good wee can And this affection if wee shall find in our selues vpon our suruey and examination wee may perswade our selues of true and sound Charitie III. The forme of our Scrutinie is after a iudiciall manner of proceeding First wee must examine our selues and take a catalogue of our sins the diuell himselfe hath in store against vs by which wee haue offended Gods iustice Secondly then according to the ten words of the Law we may frame ten seuerall actions and inditements as for instance because I would gladly speake to the capacity of my weakest Brethren muster vp before thee all thy Atheistical conceits or at least so many as thou canst remember and then indite thy selfe for the first commandement looke and see whether thou hast not set vp an image or an idoll in thine heart and so indite thy selfe for the second commandement Call to mind thirdly whether thou hast not by swearing and blaspheming taken Gods Name in vaine remember fourthly whether thou hast not often profaned Gods holy Sabbath fithly whether thou hast not beene disobedient and refractory to Parents and Gouernours sixthly whether thou hast not harboured in thy breast murthering malice and enuie seuenthly whether thou hast not set open thine eyes to vncleannesse and vanitie eightthly whether thou hast not iniured thy neighbour in his goods ninthly whether thou hast not wronged him in his good name nay whether tenthly thou hast not giuen the reines loose to all concupiscence and so for the breach of euery commandement frame a seuerall inditement and plead guiltie This maist thou do by thy selfe yet if thou art weake and desirest helpe thou shalt find the inditement drawne at large for thee in The Practice of Pietie Pag. 565 566. seqq of the eighth Edition For further helpe see Maister Theologus schooling Asunetus in Dents Plaine Mans Path-way to Heauen Pag. 322. seqq of the fifteenth Impression Thirdly then adde thereto so many seuerall sentences of condemnation and so foorthwith fourthly pronounce a perpetuall confusion due to vs with a shame for that which is past with a griefe for that which is present and with a feare of that may come hereafter And when wee can thus bring our selues into the worst taking that can be Tunc optime habet saith Bucer qui pessime habet For hauing thus pronounced this shame of face dew vnto vs God will cease from his sentence of anger nay hee will say This man hath condemned himselfe I need not to condemne seeing hee hath straightly examined himselfe I remit all I will examine him no further hee is free let him come and so let him eat of my Bread and drinke of my Cup. Then being constrained to conclude wee are vnworthy wee must in the next place goe out of our selues and faint after the righteousnesse can make vs worthy which cannot bee effected but by Faith which commeth by the blessing of the Gospel whereby we being conscious of our owne vnworthinesse doe seeke wisedome out of our selues and sue for obedience in the Sonne of God Christ Iesus our Lord. These are those duties which we must thinke vpon before we come to the Lords holy Table now for our behauiour there obserue thus much The duties which are required of vs in the celebration of the holy Communion are of two kinds either Generall or common to this and other times or Peculiar and proper to this seruice I. The generall and common duties are to ioyne with the Congregation in confessing of sinnes in singing of Psalmes and Hymnes in hearing with reuerence and deuotion Gods holy Word preached in praying and the like Secondly touching the proper duties more peculiarly belonging to this seruice and our behauiour in the receiuing of those holy mysteries as the Church hath retained it there is a commandement giuen that wee lift vp our hearts to the Lord. And we must indeed bee
waies is the saluation of man considered Two manner of waies either as it is perfect and complete or as it is but begun and imperfect or either in respect of the life to come or of this present life What is perfect eternall saluation It consisteth in 3. things First In most absolute perfection of bodie and soule Secondly In that vnvtterable ioy wherewith we shall triumph before God the holy Angels and godly men Thirdly In that most euident Maiesty glory and honour wherein we shall triumph ouer death Sathan sinne and sinfull men And this is that which Peter saith 2. Pet. 1. v. 4. We shall be made partakers saith he of the diuine nature of diuine perfection ioy and glory And Phil. 3. v. 21. Christ shall transforme our base body that it may be like the glorious body of Christ. Esay 64. v. 4. 1. Cor. 2. v. 9. The things which eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor euer entred into the heart of man to conceiue are those which God hath prepared for them that loue him What is imperfect saluation or that which is begun only It is a taste of eternall saluation or that comfort and ioy of conscience which we haue in this life arising from the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and from that confidence we haue towards God whom we certainly know to be reconciled vnto vs by Christ Iesus so that no calamitie whatsoeuer can be able to separate vs from his loue no not death it selfe or that anxitie and horror which vsually we feele at the houre of death Of this the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5. v. 1. Therefore being iustified by faith we haue peace i. e. a ioyfull and merry conscience in the very midst of calamitie and death Rom. 8. v. 35. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall oppression shall anguish c. I see now what the end is I may expect to reape from this heauenly doctrine which how much the more it is desirable so much the more I long to know the meanes by which I may be conducted to this end The meanes whereby thou mayst come to this most desired end are two First the knowledge of thy misery Secondly thy redemption out of that misery The former part of this heauenly science touching the diseases of the Soule How may I come by the right knowledge of my misery or of the sores of my soule If thou shalt weigh well with thy selfe these foure things 1. That which went before thy misery 2. The efficient cause of thy misery 3. The parts of it 4. The exemplary cause or glasse wherein thou hast represented vnto thee thy misery What is that which went before the misery of mankinde That happy and blessed estate wherein man was inuested by God before his fall or the image of God which was in man What is the image of God in man or rather what was it It was nothing else but that absolute and perfect estate before the fall consisting in the perfection of the vnderstanding and the will of man and further in the maiesty of man whereby hee farre excelled all other of the creatures or that I may speake yet more plainly the Image of God in man was either prime and principall or secondary and depending of the former The prime Image was both in his minde and in his body In his body there was perfect health and safety In his minde there was vnderstanding without errour will without staine of sinne That other image which depended or arose from this was that maiestie and alacritie was in man springing from the perfection of his body and soule touching which the Scripture speaketh Gen. 1. v. 26 Let vs make man according to our image and according to our likenesse Ephes. 4. v. 24. Paul cals true righteousnesse and holinesse the Image of God Hitherto must be referred the whole doctrine touching the state of Man before the fall and touching his liuing in Paradise anent which you may reade Gen. 1. v. 27 28 29. and all the second Chapter of that Booke What is the cause of mans miserie The fall of our first Parents or the defection of Adam and Eue from God in their first estate of innocency which was by the eating of the forbidden fruit What haue we to doe with the fall of Adam and Eue seeing then wee had no being at all Adam and Eue did represent all mankind and therefore they had giuen them felicitie and the Image of God for all mankinde wherefore in regard they by their offence lost that which they had receiued for all mankinde they lost it not in themselues alone but in all their posteritie Euen as if a King should giue any one some Priuiledges for himselfe and his postâ—ritie and he that had these Priuiledges granted should be attainted of Treason against the King then surely he himselfe should loose all those priuiledges which hee had gotten of the king and his posteritie should get no benefit of them neither And was this so great a matter to bite an Apple and to eate of it The eating of the Apple was a most grieuous offence not in regard of the Apple it selfe the losse thereof was but small for there were Apples good store in Paradise but because that eating flowed and issued as it were from the fountaine of most horrible sinnes to wit from pride man thereby affecting the seate and Maiestie of God and so became guiltie of high treason against Gods Maiestie as God mockingly casts man in the teeth Gen. 3. Behold Adam is made like vnto one of vs that is he is made as it were one of the persons in the Sacred Trinitie Another sinne is vnbeleefe in that our first Parents did not beleeue Gods words to be true when he said in what day soeuer ye shall eaâ—â— of it ye shall die the death But contrariwise in that they readily beleeued the diuell who spake vnto them by the Serpent as by his instrument and told them that they should not die at all and so they gaue more credit to him then vnto God The third sinne is contemptuousnesse and disobedience for we ought to obey God in all his commands euen in those which wee thinke are but of little reckoning The fourth sinne is vnthankefulnesse for man was created after the likenesse and Image of God and therefore it was his duty to obey Gods Commandements in token of his thankfulnesse for the benefit The fift and most grieuous sinne was that apparant reuolt and falling from God to the diuell namely when man went about to attaine to be like vnto God by the Counsell and helpe of the diuell and so conspired as it were with the diuell against God I haue also heard of the cause of miserie or of the diseases of the soule tell me now further what be the parts of our misery They be two Sinne and the punishment for sinne for in these two things our misery
consisteth First that we are sinners And secondly that we for sinners are lyable to temporall and eternall punishments What is sinne It is a stepping aside from that rule of perfection and righteousnesse which God requireth at our hands Or it is whatsoeuer is repugnant to the Law of God What sorts of sinne be there Two Originall and Actuall What is Originall sinne It is that staine and corruption of humane nature of the vnderstanding and will of man whereby a man euen from his very birth is carryed and haled along to sinfull actions of this sinne speaketh the Scripture Gen. 6.5 The imaginations and thoughts of mans heart are onely euill continually Psal. 51.7 In iniquitie was I formed and conceiued and in sinne hath my mother brought me forth that is My sinne was conceiued and borne with me Rom. 5.12 By one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne Also By the disobedience of one man many were made sinners What is actuall sinne It is that obliquitie or prauity by which the actions and doings of a man are carried in a course contrarie to the Law of God or else when a man offends against the will of God not onely in inclination and pronenesse but in deed it selfe I haue heard of the former part of mans miserie namely of sinne what is the other part of humane misery The punishment of sinne How many kinds of punishments for sinne be there Two Temporary and Eternall Temporary punishment what is it It is that misery which a man endures in this life as pouerty disgrace diseases and at the last death it selfe which is called the wages of sinne Rom. 6. What is eternall punishment It is that vnspeakable sorrow torment and disgrace which the damned shall suffer in hell with the diuell and his Angles I conceiue now the parts of mans miserie shew mee also the exemplarie cause whereby as in a glasse I may come to the knowledge of my miserie The glasse wherein we may perfectly see our misery is that high and strict rigour of the law of God both in exacting that righteousnes which wee are neuer able to performe and also in threatning most grieuous punishments which they must abide which doe not satisfie the Law of God either by themselues or by another Whence may wee know that rigour of Gods Law First euen by euery Commandement of the Decalogue of which wee cannot in this life performe so much as one perfectly the summe of which Commandements are contained in those words which Saint Matthew hath Chap. 22. Luke 10 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God c. Secondly by those grieuous comminations which are added to these Commandements Cursed is euery one that abideth not c Deut. 27.26 Gal 3.10 This then is our greatest misery that wee cannot satisfie the Law of God sithence wee are not able nor apt of our selues to thinke any good 2. Cor. 3.5 and consequently that according to Gods word wee must be cursed both in this life and in the life to come vnlesse wee can obtaine from the great mercy of God redemption and remission of our sinnes which is another thing euen an excellent remedy agaist our misery that this heauenly discipline setteth out vnto vs and which we meane now to handle The second part of this celestiall Science which is touching the freeing of Man from his misery that is from sinne and the punishment of sinne I Know well my misery I would gladly know how I may be freed from this misery or what remedy there is for these diseases of my soule The remedy is two fold either primâ— and independant or secondarie and depending of the former Which is the prime or independant remedie It is our free predestination and election wheâ— by God hath decreed from all eternity to redeeme and saue euerlastingly some certaine men by his Son of which these sayings of the scripture beare witnesse Ephes. 2.4 5. Hee hath elected vs in Christ before the foundations of the world were layd Hee hath predestinated vs whom he might adopt for sonnes in Christ Iesus euen out of the good pleasure of his owne will Rom 8 vers 30. Whom he hath predestinated them also he called Rom. 9. I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy therefore election is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God which sheweth mercie Psalm 15.16 Acts 13. vers 4 5. And so many of them as were predestinated vnto life eternall belieued Mat. 20. vers 16. Many are called but few elected I haue heard as touching the prime remedy of our misery to wit election vnto life eternall now instruct me in the other kind of remedy That is diuided into three heads 1. Redemption 2. Iustification 3. Sanctification What is Redemption It is the setting of vs free from sinne and the punishment of sinne wrought by Christ Iesus the Son of God our Redeemer How many things offer themselues to be considered about our Redemption Two the efficient cause or Author of Redemption Secondly the obiect of it whereunto redemption appertaineth Who is our Redeemer Iesus Christ for he is made vnto vs of God Wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.36 1. Tim. 3 16. There is one Mediatour betwixt God and man euen the man Christ Iesus How many things are we to consider in Christ our Redeemer Two his person and his office How many things are there to bee considered in the Person of Christ Two to wit the parts of it and there Vnion Of how many parts doth the person of Christ consist Of two the diuine nature and the humane And this I proue that Christ consisteth on these two Natures because hee is true God and true man That he is true God wee haue spoken before when wee proued the Son to bee God And truly that there is another Nature in the Son of God besides the humane nature may bee proued by two manifest arguments the former whereof is this In what person soeuer there is made a distinction limitation so that one thing is attributed to it by reason of one part and another thing agreeth vnto it by reason of another part in that person of necessity there must be two natures but in the Person of Christ there is such a limitation Ergo. The Minor is proued out of Rom. 1.3 where the Apostle saith that the Son of God was made the seed of Dauid according to his flesh Whereupon it necessarily followeth that there is another thing in Christ besides his flesh for when as I say that man is immortall according to his soule it must needs follow that there is som other thing in man beside his soule for euery limitation argueth a diuersity in that which is limited The other argument is to whom many things are attributed which can in no wise agree to humane nature in him there must needes be another nature or essence distinct from the
or meanes whereby Christ wrought this expiation and so satisfied for our sinnes and 2 the Proprieties of that Expiation What be the causes by which Christ wrought this expiation These be of two sorts either Prime or arising from the prime causes What is the prime cause The obedience of Christ in that he humbled himselfe and was subiect to the Law to the end that he might satisfie for vs who had broken the Law According to that Rom. 5. v. 19. As by the disobedience of one man to wit of Adam many were made sinners so by the obedience of one to wit of Christ many shall be made righteous What is the other cause arising and springing from this prime cause It is twofold The Passion and the Death of Christ. Of what sort is the Passion of Christ It is of two sorts Externall and Internall What is the Externall Passion It is both that anguish which Christ endured in his most Sanctified body and also that ignominy and shame which hee sustained for our sakes Which was the Internall Passion That wonderfull sadnesse and heauinesse which Christ felt in his soule for our sinne Of which it is said Math. 26. v. 38. My soule is heauy euen vnto the death where by death hee vnderstandeth not only corporall death but eternall as if he had said my soule is as heauy and sorrowfull as their soules are which must for euer be damned How many were the torments of Christ in soule Two Which is the former The former was in the Garden before he was apprehended and led to publike iudgement for there began he to be affraid of himselfe lest God should leaue and forsake him whom he then beheld as one who was grieuously offended by the sins of Mankinde and consequently who was extremely angry with him that had taken and translated vpon himselfe the sinnes of the whole world Whereby doe you know the greatnesse of these torments and sufferings in the soule of Christ By two tokens First in that Christ there needed Angels to comfort him and to hold him vp lest being too much affraid by that horrible sight of the angry and wrathfull God he should haue fainted See Luk. 22. v. 13. and hence it was that he vttered that speach My soule is heauy vnto death euen to eternall death What is the other token of those most grieuous torments in the soule of Christ His bloody sweat for this was a manifest signe that all the naturall forces in Christ were much weakened and as it were bound from doing their office by reason of that great torment and terrour so that nature could not keepe the blood any more in the veines but was faine being congealed and clotted to cast it out as it were and driue it to the exteriour parts of which great violence and terrour the like example can no where be read in any Historie Which is the other suffering or torment of Christ in soule The latter was that which a little before his death hee felt vpon the Crosse when he stroue against that temptation of his perpetuall separation and abiection from the face of God whereupon hee sent forth that dolefull cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me where by a Metonymy he calleth that fearefull temptation wherewith those are wont to be troubled whom God hath cast from his sight and quite forsaken desertion or forsaking For requisite it was that Christ should endure such a temptation that hee might deliuer vs from eternall damnation I haue seene the Passion of Christ now tell me his death The death of Christ is the separation of his Soule from his Body whereby he satisfied for and purged our sinnes and deliuered vs from eternall death And so much the very shedding of blood and water out of Christs side did manifest of which Iohn speaketh Iohn 19. v. 34. One of the souldiers saith he pearced his side and presently issued out blood and water by the blood Christ signified that our sinnes were ransomed and satisfied for by the water that we are washed from the filth of our sinnes It followeth now in order that you instruct me as touching the proprieties and benefits of Christs Passion tell me therefore what is the first proprietie of Christs Passion This it is that it was altogether necessary in regard that mankinde could no way else be freed from eternall death but by the death of the Sonne of God And that for this reason because the most high God is most iust and therefore neuer remitteth sinnes without satisfaction sithence that by nature he hateth sinnes and can in no wise endure them for he that is iustice most eminently cannot away with iniustice euen as the fire cannot abide water As it is said Psal. 5. Thou art not a God that willeth wickednesse Againe plaine places of the Scripture doe testifie the same Rom. 8. v. 3. That which was impossible to the Law that hath God done by sending his Sonne i. e. that which by no other meanes could haue beene performed was done by the death of the Sonne of God Heb. 2. v. 14. Therefore because the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also in like manner was made partaker of them that hee might abolish by death him that had the power of death that is the Deuill and in the verse following and might set at libertie those which through the feare of death were subiect vnto bondage all their life long that is that he might redeeme those which otherwise should haue perished eternally vnlesse Christ had wrought their Redemption And truly if there had beene any other way to haue satisfied for sinne then that might haue beene performed either by our selues or by some other creature But we could not haue done this for our selues 1. Because whatsoeuer good we doe we doe already owe it vnto God and that which wee owe vnto God is not the price of Redemption or satisfaction but it is due debt 2. Because wee adde somewhat to the score of our debts euery day and therefore wee can neuer bee able to satisfie and pay them And that wee doe daily adde sinne vnto sinne See Iohn 15. vers 15 16. Psal. 130. v. 3. Math. 6. v. 12. Math. 18. v. 25. Thirdly Because sinne is a hurt and iniurie to God and so an infinite euill and therefore also deserueth either eternall punishment or one equall thereunto out of which if it had beene laid vpon vs we could neuer haue beene able to haue freed ourselues No other creature could satisfie for vs for example Not the Angels first Because man and no other creature may be punished for that sinne man had committed the Iustice of God requiring that it should be so as it is said Ezech. 18. v. 30. That soule that hath sinned euen that shall die Secondly Because no creature no not the Angels are able to escape and free themselues out of eternall punishment Whereupon it followeth that it was
requisite that hee who should satisfie the Iustice of God for our sinnes should be truly God and truly man Man he was to be because man had sinned and therefore Gods Iustice so requiring he that should pay and smart he must be man as it is said Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sinnes wherefore that Christ might shedde blood it was meete he should be man And he was to be God too First that by the power of his diuinitie he might vndergoe the infinite anger of God against the sinne of mankinde with which anger Christ should certainly haue beene ouerwhelmed if he had beene but bare man Because God is a consuming fire Deut. 4. v. 24. and therefore as man he desireth the cup of his Passion might be taken away frō him as being that which he could not beare as he was man And as man he cryeth out vpon the Crosse Oh God why hast thou forsaken me Secondly It was needfull that hee should be truly God who would satisfie for our sinnes that his suffering and punishment might be of infinite worth and so equiualent to eternall damnation For because we by our sinnes had deserued not only Temporall put Eternal punishment it was necessary that he who would take in hand our deliuerance should vndergoe not the temporall punishment alone but the eternall too the eternall not by reason of the extent and continuance of it but in value and equiualence that is his punishment was to be equiualent to eternall punishment or to haue an equall proportion with eternall punishment But no mans punishment can equiualize eternall punishment but only of him who is himselfe eternall who is truly God whereupon the Fathers said very right and deuoutly For God to suffer it is more then for all men to be damned eternally 3. Because the satisfaction must needes haue beene of infinite worth and valour to the end it might sufficiently serue for the purging and ransoming of all mens sins But none there is that can work such a satisfaction of infinite valour vnlesse he himself be infinite that is God What is the 2. propriety of Christs passion That it was truly expiatory and satisfactory that is our sins by vertue of Christs expiation were forgiuen vs which must be noted 1. against the Samosatenians who blasphemously say that the Passion of Christ was only exemplary that is that Christ by his Passion would giue vs onely an example to obey God in all things and to beare the Crosse which God shall lay vpon vs patiently as Christ before vs patiently did beare his Crosse. This dangerous doctrine that throweth our consciences headlong into the pit of despaire arose from no other spring then the deniall of the Godhead of the Sonne of God For because there was none could satisfie for our sinnes except hee were God as wee haue also a little before prooued and the Samosatenians deny Christ to bee truely God therefore no farly was it if they thought that the Passion of Christ was not satisfactory but only exemplarie But to their blasphemies we oppose First the Diuinity of the Son of God proued and euicted already by euident testimonies to wit when we necessarily inforced that Christ who suffered for vs was the Sonne of God and hence it will follow that his suffering was of infinite valour and consequently that it was satisfactory Secondly most apparent testimonies of holy writ Esay 53. v. 4. He himselfe carried and bare our infirmities truly and v. 5. He was tormented for our sinnes and hee was broken for our iniquities Rom. 5. v. 9. Now then being iustified by his blood we shall be saued 2. Cor. 5. v. 18. All these things are of God who hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe by Iesus Christ and vers 21. He made him who knew no sinne to be sinne for vs. 1. Tim. 2. v. 5 6. There is one God one Mediatour of God and men euen the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a price of our Redemption An example is one thing and a price or ransome is another thing Galat. 2. v. 20. The Sonne of God hath giuen himselfe for me for if righteousnesse be by the Law then Christ died with out a cause as if he had said Christ dyed to that end that by his death he might bestow on vs righteousnesse in satisfying Gods iustice thereby for our offences but there is a very plaine place Gal. 3. v 13. Christ redeemed vs from the curse of the Law when he was made a curse for vs for it is written cursed is he that hangeth on the tree 1. Iohn 1. v. 7. The blood of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God purgeth vs from all our sinnes 1. Iohn 2. v. 2. He is the propitiation for our sinnes These are the most pregnant places of Scripture for this point whereunto wee may adde this argument If the Passion of Christ was but exemplary surely he would neuer haue cryed out with a loud voice My God my God why hast thou forsaken me for those words are not set down as an example for vs to follow nay rather we ought to do quite contrary to them euen to haue alwaies sure cōfidence in God neuer to thinke or cry out that we are forsaken of him as it is said Rom. 8. v. 15. wee must Cry Abba Father in thee doe I settle my soule Againe if the Passion of Christ was but exemplary how were then the Fathers saued which were before Christ and so had not his example and how was the thiefe saued that could not imitate Christ in his example whereas he was now hanged on the Crosse as well as Christ and that before his conuersion Secondly this same propriety of Christs Passion must be noted against all such as attribute the purging of their sinnes and the merit of the forgiuenes of them to almes-deeds or other workes of their owne for if so bee that there is no remission of sinnes but by shedding of bloud as wee haue showne before and almes-deeds or other workes euen the best of them shed no bloud certainely then by no workes of ours whatsoeuer can there be wrought expiation or remission of sinne What is the third proprietie of Christs Passion That it was most sufficient neither need wee any more expiation which is proued by that Heb. 9. Verse 26 Now was hee in the ende of the World made manifest by that that offering vp of himselfe once to take away sinne And Vers. 28. Christ was once offered vp that he might take away the sinnes of many And yet more euidently Heb. 10.12 This Man after the offering of his sacrifice sitteth for euer at the right hand of the Father And vers 14. By his one oblation that is by that his oblation which onely is most perfect and sufficient Now that is said Col. 1.24 I fulfill the remainders of Christs suffering or passion in the flesh It must not bee so vnderstood as if the passion