so perfectly just and righteous in the sight of God freely that we are faire yea and all faire and there is no spot in us Cant. 4 7. all Cant. 4. 7. which is by Gods speaking it really so indeed spiritually in the sight of God and yet we see and feel nothing but soulenesse and spottednesse And this object and matter of faith is expressed in the Text in these words Verse 17. Before God that quickneth the dead and calleth Verse 17. those things that be not as though they were the meaning whereof is this God calleth that is worketh effecteth causeth maketh that thing to have a true reall being before himselfe by speaking it which to Beza in Rom. 4. 17 quae â—ccâ—t essicit Deus apud quem jam sunt quae alioqui reipsa non sunt ut qui vel verbâ— quid vis possit ex nihilo efficeâ—e sense sight and feeling is not and yet to have by his call as true and reall a being before himselfe as though it were and had an outward being to sense sight and feeling therefore doth Beza rightly thus expound those words saying What God calls those things he effecteth before whom those things are already which otherwise indeed are not as he that can with his word make what he will of nothing Secondly followes the battel of faith in which the 2 The battell of Abrahams faith order of nature and sense and reason grounded upon naturall causes doe shew a flat contrariety and impossibility of the matter spoken and promised against Piscat in Rom. â— 18. Contra spem scilicet quam coâ—e peâ—e poter â— exconsideratione naâ—â—raererum which faith opposeth the meere word and power of God speaking and this battel of faith is expressed in the next verse in these words verse 18. Which Abraham above or contrary to hope beleeved under hope according to that which was spoken that is contrary to hope namely which he might conceive by the consideration of the nature of things But under hope namely which Subsâ—e scilicet quam concipere poterat ex consideratione potentie Dei loquâ—ntis 3. The victory oâ— Faith he did conceive by the consideration of the power of God which had spoken Thirdly followes the victory of faith by which it shutteth her eyes and considereth not nor lookes upon but as it were winketh at and turnes quite from and forgetteth the order of nature and naturall causes and things that doe to reason sense sight and feeling shew a contrariety and impossibility in the matter promised spoken and resteth wholly and only upon the Word promise and power of God speaking whereby visible things that to reason are contrary to the promise doe become as things of nothing and having as it were no being and invisible things spoken by God become to be the only things that Quicquid in se ipso ac circa se intueri poterat promissionis coÌ„plemento adversabatur have substance and ground with us and this victory of faith is expressed in the next verse in these words verse 19. That he not weake in faith considered not or would not thinke of his owne body which was now dead nor Ergo ut locum Divin 8 veritati saocret ab ils quae in conspectu erant animum yetraxit quasi oblitus est Calv. Marlor in Rom. 4. 19. the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe c. that is whatsoever he could behold either in himselfe or about himselfe was against and contrary to the accomplishment and fulfilling of Gods promise and therefore to give place to the truth of God he wholly withdrew his minde from the things which he saw and felt and did as it were forget himselfe because it is truely said of another Interpreter of Gods mysteries That seeing the Cum tanta sit potentia Dei aequum est c. power of God is so great that quickens the dead it is meet that we believe him even when he promiseth things impossible to nature and to the judgement of our reason Fourthly hereupon followes the Triumph of faith 4. The â—â—iumph of Faith yeelding to God only upon the foresaid grounds of his truth and power his full glory of truely sufilling upon us that which he hath spoken whereby he hath ascribed unto him the glory of his truth and power and we have the blessing and benefit thereof for ever and this triumph of faith is expressed in the next verses in these words That he doubted not of the promise of God by unbeliefe but was strengthened in faith and gave glory to God Being fully assured that he which had spoken it was also able to doe it All which the Apostle flatly testifies must be imitated of us in the case of Free Iustification by Christ who was delivered to death to abolishour sinnes out of Gods sight and is risen againe for our full justification Rom. 4. 15. The manner whereof Rom. 4. 15. Luther is notably expressed by that Hercules of Gods glory upon the song of Zachary saying thus In what place soever the borne of salvation Iesus Christ is exalted there is no accesse neither for sinne nor death wherefore a Christian is both foule and yet without sinne How comes this to passe after this sort Beloved you have often heard that God leaveth in us an appearance and feeling whilst we live here both of sinne death and the Devill God suffereth these to remaine and taketh them not quite away from sense and feeling for this appearance must continue that we may perceive and feele that we are nothing else of our selves but sinners subject to sinne and Satan But all this is but a certaine outward appearance before my sight and the sight of the world which know and judge no otherwise but that sinne and death are present and yet under this appearance lieth hid innocency life and Faith is the substance of things not appearing dominion and victory over sinne death and Satan for because faith is the evidence and substance of things not appearing therefore that faith may have place it is necessary that all things which are beleeved be hid but they cannot be more deeply hid than under the contrary object sense and experience But when as we see all our sinnes laid upon Christ and to be victoriously conquered of him by his resurrection and doe confidently beleeve this then they are dead and brought to nothing for being laid upon Christ they must not remaine so but are swallowed up in the triumph of his resurrection So saith S. Paul Christ was delivered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our Iustification that is by his death he hath taken upon him our sins and thereby utterly abolished them out of the sight of God as the Sun-beames abolish darknesse and by his resurrection hath made us perfectly righteous so that a true Christian may be bold to say Lord God maker of the whole world it
is made light with the Sun-beames For the Lord Christ being Sol justitiae the Calv. Institâ—t l b. 3. cap. 11. sect 23. Sunne of righteousnesse Malac. 4. 2. doth in such sort communicate his righteousnesse with us that after a certaine marvellous manner he poureth the force thereof into us so much as serveth to satisfie the justice of God For seeing before the Tribunall seat of God it is esteemed no righteousnesse except it be the perfect and absolute obedience of the Law as Christ alone Suam juslitiam in nos transferendo nos juslâ— reddit is thus righteous so by conveying his righteousnesse upon us nos justos reddit he makes us righteous So that as the Brazen Serpent was of strength through the promise of God to strike health into Acts and Monuments upon Patr. the wounded and dying beholders and made them againe strong and healthfull much more is the body of Christ being the object of our faith of power to strike righteousnesse to our soules and so to make us not inherently and actively as the Papists hold but objectively and passively freely in the sight of God and truly and really just and righteous For as by the disobedience of one man Adam many were made sinners before they have done any evill work so by the obedience of one man Christ are many made freely righteous before they have done any good Rom. 5. 15. work Rom. 5. 19. Because by his knowledge my righteous servant shall justifie that is make many just and righteous for hee shall beare their iniquities Esay 53. 11. Esay 53. 11. Calv. iâ— Esay iâ—id The Philosophers gave many goodly precepts of righteousnesse but they could not bestow that righteousnesse Philosâ—pâ—i multa praeâ—lara praecepâ—a tradiderunt c. Pei sâ—â—justi siâ—nt upon any yea the law of God it selfe which containeth the perfect rule of righteousnesse yet through our weaknesse it is unpossible that by it we can attaine unto righteousnesse but in the schoole of Christ men are not only taught righteousnesse but Doctrine of the Church of England in tâ—e serm oâ— Iustiâ—cation part 3. by being justified are in very deed made righteous For to justifie is that of unjust wee are made just before God For so saith the Apostle Paul He that beleeveth in Siâ— enim dicit Apostolus c. Ex impio facit justum August him that justifieth the ungodly what is meant by justifieth the ungodly or wicked that is which of a wicked and ungodly man maketh him just si justificatur impius ex impio justus fit that is if a wicked man bee justified of wicked he is made just and righteous So that the word that we are justified is not to be taken only in the judiciall signification namely that Zanch. in Eph. 2. 5. God only reputeth accounteth and pronounceth us just and righteous and so quitteth us from all guilt and Loco commu de â—ustificat Sect. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. punishment only in which judiciall signification some doe barely rest But also it must be taken in the naturall and proper signification as it is made of justus and sio the force whereof is to be seene in other like words as in albifico to make white sortifico to sortifie or make strong because so powerfull a thing is the Lords imputation of righteousnesse that it doth verè reipsa facere nos justos that is truly and in very Two manner of wayes made righteous realnesse make us just and righteous And that also two manner of wayes First by imputing unto us his Sonnes righteousnesse he utterly abolisheth from before himselfe all our sinnes and freely makes us passively just and righteous which serveth to make us truly and in very deed perfectly just and righteous in Gods owne eyes and this is called Justification And secondly he reneweth us by his spirit unto inherent and active holinesse and righteousnesse which later is unperfect in this life and serveth to approve us for righteous to the eyes of men and is called Sanctification Thus when God hath both these wayes verè reipsa truly and in very deed made us righteous then hee reputeth accounteth and pronounceth and calleth us righteous absolving us thereby from all guilt and punishment which otherwise would stand neither with his perfect truth nor power nor wisedome nor justice Therefore God doth justifie no wicked man but Perk. in Heb. 11. ver 7. first makes him just and righteous in and by Christ and then accounteth him so Because hee was wounded for our transgressions hee was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by making us of unjust just and righteous before God thus by his stripes wee are healed Esay 53. 5. Esay 53. 5. Thus is Christ the Physitian which healeth all our Doctrine of the Church of England in the sermon of our misery part 2. diseases thus is he the Saviour which saveth his people from all their sinnes Let us all then with one accord burst out with joyfull voyces and say with the Prophet Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which so wonderfully forgiveth all thine iniquities that of unjust making thee freely just before God thus healeth all thine infirmities for by his stripes we are made whole But how perfectly we are healed is to be seene by the parts of Justification following CHAP. III. Of the parts of Iustification and first of the first part and excellency thereof THe parts of Justification are two The first part of free Justification is that whereby we being by the power of Gods imputation so cloathed with the wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse that of unjust we are made just before God have thereby all our sinnes that we feele daily dwelling in us so aboue our reason sense and feeling that it may be by the faith of Gods power quite taken away from before God and so utterly abolished out of his fight that we have not one spot or wrinkle of sinne or any such thing in the sight of God because the blood of Christ doth make us cleane from all sin as these Scriptures following do abundantly testifie In those dayes of the Kingdome of Christ and at Ierem â—0 20. that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall bee sought for and there shall bee none and the sinnes of Iudah and they shall not be found but how commeth this Iohn 1. 25. Praecipuum Christi officium breviter quidem sed dilucidè exponit c. quod sciâ—â—câ—t â—â—ccata mundi tollens c. Qùioquid est injustitiâ— per Christum tolli to passe thus Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world Here he laies forth briefly yet plainly the chiefe office of Christ namely that by the sacrifice of his
death taking away the sinnes of the world he reconciles men unto God as if he should say whatsoever unrighteousnesse there is that may alienate or estrange men from God by Christ it is taken away this is Hoc suâ—mum est beâ—â—sicioâ— um ex quo reliqua pendent the summe of all bessings upon which all the rest depend out of this fountaine doe the streames of all good things flow forth upon us But how doth Christ Object take them away Objectively and passively to us that Answ is we being no agents and doers in this businesse but meere patients because his righteousnesse wherewith he cloathes us doth as perfectly abolish from before God all our sinnes as the Sun beames abolish darknesse out of a dark house as Christ testifieth by the Prophet Esay saying I even I have put away thy transgressions like darknesse and abolished thy sinnes as a Esay 43. 25. 44. 22. Tollendi verâ—â—â— bifariam exponi potest c. Velquod peccata aboleat Marlor ibid. mist Esay 43. 25. and 44. 22. For this word Tollendi may be expounded two manner of wayes either that Christ hath taken upon himselfe the burthen wherewith we were oppressed as 1 Pet. 2. 24. or else quod peccata aboleat that hee doth cleane put out and abolish our sinnes For Christ taking upon him our sinnes they could Luth. serm upon Christs Resurrection not remaine and abide upon him what then became of them they must needs vanish away and be utterly Oportet ea evanescâ—re ac penitus occidâ—re ac in nihiâ—umredigi is instar Christi peccati expâ—rs est abolished and brought to nothing whereby faith worketh so mightily that he that beleeves that Christ hath taken away his sinnes is as cleane without sinne as Christ himselfe And it is no matter that we feele sinne and death still in us as if Christ had not taken them away because Luth. ibid. God thus stablisheth the faith of his power and therefore that there may be place for faith wee feele the contrary for it is the nature of faith to feele Fiâ—â—s ejus naturae est ut nihil sentiat sed missa facta ratione â—laudat oculos c. nothing but letting goe reason shutteth her eyes and openeth her eares to that which is spoken by God and cleaveth to the word spoken both living and dying and thus glorifieth the Word of the Lord Act. 13. 48. which Act. 13. 48. Etsi peccatorum semus in noâ—ts velctus est ideo solummodo â—t nos ad fidem adigat fidem cumulatiorem reddat c. indeed doth the deed And therefore although the feeling of sin is left in us only to the end to drive us to faith and to make faith the more abound yet hath Christ taken away our sins from before God and utterly abolished them For one Adam brought one sinne into the world but Adam unus unum peccatum Iste vero unus non solum illud unum sed cuncts abstubt August Hic mentio sit maculae à qua purgamur Christ being but one hath taken away not only that one but also together with it hee hath taken away all that he found added thereunto Where also is mention made of the blot or staine from which wee are made cleane This blot or staine the Apostle calleth sin that is the breaking and violating of the Law of God which as before is shewed of all things is the most wofull most foule and extremely Heming in 1 Ioh. 1. 7. abhominable wherewith God is horribly angry and is most abhominable both in the sight of God and of the holy Angels This then is the staine or blot whereof Christ by Atque haec est maculae à qua purgamur Heming ibid. taking away our sins doth make us cleane signified given ratified and sealed to the true seed of the faithfull by their washing in baptisme For this is the efficacy of that purging and clensing which is wrought upon us by the blood of Christ Abomni maculae omnium peccatorum Heming ibid. and given sealed unto us in our Baptisme Namely that he makes us cleane not onely from this or that spot of sin but also from all spots of all sins Sive magna sunt sive parva sive multa Hic Agnus tollit universa Luth. Perk. c. Heb. 10. 14. Luth. Serm. in Luâ—e 2. ver 21. That is whether they be great or whether they be little whether they bee many even all past present and to come this Lamb of God taketh away all For with one sacrifice hath Christ made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. This is to preach the Gospel which who so heareth and beleeveth hee truely knowes and acknowledgeth the finger of Iohn and him whom he pointed to even Christ that Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Yea all sin as sins of commission and sins of omission Luth. serm of Originall sin actuall sins and originall sins all are done away For because originall sin is worse and more horrible than any actuall sin because it is the spring Originate peccatum quod sons origo omnium peccatorum sit c. and fountaine of all other sins therefore hath God so ordained that no man shall come to salvation unlesse hee bee pure and cleane from this sinne and therefore hee gave the 10th Commandement wherein he forbiddeth this originall sinne and wills that wee Deus ita ordinavit utremo sa utem consequi nisi hujus pec aâ—â— purus sit c. be as clean againe and righteous as Adam was before his fall but because we cannot performe this thing therefore hath he given his own Son for us unto death that hee might both from this sin and from all sins flowing from this originall sinne free us by his blood and so make us cleane Then hereupon doe arise in us good and holy desires and affections contrary to the former pravitie and corruption as namely humilitie puritie gentlenesse and all other vertues and then all good works are practised and that also with a willing heart The author and cause of all which is this grace of Justification by which alone this originall sin is done away and we made clean and acceptable before God Which Christ actually fulfilled when bleeding out his blood and life upon the Crosse he cryed out it is finished or perfected Iohn 19. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the blood of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make us cleane from all sinne 1 Iohn 1. 7. Thus doth our good Physitian Jesus Christ most effectually cleanse the spirituall leaprosie of our sins because by his own blood he hath made us cleane from all sinne For that saying of S. Iohn that the blood of Christ doth make us cleane from all sin is to be understood as preventing an objection for whereas S. Iohn
purged and made so cleane from all sin that God doth see nothing else in the whole world of true beleevers but a meere cleansing and righteousnesse This is the wedding garment whereby the Church of Christ is from the soale of her seet to the crown of her head so Ornala est ab imo pede usque ad verticem ut nihil malâ—â—um in ea conspiciatur nulla macula deformitatis appareat sed Coram Deo c. Luth. 95. ver 9. 13. adorned that no sinne may bee seene in her nor no spot of deformitie may appeare but yet before God not in the sight of men For God seeth no spot in her because hee seeth nothing in her but his Sonnes righteousnesse wherewith his Church is cloathed and whereby shee hath salvation life and glory for seeing shee hath put on Christ himselfe to God-ward by Justification and to man-ward by Sanctification although shee hath some sin in the imperfections Brightman in Revel 3. 4. of her Sanctification that the Devill seeth and every one of us in our consciences doe feele it Luth. ibid. Psal 51. Id Diabâ—lus cernit sed Deus non videt but God sees none for by reason of Christ with whom shee is cloathed shee is all faire without spot or wrinkle as Christ himselfe testifieth saying Behold thou art faire my love behold in mine eyes thus cloathed as thou art with my righteousnesse thou art all faire and there is no spot in thee Cant. Hall in Cant. Cant. 4. 7. 4. 7. Whosoever therefore have not confidence in this Quicunque igitur in hoc uno non fiduâ—t quod per mortem Christs c. Peccata sublaâ—a sunt ne peccanostra videre possit Proculdubio periere Luth. Psa 130. 6 one point that our sins are so taken away by the blood of Christ that God doth not see our sins in us without doubt they are damned as long as they continue to rob the blood of Christ of this honour and his wedding garment of this glory The sixth and last Scripture phrase expressing in the highest degree the almost infinite abolishing of all our sins out of Gods sight is this that wee have so perfectly none before him that hee himselfe testifies that he doth not so much as Remember any sin in us And this is wonderfull sweet for if a Father doe forgive his child some great fault the child indeed is freed from blowes and beating But if his Father do but Remember it the very remembrance of the fault breeds some discontent and sower looks but then is the peace and love and loving countenance of a Father towards his child full and compleat when hee doth not so much as Remember any fault So doth God say I even I am he that so utterly abolish and put away â—hine iniquities that I will not so much as Remember thy sins Esay 43. 25. Which saying is also true Esay 43. 25. not only quoad effectum as I said before in respect of the effect of their sin as that he doth not remember them to punish them but also quoad causam in respect of the sinne it selfe for first every one will easily grant that God truly remembers no sinne in his Sons righteousnesse from all eternity then secondly that we being hereby of unjust made just that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely in that righteousnesse only now as God looks upon us in this justified estate he remembers no sin in us not simply but as we are in this new glorious estate because there was never any sin in it as some King marrying a poore maiden and having cloathed her in sumptuous and princely apparell may be said now to remember in that sumptuous attyre no beggary in her any more And thus doth the Prophet say In those dayes viz. of Christs Kingdome and at that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for but there shall be none and the sinnes Ierem. 50. 20. Luth. in Galat. cap. 1. 4. of Judah but they shall not be found Ierem. 50. 20. Because Christ hath put away the sinnes of the whole world and hath fastened them unto the Crosse and put them so cleane out by himselfe That according to Pauls Divinity there is no Luth. in Galat. 3. 13. sinne no death no malediction any more in the Church Because Christ appeared in the end of the world Heb. 9. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad abolitionem peccati that is to the abolishing evacuating or utter vanishing away of sinne Heb. 9. 26. And therefore that there is no more sinne c. in Luth. in Galat. sap 3. 13. the Church since Christ now raignes we daily confesse in the Apostles Creed when we say I beleeve that there is an holy Church which is indeed nothing else but as if we should say I beleeve that there is no sinne in the Church of God for they which doe beleeve in Christ are no sinners Rom. 5. 8 9. but are holy Rom. 5. 8 9. and righteous lords over sinne and death and living for ever But faith only seeth this for we say I beleeve there is an holy Church But if thou beleeve reason and thine owne eyes thou wilt judge cleane contrary for thou seest many things in the godly which offend thee thou seest them sometimes to fall into sinne and to be weak in faith and to be subject unto wrath envie and such other evill affections therefore saist thou the Church is not so holy I deny the consequence for if I look upon mine owne person or the person of my brother it shall never bee in Gods sight so absolutely holy but if I behold Christ who hath sanctified and made cleane his Church then it is altogether holy for he hath taken away the sinnes of the whole world And therefore doth S. Iohn testifie that in Christ that is in his body the Church is no sinne 1 Iohn 1 Iohn 3. 5. Non de Christ persona hic â—git sed de tolâ— corpore Marl. ibid. 3. 5. for here he speaks not of the person of Christ but of his whole body totum enim Christi corpus purum esse oportet for the whole body of Christ must needs be pure and cleane So that true Divinity teacheth that there is no Luth. Galath cap. 3. 13 sin in the Church any more Because as I said before and doe repeat againe for the better marking by Christs dying upon the Crosse he hath purged and made us so cleane from all sinne in the sight of God that God doth see nothing else in the whole world of true beleevers but a meere clensing and righteousnesse Now because true divinity teacheth that there is no sinne in the Church any more hereupon it is that God testifieth that hee doth remember our sinnes no more saving thus Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new
Antagonists doe evidently prove both by Scripture and by the common consent of the ancient Fathers as Chrysostome Augustin and others That as Christ was truly made an Host or Sacrifice for sin which is the effect of sinne so the cause thereof went before which was because by the power of Gods imputation Christ so truly took our sinnes upon him and was so really in the sight of God cloathed in the same that although not inherently and actively How Christ was made a sinnâ—r for so he was alwayes and ever the Lamb of God without spot or wrinkle but yet really he was made a true sinner and so God having made him by his imputation really a sinner in his sight did count him a sinner and did rend and teare him upon the Crosse and dealt with him in wrath as if he had committed our sinne himselfe and dyed with bearing our sinne in his own body upon the Crosse as Peter saith 1 Pet. 2. 1 Pet. 2. 24. 24. And yet notwithstanding to avouch our Saviour Christ to bee so a sinner is not as the Papists collect and cavill to say that hee was averted from God the slave of the Devill and Sonne of Perdition because these are consequents only of inherent corruption and sin whereof Christ was inherently utterly free but as hee passively was made a sinner and passively tasted of these things as the Author to the Hebrews speaketh and as he truly cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Whereupon that saying of the ancient Dispensor of Gods mysteries Oecumenius is true saying thus Christus vehementer peccator erat c. that is Christ was greatly a sinner as who did take upon him the sinnes of the whole world and make them proper to himselfe and so was truly made a sinner for that Christ was a sinner saith he heare the Apostle saying Hee made him sinne for us Which words of the Apostle Luther hearing with the right eare overthrowing the whole world of sophisticall Papists by proving that in plaine places of the Scripture speaking in the maine points of our salvation the plaine proper and grammaticall words of the Scripture are the true proper sense of the Scripture saith upon these words thus These words of Paul are not spoken in vaine That God made him sinne for us which knew no sinne that wee in him might be made the righteousnesse of God 2 Cor. 5. 21. And again that place of Esay 53. saying God layed upon him the iniquity of us Esay 53. all we must not make these words lesse than they are but leave them in their own proper signification For God dallieth not in these words but speaketh earnestly and of great love to wit that Christ this Lamb of God should beare the sinne of us all But what is it saith he to beare the Sophisters answer to be punished very well But wherefore is Christ punished Is it not because hee hath sinne and beareth sinne Yes hee hath and beareth all the sinnes of all men in his body not that hee himselfe committed them but for that hee received them being committed or done of us and layed them upon his own body thus was he made a sinner for us and hereupon became as the Apostle saith a curse for us But some saith hee will say It is very absurde and Object slanderous to call the Sonne of God a cursed sinner I answer if thou wilt deny him to be a sinner and to bee Answ accursed deny also that hee was crucified and dyed for it is no lesse absurde to say that the Sonne of God as our faith confesseth and believeth was crucified and suffered the paines of sinne and death than to say that he is a sinner and accursed But if it be not absurde to confesse and beleeve that Christ was crucified between two Theeves then it is not absured to say also that hee was accursed and of all sinners the greatest and why Because saith he we must as well wrap Christ and know him to be wrapped in our sinne in our malediction in our death and in all our evills as hee is wrapped in our flesh and in our blood For unlesse saith he further hee had taken upon himselfe my sinnes and thine and the sinnes of the whole world the Law had no right over him which condemneth none but sinners only and holdeth them under the curse Thus mighty is Gods imputation of our sin upon his Sonne Christ and as Christ by the power of Gods imputation though not inherently and actively yet objectively and passively was made in the sight of God really a sinner and cursed so on the other side are we by the power of Gods imputation of his Sonnes righteousnesse made though not inherently and actively yet objectively and passively really righteous and blessed as Chrysostome testifieth saying Hee made the just a sinner that he might make sinners just that is perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely THe fourth place of Scripture proving that wee Scrip. 4. Heb. 10. 14. Proving that we are not only coâ—nted but truly made righteous are not barely counted but truly made righteous in the sight of God is Heb. 10. 14. Where the Apostle saith that Christ with one offering hath made perfect for ever them that are sanctified that is such as are put apart unto salvation and declare the same by sanctification although their sanctification bee very unperfect yet by Justification God doth not imaginarily count them righteous but perfectos reddidit hath made them in the sight of God perfectly righteous continually and forever where we see that we must not with the Papists draw Gods imputing of his Sonnes righteousnesse unto us to an humane imaginarily counting righteous but reduce our imaginary counting to be an Almighty a reall making us righteous yea and perfectly righteous in the sight of God And therefore very aptly upon this place doth the Doctrine of our Church in the third part of the Sermon concerning prayer doctrine of our Church and the first Restorers of the Gospel amongst us say in the third part of the Sermon concerning prayer speaking against praying for souls in Purgatory after this manner The death and blood of Christ if we apprehend it with a true and stedfast faith purgeth us and cleanseth us from all our sinnes in the sight of God For saith Saint Iohn The blood of Iesus Christ hath clensed us from all sinne Also Paul saith We be sanctified and made holy mark how he saith not counted holy but made holy by the offering up of the body of Iesus done once for all Because as the said Doctrine of our Church saith in another place If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and righteous to forgive us our sinnes and to make us clean from all sinne and not only made holy but also Paul addeth more saying With the one oblation of his blessed body and precious blood he hath made perfect for ever and
glory belonging and reserved as due unto the substance it selfe But when Christ the truth it selfe came signified by those figures and did fully exhibit himselfe to performe fully the truth that was represented in those figures Then the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God did so fully purge and purifie our consciences from dead works to serve the living God that now there is no need of any more Sacrifice for sin because God doth not so much as remember our sins any more Heb. 10. 17. 18. And Heb 10. 17 18. why because with that one offering of himselfe hee hath made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified The new Testament passing the Old in foure circumstances Where let us marke the full perfection of the New Testament above the Old here compared the one with the other and the New passing the Old in foure circumstances First he saith not inchoatively and imperfectly as it is said of the Old Testament that it made nothing perfect Heb. 7. 19. but perfectly Secondly he saith not that he will make perfect but he hath made perfect signifying that this perfect making of us righteous in the sight of God is already perfectly done Thirdly not for a season to be by intercourses often renewed with new Sacrifices as the Papists doe counterfeit in their Masse but perpetually and continually And Fourthly not onely for long times as whole yeers and such like but for ever and ever as the doctrine of our Church speaketh Thus hath Christ made all his children and Church righteous quarto modo that Christ hath made us righteous quarto modo is omnes solos semper first omnes all that are sanctified secondly solos only they that are sanctified and thirdly semper he hath made them perfectly righteous continually and for ever Hence he is called Melchisedec that is the King of righteousnesse because he makes all his subjects thus righteous secondly none but his subjects only thirdly all his subjects are made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God only and for ever And therefore did the Prophet Daniel ch 9. 24. prophesie of Christ That at his comming he should not onely make an end of sin but also bring in an everlasting righteousnesse that is making the children of God perfectly righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God for ever and ever Hence we see the reason why the learned doe pronounce the justified children of God to be not only fully and completely but also sufficiently righteous before God For if the child of God be thus completely and perfectly righteous in the sight of God then he is sufficiently righteous in the sight of God but if he be not sufficiently righteous then is he not perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God But that the justified child of God is above his sense and feeling even sufficiently righteous in the sight of God is plainly testified by God himselfe 2 Cor. 12. where 2 Cor. 1â— we may see that Saint Paul feeling the remnants of corruption hanging upon him and not only doubting as the circumstances of the place shew that he was not sufficiently righteous in the sight of God but also grieving at the same and therfore praying thrice that is oftentimes to God against the same God answered him saying My Grace viz. of Free Justification the Grace of graces called often the Grace of God and gift by Grace Rom. 5. is sufficient for thee that is makes thee Rom. 5. sufficiently perfectly righteous from all spot of the remnants of thy corruptions in my sight freely and then adds the reason why he should be content with this rich grace of Free Justification saying For the power of my grace of Free Iustification is manifested and made perfect in thy weaknesse because if thou hadst not weaknesse and corruption in thee thou shouldst have no need of my grace of Justification but in that I make thee from all those infirmities which thou seelest to hang upon thee sufficiently and perfectly righteous in my sight freely herein my free Grace of Justification is greatly magnified and glorified Which reason did so greatly content Saint Paul that he said Very gladly therefore will I rejoyce rather in mine infirmities what simply no but that the power of Christs grace making me thus sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely may dwell in me Thus we may see how true that saying of Calvin is of Justification in another place That Justification finding us naked of our own righteousnesse doth so cloath and enrich us with the righteousnesse of Christ that the saying in Luke 1. 52. is fulfilled Hee filleth the hungry 〈…〉 53. with good things for Paul hungring after his owne inherent righteousnesse when his own inherent righteousnesse could never have made him sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God is sent away filled with the power and rich grace of Christ making him sufficiently and perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely Which treasure saith Luther Esaiah inwardly considering did in the tenth of his Prophecy say The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousnesse as if he had said Faith which is a briefe and summary fulfilling of the Law tanta justitia credentes replebit that is shall replenish the Beleevers with so great righteousnesse ut nulla alia read justitiam opus habeant that they shall not have need of any other thing to make them more righteous Rom. 10. 10. Which Paul also doth testifie Rom. 10. saying For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse whereby he hath no need of works to make him righteous in the sight of God sed omni bono repletur vereque filius Dei efficitur that is but is replenished freely with all goodnesse and truely made the Son of God Iohn 1. 12. Iohn 1. 12. Yea that the true Beleever is made sufficiently and perfectly righteous because he is by Free Justification thus freely replenished with all righteousnesse in the sight of God is likewise plainly taught and cleerly testified in the doctrine of our Church taught by the Doctrine of our Church in the Sermon of the resurrecâ—ion first Restorers of the Gospel in this land saying in the Sermon of the Resurrection of Christ after this manner It had not been enough to be delivered by his death from sin except by his resurrection wee had beene endued with a perfect and everlasting righteousnesse whereby the true righteousnesse looking downe from heaven is in most liberall largenesse dealt by the holy Ghost upon all the world by whose assistance wee be replenished with all righteousnesse c. Doubt not of the truth of this matter how great and high soever these things be it becommeth God to doe no little deeds how possible soever they seeme to thee And no marvell
That is This Kingdome verily is the Kingdome of Christ whereby he himselfe by his spirit and beliefe of the Gospel reignes in the minds of his Elect but how justificans eos salvans justifying and saving them which gift of God even Esay testified to be so great Vt universam creaturam ad exulâ—andum gratulandum provocet that he provokes all creatures to rejoyce and exult for joy saying Rejoyce yee heavens for the Lord hath done it shout yee lower parts of the earth Burst forth into praises ye mountaines For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and will be glorified in Israel but how hath he redeemed Iacob and how will he be glorified in Israel namely by putting away our transgressions as Esay 44. 22. 23. clarknesse and our sinne as a mist Esay 44. 22 23. Proinde hoc regnum Christi rectè caelorum regnum vocatur c. Therefore this Kingdome of Christ say the learned Expositors is rightly called the Kingdome of heaven Viget enim in eo coelestis potentia omni terrenae incomparabiliter praestans that is for there reignes in it an heavenly power and passing incomparably all earthly excellencie whereby wee are freed from sinne and death and doe enjoy eternall peace and the abundance of all good things not seeing our King but yet worshipping him reigning in heaven fide animi with the faith of our soule believing his Gospel But what is it to believe his Gospel these learned Dispensers of Gods mysteries answer saying credere Evangelio est gratuitam justitiam amplecti that is to beleeve the Gospel is to embrace the free given righteousnesse making us perfectly and thus gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And this is the Kingdome of God whereof Christ spake when he sent forth his seventie Disciples Luk. 10. saying Goe your wayes and say unto them Luk. 10. The Kingdome of God is come neere unto you But into whatsoever City yee shall enter if they will not receive you Goe your wayes out into the streets of the same and say Even the very dust which cleaveth on us of your City we wipe off against you And it shall be easier for Sodom than for you Notwithstanding know this that the Kingdome of God was come neere unto you verse 9. 10 11. verse 9. 10 11. O good Lord if the sentence was so terrible in the mouth of the seventy Disciples before Christ had dyed to effect this how fearefull must it needs be now after he hath groaned out his blood and life upon the Crosse saying It is finished and how happy and blessed are they that are Members and Citizens of his Kingdome but such Citizens were the Ephesians when the Apostle said thus unto them Now therefore yee are no more Strangers and Forreiners but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes 2. 19. For yee Ephes 2. 19. are not come saith the Author to the Hebrews with the people of the Old Testament unto the Mountain that might not be touched nor unto burning fier nor to blacknesse and darknesse and tempest the sight whereof was so terrible that Moses said I feare and quake But yee are come unto the Mount-Zion and to the Citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels c. The glory whereof made S. Paul to burst forth in such great thanksgiving for the Justified and converted Colossians saying Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet or worthy to bee partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light But how hath hee made us so meet and worthy Quest Answer even in that he hath delivered us from the Answ power of darknesse and out of this present evill world as he saith to the Gal. 1. 4. And hath translated us into the Gal. 1. 4. Kingdome of his deare Son by the forgivenesse of sins Whereby saith Luther we are translated out of sinne into righteousnesse out of Gods wrath into his perfect favour out of death into life For saith he when sinne is taken away in the place of sinne succeedeth righteousnesse in the place of wrath grace and reconciliation in the place of death life and in the place of damnation salvation Is not this a blessed Kingdome and are not they in a truly blessed state and condition that are Citizens in this Kingdome for when a man is translated out of sinne into righteousnesse who sees not All blessedness accompaineth the righteousness of Christ that all blessednesse must needs follow thereupon especially being so perfect a righteousnesse making us so perfectly holy and gloriously righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Hence it is that Christ is called Melchisedec That is the King of righteousnesse and peace and why but because he makes all his Subjects above their sense and feeling that it may be by faith of his power perfectly holy and gloriously righteous in the sight of God freely and so abounding in Peace and Joy for the same Such a new people saith Luther writing against the Jewes upon Daniel 9. 24. and such a new Ierusalem is the holy Christian Luth. on Dan. 9. 24. Church gathered of Iewes and Gentiles Hi certâ— sciunt c. These certainly know that by Jesus Christ peccatum esse plenè abolitum that their sinne is perfectly abolished all prophecie and promise is fulfilled and an everlasting righteousnesse is brought in For he that beleeveth in him all his sinnes are sealed up made an end of and abolished est in aeternum Iustus and hee is made everlastingly righteous and for ever for which wee need not runne to Jerusalem For saith he in another place In this Kingdome of Lâ—thâ— on his Arga. before the Galath heaven we be made righteous by the Christian righteousnesse which nothing pertaineth to the righteousnesse of the Law or active righteousnesse But this righteousnesse is heavenly which wee work not but which by grace is wrought passively in us placing us in the Kingdome of heaven where is no Law no sin no remorse or sting of conscience no death but perfect joy righteousness grace peace life salvation and glory And thus is the Kingdome of heaven Righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. CHAP. XIII The Faith of Iustification strengthened NOw because the two soresaid enimies of Free Justification namely naturall reason and unbeliefe will bee objecting something against this second part of Free Justification to the darkning and if it can to the utter frustrating of the same Let us now add something for the strengthening of Faith against such objections and they are only two that I have at any time heard of the first objection and last refuge of unbeliefe is this Yea I am perfectly righteous and a sinner also in Object Oâ— unbeliefe the sight of God for as God beholdes me in Christ he sees me perfectly
and abolish if I were not a sinner doe yet notwithstanding beleeve that heaven and earth shall sooner Quod peccater in me ipso existâ—ns c. credaÌ„ tamen potius câ—lum terramque ruitura quam me non else per Christi sanguinem aâ— ombibus peccatis ipsa â—ive pur orem candidiorem Si non credis facis Dâ—um cum summa horrenda blaspâ—emia mendac em c. Pomeran in Psal 51. 7. fall than that I am not by the blood of Christ from all my sins in the sight of God more pure and white than very snow if thou beleevest not this thou makest God with thy highest and horriblest reproach and blasphemy a liar Beatus qui intelligit Blessed is hee that understands The fifth Scripture phrase expressing yet in an higher degree how truely all our sinnes are utterly abolished out of Gods sight and how perfectly cleane the blood of Christ doth make us from all sinne is this That God himselfe whose eyes are all seeing and searching the heart and reines yet testifieth that hee doth see no sin in his justified children and to the glory of his work wrought in the Brazen-Serpent wherewith hee had newly healed his people hee doubleth his speech saying God seeth no iniquity in Jaacob and he seeth no transgression in Israell Numb Numb 23. 21. 23. 21. Which is much more truly verified in exhibiting the true substance Christ Jesus whereof the Brazen-Serpent was but the shadow not only quoad effectum in respect of the effect of their sinne as not to punish them for the same but also quoad causam in respect of the cause of punishment which is sin it selfe for if sin it selfe be so perfectly abolished out of Gods sight as it is expressed in the two first emphaticall phrases if we have not one spot or wrinkle of sinne in his sight as it is proved in the third phrase if the blood of Christ hath made us so perfectly cleane that wee are in the sight of God from all sin whiter than snow and all this because we are by the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse made from all spot of sinne perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely then as a true consequent it necessarily followes that this phrase also must needs bee true in respect of sin it selfe which is worse than the punishment That God sees no iniquity in his true Jaacob nor hee sees no transgression in his justified children Which figure of the Brazen Serpent S. Paul seeming to allude unto flatly affirmeth the same truth to bee fully verified in the substance Christ saying And you that were enimies by your evill works hath he now reconciled but how or by what meanes Even in that body of his flesh through death to the end to make you so holy that you are without blame and without fault Colos 1. 22. Non simpliciter sed in conspectu suo Zan. h. â—â—i Non quâ—dâ—m siâ—e â—eâ—cato est ali quis â—oputus sâ—c nec Israel sed quoniâ—m delâ—ta est iniquâ—tas Pell in Numâ— ibid in Gods sight Colos 1. 22. Not simply but in the sight of God he saith not indeed that any people is with out sin so not Israel it selfe neither but because their iniquitie is though mystically above reason sence and feeling yet truely put out from before God and utterly abolished so hee sees no iniquitie in Jaacob and so hee sees no trangression in Israel the true cause whereof is yet more fully expressed by Zanch. saying utpote quae sanguine filii Dei sunt extinctae because their iniquities are extinguished and cleane put out by the blood of the Son of God For in as much as mankinde is utterly marred and â—alv sâ—rm in Ephes cap. 1. 7. given over to all naughtinesse God must needs bee a mortall enimy to us and an adversary against us till the remembrance of our sinnes bee buried out of his sight Because God being the fountaine of all justice and Calvin ibid. righteousnesse doth utterly hate and abhorre the evill that he seeth in us Therefore untill such time as our sinnes be abolished and clean put out it is impossible for us to hope that God should either love or favour us Blessed therefore are they whose sins are covered for Psal 32 1 2. Quod â—egitur non apparet non quod non est sed quod coâ—tectum est Marlo in Rom. 4 ibid. that which is covered doth not appeare not because it is not but because it is covered for they are said to be covered in respect of our sence and feeling because we alwayes feele them in us as if they were not abolished but only covered out of Gods sight but yet with the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse so covered Non remissis solùm sed planè deâ—etis Luch sâ—r in March 11. that from before God the blood of Christ doth not only cover them but utterly abolish them For Gods forgiving is his covering his covering Sanguis Christi peccata nofirâ— non tantâ—m â—perit sed etiam coram Deo penitus delâ—t Beâ— in 1 Pet. 4. 8. is a taking of them away Ioh. 1. 29. his taking them away is a cleane putting of them out Esay 43. 25. and 44. 22. his putting of them out is an utter abolishing of them from before himselfe Heb. 9. 26. For our bearing with one another is called our covering of a multitude of sinnes But before God the blood of Christ alone doth not only cover them but also utterly abolish them Because by Gods forgivenesse of sinnes all things Luth. sâ—rm of the summe of a Christian life Tim. 1. 5 6 7. which are not pure and cleane are put out consumed abolished as a drop of water is consumed and abolished of the heat of the Sunne or rather as the Sun-beames abolish darknesse as the Prophet Esay saith Esay 44. 22. Therefore blessed is he whose sinne is covered for that which is covered is not seene that which is not Ierom. in Psal 32. 1 2. seene is not imputed that which is not imputed shall not bee punished Whereupon wee have to marke first of all that we Calvin in Ephes Serm. cap. 1. 7. can obtaine no favour at Gods hands nor be received of him till our sins be wiped out and the remembrance of them clean put away The reason whereof is as I said before that God Calvin Ibid. must needs hate sinne wheresoever hee seeth it But let it suffice us that he receaves us into his Calvin Ibid. favour freely only because the remembrance of our sinnes is buried out of his sight And againe let us understand that the same can not bee done but by the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ And this is the thing wherein wee must wholly rest Because by Christs becomming a curse upon the Luth. in Galath Cap. 3. ver 13. Crosse by this meanes the whole world is so
is true that I feele sinnes in my selfe but through Christ that hath taken them away out of thy sight I am certaine that I am perfectly righteous good and holy before thee c. for of these things must a sincere Christian be partaker and of these things he ought to glory if he bee a true Christian and he that cannot glory of these things is not yet a Christian THe second spirituall weapon to overcome doubting 2 The second spirituall weapon against deubting is that whereas our reason sense sight and feeling are our strongest enimies not only to drive us into doubting but also sight by saying I see sinne in me and sense by truly saying I feele sinne in me and reason by saying it is impossible but this should make me foule in the sight of God will thus strongly perswade us that wee are not made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely wee must mark out of the former description that it is the very nature heart and essence of faith to mortifie these enimies and to tell them that they are all lying sophisters of true principles assuming false inferences and to beleeve the cleane contrary to them because God and the blood of Christ do assure us the contrary namely that we seeing by the light of Gods word that one spot of sinne makes us in the sight of God foule like the Devill and accursed Galat. 3. 10. the blood of Christ doth make us so Gal. 3. 10. cleane 1 Iohn 1. 7. that we are whiter than snow 1 Iohn 1. 7. Psal 51. 7. from all spot of sinne in the sight of God Psal 51. 7. But if thou ask me how and by what meanes may I Quest mortifie my reason sense and feeling and come to beleeve the contrary unto them I answer by removeing Answ what they pretend out of thy sight and minde as Abraham did the deadnesse of his body and the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe by not considering the same Rom. 4. 19. and by trusting in the word alone spoken Rom. 4. 19. although as Christ dealt at first with the woman of Math. 15. Canaan God himselfe and all creatures pretend otherwise than the word speaketh thus Sarah stumbling at the first yet at length got the victory over her doubting by forgetting her barrennesse and old age that pretended impossibility and by judging him faithfull that had spoken Heb. 11. 11. And thus doth faith Heb. 11. 11. make a man shut his eyes against what he sees and seeles in himselfe and doth bore his eares Psal 40. 6. Psal 40. 6. to heare what God speaketh Because it is most true that Luther saith That this is the chiefe virtue and cunning of faith that it seeth those things that are not seene or felt and seeth not those things which are felt yea which are now sore upon us and doe presse and urge us As on the contrary side diffidence and unbeleefe seeth nothing but that which it feeleth agreeing with naturall reason neither can it rest upon any other thing but that which it feeleth But faith saith otherwise it resteth only in the word and trusteth wholly unto it neither doubteth it that any thing will fall out otherwise than the word speaketh This is a right and strong faith when as a man leaveth sense wisedome reason and trusteth wholly to the word of God For this cause those things are of God laid upon faith to overcome them which the whole world is not able to beare as sinnes death the world and the Devill neither doth God suffer it to be occupied with small matters Because this right faith thus trusting to and relying upon the testimony of the word of God doth perceive and firmely beleeve things to nature impossible and therefore incredible to humane reason and yet firmely beleeves them meerely considering the truth and power of God speaking calling and thereby effecting the same For faith saith I beleeve thee O God when thou speakest and what saith God impossible things lies foolish weak absurd abhominable hereticall and devillish things if thou beleeve reason For reason doth not understand that to heare the word of God and to beleeve it is the chiefest service that God requireth of us but when God speaketh reason judgeth his word to be heresie and the word of the Devill for because it is against reason it seemeth unto it absurd and foolish Therefore Abraham killed reason by faith in the word of God whereby seed was promised to him of Sarah who was barren and now also past child-bearing unto this word reason yeelded not straitway in Abraham and yet bore more sway in Zacharie but it fought against faith even in him both he and especially Sarah judging it to be an absurd a foolish and impossible thing that Sarah who was now not only ninety yeeres old but also was barren by nature should bring forth a sonne Thus faith wrestled with reason in Abraham but herein faith got the victory killed and sacrificed reason that most cruell and pestilent enimy of God and gave glory to God So all the godly entring with Abraham into the darknesse of faith when feeling and reason would perswade them that they are not cleane from all spot of sinne in the sight of God they crucifie feeling and kill reason saying reason thou arâ— foolish thou Reason to bee killed by faith dost not savour those things which belong unto God therefore speak not against me but hold thy peace judge not but heare the word of God saying that the blood of Iesus Christ hath made us so cleane that we are whiter than snow from all sinne in the sight of God freely and beleeve it Thus faith corrupteth not the word by seeking for a meaning of it that may be agreeable to reason but killeth reason and slayeth that beast which the whole world and all creatures cannot kill and so gives glory to God Thus sincere Christians that have overcome the foresaid timerous conscience and have a good conscience and in whose heart the spirit of God abideth although they feele their sinnes Yet they are enforced to say Howsoever sinne is yet I know no sinne by my selfe neither am I subject to death and hell and here they strive and wrestle and at length overcome But I finde it farre otherwise if I set my life before my sight here life and the word must be seperated farre a sunder If thou wilt consider life I will set before thee the lives of S. Peter Paul and Iohn and thou shalt finde even them not to have lived without sinne when thou desirest to bee holy and righteous before God leane not to thy life unlesse thou wilt perish forever For thou must trust only to grace and to the wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse revealed in the word and nto to life or works but being cloathed in this wedding-garment all thy sinnes are quite abolished out of Gods sight and so thou
of God conveyed by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that doe beleeve whereby God doth more fully declare at this time the perfection of his iustice and righteousnesse that he is iust and a maker of him iust and perfectly righteous that beleeveth in Iesus Again this is yet more fully expressed by the Author to the Hebrews ch 10. where citing the Prophesie of Ieremy that under Heb 10. 17. the time of the Gospel God will so forgive the iniquity of his people that hee will remember their sinnes no more he shewes that this is the meaning of this perfect forgivenesse That by one offering Christ hath made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. Heb. 10. 14. Such a wonderfull and glorious thing is Gods forgivenesse And because the blessednesse of the Church and of the children of God and the assurance of their salvation doth consist in the forgivenesse of their sins therefore doth the Apostle in this first alledged place of the Epistle to the Ephesians so gloriously describe both by the causes by the nature and by the effects this forgiveness and remission of sins saying Christ gave himselfe The cause the nature and the effects of our forgivenesse described for his Church there is the cause of forgivenesse to sanctifie it and hath made it cleane by washing of water through the word there is the nature of Gods forgivenesse with the meanes and instruments of convaying the same then followes the force operation and efficacie of this forgivenesse to make it to himselfe a glorious Church not having at this present time one spot or wrinkle of sin or any such thing but to be holy and without blame All which declares what a powerfull operative Gods forgivenesse is powerfull and glorious wonderfull and glorious work Gods forgivenesse is and how short wee Ministers come of laying forth as the Apostle doth the excellency of Gods remission and forgivenesse of sinnes being both perfect and glorious in its owne nature and also making the true beleevers perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely As it is notably expressed in Erasmus his Paraphrase upon the same Erasmus his Paraphrase upon Ephes 5. 26 27. place worthy for the evident cleering and concluding of this point to be repeated againe and againe saying thus That this might be brought to passe Christ gave himselfe unto death to make clean his Church and so of a defiled one he hath made her pure and holy and whereas she was uncleane and foule hee hath made her faire and beautifull having washed her clean in the streame of his own blood and hath made her to himselfe a glorious wife even the Congregation not having now one spot or wrinkle nor any such thing but be in every point mark in every point both faire and faultlesse for he hath cleansed her adorned her and made her perfectly trimme mark again perfectly trimme in every point THe second proofe of Scripture evidently proving The second place of Scripture proving that we are being justified fully righteous in Gods sight â—â— Colos 1. 22. that Justification makes the true Beleever perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely is Colos 1. 22. where the Apostle saith unto the called and justified Colossians after this manner And you which were in times past strangers Is that all nay and enimies to God Why because your minds were set on evill works hath he now reconciled that is he hath set you in his perfect love againe this is an happy change and alteration but how and by what meanes is this brought to passe In that body of his flesh through death to make you holy and unblameable and without fault and as our new Translation saith well unreproveable in his sight In which saying is expressed such perfect making of us holy and righteous in the sight of God That if all the children of God being troubled in their consciences for the horribleness vileness of their sin should lay their heads together to sue at Gods hand for a perfect abolishing of all their sins out of Gods sight and for a perfect making of them compleatly righteous in the sight of God they could not invent a more full and perfect happinesse than is here granted them for can the heart of man wish more than to be so holy as to bee without all blame and without all fault and unreproveable as the originall Greeke words import And that also as Zanchius well observeth non simpliciter sed in Zanchius Colos 1. 22. conspectu suo that is not simply and barely but in the sight of God whose eyes as it is in Rev. 1. in Rev. 1. 14. are Rev. 1. 14. as a flame of fire that is with unresistable purity searching the heart and reines Must not the Ecphonesis or Chrysostome upon Ephes 5. 26 27. acclamation of Chrysostome upon this place needs be true saying Et sanèmagnum est c. Surely it is a great matter that he hath given us a righteousnesse that makes us so perfectly righteous as to be able to stand in his sight Whereupon the collection of Zanchius Zanchius upon the place upon this place must needs be true also saying Haec non potest esse justitia operum sanctitas in nobis inchoata c. that is This cannot be the righteousnesse of works and inherent holinesse begun in us why because saith he that is unperfect and of which David speaketh saying Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord for in thy sight shall none living be found righteous Onely Christs holinesse and righteousnesse is perfect in the sight of God This therefore being imputed unto us is the formall cause of our salvation qua fit ut in conspectu Dei simus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by which it is brought to passe that Zanch. ibid. we mark how he saith not Christ for us but we are without all blame and without all fault and unreproveable in the sight of God Of which most happy and joyfull estate the learned in the Gospel doe give two Two reasons of our happy estate are from the cause and from the effects of it principall reasons the one taken from the cause of his happy condition the other from the effect of the same First the cause why we are so perfectly holy and righteous that we are unblameable and without fault in the sight of God is because we being though mystically yet truly cloathed both with in and without with the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse have though not inherently and actively yet Evangelically and passively more than an Angelicall righteousnesse in us as Calvin testifies upon Iob. 15. 15 16. saying All our filthinesse being washed away Calvin upon Iob 15. 15 16. with the blood of Gods Sonne and his righteousnesse imputed unto us being thus cloathed with
joy a prayse and an honour before all Nations of the earth which shall heare all the good that I doe unto them and they shall feare and tremble for all the goodnesse and for all the wealth that I shew unto them Upon which words the exposition of Pellican is very remarkable Pellican upon Ieâ— 3â— 8. 9. saying Vbi praedicabitur Evangelium regni c. When the Gospel of the Kingdome shall be preached God will doe such great good things unto his faithfull ut prae magnitudine gratiae obstupescat omnis caro that all flesh shall bee astonied at the greatnesse of his Grace And Paul expoundeth what this wonderfull Grace is saying whereas all have sinned and so are deprived of the glory of God wee are justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3. 24. Marke Rom. 3. 24. the word freely and let us throughly understand the meaning thereof namely God respecting no worthinesse in us to deserve so glorious a benefit nor respecting any unworthinesse in us to hinder us from taking this glory but giving it us freely to heale all our unworthinesse and to make us freely worthy of all his other blessings both temporall and eternall and why or to what end doth he all this the Apostle answereth Ephes 2. 7. saying That hee may shew to Ephes 2. 7. the ages to come the exceeding riches of his Grace through his goodness towards us in Christ Iesus and that also to the praise of the glory of his Grace Ephes 1. 6. Whereby saith Ephes 1. 6. Chrysostome nequit sermone comprehendi c. it cannot be expressed with words with how great benefits wee are endued and honoured withall for saith he they are not only riches but abundant riches and not only abundant riches but given also to shew abundancy and not the abundancie of men but of God so that in all respects they must needs be unmeasurable and wonderfull great Shall wee then by foolish feare of our unworthinesse drown the the word freely resist as I said before the good pleasure of God that would have us freely to take it and refuse his rich bounty and so trample the glory of the exceeding riches of his grace under feet no let us rather utterly trample this feare of our unworthinesse under fâ—et because it would not only rob us of our good but also Christ of his glory The third Remedy against feare of applying to our selves so great glory of Free Justification Is to remember The third Remedy agaâ—nst the feare of applâ—â—g so great gâ—oâ—yâ—o 〈◊〉 â—â—lves is Matth. 6. 33. how highly it pleaseth God and how precious he counteth such applying of his benefits by faith God rewarding the same with all blessings temporall and eternall according to that saying of Christ Matt. 6. 33. Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnes whereof Paul spake saying That I may not be found in mine own righteousness which is after the Law but the righteousness which is of God through faith and then saith Christ all other things shall bee cast upon you But because we shall speak further hereof when wee come to the effects of Justification I will only repeat for feare so precious a saying worthy ever to be remembred should be so soone forgotten that Exhortation before mentioned namely Cast away the raggs of thy owne righteousnesse Philip. 3 8 9. And if Philâ— 8. 9. over thou wilt get the blessing wrap thy selfe in this garment of the righteousness of thy elder brother Christ And when thy Father shall savour the smell of thy garments he shall bless thee and say Behold the smell of my Sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed feare not to bee compleat in him this long white Robe needs no inching no ceking no patching Say with the holy Martyr and live and die with it in thy mouth only Christ only Christ The reason whereof is plainly expressed by S. Paul saying That they that are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham But as many as are of works are under the curse Gal. 3. 9. 10. Upon which words the exposition Gal. 3. 9 10. of Luther is worthy to be adjoyned and ever to be remembred saying thus Wee must seperate the believing Abraham from the working Abraham as farre a sunder as there is distance betwixt heaven and earth A man believing in Christ is altogether a Divine Person the child of God the Inberitor of the world a Conquerour of Sinne Death the World and the Devill therefore he cannot be praised and magnified enough Let us not suffer this faithfull Abraham to lie hid in his grave as he is hid from the Iewes but let us highly extoll and magnifie and let us fill both heaven and earth with his name So that in respect of this faithfull Abraham wee see nothing at all in the working Abraham For when wee speak of this faithfull Abraham wee are in heaven but afterwards doing those things which the working Abraham did which were in comparison fleshly and earthly Rom. 4. 1. wee are among men in earth The believing Rom. 4. 1. Abraham therefore filleth heaven and earth So every Christian through his faith filleth heaven and earth heaven with his faith and earth with his works And thus much for the strengthning of Faith CHAP. XIIII Of the Vtility and Majestie of Free Iustification THus having spoken of the nature and parts of Free Justification and strengthned faith in the same Now it remaines that I shew unto the possessors of it what an inestimable Jewell they have of the same in shewing the exceeding utility and majestie of it which although I confesse it passeth the ability either of men or Angels to expresse according to the worth and excellency thereof because I acknowledge the saying of Luther upon Pauls reproving of Peter to his face before the Congregation to be most true That such and so great is the utilitie and majesty of Free Iustification that whosoever rightly esteemeth the same to him all other things shall seem but vile and nothing worth For saith he What is Peter what is Paul what is an Angel from heaven what are all Creatures to the Article of Iustification Which if wee know and so esteeme then are wee in the cleere light but if we be ignorant thereof and so lightly regard it then are wee in most miserable darknesse Yet notwithstanding I hold it necessary a little to point at this excellent utility and majestie of Free Justification and leave the full handling thereof to others of greater gifts than my selfe and will only touch six fruits Six effects of Free justification and effects which the more any look into marking but the nature truth and excellency of them the more they shall see the utility and majestie of free Justification to be
which he made when he gave the ten Commandements neither doth hee now appeare in that forme and manner wherein he appeared cum Testamentum illud vetus conderet when he framed the old Testament and made his Covenant with the people of Israel by his law given by Moses upon Mount Sinai when the heavens were be-clouded and darkned with thick black clouds when nothing was heard but thunderings and lightnings so terribly and horribly sounding that the Mountaine being strucken smoked and the earth trembled every-where there was terrour every-where feare palenesse quaking horror and trembling so that Moses said I feare and quake Not after this manner I say doth God shew himselfe here but after a farre other and contrary forme and manner for here appeares nothing but light cleerenesse and brightnesse here all things are pleasant and joyfull Hic nutus vultus aspectus Dei amaenissimus blandissimus that is here the beck countenance and look of God is most pleasant and smiling here the heavens are opened here all creatures seeme Heaven opened and all creatures leap for joy to laugh and to spring and leap for joy in that the majesty of God doth so humble it selfe as to descend and come downe to us that there may appeare no disagreement between God and man and to give himselfe to bee beholden of us in a forme and manner longè amabilissima blandissima gratissima most lovely most gentle and most favourable By which manner of appearing he not only testifieth omnem suam iram sopitam sedatam esse that is all his anger and displeasure to be pacified and asswaged but also in ejus locum infinita immensa gratia c. in the place thereof is succeeded infinite and unmeasurable free favour a well-pleased father-like and ardent affection of love towards us inexhausta copiosaque misericordia and an abundant and bottomlesse mercy and peace is upon us This is the Christian liberty spoken of Gal. 5. 1 2. See Luther Gal. 5. 1 2. But the reason why all anger and displeasure of God Justification is the only ground and cause of reconciliation is so utterly abolished from us and why we are restored into such perfect peace and full favour with God againe ariseth and is wrought as I said only by the two parts of free Justification For first seeing all anger and displeasure of God ariseth only for sinne as the Prophet Esay testifieth saying Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot Esay 59 1. 2. save neither is his eare heavie that it cannot heare But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you When Christ himselfe hath separated our sinnes from us and from all our works as is before shewed as farre as the East is from the West by utter abolishing them out of his Fathers sight Where are they then to separate between God and us And when Christ hath by his blood made us and all our works clean from all sinne so that wee and all that wee doe are from all spot of sinne in the sight of God whither than snow where is there any place then for the displeasure and anger of God to come upon us Whereupon the Apostle saith to the Colossians thus And you that were in times past mark in times past Strangers and enimies to God And why enimies Because your minds were set on evill works being most true that Augustine saith Nec inimici eramus Deo nisi quemadmodum justitiae inimica sunt peccata that is neither were we enimies to God otherwise than as sins are enimies to righteousnesse hath he now reconciled that is seeing all these make-bates are abolished now all displeasure all anger and emnity is utterly abolished from between God and you and you are set in the compleat love perfect peace and full favour of God again and are blessed before God Oh happy state and condition But who wrought this and by what meanes is so glorious a work brought to passe The Aposte answereth because Christ in the body of his flesh through death makes you so holy that you are unblameable and without fault in Gods sight Colos 1. 21 22. Where we see that as sinne only is Colos 1. 21 22. the make-bate between God and man So when by Free Justification they are made without blame and fault in Gods sight This and this alone quencheth all the displeasure and abolisheth all the anger of God and reconciles us to God for take away the fuell and the flame utterly ceaseth And because none can take away sinne from before God but Christ only therefore none can be our peace-maker but Christ only but because hee takes it away perfectly from before his Father Therefore is hee a most perfect Peace-maker between God and us Whereby wee may see the truth of that joyfull saying of Luther upon those words pronounced by God from heaven This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased saying after this manner Truly with no praises could Christ bee more glorified nor extolled more magnificently for by this voyce hee is set in a most illustrious dignity and high glory for in these words Hee is proclaimed and declared the true King of peace a true Priest working perfect atonement Christ is the true King of peace and the Heire and Lord of all things who alone pacifieth his Father and brings to passe that hee is well-pleased with us Moreover in these words God the Father testifieth that hee is of a right fatherly and well-pleased minde to them that believe in Christ to these he declares and here opens himselfe wholy and leaves it witnessed unto our consciences that he is not as before offended with us for our sins but now is become a most loving and etiamsi per imprudentiam infirmitatem carnis cespitavimus that is although we trip unawares and by the infirmitie of the flesh yet a most indulgent and so well-pleased a Father unto us ut nec velit nec possit nobi◠irasci c. That if we give to his Son his glory that hee doth justifie us and so cleave to him with a sound faith hee neither will nor can bee angrie with us for his Sonnes sake in whom hee is at perfect peace and throughly well-pleased with us Again secondly As by the first part of Justification Second Reason abolishing all our sinnes out of Gods sight all displeasure and anger is abolished and done away so by the second part of Justification making us perfectly righteous in the sight of God are we perfectly reconciled to God and set in perfect peace and perfect favour with God again and truly blessed And this is plainly testified by the Prophet Esay 33. 14. saying Who amongst us Esay 33 14. opened shall dwell with the devouring fier who amongst us shall dwell with the everlasting burning The answer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that walketh in