mayst glory safely that thou art perfectly good godly holy and righteous in Gods sight Esay 45. 25. Esay 45 25. Yea God cannot deferre or delay where there is this sincere heart that trusteth in him alone all other things being left looking only to the naked word of God there God cannot hide himselfe but revealeth himself commeth unto such an heart and maketh his abode there as the Lord saith Ioh. 14. 21 23. I will come Ioh 14. 21 23. unto him and will dwell with him Now what can be more joyfull than for a man to give credit to the naked word of God And as to be plucked from it by no affliction or temptation so to shut his eyes against every assault of Satan to become a foole that hee may be wise 1 Coâ— 3. 18 19. The obediences of the Gospel that is to lay aside humane sense understanding reason and wisdome and to say daily in his heart God hath spoken it he cannot lie this is true mortifying of our selves and right obedience to the Gospel and I say that nothing is more joysull than such a faith THe third meanes to overcome all doubting is The third remedy against doubting much and often to meditate upon our baptisme yea as often as we feele that we have by any sin pierced and wounded our soul with the sting of death for the sting of death is sin 1 Cor. 15. 56. so often must we call 1 Cor. 15. 56. to minde especially these foure things wherein the very essence and vertue of our baptisme consisteth First that God in baptisme gave unto us his Sonne 2 Foure speciall things to be considered in Baptisme in the likenesse of water signifying that Jesus is no Jesus unto us but as he hath first and before all things with his blood washed away out of the sight of God all our sins as S. Iohn saith Revel 1. 5. And hath washed Revel 1. 5. us from our sinnes in his blood and by cloathing us with the obedience and righteousnesse contained in his blood doth so perfectly deck and adorn us as fit Brides unto himselfe with that wedding-garment of his own righteousnesse that he doth not only of unjust make us just but also preserves us as is before shewed in the same above our sense and feeling ever and continually perfectly holy and righteous from all spot or wrinkle sin or any such thing in the sight of God freely Ephes 5. 26 27. because as the Apostle testifies with one sacrifice upon the Crosse hee hath made Ephes 5. 26. 27. pefect for ever and continually all them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. For saith Luther the blood of Christ Heb. 10. 14. Christs blood as pâ—rging sope and niter hath in it such sharp salt and such purging sope and niter as that it takes away from before God and abolisheth all foulnesse and all spots so that in one moment it consumes sin and death takes them away and utterly abolisheth them And because wee must mark that at the time of our baptizing it is not the man or Minister that doth baptise us properly But it is God the Father Sonne and God properly is the Baptizer holy Ghost that is the true right and proper baptiser of us the reason whereof is because it is not the work of the Minister that baptizeth outwardly nor the Baptisme of man but the Baptisme of Christ and of God for the minister or man doth nothing in The Minister â—â—ly is â—n the nâ—mâ— and place of God his own authority but stands by Gods appointment in the place and steed of God and supplies the roome of God whereupon we ought to receive our baptisme at the hand of man no otherwise than if Christ himselfe or rather as if God himselfe did baptize us with his own hands and therefore we must take heed that wee doe not so divide Baptisme as to attribute the outward baptisme to man and the inward to God but we must attribute both to God and count of the man or minister baptizing us but as the instrument like the axe in the Carpenters hand God himselfe using it to square thee himselfe to the glory of his grace by the which God sitting in heaven doth reach down his own ordinance of Baptisme comming meerly from himselfe out of heaven as his hand and doth poure water upon thee with his own hands and doth pronounce that hee hath washed thee clean from all thy sinnes speaking unto thee in earth himselfe with his own mouth by the voyce of the Minister And this the very words used in thy Baptisme doe make cleere unto thee when the Minister pouring water upon thee said I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen That is I wash thee clean from all thy sinnes but how what in thine own name and power No for alas that were able to doe no such work and just nothing but as the Brazen-Serpent healed the Israelites that is in the meer ordinance name and power of God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost as if he should say that which I doe I doe it not in mine own strength name or power but it being none of my work but standing by God own appointment and ordinance in his place and stead and supplying his roome I wash thee in the name and power of God that thou mayst count no otherwise of it than if God had done it visibly himselfe This sense is full of comfort and an effectuall help of faith for a man to know that hee was baptized not of man but of the Trinity himselfe by man who standing in his stead did the work signified as truly in his name and power as if God himselfe had been the very outward and visible agent and worker But I say because God himselfe is all in all the proper workman in our baptisme therefore in his outward signe of washing by water he doth although inwardly and mystically to himselfe yet so throughly wash us with the blood of Christ that it is as much when any one is baptized into faith as if he were visibly washed not with water but with the purging blood of of Christ And hereupon both for the Agent God and for the meane of Christs blood is Baptisme such a magnificent work and hath such vertue and so great power as the holy Ghost by S. Paul restifieth that it is indeed the laver and washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. That is first it makes Tit. 3. 5. New â—reâ—tâ—ras two wayes us new born creatutes to Godward by Justification by abolishing all our sinnes out of Gods sight and making us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely whereby we are adopted the sons of God and secondly it doth renew us by the holy Ghost to bee new creatures to menward by sanctification whereupon
S. Iohn saying that Christ came by water and blood and repeating blood with a vehement emphasis saith again Not by water only but by water and blood doth give us to understand that in Baptisme of water wee must have principall respect to the blood of Christ whereby Baptisme is of such efficacie and of so great operation and power that it washeth away from before God all sinne drownes and abolisheth death heales all our infirmities and makes us clean from all our faults this indeed we see not to be done with carnall eyes but the faithfull in Christ neither ought nor yet doe desire to see with bodily eyes but they apprehend the Word and believe it and so glorifie Gods Truth Seale and Ordinance so that whatsoever is there promised they perswade themselves to be as sure and certaine as those things which they even see and feele before their outward eyes Briefly in a word to be baptized is nothing In Baptisme a principall respect is to be had to the blood of Christ else to spirituall eyes than to bee washed with the most pretious blood of Christ and to be made so clean that we are made from all sinne in the sight of God whiter than snow And this is that perfect cleansing by the blood of Christ which David speaks of Psal 51. where he saith Wash mee throughly from mine iniquity and make me clean from my sinnes Purge mee with Hysop and I shall bee clean wash thou me and I shall bee whiter than snow And this is the first thing that wee must call to minde concerning our Baptisme Secondly wee must call to minde that God in our Baptisme gave us Christ making us thus cleane from all our sins appropriated unto thee that art baptized that is given unto thee in particular as if at that time that thou wast a baptizing there had been in respect of thy particular and perfect washing and saving no more to bee saved by the blood of Christ but thou only in the world whereby God said in the vertue and power of his own ordinance unto thee in particular as hee said unto Paul Arise and bee baptized and wash away thy sinnes mark thine in particular in calling on the name of the Lord Iesus whereby thou hast just cause to say with S. Paul Christ hath loved me and given himself for me in particular Gal. 2. 20. Gal. 2. 20. Thirdly wee must call to minde that God in our Baptisme gave us Christ thus perfectly washing away all our sinnes freely that is God respecting no worthinesse in us to deserve this rich grace not respecting no unworthinesse in us to hinder the same not requiring any other condition at our hands but that in time wee feele our selves lost by sinne and freely take this rich grace of Christ freely to heale us Because the Apostle saith All have sinned and thereby are deprived of the glory of God But are justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3. 23 24. And Rom. 3. 23. 24 to shew how freely hee thus of unjust makes us perfectly just in his sight he brings us to the laver of baptisme even whilst we are Infants and doth then and there sanctifie us to himselfe with his blood and makes us clean by the washing of water through the word Ephes 5. 26. When we are not only meer lumps Ephes 5. 26. of originall sinne farre more soule in the blood of our soules than wee were a little before in the blood of our bodies yea so soule that we might not be admitted into the communion of the Church and Saints of God untill we were washed in the blood of the Sonne of God but also were not able to send up one sigh unto God in any sorrow for the same This rich grace of Gods washing us so freely even when we were without feeling of our misery in the very blood of our originall sinne is plainly described by God in Ezech. 16. Ezek. 16. saying When I passed by thee I saw thee cast out and polluted in thine own blood then said I even when thou wast in thy blood thou shalt live yea when thou wast in thy blood I said thou shalt live then washed I thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy blood from thee and annointed thee with Oyle I cloathed thee also with broidred work and I decked thee with fine linnen which is the righteousnesse of the Saints Revel 19. 8. And covered Revel 19. 8. thee with the silk of mine own righteousnesse Thus wast thou decked with Gold and Silver and thou wast exceeding beautifull for thou wast perfect through my beauty which I had put upon thee saith the Lord shall not we then as freely take these riches as God when we were yet in our blood so freely gave them us Fourthly and lastly we must call to minde that God to put us out of all doubting gave us these riches confirmed ratified and sealed unto us with his own seale of baptisme whereby no Father lying upon his death-bed can seale unto his Adopted Sonne the gift of his lands and goods in his last Will and Testament more certainly and assuredly with the seale of his own Ring than God hath by baptisme as with the seale of his own Ring and Signet of rich Grace undoubtedly confirmed stedfastly ratified and certainly sealed these unestimable riches unto us Is here left now any starting hole of doubting for us to doubt whether wee enjoy these riches or no except the Devill like a wicked will-falsifying-Lawyer foyst this thought into thy head to say yea this without all doubt is true upon me in particular if I bee an Adopted child of God but there is the question to which I answer None ought to question Gods eâ—â—ectuall washing of himselfe and why why shouldest thou make question of thy selfe when God hath revealed no exception or question of thee nay rather when God hath done the clean contrary that is hath revealed the putting it out of question that he hath adopted thee to be his sonne First because thou hadst a day of thy Adoption of Gods own appointing and acting namely in thy Baptisme Secondly thou wast expresly in the act of thy adoption that it might bee known that thou in particular wast Adopted Thirdly God did by the hand of his Minister set to his sign and seale of Adoption upon thee whereby he did give his last Will and Testament sealed unto thee in particular by his own seale of Baptisme as the deed of his hand into thine own hand powring water upon thee in particular darest thou think that God did jest or mock with thee can there bee now any doubting that thy sinnes are for ever washed out of the sight of God and thou Adopted an heire of all the riches of thy elder brother Christ Jesus his last Will and Testament being made good unto thee by the death also of the Testator Heb. 9. 17.
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
righteous but as he beholds mee in my selfe he beholds mee a sinner at leastwise in the imperfections of my sanctification for as when Christ hung dying upon the Crosse God saw him a sinner by the imputation of our sinnes unto him and yet notwithstanding saw him perfectly righteous also in himselfe so doth he see us perfectly righteous in Christ and sinners also in our selves To which objection I answer First generally that the scope of this Objection is Answ to make the Arke and Dagon stand together which by no meanes will be but more particularly I will first shew the weaknesse and falsitie of the two reasons taking away the Pillars whereon it resteth and then shew the absurdities of the position it selfe And first of the later reason which because it seemes to bee drawn from the Apostle appeares to be the stronger and therefore I will shew the true meaning of the Apostle that we must hold too and then wherein it is stretched upon the tenter-books to conclude that which the Apostle meaneth not For first although it is true That as by the Almighty power of Gods imputation Christ was cloathed and as Luther truly saith inwrapped in our sins as he was inwrapped in our flesh and blood So we by the same Almighty power of Gods imputation are cloathed and inwrapped in Christs own righteousnesse whereupon concurres this following agreement That as Christ by Gods imputation As Christ was truly a sinner and cursed so is a Beleever truly just and blessed in him and by him putation was made not an imaginary sinner but really a true sinner for us and so truly and really suffered the curse of God and true rending and tearing upon the Crosse even unto true and reall death for true sinne that God saw truly upon him so we likewise by Gods imputation of Christs righteousnesse unto us are made not imaginarily as the Papists cavill but really and truly righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely and so truly and really blessed not to an imaginary life for an imaginary putative righteousnesse as the Papists cavill but to a true and reall inheritance of everlasting life for Christs true everlasting righteousnesse that God sees truly upon us and wee made truly perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by the same As this I say is the scope of the Apostle wherein wee agree so in other points stretched further there is great difference and utter dislike especially in three things overthrowing this reason because Three reasons why Christ was both a sinner and righteous at one time otherwise than we are it is streched further than the foresaid scope of the Apostle For First that Christ might be a true and perfect Mediator and Redeemer it was necessarie that our sins being imputed unto Christ and he hereby made a sinner It was necessary I say that God at that very present time should in him see also a everlasting righteousnesse like a sea swallowing up a spoonfull of Inke and utterly abolishing our sinnes layed upon him whereby he might bee able to cleere himselfe from our sinnes and so free both himselfe and us from sinne the curse and death that was upon him for otherwise hee could not bee a perfect Mediator and Redeemer and therefore it was necessary that God should see him at the same time both a sinner and yet endued with a greater and everlasting righteousnesse putting out and abolishing all our sins by Gods powerfull imputation layed upon him but there is no necessity of the like in us but contrariwise we being now by the power of Gods imputation cloathed with the wedding-garment of that perfect and everlasting righteousnesse of Christ and thereby translated out of the kingdome of sinne and darknesse into Christs Kingdome of righteousnesse and light God sees our sinnes abolished by a double meanes first by Christ abolishing them in and from Our sinnes are abolished by two meanes himselfe by his death and resurrection and secondly hee sees them abolished in and from us by that perfect and everlasting righteousnesse of Christ wherewith wee are cloathed and made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely For if God should not see our sins by his Sons righteousnesse utterly abolished out of his sight and so we not made only meerly the righteousnesse of God in his sight then our sins should stand unabolished as check-mate with the righteousnesse of Christ that is invisibly upon us as if some darkness were so grosse and thick that God could not see his Sun beames of force to swallow up and abolish the same so we make by this conceit Christs righteousnesse not able to abolish them utterly out of the sight of God which to say or think were grievously derogatory to Christs perfect and everlasting righteousnesse But because Christs righteousnesse wherewith wee are mystically cloathed is of more force utterly to abolish our sinnes out of Gods sight than the Sun-beames comming with her full force into a dark house is able to abolish darknesse therefore saith Christ to his Spouse complaning of sinne and darknesse to her sense and feeling Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art not both faire and The Bâ—leever cannot bee both faire and foule in Gods sight soule as I was upon the Crosse but thou art all faire my love before me by the power of my righteousness there is not one spot in thee And the Elect vessell put a part to dispence this great mysterie shewes the reason hereof saying we have not one spot or wrinkle or any such thing in the sight of God Ephes 5. 27. why Because Ephes 5. 27. the righteousnesse of the Law is though not inherently and actively as the Papists would have it yet Evangelically and passively fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 4. but for Rom. 8. 4. the righteousnesse of the Law to be fulfilled in us in the sight of God and yet for God to see one spot or wrinkle in us and so wee to be both faire and soule in Gods sight are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flat contraries that overthrow one another and cannot stand together whereby wee may see how true that saying of Luther is who as Master Foxe testifies came forth in Pauls Luther came in Pauls veine of preaching veine of teaching and said By Christ dying upon the Crosse he hath so purged our sinnes out of Gods sight that God doth see nothing else in the whole world Luther in Caâ— chap. 3. vers 13. of true Beleevers but a meere cleansing and righteousnesse A second reason and difference why Christ was both a sinner and righteous in the sight of God otherwise than we are is taken from the end why Christ was made a sinner and righteous for he was made a sinner but for a while untill his sea of righteousnesse had swallowed up and utterly abolished our sinnes out of Gods
Colos â— â—2 13. of the Saints in light Coloss 1. 12. 13. 5. The meâ—nâ—s of our glorâ—h atioa Fiftly and lastly this free Justification is the only immediate cause and meanes of our finall glorification and of setting us in the right and assurance of eternall lise Therefore doth the Apostle say Whom God justifieth them he glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. Hence it is also Rom. 8. â—0 Rom 5. 18. that hee doth call it the Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. Because to the Enjoyers of it by faith it doth freely and undoubtedly bring life and eternall salvation which the same Apostle againe testifieth when hee saith Grace doth reign indeed but how By righteousnesse or through righteousnesse unto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 21. As if he should say Rom. 5. 11. Grace indeed doth infallibly bring eternall life and yet by this only meanes that men of necessity bee first justified and freely made perfectly holy compleatly righteous before God or else grace it selfe reigneth not unto eternall life Hereupon S. Chrysostome saith Chrysost in Rom. truly thus For where righteousnesse is there necessarily doth everlasting life goe withall and also infinite other Radix vitae Calv. ex Marlo Sicut â—eccatum non nisi mortâ—m parere potest ita donum illud Dei nâ—fâ—ra scilicet justificatâ—o vitae aeteâ—nae beaâ—iâ—â—dinem nobis a â—sertivel si mavis quemadmodùm mortis causa pcccatum est c. good things even as where there is sinne there is death for righteousnesse is more than life seeing it is the very root of life Herewithall agree the modern Expositors saying thus As sinne cannot but bring forth death so that gift of God namely our Iustification bringeth upon us all blessednesse and eternall life or if you had rather thus As sinne is the cause of death so the righteousnesse which is freely given us by Christ hath restored unto us eternall life Faith therefore of Free Iustification is sure of eternall life and so sure that it glorieth and rejoyceth in eternall life because Free Iustification only doth make us fit or worthy or sufficiently meet Luther in Gal. 1. 6. to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light by which only God hath delivered us out of the power of Id in cap. 1. 17. darkness and hath translated us into the kingdome of his Colos 1. 12. 13. deare Son Colos 1. 12. 13. For thus are we translated out of sinne into righteousness out of Gods wrath into his well-pleased favour out of cursednesse into blessednesse out of death into life for when sinne is taken away in the place thereof commeth righteousnesse in the place of wrath reconciliation and grace and free and well-pleased favour in the place of death life and in the place of damnation salvation CHAP. XVI Of the other foure fruits or effects declaring the Vtility and Majesty of Free Iustification THe third maine point shewing the Majejestie The third effect is Peace and loy in the conscience and Utility of Justification is That whereas the want or the ignorance of it is the losse of all true peace and joy in God so the right knowledge and apprehension thereof is the lively spring of joy and of a good conscience bursting forth into a joyfull confession and glorifying of God both in heart and tongue See this is that sweet Song of Mary Luke 1. 46 47. Where she saith My soule magnifieth the Lord and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour for seeing the imperfections of our Sanctification are in this life so great That all our Righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloath If wee know not assuredly that by this glory of Justification all our sins which simply of themselves as the Image of the Devill God so cloatheth are quite and clean abolished from before him and that wee are perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God wee cannot have but rather doe disanull that Peace and great joy unspeakable and glorious That Justification by such perfect abolishing of all our sinnes from before God and free making as so perfectly rigteous in the sight of God doth hereby bring unto us For which the Gospel is expresly called joyfull newes from heaven without which joy we are not sure that we are delivered out of the kingdome of Satan which is sinne and death but by this joy the faithfull soule the true Bride of Christ may feele it selfe to be entred with Christ into the Eride-Chamber which is the kingdome of heaven For the kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost And whosoever in these things serveth Christ are accepted unto God and are approved of men Rom 14. 17. 18. But if thou ask how Rom. 14 17 thou maist attaine so great righteousnesse as may bring such peace and joy The Apostle answereth That being justified that is freely made perfectly holy and righteous by faith we are so compleatly righteous and become so just and saved That having no need of any works hereunto at all but through faith only obtaining true righteousnesse sufficiently Wee have peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. For seeing only sinnes doe breed displeasure between Rom. 5. 1. Sola pe cata simultâ—tem pariant â—â—st uaâ—ex impiâ—s peâ—ateribus c. Phil. 1 7. Incredibi'e gaudiuâ— Marlo in Rom. 5. 1. God and man after that of ungodlinesse and sinners we are made just and righteous from hence it must needs bee that forthwith true peace doth presently arise and this peace that is to say quietnesse and tranquilliâ—y of minde and securitie of conscience which doth passe all understanding Phil. 4. 7. and doth breed in the hearts of the faithfull incredible and wonderfull joy indeed the Law sinne and failing in works terrifieth the conscience oppresseth it with feares and heavinesse of spirit and plucketh it from the assurance of righteousnesse of life and all goodnesse Luth. Gal. 4. 2 3. therefore let us not suffer the Law in any case to beare rule in our conscience especially seeing it cost Christ so great a price to deliver the conscience from the Schoolmaster-like slavery of the Law let the godly learn therefore that the Law and Christ are Why the Law is not to beare rule in the conscience two contrary things whereof the one cannot abide the other for when Christ is present the Law may in no case rule but must depart out of the conscience Idem in Gal. 5 22. and leave the bed which is so straight that it cannot hold two as Esay saith and give place only to Christ Let him only reign in righteousnesse in peace in joy and life that the conscience may sleep and repose it selse in Christ the Bridegroomes bosome without any feeling of the Law sin and death for the fruits of the The voyce of the Bridegroome spirit are not only love but also joy
the first and sixth Chapters to the Rom. but also by the example of Nicodemus who at the first was neither regenerate nor knew nor could learne what it meant which made him to come unto Christ by night being ashamed to come in the day but after that Christ had taught him Free Iustification by the similitude of the brazen Serpent lifted up in the wildernesse freely healing us Then he was a new man enflamed with zeale to defend Christ before the faces Iohn 7. 50 51 52. of the Rulers even at mid-day Iohn 7. 50 51 52. For Christ first makes us righteous by the knowledge of himselfe in the holy Gospel and afterward he createth a new heart in us bringeth forth new motions and giveth unto us that assurance whereby we are perswaded that we please the father for his sake also he giveth unto us a true judgement whereby wee prove and try those things which before we knew not or else altogether disliked So that take a kettle of A plaine comparison cold water which we would have to be hot it would be a foolish part to set it beside the fire and then charge it to be hot and to threat it that else it shall be spilt but put fire under it then will it begin to be warme but if it grow not hot enough put more fire under and if there lie a green stick or block that keepeth away the heat yet put under more fire and then it wil burne up the block and make the water throughly hot So our soule is this block our affections are like to water as cold to God as may be but if we call unto people for Sanctification zeale and works the fruits of the same only with legall terrours not putting under the fire of Iustification we shall either but little move them or else with a constrained sanctity make them worse hypocrites twofold more the children of hell than they were before Mat. 23. 15. but if we put under the Matth. 23. 15. fire of Christs love in freely and gloriously justifying us this burneth up all lets and maketh us hot indeed and zealous to good works Tit. 2. 14. Tit. 2. 14. Againe how inseparably Justification as the cause Iustification Sanctification inseparable and Sanctification as the effect goe both together may be represented by this Similitude Take a piece of carrion as bigge as the top of ones finger that smelleth very foule and wrap it up in a great piece of musk the musk not only taketh away the foule sente from mens nostrills smelling then nothing but musk but also causeth the carrion it selfe by little and little being overcome of the more forceable cause to lose its owne bad sente and begin to smell sweet of the musk So we being wrapped by the mighty power of Gods imputation in the righteousnesse of Christ it doth not only take away the stink of sin Ioel 2. 20. from the Iâ—eâ— 2. 20. no strils of God but also maketh us by little and little to leave this corruption and sanctifieth us more and more to all holinesse of conversation So that our works doe not purifie us but when as before we are pure justified and saved we work those things which may bring profit to our neighbour and honor to God This joyfull knowledge of Justification is that Freeing truth freeing truth whereof Christ spake saying you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Iohn 8. 32. Iohn 8. 32. Cal. 5. 1. For by the Law is the knowledge of sin by faith is the obtaining of the grace of Justification is the healing of the fault of sin by the healing of the soule is the freedome of will by the freedome of the will is the love of righteousnesse by the love of righteousnesse is the doing of the Law All these things which I have knit thus together have their testimonies in Scripture The Law saith thou shalt not lust faith saith heale my soule for I have sinned against thee The grace of Justification saith Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee and thou hast healed me freedome of will saith I will sacrifice a free-will offering unto thee the love of righteousnesse saith The Law of thy mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of gold and Psal 119. silver the doing of the Law saith I have sworne and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Lawes How Iustificatus per siâ—lem qu mâ—do â—otest mâ— juâ—â—e deâ—nceps operari can a man then being justifed that is made just and righteous by faith choose but work justly and righteously This is the liberty wherein Paul also testifieth wee are made free saying Stand fast in the liberty wherein Christ hath made us free Gal. 5. 1. He speaketh not of Gal. 5. 1. a civill liberty much lesse of a carnall and fleshly liberty Luther ibid. whereby people of the world will doe what The true Christian liberty they list but of a spirituall and divine liberty reigning in the conscience there it resteth and goeth no further and it is a freedome from the Law sin the dispeasure of God death hell and damnation Yea this Christian liberty swalloweth up at once and taketh quite away the whole heap of evills the Law sin death Gods displeasure and briefly the serpent himselfe with his head and whose power and in the stead thereof it placeth righteousnesse peace everlasting life and all goodnesse Now since enimies are overcome and we be reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne it is certaine that wee are righteous before God and whatsoever we do pleaseth A happy change him by which meanes the schoolmaster-like bondage and terrours of the Law are changed into the liberty of the conscience and consolation or joyfull newes of the Gospel revealing the righteousnesse of Christ wherewith we are both justified and quickened Yea this joyfull knowledge of Iustification is the meanes whereby we put on Christ two wayes according to Christ put on two wayes Luther in Gal. 3. 27. the Law and according to the Gospel according to the Law as it is said Rom. 13. Put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ that is follow the examples and virtues Rom. 13. of Christ doe that which he did and suffer that which he suffered as Peter saith Christ hath suffered for us 1 Pet 2. 21. leaving us an example that we should follow his steps But the putting on of Christ according to the Gospel A new creation consisteth not in imitation but in a new birth and a new creation First to God-ward by putting on by 1 towards God faith Christs innocency his righteousnesse his wisedome his power his saving-health his life and his spirit Thus is Adams old coat cast off and abolished before God and we apparelled with remission of sins righteousnesse peace consolation joy of the spirit salvation and life
or Positions FIrst the horrible filthinesse of sinne is such to Gods infinite pure and righteous Nature and so defiles a man before God Mark 7. 20. that God cannot but abhoâ—â—e â—urse and deâ—est the creature that hath any sinne in his sight as these and such like Scriptures teach Deut. 27. 26. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Rom. 5. 12. Hab. 1. 13. Job 15. 15. 16. And this true meaning of the Law and right understanding thereof this revealing the infinite pure and righteous Nature of God and the horrible filthinesse of sin is to be diligently taught and continually preached of all faithfull Ministers in every mixt Congregation Esay 58. 1. 2. Secondly that the best good workes of the most sanctified children of God as they though moved thereunto by the holy Ghost do them are sin because of their originall corruption and by breaking the tenth Commandement in them thereby they are so slaine that is truely humbled by feeling themselves and all their best workes to be so shut up under sin that they daily bewail that they can performe no obedience nor do any good worke before God in any of all his Commandements as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 7. 9 10 11 12 13 14 18. 24. Galat. 3. 22. Rom. 4 5. Phil. 3. 8. 4. Esay 64. 6. Thirdly that the onely remedy to heale this our wofull misery by sinne thus seen and felt to hang fast upon us in this life this only remedy is Free Justification whereby God by the power of his sonnes perfect righteousnesse Esay 61. 10. that all our sins being utterly abolished not out of us 1 John 1. 8. 10. that there may be place for faith Heb. 11. 1. Rom. 4. 18 19 20. to 25. but yet truely abolished form before God or out of Gods sight Colos 1. 22. Wee and all our workes are of unjust made just before God that is so perfectly and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely that as the expresse Word of God teacheth and the Protestant Writers abundantly testifie God doth not and by reason of his actuall power can see no sinne in his justified children freely I say by faith only without workes and our perfect workings And I say by faith onely without workes because faith onely sees this and faith onely enjoyes this and thus we and all our workes both naturall workes civill workes or morall workes and religious workes are perfectly pure and cleane in Gods sight Acts 15. 8 9. Titus 1. 15. and doe fully please satisfie and content God because we are fulfillers of the whole Law of God in his fight for the righteousnesse of the Law is thus freely fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 4. Thus by Christs stripes we are healed Esay 53. 5. thus God forgiving all our sins is ever well pleased and at perfect peace with us for being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. and are freely made and adopted the sons and the daughters of the living God Rom. 9. 26. And thus are truely blessed Rom. 4. 6. for As many as are of faith of Free Justification are blessed with faithfull Abraham Galat. 3. 8 9. and shall be certainely glorified for whom God justifieth them also he glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. And thus we see how perfectly by Christs stripes we are healed Esay 53. 5. And all this Protestant Doctrine of Free Justification and these two parts of the same are cleerely and abundantly taught by these and such like Scriptures Esay 43. 25. Esay 44. 22. 23. Iohn 1. 29. Heb. 1. 3. Heb. 9. 13. 14. 26. 1 Iohn 1. 7. Revel 1 5 6. Dan. 9. 24. Rom. 3. 21 22. Ephes 5. 26 27. Rom. 5. 17 18 19 21. Revel 3. 18. Colos 1. 22 23. Rom. 8. 4. Colos 2. 10. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 9. 30. Esay 61. 10. Phil. 3. 8 9. Tit. 1. 15. Heb. 11. 4. Fourthly that this true faith of Free Iustification contrary to the judgement of Popish and carnall reason unseparably brings the holy Ghost to dwell in people Galat. 3. 2. Acts 10. 44. Acts 13. 38 39. 52. which holy Ghost infallibly inflames our hearts with true love Galat. 5. 6. and makes the true beleevers in right zeale of Gods glory and in true thankfulnesse to break off from sinne and to mortifie by true repentance their former profane life and ungodly conversation and brings forth a declarative obedience righteousnesse and readinesse to every good worke now made good workes indeed freely by Free Iustification and so brings forth a sincere and though an unperfect yet a free and cheerfull walking in and keeping of all Gods will and Commandements declaratively to manward which is true sanctification And thus is the Law not destroyed by Free Iustification but established Rom. 3. 21. and written in the hearts of true beleevers and they are fulfillers and keepers of the Law two manner of wayes first perfectly making their hearts perfectly righteous freely to the full content and satisfying of God by faith as it was said before of Free Iustification as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 10. 4 5 6 10. Acts 15. 8 9. Heb 8. 10. Secondly it is written in their hearts and they are fulfillers and keepers of the Law inchoatively actively and declaratively to manward by love and true sanctification as these Scriptures teach Galat. 5. 13 14. Rom. 13. 8 9 10. Yea this true faith of Free Iustification deeply truely and soundly learned is a thing of perfect vertue and wonderfull operation strength and power to bring forth all good motions inwardly and all good workes out wardly or else it is not the true lively justifying faith but the blinde dead faith that leaves men in sinne death and double damnation as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 5. and 6. whole Chapters teach Titus 2. 11. to 15. 1 Iohn 3. 3. to 10. Ephes 2. 10. Ephes 4 5 6 whole Chapters Rom. 12 13 14 15 whole Chapters Iames 2. 14. 17. to 26. Matth. 5. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 9. 5. That all such Ministers as doe not diligently teach and cause people diligently to observe and keep this established true Protestant doctrine but do deny sophisticate and wrangle against the same must needs be like the false brethren amongst the Galathians in the dead faith doting about questions and making controversies about the Law and works and cannot but seduce the people from Christ that is from the simplicity of the faith that is in Christ Jesus to depend and hang for assurance of their salvation upon the Law and works and cannot but be troublers of the Church Gal. 1. 7. and of peoples consciences distracting them into Popery Arminianisme Anabaptisme Familisme Brownisme and all manner of Sects and Schisms about works because by a carnall understanding of Free justification they cannot but rest in the light of reason morall virtues and religion of nature described Rom. 2. 14 15. varnished and deceitfully gilt over with the titles of Grace Graces
perfection And moreover they are ungratefull and unthankfull that they seek from elsewhere that which being in Christ they now have already And what have we now already Even that which these learned Expositors testifie in another place namely upon those words of the Apostle That I may know him and the virtue of his resurrection saying thus For in this virtue of his resurrection all things are bestowed upon us As First justitiae acquisitio the attaining of righteousnesse Secondly abolitio peccati the abolishing of sin Thirdly liberatio à reatu freedome from all guilt and punishment Fourthly mortis victoria victorie over death And Fifthly spes beatae immortalitatis assured hope and expectation of blessed immortalitie And what can a man wish more And therefore sound is the conclusion of these faithfull Dispensers of Gods mysteries upon those words of the Apostle For in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily saying after this manner Nulla igitur aliare post Christum nobis opus est c. that is After we have gotten Christ we have need of no other thing for he that hath Christ hath all things In Christ wee have all thâ—â—gs and hee that by faith is ingraffed into him hath no need to seek for wisedome or righteousness or perfect freedome from elsewhere per eundem enim plenè perficitur justificatur that is because by him he is fully justified and made fully perfect that is as I say still perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely And this is Christs full satisfaction that is wrought fully in us and upon us by Christ which many talk of but few understand even as little as they know what is meant by Gods forgivenesse for because God made man perfectly holy and righteous at the first and thereby a complete creature his justice is not satisfied untill he sees his creature as perfectly holy and righteous Gods iustice is not satisfied â—ll he see us perfectly holy and righteouâ— in his sight as he made him at the first but none can undertake to bring this to passe but Christ and therefore he undergoing for us and overcomming that punishment of Gods justice that wee should have borne and conveying by the power of his imputation that justice and perfect righteousness that he fulfilled for us to be in us and upon us in Gods sight hath thus by his death fully wrought by himselfe alone whatsoever the perfect justice of God requires to be in us and so hath fully satisfied the justice of God by making us perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely And thus we being in Christ made as the Apostle saith complete in the sight of God the justice of God is fully satisfied so that although the death of Christ satisfying for us be without us in Christ yet the virtue fruit and power of that satisfaction is in us making us perfectly holy and righteous and fully complete in the sight of God freely And therefore it is well observed of the faithfull Dispensers of Gods mysteries aforesaid saying concerning the death of Christ after this manner Quoties de morte Christi loquitur Scriptura fructum pretiumque illius in nobis statuit that is as often as the Scripture speaketh of the death of Christ it doth place and set the fruit and price thereof in us because say they by it First à sordibus nostris mundati sumus we are made clean from our foulness Secondly restituti in justîtiam we are restored into righteousness Thirdly Deo reconciliati wee are reconciled to God Fourthly per eam redempti by it wee are redeemed Fifthly janua vitae aperta the gate of life is opened unto us And Sixthly and lastly vita acquisita est everlasting life is gotten and attained Can we ask any more to bee full complete and sufficiently righteous in the sight of God seeing in the two first points consisteth full satisfaction to God namely that by the death of Christ we are made cleane from our sins and restored into righteousness And therefore it is aptly said by that reverend Antagonist against the Papists Doctor Abbot against Bishop That our justification Doctor Abbotâ— against Bishop is our satisfaction before God For declaration whereof saith he it is to be observed That sin consisteth partly in commission partly in omission partly in doing that which we ought not to doe partly in not doing that which we ought to doe satisfaction for sin must serve to acquit both the one and the other It must take away what we have done and supply what we have not done or else it cannot be called a satisfaction But so doth our Justification it abolisheth though mystically yet truely all our sins from before God and so as it was said before makes us clean from all our spirituall foulness and secondly restores us into righteousness so that we are made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely and so the justice of God in us is fully satisfied because we are made complete in the sight of God and sufficiently righteous But that we may not â—ow too long in this sea of happiness let us proceed to the next place of Scripture THe fourth proofe of Scripture therefore proving 6 The fourth Scripture proving the perfect condition of the justified children of God is Hâ—b 10. 14. that we by being cloathed with Christs righteousnes are not onely truely made righteous but also perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely is Heb. 10. 14. where the Apostle saith For by one offering hath Christ made perfect for ever them that are sanctified If they be once by him alone made perfect for ever who may presume to add any thing to these persons Nothing can be added to our righteousnesse to make them one jot more perfect in the sight of God For the better understanding whereof let us marke the circumstances of the place which doe much enlighten the matter For comparing the Sacrifices of the Old Testament with that one Sacrifice of Christ offered up by himselfe in the New Testament he sheweth That although the blood of Buls and of Goats being but types and figures and shadowes of the good things to come are of such force as sprinkling the unclean did sanctifie them to the purifying of the flesh so that the sacrifice being done and performed they went away clean from all their sins yet notwithstanding those Sacrifices were so weak that they could not bring perpetuall and continuall quietnesse of conscience so that when they felt themselves to slip again and to fall into new sins and infirmities they were fain to bring new Sacrifices to renew their peace of conscience and why because it was impossible that the blood of Buls and of Goats being but shadowes of the truth should take away sin and make the commers thereunto perfect for so the figures and shadowes should goe away at least in outward appearance with the