Man through the perswasion of the Devil transgressed and hence is our corruption and misery derived Thirdly the first sin of man sprang not from God but from the instigation of the Devill and from the free will of man For the Devill provoked Man to fall away from God Man yeelding to the enticeing allurements of the Devil freely revolted from God and wilfully forsook him Fourthly the effects of mans first sin are first guiltinesse of death and privation of Gods image in our first Parents Secondly originall sin in us their posterity that is to say the guilt of eternall death and the corruption and aversnesse of our whole nature from God Thirdly actuall sinnes which are sprung of originall for quod est causa causae est causa causati That which is the cause of the cause is also the cause of the effact But the first finne in man is the cause of his originall and originalâ— sinne is the cause of his actuall sinne Fourthly all the evills of punishment are inflected for sinnes Therefore the first sinne of man is the cause of all other his sinnes and punishments Fifthly originall sinne is a want of originall righteousnesse which should be in us for originall righteousnesse was not only a conformity of our nature with the law of God but also it comprehendeth in it Gods acceptation and approbation of this righteousnesse Now by the fall of man instead of conformity there succeeded in mans nature deformity and corruption and guiltinesse instead of approbation And thus much briefly by way of explication what sinne in generall is The generall nature of sinne the difference or formall essence of sinne and the property which cleaveth fast unto it What the first sinne was the causes of it the effects of it and what originall sinne is Come we now to prove the position That this sinne originall sinne will have a being in the best of men so long as their souls have a being in these houses of clay And thus we prove it First that the spirit by the law intitleth us to Adams sin as a derivation from the root to the branches as poyson is carried from the fountaine to the Cisterne and as the children of traytors have their blood tainted with their fathers treason and the children of bondslaves are under their parents condition John 3.5 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh c. Rom. 5.12 16 17 18 19. Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death passed upon all men for that all bad sinned and not as by one that sinned so is the gift for the judgment was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto justification For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Jesus Christ Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life For as by one mans disobedience many were made finners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous 1 Cor. 15. 37 48 49. The first man is of the Earth earthy c. By nature we are the children of wrath 2 Ephes 3.14 Job 4. Who can bring a cleane thing out of an unclcane 51 Psal 5. In sin was I conceived c. I called thee a transgressour from the womb Isa 48.8 G. p. 8. 21. The imaginations of a mans heart are evill from his youth We were all one in Adam In uno universi and with him saith S. Augustine In him legally in regard of the stipulation and covenant between God and him We were in him paries in that covenant had interest in the mercy and were liable to the curse which belonged to the breach of the covenant and in him naturally and therefore unavoidably subject to all that bondage and burthen which the humane nature contracted in his fall And herewith agree most of the Fathers Adde we hereunto these two Arguments First every thing which is borne carrieth with it the nature of that which bare it as touching the substance and the accidents proper to the speciall kind But we are all born of corrupted and guilty parents We therefore all draw by nature in our birth their corruption and guilt Secondly by the death of Christ who is the second Adam we receive a double grace justification and regeneration Therefore it followeth that out of the first Adam there issued and flowed a double evill I meane the guilt and corruption of our nature otherwise we had not stood in need of a double grace and remedy This then is the first charge of the Spirit upon us Participation with Adam in his sin Adams person being the fountaine of ours and Adams will the representative of ours Secondly In this sin there is universall corruption which hath in it two great evills First a generall defect of all righteousnesse and holinesse in which we were at first created And Secondly an inherent deordination evill disposition disease propension to all mischief antipathy and aversation from all good which the Scripture calls the flesh The wisdome of the flesh the body of sin Earthly members the law of the members the works of the devill the lusts of the devill the hell that sets the whole course of nature on fire John 3.6 Rom. 8.6.7 James 3.15 Ephes 4.22 Col. 3.5 Rom. 7.23 1 John 38. And this is an evill of the through malignity whereof no man can be more sensible and distinctly convinced as in the evidence of that conviction to cry out against it with such strange and bitter complaint then Paul himself Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Untill his understanding was opened to conceive the spiritualnesse penetration and compasse of that holy law which measureth the very bottome of every action and condemneth as well the originalls as the acts of sin Luke 24.25 Rom. 7.14 Heb. 4.12 Psal 119.96 Luke 10.27 But for more cleare satisfaction let us consider the universality of this sin First the universality of times from Adam to Moses even when the law of Creation was much defaced and they that sinned did not sin after the similitude of Adam against the cleare Revelation of Gods holy will for so I take the meaning of the Apostle in these words Rom. 5.13 14 20 21. For untill the law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed when there is no law Neverthelesse death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression who is the figure of him that was to come further see 20. and 21. Vntill the law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed where there is no law verse 13. Though the law seemed quite extinct between
is not such righteousnesse as may stand before God according to the Psal 143.2 Enter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord c. Secondly they who are converted can no further retaine good inclinations thoughts affections or purposes to persevere and goe forward therein then as the holy Spirit worketh and preserveth these in them for if he guide and rule them they judge and doe aright but if he withdraw they are blind and wander and slip and fall yet so as they parish not if so be they were ever truly converted according to these places 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not received c. 1 Philip. 4. and 2 Philip. 13. and John 15.5 and 1 Cor. 1.8 1 Cor. 10.13 and 1 Pet. 1.5 In the fourth estate after glorification after the end and consummation of this present life In this liberty the wil shal only be free to chuse good and not to chuse evil and this shal be the perfect liberty of our will by which we shall not only not sin but shall abhorre nothing more than sin and also shall not be able to sin any more No place shall be for ignorance or for error or any doubting of God or for the least stubbornnesse against God Because in the mind shall shine perfect knowledge of God and his will In the will and heart a most perfect and exceeding inclination to obey God an exceeding love of God a joy and resting in God and an agreeablenesse and conformity with God so much and in such manner as such Created vessells are capable of And this shall continue for all eternity they shall be continually ruled by the holy Ghost in all their actions So that it cannot possibly be that any of their actions there should once swerve from righteousnesse and therefore it is said they are as the Angels of God in heaven Mat. 22.30 The liberty of the will shall be truly conformed and perfected to chuse only good to obey and love God with unexpressible alacrity for ever And thus having laid down the four-fold state of man and the four-fold liberty of will answerable to his four-fold state it may serve for one ground to confirme the point in hand That sinne will have a being in the best of men so long as they are here Their renewed state upon earth being but begun not perfected their state being but a growing in grace and profitting more and more and prevailing in mortifying their corruptions but not attaining in this mortall life to have grace consummate nor corruption abolished but sin in part remaines and will remaine till they lay down the body and be compleatly sanctified in the state of glory And for farther confirmation I shall lay you downe the testimony of the Scripture the Confession of the Fathers and some Reasons grounded upon and backed with the Word of God First for Scriptures see Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation c. In which words we may observe the Apostle doth not say that there is no sinne to them that are in Christ but he saith there is no condemnation to them In the fore-going Chapter he had confessed that he did the evill which he would not doe and that he saw a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind But now he rejoyceth in Christ that sin in him is not able to condemn him But here I expect from my friend either Cajetan or Aquinas false exposition or that of Mr. Parker that the Apostle spake this when he was a Babe in grace But I desire withall that they will acquaint us what state it was when the Apostle acknowledgeth himselfe the chief of finners 1 Tim. 1.15 The glorious Gospel was then committed unto him enabled by Jesus Christ counted Faithfull and put into the Ministery as you may see in the fore-going verses And yet then saith he notwithstanding all this This is a true and faithfull saying JESUS CHRIST came into the World to save sinners Whereof I am chief Mark the present-tense not preterperfect-tense he doth not say whereof I have been but whereof I am Nay I pray see the second Epistle 1. from 6. to the 13. was all this when he was a babe in grace I would faine know how long it was between the time of writing these Epistles to Timothy and his Epistle to Philemon 1. for there verse 9. he was then Paul the aged But these Jesuiticall Cavillings and reasonings are too well known They never doe nor never shall prevaile against Gods truth Againe in the second verse for the law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the Law of sinne and death Here we may observe that the Apostle saith not that we are fully freed from sinne in this life but from the law of sinne That is both from the commanding and condemning power of sinne Sinne doth not now reigns in our mortall bodies neither now hath it any more power to detaine us under death But as for temptations of sin Christian experience teacheth that there is no sort of men more troubled with them then they whom God hath begun to deliver from the law of sinne For Sathan being impatient of his losse seeks dayly to recover his former dominion By which it may appear That Our deliverance from sin is but begun now not perfected But we know our God is faithfull by whom we are called he shall also confirm us to the end Phil 1.6 even He who hath begun a good work in us Blessed be the Lord where before we were Captives of sin now the case of the Battell is altered and changed Sin is become our Captive through Christ It remains in us not as a Commander but as a Captive of the Lord Jesus The bolts of sin are yet upon our hands and feet to admonish us of our former miserable condition We draw the chains of our sins after us which makes us indeed goe forward the more slowly But they are not able to detein us in that bondage wherein we lay before We are delivered from the law of sin whilest we live and the nature of death the wages of sin is so changed That it is not the death of the man but the death of sin in the man mors est Sepultura vitiorum saith Ambrose Death is the buriall of all vices and as Chrysostome saith As the Worm which is bred in tho Tree doth at last consume it So death which is brought out by sin doth at last consume and destroy sin in the Children of God sin will remain though not raign Again in the 13. verse If ye mortifie the deeds of the body whereby the Apostle sheweth That after regeneration by Grace and before glorification Grace is not consummated nor is corruption wholly abolished For although the Apostle affirmed before in the 9. verse that these godly Romans were not in the flesh yet now he exhorts to a further mortification of the lusts of the flesh which exhortation
this we answer we must distinguish of the Major The Parents indeed convey not to their posterity that which by nature they have not But they are freed from the guilt of sinne not by nature but by grace and benefit of Christ wherefore Parents derive unto their posterity not righteousness which is freely imputed but unrighteousness unto which themselves by nature are subject And the cause why they derive their guilt unto them and not their righteousness is this Because their posterity is not born of them according to grace but according to nature Neither is grace and justification tyed to carnal propagation but to the most free election of God as Rom. 9. Esau and Jacob. Again the death of Infants prove they have sinne because God being most just inflicts not this punishment but for sin stipendium peccati mors Death went over all men for as much as all men have sinned Although Infants doe neither good nor evill nor offend not after the similitude of Adams transgression yet they have sinne in them for which death reigneth over them They want not the faculty of will though in act they will not sin yet they will it by inclination and corrupt inclinations are sinnes Rom. 7.7 I had not known lust to be sinne unlesse the Law had said thou shalt not lust And thus saith Ireneus and Chrysostome Adams sinne was no personal offence in uno universi Adam stood at the root of all mankinde His sinne was his hand writing by which he made all his posterity debtors unto God even for that sinne though themselves should have sinned no more Secondly They say concupiscence without consenting to it is no sinne and to maintain this error they bring Thomas Aquinas who saith the first motion of the lust of Adultery is not sinne because it is an imperfect act but if consent be given to it then it is a perfect act and is sinne So Coster in his little Enchiridion affirmeth that concupiscence proceeds from sin and tendeth unto sinne but is not sinne and this he labours to expresse by this similitude He that heares saith he another man speaking filthy language and consents not to it but rather is angry at it and reproves it sinneth not but merits a greater reward Even so when our concupiscence sends out any sinfull motion if we consent not we sinne not And the Fathers of that Councell of Trent which have as many Curses as Canons have decreed in this manner Concupiscence which sometimes the Apostle called sin the holy Synod declares that the Catholique Church did never understand it to be called sinne as it is truly and properly sinne in the Regenerate But because it commeth from sinne and inclineth to sinne But for answer We say that the Apostle in 7. Rom. towards the latter end condemneth concupiscence for sinne even when consent is not given unto it For he protests of himself that he resisted these motions of sin but was oftentimes sore against his will captivated by them He condemnes them as evill albeit he gave no consent unto them For the Law doth not only condemn sinne in the branch but also in the root There shall not be in thee any evil thought against the Lord thy God Resp I will lay you down a reason to confirm this truth Consent in its own nature is a thing indifferent If that whereunto I consent be good my consent is good but if it be evill my consent is evill If the first motion of sinne be not an evill in it self as they say then it is not an evill thing to consent unto For that which is not evill in it self by my consenting cannot become evill It is not then the consent following that makes the preceding motion to be evill but it is the preceding evill motion that makes the subsequent consent evill Now as for Coster his similitude it makes plainly against himself For it is true indeed that he who heareth evill spoken and reproves it is worthy of praise But it is also true that he who spake the evill hath sinned Even so albeit we doe well when we consent not to the motions of concupiscence in us Yet concupiscence is not the lesse to be condemned because it hath sent out into the eare of our Soul the voyce of a filthy deslre which is not agreeable to Gods most holy Law And of this Judgement with us are also the ancient Fathers Aug. Ser. de temp 45. When I lust saith he albeit I consont not to my lust yet that is done in me which I will not and which also the Law will not And again thy desire should in such sort be unto God that there should not be in thee at all so much as concupiscence which hath need of resistance for thou resistest and by not consenting thou overcomest but it were better not to have an enemy than to overcome him With him agrees also Bernard That kinde of sinne saith he which so often troubles us I mean Concupiscence and evill desires may and should be repressed by the Grace of God so that it reigns not in us and that we give not our Members weapons of unrighteousnesse to sin and that way there is no damnation to them who are in Christ yet it is not cast out but in death From all which it is evident that the motions of Concupiscence are evill and sinfull even when they are repressed and no consent given unto them The Pelagians denyed Concupiscence to be sinne but the Law saith the contrary Thou shalt not covet and Rous. 7.7 Paul saith I know no sinne but by the Law c. The Pelagians were condemned in many Councells summoned and gathered together for confutation of Pelagius and Celestius their heresies about the year 420. and sometime after as in the Milevitan Councell the fifth Councell of Carthage and the Councell of Palestina in the East I shall lay you down one or two of their main Objections Ob. Naturall things are not sin Concupiscence which is a propension to those things which are forbidden by the Law is a naturall thing therefore it is no sinne Sol. There is a fallacy in the Accident in the Minor for inordinate Concupiscence was not before the fall but happened unto our nature after the fall So then it is naturall not of it self but by Accident to wit in as much as since the fall it is born and bred with us As it is naturall that is an evill accident inseparably cleaving to a nature good in it self Secondly there are severall termes in the Syllogisme by reason of the ambiguitie of the word naturall for in the Major it signifieth a good thing created of God in nature to wit mans Appetite before the fall which was not contrary to the Law and Will of God In the Minor it signifieth a thing which we have not by Creation but which we have purchased unto us after the fall Rep. But say they An affection or appetite even in nature now corrupted
of Adam is destroyed and passed away and all things are become new Quia Christianus renevatus est per omnia because a regenerate man is renewed in all things throughout in every part and power both of body and soul and therefore the Regenerate are quite free from all corruption of sinne and indued with all perfection of grace Resp I answer that it is not the meaning of the Holy Ghost in those or the like places to shew that sin is quite abolished and grace perfected in the Saints no otherwise then I shewed unto you before Inchoative non perfective by way of inchoation not perfection But the spirit of God by these formes or phrases would give us to understand two special things First To assure us that now sin is like a serpent crushed in the head according as God said Gen. 3.15 That the promised seed should bruise the Serpents head and therefore can never recover his former strength nor any wayes hurt the regenerate man but only to bruise his heel that is by the wrigling of her tail to cause some temporary affliction to light upon them Secondly to signifie unto us that this should be the main scope of all Saints to strive continually to mortifie the deeds of the flesh and to doe their best endeavors to be clean rid of them and for to perfect holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 And this is plainly intimated unto us in all the exhortations of the Scriptures as where we are advised to abstain from filthy lusts and mortifie the deeds of the flesh and the like For if there were no lusts no deeds of the flesh in us to what end are we bidden to mortifie them Script 3 1 John 3.9 quoted before He that is born of God sinneth not therefore say they the regenerate sin not Answ First He sinneth not to death For they doe not wholy forsake God albeit they may sin against their Consciences but they retein still some beginnings of true godlinesse by which as by sparks they are stirred again to repentance as David Peter and others Secondly He sinneth not as he is regenerated but he sinneth as long as he abideth in this life sin not reigning in him and yet sometimes reigning too as he is regenerated but in part and in part carnall For regeneration or renewing us to the Image of God is not perfected in an instant but is begun only in this life as I have formerly shewed you and in the life to come is at length finished for so doth John himself pronounce of himself and all the Saints in this life 1 John 1. If we say c. And if we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forigve us our sinnes this therefore is the meaning of St. John that the regenerate indeed doe sinne but yet not so as that they make much of their sinne Or doe so at any time yeeld and assent to evill desires that they cast away all love of godlinesse and repent not For alwayes in the regenerate there remaineth some remnant of a regenerate nature Which causeth either a strife against sinne or else true repentance that is it suffereth them not to sinne to everlasting destruction Or thus more briefly He that is born of God makes not a trade of sinning he lives not in his sinne he lies not in his sinne he delights not in his sinne he sinnes not with purpose with pleasure with malice with perseverance sinne raigneth not but as the Apostle saith the evill that I doe I would not doe c. Object It is said His seed remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is born of God Sol. The Spirit of God remaineth in him so that he cannot sinne a sinne unto death he cannot come under the power of sinne Script 4 1 Pet. 1.23 Bring born a new not of mortall seed but of immortall by the word of God who liveth for ever If therefore say they the seed of Gods word never dieth in them that are born a new they ever remain regenerate and ever retain Grace neither ever fall into sinne Answ I answer first that the regenerate may loose and doe often loose Grace and the holy Spirit as concerning some guifts sometimes more somtimes fewer although they loose it not if we respect all the guifts For still there abideth in them some beginning or print of true Faith and conversion which although when they yeeld to evill inclinations or desires it is so oppressed and darkened that it neither can be known of others neither confirm them of the Grace of God and their own Salvation for the present yet it suffereth them not wholly to forsake God and the known Truth and to cast away their purpose of embracing by Faith the Merits of the Sonne of God So David prayeth Psal 51.10 11. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me and restore me to the joy of thy Salvation He had lost therefore cleanness of Heart rightness and newness of Spirit and the joy of Salvation which he beggeth of God to be restored unto him and yet he did not wholly want them for otherwise he would not have asked neither would he have looked for from God this renueing and restoring Secondly The Seed of God that is the Word of God working true Faith and Conversion in the Elect abideth and dyeth not in the regenerate as concerning their coversion and finall perseverance how ever they may fall often grievously and foully before their end If they had been of us they would have continued with us saith the Apostle 1 John 2.19 Script 5 A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit Answ I answer it cannot as it is good which shall so come to passe in the life to come But if it be partly good and partly evill such is the fruit also whereof we have sufficient tryall and experience in this life Script 6 Eph. 5.25 26 27. This shews us how Christ in this life by the Word Sacrament and the operation of Grace doth cleanse us that in the state of glory we may be perfectly holy without spot or wrinkle and that the words are to be understood of the state of glory I shall prove by these ensuing Reasons Reas 1 First Reason Because here we are absent from Christ and know but in part and so although we love inchoatively yet we love not perfectly Reas 2 Second Reason Because otherwise there would be no distinction between the state of Glory and the state of Grace if Grace were consummate in this mortall life Reas 3 Third Reason Because the Saints on Earth have sinne remaining in them and they that deny it are lyars and no truth in them And we shall finde that all the Fathers against the Novatians and Donatists so understand the place The Church Triumphant without spot or wrinkle and not the Church Militant Script 7 2 Tim. 4.7 Paul had fought a good fight and finished his course And
Idolatry from such a man as Solomon after so much wisdome from God Or fretfulnesse or frowardnesse of spirit in such a man as Jonah after such deliverance from God Or fearfulnesse in such a man as Abraham after so much protection from God Or cursing from such a man as Job after so much patience and experience of God The Lord grant that in such examples we may learne our selves and feare our selves The Disciples could say Master is it I that shall betray thee Peter did not ask Master is it John nor John Master is it Thomas but every one said is is I As much as if they should have said I have a deceitfull flesh a revolting heart in my bosome such a traytor that it may be as soon I as another man See 6. to the Gal. and 1. verse If a man be overtaken in a fault c. Considering thy self that is doe not rejoyce against thy brother nor insult over him doe not despise him in thy heart nor exilt thy self thou art of the same mould thou hast the same principles with him That God which for a season hath forsaken him may forsake thee That temptation which hath overcome him may happen unto thee That enemy which hath â—â—â—â—â—d him may winnow thee And therefore in his fall learne compassion towards him and jealousie to thy self Restore him and consider thy self Strive we what we can our it fiâ—mities will incompâ—ss us and our corruptions will be about us so long as we carry flesh about us as we may see in the forenamed instances What shall I say but briefly this thorne will still be in out flesh our Canaanite in our side our twinnes in our womb our counterlustings and counterwillings though we be like unto Christ per primitias spiritus by the first fruits of the spirit Yet we are unlike him per reliquias vetustatis by the remainders of our flesh Not to sin is here only our law Mark but in heaven it shall be our reward All our perfection here is imperfect sin hath its deaths blow given it but yet like a fierce and implacable beast it never le ts goe its hold till the last breath Animamque invulnere ponit never ceaseth to infest us till it cease to be in us Who can say my heart is cleane I am pure from my sin Prov. 20 9. which interrogation is an emphaticall negation As affirmative questions commonly categorically turned meane negatively Cleanse thou me from my secret sinnes saith holy David Psal 19.12 So Paul 1 Cor. 4.4 Though I know nothing by my self yet am I not thereby justified and the reason is added he that judgeth me is the Lord. Which Saint John further unfolds 1 John 3.20 God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things Which places although most dangerously perverted by these innovators with whom we have to deale doe yet in the experience of the holiest men that are or have been evince this truth That the lusts of the flesh will be in us and work in us so long as we carry our mortall bodies about us Againe Secondly this truth will appeare more fully if we consider the four-fold condition of mans freedome of will according to his four-fold state and condition First in statu confectionis In the state of innocency as he was Created The will was free to good and evill or freely to chuse good but so that it had ability of chusing evill So that it might persist in good God preserving it and might also fall into evill God forsaking it The former is proved from the perfection of the image of God in which man was created Gen. 1.27 The latter is too evident by the event of the thing it selfe and by the testimony of Scripture Eccles 7.29 God made man upright but man found out many inventions And the Apostle saith Rom. 11 32. God hath shut up all men in unbeliefe that he might have mercy upon all Where the Apostle testifieth that God of speciall Wisdome did not confirme the first man against the fall Neither did he allot him such a portion of ability that he might not be seduced by the devill and moved to sio But that he therefore permitted him to be seduced and fall into sin and death That as many as were saved out of the common ruine might be saved by his mercy alone This fall was not praeter voluntatem Domini That were to make a lame providence nec contra for that were to make a weak omnipotence but juxta voluntatem Domini As nothing is done without the Everlasting and most good counsell of God so neither can this fall be exempted from it though not as it was a sin to the ruine of the Creature but as a way to exercise the Justice and Mercy of the Creator His justice in punishing and his mercy in saving If in the world there had been no misery there had been no mercy no need of Christ If no sin no matter for his justice to shew its self And yet herein the crime and fault of sin neither can nor ought to be laid on God but on mans will only falling from the rule of his Creator albeit notwithstanding he fell from it by the eternall counsell of God God and man both willing the same matter but not after the same manner or to the same end God neither willing it with mans intent nor man with Gods intent Adams purpose being to be like God Gods purpose being to manifest his own glory It being necessary in respect of Gods decree but voluntary in respect of Adams will The purpose of the Creator did not take away the Creatures freedome for sin being no positive being hath not an efficient cause but a deficient cause that is the will of the Creature sailing in obedience So that notwithstanding God did hate the sin and therefore did neither absolutely will it nor cause it yet he justly suffered it to be done I say justly for whatsoever God doth is good and just and not disagreeing from his nature and law whether the reason thereof be known or unknown unto us I say suffered it to be done for the Creator was not bound unto his Creature to preserve him in his goodnesse neither doth the deniall of such grace disagree with the mercy and bounty of God God having willed this to be an occasion of bestowing a greater grace and benefit as it is apparent in the fall and the restoring of man againe For although it be mercy not to rejoyce in the ruine or destruction of the Creature yet mercy ought not to fight with justice It is most just that more regard should be had of the chief good which is God both by himself and by others then of all Creatures Wherefore very well doe agree together in God his mercy and his justice His mercy which will not the death of a sinner and his justice which suffereth man-kind to fall that thereby the goodnesse and severity of God may appeare
condemned but not extinguished for in many things we offend all James 3.2 Again hereunto besides many these and many more testimonies of Scripture that might be alledged the suffrages of pure Antiquity in a sweet harmony doth agree I will quote some few of the Fathers it was the prerogative of Christ alone to know no sinne and to be found solus in hominibus qualis quaerebatur in peccoribus alone such amongst men as was sought amongst the beasts an immaculate Lambe without spot and all we like sheep have gone astray Esay 53.6 Gal. 3.22 optat l. 2. Aug. cont Relag l. 2. C. 32. so Gregory l. 3. in Reg. 6. saith There is no man which hath not in him some corruption which he may and should lament So Lactantius cont Gent. l. 6. cap. 13. No man can be without sinne so long as he is burthened with the garment of the flesh So Hierom. cont Jovin li. 2. No man is clean from sinne though he live but one day on earth So Bernard in Cant. Serm. 23 non peccare Dei justitia est not to sinne is the justice and property of God but the remission of sinnes is the justice of man And therefore as the Ivy will not dye untill the Oake be hewn down so our sinne will not dye as long as we live neither will it ever be abolished untill death ends the conflict betwixt the flesh and the spirit Again Ambrose de poenitent li. 1. cap 6. It is not saith he the voyce of thy family I am whole and need not a Physitian but heal me O Lord and I shall be healed Also he spake thus to the Novatian Hereticks of his time and it may fitly be turned over to the Jesuits of our time Darest thou O Jesuit call thy self clean and holy albeit thou wert clean in regard of thy work this one word were enough to make thee unclean With him agrees Aug. Serm. 29. de verb. Apost Sunt quidam inflati viri spiritu electionis pleni non magnitudine ingentes sed superbiae morbo tumentes ut audeant dicere invenire homines absque peccato There are saith he some that be like unto Vessels blown up with wind filled with a haughty spirit not sollidly great but swelled with the sickness of pride Who dare be bold to say that men are found on earth without sinne Of such as these saith he I demand What saiest thou then that art just and holy this Prayer Forgive us our sinnes Whether is this a Prayer to be said by Chatechists only or to be said of such as are believers and converted Christians Surely it is the prayer of regenerate men yea it is the prayer of the Sons of God for they call God their Father in heaven Where then are your just and holy ones in whom are no sins If the Regenerate and Sons of God have need to crave remission of sinnes What are you who say you have no sinne Liars saith the Apostle 1 John 1.9 And our blessed Saviour Luke 10.17 When you have done all you can yet say c. But against this they have a silly subterfuge albeit say they we were never so righteous yet for humility sake we should say we are unprofitable I answer them as Aug. answered the same objection in his time Propter humilitatem ergo mentiris then saith he for humilities sake thou liest But it is certain Christ never taught man to lie for humility This is but one of their old forged falshoods Again Bernard in Annunciat Mariae who lived in a very corrupt time yet retains this truth Quis meliori Propheta saith he de quo dixit Deus inveni virum secundùm cor meum tamen ipse necesse habuit dicere Deo Ne intres in Judicum cum servo tuo Who better than the Prophet David of whom the Lord said I have found a man after mine own heart and yet he had need to say Enter not into judgement with thy servant Bernard in Cant. Ser. 23. saith It sufficeth me for all unrighteousness to have him reconciled unto me whom I have only offended To be without sinne is the righteousness of God Mans righteousness is Gods indulgence pardoning his sinne We conclude therefore with him In serm contr vitium ingrat Wo to the miserable Generation to whom their own insufficiency seems sufficient for who is it that hath so much as aspired to that perfection which the holy Scripture commands us I grant that in some sence godly men are called perfect in holy Scripture in the 3 to the Phillip about the 14. it is written Let as many as are perfect be thus minded He moves the question seeing he had said immediately before that he was not perfect How doth he now rank himself amongst those that are perfect How agrees these two that he was perfect and not perfect Aug. in Ser. 38. answers he was perfect secundùm intentionem non secundùm preventionem perfect in regard of his intention and purpose but not in regard of prevention and obteining his purpose And hereunto agrees that of Bernard in Cant. serm 49. That great chosen Vessel saith he grants perfection that is a going forward but denies perfection for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not only he who hath come to the end but he also is walking to-towards it We are so perfect in this life that we are yet but walking to perfection Therefore St. Ambrose in Rom. 8.9 Apostolus aliquando quasi perfectis loquitur aliquando perfecturis aliquando laudat aliquando commonet The Apostle speaketh unto Christians sometimes as unto men that are perfect other times as unto men who are perfect in that which is required of them that is some-sometimes he praises them for the good they have done and otherwhiles he admonishes them of the good they have to doe And as for that place Luke 1.6 where it is said that Zacharias and Elizab. walked in the Commandements of God without blame The Jesuits of Rhemes wrest this to confirm their error this making not for them August hath two reasons whereby he proves out of the same Scripture That Zacharie was not without sinne First because he was a Priest and was bound to offer as well for his own sinnes as for the sinnes of the people Heb. 5.3 Secondly in that the Evangelist saith he walked in the commandements of God c. It is an argument he had not attained to the mark for they that are at their journeys end sit still To the which we may add a third out of that same place the dumbnesse inflicted upon him for his misbelieving evidently proves that he was not so perfect as to be without sin Besides this the Apostle constantly distinguishes betwixt peccatum crimen betwixt sinne and crime that is some grievous offence that gives slaunder and is worthy of crimination We affirm saith August That the life of holy men may be said to be without crime but not without sin And again he saith Men
have a being c. And then I shall answer some objections and their wresting of some Scriptures for the maintenance of their Error And the first reason may be this because there is not any amongst the Saints of God mentioned in Scripture that the spirit of grace hath not charged with some sinne the most perfect in their generations were not without their failings and that after their long walking with God as Noah drunk Lot incestuous Abraham had some diffidence when he consented to unlawfull means in going into Hagar for bringing about Gods purpose Sarah lied and distrusted when she laughed at the promise of a Sonne Moses and Aaron were barred out of Canaan for dishonouring God by diffidence and passion Hezekiah lifted up with pride Job impatient and humbled for it David had foul sinnes and secret sinnes which he repented for and prayed against Jehosaphat and Asa reproved Vzziah and Zachariah punished for sinne the one by untimely death the other dumb And yet these are reported in Scripture to have served God with all their heart with a perfect heart and to have been faithfull And therefore August against the Pelagians bids them examine all the Saints and all will confess that whilest they lived here they were not without sinne And again the perfection we have is such that we daily need to pray forgive us our trespasses If any Saint on earth had to glory it was with men but not with God for saith the Apostle in that Rom 4.2 If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God Now if this were the state of the best men how may it be expected that it should be otherwise The best of men did still strive to grow in grace and to be better neither doe we read of any that did so stand but that they fell into some sinne and had defects in their best performances What needed else that prayer of godly Nehemiah 13.12 who when he desired that his good service might be remembred with Gods reward he also prayed it might be remembred with Gods forgiveness So also we read that the high Priests offered for their own sins and did typically bear the sins of the holy things noting that our best workes want Christs attonement to make them acceptable They came not from such a pure principle of grace as doe exactly fill the Soul but some corruption remaining stayns them with some defects there being in the principle of grace some defects and the works flowing from it some imperfection Because in this life it is not consummate as I have shewed and shall further shew And therefore sin dwelleth in us and is not wholy abolished God reserves the consummation of grace for the state of glory Grace is glory begun glory is grace consummate Glory inchoat here grace perfected hereafter The spirits of just men made perfect are in heaven Heb 12.23 All our graces are imperfect in this life To speak of those three divine Graces Faith Hope Charity First Faith is not perfect in this life because Faith must be grounded upon knowledge For how shall they believe in him whom they doe not know But the Apostle tells us That we know but in part 1 Cor. 13.12 and therefore we believe but in part So that our Saviour may say of the best of us as once to his Disciples O yee of little faith Matt. 8.26 And the best of us may say unto him with him whose child was possessed Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help my unbelief Again Faith is not simply perfect in this life because that which is perfect admitteth no increase nor addition But there is no man that liveth in this life which can say that he believeth so perfectly as that he hath not need continually to pray Lord increase our faith Therefore there is no man can say his faith is perfect and yet his faith shall be perfect hereafter For it is absurd to say there is no Faith in heaven because Faith is tam apparentium quam non apparentium as well of things seen as of things not seen according to our common saying I believe mine own eyes Surely we must believe the continuance of that happinesse which we have in heaven and therefore there is a perfect Faith in heaven because it is grounded upon a certain knowledge Secondly Our hope in this life is imperfect for although the Apostle compares it to an Anchor yet that doth no wayes prove the perfection of Hope but yeeldeth a great consolation unto us that although we should feel our hope wavering and reeling sometimes to and fro yet it is sure enough to stay us and preserve us against all the windes and stormes of Sathan Thirdly Charity is not perfect in this life First Because as I proved before We know but in part and therefore we can love but in part It is a Maxime amongst Divines that tantum scimus quantum diligimus imperfect knowledge cannot produce perfect charity Quod latet ignotum est ignota nulla cupido Ovid. Things unknown cannot be loved and according to our knowledge and acquaintance with any one so is our affection towards that one Bernard saith We can neither desire what we know not nor enjoy what we love not We love things according as we know them and therefore seeing in heaven we shall know God so perfectly as such Creatures are capable of knowing him many degrees better than we know him now We shall in like manner love him far otherwise than we love him now Secondly Perfect Charity expels fear 1 John 4.18 but there is no Saint on earth without feare therefore no Saint here indued with pefect Charity Thirdly Perfect Charity expelleth sin for love is the fulfilling of the Law in Rom. 13.10 And perfect love is the perfect fulfilling of the Law and where the Law is fulfil'd there is no sin committed because sinne is the transgresion of the Law Gal. 5.14 1 John 3.4 But in many things we offend all James 3.2 And therefore there is no man indued with perfect Charity Greater love can no man have saith our Saviour than to lay down his life for his friend and yet this is not perfect for they may doe it out of vain-glory pride and ambition for a vain-glorious reputation as many have done for the safety of their Common-wealth They may doe it for many other sinister ends yet this cannot prove a perfection of Charity There cannot be a greater argument and signe yet our Saviour doth not bring this to prove the perfection of our love Which we cannot judge of because their ends intentions and many other circumstances which are requisite for the perfection of any thing are unknown But to shew the greatnesse of his love by the surest argument that he could make unto them so far as might be understood by outward apprehension And as for the testimony of St. John 15.14 that is an hypotheticall proposition that can never prove the perfection of charity
to desire good things and eschew hurtfull things is not sinne because it is a thing made of God but such is Concupiscence Sol. To the Major the Appetites and motion of nature are good in themselves as they are meerly motions not as they are inordinate motions and are carryed to such objects as God hath forbidden as all motions and appetites of corrupt nature are Because either they affect not such objects as they ought or affect them not in such sort and to that end which they ought And therefore are all vicious and very sinnes Mat. 7.18 An evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit To desire the fruit of a tree was naturall but to desire it contrary to Gods expresse commandement as it was desired of Eve was a motion in its own kinde and nature corrupt and very sinne Ob. 2 That which is not in our power to cause either to be in us or not to be in us is no sinne Concupiscence is so in us that it is not in our power to shake and put off therefore it is no sinne Sol. The Major is false for sinne is not to be esteemed by the liberty or necessity and bondage of our nature But by the Will and Law of God whatsoever disagreeth here with is no sinne whether men have power to avoyd it or no. And God requiring of us impossible things doth not injure us because he commanded them when they were possible Though we have now lost our ability of performing yet God hath not lost his right of requiring that of us which he left with us Ob. 3 Sinne maketh men obnoxious to the wrath of God but Concupiscence doth not make the regenerate obnoxious to the wrath of God for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus therefore Concupiscence at least in the regenerate is no sinne Sol. There is a fallacy of Accident in the Minor for it is but by Accident that Concupiscence doth not make the regenerate obnoxious to Gods wrath that is by reason of the Grace of God not imputing it to the faithfull But this commeth not thereof as if Concupiscence were not sinne For neither doe other sinnes condemn the regenerate not because they are no sinnes but because they are remitted by Christ Ob. 4 In Baptism originall sinne is taken away therefore Concupiscence is not sinne in those that are baptized Sol. To the Antecedent originall sinne is taken away in Baptism not simply but as touching the guilt of it But corruption and inclination to sinne remaineth in them that are baptized And this is it that the Schoolmen say the formall of sinne is taken away and the materiall remaineth Rep But they say where the formall is taken away there also the thing it self is taken away because the form of every thing is the cause of the being of it But in Baptism the formall of origall sinne is taken away therefore originall sinne in it self is taken away in Baptism Sol. Here is a fallacy taking that to be generally meant of the whole which is spoken but in part The formall of sinne is taken away not simply but as touching the guilt of it For there is double formall of sinne First a repugnancy with the Law and an inclination to sinne Secondly the guilt which is the ordaining of it to punishment the guilt is taken away but the inclination abideth Rom. 7.23 I see another Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde c. And this you see that although originall Concupiscence is not a free and voluntary transgression of Gods Law and so not sinne as actuall sinnes be but an inbred perversity of nature that opposeth the Law of God and makes us apt to transgresse the same it being like a fiery furnace so hot though it yeeld no flames yet it is ever ready to burn every combustible substance that lights upon it Yet it is most apparent that it is a sinne and that prohibited in the tenth Commandement This I hope may suffice in answer to these objections which have been so fully confuted in former ages that were not these men past all shame they would never goe about to revive such Heresies that we had hoped had long since been buried amongst us But so long as there is a Devill in Hell and a Pope at Rome we must never expect to be free from such disturbers of our peace Come we now to the Scriptures which they alledge and wrest to maintain their errors and against the truth of our position that sinne will have a being in the best of men so long as their Souls have a being in these houses of clay The first Scripture that we may take notice that they cite may be that in the Rom. 6.6 we that are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death That the whole body of sinne might be destroyed From whence they conclude That the corruption of old Adam is quite abolished and that they are perfectly quitted from sinne and perfectly renewed by Grace Unto this I answer as in part before that the guilt of sin which the Schools term the form of sin this is taken away in baptisme Secondly the corruption of sin which they call the matter of sin and this is likewise to be considered two wayes First in respect of the dominion of sin and thus the matter of sin is taken away from the elect because sin in them is not like a Prince that ruleth over them but like a Slave that rebelleth against them Secondly in respect of the being of sinne and thus the matter of sinne is not taken away from Gods Saints because St. Paul saith The flesh lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5.17 and as he saith of himself Rom. 7.23 And therefore seeing the Apostle saith not let not sin be in your mortal bodies but let not sinne reign If no sin did remain there were no danger of reigning And as Aug. hath well observed it is apparent that sinne and concupiscence is taken away in Baptisme Non ut non sit sed ut ne obsit not as touching the being of it that we should be without sin but as touching the rule of sin that it should not hurt us nor hinder us to attain unto everlasting happinesse And so Anselme saith in Rom. 6.6 That the body of sinne is destroyed Not that our inbred corruption should on the sudden be consumed in our flesh that liveth but that it may not be imputed to him that is dead though it was in him while he lived Because sin is destroyed not from having a being in us while we are alive but that we should not be compelled to serve it in our life and that it should not deprive us of eternall life Script 2 Rom. Rom. 6.2 cap. 7.4 1 John 3. 6.2 We are dead to sinne dead to the Law free from sinne And they that are born of God that is regenerated and sanctified doe not sin And that our old man that is all the corruption
say our adversaries had he not subdued his body and brought it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 I answer first Paul fought a good fight and finished his course being now ready to be offered up yet not so as to obtein exact perfection of Grace and so as to be without all sinne inherent of which he complains Ro. 7. Peter also led whither he would not when he was to suffer John 21.18 Paul kept the Faith and he who said to him my Grace is sufficient for thee my power is made perfect in weaknesse enabled him to overcome though he had corruption remaining and buffettings of Sathan Secondly Paul by fasting and prayer kept down his body to bring it into subjection that he might not be rejected of God And this shews his continuall warfare against the flesh as Aug. saith of himself I have continuall warr with fasting c. noting that by fasting prayers and tears he fought against corruption remaining Script 8 Eph. 4 from the 10. ver to the 15. God gave guifts and teachers from Heaven to bring us to a stature of perfection in Christ for the edifying of the body of Christ c. I answer We grant that the ministry of the Word is given not only to convert men from sinne but after to perfect them in holinesse But yet as the same Paul speaketh Acts 20.32 which is able to build you up This is all to edifie and build up the Saints more and more Yet though they grow under the Word and Ordinances they doe not attain to exact and compleat perfection so as in this lâ—fe to be without sinne or to have Grace consummate but still grow and edifie one another in love But the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ is attained in the state of Glory not in Earth in the state of Grace we are growing but not exactly perfected till we are glorified in Heaven Here we have perfection of parts there perfection of degrees The last objection which hitherto I have met with that is necessary to be answered is this They say That the Apostle prayed for the perfecting of the Saints Heb. 13.20 2 Cor. 13.9 1 Pet. 5.10 and surely they prayed for things feasable and attainable nor can the prayer of Christ for the same be in vain John 17.25 I in them and they in me that they may be made perfect in me I answer the Apostles prayed for the perfecting of the Saints and so did our blessed Saviour and they obteined what they prayed for that is to say to have them sincere in this life and to have Grace consummate in the state of Glory Rep. But they reply Is sinne pardoned and mortified and yet remains I answer It is so pardoned as not to be imputed it is so mortified that the power and dominion of it is taken away Yet it remains to be more and more mortified and wholly cast out at the death of the body the last enemy that shall be subdued is Death sinne shall be cast out at the death of the Body and Death shall be destroyed at the generall Resurrection and so be the last enemy destroyed Rep. But say they when must sin be purged out if not here in this life Must we carry the remainder of sin into the Kingdome of Heaven whereunto no unclean thing shall enter Rev. 21.17 I answer Men shall not carry the remainder of sinne into Gods Kingdome with them but they shall lay it down at the death of the Body The Theif only converted shall be that day in Paradise the souls of Saints departed goe home to God and Grace is consummate into Glory and as for that Rev. 21.17 It is confessed by their own fraternity is the state of the Saints in Patria not in via And thus briefly have I proved unto you the truth of the point That sinne will have a being in the best men so long as their Souls have a being in these houses of clay and this I hope may be sufficient to satisfie the people If I shall meet with any new argument from my Friend against the truth of the point God assisting I shall endeavour to answer them by way of replication for their full satisfaction as for the old arguments truly they are so stale that they stink before God and good men Romes good Creatures excepted They have been so fully answered and confuted that were not men past shame set on work by Hell and engaged for wages to Rome they would forbeare thus to disturbe the peace of Gods Church But we doubt not but maugre the malice of Men and Devils truth shall be hereby made more manifest and shall prevail And the folly of those that resist the truth shall be made manito all men The Lord grant that we may obey the Apostles command From such to turn away and the Lord in mercy strengthen our faith in the beliefe of that promise 2 Tim. 3.9 that in Gods good time it shall be performed The promise is They shall proceed no further Come we now to the second Position which is this I deny that any man by grace in this life can perform such perfect obedience to the Law of God as not to offend against the same or to be thereby justified otherwise than in and through Christ of grace given And this God assisting I shall clear as the former dividing the same into three branches First That no man by grace can perform such perfect obedience to the Law of God as not to offend against the same Secondly That no man can be justified by the works of the Law or by his obedience thereunto Thirdly That we are only justified by the righteousnesse of Christ And first of the first No man can by grace in this life perform c. For the better understanding the point we must know that grace is an equivocall word and it is taken two waies in Scripture First pro gratia gratis data For the free guift of God infused into our hearts by the Holy Ghost And secondly pro gratia gratum faciente for the free favour of God whereby he makes us acceptable to himself and in this sense we say that we are justified by Gods grace that is by the free favour of God whereby he imputeth not our sin unto us But accompteth us as just by imputing the justice of Christ unto us Now according as grace is taken in the first sense I say that so no man by grace can perform in this life such perfect obedience to the Law of God as not to offend against the same or to be thereby justified c. God never gave or ever will give such grace to any to fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law in their own persons and so thereby justified or found righteous by the same for it stands not with the glory of Christ that any such grace should be given from above And the reason may be this If by our infirmities the strength of Christ is made
perfect It must follow that by our strength the virtue of Christs Crosse must be abated 2 Cor. 12.9 And in 2 Cor. 5.20 the Apostle saith God hath made Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God as I said before he doth not say actively that we should make or work our own righteousnesse but passively That we should be made that is ex indebita misericordia of Gods free mercy the righteousness of God and that Not by our selves lest we should glory in our selves but by another Jesus Christ blessed for ever more And thus the Apostle 3 Phil. 9. relinquisheth his own righteousnesse That he might be found in Christ c. No man therefore by grace infused by the Holy Ghost can perform such perfect obedience unto the Law of God in this life as not to offend against the same or to be thereby justified c. I grant that unto the Regenerate the Law in some sort is possible As first concerning outward order and discipline Secondly as concerning the imputation of Christs righteousnesse that is by the benefit of justification and regeneration both which benefits we obtein by faith For such God looketh upon in the face of his Son in whom he is alone well pleased Mat. 3.17 And his fulfilling the Law is their fulfilling though not in the same manner yet in as good effect as if it had been by themselves done and that thus Hee for them they by him He actually performed they by imputation He by virtue and merit they by gift and grace And thirdly as touching the beginning of inward and outward obedience in this life This is the love of God that we keep his Commandements 1 John 5.3 But the Law is impossible to the Regenerate in respect of God that is as touching the perfect inward and outward obedience of the Law as Psalme 143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy Servant c. For first They fulfill not the Law perfectly because they doe many things contrary to the Law In many things we offend all James 3.2 And who knowes the errors of his life c. Psalme 19. And those things also which they doe according to the Law are imperfect For in the Regenerate as I shewed you in the former position there are many sins yet remaining as originall sin ignorances and impurities c. which they themselves acknowledge and bewail Isay 64.6 We have been as an vnclean thing and all our righteousnesse is as filthy rags Or thus the perfect obedience to the Commandements of Gods Law is fulfilled in us two manner of wayes First by application of Christs righteousnesse to us He is our Head and we his Members and are so united with him that now we are not to be taken as sundry but as one body with him By virtue of the which Communion it comes to passe that that which is ours is his and that which is his is ours So that in our Head we have fulfilled the Law and satisfied Gods justice for our sinnes as I shewed you before Secondly it will be fulfilled in us by our perfect sanctification though now we have but begun obedience and in part The Lord Jesus at the last day when the last enemie which is death shall be be subdued shall bring it in us to perfection This is the end which Christ hath proposed unto himself Eph. 5.26 and whereof he cannot be frustrate as he hath begun it so he shall finish it He shall conform us to the Law the righteousness thereof shall be fulfilled in us There shall not be left in our nature so much as a sinfull motion or desire but he shall at the last present us pure and without blame to his Father He shall make us perfectly answerable to that holinesse which the Law requireth and in his own good time shall bring it to passe But that the Law is fulfilled in men in this life is denyed by some of their own fraternity Sin is condemned saith Cajetan but not extinguished Again the Apostle affirmeth possitively That no man shall be justified by the works of the Law as in Gal. 2.16 remarkable Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to all that believe and in 2 Gal. 2. If righteousnesse come by the Law then Christ died in vain And in the 3. and the 11.1 it is evident that no man is justified by the Law for the just shall live by faith And in the 18. verse if the Inheritance be of the Law it is no more of Promise But God gave it to Abraham by promise and it is Faith that answers the promise obedience holds no proportion with it Again in Rom. 8.3 the Apostle saith For that that was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weak because of the flesh God sending his own sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and that for sin condemned sin in the flesh Where the Apostle having in the first verse set down a Proposition of comfort belonging to them who are in Christ and confirmed it in the second verse he here proceedeth to the explication of the confirmation and doth declare how it is that Christ hath freed us from the Law of sin And first he sheweth us in this place how Christ hath freed us from the condemning power of sinne Namely that he taking upon him our nature and therewithall the burthen of our sinnes hath condemned sinne in his blessed body and so disanulled it that it hath no power to condemn us And this benefit he amplifies showing that by no other means we could obtein it For where without Christ there is but one way for men to come to life namely the observance of the Law He lets us see it was impossible for the Law to save us And least it should seem that he blamed the Law he subjoyns that this impotencie of the Law proceeds from ourselves Because that we through fleshly corruption that is in us cannot fulfill that righteousnesse which the Law requires Now the impotencie of the Law appears in these two things First It craveth of us which we had not to give namely perfect obedience unto all the Lords Commandements and that under pain of death which albeit most justly it be required of us considering that by Creation we received from God a nature so holy that it was able to doe the Law yet now by reason of the depravation of our nature drawn on by our selves it is impossible that we can perform it Secondly The Law could not give that unto us whereof wee stood in need namely That the infinite debt of Transgression which we had contracted should be forgiven unto us This I say the Law could not doe for the Law commands obedience but promises not pardon of disobedience Yea rather It binds the curse of God upon us for it And again We stand in need of a suparnaturall grace to reform deformed nature and this also the Law could
not doe it being a doctrine that shews us the way of life but doth not minister grace unto us to walk therein But all these which the Law could not doe Jesus Christ by whom commeth grace and life hath done unto us Therefore there is no life to be found in the observance of the Law It being impossible for the Law to give They therefore that seeke life only in the observance thereof shall never find it Again the Apostle in another place calls the Law the Ministery of death and condemnation and that because it instantly bindes men under death for every transgression of her Commandements So that he that hath eyes to see what an universall rebellion of nature there is in man to Gods holy Law Yea what imperfections and discordance with the Law are remanent in them who are renewed by grace may easily espy the blinde presumption of those who seek life in the ministry of death Yet so universall is this error that it hath overgone the whole posterity of Adam Nature teaching all men who are not illuminated by Christ to seek salvation in their own deeds that is to stand to the covenant of works But the Supernaturall doctrine of the Evangelist teacheth us to transcend nature to goe out of our selves and to seek salvation in the Lord Jesus And so to use the Law not that we seek life by fulfilling it which here is impossible but as a School-master to lead us unto Christ in whom we have remission of our sin sanctification of our nature acceptance of our imperfect obedience benefits which the Law could never afford us Thus you see it is impossible for us in our own persons to fulfill the Law of God no such grace being given from above as I shewed you before or if we could yet it is not possible for the Law to save us not in respect of any desert or imperfection in the Law For the Law is just good and holy Rom. 7.12 But in regard of the corruption of our nature which is not able to yeeld such perfect obedience unto the Law as the Law requireth Nay I say further that although the Law be good yet it is not good to this end neither was it ordained of God for this purpose For the Law was given to a double end First common to all men Secondly proper to two sorts of men First to the Elect and Reprobates First in respect of all men the Law was given First to shew unto all men what was sin for by the Law commeth the knowledge of sin Rom. 3. and I had not known that lust had been sin had not the Law said thou shalt not lust Secondly to shew the wrath of God for sinne and by the transgression thereof to make all men see how justly they be worthy of eternal death And therefore the Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 3. that the Law causeth wrath and is the ministry of condemnation because it sheweth unto us how justly we deserve wrath and condemnation Thirdly to be a rule of righteousnesse to restrain all men from sin and to retein them in a civill course of living for the common good of humane society Secondly the Law was given to these two proper ends First in respect of the Reprobate to make them without excuse because the Law teacheth them what should be done and what should be left undone And therefore it leaves them without excuse if they leave the one and commit the other Secondly In respect of the elect the Law was given to be a means by the sight of their sinnes to seek out a Saviour that should deliver them from their sinnes And in this respect As he that informeth us of some dangerous disease doth tacitly advise us to seek for some expert Physitian So is the Law said to be our Schoolmaster to teach us by the manifestation of our sinnes to seek unto Christ for our deliverance But the Law was never intended to that end that it should justifie us and of it self bring us to eternall life For first if eternall life had been promised only to them that keep the Law then the promise had been made vain because it was impossible for our corrupt nature to perform it Secondly if righteousnesse could have come by Law then Christ had died in vain because it was superfluous for him to dye for us when as we might procure life by the works of the Law And therefore it is apparent that by the works of the Law no flesh living can be justified Thirdly For hypocriticall Gospellers such as seem Saints in ostentation that they may play the Divels without supicion which say they have Faith but shew no works that are not vayled with hypocrisie and intended to wrong ends let Esayas tell you how acceptable these works are to God Esay 1. and whether they be like to justifie them before God or not For the Lord complayneth that he is weary of them that his Soul hateth them and biddeth them to bring no more such sacrifice unto him Fourthly For the true Christians that are born not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh but of God If any works could justifie it must needs be that their works wrought in them and thorow them by the Spirit of God should justifie them And yet we say that the best works of the best regenerate men cannot justifie them before God And thus we prove it First Because all the Graces that we receive in this life are but in part given unto us as I shewed in the proof of the other position and so imperfect Graces Not that the Spirit of God works imperfectly but that he means not here to inrich us with any Grace while we are conversant with sinfull men in this vale of misery but only so farre forth as he seeth fit to bring us to the Kingdome of perfection where that which is in part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13.10 and therefore our inherent justice being but as our knowledge in part and therefore imperfect it is impossible that it should perfectly justifie us before God Secondly Because that although our good works are perfect in respect of Gods Spirit which effecteth them Yet seeing as fair water is defiled by running through a dirty Channell so our best works are tainted when they passe through us that are so subject to sinne and so many times polluted with so many iniquities It is unpossible we should be justified before him in whosepresence nothing in the least manner polluted can stand uncondemned and therefore as the Prophet saith all our righteousnesse is as astained clothe Esay 64.6 And as Gregory saith Moral lib. 21. cap. 15. lib. 5. cap. 7. All mens righteousnesse should be found unrighteousnesse if God should strictly Judge it And Aug. Wo to the most laudable and best life of man If God laying aside his mercy should discusse the same in the strictnesse of his Justice for alas who knoweth not that God is a God of
made our selves unable so much as to think a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 But our Adversaries have and doe further object That a regenerate man hath sufficientia principia rectae operationis sufficient causes and means of well doing as knowledge to understand what is good will to desire what is good and power to effect what is good his soul being enlightned sanctified and assisted by Gods Spirit therefore he may doe what is good and all what God commands I answer That we grant a regenerate man to be enabled to doe good but how farre enabled Surely not perfectly for our knowledge is but in part obscured with ignorance our will is distempered with many turbulent affections and our power hindred to doe many good things we would doe by many lustfull temptations And therefore these principia operationis being not perfecta principia our actions cannot be perfect which proceed from them Who can tell saith David how oft he offendeth Cleanse thou me from my secret sinnes You see Gods Saints have secret sinnes I may have many sinnes and fail in many things which no man knoweth of nor my self but only known to God I may sin and not know mine own sin yet God seeth the same We cannot judge mens hearts for we know not our own it is Gods preroagative to search and try the Reines Jer. 17.9.1 John 3.20 And it is our duty to pray with Nehemiah 13.12 Accept my obedience but pardon mine iniquity That chosen vessell was compelled to say this although he knew nothing by himself yet he knew that thereby he could not be justified And this I hope may suffice for the cleering the first Branch of the second Position That no man can perform such perfect obedience to the Law of God as not to offend against the same or by his obedience thereunto be justified before God And for further confirmation of the truth thereof I dare appeale to any mans conscience if he be not too arrogant how upon the confirmation of Gods strict Judgement and his own manifold infirmities he dares justifie himself in any one act against God And I doubt not but the proudest heart would soon tremble and the boldest face would blush and be ashamed and affraid to have his best works even his prayers scan'd according to the strictnesse of Gods Law or the rigor of Gods Justice And of the adversaries to this truth I require this one thing That they will either produce a man and prove it That hath ever performed in his own person such perfect obedience to the Law of God as not to offend against the same Or else let them acknowledge their error with shame and forbear opposing the truth and disturbing the peace of Gods Church Lest by persisting in their malicious wickednesse their sinne become unpardonable I shall pray for them as for my self that the Lord would be pleased to convince us of the errors of our waies humble us in the sense of our sinnes and be mercifull to our poor Souls Come we now to the second Branch of the second Position which hath in it these two parts to be considered First That no man can be justified by the works of the Law Secondly That we are only justified by the righteousnesse of Christ And first of the first In part I have cleered it before but for further confirmation The Apostle Paul reasons admirably and plainly in this point saying Rom. 15.6 If Salvation be of Grace it is no more of works for else were Grace no more Grace And if it be of works it is no more of Grace for else works were no more works But Salvation is of Grace for by Grace yee are saved through Faith and that not of your selves It is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast Eph. 2.8 And our Saviour tells us plainly that when we have done our best We are but unprofitable Servants Ergo Salvations is not of works Again Reason it self drawn from the Scriptures doth sufficiently prove that we cannot be justified by our works For if any works doe justifie us they must be done either before or after justification But First no works done before the Grace of justification can justifie us Because evill trees cannot bring forth good fruit and being not done of Faith they must needs be sinne for whatsoever is not done of Faith is sinne and without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Whereupon Saint Paul saith That all men before they be ingrafted into Christ by Grace are the Servants of sinne farre from righteousnesse and bringing forth nothing but fruits deserving shame and death Rom. 6.20 Secondly Our works done after Grace Reason it self sheweth That they cannot be the cause of Grace for how can that which commeth after be any cause of that which goeth before The cause must precede the effect And so August tells us That good works doe not goe before him that is to be justified but doe follow him that is already justified And therefore as good fruits cannot be the cause of the goodnesse of the tree so good works cannot be the cause of justification And that place of the Apostle which I cited before Rom. 3.20 makes it cleer By the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified For first in the 9. ver he tells us That both Jews and Gentiles are under sinne because all are transgressors of the Law Therefore all the world must be guilty before God and can no wayes be justified by pretending innocency in keeping the Law Secondly He sheweth the Reason why no flesh can be justified by the Law because the Law convinceth us of sinne for by the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne But the Law convinceth them that are under Grace and which hath the greatest measure of Grace to be sinners Phil. 3.9 Therefore they that doe the works of the Law by the help of Grace cannot be justified by the Law because the Law sheweth them likewise to be sinners as well though not as great as they that endeavour to keep the Law without the help of Grace And therefore the Apostle concludeth That we are all justified by the righteousnesse of God without the Law as you may see in Rom. 3. from 2. ver therefore not by any righteousnesse of the Law done either by the help of Grace or without Grace For he that obeyeth the Law how ever he doth it with the help of Grace or his own strength yet he hath the same righteousnesse The righteousnesse of the Law because the different manner of obteining it altereth not the nature of the thing But the Apostle sheweth a great difference betwixt the righteousness of the Law and the righteousness of Faith For Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law That the man which doth these things however he doth them by his own strength or some other help if he doth them he shall live by them Rom. 10.5 But the righteousnesse of Faith speaketh on
this wise If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved ver 6.9 And therefore seeing the Apostle opposeth doing of the Law and believing in Christ and not doing the Law by our own strength and doing the Law by the help of grace It is apparent That we can never be justified by the works of the Law by what means soever we doe them whether by the strength of nature or by the help of grace But Bellarm. in his first Book cap. 19. de justific laboureth to prove that all works of the Law are not excluded from our Justification by three especiall Reasons First Because Faith is a Work and that there is a Law of Faith as well as of Works and therefore if all Works be excluded from our Justification then Faith it self must be excluded And so to be justified by Faith were to be justified without Faith Because the Apostles intent Rom. 3. That neither the Jewes by the bare observing of Moses Law nor the Gentiles by their morall Works And so neither Jewes nor Gentiles before they believed in Jesus Christ could be justified by any Works that they could doe Because the Apostle Rom. 4.4 sheweth That the Works which he excludeth from Justification are those Works to whom wages are due by debt not by grace and those saith Bellarmine are all such Works as are done by our own natural abilities without the assistance of any supernatural grace But for answer unto all these I say That we confess Faith to be a Work and it is the Commandement of God That we believe in Jesus Christ But we deny Faith to justifie us as it is a Work performed in obedience to this command but as it is an Instrument imbracing the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ It is not the act of beleiving but the thing holden and possessed by believing that is our righteousness Secondly I say That Bellarmine is mistaken in the whole scope of the Apostle and that St. Paul doth not only not give us the least intimation that he meaneth that we are not justified by any works done by our own naturall strength But rather sheweth that in as much as we are all sinners against the Law therefore by our obedience to the Law howsoever done by grace or without grace no man can be justified in Gods sight Thirdly I say That the Apostle in Rom. 4.4 intendeth no such distinction of Works as Bellarmine alledgeth but he excludeth all Works as well those that are done by the help of grace as that are done without grace from the Justification of Abraham For those Works of Abraham are excluded wherein Abraham might glory before men but these are the Works that he did by the help of grace for otherwise if he were justified by the Works done without the help of grace he might as well glory before God as before men But the Apostle tells us That although by these Works done by the help of grace he might glory before men yet not before God And therefore not justified by these works in the sight of God For if we could be justified by any works howsoever done by grace or not grace then the wages that is eternal life is not counted of favour but of debt But when we cannot be justified by our works but by believing in him that justifieth the ungodly that is in Jesus Christ that we are justified by his righteousness and saved by his merits Then Faith saith the Apostle and not any kinde of Works is imputed unto us for righteousnesse Romans 4.5 I shall then close this point with these conclusions First That no man which is a sinner can be justified by his own obedience to the moral Law Secondly That no man which hath offended the Law can be justified by his own satisfaction for his transgression First Whosoever is a transgressor of the Law cannot be justified by his obedience to the Law For by the Law commeth the knowledg of sinne Rom. 3.20 That is the Law convinceth all such to be sinners and condemneth them as transgressors And therefore they can never be pronounced guiltless by that Law which proves them guilty But every man is a Transgressor of the Law as the Scripture teacheth Rom. 3.9 Gal. 2.1 John 1.8 and 10. and our Consciences testifie it to our faces Therefore no man can be justified by his own obedience to the Law Secondly That a sinner which hath once offended can never by any action or passion of his own make satisfaction to the justice of God for his trangression And the Law being broken there is no way to be justified by the Law but only by making a plenary satisfaction for the transgression But this no sinners satisfaction can doe because a finite Act can never be of sufficient value to satissie the offence that is done against an infinite goodnesse And likewise because all that we can doe is required of us as our duty to the Law and therefore cannot be rendred as a payment for the breach of the Law To conclude this branch We are not under the Law for justification of our persons as Adam Nor for satisfaction of divine justice as those that perish but we are under it as a document of obedience and a rule of living It is now published from Mount Sion as a Law of liberty and a new Law not as a Law of condemnation and bondage The obedience thereof is not removed but the disobedience thereof is both pardoned and cured The observance thereof is necessary as a fruit of faith not as a condition of life and righteousness necessary necessitate Praecepti as a thing commanded the transgression whereof is an incurring of sin not necessitate Medii as a strict undisponsible means of Salvation the transgression whereof is a peremptory obligation to death And thus much briefly of the first branch wherein I have cleerly shewed unto you That no man can be justified by the obedience to the Law nor the works of the best Christians cannot justifie them Come we now to the last Branch and that is That we are only justified by the righteousnesse of Christ We believe and maintain as the Scripture teacheth us That we are acquitted and absolved from all our sinnes and so justified in the sight of God by and for the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one Judgement came upon all men to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life And in 2 Cor. 5. last vers He that knew no sin God hath made him to be sin for us that we should be made the righteousness of God by him And in Act. 13.39 For all things which yee could not be justified by the Law of Moses by him every one that believeth is justified And 1 Cor. 6.11 Ye are justified that is in whole from the guilt and punishment
not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 Secondly Subordinately for our Sanctification That we may be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12.10 Secondly Propitiation is a reconciling us to God through the blood of Christ and it is the accomplishment of that which was typified by the Mercy-Seat Exodus chap. 30. For first As God gave his Oracles unto the people out of the Mercy Seat so he did reveal his will unto us by Jesus Christ John 1.17 Secondly As God was said to dwell between the Cherubims which covered the Mercy-Seat so in Christ the fullnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily Coloss 2.9 And thirdly As God was made propitious and favourable to his people to assist them and blesse them by the blood which the High Priest sprinkled before the Mercy Seat so is God pacified and reconciled unto us and procured to enrich us with spirituall blessings through the blood of Jesus Christ Col. 1.18 Again The ground of those benefits or meritorious cause thereof is the most perfect and absolute obedience which our Saviour Christ performed unto his Father for our sakes and is to be considered first actively secondly passively First the active obedience of Christ is a most perfect performance of Gods Law even to the utmost tittle thereof Touching which we must consider First That although Christ as Man fulfilled the Law for himself that in both natures he might be a holy High-Priest to offer Sacrifice unto God Yet as Mediator as God and Man he became subject to the Law and did fully and perfectly execute the same for us For Christ is not only our redemption by that ransome which he paid for our sinnes but he is also the perfection of the Law unto Salvation unto every one that believeth And there be three things that prove the necessity hereof to be performed for us First The Justice of God that will not justifie the wicked Pro 17 15. Exod. 20.5 but such as are just and righteous either by a proper or imputed rigteousnesse Secondly The Office of a Mediator that was to undergoe for us whatsoever was required of us to be done Thirdly Our recuperation or recovery of happinesse which could not be obteined without perfect righteousness because the death of Christ freeth us from eternall death and the obedience of Christ brings us to everlasting life And therfore we say That Christ was born for us not only auferre peccata to take away the sin of the World by his voluntary suffering the most bitter death of the Crosse But afferre Justitia to bring righteousnesse to us by his plenary obedience to the most holy Law of God And therefore those Scriptures that doe ascribe our whole Salvation unto the virtue of Christs death are not to be taken exclusively or denying the active obedience of Christ to be imputed unto us But Synechdochically for the accomplishment of the whole obedience of Christ that was to be performed for us and with this agrees the major and melior part of all orthodox Divines and most of the Fathers Secondly The passive obedience of Christ is all the sufferings of Christ both in life and death for our sinnes because the justice of God required that we should never be freed from death without a just punishment laid upon our selves or upon some other for us And therefore the Prophet Isay prophecied That the Messias should be broken for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities Esay 5.35 And Daniel saith He should be cut off but not for himsef Dan. 9.26 And St. Peter saith He did bear our sinnes in his own body on the Crosse 1 Pet. 2.24 and St. John saith Rev. 15. That he washed us from our sinnes in his own blood And here we must observe that this obedience of Christ is of sufficient merit to satisfie for all sinnes by reason of the dignity of the person that did obey for the hypostaticall union of the Manhood of Christ with his Godhead makes the obedience of Christ to be of unvaluable value Acts 20.28 Thirdly The formall cause of our justification actively considered is the free imputation of Christs actuall righteousnesse whereby the merits of Christs obedience is applyed unto all believers that is the accompting of us as just and righteous for the merrits of that obedience which Christ hath effected for us For as we apply unto our selves the righteousnesse of Christ and make the same our own by Faith and acceptation So God himself applyeth it unto us by imputation and accepteth us for righteous for the righteousnesse of Christ And this imputation of righteousnesse is a work of Grace not of nature a communicating of anothers righteousnesse unto us and not a conferring of any reall or habituall righteousnesse upon us And this is a sweet exchange saith Justin Martyr in Epist ad Diogen That one should be made sinne for many and the iniquity of many should be covered with the righteousnesse of one and that the justice of one should make many that are unjust to be reputed just To omit what most of the Fathers speaks to this purpose I shall only note one of their own Fryar Farrus Ser. 1. in Dom. 1. Advent where he saith Christ hath made all his partakers of his justice and merits that so they might be able to stand in the sight and to sustain the judgement of God Because saith he there is no mortall man living whose righteousnesse can be sufficient to attain unto eternall Salvation And therefore his righteousnesse is made ours not because it is infused or translated into us to abide habitually in us But because it is imputed and reputed unto us when God doth acquit from sinne and adjudge us just for the justice of Jesus Christ And therefore the force of our justification is not any habituall sanctity subjectively remaining in us But the righteousnesse of Christ freely imputed unto us and so though it be without us yet it is made ours by right of giving The Apostle remarkably in Rom. 4.6.7 joyneth both the imputation of righteousnesse and the remission of sinnes as the two speciall means to make us happy Blessed is the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works And blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne But this righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us must be considered in a three fold respect First In respect of the truth of our imputed righteousnesse And so we say that we are as truly righteous before God as Christ himself because we are righteous with the sime righteousnesse as he is righteous Secondly In respect of the quantity But so we deny that it is in the same measure in us as it is in him for in him it is in its fulnesse and largest measure but in us it is only received so farre forth as it serveth to justifie any particular Believer Thirdly In respect of the quality And so we say That this is not in the same manner in us as it is in him