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A17599 Aphorismes of Christian religion: or, a verie compendious abridgement of M. I. Calvins Institutions set forth in short sentences methodically by M. I. Piscator: and now Englished according to the authors third and last edition, by H. Holland.; Institutio Christianae religionis. English. Abridgments Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Piscator, Johannes, 1546-1625.; Holland, Henry, 1555 or 6-1603. 1596 (1596) STC 4374; ESTC S107177 82,272 222

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iustification is by grace so as a sinner freed from damnation obtaineth righteousnesse and that freely by the pardon of his sinnes as appeareth in the three first sorts of men but also our proceeding therein so as our iustification is euer free and by grace which thing well appeareth in the fourth kinde of men which are both regenerate by Gods spirite and iustified by a liuely faith in Christ And thus God imputed vnto Abraham the father of the faithfull his faith for righteousnesse when as he had a Gene. 15.6 liued for many yeares in great holynesse of life This saith Habacuk also b Habac. 2.4 The iust shall liue by faith and Dauid c Psal 32.1 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen speaking of the godly which liue a holy vnspotted and blamelesse life before men Againe Paule saith that the d 2. Cor. 5.20 embassage concerning our free reconciliation with God must be continued among the faithfull And Christ is a e 1. Iohn 2.1 continuall mediator reconciling vs with his father and the efficacie or vertue of his death to f Ibid. 2. expiate the sinnes of the faithfull neuer dieth nor waxeth old XXVI And whereas the Schoolemen also say that good workes haue no such vertue in them to be sufficient vnto iustification but that their merite vertue to iustifie is by grace we must learne that there is no grace to worke our iustification but that only which moueth God in Christ to embrace vs and to iustifie vs by the merites of his obedience and satisfaction for vs. XXVII For God accepteth not our workes but so farre as we please him hauing put on by faith the righteousnesse of Christ that is which Christ purchased by his death for vs as is a Aphor. 23. before shewed Neither can works iustifie in part before God for God admitteth no righteousnesse of workes but that b Deut. 27.26 Leuit. 18.5 full and perfect obedience to his law XXVIII When they glory of workes of supererogation whereby they say full satisfaction is made for trespasses and sins committed how can they answer that saying of Christ a Luk. 16.10 VVhen ye haue done all these things which are commanded you say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was our dutie to do XXIX To be short concerning workes take heed of two things first put no trust in them next ascribe no glory to them XXX The Scriptures driue vs from all confidence in them teaching vs that all our righteousnesse a Esa 64.6 smels in the sight of God as filthie clouts and onely prouoke Gods wrath against vs. Now take away this confidence of workes all glorying must fall to the ground for who will ascribe any commendation of iustice vnto workes if confidence in them cause him to tremble in the sight of God XXXI Moreouer if we consider all the causes of our saluation we shall finde the grace of God to shine bright in euery one of them excluding the righteousnesse of our workes For the authour of our saluation is God the Father Sonne holy Ghost The Father first in that a Tit. 3.5 of his meere b Iohn 3.16 1. Iohn 4.9 and 10. grace free loue he sent his sonne vnto vs to redeeme vs from the dominiō of the deuill Next the Sonne in that of his free loue c Rom. 5.7.8 1. Iohn 3.26 towards vs he became d Rom. 5.19 Phil 2.8 obedient to his father vnto the death of the crosse and so hath satisfied e Rom. 3.25 1. Iohn 2.2 the iustice of God for vs. Lastly the holy Ghost in that he giueth vs f Ephe. 2.8 chap. 1. ●3 faith whereby we apprehend the iustice which Christ hath purchased for vs by his death The end also the Apostle saith is the g Rom. 3.25 manifestation of Gods iustice and the prayse of his h Ephe. 1.12 goodnesse XXXII And whereas the Saintes commend otherwhiles their innocencie and integrity before God this they doe not to the end to trust in the iustice of their workes in Gods iudgement and to rest their consciences as vpon a good foundation but either to testifie the goodnesse of their a Psal 7 9. Psal 18.21 cause against their aduersaries or to cōfort themselues concerning their adoption b 2. King 20.3 1. Tim. 4.7.8 by the fruites of their faith and calling for that they rest on the onely fauour of God in Iesus Christ XXXIII Againe whereas the Scripture saith that the good workes and obedience of the faithfull doe cause the Lord to raine down many blessings vpon them we must vnderstand that good workes are so farre causes of Gods blessings vpon vs as the Lord by his former graces taketh occasion to giue vs more graces where note that they be not meritorious causes but motiues onely for speciall graces of Gods spirite going before for whom the Lord will glorifie them first he a Ephe. 5.26.27 sanctifieth that their corruption and wickednesse may not hinder their glorification In a word as Augustine hath well spoken God crowneth the workes of his owne hand in vs. XXXIIII Againe that our workes do not merite the grace of God may yet further appeare by these reasons folowing First for that they are full of a Esa 64.6 corruption next for that they are duties we b Luk. 17.10 owe vnto God thirdly for that they are not ours that is such as come from the strēgth of our free will but the effects c Rom. 8.10 Ephe. 2.10 and fruites of Gods grace in vs. XXXV And whereas good workes please God and haue a a 2. Tim 4.8 reward it is not for any merite but for that Gods b Esa 55.1 goodnesse doth accept of them and reward them of his meere grace and mercy in Iesus Christ XXXVI Surely no Christian doubteth but that we must hold fast the groundes of Christian Religion and this is a fundamentall point or ground of Christiā doctrine that Christ is giuen a 1. Cer. 1.30 and c. 3.11 vs for our righteousnesse or iustification if this doctrine stād the iustice of our merites and workes being a flat contrary can not stand XXXVII There are two opiniōs of Popery which are most opposite to that great ground of Christiā veritie The first is that there are some moral vertues or works which make men acceptable before God before they be grafted into Christ the second that Christ hath merited for vs the first grace that is an occasiō of meriting with God that then it is our parts to take the occasion when it is offered XXXVIII To conclude we must very circumspectly see to this that we build wisely vpon on that foundation for that doctrine is sound concerning good workes which is deriued from the doctrine a This is the method which Paule vseth in a maner in all his Epistles as to Rom. Gal. Ephes Phil. Col. c.
mocked neither will he suffer e Gal. 6.7 his spirite which is the spirite of truth to be charged with a lye XVII And if we admit the old distinction in this sense where sin is distinguished into veniall and mortall it may well be admitted But not otherwise as when they call that veniall which meriteth pardon because it is but small and light and that mortall which meriteth death because it is great For euery sinne of his owne nature euen the least a Rom. 6.4 last meriteth death and not onely temporall death but euen b 1. Iob. 5.16 eternal Cōtrarily all they obtaine pardō which do repent and beleeue in Christ albeit they haue committed most greeuous sinnes XVIII Again a sinne pardonable is either the lesser sinne or the greater And both are considered or iudged either by the principall antecedent working cause which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by the maner of doing or by the obiect or matter wherein the sinne is committed In respect of the cause the sinne is the lesser which is committed of ignorance as Paules persecution or of infirmitie as the fall of Peter but the greater which is committed against the conscience as Dauids murder and adulterie or of malice as Semeis reprochfull and rayling speaches In respect of the manner of doing his sinne is lesse which offereth adultery by perswasion as Dauid with Bethshabe then his sinne which offereth violence as that vncleannesse committed with Dina by Sichem Iudg. 19. and with the Leuites wife by the men of Gibeah In respect of the obiect the stealing of a peny is a lesser sinne then of an hundred or a thousand crownes Againe it is a lesser sinne to steale a beast then to steale a man which sinne they call * Stealing either free mē or slaues and keeping them close in bonds Pla●ium in the Latin toung And it is the les●er sinne to speake an idle word but the greater to speake any blaspemie or any thing hurtfull to our neighbour XIX It appeareth by these distinctions that sinnes are vnequall contrary to the Stoiks Paradoxe this also may be vnderstood by the a Mat. 12.15 vnequalitie of punishments XX. And thus farre of the kindes and degrees of sinne The authour of sinne first is the a Gene. 3.6 c. Ioh. 8.44 1. Iohn 3 8. deuill deceiuing our first parentes next after him our first b Gene. 3.6 parentes themselues in that they gaue place to the deuils lyes XXI The effect or punishement of sinne is a Rom. 8. v. last death both of body and of soule both temporall and eternall and all kindes of b Gen. 3.6 c. griefes and miseries CHAP. VIII Of the law of God I. APHORISME THe law of God is a a Psal 1.2 doctrine sent frō b Exo. 20 1.2 God by c Exod. 19. Iohn 1.17 Gal. 3.19 Moses to the people of d Deut. 6.6 Ps 147. v. last Deut. 4 6.7.8 Israell whereby he testified e Psal 19.8 Ps 78.3 56 and taught in what manner he would be worshipped of them II. Of Gods lawes some a Rom 9.4 are b Exod. 20. morall some c Leuit. ceremoniall and some are d Exo. 21.22 iudiciall III. The iudicials are lawes of the a Exod. 2.22 23. right of contractes and of penalties for offenders giuen for the preseruation of publique peace and iustice among men and for the punishment of the contempt of the lawes of God IIII. The ceremonials are a Leuit. 1.2.3.4 6.7.5 lawes concerning the ceremonies which God appointed for his externall worship and for the instructiō of that people cōcerning their ●uerlasting saluation by Christ which was to come V. The morals are lawes a Exod. 20.1 Deut. 5.6 concerning the maners and duties of euery man towards God and towardes his neighbour VI. The morall lawes a Ibid. are dispersed in all the bookes of Moses but in the Decalogue they are summarily collected VII The Decalogue is diuided into two a Exo. 24.12 and 31.18 32.16 34.1 Tables of the which two the first containeth foure preceptes concerning our duties to God or concerning the b Mat. 22.37 Deut. 6.5 loue of God the second Table conteineth sixe preceptes concerning our duties to our neighbour or how c Ibid. 39. Leuit. 19.18 to loue our neighbour VIII These precepts for the most part haue their * A trope or figure when part is vnderstood by the whole or the whole by the part Synecdoche for in the prohibition of sinnes he commaundeth the contrarie vertues and contrarily in commaunding the vertues he doth prohibit the contrary sinnes and by one speciall he vnderstandeth all of that kinde or the generall and with the externall actions the internall thoughtes and lustes must be vnderstood IX Furthermore to attaine the right sense meaning of the Decalogue these rules also must be obserued The meaning of euery precept must be taken of the end and scope for the which that law was giuen to wit the next end as for exāple The end of the fift precept is the preseruation of ciuill order societie therfore there are commanded duties of superiours to inferiours and of inferiours to superiours for that without this no ciuill order can be kept Againe for diuerse respectes the same action may be commended in diuerse lawes for the endes cause actions to differ as protection as it is the dutie of parentes towards children or of Magistrates to subiects it is cōmanded in the fift law but as it is an office of Christian fortitude in the preseruation of life it is contained in the sixt law So false witnesse in that it hurteth the good name of the neighbour it belōgeth to the ninth Commandement but so farre as it tendeth to hurt his life it doth appertaine ●o the sixth precept Againe The correlatiues are commaun●ed with their relatiues for that the one can ●ot stand without the other where there●ore it is commaunded in the fift precept ●hat some obey it is commāded also that ●me doe gouerne and where the gouer●ours are commāded to be honored they ●e commāded also so to liue as that they 〈◊〉 worthy of honor So in the fourth pre●pt where mē are commanded to learne ●e word of God some also are comman●ed to teach the same Againe The second ●able must giue place to the first for we must ●ue the neighbour for the Lordes cause that 〈◊〉 for that the Lord commandeth and to his ●orie Therefore parents and all superi●rs must be honoured as is commanded 〈◊〉 the seuēth precept of the second Table ●at as the Apostle speaketh a Ephes 6. ● in the Lord ●at is in the feare of the Lord so as the ●ord be not offended when they be ho●red But this rule must be vnderstood of the ●orall law for in these the second Table ●ust giue place to the first but not in the ceremoniall If
therfore the necessitie and life of our neighbour require an omission of a ceremonie we must rather b Ose 6.6 Mat. 32.4 chap. 15.3.4.5.6 omit a ceremonie then neglect the life of our brother Therefore this rule also must be kept The ceremoniall law must giue place to the morall X God gaue his law a Psal 147.19.20 Deut. 4.6.7.8 partly therby as by a speciall marke to put differēce between his people and all other nations and people of the world partly that he might be worshipped by them as himself had b Deut. 4.1 c. chap. 12.32 prescribed and partly to prepare them vnto c Gal. 3.23.24 Heb. 9. 10. the faith of Christ which was to come XI His preparation was both by instruction and by charge XII First he taught them by ceremonies which were as visible Prophecies concerning Christ a He. 9. 10. shadowing his sacrifice wherby he should expiate the sinnes of all the elect XIII He vrged and charged them in a Col. 2.14 ●om 3.20 conuincing them of sinne both by the cere●onies and by the law morall but speci●ly in that by b Deu. 27.26 Gal. 3.10 by threatning his curse a●ainst them he caused them to seeke for ●race in Christ XIIII Concerning the abrogatiō of the law ●hus it is a law is said to be abrogate whē●t is repealed made voide or abolished so ●hat the people to whom it was giuen and whom it did binde are no more bounde ●hereby XV. Therefore the morall law may not be sayd to be abrogate because it is a perpetuall rule of iustice cōmanding summarily the a Mat. 22.40 loue of God and of the neighbour which are mens duties for euer Albeit it be grāted also as true that the faithful are freed by Christ frō the b Gal. 3.13 curse seueritie or c 1. Iohn 5. 3 Rom. 6.14 extremitie of the law XVI But as for the ceremonial law that it is a Col. 2.14 Ibid. 17. Ephes 14.15 Gal. 3.25 abrogate is euident by the scope and vse thereof For it was giuen to instruct that ignorant people as a b Gal. 3.24 schoolemaster concerning Christ to come and to lead them vnto him as by the hand by shadowing c Heb. 9.10 Col. 2.17 prefiguring Christes Priesthood many wayes The d Iohn 1.17 truth then being come and we finding the liuely and e Heb. 10.1 expresse image of all things needful for saluatiō in Christ it foloweth that these legall shadowes figures are abolished that the law hath performed and ended that pedagogie XVII The questiō is harder cōcerning the abrogatiō of the Iudicial law For it cā neither simply be sayd to be yet in force seeing the common wealth of the Iewes is abolished neither yet may we say that it is altogether abrogat for that it containeth many lawes which haue a scope vse perpetuall It seemeth then that this questiō may be thus answered The Christian Magistrat is not bound to the Iudiciall lawes of Moses in respect of some speciall circūstances which did concerne the people of Israell notwithstanding concerning the kindes of a Leuit. 24.1 Deut. 13.5 and 10. penalties which the Lord hath appointed for the reuerend estimation obseruation of the Decalogue the Christian Magistrats seeme to me assuredly at this day to be no lesse bound for the keeping of these lawes then the Magistrates of the people of Israell were in elder ages CHAP. IX Of the likenesse and difference of the old and new Testament I. APHORISME THe word Testament is here vsed to signifie the couenāt which God made with his people II. The cause wherefore this word is vsed is for that the Greeke interpreters of the Bible trāslated the word Berith which signifieth a couenāt a 1. King 5. 2. Kings 23. Esay 59. Ierem. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Testament vsing the word as it seemeth in generall sense as if they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a couenant And for this cause the Apostle b Heb. 9.15.16.72 vseth the word Testament in his Epistle to the Hebrues disputing also from the proper signification thereof III. And assuredly the free couenāt of God hath this common with a Testament that it could not be ratified and confirmed but by the a Heb. 9.15.16.17 death of the parties couenanting that is by the death of the sonne of God who being very God together with the Father and the holy Ghost made that his couenaunt of grace with his people IIII. The Legall couenant also was confirmed by the death of a Exod. 24.5 6.7.8 Heb. 9.18.19.20 beastes albeit this were but ceremonially V. The Lordes couenant with his people is taught in Scripture to be double The couenant Legall or of workes and the couenant Euangelicall or of grace VI. The couenant Legall is that wherein God in elder ages promised the Israelites all manner of a Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. blessings corporall and also life b Leuit. 18.5 Gal. 3.12 Ma. 19.16.17 Luke 10.25.26.27.28 euerlasting vnder cōdition of yeelding c Ibid. perfect obedience to Gods law by their owne d Deut. 6 5. Luke 10.27 strength and contrarily he threatned diuerse e Leuit. 26. Deut. 27. curses and eternall f Gal. 3.10 death to all such as did breake any g Ibid. one Commandement of the law The ratification and confirmation of this couenant is described Exod. 24. VII The Couenant of grace is that wherin the Lord hath promised his free a Gen. 12.1.2.3 chap. 15. c. 17. fauour and grace foreuer b Iere. 32.40 to all them which beleeue in Christ vnder condition of that c Mar. 16 16 Iohn 3.16 Ro. 10.9.10 blessed faith and true godlinesse or new obedience ioyned therewith yet neither of both these graces to proceede frō their owne strength but to be the meere giftes of God freely d Iere. 31.33 34. Ephe. 2.8 Iohn 5.25 Iohn 6.45 giuen them VIII Whereas the old and new Testament are opposed the one to the other we must note that the old Testament is taken two manner of wayes sometimes to signifie the Legall a Ierem. 31.35.32 Heb. 8.8.9.13 chap. 9.15.18 couenant sometimes to signifie the couenant of grace as it was established with Abraham his posteritie But by the new Testament the couenant of grace onely is vnderstood IX Now if any aske of the likenesse difference of the old and new Testament by the name of the old Testament we must vnderstand that couenant of grace as it was confirmed with a Gene. 17. Abraham and all the fathers before the comming of Christ Therefore in this comparison of both Testaments there is no mention to be made of the Legall couenant X. In substance the self same the old and new Test or couenāt but the ministration diuerse The likenesse therefore or agreement of both Testamentes doth consist herein that