flesh and bones of his bones in that he did give himselfe to death for them to this end that hee might iustifie them For as the bonde of Mariage doth oblige the husband to a particular and speciall love to his wife wherein he is obliged to none other even so the Lord Iesus did submitt himselfe vnto the Fathers will to lay downe his life for none but such as were given him of the Father and made members of his body and his spirituall spouse And if any will obiect that this place of the Apostle is to be vnderstood of the order of Christ his doing according to the eternall purpose and Decree of God and not according to the Dispensation of God towards vs in tyme. It is easie to be answered that the order of God in both is one and the same For as the Lord doth particularly predestinate men to Adoption before he give his Sonne to the death for their iustification even so in tyme he doth Adopt vs that is effectuallie call vs bring vs to his Sonne and make vs one with him before he iustifie vs. Moreover this shall yet be more manifest if we shall marke this one distinction of the fruites of faith to wit if we can discerne betwixt the immediate fruite of faith and the mediate fruites The mediate fruite we call that which is wrought by God in vs even by the very working of faith in our heartes together and at once and that is our verie vnion and coniunction with Christ For by faith Christ dwelleth in our heartes and this is the worke whereby we are made the sonnes of God For as sayeth the Apostle If we be Christes we are the seed Gal. chapt 3. vers 29. The mediate fruites of faith I call those which by vertue of this vnion as the necessarie forerunning meane faith produceth in vs such as is our iustification sanctification c. so that in a manner we can distinguish betwixt these benefites and our faith but more hardly betwixt our faith and Adoption seeing our abyding in Christ and Christes abyding in vs is all one thing with our beleeving in Christ That saying therefore of these learned Divines that GOD cannot acknowledge vs his sonnes before he iustifie vs is not simplie and absolutelie to be vnderstood but by comparison relation that is because God powreth in our heartes after our iustification a more lively sense of his love and a cleerer sight of our Adoption then we receyved in our calling And this maner of speach the spirit of God vseth familiarly in the scriptures which is comparatively to be vnderstood as Iohn chap. 7. vers 39. For the holy Ghost was not yet because Christ was not yet glorified Which is not to be vnderstood as though the holy Ghost had not bene at all but only that he was not in that measure that he was therafter to be given Likewise in that of Iohn ch 16. Christ sayeth touching his Disciples hetherto have ye asked nothing in my name which were great prophanes in vs to vnderstand simply of those holy men of God who knew Christ to be the Christ Sonne of the living God and who were directed in their prayers by the spirit of God who inditeth none but in the name of Christ albeit more darkely and obscurely manifested in our hartes then after the comming of the holy Ghost in greater measure Even so it may bee iustly saide of our Adoption that God doeth not acknowledge vs his sonnes before hee iustifieth vs because that which in small measure and darkely was manifested to vs in our calling is more fully and clearely revealed in our Iustification because then the spirit of Adoption is more aboundantly shed abroad in our heartes for the sealing of our Adoption For as we haue saide before although our Adoption be begunne in our Calling before our Iustification yet hath it the clearer manifestation and fuller accomplishment in and through all the rest of the benefites following our Calling For as sayth Iohn in his first Epistle chapter 3. verse 2. VVe are now the sonnes of GOD but yet it is not made manifest what wee shall be Therefore are we who are already called Iustified and Sanctified still saide to wayte yet for our Adoption Rom. chapter 8. verse 23. Not as though we were not already Adopted but because our Adoption is not fully accomplished vntill our bodies bee redeemed and fully glorified So that with as good reason wee may saye that God doth not acknowledge vs to be his sonnes whylest our bodyes are yet vile and corruptible seeing we must Waite for our Adoption vntill our bodyes be redeemed CHAPTER XV. THE second ground wherevpon this opinion is builded is the testimonie of Iohn Which not the lesse in my iudgemēt makes not much for it if it be wel wayed For it would appeare that that place is mistaken by many that especially in three things The first is in mistaking the right sense of that description wherein the propertie of these to whom Christ gives this benefite is set downe The second is the mistaking of the benefit it self givē by Christ The third is the ground of both the former two in not distinguishing betwixt the Fathers part and the Sonnes in that worke of our Adoption Touching the first the description of those persons is set downe three maner of wayes I. Those that receyved him II. Those that did beleeve in his Name III. Those that are borne of God Of these three the first two are interpreted to signifie Iustification of which sense that place well marked doth give no warrant seeing in scripture these phrases may as wel be interpreted of Adoptiō as of Iustificatiō For as by faith in Christ we are iustified so by faith in Christ we are the sonnes of God Gal. 3. 26. and therefore to restrayne beleeving in Christes name receyving of him vnto the benefit of iustificatiō is an oversight which easily may breed mistaking of the true sense not onely of this place but divers other places of scripture so they take it for granted which in it self is questionable Moreover the place it selfe and the very words of this description doe yeelde two sufficient arguments to prove that heere adoption by these phrases is rather designed then iustification The first argument lieth in the first wordes of the description which is Those that receyved him Which phrase is in the scripture still meant of the worke of the Fathers Calling of vs vnto the Sonne and not of his iustifying of vs in him For no man sayeth Christ can come vnto mee except the Father that hath sent me drawe him Iohn chap. 6. ver 34. Now to come vnto Christ to receive Christ are both one as is manifest by Ioh. cha 5. where that wherwith in the 40. verse Christ chargeth the Iewes vnder these words but you will not come vnto me is in the 43. verse interpreted by Christ him selfe in these wordes And you receyved me not
For there is a great difference betwixt these workes of the Father to witt the bringing of vs to the Sonne or giving of vs vnto him or making vs to receyve him which are all one and the same thing and the Fathers iustifying of vs in the sonne whom now we have receyved The first is the proper worke of God calling vs The other is the worke of God after our calling Which evidētly appeares by the speech of Christ him selfe Math. cha 11. ver 28. where first he invites vs to come vnto him and then promiseth to such as doe come that he will give them rest vnto their soules for God iustifieth none who have not first receyved the sonne For who cā be made the righteousnes of God in Christ who is not first ingrafted in him Now the first worke of faith standeth in our receyving Christ and making him to dwell in our heartes in and through whom now receyved and possest by faith the Lord doth thereafter iustifie and glorifie vs. so to make a Man to be iust before he be a sonne is as much as to make an accident or qualitie to be before or without a subiect or to make a Man wise before he be a Man and this ground the Apostle cleers by his owne speech when he coūted all but dongue that he might gaine Christ and be found in him to this end that he might not haue his owne righteousnes but the righteousnes which is by the faith of Christ Phil chap. 3. thereby playnelie he sheweth vs that we must first gayne Christ and be found in him by faith before we can haue the righteousnes that is by the faith of Christ so that to receyve Christ and to be iustified in Christ are in no sorte to be confounded although they cannot be separated For this is the principall cause why Iustification and all remanent blessings are attributed vnto faith because by faith onely we are made one with Christ and ioyned vnto him who onely is the substance of all our blessings as being made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1. Corint ahap 1. vers 30 Vpon which vnion with Christ followeth our cōmunion with him both in death and life For being once in him we can not but be pertakers of all blessings in him And of this worke of the Father it is that the Evangelist speaketh in this place which is the first worke of his gracious dispensatiō when as he maketh vs to beleeve in his onely sonne as is manifest by the Evangelistes owne words interpreting the first phrase that is Those that receyved him by these wordes that is Those that beleeue in his Name The second argument lieth in the third phrase of this description which is Those that are borne of God By which wordes both the two former phrases that is those that receyved him those that beleeved in his Name are interpreted thereby teaching vs that this worke is not the worke of Iustification but of Adoption and of our receiving of Christ himselfe by faith that in vnitie with him we may be the Sonnes of God and not our receiving of his obedience by faith vnto righteousnes For by beeing borne of God we are made the Sonnes of God Which birth especially is performed by the Father when by his Spirit he brings vs vnto the Sōne makes vs to receive him by faith in our hearts so making vs one with him By which Vnitie alone it is that we are made the Sonnes of God For as the Vnitie of Christs humane nature in subsisting and personalitie with his divine nature maketh that Iesus Christ the Man is the Sonne of God so our spirituall Vnitie by faith with Iesus Christ the Sonne of God makes vs also to be the Sonnes of God Thus it is plaine by the third phrase that the former two are not rightly taken when they are expounded of those that are iustified If any man would expound this birth not of our effectuall Adoption it selfe but of the preparation of vs therevnto as some most learned and reverent Divines doe Yet never can it make the former opinion true for our beeing borne of God in the Scripturs can never be showen to be meant of our Iustification And if they take it for our Regeneration or Sanctification to the obedience of God then it will follow that wrongly they make Adoption to be a part of Reconciliation If sanctification which is no part of Reconciliation must goe before For they them selues acknowledge that Reconciliation hath but two parts Iustification and Adoption Besides this distinction of Adoption wil hardlie be warranted by the 9. of the Romanes except men will make the Apostle playnely to contradict himselfe who restrayneth the Adoptiō which he ascribes to the Iewes onely to the seed of Abrahā according to the promise and not according to the flesh Because otherwise the trueth of God in his promise would have failed Which consideration likewise appeareth evidently to destroy that distinction of Adoption albeit first devised by one of the auncient Fathers whereby one Adoption is made Adoption but by figure and resemblance the other in substance and effect But it seemeth that the ground of this opinion in some though not in all is buylded vpon this that they esteeme our Righteousnes to consist in the very act of beleeving which may be more iustly said of our Adoption albeit in a circumspect meaning CHAPTER XVI TOVCHING the benefite it selfe which Christ bestowes vpon those that receyve him although we should grant it to be the same in sense which they expound it to be yet it will never inferre that in this place To receyve Christ and beleeve in his name is to be vnderstood of Iustification but according as some of themselves say of the worke of God in making vs to beleeve Of the which followeth the dignitie and prerogative of being sonnes as the first and immediate fruite of faith in Iesus Christ In which sense we denie not but this place may be commodiously interpreted although it seemeth that the spirite of God doth meane somewhat more For vnderstanding whereof we are first to consider the third point which we have said to be the ground of the mistaking of this place which stands in the not distinguishing betwixt the Fathers worke and the Sonnes in our Adoption although in the same place they bee cleerely distinguished by the Evangelist Which oversight maketh great confusion in knowledge For we are to vnderstand that although the three persons of the Trinitie be neither in subsisting nor working to bee separated yet in both they are still to be distinguished and never to be confounded if ever we thinke to have a cleere and vnconfused sight of these great workes of grace which they performe in vs. Now in this place the worke of the Father and the worke of the Sōne in our Adoption are cleerely and distinctly set down Like as in other parts the worke of the spirit
favour Man neyther any wayes deservinge it by his worthines nor paying any thing to God for it and that this is the meaning of the worde it is most evident by this other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is indifferently put for grace the one being sometimes interpreted by the other as Rom. chap. 3. ver 24. Being iustified freely by his grace where the word which is rendered freely is dorean which word secludeth both price and merit Concerning price it is cleere Math. chap. 10. ver 8. Yee have receyved freely give freely And 2. Thess chap. 3. ver 8. Neither tooke we bread of any man freely Concerning merite it is likewise manifest that this word secludeth it by Ioh. chap. 15. ver 25. They hated me freely that is without cause or deserving so that this word maketh iustification to be a worke of God freely done And this we marke that we may know it secludeth not the merit of Christ although that merit be imputed to vs by grace and by this consideration we shall learne to reconcile two sayings of scripture that seeme to be repugnant The first is Esay chap. 52. ver 3. Yee shal be redeemed without monie The other is 1. Cor. chap. 6. ver 20. For yee are bought for a price The one seemeth to make our redemption free without price the other seemeth to say the contrarie Yet both are true for in respect of man him selfe hee hath paide no price at all to God for his redemption but as concerning Christ he hath given a deare price even his life bloud for our redemption So the word Grace secludeth not the merit of Christ nor the price that he hath payed for vs nor ought els ordayned of God by his grace as causes and meanes subordinate to his grace for our iustification but onely secludeth whatsoever thinge is in man or can proceed from man who hath nothing of him selfe whereby to deserve righteousnes neither hath any thing to give to God to obtayne righteousnes For who hath given to God first that he should recompence him Rom. chap. 11. vers 35. And this third pointe of the forme of our iustification is necessarie to be added to the other two First for the right knowledge both of Gods giving and imputing of faith and Christ to our iustification Secondly for preserving vs from the errours of those who mistake the true meaning of the word grace in our iustification Concerning the first there is a distinctiō of the giftes of God and also of the imputation of God Touching the giftes they be eyther such as are natuall given by God indifferently to al are belōging to our natural life or thē they are gifts supernatural belonging to a supernatural life The first sorte the Lord giveth by naturall meanes as by procreation by naturall generation and by his generall providence extended over all But the second he giveth not but by speciall grace and by a speciall providence and particular love in the Lord IESVS there being no ground nor cause in them to whom hee giveth them why they should have thē nor any meanes in their power to procure them Thus faith and Christ by faith are given vs of God not for any worthines in vs nor for any thing given to God by vs but the Lord giveth vs both faith and Christ vnto iustification freely of his meere grace Secondly touching imputation there is an imputation by debt and an imputation by grace therefore that it may bee knowne that neither faith nor Christes merite is imputed to vs by debt the scripture plainly sheweth that this imputatiō is by grace that is first that faith which is now givē vs secondly that Christ who is givē vs by faith is ours not by any right that we have vnto thē by iustice that accompting of them ours is not by debt but of meere mercy grace so that our whole iustificatiō in al that is either given vs or imputed vnto vs to iustifie vs both in the giving in the imputing is of Gods free grace The secōd vse of the knowledge hereof is to preserve vs from their errors who take the name of grace in our iustification for the gifts of grace inherent in vs be it faith or sanctification or the fruites of our righteousnes And secondly from their error who take the name of grace for a gratious acceptatiō of our imperfect faith whereas grace in iustification is relative to the giving imputing of faith not to the accepting of it For in respect of faith given by grace and imputed by grace wee are said to be iustified by grace not in respect of Gods accepting of it at our handes by grace And thus much concerning the forme of our iustification CHAPTER XXXIII IT olloweth that we now speake of the obiect of iustification that is the man whom the Lord doeth iustifie who is two maner of wayes to be confidered First as he is in him selfe by nature Secondly what he is by grace before he be iustified As concerning him selfe wee have two places of scriptures which doe manifestly instruct vs what man is in him self when God iustifieth him The first is Rom. 4. 5. where God is said to iustifie the vngodly the other Rom. 5. 10. where God is said to have iustified vs while we were enemies and this sheweth the vanitie of the Papists who wil have a man formalie iust before he be iustified Touching that which he is by grace it is in many parts of the scripture evidently declared that he must beleeve before he be iustified that is must have faith wrought in his heart in that sorte that he may be iustified for like as Acts 14. it is saide that Paul perceyving that the creeple mā had faith to be made whole he did heale him even so the Lord first giveth vs faith to bee made iust and then iustifieth vs. For we are to consider that although faith bee the instrument of Gods power to make vs able to apprehende Christ and all his blessings in him yet in the worke of iustification it is particularly to be restrayned both as it is wrought by God in our heartes and as our heartes worketh by it vnto the particular benefite of righteousnes in Christ like as in all the rest of the benefites faith is alwayes to be particularly restrayned to every one of them in the particular apprehension of them Moreover we see the truth of this same in the order set downe by the Apostle Rom. 8. when he sayth whom he hath called them he also hath iustified whereby it is evident that God iustifieth not a man vntill first he hath obtayned that degree of grace which God bestoweth vpō a man whē he calleth him of which it followeth that he must have Christ reveyled vnto him he must likewise be come to Christ must have embrased him by faith and that not only as the sonne of God for in that point of faith consisteth his
Christ onely being the immediate and absolute necessarie Meane appointed of God for the enioying of these blessings as being the onely matter substance of them in him selfe The word Sacraments and Faith being in them selves neither part nor portion of the Matter and substance of these benefites but onely the signes or seales or instrumentes of enioying him who alone is the substance And that onely vnto such as are partakers of the outward dispensation of the covenant others who die before they either heare faith preached or are made partakers of the Sacraments such as are many children of the faithfull such also as are called like vnto the thiefe in the last houre being adopted of God and iustified through Christ without them and therefore when in the Scriptures the spirit of God doth indifferently attribute our adoption iustification salvation c. vnto Christ and vnto â—aith yet they are not of a like large extent nor alike relatiue in all persons adopted iustified and saved c. For albeit actuall beleeving doth necessarily imply Christ yet to be adopted and iustified through Christ doth not alwayes in all persons necessarily imply actuall beleeving seeing that faith commeth of hearing the word preached and therfore is to be restrayned to such as are by outward dispensation called which all that are adopted and iustified are not for we are to distinguish betwixt these two things that is to be partakers of the covenant and to bee partakers of the outward dispensatioÌ„ of the couenant and therefore when it pleaseth God by outward dispeÌ„sation to call those who are within the covenant these meanes are then necessarily required vnto salvation For we are bound to these outward Meanes when it pleaseth God to vse them towards vs for our calling but God is no wayes bound to them nor his grace in Christ but that he may freely by his grace without them performe his Decree through Iesus Christ in vs after the manner knowne to him selfe whose wayes are past finding out els if those meanes were absolutely necessarie in all who are within the covenant then certainly the children of the faithfull who according to the Scriptures are within the covenant dying without externall dispensatioÌ„ of the covenant should contrarie to the scriptures not be accounted holy Of this it followeth that wheÌ„ it is said in scripture that without faith it is vnpossible to please God that wee are to vnderstand that saying prudently least we fall in a dangerous error so as to esteeme the children of whom coÌ„sisteth the kingdome not to be acceptable to God who notwithstanding are baptised as belonging to God in Christ and heyres of that righteousnes which is by faith although they haue never heard saith preached Of all these things we may easily perceive that seeing Christ who is the matter of our righteousnes life is not the cause why but the Meane whereby God doth decree to adopt vs iustifie vs c. that faith which is no material but instrumental Meane can much lesse be the cause why but a meane wherby God doth predestinate vs to be adopted iustified and glorified otherwise faith which is powerfull onely in respect of Christ should be of greater respect with God then Christ himself which were abominable to thinke In danger of which sinne many notwithstaÌ„ding do fall in defining both Gods decree and our iustification When as they distinguish not first betweene the thing which is decreed and the cause moving God to decree that which he decreed Secondly wheÌ„ they distinguish not in the thing which is decreed that whervnto we are ordeyned from the Meane wherby God doth ordayne to adopt vs. thirdly wheÌ„ in the meane they distinguish not betwixt that which is absolutly necessarie in all within the covenant froÌ„ those things which only are necessarie in such as not only are within the covenant but also are called by outward dispensation thereof and which are not substantial partes of our righteousnes but accidentall meanes therof except we will say that to be iustified by Christ and by faith is one and the same thing in proper and not borrowed speach which is impossible except we hold that faith in proper and not figurative speach doth signifie Christ These oversights cause some to make faith the cause moving God to predestinate vs to adoption c. and others to esteeme faith not to be the Meane and that instrumentall that in some case only but the very matter of our righteousnes and that not in borrowed or figurative but in simple and proper speach of which matter we shall have occasion to speak heereafter CHAPTER V. THis much being spoken of the substance of the Decree we are next to consider what is the cause that moved God to make this Decree Where we are to observe that we doe not speak of the final cause which is the prayse of the glorie of Gods grace neither yet of the Materiall cause and that which in the schooles is called causa procataretica that is the formost after the first or after the beginning which in the substance of Gods Decree we haue already declared to be Christ but the cause we inquire of is that which in the schooles is called proegumena that is to say which goeth before all causes and doth leade order guide al the rest Which the Apost setteth down in these words according to the good pleasure of his will by which words it is evident that nothing either in Christ as Mediator or in Man himself or any thing els without God but only Gods owne will in him selfe was the cause that did move God to predestinate such as are predestinate and to predestinate them vnto that wherevnto they are predestinate that is adoption and to predestinate them to be adopted by no other Meane except through Iesus Christ alone so that both Gods action of decreeing the persons who are predestinate and the thing wherevnto they are predestinate the Meanes whereby they are predestinate doth depend vpoÌ„ no cause without God but vpon the cause that is in God him self and vpon no cause in God him selfe except only his will Which sometimes is called in the scriptures his Mercie his love his grace his purpose his gift his good pleasure and counsell of his will And for the clearer vnderstanding of this point we are carefully to marke these two phrases conteyned in the description of predestination The first is that God is said to have predestinate vs in him selfe The seconde is that he is said to haue predestinate vs according to the good pleasure of his owne wil. By the first of these sayings the spirit of God would teach vs that God went not without him selfe neither consulted with anie thing but him self neither looked to any thing that was not in him self when he did predestinate vs. and so coÌ„sequently that the Decree of God or predestination is an action of God not in Christ the Mediator nor in vs that are
according as it is set downe in the truth of God And intreating of these three we shall touch by the way everie one of these points mentioned in doing whereof if we shall insist somewhat more largely then shall seeme expedient to riper iudgements yet we hope that heerein we shall easily be pardoned seeing we take this paynes not for the instruction of those that are of greater iudgement then our selfe but for the helpe and cōfort of the simplest sorte Who in this mayne point of salvation may through the diversitie of opinions be brought in danger of destruction For seeing there is no hope of life to anie but such as are iustified by the righteousnes of God which is by the faith of Christ it must followe that this Iustice being taken away and any other whatsoever put in the place thereof all ground and certeyntie of salvation must needes bee also taken away To come then to the first point there be foure principall different opinions beside the opinion of Osiander which beeing odious to all we need not to speake of The first is of those who devide the worke of Iustification betwixt God and man Christs merit and mans merit faith and works grace debt the Law the Gospell but in divers respects and considerations For in respect of that which they call the first righteousnes which they esteeme nothing but a preparation of a man to iustifie himself by a formall righteousnes infounded in vs by grace they give place to God as the author worker and to his grace as the cause moving him and vnto Christs sufferings as the cause meriting that grace vnto faith as the benefit in founded into vs by grace and vnto the Gospell as the instrument whereby this benefit is wrought in vs. Yet with God his grace they ioyne man in this worke ascribing vnto him freedome of will so that God by his grace man in his will concurre in the worke God by his grace helping mans will to beleeve But in respect of that which they call the second righteousnes wherein they place the merit of eternall life they seclude God from beeing the Iustifier and ascribe iustification to man him selfe they seclude grace and establish workes of free will they seclude Christ and the merit of his obedience and place them selves and the merit of their owne workes they seclude beleeving and establish working and for the Gospell place the Law The second opinion is of those who in iustification make God to be the Iustifier and that of his grace and that by faith but as our worke of our free will yet not of the Law but of the Gospel secluding Christ and his obedience wholy from our righteousnes as likewise the Law and the workes thereof So they give to God the worke of Iustifying but the matter of their righteousnes they wholy ascribe to their owne worke and act in beleeving and place grace in nothing but in Gods gracious accepting of mans imperfect faith in place of the perfect righteousnes of the Law and attribute vnto the merit of Christes obedience this gracious acceptation of our faith as though hee had dyed and suffered not for our Iustification but to merit and obtayne at Gods hande that our owne worke of beleeving should bee graciously accepted as perfect righteousnes albeit in it selfe imperfect and where they may seeme to agree with the papist in asscribing righteousnes to their owne working they thinke that they doe sufficientlie purge them selves from that blott by this subtill evasion that they doe not attribute their righteousnes to a worke of the Lawe but to a worke of the Gospell The third opinion is of those who attribute the worke of Iustification vnto God but place their righteousnes partlie in their faith as their owne worke and partly in the obedience of Christ and make two actions of God in Iustifying In the one whereof they give place vnto grace in the other not The first action is the imputation of our imperfect faith for righteousnes and that by grace The second action is the imputatiō of Christs perfect obedience for the supplying of that which is wanting in our imperfect faith for righteousnes and that by Iustice All these three opinions doe attribute Mans righteousnes either wholy or in parte to his owne working The first and last doe ioyne grace merit together in Iustification Which things are most contrarie to the truth of God whether the workes bee of nature or of grace of the Law or of the Gospell The fourth and last opinion is of those who attribute the worke of Iustification to God alone and placeth our righteousnes onely in Christes obedience and doe acknowledge saith to be nothing but the applying and apprehending instrument of Christes obedience and the Gospell to bee the instrument of faith and all to be of grace because God giveth Christ to bee righteousnes vnto vs by grace and imputes his obedience vnto vs by grace and by grace giveth vs faith and vnto faith the Gospell so that they attribute the whole prayse of the Iustification vnto God and place the whole matter of righteousnes in the obedience of Christ secluding all workes of men eyther of the Lawe or of the Gospell and acknowledge the grace of God to be the onely cause moving God to iustifie vs by Christes obedience as likewise of the giving of vs faith to apprehend it and this opinion only agreeth with the trueth CHAPTER XXI NOw we come to these things wherein especially stands the chiefest controversies whereby the trueth of Iustification is most darkened which we will reduce all to these foure points The first shal be touching the efficient cause of Iustification The second shal be touching the materiall cause of it The third shal be touching the formall cause The fourth shal be touching the subiect that is iustified Vnder these foure are comprehended the chiefe controversies touching this matter For touching the finall cause there is no great disagreement therefore we have no need to speake much of it yet notwithstanding because it serves to cleare that which we have so much insisted in before touching the order of Adoption and Iustification we will speake something thereof after the other foure First then touching the efficient cause of Iustification the controversie is only with the Papistes for in this point albeit they agree with vs in parte or rather in shew yet they disagree from vs in the chiefest substance of this question For wee saye that God onely doeth Iustifie but they albeit they graunt the first Iustification to God in parte yet they asscribe the second Iustification wherein they place the merit of eternall life wholy to man him selfe Now for discussing this controversie wee have three thinges that may sufficientlie cleare our iudgement therein The first is the manner and forme of the Scripture phrase touching the Iustification of a man The second is the testimonie of the Scripture declaring who it is that
Iustifies a man The third is the nature of the worke it selfe Touching the first the Scripture speaking of Iustification even whereas it is supposed to bee by the workes of the Lawe speakes passivelie of man and never activelie to shewe it is a worke which he him selfe doeth not but which is done vnto him by another as for example Rom. chapt 3. vers 20. by the workes of the Lawe shall no flesh bee iustified And againe Gal. chap. 2. ver 16. Knowing that a man is not Iustified by the workes of the Law And againe Gall. chap. 5. vers 4. And yee are abolished from Christ who soever are Iustified by the Lawe As likewise when Iustification is attributed vnto faith the same passive forme of speach is vsed as Rom. chapt 3. vers 28. VVe conclude then that a man is Iustified by faith without the workes of the Lawe And againe Rom. chap. 5. ver 1. Being then Iustified by faith c. And Tit. chap. 3. ver 7. That beeing Iustified by his grace c. Which forme of speech is most cleerely vsed Matt. chap. 12. v. 37. For by thy wordes thou shalt bee iustified and by thy wordes thou shale be condemned All these testimonies doe shew plainlie that the worke of Iustification is not the worke of man him selfe but of some other And therefore Christ Luke chap 16. 15. layes this to the Pharises charge as a speciall iniquitie saying Yee are those who iustifie your selves And that this is to bee vnderstood not only of a man in iudging him selfe but also of one man in iudging an other it is plaine by the Apostles doctrine Rom. 14. 4. 10. 13. where he takes al power from all men of iudging one another and to conclude this point the Apostles testimonie touching him selfe is sufficient 1. Corint cha 4. ver 3. whereby he cleereth both these pointes to witt that no other man had power to iudge him and that he had no power to iudge him selfe saying I passe little to be iudged of you or of mans iudgement no I iudge not my owne selfe In which places all power of iudging as it is referred either to iustifying or condemning in pardoning or not pardoning sinne in the absolving or not absolving from sinne is vtterly taken from all men whether in respect of them selves or others Touching the second grounde which cleereth who it is that Iustifies there is nothing whereof the holy Scripture giveth more cleere testimonie then of this still affirming that is is God onely who Iustifieth as is manifest Rom. chap. 8. ver 33. where expressely it is sayde It is GOD that Iustifieth and in that same Chapter 30. verse it is saide Those whom hee hath predestinate those hee hath called and whom hee hath called those also hee hath iustified which place sheweth playnely that it can belong to none but to God alone seeing that he who iustifieth must bee he who calleth and hee who calleth must be he who predestinateth which is onely God And againe the same Apostle giveth a cleere testimonie heereof Rom. chapt 3. ver 30. saying For God is one who shall iustifie circoncision of faith and vncirconcision thorough faith The like testimonie is conteyned 1. Corinth cha 4. vers 4. where the Apostle sayeth Hee that iudgeth mee is the Lorde Therefore sayeth the same Apostle Rom. chap. 14. ver 12. That every one of vs shall give accompt of him selfe vnto God Nowe wee come to the third ground which consisteth in the nature of Iustification it selfe which is not as some interprete it to be the making of vs inhesively iust by renovation or change of our nature as though the word Iustificare that is to Iustifie did signifie Iustum facere that is to make just By which opinion our Iustificatiō and our Sanctification are confounded and made one thinge As though to Iustifie were the action of GOD in regeneratinge and recreatinge vs whereas it is the worke of God in iudging vs. so that Iustificar◠doeth signifie Iustum pronuntiare that is to pronounce righteous which is manifest by two reasons The first is because in Scripture Iustification is opposed to condemnation as is cleere by the testimonie cited before Mat. 12. 37. The second reason is taken from the description of Iustification set downe in the Scriptures where sometymes it is defined to consist in the remission of sinnes sometymes in the forgiving of wickednes in the covering of sinne and not imputing of iniquitie sometyme by the imputation of righteousnes Which all doe prove manifestly that Iustification is the Action of him who is the Iudge of mankinde in absolving man from sinne and the punishment thereof Of this it followeth that vnto God onely it belongeth to Iustifie and that for two speciall reasons The first is because the Lord is the onely Iudge of all Hebr. 12. 23. And therefore Acts 17. 31. it is sayd He hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnes Of which day the Apostle also speaketh Rom. 2. 5. 16. and the reason heereof is given by the Apostle Rom. 14. 7. 8. to witt because hee is our onely Lord to whom we both live and die and therefore according as in that same place the Apostle concludes VVe all shall appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ and every one of vs shall give accompt of him selfe to God Whereby it is cleere seeing God is the onely Iudge of the world that to iustifie and to cōdemne must onely belonge to him The second reason is seeing Iustification consistes in remission of sinnes and not imputing of iniquitie it followeth that not any except God alone can iustifie because none save God alone can forgive sinne as is cleere Mark 2. 7. and Luke 5. 21. therefore doeth the Lord him selfe saye Esa 43. 25. I even I am he that putteth away thy iniquities for myne owne sake And againe 44. cha vers 22. I have put away thy transgressions like a Cloud and thy sinnes as a mist Likewise David doth attribute the not imputing of iniquitie to the Lord Psal 31. 2. saying Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie which also the Apostle cleerely sheweth 2. Corinth 5. 19. saying That God was in Christ reconciling the world to him selfe not imputing to them their sinnes Now whereas it might seeme that in treating of the efficient cause of Iustification we should speake not onely of God himselfe but also of his grace yet because the question touching his grace doeth also fitly belong to the formall cause therefore wee referre it vnto that place CHAPTER XXII NOw followeth that we speake of the materiall cause and in this pointe out of the former thinges it may be easilie gathered that there be foure different opinions The first is that the workes of the Law done by man are the matter of our righteousnes The second is that the onely act of mans heart in beleeving is the matter of it The third is that
iustifie vs by it For the iudgement of God is iust and according to trueth Rom. 2. 2. and 5. verses and the Lord shall iudge the world in righteousnes Acts 17. 31. of which it followeth that there is much more iniquitie in these mens opinion then in the Papistes because they wittingly lay a ground to them selves touching iustification wherein it is impossible that Gods iudgement can be according to trueth seeing they make him to iustifie them by that which in their owne confession is never answerable to the iustice of God Thirdly that can never iustifie a man that causeth wrath and makes both faith and the promise vaine and of none effect and therefore righteousnes can never be by the Law For as sayeth the Apostle Rom. 4. 15. The Law causeth wrath And againe Gal. 3. 10. VVhosoever are of the workes of the Lawe are vnder the curse and that this opinion doth make both faith and the promise of none effect it is manifest by the Apostle Rom. chap. 4. vers 14. saying For if they which are of the Lawe be heires faith is made voide and the promise is made of none effect And againe Gall. chap. 3. vers 18. For if the inheritance be by the Law it is no more by promise By this may evidently appeare the grosse ignorance of the Papistes who doe ioyne faith and the workes of the Law together in the worke of our Iustification which two can never more stande together then grace and workes For to be by faith and to bee by grace is all one thing according to the saying of the Apostle Rom. 4. 16. Therefore is it by faith that it might be by grace Fourthly that whereby cōmeth the knowledge of sinne and which maketh transgression to abound and which includeth all men vnder sinne and which stoppeth all mouth and maketh all the world subiect to the iudgement of God can never serve to the Iustification of a man Now that all these are the effects of the Law it is manifest by these Testimonies of Scripture Rom. chap. 7. vers 7. I knew not sinne but by the Law And againe Rom. 5. 20. The Lawe entered in therevpon that the transgression might abound And againe Gall. 3. 22. But the Scripture hath included all vnder sinne Whereby the word Scripture is vnderstood the Law as is cleer by the testimonie of the Apostle Rom. chap. 3. vers 19. Where he interpretes these Scriptures by the which he had convinced all both Iewes and Grecians to be vnder sinne saying Wee knowe that whatsoever things the Law speaketh it sayeth it to them which are vnder the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world be made subiect to the iudgement of God And that the strength of this reason may appeare to be vncontrolable The 20. verse of that same 3. chap. sheweth it to be the argument of Gods owne spirit when as the Apostle concludes after this manner Therefore by the workes of the Law shall no flesh be iustified before him for by the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne Lastly this opinion fighteth directly not only against the testimonie of God himselfe but also against the testimonie of the knowledge and cōscience of the chiefest saints of God Touching Gods testimonie it is cleere throughout all the Scriptures where he convinceth all men of sinne saying There is none righteous no not one c. Rom. 3. And the Apostle in the same chapter witnesses that by the workes of the Lawe shall no flesh bee iustified before him And expresly in the 4. chap. he sayeth that to him that worketh not but beleeveth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is imputed vnto righteousnes And David placeth the righteousnes of man in Gods imputing of righteousnes without workes Rom. 4. 6. And the Apostle Paul expresly concludeth Gal. 5. 4. That they whosoever are iustified by the Lawe are abolished from Christ and are fallen from grace Now touching the knowledge and conscience of the chiefe Saints of God we have cleer testimonies from them Esa 64. 6. Wee have all bene as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes is as filthie clouts c. The like confession and plaine acknowledgment wee have in Daniel chap. 9. in the prayer that he makes vnto God But most clearly in the Apostles speach touching himselfe and Peter and remanent Apostles and all the faithfull amongst the Iewes Gall. 2. 15. 16. where he sayeth VVee who are by nature Iewes and not sinners of the Gentils knowing that a man is not iustified by the works of the Law but only by the faith of Iesus Christ even we have beleeved in Iesus Christ that wee might bee iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the Lawe For by the workes of the Lawe noe flesh shall bee iustified Therefore the same Apostle Paul albeit hee was vnrebukeable touching the righteousnes which is in the Lawe yet notwithstanding he accompted that righteousnes to bee but losse vnto him and did cast it from him as filtie dounge that he might gaine Christ and bee found in him That is as himselfe interpreteth that he might be found not having his owne righteousnes which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ that is the righteousnes which is of God through faith Phil. chap. 3. Now to conclude this point wee will shew not only the vanitie but the impossibilitie of this opinion by this one ground which is cleere in Scripture First it is evident that the next and immediate end of our iustification is our peace and recōciliation with God For being iustified we have peace toward God saith the Apostle Rom. 5. 1 And therefore peace is said to bee made by the bloud of Christ Collos 1. 20. And the manner how God reconcileth is saide to bee by iustifying 2 Cor. 5. 19. For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe by not imputing to them their sinnes which is all one as to say that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe by iustifying them Secondly it is evident that there is no reconciliation betwixt God and vs without a Mediator Therefore the Law was not given but by the hand of a Mediator Gall. 3. 19. Neither is the covenant of the Gospell confirmed without a Mediator And all confirmation of whatsoever covenant is by bloud because without shedding of bloud there is no purgation nor iustification from sinne and that by him who is Mediator For then is the covenant of Peace betwixt God and man confirmed when he who is the Mediator of the covenant hath by the sprinckling of bloud purged away all filthines and obtayned full remission as is cleere by the 9. to the Hebr. And therefore sayeth the Apostle in the same chapter verse 18. That even the first covenant was not ordayned without bloud And Moyses the Mediator of that covenant when with that bloud he had sprinckled all the people he said this is the bloud
all in him and with him did satisfie the iustice of God in his death and suffering Thus our vnion with Christ and meanes thereof is alwayes to be distinguished from our communion with him in the participation of his righteousnes as the fruit thereof Like as our being in Adam and one with him is to be distinguished from the fruit thereof which is communiō with him in the participation of his transgression For clearing of this pointe we have to marke carefully the wordes of the spirit of God vnto Daniel chap. 9. vers 24. In the which an appeinted tyme is set downe for the finishing of wickednes the sealing vp of sinnes the reconciling of iniquitie and bringing in of everlasting righteousnes in the worlde Thereby shewing vs that it is impossible that faith can bee the materiall righteousnes of GOD whereby we are iustified For then this everlasting righteousnes should have beene in the worlde before Christ came into the worlde and so should not have beene brought in by him For faith was in the worlde from the dayes of Adam Therefore sayeth the spirit of GOD that by it our Flders obtayned good report and yet in that same place the spirit witnesseth that they receyved not the promise distinguishing betwixt faith and Christ apprehended by faith as the matter of the promise and so consequently of righteousnes The one whereof that is faith they had receyved the other that is the promise they had not receyved because Christ in whom their blessednes was promised was not exhibited in their dayes For albeit by faith they apprehended Christ crucified to come and the righteousnes which hee was to bring vnto the worlde at his comming yet notwithstanding that righteousnes in the substance and matter of it was never brought into the worlde vnto the tyme that Christ IESVS was brought into the worlde Therefore doeth the Lord vse this phrase of speech My salvation is at hande to come and my righteousnes to bee revealed Esay chapter 56. vers 1. According vnto which likewise the Apostle Paul speaketh That GOD had purposed in the dispensation of the fulnes of tyme to gather together all thinges in Christ Eph. ch 1. ve 10. Which the same Apostle declareth more cleerlie Gallath chap. 4. vers 4. 5. saying But when the fulne of tyme was come God sent foorth his Sonne made of a VVoman and made vnder the Lawe that hee might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe c. So that the verie designing of a precise tyme for the bringing in of our righteousnes into the worlde declareth manifestly that that righteousnes is to bee materially distinguished from faith which was in the worlde in all ages before ever it was manifested For faith could bee in the worlde and apprehende righteousnes which was to bee brought into the worlde long before it came as well as nowe long after that righteousnes is performed it can lay holde vppon it vnto iustification For the faith of Gods Children before the day of Christ and the faith of Gods Children nowe after the day of Christ did ever and yet doeth apprehende no righteousnes but that which in that day was brought into the worlde For it is as easie to faith to apprehende righteousnes to come as it is to faith to apprehende by gone righteousnes Like as our faith yet apprehendeth many thinges to come as specially our glorification which is yet a thing no wise manifested neither shall be manifested vntill Christ appeare agayne in his second comming in glorie This same grounde serveth to prove that the Lawe and workes thereof was never the matter of our righteousnes seeing the Lawe was given longe before Christs comming into the world Lastly that which doeth not make manifest God to be iust and the Iustifier can never possibly bee that righteousnes whereby we are iustified This ground is cleere by the Apostles wordes Rom. chap. 3. where hee declareth the ende wherefore God doeth manifest his righteousnes and to that ende setteth foorth Christ to bee a Propitiation by faith in his bloud which is that he may be iust and the iustifier of him that is of the faith of IESVS For the rightousnes of GOD whereby hee iustifieth vs beeing manifested must of necessitie not onely declare GOD to bee mercifull but also iust And therefore it is nor sufficient and enough that grace doe shine in our iustification in respect of Gods grace and mercie towardes vs but moreover it is necessarie that iustice doe shine in our iustification in respect of GOD him selfe so that albeit wee receyve remission of sinnes without any merit or reason in our selves but of Gods free grace toward vs in Christ yet notwithstanding God in doeing so must still be iust For as sayth Abraham Gen. 18. Shall not the Iudge of the worlde doe right Now this iustice of God in iustifying is perceyved by the fight of the righteousnes of God whereby he iustifies as is plaine by that speech of the Apostle in Rom. chap. 3. For to this ende doeth God show his righteousnes that he may be iust Now it is certayne that if God should iustifie vs eyther by the workes of the Lawe or by faith as it is a worke or habit in vs GOD could never bee seene to be iust in iustifying of vs because there is no flesh that abides in every jot that is written in the Lawe of God Neyther is there any that doeth it And concerning faith the very Saints them selves in the scriptures have acknowledged their faith to be imperfect And they who now place faith for the matter of our righteousnes doeth acknowledge that it is not answearable to the iustice of God because it is not full and perfect righteousnes but Iesus Christ whom God hath made righteousnes vnto vs in his death being manifested vnto vs in his satisfaction doeth let vs see a full and perfect righteousnes answerable to the iustice of God in all things so that God is not vniust in iustifying thereby seeing in that iustification hee iustifieth vs by that which in it selfe is a righteousnes as full and perfect as his iustice doeth require and the conscience of this hath forced some of these men who holde our righteousnes to consist in faith to confesse that the obedience of Christ must be imputed vnto vs as well as our owne faith so making a double action of God in iustifying one gracious in respect of faith another iust in respect of Christes obedience Vpon this ground it followeth necessarily that nothing can be our righteousnes except Christ alone seeing the Lord cannot be seene to be iust in instifying vs by any thing except by him alone CHAPTER XXIIII IT followeth now that we speake of the second point which concerneth the matter of our righteousnes that is what is that thing wherein Christ is made of God righteousnes vnto vs and this in one word in the scripture is saide to bee his obedience Rom. chap. 5. vers 19 Where it is said
can Christ live in any more of our soule then that wich liveth by the faith of CHRIST By this it may appeare how vngraciouslie they speake of Gods grace in the worke of faith who make him effectually to renewe no more of man but his vnderstanding leavinge the action of consenting and embracing by faith the things reveiled to the will of man as also how slenderly they speake of faith who place it in nothing but in the willes assentinge to the trueth of God CHAPTER XXVIII NOw it followeth that we speake of faith it selfe what it is In which point wee will first intreate of the divers significations of Faith in the word of God And secondly of the true signification and nature of it in the wroke of iustification Touching the first Faith is taken in foure divers significations in the scriptures of God besides that signification which it hath in the worke of iustification The first signification is when faith is taken for fidelitie and trueth as Math. chap. 23. 32. Yee leave the waightier matter of the Law as iudgement mercie and fidelitie Likewise Rom. chap. 3. ver 3. Shall their vnbeliefe make the faith of God of none effect and 1. Timoth. cha 5. ver 12. having damnation because they have broken their first faith Secondly faith doeth signifie the doctrine of the Gospell because it is begotten in vs by the Gospell for faith commeth by hearing therefore faith is called the faith of the Gospell as also because the Gospell preacheth salvatiō to be no otherwise but by faith and therefore the Gospell is called the worde of faith Rom. chap. 10. ver 8. In this signification it is taken Gall. chap. 3. Receyved ye the spirit by the workes of the Lawe or by the hearing of saith And againe Galla chap. 1. ver 23. He which in time past persecuted vs. nowe preacheth the faith that he before destroyed And Acts chap. 6. ver 7. And a great companie of the Priests were obedient to the faith Thirdly faith is taken for particular knowledge Rom. 14. 22. Hast thou faith have it with thy self c. That which in this place the Apostle calleth faith in the same question matter and purpose he calleth knowledge 1. Cor. chap. 8. Fourthly faith is somtimes put for Christ himself in the gospel because al that ever faith in the gospell apprehendeth is Christ who is the only true obiect of faith vnto salvation In this sense it is takē Gal. 3. 23. before faith came we were kept vnder the law as vnder a garrison shut vp vnto that faith which afterward should be reveiled which words being cōpared with the 24. 25. verses folowing with the 19. verse preceeding it shal be manifest that by the name of faith in that place Christ the obiect of faith is vnderstood Thus much for these foure divers significations wherein faith is taken in the word of God Now we come to the special significatiō and nature of it as we are said thereby to be iustified And when it is said to be imputed vnto righteousnes In which point there is greatest need of carefull attention because vpon the mistaking hereof ariseth principally the mistaking of iustification it selfe Specially in that sentence where it is saide that Faith is imputed vnto righteousnes Concerning which there is a two-folde controversie The first is whether faith in this place be taken in the owne proper signification or in a borrowed sense The seconde controversie is touching the proper signification of faith what it is In the first controversie these who take faith in a borrowed speech doe expound that sentence Metonymically by faith vnderstanding Christ crucified apprehended by faith and so doe esteeme that faith relatively or instrumentally taken and not properly is imputed vnto vs for righteousnes And this opinion agreeth with the trueth of the matter it selfe But there is no necessitie why faith in that place should bee taken in a borrowed sense if the right minde and meaning of the holy Ghost in this phrase be gravely and maturely considered so that if they who take it properly did not erre eyther in the signification of it or in the true sense of the imputation of it their opinion might wel be allowed For faith in this sentence is in my opinion to be taken properly in that sense whereby in it selfe it is distinguished both from the worde whereby it is begotten and from the obiect of it in the worde which is Christ As also from the naked knowledge of the worde and Christ therein reveyled how soever it doeth comprehend knowledge For searching out therefore the true significatiō of the word Faith in this sentence we will first set downe the divers significations wherein it is taken Secondly wee will speake of the true nature and signification of it in this place where it is saide to be imputed vnto righteousnes Cōcerning the first we are not to speak of that differēce which in the scriptures is warranted of historicall faith miraculous faith and iustifying faith but onely of the different opinions of men touching iustifying faith In one thing all men doe consent and agree that faith is an action of the heart consisting in iudgement but they differ in three sortes The first sorte make this iudgment of the harte in beleeving to be nothing but a naked opinion which is a doubtfull inclination of an vncertayne minde to the best part of the contradiction with feare of the contrarie parte beeing destitute of the knowledge of the true cause As for example in this contradiction Christes death shall save vs. and Christes death shall not save vs they have an opinion of the best that is that Christes death shall save them but no certaine knowledge because they are ignorant of the cause of that effect and therfore feare that they shall not bee saved and in this opinion they place faith The seconde sorte which are the wiser amongst the Papistes doe make faith to be an action of the heart in iudging neyther by way of opinion nor yet by way of certayne knowledge but by a middle way of iudgement betwixt opinion and knowledge Which participates of both and yet is neyther of them For they will not have it a doubtfull inclination of the minde vnto the best parte with feare of the worst vpon ignorance of the cause Neither will they have it a certayne inclination of the minde to the best without all feare of the worst vpō certayne knowledge of the cause and necessarie meanes But will have it middle conceyte of the minde neither altogither contingent neither altogither necessarie And now in these dayes there is a sorte of men which agree with this second sorte in substance whatsoever deceitfull shew their wordes doe make to the contrarie Therefore as touching this point wee make no severall order of them For albeit in word they seeme to admit in beleeving knowledge of the thing beleeved yea which is more albeit they graunt application yet seeing they
make neither of the two necessarie stable or constant but variable and subiect to change affirming that the Saintes may fall from saving grace they must needes agree with the former touching the sense and meaning of the word faith as it is the action of our heartes in iudging and apprehending of our salvation The third sorte are they who esteeme faith to signifie the assured confidence of the heart vpon certayne knowledge of the best parte without any feare of the worst And this opinion onely agreeth with Gods truth For nothing can be more contrarie to the nature of faith then an vncertayne opinion seeing no demonstration can ever make a surer conclusion then faith maketh in the heart of man of all whatsoever it beleeveth So that iustly we may say that salvation beleeved and embrased by faith is more sure and stedfast and certayne vnto vs by faith then ever it was in the beginning to Adam or Angells by possession For he that beleeveth shall never perish and the gates of hell shall never prevaile against him For hee that beleeveth is perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angells nor Principalities nor powers nor thinget present nor thinges to come nor height nor depth nor any other ereature shall be able to seperate him from the love of GOD which is in Christ Iesus his Lord. And for confirmation heereof wee referre the Reader to that which we have spoken before touching the supernaturall effectes of faith and to that which heereafter followeth in the description of the true nature of faith vnto the which we nowe come leaving to speake of the error concerning the imputation of faith vntill we come to treate of imputation it selfe Wee have heard alreadie that faith is the supernaturall gift of God And that the meanes whereby the holy Ghost worketh it is the Word the Sacraments and the ministerie and that the persons to whom he giveth it are only his elect whom he hath given to Christ to be his sheepe And lastly that the whole heart of man and the powers of his soule are the subiect wherein it is wrought So that nowe it resteth to know what it is that God worketh in our soules when he giveth vs faith For in these things that have already beene said it differeth nothing from the rest of Gods saving graces For they are all heavenly spirituall and supernaturall giftes of God wrought in the whole heart of every one of Gods elect eyther by the inward operation of the holy Ghost extraordinarily or els in ordiraaie dispensation by the effectuall revelation of the Gospell Therefore seeing faith hath these things common with all the rest wee are nowe to trie the particular difference whereby it is distinguished in substance and nature from all the rest of Gods blessings The consideration of the nature of faith in it selfe is twofolde First faith is to be considered as it is the gift of God cōming from him and wrought by him in our heartes Secondly faith is to be considered as our hearts having it not wrought in them worke by it againe towards God vnto iustification This twofold consideration of faith is necessarie for the right knowledge both of the nature of the working of it For faith passively taken signifieth the effect of Gods working framinge faith in our heartes but actively taken it signifieth the action of our hearts now beleeving in laying holde vpon Iesus Christ as he who is made of God vnto vs wisedome sanctification and redemption First then we will speake of it as it is the worke of God in vs. And next as our hearts worketh by it And this we are carefully to consider for herevpon dependeth all our fellowship with God in Christ and all participation of the promise and inheritance promised to the children of God all true reioycing and gloriation in God and in this worke of faith consisteth all the strength whereby we are made able to stande against all powers of darknes and sinne and are vpholden to the ende In the scriptures of God we finde that all blessings that come from Christ vnto vs are attributed vnto faith as also our beeing Christs and the children of God in him is likewise attributed vnto faith For there be two speciall grounds in the which consists all our felicitie The first is our becomming Christes that is when wee are made his The seconde is the infallible consequence of the former when all that Christ is made of God for vs is made ours So that his death his resurrection his ascention his glorification c. are all made ours And this followeth vpon the former for as sayeth the Apostles If yee bee Christes then are yee Abrahams seede and heyres by promise Gallat chapt 3. ver 29. according to which also the Apostle sayeth All thinges are yours and ye Christes Christ Gods 1. Cor. chap. 3. ver 21. 32. 23. Now faith is the meane and instrument of both these points For by faith wee are made Christs and by faith Christ is to vs wisdome righteousnes sanctification and redemption The first of these two is the fruite of faith as God worketh it in our hearts or rather the work of God by working faith in our hearts The second is the fruit of faith nowe wrought in our hearts or rather the worke of our heartes by faith Thus faith is the mean effectual instrumēt of al our blessednes both in our vnion with Christ the sonne of God and also of our cōmunion with him both in his death life and glory and therefore we are said both to bee the sonnes of God by faith in Christ and to be iustified by faith in him and to live by faith in him and to be saved by faith in him so that faith is the supernaturall gift of God given vs for these supernaturall endes that by it we may be in Christ and Christ in vs for by faith he dwelles in our hearts and that in him and by him we may enioy righteousnes and life To speake then of the first that is of faith as God worketh it it consisteth specially in foure things The first is in Gods opening illuminating of our vnderstandings making our hearts in our vnderstanding power not only to know the promise in Christ Christ to be the seed in whom blessednes is promised to all Nations and in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen but also to iudge and esteeme these thinges reveyled of God to be a most vndoubted and vnfallible trueth so that by this first worke of the Father the heart of Gods elect is made to see vndoubtedly to acknowledge that there is no blessednes vnto man but onely in Iesus Christ crucified So that his eyes are open to see in him selfe nothinge but iust cause of condemnation from the which there is not any helpe neither in him selfe nor any creature but in Iesus Christ alone And therefore is made of God to determine with him selfe to knowe
righteousnes sometime by the making of a man righteous by the obedience of Christ sometime by the making of Christ sinne for vs and vs the righteousnes of God in him and somtime by healing of vs by Christ his stripes and all these are to one effect the iustified man is sometimes shortly described in one worde the iust by faith sometime in relatiō to the action of God more amply he that hath received the aboundance of grace of the gift of that righteousnes which is by one man Iesus Christ somtime he whose sinnes are remitted to whom sinne is not imputed and whose sins are covered c. out of which and the consideration of the points preceeding wee may gather a more full and cleare definition of the action of iustificatiō in this maner Iustification is that seconde gratious action of the free dispensation of GOD in Christ towarde those whom accordinge to his foreknowledge and purpose hee had predestinated to bee Adopted through Christ whom nowe hee hath adopted through him havinge effectuallie called them to the fellowship of Christ by faith by the which action he maketh them who in them selves are sinners to bee righteous in Christ crucified that is whom albeit he knew no sinne hee had made sinne for them and that by the free imputation of Christs obedience and satisfaction vnto them as their owne righteousnes even as they them selves had performed it and by the imputation of faith which he hath given vnto them as their owne to this end that the righteousnes of God which they possesse no wayes but by faith might be their owne righteousnesse and so they might have remission of sinnes in his bloud of Christ whom God had not onely ordayned but also made a propitiation for them in his bloud In this definition we cal iustification first the action of God because it is he only which iustifieth Secondly wee call it the action of his dispensation to distinguish it from the action of Predestination or of Gods Decree in it selfe Thirdly wee call it the second action of his dispensation to distinguish it from the first action which is our calling preceeding it Fourthly wee call it a gratious and free action because it is dispensed for no merit or deserving of those which receyve it neither for any thing given by them to God before whereof it should be the recompence but is given freely of his grace Fiftly Wee call it the worke of God in Christ to distinguish it from the Decree of God which is a worke of God in him self and to shewe iustification to be a worke of externall dispensation which wholy is performed by God in Christ in whom all the blessings of grace are comprehended as our filiation or iustification and glorification in whom and through whom only God maketh vs his sonnes righteous and glorious he being made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption And these five pointes are to bee considered in the nature of this action The next thing that is to be considered is the subiect that is iustified And this we make not simply to be a man foreknowne and fore-purposed neither yet a man simply predestinate but moreover a man effectually called and made one with Christ by faith and in that vnitie the sonne of God For a man simply and nakedly foreknowne is the onely obiect of Gods Decree and Predestination For those whom hee foreknew hee predestinate sayeth the spirit of God And a man predestinate is the only obiect of Gods calling according to his purpose For whō hee had predestinate them also hee called sayeth the spirit of God And the man now called effectually to the faith of Iesus as the sonne of God and promised seed in the which all the nations of the world should be blessed is the onely obiect of Gods iustification like as a iustified man is the onely obiect of Gods glorification Thus to goe backward againe the Lord in glorifying a man hath before him especially his righteousnes for none but the iust shall live next in iustifying a man hee hath particularly before his eyes his vnion with Christ by faith without the which not any man shal be iustified of God And in giving this blessing to bee one with Christ by faith and so in that vnitie the sonne of God in which cōsisteth the calling of God Hee onely hath before his eyes the man predestinate to be Adopted through Christ that is the man whom hee hath ordayned to call that is to Adopt and to make his sonne by faith in Christ And in predestinating a man to this blessinge hee had not any thing before his eyes but his owne foreknowledge of the person of that man his purpose or the good pleasure of his will which are all one in substance and different onely in respect The will of God which limiteth all the actions of his power seeing hee doeth all thinges accordinge to the counsell of his owne will being the highest and the first cause of all thinges created and done by GOD in the world of the which no cause possiblie can bee given and therefore it is in some respect the cause of Gods purpose or counsaile which therefore is called the counsaile of his will although his will and his counsaill in effect bee both one For his will is his purpose and his purpose is his will in all thinges and especiallie in the whole worke of his grace towardes the vesselles of mercie vnto the which his purpose is especiallie restrayned oftentimes in the booke of God which purpose is nothing save a setting of such persons before him from all eternitie as hee him selfe willeth or pleaseth which may cleerlie be perceyved by the holy bread set vpon the Table in the Sanctuarie being twalfe in number representinge the twalfe Tribes of Israell that is the whole elect of God which are called the shew bread in the vulgar translation the worde beeing the same which is called the purpose of God as is cleere by Christ his owne wordes Math. chap. 12. ver 4. Luke chap. 6. ver 4. that is the bread of the purpose of God or of the setting before the face of God And therefore the action of the Priest in settinge those bread vpon the table before the Lord is called by the Apostle Heb. chap. 9. ver 2. Prothesis ton arton that is the setting before or the presenting of bread to shewe vs that by that worde which is commonly called the purpose of God which was shadowed in that type of the Lawe is to bee vnderstood the eternall action of God in settinge before himselfe as in the sight of his owne eyes the persons of such as hee willed And in the same sense the same word is referred vnto Christ Rom. chapt 3. ver 25. whether it be referred to Gods eternall purpose touching the humane nature of Iesus Christ in setting it particularly before him as that which should be the onely expiation of the sinnes of his
A TREATISE TENDING TO CLEARE THE DOCTRINE OF IVSTIFICATION Written by Io. FORBES Pastour of the English Church at MIDDELBVRGH for the instruction of his flocke And now published by some of them for the good of others Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne Psal 32. 2. This is the name that they shall call him The Lord our righteousnes Ier. 33. 6. For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing to them their sinnes 2. Cor. 5. 19. For he made him who knew no sinne to be sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him 2. Cor. 5. 21. AT MIDDELBVRGH Printed by Richard Schilders 1616. To his welbeloved in the Lord the faithfull of the English Church in MIDDELBVRGH whose love to the trueth hath entertained his Ministerie amongst them The Author wisheth grace to discerne and in humilitie to embrace and coÌ„stantlie to hold the truth in faith and love vnto eternall life THE love of you dearely beloved whom I have and yet do serve in the Lord stirred by the earnest and forward desire of some of you hath mooved me to alter my former determination of abstayning from all writing especially during the present estate of Gods Church more wasted and whithered then watered and builded in grace by superfluitie of writing I ever was loth to put my hande to the penne and rashlie to adventure the declaring of my minde in so deepe mysteries seeing so many by their inconsiderate forwardnes in writing doe darken the trueth more then cleere it and doe breed contention rather then godly edifying The sight of whose weaknes ioyned with the conscience of myne owne inabilitie as being in iudgement farre inferior so also in vttering by word and expressing in writt the conceptions of my minde faâ—re lesse prompt and able then many who have so stumbled hath made me afraide to medle in such sort with the sacred truth of God Moreover in this contending age I see and perceyve that answering of errours doth more kindle then quench the fire of endlesse strife presumption of knowledge deceyving the mindes of manie and true humilitie so necessarie a vertue for learning the mysteries of God so farre remoued from men even otherwayes of excellent giftes that the most part striving in preiudged humor more for victorie then truth it is hard to finde almost one who in this heate of contention doth not in something more or lesse marre the soundnes of Gods truth So dangerous a thing it is to do any thing in contentious manner and through vaine glorie and not in that meeknes of minde whereby every man esteemeth others better then him selfe and therefore wisely doth the Apostle forbid oppositions of science falsly so called in the handling of Gods truth as a thing which maketh both them which professe it to erre concerning the faith and also turnes others away from the truth and commandeth the servant of the Lord not to strive but being gentle toward all men to instruct theÌ„ with meeknes and willeth those that are strong in the faith to receive vnto them the weake in faith but not vnto coÌ„troversies of disputations because that doth greatly harme such as are weake who thereby are cast in a greater doubtfulnes and vncertaintie of the maine fouÌ„dations For as a ship before one faire wind is carried forward in hir course saffely brought to the haveÌ„ which by contrary blastes is not onely hindred but greatly endangered if not drowned even so the faith of the Saints which is to be promoved by the onely simple and sound breath of Gods mouth in his faithfull servants all both minding speaking one thing must needes bee marveylously hindred in many and in many quite destroyed by these so many contrarie doctrines blowing every one against another and casting the faith of the children of God vpon so many daungerous Rockes and tossing it with so manie windes and waves that it is no marvayle to see so many make wofull shipwrackes It were more to the honour of God and profit of the Saints if the Builders were more carefull of keeping vnitie in the truth in following the true paterne of holsome wordes in faith and love which cannot bee condemned then curious in shewing their knowledge And that all Pastours did labour after th' example of that Prince of Pastours to lead his people by the still waters rather then by the turbulent streames of their fighting opinions and by strange language to divert the children of God from the waters of Shiloa that runnes softlie which only are able to refresh the Cittie of God In so doinge they should not have sinned in quenching so many smoking flaxes and breaking so many brused reedes I speake not against the faithfull labours of Christes witnesses coÌ„tending with courage against the errors of the common adversarie either within or without the house of GOD and opposing them selves both in plaine simplicitie of trueth and moderate helpe of arte to everie corrupt doctrine But my speach is against our owne intestine debates arising not so much vpon any substantiall contrarietie as to much curiositie of judgement whereas in one and the same pointe they holding the substance doe contende for the shadowe as is too manifest in this same pointe whereof I am by your Christian importunitie forced to write touchinge the Iustification of a sinner before God Wherein even they who doe holde Christ to bee our righteousnesse according to the word doe yet notwithstanding greatly perturbe the peace of the Church and destroye the faith of many and give matter of offence to all in striving for the difference which is in the measure rather theÌ„ in the matter of their faith They that see more deepely by importune and vntimely forwardnes renting such as are yet old bottells with their new wine and they who are not come so farre in knowledge in vnadvised temeritie iudging and condempning that whereto as yet they themselves have not attained Both fayling in the duetie of love the one not contenting to have their faith with them selves vntill without hurte and offence of others they may imparte it to their edification and not to their destruction the other sorte not having learned in sobrietie to be wise according to the measure of their owne faith doe not admitt what more the Lord reveyleth to others as though the measure of their faith and knowledge should bee the rule and limittes of the spirit to binde the whole Church and every man therein And this woefull seed of contradiction while men are too much addicted to the vaine deceyte of their owne reason hath now at last not onely troubled the faith of the weake ones but hath begunne to cast darknes vpon the mindes of some of the strongest sorte while they evanish in their owne reasonings about the trueth of God reveyled in the Gospell as did the Gentiles in that trueth which God made manifest vnto them in the
creatures These have bene the causes of my vnwillingnes to give any thing in write and that now being overcome by your request I doe follow a plaine maner of declaration of my minde without contention with anie or direct disputing against anie as being resolved to have no parte in the noysome wrangling of this contentious age But as one desirous to walke honestlie in all things I endevour to keepe mee within the measure of my owne faith and to benefitt the Church of God with that which he hath given me not hindring nor envying that others who have receyved more do more good in our common Lords worke Of whom as hee who is onely able to give it I most humbly crave the gratious direction of his spirit in this and all my labours with his blessing therevpon to your comfort and theirs who shall have the vse thereof His grace be with you Middelburgh 20. Iuly 1615. Yours in the Lord Jo. Forbes A Table of things contayned in this Treatise according to the order of the Chapters CHAPTER I. FOure groundes proponed which serve to make vs conceyve aright of the nature of the benefits dispensed vnto vs by God in Christ 1. The knowledge of Gods Decree 2. Of Christ as Mediator 3. Of the order of the benefits 4. Of their difference Chap. II. Of the two chief things to be considered in Gods Decree to wit the substance and chief cause of it The twofold description of Gods Decree or Predestination And of that which is the most proper Chap. III. Of the substance of Gods Decree consisting in three things 1. the persons who are ordayned 2. that wherevnto they are ordayned 3. the meane whereby Of which the first two are spoken of in this chapter Chap. IV. The third part of the substance of Gods Decree touching the meane of adoption that is IESVS CHRIST Chap. V. Of the cause moving God to decree that is the will of God cleared from the Persons who are ordayned vnto adoption Chap. VI. The same cause cleared from that thing wherevnto they are ordayned Chap. VII The same cleared from the meane whereby they are ordayned to be adopted Chap. VIII Of the second groūd which is touching Christ the Mediator Chap. IX Of the third ground touching the order of Gods benefites specially of Adoption and Iustification and of five things serving to cleare the same Chap. X. Of the first of those fiue touching the order of subsistinge of the persons of the Trinitie Chap. XI Of the second of these five touching the severall obiectes wherein the grace of God is to be considered Chap. XII Of the third of these five touching the difference of order betwixt Gods dispensation and our perception Chap. XIII Of the fourth of these five touching the different extent or largenes of Gods benefites amongst them selves Chap. XIIII Of the last of these five touching the covenant of God Chap. XV. Of the first reason why most men place Iustification in order before Adoption Chap. XVI Of the second reason why most men place Iustificatiō before Adoptiō drawen from Io. 1. 12. examined in the first point that is touching the persons there described Chap. XVII The examination of the same reason from the second and third pointes therein to be considered that is the benefit bestowed and him who bestoweth it Chap. XVIII Of the fourth and last ground serving to cleare the nature of Gods benefites touching the difference of these benefits and first of the divers manner of speach vsed in scripture touching them 2. Of these things wherein they agree and vse hereof Chap. XIX Of the twofold distinction of the benefits 1. according to the maner that we enioy them 2. according to their particular nature Chap. XX. A proposition of the doctrine of Iustification things therein to be intreated And first of the divers opinions of men touching iustification in generall Chap. XXI The foure principall points controverted 1 touching the efficient cause 2. touching the materiall cause 3. touchinge the formall cause 4. touching the subiect iustified and the first handled Chap. XXII Of the second point touching the materiall cause of Iustification the different opinions of men reduced to foure principall and examination of them Chap. XXIII Of the true matter of our righteousnes what it is wherein the first handled shewing that Christ only is the matter therof Chap. XXIIII Of the second point touching that wherein Christ is our righteousnes the different opinions of men therein and the truth examined by six grounds out of the word Chap. XXV Of those things in Christ which are required to make that wherein he is our righteousnes to be righteousnes both in his Person Priesthood and actions Chap. XXVI Of the formall cause of iustification cōsisting in three things 1. in Gods giving 2. in his imputing 3. in the maner of both that is by grace The gift being two fold the first which is faith is first intreated of in foure pointes and first what kinde of gift it is Chap. XXVI Of the second point touching faith to whom it is given and in what part or facultie it is wrought Chap. XXVIII Of the third point touching faith what it is of the divers significations of it of the true signification of it when it is said to be imputed vnto righteousnes of the particular nature thereof both as it is wrought by God in our hartes and as our heartes worke by it Chap. XXIX Of the fourth and last point touching faith that is the end vse wherefore it is given vnto vs consisting in foure things Chap. XXX Of the second gift which God giveth in iustifying which is Christ crucified Chap. XXXI Of the second point touching the forme of Iustification consisting in imputation the signification of the word the thinges that are said to be imputed and what it is that in iustification is imputed Chap. XXXII Of the third point touching the forme of iustification consisting in the grace of God Chap. XXXIII Of the obiect of iustification both what man is in him selfe and what by grace when he is iustified Chap. XXXIIII Of the finall cause of iustification Chap. XXXV Of the description of iustification considered in the particular points thereof gathered out of the former grounds FINIS A Treatise tending to cleare the Doctrine of Justification CHAPTER I. THE Evangelist Luke willing to make Theophilus to acknowledge the certaintie of those things whereof he had bene instructed did search out perfectly all thinges from the beginning and then did write vnto him frō point to point According to whose example for giuing the more full assurāce to mindes desirous of knowledge it shall not be amisse being to treat of the true nature of the Iustification of a sinner that we first beginning at the very foundation do shortlie speak of those points vpon the knowledge whereof chieflie dependeth the light and evidence of this matter Amongst divers others there are foure principall groundes vpon the
predestinate and according thereto effectually called Secondly that those who are so called that is according to Gods purpose or foreknowledge doe remayne sure and never can so fall away from grace and from the trueth of God that they should erre frō the marke But heere it is not my purpose to speake more of the persons that are ordayned because heereafter we wil have occasion at greater length to entreat of them The second thing in the substance of Gods Decree to be considered of vs is that wherevnto they are ordeyned which by the Apostle is called Adoption that is sonneship or filiation When he sayeth he hath predestinated vs vnto adoption which benefire implieth all the rest which consist in these things whereof we are made partakers in the sonne of God to make vs conforme to his Image both in death and life in suffering and reigning with him Which as we haue said appeareth evidently by that other description of predestinatiō set downe in the 8 chap. to the Rom. where it is said that he hath predestinated vs to be made like to the Image of his Sonne Whereby it is evident that the thing whereto first and principally we are predestinate is to be sonnes by adoption and secondarily in and vnder that adoption we are by infallible consequent predestinate to bee made like vnto the only Sonne of God For first we are made Gods sonnes in his sonne then we are made like Gods sonne in his sonne for the conforming of vs vnto Christ succeedeth not only in order but also in some respect in time vnto our being sonnes in him according to that saying of Iohn in his 1. Epist chap. 3. vers 2. We are now the sonnes of God but yet it is not made manifest what we shal be and we knowe that when hee shal be made manifest we shal be made like him for we shall see him as he is And to the same effect speakes the Apostle to the Colossians chap. 3. vers 3. and 4. saying That we are dead and that our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glorie For this ground is to be well marked that the likening of vs who are made sonnes in Christ requireth necessarily the manifestation of Christ vnto vs to goe before in the same blessings wherein we are to be made like vnto him For as to make vs sonnes by adoption requireth necessarily the revelation of Iesus Christ as the sonne of God vnto vs so the conforming of vs vnto him either in death or life requireth necessarily that he be manifested to vs in his death and crosse and in his life and glorie Therefore doth Peter in his 1. Epist chap. 1. vers 13. ascribe the bringing of all grace to vs vnto the revelation of IESVS Christ saying Trust perfectly in that grace which is brought vnto you in the revelation of Iesus Christ And of this it commeth to passe that in this present life we are in some measure made like vnto Christ in the communion of the benefites flowing from his death and suffering and his resurrection from the death because he hath alreadie appeared to vs in these things But in this life we are not neither shal be made like vnto him in his glorie which followeth the resurrection frō the dead because in that we cannot be made conforme vnto him vntill that he appeare vnto vs againe in glorie but we rest in full assurance of it because of our conformitie in his death alreadie begunne For as sayth the Apostle Rom. 6. 5. If we haue bene planted with him vnto the similitude of his death we shall also be planted with him to the similitude of his resurrection And this assurance made the Apostle Paul to labour above all things to know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings in being made conforme to his death Phil. 3. 10. because as in the same place he declareth by that cōformitie vnto his death he did know that he should attayne vnto the resurrection from the dead that is the glorious and immortall estate in all perfection which the Saints doe enioy in the resurrection from the dead In respect of this ground it is that first principally as we haue said we are predestinate vnto adoption as vnto that wherein Christ is first of all to be manifested vnto vs and in the communion whereof is builded and grounded our communion with him in all other things wherein he is heereafter to be revealed vnto vs to this ende that we may bee made like vnto him This is one of the mayne pointes chiefly to be marked in the consideration of the substance of Gods Decree Which not being rightly conceyved maketh that not onely the Decree of God it selfe is mistaken by many but also that the benefites of God in Christ are both wrongly defined and ordered and specially the benefite of Iustification as heereafter wee will see more cleerly CHAPTER IIII THE third thing to bee marked in the substance of Gods Decree is the Meane whereby we are to attayne vnto that wherevnto we are predestinate that is whereby God hath ordayned vs to be Adopted which is Iesus Christ according as the description of predestination contayneth when it fayeth That we are Predestinate to be adopted through Iesus Christ Of which point for avoyding idle repetition we will not speake much vntill we come to the second of these foure points which we haue propounded to be considered because vnto it it properly belongeth onely these two things we are to marke by the way First that Iesus Christ is not the cause why but the Meane whereby God doth ordayne vs to adoption Which will more clearly appeare when we speake of the cause mooving God to predestinate vs. The second thing that we haue to marke is that all other secondary Meanes whereby in the Scriptures we are said to be made sonnes or iustified c. as namely the Gospell preached the Sacramentes faith are no wayes to be esteemed Meanes simply in respect of them selves but only by relation and reference to Christ in and by them revealed offered and receyved Which is most evident by the description aforesaide of predestination in the which nothing saving Christ alone is set downe to be the Meane whereby God ordayneth vs to be adopted so that it is not the word but Christ revealed by the word neither the Sacraments but Christ signified by the Sacramentes nor faith but Christ receyved by faith which in proper sense maketh vs sonnes and iustifieth vs. They only by consequence and mediatly being said in Scripture to make vs sonnes and Iustifie vs c. because they are the meanes appointed of GOD whereby we atteyne vnto Christ who is the onely proper and immediate meane whereby we are Adopted and Iustified c. Neither are they appointed mediate Meanes absolutely necessarie vnto our adoption and iustification
redemption be performed But more cleerely of this in the next ground which serveth to cleere both this third ground and the mayne point which we have in hande CHAPTER XIII THE fourth ground standeth in the marking how every benefite goeth above each other amongst them selves in largenes of extent for that benefite which is comprehended vnder another must needes in order follow that which doth comprehend it and that which doth cōprehend all the rest must needs in order go before them all For things which are vniversal and general go before things which are speciall particular Now amongst the benefits of God we finde in scripture that redemptiō is of very large extent so that it doth cōprehend vnder it both our iustification glorification for it is defined oftētymes by both Touching iustification it is cleere when as redemptiō is defined so oft by remissiō of sinnes and we are said to be iustified freely through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Ephe. cha 1. ve 7. and Rom. 3. 24. And as concerning glorification Christ expresly calleth it our redemption Luke chap. 21. ver 28. As touching the rest of the benefites wee shall have occasion to speake of them hereafter and we will now only speake of Adoption comparing it with Redemption to try which is of largest extent for if it bee larger then Redemption I thinke in the iudgement of all men it shall bee without contradiction esteemed the first blessing of all but especially it shall be found in order to go before Iustification seeing that our righteousnes is comprehended in our Redemption For cleering this point if we marke narrowly the Scriptures of God we shall see that as our Redemption comprehendeth vnder it our Iustification Sanctification and Glorification so our adoption comprehendeth vnder it our whole Redemption and all the parts thereof which is manifest by three speciall reasons The first is because Adoption is extended by the Spirit of God to the last blessing wherein standeth the accomplishment of our Redemption that is the redemption of our bodies from the which as from a part Adoption is described Rom. chap. 8. vers 23. and that because our Adoption is not fully accomplished but in the full accomplishment of our Redemption Therefore sayeth Iohn 1 Epist chap. 3. vers 2. That now we are the Sonnes of God but yet it hath not appeared what we shall be Thereby declaring that eaven to our selves the cleere and full sight of our Adoption is not nor shall not be given vntill the day of the second appearing of the Lord Iesus when all things Decreed shall be finished Therefore that day is called by the Spirit of God the day of the Revelation of the Sonnes of God Rom. cha 8. ver 19. Out of which place it may evidently bee gathered that our whole Redemption and every part thereof and especially the last part is nothing els but a manifestation of our Sonne-ship or Adoption And therfore it must follow that Iustification which is a part of Redemption must serve to this same vse in part like as the whole parts of Redemption fully accomplished serve for it in whole And this is the cause why by a most learned Divine Iustification and all subsequent benefits are called Via Adoptionis that is the way whereby Adoption is performed The second reason is taken from that ground which was layed downe in the XI chapter by which it was cleared that Christ can redeeme none but such as are his brethren For by his consecration he was to bring none but childrē vnto glorie Hebr. chap. 2. ver 17. and therefore it must follow that Adoption in order must goe before Iustification seeing whatsoever Christ doeth in the flesh he doth it wholy for his brethrens sake so that our whole Redemption is the fruite of our Adoption and an infallible consequence thereof The third reason is taken from the definition of Gods Decree or Predestination which vnder the benefit of Adoption alone comprehendeth all the blessings of God and whatsoever GOD of his eternall purpose hath ordayned vnto vs for our full felicitie in Christ for by it alone without mentioning any of the rest of the benefites in Christ predestination is defined Ephe. chap. 1. vers 5. to shew vs that it contayneth all vnder it and is of the largest extent of all as being before all in all through all the rest For then is an adopted sonne fully a sonne when he enioyeth the full inheritance and we know that to be adopted includeth and implyeth the enioying of the inheritance alwayes and therefore the Adoption of God must needes have included vnder it our righteousnes seeing that righteousnes is a part of the inheritance which is by faith Heb. chap. 11. vers 7. It is true that Adoption is taken in two diverse senses not onely by Divines but also by the Scriptures themselves But in what sense soever it bee taken yet in respect of order it is ever first For if we take it in that sense whereby the nature of Adoption is thought most properly to be expressed when it signifieth a severall blessing distinguished from all the rest then it is nothing different either from our eternall election in Christ before all time or then our effectuall calling in time Which is the first action of God his gracious dispensation preceeding our iustification as witnesseth the Apostle Rom. chap. 8. vers 30. and it consists in the bringing of vs vnto Christ by the Father and ingrafting of vs by faith in him as the Sonne of God and by that vnitie with him making vs Sonnes that we may bee likewise heyres But if we take Adoption in that more large sense wherein it is taken in that foresaid definition of Predestination Wherby it comprehendeth all the remanent blessings from the first to the last then it partlie differeth from the rest and partly is nothing els but the rest For in so farr as it concerneth our calling or chosing in time it is different from iustification and the rest and goeth before them all and the rest must necessarily follow it as inseparable adherents thereof For whom hee calleht them he iustifieth and whom he iustifieth them he glorifieth Rom. chap. 8. vers 30. But as it concerneth the rest of the benefites it is nothing different from them Therefore it is described by them as parts because they are the full accomplishment of it In which sense as wee have said before they are called by some the way of Adoption CHAPTER XIIII THE last ground for cleering this point is the due consideration of the Covenant of God with Man In the which two things are especially to be marked The first is Those to whom the Lord maketh his promise The second is The promise it self which God maketh to them Touching the first the promise is not indefinitely made to all men but to Abraham and to his seed alone For God hath said he will be his God and the God of
before our Iustification seeing he loveth vs not then as iust men because we are yet sinners and God doth iustifie the vngodly And no other ground can preceede in dispensation except our calling which is nothing els in effect but our Adoption or at least the first part and beginning of it Which is the first fruite of his love toward vs by the which wee are made of the seed and so heyres of the promise of righteousnes conforme to the reason of the Apostle Peter Acts chap. 2. vers 39. Where he sheweth that the promise belongeth to all that the Lord our God shall call Which calling is nothing els but the applying to vs in time of our eternall election in Christ before all time which election is nothing els but our Adoption This point is cleere if we consider who they are whose filthines God promiseth to wash away Esay chap. 4. and to whom he promiseth to open the fountayne for sinne and vncleanes Zach. chap. 13. that is to the Doughters of Ierusalem and to the house of David and inhabitants of Ierusalem Which in effect is as much as to say Those who are the children of God who are citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And this is that which we said before that we must first be of the seed before we enioy any part or portion of the promise and so consequently righteousnes For the love of God to his Sonne as his Sonne being the only foūdation of Gods love vnto vs it must follow that the first ground of Gods love to vs in Christ must be buylded vpon our communion with him in that which is the foundation of all Gods love to vs that is the Sonne-ship For it is for this cause that it is saide in scripture that Christ is the sonne of Gods love and his beloved and that God is said to make vs acceptable or beloved to him selfe in that his beloved Sonne Secondly we shall perceyve the trueth heereof more cleerly if we consider the grounds in Christ wherevpon dependeth our Adoption and iustification in him Touching our Adoption it must of necessitie be grounded neither vpon the Divine nature of Christ nor simply vpon his humane nature neither vpon his Obedience and suffering in that humane nature now assumed but onely vpon his personalitie and subsisting whereby he is the Sonne of God For which cause our nature which hee assumed was taken by him in vnitie of subsisting or person with his Divine nature In that personall vnitie of our nature assumed with the sonne of God laying the foundation of our Adoption to bee the sonnes of GOD. As touching our Iustification it is buylded vpon his obedience in giving him selfe to the death of the crosse for vs as it is cleare throughout all the scriptures These groundes being considered we have next to marke in which of these two is our communion by faith with Christ first in order accomplished that is whether first by faith we are made partakers of his sonne-ship in being made one with him as the sonne of God or whether first we be made partakers of his obedience and death In answering of this question I thinke there shall no man be founde who shall not agree that we must by faith have fellowship and communion with him selfe as he is the Sonne of God before we can have communion and fellowship of his sufferings For how can his death be our death vntill first he and we be one seeing all vnitie and communion of his sufferinges floweth from our communion and vnitie with himselfe Wherevpon it may easilie appeare that if that saying of those learned and holy men bee not rightly vnderstoode it may make many to cast from them selves the verie foundation and grounde wherevpon the assured confidence and knowledge of their Iustification in Christ dependeth For no man can ever have hope to have part in his death that firste doeth not finde that he hath parte in him selfe for first we must bee fleshe of his flesh and bone of his bones and he of ours before any thing that ever he hath done in the flesh be made ours Of which it followeth that we must first be sonnes before we be iustified For as in earthly Mariage Man and Woman are made one flesh by coniunction of their bodies in one and therevpon followeth communion of all other things even so in our spiritual Mariage with Christ we have no communion with him in any thing that is his vntill the time that first hee be ours and we be his so as he and we be but one And this agreeth with the saying of the Apostle Gallath chapter 3. vers 29. where hee sayeth And if yee bee Christs then are yee Abrahams seed and heyers according to the promise Where the Apostle sheweth that our beeing Christs maketh vs the seed that is the childeren of God And that our beeing the seede maketh vs heyres of the promise And so consequently of the righteousnes that is by faith This same is evident by the Apostles speech Ephez chapter 5. Where hee exhorteth men to love their Wives as Christ loved his Church Which love is declared in these effects that hee did give himselfe for her to this end that he might sanctifie her purifying her by the washing of water that he might make her to himselfe glorious not having spot or wrincle c. By which place it is manifest that the death of Christ and fruites thereof are the effects of his love to those that are nowe alreadie his spouse and ioyned with him in that spiritual Vnitie which is by faith And this we must acknowledge except we will consent to that vile opinion which overthroweth the foundation of all religion which is that even in the intention and purpose of God Christ dyed equally and indifferently for every man alike That is that he did give himselfe to death as well for those that perish as for the elect of God Whereas this place of the Apostle sheweth the direct contrarie that he gave himselfe only for his Church Which is cleere by the Apostles argument wherevpon he vrgeth the like love in husbands towards their wives as was in Christ towards his Church For the analogie of love is builded vpon the analogie of Vnion The force whereof is this if Christ so loved his Church because those of his Church are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones so likewise ought men to love their wives because they are one flesh and one body with their husbands For as the Apostle requireth of husbands towards their wives more then that common love which they owe to all women and that because they are one flesh with their wives but not with any other women even so he vrgeth it from a like example in Christ who beside and above that common love which he carrieth to all flesh did in greater measure declare his love to those that were members of his body flesh of his
efficient cause which is God alone for he is the Father of lights from whom commeth down all good gifts and every perfect donation Iam. chap. 1. vers 17. This may be confirmed by particular testimonies of Scripture touching every particular benefite as of Faith Adoption Iustification Peace or Reconciliation Sanctification Glorification and our whole Redemption For they are neither bred in vs by nature nor acquired by our industrie nor ministred by humane education but are all the gifts of God The second thing wherein they all agree is the cause which moueth God to give them which is nothing but his grace and good pleasure For none of them is obtayned by our desert or meritt For as sayeth the Apostle 2 Tim. chap. 1. vers 9. God hath saved vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace and this likewise is cleere by particular testimonies of the Scriptures touching every one of these benefites The third thing wherin they all agree is the meanes through which God of his grace doth give them which is Iesus Christ the Sonne who is made of God vnto vs all these blessings For in him all fulnes dwelleth and out of his fulnes we all receive grace Which point also is most evident throughout all the Scriptures in everie particular benefite The fourth thing wherein they all agree is the instrument by the which God maketh vs to apprehend them all in Christ which is Faith only The fift thing wherein they all agree is that they are inseparable one from another so that none can have one of them but he must needs have all for whom he calleth them he Iustifieth and whom he Iustifieth them he glorifieth Rom. chap. 8. vers 30 And as sayeth the Apostle by the grace of God which is given vs in Christ Iesus we are made riche in him in all gifts 1 Cor. cha 1. ver 4. 5. And the same Apostle gives thankes to God because he hath blessed vs with all blessings in Christ Eph. ch 1. ver 3. The last thing wherein they all agree is that they are never taken away againe from those that receive them For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. ch 11. ver 29. And whom Christ loved hee loveth to the end Iohn chap. 13. vers 1. Now followeth the third thing to be considered of vs which is touching the vse arising vpon those former 6. points which wee are to marke for our right vnderstanding of the nature of Gods saving benefites and this vse is sixe fould The first is that none of these blessings is in vs by nature nor from nature nor any power or facultie in nature but are all the supernaturall gifts of God The second vse is that we are to acknowledge the good will of God and his free grace to bee the only cause moving God to give these benefites For by his grace he hath made vs freely accepted in his beloved so that even what in Christ hee gives vs he gives it freely of grace so that all respects is removed why God should bestowe his blessings in Christ except his owne grace in himselfe Which we are carefully to marke that we may keepe our selves from the error of these who confound either the subordinate meane through which or the subordinate Instrument by which God bestowes his blessings with the cause moving God to bestow them For although Christ be the meane through which faith be the instrument by which God gives all spirituall blessings yet the cause moving him to give all is his grace For hee gives Christ and the righteousnes that is in him and faith freely to whom he will and withouldes them from whom he will Thus although the subordinate meanes in and by which God dispenseth his blessings are not to be separate from his grace yet they are never to bee confounded with it but even Christ himselfe and all blessings in him and the merit of his sufferings and faith by the which wee apprehend all are still to bee distinguished from the grace of God which is the only cause why eyther Christ himselfe or the meritt of his suffrings or faith to apprehend it is given vs of God Therefore in Gods working the Scriptures still ioyne these three together to wit grace Christ and faith Faith as the instrument whereby we apprehend and Christ as the subiect in which wee apprehend the blessings of God and the grace of God as the only cause moving God both to giue faith and Christ by faith and in Christ al these blessings So that it is a greevous sinne against the grace of God for the prayse of the glory whereof the Lord doth bestowe vpon vs all spirituall blessings when we spoyle it of this prayse due to it alone by making any other thing to bee the moving cause why God doth blesse vs. As likewise it is a great sinne when separating this grace from the subordinate meanes wee doe despise the meanes and turne the grace into wantonnes The third vse is that no where except in Christ alone is any of the saving blessings of God to bee found And therefore it never can be accompted to be Gods Adoption Gods Righteousnes Sanctificatian Reconciliation or Redemption which is placed in any thing without Christ Wherevpon it must follow that they erre farre from the trueth who place their righteousnes either in their faith or workes or who place reconciliation in their owne satisfaction For though Christ be the obiect of faith yet it hath the being of it in mans hart concerning works and our own satisfactions It is cleere that they are not in Christ who notwithstanding is all in all things and filleth all in all things The fourth vse is that without faith God by his grace communicates noe blessing in Christ in ordinarie dispensation Therefore they must erre who thinke that Christ and the blessings of God in him may be apprehended by the externall bodily action of man in receyving the Sacraments that is as they call it by the very externall worke wrought This likewise teacheth vs to perceive their error who doe make Faith which is but the apprehending instrument to bee the blessing it selfe thereby apprehended in Christ Of which sort they all are who place the matter of our righteousnes in the act of our beleeving The fift vse is to teach vs to be wise in iudging of our selves whether we be truly in the state of grace or no for he that is destitute of any one of these saving blessings he is destitute of them all whatsoever foolish confidence he have to the contrarie For as sayeth the Apostle Peter 2. Epi. chap. 1. vers 3. God through the knowledge of him that hath called vs hath given vnto vs al things that appertayne to life and Godlines And therfore Iames sheweth that it profits nothing that a man say he hath faith if he have no workes And Iohn 1. Ep.
partly faith and partly Christes obedience is the matter of our righteousnes The fourth and last is that onely Christ in his obedience is the whole matter of our righteousnes The vanitie of the first 3. opinions will more fully appeare when we speake of the formal cause of iustification when we shall treat of Iustificatiō it selfe as likewise when we shall cleere the truth of the fourth opinion therefore we wil speak the more shortlie of them now Against all three this ground generally serveth to witt that no man is iustified before God by any worke inherent in himselfe or done by him selfe whether it be of nature or of grace or whether it be a worke of the Lawe or of the Gospell The reason is If man be iustified in any sorte by workes Iustification can not be by grace according as sayeth the Apostle Rom. 11. 6. If it be of grace it is no more of workes els were grace no more grace and if it be of workes it is no more grace els were worke no more worke Thus none of these three formost opinions can stande excepte we will destroy the grace of God and abolish it altogether frō the worke of Iustification for grace and workes even though they bee of grace can never stande together in the worke of our Iustification Which also manifesteth the grosse impietie of all these three opinions in placing faith either in whole or in parte in our righteousnes as it is our owne worke seeing by no worke of his owne can man possibly be iustified For otherwise it cannot be but Christ must have died in vaine Secondly our righteousnes consisteth not in Gods acceptation of any thing that proceeds from vs to Godward but in Gods imputation of that that comes from him to vsward by his gift as is cleere Rom. 5. 15. 16. 17. where our righteousnes is still called the gift of God we are saide to receyve righteousnes as a gift Whereby it is most evident that no worke of the Law nor faith as it is the worke of our heart can possibly be our righteousnes For our act of beleeving is an action passing from vs to God-ward and being attributed as it is by them to mans free will is no lesse the worke of man then any other worke of the Law what soever But our righteousnes is called in the Scriptures the righteousnes of GOD and not of man because it goeth not from vs towardes him but it commeth from him to vs. Thirdly it is manifest by the Scriptures that no man is iust in him selfe but in another For among men there is none righteous no not one Psal 14. But if that whereby hee is iustified which is the matter of his righteousnes bee in him selfe he must not onely bee iust but iust in him selfe which both doe playnely contradict the trueth of God which plainlie denies that there is any man righteous and that any man is made righteous in him selfe but whom soever God iustifieth he iustifieth them in Christ and maketh them the righteousnes of God in him 2. Corinth 5. 21. Fourthly the nature of Iustification consisting in the remission of sinne it can not possibly stande in that that is the direct contrarie But all these three opinions maketh it stande in the contrarie that is in Gods acceptation of obedience For whether the Lorde iustifie vs for doeing the workes of the Lawe or for fulfilling the condition of the Gospell required by God of vs vnto Iustification it is alwayes for and by our obedience that he iustifieth vs. so that Iustification shall never consist in pardoning of sinne and covering of iniquitie but by the contrarie in the acceptation of obedience Which saying is so impious that nothing can be devised more contrarie to the grace of God and mans salvation These groundes serve generally to shewe the wickednes of all these three opinions Nowe we come to speake somwhat concerning the first alone against which these groundes conteyned in scripture shall sufficiētly serve of which divers make against the rest also First that which excludes not mans gloriation can not have place in his righteousnes for God will have no flesh to glory in his sight in any thing except in him alone wherevppon it followeth that no man can bee iustified by the workes of the Law For as sayeth the Apostle Rom. chap. 3. vers 27. gloriation is not excluded by the lawe of workes For if Abraham was iustified by workes hee hath wherein to glory Rom. chap. 4. vers 2. and the reason heere of is declared in the fourth verse saying That to him that worketh the wages is not compted by favour but by debt Wherevpon it followeth that if man bee iustified by workes he hath wherein to glorie because he is not iustified by grace but by deservinge and Gods iustifying of him is not a worke of his favour but a worke which hee is indebted to doe And this is the same very thing which the Romish Church doeth meane by their merit ex condigno whereby Gods free grace iniustification is quite overthrowen Secondly man can not be iustified by that which makes the death of Christ of none effect but as sayeth the Apostle Gallat chapter 2. verse 21. If righteousnes bee by the Lawe then Christ hath died without a cause Which place doeth evidently convince them all of errour and proove them all to bee enimies to the crosse of Christ and to his death that make righteousnes to bee by any other thinge then by his death for if Christ died without a cause if righteousnes bee by the Lawe he must have much more died in vaine if it bee by any other thing For righteousnes is not to be found in any other thing but either in the Law of God or Christ By this we may perceyve that the opinion of those men who place our righteousnes in faith properly taken as it is the acte of our heart without relation of it as an apprehending instrument vnto Christ is much more pernitious then the opinion of the Papistes and that by cleere evidence of both their doctrines cōpared together For the Papist placeth his righteousnes in that which conteynes in it selfe perfect righteousnes in deed so that if their other ground could holde wherein also the other sorte doeth agree with them that is that it were in mans power to fulfill the Lawe certaynlie they should be iustified by the works of the Law For the doers of the Lawe shal be iustified Rom. 2. 13. And if there had bene a lawe given which could have given life surely righteousnes should haue bene by the Lawe sayeth the same Apostle Gal. 3. 21. But these other men doe place their righteousnes in that which they them selves confesse to be imperfect and not to contayne in it selfe perfect righteousnes For when faith is not relatively or instrumentally taken in respect of Christ apprehended by it it can never contayne perfect righteousnes and so the Lord can never
to serve vnto our iustification by that wherein he is made our righteousnes And secondly if we shal distinguish the matter of our righteousnes it selfe in Christ from the action of God in iustifying by it wee shall perceyve evidently that the matter of our righteousnes consisteth only in the death and bloud of Christ and that all the rest of Christes obedience doeth serve not as the materiall but rather as the subordinate efficient causes of our iustification And so all the three former opinions touching the obedience of Christ may well agree in one when the question is concerning the action of God in iustifying and not concerning the particular matter of the righteousnes which God imputes vnto vs vnto iustification For there is no parte of Christes obedience which is not as it is said in the schooles causa sine qua non that is a cause without the which wee cannot be iustified For if he had not bene a man and a iust man and a Priest and such a Priest as we have said yea if hee had not risen from the dead and ascended vnto heaven and made intercession for vs his death and bloud could never have iustified vs. And yet still his death and bloud is the only matter of our righteousnes but so as it is the bloud of such a sacrifice offred by such a Priest vpon such an Altar in such a Tabernacle carried in by the same Priest after resurrection from the dead into the heavens And as by vertue of the same bloud the same Priest sittinge at the right hande of God maketh intercession for vs. Thus the matter is not of such moment being rightly waighed and charitablie considered that it needed ever to have bred such bitter contention amongst brethren in the Church of God CHAPTER XXVI HAving thus spoken of the materiall cause of our righteousnes it followeth now that we speake of the formall cause In the which three thinges are specially to be marked for clearing vnto vs how and in what manner wee are made the righteousnes of God by the death and bloud of Iesus Christ our Lord. The first is Gods giving vnto vs. The second is Gods imputation of that which is given vs. The third is the cause moving him both to give and impute For God iustifieth vs by gift by imputation and by grace Neither can the true forme of our iustification bee knowne of vs a right except we acknowledge all these three in it For mā hath no saving grace which he hath not receyved of God according to the saying of the Apostle 1. Cor. chap. 4. ver 7. For who hath seperate thee or what hast thou that thou hast not receyved and if thou hast receyved it why gloriest thou as if thou hadst not receyved it And to the same purpose saith I am 1. chap. 17. All good giving and every perfect gifte is from above Therefore also our righteousnes speciallie is called a gift and a gift by grace Rom. chapt 5. ver 15. 16. 17. as also Rom. chap. 6. vers 23. but the gift of God is eternall life Where the word gift if that place be rightly vnderstood doth signifie righteousnes given vs of God Secondly howsoever many confounde imputation and giving as one thinge as in some sense they may both bee taken for one yet it is expedient for our sounder knowledge that wee distinguish them For howsoever nothing is imputed which is not given yet many things are given which are never saide to be imputed Yea moreover in which imputation hath no place Beside the imputation of a thing if we shall rightly consider it doth alwayes presuppone the thing imputed to be in our possession either by nature working or gift as by Gods grace wee shall heare hereafter And therefore in the forme of our iustification Gods giving of a thing vnto vs is to be distinguished from his imputing of it Specially if we marke one thing which is flat contrarie sayings and yet of equall force vsed by the spirit of God in the description of iustification For sometimes it is defined by imputation of righteousnes and sometimes by not imputation of sinne Thirdly in the manner and forme of our iustification grace is specially to be considered because both the givinge and imputation of the thing given is of meere grace Therefore are wee saide to bee iustified freely by grace so that the perfect forme of our iustification consisteth in this that is in Gods gracious givinge and gracious imputinge of thinge given vnto vs to bee our righteousnes So that whosoever make our iustification to consist without giving of righteousnes or without imputing the thinge given or esteeme eyther the matter of our righteousnes which is given vs to be given otherwise then by grace or to be imputed as righteousnes vnto vs otherwise then by grace doe destroy the true forme of the iustification of a sinner before God And because this is a pointe of speciall moment and bringeth great light in the matter of iustification wee will speake severally of these three pointes And first touching the action of Gods giving Secondly of the action of Gods imputation Thirdly of his grace as the only cause of both Touching the first there be two thinges which are given vs of God vnto iustification The I. is faith The II. is Christ both these giftes of God are necessarie vnto iustification as we shall see by Gods grace hereafter when we speake of iustificatiō it self Therfore in this place wee will onely speake of faith as it is the gift of God in which we have these pointes to be marked First what kinde of gift it is Secondly to whom it is given Thirdly what faith it selfe is And fourthly to what ende and vse it is given First then that it is a gift and the gift of God it is cleere in the Scriptures according as wee have showen before of all the saving graces of God and therefore it is called by the Apostle Heb. chap. 7. vers 4. a heavenly gift and in Ephe. chap. 2. ver 8. it is expresly called the gifte of God And the same Apostle Phil. chap. 1. ver 29. teacheth vs that to beleeve in Christ is a gift given vs. Therefore 1. Cor. chap. 12. It is uombred amongst the giftes of God by his spirit So that in this there is no great contradiction but the speciall question is what kinde of gift it is that is whether it bee a naturall or a supernaturall gift Depending either vpon the naturall power which God hath created in man or vpon the supernaturall power of God For clearing hereof We are to consider that which in the scriptures is spoken concerning faith First touthing the ground and cause of our beleeving Secondly touching the propertie that is attributed vnto faith and which still is in him that beleeveth And thirdly touching certaine effectes attributed vnto faith Besides these things which heereafter will shewe them selves when we treate both to whom faith is given and
what faith it selfe is and what is the vse and end of it Concerning the ground and cause of our beleeving if wee carefully marke the scriptures of God it is placed especially in three thinges The first is the will of God and his eternall Decree according to his will as is cleere by Math. chapt 11. vers 26. where Christ attributed vnto the good will and pleasure of the Father that some did beleeve and some did not And Acts chap. 13. ver 48. where it is expreslie said That as many as were ordayned vnto eternall life beeleved And this teacheth vs two things First that faith is no worke depending vpon the will of man nor any power in nature Secondly that it is of the nomber of those blessings not which God did communicate in the first creation but of those which were hid vp in the mysterie of Gods will touchinge the dispensation of life in and through Christ The second thinge wherein the ground and cause of beleeving is placed in Gods free gift accordinge to the sayinge of Christ him selfe Ioh. chap. 6. vers 37. and 65. Which gift of God is there also declared to be two folde The first the giving of our persons vnto Christ according to these wordes All that the Father giveth me shall come to mee The second is the giving vnto vs grace to beleeve According to that other saying No man can come vnto mee except it be given him of my Father For as saieth the Apostle Rom. chap. 11. vers 32. God hath shut vp all men vnder vnbeleefe that he might shewe mercie on all And againe Gallat chap. 3. vers 22. The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve And this ground is verified by the saying of Ioh. chap. 12. ver 39. 40. where he giveth a reason why the Iewes for all his miracles not only beleeved not but also why they could not beleeve in Christ saying Therefore could they not beleeve because that Esay saieth Hee hath blinded their eyes c. The third thing wherein the ground and cause of our beleeving is placed is our spirituall birth Therefore saith Iohn 1. Ep. chap. 5. 1. VVhosoever beleeveth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God Therefore the same Iohn describing who they are that doe beleeve in the Gospell Chap. 1. vers 13. sayeth which ar borne not of bloud nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God By al these three groundes it is evident that faith is no naturall but a supernaturall gift and therefore the praise of our beleeving is taken from vs and given wholy vnto God as is cleere in the wordes of Christ to Peter Math. chap. 16. ver 17. Flesh and bloud hath not reveiled that vnto thee but my Father which is in heaven Now we come to the propertie that is attributed to faith and which through faith is in every one that beleeveth and this propertie is the power of God according to the saying of the Apostle Ephe. chap. 1. ver 19. Where the Apostle prayeth that they might knowe what was the exceeding greatnes of the power of God in them that beleeve and therefore is it that faith is called the faith of the effectuall working of God Coll. chap. 2. ver 12. and that for two reasons First because no power nor working of any power can ever worke faith in our hearts except the power of God onely and therefore the Prophet Esay doeth put beleeving and the having of the arme of the Lord revealed for one thinge Chapter 53. verse 1. Secondly because the power and the effectuall working of faith in vs is nothing but the very power and the workinge of the power of God him selfe Who as saith Peter by his power through faith keepeth vs 1. Epist chap. 1. ver 5. and for this cause it is not only that faith is compted for the chiefe piece of the armour of God and of the might of his power Ephes chap. 6. but also that to have Christ livinge in vs and to live by the faith of Christ are put for one thinge Gallat chapt 2. ver 20. Thereby shewing vs that the power of faith is not any thinge but the power of GOD and of Christ dwelling by faith in vs. and that faith is the effectuall instrument whereby Christ is powerfull in vs. Vpon which grounde it is that the effectes of Christ him selfe are often attributed vnto faith as in these sayinges of Christ Thy Faith hath made thee whole Thy Faith hath saved thee And when we are saide to bee saved by faith to have our heartes purged by faith to bee iustified by faith c. A cleere example of this wee have Acts chap. 3. ver 16. where the Apostle indifferentlie attributes to the power of Christ and to faith the healing of the Creeple man Which place is carefully to be marked because it giveth a marveillous light in the vse of faith For there it is saide That through faith in his Name his name had made the man sound Which saying doth shew vs expreslie that it was not faith it selfe as it was the worke of that man but the name of Christ in which his faith was that did make him sound so that the power of faith is nothing but the power of Christ embrased by faith and that the worke of faith is nothing but the worke of Christ dwelling in our heartes by faith Which doeth iustifie their opinion who affirme that to be iustified by faith is alwayes to bee vnderstood to bee iustified by Christ For as by faith in his Name his Name made the man sounde even so by faith in his bloud his bloud maketh vs righteous Therefore sayeth the Apostle Rom. chap. 3. vers 25. That God hath set Christ forth a propitiation by faith in his bloud Where reconciling by faith in his bloud is to be vnderstoode in the same sense that making soūd by faith in his name is to be vnderstood in the other place by which it is evident that faith is never rightly taken in our iustification when it is taken for the thing wherein standeth our righteousnes and not for the instrument apprehending that thing which is our righteousnes Thus the power of God working faith and the power of God accompanying faith doeth evidently shewe faith to bee a supernaturall gift being wrought by a supernaturall power and possessing vs with a supernaturall power of God him selfe This is cleerily verified by the third pointe touching these effectes that are attributed vnto faith in the booke of God when it is saide to doe things that are above the strength of all created nature and when Saintes are saide to have done by it such thinges as are supernaturall Of these first sorte are those sayings where in the iustifying of vs the saving of vs miraculous healing of diseases by nature incurable are attributed vnto saith as also the keeping of
signified by the Lord Ier. 32. when he promiseth that he would put his feare in their heartes that they should not departe from him and most cleerly Eze. cap. 36. 26. 27. A newe heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stonie heart out of your body and will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes For this cause it is that Christ calleth them blessed who honger and thirst for righteousnes For it is most certaine that the earnest desire of the heart to enioye Christ and his righteousnes c. is an vndoubted token of Gods saving grace and of his effectuall calling in the which he bestowes this as a supernaturall gift vppon the elect as the seconde effect of his working power whereby hee changeth our willes which are of them selves rebellious and maketh them willing to come vnto Christ and to obey his voyce Therefore is it saide That God is the worker both of the will and of the deed of his good pleasure in vs Phil. cap. 2. 13. so this is the second parte of that supernatural gift of faith when as our will maketh choise of that which is the will of God and wee submit our willes to his will in all thinges which is most contrarie to the nature of fleshe For as sayth the Apostle Rom. chap. 8. ver 7. The wisedome of the fleshe is not subiect to the Law of God neither can be Therefore doeth the Prophet David say That the man is blessed whom the Lord choses and causes to come Psalm 65. 4. It is for this same cause that David prayeth so often that God would incline his heart to his statutes The thirde parte of Gods workinge in givinge Faith vnto vs is the sanctification of our affections to make vs to love Christ above all thinges and that by the powring of his love in our heartes by his holy Spirit For as hee inclineth our myndes to mynde heavenly thinges by insinuatinge his mynd towardes vs in Christ Iesus into our myndes as by the sense and feelinge and proofe of his good will towarde vs in all thinges hee drawes out willes vnto his will So by the sense of his love in his giving his deare Sonne to the death for vs while wee were his enimies hee enflames our heartes with the love of him againe so that with our affection wee are set vppon Christ more then all thinges and are content to lose all things that we may gaine him Therefore saith Christ Math. cha 10. ver 37. He that loveth father or mother better then mee is not worthie of me c. And Luke chap. 14. ver 26. If any man come vnto mee and hate not his Father and Mother VVife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his owne life also he can not be my Disciple Wherein it appeareth most plainly that faith is a gift supernaturall seeing it bringeth a supernaturall love into the heart which overcommeth all the love and affection which can be in nature especally when it overcommeth the love of man to him selfe and his owne life Fourthly the Lord by working faith doeth imprinte his knowledge and his will and love to vs in our memories working such a stedfast impression in our hearts of his mercie and grace towards vs in Christ as can never be defaced therefore the wicked in the booke of God are noted by this name they that forget God whereas the childrē of God have him alwayes before theit eyes Thus the Lord when he worketh faith in our hearts he worketh it in all the powers of our soule filling the whole heart with such supernaturall vertue and power in all the faculties thereof whereby the heart which of it selfe naturally could never be able to knowe or to desire or to love or to keepe any heavenly thing belonging vnto life and godlines is made able both to knowe and to will and to love and with the will and affection to apprehende and to keepe constantly the Lord Iesus and all blessings in him vnto eternall life And all these pointes are wrought by God in the heart of everie one of his elect particularly as in them selves so also concerning them selves so that their knowledge and assurance of the trueth of the things reveyled touching Christ and redemption in him is not a generall notion perswasion of the heart that God hath given his sonne to be a Redeemer to mankinde and that he hath performed redemption in his death for such a faith not onely the reprobate but Sathan him selfe hath but it is a particular sight and assurance of every mans owne heart concerning him selfe that God hath elected him for him in particular hath given Christ to bee a Redeemer and hath made him particularly vnto him wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption For it is not my faith-concerning the minde of God vnto others nor yet of the minde of God conceyved generally toward all his elect but the particular knowledge and assurance of his minde concerning my selfe that doeth saue mee For the iust shall live by his owne faith Habac. chapt 2. ver 4. But this will appeare more cleerely in the next point while we consider Faith being newe wrought in our hearts howe we are saide with our heart to beleeve In this point we have to consider First that it is the man him selfe who beleeveth Secondly that it is his heart whereby he beleeveth And thirdly beleeving is the action which man performeth with his heart As for the first man is said to beleeue because that this supernaturall gift is given him of God and that in his heart it is effectuall in him in all the points forespoken for by Gods enlightning of him he sees and by his teaching he vnderstandes and by the Lords enclining of his will he willeth and by the Lords sanctifying of his affection he loveth and by the Lords imprinting and writing in his minde and sealing by his spirit whatsoever he reveyleth vnto him he both possesseth retayneth and keepeth Christ and all the blessings promised in him so that faith actively considered is nothing but the motion of mans hearte which is wrought in him by the spirit of God and therfore in substance nothing els but the very action of GOD in man but considered in a divers manner that is passively as it is wrought by God in him and actively as he by this working of God in all the powers of his soule apprehendeth and receyveth grace from God so that the action of man in beleeving with the heart is nothing but his knowing acknowledging of things by Gods making him know and acknowledge them and his willing them by Gods making him to will them and his loving by Gods making him to love them and his apprehending and retayning them by Gods making of him to apprehende and reteyne them GOD imprinting writing and
cause our righteousnes is saide to bee the righteousnes of God which is by faith and the righteousnes which is through the faith of Christ Phil. chap. 3. ver 9. And Christ is saide to bee a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Rom. chap. 3. ver 25. All serving to teach vs that faith is not our righteousnes it selfe but only the meane by the which we attayne to that which is our righteousnes that is Christ in his bloud for in that sense is righteousnes faid to be through faith and by faith Moreover it is for this same cause that faith is called in the Scriptures the faith of Christ Rom. chap. 3. where righteousnes is saide to be the righteousnes of God by the faith of Iesus and that because the whole matter and substance which by faith wee eyther knowe or apprehende vnto righteousnes is onely Christ Sometimes it is called the faith of his name Acts cha 3. ver 16. as also the faith in his name as Ioh. chap. 1. ver 12. because all the vertue strength and power whereby we beleeve to bee iustisied is in Christ alone and in the vertue of his death and resurrection so that the vertue is not in faith it selfe but in Iesus apprehended by faith Sometimes againe it is called the faith towardes Christ Act. chap. 20. ver 21. because faith setteth nothing before it as the obiect but Christ alone for the Gospell which is the worde of faith propoundeth not any thing vnto vs but onely Christ as eyther promised or given vnto vs of God to bee the matter eyther of our righteousnes sanctification or redemption Sometimes againe it is called the faith in Christ Gal. chap. 3. ver 26. and that for two causes First because that wherein by faith our heartes are fastened and in the which our heartes only setleth their full confidence of righteousnes and remission of sinnes is onely Christ in whom onely our faith is and we also by faith for thereby we are made to be in him and hee in vs and therfore in the scripturs to be in Christ to be in the faith are put indifferently Rom. cha 8. vers 10. compared with 2. Cor. cha 13. ver 3. 5. And for this same respect the proper effectes of Christ him selfe are attributed vnto faith The second Reason is because faith neither suffereth vs to rest vpon it nor on our selues nor on anie other thing nor yet in any thing that is in faith or in our selves or in any thing except Christ onely and that which is in him as the ground of our confidence or as the matter of our righteousnes or blessednes therefore are we saide in him to have redemption in him to be made righteousnes and in him to be circumcised For whatsoever we are made by Faith we are made it in Christ and what soever faith maketh to be ours it is also in Christ therefore faith maketh not God our God but in Christ nor vs the children of God but in Christ nor righteous but in Christ c. For whatsoever faith layeth holde on it findeth it in Christ so that the hart of man when it beleeveth vnto righteousnes sendeth out faith fixeth it in Christ thereby laying holde vpon him and his obedience vnto righteousnes bringing him and his obedience with all the vertue both of his death and life into our heartes to dwell in them Sometimes also it is called the faith by Christ because hee is the Author Fountayne and occasion of it not so much because he with the Father and holy Ghost doeth worke it as because hee alone is the meane and occasion of it For as the Father redeemeth vs by Christ and by him maketh vs his sons and righteousnes c. so also he maketh vs to beleeue by Christ so that take mee away Christ all ground and foundation of saving faith in God is taken away for God hath layde the whole foundation of our beleefe in him alone For which cause Pet. 1. Epist chap. 1 ver 21. sayeth That by his meanes wee beleeve in Gâ—d and in that same place it is saide That God hath raysed him from the dead and given him glorie that our faith and hope might bee in God And to this same effect the same Apostle sayeth in the same chapter ver 3. That God hath begotten vs againe to a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead Vpon which respect it is that the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. chap. 15. ver 17. sayeth expresly If Christ bee not raysed your faith is vayne Vpon which we may easilie gather that faith is a vaine fooilsh faith whereby a man is made to beleeve or hope for any blessing from God which maketh it not first to bee performed by God in Christ For our faith of our vnioÌ„ with God ariseth vpon the knowledge of Christ his assuming in vnitie of person our nature vnto his the faith of our being the sonnes of God ariseth vpon Christ the man our brother being the very sonne of GOD our faith that God will make vs righteousnes ariseth vpoÌ„ this that God hath made Christ sinne for vs and so foorth of the rest the hope of our resurrection is builded vpon his resurrection the hope of our assention vpon his assention the hope of our glorification vpon his glorification so that the Lord worketh in our heartes neither faith nor hope in him of any blessing whatsoever whereof hee doeth not first reveyle vnto vs a cleere ground and evident fouÌ„dation in Iesus Christ the sonne And therefore it may appeare how detestable a doctrine that is and execrable be the teachers of it that affirmeth that a man may be saved without the knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord. Thus by all these phrases concerning faith the Lord would teach vs that Christ is the matter and hee is the ground of all whatsoever wee beleeve and that there is nothinge in Christ which is not made ours by faith And for this same purpose in Scriptures it is sometimes called the faith in the bloud of Christ Rom. chap. 3. ver 25. and that to teach vs what is the particular thing in Christ wherein God hath made him our righteousnes and whereby the Lord would haue vs to beleeve remission of sinnes in him for albeit Christ be vno vs all and that in all thinges and doeth fill vs all in all thinges yet as wee haue marked before there is no benefite which wee apprehende by faith in Christ but it hath the owne particular ground and foundation wherevpon it is builded and therefore as his faith is but vaine who expects his resurrection in Christ if he doe not know Christ to bee risen againe so his faith must be vaine who beleeveth the remission of sinnes in Christ and yet knoweth not that Christ did shed his bloud expressely for his iniquities For as God begettes vs to the hope of life by the resurrection of Ieses from the dead so he begetteth vs
to the faith and assurance of the remission of our sinnes by making him sinne for vs and woundinge him for our transgressions So to conclude this point albeit all blessing bee in Christ and he be made of God wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemptioÌ„ yet all this shal be in vaine to vs except we beleeve because there is no meanes in the world whereby to obtaine possesse Christ or any blessing in him except faith only For as concerning the Word and Sacraments they are not so much the meanes of our possessing Christ as the meanes of our faith whereby we possesse Christ The third vse and end wherefore faith is given is keeping preserving vs in the possession which it hath brought vnto vs and that both because through faith wee are kept vnto salvation as saieth Pet. 1. Epi. 1. 5. and also because by it wee keepe Christ and all his blessings in our heart For which cause the scriptures place our victorie over Satan sinne and the world in our faith Ioh. 1. Epi. ca. 5. ver 4. 5. and the Apost Paul placeth the chief strength of a Christlan in his faith as that whereby we are made able to quench all the fierie dartes of the Divell Eph. 6. 16. so that there is no enemie of our salvation so great neither any temptation so vehement and fierie which by faith wee are not made able to overcome Thus faith wrought in our heartes by God is of a stronger might and power then the Divel himselfe and all the powers and principalities of darknes therfore Pet. 1. Ep. 5. willeth vs to resist the divel by being stedfast in the faith thereby to teach vs that in a stedfast faith there is streÌ„gth to overcome him The examples of the great power of God which is â—n them that beleeve set downe in Heb 11. doth suâ—â—icieÌ„tly cleer the truth hereof who only by faith are said to have performed suffered so strange wonderful things as no power that ever nature hath given vnto man was able either to performe or suffer This also is manifest if we marke another pointe which is the Saintes recouering of them selves when they have appeared to have bene overthrowen by Sathan in sinne who notwithstanding have by the strength of faith onely recovered victorie over Sathan and sinne So when as in our practise and obedience to God we fall most fearfully yet by faith we not onely overcome our owne guilthines but also all the feare of Gods iust deserved wrath for our guilthines so that our verie sinnes cannot seperate our heartes that beleeve from Christ nor remove the favour of God from vs. For whatsoever blessing wee have once obtayned by faith by that same saith wee are made able to holde it fast to the ende and the faithfull heart sayeth as Iob chap 27. ver 6. I will keepe my righteousnes and will not forsake it and my heart shall never cast it away all my dayes Vpon this ground it is that the Apostle willeth Timothie to fight the good fight of faith 1. Tim. chap. 6. vers 12. because indeed our faith hath the greatest labour in our spiriruall bataile For when all other grace faileth vs yet faith must vpholde vs otherwise we could not possibly but perish For what should have become of Pieter after his fearefull fall if faith had not sustained him This point is yet more cleere if we marke the strength of faith in other two thinges The first is if we shall consider the examples of the children of God who have drawn from God manifold great blessinges by faith as their vncurable diseases to bee cured their dead to be raysed c. Of which a lively example wee have in Math. chap. 9. and Luke chap. 8. in the Woman that had an ishewe of bloud 12. yeares longe and in the wordes of Christ vnto Iairus Luke chap. 8. ver 50. where he saith Feare not beleeve onely and shee shal be saved The other thing to be considered of vs is when God himself seemeth to set him selfe against his children and they are compelled to wrestle with God as with their owne enimie yet by faith they overcome say with Iob 13. 15. Though hee slay me yet will I trust in him And this was liuely shadowed in the Lord his wrestling with Iacob Gen. chap. 32. where it is saide of the Lord that when he sawe that he could not prevaile against Iacob he touched the hollowe of his thigh c. therefore saieth the Prophet Hose cap. 12. ver 3. 4. By his strength hee had power with God and had power over the Angell and prevayled And this the Lord setteth downe expresly to shew vs that the power of God in him that beleeveth is able so to strengthen him that nothing is able to overthrow him To conclude this point that which Angells by nature could not doe in heaven and that which Adam could not doe in Paradise a poore fraile wretch beleeving in the Lorde Iesus is made able to doe by the power of God which dwelleth in his heart by faith for the verie weaknes of God is stronger then Men and Angells and it pleaseth the Lorde to magnifie his strength in our weaknes that the excellencie of this worke may be knowen to be of him and not of vs. For this cause as the Scripture calleth faith our victorie and our shield so the Fathers likewise cal it and moreover the key whereby the treasures that are in Christ are opened vnto vs the ladder by the which we climbe vp from earth to heauen Now the last vse and end wherefore Faith is given is practise that is to make vs able to doe the will of the Lord and obey his commandements for man whose imaginations are nothing but vanitie and that continually and is of no strength of him selfe to performe any good worke neyther is nor can be subiect to the lawe of God having his minde continually sett on evill workes having no goodnes at all dwelling in him is by this supernaturall gift of faith made able to doe the will of the Lord from the hearte for thereby not onely is his darkened vnderstanding illuminate that he may know what is that good acceptable and perfect will of God but also his rebellious will subdued to will and to doe the will of the Lord and his whole affections sanctified to love the lawe of God and to delight in it more then in all treasures and to esteeme it more precious then gold For by faith he is buried with Christ and also hee is raysed vp with Christ by the faith of the effectuall working of God who raysed Christ from the dead Colos chap. 2. ver 13. For which cause also the Apostle Paul to the Ephe. ca. 2. shewing what is the exceeding power of God in theÌ„ that beleeve saieth That we that were dead in sinnes are through the grace of God by faith quickened raysed and made to sit together in heaven in Christ
this gift it is that in this place we speake for howsoever by the Fathers givinge Christ vnto the death the full redemption of all Gods elect was wrought Yet in our particular persons we enioye it not vntill wee bee called of God therefore IustificatioÌ„ is placed after our calling Rom. chap. 8. and this giving of Christ is the cause why God firste giveth vs faith because before we receyve faith it is impossible to vs to enioye Christ because we have neyther hande heart nor will to receyve him and in this gift as wee have showen before standeth the matter of our righteousnes and the forme of our iustification consisteth in parte in the giving of it and this is needfull to be marked of vs for their cause that make our iustification to consist in Gods gracious acceptation of our faith and not in his gracious giving of faith vnto vs and Christ by faith Touching this second gift which is Christ in his death and bloud I will speake no more the things preceeding serving sufficientlie to cleare it and therefore we come to the next pointe wherein we have said consisteth the forme of our iustification CHAPTER XXXI THE second thinge wherein consisteth the forme of our iustification is the Lords imputing of the thinges given vnto vs that is both of faith and Christes obedience and for the observation of the imputation of both wee are to marke these two phrases First where it is saide that faith is imputed vnto righteousnes Rom. cha 4. ver 5. 9. Secondly where it is saide that righteovsnes is imputed Rom. chapt 4. ver 11. For the one importes plainely the imputation of faith the oher importes the imputation of righteousnes it selfe which is by faith For we have alreadie shewen that our faith is neither our righteousnes nor called in the Scriptures our righteousnes howsoever our righteousnes be called the righteousnes of the faith of Iesus or by the faith of Iesus and it may be that the not observing hereof hath made some worthie and learned Divines to denie al imputation of Christes obedience to maintaine nothing to be imputed vnto vs but faith only that not vnto righteousnes but as they interprete the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that is in the place of righteousnes For cleering of this point of Imputation we will first speake of the word imputation what it signifieth Secondly what sorte of things are saide to be imputed in the Scriptures whether thinges that are inherent in vs or thinges not inherent or both Thirdly we will speake of these things which are saide in scripture to be imputed to vs for our iustification Concerning the first the word it selfe signifieth the sentence of our iudgement or resolut opinion of his minde and in this sense it is taken Rom. chap. 3. 28. as also Rom. 6. 11. Secondly it is referred to the reasoning of the minde and the disputing of the vnderstanding as Marke chap. 11. ver 31. Thirdly it is referred to a mans purposing or imagining or plotting any thing as 1. Corint chap. 13. ver 5. Fourthly it is referred to the estimation or accompt of the minde touching any thing as Acts chap. 19. ver 27. in which sense also it may be taken Mark 15. 28. Luke chap. 22. ver 37. Fiftly it is reâ—erred to the laying to a mans charge of any debt or guiltines as 2. Timoth. chap. 4. ver 16. Lastly it is taken in a borrowed sense froÌ„ accompts and reckonings for accompting vnto a man or reputing vnto a man and reckoning to a man any thing to bee his or to be good payement and satisfaction from him in his accompts and in this sense is it taken in the matter of our iustification when as God eyther reckoneth that to be ours which is not ours or when hee esteemeth and accompteth that sufficient which hee giveth vs freely for our iustification before him But in this sense it appeareth that there is a three folde difference in mens taking of the meaninge of the worde imputation The first is when imputation is taken for naked acceptation of a thing although in it selfe insufficient as sufficient by God and this maketh some men to define our iustification to be nothing els but a gracious acceptation of our imperfect faith by God in place of perfect righteousnes but to this wee have answered before and certaine and sure it is that God receyves no righteousnes from vs but gives righteousnes vnto vs. The second meaning is when imputation is takeÌ„ not simply for a naked acceptation of a thing whether in it selfe perfect or imperfect but for accompting that which is perfect righteousnes in it selfe and yet is not ours to be ours The third sense is when imputation is so taken that it signifieth not only the accompting or reckoning to vs as ours the righteousnes which is imputed but so reckoneth and reputeth it to vs as done by our selves The first importeth no more but the Lordes accompting and holding of a thing sufficient which notwithstanding of it selfe is not sufficient nor perfect righteousnes which opinion can never be maintayned with Gods honour The seconde importeth not onely an accompting and holding of a thing which in it selfe is sufficient righteousnes to bee full and perfect but also an accomptinge of that perfect righteousnes vnto vs as ours howsoever it bee onely Christes so that this opinion taketh the word imputatioÌ„ so as when God reckoneth to vs that to be our righteousnes which in effect is not our righteousnes but onely by his accompt and imputation The third importeth that same that the second doeth but in a more strict sense to wit that God by imputing of Christs obedience vnto vs doeth not onely accompt it to be our righteousnes but also doth accompt it as performed and done by vs and this sentence though it seeme hard and to derogate something to the honour of God and praise of his grace yet one word being taken in a charitable which also is a true sense there shal be no fault fouÌ„d in the speech The word is as when it is saide that the Lord imputeth Christes obedience to vs as if we had done it our selves which word is not to be taken as though it imported that God did impute vnto vs. that wee had done this but oely is set downe by similitude to shewe the faithfulnes and trueth of Gods imputation to wit that GOD imputeth Christes righteousnes as truely to be ours and as effectually to iustifie vs as it should have done if wee had in our owne persons actually performed it and in that sense this speech may well be approoved Moreover it may be taken in good parte even although we take it in the strictest sense spoken before if wee consider that Iesus Christ did beare all our persons in his death and therefore he is saide in scriptures to have died for vs so that what he did bearing our persons even in the sight of God and dying for
vs even by the very appointement of God that which hee did for vs and in our name may not impertinentlie be saide to bee imputed by God vnto vs as done by vs But for myne owne iudgement I esteeme the first interpretation of the word as to bee most sounde and agreeable to the trueth and beeing so taken there shal be no difference in substance betwixt the second and third opinion onely that which is not expressed in the second but vnderstood in the word imputation touching the trueth and effectualnes of it is by similitude expressed in the third and in this sense it is to bee taken in the matter of our iustification and it declareth the forme of our iustification importing this much that God iustifieth vs by accompting vnto vs Christes obedience which is in it selfe perfect righteousnes in such sorte as by this his imputation it is ours as truely and doeth as truely cleere vs before God as if it were our owne in deede and we our selves in deed had performed it Thus we have need to take heed of two extremities whereinto it is evident that many men doe fall in this point some taking imputation too slenderly and others taking it too strictlie each being to other the cause of others stumbling Furthermore wee shall vnderstande the more cleerlie the right meaning of the word imputation if wee doe consider it in the two coÌ„trarie phrases wherein it is vsed al to one sense in the Scriptures For sometimes our iustification is described negatively by not imputing of sinne sometimes affirmatively by imputing of righteousnes For as the word imputation is taken in the negative phrase it must also be taken in the affirmative now in the negative we may know how it is taken by the Apostle 2. Cor. chap. 5. ver 19. where it is saide God was in Christ reconciling the world to him selfe not imputing to them their sinnes As likewise Psal 32. and Rom. chap. 4. where it is saide Blesied is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne In which places not imputing of sinne signifieth the not reckoning vnto vs sinne nor iniquitie and the not accompting of vs to be vnrighteous and so the not laying guiltines to our charge nor exacting punishment of vs for it wherevpon it followeth that imputation of righteousnes must signifie the reckoning of righteousnes vnto vs and accompting of vs to be righteous pronouncing of vs guiltlesse and decerning life vnto vs. For clearer vnderstanding whereof we are to knowe that the word of imputation hath alwayes reference to some other thing fo that it commonly cometh in betwixt two things the one the thing which is imputed the other that wherevnto it is imputed so that imputation hath relation vnto both and to make this manifest we shall consider these 3. phrases The obedience of Christ is imputed vnto iustification conforme to the saying of the Apostle Rom. chap. 5. ver 19. By the obedience of one man many shal be made righteous The second phrase is Faith is imputed vnto righteousnes And the third is Righteousnes is imputed vnto life The equivalent whereof we have Rom. chap. 4. ver 11. and 5. 17. 18. In the first phrase imputation commeth in betwixt Christes obedience as the thing which is imputed iustification as the end wherevnto it is imputed and it hath reference to both In the second phrase imputation coÌ„meth in betwixt faith as the thing which is imputed and righteousnes as the end wherevnto it is imputed In the last phrase imputation commeth in betwixt righteousnes it selfe as the thing imputed and life as the end wherevnto it is imputed Thus we see that imputation in the matter of iustification hath alwayes reference to two things and thus much concerning the meaning of the word Now we are to consider what thinges they are which are said to be imputed coÌ„cerning which there are two extremities wherein men do commonly fall the one holding that nothing inherent in vs can possibly be imputed to vs the other hold the contrarie that nothing is imputed to vs but that which is inherent in vs. That opinion which is betwixt both seemeth to agree most with Gods truth that is that not only things inherent in vs but things that are not inherent in vs are imputed to vs therefore imputation is vsed by the holy ghost when hee speaketh of iustification by grace and of iustification by works as Rom. cha 4. likewise when he speaketh of the accompting of vs sinners because of our workes and corruption inherent And when he speaketh of the accompting of vs righteous by grace through the obedience of Christ Rom. chap. 4. this same is cleare by other examples of Scripture as 2. Sam. chapt 19. vers 19. where Sheâ—ei sayeth to David Let not my Lord impute wickednes vnto me and Rom. chap. 2. ver 26. where it is saide His vncircumcision shal be imputed vnto circumcision This same may bee confirmed vnto vs Psalm 32. and 2. Cor. chap. 5. and Rom. chapt 9 ver 8. and 2. Cor. chap. 12. ver 6. Gal. chap. 3. ver 6. and 2. Tim. chap. 4. 16. And therfeore somtimes righteousnes is said to be imputed by debt and sometimes by grace Rom. cha 4. 4. For vnderstanding whereof we are not only to distinguish betwixt thinges as they are inherent or not inherent in vs but also as they are our owne or not our owne For somethings inherent are so in vs that they are our owne because they consist in these thinges which are in our nature and are the effectes and fruites of our naturall powers somethings againe are so in vs as they are no wayes our owne being no parte nor portion of any naturall power or qualitie nor flowing from any power or facultie in nature but beside and above nature coÌ„ming to vs from God and wrought in vs by the power of his spirit and therefore though they be in vs cannot be said to be our owne because they are no parte nor propertie of our nature nor effectes produced by nature such as is faith for although we be saide to beleeve with the hearte yet neither is faith it selfe any naturall power or facultie in the hearte nor produced by any naturall power or facultie of the hearte neither doe wee beleeve with the heart naturally and by our owne strength as though wee might make our heartes to beleeve or that faith or beleevinge were our owne worke but faith as wee have showen before is an instrument supernaturall and wrought not by our heartes but in our heartes by the supernaturail power of God by the which as by a supernaturall meane given vs of God we beleeve with our harts and so lay hold vpon supernatural things and performe supernaturall workes According to this diverse consideration of thinges in vs or proceeding from any power that is in vs so is there a distinction of imputation in the scriptures One is said to be by debt another is saide to be by
grace Imputation by debt is When the thing imputed is a naturall thing consisting either in the disposition and properties naturall which are in vs or then the fruites and effectes flowing from our owne naturall powers And in this sense is it that the scripture saith That to him that worketh the wages is not imputed by grace but by debt Rom. chap. 4. ver 4. Imputation by grace touching things in vs is whē the thing imputed is not natural but a supernaturall thing being neither parte nor portion of our nature nor of any power of facultie in nature nor wrought by any power in vs but supernaturally placed in vs by God and given vs above and beside all that is by nature in vs. in this sense faith is said to be imputed to vs. For as a man can with his body or a member of his body vse an instrument such as a sword a knife an axe or a sawe which are no parte or power nor facultie of his body or hande to performe things which he could not otherwise doe by his body or by his hande Even so the soule heart of a mā can vse a spiritual instrumēt such as is faith albeit it be no parte power or facultie of the hearte to performe such things as by it selfe it could never possibly have performed and therefore such a supernaturall instrument whereby our heartes worketh not being any parte nor power of vs nor any thing wrought in vs by our selves nor acquired nor purchased by vs but given vs by God and placed in our heartes by him can not properly be said to bee ours notwithstanding that it be in vs neither can the worke which it doth be properly saide to be our worke except by Gods gracious imputation onely For this cause it is that in the Scriptures that which is by faith is saide to be by grace Rom. chap. 4. ver 16. as likewise that the righteousnes of faith is not our owne righteousnes but the righteousnes of God Phill. chap. 3. ver 9. Rom. chap. 3. ver 21. 22. and that not onely in respect of the righteousnes it selfe which is given vs of God but also in respect of the meane and instrument whereby we receyve it which also is given vs of GOD. Nowe we come to speake of the thirde pointe that is concerning the thinges which are said to be imputed to vs in the worke of our iustification and these be two according to the two giftes that God giveth vs to this ende that wee may bee righteous The first is faith which is the supernaturall instrument given vs of God to apprehend our righteousnes The second is the righteousnes it selfe apprehended by faith that is Christ crucified or his bloud shed for vs For although the Lord hath given vs faith and Christ Iesus his sonne yet albeit we have them we have them not as our owne but by the imputation of God So that Gods gift maketh possession but his imputation maketh our right in proprietie in the thing possessed We say that both faith and Christes obedience is imputed because the scriptures hath these two phrases First that faith is imputed vnto righreousnes and also that righteousnes is imputed Which two phrases are not to be confounded but for the cleere vnderstanding of our iustification are still to be distinguished To make this manifest we are first to consider that vnto our iustification we must first have righteousnes for God iustifieth no man that hath not righteousnes For to iustifie the wicked and condemne the righteous are both abhomination vnto the Lord Prov. chap. 17. ver 15. Esai chap. 5. ver 23. therefore before God iustifie vs wee must have righteousnes in our possession Secondly there is but one of two righteousnes that man can posses that is eyther his owne righteousnes or the righteousnes of God for no third righteousnes is set downe in the booke of God whereby a man can bee iustified so that one of these two we must have before God iustifie vs. Both these pointes are cleere in that one saying of the Apostle Phil. chapt 3. ver 9. Not having myne owne righteousnes which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousnes which is through GOD by faith Which sentence sheweth first that wee must have righteousnes and secondly that there is but one of two to bee had that is eyther our owne or Gods Thirdly this place sheweth vs where these righteousnes are Our owne righteousnes is conteyned in the Law the righteousnes of God is conteyned in Christ Lastly not only this place but divers others of the scriptures sheweth vs that as the righteousnes conteyned in the Lawe is obteyned by our owne doing of the workes of the Law and that by our owne strength so the righteousnes of God which is conteyned in Christ is obtayned by beleeving and therefore in the scriptures iustification is saide eyther to be by workes or by faith for as working is the way and meane to attayne to the righteousnes of the Lawe so faith is the meane and instrument whereby we attayne to the righteousnes of Christ And therefore as the righteousnes of the Law is called our owne because the meane whereby wee possesse it that is our working is our owne so likewise the righteousnes of Christ is said not to be our owne because the meane and instrument whereby we obtayne it which is faith is not our owne For both these righteousnesses have their owne proper subiectes wherein they subsist before wee possesse them that is the Law and Christ For mans righteousnes is conteyned in Lawe and Gods righteousnes is conteyned in Christ and therefore mans righteousnes is called the righteousnes of the Law Gods righteousnes is called the righteousnes of Christ as also whē man is iustified by his owne righteousnes he is said to bee iustified by the law and when he is iustified by the righteousnes of God he is said to be iustified by Christ And because man by working the thinges conteyned in the lawe attayneth to the righteousnes of the law therefore is hee said to be iustified by the workes of the lawe even so because by beleeving he attayneth to the righteousnes of Christ therefore is he saide to bee iustified by faith Thus he that worketh and he that beleeveth is opposed Rom. chap. 4. ver 5. in respect of the opposit meanes whereby they attayne to righteousnes the one of the law by working the other of Christ by beleving Wherevpon the last point followeth that is that the righteousnes of the Lawe is called man 's owne righteousnes because he attaynes to it by that which is his owne that is by his owne naturall power doeing of him selfe and by the strength that is in him selfe naturally without any helpe of any supernaturall power or meane given him to assist him to doe the things contayned in the lawe And the righteousnes of Christ is saide by the Apostle not to
be mans owne but Gods because it is not in the power of man by all that hee is according to nature ever to attayne to the possession of it but by that meane instrument supernaturall which is given him of God to the end he may attayne to the possession of the righteousnes of God Thus we see that the meane whereby we possesse the righteousnes is faith onely and because faith is not our owne therefore the righteousnes that we posses by it cannot be ours vntill both be made ours and this is only done and performed by the Lords gracious imputation of both that is faith and the righteousnes of Christ possessed by faith But first especially faith must be imputed to vs as our own to the intent that the righteousnes that by it we possesse might be our owne For as a man hath right to that which hee possesseth as his owne in equitie and iustice if by his owne meanes he hath obtayned possession but hath no right in equitie and iustice to it although he have it in his possession if by another mans substance given him to be imployed hee doe acquire the possession even so if we could attayne to the possession of righteousnes by our owne meanes then should that righteousnes in equitie and iustice be our owne and therefore the Scripture admitteth debt in accompting wages to him that worketh Rom. chap. 4. ver 4. but because wee doe not attayne to the possession of righteousnes by our owne meanes but by the meanes of GOD which hee hath given vs to vse that is by faith therefore this righteousnes in equitie and iustice is not our owne vntill the Lord doe impute it vnto vs and accompt it our owne So by imputinge faith vnto vs as our owne the righteousnesse which wee possesse by faith is made our owne so that faith beeing reckonned and accompted ours the righteousnes of GOD which wee possesse by faith in Christ is also reckonned and accompted ours and this is the cause why the holy Scripture doeth offtner describe the manner and forme of our iustification vnder the phrase of the imputation of faith then vnder the phrase of the imputation of the righteousnes because the right that is made vs vnto faith in Christ maketh vs to have right vnto Christ him selfe as our righteousnes and all blessings in him which by faith we possesse Secondly it is for this cause that in the description of the forme of our iustification that the spirite of God vseth this phrase to wit That to him that beleeveth his faith is imputed vnto righteousnes Which word vnto beeing commonly rendered for doeth much darken the true sense of the wordes and maketh many to fall into dangerous errour thinking that the verie acte of beleevinge is imputed for righteousnes that is as they take it in the verie same place and as the verie matter of our righteousnes whereas the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this sentence doeth declare the ende wherevnto faith is imputed that is that the obedience of Christ apprehended by faith may bee righteousnes vnto the apprehender For faith and beleeving ever imployeth the possession of Christ and his obedience in our heartes and the imputation of faith vnto righteousnes is the thing that makes Christ possessed by faith to bee our righteousnes I say to be our righteousnes for Christes obedience is righteousnes in it selfe so that it is neyther our faith nor Gods imputation of our faith that maketh his obedience to bee righteousnes but imputation of faith to vs as ours maketh the obedience of Christ possessed by faith beeing righteousnes in it selfe to be our righteousnes for as wee have saide before the making that whereby we obtayne possession to bee ours maketh the thing possessed also to be ours so that imputation of faith maketh Christes obedience to be that vnto vs which it is in it selfe though it were never imputed vnto vs. And that this phrase is so to be vnderstoode it may cleerely bee perceyved by that sentence of the Apostle Rom. chapt 10. ver 10. VVith the heart man beleeveth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth hee confesseth vnto salvation In which sentence the greeke worde which is rendered vnto can not be rendered for without darking and also perverting the true sense and meaning of that place for we are saide to beleeve with the heart vnto righteousnes in that same sense and meaning wherein wee are saide to confesse with the mouth vnto salvation But we cannot bee saide properlie at least cleerely without ambiguitie to confesse for salvation because neyther is our confession the efficient cause of our salvation neyther yet the matter or substance of our salvation neither can it bee put in place of our salvation but we confesse to this ende that wee might attayne to salvation knowing that hee that confesseth not Iesus before men shall not be saved For he that is ashamed of him before men he wil be ashamed of him before his heavenly Father Luke chap. 9. ver 26. And hee who shall denie him before men him shall hee denie before his Father which is in heaven And whosoever shall confesse him before men him shall he also confesse before his Father that is in heaven Math. chap. 10. Luke chap. 12. Therefore knowing that without confession there is no salvation seeing confession is the way and meane whereby we attayne vnto the possession of salvation we doe confesse to this ende that we may attayne to salvation And therefore in the same sense wee must bee saide to beleeve with the heart vnto righteousnes that is because there is no meane to attaine vnto righteousnes except wee beleeve For Christ is righteousnes vnto everie one that beleeveth Rom. chap. 10. ver 4. therefore we beleeve to this ende that wee may enioye righteousnes according to the saying of the Apostle Gal. chap. 2. ver 16. VVee also have beleeved in Christ that wee may bee iustified by the faith of Christ In which place that faith is vnderstood onely instrumentally and not materially it is playne by the next verse following where it is saide If then while wee seeke to bee made righteous by Christ c. Which wordes shewe plainly that Christ is the matter of our righteousnes Nowe there is no reason why faith should be said to bee imputed vnto righteousnes in any other sense as concerninge the worde vnto then wee were saide to beleeve vnto righteousnes but in all reason without contradiction the Greeke worde which we render vnto must in both these phrases bee taken in one and the same sense that is that as we beleeve with the hearte to this end that we might by faith as the onely apt and meete instrument and onely convenient and effectuall meane whereby to apprehende and possesse attayne to the possession of the righteousnes of God in Christ even so the Lord our God imputeth faith to vs as our owne to this end that the righteousnes which we possesse
adoption but also as the propitiation for sinne in his bloud which is the ground of Gods iustifying him For as God first openeth our eyes to see Christ to bee the sonne of God and by making vs to beleeve that maketh vs partakers of adoption so secondly by opening our eyes to see him to be ordayned by God a propitiation for sinne in his bloud and by making vs to beleeve that he layeth the foundation of our iustification in our heartes which is finished and accomplished by his gratious and free imputation For vnto the iustification of a sinner by the obedience of Christ in his death not onely faith but also the imputation of faith and that by grace must preceed before that Christ or his obedience can bee our righteousnes not that there is any defect or insufficiencie in Christes obedience but because neither faith hee nor his obedience is iustly ours vntill that by the free imputation and accompt of GOD they be made ours This we are carefully to consider that wee doe not confound the sufficiencie of Christes obedience our right therevnto as many perverslie doe in these dayes for the sufficiencie which is in Christ and his obedience vnto righteousnes is restrayned according to Gods gratious giving and imputinge faith and his obedience by faith and his imputation gift and grace are restrayned to his calling for the promise of God is restrayned to his calling as is cleere Acts chap. 2. vers 29. and all vertue in Christ vnto salvation is likewise restrayned vnto his calling as is cleere 1. Cor. chap. 1. ver 24. and his callinge is restrayned to his Decree and his Decree is restrayned to his purpose of which it appeareth evidently that all sufficiencie of Christes merit how great and infinite soever is no larger in right and efficacie then his calling and so consequently then his Decree and purpose For Gods promise is no larger then his calling and his calling no larger then his Decree and his Decree no larger then his purpose Heerevpon it followeth that Gods purpose is no larger then his applying by â—ustifying and glorifying seeing his iustification is as large as his calling and his calling as large as his Decree and his Decree as large as his purpose This is yet more evident by his promise which wee have shewen to bee of no larger extent then his calling of which it must followe that his purpose can bee of no larger extent then his applying because his calling and applying must bee of equall extent and his purpose of equall extent with his calling Of all these thinges it is manifest that the subiect of Gods iustification is the man indued with faith and this is to bee marked against those who esteeme the beleeving man in the foreknowledge of God to be the subiect of Gods Decree CHAPTER XXXIIII THE next pointe that we have to speake of is touchinge the finall cause of iustification in the which wee purpose to be short seeing it is not a matter controverted but yet it serveth to cleare the trueth of that going before concerninge the ordet of Gods benefites It is receyved vniversallie of all that the finall cause of righteousnes is life for there is no way to attayne vnto life but by righteousnes and for this cause iustification is called The iustification of life Rom. chap. 5. vets 18. and for the same cause it is saide That they who receyve that aboundance of grace and of the gift of that righteovsnes shall reigne in life Rom. chap. 5. ver 17. therefore is salvation called the end of our faith Pet. 1. Epist cha 1. ver 9. Carrying about with you the end of your faith even the salvation of your soules And this is according to the plaine speech of God Ezek. chap. 18. If a man be iust he shall surely live saith the Lord but the soule that sinneth shall die And againe in the same chapter ver 20. The righteousnes of the righteous shal be vpon him and the wickednes of the wicked shal be vpon him selfe And againe In his righteousnes that he hath done he shall live By these testimonies it is plaine that the end of righteousnes is life according to the saying of the Prophet Haba The iust shaell live by faith in the 2. chapter ver 4. and therefore eternal life is called the hope of righteousnes Gall. chapt 5. ver 5. For wee through the spirit waite for the hope of righteousnes through faith And in this same sense is the saying of the Apostle to bee taken Rom. chap. 8. ver 23. VVee doe sigh in our selves wayting for our adoption even the redemption of our bodyes as may easilie bee perceyved by the wordes following wherein hee giveth the reason of this our waytinge when hee sayeth for by hope wee are saved c. where our Adoption is put for our salvation or glorification or redemption in that sense wherein redemption is taken 1. Corinth chap. 1. ver 30. and this is needfull to bee marked to let vs see how diversly Adoption is taken in the holy scriptures of God And that wee may see the trueth of that which wee have saide before concerning the difference betwixt beeing a sonne by faith and by prerogative for as sayeth Iohn 1. Epist chap. 3. ver 2. we are now the sonnes of God but it is not made manifest yet what wee shall bee where he plainly distinguisheth betwixt beeing a sonne and being a glorified sonne for by faith wee are the sonnes of God Gall. chap. 3. ver 26. and yet by faith wee are not the glorified sonnes of God but yet still wayte for our Adoption that is our glorification And this diverse sense of Adoption is evidently cleered by the diverse sense of redemption wherein it is taken in the Rom. chap. 8 ver 23. and Heb. chap. 9. ver 15. For Rom. chap. 8. it is taken in one sense with Adoption that is for the glorification of our bodyes But in the 9. chap. to the Heb. it is taken for iustification which place also confirmeth eternall life to bee the end of our iustification whyle it is sayde that Christ is the Mediator of the New Testament for this cause that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions that were in the former testament they which were called might receyve the promise of eternall inheritance And this same is made manifest by the Apostles order set downe Rom. chap. 8. where hee sayeth whom he iustifieth them also hee glorifieth For as calling is the fruite of predestination and iustification the fruit of calling so glorification is the fruite of iustification CHAPTER XXXV THus we are brought to the conclusion of the maine point touching iustification what it is which in the scriptures is described shortly and succinctly somtimes by the not imputatioÌ„ of sinne somtimes by the remission of sinne somtime by the covering and hiding of sinne somtime by the imputation of righteousnes sometime by the imputation of faith vnto