faith we must remember that the act of faith not the gift or quality it selfe is signified Wee Iewes saith the Apostle who Gal. 2. 16. knowe that a man is iustified by the faith of Iesus Christ haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that wee might bee iustified by the faith of Christ It is certaine that Iustification is by saith the Apostle shewes vs how Namely by beleeuing in Christ So must wee vnderstand that which the same Apostle hath in an other place To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Shall we say that the habit of faith was counted for righteousness S. Paul had opened his meaning touching that point a verse or 2 before Abraham Verse 3. beleeued God it was counted to him for righteousnes What was counted His beleeuing not his faith as it was a grace or vertue in his soule We may the rather be perswaded hereof if wee call to minde obserue both that our Euangelist Saint Iohn alwaies vrgeth beleeuing and not once mentions faith in so many places where this matter is spokē of euen diuers times in some one Chapter and also that our Lorde himselfe doth most commonly in all the other Evangelists follow the same course and wheresoeuer hee giues any commendation to faith it is manifest hee doth it in respect of the act thereof I haue not found saith hee of the Centurion Mat. 8. 10. so great faith in Israell How greate faith As to rest vpon the very worde of Christ for the curing of a sick man that was absent Speake the worde only saith the Captaine and my seruant shall bee healed It woulde bee Verse 8. too long to stand vpon particulars That one example may serue for all It may bee some man hearing that fayth and beleeuing breed such wonderfull effects will be desirous to knowe how this may bee What excelllency is there in faith more then in other Christian vertues Why should beleeuing in God bee preferred before louing of God First I must put you in minde that it is the act of faith as I haue often said by which these sauours are obtained and not the vertue it selfe And therefore our Papists who will haue their first iustification as they mince matters to consist of faith loue charity as they are vertues habits graces qualities beautifying and sanctifying the soule cannot reasonably imagin as they all commonly doe that the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans entreates of their iustification because he so often requireth the very act of beleeuing which in that iustification of theirs hath no place This being markt and remembred I say that the act of fayth or beleeuing doth not bring iustification and adoption or either of them by any speciall excellency that it hath in it selfe but meerly only by the place office which the Lord of his own will mercy hath assign'd it to be the condition on our parts required for the atchieuing of these fauours and honours The couenant of the law stood in these tearmes Hee that doth these things shall liue thereby So that the Leuit. 18. 5. condition was righteousnesse according to the exact rule of the lawe By the Gospell the Lord enters into a new couenant with man the condition whereof Act. 16. 31. is Beleeue and thou shalt be saued This is that which the Apostle teacheth vs concerning the Lords accounting of faith for righteousnesse Wheras by the lawe righteousnesse was necessarily required that a man might haue an interest to heauen now by the Gospell faith is accepted insteed of righteousnes Do this saith the law Beleeue in Christ saith the Gospell So that when the question is of reconciliation and the parts thereof or either of them whether it be by faith or no the meaning is this whether beleeuing bee the condition which we are to performe that wee may bee reconcil'd to God or no. To this doubt the Apostle answereth that Abraham beleeued God it that is His beleeuing Rom. 4 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was counted to him for righteousnes Pardon me I pray you if I doe but touch these things or rather but point at them as I passe along At some other times if it please God now one then an other of them shall bee cleered and proued Yet for all my hast I may not forget to deliuer the ground of that which I haue said touching the Lords accounting of faith for righteousnes I shew that the Apostle is so to be expounded by 2 places of this same Epistle where the very same maner of speech is vsed If the vncircumcision saith Saint Paul keepe the ordinances of the law shall not his vncircumcision bee counted Rom. 2. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for circumcision VVhat is this For circumcision Insteed of circumcision as if he were circumcised The other place affords vs the like wordes and meaning Rom. 9. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The children of the promise are counted for the seed There is no other place in all the newe Testament out of which wee maye learne the sense of this phrase these two are plaine being alike in themselues and agreeing with the Apostles wordes and purpose in that other Text. What should hinder vs then from expounding the Apostle as we do Or rather with what reason can wee refuse such an interpretation as the Apostle himselfe points vs to The waightinesse of the matter hath carried mee farder then I meant to haue gone I will bee the shorter in that which remaines It is faith then or rather beleeuing which the Lorde requires of vs that we may become his children not as if there were any excellency in the thing or merit in the vse of our freewill for the worthinesse whereof such a fauour and honour should be vouchsaf't vs but onely and meerely because this is the course by which the glory riches of the mercy of God may bee declared Therefore the Apostle concludes touching iustification the former part of Reconciliation that it is by faith without the workes of the law because thereby all boasting is excluded Rom. 3. 27. 28 The Papists that make their first iustification to be inherent righteousnesse consisting of faith hope charity their second actuall obedience to God by the performance of the workes of the lawe draw away the glory and thanks from God to themselues For the former I haue shewed that they will haue the difference whereby it comes to passe that one man receiues iustifying grace and an other does not To proceed from euery mans freewill and not from any speciall grace of God inclining the soule to beleeue Neither rest they there but hauing thus begun to magnify themselues by the getting of this grace they go forward to rob God of his honour thanks for our saluation to that ende they set out the dignity of that righteousnesse whereof they make account they
He that beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life And in the same Chapter afterward hee Ver. 40. reproues the Iewes because they would not come vnto him that they might haue life Whereas the ende of his comming was Å¿ Ioh. 10. 10. That they might haue life and haue it in abundance Therefore doth t Act. 3 15. the Apostle Peter call him the Lord of life But whome shoulde wee rather heare in this case then u 〈◊〉 the Euangelist himselfe expounding his owne meaning The life appeared and wee haue seene it and beare witnesse and shew vnto you that eternall life which was with the father and appeared vnto vs. Can any man doubt but the Euangelist speaketh of the same life in the beginning of his Epistle whereof he intreateth in his Gospell Compare them together and see if you can perswade your selues otherwise Will you heare him speake yet more plaine x 5. 11. This is the recorde that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne This later is called Eternall life in the wordes before Then surely the Euangelist speaketh in the Gospell also of eternall life which the Sonne of God bringeth as mediatator not of this transitorie life which hee giueth as Creator Now because this supernaturall life is double either of grace in this world or of glorie in the world to come I should farther inquire whether of these two is here meant or whether both be not meant But of that as also of the reason why our regeneration saluation is tearmed life I wil speake when I come to giue the meaning of the place In the meane while let vs goe forward in examining the words and first let vs see why he vseth this kinde of speech In him Why doth he not rather say as before by him doubtlesse hee might well haue sayde so For it is by him indeede that wee haue life y Rom. 5. 1. 2. By him wee haue peace toward God By him wee haue accesse through Ver. 11. faith vnto this grace wherein wee stand By him wee haue receiued the attonement But this manner of speech though it bee as true as the other yet it is not so fitte in this place nor so significant Not so fitte because the Euangelist would put a difference betwixt the Creator and the Mediator All things were made by him not in him though * Origen hon 2. â—n â—â—uers some would haue without to imply as much whome I aunswered the last day But our spirituall life is as by him so in him The things that are made by him howsoeuer they alwayes depend on him for the continuance of their being yet they are not one with him Is it so with them that receiue the life of grace from him No no They are ioyned close vnto him and the life that they haue is from that spirit by which hee liues Therefore is a Eph. 5. 3â— the Church flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone yea all the faithfull are members of his bodie himselfe being the head This neere coniunâ—ction with him could not bee exprest so significantly if the Euangelist should say By him was life as it is when hee sayth In him was life yet doth not say Hee was life which also is true because heâ— speakes of it not as it rests in him but as it is communicated by him to vs. But why sayes hee was and not rather Is in him Is there no life nowe to bee had Or is there any to bee had nowe but in hiâ— No surely There is no saluation in any other b â—â— 4. 12 For amonge men there is giuen no other name vnder heauen whereby â—ee must bee saued How then sayes the Euangelist that lâ—â—e was in him c Tolet. in â—â—â— innot 13. Wee may not imagine that â—ee meanes to shewe vs anye other way of attayning to life as if was excluded is No more then wee may conceiue that the Word is not GOD nowe because hee sayeth of him The Worde was God What may then bee the reason of this manner of speech It is thought to bee double either in reâ—uard of Gods eternall purpose or in respect of the â—mes before the comming of the Messiah The former wee must thus vnderstand that the Lorde God fore-seeing the fall of his creature man decreed in himselfe to recouer him by sending his Sonne to make satisâ—action for sin by sacrificing of himselfe vpon the altar of the crosse Of this saith d 2. Tim. 1. 9. the Apostle He hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs through Iesus Christ before the world was Therefore also sayth our Euangelist e 1. Ioh. 1. 2. other where that this life was with the Father and appeared vnto vs. When the fulnesse of time was come sayth Saint Paul God sent his Sonne What fulnesse of time was this but the very hower appointed by God So that Saint Iohn may well say In him was life Because euen before the foundations of the world were layd life was setled and shut vp in the person of the Sonne who was in due time to become the mediator of mankinde by taking the nature of man vpon him If there bee any man whome this aunswere doth not content it may bee the other coniecture will satisfie him Let vs not wearie our selues with looking so far as to the eternall decree of GOD but keepe our sight within the compasse of the worlde within that time also wee shall finde some reason of this speech When was life in him euer since there was any to whome that life might appertaine it was ready for him in the Sonne of GOD the promised Messiah f Gen. 3. 15. Where had our first parents Adam and Eue their spirituall life after the Curse but in him In whom was the couenant established with g Gen. 12. 3. Gal. 3. 8. Abraham but in his seede Iesus Christ What name I some speciall men Did not this life offer it selfe generally vnto all that came of Abraham Brethren I would not that you should bee ignorant sayeth h 1. Cor. 10. 1. 2. 3. 4. the Apostle that all our fathers were vnder the Cloude and all passed through the Sea And were all baptized vnto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea And did all eate the same spirituall meate And did all drinke the same spirituall drinke For they dranke of the same spirituall Rocke that followed them and the Rocke was Christ What though many thousandes dyed before the Sonne of God became men were they therefore without meanes of life and saluation Nothing lesse i Heb. 13. 8. Iesus Christ yester-day and to day and the same for euer They beleeued in Christ to come wee beleeue in him being come
goodnes in man Let vs goe forward Iohn saith e Chap. 5. 35. Christ was a burning and a shining candle Not for any extraordinary knowledge in humane learning whereof he was vtterly voide as his bringing vp shews but for his innoceÌ„t life preaching of the Messiah of whom as f Chap. 1. 7. our Euangelist saith he came to beare witnesse and that was the light wherein as it followeth g Chap. 5. 35. the Iewes for a season would haue reioicâ—d namely in taking him for the promised seed sent from heauen for their deliuerance h Chap. 1. 19. as it appeareth in this first chapter I am the light of the world saith our Sauiour As long as I i Chap 8. 12. am in the world I am the light of the world What To shew k Chap. 9. 5. them the way to the wisdome of this world No such matter The things that our Sauiour declared l Luk. 10. 21. were hid from the wise and men of vnderstanding and reuealed to the simple that had no learning I will not weary you too much with turning your books or stuffing your memories looke ouer the whole Gospell the Epistles of this Euangelist Apostle at your leasure you shal neuer find the word otherwise vsed vnless perhaps once or twice for the outward light of the sunne or a torch or candle Whom may not these obseruations suffice If need be there is yet more proofe left and somwhat more direct if any thing can be more direct to the place in question For Saint Iohn proceeds to expound that he had said of the light Iohn the Baptist came to beare witnesse of the light m Ioh. 1. 7. Of what light but that which was mentioned presently before And what light was that The supernatural light which is not to be seene with the eies of the body not vnderstood by the discourse of reason but beleeued by the vertue of faith He came for a witnesse to beare witnesse of the light that all men through him might beleeue Beleeue what n Chap. 12. 1â— While yee haue light beleeue in the light that yee may bee the children of the light Is it not as cleere as the sunne-shiâ—e that the light Saint Iohn speakes of is neither the sunne nor naturall reason but more excellent and glorious then either of these in their greatest height and perfection Shall I goe yet one step furder Follow me I pray you a little way and I shall bring you where you may rest your selues after this long trauell Where may that be but in the same signification of light which before I gaue in particular of the life that was affirmed to be in Christ The life of grace or sanctification which is the fountaine of holines in vs appears euidently in the light of our conuersation God is light and in him is no darknes If wee say that wee haue fellowship with him and 1. Ioh. 1. 5. walke in darknes wee lye and doe not truely But if we walk â—er 6. in the light as hee is in the light wee haue fellowship one with an other and the bloud of IESVS CHRIST his ver 7. Sonne cleanseth vs from all our sinnes Would you see thi more particularly For the enlightning of the vnderstanding call to mind that the Apostle Saint Paul labouring to draw the Heathen out of their ignorance to the knowledge of GOD to their saluation tells them that hee was sent to open their eyes that they may Act. 26. 18. turne from darknesse to light The reforming of the flection is signified by the same kinde of speech Yee were once darknesse but are now light in the Lord Walk â—â— 5. 8. as the children of light So is the out ward conuersation also The night is past and the days is at band Let vs Rom. 13. therefore cast away the workes of darknesse and put vpon vs the armour of life So that wee walke honestly as in the Verse 13. day not in gluttonie and drunkennesse neither in Chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and enuying But eut you on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for â—â—14 the slesh to fullfill the Iusts thereof I confesse the life of glory in heauen is not so plainely exprest by the name of light yet both God is said to dwell in light which no man 1 Tim. 6. 16. may come vnto and the place of torment is called darknesse whereby wee are giuen to vnderstand that the contrarie to is light and brightnes The children of the kingdome shall be cast out into vtter darknesse They are wandring vat 8. 12. starres saith the Apostle Iude of certaine wicked men to whom is reserued the blacknesse of darknesse for euer Iude ver 13. And this may suffice to shew that by light in this place supernaturall light and not naturall light is signified Which being granted we may by it discerne why it is called the light of men which was the second thing to bee considered in this point They that by light vnderstand August in Ioan. tract 1. Beda m loan 1. naturall reason can giue no sufficient satisfaction why the Euangelist should make mention of men rather then of Angels who are furnisht with that vertue no lesse if not more then men Expound it of supernaturall light and the reason is euident For the redemption which is by Christ is proper to men and belongeth not to the Angels who as S. Peter teacheth vs are east 2. pet 2. 4. downe into hell and deliuered into chaines of darkenesse to bee kept vnto damnation namely vnto the iudgement of the Iude ver 6. great day To Abraham and his seed were the promises made Not to the Angels For he in no sort tooke the Angels but Gal. 3 16. Heb. 2. 16. he tooke the seede of Abraham Therefore is he called the light of men not of Angels nor any other creatures who haue no need or no part of the spirituall life and light which is by and in him Looke not that I should magnifie the mercy of God toward mankind in this respect or so much as put you in minde how infinitely wee are all beholding to his Maiestie for so vnspeakeable and vndeserued a fauour Of that in due place as yet wee haue but searched out the true sense of the words From which I passe now to deliuer the Euangelists meaning conteined in them And that life was the light of men What is it that the holy Ghost would teach vs by this kinde of speech Doubtless either hee sets out the benefits wee reape by our Sauiour in an other particular or els he intends to shew vs how we come to the obteyning of them I will speake shortly of both Life is the chiefest of all outward blessings as vpon which all the rest so farre depend that without it they cease to bee What doth any man injoy in this world apperteining
white which hee sees to be blacke red yellow greene or of some other colour then white In such cases there is no manner of command in the will ouer the vnderstanding Well may it preuaile so farre as to hinder the vnderstanding in examining of a truth or in the professing of that it conceiues yea it may carry a man with violence to make contrarie profession to that he is perswaded of and knows but it cannot possibly be of force to inioyne it to holde this or that for truth otherwise then naturall or supernaturall light discouers it to be It is the will then that receiues Christ or refuseth him beleeues or beleeues not taking faith for trusting in Christ as wee doe not as the Papists doe for beleeuing the truth of that which is deliuered concerning him in the Scripture Neither yet is it to bee helde for true that there is any such power or office of free will as the Papists dreame of to bee concluded out of this place For I may not runne into a large discourse of the Doctrine but must keepe my selfe within the compasse of this one Text. The free will which the Papists fight for as for their free hold is an absolute libertie in the will of Man to choose or refuse at his owne pleasure This they say wee haue and vse in the accepting or reiecting of grace which is offered vs by God but so that it is left to vs to receiue or refuse it This Doctrine say I can not bee warranted by this scripture Let any reasonable man iudge Some refuse CHRIST some receiue him what will you inferre herevpon That therefore it is left to euerie mans choyse whether hee will receiue him or refuse him Tell me what you thinke of the first grace by which a man is inhabled to take or leaue I will speake as plaine as by any meanes I can that euery man may vnderstand mee It is agreed vpon on both sides theirs and ours that naturally no man hath any power to receiue CHRIST or to will to receiue him Therefore this Abilitie of the vsing whereof wee dispute is vouchsaf't to euery one that hath it by God and proceedes of him Shall I reason now as as our Papists doe Some men haue this grace by which they are able to beleeue some men haue it not Therefore there is free will in men to haue it or want it Will this follow vpon that No more will it that there is free will because some beleeue and some doe not Indeede if there were nothing els to bee found from which this difference might bee fetcht but onely the will of man there were some good reason to conclude freedome of will from choise and refusall But the case standing as it doth that wee can assigne a better reason of this diuersitie euen the worke of Gods spirit by grace in the hearts of as many as beleeue the Papists conclusion is weake and lame Some receiue some refuse Therefore say they there is free will by the power whereof the one sort beleeue and the other for not vsing that power beleeue not Nay rather say wee Therefore the grace of GOD workes more effectually in the hearts of some then of other some Is there any Christian soule whom this conclusion of ours will not content better then that of theirs Surely he must needs loue his owne glorie better then Gods that had rather ascribe his faith to his owne free will then to the grace of God Haue I not yet spoken enough or not plaine enough Bee not wearied I beseech you though I dwell a little longer vpon the matter I hope I shall better expresse my minde and you better vnderstand me That abilitie to beleeue comes of God and not of our selues it is out of question betwixt vs. The doubt is touching the vse of this abilitie For example Let vs suppose that both the theeues that were crucified with our Sauiour Christ had this grace bestowed on them by God that they were able to beleeue He on the right hand vseth this grace and beleeueth the other doth not vse it and continueth in vnbeliefe The question is whence this difference ariseth From the power of free will say the Papists From the workes of Gods grace say wee Wee deny not say they that the grace of God workes more effectually in the one then in the other but wee affirme that the reason of this difference in working proceeds from the diuers vse of free will in each of them If hee on the left hand had bin willing to beleeue the spirit of God would haue begotten faith in his heart If he had on the right hand bin vnwilling the grace of God would haue brought forth no faith in him Yet they touch not the point I presse them for a farder answere Whence was it that the one was willing rather then the other Speake out that all men may heare you Was it from himselfe or from God From both They are halfe ashamed to bee knowne what they hould and therefore striue to shift of the matter in this sort But it will not serue the turne I looke for a plaine and direct answere When both the theeues were alike vnwilling and might both alike become willing whence arose the beginning of difference betwixt them You cannot say it came from God for in respect of him they were yet both alike What remaines then to be answered but that the one of himselfe did yeeld to the motion of Gods spirit the other might haue done but woulde not I confesse you say there wanted assistance from God to leade him forward to the obtaining of Faith but yet you still auouch that the Originall of the difference was from the free will of man that yeelded not from the free grace of God that inclined him to yeelding For that grace was common to him with the other in whome there was no willingness at all What was become of the zeale of the glorie of God when men first broch't these deuises Is it not enough for vs that wee are willing to bee saued but that wee must also take the cheefe glorie of it to our selues Are wee so puft vp with pride and selfe loue that wee had as lieue perish as bee beholden to GOD for our saluation Blame mee not if I charge the pride of mans Nature very deepely in this case It is a matter that concernes my Lord and maister on whose message I come very neere Hath hee of himselfe vouchsafed meanes by which wee may bee saued hath hee meerely of his owne good will imparted the knowledge thereof vnto vs hath hee without any desert or desire on our part prouided to aduance vs to the estate of Sonnes from the condition of Seruants and doe wee grudge to let him haue the honour of it A little is too much for God nothing is enough for our selues Wee are content with much adoe to let it bee thought and said that wee are not able without grace
to doe that by which the fauour of GOD may bee procured But when wee haue once receiued from God abilitie to beleeue I speake still as the Papists doe against whom I reason then it lies in our owne power to be saued or to be damned There is no question of the later but the cause of damnation is alwaies in our selues and so in our selues that of our selues there is no possibilitie what grace soeuer wee haue receiued to escape it But the power to receiue Christ that wee may bee made partakers of that Inheritance of Sonnes is wholly frō God and not from our selues What said I The power It is not enough The will to vse that power It is not enough The will to vse that power is stirred vp put forward and inclined to it onely and altogether by God himselfe The act of the wil in resting vpon Christ is mine The inclining the will to doe this act is Gods and not mine I doe willingly and by mine owne choyse beleeue in CHRIST I am made willing marke what I say I am made willing not onely I am made able to will but directed and perswaded and brought to will yea inclined to this choise by the power of the spirit of God Doth any man doubt of this point Hee knowes not or considers not what it is to giue the glorie of his saluation to God Shall I so part stakes with God in this matter that I take the biggest for mine owne share I will barely propound the case let euerie Christian soule iudge vprightly betwixt God and himselfe That there is any possibilitie of saluation for man it is wholly and onely from God who without the counsell or perswasion of any creature appointed the meanes to saue vs by of his meere mercie and bounty That I among many other attaine to that grace by which I am inabled to beleeue and may if I will it is also from the same goodness and fauour of the Lord who doth not altogether leaue mee in this estate but moues and perswades mee by his spirit to vse the grace I haue receiued and to beleeue in Christ What woulde you haue more saith one Doe I not giue glory enough to God by acknowledging that possibilitie of faith both in generall and particular proceeds from his grace Looke not that I should answere thee I appeale to thine owne conscience to giue sentence of the matter Thou ascribest no more to God but that he hath giuen thee grace by which thou mayest beleeue if thou wilt Whence hast thou this inclination to will From Gods motion and perswasion Take heede what thou sayest How will this stand with that opinion of free will which makes the first difference betwixt thee other mē that beleeue not though they haue the like motions and perswasions from God It cannot be if thou wilt speak plaine but thou must professe that this willingness comes from thy selfe So then thus stands the case That we can beleeue if wee list it is of God that we list to beleeue it is of our selues For ought that God did for mee I might haue continued in vnbeliefe and bin damned that I might be saued I may thanke him that I am saued my selfe Is there any Christian heart that doth not rise against this Doctrine Can wee indure to thinke that wee are more beholden to our owne will for faith then to the grace of God Can wee be so vnthankfull so proud But I will stay my selfe least I seeme to bee perswaded that so grosse an error can finde place in a true Christian soule Nay saith one Rather it is a most grosse error to hold as you doe that a man is forced and drawne to beleeue by necessitie whether hee will or no. Out of question it is indeed a grosse error to haue any such conceite of a mans attaining to faith in Christ And yet giue me leaue to speake my minde plainely and freely I had rather be absurd in destroying the will of man then impious in ouerthrowing the glory of God But hee that rightly vnderstands what wee teach of mans beleeuing sees there is no cause to feare either the one or the other It is cleere certaine that the maine chance is safe the glorie of God being so carefully prouided for and maintained If wee erre our error is lesse dangerous For there is not so much danger in depriuing man of his free will as in robbing God of his glorie But wee doe man no wrong at all vnless it be a wrong to giue more to GOD then to man in the begetting of faith God perswades and inclines him to beleeue What forcing or drawing is this Yes say they For you teach that by this inclining of the heart GOD so workes vpon it that the partie cannot choose but beleeue Not choose For any force that is vsed against the nature of his will hee may choose In respect of euent hee can not I will speake plainer if I can God doth not force a man as the Oxe is drawne to the slaughter or a peece of Timber thrust forward by mayne strength but inclines the heart sweetely and gently according to the nature of it to him perfectly known yet so powerfully that it can not come to passe but the partie shall both will to beleeue and beleeue indeede Wee confesse there is a necessitie in regard of the euent that vpon this inclination faith shall certainly insue but wee denie all constraining or forcing by which the will shoulde lose his vertue or action No man beleeues but willingly No man is willing but hee that is inclined thereto by God No man is forced to willingness by any constraint I inquire not how the Lord inclines mee I beleeue that hee doth incline mee I finde I am of vnwilling made willing I see not any force vsed to make mee willing Other men refuse Christ willingly I receiue him willingly They are borne willingly to all that is euill I am made willing to whatsoeuer good I doe will It is not then power of free will but Prerogatiue of Honour that our Euangelist saith is giuen to them that beleeue in Christ Now for the farder amplifying of this mercie wee must consider the generalitie of the gift Which is such that it extends it selfe to all men whatsoeuer As many as receiued him to them hee gaue c. There is no distinction of Iewe or Gentile male or female rich or poore bond or free one or other but whosoeuer beleeues in Christ hath the Prerogatiue to bee the Sonne of God This in generall is that which the Apostle deliuers But for our better instruction it will not be amisse to handle the point somewhat more largely in these two parts First to set out the vouchsafing of this priuiledge to the Gentils as well as to the Iewes Secondly to apply it to the seueral estates conditions differences that are ordinarily found amongst men So shall the generalitie of the benefit appeare more
Naaman the Syrian desiring to be cured 2. King 5. 10. of his Leprosie when he was willd by the Prophet Elisha to goe wash seuen times in Iordan went away in an anger as if some hard matter had bin inioyned him But his seruants wiser in that point then their maister came and spake vnto him and said Father if the Prophet had Verse 11. commanded thee a great thing wouldest thou not haue done it How much rather then when hee saith to thee Verse 13. wash and bee cleane The Noble man considering that his seruants spake reason followed the Prophets direction and was healed Healed of what Of a Leprosie By what meanes By washing seuen times in Iordan What is it that wee desire To bee made the Sonnes of God A farre greater matter then to bee cured of a Leprosie How may wee attaine to this honour Beleeue and thou shalt become the Sonne of God Shall I need to compare these things together Beleeue Wash Which is sooner done Wash seuen times If thou beleeue once it sufficeth Not as if wee might bee the Sonnes of God though wee cease to beleeue but because he that once truely rests on CHRIST can neuer wholly depart from him I see not how wee could deuise to haue so great honour with so little paines vnless perhaps we would attaine to it by dreaming of it Can wee imagine a readier course of preferment or an easier labour in getting it then to be made the sonnes of God by trusting in Christ Doe but cast thy care vpon him thou shalt be sure of that he promiseth thou desirest But it will not be amisse perhaps considering the importance of the matter to examine these things more particularly especially in these two points That beleeving is necessarily required to adoption so that without the one the other is not to be had that the meanes of enioying heauen which all men naturally propound to themselues are of greater paines and lesse yea no certainty what if I say of meere impossibility Suspend your iudgement till you haue heard and vnderstood the case then giue sentence freely and spare not Now for the better conceiuing of the matter I will make bold to shewe the mystery of our redemption so much as is needfull for the knowledge of that wee haue in hande but as shortly as I can with plainness It is not vnknown to any man vnles he be vtterly ignorant of christian Religion that all mankind and euery particular man woman child lost the fauour of God and with it all hope and possibility of happinesse by the transgression of our first parents in whome wee all sinned If any man bee desirous to informe himselfe better of this point the Scripture is open for him I will content my selfe with that one testimony of the Apostle By one man sinne Rom. 5. 12. came into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men by him in whome all men haue sinned For the recouery of this losse it pleased God to appoint a meanes of reconciliation that his anger iustly conceiued against vs might bee appeased and wee receiu'd againe into his former fauour This meanes was his owne Sonne in our nature offered vp by himselfe in sacrifice to God his Father God was in Christ saith the 2. Cor 5 19. Rom 5. 10. Apostle reconciling the world to himselfe And in an other place when wee were enimies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne But the manner of our reconciliation on Christs part doth not so much concerne the matter we are now to handle Let vs see what is required of vs. There are two things necessary to a sound and full reconciliation that the offence which caused the breach bee pardoned that the party offending bee admitted againe into as greate fauour as hee was in before he committed that fault If either of these be wanting the Reconciliation is vnperfect Our Sauiour Christ hath fully performed whatsoeuer was needfull on his part to procure absolute Reconciliation The Lord God is willing and ready to bee reconciled vnto vs. Only the stay is in vs. For the pardon of sinne iustification is offered not imputing of sinne And wheras 2. Cor. 5. 19. wee were before the breach no otherwise in the fauour of God then seruants are that please their master now the Lorde is determined to receiue vs not as seruants but as Sonnes by his free Adoption God sent his Sonne c that we might receiue the Adoption of Gal 4. 4. 5. Sonnes Heere is full and perfite reconciliation prouided Iustification and Adoption But how shall wee bee made partakers of it I will leaue the former point till I haue some fitter opportunity Of the later our Euangelist speakes in this place teaching vs that if wee beleeue in Christ wee haue the prerogatiue to be Sonnes This the Apostle Paul confirmes yee are al Chap. 3 26. the Sons of God by faith in Christ Iesus There is no exception against 2 such witnesses No saith one if they agreed in their depositions No saith one if they agreed in their depositions But there is no small difference betwixt them The one saith wee haue that honor by beleeuing the other affirms that fayth makes vs the Sons of God The Euangelist requires the act the Apostle contents himself with the vertue grace or qualitie S. Paul seemes to looke for no more but that wee haue faith S. Iohn calls precisely for the vse of it Receiuing Beleeuing Is this all the difference that can bee found in their testimonies Then all is nothing First it is apparant to begin withour Euangelist whom we presently expoūd that S. Iohn by enioyning vs To beleeue necessarily requires faith by which we must beleeue so his deposition includes implyes that which S. Paul affirmeth Secondly the Apostle vnder the name of faith cōprehends the act of beleeuing which is neuer any more seuered from it then burning is from fire A greater fire burnes more then a little one doth but the least that can be doth burne as wel as the greatest So the strongest faith trusteth more firmely in Christ but the weakest more or lesse relies truely vpon him But that wee may see the ful agreement of these two witnesses let vs consider how the Apostle declares his owne meaning oftentimes in the like matter The righteousnesse of God vnto Rom. 3. 22. Chap. 4. 3. all and vpon all that beleeue Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse That Chapter is full of the like speeches So are his other Epistles where he hath any occasion to speake of Iustification And if that which is former in nature cannot bee had but by beleeuing surely this later is not to be attain'd to by the only hauing of faith Therefore as often as we find in Scripture that Iustification Adoption Sanctification Saluation or any other such fauour blessing is ascribed to
hath attained to it hee may thanke himselfe Vnlesse the meanes had beene prepared by God hee could not possibly haue beene saued Though they were appointed yet hee might haue been damned if he had not helpt himselfe where God faild him God indeed gaue him ability to vse the means and perhaps also perswaded him to the vse thereof but still hee left it wholly to his choyse whether hee would vse them or no. So that if he think to challenge any man of vnthankfulnes he may iustly be aunswered that they doe him no wrong as long as they ascribe to him the possibilty of their being saued There is a general thankfulnes due to him by all men for that he furnisht them with ability to make choyse of saluation But for the particulars euery man is much more beholden to himselfe then to God if he come to saluatioÌ„ That he might be saued for I must repeatit again he may thank God that he is saued hee may thanke himselfe Now on the contrary side all the glorie of our saluatioÌ„ redounds to God We do nothing to saue our selues but commit our selues to God to bee saued by him The faith wherby we rest on him is his meere gift The vse of that gift is onely froÌ„ his grace He Hee makes the difference betwixt beleeuers and vnbeleeuers they that beleeue not follow the choyse of their owne wil. They that beleeue are not only perswaded but inclined thereto by the spirt of God who certainly and in respect of the euent necessarily brings them to beleeue not making them beleeue whether they will or no but making theÌ„ willing to beleeue Thus it comes to passe that the whole glory and thankes for our saluation are giuen to God to whom only they are due that we may not wonder if God vouâ—chsafe the priuiledge of being his sonnes to as many as beleeue in him through Iesus Christ These sonnes of God are farther described vnto vs in the next verse which are borne sayeth the Euangelist Ver. 13. not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man Tertullian de carne Chr. cap. 19. 24. Athanas lib. 2. de vnica deit trinitatis but of God I am not ignorant that this hath beene applyed to him that is the naturall sonne of God Iesus Christ himselfe as if Saint Iohn had intended to sette foorth the excellency of his birth in whose name wee must beleeue But this interpretation though it be very ancient hath found fewe or none to maintaine or approue it but the first author of it and the words wil not beare it in any sort For the Euangelist sayth not which is born as speaking of one but which are born as signifying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many And so do all copies and all translations read the place that we may safely goe forward with the exposition of it as it lies in our English And that wee may doe the more boldly because wee neede not feare any trouble from our Rhemists thereabout who agree with vs both in sense and words But howsoeuer their agreement with vs is so great yet that they may shew their itching desire to disâ—gree and hold their purpose of making the Scriptures vnpleasant in English and vneasie they will not ioyne with vs in the order of the wordes but set that last which wee put in the beginning which are borne say wee not of bloud c. What English man would write or speake otherwise Will you heare the Rhemists Who not of bloud nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man All this while a man wold wonder what they meant to say Not of bloud nor of the will of flesh c. What is it that they deny we shall know perhaps anone What followes But of God Yet wee are neuer the neerer At the last comes in Are borne Would any man that knowes how to write English translate in this sort if hee were desirous to haue his translation vnderstood and lik't what if the wordes Are borne bee in the last place in the Greeke and Latine Hath not euery tongue his especiall property and grace which may not reasonably be neglected Would you not laugh at or pity him who vndertaking to translate our of French into English should thus write The L'escriture saincte nous disent-â—ls n'est pas suffisante Scripture holy to vs say they not is sufficient yet might such a Translater aunswere for himselfe that hee found the words so placed in his author There is no man almost so ignorant but hee easily perceiues what absurd and senselesse translations might bee iustifyed if it were enough to followe the order of the wordes in translating But the time will not suffer mee to bee any longer in this matter But calles vppon mee to bee as short as I canne in that which is yet behind Therefore I will make but one labour of examining the wordes and deliuering the sense of the place and afterward speake somewhat of the matter The principal scope of the Euangelist as it is easie to discern is to shew that the sonnes of whome hee made mention in the former verse Are borne of God This point hee amplifies by a deniall of the contrary a thing very vsuall with our Sauiour Christ in his manner of teaching as I noted before and shall haue occasion to obserue Ver. 3. 8. ofter hereafter Of God not of man The later point is farther inlarged by denying them to bee bred of such matter as other sonnes ordinarily are made of Not of blood or to haue man any way for the author of their being Not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man Where by the way it will not bee amisse for vs to obserue that the same worde or preposition of is applyed both to the matter and to the maker Not of bloud There is the matter and to that doth the word most properly belong as when wee say a ship is made of timber an house is made of brick or stone In the rest of the sentence of noteth the maker Not of the will of the flesh or man but of God The word that is ioyn'd with it in this place signifieth as well to beget as to beare and is vsed both of the father and of the mother Abraham begat Isaac Isaac begat Iacob Mat. 1. 1. 2. 3. and so often in that one Chapter Shee shall beare thee a sonne sayeth the Angell to Zachary of Luk. 1. 13. his wife Elizabeth and shee bare or brought foorth a Ver. 57. Chap. 23. 29. sonne So in another place of the same Gospell Blessed are the barren and the wombe that neuer bare But this kinde of phrase is ordinarily referred to the woman in the other Euangelists Iacob begat Ioseph the Mat. 1. 16. husband of Marie of whome that is of which Mary Iesus was borne There are some Eunuches which were Cap. 19. 12. Luk. 1. 35. so