their ministeriall head that which they denie vnto the imperiall as they foolishly distinguish But not content with this they pleade further for themselues saying that there is no necessitie of the imputation of righteousnesse because wee are iustified by an inherent righteousnesse receiued from Christ by infusion this they labour to confirme by testimonie of Scripture principally out of Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one man many dye out of which place they reason thus As the imputatiue disobedience of Adam did truly print into the nature of man corruption and sinne and not putatiuely onely as they speake so the imputatiue obedience of Christ doth print into the nature of man holinesse grace and notiby imputation onely This argument they take to be so firme and so strong that it admitteth no answere which notwithstanding being well weighed is of no moment for if all were graunted nothing could be proued vnlesse it could be shewed that this righteousnes printed in our natures and resident in vs were that whereby a sinner is iustified before God which cannot be as is manifest by this reason That righteousnesse which must absolue and acquite a sinner before God must be absolute and perfect and in all points answerable and correspondent vnto the rigour and extremitie of the morall Law but our inherent righteousnesse is not such nay Psal 143.2 Dan. 9.18 it is imperfect in this life and therfore Dauid and Daniel durst not oppose it to the seuere examination of gods iudgement seat but renounced it and relyed themselues onely vpon the meer mercy of God merit of Christ and so haue the Saints of God done from time to time Paul 1 Cor. 4.4 Though he had a great measure of this inherent righteousnesse yet testifieth plainely that hee is not thereby iustified and S. Iohn telleth vs 1 Ioh. 3.11 that it is mingled and blemished with sinne in this life and if any man think otherwise he is no better then a lyar and an hypocrite But let all be granted which this place in shew of wordes and according to their interpretation will or can afford it serueth as much to stablish iustification by imputation as by inherencie yea and more rather by how much the cause is of greater force then the effect for as the imputatiue sinne of Adam was the cause of inherent corruption in mans nature euen so the imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ is the cause of inherent grace in the faithfull And now to take this weapon out of their hands which they haue drawne as it were to cut the throate of Imputation it may fitly be retorted vpon their owne heads on this manner As the imputatiue disobedience of Adam was sufficient to make all men guiltie and culpable of condemnation before God though it left behinde it no print or impression of corruption in the nature of man euen so the imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ is sufficient to discharge and absolue vs of this guilt though it should bring with it no inherent righteousnesse in vs. Ob. Further they reason for themselues out of Dan. 9.24 the righteousnesse of the Messias is an eternall righteousnesse but this imputatiue righteousnesse ceaseth at the end of this life ergo An. Though the act of imputation of righteousnesse ceaseth after death because there is no remission of sins this life ended yet the righteousnesse imputed abideth still and standeth a man in stead to discharge and set him free from all the sins of his life by-past which otherwise the Lord might require at his hands Againe it remaineth in an inseparable fruit and effect of it which is perfect holinesse to wit a conformitie of the whole man vnto the will of God Thus being destitute of Scriptures they flye vnto reason pleading for themselues in this manner Obiect Christ the second Adam did restore no more then the first Adam lost but the first Adam neuer had and therefore could neuer lose this imputatiue righteousnesse ergo Ans The proposition is false for Christ as hee was euery way farre more excellent then Adam was so he is far more liberall in conferring grace and in bestowing his gifts then Adam was prodigall in losing them and in depriuing himselfe and his posteritie of them and therfore vouchsafed many more and greater gifts vnto vs then Adam euer lost for first Adam neuer had iustifying Faith neyther indeede was it necessary in that estate hee beleeued in God but hee knew not neyther beleeued in the Messias but Christ hath vouchsafed vs this supernaturall gift of iustifying Faith Againe Adam had not the grace of confirmation and finall perseuerance and therfore being tempted sell though the free motion of his owne will but wee haue the second grace that is of corroboration whereby wee are preserued in the state of grace which is the priuiledge of the state of redemption before the state of innocencie Adam had power to haue stood if hee would but hee had no power to will that hee could but we by the blessing of God haue in some part both the posse and the velle insomuch as it is not possible for vs being once in the state of grace eyther totally to fall or finally to perish For the Assumption Adam had the same righteousnes for substance which we haue but not in one and the same manner Adam had it resident in his person by inherencie but wee haue it out of our selues from another by imputation Now being destitute both of Scriptures and reason they try another way if not to stablish their own supposed righteousnes yet to bring our doctrine of imputation into contempt and therefore they search their wits labouring by all meanes to fasten some grosse absurdities vpon it but all in vaine First therefore they reason thus If the righteousnesse of Christ be the righteousnesse of a sinner then euery sinner that beleeueth is as righteous as Christ and consequently a Sauiour both which are absurd the ground of this argument is because the selfe-same perfect righteousnesse which is in Christ both for parts and degrees is made his by imputation the which is necessary because the righteousnesse which iustifieth must be absolute and in all points answerable vnto the morall Law For the answering of this first consider the absurditie of this kinde of reasoning in the like instances If the light of the Sunne be the light of the Ayre then the Ayre is as lightsome as the Sunne and consequently the Sunne it selfe that is the fountaine of light and heate If the heate of the fire be the heate of a mans hand then the hand is as hot as the fire If the water of the fountaine be the water of the riuer then the riuer is the fountaine or as copious and cleere as the fountaine Who can endure to heare this idle and foolish talking for it deserueth not the name of reasoning nay whose eares doe not glow to heare it But to satisfie this cauill and sophistication more fully both the
A LEARNED AND FRVITFVLL SERMON Preached in Christs Church in Norwich BY Mr. NEVVHOVSE late Preacher of Gods Word there 1 PETER 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to God LONDON Printed for Ionas Man and are to be solde at the signe of the Talbot in Paternoster-row 1612. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL Mr. Thomas Layer an ancient Senator and a iust Iustice of Peace in the Citie of Norwich Grace and Peace RIGHT Worshipfull though the Word of God be the Bread of life yet the Ministers of Gods word are his Stewards to deuide it and though the same Word be the Water of Life yet they are his Conduits to conuey it If the Bread in a loafe be not cut out vnto the hungry an Infant that is hungry may dye with a whole loafe in his hands and if the Water in a fountaine be not drawne out to the thirsty a childe may perish with a bottle in his armes How necessary it is that the one should be cut out to the hungry soule and the other drawne out to the thirstie spirit they know best that haue the care of their owne family and how necessary it is that both the bread and water of life should be carued and filled out to all such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse they know well who haue any care of Gods Family We that liue in this Kingdome haue good experience of Gods fauour towards vs in this respect We haue many a faithfull Ahimelech amongst vs who rather then Dauid should perish for hunger will giue vnto him the Shew-bread of the Sanctuary We haue many a worthy Minister amongst vs who rather then Dauid should dye for thirst will with the hazard of their liues giue vnto him of the waters of Bethlehem When I enter into a serious meditation of the Maiestie of Gods Word and withall consider that all is as nothing without application methinkes I doe say here is salue but where is the hand that must lay it on the soare Here is Balme where is the finger that must poure it into the wound Here is Physicke where is the Physitian And here is the Poole of Bethesdah where is the friend that will help vs in Doe we looke for an hand the hand of Gods Minister will lay on the salue Doe we desire a finger The finger of Gods Minister will poure in this oyle Would we send for a Physitian the Art of Gods Minister will administer this Physicke And if at the descent of the Angell we would faine be put into the Poole of Bethesdah who will sooner doe it then this Man of God I cannot deny but that by reading of Gods word a man may receiue much comfort nay I am perswaded that by the same he may be excellently prepared to get sauing knowledge yet preaching is that alone ordinary meanes which God hath sanctified for the saluation of his Children and to make them wise vnto that saluation By preaching the Minde of the ignorant is enlightned the Memorie of the forgetfull is strengthened the Heart of the obstinate is mollified the Affections of the vntoward are reduced the Will of the peruerse is restrained and the Life of the vngodly so changed that at the voyce of a simple and sinfull man he cryeth out with the Iewes in the Acts Men and brethren what shall I doe to be saued This made Dauid to say I am the man Saul to say I haue sinned and euery priuate conuert to say God is in these men indeed Were it not for preaching of the Word where were the vnderstanding of it where were the consolation by it where were direction from it Without it how should hard places be made plaine plaine be applyed repugnances in it be reconciled or oppugners of it be confuted Take away Preaching and then downe with our Schooles of learning our Houses of prayer our Obedience to Superiours our Loue to equals and our right to heauen I am now in a Labirinth I cannot well come out The Preaching of the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation the Pillar of God in our iourney to Canaan the Angell of God to bring vs out of Sodome the Messenger of God to prepare his way the Trumpet of God to cry downe Iericho and the Hammer of God to driue in the nayle of piety and to breake out the braines of profanenesse How much we are beholding to the Preachers of the Gospell we shall then know when the Lord shall send such a Famine of this Bread that though we goe from East to West we shall not finde it or such a Drought of this water of life that we shall runne from Citie to Citie and shall not get it But blessed be God we are now full and I wish it may neuer be said vnto vs Woe be vnto you that are full Amongst many Cities in this famous Kingdome beholding vnto God for the Ministery of the Word you in your Citie are not the least beholding Euery Sabbath day in many of your Churches is the Word preached and almost euery day in the weeke the preaching of the same is painfully continued And surely when I consider the paines required of your Citie preachers the vncertaine allowance prouided for them the meane estate they must euer needs liue in and that sound Learning which hath beene and is now in many of them I beginne to thinke that it is eyther the sweetenesse of the ayre or the ciuilitie of your people or the contentednesse of their mindes or their desire to doe good or the special blessing of almighty God that continues thus amongst you the great meanes of saluation But howsoeuer the Arke of Gods Couenant be beautifully set vp in your seuerall Temples yet to you of S. Andrewes hath God appeared in exceeding beauty How many hungry soules in that Citie are almost daily fed at your table How many thirstie spirits doe drinke ordinarily of your Cisternes And I doubt whether any one Parish in the Kingdome hath been so successiuely blessed with learned and laborious Ministers as you haue beene for almost threescore yeeres If you forget that faithfull Seruant of Christ Mr. More who for twentie yeeres together preached amongst you almost euery day in the weeke besides his priuate conferences in your seuerall families surely then I feare me there is a state risen vp amongst you like vnto that of the Egyptians whose King knew not Ioseph But I know you remember both him and his And can you then forget this worthy man who for the space of foureteene yeeres past liued partly a Preacher and partly a Pastor in your Congregation Concerning whom I might say much and if a learned Father doth not deceiue me it is pietie to commend the dead but I must not make an Epistle larger then the booke I liued with him in a famous Colledge I laboured with him in your holy Citie for the space of fiue yeeres and more and I
and worke in the same the contrary grace of thy holy Spirit namely true Humilitie whereby wee may acknowledge our owne nothing and may vtterly renounce and deny ourselues and learne onely and wholy to relye and depend vpon the blessed merit of Christ in matter of our saluation ascribing the whole worke and glory thereof to him alone and to no other thing And because all that are in Christ are new creatures and walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit wee beseech thee to renue vs in the spirits of our mindes and in the affections of our hearts enlightening vs more and more with true knowledge and vnderstanding in spirituall things and sanctifying our hearts to the loue and obedience thereof that wee may walke worthy of thee please thee in all things fructifie in euery good worke and increase in the knowledge of thy holy will Aboue all things set before vs thy holy feare imprint this grace of thine deepely in our hearts perswade vs effectually of thy presence wheresoeuer we doe become in secret or open place that wee may learne to make conscience of sinne and of euery euill way endeuoring to please and obey thee in all thy Commandements and euermore to preserue pure and vnblameable consciences before thee and before all men and that to the end of our dayes And because wee are at continuall warre against Sathan this wicked world and our owne damnable and fleshly lusts Lord help vs in this spirituall combate in all temptations when wee are most weake be thou most strong in vs together with the temptation grant an issue and an euasion teach vs to watch ouer our owne hearts and to keepe them with all diligent obseruation that wee be not any more circumuented of the wiles of Sathan or seduced through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Help our infirmities giue strength against our particular corruptions that in the very act of temptation wee may be able to resist and to ouercome that wee may haue as iust cause to praise thy name in our victories as wee haue had cause to be humbled and cast downe in our foyles And because it is the lot of thy Children in this world to be tryed sundry wayes Lord prepare vs to the dayes of tryall arme vs with spirituall patience to beare thy hand that wee may meekely and contentedly submit our wils to thy good will and pleasure howsoeuer it shall please thee to deale with vs onely teach vs to profit vnder thy rods of correction grant that we may learne hereby to deny our selues to forsake this world pleasures profits preferments of it to make vile and base account of them in respect of heauenly things to loue thy kingdome and thy righteousnesse desiring to be dissolued and to be with Christ that sinne and the corruption thereof might be abolished and we might haue neere coniunction with thy Maiestie in thine owne kingdome Neuerthelesse so long as thou pleasest to hold vs here in this earthly tabernacle dissolue in our hearts the cursed workes of the Diuell confound the power and tyranny of sin daily more and more increase the Graces of thy holy Spirit namely Faith and repentance thy feare and thy loue humilitie and a good conscience with all other graces wherby thy own image may be renued in vs daily that the longer we liue in this world the nearer we may draw to thy Kingdome the greater strength we may haue against our owne sins the greater will and abilitie to serue and please thee in righteousnesse and new obedience Blesse with vs thy whole Church and euery member thereof be good and gratious to these Churches in England and Ireland giue thy Gospell a free passage euery where with all good meanes whereby it may be further published and maintained remouing all lets and impediments wherby the course and proceedings thereof are hindered and stayed for this cause be good vnto our gracious King the principall member therof blesse him with life honor confirme his heart in the truth of this holy Religion hee hath a long time professed and maintained against all the aduersaries thereof increasing his loue and zeale thereunto and his constancie therein and adding vnto his yeeres many dayes that he may be an ancient Father in this Church of thine a Patron an vpholder of thy pure and true Religion against all them that oppose themselues against it Blesse our gratious Queene the Prince and the residue of that Royall Progenie Be mercifull to the Honourable Priuie Counsell and the inferiour Magistrates of this Land blessing them with the wisedome of thy spirit from aboue that they may take counsell with thy word in all their enterprises and deliberations so as first they may conclude of those things which make most for the aduancement of thy Kingdome and Gospell and then for the peaceable and religious gouernment both of Church and Common-weale Blesse the Ministers of thy word and Sacraments increase the number of those that are faithfull and painefull double thy spirit and graces vpon them that they may goe in and out before thy people not onely in the light of pure doctrine but of holy and vnblameable conuersation that by this meanes many may be wonne to the knowledge and obedience of thy truth Be mercifull to the people of this Land confirme them that are called and strengthen them that they may continue stedfast in the sinceere profession and practise of true religion vnto the end those that yet wander and goe astray through sinne and wickednesse call them home in thy owne good time that they with vs and we with them may haue both hearts and mouthes enlarged to glorifie thy holy name Touch all our hearts with true Repentance from the highest to the lowest that thy iudgements present and imminent may be remoued preuented thy mercies still procured vnto vs and the posteritie after vs especially in the continuance of thy word and Gospell among vs for euer Lord be mercifull to all thine afflicted whether they be sicke vpon their beds or distressed in conscience for sinne or persecuted for thy name and truth or pinched with pouerty wanting those outward things which thou hast in great abundance delt out vnto vs relieue them according to their seuerall necessities strengthen them in their weaknesse comfort them in their distresse mitigate their sorrowes and extremities put an end vnto them in thine owne good time and turne them to their humiliation and in the end to their eternall comfort and saluation by Christ Be mercifull to our friends in the flesh and acquaintance in the spirit parents brethren sisters children seruants and all other for whom we are bound by any dutie to pray granting vnto them a supply of all graces needfull for their present state and calling and the finall saluation of their soules Haue mercie on vs now calling on thy name forgiue our sinnes and manifold defects in this holy dutie and accept at our hands this weake and imperfect obedience in Christ and giue vs thankfull hearts for all mercies receiued from thy bountifull hand that thou hast loued vs in Iesus Christ with an euerlasting loue before the world was and from loue hast chosen vs to life and glory called vs in time to the certaine knowledge of this our Election iustified and redeemed vs by Iesus Christ his death and resurrection sanctified vs in the inner man by his holy spirit that thou hast giuen vs Faith in thy promises and hope of a better life feare of thy Name loue of thy Maiestie zeale of thy glory loue and tender affection towards our brethren yea towards our enemies and those that hate vs patience vnder the Crosse strength against our particular temptations and corruptious Humilitie gentlenesse meeknes with many other gifts and graces of regeneration all which we acknowledge haue proceeded of thy meere mercy and goodnesse towards vs wee beseech thee to increase them daily more and more in vs and â—et vs not be negligent in the vse of all good meanes whereby they may grow in vs daily We doe also with all thankfulnes remember all temporall blessings concerning this life and the preseruation thereof our health libertie peace prosperitie and all outward things wee doe enioy this gratious gouernment with all blessings accompanying the same We thanke thee that thou hast sustained vs in great weakenesse relieued vs in much necessitie comforted vs in much distresse resolued vs in many doubts deliuered vs from many and great dangers and when wee were falling into them hast rescued vs with thine owne hand and preserued vs from many grieuous sinnes into which through the corruptions of our natures and Sathans temptations wee might haue fallen Make vs â—nfaignedly thankfull and teach vs to walke worthy of them and to testifie thankfulnes therefore not in word onely but by a conscionable walking with thee in all duty and obedience vnto the end Blesse vs this night keepe vs and all ours from all dangers grant vnto vs if it be thy holy and good will such a portion of rest and sleepe that thereby body and senses being refreshed we may rise vp in the morning cheerfully to glorifie thy name in the duties of Christianitie and in the works of our particular callings as thou shalt seuerally dispose of vs and giue vs strength and opportunitie and that by Iesus Christ In whose name we conclude our prayers as he himselfe hath taught vs saying Our Father which art c. FINIS