or our works to do in this high and worthy office of our saluation It is already mercifully vndertaken by him that could performe it for vs It is already happily performed by him that did vndertake it for vs and being so vndertaken and performed to our hands what remaineth now for vs but faithfully to beleeue in him that hath done these wonders for the children of men and next of all holily to liue in him because he commaundeth vs to be holy as he is holy and were it but to expresse our thankefulnes for such his vnspeakeable mercies towards vs. Yet so to beleeue liue in him as that we neuer beleue we can do any thing while vve liue that shall vvorthy vs to pertake with him in the memorable act of our saluatiō or can haue power though issuing from the greatest perfection of humain ability to merit the reward of eternall glory For if we cold then this our blessed redeemer did put on the heauy garment of our humanity in vain did keep the commaundements in vaine did sweate water and blood in vaine did want the priuiledge euen of little sparrowes for his repose in vaine and submitted himselfe to all his sufferinges from the Manger which was his cradle to the crosse which was the conclusion of his misery and all this he vnderwent for our loue in vain if we be able to merit of our selus if we haue holines to make our own peace for so he hath done nothing for vs but vvhat vve can do of our selues which were a horrible blasphemous conclusion and yet you see reasonably drawne from this your sacriligious and so derogatory doctrine of merits And yet derogatory further for it leaueth not our Sauiour heere but secondeth this iniury of his redeemership with changing the natur of his mediatorship For what is a mediator amongst men or christ as he is mediatour betwixt God and man but a traueller or one that interposeth himselfe betweene seuerall parties to make peace betweene the offended and the offendor The partie heer offended is God by reason of sinne committed the partie offender is man that hath committed this sinne against him God is perfectly iust and will not be put off with shifts but standeth vpon satisfaction Man is a stark bankerout clean blown out and hath nothing wherewith to satisfie O blessed God that art so righteous in all thy workes and thrice blessed be thy holy name euen for being so iust that thou wilt be satisfied but O cursed man that was so wicked in his waies as to forsake his gratious God that had made him so rich and when he might haue chosen to plunge himselfe in such extreame pouerty Methinkes I see him soeing figge-leaues to couer his shame and shuddering himselfe behind trees from the presence of the Almightie methinks I heare him answearing the Lord friuilously and prating out excuses to no purpose for God that it is truth it self and seeth all things cannot be deluded And yet methinks lifting vp my self I see another arm of mercy extended forth to saue as wel as that arm of Iustice to destroy I see the Lord is merciful and gratious long suffering and of great goodnes that he wil not alway be chiding nor continue his anger for euer that he dealeth not with his seruants after their sinnes nor rewardeth them according to their wickednes In a word which is my souls rauishing comfort methinks I see his mercy without impeachment to his Iustice to shine aboue al his works for with this arme of compassion he taketh this sinner vp and euen him himself thorough his wisedome and power deuiseth a means to satisfie himselfe and restore againe the poore offender to his fauour And now my sweet Sauiour I must returne againe vnto thee for the needle of my soule truely touched I hope with thy grace wil neuer stand still till it come directly against thy merit the fixed point of my saluation When man by sinne had thus seperated himself from his maker and the iawes of eternall damnation but a deserued guerdon gaped wide to haue swallowed him vp at this dead lift Christ Iesus by whom all thinges formerly were made commeth to help out and draw together againe his father and this offender that stood in such opposition he vndertaketh to pay the debt setteth a certaine day and keepeth it requireth nothing of this mā for whom thus frendly he becam paimaister but before till the day came to beleeue in him that he would pay it and after when the day was past to beleeue in him that he had payed it and before and after to loue him for his labour and obserue that course for his life as neere as he could which he prescribed him But what is all this saith the cauiller to Christes mediatorship I might answeare that it is but a profitable digression at most but I will answeare it is no digression at all For I assure you it is so pertinent so necessarily belonging thereunto that if you knowe not this you knowe nothing if you perfectly conceiue not this you shall neuer thoroughly vnderstande the other and now I beseech you learne to knit them together When christ the second person in the Trinity the very sonne of God and yet perfect God himselfe had for the sufficient and more proper discharge of this debt for man which man by no means could haue discharged for himselfe assumed our humanity and thoroughly satisfied the wrath of God as aforesaide In due time he forsooke the earth and returned vnto the blessed bosome of his father from whence hee came and because he knew that man for all this kindnesse shewed him would not be fully reclaimed nor thoroughly purged during his abode vpon earth of that pernitious humor of disobedience that possessed him but stil be prone to offend and from time to time prouoking his Lorde and maker to indignation against him Hee there in heauen seated vppon that glorious throne of Maiesty and power the right hande of his Father continually intreateth presenteth satisfaction and vndertaketh for him I meane his Seruaunts that faithfully beleeue in him and truely depend vppon his righteousnesse for their saluation and therein I praye you conceiue that his mediatorshippe as with God the party offended doth principally now consist I say in intreating presenting satisfaction and vndertaking for vs For he intreateth his father to take pitty of vs albeit we deserue it not to loue vs although wee haue not loued him and to embrace vs for his children notwithstanding our disobedience towardes him and because being God as well as man in this his office of mediatorshippe it concerneth him to see the Iustice of God fully satisfied before his mercy be thus thoroughly extended In his petition he compriseth effectuall considerations to stirre vppe compassion towardes vs namely in regarde of his obedience and sufferinges in our steede for his righteousnes sake which he continually presenteth vnto his father as a satisfaction
if we truelie obserue pointeth out our land of promise and directeth vs the right waie thither Nay this is the waie it selfe that leades vs vnto truth and the truth it selfe that leades vnto life and the life it selfe that vve so long after euen eternall selicitie I am the way Iohn 14 6. the truth and the life Novv from this knowledge of my sauior I learn to renounce my selfe and relie vpon him to cast off mine own beggerlie rags patched together with abhomination and by the hand of faith to put on his princely robe the glorious robe of his righteousnes In this attire I appeare before my god become acceptable in his presence for this garment he frely giueth me and as freely teacheth me how to weare it I meane this righteousnesse of Christ which is the true consormitie with the law of GOD and an absolute fulfilling thereof God out of his meere grace and mercy impureth vnto me and withall wooâ—keth in me faith whereby I apply the same vnto my selfe so that in this sence I may presume to say the righteousnes of Christ is mine and that therein I serue my God truely as he that laboured so much euen to anotamize the worke of iustification hath for an eternall Maxime set downe that Christ is made vnto vs righteousnes wisedome 1 cor 1 30 sanctification and redemption and else where That in him we are compleat Col. 2 10 The fraile wit of man hath deuised a law whereby an act doue by one is remitted from him that did it to him that gaue consent and commission for the doing of it But the vnsearchable wisedome of our God from the deepe reach of his mercy and compassion without so much as our knowledge for he knew vs from euerlasting and before the foundation of the worlde contriued this meanes for our deliuery hath more then admirably conueyed vnto vs the memorable act of Christes humiliation and satisfaction and by his imputation and our aprehension which is likewise his guifte freelye made it ours The worke it selfe which is Iustice not altred by the exchange of the subiect but onely inattribute It being I egall in Christ in vs Euangelicall If then the righteousnesse of Christ thus be made ours if his obedience and satisfaction be thus freely bestowed vppon vs What should hinder vs it may be meruailed from affording due entertainment to so vnspeakeable a benefit and that we make not true vse of so great aduantage Is not this the delectablest food that euer any hungry stomacke longed after Is it not the softest couch that the wearied soule can find to repose vpon Questionlesse it is and therefore whosoeuer resolueth to fare well shoulde frame himselfe to this diet and he that loueth to lie soft must become his owne Harbinger and make sure in time to take vp this lodging For this is the food of eternall life this is the bed of euerlasting rest Peter not himself but being then and not only then out of his proper Element for he knew not what he said brake with christ about building of tabernacles on the mount Thabar But hee that vppon this foundation which is christ himselfe shall aduisedly erect the fortresse of his hope and Tabernacle of his felicity may be truely said to be his owne man though scarcely as the apprehension of men goeth now a daies and that he is in the right For he knowes what he doth and that his building though all those wordely fleshly and diuellish aduersaries combino in oppugnation can neuer be subuerted In more propper sence therefore then Peter spake it I may boldely say Heere is good being good for the King good for the Begger good for all heere is good being indeed and heere am I constantly resolued let neuer so many millions of misbeleeuers rest vppon what other rotten dependance they list to set downe my rest for euer This stay I know to be sure and neuer shrincking this supportation I am sure is strong and neuer shaketh This this is our soules most firme and neuer-failing anchorage yea this righteousnes of our sweete and louing sauiour is not onely a sure strong and neuer failing foundation but it is the onely sure stronge and neuer failing foundation whereupon we must resolue to build all our happines for euer if euer we resolue to for to relie vpon ought besides that the earth or the heauens themselues can afford in the great and weightie cause of our iustification is to trust vnto that which shall neuer stedde vs and most vndoubtedlie to become most vnhappie Now this righteousnesse of our mercifull redeemer so aduantageable to all those that constantly depend thereuppon I consider in his perfect obeying to the law of God which we had transgressed and coulde neuer of our selues haue fulfilled and his painefull vndergoing the punishment proper to such our transgressions euen the wrath of his father which was incensed by no satisfaction of man or Angel could euer haue bin appeased O sweet vneffable and incomprehensible mercie of our God who out of his owne bosome hath distilled a balme to cure all our wounds though neuer so mortall and albeit so deseruedlie receiued in the traiterous breach of his sacred ordinaunces and not spared euen his owne heart bloud to wash awaie our vncleannesse and to purge vs that were his enemies from all our corruption The meanes that conueieth vnto us this mercie of God the father in this merite of God the sonne is as I formertouched a liuelie iustifieng faith begotten in our harts by God the Holi-ghost who must needes be thefficient cause of the said Faith as the true knowledge and trust in Christ is the formall the gospell the instrumentall and the finall gods glorie By which faith it being The ground of thinges which are hoped for Hebr. 11 1 and the euidence of things which are not seene or a stedfast supernaturall knowledge and firme apprehension of Gods kindnes in Christ Iesus towards vs. Many celestiall indowmentes and good workes are kindled in the mind and hart and flame forth of the life and conuersation of euerie true beleeuer as repentance hope loue inuocation obedience iustification adoption patience consolation mortification peace of conscieÌ„ce ioy in the holighost and regeneration with the fruits therof All of them togither with diuers other such like heauenlie infused qualities though not distinguishable in time but in nature though essentially being Gods gifts and immediatelie proceeding from his grace yet properlie either begotten wrought or apprehended by the saide Faith it being in vs a cause they the necessarie effects the root and they the inseperable braunches So that when I affirme my religion to be The true seruice of God and that seruice to be performed truelie by vs in the righteousnes of Christ I do not herein exclude our workes as impertinent or vnnecessarie thereunto or deny but that good workes are Gods seruices and that therein it pleaseth him to be glorified But because
see what this holy Apostle of christ Iesus thought touching this poynt of mans meriting And I pray you marke how firmely the learned Fathers of the church cleaue vnto the same doctrine My first place out of Paule was that wee are saued not by c. And Saint Ierom one whom your church highly reuerenceth writeth in this manner Hier lib 1 ad Pelag Then are wee iust when wee confesse our selues to be sinners And our iustice consisteth not of our owne merit but of Gods mercy Heere this holy father in the matter of iustification reiecteth with S. Paule all our owne merit and referreth the same wholly to Gods mercy My second place out of the Apostle was that the Wages of sinne is death but the guift of GOD is eternall life through c. Origene one of the most auncient Fathers of the church in exposition of these very words of Paule saith thus Origen in ep ad Ro ca 4 lib 4 The apostle saith that the wages of sin is death but he added not said likewise the wages of iustice is eternall life but he sayeth eternall life is the gratious guift of God to teach vs that wages which is like to debt and reward is a recompence of pun shment and death and to assigne eternall life to grace onely Thus you heare this reuerent father expoundeth Paule that our wickednes iustly meriteth condemnation but that the ballaunce wanteth waight the other way and that our best deedes merite not saluation which is assigned to grace only and if only to grace then are all our workes absolutely excluded in that busines My last place out of paule was The sufferings c. Answerable to this sayeth Saint Barnard on this manner Now concerning eternal life we know the sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory to come Barn in Anunt Mariae Serm. 1 no not if one man should suffer all heere this deuout and religious father remoueth all doubt touching the former doctrine by a forcible supposition on this manner Admit that the afflictions and persecutions of Paule of Peter of Iames and all the Apostles that the paine and torments of the Primitiue Church and of those fiue and twenty Byshops which successiuely were martyred for the name of Iesus And that all the tortures and sufferings of all the Saints of God in allages from the death of Abell to the last drop of blood that euer shal be shed vpon the earth for the testimony of the Lords truth were laide vppon one man to beare and that it were possible for him onely to vnder go the paines torments and tortures that they all indured yet were the glorye of eternall life to rich a guerdon for those his sufferinges hee coulde not merite heauen thereby for the infinite iustice of God must haue a greater satisfaction This was the holy fathers censure hereupon No not saith he if one man should suffer all Now let me reason with you by an inuincible and familiar argument if the suffrings of Paule or of anye of these holy martyres whose continuall persecutions and torments were insteed of many deaths vnto them Nay if all their paines tortures and deaths ioyned together would not make vp a desert answearable to the meed of euerlasting glory It must needes followe that your deeds and sufferings which cary no neerer a proportion with the other then your span doth with the spatiousnes of the whole earth can merit no such matter and shall neuer for any desert they are of come home so rewarded No no you must not look for such an inrichment after such a reckoning but rather saye with the same Saint Barnard Serm 1 anunt Mar whom your selues confes to be one of the sweetest queresters in the Lords quier What are all our merits to so great glory The gardens of all the Fathers of the Church are thicke set with these flowers they all of them teach if true vnderstood the selfe same doctrine Thus you heare then what the Scriptures and Fathers haue deliuere touching our iustification how they referre the same wholy to the mercy and grace of God in the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus and shake off our owne merits as hauing no hand in that worke nor worthinesse in that degree to be trusted vnto But fearing least you are made beleeue that the Scriptures as we read them are false and the Fathers as we vse to alledge them but wrested as what will not falshood affirme to discountenance the trueth or error be ashamed to say for her owne shelter I will yet attempt another meane which I assure my selfe will cool and am in good hope vtterly extinguishe that your conceit of merritting and it shal be by making knowne vnto you the wonderfull inconuenience you incurre and the dangerous premunire that your soule runs into by holding your workes in such estimation There are two principall vertues whereby our grations God vouchsafeth to manifest himself to the know ledge of his seruants vpon the earth and wherin it pleaseth his diuine omnipotency to be delighted and they are his mercy and his Iustice There are likewise 2. principall offices which our mercifull Sauiour daigned to vndertake for our sakes whereby the fauour of God which our old notorious pranke had estranged is regaind vnto vs and thorough the blessed means whereof we are not onely become gratious with him in this world but haue assurance of his sight and the happye fruition of eternall felicity in the worlde to come and those are his redeemershippe and mediatorshippe and I pray you what will you thinke of your Religion if the same nay if one branch thereof among twenty as rotten as it selfe if this onely point of attributing merit to your workes in the act of your iustification doeth impaire and manifestly obscure the dignitie of these excellent proprieties of God his mercie and his Iustice and withall disparage and apparantly detract from the Worthynesse of Christ his merite in that his redeemershippe and mediatourshippe if your religion I say be guilty of such heinous treason against the diuine Maiesty will you not then iudge it your securest course to abandon her daungerous fellowship and embrace insteed therof for your comfort true christianity of whome you shall be sure to learne nothing but true faith and true obedience to your heauenly Soueraigne In discouery hereof it is behoouefull for you to conceiue that as the essence of God is infinite and perfect so these proprieties of God his mercy and Iustice because they are essentiall in him must likewise of necessity be perfect and infinite which being graunted doeth not euery opinion that shall intimate defect or insufficiency therein impaire as I saide and manifestly obscure the dignity thereof you cannot denie but it doth neither shall you euer be able substantially to cleere your doctrine of merites from this high and perillous imputation For looke how much you attribute to your owne merits in the purchase of saluation So
much you detract away from Gods mercy in Christ which is the proper and onely price whereby the same is purchased God which is rich in mercy saith Paule through his great loue wherewith he loued vs Esphe 2 4. euen when we were dead in sinne hath quickened vs together in Christ for by grace are ye saued and hath raised vs vp together and made vs sit together in heauenly things through Christ Iesus And in another place formerly alledged God hath not saued vs for the deeds of righteousnesse which we haue wrought but of his mercy hath he saued vs. Heere the mercye of God appeareth like it selfe Paule giueth it his due and maketh it the only doer of the matter of saluation you on the contrary beleeue that you shal be saued by your works only or at least by your works this grace coupled togither heer the mercy of god is shewed forth vnlike it selfe you rob it of his due making it either nothing at all as when you wil be iustified meerly by your own deeds without it or at least but a partner with you when your deeds must draw in the same yoke with it as coaiutors or fellow workers in that busines Assure you selfe therefore that the perfect and infinite mercy of our good and gratious God doth not agree with the imaginary merit of flesh and blood but is and that not a little indignified by this grosse and presumptuous doctrine for doe but seriously ponder with your selfe whether that mercy can be infinit that hath neede of a supplement and how it can be perfect when it must be eeked out with deedes of imperfection yet is it perfect and infinite and shall euer remaine so let neuer so many millions of your merit founders deserue thereof as ill as they can by such their confidency in their owne deseruinges The same indignity you profer to the iustice of God which being likewise as his mercy is perfect and infinite you hope neuerthelesse will be satisfied with corrupted intigrety and appeased with your poluted righteousnesse but you are as wide from the truth as the East is from the West for there is no iustice that can stand against the iustice of God but that which carrieth proportion answearable therunto It requireth an entire and ful paiment And it is not the low-prized drosse of Egypt our stained impure actions but the refined gold of Saba the vnspotted and pure righteousnesse of christ Iesus that in the great day of our accompt will passe for currant No no you should be so far from arrogating vnto your selfe any ability to the answering of that so infinite and awful iustice of God almighty as rather firmely and constantly to rest assured that the vprightnes of al the men on earth though the same indeede respectiuely be pleasing and acceptable vnto God nor the integrity of all the Angels of heauen yet I know they excell in strength and are now confirmed from euer falling nor the holinesse of all the Saintes both in heauen and in earth albeit I confesse they make vp that church which christ himselfe calleth faire and without spot and honoreth beside with the title of his sister his loue his spouse his doue and his vndefiled That the vprightnes I say integrity and holinesse of all these Angels and saints nay the power of all their desert ioyned together cannot calme the tempest of Gods iustice from showring downe indignation vpon all the sons of Adam for their originall and actuall transgression nor so much as qualifie the said iustice towards your selfe in particular nor make a condigne satisfaction for your sins only no not for the least sinne though you extenuate and mince it to the least of your veniall sins that euer you committed for any sinne is a breach of the whole law and who knoweth not the transgression of the law is that proper act of rebellion whereby this infinite iustice is so worthily incensed as without an infinite satisfaction neuer to be apeased yet are you bold of your selfe to rush in vpon that displeased maiesty and hauing no lawfull warrant to present the same with an hollow bird of your owne worthinesse but you haue often heard that it is ill dallieng with saints and let me by the way aduise you to beware how you iest any more with such edg-tooles as Gods iustice Howbeit your doctrine of merites for all these wronges both to the mercye and Iustice of God doth not yet finde lymits to bound his outrage in but breaketh out further to ouerflow euen the obedience and sufferinges of our mercifull sauior christ Iesus and as much as lieth in the handes of heresie to annihilate his blessed righteousnesse the very truth only and al-sufficient act of our redemption This righteousnesse of christ which none but the rabble of Antichrist will deny you must vnderstand is perfect And it is necessary it should be so for it encountereth the perfect iustice of god and is layed in the ballance to waygh against the same for a wonderfull valew a valew of no lesse worth then the welfar and whole estate of euery christian soule that euer was or euer shall be imprisoned in the corrupt tabernacle of flesh and blood Now you not contented to set down your whole rest vpon the sufficiency of this righteousnesse either pull the same quite out of the ballance and put in steede thereof your own or at least lay yours vpon his to make vp the waight as though the other were sufficient wherein what derogation you proffer to the merit of christs obedience it is most manifest the same being of it selfe so absolute and what madnes you shew therin may be wondered at when al your merits vnto christs are for substance not a drop to the maine Ocean and for waight not so much as a feather to the whole earth The spirit of truth that holy charmer himselfe wil quickly resolue you herein if Adderlike you stop not your eares against him as methinks you should not howsoeuer you be inioyned by man because he alwaies charmeth most wisely Esay 63 3 In one place Christ alone hath troden down the winepresse neither was there any at al that helped him God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing but in the crosse Gala. 6 14 death and passion of our Lord Iesus christ The blood of Iesus christ the son of God clenseth vs from all sinne 1 Ioh 1 7 Now if christ aloue hath troden down that presse that would haue pressed vs to death If we must reioyce in nothing but only in the death of christ Iesus If the precious blood of that sweete sauiour of ours doth only clense vs from all our sins what should we thinke of our selues and of our works What haue we to do that of our selues are but worms of the earth in comparison What haue our works to do that of themselues are but meere vnworthines in the sight of the almighty What I say haue we