Law and the same was taught by Calvin not to mention all the rest of our Divines Christum sc. nos reconciliasse Deo justitiam acquisivisse toto obedientiae suae cursu § X. But against this assumption divers things are objected first they feare not to say which I feare to relate that Christ obeyed the Law not for us but for himselfe for they say that Christ as he was man was bound to obey the Law for himselfe which assertion detracteth from the merit of his obedience from the bounty of his Grace from the dignity of his person From his merit for if his obedience were of duety then were it not meritorious as himselfe teacheth Luk. 17. 10. for Debitum non est meritum And if this be true that Christs obedience is not meritorious than have we no title to heaven From his bounty if what he did indeed for us and not for himselfe hee should be thought to have done for himselfe and not for us From the dignity of his peâ—…son as if either he needed to obey for himselfe or by his obedience hee were any way bettered in himselfe or improved But these men shold have remembred that the person who as both of us confesse did obey the Law was and is not onely man but God also and therefore as his bloud was Gods bloud so his obedience was the obedience of God and consequently was performed not of duty nor for himselfe For if of duty then had God been a debtor to the Law Neither needed the humane nature being by personall union united to the divine to obey or to merit for it selfe seeing from the first moment of the conception thereof it was personally united to the Deity of the Sonne of God in whose person it subsisting was from the beginning of the being thereof most happy and enjoying the beatificall vision being at that time as the Schoolemen speake both viator comprehensor Neither did the humane nature which doth not subsist by it selfe work any thing by it selfe in the worke of our redemption but God manifested in the flesh did in and by it both obey and suffer for us And as the eternall Son of God being God coequall with the Father assumed the humane nature and became man not for himselfe for his incarnation was an abasing of himselfe as it were to nothing for man compared to God is as nothing if not as lesse than nothing but for us men and for our salvation so being man whatsoever he did or suffered in obedience to God was not for himselfe for it was a further debasing of himselfe but for us and as for us he sanctified himselfe Iohn 17. 17. so for us he performed all righteousnesse Matth. 3. 15. and fulfilled the Law for us Matth. 5. 17. that whatsoever the Law requireth to justification might bee fulfilled in it Rom. 8. 4. § XI But here the Papists object that our Saviour Christ by his humiliation did merit his exaltation because the Apostle saith that therefore God exalted him Phil. 2. 9. Answere In every aetiologie the reason which is rendred is in a large sense called the cause though it may be any other argument which is not the cause of the Consequent but of the consequence as here humiliation was not the cause but the way to exaltation and exaltation not the effect but the consequent as it is said Luk. 24. 26. ought not Christ to suffer these things and so to enter to his glory And this appeareth by the scope of the Apostle in that place which is to exhort us to the imitation of our Saviour Christ his charity and humility Of his charity in that hee being God for our sakes became man and being man humbled himselfe further and became obedient untill his death even the death of the crosse Of his humility in that it was the way to his glory For before honour is humility and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted But humiliation is so farre from being the cause of exaltation that it is the contrary to it even as corruption to generation and losse to recovery yet because recovery presupposeth losse and the generation of one the corruption of another and the exaltation of the Sonne of God his foregoing humiliation therefore each of these may be said to be causa sine qua non as all necessary forerunners may though they be no causes Even as Fabius when Livius Salinator bad him remember that by his meanes hee had recovered 〈◊〉 Why should I not remember it saith he I had never recovered it unlesse thou haddâ—…st lost it Cic. 2. de Oratore And further I adde that the exaltation of Christ whereof the Apostle speaketh was not the exaltation of him to be the Sonne of God for that hee was from all eternity but the manifestation thereof For although in respect of Christs resurrection especially it be said Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee yet was not Christ then first begotten whose generation is eternall but then he was mightily declared to bee the Sonne of God by his resurrection Rom. 1. 4. and this was that name above all names which God did give unto him after his humiliation his manifesting and declaring him by his resurrection to be the Sonne of God So the Apostle saith Heb. 1. 4 5. that Christ hath obtained a more excellent name than the Angels For unto which of the Angells said he at any time Thou art my Sonne this day I have begotten thee This exaltation was a necessary consequent of his humiliation and that in two respects first for avoyding the scandall of the crosse for having taken upon him the forme of a servant and therein having humbled himselfe to become obedient untill death and to the death of the crosse it was necessary lest men should take offence at his great humiliation and refuse to beleeve in a man that had beene crucified that he should mightily be declared to bee the Sonne of God by his resurrection ascension and sitting at the right hand of his Father secondly this declaration of Christ to bee the Sonne of God was to follow his humiliation as a necessary stay of our faith in Christ for if Christ had not risen againe then had our faith beene vaine and wee had remained in our sinnes But by his resurrection and exaltation whereby he was powerfully declared to be the eternall Sonne of God wee understand that the obedience which he had performed and the suffering which hee sustained for us were not the obedience and sufferings of mâ—…re a man but of him that is God for which cause Saint Peter saith that God did raise him and give him glory that our faith and hope might be in God § XII If they will needs with the Arrians understand the place of Christs exaltation it selfe which is his filiation and not of the declaration thereof thereupon
necessarily required that he might be meet to become our righteousnesse in his sufferings But this is frivolous because as I noted before he being perfect God as well as perfect man had beene in his sufferings an All-sufficient satisfaction for our sinnes though hee had never submitted himselfe to the obedience of the Law But the divine Nature of the Sonne of God and the dignity of his person as it made his sufferings all-sufficiently satisfactory for our sinnes to redeeme us from hell because they were the sufferings of God the blood of God c. so it made his obedience all-sufficiently meritorious to constitute and make us righteous and to make us Heires of Eternall life because it was the obedience or righteousnesse of God For the Sonne of God was made under the Law that he might not onely redeeme us who were under the Law by his sufferings but also that by his meritorious obedience we might receive the Adoption of sonnes But he proveth Christ to bee our righteousnesse onely in his passive obedience because it onely was both prefigured in the types and figures of the Law and also represented in the sacraments As touching the types and figures of the Law which prefigured Christ they were either figures of his person and office or they represented his benefits as namely and especially justification or â—…anctification And those which figured his benefit of justification either represented the remission of sinne by his sufferings or acceptation with God by his obedience or both The ceremony of changing their clothes when they were to come before God did import that those who desired to please God must be clothed with Christs righteousnesse which is also signified by the wedding garment and the holy attire wherein the Priests were to appeare before God The high Priests wearing of the golden plate with this inscription Holinesse of the Lord who is Iehovah our righteousnesse was to this end that the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel should hallow in all their holy gifts being taken away they might bee accepted before the Lord. The high Priests offering of incense upon the golden Altar resembled the pleasing obedience of Christ in his life and death and his intercession for us The Arke of the Covenant was a Type of Christ the Mediator the cover upon it of his propitiation the tables of Covenant within it of his fulfilling the Law for us The sanctification of the first fruits which were a type of Christ who is the first fruits of all that shall bee saved 1 Cor. 15. 23. was imputed to the whole increase or store Rom. 11. 16. So â—…aith Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the fulfilling of the Law performed by the first fruits so he calleth the flesh of Christ is imputed to the whole lumpe c. § XXIII But come we to the Sacraments which hee truely saith are the soules of that righteousnesse which is by Faith And yet saith he Baptisme signifieth onely the washing of the soule by the bloud of Christ the Eucharist representeth onely his body broken and his blood shed for our sinnes Answ. Though some parts onely of the benefits of Christ are represented in the severall Sacraments yet the substance of each Sacrament is the participation of Christ wholly with all his merits and benefits Thus in Baptisme we are incorporated into Christ and in it we put on Christ who is our righteousnesse And it is the Sacrament not only of remission of sinne and of justification but also of regeneration and sanctification we being therein conformed to his death and resurrection Rom. 6. 3 4 5. In the Lords Supper we have communion with Christ being not only united to him as bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh but also have communion with him both in his merits by imputation and in his graces by influence from him as our head Other arguments are used by the same authour but because in them he taketh two things for granted which hee cannot prove the one that justification consisteth onely in remission of sin the other that wee ascribe remission of sinne to Christs active obedience I will not trouble the Reader with them Onely let him call to minde the errours which the Authors of this opinion doe runne into for the defence thereof First that remission of sinnes is the matter of justification which is imputed to us Secondly that the Law is fully satisfied by bearing the penalty alone Thirdly that by one act of obedience we are made just as wee were by one act of disobedience made sinners Fourthly that neither by his disobedience Adâ—…m did transgresse the Law nor Christ by his obedience unto death obey it Fifthly that Christ obeyed the law not for us but for himselfe Sixthly that justification consisteth wholly and onely in remission of sinnes Which being for the most part consequents of this opinion doe prove the antecedent to be false CAP. V. That the formall cause of Iustification is the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse § I. YOu have heard the private opinions of some of our Divines concerning the matter of justification now let us examine the unsound opinions of some others concerning the forme For as the former made remission of sins the matter which is imputed to justification so these make it the forme And as the former teach that justification consisteth wholly in remission of sinne so doe these And yet the former hold it to bee but the matter and these but the forme Indeed if it were both the matter and the forme they might well say that justification doth wholly consist therein But being according to their owne conceipt but the one or the other and according to the truth neither of both but an effect of the true forme for by imputation of righteousnesse we have remission of sinne their opinion must needs be unsound But the thing wherein chiefely they erre is that with Socinuâ—… the heretike they deny the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse and consequently do hold that neither the active nor passive obedience of Christ is that which is imputed to us for righteousnesse What then forsooth the act of faith Of these mens errour I shall not need to say much in this place because besides that which hath already beene delivered in the third Chapter I have plentifully and fully proved in my whole fourth booke that the righteousnesse of Christ is the matter which is imputed to justification and in my whole fifth booke that the imputation of Christs righteousnesse is the forme of justification Only I will note their depravation of our Doctrine and point at their errours § II. As touching the former when we say that the imputation of Christs righteousnesse is the formall cause of justification because by imputation of Christs righteousnesse God doth justifie us they will needs with the Papists make us hold that we are formally righteous by
and therefore is not that righteousnesse which is imputed Thus therefore I argue By what we have remission of sinne by that wee are justified and by what we are justified that is our righteousnesse by the bloud of Christ we have remission of sinne and not by that righteousnesse which is purchased by his blood viz. remission of sinne for that to say were very ridiculous Wherefore by the blood of Christ we are justified and consequently that with the resâ—… of his obedience is our righteousnesse § VII To the fifth I answer that the meritorious obedience of Christ both active and passive are the merits of Christ. If therefore the merit of Christ be imputed then his meritorious obedience Neither can the merit of Christs obedience be imputed to us unlesse the obedience it selfe be imputed and by imputation accepted of God for us as performed by our selves For as the guilt of Adams transgression could not be imputed to us unlesse the transgression it selfe were first imputed and made ours by imputation whereof wee are made sinners that is guilty of his sinne unto condemnation so the merit of Christs obedience cannot bee imputed unlesse the obedience it selfe be imputed and made ours by imputation whereof we are freed from the guilt of sinne and damnation and are accepted as righteous and as heires of eternall life And as it may truely be said of them to whom Adams disobedience is imputed that they sinned in Adam so of them to whom Christs obedience is imputed it may no lesse truely be said that in Christ they have satisfied the justice of God in Christ they have fulfilled the Law the Lord accepting of the obedience of Christ in their behalfe as if they had performed it in their owne persons For Christ is the end the perfection and complement of the Law to all that beleeve So that whosoever truely beleeveth in Christ hath in him fulfilled the Law as the Greeke expositors expound that place Rom. 10. 4. § VIII But say they we were not so in Christ when he obeied as we were in Adam when he sinned Neither are wee members of Christ untill we actually beleeve And therefore neither could we be said to have satisfied the justice of God for our sinnes nor to have fulfilled the Law in him as we are truely said to have sinned in Adam Or if it could be said that in Christ we satisfied Gods justice for our sinnes then should we need no pardon Neither can punishment and pardon stand together if wee have borne the punishment then are we not pardoned Aâ—…sw The first Adam was a type of the second and both were heads and roots of mankinde Adam of those that shall bee condemned Christ of those that shall be saved For as in Adam all dye that dye eternally so in Christ all live that live eternally And as in Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is all that shall be condemned were constituted sinners his disobedience being imputed to them because in him they sinned so in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that shall be saved shall be constituted just his obedience being imputed to them because in him as their head they have satisfied and fulfilled the Law Neither are wee more truely derived from Adam in respect of the life naturall than wee are from Christ in respect of the life spirituall Therefore if Adams disobedience were imputed to condemnation much more Christs obedience is imputed unto justification of life as the Apostle argueth Rom. 5. and from thence Bernard Cur non aliunde justitia cum aliunde reatus alius qui peccatorem constituit alius qui justificat à peccato Alter in semine alter in sanguine An peccatum in semine peccatoris non justitia in Christi sanguine § IX Yea but then say they when Christ obeyed we were not his members No more say I were we the branches of the first Adam when he disobeied Actually we are neither branches of the first Adam untill we partake the humane nature by generation nor members of the second Adam untill we be made partakers of the Divine nature by regeneration and yet it is most true which Bernard avoucheth in the place even now cited satisfecit ergo Caput pro membris c. the head therefore satisfied for his members c. § X. Yea but our faith relyeth upon Christ as having already redeemed us Ans. Christ is the Lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world The vertue of whose obedience is extended not onely to them that come after Christ but also to all the faithfull that went before from the beginning of the world who were members of Christ as much as we are now And for them as well as for us Christ obeyed the Law and suffered death and to them so many as beleeved was the obedience of Christ imputed as well as to us They all did eate the same spirituall meat and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke For they dranke of that spirituall Rocke which followed and that Rocke was Christ. § XI But if in Christ say they we satisfied the punishment then we need no pardon Answ. When wee say that in Christ wee satisfied and fulfilled the Law our meaning is that his satisfaction and obedience is imputed to us that is it is accepted of God in our behalfe as if wee had performed the same in our owne persons Neither should it seeme strange that satisfaction and pardon may stand together seeing God pardoneth no sinne for which his justice is not satisfied But it is Christ that satisfied bare the punishment and we are they who are pardoned by imputation of his satisfaction unto us Here therefore especially mercy and justice met together justice executed upon Christs mercy exhibited to us who are justified by the grace of God freely in respect of us through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus and therfore not freely in respect of him who paid so great a price For him God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes c. But that the righteousnesse of Christ is the onely thing which properly is imputed to justification I have at large disputed Lib. 4. 5. § XII The sixth I have already refuted Lib. 1. Cap. 2. § 7. Whereunto I now adde that these men confessing the truth with us that faith is the instrumentall cause of justification confute themselves For if it be the instrument to receive that which is imputed then is it not the thing it selfe which is imputed properly though relatively it may in respect of the object which it as the instrument or hand doth receive to justification and that is the righteousnesse of Christ. And for this cause as hereafter shall bee declared the same benefits which wee have from Christ properly are attributed to faith not absolutely
God in true holinesse and righteousnesse Of this grace of sanctification there is more frequent mention in the Fathers who wrote against the Pelagians than of the other Because the Pelagians acknowledging the grace of God in forgiving sinnes which is indeed the justifying and saving grace they had not the like occasion to insist upon the declaration and proofe thereof as they had of the other which the Pelagians denyed § II. Of whose errors in this point there were foure degrees For first they acknowledge no other inward grace of God but bonum naturae the possibility of nature and the power of free-will which because it is freely given of God without any precedent merits of ours they acknowledged to bee Gods grace In the second place they acknowledged the grace that is the gracious favour of God in forgiving sinnes but the inward vertue avoid sinnes and to walke in obedience they ascribed to the power of nature Thirdly for our direction and instruction how and what sinnes to avoid and how and what duties to performe they acknowledged Gods grace in teaching and instructing us by his word and by his law Fourthly they acknowledged after a sort the helpe of grace for the more easie performance of their duties but they denied the necessity thereof because without grace they being directed by the word were able of themselves though not so easily to fulfill the Law § III. These three latter degrees are condemned by so many decrees of the Councell of Milevis among which this is one denouncing Anathema against such as shall say that the grace of God whereby wee are justified through our Lord Iesus Christ doth availe onely to remission of sinnes which are already committed and not for a helpe that we may not commit them unto which rightly understood we doe subscribe acknowledging that by the same grace of God by which we were elected redeemed called reconciled adopted justified wee are also sanctified For wee professe that our blessed Saviour was given unto us of God not onely to bee our justification and redemption but also to be our Sanctification And we doe acknowledge that in the Covenant of grace the Lord hath not onely promised remission of sinnes to those that beleeve in Christ but hee hath also sworne that he will give us being redeemed and having remission of sinne to worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life And therefore we do also willingly subscribe to those sentences of Augustine which Gratian hath transcribed into the third part of his decree No man taketh away sinnes but Christ alone who is the Lambe of God taking away the sinnes of the world Now he taketh them away both by forgiving those that are already committed among which originall sinne is contained and also by helping that they bee not committed and by bringing us unto life where they cannot bee committed at all And againe the grace which by our Lord Iesus Christ is given is neither the knowledge of the divine Law neither nature nor remission of sinnes alone but it felfe also causeth that the Law be fulfilled that nature be freed that sinne raigne not And this I presume is as much as can truely bee alleaged out of the Fathers For seeing they doe hold as wee shall hereafter shew justification by faith onely it cannot bee imagined that they held justification properly understood by inherent graces unlesse wee can imagine that they thought there is no inherent grace but faith onely § IV. But howsoever the Fathers may be excused who opposing the errors of the Pelagians which oppugned the sanctifying grace did much insist upon the declaration the proofe and the amplification thereof oftner speaking of this gift of grace which was oppugned than of the gracious favour of God in forgiving of sinnes which the Pelagians did confesse yet the backsliding posterity cannot bee excused and that in three respects For first they leave out altogether the proper signification of grace which is most frequent in the holy Scriptures as if there were no other grace to bee acknowledged but that which is inherent Secondly they take away that grace of remission which the Pelagians did confesse and in the roome thereof they have brought in an utter deletion or abolition of sinne caused by the infusion of grace Thirdly that grace which they would seeme so much to magnifie is not much better acknowledged by them than it was by the Pelagians For first they doe not acknowledge it to be a quickning and reviving grace to them that are dead but an healing grace to the sicke and a helping grace to the weake And by how much they extoll the power of nature and lessen the foulenesse of originall sinne so much they extenuat the benefit of grace and are as well as the Pelagians worthily termed the enemies of Gods grace Secondly there seemeth to be little or no difference betweene the Pelagians bonum Naturae which they acknowledged to bee Gods grace and that sufficient grace which the Papists hold to be common to all Thirdly neither is there any great difference betweene them in respect of that grace whereby men are called For the Pelagians acknowledged the great grace of God in revealing his will unto us and in directing us what to doe and what to beleeve and withall confessed that God doth worke in us to will by revealing his will to us And what doe the Papists acknowldge more but that God having called us by his word and moved us to turne unto him it is in the power of our free-will either to accept Gods effectuall grace or to refuse it But this belongeth to another controversie A TREATISE OF IV STIFICATION THE FOVRTH BOOKE Of the Matter of Justification CAP. I. The state of the question concerning the matter of justification it being the principall point in controversie § I. THE third Capitall errour of the Papists in the question of justification is concerning that righteousnesse whereby we are justified where for prevention of Popish calumniations I must desire the Reader to remember three things First that the controversie is not concerning our Sanctification but concerning our Iustification For wee confesse that our habituall sanctification consisteth in our righteousnesse inherent and actuall in our new obedience Secondly that the question is not of our justification before men but before God For we acknowledge that we are justified that is declared and knowne to be just not onely by profession of the faith but also by good workes as Saint Iames teacheth Thirdly that wee doe not deny that there is a righteousnesse in the faithfull as Bellarmine falsly chargeth us For we professe that there is no faithfull or justified man in whom there is not inherent righteousnesse more or lesse according to the measure of grace received And further we professe that this righteousnesse which we have from God and is inherent in us is graciously both
Adams disobedience or transgâ—…ession Therefore wee are justified that is not onely absolved from the guilt of sinne but also accepted as righteous by imputation of Christs obedience As touching the proposition that the word sinners doth in this place signifie guilty of sinne and obnoxious to condemnation it is testified by Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what then is the word sinners in this place it seemeth to mee that it is to be subject or obnoxious to punishment and condemned to death by Oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by Theophylact likewise sinners that is obnoxious to punishments and guilty of death which exposition is plainely confirmed by the verses going before where the same opposition betweene the first and second Adam being made the â—…ormer part is expressed in these words that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or guilt of Adams transgression came upon his posterity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto condemnation especially vers 16. and 18. § II. The assumption though gaine-said by Bellarmine in this place yet is taught not only by other Papists who fully contradict Bellarmines Assumption but elsewhere also by Bellarmine himselfe For Durandus Pighius Catharinus doe hold originall sinne to be nothing else but the guilt of Adams fall or the disobedience of Adam imputed unto us which opinion also Occam professeth that he would hold if he were not hindered by the authority of the Fathers Yea saith Bellarmine it seemeth to have beene the opinion of some of the ancient as Peter Lombard reporteth Iâ—… refuting this opinion Bellarmine justly findeth fault with them that they held originall sinne to be nothing else but the guilt of Adams disobedience imputed it being also the depravation of our nature following thereupon But in that they say originall sinne is the disobedience of Adam imputed unto us that he doth approve For Adam alone did indâ—…ed commit that sinne by actuall will but to us it is communicated by generation eo modo quo communicari potest id quod transiit nimirum per imputationem after that manner whereby that may be communicated which is transcient and gone to wit by imputation Omnibus enim imputatur c. for it is imputed to all who are borne of Adam because wee all being then in the loynes of Adam when hee sinned in him and by him wee sinned Yea and farther hee rightly disputeth that if Adams sinne were not ours by imputation neither the guilt of it nor the corruption following upon it had belonged to us This assertion of Bellarmine confirmeth our assumption and contradicteth his own alleaging that wee are made sinners through the disobedience of Adam by injustice inherent and not imputed which also he contradicteth in other places For he granteth the sinne of Adam so to be imputed to all his posterity as if they all had committed that sinne and to the same purpose citeth Bernard Ours is Adams fault because though in another yet we sinned and to us it was imputed by the just though secret judgement of God And againe taking upon him to prove that the propagation of sinne may bee defended without maintaining the propagation or traduction of the soule he saith that nothing else is required to the traduction of sinne but that a man be descended from Adam by true and ordinary generation For generation not being of a part but of the person or whole man for homo generat hominem therefore the person descending from Adam though his soule be from God was in the loynes of Adam and being in him originally as in the roote in him and with him hee sinned the actuall sinne of Adam being communicated unto him by imputatioâ—… For as Augustine saith definita est seutentia c. it is a resolved case by the Apostle that in Adam we all sinned § III. But what shall wee say to the inherent corruption which Adam by his transgression contracted By this assertion it seemeth not to be traducted otherwise than as the fruit and consequent of the actuall disobedience which was the opinion of Pighius and Catharinus For as Adam by his first transgression which was the sinne of mankind contracted not onely the guilt of death but also the corruption of his nature being both a privation of originall righteousnesse and also an evill disposition and pronenesse to all manner of sinne which is that macula peccati remaining in the sinner after the act is gone so wee having sinned in Adam are not onely made guilty of death and void of originall righteousnesse but also are defiled with that habituall disposition and pronenesse to all manner of sinne So that according to this assertion it may be defended that nothing in our generation is communicated unto us with the humane nature but the disobedience of Adam which is communicated by imputation As for the guilt of death and the inherent coruption they are not derived from Adam but contracted by our sinning in him And hereunto we may apply Bellarmines distinction of sinne so properly called that it is either a voluntary transgression or that blemish which remaineth in the soule caused and contracted by the transgression being of the same nature with it diffeâ—…ing no otherwise from it than as heat from the act of heating For in the former sense originall sinne is the voluntary trangression of Adam imputed unto us and is one and the same in all men in Adam actuall and personall in us originall For onely he by actuall will committed it but to us it is communicated after that manner by which that which is past and gone may bee communicated to wit by imputation In the latter sense it is the corruption inherent contracted and caused as in Adam by his personall sinne so in us by our sinning originally in him which though it bee alike and equall in all yet it is every mans owne § IV. But supposing originall sinne according to the received opinion to be wholly communicated unto us from Adam in our generation yet we must distinguish betwixt Adams first transgression or actuall disobedience which we call his â—…all and the corruption or depravation of his nature which thereupon followed For though we be partakers of both yet not after the same manner Of the transgression we can be no otherwise partakers than by imputation For Adams transgression being an action and actions continuing or having a being no longer than they are in doing cannot bee traducted or transmitted from Adam to his posterity But the corruption being habituall is derivable by propagation Now the Apostle Rom. 5. speaketh of Adams actuall disobedience once committed by him by which he saith we are made sinners that sinne of his being communicated unto us by imputation and not of the corruption thereupon following So by the like reason we are made just by the obedience of Christ which hee performed for us in the daies of his flesh which can
matter of charity for the mater is that which is formed and as it were animated by the forme but the consequent is absurd therefore the antecedent And againe howsoever faith worketh those acts which I called mediate or imperatos by meanes of other graces which acts doe tend to sanctification for which cause faith doth not sanctifie alone yet the actus eliciti or immediate acts of faith which are to believe in Christ and by beleeving to receive and by receiving him who is our righteousnesse to justifie faith worketh neiby charity nor by any other grace and therefore it justifieth alone § VI. Yea but without charity faith is informis with it it is formata Answ. This distinction of faith that it is either formata or informis in a right sence may bee admitted as namely if by forme bee understood the integrity or inward efficacie and if that be called formata which is sound unfained lively and effectuall and that informis which iâ—… uneffectuall dead and counterfeit For that distinction is intimated by the Apostle when he speaketh either of faith unfained or contrariwise of a dead faith for in the former it is implyed that there is also a fained and a counterfeit faith and in the latter that there is also a lively faith And so wee admit this distinction that faith is either Formata which is lively and unfained Informis which is dead and counterfeit But in the popish sence it is to be rejected and that in three respects First because they propound this distinction as agreeing to a true justifying faith as if a true faith might be without forme when as that which is without forme is dead and counterfeit and no more to bee called a true justifying faith than the carcase or counterfeit of a man is to be called a man For howsoever such a faith may perhaps be true in respect of the object because it is of the truth yet it is not true in respect of the integrity efficacy and soundnesse thereof and that which is not truely faith is not faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or indeed Hee that saith either that he beleeveth that there is a God and in deeds doth deny him and that he is just and feareth not to offend him or good and doth not love him or omniprâ—…sent and omniscient and feareth not to play the hypocrite before him c. such a one doth not indeed and in truth beleeve that which he proâ—…esseth himselfe to beleeve He that saith he knoweth Christ that is beleeveth in him and hath not a desire and care to keep his Commandements hee is a lyar and the truth is not in him That faith which is dead and counterfeit cannot justifie or save a man as Saint Iames sheweth For howsoever faith alone doth justifie yet that faith which is alone doth not justifie neither alone nor at al becauseit is not a true and lively but a dead and counterfeit faith Neithercan that be a true justifying faith which is common to the wicked both men and Angels Neither may wee omit Bellarmines confession in this place Here saith hee the Apostle to prevent occasion of errour explaineth what manner of faith that is that justifieth non quaecunque fides sed quae per dilectionem operatur not every faith but that which worketh by love § VII Secondly this distinction is to bee rejected being understood in the popish sense wherein it is implyed that charity is the forme and as it were the soule of faith which opinion I have already confuted Neither can they ground it upon Iames 2. 26. As the body without the Spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead For if the habit of charity cannot bee the forme of faith as I have shewed then much lesse can good workes which are the outward fruits both of faith and of charity bee the soule of faith it selfe Of the profession indeed of faith a godly life is as it were the soule and without which it is dead but of faith it selfe it is not anima the soule but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the breath as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to breath doth properly fignifie in which sense it is often used being called the Spirit of the mouth the spirit of the nostrils And in this sense it may be said that as the body without breathing is judged to bee dead so faith without workes which are as it were the breathing of a lively faith is also judged to be dead not because it ever had lived but because it wanteth life § VIII Thirdly this distinction is to bee rejected because as Bellarmine saith it is to be understood of one and the same faith which being informis may become formata and being formata may become informis againe remayning still the same But fides informis is not of the same kinde with that which is formata or justifying faith as things which be without life are not of the same kinde with those that are living or as counterfeits are not of the same kinde with those things which they doe resemble Besides justifying faith is divine the informis is humane that infusa infused and supernaturall this acquisita required by the strength of nature in the use of meanes that a grace of regeneration proper to the Elect this a gift of illumination onely common to the reprobate that is vera being truely that whereof it beareth the name this simulata not being that truly which it is called but aequivocè that doth so beleeve in Christ that it doth imbrace him and willeth and desireth at the least to apply him to the beleever this so beleeveth Christ that either it is joyned with horrour as in the Devils and desperate sinners or is severed from any will or desire of application this is without fruit and root and therefore is temporary that hath both root and fruit and never faileth And howsoever that which is informis may by Gods grace bee changed into formatam yet that which is formata can never be informis No more than hee who is once borne of God can be unborne againe The rest of his arguments serve to prove that faith is not the whole formall cause of justification that is as wee speake according to the Scriptures of sanctification which we deny not for wee doe acknowledge a concurrence of many graces with faith unto sanctification As for justification we deny faith either in whole or in part to bee the formall cause thereof Neither doth any other of his arguments prove that either charity or any other grace doth with faith concurre unto justification CAP. XII That justification doth nâ—…t câ—…nsist in renâ—…vation § I. HIs second ranke of arguments proving indirectly justification by righteousnesse inherent is propounded in his sixt Chapter the title whereof is this That oâ—…r justification doth not consist in the remission of sinnes alone Neither doe
justificati jâ—…sti non in se sed in illo All that are justified by Christ are just not in themselves but in him And thereunto adde the testimonies before cited out of Hierome Augustine Sâ—…dulius and Anselmus who all have taught that wee when wee are justified are made righteous not in our selves but in Christ. Againe Augustine teacheth that our justice in this life doth stand rather in the remission of sinnes than in perfection of vertues That is as I understand him that our chiefe righteousnesse in this life is that of justification and not of sanctification for that is perfect and so is not this by that we are justified before God and intitled unto heaven so are we not by this Here Bellarmine would seeme to acknowledge that remission of sinne concurreth to justification but his constant and perpetuall doctrine is that justification consisteth wholly in the infusion of righteousnesse expelling sinne in so much that remission of sinne and infusion of righteousnesse are not two actions but one c. which assertion supposed how could Augustine say that our righteoufnesse is such in this life that it consisteth rather in the forgivenesse of sinne than in the perfection of vertues seeing vertue infused is the force of justification and expelleth sinne and is all in all and if that assertion of the utter deletion of sin when it is remitted were true most vaine were that boasting of Ambrose who saith gloriabor non quia vacuus peccati sum sed quia mihi remissa sunt peccata Maximus Taurinensis when God doth remit sinne indulgentia facit innocentem by his indulgence he maketh the party innocent 8. Among the latter Writers I will give the first place to Bernard who saith death by the death of Christ is put to flight Christi nobis justitia imputatur and the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed to us 2. What could man doe of himselfe to recover his righteousnâ—…sse once lost being the servant of sinne and the bondman of the devill Assignata est ei proinde aliena justitia qui caruit suâ therefore â—…nother mans righteousnesse was assigned unto him who wanted his owne 3. One dyed sor all ut viz. satisfactiounius omnibus imputetur that the satisfaction of one might be imputed to all 3. If he shall say thy father Adam made thee guilty I will answere that my brother hath redeemed meâ—… Why not righteousnesse from another seeing guilt is from another 5. Hee will not condemne the just who had mercy on a sinner I may call my selfe just sed illius justitiâ but by his righteousnesse and what is that Christ the end of the Law unto righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth Finally who of God the Father was made righteousnesse unto us Is not that therefore my righteousnesse which was made righteousnesse unto me 6. Lord I will mention thy righteousnesse onely for that is mine also for thou of God was made righteousnesse to mee should I feare that it being but one should not suffice us both It is not a short cloake which is not able according to the Prophet to cover two Thy righteousnesse is an everlasting righteousnesse What is longer than Eternity Thy eternall and large righteousnesse it will cover largely both thee and me And in me truely it covereth a mulâ—…itude of sinnes but in thee Lord what doth it cover but the treasures of piety and riches of bounty which testimony doth plainely prove against Bellarmine that Bernard by Christs righteousnesse which he saith is made ours doth not meane that righteousnâ—…sse which is inheâ—…ent in us but that which is out of us in Christ And the same is evidently proved by those testimonies before alleaged that we are made the righteousnesse of God in Christ not ours but his not in our selves but in him even as Christ was made sinne not his but ours not in himselfe but in us 9. Cardinall Contarenus in a treatise of justification which he wrote Anno. 1541. testifieth that God with his Spirit giveth Christ unto us and doth freely of his mercie make all Christs righteousnesse to bee ours and imputeth it to us who put on Christ. That by faith wee doe attaine to a double righteousnesse the one inherent in us by which we begin to bee just and are made partakers of the divine nature and have charity diffused in our hearts the other not inherent but given unto us with Christ. I meane saith hee the righteousnesse of Christ and all his merits both which are in time given together Now saith he forasmuch as I have said that by faith we attaine to a twofold righteousnesse the one inherent in us viz. charity or that grace by which we are made partakers of the divine nature the other being the righteousnesse of Christ given and imputed to us because wee are ingrafted into Christ and have put on Christ It remaineth we should inquire on whether of them we ought to rely and to thinke our selves justified before God that is to beheld or esteemed holy and just I meane by such a righteousnesse which may beseeme Gods children and satisfie the eyes of God Ego prorsus existimo I doe utterly thinke that it may be godlily and Christianly said that we ought to rely I say to rely as upon a sure thing which doth assuredly sustaine us on the righteousnesse of Christ given unto us and not on that holinesse and grace which is inherent in us For this our righteousnesse is but begun and unperfect which cannot safegard us but that in many things we offend and daily doe offend and have need to pray daily that our debts may be forgiven us wherefore in the sight of God wee cannot for this justice be accounted just and good as it would become the sonnes of God to be good and holy But the righteousnesse of Christ which is given unto us is truâ—… and perfect justice which is altogether pleasing in the eyes of God in which there is nothing which may offend God or which doth not highly please him upon this therefore being certaine and sure we are to rely and for it alone to beleeve that we are justified that is to bee held and pronounced just This is that pretious treasure of Christians who so findeth selleth all he hath that he may buy it This is that precious pearle which who findeth leaveth all that he may have it The Apostle Paul saith I esteemed all other things losse that I might gaine Christ not having mine owne righteousnesse but that which is by the faith of Christ And a little after he saith that the more holy any men are so much the more they understand themselves to stand in need of Christ and his righteousnesse vouchsafed to them and therefore forsaking themselves rest upon Christ alone c. Albertus Pighius having shewed that all men are sinners and subject to the Curse from thence inferreth
that they may rule them at their pleasure that they may lead them whither they please For hee that walketh in darkenesse knoweth not whither he goeth may as easily bee led up and downe as Sampson after his eyes were put out But those that are of God doe wish that the people of God may increase in knowledge of God 1 Thes. 1. 10. that they may be perfect in understanding 1 Cor. 14. 20. that they may abound more and more in knowledge Phil. 1. 9. For not to be proficients in knowledge they esteeme a great fault Heb. 5. 11 12. 2 Tim. 3. 7. that the Word of Christ may dwell in them richly in all Wisedome Col. 2. 2. 3. 16. that they may bee able and ready to give an answere to every man that asketh a reason of that hope that is in them 1 Pet. 3. 15. for where men of all other professions can give a reason of that which they doe professe it is a great absurdity as Chrysostome testifieth for a man professing himselfe a Christian not to bee able to give an account of his faith that they may trye all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thes. 5. 21. that Husbands may be able to instruct their Wives and housholders their families Deut. 6. 7. 11. 19. Yea Moses the Man of God wished that all the Lords people were Prophets Num. 11. 29. § XX. And as the godly have wished so the Lord hath promised that in the Church of Christ there should bee plenty of knowledge Esa. 11. 9. Ier. 31. 34. and that all the faithfull should bee taught of God Esai 54. 13. And this was verified in times past in the primitive Churches and is at this day in all true Churches and where it is not in some measure verified as it is not in the Church of Rome that is not a true Church Not to speake of the present times I will produce one Testimony of the ancient Churches In which it was usuall to bee seene that the points of Christian Religion were knowne not onely to the Teachers of the Church but also to all manner of artificers and handicrafts men of women likewise not onely such as were lettered but those of the meanest sort even servants and handmaids and not onely Citizens but also Countrey people as Husband-men and laborers had this knowledge who might bee found conferring of the Divine Trinity of the Creation of all things and having better knowledge of the nature of man than Plato or Aristâ—…tle Finally the Papists by their doctrine of implicite faith do bereave the faithfull of their chiefe rejoycing For thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth mee that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. So much of the first question CAP. II. Prâ—…ving that a true justifying faith cannot bee severed from Charity and other graces § I. THE second question concerning the nature of faith is whether a true justifying faith may be severed from Charity and from all other graces of Sanctification The Papists hold the affirmative we the negative The reasons of our assertion that true justifying faith is ever accompanied with Charity and other graces and cannot indeed be severed from them are manifold and manifest My first reason is this All that are regenerate and borne of God have Charity and other graces of sanctification All that truly beleeve in Christ or which is all one that have a true justifying faith are regenerate and borne of God Therefore all that truely beleeve in Christ have charity and other graces of sanctification The proposition is thus proved Regeneration consisteth in the infusion of graces of sanctification and therfore they who are regenerate are indued with those graces Seondly regeneration is the renewing of a man according to the image of God in true holinesse and righteousnesse Ephes. 4. 24. both which are comprehended in Charity The former being the love of God the other of our neighbour Thirdly the Papists themselves doe teach that when men are regenerated in baptisme there is with faith infused Charity Fourthly as he that hath Charity is borne of God and knoweth him so he that hath not Charity knoweth not God and much lesse is borne of him 1 Ioh. 4. 8. The assumption All that have a true justifying faith are regenerate and borne of God For first whosoever beleeveth that I â—…â—…vs is the Christ is bome of God 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Secondly as many as receive Christ by faith to them he gave this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this priviledge or prerogatiye to be the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve on his name who are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1. 12. 13. Thirdly All that doe truely beleeve are the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3. 26. Fourthly Faith is a grace of regeneration which the holy Ghost doth ingenerate and infuse when hee doth regenerate as the Papists themselves confesse Neither is it of nature or from our selves but it is the speciall gift of God Ephes 2 8. for no man can truly say that is with a lively and unfained assent of the heart that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. To beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of the living God flesh and bloud hath not revealed to any man but God the Father who is in heaven Matth. 16. 16 17. No man saith our Saviour can come to me that is beleeve in me Ioh. 6. 35. except the Father who hath sent me draw him Iohn 6. 44. and except it be given unto him by my Father vers 65. and how given as a proper fruit of election For justifying faith is the faith of the elect 7 〈◊〉 1. 1 given unto us when we are called according to the purpose of God and his grace given unto us in Christ before all secular times 2 Tim. 1. 9. For those whom God giveth to Christ by election they come unto him by faith Ioh. 6. 37. and so many as are ordained to eternall life beleeve Act. 13. 48. § II. Secondly Whosoeverâ—…have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them are â—…udued with Charity and other graces which all are the fruits of the Spirit who is the Spirit of grace and contrarywise they who have not Charity have not the Spirit of Christ. For the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of love God is love and he that abideth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Ioh 4. 16. but he that loveth not knoweth not God and much lesse dwelleth in him vers 8. All that
to the liberty of justification the former in that they are to be subject to the fearefull curse of the Law if at any time they transgresse it though in the least degree as wee doe very often and sometimes in an high degree the other to be excluded from justification if they doe not â—…otally perfectly and perpetually fulfill it which by reason of the flesh is utterly impossible to us Now Christ came to free us from this double bondage of the Law himselfe being made a curse for us and performing all righteousnesse in our behalfe that by the imputation of his sufferings and of his obedience wee might not onely bee freed from the curse but also bee entituled to the Kingdome of heaven And therefore to him that remaineth under this double yoake of bondage Christ profiteth nothing I come to the assumption those that seeke to bee justified by the workes of the Law that is by righteousnesse inherent are debtours to the whole Law for neither are they free from the curse if they breake it as all doe And therefore the Apostle concludeth them who are of workes that is who seeke justification by righteousnesse inherent are under the curse Neither can they be justified unlesse they perfectly keepe it Therefore they who seeke to be justified by the workes of the Law that is by inherent righteousnesse whatsoever whether going before or following grace to them Christ is become of none effect to them he dyed in vaine to them the covenant of grace is disanulled to them the promise is of none effect c. So that whether you conceive of workes as going before or following grace the consequences of the Apostle are one and the same § XII Indeed if the popish doctrine were true that Christ hath merited for us the infusion of that righteousnesse by which we are justied as hee hath done that by which wee are sanctified and that hee hath merited for our workes to make them meritorious of eternall life then those consequences would not be so strong against the workes of grace as of nature But the Scriptures teach us that Christ doth justifie and save us by his blood and by his obedience that is by his owne personall righteousnesse and merits and not by any satisfaction of ours purchased by him nor by any merit of ours by him made meritorious For if his satisfaction and merits for us be full and perfect what need we to patch to them the ragges of our owne satisfactions and merits But if that were the end why Christ died for us that wee by his merits should obtaine both inherent justice whereby we should be justified and also merits of our owne whereby we should be saved as the Papists teach then either that righteousnesse and those workes wâ—…ich wee have by grace are sufficient to justifie and to save us or else Christ died in vaine for us But neither is that inherent righteousnesse which we have from Christ sufficient to justifie us nor those good workes of grace which wee performe sufficient to merit eternall life as I have in this treatise abundantly proved neither did Christ dye in vaine for that to imagine were blasphemy Therfore that was not the end why Christ our Saviour died for us I say againe if Christ dyed to this end that he might merit grace for us whereby we might in our owne persons satisfie the Law and so be justified thereby then he merited not onely that we should perfectly and perpetually without any omission or intermission in all our life fulfill the Law and be alwayes and altogether without sinne which by reason of our sinfulnesse is utterly impossible wee having beene sinners from the wombe yea in the wombe but also that wee should in our owne personâ—… satisfie the penalty which cannot be done but by punishment eternall or that which is equivalent for where hath beene guilt of sinne as in all hath beene there the Law cannot be satisfied without the punishment threatned in the Law And therefore if this were the end of Christs death it must be confessed that he died in vaine but this consequent is Blasphemous and therefore the antecedent is Antichristian § XIII To the fourth place which is Ephesians 2. 8 9. Bellarmine vouchsafeth no severall answere but sleights it over with that common answere that it excludeth onely workes done before faith But this place ought not so to bee sleighted For it doth ex professo teach that salvation and all the degrees thereof as namely justification are to bee ascribed wholly to the grace of God in Christ through faith and not to any workes or deserts of ours whether going before or following justification For first it may seeme needlesse that the Apostle should tell the Ephesians whom before in the same Chapter hee had convicted to have beene before their conversion children of wrath as all are by nature dead in sinne bondslaves of Satan living according to to the course of this world in all manner of sinne untill God in his abundant mercies in Christ by whose grace they were saved quickned them together with Christ that hee I say should tell them that they were not justified by the workes which they had wrought before their conversion Secondly when the Apostle saith you are saved by grace and not by workes will they say hee excludeth onely workes going before salvation why then hee excludeth all And that distinction with which Bellarmine contenteth himfelfe as a sufficient answere cannot be fitted to this place If it be said that the Apostle by Salvation meaneth justification I confesse that among the degrees of Salvation hee doth specially meane justification whereby we receive the right to our inheritance and are intitled to the kingdome of heaven and saved in hope But from hence it is inevitably proved that by what wee are justified we are saved and by what we are saved we are justified But we are saved as the Apostle here saith by the free grace of God through faith not of any workes of ours whatsoever or whensoever performed therefore in the like manner we are justified What then will you say if we bee neither justified by good workes nor saved for them are they therefore to bee neglected I answere in the third place that good workes though they be excluded from the act of justification or merit of salvation yet they are not excluded from the conversation of the faithfull but are therein required as necessary fruits of our regeneration and consequents of our justification as also being the way wherein wee are to walke towards our glorification As the Apostle sheweth in the next words vers 10. for wee are saith he Gods woâ—…kemanship created in Christ Iesus unto good workes which God hath preordained not that wee should bee justified by them or saved for them but that wee should walke in them as the way to eternall life where we are to observe that those words being a prevention of a secret objection