spem vitae aeternae After this disposition or preparation doth follow iustification it selfe which is not onely the remission of sinnes but also sanctification and renouation of the inner man by a voluntary receiuing of grace and of gifts Whence a man of vniust is made iust and of an enemy a friend that he may be an heire according to the hope of eternall life To which also agreeth the eleuenth Canon of this Session Si quis dixerit homines iustificari vel sola imputatione iustitiae Christi vel sola peccatorum remissione exclusa gratia charitate quae in cordibus eorum per Spiritum sanctum diffundatur atque illis inhaereat aut etiam gratiam qua iustificamur esse tantum fauorem Dei anathema sit If any man shall say that men are iustified either by the onely imputation of Christs righteousnesse or by the onely remission of sins excluding grace and charity which is shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost and is inherent in them or else that the grace whereby we are iustified is onely the fauour of God Let him be Anathema In these words of the Councell is infolded the very mysterie of iniquity For their iustification is composed partly of remission of sins and partly yea principally of sanctification as they call it and renouation of the inner man and to this is added mans free-will And thus their vniust man is made iust Note also how in the Canon they name the imputation of Christs righteousnesse as one of the ingredients in this composition of iustification But the plaine truth is this imputation they quite shut out from hauing any thing to doe with their iustification as this very terme of imputation had no good entertainment in the Councell And note againe how they denie the grace of iustification to be the onely fauour of God reseruing a roome for mans merit contrary to that of the Apostle Rom. 3. 24. Being iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Now by the way let vs see what the Pontificians meane by Imputation For this purpose I will insert here a saying of Pighius though otherwise a Pontifician writer which Soto answereth and laboureth to cleare from suspicion of heresie Pighius hauing considered sundry places of Scripture as in the Psalmes and Iob c. that the Saints of God dare not bring their own inherent righteousnesse to the strict triall of Gods iudgement Ex his confecit Pighius c. saith Soto Pighius thence concludes That our inherent righteousnesse if it be strictly examined by the diuine rule is not perfect but we are iustified rather by that righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto vs. Which he exemplifieth that as Iacob hid vnder the habit of his elder brother the true first-borne receiued his fathers blessing so wee receiue glory vnder anothers person to wit Christ. Now how doth Soto with all his subtilty acquit his Pighius from being an hereticke in so saying Haes omnia saith hee all these things by one word of equiuocation are detorted to a finister sense Who can euer doubt but that we the sons of Adam which by our owne nature and ability can bring no merits or worthinesse into Gods presence can pretend or couer our faults with the onely righteousnesse of Christ in whose right we are sonnes and heires of the Kingdome But when wee say Christs the genetiue case wee doe not meane the subiect of inherency that the sense should bee The righteousnesse which is in Christ as the heretickes grossely erre but it is a note of the efficient cause that the sense should bee The righteousnes which is that of Christ being accepted of God nos influit doth poure into vs so Soto Thus we see by what a pretty neate distinction he would assoile his brother Pighius from being an herericke although hee speake the same thing with vs. Only I pitie Soto his sottishnesse that while hee would haue Pighius to meane by our righteousnesse our naturall righteousnesse which may not abide Gods strict tryall he remembers not vpon what instances Pighius inferred this his true Catholicke conclusion For his instances by Soto his owne allegation were holy Iob and holy Dauid who disclaimed their owne righteousnesse But I hope Soto will not say these were now naturall men and vnregenerate Now for the clearer vnfolding of this mysterie let vs hear their great champions what they in their voluminous commentaries vpon this Session meane by Iustification Soto makes a threefold iustification Prima genuinaque notio huius nominis inquit est acquisitio iustitiae nempe ex iniusto iustum fieri The prime and proper notion of this word Iustification saith he is an acquisition of righteousnesse namely of vniust to be made iust As calefaction or heating of cold to be made hot according to the Text of the Councell which saith Thus the vniust man is made iust So they take Iustificare to be as much as iustum facere to make iust Secunda c. the second notion and next to this is saith he that it signifieth an augmentation of righteousnesse The first of these he compareth to that originall righteousnesse that Adam once had which importeth a rectitude or right ordering of the whole man which he proues diuinely out of Aristotle in the fift of his Ethicks And the second hee proueth Apoc. 22. 11. Qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc He that is iust let him be iustified still But in this as in many more their Latin Translation will not abide the touch of the originall which saith He that is righteous let him be righteous still or let him doe righteousnesse still The like place he bringeth out of Ecclesiasticus but with the like felicitie and successe And he alledgeth that of St. Iames You see that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith only By which words saith hee hee had contradicted Paul where he saith Arbitramur hominem iustificari per fidem non ex operibus Wee iudge that a man is iustified by faith and not of workes vnlesse Paul had spoken of the former iustification and Iames of the latter Although saith he we will declare in his proper place how our workes also doe concurre in iustification Nisi quod Paulus loquitur de praecedentibus Vnlesse that Paul speaketh of precedent workes I suppose he meaneth workes going before iustification So hee Where you see he speakes very perplexedly yet so as hee cannot dissemble his meaning For the iudicious Reader may well perceiue that hee would faine force that speech of the Apostle Rom. 3. 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is iustified by Faith without the deeds of the Law to be meant of that faith going before iustification which they rancke among their preparatory workes for that is their fides informis their faith without charity as yet vnformed as they say sauing that herein he forgets himselfe for the Apostle speakes
Iewes abide not still in vnbeleefe they shall bee graffed into the true Oliffe tree that is into Christ againe If they abide not still in vnbeleefe implying if they beleeue they shall be re-ingraffed so that faith is the instrumentall meane of our ingraffing into Christ of our vniting with him Whereupon Augustine saith Quam insertionem Oleastri amputatis propter infidelitatis superbiam naturalibus ramis etiam ipse Dominus in Euangelio praedixit occasione illius Centurionis qui in eum ex Gentibus credidit significans inseri Oleastrumpropter humilit atem fidei Which ingraffing of the wilde Oliffe the naturall branches for their proud infidelity being cut off the Lord himselfe foretold in the Gospell by occasion of that Centurion who of the Gentiles beleeued in him signifying the implanting of the wilde Oliffe for his humblefaith Thus we see vpon what ample proofes and testimonies this truth standeth that by faith wee are vnited vnto Christ. Now because our vnion with Christ is a doctrine of singular vse setting forth the nature and excellency of our Iustification by Christ and wherein we put on and possesse Christ our righteousnesse therefore wee esteeme it fit to bee treated of in an intire Chapter by it selfe CHAP. VIII Of the nature and kinde of the vnion betweene Christ and the faithfull and of the fruits and effects arising from the same VNion is a making of many into one Now there are sundry kindes of vnion there is a consubstantiall vnion as Bernard cals it in the diuinity but this so transcendent as it may be called rather vnity than vnion and rather one than vnity The Father the Word and the Spirit these three are one 1. Ioh. 5. 7. and Christ saith I and the Father are one not vnited but one Ioh. 10. 30. So that this vnion in the diuinity this vnity this one hath no parallel As Bernard saith speaking of some other vnions Haec omnia quid ad illud summum atque vt ita dicam vnicè vnum vbi vnitatem consubstantialitas facit All other vnions what are they to that one supreame and as I may so say that onely one where consubstantiasity makes the vnity And super Cantica serm 71. Singularis ac summa illa est vnitas quae non vnitione constat sed extat aeternitate That is the most singular and excellent vnity which consists not by vnition but existeth by eternity There is also a personall vnion and that is of the two natures in Christ which Bernard cals dignatiua vnitas qua limus noster à Dei verbo in vnam assumptus est personam a vouchsafing or gracious vnity whereby the word of God vouchsafed to assume our slimie nature into the vnity of his person There is a Sacramentall vnion between the signe and the thing signified in the Sacraments There is a naturall or animall vnion of the soule and body in man There is an accidentall vnion betweene the mind and learning found in a learned man There is an artificiall vnion betweene the hand and the instrument as when the work is predicated of or denominated of them both ioyntly as a carued worke implies both the hand and toole wherewith it was wrought There is a morall vnion between two friends as Dauid and Ionathan There is a ciuill vnion between the Prince and the People There is an vnion of dependency betweene the Creature and the Creator for in him wee liue and moue and haue our being Acts 17. 28. Finally to passe by others there is a spirituall and mysticall vnion betweene Christ and beleeuers which is called spirituall especially from the principall efficient of it the Spirit of God and of Christ as the Apostle declareth 1. Cor. 12. 13. By one spirit are we all baptized into one mysticall body of Christ. Now this spirituall vnion between Christ the beleeuer as it comes short of that first transcendent vnion in the sacred Trinity in vnity so it doth as farre excell all those other vnions yet so as it seemeth to partake in some thing of them all For first concerning that stupendious and wondrous vnion in the diuine Hypostaces or Persons our vnion with Christ is resembled to it as Ioh. 17. 20. 21. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue on mee through their word that they may all be one as thou Father art in mee and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. And Ioh. 14. 20. At that day ye shall know that I am in the Father and you in mee and I in you Yea Christ and his beleeuers are so vnited in one in one mysticall body as Christ and they are called one Christ 1. Cor. 14. 12. So is Christ that is Christ and all his members being there compared to one body compacted of many members So is Christ saith the Apostle So then as the Father is in the Sonne and the Sonne in the Father one God so beleeuers are in Christ and Christ in beleeuers one Christ. So that the vnion betweene the Father and the Sonne and betweene Christ and vs seemeth to be alike It is somewhat like indeede but nothing alike for the Father and Christ are one so is Christ and the beleeuer one but yet in different respects The Father and the Sonne are one but essentially and naturally Christ and the beleeuer are one not essentially nor naturally but are made so by grace as Ioh. 17. 23. That they may be made perfect in one So 2. Pet. 1. 4. We are made partakers of the diuine nature by gift And as Bernard saith Hanc vnitatem nontam essentiarum cohaerentia facit quam continentia voluntatum This vnity is wrought not so much by the coherency of essences as by the correspondency and nearenesse of wils And againe Homini Deo sua cnique natura substantia est cum Patris Filijque coâ—stet penitus esse vnam In the vnion betweene God and man each of them notwithstanding retaine their nature and substance proper to themselues but the Father and the Sonne haue both one and the same substance So that in our vnity with God in Christ there is not confusio naturarum sed voluntatum consensio not a confusion of natures but a consent of wils Secondly this vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer is not an hypostaticall or personall vnion such as is betweene the two natures in Christ but it is mysticall onely and such as maketh the beleeuer in Christ to be with him one Christ yet not personally but spiritually mystically as 1. Cor. 6. 17. He that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one spirit Thirdly this vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer is not that Sacramentall vnion between the signe and the thing signified sith the signe hath no benefit from the thing signified nor is it any longer a signe than in the Sacramentall vse and application to the beleeuing Communicant and so the Sacramentall vnion ceaseth yet
Sancti qui Saluatoris nostri tempora praecesserunt per hanc fidem iustificati expectantes vniuersalom credentium redemptionem in semine Abrahae All the Saints who liued before the times of our Sauiour are iustified by this faith expecting the vniuersall redemption of beleeuers in the seed of Abraham And in his fourth Sermon vpon the Epiphany Hoc est quod iustificat impios hoc est quod ex peccatoribus facit Sanctos si in vno eodemque Domino nostro Iesu Christo vera Deitas vera credatur humanitas This is that which iustifieth the vngodly that is of sinners maketh Saints if in one and the same our Lord Iesus Christ both the true Deity and the true humanity be beleeued Hee putteth this particle of beleeuing the truth of Christs two natures in one person as pointing at the Heresies of Nestorius and Eutyches which in his time were very hot and tended to ouerthrow the truth of his two distinct natures in the vnity of his person This I note by the way left the Pontificians should say that this good Leo meant onely a generall faith concerning Christ. But we see the Catholicke doctrine of those purer and more virgin times of the Church was that there was but one iustifying faith and this not common to good and euill elect and reprobate promiscuously but such as did truely iustifie the wicked and of sinners make Saints So that whosoeuer had this faith were effectually iustified and without the helpe of the Popes Calendar made reall not titular Saints Augustine also saith Vna fides est quae omnes saluos facit qui ex carnali generatione in spiritalem renascendo saluantur terminata in eo qui venit pro nobis iudicart mori It is one faith that saueth all which of carnall generation being spiritually regenerate are saued their faith being bounded in him that came to bee iudged and to dye for vs the Iudge of quicke and dead And againe Ea fides iustos sanauit antiquos quae sanat nos id est Mediatoris Dei hominum c. That faith healed the righteous of old which healeth also vs to wit the faith of the Mediator of God and men c. So that there is but one sauing and saluing faith of all the regenerate And this is according to the expresse doctrine of the holy Scriptures which put an vnreconcilable opposition betweene a dead Faith and a liuing Faith betweene that Faith which is common with the Deuils and Reprobates and that which is proper and peculiar to the elect Saints Hence it is that the Scripture cals that Faith whereby we are iustified a holy Faith yea a most holy Faith Iude 20. Also the Faith giuen to the Saints Iude 3. It is called also Fides electorum the Faith of the elect Tit. 1. 1. St. Peter cals it a precious Faith Therefore sauing and iustifying Faith being that most holy Faith which is proper to the Saints and to the Elect it cannot possibly bee the same with that Faith which is in the Reprobate and Deuils but differeth from it both specie numero in kinde and number as the Logicians speake This doctrine of iustifying and sauing Faith peculiar and proper to Gods elect Saints and not common with any other whatsoeuer is further confirmed by the Catholicke Doctors of former ages Gregory sirnamed also the Great Bishop of Rome about the yeare 590. in his Morals speaking of Faith saith Electi omnes eum quem fide cognouerunt videre quoque per speciem anhelant cuius amore flagrantes aestuant quia eius dulcedinis suauitatem iam in ipsa suae fidei certitudine degustant All the elect saith hee doe striue to see him by face whom they know by faith with whose loue being inflamed they boyle because they now in the very assurance of their faith taste of the delicacy of his sweetnesse This Bishop of Rome doth denominate and appropriate the Faith whereby we now know God and hereafter shall certainely see God face to face to the Elect onely and to all the Elect. And in his Homilies vpon Ezechiel he saith Omnes Electi siue qui in Iudaea esse potuerunt siue qui nunc in Ecclesia existunt in Mediatorem Dei hominum crediderunt credunt qui praeeunt qui sequuntur Osanna clamant Osanna autem latina lingua Saluae nos dicitur ab ipso enim salutem priores quaesierunt praesentes quaerunt benedictum qui venit in nomine Domini confitentur quoniam vna spes vna fides est praecedentium atque sequentium populornm All the Elect saith hee whether those that were in Iudea or which now are in the Church haue beleeued and do beleeue in the Mediator of God and men which goe before and which follow after crying Osanna Now Osanna in the Latine tongue is interpreted Saue vs for of him both they that went before haue sought and those that liue now doe seeke saluation and confesse him to be blessed that commeth in the Name of the Lord because there is one hope one faith of the People past present and to come St Augustine speaketh to the same purpose Antiqui omnes iusti ex fide qua nos viuimus vna eademque vixerunt Incarnationem Passionem Resurrectionemque Christi credentes futuram quam nos credimus factam All the ancient iust men liued by that one and the same faith by which we liue beleeuing the Incarnation Passion and Resurrection of Christ which was to come which we beleeue already fulfilled What clearer testimony can be desired to set forth the vnity of that sauing faith which is common and proper to all the Elect people of God in all ages in the communion and propriety of which faith none but the Elect alone haue a part But the same Gregory saith elsewhere in the title of one of his Dialogues Quod sine fide neque infidelis viuat That euen the infidel doth not liue without Faith But what Faith himselfe answereth Habent etiam infideles fidem sed vtinam in Deum quam si vtique baberent infideles non essent Infidels haue faith saith he but I would to God it were faith in God which faith if they had they should not be infidels Let me here adde one authority of Fulgentius an African Bishop who liued betweene the times of these two Bishops of Rome Virtus est fides non qualis in Daemonibus inuenitur sed qualem Deus Sanctis suis donat quos ex impietate iustificat Faith is a vertue not such a faith as is found to be in the Diuels but such as God giueth to his Saints whom hee iustifieth from sinne Therefore faith being a vertue giuen to Gods Saints whereby they are iustified how can this Faith bee in the Diuels or Damned And St. Augustine to the same purpose speaking of Peters Faith proper to the Elect saith Dic
here a great mystery The sonne of God not only in our innocent nature by assumption but in our guilty persons by imputation stands before Pilate the Iudge to bee sentenced by him Why what if Christ had beene killed by any of the sundry attempts of the malicious Iewes made vpon his person as by casting him headlong downe the steep Rocke as once they made sure account of him when they had him in the midst of them yea had laid hands on him leading him to the brow of the hill No it was not possible in regard of the purpose of Gods wisedome and iustice destinating his sonne to such a death as he must dye as Luke 24. 26. that Christ could be so put to death by all the power and malice of hell it selfe For Gods wisedome so disposed that the death of his son should be such as might bee most effectuall to satisfie and appease his fathers wrath and giue a beleeuer sure confidence in the day of iudgement as St. Iohn speakes 1. Ioh. 2. 28. Otherwise if it had beene so that Christ had been killed in any such tumultuous manner or in hugger mugger not by a legall iudiciall proceeding against him how had his death secured vs from the terrour of Gods Tribunall Christ must dye but hee must first be sentenced and iudged to dye by a lawfull Iudge And such was Pilate For howsoeuer Pilate was a man and so subiect to be led away with passion and affection which as a bribe doth blinde the eyes euen of the wise and peruerteth the wayes of iudgement yet a lawfull Iudge hee was deputed and appointed for that Prouince by Caesar yea by a greater than Caesar euen by God himselfe for euery earthly Iudge sustains the person of God himselfe who is the Iudge of all the world Therefore Iehoshaphat in his charge to the Iudges whom he sent said Take heed what you do for ye iudge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the iudgement And such is the iudgement and sentence which proceedeth from the mouth of an earthly Iudge as that it is to be taken receiued as the iudgement and sentence of God himself As the wise man speakes from the mouth of the holy Ghost Many seeke the Rulers fauour but euery mans iudgement commeth from the Lord. Euery mans iudgement Yes euery mans iudgement Nay more which is also there implyed euery iudgement whatsoeuer it bee true or false right or wrong it proceedeth shall I say from the Lord Yes from the Lord. Euery mans iudgment cōmeth from the Lord And yet many men cōplain that their cause is vniustly censur'd sentenc'd by the iudge But God is iust shal not he the Iudge of all the world do right doubtlesse he is most iust and euen that iudgement which seemeth to vs most vniust cōming from an earthly iudge yet the same iudgement comming from God is most iust We will vse no other instance but that iudgement of Pilate passed vpon the Lord Iesus Christ. Iesus Christ the innocent Lambe of God stands arraigned at the barre of Pilates iudgement-seate many accusations are brought against him but without any proofe at all And the Iudge must goe secundum allegata probata according to the allegations and proofes or else aequum licet statuerit haud aequus fuit though hee giues a iust sentence yet himselfe is vniust Well the Iewes with much vehemencie of mortall malice accusing Christ before Pilate but all without proofe Pilate knowing that of enuie the Iewes had deliuered him to him to bee condemned acquits Christ as an innocent person and that solemnely before them all But the Iewes at length preuailing with their wicked importunities Pilate contraprobata passeth and pronounceth the sentence of condemnation vpon Christ that hee should dye A most vniust and wicked sentence if we consider the person of the Iudge Pilate a man swayed by humane affections and especially feare of men the bane of many a good cause who against his owne conscience pronounced Christ guilty and worthy of death whom he knew for no other but a most innocent person But now take mee this iudgement as proceeding from the tribunall of God and we shall see it to bee most iust for in or with Pilate God sits vpon the Tribunall to iudge his owne Sonne But God and Pilate passe the same sentence with a most different respect vpon Christ. For Christ here sustaines a two-fold person his owne which only Pilate looked vpon not knowing any other and so Pilates sentence of death was most vniust but Christ bore another person vpon him to wit our sinfull person which God looking vpon and finding him now in our stead a guilty person by the imputation of our sinnes being our suretie hee passeth the same sentence of death vpon him that Pilate did and yet Gods sentence is most iust Yea but God the iudge must goe also Secundum allegata probata according to due allegations true proofes for shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right But all the allegations and accusations brought against Christ wanted proofe yea they were most false True But consider Christ now as he stood in our person so all the allegations accusations brought against him were most true In which respect Christ at the hearing of them was silent as guiltie persons who haue nothing to answer for themselues as he that wanted his wedding garment was speechlesse because Christ knew that hee stood there in our person Against whom what accusation of sinne can be produced but may easily bee proued Christ was accused of two maine impieties against God and against the King and the People as a peruerter and traytor All this wastrue for sustaining our person standing as our surety and vndertaking to discharge all our debts what debt was so great what sinne so grieuous that hee now stood not charged withall and was not as culpable of This made him to be numbred among transgressours not common offenders but transgressors among criminall yea capitall malefactors and for this very reason euen Barabbas a seditious murtherer is preferred before him If Christ had not thus stood in our stead beene iudged and condemned in our persons he had neuer saued the Thiefe vpon the Crosse. And therefore as St. Ambrose saith Nemo est qui possit excludi quando receptus est Latro There is none that can bee shut out when the Thiefe is let in And standing in our stead if hee had not been formally and legally iudged and so condemned wee should neuer haue beene able to haue stood before Gods iudgement-seate But now Christ being cast and condemned by a lawfull Iudge ordained and appointed of God so that this iudgement was not mans iudgement but Gods this giues a supersedeas and a quietus est to all true beleeuers and penitent sinners that they shall most assuredly stand innocent and righteous before Gods iudgement-seat
hope of Gods fauour as wee may be of a prize in a Lottery we would hazzard all we haue skin for skin and all to saue our life Yea or if it were in our owne power so to vse the meanes prescribed and the conditions imposed as that thereby we might be saued notwithstanding wee knew that God had determined to saue but a few of many wee should bee willing to vse our best endeauour in hope of the Kings fauour But the case betweene God and man is otherwise We are indeede all of vs fallen into a Premunire and haue forfeited our whole estates liues and liberties for our Rebellion But we heare that though the King of his speciall grace haue purposed to pardon and to preferre a certaine small number in comparison of the rest but withall that this pardon must be procured by such meanes as no one of all his subiects is in himselfe of ability and power to vse and put in practice vnlesse the King also giue vnto him a speciall strength to doe that which the King requireth therefore what should I trouble my selfe for the matter I know the worst of it and seeing it is not in my power to helpe my selfe let the King doe what he will If I be one of those whom he hath purposed to pardon what should I need to take care any further But if not what neede I bestow labour in vaine Yea but withall obserue though the grace and the meanes and the power of right vsing the meanes be of the King because he will haue all the glory of working that which all mans strength and wit could neuer haue accomplished yet the King to his former decree hath added another clause that notwithstanding the Kings purpose and decree which may not be altered notwithstanding the right vse of the meanes of procuring his pardon depend vpon him alone yet the King hath peremptorily commanded all his subiects none excepted that if any shall dare to contemne or neglect those meanes which hee hath prescribed for the good of those whom they chiefly concerne that man shall not onely not be pardoned for his former rebellion but bee bound ouer to a further condemnation to suffer greater torments and tortures than otherwise he should haue done Tell mee now in this case what subiect would be so foolehardy as openly to contemne and reiect the commandement of the King and not rather to doe the best that lyeth in him to obserue those things which he commandeth seeing that of endeauour may come much good but of contempt certaine condemnation Euen thus stands the case betweene God and vs we haue all sinned and forfeited our estates with God He of his mercy hath purposed to saue a certaine number of vs condemned persons he hath withall prescribed the meanes whereby he will saue that speciall number yet the meanes are such as though in their owne nature they bee gentle and easie for Christs yoake is easie and his burthen light yet in regard of our impotency it is in Gods power onely to enable vs to vse the meanes aright Now though God giue his speciall grace strength to none but those whom he hath appointed to saue yet forasmuch as we are ignorant who those be whom he hath ordained to saue and euery man may as well thinke himselfe to bee of the number as any other and seeing though hee cannot of himselfe so much as will that which is truly good but God worketh in vs both to will to do euen of his good pleasure yet because God hath commanded all men indifferently to receiue and entertaine his commandements and conditions which wilfully to refuse despise and oppugne heapeth vpon a man further condemnation which was the miserable case of Corasin Bethsaida and Ierusalem with her contemning oppugning Iewes and because God hath reserued this secret number to himselfe both how many they be and who they be whom he hath purposed to saue none knowing himselfe to be of the number till hee be actually and effectually called and haue receiued the white stone the marke of his election with the new name of the Sonne of God in it which no man knoweth but he that hath it nor any being so wicked but he may proue to be one of the number of Gods elect and so to be effectually called in due time and because for any man to iudge himselfe while he liueth in this world to bee of the number of the reprobate is a desperate iudgement yea a preiudice of Gods purpose and grace and a rash presumption as daring to prye into Gods secrets and to determine that as certaine which God hath left vncertaine therefore for a man to cauill at this truth of God and thereupon to frame friuolous and foolish unreasonable reasons to resist and contemne Gods ordinance what is it but to heape vpon himselfe greater and greater condemnation God will not in the meane time haue his truth dissembled his glory diminished his mercy despised and his iustice disparaged Let no man dare to say Why doth he yet complaine Who art thou vaine man that pleadest against God take thou heede thou giuest not God further occasion to complaine of thee Shall thy politicke or rather braine-sicke reasons be wiser than Gods wisedome God hath willed it so And his will is aboue all humane reason And Gods will is nothing but diuine reason yea wisedome it selfe But yet as a man to answer thy reasons with reasons Thou deniest the certainty of election at least thou wouldst not haue it published and preached Why What 's thy reason for it Because it makes men carelesse of the meanes It is false it is not Gods good will and pleasure which he hath published but it is thine owne peruerse and corrupt will that makes thee carelesse and contemptuous But by this reason of thine which thou canst sub-diuide into manie branches but all growing from the same carnall roote to satisfie thine owne foolish reason in desiring to haue this glorious truth of God dissembled or suppressed thou wouldst destroy two precious things infinitely more deare than a thousand worlds The first is the glory of God which is so nothing much manifested as in this act of his concerning his good pleasure in the disposing of mankind It is that summary doctrine of Gods glory So that to suppresse or supplant this truth is to strip God of his excellent glory It is the saying of a iudicious and learned Diuine Viciatur adulteratur Religio â—imulac minimum aliquid detrahitur ex Dei gloria Religion comes then to be corrupted and adulterated when once Gods glory suffereth the least detriment or diminution No say they wee doe not take away Gods glory for we acknowledge his preuenting grace Iust so did those aduersaries in Augustines time with whom he had to deale of whom he saith A Pelagianorum porrò haeretica peruersitate tantum isti remoti sunt propter quos haec agimus vt liceâ— nondum
iudged as a sinner as Esay saith He was numbred with the transgressours and hee bare the sinne of many Now that Christ is said to bee made sin in the abstract and we to be made righteousnesse in the abstract not righteous in the concrete as Logicians speake Lyra saith Ideo in abstracto dicitur iustitia Dei vt efficeremur perfectè iusti we are said to be made the righteousenesse of God in him in the abstract that is perfectly iust And that is wee are made iust but relatiuely in respect to Christ as he was made sinne but relatiuely in respect of vs we are made the righteousnesse of God in him as hee was made sinne for vs and in vs to wit in ourperson as wee haue said So he is called The Lord our righteousnesse Yet true it is that Christ might be said to be made sinne to wit the sacrifice for sinne though not so properly in this place But if Papists will wrangle and wring out this sense from this place because the Glosse saith so let them remember that as Lyra's Glosse saith As we are made perfectly iust by Christ so was he made a perfect sacrifice for vs to free vs both à culpa poena from the fault and the penaltie and not a lame sacrifice or imperfect to free vs onely à culpa but not à poena as Papists say reseruing the punishment for their purgatorie But of this hereafter Howsoeuer if they will needes take sinne there for the sacrifice for sinne yet Christ was so the sacrifice for sinne as must necessarily imply the imputation of our sinnes vpon his person But enough of this place which one place is enough to proue the formall cause of our iustification to be the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto vs. It followeth therefore that the formall cause of our iustification that which makes vs truely iust in the sight of God yea before Gods iudgement seate is the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs and that no otherwise than our sinnes were imputed to him whereby hee was made a malefactor not by hauing our sinnes in him but vpon him He bore our sinnes vpon him saith Peter So Esay Hee bare the sinnes of many and was numbred with the transgressors Hee is the truth of the type of those two goates Leuit. 16. the one slaine the other let goe figuring the humanity the slaine Goate and the diuinity of Christ the scape Goate or the slaine Goate the death of Christ and the scape Goate his resurrection For he dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification which his rising againe from the dead is liuely shadowed in the scape Goat on which Aaron put both his hands confessed ouer him all the iniquities of the children of Israel putting them vpon the head of the Goate sending him away by the hand of a fit man into the wildernesse where those sinnes should neuer be seene more vers 21. Hee was that Ioshua the high Priest our Iesus or Iehoshua and high Priest who offering himselfe vpon the Crosse was clothed in filthy garments euen with the menstruous cloth of our sinnes imputed vnto him or imposed vpon him As Chrysostome applies that place to Christ that we might be clad in the glorious robes of his righteousnesse put vpon vs As the ordinary Glosse vpon this place saith excellently Iesus est indutus sordidis vestibus quia qui peccatum non fecit pro nobis peccatum factus est Sed haec sordida vestis est ei abâ—ata cum nostrae deleuit peccata vt quia ille sordidis indutus est vestibus nos resurgentes in eo semper candida habeamus vestimenta Iesus hath filthie rayment put vpon him because he that did no sinne was made sinne for vs. But this filthy rayment was taken from him when he had cancelled our sinnes that because he was attired in filthy rayment we rising againe in him may alwayes haue white garments vpon vs. That we as Iacob being cladde in the sweete smelling robes of our elder brother Christ might bee accounted as a field which the Lord hath blessed and so receiue the blessing of the birth-right in our elder brothers name As the type is very pregnant to this purpose whereupon Ambrose saith thus Iacob primogeniturae benedictionem obtinuit veste fratris maioris natu indutus fic vestis Christi optimum odorem spirat c. Iacob clothed in the garment of his elder brother obtained the blessing of the birth-right so the garment of Christ doth yeeld a fragrant smell c. And againe Quod Isaac odorem vestium olfecit fortasse illud est quia non operibus iustificamur sed fide quoniam carnalis infirmitas operibus impedimento est sed fidei claritas factorum obumbrat errorem quae meretur veniam delictorum That Isaac smelled the odour of the garments haply it is to signifie that we are not iustified by workes but by faith because carnall infirmity is an impediment to workes but the glory of faith doth shadow the errour of our workes and procureth pardon of our sinnes The conuert Prodigall had the fatte Calfe slaine for him and the best robe put vpon him Euery sinner is this Prodigall yea that beleeuing repenting theefe hanging vpon the Crosse as Saint Augustine compares them together Iesus Christ is the fatte Calfe killed for vs his righteousnesse is that best robe put vpon vs. So St. Augustine applyeth it Proferat hic pater stolam illam primam induat filium immortalitate quem secum videt in cruce pendentem mactet vitulum saginatum hominem illum susceptum etiam pro latronibus crucifixum Let the father bring forth that best robe let him clothe his sonne with immortality whom he seeth crucified with Christ let him kill the fatte Calfe that man taken and crucified euen for theeues And the ordinary Glosse saith Adducite vitulam id est praedicate Christum mortem eius insinuate Bring forth the fat Calfe that is preach Christ and put men in minde of his death Nor is that an obscure type of Christ clothing vs with his righteousnesse which wee finde Gen. 3. 21. where the Lord God doth make coates of skinnes and therewith clotheth the man and the woman No doubt of skinnes of beasts sacrificed types of Christ. The Scripture it selfe leades vs to this construction so often mentioning the putting on of Christ as Gal. 3. 26. 27. Being by faith in Iesus Christ made the children of God and such saith the Apostle haue put on Christ. Now what is it to put on Christ but to make him wholly ours As the king of Babel is said to put on Egypt as a garment in token that it was become wholly his Ier. 43. 12. Christ standing before Pilate to be iudged as he tooke the purity of our nature in his conception so now hee put on the impurity of our guilty persons in his condemnation And by the way behold