so perfectly just and righteous in the sight of God freely that we are faire yea and all faire and there is no spot in us Cant. 4 7. all Cant. 4. 7. which is by Gods speaking it really so indeed spiritually in the sight of God and yet we see and feel nothing but soulenesse and spottednesse And this object and matter of faith is expressed in the Text in these words Verse 17. Before God that quickneth the dead and calleth Verse 17. those things that be not as though they were the meaning whereof is this God calleth that is worketh effecteth causeth maketh that thing to have a true reall being before himselfe by speaking it which to Beza in Rom. 4. 17 quae â—ccâ—t essicit Deus apud quem jam sunt quae alioqui reipsa non sunt ut qui vel verbâ— quid vis possit ex nihilo efficeâ—e sense sight and feeling is not and yet to have by his call as true and reall a being before himselfe as though it were and had an outward being to sense sight and feeling therefore doth Beza rightly thus expound those words saying What God calls those things he effecteth before whom those things are already which otherwise indeed are not as he that can with his word make what he will of nothing Secondly followes the battel of faith in which the 2 The battell of Abrahams faith order of nature and sense and reason grounded upon naturall causes doe shew a flat contrariety and impossibility of the matter spoken and promised against Piscat in Rom. â— 18. Contra spem scilicet quam coâ—e peâ—e poter â— exconsideratione naâ—â—raererum which faith opposeth the meere word and power of God speaking and this battel of faith is expressed in the next verse in these words verse 18. Which Abraham above or contrary to hope beleeved under hope according to that which was spoken that is contrary to hope namely which he might conceive by the consideration of the nature of things But under hope namely which Subsâ—e scilicet quam concipere poterat ex consideratione potentie Dei loquâ—ntis 3. The victory oâ— Faith he did conceive by the consideration of the power of God which had spoken Thirdly followes the victory of faith by which it shutteth her eyes and considereth not nor lookes upon but as it were winketh at and turnes quite from and forgetteth the order of nature and naturall causes and things that doe to reason sense sight and feeling shew a contrariety and impossibility in the matter promised spoken and resteth wholly and only upon the Word promise and power of God speaking whereby visible things that to reason are contrary to the promise doe become as things of nothing and having as it were no being and invisible things spoken by God become to be the only things that Quicquid in se ipso ac circa se intueri poterat promissionis coÌ„plemento adversabatur have substance and ground with us and this victory of faith is expressed in the next verse in these words verse 19. That he not weake in faith considered not or would not thinke of his owne body which was now dead nor Ergo ut locum Divin 8 veritati saocret ab ils quae in conspectu erant animum yetraxit quasi oblitus est Calv. Marlor in Rom. 4. 19. the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe c. that is whatsoever he could behold either in himselfe or about himselfe was against and contrary to the accomplishment and fulfilling of Gods promise and therefore to give place to the truth of God he wholly withdrew his minde from the things which he saw and felt and did as it were forget himselfe because it is truely said of another Interpreter of Gods mysteries That seeing the Cum tanta sit potentia Dei aequum est c. power of God is so great that quickens the dead it is meet that we believe him even when he promiseth things impossible to nature and to the judgement of our reason Fourthly hereupon followes the Triumph of faith 4. The â—â—iumph of Faith yeelding to God only upon the foresaid grounds of his truth and power his full glory of truely sufilling upon us that which he hath spoken whereby he hath ascribed unto him the glory of his truth and power and we have the blessing and benefit thereof for ever and this triumph of faith is expressed in the next verses in these words That he doubted not of the promise of God by unbeliefe but was strengthened in faith and gave glory to God Being fully assured that he which had spoken it was also able to doe it All which the Apostle flatly testifies must be imitated of us in the case of Free Iustification by Christ who was delivered to death to abolishour sinnes out of Gods sight and is risen againe for our full justification Rom. 4. 15. The manner whereof Rom. 4. 15. Luther is notably expressed by that Hercules of Gods glory upon the song of Zachary saying thus In what place soever the borne of salvation Iesus Christ is exalted there is no accesse neither for sinne nor death wherefore a Christian is both foule and yet without sinne How comes this to passe after this sort Beloved you have often heard that God leaveth in us an appearance and feeling whilst we live here both of sinne death and the Devill God suffereth these to remaine and taketh them not quite away from sense and feeling for this appearance must continue that we may perceive and feele that we are nothing else of our selves but sinners subject to sinne and Satan But all this is but a certaine outward appearance before my sight and the sight of the world which know and judge no otherwise but that sinne and death are present and yet under this appearance lieth hid innocency life and Faith is the substance of things not appearing dominion and victory over sinne death and Satan for because faith is the evidence and substance of things not appearing therefore that faith may have place it is necessary that all things which are beleeved be hid but they cannot be more deeply hid than under the contrary object sense and experience But when as we see all our sinnes laid upon Christ and to be victoriously conquered of him by his resurrection and doe confidently beleeve this then they are dead and brought to nothing for being laid upon Christ they must not remaine so but are swallowed up in the triumph of his resurrection So saith S. Paul Christ was delivered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our Iustification that is by his death he hath taken upon him our sins and thereby utterly abolished them out of the sight of God as the Sun-beames abolish darknesse and by his resurrection hath made us perfectly righteous so that a true Christian may be bold to say Lord God maker of the whole world it
made cleane Acts 10. 15. let no man count unclean Act. 10. But guiltie-making sinne only causing condemnation being thus perfectly taken away and utterly abolished who shall condemn them Why not Why Because it is Christ who is dead for them that is Christ hath undergone by death all condemnation both temporall and eternall that they should have borne and by washing them in his blood hath made them in the sight of God from all their sinnes whiter than snow Nay rather Christ is risen againe namely to justifie them that is to make them perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely Who is also at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for them That is there stablishing an everlasting reconcilement unto them For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling them that were unclean made them clean concerning the flesh and made them clean from all their sinnes before the Lord Heb. 9. 13. Levit. 16. 30. How Heb. â— 13. much more shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without fault to God by making us cleane and from all sinne whiteâ— than snow purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. Whereupon Chysostome Heb â— 14. Câ—rysostome in Rom 3. 25. tryumpheth well saying If the slaying of beasts did wash away sinnes much more this blood if the Type and Figure had such force much more shall the truth it selse performe the same thus is the Prophecie of Daniel now powerfully and compleatly fulfilled That transgressions are finished perfect reconciliation for iniquity is made and sinnes are made an end of and everlasting righteousnesse is brought in Whereupon the faithfull Dispensers of Gods mysteries doe excommunicate justly saying Anathema ergo sit qui dixerit Christum non omnia fidelium peccata delevisse that is Cursed therefore is the man who shal say that Christ hath not utterly abolished all the sins of the faithfull Whereby the children of God have no more conscience for sin Heb. 10. 2. Heb. 10. 2. Seeing God himself testifieth saying Their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more Heb. 10. 17. Heb. 10. 17. Now where there is such a perfect remission of these There needs no more offering or suffering for sinne verse 18. Because with one offering hath Christ made perfect vers 18. continually and forever all them that are sanctified or made holy Heb. 10. 14. And thus much of the first Heb. 10. 14. part of Free Iustification serving for the perfect and infinite abolishing of all our sinnes from before God by the blood and righteousnesse of Christ seene and apprehended and enjoyed only by faith Now it remaines that wee proceed to the second part of Free Iustification as followeth CHAP. X. Of the second part of Free Iustification making the true Beleever compleatly sufficiently and perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely COncerning which second part of Free Iustification how necessarily unseperable it is from the former part although the learned Writers give many reasons thereof unto whom for larger considerarion I referre the Reader as namely to Doctor Willet in his Hexapla upon Dan. 9. 24. and to Polanus his Partitions in the common place of Justification and to Master Downam in the first part of his The second part of Iustification is inseperable from the former part for foure Reasons Christian Warfare in the Treatise of Justification and to such others yet for brevities sake I will specifie only foure principall and maine reasons why this second part of Free Iustification is of necessity unseperable from the former part as First for the propertie of Contraries because as it is the nature of all contraries mutually to expell one another so that two flat contraries cannot possibly intenso gradu dwell together at one time in the same subject especially in privative contraries so it is principally true concerning sinne and of making the child of God perfectly righteous in the sight of God As to instance in privative contraries If the Sun break into a dark house and abolish all the darknesse in that house the house is made of necessitie all light and if the house be made all light there is no place for any darknesse but all the darknesse is abolished so likewise is it in the case of our Justification If God by the power of his imputation so cloath us with his Sonnes righteousnesse that it makes us in his sight perfectly holy and righteous then all our sinnes must needs be abolished out of his sight if it put away all our iniquitie like a mist as the Prophet Esay saith 44. 22. abolish all our sinnes like darknesse out of Gods sight then it leaves us of necessitie only and perfectly righteous in the sight of God Which S. Paul plainly testifies opposing these two contraries one against another and shewing how perfectly they expell one another and cannot both stand together in the same subject saying thus Yee were once darknesse there is one contrarie expelled that is the sinfull state of nature abolished and quite done away from before God signified by the word once or in times past But now are light in the Lord There is the other contrarie remaining and raigning in them that is Free Justification making them by an emphaticall figurative speech put in the Abstract for the Concrete even light it self that is perfectly holy righteous in the sight of God not by their doings and holy walking but in the Lord. Thirdly walk saith he as the children of light there is sanctification unseperably following and shewing that we that before our Justification were darknesse that is meere lumps of sin and nothing else but sin inthe sight of God are now by Justification changed and removed out of that condition and are made the clean contrary even light in the Lord that is nothing else but righteousnesse in the sight of God Thus saith Luther They that are called by Christ are translated out of sinne into righteousnesse out of sorrow into joy and glad tidings of the Gospel out of Gods wrath into his favour out of death into lise Because saith he again In the place of sinne succeedeth righteousnesse in the place of wrath reconciliation in the place of death life and in the place of damnation salvation Thus doe Contraries not dwel together in one and the same Subject but sinne being abolished by Christs righteousnesse this wedding garment makes us and leaves us only and perfectly righteous in the sight of God which the Doctrine of our Church taught by the first Restorers of the Gospel in this Land doth plainly thus expresse saying That by virtue of Christs blood shed upon the Crosse we are not only cleane purged from our sins but also made righteous again in Gods sight The second reason why it is necessarie that not only our sins bee abolished out of Gods sight but
to the true Christ who hath by Justification by his blood and by his spirit of Sanctification eso wonderfully knit us into his own body That he makes us happy and blessed only in his own selfe alone for ever that we need not to hearken after any false Christ for more happinesse any other way Why Because to assure us that hee doth communicate both himselfe and all his riches unto us he communicates also unto us his very name That as a wife as Calvin saith is intitled with the name of her husband so is the Church and true children of God truly intitled with the name of her husband Christ And again saith he In hoc verò sita est nostra consolatio quod sicut Christus pater unum sunt ita nos cum eo unum sumus Vnde haec nominis communicatio ita Christus that is Herein consisteth our consolation that as Christ and his Father are one so wee are one with him from whence comes this communicating of name so is Christ But the sweetnesse and comfort of this consolatior consisteth herein That as every one is married by his true Justifying faith particularly to Christ so he must apply this union to his own selfe in particular without which it becomes unfruitfull and unprofitable yet not swarving hereby from the former doctrine but a making of that which is generall to all to bee thine own in particular by applying it to thine own selfe in particular Thus did Paul saying I live not now then Paul belike is no Paul but who lives then Christ lives in me that is as Luther expounds it I live not in mine onw person nor in mine own substance but Christ lives in me Indeed saith he the person liveth but not in himselfe and therefore he saith I live not now but Christ lives in me Is est mea forma Hee is my forme more neerly joyned and united to me than the colour or whitnesse to the wall Christ therefore saith Paul thus joyned and united unto mee and abiding in me liveth this life in me which I now live Now Christ living in me I am dead to the Law that is He abolisheth the law to me damneth sin destroyeth death At Christs presence the Law sinne and death doe vanish away For it cannot bee but at his presence all these must needs vanish away for Christ is everlasting Righteousnesse everlasting Peace Consolation and Life and to these sin the terror of the law heavinesse of minde hell and death must needs give place So Christ living and abiding in me taketh away and swalloweth up all evills which vex and afflict mee This union and conjunction then is the cause that I am separated from my selfe and translated into Christ and his kingdome which is a kingdome of grace righteousnesse peace joy life salvation and glory yea by this unseparable union and conjunction which is through faith Christ and I mark this particularity I are made as it were one body in spirit Hence it is for this particular application of applying this close union to our selves in particular did Origen say as we heard before quod per unum Christum fiunt multi Christi that by one Christ there are many Christs because they are transformed to the Image of him who is the Image of God But Luther upon Pauls foresaid application describes the manner of this particular application with fuller demonstration saying thus Quare fides purè est docenda c. Wherefore faith must be purely taught namely that thou art so entirely and neerly joyned unto Christ that he and thou are made as it were one person which cannot be severed but is perpetually joyned together so that thou mayst boldly say Ego sum Christus I am Christ that is to say Christs righteousnesse victory and life are mine And againe Christ may say Ego sum ille peccator I am that sinner that is his sinnes and his death are mine because he is united and joyned unto me and I unto him For wee are so united together by the spirit that wee are become one flesh and one bone For so saith the Apople Ephes 5. Wee are members of the body of Christ of his Ephes 5. flesh and of his bones So that this faith doth couple Christ and me more neere together than the husband is coupled unto his wife The fourth excellent benefit of Free Iustification is 4. Adoption our most glorious adoption whereby wee are made the true sonnes and daughters of the living God Therefore doth S. Iohn say As many as received him namely to justifie them by his blood and death Ioh. â— 1â— To them he gave the prerogative or dignity to be the Sons of God as verily and truly as ever they were the Sonnes and Daughters of their naturall Parents And the Apostle Paul testifieth That Christ hath redeemed us from under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sonnes And because wee are Sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts to cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 5 9. also S. Iohn crying out in admiration Gal 4. 5. 6. of this great dignitie saith Behold what love the Father hath shewed towards us that we things of nothing Psal 144. 4. Should be called the Sonnes of God! And Psalm 144 4. now are we the Sonnes of God But it is not made manifest what we shall be but wee know that when he that is the Sonne shall appeare we shall be like him 1 Ioh. 3. 1. 2. 1 Ioh 3. 1. 2. Yea we are so truly made the children of God that we are become also heires of eternall life so saith the Apostle Tit. 3. 7. Wee being justified by his free grace Tiâ— 3. 7. are made heires according to the hope of eternall life and againe Rom. 8. If we be children we are also heires Rom. 8. even the heires of God and fellow or joynt-heires with Christ But neither is this high benefit conferred upon us except we be first justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous by his grace according to that saying of a learned Dispencer of the mysteries of the Gospel which is this If we bee Sonnes then are wee justified in Gods sight freed from sinne and indued with righteousness so fully reconciled unto God seeing the Lord infinite in Iustice would never admit any into such an high degree of favour who were yet polluted in their sins and destiâ—ute Nemo sit hâ—râ—s sautis â—teâ—nae 〈◊〉 sitâ—u 〈◊〉 fide Pic. in Heb. 11. 7. of righteousness Whereunto agreeable is also that saying of Piscaâ—oâ— nemo fit haeres c. No man is made an heir of eternall salvation but first he is made just and righteous by faith Thus God by the meanes of Free Iustification having delivred us from the power of darknesse and translated us into the kingdome of his deare Sonne hath made us meet to be pratakers of the inheritance
and knowest his will and approvest the things that are excellent being instructed in the Law or word or doctrine from heaven Neither thus hast thou knowledge for thy selfe only but also art confident that thou art a guide of the blinde a light to them that are in darknesse verse 19. an Instructer of the foolish a Teacher of the ignorant having the whole forme of knowledge and of the truth in the law or word c. Secondly such may think that they have a strong faith in all Gods graces through Christ and that they beleeve them as well and as truly as any can doe as it is expressed Revel 3. 17. saying Thou sayest that thou art rich namely in the treasures and benefits of the Gospel and encreased in goods amd hast need of nothing but thou knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked Thirdly which is most dangerous of all such as are in this dead faith may have not only a kinde of earnest repentance as King Saul had described 1 Sam. 24. 16 17. and as King Ahab had who rent his clothes in great repentance and p ut on sack cloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sack cloth and walked so mournfully that the Lord the searcher of hearts said Seest thou not how Ahab is humbled before me But also such may have a great zeale of Gods glory Rom. 10. 2. in devout holy desire and walking as they are perswaded in all Gods holy Commandements Rom. 9. 31 32. so zealously mortifying their sins legally that concerning the good works and righteousnesse of the good and holy law of God they may be unreproveable and unblameable and yet lie in sin death and in a damnable estate as Paul did Phil. 3. 6. And many other Jewes before their conversion out of the dead faith Acts 22. 3. who were devout persons Acts 13. 50. Instantly serving God day night Acts 26. 7. whereby such striving as it were who shall serve and worship God the best way by the best works they are distracted thereby into divers sects errours schismes and divisions about works And yet notwithstanding all this great knowledge and zeale whilst they lie sleeping in this dead faith in which spirituall sleep the Lord of wisedome Christ Iesus hath foretold and forewarned us that many in the last dayes of all shall slumber and sleep Math. 25. 25. And therefore shall these last dayes be most perillous and dangerous times because men shall abound in all cloaked corruptions having a forme and shew of godlinesse but denying the truth and power of the same 2 Tim. 3. 1. to 6. verse These because they have not on the wedding-garment Math. 22. 11 12. doe not only beare a name by this dead faith and blinde zeale that they live when they are dead Revel 3. 1. but also do give Christ hereby but a Iudas his kisse saying haile Gospel but doe betray it and so doe lie under greater sinne wrath and damnation than if they had never knowne and professed Christ at all And because the only meanes to call these people out of this most dangerous dead faith and to rectifie their straggling zeales is to lay forth the glory of the wedding-garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse that only makes us fit Brides for so glorious a Bridegroom as Christ Jesus is Hosea 2. 19. which is put on only by understanding and a joyfull faith and right embracing the excellency of Free Iustification by Christ alone Revel 3. 18 19. Therefore have I here endeavoured pro meo modulo to lay forth in this Treatise this said excellency of Free Iustification For which to performe some spark of faithfulnesse herein to Gods Church our Kings and to my Countrey I have suffered much hurry and have by divers imprisonments in some measure approved my ministry in tumults and in labours by ill report and good report 2 Cor. 6. 4 5 8. Because we ought not gentic Reader to content our selves as too many doe with the bare name of Free Iustification and know it as they that are in the dead faith doe with a carnall knowledge only whereby such doe popishly and blasphemously think and say that this only saving benefit opens the gate to all wickednesse neither must we content our selves as it is Heb. 6. 4. with a meere taste only of this heavenly gift as it is often called Rom. 5. 15 19. which bare taste only makes us to lie in the fearfull danger of falling away from it Heb. 6. 4 5. worse than the Galathians did But if we have one spark of spirituall life by the Gospel we but especially Gods Ministers must labour they by preaching and you by hearing reading and meditating upon it to get a true lively and rejoycing knowledge of it for when it works joy peace and content with God in the heart then hath a man the true and right knowledge of it And when a man hath a true and right saving knowledge and faith of it then it hath brought him into the Kingdome of heaven Math. 11. 11 12. and worketh in his heart peace and great joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 5. 1 2 3. Because the Kingdome of heaven is righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17 18. as it is further proved in the Treatise following Now this joyfull right knowledge is wrought and attained by this meanes namely by marking and often rubbing the memory and by deeply meditating upon Gods word of grace and testimonies of the faithfull Expositors as they expresse the Excellency of free Justification in the truth of faith For as it is necessary that we dive into the knowledge of this benefit ut intellectus rapiatur vero that our understanding may be enlightened and possessed with this only soule-saving truth of God so it is necessary that we look into the Excellency of it ut voluntas rapiatur bono that our will and affections may be ravished and carried after the goodnesse and excellency of the benefit this being the right true meanes both of begetting and encreasing true faith and of going with a right foot to the truth of the Gospel Gal. 2. 14. as it is manifest Rom. 10. 15 17. where it is said that the feet that bring glad tidings of peace and glad tidings of good things are both beautifull making the comming of the true Preachers of the Gospel comfortable and also mighty for the working of faith and true prayer and all good life and godly conversation For thus is the whole man converted by this benefit unto the assured knowledge of his free salvation by Jesus Christ For ignoti nulla cupido of that thing whereof the goodnesse and excellency is not knowne there is no desire And seeing the dead faith is a cold apprehending of Christ and his wonderfull benefits upon a use and custome of the Countrey because all the Countrey that we live in is of that beliefe as we generally and confusedly conceive rather
ingenuously acknowledge my weaknesse herein This meditation I say being an effectuall meanes to apprehend it deeper and deeper and to encrease thy knowledge and faith in it especially when thou feelest thy conscience pricked and troubled with sinne will even breath the spirit of God and life into thy soule as Paul testifieth saying Received you the spirit by hearing the Law Or by hearing of faith viz. of free Justification preached Gal. 3. 2. And so will be as it were the soule of thy soule to revive thee to eternall life yea thou shalt feele that thy often meditating in this heavenly gift like Naamans seventimes washing of himselfe in the River Iordane will assure thee clearer and clearer that all the spirituall leprosie of thy sinnes is washed away cleane out of Gods sight By which renewing as it were thy Baptisme thou mayst be anew strengthened with the spirituall inward seale of joy and gladnesse Ps 51. 7 8. Neither let thy unworthinesse of so great a benefit deterre thee from taking it because it is given thee freely I say freely that is God respecting no worthinesse in thee to deserve it nor no unworthinesse in thee to hinder thy free taking of it but only pittying thy misery doth give it thee freely to this end to declare the glory of his free Grace and to heale freely all thine unworthinesse and to make thee freely worthy of all the other benefits and blessings of God both temporall and eternall Thus Christian Reader if Christianly passing by all my weaknesses in handling this glorious free benefit yet if thou shalt here finde that the learned Writers collected have said some thing that may edifie thee in thy most holy faith then shall I be well content and fully satisfied Commending thee to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build further I with all my poor endeavours doe wholly rest Thine in true Christian affection JOHN EATON The Contents of this Treatise according to the order of the Chapters CHAP. I. OF the necessity of Free Iustification and of the right and joyfull knowledge thereof shewne 1 Because of Gods extreme hatred of sin 2 Because Iustification is the summe of the Gospel 3. The foundation of the Church both before and since the comming of Christ 4 The strongest Armes against assaults of the Devill pag. 2. 3. infra CHAP. II. OF the nature of Free Iustification as 1 What it is pag. 7 2 Who are capable of this glorious benefit ibid. 3 How it is wrought upon us pag. 20 Three maine things revealed in the word of God concerning sinne pag. 8. infra A pithie opening of the tenne Commandements pag. 11 A fivefold punishment belonging to the least sin pag. 17 That wee are two manner of wayes made righteous p. 22 CHAP. III. OF the parts of Iustification as 1 Of the first part p. 24 2 Of the excellency of this first part described by six Emphaticall Scripture phrases expressing the same where the said Texts are opened and explained p. 29 CHAP. IIII. OBjections against this first part of Iustification especially against the fifth emphaticall Scripture phrase expressing the excellency of this first part of free Iustification answered and the faith thereof described and cleered pag 43 1 The distinction and difference of the Objectors is to bee marked ibid. 2 Their objections from places of Scripture are answered as first Sins we have in us 1 Ioh. 1. 8. and who can say his hart is pure for in many things we sin all Iam. 3. 2. Ergo God who is Almighty and searcheth the hearts and reines seeth them in us Can any thing bee hid out of his sight pag. 47 Secondly He that made the eye shall not he see Psal 94. p. 52 3 God knoweth the sinnes of his justified children infinitly more perfectly than they themselves doe as you your selfe confesse Ergo hee seeth them in them because knowing and seeing are all one in God All which places are fully discussed and cleered Two reasons shewing how knowing and seeing in God may be said to differ p. 68 How God knowes the sinnes of his children and of Reprobates p. 71 CHAP. V. WHerein other Scriptures objected are cleered and answered as 1 That all things are open and naked to Gods eyes c. Heb. 4. 13. p. 73 2 God knoweth our sitting down and rising up and understandeth all our thoughts Psal 139. p. 76 3 Against thee have I sinned and done evill in thy sight Psal 51. 4. p. 80 Paul complaineth of sinne and saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. Ergo. p. 87 5 If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things 1 Ioh 3. 20. p. 88 6 God saw sin in the justified Church of Corinth and punished them for the same 1 Cor. 11. And also in divers of the Churches of Asia Revel 2. 3. Ergo the children of God are not made so perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God that God sees no sinne in them p. 92 7 Paul had remnants of sin in him and prayed thrice against the same that it might depart from him 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. Ergo the children of God are not made by Iustification so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God that God sees none in them p. 84 The maine essentiall difference between the Law and the Gospel p 83 How the Iustification of a Church and of a particular man are different p. 92 CHAP. VI. WHerein is contained an answer to the second rank of objections of such examples of David and others as were justified persons and yet God saw and took notice of sin in them and corrected punished some of thē for the same p. 97 A distinction between the time of the Law the time of Ioh. Baptist and the time of Christs death upon the crosse p. 98. infra Two reasons why sinnes were not punished in Iohn Baptists time p. 104 A threefold prerogative of the New Testament p. 110 CHAP. VII COntaining answers to the third rank of objections expressing certaine Reasons proving that the justified children of God are not made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God that God sees no sin in them as 1 God doth correct with crosses and afflictions yea and punish his justified children for sin ergo p. 120 Where are discussed two severall sorts of crosses 1. Legall 2. Evangelicall p. 121. deinceps Together with the uses of Evangelicall crosses p. 127 3 Scriptures explained p. 129 Twelve Absurdities arising from the confounding of the aforesaid crosses p. 135 CHAP. VIII COntaining answers to three other objected Reasons as 1 If wee bee made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely that God sees no sin in us what need we to pray daily in the Lords prayer forgive us our trespasses p. 147. 154 2
to God or thy neighbour although thou consent not to it but dost check and reprove thy selfe for it or if thou dost any of these good duties with any spice of vaine-glory or with any other by-respect and not in perfect zeale of Gods glory and good of thy neighbour thou art guilty of lust and concupiscence and breach of this tenth Commandement which defiles both thee and all thy good works and holy walkings and makes them all like a menstruous cloath that is abhominable in the sight of God Esay 64. 6. Maist thou not in a due examination Esay 64. 6. of thy conscience in these premises both of the horriblenesse of the least sinne before described and now in the multitude of them cry out with the Lepers under the old Law I am uncleane I am unclean maist thou not truly cry out I am a Leper I am a Leper maist thou not justly say with S. Paul the Law is spirituall but I am carnall sold under sinne maist thou not in a feeling of the multitude of thy sinnes say with David My sinnes have taken such hold upon me that I am not able to look up yea they are more in number than the haires of my head therefore my heart hath failed me O Lord touch our hearts with the sight of our manifold sinnes But adde hereunto the third and last maine thing The tâ—iâ—d and last maine thing revealed concerning sin is the fiâ—efold punishment revealed in Gods word concerning sinne and it will shew thee thy full misery in this lost condition namely the fivefold punishment belonging to the least sinne as First the everlasting curse of God saying Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to doe them Gal. 3. 10. Gal. 3. 10. In which definitive sentence of God thou must mark the perfection of his justice against the least sinne namely that hee must needs curse the creature that hath the least sinne in his sight for who knowes not but that if a man could continue in all things as God created him he should not have the least sinne in the sight of God but bee perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God but if he have the least sinne in the sight of God he doth not continue in all things and so is certainly accursed or else God should bee changeable and false seeing one jot or tittle of this word cannot passe away untill it Math. 5. 18. be fulfilled Mat. 5. 18. the reason whereof the Prophet Hab. expresseth saying God is of purer eyes Habak 1. 13. than to see sinne hee cannot behold wickednesse but he must needs destroy the sinne or else the sinner from before him Secondly upon this curse of God follows hardnesse of heart as God denounceth saying So I gave them Psal 81. 12. up to hardnesse of heart and left them to walk in their owne counsels Whereby if thou beest not under this curse thy selfe thou maist see the greatest multitude round about thee both of high and low rich and poore young and old to lie under this plague of plagues even hardnesse of heart that is to have by the dead faith no sense and feeling of this their cursed estate and lost condition and fearfull misery by sinne as the Apostle testifieth saying Being past feeling they commit sinn even with greedinesse Ephes Eph. 4. 19. 4. 19. whereby under this hardnesse of heart they live like Pharaoh but to heap up unto themselves as treasure wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration Rom. 2. 5. of Gods just judgements Rom. 2. 5. Thirdly hereupon all manner of miseries and afflictions to body goods and name are ready to attach and seize upon us to admonish us as they did Pharaoh of this cursed estate as it is expressed Deut. 28. saying The Lord shall send upon thee cursing Deut. 28. 20. trouble and shame And the Lord will smite thee with a consumption and with the fever and with a burning ague and with fervent heat yea hee shall smite thee with the botch and with the Emerods and with the scab and with the itch that thou canst not be healed Yea the Lord will smite thee with madnesse and with blindenesse and with astonying of heart c. verse 20. to the end of the chapter Fourthly uncertaine death is ready for the least sinne to strike us we knowing neither the time when nor the place where nor the manner how as God saith Deut. 28. 66. Thy life shall hang before thee as Deut. 28. 66. it were upon a twine thred and thou shalt have just cause to feare both day and night for thou shalt have no assurance of thy life And againe This night shall the Devils fetch away thy soule So is every one that by Justification is not rich in God Luke 12. 20 21. Luke 12. 20 21. Fifthly and lastly when death which is so uncertaine is come then followes the full execution of the justice and wrath of God in hell fire and everlasting torments because we being accursed by the least sinne God saith Goe yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Matt. 25. 41. Math. 25. 41. Verse 48. And these shall goe into everlasting paines ver 48. O fearfull sentence more terrible than was ever any thunder-clap that beat the poore creature all to pieces may wee not now see with feeling horror what lost wretches we are by sinne is there any to turne us unto for help in this case God is angry with us all his creatures are ready at his beck to execute judgements upon us what can we doe then but only sigh up to Christ for help who infinitely gratiously saith come unto me all yee that feele your selves weary and heavy laden and I will ease you which he doth by no other means but by free Justification the manner whereof how he worketh it upon us to ease and refresh us is as here followeth This heavie laden conscience thus sighing up to How Iustification is wrougâ—t upon us Christ for help and ease being like the wounded Israelites looking up to the brazen serpent first God imputeth to such his sonnes righteousnesse as the holy Ghost testifieth saying Blessed is the man to whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works Rom. 4. 6. But Rom. 4. 6. because Gods imputation is an immediate act of God himselfe it is not a weak imaginary thing as the Papists blasphemously scoffe like mans imputation but it is of such a strong and powerfull reall working and effectuall operation that it conveyeth as the Sunne conveyes his beames into a dark house that perfect righteousnesse of Christ to bee as S. Paul Rom. 3. 32. saith in us and upon us so powerfully that we thereby are made of unjust just before God but how not inherently and actively but objectively and passively as the dark house
had said that by receiving the Gospel and Word of life wee have joyfull Fellowship with God If wee walk in the light as hee is in the light one may object and Object say seeing God is the most pure light or righteousnes with whom is no darknesse of sinne when we have endevoured to walke in the light of righteousnesse and to avoyd the darknesse of sinne never so much yet seeing wee are even conceived in iniquitie and feel our selves even sinks of sin how can any mortall man have any such fellowship with so pure and cleane a God as S. Iohn writeth To which hee answereth Answ Your walking in the light is not the cause of your Fellowship with God but onely shewes that you are in the true light or righteousnesse of free Justification wherein the righteousnesse of Christ doth so abolish out of Gods sight all the remnants of sin that daily dwell in you and all the imperfections of your holy walking that thus your joyfull Fellowship with so cleane and pure a God holds most firme and sure even because the blood of Christ the Sonne of God doth make you perfectly clean from all sinne August Haec est vera pax c. purgatis reconciliatis sicut maculati aâ—â—nati c. Heming 1 Ioh. 1. 7. For this is true peace and firme knitting us with our Creator in that wee are made cleane and so reconciled againe by the Mediator of life as wee were made foule and so estranged from him by the Mediator of death But now the excellency of this first part of Justification which the holy Apostle calls the deep things of 1 Cor. 2. 10. God 1 Cor. 2. 10. which deeply considered calls us out of the dead faith and makes us to give our selves wholy to God by faith and to our neighbour by love to walk in all Gods Commandements zealously this excellency I say of this first part of free Justification namely how truely and utterly our sinnes are abolished out of Gods sight and how perfectly cleane the blood of Christ doth make us from all sin the holy Ghost doth expresse it unto us by six principall and most emphaticall phrases or similitudes wherein first observing this rule that the similitudes of the Scriptures must have a truth correspondent to the similitude and secondly marking how these six phrases Six Emphaticall Scripture phrases describing the first part of Iustification exceed one another in perfectnesse and sweetnesse we may ascend as it were by certaine steps or staires to the full heigth of comfort and joy The first phrase is this Look how farre the East is from 1 Psal 103 12. the West so farre hath God removed our sins from us Psal 103. 12. The sence and summe whereof is this that having Summa est longè laté que pro orbis magnitudine effundi misericordiam Dei super fideles Ne quid impediat cursum ejus Aboleri prorsus corum peccata Calvin Ibid. Nisi enim peccata à nobis removerentur locus divinae ergo nos miscricordiae esse non potest Muse Ibid. said in the eleventh verse That look how great and wide the world is from East to West from Heaven to Earth so largly is the mercy of God powred out upon the faithfull lest there should bee any thing to hinder the course of this large mercy in the twelfe verse the Prophet addeth that their sinnes are utterly abolished For unlesse our sinnes bee removed away from us there can bee no place for such large mercy of God to come upon us The second phrase expressing more fully this perfect abolishing of our sins is this That there is no God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto our God that taketh way iniquity and casteth all our sinnes into the bottome of the Sea Micah 7. Mich. 7. 19 19. 18. 19. The meaning whereof is That God doth cast all Projicit in mare veluti talentum plumâ—i c. ut ampliùs noâ— comparâ—ant Pel. Ibid. the sins of the faithfull into the bottome of the Sea like a talent oâ— lead from our eyes that from thenceforth they may never appear before God any more For God doth so remove away the sins of the faithfull Deus removet è conspectu ita ut ampliùs non redeunt in conspectum out of his sight that they may never return into his sight any more Because Christ himselfe did set upon sin and did prevaile over it and with his righteousnesse swallowed it up and it was enforced to be extinguished of him Luth. Serm. in Ioh. 20. no lesse and no otherwise than a spark of fire cast into the wide Sea And thus hath God cast all our sins into the bottome of the Sea The third phrase expressing yet more fully the perfect abolishing of all our sinnes out of Gods sight is this That Christ gave himselfe for us to make us holy and hath made us cleane that he might make us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to himselfe a glorious Church How or wherein glorious Answ That is not having now at this present Non dicit non habituram sed non habâ—ntem time as the Greek and Latine Participle of the present time doth signifie one spot or wrinkle of sinne or any such thing Ephes 5. 25 26 27. Eph. 5. 25 26 26. For thus teach we That the Church hath not one spot or wrinkle of sin but is perfectly righteous by free Justification and Faith only in Christ which serves to approve her to the eyes of God Againe shee is holy in life and conversation but this latter way is unperfect and serves to approve her to the eyes of men And thus doe alledge this place Augustine Luther Zanch. Downham Willet Hall Heming and many others saying thus The Church is made cleâ—n that shee may have August Muâ—datur ut non habâ—at maculam Non potest hâ—bere caput illud nisi coadignum coâ—pus condignam uxorâ—m haec est Sponsa Christi non habens maculam per lavacrum enâ—m â—uferuntur peccata Interna purgâ—tio no spot that head can not have a body but agreeable and sutable unto himselfe such an husband doth not marry a wife but like unto himselfe therefore hee saith That hee might make her to himselfe a glorious Church not having now one spot or wrinkle nor any such thing for by her baptisme her sins are taken away For when a man is baptized he receiveth this benefit of grace signed and sealed unto him as with the very seale of God whereby the inward washing and making cleane which is wrought by the blood of Christ is given ratified and sealed to him that is baptized if afterwards being come to yeeres his unbeliefe do not seclude him from the benefit Therefore that saying of S. Paul is to be holden fast Quaâ—e â—irmiter tenendom Hâ—ming in 1 Ioh 1 7. firmely who testifieth That Christ so loved his Church that
void And thus unbeliefe doth all these things in truth wherewith shee burthens faith falsly Fifthly although the guilt that is as it is defined the binding over to punishment and the punishment it selfe doth not remaine but as they grant is abolished by Justification yet say these objectors God sees the very being of the sins themselves in us But seeing they themselves grant that the loathsomnesse of sinne is so vile and ugly in the sight of God that it must be covered out of his sight before God ceaseth to be displeased and angry with us and yet it is so covered out of his sight say they that hee still sees the being of sin in his dearest Saints Hereof it must needs follow that either that sinne which hee sees in them is not so vile and ugly in his sight as it was before granted or else those deare Saints must needs be very vile and ugly in his sight by that vile and ugly sin that he sees in them for if God see some of their sins in them hee sees all their sins in them if all then seeing it is sin it selfe and nothing else but sin and that also but one sin even in thought only that doth defile men in the sight of God as Christ testifieth Mark 7. 21 23. Hence it followes that the Justified Mark 7. 21. 23. must needs remaine still more foule in his sight with the many ugly sins that hee seeth in them ' being the image of the Devill than any swine can bee defiled over body head and eares in our sight with mire and more foule and loathsome with the ugly sin that hee sees in them being the poyson of hell than any Spider or Toade can be full of loathsome poyson in our sight and thus their deare Saints are as foule as ugly Devils in the sight of God with that vile and ugly sin that hee seeth in them but that their remaines no guilt nor punishment to be inflicted upon them for the same Sixthly and lastly hereby are overthrown all the other benefits of the Gospel as first God being the fountaine of all Justice and righteousnesse God as the Doctrine of our Church saith cannot but detest and abhor us as long as he sees us in our sins the filthinesse thereof is such in his sight untill wee be first made cleane from it Secondly the holy Ghost will not come to dwell in such foule hogg-sties of ugly sinne Thirdly Christ will not knit such foule ugly members into himselfe the members must be suteable to the head Fourthly Christ will not marry unto himselfe so foule a sow or filthy swine untill he have washed her cleane from that which doth deforme and defile which is the ugly sinne it selfe Ephes 5. 27. Ephes 5. 27. Fifthly God will not acknowledge much lesse adopt for his Sons and daughters those whom hee sees full of the image of the Devill Sixthly no unclean thing can enter into the kingdome of Christ which is the the kingdome of heaven here on earth for except a man bee born again that is made a perfect new creature to the eyes of God by Justification and declare the same by being made a new creature to the eyes of men by Sanctification he cannot see the Kingdome of God Ioh. 3. 3. because the Kingdome of God is nothing Iohn 3. 3. but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Rom. 14. 17. Now then we may easily see whether these Objectors slipping from the excellency of free Justification taught by the first and purest Orthodox writers of the same are not to rectifie their judgements and seeing they goe about to maintaine their unbeliefe with Papisticall cavils whether a Minister upon paine of the for feiture of his faithfulnesse be not to convince them sharply that they may be sound in faith Tit. 1. 9. 13. And thus have I stood more largely in confuting Tit. 1. 9 13. this objection because I finde by daily experience that this cavill against the excellency of free Justification doth stick so fast between the teeth of naturall reason sense and feeling that many stumbling as I said before at this block of their sense and feeling doe greatly endanger the breaking of the neck of their faith and so make it a dead saith good for nothing neither to glorifie God nor save their soules but hereupon I may be briefer in the rest The next objection is this God knowes the sinnes Object 2 of his justified children as you your selfe confesse infinitely more perfectly than they themselves doe ergo hee see them in them because Knowing and Seeing are all one in God for his seeing is a phrase borrowed from the bodily eyes of men and applied metaphorically of God To which I answer that this objection is like Answ that Philosopher that looked so high into the Moon that neglecting what was neere him under his feet before hee was aware he was downe in a ditch for whilst it doth aspire and climbe up into heaven to look what is in God it neglects what a perfect abolishing of all our sins out of Gods sight the blood of Christ wrought neere us Rom. 10. 8. here below Rom. 10. 8. on earth and fals into the ditch of wrangling against the excellency of free Justification True it is that God doth not see as the Anthropomorphites fondly thought with bodily eyes as men see but yet to say that God doth not see but only know is somewhat bold seeing the Prophet saith he that made the eye shall not he see Psal 94. 9. And againe if wee Psal 94. 9 10. doe not know that the word to know as farre as wee are able to conceive of it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also applyed to God whilst we avoid the sin of the Anthropomorphites we may make of God a mentall idoll And why because the nature of God is so incomprehensible that the very Angels doe cover their faces being not able to comprehend his knowing or seeing much lesse any man What then must bee our wisedome to come downe unto his word where he submits and applies himselfe to our capacity and if we doe see we shall finde that although Gods knowing and seeing be all one in God yet to us they are not all one in that sense wherein S. Paul cals the one simple and pure wisedome of God the manifold wisedome of God that is one and simple to God but manifold to us Againe because God is of one pure simple and uncompounded nature his mercy and his justice saith Augustine are all one in God and yet they are not all one to us nay more what can be more contrary than his mercy and justice to us and in us so likewise although Gods seeing and knowing be all one in God and although they be of so neere affinity that often times How Gods knowing and see◠gma be said to differ by two reasons the one be put for the
so it is the only meanes sanctified with the bloud of Christ to cause people to abound in all godly and zealous conversation And thus have I somewhat the more largly hunted and taken this little Fox Can. 2. 15. because Cant. 2. 15. it is so nourished not only by the Papists that presse it exceedingly out of the examples of the old Testament against the perfection of Free Iustification maintained by Protestants but also some of us Protestants by lisping the language of Ashadod doe goe about with the same to undermine the very root of the Lords Vine that is Free Iustification by going about to prove as we see here by it that we are not by the wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely full-sufficient of it selfe the more it is rightly knowne to constraine us with all joy to holinesse and righteousnesse not by feare but by love and Evangelicall zeale as strong as fire and death Cant. Cant. 8. 6 7. Tit. 2. 14. 8. 6 7. Tit. 2. 14. CHAP. VIII Containing Answers to three other Reasons Objected THe second reason objected is this we pray daily in the Lords Prayer forgive us our trespasses but he sees those trespasses and sinnes in us which he forgives ergo we are not made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And againe thus If God have by the wedding-garment made us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in his sight so that that phrase is true that God sees none in us what need we to pray unto him daily to forgive us our trespasses the Papists a little otherwise in words but all one in effect do bend these objections against our assurance by faith that our sinnes are forgiven saying thus If your faith be an assurance that your sins are forgiven what need you daily to pray to God to forgive you your trespasses for this were needlesse if we were before assured of pardon and salvation Now because this matter of prayer is an exceeding weighty point for what can be more weighty than a right acceptable prayer in the sight of God therefore is this point the more fully to be handled and so much the more because these Objectors would by these objections give an appearance that they never yet made a good prayer to God and no marvell because as it is an easie matter to pray and that sometimes earnestly by the light of nature so it is an hard matter and rare to pray rightly by the light of grace For the very Gentiles by the light of nature understood that God did know and see their sins and also they prayed to God for mercy and forgivenesse of the same and that earnestly Ionah 1. 5. Ionah 1. 5. 14. 14. but they left out in the name of Christ and therefore their earnest prayers were but much babling Mat. Math. 6. 7. Object Answ 6. 7. But we will some say doe pray in the name of Christ To which I answer that yet many doe think when they say for Christ his sake that they doe pray in the name of Christ yea and earnestly also as they are perswaded in their owne minde and yet is their prayer but hypocriticall made rather in the light of nature in them and in the custome and religion of their countrey and in a legall zeale than truly in the name of Christ such are the prayers of the Papists such also are the prayers of the Anabaptists such are the prayers of the Familists such are the prayers of the Brownists and of many other hypocriticall Protestants among us making long prayers of many requests out of the word of God by a good memory yea and very zealously sometimes by the legall zeale all which are perswaded that they pray earnestly in the name of Christ when yet indeed and in truth they are done but in the selfe-deceiving hypocrisie of the legall zeale and so are no good prayers before God But peradventure you will say how then may wee Quest When our prayers be sincere and good before God know that wee have or doe make good prayers to God that are not wrought meerly by the seeming sincerity of the light of nature and in the legall zeale I answer when wee come in the name of Christ Answ consisting in two points rightly which is not in a meere verball but in a reall manner and consisteth in these two essentiall and infallible points First if we have by the unchangeable nature and truth of God revealed in that sentence Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things and by the death of Christ such a true sight above the Gentiles what an infinite horrible thing the least sinne is in the sight of God that we dare not as the Gentiles did and men in the light of nature still doe presse and rush into the presence and sight of God in the least sinne and so give him the true glory of his justice Because as the first Protestant Dispensers of Gods mysteries that rightly make the justifying faith the first entry unto God doe truly say if he be justly condemned of the contempt of his Princes majesty that dares presse into his sight and presence defiled with foule filthy and loathsome dung that is exceeding loathsome in his Princes sight how much more is he to be condemned of filthy hypocrisie in the sight of sin that dares presse and enter into the sight and presence of God foule with the least sin in him and upon him that is a thousand times more filthy and loathsome in the sight of God than the loathsomest dung that can be to the eyes of a Prince and so rob God of the glory of his justice and infinite hatred of the least sinne Secondly that he may not as hereby justly hee might run away with Adam from God and from Gen. 3. 8. prayer he must in his prayers come in some faith hope and comfort of his Baptisme wherein God said unto him in the power of his owne ordinance Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes in calling upon the name of the Lord Iesus Acts 22. 16. for when Acts 22. 16. a Christian feeles himselfe fallen into some sin as the only meanes to raise him up againe must be to returne by faith unto the efficacy of his Baptisme by considering the horriblenesse of the least sinne that he being an infant could not be admitted into the favour of God and fellowship of his Church and children except he were first washed from all his sins and then considers how freely when he was not able in his infancy to send up one groane or sigh unto God for his originall filth not to think a good thought of God yet even then to save him freely Christ opened his side and poured out upon him his heart blood to wash away all his sins past present and to
come and cloathing him with the wedding-garment of his owne righteousnesse did seale the same up unto him to put him out of all doubt thereof by his oath and owne seale of Baptisme and therefore now sighing up to Christ in the sense and feeling of his sins may be much more assured that he will continue his grace so freely begunne unto him we being thus found first of Christ before we sought after him he will preserve us still in that his wedding garment from all sin in his fathers sight continually and for ever for whom he once justifieth he justifieth for ever because as the Apostle saith Heb. 10. 14. Heb. 10. 14. Hee hath with one sacrifice upon the crosse made perfect by justification to the sight of God continually and for ever all them that be sanctified wherewith notably agrees that witnesse of a learned dispenser of Gods mysteries saying That we ought to know that at what time Calv. Instit lib. 4. cap. 15. Sect. 3. soever we be baptized we are at once washed and made cleane for all our life therefore so oft as we fall We must goe back to the remembrance of baptisme and therewith we must arme our minde that it may alway be certaine and assured of the forgivenesse of sins for though when it is once ministred it seemeth to be past yet by following sins it is not abolished for the cleanness of Christ is therin bestowed upon us that alway flourisheth is oppressed with no spots but overwhelmeth and wipeth away all our filthinesse and so preserveth us in perfect righteousnesse to Godward for ever as this I say is the only meanes whereby after our falls we returne unto him his washing us thus in his blood first making us to wash our selves declaratively in teares of love and Evangelicall repentance so is it the only meanes to come rightly unto God in prayer thus we come in the wedding garment thus we come rightly in the name and power of Christs blood that we were baptized in thus our prayer is the prayer of a righteous man that prevaileth much with God thus we come in faith wherein St. Iames bids us not to waver for then we rob the blood of Christ of his glory in us then we obtain nothing of the Lord. Whereby we see that they that will presse by prayer into the presence of God foule in their sin untill they have obtained pardon by prayer doe faile both in the first point of right comming not knowing the horriblenesse of sin revealed in the Word have but a gentilish conceit of the foulness of it so are ready with the Gentiles and Papists to make their prayers to be ex opere operato or in the name of Christ ex Condigno the meanes of the pardon of their sins But they faile much more in the second point both by ignorance of the glory of Gods free pardon given them in their baptisme and also in not comming to pray in the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse ever preserving presenting them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely whereby they not praying in this faith not only obtaine nothing of the Lord but also lye naked to all his judgements because God sees not the sprinkling of the blood of the Lambe that is the 1 Iohn 1. 7. cleannesse wrought by his Sons blood 1 Iohn 1. 7. upon the doore posts that is the very entrance of their prayers confessions for how can it be lesse dangerous to enter after a more peculiar manner as we doe by prayer into the presence of the most holy and most pure God infinitly hating all sin without the wedding garment without which God cannot abide to looke upon us but saith Binde him hand and foot take him away and cast him into utter darknesse where is nothing but weeping gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 13. But if we come Matth. 22. 13. in the faith of this wedding garment freely abolishing all our sins out of Gods sight then all the three persons of the blessed Trinity doe magnifie the glory of their proper offices with one unanimous consent upon us for we must marke that although our justification be the worke of the whole Godhead yet the three persons have their severall offices therein peculiar and The Trinity have severall offices in justification proper to each person which of us ought to be discerned and rightly distinguished as First the Son comes downe freely to us when else we durst not ascend up by prayer to God and is thereby the Lambe of God that taketh away the sin it selfe Iohn Iohn 1. 29. 1 29. by making us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely 1 Iohn 1. 7. And this 1 Iohn 1. 7. must be our first ground of entering by prayer unto God whereupon as the Apostle saith we have holdnesse and entrance with confidence through this faith in him Ephes 3. 12. Ephes 3. 12. Secondly the sin being gone the Father forgives the punishment due to that sin that his Son hath abolished as it is expressely said Psal 32. My sins being Psalme 32. covered and by the imputed righteousnesse of the Messiah to come utterly abolished out of thy sight ver 1. then thou forgavest the punishment of my sin ver 5. Verse 1. Verse 5. and then powreth out all manner of blessings upon us both temporall and eternall not only for our good but principally to dignifie and glorifie the blood and righteousnesse of his owne Son in us and upon us And thirdly the holy Ghost reveales and seales the assurance comfort and expectation of these blessings unto our soules giving us the eyes of understanding and faith to know and see these invisible good things 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. Ephes 1. 17 18. Object 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. Ephes 1. 17 18. But hereupon will some peradventure reply and say if our prayers be naught except we come thus to pray cloathed in the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse which is Gods royall pardon the royalty whereof is such that it preserves us even from our baptisme and presents us ever perfectly holy and righteous Why we aske daily forgivenesse of sinnes from all spot of sin in the sight of Godfreely What need we then to pray daily to God to forgive us our trespasses if we have not one spot in the sight of God before we pray especially as the Papists object if the nature of our faith be such an assurance that it assures us that we are so cleane before we pray Answ for three causes I answer with the Protestant Antagonists against the Papists that in three respects we continue daily to to aske of God forgivenesse of our sins First because the more faith any childe of God hath the more he prayeth for this glorious forgivenesse because the more grace he hath the
impossible for saith he how can wee that are dead to to sinne live yet therein That is if a man be by Justification as perfectly freed from all sinne in the sight of God as hee is freed from the traffick and businesse of this life that is dead which must needs bee if we be made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely how can such an one practise and live in sinne nay he cannot chuse but shew and declare the same by holy and righteous living to the sight of men and mortifie them to himselfe and to his own feeling as hee is by Justification dead to them in the â—ight of God And this Luther testifies very aptly saying thus Delectio bonaque tua opera delent peccatum tuum sed coram te ut tu quoque deleta sentias quae nimirum fides delet coram Deo id quod non sentis that is thy love and good works do put out and abolish thy sinnes but before thy selfe that thou mayst also feele them to be abolished which yet thy Justification only puts out before God but this being above thy sense and feeling thou dost not feele But the manner hereof the holy Ghost himselfe doth cleerly illustrate An apt similitude of a Lantern unto us by an apt similitude of a Lantern for as the Lanterne is both darke in it selfe and doth cast forth no light to abolish the darknesse round about it untill the candle be in it but when the candle is put into it then the darknesse of it is abolished and it also casteth forth light to the abolishing of the darknesse round about it and yet it is not the Lantern that puts out the darknesse properly but only the candle in the Lantern and the Lantern doth only declare by casting out beames of light the candle that properly puts out the darknesse Just so it is in the case of our Justification the children of God before and untill they bee justified are like dark Lanterns both dark in themselves and casting forth no beames by sanctification of any light to enlighten others but when the spirit of God by the hand of his Ministers hath set into their soules by the socket of faith the candle of Free Iustification then doe they cast forth the beames of Sanctification and holy walking to the abolishing of the darknesse of sinne in themselves and round about them to the enlightening of others and yet their Sanctification doth not put out the darknesse of their sins properly but doth only shew and declare the candle of Free Iustification to be in them that properly before God puts out and abolisheth all the darknesse of their sinnes by making them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And for the confirmation of this as in the mouth Three places places of Scripture for confirmation of two or three witnesses every word doth stand so three places of Scripture may be sufficient The first is of our Saviour Christ Mat. 5. 16. saying 1 Mâ—th 5. 16. Let your light namely of Justification which only was that that enlightened the blinde Pharisee Nicodemus Iohn 3. 14 15. so shine before men namely by Sanctification that they may see the beames of your good works and so glorifie you Father which is in heaven The second place of Scripture teaching this more 2 Ephes 5. 8. plainly is Ephes 5. 8. where the Apostle saith thus You were once darknesse there is the dark lanterne without the candle in it but now are light in the Lord mark how he saith not light in themselves but light in the Lord there is the lanterne made light with the candle of Justification set into it walk as the children of light there is Sanctification as the beames shewing and declaring that the candle of Justification is in us that only makes us light in the Lord. The third place of Scripture teaching this yet more 3 Phil. 2. 15 16 17. fully and largely is Philip. 2. 15 16 17. where the Apostle saith Be yee blamelesse and pure as the Sonnes of God without rebuke in the midst of a naughty and crooked generation but how may we doe all this thus powerfully mortifying in our selves the corrupt conversation reigning in the world by shining by Sanctification as lights and lanterns in this dark world But by what meanes may we be made such shining lanternes By holding out saith he as a lanterne doth a candle the word of life that is Free Justification by which only we live Rom. 1. 17. and therefore is Rom. 1. 17. Rom. 5. 18. expresly called the Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. the holding out of which candle of Justification is to shew and declare in the mortifying of our sinnes by Sanctification that this candle is in us that properly abolisheth our sins and makes us originally and properly blamelesse and pure as the Sonnes of God without rebuke first in the sight of God freely Colos 1. 22. Colos 1. 22. and then makes us declaratively blamelesse and pure as the Sons of God to the eyes of men unto which similitude he subjoynes the very essence of a Minister of the Gospel and the essentiall mark by which he is to bee discerned saying that if they did shew by shining like bright lanterns and declare that the candle of Justification is thus in them that only gives to Christ such great glory and to men assuredly eternall life and if they did constantly hold out this candle of the word of life for which he counted his owne holy walking of Sanctification as nothing and dung Philip. 3. 8 9. then although he were slaine upon the Phil. 3. 8 9. Altar and service of working this faith in them yet he would be glad and rejoyce with them all And this doctrine that we doe not purifie mortifie and clense our sinnes out of Gods sight but only declare that Christs blood hath truly originally and properly abolished them out of Gods sight freely the doctrine of Doctrine of our Church our Church also taught by the first restorers of the Gospel in this land doth cleerly witnesse and testifie saying good living and good works of fasting liberall almes and such mortifications of our corrupt natures doe not purifie and clense away the spots of our iniquities out of the sight of God for that were indeed to deface Christ and to defraud him of his glory But by cheerfull doing them in thankfulnesse of heart they declare openly and manifestly unto the fight of men that Christ hath washed away all our sinnes and that his blood hath purified us in the sight of God and clensed us of all the spots of our iniquities freely whereby we shew evidently that we are not hypocrites only making by a legall zeale a faire shew of good fruites like choke-pears but are in truth the Sons of God and elect of him unto salvation for it is
yet this so great safeguard of his salvation that he is baptized and detesting his wicked ingratitude that he hath so much failed from the saith and truth thereof for his heart will be wonderfully comforted and be greatly encouraged to the hope of grace if he consider the free promise of God not only made but also upon no consideration nor stop of any unworthinesse sealed unto him how unpossible it is that God should lie and faile him in the same and so must needs remaine sound and firme unto him and not changed for his changing and such as cannot be changed with any sinnes of men as S. Paul testifieth saying If wee beleeve not he abides faithfull he cannot deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2. 13. certainly this meere truth of God sealed 2 Tim. 2. 13. unto him by Baptisme will be his shield and buckler to save him so that if all other things faile him yet this truth of God will not leave him destitute for he hath what he may oppose to his insuâ—ting adversary he hath what he may object against his conscience troubled with sinne he hath what he may answer against the horror of death and judgement and to conclude he hath what may be a comfort in all temptations namely this meer truth of God sealed unto him from God saying God is true in his promises whereof he hath given me his pledge and seale in Baptisme If God be thus unfallibly and unchangeably on my side who can be against me For if the children of Israel when they were to returne to repentance did first and before all things call to remembrance their deliverance out of Aegypt and by the remembrance thereof did returne unto God who so graciously brought them out and therefore is so often inculcated by Moses and the Prophets and is made by God himselfe the very preface to the keeping of all the ten Commandements how much more should we call to minde our deliverance out of our Aegypt of sinne the Devill death and hell and by the remembrance thereof returne unto him who so freely brought us out by the washing of the new birth and renewing of the holy Ghost which is likewise to this end urged by the Apostles and pressed upon us Tit. 3. 3 4 5. and Tit. 3. 3 4 5. this is chiefly to be done in zealous celebrating the Lords Supper for so at the first in the Primitive Church were these two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper zealously frequented and helped one another this is the preaching that ought earnestly to be pressed upon people This promise that he that beleeveth namely that the Son of God justifieth him making him perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely and is baptized that is and hath received the assurance hereof by having it by Gods owne signe and seale of Baptisme sealed un to him hee shall be saved Mark 16. 16. this Mark 16. 16. I say is the promise which as the head heart and soule of Religion ought daily to be inculcated thus should Baptisme be continually repeated and because our faith is not the foundation of our Baptisme but our Baptisme is the foundation of our faith therefore should it be continually urged that our faith may be daily encreased and nourished in the same and that for two causes First because although Satan hath not been able to extinguish the virtue and power of Baptisme to little infants yet he labours with all might and maine to extinguish it in elder folk and hath so farre prevailed herein that where are there almost any that remember the glory of their Baptisme and feele joy in the truth of the foure former points much lesse doe they glory in this great glory of the Lord sealed upon them mentioned Esay 60. 2. but look after other Esay 60. 2. meanes of assuring themselves of the forgivenesse of their sinnes and after other wayes of comming to heaven Secondly because the power and virtue of our Baptisme once pronounced upon us in the Lords ordinance endâ—res upon us to the end of our lives raising us up as we heard before when we are fallen to true Baptisme makes us strong against all temptations repentance and effectually strengthning us against all temptations as we read of a certaine holy virgin in the Primitive Church when as yet custome and long use had not made Baptisme to seeme small who as often as she was tempted did resist and overcome with objecting her Baptisme saying briefly I am a Christian and am baptized as the Spouse in the Cant. Cant 5. 3. saith I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them againe for the eniâ—y presently understood the virtue and power of Baptisme and the faith of the same which depends upon the meere truth of God freely promising it and so fled from her And this point have I the more largely prosecuted because although it be an high point of magnifying Gods truth and the sole glory of Christ and the right honouring of Gods ordinance of Baptisme and the next meanes of raising us up to the true Evangelicall repentance and right zeale of Gods glory yet it is of us too little practised God in his rich mercy grant that we may as it was said before waxe wiser and more joyfully embrace the same THe fourth enimy assaulting our faith and driving The fourth Remedy against doubting us strongly to doubting and against which wee have need to arme our selves is the great multitude commonly called the world of whom S. Iohn speaketh saying Wee know that we are of God and that the whole world lieth in wickednesse 1 Iohn 5. 19. for although 1 Iohn 5 19. God hath some of all sorts high and low rich and poore that are true beleevers yet the greatest multitude of all sorts although they glory by the dead saith that they beleeve yet they discerne not the mysteries of Christ and therefore are so farre from beleeving with the heart and confessing with the tongue that we are so cloathed with the wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse that we are made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely that hereupon condemning the very sayings of the learned in the former fifth Scripture phrase expressing the same they bring forth all their munition and artillery drawne out of the store-house of naturall reason and sharpened with seeming Scripture wrested to the strengthning of reason and hereby whet their tongues to contradict to gaine-say wrangle against and oppugne the same with all might and maine possibly they can But against this scandall we are sufficiently forewarned and thereby strongly fore-armed with that one watch-word of the holy Ghost saying That Christ brings the most certaine testimony of himselfe and of his benefits from his Father but no man receiveth his testimony Iohn 3. 32. which as the Iohn 3. 32.
glory belonging and reserved as due unto the substance it selfe But when Christ the truth it selfe came signified by those figures and did fully exhibit himselfe to performe fully the truth that was represented in those figures Then the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God did so fully purge and purifie our consciences from dead works to serve the living God that now there is no need of any more Sacrifice for sin because God doth not so much as remember our sins any more Heb. 10. 17. 18. And Heb 10. 17 18. why because with that one offering of himselfe hee hath made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified The new Testament passing the Old in foure circumstances Where let us marke the full perfection of the New Testament above the Old here compared the one with the other and the New passing the Old in foure circumstances First he saith not inchoatively and imperfectly as it is said of the Old Testament that it made nothing perfect Heb. 7. 19. but perfectly Secondly he saith not that he will make perfect but he hath made perfect signifying that this perfect making of us righteous in the sight of God is already perfectly done Thirdly not for a season to be by intercourses often renewed with new Sacrifices as the Papists doe counterfeit in their Masse but perpetually and continually And Fourthly not onely for long times as whole yeers and such like but for ever and ever as the doctrine of our Church speaketh Thus hath Christ made all his children and Church righteous quarto modo that Christ hath made us righteous quarto modo is omnes solos semper first omnes all that are sanctified secondly solos only they that are sanctified and thirdly semper he hath made them perfectly righteous continually and for ever Hence he is called Melchisedec that is the King of righteousnesse because he makes all his subjects thus righteous secondly none but his subjects only thirdly all his subjects are made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God only and for ever And therefore did the Prophet Daniel ch 9. 24. prophesie of Christ That at his comming he should not onely make an end of sin but also bring in an everlasting righteousnesse that is making the children of God perfectly righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God for ever and ever Hence we see the reason why the learned doe pronounce the justified children of God to be not only fully and completely but also sufficiently righteous before God For if the child of God be thus completely and perfectly righteous in the sight of God then he is sufficiently righteous in the sight of God but if he be not sufficiently righteous then is he not perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God But that the justified child of God is above his sense and feeling even sufficiently righteous in the sight of God is plainly testified by God himselfe 2 Cor. 12. where 2 Cor. 1â— we may see that Saint Paul feeling the remnants of corruption hanging upon him and not only doubting as the circumstances of the place shew that he was not sufficiently righteous in the sight of God but also grieving at the same and therfore praying thrice that is oftentimes to God against the same God answered him saying My Grace viz. of Free Justification the Grace of graces called often the Grace of God and gift by Grace Rom. 5. is sufficient for thee that is makes thee Rom. 5. sufficiently perfectly righteous from all spot of the remnants of thy corruptions in my sight freely and then adds the reason why he should be content with this rich grace of Free Justification saying For the power of my grace of Free Iustification is manifested and made perfect in thy weaknesse because if thou hadst not weaknesse and corruption in thee thou shouldst have no need of my grace of Justification but in that I make thee from all those infirmities which thou seelest to hang upon thee sufficiently and perfectly righteous in my sight freely herein my free Grace of Justification is greatly magnified and glorified Which reason did so greatly content Saint Paul that he said Very gladly therefore will I rejoyce rather in mine infirmities what simply no but that the power of Christs grace making me thus sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely may dwell in me Thus we may see how true that saying of Calvin is of Justification in another place That Justification finding us naked of our own righteousnesse doth so cloath and enrich us with the righteousnesse of Christ that the saying in Luke 1. 52. is fulfilled Hee filleth the hungry 〈…〉 53. with good things for Paul hungring after his owne inherent righteousnesse when his own inherent righteousnesse could never have made him sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God is sent away filled with the power and rich grace of Christ making him sufficiently and perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely Which treasure saith Luther Esaiah inwardly considering did in the tenth of his Prophecy say The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousnesse as if he had said Faith which is a briefe and summary fulfilling of the Law tanta justitia credentes replebit that is shall replenish the Beleevers with so great righteousnesse ut nulla alia read justitiam opus habeant that they shall not have need of any other thing to make them more righteous Rom. 10. 10. Which Paul also doth testifie Rom. 10. saying For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse whereby he hath no need of works to make him righteous in the sight of God sed omni bono repletur vereque filius Dei efficitur that is but is replenished freely with all goodnesse and truely made the Son of God Iohn 1. 12. Iohn 1. 12. Yea that the true Beleever is made sufficiently and perfectly righteous because he is by Free Justification thus freely replenished with all righteousnesse in the sight of God is likewise plainly taught and cleerly testified in the doctrine of our Church taught by the Doctrine of our Church in the Sermon of the resurrecâ—ion first Restorers of the Gospel in this land saying in the Sermon of the Resurrection of Christ after this manner It had not been enough to be delivered by his death from sin except by his resurrection wee had beene endued with a perfect and everlasting righteousnesse whereby the true righteousnesse looking downe from heaven is in most liberall largenesse dealt by the holy Ghost upon all the world by whose assistance wee be replenished with all righteousnesse c. Doubt not of the truth of this matter how great and high soever these things be it becommeth God to doe no little deeds how possible soever they seeme to thee And no marvell
sight and for no other end but that wee that were soule in the sight of God might not bee found foule in the sight of God and that we that were unrighteous might not be found unrighteous in the sight of God but only righteous but if we be found in the sight of God both faire and foule both righteous and unrighteous then Christs becomming a sinner for us is frustrated and made voyd but because he becomming a sinner but a time for us hath thereby made us meerly and only righteous for ever in the sight of God as the Apostle Heb. 10. 14. testifies Heb. 10. 14. saying With one offering he hath made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified hereby Christs becomming a sinner for us is not frustrated but hath attained his full and due end and this is the true meaning of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 21. saying Hee that knew no sin was 2 Cor. 5. 21. made sinne for us why and to what end That we being translated into him might be made he saith not both sinners and righteous in the sight of God as Christ was but the righteousnesse of God that is as the figurative abstract imports nothing but righteousnesse and only and meerly the righteousnesse of God for ever for which cause Daniel prophecied that Christ by his death Dan. 9. 11. 23. should make an end of sin and bring in an everlasting righteousnesse Dan. 9. 11. 24. Thirdly this comparison is misapplyed and deceives because it is grounded upon a wrong instance The beleever is made righteous as Christ at his refurâ—eâ—tion of time for wee are not to compare the manner of our being made righteous in the sight of God to the the time case and condition of Christ whilst he hung dying upon the Crosse when he was both a sinner and righteous but to the time case and condition of Christ when he was risen againe from the dead when he had quite abolished our sinne that by Gods imputation lay upon him and having shaken off our sinne as Sampson had shaked off his new ropes was only perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God by virtue whereof he had shaken off death and was risen againe Because although hee merited our Justification by his passion and death yet he did fully accomplish the same by his resurrection as S. Paul testifies 1 Cor. 15. saying If Christ be not risen yee are yet in 1 Cor. 15. 17. your sins Therefore the contrarie holds true Christ being risen wee are not in our siunes that is wee are by his resurrection made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in Gods sight freely And yet more Rom. 4. 25. plainly speaks the Apostle Rom. 4. 25. He was delivered to death for our sinnes and is risen again for our Iustification that is his rising again hath fully accomplished our perfect Justification thus making us like to himselfe as he was in his resurrection that is only perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely And thus doe the Dispensers of Gods mysteries the faithfull Expositors compare the manner of our being made righteous by Christs resurrection in the sight of God Whereupon Luther saith thus Christ rising againe the third day from death now liveth for ever and Lâ—th in Gal. 3 13 there is neither sinne nor death sound in him any more but meere righteousnesse life and everlasting blessednesse then faith layeth hold upon this innocency and this victory of Christ whereby by faith only we are made thus perfectly righteous Look then saith he how much thou dost beleeve this so much thou dost injoy it If thou believest sin death and the curse to be abolished they are abolished For Christ hath overcome and taken away these in himselfe and will have us to beleeve That like as in his own person there is now after his resurrection no sin nor death so there is none in ours seeing he hath performed and accomplished all things for us Hereupon also doth Calvin say that the ministrie of Iohn Baptist being a meane or middle between the Prophets and Apostles although hee passed all the Prophets in saying Behold the Lamb of God that taketh Calv. inst lâ—b 3. cap 9. sect 5 The ministerie of Iohn Baptist a middle between the Prophets and Apostles away the sinne of the world wherein he shewed forth the Sunne of the Gospel yet saith he because he did not expresse that same incomparable strength and glory which at length appeared in his resurrection therefore Christ saith that the least in the Kingdome of heaven is greater than hee must not Preachers therefore take heed that they doe not darken much lesse drown this incomparable strength and glory that so farre passed Iohns ministry now accomplshed in his resurrection But alas how few are there among us that know what this incomparable strength and glory of Christs resurrection is much lesse doe we cause people to presse with violence above Iohn into the kingdome of heaven by laying forth above him this incomparable strength and glory Now concerning the other reason That as God Object beholds us in Christ so hee beholds us perfectly holy and righteous But as hee beholds us in our selves so he sees us sinners at leastwise in the imperfections of our sanctification To which I answer that God doth behold us two Answ God beholds us two manner of wayes manner of wayes first Physice as we are his creatures in whom wee live and move and have our being and so God alwayes beholds us in our selves and seeth us meerly his creatures as to eat and drink and move First Physicè and such like secondly hee beholds us Theologicè Secondly Thologice two manner of wayes first in our selves secondly in Christ as he beholds us in our selves we are corrupted and sinfull by the fall of Adam which is our cursed and lost estate before our Justification and conversion wherein we are out of Christ and members of the Devill and vessels of wrath and damnation which when a man seeth hee desires nothing more than to be Justified that he may be delivered out of that wofull estate whom when God hath taken pitty of and Justified then hee is translated out of himselfe into Christ out of the old Adam into the new Adam out of the wild bitter Olive into the sweet Olive and true vine Christ Because hee is translated out of sinne into righteousnesse out of the curse into blessednesse out of death into life and out of damnation into salvation and so delivered out of his former misery so that hee that holds that God beholds us both in Christ and in our selves must needs bee an utter and monstrous hypocrite because first he sees not what an horrible thing it is to be in our selves out of Christ being most true that Luther saith horrendum est de Deo extra Christum cogitare that it is an
horrible Luth. in Gal. 1. 3. thing once to think of God out of Christ Secondly he desires not to bee found out of himselfe in Christ only and thirdly hee discernes not the antithesis and flat contrariety that is between the blessed estate what it is to bee in Christ and the cursed estate what it is to bee in our own selves out of Christ which cannot stand together but doe utterly overthrow one another for although it is true that wee may yea and ought to consider and ever and continually to remember what we were when we were in our own selves out of Christ as Paul teaches Ephes 2. as namely dead in trespasses and sins following Ephes 2. the course of the world without God in the world the children Why we have continuall feeling of sin left in us of wrath and such like Yea and God hath left a feeling of these things to dwell still in us as if wee were not translated out of sinne into righteousnesse out of our selves into Christ out of death into life out of damnation into salvation That as I have often said we may live by the faith of Gods power working these upon us by himselfe alone and not by our sense sight and feeling although I say wee may and ought thus to consider what we were yea and are to our sense and feeling in our own selves yet notwithstanding wee are not in our own selves after that we are justified and converted but only in Christ although we finde the fruit operation and power thereof but according to our faith Proofs that being justified wee are not in our own selves but in Christ only are evident in the foresaid Epistle to the Ephes 2. saying Ephes 2. Remember that yee were in times past Gentiles in the flesh that is your own selves and lost nature yee were I say at that time out of Christ and without Verse 11. 12. God in the world vers 11. 12. and were by nature the children of wrath vers 3. But now saith he being in Verse 3. Christ Iesus yee which once or in times past were farre off are made neere by the blood of Christ vers 13. Now Verse 13. therefore yee are no more mark the word no more Strangers and Forreiners but Citizens with the â—aints and of the houshold of God vers 19. Thus are we now being by Verse 19. Justification translated out of our own selves into Christ But yet we may be considered as we see here what we were yea and what wee are to our sense and feeling in and of our selves being considered out of Christ when yet wee are not out of Christ as For example a graft or branch of a wild bitter An apt similitutede Olive being grafted into the sweet Olive and now partaking of the nature of the sweet Olive may yet notwithstanding bee considered what it was and what it is considered in and of it selfe and yet now it is not in it selfe and in its own nature and condition but in the sweet Olive and grown into the nature of the sweet Olive Or yet more plainly thus A poore woman that was in extreame poverty and in great Another plain fimilitude debt and arrested and cast into prison although shee be from thence taken out and married to a rich noble man and so her debt discharged and shee made of poore rich in apparell wealth and honour yet notwithstanding shee may bee considered and she her selfe ought in true gratitude often to call to minde what shee was and what shee is considered in and of her own selfe And yet indeed shee is not as shee was neither yet in her own selfe but in her husband altogether in a free state and in a rich condition And in this sense did S. Paul say and the true right faith must ever say I live not now but Christ lives in mee and in that I now live I live by the faith in the Sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for mee namely to Justifie me and thereby hath made mee by himselfe alone perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Neither doth God behold us being Justified in the imperfections of our sanctification why because as I have abundantly shewed before both by expresse Scripture as also by the unanimous consent of all the best Dispensers of Gods mysteries That Justification doth not only present us and our persons perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely but also taketh away from before God and abolisheth all the imperfections of all our works out of the sight of God so that to the pure and to the believing all things are pure as to the unbelieving nothing is pure but their best good works are filthy and abhominable in the sight of God Now then when both the persons of the believing are by Christs righteousnesse perfectly pure in the sight of God and when all the imperfections of their works are abolished out of Gods sight thus making them also perfectly pure and righteous in the sight of God how then doth God see them in the imperfections of their sanctification but to say when God hath justified both us and our works that God sees us in the imperfections of our sanctification is another evident mark of an hypocrite that was never An evident mark of an hypocrite yet truly humbled for the imperfections of his sanctification nor ever yet truly killed with the Apostle by understanding the tenth Commandement making both him and all his righteousnesse and best good works as a menstruous cloath that is damnable sinne in the sight of God for then hee would be glad to take the benefit of Free Justification to make him clean in the sight of God from all the imperfections of his best good works in the imperfections of his sanctification for hee would easily see that if all his righteousnesse be as a menstruous cloath in the sight of God by reason of the imperfections of his sanctification how horrible are the imperfections themselves that make his sanctification so filthy and loathsome in the sight of God and how farre are these from the minde and faith of the Apostle that would not be found in his own righteousnesse of sanctification that was of the Law but only in the righteousnesse which is of God through faith and yet These dare be found in the fight of God and will uphold also that God beholds his children in the imperfections of their sanctification But are not these imperfections of our sanctification ever to our sense and feeling like to continuall running soares in us Psal 77. 2. Psal 38. 3. and make us to our sense and Psal 77. 2. Psal 38. 3. Rom. 7. 24. feeling miserable Rom. 7. 24. And is not Justification given us as the balme of Giliad to heale these soares of the imperfections of Iustification
put out before his Father and therefore hath made it as Bernard saith so large and long a garment for that end and purpose And therefore hearken to the advice of a well approved Labourer in our Church worthy ever the meditating because it is most pithy Evangelicall and truly saving after this manner Cast away the raggs of thy owne righteousnesse as S. Paul did seeing his inherent righteousnesse was farre better than thine Philip. 3. 8 9. And if ever thou wilt get the blessing wrap thy Phil. 3. 8. 9. selfe in this garment of the righteousnesse of thine elder Brother Christ and when thy Father shall savour the smell of thy garments he shall blesse thee and say behold the smell of my Sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed feare not to bee complete in him this long white robe needs no inching or ecking needs no patching say with the holy Martyr and live and die with it in thy mouth only Christ only Christ Consider what I say and the Lord give us understanding in all things The second Objection proceedeth from the weaknesse The second objection is from the weaknesse of faith of faith arising from sense and feeling whereof I have spoken and given Armor of resistance in the ninth chapter but because it much troubleth the faith of the weak Christian let us heare the Objection and shew some further remedy against the same the Objection is this I feele not my selfe to have any righteousnesse Object but rather to bee nothing else but a lump of grosse sinnes so that by mine unworthinesse I dare not confesse of my selfe that I am such only and meere Righteousnesse that I am perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely First to thy sense and feeling I answer thus with Luther Answ Thou must not feele but beleeve that thou art thus righteous and therefore the more thou feelest this unworthinesse and sinne making thee whilst thou pulst down thy eye from the brazen-serpent to look upon thy sore by sense and feeling to cry out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death so much the more happy and blessed art thou for it doth make thee presently to turn thy eye to the Brazen Serpent Christ Who presently delivers thee and makes thee to say with the Apostle in the sight by faith of thy perfect healing I thank God through Iesus Christ our Lord that there is no judgement punishment or condemnation for that which I feele Why what is the cause that there is no judgment punishment or condemnation for the sinne which I thus feele dwelling in me The reason little marked but is pittiously mangled and rent from the first verse of too many is this Because the righteousnesse of the Law though not legally and actively as the Papists would have it yet Evangelically and passively is fulfilled in us And this is thy present and immediate healing by turning thy eye from thy sense and feeling up to the Brazen-serpent Christ presently shewing thee by his bleeding wounds A present healing that thou art above thy sense and feeling made perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And thus by this thy feeling the contrary to this perfect healing there is place for faith to beleeve it And therefore to strengthen our weak faith that wee are contrary to our present sense and feeling thus perfectly righteous from all spot of Three meanes to strengthen our weak faith sinne in the sight of God freely We must use a threefold help First it must be thy wisdome to have everbefore thy sight the imitation of the faith of thy Father Abraham walking in this case of Free Iustification as a naturall sonne in the steps of the faith of our Father Abraham after this manner before described but thus applyed That relying upon that God That calleth those things which be not as though they were Rom. 4. 17. that is Rom. 4. 17. who giveth to the things that appeare not as reall a Being before himselfe by his Call or so speaking as if they had a reall Being to our eyes thou must above all hope of thine own feeling whereby thou feelest thine own righteousnesse to bee but as a menstruous cloath yet believe under hope of Christs righteousnesse that thou art perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God according to that which is spoken The blood of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth make us clean from all sinne And againe As by the disobedience of one man Adam many were made sinners So by the obedience of one man Christ are many made righteous vers 18. And thou not weak in faith must not consider Vers 18. or think upon thine own body which thou feelest dead in trespasses and sinnes by the fall of Adam neither the violence thereby of thy daily actuall sinnes verse 19. neither must thou doubt of this promise of Vers 19. God by unbeliefe but be strengthned in faith that thou art perfectly holy and righteous freely in the sight of God and so give glory to God vers 20. being fully Vers 20. assured that hee which hath promised to accomplish it upon thee freely by cloathing thee with his Sonnes righteousnesse is also able to doe it verse 21. The second help to strengthen our faith that we are Vers 21. 2 made thus perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Is not to forget the comparison that Saint Paul maketh in this case Rom. 5. between the first Adam that made us that is both body and soule sinners and damned and the second Adam Christ that as freely makes us both body and soule righteous and saved And although there be some difference in the manner namely that Adam made us all sinners inherently and actively to our sense and feeling but Christ makes us righteous in the sight of God objectively Evangelically and passively and invisibly above our sense and feeling that there may be place for the faith of Gods power of truly and really doing it himselfe alone yet notwithstanding wee must take heed that we give not more power to Adam in making us sinners being but a meer man than to Christ in making us righteous being both God and man but let us know that as the first Adam made us before wee our selves have done any evill work perfectly completely and only and meerly sinners and damnable in the sight of God so strongly that we cannot choose but shew the same in all our life by actuall sins to the eyes of men so much more doth Christ make us before we have done any good perfectly completely and only and meerly gloriously holy and righteous and so perfectly saved in the sight of God so strongly that he makes us to declare the same by sanctification and a
new life to the eyes of men Yea more although our inherent righteousnesse of sanctification flowing thus from our Justification be imperfect in it selfe and makes all our actions imperfect in righteousnesse yet so mighty is this originall righteousnesse as Luther calls it in respect of the secondarie inherent actuall righteousnesse of our The exceeding efficacy of our originall righteousnesse that is Christs sanctification That as the Sun-beames lying continually in a house that can cast forth continually nothing but shadowish darknesse doth continually swallow up that shadowish darknesse and makes both the house and all things in the house all light so doth the glorious Sun of Righteousnesse Christ Jesus by the power of his imputation so cloath us with his own righteousnesse that continually swallowing up and abolishing the imperfections of our sanctification doth make and continually preserve and present us and all our actions that were darknesse in themselves to be all light in the Ephes 5. 8. Lord Ephes 5. 8. that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne continually in the sight of God freely Which comparison between Adam and Christ although it is proposed as equall to shew the truth reallnesse and verity between them as vers 19. where the Apostle saith that As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners So by the obedience of one are many also made righteous Yet in other places is the working of Christ shewed to be farre more rich plentifull and abundant in making us perfectly righteous than the working of Adam in making us sinners so that the Apostle to expresse the plentifull working of Christ above Adam doth not stick to use the words Abounding in the work of Christ above Adam lesse than foure times in the later part of that fifth chapter saying That although through the offense of one many bee dead Yet much more doth the grace of God and gift by Grace abound unto many yea although the Law entred in upon sinne and made sinne to abound and to be out of measure sinfull yet grace in Iustification abounds much more so that saith hee they which receive the abundance of grace and this gift of righteousnesse doe even reigne in life by this Iustification of life But that saying 2 Cor. 5. 21. is more admirable that He which knew no sin 2 Cor. 5. 21. was made sin for us that we being translated into Christ might be made the very righteousnesse of God The Abstract importing as I said before that we are made so perfectly completely and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely That we are nothing else but meer righteousnesse in the sight of God And hath Christs work passed Adams making of sinners in swallowing up and utterly abolishing all our sinne from before God as if Iosephs barnes had swallowed up the leane kine in Pharaohs vision and made us so richly plentifully and abundantly righteous in the sight of God and shall we be troubled more with the feeling of Adams work upon us than be filled with joy with the exceeding glory of Christs work upon us should we not by such regard of sense and feeling that is of old Adam and weaknesse of faith greatly dishonour the God-head of Christ in the second Adam This comparison between Christ and Adam doth Luther also strongly presse for the strengthning of faith saying thus For as we cannot deny but that wee are all sinners and are constrained to say that through the sinne of Adam we were all lost were made the enimies of God and guilty of eternall death for this doe all terrified hearts feele and confesse and more indeed sometimes than they should doe so can wee not deny but that Christ died for our sinnes that he might make us righteous for he died not to justifie the righteous but the unrighteous and to make them the children of God and Inheritors of all spirituall and heavenly blessings therefore when I feele and confesse my selfe to be a sinner through Adams transgression why should I not say that I am made righteous through the righteousnesse of Christ especially when I heare that hee loved me and gave himselfe for me This did Paul most stedfastly beleeve and therefore he speaketh these words with so great vehemencie and full assurance which He grant unto us in some part at the least which hath loved us and given himselfe for us The third help to strengthen our weak faith to beleeve above our sense and feeling that we are made thus perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely Is for the inconveniences and evills that otherwise will follow this distrust briefly and plainely expressed by Luther saying thus Except thou dost beleeve above thy sense and feeling and confesse that thou art thus righteous in the sight of God thou dost great injury to Christ who hath made thee cleane by the washing of water through the word who also died upon the â—rosse condemned sinne and killed death that through him thou mightest obtaine righteousnesse and everlasting life these things thou canst not deny except thou wilt openly shew thy selfe to be wicked and blasphemous against God and utterly to despise God and all his promises Iesus Christ with all his benefits and so consequently thou canst not deny but that thou art righteous Now concerning the other part of the objection Object namely that we feele so great unworthinesse in our selves that wee dare not assume so great glory to our selves that we are made so perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous in the sight of God as that wee are only and meerly the Righteousnesse of God in his sight To which I answer againe with Luther that there Answ be two great causes beside the malice of the Devill why we doe not beleeve and so receive this precious gift First the inestimable greatnesse of the gift is the cause that we do not beleeve it and because this incomparable treasure is freely offered therefore it is despised And secondly because as Luther truly saith in another place the doctrine of the Gospel speaketh of farre other matters than any Book of policy or Philosophy yea or the very Book of Moses himselfe to wit of the unspeakable and most divine gifts of God which farre passe the capacity and understanding both of men and Angels whereby the inestimable A threefold remedy against feare of applying so great riches greatnesse of Gods bounty in the gift engenders in us an hardnesse to beleeve it But for this there is a threefold Remedy able to strengthen us effectually in faith The first is expressed by Luther saying after this manner We must not weigh so much how great the thing is that is given and how unworthy we are of it for so should the greatnesse of the gift and our unworthinesse terrifie us but we must principally consider first the greatnesse of the giver and secondly that
or Positions FIrst the horrible filthinesse of sinne is such to Gods infinite pure and righteous Nature and so defiles a man before God Mark 7. 20. that God cannot but abhoâ—â—e â—urse and deâ—est the creature that hath any sinne in his sight as these and such like Scriptures teach Deut. 27. 26. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Rom. 5. 12. Hab. 1. 13. Job 15. 15. 16. And this true meaning of the Law and right understanding thereof this revealing the infinite pure and righteous Nature of God and the horrible filthinesse of sin is to be diligently taught and continually preached of all faithfull Ministers in every mixt Congregation Esay 58. 1. 2. Secondly that the best good workes of the most sanctified children of God as they though moved thereunto by the holy Ghost do them are sin because of their originall corruption and by breaking the tenth Commandement in them thereby they are so slaine that is truely humbled by feeling themselves and all their best workes to be so shut up under sin that they daily bewail that they can performe no obedience nor do any good worke before God in any of all his Commandements as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 7. 9 10 11 12 13 14 18. 24. Galat. 3. 22. Rom. 4 5. Phil. 3. 8. 4. Esay 64. 6. Thirdly that the onely remedy to heale this our wofull misery by sinne thus seen and felt to hang fast upon us in this life this only remedy is Free Justification whereby God by the power of his sonnes perfect righteousnesse Esay 61. 10. that all our sins being utterly abolished not out of us 1 John 1. 8. 10. that there may be place for faith Heb. 11. 1. Rom. 4. 18 19 20. to 25. but yet truely abolished form before God or out of Gods sight Colos 1. 22. Wee and all our workes are of unjust made just before God that is so perfectly and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely that as the expresse Word of God teacheth and the Protestant Writers abundantly testifie God doth not and by reason of his actuall power can see no sinne in his justified children freely I say by faith only without workes and our perfect workings And I say by faith onely without workes because faith onely sees this and faith onely enjoyes this and thus we and all our workes both naturall workes civill workes or morall workes and religious workes are perfectly pure and cleane in Gods sight Acts 15. 8 9. Titus 1. 15. and doe fully please satisfie and content God because we are fulfillers of the whole Law of God in his fight for the righteousnesse of the Law is thus freely fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 4. Thus by Christs stripes we are healed Esay 53. 5. thus God forgiving all our sins is ever well pleased and at perfect peace with us for being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. and are freely made and adopted the sons and the daughters of the living God Rom. 9. 26. And thus are truely blessed Rom. 4. 6. for As many as are of faith of Free Justification are blessed with faithfull Abraham Galat. 3. 8 9. and shall be certainely glorified for whom God justifieth them also he glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. And thus we see how perfectly by Christs stripes we are healed Esay 53. 5. And all this Protestant Doctrine of Free Justification and these two parts of the same are cleerely and abundantly taught by these and such like Scriptures Esay 43. 25. Esay 44. 22. 23. Iohn 1. 29. Heb. 1. 3. Heb. 9. 13. 14. 26. 1 Iohn 1. 7. Revel 1 5 6. Dan. 9. 24. Rom. 3. 21 22. Ephes 5. 26 27. Rom. 5. 17 18 19 21. Revel 3. 18. Colos 1. 22 23. Rom. 8. 4. Colos 2. 10. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 9. 30. Esay 61. 10. Phil. 3. 8 9. Tit. 1. 15. Heb. 11. 4. Fourthly that this true faith of Free Iustification contrary to the judgement of Popish and carnall reason unseparably brings the holy Ghost to dwell in people Galat. 3. 2. Acts 10. 44. Acts 13. 38 39. 52. which holy Ghost infallibly inflames our hearts with true love Galat. 5. 6. and makes the true beleevers in right zeale of Gods glory and in true thankfulnesse to break off from sinne and to mortifie by true repentance their former profane life and ungodly conversation and brings forth a declarative obedience righteousnesse and readinesse to every good worke now made good workes indeed freely by Free Iustification and so brings forth a sincere and though an unperfect yet a free and cheerfull walking in and keeping of all Gods will and Commandements declaratively to manward which is true sanctification And thus is the Law not destroyed by Free Iustification but established Rom. 3. 21. and written in the hearts of true beleevers and they are fulfillers and keepers of the Law two manner of wayes first perfectly making their hearts perfectly righteous freely to the full content and satisfying of God by faith as it was said before of Free Iustification as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 10. 4 5 6 10. Acts 15. 8 9. Heb 8. 10. Secondly it is written in their hearts and they are fulfillers and keepers of the Law inchoatively actively and declaratively to manward by love and true sanctification as these Scriptures teach Galat. 5. 13 14. Rom. 13. 8 9 10. Yea this true faith of Free Iustification deeply truely and soundly learned is a thing of perfect vertue and wonderfull operation strength and power to bring forth all good motions inwardly and all good workes out wardly or else it is not the true lively justifying faith but the blinde dead faith that leaves men in sinne death and double damnation as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 5. and 6. whole Chapters teach Titus 2. 11. to 15. 1 Iohn 3. 3. to 10. Ephes 2. 10. Ephes 4 5 6 whole Chapters Rom. 12 13 14 15 whole Chapters Iames 2. 14. 17. to 26. Matth. 5. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 9. 5. That all such Ministers as doe not diligently teach and cause people diligently to observe and keep this established true Protestant doctrine but do deny sophisticate and wrangle against the same must needs be like the false brethren amongst the Galathians in the dead faith doting about questions and making controversies about the Law and works and cannot but seduce the people from Christ that is from the simplicity of the faith that is in Christ Jesus to depend and hang for assurance of their salvation upon the Law and works and cannot but be troublers of the Church Gal. 1. 7. and of peoples consciences distracting them into Popery Arminianisme Anabaptisme Familisme Brownisme and all manner of Sects and Schisms about works because by a carnall understanding of Free justification they cannot but rest in the light of reason morall virtues and religion of nature described Rom. 2. 14 15. varnished and deceitfully gilt over with the titles of Grace Graces