to dwell in them But now concerning the excellency of this wonderfull gift brought upon us only by Free Iustification who is The glory of this gift is inexplicable able either of men or Angels to lay forth the glory of it For is not the holy Ghost true and very God that takes up our bodies souls to be his blessed Temples Was it not this blessed Spirit that wonderfully governed the Patriarks Was it not he that inspired all the Prophets as Peter testifieth saith These holy Prophets spak as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. 2 Pet. 1. 21. Was not his power wonderfully shewed and was hee not a mighty worker when he formed the humane nature of our Saviour Christ to bee conceived and born of a pure Virgin Shewing that where the holy Ghost worketh there nothing is impossible Is it not hee only that regenerateth a man and makes him a new born creature both towards God by Iustification and towards man by Sanctification Or can any man worthily lay forth the glory of a new creature by the holy Ghost Are not his gifts excellent and marvellous which hee worketh in whom hee will and as he will described 1 Cor. 12. And finally must 1 Cor. 12. not Iustification needs bee a glorious and wonderfull work that bringeth so wonderfull a benefit upon us and can people heare and read and meditate Free Iustification sufficiently that doth enrich us so heavenly And if there were no more Reasons why Ministers after our misery by sinne laid open should continually beat upon the greatnesse and excellency and glory of Free Iustification to work the joyfull and violent receiving oâ—â—â— by faith that brings with it unseparably and unfallibly so precious a gift as the holy Ghost to dwell in us were not this sufficient Is not the gift of the holy Ghost all in all The third excellent benefit of the Gospel wrought 3 Vnion into Christ upon us by Free Iustification is our wonderfull Vnion into Christ whereby wee are by the power of the holy Ghost though mystically and spiritually yet truly really and substantially so ingraffed and united into Christ that wee are made one with him and he one with us For first that this wonderfull Vnion is not a thing in meer imagination no nor consisting in meer charity love and affection only but is a true reall This union is not imaginary but reall and substantiall Vnion Is evident both by the expresse Word of God and unanimous consent of Gods faithfull Dispensers of his Mysteryes both ancient and modern For first the Word of God in that excellent prayer that Christ made for all the faithfull Ioh. 17. Ioh. 17. 20 21 22 23. 20 21 22 23. saith thus I pray not for these alone but for all them also which shall believe in me through their Word Well what doth he pray for That they all may be one How one As thou O Father art in me and I in thee Can men or Angels lay open or sufficiently conceive either the wonderfulnesse or how really and substantially Christ as hee is God is one with his Father And yet even so are we by this Union One We by this union are one with Christ with Christ as he is Man and our Mediatour and thereby knit into God as Christ saith That they may be also one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me that the greatnesse and wonderfulnesse of this work may declare that none but the Son of God sent of his Father to effect it could otherwise bring it ot passe And the glory saith hee which thou hast given to me I have given them that by this meanes also they may discern the greatnesse of this Union That they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in mee that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Can possibly the understanding of man conceive a more absolute and perfect union with all the circumstances of the same than is here described But to shew yet further how true reall and substantiall this Union is cleere is the testimony of Paul Ephes 5. 31. saying For we are members of his body of his flesh Ephes 5. 31. and of his bones Certainly nothing can bee more reall and substantiall than such a Union Whereupon learned Zanchius in that excellent Treatise upon Zanch. upon Ephes 5. 30. Ephes 5. 30. concerning the Union betwixt Christ and his Church reproving them that hold that our Union is no otherwise true and reall than because we partake of the spirituall gifts and graces of Christ sets down this Thesis or position confirming the same both by Scripture and consent of the Ancient Writers namely that Vnio nostricum Christo Christi nobiscum essentialis ac substantialis est vera atque realis That is The Union of us with Christ and of Christ with us Our union with Christ is first substantiall is essentiall and substantiall true and reall First substantiall saith he because the substances themselves of the flesh of Christ and of our flesh both of the person of Christ and of our persons are united together and so not the fruit and graces only of Christ are received seeing they cannot bee received but by partaking of the substance it selfe of Christ Secondly I call it true and reall saith hee because we are not Secondly true and reall in bare imagination but reipsa in very deed united into Christ and being united although non Physico sed spirituali supernaturali modo not by a naturall but a spirituall and supernaturall manner wee grow more and more into one body with Christ But that we may dive more deeply into this most excellent glory of our Union into Christ Let us mark that the holy Ghost which effectually sheweth the power of his God-head in working this benefit upon us to expresse the substantiallnesse and reallnesse and wonderfull closnesse of it doth use six principall similitudes in Six similitudes used to express the realnesse of this union the Word of God to shew to our weak capacities the great glory of it That as S. Paul speaketh passeth knowledge The first and furtherest off similitude is That the justified person being cloathed with the righteousness of Christ hath thereby put on Christ as a man puts on and is cloathed with his own apparell As S. Paul speaketh Gal. 3. 27. saying All yee that are baptized into Gal. 3. 27. Christ thereby sealing up unto you your Justification have put on Christ namely as the originall Word imports as a man puts on and is cloathed with his apparell Whereby as old Isaac in the weaknesse and infirmity of his old age took Iacob for Esau in Esaus apparell so doth God in the virtue and strength of this our wonderful union into Christ take
c. Gal. 5. 22. This is the voyce of the Bridegroome and of the Bride that is to say sweet cogitations of Christ wholsome exhortations pleasant Songs and Psalmes praises and thanksgiving whereby the godly doe instruct stirre up and refresh themselves Therefore God loveth not heavinesse and dulnesse Heavinesse must be abandoned and why of spirit he hateth uncomsorrable doctrine heavie and sorrowfull cogitations and loveth cheerfull hearts for therefore hath he sent his Sonne not to oppresse us with heavinesse and sorrow but to cheere up our soules in him Mark what great joy all the Prophets doe prophesie of and even extort at our hands for the first comming of Christ so do the Psalms so doth Christ and so doe his Apostles not only exhorting us but even commanding us to rejoyce Rejoyce thou Daughter of Zion bee joyfull thou Daughter of Ierusalem â—ach 5. for behold thy King commeth to thee Againe for the fruits of his comming Rejoyce yee heavens for the Esay 44. 12 23. Lord hath done it Shout yee lower parts of the earth burst forth into prayses yee mountaines why what is done and wherefore must there be such great joy For I have put away thy sinnes as darkness and thy transgressions as a mist And thus hath the Lord redeemed Iacob and will be glorified in Israel And albeit wee Luth. Seâ—m in Phil. 4. 4. fall sometimes into sinnes which by nature bring sadnesse and sorrow with them yet forasmuch as they cannot bring so much hurt as Christ if we believe in him bringeth power of abolishing them with profit and safety Joy in the Lord ought alwayes to have the first place with us and farre to overcome the sorrow and sadnesse that commeth by reason of our sinnes Hence doth the truly faithfull soule the Bride of Christ burst forth into this extasie saying I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord and my soule shall bee joyfull in my God Why Because hee hath cloathed me with the garments of Salvation What garments are those He hath covered me with the Robes of righteousness he hath decked Esay 61. 10. me as a Bride tireth her selfe with her Iewells Esay 61. 10. And hereupon saith Luther Beholdhow for this knowledge Luth. in Gal. 3. 13. and benefit of Christ to come the Saints of the Old Testament rejoyced more than we now doe when he is so comfortably revealed and exhibited unto us Indeed we do acknowledge that this benefit of Christ the righteousnesse of faith is an inestimable Treasure But wee conceive not thereby such a full joy of spirit as the Prophets and Apostles did Hereof it commeth that They especially Paul doe so plentifully set forth and so diligently teach the Articles of Justification for this is the proper office of an Apostle and of a Minister of the Gospel to set forth the glory and benefits The proper office of a Minister of the Gospel of Christ to the working of this joy and therefore doth S. Paul define a Minister to be but an help to the peoples joy 2 Cor. 1. 24. When such a rejoycing 2 Cor 1. 24. faith possesseth the heart and the Gospel is so received indeed then God appeareth sweet and altogether loving neither feeleth the heart any thing but the favour and grace of God it standeth with a bold and strong confidence Luth. serm in Phil. 4. 4. it feareth not least any evill come unto it it being quiet from all feare of displeasure is merry and glad of so incomparable grace and goodnesse of God given unto it freely and most abundantly in Christ Wherfore there must needs forthwith proceed from such a faith love joy peace gladnesse giving of thanks praise and a certaine marvellous delight in God as in a most deare and favourable Father which dealeth so fatherly with us and poureth forth his gifts so plentifully and in so great measure upon them also which doe not deserve them Behold of such joy Paul speaketh here which â—ruly where it is there can be no place for sin or feare of death or hell yea nothing is there but a joyfull quiet and omnipotent trust in God and in his favour wherefore it is called joy not in gold silver delights singing health knowledge wisedome power glory friendship favour no nor in works holinesse and such like but joy in the Lord wherefore Paul speaketh saying Rejoyce in the Lord alway and againe I say rejoyce Phil. 4. 4. And Peter Phil. 4. 4. testifieth that the faithfull by beleeving did rejoyce 1 Pet. 1. 8. with joy unspeakable and glorious For in this righteousnesse wherein I am made passively righteous I Luthers argument in Galat. have no sin no feare no sting of conscience no care of death for where Christ is truly seene indeed there must needs be full and perfect joy in the Lord. Wherefore if any man feele himselfe oppressed with Luther in Gal. 2. 20. heavinesse and anguish of heart he must not impute it unto Christ although it come under the name of Christ but unto the Devill who oftentimes commeth under the colour of Christ and transformeth himselfe into an Angel of light for if there be any feare or any griefe of conscience it is a token that this passive The cause of feare and sadnesse of heart righteousnesse wherewith I am freely made perfectly holy and righteous is withdrawne that grace is hidden and Christ is darkned out of sight wherefore we must Luther in serm of the lost sheep in Gal. 4. 7. fight against sadnesse and heavinesse of spirit caused by the law and give no place to the Devill who would by the law break up the bride-chamber of Christ and thrust himselfe into his place that is take away from the conscience her joy and comfort whereby he may not bee able cheerfully to lift up his heart and head before God ever remembring that the Kingdome of heaven into which we by our effectuall calling are translated as the Bride of Christ into his bride-chamber is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Rom. 14. 17. Fourth Effect Good judgement right discerning of all spirits The fourth effect or fruit declaring the utility of Free Iustification is that it worketh a good judgement and right discerning of all Religions works and worships to the utter overthrowing of all Superstitions Sects and Schismes and doth reduce people from their contentious and dangerous by-paths and doth rectifie their blinde legall zeales mentioned Rom. 10. 3. Rom. 10. 3. declining to sundry Sects and contentious opinions and brings them to the pure and sincere worship of God in spirit and truth that is in one faith only and one Baptisme Ephes 4. 2. to 6. unto which they Ephes 4. 2. to 6. cannot be wonne but by understanding the excellency of Free Iustification and how compleat they are made by it alone before God Colos 2. 10. but will be carried Colos 2. 10. away
Restorers of the Gospel in this Land saying The worldly Doctrine of our Church wisemen scorne the Doctrine of Christ as foolish to their understandings yea will some say to some of that blinde time nay say the foresaid faithfull witnesses These scorners have ever beene and ever wil be to the end of the world And therefore let us that have one sparke of the true feare of God if we cannot understand the sense and reason of the sayings of the holy Scriptures yet let us not be scorners jesters and deriders for that is the uttermost token and shew of a Reprobate of a plaine enimy to God and his wisedome c. And therefore if we will be profitable hearers and readers of holy Scriptures we must first deny our owne selves and keepe under our carnall senses Reason must give place to Gods holy Spirit c. For indeed by gaine-saying wrangling jesting deriding the things which men understand not what doe they else but stumble at the stumbling stone laid in Zion which the Apostle teacheth is chiefely done in gaine-saying and wrangling against Free Iustification as these Scriptures testifie Rom. 9. 30 31 32 33. Rom. 9. 30 31 32 33. Rom. 10. 3 4. 10. 21. and Rom. 10. 3 4 10 21. whereby they pull that stone upon their owne heads which falling upon them will grinde them to powder Mat. 21. 44. And yet when Christ Matth. 21. 44. in the excellency of his benefits is powerfully preached the greatest multitude stick not violently to rush upon him with their contradictions wranglings derisions and calumniations the reason whereof Calvin truely expresseth saying thus Whereas all the Calvin mysteries of God are to fleshly reason Paradoxes yet is reason of such impudency that she will not stick to set up her bristles against the same and to purse that which she doth not understand with malapert and saucy gaine-sayings and wranglings And although it dares not for shame of the world oppose it selfe directly and grossely against the person of Christ yet if Christs words may not be wrested to sort agree with naturall reason they shall be condemned to be very foolish his Ministers that pronounce and maintaine them to bee very absurd in their opinions if no worse so that although it is true that a Minister ought to be exceeding watchfull that he speake especially in this carping age very circumspectly of God and his mysteries left by any meanes he give an occasion to the wicked to calumniate Gods truth yet it is most true that Calvin testifies proving it in the example of Paul that there was never such warinesse and sobriety of speaking in the servants of God which could make silent uncleane and poisonous tongues because it is most true which againe he noteth upon those words of Paul Rom. 3. 5. I speake as a man that Saint Paul sairh not Rom. 3. 5. I speake as the wicked but I speake as a man wherein sharply taxing humane reason he shewes that it is the proper nature thereof to be alwaies wrangling against the wisedome of God and calumniating his faithfull Ministers that teach the same And therefore Luther set it downe for an unfallible marke that Galat. 5. 11. the Gospel is not truely preached and is not the Gospel indeed if it be so brewed and so fitted agreeable to reason that all approve of it and yeeld unto the meaning of it peaceably for then indeed how should the Prophesie of old Simeon be verified that Christ should be set up for a signe and marke of contradiction Luke 2. 34. how should he be a stumbling Luke 2. â—4 stone and rock of offence laid in Zion how should wise Festus judge Paul to be mad Acts 26. how should Acâ—s 6. Christ be to the Gentiles foolishnesse yea the deep things of God which Beza expoundeth to be but the excellency of Christs benefits being judged of naturall wise men to be foolishnesse is it possible for the wisedome of the world to hold her peace from speaking against foolishnesse especially if the foolishnesse of Christ dare offer to preferre it selfe above their wisedome and to conclude how else should Christ be not only the rising but also the fall of many in Israel The truth whereof is notably testified by the Doctrine of our Church delivered by the foresaid first restorers of the Gospel in this Land saying thus The holy man Simeon saith that Christ is set forth for the fall and rising of many in Israel and as Christ Iesus is a fall to the Reprobate which yet perish by their owne default So is his word yea the whole Book of God a cause of damnation unto them through their owne incredulity And as Christ himselfe the Prophets the Apostles and all the true Ministers of his Word yea every jot and tittle in the holy Scripture have beene is and shall be for ever more the savour of life unto eternall life unto all those whose hearts God hath purified by true faith so likewise Christ himselfe the Prophets before him the Apostles after him marke all the true Ministers of Gods holy Word marke further yea every word in Gods Book is unto the Reprobate the savour of death unto death The reason whereof Calvin upon those words of the Evangelist From that time many of Iesus his Disciples went back and walked no more with him most truely expresseth Calâ—in in Ioh 6. 66. Nunquam enim â—anta poterit cautâ—o adbiberi quin multis saying thus Never can there be so great wariness used but that the Doctrine of Christ is an occasion of scandall to many because the reprobate devoted to destruction scandali occasio sit Christi doctrina quia reprobi exitio devoti venenum ex cibo saluâ—errimo seâ—â—x melle sâ—gunt doe draw poyson out of most wholsome meat and doe suck gall out of honey And mark saith Luther where this fall is even in Israel that is in that people that will seeme to bee Christs own people and being in the Chruch as the Apes and Peacocks were in Solomons Familie that is apish Saints and painted Peacock-Iusticiaries will prosesse nothing lesse than to be contradictors of Christ yet thus is Christ ever oppugned of the greatest multitude both in his word and in his true Ministers under the name of greatest friendship with Christ Briefly Luther well notes that a wise Minister doth ayme but at the gathering of the Elect by the example of S. Paul who said I suffer all things for the Elects sake that some may be saved as for the rest that are the greatest multitude he or rather Christ himselfe divides them but into two sorts Swine and Dogges between which there is only this difference that a Swine if one go about to drive him from the mire or from his sâ—vill only gives a grunt and away hee goes to the rooting in the earth so prophane and worldly men if one goe about to drive them from sinne