joy a prayse and an honour before all Nations of the earth which shall heare all the good that I doe unto them and they shall feare and tremble for all the goodnesse and for all the wealth that I shew unto them Upon which words the exposition of Pellican is very remarkable Pellican upon Ieâ— 3â— 8. 9. saying Vbi praedicabitur Evangelium regni c. When the Gospel of the Kingdome shall be preached God will doe such great good things unto his faithfull ut prae magnitudine gratiae obstupescat omnis caro that all flesh shall bee astonied at the greatnesse of his Grace And Paul expoundeth what this wonderfull Grace is saying whereas all have sinned and so are deprived of the glory of God wee are justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3. 24. Marke Rom. 3. 24. the word freely and let us throughly understand the meaning thereof namely God respecting no worthinesse in us to deserve so glorious a benefit nor respecting any unworthinesse in us to hinder us from taking this glory but giving it us freely to heale all our unworthinesse and to make us freely worthy of all his other blessings both temporall and eternall and why or to what end doth he all this the Apostle answereth Ephes 2. 7. saying That hee may shew to Ephes 2. 7. the ages to come the exceeding riches of his Grace through his goodness towards us in Christ Iesus and that also to the praise of the glory of his Grace Ephes 1. 6. Whereby saith Ephes 1. 6. Chrysostome nequit sermone comprehendi c. it cannot be expressed with words with how great benefits wee are endued and honoured withall for saith he they are not only riches but abundant riches and not only abundant riches but given also to shew abundancy and not the abundancie of men but of God so that in all respects they must needs be unmeasurable and wonderfull great Shall wee then by foolish feare of our unworthinesse drown the the word freely resist as I said before the good pleasure of God that would have us freely to take it and refuse his rich bounty and so trample the glory of the exceeding riches of his grace under feet no let us rather utterly trample this feare of our unworthinesse under fâ—et because it would not only rob us of our good but also Christ of his glory The third Remedy against feare of applying to our selves so great glory of Free Justification Is to remember The third Remedy agaâ—nst the feare of applâ—â—g so great gâ—oâ—yâ—o 〈◊〉 â—â—lves is Matth. 6. 33. how highly it pleaseth God and how precious he counteth such applying of his benefits by faith God rewarding the same with all blessings temporall and eternall according to that saying of Christ Matt. 6. 33. Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnes whereof Paul spake saying That I may not be found in mine own righteousness which is after the Law but the righteousness which is of God through faith and then saith Christ all other things shall bee cast upon you But because we shall speak further hereof when wee come to the effects of Justification I will only repeat for feare so precious a saying worthy ever to be remembred should be so soone forgotten that Exhortation before mentioned namely Cast away the raggs of thy owne righteousnesse Philip. 3 8 9. And if Philâ— 8. 9. over thou wilt get the blessing wrap thy selfe in this garment of the righteousness of thy elder brother Christ And when thy Father shall savour the smell of thy garments he shall bless 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 compleat in him this long white Robe needs no inching no ceking no patching Say with the holy Martyr and live and die with it in thy mouth only Christ only Christ The reason whereof is plainly expressed by S. Paul saying That they that are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham But as many as are of works are under the curse Gal. 3. 9. 10. Upon which words the exposition Gal. 3. 9 10. of Luther is worthy to be adjoyned and ever to be remembred saying thus Wee must seperate the believing Abraham from the working Abraham as farre a sunder as there is distance betwixt heaven and earth A man believing in Christ is altogether a Divine Person the child of God the Inberitor of the world a Conquerour of Sinne Death the World and the Devill therefore he cannot be praised and magnified enough Let us not suffer this faithfull Abraham to lie hid in his grave as he is hid from the Iewes but let us highly extoll and magnifie and let us fill both heaven and earth with his name So that in respect of this faithfull Abraham wee see nothing at all in the working Abraham For when wee speak of this faithfull Abraham wee are in heaven but afterwards doing those things which the working Abraham did which were in comparison fleshly and earthly Rom. 4. 1. wee are among men in earth The believing Rom. 4. 1. Abraham therefore filleth heaven and earth So every Christian through his faith filleth heaven and earth heaven with his faith and earth with his works And thus much for the strengthning of Faith CHAP. XIIII Of the Vtility and Majestie of Free Iustification THus having spoken of the nature and parts of Free Justification and strengthned faith in the same Now it remaines that I shew unto the possessors of it what an inestimable Jewell they have of the same in shewing the exceeding utility and majestie of it which although I confesse it passeth the ability either of men or Angels to expresse according to the worth and excellency thereof because I acknowledge the saying of Luther upon Pauls reproving of Peter to his face before the Congregation to be most true That such and so great is the utilitie and majesty of Free Iustification that whosoever rightly esteemeth the same to him all other things shall seem but vile and nothing worth For saith he What is Peter what is Paul what is an Angel from heaven what are all Creatures to the Article of Iustification Which if wee know and so esteeme then are wee in the cleere light but if we be ignorant thereof and so lightly regard it then are wee in most miserable darknesse Yet notwithstanding I hold it necessary a little to point at this excellent utility and majestie of Free Justification and leave the full handling thereof to others of greater gifts than my selfe and will only touch six fruits Six effects of Free justification and effects which the more any look into marking but the nature truth and excellency of them the more they shall see the utility and majestie of free Justification to be
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
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
or to pull their noses out of the Earth they only give an hoggish grunt and away they goe to the rooting more eagerly in the earth and earthly things But the nature of the Dogge is that if one goe about to drive him from his vomit or from his stinking carrion he will presently flie in ones face and bee ready if he can to pull out ones thtoat so these especilly Iusticiaries Iusticiaries worse enimies to the Gospel than the openly prophane enamoured with their own holy walking and legall righteousnesse if one goe about to draw them from the high prizing of the menstruous cloathes of their own righteousnes lay before them the inestimable riches of Christ and the precious wedding-garment of his righteousnesse they are ready for thy good will with calumniations reproaches and slanders all to rend and teare thee and with false accusations if they can to pull out thy throat but they will not leave their stinking carrion both agree in this to set light of the wedding-garment of Christ righteousnesse that only puts them in possession of heaven and heavenly things though for their ingratitude and grievous contempt of the same they be justly bound hand and foot and cast into utter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Matth. 22. 5 6. 12 13. Matth. 22. 5. 6. 12. 13. And to conclude this point if wee would but mark and remember how the world that is the greatest multitude of all sorts that we shall have to doe with all in the world with all their wisdome judgement gravitie and righteousnesse are described in the word of God we would make them no pattern either of our beleeving or doing to the hindering of our walking in the narrow way of the true justifying faith And therefore How to arme our selves against the multitude to aâ—me our selves against this great multitude neither knowing nor discerning nor believing the excellency of Free Iustification and thereby driving us to doubting wee must remember first that Christ would not pray for the world Ioh. 17. 9. Secondly that therefore Ioh. 17 9. the world cannot receive the Spirit of God to know the things of God Ioh. 14. 17. Thirdly that therefore the whole world lieth dead in darknesse and Ioh. 14. 17. wickednesse 1 Ioh. 5. 19. Fourthly that therefore the 1 Ioâ— 5. 19. world shall bee damned 1 Cor. 11. 32. and therefore no president for us to lead us into doubting though 1 Cor. 11. 32. they by their dead faith deny the excellency of Free Iustification and the excellency of the other benefits of Christ never so impudently because it is notably well said of Calvin upon those words of Christ Verily verily I say unto thee That wee speak that which we know and testifie that which we have seene but yee receive not our testimony Ioh. 3. 11. That this is the complaint of Calvin upon Ioh. 3. 11. Christ against many such jolly grave and learned heads as Nicodemus was saying that wee are hereof to gather that it is as it were a fatall thing to the word of God in all ages to obtain credit but with a few whereupon Christ spake in the plurall number saying But yee receive not our witnesse because this belongs to the greater number and in a manner to the whole body of the people with which we ought to bee armed as with a buckler that notwithstanding all the wilfulnesse of men we may goe forward in the obedience of faith and of the Gospel this principle indeed is to bee holden that our faith be founded and grounded upon God speaking but then when wee have God for our Author being as it were lifted up thereby above the heavens we ought boldly to trample the whole world rather under our feet and set light of it from aloft than that the unbeliefe of any should trouble us or cause us to waver But here it is replyed No I am not so fond as to A reply respect the prophane world or the greatest multitude either led by their great wit or enamoured with their blind devotion But other Ministers being both zealous Preachers and such Teachers as are of great knowledge and of excellent learning doe hold the contrary namely that the children of God are not freely without works made so perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God that God sees no sinne in them To which I answer that although the expresse Answ Scriptures before alledged were the only ground that first wrought faith in mee yet they were zealous Preachers of Free Iustification and learned Teachers that have greatly strengthned my faith herein who in their judicious Interpretations upon the same Scriptures and other Writings of great knowledge and of excellent learning have so concurred in one consent that they have and doe put mee out of all doubting And if any man will shew me that these zealous Preachers and grave Teachers have in their Writings and Interpretations of those Scriptures said or writ more of the excellency of Free Iustification than they may say by the truth of those Scriptures or that I have said more than they doe say then oh doubting Objector will I also doubt with thee and grant that thou hast some just cause by reason of some learned Teachers to doubt But if thou repliest That thou speakest not of such A Reply learned Teachers as are Writers but of such learned men as are now living Speakers and Preachers And again even of those learned Writers all doe not write of those Scriptures after the same manner and if they doe yet those that are learned can alledge many sayings of the same learned Writers and Interpreters of those Scriptures that in other places doe seeme to unsay and to hold the clean contrarie to that which they have written upon those Scriptures namely shewing that the children of God are not by Free Iustification made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God that God sees no sin in them A threefold Answer Unto which I give a threefold answer First that thou hast more cause to take heed that the unbeliefe of thine own heart doe not rather beguile thy selfe with a prejudicate opinion that those learned Preachers that thou speakest of now preaching with lively voyce doe hold the contrary than that they disagree from the foresaid learned Writers and Interpreters or that these learned Writers and Interpreters dissent from themselves in other places and unsaying that which they have said doe hold contraries For S. Paul saith truly that if we love not the truth to hold fast unto it God by our prejudicate opinion will in justice send us strong delusions to beleeve our own â—es namely that the learned Teachers doe speak and hold contraries when indeed they doe not true it is that it is possible for good and faithfull men in their writings and preachigns to appeare to speak and so to appeare to
not for such an one as is in this literall knowledge doth not keep that which he professeth that he knowes and that also two manner of wayes that is neither in word nor in deed For first he failes in the foundation that is hee I Not â—â— judgement keepeth it not in judgement for how can he keep that which he hath not that is doth not understand Indeed let a man runne with them in the same round of the ordinary letter or usuall phrase that they like blinde mill-horses are customably without understanding used unto thereby rocking themselves and others asleep in the cradle of custome what in Christs mysteries is carnally and customarily conceited and ordinarily spoken rather than caring to understand what is said and whilst they are applauded for learned men so long they are reasonably quiet and will sing the same song of the dead letter containing the outward shell of Christs mysteries and will some of them run as fast as you will with you in a legall zeal flowing from the light of nature of works works works and a preposterous holy walking But if a man presse the same truth which they seeme to hold and to awake them out of their lethargy of Custome doe preach Novè but not not Nova nay if one expresse the same truth which they seeme to hold but even with an old phrase used of the best Interpreters that understand rightly the mysteries of Christ which they have not before heard of or which they are not customarily acquainted withall especially if it be a phrase going to the quick of the truth and expressing the excellency of the matter which they daily like Parrots doe blindefoldly prattle of then although it be but one and the same truth and the old doctrine which is daily taught yet upon presumption and high conceit of their great learning they cry out New doctrine errors false doctrine heresie blasphemy and what not adding ever something thereto out of their owne Cimmerian darknesse to make the matter more odious and thus they keep not no not in word and judgement to that which they seemed to hold but when the excellency of Christs benefits are pressed upon them by the expresse word of God then they fall to sophisticating equivocating and plaine deniall if they cannot fashion it to agree with their naturall reason and earthly conceit and humane wit even of that truth which they seemed before to hold at leastwise in letter so that by not understanding what they have spoken in one sentence they are so farre from keeping to that which they have said especially dealing in the mysteries of Christ that are above humane wit and the light of reason that they often times speak the flat contrary in another sentence thus as I said not keeping neither in judgement nor in word and confession to that truth which they themselves professe in other termes An evident example hereof is Nicodemus who being a great learned Rabbin and teacher in Israel knew by the dead literall knowledge those usuall places often repeated in the Prophets where God promiseth to give unto his people new hearts and new spirits that they might serve him in walking holily in all his Commandements And yet because he felt not the power and truth of it in himselfe being but in this dead literall knowledge although in his daily teaching he talked of these promises and called for a new life in holy walking in all Gods Commandements yet when Christ giving an example to all preachers how they should awake people rocked asleep in the cradle of custome not by teaching Nova but yet by preaching Novè spake of the same truth which he daily beat upon but in a new phrase that he had not heard of expressing but the excellency of the doctrine namely that A man must be new borne then was Nicodmus quite beside his books and thought that Christ spake very absurdly if not erroneously the old doctrine uttered with a new phrase expressing but the truth and deepnesse of it made it seeme new and false doctrine to the old blinde literall Doctor and therefore it is well noted upon the same place by Musculus saying Exemplar quoddam in hoc viro propositum est in quo deprehenditur doctos alioqui prudentes viros nondum renatos ad doctrinam regni Christi capiendam plane stupidos esse ineptos that is there is in this man a certaine example set before us wherein we may see That men although wise and learned yet not being new borne againe are to the conceiving of the mysteries of Christ and of the doctrine concerning his kingdome meerely blockish and sottish Yea and he addeth further saying ut non solùm rem ipsam non intelligant sed neque declarationem illius Christi verbis propositam capiant that is they are so farre from understanding the matter it selfe that they conceive not the very declaration thereof set before them by the words of Christ himselfe Whereupon as the learned well note Christ seeing that he lost both his time and labour in teaching a man so high in his owne conceit and yet so greatly ignorant is constrained to fall to chiding of him saying Art thou a principall teacher in Israel and knowest not these things quasi diceret O miseram ovium conditionem c. as if hee should say oh miserable condition of those sheep whereof the Pastor that hath the cure of them is so grossely blinde and so unskilfull in divine matters hitherto thou hast been reverenced as a principall Teacher in Israel and yet knowst not those things of which it is a shame that thy very schollers should be ignorant and lest any should think that this was a blindenesse and just reproofe peculiar and proper only to Nicodemus and not of all such as are in this dead literall knowledge it is upon the same place well noted of the learned saying Est autem haec generalis objurgatio qua Christus c. But this is a generall reproofe wherewith Christ reproveth all such Rabbins and great Teachers as lie by the literall knowledge in the same blindenesse with Nicodemus And thus we see the first way how they that are in this literall knowledge do only but sophisticate about the mysteries of Christ seeing many things but they keepe them not viz. they doe not keepe to them in word and judgement but professe them one way and deny them and speake contrary to themselves divers other wayes The second way how these doe see many things but they keepe them not consisteth herein that what they professe that they know they keepe not in life practice and conversation their life conversation and Not in life and conversation action nothing agreeing with that which they professe and seeme to know and see As for example such as are in the meere literall knowledge of Free Iustification doe finde by reading and thereupon doe professe that Free Iustification is the strong Rock and foundation of Christian Religion the head Article of salvation the sole-saving grace of Christ the cause of sanctification and of all godly living the advancer of the true glory of Christ but yet because by this literall knowledge of it they feele not the truth and
righteous in Gods sight whereupon those large promises made in the Psalms unto the Iust and righteous must needs be understood of the first way by which they are objectively and passively with Christs righteousnesse imputed though mystically yet truly made perfectly righteous just and Saints in the sight of God freely therefore it is well and truly noted by Calvin saying to this effect I grant that the Saints are called righteous declaratively of their inherent holinesse of life yet for as much as by all their endevour they doe not fulfill righteousnesse it selfe it is meet that this inherent righteousnesse such as it is doe give place to the Being made righteous by faith from whence it hath that which it is But yet Luthers observation out of Paul strikes this naile more fully to the head saying That Paul calleth them only righteous which are justified through the promise or through faith in the promise without the Law And no marvell that Paul calls them that are justified only righteous seeing God himselfe having freely justified Abraham made him thereby so truly God calleth Abraham Iustice and righteousnesse righteous in his own sight that God was not content to call him by his justification righteous but even justice and righteousnesse it selfe saying Esay Esay 41. 2. 41. 2. Who raised up Iustice or Righteousnesse from the East and called him to his foot Now seeing it is most true that Luther collecteth That if the Father of the Jewish Nation was made so truly righteous in the sight of God without the Law and before the Law that God called him Justice and Righteousnesse it selfe in his sight so that we his children may much more assure our selves now under the time of the Gospel that wee are made as righteous as he was by the same meanes What greater joy fuller assurance can we have than that we are not imaginarily counted and titularly called righteous but are though mystically yet in truth and in very deed formed and made perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely seeing with the first and with the last I am the same saith the Lord Esay 41. 4. Whereby wee Esay 41 4. may see how true that testimony of Master Downham and of other our English Divines is effectually beating down that Popish slander That Protestants hold in Free Iustification only a false-reputing and imaginary counting righteous in the sight of God saying expresly of Free Justification in divers places after this manner Neither are we imaginarily righteous but God makes us perfectly righteous indeed by washing away our sinnes with the precious blood of Christ and by appropriating and applying unto us his sonnes righteousnesse by virtue of his spirit principally and a lively faith instrumentally and so being made really and in truth partakers of Christs righteousness God reputes us not imaginarily but as we are mark as we are and that in truth perfectly just and righteous The selfe same thing doth Zanchius in his Treatise of Iustification upon Ephes 2. 5. Zanchius abundantly testifie in his Treatise of Justification upon Eph. 2. 5. saying likewise expresly in divers places That we are not only reputed and counted but also verè sumus truly are perfectly righteous before God and that also because God by clothing us with his Sonnes righteousnesse doth reipsa in very deed make us so For saith he God forbid that when the Apostle saith God doth justifie the ungodly we should so understand it as that he which is simply wicked and ungodly him God should absolve as godly and should pâ—onounce him to bee righteous which is in very deed unjust seeing the Scripture saith that God doth hate the wicked and his wickednesse And for as much as God is the highest wisdome truth and justice but all men by their own nature are unjust and no man can make himselfe just and righteous but only God Therefore it followes saith he that God doth absolve no man and pronounce him just and righteous but him quem prius fecerit justum that is whom first hee hath made righteous by his grace then hee shewes how God doth make a man righteous by his grace saying thus But as the righteousnesse is twofold as we shewed before by which wee are justified that is saith he by which fimus justi we are made righteous so God bifariam facit homines Two manner of wayes made righteous justos that is doth two manner of wayes make men righteous First when not imputing their sinnes unto them he forgives all their iniquities because they are extinct and clean put out by the blood of Christ and on the contrary by clothing them with his Sons righteousnesse doth make them righteous as the Apostle testifies saying By the obedience of one man namely imputed are many made righteous Seeing then this is a true and perfect righteousnesse who saith he may say that they are not of unjust verè justos esse factos truly made just and righteous which have in Christ gotten and attained this righteousnesse Secondly God sanctifieth them by inherent righteousnesse Seeing then saith he God doth with both these righteousnesse nos justos reipsa efficere that is make us in very deed righteous with the first righteous before himselfe with the other righteous before men It can by no meanes be said when God doth justifie his Elect that hee doth absolve men that are simply wicked and unjust and pronounce them just and righteous because this were directly repugnant both to his high justice and truth sed justos à se factos absolvit God absolveth only the just that is first he makes them just and righteous and then absolves them Again he saith thus Although God doth make them righteous with both these righteousnesse yet he doth not absolve and pronounce them righteous for their inherent righteousnesse because it is unperfect but only because he hath made them perfectly righteous before himselfe with his Sons righteousnesse imputed standing complete before God only by that Last of all concerning this point he shewes how a man may know in his owne heart and how hee himself and others may discern that he is justified absolved before God from all fault and blame and freed from all sinne guilt and punishment and pronounced just before God and an heire of his heavenly kingdome and so as I said before is made a true Christian freely Zanch. in loco communi de Iustif in Ephe. 2. 5. before God namely when he assenteth to this maine proposition of the Gospel and assumes the assurance of it to himselfe in his own heart to wit That The maine proposition of the Gospel whosoever beleeves in the Son of God Christ Jesus that by his obedience tam justus factus sit coram Deo he is made as righteous before God quam per inobedientiam Adae injustus factus fuerat as he was by the disobedience of Adam made unrighteous for as much as the obedience of Christ
wonderfull The first excellent fruit and effect hereof is this 1 First Illumination That the right knowledge of free Justification doth truly enlighten us and brings us into a wonderfull light For first it brings us to see what an infinite horrible Also it makes us to see the horriblenesse of sinne soule filthy thing the least sinne is in the sight of God in that we see by the same that we cannot be but most foule loathsome and filthy in the sight of God untill we be made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God which yet none can work and bring to passe but only he himselfe which horrible foulnesse of the least sin although the Law doth terribly lay it open in that definitive sentence 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. that is cursed is every one that hath the least sin in Gods sight for who sees not that if a man doe continue A description of Gods unchangeable nature and wâ—l against sin as God created him in all things he should not have the least sin in the sight of God but if hee have the least sin in the sight of God he doth not continue in all things and so is certainly accursed Yea the sentence is as much as if God had said Cursed is every one that is not perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God And yet who marks it or if any doe mark it it drives them but into despaire and being loath by selfe love to prognosticate so hard things to themselves desire to forget it or endeavour to put it away by vaine and idle imaginations as if it were not the description of the loathsomenesse of sin in the sight of God nor a description of Gods unchangeable pure nature against sin but a pretended severity of the rigour of the Law which they hope to escape though they be not found fulfilling it in the sight of God and so would make God changeable and false which is impossible seeing heaven and earth may passe away but one jot or tittle of this definitive sentence of the Law cannot passe Math. 5. 18. away untill it is fulfilled And thus men dally and trifle Men dally and trifle with thâ—â— fearfull sentence with this fearfull sentence untill they come to bee enlightened with Free Iustification whereby God himselfe takes in hand to make them perfectly holy and righteous in his owne sight freely then they come to see willingly what an horrible thing the least sin is in the sight of God then they acknowledge the truth and unchangeablenesse of that definitive sentence Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things then they seeing that nothing could make them so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God but the crucifying of the Sonne of God they begin truly to crucifie that which they now see to be the Crucifier of the Lord of glory Secondly it brings us to see not only the foulnesse 2 The perfection of Gods Justice of sin but also the perfection of Gods justice against sinne and his implacable displeasure and anger against the same in that he cannot be reconciled from this displeasure or anger except he see his creature perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in his sight Which although the foresaid definitive sentence of the Law seemes to doe yet because it smites terrour and despaire into them it makes men to strive to forget it and to fly from God and to runne into more sin untill they see Gods love in making them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in his owne sight freely and then they come to acknowledge cheerfully the perfection of his justice and the justnesse of his displeasure and anger against the least sin because they see by the death of his Son to make them cleane from all sin that there is no sin little in the sight of God Now they come to see the truth of that saying of David Thou art not a God that loveth wickednesse neither shall any evill dwell with thee Psal 5. Psal 5. 4. 4. Now they come to see the truth of that saying of Habak Thou art of pure eyes and canst not see evill thou canst not behold wickednesse but thou must needs destroy the sinner or sin from him that sees by it his misery by making him perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in thy sight freely And that free Justification thus declares and manifesteth the justice of God and brings people thus profitably to see the perfection of it and glorifie it is testified plainly by S. Paul Rom. 3. 25. 26. saying The righteousnesse of God by the faith Rom. 3. 25 26. of Iesus Christ is unto all and upon all that doe beleeve freely justifying them that is making them perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely but to what end To declare saith hee his righteousnesse namely that it alone pleases him that hee might thus see himselfe to bee just and the justifier of him that is of the faith of Iesus Thirdly the right knowledge of free Justification 3 The meaning of the tenth Commandement brings a man to see and understand the tenth Commandement and thereby the spirituall meaning of all the ten Commandements which men though wise and learned and very religious both in their owne opinion and judgement of others doe not understand as is to be seene in the Scribes and Pharisees whom Christ was faine in the fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of Matth. in the spirituall meaning of the Law to chatechise like young children in all the ten Commandements But when a man understands free Iustification rightly then he understands the tenth Commandement and sees how horrible grosse sins in the sight of God the least breaches thereof are which the blinde world counts nothing and sees all his best works and holy walking to be by reason of that tenth Commandement but as a menstruous cloath and so kills him in making him to see that he is a damnable 1 By the help and assistance of the spirit of God lost sinner in the spirituall breach of all the ten Commandements A notable example hereof is S. Paul who whilst he was a Pharisee he walked diligently and 2 God being mercifull to pardon small matters zealously so holily and righteously in all Gods Commandements that in his owne opinion and in the judgement of others concerning the righteousnesse of the Law he was unrebukable Phil. 3. 7. But when Phil. 3. 7. he was once justified and understood rightly the glory of the same then he understood the tenth Commandement and then he cried out that the Law was spirituall but although his life was then most of all sanctified yet he felt himselfe
neighbour King and countrey and what not for a little thick clay vaine pomp and earthly pelfe and all because he seeth no greater riches proposed unto him nor the farre passing gaine that is in godlinesse that is in Free Justification But when men are brought to see their owne cursed estate and wofull misery that by nature they are plunged into and then have effectually the heigth depth length and breadth of the inestimable riches Ephes 3. 8. and glorious treasures of Ephes 3. 8. free Iustification by Christ opened unto them Then they become like the wise Merchant in the Gospel who having found the treasure hid in the field for joy thereof departeth and selleth all that hee hath of high esteeme and buyeth that field Math. 13. 44. A notable example whereof and cleere paterne for any man that is wise to look into is Paul who when he came in truth to taste of these unsearchable riches of free Iustification then he began to cry out I count all things losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may be found in Christ How by not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is by the faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God through faith Phil. 3. 8 9. The sixth and maine point shewing the majesty Sixth Effect is Sanctifcation and the true Evangelicall Repentance and utility of this benefit of â—ustification is That the true joyfull knowledge of the same is the only powerfull meanes to regenerate quicken and sanctifie us and to make us truly to love feare and truâ—t in God working in us the true Evangelicall repentance in sincerity hating sin because it is sin and in truly loving all holinesse and righteousnesse and thus it is Gods holy fire that enflameth his people with right thankfull zeale of Gods glory in carefull and diligent walking in all Gods Commandements by willing cheerfull and ready practising of all duties of love both towards God and our Neighbours and so making it manifest that Justification and Sanctification are inseparable companions that goe infallibly together A true Beleever is a Saint two wayes making every true Beleever a double Saint or rather a true Saint two manner of wayes as is expressed in the Table following Every true Beleever is a true Saint two manner of wayes not to be separated but thus to be distinguished 1 By Justification which serveth to make him a true Saint only in the eies of God two wayes 1 Because Christs blood washing away and abolishing all his sins he hath this property of a true Saint that he is clean from all his sins in the sight of God 1 Iohn 1. 7. 2 Because being clothed and passively formed with Christs righteousnes he hath the second property of a true Saint that he is perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God Rom. 5. 19. 2 By Sanctification which serveth to make him a true Saint to the eyes of men and that also two wayes 1 By mortifying and crucifying all sin every day more and more as Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs do crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts 2 By walking though not perfectly yet sincerely and zealously in all Gods Commandements Psal 18. 22. So Zachary Elizabeth his wife being both just before God by free Justification walked in all the Commandements of God without reproofe declaratively to man-ward The differences between these two are these ten 1. Justification serveth to approve us for true Saints to the eyes of God Sanctification serveth to approve us true Saints to the eyes of men 2. Therefore our Justification is perfect that is making us to Gods eyes cleare as the Sun Cant. 6. 9. but Sanctification is unperfect making us to the night of this world faire as the Moon Cant. 6. 9. 3. Our Justification is perceived by faith only Sanctification is perceived by sense and feeling 4. Our Justification is heavenly and more spirituall our Sanctification is fleshly Rom. 4. 1. and as a menstrous cloath Esay 64. 6. in comparison 5. Justification dignifieth our Sanctification Sanctification is dignified of Justification Heb. 11. 4. 6. Justification is meerly passive to us and freely given of God and is the sole glory of Christ Sanctification is active and rendred to God in way of thankfulnesse and is the glory of man Rom. 4. 2. 7. Justification is the cause of Sanctification Sanctification is the effect of Justification 8. Justification is meritorious of all the favour and blessings of God Sanctification of it selfe merits nothing at all 9. Justification is the cause enriching us with all the other benefits and treasures of the Gospel Sanctification sheweth that we are so enriched 10. God leaveth our Sanctification so imperfect in this life that all our rejoycing and joy unspeakable and glorious may be in Justification Rom. 14. 17. For first that Justification worketh in us the true First the true love of God Luke 7. 4â— love of God is plainly testified by Christ himselfe Luke 7. 47. saying to whom a little is forgiven he doth love but a little but to whom being a great debtor much is forgiven especially with such a forgivenesse as Gods is wherein a greater over-plus of riches is also given him to make him sully rich he doth love much For no man is righteous but he that hath a true Nemo eâ—im jusius 〈◊〉 nisi qui c. feeling of his sinnes neither except hee feele them with a true touch can he else embrace this righteousnesse but whosoever hath this knowledge that his Necesse est ut Dâ—um dil gal Marlot ibid. sins through Christ are so richly forgiven him it must needs be that he love God much Then of this true love of God ariseth the true Evangelicall Seâ—ondly Evangelicall Repentance repentance grieving at all sin not for feare of punishment but through love becomming zealous against all sin both in himselfe and in others An example whereof is the justified woman who before was so great a sinner yet being justified and pronounced no sinner by Christ how great was her repentance Quidâ—am sâ—bi voâ—â—nt tam profuâ—ae 〈◊〉 quid assidua â—edumisenta for what meant her abundant tears what meant the often kissing of his feet what meant her pretious ointment but that she acknowledged she had been a grievous sinner and pressed with a great burthen Nam pâ—â—catis for Christ â—atiam abolius novam juâ—â—â—tiam adepta of damnation And now she embraced the mercy of God so much the more ardently by how much she acknowledged her need thereof to be the greater for because In hoc uno insâ—slit Chriâ—â—us c. her sins by the grace of Christ were abolished and she had attained a new righteousnesse Hence did Christ insist on this one point that although she had
the first and sixth Chapters to the Rom. but also by the example of Nicodemus who at the first was neither regenerate nor knew nor could learne what it meant which made him to come unto Christ by night being ashamed to come in the day but after that Christ had taught him Free Iustification by the similitude of the brazen Serpent lifted up in the wildernesse freely healing us Then he was a new man enflamed with zeale to defend Christ before the faces Iohn 7. 50 51 52. of the Rulers even at mid-day Iohn 7. 50 51 52. For Christ first makes us righteous by the knowledge of himselfe in the holy Gospel and afterward he createth a new heart in us bringeth forth new motions and giveth unto us that assurance whereby we are perswaded that we please the father for his sake also he giveth unto us a true judgement whereby wee prove and try those things which before we knew not or else altogether disliked So that take a kettle of A plaine comparison cold water which we would have to be hot it would be a foolish part to set it beside the fire and then charge it to be hot and to threat it that else it shall be spilt but put fire under it then will it begin to be warme but if it grow not hot enough put more fire under and if there lie a green stick or block that keepeth away the heat yet put under more fire and then it wil burne up the block and make the water throughly hot So our soule is this block our affections are like to water as cold to God as may be but if we call unto people for Sanctification zeale and works the fruits of the same only with legall terrours not putting under the fire of Iustification we shall either but little move them or else with a constrained sanctity make them worse hypocrites twofold more the children of hell than they were before Mat. 23. 15. but if we put under the Matth. 23. 15. fire of Christs love in freely and gloriously justifying us this burneth up all lets and maketh us hot indeed and zealous to good works Tit. 2. 14. Tit. 2. 14. Againe how inseparably Justification as the cause Iustification Sanctification inseparable and Sanctification as the effect goe both together may be represented by this Similitude Take a piece of carrion as bigge as the top of ones finger that smelleth very foule and wrap it up in a great piece of musk the musk not only taketh away the foule sente from mens nostrills smelling then nothing but musk but also causeth the carrion it selfe by little and little being overcome of the more forceable cause to lose its owne bad sente and begin to smell sweet of the musk So we being wrapped by the mighty power of Gods imputation in the righteousnesse of Christ it doth not only take away the stink of sin Ioel 2. 20. from the Iâ—eâ— 2. 20. no strils of God but also maketh us by little and little to leave this corruption and sanctifieth us more and more to all holinesse of conversation So that our works doe not purifie us but when as before we are pure justified and saved we work those things which may bring profit to our neighbour and honor to God This joyfull knowledge of Justification is that Freeing truth freeing truth whereof Christ spake saying you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Iohn 8. 32. Iohn 8. 32. Cal. 5. 1. For by the Law is the knowledge of sin by faith is the obtaining of the grace of Justification is the healing of the fault of sin by the healing of the soule is the freedome of will by the freedome of the will is the love of righteousnesse by the love of righteousnesse is the doing of the Law All these things which I have knit thus together have their testimonies in Scripture The Law saith thou shalt not lust faith saith heale my soule for I have sinned against thee The grace of Justification saith Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee and thou hast healed me freedome of will saith I will sacrifice a free-will offering unto thee the love of righteousnesse saith The Law of thy mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of gold and Psal 119. silver the doing of the Law saith I have sworne and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Lawes How Iustificatus per siâ—lem qu mâ—do â—otest mâ— juâ—â—e deâ—nceps operari can a man then being justifed that is made just and righteous by faith choose but work justly and righteously This is the liberty wherein Paul also testifieth wee are made free saying Stand fast in the liberty wherein Christ hath made us free Gal. 5. 1. He speaketh not of Gal. 5. 1. a civill liberty much lesse of a carnall and fleshly liberty Luther ibid. whereby people of the world will doe what The true Christian liberty they list but of a spirituall and divine liberty reigning in the conscience there it resteth and goeth no further and it is a freedome from the Law sin the dispeasure of God death hell and damnation Yea this Christian liberty swalloweth up at once and taketh quite away the whole heap of evills the Law sin death Gods displeasure and briefly the serpent himselfe with his head and whose power and in the stead thereof it placeth righteousnesse peace everlasting life and all goodnesse Now since enimies are overcome and we be reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne it is certaine that wee are righteous before God and whatsoever we do pleaseth A happy change him by which meanes the schoolmaster-like bondage and terrours of the Law are changed into the liberty of the conscience and consolation or joyfull newes of the Gospel revealing the righteousnesse of Christ wherewith we are both justified and quickened Yea this joyfull knowledge of Iustification is the meanes whereby we put on Christ two wayes according to Christ put on two wayes Luther in Gal. 3. 27. the Law and according to the Gospel according to the Law as it is said Rom. 13. Put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ that is follow the examples and virtues Rom. 13. of Christ doe that which he did and suffer that which he suffered as Peter saith Christ hath suffered for us 1 Pet 2. 21. leaving us an example that we should follow his steps But the putting on of Christ according to the Gospel A new creation consisteth not in imitation but in a new birth and a new creation First to God-ward by putting on by 1 towards God faith Christs innocency his righteousnesse his wisedome his power his saving-health his life and his spirit Thus is Adams old coat cast off and abolished before God and we apparelled with remission of sins righteousnesse peace consolation joy of the spirit salvation and life
becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnesse Mat. 3. 15. Math. 3. 15. so that the perfect holinesse and righteousnes not of the Godhead but of the humane nature of Christ wherein he performed perfect obedience both active and passive in fulfilling the whole law of God is the formall cause of our Justification which only after the nature of the forme dat nomen esse that is giveth unto us not only the name but also the true being of righteous men in the sight of God and that it is this obedience of Christ alone that is the only forme that makes us perfectly righteous in the sight of God is flatly expressed by the Apostle Rom. 5. 19. saying Rom. 5. 19. that as by the disobedience of one man Adam many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man Christ shall many he meanes both Jewes and Gentiles present and to come bee made righteous Upon which place the words of the learned Expositors are very effectuall saying thus The Apostle flatly pronounceth that we are made righteous with Christs righteousnesse and withall sheweth what manner of righteousnesse it is when he calleth it obedience saying By the obedience of one man many are made righteous where it is to be marked what it behoveth us to bring into the sight of God if we will by works be made righteous namely the obedience of the Law and Perfect obedience our righteousnesse that also not in one or two parts perfect but in all points absolute which because we are not able to attaine unto by our holy walking therefore this of meere grace he communicateth unto us And this I say is only that which formes us and makes us perfectly righteous in the sight of God which Luther Luther in his Treatise of threefold righteousnesse in his Treatise of threefold Righteousnesse handles notably the short summe whereof is thus As there is a sinne that is essentiall originall and another mans which yet makes us sinners whereof is mention Psal 5â— Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinnes hath my mother conceived me and whereof Christ speaketh saying An evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit And Rom. 5. By one mans disobedience many are made sinners Rom. 5. and againe By the offence of one man the fault is come upon all men unto condemnation So there is a justice or righteousnesse contrary to this which likewise is essentiall originall and another mans and yet makes us righteous which is the righteousnesse of Christ whereof Christ speaketh Iohn 3. 3. Except a man be borne again Iohn 3. 3. of water and the holy Ghost in this free righteousnesse figured in beholding the brazen Serpent he cannot see the kingdome of God and Rom. 5. By the righteousnesse Rom. 5. of one man is the free gift of righteousnesse come upon all men unto Iustification of life and againe By the obedience of one man are many made righteous this is as I said our Lot our capitall Foundation our Rock and our whole Substance in which we rejoyce and glory for ever wherein we are made the righteousnesse of God 2 Cor. 5. 21. and wherein Christ is made unto us wisdome 2 Cor. 5. 21. righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. and whereof the Apostle saith Other foundation may 1 Cor. 1. 30. 1 Cor. 3 11. Rom. 1. 17. Rom. 10. 10. no man lay 1 Cor. 3. 11. This is made ours by faith Rom. 1. 17. The just by faith shall live and againe Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man beleeves unto righteousnesse This is bestowed upon us in Baptisme this is that which properly the Gospel preacheth Rom. 1. Rom. 1. and it is not the righteousnesse of the law but the right ousnesse of free grace By this a man is made Lord of all things because his righteousnesse hath looked downe from heaven and herein mercy and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other truth shall spring out of the earth for without this mercy a man in all his righteousnesse is an hypocrite and without this righteousnesse his conscience is unquiet this grace makes a man true and just and this true righteousnesse brings peace thus Christ frames all them that belong to him with this same one righteousnesse of his owne strange and undeserved of others and makes them just righteous and saved that as by another mans sinne we were made sinners lost and damned so by another mans righteousnesse we are made righteous and saved and therefore I called this righteousnesse an essentiall righteousnesse and eternall and as Daniel saith everlasting because when a man hath it it alwayes abides and remaines neither doth sometimes faile as the actuall righteousnesse doth as it is said Psal 111. Psal 111. 3. 3. his righteousnesse endures for ever and ever Only Christ is eternall and everlasting and therefore his righteousnesse is everlasting and yet ours and makes us everlasting This is the mercy of God the Father this is the grace of the new Testament wherein the Lord is sweet to them that taste him In this must we be saved and in no other for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved Acts Acts 4. 12. 4. 12. and therefore said David deliver me in thy righteousnesse But as there is another sort of sinne called actuall sin which is the fruit of originall and these whether they arise in thought word or deed are our owne proper sinnes so contrary unto this there is a righteousnesse called actuall righteousnesse flowing from faith and from the foresaid essentiall righteousnesse and this is our righteousnesse and our owne proper righteousnesse not because we alone doe work it but because we work together with the foresaid first righteousnesse called the righteousnesse of another hitherto Luther but this first righteousnesse called the righteousnesse of another is the forme that makes us perfectly righteous in the sight of God as we see before wherewith Zanchius speaking by the same spirit although he differ a little in words yet agrees all one in sense saying thus The formall cause that is to say the righteousnesse wherewith we are justified or made righteous is twofold A twofold righteousnesse the one by which we are reputed and also are truly and perfectly righteous to God-ward whereof the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5. saying By the obedience of one are many made righteous this is our true righteousnesse But saith he there is another righteousnesse which being communicated unto us by the spirit of Christ and indeed inherent in us and shewing it selfe outwardly by works consisteth of the mortification of the old man and quickening of the new man of an hatred of sinne and love of righteousnesse by which we are just but how before men and are acknowledged and counted for righteous before them And this righteousnesse we affirme to be an effect of that former and although the Apostle doth not separate this
faithfully no man charitably serveth the necessity of his brother the griefe hereof maketh mee sometime so impatient that many times I wish such Swine which tread pretious pearles under their feet were yet still People of Gomorrah nâ—t governed by the Gospel of peace remaining under the tyrannie of the Pope For it is impossible that this people of Gomorrah should be governed by the Gospel of peace But wee tell such carelesse contemners although they beleeve us not but laugh us to scorne that if they use their bodies and their goods after their own lusts as indeed they doe for they neither help the poore nor lend to the needy but beguile their brethren in bargianing snatching and scraping unto themselves by hook and by crook whatsoever they can get we tell them I say that they be not free brag they never so much of their liberty neither are they in Mount-Zion that Celestiall Heb. 12. Rom. 14. 17. Revel 22. 15. Ierusalem Heb. 12. the Kingdome of heaven Rom. 14. 17. but without Revel 22. 15. and have lost Christ and Christian liberty are become bond-slaves of the Divell and are seven times worse under the name of Christian liberty than they were before under the tyrannie of the Pope for the divell which was driven out of them hath taken unto himselfe seven other fiends worse than himselfe and is returned into them againe Therfore the end of these men is worse than the beginning because they are worse Idolaters under the name of Christ than they were before under but the Pope But to conclude let every one of us remember that saying of S. Paul that Circumcision that is all outward forme of true religion and of the true worship of God availeth nothing nor uncircumcision that is all outward wisdome polity and excellency whatsoever availeth nothing before God but faith that maketh a new creature First new before God by Justification Secondly new to ones own selfe by Sanctification And thirdly new to our neighbours by love out of a pure heart Thus doth a Christian first fulfill and accomplish the Luth in Gal. 5. 23. The Law two wayes fulfilled Law inwardly by faith for Christ is the perfection and fulfilling of the Law unto righteousnesse to all that doe believe Rom. 10. 4. and then outwardly by works thus is he justified in heaven and earth the Gospel justifieth him in heaven and the Law on earth Rom. 10. 4. and thus is this new creature created unto the Image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse which inwardly is perfectly righteous in the sight of God with an heavenly righteousnesse by Iustification and outwardly is holy and cleane in the flesh by Sanctification And as many as walk according to this rule peace shall be upon â—al 6. 16. them and mercy as upon the Israel of God Gal. 6. 16. FINIS Free Justification was first enjoyned to be diligently taught for the Reformation of the Church by King Henry the eighth but was by King Edward the sixth and Queene Elizabeth principally established by Parliament and singled out from all the rest of the established Articles of Religion and reduced into Sermons and Homilies to be after the Peoples sight of their lost estate and wofull misery by sin principally taught and chiefly knowne and understood of all the Subjects and Commons of the Land for these foure causes especially FIrst because it is the onely immediate cause and means of our peace with God For Being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. and our assurance of free salvation by Jesus Christ and therefore is called the Justification of life Rom. 5. 18. For Whom God justifieth them he also glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. Secondly because it is the ordinance of God and cause contrary to the judgement of Popish and Carnall Reason that powerfully causeth people to leave their sinnes and to live a true sanctified and godly life Titus 2. 11. to 15. Rom. 5 and 6. Chapters Thirdly because it is the chiefest cause and meanes to discover and suppresse the Romish Antichrist Popery Arminians Brownists Anabaptists Familists and all other Superstitions Sects Errors and Schismes out of the Land and to establish unity peace and concord in matters of Religion and of assurance of free salvation and makes every man to keepe in a lawfull vocation and to doe it profitably in love Galat. 5. 13. Fourthly to direct Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to goe with a right foot to the truth of the Gospel Galat. 2. 14. in sound preaching and pure declaring of the Word of God by true faith of Free Justification Because saith the established Doctrine of our Church sincere Preachers ever were and ever shall be but a few and their preaching of Gods Word most sincere in the beginning by processe of time waxeth lesse and lesse pure and after is corrupt and last of all quite laid downe and left off because Free Justification is a Doctrine hardly learned in a Church and soone lost againe Galat. 1. 6. and yet is the true strength happinesse and safety of the whole Land Esay 52. 1. to 6. Hereupon the fifth part of the Sermon against disobedience and rebellion established by Queene Elizabeth teacheth the Commons that such Bishops or Ecclesiasticall persons as by pride and ambitious rule doe by termes of Error Schisme or Heresie hinder this maine light of Gods Word from the people and the chiefest Traytors in the Land And the sixth and last part largely teacheth that such Subjects and Commons to whom through ignorance of Gods Word this light of righteousnesse and Sun of understanding doth not shine although they may bragge as did sometimes the Jewish Clergy and people that they cannot lacke knowledge yet are such by the blind dead faith Traytors to God Traytors to their King Traytors to their owne soules and bodies and Traytors to the whole Land and Country And hereupon the testimony of the learned Protestant Writers is most true saying Sicut sola fide in Christum veram Justitiam Salutem consequrmur it a nihil difficilius quam hoc hominibus persuadetur nihil Satan praesertim candidus ille Satan aquè oppugnat Certaine fundamentall Positions or Doctrines of Religion tending to peace and to the reducing of Popish Arminians and Anabaptisticall Ministers and people to the true saving faith and to the established Protestant Doctrine of the Church of England by the Godly authority and publique consent of Parliament to be faithfully taught and diligently observed and kept of all the subjects for the quieting of their consciences in the assurance of their free salvation by Jesus Christ and for the suppressing of the Romish Antichrist in all Superstitions Errors Sects and Schisms for the beating down of sin and all vitioâ—snesse of life out of the Land for the maintaining and keeping of peace and unity in the matters of Religion by the pure preaching of the Law and of the Gospel as followeth in these five Poynts
Heb. 9. 17. Certainly thou canst not misse of thy rich inheritance except by carelesse neglect thou despise and forsake as alas too many doe or like a mad child dost with wilfull contempt teare in pieces and break the seale wilfully of this last Will and Testament sealed unto thee so undoubtedly in thy Baptisme especially as I said before that last Will and Testament so sealed unto thee in particular standing in force by the death of the Testator But peradventure some man may say you speak of Objeâ—t maâ—vellous great and excellent things of Baptisme but I see nothing of all this wrought in Baptisme I could easily beleeve you if at some time I might see some such thing wrought before mine eyes I answer as I said a little before Christians must Answ not see but beleeve and these things must be seene in the Looking-glasse of Christs blood with spirituall eyes for so is the will of God that thou shouldst not bodily see these things here on earth but godlily beleeve them neither shouldst thou doubt of them by unbeleefe but with faithfull Sarah overcome doubting by judging him faithfull in his word and ordinance that hath spoken and sealed them unto thee and so Heb 11 11. give glory to Christs blood and receive at the last the reward of thy faith even the salvation of thy soule 1 Pet. 1. 9. For grant that God should visibly manifest 1 Pet. 1. 9. and reveale the things which the holy Ghost and all the holy Trinity in the presence of all the Angels that stand with admiration looking into the same doe worke upon thee in thy Baptisme whereof God to 1 Pet. 1. 12 strengthen and satisfie thy weakenesse gave in the Baptisme of his Sonne that was for thee some little taste and glimmering even to thy bodily eares and eyes of the glory of thy Baptisme wherein the Heavens were opened and the holy Ghost came downe and God the Father made a Sermon himselfe that in his Sonne given and sealed unto thee in thy Baptisme he is perfectly well pleased with thee although this Our mortall conditions notable to endure the full manifestation of Gods glory be much if it be well marked yet thy mortall condition would not be able to endure no not one moment the full manifestation of that divine and Heavenly Majesty And therefore for this cause even for thy sake doth God as it were put on another face and comes forth in another forme and appearance more familiar and tolerable unto thee and because he would God dealeth familiarly in his ordinances not have us to wander in our owne opinions and carried away with our owne devotions to seeke him and his grace with great labour where he will not be found therefore he comes forth covered with familiar outward signes and plaine visible seales bidding his Ministers to wash us with a little water and adde those few words I baptize thee in the name of the father c. and wills us to fixe and fasten our eyes and eares upon the same being such as our mortall nature is well able to beare and endure and yet therein gives us himselfe and all his inestimable riches to be certainely found by faith Rom. 4. 16. and so freely enjoyed of Rom. 4. 16. us But if we neglect these and as small matters doe smally regard them thinking to finde God in more difficult labours of our own endeavours then we marre grace and with the Scribes and Pharisees thinking scorne of Iohns Baptisme We despise the counsell of God against our selves Luke 7. 30. and doe vanish away Luke 7. 30. with them in our owne legall devotions And therefore thou must say thus Indeed I see nothing in Baptisme but a sprinkling with a little water neither doe I heare any thing else than a few words which the Baptizer pronounceth namely I Baptize thee or wash thee in the name of the Father c. This indeed I heare with my eares and see with mine eyes but the word and faith doe tell me that God himselfe is there present and worketh the workes there spoken himselfe and hereupon that washing and laver is of such efficacy and of so great vertue and power that it Regenerates a man and doth wash away out of Gods sight all his sinnes wherewith he was foule and being swallowed up utterly abolished them And although it cannot be denied but that all of us even every mothers childe among us have done little better than Baptisme genâ—rally neglected did the Scribes Pharisees who as it is said before by setting light of the Baptisme of Iohn despised the counsell of God against themselves because either by prophanesse or in love of our owne blinde devotions we have beene too ignorant of this right way of God Acts 18. 25. and by a carelesse neglect of them Act 18. 25. have too much forsaken our baptismes yet by due meditating of these foure points and by printing them effectually in our hearts and affections we returne to our baptisme againe whereby although we have changed our selves from the same towards God yet because God is not changed towards us and because his gifts are without repentance therefore by thus returning to our baptisme we declare that we doe abide before God perfect and blessed in the fame for ever whereupon comfortable is the testimony of that learned Dispenser of Gods mysteries saying thus Wee indeed Calv. Instit lib. 4 cap. 15. Sect. 17. being blinde and unbeleeving did in a long time not hold fast the promise sealed unto us in our baptisme yet the promise it selfe for as much as it was of God that is unchangeable continued alwaies staid stedfast and true although all men be liars and faith-breakers yet God ceaseth not to be true But now sith by the grace of God wee have hegun to wax wiser we accuse our owne blindenesse and hardnesse of heart which have beene so long unthankfull for so great goodnesse and doe beleeve that the promise it selfe is not vanished away but rather thus we consider God hath promised to give us these unsearchable riches freely and sith he hath not only promised but also sealed it unto me in particular in baptisme he will undoubtedly performe it to all them that beleeve it Thus we returne unto our baptism thus we cleave fast uno it and thus we glorifie the seale of baptisme and ordinance of God and enjoy the benefit and blessing and all the glory of baptisme for ever Hereupon also doth Luther say very profitably thus Luther In all terrors of conscience it is our wisedome to have recourse to our Baptisme That it will be not a little profitable if a man fall into sinne and being terrified and cast downe with the same doe first before all things remember his Baptisme and apprehending with boldnesse the free goodnesse and promise of God which he hath forsaken confesse the same to God rejoycing that he hath
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.