predestinate and according thereto effectually called Secondly that those who are so called that is according to Gods purpose or foreknowledge doe remayne sure and never can so fall away from grace and from the trueth of God that they should erre frō the marke But heere it is not my purpose to speake more of the persons that are ordayned because heereafter we wil have occasion at greater length to entreat of them The second thing in the substance of Gods Decree to be considered of vs is that wherevnto they are ordeyned which by the Apostle is called Adoption that is sonneship or filiation When he sayeth he hath predestinated vs vnto adoption which benefire implieth all the rest which consist in these things whereof we are made partakers in the sonne of God to make vs conforme to his Image both in death and life in suffering and reigning with him Which as we haue said appeareth evidently by that other description of predestinatiō set downe in the 8 chap. to the Rom. where it is said that he hath predestinated vs to be made like to the Image of his Sonne Whereby it is evident that the thing whereto first and principally we are predestinate is to be sonnes by adoption and secondarily in and vnder that adoption we are by infallible consequent predestinate to bee made like vnto the only Sonne of God For first we are made Gods sonnes in his sonne then we are made like Gods sonne in his sonne for the conforming of vs vnto Christ succeedeth not only in order but also in some respect in time vnto our being sonnes in him according to that saying of Iohn in his 1. Epist chap. 3. vers 2. We are now the sonnes of God but yet it is not made manifest what we shal be and we knowe that when hee shal be made manifest we shal be made like him for we shall see him as he is And to the same effect speakes the Apostle to the Colossians chap. 3. vers 3. and 4. saying That we are dead and that our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glorie For this ground is to be well marked that the likening of vs who are made sonnes in Christ requireth necessarily the manifestation of Christ vnto vs to goe before in the same blessings wherein we are to be made like vnto him For as to make vs sonnes by adoption requireth necessarily the revelation of Iesus Christ as the sonne of God vnto vs so the conforming of vs vnto him either in death or life requireth necessarily that he be manifested to vs in his death and crosse and in his life and glorie Therefore doth Peter in his 1. Epist chap. 1. vers 13. ascribe the bringing of all grace to vs vnto the revelation of IESVS Christ saying Trust perfectly in that grace which is brought vnto you in the revelation of Iesus Christ And of this it commeth to passe that in this present life we are in some measure made like vnto Christ in the communion of the benefites flowing from his death and suffering and his resurrection from the death because he hath alreadie appeared to vs in these things But in this life we are not neither shal be made like vnto him in his glorie which followeth the resurrection frō the dead because in that we cannot be made conforme vnto him vntill that he appeare vnto vs againe in glorie but we rest in full assurance of it because of our conformitie in his death alreadie begunne For as sayth the Apostle Rom. 6. 5. If we haue bene planted with him vnto the similitude of his death we shall also be planted with him to the similitude of his resurrection And this assurance made the Apostle Paul to labour above all things to know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings in being made conforme to his death Phil. 3. 10. because as in the same place he declareth by that cōformitie vnto his death he did know that he should attayne vnto the resurrection from the dead that is the glorious and immortall estate in all perfection which the Saints doe enioy in the resurrection from the dead In respect of this ground it is that first principally as we haue said we are predestinate vnto adoption as vnto that wherein Christ is first of all to be manifested vnto vs and in the communion whereof is builded and grounded our communion with him in all other things wherein he is heereafter to be revealed vnto vs to this ende that we may bee made like vnto him This is one of the mayne pointes chiefly to be marked in the consideration of the substance of Gods Decree Which not being rightly conceyved maketh that not onely the Decree of God it selfe is mistaken by many but also that the benefites of God in Christ are both wrongly defined and ordered and specially the benefite of Iustification as heereafter wee will see more cleerly CHAPTER IIII THE third thing to bee marked in the substance of Gods Decree is the Meane whereby we are to attayne vnto that wherevnto we are predestinate that is whereby God hath ordayned vs to be Adopted which is Iesus Christ according as the description of predestination contayneth when it fayeth That we are Predestinate to be adopted through Iesus Christ Of which point for avoyding idle repetition we will not speake much vntill we come to the second of these foure points which we haue propounded to be considered because vnto it it properly belongeth onely these two things we are to marke by the way First that Iesus Christ is not the cause why but the Meane whereby God doth ordayne vs to adoption Which will more clearly appeare when we speake of the cause mooving God to predestinate vs. The second thing that we haue to marke is that all other secondary Meanes whereby in the Scriptures we are said to be made sonnes or iustified c. as namely the Gospell preached the Sacramentes faith are no wayes to be esteemed Meanes simply in respect of them selves but only by relation and reference to Christ in and by them revealed offered and receyved Which is most evident by the description aforesaide of predestination in the which nothing saving Christ alone is set downe to be the Meane whereby God ordayneth vs to be adopted so that it is not the word but Christ revealed by the word neither the Sacraments but Christ signified by the Sacramentes nor faith but Christ receyved by faith which in proper sense maketh vs sonnes and iustifieth vs. They only by consequence and mediatly being said in Scripture to make vs sonnes and Iustifie vs c. because they are the meanes appointed of GOD whereby we atteyne vnto Christ who is the onely proper and immediate meane whereby we are Adopted and Iustified c. Neither are they appointed mediate Meanes absolutely necessarie vnto our adoption and iustification
cause our righteousnes is saide to bee the righteousnes of God which is by faith and the righteousnes which is through the faith of Christ Phil. chap. 3. ver 9. And Christ is saide to bee a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Rom. chap. 3. ver 25. All serving to teach vs that faith is not our righteousnes it selfe but only the meane by the which we attayne to that which is our righteousnes that is Christ in his bloud for in that sense is righteousnes faid to be through faith and by faith Moreover it is for this same cause that faith is called in the Scriptures the faith of Christ Rom. chap. 3. where righteousnes is saide to be the righteousnes of God by the faith of Iesus and that because the whole matter and substance which by faith wee eyther knowe or apprehende vnto righteousnes is onely Christ Sometimes it is called the faith of his name Acts cha 3. ver 16. as also the faith in his name as Ioh. chap. 1. ver 12. because all the vertue strength and power whereby we beleeve to bee iustisied is in Christ alone and in the vertue of his death and resurrection so that the vertue is not in faith it selfe but in Iesus apprehended by faith Sometimes againe it is called the faith towardes Christ Act. chap. 20. ver 21. because faith setteth nothing before it as the obiect but Christ alone for the Gospell which is the worde of faith propoundeth not any thing vnto vs but onely Christ as eyther promised or given vnto vs of God to bee the matter eyther of our righteousnes sanctification or redemption Sometimes againe it is called the faith in Christ Gal. chap. 3. ver 26. and that for two causes First because that wherein by faith our heartes are fastened and in the which our heartes only setleth their full confidence of righteousnes and remission of sinnes is onely Christ in whom onely our faith is and we also by faith for thereby we are made to be in him and hee in vs and therfore in the scripturs to be in Christ to be in the faith are put indifferently Rom. cha 8. vers 10. compared with 2. Cor. cha 13. ver 3. 5. And for this same respect the proper effectes of Christ him selfe are attributed vnto faith The second Reason is because faith neither suffereth vs to rest vpon it nor on our selues nor on anie other thing nor yet in any thing that is in faith or in our selves or in any thing except Christ onely and that which is in him as the ground of our confidence or as the matter of our righteousnes or blessednes therefore are we saide in him to have redemption in him to be made righteousnes and in him to be circumcised For whatsoever we are made by Faith we are made it in Christ and what soever faith maketh to be ours it is also in Christ therefore faith maketh not God our God but in Christ nor vs the children of God but in Christ nor righteous but in Christ c. For whatsoever faith layeth holde on it findeth it in Christ so that the hart of man when it beleeveth vnto righteousnes sendeth out faith fixeth it in Christ thereby laying holde vpon him and his obedience vnto righteousnes bringing him and his obedience with all the vertue both of his death and life into our heartes to dwell in them Sometimes also it is called the faith by Christ because hee is the Author Fountayne and occasion of it not so much because he with the Father and holy Ghost doeth worke it as because hee alone is the meane and occasion of it For as the Father redeemeth vs by Christ and by him maketh vs his sons and righteousnes c. so also he maketh vs to beleeue by Christ so that take mee away Christ all ground and foundation of saving faith in God is taken away for God hath layde the whole foundation of our beleefe in him alone For which cause Pet. 1. Epist chap. 1 ver 21. sayeth That by his meanes wee beleeve in Gâ—d and in that same place it is saide That God hath raysed him from the dead and given him glorie that our faith and hope might bee in God And to this same effect the same Apostle sayeth in the same chapter ver 3. That God hath begotten vs againe to a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead Vpon which respect it is that the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. chap. 15. ver 17. sayeth expresly If Christ bee not raysed your faith is vayne Vpon which we may easilie gather that faith is a vaine fooilsh faith whereby a man is made to beleeve or hope for any blessing from God which maketh it not first to bee performed by God in Christ For our faith of our vnioÌ„ with God ariseth vpon the knowledge of Christ his assuming in vnitie of person our nature vnto his the faith of our being the sonnes of God ariseth vpon Christ the man our brother being the very sonne of GOD our faith that God will make vs righteousnes ariseth vpoÌ„ this that God hath made Christ sinne for vs and so foorth of the rest the hope of our resurrection is builded vpon his resurrection the hope of our assention vpon his assention the hope of our glorification vpon his glorification so that the Lord worketh in our heartes neither faith nor hope in him of any blessing whatsoever whereof hee doeth not first reveyle vnto vs a cleere ground and evident fouÌ„dation in Iesus Christ the sonne And therefore it may appeare how detestable a doctrine that is and execrable be the teachers of it that affirmeth that a man may be saved without the knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord. Thus by all these phrases concerning faith the Lord would teach vs that Christ is the matter and hee is the ground of all whatsoever wee beleeve and that there is nothinge in Christ which is not made ours by faith And for this same purpose in Scriptures it is sometimes called the faith in the bloud of Christ Rom. chap. 3. ver 25. and that to teach vs what is the particular thing in Christ wherein God hath made him our righteousnes and whereby the Lord would haue vs to beleeve remission of sinnes in him for albeit Christ be vno vs all and that in all thinges and doeth fill vs all in all thinges yet as wee haue marked before there is no benefite which wee apprehende by faith in Christ but it hath the owne particular ground and foundation wherevpon it is builded and therefore as his faith is but vaine who expects his resurrection in Christ if he doe not know Christ to bee risen againe so his faith must be vaine who beleeveth the remission of sinnes in Christ and yet knoweth not that Christ did shed his bloud expressely for his iniquities For as God begettes vs to the hope of life by the resurrection of Ieses from the dead so he begetteth vs
evidently what is the matter and substance of our righteousnes before God Now in them nothing but water and the washing thereby and bread broken and wine poured out with eating drinking thereof is set before vs as either the signes or seales of our righteousnes To teach vs that our righteousnes consists in nothing but in Christs bloud shed and sprinkled vpon vs and in his body broken vpon the Crosse and his bloud communicated vnto vs. But it is most certayne that if there had bene any other thing in his obedience in which had consisted any part or portion of our righteousnes he would likewise have left it in the seales of the covenant to bee remembred of vs and vsed by vs for our instruction and comfort For nothing is to be esteemed to bee any part or portion of our righteousnes in Christ wherof Christ himselfe hath institute neither signe nor seale This ground is confirmed further vnto vs by divers sentences of the holy Ghost touching Baptisme which beeing answerable vnto circumcision is most properly both the signe and seale of the righteousnes which is by faith In which sentences Baptisme is made to have referēce to no part of Christs obediēce except vnto his death only as is manifest Rom. chap. 6. vers 3. Where it is said knowe yee not that all wee which have bene baptised into Iesus Christ have bene Baptised into his death Therefore also this same Apostle 1 Cor. chap. 1. vers 13. taketh his argument from no parte of Christs obedience but his death only and from Baptisme in the name of Christ as the signe and seale of our righteousnes in his death and suffering to remove the schismes and divisions that were amongst the Corinthians saying Was Paul crncified for you or were ye Baptised in the name of Paul For which cause also the Apostle to the Eph. chap. 5. vers 25. 26. 27. doth wholly attribute the worke of our iustification purgation from sinne vnto Christs giving himselfe vnto the death for vs the vertue whereof hee makes to bee applied vnto vs by the washing of water through the word And this point is most cleere by the words of the Apostle Peter who sheweth the veritie hereof in the practise of God towards his saints both before the comming of Christ and now after For hee affirmeth that Noach and these that were with him in the Arck were saved by water and that now we are saved by Baptisme as answering in analogie to the waters of the floud Thereby expresly teaching vs that from the beginning Christ was crucified and set forth in nothing but in his death and bloud to be the matter our righteousnes as by the Apostle Peter in the same place interpreting the benefite that redounds vnto vs by Baptisme or rather defining what Baptisme it self is whereby we are saved may easily be gathered when he saith that this Baptisme is uot a putting away of their filth of the flesh but a confident demanding which a good conscience maketh vnto God 1 Epi. chap. 3. vers 20. and 21. Which discription is nothing els in effect but iustification Which the Apostle in another place calleth the purging of our consciences from dead workes Heb. chap. 9. vers 14. and the sprinkling of our harts from an evill conscience Heb. chap. 10. vers 22. which by the Apostle Peter is discribed from the effect which is our accesse with confidence vnto God in calling vpon him as our Father vpon the sense and frelling of the remission of all our sinnes in the bloud of Christ This same also is manifest touchinn the other seale of the covenant which is the Supper of the Lord by the wordes of Christ himselfe Luke chap. 22. vers 19. 20. and of the Apostle 1 Cor. chap. 11. vers 24. 25. where expounding his owne minde touching the bread and wine he sayeth that the bread was his body which was given and as the Apostle sayeth which was broken for them and that the cup was the new Testament in his bloud which was shed for them For Iesus Christ flesh and his bloud are vnto vs no righteousnes vntill his body be broken and his bloud shed vpon the crosse for vs. For neither did hee destroy the Devill but by his death nor set vs at libertie from our bondage but by his death Heb. chap. 2. vers 14. 15. Neither did he put away our sinnes but by the offering of himselfe Heb. chap. 9. vers 26. 28. And therefore sayeth Christ himselfe Ioh. chap. 12. vers 24. except the wheat corne fall into the ground and die it abydeth alone but if it die it bringeth forth many fruite Thus by the seales of the righteousnes of faith and by the phrase of the spirit concerning them and by the testimonie of Christ himselfe touching his owne death it would evidently appeare that the matter of our righteousnes consisteth in no parte of his obedience proceeding his death but consisteth wholly in the onely one oblation of him selfe vppon the crosse The third grounde in holy Scripture confirminge this pointe is builded vpon the testimonie of Christ him selfe and the Apostles interpretation of his minde sett downe Hebr. chapt 10. where first out of the 40. Psalme the speech of Christ is cited wherein hee declareth what is the will of the Father touching the expiation of our sinnes in him Which is by his obedience vnto the Father in doeing his will Which will of the Father is expounded by the Apostle in the 10 verse in these wordes By the which will we are sanctified even by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once Now the obedience of Christ in the matter of our righteousnes is not to bee esteemed of any larger extent then is the will of GOD which hee did obey and by which wee are sanctified Therefore seeing the will of GOD in the matter of our righteousnes is restrayned onely to the offeringe of Christ Surely his obedience as it is saide to make vs righteous must bee of no larger sense except we will be wise above that which is written If the Lordes owne interpretation of his owne minde touchinge his owne will and obedience of his Sonne therevnto whereby wee are iustified will not serve to satisfie mens mindes it is in vaine to labour by any other meanes to give contentement to those who cannot be content with that which God him selfe hath revealed touching this point Whose minde must needes be best knowne to him selfe and in the which we are to rest according as it is revealed And that this interpretation set downe in this same place is the vndoubted mynde of God him selfe it may evidentlie appeare by the cōstant course of his speech set down thronghout all the New Testament In the which still all the partes of our Redemption touching Iustification Reconciliation and Sanctification are ever attributed vnto the bloud of Christ◠vnto his death and vnto his crosse and sacrifice of him selfe And the killinge of
hatred the blotting out of the hand-writinge which was against vs the removinge of the partition wall and abolishinge of all Principalities and Powers and all our spirituall enimies is still attributed vnto his crosse And therefore the whole worde of the Gospell is called the worde or preachinge of the Crosse first Corinth chapt 1. vers 18. And the speciall thinge which the Apostle respected in preaching nothinge but Christ and him crucified and why Christ will not have the Gospell preached in wisedome of wordes is that the Crosse of Christ may not bee made of none effect 1. Corinth chap. 1. vers 17. Which should make vs all to take heed vnto our selves in layinge downe any other grounde except the death of Christ or ioyning any other thing vnto the death of Christ in the matter of our righteousnes least wee make his death and crosse of none effect The fourth grounde which seemeth cleerlie to confirme this pointe is the argument which the Apostle vseth Hebr. chapter 10. ver 18. conteyned in these wordes VVhere there is remission of sinnes there is no more oblation for sinne By which argument hee both proveth the ineffectuallnes of all the sacrifices of the Law and the eternall vertue of the death of Christ vnto the remission of sinnes By which argument of the Apostle it seemeth necessarilie to followe that in nothing which is in Christ himselfe before his death consisteth the remission of our sinnes and so consequentlie our righteousnes For where remission of sinnes is there is no more offeringe for sinne Therefore if in Christes actuall obedience or in his habituall righteousnes there had beene remission of sinnes originall and actuall as it behoved to bee if they bee imputed to vs for righteousnes surely the death of Christ is needlesse For to what ende should Christ have bene delivered to death for our sinnes as sayeth the Apostle Rom. chapt 4. vers 25 or to what ende should hee haue beene offered for the takinge away of sinne as hee is saide to bee Hebr. chap. 9. vers 26. 28. if so be that all our iniquities both originall and actuall be pardoned in his preceeding actuall obediende Surely it seemeth that this opinion would have made Christ to die without a cause For where it is aledged that he was offred to remove the punishment of our sinne it seemeth to conteyne a double contradiction to Gods truth For first it is manifest by the Scriptures that he was offred not only to deliver vs from the curse and punishment but also from sinne it selfe Secondly it seemeth to impugne the iustice and righteousnes of God who never punisheth where guiltines is taken away For death is the reward of sinne Therefore where sinnes are removed death can not bee inflicted For where there is no sinne there is no death And therefore sayeth the spirit of God that where remission of sinnes is there is no more sacrifice for sinne According to which saying either Christs death and suffring vpon the crosse is no sacrifice for sinne or then there was no remission of sinne before either in his habituall righteousnes or actuall obedience or any other thing whatsoever Thus the very offring of Christ for sinne secludes all things preceeding whatsoever from all vertue or efficacie of purging sinne and removing of iniquitie For as witnesseth the same Apostle Heb. chap. 10. vers 2. 3. Where there is a new remembrance againe of sinnes they have never bene formerly taken away An therefore seeing in Christs death there is a new remembrance of sinnes againe it cannot bee that they were ever taken away by any thing preceeding his death For otherwise Christ should not have bene offred Because that the offerers beeing once purged have from that tyme forth no more conscience of sinnes Heb. chap. 10. vers 2. The first ground which serveth to cleere this point is set downe by 1. Ep. Ioh. chap. 1. vers 7. where he sayth that the bloud of Iesus Christ purgeth vs from all sinne which wordes importe playnlie that it is a needles and vnnesseccary thing to adde any thing to the death of Christ in the matter of our righteousnes For if it alone performe the whol worke of our iustification it is an idle curiositie and a fruitles contention when men contend for any other thing to bee ioyned in this worke with it But these wordes of the Apostle doe plainly manifest that the bloud of Christ alone accomplisheth our iustification For whatsoever purgeth vs from all sinne must needes accomplish our righteousnes and fully iustifie vs both from originall and actuall sinne therefore it must needes holde that in his bloud consisteth the full matter of our righteousnes For nothing that contayneth not full and perfect righteousnes can possibly cleanse vs from all sinne Moreover by this sentence of Iohn it would appeare that the opinion of those men who put a difference betwixt an innocent man and a iust man hath no soliditie at all nor any warrant in Gods trueth if we compare the saide sentence with the wordes of David Psalm 32. repeated by the Apostle Rom. 4. in the which The man whose sinnes are pardoned is pronounced to be blessed By which wordes it is manifest that vnto eternall blessednes it is sufficient to have remission of sinnes which could not be true if after remission of sinnes which is alleadged to be by imputatiō of Christes actuall obediēce and fulfilling of the Lawe men should yet be in dāger of punishment vntill Christ did die for thē For hovv can he be blessed that still is liable to punishment vnder the sentence of death Therefore either remission of sinnes maketh not a man blessed or then remission of sinnes must onely cōsist in the bloud of Christ seeing as saith the Apost Heb. ch 2. ver 15. we are not delivered from the feare of death but by the death of Christ only by whose stripes onely wee are healed By the same reason it is evident that by Christs actual obedience there can be no remission of sinnes seeing in the cōfession of those that are of that opinion by that obedience men are not exempt from punishment and so cannot be said to be blessed Besides this opinion doth flatly contradict the trueth For the Scriptures placeth righteousnes in the remission of sinnes and vnto life it requireth no more but righteousnes For the iust by faith shall live Moreeover innocencie before God cannot preceede righteousnes For as the Lord holdeth not the wicked innocent so by the contrarie he holdeth him that is righteous to be innocent therefore betwixt a sinner and a iust man there can be no mid dell estate and condition of a man before God Except we will place a middest betwixt righteousnes sinne and a middell condition betwixt heaven and hell in the world to come For as heaven is for iust men and hell for wicked men the same iustice of God requireth that there bee a middell condition for such as are betwixt both
nor come neare the Altar least he pollute my Sanctuarie The fourth thing to be marked in the Priest is that hee must not be vpon the earth For if hee were vpon the earth hee were not a Priest Heb chap. 8. vers 4. Therefore is it saide of him After that hee had offered one sacrifice for sinne he sitteth for ever at the right hande of God Hebr. chapt 10. ver 13. as also That the heavens must conteyne him vnto the tyme that all things be restored Act. chap. 3. ver 21. The fift thing to be considered in the Priest is that he behooved to be subiect to infirmities that having experience of them he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest Hebr. chap. 2. ver 17. and chap. 4. ver 15. Nowe wee come to the actions to bee performed by the Priestes Which likewise are of two sortes The firste sorte are those which are performed in offering of the sacrifice The seconde sorte is those which are to be performed after the oblation In the Sacrifice especially is to bee considered First the Priestes puttinge all our iniquities and sinues vpon the head of the offeringe that hee may beare them all Accordinge to which it is saide of Christ That hee bare the sinne of many Esay 53. 12. And the Apostle Peter sayeth That he him selfe did beare our sinnes in his body vpon the tree For he was made sinne for vs. The second action consisteth in killing of the offering before the Lord. according to which it is saide of Christ That hee offered vp him selfe by the eternall spirit vnto God Hebr. 9. 14. And he is saide to put away sinne by the sacrifice of him selfe Hebr. 9. 26. And Christ him selfe saieth I lay downe my life that I might take it againe no man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe Iohn chapt 10. vers 17. 18. According to which also Esay saith That he pâ—wred out his soule vnto death Chap. 53. ver 12. The third action is the offering of the sacrifice it selfe by fire vnto the Lord. And al these actions are accoÌ„plished in the death of Christ in the which principally consisteth the matter of our righteousnes for therein was hee made both sinne and a curse for vs. The actions following are especially three which all serve to our iustification by his death and bloud although they be no parte nor portion of the righteousnes it selfe The first is his rising from the dead The second is his sitting at the right hande of God in heaven The third is his making intercession for vs. Therefore the Apostle in the 8. chap. to the Rom. ver 34. setteth downe these foure actions of Christ as the things whereby wee are saved from all condempnation when he sayth VVho shall condemne it is Christ that hath died or rather who is risen againe who also is at the right hande of God and who also maketh intercession for vs. Which saying is carefully to bee marked of vs for many waightie reasons First it sheweth vs that as the worke of God in iustifying vs doth save vs from all accusation so the groundes whereby we are saved from being condemned of God that is by which we are iustified and absolved are these foure actions of Christ whereof his death is first Secondly it cleareth that point which we have in hande to wit that many things serve to our iustification which are no parte of our righteousnes For his resurrection his ascending into heaven and sitting at the right hande of God and his interceding for vs are all necessarily required to our iustification and yet none of them is any parte of the matter of that righteousnes which is imputed vnto vs. For his rysinge from the dead is not our righteousnes and yet except he had risen we could not have bin iustified by his death according to the saying of the Apostle 1. Cor. chap. 15. ver 17. If Christ be not raysed your faith is vaine ye are yet in your sinnes For so longe as Christ was holden of death vnder the guiltines of our sinnes we could never be absolved from sinne death in the sight of God because our satisfaction and redemption although they were in doeing were not fully performed vntill Christ having vtterly abolished sinne was raysed from the dead but his suffering beeing finished and hee having loosed the sorrowes of death our redemption and satisfaction for our sinnes were fullie accomplished and so our righteousnes full and compleate in Gods sight By the imputation whereof GOD then might iustly iustifie vs. Therefore is it said by the Apostle Rom. chap. 4. 25. that he was delivered to death for our transgressions and is risen againe for our iustification Shewing vs that as the matter of our righteousnes consisteth in Christes death because he was delivered therevnto for our sinnes so the iustification of vs by his death dependeth vpon his resurrection because therein his death was ended and so the satisfaction for our sinnes and our righteousnes was fully and perfectly finished Likewise his entring into heaven and sitting at the right hande of God is no parte of the matter of our righteousnes and yet it is a necessarie action of his Priestlie office required vnto our iustification by that which is our righteousnes For the high Priest once a yeare in the day of expiation entered into the most holy place with the bloud of the expiatorie sacrifice to make an attonement for the children of Israel The true sanctuarie resembled by the most holy place is heaven into which the bloud of our sacrifice must be brought by Iesus Christ our high Priest there to make our attonement Therefore is it said That Christ being come a High Priest of good thinges to come entered once by his owne bloud in the most holy place and obtayned eternall redemption Hebr. chap. 9. ver 11. 12. and therefore also is it saide That if hee were on the earth he were not a Priest Heb. chap. 8. vers 4. For which cause in that same place the Apostle esteemeth this to bee the chieff and principall point of all that had bene spoken of his Priesthood videlicet that we have such a high Priest that sitteth at the right hande of the throne of the maiestie in heaven c. Thus howsoever the sacrifice of Christ in his death or his bloud be the matter of our righteousnes and that Christ in his bloud be ordayned a propitiation for vs yet to the iustifying vs by that bloud this action of our High Priest even the entring with the bloud into heaven is necessarily required Even so also concerning his intercession albeit it bee not the matter of our righteousnes yet it serveth to our iustification by his blood For all his intercession is by vertue thereof that God by it and for it may pardon all our iniquities and iustifie vs. For this action is the end of the three former that is of his death resurrection and ascending into heaven
to serve vnto our iustification by that wherein he is made our righteousnes And secondly if we shal distinguish the matter of our righteousnes it selfe in Christ from the action of God in iustifying by it wee shall perceyve evidently that the matter of our righteousnes consisteth only in the death and bloud of Christ and that all the rest of Christes obedience doeth serve not as the materiall but rather as the subordinate efficient causes of our iustification And so all the three former opinions touching the obedience of Christ may well agree in one when the question is concerning the action of God in iustifying and not concerning the particular matter of the righteousnes which God imputes vnto vs vnto iustification For there is no parte of Christes obedience which is not as it is said in the schooles causa sine qua non that is a cause without the which wee cannot be iustified For if he had not bene a man and a iust man and a Priest and such a Priest as we have said yea if hee had not risen from the dead and ascended vnto heaven and made intercession for vs his death and bloud could never have iustified vs. And yet still his death and bloud is the only matter of our righteousnes but so as it is the bloud of such a sacrifice offred by such a Priest vpon such an Altar in such a Tabernacle carried in by the same Priest after resurrection from the dead into the heavens And as by vertue of the same bloud the same Priest sittinge at the right hande of God maketh intercession for vs. Thus the matter is not of such moment being rightly waighed and charitablie considered that it needed ever to have bred such bitter contention amongst brethren in the Church of God CHAPTER XXVI HAving thus spoken of the materiall cause of our righteousnes it followeth now that we speake of the formall cause In the which three thinges are specially to be marked for clearing vnto vs how and in what manner wee are made the righteousnes of God by the death and bloud of Iesus Christ our Lord. The first is Gods giving vnto vs. The second is Gods imputation of that which is given vs. The third is the cause moving him both to give and impute For God iustifieth vs by gift by imputation and by grace Neither can the true forme of our iustification bee knowne of vs a right except we acknowledge all these three in it For mā hath no saving grace which he hath not receyved of God according to the saying of the Apostle 1. Cor. chap. 4. ver 7. For who hath seperate thee or what hast thou that thou hast not receyved and if thou hast receyved it why gloriest thou as if thou hadst not receyved it And to the same purpose saith I am 1. chap. 17. All good giving and every perfect gifte is from above Therefore also our righteousnes speciallie is called a gift and a gift by grace Rom. chapt 5. ver 15. 16. 17. as also Rom. chap. 6. vers 23. but the gift of God is eternall life Where the word gift if that place be rightly vnderstood doth signifie righteousnes given vs of God Secondly howsoever many confounde imputation and giving as one thinge as in some sense they may both bee taken for one yet it is expedient for our sounder knowledge that wee distinguish them For howsoever nothing is imputed which is not given yet many things are given which are never saide to be imputed Yea moreover in which imputation hath no place Beside the imputation of a thing if we shall rightly consider it doth alwayes presuppone the thing imputed to be in our possession either by nature working or gift as by Gods grace wee shall heare hereafter And therefore in the forme of our iustification Gods giving of a thing vnto vs is to be distinguished from his imputing of it Specially if we marke one thing which is flat contrarie sayings and yet of equall force vsed by the spirit of God in the description of iustification For sometimes it is defined by imputation of righteousnes and sometimes by not imputation of sinne Thirdly in the manner and forme of our iustification grace is specially to be considered because both the givinge and imputation of the thing given is of meere grace Therefore are wee saide to bee iustified freely by grace so that the perfect forme of our iustification consisteth in this that is in Gods gracious givinge and gracious imputinge of thinge given vnto vs to bee our righteousnes So that whosoever make our iustification to consist without giving of righteousnes or without imputing the thinge given or esteeme eyther the matter of our righteousnes which is given vs to be given otherwise then by grace or to be imputed as righteousnes vnto vs otherwise then by grace doe destroy the true forme of the iustification of a sinner before God And because this is a pointe of speciall moment and bringeth great light in the matter of iustification wee will speake severally of these three pointes And first touching the action of Gods giving Secondly of the action of Gods imputation Thirdly of his grace as the only cause of both Touching the first there be two thinges which are given vs of God vnto iustification The I. is faith The II. is Christ both these giftes of God are necessarie vnto iustification as we shall see by Gods grace hereafter when we speake of iustificatiō it self Therfore in this place wee will onely speake of faith as it is the gift of God in which we have these pointes to be marked First what kinde of gift it is Secondly to whom it is given Thirdly what faith it selfe is And fourthly to what ende and vse it is given First then that it is a gift and the gift of God it is cleere in the Scriptures according as wee have showen before of all the saving graces of God and therefore it is called by the Apostle Heb. chap. 7. vers 4. a heavenly gift and in Ephe. chap. 2. ver 8. it is expresly called the gifte of God And the same Apostle Phil. chap. 1. ver 29. teacheth vs that to beleeve in Christ is a gift given vs. Therefore 1. Cor. chap. 12. It is uombred amongst the giftes of God by his spirit So that in this there is no great contradiction but the speciall question is what kinde of gift it is that is whether it bee a naturall or a supernaturall gift Depending either vpon the naturall power which God hath created in man or vpon the supernaturall power of God For clearing hereof We are to consider that which in the scriptures is spoken concerning faith First touthing the ground and cause of our beleeving Secondly touching the propertie that is attributed vnto faith and which still is in him that beleeveth And thirdly touching certaine effectes attributed vnto faith Besides these things which heereafter will shewe them selves when we treate both to whom faith is given and