elected vs as the Apostle teacheth for the commendation of his glorious grace but if election bee not of â—race then grace deserues not all the praise but we ourselues haue something whereof wee may glory Fiftly let vs consider the iudgement of antiquitie Augustine saith Aâ— he that is Christ 〈◊〉 predestinated to be our head so are weâ— to bee his 〈◊〉 hers Humana hic merita 〈…〉 Leâ— mens meritâ— hâ—â—e 〈◊〉 silent which perished in Adam 〈◊〉 And let the grace of God beâ—â—e the â—way and raigne And againe In one and the same cause one 〈◊〉 forsaken another is taken 〈◊〉 assumitur gratia prâ—stante non merito in mercie and not of merit And againe He hath elected none worthy but by electing him he hath made him worthy It is the grace of God whereby he hath elected me not because I am worthie but because it vouchsafed to make me Videte charissimi See my beloued how that hee doth not elect men good but maketh those to be good whom he hath elected And elsewhere he saith that God loued no other thing in Iacob then his owne free mercy He loued Iacob by his free mercie and hated Esau by his iust iudgement Hierome also speaking of Iacob and Esau saith that the election of the one and the reiection of the other doth not demonstate their merits but the will of the Elector and reiector and further also confesseth that it is in the power and will of God to elect or reiect a man without good or euill workes Angelome also saith that Christ hath predestinated some to eternal libertie quickning them by his gracious mercie Finally this trueth will appeare if wee shall remooue the false causes which might seeme to perswade God to chuse vs for his people First therefore we are not elected for foreseene 〈◊〉 as these arguments ensuing will sufficiently prooue vnto vs. First God is the primarie and principall authour of all his actions Now the supreame and first ground or author depends of no externall ground or beginner But God should depend of an externall ground if hee could not elect whom he would vnlesse faith did mooue him Secondly euery cause is before the effect now Faith is alter Election as the Holy Ghost sheweth when hee sayth So many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued It was well sayd of one Christ first apprehends vs and this apprehension of his workes in vs the apprehension of faith whereby we lay hold vppon him Faith is a meane which tends to the end wherunto the elect are ordained Wherefore seeing that Election must needs be before the end it must also bee before Faith which is a meane leading to the end Thirdly faith is not the cause of vocation and iustification moouing God to call and iustifie therfore it is no impulsiue cause of election For â—he cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused If faith then were the cause of Election it should be also the cause of vocation which is an effect thereof But it is not so as the Apostle teacheth Tit. 5. â— Lastly the Scripture no where saith that we are elected for fore-seen faith What reason then haue wee to beleeue it Wee conclude therefore that wee are not elected for faith and with Iustine Martiâ— wee call those blest Qui sunt praesciti vt crederent Which are fore-knowne that they should beleeue And we say according to Augustine that those are elected Non qui eliguntur quia crediderunt sed quâ— eliguntur vt credant which are elected to beleeue not because they haue beleeued I haue obtained mercie saith Paul that I should bee faithfull Non quia fidelis â—ram not because I was faithfull as Augustine speaketh Secondly we are not elected for any fore-seene workes For first the Apostle excludes all workes from being the causes either of election or of reprobation Rom. 9.11 12. And teacheth that Election is not in him that runneth that is it is not to be attributed to his industrie or indeauours Secondly good workes can merite nothing of God because he is the author of them and they are due vnto him and are not equiualent and proportionable to his grace Thirdly we are elected that we should be holy and should doe good works therefore it were absurde to imagine that good workes did mooue God to elect vs. Hierome saith The Apostle saith not he hath elected vs Cum essemus sancti wheÌ„ we were holy sed vt essemus but that we should be holy And Augustine saith The election of grace doth not onely preuent or go before mens works but before faith whence all good works do flow Thirdly Election is not made for the wil of maÌ„ or for that maÌ„ would it For the Apostle painely professeth that it is not in him that willeth but in God which sheweth mercie By will is meant the cogitation desire or endeuour of our minde which the holy Ghost excludeth from Election Secondly the will of man is not eternall and therefore cannot be the cause of eternall election For the efficient cause must goe before the effect in time or at least in nature But the will of man is not in nature before Gods election much lesse then in time Lastly if we were elected for our owne will many grosse absurdities would ensue First the grace of God should bee subiect to mens wills as Prosper affirmeth that is the grace of Election should be inferiour to the will of man as the effect is to the cause the will of man should bee more excellent then the grace of God Secondly it were as Prosper saith to make the beginning of saluation to bee in him that is saued Thirdly it were in mans power to be either an elect or a reprobate if he would Fourthly all certaintie of Election would be taken away seeing the will of man is instable and vncertaine Fiftly election would be casuall as depending vppon the will of man which is mutable and so God should be made an Idol of Fortune that is he should chuse if man would and not chuse if man would not We conclude therefore that the will of man is not the efficient cause of Election Fourthly God doth not elect any man for his birth or beauty or for any prerogatiue or excellencie in his person For God is no accepter of persons and these things are not before Election but come after it Secondly that which Moses saith of the generall election of all the Isralites may bee as truely sayd of the speciall election of all true Isralites that God hath not chosen them for their multitude but of his own loue nor for any dignitie in them but of his owne meere mercie We see God respected not the eldership of Cain but choose Abell hee regarded not the riches of Nâ—bal the wisedome of Achitophel the beauty of Absolom the comlinesse of Saul the princely blood of Iezebel
some of them were before their calling notorious sinners committing â—orrible and transcendent enormities â—et now since their calling they were rashed and sanctified and so become new men And as concerning the Thessalonians he saith that the Gospel was not to them in word onely but also in power and much assurance and that they became followers of him and of the Lord and receiued the word in much affliction with ioy of the holy Ghost and turned to God from Idoles to serue the liuing and true God and increased in faith and mutuall loue and were patient faithfull in al their persecutions afflictions So then if with the Romanes we performe heartie obedience to the word if with those Corinthes we be rich in spirituall graces and haue purged our heartes by true repentance from our former iniquities if we be mortified and renewed if like those good ThessaloniaÌ„s we receiue and beleeue the Gospell if we follow the Lord his faithfull embassadours if we entertâ—ine the word with ioyfulnesse notwithstanding all afflictions if we turne to God from all our owne Gods our owne delights and vanities to which wee had wedded our heartes if our faith increase and our loue abound and if we haue patience and faith as they had in all our crosses and afflictions then may we assure ourselues that wee are effectually called as they were Finally Peter exhorting vs to giue diligence to make calling sure addeth that if we doe these things wee shall neuer fall Now what these things are hee sheweth to wit that they would ioint vertue with their faith and with vertue knowledge with it temperance and with temperance patience with patience godlines with it brotherly kindnes and with brotherly kindnes loue If therfore these graces shine within vs and bee fast rooted in our hearts and vnited in our liues we may assure our soules of our effectuall calling if we do these things we shall neuer fall and if we shall neuer fall then may wee safely conclude that God hath effectually called vs to light and glorie And thus much concerning effectu-vocation which is the first meane whereby God executeth his eternall Election CHAP. 5. What Iustification is All the causes of it Fiue effects of it The subiects and time of it Fiue properties thereof Foure tokens of it THE second is Iustification For those whom hee calleth effectually in time hee also iustifieth actually in time To iustifie is to repute or account one iust Pro. 17.15 He which iustifieth the wicked that is he which reputeth and iudgeth him to be iust is an abomination to the Lord. Luke 16.15 You iustifie your selues before men that is You would be esteemed iust To be iustified is to be cleared or to bee reputed iudged and pronounced iust To be iustified then before God is to be reputed and esteemed righteous in his sight Iustification therefore in his proper significatioÌ„ is an Acceptance wherby God esteemeth vs as righteous being receiued into fauour Or Iustification is a iudiciall and gracious worke of God by which hee iudgeth the Elect being in themselues obnoxious to the accusation and curse of the Law to be iust by faith for Christ through the imputation of his iustice and that vnto the praise of his glorious grace and to their owne saluation The principall efficient of Iustification is God the Father in the Sonne by the holy Spirit For who can forgiue sinnes but God alone It is God that iustifies I saith the Lord euen I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities It 〈◊〉 meet that he should be our pardoner who was our Creator and that he should bee the giuer of grace who was to all the author of nature It is his office to absolue the guiltie by whose iustice hee was made guiltie It beloÌ„gs to him to pronounce a man to be iust whose will is the rule of iustice it is his prerogatiue to giue sentence of life and death because he is by nature right and office the highest Iudge The instrument whereby the benefit of Iustification is offered and proclaimed is the Gospel which therefore is called the word of life the word of saluation the word and ministerie of Reconciliation The outward instruments whereby our iustification is sealed and confirmed to vs are the two Sacramentes and thereupon Circumcision is called the Seale of the righteousnesse of faith The inward Sealer of our iustification is the Holy Ghost who testifieth and sealeth it to our consciences so as that we may perswade our hearts of it The Ministers and liuely instruments for the proclaiming testifying and pronouncing our iustification to vs are the Messengers and Prophets of the Lord according to that of Christ whose sinnes ye remit they shall be remitted to them and whose ye retaine they shall be retained The onely internall instrument whereby we apprehend and receiue the grace of iustification offered vnto vs by God is a true sauing faith Iustifying faith is a gift whereby wee apprehend Christ and his benefits Or it is a worke of Gods Spirit in the heart whereby we receiue and lay hold on Christs obedience for the pardon of our sinnes with God and his accepting of vs as righteous in his â—ight The authour of faith is God For vnto vs It is giuen to beleeue This is the worke of God saith Christ that yee beleeue in him whom hee hath sent Faith both begun and finished is the gift of God as Austen truly teacheth The proper forme and life of faith is not charitie which is a distinct gift of God and a fruite of vnfeigned Faith but the Apprehension and Application of Christ and his benefites vnto our selues particularly The proper obiect of a sauing faith is Iesus Christ God-man and Mediator betwixt God and man Remigius saith My whole faith is in Christ by him alone I beleeue that I am iustified and saued And Beda saith The scope of my faith is Christ the end or marke of my faith whereat it aymeth is the Sonne of God Now to be iustified by faith is to be iustified of God for the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith or as Caluin speaketh he shall be iustified by faith who being excluded from the righteousnesse of works apprehendeth the righteousnesse of Christ by faith wherewith he being inuested doth appeare in the sight of God as righteous and â—ot a sinner So that faith doth iustifie in respect of her obiect onely and not as any meritorious or proper efficient of iustification Euen as the hand that receiueth the treasure which is giuen doth not make the receiuer rich but the treasure it selfe so neither the worke or action of faith doth iustifie vs but Christ himselfe whom we doe apprehend And this faith be it weake or strong is yet able to receiue the righteousnesse of Christ euen as a palsie or shaking hand may receiue a iewel of a king as
shall see the good pleasures of the Lord in the land of the liuing and shall haue an house not made with handes but eternall in the heauens And what greater ioy can any man desire to enioy then to be assured that he is elected to eternal ioy Fourthly this assurance is the more excellent considering the woe of the Reprobates which want it and the wearisome sights and inexplicable terrors of such as are swallowed vp of dispaire Fiftly this priuiledge is the more to be accounted of because we may enioy it dayly through our life and for that the longer we be partakers of it the sweeter it is vnto vs. Lastly this assurance is an infallible argument of true faith by which wee come to Christ we approch to the Father and hasten to heauen For faith is an enemie to doubting and incredulitie and is an vndoubted certenty or perswasion Thus much concerning the subiects of Election It remaineth yet to speak of the properties and signes thereof and thence wee passe to the accomplishent of it The properties of it are especially three First it is most free without all obligation conpulsion externall instigation or preuision of future preparations merits faith For hath not the Potter libertie ouer his clay to make of the same lumpe one a vessell vnto honour and another a vessell to dishonour Who can compell the Almightie Or what is before his will Why did he make no more worldes then one Why did he make choise of the Israelites aboue all nations Why made he no more kindes of creatures or set no more Sunnes to shine in the heauens Who art thou that thou darest dispute with God The will of God saith Austen is the cause of all things that are And Hugo saith that of Gods will which is the cause of all things there is no cause Deus est liberrimum agens God is a most free Agent and doth whatsoeuer he will Therefore Aquinas saith well that the difference betwixt the saued and the damned proceedes from the principall intentions of the first Agent Secondly the decree of Election is from all eternitie not onely before we did beleeue but before wee were Gods Election and reprobation was past vpon Iacob and Esaâ— before they were borne and ere they had done good or euill And the Apostle teacheth that God did chuse vs before the foundation of the world Sedulius saith that God purposed with himselfe ante omnia mundi tempora before the beginning of the world to saue those that beleeue In like manner also S. Austen saith He fore-knew vs before he made vs and elected vs in his fore-knowledge Cum nâ—ndum fecisset when yet he had not made vs. And againe intra mundum facti sumus ante mundum electi sumus wee were made after the world but wee were elected before the world For as one saith well like as Dauid was annointed and appointed to be king long before he entred to his kingdome and as Moses was designed to be the deliuerer of Israel forty yeeres before he exercised his office so the Elect of God were long agoe ordained to saluation though the accomplishment thereof they must expect with patience Thirdly the election of God is constant perpetuall immutable and inuiolable For the principles and first grounds of things are stable and vnmoueable and that which is contingent mutable and vncertaine is therefore barred from being an originall or ground Now the decree of election is the foundation and scaturidge of saluation therefore it is certaine stedfast and vnchangeable Secondly God the author of Election is an immutable vnresistable and constant Agent or Architecht and doth seriously and effectually separate and elect some men vnto himselfe therfore his decree cannot but bee fulfilled Thirdly the Scripture is euident in auouching this truth My counsell saith the Lord shall stand The foundation of God saith Paul remaineth sure The decree of Election is called a foundation for two causes First because it is the beginning and well-spring of our saluation and of all the meanes tending to saluation Secondly it is so termed for the surenesse and firmnesse of it because the same is neuer shaken but remaines immutable For euery foundation hath this necessarie condition that it bee strong and steddy so as that the rest of the building may stay vpon it surely and not be remoued And such a firme foundation is Gods election For whosoeuer are elected shall still remaine elected and shall neuer bee reiected This is my fathers will saith Christ that of all which he hath giuen me I should loose nothing Those whom he loued euer hee loueth for euer Firmissime tene Hold saith S. Augustine most assuredly and nothing doubt at all Neque perire posse aliquem that neither any of those can perish whom God hath predestinated vnto the kingdome of heauen nor that any of those can by any meanes come whom he hath not predestinated vnto life Now if none of the Elect can perish then Gods election remaineth constant So much for the properties the Signes of Election are many First the loue of God is the ground of election And Gods loue is best knowne by his best gifts the best things hee reserueth for those whom he best loueth As Ioseph sent vnto Beniamin more messes of meate and gaue him richer giftes and more costly suites of apparell then to the rest of his brethren so the Lord bestoweth the best gifts vpon his owne children Now the graces of regeration the spirituall gifts of faith hope and loue are without all comparison the most principall Therefore he that hath faith hope and loue may assure himselfe of Gods loue and that hee is in electorum albo in the ranke and roll of Gods elect these being infallible tokens and vndoubted effects of Election and fore-runners of eternall life Secondly there is as one hath excellently deliuered a knowledge in God whereby he knowes who are his and this knowledge brings foorth an other knowledge in vs whereby wee know God for our God There is an election in God which works in the Elect another election wherby they chuse God for their God The loue whereby God loueth vs workes in vs another loue wherby we loue God Christ first apprehends vs this apprehension of his works in vs the appreheÌ„sion of faith wherby we lay hold vpon him Hoec ille If these things therefore be in vs we may conclude infallibly that we are the elect of God For they are the fruits of his loue the works of his spirit therfore irrefragable testimonies and tokens of Election The sun by his light shines vpon vs and by the same light we view and behold the sunne To conclude these also are sure signes of Election which I will set downe as I finde them in the workes of that zealous Preacher 1. A rebuking of sinne inwardly a pouertie of spirit from thence
truely though not so firmely as the hand that is whole and sound And further this sauing faith is the onely hand whereby wee doe receiue Christ and his merites No man is iustified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ Basil saith This is to glorie in the Lord when a man doth not boast of his ovvne righteousnesse but doth acknowledge that hee is destitute of true righteousnes that he is iustified by faith alone in Christ Chrisostom saith Without faith no man hath obtained life but I am able to shew that a faithfull man both liued and obtained the kingdom of heauen without workes For the thiefe did onely beleeue and was iustified It was well said by Roffensis Fides faeta bonis operibus iustificat ante partum Faith being bigge with good works doth iustifie a man before it bring them forth For as S. Augustine saith Good works doe not goe before him that is to be iustified but follow him that iâ— already iustified And though good workes must neuer bee seuered from faith in the person iustified yet they must be sundred in the act of iustification Though the eie bee not alone yet it sees alone and though the head consult inuent alone yet it is not alone but ioyned to the body so though faith be not alone in the faithfull man yet it alone doth iustifie And thus wee see how to esteeme of faith the Sacraments and the Ministers of God alwaies remembring to ascribe our iustification vnto God Father Sonne and Holy Ghost as the proper and principall efficient thereof as the Scriptures teach vs and confessing with Primasius that God doth iustifie the wicked per solam fidem by faith alone and not by workes The internall impulsiue cause of Iustification which mooueth God to iustifie vs is his grace and meere beneuolence and not our works past present or to come how glorious so euer Paul saith we are iustified freely by his grace And Augustine saith that it is the ineffable grace â—f God that hee which is guilty should be iustified Because all men are shut vp vnder sinne the saluation of man as Anselme saith doth not now consist in the merits of men but in the mercie of God Yea Bellarmine himselfe ingeniously confesseth that by reason of the vncertenty of our owne righteousnesse and the danger of vaine glory Iutissimum est it is the safest course to repose our fiduciam Whole confidence in solu Deâ— misericordia in the Sole mercie and goodnesse of God Now then we must not imagine that this grace of God is procured by our workes but that it doth proceed freely from the Lord. No merit of man saith Anselme doth goe before the grace of God Thou hast done no good saith Augustine and yet remission of sinnes is giuen thee Let thy works be marked and they are found euill If God should reward those workes according to their due he should condemne them But God doth not giue thee the punishment that is due but giues thee grace which is not due And againe he saith The grace without which neither Infants nor men of yeares can be saued is not payed by deserts but giuen without desert and thereupon is called grace The externall impulsiue cause or meritorious efficient of our iustification is not our owne workes virtues or obedience First because they bee the Lords due by vertue of many bonds When we haue done all that is biddeÌ„ vs we haue done but our due no more then wee were bound to due Now shall wee thinke that the discharging of one duetie can satisfie Gods iustice for the omission of many dueties and the commission of many faults Secondly all our righteousnesse is as a stained cloth Gregorie saith All mâ—ns righteousnâ—s iâ— found to be vnrighteousnes â—f God strictly iudge it Our very iustice being brought to the rule of Gods iustice is iniustice that stinketh in the sâ—uerity of the Iudge which shineth in the estimation of the Worker And albeit our good works are perfit in respect of the Spirit from whom thee first flow yet are they polluted when they passe from vs because they ruÌ„ through our corrupted hearts and wils as faire water which runnes through a dirty channell Shall wee now say that our perfect righteousnesse can merit any thing of that righteous Iudge before whose iustice nothing polluted can stand vncondemned Wo vnto the laudable life of men sath Aâ—gustine if God should examine it and lay aside his mercie Thirdly our best actions are not answerable to the benefits of iustification But in reason hee which meanes to merit any thing must bring that which is equal to that which hee seekes to merit fourthly he that wil merit of another must not thinke to merit of him vnâ—esse he bring some thing of his owne to merit with and not that which is his of whom hee doth intend to merit But all our vertues our Faith and good workes are Gods so farre as they bee good and not ours For what haue we which wee haue not receiued Without me saith Christ Ye can dâ—e nothing Of our selues we are not able to thinke one good thought When we eâ—ther beleeue or worke though that faith be ours and albeit the workes â—e ours yet when we haue them we haue them not of our selues but they are giuâ—n of God Whatsoeuer saith Augustine Cornelius wrought well Totum Dâ—o dandam est it must all be ascribed vnto God lest any maÌ„ happily should exalt himself Therfore it is absurde to think we merit any thing by good deedes Fiftly good workes in nature follow Iuâ—tification Augustine saith Iustification goes before the doers of the law Mâ—â— being iustified by beleeuing begin afâ—erwards to liue righteously And Saint Paul saith that God doth iustifie the Vngodly By which then it is plainâ— that no man is iustified for his works Finally wee haue the sentence of the Scriptures with vs and the iudgement of the auncient Church Wee haue beleeued in Iesus Christ saith Paul that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the lame because that by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified God both saued vs not according to the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to his mercie Ambrose saith Let no man glorie in works because no man is iustified by his works Augustine faith The vngodly is iustified by faith without the merits of good workes Primasius saith It is Gods purpose to iustifie the wicked by faith alone without the workes of the law or any other merits of ours whatsoeuer Hâ—miniâ— iustitia indulgentia Deâ— Gods pardon saith Bernard is mans righteousnesse My merit saith hee is Gods mercie Wee conclude therefore saying with Ambroâ—e Wee are not iustified by works but by faith because fleshly 〈◊〉 is an impedimeÌ„t to
of God for the righteousnes of an other For iustification and remission of sins are the same For to iustifie is for God not to impute sin vnto vs but to accept vs for righteous to absolue or pronounce vs iust for the righteousnesse of Christ imputed The end of Iustification in respect of God is the glory of God in an admirable composition of iustice and mercie of iustice because hee would haue his sonne to satisfie for our sins rather then that they should escape vnpunished and of mercie because it pleased him to impute and appropriate the satisfaction of his sonne vnto vs rather then we wretches should be destroyed But some will perhaps imagine that God shewed neither iustice nor mercie no iustice because he punished an innocent for the nocent set his teeth on edge whereas they had eaten the soure grapes and no mercie because hee forgaue none without a satisfaction It is true indeed that the innocent was punished but yet it was done willingly and not by constraint and he was of the same nature with the nocent and was also such a potent innocent as that he did satisfie the iustice of the Iudge to the vtmost and conquer all his punishments with facilitie Neither must we deeme the mercie of God to be withheld or not exhibited because he did not forgiue without a satisfaction For first it was of his sole benignitie and perfect mercie without the preuision of any merit that he came to satisfie who made the satisfaction for vs. Herein saith Iohn is that loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to be a reconciliation for our sins Secondly it is his grace that hee doth apply the satisfaction of his sonne vnto vs who were disposed thereunto by no gift or merit Thirdly we must consider that Gods iustice is so infinitely absolute as that we could not bee iustified without a Mediator God could not forgiue sinne without a satisfaction For otherwise what need was there that the soone of GOD should be brought as he was to such horrible miserie and to such an accursed death A kinde father would try any way rather then he would expose his owne and onely sonne to extreame terrors and miserie And lest any man should imagine that it is in Gods power to remit or to reteine sinnes like debts we must know that there are two kinds of debts For there is a debt which eclipseth and hurteth the honour of the Creditor and there is also a debt which doth not touch it If the debt do not hurt his honour it may vvith great encrease of honour be rmitted vvithout any recompence at all as vvhen a king forgiueth his seruant the debt of some thousands of câ—ovvnes This debt as it did not hurt the maiestie of the king so it might be forgiuen vvithout anie hurt to his maiestie But if debts doe hurt the honour and maiestie of the Creditour and doe directlie impugne his nature and glorie vvithout doubt they cannot at his pleasure be remitted vvithout satisfaction And such debts are sins at vvhich infringe the rule of Gods eternall vvill are enemies to it so as that they cannot be purged and forgiuen vvithout a penaltie but Gods iustice and vprightnes vvill bee diminished But yet though his mercie could not shoulder out his iustice or any whit eclipse it yet his iustice did not bereaue him of his mercie For of his ovvne meere mercie hee found out the way to redeeme and saue vs when we did not so much as thinke of any such thing and therefore as we ought to admire the seueritie of his iustice so we should also magnifie his endles grace and mercie The endes of Iustification in respect of our selues are that we may be pleasing vnto God that wee may haue peace of conscience and true tranquilitie of minde that being redeemed from miserie wee might bee saued and finally that wee should striue against the streame of our owne corruptions and keepe a constant course in pietie or to vse the words of Zacharie That wee being deliuered out of the handes of our enemies should serue him without feare all the daies of our life in holinesse and righteousnesse before him For Christ gaue himselfe for vs that wee should be zealous of good vvorkes and bare our sinnes on the crosse that vve being dead to sinne should liue is righteousnesse To this end saith Bucanus are wee iustified by faith for Christ that the old man being abolished by the efficacie of Christ crucified Christ may liue in vs and wee by the study of good workes may shew our selues thankefull vnto God for so great a benefite Therefore Paul almost in all his Epistles drawes his doctrine of sanctification and good workes out of the doctrine of Faith or Iustification as the effect out of the cause or as an necessarie consequent from the Antecedent Hâ—c ille In like maner Augustine saith Christ died for the vvicked but not that the wicked should remaine dead but that being iustified they should be conuerted from vvickednesse beleeuing in him vvhich iustifieth the vngodly For God hateth impietie And againe Grace doth iustifie or hee iustifies by grace that he which is iustified might like iustly So then one maine end of our iustificatioÌ„ is that abandoning all iniquitie we should lead our liues in sanctitie The effects and consequents of Iustification are diuers The immediate effect of Iustification is adoption by vvhich the Elect doe now actually please God as his sonnes and coheires of Christ For so soone as the Electare absolued from their sinnes they are foorthwith adopted into the right â—nd priuiledges of the children of God A second effect of Iustification is peace of conscience to wit when we perceiue our selues to be deliuered from our sins before Gods iudgemeÌ„t seat and the iudgement of our owne conscience For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and being iustified by faith wee haue peace vvith God euen that peace vvhich passeth all vnderstanding whereas there is no true peace to the wicked but they are like the raging sea that cannot rest vvhose waters cast vp mudde and mire or else they are structen with a spirituall Apoplexcy which hath reaued them of all true sense and are so benummed in their conscience that they can feele nothing till it be roused and awaked Thirdly our iustification makes vs haue accesse to God by prayer with confidence to be heard for Christ For sinne was the Make-bate and wall of partition betwixt God and vs now our sinnes are done away when wee are iustified and therefore with boldnesse wee may approach vnto the throne of Grace We haue now receiued the Spirit of adoption by vvhich vvee crâ—e Abba Father that is by vvhich vve conceiue very good hope in him to vvhom wee pray like suppliants that hee will in fatherly affection tovvard vs giue
work and with Primatius God doth iustifie the vngodly but not by works which â—e wanteth For if he should iustifie him according to workes he must be punished and not deliuered The externall moâ—â—er then and meritorious efficient of our Iustification is Christ by his obedience For God made him to be sinne for vs who knew no sinne that â—e should be made the rightousnesse of God in him Wee are iustified through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set foorth to bee a reconciliation through faith in his blood Augustine saith Christ alone hath 〈…〉 the punishment for vs without his 〈◊〉 demerits that we might obtaine grace by him without good merits Christ saith Basill is true righteousnesse vvho is made vnto vs of God righteousnesse vvisdom sanctification and redemption As the 〈◊〉 couered the dike and the Decalogue so he couereth 〈◊〉 sinne and hee hides our bodies and soules from the furious indignation and vengeance of God Now the obedience of Christ is two-fold actiue and passiue The former stands in his perfite fulfilling of the Law the latter is contained in his passion both in life and death By the passion of Christ our sinnes are remitted Therefore Peter saâ—th that he bare our sinnes vpon the Crosse And Iohn likewise saith that he washed vâ— from our sinnes in his blood And long before them the Prophet Esay saith that he was vvounded for our transgressions and by his stripes we are healed Remission of sins saith Chrysostome is on the blood of Christ His death saith Amâ—â—ose is the iustification of sinners By it gods iustice is fully satisfied his wrath is appealed and â—ll punishments temporall and eternall deserued by sin are quite remoued By his fulfilling of the Law we are reputed and esteemed righteous For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth â—e was made vnto vs of God righteousnes By the obedience of this one maniâ— shall be made righteous Lord saith Bernard I will remember thy righteousnes onely for that is also mine For thou art made vnto me righteousnes of God Now this his righteousnesse is not ours but his originally is made ours by Gods tree imputation It is imputed to vs by God accounted ours Christ being our Suretie and standing in our stead and so appropriated to vs as if we had performed it in our owne persons Bernard saith that the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed to vs. And againe the iustice of another is assigned vnto man because he wanted his owne The satisfaction of one is imputed vnto all And no maÌ„ must thinke it strange that the obedience of Christ could satisfie for the disobedience of all the Elect make them to bee reputed righteous with God For in that it was the obedience of God that is of that holy man who was true God it was of endlesse merit of inualuable value with the Lord. The perfection and merit of this obedience comes from the dignity of his person that did obey And though iustification bee through Christ yet God may bee sayed to iustify freely because it comes freely to vs wee doe nothing for it and because also it was his free loue which moued him to send his sonne to suffer for our sins and to fulfil the Law fully for vs. Neither must any man imagine that Christ did not fulfill the Law for vs but for himselfe onely and consequently that his actiue obedience is not imputed to vs. For Christ is not onely our redemption but he is also the perfection of the Lawe for vs that beleeue in him Whereupon it is that Ambrose saith He hath the perfection of the Law who beleeueth in Christ Moreouer Whole Christ is giuen vnto vs with his benefits Otherwise if his Passiue obedience were onely imputed to vs it would follow that haâ—fe Christ were onely giuen vs Patientem non Agentem to wit as he is a Patient and not an Agent or dooer of those things which are pleasing to his Father and auferentem peccatâ— onely as he takes away sin and death and not affâ—rentem iustitiam bringing righteousnes But he was not borne for himselfe but for vs and was giuen vnto vs that hee might both doe for vs the things that were to be done and suffer the things which were to be suffered Againe Christ as man fulfilled the Lawe for himselfe that hee might be in both natures an holy high Priest so continue Neuerthelesse as Mediatour God and Man hee became subiect to the Law and in this regard he did not fulfill tâ—â— Lawe for himselfe neither was he bound so to doe Neither must this seeme strange to any that the Law should both exact obedience and the penalty too For howsoeuer in the state of innocency the Law threatned the penaltie and onely exacted obedience yet since the fall it doth both exact obedience the punishment The threatning of the Law exacts the punishment the precepts exact obedience And albeit Christ hath kept the Law fully for vs yet none must from thence conclude that therefore we are not bound to keepe the Law â—hat saith one which Christ did we are not bound to doe for the same end and in the same maner Now he fulfilled the law in way of redemption and satisfaction for vs and so doe not we fulfill the Law but onely in the way of thankefulnesse for our redemption And though we be bound to obey the Lawe yet wee must not thinke that God will reiect our obedience for the weakenes of it as hee would haue reiected Christs if his had beene imperfect For he was our Mediatour and therefore his obedience was of necessitie to be most perfect or else Gods iustice had not been satisfied and so we had perished and besides all our imperfections and defects whatsoeuer are couered with his perfection as with a vaile and so our weake obedience is accepted and not contemned Finally for our comfort we must know that if we respect the Trueth of that righteousnes which is imputed to vs weare accounted as truly righteous before God as Christ himselfe is but if we regard the quantity and subiect Christ is more iust theÌ„ we Because he is originally and actually righteous but we by imputation he is subiectiuely iust and by inherency but we by application relation in him and vnto him And yet we must not therefore thinke our selues to be redeemers For his obedience is imputed to vs onely for our owne redemption and not as it is the price of redemption for all the Elect. As for example Christs righteousnes is imputed to Peter not as it is the price of redemption for All but as it is the price of redemption for Peter And so much for the efficient causes of our Iustification The matter of iustification according as are the parts thereof is twofold Remission of
vs thâ—se things vve stand in need of Fourthly Iustification begets patience in afflictions and makes a man reioice in the middest of tribulations Being iustified by Faith wee haue peace to Godward Neither that only but also we reioice in tribulations knovving that tribulation produceth patience to wit through the perswasion of our reconciliation vnto God and our assurance that all things how bitter and grieuous soeuer doe worke for the best vnto them that loue God and are pleasing to him Lastly Glorification is an inseparable companion and a notable effect of Iustification Being freed from sinne and made seruants vnto God yee haue your fruit in holinesse and the end euerlasting life The obedience of Christ by grace imputed to vs and by Faith receiued of vs workes in vs a desire care and endeuour to obey God His death for which our sins are remitted works in vs another death whereby wee die to sinne And his glorious righteousnesse wherewith wee are inuested and made to bee reputed righteous doth merit for vs eternall life and glorie The subiect of Iustification or the persons that are iustified or to whom Iustification doth belong are the Elect of God the sheep of Christ euen all that are predestinated vnto life For therefore the Scriptures speak on this sort The Lord hath laied vpon him the iniquitie of vs all I laie dovvne my life for my sheepe Whom hee did predestinate hee hath also iustified Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all how shall he not vvith him giue vs all things also But for what vs saith Augustine Euen for them vvhich are fore-knowen praedestinated iustified and glorfiied Haimo saith Christ hath taken avvaie in the Elect not onely originall sinne but all actuall offences also and hath moreouer giuen the euerlasting life Radnulphus also saith that the blood of the High-priest Christ vvas the expiation of all Beleeuers I adde further that the Elect are the onely persons to whom this worthy worke of God belongs and none but they First the Scripture is euident By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie Manie He bare the sinne of manie His blood vvas shed for manie for the remission of sins Hee vvas once offered to take awaie the sinnes of manie The Scripture saith Manie and not All without the exception of any Thou shall call his Name Iesus for he shal same his people from their sinnes Now all are not his For his people are his sheep and his sheepe are the deuils Goaets all are not his sheepe Yee beleeue not saith Christ for yee are not of my sheepe Some men haue neuer faith therefore some are neuer iustified Secondly for whom Christ did not pray for them hee did not sacrifice because to intercede and to sacrifice are conioyned But Christ prayed onely for the Elect and for Beleeuers and in praying did offer himselfe to the Father I praie for them saith Christ I praie not for the world but for them which thou hast giueÌ„ me for they are thine And for their sakes I sanctifie my selfe I praie not for these alone but for them also which beleeue in me Origen saith accordingly Hom. 9. in Leuit. that Christ prayth Onelie for those which are the Lordes portion Augustine saith There is a world of the damned for this world Christ praieth not And there if a world of those that are to be saued for this world Christ praieth And likewise Cyrill The Lord Iesus putting a difference betwixt his and such as were not his for those onelie saith he I praie which keepe my word and haue taken my yoke For to whom he is a Mediatour and High-priest on them only he bestowes the benefit of Meditation Therefore the Elect and faithfull are only iustified redeemed by Christ Thirdly Christ gaue himselfe that he might sanctifie to himselfe a peculiar people that is a people selected out of others as a precious treasure and his owne proper goods Therefore it was not Christs intention to giue himselfe to be a ransome for all and euery one alike Lastly regeneration and life eternall belong not to all All men doe not die to sinne and liue to God and the kingdome of God shall be giuen to them for whom it is preprared Many shall be excluded Therefore all are not iustified For they that are iustified shal be also glorified Isychius saith that Christ who suffered for vs hath deliuered vs from sinne and from the bondage of it And Augustine more plainly Euerie one that is generated is damned and no man is deliuered but he that is regenerated And againe God gaue a great price bought those whom he doth reuiue It is manifest therefore that the Elect are onely partakers of the merits of Christ and iustified in the sight of God For whereas Christ is said to take awaie the sinnes of the world here the vvorld only that is the vniuersall coÌ„panie of the Elect which are taken from all degrees and callings in the world is to he vnderstood For there is as it were a little world of the Elect. Eusebius saith Christ hath suffered for the saluation of the vvorld of those that shal be saued And S. Augustine hauing made a distinction of Worlds saith that this vvorld which God doth reconcile vnto himselfe in Christ and which is saued by Christ and to which euerie sinne is remitted through Christ is elected ouâ— of the maligning damned and defiled world And though the Apostle say that hee gaue himselfe a ransome for all men yet we must in no wise therefore conclude that all are iustified without exception For the word All as Aristotle in his Politiques hath obserued signifieth either euerie one in particular and then it is takeÌ„ distributiuely or else Not each particular and then it is taken collectiuelie signifieth anie not ech many not al without exception of any Whereas then the Apostle saith that Christ gaue himselfe a ransome for All he meaneth al beleeuers of what condition or couÌ„trey soeuer Neither 〈◊〉 it any new thing that the word All should be taken in such a sense seeing the like examples may be found as in Luk. 11.42 Woe be to you Pharisies for you â—â—the mint rue and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all hearbes that is hearbs of euerie kinde So Christ is said to heale Euerie disease that is all kinds of diseases All Iudea is said to goe out to Iohn Baptist Multi Omnes in Paulo idem sunt Manie saith Sedulius and Al are the same with Paul It is true indeed I grant that the obedience of Christ being the obedience of God was in it self sufficient to haue procured the Iustification of all without exception but if wee respect either Gods decree or Christs intention it is appropriated to the Elect and belongs to none but them Innocentius saith His blood was shed
affections make vs to sprout vp and looke fresh like flowers The meritorious cause of sanctification is Iesus Christ who by his death and obedience hath merited for vs thâ—t the holy Ghost should bee giuen vs to refine and purge vs. And therefore he is said to be made of God vnto vs Sanctification As by Adam our nature is corrupted euen so by Christ it is restored The Ministers of the word are gods liuely Organs which he vseth to draw men out of the territories and regimeÌ„t of the Diueâ— into the kingdome oâ— his sonne Paul is said to be sent to conuert the Gentiles from darkenes vnto light to the Corinths he saith In Christ Iesus I haue begotten you by the Gospell The instruments which he vseth to this purpose are the word and sacraments Gods word is compared to fire and to an hammer For through his blessing it doth breake our marble hearts and burne vp our sin like stubble and kindles in vs a zeale of his glorie a true loue of righteousnes And by the foolishnes of preaching it is his pleasure to saue them that beleeue And as concerning the sacraments they represent and seale vnto vs our insition into Christ our new birth and our progresse and spirituall nutrition vnto eternall life The matter of Sanctification are the parts whereof it doth consist The parts or actes of sanctification are two the Remotion of euill or Mortification and the Substitution of good or Viâ—ification Mortification is a part of Sanctification whereby the power strength and tyrannie of originall sinne is weakned and also by little and little abolished The ground wherof is the power of Christs God-head or the efficacie of his death which being by faith applyed is as a Corafine to consume the corruption of our nature Viuification is the second part of our Regeneration when as wee are raised vp to a new spirituall life that we might liue vnto righteousnes Or it is a work of the spirit by which true Christian habits virtues and dispositions are infused encreased in vs. And this substitution of good or Quickening is Where Christ dwels and raignes in our hearts by his spirit so as we can say we hencefoorth liue not but Christ in vs. The ground of this is the vertue of Christs resurrection or the power of his God-head raising vp his Man head releasing him of the punishment and tyrannie of our sinnes which vertue and power is as a Restoratiue to restore and quicken vs that we might liue vnto God in holinesse and newnesse of life Mortification then is of the Oldâ— man which is the vitiositie and distemper of our nature deriued from Adam the first ViuificatioÌ„ is of the New man which is the nature of man refined and restored to the image of God and this is deriued from Adam the second in whom are hid all the treâ—sures of wisâ—â—â— knowledge and holinesse The forme of Sanctification is the very translation and alteration of the heart and life or a spirituall reduction and conuersion of a man by God from the vncleannes of sinne to true puritie and Christian sanctitie The endes of our Sanctification are the glorie of God the saluation of our soules the edification of our Brethren the beautifying of our honorable prosession and calling the silencing of Athiests and prophane Mockgods the alluring of others vnto God godlines that we might bee something like God our father and Christ our elder brother and gather assurance to our soules that weâ— are in the state of life The effects of Sanctification are first the true loue of God our selues and our neighbours Secondly a serious desire to doe all good duties and to auoyd all the courses of sinne and wickednes Thirdly it makes him that is sanctified to couet and labour for the renouation and conuersion of others Finally it is the roote of all those good fruites wee bring foorth and beare For if the fountaine bee altogether corrupt and foule the waters must needs be also naught and fithy For who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse There is not one But when a man is once truely sanctified though not fully the good workes he doth are then truely holy though not fully The Subiects of Sanctification or or the persons sanctified are such as are elected called and iustified and therfore the Apostle saith that whom God predestinated called and iustified he did also glorifie These and none but these are truely sanctified For God sanctifies those only whom he maketh to be Temples of his spirit but all men are not such yea there are a number in the world that sit in perpetuall darknesse and worship the very deuill Indeed a Reprobate may seeme holy but he is not holy but is like a faire apple rotten in the heart or to a wound that hath a skin drawen ouer it but yet festers inwardly And they may liue amongst Gods holy one as Frogs and fishes in one pond but they are not of them but indeed pertaine to another state And finally Christ is sanctification to those onely to whom hee is wisedome righteousnesse and redemption which he is not vnto all but vnto his owne people onely Now why Christ doth not communicate holinesse vnto all as Adam did corruption the reason is because the maner by vvhich Adam doth communicate his euils vnto all and euery one is naturall to wit generation and humane nature but the maner by which Christ doth communicate his benefits is supernaturall to wit faith and the grace of God whereof all men are not pertakers for it dependeth on Gods Election Therefore whosoeuer haue humane nature the same are sinners But they onely are renewed who are possessed of faith Furthermore those which are sanctified must be considered in a twofold estate first as they are in themselues till God doe worke vpon them and that is lothsome and vgly dead in sinnes and trespasses Euen when we were dead in sins hath hee quickned vs together in Christ Secondly as they are made by grace that is a royall priesthood an holy nation and the Temples of God and of his Spirit Finally these things are worthy to be knowen concerning the regenerate First their Countrey which is heauen Secondly their Parents to wit the holy Ghost and the Church Thirdly their Essentiall parts these are an intelligent soule and an organicall body Fourthly their food which is the word of God Fiftly their disposition or condition that in the minde is a diuine light and reformation in heart Sixtly their war-fare or indeuours which is the flight of the pleasures of the flesh and of fleshly vanities Seauenthly their Religion and that is true godlinesse and faith in Christ Lastly their consummation which is eternall life The obiects or two termes of Sanctification are corruption and sinne to bee diminished and extirped and Christian holinesse to bee planted inpired and augmented The