on earth he might exalt vs thither whither else not euen Adams best obedience could euer haue brought him much lesse ours Which may answer to a question that here may be fitly moued Quest. Whether the obedience of the whole Law of God wrought by Christ for vs is auaileable as to redeeme vs from the punishment of sinne so to purchase vnto vs eternall life in heauen The reason of the question is because not the Law if it had beene for euer perfectly fulfilled by Adam had any promise of that eternall life and immediate vision in heauen but only of this life Heauen is not within the Couenant of workes Answ. True it is that the fulfilling of the Law in it selfe simply considered hath no proportion with that endlesse life aboue For the first Adam was of the earth earthly and all his happinesse promised vpon the condition of keeping the Law for ought is reuealed or can be demonstrated was terrestriall But now forasmuch as the Law is fulfilled by Christ this obedience reacheth to a higher reward because there is a higher promise made than that of the first Adam Because Christ the second Adam is the Lord from heauen the Eternal whose Kingdom is not of this world but of a better a heauenly whose house is not made with hands So that his obedience to the Law in regard of his person becomes a rich and inestimable purchase of that better Kingdome for vs. For as is the heauenly such are they that are heauenly to wit the generation of God in and by Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 48. 49. 50. vide Iohn 3. 13. No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he c. Thus haue we proued out of the holy Scriptures how the formall cause of iustification or that which giues a perfect being to our iustification making vs perfectly iust in the sight of God is the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs and that euen of his whole righteousnesse actiue in his life and passiue in his death And that the formall cause of our iustification is not within vs but without vs not inherent but by imputation may easily appeare from the maine difference betweene the first Couenant and the second The first Couenant was that which was made with Adam in Paradise Doe this and liue the second that made with man after his fal Beleeue and liue So the first Couenant was of workes the second of faith the first of an inherent righteousnesse of our owne the second of a righteousnesse without vs not our owne simply but by relation namely made ours to wit Christs righteousnesse who of God is made vnto vs righteousnesse called in Scriptures the righteousnesse which is of faith Not to obserue and know this difference well is the ready way to leade men into all errour of this mysterie of God The Apostle doth notably set downe this difference between the first and second Couenant as termes infinitely opposite and admitting of no reconciliation Rom. 10. 3. when hee saith that the Iewes being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse haue not submitted themselues to the vnrighteousnesse of God For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth For Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall liue by them But the righteousnesse which is of Faith is to confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and to beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from the dead and thou shalt be saued Also Rom. 11. 6. If it be by grace it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace but if it bee of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke Also Rom. 4. the Apostle setting downe this same opposition betweene the Couenant of workes and of faith saith on this wise v. 2. c. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God For what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Euen as Dauid also describeth the blessednesse of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne What clearer Testimonies Yea this did God himselfe teach vs not obscurely by his own act Gen. 3. For when Adam had forfeited the first Couenant which was of workes made with him in Paradise before his fall and after his fall had made with him another Couenant to wit of faith in Christ the promised seede of the woman What doth God thereupon Hee shuts man out of Paradise and from the Tree of life lest putting forth his hand hee should take of it and liue for euer What is meant hereby Paradise was not only the place but also did signifie the happy condition of Adams blessednesse which he was to enioy in his innocencie the Tree of life was a sacrament and symbol of life appointed as a speciall meanes to preserue man from dying or decaying in his naturall strength so long as he continued in his obedience But by disobedience hee forfeited the Couenant brake the condition lost his former happinesse and was depriued of the meanes of that life wherein hee should haue liued for euer vpon earth Now God shutting him out from the earthly Paradise the place of earthly blisse and from the Tree of life the sacrament and symbol of immortalitie and hauing shewed vnto him another Tree of life in the middest of the Paradise of God to wit Iesus Christ who is very God and eternall life which whosoeuer by reaching out the hand of Faith eateth of shall liue for euer God I say doth hereby plainely teach vs that in attaining to the heauenly Paradise by the Tree of life Iesus Christ wee must not haue any more to doe with the things pertaining to the first Couenant now altogether forfeited and from which Adam and his posteritie is for euer banished neuer to returne or intermeddle there any more Gen. 3 22. 23. 24. Therefore to teach and beleeue the doctrine of an inherent righteousnesse whereby to attaine eternall life is euen as it were in despite of God and of his holy Angels the Cherubims keeping the way of the Tree of life to reuiue the old Couenant of workes againe and with the hand of the body to wit good workes reach out to take of the tree of life This is a Babylonish confounding of the two Couenants which stand vpon such irreconcileable termes of difference Is there no more difference betweene Do this and liue and Beleeue and liue betweene mans owne righteousnesse and Gods righteousnesse the establishing of the one being the abolishing
here good Reader that these Pontificians howsoeuer they would magnifie and preferre their vulgar Latine translation before the originall Hebrew and Greeke yet where it makes not for them they can appeale to the originall as Vega doth here For indeede the Latine vulgar addeth in the foresaid place of the Apostle Rom. 3. 22. In cum saying Iustitia autem Dei per fidem Iesu Christi in omnes super omnes qui credunt in eum The righteousnesse of God by Faith in Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue in him But note the spirit of the Trent Councell cannot endure to say or heare Credere in Christum to beleeue in Christ. Vega here disclaimes it as not found in the Greeke though the Apostle doth vse this Phrase in the very same Epistle to the Romanes at the least fiue times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beleeue in him And in the one Gospell of S. Iohn this phrase to beleeue in eum in him is vsed aboue thirty times yet the Councell of Trent in her whole sixt session of iustification doth not so much as once name credere in eum to beleeue in him which may make a man suspect there is something in this phrase which will not agree with the Councels stomacke But for as much as we touched a little before how that Vega attributeth our vnion with Christ to Faith vnformed and that the Councell saith that not faith alone without hope and charity doth eyther perfectly vnite to Christ or make one a liuing member of his bodie to reconcile these two we may easily see how that neyther the Councell doth altogether exclude Faith alone from vniting with Christ sauing that alone it doth not perfectly vnite nor make a liuing member but yet a dead member of Christ as they say nor Vega so admit of faith vnformed to incorporate vs into Christ saue that it doth it imperfectly and makes men only not liuing members So that in this worke of vnion Vega makes this difference betweene Faith formed and vnformed that the vnformed procureth the holy Ghost and righteousnesse and causeth Christ to dwell in vs and faith formed with charity causeth both Christ and the holy Ghost to dwell in our hearts and the Kingdome of heauen to bee within vs. But extricating our selues out of these Romane perplexities and serpentine windings wee may easily see how the Scriptures ascribe our vnion with Christ vnto faith euen by that vsuall phrase of Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere in eum to beleeue in him or rather as the phrase importeth to beleeue into him A phrase which the Pontificians doe so much abhorre but such as Augustine doth set forth our vnion with Christ by as we see in that very place alledged out of him by Vega Credere in Christum est credendo in eum ire eius membris incorporari to beleeue in Christ is by beleeuing to go into him to be incorporated into his members And again Hoc est credere in Deum credendo ei adhaerere This is to beleeue in God by beleeuing to adhere or cleaue vnto him As that reuolting generation of Ephraim credidit Deo sed non credidit in Deum non ex fide adhaesit Deo Ephraim beleeued God but did not beleeue in God did not by faith cleaue vnto God And De verbis Domini he saith Qui in Christum credit credendo in Christum veniet in eum Christus quoquo modo vnitur in eum membrum in corpore eius efficitur Hee that beleeueth in Christ by beleeuing in Christ Christ will come into him and he is altogether vnited vnto him or rather in eum into him and is made a member in his body But note here a maine difference betweene St. Augustines sincerity and the Councell of Trents double dealing equiuocation For Augustine in the same place before mentioned saith that this faith which vniteth vs to Christ and Christ to vs hath euer hope and loue inseparably ioyned with it else it is not that faith Quae credit in Christum which beleeueth in Christ or into Christ His words are I lle credit in Christum qui sperat in Christum diligit Christum Nam si fidem habet sine spe ac sine dilectione Christum esse credit non in Christum credit Hee beleeueth in Christ who also hopeth in Christ and loueth Christ For if hee haue faith without hope and without loue hee beleeueth that Christ is but beleeueth not in Christ. Yet we see that this holy man ascribeth our vnion with Christ to the act of beleeuing which is the prime property of faith and not to the acts of hoping and louing which are the secondary qualities of it Euen as the act of burning is attributed to the heate of the fire the prime quality of it and not to the light nor to the drinesse of it which are secondary qualities of the fire So that as the fire hath heate hath light hath drieth all of them ioynt qualities in the fire yet it vniteth the combustible matter vnto it selfe or incorporateth it selfe into it not by reason either of the light or of the drieth of it but onely by the heate the prime property of the fire So faith hath beleeuing hath hope hath loue all of them inseparably ioyned vnto faith yet faith vnites the obiect Christ vnto it or vnto the soule not by the vertue of hope and loue but by its most proper act of beleeuing As the same Augustine saith Medicina animae omnium vulnerum vna propitiatio pro delictis hominum est in Christum credere Nec omnino quisquam mundari potest siue ab originali peccato siue ab actuali nisi per fidem coadunentur compaginentur corpori eius qui sine vlla illaecebra carnali conceptus est peccatum non fecit nec inuentus est dolus in er◠eius c. The medicine of all the wounds of the soule and the only propitiation for mens sinnes is to beleeue in Christ. Neither can any man be cleansed either from originall or from actuall sinne vnlesse they be by faith vnited and ioynted into the body of him who without any carnall lust was conceiued and did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth But the Trent Councell with her Pontificians will haue hope and loue so ioyned with faith in working our vnion with Christ as indeede they attribute a greater part of this worke to hope and loue than to faith which is all one as to say the fire doth more burne by vertue of his light and drieth than of his heate which is most absurd Further the Apostle sheweth this vnion by faith Ephes. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Now this dwelling is reciprocall and mutuall for as Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith so wee dwell in him by faith and so by faith are made one with Christ. Againe Rom. 11. 19. 20. Thou
Abraham is iustified so euery sonne of Abraham to wit euery beleeuer is iustified namely by faith and not by workes Now was not beleeuing Abraham a regenerate person Did he not bring forth many fruits of faith many good workes of charity piety mercy hospitality obedience humility and the like yet none of these come within the account of his iustification in the sight of God For to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Therefore though the Pontificians would neuer so faine foist and croud in by head and shoulders their workes comming after faith whereby they may be iustified yet they are all thrust out by the Apostle as those workers were shut out of Heauen by Christ Mat. 7. 22. 23. except they could either bring the Text within the compasse of their Index expurgatorius as they haue done the glosse and sentences of Fathers in the like kind or proue Abraham an vnregenerate person or force the Apostle to say that though Abraham were not iustified by workes but by faith yet Abraham was iustified first by faith and then by workes Yea but say they although Paul make no mention of Abrahams iustification by workes yet Iames another Apostle saith plainly Was not Abraham our father iustified by works when he had offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar Therefore Abraham was iustified not onely by faith but by works also Therefore to loose this Gordian knot wherein the Pontificians so much triumph wee will vse no other sword not Alexanders but the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God to cut it asunder At the first sight Paul and Iames seeme to be at great oddes the one ascribing iustification to faith without workes the other to faith and workes In both the Pontificians vnderstand one and the same iustification in kinde but to differ only in degree or order as Pauls iustification to be the first and that of Iames the second but both iustifying in the sight of God But we shall finde it far otherwise namely that these two Apostles doe speak of two different iustifications differing not in degree or order but in kinde and quality So that Paul speakes of that iustification whereby a man stands iust in the presence of God which is attributed to faith and not to workes at all and Iames of another iustification namely of a testification of a mans faith declaring a man to be a true beleeuer by good workes which are the proper fruits and effects of sauing and iustifying faith For if Iames should-vnderstand by being iustified by faith and workes together such a iustification as makes a man iust in the sight of God then he should directly crosse his fellow-Apostle who shuts out all workes from hauing any thing to doe in our iustification in Gods sight For Paul saith Rom 4. 2. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God But Iames saith Abraham was iustified by workes therefore this iustification of Abraham by workes was not that iustification which makes a man to reioyce before God to wit the iustification by faith which Paul directly opposeth to iustification by workes Rom. 4. Now that Iames speaketh of iustification by workes and not by faith onely as vnderstanding a testification and demonstration of sound and sauing faith is euident by the whole passage of his second Chapter where the Apostle exhorting to workes of mercy and charity and meeting with false professors that turned the grace of God into wantonnesse professing they had faith but made no conscience of a Christian conuersation to testifie the truth and life of their faith by good workes hereupon he inferreth ver 14. What doth it profit my brethren though a man say hee hath faith and haue no workes can the faith saue him No that faith which is without workes is dead and cannot saue a man Yea such a faith is no better than that of Diuels Well yet thou saist thou hast faith But there is as well a dead faith as a liuing faith a faith common with Diuels as a faith proper to beleeuers a sauing faith as a deceiuing faith Shew mee therefore whether thou hast that-liuing sauing faith of true beleeuers or no. It is not enough to say thou hast this faith vnlesse thou canst proue it It is one thing to say it another to haue it Now the proofe of it is by the fruits of it to wit good workes as the tree is knowne by the fruits For the liuing sauing Faith is not an idle but an operatiue working Faith it is a Faith euer working by loue Therefore as the man saith to his Neighbour vers 18. Thou hast Faith and I haue workes shew me thy Faith without thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes In which words the Apostle puts a plaine difference betweene a dead and a liuing faith which yet we are not able to iudge of or to discerne one from another but by good workes and so speakes here of no other iustification by workes but only such as is declaratiue or demonstratiue in the sight of men as it is said here Shew me thy Faith by thy workes So that wee see here how it is the Apostles drift to discouer the true sauing liuing Faith from a false counterfeit and dead faith which notwithstanding vaine professors so much glory of Hereupon the Apostle instanceth the Faith of Abraham and Rahab which was proued to bee a liuing and sauing Faith by the fruits and effects of it Note the Apostles Context seriously and with iudgement In the 20. vers Wilt thou know O vaine man that Faith without workes is dead Was not Abraham our father iustified by workes when hee had offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar Seest thou how Faith wrought with his workes and by workes was Faith made perfect And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God Ye see then how that by workes a man is iustified and not by Faith onely First Faith without workes is dead But Abraham was iustified by Faith But by what Faith Was it a liuing and sauing Faith that Abraham had Yes How doth that appeare By his workes euen by the workes of Faith which gaue testimony to his Faith that it was a liuing sauing and iustifying Faith for by workes his Faith was made perfect not that his workes added any being of perfection to his Faith but by way of demonstration and testimony onely As we haue the like phrase in Matth. 21. 16. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfited praise not that Gods praise and glory receiued any addition of perfection by the mouth of those babes but onely in respect of the promulgation and declaration of his praise So here As also the Apostle inferreth in the next words vers 23. Thus the Scripture
was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse Note here how Iames varieth not one iot from the truth of the Scripture which ascribeth iustification to Abrahams Faith without workes for hee vseth the very same Scripture which Paul vseth to shew iustification by Faith without workes Yea but he addeth in the next verse Ye see then how that by workes a man is iustified and not by Faith only This conclusion seems to smile vpon the Papists but in truth it derides theirfolly for we see the Apostle doth no other here but conclude the former premises shewing what is that Faith which is imputed to a man for righteousnesse to wit not a dead and idle Faith but a liuing and working Faith testified by the proper fruits and effects of it good workes So that Abraham being said to be iustified by workes and not by Faith onely it is but to proue his Faith by his workes and that hee was declared to be iustified by Faith through the euidence of his workes whereby hee was declared iust in the sight of men to whom Faith comes to be testified only by good workes The like is to bee vnderstood of Rahabs iustification by workes for it is another instance seruing to the same purpose of the Apostle to distinguish a liuing and sauing Faith from a dead and vnprofitable Faith And this the Apostle concludeth together with the Chapter with a reason drawne from a similitude For saith hee as the body without the Spirit is dead euen so Faith without workes is dead also Note here how the Apostle most aptly concludeth the constant and vniforme current of this Chapter concerning the difference betweene a dead and a liuing Faith which are as it were the two hinges of the Chapter As the body without the spirit is dead euen so Faith without workes is dead also The Pontificians vpon this place doe ground their informing of Faith by charity as if Faith were altogether without forme and life vntill charity be infused into it but their collection is most improper and swarueth not onely from the property of the comparison but also from the maine purpose of the Apostle For the Apostle saith As the body without the Spirit is dead he saith not As the body without the soule is dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without spirit or breath for so the word signifieth Now if they would herein as they doe vpon other occasions altogether impertinent consult with Philosophy it would tell them that there are three things concurring to the composition of a liuing man the soule the body and the spirit The soule is that which informeth and giueth life to the body but the spirit by which they say the soule body are vnited is that whereby also the man doth breathe and whereby he is knowne to liue For so long as there is breath in a man wee know him to be aliue when a man Iyes in a swoune or trance without any motion to know whether he be dead or no we take a Chrystall glasse or such like to discerne whether hee breathe or no if he breathe not we giue him for dead but if he breathe neuer so little we know hee is yet a liuing man To this purpose doth our Apostle apply this comparison that as we cannot know a man from a dead carkasse but by his spirit or breathing so no more can wee know a liuing Faith from a dead Faith but by good workes which are as it were breathed from it Obiect But will some say The word vsed by St. Iames for spirit may be as well taken for the soule which giues life to the body for so it is often taken in Scripture for the soule as Luke 23. 46. and elsewhere Besides doe not most Interpreters take it generally for the soule Why should wee not then rather take it for the soule and spirit of a man that is within him than only for the breath which proceedeth from him Answ. I answer First as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken sometimes for the soule as well as for the spirit so also it is vsed sometime for breath or winde as our Sauiour alludeth Ioh. 3. 8. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for the praecordia or lungs whence the breath is deriued But the question is how it is to be taken in this place of St. Iames. For the true meaning of this word in that place wee must as in the true interpretation of other Scriptures obserue the tenure of the text and context Now the tenure of that whole Chapter of St. Iames is chiefly to discerne true Faith from counterfeit To demonstrate this he instanceth the body of a man Now by what speciall signe is the body of a man known to liue By the spirit saith S. Iames. What spirit the soule or the spirit within a man or his spirit to wit his breath for Spirit may signifie all these By that spirit which doth most liuely plainly shew a man to be aliue that is the breath For when all other signs do faile as speech and motion of any limbe or member in so much as a man is senselesse lyes for dead yet if he breathe it is an euident token that he yet liueth But when he comes once to be as the same Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without this spirit or breath then he is certainly dead Euen so Faith without the breathing of good workes is dead And this agreeth with that he saith there Shew mee thy Faith by thy workes The soule indeede giues the body to liue but it is the breath that shewes the body to liue when the soule cannot Therefore it seemeth to my reason an vndeniable conclusion that Saint Iames speakes there of the breath of the body the most demonstratiue signe of life And deuout Bernard also excellently to this purpose and place of Iames Vt corporis huius vitam ex motis suo dignoscimus ita fidei vitam ex operibus bonis As we discerne the life of this body of ours by the motion of it so also the life of faith by good workes Nor are we ignorant that St. Augustine Lib. 83. quaestionum quaest 76. to reconcile these two Apostles saith that Paul speakes of workes done before faith and Iames of workes after faith which opinion and conceit of his although it not onely want but crosse the euidence of Scripture sith Abrahams offering vp his Sonne was a worke of and so after faith and yet did not iustifie him before God as Paul plainely teacheth and where Augustine doth neuer so little swarue from the Scripure we must craue leaue there to leaue him being else followers of him as he is of the Scriptures according to his owne law yet St. Augustine going about to reconcile Iames with Paul saith not there nor any where else in all his writings that good works done after Faith doe iustifie vs in the sight of God but only that
they are necessary duties of euery true beleeuer Wee know also that Body in Scripture is often taken for the whole Compositum or the whole man or person consisting of soule and body as Heb. 10. 5. A body hast thou prepared me meaning the whole humanity of Christ. So Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you Brethren by the mercy of God that ye present your bodies a liuing sacrifice c. meaning the whole man the soule as well as the body for the body without the soule is not a liuing but a dead sacrifice So the Apostle here telleth vs that as the body to wit a man without the Spirit or without breathing is dead that is is knowne to be dead Euen so faith without workes is knowne to be a dead faith And so our Apostles conclusion here is a pregnant confirmation of what he had formerly said concerning the proofe and euidence of a sauing and liuing faith which is knowne and distinguished from an idle and dead faith onely by good workes by the working whereof faith is knowne to liue as a man by breathing So then it is cleare that Pauls iustification by faith excluding workes is that whereby wee are iustified truly and really in the sight and account of God and that other iustification which Iames speakes of wherein hee ioyneth workes with faith is onely a declaratiue iustification in the sight and account of men to whom wee manifect the truth of that faith whereby we are iustified in the sight of God by our good workes whereby men take notice that wee are true no counterfeit beleeuers Wee will conclude this place of St. Iames with the interpretation of Aquinas In Epist. Iacobi Cap. 2. Iacobus loquitur de operibus sequentibus fidem quae dicuntur iustificare non secundum quod iustificare dicitur infusio sed secundum quod dicitur iustitiae exercitatio vel ostensio vel consummatio res enim fieri dicitur quando perficitur innotescit Iames saith he speaketh of workes following faith which are said to iustifie not in that sense that iustification is called infusion but in that it is called the exercise or manifestation or perfection of righteousnesse for a thing is said to be done when it is perfected and made manifest In the last place the Pontificians alledge Paul to the Galathians where say they speaking of iustification by faith without the workes of the Law hee meaneth yea and mentioneth the ceremonials of the Law as Circumcision therfore hee doth not thereby exclude from Iustification the workes of grace done in vs and by vs. I answer first their allegation is false for the Apostle thereby the Law or the workes of the Law meaneth not only the ceremonials but the very morals of the Law as Gal. 3. 10. for it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them All things exclude nothing Secondly he speaketh of the workes of the Law both ceremoniall and morall as they are done euen by the faithfull and regenerate also and not onely by others that euen in that respect they iustifie not in the sight of God To this end the Apostle saith Gal. 3. 11. But that no man is iustified by the Law in the sight of God it is euident for the iust shall liue by faith No man is iustified by the Law therefore not the regenerate not Abraham though hee did workes of the Law for he had the Law already written in the tables of his heart before it came to be written in stone But say they Abraham was iustified through workes True But how iustified In the sight of God No saith our Apostle No man is iustified by the Law in the sight of God In the sight of man he may as St. Iames meaneth but not in the sight of God as St. Paul plainely expresseth both here in the forenamed place to the Romanes Rom 4. 2. If Abraham were iustified by workes hee hath whereof to glory but not before God So that the Scripture in two most euident and pregnant testimonies excludes all iustification by workes yea by any workes in the sight of God and before God that by two witnesses of holy Scripture this word of grace of iustification by Faith excluding all workes whatsoeuer ceremoniall or morall yea euen in the regenerate themselues as was faithfull Abraham the type of all the faithfull might be established against all Popish Sophistrie and doctrines of Diuels Thirdly admit the Apostle meant only legall Ceremonies not morall Duties though the contrary is manifest yet of those Ceremonies Circumcision is nominated by the Apostle for one speciall one Of which he saith Gal. 5. 2. Behold I Paul say vnto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Circumcision then is vtterly excluded from Iustification and to depend vpon it makes a man a debtor to the whole Law Gal. 5. 3. But will some say for a Christian as these Galathians were to hold the necessity of Circumcision still together with Baptisme makes Christ vnprofitable and himselfe a debtor to the whole Law But did not Circumcision iustifie the Iewes before the vse of Baptisme as Baptisme doth now iustifie comming in the stead of Circumcision Surely much alike For if Baptisme now iustifieth as Pontificians teach ex opere operato then Circumcision once iustified which the same Pontificians deny But if Circumcision did not iustifie the Iewes as the Apostle affirmeth and Papists themselues confesse then Baptisme doth no more iustifie Christians Seeing that Baptisme is the same and no other to vs than Circumcision was to the Iewes though Papists put a great difference betweene them saying that the Sacraments of the New Testament do conferre grace ex opere operato but the Sacraments of the Old not so Wherein as in other doctrines of the mysterie of godlinesse they bewray their grosse ignorance But this by the way But now if circumcision and other ceremonials of the Law of God be excluded from hauing any thing to doe in our iustification in the sight of God by the obseruation of them then what part can Popish Ceremonies beeing not the ordinances of God but the inuentions of men yea most of them the doctrines of Diuels what part I say can these challenge in the worke of Iustification How shall the going a Pilgrimage to such a Shrine or to Rome in their yeare of Iubilee or the obseruation of Canonicall houres for reciting prayers not vnderstood or saying ouer by the Bead-row so many Pater-nosters and Aue-Maries before such or such an Image or buriallin a Friars Cowle and a thousand such trumperies and meere mockeries yet all of them very meritorious with that notorious Meretrix of Rome how shall these things come-in for a share in Iustification Lastly wee may obserue how the Apostle as to the Romanes so to the Galathians doth oppose the Law and Faith as Gal. 3. 12. The Law is not of
formerly that sole faith is not sufficient but a good life must be added and it will plainly appeare that he speakes of faith alone as sufficient to iustifie vs in the sight of God and to procure vs the possession of heauen yet hee meanes not a solitary and dead faith but such a faith as is a liuing and sauing faith working by loue which hath as well a worke of sanctification in a holy life amongst men as of iustification by a holy beliefe in the sight of God For there is frequent mention of a twofold righteousnesse in the workes of ancient Fathers The one of iustification before God which is the righteousnesse of faith the other of iustification before men which is the righteousnesse of workes This second is via regni the way to the kingdome that other of faith is causa regnandi the cause of our reigning in this kingdome Saint Paul also disclaimeth all his former Pharisaicall life which as touching the Law was vnreprouable calling and accounting it but drosse and dung Nay now after his conuersion hauing walked holily and faithfully in his Apostolicall vocation and Ministery so that he knew nothing by himselfe yet what saith he Although I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not therby iustified but he that iudgeth me is the Lord. And renouncing all his inherent righteousnesse all his desire was to bee found in Christ not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith To omit the multitude of testimonies of holy men of God the fathers of the Church from time to time who in their writings doe renounce their own inherent righteousnesse as iustifying them in the sight of God Let vs for conclusion of this point adde a few memorable sayings vttered by dying men such as were of a holy life conuersation now agoing to appear before the dreadfull Tribunall of Gods most strict and vnpartiall iudgment now sealing vp their faith with their last breath Possidonius in his 27. Chapter of the life of Augustine tels a memorable story Augustine saith he told vs that hee heard a most wise and pious answer of Ambrose of blessed memory drawing neare his end which he much praised and commended for when that venerable Father lay vpon his death-bed and was desired of the faithfull standing about his bed with teares that hee would aske of the Lord a longer time of his Pilgrimage here he answered them * I haue not so liued as that I am ashamed to continue amongst you nor yet am I affraid to dye because we haue a good Master And herein saith Possidonius our Augustine now aged did admire and praise his words as refined in the fire and weighed in the ballance For therefore is hee to be vnderstood to say Nor doe I feare to dye because wee haue a good Master lest he might be thought to trust and presume too much vpon his most sanctified life But I haue not so liued that I am ashamed to liue among you this he said in regard of that which one man might know of another for knowing the tryall of diuine iustice he said he relyed more vpon the goodnesse of his Lord than vpon his owne merits to whom also he prayed daily in the Lords Prayer Forgiue vs our debts c. Bernard when hee seemed to drawe his last breath being in a trance he thought he was presented before the Tribunall of his Lord And Sathan also stood opposite against him charging him with many wicked accusations And when hee had prosecuted all to the full then the man of God was to pleade for himselfe And being no whit terrified or troubled he said I confesse I am vnworthy nor can I obtaine the Kingdome of Heauen by mine owne merits But my Lord obtaining it by a double right to wit by the inheritance of his Father and by the merit of his passion contenting himselfe with the one hee bestoweth the other vpon mee by whose gift claiming it as mine owne right I am not confounded At this word the enemy went away confounded There is extant an exhortation of Anselme to a dying brother set downe in most sweet words When any brother seemeth to be extremely oppressed it stands both with piety and prudence that he be exercised by a Prelate or some other Priest with these questions and exhortations vnder written And first let him be demanded Brother doest thou reioyce that thou shalt dye in the faith and let him answer I do Confesse that thou hast not liued so wel as thou shouldest I confesse it Doest thou repent of it I doe repent Hast thou a will and purpose to amend if thou shouldst haue time to liue longer Yes Doest thou beleeue that the Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God dyed for thee I beleeue it Doest thou beleeue thou canst not bee saued but by his death Yea. Doest thou from thy heart thank him for this I doe Giue therefore while there is life in thee alwayes thankes vnto him and put thy whole trust in this his onely death Commit thy selfe wholly to his death Couer thy whole selfe with this death and wrap thy selfe wholly in it And if the Lord goe about to iudge thee say Lord I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thy iudgment otherwise I will not contend with thee If he shall say that thou hast deserued damnation say thou I set the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene mee and my illdeseruings and assigne me the merit of his most precious passion for my merit which I my selfe should haue had but alas haue not Let him say againe I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene mee and thy wrath Let him also say three times O Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit And let those that stand about him answer Into thy hands O Lord we commend his spirit And he shall dye secure and shall neuer see death The same Anselme in his meditations as it were setting himselfe before the Tribunall of Gods iudgement whereby he declareth that neither the life of the regenerate nor good workes can stand against diuine iustice but onely Christ the Mediator saith My life doth terrifie mee for my whole life being exactly discussed and sifted doth appeare to me either to be sinne or meere barrennesse And if any fruit appeare therein it is either so counterfeit or imperfect or one way or other corrupt as it cannot but displease God for all of it is either sinnefull and damnable or vnfruitfull and contemptible But why doe I separate or distinguish vnfruitfull from damnable For if it be vnfruitfull it is damnable For euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cast into the fire O therefore drie and vnprofitable tree worthy of eternall fire what wilt thou answer in that day when it shall be required of thee euen to a
generall subiect wherein Faith dwelleth Fiftly by beleeuing in or into Christ I note the proper act of iustifying Faith differencing it from all other kinds of faith as also that Christ is the proper obiect of iustifying Faith not the whole Word of God in generall Sixtly being by Faith vnited to Christ and so made partaker of all Christs merits and righteousnesse I note that Faith is the immediate instrument whereby wee are made one with Christ and so haue our perfect communion with him in all his righteousnesse and graces in so much as by vertue of this vnion by Faith Christ and all true beleeuers are all one mysticall Christ. Seuenthly by being certainly and infallibly perswaded of the remission of sinnes by faith I note the natiue property of iustifying Faith which is to assure a man of his saluation and that in a greater or lesser measure according to the proportion of Faith measured out vnto vs and that faith also assures vs of our iustification in Gods sight as laying hold vpon Christ who is our righteousnesse which certainety and assurance is such as it necessarily excludeth all vaine presumption For how can a man that is truely and infallibly certaine be sayd therein vainely to presume Lastly I call this Faith a liuing roote whence all other graces spring to note the true difference betweene this iustifying faith and the Pontifician faith which in its owne nature is dead vntill say they it bee quickened by charity infused into it to note also how vaine that common cauill and quarrell of Papists is against our doctrine of iustification by Faith alone as a doctrine tending say they to Libertinisme and to cast off all care of good workes whereas our faith whereby we are iustified is such as being not a dead but a liuing roote including in it all other graces it causeth the beleeuer to bee as a liuing tree planted by the riuers of waters and bringing forth his fruit in due season whose leafe also doth not wither and whatsoeuer he doth shall prosper CHAP. XIII Of the generalitie and vncertainety of Romane-Catholicke Faith the generalitie of it confuted by the contrary confirmed BEsides the forenamed properties and limitations of that kinde of faith which Pontificians appropriate to themselues though common by their owne confession with the Diuels and damned wee cannot omit two other speciall markes whereby they would dignifie and commend this their faith vnto the world The first whereof is the generality and implicity of this faith the second is the vncertainty of it Wee ioyne these two together generality and vncertainety because the former is a necessary inducement to the latter and as it were the foundation of Babels tottering Tower of vncertainty For grant once such a generality of faith as they require and the vncertainty of it will easily follow Now concerning generality of faith we noted before out of Soto that they vtterly disclaime that speciall faith in Christ in the promises of God in him I may here fitly apply that sentence vsed by his Excellent Maiestie in his late speech to the honorable house of Parliament which I humbly craue leaue to borrow Dolosus versatnr in vniuersalibus The deceitful man loueth to walke in vniuersalities or generalities The Pontificians in this their vniuersality or generality of faith deale like the timorous and therefore cautelous Hare who to deceiue her pursuers or tracers makes many doubles and crafty windings out and in that vneath it is for the most sagacious pursuer to deprehend or finde her out Their end is that faith in the height of sins deluge ouerflowing the soule might haue no solid and firme ground to pitch and rest her foote vpon And here in lyeâ— the mystery of their Antichristian iniquity to pull men quite away from Christ that in matter of faith they may wholly depend vpon that Papall imaginary infallibility hauing no other security than to pin their soules vpon a sinnefull mans sâ—eeue Which Vega doth not a whit dissemble saying Deus summam salutis fidelium in Sacerdotum posuit potestate That God hath placed the summe of the saluation of the faithfull in the power of the Priests the summe whereof is the Pope the Arch-priest But of this more in the proper place But for their faith it must bee generall in two respects first in respect of the generality of the obiect of Faith the whole Word of God as they say written and vnwritten an vnlimited obiect secondly in regard of the generality of men to be saued or iustified as they teach They must neither in particular beleeue the promises of God in Christ nor any man must beleeue that the promises of God belong vnto him in particular To which purpose Soto saith Fides Catholica Christianae familiae necessaria vtpote qua Christiani consemur non est specialis illa qua indubitato credit quisque ac constituit sibi remitti peccata propter Christum esse in gratia Dei sed ille assensus in genere quo firmiter credimus Iesum Christum vniuer salem esse Redemptorem c. that is The Catholick Faith necessary for the Christian family as whereby we are reputed Christians is not that speciall Faith whereby euery man doth vndoubtedly beleeue and resolue with himselfe that his sinnes are forgiuen him for Christs sake and that he is in the fauour of God but that generall assent whereby we firmely beleeue that Iesus Christ is the vniuersall Redeemer c. as we touched before Now the grounds of this their generall Faith wee finde in the sixt Chapter of the sixt Session of the Councell of Trent of the manner of preparation to iustification as first for the beliefe of things reuealed and promised the generall obiect of it and secondly In spem erigâ—ntur fidentes Deum sibi propter Christum propitium sore c. Men are brought to hope beleeuing that God will bee or may bee mercifull to them for Christs sake Marke they doc not say beleeuing that God is mercifull vnto them but that hee will be or may be as Vega interprets it Se posse sâ—lâ—â—â— that they may possibly be saued And when they speake of a particular iustification of any one man in the present tense then also they expresse it by an indefinite speech and generall phrase Credentes à Deo iustificari impium per gratiam eius c. Beleeuing that a sinner is iustified of God through his grace not that a mans selfe is iustified For for a man to beleeue in particular that himselfe is truely iustified by Christ such a man they anathernatize and curse Can. 14. yea this Faith is so generall and so little respecteth Christ as the obiect of it as that Vega in his Commentary vpon the said sixt Chapter of the sixt Session saith Persuaderi potest non solum iustificari posse homines seâ— saluari sine fide Christi explicita It is very credible that men may not
of Faith Faith may bee brought euen vsque ad deliquium to an extreame fainting in our sense and apprehension and as it were to the last gaspe yet Gods Aqua coelestis is neuer wanting to reuiue it Faith may for the time bee asleepe in a mans heart as Christ was in the ship while the heart is euen couered ouer with waues of temptations yet being awakened by prayer by and by the Coast is cleered againe and faith recouering its natiue strength assureth the heart as the Angell did Paul in that dangerous Nauigation That none in this litle Barke of ours shall perists but safely arriue vpon the Honey-hauen of Milita euen â—t that true Honey-flowing-land of Canaan Indeede Faith suffereth many paroxismes or fits of tentations but all such fits are but as so many fits of in Agâ—e in the Spring which make a man the healthier and stronger all the yeare after What if Faith now and then doe sleepe yet sleepe wee know though it binde vp and as it were deaden the senses for the time that vneath a man sleeping is discerned from a dead man yet this very deepe sleepe tends to the refection of the body and makes it arise more vigorous euen as a Gyant refresht with wine or as a Dazie drooping all the night displayes its cheerfull lookes at the approach of the morning sunne The Sunne may bee eclypsed or clouded a while but anon breakes through all interpositions and oppositions with the fresh darts of his piercing beames and during the Eclipse it lacked none of its light in our vnderstanding but we lacked the light of it in our sense So Faith may be eclipsed or ouer-clouded with tentations for a time yet lose none of its vertue sauing onely we are not so sensible of it till at length it haue ouercome the tentation The fire that is raked vp close vnder the embers though it cannot now be seene yet it is fire still and is the better peserued against the next morning to â—eeâ—e vpon new fewell So Faith though it bee not easily discerned while it lyeth couered vnder the dead ashes of deepe contrition and humiliation for sinne and of mortification yea of tentation yet it is the better preserued that while heauinesse for sinne may endure for a night yet the ioy of Faith returnes in the morning as it were feeding it selfe with new workes of obedience flaming forth in a Christian life So that Faith be it lesse or more is alwayes in its own nature certaine though not alwaies alike in our sense and apprehension The most fruitfull Tree is not free from windes and tempests whereby it is shrewdly shaken yet for all that it is not hindred but rather helped as the Philosophers speake in bringing forth more plentifull fruit in his season sith the roote thereof firmely fastned in the ground is not loosened but rather inlarged to receiue a fresh supply of sappe from the earth to become the more fruitfull Such is a faithfull man whom Dauid compares to a Tree planted by the riuers of water who though he be shaken with sundry windes of temptation yet he bringeth forth his fruit in due season his leafe not withering and his actions prospering sith his Faith as the roote is fixed in Christ hauing the Riuer of the water of life flowing from Gods holy Spirit to nourish it continually for as Esay saith Chap. 27. 10. In measure in the branches thereof wilt thou contend with it in the day when hee bloweth with his fierce winde God moueth the branches of his liuing Trees and that in measure by afflictions and temptations but the rootes are vntouched A ship wee see lying at hull in the Harbour is tossed and tumbled on this side and that side yet being fastned by the Anchor it is not subiect to wracke yea being now vnder sayle exposed to the windes and waues yet it is waâ—ted onwards to the intended Port by the direction of the wise Pilot sitting and steering the Helme according to his Card and Compasse So the faithfull man euen when he rides securely in the Harbour of Tranquility as Dauid did Psal. 30. when hee said In my prosperity I shall neuer bee moued yet God turning away his face for the time hee is troubled but keeping his Anchor-hold of hope both sure and stedfast and adhering to God by faithfull prayer and humble supplication he is preserued from wracke keeping still his faithful station Or let him lanch out into the Deepe and hoyse vp saile for some noble voyage though he be driuen with fierce windes yet Gods Spirit sitting and steering the Helme of his Faith by the Card of Gods Word he bringeth him at length safely to the Hauen where hee would be although through most extreame difficulties So wee see the fruit of sauing Faith may bee suppressed yet the roote not supplanted the act of it may be suspended yet the habit not lost Faith may sleepe and yet liue it may be eclipsed yet hold on his course faint yet not faile sicke yet not to death bruised yet not broken to peeces shaken and weather-beaten yet not suffer vtter shipwracke languish yet not perish Bernard alledging St. Augustines words to wit Fides non coniectando vel opiniando habetur in corde in quo est ab eo cuâ—â—is est sed certa scientia acclamante conscientia that is Faith is found in the heart wherein it is of him whose it is not by coniecture or opinion but by certaine knowledge the conscience according with it Bernard thereupon inferreth these words Ego securus in Magistri Gentium sententiam pergo sciâ— quâ—ntam non confundar Placet mihi fâ—tâ—or illius de fide definitio Fides est aâ—t substantia rerum sperandarum argumentum non apparentium Substantia inquit rerum sperandarum non inanium phantasia coniecturarum Substantia nomine aliquid tibi certum fixumque praefigitur Non est enim â—ides estimatio sed certitudo I doe securely follow the iudgement of the Teacher of the Gentiles and I know that I shall not bee confounded His definition of Faith I confesse pleaseth me well Faith saith he is the substance of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene The substance of things hoped for not the phantasie of vaine coniectures Vnder the name of substance thou hast something certaine and fixed layd downe For faith is not opinion but certainty So Bernard And this was the Catholicke Doctrine of the ancienter Fathers of the Church St. Chrysostome vpon the wordes of the Apostle Heb. 10. 19. Hauing therefore Brethren boldnesse to enter into the most holy by the bloud of Iesus saith Whence is this boldnesse from remission of sins And vpon the 22. vers Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith c. Hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which of vs draw neare Hee that is holy by faith And that with a true heart in full assurance of Faith How is
owne saluation and the like these are the signes and fruits of a true Conuert say I. No say you The matter now standing betweene your No and my Yea who shall be the vmpire Nay let vs decide it betweene vs by the rule of Gods word Either make the tree good and the fruit good or else the tree euill and the fruit euill saith Christ. An euill tree cannot bring forth good fruit contra Now a man before his effectuall conuersion before he be in Christ is an euill tree and therefore cannot bring forth any fruit of true grace or vertue But if a man begin once to bring forth such fruits shew me if you can any reason why such a man is not already a true Conuert For ought you know hauing these signes and symptomes of true conuersion he is a true Conuert Nay that he is without question a true Conuert I proue by two reasons First because till a man be a true Conuert he cannot be truely humble he cannot truely renounce himselfe his sins confesse his vnworthinesse feele the hardnesse of his heart to complaine of it and the like Secondly because all these things are common and proper to the regenerate man Both these together I pâ—â—â—e thus 1. No dead man can performe the workes of a liuing man but these forementioned be the workes of a liuing man therefore no dead man therefore no man before his conuersion can performe such workes But you will say these things are not so the workes of a man conuerted but that also as morall workes they may be performed of a morall or naturall man before his conuersion To which I answer that all these things are not of a morall but of a spirituall nature are the proper gifts of the spirit of grace which no naturall man hath till he become spirituall which is by conuersion when hee recâ—â—â—eth spirituall life God giues grace to the humble but first he giues grace to be humble God giueth more grace saith St. Iames and what followeth He giues grace to the humble that is more grace to him whom first he hath made humble by grace This humility comes only from Christ to those that are in Christ. True humility St. Augustines compares to the water of life and of grace which floweth from the inward fountaine of the pure veine of truth This is the water of confession of sinnes this the water of humiliation of the heart this the water of sauing life of him that casts downe himselfe that presumes nothing of himselfe that proudly attributes nothing to his owne power This water is in no Forreiners bookes not in the Epicures not in the Stoickes not in the Manichees not in the Platonicks Wheresoeuer other precepts of manners and discipline are found yet this humility is not found The way of this humility flowes from no where else it comes from Christ c. So Augustine This Humility is the Herbe-grace and growes no where but in the garden of grace euen the heart of the true Conuert It growes not in the whole field of nature though neuer so well tilled with the doctrine of Philosophy And for hardnesse of heart it is in euery impenitent man but when once it comes to be felt and to be mourned for this is the proper effect of a man renued by grace whose not onely vnderstanding is inlightened to see but his will and affections touched with a godly sense and feeling of his spirituall miseries which a dead man cannot doe Now till a man be in Christ by faith he is a dead man Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drink his bloud that is Except ye beleeue in the son of man ye haue no life in you Ioh. 6. 53. And saith the Apostle Now I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and in that I now liue I liue by the faith of the sonne of God c. Gal. 2. 20. Now a dead man knowes not that he is dead but when he is restored to life he then knowes that he was dead So a man till hee be in Christ that is truely conuerted he is dead and knowes it nâ—â— much lesse can bewaile or so much as see and feele his spirituall death but being in Christ and so made aliue he knowes then that he was a dead man and feeling some reliques of spirituall mortality in him as corruption of sinne hardnesse of heart and the like he is truely humbled for it he heartily bewailes and confesseth it and prayeth against it which humility which bewayling and confessing of his spirituall misery is no lesse an infallible signe of a man restored from spirituall death to spirituall life by Christ than the seuen times neezing of the widowes son was a true token of his restitution from death to life againe But as the clause comes in but obiter so let it suffice to haue touched it by the way And this I haue said I am sure will stand good till any shall be able to proue That a man doth spiritually liue before he be in Christ before he be a true Conuert CHAP. IV. The Romish Doctrine of the Iustification of a sinner what it is and wherein it consisteth NOw after all this adoe about preparation to iustification which the more they magnifie the further off they are from attaining vnto it what is that iustification which the Romish Church stands vpon Let vs see if it bee worth all that labour and merit whereby they must come by it The foolish Virgins while they went to bestow their paines and cost to prepare oyle for their empty Lampes to meete the Bridegroome lost all their paines and expence for when they came Heauen gate was shut against them The Romish Virgins for such they would bee accounted wanting oyle in their Lampes to wit the pure oyle-oliffe of grace distilling from the true Oliffe Tree Iesus Christ while they goe about to prepare artificiall oyle made by humane inuentiâ—â— they may iustly feare to find the gate of righteousnesse and mercie barred vp against them If they proue not rather like the men of Sodome who pressing vpon righteous Lot to surprise euen his Angel-guests were strucke with blindnesse that they could not finde the right doore where they would haue entred So these seeking to enter the gate of the righteous as if they would surprise Heauen the lodging of Angels by a strange and new inuented violence it will proue a matter of high admiration if euer by their new way of preparation choaked with so many mists of foggie errours and blinde inuentions they hit vpon the gate of iustification and so come promiscuously to ioyne themselues to the sacred society of righteous Angels But now let their iustification speake and iustifie it selfe The Councell of Trent in the seuenth Chapter saith thus Hanc dispositionem seu praeparationem iustificatio ipsa consequitur quae non est sola peccatorum remissio sed
blessed But the Apostle or rather the holy Ghost by the Apostle is the best interpreter of that prophecie Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made Hee saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ. And this was that promise of God which Abraham beleeuing his faith was counted to him for righteousnesse as it is there in the sixt verse euen as Abraham beleeued God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Therefore Vega's diuinitie hath very much failed him in propounding these two examples of Noah and Abraham to proue the iustification of his generall Faith whereas we plainely see both these Patriarches faith had speciall and principall reference and respect to Christ Iesus And therefore their faith was reckoned to them for righteousnesse For the other examples which Vega there addeth in generall out of the eleuenth to the Hebrewes they are all of the same nature and all confirme this infallible and vndeniable truth That the promises of God in Christ and Christ alone with all his righteousnesse is the obiect of that Faith which is reckoned to Abraham to Noah and to euery beleeuer for righteousnesse Here then comes in the true formall cause of our iustification namely Christ himselfe with all his righteousnesse which being apprehended by faith it is imputed vnto vs for righteousnesse This is it that giues a true being to iustification Iustification therefore consists in the imputation of Christ and his righteousnesse comprehending also all the promises of God in him apprehended by faith Now concerning this Catholicke doctrine of imputation of Christs righteousnesse by faith the Scriptures are very pregnant in the proofe of it This Gospell hath testimonie before the Law in the Law and in the Prophets and is confirmed by Christ and his Apostles Before the Law to omit other examples wee haue two famous ones that of Noah and Abraham of whom wee spake euen now who are layd downe for exemplary patterns yea and liuely types to all beleeuers Noah before the floud and Abraham after the floud and before the Law which St. Paul doth especially note to put a difference betweene faith and the workes of the Law in the point of iustification In the Law also we haue two principall types liuely shadowing this doctrine of imputation The first we finde in Leuiticus 1. 4. And hee shall put his hand vpon the head of his burnt-offering and it shall bee accepted for him to make attonement for him The burnt offering waâ— a figure of Christ sacrificed for vs vpon the crosse the man that brings this burnt-offering is a type of euery true beleeuer and the hand which hee putteth on the head of the sacrifice is faith laying hold on Christ and as it were owning him for our proper sacrifice which God accepteth to bee an attonement for vs a sacrifice of a sweet sauour vnto the Lord. The Apostle applies this sacrifice with the fruits of it to Christ Rom. 5. 11. Wee reioycein God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue receiued the attonement Also Ephes. 5. 2. Walke in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweete smelling sauour Christ is then this burnt-offering our attonement with God and an offering of a sweete sauour vnto the Lord. Now the instrument or hand whereby Christ is apprehended and applyed to euery true Beleeuer is Faith It was the hand of Faith which the diseased woman in the Gospell touched Christ her Sauour with and fetched vertue out of him To whom the Lord said Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole goe in peace This the Apostle doth also liuely setout Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to wit Iesus Christ to be apropitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the Remission of sinnes that are past through the forbearance of God to declare at this time his righteousnesse that hee might be iust and a iustifier of him that beleeueth in Iesus How fully doth the Apostle parallel and compare this truth with that type A second type of our righteousnesse or iustification by imputation of Christ vnto the beleeuer in the time of the Law is set downe Num. 21. 8. 9. The Lord said vnto Moses make thee a fiery serpent and set it vpon a pole and it shall come to passe that euery one that is bitten when he looketh vpon it shall liue and Moses did so and the serpent-bitten-man looked and liued The brazen Serpent was a type of Christ the serpent-bitten-man is euery sinner whom that old serpent hath already stung with sinne as he did our first Parents The looking on the brazen serpent so lifted vp vpon a pole is the faith of the beleeuer beholding Christ lifted vp vpon his Crosse. This Christ Iesus himselfe applyeth Ioh. 3. 14. 15. As Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the wildernesse euen so must the sonne of man be lifted vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life A most sweet collation of the truth with the type shewing that as faith is the hand of the soule laying hold vpon the bloudy sacrifice of Christ for our atonement with God so faith is also the eye of the soule so to looke vpon Christ crucified as to bee thereby cured of all the deadly wounds of sin and so to liue eternally The Prophets also are full of testimonies to confirme this doctrine of iustification by imputation Esa. 53. 4. Surely hee hath borne our grieses and carried our sorrowes yet we did esteeme him stricken smitten of God and afflicted as if hee had beene a malefactor But hee was wounded for our transgressions hee was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes are wee healed All wee like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of vs all And vers 8. he was cut off out of the land of the liuing for the transgression of my people was he stricken Though he had done no violence neither was any deceipt in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to griefe when thou shalt make his soule an offering for sinnes he shall see his seede c. Here wee see most liuely set downe a mutuall imputation of our iniquities vnto Christ and of his merits vnto vs. And then the Prophet vers 11. sheweth by what meane or instrument this righteousnesse of Christs obedience is imputed to vs By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for hee shall beare their iniquities By his knowledge or by the knowledge of himselfe that is by faith in him knowing and acknowledging seeing and beholding him with the eye of faith to bee that Lambe of God before the shearer taking away our sinnes for hee