The TRVE GAINE more in worth then all the goods in the world Philip. c. 3. v. 7. Printed by Iohn Legat Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1601. To the Right worshipfull Sir Edward Denny Knight IT is a Conclusion of our religiō worthy to be cōsidered That Christ alone is our Mediator Iustifier Propitiatour Sauiour by workes and merits which he himselfe wrought within himselfe and not by any works or merits which he worketh in vs by his spirit The scripture saith thus much in expresse wordes Iustified freely by the redēption THAT IS IN CHRIST IESVS Ro. 3. 24. He hath by HIMSELFE purged our sinnes Hebr. 1. 3. He was made sinne for vs that we should be made the righteousnesse of God IN HIM 2. Cor. 5. 21. IN HIM are yee complete Coloss. 3. 10. By his OWNE BLOOD he entred once into the holy place and obtained eternall redemption Heb. 9. 12. Againe Christ is said to purge our consciences from dead workes by his blood because he offered himselfe by his eternall spirit without spot to his father v. 14. And cōmon reason tels vs as much For if men be mystically vnited to Christ and by this vnion receiue the spirit of Christ and by the spirit doe good workes and consequently merit eternal life they are thē becom partners with Christ and are receiued into fellowship with him in the worke of mans redemption whereas he in the Act of our reconciliation with God admits neither deputie nor partner This conclusion beeing thus of infallible trueth it serues greatly to exalt the grace of God to abase nature and to beate downe the pride of all Iustitiarie persons and religions And for the further explaning of it serues this Treatise following which I present to your Worship And the reason of my doing is this I remember almost two yeares agoe in speech you entred into commendatiōs of that golden text Phil. 3. v. 7. and withall gaue signification of your desire that some thing might be set downe whereby you might be brought to a further vnderstanding of that place of scripture Therfore to satisfie your desire I haue here penned a short exposition of it And I haue further presumed to publish it in your name desiring it may be a testimonie of a thankefull minde for your loue fauour towards me Thus wishing to your Worship continuance and increase of loue to the holy worde of God I take my leaue Anno. 1601. Ian. 20. Your Worships in all dutie to command W. Perkins The text Phil. 3. 7. containes a comparison of Vnequalls Protasis the first part I count all things Dung for Christ. Here consider What things are doung All things Vertues and works before his conuersion pag. 5. Vertues and works after his conuersion pag. 12. How they are dung shewed by a gradation pag. 22. 1. I account all things losse 2. I depriue my selfe of them 3. I account them doung Apodosis the second part Christ is my gaine pag. 33. Here consider the amplification by a Gradation 1. I esteeme the knowledge of Christ an exlent thing pag. 46. 2. I desire to gaine Christ. pag. 57. 3. I desire to be found in Christ in the day of iudgement pag. 61. the degrees of Gaine in Christ. 1. Iustice by the faith of Christ. pag. 67. 2. Fellowship with Crist in the vertue of his Resurrection p. 92. Death p. 106. 3. Attainment to the resurrection of the dead Philip. 3. 7. But the things which were advantage to me the same I accounted losse for Christ. Yea doubtlesse I count all things but losse for the excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whome I haue counted all things losse and doe iudge them to be dongue that I might winne Christ And be found in him THE scope of these words is this In the second ver Paul admonisheth the Philippians to take heed of certaine counterfeit Apostles which ioyned Christ and circumcision in the cause of their saluation and put confidence in the flesh that is in the outward works of the ceremoniall morall law And that his Admonition might take the better place he vseth two reasons The first propounded in the 3. v. is this True circumcision is to worship God in spirit to reioyce in Christ and not to put any confidence in the flesh The second reason is framed thus If any man might put confidēce in outward things then I much more but not I therefore no man The proposition or first part of the reason is propounded in the 4. v. and confirmed in the fift and sixt The second part or assumption but I doe not put confidence in outward things is confirmed in the 7. and eight verses thus All things are losse to me in respect of Christ therefore I put no confidence in any thing out of Christ. And this is the very drift of the former wordes In the second place the proper sense and meaning of this portion of Scripture is to be considered And for this cause we are to be aduertised of sundrie things in the wordes themselues And first of all let it be obserued that Paul in the 7. v. saith in the time past I haue counted all things losse and in the next verse in the time present I doe count all things losse The former speach is meant of that time in which he was first called to the knowledge of Christ the second is spoken of the time when he had long continued an Apostle of Christ and writte this epistle to the Philippians This distinction of times in one and the same word makes much to the cleering of the doctrine that shall afterward be deliuered Secondly whereas in our translation it is saide in the eight verse For whome I haue counted all things losse the words are too skant and do not fully expresse the meaning of the holy Ghost For the words fully translated signifie I haue made all things losse or I haue cast away all things or I haue depriued my selfe of all things for Christ. And whereas Paul had said before I count all things losse his meaning is to amplifie his owne words by saying I depriue my selfe of all things and iudge them dunge for Christ. Thirdly the word translated Doung signifieth such things in the intralls of beasts as beeing vnfit for mans vse are cast to dogges and by it Paul signifies that he did not onely esteeme all things as losses and depriue himselfe of them but also cast them away with loathing in a minde neuer to seeke the recouerie of them Lastly it must be knowne that Paul in these verses vseth a similitude borrowed from the marchant man and it may be framed on this manner The marchant in hope of a treasure is cōtent to esteeme his commodities no commodities but losses yea he is further content to cast them out into the sea and to esteeme thē as things cast to dogges that he may obtaine his intended treasure so saith Paul doe I count all my former prerogatiues as losse
and am content to depriue my selfe of them yea to loath them as dung for the obtaining of Christ. Furthermore the summe and substance of the wordes is a comparison of things vnequall and it may be formed thus All things are losse to me for Christ and Christ is my gaine The first part of the comparison is of Pauls losses and it is amplified two waies First he sets downe what things be his losse and they are of two sorts Priuiledges vertues and workes before his conuersion when he was a Pharisie againe priuiledges vertues and workes after his conuersion when he was an Apostle of Christ the first are mentioned in the 7. v. the latter in the eight Secondly Paul sets downe how all things are losses to him by a gradation thus I count all things losse I depriue my selfe of them I count them dung The second part of the comparison is of Pauls Gaine And it is amplified by a contrarie gradation thus I esteeme the knowledge of Christ an excellent thing I desire to gaine Christ and I desire to be found in him Of these points in order and first of Pauls losses before his conuersion in these words For the things that were vantage to me I counted losse for Christ. That these things may be well knowne let vs yet more narrowly search the meaning of these wordes The things that were vantage to Paul are of three sorts First his priuiledges that he was borne a Iewe that is a member of the church and againe that he was circumcised and brought vp in the straight sect of the Pharisies secondly his vertues namely his iustice zeale in his religion thirdly his workes whereby he for outward carriage obserued the Ceremoniall and Morall law without reproofe And all these things are called his aduantage because he put his confidence in thē and thought to merit euerlasting life thereby when he was a Pharisie He addes further that he counted these his aduantages to be his losse because so soone as he knew Christ his confidence ceased his former merits were no merits but as things lost and cast away yet not simply but for Christ that is that he might gaine Christ and be found in Christ as he expounds himselfe in the words following The meaning thus laide downe sundrie things may be learned The first that it was an heresie of the Pharisies to put confidence in their works to think that they could merite eternal life by thē for here Paul saith that being a pharisie his workes were his gaine and aduantage in the cause of his saluation And hence we learne what to iudge of the popish religion which teacheth in substance the very same doctrine of cōfidence in workes and of the merit of saluation thereby And therefore the papists of our time are the children of the old pharisies reuiuing and renuing the old heresie touching merit with new and fresh colours If they alleadge that they ascribe merit to the works not of the ceremoniall but of the morall law and to workes not of nature but of grace I answer that the pharisies did the same as the pharisie acknowledgeth in his praier when he saith I thanke thee O Lord I am not as other men c. Secondly in Pauls example beeing a Pharisie we learne that it is the pride arrogancie of mans nature to be something within himselfe and to erect vp something vnto himselfe to be his righteousnesse and a meanes of his saluation out of Christ. The iust saith Habacuk liues by his faith but he whose soule is not right in him puffes vp himselfe or builds towers of defence to himselfe by vaine confidence out of God The prodigall sonne must haue his part alone by himselfe from his father Paul saith of the Iewes that they established their owne righteousnesse and would not be subiect to the righteousnesse of God This beeing so let vs learne to see and detest this pride in our selues For where it raignes and takes place there Christ is not truely acknowledged and when men beginne to knowe Christ this hidden and spirituall pride giues place And further by this we learne not to maruell that Turkes and Iewes denie Christ and that Papists in the cause of their saluation beside the passion of Christ foiste in something of their owne namely their owne merits and satisfactions for it is the proude nature of man to set vp himself in whole or in part and to relie himselfe vpon something of his own out of Christ. No maruell then that such as be otherwise learned and wise liue die in the opinion of iustification by their owne workes Thirdly whereas Paul accompts things of aduantage to be his losse we learne that no priuiledges out of Christ minister true comfort or true happines It is a priuiledge to haue known Christ and to haue eaten drunken with him but of such Christ saith Depart from me I knowe you not It is a priuiledge to be of the kindred of our Sauiour Christ but it is of no moment for Christ saith Who is my mother and brethren he that doth the will of my father is my brother sister and mother It is a priuiledge that the virgin Mary was the mother of Christ but if shee had not as well borne him in her heart by faith as shee bare him in her wombe shee had not bin saued It is a priuiledge to prophesie in the name of Christ but of such Christ saith Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Lastly it is a priuiledge to be indued with all kind of learning of artes and tongues but alas all is nothing for if a man had al wit wisdome and learning and could speake in all matters with the tongue of men and angels vnlesse he be found in Christ he is no better in the sight of god then a damned wretch This being so we must learne first of all to moderate our care and our affections for worldly profits honours pleasures our principall care must euermore be cast on Christ. Secondly such persons as liue an honest and ciuill life and stand vpon this that they are no theiues no murderers no adulterers no blasphemers but in outward duties shewe loue to God and man they must I say take heed least they deceiue themselues building vpon false groundes For though ciuill honestie be a thing commendable before men yet is it not sufficient to saue vs before God And Paul who was a straite obseruer of the lawe after he came to the knowledge of Christ counted all his morall obedience in which he had formerly trusted but losse and dungue for Christ. Fourthly it hath bin the doctrine of the popish Church this many yeres that before a man can be in Christ and be iustified he must first of all prepare and dispose himselfe to receiue his iustification and that when he is sufficiently disposed he doth merit of congruitie that god should infuse righteousnes wherby of a sinner he is made no
be workes that are out of vs wrought in and by the person of our Sauiour Christ namely the workes of obedience in satisfying and fulfilling the lawe These indeede are the workes which iustifie and saue vs none that proceede frō vs. To this effect Paul saith that we are iustified freely by the redemption that is in Christ. Lastly it is alleadged that if all vertues be losse for Christ then faith it selfe I answer Faith must diuersly be considered first of all as a vertue working bringing forth many good fruites in vs. And thus it is to be reputed losse as all other vertues are Secondly it must be considered not as a vertue but as an instrument or hand not to giue or worke any thing but to apprehend and receiue Christ and his benefits And thus it is no losse but is a thing excepted in this text Nowe then we see that the doctrine of Paul is manifest that all vertues and workes both of nature and grace are meere losses in the cause of our iustification and saluation Hence sundrie things may be learned The first that the most holy works of holy men cannot iustifie or merit eternall life When they are brought within the Act of iustification as causes Paul saith they are but losse and as offles to be cast to dogges Let this be noted and remembred for euer against all iustitiarie papists Who if they would but seriously consider this one text they might be farre better resolued then they are Secondly hence the doctrine of our our church is plainely gathered namely that we are saued and iustified by faith alone For all things except our knowledge and faith in Christ are made as doung And that this our doctrine may not be scandalous sundry things must be remembred The first is the right meaning of the doctrine which is that there is nothing within vs that is any cause either efficient materiall formall or finall of iustification but faith The second that faith is no principall cause but onely an instrument The third that faith is no instrument to procure or worke our iustification and saluation but an instrument to receiue or to apprehend our iustification giuen by the father procured by the sonne applied by the holy Ghost The last that faith must be considered as a cause or else as a waie of saluation If as an internall cause in vs it onely iustifieth and consequently saueth vs. If as a waie it doth not saue alone For other vertues and workes though they be no causes yet are they waies to eternall life as well as faith Here then when papists make outcries against vs saying that we looke to be saued by faith alone the true and plaine answere to them is this We consider faith two waies first as a cause within vs not meriting any way but instrumentally apprehending pardon in Christ and applying it to vs for our eternall happinesse Secondly faith may be considered as a way in which we are to walke for the attainement of euerlasting life In the first sense faith alone iustifieth and saueth and nothing els within vs. To this doe the learned fathers agree Basil saith This is perfect reioycing in God when a man is not puffed vp for his owne iustice but acknowledgeth that he wants iustice and that he is iustified by faith alone in Christ. Hilarie That is remitted of Christ by faith which the lawe could not loosen for faith alone iustifies Ambrose They are iustified freely which doe nothing nor repaie like for like are iustified by faith alone through the gift of God Againe in his commentarie vpon the epist. to the Corinth This is appointed of God that he which beleeues in Christ should be saued without worke by faith alone receiuing remission of sinnes Hierom God iustifieth by faith alone Neuertheles if we speake of the way to life then we are not saued onely by faith For though faith be the onely instrument to apprehend Christ yet is it not the onely way to life repentance also is the way yea all vertues all works are the waie In this sense affliction is said to worke vnto vs a more excellent weight of glorie not as a cause but as a way giuing direction And mothers are said to be saued by bearing of children not as by a cause but as by a straight and narrow way Againe Abrahams faith went not alone but had a kind of co-operation with his works faith works both beeing considered as a way to happinesse or as markes in a way In this sense the fathers haue ascribed saluation to many things not as to causes but as to waies Bernard said well that workes are the way to the kingdome of heauen and not the causes of raigning Lactātius saith Great is the helpe of Repentance which whosoeuer taketh away cuts off to himselfe the way of life Chrysostome Some by watching by sleeping on the bare ground by tewing their bodies with daily labour doe blot out their sinnes but thou maiest obtaine the same by a more easie way that is by forgiuing Thus many hundred places of the fathers are to be vnderstood when they ascribe remission of sins to martyrdome to fasting praier workes of mercie and such like Thirdly here is laid downe the foundation of true humilitie For if all our vertues and workes be losses in the case of our saluation then all boasting is excluded and we are to take nothing to our selues but shame and confusion and giue al glorie to God Yea the more our vertues are and workes if we place any confidence in them the greater are our losses Thus we see what things are losses to Paul in the next place let vs consider howe they are losses This Paul settes downe by a gradation thus I count them losse I make them my losses I count them as doung This gradation is nothing els but a repetition of one and the same thing inlarged and amplified in speech Nowe repetitions in scripture are not idle and vaine as they are oftentimes in the writings of men but they commonly signifie two things namely the certainty and the necessitie of the thing repeated and therefore in this place they signifie the certaintie and the necessitie of Pauls losses Certaine they are because he that will be saued by Christ must certainely indure these losses without recouerie The foundation of this certenty lies in an impossibilitie of merit by any works of man which I will make manifest by fiue reasons The first is this It is a principall part of Christian inherent righteousnesse to haue and keepe a good conscience now Paul expresly excludes it from iustification saying I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified 1. Cor. 4. 4. The second is this Paul saith Eph. 2. 9. we are not saued by workes nowe he meanes no other workes but such as followe faith and are done by the spirit of God And this appeares by
sinner righteous before God But I demaund of the Patrons of this doctrine whether when the workes of preparation are done the doer is in Christ or out of Christ If he be in Christ he is also iustified before he is iustified If he be as yet out of Christ Paul hath giuen the senteÌ„ce that the said workes are to be esteemed as losse and that the merit of coÌ„gruitie is not meate for them that desire to feede on Christ but rather food for dogges Lastly hence we learne howe Christ is to be receiued of vs. Such as would truely come to Christ and receiue him must make losses of al things they must come naked and emptied of all their owne righteousnesse As men in a shipwracke cast out their commodities and when there is no remedie leaue their ship and betake themselues to the sea thus come swimming to the shore euen so must all men first forsake all then come to Christ. Beggars that they may obtaine their almes come in their ragâ— vnfolding legges and armes that their sores and botches may be seene Benadad king of Syria that he might recouer the fauour of the king of Israel castes off his crowne and royall robes he and his men come in sackcloath with halters about their heads and thus he obtaines his desire In like manner comming to Christ we must lay aside all opinion of our owne goodnesse and in abasing of our selues follow beggars fashions and with Benhadad cloath our selues with signes of guiltinesse and confusion of face We must first be annihilated and vtterly in respect of goodnesse be made nothing in our selues that we may be what we are out of our selues in Christ. There is no entring into the kingdome of heaueÌ„ except we receiue it Christ as a little child in all meeknesse and humilitie For there must be nothing in vs to receiue Christ but meere faith resting on meere mercy Let all such think on this as desire to be in Christ and to receiue true comfort by him Thus much of Pauls losses before his conuersion nowe come to be considered the things which were his losses after his conuersion and they are set downe in the words following But doubtlesse I doe thinke all things losses for the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ my Lord. That these losses may be the better knowne let vs a little consider the meaning of the words Whereas before Paul had said that herefore he counted things to be losse vnto him for Christ that had beene his aduantage some man might happily thinke this is but rash iudgemâ—nt in Paul he therefore to cut off this surmise saith Daubtlesse I count all things losse that is that I may not be thought to speake rashly I say more that I doe nowe account all things losse and I speake it confidently as beeing resolued what I say When he saith I doe count he speakes in the time present of himselfe as beeing not only a Christian but also an Apostle of Christ. And wheÌ„ he saith ALL things the generall speech must be obserued for he excepteth nothing pertaining to him but his knowledge and faith in Christ. Here therefore we must first of all vnderstand the priuiledge of an Apostle secondly all inward Christian vertues as hope feare loue of God good conscience c. for of al the inward gifts none is excepted but faith as I haue said Thirdly here we must vnderstand works not of nature but of grace done and effected by the spirit of God in vs. For in the verse following he doth reiect his owne righteousnes which is of the law Now he saith of all these that they are his losses for Christ. But how are they losses The speach must warily be vnderstood least it be offensiue They are losses not in respect of godly conuersation for they are the causes thereof and they are meanes of shewing our thankfulnes to God and loue to man Now then they are losses onely in respect of iustification and saluation when they are reputed and maintained as meritorious causes thereof either in whole or in part Though when they are rightly vsed applied they are the excellent gifts of God yet when they are brought into the Acte of iustification and saluation they become as losses and dung And this I take to be the meaning of these words To the like purpose the prophet Isai saith in the name of the whole church confessing hir sinnes All our righteousnes is as a cloath vtterly to be cast away And Paul to the Galatians If righteousnes be by the law Christ died without cause or in vaine that is if the righteousnes of the law be our aduantage Christ must be our losse and on the contrarie if he be our aduantage the righteousnesse of the law must be our losse This doctrine of Paul that all vertues and workes both of nature and grace are losses in the case of our saluation soundes not in mans reason and there be many things brought to the contrary First it is alleadged that God doeth accept and crowne our works and therfore that they are not losses I answer God doeth as it were keepe a double court One of iustice the other of mercie In the court of iustice he giues iudgement by the lawe and accurseth euery man that doth not continue in all things written in the lawe to doe them In this court nothing can stand but the passion and righteousnesse of Christ for the best workes that we can doe we may not looke for any acceptation or reward but vse the plea of Dauid Enter not O Lord into iudgement with thy seruant for no flesh shall be iustified in thy sight Nowe in the court of grace and mercie God hath to deale with his owne children that stand before him iustified and reconciled by Christ. And the obedience of such he accepteth in this court and mercifully rewardeth though otherwise it be imperfect yet not for the merit thereof but for the merit and worthinesse of Christ. Thus then good works in rigour of iustice are worthy condemnation are accepted of mercie procured by the merit of Christ. Secondly it is alleadged that workes are necessarie to saluation and therefore not to be reputed losses I answer workes may be considered either as causes of saluation or onely as a waie directing thereto If they be considered as causes they are not necessary but in this respect they are dung If they be respected as a way leading and directing to eternall life they are indeede necessarie thus no otherwise Thirdly it is obiected that the law requires workes and the law must be satisfied therfore that he which is iustified must be iustified by workes The answere is that whosoeuer is iustified and saued is iustified and saued by works But works must be distinguished Some are personall workes done in and by our selues These neither iustifie nor saue any man but in the case of saluation are losse and doung Besides these there
the reasons which he vseth that we are created to good works and againe that they are ordained that we should walke in them The third before a worke can meritte it must please God before the worke please God the worker must please him before the worker please him he must be reconciled to God and perfectly iustified Iustification therefore goes in order before good workes and for this cause workes cannot be brought within the acte of iustification as causes Good workes make not good men in whole or in part but men first of all made good by the goodnesse of Christ imputed make good workes by their goodnesse The fourth is this The humanitie of Christ is the most excellent of all creatures in heauen and earth yet beeing considered by it selfe it cannot possibly merit at Gods hand In a work properly meritorious there be three cōditions First the doer thereof must do it by himselfe and not by another for then the praise is his by whome he doth it and not his owne Secondly the worke to be done must not be a debt or dutie for then the doer deserues nothing Thirdly there must be a proportion betweene the worke and the reward of life eternall Now the manhood of Christ considered apart by it selfe cannot performe these three conditions For it doth what it doth by the spirit of God whereby it was conceiued and is filled without measure Againe it is a creature and therefore whatsoeuer it is hath or can doe it oweth all to God Lastly it cannot doe a worke proportionall to eternall glorie because it takes all of God and can giue nothing to him If then it be demanded howe this manhood of Christ merits in our behalfe I answere not by it selfe but by meanes of the personall vnion whereby it is exalted and preferred into the vnitie of the second person the eternall Word of the father Hence it is that Christ meriteth none can merit of God but God Now then if Christ merit onely in this regard no meere creature man or angell can possibly merit by any worke The fifth reasō is this There be two kinds of trāsgression of the lawe one when a worke is directly against the law the other is whē that is don which the law requires but not in that manner and perfection the lawe requires The second kind of transgression is in euery good worke which is done by men vpon earth now where any transgression is there must be pardon where pardon is there is no merit That this doctrine of the certentie of our losses may yet the better be cleared I will set downe the supposed grounds of merit and discouer their weaknesse They are two the first is the Promise that God hath made to workes whereby he hath bound himselfe to reward them with eternall glorie I answer that this very promise is made of the good pleasure and meere good will of God and of the same goodnes it is that any man is a doer of any good worke either by nature or grace Therefore if a man could fulfill the whole law he should not merit at Gods hand Thus saith the Lord Exod. 20. 6. That he will shew mercie vpon thousands of them that loue him and keepe his commaundements The second ground is That vertue of meriting is deriued frō Christ the head to his members by diuine influence I answer it is a thing vnpossible For the vertue of meriting is in Christ not simply as he is Man but as he is in one person God and Man The worke which meriteth is done or acted euen by the manhood but the merit of the worke is from the Godhead or from the excellencie of the person Now then if this vertue be in Christ not as he is man but in respect he is Man-god or God-man it can not be deriued to vs that are but men vnlesse euery beleeuer should be Deified made of a meere man God-man which is impossible Therefore there is no capablenes or possibilitie of merit in the worke of any meere man or creature whatsoeuer For this cause the true church of God euer detested humane merit The merit of congruitie before iustification is a Pelagian conceit and was neuer maintained of the orthodoxe Fathers Stapleton confesseth thus much The merit of congruitie saith he in respect of the first grace was of old hissed out neither was it euer admitted of the better sort of schoolemen as of Thomas in his Summe and his latter writings nor of his followers And the merit of condignitie whereby workes are said of their owne dignitie and that properly to deserue the increase of the first iustification and eternall life was not receiued of the learned in the church for more then a 1000. yeares after Christ. Radulphus Ardens a very learned man in his time saith thus Seeing by one grace we come to an other they are called merits and that improperly For as Augustin witnesseth God crownes onely his owne grace in vs. Againe No man may thinke that God is bound as it were by a bargaine to repay that which he hath promised For as God is free to promise so is he free in respect of repaying especially considering that as well merits as rewardes are his grace For God crownes nothing els in vs but his grace because if he would deale with vs in extremitie none liuing should be iustified in his sight And hereupon the Apostle who laboured more then all saith I thinke that the affictions of this time are not worthie the glorie that shall be reuealed Therfore this couenant or bargaine is nothing els but a voluntarie promise Anselme after him saith If a man should serue God a thousand yeares and that most zealously he should not vvorthely deserue to be in the kingdome of heauen so much as halfe a day S. Bernard saith Touching eternall life we know that the sufflerings of this time are not worthie of the glorie to come no not if one man should suffer all For the merits of men are not such that eternall life may be due for them or that God should doe some iniurie if he gaue it not For to let passe that all merits are the gifts of God and so man is rather debter to God for them then God to man what are all merits to so great a glorie Lastly who is better then the Prophet to whome the Lord giueth so worthie a testimonie saying I haue found a man according to mine owne heart for all that he had need to say to God Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant Againe in the processe of time when the merit of condignitie had takē place it was not generally receiued for it was reiected of sundrie schoolemen and others as of Gregorie of Arimine of Durand of Waldensis of Burgensis and Scotus Wherefore to conclude it now appeares to be an infallible certentie that he which desires to be saued by Christ must indure the
but by Adams disobedience imputed to vs are we made sinners therefore we are made iust by the obedience of Christ imputed Bernard vsed this reason Whome saith he another mans fault defiled another mans water washed Yet in calling it another mans fault I doe not denie it to be ours otherwise it could not defile vs. But it is another mans because we all not knowing of it sinned in Adam It is ours because we haue sinned though in an other and it is imputed to vs by the iust iudgement of God though it be secret Yet that thou maist not complaine ô man against the disobedience of Adam there is giuen thee the obedience of Christ that beeing sould for naught thou maist be redeemed for naught Again the doctrine of imputed iustice he teacheth expresly saying Al are dead that the satisfaction of one might be imputed to all as he alone bare the sinnes of all Againe Death is put to flight by the death of Christ and the righteousnes of Christ is imputed to vs. Fourthly Paul saith Christ is made vnto vs of God iustice that is iustice imputed for in the next words he saith he is made our sanctification that is our iustice not imputed but inherent Fiftly as Christ was made sinne so are we made the iustice of God but Christ was made our sin not by any conueiance of any corruption into his most holy heart but by imputation We therefore are made the iustice of God by like imputation And least any man should yet surmise that this iustice is not imputed but infused into vs Paul saith We are made the iustice of God IN HIM that is in Christ. Hence it followeth manifestly that there is no vertue or worke within vs which iustifieth before God and that our iustice whereby we are iust in the fight of God and accepted to life eternall is out of vs placed in Christ. Thus much haue the Fathers obserued vpon this text of Paul Augustine saith that Christ was made sinne that we might be made iustice not our iustice but Gods iustice neither in vs but in him as he declared sinne not to be his but ours not placed in him but in vs. Hierome saith Christ being offered for vs tooke the name of sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him not ours nor in vs. In the same manner speake Theophilact Anselme Sedulius presbyter and others Lastly mā considered as a creature before his fall owed vnto God the fulfilling of the lawe which as a certaine tribute was daily to be paid vnto him After the fall he doubled his debt because he then became debter to God of a satisfaction due for the breach of the lawe Now the not paiment of this double debt is our vnrighteousnes But where may we find a sufficient paiment for this debt We our selues by our sinnes daily increase the said debt And our owne workes though proceeding of faith are no conuenient paiment because we cannot by one debt paie an other And if we shall search through heauen and earth there is nothing to be found that may stand for paiment with God but the obedience of the Redeemer which he hath presented and laid downe before the throne of the Almightie as an endlesse treasure to make paiment in our behalfe And because the said obedience is a satisfaction for our vnrighteousnes it is also our iustice in the acceptation of God By these and other reasons it appeares that nothing can absolue vs before God and procure the right of eternall life but the onely obedience of the Mediator Christ God and man that without any vertue or worke of ours Hence it followes that the present Church of Rome corrnpts the article of iustification by mingling things togither which can no more be compounded and mingled togither then fire and water namely the iustice of the gospell with the iustice of the law For it makes a double iustification the first containes two parts pardon of sinne by the death of Christ and the infused habit of charitie The second is by workes which they say do meritoriously increase the first iustification and procure eternall life Here we see the soueraigne medicine of the Gospel namely remission of sinnes tempered with the poison of the lawe For though vertues and workes prescribed in the lawe haue their place as good giftes God in our liues and cōuersations yet whē they are set vp higher and brought within the circle of iustification as meritorious causes they are put quite out of their place and are no better then poison and hereupon are tearmed of Paul losse and dongue But such as desire to be tearmed Catholickes alleadge for themselues against vs that the obedience of Christ that is the righteousnesse of an other cannot possibly be our righteousnesse I aunswer that the iustice of another may be our iustice if it be really made ours And this is true in Christ. For when we begin to beleeue in him though our persons remaine euermore distinct and vnconfounded yet are we made one with him and according to the tenour of the Euangelicall couenant are we giuen to him and he to vs so as we may truely say Christ is mine as we can truly say this house or this land is mine Now if Christ be ours then also his obedience is not onely his but ours also his because it is in him ours because with him it is giuen vs of God Againe they alleadge That when Paul refuseth the righteousnesse of the lawe he means nothing els but the workes of the lawe that are perfourmed by the strength of nature and that he doth not exclude the workes of Grace I answer it is false for he speakes of himselfe in the time present when he was a Christian Apostle and therefore he excludes all righteousnes of his own which he had by the law euen when he was an Apostle And the obiection Rom. 6. 1. what then shall we sinne that grace may abound cannot be inferred vpon iustification by workes of grace but vpon a iustification by the obedience of Christ imputed to vs without all workes of our owne Againe that we are iustified not by the iustice of the lawe but by the iustice of faith here is the foundation of our comfort For hereupon if we be tempted in the time of this life we may oppose against the tempter this our iustice If Satan plead against vs that we are sinners and therefore subiect to eternall damnation let vs answere him that the obedience of Christ hath freed vs from this damnation If he plead further that we neuer fulfilled the lawe and consequently that we haue no right to eternal life we must answer him that Christ fulfilled the lawe for vs. If he shall vexe and vpbraid vs with the consideration of our manifold wants and corruptions let vs tell him that so long as we turne vnto God from all our euill waies bewaile our corrupttions and beleeue