The Doctrine of Justification, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAPTER IIII
THE third thing to bee marked in the ſubſtance of Gods Decree, is the Meane, whereby we are to attayne vntounto that, wherevnto we are predeſtinate: that is, whereby God hath ordayned vsus, to be Adopted, which is Ieſus Chriſt, according as the deſcription of predeſtination contayneth: when it fayeth. That we are Predeſtinate to be adopted through Ieſus Chriſt. Of which point for avoyding idle repetition, we will not ſpeake much, vntill we come to the ſecond of theſe foure points: which we hauehave propounded to be conſidered: becauſe vntounto it, it properly belongeth: onelyonly theſe two things, we are to marke, by the way: Firſt, that Ieſus Chriſt, is not the cauſe why, but the Meane, whereby God doth ordayne vsus to adoption. Which will more clearly appeare, when we ſpeake of the cauſe, mooving God to predeſtinate vsus.
The ſecond thing that we hauehave to marke, is, that all other ſecondary Meanes, whereby in the Scriptures we are ſaid to be made ſonnes, or iuſtified, &c. as namely, the Goſpell preached, the Sacramentes, & faith: are no wayes to be eſteemed Meanes, ſimply in reſpect of them ſelves, but only by relation, and reference to Chriſt: in and by them revealed, offered, and receyved. Which is moſt evident, by the deſcription aforeſaide of predeſtination: in the which nothing ſaving Chriſt alone, is ſet downe to be the Meane, whereby God ordayneth vsus to be adopted: ſo that it is not the word but Chriſt revealed by the word, neither the Sacraments, but Chriſt ſignified by the Sacramentes, nor faith, but Chriſt receyved by faith, which in proper ſenſe maketh vsus ſonnes, and iuſtifieth vsus. They only by conſequence and mediatly being ſaid in Scripture, to make vsus ſonnes, and Iuſtifie vsus, &c. becauſe they are the meanes, appointed of GOD, whereby we atteyne vntounto Chriſt, who is the onelyonly proper and immediate meane, whereby we are Adopted and Iuſtified, &c. Neither are they appointed mediate Meanes, abſolutely neceſſarie, vntounto our adoption and iuſtification: Chriſt onelyonly being the immediate and abſolute neceſſarie Meane, appointed of God for the enioying of theſe bleſſings: as being the onelyonly matter & ſubſtance of them, in him ſelfe. The word Sacraments and Faith being in them ſelves, neither part nor portion of the Matter and ſubſtance of theſe benefites, but onelyonly the ſignes, or ſeales, or inſtrumentes of enioying him, who alone is the ſubſtance. And that onelyonly vntounto ſuch, as are partakers of the outward diſpenſation of the covenant. others who die before they either heare faith preached, or are made partakers of the Sacraments, ſuch as are many children of the faithfull, & ſuch alſo as are called like vntounto the thiefe, in the laſt houre: being adopted of God, and iuſtified through Chriſt, without them, and therefore, when in the Scriptures, the ſpirit of God doth indifferently attribute our adoption, iuſtification, ſalvation, &c. vntounto Chriſt, and vntounto …aith: yet they are not of a like large extent, nor alike relatiue, in all perſons adopted, iuſtified, and ſaved, &c. For albeit actuall beleeving, doth neceſſarily imply Chriſt: yet to be adopted and iuſtified through Chriſt, doth not alwayes, in all perſons, neceſſarily imply actuall beleeving: ſeeing that faith, commeth of hearing the word preached: and therfore is to be reſtrayned to ſuch as are by outward diſpenſation called: which all that are adopted, and iuſtified, are not: for we are to diſtinguiſh betwixt theſe two things: that is, to be partakers of the covenant, and to bee partakers of the outward diſpenſatiō of the couenant: and therefore when it pleaſeth God by outward diſpēſation, to call thoſe who are within the covenant: theſe meanes are then neceſſarily required vntounto ſalvation. For we are bound to theſe outward Meanes, when it pleaſeth God to vſe them towards vsus, for our calling: but God is no wayes bound to them, nor his grace in Chriſt, but that he may freely, by his grace, without them, performe his Decree through Ieſus Chriſt in vsus: after the manner knowne to him ſelfe: whoſe wayes are paſt finding out, els, if thoſe meanes, were abſolutely neceſſarie in all, who are within the covenant: then certainly the children of the faithfull, who, according to the Scriptures, are within the covenant, dying without externall diſpenſatiō of the covenant: ſhould, contrarie to the ſcriptures, not be accounted holy.
Of this it followeth, that whē it is ſaid in ſcripture, that without faith it is vnpoſſible to pleaſe God: that wee are to vnderſtand that ſaying, prudently, leaſt we fall in a dangerous error: ſo as to eſteeme the children, of whom cōſiſteth the kingdome, not to be acceptable to God: who notwithſtanding, are baptiſed, as belonging to God in Chriſt▪ and heyres of that righteouſnes, which is by faith: although they hauehave never heard ſaith preached.
Of all theſe things we may eaſily perceive, that ſeeing Chriſt, who is the matter of our righteouſnes & life, is not the cauſe why but the Meane, whereby, God doth decree to adopt vsus, & iuſtifie vsus, &c. that faith, which is no material but inſtrumental Meane, can much leſſe be the cauſe why, but a meane, wherby, God doth predeſtinate vsus, to be adopted, iuſtified, and glorified: otherwiſe faith, which is powerfull onelyonly in reſpect of Chriſt: ſhould be of greater reſpect, with God, then Chriſt himſelf: which were abominable to thinke. In danger of which ſinne, many notwithſtā ding do fall: in defining, both Gods decree, and our iuſtification. When as they diſtinguiſh not, firſt, betweene the thing which is decreed, and the cauſe moving God to decree that which he decreed. Secondly, whē they diſtinguiſh not, in the thing which is decreed, that whervnto we are ordeyned, from the Meane, wherby God doth ordayne to adopt vsus. & thirdly, whē in the meane, they diſtinguiſh not, betwixt that, which is abſolutly neceſſarie, in all within the covenant: frō thoſe things, which only are neceſſarie, in ſuch, as not only are within the covenant, but alſo are called by outward diſpenſation thereof: and which are not, ſubſtantial partes of our righteouſnes, but accidentall meanes therof. except we will ſay, that to be iuſtified by Chriſt, and by faith, is one, and the ſame thing, in proper and not borrowed ſpeach. which is impoſſible: except we hold that faith in proper and not figurative ſpeach, doth ſignifie Chriſt.
Theſe overſights, cauſe ſome to make faith the cauſe moving God to predeſtinate vsus to adoption, &c. and others, to eſteeme faith, not to be the Meane, and that inſtrumentall & that in ſome caſe only: but the very matter of our righteouſnes. and that not in borrowed or figurative, but in ſimple and proper ſpeach. of which matter we ſhall have occaſion to ſpeak heereafter.