Concerning the Doctrine of Faith and of the Law, Treatise 2
A BRIEFE COLLECTION OR EXPOSITION OF a summe of Sainct Paules doctrine delivered upon the same: Of all Christians to be obserued and learned.
AS all men be transgressors by disobedience of All men condemned by one.one Adam (though they neuer touched the Apple) comming of his seede by nature: So all men be iustified by the obedience of one, which is Christ, though they did no righteousnes, being likewise borne of him by spirituall regeneration and fayth.
And therefore, as all men comming of Adam, be condemned All men saued by one.originally, before they grow up to commit any sinne against the Law: so all men be saued originally, being regenerated by Fayth in Christ, before they begin to do any good worke of charitie, or any other good deede.
A true Christian knoweth nothing els, but Christ A true christian defined.onelyonly crucified: which is onelyonly the obiect whereunto our fayth looketh.
Also, Sainct Paule cutting off, and excluding all Saluation by mercy onelyonly, and not by merites.glorie of mans deseruinges, stayeth onelyonly upon Gods promise, and upon grace; not mens merites: upon merciemercy, not mens labouring or running: upon election and calling. &c.
He also admitteth no sacrifice for sinne, but the sacrifice of Christ alone, and that done once for all with One sacrifice for sinne, and no more. Heb 9.blood: For without blood, there is no remission of sinne; which onelyonly is applyed to us by Fayth, and by nothing els. Heb. 9.
He deth also declare vntounto vsus the vertue of the Crosse and Passion of Christ.
By whose blood we hauehave redemption, and remission Ephe. 1.of our sinnes. Ephe. 1.
By whose strypes we are made whole. Esa. 53. Esa. 53. 1. Pet. 2. Collo. 1.1. Pet. 2.
By whose Crosse all thinges are pacified, both in heauen and earth. Collo. 1.
By whose death we are reconciled Rom. 5.Rom. 5. 1. Timo. 1.
Who hath destroyed death, and brought lyfe to light. 1. Tim. 1.
Who by death, hath destroyed him, which had the Heb. 2.power of death, that is, the Deuill, And hath deliuered them, which liued vnderunder feare of death all their lyfe in bondage. Heb. 2.
By whose obedience we are made iust: By whose Rom. 5.righteousnes we are iustified to lyfe. Rom. 5.
By whose curse we are made blessed, and deliuered Galla. 3.from the maladiction of the Law. Galla. 3. with many other such like. &c.
Wherefore, whosoeuer studieth to be accepted with God, and to be founde righteous in his sight, let him learne diligently by the doctrine of Sainct Paule, to make a difference & a seperation, as farre as from heauen to the earth, betweene these two (that is) betweene the righteousnes of workes, and righteousnes of Fayth: And in any case beware he bring no other meanes for his iustification, or remission of his sinnes, but onelyonly Fayth, apprehending the body or person of Christ Iesus crucified. For as there is no way into the house, but by the doore: so is there no comming to God, but by Christ alone; which is by Fayth. And as the mortell body, without bodely sustenance of bread and drinke, can not but perish: so the spirituall soule of man, hath no other refreshing, but onelyonly by Fayth in the body and blood of Saluation commeth onelyonly by Fayth.Christ, whereby to be saued.
With this Fayth the idolatrous Gentiles apprehended Iesus Christ, and receiued thereby righteousnes.
Cornelius (the first baptised Roman) so soone as he heard Peter preach Christ, receaued straight way the holy Ghost.
Peter him selfe confessed: and for his confession had Math. 16.the keyes of heauen. Math. 16.
Zacheus receaued the person of Christ into his Luk. 19.house: and withal, receaued saluation, both to him and his whole householde. Luk. 19.
What a sinner was Marie, which had no lesse in her Luk. 7.then seauen Deuils: and yet because she set her hart and affection vponupon that person, many sinnes were forgeuen her? Luk. 7.
The righthand Thiefe, how farre was he from all Luk. 23.workes of the Law? And yet by Fayth, entred he iustefied into Paradice the same day with Christ. Luk. 23.
In lyke maner, although the poore Publican came Luk. 18.to the Church with lesse holinesse after the Law, yet went he home to his house more iustified, then the Pharise with all his workes: and all by reason of Fayth. Luk. 18.
The parable of the Prodigall Sonne, which was That which is lost by the Law, is recouered … Fayth, … Luk. 18. Math. 9.lost, yet reuiued agayne. Also of the lost Groate, and of the lost Sheepe which went astray, and was founde againe: What do these declare? but that which is lost by the Law, to be recouered by Fayth and Grace.
And how oft do we reade in the Gospel? Thy Fayth hath saued thec. &c
Iesus seeing their beliefe. &c.Iohn. 14. Iohn. 14.
He that beleeueth in mee, I will rayse him vp in the last day. &c. Beleeue also in mee. &c.
He that beleeueth in mee, hath euerlasting lyfe. &c.Ioh. 15.
Without me ye can do nothing. &c. He that is in Ioh. 15.me. &c. He that loueth me. &c. He that heareth me. &c. He that abydeth in me. &c. He that receaueth me. &c. Vnlesse ye eate my flesh, & drinke my blood. &c. That they may receaue remission of Act. 26.their sinnes by their fayth in me. &c. Act. 26.
To him all the Prophets giuegive witnes, that whosoeuer Act. 10.beleeueth in him, should hauehave remission of sinnes in his name. &c. Act. 10.
He that beleeueth, and is baptised. Math. vlt.Math. vlt. Iohn. 14.
He that beleeueth in mee, shall do the workes that I doe, and greater then these. &c.
And likewise in the writinges of S. Paule, how often The writings of S. Paule ful of the name of Christ Iesus.do we heare the name of Christ, almost in eueryevery third or fourth line, where he still repeateth: In Christo Iesu, per Christum Iesum, per Iesum Christum dominū nostrum. &c. Qui credunt in ipso. &c. Omnes qui credunt in eo. &c. Credentes illo in eum credentes illi, in nomen eius. In nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi. &c. Beleeue (sayth S. Paule to Act. 16.the Iaylor) in the Lord Iesus, and thou shalt be saued, and thy whole house &c. Act. 16.
Thus then thou seest, as the Passion of Christ is only The personal cause of saluation.the efficient or personall cause immediate, of our saluation: so is Fayth onelyonly the instrumentall or meane cause, that maketh the merites of Christ to vsus auayleable. The instrumental cause.For as the Passion of Christ serueth to none, but such as do beleeue: so neither doth Fayth (as it is only a bare qualitie or action in mans minde) it selfe iustifie, How Fayth iustifieth.vnlesse it be directed to the body of Christ crucified, as to his obiect, of whom it receaueth all his vertue. And therefore these two must alwayes ioyntly concurre togeather, Fayth, and Christ Iesus crucified.
As for example, When the Children of Israel were Example of the brasen Serpent.bid of Moses, to looke vp to the Brasen Serpent: neither coulde the Serpent hauehave helped them, except they had looked vp: nor yet their looking vpward hauehave profited Num. 21.them, vnlesse they had directed their eyes vponupon the sayd Serpent, as the onelyonly obiect set vp to the same purpose for them to beholde. So our Fayth in lyke case, directed to the body of Iesus our Sauiour, is onelyonly the meanes whereby Christes merites are applyed vntounto vsus, and we now iustified before God: according to the doctrine of S. Paule, who in expresse wordes defining to vsus what this Fayth is, and how it iustifieth, What Fayth is by S. Paule Rom. 10.sayth: If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus, and beleeue with thy hart, that God raised him from death thou shalt be saued. &c. Rom. 10. Besides this, what action or qualitie soeuer is in man, either Hope, Charitie, or any other kinde of Fayth and beleeuing, be it neuer so true, except it apprehende this obiect (which is) the body of Christ the Sonne of God, it serueth not to iustification: And that is the cause why we adde this particle (onelyonly) to Fayth, and say, That Fayth onelyonly in Christ iustifyeth vsus, to exclude all other actions, qualities, gyftes, or workes of man, from Fayth onelyonly.the cause of iustifying: forsomuch as there is no other knowledge nor gyft geuen of God to man, be it neuer so excellent, that can stande before the iudgement of God to iustifycation, or whereunto any promyse of saluation is annexed, but onelyonly this Fayth, looking vp to the brasen Serpent (that is) to the body of Christ Iesus for vsus crucifyed.
As for example: When the Turke sayth, That he beleeueth in one lyuing God, that made heauen & earth: The Turkes Fayth.his beliefe therein is true, yet it iustifieth him not, because it lacketh the right obiect: which is Christ. So when the Iew sayth, That he beleeueth in one The Iewes Fayth.God, maker of heauen and earth: and beleeueth also, the same God to be omnipotent, mercifull, iust, and true of promyse, and that he hath elected the seede of Abraham: True it is, that he beleeueth, and yet all this serueth him not, because Christ the sonne of God is not ioyned withall. And though the sayd Iew should be neuer so deuout in his prayers, or charitable in almes, or precise in keeping the Law, and beleeued neuer so steadfastly that he is elect to be saued: yet he is neuer the nearer to saluation for all this, so long as his Fayth is not grounded vppon the head corner stone, which is the person and body of Christ Iesus, the true Sauiour. After like sort it may be sayd of the Papict, The Papistes Fayth.when he sayth, That he is baptised, and beleueth in the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, three persons and one God. And also confesseth, Iesus Christ to be the Sonne of God, which dyed for our sinnes, & rose agayne for our righteousnes. &c. His beliefe therein is true, and in deede woulde saue him, yf he did stay his saluation in his Fayth, and vponupon Christ his Sauiour onelyonly, according to the promyse and grace of God, and goe no further: But that he doth not. For neyther doth he admit Christ onelyonly to be his perfect Sauiour, without the helpe of other Patrons, Heades, Aduocates, and Mediatours: nor yet permitteth his Fayth in Christ onelyonly, to be the meanes of his iustifycation, but setteth vp other by meanes, as Hope, Charitie, sacrifice of the Masse, Coufession, Pennance, Satisfaction, Merites and Pardons, supposing therby to worke his iustification before God, contrary to the worde of promise, to the Gospel of grace, and to the doctrine of S. Paule.
Also Sainct Paule in the. 9. to the Romans wryting of this righteousnesse which commeth of Fayth, Rom. 9.calleth it the righteousnesse of God, in these wordes, Whom God, sayth he, hath set vp for a propitiation by Fayth in his blood, whereby to make manifest Rom. 3.the righteousnes which is of him selfe, in tollerating our sinnes. &c. Rom. 3. By the which righteousnes, it is euident that Sainct Paule meaneth the righteousnes of Fayth, which almightie God now reuealeth and maketh manifest by preaching of the Gospel. Wilt The righteousnes of Fayth, why it is called Gods righteousnes.thou see yet more playnely this righteousnes of God, how it is taken in S. Paule, for the righteousnes of Fayth: and therfore is called the righteousnes of God, because it is imputed of God onelyonly to Fayth, and not deserued of man. In the same Epistle to the Romans, and in the. 3. chapt. aforesaid, his wordes be manifest, The righteousns of God (sayth he) is by fayth of Iesus Rom. 3.Christ in all, and vponupon all that do beleeue, &c.
And thus much of the true causes of our iustificatino, The causes of our saluation distincted.after the doctrine of Sainct Paule: concernyng which causes this distinction furthermore by the way is to be added, that as touching the originall causes of our saluation, which be diuers and sundry: some are externall and without vsus, some are internall and within vsus. Of the externall causes which are without vsus, the fyrst and principall is the MercieMercy and grace of God: Grace and mercy.Of this foloweth Predestination and Election, then commeth Uocation. The last and next cause to vsus, is Election. Vocation. Christes passion.the Death and Bloodshed of Christ, whereby we are redeemed: and all these be externall causes, because they are without vsus. Of internall causes that be in man through the gyft of God, there is but one, and no moe in Scripture appoynted (That is) our Fayth Fayth in Christ.in Christ: which is the gyft of God in vsus. Besides this, there is no gyft of God geuen to man, no vertue, worke, merite, nor any thing els, that is any part or cause of our saluation, but onelyonly this gyft of Fayth, to beleeue in Christ Iesus. And this is the cause why The meaning & cause why fayth only iustifieth▪we holde, that Fayth onelyonly iustifyeth: meanyng, that amongst all the workes, deedes, actions, labours, and opperations whatsoeuer man doth, or can doe, there is nothing in man that worketh saluation, but onelyonly his Fayth, geuen to him of God, to beleeue in Christ his sonne: folowing therein the trade of Sainct Paules teaching, who in precise wordes so ascribeth iustification to Fayth, that he excludeth all other actions of man, and workes of the Law: And therefore in the fame Epistle to the Romans, Sainct Paule reasonyng of the glory of Iustifying, asketh this question, How Al workes of man excluded from the glory of iustifying.this glory is excluded, whether by the Law, or workes: and concludeth no: ascribing only the glory thereof to the law of Fayth. And consequently vponupon the same he inferreth, We holde that a man is iustified by Fayth, without the deedes of the Law.
And how then can that be accompted for any part of our iustifycation, which Sainct Paule vtterly debarreth and excludeth in that behalfe. Of which like exclusiues and negatiues, the whole course of Sainct Paules doctrine is full, where he still concludeth, Sine operibus, absque operibus legis, non ex operibus dei donum est, non ex operibus, sed secundum miserecordiam ne quis glorietur. Ephe. 2.Ephe. 2. Non ex operibus Iusticiae que ferimus nos, sed secundum propositum suum et gratiam. &c. Tit. 3. Non secundum Tit. 3. Time. 2.opera nostra. &c. Tim. 2. That is to say, It is the gyft of God, not of workes, that no man should glory. &c. Not of the workes of righteousnes which we hauehave done, but of his owne merciemercy. &c. Not after our workes, but after his owne promyse and grace, which is geuen to vsus. &c. Agayne, Galla. 2. Non iustificatur Galla. 2.homo ex operibus. &c. That is, A man is not iustified by workes. &c. Item, ei qui non operatur credenti autem in eum qui iustificat impium fides imputatur ad iustitiam. Rom. 4.&c. Rom. 4. To him that worketh not, but beleeueth in him which iustifieth the wicked, his fayth The exclusiues and negatiues of S. Paule to be marked,is imputed to righteousnes. &c. By these exclusiues and negatiues in Sainct Paules doctrine, what doth he els meane, but vtterly to seclude all kinde of mans merites and workes of the Law, from the office and dignitie of iustifying. And although he expresseth not the worde (onelyonly) yet vponupon his exclusiues and negatiues, this exceptiue must needes be inferred. For in all logique, the consequent is necessarie and formall: as, one man is suffered to come into the house, and no person els is suffered to enter but one: Ergo, one man only, is suffered to enter into the house. And thus much concerning Fayth in Christ, proued to be the onelyonly meane, or instrumentall, or conditionall cause of our Saluation, & no other besides the same alone, by the doctrine of S. Paule, taught to the ancient Romans.
Sainct Paule after he hath thus established vsus in certaintie of our Saluation, through Fayth in Christ, exhorteth vsus vehemently and with all instance, to good workes, shewing the true vse and ende of good workes: (which is) First to shew our obedience and duetifull The true vse and ende of good workes.seruice (as we may) vntounto God, who hath done so great thinges for vsus. Secondly, to relieue our neighbours with our charitie and kindnes, as God hath been kinde to vsus his enemies. Thirdly, to stirre vp others by our example, to prayse God, to imbrace the same Religion, and to do the like: For requisite it is, that as God hath beene so mercifull vntounto vsus, and gracious in eternall gyftes, we should be mercifull likewyse to other in temporall commodities. And seeing it hath pleased him of his fatherly goodnes (of our partes so little deserued) to call vsus to so high a vocation, to giuegive the blood of his Sonne for vsus, to forgiue vsus al our sinnes, to delyuer vsus from this present wicked worlde, to make vsus citizens of heauen; yea, his children, more then seruants: …ytle then can we doe, and well may he thinke those benefices yll bestowed, if we forgiue not our neighbours, and shew some thing agayne worthy that holy callyng, wherewith he hath called vsus, in mortifying our fleshly lustes here, and studying after heauenly thinges. And finally, if we being prouoked with such louelove and kindnes, render not againe some louelove for louelove, some kindnes for kindnes, seeking how to walke in seruing him (so much as we may) in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our lyfe. And though our obedience shall alwayes be imperfect, do the best we can: yet reason would, that some obedience we should shew, as louing children, to such a louing father.
And this is the cause why Sainct Paule is so vehement Good workes iustifie not, but folow the iustified.and vrgent, to call vponupon good workes, not that workes should iustifie: but that we being iustified so mercifully and tenderly through his grace, should not abuse his grace in vayne, but endeuour our selues to our vtmost, to render our seruice agayne to him in such conuersation of lyfe, as may most make to his glory, and profite of our neighboure. And though the wordes of our Sauiour seeme in some places, to attribute to our obedience & charitie here in earth, great rewardes in heauen: That is, of his owne free grace & goodnes, so to impute small matters, for great desartes: And not for vsus to clayme any meede thereby, or thanke at his hand, as by any worthynes of our doinges, no more then the Seruant when he commeth from the Plough, and seruing the Cattle in the stelde, serueth first his Maister at home, and wayteth vponupon his table: the Maister is not bound (sayth Christ) to thanke his Seruant therefore, and did him sit downe: So you (sayth he) Luk. 17.when you hauehave done that is commaunded you, say ye are vnprofitable Seruantes, ye hauehave done but what your bounden duetie was to doe. Luk. 17.
Agayne, here also is to be vnderstoode, that where such rewardes be ascribed vntounto mens deedes, it is not for the worthynes of the deede it selfe, but for the Fayth of the doer; which Fayth, maketh the worke to be good in Gods sight: For els, yf an Infidel should do the same worke that the Christian doth, it were nothing but meere sinne before God. In that therefore the Christian mans worke is accepted, be it neuer so small (as to giuegive a cup of colde water) the same is onelyonly for his Faythes sake that doth it, and not for the worke which is done. Whereby againe we may learne, how Fayth onelyonly doth iustifie a man, & that three maner of wayes. First, it iustifieth the person in making him accepted, Fayth iustifieth three maner of wayes.and the childe of God by regeneration, before he begin to do any good worke.
Secondly, it iustifieth a man from sinne, in procuring remission and forgiuenes for the same.
Thirdly, it iustifieth the good deedes and workes of man, not onelyonly in brynging foorth good fruites, but also in making the same workes to be good and acceptable in the sight of God … which otherwise were impure, and execrable in his syght.
The office therefore of Fayth and Workes, is dyuers, and must not be confounded. Fayth fyrst goeth The office of Fayth, & the office of the Law compared togeatherbefore, and regenerateth a man to God, and iustifyeth him in the sight of God, both in couering his sinne, and in making his good deedes acceptable to God, clyming vp to heauen, and there wrastling and pleading Christes merites with God, and his iudgement, for righteousnes, for saluation, and for euerlasting life. Workes and Charitie folow Fayth, and are exercised here vponupon earth, and gloriech onelyonly before man, but not before God, in shewing fo…rth obedience both to God and man: Further then this, our good workes do not reach, nor hauehave any thing to doe in the iudgement of Rom. 7.God touching saluation. I speake of our good workes (as S. Paule speaketh Rom. 7. as they be ours, and imperfect: for els, if our workes could be perfect, according to the perfection of the Law, as Christ wrought The workes of man be imperfect: and therefore hauehave nothing to do with iustification.them in the perfection of his flesh, then should we obtayne saluation by them: according as it is sayd, Qui feceret ea, viuet in eis. But now seeing the imbec…itie of our flesh can not attayne thereto, it foloweth thereof, that all glory of iustifying is taken from our workes, and transferred onelyonly to Fayth.
Certayne Principles, or generall Verities, and infallible Rules of the Scripture, grounded vponupon the trueth of Gods worde, in the argument of iustification.
The fyrst Principle.
AS sinne and death came originally by the disobedience of one, to all men of his generation by Rom. 5.nature: So righteousnes and life, came originally by the obedience of one to all men, regenerated of him by Fayth and Baptisme. Rom. 5.
The seconde Principle.
The Promise of God was freely geuen to our first Gen. 3.Parentes without their deseruing, That the Seede of the woman should breake the Serpents head. Gen. 3.
The thirde Principle.
Promyse was geuen freely to Abraham, before he Gen. 12.deserued any thing: That in his Seede all nations should be blessed. Gen. 12.
The fourth Principle.
To the worde of God, neither must we add nor take from it. Deut. 4.Deut. 4.
The fyft Principle.
He that doth the workes of the Law, shall liue Teuit. 18. Galla. 3.therein. Leuit. 18. Galla. 3.
The sixt Principle.
Accursed is he which abideth not in eueryevery thing that Deut. 27. Galla. 3.is written in the booke of the Law. Deut. 27. Galla. 3.
The seuenth Principle.
God onelyonly is to be worshypped. Deut. 6. Luk. 4.Deut. 6. Luk. 4.
The eight Principle.
All our righteousnes is lyke a defyled cloth of a Esa. 64.woman. Esa. 64.
The ninth Principle.
In all my holy Hill, they shall not kill nor slay, Esa. 11. 65.sayth the Lord. Esa. 11. 65.
The tenth Principle.
God loueth merciemercy and obedience, more then sacrifice. Ose. 6. 1. King. 15.Ose. 6. 1. King. 15.
The eleuenth Principle.
The Law worketh anger, Condempneth, and Rom. 3.openeth sinne. Rom. 3.
The twelfth Principle.
The ende of the Law is Christ, to righteousnes, Rom. 10.to eueryevery one that beleeueth. Rom. 10.
The thirteenth Principle.
Whosoeuer beleeueth, and is baptised, shalbe saued. Math. vlt.Math. vlt.
The foureteenth Principle.
A man is iustifyed by Fayth, without workes: freely Galla. 2. Ephe. 2.by grace, not of our selues. Galla. 2. Ephe. 2.
The fyfteenth Principle.
There is no remission of sinnes without blood Heb. 9.Heb. 9.
The sixteenth Principle.
Whatsoeuer is not of Fayth, is sinne. Rom. 14. Rom. 14. Heb. 11.Without Fayth, it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11.
The seuenteenth Principle.
One mediatoure betweene God and man, Christ 1. Timo. 2. 1. Ioh. 2.Iesus. 1. Tim. 2. And he is the propiciation for our sinnes. 1. Iohn. 2.
The eighteenth Principle.
Whosoeuer seeketh in the Law to be iustified, is Galla. 5.fallen from grace. Galla. 5.
The nineteenth Principle.
In Christ be all the Promyses of God Est and 2. Cor. 1.Amen. 2. Cor. 1.
The twentieth Principle.
Let eueryevery soule be subiect to the superiour powers, Rom. 13.geuing to Cesar that which is Cesars, and to God that which is Gods. Rom. 13.
O Lord increase our Fayth.
FINIS.