Abrahams Faith, Part 1 · Chapter 3 · Article 6
The ſixt Article, of the applying of Chriſt.
Faith onelyonly iuſtifieth, and who ſo euer beleeueth in Chriſt ſhalbe ſaued.
THe meaning of this Article is: that there is not in man either before or after hee beleeue, any inherent righteouſneſſe, or goodnes of mind, neither any kind of workes done by him, which can either deſerue any thing at Gods handes, or in any part ſatiſfie his wrath wherby we ſhould be accounted righteous in his ſight: but that Chriſt alone hath paid our ranſome for our ſinnes, and wee are ſaued by the meere and free grace of God, thorow his bloud: and wee are then onelyonly accounted iuſt and iuſtified before God, & made inheritors of ſaluatiō, when by a true & vnfained faith & beliefe in Chriſt bloud, wee acknowledge embrace and receaue this grace and fauour of God: and this faith onelyonly in this ſort apprehending Chriſt, maketh vsus righteous and iuſtified before God. And thus ſurely it befell vntounto Abraham our father: For firſt he was taught it: Secondly hee found and felt it. Thirdly God wrote it for euer, with great and golden letters in the image of his houſe, that all poſteritie might reade it, and learne it, to their euerlaſting comfort. That he was taught it, is apparant in that God finding him void of all goodneſſe and righteouſneſſe (as is before declared) gaue him the promiſe, thataGen. 12.3. in him all the families of the earth ſhould bee bleſſed. This the Apoſtle interpreteth to bee meant, that the nations ſhould bee iuſtified by faith in Chriſt and not by works: ſayingbGal. 3.8. The ſcripture foreſeeing that God wold iuſtifie the Gentils: through faith, preached before the goſpell vntounto Abraham: ſaying, In thee ſhall all the gentils bee bleſsed. Where thou mayeſt obſerue two thinges. Firſt that this vttering of this promiſe to Abraham was the preaching of the goſpell. Secondly, that the ſumme of the goſpell is, Iuſtification is by faith onelyonly. And that all nations ſhould hauehave no other but the ſame order of iuſtification, which God taught Abraham, namely, by faith onelyonly. In the ſecond place Abraham found and felt this, when hecGen. 15.2. mourned to God, becauſe he had no child, and God ſhewed him the ſtarres and ſaid, looke now vp into heauen, and tell the ſtarres if thou be able to number them, and hee ſaid vntounto him, So ſhall thy ſeede bee. And Abraham beleeued the Lord, and hee counted that to him for righteouſneſſe. Which the Apoſtle doth interprete, to be vnderſtood, that faith without workes doth iuſtifie, not onelyonly in the perſon of Abraham, but alſo that it pertayneth to all other in the like and verie ſame manner to be iuſtified, and in none other. Firſt of Abraham he ſaith:aRom. 4.1. What ſhall we ſay that Abraham our father hath found concerning the fleſhe? for if Abraham were iuſtified by workes, hee hath wherein to reioyce, but not with God. For what ſaith the ſcripture, Abraham beleeued God, and it was counted to him for righteouſnes. In which wordes it is plaine, that Abraham was iuſtified by faith onelyonly, and if hee had beene by workes hee had had no reioycing with God. And as touching all other, that it is the onelyonly and perpetuall rule of iuſtification, hee ſaith:bVerſe 23. Now it is not written for him onelyonly that it was imputed to him for righteouſneſſe: but alſo for vsus to whom it ſhall be imputed for righteouſneſſe, which beleeue in him which rayſed vp Ieſus our Lorde from the dead. Thirdly, the great and golden letters wherewith this doctrine is written in Abrahams houſe, be Sarah his wife and her ſonne Iſaack, and Hagar his bond ſeruant and her ſonne Iſmael: in whom God hath ſet forth as in a wide open book, the two couenants: the couenant of works and the couenant of merciemercy, the one of the law and the other of the goſpell. For Sarah repreſenteth the couenant of merciemercy, and the eſtate of the Church vnderunder the goſpell; and her ſonne the true and faithfull beleeuers in Ieſus Chriſt.Read Gen. 16. & 21. Hagar repreſenteth the couenaunt of workes, and the ſtate of the Church vnderunder the lawe, and her ſonne Iſmael ſuch as ſeeke righteouſneſſe by their workes. Now as Sarah being the free woman, her ſonne Iſaack was the heire vntounto Abraham, and remayned in his houſe for euer: ſo the couenaunt of merciemercy, and the ſtate of the Church vnderunder the goſpell being free, the true beleeuers, being children of that church, are iuſtified through faith, made heires of God, through hope, and remaine in Gods houſe for euer. And as Hagar being a bondſeruant, her ſonne could bee no otherwiſe but a bond ſlaue, and ſo both were caſt out of Abrahams houſe for euer. So the couenant of workes and the eſtate of the church vnderunder the law (in them which ſought righteouſnes any where but in the promiſe made afore vntounto Abraham) in as much as no man is able to performe the law: engendreth vntounto the bondage of ſinne, death, and damnation, and as many as ſeeke to bee iuſtified by their workes are vnderunder the curſe, and therefore to bee caſt out of Gods houſe for euer, euen as in the examples of Iewes and gentils the Apoſtle ſpeaketh plainely.cRom. 9.30. What ſhall we ſay then? that the Gentils which followed not righteouſnes, hauehave attained vntounto righteouſneſſe, euē to the righteouſnes which is of faith. But Iſrael which followed the law of righteouſneſſe could not attaine to the law of righteouſnes: wherefore? becauſe they ſought it not by faith, but (as it were) by the workes of the law. Here I do humbly confeſſe, that I ſhould neuer hauehave beene able to hauehave read this doctrine, in theſe great letters, if the hand of the maſter builder, the Apoſtle of the gentils, had not pointed it out vntounto mee, by the finger of Gods ſpirit. For in the Epiſtle to the Galathians: hauing proued and declared by many arguments, that we are iuſtified by faith, and not by workes at all, and ſhewing the vſe of the law to bee ſo farre from iuſtifying by workes, that it was ordained onelyonly to driue vsus from works vntounto Chriſt, to be iuſtified by faith in him. At the length he calleth his reader to looke vponupon this table, wherin this doctrine is purtraied, in the houſe of Abraham, and ſo plainly interpreteth it, that euerie nouice in religion may perceiue it, ſaying:aGal. 4.21. Tell me, ye that will be vnderunder the law, do ye not heare the law, for it is written that Abraham had two ſonnes, one by a ſeruant, and one by a free woman: but he which was of the ſeruant was borne after the fleſh, & hee which was of the free woman was borne by promiſe. By the which things an other thing is ment; for theſe mothers are the two teſtaments, the one which is Agar of mount Sina, which gendereth vntounto bondage, (for Agar or Sina is a mountaine in Arabia, & aunſwereth to Hieruſalem which now is) & ſhe is in bondage with her children, but Hieruſalem which is aboue is free, which is mother of vsus all, &c. Now (that we may heare Moſes conſent) this verie doctrine doth the law it ſelfe teach. For although it be called the miniſterieb2. Cor. 3.9. Rom. 4.15. of condemnation, and that which cauſeth wrath, yet is it not in the nature of the law ſo to doe, for it iscRom. 7.12. holy and pure: but in the corruption of our nature infected with originall ſinne. Who firſt are vnable, either withdVerſe. 24. Iacob. 4.2. grace oreRom. 8.7. without grace, to fulfill it, and therfore the law accurſeth vsus ſaying:fDeut. 27.26. Gal. 3.10. Curſed is euerie one which continueth not in all the wordes of this law to do them. And ſecondly without the ſpeciall grace of God wee cannot vſe the law of God aright, for theregCor. 3.13.14. hangeth a vaile of ignorance and hardnes of heart ouer our eyes, in reading of the law, that we can not ſee the end why the law ſerueth; and ſo we are enthralled as were the Iewes, as the Apoſtle teacheth: h They being ignorant of the righteouſnes of God, and going about to eſtabliſh their owne righteouſnes, hauehave not ſubmitted themſelues to the righteouſneſſe of God. But if wee turne to the Lord, and his ſpirit ſet vsus at libertie, then ſhall wee ſee, how that the law and couenant of workes (which vntounto vnbeleeuers, and them which ſeeke to bee iuſtified by their workes, engendereth bondage) is a verie good and neceſſarie ſeruant and handmaide to the goſpel, as it is written:aRom. 3.21. The righteouſnes of God is made manifeſt without the law, hauing witneſſe of the law and the prophets, to wit, the righteouſneſſe of God by faith of Ieſus Chriſt, vntounto all and vponupon all that beleeue. And this ſeruice of the lawe vntounto the goſpell, in bearing witneſſe the Apoſtle moſt liuely expreſſeth where hee ſaith:bGal. 3.22. Is the law then againſt the promiſe of God? God forbid. For if there had beene a law which could hauehave giuen life, ſurely righteouſneſſe ſhould hauehave beene by the law, but the ſcripture hath concluded all vnderunder ſinne, that the promiſe by the faith of Ieſus Chriſt ſhoulde bee giuen to them that beleeue. Whereby you may learne that the lawe is ſo farre from iuſtifying, that thereby it ſhould hinder the iuſtifying by faith onelyonly in the promiſe: that it determineth all men to bee ſinners, and maketh it manifeſt, that if wee deſire to bee iuſtified, we muſt runne to the promiſe by faith in Ieſus Chriſt. And in another place he ſheweth a further witneſſe of the law, ſaying:cRom. 5.20. The law entred that the offence might abound, neuertheleſſe where ſinne abounded, there grace abounded much more. Whereby he teacheth vsus two thinges: firſt that the law making ſinne appeare, & (as hee ſaith els where)dCap. 7.13. out of meaſure ſinfull, was a ſchoolemaſter to driue men to Chriſt, that beleeuing in him they might bee righteous, by not imputing their ſinnes. The ſecond, that by ſo much, as by the law man ſeeth his owne corruption and curſed eſtate for breaking the law, by ſo much the more aboundantly doeth appeare vntounto him the rich grace of God in Ieſus Chriſt. And this is not all the witneſſe of the lawe. For all the prieſthoode of Aaron and of the Leuites, the Tabernacle, Altars, the Arke and all the inſtrumentes, ſacrifices, waſhinges, feaſtes, &c. What doe they argue? but (as the holy ghoſt ſaith)eHeb. 10.7. a remembraunce of ſinne euerie yeare, and ſo declared that they neede a better ſacrifice, which was Chriſt, by which they ſhould bee purged: as it is taught els where:fHeb. 9.15. For this cauſe is Chriſt the mediator of the new teſtament, that through death, which was for the redemption of the tranſgreſſions that were in the former teſtament, they which are called: might receiue the promiſe of eternall inheritance. So did theg1. Cor. 10.1.2. rocke ſtreaming out water after them, ſende them to Chriſt, and the man was a ſpirituall meate to ſhew them Chriſt. Yea this verie way of iuſtification, did the braſen ſerpent teach them when they were ſtunge with fierie ſerpents, in the wilderneſſe,Numb. 21.4.8.9. for tempting of God. That as they had nothing in or of themſelues, to eaſe them or free them from preſent death, and God cauſed this braſen ſerpent to be ſet vp, that by onelyonly looking thereon, they ſhould be healed: ſo did it ſignifie that by onelyonly faith in Ieſus Chriſt, the ſting of ſin being done away wee ſhould bee iuſtified and ſaued. As our ſweet Sauiour himſelfe doth teſtifie, ſaying:bIoh. 3.14.15. As Moſes lift vp the ſerpent in the wilderneſſe, ſo muſt the ſonne of man bee lift vp, that whoſoeuer beleeueth in him ſhould not periſh but hauehave eternall life. Now the prophets draw neere and are readie to proteſt vntounto vsus, and to ſhew their witneſſe. Firſt to teach vsus that wee cannot bee iuſtified nor ſatiſfie by workes: Thus they crie out,cPſal. 150.3. If thou Lord, ſtraitly markeſt iniquities, O Lord who ſhall ſtand, &c. dPſal. 143.2.Enter not into iudgement with thy ſeruant, for in thy ſight ſhall none that liueth bee iuſtified. And that faith onelyonly iuſtifieth God himſelfe ſaith:eEſai. 53.11. By his knowledge ſhall my righteous ſeruant iuſtifie many, for hee ſhall beare their iniquities. And againe,fAback. 2.4. Behold, hee that lifteth vp himſelfe, his minde is not vpright in him, but the iust ſhall liue by faith. Who can ſpeake more plainely? Therefore the Apoſtle by this place excludeth workes, ſaying:gGal. 3.11. That no man is iuſtified by the law in the ſight of God, it is manifeſt, for the iuſt ſhall liue by faith. And againe he alleadgeth it, to teach that by faith wee are iuſtified, ſaying; that by the goſpell:hRom. 1.17. The righteouſneſſe of God is reueiled from faith to faith, as it is written, the iuſt ſhall liue by faith. Heare wee alſo what the goſpell ſaith:iIoh. 20.31. Theſe thinges are written, that yee might beleeue, that Ieſus is the Chriſt the ſonne of God, & that in beleeuing yee might hauehave life through his name. Which is opened in another place, excluding workes of merite or ſatiſfaction.kRom. 3.23. There is no difference, for all hauehave ſinned and are depriued of the glorie of God, and are iustified freely by his grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Ieſus, whom God hath ſet foorth to be a reconciliation, through faith in his blood. And that it may appeare that workes are altogether ſhut out, and faith the onelyonly inſtrument of iuſtification, he ſaith a little after, vponupon diuers arguments,aver. 28. We conclude that a man is iuſtified by faith without the workes of the law, and in an other place:bEph. 2.8.9. By grace are ye ſaued through faith, and that not of your ſelues, it is the gift of God; not of workes, leaſt any man ſhould bost himſelfe, vntounto al which the church of England ſubſcribeth, and calleth the Lorde cHier. 26.6.our righteouſnes, and ſaith:dArtic. 11. of the iuſtification of man. we are accompted righteous before God, onelyonly for the merit of our Lord and Sauiour Christ, by faith, and not for our owne workes or deſeruings. Wherefore that we are iustified by faith onelyonly, it is a most wholſom doctrin &c. Thus we ſee the honor of faith onelyonly: that is to iuſtifie and ſaue through the apprehending of Ieſus Chriſt. So learned Abraham, Moſes, the Prophets and Apoſtles, being taught of God: and ſo beleeueth and profeſſeth the Church and Realme of England. The Lord increaſe it more and more in vsus and among vsus, in all heauenly wiſedom and ſpirituall vnderſtanding, according to the bleſſed Goſpell of our louing Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt.