Abrahams Faith, Part 1 · Chapter 3 · Article 7
The ſeuenth article, of the eſtate of the regenerate, in regard of his ſanctification or inherent righteouſnes.
7. In this life, the regenerate in Christ, offend in many thinges, through ſinfull concupiſcence: and the best workes of the iuſt man (were it not for his faith) could not abide the ſeueritie of God.
IN this article are two things, imperfection in the good workes, of the regenerate, and many eſcapes into euill, and in both the cauſe is this: that there is in the regenerate, concupiſcence remaining after Baptiſme, which is ſin, and rebelling againſt the ſpirit, it bringeth forth ſin, and ſtaineth our well doing. Yet being vnderunder grace through faith, it ſhould not hauehave dominion ouer vsus, to deſtroy vsus, becauſe (as in the former article) we are iuſt and ſaued by faith in Chriſt onelyonly, ſo that the gift of regeneration & newnes of life, is but as it were a thing begun in this life; as the knowledge of a childe is vnperfect: But when corruption and mortalitie ſhal be done away, in the reſurrection of the iuſt: we ſhalbe deliuered into the glorious libertie of the ſons of God, and then ſhall we be perfect, reſting in the place,e2. Pet. 3.13. Wherein dwelleth righteouſnes. This imperfection you ſhal ſee in Abraham, if you conſider, how through weakeneſſe, hefGen. 12. & 20. & 16. & 11. twiſe hazarded his wiues honeſtie, to ſaue his owne life: that his wife deuiſed, and he conſented, to take his bond ſeruant; laſtly that he greeued to put away the bond ſeruant and her ſon, although God accepting for their faiths ſake the good workes of his ſeruants, doth couer their ſins, and therefore doth not bewray, or expreſſe Abrahams wants in the good things for which he is commended, as namely and eſpecially in offering vp of his ſon Iſaack: yet for ſo much as the holy ghoſt declareth, that the excellencie andaHeb. 11.6.17 goodnes of them ſtoode in this, that they were done by faith and ſo by faith pleaſed God: it argueth, that God couereth their corruption, in his free couenant of grace, to encourage all other his children; that although her workes cannot bee but vnferfect, yet they would walke in faith and truth as did their father Abraham: A witnes hereof was his alter wherein he offering praier and ſacrifices, to be accepted in Chriſt, did by this maner of dooing, acknowledge his wants euen in the beſt of his dooinges: otherwiſe hee needed not to approach vntounto God, vnderunder the ſhadowe of a mediator. But that which is not ſo plainly ſet downe in Abrahā, is more apparantly reueiled in his ſeed by Moſes. Moſes, Aaron, and Miriam, who ſeemed to be the moſt ſanctified of ſixe hundred thouſand, are yet found guiltie, by their workes, of Gods diſpleaſure.bExod. 32. Aaron maketh the golden calfe:cNum. 12. Miriam for murmuring againſt Moſes is made a leaper for certaine daies: anddCap. 20.10.11.12. Moſes for his vnaduiſed words, that he ſanctified not God at the waters of Meribah, hath this marke of imperfection ſet vponupon him, that hee muſt not paſſe ouer Iordan, into that good lande, which was promiſed to their fathers, and for which hee brought Iſrael out of Aegypt. There hauehave youeLeuit. 12. & 13. & 14. & 15 a puniſhment for him that ſmiteth his neighbour vnawares, or againſt his will,and 4. and 5. there hauehave you a ſacrifice for the magiſtrate, neer whoſe city any man is found ſlaine, yea there is a ſacrifice for the leaper, the running iſſue, for women newely deliuered of child, and for touching any vncleane thing, for vnwittingly ſpeking or doing any euil which one perceiueth not, all ſins of ignorance had their ſacrifice: what doe all theſe mean, but the ſin of concupiſcence & imperfection in the regenerate. And whē he ſaith thoufExod. 20.17. Rom. 7.7. ſhalt not luſt, he declareth plainly that this concupiſcence in the regenerate is ſin, as the holie Apoſtle doth expound it. And as touching the want or vncleanes in good works, there is an eſpecial feaſtgLeuit. 16. of reconciliation, to purge the holie ſanctuary, the tabernacle of the congregation, to cleanſe the alter, & to make atonement, for the prieſt & for al the people of the congregation, & that this ſhalbe don once eueryevery yere, where in euerie ſoule ſhal humble himſelfe: what doth this argue; but that the beſt things and workes of the beſt men are vncleane, and hauehave neede to be cleanſed by faith in Ieſus Chriſtes holie ſacrifice. But the prophets ſpeake yet more plainely: Firſt the Pſalmiſt ſaith:aPſal. 19.12. Who can vnderſtand his faultes? cleanſe me from ſecrete faultes: bPſal. 119.5.O that my waies were directed to keepe thy ſtatutes. cPſal. 141.4.Set a watch before my mouth, and keepe the doore of my lips, incline not my hart vntounto euill &c. Theſe wordes ſhewe directly and expreſly the ſinfull concupiſcence in man regenerate, to cauſe ſinne vnawares and ſecret, and that the children of God, ſaw their owne inhabilitie vntounto good thinges: and that no regenerate man could doe all Gods commandements, eſpecially at all times; to which the preacher accordeth ſaying:dEccl. 7.22. Surely there is no man iust in the earth, that doth good and ſinneth not: and as touching the ſinne of their good workes, they teach the Church to confeſſe and ſay:eEſai 69.6. Wee hauehave been all as an vncleane things, and all our righteouſnes, as filthie cloutes, vponupon this the goſpell ſpeaking of the regenerate ſaith,fGal. 5.17. The fleſh lusteth againſt the ſpirit, and the ſpirit against the fleſh, and theſe are contrarie one to an other, ſo that ye cannot doe the ſame thinges that yee woulde, wherefore the regenerate man confeſſeth this and ſaith:gRom. 7.19. I doo not the good things which I would, but the euill which I would not, that doo I, which ſheweth expreſſely the imperfection of the regenerate and righteous man in this life, that hee hath ſinne in him and cannot but ſinne; yea in his beſt deeds. For where ſuch reſiſtance is, there muſt needes be weakeneſſe, and ſinne; and therefore in this place,hver. 7. concupiſcence in the regenerate is directly called ſinne. And SaintiIacob. 3.2. Iames confeſſeth that in manie thinges wee ſinne all. And that wee may further ſee our imperfection in our beſt dooings; this alſo doth the regeneratek1. Cor. 4.4. acknowledge, that although in ſome one thing he doo knowe nothing by him ſelfe (as the Apoſtle in his miniſterie) yet he is not thereby iuſtified, thereby teaching that a good man cannot ſee what eſcapes there be in his perfecteſt doings, as God can: therfore he wil not cleere himſelfe, no not in that wherin he cannot accuſe himſelfe: for ſeeing as elſewhere he affirmethlRom. 7.21. When he would doo good, euil is preſent with him: it muſt needs follow that although the regenerate man do not in euerie action perceiue it, yet this euill concupiſcence which is alway preſent with him, doth make his good deedes vnperfect and ſinne, that it cannot aunſwere to the righteouſnes of the law, nor ſtand before Gods iudgment ſeate: if he ſhould iudge by mans deeds, according to the law, and not by his faith according to the goſpel, and therfore the ſpirit of Goda1. Ioh. 5.3.4. teacheth that the reaſon why Gods commandemēts are not greeuous to the beleeuer, is our faith, by which we hauehave victorie ouer the worlde. Then may I boldly conclude, that Abraham, Moſes, the Prophets and Apoſtles felt and found this doctrin to be true, that in the regenerate man, there is ſinful concupiſcence, which dwelling in our harts, and reſiſting the ſpirit, doth not onelyonly make vsus ſin in many things, but alſo ſtayneth our beſt deedes, with greeuous ſpottes of corruption and imperfection in Gods ſight: ſo that only faith in Chriſt muſt be ourbEphe. 6.16. ſhield againſt the firie darts of the Diuel: and c1. Pet. 1.5.by faith onelyonly doth God preſerue vsus through his power vntounto eternal ſaluation. And this is for certainty the doctrine, which the church of England now holdeth: For we publiſh to all the worlde; that Although (for Christ ſake) dArtic. 9. of original ſin.there is no condemnation to the regenerate and beleeuing, yet concupiſcence in it ſelfe is verie ſin; and thateArtic. 12. of good workes. our good workes, which are fruits of faith, and follow after iustification, cannot put away our ſins, and endure the ſeueritie of Gods iudgement. And thatfArtic. 15. Chriſt onelyonly without ſin. Chriſt onelyonly was without ſin, as a lambe without ſpot, but we, although we be baptiſed, and borne againe in Chriſt, yet we offend in many things. gApolog. cap. 19. diuiſ. 1.The moſt righteous perſon is an vnprofitable ſeruant: the law of God is perfect, and requireth of vsus perfect and ful obedience; we are able by no meanes to fulfill that law in this worldly life: Therefore it is clere that in this article alſo, we conſent and agree to the moſt ancient and catholike faith, of the fathers, law, Prophets, and Apoſtles of Chriſt.