Exposition of Jude, Verse 1 · Part 7 – Part 8
Aduersaries hereof.
First, our common people that thus abuse this doctrine: If I be chosen to saluation I shall be saued, therefore I may liue as I list. They might as well reason thus: The tearme of my life is stinted, none can lengthen or shorten it, I will therefore neither eate nor drink, nor vse Physicke, nor other meanes of prolonging my daies: which what were it else but to murther the bodie? So these from the same ground become murtherers of their soules; whereas men chosen to the end, will prease after the meanes and conclude otherwise, and say, I will vse meanes that I may come to life. Secondly, others more learned are aduersaries to this ground, who teach that God for his part hath chosen all men to life; and for his part would hauehave all saued, and that Christ for his part hath redeemed all, and the holy Ghost giueth or offereth grace to all. If wee aske, why then are not all saued? They answere, because God foresawe those who would beleeue, whom hee appointed to saluation: he foresaw also others who would not beleeue, and adiudged them to damnation. But by this doctrine shall Gods will hang on the will of man, and bee ruled by it, seeing hee would hauehave men saued, but man will not; and so this ground is in part rased.
The eighth ground is:8. Ground▪ That God made the heauens and the earth, and all things that hauehave being in them: Col. 1.16. By him were created all things which are in heauen and in earth. This is a principle: for if creatures had no beginning, then are they become Gods; which would ouerthrow the Godhead. But all things were not made besides God.Obiect. For the highest heauen the Throne of God is eternall as God himselfe is. Ans. The Throne of God is a creature as well as the rest:Answere. Heb. 11.10. He looked for a citie hauing a foundation, whose builder and maker is God. Obiect.In the world are many euils which could not be from God, the foundation of all goodnesse. Ans. Euill is of three sorts: first naturall, Answere.which commeth by nature corrupted, as sicknes, diseases, plagues, and death it selfe. Secondly, materiall euils, as hurtfull beasts, poisons in trees, plants, beasts; these are created, and the very poison of them is a creature. Thirdly, morali euils, which be trāsgressions against the Morall law and Commandement of God. Of the two former God is the author and cause: Esai. 45.7. I create euill: that is, naturall and materiall: but of the third, that is, morall euils which be sinne, God is no cause.Obiect. Ob. But God is the cause of all things, and sinne is some thing. Ans. Sin is no creature,Answer… ▪ but the destruction of Gods image which is a creature, effected by the creature: for though the creature cannot make a creature, yet it can destroy a creature.
The aduersarie to this ground is the Atheist, who holdeth the creatures to hauehave been from euerlasting, and so by denying one God, hee maketh manie thousands.
… Ground.The 9. ground is, that God made man according to his owne image, Gen. 1.27. For by creation man had three things: first, the substance of bodie and soule. Secondly, in them the powers and faculties of minde, will, affections, &c. Thirdly, an excellent conformitie of all these to the will of God: This is the image of God, called in the Scripture righteousnes and holinesse. This is a ground: for the image of God is the substance and body of the law; hee therefore that denieth this, denieth the law, the fall from it, and restoring vntounto it by Christ.
… GroundThe 10. ground is, that by Adam, sinne and death entred into the world, and in him all meere men sinned, Rom. 5.12. To the conceauing of which wee must know, that the first sinne of Adam was eating the forbidden fruite; the next was, the putting out of Gods image, in stead of which corruption of heart tooke place so farre, as (the seede of all sinne being within him) he was prone and readie to eueryevery sinne. Now Adam being a publike person, and hauing receiued whatsoeuer hee had for himselfe and his posteritie either to hold for, or lose from both; hence is it that both those sinnes are become the two first sinnes in our conception, he sinning wee sinned, and with him hauehave the seeds of all sin within vsus by nature, no sinne excepted, no not the sinne against the holy Ghost. Yea no otherwise is it with vsus than with a noble man practising treason, whose whole blood is therby stained. Ob. But Christ came of Adam, therefore he in Adam sinned. Ans. God made this law with Adam, that all who came of him by ordinarie generation should be guiltie of his sinne: but Christ was extraordinarily conceiued by the holy Ghost, and took of Mary Adams nature; but not Adams sinne. Againe, Christ came of Adam, but from him as a beginning, and not by him as by a father; whereas all other men are both from Adam and by him. This is a maine ground of our religion, without which there could bee no redemption.
Aduersaries hereof are:
First, our common people, who say they euer kept Gods law, and loued him with al their heart, and their neighbours as themselues, and thinke hence all is well: but were it so as they dreame, they had neuer fallen in Adam, and so Adams sin had not gone ouer all men.
Secondly, the Popish Church: first, in teaching that the Virgin Mary (who came of Adam by ordinary generation) was conceiued without sinne:Papists controule the Apostle where he saith, that sin entred by one ouer all. notwithstanding she was saued, not by her bearing of Christ in her wombe, but by beleeuing on him with her heart. Secondly, in that they teach that men are not wholy dead in sinne, but in part, or halfe dead, yea that being a little holpen they can keepe the law; as though by sinne men had not been wholy depriued of the glorie of God.
The 11. ground is,11. Ground that the Law and Gospell are two parts of the word of God, and are diuers kindes of doctrine. By the law I vnderstand that part of Gods word which promiseth life to the obeyer. By the Gospell that part which promiseth it to the beleeuer. These I say are diuers kindes of doctrine; to the cleering of which consider first, their consent and agreement. Secondly, their dissent and difference. First, the Law and Gospell consent: first in the Author; of both which is God. Secondly, in their generall matter, for both require iustice and righteousnesse to saluation. Thirdly, in their end, namely the glorie of God. Secondly, they dissent in sixe things: First, the Morall law is written in nature by creation; yea and since the fall we hauehave some remainder of it in vsus. Rom. 2.15. The Gentiles shew the effect of the law written in their hearts: but the Gospell is not in nature, but aboue the reach of nature created, much more corrupted. The ground of the law is the image of God; but the ground of the Gospell is Iesus Christ. Secondly, the Law will hauehave vsus doe something that we may be saued by it, and that is to fulfill it. The Gospel requireth no doing of vsus, but onelyonly beleeuing in Christ.Obiect. Ob. But beleeuing is a worke to be done.Answere. Ans. The Gospell requireth it not as a worke, but as it is an instrument and the hand of the soule to lay hold vponupon Christ, Rom. 4.5. and 3.21 and 10.5. Hence is it that the Law requireth righteousnes inherent; but the Gospell, imputed. Thirdly, the Law is propounded to the vnrepentant sinner to bring him to faith: but the Gospell to the beleeuer to the begetting and increase of faith. Fourthly, the Law sheweth sinne, accuseth and reuealeth iustice without merciemercy; but the Gospell couereth sinne, and is a qualification of the rigour of the Law. The Law saith, Cursed is eueryevery one &c. The Gospell qualifieth that and saith, Except he beleeue and repent, eueryevery man is accursed. Thus the Law which onelyonly manifesteth iustice is moderated by the Gospell, which mingleth merciemercy and iustice together: iustice vponupon Christ, merciemercy vntounto vsus. Fiftly, the law telleth vsus what good workes must bee done; the Gospell, how they must bee done: the former declareth the matter of our obedience, the latter directeth vsus in the manner of obeying: the former is pleased with nothing but the deede, the latter signifieth that God is pleased to accept the will and vnfained endeuor for the deede it selfe. Sixtly, the Law is no worker of grace and saluation, no not instrumentally, for it is the ministerie of death; the Gospell preached worketh grace onelyonly, though the Law may be a hammer to breake the heart and prepare the way to faith and repentance.