A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel, Exposition 1 · Dialogue 3
Of the fall and reſtoring of Man. The third Dialogue.
Rom. 6. d. 7. c. Epheſ. 2. a. 4. c. Galath. 5. c. Iohn. 3. d.Of mans Freevvill.
M.
HAth man no frée will, where by he maye doe the good that God commaundeth him, and refuſe the euill which he forbyddeth him?
P.
He hath frée will without any power to do good: But on the contrarie, ſo prompt to all euill, that he deſireth not, (neyther can he) any other thing but to do euill, for the tyme that he remayneth in his corrupt nature.
Of ſinne, and of the nature of it, and what originall ſinne is properly.
M.
Geneſis. 3. Rom. 5. b. 7. c. Iohn. 8. d. Rom. 6. c. 2. Pet. 2. d. Epheſ. 2. a.WHat is the cauſe of this vnhappineſſe?
P.
Sinne wherevnto he became ſubiect thorowe his owne faulte, in ſuch ſorte, that he is as a ſeruaunt and ſlaue to ſinne.
M.
How is ſinne the cauſe?
Peter.
Bycauſe that it bringeth to him two euilles, the greateſte that maye be.
M.
Pſal. 51. b. Epheſ. 2. a.Whiche is the firſt?
P.
It is the wrath and curſe of God, whereof ſinne maketh man guiltie.
M.
Whiche is the ſeconde?
P.
It is that corruption of nature whereof I hauehave already ſpoken, whiche maketh man ſo enclined to euill, that he cannot of himſelfe thinke, ſpeake, nor doe anye good, but procure dayly more and more the wrath of God vppon him, by all that whiche he can thinke, ſpeake, or doe.
M.
That corruption of nature, ought it to be accompted for ſin?
P.
It is properly that which is commonly called original ſinne, whiche is the ſpring and fountaine from whence all the others do procéede. Wherfore if there be any ſinne that deſerueth to be accompted ſinne, it is that ſame.
Of the meane vvhereby man maye be deliuered from ſinne, and from the vvrathe of God, vvhiche ſinne bringeth to him.
M
SEing then that mā can find in himſelfe no remedie to with-holde him from that bottomleſſe pitte of perdition,Iohn. 1. a. Rom. 5.7. d 8. a. Epheſ. 2. b. 4. f. where is it that he ſhal fynd it elſewhere?
P.
In God only, who only canne reforme hym to his Image, as at the fyrſte hee did,Col. 2. c. 3. b 2. Timo. 1 c Tito. 3. b. Exod 20. e. Deuter. 5. a Hebr. 12.5. 1. Timo. 6. d and formed him according to ye ſame.
M.
But by what meane may he obtayne ſo greate a good thing of God, conſidering that he hath ſo greatly offended him, and procured his wrath?
P.
It is certaine, that no man may hauehave acceſſe to God, to obteyne ſaluation of him, without a mediatoure, by whome he may be made at one with him.
Of the cauſes for the vvhichwhich there is neyther man nor Angell ſufficiente to the office of mediatoure betvvene God and man, and of the greatneſſe of the vvrath of God againſt ſinne.
M.
Rom. 3. c. 5. b.ANd who is this mediatoure, which may make this appointmente?
P.
For ſo much as all men, are in like faulte and condemnation, there is none among them ſufficient for that office, of what holyneſſe and qualitie ſoeuer he be.
Mat.
Where muſt he then be ſought? Shall it be among the Angells whiche hauehave no ſinne?
P.
The very Angells can not be ſufficiente therevnto.Iob. 4. d. Colloſs. 1. b Epheſ. 1. b. Deuter. 4. d Nahum. 1. d Exod. 33. d. 34. a Pſal. 145. a. Iob. 46. d. 1. King. 8. c Daniel. 6. g. 13. b. Iſaye. 40. c. Pſal. 146. c. 1. Ti. 6. c. d. 2. Peter. 2. a Iude. …. Roma. 5. d. 1. Cor. 13. f Hebr. 2. d. Exod. 34. a. Rom. 3. e. d
M.
Why not?
P.
Chiefly for two cauſes.
M.
Whiche is the firſt?
P.
It is that the wrath and curſſe of God, is ſo heauie a burden, that there is no creature whatſoeuer he be, neyther in heauen nor in the earth, that may beare it, but that he ſhall be beaten downe with it vtterly.
M.
What is the cauſe there?
P.
It is bicauſe that ye offence through ſinne committed, is done againſt God which is infinite, and an eternall prince and king, wherefore it deſerueth alſo paines infinite and eternall.
M.
HaueHave we any teſtimonie of the ſame?
P.
The angells which hauehave ſinned may be ſure teſtimonies vntounto vsus.
M.
In what ſorte?
P.
If that they which were ſo excellent creatures, coulde not themſelues beare that which they had deſerued for their parte, how may one amongſt them beare all that that all mankind hath deſerued togither?
M.
This reaſon is very plaine. But which is the other cauſe, that maketh that the very Angells are not ſufficient to ſuch an office?
P.
For ſo much as ſeing that the offence was cō mitted by mā, it muſt alſo be repaired in him, & by him.
M.
For what cauſe?
P.
To the ende that God may be founde true and iuſt, and alſo mercifull togither.
Of the ſetting forth of the iuſt iudgemēt, & of the mercy of god, in the redēptiō of mā.
M.
Gene. 2. c. 3. c. d. Exod. 20. a. 34. a. Ezech. 18. e Iere. 3. d. Pſal. 103. b.HOw doſte thou vnderſtande ye ſame?
P.
If god did not puniſh mā acording to the deſert of his tranſgreſſion, and according to the threatnings that he himſelf hath giuen vntounto him, & the ſentence that he hath giuen againſt him, where ſhould the truth & iuſtice of God be?
M.
I vnderſtand well this point, but what wilt thou ſay of his mercy?
P.
In like ſort if he puniſhed man according to his deſert, where ſhould then this mercy be, by the which he ſheweth forth his infinit goodneſſe more than by any other vertue, whatſoeuer that is in him?
Of the only & true mediator Ieſus Chriſt.
M.
Iohn. 3. b. Rom. 8. f. g. Rom. 5. b. 1. Iohn. 4. b. Eſay. 9. b. Iere. 23. b. Pſal. 45. b. Iohn. 1. a. b. 1. Tim. 3. d. Roma. 9. b. 1. Iohn. 1. a.If there be neyther man nor Angel ſufficient to that office, what other mean reſteth then, by the which that fault of man may be repaired by him, & in him.
P.
Bycauſe that man could not among all the creatures find any, God hath prouided according to the pietie & compaſſion that he had of him, being moued by his only mercy and ineſtimable charitie.
M.
Which is this mean?
P.
It is yt he hath giuen his only ſonne Ieſus Chriſte to do this office.
M.
And what mean hath he obſerued in this worke?
P.
It is that Ieſus Chriſt being the Eternal & true God,Math. 1. e. d. Luke. 1. d. Act 3. c. 2. d Eſay. 53. b. c 1. Peter. 2. d & of one only eſſence with the father, toke humain fleſh in the womb of ye virgin Marie, by the very ordināce of God his father.
M.
What néed was there that he ſhould take humain fleſhe vponupon him to execute that office?
P.
It was euen ſo neceſſarie to the ende that in the ſame, he might ſatiſfie the iuſt iudgement of God for all men.
Of the vnion of the diuine and humaine nature in the perſon of Ieſus Chryſt, and of the cauſes of the ſame.
M.
Was it neceſſary that ye ſame mediator ſhould be very God and very man togither, in one very perſon?
P.
It is euen ſo, & chiefly for thrée cauſes.Rom. 5. d. Hebr. 2. d.
M.
Which is the firſt?
P.
It is, that if he had not bene very man, he could not hauehave ſuffred in our fleſh & nature yt which he hath ſuffered, & was to ſuffer for vsus.
M.
And if he had not ſuffred ye ſame, what incōuenience ſhuld ther hauehave ben?
P.
That he ſhuld not hauehave born for vsus in our nature & fleſhe the wrath & curſe of God which we had deſerued: and then he ſhould not hauehave ſatiſfied the iudgement of God thorowe his obedience, to put away by the ſame, in our own fleſh and nature, the rebellion by the whiche we hauehave deſerued this iudgemente.Nahum. b. Hebr. 10. g.
M.
Which is the other cauſe?
P.
It is that if he had ben but only man, and that he had not ben vnited with God, being very God and very man in one very perſon, he could not hauehave ben able to beare this burden of the wrath of god, which is ſo greate and ſo importable, but that he ſhoulde hauehave ben ſwallowed vp, how iuſt or innocent ſoeuer he ſhulde hauehave ben.Eſay. 43. b. Iere. 17. a. Iohn. 6. g.
M.
Which is the thirde?
P.
It is that he ſhoulde not hauehave ben able alſo to hauehave brought ſaluation and life to man, if he had not had the fountaine in him ſelfe by meane of his diuine nature.
Of the ſacrifice and ſatiſfaction of Ieſus Chriſt, and of the vertue therof.
M.
WHich is then the meane whereby Ieſus Chriſte hath ſatiſfied for vsus in his humaine nature and fleſhe?Eſay. 53. a. b Math. 27. Rom. 4. d. 5. a. 8. a. 2. Cor. 5. d. Epheſ. 5. a. 1. Pet. 2. c. d 1. Iohn. 2. a. Hebr. …. c. d
P.
It is the ſacrifice that he himſelfe hath made of his owne body and bloud by his paſſion and death.
M.
Howe is the ſacrifice of Ieſus Chriſt of ſuch vertue?
P.
For two principall cauſes.
M.
Whiche is the firſt?Phili. …. … Hebr. 5. …. 9. d.
P.
The paine the which he béeing innocent hath endured for vsus, whiche were culpable, by the which payne, he who had not deſerued it, hath deliuered vsus from it which we hauehave deſerued.
M.
Which is the ſeconde?
P.
It is the perfecte obedience whiche he hath yelded to God his father, in recompence of the tranſgreſſion and rebellion which was founde in vsus.
Of the communication in the benefites of Ieſus Chriſt.
M.
IS it ſufficiente that he is deade, and that he hath yelded to God his father one ſuch an obedience?
P.
If that ſame were ynough, all ſhoulde be ſaued indifferently, as well infidels as faithfull men.
M.
What is more required then?
P.
That the ſame ſatiſfaction whiche Ieſus Chriſte hath made to God his father, may be communicated and appiled to vsus.