King Jesus is the Believers Prince Priest and Law-Giver, Part 3 – Principles
The third inconvenience.
As in this their impious doctrine they shew themselves manifest enemies to the grace of God tendered to us in Christ, by interposing their owne righteousnesse of workes with the righteousnesse of faith, and so make the death of Christ of none effect; Gal. 2. 21. If righteousnesse come by the law, then Christ is dead in vaine: So are they no lesse injurious to Christian men, that beleeve in him for life and salvation, whom they leave in a doubtfull distrust of Gods favour, and of their salvation; contrary to the word and will of God, and right institution of the Apostolicall doctrine.
Object.Whereas our new School-men of late, to maintaine this said wicked point of doctrine, doe object unto us, that wee rather leave mens consciences uncertaine; for as much as if life (say they) were not a due reward, it were uncertaine: And now for as much as a due debt is certain, and mercy and favour is uncertain; therefore (say they) wee leaving mens consciences to the mercy of God, doe leave them in a doubtfull uncertainty of their salvation.
To this I answer,Answ. that due debt, if it be proved by the Law duly deserved, it must be certaine; but if the Law shall prove it imperfect, or unsufficiently due, then it is not certaine, neither can there be any thing duly claimed. Now, as touching mercy, so long as it remaineth secret in the Prince of life Christ Jesus, and not knowne to his subjects that beleeve and obey him, so long it is uncertaine; but when this mercy shall be openly published by proclamation, Esay 55. 1, 2,3. Ioh. 7. 37. Revel. 22. 17. Let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely: ratified by an oath and a promise, That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lye, we might have a strong consolation, Heb. 6. 17, 18. confirmed by his last Will and Testament, established in bloud, that the promise of pardon and forgivenesse of sinne may be sure to all that beleeve; For a mans Testament is of force after a man is dead, Heb. 9. 17. and sealed inwardly by the Spirit to the conscience, Rom. 8. 16. and outwardly by the Sacrament of Baptisme, and the Lords Supper; which are to us that beleeve, as the rain-bow was to the old world, a token that God will destroy the world with water no more, Gen. 9. 14, 15, 16, 17. so God hath sworne to us in his Sonne, that hee will not be wroth with us, nor rebuke us; For the mountaines shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Esay 54. 9, 10. For I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse, and their sinnes and their iniquities will I remember no more, Heb. 8. 12. Then this mercy remaineth no more doubtfull, but ought firmly to be beleeved of every faithfull subject to King Jesus. Therefore Saint Paul, to establish our hearts in this assurance, and so to give a full answer to this doubt, in his Epistle to the Romanes doth teach us, saying, And therefore of faith, that it might bee by grace, to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that onelyonly which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, Rom. 4. 16. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if wee beleeve on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised againe for our justification, Vers. 23, 24, 25. meaning hereby, that workes have nothing to doe in this case of justifying; and noteth the reason why, for then our salvation should never be certaine, but stand in a doubtfull wavering; because, in working, we are never certain whether our workes and deserts be perfect and sufficient in Gods judgement yea or no: and therefore (saith Saint Paul) to the intent our salvation should be out of doubt, and certain, it standeth not of works, in deserving; but of faith, in apprehending; and of Gods free grace, in promising life and salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The fourth inconvenience.
As in this their sinister doctrine they break this Principle of Christian Religion, which saith, that a man is justified by faith without workes, Rom. 3.28. so again it breaketh another Principle, namely, that to the word of God neither must we adde nor take from it, Deut. 4.2. For this rule being granted, that nothing is to be added to Gods word nor taken from it, then have these men done wickedly, in adding (as they doe) to Gods word; for whereas Gods word limiteth to our justification no condition but faith, (Saint Paul speaking to the cruell Jailor that beat the Apostle, demanding of him in the bitternesse of his spirit, Sirs, good Sir, what must I doe to be saved? replied, Beleeve (saith he) on the Lord Iesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thine house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized, hee, and all his straight-way. And when hee had brought them into his house, he set me at before them, and rejoyced, beleeving in God with all his house. Act. 16. 30,31,32, 33,34.) these Justiciaries doe adde thereunto divers and sundry other conditions besides, and such as the word of God precisely excludeth, as hope, charity, works of mercy to the poore needy brethren, the sacrifice of the Masse, the worke of the Priest ex opere operato, auricular confession, satisfactions, meritorious deeds, or any other qualities or qualifications, or acts of humiliations, which are laid down as causes to be annexed unto the bloud of Christ in point of Justification: These things all true beleevers now esteeme them, with St. Paul, filth and dung, that they may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having their own righteousnesse, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousnesse which is of God by faith. Phil. 3. 8,9.
And thus much concerning the doctrine of Faith and Justification; whereby it may appear, to what horrible blindnesse and blasphemy the Church of Rome is now fallen, where this kind of doctrine is not onelyonly suffered, but also publikely professed, with speaking against faith, thus blaspemously dare say, Fides illa, qua quis firmiter credit, & certo statuit propter Christum sibi remissa esse peccata, seseque possefsurum vitam aeternam, non fides est, sed temeritas; non Spiritus sancti persuasio, sed humanae audaciae praesumptio: That is, That faith whereby a man firmly beleeveth, and certainly assureth himselfe that for Christs sake his sins be forgiven him, and that he shall possesse eternall life, is not faith, but rashnesse; not the perswasion of the holy Spirit, but presumption of mans boldnesse. Ex Lindano in epitome doctrinae Evangelicae. This Relation, as farre as it is Mr. Foxes, is truly word for word set down, unlesse some doubtfull phrase were explained by the Writer, for the benefit of the curteous Reader, and hath (excepting the explanations) been seven times publikely Printed by Publike Authority.
Mr. Foxes Touchstone, to know Truth from Error, by certaine Principles and generall Verities, grounded upon the truth of Gods word.
The first Principle.
AS sin and death came originally by the disobedience of one, to all men of his generation by nature; so righteousnesse and life cometh originally by the obedience of one, to all men regenerated of him by faith and baptisme. Rom. 5. chap. Ioh. 3.5.
II. The Promise of God was freely given to our first Parents, without their deserving, that, The seed of the woman should breake the serpents head. Gen. 3.15.
III. The Promise was given freely to Abraham, before hee deserved any thing, that, In his seed all Nations should be blessed. Gen. 12.3. compared with Gal. 3.8.
IV. To the word of God neither must wee adde, nor take from it. Deut. 4.2.
V. Hee that doth the works of the Law, shall live therein. Levit. 18. Gal. 3.12.
VI. Accursed is hee which abideth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law. Deut. 27. Gal. 3.10.
VII. God onelyonly is to be worshipped. Deut. 6. Luke 4.
VIII. All our righteousnesse is like the defiled or polluted rags. Esay 64. 6.
IX. In all my holy hill they shall not kill nor slay, saith the Lord. Esay 11.9.
X. God loveth mercy and obedience more than sacrifice. Hos. 6.6. 1 Sam. 15.22.
XI. The Law worketh anger, condemneth, and openeth sin. Rom. 3.20.
XII. The end of the Law is Christ for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth. Rom. 10. 4.
XIII. Whosoever beleeveth, and is baptized, shall be saved. Mar. 16.16.
XIV. A man is justified by faith, without workes; freely, by grace, not of our selves. Gal. 2.16. Ephes. 2.8.
XV. There is no remission of sins without bloud. Heb. 9.22.
XVI. Whatsoever is not of faith is sinne. Rom. 14.23. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11.6.
XVII. One Mediatour between God and man, Christ Jesus. 1 Tim. 2. 5. And hee is the propitiation for our sinnes. 1 Ioh. 2.2.
XVIII. Whosoever seeketh in the Law to be justified, is fallen from grace. Gal. 5.4.
XIX. In Christ be all the promises of God Est & Amen. 2 Cor. 1.20.
XX. Let every soule be subject to superiour Powers. Rom. 13. 1. Giving to Cesar that which is Cesars; and to God, that which is Gods. Mat. 22.21.
These Principles, and infallible rules of the Scripture, as no man can deny, so if they be granted, the doctrine then of the Popes Church must needs be found not to be Catholike, but rather full of Errors and Heresies. Fox, in the book of Martyrs, Tom. 1: pag. 22 these are recorded, and have been seven times publikely imprinted.
Soli Deo Gratia.
FINIS.
End of the text · Francis Cornwell, King Jesus is the Believers Prince Priest and Law-Giver (1645)