Of Free Justification by Christ, Book 1 · Part 15
Of Sin and the healing thereof by Christ.
FOR Andradius, Hosius, Vega the Spaniard, and those others of the same Faction confederate with these, seem so to contend about the Righteousness of Charity, that having almost banished Faith out of the City of Rome, they place all the parts of our Salvation, or at least the chiefest in Charity and Sanctification. And now by what Scriptures will they demonstrate that? What, say they, doth not Christ heal us just as the Brazen Serpent healed the Wounds of those that were hurt? Were we not all healed by his stripes? Is not Isa. 53. An objection of the Adversaries.he the Lamb that takes away the sins of the World? Is not he the Life-giving Serpent, who gives cure for our wounds? And what are our Wounds, say they, but Sin? What is the healing of Wounds but the puting away of Sins? What then, shall the Serpent be more powerful in fixing his sting, than Christ in taking it out? Shall Alam be more powerful to infect Nature, than Christ to cleanse it? But how is nature purged, if yet the contagion of sin remains? As in a diseased body, unless the hurtful humours are purged off, health is not recovered, and as the Air being surrounded on every side with black darkness, begins not to shine, before the brightness of the Sun being returned the darkness vanishes: In like manner in the inward diseases of minds, the causes of maladies must first be taken away, before health is restored. But the causes of evils are sins, which if they are taken away by Christ, how can they remain in the Saints? But if they abide not, by necessary consequence then it follows, that the roots of all sins being cut away, they are righteous Inherent righteousness.in the sight of God by that righteousness, not which is imputed, but which properly inheres in them, which is free of all spot of sin, which carefully observes the Law, which informs the mind with Charity, and beautifies it with Divine Ornaments, and makes us partakers of the Divine Nature. But let us put all these together for brevities sake into the exact form of an argument.
Sin abolished doth not remain.Argument.
In the Baptized, and in those that are come to years, who are converted, sin is abolished. Therefore,
After Baptism and in those that are come to years after true conversion, there remains no more sin.
This argument having a bad connexion, Answer.doth evidently destroy it self. First, there is no man that denies that actual sin is not abolished in Baptized Infants, in whom it is not committed. In those come to years, if all sins are so extinguished, that no relicks remain, what need is there of any conversion? For what place is there for repentance, where nothing is committed contrary to duty? What if the Life of the Saints is nothing else, but almost a daily conversion and mourning for sin, how can a daily frailty of sinning be wanting there? But let us look upon the parts of the Argument. Sin abolished, say they, doth not remain. The Material of Sin. The Formal of Sin.That is true indeed if perfect and compleat abolishment of sin be understood, both as to the Material of Sin, and as to the Formal, as the Schools speak. Therefore as touching the Major, in so much I acknowledge, sin doth not remain, in how much it is abolished in the Saints. But after what manner, and in what order it is abolished in the Baptized and in the adult, it follows next that this should be enquired into in the Minor.
Therefore I answer to the Minor with a distinction, that sin is said to be abolished in the Adult that are Regenerate, it is partly true and partly false, with How sin in this Life is abolished, and how it remains.a different respect had to divers circumstances; But how that is understood it must be explained, first; as touching the death of the Mediatour, which brings Salvation, there is no defect in that, but it hath abundantly recovered whatsoever perished by Adam: yea it hath brought us much greater benefits, than the evils which Adam procured unto us. But if it be asked how, and in what order the Death of Christ effects this? I answer, not The guilt of sin. The frailty of sinning.by denying, but by distinguishing. For seeing two things are considerable in every sin, the guilt obliging, or the punishment of damnation, which Lombard calls passive corruption: and then active corruption, or the very act of sin, or the infirmity of corrupted nature. Therefore there is again a twofold remedy prepared for this twofold evil, guilt Obliging to eternal punishment, is not only taken away in the life to come, but also in this life, by the holy laver, and continual remission of sins for the sake of a Mediator. But the infirmity of sinning, which is concupiscence in the flesh, and ignorance Hugo.in the mind, (that I may speak with Hugo) it also is abolished in the regenerate, but yet after its own order, and by its own degrees. For it is daily diminished in this Life by the renewing of the Spirit, and it shall be abolished in the Life to come, by the Resurrection of the Flesh. In the interim the relicks of infirmity stick yet in the Flesh, as both Death and Temporal punishments stick yet in the Flesh, to exercise the Saints unto Combat; not to condemn them to destruction. Iust as the Land of Canaan was promised to the Hebrews a great while before, which yet they did not suddenly take A similitude.possession of: Neither was the frame of this World made immediately in one moment, but the Works of God were perfected in distinct intervals of Days: So neither is the whole Flesh suddainly renewed, but by degrees, and daily increases, it is going on unto perfection.
An example may be conveniently taken from him, whom being Wounded, the Samaritan, cap. 10. Luc. doth not suddainly cure, but first pours Wine into his Wounds, washes off the Blood, afterwards he adds Oyl, that he may mitigate the grief, and the Wound may begin to cleave together: Afterwards the Wound being bound up, he puts the Sick-man upon the Beast, and afterwards commands him to be cured in the Inn. Iust so Christ suffering the punishment of our Sins in his Body, by remission immediately takes away the guilt from us, pouring into our Wounds the gladning Oyl of the Gospel, joined together with the Wine of serious Repentance; whereby whatsoever is deadly in the Wounds, is washed away with a health restoring Pardon: But the Wounds are not yet altogether healed. But health will be compleat in Eternal Life. In the interim he will have diseases cured in the Church by Godly Exercises, the Cross, and constant Prayer. Briefly, if those Men desire to know what that is, which Christ hath abolished in us by Argument.his Death, I will say it in a word.
Whatsoever was laid upon Christ on the Cross, to be carried away for our sakes, that is taken away from us in this Flesh.
Only the guilt and punishment of Sin, not the matter it self of our actions was laid upon Christ to bear upon the Cross.
The act or substance of sin, is not wholly abolished by the Death of Christ in this flesh, but only the guilt and punishment of sin.
Or more briefly let them take it thus: Whatsoever Christ by dying did bear for us, that only he took away by Christ by dying upon the Cross did bear only the punishment of Sin, but not our Sins: and afterwards by raising us up again, he will destroy both the punishment and the whole matter of Sin in due time.his death in this Life. Christ by dying did bear only the punishment of our Sins, not the Sins themselves in his Body, whereof he had none. Therefore Christ in this Life took away only the punishment, not the matter it self of sin by his Death. But afterwards by his power he shall also take away the whole matter of Sin in the Glory of the Resurection to come.