A SERMON PREACHED AT S. MARY'S IN OXFORD UPON THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY CONCERNING THE TRUE COMFORT OF GOD HIS CHURCH TRULY militant AND Apology of the same. january 6. 1589. By Edward Hutchins Master of Arts, and fellow of Brazen-nose College in Oxford. IMPRINTED AT OXFORD BY joseph Barnes, and are to be sold in Paul's Church yard, at the sign of the Tiger's head. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL MASTER THOMAS EGERTON, solicitor to her Majesty. Grace and peace in Christ jesus. CONSIDERING with myself (Right Worshipful) on the one side, the painful and profitable pains of the learned and godly set forth from time to time: but never more fully and clearly then in this our accepted day: (to God be the glory) so that in that respect nothing can be written, that hath not been written: and on the other side, mine own exility or rather nothing to all; in self knowledge (as one speaks) more needing to read than to write. I was persuaded & set, to commit no more than I have done, to the press. Notwithstanding, I may not be mine own nor follow myself: but as I have heretofore been overruled: so have I been now again, at the earnest and importunate suit of my dear friends in Christ, to yield this sermon to the print. Whereupon as in general I desire the favourable judgement of the reader: so of special duty (in token of my thankful mind) I am bold to dedicate it to your Worship, humbly craving your favourable acceptance of the same, and of that truth and true comfort, which I have therein, though according to my manner and small talon, yet faithfully delivered. And so in wish of all prosperity in Christ unto you, I commit your Worship and all yours, to the Almighty, who bless you in all your ways and send you many good days, to his good will and pleasure, Amen. Your Worships ever in Christ to command. E. H. It is written in the 7. Verse of the 4. Chapter of the song of Solomon. Thou art all fair my love, and there is no spot in thee. HAVING heretofore at three several times (Right worshipful & dearly beloved in Christ our dear Saviour) spoken out of this place of this text: of the name & appellation of Christ's Church here named by the name of a love: of the reasons of that name: active and passive: active, respectu fidei, respectu facti: passive, respectu naturae, respectu gratiae, quoad esse and bene esse: of the appropriation of this name: of a caveat that it was not to be taken by way of exclusion: as though the church were not the love of God the father & of the holy Ghost: but yet by some way of specialty appropriate to Christ, because he alone of all the three persons was promissus and missus to witness the love of God unto her etc. Having also handled the commendation of this love, that she is first commended to be fair: Secondly to be fair actually and presently: Thirdly in generality, for better sifting whereof yet I stood upon three negatives: First, that she is not here commended to be all fair, either doctrinaliter, as though she could not err in matters of faith, or moraliter, as though she did not ere in matters of fact: or in respect of her condition and state in the world; thus far proceeding, it remaineth now that I come to the affirmative general, that where you have hard how she is not, I may at length resolve how this love is said to be fair, to be all fair. In which respect the principal conclusion and proposition is this: that the Church this love of our Saviour hath present and perfect beauty: is fair and all fair in respect of her Christ, in whom (though not by grace infused, as heretofore you have heard) yet of grace and therefore gratis (as the schoolmen have well defined: Gratia non est gratia vllo modo, si not sit gratuita omni modo. Psal. 32.2. job 141. ) of grace & therefore gratuitally or else no way of grace, (as Saint Augustine truly argued) imputed therefore, no stain may be found. For albeit in consideration of her frailty and weakness for the time of this life or rather her warfare, against the world, sin and satan she do carry her wounds and doth oftentimes fail and defile herself: though the law in that respect be the glass of God, Ansel. supr. 8. cap. epist. ad Rom. that discovereth her spots unto her: so that her strongest wrestler, her best jacob might stand in fear of his moral halt, of his fall, if he should regard the same in course of justice: Yet the law is answered by the gospel: Colos. 1.19. 1 joh. 3.8. Luc. 15.5.9. in the gospel by Christ, in whom the godly are, as strong though weak, as rich though poor, as clothed though naked: as recovered though lost: as free though bound: as sound though sore, so clean though foul: for in this point we must distinguish the state of them that are Christ's, & in Christ, which may be considered two ways. Either a posteriori or a priori: à posteriori quoad factum, à priori quoad faedus & pactum: quoad factum: in respect of duty performed & deeds of life they are not all fair but foul & that, 1. joh. 1. vlt. job. 9 3. job. 14.4. peccato either acto or contracto (as the schoolmen well speak:) by sin therefore personally committed or at least naturally derived. And thus this love is as she saith she is: I am not all fair but black ye daughters of jerusalem, even as black as ever were the tents of Kedar; which is true, Cant. 1.4. not only in respect of affliction but natural corruption and corrupt condition, as truth bears it: where as yet quoad foedus & pactum, which serves to purge, either immediatè (as infants who belong to the kingdom of christ:) or medi ante fide (mediately by faith) as they adult, she may say as she said: Cant. 1.4. I am not foul but fair, comely, all fair, ye daughters of jerusalem, even as comely & all as comely, as ever were the curtains of Solomon: & in fine answer her Christ of herself as Christ by way of commendation saith of her unto her here, Esa. 9.6. in Solomon a type of him, the King of Salem Prince of peace: I am all fair my love, and there is no spot in me. The truth and proof whereof appeareth to be true two ways: ex part sponsae and ex part sponsi: ex part sponsae, and therefore to this purpose in scripture she is compared to a groat: Luc. 15.9. but yet not lost but found: accepted, fair and all fair in the eye of that gracious woman (the very mirror of grace) that took the pains to light the candle of mercy, to sweep, to seek, to find, to save the same: to this purpose she is compared to the man of jerico but yet not foul but fair, by the Samaritans grace not sore but made sound: to this purpose she is compared to a chicken but yet not unfethered or naked but covered with the wings of the Hen: Luc. 13.34. in conclusion: to this point she is compared to a Lamb but yet not so fleeced but covered and clothed with the white wool of favour and mercy ' fair and all fair, free from all spot in Christ her spotless lamb, spotless though man, joh. 1.29. Mat. 1.20. & 27.4. Bern. in psal. qui habitat. ser. 9 Ioh 1.9. Esa. 49.6. Mat. 9.12. Mat. 9.12. jer. 30.23. Luc. 2.30. joh. 11.25. Os. 13.14. Luc. 2.30. Mat. 1.21. Tertul. de carne christ. lib. pag. 26. 1. Cor. 1.30. that she might be all fair without spot. Secondly, this general commendation appears to be true ex part sponsi: and therefore to this purpose Christ in Scripture is called her lux: her light therefore he is: and ergo darkness may assoon be found in the light; her medicus, or rather medicina & sanitas: and ergo sickness may aswell be in health: her vita: her life therefore: and therefore death may assoon be found in life: her salus, her safety, as appeareth by the name of jesus, and ergo destruction may as easily be found in salvation: her redemption and ergo bondage may aswell be in liberty: her justitia and ergo sin may assoon be found in justice (which yet cannot be) as she be charged with any sin, with any filth or foulness in Christ jesus; in Christ jesus? For (as Tertullian speaks in another case) so say I in this: that this love of Christ is not only ecclesia Christi but Christus: not only ergo to be considered as the church of Christ, but as Christ: as Christ, who aswell may be said to stray though the way; to be deceived though wisdom: joh. 14 6. Luc 11.49. Mat. 23.34. 1. Cor. 24. Baruc. 3.37. joh. 14.6. to er or to lie though truth; to be infirm, though omnipotent, though the very arm of the power of God; to be foul, though pure, though purity itself, as his true church to be foul (considered in him:) in him? in whom her old man is destroyed sin drowned, satan answered and her infirmities so removed, Rom. 8.33.34. that he cannot charge her with any sin, with any stain or foulness. A mystery, a paradox I confess to flesh and blood, that one and the self same should be foul and so fair: subject to sin and yet so fair, as all fair; all fair, because free from all foulness, free from all sin: But yet so it is: and where reason doth not or cannot, yet faith persuades it: faith which apprehendeth in Christ, not only the grace of pardon to pardon, but also of perfect imputation of his justice to justify all them, that are by the covenant of grace incorporate into him: In his book called, dux peccatorum. and not only by nature (as Granatensis well speaks) one with him as man but by grace also at one with God by him: who in him & for his sake forgives and forgets the sins of them that are his, yea as though they had never sinned. In which respect albeit the devil would, yet can he not accuse them: or if he do presume (as he is a presumptuous spirit) yet the godly may soon cut him of and quit themselves in Christ, Isa. 11.8.9. Mat. 16.18. in whom they are quit from sin, from all uncleanness. Nay in this point the spirit of adoption doth assure the sons of God, that their sins are condemned in Christ his son, who was condemned for their sin: Rom. 8. v. 3. and 32. and that by his sufferings their sins (as an old writer speaks, though darkly, yet scholastically, and fitly) have suum esse without malè esse: they have therefore their manner of being without evil being: because they are taken away (as S. Augustine well speaks) ut non obsint, licet sint: that therefore they be not hurting, though they have their kind of being: or (as another speaks) quoad morsum. i. mortem, licet non quoad morbum: and all: because sin cannot be mortal to them, Rom. 6.23. though sin in and of self nature mortal, be within them. Nay, above all this to set forth this matter more fully: in spiritual warfare, when the godly are grieved with touch of conscience for the foulness of their imperfections and infirmities, the scripture itself doth thus yield them the truth, their comfort, to the truth of this text; as for example: the foulness of the sin of intemperance may trouble the soul of a Noah: but yet the fairness of Christ, his fasting and abstinence: the foulness of the sin of impatience may grieve the conscience of a job: but yet the fairness of Christ, his patience & passions: the foulness of the sin of murder and oppression may disquiet the soul of a David: but yet the fairness of Christ, his love and charity: the foulness of the sin of ambition may move the Apost: to dream of a primacy: but yet the fairness of Christ, his meekness and humility: Esa. 42.1. Mat. 18.11. c. 4.11.29. Mat. 26.70.72.74. the foulness of the sin of self-love and respect made Peter in his frailty to forswear himself, to say, to swear, to swear with a curse that he knew not Christ, but yet the fairness of christ, his gracious love and pity: Rom. 7.23. 1. Pet. 2.2. the foulness of the law of the members may torment a Paul, any godly man: but yet the fairness, the satisfaction of Christ may be and is through faith a sufficient stay against all temptation grounded upon the foulness of his imperfection whatsoever. To be short: where the godly are any way short of themselves; where satan objecteth to the church, to this love her want of obedience, her foulness, for supply of fairness, she may say (as once S. Bernard said) quod ex me mihi deest usurpo ex visecribus domini: she might aswell answer to the course of this text, Avoid satan: for I am not so foul but that I am fair and all fair in the bowels and blood of my Christ; 1 Cor. 15.59 in whose mercy my merit (mine freely because it is his mercy that his merit is mine) I am purged from all sin & ergo all fair: if therefore thou canst lay any thing to the charge of my Christ: either folly where he is my wisdom: or infirmity where he is my strength: Damascen. orthod. fid. li. 3. cap. 1. or guile where he is my Dove: or pride where he is my humble lamb: or malice, where he is my love: or any work of darkness where he is my light: or any foulness, any sin, where he is my sanctus sanctorum, my holy of holies, not only sanctificatus secundum carnem but sanctificans quoad divinitatem, Orig. 1. part. homil. xi. super. nun. d. Tert. de car. christ. pa. 33. Jbidem. De noctur. illusionibus. collat. 22. cap. 9.11.12. (as one well speaks) not only sanctified according to the flesh but sanctifying according to the power of his godhead: or (as Origen speaks) qui sanctus est non efficitur: who is a saint not made a saint: or (as Abbot Theonas, qui sanctus est, nay not only that, but immaculatus: not only a saint as the godly now be, but a saint without sin (which the godly for the time of this life cannot be) then charge me with sin: otherwise as verily as christ my Christ, was foul and all foul, because sin for me: 2. Cor. 5. Ciril. tom. 1. pag. 235. so am I not foul but fair & all fair: righteous all righteous, because the righteousness of god in him, whom thou canst not charge with any sin. Indeed if I were left to myself, my feet are foul but yet avoid satan, where my christ hath washed them: of myself my wounds are filthy, many & mighty but yet avoid satan, where my christ hath cleansed & cured them: truth it is, my sins are many, great and grievous but yet the grace of my Christ, is an almighty grace; greater and stronger than they be; in whom their foulness & filth is purged away & their greatness come to nothing. Thus dearly beloved the church, this love may comfort herself, though foul by the wood yet (as one speaks, an unknown author) fair and all fair by her all comely crucifix that died upon the wood: though foul in her own folly, yet all fair in her wisdom: though foul in her own frailties, Rom. ●. Zach. 14.11 Mich. 4.11.12.13. job. 8.34. Ciril. tom. 2.111. Bern. in Epi. serm. 1. yet all fair in her might: though foul in her own bondage & captivities, yet all fair, because all free in her freedom: though foul in her sins, yet all fair without spot in christ her spotless pascal, once & but once slain to make her clean from all her sins, and foulness. From all foulness; as any may easily perceive, if she do but refer herself to the cross of her paschal: thither, where she may behold her alone & full acquittance from all sin, from all her foulness: thither, where she may leap into the very side of her christ as into a well and wash herself fair and all clean in his blood, Damascen. orthod. fid. li. 4. cap. 10. the water of life that alone sprang out of his precious side, that heavenvly fountain, to represent her all fair: thither, where she may run between the arms of her saviour, spread upon the tree to embrace, to cover her from all her foulness, from all her infirmities: thither where (as one speaks the full comfort, to the approof and proof of this text) she may wash her foul head in the blood of his head, her foul hands in the blood of his hands, her foul feet in the blood of his feet, her foul side in the blood of his side: her foul heart in the blood of his heart: joh. 19.34. Revel. 1.5. Mat. 26.28. Eph. 25.26.27.29. her foul body in the pure, precious blood that coloured his body from head to foot: and her soul in his innocent soul, yet pressed to the very sorrows of hell for the filth of her sins, to represent her all fair. Thus the church truly militant, the godly may answer the devil in all trial of conscience to the truth of these words; that she is all fair. Which is indeed the chief felicity and hap of the church, that in all satins attempts she is so able by faith to cover herself with the white garments of Christ: Revel. 1.13. by faith so to shield herself, as in christ her plenty to deny all want: Col. 2.3. 1. Cor. 3.11.12. 1. Cor. 10.3.4. Esa. 8.14.15. Cor. 2.12.32.34. 1. Cor. 2.8. 1. joh. 2.2.2. in christ her morning star, to deny all darkness: in christ her precious pearl and treasure to deny all vileness: in christ her foundation and rock to deny all weakness: in Christ her glory to deny all shame: in christ her purgation and acquittance from sin to deny all filthiness and blame, that otherwise in course of justice, justly therefore might be imputed to her, in his goodness to deny her foulness, to defy the devil and all he can against this commendation that she is not all fair. So much the more do I marvel at them, and blame them, that teach in this behalf discomfort for truth, nay (I had almost said truth) despair for comfort. That the church this love of our saviour is not otherwise fair and all fair then by the inherent grace, by perfection of duty, & that this imputed beauty in true account, is no way real but imaginary: and ergo do not only deny it but cry out against it. For answer to whom the proof of the negative heretofore hath proved, Prou. 20.9. Isa. 41.29 & 53.12. 1. joh. 11. that she is not actually, no, neither can possibly for the time of this life be said to be fair, all fair in respect of good life; but that she is foul: foul, because stained with sin: with sin: as Leuchettus well noteth upon the master of the sentences, his 3. book. Dist. 27. quaest unica, according to the scripture. Whereupon it followeth, that where she is here commended to be fair and all fair: and that not only for the time of the next life: (as S. Bern. would have it: and truly, though somewhat restraintly:) but also for the time of this life, as the word approveth: & yet that cannot be by infused, that it must needs be true by grace alone and grace only imputed. Which imputation is not res opinaria but solida (as Athanasius speaks in a like case) no imagination therefore (as they writ and as of late I have seen the point charged in private schroles, which are abroad:) but a point of truth, and as real as was the imputation of our foulness, of sin to our Christ: who was not counted a sinner, nay sin in the cause of his church by imagination, though by only imputation. For the gospel is no fable but a truth: even the word of Christ: as therefore the word of this loves wisdom: 1. Cot. 1.24. 1. joh. 2.2. Ciril. tom. 3. 108 6. Rom. 5.1.2. Esa. 2.2. Act. 10.36. 1. Cor. 1.30. joh. 14.6. joh. 17.17. for christ is her wisdom: as the word of her reconciliation: for christ is here peace: as the word of her righteousness: for Christ is her justice: as the word of her life, for christ is her life: so to make all these comforts good and this commendation true, it is no less than verbum veritatis, the word of truth: for Christ is truth: who spoke the truth general of the word, when he spoke to the father thy word is the truth. And what is the truth special of the gospel, if this be not that truth: that the church, this love is all fair & freed from her foulness, not ex propria dignitate but ex imputata dignatione: not of self desert therefore but of undeserved, of imputed mercy, whereby Christ became bound to free her, and foul, by his foulness to beautify, to make her all fair. For the truth is alike in respect of Christ & his church: between whom through grace thence hath been ever, is and shall be such intercourse and change, such communication or rather communion by gratuital union & no way but by imputation: which whether it be real or not real, true or not true, because only imputed, I dare & I do put it to the conscience of any that have any conscience to consider of truth. Thus ergo as really & verily, as Christ was accounted for us accursed, though God blessed for ever: a sinner a very devil as the devil himself could testify of him: as he was reputed among the wicked and died as a malefactor above the wicked, where yet he did never hurt, never broke the law of love but being love itself performed both tables of love: so is it true in the gospel of grace to the comfort of all, that are within the compass of the covenant of everlasting mercy and favour, that they are no more wretched than the seed of the blessing, their blessing: ecclesia (saith Ireneus) est semen Abrahami: the church is the seed of Abraham: blessed ergo in Christ that seed of Abraham, that seed of the blessing: no more ergo wretched by the foulness of life, them Christ, them the seed of Abraham, the seed of the blessing, their blessing: no more unholy, than the holy one of god: Mar. 5.7. 1. Cor. 1.30. no more are the godly to be charged with sin, than justice, the justice of God, than Christ, their justice, whom many did but none justly could charge with sin any way; but only in respect of grace, in respect of the merciful appointment of his heavenly father, who preordained in and of his goodness to save man: Damas'. orth. fid. l. 3. ca 1. 1. joh. 4.19. Deut. 7.7 & 10.15. Iraen. ad here li. 5. pag 323 Bas. inso. 48. Damascen. orthod. fid. li. 1. cap. 2. & li. 3. cap. 1. 1. Cor. 13.4. Heb 9.14. Gen. 3 6. Orig. supr. levit. homil. Rom. 5 12.3. ca 3. a notable place. Gal. 4.3. Tertul. adu●. judae. p. 131. Ansel supr. 1. Cor. 15. and to that end to satisfy justice. Which where it could not be done but by obedience as infinite in perfection as sin was in offence: and therefore not by any creature but by very God: nor by god only: because God was and man had offended: and ergo as by very God of very God, so by very man of very man: and yet not by any man but by a man without sin and offence, that he himself might not need, but by his patience and passions in his manhood, work the salvation of man by the power of his godhead; I easily find man either in miserable case and yet under the law quoad culpam & reatum: or else quit à culpa because à culpae reatu, in the imputed obedience of Christ, who alone was God and therefore able: and made man & ergo apt to be man's mediator, by taking man's sin upon him: mans at the first by voluntary choice, all men's in the first man by hereditary right, no way Christ's (the 2. Adam's the 2. for the 1. sake, man pure from sin to make this his love all fair, Bern. in dom. in ramis palm. ser. 3. though all foul by reason of sin) whether by action or inclination but by mercy, not putative (as our adversaries blasphemosly do insinuate in the point of the gospel) but scriptural: real therefore and true, though imputative; neither is the church truly militant only all fair in Christ her messias and mediator, joh. 8.30. because he was without sin, quia nunquam peccavit (which Hugo de s: victore doth note to have been the judgement of some in his time) but also propter impeccantiam (as the commentator upon Damascen speaks) or rather, Ansel supr. cap. 8. epist. ad Rom. quia fint impeccabilis, as most of the schoolmen use to speak: not only erg. because he was not but also because he could not be foul, he could not sin. For in Christ there was no sin, Ber. serm. de pass. dom. neither could there be sin, quoad actum quoad habitum or somiten) as the phrase of the schols is) neither was neither could he in truth be charged with sin in effect or affect, in act or possibility, being like man but yet the first man in this point before he did fall: pure ergo from sin: or like man after his fall, T. Acq. upon the 5. of the 2. to the Cor. lect. 5. Tert. de carne christ. lib. pag. 27. Tert. in the same place and page. not only erg. in statu but in ruina (as Hugo de vict.. well speaks) but yet like him in all things secunduncarnen peccati, in respect er of the flesh of sin (as Tertullian well speaks & truly (or rather sinful flesh (as the Apostles expounds the point more warily:) but no way secundum peccatum carnis, according to the sin of the flesh, whether it were of omission or commission: committed outwardly, conceived inwardly or contracted lineally from Adam. Bas. serm de humana chr. generatione. So much the better ground hath this fair love of Christ, of this her general commendation: because she is fair & all fair only & wholly in him, Damas'. orth. fid. li. 3. ca 27 joh. 1.29. Reu. 5.8. Ciril. tom. 2. pag. 48. Rom. 5. Tertul. de. praesc. haeres. pag. 87. who neither did neither could sin, being appointed to save her from sin: who ergo neither was nor could be any way foul, being that Lamb of God, slain from the beginning effectually, at length upon the cross visibly to take away the sin of the world: of the world, that is, of the elect: of the elect: whose sins were his: his? which yet were not his by desert but by love, by love & not by inherence but by imputation only. Rom. 4.2. Heb. 9.12. job. 3. joh. 8.24. Damascen. orthod. fid. li. 3. cap. 27. 1 Pet. 2. joh. 1. This is the gospel & to this purpose the Apostle is so plain and express that oft I fall to a wonder at them, that will needs imagine this to be but an imagination, and so easily can as they think and so commonly do, without cause or probability in their books and late flying schrowles revile and declaim against this heavenly and most evident doctrine as not only some way improbable but absurd in all divinity, yea (and in Campians argument) in natural reason. But (by your good leave & patience, though somewhat darkly yet in a word and as I may plainly) to stand upon the folly of their reasons, which they take to be reason: they go about by philosophy to confute divinity or rather by sophistry, cavillation and slandering to keep under the truth, which yet will have the conquest and the victory It is absurd (say they) in all divinity, in philosophy and nature to call any thing white or black, fair, or foul, by the whiteness or blackness, by the fairness or foulness, that is not in it but without it. To resolve therefore the church to be fair, all fair by the fairness and beauty of Christ, in him and not in her or hers but because imputed to her. For the ground of which their argument I answer first, that albeit the most proper be, yet that all true predications be not drawn from inherence. College walls can answer so much to their shame, that can no better object. 2. I answer that this their argument is grounded upon a misconstruction of our article or rather a wilful cavil or slander against the truth, where thy cannot confute our truth. For we never defended this loves beauty & fairness to be only eternal and without her. For though the grace of this love be twofold: the one present: the other future and to come: though by grace present, she be alone fair and all fair in the grace of her Christ; not in her but without her: without her, and yet hers by faith, which apprehendeth and applieth his full beauty unto her as her own, as by mercy wrought for her, so through faith imputed unto her for her own: Damas' orth. fid. li. 4. ca 10 Gal. 5.6. though this be thus, yet this former beauty is not idle but active, the root of a second for faith causeth love and love showeth itself by good life: and in respect of that life, in scripture, for the time of this life she is counted fair, called just, just: Yea and that according to the rule of philosophy (as in this case they urge) by justice inherent, by justice performed of her: called justice yet but not as justified or justifiable by the law, Luc. 1.6. Gal. 3.22. Mandata dei facta deputantur quam od quicquid, non fit, ignoscitur. as they would have it, but rather and truly (as S. Augustine defined of it) because so accounted in the gospel of grace, which accounteth that for done, which man wanteth of frailty, repenteth unfeignedly, and God pardoneth of his gracious goodness and mercy: and thus the last time I noted that the church this love of Christ is fair even by inherent justice, to the shame of them all, that say and urge untruly and falsely, that we, against all divinity and sense, defend the justice of the godly, this loves beauty to be merely external and without her. 3. I answer by way of just condition and demand: what if it were otherwise in philosophy, yet what is that to divinity? If otherwise in nature? Yet the argument is not always necessary from nature to scripture? For (to keep myself within my compass) first of all, touching predications: theologica scientia, the Scripture hath such, as philosophy, as nature cannot admit, no nor animalis homo perceive or conceive at al. As for example: in the point of incarnation which is (the very radix & fundamentum christianae religionis, as the fathers well call it, verbum carofactum est: the word became flesh: which is, as the schoolmen well call it, inusitata predicatio: an unusual manner of predication: but, what? Shall this very root of religion be cut off? The very ground of christianity be shaken? Shall this be false in scripture (the word of truth) because there is not like example in all philosophy or nature to be found that may justify the same? As again in the point of Christ's passion (a principal article of the foundation) Deus gloriae crucifixus est, which is also, as they well call it, praedicatio communicata, unusual, true yet by communion or union hominitatis & Deitatis, of the manhood and Godhead in one Christ: as (in conclusion) among the rest is this commendation of this fair love of Christ (grounded upon the two former) that she is fair and all fair, not in se ipsa but in suo sponso: even as christ was foul & all foul, not in seipso but in sua sponsa: that she therefore was all fair in him as he was all foul in her: which is praedicatio inusitata but yet vera, vera though imputata. But what? Shall these, the very grounds and comforts of true christianity be false in scripture, because the like examples of predication to justify the same, are not to be found in all philosophy and nature? Absurd. Howbeit I answer by way of retorsion: that our adversaries themselves confess how that this their consequence is nothing from philosophy to divinity, from nature to scripture. For otherwise (to demand of them all) what becomes of their false named sacrifice or use of the same. Of their sacrifice? For in that they say there is something round, something white etc. But not by inherence, not by order or rule of philosophy or nature (even as all papists by catholic consent do except of accidents in the case of the sacrament, where it doth not (as they say) inesse: why then will they measure the predications of divinity by nature and philosophy (they in general holding this for divinity, against all truth of true philosophy? touching the use of their mass if all be imaginary that is by imputation, then how lives the very soul of their religion? How do their masses profit not only the living but also the dead? But to add a third point: all our adversaries grant that there is a double justification: and in both they all grant and must defend the point of imputation. In the first justification they say and hold that infants and new converts (immediately departing) are justified and saved alone by the grace of Christ imputed: and in this respect they commend and consequently defend that proposition of Luther's or rather principal principle of the scriptures, sola gratia sine operibus justificat & iustificatos servat: so Bunderius, so Eckius, so Cocleus, so Costerus, so others, so all do say and defend, that be of any account: why then do these late men declaim thus against imputation? Touching the second justification & mean to glorification they hold that the merits of saints triumphant (which they call the church's treasure (are imputable and imputed to saints not only living but departed. Whereupon popish pardons & satisfactions are grounded: but if this were true, why is imputation an imagination? but thus it is, it must be truth in case of error whatsoever they imagine to be truth: they have free-will & free tongues to affirm, where in proof they fail. Nay (as in diverse other points) so in this themselves they disprove as you have heard: and may more truly (as truth requireth exclaim & cry out against their own fancies in the point of imputation, which tend to maintain error and heresy) then against us, who (according to the truth of the gospel) flee from our own folly and foulness to the book of wisdom, to the gospel; and therein to the Grace of Christ. in whom our nakedness only and wholly is covered and the church this love is fair and all fair and hath no spot or stain that may be imputed to her. In conclusion if any man look in Harding, Roffensis, Cocleus, Gratian, the censure of Colen, yea the Rhemish testament or the like authors or books: he shall find these propositions among them and in them, that aliena fidei (as some speak) or fides ecclesiae (as others speak) doth save an infant: and, that satisfactio unius valet pro alio: that the satisfaction of one availteh another. But if imputation be not real but imaginary, how can this stand? Where are the very sinews, the soul of popish religion? Here they cannot answer themselves and for themselves and therefore I answer for them and against them: that this their imputation is but an imagination: De incarnatione verbi. and what they do utter falsely of Saints, that do I truly pronounce of Christ the saint of all saints (as Athanasius well calls him:) that the church militant is fair and alfair not by the imputed satisfaction of any but only of him, in whom she is wholly fair, where of herself she can no way be fair (as Pelagius dreamt) no nor in herself, by grace infused, be all fair for the time of this life. Well and well did he know this who was as fair as any man, a man after the very heart of God: & yet so foul that he knew not how foul he was: dilicta quis intelligit? Ab occaltis delictis munda me domine? Psal. 19.12. O Lord who knoweth his sins? His foulness? Lord ergo cleanse me from mine unknown foulness? Well did he know this, who was as fair as ever man was and yet so foul, 1 Cor. 5. T. Acq. upon the same lect. 1. Look also Cip. in tract. de singularitaie cler. pag. 599. S. Paul. ad Ro. Gal. etc. 2. Cor. 8. Mat. 27.28. that rather all foul than any way fair: and ergo stood in fear not only of some but of all his works. Well and very well did he know this who was so fair, that he could say: nihil nihil conscius sum and yet could and: in hoc tamen justificatus non sum. Oh how well did he know this that taught so fully that man is justified and saved not by works but freely, through faith in jesus Christ, whose poverty availeth only by imputation to enrich, his contempt to glorify, his pains to ease, his hands to lose, 1. Pet. 2.24. Mat. 26.28. Eph. 1.9.10.11. Epes. 2.5 6. his stripes to heal, his death to quicken, his bloodshedding to cleanse them all and all fair, that in gods merciful purpose have portion in him and are appointed to be saved by him. Why but that were no justice (say they) to account one just, because another is just: the church, this love all fair because her Christ is all fair. I answer to them that thus argue, that although it stand not with the reason of the natural man, Colos. 1.20. Rom. 5.25. 1 joh. 2.1.2. and 4.10. Ber. in ser. de pass. dom. T. Acq. upon the 3. of the 2. to the Cor. Phil. 2.8. Rom. 5.6.8. joh. 3.16. Ephes. 2.4. 1. joh. 4.10. Dam. orth. fid. l. 3. cap. 1. 1. joh. 3.5. Rom. 4.25. 1. Pet. 2.4. Gal. 1.4. 1. Tim. 1.15. yet stands it with faith: which faith, which findeth justice satisfied in Christ for this love, and this love quit by the meriting mercy and merciful merit of jesus Christ, which God accepteth for a full & thorough recompense of and for man's sin and offence. And albeit God were injust, if he should repute man for just: just? yea without desert: yet where he considers not man in himself but in his dear son Christ, who of his favour and grace performed for man till it came to the very death, what the law demanded of man: God's mercy and justice are both apparent & manifest. For no cause there was but love that moved him to accept man to favour, who by sin had so displeased him: and yet of justice or rather just love and mercy he accounteth them for just, that belong to Christ his son, who being dilectus à patre immeritò nos dilexit: (as Cyprian well speaks de baptismo Christi:) and upon the tree took their person and state upon him and spared even to spare himself spared not, even to spend his hearts sweet blood to represent this true church his love, Heb. 10.9. Ber. in ser. do pass. dom. Act. 2.23. Rom. 10.4. fair and all fair in the eyes of his heavenvly father, who of his mercy had appointed him to work such a wonder of mercy. So is it said, that christ is the fulfilling of the law to them that believe: the fulfilling of the law? the law ergo cannot charge them with sin, with any foulness: Gal. 3.10. in him ergo we are fair & all fair: so is it said, that we are the righteousness of god in him: the righteousness of God cannot be charged with sin, 2. Cor. 5.21. with any foulness: in him ergo we are fair and all fair: so is it said that Christ is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, the foulness of the church, this his love: in him ergo she is fair & all fair: so is it said: joh. 1.29. 1. joh. 1.7. that the blood of jesus Christ the son of God cleanseth us from all sin: not ergo from some but from all foulness of sin: in him ergo we are fair and all fair. All these propositions and infinite like, they are the sum of the gospel, the sentences of grace, which concern this fair love of christ, the godly not in themselves but in their Christ, not in their own frailties but in his mercies, Rom. 7.23. not in any imperfect perfection but in his perfect propitiation, in his satispassion, which hath answered justice and swallowed judgement so for them that their sins shall never come in accounts but are & shall be as ciphers & this lones spots & filthiness are & shall be so drowned, Esa. 1.18. that they shall never be imputed but she be ever reputed fair & all fair according to this commendation here delivered of her why, but if christ shed not his precius blood to wash her all clear, how stands your exposition, that she is fair and all fair in the blood of her Christ? Whereunto I answer, as before I have answered, that Christ spent his precious blood, not to cleanse her from sin, but from all her sins. 1. Thes. 5.9. Act. 4.12. Insomuch, that where she is chargeable with none, she oweth all the thanks to God in jesus Christ alone, who by himself did (as he was to that purpose appointed) offer not only 7. times his blood to remove from this his love her 7. mortal sins and no more (as divers of our adversaries speak too short in the gospel) & that he therefore left her by due satisfaction, either of her own performance or of others for her to cleanse herself from the rest: but all the verity and virtue of this commendation is only and wholly and ever and of all and of all things most thankfully to be ascribed to Christ, Cipr. de caena dom. sermo. pag. 447. Bern. de pas. dom. ser. & dom. in ramis palm. ser. 3. in whom alone she is so all fair, that there are in her no spots to be found: none to be found, because they are all purged away in his precious blood, which he spared not but spent for all her sins. And indeed set aside the blood of Christ, and his propitiation in any respect: if the church were left to cleanse herself from any sin and cannot be all fair, unless she do by due satisfaction perform the same, then is she no way all fair, she cannot be without spot. For none of her obedience can be sufficient to recompense God for the lest sin of all: Bas. in't reg. monar. ca 18. which (being an infinite offence) cannot be removed by her finite or rather faulting obedience: so faulty? That although they dare talk of her fairness, all fairness, yea and of her overplus that way: of her works, of her merits of congruence, dignity and condignity, nay (more than all this) superogatory: yet I say not only as Hugo Cardinalis (who beareth the name) doth note upon the Psalms, that man's misery it is, that he knoweth not his merits (which proves their faith of satisfaction to be all uncertain: uncertain and therefore no faith: All our adversaries grant the conclusion. ) but also (as Ferus well notes against the will of our adversaries upon the epistle to the Romans:) That man is miserable who cannot better weigh what be his demerits: and account more truly of sin, then as of a sore that according to the meetered creed of our adversaries, by almsgiving or fasting or praying or knocking of the breast or by pilgrimaging or by aspersion of water or episcopal benediction or by such fancied means may be cleansed: Where the scripture in general describeth sin to be a sore, so loathsome, that none could represent this love fair without spot in the eyes of God but only Christ by washing her from all sin in his precious blood: whereunto therefore all the effect of this commendation is ascribed. Although therefore the church be subject to sin: to foulness in this life: yet notwithstanding she is precious and pure: glorious, fair and all fair without spot in the eyes of her God, whose eyes be not, as the eyes of flesh and blood (which are deceived:) but true and pure and do behold her pure because purified in his own dear son, whose blood doth ever and alone cover all her spots and blemishes from him. In which respect yet, to satisfy the natural man and all such as sometimes yield him the hearing: (as Saint Bernard said of Christ, so say I of her:) we must distinguish inter oculum & aurem: for si oculus attendat, quid apparebat? Quomodo formosus erat Christus etc. To the eye what did christ appear? How was he all fair or fair? For what saw the eye in Christ but blackness and deformity? When his hands were spread upon the tree and he was put to despisal among the wicked, to pains by his enemies: when he, that was to be honoured of all and could have put an amaze and fear in the hearts of all, yet was a contempt and laughing stock to all? But we must (saith he) distinguish inter oculum & aurem: for oculus did pronunciaere Christum infirmum, oculus foedum etc. To the eye therefore Christ was weak, to the eye foul foul, because miserable, foul because condemned to die a most shameful death: but yet auri, to the ear, he was Dei filius: auri formosus, prae filijs hominum formosus innotuit. To the ear he was the son of God, to the ear he was fair and all fair: so say I of the church: she is put to despisal and pains in the world: she is no better than a stone of offence: she is not fair but all foul: haeretica, maligna, maculata with sin: and how is she not charged by the wicked? But yet auri, to the ear, she is the love, the bride, the spouse of jesus Christ: she is his house, his temple, his delight, the very white of his eye: she is (as here you do here) fair and all fair: And as for them the otherwise judge, (as multitudes ever have done and do now adays) esteeming the church by her outward state & other frailtes, they are such men, as do plus tribuere oculo quam oraculo, i. carnis sensui quam verbo Dei: they ascribe more to sense then to faith, as Saint bernard speaks. Otherwise as Christ was niger oculis persequentium, niger reputatione Herodis: and yet was formosus confessione latronis, fide centurionis: black ergo in the eyes of his persecuting enemies, black in Herod's eye: and yet fair and all fair to the thief confessing, to the Centurion believing: so the church this love of our saviour is carnal, contemptible, foul, what less than all foul in the eyes of Turks, jews, Epicures, Atheists, Papists, and all the wicked, where yet she is no less than fair and all fair in the eyes of all the faithful, who, believing, do by faith behold her all fair in the blood of her spotless Christ: to end in a word: according to the truth of this her commendation where with I began: that she is all fair and that there is in her no spot to be found. FINIS.