A DEN OF THIEFS DISCOVERED. Or certain errors and false Doctrines, delivered in a Sermon at a Visitation holden at Bal●ocke in the County of Hertford, Decemb. 9 1641. By HENRY DEN, Curate at Pyrton in Hertfordshire. And since Printed by his own appointment. Contradicted justly by many of the Auditors. And confuted by THOMAS-ATWOOD ROTHERHAM, now Rector of St John Zacharies, London, and sometimes Vicar of Ickleford in Hertfordshire, near H●tchin. Here you have the point of justification by Free Grace fully handled, together with many difficult places of Scripture (much abused) plainly expounded; and some special Cases of Conscience resolved, whereby the weakest Christian, in the greatest conflict, may gather true and solid comfort. With several Tables very necessary and useful for the Reader. Published by Authority. John 4.22. Ye worship ye know not what, we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. Origen. In Numeros Hom. 9 Nec Vetus Testamentum nomino ego legem, si eam spiritaliter intelligam. Illis tantummodo lex vetus efficitur Testamentum, qui ●am carnaliter intelligere volunt. Aug. Tom. 1. de vera Religione, cap. 8. Multi ut Diem Diei videant & gaudeant, per Haereticos de somno excitantur. Printed at London by R. Cotes, and are to be sold by Samuel Cartwright, at the sign of the Hand and Bible in Duck Lane. 1643. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Sir WILLIAM LYTTON One of the Knights in Parliament, for the County of Hertford. SIR, IT is a fault sometimes in good men, when they writ to great men, to be too large in their praises, fare beyond their deserts; but Jobs rule shall be my guide, not to give flattering titles unto man. Your Father, Sir Rowland Lytton, being long dead, yet speaketh, there being in St. Hieromes phrase, concerning Asella, Sermo silens, and Silentium loquens; a silent speech, and a speaking silence: his works of love to God, godliness, and good men, speak aloud in the ears of his Country, his name being very precious among them; Yourself to my knowledge did express your love to God and your Country, and that in the hardest times, to the hazarding of your own Liberty, and Fortunes, if not more: And all this while you have, with that Honourable Court, borne the burden and heat of the day: yet they and you are not without some that are ready to murmur against you; It puts me in mind of Africanus Superior, who as Valer. Maxim. lib. 5. cap. 3. reports, made the City of Rome, (being in a Consumption, and ready to give up the Ghost) Lady of Africa; but see his requital: Afterwards, being Banished into a poor Country Town, his will was, that his Tomb should have this Inscription upon it; Ingrata Patria ne ossa quidem mea, unthankful Country, thou hast not so much as my bones. I know You have had a tender care, with others, to recover England's consumption. And while with labouring for your Country's good, you bring yourself to the * Cineres ei suos negavit, quam in Cineres Collabi pastus non fuerat, Valer. ibid. dust, I desire you may not (through the misapprehension of some, and indiscretion of others) have cause to cry out, Ingrata Patria! O unthankful Country! God still make you constant to him, loyal to your Prince, loving to your Country. Thus ask pardon for my boldness, and Patronage for these poor lines, I shall always rest, Your humble servant for your Souls good, though unworthy Kinsman. THO. ROTHERHAM. E Musaeo, Septemb. 25. 1643. TO MY NEIGHBOURS and BRETHREN, THE MINISTERS IN THE COVNtie of Bedford and Hertford. Worthy Brethren, THat which woved me to undertake this work, was not out of the least thought of any ability in myself above others, (I speak not by way of humble pride) but I had a challenge given me, with many a jeer and mock behind my back, when my extreme sorrows called for better usage: The Apostles counsel is, that we should endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace; but this Diotrephes loving the preeminence hath been always undervaluing his neighbour Ministers, to set up himself: and at * In the County of Bedford. Shefford Lecture his course hath been after the Sermon to go whispering up and down against something delivered; still finding fault with every man: yet not daring to (a) Non enmi dispatare amant haeretici, sed quoquo modo superare impudentissima pervicacia, ut congregent quae non pepe rerunt. August. Tom. 6. Contra Faustum Manichdib. 13. cap. 12. col 237. dispute the point before the Ministers with any of them: He hath to my knowledge accused all the Lecturers in that combination for preaching Popery, because they did press the people to Sanctity. I speak unfeignedly, it hath much grieved me to hear them so falsely accused, from whom I have heard so many excellent Sermons delivered with tender compassion and sweet expressions to the comforting of my distressed soul, of whom I may say in the Apostles words, God be merciful to them, for they have often refreshed me. Dear brethren let not this Momus discourage you: God will blast his stinking breath: and (maugre his malice) bless you with the sweet breathe of his holy Spirit. Do but consider how the Devil doth unmask himself in moving this man in these times, when Gods sore judgements are upon the Land to preach down tears of repentance and Humiliation; without which you cannot read in all the Book of God, that the Lord ever removed any one judgement from a Land, unless it were to bring a greater in the room: Let the Scripture judge, whether it be not our duty to preach to our people to weep; And ourselves, in the Prophet joels expression, to weep between the Porch and the Altar: And to say, Spare thy people O Lord. Go on courageously, and the Lord give you his gracious assistance in the work of your ministry; So prays Your loving Brother and Fellow-labourer, THO. ROTHERHAM. London, from my Study Septemb. 25. 1643. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Sr. JOHN WOLLASTON Alderman, Mr. Richard Morrell: And the rest of my loving Parishioners of Saint John Zacharies LONDON. Beloved in the blood of Jesus Christ, THe Apostle tells you, 2 Pet. 2.1. That there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies: but now; some are so impudent, they bring them in openly. Beware of such doctrine as tends to the undervaluing of the Law of God, which the Apostle says, Rom. 7.12. is holy, just, and good: Take heed of such as go about to vilify, or rather nullify the duties of sanctification. Consider Saint Hieroms advice, Epist. ad Paulinum; who wished Paulinus, verba vertere in opera, to turn his words into works; that so you may be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own souls. Saint Bernard (the conversione ad Clericos cap. 15.) says of good works, that they are Temporalia aeternitatis semina, seeds temporal, but their fruit is eternal; Christ at the last will welcome none with a Well said, but Well done good servant, enter thou into thy master's joy: If any shall preach to you, that because you believe you need no repentance; neither to be sorrowful in confessing your sins, nor to ask pardon: Tell them you have not so learned Christ, who himself hath taught you that as duly as you ask for your daily bread, you should likewise ask for the forgiveness of sin; let me warn you in the Apostles words, 2 Pet. 3.17. Ye therefore beloved, seeing ye know these things, beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness: And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: And I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: And so I rest Your careful Watchman for your souls good, who seeks not yours but you; THO. ROTHERHAM. Septemb. 1. 1643. To my Loving Friends, and sometimes Parishioners of Ickleford, in the County of Hertford. Dear Friends, I Know this Book in Answer to Master Den, was expected a year ago, and it hath been almost so long finished: But I have been hindered, by the great distractions of the times: And my sickly and crazy body, besides other deep sorrows which since have befallen me; As the parting with a Son of no small hopes; And the death of my truly religious and tenderhearted Mother: of whom I may say, as Saint Augustin of his Mother, Confess. lib. 1. cap. 11. Et conturbata mater carnis meae, quoniam & sempiternam salutem meam charius parturiebat: She suffered sorer pangs that I might be borne again, than She did at my first Birth; when in sorrow she brought me forth into the world: Witness her last dying words; which at her last farewell, at the point of her death, she did with dear affection express, looking upon me steadfastly, and saying: O Son, take heed how thou sinnest against God at any time: And I may truly say of her as the same Father speaketh in the first of his Confessions: An dicam vitam mortalem, an mortem vitalem, nescio? Whether her whole life, was a dying life, or a living death, I cannot tell: but this I can tell (to my heart's grief) her grey hairs were brought down with sorrow to the grave. Thus you see my hindrances, yet at last, (Post varios casus, post tot discrimina rerum) I have here presented my answer to the Printed Sermon: And that I undertake this work, is not out of hatred to the man, but love to the truth, and to your souls: let me advise you in our Saviour's words, to take heed what you hear: and be not tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine. He gives his book this Title: The Doctrine of John Baptist. And yet every one may see, he doth throughout his Sermon Preach down John's Doctrine; as if of purpose he did intent to confute it: Take heed of woolves in Sheep's clothing. Aul. Gellius, lib. 2. Noct. Attic. reports, that the habit of Philosophers was once had in great esteem: and it happened that a man infamous, clothed himself in the habit of a Philosopher, and this man ask a gift at the hands of Herodes Atticus one of the Consuls for the Commonwealth of Athens; he questioned him who he was: but he with indignation answered him he was a Philosopher, he might know him by his habit: to whom the Consul replied, I see (says he) the face and clothing of a Philosopher, but no Philosopher: I apply this to this Sermon. Here is Christ pretended, and Christianity, but Faith, and Repentance, and Charity cried down, which are the inside of a Christian: And men may pretend the Preaching of Free Grace, and Christ, and this may make a fair show: but unless you see Faith working by love and repentance, you cannot see a Christian, but an Antichristian. I am glad I have this lovetoken to leave with you, whom I always did, and ever shall wish well: I had, while I lived with you a trembling care for your Souls good: And I can speak it with a safe conscience: I never willingly grieved any in the Town. If from some I had hatred for my good will: I leave all to God, who in time will lay every man's sin at his own door: I desire it may be in mercy to their Souls. At my remove from you some imbittered Spirits did invenom their tongues against me; (and yet would appear to the world as Angels of light) at whose hands I have deserved better: I may take up the Prophet's complaint; They said, Let us smite him with the tongue, and then we will regard none of his words: And it is the Devil's policy to raise an evil report against our persons: that so he might take away the power of our Ministry from the hearts of men that are our hearers; but I thank God, who hath wrought otherwise in the hearts of most of my people with whom now I live, whom I desire to be followers of me, so far forth as I am a follower of Christ: I speak not out of pride, or singularity, in regard of myself: I thank God I have learned quietly to pass by evil report: but in respect of my Minstery, Let my accusers be brought to my face: if I cannot make a Christian answer, to what any man can lay to my charge, then let me be blamed: I can truly say I have coveted no man's Silver, Gold, or Apparel. And God knows my heart, my care hath been more to enrich myself with inward abilities for my place, than to get outward ability by my place: I ever took more care for the state of my people's souls, than for my outward estate: And now Brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of his Grace, which is able to build you up; and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified: And thus I rest Your true Friend, and sometimes careful Minister, THO. ROTHERHAM. St. John Zacharies, London, from my Study August. 24. 1643. The Names of the Authors used in this Book, set down Alphabetically. Augustinus Ambrose Aretius Aquinas Amesius Aristoteles Beyerlinck Bellarminus Brugensis Beza Brentius Bocanus Chrysostomus Chemnitius Concil. Trident. Chamierus Cornelius a lapide Cassander Calvinus Cajetanus Durandus Dionys. Carthus. Davenantius Estius Espencaeus Gregor. Magn. Gerhardus. Gulielm. Paris. Gualtherus Gloss. interlin. Hieronymus Henricus de Urimaria Add. in lib. Sent. Jausenius Joan. Mariana Isidor. Hispalens. Keckermanus Lombardus Lavaterus Laurentius. Lessius Lyranus Machowius Martyr Melancthon Musculus Maldonatus Melchior Adam. Molineus Magdeburgensis Osiander Pelargus Polanus Pareus Pererius Pellicanus Prosper Rivetus Rollocus Septuagint. Surius Theophylactus Tossanus Toletus Wollebius Zanchius A Table of the principal Contents of this Book. A A Postles, How said to do greater works than Christ. Page. 4. Actual remission by legal services, p. 63. What actual remission signifies, 64. Actual and eternal remission no Article of the Jewish Creed, explained and confuted, p. 64. The people of the Jews had actual and eternal remission before Christ's coming in the flesh, p. 73. Angels now in heaven, and Adam before the fall under the Law. p. 77. Assize. p. 84. B Bondage of conscience believing Jew's freed from. 75 C Comfort for a distressed conscience. 91, 92, 93. Chain of salvation. 93 Conversion of souls is not working of miracles. 3.5 Cruelty as great as the soldiers used to Christ, to apply the Law for satisfaction to a troubled conscience. 14 Covenant of grace the same in all ages of the world. 18. Moses and the Prophets preached it. 10. Made known to believers in all ages. 9 Conscience what it is. 88 Testimony of it twofold. 88 Christ ever the same to all believers. 72. present in his Incarnation to the Fathers. 84, not a hidden mystery to them. 22 Christ the foundation upon which the Fathers built. 27 D Desire of salvation, a note of salvation. 85. Desire after grace is grace. 86. desire of Faith is Faith. 87 Doctrine of Moses and the Apostle one and the same. 19, 20. The Gospel not a new Doctrine. 23, 24 E Eucharist: A threefold eating. 83 F Fathers did eat Christ present. 83. They did eat the same spiritual meat that we eat in our Sacraments. 82. Under the Law had the same hope of eternal life with us. 54 Faith not without an inward change of the heart. 32. How it justifieth. 34. In saving Faith three things. 65. Lying hid, works of piety and charity assure us. 88 G God's people in several ages make but one Church of God. 80 H Heirs under age how the Jews were. 70 Hell fourfold the Papists affirm. 72,73 I John Baptist wrought no miracle at any time. 1,2 Infants how said to believe? not saved without Faith. 47 Justification handled at large. 35. to the 40. No man is justified before he believes. 41, 42. see more 43, 44, 45 K Knowledge what it is. 65 Kingdom of God always at hand to true penitents. 81 L Law not a curse, but a blessing to the Jews. 76.78. How it sanctifieth to the purifying of the conscience. 51, 52, 53. Called the letter, and why. 7 A lewd slander against the Protestants. 31. Contrary to Article 39 32, 33 Love to the brethren a sure mark of a child of God. 88 M Moses called the Minister of death abusively. 8. He spoke truth as it was and is in Christ Jesus. 20, 21, 25 Merit not in our prayers. 12 Multitude. 13 Ministers must cry out against sin. 48 Men reclaimed from sin nearer the kingdom of heaven, and not thereby made 7. times more the children of Hell. 49, 50 Manichaeus his error: from 2 Cor. 3.7. 6 P Promise obtained by the Fathers as well as by us. 78 Prophets did not preach the old covenant in opposition to the new. 62 Papists and we differ about the foundation. 28. They hold first justification to be of free mercy. 29, 30, 31 Preaching terrors, makes not a man a legal Preacher. 11. Preaching often, makes not a man a painful Preacher. 15. Lucas polo his way of preaching. 16, 17 paedagogical discipline threefold. 21 R Remission of sin what it is. 65 Real presence. 83 Repentance the Prophets taught cannot justly be reprehended. 55. How John's repentance and the Prophets differ. 55, 56. Repentance the Prophets preached not confined within the bounds of conversation. 57 Repentance doth wash away sin, and how. 57, 58. seven benefits by it. 59.6 S Satisfaction for sin not made by lamenting, and amending. 61 Sacraments of the Fathers for substance the same with ours. 82 Sermons like David's Song. 16 T Tradesmen ought not to take upon them the office of a Minister. 15 Transubstantiation repugnant to the humane nature of Christ. 28. W Word must be rightly divided. 16 Z Zeal for the Sabbath a mark of a true Christian. 85 Places of Scripture expounded. Psalm Verse. Pag. 68 11 9 Proverb. Chap. Verse. Pag. 3 6 15 Isay 52 7 10 Amos 2 8 15 Zachar. 12 10 61 Matth. 5 6 85 11 15 50 11 2, 3, 4 2 25 40 91 Mark 12 34 49 10 19 50 Luke 18 14 59.60 John 1 12 37 1 17 19,20 1 18 65, 66, 67.69 5 46 25 Chap. Verse. Pag. 6 29 36,37 8 56 68 10 41 1 14 6 21 14 12 3,4,5 Acts 3 24 9 10 43 66 15 11 10 Rom. 1 1,2,3 9 2 6,7 12 3 24 30 3 22 34 4 3 38 4 5 42 5 1 45 7 7 8 16 25 23 1 Corinth. 2 11 90 10 3,4 82 2 Corinth. 3 6 7 4 6 69 Galat. 2 16 33 Chap. Verse. Pag. 3 10 76 3 24 20 3 17 62 4 1 70 4 9 52 4 25 74 Ephes. 2 20 27 2 8 36 4 5 47 2 Tim. 2 15 15 Hebr. 2 25 75 3 5 18 7 19 54 10 1 52.54 11 39 78 11 1 84 James. 4 8 58 1 Pet. 1 12 80 1 10 23 2 8 8 1 John 3 14 92 To the Assembly of Divines now sitting concerning matters of Religion, by Order from the High Court of PARLIAMENT. THOMAS-ATWOOD ROTHERHAM wisheth increase of God's graces in JESUS CHRIST. Reverend Sirs, I Have here presented to your view, the Confutation of a Pamphlet, entitled The Doctrine and conversation of John Baptist, wherein you have Christ and Free Grace pretended; and yet the power of grace in the Souls of Christians contemned, and the Kingly Office of Christ rejected, and under colour of Faith and believing, the Law of God made void, which the Apostle Rom. 3.31. cries down with an Absit: and God forbidden such doctrines should be suffered, standing so much in opposition to Scripture. Those of this Sect pretend, great knowledge, great zeal, great holiness; so did the Pharisees in Jerusalem; the Donatists in Africa; the Electi amongst the Manichees: but their knowledge is ignorance; their zeal madness; their holiness' hypocrisy: Their writings, speeches, behaviour, are clear demonstrations of this: It is high time to look unto, and to meet with such mischievous Doctrines as these: Claudenda Cavea, antequam aves Evolaverint; the cage had need be shut, before such unclean birds as these be flown: God make you famous instruments for his glory, the good of your King and Country: To the beating down of Superstition, Heresies and Schism, and send you favour with God and man: and thus I humbly take leave, desiring your favourable acceptance of my poor endeavours. Et Postquam nos alma Ceres meliore beavit Fruge: dabo vobis quam dedit illa Ceres. A DEN OF THIEFS DISCOVERED. IN the eleventh page of his Book: He lays down this conclusion (That John did no Miracle; is but an opinion of the people;) I say this is his false opinion; for it is really true that John did no Miracle: And not an opinion of the people only: First, let us see what the Papists say, who affirm, it cannot be, but that wheresoever the power of working (a) Undecima nota ecclesiae est gloria miraculorum. Bellarm. Controu. Tom. 2. c. 14. Miracles is found, there should be the true Church. But as much as they make of Miracles; I read not in * Surius Tom. 3. June 24. Surius (who was very careful in setting down the Miracles of the Saints) any mention made, so much as of one Miracle that John Baptist wrought. It is clear by Scripture that he did no Miracle, Joh. 10.41. Bellarmin in express terms upon this place, affirmeth that John (b) Etsi quanquam joanues ipse non secit miracula, Bellarnan. contr. Tom. 2. cap. 14. fol. mihi 297. wrought no Miracles: Malldonate (c) Duplex argumentum implicat: Alterum est, leaures nullum unquam miraculum fecit & tamen illi credidimus; multo ergo magis huic credere debemus. Mald. in loc. a learned Jesuit upon the Text, says, there is a double argument enfolded in the words, to move the people to believe that Christ was the true Messiah; and the argument runneth thus, First, John wrought no Miracle at any time, yet we believed him: much more therefore ought we to believe this man who hath done so many Miracles. Secondly, All things that John foretold of this man are true, therefore we ought to believe in him. Jansenius (d) Quod autem significare voluit eos dixisse Evangelisla, tale est: Si Joanni credidimus qui nullum fecit signum, multo magis huic: Jans●n. Com. in concord. Evan. cap. 4●. setteth down the same argument with him; affirming from the Text, that John wrought no Miracle: If we believed John who did no Miracle, much more ought we to believe this man: chrysostom * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Chrysost. hom. 60. in Joan. backs their Exposition; setting down the same argument: Augustine (e) Non daemonia jugavit, non expusit sebrem non caecos illam●navir, non mortuos suscitavit, etc. nihil horum fecit Joannes, Aug. tom. 9 Tract. 48. in Evang. Joan. Col. mihi, 355. concludes as much from the Text: They say (says the Father) John shown no Miracle; He did not cast out devils, and so reckons up divers miracles; and concludes, John did none of these. I have in the Marginal notes set down the Expositions of divers Protestant Writers, upon this Scripture, (to which I refer the learned Reader) and all conclude, John wrought no Miracle, throughout the whole course of his Ministry. But it is plain from the Scripture itself: Who were they that said John did no Miracle? They were John's hearers, such as were wrought upon by John's Ministry; such as would not have detracted any thing from John's excellency, believers: for so the Text saith, John 10.42. And many believed on him there: so than it was the confession of believers; and certainly they would not have spoken so gross an untruth: neither would the Spirit of God have suffered it to be set down upon Record without reprehending of it: And thus you see it proved as clear as the Sun [that it was not only an opinion of the people] but that really, and in truth, John did no miracle: You may read Mat. 11.2, 3, 4, 5. When John had heard in prison of the works of Christ, he sent two of his Disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered, Go show John those things which ye do hear and see: The (g) Cum Salvator, corporum sanatione, externisque Symbolis, se ad sanandas animas spiritualem venisse medicum ostensurus esset, Luc. Brugens. in loc. Ip●a opera tanquam divina testimonia obsicit, Musculus, come. in loc. blind receive their sight, etc. First, What news was this to John if he could have done the like? Secondly, or how could this have confirmed the Disciples of John, that Christ was the true Messiah rather than John, if John had wrought miracles? I (f) Jesum cum Joanne conserendo, college●●nt Jesum Joanne ma●orem & proinde Messiam esse: ●●obus in eo colligendo utuntur argumentis, i. Joannes quidem signum nullum edidit. Volunt dicere Joannes eximius fuit doctor, quem omnes magni fecimus, & plerique pro Messia eum habere voluerunt. Sed nullis claruit miraculis: Hic autem doctrinam suam confirmat miraculis stupendis qualia a nemine mortalium unquam sunt edita. Dubium est ergo nullum, ipsum Joanne & omnibus Prophetis esse superiorem, hcut etiam Esaias id praedixit, cap. 35. ver. 5. Chemnit. Harm. cap. 117. Ex signis colligunt Christum long Joanne esse superiorem, cum ille nu la ministetii sut rempore miracula ediderit: Pelargus 2. part. cap. q. 5. Colligunt Christum Joanne praestantiorem esse, qu●a tot miraculis fuit insignis, quum Joannes nullum miraculum edidisser. Calvin in loc. joannes quidem magnas & eximius fuit doctor; sed miraculis nullis claruit, Gualther. in Evang. Joan. hom. 101. Confessio fidelium est ex pressa, fatentur quod nullum secerit fignum. nec enim pertinebant ad doctrinam: sed vis signorum Christo & Apostolis reservata suit, singulari Dei consilio, Aretius in loc. beseech you consider seriously, and compare this place with Esa. 35.4.6. He will come and save you, Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened: Aretius, a Protestant Writer, says; They (meaning John's hearers) confess he did no Miracle, Qui crediderunt joanni Baptistae praedicanti: sed nulla miracula sacienti. Polanus Syntagm. fol. 510. neither did they belong to John's doctrine: But the power of working Miracles was in the singular Counsel of God reserved for Christ and his Apostles. It seems strange to me a man should dare so boldly to contradict so many famous Expositors; and the Scripture itself. In that he says he will not speak of John's miraculous (h) Quanquam Ioannes ipse non fecit miracula; tamen in co facta sunt multa & magna: quod natus de anu & sterili: quod pater ejus obmutuit: postea soluta est lingua eju: in nativitate filii; quod in u ero exultavit. Bellar. de not. ecclesiae. lib 4 cap. 14. fol. 297. springing in the womb of his Mother, at the salutation of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord: who so shallow as knows not? that was a miraculous work, wrought upon John, and no miracle done by John. But to uphold his false opinion, he propounds this question: Is it not the greatest Miracle to convert many to God? To this I answer, look upon the miracles set down in Scripture as done by Christ and his Apostles; and see in the whole Catalogue whether conversion of souls be set down as one of them: There is no Scripture to prove, that when a Minister of the Gospel converts a soul, he works a miracle: and to speak logically and properly, this cannot be true: 'tis a (i) Mirum & miraculum differunt. wonderful work; yet not a miracle. But how can he prove from John 14.12. The works that I do, shall he do also, and greater: can he make it appear by this place, that to covert souls, is to work miracles: for pag. 12. these are his words, [Thus John works miracles] Let us see in this place what is meant by works: All Expositors that I read, understand two sorts of (k) Hoc patet primo in doctrina: secundo patet in miraculis, Lyranus in loc. 1. In Evangelii praedicatione. 2. In miraculorum operatione, Gerhard. Harm. Evang, c. 176. fol. mihi 453. works, the one distinct from the other: First, the work of Christ's Ministry: Secondly, his working of miracles. The one in the predication of the Gospel, the other in the operation of miracles. So that you see the conversion of Souls in the work of the Ministry, is distinguished from the working of miracles; & he cannot prove from hence that Johns converting of Souls to God, was working of miracles; or miracles done by John: Learned (l) Sed probamus nostram expositionem. 1. Ex loco parallelo Mark. 16.15. 2. Ex verbis praecedentibus. 3. Ex numeri pluralis & praesentis cemporis ussupatione. 4. Ex Scopo. Harm. cap. 176. pag. 452. Gerhard is of opinion that Christ spoke here of those works which the Apostles, and other believers should do in the primitive Church; both in the preaching of the Gospel, and in the working of miracles: And that this promise in the literal and proper sense doth not belong to all believers living in all times, but only to the Apostles, and certain other believers who lived in the primitive time: He sets down divers weighty reasons to prove this exposition good, which I have set down in the Margin: (to which I refer the learned Reader) They being not so pertinent to the matter in hand, though proper for the exposition of the text. I may seem to digress, but give me leave to answer one difficulty in this place: that is this: How the Apostles and other believers in the primitive Church may be said to do greater works than Christ did, either in the work of their ministry, or in the working of miracles. First, They may be said to be greater, not in regard of their excellency and original; for they were done not by their own (m) Ut ostenderet sua eos auctoritate, non propria ipsorum fasturos esse. Maldonat. in loc. power and virtue, but by the power of Christ, and the plentiful effusion of the holy Ghost which afterwards they received: and our Saviour intimates as much when he saith, He that believeth on me, etc. They may be said to be greater in number, numerically, greater fruits they had of their ministry: they converted more souls in (n) Opera majora non dignitate vel origine, cum a Christo profluxerint in Apostolos: sed numero plura, fructu & usu. Aretius' in loc. number then Christ: for he preached only to the Jews, Mat. 15.24. and if at any time by the buy as it were he met with the Gentiles, he gave them only (o) Praedicavit rantum in Judaea; micas solummodo distribuit gentibus, quando ad eas excursum instituit. Christus una tantum lingua praedicavit, Syriaca scil. Apostoli per Spiritum instructi ut in omnibus linguis Evangelium praedicarent. Christus nondum per integrum quadriennium docendi ministerio immediate in sua persona sunctus est, Apostoli diutius. Per praedicationem Christi pauci Judaei; per praedicat: Apostolorum multitudo gentium. Gerhard. Harm. cap. 176 Pag. 453. Crumbs, Mat. 15.27. When he sent his Apostles before his passion to preach the Gospel he gave them a special charge, Mat. 10.5. Go not into the way of the Gentiles; but after his ascension and the sending of the holy Ghost they were Mat. 28.19. to go and teach all Nations: Now Christ preaching in Judea only, which was but a narrow compass in regard of the world beside, they are said to do greater works in their Ministry then Christ did in his: The meaning is, they converted a greater number of Souls: Christ preached only in the Syriac tongue, but the Apostles by the gift of the Spirit in all languages, Act. 2.4.7, 8, 9 Christ did not execute the office of his Ministry immediately in his own person, full out four years the; Apostles had a great deal longer time: by the preaching of Christ a few Jews only were converted and here and there one besides; but by the preaching of the Apostles multitudes of the Gentiles: Rom. 15.18, 19 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ. Thus you see how they did greater works than Christ in their Ministry. How are they said to do greater miracles? I follow not some of the Ancient, who seem to hold, that the Apostles did miracles of greater excellency, and of a higher nature than Christ did; as chrysostom, Lyranus, Augustine, and others, who think it was a greater miracle for (p) Majus est enim, ut sanet umbra, quam fimbria Aug. in Evang. joan. Tract. 70. in fine. Peter, Act. 5.15. by his shadow to heal the sick, then for Christ by the hem of his garment to heal the woman of the bloody issue: The Apostles preaching in more places than Christ did, had occasion to do more miracles, so by greater miracles is meant a greater number: Pardon this digression. To return to the matter in hand, pag. 12. he says upon Joh. 14.12. What are these greater things but the conversion of the people's: And the plentiful gift of the holy Ghost through their preaching? I (q) Mox vero constituta Ecclesia, sublatis miraculis reliquit doctrinam Apostolicam, quae norma esset fidei & vitae Aretius loc. come. de officiis Ecclesiast. cap. 62. Nec virtus ista miraculorum erat perpetuo in Ecclesiacredentium futura Muscul. in loc. Miracula in Ecclesia non semper cernuntur nec requiruntur quidem. Neque enim fidelis opus habet ut signum videat, sed solum doctrina indiget & institutione, ait Chrysostom. Homilia tricesima prima, in 1 Epist. ad Corinth. Polanus Syntagm. lib. 6. cap. 58. Ad sundationem Ecclesiae suerunt quidem necessaria, quocirca edita sunt a Christo & Apostolis quamplurima, & post tempora ipsa Apostolorum, etiam multa, cum adhuc passim in orbe terrarum, Ecclesiae plantandae essent; nunc veto necessatia non sunt, Polanus Syntagm. fol. 509. vide plura ibid. Fuerunt miracula●ut buccinae atque praecones quibus Evangelium commendabatur: ut enim lex Moysis, pluribus miraculis in monte Sina, & per desertum authoritatem sibi conciliavit, quae postea destiterunt, cum ad terram promissionis ventum est; eadem quoque ratione miracula nunc sublata sunt, cum Evangelium per universum orbem diffusum est, Pet. Martyr. loc. come. clas. prim. cap. 8. fol. 33. answer, as before, by greater works is not meant only the gift of preaching, but the gift of working miracles, which is a gift distinguished from preaching, as the Apostle proves, 1 Cor. 12.4. Now there are diversity of gifts, but the same Spirit, ver. 10. To another the working of miracles. To clear all, If the conversion of souls by the Ministry of the word were the gift of miracles; then the power of working miracles in the Church should never cease: but that is already ceased, and now taken away: being necessary only at the first planting of the Gospel: but the Gospel being already planted, they are not now necessary, and therefore miracles now cease. In the latter end of the 12. page he confesseth Moses his office was glorious: but pag. 13. he hath these expressions, Let Saint Paul speak more plain, 2 Cor. 3.9. If the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more shall the Ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. From this place he concludes that Moses is the Minister of condemnation, John of Righteousness; Moses of death, John of life. He is beside the particular intent of this Scripture: That which the Apostle aims at, is not to compare John's Ministry and Moses together, but his own Ministry with his adversaries, as I shall show at large when I come to expound the place. Let me ask one question, Was not God the Author of that, which Moses was the Minister? no man can deny it; but lest I should be thought too captious, let me show you how the want of the true interpretation of this chapter, and the right meaning of the Apostle hath been the occasion of great Heresy. There was an Haeretique thirteen hundred years ago called Manes (r) Conveniunt rebus nomina saepe suis. à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from madness, as (t) Insanis & diabolicis artibus totum se tradidit, Osiand. Epitome. Hist. Eccl. Cent. 3. lib. 4 cap. 3. Osiander observes, from his mad opinions he held (u) Videamus igitur quid me doceat Manichaeus, Aug. to 6 Contr. Ep●st. Manichael lib. unus. Vetus testamentum repudiat, & Deum qui in ipsis locutus Manichaei maledictis impetunt: De Prophetis sic dicit. Spiritum corum esse impietatis, sive iniqui●a●is, ten●b atum, quae ab initio emerserant & propterea seducti; locuti sunt: excaecavit enim princeps, eorum mentem, & siqui● sequi●ur sermones ipsorum, moritur in aeternum, illigatus in glebam: quoniam non didicit cognitionem Paracleti, Magdelurg cent. 3 cap 5. de Haeres. col. mihi 77. ; Saint Augustine calls him Manichaeus: He did reject the old Testament: I tremble to write down what he said concerning the Prophets. The (w) Mo●tis esse asserit Manes Testamentum legis, co quod Apostolus dixeri●, 2 Cor. 3.7. Si Testamentum mortis: Vetus Testamentum, dixit esse alterius Deni & doctoris, novum item alterius: contraria enim trad●in utroque, vide Magdeburg. ibid. Verus Testamen●um ab ali● Deo; Novum etiam ab alio Deo factum esse dixit; utrumque enim Testamentum, inter se pugnate, Osi●nd. Epitome. Hist. Eccles. lib. 4. cap. 3. Magdeburgenses set down this as one of Manichaeus his errors: that he did hold and affirm the Testament of the law (by which he means the Old Testament) to be the Testament of death, or condemnation; and he laboured to maintain his Heresy, from this Scripture which he allegeth, to prove Moses to be the Minister of death: to wit, this which now we are upon; namely, 2 Cor. 3.7. If the ministration of death, etc. This Haeretique doth likewise affirm, That he which spoke with Moses, the people of the Jews, and the Priests in the Old Testament, was the Prince of darkness: And what doth he differ, in making Moses the Minister of death, and so of darkness? He likewise did hold this damnable opinion, that there was one God of the Old Testament, another of the New; and that the Old and New are contrary the one to the other: Men must take heed how they handle a point of so high a Nature so rawly; as I am sure he did when he preached. Now let us see the scope of the Apostle in this chapter, 2 Cor. 3.9. The Apostle had to do with (x) Impostores perst●●ngit qui cum legis doctrinam importunius urgerent se non novi, sedpotius veteris restamenti ministros esse declarabant; idque non sine ignominia Christi qui umbras istas abolere debuit. Gualther. in I. Epist. ad Cor. hom. 12. false teachers, who were exceeding earnest in pressing the doctrine of the Law, and that in opposition, and to the undervaluing of Jesus Christ, by whose coming those shadows were and aught to be abolished and given over: So that the opposition stands between Paul's doctrine and the doctrine of his adversaries, the false Apostles. Let us see first, 2 Cor. 3.6. how the Law is called the letter, and so killeth, and how it is the ministration of death and condemnation. The Apostle doth often use the word letter in opposition to the word Spirit, because that which is called the Law of Moses, was written Exod. 31.18. in Tables of stone with the finger of God: to wit, the Decalogue, and therefore called the letter (y) Optima fuit ratio cur lex d●ceretur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per antonomasiam; quod rectius converreris scriptum quam literam. & tamen volumus ex more [literam] interpretari. Beza. Annota●. in Epistad Rom. cap 2. ver. 27. . But the Apostle looks at somewhat more: for because not only the Ceremonial Law, but also the Moral (which we call the Ten Commandments) did lead to Christ who is every way made Righteousness unto true believers; this use of the law many of the people of the Jews partly through ignorance, and partly through obstinacy did contemn. From whence it comes to pass that the Apostle speaking concerning the law, only from the (z) Modo ex Judaeorum hypothesi. Beza. in loc. supposition of the Jews, who did apply the Law to themselves, considered severally, and apart and separated from Christ: And from hence the Apostle calleth it the letter: and so the naked Law by itself, separated from Christ, is in Scripture called the letter, which is nothing profitable to salvation. (and this comes to pass through the corruption of man's nature) Sometimes this opposition between the letter and the Spirit, hath respect in particular to the Ceremonial Law: Then the Apostle calleth it the letter (a) Tunc Paulus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocat externum signum ab ipsius signi fine sive a virtute sejunctum, quam vocat Spiritum. Beza. when the outward sign is considered apart from the thing signified, than it is a dead thing; unprofitable, and of no use. For what is the shadow without the body? Who knows not? but that in disputation many things are laid down under some condition, which otherwise cannot be affirmed? The Apostle in this chapter is in a dispute in which he lays down the difference between the Ministry of the Law, and of the Gospel, by comparing (b) Effert suam doctrinam contra calumniatorum doctrinam, & Argumentum sumit a comparatis. Areti. in loc. the one with the other, as they were by Paul's adversaries (the false teachers) set in opposition the one against the other, who holding to the bare letter of the law, did preach justification by the works of the Law without Jesus Christ, in opposition to the Gospel, so that Moses is called the Minister of death (c) Abusive. Abusively: Because these false teachers did abuse the law of Moses in resting upon it according to the literal sense; and so by excluding Christ, who is the (d) Mens egis est Christus lex in lapidibus insculpta suit: ideoque literal●● erat doctrina hic legis desectus corrigendus suit per Evangelium: quia fragilem esse oportuit; quamdiu rabulis lapideis tanrum erat consignata. Calvin. in loc. life of the Law; make it to be to themselves (by their false interpretation and misapplication) a dead letter; and so it is, so long as it is written in tables of stone only, and not in the tables of our hearts. Now let us see how the Law is said to be the ministration of condemnation, as the Apostle calls it, 2 Cor. 3.9. It is called so accidentally (e) Accidenter Dyonies. Carthus. in loc. as is plain, Rom. 7.7, 8, 9, 10, 11. For sin taking (f) Non dicit, occasione autem data, quoniam lex non dat occasionem pecandi, sed dicir occasione accepta. Cajeta. rom. 5 in loc. occasion by the Commandment deceived me, and by it slew me: in this chapter it is plain that the law is the ministration of death by accident, not causally, but occasionally. The occasion is not given by the Commandment, but taken through the corruption of man's nature: for the mind of man endeavouring to maintain its own liberty in sinning; cannot endure to be kept in by the Commandment, and restrained, and so sinneth the more eagerly, according to the Proverb, Nitimur in vetitum: we are exceeding earnest to do that which is forbidden us, (such is our corruption) the more ready we are to run into it: So likewise the Gospel may be said to be the ministration of condemnation occasionally, Luk. 2.34. Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, 1 Pet. 2.8. A stone of stumbling; a Rock of offence. No fault in Christ or the Gospel, whose proper office is, to build us up to be spiritual Temples for God to dwell in; The fault is in man, who through the corruption that is in him, taketh occasion to stumble at this stone; 'tis accidental (*) Quum nobis in sundamentum datus sit, illiac. identale esse Petram Scandali. Calv. in loc. to Christ, to be a Rock of offence: But it being accidental as well to the Law, as to the Gospel, to be the Ministry of death, wherein lieth the difference? There is a wide difference, It is a perpetual and inseparable accident in regard of the Law: not so in regard of the Gospel. But to wind up this bottom: If by Moses we understand the writings of (g) Scripta M●sis sunt ipsum ve●us Testamonrum: adjunctis prophetis. Cajetan. Moses; which are the Old Testament together with the Prophets, that is to say, Moses and the Prophets, the Prophets were extraordinary Ministers of the Old Testament, ordained for the Instruction of the Church, by interpreting and applying the Law: and foreshowing the sufferings, and glory of Christ, Act. 3.24. Yea and all the Prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days; That is, of the days of the Messiah; of those things, which in these days are fulfilled by Jesus Christ; The days (h) Quae his temporibus per Iesū Christum impleta sunt, Brentius in Act. Apost. hom. 15. of Christ's Flesh, so the Apostle calls them, Heb. 5.7. Who in the days of his Flesh; All the Prophets did declare one and the same Christ to come in the flesh. And the Apostle confirms this (i) Facit hoc ad Evangelii commendationem, & confirmationem, quod jam olim a Deo per prophetas ab ipso inspiratos, quorum oracula litetis consignata haberentur, promissum esset; ne videretur res nova & commentitia, Estius, Com. in loc. Rom. 1.1, 2, 3. Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his holy Prophets in the holy Scriptures concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; which was made of the seed of David, according to the flesh. The Apostle useth these words to prove that the Doctrine of the Gospel, was not a new (k) Occupatio est qua declinat invidiam novitatis: nam Evangelium putabatur doctrina recens, Pet. Martyr. Com. in loc. Ut Novitatis depelleret invidian, seque non novarum retum praedicatorem; & Apostolum ostenderet, Evangeliumque ab antiquitate commendaret, Tolet. in loc. Doctrine: Some of Paul's hearers reasoned thus with themselves. The ancient patriarchs and Prophets were saved, and had the true Church of God amongst them: and yet they wanted your Gospel. Therefore, the Doctrine of the Gospel is not necessary; but superfluous. Here the Apostle confesseth those in the old Testament were saved, but not without the Gospel. And so convinces them, that the Preaching of the Gospel was no innovation, seeing it was preached throughout the whole Church of God in the old Testament: And as Theophylact observes, the word Gospel, was used in David's time, Psalm 68 ver. 11. The Lord gave the word, great was the company of those that published it. What did they publish? Why, the Gospel: (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Theophylact. Chrysost. ad Roman hom 1. Evangelizantibus, Hieron. Preachers of the Gospel: the Gospel was then preached plentifully: for great was the company of Preachers: and the Septuagint, Chrysostom, and St. Hierom agree with Theophylact: And Scriptures agree, First, that from (m) Singulis illis temporibus Evangelicam promissionem de semine mulicris repetitam; & subinde clarius Expositam esse dicit, Chemn. lccor. part. 2. pag. 579. the fall of Adam to the Flood: Secondly, from the Flood to Moses: Thirdly, from Moses to the Prophets: Fourthly, from the Prophets to Christ: The Gospel and the promises of it, were made known: And applied by believers: in all several ages, to their everlasting Salvation, by Jesus Christ, in whom they believed. Theophylact proveth the word Gospel to be used in the old Testament from Isay 52.7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth [good tidings!] That is, the Gospel; for so the word signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (n) Septuagint ; And the Apostle alleging this place of the Prophet, Rom. 15.10. * Paulus de Evangelica prae. dicatione haec verba affert. Marian. Scholar expounds it to be the Preaching of the Gospel: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace! The same Gospel (according as he distinguisheth the time in his Book, page 19) was preached from Moses to John Baptist, yea, the very same which the Apostles preached. To (o) Sin vocabulo legis accipiatur doctrina V Testamenti, in Scriptis M●saicis, & propheticis comprehensa, neuriquam gratiae beneficium ab ea separandum siquidem concio gratiae de remissione peccatorum proprer Christum Mediatorem non minus sonuit in V quam in N. Test. per quam non mi nus tempore V Test. quam novi Test. omnes sancti sunt Justifi cati ac salvati, Gerhard locor. Tom. 3. de Evang. c. 12. fol. m●hi. 247. conclude, if by the Law we understand the Doctrine of Moses, and the Prophets; the benefit of God's free grace is in no wise to be separated from the Law. For the grace of God concerning the free remission of sins for Christ's sake the Mediator, was Preached as well in the Old Testament as in the New: by which no less in the time of the Old Testament, than in the time of the New, all the Saints were justified and saved, as is fully confirmed, Act. 15.11. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved [even as they,] That is, even as our Fathers; who lived in the time of the old Testament: Therefore, there was one and the same Gospel, teaching that the (p) Gratuitum donum Dei sine operibus legis, Glo. interl. A princi pio mundi non solum praefiguratus est sacrificiis, & praenunciatus prophetis, sed etiam coepit ejus sanguis hominum mederi vulneribus; & acceptavit Pater mortem filii, ac propter cam contulit omnibus gratiam, Lorinus in loc. Fide gratiam apprehendi testatur: nam credimus, inquit, nos per gratiam Domini nostri, etc. Paucis ergo & minimis ambiguis verbis universa salutis ratio comprehendi poterit, si nos gratia Dei in Jesus Christo, per fidem salvari dicamus: quae omnis tum propheticae, tum Apostolicae doctrinae, summa est, Gualther in Act. Apost. hom. 102. in fine. grace and favour of God is to be looked for in Christ the Mediator; in whom all the Saints in all times from the beginning of the world, were and are justified and saved. I ask this question: Did Moses ever go about to Preach Justification by the works of the Law; Neither did God ever make any Covenant of works with man since the Fall: Well then, consider Moses not abusively, and the Law of Moses, not misinterpreted, and misapplyed, by false teachers and wicked men. And by the Law understand the Doctrine of Moses: and so Moses was the Minister of life, and the Law the Ministration of Salvation: This is plain, Act. 15.21. For Moses of old hath in every City them that Preach him, being read in the Synagogue every Sabbath day; And no question but by the blessing of God upon it, many thousand souls were converted to God by that Preaching. Else would not our Saviour in the Parable, (q) Sententia haec intelligenda videtur ut Revelativa Divini Judicii: ut hinc intelligamus Divina dispositione desertum irieos qui Mosen & Prophetas non audiunt, & ita induratos relinqui, etiamsi viderent miracula, non moverentur propterea ad verana Charitatem, & merito quia ex eo quod divinam largitatem, qua providit nobis de Mose & prophetis (hoc est de sacra Scriptura) despiciunt merentur ut nec per miracula visa conversionis gratiam consequantur, Cajetan Jentac. 5. qu. 4. Quo loco evide tissime declarat Dominus Vetus Testam. esse fidei firmitatem retundens perfidiam Judaeorum, & excludens nequitias haereticorum, Ambr. Com. in Evang. Luc. lib. 8. Judaicus ille popu●us, quia Mosi credere noluit, ei etiam qui resurrexit ex mortuis credere contempsit; cumque Mosis verba Spiritualiter, contempsit in elligere, ad cum de quo Moses locutus fuerat non pervenit, Greg. Magn. in Evang hom. 40. Disce divitem hunc cum fratribus suis esse Jud●om, ad quos promissiones de de terra Canaan, & vita aeterna pertinebant: incredulitate autem propria damnari, Aretius, in loc. Luk. 16.29.31. have laid it down as a thing so necessary to hear Moses and the Prophets, had not their Doctrine, by the power of God accompanying it, been effectual to the conversion of Souls. I have been the larger, because such preaching as this, doth with the error of the Manichees, cast a blemish upon the old Testament, and makes way to that false Doctrine, which afterwards he preached, and hath Printed in his Book. Whereas Pag. 22. He that shall search into the most material Controversies, between the Protestant and the Papist, he shall find the error of the Papist, chief to arise from hence: The want of Distinction between Law and Gospel. Sure this is that which makes him to cavil, and differ from other Ministers, if any Ministers in their Sermons, do (but as they are bound) press the duties of sanctification: he presently cries out to his injudicious applauders, they Preach flat Popery: Nay, though they use the same exhortations the Scripture doth, in the selfsame words, we must not Preach to our people as Peter did, 2 Pet. 3.11. Seeing all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be, in all holy conversation and godliness? If we preach the terrors of God; then we are legal preachers: If we press them to duties and a holy life, than we Preach Popery: And yet thus Christ and his Apostles Preached: Whereas, if he were not wilfully ignorant; and like the deaf Adder stop his ears, he might hear Ministers cry down all merit, and popery, even when they are a pressing them to holy duties; showing them, that nothing can stand between the (r) Meritum Christi unicum est pretium redemptionis nostrae, quo solo a peccato & morte aeterna redimimur, & Deo reconciliati, in filios, & haeredes vitae aeternae adoptamur, Cassand. consultat. pag. mihi 968. wrath of God, and a poor Creature, but the merit of Christ alone: confessing all our righteousness to be as a polluted cloth: Do I speak of confessing? He will have none of that; no confession of sin; when we press men to pray, we do not persuade them they shall merit eternal life by prayer, neither do we wish them to rest in the duty done, but wholly upon the merits of Christ: Neither do we think that Christ doth infuse his (s) Nec ita intelligendum est quod Christus infundat meritum suum nostrae orationi, ut ipsa sit placatio coelestis irae & expiatio pro peccatis, sed quia exerit sese per preces; intuetur promissiones Dei, quibus roboratur & confirmatur apprehendir Christum propter quem solum Deus nobis in vocantibus est propitius: & quia Deus invenir in nobis Christum per fidem, ideo in nos ipsum invocantes essundit omne genus beneficiorum, non propter invocationis meritum, sed propter Christi meritum, Gerbard, locor. tom 3. Col. mihi 368. merit into our prayer that it should become the pacification of the wrath of God, or an expiation for our sins: but because faith doth manifest itself by prayer, doth behold the promises of God, with which it is strengthened and confirmed, and it doth apprehend Christ, for whose sake alone God is merciful to us, when we call upon him. And because God finds Christ in us by Faith, therefore when we pray to him, he doth bestow upon us every good thing; not for the merit of our prayer, but for the merit of Christ. Let men take heed lest under the colour of Preaching free Grace, they do not turn the grace of God into wantonness: and give men such a liberty to live as they lust; which is indeed the greatest bondage: let them take heed, lest while they pretend to advance the Kingdom of Christ, they do not overthrow his Kingly Office, and pluck, as much as in them lieth, the Crown from off his head. If Christ be a King, certain his Subjects must yield obedience to him: And we his Ministers must preach obedience to them: Can not the Apostle distinguish between Law and Gospel? and do we preach popery, when in our Sermons we follow the rule of the Apostle, Rom. 2.6, 7. and tell the people; God will render to every man according to his deeds. To them who by patiented continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, immortality, eternal life, ver. 10. Glory, honour and peace to every one that worketh: The Apostle doth not say, God will render to every man [for] his deeds: that so he may exclude merit; in regard of our best performances: but [according] to his deeds: that so he may extol free grace. That (t) Quod Deus aeterna gloria, & felicitate eos donare vult, qui ex fide bene operati sunt, id nihil gratuitae justificationi nostrae derogat: justificamur enim gratis fide; deinde ex fide, bona, & Deo placentia opera facimus, Osian. in loc. God will bestow glory and eternal life upon those who by faith continue in well-doing: that derogates nothing from our free justification: and being justified gratis, or freely through Faith: Then by Faith we do good works pleasing to God: Consider these two places, first, Ephes. 2.8. For by grace ye are saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. The second place is Colos. 1.10. That ye might walk (u) Dignitas haec nostra non pendet ex absoluta nostra persectione; sed ex dignatione Dei gratuita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in omne placitum vel obsequium, Davenant in loc. worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work. Whereas pag. 22. he wisheth us to look into the most material controversies between the Papists and us, I do not think he is much seen into them: for I did hear him peremptorily affirm that the Council of Trent did hold Bishops (w) Si quis dixerit in Ecclesia Catholica non esse Hierarchiam divina ordinatione instituram, quae constat Episcopis, Presbyteris & Ministris, anathema sit, Concil. Trident. Sess. 23. de Sacrament. Ordin. cap. 4. can. 6. Presbyterii gradu, superior est dignitas Episcopalis, quam quidem excellentiam habent Episcopi, non tantum ex Ecclesiastica vel. Apostolica traditione, seu constitutione aliqua, sed ex Jure divino, institutione Christi, Estius in lib. 4. Sent. dist. 24. not to be (Jure Divino) by divine right: being asked what Session and Canon, could not tell, and afterwards confessed he had not read it in the Council of Trent; and indeed the Council is clean contrary in extolling Bishops. In the 23. page of his book he saith, There is this day a complaint in our Country, that our Sermons are full of contradictions: the Multitude observe them, and grievously complain of them: and this is not the complaint of unlettered men. What a lewd slander is this laid upon all the Ministers? And whom doth he bring to proveit? The (x) Vulgus, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Graece, usurpatur a Latinis ad significandum ignobiliorem multitudinem; quomodo, dixit Virgil: Saevitque animis, ignobile vulgus; A volvendo dictum volunt; quod stulte huc atque illuc volvatur, unde vulgivagus deducitur. Et apud Lucanum legimus vulgivagaque vagus venere, pro illo qui certae mulieris amore non capitur, sed popularem venerem sectaturus. Multitude: It wonder where this multitude is: but grant it were so, it is a credit to have such accusers: The multitude called the vulgar, from volving, rolling, or tumbling, in constant, unsettled, foolishly carried about this way, and that way, with every wind of Doctrine. But how comes the Multitude to understand what the word (y) Contradictoria sunt, quae affirmationi & negationi subjacent: Duplex contradictionis genus Simplicis & complexae. [Contradiction] meaneth, how come they to be so cloquent? how come they by so much Logic? I dare say if they be examined they cannot render the signification of the word: whether it be in the predicaments or post-praedicaments, they understand not: surely if they did, they would not so grossly belly their Ministers. The multitude laid many grievous complaints against Paul which they could not prove, Act. 25.7. It argues a great deal of indiscretion, if not of pride, and arrogancy, and self-conceitedness, for a man to cast such an aspersion to the blasting of so many godly Ministers, and the extolling of himself, especially at a visitation Sermon, where he pretended to preach Christ, but did altogether preach himself, as is plain by his own expressions, If we do bid the Litany farewell, yet for once upon such a special occasion as this, Let me say from pride, vain glory, and hypocrisy, good Lord deliver us. In the latter end of page 23. and the beginning of the 24. he hath this passage: It was Prophesied by Luther that after his time the difference between the Law and the Gospel should be neglected: Our age hath proved him to be too true a Prophet, for it is a thing not ordinarily observed: The fault is; the Law is not rightly applied: As when we apply it to troubled Consciences to give satisfaction. This is a mere false invention of his own, He dares not challenge any one Minister for this, if he should, he would withstand him to his face, and prove him false. The Apostle, 2 Tim. 2.14. (a) Contentiosa hujusinodi disputatio non modo nullam afferr utilitatem, sed detr●menti plurimum, non aedificat, sed destruit auditores minus veritatem penetrantes; putantenim plerumque sunplices qui assistunt, magis loquaces, magisque clamosoes, magis esse sapientes, & intelligentes, Espencaeus, in loc. chargeth that we strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers: I am sure he doth a great deal of wrong to some poor ignorant people, who discern not the truth, but are ready to think him to be the most able man that can word it most, and set up his own credit by disgracing others, but this is an unsound foundation to build upon; for not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth, 2 Cor. 10.18. Is any Minister that hath the charge of Souls upon him (especially in these knowing times) so grossly ignorant, that when he sees a man in distress of conscience, through the apprehension of the wrath of God due to him for his sins, to apply the terrors of the Law, to comfort him; And when we hear men that are troubled in their consciences; to cry out of their unworthiness; and of the great imperfections which accompany their best actions: saying as it is (b) Agnoscen da estgrati●, sed non ignoranda natura, Ambr. Com. in Evang. Luc. lib. 8. c. 17. Luk. 17.10. We are unprofitable Servants: Now in this case, is any Minister so shallow or unworthy as to apply the Law to give satisfaction? This were to deal as cruelly as the bloody Soldiers did with Christ in his extremity who gave him gall and vinegar to drink, Mat. 27.34. The Elders (c) Scribitur in libro quodam Hebraico qui, apud eos intitulatur liber judicum ordinatiorum, quon iam Solomon dixerat Proverb. 31.6. Ideo ex occasione hujus vetbi, Senio●es Judaeorum natuerant ut condemnatis ad more●m daretur vin●m aromaticum ad b●bendam, it facilius tolerarent passionem: In Jerusalem autem erant Matronae devotae, & compassi●ae, quae ho●v●n●m dabant ex devotione: Ju laei eigo ex nimia crudelltate moti tale vinum datum pro Christo, & allis duobas cum eo crucifi●●, acceperuntfibi, secundum quod dict. 〈◊〉, Amos. 2. & loco e●ns. posuerunt acctum cum felle mixtum, Lyrau, p 5 fol. nuhi. 85. among the Jews (from that of Solomon, Prov. 31.6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of a heavy heart.) made a Statute that those who were condemned to die, should have wine given them to drink in their sufferings, (the death of the Cross being most bitter) mixed with comfortable and sweet spices; that they might in the time of their extremity, more easily undergo their pains: I have read that in Jerusalem there were certain devoute Matrons, who out of compassion, did at their own charges provide this wine for those that were to be crucified: Now the Soldiers moved with bloody cruelty drank that Aromatical wine was provided for our Lord, in the time of his suffering, according to that of Amos 2.8. They drink the wine of the Condemned, and in stead thereof gave him gall and vinegar to drink. O bloody cruelty! no less cruel is that Minister that doth apply the law separated, and in opposition to the promises of the Gospel; to give satisfaction to a troubled conscience. The Apostle, 2 Tim. 2.15. lays this charge upon a Minister, to study to show himself approved a workman that need not be ashamed: 'tis one thing to Preach, another to be a workman in Preaching: I speak not against much, and often Preaching, I honour it with my heart, but such as are longer in Preaching of a Sermon, then in studying of it, more frequent and longer time in the Pulpit then in their study; they are not workmen, not labourers, but loiterers, to whom woe belongs for doing the work of the Lord negligently. What is it for a man to give his Servants three meals a day, and set nothing but bones, husks, and shells before them; when men come up into the Pulpit without praemeditation, they do but vent their own Ex Tempore frothy expressions: And this is not preaching; but to lavish out the precious time of grace: And this is the cause of so many fond, new upstart opinions. Preaching is no such easy work, what ever ignorant men think, Who is sufficient for these things? 2 Cor. 2.16. Not Cobblers, and Tradesmen, who to the dishonour of God and the ruin of this Nation, pollute God's Ordinances: And would if they could, trample Gods faithful Ministers under foot; and this flows from a little, ungrounded, smattering knowledge they have gotten: we must study to be workmen that need not be ashamed; rightly (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Beza. dividing the word of truth; rightly cutting the word of Truth: There is a four foldexposition of this place. First, that it is a Metaphor taken from a sword or sharp instrument wherewith things unprofitable, superfluous and corrupt are cut off: as the dead member from the living: Ministers must be able to distinguish between the living and the dead, and in their Sermons to divide the one from the other. Secondly, a Metaphor taken from husbandmen who cut straight furrows, or rather from men that are sawers of Timber who cut by a line, not declining to the right hand or to the left, but keeping to the rule: so must the Ministers of God do. Thirdly, from the Master of a Family that cuts bread for his children: and distributes to every one as he seethe need. Fourthly, from the Priests in the old Testament, whose office was to cut the Sacrifices, and to divide; certain pieces, were to be offered to God in Sacrifice; certain to be for the Priest. All these expositions are good: and we learn from hence, that it is the duty of every Minister according as his (e) Juxta singulotum (ut cum glossa interlineati loquar) competentiam & secundum uniuscujusque qualitatem, Espencaeus in loc. hearers are, to instruct, exhort, rebuke, comfort. But how miserably is the word of God mangled by a company of unlettered, unskilful Laics, who never had authority either from God or man; neither ability; to take upon them, so high and sacred an office! We must distribute the word to every one according to their capacity, to Babes milk, to men of riper years stronger meat; Taking heed how we give holy things to dogs, or cast pearls among Swine: our Sermons being like David's song of Mercy and Judgement, lest that complaint come against us, (f) Deus non territat suos rebus inanibus: sed legis praedicatione, comminationeque paenarum a peccaris corum deterret, paenitentibus remissionem peccatorum promittit: Ludovic. Lavat. in Ezek. hom. 47. Ezek. 13.22. Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life. Judgement must be applied to whom it belongs, and mercy to whom mercy belongs. (g) Legem divinam vehementer acuit & in vitia sui temporis vulgaria tanta cum acrimonia in vectus est, ut aculeos in animis hominum, etc. Evangeliis itidem dulcissima praedicatione animos prosternatos, & sensu itae divinae percussos ere●it, & ad spem gratiae divinae, ac salutis aeicrnae, traduxit, Melchior Adam in vita ejus. Lucas polo a Germane divine, a man of eminent parts, was wont to preach the law exceeding earnestly; inveighing against the common sins of the times in which he lived very sharply, That he left a sting in the consciences and minds of men: insomuch that sparing none he gave offence to some, which he regarded not: having God's command, and the examples of the Prophets, and Apostles, to back him: Again he Preached the Gospel most sweetly, labouring to lift up such as were cast down, and sensible of the wrath of God due to them for their sins, and to bring them to the hope of God's free grace, and Eternal salvation: And in his last sickness he desired, that when he should be in an Agony and lie a dying to be put in mind of four things. First, of Consolations concerning the remission of sins. Secondly, of Consolations concerning Gods gracious presence in afflictions and death itself. Thirdly, concerning final conservation, that God will conserve and keep his elect against sin, death, Satan, and hell, to Eternal life. Fourthly, of those words of Christ; The Righteous shall go into life Eternal. And did tell the Minister to whom he had committed this charge: that in doing thus he should execute the office of a true Pastor. And is not this the care of all Gods faithful Ministers? who have had experience of the work of God upon their own consciences: (h) Quis infirmatur non aegritudine corporls sedanimi, qualitatem cu●ae suaedeseribit ab effectibus internis, Cajetan in loc. Quis infirmatur in fide, & ego non infirmor. Si enim aliquem in fide vacillate animadverto: s● cujus fidem gravibus tentationibus concuti video, ut vix subsistere queat ita ego certe afficior, ac si ipse eas tentationes sustinerem: neque conquiescere possum, donce tales iterum erigam, & confirmen, Luc. Osiard. in loc. 2 Cor. 5.11. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men: And when we see men in distress of Conscience, may we not say with the Apostle: Who is weak and I am not weak? 2 Cor. 11.29. Who is offended, and I burn not? I know there are in these parts of the Country many able Preachers, who in their Sermons do rightly and truly distinguish between Law and Gospel: to the beating down of the Kingdom of Satan, and setting up the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in their several Parishes: whose bowels do yearn over the souls of their people. Witness their constant, pious, and painful Preaching in such times, when Preaching was most opposed: whose tender bleeding Consciences, having a hand of Iron held over them, could not swallow down that which this man did: although their livelihoods and liberties lay at Stake, being threatened with suspension, deprivation, imprisonment: witness the reading of the book of Liberties, and other innovations which he yielded to without making question: nay pleaded for them: let him not go about to cast dirt in their faces, whose upright conversation, and dear affection, they express: to the Souls committed to their charge, makes them lovely, and honourable in the sight of God, and all that truly fear God. In the beginning of pag. 27. This question is propounded: Did not Moses preach grace? The answer is No, Moses preacheth the law of works. This is answered before, only I propound two questions. First, whether did Moses ever preach justification by the works of the Law? in plain terms: whether did he ever lay this down for a doctrine; That a man may be justified by the works of the Law in the sight of God? Moses did preach the righteousness of faith, and so he did preach grace. Secondly, Whether is not the (i) Foedus gratiae afferens; & applicans remissionem peccatorum, justitiam & vitam aeteman, omnibus in Christum mediatorem credentibus, ed perpetuum, aeternum ac immutabile, omnibus mundi temporibus unum arque idem, nulli abrogationi obnoxium; omnem verustatis ac novitatis ●ationem excludens, cumun● cademque sir falutis via, Gerha●d loco. ton. 3. col. mihi. 292. Covenant of grace one and the same? preached in all ages, by which all believers, have been, are and shall be saved? but we shall speak more fully of this hereafter. I come to the next question propounded, pag. 27. Did not Moses speak truth? In the Pulpit he made this Answer: that he did speak the truth, and he did not speak the truth. I meeting him on the morrow by accident, told him that Moses was to be commended in that he spoke the truth: but he was blame worthy in that he did not speak the truth: he made no answer for the present: but writes to me afterward (Nimirum tacuisse) that he did conceal the truth: And so makes him guilty of that which the Apostle pleads for his discharge, Act. 20.27. I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God. And how it can stand with Heb. 3.5. (k) Summa vero est, Mosen scilicet fideliter tradi disse populo quae illi Dominus mandaverat, Calvin in loc. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a Testimony of those things which were to be spoken after: Moses did deliver all things which were commanded him of God, faithfully; to the people for a Testimony of those things which were to be spoken: these words are truly to be understood of the Gospel of Christ, of which Moses was a witness: so that here is set down the (l) Sic consensus doctrinae M●sis atque Apostoli, in hac Epistola ex plicatae, non obs●●●e explicabitur, Paraeus in loc. Agreement between the doctrine of Moses and the Apostle expressed in this Epistle: so that they were both witnesses of one and the same Christ, of one and the same Gospel, and did Preach one and the same Doctrine: Certainly, than Moses did not hold his peace concerning any Truth, he was to deliver from God to the people. But in Print he sets down this answer to the question, [Did not Moses speak Truth? yes, according to Law and Conscience: But not according as the Truth is, and was, in Christ.] Let us see how he could speak the truth according to Law and Conscience, but not according as the truth is, and was in Christ Jesus: look upon the Scripture spoken by way of anticipation in the end of pag. 26. John. 1.17. The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. And he setting down the opposition, concludes, That Moses did not Preach Grace: Look into the true sense & meaning of that place, & you shall see that from thence, to say in general terms, Moses did not preach Grace, is false Doctrine: And if we can prove he did preach Grace, we make it plain: for to say he did, and he did not, one of these must of necessity be false: The Proposition being laid down absolutely without condition, as his is: Let us take his advice and mark the opposition in this place. The (m) Est prolepsis in qua praevenit contratiā exceptionem: tanti enim erat apud Judaeos Moses, ut aegre quicquam, ab eo diversum admitterent: docet ergo Evangelista quantum inferius fuit Mosis ministerium Christi potesta●e unde sequitur, si legem a Christo; separes, nihil restare praeter inanes figuras, Calvin in loc. Evangelist speaks by way of prevention, of what exception might be made to the contrary: the Jews had such a high esteem of Moses, that they could hardly admit of any thing different from him; holding themselves to the bare Letter of the Law, in opposition to Christ: The Evangelist therefore puts them in mind, how little Moses doth benefit, compared in opposition with the Grace that comes by Jesus Christ: and how the Law doth avail nothing without Christ, but is an obstacle and hindrance from obtaining the grace of God: They had always Moses in their mouth, and did boast of his authority against Christ, so that here his Ministry, and the benefit we have by Christ (according to their misconstruction) are set in opposition the one to the other. For the further clearing of this place, [the (n) Non hoc accipiendum est exclusive, quasi solam legem Moses docuerit: sed Antithesis insti vitur inter ministerium Mosis, & beneficium Christi: Distinguendum igitur inter Mosen doctorem & Legislatorem five pacti legalis Mediatorem Moses, ut doctor de Christo praedicavit & scripsit, Gerhard locor. Tom. 3. Col mihi. 231. Law came by Moses, but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ] this is not to be taken exclusively: as though Moses did teach the Law only: we must distinguish between him as he was a Doctor, and Teacher: and as he was a Lawgiver, and Mediator of the legal Covenant, but setting aside the opposition which is made in Scripture, betwixt Moses and Christ, which comes to pass in regard of the Adversaries, who did extol him to the end they might oppose the Grace which comes by Jesus Christ. Consider Moses as a Teacher of God's People, and so he did preach Grace and Truth to all believers by Jesus Christ, and this is proved, Job. 1.45. We have found him of whom Moses did write in the Law, and the Prophets, (o) In venimus Jesum, quasi dicat, hoc nomen congruam est prophetis, quoniam promittunt Messiam salvatorem, Lyran. in loc. Jesus of Nazareth: and thus 'tis false Doctrine for him to teach that Moses did not preach grace. Truth (p) Veritas hoc loco non opponitur falsitati, neque enim falsitas fuit lex Mosaica, sed opponitur, 1. Legi monstranti quidem viam justitiae; non autem praebenti vires & facultatem: atque ita significat veritas, restaurationem naturae, hoc est, renovationem mentis, & novitatem vitae, quam Christus per Spiritum Sanctum operatur, atque ita usurpatur vocabulum illud, Ephes. 4.21. in this place, is not to be understood in opposition to falsehood, neither was there any falsehood in the Law of Moses, but it is opposed; First, To the Law, showing us indeed the way of Righteousness, but not giving strength and ability to keep it. So that Truth signifies the restauration of our nature: that is, the renewing of our mind, and newness of life, which is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost, as the Apostle makes it plain, Ephes. 4.21, 22. As the Truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former (*) Secundo opponitur umbris, & figuris, quod scilicet Evangelium illa exhibeat, quae lex per umbras figurav●●, Chemn. Harm ca 20. col. mihi. 218. conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man. Secondly, Truth is opposed to shadows and figures; to wit, that the Gospel should exhibit those things which the Law set forth in shadows: So that Christ by his coming in the flesh, fulfilling those things which the Law foretold, and did foreshow in shadows, and figures, [concerning him] hath manifested, that to be true which the Law foretold: and is the substance of those shadows: And thus Truth is said to come by Jesus Christ. Whereas he saith: Moses spoke the Truth according to Law and Conscience, but not according as the Truth is and was in Christ Jesus: (He showeth himself in this, to be a man void both of Science, and Conscience) if he did speak the truth according to Law, is not Christ the truth, the Law pointed at, and set forth? (may I not say) is not Christ the truth of the law? Gal. 3.24. The Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by Faith. The precepts of the Law did convince the people of unrighteousness: because they shown how fare they came short of that obedience the law required, and so they were put in mind to seek for righteousness elsewhere. The legal promises did propound life upon condition of perfect obedience. He that doth these things shall live in them: but the Father's seeing it impossible for them to perform this condition, were thereby put in mind to seek for Righteousness out of themselves: namely in Christ: The whole Law was a Schoolmaster leading those in the Old Testament by the hand to Christ. As there was a (q) Cum triplex lex suerit, triplex paedagogica disciplina fuit. 1 Moralis ducebat ad Christum accidentali directione. 2. Lex ceremonialisdirecta significatione; & duratione. 3. Forensis seu politia, distinctione gent is a reliquis populis, & duratione. ad Christum usque, Parcus, Com. in. loc. Threefold Law, so a Threefold paedagogical discipline. First, the Moral Law did lead to Christ by Accidental direction. Secondly, the Ceremonial by direct signification and duration; the Ceremonies did shadow forth Christ, and were to end at his coming. Thirdly, the judicial Law or polity by distinguishing the Nation of the Jews from other people and continuing unto Christ. Thus Christ being the truth and substance of the Law, Moses speaking truth according to Law, spoke the truth as it was in Christ Jesus, who was ever to all believers as it is, Joh. 14.6. The way, the truth, and the life; No man cometh to the Father but by me: Moses could never come to the Father but by this way and this truth: it is blasphemy therefore to say he did not speak according as the truth was in Christ Jesus, who was ever that one truth in all ages of the world to all the people of God. Again had not Moses a Conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ? and did he not in Christ apprehend Gods reconciled face to him, in the full pardon and free remission of all his sins? Why then, if Moses spoke truth according to conscience, shadowing forth the blood of Christ by the blood of Bulls and Goats to be that which did sprinkle the Conscience from dead works to serve the living God: it must needs be that he spoke the truth as it is in Christ Jesus: Christ being ever the same in all Ages to the Consciences of all believers: and certainly Moses spoke nothing but what did accord with the truth as it was and is in Christ Jesus, he being always that same Truth: But to prove this, pag. 27. he saith, this was the hidden mystery kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, Rom. 16.25. as though this was hidden all the time from Moses to John the Baptist. It is strange a man should thus apply Scripture without unfolding the sense of it: but it is his course throughout his Book. The scope (r) Quasi restimonii loco ne de praedicatione apostolica quisquam dubitare queat, Scripturas propheticas commemotat, ut admoneat Evangelii doctrinam, nihil habere novi, vel ficti, sed id tradere, quod & prophetae olim futurum praedixerint, Muscu. in loc. Hoc additur ne recens hujus Mysterii patefactio suspecta cuiquam fit, & infirma, Testimonium inquit habet prophetarum, Pet. Mar. in loc. Adeo enim luculentum testimonium reddiderunt Evangelio prophetae omnes, ut aliunde melius confirma●● nequeat, Calvin in loc. of this place, if you consider the connexion with the 26. verse. (but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the Prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all Nations for the obedience of faith) is quite contrary to his application of it, and makes against him. (And by the Scriptures of the Prophets) The Apostle makes mention of this (if any should make doubt of his Preaching) as a sufficient evidence to prove that the Doctrine of the Gospel, was no new or feigned Doctrine. And that he did deliver nothing but what of old the Prophets did foretell, should come to pass: And therefore it could not be a mystery, hidden and kept secret from Moses and the Prophets; (as he affirms falsely) for then they should have foretold that which they knew not, which no man well in his wits will speak or think. They did foreknow and foresee all those things concerning Christ, which afterwards were accomplished: This you may see proved, Luk. 18.31. Then he took unto him the twelve and said unto them, Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the Prophets, concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. By (s) Secundum revelationem mysterii, id est secreti, scil. de conversione gentium. Si autem loquamur de mysterio incarnationis, etc. Aquin. Com●n Epist. ad Rom. cap. 16. lect. 2. mystery is understood, First, the calling of the Gentiles. Secondly, Christ's incarnation: This was the hidden mystery in regard of the Gentiles, who before the coming of Christ did sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. And now is made manifest, and how could the (t) De gentibus nulla quaestio est, quiante adventum Christi sedebant in umbra mortis, nee vitam hanc aeternam, quain Christus suis artulit, aut intelligebant, aut expetebant: Qui poterant, cum venturae Messiae praedictiones, erant sacris Scripturis consignatae, divina autem haec oracula crant Judaeis peculia: suit igitur gentilibus simpliciter, & omni modo absconditum, hoc mysteri●●, Daven. in loc. Gentiles know this seeing the predictions of the Messiah to come, were set down and contained in the holy Scriptures? And these divine oracles were peculiar to the Jews only, Psal. 147.19.20. He showeth his word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his judgements unto Israel; he hath not dealt so with any Nation. The Gospel was hid from the Gentiles simply: Not so from the Jews, but comparatively, in comparison of the clear light and manifestation of it since the incarnation of Christ, as the Apostle himself expounds it, Ephes. 3.5. which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit: So by this it is plain it was in other ages made known: To use then this Scripture: (namely (*) Perpende totum progressum mysterii, suit quidem ab aeterno dispos●ū, & in Deo absconditum, suit postea perprophetas patefactum in tempore hominibus, ut crederent, postremo agnitum & revelatum gentibus, Cardinal. Tol. come. in loc. Rom. 16.25.) to prove that this mystery was kept secret and hidden from the people of the Jews, from Moses to John Baptists time, is a false interpretation; and misse-application of it, if he looks into the 26. verse he may see this mystery is made manifest by the Scriptures of the Prophets: thus you see his exposition is a contradiction, if made manifest by their writings, then manifested to them. Again he useth 1 Pet. 1.10, 11, 12. The mystery the Prophets searched after, as if he could prove by this place, that this mystery was hid, and kept secret from Moses and the Prophets: but this Scripture makes altogether against his absurdity, and plainly proves the contrary. The Apostles (u) Scopus Apostoli est removere calumniam illam, qua etiam tum temporis doctrina Christiana gravabatur, esse eam doctrinam novam, atque hactenus inauditam, atque incognitam; contrarium ergo hic asserit Petrus, declarans etiam ab ipsis pro phetis eam esse testificatam, ac praedicatam, Jacobus Lauren. come. in loc. aim here, is to take off an aspersion which some at that time cast upon the Doctrine of the Gospel, saying, as it is, Act. 17.19. May we know what this new Doctrine whereof thou speakest is? They did account it a new, unknown, unheard of Doctrine: the Apostle affirms the contrary, declaring that it is the same which was testified, and Preached by the Prophets themselves; who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ, which was in them did signify; when it testisied beforehand, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. So that from this place it is evident the Prophets did not only declare the time, but the particular time when the Messiah should come. They (w) Non modo scrutati sunt & praedixe● ut modum redemptionis, sed etiam investigare deside●ant, tempus & temporis articulum, quo seculo, post quot annos mundi, in quem diem & momentum, vel etiam cujusmodi populi Judaici statu, & conditione eventurae essent Christi passiones, & gloria, nec frustra scrutati sunt, Jacob. Patriarcha, expressit articulum, Gen. 49. Paraeus Com. in loc. fol. mihi 1032. did not in vain search what or what manner of time, for they found out the very point of time; Jacob the Patriarch sets down the express time, Gen. 49.10. The Sceptre shall not departed from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shilo come. And so the Prophet Daniel, 9.24, 25. sets down the particular time of his coming, namely, seventy weeks: And is it not set down plainly, that he should come presently after the birth and coming of John Baptist, his forerunner? Malach. 3.1. Behold I will send my Messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his Temple. And Isaiah prophesied most manifestly, and in special of Salvation from the free grace of God, through Jesus Christ, Isa. 53.11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities, Habak. 2.4. The Prophets did not only declare his sufferings, but the particular manner, Psal. 22.16. They pierced my hands and my feet: And the like concerning his burial, Isa. 5.9. likewise his Resurrection and Ascension: Did the Prophets tell of the particular time, and particular passages; and could this mystery be hid and kept secret from them? how could they then speak so distinctly, and plainly of it? But let us go on still with the Scripture, he applieth for his purpose to prove it hidden, 1 Pet. 1.12. Unto whom it was revealed: What was (x) Mysterium enim Christi quod suit eyes revelatum, non fuit eorum tempotibus, impletum, sed tempore Christianorum, Lyranus in loc. revealed? why, the Mystery of the Grace of God by Christ: the Prophets in their (y) Prophetae sua scrutation● non fuerint delusi, quin & modum & tempus revelandae gratiae scrutandae cognoverint, praedicabant enim implenda in novo Testamento, quorum tamen fructus non minus ad ipsos quam nos etiam pertinet. Pareus in loc. searching were not deluded, but did know the manner, and the time of the grace to be revealed: And that not unto themselves, but unto us: the meaning is, that those things which they spoke of, concerning the Birth, Passions, and Resurrection of Christ, should not be fulfilled in their time, but in our times: the benefit and fruit of which, did no less belong to them then to us; See how he doth wrest and misaply the Scripture. One question, and I have done with this. The Text saith, The Prophets searched: who were those Prophets? by (z) Hic nunc intellige Prophetas Testamenu veteris, Isa●am, Jeremian, & cae●eros, sub quibus tamen etiam M●ses. & Patriarchae cōprehenden●ur, Laurent. come. in loc. Prophets understand the Prophets of the old Testament, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others, under whom also Moses and the Patriarches are comprehended, Luke 24, 27. Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, See ver. 44. the words following in the Text prove this exposition; (who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you) if by Prophets here we are to understand Moses for one, how doth this Scripture prove that Moses did not speak according as the Truth was, and is, in Christ Jesus; because this was the hidden Mystery, kept secret from him? Nay, it proves the contrary, to wit, That he did speak according as the Truth was, and now is in Christ Jesus, because as the Apostle saith, he prophesied of the Grace that should come, which prophesy accordingly is now fulfilled. At the latter end of pag. 27. he makes an objection which came into his head since he preached the Sermon, for than he did not mention it. (his words are these) But you will say, Moses wrote of me? (he answers) True, so did all the Prophets writ of Christ to come, but not present. Christ, I say, was ever by faith present to believers: but mark how plainly he contradicts himself: Our Lord's Argument stands thus, Joh. 5.46. Had you believed Moses ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me. First, by his conclusion; our Saviour's Argument, and what he necessarily infers, falls to the ground; for if Moses did not speak according as the truth was, and now is in Christ Jesus; how could they by believing him have believed Christ? Secondly, the ground of Christ's Argument is overthrown: if this mystery was hidden and kept secret, how could Moses have wrote of him in such plain terms; (a) Asserit Mosen de se scripsisse non solum disertis vaticinus, sed etiam ●y porum umbris, Gerhard. locor. come. 3. col. mihi 229. Insomuch that Christ saith, If ye had believed what Moses wrote, yea would have believed me. It is then concluded from our Saviour's own argument, that Moses did write so plainly of him, that if they had believed him, they could not but have believed Christ: All that Moses spoke was concerning Christ and in reference to him, whether that he did foretell him in the figures of things done or spoken: or whether that he did commend, and set forth the grace, and glory of Jesus Christ: observe still how he doth contradict himself and blaspheme Moses: He confesseth he wrote of Christ to come, not present: Well then, if Moses spoke of Christ to come, at that time when he spoke it, he spoke according as the Truth was in Christ Jesus; for he was to come. And now Christ being come, 'tis plain he spoke according as the truth now is in Christ Jesus; for that which he said should come to pass concerning Christ is now fulfilled, and our Saviour confirms this, (b) Omne quod scripsit Moses de Christo est, id est, ad Christum omnino pertinet, sive; quod cum figuris rerum vel gestarum, vel dictarum prae nunciet, sive quod ejus gratram, gloria●●que commender, Aug. tom. 6. contra Faust. li. 16. cap. 9 Luke 24, 25, 26, 27. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken, ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? and beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, etc. Where he concludes, that what Moses had spoken concerning him, must be fulfilled, and was, and is fulfilled, see Luk. 18.31. and thus 'tis evident that Moses spoke then according as the Truth now is in Christ Jesus. Again, he saith, Moses spoke of Grace and Truth hereafter to be (c) Modus Parefactionis ac respectus temporis non mutant tem●psam, Rom. 16.26. Nunc manifestatum, hoc est tempore, N.T. ergo sub V T. ignotum; tesp●ibidem d●serte addi●ur quod manifestum in Evangelium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ergo etiam ●●m innotuit, licer minus clare. De gradibus igitur, & latitudine praedicationis, apostolus agit. Gerhard, locot. Tom. 3 col. mihi. 231. revealed: but not for the present manifested: This plaster is too little to heal the sore, whosoever hath the laying of it on: he cannot hid and keep secret his own mystery of iniquity thus: I mean his false Doctrine: Grace and Truth was then revealed and manifested as sufficiently to the salvation of believers as now it is. Whereas he saith, hereafter to be revealed, I say again, it was then revealed, and was for substance one and the same then, as it is now, though not manifested in so high a degree and measure. Page 31. at the latter end, and at the beginning of page 32. he saith, there are two things requisite: First, That we lay a sure foundation. Secondly, That we build rightly thereon, and make right application of this foundation; I speak not these things holy brethren, (saith he) to (d) Hoc est ingenium humilitatis, in seintueri sna mala, in aliis eorum bona, L●ssius de virt. Temp. arm x. lib. 4. c. 4. n. 48. teach you, by whom I desire rather to be taught: Why should a man lie against his own conscience? he came not to be taught, but to tax, and to build his own praises, upon the foundation of false aspersions, cast by himself upon other men's Ministry. And what he is that will raise a false report, and vent it in a Pulpit, judge you: He desires to be taught; Away with this humble pride, and proud humility! his own words following show his mind: He saith, He came to communicate his Doctrine, and to give satisfaction the rather, because it hath seldom or never been free from cavillations, (as he calls it) and exceptions: by his own confession, his Doctrine hath been always excepted against: it is because it hath been always false, and erroneous. And whereas he saith, It was an unjust report, that he would never dare to speak those things in public before the learned, which he taught his people at home. This is a true report, for he could never be brought to dispute before the Ministers, though he hath been earnestly challenged and urged thereunto: He goes on still to praise (e) Cont●a naturam est humilitatis laudes proprias praedicare, Gulielm. Parisien. de morib. cap. 10. himself: He saith, it hath been his care to lay a sure, and sound foundation: What need he take care to lay a sure and sound foundation, that is already laid, according to that Scripture, 1 Cor. 3.11. which he names in the beginning of pag. 33. From whence observe this; that if no (f) Quia aliud fundamentum poni minime potest, jam constab●t patres qui fuerunt ante legem, & sub lege vixerunt, in Christo haesisse: alioqui ad salutem & regnum coelorum non suissent aedificati, Pet. Mart. in loc. other foundation can be laid, it is evident, that the Fathers who were before the Law, and those who lived under the Law, did stay themselves upon Christ, as upon a sure foundation. Otherwise they could not have been built up to Salvation, and to the Kingdom of Heaven. From hence we may gather, what the state of the Church was from Adam to Moses, which he professeth himself to be ignorant of, Pag. 19 (g) Os●and. Epitome. cent. 2. cap. 9 Martion the heretic doth affirm, that all the Patriarches and Prophets from M●ses to John the Baptist, were not partakers of Salvation: Surely they will be all hard put to it: if, as he affirms, That the knowledge of actual and eternal remission of sins was no Article of their Creed: or, as he delivered it in the Pulpit, That the People of the Jews had not Actual knowledge of eternal remission of sins. Martion and he dispose of the Fathers both alike. Iren●us calleth Martion (justly) the mouth of the Devil. And when men should stand in God's stead, let them take heed they do not deliver the Devil's message: and while they (h) Multi sunt qui nomen Christi quum obtendunt, radicitus evellunt universam Dei veritatem, Calvin Com. in Epist. ad 1 Corin. cap. 3.11. pretend to lay a sure foundation, do as much as in them lies, to raze the true foundation. The foundation is (i) Supra fundamentum Apostolorum & Prophetarum, id est, super doctrinam eorum; vel aliter; id est, supra Christum qui est fundamentum Apostolorum & Prophetartun, Aquin. come. in loc. lect. 6. Quia doctrina illorum, ad hoc respicit fundamentum Aret. in loc. Fundamentum hic pro doctrina samitur, minime dubium est. Calvin come. in loc. laid, namely Christ; and the Doctrine of Christ; which Doctrine is contained in the Old and New Testament, in the writings of the Apostles and Prophets, Ephes. 2.20. And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; By foundation we may understand the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, because their Doctrine had respect altogether to Christ the Foundation: Observe here, that although the Apostles and Prophets were many; yet it is not said in the plural number, foundations; but in the singular, foundation (k) Quamvis Apostoli & prophetae multi fuerint, non tamen hic dicuntur plurali numero fundanaenta, sed sundametnun, quasi unum, ut per hoc consensus, & concordia doctrinae cum ca quam olim tradiderant propherae significaretur, Estus come. in loc as of one; to signify unto us that the Doctrine of the Apostles was one and the same; and agreed in one, namely Christ: it being the whole work of both to set forth Christ unto us, and to settle us upon him the Foundation; our work then is not about laying the Foundation; but the saving and true application of it. Page 33. in the latter end are these words, I find that the greatest difference between the Papist and the Protestant, is not about the foundation, who it is, but about the true and right application of this foundation. But stay a little, 1 Tim. 2.5. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. This is the Foundation, the Papists deny this. The greatest difference then betwixt them and us will appear plainly to be about the Foundation. Papistical Transubstantiation, is repugnant to the humane nature of Christ, and doth altogether destroy it. The reason is plain, for by that they do affirm the body of Christ to be invisible, inpalpable, incircumscript, and illocall: All which is against the essential properties of a true humane body, such a one as Christ had, and now hath, and doth retain after his resurrection, and glorification; as is manifest, Luke 24.28. Mark, 16.6. The School (a) Duobus modis dicitur in Scriptures aliquid locale, sive circumscriptibile & e converso, vel quia dimensionemeapiens longitudinis, altitudinis, & latitudinis, distantiam facirin loco, ut corpus; vel quia loco definitur, & determinatur, quoniam cum sit alicubi, non ubique in venitur, Magist. lib. 1. dist. 37 cap. 6. Tolle spacia locorum corporibus, nusquam erunt, & quia nusquam erunt, necerunt. Tolle ipsa corpora qualitatibus corporum, non erit ubi sint, & ideo necesse est, ut non sint, Aug. Tom. 2. Epist. 57 col. mihi. 275. affirms, that it is the property of a body, to be so limited and determined to one place, that it cannot be in every place: but the Papists do by their real presence affirm, the body of Christ to be omnipresent, and thereby do utterly overthrow his humane nature. Take away the spaces or dimensions of places from bodies, and then they shall be no where; And because they shall be no where, they shall not be at all: Take away the bodies themselves from the qualities of bodies, and there shall be no place where they are. And therefore it follows necessarily that they be not at all. And thus you see the Papists do quite take away the foundation. We hold Christ, as he is set forth to us in the doctrine of the Apostles, and Prophets, to be the only foundation. Do not the Papists in making their (b) Concil. Trident. Sess. 4. Traditionsof equal Authority with Scripture, go about to lay another foundation? is not this a wide difference? I might instance in other fundamentals: but he doth plainly confute, and contradict himself, when he saith, the Papists do deny Christ coming in the flesh. And this is a misfoundation. Page 34. He propounds this question. I will therefore ask the wise Jesuit, how we come to be partakers of Christ's Righteousness, and I am sure I shall have this answer; by Sacraments, by Penance, Faith and other good works, which are a means to apply Christ unto us. I believe he is a man that hath not much troubled himself in reading controversies between the Papists and us, neither hath any insight into the Jesuits: If he ask some of the learned Papists, how we come to be justified in the sight of God, (c) Causa efficiens primaria est honitas, & miscricordia Dei, Bellar. Tom. 4. de Justificat. cap. 2. Prima justiria, per quam ex impiis reddimur justi, non ex merito, sed ex misericordia Dei, Bellar. de Justif. tom. 4. lib. 4. cap. 21. Bellarmine will answer; that the primary, and efficient cause, is the goodness, and mercy of God: And according to his distinction of first and second Justification, he will tell you that in the first Justification, whereby a wicked man becometh Just in the sight of God, it is not from merit, but from God's free mercy. And Cardinal (d) Quoniam diximus ad justitiam nos pervenire per fidem; & justitiam Christi nobis donatuam: Ind est quod experimento videmus vitos sanctos, qui quanto majus in veritate proficiunt, tanto minus hbi placent, ac proprerea tanto magis intelligunt, se indigere Christo, & Justitia Christi sibi donata, ideoque se relinquunt, & soli Christo incumbunt, Rivet. Cathol. Orth. tom. 2. pag. mihi 243. vide plura ibid. Contarenus saith, we are justified by Faith, and that the righteousness of Christ given unto us whereby we are inserted into Christ, and have put on Christ, is that certain, solid foundation, upon which we must stay ourselves, and believe, that for that alone we are justified before God: that is, to be accounted just, and to be just; and he doth plainly show that we are not justified by the works of Sanctification, or by any inherent righteousness in ourselves; but by the righteousness of Christ, freely given, and communicated unto us; Thus this Papist telleth us, that we are made partakers of Christ's Righteousness, not by penance or any works of ours, but from the free gift of God. That of wicked men we are made just in the sight of God, is by being made partakers of Christ's righteousness: now whereas he saith, Page 34. That the Jesuit will say, by Sacraments, penance, faith, and other good works, we are made partakers of Christ's Righteousness, and that they are a means to apply Christ unto us; The Papists will deny this to his face. Bellarmin upon Romans, cap. 4, 5. (where the Apostle makes it plain, That we are not justified by works) saith, Paul (e) Paulus ad R●m. 4. dicit non ex operibus justiheari, etc. Nos igntur di●mus Paulum loqui de prima justificatione, qua homo ex impio fir justus, & ideo recte Paulu● dicere hominem justificari sine operibus. Quemadmodum enim nemo po est opere suo seips. procreate, aut a morte revocare: procreatus autem, vel a morte revocatus, ipse se comedendo, & bibendo, nutrit, & auget. sic etiam homo per peccatum mortuus, non potest merito opetum suotum, se justificare, Bellarm. de Justif. tom. 4. lib. 4. cap. 18. col. mihi 267. speaks here of the first Justification; whereby a man of wicked is made just, in the sight of God, and therefore Paul saith rightly, that a man is justified without works: He useth this illustration: As no man is able by his own work to procreate himself, or to recall himself from death; but being procreated, and made alive, from the dead, than he doth by eating and drinking nourish himself, and groweth: So a man that is dead in sin, cannot by the merit of his own works justify himself, but after God hath justified him; he is able by living well, to cherish and increase righteousness in himself, and of just, to become more just; which the Papists call the second Justification; and so they labour to bring in merit, and justification by works; We deny this second justification; And concerning the first justification he saith, we are made partakers of that righteousness, not from merit, but from the mercy of God. The Apostle tells us how we come to be made partakers of Christ's Righteousness, Rom. 3.24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ: Ask the Council of Trent (f) Cum vero Apostolus dicir homini●m justificari, perhdem & gratis; ea verba in eo sensu intelligenda sunt, quem perpetuus Ecclesiae Carholicae consensus tenuit, & expressit, ut scilicer ignitur per fidem justincari dicamur, qua fides est human● salntis initium, fundamentum, & radix, omnis justineationis, line qua imp●ssibile est placere Deo, & ad filiorum ejus confortium pervenire: gratis autem justificari ide●● d●●auaut, quia nihil comm quae justificationem pracedunt, five ●des, sive opera, ipsam justification S●tatiam promeretur; si enim gratia est, jam non e● ope●●bus, alioquin ut idem Apostolus inqu●●, pratia jam non est gratia, Concil. Trildent. Sess. 〈…〉 8. and they will tell you in their exposition upon this place, that we are justified (that is to say, made partaker of Christ's Righteousness) freely, because none of those things which precede, or go before justification, whether faith, or works, do deserve, or merit the grace of justification, according as the Apostle saith, If by grace, than it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace, Rom. 11.6. Again, ask Cardinal (g) Gratiam apple at Dei donum nobis gratuitum, quod nos nullis nostris meritis, nulla nostra virtute, justos facit, Tolet. come. in loc. Tolet, who was a wise Jesuit, and he will answer, that when the Apostle saith, We are justified freely by his grace, he calleth grace the free gift of God given to us. And that God doth make us just without any of our own merits; without any excellency in us. Ask (h) Quod sequitur, per gratiam ipsius, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 additum est, ac si dica, gratis, id est, per gratiam ipsius; nam sensus est, homines peccatores justificari absque ullo suorum operum merito, persolam gratuitam Dei bonitatem, Estius, come. in loc. Estius the learned Jesuit; and he will answer, that when the Apostle saith, We are justified freely by his grace, his meaning is, that sinful men are justified without any merit of their own works, by the alone free grace of God; And (i) Nunc satis sit dicere; hic agi de prima justificatione, per quam ex injusto hamo fit justus; quaeque non fit merito bonorum operum heminis, Pererius in cap. 3. ad Rom. Disput. 13. Pererius the Jesuit upon this place of the Apostle saith, that it doth concern the first Justification, by which, of unjust, a man is made just; which is not done by the merit of the good works of man. I go not about to justify the Papists: but to show you how this Pamphletour doth out of ignorance (in this particular) falsely charge them. Whereas he speaks so confidently, pag. 34. at the latter end in these words: And I know you are not ignorant that there is no small difference between the Protestants themselves: How we come to be made partakers of Christ's Righteousness. He should have done well, to have showed wherein they differ; and not to make a fault where he can find none: to make way for his false accusation, he goes on: I appeal to your Judgements: (he means his own judgement, in his misinformed hearers) How they differ from Papists, who say that Christ's righteousness is made ours before God by faith, and true repentance, which is by them defined to be a sorrow for sin and amendment of life, as though our Protestant Divines should make faith and repentance joined together to be the material and meritorious cause of our justification before God. It is a wonder a man should dare to be so impudent, to invent such a false slander against our Church: he shows himself to be a man little read in Protestant writers; and less conversant with our Protestant Divines: I dare say he cannot name one. It will appear by the Articles of Religion which we Protestants hear in England are bound to read (when we come to any Church living to be possessed of it) and subscribe to; with an acknowledgement of our full consent, and approbation to, and of them; that the Protestants hold the clean contrary: I will here set down the very words of the (k) In the 39 Article. Article for that purpose: And they are these: We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome Doctrine and very full of comfort. Now I appeal to the Judgement of those that can but read English, and are able to understand it, whether he hath not deeply wronged the Protestants, and shown himself ignorant in a fundamental point of our Religion: He would, if any will be so simple as to believe him, make us worse than some Papists (l) Firma & sana doctrina est per sidem vivan & est●acem ju●●●cati peccatotem voca●●●● autem side●● 〈◊〉 motum p●●●us lan●ti, quo vere paenitentes vele●●, vitae, criguntur a●l Ee●, & vere apprehendunt miseri ordiam in Christo promis●un, ut jam vere sentian●, quod remissionem peccator●, & reconciliati onem propter meritum Christi. gratuita Dei bonita eacc●perunt. & clamant Abba Pater, Cassand. Consult. Art. 4. : who hold it to be true, and sound Doctrine: that sinners are justified by a true and lively faith, whereby they apprehend the mercy of God promised in Christ, and are sensible that of God's free bounty, and goodness they have received remission of their sins, and Reconciliation, for the merit of Christ: and do cry Abba Father. What Protestant ever joined faith and repentance together in point of Justification before God? we say faith only doth justify in the sight of God, in opposition to works yet this faith is not without an inward change of the heart, and true repentance: we must distinguish between the formal (m) Fidei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scrmalis distinguenda est ab ejus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effectiva mortihcare carnem, testistere concupiscentiis catnis est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fidei non formalis, sed effectiva, formalia autem hdej justincanris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, est aprpehendere meritum Christi, ad justitiam corma Deo subsistentem, Gerhard. Disp. Theof part 2. disp. 3. pag. mihi. 319. Energy, or efficacy of faith and the effective: faith doth not justify so fare forth as it doth mortify the flesh in us, and bring forth the fruits of good works; but as it doth embrace the promise offered in the Gospel, concerning the free remission of sins through Christ: or which is all one, because that by faith the Righteousness of Christ is imputed unto us. Every child that hath learned his Catechism will, and is able to contradict him in this devised falsehood against the Protestants. Whereas he saith: Repentance is by the Protestants defined to be a sorrow for sin: I pass it by, till I come to speak of that Subject. Pag. 35. He frames an argument thus: That which makes Christ's Righteousness ours in the fight of God, may be said truly to justify us before God, or at least to concur actively to our justification: but faith and sorrow for sin, with amendment of life, make Christ's righteousness ours in the sight of God: Therefore fearful will be the conclusion, faith and sorrow for sin with amendment of life concur actively to our justification: It must needs be fearful for him, thus lewdly to accuse the Protestants: Oh horrid malice! Do but view his Argument well, and see whether this be a Protestant Doctrine, That faith and sorrow for sin, with amendment of life, make Christ's Righteousness ours in the sight of God, according as he lays it down, in his fearful conclusion: We say that we are justified in the sight of God by (n) Non tantum fidem justificare, sed etiam solam justificare, neque admittere in cam societatem ullam aliam virtutem, ulla opera quaecunque sint, quocunque censeantur nomine, quocunque comprehendantur genere, id est, non spe, non charitate, non poenitentia, non receptione Sacramentorum, non castitate, non justitia, non pietatte sua quenquam posse justificari, sed tantum fide, Chamier, Paustrat. Cathol. Tom. 3. de Justific. lib. 22. cap. 1 fol. mihi 923. 17. faith alone, without the works of the Law: and so we are made partakers of Christ's righteousness: and that becomes ours in the sight of God, Gal. 2.16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, etc. We hold that Faith doth justify alone, and doth not admit into its society any other virtue, any other work whatsoever; neither can any man be justified by his hope, charity, Repentance, receiving the Sacraments, chastity, righteousness, piety, but only by Faith. True faith absolutely considered, cannot be separated from works, it is not without charity and repentance, but considered relatively in its relation, it justifieth without works: So that although true Faith cannot be without good works, (as Saint James saith) Faith without works is dead: nor good works rightly considered, cannot be without faith; yet in regard of justification, they are manifestly in opposition the one against the other. And such is the nature of opposites, that they cannot stand together: if one be laid down, the other of necessity must be taken away: Lay this down for a ground, that we are justified by Faith, than justification by works must needs be denied. We cannot conceive any moment of time wherein Justifying Faith is without good works, in regard of their (o) Particula sola, removet opera, non ab actu praes●n●iae, sed a communicatione efficientiae; hoc est, non ut adesse fidei, & justificatis, sed fidei in a●●● justification●, ●o op●●a●i n●g●● tur, Ge●hard. locor. t●m. 3. de Justi●. Se●t. 6 fol. mihi 607. presence: but they do not communicate, or do any thing; neither have they any hand in Justifying of a sinner in the sight of God, but are only standers by: And thus we deny that sorrow for sin with amendment of life justify us before God: neither do we join them with f●●h in point of justification of a sinner in the sight of God: let ●●m but name any one Protestant W●●er, or any Divine in all 〈◊〉 Country, that is guilty of that which he here layeth to th●● charge: I persuade myself he cannot. To tax the Protestants with a thing contrary to their Doctrine: which they openly profess, and have with their own hand subscribed to: he showeth himself most injurious, and unchristian. When he preached his Sermon, his aim was to blemish the Ministers; and now he hath done it in Print: but let him produce any man, if he can; That he may recant his false Doctrine (if he have delivered it) and be brought to the knowledge of the truth: or if not, that he may recant his false aspersion, and be taught hereafter to speak the truth. Whereas, in his conclusion, he saith, Faith and sorrow for sin with amendment of life, justify us before God, or at least concur actively to our justification. Oh fearful conclusion, in regard of the false inventour! The Protestants conclude no such thing. They hold that faith itself alone, justifyeth only passively, as it receiveth (p) Propterea in stam controversiae dictum, fidem justificare, non quatenus opus est, five per se, sed relative, id est, quatenus siguificat applicationem justitiae Christi, id est, non nostrae, sed alienae, Chamier. Tom 3. de fide, Justif. lib. 22. cap. 11. fol. 957. Christ, not actively in respect of the work, and merit thereof. For we are justified by the Righteousness of God, which is by Faith of Jesus Christ, Rom. 3.22. but the Act and work of Faith, is a part of man's Righteousness (not of Gods) therefore so faith (q) Quatenus fides est opus & pars quaedam inhaerentis renovationis, River. Catholic. Orthod. Tom. 2. fol. 260. Non privamus cam bonis operibus, sed duntaxat excludimus bona opera a causis efficientibus justificationis: bona opera non praecedunt justificandum, sed sequuntur justificatum, Polanus Syntagm. fol. mihi 456. justifyeth not, but as it apprehendeth the righteousness of God in Christ: faith whereby we are justified is to be considered, partly as it is passive; partly, as it is active: It is passive in apprehending the promises of God in Christ, and applying Christ with all his benefits, in which respect, faith only justifyeth. It is also active in bringing forth good fruits, and quickening of us unto every good work, but so it justifyeth not: faith then is inseparably joined with hope and love, and necessarily yields in us good fruits, but none of all these do concur with Faith in the Act of Justification, but it is the office only of Faith, to apply unto us the Righteousness of Christ, whereby only we are made righteous before God: So that you see we do hold that faith itself doth not concur actively to our justification: much less than sorrow for sin, and amendment of life. Faith is considered sometime as a quality and gift of God inherent in us: but hitherto and in this respect it justifieth not; but as it is in the predicament of Relation, because it apprehends Christ in the Gospel. If it be objected that apprehension is an action; Faith therefore to be a work. It is answered, that although according to Grammar, apprehension is a word active: yet in signication it is truly passive: For to apprehend, is to receive good things offered, as the Apostle useth the phrase, Phil. 3.12. If I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Faith receives those good things offered in the Gospel, & (r) Fides non exhibet aliquid Deo sicut charitas, sed accipit oblata in Evangeliobona patitur sibi benefieri (ut loquitur Lutherus) & est velut spiritualis manus, quae oblatum thesaurum recipit, Gerhard tom. 3. locor. col. mihi. 650. Gerhard (speaking in Luther's words) saith, Faith suffers itself to be well done to, and benefited: and is the Spiritual hand which receiveth the Treasure offered, and so is only passive. Page 35. he confesseth some Protestants, holy men, d●e say, that Christ is made ours, in the sight of God by faith alone: Christ being the garment, our faith the hand that putteth this garment on. Yet (says he) me thinks that here is Christ set forth upon some Conditions, and not so freely given. You see he cannot agree with these holy men: as though Christ in the Covenant of grace may not be set forth upon some condition, and yet freely given: Can a Covenant bemade without any condition: is it not against the nature of a Covenant. The word Covenant in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strictly taken is a league (s) Pactum est quod int●r aliquos convenit, nam ut fiat pactum requiritur ut duae voluntates in idem conveniant reciproco consensu, Bierlir. Magn. Theatr. lib. 14. fol. 1. or agreement made between parties that are at variance, containing in it a mutual obligation: And the Hebrew word hath the signification of friendly parting, and of explaining the conditions of Agreement that a Covenant may be made, it is required, that two wills do by a reciprocal consent agree in one and the same thing: The Covenant of works is a league touching the saving of some, on condition of their perfect obedience, Gal. 3.12. And the Law is not of faith, but the man that doth them, shall live in them: see Levit. 18.5. It is plain that perfect obedience is the condition of the Covenant of works: The Covenant of Grace is an agreement concerning men to be freely saved through faith in Christ, Gal. 3.11. The just shall live by Faith: May not Faith be said to be the condition required in this Covenant? And is not Christ here set forth upon this condition? and yet Christ and the condition too, freely given to us of God; as is fully made plain (t) Fides hic consideratur non ut opus quoddam nostrum a Deo in nobis exci atum, sed ut instrumentum quo recipimus, & amplectimur salutem ac gratiam; est autem necesse ut accipias salutem, ac gratiam si servari velis: Itaque fides quatenus est instrumentum recipiens salutem, nihil impedit quin salus tota sit gratuita, Zanc. in loc. qu. 2. Ephes. 2.8. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God: The Lord resolving to give us Christ, doth require at our hands that we should receive him and to this end giveth us faith, that we might be enabled thereunto: and therefore faith, as it is an instrument receiving Christ with all his benefits: doth not at all hinder, but that Christ is freely given, because that in our justification, and salvation, Faith doth not merit; or do any thing, but only receive Christ: Whereas he saith: He doth here profess his ignorance, and that he cannot conceive how faith should put on Christ, apply Christ, or make Christ ours, in the sight of God, I believe him: but because he hath not as yet had experience of such a work of grace upon his own soul, must it therefore necessarily follow, that no soul else hath had it? because the fool hath said in his heart there is no God; and he says true, for in his heart there is no God: must it therefore follow, that there is no God in any man's heart? I profess myself (saith he) to lean unto them, that say that Christ's righteousness is made ours before God, by God's imputation, before the act of our faith, and therefore necessarily without it. By the Act of faith which doth consist in believing and receiving Christ's righteousness imputed, we do not understand the work of faith; but the (u) Inhaeremus firmiter oppositioni Apostolicae, inter fidem & opera, Rom. 3.28. inter credere & operari, Rom. 4.5. inter gratiam & opera, Rom. 11.6. Joh. 6.29. Fides non vocatur opus nostrum, sed opus Dei, Gerhard locor. tom 3. col. mi●i 650. work of God; for so faith is called, not our work, but the work of God, Joh. 6.29. This is the work of God that ye believe on him, whom he hath sent: therefore the Act of believing is the work of God; which none of the godly will deny, & 'tis plain by the Apostles words, Rom. 12.3. According as God hath dealt every man the measure of faith: Musculus upon this place says, that the act of believing is also our work: for it is not said here, this is the work of God that he should believe; but that ye believe in him: but yet this Act of believing this work of ours (as he calls it) stands in absolute opposition to justification by works in the sight of God: as is plain by our Saviour's intent in this place: wherein he doth labour to confute those who held justification by the works of the Law: He doth not say, this is the work of God: that ye should be circumcised, purified, keep the Sabbath, and observe legal Rites and Ceremomies: Neither doth he say, these are the works of God: That ye repent, that ye fear and love God above all and your neighbour as yourself: not but that these works are necessary, and commanded in Scripture and are the (w) Quae omnia non nisi piorum sunt et in Scriptures magno serio praecipiuntur, nisique operante deo in nobis fieti nequeunt. Tacitis his omnibus unum tantum fidei opus adducit, dicens, Hoc est opus dei. etc. Non quod reliqua pietatis opera non sint opera dei, sed quod soli fid●i● cibus vitae aeternae deputatur: Muscul. Com. in loc. works of God: but to show that faith alone is required for the justification of a sinner in the sight of God: that so he might plainly overthrow Justification by Works, which they altogether insisted upon, and therefore tells them that all their works though never so holy and good avail nothing in the matter of justification: but that they must be justified by faith alone: This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. Musculus upon this place to illustrate how this work of faith is God's work, and our work, hath this comparison: As the writing of the child, whose hand the Schoolmaster doth guide, while he is a writing; this is called the Boy's work, and his Masters: Now consider the Master takes his Pen and placeth it in his hand, he frameth and fashioneth every Letter, the boy must not stir his hand in the writing one jot, or tittle, but as his master doth stir and move it. 'tis true the boy hath a hand in the writing, but his hand is merely (x) Passivum opus est (ut ita loquar) Calvin in loc. passive, the master doth all. To apply this: consider faith as a work in regard of justification: Calvin upon this place takes that liberty to call it a passive work, and that it is so is plain, John 1.12. But to as many as received him, to them gave he power to bocome the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: You see then, to believe is to receive Christ; and though (To Credere) that is, to believe, be a Verb active in regard of Nomination, yet it is passive in regard of signification; for that we call the act of faith in (a) In nomen Christi credere est illum recipere, tanquam filium dei, & salvatorem mundi, ergo quinon credunt, Christum non recipiunt: Nam sine fide non recipitur: Muscul. come. in loc. justification, which is to believe, signifieth nothing but to receive Christ: therefore the act of faith considered as I have here set it down: To say that Christ's righteousness is made ours before God, by God's imputation before the Act of our faith; and therefore necessarily without it: This is blasphemy, and false Doctrine. The Scripture saith, We are justified by Faith; Here is a Doctrine quite contrary, namely, That we are justified without faith. B●t Pag. 36. You see evidently that he labours to prove that we are justified by God's imputation of Christ's righteousness without faith; to which purpose he argues thus: Even as our sins were made Christ's, so Christ's righteousness is made ours; now how our sins were made Christ's, let the Prophet Esay (b) Id nunc repetit quod nimuum paenam quam nos exol vere debeamus, deus ipsi imposuent, candem vero ipse in se receperit tanquam voluntarius Gualther in Isa Hom. 267. speak, Cap. 53.6. And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all: (that is, the guilt and punishment of our iniquities;) well then, the Lord laid it upon Christ, and he willingly received it, 1 Pet. 2.24. Who his own self bore our sins in his own body: God laid them on him, Christ by his passive obedience received this burden, as Heb. 5.8. He learned obedience by the things which he suffered: So then according to his conclusion, God lays our sins upon Christ; and Saint Ambrose upon this Scripture, saith, that he did willingly receive those things which he suffered: So God lays Christ's righteousness upon us by imputation; and we by the passive obedience of Faith receive it: And by this it is plain that God imputeth Christ's righteousness to none but such as do believe; for Imputation is an action of God freely accounting the righteousness of Christ to be his righteousness who believes in Christ, Rom. 4.3.4. and it was imputed (or accounted) to him for righteousness, that is, Faith was imputed. Faith here must be considered two ways; first, as a quality in itself, and thus it is imperfect, and consequently, cannot be imputed unto us for our justification: Again, faith must be considered as an instrument, or hand receiving Christ: and in this regard believing is put for the thing believed: and faith is imputed for right ousnesse; because by it we do (c) Paulus addit●n ●rptetationem, quod fide gratuita impu atio accip●atu, Melanc● par. 3. fol. mi●● 958. receive imputed righteousness, Rom. 5.17. They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness (to wit, by faith) shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ: These phrases of Speech; Faith is imputed for righteousness; Faith justifieth, of Faith, or through Faith; are Aequipollent, & of like force, and signification: When we say, We are justified by faith, or faith is imputed for righteousness, it is to be understood correlatively; the (d) Ostendimus sidem justificare non habitualiter, ut est qualitas, sed relate, quia cortelatum fidei, satisfactio & meritum Christi fide apprehensum, justificat. Item organic, quia fides justitiam imputa●am accipit, instar dext●ae Pareus in cap. 3. ad Rom. dub. 8. correlate of faith is the imputed righteousness of Christ: Faith then being the relate, Christ's righteousness the correlate, the one cannot be without the other; for the Logician will tell you that relate and correlate considered as such, that is, according to relation, they have their being together; so that grant one, you must needs grant the other to be; take away the being of the one, and he other cannot be: For we cannot conceive so much as one individed instant of time wherein the one can have a being without the other: but they have their being together at one and the same instant of time; not one before or after the other: As a father, considered as a man, so he hath the being of a man before his son, but consider him as a father according to the relation added; namely according to paternity and filiation; and so, and in such manner, the being of father and son is at one and the same instant. To conclude, Faith being the relate, Christ's righteousness made ours by God's (e) Hoc lo●o, sc Rom. 4.34. fides non potest sumi eo sensu, ut imputetur ad justitiam quatenus est opus aliquod justitiae, et virtutis in nobis, sed (quod nos dicimus) quatenus fides sumitur pro correlato suomempe re credita, & fide apprehen. sa, justitia Christi. Rivit. Or●hod. Cathol. Tom. 2. pag. 260. imputation, the correlate, it cannot be but where there is righteousness imputed, there must needs be Faith: for imputed righteousness and Faith of necessity have their being together, for where no Faith is, there is no imputed righteousness: And it is a contradiction of an high nature; not only in (f) Relatum & correlatum, qua ralia, simul sunt natura & cognition, ideoque se mu●uo ponunt & tollunt tam in essendo, quam in cognoscendo, Kekerman, System. log. in praedicam. Relati. Can. 4. Logic, but in the Scripture itself: In this fourth Chap. to the Romans this word (imputed) is divers times repeated in the Doctrine of justification, and is joined unto Faith; without which there is no imputation of Christ's righteousness to us: Imputation of righteousness and Faith have their being together, grant one, you must grant the other, take away one, you must take away the other, Rom. 4.23.24. Now it was not written for his sake alone (namely Abraham) that it was imputed to him; but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead: So that without believing, Christ's righteousness cannot be made ours before God. There is no space of time between justification and justifying Faith: for so soon as a man believes, he is justified; and so soon as he is justified he believes. Again, the Apostle opposeth the Act of believing, to justification by works; for the Act of believing is not our righteousness: The proper action of Faith is apprehension: and the Act of Faith in justification is believing or receiving Christ's righteousness: Now giving and receiving in regard of their relation stand or fall together: Justification is (g) Justificatio solet distingui in Activam & passivam: Activailla dicitur quando deus justificat; passiva, quando justificatur peccator. Distingui posse hic Justificationem, patet ex ipsa ●erum natura, si enim est quidam qui justificat, quidam qui justificatur, ergo est & Activa, & Passiva justificatio, Machowius, Disput. 17. active & passive; Active in regard of God that justifyeth, Passive in regard of man who is justified, passive in regard of us who do by faith receive Christ, without which we cannot be justified. Thus you see how destructive his Doctrine is to the main fundamental point of our Religion: to wit, justification by faith; So much pressed upon us by Christ, and his Apostles, and by him denied. And justification without Faith, in the sight of God, is such a justification as I never read of in Scripture. We come to his objection and his answer to it, Pag. 36. at the latter end, But it will be objected, How then is faith said to justify? I answer (says he) if we take faith for the object of our faith (That is, Christ) than faith is properly said to justify us: for by him we are justified, he being our Righteousness: Mark here how he contradicts himself: He says before, he cannot conceive how faith should put on Christ, and apply Christ, and that Christ's righteousness is made ours before God, by God's imputation before the Act of our Faith, and therefore necessarily without it: And now confesseth that Faith being taken for the object of our Faith (Christ) than it is properly said to justify us: and thus it is properly said to justify: Christ being apprehended by Faith, Rom. 3.28. Therefore we conclude a man is justified by Faith without the works of the Law. So it is taken in the Treatise of Justification; wheresoever Faith is written without express mention of Christ, we are to understand the righteousness of Christ, received by Faith, Heb. 10.38. Now the just shall live by Faith: And doth he not overthrow his Doctrine before delivered? when he concludes, That Faith taken for the object of our Faith doth properly justify? and how can that be without Faith's apprehension of the object? We will make this more plain if it may be, Rom. 3.22. Even the righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ: The (f) Ea est fides Jesu Christi, non active quam ipse Christus habet, sed passive qua ipse Christus habetur, seu posside●ur: Affert haec fides justitiam, non effective, quasi habitualiter, aut form●li ●r, justos efficient: nec materialiter, quasi ipsa sit illud quo justi cens●n●ur; sed objective, quatenu● fertur in Christum qui est justitia nost●a● et organice, quat●nus instar manus donum ●●●●itiae gratis proper Christi meri●um credentib. imputatae apprehendit. Pare. Com. in loc. Faith of Christ is not here taken actively for the Faith which Christ had, but passively for the Faith whereby Christ is had and possessed: This Faith doth not justify effectively, as working an habitual justice or righteousness in us: nor materially, as though Faith itself were that whereby we are justified; but it justifieth objectively, as it apprehendeth Christ; and instrumentally, as it applieth the righteousness of Christ. Object. How are we said to be justified freely; seeing Faith is required, which is an act in the believer? This Objection may be urged further thus: That is freely bestowed which is conferred without any help or work in the receiver: seeing then a man must bring Faith, which is a work of the will: how is he said to be justified freely? The Answer is, that we are (g) Si fides, qua ratione actus quidam est, et ex se justitiam saceret, gratis justitia non daretur: at id non habet: Ego pauperi scutum gratis porrigo, quod ille extensa manua me accipit, si quis mihi objiceret, tu gratis non dedisti; nam et pauper manum extendit, nec acciperetnisi id faceret, ridicula prosecto esset objectio: extensio en in manus non habet ex se scutum adferre extendenti, si enins id esset; quoties manum extenderet scutum haberet: A virtute potius et liberalitate dantis est scutum: quamvis illi per manuum extensionem applicetur, ita defied; Tolet. ad Rom. cap. 3. Annot. 20 Deus imputans nobis justitiam Christi, dat nobis fidem qua illam applicate valeamus Machowius, quae de stat. primi hominis, Disput. 7. justified freely, although the condition of Faith be required, because Faith doth not justify as it is an act of ours, but all the virtue thereof proceedeth from the object; as the Israelites being healed by looking upon the Brazen Serpent, obtained not their health, by the very act of opening their eyes; but by the object which they beheld, which was the Serpent: And like as when a rich man giveth his Alms unto the poor, though he stretcheth out his hand to receive it, yet it is said notwithstanding to be a free gift: but add here further, that as when a blind man putteth forth his hand, but he that giveth is feign to direct it, to receive the alms; or if a man have a weak and withered hand, which he is not able to stretch out unless the other that giveth doth lift it up: in this case every way the gift is free: So our will is not of itself apt to believe or will any thing aright, unless the Lord direct it: Faith then being both the work of God in inclining our will, and Faith receiving all the virtue from the object which it apprehendeth, namely Christ: it remaineth, that Faith notwithstanding, we are justified freely: And the act of faith thus taken, as we have set it down, doth according to Scripture stand in opposition to justification by works: And thus Christ in the Covenant of grace is set forth upon some condition, to wit, that we believe in him; which condition, God doth not only require at our hand, but doth by his Spirit freely give us, and enable us to perform it: And Christ freely given, and all is done of God's free grace and mercy. It may be objected, men may be justified before they do believe, and so without Faith, for they are justified in God's decree from all eternity. I answer, God hath decreed before all time to justify some men in time, but not without Faith; that being an effect of God's decree, and believing being that way, by which God hath ordained to justify and save men, (g) Docet autem hic locus fidem ab election Dei dependere: Calvin in loc. Act. 13.48. And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, Gal. 3.24. that we might be justified by Faith; and in the 26. Verse, for ye are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus: it is plain by these places of Scripture, that God never made any such decree: as to justify any man before he doth believe; and it is blasphemy to charge such an Act upon God: For to justify a man before he doth believe; is to justify him in his (h) Id est impietatem impir, Lapid. Com. in loc. sinful ways, which God abhorreth, and is contrary to his proclamation, Exod. 34.7. that he will by no means clear the (i) Nempe impoenitentem & in peccatis suis sibi placentem, Rive● Com. in loc. guilty: Again, it is plain (k) Ratio quasi a priori est quod deus per essentiam, sit ipsa justitia increata, immensa, & fontalis, ab ●a ergovelut a sonte manat omnis justitia creata, angelorum, & hominum, quam proinde ut suam amat, ac vice versa, odit, & abominatur omnem injustitiam, quasi sibi essentialiter contrariam, et a daemone prosectam, Cornel. à Lap. Com. in loc. Prov. 17.15. He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord: will God, who is the fountain of justice, do that himself which he hateth in others? if that place be alleged, Rom. 4.5. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly; and therefore a man is justified before he believes: the meaning is expounded in these words of the Verse, his faith is counted for righteousness: so that this must be understood (in sensu diviso) in a divided sense; That God justifieth the wicked, not him that remaineth wicked, but was so before he was justified: And the School doth briefly resolve this, God justifieth the ungodly (Antecedenter) antecedently, that is, him who before justification was ungodly; not (consequenter) consequently, that is, him who after justification remaineth ungodly. Pag. 36. towards the latter end (saith he) if we take Faith for the Act of our Faith, apprehending this object, than we are justified by it declaratively in our consciences; and concludes (that Faith doth only justify declaratively) speaking to our consciences that we are the children of God in Christ Jesus: Thus you see he doth exclude faith altogether from justifying a sinner in the sight of God: And that it is only said to justify, because by it we come to be certain, and to have assurance in our consciences that we are justified in the sight of God; and as it doth declare unto us our justification in the court of conscience: Two gross absurdities will follow upon Faith's declarative justification only (as he calls it.) The first is, that Faith doth not at all justify; (which is point black contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles) for it is one thing to be, and another thing, to appear to be: Faith having no hand at all in the being of Justification, but in the making of it appear to be: So that I am first justified in the sight of God, by God's imputation without Faith, and afterwards Faith comes and makes it appear to me that I am justified: And by it I come to have assurance in my conscience that it is so: The second absurdity will be this, That where there is not assurance, there is no faith: Faith being as he concludes, only an assurance that I am justified: What will a distressed Conscience in case of spiritual desertion do? this doctrine makes him desperate, for by this he argues the case thus: Faith is nothing but an assurance to me in my conscience, that I am justified in the sight of God; but I want this assurance; therefore I am without Faith, and consequently in a damned condition, as the case now stands with me. Is this preaching Christ and free grace? but I say, a man may want in his own apprehension this assurance; and yet he may have Faith; God's people sometimes are in such a condition, that they cannot see so much as a glimpse of God's favour; Nay the contrary: They conclude themselves forsaken of God, and castaways; what's become now of assurance? but for all this, dare any man say that men in this condition have no Faith? Nay, they are upheld by the secret support of Faith; otherwise, in such a condition they would despair as Judas did: but it is plain by Scripture, that a child of God may want assurance, and yet by Faith stay himself upon God, Isay 50.10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay himself upon his God. Take faith for the act of Faith, apprehending the object, and so we are justified by faith only in the sight of God: in regard whereof the salvation of all that truly believe is sure and certain, though they perhaps be not assured thereof, for this is the promise of the Gospel, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have life everlasting. Take faith in reference to the Subject, for that which doth declare our justification to our consciences, and herein (a) Fides illa proprie dicitur justificans, qua incumbimus in Christum, ad remissionem pecca orum & salutem. Christus enim est adaequatum objectum fidei quatenus fides justificat: fides enim non alia ratione justificat, nisi quatenus a●prehendit illam justitiam, propter quam justificamur; illa autem justitia non est, in veritate alicujus axiomat●s, cui assensum p●aebemus; s●● in Christo solo, qui factus est pro nobis peccatum, ut nos essemus in ipso justitia, 2 Cor. 5 21. fides ista justificans s●a natura producit atque adeo conjunctam secum habet specia●em ac certam persuasionem de gratia, ac misericordia Dei in Christo, Ames. Medul. Theol. lib. 1 cap. 27. de Just. faith cannot not be said properly to justify, for this is an effect of justifying faith. There are two degrees of justifying Faith, the one being a lively assent to the promise of the Gospel; the other a sound application thereof to ourselves: by the former, as being the condition of the promise, we are justified in the Court of Heaven, by the latter, in the Court of our own conscience: which is not (properly) called justification, but the application of justification; for a man must first be justified in the sight of God, before he can be persuaded in his conscience of his justification, otherwise his persuasion is a false persuasion, and a mere delusion: By the former we are justified before God: by the latter we are persuaded in our conscience, and in some measure assured of our justification. For the further clearing of this distinction of Faith, let us consider the differences between the two degrees; by the former, as I have said, we are justified before God in the Court of heaven, by the latter we are justified in the Court of our own Conscience: by the former we are justified properly, by the latter we are assured of our justification: (I take this assurance to be an act of experience flowing from justifying Faith.) Of the justification, which we have by the first degree, (which is properly so called) there are no degrees (b) Justitia nobis imputata, persecta, & aequalis est in omnibus credentibus, Wolleb. Compend. Theol. lib. l.c. 30. ; but of that which we have by the second degree, which is not justification, but the assurance of it, there are degrees according to the measure of Faith: of necessity we must hold this distinction of faith, viz. that there is one degree of justifying faith, which in order of nature goes before (e) Fides justificans praecedit justificationem ipsam, ut causa suum effectum, sed fides justificationem apprehendens prehenssatio praesupponit, ac sequitur justificationem, ut actus objectum suum circa quod versatur, Ames. Medul. pag. 119. Quod objicitur: vim justificandi non esse fidei ex seipsa, sed quatenus Christum recipit, libenter admitto: nam si per se vel intrinseca virtute (ut loquuntur) justificatet fides; ut est semper debilis, ac imperfecta, non efficeret hoc nisi ex parte, sic manca esset justitia, quae frustulum salutis nobis conserret: Nos quidem nihil tale imaginamur, sed proprie loquendo Deum unum justificare dicimus; deinde hoc idem transferimus ad Chrislum; quia datus est nobis in justitiam. Fidem vero quasi visi conferimus, quia nisi exinaniti, ad expetendam Christi gratiam, aperto animae ore accedimus, non sumus Christi capaces; unde colligitur non detrahere nos Christi vim justificandi, dum prius cum recipi fide docemus, quam illius justitiam, Calvin. Institut. lib. 3. cap. 11. Sect. 7. remission of sins, by which we obtain forgiveness of sins, and by which we are justified before God, Act. 26.18. That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified, by faith that is in me, Act. 13.38, 39 Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified: and there is another degree of justifying Faith, which followeth after justification; and remission of sins; whereby we being persuaded, and in some measure assured of the remission of our sins, we are justified in the Court of Conscience, this being an effect of justifying faith. And this may be proved by that Scripture, he makes use of to prove his declarative justification by Faith, Rom. 5.1. Therefore being justified by Faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: The Apostle (f) Ex hoc etina leco certissimo a●gumento colligi potest, justificationem ex sola fide: Id autem constat ex effecto, ad hunc modum, Id per quod justificamur, opo●ter ut nos pacatos reddat erga Dcum, Pet. Mar. Com. in loc. showing that we are justified by Faith alone, in the sight of God; sets down peace with God; as an effect of justifying Faith: which peace may be called the assurance of faith, so that you see this declarative justification is no more but an effect of that faith, without which we cannot be justified before God: if he had proved by Scripture, that faith is only declarative, in regard of justification, it had been something: but it's altogether against the Word of God: but to inform us the better, I will set down what justification is: Justification is an action of God, freely of his own mercy and favour absolving a believing sinner from the whole curse due to his sins, and accounting him perfectly just in his fight, unto eternal life in heaven, through the perfect obedience & sufferings of Christ imputed to his Faith, unto the everlasting praise and glory of God's justice, mercy, and truth, Rom. 3.24, 25. & chap. 4, 5 & chap. 5.19. 2 Cor. 5.19. Rom. 4.4. Now judge by this, whether a man can be justified by God's imputation of Christ's righteousness without Faith, Faith and justification according to Scripture, being inseparable. Page 37. He sets down the causes of justification. First, saith he, it is God that justifyeth, Rom. 8.33. efficienter, as being the efficient cause, of our justification. Secondly, it is the blood of Christ that justifieth, Rom. 5.9. here is the material cause of our Justification. Thirdly, it is Faith that justifieth Declaratively: I never read in Divinity amongst the causes (g) Est certus causarum ordo, nec datur in iis processus in insinitum, Kekerman, Systemat. Logic-lib. 1. c. 14. of justification, the declarative cause to be one; never I think, did any man hear a subject of so great concernment, so lamely handled: especially this Sermon, as he confesseth in his Epistle, being the quintessence of ten year's Sermons: let us see the causes of Justification. The (h) Causa efficiens justificationis active intellectae, est tota ●S. Triniras', causa ejus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est mera gratta, sive gratui●●s Dei favoricausa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Christus. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. efficient cause of Justification understood actively, is the whole blessed Trinity. 2 Cor. 5.19. 1 Cor. 6.21. that which inwardly moves God, is the meeregrace, and free favour of God, Rom. 3.14. Eph. 2.8. Tit. 3.4, 5. the outward moving cause, herein, is Christ as God-man, our Mediator, because we obtain this gift from his merit. The (i) Causa eius inst●umentalis est verbum evangelii● justifica tonis passive sumprae respeclu homini● qui justificatur, nulla causa est nisi instrumental, ●des. instrumental is the word of the Gospel, Rom. 1.16. Justification taken passively, in respect of man who is justified, there is no cause but instrumental, and that is faith alone, which (as Logicians speak) is a Passive instrument. The (k) Materia justincationis active sumprae, est Christi satisfactio, qua & peccatis nostris paenas debitas persolvit, & o bedientiam legi perfectam praestitir: Materit ejus paslive acceptae, est homo quidem in se miser. Material cause of Justification, taken actively, is the satisfaction of Christ: whereby he did undergo the punishment due to our sins, and did perform perfect obedience to the law; for our Divines generally understand by Christ's satisfaction, his active and passive obedience: The material cause taken passively is man in his natural condition. The (l) Forma ejus active intelle ctae, est totius satisfaction is Christi imputatio, qua tota quoque nostra est, non secus ac si ipsi eam praestitisemus. Forma justificationis passive acceptae, est qua credences, fide, velat animae manu, Christum cum roto merito suo apprehendun●, sibique applicant. formal, understood actively, is the imputation of the whole satisfaction of Christ: whereby it is wholly made ours; even as if we ourselves in our own persons had made this satisfaction: Phil. 3.8.9. The formal, being taken passively, is when men believing, do by faith, which is as the hand of the Soul, apply unto themselves, and apprehend Christ with all his merits. The (m) Finis istius beneficii est dei gloria et salus nostra: Welleb. Christ. Theol. Compend lib. 1. cap. 30. final, is the glory of God and our Salvation: or if you will take them more briefly, thus. First, the efficient cause of Justification, is the grace of God. Secondly, the material is Christ our redeemer. Thirdly, the formal, is Imputation of our sins to him, and his Justice to us. Fourthly, the Instrumental cause is faith within: (which as I said before in the (n) Instrumentum passivum est, quod in productione effectus sese non commovet. Kekerm. Syst. log. lib. 1. cap. 15. Logicians phrase is a passive Instrument) and the Gospel without: Rom. 5.9. 1 Tim. 2.6. Fifthly, the final cause, is God's glory, the utmost, our Salvation the nearest end thereof. All this while, where is the Declarative cause of Justification? but he that will go about to coin a new justification never before heard of, may adventure to make a new cause, never before read of. Pag. 37. toward the latter end, he comes to resolve a question: How Children can be saved, that do not believe. Some say, (says he) by the habit of faith; some by the faith of their Parents; some say by an unknown way: (he resolves the Question thus) But I say they are saved the same way that all flesh is saved, that is saved: that is to say, by the righteousness of Christ imputed: Grant what he saith to be true; Can he prove by any one place of Scripture, that the righteousness of Christ was ever imputed to any without Faith? (especially those of riper years) Concerning the Faith of Infants (as our learned Bishop (o) Ad infantes autem quod attiner, quia peccatores sunt non proprio actu, sed haereditatio habitu, sufficit quod peccati mortincationem, & fidem habeant; non proprio actu sese exerentem, sed in habituali principio gratiae inclusam, Davenant, Com. in Coloss. Cap. 2 pag. 263. Davenant saith) because they are not sinners by their own proper act, but by a haereditary habit, it sufficeth that they have mortification of sin, and Faith; not manifesting themselves by their own proper act, but included in the habitual beginning of grace; but that the Spirit of Christ is able and wont to effect this habitual beginning of grace in them, no man of sound judgement will deny; Some think Infants have Faith as they have regeneration; that is, the inclination or seed of Faith. As touching this present controversy, (to boleeve) is taken two ways: Actively, when they which are of years have Faith in Christ by the hearing of the Word: Passively and by imputation, when for the covenant and Gods promise, the righteousness of faith is imputed unto Infants. There is a (o) Infants fidem non secus ac rationem habent, eisi non in fructu, tamen in semine & radice, etsi non actu secundo, tamenactu primo, ersi non operis externademonstratione, tamen Spir. Sinterna virture Wolleb. Christ. Theol. Compend. pag. 176. twofold act of Faith: the first, and the second; That, whereby Faith is; This, whereby Faith worketh: Infants have Faith in the first act, not in the second; in the seed, and not in the harvest; by imputation of justice, not by operation; by a hidden virtue of the Spirit, and not by outward demonstration: The divers circumstances of ages, break not the unity of Faith, and the nature of the promise, Ephes. 4.5. one faith, one Lord, one baptism; for the one and the self same righteousness of Faith is sealed in the parents and in the Infants. Infants have faith not otherwise then they have reason; no man can deny but that Infants have reason, so likewise they have Faith; although not in the fruit, yet in the seed and root: Is God the God only of men of (p) An Adultorum Deus tantum? an non et infantum, certe & infantium, non est autem Deus infidelium. sed tantum fidelium, infants igitur inter, fideles ponendi sunt Cassand. de Baptism. Infant. pag. mihi. 741. riper years, and not of Infants? certainly of Infants, but he is not the God of unbelievers, but of the faithful only; Infants therefore must needs be accounted amongst the number of believers: That the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them, and salvation, is plain by the Word of God; but how and after what manner God reveals himself unto them, is not so fully known to us. Whereas he saith Pag. 38. at the beginning: That here is the difference, men of riper years are not only saved, but also know their salvation; children are saved but know not of it before: To this I answer, that Infants dying in their Infancy and being saved, there is no question to be made, but God doth make known their salvation to them: The safest way is to leave them to God, who doth and will dispose of them that belong to the election of grace according to his free (q) Quia salurem aeternam obtinent: here in infanta mo●●anum, etiam in utero materno jam vero certum est, neminem salutem aeternam consequi nisi per fidem: Polan. Syntag. lib. 9 cap. 6. de fide Salvif. mercy, yet so that none attain salvation without Faith. Pag. 39 is this passage, far be it from us to think the duty of a Minister is discharged by crying out against sin, drunkenness, adultery, and the rest. To this I answer, What Minister so ignorant, but knows these things must be done in their order? though this is not all; yet without this a Minister cannot discharge his duty, this of necessity must be done, Isa. 58.1. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a (r) Quasi ruba exalta vocem tuam, manifesle docendo, hoc enim modo praedicavit Chri●●●s, ut pater in Evangelio: Lyran. in loc. Trumpet; and show my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins: it was our Saviour's course, that he took in his Ministry; witness his thundering out so many woes against wicked men, and threatening them with hell and damnation; but this was spoken in disgraee of those Ministers, who in their Sermons press the Law of God upon men's consciences: to the end they might reform their wicked lives, knowing likewise that although the persons of believers are freed from the condemning power of the Law; yet the Law hath a condemning power over their sins, and sharp rebukes make sound Christians. Pag. 39 in the latter end says, he, we must know there is a difference between a Minister of the Gospel and a moral Philosopher; Is any Minister so heathenish as to build his Sermons upon Philosophicali maxims; and not upon canonical Scriptures? We have (as the Apostle calls it, Act. 20.33.) the word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified, we have also a more sure word whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, 2 Pet. 1.19. Pag. 39 at the end, and at the beginning of Pag. 40. there is this passage: Alas! what profits it to salvation if we have reclaimed men from sin to virtue, from drunkenness to temperance, not having laid before a sure foundation; have we brought them any whit nearer the Kingdom of heaven? To this: I wonder what foundation can be laid in the soul of that man that lives in sin and drunkenness, and is not reclaimed; sure this rubbish must first be cast out before. Christ the foundation can be laid: he sets down a way contrary to Christ's own rule, Matthew 12.29. How can one enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? Sin being the strong man must first be bound and cast out before Christ will enter; and till we can bring men to reclaim and get power over their corruptions; no sure foundation can be laid: What communion hath light with darkness, and what concord hath Christ with (s) Nullus potest esse consensus Christo cum Belial, id est cum Diabolo: venit enim Christus ut destruat opera Diaboli, Estius in loc. Belial? 2 Cor. 6.14, 15. in preaching against these gross sins we show ourselves Ministers of the Gospel, Titus 2.11, 12, 13. The Grace of God that bringeth salvation; teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world: but he concludes; if we have reclaimed men from these sins, they are not any whit nearer the Kingdom of heaven: Our Saviour is of a contrary mind, who said to the Scribe, Mark. 12.34. Thou art not (a) Longior namque ignorantia est a regno dei quam sciential Hier●nym. in loc. Ideo non fuit long a regno Dei, quia sententiae illius quae novi Testamenti, & evangelicae perfectionis est propria, fauror extitisse probatus est: Aquin. aur. caten. fare from the Kingdom of heaven: In regard of his knowledge, his discreet answer, and that he was a favourer of Christ, he was nearer the Kingdom of heaven then those that were without that knowledge and respect to Christ which he had, and lived in more gross sins than he did; and it is probable that (b) Ex quo judicamus hunc tandem ad numerum credentium accessisse, Aretius, Come in loc. Parum adhuc abes a vera Dei agnitione, quae progressu tem poris tibi contingere potest, jam enim quasi in via es: Ac verifimile est hunc Scribam, post resatrectionem, ad Christum redemptorem suisse conversum; bene erga Christum affectus discessir, & si enim quidam curiositate impulsi, Evangelicas' conciones audiunt, non ut discant, sed ut novi aliquid audiant: ●amen fieri potest ut meliores discedant, & aliquando Christum agnoscant, quare sic formandae sunt conciones, ut dociles & sanabiles non repellan ut: Luc. Osiand. in loc. afterwards he did believe, and of nearer came to be within the kingdom of heaven So men that are by the Ministry of the Word brought to leave their sins they formerly lived in, may be said to be, and indeed are nearer the Kingdom of God than those which go on obstinately in their sinful courses. Pag. 40. he useth this desperate expression, Nay have we not made them seven times more the children of hell? when we do by the blessing of God upon our preaching reclaim men from their former evil life: which is the only way, and without which we cannot lay a sure foundation; do we by this make them more the children of hell? this is contrary to Christ's way, Mark. 10.19, 20, 21. When the man told him, he had observed the Commandments from his youth: Then Jesus beholding him loved him; Sure he did not count him seven fold more the child of the Devil for being reclaimed; and there was no sure foundation laid; our Lord tells him, One thing thou lackest, he was in a fair way to the Kingdom; but to add venom to his expressions he concludes, Publicans and Har lots shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before such as are thus reclaimed: and leaves it barely without expounding it the meaning is not; such as now (e) Di●untur igitur publicani & meretrices praecedere sacerdotes in regno Dei, quia praedicationi Joannis sidem babentus paenitentiam egerunt; Intelliguntur, ejusmodi publicani & meretrices, non qui tales adhuc sunt: sed qui tales olim suerunt. Gerbard. Haim. Evang. par. 1. cap. 151. pag. 834. are Publicans and Harlots, but those who in times past were such, but now believe, and repent of their former evil life. For to be Publicans and sinners, and to enter into heaven is impossible, Matth. 11.15. It is said the lame walk, the dease hear; that is, those that were before lame and deaf, do now walk and hear: So those that were before harlots, are by John's preaching true penitents and believers. O desperate Doctrine tending to the undervaluing of sanctification and a holy reformation in the souls of men; and to the ruinating of Christ's kingly office, who reigns in the hearts of his people subjecting them, and brings under every high thought, to the obedience of his will set down in his word: we are not of that mind that Sanctification is the foundation: but where that is not, there can be no sure foundation. Pag. 40. at the end and the beginning of the 41. fare be it from us to spend the time in profane and vain babble: Sure if his conference between a sick man and his pastor (as himself confesseth in his Epistle to his neighbours of Pirton) was the substance of ten year's Sermons, those must needs be stuffed with Tautologies, and vain repetitions over and over: The people's case is to be pitied, and their patience to be admired who have lived so long time under a ministry that had so little substance ministering, questions that tend not to the edifying, but subverting of the hearers. Whereas he says the Schoolmen spent themselves in frivolous disputations: he doth in this betray his own ignorance of their worth and learning, for we have good experience of the wholesome use Protestant Divines have made of the School men. Page 43. at the beginning, he propounds this question, How did John's doctrine burn and shine more than the Law? I answer (saith he) The Law sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, (d) Hic locus multis errandi occasionem praebuit quia non reputabant de Sacramentis tractari, quorum spiritualis est significatio, carnis emundationem exponumt, quae●antum inter homines 〈◊〉, sicut prosani homines habebant sua piacula quibus scelerum infamiam delenent: haec rero expositio nimis prosana est, nam injuria fit Dei promissionibus si earum effectum restringineus ad polivam duntaxat, Calvin in loc. Heb. 9.13. John's doctrine purifieth the conscience. To this I answer, This place hath reference to Num. 19 The Apostles argument is from the lesser, and the argument runs thus: If the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ purge your consciences? etc. This ashes did sanctify the unclean, to the purifying of the flesh, because those who for their outward uncleanness, were excluded from the Congregation, by the sprinkling of the water of cleansing were ceremonially made clean so that it was lawful for them to come to the Sanctuary of the Lord: Not for that this purifying did only extend itself to the flesh, and was merely carnal, for then the people of the Jews should no whit differ from the heathens: who had their sacrifices merely carnal; by which they might blot out the infamy of their heinous crimes: And to expound this place as he doth, is (in calvin's phrase) an exposition too much profane: If their daily sacrifices did not prefigure the Messiah, and were not done out of spiritual respects, what was their Temple, but a Butcher's shambles? In this that the Law sanctifyeth to the purifying of the flesh, there was a spiritual signification: for as the outward uncleanness did admonish the people of their inward impurity before God; so the sprinkling by the water of separation, and the receiving of those that were sprinkled, into the congregation, did signify to believers their spiritual sprinkling, and cleansing by the blood of Christ, by which alone there is a way laid wide open for sinners to come into the sight of God; and with boldness to have access to the Throne of Grace. To limit therefore, and bound the legal rites only to the purifying of the flesh, (as he doth by his false exposition) and to restrain the effect of them only to civil and politic Government, is injurious to the promises of God, made to his people, who lived in the time of the Law. Sacraments and signs have a spiritual signification, so that this purifying of the flesh by the water of separation, (so called because such as were separated for any uncleanness were sprinkled with it) did signify unto the people of the Jews, the purifying of the conscience by the blood of Christ; now then join the (e) Nihil extra usum habere rationem Sacramenti, & ad usum oportere ac●edere fide: unde tum in veteri, tum in novo Testamento extra illum usum, Sacramenta nobis inania esse dicuntur. Tossan. ad Hebraeos praelect. cap. 10. sign, and the thing signified together, and the Law sanctifyeth to the purifying of the conscience. Whereas he saith, Secondly, the Law perfects nothing as pertaining to the Conscience, Heb. 10.1. but John's doctrine is a perfecting doctrine, insomuch that believers herein have no more conscience of sins. To this, let us see the meaning of the Apostle, Heb. 10.1. in this place he speaks (f) Non hic agi proprie de Sacramentis, sed de toto tabernaculo, & sacerdotio Levitico: Deemed vocari umbras ritus externos, non simpliciter, sed quatenus opponuntur Christo, in quo est veritas; & ad quem in tecto usu respicientes Patres, eundem cibum spiritualem comederunt nobiscum & vere justificati sunt, Tossan. ibid. not properly concerning the Sacraments, but of the whole Tabernacle and levitical Priesthood: Again, these external rites are called shadows not simply, but as they are opposed to Christ, in whom is the Truth, and to whom the Father's looking, in the right use of them, did eat the same spiritual meat with us; and were truly justified in the sight of God. The Law, you will say, perfects nothing: The meaning is, the unbelieving Jews cleaving to the Ceremonies and external rites, and looking (ex opere operato) that is, from the work done to be justified by them without Christ; and thus considered, they are, as Gal. 4.9. Weak and beggarly (g) Egena autem elementa Apostolus ad Gal. appellat ceremonias, respectu Judaeorum, qui excluso Christo per illas, justificari volebant, Tossan. ibid. elements: The Apostle here doth in few words most excellently set forth unto us the difference and agreement of the Old and New Testament, of the Law and Gospel, of the Doctrine and Sacraments of both; The agreement consists in this, the Old as well as the New had Christ with his own oblation of himself, and eternal redemption: Again, of both Testaments, in regard of the (h) Utriusque enim Testamenti quoad substantiam, ut unus est Deus, ita unus Mediator, una Ecclesia, una fides, una salus, Pareils in loc. substance; as there is one God, so there is one Mediator, one Church, one Faith, one Salvation: The Doctrine of the Old did lead to Christ: The Sacraments and ceremonies did show and point at Christ: whom the Doctrine of the Gospel, and our Sacraments do declare to us. The difference is in this: They did represent Christ to the Fathers more obscurely, and darkly: these do more clearly set him forth to us; to conclude this, The Law then considered, not in opposition, but in reference to Christ, did perfect something pertaining to the Conscience. In that the Apostle saith the worshippers once purged, should have had no more conscience of sins: By (i) Nam etiam per hoc semel purga is non tollitur omnis peccatorum conscientia, quandoquidem etiam sanguine Christi justificati nondum in hac vita efficimur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sed perpetuo manemus multorum peccato rum nobis conscii, Pareus come. in loc. conscience is meant the guilt of sin; from which our consciences once purged by the blood of Christ, and our hearts purified by faith: There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus: although all conscience of sin is not taken away; which men justified and purged by the blood of Christ, out of humane frailty daily do commit. And we do remain sinners, but by the blood of Christ, the guilt of all our sins is blotted out; though in regard of the filth, and the many falls we have, our consciences are many times afflicted, and we do continually remain conscious to ourselves of many sins. And believers in the time of the Law, by their Sacrifices, which they were commanded of God to offer, were put in mind of the blood of Christ, which by faith they did apply to their Consciences, and were thereby freed from the guilt of sin; and so had no more conscience of sins: their Consciences being by faith sprinkled with the blood of Christ, as well as our Consciences who live now in the time of the Gospel. To conclude, we must distinguish between Ceremonies merely legal, and rites, to which the promise of grace was annexed. And those rites are to be considered either before the coming of Christ, or after: Before his coming they were commanded of God, and profitable: Afterward the body being present, they are unprofitable and of no use: Again they are considered as they were in thmeselves, and as they were in regard of their typical signification: considered in their own nature and (ex opere operato) from the work done; without faith in those that used them, they had no spiritual effect: Notwithstanding to believers, they were the exercise, and sealing of faith, in the Messiah to come, whom in regard of their typical signification they did prefigure: when the Law (k) Heb. 10. Lex dicitur umbram habuisse non ipsam rerum imaginem, nec potuisse accedentes perfectos facere, non portuisse auferre peccata & mundare conscientiam; & Deum hostias & oblationes noluisse, nec ei placuisse: quod intelligi debet inordine ad justificationem, ex opere operato; nam alioquin negari non potest, quin ei placut rint ex obedientia, & devotione offerentis; nam vocanntr odor suavissimus, Gerhard locor. tom. 4. col. mihi. 302. (Heb. 10.1.8.) is said, not to make the comers thereunto perfect; and not to take away the conscience of sins; or to purge the conscience: and that Sacrifices and offerings he would not, neither had pleasure therein: God in the Law did command them, Levit. 1.2, 3, 4. and they were oftentimes a sweet savour unto him: but this place is to be understood in order to justification from the works done: God approving of them as they were done in faith as Types, until the coming of the Messiah: but he could not away with them, when they were done without faith: and when men looked for Justification by the bare external performance of them. Whereas Pag. 43. he says John's Doctrine is the bringing in of a better hope, (l) Adhuc enim in eo verfatur auctor hujus Epistolae, ut doceat Loviticum Sacetdorium, posteriore abrogatum: neque de prioris usu vel ullum adhuc verbum fecit. Beza in loc. Heb. 7.19. the meaning of this place may be understood by what hath been said before. Mark the opposition. The Apostle speaks to those who looked for perfection by the Law in opposition to Christ; and did hold to the shadows of the Law after the coming of Christ he compares Christ's Priesthood and the Levitical together, showing the perfection of the one above the other, speaking here of the levitical Priesthood abrogated; and not of the former use of it: and out of question, for substance, the Fathers had the same hope with us (neither better nor worse) of eternal life; (m) Bellar. Tom. 3. de Sacrament. Contr. 1. Bellarmin would have the Law to have had only unprofitable Ceremonies, from which he labours to prove that the Fathers could not be justified; and received into Heaven before Christ's coming in the flesh: The (n) Caeremomae 〈◊〉 perfe crant mutiles, sed superinducta in eyes spes Missue, non swiss man is, por fidemenim in Chustiun ve●mrum, justificabantur; ut nos per fidem in Christum exhibitum, Tossan. in loc. Ceremonies by themselves, were unprofitable; but the hope of the Messiah shadowed in them was not a vain thing: for the fathers were justified by faith in Christ to come; as we are by faith in Christ exhibited. Pag. 43. We will consider (saith he) the difference of that repentance which was taught by the Prophets from that repentance which was taught by John. First, for the repentance preached by the Prephets there is a Definition of repentance, which is reprehended by some; and justly, as coming short of that repentance which is preached under the Gospel; it is this, to bewail sins that we have committed or emitted, to for sake those that we have bewailed: This definition seemeth to me to express to the full, that repentance which was taught by the Prophets: these are his words at the beginning of pag. 44. let us look a little into them: this definition is given by the (o) Paenitere est ante acta peccata de flere, & flenda non committere Magist lib 4. dist. 14. Master of the Sentences: but mark his words, he saith this definition is justly to be reprehended, and yet it seems to him (as he saith) to express to the full that repentance which was taught by the Prophets: Now judge whether the Prophets taught such a repentance as may upon any terms be justly reprehended: Did not these holy men of God speak as they were moved by the holy Ghost? 2 Pet. 1.21. What will follow then, but that he doth in plain terms affirm that the Holy Ghost may justly be reprehended? Oh blasphemy! but let us see how the repentance the Prophets taught, and John's repentance differ; how John's repentance was more than the Prophets, how john's goes one step higher. He sets down John's repentance to be this, Luke 3.3. The baptism of repentance for remission (for his appeal) whether it be not better rendered unto remission of sins, then for remission of sins: I let it pass as not worth the while; did not the Prophets preach the washing of repentance for remission of sins? neither did they place repentance in the external washing, but in the inward purifying of the heart by Faith, (p) Continuo praedicat paenitentiam & conversionem ad Dominum. Pelican. in loc. Jer. 4.14. O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayst be saved. The question will be whether the repentance John preached was a (q) Quid novi ergo? a novo hoc allatum doctorevel protangelo? Sane doctrinam si spectes ipsam resipiscentiae, quae apud propheras nominatur, recessus a malo, & reditus ad meliora, & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, five reditus est quidam ad Deam, quem a nobis peccata nostra se junxetant: eadem est Joannis quae et Mosis er aliorum propherarun, seria ad conversionem exhortatio: Pelarg. quae. Evang in ca 3. Mart. quae. 2. new repentance, and different from that repentance which was preached by Moses and the prophets, it was Moses his whole study how he might bring the Israelites to true repentance; and this is evident in the ninth and tenth Chapters of Deuteronomie: And how often; nay continually did the Prophets call upon the people to repent, witness these Scriptures: Isa. 45.22. Jer. 14.22. Ezek. 18.30. Hose. 14.1. Joel 2.12. Therefore also now saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart: what repentance could John preach more than this? Certainly john's and theirs was one and the same Doctrine of repentance: there was a difference in the manner of preaching; but the doctrine was the same: Repentance is a conversion or turning: Now every conversion is conversant between two terms: The one is called the term from which, the other to which: And so in repentance, that from which, is our sins and evil life, from the consideration whereof ariseth grief and sorrow, and contrition: That to which, is God, towards whom the contrite and drooping heart doth lift and raise up itself in confidence of mercy promised, and by believing the remission of sins for Christ his sake the Mediator; from which it is manifest, that contrition and faith are two proper essential parts of repentance, Act. 14.15. And preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God: How can we turn to God but by Faith? Act. 20.21. Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Gentiles repentance towards God, and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ: was not (r) Cum autem paenuentia seu conversio ad Deum tres parts continear, con●ritionem, fidem, & novam obedientiam, Meluct. part. 3. pag. mihi. 99 contrition and Faith two essential parts of that repentance Moses and the Prophets preached, and new obedience a consequent? What could john's repentance be more than this? how could the repentance he preached go one step higher? That had Faith to go to Christ, and higher john's could not go: But John makes low the Mountains: did not the Prophets? John cuts off legal praeregatives: did not the Prophets by their preaching repentance do so? did they not drive men from resting in outward (a) Caeremoniae externaeà Deo institutae, quamvis pertineant ad Dei landem & honorem; neque per se tamen, neque in comparatione ad piam orationem laudis, sunt Deo gra●ae: Ames. in. loc. docum. 31. performances, and in the work done? Psal. 51.16, 17. For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it; thou delightest not in offering: The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart o God thou wilt not despise. John bringeth down every high thought that exalteth itself against God: did not the Prophets do so? Jer. 4.14. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? Psal. 139.23, 24. Search me O God and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, etc. You see here must not be a thought left to exalt itself against God: It is blasphemy to lay such a charge upon the Prophet's Doctrine: For if they did not by it labour to bring down every high thought that did exalt itself against God; their doctrine must needs cause them which were guided by it to come short of the glory of God, which no man that understands himself dare affirm. Pag. 48. he hath this passage I have observed some to confine repentance, within the bounds of our conversation; and make no difference between the repentance which was taught by the Prophets, & that repentance which was taught by the Son of God and his Ministers: What he means by the bounds of our conversation he sets down himself, pa. 49. li. 9 where he opposeth conversation to conscience: The difference then which he makes between the repentance taught by the Prophets, & that which was taught by the Son of God and his Ministers, is this; namely, that the Prophet's repentance, was confined within the bounds of men's conversation, and did not extend itself to the conscience, but only to their outward carriages & behaviours: This must needs be an hypocritical repentance, clean contrary to that which the Prophets preached, which did as nearly concern the conscience as the conversation; and in preaching of it they principally aimed at the conscience, and the inner man; without which, outward performances were as nothing: and the outward conversation no whit acceptable to God, who looks at the heart: I dare affirm that the repentance which the Prophets preached was acceptable to God; not bounded within the conversation; but extending itself to the conscience; witness, (b) Loquitur primum de interiore conversione ut animum renovent; si enim sons fuerit infectus, paenitentia nulla erit, sed hypocrisis Lavat in Ezech. 18. hom. 82. Ezek. 18.30, 31. Repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, and make you a new heart and a new Spirit: And it is plain that the doctrine of repentance taught by the Prophets and by the Son of God and his Ministers, is for sum and substance one and the same: And thus to charge the Prophet's doctrine with hypocrisy, is false doctrine in a high degree. And this doth further appear, in that he makes their repentance to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, rather than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; for then the repentance taught by the Prophets should not differ from Judas his repentance, which was without Faith: which makes the difference between the repentance of Godly, and wicked men. Pag 48. at the latter end (he saith) It is a doctrine often heard of in your Pulpits: That repentance doth wash away sin: And Pag. 49. in the latter end he hath these words: To preach that tears do wash away sins out of the sight of God which (saith he) I have heard some testify that they have heard preached) is a blaspemy against the blood of Christ: It is very uncivil to charge blasphemy upon any Minister in public, and not to bring his accusers first to him in private; they it may be through ignorance may mis-understand; and I question not but if the Minister might be named, he would maintain what he had preached: But grant it to be true that some have preached, That repentance washeth away sin; And that tears do wash away sins out of the sight of God; it is blasphemy to say this is blasphemy, for it is no other than the Scripture phrase, (c) Exhortationis an 'em fumma est, primum seria resipiscentia abslinens a malo; Junius in loc. Hortatur Judaeos ad paenitentiam Call vin. in loc. Isa. 1.16. Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your do from before mine eyes; by washing in this place is meant serious and true repentance, for the Prophet doth exhort the Jews thereunto: and by washing here is not to be understood the washing of the pollutions of the bodies of men, but of their sins: By [make you clean] is not meant the cleanness of their hands, but of their life and conversation: The Apostle James hath the like phrase Chap. 4.8, 9 (d) Ipsa salutaris paenitentia ac vera refipiscentia per lotionem & mundationem exprinitur: ut Isa. 1.16. Atque earenus hoc in loco Jacobus: Mundate, adhortans scil. eos ad veram seriamque paenitentiam, vitaeque pravae emendationem: Laurentius, Com. in loc. Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts you double minded: By cleansing and washing is meant true repentance, as in Isa. 1.16. by hands we are to understand our sinful actions, and by hearts our corrupt affections; Now how should our hearts, and hands be cleansed and washed from sin? the Apostle bids us be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; by weeping is meant tears of repentance: So that to say, tears of repentance do wash away sins in the sight of God, (which is all one with the words of the Prophet Esay, put away the evil of your do from before mine eyes) is warranted by these two places of Scripture compared together: It is no blasphemy then to speak as the Scripture speaketh; This saying hath been used often amongst some of the Ancient; and had it been blasphemy, some Council or other, in all this time, would have condemned them for it. Saint (e) Flevit ergo amatissime Petrus, flevit ut lachrymis suum posser lavare delictum. & tust veniam vis mereri, dilue culpam lachrymis tuam. Ambr. lib. 10. in Luc. cap 22 col. mihi. 216. Ambrose upon these words [Peter went out and wept bitterly] hath this passage: Peter therefore wept bitterly, he wept that he might with tears wash away his sin: If thou wilt obtain pardon, wash away thy offence with tears; thus the Father. (f) Tria sunt genera Baptismi. quorum primum, quo sordes peccatorum per regenerationis lavacrum abluuntur. Secondum quo quis sanguine suo per Martyrium baptizatur. Est autemtertium baptisina lachrymarum. Isidor. de offic. eccle. lib. cap. 22. sol. mihi. 411. Isidor Hispalensis who lived a thousand years ago, saith there are three kinds of baptism or washing: The first whereby the defilements of sin are washed away by the laver of regeneration: The second when one is baptised in his own blood by Martyrdom, with which baptism Christ was like wise baptised: The third is the baptism or washing of tears. To preach then that tears of repentance wash away sin is no new Doctrine, and is not injurious to, but doth magnify the blood of Christ: Tears being an effect flowing from the conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ; Musculus upon the first of Esay propounds this question: How the Prophet exhorts men to wash and cleanse themselves, seeing it is not in their power. And 1 Joh. 1. The blood of Jesus Christ washeth us from all sin: He answers it thus: That this (g) Hujusmodi resipiscentia, causa est repurgationis, non per quam, sed sine qua non: Muscul, come in loc. repentance here required, is the cause of our washing or cleansing, not the cause by which, but the cause without which our sins cannot be washed away: And they are said to wash away our sins, not considered in (h) Non in reipsa & intrinseca bonitate actus, sed in divina acceptatione, pactione, & ordinatione, Cassand. Ep. 19 pag. mihi. 1110. themselves or in regard of intrinsical goodness in the Act of shedding them; but in regard of God's acceptation who doth in and through Christ accept of them, in regard of God's covenant and promise, in regard of his ordination, who hath ordained that such as shall be saved shall weep for their sins: There is a washing of Sanctification and Regeneration, as well as to Justification: By true repentance these benefits do redound of believers. First, remission of sins, Mark 1.4. John did preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins: Thus while he entitles his book [john's doctrine] he labours as much as in him lieth, to overthrow John's Doctrine, Act. 3.19. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. Secondly, the favour of God, Luke 4.18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the Captives, and recovering of sight to the blind: to set at liberty those that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord: Luke 15.7. Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth: as you may see in the parable of the Prodigal. The third benefit is righteousness before God, Luk. 18.14. The Publican bewailing his condition, in true repentance, our Lord saith, he went down to his house justified rather than the other: by [ (h) Uterque descendit domum, sed impari fructu, Publicanus vere justificatus, Pharisaeus coram hominibus ranrum, Areti. in loc. rather] is meant, the Publican was truly justified; the Pharisee before men only: The Publican in the sight of God: they had both their Righteousness, the one hypocritical, the other real, who was justified of God: So that [rather] must not be understood of one and the same Righteousness, as though the difference consisted only in this: That the Publican was more justified, the Pharisee less: the Pharisee, he justified himself before men hypocritically; the other was justified of God, which is much rather to be chosen. Fourthly, The gift and inhabitation of the Holy Ghost, Act. 2.38. Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Fifthly, The hearing of our prayers, 1 Joh. 3.21, 22. If our heart condemn us not, than we have confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him. The Sixth, is Salvation and life eternal, Act. 11.18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. The seventh, is Freedom from temporal punishments, or to be sure, a mitigation of them, Jonah 3.10. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil ways, and God repent of the evil that he had said, 2 Chron. 12.12. And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether. This is contrary to what he taught on a Fast day, (as I was credibly informed) That we did not Fast and humble ourselves, for the turning away of God's Judgements: Look well upon these particulars, and consider the places of Scripture, and you shall find it no blasphemy to say, repentance washes away sin; Now let us see how all these benefits are attributed to repentance; and how they may be said to be the fruits of it? Not (i) Observandum est paenitentiae haec tribui, non ratione contritionis, quasi illa sit meritum quoddam, ac causa remissionis peccatorum; sed ratione hdei, quae est essentialis pars paenitentiae. Quod ergo partis & quidem primatiae, pro prium est; illud usitata Scripturae phrasi, toti tribuitur, Gerhard, locor. Tom. 3. col. mihi. 428. in regard of contrition, as if that were a certain merit and cause of remission of sins, I mean the meritorious cause (though, as I said, it is Causa sine qua non:) the cause without which we cannot receive them: but in regard of Faith, which is an essential part of repentance, which doth apprehend Christ, and in Christ doth freely receive the grace of God; remission of sins, righteousness, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and life eternal: That therefore, which is proper to a part, it being the principal part; That is by the usual phrase of Scripture, attributed to the whole; Especially, when as true and saving Faith, and true contrition, and the study of new obedience are inseparably joined together: I hope than we may use Scripture phrase without blasphemy. Page 49. The latter end (he says) This doctrine works hideous effects in the Church of God; The simple people being asked, how they think to make satisfaction to God for sin: have answered, by lamenting and amending. Are not these simple people, those that have lived the ten years under his Ministry? they are simple indeed: Ask a Child that can say the Church Catechism (which in teaching repentance, tells us, We must have a lively Faith in God's mercy through Christ, with a thankful remembrance of his death) and he will tell you; he hopes to make satisfaction by the merits of Jesus Christ. We do not teach (k) Idololatrica est paenitentia papistarum, quam ponunt, 1. in contritione, 2. in confession, 3 satisfactione, quaque peccata expiari putant, Wolleb. Compend. Theol. lib. 2, cap. 3. p. 291. repentance consists, first, in contrition; secondly confession; thirdly, satisfaction; whereby our sins are expiated. Pag. 50. At the beginning, he goes on thus: God people, it is dying, not crying, will give satisfaction for sins. I answer, did Christ's dying exclude his crying? who as the Apostle saith, Heb. 5.7. In the days of his flesh, when he had offered up Prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears. Was this crying, and these tears, excluded in point of satisfaction for sins? Again, we do not say that tears of repentance, make or give satisfaction, but this satisfaction of Christ, is given to no man but to him in whom are tears of repentance, and crying tears in true repentance; is dying to sin: else what becomes of Christian mortification? and therefore this crying is dying: We make not tears the cause, but an effect flowing from the satisfaction of Christ: (by Faith applied to the soul) Zach. 12.10. And they shall (l) Quis enim vere fidelium non plangit? peccatis suiscausam se dedisse occisioni & crucifixioni Christi hlii Dei & hominis, ideoque amarissime semper pii Judaei & gentes Domini passionem plangunt, Pelican in loc. look upon him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him. They that by Faith look at Christ crucified for their sins, cannot but shed tears of repentance. Page 50. At the latter end, he propounds this question: Did not the Prophets also Preach remission of sins upon true repentance? If we should hold him close to his own phrase of speech strictly taken, as he doth others; we may conclude out of his own mouth (To preach remission of sins upon true repentance) that he speaks blasphemy against the blood of Christ; without which there is no remission; for as satisfaction, so remission of sins is only by the blood of Christ: but of this by the way. He goes on in these words: I answer, the Prophets must be considered, preaching either the New Covenant or the Old, for they preached the New also, (They did never Preach the Old and New Covenant in opposition to one another;) The Law (says he) did not, could not disannul the Covenant that was made to Abraham 430. years before: (this place overthrows and confutes him to his face) and he allegeth it against himself: In the new Covenant (says he) the Prophets preached eternal remission; in the Old, they preached actual remission by legal services; but not eternal, which remission is called by the Apostle a fleshly purifying: This place concerning the Covenant made to Abraham (m) Conjungi & misccri nulla ratione queunt: quod non ita est a cipiendum quasi doctrina legis & doctrina Evangel●i mutuo repugnent: ita enim Dous sibi in suo verbo repugnater; (quod absit, sed quod justihcationis modus in lege & Evangelio monstratus contratie se haber, aut ut nec simul stare, anc misceri in unum possunt, magis quam aqua & ignis simul consistere in unum elemontum possunt, Pareus come. in loc Gal.. 3.17. is not so to be understood, as if the Doctrine of the Law and of the Gospel were mutually repugnant, & contrary to each other: for so God should be repungant & contrary to himself in his own Word; (which God forbidden in the least thought) but in regard of the manner of justification, set forth in the Law, and in the Gospel: So they are contrary, and cannot be mixed together, be made one, or stand together, no more than fire and water can consist together, or be made one and the same element. We must here again mark the opposition between the Law and the promise, The false Apostles did attribute the effect of (n) Proinde alrius quiddam in caeremoniis considerate, nempe effectum justincationis, quem illis tribuchant pseudoapostol● & conscientiarum obligationem, Calvin in loc. Justification to legal ceremonies, and so did lay a yoke upon men's consciences, the yoke of ceremonies: but what's the meaning of the Apostle when he saith; The Law cannot disannul, and make the promise of none effect? why, the Impostors did deny salvation promised, to be freely given to men and obtained by Faith, and did urge the Ceremonies of the Law, as necessary cessary for the obtaining thereof. And so did set the Law in opposition to the Promise to disannul it, which the Apostle affirms cannot be; well then, the Law did not, nor could not disannul the promise made to Abraham, but the false Apostles in Paul's time would have had it so: And the Prophets should have been no less than false prophets, if they had Preached the Old Covenant in opposition to the New: And whereas he saith, They did in the Old Covenant, Preach Actual remission by legal scrvices, but not eternal: now he sets down what he means by actual remission, (namely) a fleshly purifying: for (so he saith) the Apostle calls it. First, I answer, that where there is actual remission of sins in the sight of God, there must needs be eternal: Otherwise a man may be a Child of God to day, and to morrow a castaway; which is Arminianism in the highest degree, if not Popery: and contrary to what himself hath delivered (to wit) that God hath pardoned all the sins of believers, past, present, and to come; I would see, how he can prove this actual remission, by legal services; The Scripture makes mention of no such remission; And the Prophets did Preach against remission by legal services, consisting only in a fleshly purifying: nay they did abhor, and cry down the legal services of the people, when they did perform them to the purifying of the flesh, not having respect to the inward purifying of the heart by Faith, Isa. 1.11, 12. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord I am full of the offerings of Rams, and the fat of fed beasts, I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of He Goats, ver. 13. Bring no more vain oblations, incense is an abomination unto me: by this place you may see the Prophet Preached against legal services, as restrained to the purification of the flesh only; and did by them press the people to look farther, to wit, to the spiritual purification, as ver. 16. Wash ye, make you clean, etc. They did not preach in the old Covenant actual remission by legal services, but in reference to Christ, else they should stand guilty of that which the Apostle speaks, Rom. 9.31, 32. But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness, hath not attained to the Law of righteousness: wherefore? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the Law. Certainly the Prophets never preached any righteousness or remission by legal services, unless they were done in faith: and that by them the people did look at the righteousness of faith: aiming altogether at Jesus Christ: in whom, and by whom, there was, and ever is eternal remission: who was, (a) Quia ut primum caepit humani generis reparatio per justificationem hominum in Christo, caepit Agni illius sanguis operari, Estius in diffic. Script. loc. Revel. 13.8. The Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the World. But let us see what actual remission, which he calls a fleshly purifying, is: Why 'tis this: when any of the people had outwardly defiled their bodies by touching any unclean thing: as for one, the touching of a dead body: they were to be excluded the congregation: now by some legal service, this uncleanness was remitted, namely by the act of sprinkling the water of separation: and by this they had actual remission of their uncleanness, which gave them admission into the Congregation again: The Prophets never had any Commission to preach the old Covenant, separated and apart from the New: neither is this actual remission by legal services set down but in reference to eternal remission by Christ: neither did the Prophets ever preach it otherways: for if they had, they had Preached Justification by works, and the righteousness of the Law, and so they and their hearers must needs come short of the righteousness of God which is by Faith, and so perish everlastingly: Oh damned Doctrine! Page 51. About the middle, To make these things more plain (saith he) Take this proposition: which I know will tingle in the ears of many) happily it may tingle in his own ears, for 'tis pity but he should hear of it: his proposition is this: The knowledge of both actual and eternal remission was no Article of the Jewish Creed: but a part of that mystery which was kept secret from the giving of the Law, until the time of John Baptist: his meaning is, that all that time, the Jews had not knowledge of actual and eternal remission, as he lays it down, pag. 52. line 17. his reason is, They differed nothing from servants, so line the 20. he concludes, they were in bondage, and being so, had not knowledge of actual and eternal remission. Mark, and see if he doth not contradict his own proposition: pag. 51. line 6. he saith, in the New Covenant the Prophet Preached eternal remission: why, then he had knowledge of it, and by Preaching made it known to others: So than they had knowledge of that before the time of John Baptist, as himself confesseth. Again, he confesseth, They Preached actual remission by legal services. Again, look, Pag. 53. line 3. he confesseth, They had knowledge of actual remission to come by the promised seed: And herein he contradicts himself, in saying, It was a part of that mystery, kept secret from the giving of the Law, until the time of John Baptist. For than they could not have known it to come. (b) Scientia est habitus demonstrativus, Aristot. 6. Ethic. Knowledge is a Demonstrative habit, and doth determine the Intellect to one side with certainty. No question but the Jews had so much knowledge whereby they did certainly and assuredly believe, and were persuaded, and did understand that their sins were really, actually, and eternally remitted in Christ. By his actual remission to come, doth he understand Christ's actual coming in the flesh: we must know that all true believers, who lived before Christ's coming in the flesh, had actual and eternal remission, without which they could not be saved, nor enter into Heaven: He was up with (c) Patres sub lege non fuisse consortes aetornae vitae, Osiand. Epit. hist. eccle. Cent. 16. lib, 2. cap. 21. Servetus in his Sermon, but makes no mention of him in Print: This Heretic held that the Fathers under the Law were not partakers of eternal life, and according to his proposition, this heretic speaks the truth. To prove this proposition he brings in this place of Scripture, Joh. 1.18. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him: Will he prove by this place that none of the Fathers and people of the Jews did see God, in regard of Actual and eternal remission, before Christ's coming in the flesh? Remission of sins is an Article of our Faith: And did not they believe the same remission of sins which we do? To make things plain, I will here set down what remission of sins is. Remission of sins, is forgiveness of sin, when both the guilt and punishment are freely pardoned for Christ alone to such as believe in him: Now if the Fathers did believe eternal remission, they must needs know it; For in true saving Faith there are three things (d) Forma fidei docendi causa tribus partibus describi folet, Notiria, Assensu, & fiducia, 1. Notiria est corum cognitio quae ad sa●utem necessaria sunt, 2. Assensus est quo firmiter credirut vera esse, quae verbo Dei traduntur, 3. hiducia est qua quisque fidelium sibi promissiones Evangelicas applicat. Wolleb. Theol. compend. lib. 1. cap. 29. pag. 231. required, Knowledge, Assent, and Application. By Knowledge I mean the right conceiving of the necessary Doctrines of true Religion, especially those which concern Christ our Redeemer: Assent is when a man knowing this Doctrine, doth further approve of the same as whole some doctrine; and the Truth of God directing us aright unto salvation. Application is, when we conceive in our hearts a true persuasion of God's mercy towards us particularly in the free pardon of all our sins, and for the salvation of our Souls; The Jews living in the time of the Law, having true saving Faith, must needs then have knowledge of Actual and eternal remission, having these three things which must needs be in all that did ever truly believe: but it is proved by Scripture, Act. 10.43. To him give all the Prophet's witness, that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Three things observable in the Text. First, That it is the proper Office of Christ by blotting out their sins to reconcile men to God. Secondly, That by Faith we obtain remission of sins. Thirdly, That this (e) Quod haec doctrina non nova, aut nuper fabricata sit, sed jam olim ab ultimis seculis, testes habuerit omnes Dei Prophetas, Calvin in loc. Doctrine of remission is no new Doctrine lately framed: But of old from the beginnings of the world, had all the Prophets of God witnesses to it, and therefore they must of necessity know it. But we will open the meaning of this place, Joh. 1.18. No man hath seen God at any time, etc. God is said to be seen in Scripture divers ways. First, he is (f) Plures modi sunt videndi Deum, 1. primus. quo non in se sed in operibus suis videtur. 2. Altera vi●io est qua Deus in aliqua specie & corporea figura videtur: 3. Tertia est qua videtur per fidem, vel aliquod lumen spirituale revelatum, & sine specie & imagine ulla. 4. Quarta qua videtur per humanitarem assumptam: qui enim Christum hominem vid ebant, Deum dicebantur videre; qui erat unitus illi humanitati. 5. Quinta est omnium suprema qua Deus in suamet essentia aperte & clare videtur, sicut homo hominem vider: haec est visio beatorum, quae est visio Dei, in essentia & substantia propria, Tolet in Evang. Joan. cap. 1. Annot. 53. Quod Deum nemo vidit un quam praeter Christum testem oculatum, in fallibilis est sententia: plures modi suut videndi Deum: 1. Per speculum creatutarum: 2. Per simulachra & imagines: 3. Per Angelos: 4. Per fidem: 5. Per carnem; concluditur & non videri ipsum, nempe per essentiam, & videri tamen per apparitiones, perque modos alios; Pelargus, in loc. quae. 2. seen not in himself, but in his works, in the creatures; for in them many of the perfections of God are known; as his wisdom, prudence, virtue, immortality and eternity, Rom. 1.20, 21. Again, God is said to be seen in some bodily shape and likeness, and that either in regard of the outward sense, or in regard of the imagination; for sometimes God used some likeness in which he would appear to men; whether it were the likeness of a man, or of fire, or of any other body, or creature whatsoever, and in regard of this vision God is said to be seen in the old Testament of the Prophets not only with the inward, but with the outward eyes, Isa. 6.1. Gen. 32.30. Thirdly, God is said to be seen by Faith alone without any likeness. Fourthly, by his humane nature assumed, his flesh; for they which see Christ man are said to see God united to his humanity, John 14.9. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. Fiftly, God is said to be seen in his own essence, manifestly and plainly, as one man sees another; and thus he is seen by the intellect, or understanding; not by the eye of the body, because God is a Spirit: This is the vision of the blessed in heaven which is spoken of Matth. 18.10. In heaven their Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven, 1 Cor. 13.12. Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: And thus it is concluded, no man hath seen God at any time, in regard of his essence, and being, and proper substance as he is in himself; as an eye witness but Christ: There is a (g) Comprehensio duobus modis sumitur, Primo, pro consecutione alicujus rei quam quis desiderat: hoc modo omnes beati in caelis dicuntur comprehensores, quia jam confecuti sunt; quod in hac vita quaerebant. Secundo, pro perfecta & adaequata cognitione alicujus rei: Becan. Tom. 1. de vis. Dei quae. 11. Sic intelligendo, res dicitur comprehendi, quando ita perfecte cognoscitur, quod nihil amplius de re cognosci potest: nec absolutum nec comparatum: Durand. lib. 1. dist. 35. quae. 2 col. 214. in fine. A lived enim est videre; aliud est totum videndo comprehendere: Totum autem comprehenditur videndo, quod ita videtur ut nihil lateat videntem. Aug. ep. 1 12. cap. 9 comprehensive vision whereby God is not only in his proper essence and substance seen manifestly and clearly, but also fully comprehended: Comprehension is taken two ways; first, for the obtaining of that which any one desireth: And so all the blessed in heaven are said to comprehend, because they have obtained that which in this life they sought after; and in this sense the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 9.24. So run that ye may obtain; that ye may comprehend as judicious Beza, and the common translation read it. Again, comprehension is taken for the perfect and adequate knowledge of any thing; and so a thing is said to be comprehended by our understanding of it, when it is so perfectly known, that nothing more concerning it can be known. That is perfectly known, which is known so far forth as it is cognoscible, or knowable. Again, that is said to be comprehended which is so seen that nothing of it lieth hid to the party seeing, when he seethe all that is in it: Now there can be no (h) Nunquam est comprehensio objecti a potentia, nifi quando tanta est intellectivitas potentiae intelligentis, quanta est intelligibilitas objecti intellecti, aliter enim actus non potest esse adaequatus objecto; & propter hoc porentia talis non comprehendit objectum Scot quae. reportat. lib. 3 dist. 14. quae. 2. comprehension of the object, in regard of the faculty, unless when the Intellectivitie (as the School phrase hath it) of the intelligent faculty, be such as the intelligibilitie of the object that is to be understood; otherwise the act cannot be adequate to the object, & in this regard such a faculty cannot comprehend the object: To make this plain, the act I mean of the intellect, the intellect being taken for the intellective, or understanding faculty, must be as vastly extensive in knowing as the object is cognoscible, or knowable: So that to see God by this comprehensive vision is so fully to know God, that nothing whatsoever is in God is hid; but is openly, clearly, fully, and manifestly known: and thus no man hath seen God at any time, but the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father (the Spirit not excepted.) The words taken in this sense 'tis true, that no created nature hath, or ever shall see God; neither the Angels nor Saints in heaven can see him so fare as to comprehend him: Because an (i) Insinitum objectuin, ut infin itum, comprehendi non potest, nisi aliquo actu infinito, ut infinicto. Scotus, quodlib. quae. 1. infinite object, as infinite, cannot be comprehended by any but an infinite act, considered as infinite. The question now will be of the fourth way of seeing God; whether the Fathers and the people of the Jews did not see Christ according to his flesh, his humane nature: I answer, they did see him so by Faith, which makes things to come as already present; and this is proved, John 8.56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad: Here is a (k) Metonymia est adjuncti pro subjecto: nam diei nomine intelligendus est ipse Christus incarnatus, in tempore five die illo manifestatus. Rolloc. in loc. Metonymy of the Adjunct for the Subject; for by the day we are to understand Christ incarnate, the time of Christ's manifestation in the flesh: And thus Abraham saw him and all that were the children of Abraham by Faith; Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, God-man, according to both natures, a mediator to the Fathers and the people of the Jews who lived in the time of the Law: before he did assume his humane nature, he was a Mediator according to both natures; because than he was the Mediator of men as he was to be incarnate, he is now a Mediator as he is incarnate. Saint (l) Unus est Deus & unus Mediator Dei & hominum, homo Christus Jesus: quoniam non est aliud nomen sub caelo datum hominibus in quo oporteat nos salvos fieri; & in illo definivit Deus fidem omnibus, suscitans illum a mortuis: itaque sine ista side, hoc est, sine fide unius mediator is Dei & hominum, hominis Christi Jesus, sine fide inquam resurrection is ejus, quam Deus hominibus definivit, quae utique sine incarnatione ejus ac morte, non potest veraciter credi, fine fide ergo incarnation is & mortis, & resurrectionis Christi: nec antiquos justos, ut justi essent a peccatis, potuisse mundari, & Dei gratia justificari, veritas Christiana non dubitat. Aug. de peccat. Origin. lib. 2. cap. 24. to 7. Augustine makes this plain from the 1 Tim. 2.5. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus: From whence he concludes, that without Faith or believing this one Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus: And that without believing the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ, the holy Fathers could not be made clean, and justified by the Grace of God, that they should be justified from their sins: And this (saith the Father) the Christian verity doth not doubt: So than it is plain that the people of the Jews having Christ their Mediator, according to both natures, and believing his incarnation, death, and resurrection, (without which they could not be justified before God) had knowledge both of Actual and eternal remission: And did believe Actual and Eternal remission of sins present, their sins being in Jesus Christ Actually and Eternally remitted unto them. For the meaning of this place, John 1.18. The Jews did depend altogether upon the authority of Moses, in regard he spoke with God face to face; the Evangelist to the intent he might bring them off from that overvaluing esteem they had of Moses, in opposition to Christ: denieth that any man hath seen God at any time, but the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, one with him who knows all his secrets, he hath declared him. By him Moses had those things which he delivered to the people, (m) Per hunc; gratiam achdem: voluntas Patris exposita est Mosi, per hunc datae sunt faederis tabulae, factae sunt promissiones, & quicquid aliud beneficiorum Dei isti populo concessum est. Muscul. in loc. by him the will of the Father was made known to Moses, by him the Tables of the Covenant were given, the promises were made, and whatsoever other benefits were granted to that people of God: And it is true that no man considered in his natural condition hath seen God at any time, 1 Cor. 2.14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, Matth. 11, 27. No man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him: The (n) Sensus igitur est quod absque revelatione per Filium in verbo Evangelii exterins, & per S. 8. illuminationem interius factam, nec essentiae, nec voluntatis divinae, salutatis & salvifica cognitio, cuiquam hominum in hac vita obtingere possit. Ger●ard. loc. Tom 9 col. mihi, 719. meaning is, that without revelation by the Son in the Word of the Gospel outwardly, and by the illumination of the holy Ghost inwardly: it is impossible for any man to attain to the saving knowledge of God: And by this way did all believers in all times come to know God savingly, without which it was impossible for them to be saved. As for that place, 2 Cor. 4.6. For God who hath commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts: to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ: If we consider these words in (o) Alludit perpetuo in toto hoc sermone Apostolus ad Mosis faciem, laciem illam non apertam, (utclara esset Dei imago) sed opertam. Beza in loc. allusion to Moses; they do not exclude the people of the Jews, from having the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, but they include thus much, that we under the Gospel have a clearer light, the veil being done away. Page 52. He makes use of Gal. 4.1. The Heir, as long as he is a Child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all: Who are the Heirs under age? even the Jews, until the time came that God sent forth his Son, etc. They were the Heirs under age that differed not from servants, Now I say (says he) They that had knowledge of actual and Eternal remission differed from servants: They that differed nothing from servants, had not knowledge of actual, and eternal remission: You see his Argument and what he concludes, let's see how he can make it good from the words rightly expounded: The Apostle saith, the Heir as long as he is a Child differeth nothing from a servant: The word [nothing (p) Quod nihil differat a servo, particula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nihil, intelligatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, non absolute, sed quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & subjectionem, Par●us in loc. ] is not to be understood absolutely, but in regard of Subjection, as is expounded in the second verse: but is under Tutors and Governors: as a servant is not at his own liberty, but under the command of his Master. So the Heir while he is a Child is under Tutors, etc. and differeth nothing from a servant, in regard of his present subjection; yet this Subjection doth not make him of a Son to become a servant; for his Sonship remains for all that: neither doth his differing nothing from a servant, (which is to be restrained to his present subjection) take away his right of inheritance, for the Apostle saith, He is Lord of all; And in this he differeth from a Servant, who is no ways Lord; neither doth remain in the house always, as it is, Jah. 8.35. Well then, according to the Metaphor, take the Church of the Jews, for the Heirs under age, differing nothing from Servants; Notwithstanding this servitude (a) Neque tamen haec servitus haereditati, & adoptioni corum derogabat, crant nihilominus filii, haeredes, domini omnium; sub externa servitute conscientias liberas habentes, spiritu filiali intus Deo libere servientes; certi enim de grathita remissione pec●atorum, per fidem venturi Christi, conscientias a mortis & peccati Tyrann de liberas habebant quantum saluti suae satisesset, Parcus in loc. did not derogate from their inheritance, and adoption. They were nevertheless Sons, Heirs, Lords of all; under this outward servitude they had their consciences free, serving God freely in the inner man, with a filial spirit; for they were certain of free remission of sins by Faith in Christ, and had their consciences freed from the tyranny of death, and sin, so fare forth as was sufficient for their Salvation: So that this place of Scripture, rightly understood, makes altogether against him; for from hence we may gather, that the (b) Itaque hic verborum Apostoli sensus est; nemo puter me quae hactenus dixi, in Patrum ant gentis Judaicae contumeliam dixisse: suerunt enim hi quo que filii Dei, & promissionum haeredes; neque me latet quod olim pronuntiavit Deus, Israel est filius meus primogenitus: Item, ex Aegypto vocavi filium meum, Exod. 4. Hose. 11. Gualther in Gal. hom. 31 Fathers under the Old Testament, had hope of the same inheritance which we have at this very day, because they were partakers of the same adoption: and they were chosen of God to this end, that they should be the sons of God together with us, as well as we. Again, we gather from this place that in external servitude (which to them was no servitude, but as it is compared with our condition since the coming of Christ) they had freedom of conscience; neither did the strict observation of the Law, hinder Moses, Daniel, all the godly Kings, Priests, and Prophets, and the whole company of believers, but that they were free in spirit: Therefore they did so bear the yoke of the Law upon their shoulders (which, I say again, was not to them a yoke, but comparatively to the Christian liberty by the coming of Christ) that they did serve God with a free spirit; and were principally and especially (c) Praesertim vero de gratuita peccatorum remissione edocti, ut conscientias haberent a peccati & mortis Tyrannide solutas. Ind constituendum est, candem semper suisse doctrinam, & vera fidei unitate nobiscum fuisse conjunctos, unius etiam Mediatoris fiducia nobisctan fretos. Calvin in loc. taught, and instructed concerning free remission of sins; and had their consciences loosed from the Tyranny and slavery of sin and death; From whence it is concluded that there was always one and the same Doctrine, and that they were joined with us in the true unity of Faith, and that they did enjoy with us affiance and hope in one and the same Mediator, in whom they had boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of him, Ephes. 3.12. and therefore it must necessarily follow that they had not an overly, but an experimental knowledge of actual and eternal remission, having assurance in their consciences, that their sins were at that present time wherein they lived, actually and eternally remitted in Christ; Otherwise we must conclude that the sins of believers in the time of the Law, were not remitted till Christ's manifestation and coming in the flesh, which is most absurd and contradictory to Scripture; They had Christ in Spirit, They believed in Christ, and were saved by him as we are; as it is, Heb. 13.8. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Yesterday to our Fathers, to day to us, for ever to ours: all that ever were saved, were saved by one and the same Christ, who is the way, being (d) Quia igitur haereditas caelestis non est nisi una, 〈◊〉 una ejus parandae via, ac ratio, perspicuum est unam substantia esse veteris & novi Testaments Ecclesiam, & salutis doctrinam, contra quam ●ana●ici & papistae contendunt, Pareus come. in Gal. cap. 4. 1. ever the same; yesterday, before the time of his coming in the flesh, to day, when he did come in the flesh; at the time before appointed; now and for ever the same Christ, to all believers in all times, all believers in all ages, being for substance, one and the same Church of God; Christ was (e) Exhibitus Patribus in promissione ita ut eorum fider non minus praesen: few; it sanguis Christi sun dendus; quam sidei nost●ae praefens est jamolim effusus, Tessan in Epist. ad Hebr. praelect. cap. 13.8. exhibited in the promise to the Fathers; and the blood of Christ to be shed, was no less present to their Faith, than the blood of Christ long ago shed, is present to our Faith, Heb. 9.22. Without shedding of blood is no remission: and it was by the shedding of the same blood, that all God's people from the beginning of the world, ever had remission. Pareus (f) Unde commentum pontificium de limbo, in quem Patres fideles, crudeliter detruferunt; ubi nulla salute fruerentur, eminus tancum sururam intuerontur, firmiter destruitur, Pareus in loc. that godly and learned man, from his place, Gal. 4.1. concludes that if the Fathers were Heirs, and Lords of the inheritance with us, they were therefore saved by Faith no less than we, whereby he condemneth the Papists concerning their (g) Altis debetur sola paenadamni, solum temporalis, absque ulla paena sensus, & isti dicebantur esse in limbo Patrum, qui prohibebantur an e●passionem Christi a visione divina, eo quod non crat satisfactum pro peccato totius naturae, quan●vis hi non essent obnoxii alicur panae, pro peccatis suis personalibus, Durand. lib. 3. dist. 22 quae. 4. limbus, wherein they have cruelly shut up the Fathers, where they enjoy not salvation, but behold it afar off only to come: and this is just according to his proposition as he defends it, that they had knowledge of actual and eternal remission to come, not present, but afar off: His proposition is fare more cruel and injurious to the Fathers, than the opinion of the Papists is about the limbus: They have devised and imagined in their wandering conceit, four infernal and subterrestrial places. First, Hell. Secondly, Purgatory. Thirdly, Limbus infantum, where Children remain dying without baptisime. Fourthly, Limbus Patrum, where all the Fathers were before Christ's coming in the flesh: And their opinion is, that they were kept in an infernal place, or dungeon of darkness, yet without pain, they did suffer the punishment of loss only, and that but for a time, for this Limbus did endure but till the coming of Christ: and (f) Constituunt Scholastici communi consensu, intra terram quatuor sinus, five unum in quatuor partes divisum, unum pro damnatis; alterum pro purgandis: tertium pro Infantibus, sine baptismo abeuntibus: quartum pro justis qui moriebantur ante Christi passionem, qui nunc vacuus remanet, Bellarm. Tom 2. de Purgator. lib. 2. cap. 6. pag. mihi. 410. Bellarmin himself speaking of the Limbus saith, this place now remaineth empty: So that the Papists you see shut the Fathers out of Heaven but for a time, and that not to suffer the torments of hell, but the punishment of loss only: But according to his proposition, if the knowledge of actual and eternal remission, was no Article of the Jews Creed, they must needs suffer the loss of Heaven, and the torments of hell, and that not for a time, but to eternity: O fearful consequence! Remission (g) Necessaria est doctrina de remission peccatorum in Ecclesia: nam haec porta est per quam ingredimur in coetum electorum & vitam aeternam, Aretius, loc. Com. de Remiss. Peccat. col. mihi. 191. of sins is the gate through which we enter into the company of the Elect, and eternal life; shut up this gate, no getting into Heaven. Now look Pag. 51. In the New Covenant (says he) the Prophet Preached eternal remission, but not yet actual, as though God's people of old had not remission of sins in act, before Christ's coming in the flesh: a man may as well say with the Papists, they went not into heaven before Christ's coming in his humane nature, nay, by this opinion they must never go at all. The Prophet David in preaching the new Covenant, preached actual remission, Psalm. 32.1, 2. Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven (that is, remitted) Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and ver. 5. Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin (that is, thou didst remit) as Saint (h) Beati quorum remissae sunt iniquitates● Tu remisisti impieratem peccati mei, H●eron. Descriptio beatitudinis, petitur a causa efficient, & continente, quae est remissio peccatorum, vel justificatio cum ejus effectis. Ames Lect. in loc. Hierome reads it: this must needs beactuall remission, and by consequent, eternal, in regard remission once had, can never be lost, and there is, and ever was, the same numerical remission of sins to all believers; All the Elect having always (i) Non semper omnes electi eam habent actu, sed omnes Credentes eam actu habent semper, ergo electitum demum habent actu, cum convertuntur, & fide donantur, quoad propositum vero Dei eam habent. Denique remissio seinel facta in hac vita, semper & in omnem aeternitarem durabit, sic ut in aeternum non sunt imputandanohis peccata semel remissa, Polan. Syntag. lib. 6. cap. 36 pag. mihi, 466. remission of sins in regard of God's purpose: and so it may be said to be eternal remission, à parte ante (as we use to say) for time past and before; it being in God's eternal purpose: but all the elect have not this remission always in act: when they do believe and are converted, than they have it in act, and this is actual remission. Again, remission once granted, doth remain to all eternity; for sins once remitted shall not be imputed to us for ever, and thus it is eternal (à parte post) that is, for time to come. The second place he useth to prove his proposition pag. 52. is Gal. 4.25. (a) Ne enim videretur Jerosolymam a regibus, patribus ingenuis, liberis Abrahae filiis olim habitatam injuria comparate ancillae Hagar, adstringit nominatim ad Jerosolymam praesentem, ubi tunc Sacerdotes, Scribae, Pharisaei, nomodidascali, dominabantur in Synagoga. Pareus in loc. Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children; his argument from this place is this: They that were in bondage had not knowledge of actual and eternal remission: He doth abuse this Text and wrists it contrary to the intent of the Scripture: The Apostle by Jerusalem doth not understand the Jews in the time of the old Testament: but of Jerusalem that now is, of the state of Jerusalem after Christ was manifested in the flesh; as it was at that time when the Apostle spoke these words. And lest he should seem injuriously to compare (b) Non considerate vetus Testamentum in se, sed ostendit Hagar & Ismaelem typum fuisse corum, qui etiam manifestato Evangelio, in serviture legis manere malunt, quam amplecti veritatem: Tossan. in loc. Jerusalem once inhabited of the Kings, Patriarches, and free borne Sons of Abraham, to Agar the bondwoman; he doth restrain his speech to Jerusalem as it is now, the present condition of it, where the Priests, Scribes, Pharisees, and the Teachers of the Law did rule in the Synagogue. The Fathers before Christ did observe the Law by right, because God did then command and approve of legal services; but now these were abolished by Christ. Yet these unbelieving Jews at this present would be under the Law in opposition to Christ and the freedom they might have by him, and so bring themselves into bondage. So that this place is not spoken of the Jews in the time of the Law; but of those who lived in the time of the Gospel. For his answer pag. 53. That this was acknowledged that they should hereafter differ from servants, but for the present they did not: If they were for the present servants, so fare forth that they lived and died without knowledge of actual and eternal remission present; they must needs perish; and what benefit had they that the Church of the Jews in after time should differ from servants, who for the present lived and died in such a miserable condition? But further to prove the people of the Jews to be in bondage, and so not to have knowledge of actual and eternal remission, he● goes on pag. 53. in these words; If any say that the bondage of the Jews was not a bondage of conscience, but a yoke of ceremonies: I answer, Yes, (saith he) even a bondage of conscience, which stung their hearts; for besides the authority of interpreters, it is said that the children through fear of death were subject to bondage all their lives long. Heb. 2.25. I would gladly know whom these interpreters are, that hold that all the believing Jews before Christ's incarnation, were under that bondage of conscience which stung their hearts: Godly (c) Satan per peccatum, in tristissima serviture sub jugo suo tenebar genus humanum ita ut non modo in continuo mortis meru essent, verum etiam nihil aliud expectare possent miserrimi homines, nisi ut per corporalem mortem, in aeternam mortem seu damnationem praecipitarentur. Osiand. in loc. Mors hic non separationem modo animae a corpore significat, sed paenam, quae ab irato deo infligitu●ut aeternum exitium comprehendat Calvin, in loc. Interpreters expound it thus: That Satan by sin, did hold all mankind in a sorrowful servitude, and bondage under his yoke, that they were not only in continual fear of death, but by corporal death did fear the falling down headlong into eternal death; By death in this place is to be understood, not only the separation of the soul from the body, but the punishment which is inflicted upon us from an angry God; so that it comprehends eternal destruction; and thus every wicked man that is out of Christ, is through the fear of death temporal, as being the gate to eternal death, all his life time subject to bondage. The believing Jews were not subject to this bondage, they were the Sons of God, and did receive the spirit of adoption; and this slavish fear and bondage was taken away from them by Christ, for they were the sons of God by adoption as well as we. Pa. 54. To prove that this was a bondage of conscience (saith he) What is it that makes death bitter but the sting of death? and what is the sting of death but sin? Wherefore they had conscience of sin: This is a doctrine most injurious to the people of God in those times, & against the blood of Christ: certainly the sting of death, & so of conscience, was by Christ taken from them: and they could say as well as believers now; as it is, (d) Nec quicquam obstabit, quin olim corpora nostra resuscitentur; & fiat quod olim per propheras & Apo●●olos praedictum est: Gual. in loc. hom. 87. Verba Prophetae; vel Apostoli laetantis, Hos. 13.14. Glo. Ordin. 1 Cor. 15.55, 56, 57 O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory: The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law, but thanks be to God who hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Pag. 55. he argues thus: If the Jews between Moses time and John Baptist, were under the Law, then under the curse: that they were under the Law, is proved, Gal. 3.23.24. But if under the Law, then under the curse, Gal. 3.10. Can he prove that because the Apostle saith, Before faith came, we were kept under the Law: therefore the Jews were under the curse; and from Moses to John Baptists time lived and died under the curse, which must of necessity follow? Never did any man misapply, and mis-interpret-Scripture more grossly; for this place will prove clearly, that their being kept under the Law, was not a curse, but a blessing upon them; and that in a high degree; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: (e) Erat lex quoddam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, munimentum, quo circumse ptus populus ille, conspicuus, inexpugnabilis, impermixtus, usque ad Christum conservabatur, ab aliis populis separatus permanebat, Pareus in loc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signifieth to be fenced about with a garrison of men; God did give unto this nation many particular privileges, they being a peculiar people unto himself; as the moral Law written, the Priesthood, Rites, Ceremonies, and form of government; now the Law was quoddam [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] that is, a wall of defence, with which the people were hedged in round about, and were conspicuous, inexpugnable, & kept separated from other nations until the coming of Christ: & thus to be kept under the Law was a peculiar favour of God to them above all other nations in the world, as God himself witnesseth, Deut. 4.7, 8. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous, as all this Law, which I set before you this day? This place doth confute him: the (f) Dicturi erant pscudoapostoli, Etiamsi concedamus justitiam non manare ex lege, sed ex gratuita in Christo promissione, quum tamen Deus, quem semper unum & sui similem esse testatus est, oeconomiam istam Mosaicam constituerit, etc. quo jure vis illam abo●ere? Responder Apostolus temporariam fuisse istam oeconomiam, Beza, in loc. scope and design of the Apostle is to confute the false Apostles, who were ready to say; Although we grant righteousness not to come by the Law; but from the free promise in Christ: Notwithstanding God who is unchangeable, did give the Mosaical Law and economy, as you confess, to bring us to Christ: how then can this stand with the unchangeableness of God that this Law should be abolished? The Apostle makes answer, that by God's appointment, this was but Temporary: and to endure but till faith came, that is, till Christ's coming in the flesh; for Faith is taken metonymically for the principal object of Faith; and it were fearfully desperate to think that all the people from Moses to John Baptist lived so under the Law, as that they were without faith in Jesus Christ: Thus you see this place maketh against him, and in stead of a curse pronounceth a blessing: it being the blessing of God upon the Jews to be kept under the Law till Faith came; that is, till Christ's incarnation: The believing Jews before the coming of Christ were under the Law in respect of Ceremonies, but not in respect of the malediction & curse thereof. To conclude this, if by the Law of Moses we understand the Mosaical Polity, so the Law by the coming of Christ was abolished; if by the Law we understand the moral Law, or ten Commandments, the curse of the Law is, and was ever taken away in regard of all true believers living in all ages of the world: (a) Causa abrogationis manifesta haec est, Deus singulari beneficio constituit politiam Mosaicam, ut esser certa feeds, & certa gens, & quali Schola in qua servatetur doctrina de Filio Dei, & repeterentur promissiones, & adderentur illustrissima testimonia, & in qua certum esset Filium assumpta natura humana, concionaturum esse, & fururum victimam, & resurrecturum esse, & editurum testimonia doctrinae, quia Deus de his tantis rebus, vult nos certos esse, voluit autem postea finem esse hujus politiae. Melancthon. par 2. de leg. pag mihi. 251. And likewise consider it as a guard whereby the Jews were fenced in, and separated from all other nations, so it is by Christ's coming abolished: Consider it as a rule of life; Thus Angels are under the Law, & Adam before his fall, & the Saints now in heaven. And none yield more subjection to it then they; & this subjection is their liberty: and thus the Law considered as a rule of life, is the will of God, and is eternal as God himself. Let us go on, and see how he can prove from Gal. 3.10. That the people being under the Law were under the curse: The intent of the Apostle in this place is, to prove justification by Faith in opposition to the works of the Law, as Vers. 8, 9 And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Heathen through Faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham; saying, In thee shall all Nations be blessed. So then, they which be of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham; for as many as be of the (b) Ex operibus legis eos vocat, qui in illis constituunt salutis fiduciam, Calvin. in loc. works of the Law are under the curse. In this 10. Verse Paul sets down a reason whereby he proves that not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles are blessed, as (c) Abraham typus, & pater est omnium justificatorun, deinde faedus cum illo, & cum semine ejus factum est, ipse autem non operibus legis, sed per fidem & imputatam justitiam, justus pronunciatus est. Ergo intelligitis inquit Apostolus, & patrem & filios per fidem justificari Tossan. praelect. in loc. Abraham was by Faith; and the reason is drawn from the contraries, thus: They that are of the works; that is, that look to be justified by the works of the Law, are under the curse: Therefore they that are of Faith are blessed, and justified with Abraham: So than it is plain, that not they who lived under the Law were cursed, and under the curse, (which he most blasphemously affirms of all the Jews between Moses and John Baptist, and so pronounceth them damned) but those who looked to be justified by the works of the Law, but so the believing Jews did not: mark well the 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Verses of this third Chapter to the Galatians, and you shall see this place makes against him in other things as well as this. To this (saith he) we may add, Heb. 11.39. And these all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: Can he conclude from these words, that because they received not the promise, therefore they were under the curse? Then the Apostle should seem to derogate from and to diminish, nay to abolish the faith and felicity of the Fathers: and indeed not to be constant to himself, but to deny that in this Verse and in the 13. which he doth affirm in the 33. where he saith, they obtained promises: This seeming contradiction may easily be reconciled if we distinguish between the promises the Apostle here speaks of; we must observe the homonymy of the word [promise] which signifies divers things: as (d) Quantum ad promissionem primam, negat ver. 13. patres ante Josuam consecuros esse promissa. 2. Quantum ad alteram, negat hoc loco patres universos eam consecutos esse, qui Messiam promissum incarne videre quidem deliderarunt, sed non viderunt. Quantum ad tertiam, affirmat, ver. 33. omnes nobiscum consecutos promissionem fuisse; omnes enim fide per gratiam Jesu Christi servati suerunt, sicut & nos. Pareus, in loc. first, the promised land of Canaan, and so in the 13. Verse, the Apostle denies the Fathers who lived before Joshua, to have obtained the promises: Secondly, by promise we are to understand the compliment or fulfilling of the promise concerning the Messiah to be revealed in the flesh; and so the Apostle in the 39 verse denies the Fathers to have received the promise, because they were not eye-witnesses of the promised Messiah come in the flesh: Thirdly, by promise is to be understood the blessing of salvation promised in Christ; and so the Apostle affirms in the 33. Verse that the fathers obtained the promise together with us: all of them being saved by Faith through the grace of Jesus Christ as well as we; so that it is plain, they were not under the curse, but under the blessing, their estate and condition being blessed of God through Jesus Christ. And whereas the Apostle in the 40. vers. saith, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect: The Apostles meaning (e) Non est hic sensus, nos alia ratione servati, quam Patres in V. T. vel dilaram suisse Patrum salutem usque ad Christi adventum; verum hic est sensus, licet tam excellentes viti suerint, & tam illustri fide praediti, & subducti ex his terris; Non tamen cum ipsis def●●sse Ecclefiam; aut idec minus honorifice sentiendum de populo N. T. cui allquid melius providebatur: non quidem si fundamentum salutis spectes, sed propter exhibitionem Messiae, per quem illi nobiscum, & nos cum illis, vere perficimur & sanctificamur, unica. sc. illa oblatione corporis ipsius. Tossan. in loc: is, not that we under the New Testament are saved by another way, different from that by which the Fathers were saved in the Old Testament; or that the Salvation of the Fathers was deferred till Christ's coming in the flesh: (as the Papists would have it) but the meaning of this place is, that although they were such excellent men endued with such famous and precious Faith, and they being taken out of this life, yet notwithstanding the Church did not end in them, or that we should have a less honourable esteem of the people of the New Testament, for whom God hath provided some better things: Not better, if we consider the foundation of salvation, but in regard of the exhibition and manifestation of the Messiah in the flesh, by whom they and we are made perfect and sanctified, by that one oblation of his body, as it is, Heb. 10.10. Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, even for the Fathers as well as for us. Those places which he uses concerning the difference of the promulgation of the New Covenant, Pag. 54. First, In the time of Adam, Gen. 3.15. Secondly, To Abraham: Thirdly, In Isaiahs' time, Isa. 53. Fourthly, In Moses time: Fifthly, In daniel's time; make against him altogether: as that in Genesis, The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpent's head: In this place (f) Tria itaque hic habes descripta, 1. Adami & Hevae peccatum, 2. Deinde spem per Christum, 3. Tunc nostri hostis Satanae accuratam descriptionem sub serpentis figuta, Pet. Mart. in loc. is described the sin of Adam, and hope of pardon through Christ. By the seed of the Woman, is meant Christ, and thus he proves that the New Covenant was preached from Adam to Christ: and that all believers in all those ages were under grace, and had the Covenant of grace preached to them. But Page 55. Says he, The Prophets speak of a thing to come fare off, yet says he, They speak sometimes in the present and preterperfect tense, (again in this he contradicts himself) and 'tis true, Isa. 6.9. The Prophet speaks there in the present tense, Unto us a child is borne: he doth not say, a child shall be borne: Now the word [Nobis, us] doth comprehend not only the ancestors, which lived before; nor those which lived at that time, but the successors and posterity of this people: for the change of times, and humane mortality, doth not take away the unity of the people of God; and several Ages and (g) Alia atque alia secula, morientiumque & nascent●um alterationes, non constituunt alium atque alium populum; nec terminant gratiam Dei, ab aeterno illi destinatam. Muscul. in loc. alterations of some men dying, and others being borne, do not constitute another and another people; neither do they terminate the grace of God (destinated to his people from eternity) to this or that particular generation of believers, seeing that all the several generations of believers are but one people of God; and Christ is the gift of this people of God, The same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. And though Christ was to be borne in time to (h) Quamvis enim futurum hoc esset, post aliquot secula, ipsa tamen gratiae hujus communicatio, non erar tempori nativitatis Christi alligata: sed toti Ecclesiae electorum inde a principio illius ad finem usque destinata, Muscul. in loc. come, many Ages after; yet the communication of this grace, was not tied to the time of Christ's Nativity, but was destinated and appointed to the whole Church of God, from the beginning to the end, who (as I said before) though they consist of divers Generations of men, and lived in several ages of the world; yet make but one Church and people of God. Consider the objection, Pag. 55. line 8. If any man say they speak sometime in the present, and preterperfect tense: I answer, (saith he) with Saint Peter, That not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister those things, 1 Pet. 1.12. Let us look into the true meaning of this place, it may be understood these ways: First, The Prophets prophesied not unto themselves, that is, to the Jews; but to us Christians: for they did (i) Praedixerunt enim Christi adventum, vocationem, grattan & salutem obventuram Christanis, non Judae●●, Cornel. a Lapide, in loc. foretell the coming of Christ, vocation, grace, and salvation to come, to Christians, not to Jews; according to that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 10.11. These are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. Secondly, they did minister, not unto themselves; The Apostle meaneth, that those things which they prophesied, did not belong unto themselves, as is plain, Act. 15.11. But the sufferings and glory of Christ were revealed to them, not so much for their (k) Non tam ip sorum causa quam vestri, qu●●ratis co●um lib●os lectu●i, Est●us in loc. sakes (who did already believe) as for ours, who were to read their books; that so our Faith likewise might be confirmed concerning him; considering the Doctrine of the Prophets & Apostles to be one & the same, concerning his incarnation. Thirdly, Not unto (l) Non suo tempore, sed nostro, Lawren. in loc themselves,.. but unto us: that is, they did minister those things, and did foretell that which was to be fulfilled, not in their times, but in our times. Look then upon this, 1 Pet. 1.10, 11, 12. You shall see that the Prophets were not Ministers of the Letter, but of the Spirit, ver. 11. The Spirit of Christ was in them. They were Ministers likewise of the Gospel, ver. 10. Prophesied of the Grace that should come. They were Evangelicall Prophets, and Prophetical Evangelists: and no question they did not want the fruit and benefit of their own Prophecies; neither were they excluded from the grace of Christ, and the fruition and enjoyment of Christ; being made partakers of the same salvation with us: though they did not see the Compliment, and fulfilling of the promise, in regard of Christ's apparition, (m) Quibus etiam ait pa●esactum, ver. 12. Eos non sibi, sed nobis illa administrate, non quantum ad fruitionem, illi enim ejusdem salutis participes fiunt, sed quoad Christi apparitionem, Tossan. praelect. in loc. and exhibition in the flesh, with their bodily eyes, yet by they eye of Faith, they did see and enjoy the present benefit of Christ's Incarnation, and Manifestation in the flesh. Whereas he says, Page 55. line 14. John speaks of the time hard at hand, or present: We confess that this manner of speaking hath respect to the predictions concerning the Messiah, but yet it doth not deny, but that the Kingdom of God (as Kingdom is here taken; for the Kingdom of (n) Regnum coelorum regnum gratiae vocat, & misericordiae Dei in Christo, Pareus in loc. Grace) was always at hand to true penitents; and that Christ was nearer to them that lived many ages before John, who saw him with the eyes of Faith in his incarnation many years before, than to them who lived in John's time, and saw him in his humane nature, only with the eyes of the body. Page. 55. The three last lines, there are these words, The Apostle after our Saviour's Ascension, speaks as of a thing actually passed and done, showing plainly the way and means whereby the Son of God hath purged and sanctified his Church: he proveth this, Heb. 10.14. By one offering he hath ever perfected them that are (o) Comprehendit hoc nomine omnes Dei Filios, Calvin. Christus, qui nun● ad dextram Dei sede●, ●nico suo sacrificio omnibus, quorquot salvandi sunt, remissionem plen●ssimam omnium peccatorum unpetravit, Luc. Osiand. in loc. sanctified. I answer, That Christ's one offering, was ever the way to perfect such as were sanctified; Believers in all times of the world, having no other way; and this offering did extend itself to all believers, in regard of time past, present, and to come. Dare any man conclude from this place, that Believers were not actually sanctified, purged and perfected; and their sins actually remitted, before Christ's Ascension into Heaven? if they do, 'tis popery: if not worse. Pag. 56. at the latter end, (saith he) There are I confess many difficulties in the way, but I have not now leisure to remove them: The greatest is, that the Jews are said to eat the same spiritual meat, and drink the same spiritual drink, 1 Cor. 10.3, 4. This objection was not made when he Preached; but was put to him since, and he could not answer it: 'Tis strange, that having so long time, before he Printed his Sermon, that he should in Print say, he had not leisure to remove it: But I believe him, for this place doth tell him to his face, that his Doctrine is false: and this he will never be able to remove. But to open this Scripture, They did eat the same spiritual meat, and drank the same spiritual drink, to wit, the body and blood of Christ: ('tis plain then that they were not under the curse) The Apostle in this place proves that the Fathers had the Sacrament of the (p) Eucharistia est Communio corporis, & sanguinis Christi: At Manna & aqua ex rupe fuerunt Israelitis Eucharistia. Ergo Manna & Aqua ex rupe suerunt Israelitis Communio corporis & sanguirus Christi: non potest ergo negati Sacramenta veteribus fuisse, quod ad rem attinet, paria novis, Chamier. de Sacram. V T. lib. 3. cap. 2. Eucharist, (which we call the Lords Supper) as well as we: The Argument runs thus: The Eucharist is the Communion of the body and blood of Christ: but Manna and water out of the Rock, were to the Israelites the Eucharist: Therefore, Manna, and water out of the Rock, were to the Israelites the Communion of the body and blood of Christ: It cannot therefore be denied but the Sacraments were to the Fathers, in regard of the thing signified, the same, and equal to the Sacraments in the New Testament. Saint (q) Aliud illi, aliud nos, sed specie visibili, quod tamen hoe idem significaret, virtute Spiritali, Augustin. in Evang. Joan. Tract. 26. Col. mihi. 228. Augustin saith, The Sacraments of the Fathers in regard of the outward signs differ from ours: but in regard of the substance and the thing signified, they are the same: This place than doth absolutely prove, that they were not under the curse, but had actual remission, and the knowledge of it present. Page 56. At the latter end, his Answer is: They did eate the same meat, but not after the same manner, for they did eat Christ to come, not present. This is a new manner of eating Christ in the Sacrament, which cannot be proved by Scripture: There is in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, a threefold (r) Ad ipsum Sacramentum Eucharistiae quod attinet, est ibi mandacatio, & bibitio triplex: 1, Oralis five corporalis: 2, Spiritualis: 3, Sacramentalis, Lawrent. Dialog. Encharist. pag. 460. eating. First, Oral or corporal: Secondly, Spiritual: Thirdly, Sacramental. Now all true believers do spiritually eat the body and blood of Christ, which really and indeed is taken and received, not with the mouth of the body corporally, but with the mouth of Faith spiritually: The manner of their eating was by Faith, ours is the same: To say a man eats a thing to come, (is a gross piece of nonsense) How can that be? can one eat that which he hath not? can he eat bread to come? Christ was as really present to the Fathers, in their Sacrament of the Eucharist, as he is to us in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper: (But that I may not be mistaken, I will set down what I mean by Christ's real presence in the Sacrament) though we hold a real presence of Christ's body and blood in the Sacrament, yet do we not take it to be local, bodily or substantial, but spiritual and mystical. First, to the signs by Sacramental relation: Secondly, to the Communicants by Faith alone. The first stands in this: That when the elements of Bread and Wine are present to the hand, and to the mouth of the receiver; at the very same time, the body and blood of Christ, are presented to the mind: thus, and no otherwise, is Christ present with the signs. The second presence, in respect of the Communicants, is, that Christ is really present to their believing hearts: They by Faith applying when God gives Christ with his benefits, and man for his part by Faith receives the same as they are given: There ariseth that union which is between every good receiver and Christ himself; which union is not forged, but a real, true, and near conjunction, nearer than which none is or can be, because it is made by a solemn giving and receiving, that passeth between God and Man; as also by the bond of one and the same Spirit. To come then to the point, considering there is a real union, and consequently, a real communion between us and Christ; there must needs be such a kind of presence wherein Christ is truly, and really present, to the heart of him that receives the Sacrament in Faith: And such a real Communion was there between the Fathers and Christ: and such a presence wherein Christ was really present to them in the Old Testament, who received the Sacraments in Faith. We conclude then, they did eate Christ present. If it be objected, Christ was not in their time come in the flesh. The Apostle makes answer, (a) Est etiam fides, & praeteritarum rerum, & praesentium, & suturarum, Aug. Ench●rid on, cap. 8. Exhibitus patribus in promissione, ita ut eorum fidei non minus praesens suerit sanguis Christi fundendus, quam fidci nostrae praesens est jam ol●m effusus, Tessan. praelect. in loc. Heb. 11.1. Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This place concerns the Worthies in the Old Testament, as appears in the following part of the chapter; and stands in opposition to those who think things not to be truly present, which are present by Faith: So that Christ was present in his incarnation to the Fathers, not in opinion, or imaginarily, but truly, and really, not potentially, but actually. God freely giving, and they by Faith receiving whole Christ, God and Man, together with all his benefits, were (in eodem instanti) in that very present point of time, justified, and their sins pardoned, and actually remitted, and did believe actual and eternal remission of sins present, to their souls, for their everlasting salvation: The blood of Christ being by Faith instantaneally and efficaciously present to them before his coming, as it is to us now since his coming in the flesh. But as he would have it, the Fathers eaten him to come, we eat him gone and passed; and what will follow? That neither they nor we, but only they who lived in the days of his flesh eat him present; what's become of Faith all this while? Pag. 67. Do you not (saith he) remember what was (c) Parcius ista memento. whispered at the Assize some years past: That the great malefactors condemned the little ones? This it may be was true. To this I answer, there was a whispering at the Assize some years past: That there was a great Malefactor (as it seemed probable) to cloak his own guilt, would have condemned, and did accuse the innocent. Pag. 73. Who would have thought (saith he) but that zeal for the Sabbath, and God, had been an undoubted mark of Salvation? but (he concludes) you see the contrary. To this I answer, had it been true zeal, it had been an undoubted mark of a true Christian: bat his words were when he preached; That people might make a strict conscience of the observation of the Sabbath, and yet stone Christ out of the Church: which to me seems to be a lewd speech; strictness implying sincerity; besides they that questioned our Saviour did it not so much out of conscience as humour. Pag. 74. He propounds this question: First, whether a desire to be saved be an infallible note of salvation? (he saith) the safest way is to say no. Secondly, whether a desire to believe be Faith itself? To this I answer, if he speaks of every desire of salvation, the question is needless; and to propound a question of so great consequence without further expressing himself, is but to set a Trap to ensnare weak consciences; and to handle the word deceitfully; But I answer, an unfeigned desire of salvation in a sanctified use of the means, is an infallible note of salvation. Give me leave to explain myself thus. The difference and degrees of Faith are two. First, A weak Faith. Secondly, A strong Faith. Concerning the first. The weak Faith showeth itself by this grace of God, namely, an unfeigned desire, not only of salvation, (for that a wicked and graceless man may have) but of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure sign of Faith in every touched and humbled heart: and it is peculiar to the elect; and they which have this, have in them also the ground and substance of true saving Faith. Reason to prove this; First, the promise of life everlasting is made to the desire of reconciliation. (d) Est autem valde cemphatica metaphora, famis & sitis, qua non levis expetitio, sed vehemens, serium, & arden's desiderium g●atiae & donorum, per gratiam describitur: Gerhard. Harm. cap. 15. col. mih● 535. Matth. 5.6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled: by hungering and thirsting here is meant an ardent and earnest desire after grace, which our Saviour lays down as an infallible note of salvation: Psal. 145.19. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him, he will also hear their cry, and will save them: and (e) Desiderium efficax & pietati congruens, certissima est nota homin●s pii. Usus, Consolationis erga Christianos, qui infirmitatibus & tentationibus nonnunquam pressi & vexari nihil in semetipsis salu i affine sentire possunt: praeter desideria pia. Ames. lect. in Psalm. Doctor Ames upon Psal. 42.1.2. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee O. God: my soul thirsteth for God: lays down this point of doctrine: Aneffectuall desire congruent to piety, is a most certain note of a godly man from which he draws an use of consolation to Christians, who are sometimes so pressed and disquieted with infirmities and tentations, that they have no evidence in themselves of their salvation, but only godly desires. Secondly, the hungering desire after grace is a sanctified affection; where one affection is sanctified, all are sanctified; where all are sanctified, the whole man is sanctified; and he that is sanctified, is justified and believes, and shall infallibly be saved. Thirdly, God accepts the will and desire to believe for repenting and believing indeed: wherefore this desire of reconciliation (if it be sound wrought in the heart) is in acceptation with God as true faith indeed. 'tis confessed that there be many and sundry fleeting motions and desires to do good things; which grow to no issue or head, but in time vanish as they come: Now these are not true desires after salvation, but rather flashing humours, and sudden passions. Such have no soundness in them; and must be distinguished from the true desire of reconciliation with God, that comes from a bruised heart, and brings always reformation of life: And thus I have answered both his questions. Whereas in his conference, Pag. 3. he hath this comparison: The poor man can tell you, that to be rich, and to desire to be rich are two things; even so is Faith, and a desire to believe: as all that desire to be rich are not rich, so all that desire to believe do not believe: I answer, (non cadem est ratio) his comparison holds not, but is as poor as the poor man in it: A man may seriously and in good earnest have a hungering desire after riches, and yet be a stark beggar, and have no riches at all; but it is not so in the desire of grace: I argue thus, he that desireth grace must needs have the Spirit, for this desire cannot come of (f) Voluntas est animi motus, cogente nullo ad aliquid non admittendum, vel adipiscendum Haec autem ut non admittat malum, & adipiscatur bonum, praeven●tur & praeparatur Dei gra●ia & ipsa bona volun●as pedisse qua est granae, non praevia, Magist lib 2. didst 20. nature, Phil. 2.13. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do acccrding to his good pleasure: So that to will or desire good is from grace wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God; yea this is a singular grace: Tee have begun (saith the Apostle) not only to do, but also to be forward or willing, 2 Cor. 8.10, 11. making it a greater grace to be willing and desirous to do well, than it is to do the thing that is good: and thereupon inferreth, Vers. 12. If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not: Yea this is almost all, that the faithful have many times to comfort themselves withal, that they find in themselves an unfeigned desire to please God: This was all that Nehemiah could say of himself, and the rest of his brethren, Nehem. 1.11. That they did desire to fear God's Name: Isa. 26.8. The desire of our soul is to thy Name. This was Paul's comfort, Rom. 7.18. To will is present with me. From these places, that godly, reverend Divine Master (g) Hildersham John 4. pag. mihi 9 in the beginning. Arthur Hildersham concludes: They must needs be sure therefore of Grace, that have an unfeigned desire of it, for they have it already; No man can desire Faith that hath not Faith: the desire then of Grace is Grace, and the desire of Faith is Faith; and he that hath any one Grace in truth and soundness in him, he may be certain that his heart is upright, and that he is truly regenerate: thus Master Hildersham upon the fourth of John page (in my edition) 425. And the (h) Omnes virtutes sibi haerent, ut qui una carn●rit, omnibus careat: qui ergo unam habet, omnes haber, Magist. lib. 3 dist. 36. Omnes in hoc conveniun, quod qui habet unam virtutem Theologicam, habet omnes. Henric. de Vrimaria. Add. in lib. Senten. School affirms; That all the graces of God are so conjoined, and together; that he that wants one grace in truth, wants all; and he that hath any one grace in truth, hath all other graces. Thus than you see, though his comparison holds good in things temporal; that a desire to be rich is not to be rich: yet it falls to the ground in things spiritual; for the poor humbled soul that desires grace is rich in grace. And Master (i) Perkins Cases of Conscience, page mihi 24 col. 1. Sect. Perkins concludes that a desire to repent and believe in a touched conscience and heart, is Faith and repentance itself, though not in nature, yet in God's acceptation. O poor souls, you that complain of the want of Faith and Grace, out of a hungering desire you have after them, comfort your drooping spirits against such desperate disconsolate doctrine as this, merely contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel, and the true way of preaching Free Grace by Christ, who will not break a bruised Reed, nor quench smoking Flax; if an an Angel from heaven preach any other doctrine believe him not. I say again, cheer up your hearts; The gates of Hell shall never prevail against you, you are rich in grace and all the precious promises of the Gospel belong to you; and all the riches of God's mercy in Christ Jesus are yours; what shall I say more? I conclude, God is yours, Christ is yours, and all is yours. Now we are come to the third question laid down in Page the 74. at the latter end: Whether when Faith lies hid, that we cannot see that we believe by the inward Testimony of our conscience, that it is possible our works of piety or charity can assure us of salvation? his answer is: I say no; and my reasons are these. 1. That which makes me doubt of my Faith, will make me doubt of the sincerity of my work. 2. How is it possible I should judge my work sincere, when I cannot see I believe? Whatsoever is not of Faith is sin. I answer, there are divers grounds which make a man doubt of his Faith, different from those which make him doubt of the sincerity of his work; as through the want of apprehension, whereby he can say from his conscience that he is justified and at peace with God: And in regard of spiritual desertions: There is a twofold inward testimony of conscience: The first is an immediate knowledge that a man doth believe, which is by the prime and next efficient cause; namely the Spirit of God; called the (k) Id est eandem fidem, ex ejusdem Spiritus afflatu, & dono Beza in loc. Spirit of Faith, 2 Cor. 4.13. and this is more fully set down down, 1 Cor. 2.12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. The second inward testimony of conscience is the sincerity of a man's work, whereby a Christian knows he doth believe; and concerning the sincerity of the work none can judge but a man's own conscience, whose proper office it is; and this the Apostle sets down, 2 Cor. 1.12. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our (l) Certebonam conscientiam habemus quod candid, & ca an misinceritate quam Dominus in nobis requiri●, un sumus. Luc. Ostand. in loc. conscience: that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world. Conscience being that privity which the soul hath to things known to none but God and itself, is able to judge of the intention of every action: So that as a tree is known by the fruits; in like manner Faith is certainly known by its fruits, as the cause is known by the effect. And the Apostle (m) Insallibile est signam vere r●natorum: organm a postenori valer. Arett. come. in loc. 1 Joh. 3.14. makes love to the brethren an infallible sign of a regenerate man; We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. So that although we cannot immediately see that we do believe, yet if we find in our conscience that we love the brethren, we know by this that we do believe; for as breath is a certain sign and evidence of present life, so love to the brethren of present Faith; even as we see that when the Sun is eclipsed, though the earth wants the light of it, yet not the real influence; and though men see not the Sun in the light of it, they do see it in its real influence and virtue; So although Faith may be hid in regard of the souls immediate seeing it, yet it may evidently see it doth believe in regard of Faith's real influences, and effects; love to the brethren being one: and thus though Faith lies hid, Charity doth and can assure us of our salvation. Pag. 75. What works are done in Faith (says he) that the same acts may not be done in the spirit of bondage? If you say indeed that the actions are the same, but they differ in the end; I grant it, and in the efficient also: but as I cannot discern the efficient, so neither can I discern the end of my work. To this I answer, I discern the efficient by the end; he that hath a discursive intellect and can make use of that reason which God bath given him, can easily tell to what end he undertakes such and such an action; The end being the first thing in the (a) Finis qui ultimus est executione, primus est intention; omnis intellectus operativus incipit a fine. Keckerm. System. lib. 1. pag. 165. intention, and that which first sets the mind on work about this or that: thus in temporals, so likewise in spirituals. The Christian being able to make use of his sanctified reason, can easily tell the intent of his heart, and the end he aims at, especially having the word of God as a sure rule to go by; he can tell whether he loves the brethren out of any by end he hath, or only as brethren, setting all other respects aside; And finding this holy affection in himself, must needs conclude it cannot be in a man that doth not believe. I have heard of a very godly Minister, who (as I take it) being sick to death was much troubled about his evidence, and doubted whether he did belong to God or no? at the last, Well, says he, the devil shall never gull me; I have one evidence will assure me without fail, I am certain I love God's people, and so gathered comfort: Upon these grounds I am bold to determine the question affirmatively; That although Faith lies hid for the present, yet a man from works of piety, and charity, which he finds in himself, may have assurance that he doth believe, and so is in the state of salvation. In his conference, pag. 12. he doth confess: Where unfeigned love to the brethren is found, it may be a testimony of grace received; but he objects How shall I know? (his answer is) That unless we believe truly, we cannot know we love unfeignedly, therefore though our love hear witness to our Faith before men, yet our Faith bears witness to our love in the secrets of our heart; neither can it ever appear to be true love, that proceeds not from a heart first embracing Christ by Faith. To this I answer, by my loving unfeignedly I know I believe truly; the truth of my work being an infallible evidence of the truth of my Faith; and I can try my work by the sure rule of the Word which will not fail: and thus though I cannot see my Faith formally, yet I can see it effectively, I mean in its effective energy and efficacy. Again, our love doth not only bear witness to our Faith before men, but also to ourselves, that we do believe; our consciences telling us that it is such a love that must needs flow from Faith, and be a fruit and effect of it. Good (b) Opera bona tripliciter veniunt consideranda: 1. Ratione materiae sive objecti circa quod versantur: 2. Ratione originis ex qua procedunt. 3. Ratione finis, in quem fiunt. Laurent. come. in Epist. Jaceb. pag. mihi. 178. works are to be considered; 1. In regard of the matter or object, about which they are conversant. 2. In regard of the original, from which they do proceed. 3. In regard of the end, for which they are done: Now who can judge of the proper and formal object of a man's love to the brethren, whether grace be it or no? or who can tell whether it flows from a sincere affection to grace or no? or whether there be any by end or not? another man cannot judge, 1 Cor. 2.11. For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? by the (c) Spiritus hominis significar substantialem hominis pattem, animum seu intellectum, & conscientiam hominis, quae cuique certissime dictat, quid in intimis cordis recessibus lateat, & quisque in sinu gerat. Pare. come. in loc. spirit we are to understand the substantial part of man, the mind, or intellect, and conscience, which doth certainly dictate and tell to every one, what lies hid in the secret passages of his heart, and every thing that he carrieth in his bosom; for the mind of man doth not only understand those things which are abroad, or man's outward actions; but his very inwards: And by reflection upon itself, knows and understands that it understands itself. And thus its plain, that no other can judge of a man's true love to the brethren but his conscience and spirit; and the spirit sanctified, can by the Word judge certainly, another but conjecturally. And thus you see our love bears witness to our faith in the secrets of our heart, and doth infallibly evidence to us that we do believe: And my conscience evidences to me, that this love could not be in my heart unless I had Faith, and our Saviour tells us, Mat. 25.40. (d) Eleemosyna haec est quae Christum pascit esurientem in paupere, Prosper. De promis. & praedict. Dei. par. 2. cap. 7. Inasmuch as we embrace his Brethren, by acts of love, we embrace him in our arms, which none can do without Faith. In his conference, Pag. 13. he lays down this as a Note of love to the brethren; If they be in poverty, to sell the whole or half of our possessions and divide among them: The sick man propounds this question: Can I not love them unless I sell my possessions, and divide among them? The Minister makes answer, Verily no, for true love binds us not only to lay down our goods, but our lives also where need requireth. The sick man saith, He hath not loved them thus: The Minister tells him, than he hath loved them in word, not in deed; in tongue, not in truth: And concludes, that few can by this mark be assured of their salvation, because they come so fare short of the precept and example of our Lord. To this I answer, Cannot a man love the Brethren, unless he actually sell the whole or half of his possessions; and divide among them? its enough if he carry a mind to sell them if need require, which every good Christian doth, and will in case of necessity part with his estate and life too: Pag. 14. In his conference he saith, I do for the present believe, until I shall see ground to the contrary, that Saint John doth principally speak of our assurance, whereby we know (e) Nos scimus; quid nos scimus? quia transivimus de morte ad vitam; undescimus? quia diligimus fratres Nemo. interroget hominem, redeat unusquifque ad cor suum; si ibi invenerit Charitatem sraternam, securus sit, quia transiit de motte ad vitam, Jam in dextra est. Aug. Expos. in Epist. Joan. tract. 5. col. mihi 613. in fine. one another to be the children of God: this shows he understands not the meaning of this place, it being chiefly to be understood of the evidence we have in ourselves. Pag. 15. I do affirm (saith he) that he that hath no greater witness in himself, than love to the brethren, shall never attain to assurance of Salvation: Mark how within the compass of three leaves he doth say and unsay: for Pag. 12. He doth confess, unfeigned love to the brethren is a testimony of grace received. Now whosoever hath a testimony, that he hath received Grace, hath assurance by this of his Salvation; it makes no matter whether the Testimony he hath be greater or less, so it be sound and true; and a Christian in this case may argue (a minore ad majus) from the lesser to the greater, for he that in Truth hath this witness, is infallibly certain of the greater, and may by this, know that he hath that: I mean Faith: if by it, he understands the greater. They are cursed speeches of the sick man, to say, Hell gapes for him; he shall be damned; And cursed be the time that ever I laid a foundation upon the sands. As though to affirm, that unfeigned love to the brethren is an infallible note of true believers, were to lay a foundation upon the sands, whereas the Apostle affirms as much. Master Perkins speaking of the right way of ministering comfort to a party distressed, lays this down for one ground, Namely, to love any man because he is a Christian, and a child of God, is a sensible and certain note of a man that is partaker of the true love of God in Christ: and he proves it by this place we are upon, 1 Joh. 3.14. Having laid down this ground, (saith he) The way whereby the party in distress, may be brought within the compass of the promise of Salvation, stands in two things, in making trial, and applying of the promise. First, when a man is in the fit of Tentation, he will say resolutely, he is sure to be damned: Ask him in this fit, of his love to God, he will answer, he hath none at all: but ask him further; whether he love a man because he is a Christian and a Child of God? then he will say, he doth indeed. In the second place, the applying of the promise of life everlasting to the party distressed; And that is done by a kind of reasoning: The first part whereof is taken from the Word of God: The second, from the testimony of the distressed conscience; And the conclusion is the applying of the promise on this manner: Major, Minor. He that loves a man because he is a Christian and a child of God, is certainly themselves a true child of God. But thou lovest a man because he is a Christian and a child of God: Therefore thou art a child of God, Conclus. and art translated from death to life, as the Apostle speaks. Another ground of comfort for a party distressed, Master Perkins lays down from the unfeigned desire after grace, which he in his Conference, Page 3. and in his Book, Page 74. doth utterly reject. First (saith Master Perkins) let the comforter ask the party in distress, whether he believe, and repent? The distressed party answers no, he cannot repent, nor believe: Then we must further ask, whether he doth desire to believe and repent? To this he will answer, he doth desire it with all his heart: Now for applying the promise to the distressed, the Argument will run thus: He that hath an unfeigned desire to repent and believe, hath remission of sins and life everlasting: Major. Minor. Conelus. But thou hast an earnest desire to repent and believe in Christ: Therefore, remission of sins and life everlasting is thine. Thus Master Perkins. But that I may comfort the poor weak Christian against such Doctrine as this, That such as do desire to believe, do not believe; I will conclude with an Example I have read in the works of that famous Divine Master Greenham, who tells of one Master Chambers of Leycester, who in his sickness grievously despaired, and cried out that he was damned, and after died: yet it is not for any to note him (says he) with the black mark of a reprobate. One thing which he spoke in his extremity (O that I had but one drop of Faith!) must move all men to conceive well of him: for by this it seemeth he had an heart, which desired to repent and believe: And therefore, a repentant and believing heart indeed. Blame me not for having a second bout at such Doctrine as this, so destructive to poor distressed Consciences, so contrary to the Word of God, and against the experience of every true broken hearted Christian. What Doctrine soever tends to the vilifying of a sanctified life, is a Doctrine of devils, though it appear as an Angel of light: And such as labour to make the Law of God of no use (not so much as a rule of life) to a believer, do deny the Kingly Office of Christ, and they are Antichrist: Now the Lord give us broken hearts, that we may be low in our own eyes, and not be led by our own humours: but that we may be guided by the Spirit of truth, according to the word of Truth. I will present you with the golden chain of Salvation, and I have done. 1. God hath ordained. 2. Christ hath merited. 3. The Word doth promise. 4. The Sacraments do seal. 5. Faith doth receive. 6. The mouth doth confess. 7. Works do testify. Now to God only wise, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all praise, as is most due, for evermore. FINIS.