THE DOCTRINE
OF CHRISTIAN
LIBERTIE.
IOHN 8. 36.
If therefore the Sonne shall make you free,
you shall be free indeed.
THESE words are a conclusion
of the verses going
before.§. Sect. 1. The context. For whereas
our Sauiour CHRIST
hauing promised some of
the hearers, who,Vers. 3
•
. whiles he was yet
speaking of his person and office, began
to beleeue in him, that if they did approue
themselues to be hisVers. 31. true disciples,
by their perseuerance and constant
abiding in his word, theyVerse. 32.
should
know the truth, (that is he would more
fully manifest himselfe vnto them, as
he speaketh Ioh. 14. 21.) and this truth,
(which is himselfe, Ioh▪ 14. 6.
••
hn 14. 6. 21.
should
make them free; the captious Iewes (pretending
that they vnderstood him as
speaking of a corporall or ciuill libertie)
Vers. 33. cauilled at this promise, which indeed
did not belong vnto them, as if hee had
offered them great indignitie, by promising
them libertie, to presuppose
their seruitude; alleaging that they were
alreadie free, and therfore scorned his
promised libertie, which they needed
not, being neither seruants by nature or
birth, for they were Abrahams seed, nor
yet by their fortune or personall condition,
for they neuer serued any. Our Sauiour
therefore, both to refute their
cauill, and also to iustifie his promise,
proueth these foure things vnto
them: 1. That they were seruants.
2. That they had great need to bee
made free. 3. That this freedome
must come by him. 4. That being
freed by him, they should bee free indeed.
The first he proueth thus:Vers. 34.
whosoeuer
committeth sinne, that is, in whomsoeuer
sinne raigneth, he is the seruant of
sinne; but such he insinuateth they were,
yea such are all menTit. 3. 3. by nature, vntill
they be ingrafted into Christ by faith,
and renued by the holy Ghost; and
therefore hee would haue them to conclude,
that for all their bragges, they
were the miserable seruants of sinne, and
consequentlie the slaues of Satan1. Ioh. 3. 8., subject
to the curse of the law, and to eternall
damnation.
2. That they had great need to bee
made free, hee sheweth both by the inconuenience
of their seruitude; for being
Vers. 35. seruants, and not sons, howsoeuer
now they had a place in the house of
God, as Ismael
Gen. 21. 10. had, yet the time should
come, that they should bee cast out;)
and also by the benefit which should accompanie
their freedome, that being
made the sonnes of God, they should as
heires of eternall life, abide, not only
to the end of their daies in the Church
militantTim. 3. 15. (which is the house of God
vpon earth) but also for euer in the
Church triumphant, which is Gods
Iob. 14. 1. house in heauen.
3. That the faithfull attaine to this
freedome by adoption in Christ. For, to
so
Iob. 1. 12. Gal. 3. 26.
m any as receiue him by faith, hee hath
giuen this liberty or power to be the sonnes
of God. And,Rom. 8. 17. Gal. 47.
if sonnes, then also heires.
This a
••
ertion is presupposed in this
place, as being the hypothesis wherupon
this inference is grounded. Those that
be the sonnes of God, abide in the house
of God for euer; therefore if the Sonne
shall make you free, &c. presupposing
that men attaine to the freedome of
Gods sonnes, by the benefit of Christ,
the onely begotten Sonne of God.
Wherupon, as I said, is inferred the
fourth thing, which is my text; If the
Sonne therefore shall make you free, you
shall be free indeed.
As if hee had said: you haue no cause
to cauil at the promise of libertie, which
I make to all them which truly beleeue
in me. For I tell you vpon my word,
which is Amen (that is, true and infallible)
that both you, and all men by
nature, though the seed of Abraham
(as you are), though liuing (as you do)
in the visible Church of God, are the
very seruants of sinne; that being seruants
and not sonnes, they must not
looke to inheriteGalath. 4. 28 with the sons of the
promise, or to abide in the house for euer;
but when the time of separation
commeth, they shall asMatth. 3. 12. 13. 30. 25. 33 chaffe be seuered
from the wheate; as tares, from
the corne; as goates, from the sheepe; as
Gen. 21. 10. Galath. 4. 30.
Hagar and Ismael, from Isaak the sonne
of the promise. Therefore, though your
pride will not suffer you to see and acknowledge
thus much: yet certainly
great need haue you to bee made free;
that of the seruants of sinne, you may
become the sons of God. But you, who
are (as allEphes. 2. 3. men by nature are) the children
of wrath, cannot possiblie bee the
sons of God, except you beleeue in me,
who am the only begotten Son of
God; that I may by the grace of adoption
communicate that vnto you, which
I my selfe am by nature and eternall generation.
So shall you, of the seruants of
sinne, sons of Satan, and heires of Hell
and damnation, be made the sons of
God, heires of eternall life, citizens and
free denizens of the kingdome of heauen.
Whereas now therefore you are
miserable seruants, notwithstanding
your corporall and carnall libertie,
whereof you vaunt, which is not a true
libertie, but a voluntarie seruice of sin:
if you shall beleeue in me, and approue
your selues to be my true disciples, by
abiding in my words; I, who am the
truth, will make you free, not with a
counterfeit or imaginary freedome, such
as is your libertie, but with a true and
spirituall freedome, which is the gracious,
and the glorious libertie of the
sons of God.
Thus haue you heard the context, or
coherence of these words with the former,
(whereunto wee are referred by
this word of inference, therefore)
wherein diuers things might profitablie
bee obserued, but that the text calleth
me vnto it, as containing matter of
greatest importance.
For Christian libertie,§. Sect. 2. The text. The argument wherof is Christian libertie. which is the
argument of my text, is, as the Apostle
•
aith,Rom. 14. 16.
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the verie good of
Christians; which Christ our Sauiour,
taking vpon him the forme of a seruant,
hath purchased with his owne most
precious1. Pe
•
. 1. 18. blood; which is the benefit of
the Messias, whereunto wee are called
Gal. 5. 13., Galath. 5. 13. which hee hath promised
as a reward to his true disciplesIohn. 8. 32.,
vers. 32. which as himselfe came to
preachLuke. 4. 18., Luk. 4. 18. so doth he send
vs his Embassadours to the same end,
viz. to preach the Gospell, which is
theIames. 1. 25. 2. 12.
law of libertie, and the doctrine of
redemption and freedome by him: that
by our MinisterieAct. 26. 18. men may be brought
out of spirituall bondage, vnto the libertie
of Gods children. The consideration
whereof, as it bindeth me with all reuerent
care and intention of mind, to intreate
of this argument; so ought it to
moue you to heare the same with great
diligence and attention. And the rather,
not only because among vs, who professe
the Gospell, many do not know
the Christian libertie, and more do
abuse it to their owne perdition; but also
because the Papists are both enemies of
the liberty it self, endeauouring by their
Antichristian doctrine, to bereaue vs of
the chiefe parts thereof, and also malicious
standeres of the most Christian
& cōfortable doctrine of our Churches
concerning the same.
But to come to the words of my text,The explication of the text.
the summe and effect whereof is this:
that Christ the Sonne of God, is the author
of true libertie, to all those that truly beleeue
in him. For the explication wherof,
wee are first to speake of this libertie
in generall, and afterwards to descend
vnto the particulars.The generall doctrine of Christian li
•
ertie. In the generall
doctrine wee are to consider these foure
things. 1. What it is, and wherein generally
it doth consist. 2. Who is the author
of this libertie, which in the text
is expressed to bee the onely begotten
Sonne of God. 3. The subiect or the
parties on whom this libertie is conferred,
which is plainly gathered out of the
context or in
•
erence of these words vpon
the former, to bee all the sonnes of
God by adoption. 4. The generall property
of this liberty, that it is not a
counterfait or imagina
•
y, but a true liberty.
Of all which points, I will speake
very briefly.
As touching the first: for as much as
Logicians teach,§. Sect. 3. The definition of Christian libertie.
Arist. Poster. 1. 14. that the definition of
the speciall, is to bee
•
etched from the
distribution of the generall; for which
cause, thePlato in Sophista. diuine Philosopher calleth
a distribution
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, as being the
ready, and as it were the Kings way to
a definition: wee will therefore take a
suruey of the diuers sorts of liberty. For
there is an outward or externall liberty,
and there is an inward or internall libe
•
ty.
The former, is the liberty of the
outward man from externall or bodily
seruitude; which may be called the corporall
or ciuill liberty. Of this our Sauiour
speaketh not, though the Iewes
would seeme so to vnderstand him; but
of the internall, which may well stand
with the outward or ciuill bondage. For
as our Sauiour Christ noted them,
Iohn.
•
. 33. 34. though outwardly free, to bee in spirituall
bondage: so contrariwise, those
who in respect of the inner man are
free, may notwithstanding bee subiect
to the external or ciuill seruitude; which
nothing impeacheth or impaireth the
liberty of the soule and conscience before
God. In which regard the Apostle
saith;1. Cor. 7. 21.
Hee that is called in the Lord, being
a seruant, is the Lords freeman. So
that the liberty whereof we speake, is a
liberty of the soule, or inner man. Wicked
therefore is the doctrine of the
Anabaptists, who therby exempt themselues
from all subiection to the ciuill
Magistrate, vnder pretence of Christian
liberty. I call their doctrine wicked, because
the Apostle Peter
1. Pet. 2. 16. saith; that they
who vnder pretence of Christian liberty
deny obedience to the Magistrate in
lawfull things, doe vse their liberty for
a cloake to couer their wickednesse.
Againe, the inward liberty is either a
carnall, or spirituall libertie. The carnall
libertie is that, whereby the soule
of man is free from righteousnesse:
which indeed is a voluntary seruice of
sin. For when men be free from righteousnesse,
they are seruants of sinne, and
contrariwise; as the ApostleRom. 6. 20. sheweth.
But our Sauiour speaketh of a liberty,
which, as it freeth men from the seruitude
of sinne, and all the spirituall yokes
of bondage, which accompany the
same; so it maketh them the seruants
of righteousnesse. For whē
we are
Rom. 6. 18.
made
free from sinne, wee are made the seruants
of righteousnes. Wherefore, as in respect
of the former, we say with the Apostle;
Hee that is called, being a seruant, is the
freeman of Christ: so in respect of this
latter,1. Cor. 7. 22. he that is called being free, is the
seruant of Christ. Diuellish therefore is
the Doctrine of the Libertines, who
vnder pretence of Christian liberty, discharge
Christians from all obedience to
the law of God, setting them free to do
whatsoeuer themselues thinke good.
And such is the slander of the Papists,
laying that doctrine to our charge, who
notwithstāding are further from it then
themselues. For by the Popes indulgences
and pardons, and the Priests
absolutions, setting men free from sinne
for small, and oft times for ridiculous
penances, what doe they else but teach
men to make but a sport of sinne? Of
such Libertines the Apostle Peter
2. Pet. 2. 19. speaketh,
that whilest they promise liberty
to others, themselues are the seruants of
corruption.
It remaineth therefore, that Christian
liberty is a spirituall liberty, freeing the
true Christian from the seruitude of
sinne, and from all other yokes of spirituall
bondage, wherewith sinne had
intangled vs.
Neither is Christian liberty onely
priuatiue, as being a freedome and immunity
from bondage; as though this
were all, that by it we are not seruants:
but as appeareth by this Scripture, it is
also positiue, as being a liberty, power,
right, and interest to the priuileges of
Gods children, who are also heires of
God, and coheires with Christ. For
when hee had said that seruants abide
not in the house for euer, but that such
as bee sonnes, abide in the house of God
for euer, hee inferreth, If therefore the
sonne shall make you free, you shall bee
free indeed. Giuing vs to vnderstand,
that those whom hee freeth, hee doth
not onely make them not seruants, viz.
of sinne, but also sonnes and heires of
God, and citizens of heauen. Euen as
they who are made freemen of London,
or any other terrestriall Citie, are
not only exempted from being seruants
or apprentises; but also are indowed
with the liberties and priuileges of free
Burgesses and Citizens. So saith the Apostle,
Gal 4. 5. 6. 7 Gal. 4. 5. that Christ hath redeemed
those who were vnder the law,
that wee might receiue the adoption of
sonnes, &c.
Christian liberty therefore is a spirituall
liberty, which as theGalath. 2. 4.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
The partition. Apostlo
speaketh, the faithfull haue in Christ
Iesus. That is the definition.
The essentiall parts wherof generally
it consisteth, are two. For partly it is
priuatiue, as being an immunity from
all spirituall bondage; in which respect
it is called in the ScriptureHeb. 9. 12. Luk 2. 38.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
and
Rom. 3. 24. Colos. 1. 14.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, that is redemption, and is
sometimes expressed by the verbes
Heb. 2. 15.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
and
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
,Col. 1. 13. 1. Thess. 1. 10 signifying deliuerance:
and partly it is positiue, as being
a right, title, and interest to the priuiledges
and prerogatiues of Gods adopted
children in Christ, the citiziens of
the Celestiall Ierusalem: and in this respect
it is called
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, as Ioh. 1. 12. to
those that receiue Christ by faith, hee
hath giuen
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, libertie, right or power
to bee the sons of God,1. Cor. 8. 9. 1. Cor. 8. 9.
Take heed, lest
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
your liberty,
right or power, bee not an offence to the
weake. Thus you see what this libertie is,
and wherein generally it doth consist.
The author of this libertie is Christ
the Sonne of God,The efficient or author of this libertie. as it is heere said:
If the Sonne therefore shall make you free,
&c. so the Apostle calleth itGalath. 2. 4.
the libertie
with wee haue in and by Christ: and againe.
Galath. 5. 1 the libertie wherewith Christ
hath made vs free. For hee is
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
,
Rom. 11. 26. that Deliuerer which should come out
of Sion, who deliuereth vs
1. Thess. 1. 10.
from the
wrath of God, from the tyrannie of Satan,
1. Iohn 3. 8. dissoluing the works of the diuell,
Mat. 12. 29 binding the strong man and casting
him out,Colos. 2. 15. spoiling principalities and
powers, andEphes. 4. 8. leading captiuitie captiue;
from the bondage of sinne, for hee is
theIohn 1. 7.
Lambe of God that taketh away the
sinnes of the world, whose blood doth
1. Iohn 1. 7. Hib. 9. 14. 1. Pet. 1. 18. cleanse vs both from the guilt of sinne,
and also from the corruption: for therefore
hee
Tit. 2. 14.
gaue himselfe for vs, that he
might redeeme vs from all iniquitie, and
might purge vs to bee a peculiar people to
himself, Zealous of good workes. And he is
that perfect Sauiour, out of whose side
did issue bothIoh. 19. 34. 35. 1. Ioh. 5. 6
blood and water; the blood
of redemption, to free vs from the guilt
of sinne; and the water of ablution, to
cleanse vs from the corruption. From
the lawGal. 4. 4., for therefore was he borne of a
woman, and made vnder the law, that hee
might redeeme them that were vnder the
law. From death and damnation; for
therfore hee became aGal. 3. 13.
curse, that wee
might bee freed from the curse; therefore
hee died, that through
Heb. 2. 14. 15.
death hee
might vanquish him, who had the power
of death, that is, the diuell; and that hee
might deliuer them, who through feare
of death, were all their life time subiect to
bondage.
But this needeth no proofe; for in
that wee professe him to bee our redeemer,
by whom wee haueEphes. 1. 7. 1. Cor. 1. 30. redemption,
wee all acknowledge him to bee the author
of our libertie. Let vs rather consider,
how hee procureth this libertie
vnto vs. This he doth two waies; both
meritoriously, and effectually. By his
merit, in1. Tim. 2. 6.
giuing himselfe to bee a price
of ransome for vs. For, as Peter
1. Pet. 1. 18. 19. saith,
we are redeemed not with any corruptible
things, as siluer and gold, but with the
precious blood of Christ, byHeb. 9. 12. which
blood hee is entred once into the holy place,
hauing procured an eternall redemption
for vs. Secondly, by the efficacie of his
spirit, for wee are not to imagine, that
Christ hath only merited and purchased
this libertie for vs; but that also hee
doth confer, applie, and bestow it vpon
vs: which he doth by giuing vnto vs his
Rom. 8. 9. 19 Gal. 4. 6.
Spirit. For, as in the naturall bodie,
the animall spirit, which causeth sense
and motion, is from the head sent into
all the members of the bodie; so in the
mysticall bodie of Christ, the Spirit of
Psal. 51. 14.
libertie is communicated to all his
members; by which spirit hee dwelleth
in vs, and effectually worketh this libertie,
in the degrees of our saluation, viz.
vocation, iustification, sanctification,
glorification, (as you shall heare anon)
and by the meanes of our saluation. The
principall where of is the preaching of
the Gospell, which is the Law
〈◊〉
1. 25., or doctrine
of libertie, the ministerle where of
was ordained to this end, toA
•
t. 26. 18.
open mens
eyes, to turne them from darknesse vnto
light, and from the power of Satan vnto
God, that by faith in Christ, they may receiue
forgiuenesse of sinnes, and inheritance
with them that be sanctified.
This teacheth vs,The vse of this doctrine concerning the author of our libertie. that in our selues
we are seruants, (for else wee needed
not a redeemer) and of our selues not
able to free vs out of bondage: that there
was no meanes to set vs at libertie, but
the most precious ransome, which
Christ our blessed Sauiour paid for vs.
That wee should acknowledge the infinite
loue of GodIoh. 3. 16. 1. Ioh. 4. 10. the Father, who gaue
his Sonne, and of the SonneIoh. 15. 13 who gaue
himselfe to bee a ransome for vs. That
we may acknowledge our selues bound
to bee thankfullPsal. 107. 20. Col. 1. 12. 13. 14. Rom. 7. 25. 1. Cor. 15. 57. vnto him, for let them
giue thankes whom the Lord hath redeemed.
That we may highly esteeme of
this libertie, which cost so deare a price:
that with all diligence wee vse the meanes
to obtaine it, and neuer bee at rest
vntill wee be made partakers of it: when
we haue obtained it, toGalath. 5. 1. stand fast in it;
not to abuse it to licentiousnes, but to
vse it to the glorie of our Redeemer, who
hath freed vs frō the spirituall bondage
of sinne and Satan, not that we might
sin freely, but that we mightLuke 1. 74.
serue God
without feare, in holines and righteousnes
before him all the daies of our life. Wee
must remember, that being1. Cor. 6. 19. 20. bought
with a price, wee are not our owne, but
his that bought vs: and therefore should
not seeke our selues, or serue our owne
lusts, but should glorifie him both in
our soules and bodies, which are not
ours, but his that hath bought vs, &c.
& so much of the author of this liberty.
Now followeth the subiect or parties
to whom this libertie belongeth, which
by the context appeareth to bee those,
who by the grace of adoption and regeneration,§. 5. The subiect of this libertie, or parties on whō it is conferred.
are made the sonnes of God
in Christ. For naturally we are all seruants,
seruing a most seruile and slauish
seruitude vnder sinne and Satan; which
must seriously bee acknowledged of vs,
before we will either truly desire to bee
made partakers of this libertie, (for
none need to bee freed, but those that
are in bondage) or will profit by this
doctrine, as appertaining vnto vs. Our
Sauiour therefore, according to the
Esay. 61. 1 prophesie of Esay, saith,Luke 4. 1
•
that he was
sent to preach libertie and deliuerance to
the captiues, and to set at libertie the broken
hearted. He came to seeke and to
saue
Mat. 18. 11.
that which was lost: neither came
hee toMatth. 9. 13.
call the righteous (in their owne
conceits) but sinners vnto repentance:
to fill theMatth. 5. 3. 6. poore and the hungryLuke 1. 53. with
good things, whilest the rich are sent
emptie away.
Neither must wee deceiue our selues
with this conceit, that because wee professe
our selues to bee redeemed; and do
liue in the house of God which is his
visible Church, therefore wee haue all
attained this libertie alreadie. For in the
house of God, there bee as well2. Tim. 2. 20. vessels
of dishonor, as vessels of honor; in the
Matth. 3. 12. floore of God, as well chaffe as wheat;
in theMatth. 13. 47. net of God, as well bad fish as
that which is good; in theMatth. 13. 24. field of
God, as well tares as corne; in the familie
or house of God as wellIob. 8. 34. 31. seruants
as sonnes; in the flocke of
God, as wellMatth. 25. 32. 33. goates as sheepe. Vnlesse
therefore you bee the sons of God
by faith, truly called, engrafted into
Christ as his members, regenerated by
the Spirit of God, this libertie as yet
doth not belong vnto you. For it is a libertie,
as the Apostle saith,Galath. 2. 4.
which wee
haue in Christ, that is, which wee being
in Christ haue by him, as after we shall
heare: (which also) is conferred vpon
vs, in and by our vocation, iustification
and sanctification; and therefore none
enioy it, as actually made free, but
such as are sanctified, iustified and called.
But heere some will obiect: Are not
wee the Church of God, and is not the
Church a company of men called? haue
wee not beene baptized, and by baptisme
regenerated, made the members
of Christ, and children of God? How
then do you say, wee are not free? Beloued,
as this obiection is not vnlike the
cauill of the captious Iewes in this place;
so must it receiue the like answere. Verily,
verily I say vnto you, saith our Sauiour,
hee that committeth sinne is the seruant
of sinne, and the seruant shall not abide
in the house, &c. I know that you are
the Church of God, as these Iewes were;
and that you haue beene baptised, as they
had beene circumcised. But you must
distinguish, first, of the Church; that
there is a Church visible, and a Church
inuisible, which is the mysticall body
of Christ. And you are to know, that
there bee many in the Church visible,
which are not1. Ioh. 2. 19. of the Church inuisible;
many in the house of God, which bee
seruants and not sonnes. Secondly, of
calling; that there is an outward calling
by the Word, which is common to all
in the Church, of which it is said,Matth. 20. 16. & 22. 14. many
called, and few chosen. And there is an
inward and effectuall calling, according
to Gods purpose, of which it is said,
Rom. 8. 28. 30 whom hee elected, hee called. Thirdly,
of Baptisme; there is an outward Baptisme,
which is the sprinkling of the
1. Pet. 3. 21. flesh with water, and an inward Baptisme,
wherein the soule isHeb. 12. 24. sprinkled
with the blood of Christ, and with the
water of the holy Ghost, whereof the
outward is a signe. Fourthly, of vnion
with Christ, for there is a sacramentall
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vnion in Baptisme, and a spirituall by
the1. Cor. 12. 13 holy Ghost and by faith. Lastly, of
Christians, members of Christ, sonnes
of God. For as the Apostle distinguisheth
theRom. 2. 28. 29. Iewes, that they were either
outwardlie Iewes and in shew, or inwardly
and in truth; and our Sauiour in
the nextIoh. 8. 37. &c. words, the seed of Abraham
according to the flesh, and according to
the promise. For as Paul also saith, they
Gal. 3. 7.
which be of faith, are the sonnes of Abraham:
so men are called Christians, members
of Christ, sonnes of God, not only
who are such indeede and in truth; but
also such as are Christians onely in profession,
members of Christ in appearance,
Ezech. 16. 20. 21. sonnes of God in respect of the
outward couenant.Matth. 8. 12. Wherefore though
you liue in the visible Church, though
you bee called, though you haue beene
baptized, and by baptisme sacramentally
vnited to the body of Christ, which is
his Church; though in your owne profession,
and in the reputation of others,
who conceiue of you (as they ought)
according to the iudgement of charitie,
you are Christians, members of Christ,
and sonnes of the kingdome: notwithstanding,
if you doe not truely beleeue
in Christ and vnfainedly repent of your
sinnes, you are seruants and not sonnes.
Yea, so farre shall these outward priuiledges
bee from exempting you from
damnation, that they shall greatly aggrauate
your iudgement. For hath God
called vs, and wee are not called? hath
hee inuited vs to turne vnto him, and
wee are not conuerted? hath hee by his
Ministers2. Cor. 5. 20. intreated vs, that wee would
bee reconciled vnto him, and wee will
not bee reconciled? hath hee offered vs
infinite mercy in the mysterie of our saluation
by Christ, and wee haue despised
the same, not caring to apprehend the
mercies of God and merits of Christ,
but suffering his precious blood to bee
spilt as it were on the ground in vaine?
hath hee often soughtMatth. 23. 37. togather vs vnto
him, as the Hen gathered the Chickens
vnder her wings, and wee would not?
Then haue the meanes of saluation been
the meanes of obduration vnto vs; and
the Word, which to the faithfull is the
2. Cor. 2. 16. sauour of life vnto life, vnto vs is become
come a sauour of death vnto death. Yea,
for this contempt of the Gospell, if wee
persist in it, our estate in the day of
iudgement shall bee moreMatth. 10. 15. intolerable,
then theirs of Sodom and Gomorah.
And vnto vs belongeth that fearfull wo
denounced by our Sauiour Christ,Matth. 11. 21. 23. Wo
to thee Bethsaida, woe to thee Capernaum:
for if the meanes which you haue
had, had beene vouchsafed to them of
Tyrus and Sidon, yea to them of Sodom,
they would haue turned vnto
God, but I say vnto you, it shall bee easier
for them in the day of iudgement, then for
you. Againe, hath the Lord sent his
Sonne to redeeme vs, giuen vs meanes
to applie Christ vnto vs, hath he entreated
vs to beleeue and repent, and put to
his seale in Baptisine, thereby assuring
vs, that if wee beleeue and repent, our
soules are washed with the blood of
Christ, that wee are ingrafted into him,
and in him are made the sons of God,
and heires of eternall life? Shall not wee
therefore most worthily perish in our
sinnes, if notwithstanding wee will not
beleeue and repent; especially hauing
in our Baptisme by a solemne vow
bound our selues thereto? The consideration
whereof must force men, who
are not yet regenerated, vnfainedly to
turne vnto God, and to lay hold vpon
Christ by faith. For it is most certaine,
though they liue in the house of God,
which is his Church, yet vntill they truly
beleeue and repent, they are servants
and not sonnes: and such servants as are
held vnder the most miserable and bafest
slavery of sin and Satan: being not
only bound hand and foot, yea in heart
and mind, so that they can neither doe
nor thinke that which is spiritually
good; but are also caried away2. Tim. 2. 26 Titus 3. 3. captiue,
to performe the will of Satan, and
the lusts of the flesh; whereby it comes
to passe, that as they can doe no good,
so can they doe nothing but sinne.
The next thing to bee considered,§. 6. The quality or property of this liberty. is
the quality of this liberty, viz. that it
is a true liberty. For neither is it an imaginary
liberty, as in the paradox of the
Stoicks, who held that wise men of the
world were only free, when they also,
being not freed by Christ, were and are
no better but servants; or in the secure
imaginations of carnall men, who with
these Iewes, though being in bondage
thinke themselues free. Neither is it a
loose liberty or licentiousnesse, such as
Libertines assume to themselues, but a
true and a holy liberty, whereby wee
being freed from sin, become servants
of righteousnesse, and being deliuered
from the hands of our spirituall enemies,
are inabled to worship God with
willing mindes, and chearefull hearts:
for that is the only true liberty: and such
is the liberty of the Saints in heauen,
and of the blessed Angels, who count it
not only their liberty, but also their happinesse,
willingly & cheerefully to serue
the Lord. For if the Sonne, who is the
truth, shall make you free, then shall
you be free
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, in deed, and in truth.
This therefore, as it serueth for the
comfort of the godly; so also for the
terror of the wicked. For, from this
speech of our Saviour, we may conclude
both waies. 1. Whosoeuer are made
free by Christ, they are free indeed:
but all the faithfull are made free by
Christ; therefore (whatsoever the divell
or their owne corruption can obiect
to the contrarie) they are free indeed.
Againe, If the Son make you free,
saith Christ, then are you free indeed;
but you (say I to vnbeleevers and impenitent
sinners,) are not free indeed: For
he that committeth sin, is the servant of
sin; therefore, howsoever you professe
your selues redeemed by Christ, and
howsoever also it bee most true, that
Christ hath paid a ransome sufficient for
the redemption of all; yet are you not
actually redeemed, nor the benefit of redemption
applied vnto you, vntill you
be ingrafted into Christ by faith, and
renued by the holy Ghost. And the
same may be confirmed by the oath of
the Lord, (wherein
Heb. 6. 18.
it is impossible that
he should lie,) the oath which hee sware
to our father Abraham, that hee would
giue vs, both that we should bee delivered
from the hand, that is, the power &
dominion of our spirituall enemies; and
Luk.
〈◊〉
being deliuered, should also haue grace
to worship God without feare, in holines
and righteousnesse before him, all the daies
of our life. If therefore wee doe not endeavour
to worshippe God in holinesse
and righteousnesse, with willing minds
and vpright hearts; it is as sure as the
oath of the Lord is true, that as yet wee
are not actually freed and redeemed by
Christ. For if the Sonne make you free,
you shall be free indeed.
And thus much of the generall doctrine
of Christian liberty: wherein I
haue beene the shorter, because all these
points, whereof I haue thus generally
and briefly spoken, viz. that Christian
liberty is a spirituall liberty, which the
faithfull haue in and by Christ Iesus▪
that it consisteth on two parts, an immunity
and freedome from all spirituall
bondage, & an
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, & right to the priviledges
and liberties of Gods children:
that Christ our redeemer is the author
of this liberty, both in respect of his
merit and efficacie: that it is bestowed
only vpon the faithfull, who are the
sonnes of God and members of Christ:
and lastly, that this liberty of Christians
is a true liberty; all these points, I
say, will more plainly and fully appeare
in the particulars, whereunto wee are
now to descend.
Christian liberty thererfore is either libertas
-
Viae,
§. T. of this life,The special
•
doctrine of Christian liberty. such as is
incident vnto vs whiles wee
are in the way, whereof
Luk. 12. 58. some not vnfitly vnderstand
our Saviour to speake,
Luk. 12. 58. Giue diligence
to be delivered from thy adversary,
whiles thou art in
the way, &c. vnderstanding
by the Governour, God; by
the Iudge, Christ; by the adversary,
the divell, sin, a guilty
conscience, the sentence
of the law; by the way, this
life; by the officer the Angels;
by prison, hell, &c.
-
Patriae, of the life to come,
which we shall enioy, when
being come to the end of
our way, wee shall haue the
1.
〈◊〉
. 1. 9. end of our faith, which is
the salvation of our soules.
The former is freedome from the
bondage of sinne, the other from the
Rom. 8. 21. bondage of corruption. The former
is simply called
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
,Eph. 1. 7. 14. redemption,
the latter
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, the
redemption of possession: for by the
former we are heires, spe, in hope and
expectation; by the latter, re, in deed
and possession; the one is begun and in
part, the other perfect and complete:
the one, the liberty of grace, the other,
as the Apostle speaketh,Rom. 8. 21.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
,
the liberty of glory.
Of these in order:The liberty of grace. And first of the
liberty of grace, which even in this life
the faithfull doe enioy in and by Christ.
And it is either common to all the
faithfull, as well of the old Testament
as of the new; or peculiar to the faithfull
vnder the Gospell. The faithfull vnder
both Testaments were and are
sonnes; who as they haue the same
〈◊〉
1. 4. common faith; so haue they the same
〈◊〉
. 3. common salvation, and therefore the
same liberty and right, in respect of the
inheritance it selfe, and all the degrees
thereof. Notwithstanding there is difference
betweene sonnes vnder age, and
in their minority, in respect of discipline
and gouernment, & those who are come
to yeares: the former being nurtured
by schoolemasters, and governed by
tutors, as the Apostle saithGal. 4.
•
. 3. & 3. 24. of the faithfull
before the incarnation of Christ;
the latter set at liberty from such discicipline
and government. Otherwise, as
they had the same faith, and the same
iustification (for all the faithfull both
before Christ and after, were and are
justified by faith, as Abraham
Rom. 4. 23. 24. was,
Rom. 4. and by suchIam. 2. 20. 21. a faith, Iam. 2.)
so haue they the same liberty which is
obtained by faith, and in some chiefe
points thereof is, asInstit. lib. 3. cap. 19. §. 1.
Calvin saith, an appendix
of iustification.
The common liberty of grace,The liberty of saving grace. which
may fitly be called the liberty of sauing
grace, containeth many particulars;
which, for your easiest remembrance,
may be reduced to these three heads.
For it is a liberty
which we haue
in and by our
- Vocation.
- Iustification.
- Sanctification.
For, although these three concurre in
time, because a man is no sooner effectually
called, but he is also iustified before
God, and no sooner iustified, but
he beginneth also to bee sanctified
(which is duly to be obserued of those,
who presuming, and that perhaps for a
long time, that they be called and iustified,
doe still remaine vnsanctified) notwithstanding
in order of natureRom. 8. 30. vocation
goeth before iustification, and iustification
before sanctification. And let
this also by the way be observed for the
comfort of the godly. For whosoever,
professing the true faith, hath a true purpose
and vnfained desire to walke before
God in the obedience of his will,
making conscience of all his waies: that
man, howsoever besides his generall
purpose he may faile (
〈◊〉
3. 2. as wee all doe)
in many particulars; yet he is sanctified,
and from his sanctification may certainly
conclude, that he is iustified, that hee
is called, that he is elected, that he shall
be saued. For the fruit could not bee
good, vnlesse the tree or the branch that
beareth it were good, and the branch
cannot be good, vnlesse it bee ingrafted
into Christ,
〈◊〉
15. 1. 5. the onely true vine: that
is to say, a mans conversation is never
acceptable vnto God, before his person
be accepted; and his person is not accepted,
vntill he be vnited vnto Christ. For
the better vnderstanding of this point,
we must remember, that Christ at a
deare price hath long since purchased
this liberty for vs, and hath meritoriously
wrought our freedome. But none
are actually and effectually set at liberty,
but those alone, who haue actuall
vnion and communion with Christ.
Now in our effectuall vocation, wee
haue vnion with Christ; and in our justification
and sanctification, communion
with him. In the former, in respect
of his merits apprehended by faith, and
communicated vnto vs by imputation;
in the other, in respect of his graces,
which being in him without measure,
are by his spirit from
〈…〉
. him derived, and
in some measure communicated vnto
vs by infusion.
But let vs speake of them severally▪
And first,§.
•
. as
•
ouching our vocation,
〈…〉
. I
say with the Apostle,
〈…〉
. Gal. 5. Brethren,
you are called vnto liberty: which words
we are thus to vnderstand, that by our
calling wee are not only invited vnto
Christian liberty in generall, as a maine
benefit of our Christian profession; but
also by it are enfranchised, being thereby
put into possession of a good part
of it, and entituled to the rest. For
whereas naturally wee are wholy, and
not only in part (for that may be verified
of the faithfull, Rom. 7. 14.) carnall,
sold vnder sinne; by our calling wee are
first made spirituall, being in some measure
indued with the spirit of Christ.
Now the spirit of Christ, being the spirit
of liberty, as David speaketh,Psal. 51. 14. Psal.
51. we may resolue with the Apostle,
2. Cor. 3. 17 that where the spirit of the Lord is, there
is liberty.
But the liberty which wee haue by
our calling standeth on these degrees.
First, as it is an immunity; our mindes
are therein freed from the servitude of
blindnesse and incredulity, our hearts
and willes from the bondage of that,
which the Apostle callethRom. 11. 32
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, (vnder
which all men naturally are concluded)
that is, disobedience and infidelity;
our selues, from the servitude of Satan,
being called and as it were culled out of
the world, whereby is meant the company
of worldly men, which is the kingdome
of the divell, (who is theIohn. 12. 31. Prince,
yea the God2. Cor. 4. 4. of the world, working effectually
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
,Ephes. 2. 2. in the
children of infidelity and disobedience,
blinding their vnderstandings, and2. Tim. 2. 26. captivating
their willes:) and lastly translated
from the most slavish estate of damnation,
beingApoc. 14. 4. redeemed from among
men, and deliuered out of theGal. 1. 4. world,
which because it wholy, as Saint Iohn
1. Iohn. 5. 19 saith,
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, lieth vnder the
subiection of the divell,For he it
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
of whom he had spoken, verse. 18. (who hath the
Heb. 2. 15▪
power of death) is also subiect to death
and damnation.
As it is
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, that is, a power and interest;
wee are in our calling indued, as
I said, with the spirit of liberty, which
freeth our soules by enlightning our
minds, perswading our iudgements, and
softening our hearts, enspiring thereinto
godly desires and gratious resolutions;
whereby he beginning the grace of faith
in vs, doth regenerate vs and vnite vs
vnto Christ. So that by our effectuall
calling, in regard that therein the spirit
of liberty is communicated vnto vs, and
the saving grace of faith is therein begotten
in vs, we are made the sonnes of
God and members of Christ, and are
not only entituled to all the rights and
priviledges of the children of God, and
members of Christ; but also are presently
Iohn. 5. 24. translated, as it were from death to
life, and from the state of damnation
vnto the state of grace and salvation.
But these things doe need some farther
explanation. First, therefore in the
ministry of the Gospell, which is the
ministry2. Cor. 3. 8. 1. P
•
t. 1. 23. of the spirit, the word of faith,Rom. 10. 8.
the seed of regeneration, theIam. 1. 18. 25 law or doctrine
of liberty, and the ordinary
meanes of our2. Thes. 2. 14 vocation, the lord, preventing
vs with his grace, sendeth the
spirit of his sonne into our hearts; which
being, as I said, the spirit of liberty; first,
freeth our mindes from the bondage of
ignorance, incredulity & vanity, wherein
vntill then wee are held captiue, not
onceable of our selues to entertaine a
2. Cor. 3. 5. good thought, the whole frame of our
thoughts beingGen. 6. 5. & 8. 21. onely evill continually;
the wisdome of our flesh,Rom. 8. 7. or that
which our flesh mindeth, being enmity
against God; our selues, not only not
perceiuing, but being1. Cor. 2. 14. not able to perceiue
the things which are of the spirit
of God, and much lesse able to giue assent
vnto them (for no man can say that
1. Cor. 12. 3. Iesus is Christ but by the holy Ghost)
and much lesse to assent effectually, or
by a liuely faith. The spirit of God
therefore by the ministry of the word
(which is aPsal. 119. 105. light vnto our feete) as the
meanes, and by the Ministers of the
Gospell as his instruments (who are
therefore called theMat. 5. 14. light of the world,
and are sent by Christ toActs 26. 1
•
. open our
eyes, and to giue light to them that sit in
Luk. 1. 79. darknesse, and in the shadow of death)
enlighteneth our mindes to vnderstand,
and openeth our hearts as hee did the
heart of Lydia, perswading our soules
Act. 16. 14.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, that is, not only
to attend, but as the word also signifieth,
to assent to those things which are
spoken by the Ministers; and thereby
maketh vs vnfainedly to acknowledge
and seriously to consider, both our miserable
servitude, and damnable estate
in our selues, and also the gratious liberty
and sauing grace of God offered in
Christ. And this is the first degree of the
liberty which we haue in our calling,
that therein we are called out of1. Pet. 2. 9. darknes
into light. Of this liberty the Apostle
speaketh, 2. Cor. 3.2. Cor. 3. 15. 16. 17. that whereas there
is naturally a vaile over mens hearts,
that they cannot vnderstand the word;
this vaile is taken away by the spirit of
God, when they turne vnto the Lord.
Now the Lord (saith he) is the spirit, &
where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
In this regard the spirit is compared
to anApoc. 3. 18. eye-salue, and is called
that1. Ioh. 2. 27. anointing, which, being receiued
from Christ, teacheth vs all things.
Hauing thus revealed vnto vs both
our owne miserable estate in our selues,
and the infinite mercies of God in
Christ, and moued vs truly to assent
thereto; in the next place hee toucheth
our hearts with a sense of our misery,
and with a hatred of sinne, which hath
brought vs into that miserable estate, and
by the ministry of the Word, which is
hisRom. 1. 16. power to our salvation, and his
Esai. 53. 1. arme to draw vs vnto him, hee turneth
our will and affections from darknesse
(which naturallyIoh. 3. 19. Act. 26. 18. wee loue) vnto light,
not only working in vs hearty desires, to
come out of that damnable estate, and
to be made partakers of Christ (which
desires also he being theZac. 12. 10. Rom. 8. 26. Spirit of supplication,
helpeth vs to expresse in hearty
prayer;) but also inspiring into vs a
setled resolution, that for as much as liberty
and salvation is promised to all
that receiue Christ by faith; wee will
therefore resolue vndoubtedly to acknowledge
him to be our only Saviour,
and to rest vpon him alone for salvation.
Thus by working, 1. In our mindes
an effectuall assent to the promise of the
Gospell. 2. In our hearts an earnest desire
to bee made partakers of Christs
merits, and 3. In our will a setled resolution,
to acknowledge him to bee the
Messias and to rely vpon the mercies of
God and merits of Christ, for justification
and saluation, (by which three we
doeIohn 1. 12. receiue Christ,) the spirit of God
begetteth the grace of iustifying faith in
vs. In the begetting whereof, hee doth
not onlyA
•
t. 26▪ 1
•
. turne men from darknesse to
light, and from the power of Sa
•
an vnto
God; but also regenerateth them, and vniteth
them vnto Christ, making them
of the children of wrath, the sonnes of
God; of the impes of the old Adam,
members of Christ; and of the-subiects
of Satan in the kingdome of
〈◊〉
. 1. 13. darknesse,
fellowEphes. 2. 19. cittizens with the Saints in the
kingdome of God. And this is the liberty
which we haue by our calling. As
for the teachers of free will, and the
magnifiers of our pure naturals; they
neither acknowledge the wofull bondage
wherein we are by nature, nor the
happy liberty, whereunto wee are, not
borne, but called. For this is a liberty,
ad quam non nati, sed renati sumus;
which we haue not by generation, but
by regeneration. Neither is it a common
liberty of all, but a liberty peculiar to
the people of God, who are a people
•
.
〈◊〉
. 2. 9. set at liberty, peculiar to the sonnes of
God, and members of Christ. But it
will be said, if there bee no freedome in
our willes before we be called, then belike
we are called and saued against our
willes, and we must looke with the Enthusiasts
for violent raptures. I answere,
that there is in our willes a freedome of
nature, whereby it is free from compulsion.
For, that the will should bee forced,
it implieth a contradiction: for then
it should both will and nill the same
thing at one time. Notwithstanding this
freedome of the will, vntill it bee freed
by grace, is a voluntary service of sinne;
voluntarily and with greedinesse, willing
that which is evill, although it can
will nothing else. But the preventing
grace of God, whereby we are called; is
perswasiue, and not ordinarily by the
Word; drawing vs indeede, and so of
vnwilling making vs willing, but this is
by perswasion, and not by compulsion.
For although our willes in the first act
of our conversion bee meerely passiue,
and none can come to Christ vnlesse the
Ioh. 6▪ 4
•
Father draw him, yet we can no sooner
conceiue a man to be effectually called,
then that he is made willing. For in the
very act of our calling, of vnwilling we
are made willing; and no sooner are wee
effectually drawne but wee willingly
come: in which sense true is that saying
of Chrysostome,
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, God indeed draweth, but hee
draweth him that is willing. Wherefore
though our willes doe not concurre, ad
vocationem, vnto our calling; yet they
concurre, in vocatione, in our calling, being
therein made free.§. 9.
Now we are to intreate of the liberty
which we haue both in our iustification,Iustification and sanctification not to be confounded.
and also in our sanctification. For howsoeuer
these graces doe alwaies so concurre,
as that whosoeuer hath the one,
hath the other; and whosoeuer hath not
both, hath neither; yet are wee carefully
to distinguish them. For the Papists in
not distinguishing them, confound the
Law and the Gospell, abolish the maine
benefit of Christ, which in the Scriptures
goeth vnder the name of iustification,
and with it the liberty which wee
haue by it; and lastly, by their Antichristian
doctrine teach men to place the
matter of their iustification, and the merit
of salvation in themselues. For they
doe teach, that a man is iustified, when
he is made righteous by righteousnesse
inherent in himselfe, and performed by
himselfe, and accordingly make two degrees
of iustification: The one, which
they call the first iustification, when a
man of a sinner is made iust, by the infusion
of faith, hope, and charity; the
other, which they call the second iustification,
when a man of a iust man is
made more iust by bringing forth good
workes. So that according to their doctrine,
the righteousnesse of the first iustification,
is habituall and inherent in
themselues; of the second, actuall, and
performed by themselues. And whereas
iustification standeth on two parts,
viz. remission of sinne, and the making,
or, as theRom. 5. 1
•
. Apostle speaketh, constituting
of vs righteous; as they teach, that
we are made righteous, not by imputation,
but by infusion of righteousnesse:
so they teach, that remission of sinne is
the deletion of sinne, and that sinnes are
then pardoned, when by infusion of the
contrary graces they are expelled. Even
as water is then said to bee warmed,
when by the accession of heate the cold
is expelled. Againe, where the Scripture
saith,Rom. 3. 14. that we are iustified by grace,
that is, by the meere favour of God in
Christ, by faith without workes, by the
righteousnesse of God, which without
the law is manifested in the Gospell;
they by grace vnderstand the graces of
God in vs, which they say concurre
with faith vnto iustification; by righteousnesse,
not the righteousnesse of
Christ apprehended by faith, but a
righteousnesse from Christ infused into
vs, &c. Which doctrines, being vnderstood
of sanctification, are for the most
part true. For we doe not deny, but that
the matter of our sanctification is inherent
in vs, and performed by vs; and that
it is partly habituall, and partly actuall;
that it consisteth in our dying vnto sin,
which is called mortification, and liuing
vnto righteousnesse, which is called vivification:
that there be degrees thereof,
according to the measure of grace received:
that wee are sanctified by the
grace, or rather graces of God in vs▪ and
that thereunto not faith alone, but hope
and charity, & other both inward graces
and outward obedience doe concur,
&c.
But if the iustification which the Papists
teach, be nothing else but sanctification;
what then is become of that,
which in the Scriptures goeth vnder the
name of iustification, and is the maine
benefit of the Messias, whereby wee are
not only freed from the guilt of sinne,
which bound vs over to death and damnation;
but also are in Christ accepted
as righteous, and made heires of eternall
life; by which wee are freed from the
feare of damnation, and are entitled vnto
the kingdome of heauen? Surely by the
Popish doctrine it is in a manner abolished,
and with it the liberty which wee
haue by it, which is no lesse then our
deliverance from hell, and our title to
the kingdome of heauen, which if wee
haue not by Christ, we haue no salvation
by him. For it is certaine, that
whereby we are iustified, thereby wee
are saved.
This most pre
•
ious and Antichristian
errour they seeke to justify by the
like notation of the Latine words. For
as to be sanctified, is to be made holy,
by holinesse wrought in vs; so to be iustified,
in their conceit, is to bee made
iust, by righteousnesse wrought in vs.
Wherevnto I answere, that if the
Latine notation were to bee respected,
it would not hinder our cause. For, wee
doe freely confesse, that whom the Lord
iustifieth, he maketh iust. But then the
question is, whether by imputation, or
by infusion. By imputation, we say, as
he iustifieth; by infusion, not as hee iustifieth,
but as he sanctifieth. But the Latine
word is no farther to be vrged, then
as it is the translation of the Hebrew
word in the old Testament, and of the
Greeke in the new, which signifieth to
iustify. Now it is plaine, that both
the Hebrew
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, and the greeke
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, is verbum forese, a iudiciall
word ascribed vnto God, as the
Iudge; to teach vs, when wee thinke
of iustification, to summon our selues
before the iudgement seat of God. And
in this sense it is opposed to condemning,
as in theDeut. 25. 1. Prov. 17. 15. iudgements of men, Deut.
25. 1. Prov. 17. 15. so in theMat. 12. 37. iudgemēt
of God, Mat. 12. 37. By thy words thou
shalt be iustified, a
•
d by thy words thou
shalt bee condemned; 1. King. 8. 32.
Rom. 5. 16. 18. and Rom. 8. 33.1. King. 8. 32. Rom. 5. 16. 18. Rom. 8. 33. Hereby
then appeareth, both what iustification
is, and wherein it differeth from sanctification.
For the contrary to sanctifying,
is polluting; but the contrary to iustifying,
is condemning. Wherefore as
sanctifying being the contrary to polluting,
doth signify making holy; so iustifying
being the contrary to condemning,
doth signifie absoluing, acquitting,
pronouncing iust. And in this
sense evermore, in the question of iustification,
it is vsed when it is ascribed vnto
God. Neither are the Papists able to
produce any one testimony, where iustification
being ascribed to God, (as
Rom. 3. 26. & 8. 33. It is God that doth iustify) doth signify
making righteous by infusion. This
then is the first note of difference, whereunto
others may be added. For in iustification,
as I said before, we haue communion
with Christ, in respect of his
merits imputed vnto vs, to free vs from
the guilt of sinne, and feare of damnation,
and to entitle vs to the kingdome of
heauen. In sanctification we haue communion
with Christ in respect of his
graces, which being in him without
measure, are by his spirit deriued to vs
in measure, and communicated by infusion,
to free vs from the corruption and
dominion of sinne, and to prepare and
fit vs for the kingdome of heauen.
The matter therefore of Iustification,
or that whereby we are absolved, and in
respect whereof, God doth acquit vs
from our sinnes, and accepting vs as iust,
doth so pronounce of vs, is the merits,
righteousnes, and obedience of Christ
our Saviour. For by what we are redeemed,
by that wee haueEph
•
s. 1. 7. Colos. 1. 14. remission of
sinnes, or iustification; but wee are redeemed
only by the merits and righteousnes
of Christ, and not by our owne;
and therefore wee are iustified by the
righteousnesse of Christ, and not by
that which is inherent in vs, or performed
by vs: but our sanctification consisteth
in the graces of Gods spirit inherent
in vs, and the new obedience performed
by vs.
Wee are iustified by imputation of
Christs righteousnes, when God imputing
to a belieuer the righteousnesse
of Christ, and accepting of it in the believers
behalfe, as if he had performed
it in his owne person, doth not only acquit
him from his sinnes, but also accepteth
of him as righteous in Christ,
and as an heire of eternall life. For as
Christ was made a sinner for vs, so are
wee made2. Cor. 5. 21. righteous before God in
him: Christ was made a sinner for vs, by
imputation of our sinnes to him: therefore
we are made righteous before God
in him, by imputation of his righteousnesse
vnto vs. Againe, as we were made
•
inners, that is, guilty of the first Adams
transgression;Rom. 5. 18. 9. so are we iustified by the
obedience of the second Adam. But wee
are guilty of the first Adams transgression
by imputation. For how should that
being an action, and therefore transrent,
be communicated vnto vs? Let Bellarmine
answere: It is communicated to vs,
saith he,Adoe peccatis nobis communicatur per generationem o modo, quo communic
•••
potest idquo
•
transit, nimirum per imputationem. as transient things vse to bee
communicated, that is to say, by imputation.
Omnibus enim imputatur, qu
•
ex Adamo nascuntur, quoniam omnes in lumbi
•
Adami existentes, in e
•
et per eum peccauimus, cum ipse peccauit. Bellarm. tom. 3 de amiss. gra
•
. & stat. pe
•
. li
•
5. cap 17.
Therefore wee are iustified by
imputation of the obedience of the second
Adam. For the obedience of
Christ which hee performed on earth,
being transient, how could it bee communicated
vnto vs, but as Bellarmine
saith, all transient things are communicated,
viz. by imputation? The reason
of wich imputation is this. For as all
men being in Adam as the roote of mankind,
originally, are guilty of his sinne,
it being imputed vnto them, because in
him and by him, by reason of their vnion
with him, all sinned: so the faithfull
being in Christ as their head or roote,
are iustified by his obedience, if being
imputed to them, because in him, and
by him, by reason of our vnion with
him, we fulfilled the Law, and in him,
and by him wee satisfied the iustice of
God. But we are sanctified by the infusion
of grace wrought in vs by the holy
Ghost.
Iustification is the very intitling of vs
to the kingdome of heauen. Sanctification
is both the badge and cognizance,
whereby they are to bee discerned and
knowne who are iustified, and shall bee
Act. 26. 18. & 20. 32. saued, and the fitting and preparing of
vs to that kingdome, whereinto no vncleane
thing shall enter.
The righteousnesse of iustification is
perfect, (for it is the righteousnesse of
Christ) and therefore of iustification it
selfe there are no degrees, though of the
assurance thereof there bee degrees, according
to the measure of faith. The
righteousnesse of our sanctification,
which is inherent, is vnperfect in this
life, and stained with the flesh; & thereof
there are degrees, as wee grow in
grace.
Wee are both iustified and sanctified
by faith, but in divers respects. We are
iustified by faith, because by it wee apprehend
the righteousnesse of Christ, &
therefore are iustified by it, not formally,
as it is a power or habit in vs, or as
it is a part of inherent righteousnesse, but
relatiuely in respect of the obiect which
it doth apprehend; and by it alone wee
are iustified, because it is the only grace
in vs, which apprehendeth the merits of
Christ to iustification. Wee are sanctified
by faith, as a chiefe part of our
sanctification, being as it were the roote,
both of other inward graces, and outward
obedie
•
ce: but we are not sanctified
by it alone, because not only other
graces inherent, but also outward obedience
concurre thereto.
These things thus premised,§. 10 let vs
consider what that liberty is,The liberty of iustification. which we
haue both in our iustification, and also
in our sanctification. In both (as our freedome
is an immunity) wee are freed
from sinne, and from the Law, which is
the strength of sinne, though in different
respects, which will bee so many more
differences betwixt iustification and
sanctification. In sinne there are two
things, the guilt thereof, and the corruption.
In iustification wee are freed
wholly from the guilt of sinne: for to be
iustified, is to haue remission of sinne,
Rom. 4. 6. 7. Freedome from guilt of
•
inne. Rom. 4. 6. 7. or which is all one, to be
freed, or absolued from the guilt of it.
And so certaine it is, that in iustification
we haue this freedome, that to be iustified,
is to bee freed, according to the
Scriptures phrase,Rom. 6. 7. Rom. 6. 7. he that is
dead is freed from sinne: the Greeke is
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
. SeeAct. 13. 38.
•
9. Act. 13. 38. 39. Bee it
knowne vnto you, that through Christ is
preached vnto you forgiuenesse of sinnes.
And from all things, from which you could
be iustified by the law of Moses, by him
every one that beleeueth is iustified.
Where, to be iustified, is to haue pardon
of sinne, or freedome from the guilt
of it.
The guilt of sinne is the obligation
or binding over of the sinner vnto punishment:
and this bond is partly in the
Law,As the
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
or proposition. which is the hand-writing or
obligation that is against vs, binding over
the transgressor of it, to the punishment
threatned in it; and partly in the
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
or assumption conscience, applying the Law, morall
or naturall, to the sinner, and from
thence
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, or conclusion. pronouncing him subiect to punishment.
From this obligation or guilt
we are freed before God, and as it were
in the court of heauen, so soone as wee
beleeue: and we are freed from the same
in the court of conscience, when wee
know that we beleeue, and are assured
of our iustification. For,Act. 26. 18. by faith wee
haue remission of sinne: and whosoeuer
Act. 13. 38. 39. beleeueth in Christ, hee is iustified
from the guilt thereof.
This our freedome containeth in it
happinesse, for as their estate is miserable,
whose sinnes are not forgiuen, because
by their sinnes they are debtors
vnto God, owing in respect thereof eternall
death and damnation (though
they only feele this burthen, whose conscience
is throughly touched, of whom
it is said,
〈◊〉
1
•
14. A wounded spirit who is able
to beare?) so their estate is happy, who
are freed from the guilt of sinne. David,
though a King, flourishing in great honor,
wealth, and delights; notwithstanding
he reposeth his felicity in the forgiuenesse
of sin,
〈◊〉
32. 1. 2.
〈◊〉
. 4. 6. Psal. 32. Blessed is the
man whose wickednesse is forgiuen, and
whose sinne is covered, blessed is the man
to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.
Which should moue vs aboue all things
to labour for the forgiuenesse of sin, and
for the assurance thereof. If thou beleeue
in Christ, and withall confesse thy
sin1. Ioh. 1. 9. and forsakeProv.
•
8. 13. it, thou maist bee sure
that it is pardoned.
Secondly,§. 11. in our iustification we are
freed from theGal. 4. 4. 5
〈…〉
. law, and that in two respects.
First, from the malediction or
condemnation of it: secondly, from the
lawes exaction of inherent and that perfect
righteousnesse vnto iustification.
Vnder which double yoke of bondage
all men are, that are not iustified by faith
in Christ: that is, all men in them selues
are subiect to the curseGal. 3. 1
•
. who in the least
degree doe at any time in their whole
life transgresse any part of the law, as all
men oftentimes doe; and againe, no man
who is not in Christ, can be exempted
from the curse, and attaine to iustification,
vnlesse he continue in all the things
which are written in the booke of the
law to doe them; which no man is able
to doe, the law by reason of the flesh being
Rom. 8. 3. impossible vnto vs. Let naturall or
vnconuerted men apply this to themselues.
Canst thou not by the sentence
of the law be exempted from the curse,
vnlesse thou dost not only not commit
the things forbidden, but also doe the
duties commaunded; vnlesse thou dost
all, and vnlesse thou continuest in doing
all, neuer failing in any one particular;
and finally, vnlesse thou continuest in
doing all, and euery thing commaunded
in that perfect manner and measure
which the law prescribeth? Alas then,
how wilt thou escape the dreadfull
curse, who in stead of doing the duties
commaunded, hast done the vices forbidden;
who in stead of keeping all the
commaundements, hast broken them all;
and in stead of continuing in a totall perpetuall
and perfect obedience of the
lawe, hast continued in the disobedience
thereof? Hence we may conclude with
the Apostle, that all men in themselues,
euen thoseGal. 3. 10. who seeke to be iustified by
the law, be concluded vnder sinne, and
consequently vnder the curse: and
therefore haue extreame neede to seeke
vnto Christ, that by him they may be
set free from this two-fold bondage;
which is, to be vnder the curse of the
law if we breake it, when we can doe
nothing else but breake it; and to be excluded
from iustification, if we doe not
continue in the perfect performance of
the law, when we are not able so much
as to
•
Cor. 4. 5. Freedome from the curse of the Law. thinke a good thought, or once to
will that which is spiritually good. But
by Christ we are freed from both. Frst
from the curse, as the Apostle in expresse
tearmes teacheth:Gal. 3. 13.
Christ hath redeemed
vs from the curse of the law, when he was
made a curse for vs. He hath freed vs
from the punishment of sinne, by vndergoing
the punishment for vs, he hath acvs
quitted frō our debts by discharging
them for vs. For as Esay
Esa. 53. 3. saith, He was
wounded for our transgressions, he was
broken for our iniquities, the chastisement
of our peace (that is, which was to procure
vs peace and reconsiliation with
God) was laide vpon him, and by his
stripes we are healed. And againe,Ve
•
s. 6.
The
Lord hath laide vpon him the iniquitie of
vs all, that is, the punishment of all our
sinnes. And,Vers. 11.
My righteous seruant by
his knowledge, that is, by the knowledge
of him, or faith in him, shall iustifie many,
for he shall beare their iniquities.
Now, by the curse of the law from
which Christ doth free vs, we are to vnderstand
all euillPsal. 9
•
. 10. of punishment, as well
temporall as eternall: for it is absurd to
imagine with the Papists, that Christ hauing
freed vs from the eternall punishment,
hath not freed vs from the temporall.
By temporall, we meane the euils
both of this life, whether corporall or
spirituall (which are innumerable) and
also in the end of this life, viz. an euill
death. Against both these it will be obiected,
and first against the former; that
notwithstanding their iustification, the
faithfull are as subiect to afflictions and
calamities of this life as others, and
therefore to punishment. But I deny
that consequence, if you speake of punishments
properly, which be the curses
of the law afflicted vpon men by way of
vengeance, to satisfie the iustice of God.
* For the Lord hath imposed the punishment
of all our sinnes vpon Christ; who
hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father
for them. And therefore as there is
no condermnation, so no punishment
(properly vnderstood) to them that are
in Christ Iesus. Neither can it stand
with the iustice of God (who is not only
mercifull, but alsoRom. 3. 25. 26. iust in iustifying
of vs) to exact a punishment of the
faithfull for the satisfying of his iustice,1. Iohn. 1. 9.
for whom Christ hath already fully satisfied
his iustice by bearing the punishment:
this were to punish the same sinnes
twice, once in Christ, and againe in vs.
Indeed the faithfull are subiect to crosses
and afflictions: but all the afflictions
of the godly are either trials for their
good, or such iudgements as are simply
fatherly chastisements proceeding from
loue, and meerely respecting the good
of the party chastised, whereof the Apostle
speaketh, 1. Cor. 11. 32.1. Cor. 11. 32.
When
we are iudged we are chastised of of the
Lord, that we should not be condemned
with the world, or else they be also
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
(according to theOf
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
honor and
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
care. erymoligie of the
word which by some is giuen) when
God besides the chastisment of the party,
hath also care to his owne honour,
which would beimpeached, if he should
seeme to winke at the scandalous offences
of his children, as though he would
maintaine them in their sinnes. In which
regard iudgement, as Peter
1 Pet.
•
. 17 saith, begineth
at the house of God. For the Lord
many times correcteth those sinnes in
the Godly, both for his owne honour,
and their good, which he seemeth to
passe by in the wicked. Of this kinde
we haue an example in Dauid, to whom
the Lord vpon his submission forgaue
his greeuous sinnes of murther and adulterie,
notwithstanding both for Dauids
chastisement, and for the example of others,
but chiefly for the maintenance
of his owne glory (which by the scandalous
offences of Gods children, is by the
wicked blasphemed, as though such sins
were the fruits of the religion and seruice
of God,) he would not suffer the
child begotten in adulterie to liue.
Why? because by that sinne Dauid had
2. Sam. 12. 14. caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.
The vse which we are to make
hereof, is not with the Papists, to teach
men to make satisfaction to God for
their sinnes, as though Christ had not
fully satisfied for them already: but to
teach men, both to beware that they
doe not commit sinne, especially scandalous
sinnes; because thereby they displease
and dishonor God their mercifull
Father, prouoking him to powre his
iudgements vpon them, for their amendment,
that they be not condemned
with the world, and for the maintenance
of his owne honor: and also that hauing
sinned, we doeA
•
os 4. 12 meete the Lord in his
iudgements, by humbling our selues before
him, confessing our fault, and crauing
pardon, that1. Cor. 11. 31 iudging our selues,
we may not be iudged of the Lord.
Against the second it is also obiected,
that notwithstanding their iustification,
the godly die as well as the wicked. I
answere, that as of all afflictions, so also
of death, the nature is changed in respect
of the faithfull; to whom death it
selfe, though brought in by the malice
of the diuell, is not a curse or punishment
properly. I doe not denie, but that
many times in respect of the time and
manner of death, the godly iudged and
chastised, the Lord in mercy killing
their bodies, that hee many1. Cor. 11. 30. 32. saue their
soules; but from the evill of death they
are wholly freed, for to them it is the
end of sinne, and is therefore inflicted
vpon vs, that sinne might dy with vs, as
Methodius
Apud Epiphan. hares. 64 saith, and being the end
of sinne vnto vs, it is also the end of misery,
the hauen of rest, a happy passage
out of this vaile of misery vnto the
kingdome of glory; and so not onely no
curse, but also a blessing, no losse, but an
advantage, as after wee shall shew. For
yet we speake but of the immunities of
iustification, the principall whereof yet
remaineth to be spoken of; that is, freedome
from subiection to damnation, to
everlasting death, to the eternall wrath
of God, which is the most miserable
bondage and subiection of all those,
who are not iustified by faith in
Christ. But from this curse also Christ
hath freed the faithfull. For this
is the immunitie which we haue by him;
thatIoh. 3. 16.
whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not
perish, that there isRom. 8. 1.
no condemnation to
them that bee in Christ Iesus; that by his
deathH
•
b. 2. 15.
hee hath destroyed him that had
the power of death, that hee might deliuer
them all, which for feare of death, were all
their life time subiect to bondage; that Iesus
our Sauiour deliuereth vs from the
2 Thes. 1. 10 wrath to come.
And thus wee haue heard of two immunities,
which wee haue in our iustification:
that wee are freed from the guilt
of sinne, and from the curse of the Law
whereto our sinne had made vs subiect.
And from hence ariseth vnspeakeable
peace and liberty to the distressed conscience,
terrified with the guilt of sinne,
the curse of the Law, and feare of damnation;
when it receiuing Christ by
faith, hath immunity and freedome
from them all.
Now followeth the other immunity
from the law,§. 12▪
in respect of the exaction
or perfect righteousnesse to be inherent
in vs, and perfect obedience to bee performed
by vs,Freedom from the lawes exaction of inherent righteousnesse, to iusti
••
cation. vnto our iustification and
salvation: vnto which yoke of bondage,
as I said, all men by nature are subiect.
For it is sure and certaine, that without
righteousnesse, and such a righteousnes,
as is fully answerable to the perfect law
of God, no man can be iustified.
Now, this righteousnesse must either
be inherent in our selues, which is the
righteousnesse that the Law requireth
vnto iustification; or being performed
by another, (which is Christ) for vs,
must be imputed vnto vs: and that is the
righteousnes which the Gospell propoundeth
vnto iustification.
A third righteousnes, whereby wee
should be iustified, cannot be named. If
therefore wee bee not partakers of
Christs righteousnes apprehended by
faith, we must stand to the sentence of
the Law; which is, either to performe
perfect and perpetuall obedience, or not
to be iustified. But if Christs righteousnes
be imputed vnto vs (as it is to all that
apprehend it by faith) then are we iustified,
notwithstanding the sentence of
the Law, by
Rom. 3. 28. Galath. 2. 16.
faith, (that is, by the righteousnes
of Christ apprehended by
faith) without the workes of the Law, that
is, without any respect of obedience
performed by our selues. And in this liberty
from the Law, standeth the chiefe
comfort and stay of a Christian, when
hee summoning himselfe, as it were in
the court of his conscience before the
iudgement seat of God, to bee iustified,
or condemned, shall consider that by
Christ he is freed, both from the condemnation
of the Law, and from the exaction
of inherent righteousnes to iustification:
so that hee shall not neede to
stand to the sentence of the Law, or to
trust to any obedience performed by
himselfe, as it were to a broken staffe,
wherein there can be no comfort, (for
if God should enter intoPsal. 143.
•
. iudgment
with vs according thereto, no man
liuing could be iustified) but may safely
and freely, without respect, either of
his owne obedience, or of the sentence
of the law, rely vpon the mercies of
God, and merits of Christ; that for as
much as the Lord hath giuen him grace
to beleeue, & by that faith hathHos. 2. 20. espoused
him to Christ, and vnited him vnto
him as his member; he hath also communion
in Christs merits, whereby
without regard to any righteousnesse
of his owne, he is iustified before God.
Against this part of Christian liberty,
which is most comfortable, the
Church of Rome (as it well becomes
the synagogue of Antichrist) doth by
might and maine oppose it selfe: contending
not only that we are iustified by
righteousnes inherent; but also that the
same obedience, which the Law prescribeth,
is in greater perfection required
in the Gospell vnto iustification. By
which doctrine of thei
•
s, they con
•
ound
the Law of the Gospell, and in so
doing abolish the covenant of grace, annihilate
the maine promise of the
Gospell, which is the charter of our liberty,
the ground of our faith, the foundation
of all our assurance for iustification
and salvation. For if the Gospell
promise and propound iustification and
salvation, vpon the condition of our
owne obedience, a
•
d that in more perfection
then the law it selfe required:
then is it not only a covenant of workes,
as well as the law, but also imposeth a
heavier yoke vpon mens consciences,
then the Law did. But it is manifest that
the Gospell is the covenant of grace
made with Abraham
Galath. 3. 8. 16. 17., concerning iustification
by faith in Christ; whereas the
Law contrariwise is the covenant of
workes, which 430. yeares after was
deliuered by Moses, and did not disanull
the former promise, concerning iustification
by faith. The condition whereon
the Gospell promiseth iustification, is
faith in Christ; the condition of the
Law, our owne perfect and perpetuall
obedience. For the GospellRom. 10. 5. &c. saith; If
thou beleeue in Christ, thou art iustified
and shalt be saved: the Law, If thou
dost these things, thou shalt liue thereby.
The righteousnesse exacted in the
law to iustificatiō, is a righteousnes both
habituall inherent in our selues, and actuall
performed by our selues. The
righteousnesseRom. 3.
•
1. 22 which without the Law
is revealed in the Gospell, is the Righteousnes
of God, that is, of Christ who is
God, (for he isIerem. 23. 6.
Iehova, our righteousnes,
and was given vnto vs of God1. Cor. 1. 30. to
be our righteousnes) by the faith of Iesus
Christ, vnto all, and vpon all that beleeue,
that is, the righteousnesse of Christ,
who is God (though not the righteousnes
of the Deity, as O siander thought,
but the righteousnesse both inherent in
him, as hee was man, as his innocencie
and holinesse, and also performed by
him, as his passiue & actiue obedience)
being apprehended by faith, is according
to the doctrine of the Gospell, imputed
to every beleeuer vnto iustification.
That Christ is our righteousnes, and
the
Rom. 10. 4.
end of the Law vnto righteousnes to
all that beleeue, that whosoeuer
Ioh. 3. 16. Mark. 16. 16.
beleeueth
in Christ shall be saved, it is the maine
doctrine of the Gospell, the chiefe article
of our religion, the charter of our inheritance,
the assurance which wee haue
of salvation: which wee are so to hold,
as that if anGalath. 1. 8. 9 Angell from heauen should
teach vs another Gospell, or propound
vnto vs another way of iustification, (as
namely by inherent righteousnesse, and
our owne obedience) wee ought to hold
him accursed, and our selues also, if wee
yeeld to him. For whosoeuer looke to
be iustified by the obedience which the
Law prescribeth, theyGalath. 5. 4. are separated
from Christ, and fallen from grace.
Wee doe not deny, but that the
Gospell teacheth repentance as well as
faith; and commendeth the duties of sanctification,
as well as it promiseth iustification.
Yea, as it promiseth the grace
of justification to those that beleeue; so
to them that are iustified and redeemed,
it promiseth theLuk. 1. 74. Ier. 31. 33. 34. grace of sanctification
by the spirit, whereby they are inabled
in some measure to worship God in honesse
and righteousnesse. Wee doe also
confesse, that a greater measure of knowledge
and obedience is required of the
faithfull vnder the Gospell, then was
vnder the Law; because to whom more
is given, of them more is required, and
the greater benefit requireth the greater
duties of thankfulnesse. But when the
question is of the matter of our iustification,
and merit of our salvation,
whereby wee being sinners and lost in
our selues, should bee iustified before
God, and entituled vnto the kingdome
of heauen; what that is, whereby we are
absolued from our sinnes, and accepted
as righteous, and as heires of eternall
life; what that is, which will stand in
iudgement before God, and which wee
may trust vnto, when we appeare before
the iudgemens seat of God, why the sentence
of condemnation should not bee
pronounced againstvs; what that is,
whereby wee are re
•
eemed from death,
and reconciled vnto God, or, as the
Scripture vttereth the same thing in other
tearmes▪
2. Cor. 5. 19. Ephes.
•
. 7. whereby we haue remission
of sinnes: it is most plaine, that the
doctrine of the Gospell placeth the
whole matter of iustification, and merit
of salvation in the righteousnesse and obedience
of Christ alone; by whose
blood, as the ApostleR
••
. 5. 9. 18. 19. speaketh, and by
whose obedience, wee are iustified. As
for that righteousnesse which is inherent
in our selues, though infused of
God, and that obedience which is performed
by our selues, though proceeding
from grace; the Gospell teacheth vs,
in the question of iustification,Philip. 3. 8. 9. to esteeme
it as drosse and dung, yea as losse,
that we may gaine Christ, and may bee
found in him, not hauing our own righteousnesse,
which is prescribed in the law,
but that which is through the law of
Christ, the righteousnesse which is of
God through faith.
This therefore is the liberty which
we haue by the grace of iustification,
that we are freed from that miserable
bondage of the law, which exacteth an
obedience and righteousnesse inherent
vnto iustification, which no man is able
to performe, and therefore holdeth men
in
〈◊〉
to damnation, engendring
with Agar
Gal. 4. 24. &c. as the Apostle speaketh,
none but servants which shall not inherit
with the children of the free woman,
that is, who are begottē by the Gospell,
to be the heires of that righteousnesse
which is by faith.
And thus much of the liberty of iustification
as it is an immunity.§. 13. For as it
is
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
,The liberty of iustif
•
cati
••
as it is a right. with the
〈◊〉
ledges thereof. or right; it also containeth many
notable priviledges.
First that we are not only freed from
the guilt of sinne, but also are accepted
pronounced iust, & by imputation of
Christs, bothRom. 5. 9. 19. passiue and actiue obedience
made rihgteous, whichRom.
•
. 6. 7. 2. Cor. 5. 21. immediately
followes vpon the former, so that
by our iustification we are not only
made not guiltie, but also stand righteous
before God, and that, by the righteousnesse
of Christ.
Secondly, what we are not only freed
from the curse of the law, but also are
made pa
•
takers of theGal. 3. 13. 14. 16. blessednesse
promised to Abraham viz. that in h
•
s
Gen. 22. 18. seed, which is Christ, the faithfull of
all nations should be blessed. But this
will best appeare in the particulars: for
the faithfull are not onely freed from the
euils of this life, whether corporall or
spirituall, as they be curses; but they are
all turned into blessings vnto them. For
this is the priviledge of the faithfull, that
the Lord causeth all things, whether
good or bad,Rom. 8. 28.
To worke together for the
good of those that doe loue him. In which
sense Dauid saith,Psal. 1. 3. that all things succeede
well with the righteous man. As for afflictons,
he both professeth in particular
of himselfe,Psal. 119. 71 that it was good for him
that he had beene afflicted; and also in generall
pronounceth the manPs
•
l. 94. 12. 13.
blessed,
whom the Lord doth chastise and teach in
his law.
Againe, corporall death is not only no
losse to the faithfull; but also an advantage;
because in it they change a sinfull
and mortall life, for a life blessed and
immortall. It is not only no curse, but
also a blessing: for it is not only the end
of sinne and miserie, but the beginning
of perfect and everlasting happinesse;
wherevpon the holy GhostApec. 14. 13 pronounceth
them all Blessed that die in the Lord.
Neither are the faithfull only freed
fom feare of damnation, but also are
put in assurance of euerlasting life, being
Rom. 8. 24. saued in hope, which is the cheife
happinesse that can be enioyed in this
life.
Thirdly we are not only freed from
the sentence of the law, exacting of vs
perfect obedience vnto iustification, but
we haue also liberty to plead the righteousnesse
propounded in the couenant of
grace; and to appeale from the sentence
of the law, to the promise of the Gospell;
from the tribunall of iustice to the
th
•
one of grace; and in the question of
iustification not at all to regarde our
owne obedience, but wholly to rest vpon
the mercies of God and merits of
Christ our Sauiour.
Vpon this liberty of iustification follow
other priuiledges. For first, whereas
by nature we are the children of
wrath; now,Rom. 5. 1.
being iustified by faith,
we haue peace with God, through our Lor
•
I
•
sus Christ, who hathColos. 1. 20. 21. reconciled vs to
2 Whereas sinne maketh aEsay. 59. 2. separation
betweene God and vs, so that naturally
we shunne the presence of God, as
of a seuere Iudge; being iustified by the
righteousnesse of Christ, we also haue
freeRom. 5. 2. Eph
•
s. 3. 12. 1. Ioh. 5. 14. accesse vnto God by faith, and
haue liberty with boldnesse and assurance
that we shall be heard, to make our
requests to God in the name of Christ.
3 Vpon our iustification by faith,Rom. 5. 5. Ephes. 1. 13. Rom. 8. 15. 16. Gal. 4. 6. Ephes. 4. 30.
we are endued with the spirit of adoption,
which assureth vs of Gods fatherly
loue towards vs, teaching vs to crie in
our hearts, Abba Father; by which, being
the earnest of our inheritance, we are
sealed vp vnto the day of our full redemption.
4 With the hope of salvation, which
isRom. 8. 23. Tit. 2. 13. a companion of iustifying faith, & a
consequent of iustification, whereby we
liue in expectation of euerlasting happinesse.
5 With ioyRom. 5. 2. 3. 1. Pet. 1. 8. in the holy Ghost,
which Peter calleth ioy vnspeakable and
glorious. For the Apostle denying that
the liberty of Christians doth cheifly
stand inRom. 14. 17. meat and drinke, and in the
free vse of outward things; sheweth also
wherein it principally doth consist. For
the kingdom of God (saith he) is not meat
and drinke but righteousnesse, which is
the priuiledge of iustification it selfe, and
peace and ioy in the holy Ghost, which are
consequents of the former.
Lastly,Iohm 8 35. with perseuerance. For as the
Sonne abideth in the house for euer, being
1. Pet. 1. 5.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
. safely kept by the power of God
through faith vnto saluation. For if
Rom. 8. 17. sonnes, then heires, heires of God, and
coheires with Christ, &c,
Now I come to the liberty which
we haue in our sanctification,§. 14 and so
farre forth as we are sanctified.The liberty of sanctification. 1. From the dominion of sin. Now
our sanctification in this life being but
in part, so is this liberty: which, as it is
an immunity, is also a freedom from the
bondage of sinne, and of the law; though
in other respects, then those that haue
beene mentioned in the liberty of iustification.
For, in iustification we are freed from
the guilt of sinne, in sanctification, frō
the corruption of sinne. But here we are
to consider, how farre forth we are set
free therefrom. For the Hypocritall Papists
teach, that when a man is regenerated,
or as they also speake, iustified, originall
sinne is so abolished, as that it
doth not only not raigne, but not so
much as remaine or liue in the partie
sanctified. By which doctrine they teach
men to bee desperate hypocrites, either
searing their conscience, that they
may haue no sense of sinne, and may
please themselues with this conceit, that
they haue no sinne▪ in which respect the
saying of Peter
2. Pet. 2. 19. is verified of them, that
whiles they promise liberty to themselues
and others, they are indeed seruants
of corruption: or if they haue any
sense of sinne dwelling in them, they
must perswade themselues they are not
sanctified, nor iustified, and therefore
not to be saued: such miserable comforters
they are of poore sinners, as to perswade
them that they haue not remission
of sinne, vntill sinne be quite abolished
in them. But this doctrine they teach
contrary to the euident testimonies of
Scripture, contrary to the perpetuall experience
of the faithfull, contrary to the
light of their owne conscience; that they
might thereby vphold their Antichristian
doctrine of iustification by inherent
righteousnesse, and of the merit of good
workes, which otherwise would fall to
the ground. For, if in respect of originall
sinne, remaining and dwelling in vs, we
be in our selues sinners: how can we be
iustified by inherent righteousnesse?
If our best actions be stained with the
flesh, and our righteousnesseEsay. 64. 6. be like polluted
clouts; how should they merit eternall
life?
We are therfore to hold, that in regeneration
we are freed from the corruption
of sinne; not wholly, and at once,
but in part, and by degrees; that sinne
(though mortified in part, and we freed
from the tyrannie of it, that it raigne no
more with full swinge and authority in
vs) still remaineth and dwelleth in vs,
hindering vs from good, provoking vs
vnto euill, defiling and cotaminating our
best actions, neuer suffering vs with the
full consent ofGalath. 5. 17. will, to performe or desire
that which is good. As the Apostle
plainely sheweth by his owne example,
Rom. 7.Rom. 7. 14. &c. where the concupiscence remaining
in him, is not only plainly called
a sinne, but described as a sinne, & as
an
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, or a repugnancie to the law of
God: the sense whereof (though the Papists
haue no sense of it) made the holy
Apostle crie out,Rom. 7. 24.
Miserable man that I
am, who shall deliuer me from this body of
death? Accursed therefore was the counsell
of TrentSess. 5. which confessing that
the Apostle calleth it a sinne; notwithstanding
pronounceth them accursed,
that shall say it is a sinne. But if we say
we haue no sinne, we deceiue our selues,
saith S. Iohn.
1. Iohn. 18., and there is no truth in
vs.
The freedome therefore which we haue
in our sanctification, which as Augustine
saith, is but begun in this life, is not from
the being of sinne in vs altogether and at
once, though we be freed from it, in part
and by degrees, but from the dominion
of it, that wee should no more bee servants
of sin, but being freed from sinne,
might become servants of righteousnes,
Rom. 6. 6. 18. which Augustine
••
Ioh. tract. 41. did
well obserue out of the words of the Apostle,
dehorting vs that sinne should
not remaine in our mortall bodies. Hee
doth not say, let it not be; but, let it not
raigne: for whiles thou liuest, it cannot be
avoided, but that sinne will bee in thy
members; neverthelesse let dominion bee
taken from it, &c. Of this liberty the Apostle
speaketh, Rom. 8.Rom. 8. 2. the law of the
spirit of life which is in Christ, hath made
mee free from the law of sinne and of death.
That is, the power of the quickning Spirit,
which being in Christ our head, and
from him communicated vnto vs, doth
rule in vs as a law, doth free vs from the
power of sin which worketh death, that
it no more haue dominion (as it were a
law) in vs. And Rom. 6.Rom. 6. 2. &c
〈◊〉
12. hauing proued,
that sin neither doth, nor can any
more raigne in the faithfull, because after
the similitude of Christs death and
resurrection, they are dead to sin and risen
againe; and therefore, as death can
no more haue dominion over Christ,
being
〈◊〉
from death, no more can sin
haue dominion over the faithfull being
once risen from the graue of sin: afterwards
vers. 14. hee assureth the faithfull,
that sin shallRom. 6. 14. not haue dominion over
them, because they bee not vnder the
Law, but vnder grace. Likewise Saint
Iohn
〈…〉
saith, He that is borne of God, doth
not commit sin, namely, as a servant of
sin: yea, he addeth, that he cannot sin,
namely, with full swinge and consent
of will, as those which bee servants of
sin; because the seed of God remaineth
in him, whereby he is partly spirit, and
not only flesh. And therefore as he cannot
perfectly will that which is good,
because of the reluctation of the flesh;
so can he not will with full consent, that
which is evill, because of the reluctation
of the spirit.
Secondly,§. 15. 2. Freedome from the dominion of the law. wee are in our sanctification
freed from the Law. But we are here
also to consider, quatenus, now farre
forth. For theBellarm. de iusti
•
. lib. 4. cap. 5. &c. 1. Papists charge vs, that
we place Christian liberty in this, that
we are subiect to no law in our conscience,
and before God; and that wee are
free from all necessity of doing good
workes: which is a most divelish slander.
For although they absurdly confound
iustification and fanctification;
yet they know we doe not: neither are
they ignorant, but that wee put a great
difference betweene them in this respect.
For though we teach that the obedience
of the Law is not required in vs to iustification,
but that wee are freed from the
exaction of the Law in that behalfe: yet
we deny not▪ but that vnto sanctification
the obedience of the law is required,
and wee by necessity of duty, bound to
the observation thereof. Wee confesse
that to be free from obedience, is to be
the servants of sin, and the willing and
cheerefull worship of God, inLuk. 174
•
holines
and righteousnes without feare, to bee
true liberty. Wee acknowledge that the
morall law of God is perpetuall and
immutable; and that this is an everlasting
truth, that the creature is bound to worship
and obey his Creator, and so much
the more bound, as hee hath received
greater benefits. Indeede wee say with
Luther
De li
••
rt, Christ., that in our iustification wee
are restored to a state of iustice, from
which Adam fell; but yet, as wee teach
that wee are no more bound to obedience,
that thereby we might be iustified,
then Adam who was already iust; so we
professe, that in allegiance and thankfulnesse,
we are more bound to obey then
he, yea, wee professe that God doth
therefore free vs from the curse, and the
bondage of the law, that wee might be
inabled with freedome of spirit to obey
it; and that being freed from sinneRom. 6. 18., wee
are made the servants of righteousnesse.
We teach, that God hauing sworneLuk. 173. 74.,
that to those whom he iustifieth, he will
giue grace to worship him in holines
and righteousnes; no man can be assured
of his iustification without obedience:
that sanctification being the end of our
Ephes. 1. 4. 1. Thes. 4. 7. Titus. 2. 14. Ephes. 2. 10. election, calling, redemption and regeneration,
it is a necessary consequent
of sauing grace. We teach and professe,
that howsoever good workes doe not
concurre with faith, vnto the act of iustifica
••
on,
as a cause thereof; yet they
con
•••
re in the party iustified, as necessary
fruits of faith, and testimonies of
iustification. And as wee teach with
Paul
Rom. 3. 28. G
•
l. 2. 16., that faith alone doth iustifie; so
with Iames
Iam. 2. 14. &c., that the
•
aith which is alone
doth not iustifie. Wee teach, that
the blood of Christ, as it acquitteth vs
from the guilt of sin; so doth it also
purgeHeb. 9. 14. our consciences from dead
workes, to serue the liuing God; that
he bare
1. Pet. 2. 24.
in his body vpon the crosse our
sinnes, that we being deliuered from sinne,
should liue in righteousnesse: that whom
Christ doth iustifie by faith, them hee
doth sanctify by his Spirit; that whosoever
•
. Cor. 5. 17.
is in Christ hee is a new creature,
Gal. 5. 24. crucifying the flesh with the lusts thereof,
andRom. 8. 1; walking not after the flesh, but
after the spirit. Wee professe that good
workes are necessary to saluation,
though not necessitate efficientiae, as causing
it as the Papists teach; yet necessitate
praesentiae, as necessary fruits of our
faith, whereby wee are to glorifie God,
and to testifie our thankfulnesse, to doe
good to our brethren, and to make sure
2. Pe
•
. 1.
〈◊〉
. our election, calling and iustification
vnto our selues; as necessary forerunners
of salvation, being the vndoubted badges
of them that shall bee saued; being
the way wherein wee are toEphes. 2.
〈◊〉
. walke to
everlasting life, being the evidence according
to which God will iudge vs at
the last day. And lastly, that as by iustification
God doth entitle vs vnto his
kingdome; so by sanctification he doth
sit and prepare vs thereto.
We do not therefore by the doctrine
of iustification through faith, abolish
the Law, but rather as the Apostle
saithRom. 3. 31., stablish it. For the more a man is
assured of his free iustification, the better
he is enabled, and the more hee is
bound to obey it.
But although we bee bound to obey
the Law, as the subiects of God, and servants
of
〈◊〉
; and although
the Law
〈…〉
in those that
are iusti
•••
d, as being a rule of direction
for our obedience, in the per
•
ormance
of the duties or piety towards God, of
iustice towards our neighbour, of sobriety
towards ourselues; and a glasse of
detection to manifest the imperfections
of our obedience, to keepe vs from
Phari
•••
sme: and lastly, a rodde of correction,
in respect of flesh or the old man
yet remaining in vs, that by precepts, by
exhortations and comminations, it
more and more may be mortified in vs,
and wee kept from the spirit of slumber
and security:) yet notwithstanding wee
are not vnder the law, as theRom. 6. 14. Apostle
saith, but vnder grace. Wee are therefore
in our sanctification freed, though
not from the obedience, yet from the
servitude and bondage of the law, and
that in three respects:
First,§. 16. Freedom from the irritation of the law. in respect of the irritation of it.
In which regard especially the law is
called the1. Cor. 15. 56 strength of sinne: not that
the law causeth or prouoketh sinne properly,
for theRom. 7. 12. law is holy, iust and good;
but only by accident, and occasionally.
For such is the corruptiō of our vntamed
nature vntill we be renewed by the spirit
of God;Nitimur in vetitum s
•
mper cupimu
〈◊〉
negata. Gens human
•
ruit in vetitun
•
ne
•
as. qu
•
d
•
on lic
•
t, acrius vrit. that when the law, which is
holy and good, forbiddeth sinne, seeking
to stoppe the course of our concupiscences,
and to bridle our sinfull affections;
thereby our vntamed corruption rebelleth
so much the more; and that it might
appeareRom. 7. 13. 8.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, exceedingly
sinfull, by occasion of the law worketh
in vs all manner of concupiscence.
Euen, as a deepe riuer, when nothing
hindreth his course, hath a still, and as
it were a dead motion; but if you seeke
to restraine or stoppe his course, he
will sinell and ouerflow all, now disdaining,
as it were, a bridge: so our corruption,
when it freely taketh his owne
course, seemeth to be quiet, and as it
were dead: but when the commandement
commeth,Rom. 7.
〈◊〉
.
•
aith the Apostle, as it
were to dam it vp, sin reuiueth & riseth
against it, swelling and ouerflowing as it
were, his wonted bankes. In this respect,
the law (saith the Master of theLib. 3. dict.
〈◊〉
.
•
. Sentences)
is called a killing letter, because forbidding
sinne, it increaseth concupiscence,
and addeth transgression vntill grace doe
free vs. But we are regenerated by the
spirit of sanctification, and by the bond
of the same spirit coupled vnto Christ;
we are freed from this bondage, euen as
the wife is freed from the dominion of
her husband by his death. For euen as
whilest we were in the flesh altogether
vnregenerate, the law, as it were our husbands,
occasionally and by accident begot
in our soules, wholly corrupted with
sinne, euill motions and concupiscences,
as the fruites and issue of our flesh tending
vnto death: so we being regenerated,
and after a sort dead vnto this corruption,
and consequently being mortified
to the law in respect of the irritation
thereof, and the law in that regard dead
vnto vs, the spirit of Christ, who hath
vnited vs vnto him as our second husband,
begetteth good motions in vs as
the fruites of the spirit, acceptable vnto
•
od. This is that which the Apost. teacheth,
Rom. 7.
•
&c. Rom. 7. for hauing said chap. 6.
14. that sinne shall not haue dominion
ouer vs, because we are not vnder the
law but vnder grace, after he had answered
an obiection, & preuented the abuse
of this Doctrine, which carnall men
would make thereof, as though they
might sin freely, because they are not vnder
the law: in the beginning of the seauenth
chapter he proueth, that we are not
vnder the Law, but vnder grace, by that
similitude which euen now I mentioned:
because being regenerated and dead vnto
sinne, we are mortified to the law, and
the law to vs in respect of the irritation
thereof, caused by our corruption; and
consequently are deliuered from the
power of it, as a wife is freed from the
dominion of her husband, when he is
dead.
Secondly in our sanctification we are
freed from the coaction and terror of
the law,Freedome from the terror or
〈…〉
of the L
•
w. breeding servile feare in men
vnregenerate; whereby, as bon-servants
or gally-slaues by the whip, they are enforced
to the performance of some outward
duties, which otherwise they are
vnwilling to doe. For those who are vnder
the Law, as all men are by nature,
are like bond-slaues; who for avoiding
of punishment, are by terror drawne to
doe some forced service, which is so
much the more vnwilling, because they
looke for no reward. This in the Scripture
is called sometimes
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
,
Rom. 8. 15.
the spirit of bondage, and sometimes
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
,
〈◊〉
. 1. 7.
the spirit of feare, from
which we are delivered, when wee receiue
the spirit of adoption and sanctification;
whereby wee are enabled to worship
God in holinesse & righteousnesse,
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, without servile feare, according
to the covenant of grace made with Abraham,
Luk. I.
〈◊〉
. 1 74. And in this sense it is
said, that the Law
•
. Tim. 1. 9.
is not imposed on the
iust, to whom, being as it were a law vnto
themselues, & willingly performing
that which is right, the terror and coaction
of the Law, so far fo
•••
〈◊〉
they
are regenerate, is needlesse.
Thirdly as we are freed from the coaction
and terror of the Law,Freedome from the rigor or exaction of the law. so also
from the exaction and rigour of the
Law, which they call
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
:
which though it be a liberty of sanctification,
and appertaining to our new obedience;
yet it dependeth on the liberty
of iustification. For as there we were
freed from the Lawes exaction of inherent
righteousnesse, to the acceptation
of our persons: so heere we are freed
from the lawes exaction of perfect obedience,
to the acceptation of our actions.
So that whereas the law condemneth every
the least imperfection or defect,
not agreeing with that perfection of iustice,
which it prescribeth, as a sin, or
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, and pronounceth the party in
whom that defect or imperfection is, accursed:
notwithstanding the new obedience
of Gods children, wrought in them
by the spirit of God, and performed according
to the measure of grace received;
though defectiue in it selfe, and stained
with the flesh, is accepted of God;
who covereth their imperfections with
the perfect obedience of Christ, and not
so much respecteth the perfection of the
outward act, which hee doth not expect
from such weaknesse, as the integrity of
the heart, the vprightnesse of the will
and desire, the sincerity of the indevour;
which if it bee not wanting, the Lord
2. Cor. 8. 12. accepteth the will for the deede, and
true endeavour striuing
•
Phil. 3. 14. 15. towards perfection,
for the perfect performance. In
which respect, the Lord according to
his gratious promise,Malac. 3. 17 Psal. 103. 13.
vseth clemency
towards vs, as a tender father vseth clemency
towards his sonne, taking in good
part the childish endeavour of his children,
proceeding from an vnfained desire
to please him.
But our liberty in sanctification is
not only an immunity,§. 17. The liberty of sanctification as it is a right, with the priuiledges thereof. but also an
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
,
or right, consisting of great priviledges.
For, first wee are not only freed in part
from the corruption of sinne, which we
call mortification; but are also positiuely
made righteous, being, as the Apostle
Peter speaketh, made partakers2. Pet. 1. 4. of
the divine nature, in that flying from the
corruption which is in the world by
lust, we are renued according to the
Ephes. 1. 24. image of God, in holinesse and righteousnesse.
For as the sacred oyle being
powred on the head ofPsal. 133.
Aron (who was
a type of Christ) distilled vnto his lower
parts: so thePsal. 45. 8. oyle of grace wherewith
Christ our head was annointedIohn. 3. 34. without
measure, is derived even to his inferiour
members here on earth, who are
also therewith2. Cor. 1. 21. 1. Iohn. 2. 20. 27. annointed,Iohn. 1. 16. receiuing
of his fulnesse, even grace for grace.
Neither are we only freed from the servitude
of sin, Satan, and the world, but in
Christ our King, who hath overcome
Ioh. 16. 33. Coloss. 2. 15. the world, and triumphed over sinne
and Satan, wee are also made KingsApocal.
•
1. 6
•
Rom. 16. 20. 2. Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 37.
with assurance to bee co
•
querers of all
the enemies of our salvation.
And as touching the Law, we are not
only freed from the irritation thereof,
wherevnto our owne corruption did
make vs sub
•
ect, as vnto a husband, who
begot foule issue of vs tending to death,
and so left at large: but we are also ioyned
to another husband which is
Christ, by his Spirit, wherebyRom. 7. 4. he produceth
in vs the fruits of the spirit, to
the glory of God. Neither doth the law
only cease to provoke vs vnto sinne; but,
when we are once sanctified, it becommeth,
as David
Psal. 119. 24. speaketh, a counsellour
vnto vs, and a directour vnto good
things.
Neither are we freed only from the
spirit of bondage and feare, but are also
indued with the spirit of liberty and
grace, the spiritRom.
••
15. of adoption, the spirit
of2. Tim. 1. 7. power and of loue, and of sobriety:
which spirit hauing shedRom. 5. 5. abroad the
loue of God in our hearts, testifying vnto
vs our adoption, and as anEphes. 1.
•
4. earnest
assuring vs of our inheritance, and enflaming
our hearts with a reciprocall
loue of God, and of our neighbour for
his sake: we begin to delightRom. 7. 22. Psal. 1. 2. 119. 24. in the law
of God, as concerning the inner man,
neither are the commandements of God
1. Iohn. 5. 3. grievous vnto vs, & we begin to serue
the Lord not only without feare, but
also with
•
. Chron. 28.
•
. willing mindes and vpright
hearts. For those who are redeemed &
sanctified by Christ, are
〈…〉
,Psal 110. 3.
a people of willingnesse,
〈◊〉
. 2. 14. a people peculiar
to himselfe, zealous of good workes.
And lastly, concerning the rigour of
the Law; we haue not only this immunity,
that the imperfections of our sincere
obedience are not imputed to vs;
but also this priviledge, that our imperfect
obedience, which in it selfe is worthy
to bee reiected, notwithstanding is
both accepted of God, and rewarded.
For Christ hauing washed vs with his
blood, and sanctified vs by his spirit,
hath made vs both kings, as I said before,
& alsoApocal. 1. 6. Priests, or as Peter speaketh,
1. Pet. 2. 5.
••
a royall and holy Priest hood, to offer
spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God
by Iesus Christ: the sacrifice of obedience
whereby we offer our seluesRom. 12.
•
.
as a liuely,
holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto God,
which is our reasonable service: the sacrifice
of almes, whereby wee offer our
goods, with whichHeb. 13. 16.
sacrifices God is well
pleased: the sacrifice of a broken and
contrite heartPsal. 51. 19., which is to God in stead
of all sacrifices: the sacrifice of prayer,
which is acceptedPs
•
l. 141.
•
. as incense, & as the
euening sacrifice: the sacrifice of praise,
that is, theHeb. 13. 15. fruit, or as Hosea
••
os. 14. 3. speaketh,
the calues of our lips, which the
Lord preferrethPsal. 50. 13. 14. 23. before the sacrifices
of goats and bulles: all which, though
in themselues defectiue and imperfect▪
are notwithstanding acceptable vnto
God, through the mediation of Christ;
who, making intercession for vs, per
•
umeth
Apo
•
. 8. 3. 4. all these sacrifices of ours,
with the odours of his owne sacrifice,
that so they may bee acceptable, and
sweet smelling favours vnto God.
Neither are they only accepted, but
also rewarded. For ourProu. 11. 18. Psal. 19. 11. obedience,
ourHeb. 10. 35. Iames. 1. 12. confidence, our patience, ourMat. 6. 4. 6. 18. prai
•
er,
fasting, almes, andLuk. 6. 35. charitable deeds
haue their rewards, in so much thatMat. 10. 4
•
. a
cup of cold water giuen in charity, shall
not lose his reward. In respect whereof,
we may well say with Dauid
Psal. 62. 13., vnto
thee Lord, mercy: for thou rewardest a man
according to his worke. Which plainly
proueth, that the reward of our obedience
is not to be ascribed to the merit of
our works, (which in themselues cannot
stant in iudgement) but to the mercies
of God in Christ. For there is greater
mercie in not imputing vnto vs the imperfections
of our workes; greater in accepting
of them as if they were perfect;
but greatest of all in rewarding them.
The consideration whereof, ought to animate
and stirre vs vp with willing and
cheerefull mindes, to obey God, to serue
him, to call vpō him, & to performe such
duties as he requireth of vs; because we
are to be assured, that he doth not impute
vnto vs our wants, but accept our imperfect
obedience, and not only fauorably
accept it, but also graciously reward it.
Hitherto we haue spoken of the common
liberty of Christians:§. 18. The speciall liberty of Christians, or that which is peculitar to the faithfull vnder the Gospell. which being
(as we haue heard) conferred vpon vs
in our vocation, iustification, and sanctification;
we are to be exhorted to giue
all diligence, both that we may be called,
iustified, and sanctified, and that our caling,
iustification,
•
and sanctification may
be made sure vnto vs, by leading a godly
life. For if we be not sanctified, nor iustified,
nor called, then are we (whatsoeuer
we are, rich or poore, noble or base,
learned or vnlearned) the most miserable
bond-slaues of sinne and Satan; and
being seruants, howsoeuer for a time
we retaine a place in the house of God,
yet we shall not abide for euer, but when
the time of seperation commeth, we
shall be cast out: whereas contrariwise
being made free by our calling, iustification,
sanification, as the sons of God, we
shall haue the priuiledge of sons, which
is,Iohn. 8. 35. to abide in the house of God for euer.
Now followeth the Christian liberty,
which is peculiar to the faithfull vnder
the Gospell. For the faithfull vnder the
old Testament, though they were sonnes
and heires, and therefore enioyed the
former liberties by Christ, in whom
they beleeued: notwitstanding vntill the
fulnesse of time came, which was the
full age of the Church, they were vnder
yeeres; and therefore as sonnes during
their minority, were subiect toGal. 4. 1.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
3. 24. schoolemasters
and Tutors, whereby are meant
the peadagogy and gouernment of the
typicall Church of the Iewes, contained
in the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes of
Moses; in which regard, they, though
sonnes, seemed little to differ from seruants.
Both these lawes were appendices
of the law morall: the ceremoniall, of
the first table, determining the particulars
of that peculiar worship which hee
prescribed to the typicall Church, vntill
the comming of Christ. The iudiciall,
of the second, determining the particulars
of the peculiar pollicy which he prescribed
to the Common wealth of the
Iewes. So that the ceremoniall, were the
Ecclesiasticall lawes of that Church;
the iudiciall, the ciuill lawes of that
Common wealth. Both were yokes of
bondage, as the Apostle speakethGal. 5.
•
., in respect
of the Iewes, on whose consciences
these lawes were imposed, binding
them to the strict obseruation thereof;
in regard whereof, they are called an
Act. 15. 10. vnsupportable yoke, vnder which notwithstanding,
the faithfull were
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
,
Gal. 4. 3.
held in bondage. And as touching
the Gentiles, they were as aEphes. 2. 1
•
wall of seperation
betweene thē & the Iewes, & as
the dore of Noahs Arke, excluding all frō
saluation that were not of that Church,
either as borne Iewes, or as proselytes.
For the rest were without
Ephes. 2. 1
•
Christ, aliants
from the Common-wealth of Israell, strangers
from the couenants of promise, hauing
no hope, liuing without God in the world.
This wall of partitionEphes. 2. 14. &c. our Sauiour
Christ by his death hath dissolued, taking
away all differenceAct. 15. 9. betweene Iewes
and Gentiles, freeing and exempting
both the one and the other, from the obedience
both of the iudiciall and ceremoniall
law, which were giuen to put a
difference betweene the Iewes and the
Gentiles, vntill the fulnesse of time,Gal. 4. 4. Gal.
4. 4. the timeHeb. 9. 10. of reformation, that is,
vntill the comming of the Messias, by
whose death they were to be2. Cor. 3. 11. 13. abrogated.
For howsoeuer the faithfull, before
the Church came to full age, were in
bondage vnder the ceremoniall, and iudiciall
law, as vnder schoolemasters and
Tutors; yet
•
, whenGal. 4. 3. 4. 5
•
the fulnesse of time
came, God sent his Sonne borne of a woman,
and borne vnder the law, that he might
redeeme them that were under the law:
meaning that we are redeemed, not only
from the morall law, in the respects before
named; but also from the ceremoniall
and iudiciall, euen in respect of obedience.
For as touching the ceremoniall law,
as it was anColoss. 2. 14.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, Ephes. 2. 15. hand-writing of ordinances
which was (though vnderhand) against
vs; Christ hath cancelled it, and nailed
it to his crosse. As it was aHeb. 10. 1. Coloss. 2. 17
•
Iohn. 1. 17
•
shadow and
figure of things to come, Christ hath abollished
it, by performing that indeed,
which it did but shadow and prefigure:
for the law was giuen by Moses, but
grace and truth by Christ. For as grace
is opposed to the curse, so truth to figures:
the ceremonies therefore of the
law gaue place as shadowes to the body,
and as figures to the truth.
The ciuill or iudiciall law, being the
positiue lawes of that people, Christ abrogated,
when according to the prophesie
of Daniel
Dan. 9. 26
•
27., he destroying the Common-wealth
of the Iewes, their city and
temple, did withall abollish their pollicy
and lawes. For the very city, temple,
and whole state of the Iewes, being types
and shadowes of Christ and his Church,
were, when Christ was exhibited, and
his vniversall Church by preaching the
Gospell to all nations, plantedMat. 2
•
.
〈◊〉
., to giue
place; and with them, their lawes; which
were to hold but till the fulnesse of time.
For as the Apostle saith, the Priesthood
(namely, of Aaron) being translated,Heb. 7. 1
•
. the
law (namely of Moses) is also translated.
Howbeit there is some difference between
the abrogating of the Ceremoniall,
& of the iudiciall law: the ceremonial
rites, because they were principally ordained
to prefigure Christ, are so abollished,
that it is not lawfull for Christians
to obserue them, for that were to deny
that Christ is come. Ea non obseruant
Christiani (saithContra Fanstum M
•
ich. lib. 19. cap. 18.
Augustine) per quae
Christus promittebatur; nec adhuc promittuntur,
quiaiam impleta sunt: Christians
doe not obserue those things, by which
Christ was promised; neither are they still
promised, because they are already fulfilled.
The judiciall ordinances, because
they principally tended to the obseruation
of iustice and equity, may be vsed,
so they be not imposed or obserued by
vertue of the iudiciall law: for that were,
though indirectly, to deny that the Messias
is already come. Both lawes were
dead with Christ, though they were not
buried, but as it were kept aboue groūd,
euen by Christians among the Iewes,
vntill the dissolution of the temple and
city of Ierusalem. After which time, the
ceremoniall precepts were not only
dead, asTho. 1. 2. quaest. 104. one saith, but also deadly to
the obseruers of them,§. 19. Peculiar Christian libe
•
ty, as it is an immunity. but the judicials
not so.
Now, this Christian liberty as it is an
immunity, is a freedome from from all
bond of conscience, in respect of outward
things, which are neither commanded
nor forbidden in the eternall
law of God. Of which there are two
sorts, the ordinances of men concerning
things indifferent, and the creatures of
God.
For as touching the former, seeing
there is no law that bindeth the conscience
properly, but only the law of God,
in which sense he is calledIame. 4. 12. our only
Law-giuer, and seeing we are freed from
those lawes of God, which determined
those particulars, which are neither commanded
nor forbidden in the morall
law of God: it is plaine therefore, that
our conscience is free in respect of these
things. As for the lawes of men, whether
they be ecclesiasticall or ciuill, they
do not properly binde the cōsciēce; because
neither is simple obedience due
vnto them, neither can they make any
particular, which in respect of the morall
law, is indifferent, as being neither
commanded nor forbidden, to be simply
necessary. The conscience of a Christian
is exempted from humane power,
and cannot be bound, but where God
doth binde it. And therefore the Apostle,
as he chargeth the Corinthians, that,
seeing they were1. Cor.
•
. 23. bought with a price,
they should not be the seruants of men,
(which is not to be vnderstood of externall
seruitude, but of the bondage of
the conscience) and likewise the Colossians,
Coloss. 2. 16. that no man should condemne them,
(that is, take vpon him to binde the conscience
with guilt of sinne) in respect of
meate and drinke, or holy-dayes: so he reproueth
theColoss. 2. 20. 21.
••••••
. Colossans, for obseruing
the traditions of men, with opinion of
necessity, as if the conscience were bound
by them, or religion were to be placed in
them.
Herein therefore the Church of Rome
is also an enemy to Christian liberty, not
only in burthening Christians with an
heape of innumerable traditions and ceremonies;
but chiefly, in imposing
them vpon the conscience: teaching,
that the traditions of the Church are
with likeConc. Trid. Sess. 4. reuerence, and equall affection
of piety to be receiued, as the written
word of God; and that the commandements
of the Church, euen concerning
outward things, doe binde the conscience,
And although many of their ceremonies
be wicked; more, ridiculous;
most of them, superfluous; yet so absurd
they are, as to impose them to bee
obserued, not only with opinion of necessity,
as binding the conscience, but also
of worship, of perfecton, of merit,
of spirituall efficacy.
Secondly, by this liberty we are freed
frō scrupulosity of conscience, in respect
of the creatures, which are ordained for
our vse; the difference of cleane and vncleane
(which was made by the ceremoniall
law) being taken away. Nothing,
•
aith our Sauiour Christ,Mat. 15. 11.
that goeth
into the mouth, de
•
ileth a man. And Paul,
Rom. 14. 14. I know, saith hee, and am perswaded
by the Lord Iesus, that there is nothing
common or vncleane of it selfe.
But this liberty is not only an immunity,§. 20 span
•
but also an
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
or power, both in
respect of the ordinances of men, and also
of the creatures of God. For, being
freed from the ceremoniall, and iudiciall
lawes of God, and therefore not tyed to
any particular or certaine lawes, which
should determine the particulars not
mentioned in the word of God: herevpon
ariseth a liberty, both to law-giuers,
and those who are subiect to lawes. The
Law-giuers are not restrained to any
particulars, but haue liberty to ordaine
such holsome, either constitutions Ecclesiasticall,
or lawes ciuill, as are not
repugnant to the word of God. Lawes
there must be, to determine the particulars
not mentioned in the generall law of
God: for they are the very bond of humane
societyes, necessary for the execution
of the lawes of God, and for the
maintenance of peace and order among
men. Neither can it be denyed, but that
as the iudiciall law being abollished, it is
lawfull for Law-giuers to ordaine ciuill
lawes; so likewise the ceremonial law being
abrogated, to establish lawes Ecclesiasticall.
Only the question is, who must
be these Law-giuers. Surely, not the
Presbyteries of euery parish, which neuer
were in vse in the Primitiue Church,
but Synodes; as appeareth by the perpetuall
practice of the Church, both in
the Apostles times, and euer since. Synodes,
I say, either prouinciall, or nationall;
and those assembled, either out of
some nation, or out of some more then
one, which some call Consilia media, or
lastly generall. The authority of Synodes
prouinciall and nationall hath alwayes
beene of great regard, though
there want a Christian Magistrate to second
and confirme them, being both
assembled and moderated by the authority
of Metropolitanes and Arch-bishops:
but when both nationall Synodes
are assembled, and the Synodall constitutions
ratified by the authority of the
Soveraigne, and that according to the
positiue lawes of the land, authorizing
him so to doe; I see not, why men should
not as well thinke themselues bound to
obserue lawes Ecclesiasticall, as Civill.
For though some make a difference betweene
them in this behalfe, because civill
lawes determining particulars belonging
to the second table, cannot bee
violated without breaking the second
table, whereas ecclesiasticall lawes determining
particulars appertaining to
the first table, may bee broken without
transgressing of the first table; yet, who
seeth not the weaknesse of this distinction?
Seeing the second table is broken by
disobeying the lawfull authority of superiors
(which wee ought to obey for
conscience sake) as well by transgressing
the one, as the other. Superiours in the
Church are to be honoured and obeyed
by the fifth commandement, and other
ScripturesHeb. 13. 17., as well as superiours,
in the common-wealth. And if their
constitutions, when they wanted the
concurrence of a Christian Magistrate,
were of force in the Primitiue Church;
then much greater is their validity, being
confirmed by the authority of the
Soveraigne, and the Soveraigne authorized
therevnto by Law.
The freedome of the subiect is, that
being freed from the yoke of the iudiciall
and ceremoniall law hee may with a
free conscience obey any other lawes
whether Ecclesiasticall or Civill, which
being not dissonant from the word of
God, are or shall be imposed vpon him.
Which, though it be a plaine and evident
truth, yet by some men it is not observed.
And as touching the vse of the creatures,
and of all things indifferent, wee
are to know, that the right and dominion
we had over the creatures, which
was lost in Adam, is restored in Christ,
(for all are yours, saith the Apostle1. Cor. 3. 21., &
you are Christs) and that not onely for
Christians vnder the Gospell, but also
for all the faithfull from the beginning.
For we reade, Gen. 9.Gen. 9. 2. 3. that to Noah,
who was the heireHeb. 11. 7. of the righteousnes,
which is by faith, the graunt was renewed,
and free vse of the creatures permitted.
Howbeit this freedome was by the
ceremoniall law restrained, not only after
the giuing of the law of Moses; but
also before, a difference being putGen. 7. 2. 9. 4 betweene
things cleane and vncleane:
which difference by Christ is taken away.
For, noRom. 14. 14. creature is vncleane of it
selfe, but every1. Tim. 4. 4. creature is good, and
nothing to be refused, but may be received
with thanksgiuing. Yea of all outward
things, not forbidden of God,
which commonly are called things indifferent,
the Apostle affirmeth in generall,
that1. Cor. 6. 12.
all things are lawfull, andTit. 1. 15.
to
the pure all things are pure. By this liberty
therefore the faithfull are priuiledged,
with freedome of conscience, to
vse or forbeare any of the creatures of
God created for our vse, or things indifferent,
without opinion of necessity to
bee brought1. Cor. 6. 11. vnder the power thereof,
or placing religion therein. In which respect,
Basil fitly calleth things indifferent,
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, things in our power or
left to our liberty.
But here for avoiding of error, three
things are from the generall doctrine to
be repeated. First, that this also is a liberty§. 21. Application of the generall doctrine to this particular. 1. That this also is a liberty of the sons of God.
of the sonnes of God: secondly,
that it is spirituall: and thirdly, that it is
a true liberty. For as touching the first;
though all things bee pure to the pure;
yetTit. 1. 15.
to them that are vncleane and vnbeleeuing,
nothing is cleane. Though to
Cor. 6. 12. 1. Tim. 4. 3. the faithfull all these outward things
are lawfull; yet to the wicked and vnbeleeuers
nothing is lawfull, yea, those
actions, which are materially good as
being commanded of God, as they proceed
from them, are turned into sinne.
Which is spoken, not to this end, to
deriue mē into desperate courses; but to
force them, without farther delaies, to
breake off the course of their sinnes by
speedy and vnfained repentance, and to
sue vnto God for mercy and pardon in
Christ; because this is the only thing
which they may lawfully doe and without
sinne, and which vntill they doe,
they doe nothing else but sinne, and by
sinne hoord vp wrath against the day of
wrath, &c.
Secondly,2. That this
〈◊〉
is a spirituall liberty. though this liberty concerne
outward things; yet it selfe is inward
and spirituall, as being a liberty of
the conscience. Now the conscience respecteth
God, as our outward actions
and the externall fruits of our conscience
respect men; who may moderate or
restraine the externall actions, wherein
the outward vse of our liberty consisteth;
the inward liberty notwithstanding
of the conscience before God, remaining
entire. They greatly erre,
Instit. Lib. 3.
•
ap. 19. §. 10. faith Calvin,
who thinke that their Christian liberty
is nothing, vnlesse they vse it before
men. But they ought to thinke, that by
their liberty they obtaine no new thing in
the sight of men, but before God; and that
their liberty consisteth as well in abstaining,
as vsing. If they know, that it is a
thing indifferent before God, whether
they eate flesh or egges, put on red or blacke
apparell: it is enough and more then enough.
The conscience is now loose, whereto
the benefit of this liberty doth appertaine:
therefore, though hereafter they abstaine
from flesh all their life, and alwaies
weare one colour; they are neverthelesse
free. Yea therefore because they are free,
they doe with a free conscience abstaine.
Thirdly,3. That this also is a true liberty. as this liberty is spirituall,
so also a true liberty. Now all true and
lawfull liberty of creatures, is limited &
bounded: the liberty of the Creator alone,
being vncircumscribed. Wherefore
if any arrogate to themselues an vnbounded
liberty, it is a licentiousnesse,
and not a true liberty. As first, in regard
of lawes and commandements of men;
there are bounds set, first to the lawgivers,
in respect both of the things commanded,
& also of the manner of commanding.
For, lawgiuers may not assume
vnto them a liberty to command
what they list, but only such things as
they know, not to bee repugnant to the
law of God. For they must know, that
all their lawes are limited by the law of
God, and themselues vpon paine of
damnation, restrained from commanding
that which God forbiddeth, and
from forbidding that which God commandeth.
For by wicked lawes, they
make themselues like Ieroboam, who
caused all Israel to sinne. Moreover, they
must be carefull, not only to command
that which is lawfull; but also in civill
lawes, those things which be expedient,
and profitable for the weale publike; &
in lawes Ecclesiasticall, such things as
tend1. Cor. 14. 26. 40. to decency, to order, and edification.
Otherwise, though the subiect
may lawfully obey, in such cases; yet
the Lawgiuer offendeth in abusing his
authority, which was giuen him for the
good of the inferiours.
Againe, in respect of the manner, superiours
must keepe them within their
bounds, and not take vpon them the authority
of ourIames. 4. 1
•
one only Lawgiuer,
who hath power to saue, and to destroy;
which is, to bind the consciences of
men, as, by imposing that vpon the
conscience as simply necessary, which
God by his law hath left indifferent; or
by teachingMa
•
. 15. 2. 9. men to place religion in
the observation of their traditions. For
this is the practise of the Antichrist of
Rome; who, vsurping the authority of
God, and challenging to himselfe a
boundlesse power, sitteth in the consci
•
nces
of men, as God.
Likewise to the subiect; for as hee
may not thinke, that he hath liberty to
obey any lawes of men, though vnlawfull,
and much lesse to place religion or
perfection in the observation of them,
as the Papists doe: so on the other side,
he may not thinke, that he hath liberty
to breake the lawes of men, though not
vnlawfull, and much lesse to place religion
or perfection therein; as they seeme
to doe; who vse to bee opposite to the
Papists in the contrary extreame. For,
I beseech you, doe not many among
vs, thinke themselues the more religious,
for refusing obedience and conformity
to the lawes, and censure others
as formalists and time-servers? But beloved,
as wee are not to iudgeRom. 14.
••
▪ &c. those,
who out of weaknesse refuse conformity;
so those which bee refractary should
not thinke, either the better of themselues
for not conforming, or the worse
of others for conforming. The kingdomeRom. 14. 1
•
.
of God doth not stand in these
things. And ce
•
tainly, ifGal. 5. 6. &. 6. 15. neither circumcision,
nor vncircumcision auaile any
thing; then much lesse the vse or forbearance
of those ceremonies, which
are in controversy among vs. Doth not
the Apostle plainly tell vs,1. Cor. 8.
•
. that these
outward things doe not commend vs
vnto God, and that neither the vse or
forbearance of them in it selfe doth
make vs either better, or worse before
God? But when they bee vsed or forborne
with disobedience to lawfull authority,
without due regard of avoiding
scandall, with vncharitable censuring
and iudging one of another, with alienation
of the affection of one brother
from another; doubtlesse there is fault
committed. And who seeth not, that
while contentions grow hotte about
these things, both charity and piety
waxeth cold?
Secondly in respect of the creatures
and things indifferent, though wee haue
free liberty to vse or forbeare them; yet
it is not a boundlesse liberty. For the law
of God hath set it foure bounds, viz.
piety, loialty, charity, and sobriety.
Piety, respecting Gods glory and worship:
Loialty, hauing reference to superiours;
Charity, to all men; Sobriety to
our selues. Canst thou not vse thy liberty
in some particular, without Gods
dishonour, or neglect of his service?
Remember, that whether
1. Cor. 10. 31
you eate or
drinke, or whatsoever you doe, you must
doe all to the glory of God. Cannot thy
liberty bee vsed, without contempt of
the Magistrates lawfull authority? Remember,
that God hath commanded
thee to obey thy superiours in all lawfull
things, as1. Cor. 6. 12. all things (not forbidden
by God) are lawfull; that all authority
is
Rom. 13. 1. 2. 5.
from God, and that, hee which resisteth
lawfull authority resisteth God;
that they which resist, shall receiue to
themselues iudgement; and that thou
must obey not only for feare, but also for
conscience sake. Remember what S. Peter
saith,1. Pet. 2. 13 16. Be subiect to all humane ordinance,
whether the soveraigne, or subordinate
governours. But how? As free,
and not as hauing the liberty for a cloake
of naughtinesse, but as the servants of
God. Can it not be vsed without the offence
of thy weake brother? Take heed,
saith the Apostle,1. Cor. 8. 9. 10. 24. Rom. 14. 15. 16.
lest thy liberty be an
offence to the weake. For hee that scandalizeth
his brother, sinneth against Christ.
Wherefore if meate offend my brother, I
will not eate flesh whiles the world standeth,
rather then I will offend him. Lastly,
can it not be vsed in some particular, vnlesse
thou shalt passe the bounds of sobriety,
temperance, humility, modesty,
frugality, &c. Remember, what the Apostle
saith,Gal. 5. 13.
Brethren you are called to
liberty, only vse not your liberty, as an occasion
to the flesh.
But here ariseth a doubtfull question,§. 22. Decision of a doubtfull question, what is to be done, whē we seeme to be in a strait betweene disobedience to the Magistrate, and offence to the weake.
the explication whereof is needfull for
these times. For sometimes there seemeth
to be a conflict betweene the law of
loyalty, and the law of charity; as when
that which the Magistrate commandeth,
cannot (as wee thinke) be observed
without the offence or scandall of the
weake, In which case of Antinomy
(which some say is our case) divers
know not which way to turne them,
and others erroneously chuse to disobey
the Magistrate, rather then seeme to
offend their weake brethren.
Consider therefore vprightly what
I shall say, and the Lord giue you vnderstanding
mindes, and tractable
hearts, to see and embrace the truth.
First therefore vnderstand, that wee
are neuer cast into such an exigent betweene
two sinnes not yet committed;
but there is an issue from them both
without a third. Suppose therefore, that
in this case there were an Antimony, or
such an opposition betweene the two
lawes of loyalty and charity, as that
the one could not be observed, without
the neglect of the other. In such cases of
Antimony, we are to know, that if wee
obey the superiour law, vnto which we
are more bound, as hauing higher and
more principall ends; the inferiour
Mat. 12. 7. Ierem. 7. 22. Luk. 14. 26. (which giueth place vnto it) is not
broken. Now, the supreme end is the
glory of God; then, the common salvation
of the Church; then, every mans
owne salvation; then, the salvation of
his neighbour; then, the common outward
good of the Church, or Common-wealth;
then, our owne; then, our
neighbours. So that publike and common
goods are to bee preferred before
private, and spirituall before corporall,
and the glory of God before all. Well
then, thou saist thou maist not yeeld to
the ceremonies, as namely, the Surplice,
the Crosse, and kneeling at communion;
because these things cannot bee done
without scandalizing of thy brother.
Suppose it were so, and remember that
I doe but suppose it. But on the other
side, thou refusing the vse of indifferent
things, whereunto thy Christian liberty
extendeth, being enioyned by lawfull
authority, with such conditions as these
are enioyned; I say vnto thee without
supposition, that besides thy disobeying
the lawfull authority of a Christian
Church, and of a Christian Magistrate,
whom thou oughtest to obey even for
conscience sake; thou dost scandalize,
first, thy weake brethren being affected
as thy selfe, who by thine example, for
which thou perhaps thinkest thou hast
good ground, are animated, or, as the
Apostle1. Cor. 8. 10. speaketh, edified, without
ground, to contemneIn this scandall they are deepest, who are of greatest note. the authority of
the Magistrate, and of the Church; and
from that contempt doe many of them
proceed to mislike of the State; & from
mislike, either to separation, or to some
degree of disloyall discontentment. Besides
those of thine owne disposition,
thou doest offend them who are more
loyally affected; who, if they bee not
the better grounded in ourIud. 20. most holy
faith, doe stumble at your practise, and
begin to stagger in the profession and
practise of religion, when they see men
seeming most zealous in our religion,
& professing, (as they pretend) the cause
of sincerity, vpon no iust cause to abandon
their ministry, to oppose themselues
against authority, to maintaine a
faction in the Church, and wilfully (for
any thing that they can see) to persist in
a bad course. And hereupon many take
occasion to rest in outward civility,
without grace, and to mislike all forwardnesse
in religion for your sakes,
&c.
Now here seemeth to be
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
a scādall falling two ways; indeed a single
supposed offence, opposed to a double
scandal, ioyned with disobedience. If
no more could be said, who could doubt
on which side rather to encline? But
to these I adde other respects, that ought
to be regarded more then a supposed scā
dall.
The question is not, as many would
seeme to vnderstād it, whether, it being a
thing arbitrary, & meerely left vnto our
owne choice, either to vse these ceremonies,
or to forbeare them, (as it was in
the Apostles question of eating flesh)
whether (I say) we ought to abstaine, if
we vnderstood that a brother would bee
offended at the vse of them, or not: for
then there were no question, but that for
avoiding of scandall, we ought to abstaine.
But these things are not arbitrary,
in our choice; but imposed by lawfull
authority, and that with such condition,
as that the obseruation of these things
being indifferent in themselues, becommeth
respectiuely necessary. First in respect
of authority, which not only for
feare, but also for conscience
〈◊〉
. 13. 5. sake, wee
are bound to obey in all lawfull things.
This one necessity of obedience is sufficient
to excuse me from scandall, especially
if I doe my endeauour to preuent it,
as after shall be shewed. Secondly in respect
of the conditions wherewith they
are imposed; as, not to receiue the cōmunion
vnlesse we kneele; not to goe on in
our ministery, vnlesse we conforme. For,
care of avoyding scandall respecteth arbitrary
matters, and not necessary duties
appertaining to Gods glory, and our salvation:
which we must performe, though
all the world would be offended thereat.
The care of thine owne saluation
must be preferred to the supposed danger
of another mans fall: the care of the
Churches saluation, much more, the glory
of God, most of all. Well then, maist
thou not receiue the Communion, being
a duty appertaining to thine owne
saluatiō, to the edificatiō of the Church,
& communion of Saints, to the glory of
God, vnlesse thou wilt receiue it vpō thy
knees? (it being a gesture not only lawful,
but most cōuenient to be vsed in such
a part of Gods worship, as is performed
with inuocationI meane not only prayer, but also with thanksegiuing in regard whereof it is called the Eucharist. on the name of God;
especially seeing the gesture vsed at
meales is not to be vrged, vnlesse the Sacrament
were with our meales, as at the
first institution with Christ last supper,
and in the primitiue Church with their
loue feasts, receiued; for the cause of the
gesture being worthily taken away, the
So the cause of standing at the Passeouer ceassing, the gesture it selfe was altered by the Church, & that alterati
•
confirmed by the practise of Christ, (who notwithstanding perfectly fulfilled the Law.) Luke. 22. 14. reason of retaining it ceasseth; for
which cause the Councill of Laod. c. 28.
Et Concil. Constantinop. in Trullo. c. 74 as it forbad loue-feasts the Church: so
also accubitus, the gesture vsed at feasts.)
I say vnto thee confidently, if thou mayest
not receiue it, vnlesse thou doest
kneele; thou oughtest to receiue it kneeling,
though another would be offended
thereat.
Mayest thou not preach the word (to
omit other parts of the ministeriall function,
the necessity whereof should prevaile
with vs more then a supposed scandall,
for it shall suffice to insist in this one
particular) mayest thou not, I say, preach
the Gospell of Christ, being a duty
whereof necessity is imposed vpon thee,
and1. Cor. 9. 16. Woe be vnto thee if thou preach
not the Gospell; a duty whereby thou
art bound in especiall manner to edify
the Church, and to glorify God; vnlesse
thou yeeld to the vse of such things, as
are neither in themselues vnlawfull (I
meane the Surplice & the Crosse, whereof
the one in the iudgmēt of the Church
serueth for decencie, & the other rightly
vnderstood tendeth to edification,) neither
as they are vsed in our Church, being
neither imposed nor obserued with
superstition, or opinion of necessity in
themselues, or of worship, as though we
placed religion in them, and much lesse
with the other popish conceits of merit,
with which they obserue all their traditions,
or efficacy, which they ascribe especially
to the Crosse? Thou oughtest
to preferre the glory of God in the salvation
of his people by thy ministery,
before the supposed, and perhaps but
pretended scandall of others.
Obiect. Yea butRom. 3. 8. we may not doe euill,
that good may come of it.
Answ The question is of things indifferent.
For though we may & must obey
Magistrates, though they be euill; yet we
must obey neither good nor bad vnto evill.
For we must obey,Ephes. 5. 25. only, in the
Lord.
Obiect. But though the things be indifferent
in themselues, yet their vse may be
vnlawfull.
Answ. That is, when they be imposed
either with opinion of necessity in themselues,
of religion to be placed in thē, of
perfection or merit to be attained by
them, (all which conceits our Church
detesteth, as is manifest by the doctrine,
whereby ceremonies are to be weighed:)
or with scandall (I doe not say taken,
but) giuen to others.
Obiect. Yea but it is euill to offend my
weake brother, that euill I may not do, that
good may come of it.
I answere, in not yeelding to conformity,
thou both disobeyest the Magestrate,
& offendest thy weak brother too.
So that when thou seemest loath to doe
that which is lawfull and good, for feare
of an imagined euill; thou addest euil to
euill, that is, to disobedience, scandall;
and besides, to the most necessary dutyes
of Gods worship, preferrest the auoyding
of a supposed scandall.
For all this while I speake but by supposition.
For here is a supposall of Antinomie
or opposition of the two lawes of
loyalty and charity, as though the one
could not bee obserued without the
breach of the other; which is not so. For
where the Magistrate enioyneth the vse
of an indifferent thing, whereat it is feared
some will take offence; his duty is,
for preuenting the scandall, to giue some
time of information; that the weake may
be instructed, as touching the indifferency
of the thing, and the sufficiencie of
his authority to command it, and of their
duty in submitting themselues to the
obseruation thereof. It is also the duty
of the Minister, to endeauour to preuent
the scandall, by informing his hearers,
that those things which God hath neither
commanded nor forbidden, are
things indifferent; that no such thing is
vncleane in it selfe; that all such things
are lawfull: and such as wherevnto
Christian liberty doth extend; that in all
lawfull things the Magistrate is to be obeyed;
and therefore that these things
being enioyned, they not only may, in
respect of their Christian liberty, with
free conscience vse them; but also must,
in respect of Gods commandement requiring
obedience, yeeld to the observation
of them. Which course hauing
beene taken (as it hath among vs) if any
will still be offended, it is peeuishnesse
and obstinacy, rather then weaknesse;
and an offence taken, but not given: in
which case, the law of charity it selfe
doth not binde vs: and that, in two respects,
not yet mentioned. The one,
in respect of God; the other, in respect
of his truth. For, I may not offend God,
not to offend my brother. And it is
Gods truth, that Christian liberty priviledgeth
both Christian Lawgiuers
(with such cautions as before haue bin
mentioned) to ordaine such lawes concerning
outward things, as they shall
iudge expedient: and also the subiects,
without scrupulosity of conscience to
obserue them. Now, it is a principle,
Satius est nasci scandalum quam deseri
verum: It is better a scandall should arise,
then the truth to be forsaken or betrayed.
Is our Christian liberty in this point
called into question, whether Magistrates
may command such things, and
whether subiects may obey? We must
maintaine our liberty, though others
would be offended thereat. The Apostles,
though for a time they yeelded
much to the weaknesse of the Iewes, doing
and forbearing many things, to avoid
their offence; yet when their liberty
〈◊〉
. 2. 3▪ 4. was called into question, they resolutely
maintained it, not regarding their
offence. And when as by Peters withdrawing
himselfe from the Gentiles, for
feare of offending the Iewes, the liberty
of Christians was called into question;
Gal. 2. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Paul withstood him to his face, and reproved
him before them all, as halting
in the profession of the Gospell. And so
must they bee content to be vsed, who
follow Peters example in this behalfe.
Thus much by the way to perswade the
people to obedience and loialty, and the
Ministers to conformity; which I beseech
God to effect for his Christs
sake.
These things thus premised concerning
the nature and quality of this peculiar
liberty of Christians,§. 23. Obiections concerning Chistian liberty in outward things answered. it will not be
hard to answere the obiections of those,
who runne into contrary extreames concerning
the same.
Obiect. 1. For first, on the one side, it
is obiected; that seeing Christ hath set vs
free concerning things indifferent, no
man ought to restraine vs; and therefore
the lawes commanding or forbidding
the vse of indifferent things, are against
Christian liberty.
Wherevnto I answere, first: that
Christian liberty is wholly spirituall,
being a liberty of the conscience and inner
man, which may stand with the outward
servitude of z bondslaues, much
more with the subiection and obedience
of free subiects. For though the outward
vse of the liberty be moderated by the
Magistrate, and confined; yet the inward
liberty of the conscience is not impaired,
so long as the subiect may obey
with free conscience before God; that
is, so long as the Magistrate seeketh not
to binde the conscience, and to impose
things not commanded of God as necessary
in themselues, and as matters of
religion before God, &c.
Secondly, that the liberty of Christians
is a true, and therefore not an vnbounded
liberty. Now, one of the
boundes and limits which God hath set
it, is, as you haue heard, the law of loyalty,
requiring obedience to superiours.
Wherefore a Christian man, though in
respect of the inward man he be free, as
being the sonne of God by adoption in
Christ; yet in respect of the outward
man, he ought to bee a servant not only
to his1. Pet. 2. 13. 16. superiors, in loyalty and obedience;
but also toGal. 5. 13. 1. Cor. 9. 19. &c. all, in benevolence
and charity.
Obiect. 2. On the other side, it is obiected.
1. That for conscienceRom. 13. 5. sake we
are to obey the Magistrate; that is, that
we are bound in conscience so to doe;
therefore the lawes and commandements
of the Magistrate doe binde the
conscience.
Answ. It followes not, for although
we are bound in conscience, to obey the
lawfull commandements and lawes of
superiours; yet that bond is not in the
particular lawes of men, but in the generall
commandement of God.
Obiect. 3. Againe: A thing indifferent
enioyned by the Magistrate, becometh
necessary,Rom. 13.
•
. for Paul saith,
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
,
it is necessary that you bee subiect:
therefore the commandement of
the Magistrate doth binde the conscience.
Answ. Neither doth this follow. For
it becometh necessary, not by the particular
commaundement of man, but
by the generall commandement of
God. For, notwithstanding the commandement
of the Magistrate, the thing
commanded remaineth indifferent in it
selfe, and before God; and so to be vsed
with free conscience, without placing any
religion therein; howsoever it becommeth
necessary so farre forth as by
the generall commandement of God, I
am bound thereto. And this is that
which Peter
〈◊〉
2. 16. saith, that wee must obey
Magistrates, as free, and yet as the servants
of God. Free, in respect of our
consciences exempted from humane
power; & yet as servants of God bound
in conscience to obey him in obeying
them, so farre forth as hee doth commaund
vs to obey them.
The truth of these answers shall not
only be demonstrated as it were before
your eyes by a syllogisme, wherein is
concluded the bond of conscience, and
necessity of duty in obeying the commandements
of men, but also by other
reasons proved.
The Syllogisme.
All lawfull commaundements of
Magistrates thou art bound in conscience
by the law of God to obey,
so farre forth as hee requireth
such commandements to bee obeyed:
This or that particular is a lawfull
cōmaundement of the Magistrate:
Therefore this or that particular
thou art bound in conscience by
the law of God to obey, so farre
forth as God requireth such commandements
to be obeyed.
By which argumentation wee may
conceiue, that the distinction of necessity
vsed in schooles, viz. that there is necessit
as consequentis, which is simple or
absolute, & necessitas consequentiae,
which is not simple, but vpon condition
of other things presupposed, may not
vnfitly be applied to the necessity of duty
imposed by the lawes, either of God,
or man. For Gods commandement imposeth
the necessity as it were of the
consequent, (without presupposing other
things) requiring simple and absolute
obedience. The law of man doth
not impose the necessity of the consequent▪
or require simple obedience; but
it imposeth onely a necessity of the consequence,
that is, such a necessity and
no other, as may soundly be concluded
from the law of God, and so farre forth
as it may bee concluded thence. Or to
speake more plainely: in a simple sentence
without interpositing any condition,
or presupposing any anteceden
•
whereupon it is to bee inferred, I may
say, either particularly this commandement
of God is necessarily, or by necessity
of duty to be obeyed, or generally, all Gods
commandements are necessarily to bee observed.
And this speech is of necessary
truth. But concerning mens commaundements,
If I shall say in the generall,
All the commaundements of men are necessarily
to be observed, the speech wil
•
be false and absurd: if in particular, this
commaundement of the Magistrate is
necessarily to bee observed this speech
cannot be necessary simply, or by the
necessity of the consequent, or (to speake
more plainely for the explicating of
that phrase) by the necessity of a simpl
•
sentence, wherein the consequent (or
predicat) is both simply and necessarily
affirmed of the antecedent or subiect; it
cannot, I say, bee simply necessary, because
(as you heard) the generall is false.
Notwithstanding if you presuppose
these two things: first, that all lawfull
commaundements of Magistrates are by
the commaundement of God necessarily
to be observed, so farre forth as hee
commaundeth them to be observed: secondly,
that this particular is a lawfull
commaundement of the Magistrate; vpon
these premises you may proue that
speech to be true by necessity of consequence,
viz. that this particular commaundement
of the Magistrate is necessarily
to be observed, &c.
But some sophister will obiect, that I
might as well conclude thus;
Propos. All lawfull commaundements
of the Magistrate must necessarily be obeyed:
Ass. This or that particular is a lawfull
commaundement of the Magistrate:
Concl. Therefore necessarily to bee obeyed.
I answere, that the proposition of this
syllogisme needeth proofe, as not being
manifest of it selfe. You will say, it may
thus be proued.
Propos. What is commanded of God,
must necessarily be performed.
Ass. Obedience to all law full commaundements
of Magistrates is commaunded
of God.
Concl. Therefore obedience to all
lawfull commaundements of Magistrates,
is necessarily to be performed.
But I say againe the assumption of
this syllogisme needeth some explanation.
For the Lord would haue difference
put between his owne commandements
and the lawes of men; and therefore
we may not thinke, that he commandeth
all lawes of men simply to be obeyed:
not simply, you must say then, but
so farre forth as he requireth them to be
obeyed.
By which short discourse wee learne,
that those additions by which I explaned
the proposition of the syllogisme,
were necessare; and that the bond of cō
science
is not the law of man, but of
God: that we are bound to obey mans
lawes not simply, but so farre forth as
God requireth. And lastly that this
speech, (All lawfull commandements of
Magistrates are necessarily to be obeyed)
is true, not by the necessity of the consequent,
as an axiome or principle which
is manifest of it selfe; but by the necessity
of consequence, as a conclusion manifested
by discourse.
Now that the lawes of men doe not
binde the conscience, it may further appeare
by these reasons: first, because our
freedome from the lawes iudiciall and
ceremoniall, which in the Scriptures is
extolled for so great a b
•
nefit, would be
a burthen rather then a benefit, if wee
should in like manner be bound to the
ecclesiasticall and ciuill lawes of men. Againe,
if they did binde the conscience,
there would be no difference betweene
Gods lawes and mans lawes (in respect
of outward actions (and the one sort
would require simple obedience as well
as the other, yea vnlawfull commandements
would also binde the conscience.
But it is plaine, that simple obedience is
to be performed onely to the lawes of
God. To the laws of men we are bound,
not simply, but so farre forth as in obeying
them, we also obey God, and no further;
thas is, as I said, so farre as God
command
•
th
•
s to obey them. Now,
how farre forth God commandeth vs
to obey the lawes of men, will easily appeare
by this disti
••
tion; for either they
command such things as God forbideth,
and forbiddeth such things as hee
commandeth, (which kinde of cōmandements
are so farre from binding our
consciences, as that we are bound by the
law of God to obey him in disobeying
them:) or they command such things
as God commandeth, and forbid such
things as he forbiddeth, that by their
authority the lawes of God may the
better be obseru
•
d, (to which kinde of
commandements we are simply bound,
because as in obeying them we obey
God, so in breaking them we transgresse
the law of God: or lastly, they command
such things as God hath not forbidden,
and forbid such things as God
hath not commanded
••
o the particular
〈◊〉
of this kinde wee are
not simply bound, but so farre forth as
God hath commanded vs to obey them;
that is, as1. Pet. 2. 16. free (being not simply boūd
to those particulars, as necessary in
themselues, but vsing them with free
conscience, as being indifferent, and
therefore such, as wherevnto our Christian
liberty extendeth,) and yet as seruants
of God, thinking our selues so farr
bound to obserue them, as is necessary
for auoyding of scādall or cōtempt, which
God by his law hath forbidden. Contempt:
for it is necessary, saith the Apostle,
Rom. 13. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 16 that we should submit our selues
to lawfull authority, not onely for feare
of punishment, but for conscience sake.
For although we be free, as concerning
the inner man; yet in respect of the outward
man, wee must as the seruants of
God, submit our selues to such superiours,
as God hath set ouer vs, and not
haue our liberty, as a cloake of naughtinesse.
Scandall also is to be auoyded.
First, in respect of the superiour, that
by our disobedience wee doe not scandalize
or offend him. Wherein our Sauiour
hath giuen vs a notable example,
who, although he were (as heMatth 17. 25▪ 26 27. saith)
free; yet was content to pay tribute-money,
for auoiding of offence. Secondly,
in respect of the subiect; that he stumble
not at the example of our disobedience,
being animated thereby to doe the like.
For whereas some thinke, that we are
not to obey the Magistrates commandement
concerning a thing indifferent, if
wee imagine that some weake brother
will be offended thereat; they greatly
mistake the rule of Diuines, who say
these commandements are to be obeyed
for avoyding scandall, and not, that they
are to be disobeyed for auoyding of
scandall. For if this were a sufficient reason
to excuse our disobedience, wee
should not neede to obey almost any
commandement of this kinde, there being
scarce any cōmandement concerning
things indifferent, wherewith wee may
not imagine some weake & scrupulous
conscience will bee offended. But wee
must thinke our selues more bound, for
•
uoyding of contempt and scandall, to
obey a lawfull commandement, then to
disobey, for auoyding a supposed offence.
That which we are to doe in this
case, is this: If wee feare any will take
offence, we must labour to preuent it,
by informing the party, as before hath
beene said. And hauing so done, wee
must doe our owne duty (whether hee
will be offended or not) in obeying the
lawfull commandement of the Magistrate,
so farre as it shall be necessary for
auoyding of scandall and contempt.
Hitherto I haue intreated of the liberty
of grace,§. 24. The liberty of Glory. both that which is common
to the faithfull in all ages; and also that
which is peculiar to Christians vnder
the Gospell. There remaineth (in a
word to bee spoken of) the liberty of
glory; which is not only a perfect deliuerance
from sinne, misery, and all imperfections,
(whereunto because wee
are subiectRom. 7. 24. in this life, for here is as,
Augustine saith, inchoata, non perfecta libertas,
we ought to aspire towards this
perfection) but also a fruition of happinesse
and all the priuiledges of the citizens
of heauen.
This liberty is either of the soule alone,
as at our death; when wee may freely
and with comfort resigne our soules into
the hands of God, that he may commit
the same to theLu
•
. 16. 22. blessed Angels to bee
transpo
••
ed into heauen, where wee are
vnto the end of the world, comfortably
to expect our full redemption. Or it is
of the body also at the day of iudgement
(and is therefore calledRom. 8. 23. the redemption
of our body) when it rising vnto glory,
shall be freed from the seruitudeRom.
•
. 11. of
corruption, this1. Cor. 15. 53. 54. mortall putting on
immortality, and this corruptible putting
on incorruption; that death being
swallowed vp in victory, we may enioy,
both in our bodyes and soules, theRom. 8. 21. glorious
liberty of Gods children in the
kingdome of heauen. This ought wee
with ear
•••
stnesse of desire
〈◊〉
. 22. 23. to aspire vnto,
& with
〈◊〉
of
〈◊〉
. 2. 1
•
.
〈◊〉
. 21. 2
•
. faith to expect;
that thereby we may be weaned f
•
om
the world, hauing
〈…〉
our conuersatio
•
in heauen; and not either by the desires
of the world (which are but
〈◊〉
. 1. 2. vanityes)
be all
•
red and ensnarred, or by the terrors
thereof, (which are
〈◊〉
〈◊〉
•
. 12. worthy
the glory that shall be reuealed,) drawne
into bondage.
Thus haue you heard the doctrine of
Christian liberty. Now heare the vse.
For seeing this liberty is a benefit of
so great excellency in it selfe,§. 25. The application or vse. and of such
profit and necessity to vs: Our first duty
is, to try and examine our selues by
that which hath beene said, whether wee
haue as yet obtained this liberty, or not.
If not, (asIoh
•
. 8. 34.
he which committeth sinne,
is the seruant of sinne) we must labour
to acknowledge and feele that miserable
seruitude, wherein wee are, vnder sinne
and Satan (for hee that is not free, and
yet feeleth not his bondage, is drowned
in sinne, euen as he that is ouer head and
eares in
•
he water, feeleth no weight
thereof) that in the sense of our misery
we may not only truly and earnestly desire;
but also carefully vse all meanes to
attaine this liberty, and never be at rest,
vntill we haue obtained it. It is strange
to see what hard services men will vndergoe,
and what great summes they
will forgoe, to get an earthly freedome;
whiles this spirituall freedome, which
is worth many worlds, will scarcely be
accepted, when men are called and invited
vnto it. Which sheweth, that men
naturally, are not only servants, but willingly
& wilfully continue in servitude.
But you will say, what meanes are wee
to vse? I answere, 1. Diligently and
conscionably to heare the Word, as being
the meanes. which God hath ordained
to call you to liberty. 2. To aske,
seeke, knocke by earnest and hearty
prayer vnto God the author of this liberty,
that he would giue you the spirit
of liberty. 3. To turne vnto God vnfainedly,
laying hold vpon Christ by faith,
and repenting of your sinnes. Eris liber,
saith Augustine
August. in Ioan. tract. 41.
si fueris servus, liber
peccati, servus iustitiae: You shall be free
from sinne, if you will become the servants
of righteousnesse. If God hath already
called vs vnto this liberty, our duty
is two fold, both which the Apostle
mentioneth, Galath. 5. the one,Gal. 5. 1. that
we stand fast in this liberty, wherewith
Christ Iesus hath made vs free, and not
suffer our selues to bee entangled againe
with the yoke of bondage. And the rather
we must be carefull to stand fast in this
liberty, because it is mightily assaulted
by all the enemies of our salvation,
the flesh, the world, the divell. Now,
we are to stand stedfast, both in the doctrine
of Christian liberty, which is the
doctrine of the Gospell, and not suffer
our selues to be allured, or intoxicated,
either with the goldenApoc. 17. 4. 18. 3. cup of the Babylonian
strumpet, the Church of
Rome, which doth not only bereaue
men of Christian liberty, but also draw
them into Antichristian bondage: or
with the Cyrcean cup of the Libertines,
which transformeth Christianisme
into Epicurisme, and the liberty of the
spirit into the liberty of the flesh. And
we are also to be stedfast and resolute in
the practise of Christian liberty: as of
vocation, not to bee entangled againe
with the servitude of sin and Satan, (for,
if hauing professed our selues freed
thereof, we be againe entangled therein,
our latter end, as S. Peter saith2.
〈◊〉
. 2. 20. 21., will
be worse then our beginning.) Of iustification,
as not to subiect our selues to
the lawes exaction of inherent and perfect
righteousnesse to iustification, (for
they which areGal. 3. 10. of the workes of the
law, are vnder the curse) but without regard
of our owne righteousnesse, to rely
wholly for our iustification on the
mercies of God, and merits of Christ
apprehended by faith; and to hold him
Gal. 1. 8. accursed, though he were an Angell
from heauen, that should teach
otherwise. Of sanctification, as not to
subiect our selues to the dominionRom. 6. 12. of
sinne, or to the terror or rigour of the
law; but without servile feare, willingly
and cheerefully to serue our heavenly
Father, being well assured that hee will
cover our wants, and accept of our vnperfect
endeavours. Of Christian liberty
in respect of outward things; as not
to suffer our consciences to be bound by
the authority of any creature, inioyning
them as necessary in themselues, and
much lesse to bind our owne consciences,
as scrupulosluy and superstitiously
putting religion either in the vse or forbearance
of them. Of the glorious liberty,
as not to suffer our selues by all
the machinations of the world, the flesh
and the divell, to bee withdrawne from
the hope and expectation of it; but comfortably
to liue as menRom. 8. 2
•
. saued in hope.
The other duty, is that which the Apostle
mentioneth, Galath. 5. 13. Bretheren,
saith he,Gal. 5. 13.
you are called to liberty: only
vse not your liberty as an occasion to the
flesh, but by charity serue one another.
That is, that we should be carefull,The abuse of Christian liberty. both
to auoyd the abuse of Christian liberty,
and also to vse it aright. The abuse is manifold.
As first, of the sauing grace of
God; when men doe turneIud 4. it into wantonnesse,
their freedome from sin, into a
freedome to sin as though they were so
freed frō the law, as that they need not
to obey it; as though good works, because
they are not exacted to iustificatiō,
were in no respect needfull to salvation.
We are not fr
•
e, saith Luther
De liber
•
Christ., by faith in
Christ from workes, but from the opinion
of workes, that is, frō the foolish presumption
of iustification sought by workes. Secondly,
of Christian liberty, in respect of
the creatures of God, & the vse of things
indifferent; when we doe vse them without
regard of our duty, to God, our
neighbour, or our selues.
The duty which we owe to God, is
piety; to our neighbour in generall,
charity; and in particular to our superiour,
obedience and loyalty; to our
selues, sobriety. For these, as I said,
are the bounds of our liberty, which if
we passe in the vse thereof, we abuse it.
The vse of our liberty is contrary to piety:
First, when we our selues are impious,
and irreligious. For though the
things in themselues bee cleane, yet the
vse of them is vncleane to them that are
impure. For asTitus 1. 15. to the pure, all things
are pure, so to the vncleane nothing is
cleane. Secondly, when the vse of them
is not sanctified vnto vs,1. Tim. 4. 5. either by the
Word, as when we make more indifferent
things, then God in his word hath
made, as drunkennesse, fornication, vsury,
&c. or when we doe not vse them in
faith and sound perswasion out of the
word of God, which is the charter of
our liberty, that we may lawfully and
with a good conscience vse them (for
though nothing in it selfe be vnclean, yet
to him
〈…〉
that thinketh or doubteth that
it is vncleane, it is so to him; for as the
Apostle, speaking of this particular,
saith, Whatsoeuer is not of saith, is sinne:)
or by the dutyes of inuocation. As the
vse of meat and drinke, without either
prayer to God for his blessing in the vse,
or thanksgiuing for the same. Thirdly,
we abuse our liberty irreligiously, when
we vse it to the dishonor of God, or to
the hinderance of his worship and seruice,
as in the immoderate and vnseasonable
vse of recreations, &c. whereby
men shew themselues to be
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
. 2 Tim. 3. 4. louers of
pleasures more then of God.
Likewise our vse of the creatures, and
of things indifferent, is against charity,
when we vse them without due regard
of auoyding scandall and offence. Against
loyalty, when vsing our liberty
with contempt of lawfull authority, wee
make it a cloake to couer some naughtines.
And lastly, against sobriety, when
vnder the pretence of Christian liberty,
the creatures of God, and other things
indifferent, are vsed, either as instruments
to serue, or as ensignes to display,
our pride or intemperate lusts, as in the
excesse of meat and drinke, recreations,
the vse of the mariage bed, apparell, building
and such like.
But let vs come to the right vse of our
Christian liberty;§ 26. The right vse of Christian li
•
erty. which is two-fold,
either the sanctification of our liues, or
the pacification of our consciences. As
touching the former: the right vse of
the liberty of sauing grace is, when it is
vsed to the free, voluntary, and cheerefull
worshipp and seruice of God, in holinesse
and righteousnesse, forLuk. 1. 74. 75. that is the
end of our liberty and redemption. The
right vse of Christian liberty in outward
things, is, when it is vsed to a free and
cheerefull seruing, both one ofGal. 5. 13. another
in charity, and of the superiour in obedience
and loialty; that being free1. Cor. 9. 19. from
all, we make ourselues servants vnto all,
for their good. For as Luther saith,De li
•
ert. Christ.
A
Christian in respect of the inner man, is
free, but in respect of the outward man hee
is (through charity) the servant of all.
And herein wee are to imitate the example
of Christ; who,Philip▪ 2. 5. though hee were
God, tooke vpon him the forme of a
servant to make vs free; and though hee
were the Lord of all,M
•
t. 2
•
. 28. came not to bee
ministred vnto, but to minister. And
wise of the blessed Angels; who, though
they be glorious spirits, notwithstanding
take no scorne to be sent forth into
theHeb. 1. 14. ministry and service of our good.
The right vse of the doctrine concerning
the liberty of glory, is, truly to
beleeue it, and to liue as in expectation
of it; knowing, that he which hath this
1. I
•
hn. 3. 3. hope, that he shall be like vnto Christ
at his appearance, will purify himselfe,
as he is pure; that as hee hopes to be like
him, in respect of the liberty of glory, so
hee may in some measure resemble his
gratiousnesse, by the liberty of grace.
But the cheife vse of this doctrine, is,
to pacifie mens consciences; without
which (vnlesse they sleepe in carnall security)
they are so wonderfully perplexed,
that neither can they liue in peace
nor attempt any thing almost with quiet
mindes. For whereas there befoure
things which trouble perplexed consciences,
this doctrine is a soueraigne remedy
to cleare and to appease the conscience,
in respect of them all. The first, is
the guilt of sinne, and feare of damnation.
For when thy conscience is summoned
before the iudgement feat of God,
or terrified with the apprehension of his
wrath, as in
•
ime of temptation, or affliction,
or in the houre of death; when
thou doest consider the seuerity of Gods
iustice, who will not suffer sinne to goe
vnpunished, the rigour of the law, denouncing
the curse of God against eue
•
y
euen the least transgression, the testimony
of thine owne conscience, which
is in stead of a thousand witnesses, accusing
and condemning thee of innumerable
transgr
•
ssions; how canst thou thinke
of appearing before God, who is greater
then thy conscience, to be iustified or
cond
•
mned, without horror of conscience,
and confusion of mind? But blessed
be God, who hath granted vs this liberty
of grace, that in the question of
•
ustification,
whereby in this life we are freed
from feare of damnation, and entituled
vnto the kingdome of h
••
uen, we need
not looke into our obedi
•
nce, or to the
sentence of the law; but may b
•
assured, if
we beleeue in Christ, that God doth ius
•
ifie
vs, being
〈◊〉
in our selues, without
respect of our
〈◊〉
; that he hath
freed vs from the lawes exaction of inherent
righteousnesse, to the acceptation
of our persons; that he imputing the
righteousnesse of Christ to the beleeuer,
accepteth of him as righteous in
Christ; that the faithfull man hath liberty
to appeale from the tribunall of iustice,
to the throne of grace, from the
sentence of the law, to the promise of the
Gospell, and renouncing his owne righnesse,
yea esteeming it as dung in the question
of iustification, to rest alone in the
mercyes of God, and merits of Christ.
But because the world is so apt to abuse
this most comfortable doctrine,
and to turne gratious liberty into carnall
licentiousnesse; it shall bee needfull to
adde this caution: That howsoeuer we
are by our iustisication in this life, entituled
vnto the kingdome of heauen; and
although by the righ
•
eousnesse and merits
of Christ alone apprehe
•
ded by
faith, we are both iusti
•
ied and also saued:
yet for as much as many deceiue
themselues with an idle conceit of faith,
and with a vaine presumption that they
are iustified, when notwithstādingP.
〈◊〉
they
remaine in their sinnes: therefore wee
must thinke it most necessary, being once
iustified by faith, and entituled vnto the
kingdome of heauen, to demonstrate our
faith, and our iustification by a godly
life; walking in that way of good works,
which God hathEphes. 2. 10. prepared for vs to
walke in towards our country in heauē.
For though wee are iustified and saued
by the merits of Christ alone apprehended
by faith; notwithstanding sanctification
is theAct. 20 32. cognizance of them that are
saued, and good works are the euidence,
accordingRom
•
. 6. vnto which God will pronounce
the sentence of saluation. For as
the
•
ree is knowne by his fruite; so hee
that
〈…〉
worketh righteousnesse, is righteous,
and in like manner by sanctification
our iustification is manifested. For true
•
aith
〈…〉
worketh by loue, & good works
are as the breathing of a liuely faith. And
therefore though saith alone doth iustifie,
as Paul
〈…〉
teacheth, because it alone
doth apprehend the righteousnesse of
Christ vnto iustification; yet as S. Iames
〈…〉
teacheth, that faith which alone seuered
from obedience doth not iustifie, neither
alone, nor at all, because it it is not a
true faith. For euen as the body without
breathing is knowne to be dead:Iam. 2. 26. so
faith with workes is dead. We are therefore
iustified in this life, and entituled
vnto the kingdome of heauen, as to our
inheritance, by faith withoutRom. 4.
•
. workes;
but none are actually saued, nor inherit
that kingdome in the life to come, but
such as first are sanctified. For as our Saviour
saith, we haue indeed not only remission
of sinnes by faith, but also by
faith we haue our inheritance; but yet,
as he saith,Act. 26. 18. among them that are sanctified.
The second is the conscience of our
manifold wants and imperfections, in
those duties which we doe performe.
For how can a man be perswaded, that
God, toIob. 15. 14. 16. 16. whom no creature being compared
is pure, will allow of his imperfect
and stained obedience. And if he be
not perswaded, that his seruice is acceptable
vnto; God with what heart can he
performe it? The doctrine therefore of
Christian liberty assureth our consciences,
that wee are freed from the lawes
exaction of perfect obedience, to the acceptation
of our actions: that, God couering
our imperfections, as an indulgent
Father, with the perfect righteousnesse
and obedience of Christ, imputeth not
our wants vnto vs, but accepteth of the
truth of our will and desire for the deed,
and our sincere endeauour for the perfect
performance. And therfore a Christian
may, in respect of this liberty, with
comfort and cheerefulnes performe obedience,
according to the measure of
grace receiued, being assured that our
defectiue and stained obedience, will be
accepted of God through the mediation
and intercession of Iesus Christ.
The third is the s
•
ruple of conscience,
concerning the vse of outward things,
how far forth they may bee vsed or
forborne. For if a man be not rightly
informed herein, there will be no end
Vid
•
. Cal
•
in,
•
it. lib. 3. cap. 19. 7. of scrupulosity and superstition. From
this scrupi
•
also, the doctrine of Christian
liberty doth free vs: assuring vs, that
to all these things our liberty doth extend,
either to vse thē freely, or freely to
forbeare them; & that nothing is vnclear
in it selfe, nor yet vnto vs, if we be so perswaded;
& that to the cleane, all things
are cleane, provided alwaies, that the vse
of this liberty be kept within the bound
•
before mentioned, of piety, charity,
loyalty, and sobriety.
The fourth and last is the horror of
conscience in the houre or death. For
can a man with cō
•
ort giue vp his soule
to bee seuered from the body, when he
knoweth not, either what will beco
••
of his soule after the seperation therec
•
from the body, or how, and in what
〈◊〉
his body shall rise againe? But
〈◊〉
doth assure vs, that Chr
••
〈◊〉
purchased, not only a liberty of
〈◊〉
in this life, but also of glory for
〈◊〉
soules against the end of our life, and for
our bodyes also, against the day of iudgment.
So that weHeb. 10. 19. 20. haue liberty or boldnesse,
to enter into the holy places by
the blood of Iesus, by the new and liuing
way, which he hath prepared for vs
through the vaile, that is to say, his flesh;
being assured, that by reason of our vnion
with Christ, we are risenEphes. 2. 6. again with
Christ, and with him set in the heauenly
places, whether he is ascendedIohn. 14. 2. 3
•
. &. 17. 24. to prepare
a place for vs:Philip. 3. 20. 21. and from whence he
will come againe to bring vs thither,
that where he is, there we may be also.
Wherefore in respect of this liberty, the
faithfull may with comfort, both surrē
der
our soules into the hands of God
our mercifull Father, and also bequeath
our bodyes to the earth, in full assurance
that our soules shall by the Angels bee
translated into heauen, and that our bodyes
shall at the day of iudgement, bee
freed from the seruitude of corruption,
and rise againe to glory: this mortall hauing
put on immortality, & this corruptible
incorruption, that it being againe
e
•
vnited to the soule, we may for euer &
euer, enioy both in body and soule, the
glorious liberty of the citizens of heauen.
Vnto which liberty of glory he
•
bring vs, who hath so dearely purcha
•
ed
it for vs, euen Christ Iesus the righteous;
to whom with the Father and the
holy Ghost, be eternall praise and glory.
Amen.
THE NECESSITY
OF
HANDLING
THE QVESTION
Concerning Christian
Libertie.
THE declaration whereof
hee must not omit, whose
purpose is to cōprehend in
an abridgmēt the summe of
the doctrine of the Gospell. For it is a
thing principally necessary, and without
the knowledge whereof, consciences
dare in a manner enterprise nothing,
without doubting they stumble & start
backe in many things, they alway stagger
•
,
and tremble: but especially it is an
appendant of iustification, and auaileth
not a little to the vnderstanding of the
strength thereof. Yea, they that earnestly
feare God, shall hereby receiue
an incomparable fruit of that doctrine,
which the wicked and Lucinianicall
men doe pleasantly taunt with their
scoffes because in the spirituall darkenes
wherewith they bee taken euery wanton
rayling is lawfull for them. Wherfore
it shall now come forth in fit season,
and it is profitable to deferre to
this place, the plainer discoursing of it
(for some haue already in diuers places
lightly touched it, because so soone
as mention is brought in of Christian liberty;
then either filthy lusts doe boile,
or mad motions do rise vnlesse the wanton
witts be timely met withall which
doe otherwise most naughtily corrupt
the best things. For some men by pretence
of this liberty, shake off all obedience
of God, and breake forth into an
vnbridled licentiousnesse; and some men
disdaine it, thinking that by it all moderation,
order, and choise of things, is
taken away. What should wee here
doe, being compassed in such narrow
straights? Shall wee bid Christian liberty
farewell, and so cut off all fit occasion
for such perills? But as wee haue
said, vnlesse that bee fast holden, neither
Christ nor the truth of the Gospell,
nor the inward peace of the soule
is rightly knowne: Rather we must endeauour,
that so necessary a part of doctrine
be not suppressed, and yet that in
the meane time those found obiections,
may be met withall which are wont to
rise thereupon.
Christian liberty consisteth in 3. parts.Part of Christian liberty. The freedome from the bondage and tir
•
̄
ny of the La
•
.
The first, that the consciences of the
faithfull, when the affiance of their iustification
before God is to be sought,
may raise and aduance themselues aboue
the law, and forger the whole
righteousnesse of the Law.
For since the law (as we haue already
in another place declared) leaueth no
man righteous, either we are excluded
from all hope of iustification, or wee
must bee loosed from the law, and so
that there bee no regard at all had of
works. For who so thinketh that hee
must bring somewhat, bee it neuer so
little of good works to obtaine righteousnesse;
hee cannot appoint any end or
measure of them, but maketh himselfe
debter to the law. Therefore taking away
all mention of the Law, and laying
aside all thinking vpon works, we must
embrace the only mercy of God when
we entreat of iustification, and tur
••
ing
away our sight from our selues we must
behold Christ alone. For there the question
is not how wee bee righteous, but
how although wee be vnrighteous and
vnworthy, wee bee taken for worthy.
Of which thing if Conscience will attaine
any certainety, they must giue no
place to the law. Neither can any man
hereby gather that the Law is superfluous
to the faithfull, whom it doth not
therefore cease to teach, and exhort, &
prick forward to goodnes, although
before the iudgement-seat of God, it
hath no place in their consciences. For
these two things, as they are most diuers,
so must they bee well and diligently
distinguished of vs. The whole
life of Christians ought to bee a certaine
meditation of godlines, because
they are called into sanctification; herein
standeth the office of the Law, that
by putting them in minde of their duty,
it should stirre them vp to the endeauour
of holinesse, and innocency. But
when consciences are carefull how
they may haue God mercifull, what
they shall answere, and vpon what affiance
they shall stand if they bee called
to his iudgement; there is not to bee
reckoned what the law requireth, but
onely Christ must be set forth for righteousnesse,
which passeth all perfection
of the law.
Vpon this point hangeth almost allThe liberty disputed of
〈◊〉
the Epistle to the Galathians. Gal. 3. 13. & 5. 1.
the argument of the Epistle to the Galathians.
For that they be found expositors
which teach, that Paul there contendeth
onely for the liberty of Ceremonies,
may bee proued by the places
of the arguments. Of which sort these.
That Christ was made a curse for vs,
that he might redeeme vs from the curse
of the law. Againe, stand fast in the liberty,
wherewith Christ hath made you
free, and bee not againe entangled with
the yoake of bondage. Behold, I Paul say
if yee be circumcized, Christ shall nothing
profit you. And he which is circumcisized
is debtor of the whole law. Christ is
made idle to you whosoeuer ye be, that
are iustified by the law: ye are fallen
away from grace. Wherein truly is contained
some higher thing thē the liberty
of Ceremonyes. I grant indeed, that
Paul there intreateth of Ceremonyes,
because hee contendeth with the false
Apostles which went about to bring
againe into the Christian Church the
old shadowes of the law, which were
abolished by the comming of Christ.
But for the discussing of this question,
there werehigher places to be disputed,
in which the whole controuersie stood.
First, because by those Iewish shadowes,
the brightnes of the Gospel was
darkened, he sheweth that wee haue in
Christ a full giuing indeed, of all those
things which we shadowed by the ceremonyes
of Moses. Secondly, because
these deceiuers filled the people with a
most naughty opinion, namely, that
this obedience anailed to deserue the
fauour of God: here he standeth much
vpon this point, that the faithfull should
not thinke that they can by any workes
of the law, much lesse by those little
principles, obtaine righteousnesse before
God. And there withall hee teacheth
that they are by the Crosse of
Christ, free from the damnation of the
law, which otherwise hangeth ouer all
men, that they should with full assurednes
rest on Christ alone. Which
place properly pertaineth to this purpose.
Lastly, hee maintaineth to the
consciences of the faithfull their liberty,
that they should not be bound with
any religion, in things not necessary.
The second part which hangeth vpon
that former part,The second part of Christ
•
an liberty free and by the Law vnconstrained obedience. is that consciences
obey the law, not as compelled by the
necessity of the same law, but being free
from the yoake of the law it selfe, of
their owne accord they obey the will of
God. For because they abide in perpetuall
terrors, so long as they bee vnder
the dominion of the law, they shall neuer
bee with cheerefull readinesse framed
to the obedience of God; vnlesse
they haue first this liberty giuen them.
By an example wee shall both more
briefely, and plainely perceiue what
these things meane. The commandement
of the law is,
〈◊〉
. 6
•
. that wee loue our God
with all our heart, with all our soule, and
with all our strengths. That this may be
done, our soule must bee made voide of
all other sense and thought, our heart
must bee cleansed of all desires, all our
strengths must bee gathered vp and
drawne together to this onely purpose.
They which haue gone most farre
before other in the way of the Lord, are
yet very farre from this marke: For
though they loue God with their
minde, and with sincere affection of
heart, yet they haue still a great part of
their heart and soule possessed with the
desires of the flesh; by which they are
drawne backe, and stayed from going
forward with hasty course to God.
They doe indeed trauell forward with
great endeauour, but the flesh partly
feebleth their strengths, and partly
draweth them to it selfe. What shall
they here doe? When they feele that
they doe nothing lesse then performe
the law? They will, they coue
•
, they
endeauour, but nothing with such perfection
as ought to bee. If thou looke
vpon the law, they see that whatsoeuer
worke they attempt or purpose, is accursed.
Neither is there any cause, why
any man should deceiue himselfe with
gathering that the worke is therefore
not altogether
•
uill, because it is vnperfect:
and therefore that God doth neuerthelesse
accept that good which is in
it. For the law requiring perfect loue,
condemneth all imper
•
ection vnlesse
the rigour of it be mitigated. Therefore
his works should fall to nought, which
hee would haue to seeme partly good,
and he shall find that it is a transgression
of the law, euen in this▪ because it is vnperfect.
Lo
•
•
how all our works are subiect to
the curse of the law. But how should
then vnhappy soules chearefully apply
themselues to worke, for which they
might not trust that they could get any
thing but curse? On the other side,Men freed from the actions of the law
〈◊〉
as children
•
we
•
tly wōne vnto cheerfull obedien
•
e by th
•
〈…〉
where w
•
th they know that
〈…〉
to
〈◊〉
them. if
being deliuered from this seuere exacting
of the law, or rather from the
whole rigour of the law, they heare
that they be called of God with fatherly
gentlenes, they will merrily and with
great chearfulnes answere his calling,
and follow his guiding. In a summe,
they which are bound to the yoake of
the law, are like to bondslaues, to whom
are appointed by their Lords certaine
tasks of worke for euery day. These
seruants thinke that they haue done nothing,
nor dare come in the sight of
their Lords vnlesse they haue performed
that full taske of their workes;
But Children (which are more liberally,
and more freemanlike handled of
their Fathers) stick not to present to
them their begunne & hal
•
e-vnperfect
works, yea & those hauing some faults,
〈◊〉
, that they will accept their obedience
and willingnesse of mind, al
•
hough
they haue not so exactly done
so much as their good wills was to doe.
So must we be, as we may haue sure
affiance, that our obediences shall be allowed
of our most kind Father, how
little soeuer, and how rude and vnperfect
soeuer they bee.
〈…〉
As also hee assureth
to vs by the Prophet: I will spare
them (saith he) as the Father is wont to
spare his sonne that serueth him. Where
this word spare, is set for the bearing
withall, or gently to winke at faults;
for as much as he also maketh mention
of seruice. And this affiance is not a little
necessary for vs, without which wee
shall goe about all things in vaine. For
God accounteth himselfe to bee worshipped,
with no worke of ours; but
which is truly done of vs for the worshipping
of him. But how can that bee
done among these terrors, where it is
doubted whether God be offended, or
worshipped without our worke?
And that is the cause why the author
of the Epistle to the Hebrewes,
〈…〉
referreth
all the good works which are read
of in the holy Fathers, to Faith, and
weigheth them all by Faith. Touching
this liberty there is a place in the Epistle
to the Romans, where Paul reasoneth
that sinne ought not to haue dominion
ouer vs because wee are not vnder the
law, but vnder grace. For when he had
exhorted the faithfull, that sinne should
not reigne in their mortall bodyes, and
that they should not giue their members
to bee weapons of wickednesse to sinne, but
should dedicate themselues to God,Rom. 11. 2. Rom. 6. 12. as they
that are aliue from the dead, and their
members weapons of righteousnesse to
God: and whereas they might on the
other side, obiect that they doe yet
carry the flesh full of lusts, and that
sinne dwelleth in them, hee adioyneth
that comfort by the liberty of the law
as if hee should say; Though they doe
not yet throughly feele sinne destroyed,
and that yet righteousnesse yet liueth
not in them, yet there is no cause
why they should feare, and bee discouraged,
as though hee had beene alway
displeased with them for the remnants
of sinne, for as much as they are by
grace made free from the law that
their workes should not bee examined
by the rules of the law. As for them
that gather that wee may sinne because
wee are not vnder the Law, let them
know, that this liberty pertaineth nothing
to them, the end whereof is to encourage
vs to good.
The third part is,The third part of Christian liberty is freedome of conscience touching the vse of indifferent things, as cloth meat, drinke, wherein it is vnnecessary to know how much is permitted vs, lest too much straightnesse driue vs to inconuenien
••
. that wee bee bound
with no conscience before God of outward
things, which are by themselues
indifferent, but that we may indifferently
sometime vse them, and sometime
leaue them vnused. And the knowledge
of this liberty, also is very necessary for
vs; for if it shall bee absent, there shall
bee no quiet to our consciences, no end
of superstitions. Many at this day doe
thinke vs fond to moue disputation, about
the free eating of flesh, about the
free vse of dayes, and garments, and
such other small trifles, as they indeed
thinke them: but there is more weight
in them then is commonly thought.
For when consciences haue once cast
themselues into the snare they enter
into a long and cumbersome way, from
whence they can afterward finde no easie
way to get out. If a man beginne to
doubt whether hee may occupy linnen
in sheets, shirts, handkerchei
•
es, and
napkins, neither will hee bee out of
doubt, whether he may vse kempe, and
at the last hee will also fall in doubt of
matters, for he wil weigh with himself,
whether hee cannot
〈◊〉
without napkins,
whether hee way not bee without
hādkerchi
•
fes. If any think dainty meat
vnlawfull, atlength hee shall not with
quietnesse before the Lord, eate either
browne bread or common meates;
when he remembreth that he may yet
•
ustaine his body with baser food. If
hee doubt of pleasant wine, afterward
he will not drinke dead wine with good
peace of conscience, last of all, hee will
not bee so bold to touch sweeter and
cleaner water then other. Finally, at
the length hee will come to this point,
to thinke it vnlawfull (as the common
saying is) to tred vpon a straw
lying a-crosse. For here is begunne
no light strife, but this is in question;
whether God will haue vs to vse these,
or those things whose will ought to
guide all our counsells & doings. Hereby
some must needs bee carried with
desperation into a confuse deuouring
yit: some must (despising God, and casting
away his feare (make themselues
away through destruction, when they
haue no ready way: for whosoeuer are
••
tangled with such doubting, which
way soeuer they turne themselues, they
see euery where present offense of conscience.
I know S. Paul) that nothing is common
(meaning by common vnholy)
but who so thinketh any thing common,
Wee cannot with thankefulnesse vnto God enioy the vse of outward things vnlesse the knowledge of our liberty remoue all seruple of conscience and trouble of mind from vs
to him it is common. In which words he
maketh all outward things, subiect to
our liberty, prouided alway, that our
mindes haue the assurance of the liberty
before God. But if any superstitious opinion
cast into vs any doubt, those
things which of their owne nature
were cleane, are defiled to vs. Wherefore
hee addeth: blessed is hee that iudgeth
not himselfe in that which hee alloweth.
But hee that iudgeth, if hee eate
〈◊〉
condemned because he eateth not of Faith.
And that which is not of Faith, is sinne.
Among such narrow straights, who so
neuerthelesse with carelessely venturing
on all things, shew themsel
•
es bolder,
doe they not as much turne themselues
away from God? But they which are
throughly peirced with some feare of
God, when they themselues also are
compelled to doe any thing against
their conscience, are discouraged and
doe fall downe with feare. All that are
such doe rec
•
iue none of the guifts of
God with thanksgiuing, by which alone
yet Paul
•
estifieth that they are all
sanctified to our vse: I meane the thanksgiuing
that proceedeth from a heart
that acknowledgeth the liberality, and
goodnesse of God in his guifts. For
many of them indeed, doe vnderstand
that these are the benefits of God which
they vse, and they praise God in his
works: but
•
ith they are not perswaded,
that they are giuen to themselues,
how should they thanke God as the giuer
of them? Thus in a summe wee see,
whereto this liberty tendeth, namely
that wee should vse the gifts of God
to such vse, as he hath giuen them vnto
vs, without any scruple of conscience,
without any trouble of minde, by
which confidence our soules may both
haue peace with him, and acknowledge
his liberality towards vs. For here are
comprehended all ceremonyes, that
are at liberty to bee obserued, that our
consciences should not be bound with
any necessity to keepe them, but should
remember that the vse of them, is by
Gods benefits subiect to themselues
vnto edification.
But it is diligently to bee noted,The vse and abuse of doctrine which
〈◊〉
Christian l
••
bertie. that
Christian liberty is in all the parts of it
a spirituall thing, the whole strength
whereof consisteth in appeasing fearefull
consciences before God, if either
they bee vnqui
•
ted or carefull for the
forgiuenesse of sinnes, or if they bee
pensiue, whether our imperfect works,
and de
•
iled with the faults of our flesh
doe please God, or if they bee troubled
about the vse of indifferent things.
Wherfore they doe wrōgfully expound
it, which either doe make it a cloake
for their owne desires, that they may
abuse the guifts of God to their owne
lust, o
•
which doe thinke that there is no
liberty but that which is vsed before
men, and therefore in vsing it haue no
regard of the weake brethren. In the
first kind, men doe at this day much
offend. There is almost no man
which may by his ability of wealth
bee sumptuous, which delighteth not
in excessiue gorgeousnesse, in furniture
of banquets, in apparell of body,
in building of houses, which hath not
a will to excell other in all kind of
statelinesse, which doth not maruailously
flatter himselfe in his
•
inenesse.
And all these things are defended vnder
the pretence of Christian liberty. They
say that they are things indifferent, I
grant, so that man indifferētly vse them.
But when they are too greedily coueted,
when they are proudly boasted,
when they are wastfully spent: it is certaine,
that those things which otherwise
were of themselues lawfull, are by these
faults defiled. This saying of Paul, doth
very well put difference between things
indifferent,
〈◊〉
1. 15.
〈◊〉
6. 24. Amos 6. 1. Esay 5. 8.
All things are cleane to the
cleane, but to the defiled and vnbelieuing,
not hing is cleane because their minds and
consciences is defiled. For why are accursed
the rich men, they which haue their
comfort, which are satisfied with meat,
which doe now laugh, which sleepe in
beds of Iuory, which ioyne land to
land, whose bankets haue Lute, Harpe,
Taber, and wine? Verily both Iuory,
and Gould, and riches are the good
creatures of God, permitted; yea and
appointed by the prouidence of God
for men to vse. Neither is it any where
forbidden, either to laugh or to bee satisfyed
with meat, or to ioyne new possessions
to their old possessions of their
ancestors, or to bee delighted with musicall
melody, or to drinke wine. This
is true indeed. But when they haue
plenty of things, to wallow in delights,
to glut themselues, to make their wit
& mind drunke with present pleasu
•
es,
and alway to gape for new: these things
are most farre from the lawfull vse of
the gifts of God. Therefore let them
take away vnmeasurable desire, let them
take away vnmeasurable wasting, let
them take away vanity and arrogance,
that they may with a pure conscience
purely vse the gifts of God. When the
minde shall bee framed to this sobriety,
they shall haue a rule of the lawfull vse.
On the other side let this moderation
bee wanting, euen base and common delicates
are too much. For this is truely
said, that oftentimes in frize and course
cloath, dwelleth a purple heart, & sometime
vnder silke and purple, lieth simple
humility. Let euery man in his degree
so liue, either poorely, or meanely,
or plentifully, that they all remember
that they are fed of God to liue not to
bee riotous; and let them thinke, that
this is the law of Christian liberty: if
they haue learned with Paul to bee contented
with those things which they presently
haue:
〈◊〉
. 4. if they can skill both to bee
humble, and to excell: if they be taught
in all places, and in all things to bee
both full, and hungry, to haue plenty
and to suffer want.
Herein also many men doe erre,
〈◊〉
and vnseasonable vsing of liberty. because
as though their liberty should not
bee sound and safe, vnlesse it had menwitnesses
of it, they doe vndiscreetly
and vnwisely vse it. By which vnseasonable
vsing, they many times offend the
weake brethren. You may see at this
day some which thinke that their liberty
cannot stand, vnlesse they take
possession of it by eating flesh on Friday.
I blame not that they eate, but this false
opinion must bee driuen out of their
mindes. For they ought to thinke, that
by their liberty they obtaine no new
thing in the sight of men, but before
God, and that it standeth as well in abstaining
as vsing. If they vnderstand,
that it maketh no matter before God,
whether they eate flesh, or eggs, whether
they weare red, or black garments,
that is enough. The conscience is now
free, to which the benefit of such liberty
is due, Therefore although they
doe afterward abstaine all their life
long from flesh, and weare alway but
one colour, yet they are no lesse free.
Yea therefore because they are free,
they do with a free conscience abstaine.
But they doe most hurtfully offend,
because they nothing regard the weaknes
of their brethren; which wee ought
so to beare with, that wee rashly commit
nothing with offence of them. But
sometime also, it behooueth that our
liberty be set forth before men. And
this I graunt. But there is a measure
most heedefully to bee kept, that wee
cast not away the care of the weake, of
whom the Lord hath so earnestly giuen
vs charge.
I will in this place therefore speake
somewhat of offences,Of offences
•
ising vnto others in the vse of our liberty. in what difference
they are to be taken, which are to
be auoided, and which to be neglected:
whereupon wee may afterward determine,
what place there is for our liberty
amongst men. I like well that common
diuision, which teacheth that there is
of offences one sort giuen, another
taken: for as much as it hath a plaine
testimony of the Scripture, and doth
not vnfitly expresse that which it meaneth.
If thou doe any thing by vnseasonable
lightnesse, or wantonnes
•
e, or
rashnesse, not in order, not in fit place,
whereby the ignorant and weake are
offended, that same may bee called an
offence giuen by thee: because it came
to passe by thy fault that such offence
was stirred vp. And it is alway called
an offence giuen in any thing, the fault
whereof came from the do
•
r of the
thing it selfe. It is called an offence taken,
when a thing which is otherwise
not euill
•
done, nor out of time, is by
euill will or by some wrongfull malitiousnesse
of mind drawne to occasion
of offence. For in this case was not offence
giuen, but these wrongfull construers
do without cause take one. With
that first kind of offence, none are offended
but the weake. But with the second
kind, sowre natures, and pharisaicall
scornefull heads are offended.
Wherefore wee shall call the one the
offence of the weake, the other of the
Pharisees: and we shall so temper the
vse of our liberte, that it ought to giue
place to the ignorance of the weake
brethren but in no wise to the rigorousnesse
of the Pharisees. For what is to be
yeelded to weakenesse, Paul sheweth in
very many places. Beare (saith he) with
the weake in Faith.
Rom. 14. 1. & 1
•
▪
Againe let vs not
hereafter iudge one another, but this
rather, let there not bee laid before our
brother, an offence or occasion of falling:
and many other sayings to the same intent,
which are more fit to bee read in
the place it selfe, then here to be rehearsed.
The summe is, that wee which are
strong should beare with the weaknesse
of our brethren, and not please our selues,
but euery one of vs please his neighbour
vnto good for edifying.1 Cor. 8. 9. 1 Cor. 10.
•
5. In another place
But see that your liberty bee not in any
wise an offence to them that are weake.
Againe eate yee all things that are sold
in the shambles asking no question for
conscience: of your conscience (I say)
not another mans. Finally bee yee such
that yee giue no offence neither to the
Iewes nor to the Greekes nor to the
Church of God.Gal. 15. 14. Also in another place
yee are called brethren into liberty; only
giue not your liberty to bee an occasion
to the flesh but by charity serue yee
one another.
Thus it is. Our liberty is not giuen
toward our weake neighbours, whose
seruants charity maketh vs in all things:
but rather, that hauing peace with God
in our mindes, wee may liue peaceably
among men. As for the offence of the
Pharisees, how much it is to be regarded,
wee learne by the words of the
Lord, whereby hee biddeth them to bee
let alone,Mat. 15. 14. because they are blind and
guides of the blind. The disciples had
warned him that the Pharisees were offended
with his sayings: hee answered
that they were to bee neglected, and the
offending of them not to bee cared
for.
But yet still the matter hangeth
doubtfull vnlesse wee know who are to
bee taken for weake and who for Pharisees:How far our liberty extendeth in respect of others whom it may offend.
which difference being taken away,
I see not among offences what vse
at all of liberty remaineth which might
neuer bee vsed without great danger.
But it seemeth to mee that Paul hath
most plainely declared both by doctrine
and by examples how farre our
liberty is either to bee tempered or to
bee defended though with offences.Act. 16. 3.
•
al. 2. 3. Cor. 9. 19. & 21.
When he tooke Timothy into his company
he circumcised him, but he could
not bee brought to circumcise Titus;
Here were diuers doings and no change
of purpose or of minde: namely in circumcising
Timothy when hee was free
from all men, hee made himselfe a seruant
to all men: and hee was made to
the Iewes as a Iew that hee might winne
the Iewes: to them that were vnder the
law as if hee himselfe were vnder the
law that he might win them that were
vnder the law: all things to all men
that hee might saue many as he writeth
in another place. Thus we haue a right
moderation of liberty if it may bee
indifferently restrayned with some profit.
What hee hath respect vnto when
hee stoutly refused to circumcise Titus
hee himselfe testifieth writing thus:
But neither was Titus which was with
me although hee was a Gretian compelled
to be circumcised because of the
false brethren which were come in by
the way,
〈…〉
which had priuily crept in,
to espy our liberty which wee haue in
Christ Iesus, that they might bring vs
into bondage, to whom wee gaue no
place by subiection so much as for a
time that the truth of the Gospel might
continue with you. There is also a time
when wee must of necessity defend our
liberty if the same bee in weake consci
••
ces
endangered by the vniust exactings
of false Prophets. Wee must in
euery thing study to preserue charity
and haue regard to the edifying of our
neighbour.1 Cor. 10. 23. All things (saith hee) are
lawfull for me but not all things are expedient:
all things are lawfull for mee
but all things doe not edifie. Let no man
seeke that which is his owne but that
which is anothers. There is nothing
now plainer by this rule then that wee
must vse our liberty if it may turne to
the edifying of our neighbour: but if it
be not so expedient for our neighbour,
then wee must forbeare it. There bee
some which counterfeit the wisedom of
Pa
•
l in forbearing of liberty, while they
doe nothing lesse then apply the same
to the dutyes of charity. For so that
they may prouide for their owne quietnes,
they wish all mention of liberty
to be buryed, whereas it is no lesse behoouefull
for our neighbours, sometime
to vse liberty for their benefit
and edification then in fit place to restraine
it for their commodity. But it
is the part of a godly man to thinke,
that free power in ou
•
ward things, is
therefore graunted him, that hee may
hee the freer to all dutyes of charity.
But whatsoeuer I haue spoken concerning
of auoiding offences my meaning
is that it bee referred to meane and
different things.
〈…〉
For those things that
are necessary to bee done are not to bee
left vndone for feare of any offence.
For as our liberty is to bee submitted
to charity, so charity it selfe likewise
ought to bee vnder the purenesse of
faith. Verily here ought also to bee
had regard of charity, but so far as to
the altars, that is, that for our neighbours
sake wee offend not God. Their
intemperance is not to bee allowed,
which doe nothing but with troublesome
turmoiling and which had rather
rashly to rend all things then leasurely
to rip them. Neither yet are they to be
harkned to, which when they bee leaders
of men into a thousand so
•
t of vngodlinesse,
yet doe feigne that they must
behaue themselues so, that they be none
offence to their neighbours. As though
they doe not in the meane edifie the
consciences of their neighbours to euill
specially whereas they sticke fast in the
same mire without any hope of getting
out. And the pleasant men forsooth,
whether their neighbour bee to bee instructed
with doctrine or example of
life, say that he must be fed with milke,
whom they fill with most euill and poysonous
opinions. Paul reported that he
fed the Corinthians with drinking of
milke,1. Cor. 3. 2. but if the Popish Masse had then
been among them, would hee haue sacrifized
to haue giuen them the drinke
of milke? No: for milke is not poyson.
Therefore they lie in saying that
they feed them, whom vnder a show of
flattering allurements they cruelly kill.
But gra
•
ting that such dissembling for
a time is to bee allowed, how long yet
will they feed their childrē with milke.
For if they neuer grow bigge that they
may at the least bee able to beare some
light meat, it is certaine that they were
neuer brought vp with milke. There are
two reasons that moue me, why I doe
not now more sharply contend with
them: first because their follies are
scarcely worthy to bee confuted,
•
ith
they worthily seeme filthy in the sight
of all men that haue sound wit: secondly
because I haue sufficiently done it in
peculiar bookes I will not now doe a
thing already done. Onely let the reade
•
s
remember this, that with whatsoeuer
offences Sathan and the world goe
about to turne vs away from the ordinances
of God, or to stay vs from following
that which hee appointeth, yet
wee must neuerthelesse goe earnestly
forward, and then, that whatsoeuer
dangers hang vpon it, yet is it not at
our liberty to swarue one haires bredth
from the commandement of the same
God, neither is it lawfull by any pretence
to attempt any thing but that
which he giueth vs leaue.
Now therefore sith faithfull consciences,The
〈◊〉
of faithfull men exempted from humane power.
hauing receiued such prerogatiue
of liberty as wee haue aboue set
forth, haue by the benefit of Christ obtained
this, that they bee not entangled
with any snares of obseruations in those
things in which the Lord willed that
they should bee at liberty: we conclude
that they are exempt from all power of
men. For it is vnmeete, that either
Christ should loose the thanke of his so
great liberality, or consciences their
profit. Neither ought wee to thinke it
a sleight matter which we see to haue
cost Christ so deare, namely which hee
valued not with gold or siluer but with
his owne blood:
1. Pet. 1. 18. Gal. 5. 1. & 4. so that Paul sticketh not
to say, that his death is made voide if we
yeeld our soules into subiection to men.
For hee trauaileth about nothing else in
certaine Chapters of the Epistle to the
•
alathians, but to shew that Christ is
darkened, or rather destroyed to vs, vnlesse
our consciences stand fast in this
liberty which verily they haue lost, if
they may at the will of men bee snared
with the bonds of lawes and ordinances.
But as it is a thing most worthy to bee
knowne, so it needeth a longer and
plainer declaration. For so soone as
any word is spoken of the abrogating
of the ordinance of men, by and by
great troubles are raised vp: partly by
seditious men, partly by slanderers, as
though the whole obedience of men
were at once taken away and ouerthrowne.
Therefore that none of vs may stumble
at this stone, first let vs consider
that there are two sorts of gouernment
in man:Christians are not therefore according to the outward behauiour of their persons priuiledged from subiection to the lawes of men, because their cons
•
iences are at l
•
berty before God. the one spirituall, whereby the
conscience is framed to godlinesse, and
to the worship of God: the other ciuill,
whereby man is trained to the duties of
humanity and ciuility which are to bee
kept among men. They are commonly
by not vnfit names called the Spirituall
and Temporall iurisdiction, whereby is
signified, that the first of the two formes
of gouernment pertaineth to the life of
the soule, and the later is occupied in the
things of this p
•
esent life: not onely in
feeding and clothing, but in setting
•
orth of lawes whereby a man may
spend his life among men holily, honestly
and soberly. For that first kind
hath place in the inward mind, this later
kind ordereth onely the outward behauiours.
The one wee may call the spirituall
Kingdome, the other the ciuill
Kingdome. But these two, as we haue
diuided them, must bee either of them
alway seuerally considered by themselues,
and when the one is in considering,
wee must withdraw and turne away
our minds from the thinking vpon
the other. For there are in man as it
were two worlds, which both diuers
Kings and diuers Lawes may gouerne.
By this putting of difference shall come
to passe, that that which the Gospell
teacheth of the spirituall liberty, wee
shall not wrongfully draw to the ciuill
order, as though Christians were according
to the outward gouernment, lesse
subiect to the lawes of men because
their consciences are at liberty before
God: as though they were therefore
exempt from all bondage of the flesh,
because they are free according to the
spirit. Againe, because euen in those
ordinances which seeme to pertaine to
the spirituall Kingdome, there may bee
some error: we must also put difference
betweene these which are to bee taken
for lawfull and agreeable to the Word
of God: and on the other side which
ought not to haue place among the
Godly▪ Of the Ciuill gouernment as also
so of the Ecclesiasticall lawes, I omit to
speake of at this time, because it hath
beene discussed sufficiently by learned
Authors already. Of this discourse let
this bee the conclusion, The question
as I haue said of it selfe not being very
darke or en
•
angled, doth for this cause
trouble many because they doe not wisely
put difference betweene the outward
court as they call it, and the court
of conscience. Moreouer this increaseth
the difficulty,
〈◊〉
. 13. that Paul
•
eacheth that
the Magistrate ought to bee obeyed not
onely for feare of punishment but also for
conscience sake. Whereupon followeth
that consciences are also bound by the
ciuill lawes. If it were so, all should
come to nought which wee both haue
spoken, and shall speake of the spirituall
gouernment. For the loosing of this
knot, fi
•
st it is good to know what is conscience.
And the definition thereof is
to be fetched from the deriuation of the
word, For as when men doe with mind
and vnderstanding conceiue the knowledge
of things, they are thereby said
〈◊〉
) to know, whereupon is also
deriued the name of science: Knowledge:
so when they haue a feeling of
the iudgement of God, as a witnesse
ioyned with them, which doth not suffer
them to hide their sinnes, but that
they bee drawne accused to the iudgement
seat of God, that same feeling is
called conscience. For it is a certaine
meane betweene God and man, because
it suffereth not man to suppresse in himselfe,
that which hee knoweth, but pursueth
him so far till it bringeth him to
guiltinesse.
This is it which Paul meaneth,Rom. 2. 17. where
hee saith, that the conscience doth together
witnesse with men, when their
thoughts doe accuse or acquit them in
the iudgement of God. Therefore this
feeling which presenteth man to the
iudgement of God, is as a keeper ioyned
vnto man, to marke and espie all his
secrets, that nothing may remaine buryed
in obliuion. Whereupon also cometh
that auncient Prouerbe: Conscience
is a thousand
〈◊〉
.
1 Pet. 3. 21. And for the
same reason,
〈…〉
Pete
•
hath set the examination
of a good conscience for the quietnes
of minde, when being perswaded
of the grace of Christ, wee doe without
feare present our selues before God.
And the author of the Epistle to the
Hebrewes setteth to haue no more conscience
of sinne,Heb. 10. 2. instead of to bee deliuered
or acquitted that sinne may no
more accuse vs.
Therefore as worke hath respect to
men,In what sort the conscience is bound or fiec. so conscience is referred to God, so
that a good conscience is nothing else
but the inward purenesse of the heart.Tim. 1. 5.
In which sence Paul writeth that Charity
is the fulfilling of the law out of
〈◊〉
pure
conscience and faith not faigned. Afterward
also in the same chapter, he sheweth
how much it differeth from vnderstanding,
saying that some had suffered
shipwrack from the faith, because they
had forsaken a good conscience. For in
these words hee signifieth, it is a liuely
affection to worship God, and a sincere
endeauour to liue holily and godlily.
Sometime it extendeth also to men, as
in Luke,
Act. 24. 16. where the same Paul protested,
that hee endeauored himselfe to walke
with a good conscience toward God and
men. But this was therefore said, because
the fruits of a good conscience,
doe flow and come euen to men. But in
speaking properly, it hath respect to
God onely, as I haue already said.
Hereby it cometh to passe, that the law
is said to bind the Conscience, which
simply bindeth a man without respect
of men; or without hauing any consideration
of them. As for example: God
commandeth not onely to keepe the
minde chaste, and pure from all lust;
but also forbiddeth all manner of filthinesse
of words, and outward wantonnesse
whatsoeuer it bee. To the keeping
of this law, my conscience is subiect, although
there liued not one man in the
world. So hee that behaueth himselfe
intemperately, not only sinneth in that
hee giueth an euill example, to the brethren:
but also hath his conscience boūd
with guiltinesse before God. In things
that are of themselues meane, there is
another consideration. For wee ought
to abstaine from them, if they breede
any offence, but the conscience still being
free. So Paul speaketh of flesh consecrate
secrate to Idols. If any (saith he) mooue
any doubt touch it not for conscience sake.
I say for conscience, not thine owne but
the others. For a faithful man doth not
sinne which being first warned should
neuerthelesse eate such flesh. But howsoeuer
in respect of his brother it is necessary
for him to abstaine as it is prescribed
of God.
I haue deliuered you the freedome
and liberty of Christians, wee are not
to please our selues but edifie our neighbour:
vse it not deceitfull, make it not a
cloake to couer your vnrighteousnesse,
but rather hauing peace with God in
our mindes, wee also may liue charitably
amongst men. For your liberty auaileth
nothing if you cast not away
your sin God (when the measure of your
iniquity is full) will cast you of for your
sinne:
•
en. 15. 15. for as he is iust, so hee hath power
to kill and cast into Hell all hardened and
•
npenitent sinners. If therefore, you
will auoyd the cursed effects of sinne in
this life, and eternall wrath thereunto
in the world to come & be assured that
you are not of the number of those,
who are giuen ouer to a reprobate sence,
Dan. 4. 24.
Let then my counsaile bee acceptable to
you: breake of your sins by righteousnes,
and your iniquity by shewing mercy to
your brethren. O let there be (at length)
an healing of your errors. Nathan vsed
but one parable,2▪ Sam. 12. 13. and Dauid was conuerted.
Ionas preached but once to Niniuy,
and the whole citty repented:
Christ looked but once on Peter, and hee
went out and wept bitterly. And now
that you are oft, and so louingly entreated;
not by A Prophet onely, but by
Christ the Lord of Prophets:2 Cor. 5. 20 yea, that
God himselfe, by his embassadors enteates
you to bee reconciled to him:
leaue of your Adulteryes with Dauid,
repent of your sins like a true Niniuite,
& weepe bitterly for your offences.
Content not your selues with that formall
religion, which vnregenerate men
haue framed to themselues, instead of
sincere deuotion: for in the multitude
of opinions, most men haue almost lost
the practise of Religion. Thinke not
that you are a Christian good enough,
because you doe as the most, and are
not so bad as the worst. No man is so
wicked, that hee is addicted to all kind
of vices, (for there is an Antipathy betwixt
some vices) But remember that
Christ saith;Mat. 5. 20.
Except your righteousnes,
exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes
and Pharisees; yee shall in no case enter
into the Kingdome of Heauen.
Consider with your selues, how far
you come short of the Pharisees in fasting,
praying, frequenting the Church
and in giuing of Almes. Thinke with
your selues, how many Pagans who
neuer knew Baptisme, yet in morall
vertues, and honesty of life, doe goe
far beyond you. Where is then the life
of Christ your Master? and how far
are you from being true Christians?
A true Christian, must haue respect to
walke in the truth of his heart; in all the
commandements of God alike,Iam. 2. 10.
for hee
that shall offend in one point of the law, is
guilty of all.
1 Pet. 2. 1. And Peter bids vs, Lay
aside, (not some, but) all malice, guile,
and hypocrisies, One sinne is enough to
damne a mans soule, vvithout Repen
•••
ce;
dreame not to goe to Heauen,
by any nearer or easier way then Christ
hath trained vs in this world.Mat. 7. 14. The way
to Heauen,Mat. 19. 23. is not easie or common; but
streight and narrow,Mat. 7. 14. & 22. 14. yea so narrow
that Christ protesteth,Luke 13. 24.
that a rich man,
shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of
Heauen; and that those who enter are
but few: and that those few cannot get
in but by striuing: and that some of
those who striue to enter in, shall not be
able. This all Gods Saints (whilst they
here liued) knew well, when with so
often fasting, so earnest prayers, so frequent
hearing the word, and receiuing
the Sacraments, and with such abundance
of teares, they deuoutly beg'd
at the hands of God for Christs sake, to
be receiued into his Kingdome.
O then trie your spirits whether they are
of God, deceiue not your selues, by diffidence,
despaire, or too much fidelity;
dote not too much vpon these wodden
cottages, these houses of moulding clay,
which are but the tents of vngodlinesse,
the receptacle, & habitation of sinners,
but looke rather, and long for this Heauenly
citty, whose builder and maker is
God:
Heb. 11. 10. which he, (who is not ashamed to
be called our God:) hath prepared for
you.
Heb. 11. 6.
By all these things which haue beene
deliuered to you, you may easily perceiue,
how destitute & naked, mankind
is of all good things: and how he wanteth
all helps of saluation. Wherefore
if he seeke for releifes whereby he may
succour his necessity, hee must goe out
of himselfe, and repaire to the fulnesse
of riches laid vp in Christ. This is afterward
declared to vs, that the Lord of
his owne free will and liberality, doth
giue himselfe to vs in Christ, in whom
he offereth vs, instead of our misery, felicity,
instead of our need, wealthinesse,
in whom hee openeth to vs all heauenly
and celestiall treasures; that ou
•
whole
Faith should behold his beloued sonne,
and so bee filled with all manner of diuine
pleasures,
〈◊〉
. 16. 11.
〈◊〉
36. 8. at his right hand, and
drink out of the riuers of pleasures that
vpon him our whole expectation should
hang, in him our whole hope should
rest: This verily is the secret and hidden
Philosophie, which cannot bee wrung
out with Logicall arguments: but they
learne it whose eyes God hath opened,
that they may see light in his light. But
since wee are taught, by faith to acknowledge,
that whatsoeuer wee haue
neede of, whatsoeuer is wanting in vs;
the same is plentifully in God, and in
our Lord Iesus Christ, namely in
whom the Lord, willed the whole fulnesse
of his largenesse to rest; that from
thence wee should all draw, as out of a
most plentifull fountaine: now it remaineth
that wee seeke in him, and
with prayers craue of him that, which
we haue learned to be in him. Otherwise
to know God, to bee the Lord,
and giuer of all good things, which allureth
vs to pray to him, and not to goe
to him and pray to him; should as little
profit vs, as if a man should neglect a
treasure shewed him buried and digged
in the ground. Therefore the Apostle
to shew that true Faith cannot bee idle
from calling vpon God, hath set this
order:Rom. 8. 26▪
that as of the Gospell springeth
Faith, so by it our hearts are framed to
call vpon the name of God. And this is
the same thing which hee had a little
before said, that the spirit of Adoption
which sealeth in our hearts the witnesse
of the Gospell, raiseth vp our spirits,
that they dare shew forth their desires
to God, and stirre vp vnspeakable groanings,
and crie with confidence Abba,
Father: It is meete therefore, that this
last point because it was before but onely
spoken of, by the way, and as it were
lightly touched; should now bee more
largely treated of. Wherein I will briefly
shew you some particular, and especiall
commodities; which the faithfull
by constant, feruent, and earnest prayer
attaine at the hands of the Almighty.
This we get by the benefit of prayer,By prayer we are both enriched with grace and quieted in distresies.
that wee attaine to those riches with are
laid vp for vs with the heauenly Father.
For there is a certaine communicating
of men with God whereby they
entring into the sanctuary of God, doe
in his owne presence, call to him touching
his promise; that the same thing
which they beleeued him, affirming
onely in word, not to bee vaine, they
may when need
•
so requireth find in
experience. Therefore wee see that
there is no thing set forth to vs, to bee
looked for at the hand of the Lord
which wee are not commanded to craue
with prayers: for true it is, that by
prayers are digged vp the treasures
which our faith hath looked vpon, being
shewed to it by the Gospell of the
Lord. By prayer wee are enriched with
all the graces of the Almighty; and in
our distresses, and calamities both
quieted and releiued; what blessing soeuer
wee would haue, or from what
plague, trouble, or necessity soeuer bee
deliuered, we may procure from God,
by faithfull prayer.
By prayer we doe as by the hand of
Faith, violently seize and take possession
of Heauen, for our inheritance: &
make our selues free Citizens of the
heauenly Ierusalem, where all the elect
shall enioy, these excellent prerogatiues.
1. They shall bee all Kings,Three superexcellent prerog
•
tiues the Elect e
••
oy in heauen. and
Priests: Spirituall Kings to raigne with
Christ, and to triumph ouer Sathan,
the world, and Reprobates: and spirituall
Priests, to offer vnto God the spirituall
Sacrifice,1 Pet. 2. 5. of Prayse and Thankesgiuings
for euermore. And therefore
they are said to weare both Crownes,
and Roabes.Heb. 13. 15. Oh what a comfort is this
to poore Parents, that haue many Children,
if they breed them vp in the feare
of God, to be true Christians: then are
they parents to so many kings & Priests.
2. Their bodies shall shine as the
brightnesse of the Sunne in the firmament:Mat. 13. 43.
like the glorious body of Christ,
which shined brighter then the Sunne
at Noone, when it appeared to Paul:
Act. 12. 6.Phi
•
. 3. 21.
A glimpse of which glorious brightnesse,
appeared in the bodyes of Moses
and Elias, tranfigured with our Lord
in the holy Mount. Therefore (saith
the Apostle) it shall rise a Glorious Body:Luke 9. 31. Ma
•
. 9. 3.
yea, a Spirituall Body, not in Substance,
but in quality preserued by spirituall
meanes,1 Cor. 15. 43. vers. 44. and hauing as (an Angell)
agility to descend and ascend.1 The
••
▪ 4. 1.
What a honour is this? That our bodyes
(falling more vile then a carrion,)
should thus arise in glory, like vnto the
Body of the Son of God.
4. Lastly, they (together with all
the holy Angels) there, keepe (without
any labour to distract them) a perpetuall
Sabbath, to the glory, honour,
and praise of the all Blessed Trinity, for
the Creating, Redeeming, and Sanctifying,
of the Church: and for his
Power, Wisdome, Iustice, Mercy,
and goodnesse, in the gouernment of
Heauen and Earth.
They shall know God with a perfect
knowledge so farre as creatures can possibly
comprehend the Creator.The effect of those prerogatiues. For
there we shall see the Word,1 Cor. 1 10. Aug. solil
•
q. cap. 36. Nihil notum in terrà, nihil ignotum in coelo
•
▪
the Creator;
and in the Word, all Creatures
that by the Word were created, that we
shall not neede to learne (of the thing
which wee made) the knowledge of
him by whom all things were made.
The excellentest creatures of this life,
are but a darke vaile, drawne betwixt
God and vs: but when this vaile shall
bee drawen aside, then shall wee see
God face to face, and know him as
wee are knowne. Wee shall know the
power of the Father, the Wisdome of
the Son, the grace of the Holy Ghost; &
the indiuisible nature of the blessed Trinity.1 Cor. 13. 11.
The greatest knowledg that men can
attaine vnto in this life, comes as farre
short of the knowledge which wee shall
haue in Heauen, as the knowledge of a
child that cannot yet speake plaine is to
the knowledge of the greatest Philosopher
in the world. They who thirst for
knowledge, let them long bee Students
in this Vniuersity.Lumen est vmbra Dei, & Deus est.
•
umen luminis. Plato Polib. For all the light by
which we know any thing in this world,
is nothing but the shadow of God. But
when wee shall know God in heauen,
wee shall in him, know the manner of
the worke of the Creation, the misteries
of the worke of our Redemption.
Yea so much knowledge as a Creature
can possibly conceiue of the Creator
and his works. But whilst wee are in
this life, wee may say with Iob, how
little a portion heare we of him?
Iob. 26. 14. and assure
our selues with Siracides, that
there are high yea greater things then
these bee, and that wee haue seene but
a few of Gods works.
For so soone as she is admitted into
actuall fruition of the beatificall essence
of God: shee hath all the goodnes, beauty,
glory, and perfection, of all creatures
(in all the world) vnited together;
and at once presented to her, in the sight
of God.
If any be in Loue, there they shall enioy
that which is more amiable: If any
delight in fairenesse; the fairest beauty is
but a dusty shadow to that: hee that delights
in pleasures, shall there find varieties,
without either interruption of
griefe, or distraction of paine. Hee that
loueth Honor, shall there enioy it; without
the disgrace of cankered enuy: hee
that loueth treasure, shall there possesse
it and neuer bee beguiled of it. There
they shall haue knowledge, void of all
ignorance; health, that no sicknesse shall
impaire; and life, that no death can determine.
By vertue of this; the penitent soule,
may bouldly goe and say vnto Christ
(as Ruth vnto Boaz Spread o Christ the
wing of thy garment of thy mercy,
Ruth. 3. 9▪
ouer
thine handmaid: for thou art my kinsmā.
Indeed,1 Cor. 15. 28.
God is all in all to vs, in Earth:
but by means and in a small measure.
But in heauen, God himselfe immediately
(in fulnesse of measure, without all
meanes) will bee vnto vs, all the good
things that our soules and bodyes can
wish and desire. Hee himselfe will bee
saluation, and ioy, to our soules: life,
and health to our bodyes: beauty to
our Eyes: musick to our Eares: honey
to our mouthes: perfume to our nostrils:
meat to our bellyes: light to our
vnderstandings: contentment to our
wils; delight to our hearts: and what can
bee lacking, where God himselfe will
bee the Soule of our soules? When
therefore wee behold any thing that is
excellent in any creatures, let vs say to
our selues; how much more excellent is
hee; who gaue them this excellency?
When wee behold the wisdome of
men, who ouerrule creatures stronger
then themselues; outrunne the Sunne,
and Moone in discourse,Seneca de benefici
•
s. lib. 2. cap. 19. prescribing
many yeeres before, in what courses
they shall be eclypsed: let vs say to our
selues how admirable is the wisdome
of God, who made men so wise? when
we consider the streng
••
of Whales, and
Elephants, the tēpests of winds, and terror
of Thunder; let vs say to our selues,
how strong, how mighty, how terrible,
is that God, that makes these mighty
and fearfull creatures. When wee
taste things that are delicately sweete
let vs say to our selues, O how sweete
is that God from whom all these creatures
haue receiued this sweetnesse. And
if our louing God, hath thus prouided
vs so many excellent delights, for our
passage through this Bachin, or valley
of teares;Iudg. 2. 5. what are those pleasurs which
hee hath prepared for vs, when we shall
enter into the pallace of our Masters
ioy? How shall our soules, bee there
rauished with the loue of so louely a
God? In a word looke how farre this
wide world, surpasseth for light, pleasures
and comfort, the darke and narrow
wombe, where in thou wast conceiued
a child: so much doth the world
to come, exceede in ioyes, solace, and
consolation, this present world. How
happy then shall wee bee, when this life
is changed, and wee thither translated?
This shall bee thyne eternall happinesse,
in the Kingdome of Heauen;
where thy life shalbe a communion
with the blessed Trinity, thy ioy, the
presence of the Lambe: thy exercise
singing; thy ditty, Alleluiah; thy consorts,
Saints and Angels; where youth
flourisheth, that neuer shall waxe old;
Beauty Lasteth, that neuer fadeth; loue
aboundeth, that neuer cooleth; health
continueth, that neuer slaketh: and life
remayneth, that neuer endeth.
A Prayer.
O Lord God, heauenly Father;
when I doe consider how many
wayes, and by how many sorts
of sinnes I haue offended thee night and
day; and doe duely call to minde how
graciously thou hast kept me this night,
and how many blessings and fauours I
haue receiued of thee without number:
I am euen astonished at my great
ingratitude, and doe vtterly condemne
my selfe of highest rebellion against
thee. Many haue been the dayes, weeks,
moneths and yeeres, that thou hast here
afforded mee to liue; and in all the time
of my life hitherunto, thou hast graciously
preserued mee, plentifully relieued
mee, and continually kept me vnder
thy Fatherly protection, in all my
nights and dayes; and hast beene euermore
watchfull ouer mee; that I haue
from time to time, from night to day,
and from day to night, beene euer sustained
through thy grace, though I
haue sometimes felt thy correcting rod
by some crosses for my sinnes, yet haue
they beene euer easy, in comparison of
my deseruings; and profitable vnto me.
Lord pardon and forgiue mee my sins,
forgiue my manifold offences, wash me
throughly by the blood of Iesus Christ
my Redeemer, and cleanse mee from
all my pollutions, for they are many,
and I am ashamed that euer I gaue way
vnto them. But now Lord, now, though
late, I pray thee to leade mee by thy
Spirit in more obedience; stay me, that
I runne not this day into any vnseemely
or vngodly actions; withhold mine eyes
from vanities; keep vnder the vngodly
affections of my corrupt heart, that
though they may begin to worke sinne
in me, Lord suppresse them before they
come to execution. Disperse Lord, and
dispell all the clouds of ignorance and
errors, that darken mine vnderstanding,
and giue me wisdome rightly to know
thee, and thy Son Christ, and what hee
hath done for my soule; and through
thy grace restraine mee this day from
that thou hast commanded me to shun:
and let mee doe nothing but what may
please thee, then whatsoeuer I shall
thinke, speake or determine, shall bee
to thine owne glory, profitable to my
selfe and others. Preserue mee from the
secret and hidden snares of Satan, who
is restlesse to allure me to sinne, enticing
me to imbrace the vanities of the world,
and to yeeld to the lusts of mine owne
corrupt nature. But Lord, as I haue by
thy prouidence, past the darkenesse of
this night, and doe now enioy the ioyfull
benefit of the light of this day: so
let mee this day auoid all the workes of
darkenesse; and as the day doth administer
light vnto my corporall eyes, the
better to doe the works and offices of
my calling; let the light of thy Spirit,
O Lord, shine in my soule, that I may
walke in the light of thy truth in true obediēce,
to the good example of others.
Thou hast allotted mee a calling in this
life; giue me power and wisdom rightly
to performe it: my best endeauours can
little preuaile without thy blessing & direction;
and therfore I humbly pray thee
to prosper whatsoeuer I take in hand
this day. Blesse mine vnderstanding O
Lord, that I may rightly know and bee
able truely and faithfully to performe
what belongeth vnto my place and calling.
Blesse the health of my body, the
strength & continuall vse of my limbes
and senses, which of themselues are
weake, and may soone decay without
thy blessing. Increase O Lord, and confirme
my faith, grace, wisedome, and
obedience euery day more and more,
that I may euery day more and more
dye vnto sinne, and bee made stronger
& more perfect in righteousnesse. Heale
O Lord, all my corporall and spirituall
infirmities, and dispose my heart, that
I may bee euery day more and more
mindfull, that this my life is short, and
that this day may bee my last day: and
let mee so walke this day, as if it should
bee the last day of this my mortall life;
that I may be assured of the immediate
entrance into that life which is eternall
with Christ my Redeemer. And vntill
that last day shall come, O Lord, I intreate
thee in the name of Iesus Christ,
that this day and all the rest of my
dayes and nights, may bee prosperous
and blessed vnto mee; the day for the
performance of my calling, the night
for my rest, vntill I come to my finall
and perpetuall rest with thee and thy
Sonne, to whom with thy blessed Spirit,
I ascribe all honour, praise and glory.
Amen.