IN the eleventh page of his Book: He laies downe this conclusion (That John did no Miracle; is but an opinion of the people;) I say this is his false opinion; for it is really true that John did no Miracle: And not an opinion of the people onely: First, let us see what the Papists say, who affirme, it cannot be, but that wheresoever the power of working Undecima nota ecclesiae est gloria mira­culorum. Bel­larm. Controv. Tom. 2. c. 14. Miracles is found, there should be the true Church. But as much as they make of Miracles; I reade not in Surius Tom. 3. June 24. Surius (who was very carefull in setting downe the Miracles of the Saints) any mention made, so much as of one Miracle that John Baptist wrought. It is cleare by Scripture that he did no Miracle, Joh. 10.41. Bellarmin in expresse termes upon this place, affirmeth that John Etsi quan­quam Ioanues ipse non secit miracula, Bel­larnan. contr. Tom. 2. cap. 14. fol. mihi 297. wrought no Miracles: Malldonate Duplex ar­gumentum im­plicat: Alterum est, leaures nul­lum unquam miraculum fe­cit & tamen illi credidimus; multo ergo magis huic cre­dere debemus. Mald. in loc. a learned Jesuite upon the Text, sayes, there is a double argument infolded in the words, to move the people to beleeve that Christ was the true Messias; and the argument run­neth thus, First, John wrought no Miracle at any time, yet we be­leeved him: much more therefore ought we to believe this man who hath done so many Miracles. Secondly, All things that John foretold of this man are true, therefore we ought to beleeve in him.

Jansenius Quod au­tem significare voluit eos dix­isse Evangeli­sla, tale est: Si Joanni credidi­mus qui nullū fecit signū, mul­to magis huic: Jans [...]n. Com. in concord. Evan. cap. 4 [...]. setteth downe the same argument with him; affirming from the Text, that John wrought no Miracle: If we beleeved John who did no Miracle, much more ought we to beleeve this man: Chrysostome [...]: Chrysost. hom. 60. in Joan. backes their Exposition; setting downe the same argument: Augustine Non daemo­nia jugavit, non expusit sebrem non caecos illa­m [...]navir, non mortuos susci­tavit, &c. nihil horum fecit Jo­annes, Aug. tom. 9. Tract. 48. in Evang. Joan. Col. mihi, 355. concludes as much from the Text: They say (sayes the Father) John shewed no Miracle; He did not cast out devils, and so reckons up diverse miracles; and con­cludes, John did none of these.

I have in the Marginall notes set downe the Expositions of di­verse Protestant Writers, upon this Scripture, (to which I referre the learned Reader) and all conclude, John wrought no Miracle, throughout the whole course of his Ministery. But it is plaine from the Scripture it selfe: Who were they that said John did no Mi­racle? They were Johns hearers, such as were wrought upon by Johns Ministery; such as would not have detracted any thing from Johns excellency, beleevers: for so the Text saith, John 10.42. And many beleeved on him there: so then it was the confession of beleevers; and certainely they would not have spoken so grosse an untruth: neither would the Spirit of God have suffered it to be set downe upon Record without reprehending of it: And thus you see it proved as cleare as the Sunne [that it was not onely an opi­nion of the people] but that really, and in truth, John did no mi­racle: You may read Mat. 11.2, 3, 4, 5. When John had heard in prison of the workes of Christ, he sent two of his Disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or doe wee looke for another? Jesus answered, Goe shew John those things which ye doe heare and see: The Cum Salvator, corporum sanatio­ne, externisque Symbolis, se ad sanandas animas spiritualem venisse medicum ostensurus esset, Luc. Brugens. in loc. Ip [...]a opera tanquam divina testimonia obsicit, Musculus, com. in loc. blinde receive their sight, &c. First, What newes was this to John if he could have done the like? Secondly, or how could this have confirmed the Disciples of John, that Christ was the true Messias rather than John, if John had wrought miracles? I Jesum cum Joanne conse­rendo, college­ [...]nt Jesum Jo­anne ma [...]orem & proinde Messiam esse: [...]obus in eo colligendo u­tuntur argumentis, i. Joannes quidem signum nullum edidit. Volunt dicere Joannes eximius fuit doctor, quem omnes magni fecimus, & plerique pro Messia eum habere voluerunt. Sed nullis claruit miraculis: Hic autem doctrinam suam confirmat miraculis stupendis qualia a nemine mortalium unquam sunt edita. Dubium est ergo nullum, ipsum Joanne & omnibus Prophetis esse superiorem, hcut etiam Esaias id praedixit, cap. 35. ver. 5. Chemnit. Harm. cap. 117. Ex signis colligunt Christum longe Joanne esse superiorem, cum ille nu la ministe­tii sut rempore miracula ediderit: Pelargus 2. part. cap. q. 5. Colligunt Christum Joanne praestantiorem esse, qu [...]a tot miraculis fuit insignis, quum Joannes nullum miraculum edidisser. Calvin in loc. Ioannes quidem mag­nas & eximius fuit doctor; sed miraculis nullis claruit, Gualter. in Evang. Joan. hom. 101. Confessio fidelium est ex pressa, fatentur quod nullum secerit fignum. nec enim pertinebant ad doctrinam: sed vis signorum Chri­sto & Apostolis reservata suit, singulari Dei consilio, Aretius in loc. [Page 3]beseech you consider seriously, and compare this place with Esa. 35.4.6. He will come and save you, Then the eyes of the blinde shall be opened: Aretius, a Protestant Writer, sayes; They (mean­ing Johns hearers) confesse he did no Miracle, Qui credide­runt Ioanni Baptistae prae­dicanti: sed nulla miracula sacienti. Polanus Syntagm. fol. 510. neither did they belong to Johns doctrine: But the power of working Miracles was in the singular Counsell of God reserved for Christ and his Apostles. It seemes strange to me a man should dare so boldly to contradict so many famous Expositors; and the Scripture it selfe.

In that he sayes he will not speake of Johns miraculous Quanquam Ioannes ipse non fecit mi­racula; tamen in co facta sunt multa & mag­na: quod natus de anu & steri­li: quod pater ejus obmutuit: postea soluta est lingua eju: in nativitate filii; quod in u ero exulta­vit. Bellar. de not. ecclesiae. lib 4 cap. 14. fol. 297. spring­ing in the wombe of his Mother, at the salutation of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord: who so shallow as knowes not? that was a miraculous worke, wrought upon John, and no miracle done by John. But to uphold his false opinion, he propounds this questi­on: Is it not the greatest Miracle to convert many to God?

To this I answer, looke upon the miracles set downe in Scripture as done by Christ and his Apostles; and see in the whole Cata­logue whether conversion of soules be set downe as one of them: There is no Scripture to prove, that when a Minister of the Gos­pell converts a soule, he workes a miracle: and to speake logi­cally and properly, this cannot be true: Tis a Mirum & miraculum dif­ferunt. wonderfull worke; yet not a miracle. But how can he prove from John 14.12. The workes that I doe, shall he doe also, and greater: can he make it appeare by this place, that to covert soules, is to worke miracles: for pag. 12. these are his words, [ Thus John workes miracles] Let us see in this place what is meant by workes: All Expositors that I reade, understand two sorts of Hoc patet primo in do­ctrina: secundo patet in mira­culis, Lyranus in loc. 1. In Evangelii praedicatione. 2. In miraculo­rum operati­one, Gerhard. Harm. Evang, c. 176. fol. mihi 453. workes, the one distinct from the other: First, the worke of Christs Ministery: Secondly, his wor­king of miracles. The one in the predication of the Gospell, the o­ther in the operation of miracles. So that you see the conversion of Souls in the work of the Ministery, is distinguished from the working of miracles; & he cannot prove from hence that Johns converting of Soules to God, was working of miracles; or miracles done by John: Learned Sed proba­mus nostram expositionem. 1. Ex loco parallelo Mark. 16.15. 2. Ex verbis praecedentibus. 3. Ex numeri pluralis & praesentis cemporis ussu­patione. 4. Ex Scopo. Harm. cap. 176. pag. 452. Gerhard is of opinion that Christ spake here of those workes which the Apostles, and other beleevers should doe in the primitive Church; both in the preaching of the Gospell, and in the working of miracles: And that this promise in the lite­rall [Page 4]and proper sense doth not belong to all believers living in all times, but onely to the Apostles, and certaine other beleevers who lived in the primitive time: He sets downe divers weighty reasons to prove this exposition good, which I have set downe in the Margent: (to which I referre the learned Reader) They be­ing not so pertinent to the matter in hand, though proper for the exposition of the text. I may seeme to digresse, but give me leave to answer one difficulty in this place: that is this: How the Apostles and other beleevers in the primitive Church may be said to doe greater workes then Christ did, either in the worke of their ministery, or in the working of miracles. First, They may be said to be greater, not in regard of their excellency and origi­nall; for they were done not by their owne Ut osten­deret sua eos auctoritate, non propria ipso­rum fasturos esse. Maldonat. in loc. power and ver­tue, but by the power of Christ, and the plentifull effusion of the holy Ghost which afterwards they received: and our Saviour in­timates as much when he saith, He that beleeveth on me, &c. They may be said to be greater in number, numerically, greater fruits they had of their ministery: they converted more soules in Opera ma­jora non digni­tate vel origi­ne, cum a Chri­sto profluxe­rint in Aposto­los: sed nume­ro plura, fructu & usu. Aretius in loc. number then Christ: for he preached onely to the Jewes, Mat. 15.24. and if at any time by the bye as it were he met with the Gen­tiles, he gave them onely Praedicavit rantum in Ju­daea; micas so­lummodo di­stribuit genti­bus, quando ad eas excursum instituit. Christus una tantum lingua praedicavit, Sy­riaca scil. Apo­stoli per Spiri­tum instructi ut in omnibus linguis Evan­gelium praedi­carent. Christus non­dum per inte­grum quadri­ennium docen­di ministerio immediate in sua persona sunctus est, A­postoli diutius. Per praedicatio­nem Christi pauci Judaei; per praedicat: Apostolorum multitudo gen­tium. Gerhard. Harm. cap. 176 Pag. 453. Crummes, Mat. 15.27. When he sent his Apostles before his passion to preach the Gospell he gave them a speciall charge, Mat. 10.5. Goe not into the way of the Gen­tiles; but after his ascension and the sending of the holy Ghost they were Mat. 28.19. to goe and teach all Nations: Now Christ preaching in Judea onely, which was but a narrow compasse in re­gard of the world beside, they are said to doe greater workes in their Ministery then Christ did in his: The meaning is, they con­verted a greater number of Soules: Christ preached onely in the Syriac tongue, but the Apostles by the gift of the Spirit in all lan­guages, Act. 2.4.7, 8, 9. Christ did not execute the office of his Ministery immediately in his owne person, full out foure years the; Apostles had a great deale longer time: by the preaching of Christ a few Jewes onely were converted and here and there one besides; but by the preaching of the Apostles multitudes of the Gentiles: Rom. 15.18, 19. For I will not dare to speake of any of those things which Christ hath wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed through mighty signes and wonders by the power of the Spirit [Page 5]of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum I have fully preached the Gospell of Christ. Thus you see how they did greater workes then Christ in their Ministery.

How are they said to doe greater miracles? I follow not some of the Ancient, who seeme to hold, that the Apostles did miracles of greater excellency, and of a higher nature then Christ did; as Chrysostome, Lyranus, Augustine, and others, who thinke it was a greater miracle for Majus est enim, ut sanet umbra, quam fimbria Aug. in Evang. Ioan. Tract. 70. in fine. Peter, Act. 5.15. by his shadow to heale the sicke, then for Christ by the hemme of his garment to heale the woman of the bloody issue: The Apostles preaching in more pla­ces then Christ did, had occasion to doe more miracles, so by greater miracles is meant a greater number: Pardon this digressi­on.

To returne to the matter in hand, pag. 12. he sayes upon Joh. 14.12. What are these greater things but the conversion of the peoples: And the plentifull gift of the holy Ghost through their preaching?

I Mox vero constituta Ec­clesia, sublatis miraculis reli­quit doctrinam Apostolicam, quae norma es­set fidei & vitae Aretius loc. com. de officiis Ecclesiast. cap. 62. Nec virtus ista miraculorum erat perpetuo in Ecclesiacre­dentium futura Muscul. in loc. Miracula in Ecclesia non semper cer­nuntur nec re­quiruntur quidem. Ne (que) enim fidelis opus habet ut signum videat, sed solum doctrina indiget & institutione, ait Chrysostom. Homilia tricesima prima, in 1 Epist. ad Corinth. Polanus Syntagm. lib. 6. cap. 58. Ad sundationem Ecclesiae suerunt quidem necessaria, quocirca edita sunt a Christo & Apostolis quamplurima, & post tempora ipsa Apostolorum, etiam multa, cum adhuc passim in orbe terrarum, Ecclesiae plantandae essent; nunc veto necessatia non sunt, Pola­nus Syntagm. fol. 509. vide plura ibid. Fuerunt miracula [...]ut buccinae atque praecones quibus Evangelium commendabatur: ut enim lex Moysis, pluribus miraculis in monte Sina, & per desertum authoritatem sibi con­ciliavit, quae postea destiterunt, cum ad terram promissionis ventum est; eadem quoque ratione miracula nunc sublata sunt, cum Evangelium per universum orbem diffusum est, Pet. Martyr. loc. com. clas. prim. cap. 8. fol. 33. answer, as before, by greater workes is not meant one­ly the gift of preaching, but the gift of working miracles, which is a gift distinguished from preaching, as the Apostle proves, 1 Cor. 12.4. Now there are diversity of gifts, but the same Spirit, ver. 10. To another the working of miracles. To cleare all, If the conversion of soules by the Ministery of the word were the gift of miracles; then the power of working miracles in the Church should never cease: but that is already ceased, and now taken away: being necessary onely at the first planting of the Gospell: but the Gospell being already planted, they are not now necessary, and therefore mi­racles now cease.

In the latter end of the 12. page he confesseth Moses his office was glorious: but pag. 13. he hath these expressions, Let Saint Paul speake more plaine, 2 Cor. 3.9. If the ministration of condemnation [Page 6]be glory, much more shall the Ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glory. From this place he concludes that Moses is the Minister of condemnation, John of Righteousnesse; Moses of death, John of life. He is beside the particular intent of this Scripture: That which the Apostle aimes at, is not to compare Johns Ministery and Moses together, but his owne Ministery with his adversaries, as I shall shew at large when I come to expound the place. Let me aske one question, Was not God the Author of that, which Moses was the Minister? no man can deny it; but lest I should be thought too captious, let me shew you how the want of the true interpretation of this chapter, and the right meaning of the Apostle hath beene the occasion of great Haeresie. There was an Haeretique thirteene hundred yeeres agoe called Manes Cōveniunt rebus nomina saepe suis. à [...], from madnesse, as Insanis & diabolicis arti­bus totum se tradidit, Osiand. Epitom. Hist. Eccl. Cent. 3. lib. 4 cap. 3. Osiander observes, from his madde opinions he held Videamus igitur quid me doceat Mani­chaeus, Aug. to 6 Contr. Ep [...]st. Manichael lib. unus. Vetus testamentū re­pudiat, & De­um qui in ipsis locutus Manichaei ma­ledictis impe­tunt: De Pro­phetis sic dicit. Spiritum corū esse impietatis, sive iniqui [...]a [...]is, ten [...]b atum, quae ab initio emerserant & propterea seducti; locuti sunt: excaecavit enim princeps, eorum men­tem, & siqui [...] sequi [...]ur sermones ipsorum, moritur in aeternum, illigatus in glebam: quoniam non didicit cogni­tionem Paracleti, Magdelurg cent. 3 cap 5. de Haeres. col. mihi 77.; Saint Augustine calls him Manichaeus: He did reject the old Testament: I tremble to write downe what he said concerning the Pro­phets.

The Mo [...]tis esse asserit Manes Testamen­tum legis, co quod Apostolus dixeri [...], 2 Cor. 3.7. Si Testamentum mortis: Vetus Testamentum, dixit esse al­terius Dēi & doctoris, novum item alterius: contraria enim trad [...]in utroque, vide Magdeburg. ibid. Verus Testamen [...]um ab ali [...] Deo; Novum etiam ab alio Deo factum esse dixit; utrumque enim Testamentum, inter se pugnate, Osi [...]nd. Epitom. Hist. Eccles. lib. 4. cap. 3. Magdeburgenses set downe this as one of Manichaeus his errours: that he did hold and affirme the Testament of the law (by which he meanes the Old Testament) to be the Testa­ment of death, or condemnation; and he laboured to maintaine his Haeresie, from this Scripture which he alledgeth, to prove Moses to be the Minister of death: to wit, this which now we are upon; namely, 2 Cor. 3.7. If the ministration of death, &c. This Haeretique doth likewise affirme, That he which spake with Mo­ses, the people of the Jewes, and the Priests in the Old Testament, was the Prince of darkenesse: And what doth he differ, in ma­king Moses the Minister of death, and so of darkenesse? He likewise did hold this damnable opinion, that there was one God of the Old Testament, another of the New; and that the Old and New are contrary the one to the other: Men must take heede how they handle a point of so high a Nature so rawly; as I am sure he did when he preacht.

Now let us see the scope of the Apostle in this chapter, 2 Cor. 3.9. The Apostle had to doe with Impostores perst [...]ngit qui cum legis do­ctrinam impor­tunius urgerent se non novi, sedpotius ve­teris restamenti ministros esse declarabant; idque non sine ignominia Christi qui umbras istas a­bolere debuit. Gualter. in I. E­pist. ad Cor. hom. 12. false teachers, who were ex­ceeding earnest in pressing the doctrine of the Law, and that in opposition, and to the undervaluing of Jesus Christ, by whose comming those shadowes were and ought to be abolished and gi­ven over: So that the opposition stands betweene Pauls doctrine and the doctrine of his adversaries, the false Apostles.

Let us see first, 2 Cor. 3.6. how the Law is called the letter, and so killeth, and how it is the ministration of death and condemnation. The Apostle doth often use the word letter in opposition to the word Spirit, because that which is called the Law of Moses, was written Exod. 31.18. in Tables of stone with the finger of God: to wit, the Decalogue, and therefore called the letter Optima fuit ratio cur lex d [...]ceretur [...] per antonomasi­am; quod recti­us converreris scriptum quam literam. & ta­men volumus ex more [lite­ram] interpre­tari. Beza. An­nota [...]. in Epist­ad Rom. cap 2. ver. 27.. But the Apostle lookes at somewhat more: for because not onely the Ceremoni­all Law, but also the Morall (which we call the Tenne Comman­dements) did lead to Christ who is every way made Righteous­nesse unto true beleevers; this use of the law many of the people of the Jewes partly through ignorance, and partly through obsti­nacie did contemne. From whence it comes to passe that the A­postle speaking concerning the law, onely from the Modo ex Judaeorum hy­pothesi. Beza. in loc. supposi­tion of the Jewes, who did applie the Law to themselves, consi­dered severally, and apart and separated from Christ: And from hence the Apostle calleth it the letter: and so the naked Law by it selfe, separated from Christ, is in Scripture called the letter, which is nothing profitable to salvation. (and this comes to passe through the corruption of mans nature) Sometimes this opposi­tion betweene the letter and the Spirit, hath respect in particular to the Ceremoniall Law: Then the Apostle calleth it the letter Tunc Pau­lus [...] vo­cat externum signum ab ipsi­us signi fine si­ve a virtute se­junctum, quam vocat Spiri­tum. Beza. when the outward signe is considered apart from the thing signified, then it is a dead thing; unprofitable, and of no use. For what is the shadow without the body?

Who knowes not? but that in disputation many things are laid downe under some condition, which otherwise cannot be affir­med? The Apostle in this chapter is in a dispute in which he layes downe the difference betweene the Ministry of the Law, and of the Gospell, by comparing Effert suam doctrinam con­tra calumniato­rum doctrinam, & Argumen­tum sumit a cō ­paratis. Areti. in loc. the one with the other, as they were by Pauls adversaries (the false teachers) set in opposition the one against the other, who holding to the bare letter of the [Page 8]law, did preach justification by the workes of the Law without Jesus Christ, in opposition to the Gospell, so that Moses is cal­led the Minister of death Abusive. Abusively: Because these false teach­ers did abuse the law of Moses in resting upon it according to the literall sense; and so by excluding Christ, who is the Mens egis est Christus lex in lapidibus insculpta suit: ideoque litera­l [...] erat doctri­na hic legis de­sectus corri­gendus suit per Evangelium: quia fragilem esse oportuit; quamdiu rabu­lis lapideis tanrum erat consignata. Calvin. in loc. life of the Law; make it to be to themselves (by their false interpretation and misapplication) a dead letter; and so it is, so long as it is written in tables of stone onely, and not in the tables of our hearts.

Now let us see how the Law is said to be the ministration of condemnation, as the Apostle calls it, 2 Cor. 3.9. It is called so ac­cidentally Accidenter Dyonys. Carthus. in loc. as is plaine, Rom. 7.7, 8, 9, 10, 11. For sinne taking Non dicit, occasione au­tem data, quo­niam lex non dat occasionem pecandi, sed dicir occasione accepta. Cajeta. rom. 5 in loc. occasion by the Commandement deceived me, and by it slew me: in this chapter it is plaine that the law is the ministration of death by accident, not causally, but occasionally. The occasion is not gi­ven by the Commandement, but taken through the corruption of mans nature: for the mind of man endeavouring to maintaine its owne liberty in sinning; cannot endure to be kept in by the Com­mandement, and restrained, and so sinneth the more eagerly, ac­cording to the Proverbe, Nitimur in vetitum: we are exceeding earnest to doe that which is forbidden us, (such is our corruption) the more ready we are to run into it: So likewise the Gospell may be said to be the ministration of condemnation occasionally, Luk. 2.34. Behold, this childe is set for the fall and rising againe of many in Israel, 1 Pet. 2.8. A stone of stumbling; a Rocke of offence. No fault in Christ or the Gospell, whose proper office is, to build us up to be spirituall Temples for God to dwell in; The fault is in man, who through the corruption that is in him, takes occasion to stumble at this stone; Tis accidentall Quum no­bis in sunda­mentum datus sit, illiac. iden­tale esse Petram Scandali. Calv. in loc. to Christ, to be a Rocke of offence: But it being accidentall as well to the Law, as to the Gospell, to be the Ministery of death, wherein lieth the dif­ference? There is a wide difference, It is a perpetuall and insepa­rable accident in regard of the Law: not so in regard of the Gos­pell. But to winde up this bottome: If by Moses we understand the writings of Scripta M [...] ­sis sunt ipsum ve [...]us Testa­monrum: ad­junctis pro­phetis. Cajetan. Moses; which are the Old Testament toge­ther with the Prophets, that is to say, Moses and the Prophets, the Prophets were extraordinary Ministers of the Old Testament, or­dained for the Instruction of the Church, by interpreting and ap­plying [Page 9]the Law: and foreshewing the sufferings, and glory of Christ, Act. 3.24. Yea and all the Prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these dayes; That is, of the dayes of the Messias; of those things, which in these dayes are fulfilled by Jesus Christ; The dayes Quae his temporibus per Iesū Chri­stum impleta sunt, Brentius in Act. Apost. hom. 15. of Christs Flesh, so the Apostle cals them, Heb. 5.7. Who in the dayes of his Flesh; All the Prophets did declare one and the same Christ to come in the flesh. And the Apostle confirmes this Facit hoc ad Evangelii commendatio­nem, & confir­mationē, quod jam olim a Deo per pro­phetas ab ipso inspiratos, quo­rum oracula li­tetis consigna­ta haberentur, promissum es­set; ne videre­tur res nova & commentitia, Estius, Com. in loc. Rom. 1.1, 2, 3. Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the Gospell of God, which he had promised afore by his holy Prophets in the holy Scriptures concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; which was made of the seed of David, according to the flesh. The Apostle useth these words to prove that the Doctrine of the Gospel, was not a new Occupatio est qua declinat invidiam novi­tatis: nam E­vangelium pu­tabatur doctri­na recens, Pet. Martyr. Com. in loc. Ut Novitatis depelleret invi­diā, seque non novarum retū praedicatorem; & Apostolum ostenderet, E­vangeliumque ab antiquitate commendaret, Tolet. in loc. Doctrine: Some of Pauls hearers reasoned thus with themselves. The ancient Patriarches and Prophets were sa­ved, and had the true Church of God amongst them: and yet they wanted your Gospell. Therefore, the Doctrine of the Go­spell is not necessary; but superfluous. Here the Apostle confes­seth those in the old Testament were saved, but not without the Gospell. And so convinces them, that the Preaching of the Go­spell was no innovation, seeing it was preached throughout the whole Church of God in the old Testament: And as Theophylact observes, the word Gospell, was used in Davids time, Psalme 68. ver. 11. The Lord gave the word, great was the company of those that published it. What did they publish? Why, the Gospell: ( [...]) [...], Theophylact. Chrysost. ad Roman hom 1. Evangelizantibus, Hieron. Preachers of the Gospell: the Gospell was then preached plentifully: for great was the company of Prea­chers: and the Septuagint, Chrysostom, and St. Hierom agree with Theophylact: And Scriptures agree, First, that from Singulis illis temporibus Evangelicam promissionem de semine mulicris re­petitam; & subinde clarius Expositam esse dicit, Chemn. lccor. part. 2. pag. 579. the fall of Adam to the Flood: Secondly, from the Flood to Moses: Third­ly, from Moses to the Prophets: Fourthly, from the Prophets to Christ: The Gospell and the promises of it, were made knowne: And applyed by beleevers: in all severall ages, to their everlast­ing Salvation, by Jesus Christ, in whom they beleeved.

Theophylact proveth the word Gospell to be used in the old Testa­ment [Page 10]from Isay 52.7. How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth [good tidings!] That is, the Gospell; for so the word signifieth [...] Septuagint; And the Apostle alledging this place of the Prophet, Rom. 15.10. Paulus de E­vangelica prae. dicatione haec verba affert. Marian. Schol. expounds it to bee the Preaching of the Gospell: How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospell of Peace! The same Gospell (according as he di­stinguisheth the time in his Book, page 19.) was preached from Mo­ses to John Baptist, yea, the very same which the Apostles preached.

To Sin voca­bulo legis acci­piatur doctrina V. Testamenti, in Scriptis M [...] ­saicis, & pro­pheticis com­prehensa, neu­riquam gratiae beneficium ab ea separandum siquidem con­cio gratiae de remissione pec­catorum prop­rer Christum Mediatorem non minus so­nuit in V. quam in N. Test. per quam non mi nus tempore V. Test. quam novi Test. om­nes sancti sunt Justifi cati ac salvati, Gerhard locor. Tom. 3. de Evang. c. 12. fol. m [...]hi. 247. conclude, if by the Law we understand the Doctrine of Moses, and the Prophets; the benefit of Gods free grace is in no wise to be separated from the Law. For the grace of God con­cerning the free remission of sinnes for Christs sake the Media­tour, was Preached as well in the Old Testament as in the New: by which no lesse in the time of the Old Testament, than in the time of the New, all the Saints were justified and saved, as is fully confirmed, Act. 15.11. But wee beleeve that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved [even as they,] That is, even as our Fathers; who lived in the time of the old Testament: Therefore, there was one and the same Gospell, teaching that the Gratuitum donum Dei si­ne operibus le­gis, Glo. interl. A princi pio mundi non solum praefiguratus est sacrificiis, & praenunciatus prophetis, sed etiam coepit ejus san­guis hominum mederi vulneribus; & acceptavit Pater mortem filii, ac propter cam contulit omnibus gratiam, Lorinus in loc. Fide gratiam apprehendi testatur: nam credimus, inquit, nos per gratiam Domini nostri, &c. Paucis ergo & minimis ambiguis verbis universa salutis ratio comprehendi poterit, si nos gratia Dei in Jesu Christo, per fidem salvari dicamus: quae omnis tum propheticae, tum Apostolicae doctrinae, summa est, Gualter in Act. Apost. hom. 102. in fine. grace and favour of God is to be looked for in Christ the Mediatour; in whom all the Saints in all times from the beginning of the world, were and are justified and saved. I aske this question: Did Moses ever goe about to Preach Justifica­tion by the workes of the Law; Neither did God ever make any Covenant of workes with man since the Fall: Well then, consider Moses not abusively, and the Law of Moses, not mis-interpreted, and misapplyed, by false teachers and wicked men. And by the Law understand the Doctrine of Moses: and so Moses was the Mi­nister of life, and the Law the Ministration of Salvation: This is plaine, Act. 15.21. For Moses of old hath in every City them that Preach him, being read in the Synagogue every Sabbath day; And no question but by the blessing of God upon it, many thousand soules [Page 11]were converted to God by that Preaching. Else would not our Saviour in the Parable, Sententia haec intelligen­da videtur ut Revelativa Di­vini Judicii: ut hinc intelliga­mus Divina dis­positione de­sertum irieos qui Mosen & Prophetas non audiunt, & ita induratos relin­qui, etiamsi vi­derent miracu­la, non move­rentur propte­rea ad verana Charitatem, & merito quia ex eo quod divinā largitatem, qua providit nobis de Mose & pro­phetis (hoc est de sacra Scriptura) de­spiciunt merē ­tur ut nec per miracula visa conversionis gratiam conse­quantur, Cajetā Jentac. 5. qu. 4. Quo loco evi­de tissime de­clarat Dominus Vetus Testam. esse fidei firmi­tatē retundens perfidiam Ju­daeorum, & ex­cludens nequi­tias haereticorum, Ambr. Com. in Evang. Luc. lib. 8. Judaicus ille popu [...]us, quia Mosi credere noluit, ei etiam qui resurrexit ex mortuis credere contempsit; cumque Mosis verba Spiritualiter, contempsit in elligere, ad cum de quo Moses locutus fuerat non pervenit, Greg. Magn. in Evang hom. 40. Disce divitem hunc cum fratribus suis esse Jud [...]om, ad quos promissiones de de terra Canaan, & vita aeterna pertinebant: incredulitate autem propria damnari, Aretius, in loc. Luk. 16.29.31. have laid it downe as a thing so necessary to heare Moses and the Prophets, had not their Doctrine, by the power of God accompanying it, beene ef­fectuall to the conversion of Soules. I have beene the larger, be­cause such preaching as this, doth with the errour of the Manichees, cast a blemish upon the old Testament, and makes way to that false Doctrine, which afterwards he preached, and hath Printed in his Booke.

Whereas Pag. 22. He that shall search into the most materiall Con­troversies, betweene the Protestant and the Papist, he shall find the error of the Papist, chiefly to arise from hence: The want of Distinction between Law and Gospel. Sure this is that which makes him to cavil, and differ from other Ministers, if any Ministers in their Sermons, doe (but as they are bound) presse the duties of sanctification: he present­ly cryes out to his injudicious applauders, they Preach flat Pope­ry: Nay, though they use the same exhortations the Scripture doth, in the selfe-same words, we must not Preach to our people as Peter did, 2 Pet. 3.11. Seeing all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be, in all holy conversation and god­linesse? If we preach the terrours of God; then wee are legall preachers: If we presse them to duties and a holy life, then we Preach Popery: And yet thus Christ and his Apostles Preacht: Whereas, if he were not wilfully ignorant; and like the deafe Adder stop his eares, he might heare Ministers cry downe all me­rit, and popery, even when they are a pressing them to holy duties; shewing them, that nothing can stand betweene the Meritum Christi unicum est pretium redemptionis nostrae, quo solo a peccato & morte aeterna redimimur, & Deo reconciliati, in filios, & haeredes vitae aeternae adoptamur, Cassand. consultat. pag. mihi 968. wrath of God, and a poore Creature, but the merit of Christ alone: con­fessing all our righteousnesse to be as a polluted cloath: Doe I speake of confessing? He will have none of that; no confession of sinne; when we presse men to pray, we doe not perswade them they shall merit eternall life by prayer, neither doe we wish them [Page 12]to rest in the duty done, but wholly upon the merits of Christ: Neither do we thinke that Christ doth infuse his Nec ita intelligendum est quod Christus infundat meritum suum nostrae orationi, ut ipsa sit placatio coelestis irae & expiatio pro peccatis, sed quia exe­rit sese per preces; intuetur promissiones Dei, qui­bus roboratur & confirmatur apprehendir Christum propter quem solum Deus nobis in vocantibus est propitius: & quia Deus invenir in nobis Christum per fidem, ideo in nos ipsum invocantes essundit omne genus beneficiorum, non propter invocationis meritum, sed propter Christi meritum, Gerbard, locor. tom 3. Col. mihi 368. merit into our prayer that it should become the pacification of the wrath of God, or an expiation for our sinnes: but because faith doth ma­nifest it selfe by prayer, doth behold the promises of God, with which it is strengthened and confirmed, and it doth apprehend Christ, for whose sake alone God is mercifull to us, when we call upon him. And because God findes Christ in us by Faith, therefore when we pray to him, he doth bestow upon us every good thing; not for the merit of our prayer, but for the merit of Christ. Let men take heed lest under the colour of Preaching free Grace, they doe not turne the grace of God into wantonnesse: and give men such a liberty to live as they lust; which is indeed the greatest bondage: let them take heed, lest while they pretend to advance the Kingdome of Christ, they doe not overthrow his Kingly Office, and plucke, as much as in them lyeth, the Crowne from off his head. If Christ be a King, certaine his Subjects must yeeld obedience to him: And we his Ministers must preach obe­dience to them: Could not the Apostle distinguish between Law and Gospell? and doe we preach popery, when in our Sermons we follow the rule of the Apostle, Rom. 2.6, 7. and tell the peo­ple; God will render to every man according to his deeds. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing, seeke for glory, and honour, im­mortality, eternall life, ver. 10. Glory, honour and peace to every one that worketh: The Apostle doth not say, God will render to eve­ry man [for] his deeds: that so he may exclude merit; in regard of our best performances: but [according] to his deeds: that so he may extoll free grace. That Quod Deus aeterna gloria, & felicitate eos donare vult, qui ex fide bene operati sunt, id nihil gratuitae justificationi nostrae derogat: justificamur e­nim gratis fide; deinde ex fide, bona, & Deo placentia opera facimus, Osian. in loc. God will bestow glory and eternall life upon those who by faith continue in well-doing: that derogates nothing from our free justification: and being justified gratis, or freely through Faith: Then by Faith wee doe good workes pleasing to God: Consider these two places, first, Ephes. 2.8. For by grace ye are saved through Faith; and that not of your selves, it is the gift of God. The second place is Colos. 1.10. That ye might [Page 13]walke Dignitas haec nostra non pendet ex absoluta nostra persectione; sed ex dignatione Dei gratuita [...], in omne placitum vel obse­quium, Davenant in loc. worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitfull in every good worke.

Whereas pag. 22. he wisheth us to look in­to the most materiall controversies betweene the Papists and us, I doe not thinke he is much seene into them: for I did heare him peremptorily affirme that the Coun­cell of Trent did hold Bishops Si quis dixerit in Ecclesia Catholica non esse Hierarchiam divina ordinatione instituram, quae constat Episcopis, Presbyteris & Ministris, anathe­ma sit, Concil. Trident. Sess. 23. de Sacrament. Or­din. cap. 4. can. 6. Presbyterii gradu, superior est dignitas Episco­palis, quam quidem excellentiā habent Episcopi, non tantum ex Ecclesiastica vel. Apostolica tradi­tione, seu constitutione aliqua, sed ex Jure divino, institutione Christi, Estius in lib. 4. Sent. dist. 24. not to be (Jure Divino) by divine right: be­ing asked what Session and Canon, could not tell, and afterwards confessed he had not read it in the Councell of Trent; and indeed the Councell is cleane contra­ry in extolling Bishops.

In the 23. page of his booke he saith, There is this day a complaint in our Country, that our Sermons are full of contradictions: the Mul­titude observe them, and grievously complaine of them: and this is not the complaint of unlettered men. What a lewd slander is this laid upon all the Ministers? And whom doth he bring to proveit? The Vulgus, [...], Graece, usurpa­tur a Latinis ad significandum ignobiliorem mul­titudinem; quomodo, dixit Virgil: Saevitque ani­mis, ignobile vulgus; A volvendo dictum volunt; quod stulte huc at (que) illuc volvatur, unde vulgivagus deducitur. Et apud Lucanum legimus vulgiva­gaque vagus venere, pro illo qui certae mulieris amore non capitur, sed popularem venerem secta­turus. Multitude: It wonder where this multitude is: but grant it were so, it is a credit to have such accusers: The multitude called the vulgar, from vol­ving, rowling, or tumbling, in constant, unsettled, foolishly carryed about this way, and that way, with every winde of Doctrine.

But how comes the Multitude to un­derstand what the word Contradictoria sunt, quae affirmationi & nega­tioni subjacent: Duplex contradictionis genus Simplicis & complexae. [Con­tradiction] meaneth, how come they to bee so cloquent? how come they by so much Logicke? I dare say if they be exa­mined they cannot render the signification of the word: whether it be in the praedicaments or post-praedicaments, they understand not: surely if they did, they would not so grossely bely their Mi­nisters. The multitude laid many grievous complaints against Paul which they could not prove, Act. 25.7. It argues a great deale of indiscretion, if not of pride, and arrogancy, and selfe-conceited­nesse, for a man to cast such an aspersion to the blasting of so [Page 14]many godly Ministers, and the extolling of himselfe, especially at a visitation Sermon, where he pretended to preach Christ, but did altogether preach himselfe, as is plaine by his owne expressi­ons, If we doe bid the Letany farewell, yet for once upon such a speciall occasion as this, Let me say from pride, vaine glory, and hypocrisie, good Lord deliver us.

In the latter end of page 23. and the beginning of the 24. he hath this passage: It was Prophesied by Luther that after his time the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell should be neglected: Our age hath proved him to bee too true a Prophet, for it is a thing not ordinarily observed: The fault is; the Law is not rightly applyed: As when we apply it to troubled Consciences to give satisfaction. This is a meere false invention of his owne, He dares not challenge any one Minister for this, if he should, he would withstand him to his face, and prove him false. The Apostle, 2 Tim. 2.14. Contentiosa hujusinodi dis­putatio non modo nullam afferr utilitatē, sed detr [...]menti plurimum, non aedificat, sed de­struit auditores minus veritatē penetrantes; putantenim plerum (que) sun­plices qui as­sistunt, magis loquaces, ma­gisque clamo­sos, magis esse sapientes, & in­telligentes, E­spencaeus, in loc. chargeth that we strive not about words to no profit, but to the subver­ting of the hearers: I am sure he doth a great deale of wrong to some poore ignorant people, who discerne not the truth, but are ready to thinke him to be the most able man that can word it most, and set up his owne credit by disgracing others, but this is an un­sound foundation to build upon; for not he that commendeth himselfe is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth, 2 Cor. 10.18. Is any Mi­nister that hath the charge of Soules upon him (especially in these knowing times) so grossely ignorant, that when he sees a man in distresse of conscience, through the apprehension of the wrath of God due to him for his sinnes, to apply the terrours of the Law, to comfort him; And when we heare men that are troubled in their consciences; to crie out of their unworthinesse; and of the great imperfections which accompany their best actions: saying as it is Agnoscen da estgrati [...], sed non ignoranda natura, Ambr. Com. in Evang. Luc. lib. 8. c. 17. Luk. 17.10. Wee are unprofitable Servants: Now in this case, is any Minister so shallow or unworthy as to apply the Law to give satisfaction? This were to deale as cruelly as the bloudy Souldiers did with Christ in his extremity who gave him gall and vineger to drinke, Mat. 27.34. The Elders Scribitur in libro quodam Hebraico qui, a pud eos intitulatur liber judicum ordinatiorum, quon iam Solomon dixerat Proverb. 31.6. Ideo ex occasione hujus vetbi, Senio [...]es Judaeorum natuerant ut condemnatis ad more [...]m daretur vin [...]m aromaticum ad b [...]bendam, it facilius tolerarent passionem: In Hierusalem autem erant Matronae devotae, & compassi [...]ae, quae ho [...]v [...]n [...]m dabant ex devotione: Ju laei eigo ex nimia crudelltate moti tale vinum datum pro Christo, & allis duobas cum eo crucifi [...], acceperuntfibi, secundum quod dict. [...], Amos. 2. & loco e [...]ns. posuerunt acctum cum felle mixtum, Lyrau, p 5 fol. nuhi. 85. among the [Page 15]Jewes (from that of Solomon, Prov. 31.6. Give strong drinke unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of a heavy heart.) made a Statute that those who were condemned to dye, should have wine given them to drinke in their sufferings, (the death of the Crosse being most bitter) mixed with comfortable and sweete spices; that they might in the time of their extremity, more easi­ly undergo their paines: I have read that in Jerusalem there were certaine devoute Matrons, who out of compassion, did at their owne charges provide this wine for those that were to be crucified: Now the Souldiers moved with bloudy cruelty dranke that Aro­maticall wine whith was provided for our Lord, in the time of his suffering, according to that of Amos 2.8. They drinke the wine of the Condemned, and in stead thereof gave him gall and vine­ger to drinke. O bloudy cruelty! no lesse cruell is that Minister that doth apply the law separated, and in opposition to the pro­mises of the Gospell; to give satisfaction to a troubled consci­ence.

The Apostle, 2 Tim. 2.15. layes this charge upon a Minister, to study to shew himselfe approved a workeman that need not be ashamed: Tis one thing to Preach, another to be a workeman in Preaching: I speake not against much, and often Preaching, I honour it with my heart, but such as are longer in Preaching of a Sermon, then in studying of it, more frequent and longer time in the Pulpit then in their study; they are not workemen, not labourers, but loite­rers, to whom woe belongs for doing the worke of the Lord negligently. What is it for a man to give his Servants three meales a day, and set nothing but bones, husks, and shells be­fore them; when men come up into the Pulpit without praeme­ditation, they doe but vent their owne Ex Tempore frothy ex­pressions: And this is not preaching; but to lavish out the pre­cious time of grace: And this is the cause of so many fond, new upstart opinions. Preaching is no such easie worke, what ever ignorant men thinke, Who is sufficient for these things? 2 Cor. 2.16. Not Coblers, and Tradesmen, who to the dishonour of God and the ruine of this Nation, pollute Gods Ordinances: And would if they could, trample Gods faithfull Ministers under foot; and this flowes from a little, ungrounded, smattering knowledge they have gotten: we must study to be workemen that need not [Page 16]be ashamed; rightly [...], Be­za. dividing the word of truth; rightly cutting the word of Truth: There is a foure foldexposition of this place.

First, that it is a Metaphor taken from a sword or sharpe instru­ment wherewith things unprofitable, superfluous and corrupt are cut off: as the dead member from the living: Ministers must be able to distinguish betweene the living and the dead, and in their Sermons to divide the one from the other.

Secondly, a Metaphor taken from husbandmen who cut streight furrowes, or rather from men that are sawers of Timber who cut by a line, not declining to the right hand or to the left, but keeping to the rule: so must the Ministers of God doe.

Thirdly, from the Master of a Family that cuts bread for his children: and distributes to every one as hee seeth need.

Fourthly, from the Priests in the old Testament, whose office was to cut the Sacrifices, and to divide; certaine pieces, were to be offered to God in Sacrifice; certaine to be for the Priest. All these expositions are good: and we learne from hence, that it is the duty of every Minister according as his Juxta sin­gulotum (ut cū glossa interline­ati loquar) cō ­petentiam & secundum uni­uscujus (que) qua­litatem, Espen­caeus in loc. hearers are, to instruct, exhort, rebuke, comfort. But how miserably is the word of God mangled by a company of unlettered, unskilfull Laicks, who never had authority either from God or man; nei­ther ability; to take upon them, so high and sacred an of­fice!

We must distribute the word to every one according to their capacity, to Babes milke, to men of riper yeares stronger meate; Taking heed how we give holy things to dogges, or cast pearles among Swine: our Sermons being like Davids song of Mercy and Judgement, lest that complaint come against us, Deus non territat suos re­bus inanibus: sed legis prae­dicatione, cō ­minationeque paenarum a peccaris corum deterret, paeni­tentibus remis­sionem pecca­torum promit­tit: Ludovic. La­vat. in Ezek. hom. 47. Ezek. 13.22. Because with lyes yee have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not returne from his wicked way, by promi­sing him life. Judgement must be applyed to whom it belongs, and mercy to whom mercy belongs.

Legem di­vinam vehementer acuit & in vitia sui temporis vulgaria tanta cum acrimon̄ia in vectus est, ut aculeos in animis hominum, &c. Evangelii itidem dulcissima praedicatione animos prosternatos, & sensu itae divinae percussos e­re [...]it, & ad spem gratiae divinae, ac salutis aeicrnae, traduxit, Melchior Adam in vita ejus. Lucas Pollo a German divine, a man of eminent parts, [Page 17]was wont to preach the law exceeding earnestly; inveighing a­gainst the common sinnes of the times in which he lived very [...]arpely, That he left a sting in the consciences and mindes of men: insomuch that sparing none he gave offence to some, which he regarded not: having Gods command, and the examples of the Prophets, and Apostles, to back him: Againe he Preached the Gospell most sweetely, labouring to lift up such as were cast downe, and sensible of the wrath of God due to them for their sinnes, and to bring them to the hope of Gods free grace, and Eternall salvation: And in his last sicknesse he desired, that when he should be in an Agony and lye a dying to be put in minde of foure things.

First, of Consolations concerning the remission of sinnes.

Secondly, of Consolations concerning Gods gracious presence in afflictions and death it selfe.

Thirdly, concerning finall conservation, that God will con­serve and keepe his elect against sinne, death, Satan, and hell, to Eternall life.

Fourthly, of those words of Christ; The Righteous shall goe into life Eternall. And did tell the Minister to whom he had committed this charge: that in doing thus he should execute the office of a true Pastor. And is not this the care of all Gods faithfull Ministers? who have had experience of the worke of God upon their owne consciences: Quis infir­matur non ae­gritudine cor­porls sedanimi, qualitatem cu [...]ae suaedeseribit ab effectibus in­ternis, Cajetan in loc. Quis infirmatur in fide, & ego non infirmor. Si enim aliquem in fide vacillate animadverto: s [...] cujus fidē gra­vibus tentatio­nibus concuti video, ut vix subsistere queat ita ego certe af­ficior, ac si ipse eas tentationes sustinerem: ne­que conquies­cere possum, donce tales ite­rum erigam, & confirmē, Luc. Osiard. in loc. 2 Cor. 5.11. Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men: And when we see men in di­stresse of Conscience, may we not say with the Apostle: Who is weake and I am not weake? 2 Cor. 11.29. Who is offended, and I burn not? I know there are in these parts of the Country many able Preachers, who in their Sermons doe rightly and truely distin­guish betweene Law and Gospell: to the beating downe of the Kingdome of Satan, and setting up the Kingdome of Jesus Christ in their severall Parishes: whose bowells doe yearne over the soules of their people. Witnesse their constant, pious, and paine­full Preaching in such times, when Preaching was most oppo­sed: whose tender bleeding Consciences, having a hand of Iron held over them, could not swallow downe that which this man did: although their lively-hoods and liberties lay at Stake, being threatned with suspension, deprivation, imprisonment: [Page 18]witnesse the reading of the booke of Liberties, and other inno­vations which he yeelded to without making question: nay plea­ded for them: let him not goe about to cast dirt in their faces, whose upright conversation, and deare affection, they expresse: to the Soules committed to their charge, makes them lovely, and honourable in the sight of God, and all that truely feare God.

In the beginning of pag. 27. This question is propounded: Did not Moses preach grace? The answer is No, Moses preacheth the law of works. This is answered before, onely I propound two questions. First, whether did Moses ever preach justification by the workes of the Law? in plaine termes: whether did he ever lay this downe for a doctrine; That a man may be justified by the workes of the Law in the sight of God? Moses did preach the righteousnesse of faith, and so he did preach grace. Secondly, Whether is not the Foedus gra­tiae afferens; & applicans re­missionem pec­catorum, justiti­am & vitam ae­temā, omnibus in Christum mediatorē cre­dentibus, ed perpetuum, ae­ternum ac im­mutabile, om­nibus mundi temporibus u­num arque idē, nulli abrogati­oni obnoxium; omnē verustatis ac novitatis [...]a­tionem exclu­dens, cumun [...] cademque sir falutis via, Ger­ha [...]d loco. tō. 3. col. mihi. 292. Covenant of grace one and the same? preached in all ages, by which all beleevers, have beene, are and shall be saved? but we shall speake more fully of this hereaf­ter.

I come to the next question propounded, pag. 27. Did not Moses speake truth? In the Pulpit he made this Answer: that he did speake the truth, and he did not speake the truth. I meeting him on the morrow by accident, told him that Moses was to be com­mended in that he spake the truth: but he was blame worthy in that he did not speake the truth: he made no answer for the pre­sent: but writes to me afterward (Nimirum tacuisse) that he did conceale the truth: And so makes him guilty of that which the Apostle pleads for his discharge, Act. 20.27. I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsell of God. And how it can stand with Heb. 3.5. Summa ve­ro est, Mosen scilicet fideliter tradi disse po­pulo quae illi Dominus man­daverat, Calvin in loc. And Moses verely was faithfull in all his house as a servant, for a Testimony of those things which were to be spoken after: Moses did deliver all things which were commanded him of God, faithfully; to the people for a Testimony of those things which were to be spoken: these words are truely to be un­derstood of the Gospell of Christ, of which Moses was a wit­nesse: so that here is set downe the Sic consen­sus doctrinae M [...]sis atque A­postoli, in hac Epistola ex pli­catae, non ob­s [...]e explica­bitur, Paraeus in loc. Agreement betweene the doctrine of Moses and the Apostle expressed in this Epistle: so that they were both witnesses of one and the same Christ, of one and [Page 19]the same Gospell, and did Preach one and the same Doctrine: Certainely, then Moses did not hold his peace concerning any Truth, he was to deliver from God to the people. But in Print he sets downe this answer to the question, [Did not Moses speake Truth? yes, according to Law and Conscience: But not according as the Truth is, and was, in Christ.] Let us see how he could speake the truth according to Law and Conscience, but not according as the truth is, and was in Christ Jesus: looke upon the Scripture spoken by way of anticipation in the end of pag. 26. John. 1.17. The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. And he setting downe the opposition, concludes, That Moses did not Preach Grace: Looke into the true sense & meaning of that place, & you shall see that from thence, to say in generall tearmes, Moses did not preach Grace, is false Doctrine: And if we can prove he did preach Grace, we make it plaine: for to say he did, and he did not, one of these must of necessity be false: The Proposition be­ing laid downe absolutely without condition, as his is: Let us take his advise and marke the opposition in this place.

The Est pro­lepsis in qua praevenit con­tratiā excepti­onē: tanti enim erat apud Ju­daeos Moses, ut aegre quicquā, ab eo diversum admitterēt: do­cet ergo Evan­gelista quantū inferius fuit Mosis ministeriū Christi pote­sta [...]e unde se­quitur, si legem a Christo; sepa­res, nihil restare praeter inanes figuras, Calvin in loc. Evangelist speakes by way of prevention, of what exception might be made to the contrary: the Jewes had such a high esteeme of Moses, that they could hardly admit of any thing different from him; holding themselves to the bare Letter of the Law, in opposition to Christ: The Evangelist therefore puts them in minde, how little Moses doth benefit, compared in opposition with the Grace that comes by Jesus Christ: and how the Law doth availe nothing without Christ, but is an obstacle and hinde­rance from obtaining the grace of God: They had alwayes Moses in their mouth, and did boast of his authority against Christ, so that here his Ministery, and the benefit we have by Christ (accor­ding to their misconstruction) are set in opposition the one to the other.

For the further clearing of this place, [the Non hoc accipiendum est exclusive, quasi so­lam legem Moses docuerit: sed Antithesis insti ui­tur inter ministerium Mosis, & beneficium Christi: Distinguendum igitur inter Mosen doctorem & Le­gislatorem five pacti legalis Mediatorem Moses, ut doctor de Christo praedicavit & scripsit, Gerhard lo­cor. Tom. 3. Col mihi. 231. Law came by Moses, but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ] this is not to be taken exclusively: as though Moses did teach the Law onely: we must di­stinguish betweene him as he was a Do­ctor, and Teacher: and as he was a Law-giver, and Mediatour of [Page 20]the legall Covenant, but setting aside the opposition which is made in Scripture, betwixt Moses and Christ, which comes to passe in regard of the Adversaries, who did extoll him to the end they might oppose the Grace which comes by Jesus Christ. Con­sider Moses as a Teacher of Gods People, and so he did preach Grace and Truth to all beleevers by Jesus Christ, and this is pro­ved, Job. 1.45. We have found him of whom Moses did write in the Law, and the Prophets, In venimus Jesum, quasi dicat, hoc nomen con­gruam est prophetis, quoniam promittunt Messiam salvatorem, Lyran. in loc. Jesus of Nazareth: and thus 'tis false Doctrine for him to teach that Moses did not preach grace.

Truth Veritas hoc loco non opponitur falsitati, neque enim falsitas fuit lex Mosaica, sed opponitur, 1. Le­gi monstranti quidem viam justitiae; non autem prae­benti vires & facultatem: atque ita significat ve­ritas, restaurationem naturae, hoc est, renova­tionem mentis, & novitatem vitae, quam Christus per Spiritum Sanctum operatur, atque ita usurpa­tur vocabulum illud, Ephes. 4.21. in this place, is not to be understood in opposition to falsehood, neither was there any falsehood in the Law of Moses, but it is opposed; First, To the Law, shewing us indeed the way of Righteousnesse, but not giving strength and ability to keepe it. So that Truth signifies the restauration of our nature: that is, the renewing of our minde, and newnesse of life, which is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost, as the Apostle makes it plaine, Ephes. 4.21, 22. As the Truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former Secundo opponitur um­bris, & figuris, quod scilicet Evangelium il­la exhibeat, quae lex per umbras figura­v [...], Chemn. Harm ca. 20. col. mihi. 218. conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceit­full lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minde; And that ye put on the new man. Secondly, Truth is opposed to shadowes and fi­gures; to wit, that the Gospel should exhibite those things which the Law set forth in shadowes: So that Christ by his comming in the flesh, fulfilling those things which the Law foretold, and did foreshew in shadowes, and figures, [concerning him] hath ma­nifested, that to be true which the Law foretold: and is the sub­stance of those shadowes: And thus Truth is said to come by Jesus Christ.

Whereas he saith: Moses spake the Truth according to Law and Conscience, but not according as the Truth is and was in Christ Jesus: (He sheweth himselfe in this, to be a man voyd both of Science, and Conscience) if he did speake the truth according to Law, is not Christ the truth, the Law pointed at, and set forth? (may I not say) is not Christ the truth of the law? Gal. 3.24. The Law was our Schoole-master to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justi­fied [Page 21]by Faith. The precepts of the Law did convince the people of unrighteousnesse: because they shewed how farre they came short of that obedience the law required, and so they were put in minde to seeke for righteousnesse elsewhere. The legall promises did propound life upon condition of perfect obedience. He that doth these things shall live in them: but the Fathers seeing it im­possible for them to performe this condition, were thereby put in minde to seeke for Righteousnesse out of themselves: namely in Christ: The whole Law was a Schoole-master leading those in the Old Testament by the hand to Christ. As there was a Cum tri­plex lex suerit, triplex paeda­gogica disci­plina fuit. 1 Moralis du­cebat ad Chri­stum acciden­tali directione. 2. Lex cere­monialisdirecta significatione; & duratione. 3. Forensis seu politia, distin­ctione gent is a reliquis popu­lis, & duratione. ad Christum usque, Parcus, Com. in. loc. Threefold Law, so a Threefold Paedagogicall discipline.

First, the Morall Law did leade to Christ by Accidentall dire­ction.

Secondly, the Ceremoniall by direct signification and durati­on; the Ceremonies did shadow forth Christ, and were to end at his comming.

Thirdly, the judiciall Law or polity by distinguishing the Na­tion of the Jewes from other people and continuing unto Christ.

Thus Christ being the truth and substance of the Law, Moses speaking truth according to Law, spake the truth as it was in Christ Jesus, who was ever to all beleevers as it is, Joh. 14.6. The way, the truth, and the life; No man cometh to the Father but by mee: Moses could never come to the Father but by this way and this truth: it is blasphemy therfore to say he did not speak according as the truth was in Christ Jesus, who was ever that one truth in all ages of the world to all the people of God. Againe had not Moses a Conscience sprinkled with the bloud of Christ? and did he not in Christ apprehend Gods reconciled face to him, in the full pardon and free remission of all his sinnes? Why then, if Mo­ses spake truth according to conscience, shadowing forth the bloud of Christ by the bloud of Bulls and Goats to bee that which did sprinkle the Conscience from dead workes to serve the living God: it must needs bee that he spake the truth as it is in Christ Jesus: Christ being ever the same in all Ages to the Con­sciences of all beleevers: and certainely Moses spake nothing but what did accord with the truth as it was and is in Christ Jesus, he being alwayes that same Truth: But to prove this, pag. 27. he [Page 22]saith, this was the hidden mystery kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, Rom. 16.25. as though this was hidden all the time from Moses to John the Baptist. It is strange a man should thus apply Scripture without unfolding the sense of it: but it is his course throughout his Booke. The scope Quasi restimonii loco ne de praedicatione apo­stolica quisquam dubitare queat, Scripturas pro­pheticas commemotat, ut admoneat Evangelii doctrinam, nihil habere novi, vel ficti, sed id tradere, quod & prophetae olim futurum praedixerint, Muscu. in loc. Hoc additur ne recens hujus Mysterii patefactio suspecta cuiquam fit, & infirma, Testimonium inquit habet prophetarum, Pet. Mar. in loc. Adeo enim luculentum testimonium reddiderunt Evangelio prophetae omnes, ut aliunde melius con­firma [...] nequeat, Calvin in loc. of this place, if you consi­der the connexion with the 26. vers. (but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the Prophets, according to the commande­ment of the everlasting God, made knowne to all Nations for the obedience of faith) is quite contrary to his application of it, and makes against him. (And by the Scriptures of the Prophets) The Apostle makes mention of this (if any should make doubt of his Preaching) as a sufficient evidence to prove that the Doctrine of the Gospell, was no new or fained Doctrine. And that he did deliver nothing but what of old the Prophets did foretell, should come to passe: And therefore it could not be a mystery, hidden and kept secret from Moses and the Prophets; (as he affirmes falsely) for then they should have foretold that which they knew not, which no man well in his wits will speake or thinke. They did foreknow and foresee all those things concerning Christ, which afterwards were accomplished: This you may see proved, Luk. 18.31. Then he tooke unto him the twelve and said unto them, Behold we goe up to Je­rusalem, and all things that are written by the Prophets, concerning the Sonne of man shall be accomplished.

By Secundum revelationem mysterii, id est secreti, scil. de conversione gentium. Si au­tem loquamur de mysterio in­carnationis, &c. Aquin. Com [...]n Epist. ad Rom. cap. 16. lect. 2. mystery is understood, First, the calling of the Gen­tiles. Secondly, Christs incarnation: This was the hidden my­stery in regard of the Gentiles, who before the comming of Christ did sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death. And now is made manifest, and how could the De gentibus nulla quaestio est, quiante adventum Christi sedebant in umbra mortis, nee vitam hanc aeternam, quain Christus suis artulit, aut intelligebant, aut expetebant: Qui poterant, cum venturae Messiae praedictiones, erant sacris Scripturis consignatae, divina autem haec oracula crant Judaeis peculia: suit igitur gentilibus simpliciter, & omni modo absconditum, hoc mysteri [...], Daven. in loc. Gentiles know this see­ing the predictions of the Messiah to come, were set downe and [Page 23]contained in the holy Scriptures? And these divine oracles were peculiar to the Jewes onely, Psal. 147.19.20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his judgements unto Israel; he hath not dealt so with any Nation. The Gospell was hid from the Gentiles simply: Not so from the Jewes, but comparatively, in compari­son of the cleare light and manifestation of it since the incarnation of Christ, as the Apostle himselfe expounds it, Ephes. 3.5. which in other ages was not made knowne to the sonnes of men, as it is now re­vealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit: So by this it is plaine it was in other ages made knowne: To use then this Scripture: (namely Perpende to­tū progressum mysterii, suit quidem ab ae­terno dispos [...]ū, & in Deo ab­sconditum, suit postea perpro­phetas patefa­ctū in tempore hominibus, ut crederent, po­stremo agnitum & revelatū gen­tibus, Cadinal. Tol. com. in loc. Rom. 16.25.) to prove that this mystery was kept secret and hidden from the people of the Jewes, from Moses to John Baptists time, is a false interpretation; and misse-application of it, if he lookes into the 26. verse he may see this mystery is made manifest by the Scriptures of the Prophets: thus you see his expo­sition is a contradiction, if made manifest by their writings, then manifested to them. Againe he useth 1 Pet. 1.10, 11, 12. The myste­ry the Prophets searched after, as if he could prove by this place, that this mystery was hid, and kept secret from Moses and the Pro­phets: but this Scripture makes altogether against his absurdity, and plainely proves the contrary. The Apostles Scopus Apostoli est removere calumniam illam, qua etiam tum temporis doctrina Christiana grava­batur, esse eam doctrinam novam, atque hactenus in­auditam, atque incognitam; contrarium ergo hic asserit Petrus, declarans etiam ab ipsis pro phetis eam esse testificatam, ac praedicatam, Jacobus Lauren. com. in loc. aime here, is to take off an aspersion which some at that time cast upon the Doctrine of the Gospell, say­ing, as it is, Act. 17.19. May we know what this new Doctrine whereof thou speak­est is? They did account it a new, unknowne, unheard of Do­ctrine: the Apostle affirmes the contrary, declaring that it is the same which was testified, and Preached by the Prophets them­selves; who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ, which was in them did signifie; when it testi­sied beforehand, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. So that from this place it is evident the Pro­phets did not onely declare the time, but the particular time when the Messias should come. They Non modo scrutati sunt & praedixe [...] ut modum re­demptionis, sed etiam investigare deside [...]ant, tempus & temporis articulum, quo seculo, post quot annos mundi, in quem diem & momentum, vel etiam cujusmodi populi Judaici statu, & conditione eventurae essent Christi passi­ones, & gloria, nec frustra scrutati sunt, Jacob. Patriarcha, expressit articulum, Gen. 49. Paraeus Com. in loc. fol. mihi 1032. did [Page 24]not in vaine search what or what manner of time, for they found out the very point of time; Jacob the Patriarch sets downe the expresse time, Gen. 49.10. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Law-giver from betweene his feete, untill Shilo come. And so the Prophet Daniel, 9.24, 25. sets downe the particular time of his comming, namely, seventy weekes: And is it not set downe plaine­ly, that he should come presently after the birth and comming of John Baptist, his fore-runner? Malach. 3.1. Behold I will send my Messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom ye seeke, shall suddenly come to his Temple. And Isaiah prophe­sied most manifestly, and in speciall of Salvation from the free grace of God, through Jesus Christ, Isa. 53.11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many, for he shall beare their iniqui­ties, Habak. 2.4. The Prophets did not only declare his sufferings, but the particular manner, Psal. 22.16. They pierced my hands and my feete: And the like concerning his buriall, Isa. 5.9. likewise his Resurrection and Ascension: Did the Prophets tell of the parti­cular time, and particular passages; and could this mystery be hid and kept secret from them? how could they then speake so distinctly, and plainely of it? But let us goe on still with the Scripture, he applyeth for his purpose to prove it hidden, 1 Pet. 1.12. Unto whom it was revealed: What was Mysterium enim Christi quod suit eis revelatum, non fuit eorum tempotibus, impletum, sed tempore Christianorum, Lyranus in loc. revealed? why, the Mystery of the Grace of God by Christ: the Pro­phets in their Prophetae sua scrutation [...] non fuerint delusi, quin & modum & tempus revelandae gratiae scru­tandae cognoverint, praedicabant enim implenda in novo Testamento, quorum tamen fructus non minus ad ipsos quam nos etiam pertinet. Pareus in loc. searching were not de­luded, but did know the manner, and the time of the grace to be revealed: And that not unto themselves, but unto us: the meaning is, that those things which they spake of, concerning the Birth, Passions, and Resurrection of Christ, should not be fulfilled in their time, but in our times: the benefit and fruit of which, did no lesse belong to them then to us; See how he doth wrest and mis-aply the Scripture. One questi­on, and I have done with this. The Text saith, The Prophets search­ed: who were those Prophets? by Hic nunc intellige Pro­phetas Testa­menu veteris, Isa [...]am, Jeremiā, & cae [...]eros, sub quibus tamen etiam M [...]ses. & Patriarchae cō ­prehenden [...]ur, Laurent. com. in loc. Prophets understand the Prophets of the old Testament, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others, un­der whom also Moses and the Patriarchs are comprehended, Luke 24, 27. Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, See ver. 44. the [Page 25]words following in the Text prove this exposition; (who prophesi­ed of the grace that should come unto you) if by Prophets here we are to understand Moses for one, how doth this Scripture prove that Moses did not speake according as the Truth was, and is, in Christ Je­sus; because this was the hidden Mystery, kept secret from him? Nay, it proves the contrary, to wit, That he did speake according as the Truth was, and now is in Christ Jesus, because as the Apostle saith, he prophesied of the Grace that should come, which pro­phesie accordingly is now fulfilled.

At the latter end of pag. 27. he makes an objection which came into his head since he preached the Sermon, for then he did not mention it. (his words are these) But you will say, Moses wrote of me? (he answers) True, so did all the Prophets write of Christ to come, but not present. Christ, I say, was ever by faith present to be­leevers: but marke how plainely he contradicts himselfe: Our Lords Argument stands thus, Joh. 5.46. Had you believed Moses yee would have beleeved me, for he wrote of me. First, by his con­clusion; our Saviours Argument, and what he necessarily inferres, falls to the ground; for if Moses did not speake according as the truth was, and now is in Christ Jesus; how could they by belee­ving him have beleeved Christ? Secondly, the ground of Christs Argument is overthrowne: if this mystery was hidden and kept secret, how could Moses have wrote of him in such plaine tearmes; Asserit Mo­sen de se scrip­sisse non solum disertis vatici­nus, sed etiam [...]y porum um­bris, Gerhard. locor. com. 3. col. mihi 229. Insomuch that Christ saith, If yee had beleeved what Moses wrote, yea would have beleeved me. It is then concluded from our Saviours owne argument, that Moses did write so plainely of him, that if they had beleeved him, they could not but have be­lieved Christ: All that Moses spake was concerning Christ and in reference to him, whether that he did foretell him in the figures of things done or spoken: or whether that he did commend, and set forth the grace, and glory of Jesus Christ: observe still how he doth contradict himselfe and blaspheme Moses: He confesseth he wrote of Christ to come, not present: Well then, if Moses spake of Christ to come, at that time when he spake it, he spake accord­ing as the Truth was in Christ Jesus; for he was to come. And now Christ being come, 'tis plaine he spake according as the truth now is in Christ Jesus; for that which he said should come to passe concerning Christ is now fulfilled, and our Saviour confirmes this, Omne quod scripsit Moses de Christo est, id est, ad Chri­stum omnino pertinet, sive; quod cum figu­ris rerum vel gestarum, vel dictarum prae nunciet, sive quod ejus gra­tram, gloria [...] (que) commender, Aug. tom. 6. contra Faust. li. 16. cap. 9. [Page 26] Luke 24, 25, 26, 27. Then he said unto them, O fooles, and slow of heart to beleeve all that the Prophets have spoken, ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? and beginning at Mo­ses and all the Prophets, &c. Where he concludes, that what Moses had spoken concerning him, must be fulfilled, and was, and is ful­filled, see Luk. 18.31. and thus 'tis evident that Moses spake then according as the Truth now is in Christ Jesus.

Againe, he saith, Moses spake of Grace and Truth hereafter to be Modus Parefactionis ac respectus temporis non mutant tem [...]psam, Rom. 16.26. Nunc manifesta­tum, hoc est tempore, N.T. ergo sub V. T. igno­tum; tesp [...]ibidem d [...]serte addi [...]ur quod manifestum in Evangelium [...], ergo etiam [...]m innotuit, licer minus clare. De gradibus igitur, & latitudine praedicationis, apostolus agit. Gerhard, locot. Tom. 3 col. mihi. 231. revealed: but not for the present mani­fested: This plaister is too little to heale the sore, whosoever hath the laying of it on: he cannot hide and keepe secret his owne mystery of iniquity thus: I meane his false Doctrine: Grace and Truth was then revealed and manifested as sufficiently to the salvation of belee­vers as now it is. Whereas he saith, hereafter to be revealed, I say againe, it was then revealed, and was for substance one and the same then, as it is now, though not manifested in so high a degree and measure.

Page 31. at the latter end, and at the beginning of page 32. he saith, there are two things requisite: First, That we lay a sure foun­dation. Secondly, That we build rightly thereon, and make right ap­plication of this foundation; I speake not these things holy brethren, (saith he) to Hoc est in­genium humi­litatis, in sein­tueri sna mala, in aliis eorum bona, L [...]ssius de virt. Temp. anne x. lib. 4. c. 4. n. 48. teach you, by whom I desire rather to be taught: Why should a man lye against his owne conscience? he came not to be taught, but to taxe, and to build his owne praises, upon the foun­dation of false aspersions, cast by himselfe upon other mens Mi­nistery. And what he is that will raise a false report, and vent it in a Pulpi [...], judge you: He desires to be taught; Away with this hum­ble pride, and proud humility! his owne words following shew his minde: He saith, He came to communicate his Doctrine, and to give satisfaction the rather, because it hath seldome or never beene free from cavillations, (as he cals it) and exceptions: by his owne confes­sion, his Doctrine hath beene alwayes excepted against: it is be­cause it hath beene alwayes false, and erroneous. And whereas he saith, It was an unjust report, that he would never dare to speake those things in publique before the learned, which he taught his people at [Page 27]home. This is a true report, for he could never be brought to dis­pute before the Ministers, though he hath beene earnestly chal­lenged and urged thereunto: He goes on still to praise Cont [...]a na­turā est humili­tatis laudes proprias prae­dicare, Gulielm. Parisien. de mo­rib. cap. 10. him­selfe: He saith, it hath beene his care to lay a sure, and sound founda­tion: What need he take care to lay a sure and sound foundation, that is already laid, according to that Scripture, 1 Cor. 3.11. which he names in the beginning of pag. 33. From whence observe this; that if no Quia aliud fundamentum poni minime potest, jam constab [...]t patres qui fuerunt ante legem, & sub lege vixerunt, in Christo haesisse: alioqui ad salutem & regnum coelorum non suissent aedificati, Pet. Mart. in loc. other foundation can be laid, it is evident, that the Fathers who were before the Law, and those who lived under the Law, did stay them­selves upon Christ, as upon a sure foun­dation. Otherwise they could not have beene built up to Salva­tion, and to the Kingdome of Heaven. From hence we may ga­ther, what the state of the Church was from Adam to Moses, which he professeth himselfe to be ignorant of, Pag. 19. Os [...]and. E­pi [...]om. cent. 2. cap. 9. Mar­cion the heretique doth affirme, that all the Patriarchs and Pro­phets from M [...]ses to John the Baptist, were not partakers of Sal­vation: Surely they will bee all hard put to it: if, as hee affirmes, That the knowledge of actuall and eternall remission of sins was no Article of their Cre [...]d: or, as he delivered it in the Pulpit, That the People of the Jewes had not Actuall knowledge of eternall re­mission of sinnes. Marcion and he dispose of the Fathers both alike. Iren [...]us calleth Marcion (justly) the mouth of the Devill. And when men should stand in Gods stead, let them take heed they doe not deliver the Devils message: and while they Multi sunt qui nomen Christi quum obten­dunt, radicitus evellunt universam Dei veritatem, Calvin Com. in Epist. ad 1 Corin. cap. 3.11. pretend to lay a sure foundation, doe as much as in them lies, to raze the true foundation. The foundation is Supra fundamentum Apostolorum & Prophe­tarum, id est, super doctrinam eorum; vel aliter; id est, supra Christum qui est fundamentum Apostolo­rum & Prophetartun, Aquin. com. in loc. lect. 6. Quia doctrina illorum, ad hoc respicit fundamentum Aret. in loc. Fundamentum hic pro doctrina samitur, minime du­bium est. Calvin com. in loc. laid, namely Christ; and the Doctrine of Christ; which Doctrine is contained in the Old and New Testament, in the wri­tings of the Apostles and Prophets, Ephes. 2.20. And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone; By foundation we may understand the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, be­cause their Doctrine had respect altogether to Christ the Founda­tion: [Page 28]Observe here, that although the Apostles and Prophets were many; yet it is not said in the plurall number, foundations; but in the singular, foundation Quamvis Apostoli & prophetae mul­ti fuerint, non tamen hic di­cuntur plurali numero funda­naenta, sed sun­dametnū, quasi unum, ut per hoc consensus, & concordia doctrinae cum ca quam olim tradiderant propherae sig­nificaretur, E­stus com. in loc as of one; to signifie unto us that the Doctrine of the Apostles was one and the same; and agreed in one, namely Christ: it being the whole worke of both to set forth Christ unto us, and to settle us upon him the Founda­tion; our worke then is not about laying the Foundation; but the saving and true application of it.

Page 33. in the latter end are these words, I find that the greatest difference betweene the Papist and the Protestant, is not about the foun­dation, who it is, but about the true and right application of this foun­dation. But stay a little, 1 Tim. 2.5. For there is one God and one Mediatour betweene God and man, the man Christ Jesus. This is the Foundation, the Papists deny this. The greatest difference then betwixt them and us will appeare plainely to be about the Foun­dation.

Papisticall Transubstantiation, is repugnant to the humane na­ture of Christ, and doth altogether destroy it. The reason is plaine, for by that they doe affirme the body of Christ to be invisible, in­palpable, incircumscript, and illocall: All which is against the essentiall properties of a true humane body, such a one as Christ had, and now hath, and doth retaine after his resurrection, and glorification; as is manifest, Luke 24.28. Mark, 16.6. The Schoole Duobus modis dicitur in Scripturis aliquid lo­cale, sive circumscriptibile & e converso, vel quia dimensionemeapiens longitudinis, altitudinis, & latitudinis, distantiam facirin loco, ut corpus; vel quia loco definitur, & determinatur, quoniam cum sit alicubi, non ubique in venitur, Magist. lib. 1. dist. 37 cap. 6. Tolle spacia locorum corporibus, nusquam erunt, & quia nusquam erunt, necerunt. Tolle ipsa corpo­ra qualitatibus corporum, non erit ubi sint, & ideo necesse est, ut non sint, Aug. Tom. 2. Epist. 57. col. mihi. 275. affirmes, that it is the pro­perty of a body, to be so limited and de­termined to one place, that it cannot be in every place: but the Papists doe by their reall presence affirme, the body of Christ to be omnipresent, and thereby doe utterly overthrow his humane na­ture. Take away the spaces or dimensi­ons of places from bodies, and then they shall be no where; And because they shall be no where, they shall not be at all: Take away the bodies themselves from the qualities of bodies, and there shall be no place where they are. And therefore it followes necessarily that they be not at all. And thus you see the Papists doe quite take away the foundation.

We hold Christ, as he is set forth to us in the doctrine of the Apostles, and Prophets, to be the onely foundation. Doe not the Papists in making their Concil. Trident. Sess. 4. Traditionsof equall Authority with Scripture, goe about to lay another foundation? is not this a wide difference? I might instance in other fundamentalls: but he doth plainely confute, and contradict himselfe, when he saith, the Papists doe deny Christ comming in the flesh. And this is a mis­foundation.

Page 34. He propounds this question. I will therefore aske the wise Jesuite, how we come to be partakers of Christs Righteousnesse, and I am sure I shall have this answer; by Sacraments, by Penance, Faith and other good workes, which are a meanes to apply Christ unto us. I beleeve he is a man that hath not much troubled himselfe in read­ing controversies betweene the Papists and us, neither hath any insight into the Jesuites: If he aske some of the learned Papists, how we come to be justified in the sight of God, Causa efficiens primaria est honitas, & miscri­cordia Dei, Bellar. Tom. 4. de Justificat. cap. 2. Prima justiria, per quam ex impiis reddimur ju­sti, non ex merito, sed ex misericordia Dei, Bellar. de Justif. tom. 4. lib. 4. cap. 21. Bellarmine will answer; that the primary, and efficient cause, is the good­nesse, and mercy of God: And accor­ding to his distinction of first and second Justification, he will tell you that in the first Justification, whereby a wicked man becommeth Just in the sight of God, it is not from merit, but from Gods free mercy. And Cardinall Quoniam diximus ad justitiam nos pervenire per fidem; & justitiam Christi nobis donatuam: Inde est quod experimento videmus vitos sanctos, qui quanto majus in veritate proficiunt, tanto mi­nus hbi placent, ac proprerea tanto magis intel­ligunt, se indigere Christo, & Justitia Christi sibi donata, ideoque se relinquunt, & soli Christo in­cumbunt, Rivet. Cathol. Orth. tom. 2. pag. mihi 243. vide plura ibid. Contarenus saith, we are justified by Faith, and that the righteousnesse of Christ gi­ven unto us whereby we are inserted in­to Christ, and have put on Christ, is that certaine, solid foundation, upon which wee must stay our selves, and beleeve, that for that alone wee are justified before God: that is, to be accounted just, and to be just; and hee doth plainely shew that we are not justified by the workes of Sanctifi­cation, or by any inherent righteousnesse in our selves; but by the righteousnesse of Christ, freely given, and communicated unto us; Thus this Papist telleth us, that we are made partakers of Christs Righteousnesse, not by penance or any workes of ours, but from the free gift of God.

That of wicked men we are made just in the sight of God, is by [Page 30]being made partakers of Christs righteousnesse: now whereas he saith, Page 34. That the Jesuite will say, by Sacraments, penance, faith, and other good workes, we are made partakers of Christs Righteousnesse, and that they are a meanes to apply Christ unto us; The Papists will de­ny this to his face. Bellarmin upon Romans, cap. 4, 5. (where the Apostle makes it plaine, That we are not justified by workes) saith, Paul Paulus ad R [...]m. 4. dicit non ex operibus justi­heari, &c. Nos igntur di [...]mus Paulum loqui de pri­ma justificatione, qua homo ex impio fir justus, & ideo recte Paulu [...] dicere hominem justificari sine o­peribus. Quemadmodum enim nemo po est opere suo seips. procreate, aut a morte revocare: procrea­tus autem, vel a morte revocatus, ipse se come­dendo, & bibendo, nutrit, & auget. sic etiam ho­mo per peccatum mortuus, non potest merito o­petum suotum, se justificare, Bellarm. de Justif. tom. 4. lib. 4. cap. 18. col. mihi 267. speakes here of the first Justifi­cation; whereby a man of wicked is made just, in the sight of God, and there­fore Paul saith rightly, that a man is ju­stified without workes: He useth this illustration: As no man is able by his owne worke to procreate himselfe, or to recall himselfe from death; but be­ing procreated, and made alive, from the dead, then he doth by eating and drinking nourish himselfe, and groweth: So a man that is dead in sinne, cannot by the me­rit of his owne workes justifie himselfe, but after God hath justi­fied him; he is able by living well, to cherish and increase righ­teousnesse in himself, and of just, to become more just; which the Papists call the second Justification; and so they labour to bring in merit, and justification by workes; We deny this second justifi­cation; And concerning the first justification he saith, we are made partakers of that righteousnesse, not from merit, but from the mer­cy of God.

The Apostle tells us how wee come to be made partakers of Christs Righteousnesse, Rom. 3.24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ: Aske the Councell of Trent Cum vero Apostolus dicir homini [...]m justificari, perhdem & gratis; ea verba in eo sensu intelligen­da sunt, quem perpetuus Ecclesiae Carholicae con­sensus tenuit, & expressit, ut scilicer ignitur per fidem justincari dicamur, qua fides est human [...] salntis ini­tium, fundamentum, & radix, omnis justineationis, line qua imp [...]ssibile est placere Deo, & ad filiorum ejus confortium pervenire: gratis autem justificari ide [...] d [...]auaut, quia nihil comm quae justificationem pracedunt, five [...]des, sive opera, ipsam justificati­on S [...]tatiam promeretur; si enim gratia est, jam non e [...] ope [...]bus, alioquin ut idem Apostolus in­qu [...], pratia jam non est gratia, Concil. Trildent. Sess. [...] 8. and they will tell you in their exposi­tion upon this place, that we are justified (that is to say, made partaker of Christs Righteousnesse) freely, because none of those things which precede, or goe before justification, whether faith, or workes, doe deserve, or merit the grace of justification, according as the Apo­stle saith, If by grace, then it is no more [Page 31]of workes, otherwise grace is no more grace, Rom. 11.6.

Againe, aske Cardinall Gratiam appel at Dei donum nobis gratuitum, quod nos nullis nostris meritis, nulla nostra virtute, justos facit, Tolet. com. in loc. Tolet, who was a wise Jesuite, and he will answer, that when the Apostle saith, We are justified free­ly by his grace, he calleth grace the free gift of God given to us. And that God doth make us just without any of our owne merits; without any excellency in us.

Aske Quod sequitur, per gratiam ipsius, [...] additum est, ac si dica, gratis, id est, per gratiam ipsius; nam sensus est, homines peccatores justifica­ri absque ullo suorum operum merito, persolam gratuitam Dei bonitatem, Estius, com. in loc. Estius the learned Jesuite; and he will answer, that when the Apo­stle saith, We are justified freely by his grace, his meaning is, that sinfull men are justi­fied without any merit of their owne workes, by the alone free grace of God; And Nunc satis sit dicere; hic agi de prima justi­ficatione, per quam ex injusto hamo fit justus; quae­que non fit merito bonorum operum heminis, Pere­rius in cap. 3. ad Rom. Disput. 13. Pererius the Jesuite upon this place of the Apostle saith, that it doth concerne the first Justification, by which, of unjust, a man is made just; which is not done by the merit of the good workes of man. I go not about to justifie the Papists: but to shew you how this Pam­phletour doth out of ignorance (in this particular) falsely charge them.

Whereas he speakes so confidently, pag. 34. at the latter end in these words: And I know you are not ignorant that there is no small difference betweene the Protestants themselves: How we come to be made partakers of Christs Righteousnesse. He should have done well, to have shewed wherein they differ; and not to make a fault where he can find none: to make way for his false accusati­on, he goes on: I appeale to your Judgements: (he meanes his owne judgement, in his mis-informed hearers) How they differ from Papists, who say that Christs righteousnesse is made ours before God by faith, and true repentance, which is by them defined to be a sorrow for sinne and amendment of life, as though our Protestant Divines should make faith and repentance joyned together to be the mate­riall and meritorious cause of our justification before God. It is a wonder a man should dare to be so impudent, to invent such a false slander against our Church: he shewes himselfe to be a man little read in Protestant writers; and lesse conversant with our Protestant Divines: I dare say he cannot name one. It will ap­peare by the Articles of Religion which we Protestants here in [Page 32] England are bound to reade (when we come to any Church living to be possessed of it) and subscribe to; with an acknowledge­ment of our full consent, and approbation to, and of them; that the Protestants hold the cleane contrary: I will here set downe the very words of the In the 39. Article. Article for that purpose: And they are these: We are accounted righteous before God, onely for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our owne workes or deservings. Wherefore that we are justified by faith onely, is a most wholesome Doctrine and very full of comfort. Now I appeale to the Judgement of those that can but read English, and are able to understand it, whether he hath not deeply wronged the Prote­stants, and shewed himselfe ignorant in a fundamentall point of our Religion: He would, if any will be so simple as to beleeve him, make us worse then some Papists Firma & sana doctrina est per sidem vivā & est [...]acem ju­ [...]cati pecca­totem voca­ [...] autem si­de [...] [...] mo­tum p [...]us lan [...]ti, quo vere paenitentes ve­le [...], vitae, cri­guntur a [...]l Ee [...], & vere appre­hendunt mise­ri ordiam in Christo promis­ [...]un, ut jam ve­re sentian [...], quod remissio­nem peccator [...], & reconciliati onem propter meritum Chri­sti. gratuita Dei bonita eacc [...] ­perunt. & cla­mant Abba Pa­ter, Cassand. Consult. Art. 4.: who hold it to be true, and sound Doctrine: that sinners are justified by a true and lively faith, whereby they apprehend the mercy of God promised in Christ, and are sensible that of Gods free bounty, and goodnesse they have received remission of their sinnes, and Reconciliation, for the merit of Christ: and doe crye Abba Father. What Protestant e­ver joyned faith and repentance together in point of Justification before God? we say faith onely doth justifie in the sight of God, in opposition to workes yet this faith is not without an inward change of the heart, and true repentance: we must distinguish be­tweene the formall Fidei [...] scrmalis distinguenda est ab ejus [...] effectiva mortihcare carnem, testistere concupiscentiis catnis est [...] fidei non formalis, sed effectiva, formalia autem hdej justincanris [...], est aprpehendere meritum Christi, ad justitiam corma Deo subsistentem, Gerhard. Disp. Theof part 2. disp. 3. pag. mihi. 319. Energy, or efficacie of faith and the effe­ctive: faith doth not justifie so farre forth as it doth mortifie the flesh in us, and bring forth the fruits of good workes; but as it doth imbrace the promise offered in the Gospell, concerning the free remission of sinnes through Christ: or which is all one, because that by faith the Righteousnesse of Christ is imputed unto us. Every childe that hath learned his Catechisme will, and is able to contradict him in this divised falsehood against the Prote­stants.

Whereas he saith: Repentance is by the Protestants defined to be a [Page 33]sorrow for sinne: I passe it by, till I come to speake of that Sub­ject.

Pag. 35. He frames an argument thus: That which makes Christs Righteousnesse ours in the fight of God, may be said truely to justifie us before God, or at least to concurre actively to our justification: but faith and sorrow for sinne, with amendment of life, make Christs righteousnesse ours in the sight of God: Therefore fearefull will be the conclusion, faith and sorrow for sinne with amendment of life concurre actively to our justification: It must needs be fearefull for him, thus lewdly to ac­cuse the Protestants: Oh horrid malice! Doe but view his Argu­ment well, and see whether this be a Protestant Doctrine, That faith and sorrow for sinne, with amendment of life, make Christs Righ­teousnesse ours in the sight of God, according as he layes it downe, in his fearefull conclusion: We say that we are justified in the sight of God by Non tantum fidem justificare, sed etiam solam justificare, neque admittere in cam societatem ullam aliam virtutem, ulla opera quaecunque sint, quocun­que censeantur nomine, quocunque comprehen­dantur genere, id est, non spe, non charitate, non poenitentia, non receptione Sacramentorum, non castitate, non justitia, non pietatte sua quenquam posse justificari, sed tantum fide, Chamier, Paustrat. Cathol. Tom. 3. de Justific. lib. 22. cap. 1 fol. mihi 923. 17. faith alone, without the workes of the Law: and so we are made partakers of Christs righteousnesse: and that becomes ours in the sight of God, Gal. 2.16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, &c. We hold that Faith doth justifie alone, and doth not admit into its society any other vertue, any other worke whatsoever; neither can any man be justified by his hope, charity, Repentance, receiving the Sacraments, chasti­ty, righteousnesse, piety, but onely by Faith. True faith abso­lutely considered, cannot be separated from workes, it is not with­out charity and repentance, but considered relatively in its relati­on, it justifieth without workes: So that although true Faith can­not be without good workes, (as Saint James saith) Faith without workes is dead: nor good workes rightly considered, cannot be without faith; yet in regard of justification, they are manifestly in opposition the one against the other. And such is the nature of opposites, that they cannot stand together: if one be laid downe, the other of necessity must be taken away: Lay this downe for a ground, that we are justified by Faith, then justification by workes must needes be denyed. We cannot conceive any moment of time wherein Justifying Faith is without good workes, in regard [Page 34]of their Particula sola, removet opera, non ab actu praes [...]n [...]iae, sed a commu­nicatione effi­cientiae; hoc est, non ut adesse fidei, & justificatis, sed fidei in a [...] ju­stification [...], [...]o op [...]a [...]i n [...]g [...] tur, Ge [...]hard. locor. t [...]m. 3. de Justi [...]. Se [...]t. 6 fol. mihi 607. presence: but they doe not communicate, or doe any thing; neither have they any hand in Justifying of a sinner in the sight of God, but are onely standers by: And thus we deny that sorrow for sinne with amendment of life justifie us before God: neither doe we joyne them with f [...]h in point of justification of a sinner in the sight of God: let [...]m but name any one Protestant W [...]er, or any Divine in all [...] Country, that is guilty of that which he here layeth to th [...] charge: I perswade my selfe he can­not. To taxe the Protestants with a thing contrary to their Do­ctrine: which they openly professe, and have with their owne hand subscribed to: he sheweth himselfe most injurious, and un­christian. When he preached his Sermon, his aime was to blemish the Ministers; and now he hath done it in Print: but let him pro­duce any man, if he can; That he may recant his false Doctrine (if he have delivered it) and be brought to the knowledge of the truth: or if not, that he may recant his false aspersion, and be taught hereafter to speake the truth.

Whereas, in his conclusion, he saith, Faith and sorrow for sinne with amendment of life, justifie us before God, or at least concurre active­ly to our justification. Oh fearefull conclusion, in regard of the false inventour! The Protestants conclude no such thing. They hold that faith it selfe alone, justifyeth onely passively, as it re­ceiveth Propterea in stam controversiae dictum, fidem justificare, non quatenus opus est, five per se, sed relative, id est, quatenus siguificat applicationem justitiae Christi, id est, non nostrae, sed alienae, Cha­mier. Tom 3. de fide, Justif. lib. 22. cap. 11. fol. 957. Christ, not actively in re­spect of the worke, and merit thereof. For we are justified by the Righteousnesse of God, which is by Faith of Jesus Christ, Rom. 3.22. but the Act and worke of Faith, is a part of mans Righteousnesse (not of Gods) therefore so faith Quatenus fides est opus & pars quaedam in­haerentis renovationis, River. Catholic. Orthod. Tom. 2. fol. 260. Non privamus cam bonis operibus, sed duntaxat excludimus bona opera a causis efficientibus ju­stificationis: bona opera non praecedunt justifican­dum, sed sequuntur justificatum, Polanus Syntagm. fol. mihi 456. ju­stifyeth not, but as it apprehendeth the righteousnesse of God in Christ: faith whereby we are justifyed is to be consi­dered, partly as it is passive; partly, as it is active: It is passive in apprehending the promises of God in Christ, and applying Christ with all his benefits, in which respect, faith onely justifyeth. It is also active in bringing forth good fruites, and quickning of us unto every good worke, but so it justifyeth not: faith then is inseparably joyn­ed [Page 35]with hope and love, and necessarily yeeldeth in us good fruites, but none of all these doe concurre with Faith in the Act of Justi­fication, but it is the office onely of Faith, to apply unto us the Righteousnesse of Christ, whereby onely we are made righteous before God: So that you see we doe hold that faith it selfe doth not concurre actively to our justification: much lesse then sorrow for sinne, and amendment of life. Faith is considered sometime as a quality and gift of God inherent in us: but hitherto and in this respect it justifieth not; but as it is in the predicament of Relation, because it apprehends Christ in the Gospel. If it be objected that apprehension is an action; Faith therefore to be a worke. It is an­swered, that although according to Grammar, apprehension is a word active: yet in signication it is truely passive: For to appre­hend, is to receive good things offered, as the Apostle useth the phrase, Phil. 3.12. If I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehen­ded of Christ Jesus. Faith receives those good things offered in the Gospell, & Fides non exhibet aliquid Deo sicut cha­ritas, sed acci­pit oblata in Evangeliobona patitur sibi be­nefieri (ut lo­quitur Luthe­rus) & est velut spiritualis ma­nus, quae obla­tum thesaurum recipit, Gerhard tom. 3. locor. col. mihi. 650. Gerhard (speaking in Luthers words) saith, Faith suf­fers it selfe to be well done to, and benefited: and is the Spirituall hand which receiveth the Treasure offered, and so is only passive.

Page 35. he confesseth some Protestants, holy men, d [...]e say, that Christ is made ours, in the sight of God by faith alone: Christ being the gar­ment, our faith the hand that putteth this garment on. Yet (sayes he) me thinkes that here is Christ set forth upon some Conditions, and not so freely given. You see he cannot agree with these holy men: as though Christ in the Covenant of grace may not be set forth upon some condition, and yet freely given: Can a Cove­nant bemade without any condition: is it not against the nature of a Covenant. The word Covenant in the Hebrew [...] strictly ta­ken is a league Pactum est quod int [...]r ali­quos convenit, nam ut fiat pa­ctum requiritur ut duae volun­tates in idem conveniant re­ciproco con­sensu, Bierlir. Magn. Theatr. lib. 14. fol. 1. or agreement made betweene parties that are at variance, containing in it a mutuall obligation: And the Hebrew word hath the signification of friendly parting, and of explaining the conditions of Agreement that a Covenant may be made, it is required, that two wills doe by a reciprocall consent agree in one and the same thing: The Covenant of workes is a league touching the saving of some, on condition of their perfect obedience, Gal. 3.12. And the Law is not of faith, but the man that doth them, shall live in them: see Levit. 18.5. It is plaine that perfect obedience is the condition of the Covenant [Page 36]of workes: The Covenant of Grace is an agreement concerning men to be freely saved through faith in Christ, Gal. 3.11. The just shall live by Faith: May not Faith be said to be the condition requi­red in this Covenant? And is not Christ here set forth upon this condition? and yet Christ and the condition too, freely given to us of God; as is fully made plaine Fides hic consideratur non ut opus quoddam nostrum a Deo in nobis exci atum, sed ut instru­mentum quo recipimus, & amplectimur salutem ac gratiam; est autem necesse ut accipias salutem, ac gratiam si servari velis: Itaque fides quatenus est in­strumentum recipiens salutem, nihil impedit quin salus tota sit gratuita, Zanc. in loc. qu. 2. Ephes. 2.8. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of our selves, it is the gift of God: The Lord resolving to give us Christ, doth require at our hands that we should receive him and to this end giveth us faith, that we might be enabled thereunto: and there­fore faith, as it is an instrument recei­ving Christ with all his benefits: doth not at all hinder, but that Christ is freely given, because that in our justification, and salva­tion, Faith doth not merit; or doe any thing, but onely receive Christ: Whereas he saith: He doth here professe his ignorance, and that he cannot conceive how faith should put on Christ, apply Christ, or make Christ ours, in the sight of God, I beleeve him: but because he hath not as yet had experience of such a worke of grace upon his owne soule, must it therefore necessarily follow, that no soule else hath had it? because the foole hath said in his heart there is no God; and he sayes true, for in his heart there is no God: must it therefore follow, that there is no God in any mans heart? I professe my selfe (saith he) to leane unto them, that say that Christs righteousnesse is made ours before God, by Gods imputation, before the act of our faith, and therefore necessarily without it.

By the Act of faith which doth consist in beleeving and recei­ving Christs righteousnesse imputed, we doe not understand the work of faith; but the Inhaeremus firmiter oppo­sitioni Aposto­licae, inter fidem & opera, Rom. 3.28. inter cre­dere & operari, Rom. 4.5. inter gratiam & ope­ra, Rom. 11.6. Joh. 6.29. Fides non vocatur o­pus nostrum, sed opus Dei, Gerhard locor. tom 3. col. mi­ [...]i 650. worke of God; for so faith is called, not our work, but the worke of God, Joh. 6.29. This is the worke of God that yee beleeve on him, whom he hath sent: therefore the Act of be­leeving is the worke of God; which none of the godly will deny, & tis plaine by the Apostles words, Rom. 12.3. According as God hath dealt every man the measure of faith: Musculus upon this place sayes, that the act of beleeving is also our worke: for it is not sayd here, this is the worke of God that he should beleeve; but that yee be­leeve in him: but yet this Act of beleeving this worke of ours (as [Page 37]he calls it) stands in absolute opposition to justification by workes in the sight of God: as is plaine by our Saviours intent in this place: wherein he doth labour to confute those who held justifica­tion by the workes of the Law: He doth not say, this is the worke of God: that yee should be circumcised, purified, keepe the Sab­bath, and observe legall Rites and Ceremomies: Neither doth he say, these are the workes of God: That yee repent, that yee feare and love God above all and your neighbour as your selfe: not but that these workes are necessary, and commanded in Scripture and are the Quae om­nia non nisi pi­orum sunt et in Scripturis magno serio praecipiuntur, nisique operan­te deo in nobis fieti nequeunt. Tacitis his omnibus unum tantum fidei o­pus adducit, di­cens, Hoc est o­pus dei. &c. Non quod reli­qua pietatis opera non sint opera dei, sed quod soli fid [...]i [...] cibus vitae aeter­nae deputatur: Muscul. Com. in loc. workes of God: but to shew that faith alone is required for the justification of a sinner in the sight of God: that so hee might plainely overthrow Justification by Workes, which they altogether insisted upon, and therefore tells them that all their workes though never so holy and good availe nothing in the matter of justification: but that they must be justified by faith alone: This is the worke of God that yee beleeve on him whom hee hath sent. Musculus upon this place to illustrate how this work of faith is Gods worke, and our worke, hath this comparison: As the writing of the child, whose hand the Schoole-master doth guide, while he is a writing; this is called the Boyes worke, and his Masters: Now consider the Master takes his Pen and placeth it in his hand, hee frameth and fashioneth every Letter, the boy must not stirre his hand in the writing one jot, or tittle, but as his master doth stirre and move it. Tis true the boy hath a hand in the writing, but his hand is meerely Passivum opus est (ut ita loquar) Calvin in loc. passive, the master doth all. To apply this: consider faith as a work in regard of justification: Calvin upon this place takes that libertie to call it a passive worke, and that it is so is plaine, John 1.12. But to as many as receiv'd him, to them gave hee power to bocome the Sonnes of God, even to them that beleeve on his name: You see then, to beleeve is to receive Christ; and though (Tò Cre­dere) that is, to beleeve, be a Verbe active in regard of Nominati­on, yet it is passive in regard of signification; for that we call the act of faith in In nomen Christi credere est illum reci­pere, tanquam filium dei, & salvatorem mundi, ergo quinon cre­dunt, Christum non recipiunt: Nam sine fide non recipitur: Muscul. com. in loc. justification, which is to beleeve, signifieth no­thing but to receive Christ: therefore the act of faith considered as I have here set it downe: To say that Christs righteousnesse is made ours before God, by Gods imputation before the Act of our faith; and therefore necessarily without it: This is blasphemy, and false Doctrine. The Scripture saith, We are justified by Faith; [Page 38]Here is a Doctrine quite contrary, namely, That we are justifi­ed without faith.

B [...]t Pag. 36. You see evidently that he labours to prove that we are justified by Gods imputation of Christs righteousnesse without faith; to which purpose he argues thus: Even as our sins were made Christs, so Christs righteousnesse is made ours; now how our sinnes were made Christs, let the Prophet Esay Id nunc re­petit quod ni­muum paenam quam nos exol vere debea­mus, deus ipsi imposuent, can­dem vero ipse in se receperit tanquam vo­luntarius Gual­ter in Isa Hom. 267. speake, Cap. 53.6. And the Lord hath layed on him the iniquity of us all: (that is, the guilt and punishment of our iniquities;) well then, the Lord layd it upon Christ, and he willingly received it, 1 Pet. 2.24. Who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body: God layd them on him, Christ by his passive obedience received this burthen, as Heb. 5.8. He lear­ned obedience by the things which he suffered: So then according to his conclusion, God layes our sinnes upon Christ; and Saint Am­brose upon this Scripture, saith, that he did willingly receive those things which hee suffered: So God layes Christs righteousnesse upon us by imputation; and we by the passive obedience of Faith re­ceive it: And by this it is plaine that God imputeth Christs righ­teousnesse to none but such as doe beleeve; for Imputation is an action of God freely accounting the righteousnesse of Christ to be his righteousnesse who beleeves in Christ, Rom. 4.3.4. and it was imputed (or accounted) to him for righteousnesse, that is, Faith was im­puted. Faith here must be considered two wayes; first, as a qualitie in it selfe, and thus it is imperfect, and consequently, cannot bee imputed unto us for our justification: Again, faith must be conside­red as an instrument, or hand receiving Christ: and in this regard beleeving is put for the thing beleeved: and faith is imputed for righte ousnesse; because by it we doe Paulus ad­dit [...]n [...]rpteta­tionem, quod fide gratuita impu atio acci­p [...]atu, Me­lanc [...] par. 3. fol. mi [...] 958. receive imputed righteous­nes, Rom. 5.17. They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnes (to wit, by faith) shall reigne in life by one Jesus Christ: These phrases of Speech; Faith is imputed for righteousnes; Faith justi­fieth, of Faith, or through Faith; are Aequipollent, & of like force, and signification: When we say, We are justified by faith, or faith is im­puted for righteousnesse, it is to be understood correlatively; the Ostendi­mus sidem ju­stificare non habitualiter, ut est qualitas, sed relate, quia cortelatum fi­dei, satisfactio & meritum Christi fide ap­prehensum, ju­stificat. Item or­gan [...]c [...], quia fi­des justitiam imputa [...]am ac­cipit, instar dext [...]ae Pareus in cap. 3. ad Rom. dub. 8. correlate of faith is the imputed righteousnesse of Christ: Faith then being the relate, Christs righteousnes the correlate, the one can­not be without the other; for the Logician will tell you that relate and correlate considered as such, that is, according to relation, they [Page 39]have their being together; so that grant one, you must needs grant the other to be; take away the being of the one, and he other cannot be: For we cannot conceive so much as one individed in­stant of time wherein the one can have a being without the other: but they have their being together at one and the same instant of time; not one before or after the other: As a father, considered as a man, so he hath the being of a man before his sonne, but con­sider him as a father according to the relation added; namely ac­cording to paternitie and filiation; and so, and in such manner, the being of father and sonne is at one and the same instant. To conclude, Faith being the relate, Christs righteousnesse made ours by Gods Hoc lo [...]o, sc Rom. 4.34. fides non potest sumi eo sensu, ut imputetur ad justitiam quate­nus est opus a­liquod justitiae, et virtutis in nobis, sed (quod nos di­cimus) quate­nus fides sumi­tur pro corre­lato suomempe re credita, & fi­de apprehen. sa, justitia Christi. Rivit. Or [...]hod. Ca­thol. Tom. 2. pag. 260. imputation, the correlate, it cannot bee but where there is righteousnesse imputed, there must needs be Faith: for im­puted righteousnesse and Faith of necessity have their being toge­ther, for where no Faith is, there is no imputed righteousnesse: And it is a contradiction of an high nature; not onely in Relatum & correlatum, qua ralia, simul sunt natura & cognitione, ide­oque se mu [...]uo ponunt & tol­lunt tam in essendo, quam in cognoscen­do, Kekerman, System. log. in praedicam. Re­lati. Can. 4. Lo­gick, but in the Scripture it selfe: In this fourth Chap. to the Romans this word (imputed) is divers times repeated in the Doctrine of ju­stification, and is joyned unto Faith; without which there is no imputation of Christs righteousnesse to us: Imputation of righ­teousnesse and Faith have their being together, grant one, you must grant the other, take away one, you must take away the o­ther, Rom. 4.23.24. Now it was not written for his sake alone (namely Abraham) that it was imputed to him; but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead: So that without beleeving, Christs righteousnesse cannot be made ours before God.

There is no space of time betweene justification and justifying Faith: for so soone as a man beleeves, he is justified; and so soone as he is justified hee beleeves. Again, the Apostle opposeth the Act of beleeving, to justification by workes; for the Act of be­leeving is not our righteousnesse: The proper action of Faith is ap­prehension: and the Act of Faith in justification is beleeving or re­ceiving Christs righteousnesse: Now giving and receiving in regard of their relation stand or fall together: Justifica­tion is Justificatio solet distingui in Activam & passivam: Acti­vailla dicitur quando deus justificat; passiva, quando justificatur peccator. Distingui posse hic Justificatio­nem, patet ex ipsa [...]erum natura, si enim est quidam qui justificat, quidam qui justificatur, ergo est & Activa, & Passiva justificatio, Machowius, Disput. 17. active & passive; Active in regard of God that justifyeth, [Page 40]Passive in regard of man who is justified, passive in regard of us who doe by faith receive Christ, without which we cannot be ju­stified. Thus you see how destructive his Doctrine is to the maine fundamentall point of our Religion: to wit, justification by faith; So much pressed upon us by Christ, and his Apostles, and by him denyed. And justification without Faith, in the sight of God, is such a justification as I never read of in Scripture.

We come to his objection and his answer to it, Pag. 36. at the latter end, But it will be objected, How then is faith said to justifie? I answer (sayes he) if we take faith for the object of our faith (That is, Christ) then faith is properly said to justifie us: for by him wee are justifyed, he being our Righteousnesse: Marke here how he contradicts himselfe: He sayes before, he cannot conceive how faith should put on Christ, and apply Christ, and that Christs righteousnesse is made ours before God, by Gods imputation before the Act of our Faith, and therefore necessarily without it: And now confesseth that Faith being taken for the object of our Faith (Christ) then it is properly said to justi­fie us: and thus it is properly said to justifie: Christ being appre­hended by Faith, Rom. 3.28. Therefore we conclude a man is justified by Faith without the workes of the Law. So it is taken in the Trea­tise of Justification; wheresoever Faith is written without ex­presse mention of Christ, we are to understand the righteousnesse of Christ, received by Faith, Heb. 10.38. Now the just shall live by Faith: And doth he not overthrow his Doctrine before delivered? when he concludes, That Faith taken for the object of our Faith doth properly justifie? and how can that be without Faiths apprehensi­on of the object? Wee will make this more plaine if it may bee, Rom. 3.22. Even the righteousnesse of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ: The Ea est fides Jesu Christi, non active quam ipse Christus habet, sed passive qua ipse Christus habetur, seu posside [...]ur: Af­fert haec fides justitiam, non effective, quasi habitualiter, aut form [...]li [...]r, justos efficiat: nec materiali­ter, quasi ipsa sit illud quo justi cen­s [...]n [...]ur; sed ob­jective, quate­nu [...] fertur in Christum qui est justitia no­st [...]a [...] et organi­ce, quat [...]nus in­star manus do­num [...]itiae gratis prop [...]er Christi meri­ [...]um credentib. imputatae ap­prehendit. Pa­re. Com. in loc. Faith of Christ is not here taken actively for the Faith which Christ had, but passively for the Faith whereby Christ is had and possessed: This Faith doth not justifie effectively, as working an habituall justice or righteousnesse in us: nor mate­rially, as though Faith it selfe were that whereby we are justified; but it justifieth objectively, as it apprehendeth Christ; and instru­mentally, as it applyeth the righteousnesse of Christ.

Object. How are we said to be justified freely; seeing Faith is re­quired, which is an act in the beleever? This Objection may bee urged further thus: That is freely bestowed which is conferred without any [Page 41]helpe or worke in the receiver: seeing then a man must bring Faith, which is a worke of the will: how is he said to be justified freely?

The Answer is, that we are Si fides, qua ratione actus quidam est, et ex se justitiam saceret, gratis justitia non daretur: at id non habet: Ego pauperi scutum gratis porrigo, quod ille extensa manua me accipit, si quis mihi objiceret, tu gratis non dedisti; nam et pauper ma­num extendit, nec acciperetnisi id faceret, ridicula prosecto esset objectio: extensio en im manus non habet ex se scutum adferre extendenti, si enins id esset; quoties manum extenderet scutum haberet: A virtute potius et liberalitate dantis est scutum: quamvis illi per manuum extensionem applicetur, ita defide; Tolet. ad Rom. cap. 3. Annot. 20 Deus imputans nobis justitiam Christi, dat nobis fi­dem qua illam applicate valeamus Machowius, quae de stat. primi hominis, Disput. 7. justified freely, although the condition of Faith be required, because Faith doth not justifie as it is an act of ours, but all the vertue thereof procee­deth from the object; as the Israelites being healed by looking upon the Bra­sen Serpent, obtained not their health, by the very act of opening their eyes; but by the object which they beheld, which was the Serpent: And like as when a rich man giveth his Almes unto the poore, though he stretcheth out his hand to receive it, yet it is said notwith­standing to be a free gift: but adde here further, that as when a blind man putteth forth his hand, but he that giveth is faine to direct it, to receive the almes; or if a man have a weake and withered hand, which he is not able to stretch out unlesse the other that giveth doth lift it up: in this case every way the gift is free: So our will is not of it selfe apt to beleeve or will any thing aright, un­lesse the Lord direct it: Faith then being both the worke of God in inclining our will, and Faith receiving all the vertue from the object which it apprehendeth, namely Christ: it remaineth, that Faith notwithstanding, wee are justified freely: And the act of faith thus taken, as we have set it downe, doth according to Scrip­ture stand in opposition to justification by workes: And thus Christ in the Covenant of grace is set forth upon some condition, to wit, that we beleeve in him; which condition, God doth not onely require at our hand, but doth by his Spirit freely give us, and enable us to performe it: And Christ freely given, and all is done of Gods free grace and mercy.

It may be objected, men may be justified before they doe beleeve, and so without Faith, for they are justified in Gods decree from all eternitie.

I answer, God hath decreed before all time to justifie some men in time, but not without Faith; that being an effect of Gods de­cree, and beleeving being that way, by which God hath ordained to justifie and save men, Docet au­tem hic locus fidem ab electi­on Dei depen­dere: Calvin in loc. Act. 13.48. And as many as were ordai­ned [Page 42]to eternall life beleeved, Gal. 3.24. that we might be justified by Faith; and in the 26. Verse, for yee are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus: it is plaine by these places of Scripture, that God never made any such decree: as to justifie any man before he doth beleeve; and it is blasphemy to charge such an Act upon God: For to justifie a man before he doth beleeve; is to justifie him in his Id est impi­etatem impi [...], Lapid. Com. in loc. sinfull wayes, which God abhorreth, and is contrary to his proclamation, Exod. 34.7. that hee will by no meanes cleare the Nempe impoenitentem & in peccatis suis sibi pla­centem, Rive [...] Com. in loc. guiltie: Againe, it is plaine Ratio quasi a priori est quod deus per essenti­am, sit ipsa justitia increata, immensa, & fontalis, ab [...]a ergovelut a sonte manat omnis justitia creata, ange­lorum, & hominum, quam proinde ut suam amat, ac vice versa, odit, & abominatur omnem injustiti­am, quasi sibi essentialiter contrariam, et a daemone prosectam, Cornel. à Lap. Com. in loc. Prov. 17.15. He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord: will God, who is the fountaine of justice, doe that himselfe which he hateth in others? if that place be alleadged, Rom. 4.5. But to him that worketh not, but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly; and therefore a man is justified before he beleeves: the meaning is expounded in these words of the Verse, his faith is counted for righteousnesse: so that this must be understood (in sensu diviso) in a divided sense; That God justifieth the wicked, not him that remaineth wicked, but was so before he was justified: And the Schoole doth briefely resolve this, God justifieth the un­godly (Antecedenter) antecedently, that is, him who before justifi­cation was ungodly; not (consequenter) consequently, that is, him who after justification remaineth ungodly.

Pag. 36. towards the latter end (saith he) if we take Faith for the Act of our Faith, apprehending this object, then we are justified by it de­claratively in our consciences; and concludes (that Faith doth onely justifie declaratively) speaking to our consciences that wee are the chil­dren of God in Christ Jesus: Thus you see hee doth exclude faith altogether from justifying a sinner in the sight of God: And that it is onely said to justifie, because by it we come to be certaine, and to have assurance in our consciences that wee are justified in the sight of God; and as it doth declare unto us our justification in the court of conscience: Two grosse absurdities will follow upon Faiths declarative justification onely (as he calls it.) The first is, that Faith doth not at all justifie; (which is point blacke contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles) for it is one thing to be, [Page 43]and another thing, to appeare to be: Faith having no hand at all in the being of Justification, but in the making of it appeare to be: So that I am first justified in the sight of God, by Gods im­putation without Faith, and afterwards Faith comes and makes it appeare to me that I am justifyed: And by it I come to have as­surance in my conscience that it is so: The second absurdity will be this, That where there is not assurance, there is no faith: Faith being as he concludes, onely an assurance that I am justifyed: What will a distressed Conscience in case of spirituall desertion doe? this doctrine makes him desperate, for by this he argues the case thus: Faith is nothing but an assurance to me in my conscience, that I am justifyed in the sight of God; but I want this assurance; therefore I am without Faith, and consequently in a damned con­dition, as the case now stands with me. Is this preaching Christ and free grace? but I say, a man may want in his owne appre­hension this assurance; and yet he may have Faith; Gods people sometimes are in such a condition, that they cannot see so much as a glimpse of Gods favour; Nay the contrary: They conclude themselves forsaken of God, and cast-awayes; what's become now of assurance? but for all this, dare any man say that men in this condition have no Faith? Nay, they are upheld by the secret support of Faith; otherwise, in such a condition they would de­spaire as Judas did: but it is plaine by Scripture, that a childe of God may want assurance, and yet by Faith stay himselfe upon God, Isay 50.10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obey­eth the voyce of his servant, that walketh in darknesse, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay himselfe upon his God.

Take faith for the act of Faith, apprehending the object, and so we are justified by faith onely in the sight of God: in regard whereof the salvation of all that truely beleeve is sure and certaine, though they perhaps be not assured thereof, for this is the promise of the Gospell, that whosoever beleeveth on him should not perish, but have life everlasting.

Take faith in reference to the Subject, for that which doth de­clare our justification to our consciences, and herein Fides illa proprie dicitur justificans, qua incumbimus in Christum, ad remissionem pecca orum & salutem. Chri­stus enim est adaequatū ob­jectū fidei qua­tenus fides ju­stificat: fides e­nim non alia ra­tione justificat, nisi quatenus a [...]prehendit il­lam justitiam, propter quam justificamur; illa autem justitia non est, in veritate alicujus axiomat [...]s, cui assensum p [...]aebemus; s [...] in Christo solo, qui factus est pro nobis peccatum, ut nos essemus in ipso justitia, 2 Cor. 5 21. fides ista justificans s [...]a natura producit atque adeo conjunctam secum habet specia [...]em ac certam persuasionem de gratia, ac misericor­dia Dei in Christo, Ames. Medul. Theol. lib. 1 cap. 27. de Just. faith can­not [Page 44]not be said properly to justify, for this is an effect of justifying faith. There are two degrees of justifying Faith, the one be­ing a lively assent to the promise of the Gospell; the other a sound application thereof to our selves: by the former, as being the condition of the promise, we are justified in the Court of Heaven, by the latter, in the Court of our owne conscience: which is not (properly) called justification, but the application of justification; for a man must first be justified in the sight of God, be­fore he can be perswaded in his conscience of his justification, o­therwise his perswasion is a false perswasion, and a meere delusi­on: By the former we are justified before God: by the latter we are perswaded in our conscience, and in some measure assured of our justification. For the further clearing of this distinction of Faith, let us consider the differences betweene the two degrees; by the former, as I have said, we are justified before God in the Court of heaven, by the latter we are justified in the Court of our owne Conscience: by the former we are justified properly, by the latter we are assured of our justification: (I take this assurance to be an act of experience flowing from justifying Faith.) Of the justification, which we have by the first degree, (which is proper­ly so called) there are no degrees Justitia no­bis imputata, persecta, & ae­qualis est in omnibus cre­dentibus, Wol­leb. Compend. Theol. lib. l.c. 30.; but of that which we have by the second degree, which is not justification, but the assurance of it, there are degrees according to the measure of Faith: of ne­cessity we must hold this distinction of faith, viz. that there is one degree of justifying faith, which in order of nature goes before Fides justi­ficans praecedit justificationem ipsam, ut causa suum effectum, sed fides justifi­cationem ap­prehendens prehenssatio prae­supponit, ac sequitur justificationem, ut actus objectum suum circa quod versatur, Ames. Medul. pag. 119. Quod objicitur: vim justificandi non esse fidei ex seipsa, sed quatenus Christum recipit, libenter admitto: nam si per se vel intrinseca virtute (ut loquuntur) justificatet fides; ut est semper debilis, ac imperfecta, non efficeret hoc nisi ex parte, sic manca esset justitia, quae frustulum salutis nobis conserret: Nos quidem nihil tale imaginamur, sed proprie loquendo Deum unum justificare dicimus; deinde hoc idem transferimus ad Chrislum; quia datus est nobis in justitiam. Fidem vero quasi visi conferimus, quia nisi exinaniti, ad expe­tendam Christi gratiam, aperto animae ore accedimus, non sumus Christi capaces; unde colligitur non detrahere nos Christi vim justificandi, dum prius cum recipi fide docemus, quam illius justitiam, Calvin. Institut. lib. 3. cap. 11. Sect. 7. remission of sins, by which we obtaine forgivenesse of sinnes, and by which we are justifyed before God, Act. 26.18. That they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes, and inheritance among them which are sanctified, by faith that is in me, Act. 13.38, 39. Through this man is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sinnes; and by him all that beleeve are justifyed: and there is another degree of justifying Faith, which followeth after justification; and remission of sinnes; [Page 45]whereby we being perswaded, and in some measure assured of the remission of our sinnes, we are justified in the Court of Conscience, this being an effect of justifying faith. And this may be proved by that Scripture, he makes use of to prove his declarative justification by Faith, Rom. 5.1. Therefore being justified by Faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: The Apostle Ex hoc etīa leco certissimo a [...]gumento col­ligi potest, ju­stificationem ex sola fide: Id au­tem constat ex effecto, ad hunc modum, Id per quod justifica­mur, opo [...]ter ut nos pacatos reddat erga Dcum, Pet. Mar. Com. in loc. shewing that we are justifyed by Faith alone, in the sight of God; sets downe peace with God; as an effect of justifying Faith: which peace may be called the assurance of faith, so that you see this de­clarative justification is no more but an effect of that faith, without w ^ch we cannot be justifyed before God: if he had proved by Scrip­ture, that faith is onely declarative, in regard of justification, it had beene something: but its altogether against the Word of God: but to informe us the better, I will set downe what justification is: Justification is an action of God, freely of his owne mercy and favour absolving a beleeving sinner from the whole curse due to his sins, and accounting him perfectly just in his fight, unto eternall life in heaven, through the perfect obedience & sufferings of Christ imputed to his Faith, unto the everlasting praise and glory of Gods justice, mercy, and truth, Rom. 3.24, 25. & chap. 4, 5 & chap. 5.19. 2 Cor. 5.19. Rom. 4.4. Now judge by this, whether a man can be justifi­ed by Gods imputation of Christs righteousnesse without Faith, Faith and justification according to Scripture, being inseparable.

Page 37. He sets downe the causes of justification.

First, saith he, it is God that justifyeth, Rom. 8.33. efficienter, as being the efficient cause, of our justification.

Secondly, it is the blood of Christ that justifieth, Rom. 5.9. here is the materiall cause of our Justification.

Thirdly, it is Faith that justifieth Declaratively: I never read in Divinity amongst the causes Est certus causarum ordo, nec datur in iis processus in in­sinitum, Keker­man, Systemat. Logic-lib. 1. c. 14. of justification, the declarative cause to be one; never I thinke, did any man heare a subject of so great concernment, so lamely handled: especially this Sermon, as he confesseth in his Epistle, being the quintessence of ten yeares Sermons: let us see the causes of Justification.

The Causa effi­ciens justifica­tionis active intellectae, est tota [...]S. Trini­ras, causa ejus [...] est mera gratta, si­ve gratui [...]s Dei favoricausa [...] est Christus. [...]. efficient cause of Justification understood actively, is the whole blessed Trinity. 2 Cor. 5.19. 1 Cor. 6.21. that which in­wardly moves God, is the meeregrace, and free favour of God, Rom. 3.14. Eph. 2.8. Tit. 3.4, 5. the outward moving cause, [Page 46]herein, is Christ as God-man, our Mediator, because we obtaine this gift from his merit.

The Causa eius inst [...]umentalis est verbum e­vangelii [...] justi­fica tonis passi­ve sumprae re­speclu homini [...] qui justificatur, nulla causa est nisi instrumen­tal [...], [...]des. instrumentall is the word of the Gospell, Rom. 1.16. Justification taken passively, in respect of man who is justified, there is no cause but instrumentall, and that is faith alone, which (as Logicians speake) is a Passive instrument.

The Materia ju­stincationis active sumprae, est Christi sa­tisfactio, qua & peccatis nostris paenas debitas persolvit, & o bedientiam le­gi perfectam praestitir: Mate­rit ejus paslive acceptae, est ho­mo quidem in se miser. Materiall cause of Justification, taken actively, is the satisfaction of Christ: whereby he did undergoe the punishment due to our sinnes, and did performe perfect obedience to the law; for our Divines generally understand by Christs satisfaction, his active and passive obedience: The materiall cause taken passively is man in his naturall condition.

The Forma ejus active intelle ctae, est totius satisfaction is Christi impu­tatio, qua tota quoque nostra est, non secus ac si ipsi eam praestitisemus. Forma justifi­cationis passive acceptae, est qua credences, fide, velat animae manu, Chri­stum cum roto merito suo ap­prehendun [...], sibique applicant. formall, understood actively, is the imputation of the whole satisfaction of Christ: whereby it is wholly made ours; even as if we our selves in our owne persons had made this satis­faction: Phil. 3.8.9. The formall, being taken passively, is when men beleeving, doe by faith, which is as the hand of the Soule, apply unto themselves, and apprehend Christ with all his merits.

The Finis istius beneficii est dei gloria et salus nostra: Welleb. Christ. The­ol. Compend lib. 1. cap. 30. finall, is the glory of God and our Salvation: or if you will take them more briefly, thus. First, the efficient cause of Justification, is the grace of God. Secondly, the materiall is Christ our redeemer. Thirdly, the formall, is Imputation of our sinnes to him, and his Justice to us. Fourthly, the Instrumentall cause is faith within: (which as I said before in the Instrumentum passivum est, quod in productione effectus sese non com­movet. Kekerm. Syst. log. lib. 1. cap. 15. Logicians phrase is a passive Instrument) and the Gospell without: Rom. 5.9. 1 Tim. 2.6. Fifthly, the finall cause, is Gods glory, the utmost, our Salvation the nearest end thereof. All this while, where is the Declarative cause of Justification? but he that will goe about to coine a new justification never before heard of, may adventure to make a new cause, never before read of.

Pag. 37. toward the latter end, he comes to resolve a questi­on: How Children can be saved, that doe not beleeve. Some say, (sayes he) by the habit of faith; some by the faith of their Parents; some say by an unknowne way: (he resolves the Question thus) But [Page 47]I say they are saved the same way that all flesh is saved, that is saved: that is to say, by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed: Grant what he saith to be true; Can he prove by any one place of Scripture, that the righ­teousnesse of Christ was ever imputed to any without Faith? (espe­cially those of riper yeares) Concerning the Faith of Infants (as our learned Bishop Ad infantes autem quod attiner, quia peccato­res sunt non proprio actu, sed haereditatio habitu, sufficit quod peccati mortincationem, & fidem ha­beant; non proprio actu sese exerentem, sed in habituali principio gratiae inclusam, Davenant, Com. in Coloss. Cap. 2 pag. 263. Davenant saith) because they are not sinners by their owne proper act, but by a haereditary habit, it sufficeth that they have mor­tification of sinne, and Faith; not mani­festing themselves by their owne pro­per act, but included in the habituall beginning of grace; but that the Spirit of Christ is able and wont to effect this habituall be­ginning of grace in them, no man of sound judgement will deny; Some thinke Infants have Faith as they have regeneration; that is, the inclination or seed of Faith.

As touching this present controversie, ( to boleeve) is taken two wayes: Actively, when they which are of yeares have Faith in Christ by the hearing of the Word: Passively and by imputation, when for the covenant and Gods promise, the righteousnesse of faith is imputed unto Infants.

There is a Infantes fi­dem non secus ac rationem ha­bent, eisi non in fructu, tamen in semine & ra­dice, etsi non actu secundo, tamenactu pri­mo, ersi non o­peris externa­demonstratio­ne, tamen Spir. Sinterna vir­ture Wolleb. Christ. Theol. Compend. pag. 176. twofold act of Faith: the first, and the second; That, whereby Faith is; This, whereby Faith worketh: Infants have Faith in the first act, not in the second; in the seed, and not in the harvest; by imputation of justice, not by operation; by a hidden vertue of the Spirit, and not by outward demonstration: The diverse circumstances of ages, breake not the unity of Faith, and the nature of the promise, Ephes. 4.5. one faith, one Lord, one baptisme; for the one and the selfe same righteousnesse of Faith is sealed in the parents and in the Infants.

Infants have faith no otherwise then they have reason; no man can deny but that Infants have reason, so likewise they have Faith; although not in the fruit, yet in the seed and roote: Is God the God onely of men of An Adulto­rum Deus tan­tum? an non et infantum, certe & infantium, non est autem Deus infideli­um. sed tantum fidelium, infan­tes igitur inter, fideles ponen­di sunt Cassand. de Baptism. Infant. pag. mihi. 741. riper yeares, and not of Infants? cer­tainly of Infants, but he is not the God of unbeleevers, but of the faithfull onely; Infants therefore must needs bee accounted a­mongst the number of beleevers: That the Kingdome of heaven belongs to them, and salvation, is plaine by the Word of God; [Page 48]but how and after what manner God reveales himselfe unto them, is not so fully knowne to us.

Whereas he saith Pag. 38. at the beginning: That here is the diffe­rence, men of riper yeares are not onely saved, but also know their salva­tion; children are saved but know not of it before: To this I answer, that Infants dying in their Infancy and being saved, there is no question to be made, but God doth make knowne their salvation to them: The safest way is to leave them to God, who doth and will dispose of them that belong to the election of grace accor­ding to his free Quia salu­rem aeternam obtinent: heer in infan [...]a mo­ [...]anum, etiam in utero ma­terno jam vero certum est, ne­minem salutem aeternam con­sequi nisi per fidem: Polan. Syntag. lib. 9. cap. 6. de fide Salvif. mercie, yet so that none attaine salvation with­out Faith.

Pag. 39. is this passage, far be it from us to thinke the duty of a Minister is discharged by crying out against sinne, drunkennesse, adultery, and the rest. To this I answer, What Minister so ignorant, but knowes these things must be done in their order? though this is not all; yet without this a Minister cannot discharge his dutie, this of necessity must be done, Isa. 58.1. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voyce like a Quasi ruba exalta vocem tuam, manife­sle docendo, hoc enim mo­do praedicavit Chri [...]s, ut pa­ter in Evange­lio: Lyran. in loc. Trumpet; and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sinnes: it was our Saviours course, that hee tooke in his Ministery; witnesse his thundering out so many woes against wicked men, and threatning them with hell and damnati­on; but this was spoken in disgraee of those Ministers, who in their Sermons presse the Law of God upon mens consciences: to the end they might reforme their wicked lives, knowing likewise that although the persons of beleevers are freed from the condem­ning power of the Law; yet the Law hath a condemning pow­er over their sinnes, and sharpe rebukes make sound Christi­ans.

Pag. 39. in the latter end sayes, he, we must know there is a difference betweene a Minister of the Gospel and a morall Philosopher; Is any Minister so heathenish as to build his Sermons upon Philosophi­cali maximes; and not upon canonicall Scriptures? We have (as the Apostle calls it, Act. 20.33.) the word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them which are sa [...]ctified, we have also a more sure word whereunto ye doe well that yee take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a darke place, 2 Pet. 1.19.

Pag. 39. at the end, and at the beginning of Pag. 40. there is this passage: Alas! what profits it to salvation if we have reclaimed men [Page 49]from sinne to vertue, from drunkennesse to temperance, not having layd before a sure foundation; have we brought them any whit nearer the King­dome of heaven?

To this: I wonder what foundation can be layd in the soule of that man that lives in sinne and drunkennesse, and is not reclai­med; sure this rubbish must first bee cast out before. Christ the foundation can bee laid: hee sets downe a way contra­ry to Christs owne rule, Matthew 12.29. How can one enter in­to a strong mans house and spoyle his goods, except hee first bind the strong man? Sinne being the strong man must first bee bound and cast out before Christ will enter; and till wee can bring men to reclaime and get power over their corruptions; no sure foundati­on can be layd: What communion hath light with darkenesse, and what concord hath Christ with Nullus po­test esse consen­sus Christo cum Belial, id est cum Diabo­lo: venit enim Christus ut destruat opera Diaboli, Estius in loc. Belial? 2 Cor. 6.14, 15. in preaching against these grosse sinnes wee shew our selves Ministers of the Gospel, Titus 2.11, 12, 13. The Grace of God that bringeth salvation; teach­ing us, that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live sober­ly, righteously and godly in this present world: but hee concludes; if we have reclaimed men from these sinnes, they are not any whit nearer the Kingdome of heaven: Our Saviour is of a contrary minde, who said to the Scribe, Mark. 12.34. Thou art not Longior namque ignorantia est a regno dei quam scientia [...] Hier [...]nym. in loc. Ideo non fuit longe a regno Dei, quia sententiae illius quae novi Testamenti, & evangelicae perfectionis est propria, fauror extitisse probatus est: Aquin. aur. caten. farre from the Kingdome of hea­ven: In regard of his knowledge, his discreet answer, and that he was a fa­vourer of Christ, hee was nearer the Kingdome of heaven then those that were without that knowledge and re­spect to Christ which he had, and lived in more grosse sinnes then he did; and it is probable that Ex quo judicamus hunc tandem ad numerum credentium accessisse, Aretius, Com in loc. Parum adhuc abes a vera Dei agnitione, quae progressu tem poris tibi contingere potest, jam enim quasi in via es: Ac verifimile est hunc Scribam, post resatrectio­nem, ad Christum redemptorem suisse conversum; bene erga Christum affectus discessir, & si enim qui­dam curiositate impulsi, Evangelicas conciones au­diunt, non ut discant, sed ut novi aliquid audiant: [...]a­men fieri potest ut meliores discedant, & aliquan­do Christum agnoscant, quare sic formandae sunt conciones, ut dociles & sanabiles non repellan ut: Luc. Osiand. in loc. afterwards he did beleeve, and of nearer came to be within the kingdom of heaven So men that are by the Ministery of the Word brought to leave their sinnes they formerly lived in, may be said to be, and indeed are nearer the Kingdome of God then those which goe on obstinately in their sinfull courses.

Pag. 40. he useth this desperate expression, Nay have wee not made them seven times more the children of hell? when we doe by the [Page 50]blessing of God upon our preaching reclaim men from their former evill life: which is the onely way, and without which wee cannot lay a sure foundation; doe we by this make them more the chil­dren of hell? this is contrary to Christs way, Mark. 10.19, 20, 21. When the man told him, hee had observed the Commandements from his youth: Then Jesus beholding him loved him; Sure hee did not count him seven fold more the child of the Devill for being reclai­med; and there was no sure foundation layd; our Lord tells him, One thing thou lackest, he was in a faire way to the Kingdome; but to adde venome to his expressions he concludes, Publicans and Har lots shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven before such as are thus reclaimed: and leaves it barely without expounding it the meaning is not; such as now Di [...]untur igitur publicani & meretrices praece­dere sacerdotes in regno Dei, quia praedicationi Jo­annis sidem babentus paenitentiam egerunt; Intelli­guntur, ejusmodi publicani & meretrices, non qui tales adhuc sunt: sed qui tales olim suerunt. Ger­bard. Haim. Evang. par. 1. cap. 151. pag. 834. are Publicans and Harlots, but those who in times past were such, but now beleeve, and repent of their former evill life. For to be Publicans and sinners, and to enter into heaven is impossible, Matth. 11.15. It is said the lame walke, the dease heare; that is, those that were before lame and deafe, doe now walke and heare: So those that were before harlots, are by Johns preaching true penitents and belee­vers. O desperate Doctrine tending to the undervaluing of sanctifi­cation and a holy reformation in the soules of men; and to the rui­nating of Christs kingly office, who reignes in the hearts of his people subjecting them, and brings under every high thought, to the obedience of his will set downe in his word: we are not of that mind that Sanctification is the foundation: but where that is not, there can bee no sure foundation.

Pag. 40. at the end and the beginning of the 41. farre be it from us to spend the time in prophane and vaine bablings: Sure if his con­ference betweene a sick man and his pastor (as himselfe confesseth in his Epistle to his neighbours of Pirton) was the substance of ten yeares Sermons, those must needs be stuffed with Tautologies, and vaine repetitions over and over: The peoples case is to be pitied, and their patience to be admired who have lived so long time un­der a ministery that had so little substance ministring, questions that tend not to the edifying, but subverting of the hearers. Whereas he sayes the Schoolemen spent themselves in frivolous disputati­ons: [Page 51]he doth in this betray his owne ignorance of their worth and learning, for we have good experience of the wholesome use Pro­testant Divines have made of the Schoole men.

Page 43. at the beginning, he propounds this question, How did Johns doctrine burne and shine more then the Law? I answer (saith he) The Law sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, Hic locus multis errandi occasionem praebuit quia non reputabant de Sacramentis tractari, quo­rum spiritualis est significatio, carnis emundatio­nem exponumt, quae [...]antum inter homines [...], ficut prosani homines habebant sua piacula qui­bus scelerum infamiam delenent: haec rero expo­sitio nimis prosana est, nam injuria fit Dei promis­sionibus si earum effectum restringineus ad poliu­am duntaxat, Calvin in loc. Heb. 9.13. Johns doctrine puri­fieth the conscience.

To this I answer, This place hath reference to Num. 19. The Apostles ar­gument is from the lesser, and the argu­ment runs thus: If the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the uncleane, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shal the blood of Christ purge your consciences? &c. This ashes did sanctifie the uncleane, to the purifying of the flesh, because those who for their outward uncleannesse, were excluded from the Congregation, by the sprinkling of the water of cleansing were ceremonially made clean so that it was lawfull for them to come to the Sanctuary of the Lord: Not for that this purifying did onely extend it selfe to the flesh, and was meerely carnall, for then the people of the Jewes should no whit differ from the heathens: who had their sacrifices meerely carnall; by which they might blot out the infamy of their hainous crimes: And to expound this place as he doth, is (in Calvins phrase) an exposition too much prophane: If their dayly sacrifices did not prefigure the Messias, and were not done out of spirituall respects, what was their Temple, but a Butchers shambles? In this that the Law sanctifyeth to the purifying of the flesh, there was a spirituall signification: for as the outward uncleannesse did admonish the people of their inward impurity before God; so the sprinkling by the water of separation, and the receiving of those that were sprinkled, into the congregation, did signifie to beleevers their spirituall sprinkling, and cleansing by the blood of Christ, by which alone there is a way laid wide o­pen for sinners to come into the sight of God; and with boldnesse to have accesse to the Throne of Grace. To limit therefore, and bound the legall rites onely to the purifying of the flesh, (as he doth by his false exposition) and to restraine the effect of them [Page 52]onely to civill and politique Government, is injurious to the pro­mises of God, made to his people, who lived in the time of the Law. Sacraments and signes have a spirituall signification, so that this purifying of the flesh by the water of separation, (so called because such as were separated for any uncleannesse were sprinkled with it) did signify unto the people of the Jews, the purifying of the conscience by the blood of Christ; now then joyne the Nihil extra usum habere rationem Sacramen­ti, & ad usum oportere ac [...]edere fide: unde tum in veteri, tum in novo Testamento extra illum usum, Sacramenta nobis inania esse dicuntur. Tossan. ad Hebraeos praelect. cap. 10. signe, and the thing signified together, and the Law sanctifyeth to the purifying of the con­science. Whereas he saith, Secondly, the Law perfects nothing as pertaining to the Conscience, Heb. 10.1. but Johns doctrin is a perfecting doctrine, insomuch that beleev­ers herein have no more conscience of sins.

To this, let us see the meaning of the Apostle, Heb. 10.1. in this place hee speakes Non hic agi proprie de Sacramentis, sed de toto tabernaculo, & sacerdotio Levitico: Demde vocari umbras ritus externos, non simpliciter, sed quatenus opponuntur Christo, in quo est veritas; & ad quem in tecto usu respicientes Patres, eundem cibum spiritualem comederunt nobiscum & vere ju­stificati sunt, Tossan. ibid. not properly concerning the Sacraments, but of the whole Tabernacle and Leviticall Priesthood: Againe, these externall rites are called shadowes not simply, but as they are opposed to Christ, in whom is the Truth, and to whom the Fathers looking, in the right use of them, did eate the same spirituall meate with us; and were truely justifi­ed in the sight of God. The Law, you will say, perfects nothing: The meaning is, the unbeleeving Jewes cleaving to the Ceremo­nies and externall rites, and looking ( ex opere operato) that is, from the worke done to be justified by them without Christ; and thus considered, they are, as Gal. 4.9. Weake and beggerly Egena autem elementa Apostolus ad Gal. ap­pellat ceremonias, respectu Judaeorum, qui exclu­so Christo per illas, justificari volebant, Tossan. ibid. elements: The Apostle here doth in few words most excellently set forth un­to us the difference and agreement of the Old and New Testament, of the Law and Gospell, of the Doctrine and Sacraments of both; The agreement consists in this, the Old as well as the New had Christ with his owne oblation of himselfe, and eternall redemption: Againe, of both Testa­ments, in regard of the Utriusque enim Testamenti quoad substantiam, ut unus est Deus, ita unus Mediator, una Ecclesia, una fides, una salus, Pareils in loc. substance; as there is one God, so there is one Media­tour, one Church, one Faith, one Salvation: The Doctrine of the Old did lead to Christ: The Sacraments and ceremonies did shew [Page 53]and point at Christ: whom the Doctrine of the Gospell, and our Sacraments doe declare to us. The difference is in this: They did represent Christ to the Fathers more obscurely, and darkly: these doe more clearly set him forth to us; to conclude this, The Law then considered, not in opposition, but in reference to Christ, did perfect something pertaining to the Conscience.

In that the Apostle saith the worshippers once purged, should have had no more conscience of sinnes: By Nam etiam per hoc semel purga is non tollitur omnis peccatorum conscientia, quandoquidem eti­am sanguine Christi justificati nondum in hac vita efficimur [...], sed perpetuo manemus multo­rum peccato rum nobis conscii, Pareus com. in loc. conscience is meant the guilt of sinne; from which our consci­ences once purged by the bloud of Christ, and our hearts purified by faith: There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus: although all conscience of sinne is not taken away; which men justified and purged by the bloud of Christ, out of humane frailty dayly doe commit. And we doe remaine sinners, but by the bloud of Christ, the guilt of all our sinnes is blotted out; though in regard of the filth, and the many falls we have, our consciences are many times af­flicted, and we doe continually remaine conscious to our selves of many sinnes. And believers in the time of the Law, by their Sacrifices, which they were commanded of God to offer, were put in minde of the bloud of Christ, which by faith they did ap­ply to their Consciences, and were thereby freed from the guilt of sinne; and so had no more conscience of sinnes: their Consci­ences being by faith sprinkled with the bloud of Christ, as well as our Consciences who live now in the time of the Gospell. To conclude, we must distinguish betweene Ceremonies meerly le­gall, and rites, to which the promise of grace was annexed. And those rites are to be considered either before the comming of Christ, or after: Before his comming they were commanded of God, and profitable: Afterward the body being present, they are unprofitable and of no use: Againe they are considered as they were in thmeselves, and as they were in regard of their ty­picall signification: considered in their owne nature and ( ex ope­re operato) from the worke done; without faith in those that used them, they had no spirituall effect: Notwithstanding to belee­vers, they were the exercise, and sealing of faith, in the Messiah to come, whom in regard of their typicall signification they did [Page 54]prefigure: when the Law Heb. 10. Lex dicitur umbram habuisse non ipsam rerum imaginem, nec potuisse accedentes perfectos facere, non portuisse auferre peccata & mundare conscientiam; & Deum hostias & obla­tiones noluisse, nec ei placuisse: quod intelligi debet inordine ad justificationē, ex opere operato; nā ali­oquin negari non potest, quin ei placut rint ex obe­dientia, & devotione offerentis; nam vocanntr odor suavissimus, Gerhard locor. tom. 4. col. mihi. 302. ( Heb. 10.1.8.) is said, not to make the commers thereunto perfect; and not to take away the conscience of sinnes; or to purge the conscience: and that Sacrifices and offerings he would not, neither had pleasure therein: God in the Law did command them, Levit. 1.2, 3, 4. and they were oftentimes a sweete savour unto him: but this place is to be under­stood in order to justification from the workes done: God ap­proving of them as they were done in faith as Types, untill the comming of the Messiah: but he could not away with them, when they were done without faith: and when men looked for Justification by the bare externall performance of them.

Whereas Pag. 43. he sayes Johns Doctrine is the bringing in of a better hope, Adhuc enim in eo verfatur auctor hujus Episto­lae, ut doceat Loviticum Sacetdorium, posteriore abrogatum: neque de prioris usu vel ullum adhuc verbum fecit. Beza in loc. Heb. 7.19. the meaning of this place may be understood by what hath beene said before. Marke the oppositi­on. The Apostle speakes to those who looked for perfection by the Law in opposition to Christ; and did hold to the shadowes of the Law after the comming of Christ he compares Christs Priesthood and the Levitical together, shewing the perfection of the one above the other, speaking here of the Leviticall Priest-hood abrogated; and not of the former use of it: and out of question, for substance, the Fathers had the same hope with us (neither better nor worse) of eternall life; Bellar. Tom. 3. de Sacrament. Contr. 1. Bellarmin would have the Law to have had onely unprofita­ble Ceremonies, from which he labours to prove that the Fathers could not be justifyed; and received into Heaven before Christs comming in the flesh: The Caeremomae [...] perfe crant mutiles, sed su­perinducta in eis spes Missue, non sui [...]ses man is, por fidemenim in Chustiun ve [...]mrum, justificabantur; ut nos per fidem in Christum exhibitum, Tossan. in loc. Ceremonies by themselves, were unprofitable; but the hope of the Messiah shadowed in them was not a vaine thing: for the fathers were justified by faith in Christ to come; as we are by faith in Christ exhibited.

Pag. 43. We will consider (saith he) the difference of that repen­tance which was taught by the Prophets from that repentance which was taught by John. First, for the repentance preached by the Prephets [Page 55]there is a Definition of repentance, which is reprehended by some; and justly, as comming short of that repentance which is preached under the Gospell; it is this, to bewaile sinnes that we have committed or emit­ted, to for sake those that we have bewailed: This definition seemeth to me to expresse to the full, that repentance which was taught by the Pro­phets: these are his words at the beginning of pag. 44. let us looke a little into them: this definition is given by the Paenitere est ante acta peccata de fle­re, & flenda non committe­re Magist lib 4. dist. 14. Master of the Sentences: but marke his words, he saith this definition is just­ly to be reprehended, and yet it seemes to him (as he saith) to expresse to the full that repentance which was taught by the Pro­phets: Now judge whether the Prophets taught such a repentance as may upon any tearmes be justly reprehended: Did not these holy men of God speake as they were moved by the holy Ghost? 2 Pet. 1.21. What will follow then, but that he doth in plaine termes affirme that the Holy Ghost may justly be reprehended? Oh blas­phemy! but let us see how the repentance the Prophets taught, and Johns repentance differ; how Johns repentance was more then the Pro­phets, how Johns goes one step higher. He sets downe Johns repen­tance to be this, Luke 3.3. The baptisme of repentance for remission (for his appeale) whether it be not better rendred unto remission of sinnes, then for remission of sinnes: I let it passe as not worth the while; did not the Prophets preach the washing of repentance for remission of sinnes? neither did they place repentance in the externall wash­ing, but in the inward purifying of the heart by Faith, Continuo praedicat pae­nitentiam & conversionem ad Dominum. Pellican. in loc. Jer. 4.14. O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse, that thou mayst be saved.

The question will be whether the repentance John preached was a Quid novi ergo? a novo hoc allatum doctore­vel protangelo? Sane doctrinam si spectes ipsam re­sipiscentiae, quae apud propheras nominatur, reces­sus a malo, & reditus ad meliora, & [...], five reditus est quidam ad Deam, quem a nobis peccata nostra se junxetant: eadem est Joannis quae et Mosis er aliorum propherarun, seria ad conversionem ex­hortatio: Pelarg. quae. Evang in ca. 3. Mart. quae. 2. new repentance, and different from that repentance which was preached by Moses and the Prophers, it was Moses his whole studie how hee might bring the Israelites to true repentance; and this is evident in the ninth and tenth Chap­ters of Deuteronomie: And how often; nay continually did the Prophets call upon the people to repent, witnesse these Scriptures: Isa. 45.22. Jer. 14.22. Ezek. 18.30. Hose. 14.1. Joel 2.12. Therefore also now saith the Lord, Turne yee even to me with all your heart: what repentance could John preach more then this? Certainely Johns and theirs was one and the same Do­ctrine [Page 56]of repentance: there was a difference in the manner of preaching; but the doctrine was the same: Repentance is a con­version or turning: Now every conversion is conversant between two termes: The one is called the terme from which, the other to which: And so in repentance, that from which, is our sinnes and evill life, from the consideration whereof ariseth griefe and for­row, and contrition: That to which, is God, towards whom the contrite and drooping heart doth lift and raise up it selfe in confi­dence of mercy promised, and by beleeving the remission of sinnes for Christ his sake the Mediatour; from which it is manifest, that contrition and faith are two proper essentiall parts of repentance, Act. 14.15. And preach unto you that yee should turne from these vani­ties unto the living God: How can we turne to God but by Faith? Act. 20.21. Testifying both to the Jewes and also to the Gentiles repen­tance towards God, and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ: was not Cum autem paenuentia seu conversio ad Deum tres par­tes continear, con [...]ritionem, fidem, & novam obedientiam, Meluct. part. 3. pag. mihi. 99. contrition and Faith two essentiall parts of that repentance Mo­ses and the Prophets preached, and new obedience a consequent? What could Johns repentance be more then this? how could the repentance he preached goe one step higher? That had Faith to goe to Christ, and higher Johns could not goe: But John makes low the Mountaines: did not the Prophets? John cuts off legall praere­gatives: did not the Prophets by their preaching repentance doe so? did they not drive men from resting in outward Caeremoniae externaeà Deo institutae, quam­vis pertineant ad Dei landem & honorem; neque per se tamen, neque in comparatio­ne ad piam orationem lau­dis, sunt Deo gra [...]ae: Ames. in. loc. docum. 31. perfor­mances, and in the worke done? Psal. 51.16, 17. For thou desirest not sacrifie, else would I give it; thou delightest not in burnt offering: The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart o God thou wilt not despise. John bringeth downe every high thought that exalteth it selfe against God: did not the Prophets doe so? Jer. 4.14. How long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee? Psal. 139.23, 24. Search me O God and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, &c. You see here must not be a thought left to exalt it selfe against God: It is blas­phemy to lay such a charge upon the Prophets Doctrine: For if they did not by it labour to bring downe every high thought that did exalt it selfe against God; their doctrine must needs cause them which were guided by it to come short of the glory of God, which no man that understands himselfe dare affirme.

Pag. 48. he hath this passage I have observed some to confine repen­tance, [Page 57]within the bounds of our conversation; and make no difference be­tween the repentance which was taught by the Prophets, & that repentance which was taught by the Son of God and his Ministers: What he meanes by the bounds of our conversation he sets down himself, pa. 49. li. 9. where he opposeth conversation to conscience: The difference then which he makes between the repentance taught by the Prophets, & that which was taught by the Son of God and his Ministers, is this; namely, that the Prophets repentance, was confined within the bounds of mens conversation, and did not extend it self to the con­science, but only to their outward carriages & behaviours: This must needs be an hypocriticall repentance, cleane contrary to that which the Prophets preacht, which did as neerely concerne the conscience as the conversation; and in preaching of it they principally aimed at the conscience, and the inner man; without which, outward performances were as nothing: and the outward conversation no whit acceptable to God, who lookes at the heart: I dare affirme that the repentance which the Prophets preacht was acceptable to God; not bounded within the conversation; but extending it selfe to the conscience; witnesse, Loquitur primum de in­teriore conver­sione ut ani­mum renovent; si enim sons fu­erit infectus, paenitentia nul­la crit, sed hypo­crisis Lavat in Ezech. 18. hom. 82. Ezek. 18.30, 31. Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions, and make you a new heart and a new Spirit: And it is plaine that the doctrine of repentance taught by the Prophets and by the Sonne of God and his Mini­sters, is for summe and substance one and the same: And thus to charge the Prophets doctrine with hypocrisie, is false doctrine in a high degree. And this doth further appeare, in that hee makes their repentance to be [...], rather then [...]; for then the repentance taught by the Prophets should not differ from Judas his repentance, which was without Faith: which makes the diffe­rence betweene the repentance of Godly, and wicked men.

Pag 48. at the latter end (he saith) It is a doctrine often heard of in your Pulpits: That repentance doth wash away sinne: And Pag. 49. in the latter end he hath these words: To preach that teares doe wash away sinnes out of the sight of God which (saith he) I have heard some testifie that they have heard preached) is a blaspemy against the blood of Christ: It is very uncivill to charge blasphemy upon any Minister in publique, and not to bring his accusers first to him in private; they it may be through ignorance may mis-understand; and I question not but if the Minister might be named, he would main­taine [Page 58]what he had preached: But grant it to be true that some have preached, That repentance washeth away sinne; And that teares doe wash away sinnes out of the sight of God; it is blasphemy to say this is blas­phemy, for it is no other then the Scripture phrase, Exhortati­onis an em fumma est, pri­mum seria re­sipiscentia ab­slinens a malo; Junius in loc. Hortatur Ju­daeos ad paeni­tentiam Cal vin. in loc. Isa. 1.16. Wash you, make you cleane, put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes; by washing in this place is meant serious and true re­pentance, for the Prophet doth exhort the Jewes thereunto: and by washing here is not to be understood the washing of the pollu­tions of the bodies of men, but of their sins: By [make you cleane] is not meant the cleannesse of their hands, but of their life and con­versation: The Apostle James hath the like phrase Chap. 4.8, 9. Ipsa salutaris paenitentia ac vera refipiscentia per lotionem & mundationem exprinitur: ut Isa. 1.16. Atque earenus hoc in loco Jacobus: Mundate, adhortans scil. cos ad veram seriamque paenitenti­am, vitaeque pravae emendationem: Laurentius, Com. in loc. Cleanse your hands you sinners, and puri­fie your hearts you double minded: By clean­sing and washing is meant true repen­tance, as in Isa. 1.16. by hands we are to understand our sinfull actions, and by hearts our corrupt affections; Now how should our hearts, and hands be cleansed and washed from sin? the Apostle bids us be afflicted, and mourne, and weepe; by weeping is meant teares of repentance: So that to say, teares of repentance doe wash away sinnes in the sight of God, (which is all one with the words of the Prophet Esay, put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes) is warranted by these two places of Scripture compared together: It is no blasphemy then to speake as the Scrip­ture speaketh; This saying hath been used often amongst some of the Ancient; and had it beene blasphemy, some Councell or other, in all this time, would have condemned them for it. Saint Flevit ergo amatissime Petrus, flevit ut lachry­mis suum posser lavare delictum. & tust veniam vis mereri, dilue culpam lachrymis tuam. Ambr. lib. 10. in Luc. cap 22 col. mihi. 216. Ambrose upon these words [Peter went out and wept bitterly] hath this passage: Peter therefore wept bitter­ly, he wept that he might with teares wash away his sinne: If thou wilt ob­taine pardon, wash away thy offence with teares; thus the Father. Tria sunt genera Baptismi. quorum primum, quo sordes peccatorum per regenerationis lavacrum ab­luuntur. Secondum quo quis sanguine suo per Marty­rium baptizatur. Est autemtertium baptisina lachrymarum. Isidor. de offic. eccle. lib. cap. 22. sol. mihi. 411. Isi­dor Hispalensis who lived a thousand yeares agoe, saith there are three kinds of baptisme or washing: The first whereby the defilements of sinne are washed away by the laver of regeneration: The second when [Page 59]one is baptized in his owne blood by Martyrdome, with which baptisme Christ was like wise baptized: The third is the baptis­me or washing of teares. To preach then that teares of repen­tance wash away sin is no new Doctrine, and is not injurious to, but doth magnifie the blood of Christ: Teares being an effect flowing from the conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ; Musculus upon the first of Esay propounds this question: How the Prophet ex­horts men to wash and cleanse themselves, seeing it is not in their power. And 1 Joh. 1. The blood of Jesus Christ washeth us from all sinne: He answers it thus: That this Hujusmodi resipiscentia, causa est repurga­tionis, non per quam, sed sine qua non: Muscul, com in loc. repentance here re­quired, is the cause of our washing or cleansing, not the cause by which, but the cause without which our sinnes cannot be washed away: And they are said to wash away our sinnes, not con­sidered in Non in reipsa & intrinseca bonitate actus, sed in divina acceptatione, pactione, & ordinatione, Cassand. Ep. 19 pag. mihi. 1110. themselves or in regard of intrinsecall goodnesse in the Act of shedding them; but in regard of Gods acceptation who doth in and through Christ ac­cept of them, in regard of Gods covenant and promise, in regard of his ordination, who hath ordained that such as shall bee sa­ved shall weepe for their sinnes: There is a washing of Sanctifi­cation and Regeneration, as well as to Justification: By true re­pentance these benefits doe redound of beleevers.

First, remission of sinnes, Marke 1.4. John did preach the bap­tisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes: Thus while hee inti­tles his booke [ Johns doctrine] hee labours as much as in him lyeth, to overthrow Johns Doctrine, Act. 3.19. Repent therefore and bee converted, that your sinnes may bee blotted out.

Secondly, the favour of God, Luke 4.18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee, because hee hath annointed mee to preach the Gospel to the poore; he hath sent mee to heale the broken hearted, to preach de­liverance to the Captives, and recovering of sight to the blind: to set at libertie those that are bruised; to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord: Luke 15.7. Joy shall bee in heaven over one sinner that repenteth: as you may see in the parable of the Prodigall.

The third benefit is righteousnesse before God, Luk. 18.14. The Publican bewailing his condition, in true repentance, our Lord saith, he went downe to his house justified rather than the other: by [Page 60][ Uterque descendit do­mum, sed im­pari fructu, Publicanus ve­re justificatus, Pharisaeus co­ram hominibus ranrum, Areti. in loc. rather] is meant, the Publican was truely justifyed; the Pha­risee before men onely: The Publican in the sight of God: they had both their Righteousnesse, the one hypocriticall, the other reall, who was justifyed of God: So that [rather] must not be understood of one and the same Righteousnesse, as though the difference consisted onely in this: That the Publican was more justifyed, the Pharisee lesse: the Pharisee, he justifyed himselfe before men hypocritically; the other was justifyed of God, which is much rather to be chosen.

Fourthly, The gift and inhabitation of the Holy Ghost, Act. 2.38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sinnes, and yee shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Fifthly, The hearing of our prayers, 1 Joh. 3.21, 22. If our heart condemne us not, then we have confidence toward God. And what­soever we aske, we receive of him.

The Sixth, is Salvation and life eternall, Act. 11.18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

The seventh, is Freedome from temporall punishments, or to be sure, a mitigation of them, Jonah 3.10. And God saw their workes, that they turned from their evill wayes, and God repented of the evill that he had said, 2 Chron. 12.12. And when he humbled himselfe, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether.

This is contrary to what he taught on a Fast day, (as I was cre­dibly informed) That we did not Fast and humble our selves, for the turning away of Gods Judgements: Looke well upon these particulars, and consider the places of Scripture, and you shall finde it no blasphemy to say, repentance washes away sin; Now let us see how all these benefits are attributed to repentance; and how they may be said to be the fruites of it? Not Observandum est paenitentiae haec tribui, non ratione contritionis, quasi illa sit meritum quoddam, ac causa remissionis peccatorum; sed ratione hdei, quae est essentialis pars paenitentiae. Quod ergo partis & quidem primatiae, pro prium est; illud u­sitata Scripturae phrasi, toti tribuitur, Gerhard, locor. Tom. 3. col. mihi. 428. in regard of contrition, as if that were a certain merit and cause of remission of sinnes, I meane the me­ritorious cause (though, as I said, it is Causa sine qua non:) the cause without which we cannot receive them: but in regard of Faith, which is an essentiall part of repentance, which [Page 61]doth apprehend Christ, and in Christ doth freely receive the grace of God; remission of sinnes, righteousnesse, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and life eternall: That therefore, which is proper to a part, it being the principall part; That is by the usuall phrase of Scripture, attributed to the whole; Especially, when as true and saving Faith, and true contrition, and the study of new obe­dience are inseparably joyned together: I hope then we may use Scripture phrase without blasphemy.

Page 49. The latter end (he sayes) This doctrine workes hideous effects in the Church of God; The simple people being asked, how they thinke to make satisfaction to God for sin: have answered, by lamenting and amending. Are not these simple people, those that have lived the ten yeares under his Ministery? they are simple indeed: Aske a Childe that can say the Church Catechisme (which in teaching repentance, tells us, Wee must have a lively Faith in Gods mercy through Christ, with a thankefull remembrance of his death) and he will tell you; he hopes to make satisfaction by the merits of Jesus Christ. We doe not teach Idolola­trica est paenitē ­tia papistarum, quam ponunt, 1. in contriti­one, 2. in con­fessione, 3 satis­factione, qua­que peccata expiari putant, Wolleb. Com­pend. Theol. lib. 2, cap. 3. p. 291. repentance consists, first, in con­trition; secondly confession; thirdly, satisfaction; whereby our sins are expiated.

Pag. 50. At the beginning, he goes on thus: God people, it is dying, not crying, will give satisfaction for sins.

I answer, did Christs dying exclude his crying? who as the Apostle saith, Heb. 5.7. In the dayes of his flesh, when he had offered up Prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares. Was this crying, and these teares, excluded in point of satisfaction for sins? Againe, we doe not say that teares of repentance, make or give satisfaction, but this satisfaction of Christ, is given to no man but to him in whom are teares of repentance, and crying teares in true repentance; is dying to sinne: else what becomes of Christian mortification? and therefore this crying is dying: We make not teares the cause, but an effect flowing from the satisfaction of Christ: (by Faith applyed to the soule) Zach. 12.10. And they shall Quis enim vere fidelium non plangit? peccatis suiscausam se dedisse occisioni & crucifixioni Chri­sti hlii Dei & hominis, ideoque amarissime semper pii Judaei & gentes Domini passionem plangunt, Pellican in loc. looke upon him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourne for him. They that by Faith looke at Christ crucified for their sins, cannot but shed teares of repentance.

Page 50. At the latter end, he propounds this question: Did not the Prophets also Preach remission of sins upon true repentance? If we should hold him close to his owne phrase of speech strictly ta­ken, as he doth others; we may conclude out of his owne mouth (To preach remission of sins upon true repentance) that he speakes blasphemy against the blood of Christ; without which there is no remission; for as satisfaction, so remission of sinnes is onely by the blood of Christ: but of this by the way. Hee goes on in these words: I answer, the Prophets must be considered, preaching either the New Covenant or the Old, for they preached the New also, (They did never Preach the Old and New Covenant in opposition to one another;) The Law (sayes he) did not, could not disanull the Co­venant that was made to Abraham 430. years before: (this place o­verthrowes and confutes him to his face) and he alledgeth it a­gainst himselfe: In the new Covenant (sayes he) the Prophets preach­ed eternall remission; in the Old, they preached actuall remission by le­gall services; but not eternall, which remission is called by the Apostle a fleshly purifying: This place concerning the Covenant made to Abraham Conjungi & misccri nulla ratione queunt: quod non ita est a cipiendum quasi doctrina legis & doctrina Evangel [...]i mutuo repugnent: ita enim Dous sibi in suo verbo repugnater; (quod absit, sed quod justihcationis modus in lege & Evangelio monstratus contratie se haber, aut ut nec simul sta­re, anc misceri in unum possunt, magis quam aqua & ignis simul consistere in unum elemontum possunt, Pareus com. in loc. Gal. 3.17. is not so to be understood, as if the Do­ctrine of the Law and of the Gospell were mutually repugnant, & contrary to each other: for so God should be repungant & contrary to him­selfe in his owne Word; (which God forbid in the least thought) but in re­gard of the manner of justification, set forth in the Law, and in the Gospell: So they are contrary, and cannot be mix­ed together, be made one, or stand to­gether, no more than fire and water can consist together, or be made one and the same element. We must here againe marke the opposition be­tweene the Law and the promise, The false Apostles did attribute the effect of Proinde alrius quiddam in caeremoniis conside­rat, nempe effectum justincationis, quem illis tri­buchant pseudoapostol [...] & conscientiarum obliga­tionem, Calvin in loc. Justification to legall ceremonies, and so did lay a yoke upon mens consciences, the yoke of ceremonies: but what's the meaning of the Apostle when he saith; The Law cannot disanull, and make the promise of none effect? why, the Impostors did deny salvation promised, to be freely given to men and ob­tained by Faith, and did urge the Ceremonies of the Law, as ne­cessary [Page 63]cessary for the obtaining thereof. And so did set the Law in op­position to the Promise to disanull it, which the Apostle affirmes cannot be; well then, the Law did not, nor could not disanull the promise made to Abrahā, but the false Apostles in Pauls time would have had it so: And the Prophets should have beene no lesse than false prophets, if they had Preached the Old Covenant in oppo­sition to the New: And whereas he saith, They did in the Old Co­venant, Preach Actuall remission by legall scrvices, but not eternall: now he sets downe what he meanes by actuall remission, (namely) a fleshly purifying: for (so he saith) the Apostle calls it. First, I answer, that where there is actuall remission of sins in the sight of God, there must needs be eternall: Otherwise a man may be a Childe of God to day, and to morrow a cast-away; which is Ar­minianisme in the highest degree, if not Popery: and contrary to what himselfe hath delivered (to wit) that God hath pardoned all the sinnes of beleevers, past, present, and to come; I would see, how he can prove this actuall remission, by legall services; The Scripture makes mention of no such remission; And the Prophets did Preach against remission by legall services, consisting onely in a fleshly pu­rifying: nay they did abhorre, and cry downe the legall services of the people, when they did performe them to the purifying of the flesh, not having respect to the inward purifying of the heart by Faith, Isa. 1.11, 12. To what purpose is the multitude of your sa­crifices unto me? saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of Rams, and the fat of fed beasts, I delight not in the blood of Bullockes or of Lambes or of Hee Goates, ver. 13. Bring no more vaine oblations, in­cense is an abomination unto me: by this place you may see the Pro­phet Preacht against legall services, as restrained to the purificati­on of the flesh onely; and did by them presse the people to looke farther, to wit, to the spirituall purification, as ver. 16. Wash ye, make you cleane, &c. They did not preach in the old Covenant actuall remission by legall services, but in reference to Christ, else they should stand guilty of that which the Apostle speakes, Rom. 9.31, 32. But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse, hath not attained to the Law of righteousnesse: wherefore? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the workes of the Law. Cer­tainely the Prophets never preached any righteousnesse or remis­sion by legall services, unlesse they were done in faith: and that [Page 64]by them the people did looke at the righteousnesse of faith: aim­ing altogether at Jesus Christ: in whom, and by whom, there was, and ever is eternall remission: who was, Quia ut pri­mum caepit hu­mani generis reparatio per justificationem hominum in Christo, caepit Agni illius san­guis operari, Estius in diffic. Script. loc. Revel. 13.8. The Lamb of God slaine from the foundation of the World.

But let us see what actuall remission, which he calls a fleshly purifying, is: Why tis this: when any of the people had outward­ly defiled their bodies by touching any uncleane thing: as for one, the touching of a dead body: they were to be excluded the congregation: now by some legall service, this uncleannesse was remitted, namely by the act of sprinkling the water of separation: and by this they had actuall remission of their uncleannesse, which gave them admission into the Congregation againe: The Pro­phets never had any Commission to preach the old Covenant, se­parated and apart from the New: neither is this actuall remission by legall services set downe but in reference to eternall remission by Christ: neither did the Prophets ever preach it otherwayes: for if they had, they had Preached Justification by workes, and the righteousnesse of the Law, and so they and their hearers must needs come short of the righteousnesse of God which is by Faith, and so perish everlastingly: Oh damned Doctrine!

Page 51. About the middle, To make these things more plaine (saith he) Take this proposition: which I know will tingle in the eares of many) happily it may tingle in his owne eares, for tis pity but he should heare of it: his proposition is this: The knowledge of both actuall and eternall remission was no Article of the Jewish Creed: but a part of that mystery which was kept secret from the giving of the Law, untill the time of John Baptist: his meaning is, that all that time, the Jewes had not knowledge of actuall and eternall remission, as he layes it downe, pag. 52. line 17. his reason is, They differed nothing from servants, so line the 20. he concludes, they were in bondage, and being so, had not knowledge of actuall and eternall remission. Marke, and see if he doth not contradict his owne proposition: pag. 51. line 6. he saith, in the New Covenant the Prophet Preacht eter­nall remission: why, then he had knowledge of it, and by Preach­ing made it knowne to others: So then they had knowledge of that before the time of John Baptist, as himselfe confesseth. A­gaine, he confesseth, They Preached actuall remission by legall servi­ces. Againe, looke, Pag. 53. line 3. he confesseth, They had know­ledge [Page 65]of actuall remission to come by the promised seed: And herein he contradicts himselfe, in saying, It was a part of that mystery, kept secret from the giving of the Law, untill the time of John Baptist. For then they could not have knowne it to come. Scientia est habitus demō ­strativus, Ari­stot. 6. Ethic. Knowledge is a Demonstrative habite, and doth determin the Intellect to one side with certainty. No question but the Jewes had so much know­ledge whereby they did certainely and assuredly beleeve, and were perswaded, and did understand that their sins were really, actually, and eternally remitted in Christ. By his actuall remission to come, doth he understand Christs actuall comming in the flesh: we must know that all true beleevers, who lived before Christs comming in the flesh, had actuall and eternall remission, without which they could not be saved, nor enter into Heaven: He was up with Patres sub lege non fuisse consortes aetor­nae vitae, Osiand. Epit. hist. eccle. Cent. 16. lib, 2. cap. 21. Servetus in his Sermon, but makes no mention of him in Print: This Heretique held that the Fathers under the Law were not partakers of eternall life, and according to his proposition, this heretique speakes the truth.

To prove this proposition he brings in this place of Scripture, Joh. 1.18. No man hath seene God at any time, the onely begotten Sonne, which is in the bosome of the Father, he hath declared him: Will he prove by this place that none of the Fathers and people of the Jewes did see God, in regard of Actuall and eternall remission, be­fore Christs comming in the flesh? Remission of sinnes is an Ar­ticle of our Faith: And did not they beleeve the same remission of sinnes which we doe? To make things plaine, I will here set downe what remission of sins is.

Remission of sins, is forgivenesse of sin, when both the guilt and punishment are freely pardoned for Christ alone to such as be­leeve in him: Now if the Fathers did beleeve eternall remission, they must needs know it; For in true saving Faith there are three things Forma fidei docendi causa tribus partibus de­scribi folet, Notiria, Assensu, & fiducia, 1. Notiria est corum cognitio quae ad sa [...]utem necessaria sunt, 2. Assensus est quo firmiter credirut vera esse, quae verbo Dei traduntur, 3. hiducia est qua quisque fidelium fibi promissiones Evangelicas applicat. Wolleb. Theol. compend. lib. 1. cap. 29. pag. 231. required, Knowledge, Assent, and Application. By Knowledge I mean the right conceiving of the necessary Doctrines of true Religion, especially those which concerne Christ our Redee­mer: Assent is when a man knowing this Doctrine, doth further approve of the same as whole some doctrine; and the Truth of God directing us [Page 66]aright unto salvation. Application is, when we conceive in our hearts a true perswasion of Gods mercy towards us particularly in the free pardon of all our sins, and for the salvation of our Soules; The Jewes living in the time of the Law, having true saving Faith, must needs then have knowledge of Actuall and eternall remission, having these three things which must needs be in all that did ever truely beleeve: but it is proved by Scripture, Act. 10.43. To him give all the Prophets witnesse, that through his Name whosoever belee­veth in him shall receive remission of sins. Three things observa­ble in the Text.

First, That it is the proper Office of Christ by blotting out their sins to reconcile men to God.

Secondly, That by Faith we obtaine remission of sinnes.

Thirdly, That this Quod haec doctrina non nova, aut nuper fabricata sit, sed jam olim ab ul­timis seculis, testes habuerit omnes Dei Prophetas, Cal­vin in loc. Doctrine of remission is no new Doctrine lately framed: But of old from the beginnings of the world, had all the Prophets of God witnesses to it, and therefore they must of necessity know it. But we will open the meaning of this place, Joh. 1.18. No man hath seene God at any time, &c. God is said to be seene in Scripture diverse wayes.

First, he is Plures modi sunt videndi Deum, 1. primus. quo non in se sed in operibus suis videtur. 2. Altera vi­ [...]io est qua Deus in aliqua specie & corporea figura videtur: 3. Tertia est qua videtur per fidem, vel aliquod lumen spirituale revelatum, & sine specie & imagine ulla. 4. Quarta qua videtur per humanitarem assumptam: qui enim Christum hominem vid ebant, Deum dicebantur videre; qui erat unitus illi humanitati. 5. Quinta est omnium suprema qua Deus in suamet essentia aperte & cla­re videtur, sicut homo hominem vider: haec est visio beatorum, quae est visio Dei, in essentia & substantia propria, Tolet in Evang. Joan. cap. 1. Annot. 53. Quod Deum nemo vidit un quam praeter Chri­stum testem oculatum, in fallibilis est sententia: plu­res modi suut videndi Deum: 1. Per speculum crea­tutarum: 2. Per simulachra & imagines: 3. Per Ange­los: 4. Per fidem: 5. Per carnem; concluditur & non videri ipsum, nempe per essentiam, & videri tamen per apparitiones, perque modos alios; Pe­largus, in loc. quae. 2. seene not in himselfe, but in his works, in the creatures; for in them many of the perfections of God are knowne; as his wisedome, prudence, vertue, immortality and eternitie, Rom. 1.20, 21. Againe, God is said to bee seene in some bodily shape and likenesse, and that either in regard of the outward sense, or in regard of the imagination; for sometimes God used some likenesse in which hee would appeare to men; whether it were the likenesse of a man, or of fire, or of any other body, or crea­ture whatsoever, and in regard of this vision God is said to be seene in the old Testament of the Prophets not onely with the inward, but with the outward eyes, Isa. 6.1. Gen. 32.30. Thirdly, God is said to be seene by Faith alone without any likenesse. Fourthly, by his humane nature assu­med, [Page 67]his flesh; for they which see Christ man are said to see God united to his humanitie, John 14.9. Hee that hath seene mee hath seene the Father. Fiftly, God is said to be seene in his owne essence, manifestly and plainely, as one man sees another; and thus hee is seene by the intellect, or understanding; not by the eye of the body, because God is a Spirit: This is the vision of the blessed in heaven which is spoken of Matth. 18.10. In heaven their Angels doe alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in heaven, 1 Cor. 13.12. Now we see through a glasse darkly, but then face to face: And thus it is concluded, no man hath seene God at any time, in regard of his essence, and being, and proper substance as hee is in himselfe; as an eye witnesse but Christ: There is a Comprehensio duobus modis sumitur, Primo, pro consecutione alicujus rei quam quis deside­rat: hoc modo omnes beati in caelis dicuntur com­prehensores, quia jam confecuti sunt; quod in hac vita quaerebant. Secundo, pro perfecta & adaequa­ta cognitione alicujus rei: Becan. Tom. 1. de vis. Dei quae. 11. Sic intelligendo, res dicitur comprehendi, quan­do ita perfecte cognoscitur, quod nihil amplius de re cognosci potest: nec absolutum nec comparatum: Durand. lib. 1. dist. 35. quae. 2 col. 214. in fine. A liud enim est videre; aliud est totum videndo com­prehendere: Totum autem comprehenditur vi­dendo, quod ita videtur ut nihil lateat videntem. Aug. ep. 1 12. cap. 9. comprehensive vision whereby God is not onely in his proper essence and substance seene manifestly and clearely, but also fully comprehen­ded: Comprehension is taken two wayes; first, for the obtaining of that which any one desireth: And so all the blessed in heaven are said to comprehend, because they have obtained that which in this life they sought after; and in this sense the Apostle speakes, 1 Cor. 9.24. So runne that yee may obtaine; that yee may com­prehend as judicious Beza, and the com­mon translation read it. Again, comprehension is taken for the per­fect and adequate knowledge of any thing; and so a thing is said to be comprehended by our understanding of it, when it is so perfectly known, that nothing more concerning it can be known. That is per­fectly knowne, which is knowne so far forth as it is cognoscible, or knowable. Again, that is said to be cōprehended w ^ch is so seene that nothing of it lieth hid to the party seeing, when he seeth all that is in it: Now there can be no Nunquam est comprehensio objecti a potentia, nifi quando tanta est intellectivitas potentiae intelli­gentis, quanta est intelligibilitas objecti intellecti, ali­ter enim actus non potest esse adaequatus objecto; & propter hoc porentia talis non comprehendit ob­jectum Scot. quae. reportat. lib. 3 dist. 14. quae. 2. comprehensi­on of the object, in regard of the faculty, unlesse when the Intellectivitie (as the Schoole phrase hath it) of the intelligent facultie, be such as the intelligibilitie of the object that is to be understood; otherwise the act cannot be ade­quate to the object, & in this regard such a facultie cannot compre­hend [Page 68]the object: To make this plaine, the act I meane of the intel­lect, the intellect being taken for the intellective, or understan­ding facultie, must be as vastly extensive in knowing as the object is cognoscible, or knowable: So that to see God by this compre­hensive vision is so fully to know God, that nothing whatsoever is in God is hid; but is openly, clearly, fully, and manifestly knowne: and thus no man hath seene God at any time, but the onely begotten Sonne who is in the bosome of the Father (the Spirit not excepted.) The words taken in this sense tis true, that no created nature hath, or ever shall see God; neither the Angels nor Saints in heaven can see him so farre as to comprehend him: Be­cause an Insinitum objectuin, ut in­fin itum, com­prehendi non potest, nisi ali­quo actu infi­nito, ut infini­cto. Scotus, quodlib. quae. 1. infinite object, as infinite, cannot be comprehended by any but an infinite act, considered as infinite.

The question now will bee of the fourth way of seeing God; whether the Fathers and the people of the Jewes did not see Christ according to his flesh, his humane nature: I answer, they did see him so by Faith, which makes things to come as already present; and this is proved, John 8.56. Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad: Here is a Metony­mia est adjun­cti pro subjecto: nam diei nomi­ne intelligen­dus est ipse Christus incar­natus, in tem­pore five die illo manifesta­tus. Rolloc. in loc. Metonymie of the Adjunct for the Subject; for by the day wee are to understand Christ incarnate, the time of Christs manifestation in the flesh: And thus Abraham saw him and all that were the children of Abraham by Faith; Christ was [...], God-man, according to both natures, a mediatour to the Fathers and the people of the Jewes who lived in the time of the Law: before he did assume his humane nature, he was a Mediatour according to both natures; because then he was the Mediatour of men as he was to be incar­nate, he is now a Mediatour as he is incarnate. Saint Unus est Deus & unus Mediator Dei & hominum, homo Christus Jesus: quoni­am non est ali­ud nomen sub caelo datum hominibus in quo oporteat nos salvos fieri; & in illo definivit Deus fidem omnibus, suscitans illum a mortuis: itaque sine ista side, hoc est, sine fide unius mediator is Dei & hominum, hominis Christi Jesu, sine fide inquam resurrection is ejus, quam Deus hominibus definivit, quae utique sine incarnatione ejus ac morte, non potest veraciter credi, fine fide ergo incarnation is & mortis, & resurrectionis Christi: nec antiquos justos, ut justi essent a peccatis, potuisse mundari, & Dei gratia justificari, veritas Christiana non dubitat. Aug. de peccat. Origin. lib. 2. cap. 24. to 7. Augustine makes this plaine from the 1 Tim. 2.5. For there is one God, and one Mediatour betweene God and man, the man Christ Jesus: From whence hee concludes, that without Faith or beleeving this one Mediatour of God and men, the man Christ Jesus: And that without beleeving the incarnation, death, and resurrection of [Page 69]Christ, the holy Fathers could not be made cleane, and justified by the Grace of God, that they should be justified from their sinnes: And this (saith the Father) the Christian veritie doth not doubt: So then it is plaine that the people of the Jewes having Christ their Mediatour, according to both natures, and beleeving his incarnation, death, and resurrection, (without which they could not be justified before God) had knowledge both of Actuall and eternall remission: And did beleeve Actuall and Eternall remission of sinnes present, their sinnes being in Jesus Christ Actually and Eternally remitted unto them. For the meaning of this place, John 1.18. The Jewes did depend altogether upon the authority of Mo­ses, in regard he spake with God face to face; the Evangelist to the intent he might bring them off from that overvaluing esteeme they had of Moses, in opposition to Christ: denieth that any man hath seene God at any time, but the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father, one with him who knowes all his secrets, he hath declared him. By him Moses had those things which he delivered to the people, Per hunc; gratiam ach­dem: voluntas Patris exposita est Mosi, per hunc datae sunt faederis ta­bulae, factae sunt promissiones, & quicquid aliud beneficio­rum Dei isti populo con­cessum est. Mus­cul. in loc. by him the will of the Fa­ther was made knowne to Moses, by him the Tables of the Cove­nant were given, the promises were made, and whatsoever other benefits were granted to that people of God: And it is true that no man considered in his naturall condition hath seene God at any time, 1 Cor. 2.14. The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, Matth. 11, 27. No man knoweth the Sonne but the Fa­ther; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Sonne, and hee to whomsoever the Sonne will reveale him: The Sensus igitur est quod absque revelatione per Fi­lium in verbo Evangelii exterins, & per S. 8. illu­minationem interius factam, nec essentiae, nec voluntatis divinae, salutatis & salvifica cognitio, cuiquam hominum in hac vita obtingere possit. Ger [...]ard. loc. Tom 9. col. mihi, 719. meaning is, that without revelation by the Sonne in the Word of the Gospell outwardly, and by the illumination of the holy Ghost inwardly: it is impossible for any man to attaine to the saving knowledge of God: And by this way did all belee­vers in all times come to know God savingly, without which it was impossible for them to be saved. As for that place, 2 Cor. 4.6. For God who hath commanded the light to shine out of darknesse, hath shined in our hearts: to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ: If we consider these words in Alludit perpetuo in toto hoc sermone Aposto­lus ad Mosis faciem, laciem illam non apertam, (ut­clara esset Dei imago) sed opertam. Beza in loc. allusion to Moses; they doe not ex­clude [Page 70]the people of the Jewes, from having the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, but they include thus much, that we under the Gospell have a clearer light, the vaile being done away.

Page 52. He makes use of Gal. 4.1. The Heire, as long as he is a Childe, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all: Who are the Heires under age? even the Jewes, untill the time came that God sent forth his Sonne, &c. They were the Heires under age that differed not from servants, Now I say (sayes he) They that had knowledge of actuall and Eternall remission differed from servants: They that differed nothing from servants, had not knowledge of actuall, and eternall remission: You see his Argument and what he concludes, let's see how he can make it good from the words rightly expounded: The Apostle saith, the Heire as long as he is a Childe differeth nothing from a servant: The word [ nothing Quod nihil differat a servo, particula [...] nihil, intelliga­tur [...], non absolute, sed quoad [...] & subje­ctionem, Par [...]us in loc.] is not to be understood absolutely, but in regard of Subjection, as is expounded in the second verse: but is under Tutours and Gover­nours: as a servant is not at his owne liberty, but under the com­mand of his Master. So the Heire while he is a Childe is under Tutors, &c. and differeth nothing from a servant, in regard of his present subjection; yet this Subjection doth not make him of a Sonne to become a servant; for his Son-ship remaines for all that: neither doth his differing nothing from a servant, (which is to be restrained to his present subjection) take away his right of inheritance, for the Apostle saith, He is Lord of all; And in this he differeth from a Servant, who is no waies Lord; neither doth remaine in the house alway, as it is, Jah. 8.35. Well then, accor­ding to the Metaphor, take the Church of the Jewes, for the Heires under age, differing nothing from Ser­vants; Notwithstanding this servitude Neque tamen haec servitus haereditati, & adop­tioni corum derogabat, crant nihilominus filii, hae­redes, domini omnium; sub externa servitute con­scientias liberas habentes, spiritu filiali intus Deo libere servientes; certi enim de grathita remissione pec [...]atorum, per fidem venturi Christi, conscien­tias a mortis & peccati Tyrann de liberas habebant quantum saluti suae satisesset, Parcus in loc. did not derogate from their inheritance, and adoption. They were neverthelesse Sonnes, Heires, Lords of all; under this outward servitude they had their con­sciences free, serving God freely in the inner man, with a filiall spirit; for they were certaine of free remission of sinnes by Faith in Christ, and had their consciences freed from the tyranny of death, and sinne, [Page 71]so farre forth as was sufficient for their Salvation: So that this place of Scripture, rightly understood, makes altogether against him; for from hence we may gather, that the Itaque hic verborum Apostoli sensus est; nemo puter me quae hactenus dixi, in Patrum ant gentis Judaicae contumeliam dixisse: suerūt enim hi quo que filii Dei, & promissionum haeredes; neque me la­tet quod olim pronuntiavit Deus, Israel est filius meus primogenitus: Item, ex Aegypto vocavi fili­um meum, Exod. 4. Hose. 11. Gualter in Gal. hom. 31 Fathers under the Old Te­stament, had hope of the same inheri­tance which we have at this very day, be­cause they were partakers of the same adoption: and they were chosen of God to this end, that they should be the sons of God together with us, as well as we. Againe, we gather from this place that in externall servitude (which to them was no ser­vitude, but as it is compared with our condition since the com­ming of Christ) they had freedome of conscience; neither did the strict observation of the Law, hinder Moses, Daniel, all the godly Kings, Priests, and Prophets, and the whole company of beleevers, but that they were free in spirit: Therefore they did so beare the yoke of the Law upon their shoulders (which, I say againe, was not to them a yoke, but comparatively to the Chri­stian liberty by the comming of Christ) that they did serve God with a free spirit; and were principally and especially Praesertim vero de gratuita peccatorum remis­sione edocti, ut conscientias haberent a peccati & mortis Tyrannide solutas. Inde constituendum est, candem semper suisse doctrinam, & vera fidei unitate nobiscum fuisse conjunctos, unius etiam Mediatoris fiducia nobisctan fretos. Calvin in loc. taught, and instructed concerning free remission of sins; and had their consciences loosed from the Tyranny and slavery of sinne and death; From whence it is conclu­ded that there was alwayes one and the same Doctrine, and that they were joy­ned with us in the true unity of Faith, and that they did injoy with us affiance and hope in one and the same Mediator, in whom they had boldnesse and accesse with confi­dence by the Faith of him, Ephes. 3.12. and therefore it must ne­cessarily follow that they had not an overly, but an experimentall knowledge of actuall and eternall remission, having assurance in their consciences, that their sins were at that present time wherein they lived, actually and eternally remitted in Christ; Otherwise we must conclude that the sinnes of beleevers in the time of the Law, were not remitted till Christs manifestation and comming in the flesh, which is most absurd and contradictory to Scripture; They had Christ in Spirit, They beleeved in Christ, and were sa­ved [Page 72]by him as we are; as it is, Heb. 13.8. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Yesterday to our Fathers, to day to us, for ever to ours: all that ever were saved, were saved by one and the same Christ, who is the way, being Quia igitur haereditas caelestis non est nisi una, [...] una ejus parandae via, ac ratio, perspicu­um est unam substantia esse veteris & novi Testa­ments Ecclesiam, & salutis doctrinam, contra quam [...]ana [...]ici & papistae contendunt, Pareus com. in Gal. cap. 4. 1. ever the same; yesterday, before the time of his comming in the flesh, to day, when he did come in the flesh; at the time before appointed; now and for ever the same Christ, to all beleevers in all times, all beleevers in all ages, being for substance, one and the same Church of God; Christ was Exhibitus Patribus in promissione ita ut eorum fider non minus praesen: fue; it sanguis Christi sun dendus; quam sidei nost [...]ae praefens est jamolim effusus, Tessan in Epist. ad Hebr. praelect. cap. 13.8. exhibited in the promise to the Fathers; and the blood of Christ to be shed, was no lesse present to their Faith, then the blood of Christ long agoe shed, is present to our Faith, Heb. 9.22. Without shedding of blood is no remission: and it was by the shedding of the same blood, that all Gods people from the be­ginning of the world, ever had remission.

Pareus Unde commentum pontificium de limbo, in quem Patres fideles, crudeliter detruferunt; ubi nulla salute fruerentur, eminus tancum sururam in­tuerontur, firmiter destruitur, Pareus in loc. that godly and learned man, from his place, Gal. 4.1. concludes that if the Fathers were Heires, and Lords of the inheritance with us, they were therefore saved by Faith no lesse than we, whereby he con­demneth the Papists concerning their Altis debetur sola paenadamni, solum tempora­lis, absque ulla paena sensus, & isti dicebantur esse in limbo Patrum, qui prohibebantur an e [...]passio­nem Christi a visione divina, eo quod non crat sa­tisfactum pro peccato totius naturae, quan [...]vis hi non essent obnoxii alicur panae, pro peccatis suis personalibus, Durand. lib. 3. dist. 22 quae. 4. limbus, wherein they have cruelly shut up the Fathers, where they injoy not salvation, but behold it afar off onely to come: and this is just according to his proposition as he defends it, that they had knowledge of actuall and eternall remission to come, not present, but afarre off: His proposition is farre more cruell and injurious to the Fathers, than the opinion of the Papists is about the limbus: They have devised and imagined in their wandering conceit, foure infernall and subterrestriall places. First, Hell. Secondly, Purga­tory. Thirdly, Limbus infantum, where Children remaine dying without baptisime. Fourthly, Limbus Patrum, where all the Fa­thers were before Christs comming in the flesh: And their opini­on is, that they were kept in an infernall place, or dungeon of [Page 73]darknesse, yet without paine, they did suffer the punishment of losse onely, and that but for a time, for this Limbus did indure but till the comming of Christ: and Constituunt Scholastici communi consensu, intra terram quatuor sinus, five unum in quatuor partes divisum, unum pro damnatis; alterum pro purgandis: tertium pro Infantibus, sine baptismo abeuntibus: quartum pro justis qui moriebantur ante Christi passionem, qui nunc vacuus remanet, Bellarm. Tom 2. de Purgator. lib. 2. cap. 6. pag. mihi. 410. Bellarmin himselfe speaking of the Limbus saith, this place now remain­eth empty: So that the Papists you see shut the Fathers out of Heaven but for a time, and that not to suffer the torments of hell, but the punishment of losse one­ly: But according to his proposition, if the knowledge of actuall and eternall re­mission, was no Article of the Jewes Creed, they must needs suffer the losse of Heaven, and the torments of hell, and that not for a time, but to eternity: O fearefull consequence!

Remission Necessaria est doctrina de remission peccato­rum in Ecclesia: nam haec porta est per quam in­gredimur in coetum electorum & vitam aeternam, Aretius, loc. Com. de Remiss. Peccat. col. mihi. 191. of sinnes is the gate through which we enter in­to the company of the Elect, and eternall life; shut up this gate, no getting into Heaven.

Now looke Pag. 51. In the New Covenant (sayes he) the Prophet Preached eternall remission, but not yet actuall, as though Gods peo­ple of old had not remission of sins in act, before Christs comming in the flesh: a man may as well say with the Papists, they went not into heaven before Christs comming in his humane nature, nay, by this opinion they must never goe at all. The Prophet David in preaching the new Covenant, preached actuall remission, Psalm. 32.1, 2. Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven (that is, remitted) Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniqui­ty, and ver. 5. Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne (that is, thou didst remit) as Saint Beati quorum remissae sunt iniquitates [...] Tu re­misisti impieratem peccati mei, H [...]eron. Descrip­tio beatitudinis, petitur a causa efficiente, & conti­nente, quae est remissio peccatorum, vel justifica­tio cum ejus effectis. Ames Lect. in loc. Hierome reads it: this must needs beactuall remission, and by consequent, eternall, in regard remission once had, can never be lost, and there is, and ever was, the same Numericall remission of sins to all beleevers; All the Elect having al­wayes Non semper omnes electi eam habent actu, sed omnes Credentes eam actu habent semper, ergo e­lectitum demum habent actu, cum convertuntur, & fide donantur, quoad propositum vero Dei eam habent. Denique remissio seinel facta in hac vita, semper & in omnem aeternitarem durabit, sic ut in aeternum non sunt imputandanohis peccata semel remissa, Polan. Syntag. lib. 6. cap. 36 pag. mihi, 466. remission of sins in regard of Gods purpose: and so it may be said to be eternall remission, à parte ante (as we [Page 74]use to say) for time past and before; it being in Gods eternall purpose: but all the elect have not this remission alwayes in act: when they doe beleeve and are converted, then they have it in act, and this is actuall remission. Againe, remission once granted, doth remaine to all eternity; for sinnes once remitted shall not be imputed to us for ever, and thus it is eternall (à parte post) that is, for time to come.

The second place he useth to prove his proposition pag. 52. is Gal. 4.25. Ne enim videretur Jerosolymam a regibus, pa­tribus ingenuis, liberis Abrahae filiis olim habitatam injuria comparate ancillae Hagar, adstringit nomina­tim ad Jerosolymam praesentem, ubi tunc Sacerdotes, Scribae, Pharisaei, nomodidascali, dominabantur in Synagoga. Pareus in loc. Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children; his argument from this place is this: They that were in bondage had not knowledge of actuall and eternall remission: He doth abuse this Text and wrests it contrary to the intent of the Scripture: The Apostle by Jerusalem doth not un­derstand the Jewes in the time of the old Testament: but of Jeru­salem that now is, of the state of Jerusalem after Christ was mani­fested in the flesh; as it was at that time when the Apostle spake these words. And lest he should seeme injuriously to compare Non considerat vetus Testamentum in se, sed ostendit Hagar & Ismaelem typum fuisse corum, qui etiam manifestato Evangelio, in serviture legis ma­nere malunt, quam amplecti veritatem: Tossan. in loc. Jerusalem once inhabited of the Kings, Patriarchs, and free borne Sons of Abraham, to Agar the bond-woman; he doth restraine his speech to Jerusa­lem as it is now, the present condition of it, where the Priests, Scribes, Pharisees, and the Teachers of the Law did rule in the Synagogue. The Fathers before Christ did observe the Law by right, because God did then command and approve of legall services; but now these were abolished by Christ. Yet these unbeleeving Jewes at this present would be un­der the Law in opposition to Christ and the freedome they might have by him, and so bring themselves into bondage. So that this place is not spoken of the Jewes in the time of the Law; but of those who lived in the time of the Gospell. For his answer pag. 53. That this was acknowledged that they should hereafter differ from servants, but for the present they did not: If they were for the pre­sent servants, so farre forth that they lived and died without know­ledge of actuall and eternall remission present; they must needs perish; and what benefit had they that the Church of the Jewes [Page 75]in after time should differ from servants, who for the present lived and died in such a miserable condition?

But further to prove the people of the Jewes to be in bondage, and so not to have knowledge of actuall and eternall remission, he [...] goes on pag. 53. in these words; If any say that the bondage of the Jewes was not a bondage of conscience, but a yoake of ceremonies: I an­swer, Yes, (saith he) even a bondage of conscience, which stung their hearts; for besides the authoritie of interpreters, it is said that the chil­dren through feare of death were subject to bondage all their lives long. Heb. 2.25. I would gladly know whom these interpreters are, that hold that all the beleeving Jewes before Christs incarnation, were under that bondage of conscience which stung their hearts: God­ly Satan per peccatum, in tristissima serviture sub jugo suo tenebar genus humanum ita ut non modo in continuo mortis meru essent, verum etiam nihil aliud expectare possent miserrimi homines, nisi ut per corporalem mortem, in aeternam mortem seu damnationem praecipitarentur. Osiand. in loc. Mors hic non separationem modo animae a corpore signi­ficat, sed paenam, quae ab irato deo infligitu [...]ut aeter­num exitium comprehendat Calvin, in loc. Interpreters expound it thus: That Satan by sinne, did hold all mankind in a sorrowfull servitude, and bondage under his yoake, that they were not onely in continuall feare of death, but by corpo­rall death did feare the falling downe headlong into eternall death; By death in this place is to bee understood, not onely the separation of the soule from the body, but the punish­ment which is inflicted upon us from an angry God; so that it comprehends eternall destruction; and thus every wicked man that is out of Christ, is through the feare of death temporall, as being the gate to eternall death, all his life time subject to bondage. The beleeving Jewes were not subject to this bondage, they were the Sonnes of God, and did receive the spirit of adop­tion; and this slavish feare and bondage was taken away from them by Christ, for they were the sonnes of God by adoption as well as wee.

Pa. 54. To prove that this was a bondage of conscience (saith he) What is it that makes death bitter but the sting of death? and what is the sting of death but sin? Wherefore they had conscience of sin: This is a do­ctrine most injurious to the people of God in those times, & against the blood of Christ: certainly the sting of death, & so of conscience, was by Christ taken from them: and they could say as well as belee­vers now; as it is, Nec quic­quam obstabit, quin olim cor­pora nostra resuscitentur; & fiat quod olim per pro­pheras & Apo­ [...]olos praedi­ctum est: Gual. in loc. hom. 87. Verba Pro­phetae; vel A­postoli laetan­tis, Hos. 13.14. Glo. Ordin. 1 Cor. 15.55, 56, 57. O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory: The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin [Page 76]is the Law, but thankes be to God who hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pag. 55. he argues thus: If the Jewes betweene Moses time and John Baptist, were under the Law, then under the curse: that they were under the Law, is proved, Gal. 3.23.24. But if under the Law, then under the curse, Gal. 3.10. Can he prove that because the Apostle saith, Before faith came, we were kept under the Law: therefore the Jewes were under the curse; and from Moses to John Bap­tists time lived and died under the curse, which must of necessitie follow? Never did any man mis-apply, and mis-interpret-Scrip­ture more grossely; for this place will prove clearely, that their being kept under the Law, was not a curse, but a blessing upon them; and that in a high degree; [...]: Erat lex quoddam [...], muni­mentum, quo circumse ptus populus ille, conspicuus, in­expugnabilis, impermixtus, usque ad Chri­stum conserva­batur, ab aliis populis sepa­ratus permane­bat, Pareus in loc. [...], signi­fieth to be fenced about with a garrison of men; God did give unto this nation many particular priviledges, they being a peculiar people unto himselfe; as the morall Law written, the Priesthood, Rites, Ceremonies, and forme of government; now the Law was quoddam [ [...]] that is, a wall of defence, with which the people were hedged in round about, and were conspicuous, inexpugnable, & kept separated from other nations untill the comming of Christ: & thus to be kept under the Law was a peculiar favour of God to thē above al other nations in the world, as God himself witnesseth, Deut. 4.7, 8. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh un­to them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous, as all this Law, which I set before you this day? This place doth confute him: the Dicturi erant pscudoapostoli, Etiamsi cōcedamus justitiam non manare ex lege, sed ex gratuita in Chri­sto promissione, quum tamen Deus, quem semper u­num & sui similem esse testatus est, oeconomiam istam Mosaicam constituerit, &c. quo jure vis illam abo­ [...]ere? Responder Apostolus temporariam fuisse istam oeconomiam, Beza, in loc. scope and designe of the Apostle is to confute the false Apostles, who were ready to say; Although we grant righ­teousnesse not to come by the Law; but from the free promise in Christ: Not­withstanding God who is unchangea­ble, did give the Mosaicall Law and oeconomie, as you confesse, to bring us to Christ: how then can this stand with the unchangeablenesse of God that this Law should be abolished? The Apostle makes answer, that by Gods appointment, this was but Temporarie: and to endure but till faith came, that is, till Christs comming in the [Page 77]flesh; for Faith is taken metonymically for the principall object of Faith; and it were fearefully desperate to thinke that all the peo­ple from Moses to John Baptist lived so under the Law, as that they were without faith in Jesus Christ: Thus you see this place maketh against him, and in stead of a curse pronounceth a blessing: it being the blessing of God upon the Jewes to be kept under the Law till Faith came; that is, till Christs incarnation: The belee­ving Jewes before the comming of Christ were under the Law in respect of Ceremonies, but not in respect of the malediction & curse thereof. To conclude this, if by the Law of Moses we understand the Mosaicall Politie, so the Law by the comming of Christ was abolished; if by the Law wee understand the morall Law, or ten Commandements, the curse of the Law is, and was ever taken a­way in regard of all true beleevers living in all ages of the world: Causa abrogationis manifesta haec est, Deus sin­gulari beneficio constituit politiam Mosaicam, ut es­ser certa fedes, & certa gens, & quali Schola in qua servatetur doctrina de Filio Dei, & repeterentur promissiones, & adderentur illustrissima testimonia, & in qua certum esset Filium assumpta natura hu­mana, concionaturum esse, & fururum victimam, & resurrecturum esse, & editurum testimonia doctrinae, quia Deus de his tantis rebus, vult nos certos esse, voluit autem postea finem esse hujus politiae. Me­lancthon. par 2. de leg. pag mihi. 251. And likewise consider it as a guard whereby the Jewes were fenced in, and separated from all other nations, so it is by Christs comming abolished: Consi­der it as a rule of life; Thus Angels are under the Law, & Adam before his fall, & the Saints now in heaven. And none yeeld more subjection to it then they; & this subjection is their libertie: and thus the Law considered as a rule of life, is the will of God, and is eternall as God himselfe.

Let us goe on, and see how he can prove from Gal. 3.10. That the people being under the Law were under the curse: The intent of the Apostle in this place is, to prove justification by Faith in oppositi­on to the workes of the Law, as Vers. 8, 9. And the Scripture foresee­ing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham; saying, In thee shall all Nations be blessed. So then, they which be of Faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham; for as many as be of the Ex operibus legis cos vocat, qui in illis consti­tuunt salutis fiduciam, Calvin. in loc. workes of the Law are under the curse. In this 10. Verse Paul sets downe a reason whereby he proves that not onely the Jewes, but also the Gen­tiles are blessed, as Abraham typus, & pater est omnium justificatorū, deinde faedus cum illo, & cum semine ejus factum est, ipse autem non operibus legis, sed per fidem & im­putatam justitiam, justus pronunciatus est. Ergo in­telligitis inquit Apostolus, & patrem & filios per fi­dem justificari Tossan. praelect. in loc. Abraham was by Faith; and the reason is drawne from the contraries, thus: They that are of [Page 78]the workes; that is, that looke to be justified by the workes of the Law, are under the curse: Therefore they that are of Faith are blessed, and justified with Abraham: So then it is plaine, that not they who lived under the Law were cursed, and under the curse, (which he most blasphemously affirmes of all the Jewes betweene Moses and John Baptist, and so pronounceth them damned) but those who looked to be justified by the workes of the Law, but so the beleeving Jewes did not: marke well the 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Verses of this third Chapter to the Galatians, and you shall see this place makes against him in other things as well as this. To this (saith he) we may adde, Heb. 11.39. And these all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: Can hee conclude from these words, that because they received not the promise, there­fore they were under the curse? Then the Apostle should seeme to derogate from and to diminish, nay to abolish the faith and feli­citie of the Fathers: and indeed not to be constant to himselfe, but to deny that in this Verse and in the 13. which he doth affirm in the 33. where he saith, they obtained promises: This seeming contradicti­on may easily be reconciled if we distinguish betweene the promi­ses the Apostle here speakes of; wee must observe the Homony­mie of the word [promise] which signifies diverse things: as Quantum ad promissionem primam, negat ver. 13. patres ante Josuam consecuros esse pro­missa. 2. Quantum ad alteram, negat hoc loco patres universos eam consecutos esse, qui Messiam pro­missum incarne videre quidem deliderarunt, sed non viderunt. Quantum ad tertiam, affirmat, ver. 33. omnes no­biscum consecutos promissionem fuisse; omnes enim fide per gratiam Jesu Christi servati suerunt, sicut & nos. Pareus, in loc. first, the promised land of Canaan, and so in the 13. Verse, the Apostle denies the Fathers who lived before Joshua, to have obtained the promises: Secondly, by promise we are to understand the com­plement or fulfilling of the promise con­cerning the Messiah to bee revealed in the flesh; and so the Apostle in the 39. verse denies the Fathers to have recei­ved the promise, because they were not eye-witnesses of the pro­mised Messiah come in the flesh: Thirdly, by promise is to be un­derstood the blessing of salvation promised in Christ; and so the Apostle affirmes in the 33. Verse that the fathers obtained the pro­mise together with us: all of them being saved by Faith through the grace of Jesus Christ as well as wee; so that it is plaine, they were not under the curse, but under the blessing, their estate and condi­tion being blessed of God through Jesus Christ. And whereas [Page 79]the Apostle in the 40. vers. saith, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect: The Apostles meaning Non est hic sensus, nos alia ratione servati, quam Patres in V. T. vel dilaram suisse Patrum salutem usque ad Christi adventum; verum hic est sensus, licet tam excellentes viti suerint, & tam il­lustri fide praediti, & subducti ex his terris; Non tamen cum ipsis def [...]sse Ecclefiam; aut idec minus honorifice sentiendum de populo N. T. cui all­quid melius providebatur: non quidem si funda­mentum salutis spectes, sed propter exhibitionem Messiae, per quem illi nobiscum, & nos cum illis, vere perficimur & sanctificamur, unica. sc. illa ob­latione corporis ipsius. Tossan. in loc: is, not that we under the New Testament are saved by another way, different from that by which the Fathers were saved in the Old Testament; or that the Salvation of the Fathers was deferred till Christs comming in the flesh: (as the Papists would have it) but the meaning of this place is, that although they were such excellent men indued with such famous and pretious Faith, and they being taken out of this life, yet notwithstanding the Church did not end in them, or that we should have a lesse honourable esteeme of the people of the New Testament, for whom God hath provided some better things: Not better, if we consider the foundation of salvation, but in regard of the exhibition and manifestation of the Messias in the flesh, by whom they and we are made perfect and sanctifyed, by that one oblation of his body, as it is, Heb. 10.10. Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, even for the Fathers as well as for us. Those places which he uses concer­ning the difference of the promulgation of the New Covenant, Pag. 54. First, In the time of Adam, Gen. 3.15. Secondly, To A­braham: Thirdly, In Isaiahs time, Isa. 53. Fourthly, In Moses time: Fifthly, In Daniels time; make against him altogether: as that in Genesis, The seed of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head: In this place Tria itaque hic habes descripta, 1. Adami & Hevae peccatum, 2. Deinde spem per Christum, 3. Tunc nostri hostis Satanae accuratam descriptionem sub serpentis figuta, Pet. Mart. in loc. is described the sinne of A­dam, and hope of pardon through Christ. By the seed of the Woman, is meant Christ, and thus he proves that the New Covenant was preacht from Adam to Christ: and that all beleevers in all those ages were under grace, and had the Covenant of grace preached to them.

But Page 55. Sayes he, The Prophets speake of a thing to come farre off, yet sayes he, They speake sometimes in the present and preterper­fect tense, (againe in this he contradicts himselfe) and tis true, Isa. 6.9. The Prophet speakes there in the present tense, Unto us a childe [Page 80]is borne: he doth not say, a childe shall be borne: Now the word [Nobis, us] doth comprehend not onely the ancestors, which li­ved before; nor those which lived at that time, but the successors and posterity of this people: for the change of times, and humane mortality, doth not take away the unity of the people of God; and severall Ages and Alia atque alia secula, morientiumque & nas­cent [...]um alterationes, non constituunt alium atque alium populum; nec terminant gratiam Dei, ab aeterno illi destinatam. Muscul. in loc. alterations of some men dying, and others being borne, doe not constitute another and another people; nei­ther doe they terminate the grace of God (destinated to his peo­ple from eternity) to this or that particular generation of beleevers, seeing that all the severall generations of beleevers are but one people of God; and Christ is the gift of this people of God, The same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. And though Christ was to be borne in time to Quamvis enim futurum hoc esset, post aliquot secula, ipsa tamen gratiae hujus communicatio, non erar tempori nativitatis Christi alligata: sed toti Ecclesiae electorum inde a principio illius ad fi­nem usque destinata, Muscul. in loc. come, many Ages after; yet the communication of this grace, was not tyed to the time of Christs Nativity, but was destinated and appointed to the whole Church of God, from the beginning to the end, who (as I said before) though they consist of diverse Generations of men, and lived in severall ages of the world; yet make but one Church and people of God. Consider the objecti­on, Pag. 55. line 8. If any man say they speake sometime in the pre­sent, and preterperfect tense: I answer, (saith he) with Saint Peter, That not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister those things, 1 Pet. 1.12. Let us looke into the true meaning of this place, it may be understood these wayes: First, The Prophets prophesied not unto themselves, that is, to the Jewes; but to us Christians: for they did Praedixe­runt enim Chri­sti adventū, vo­cationem, grat [...]ā & salutem ob­venturam Chri­stanis, non Ju­dae [...], Cornel. a Lapide, in loc. foretell the comming of Christ, vocation, grace, and salvation to come, to Christians, not to Jewes; according to that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 10.11. These are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. Secondly, they did mi­nister, not unto themselves; The Apostle meaneth, that those things which they prophesied, did not belong unto themselves, as is plaine, Act. 15.11. But the sufferings and glory of Christ were revea­led to them, not so much for their Non tā ip sorū causa quā vestri, qu [...]ratis co [...]um lib [...]os lectu [...]i, Est [...]us in loc. sakes (who did already be­leeve) as for ours, who were to read their bookes; that so our Faith likewise might be confirmed concerning him; considering [Page 81]the Doctrin of the Prophets & Apostles to be one & the same, con­cerning his incarnation. Thirdly, Not unto Non suo tempore, sed nostro, Lawren. in loc. themselves, but un­to us: that is, they did minister those things, and did foretell that which was to be fulfilled, not in their times, but in our times. Looke then upon this, 1 Pet. 1.10, 11, 12. You shall see that the Prophets were not Ministers of the Letter, but of the Spirit, ver. 11. The Spirit of Christ was in them. They were Ministers likewise of the Gospell, ver. 10. Prophesied of the Grace that should come. They were Evangelicall Prophets, and Propheticall Evangelists: and no question they did not want the fruite and benefit of their owne Prophesies; neither were they excluded from the grace of Christ, and the fruition and injoyment of Christ; being made partakers of the same salvation with us: though they did not see the Com­plement, and fulfilling of the promise, in regard of Christs ap­parition, Quibus etiam ait pa [...]esactum, ver. 12. Eos non sibi, sed nobis illa administrate, non quantum ad fruitionem, illi enim ejusdem salutis participes fi­unt, sed quoad Christi apparitionem, Tossan. praelect. in loc. and exhibition in the flesh, with their bodily eyes, yet by they eye of Faith, they did see and injoy the present benefit of Christs Incarnation, and Manifestation in the flesh.

Whereas he sayes, Page 55. line 14. John speakes of the time hard at hand, or present: We confesse that this manner of speaking hath respect to the predictions concer­ning the Messias, but yet it doth not deny, but that the Kingdome of God (as Kingdome is here taken; for the Kingdome of Regnum coelorum regnū gratiae vocat, & misericordiae Dei in Christo, Pareus in loc. Grace) was alwayes at hand to true penitents; and that Christ was neerer to them that lived many ages before John, who saw him with the eyes of Faith in his incarnation many yeares before, than to them who lived in Johns time, and saw him in his humane nature, onely with the eyes of the body.

Page. 55. The three last lines, there are these words, The Apo­stle after our Saviours Ascension, speakes as of a thing actually past and done, shewing plainely the way and meanes whereby the Sonne of God hath purged and sanctified his Church: he proveth this, Heb. 10.14. By one offering he hath ever perfected them that are Comprehendit hoc nomine omnes Dei Filios, Calvin. Christus, qui nun [...] ad dextram Dei sede [...], [...] ­nico suo sacrificio omnibus, quorquot salvandi sunt, remissionem plen [...]ssimam omnium peccatorum un­petravit, Luc. Osiand. in loc. sanctified.

I answer, That Christs one offering, was ever the way to perfect such as were sanctifyed; Beleevers in all times of the [Page 82]world, having no other way; and this offering did extend it selfe to all beleevers, in regard of time past, present, and to come. Dare any man conclude from this place, that Beleevers were not actual­ly sanctifyed, purged and perfected; and their sins actually remit­ted, before Christs Ascension into Heaven? if they doe, tis popery: if not worse.

Pag. 56. at the latter end, (saith he) There are I confesse many dif­ficulties in the way, but I have not now leisure to remove them: The greatest is, that the Jewes are said to eate the same spirituall meate, and drinke the same spirituall drinke, 1 Cor. 10.3, 4.

This objection was not made when he Preacht; but was put to him since, and he could not answer it: 'Tis strange, that having so long time, before he Printed his Sermon, that he should in Print say, he had not leisure to remove it: But I beleeve him, for this place doth tell him to his face, that his Doctrine is false: and this he will never be able to remove.

But to open this Scripture, They did eate the same spirituall meate, and dranke the same spirituall drinke, to wit, the body and blood of Christ: (tis plaine then that they were not under the curse) The Apostle in this place proves that the Fathers had the Sacrament of the Eucharistia est Communio corporis, & sangui­nis Christi: At Manna & aqua ex rupe fuerunt Is­raelitis Eucharistia. Ergo Manna & Aqua ex rupe suerunt Israelitis Communio corporis & sangui­rus Christi: non potest ergo negati Sacramen­ta veteribus fuisse, quod ad rem attinet, paria novis, Chamier. de Sacram. V. T. lib. 3. cap. 2. Eucharist, (which we call the Lords Supper) as well as we: The Argument runnes thus: The Eucharist is the Commu­nion of the body and blood of Christ: but Manna and water out of the Rocke, were to the Israelites the Eucharist: Therefore, Manna, and water out of the Rocke, were to the Israelites the Com­munion of the body and blood of Christ: It cannot therefore be denied but the Sa­craments were to the Fathers, in regard of the thing signified, the same, and equal to the Sacraments in the New Testa­ment. Saint Aliud illi, aliud nos, sed specie visibili, quod tamen hoe idem significaret, virtute Spiritali, Au­gustin. in Evang. Joan. Tract. 26. Col. mihi. 228. Augustin saith, The Sacraments of the Fathers in regard of the outward signes differ from ours: but in regard of the substance and the thing signifyed, they are the same: This place then doth absolutely prove, that they were not under the curse, but had actuall remission, and the knowledge of it present.

Page 56. At the latter end, his Answer is: They did cate the same [Page 83]meate, but not after the same manner, for they did eate Christ to come, not present.

This is a new manner of eating Christ in the Sacrament, which cannot be proved by Scripture: There is in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, a threefold Ad ipsum Sacramentum Eucharistiae quod at­tinet, est ibi mandacatio, & bibitio triplex: 1, O­ralis five corporalis: 2, Spiritualis: 3, Sacramen­talis, Lawrent. Dialog. Encharist. pag. 460. eating. First, Orall or corporall: Se­condly, Spirituall: Thirdly, Sacramen­tall. Now all true beleevers doe spiri­tually eat the body and blood of Christ, which really and indeed is taken and re­ceived, not with the mouth of the body corporally, but with the mouth of Faith spiritually: The manner of their eating was by Faith, ours is the same: To say a man eats a thing to come, (is a grosse piece of non-sense) How can that be? can one eate that which he hath not? can he eate bread to come? Christ was as really present to the Fathers, in their Sacrament of the Eucharist, as he is to us in the Sacrament of the Lords Sup­per: (But that I may not be mistaken, I will set downe what I meane by Christs reall presence in the Sacrament) though we hold a reall presence of Christs body and blood in the Sacrament, yet doe we not take it to be locall, bodily or substantiall, but spiri­tuall and mysticall. First, to the signes by Sacramentall relation: Secondly, to the Communicants by Faith alone. The first stands in this: That when the elements of Bread and Wine are present to the hand, and to the mouth of the receiver; at the very same time, the body and blood of Christ, are presented to the minde: thus, and no otherwise, is Christ present with the signes. The second presence, in respect of the Communicants, is, that Christ is really present to their beleeving hearts: They by Faith applying when God gives Christ with his benefits, and man for his part by Faith receives the same as they are given: There ariseth that union which is betweene every good receiver and Christ himselfe; which union is not forged, but a reall, true, and neare conjunction, nearer then which none is or can be, because it is made by a so­lemne giving and receiving, that passeth betweene God and Man; as also by the bond of one and the same Spirit.

To come then to the point, considering there is a reall union, and consequently, a reall communion betweene us and Christ; there must needs be such a kinde of presence wherein Christ is truely, [Page 84]and really present, to the heart of him that receives the Sacrament in Faith: And such a reall Communion was there betweene the Fathers and Christ: and such a presence wherein Christ was real­ly present to them in the Old Testament, who received the Sa­craments in Faith. We conclude then, they did cate Christ present. If it be objected, Christ was not in their time come in the flesh. The Apostle makes answer, Est etiam fides, & praeteritarum rerum, & prae­sentium, & suturarum, Aug. Ench [...]rid on, cap. 8. Exhibitus patribus in promissione, ita ut eorum fidei non minus praesens suerit sanguis Christi fundendus, quam fidci nostrae praesens est jam ol [...]m effusus, Tessan. praelect. in loc. Heb. 11.1. Now Faith is the sub­stance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seene. This place concernes the Worthies in the Old Testament, as ap­peares in the following part of the chap­ter; and stands in opposition to those who thinke things not to be truely pre­sent, which are present by Faith: So that Christ was present in his incarnation to the Fathers, not in o­pinion, or imaginarily, but truely, and really, not potentially, but actually. God freely giving, and they by Faith receiving whole Christ, God and Man, together with all his benefits, were (in eodem instanti) in that very present point of time, justified, and their sinnes pardoned, and actually remitted, and did beleeve actuall and eternall remission of sinnes present, to their soules, for their everlasting salvation: The blood of Christ being by Faith instantaneally and efficaciously present to them before his com­ming, as it is to us now since his comming in the flesh. But as he would have it, the Fathers ate him to come, we eate him gone and past; and what will follow? That neither they nor we, but one­ly they who lived in the dayes of his flesh eate him present; what's become of Faith all this while?

Pag. 67. Doe you not (saith he) remember what was Parcius ista memento. whispered at the Assize some yeares past: That the great malefactours condemned the little ones? This it may be was true.

To this I answer, there was a whispering at the Assize some yeares past: That there was a great Malefactor (as it seemed pro­bable) to cloake his owne guilt, would have condemned, and did accuse the innocent.

Pag. 73. Who would have thought (saith he) but that zeale for the Sabbath, and God, had beene an undoubted marke of Salvation? but (he concludes) you see the contrary. To this I answer, had it beene [Page 85]true zeale, it had beene an undoubted marke of a true Christian: bat his words were when he preacht; That people might make a strict conscience of the observation of the Sabbath, and yet stone Christ out of the Church: which to me seemes to be a lewd speech; strictnesse implying sinceritie; besides they that questioned our Sa­viour did it not so much out of conscience as humour.

Pag. 74. He propounds this question: First, whether a desire to be saved be an infallible note of salvation? (he saith) the safest way is to say no. Secondly, whether a desire to beleeve be Faith it selfe?

To this I answer, if he speakes of every defire of salvation, the question is needlesse; and to propound a question of so great con­sequence without further expressing himselfe, is but to set a Trap to insnare weake consciences; and to handle the word deceitful­ly; But I answer, an unfained desire of salvation in a sanctified use of the meanes, is an infallible note of salvation. Give mee leave to explaine my selfe thus. The difference and degrees of Faith are two. First, A weake Faith. Secondly, A strong Faith. Con­cerning the first. The weake Faith sheweth it selfe by this grace of God, namely, an unfained desire, not onely of salvation, (for that a wicked and gracelesse man may have) but of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure signe of Faith in every touch­ed and humbled heart: and it is peculiar to the elect; and they which have this, have in them also the ground and substance of true saving Faith. Reason to prove this; First, the promise of life everlasting is made to the desire of reconciliation. Est autem valde cemphatica metaphora, famis & sitis, qua non levis expetitio, sed vehemens, se­rium, & ardens desiderium g [...]atiae & donorum, per gratiam describitur: Gerhard. Harm. cap. 15. col. mih [...] 535. Matth. 5.6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, for they shall be filled: by hungring and thirsting here is meant an ardent and earnest desire after grace, which our Saviour layes downe as an infallible note of salvation: Psal. 145.19. He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him, he will also heare their cry, and will save them: and Desiderium efficax & pietati congruens, certis­sima est nota homin [...]s pii. Usus, Consolationis erga Christianos, qui infir­mitatibus & tentationibus nonnunquam pressi & vexari nihil in semetipsis salu i affine sentire possunt: praeter desideria pia. Ames. lect. in Psalm. Doctor Ames upon Psal. 42.1.2. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soule after thee O. God: my soule thirsteth for God: layes down this point of doctrine: An­effectuall desire congruent to pietie, is a most certaine note of a [Page 86]godly man from which he drawes an use of consolation to Chri­stians, who are sometimes so pressed and disquieted with in­firmities and tentations, that they have no evidence in themselves of their salvation, but onely godly desires.

Secondly, the hungring desire after grace is a sanctified affection; where one affection is sanctified, all are sanctified; where all are sanctified, the whole man is sanctified; and he that is sanctified, is justified and beleeves, and shall infallibly be saved.

Thirdly, God accepts the will and desire to beleeve for repen­ting and beleeving indeed: wherefore this desire of reconciliation (if it be soundly wrought in the heart) is in acceptation with God as true faith indeed. Tis confessed that there bee many and sun­dry fleeting motions and desires to doe good things; which grow to no issue or head, but in time vanish as they come: Now these are not true desires after salvation, but rather flashing humours, and sudden passions. Such have no soundnesse in them; and must be distinguished from the true desire of reconciliation with God, that comes from a bruised heart, and brings alwayes reformation of life: And thus I have answered both his questions.

Whereas in his conference, Pag. 3. he hath this comparison: The poore man can tell you, that to be rich, and to desire to be rich are two things; even so is Faith, and a desire to beleeve: as all that desire to bee rich are not rich, so all that desire to beleeve doe not beleeve: I answer, (non cadem est ratio) his comparison holds not, but is as poore as the poore man in it: A man may seriously and in good earnest have a hungring desire after riches, and yet bee a starke begger, and have no riches at all; but it is not so in the desire of grace: I argue thus, he that desireth grace must needs have the Spirit, for this desire cannot come of Voluntas est animi motus, cogente nullo ad aliquid non admittendum, vel adipiscendum Haec au­tem ut non admittat malum, & adipiscatur bonum, praeven [...]tur & praeparatur Dei gra [...]ia & ipsa bona vo­lun [...]as pedisse qua est granae, non praevia, Magist lib 2. dist 20. nature, Phil. 2.13. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe acccrding to his good pleasure: So that to will or desire good is from grace wrought in the soule by the Spirit of God; yea this is a singular grace: Tee have begun (saith the Apostle) not only to do, but also to be forward or willing, 2 Cor. 8.10, 11. making it a greater grace to be willing and desirous to do well, then it is to do the thing that is good: and thereupon inferreth, Vers. 12. If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that [Page 87]a man hath, and not according to that he hath not: Yea this is almost all, that the faithfull have many times to comfort themselves withall, that they find in themselves an unfained desire to please God: This was all that Nehemiah could say of himselfe, and the rest of his brethren, Nehem. 1.11. That they did desire to feare Gods Name: Isa. 26.8. The desire of our soule is to thy Name. This was Pauls comfort, Rom. 7.18. To will is present with me. From these pla­ces, that godly, reverend Divine Master Hildersam John 4. pag. mihi 9. in the beginning. Arthur Hildersam con­cludes: They must needs be sure therefore of Grace, that have an unfained desire of it, for they have it already; No man can de­sire Faith that hath not Faith: the desire then of Grace is Grace, and the desire of Faith is Faith; and he that hath any one Grace in truth and soundnesse in him, he may be certaine that his heart is upright, and that he is truely regenerate: thus Master Hildersam upon the fourth of John page (in my edition) 425. And the Omnes virtutes sibi haerent, ut qui una carn [...]rit, omnibus careat: qui ergo unam habet, omnes haber, Magist. lib. 3 dist. 36. Omnes in hoc conveniun, quod qui habet unam vir­tutem Theologicam, habet omnes. Henric. de Vrima­ria. Add. in lib. Senten. Schoole affirmes; That all the gra­ces of God are so conjoyned, and toge­ther; that he that wants one grace in truth, wants all; and he that hath any one grace in truth, hath al other graces. Thus then you see, though his comparison holds good in things temporall; that a desire to be rich is not to be rich: yet it falls to the ground in things spirituall; for the poore humbled soule that desires grace is rich in grace. And Master Perkins Cases of Con­science, page mihi 24 col. 1. Sect. Perkins concludes that a desire to repent and beleeve in a touched conscience and heart, is Faith and repentance it selfe, though not in nature, yet in Gods acceptation. O poore soules, you that complaine of the want of Faith and Grace, out of a hungering desire you have after them, comfort your drooping spirits against such desperate discon­solate doctrine as this, meerely contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel, and the true way of preaching Free Grace by Christ, who will not breake a bruised Reed, nor quench smoaking Flax; if an an Angell from heaven preach any other doctrine beleeve him not. I say againe, cheere up your hearts; The gates of Hell shall never prevaile against you, you are rich in grace and all the pretious promises of the Gospel belong to you; and all the riches of Gods mercie in Christ Jesus are yours; what shall I say more? I conclude, God is yours, Christ is yours, and all is yours.

Now we are come to the third question laid downe in Page the 74. at the latter end: Whether when Faith lies hid, that wee cannot see that we beleeve by the inward Testimony of our conscience, that it is possible our workes of pietie or charitie can assure us of salvation? his answer is: I say no; and my reasons are these.

1. That which makes me doubt of my Faith, will make me doubt of the sinceritie of my worke.

2. How is it possible I should judge my worke sincere, when I cannot see I beleeve? Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne.

I answer, there are diverse grounds which make a man doubt of his Faith, different from those which make him doubt of the since­rit [...]e of his worke; as through the want of apprehension, where­by hee can say from his conscience that he is justified and at peace with God: And in regard of spirituall desertions: There is a two­fold inward testimony of conscience: The first is an immediate knowledge that a man doth beleeve, which is by the prime and next efficient cause; namely the Spirit of God; called the Id est ean­dem fidem, ex ejusdem Spiri­tus afflatu, & dono Beza in loc. Spirit of Faith, 2 Cor. 4.13. and this is more fully set downe downe, 1 Cor. 2.12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

The second inward testimony of conscience is the sinceritie of a mans worke, whereby a Christian knowes he doth beleeve; and concerning the sinceritie of the worke none can judge but a mans owne conscience, whose proper office it is; and this the Apostle sets downe, 2 Cor. 1.12. For our rejoycing is this, the testimony of our Certebo­nam conscien­tiam habemus quod candide, & ca an misin­ceritate quam Dominus in no­bis requiri [...], un sumus. Luc. Ostand. in loc. conscience: that in simplicitie and godly sinceritie, not with fleshly wisedome, but by the grace of God wee have had our conversation in the world. Conscience being that privitie which the soule hath to things knowne to none but God and it selfe, is able to judge of the intention of every action: So that as a tree is knowne by the fruits; in like manner Faith is certainely knowne by its fruits, as the cause is knowne by the effect. And the Apostle Insallibile est signam vere r [...]natorum: organm a po­stenori valer. Arett. com. in loc. 1 Joh. 3.14. makes love to the brethren an infallible signe of a regene­rate man; We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. So that although we cannot immediately see that wee doe beleeve, yet if we find in our conscience that wee love the brethren, we know by this that wee doe beleeve; for as breath is [Page 89]a certaine signe and evidence of present life, so love to the bre­thren of present Faith; even as wee see that when the Sunne is eclipsed, though the earth wants the light of it, yet not the reall influence; and though men see not the Sunne in the light of it, they doe see it in its reall influence and vertue; So although Faith may be hid in regard of the soules immediate seeing it, yet it may evidently see it doth beleeve in regard of Faiths reall influences, and effects; love to the brethren being one: and thus though Faith lies hid, Charitie doth and can assure us of our salvation.

Pag. 75. What workes are done in Faith (sayes he) that the same acts may not be done in the spirit of bondage? If you say indeed that the actions are the same, but they differ in the end; I grant it, and in the efficient also: but as I cannot discerne the efficient, so neither can I di­scerne the end of my worke.

To this I answer, I discerne the efficient by the end; he that hath a discursive intellect and can make use of that reason which God bath given him, can easily tell to what end hee undertakes such and such an action; The end being the first thing in the Finis qui ultimus est ex­ecutione, pri­mus est intenti­one; omnis in­tellectus ope­rativus incipit a fine. Keckerm. System. lib. 1. pag. 165. in­tention, and that which first sets the minde on worke about this or that: thus in temporalls, so likewise in spiritualls. The Chri­stian being able to make use of his sanctified reason, can easily tell the intent of his heart, and the end hee aymes at, especially having the word of God as a sure rule to goe by; he can tell whe­ther he loves the brethren out of any by end he hath, or onely as brethren, setting all other respects aside; And finding this holy affection in himselfe, must needs conclude it cannot bee in a man that doth not beleeve. I have heard of a very godly Minister, who (as I take it) being sicke to death was much troubled about his evi­dence, and doubted whether he did belong to God or no? at the last, Well, sayes he, the devill shall never gull me; I have one evi­dence will assure me without faile, I am certaine I love Gods peo­ple, and so gathered comfort: Upon these grounds I am bold to determine the question affirmatively; That although Faith lies hid for the present, yet a man from workes of pietie, and charitie, which he findes in himselfe, may have assurance that he doth beleeve, and so is in the state of salvation.

In his conference, pag. 12. he doth confesse: Where unfained love to the brethren is found, it may be a testimony of grace received; but [Page 90]he objects How shall I know? (his answer is) That unlesse we beleeve truely, we cannot know we love unfainedly, therefore though our love heare witnesse to our Faith before men, yet our Faith beares witnesse to our love in the secrets of our heart; neither can it ever appeare to bee true love, that proceeds not from a heart first imbracing Christ by Faith.

To this I answer, by my loving unfainedly I know I beleeve truely; the truth of my worke being an infallible evidence of the truth of my Faith; and I can trie my worke by the sure rule of the Word which will not faile: and thus though I cannot see my Faith formally, yet I can see it effectively, I meane in its effective energie and efficacie. Againe, our love doth not onely beare witnesse to our Faith before men, but also to our selves, that we doe beleeve; our consciences telling us that it is such a love that must needs flow from Faith, and be a fruit and effect of it. Good Opera bona tripliciter veniunt consideranda: 1. Ratione materiae sive objecti circa quod versantur: 2. Ratione originis ex qua procedunt. 3. Ratione finis, in quem fiunt. Laurent. com. in Epist. Jaceb. pag. mihi. 178. workes are to be considered; 1. In regard of the matter or object, about which they are conversant. 2. In regard of the origi­nall, from which they doe proceed. 3. In regard of the end, for which they are done: Now who can judge of the proper and formall object of a mans love to the brethren, whether grace be it or no? or who can tell whether it flowes from a sincere affection to grace or no? or whether there be any by end or not? another man cannot judge, 1 Cor. 2.11. For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? by the Spiritus hominis significar substantialem ho­minis pattem, animum seu intellectum, & conscien­tiam hominis, quae cuique certissime dictat, quid in intimis cordis recessibus lateat, & quisque in sinu ge­rat. Pare. com. in loc. spirit wee are to under­stand the substantiall part of man, the mind, or intellect, and conscience, which doth certainly dictate and tell to every one, what lies hid in the secret passages of his heart, and every thing that hee carrieth in his bosome; for the mind of man doth not onely understand those things which are abroad, or mans outward actions; but his very inwards: And by reflexion upon it selfe, knowes and understands that it understands it selfe. And thus its plaine, that no other can judge of a mans true love to the brethren but his conscience and spirit; and the spirit sanctified, can by the Word judge certainly, another but conjecturally. And thus you [Page 91]see our love beares witnesse to our faith in the secrets of our heart, and doth infallibly evidence to us that we doe beleeve: And my conscience evidences to me, that this love could not be in my heart unlesse I had Faith, and our Saviour tels us, Mat. 25.40. Eleemosy­na haec est quae Christum pascit esurientem in paupere, Pros­per. De promis. & praedict. Dei. par. 2. cap. 7. In­asmuch as we imbrace his Brethren, by acts of love, we imbrace him in our armes, which none can doe without Faith.

In his conference, Pag. 13. he layes downe this as a Note of love to the brethren; If they be in poverty, to sell the whole or halfe of our possessions and divide among them: The sicke man propounds this question: Can I not love them unlesse I sell my possessions, and di­vide among them? The Minister makes answer, Verily no, for true love binds us not onely to lay downe our goods, but our lives also where need requireth. The sicke man saith, He hath not loved them thus: The Minister tels him, then he hath loved them in word, not in deed; in tongue, not in truth: And concludes, that few can by this marke be assured of their salvation, because they come so farre short of the pre­cept and example of our Lord. To this I answer, Cannot a man love the Brethren, unlesse he actually sell the whole or halfe of his pos­sessions; and divide among them? its enough if he carry a minde to sell them if need require, which every good Christian doth, and will in case of necessity part with his estate and life too:

Pag. 14. In his conference he saith, I doe for the present beleeve, untill I shall see ground to the contrary, that Saint John doth principally speake of our as­surance, whereby we know Nos scimus; quid nos scimus? quia transivimus de morte ad vitam; undescimus? quia diligimus fratres Nemo. interroget hominem, redeat unusquif­que ad cor suum; si ibi invenerit Charitatem sra­ternam, securus sit, quia transiit de motte ad vitam, Jam in dextra est. Aug. Expos. in Epist. Joan. tract. 5. col. mihi 613. in fine. one another to be the children of God: this shewes he understands not the meaning of this place, it being chiefely to be understood of the evidence we have in our selves.

Pag. 15. I doe affirme (saith he) that he that hath no greater witnesse in himselfe, than love to the brethren, shall never attaine to assurance of Salvation: Mark how within the compasse of three leaves he doth say and unsay: for Pag. 12. He doth confesse, unfained love to the brethren is a testimony of grace received. Now whosoever hath a te­stimony, that he hath received Grace, hath assurance by this of his Salvation; it makes no matter whether the Testimony he hath be greater or lesse, so it be sound and true; and a Christian in this case may argue (a minore ad majus) from the lesser to the greater, [Page 92]for he that in Truth hath this witnesse, is infallibly certaine of the greater, and may by this, know that he hath that: I meane Faith: if by it, he understands the greater. They are cursed speeches of the sicke man, to say, Hell gapes for him; he shall be damned; And cursed be the time that ever I laid a foundation upon the sands. As though to affirme, that unfained love to the brethren is an infalli­ble note of true beleevers, were to lay a foundation upon the sands, whereas the Apostle affirmes as much.

Master Perkins speaking of the right way of ministring comfort to a party distressed, layes this downe for one ground, Namely, to love any man because he is a Christian, and a childe of God, is a sensible and certaine note of a man that is partaker of the true love of God in Christ: and he proves it by this place we are upon, 1 Joh. 3.14. Having laid downe this ground, (saith he) The way whereby the party in distresse, may be brought within the compasse of the promise of Salvation, stands in two things, in making tryall, and applying of the promise. First, when a man is in the fit of Tentation, he will say resolutely, he is sure to be damned: Aske him in this fit, of his love to God, he will answer, he hath none at all: but aske him further; whether he love a man because he is a Christian and a Childe of God? then he will say, he doth indeed. In the second place, the applying of the promise of life everlasting to the party distressed; And that is done by a kinde of reasoning: The first part whereof is taken from the Word of God: The second, from the testimony of the distressed con­science; And the conclusion is the applying of the promise on this manner: Major, Minor. He that loves a man because he is a Christian and a childe of God, is certainely himselfe a true childe of God. But thou lovest a man because he is a Christian and a childe of God: There­fore thou art a childe of God, Conclus. and art translated from death to life, as the Apostle speakes.

Another ground of comfort for a party distressed, Master Perkins layes downe from the unfaigned desire after grace, which he in his Conference, Page 3. and in his Booke, Page 74. doth utterly re­ject. First (saith Master Perkins) let the comforter aske the par­ty in distresse, whether he beleeve, and repent? The distressed party answers no, he cannot repent, nor beleeve: Then we must further aske, whether he doth desire to beleeve and repent? To [Page 93]this he will answer, he doth desire it with all his heart: Now for applying the promise to the distressed, the Argument will run thus: He that hath an unfained desire to repent and beleeve, hath remission of sins and life everlasting: Major. Minor. Conelus. But thou hast an earnest de­sire to repent and beleeve in Christ: Therefore, remission of sinnes and life everlasting is thine. Thus Master Perkins. But that I may comfort the poore weake Christian against such Doctrine as this, That such as doe desire to beleeve, doe not beleeve; I will conclude with an Example I have read in the workes of that famous Divine Master Greenham, who tels of one Master Chambers of Leycester, who in his sickenesse grievously despaired, and cryed out that he was damned, and after dyed: yet it is not for any to note him (sayes he) with the blacke marke of a reprobate. One thing which he spake in his extremity (O that I had but one drop of Faith!) must move all men to conceive well of him: for by this it seemeth he had an heart, which desired to repent and beleeve: And there­fore, a repentant and beleeving heart indeed. Blame me not for having a second bout at such Doctrine as this, so destructive to poore distressed Consciences, so contrary to the Word of God, and against the experience of every true broken hearted Christian. What Doctrine soever tends to the vilifying of a sanctified life, is a Doctrine of devils, though it appeare as an Angell of light: And such as labour to make the Law of God of no use (not so much as a rule of life) to a beleever, doe deny the Kingly Office of Christ, and they are Antichrist: Now the Lord give us broken hearts, that we may be low in our owne eyes, and not be led by our owne hu­mours: but that we may be guided by the Spirit of truth, according to the word of Truth. I will present you with the golden chaine of Salvation, and I have done.

• 1. God hath ordained.
• 2. Christ hath merited.
• 3. The Word doth promise.
• 4. The Sacraments doe seale.
• 5. Faith doth receive.
• 6. The mouth doth confesse.
• 7. Workes doe testifie.

Now to God onely wise, Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, be all praise, as is most due, for evermore.