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<DATE>2013-12-05</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
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<VID>177216</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1">
<P><HI>A</HI> TREATISE VP|ON IOHN 8. 36. CON|CERNING CHRISTIAN LIBERTIE. THE CHIEFE POINTS WHERE|OF WERE DELIVERED IN A SER|mon preached at <HI>Pauls</HI> Cro&s;&s;e, <HI>Nouemb.</HI> 6. 1608. By GEORGE DOVVNAME Doctor <HI>of Diuinitie.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL>GALATH. 5. 13.</BIBL> Brethren, you are called vnto libertie; onely v&s;e not your libertie as an occa&s;ion to the fle&s;h, but through charitie &s;erue one another.</Q>
<P><HI>AT LONDON,</HI> Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON, for <HI>Matthew Lownes,</HI> and <HI>William Welby.</HI> 1609.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="approbation">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<P>REVEREND ISSIMO IN CHRISTO PATRI, AC PRAE|SVLI CLARISSIMO, DOMINO RI|CHARDO BANCROFT PROVIDENTIA DIVINA ARCHIEPISCOPO CANTVA|RIENSI, TOTIVS ANGLIAE PRIMATI ET METROPOLITANO, SERENIS|SIMO REGI IACOBO AB INTI|MIS CONSILIIS, DOMINO SVO OBSERVANDIS|SIMO;</P>
<P>G. D. TRACTATVM HVNC DE LIBERTATE CHRISTIAN O|RVM, AD EORVM FIDEM IN CHRISTO LIBERATORE FIRMANDAM, VITAM SECVN|DVM LIBERTATIS SPIRITVM FORMANDAM, CONSCIENTIAS A SPIRITV SERVITVTIS LI|BERANDAS, LITES QVE DE ADIAPHORIS SEDANDAS CONSCRIPTVM, LVBENS ME|RITO QVE VT MECAENATI AC PATRO|NO STVDIORVM SVORVM COLEN|DISSIMO, IN PERPETVVM SVM|MAE OBSERVANTIAE TES|TIMONIVM D. D.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="analysis">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>THE TABLE.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Explication, of the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Context of Coherence. &sect; 1</ITEM>
<ITEM>Text: the argument wher|of is Chri&s;tian libertie. &sect;. 2. which is ha~d|led in
<LIST>
<ITEM>Generall: the generall do|ctrine con&s;i|&s;ting of the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Definition, and partition, &s;hewing what it is, and wherein it doth con&s;i&s;t. &sect;. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Explication of other ge|nerall argu|me~ts, as the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Author or efficient, the Sonne of God. &sect;. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Subiect, the &s;onnes of God. &sect;. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Propertie, that it is a true libertie. &sect;. 6.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Speciall, For it is either the libertie of
<LIST>
<ITEM>Grace, and that either
<LIST>
<ITEM>Common to all the faithfull: &sect;. 7. as the libertie of sauing grace, either
<LIST>
<ITEM>Vniting vs to Chri&s;t, as the libertie of Vocation, which as it is an
<LIST>
<ITEM>Immunity, is freedom of our
<LIST>
<ITEM>Minds fro~ the &s;eruitude of
<LIST>
<ITEM>Ignorance.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Incredulitie.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Vanitie.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Hearts, fro~ the &s;eruitude of
<LIST>
<ITEM>Di&s;obedience.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Infidelitie.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Selues, from the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Seruitude of Satan.</ITEM>
<ITEM>State of damnation. </ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> or right, is the dona|tion, of
<LIST>
<ITEM>Spirit of li|berty,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Faith,</ITEM>
</LIST> By which we are made
<LIST>
<ITEM>Members of Chri&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sons of God, and &s;o enti|tuled to all the liber|ties of Gods children.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST> &sect;. 8.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Communica|ting Chri&s;t vnto vs: as the libertie of iu|&s;tificatio~ and &s;anctification, of which
<LIST>
<ITEM>Iointly, that they are not to be condemned. &sect;. 9.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Seuerally; of the libertie of
<LIST>
<ITEM>Iu&s;tification, which as it is an
<LIST>
<ITEM>Impunitie is freedome from the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Guilt of &s;inne. &sect;. 10.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Law, in re&s;pect of the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Malediction. &sect;. 11.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Exaction of inherent righteou&s;nes to iu&s;tification. &sect;. 12.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Right, we are by it
<LIST>
<ITEM>Iu&s;tified, and accepted as righteous in Chri&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Made partakers of the ble&s;&s;ednes promi&s;ed to <HI>Abraham.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Saued in hope.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Secured in the que&s;tion of iu|&s;tification to re&s;t only on the mercies of God and me|rits of Chri&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Indued with the&s;e priuileges, as con|&s;equents of iu&s;tification, <HI>viz.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Peace with God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Free acce&s;&s;e to God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Spirit of adoptio~.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Hope of &s;alvatio~.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ioy in the holie Gho&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Per&s;euerance to &s;aluation.</ITEM>
</LIST> &sect;. 13.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Sanctification, which as it is an
<LIST>
<ITEM>Immunitie, is freedome from the dominion of
<LIST>
<ITEM>Sinne. &sect;. 14.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Law. &sect;. 15. <HI>viz.</HI> from the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Irritation thereof.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Terror or coaction.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Rigor or exactio~ of perfect obedie~ce to y^e acceptation of our actions.</ITEM>
</LIST> &sect;. 16.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Right, therein
<LIST>
<ITEM>We are made partakers of the diuine nature.</ITEM>
<ITEM>We haue the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Spirit to be our gouernour.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Law, our coun&s;ellour.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Wee are enabled to &s;erue God with willing mindes and cheerefull hearts.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Our imperfect obedience is both
<LIST>
<ITEM>Accepted.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Rewarded.</ITEM>
</LIST> &sect;. 17.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Peculiar to the faithfull vnder the Go&s;pel. The doctrine where|of is
<LIST>
<ITEM>Taught, by expli|cating the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Parts, for as it is an
<LIST>
<ITEM>Immunity, it is freedom, from
<LIST>
<ITEM>The ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &sect;. 18.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Obligation of con&s;cience in re&s;pect of out|ward things. &sect;. 19.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Right in regard of the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Ordinances of men.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Creatures of God.</ITEM>
</LIST> &sect;. 20.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Nature thereof, &s;hewed by application of the gene|rall, in three points: <HI>viz.</HI> that it is a libertie
<LIST>
<ITEM>Of the &s;onnes of God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Spirituall, and of the con&s;cience.</ITEM>
<ITEM>True, and ther|fore a boun|ded libertie, in re&s;pect of
<LIST>
<ITEM>Humane lawes.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Crea|tures. For there are 4. bou~ds:
<LIST>
<ITEM>Pietie.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sobrietie.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Loial|tie.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chari|tie. &sect;. 21.</ITEM>
</LIST> Betweene which wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> there &s;ee+meth to be a co~flict, we are taught what is to bee done. &sect;. 22.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Maintained a|gain&s;t the ob|iections of
<LIST>
<ITEM>Anabapti&s;ts, who thinke them&s;elues not bound at all, to humane lawes.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Papi&s;ts, who thinke that humane lawes do binde the con&s;cience. &sect;. 23.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Glorie. &sect;. 24.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Applicatio~ or v&s;e, to them that haue
<LIST>
<ITEM>Not obtained this libertie.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Obtained it: who&s;e dutie is to
<LIST>
<ITEM>Stand fa&s;t in it.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Be care|full to
<LIST>
<ITEM>Auoid the abu&s;e of it. &sect;. 25.</ITEM>
<ITEM>V&s;e it aright, for the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Sanctification of our liues.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Pacification of our con&s;iences. &sect;. 26.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<PB REF="4">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<HEAD>THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTIE.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>IOHN 8. 36.</BIBL> If therefore the Sonne &s;hall make you free, you &s;hall be free indeed.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THe&s;e words are a conclu&s;ion <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. Sect. 1. The context.</NOTE> of the ver&s;es going before. For whereas our Sauiour CHRIST hauing promi&s;ed &s;ome of the hearers, who, <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 30.</NOTE> whiles he was yet &s;peaking of his per&s;on and office, be|gan to beleeue in him, that if they did approue them&s;elues to be his <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 31.</NOTE> true di&s;ci|ples, by their per&s;euerance and con&s;tant abiding in his word, they <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 32.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hould know the truth,</HI> (that is, hee would more fully manife&s;t him&s;elfe vnto them, as he &s;peaketh Ioh. 14. 21.) &amp; this <HI>truth,</HI> (which is him|&s;elfe, Ioh. 14. 6.) <HI>&s;hould make them free;</HI> the captious <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 14. 6. 22.</NOTE> Iewes (pretending that they vnder&s;tood him as &s;peaking of a corporall or ciuill libertie) <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 33.</NOTE> cauilled at this promi&s;e, which indeed did not belong vnto them, as if he had offered them great indignitie, by
<PB N="2" REF="5"> promi&s;ing them libertie, to pre&s;uppo&s;e their &s;erui|tude; alleaging that they were alreadie free, and therfore &s;corned his promi&s;ed libertie, which they needed not, being neither &s;eruants by nature or birth, for they <HI>were Abrahams &s;eed,</HI> nor yet by their fortune or per&s;onall condition, for they <HI>neuer &s;erued any.</HI> Our Sauiour therefore, both to refute their cauill, and al&s;o to iu&s;tifie his promi&s;e, proueth the&s;e foure things vnto them: 1. That they were &s;er|uants. 2. That they had great need to be made free. 3. That this freedome mu&s;t come by him. 4. That being freed by him, they &s;hould be free indeed.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t he proueth thus: <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">&V;er&s;. 34.</NOTE> <HI>who&s;oeuer committeth &s;inne,</HI> that is, in whom&s;oeuer &s;inne raigneth, <HI>he is the &s;eruant of &s;inne;</HI> but &s;uch hee in&s;inuateth they were, yea &s;uch are all men <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Tit. 3. 3.</NOTE> by nature, vntill they be ingrafted into Chri&s;t by faith, and renued by the holy Gho&s;t; and therefore he would haue them to conclude, that, for all their bragges, they were the mi&s;erable &s;eruants of &s;inne, and con&s;equentlie the &s;laues of Satan <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">1. Joh. 3. 8.</NOTE>, &s;ubiect to the cur&s;e of the law, and to eternall damnation.</P>
<P N="2">2. That they had great need to be made free, he &s;heweth both by the inconuenience of their &s;erui|tude; (for being <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">&V;er&s;. 35.</NOTE> &s;eruants, and not &s;ons, how&s;oe|uer now they had a place in the hou&s;e of God, as <HI>I&s;mael</HI> <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Gen. 22. 10.</NOTE> had; yet the time &s;hould come, that they &s;hould be ca&s;t out;) and al&s;o by the benefit which &s;hould accompanie their freedome, that being made the <HI>&s;onnes</HI> of God, they &s;hould as heires of e|ternall life, <HI>abide,</HI> not only to the end of their daies in the Church militant (which is the hou&s;e of God <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 3. 15.</NOTE>
<PB N="3" REF="5"> vpon earth) but al&s;o for euer in the Church trium|phant, which is Gods <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Ioh. 14. 2.</NOTE> hou&s;e in heauen.</P>
<P N="3">3. That the faithfull attaine to this freedome by adoption in Chri&s;t. For, to <HI>&s;o</HI> <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Ioh. 1. 12. Gal. 3. 26.</NOTE> <HI>many as receiue him by faith, he hath giuen this libertie or power to be the &s;onnes of God.</HI> And, <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 17. Gal. 4. 7.</NOTE> <HI>if &s;onnes, then al&s;o heires.</HI> This a&s;&s;erti|on is pre&s;uppo&s;ed in this place, as being the hypo|the&s;is wherupon this inference is grounded. Tho&s;e that be the &s;onnes of God, abide in the hou&s;e of God for euer; therefore if the Son &s;hall make you free, &amp;c. pre&s;uppo&s;ing that men attaine to the free|dome of Gods &s;onnes, by the benefit of Chri&s;t, the only begotten Sonne of God.</P>
<P>Whereupon, as I &s;aid, is inferred the fourth thing, which is my text; <HI>If the Sonne therefore &s;hall make you free, you &s;hall be free indeed.</HI></P>
<P>As if he had &s;aid: you haue no cau&s;e to cauill at the promi&s;e of libertie, which I make to all them which truly beleeue in me. For I tell you vpon my word, which is Amen (that is, true and infallible) that both you, and all men by nature, though the &s;eed of <HI>Abraham</HI> (as you are), though liuing (as you do) in the vi&s;ible Church of God, are the very &s;er|uants of &s;inne; that being &s;eruants and not &s;onnes, they mu&s;t not looke to inherite <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Galath. 4. 28.</NOTE> with the &s;ons of the promi&s;e, or to abide in the hou&s;e for euer; but when the time of &s;eparation commeth, they &s;hall as <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Matth. 3. 12. 13. 30. 25. 33.</NOTE> chaffe, be &s;euered from the wheate; as tares, from the corne; as goates, from the &s;heepe; as <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Gen. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 10. Galath. 4. 30.</NOTE> <HI>Hagar</HI> and <HI>I&s;mael,</HI> from <HI>I&s;aak</HI> the &s;onne of the pro|mi&s;e. Therefore, though your pride will not &s;uffer you to &s;ee and acknowledge thus much: yet cer|tainly
<PB N="4" REF="6"> great need haue you to be made free; that of the &s;eruants of &s;inne, you may become the &s;ons of God. But you, who are (as all <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 3.</NOTE> men by nature are) the children of wrath, cannot po&s;&s;iblie be the &s;ons of God, except you beleeue in me, who am the on|ly begotten Son of God; that I may by the grace of adoption communicate that vnto you, which I my &s;elfe am by nature and eternall generation. So &s;hall you, of the &s;eruants of &s;inne, &s;ons of Satan, and heires of hell and damnation, be made the &s;ons of God, heires of eternall life, citizens and free deni|zens of the kingdome of heauen. Whereas now therefore you are mi&s;erable &s;eruants, notwith&s;tan|ding your corporall and carnall libertie, whereof you vaunt, which is not a true libertie, but a volun|tarie &s;eruice of &s;in: if you &s;hall beleeue in me, and approue your &s;elues to be my true di&s;ciples, by abi|ding in my words; I, who am the truth, will make you free, not with a counterfeit or imaginary free|dome, &s;uch as is your libertie, but with a true and &s;pirituall freedome, which is the gracious, and the glorious libertie of the &s;ons of God.</P>
<P>Thus haue you heard the context, or coherence of the&s;e words with the former, (whereunto we are referred by this word of inference, <HI>therefore)</HI> wherein diuers things might profitablie be ob&s;er|ued, but that the text calleth me vnto it, as contai|ning matter of greate&s;t importance.</P>
<P>For Chri&s;tian libertie, which is the argument of <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. Sect. 2. The text. The argument wherof is Chri|&s;tian libertie.</NOTE> my text, is, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Rom. 14. 16.</NOTE> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, the ve|rie good of Chri&s;tians; which Chri&s;t our Sauiour, taking vpon him the forme of a &s;eruant, hath pur|cha&s;ed
<PB N="5" REF="6"> with his own mo&s;t precious <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 1. 18.</NOTE> blood; which is the benefit of the Me&s;&s;ias, whereunto we are cal|led <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 13.</NOTE> Galath. 5. 13. which he hath promi&s;ed as a re|ward to his true di&s;ciples <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Iohn 8. 32.</NOTE>, ver&s;e. 32. which as him|&s;elfe came to preach <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Luke 4. 18</NOTE>, Luk. 4 18. &s;o doth he &s;end vs his Emba&s;&s;adours to the &s;ame end, viz. to preach the Go&s;pell, which is the <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Iames 1. 25. 2. 12.</NOTE> <HI>law of libertie,</HI> and the do|ctrine of redemption and freedome by him: that by our Mini&s;terie <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Act. 26. 18.</NOTE> men may be brought out of &s;pirituall bondage, vnto the libertie of Gods chil|dren. The con&s;ideration whereof, as it bindeth me with all reuerent care and intention of mind, to in|treate of this argument; &s;o ought it to moue you to heare the &s;ame with great diligence and attenti|on. And the rather, not only becau&s;e among vs, who profe&s;&s;e the Go&s;pell, many do not know the Chri&s;tian libertie, and more do abu&s;e it to their owne perdition; but al&s;o becau&s;e the Papi&s;ts are both enemies of the libertie it &s;elfe, endeuouring by their Antichri&s;tian doctrine, to bereaue vs of the chiefe parts thereof, and al&s;o malicious &s;lande|rers of the mo&s;t Chri&s;tian and comfortable do|ctrine of our Churches concerning the &s;ame.</P>
<P>But to come to the words of my text, the &s;umme <NOTE PLACE="marg">The explicati|on of the text</NOTE> and effect whereof is this: that <HI>Christ the Sonne of God, is the author of true libertie, to all tho&s;e that truly beleeue in him.</HI> For the explication whereof, we are fir&s;t to &s;peake of this libertie in generall, and after|wards to de&s;cend vnto the particulars. In the gene|rall <NOTE PLACE="marg">The generall doctrine of Christian li|bertie.</NOTE> doctrine we are to con&s;ider the&s;e foure things. 1. What it is, and wherein generally it doth con&s;i&s;t. 2. Who is the author of this libertie, which in the
<PB N="6" REF="7"> text is expre&s;&s;ed to be the onely begotten Sonne of God. 3. The &s;ubiect or the parties on whom this libertie is conferred, which is plainly gathered out of the context or inference of the&s;e words vp|on the former, to be all the &s;onnes of God by a|doption. 4. The generall property of this liberty, that it is not a counterfait or imaginary, but a true liberty. Of all which points, I will &s;peake very briefly.</P>
<P>As touching the fir&s;t: for as much as Logicians <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. <HI>Sect. 3. The definition of Chri&s;tian libertie.</HI></NOTE> teach, <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Ari&s;t. Po&s;ter. 1. 14.</NOTE> that the definition of the &s;peciall, is to be fetched from the di&s;tribution of the generall; for which cau&s;e, the <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Plato in Sophista.</NOTE> diuine Philo&s;opher calleth a di|&s;tribution <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, as being the ready, and as it were the Kings way to a definition: we will there|fore take a &s;uruey of the diuers &s;orts of liberty. For there is an outward or externall liberty, and there is an inward or internall liberty. The former, is the liberty of the outward man from externall or bo|dily &s;eruitude; which may be called the corporall or ciuill liberty. Of this our Sauiour &s;peaketh not, though the Iewes would &s;eeme &s;o to vnder&s;tand him; but of the internall, which may well &s;tand with the outward or ciuill bondage. For as our Sa|uiour Chri&s;t noted them, <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Iohn 8. 33, 34</NOTE> thogh outwardly free, to be in &s;pirituall bondage: &s;o contrariwi&s;e, tho&s;e who in re&s;pect of the inner man are free, may not|with&s;tanding be &s;ubiect to the externall or ciuill &s;eruitude; which nothing impeacheth or impai|reth the liberty of the &s;oule and con&s;cience before God. In which regard the Apo&s;tle &s;aith; <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 7. 21.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that is called in the Lord, being a &s;eruant, is the Lords free|man.</HI>
<PB N="7" REF="7"> So that the liberty whereof we &s;peake, is a li|berty of the &s;oule, or inner man. Wicked therefore is the doctrine of the Anabapti&s;ts, who thereby ex|empt them&s;elues from all &s;ubiection to the ciuill Magi&s;trate, vnder pretence of Chri&s;tian liberty. I call their doctrine wicked, becau&s;e the Apo&s;tle <HI>Pe|ter</HI> <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 16.</NOTE> &s;aith; that they who vnder pretence of Chri|&s;tian liberty deny obedience to the Magi&s;trate in lawfull things, doe v&s;e their liberty for a cloake to couer their wickedne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Againe, the inward liberty is either a carnall, or &s;pirituall libertie. The carnal libertie is that, where|by the &s;oule of man is free from righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: which indeed is a voluntary &s;eruice of &s;inne. For when men bee free from righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, they are &s;eruants of &s;inne, and contrariwi&s;e; as the Apo&s;tle <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 20.</NOTE> &s;heweth. But our Sauiour &s;peaketh of a liberty, which, as it freeth men from the &s;eruitude of &s;in, and all the &s;pirituall yokes of bondage, which ac|company the &s;ame; &s;o it maketh them the &s;eruants of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. For when <HI>we are</HI> <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 18.</NOTE> <HI>made free from &s;inne, we are made the &s;eruants of righteou&s;nes.</HI> Where|fore, as in re&s;pect of the former, we &s;ay with the A|po&s;tle; He that is called, being a &s;eruant, is the free|man of Chri&s;t: &s;o in re&s;pect of this latter, <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 22.</NOTE> he <HI>that is called being free, is the &s;eruant of Christ.</HI> Diuelli&s;h therefore is the Doctrine of the Libertines, who vnder prete~ce of Chri&s;tian liberty, di&s;charge Chri|&s;tians from all obedience to the law of God, &s;et|ting them free to do what&s;oeuer them&s;elues thinke good. And &s;uch is the &s;lander of the Papi&s;ts, laying that doctrine to our charge, who notwith&s;tanding
<PB N="8" REF="8"> are further from it then them&s;elues. For by the Popes indulgences and pardons, and the Prie&s;ts ab&s;olutions, &s;etting men free from &s;inne for &s;mall, and oft times for ridiculous penances, what doe they el&s;e but teach men to make but a &s;port of &s;in? Of &s;uch Libertines the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">2. Pet. 2. 19.</NOTE> &s;peaketh, that while&s;t they promi&s;e liberty to others, them|&s;elues are the &s;eruants of corruption.</P>
<P>It remaineth therefore, that Chri&s;tian liberty is a &s;pirituall liberty, freeing the true Chri&s;tian from the &s;eruitude of &s;inne, and from all other yokes of &s;pirituall bondage, wherewith &s;inne had intang|led vs.</P>
<P>Neither is Chri&s;tian liberty onely priuatiue, as being a freedome and immunity from bondage; as though this were all, that by it we are not &s;er|uants: but as appeareth by this Scripture, it is al&s;o po&s;itiue, as being a liberty, power, right, and inte|re&s;t to the priuileges of Gods children, who are al&s;o heires of God, and coheires with Chri&s;t. For when hee had &s;aid that &s;eruants abide not in the hou&s;e for euer, but that &s;uch as be &s;onnes, abide in the hou&s;e of God for euer; he inferreth, If there|fore the &s;onne &s;hall make you free, you &s;hall be free indeed. Giuing vs to vnder&s;tand, that tho&s;e whom he freeth, hee doth not onely make them not &s;er|uants, <HI>viz.</HI> of &s;inne, but al&s;o &s;onnes and heires of God, and citizens of heauen. Euen as they who are made freemen of London, or any other terre&s;triall Citie, are not onely exempted from being &s;eruants or apprenti&s;es; but al&s;o are indowed with the liber|ties and priuileges of free Burge&s;&s;es and Citizens.
<PB N="9" REF="8"> So &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Gal 4. 5. 6. 7.</NOTE> Gal. 4. 5. that Chri&s;t hath redeemed tho&s;e who were vnder the law, that we might receiue the adoption of &s;onnes, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Chri&s;tian liberty therefore is a &s;pirituall liberty, which as the <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Galath. 2. 4. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. The partition.</NOTE> Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh, the faithfull haue in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us. That is the definition.</P>
<P>The e&s;&s;entiall parts whereof generally it con&s;i|&s;teth, are two. For partly it is priuatiue, as being an immunity from all &s;pirituall bondage; in which re|&s;pect it is called in the Scriptures <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Heb. 9. 12. Luk 2. 38.</NOTE> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> and <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 24. Colo&s;. 1. 14.</NOTE> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, that is redemption, and is &s;ometimes ex|pre&s;&s;ed by the verbes <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Heb. 2. 15.</NOTE> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> and <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Col. 1. 13. 1. The&s;&s;. 1. 10.</NOTE> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, &s;ignify|ing deliuerance: and partly it is po&s;itiue, as be|ing a right, title, and intere&s;t to the priuiledges and prerogatiues of Gods adopted children in Chri&s;t, the citizens of the Cele&s;tiall Ieru&s;alem: and in this re&s;pect it is called <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, as Ioh. 1. 12. to tho&s;e that receiue Chri&s;t by faith, he hath giuen <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, liber|tie, right or power to be the &s;ons of God, 1. Cor. 8. 9. Take heed, le&s;t <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, your <HI>libertie, right or</HI> <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">1. Cor 8. 9.</NOTE> <HI>power, bee not an offence to the weake.</HI> Thus you &s;ee what this libertie is, and wherein generally it doth con&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P>The author of this libertie is Chri&s;t the Son of <NOTE PLACE="marg">The efficient or author of this libertie.</NOTE> God, as it is heere &s;aid: <HI>If the Son therefore &s;hall make you free,</HI> &amp;c. &s;o the Apo&s;tle calleth it <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Galath. 2. 4.</NOTE> <HI>the libertie which we haue in and by Christ:</HI> &amp; againe, <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 1.</NOTE> the <HI>libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free.</HI> For he is <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Rom. 11. 26.</NOTE> that <HI>Deliuerer which &s;hould come out of Sion,</HI> who <HI>de|liuereth vs</HI> <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">1. The&s;&s;. 1. 10.</NOTE> <HI>from the wrath of God,</HI> from the tyrannie of Satan, <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">1. Iohn 3. 8.</NOTE> di&s;&s;oluing the works of the diuell, <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Mat. 12. 29.</NOTE> bin|ding the &s;trong man and ca&s;ting him out, <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Colo&s;. 2. 15.</NOTE> &s;poiling
<PB N="10" REF="9"> principalities and powers, and <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word">. 4. 8.</NOTE> leading captiuitie captiue; from the bondage of &s;inne, for he is the <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">John 1. 29.</NOTE> <HI>Lambe of God that taketh away the &s;innes of the world,</HI> who&s;e blood doth <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 1. 7. Heb. 9. 14.</NOTE> clean&s;e vs both from the guilt of &s;inne, and al&s;o from the corruption: for there|fore <HI>he</HI> <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Pet. 1. 18. Tit. 2, 14.</NOTE> <HI>gaue him&s;elfe for vs, that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie, and might purge vs to bee a peculiar people to him&s;elfe, zealous of good workes.</HI> And hee is that perfect Sauiour, out of who&s;e &s;ide i&s;&s;ue both <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Ioh. 19. 34. 35. 1. Ioh. 5. 6.</NOTE> <HI>blood and water;</HI> the blood of redemption, to free vs from the guilt of &s;inne; and the water of abluti|on, to clean&s;e vs from the corruption. From the law <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Gal. 4. 4.</NOTE> for <HI>therefore was he borne of a woman, and made vnder the law, that he might redeeme them that were vnder the law.</HI> From death and damnation; for ther|fore he became a <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 13.</NOTE> <HI>cur&s;e,</HI> that wee might bee freed from the cur&s;e; therefore hee died, that <HI>through</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Heb. 2. 14. 15</NOTE> <HI>death he might vanqui&s;h him, who had the power of death, that is, the diuell; and that he might deliuer them, who through feare of death, were all their life time &s;ub|iect to bondage.</HI></P>
<P>But this needeth no proofe, for in that we pro|fe&s;&s;e him to be our redeemer, by whom wee haue <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 1. 7. 1. Cor. 1. 30.</NOTE> redemption, we all acknowledge him to be the author of our libertie. Let vs rather con&s;ider, how he procureth this libertie vnto vs. This he doth two waies; both meritoriou&s;ly, and effectually. By his merit, in <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 2. 6.</NOTE> <HI>giuing him&s;elf to be a price of ran&s;ome for vs.</HI> For, as <HI>Peter</HI> <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 1. 18. 19</NOTE> &s;aith, we <HI>are redeemed not with any cor|ruptible things, as &s;iluer and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ,</HI> by <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Heb 9. 12.</NOTE> which <HI>blood he is entred once into the holy place, hauing procured an eternall redemption</HI>
<PB N="11" REF="9"> <HI>for vs.</HI> Secondly, by the efficacie of his &s;pirit, for we are not to imagine, that Chri&s;t hath only merited and purcha&s;ed this libertie for vs; but that al&s;o he doth confer, applie, and be&s;tow it vpon vs: which he doth by giuing vnto vs his <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 9. 15. Gal. 4. 6.</NOTE> <HI>Spirit.</HI> For, as in the naturall bodie, the animall &s;pirit, which cau&s;eth &s;en&s;e and motion, is from the head &s;ent into all the members of the bodie; &s;o in the my&s;ticall bodie of Chri&s;t, the <HI>Spirit of</HI> <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 51. 14.</NOTE> <HI>libertie</HI> is communicated to all his members; by which &s;pirit he dwelleth in vs, and effectually worketh this libertie, in the degrees of our &s;aluation, viz. vocation, iu&s;tification, &s;ancti|fication, glorification, (as you &s;hall heare anon, and by the meanes of our &s;aluation. The principall whereof is the preaching of the Go&s;pell, which is the <HI>Law</HI> <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Iam. 1. 25.</NOTE>, or doctrine of libertie, the mini&s;terie whereof was ordained to this end, to <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Act. 26. 18.</NOTE> <HI>open</HI> mens <HI>eyes, to turne them from darkne&s;&s;e vnto light, and from the power of Satan vnto God, that by faith in Christ, they may receiue forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;innes, and inheritance with them that be &s;anctified.</HI></P>
<P>This teacheth vs, that in our &s;elues we are &s;er|uants, <NOTE PLACE="marg">The v&s;e of this doctrine con|cerning the au|thor of our li|bertie.</NOTE> (for el&s;e we needed not a redeemer) and of our &s;elues not able to free vs out of bondage, that there was no meanes to &s;et vs at libertie, but the mo&s;t precious ran&s;ome, which Chri&s;t our ble&s;&s;ed Sauiour paid for vs. That we &s;hould acknowledge the infinite loue of God <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Ioh. 3. 16. 1. Ioh. 4. 10.</NOTE> the Father, who gaue his Sonne, and of the Sonne <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Ioh. 15. 13.</NOTE> who gaue him&s;elfe to be a ran&s;ome for vs. That we may acknowledge our &s;elues bound to be thankfull <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 107. 2. Col. 1. 12. 13. 14 Rom. 7. 25. 1. Cor. 15. 57.</NOTE> vnto him, for <HI>let them giue thankes whom the Lord hath redeemed.</HI> That
<PB N="12" REF="10"> we may highly e&s;teeme of this libertie, which co&s;t &s;o deare a price: that with all diligence we v&s;e the meanes to obtaine it, and neuer be at re&s;t vntill we be made partakers of it: when we haue obtained it, to <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 1.</NOTE> &s;tand fa&s;t in it; not to abu&s;e it to licentiou&s;nes, but to v&s;e it to the glorie of our Redeemer, who hath freed vs from the &s;pirituall bondage of &s;in and Satan, not that we might &s;inne freely, but that we might <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Luke 1. 74.</NOTE> <HI>&s;erue God without feare, in holines and righte|ou&s;nes before him all the daies of our life.</HI> We mu&s;t re|member, that being <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 6. 19. 20</NOTE> bought with a price, wee are not our own, but his that bought vs: and therefore &s;hould not &s;eek our &s;elues, or &s;erue our owne lu&s;ts, but &s;hould glorifie him both in our &s;oules and bo|dies, which are not ours, but his that hath bought vs, &amp;c. And &s;o much of the author of this libertie.</P>
<P>Now followeth the &s;ubiect or parties to whom <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 5. The &s;ubiect of this libertie, or parties on who~ it is conferred.</NOTE> this libertie belongeth, which by the context ap|peareth to be tho&s;e, who by the grace of adoption and regeneration, are made the &s;onnes of God in Chri&s;t. For naturally we are all &s;eruants, &s;eruing a mo&s;t &s;eruile and &s;laui&s;h &s;eruitude vnder &s;in and Sa|tan; which mu&s;t &s;eriou&s;ly be acknowledged of vs, before we will either truly de&s;ire to be made par|takers of this libertie, (for none need to be freed, but tho&s;e that are in bondage) or will profit by this doctrine, as appertaining vnto vs. Our Sauiour therefore, according to the <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 61. 1.</NOTE> prophe&s;ie of <HI>E&s;ay,</HI> &s;aith, <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Luke 4. 18.</NOTE> that he was &s;ent to <HI>preach libertie and deliue|rance to the captiues,</HI> and <HI>to &s;et at libertie the broken hearted.</HI> He came to &s;eek and to <HI>&s;aue</HI> <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Mat. 18. 11.</NOTE> <HI>that which was lost:</HI> neither came he to <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Matth. 9. 13.</NOTE> <HI>call the righteous</HI> (in their
<PB N="13" REF="10"> owne conceits) <HI>but &s;inners vnto repentance:</HI> to fill the <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Matth. 5. 3. 6.</NOTE> poore and the hungry <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Luke 1. 53.</NOTE> with good things, while&s;t the rich are &s;ent emptie away.</P>
<P>Neither mu&s;t we deceiue our &s;elues with this conceit, that becau&s;e we profe&s;&s;e our &s;elues to be redeemed, and do liue in the hou&s;e of God which is his vi&s;ible Church, therefore we haue all attai|ned this libertie alreadie. For in the hou&s;e of God, there be as well <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">2. Tim. 2. 20.</NOTE> ve&s;&s;els of di&s;honor, as ve&s;&s;els of honor; in the <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Matth. 3. 12.</NOTE> floore of God, as well chaffe as wheate; in the <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Matth. 13. 47</NOTE> net of God, as well bad fi&s;h as that which is good; in the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Matth. 13. 24</NOTE> field of God, as well tares as corne; in the familie or hou&s;e of God, as well <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Ioh. 8. 34. 35.</NOTE> &s;eruants as &s;onnes; in the flocke of God, as well <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Matth. 25. 32. 33.</NOTE> goates as &s;heep. Vnle&s;&s;e therfore you be the &s;ons of God by faith, truly called, engrafted into Chri&s;t as his members, regenerated by the Spirit of God, this libertie as yet doth not belong vnto you. For it is a libertie, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Galath. 2. 4.</NOTE> <HI>which we haue in Christ,</HI> that is, which we being in Chri&s;t haue by him, as after we &s;hall heare: (which al&s;o) is confer|red vpon vs, in and by our vocation, iu&s;tification and &s;anctification; and therefore none enioy it, as actually made free, but &s;uch as are &s;anctified, iu&s;ti|fied and called.</P>
<P>But heere &s;ome will obiect: Are not wee the Church of God, and is not the Church a company of men called? haue we not been bapti&s;ed, and by bapti&s;me regenerated, made the me~bers of Chri&s;t, and children of God? How the~ do you &s;ay, we are not free? Beloued, as this obiection is not vnlike the cauill of the captious Iewes in this place; &s;o
<PB N="14" REF="11"> mu&s;t it receiue the like an&s;were. <HI>Verily, verily I &s;ay vnto you,</HI> &s;aith our Sauiour, <HI>he that committeth &s;in is the &s;eruant of &s;inne, and the &s;eruant &s;hall not abide in the hou&s;e,</HI> &amp;c. I know that you are the Church of God, as the&s;e <HI>Iewes</HI> were; and that you haue been bapti|&s;ed, as they had been circumci&s;ed. But you mu&s;t di&s;tingui&s;h, fir&s;t, of the Church; that there is a Church vi&s;ible, and a Church inui&s;ible, which is the my&s;tical body of Chri&s;t. And you are to know, that there bee many in the Church vi&s;ible, which are not <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1. Ioh. 2. 19.</NOTE> of the Church inui&s;ible; many in the hou&s;e of God, which be &s;eruants and not &s;onnes. Secondly, of calling; that there is an outward cal|ling by the Word, which is common to all in the Church, of which it is &s;aid, <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Matth. 20. 16 and 22. 14.</NOTE> many called, and few cho&s;en. And there is an inward and effectuall cal|ling, according to Gods <HI>purpo&s;e,</HI> of which it is &s;aid, <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 28. 30</NOTE> whom he elected, he called. Thirdly, of Bapti&s;me; there is an outward Bapti&s;me, which is the &s;prink|ling of the <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 3. 21.</NOTE> fle&s;h with water, and an inward Bap|ti&s;me, wherein the &s;ou&s;e is <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Heb. 12. 24. 1. Pet. 1. 2.</NOTE> &s;prinkled with the blood of Chri&s;t, and with the water of the holy Gho&s;t, whereof the outward is a &s;igne. Fourthly, of vnion with Chri&s;t, for there is a &s;acramentall v|nion in Bapti&s;me, &amp; a &s;pirituall by the <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 12. 13.</NOTE> holy Gho&s;t &amp; by faith. La&s;tly, of Chri&s;tians, me~bers of Chri&s;t, &s;onnes of God. For as the Apo&s;tle di&s;tingui&s;h|eth the <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Rom. 2. 28. 29</NOTE> Iewes, that they were either outward|lie Iewes and in &s;hew, or inwardly and in truth; and our Sauionr in the next <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Ioh. 8. 37. &amp;c.</NOTE> words, the &s;eed of <HI>Abraham</HI> according to the fle&s;h, and accor|ding to the promi&s;e. For as <HI>Paul</HI> al&s;o &s;aith, <HI>they</HI>
<PB N="15" REF="11">
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 7.</NOTE> <HI>which bee of faith, are the &s;onnes of Abraham:</HI> &s;o men are called Chri&s;tians, members of Chri&s;t, &s;onnes of God, not onely who are &s;uch indeede and in truth; but al&s;o &s;uch as are Chri&s;tians onely in profe&s;&s;ion, members of Chri&s;t in appearance, <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Ezech. 16. 20. 21. Matth. 8. 12.</NOTE> &s;onnes of God in re&s;pect of the outward coue|nant. Wherefore though you liue in the vi&s;ible Church, though you be called, though you haue been baptized, and by bapti&s;me &s;acramentally vni|ted to the body of Chri&s;t, which is his Church; though in your owne profe&s;&s;ion, and in the repu|tation of others, who conceiue of you (as they ought) according to the iudgement of charitie, you are Chri&s;tians, members of Chri&s;t, and &s;onnes of the kingdome: notwith&s;tanding, if you doe not truely beleeue in Chri&s;t and vnfainedly repent of your &s;innes, you are &s;eruants and not &s;onnes. Yea, &s;o farre &s;hall the&s;e outward priuiledges be from exempting you from damnation, that they &s;hall greatly aggrauate your iudgement. For hath God called, vs and we are not called? hath he inuited vs to turne vnto him, and we are not conuerted? hath he by his Mini&s;ters <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5. 20.</NOTE> intreated vs, that we would be reconciled vnto him, and we will not be reconci|led? hath he offered vs infinite mercy in the my|&s;terie of our &s;aluation by Chri&s;t, and we haue de|&s;pi&s;ed the &s;ame, not caring to apprehend the mer|cies of God and merits of Chri&s;t, but &s;uffering his precious blood to be &s;pilt as it were on the ground in vaine? hath he often &s;ought <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Matth. 23. 37</NOTE> to gather vs vnto him, as the Hen gathereth the Chickens vnder her wings, and we would not? Then haue the meanes
<PB N="16" REF="12"> of &s;aluation been the meanes of obduration vnto vs; and the Word, which to the faithfull is the <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 2. 16.</NOTE> &s;a|uour of life vnto life, vnto vs is become a &s;auour of death vnto death. Yea, for this contempt of the Go&s;pell, if we per&s;i&s;t in it, our e&s;tate in the day of iudgement &s;hall be more <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Matth. 10. 15.</NOTE> intolerable, then theirs of Sodom and Gomorah. And vnto vs belongeth that fearful wo denounced by our Sauiour Chri&s;t, <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Matth. 11. 21. 23.</NOTE> Woe to thee Chorazin, woe to thee Beth&s;ai|da, woe to thee Capernaum: for if the meanes which you haue had, had been vouch&s;afed to them of Tyrus and Sidon, yea to them of So|dom, they would haue turned vnto God, but <HI>I &s;ay vnto you, it &s;hal be ea&s;ier for them in the day of iudge|ment, then for you.</HI> Againe, hath the Lord &s;ent his Sonne to redeeme vs, giuen vs meanes to applie Chri&s;t vnto vs, hath he entreated vs to beleeue and repent, and put to his &s;eale in Bapti&s;me, thereby a&s;&s;uring vs, that if we beleeue and repent, our &s;oules are wa&s;hed with the blood of Chri&s;t, that we are ingrafted into him, and in him are made the &s;ons of God, and heires of eternall life? Shall not wee therefore mo&s;t worthily peri&s;h in our &s;innes, if not|with&s;tanding we will not beleeue and repent; e&s;pe|cially hauing in our Bapti&s;me by a &s;olemne vow bound our &s;elues therto. The con&s;ideration wher|of mu&s;t force men, who are not yet regenerated, vnfainedly to turne vnto God, &amp; to lay hold vpon Chri&s;t by faith. For it is mo&s;t certaine, though they liue in the hou&s;e of God, which is his Church, yet vntill they truly beleeue and repent, they are &s;er|uants and not &s;onnes: and &s;uch &s;eruants as are held
<PB N="17" REF="12"> vnder the mo&s;t mi&s;erable and ba&s;e&s;t &s;lauerie of fin and Satan: being not only bound hand and foot, yea in heart and mind, &s;o that they can neither doe nor thinke that which is &s;piritually good; but are al&s;o caried away <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">2. Tim. 2. 26. Titus 3. 3.</NOTE> captiue, to performe the will of Satan, and the lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h; whereby it comes to pa&s;&s;e, that as they can do no good, &s;o can they do nothing but &s;inne.</P>
<P>The next thing to be con&s;idered, is the qualitie of this liberty, viz. that it is a ture liberty. For neither <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 6. The qualitie or propertie of this libertie.</NOTE> is it an imaginarie libertie, as in the paradox of the Stoicks, who held that wi&s;e men of the world were only free, whe~ they al&s;o, being not freed by Chri&s;t, were and are no better but &s;eruants; or in the &s;ecure imaginations of carnal men, who with the&s;e Iewes, though being in bo~dage, think the~&s;elues free. Nei|ther is it a loo&s;e liberty or licentiou&s;nes, &s;uch as Li|bertines a&s;&s;ume to the~&s;elues, but a true &amp; a holy li|berty, wherby we being freed from &s;in, become &s;er|uants of righteou&s;nes, &amp; being deliuered from the hands of our &s;piritual enemies, are inabled to wor|&s;hip God with willing minds, &amp; chearefull hearts: for that is the only true libertie: &amp; &s;uch is the liber|tie of the Saints in heauen, and of the ble&s;&s;ed An|gels, who count it not only their libertie, but al&s;o their happines, willingly and cheerefully to &s;erue the Lord. For if the Sonne, who is the truth, &s;hall make you free, then &s;hall you be free <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, indeed, and in truth.</P>
<P>This therefore, as it &s;erueth for the comfort of the godly; &s;o al&s;o for the terror of the wicked. For, from this &s;peech of our Sauiour, we may conclude
<PB N="18" REF="13"> both waies. 1. Who&s;oeuer are made free by Chri&s;t, they are free indeed: but all the faithfull are made free by Chri&s;t; therefore (what&s;oeuer the diuell or their owne corruption can obiect to the contrarie) they are free indeed.</P>
<P>Againe, If the Son make you free, &s;aith Chri&s;t, then are you free indeed; but you (&s;ay I to vnbe|leeuers and impenitent &s;inners,) are not free in|deed: <HI>For he that committeth &s;in, is the &s;eruant of &s;in;</HI> therefore, how&s;oeuer you profe&s;&s;e your &s;elues re|deemed by Chri&s;t, and how&s;oeuer al&s;o it be mo&s;t true, that Chri&s;t hath paid a ran&s;ome &s;ufficient for the redemption of all; yet are you not actually re|deemed, nor the benefit of redemption applied vn|to you, vntill you bee ingrafted into Chri&s;t by faith, and renued by the holy Gho&s;t. And the &s;ame may be co~firmed by the oath of the Lord, <HI>(wherein</HI> <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 6. 18.</NOTE> <HI>it is impo&s;sible that he &s;hould lie,)</HI> the oath which he &s;ware to our father <HI>Abraha~,</HI> that he would giue vs, both that we &s;hould be deliuered fro~ the hand, that is, the power and dominion of our &s;pirituall ene|mies; and <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Luk. 1. 73. 74.</NOTE> being <HI>deliuered, &s;hould al&s;o haue grace to wor&s;hip God without feare, in holines &amp; righteou&s;nes be|fore him, all the daies of our life.</HI> If therfore we do not endeuour to wor&s;hippe God in holines and righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e, with willing minds and vpright hearts; it is as &s;ure as the oath of the Lord is true, that as yet we are not actually freed and redeemed by Chri&s;t. For <HI>if the Sonne make you free, you &s;hall be free indeed.</HI></P>
<P>And thus much of the general doctrine of Chri|&s;tian libertie: wherein I haue been the &s;horter, be|cau&s;e all the&s;e points, wherof I haue thus generally
<PB N="19" REF="13"> and briefely &s;poken, viz. that Chri&s;tian libertie is a &s;pirituall libertie, which the faithfull haue in and by Chri&s;t Ie&s;us; that it con&s;i&s;teth on two parts, an immunitie and freedome from all &s;pirituall bon|dage, and an <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, and right to the priuiledges and liberties of Gods children: that Chri&s;t our redee|mer is the author of this libertie, both in re&s;pect of his merit and efficacie: that it is be&s;towed only vp|on the faithfull, who are the &s;onnes of God and members of Chri&s;t: and la&s;tly, that this libertie of Chri&s;tians is a true libertie; all the&s;e points, I &s;ay, will more plainly and fully appeare in the particu|lars, whereunto we are now to de&s;cend.</P>
<P>Chri&s;tian liber|tie therefore, is either <HI>libertas</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Viae,</HI> of this life, &s;uch as is incident <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 7. The &s;peciall do|ctrine of Chri|&s;tian libertie.</NOTE> vnto vs whiles we are in the way, whereof <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Luk. 12. 58.</NOTE> &s;ome not vnfitly vnder|&s;tand our Sauiour to &s;peake. Luk. 12. 58. <HI>Giue diligence to be deliuered from thy aduer&s;arie, whiles thou art in the way,</HI> &amp;c. vnder&s;tanding by the Gouernor, God; by the Iudge, Chri&s;t; by the aduer&s;arie, the di|uell, &s;in, a guiltie con&s;cience, the &s;entence of the law; by the way, this life; by the officer the Angels, by pri&s;on, hell, &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Patriae,</HI> of the life to come, which we &s;hall enioy, when being come to the end of our way, wee &s;hall haue the <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 1. 9.</NOTE> end of our faith; which is the &s;aluation of our &s;oules.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The former is freedome from the bondage of
<PB N="20" REF="14"> &s;inne, the other from the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 21.</NOTE> bondage of corruption. The former is &s;implie called <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 1. 7. 14.</NOTE> redempti|on, the latter <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, the redemption of po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion: for by the former we are heires, <HI>&s;pe,</HI> in hope and expectation; by the latter, <HI>re,</HI> in deed and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; the one is begun and in part, the o|ther perfect and complete: the one, the liber|tie of grace, the other, as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 21.</NOTE> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <HI>the libertie of glorie.</HI></P>
<P>Of the&s;e in order: And fir&s;t of the libertie of <NOTE PLACE="marg">The libertie of grace.</NOTE> grace, which euen in this life the faithfull do enioy in and by Chri&s;t. And it is either common to all the faithfull, as well of the old Te&s;tament as of the new; or peculiar to the faithfull vnder the Go&s;pel. The faithfull vnder both Te&s;taments were and are &s;onnes; who as they haue the &s;ame <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Titus 1. 4.</NOTE> co~mon faith; &s;o haue they the &s;ame <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Jud. 3.</NOTE> common &s;aluation, and therfore the &s;ame libertie and right, in re&s;pect of the inheritance it &s;elfe, and all the degrees thereof. Notwith&s;tanding, there is difference betweene &s;onnes vnder age, and in their minoritie, in re&s;pect of di&s;cipline and gouernment, and tho&s;e who are come to yeares: the former being nurtured by &s;choolema&s;ters, and gouerned by tutors, as the A|po&s;tle &s;aith <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Gal. 4. 2. 3. &amp; 3. 24.</NOTE> of the faithfull before the incarnation of Chri&s;t; the latter &s;et at libertie from &s;uch di&s;ci|pline and gouernment. Otherwi&s;e, as they had the &s;ame faith, and the &s;ame iu&s;tification (for all the faithfull both before Chri&s;t and after, were and are iu&s;tified by faith, as <HI>Abraham</HI> <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 4. 23. 24</NOTE> was, Rom. 4. and by &s;uch <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Iam. 2. 20. 21.</NOTE> a faith, Iam. 2.) &s;o haue they the &s;ame libertie which is obtained by faith, and in &s;ome chiefe
<PB N="21" REF="14"> points thereof is, as <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Jnstit. lib. 3. cap. 19. &sect;. 1.</NOTE> <HI>Caluin</HI> &s;aith, an appendix of iu&s;tification.</P>
<P>The common libertie of grace, which may fitly <NOTE PLACE="marg">The libertie of &s;auing grace.</NOTE> be called the libertie of &s;auing grace, containeth many particulars; which, for your ea&s;ie&s;t re|membrance, may be reduced to the&s;e three heads.</P>
<P>For it is a libertie which wee haue in and by our
<LIST>
<ITEM>Vocation.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Iu&s;tification.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sanctification.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For, although the&s;e three concurre in time, be|cau&s;e a man is no &s;ooner effectually called, but he is al&s;o iu&s;tified before God, and no &s;ooner iu|&s;tified, but hee beginneth al&s;o to bee &s;anctified (which is duely to be ob&s;erued of tho&s;e, who pre|&s;uming, and that perhaps for a long time, that they be called and iu&s;tified, doe &s;till remaine vn&s;ancti|fied) notwith&s;tanding in order of nature <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 30.</NOTE> vocati|on goeth before iu&s;tification, and iu&s;tification be|fore &s;anctification. And let this al&s;o by the way be ob&s;erued for the comfort of the godly. For who|&s;oeuer, profe&s;&s;ing the true faith, hath a true pur|po&s;e and vnfained de&s;ire to walke before God in the obedience of his will, making con&s;cience of all his waies: that man, how&s;oeuer be&s;ides his gene|rall purpo&s;e he may faile (<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Jam. 3. 2.</NOTE> as we all doe) in many particulars; yet he is &s;anctified, and from his &s;an|ctification may certainely conclude, that he is iu|&s;tified, that he is called, that he is elected, that he &s;hall be &s;aued. For the fruite could not bee good, vnle&s;&s;e the tree or the branch that beareth it were good, and the branch cannot be good, vnle&s;&s;e it be ingrafted into Chri&s;t, <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Ioh. 15. 1. 5.</NOTE> the onely true vine: that
<PB N="22" REF="15"> is to &s;ay, a mans conuer&s;ation is neuer acceptable vnto God, before his per&s;on be accepted; and his per&s;on is not accepted, vntill hee bee vnited vnto Chri&s;t. For the better vnder&s;tanding of this point, wee mu&s;t remember, that Chri&s;t at a deare price hath long &s;ince purcha&s;ed this liberty for vs, and hath meritoriou&s;ly wrought our freedome. But none are actually and effectually &s;et at libertie, but tho&s;e alone, who haue actuall vnion and commu|nion with Chri&s;t. Now in our effectuall vocation, we haue vnion with Chri&s;t; and in our iu&s;tificati|on and &s;anctification, communion with him. In the former, in re&s;pect of his merits apprehended by faith, and communicated vnto vs by imputati|on; in the other, in re&s;pect of his graces, which be|ing in him without mea&s;ure, are by his &s;pirit from <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Iohn 1. 16.</NOTE> him deriued, and in &s;ome mea&s;ure communica|ted vnto vs by infu&s;ion.</P>
<P>But let vs &s;peake of them &s;euerally. And fir&s;t, as <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 8. The libertie of Vocation.</NOTE> touching our vocation, I &s;ay with the Apo&s;tle, <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 13.</NOTE> Gal. 5. <HI>Brethren, you are called vnto libertie:</HI> which words we are thus to vnder&s;tand, that by our cal|ling we are not only inuited vnto Chri&s;tian liber|tie in generall, as a maine benefit of our Chri&s;tian profe&s;&s;ion; but al&s;o by it are enfranchi&s;ed, being thereby put into po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of a good part of it, and entituled to the re&s;t. For whereas naturally we are wholy, and not onely in part (for that may be veri|fied of the faithfull, Rom. 7. 14.) carnall, &s;old vnder &s;inne; by our calling we are fir&s;t made &s;pirituall, being in &s;ome mea&s;ure indued with the &s;pirit of Chri&s;t. Now the &s;pirit of Chri&s;t, being the <HI>&s;pirit of</HI>
<PB N="23" REF="15"> <HI>libertie,</HI> as <HI>Dauid</HI> &s;peaketh, <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 51. 14.</NOTE> P&s;alm. 51. we may re|&s;olue with the Apo&s;tle, <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 3. 17.</NOTE> that <HI>where the &s;pirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.</HI></P>
<P>But the liberty which we haue by our calling &s;tandeth on the&s;e degrees. Fir&s;t, as it is an immu|nitie; our mindes are therein freed from the &s;erui|tude of blindne&s;&s;e and incredulitie, our hearts and willes from the bondage of that, which the Apo|&s;tle calleth <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Rom. 11. 32.</NOTE> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, (vnder which all men natural|ly are concluded) that is, di&s;obedience and infide|litie; our &s;elues, from the &s;eruitude of Satan, being called and as it were culled out of the world, whereby is meant the company of worldly men, which is the kingdome of the diuell, (who is the <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Iohn 12. 31.</NOTE> Prince, yea the God <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">2. Cor 4. 4.</NOTE> of the world, working ef|fectually <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 2.</NOTE> in the children of in|fidelitie and di&s;obedience, blinding their vnder|&s;tandings, and <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">2. Tim. 2. 26.</NOTE> captiuating their willes:) and la&s;t|ly tran&s;lated from the mo&s;t &s;laui&s;h e&s;tate of dam|nation, being <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Apoc. 14. 4.</NOTE> redeemed from among men, and deliuered out of the <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Gal. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 4.</NOTE> world, which becau&s;e it wholy, as Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">1. John 5. 19. For he is <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, of whom he had &s;poken, ver&s;e 18.</NOTE> &s;aith, <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, lieth vn|der the &s;ubiection of the diuell, (who hath the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 2. 15.</NOTE> power of death) is al&s;o &s;ubiect to death and dam|nation.</P>
<P>As it is <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, that is, a power and intere&s;t; wee are in our calling indued, as I &s;aid, with the &s;pirit of libertie, which freeth our &s;oules by enlightening our minds, per&s;wading our iudgements, and &s;ofte|ning our hearts, en&s;piring thereinto godly de&s;ires and gracious re&s;olutions; whereby he beginning the grace of faith in vs, doth regenerate vs and
<PB N="24" REF="16"> vnite vs vnto Chri&s;t. So that by our effectuall cal|ling, in regard that therein the &s;pirit of libertie is communicated vnto vs, and the &s;auing grace of faith is therein begotten in vs, wee are made the &s;onnes of God and members of Chri&s;t, and are not only entituled to all the rights and priuiledges of the children of God, and members of Chri&s;t; but al&s;o are pre&s;ently <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Iohn 5. 24.</NOTE> tran&s;lated, as it were from death to life, and from the &s;tate of damnation, vn|to the &s;tate of grace and &s;aluation.</P>
<P>But the&s;e things doe neede &s;ome further expla|nation. Fir&s;t, therefore in the mini&s;terie of the Go&s;pell, which is the mini&s;terie <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 3. 8. 1. Pet. 1. 23.</NOTE> of the &s;pirit, the <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Rom. 10. 8.</NOTE> word of faith, the &s;eede of regeneration, the <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Jam. 1. 18. 25.</NOTE> lawe or doctrine of liberty, and the ordinarie meanes of our <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">2. The&s;. 2. 14.</NOTE> vocation, the Lord, preuenting vs with his grace, &s;endeth the &s;pirit of his &s;onne into our hearts; which being, as I &s;aid, the &s;pirit of li|bertie; fir&s;t, freeth our minds from the bondage of ignorance, incredulitie and vanitie, wherein vntill then we were held captiue, not once able of our &s;elues to entertaine a <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 3. 5.</NOTE> good thought, the whole frame of our thoughts being <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Gen. 6. 5. &amp; 8. 21.</NOTE> onely euill conti|nually; the wi&s;dome of our fle&s;h, <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 7.</NOTE> or that which our fle&s;h mindeth, being emnitie again&s;t God; our &s;elues, not onely not perceiuing, but being <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 2. 14.</NOTE> not able to perceiue the things which are of the &s;pirit of God, and much le&s;&s;e able to giue a&s;&s;ent vnto them (for no man can &s;ay that <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 12. 3.</NOTE> Ie&s;us is Chri&s;t but by the holy Gho&s;t) and much le&s;&s;e to a&s;&s;ent effec|tually, or by a liuely faith. The &s;pirit of God there|fore by the mini&s;terie of the word (which is a
<PB N="25" REF="16">
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 105</NOTE> light vnto our feete) as the meanes, and by the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pell as his in&s;truments (who are therefore called the <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Matth. 5. 14.</NOTE> light of the world, and are &s;ent by Chri&s;t to <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Act. 26. 18.</NOTE> open our eyes, and to giue light to them that &s;it in <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Luk. 1. 79.</NOTE> darkene&s;&s;e, and in the &s;ha|dowe of death) enlighteneth our minds to vnder|&s;tand, and openeth our hearts as he did the heart of <HI>Lydia,</HI> per&s;wading our &s;oules <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Act. 16. 14.</NOTE> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, that is, not onely to attend, but, as the word al&s;o &s;ig|nifieth, to a&s;&s;ent to tho&s;e things which are &s;poken by the Mini&s;ters; and thereby maketh vs vnfai|nedly to acknowledge and &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, both our mi&s;erable &s;eruitude and damnable e&s;tate in our &s;elues, and al&s;o the gracious libertie and &s;a|uing grace of God offered in Chri&s;t. And this is the fir&s;t degree of the libertie which wee haue in our calling, that therein we are called out of <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 2. 9.</NOTE> dark|ne&s;&s;e into light. Of this liberty the Apo&s;tle &s;pea|keth, 2. Cor. 3. <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 3. 15. 16. 17.</NOTE> that whereas there is naturally a vaile ouer mens hearts, that they cannot vnder|&s;tand the Word; this vaile is taken away by the &s;pirit of God, when they turne vnto the Lord. Now the <HI>Lord</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>is the &s;pirit, and where the &s;pirit of the Lord is, there is libertie.</HI> In this regard the &s;pirit is compared to an <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Apoc. 3. 18.</NOTE> eye-&s;alue, and is cal|led that <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">1. Joh. 2. 27.</NOTE> anointing, which, being receiued from Chri&s;t, teacheth vs all things.</P>
<P>Hauing thus reuealed vnto vs both our owne mi&s;erable e&s;tate in our &s;elues, and the infinite mer|cies of God in Chri&s;t, and moued vs truely to a&s;|&s;ent thereto; in the next place hee toucheth our hearts with a &s;en&s;e of our mi&s;ery, and with a ha|tred
<PB N="26" REF="17"> of &s;inne, which hath brought vs into that mi|&s;erable e&s;tate, and by the mini&s;terie of the Word, which is his <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Rom. 1. 16.</NOTE> power to our &s;aluation, &amp; his <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">E&s;ai. 53. 1.</NOTE> arme to draw vs vnto him, he turneth our will and affe|ctions from darkne&s;&s;e (which naturally <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Ioh. 3. 19 Act. 16. 18.</NOTE> we loue) vnto light, not only working in vs hartie de&s;ires, to come out of that damnable e&s;tate, and to be made partakers of Chri&s;t (which de&s;ires al&s;o he being the <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Zac. 12. 10. Rom. 8. 26.</NOTE> Spirit of &s;upplication, helpeth vs to expre&s;&s;e in hartie prayer;) but al&s;o in&s;piring into vs a &s;etled re|&s;olution, that for as much as libertie and &s;aluation is promi&s;ed to all that receiue Chri&s;t by faith; we will therfore re&s;olue vndoubtedly to acknowledge him to be our only Sauiour, and to re&s;t vpon him alone for &s;aluation. Thus by working, 1. In our minds an effectuall a&s;&s;ent to the promi&s;e of the Go&s;pell. 2. In our hearts an earne&s;t de&s;ire to bee made partakers of Chri&s;ts merits, and 3. In our will a &s;etled re&s;olution, to acknowledge him to be the Me&s;&s;ias, and to relie vpon the mercies of God and merits of Chri&s;t, for iu&s;tification and &s;aluation, (by which three we do <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">John 1. 12.</NOTE> receiue Chri&s;t), the Spirit of God begetteth the grace of iu&s;tifying faith in vs. In the begetting whereof, he doth not only <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Act. 26. 18.</NOTE> turne men from darkne&s;&s;e to light, and from the power of Satan vnto God; but al&s;o regenerateth them, and vniteth them vnto Chri&s;t, making them of the children of wrath, the &s;onnes of God; of the impes of the old <HI>Adam,</HI> members of Chri&s;t; and of the &s;ubiects of Satan in the kingdome of <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Colo&s;. 1. 13.</NOTE> darknes, fel|low <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 19.</NOTE> citizens with the Saints in the kingdome of God. And this is the liberty which we haue by our
<PB N="27" REF="17"> calling. As for the teachers of free will, and the magnifiers of our pure naturals; they neither ac|knowledge the woful bondage wherein we are by nature, nor the happie libertie, whereunto we are, not borne, but called. For this is a libertie, <HI>ad quam non nati, &s;ed renati &s;umus;</HI> which we haue not by ge|neration, but by regeneration. Neither is it a com|mon libertie of al, but a libertie peculiar to the peo|ple of God, who are a people <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 3. 9.</NOTE> &s;et at libertie, pecu|liar to the &s;onnes of God, and members of Chri&s;t. But it will be &s;aid, if there be no freedome in our willes before we be called, then belike we are cal|led and &s;aued again&s;t our willes, and we mu&s;t look with the Enthu&s;ia&s;ts for violent raptures. I an|&s;were, that there is in our willes a freedome of na|ture, whereby it is free from compul&s;ion. For, that the will &s;hould be forced, it implieth a contradicti|on: for then it &s;hould both will and nill the &s;ame thing at one time. Notwith&s;tanding this freedome of the will, vntill it be freed by grace, is a voluntary &s;eruice of &s;inne; voluntarily and with greedine&s;&s;e, willing that which is euill, although it can will no|thing el&s;e. But the preuenting grace of God, wher|by we are called, is per&s;wa&s;iue, and that ordinarily by the Word; drawing vs indeed, and &s;o of vnwil|ling making vs willing, but this is by per&s;wa&s;ion, and not by compul&s;ion. For although our willes in the fir&s;t act of our conuer&s;ion be meerely pa&s;&s;iue, and none can come to Chri&s;t vnle&s;&s;e the <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Joh. 6. 44.</NOTE> Father draw him: yet we can no &s;ooner conceiue a man to be effectually called, then that he is made wil|ling. For in the very act of our calling, of vnwilling
<PB N="28" REF="18"> we are made willing; and no &s;ooner are we effectu|ally drawne, but we willingly come: in whch &s;en&s;e true is that &s;aying of <HI>Chry&s;ostom,</HI> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, God indeed draweth, but he draweth him that is willing. Wherefore though our willes doe not concurre, <HI>ad vocationem,</HI> vnto our calling; yet they concurre, <HI>in vocatione,</HI> in our calling, being therein made free.</P>
<P>Now we are to intreate of the libertie which we <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 9. Justification and &s;anctifica|tion not to be confounded.</NOTE> haue both in our iu&s;tification, and al&s;o in our fan|ctification. For how&s;oeuer the&s;e graces do alwaies &s;o concurre, as that who&s;oeuer hath the one, hath the other; and who&s;oeuer hath not both, hath nei|ther; yet are we carefully to di&s;tingui&s;h them. For the Papi&s;ts in not di&s;tingui&s;hing them, confound the Law and the Go&s;pell, aboli&s;h the maine bene|fit of Chri&s;t, which in the Scriptures goeth vnder the name of iu&s;tification, and with it the libertie which we haue by it; and la&s;tly, by their Antichri|&s;tian doctrine teach men to place the matter of their iu&s;tification, and the merit of &s;aluation in them&s;elues. For they do teach, that a man is iu&s;ti|fied, when he is made righteous by righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e inherent in him&s;elfe, and performed by him&s;elfe, and accordingly make two degrees of iu&s;tificati|on: The one, which they call the fir&s;t iu&s;tification, when a man of a &s;inner is made iu&s;t, by the infu&s;ion of faith, hope, and charitie; the other, which they call the &s;econd iu&s;tification, when a man of a iu&s;t man is made more iu&s;t by bringing forth good workes. So that according to their doctrine, the righteou&s;nes of the fir&s;t iu&s;tification, is habituall
<PB N="29" REF="18"> and inherent in them&s;elues; of the &s;econd, actuall, and performed by them&s;elues. And whereas iu&s;ti|fication &s;tandeth on two parts, viz. remi&s;&s;ion of &s;in, and the making, or, as the <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 19.</NOTE> Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh, con|&s;tituting of vs righteous; as they teach, that we are made righteous; not by imputation, but by infu&s;i|on of righteou&s;nes: &s;o they teach, that remi&s;&s;ion of &s;inne is the deletion of &s;inne, and that &s;innes are then pardoned, when by infu&s;ion of the con|trarie graces they are expelled. Euen as water is then &s;aid to be warmed, when by the acce&s;&s;ion of heate the cold is expelled. Againe, where the Scrip|ture &s;aith, that we are iu&s;tified by grace, that is, by <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 24.</NOTE> the meere fauour of God in Chri&s;t, by faith with|out workes, by the righteou&s;nes of God, which without the law is manife&s;ted in the Go&s;pell; they by grace vnder&s;tand the graces of God in vs, which they &s;ay concurre with faith vnto iu&s;tification; by righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, not the righteou&s;nes of Chri&s;t ap|prehended by faith, but a righteou&s;nes from Chri&s;t infu&s;ed into vs, &amp;c. Which doctrines, being vnder|&s;tood of &s;anctification, are for the mo&s;t part true. For we do not deny, but that the matter of our &s;an|ctification is inherent in vs, and performed by vs; and that it is partly habituall, and partly actuall; that it con&s;i&s;teth in our dying vnto &s;inne, which is called mortification, and liuing vnto righteou&s;nes, which is called viuification: that there be degrees thereof, according to the mea&s;ure of grace recei|ued: that we are &s;anctified by the grace, or rather graces of God in vs; and that thereunto not faith alone, but hope and charitie, &amp; other both inward
<PB N="30" REF="19"> graces and outward obedience do concurre, &amp;c.</P>
<P>But if the iu&s;tification which the Papi&s;ts teach, be nothing el&s;e but &s;anctification; what then is be|come of that, which in the Scriptures goeth vnder the name of iu&s;tification, and is the maine benefit of the Me&s;&s;ias, wherby we are not only freed from the guilt of &s;inne, which bound vs ouer to death and damnation; but al&s;o are in Chri&s;t accepted as righteous, and made heires of eternall life; by which we are freed from the feare of damnatio~, and are entitled vnto the kingdome of heauen? Surely by the Popi&s;h doctrine it is in a manner aboli&s;hed, and with it the libertie which we haue by it, which is no le&s;&s;e then our deliuerance from hell, and our title to the kingdome of heauen, which if we haue not by Chri&s;t, we haue no &s;aluation by him. For it is certaine, that whereby we are iu&s;tified, thereby we are &s;aued.</P>
<P>This mo&s;t pernicious and Antichri&s;tian error they &s;eeke to iu&s;tifie by the like notation of the La|tine words. For, as to be &s;anctified, is to be made holy, by holines wrought in vs; &s;o to be iu&s;tified, in their conceit, is to be made iu&s;t, by righteou&s;nes wrought in vs.</P>
<P>Whereunto I an&s;were, that if the Latine notati|on were to be re&s;pected, it would not hinder our cau&s;e. For, we do freely confe&s;&s;e, that whom the Lord iu&s;tifieth, he maketh iu&s;t. But then the que&s;ti|on is, whether by imputation, or by infu&s;ion. By imputation, we &s;ay, as he iu&s;tifieth; by infu&s;ion, not as he iu&s;tifieth, but as he &s;anctifieth. But the Latine word is no further to bee vrged, then as it is the
<PB N="31" REF="19"> tran&s;lation of the Hebrew word in the old Te&s;ta|ment, and of the Greeke in the new, which &s;ignifi|eth to iu&s;tifie. Now it is plaine, that both the He|brew <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, and the greeke <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, is <HI>verbum foren&s;e,</HI> a iudiciall word a&s;cribed vnto God, as the Iudge; to teach vs, when we thinke of iu&s;tification, to &s;um|mon our &s;elues before the iudgement &s;eat of God. And in this &s;en&s;e it is oppo&s;ed to condemning, as in the <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Deut. 25. 1. Prou. 17. 15.</NOTE> iudgements of men, Deut. 25. 1. Prou. 17. 15. &s;o in the <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Mat. 12. 37. 1. King. 8. 32. Rom. 5. 16. 18. Rom. 8. 33.</NOTE> iudgement of God, Matth. 12. 37. By thy words thou &s;halt be iu&s;tified, and by thy words thou &s;halt be condemned; 1. King. 8. 32. Rom. 5. 16. 18. and Rom. 8. 33. Hereby then appeareth, both what iu&s;tification is, and wherein it differeth from &s;anctification. For the contrarie to &s;anctifying, is polluting; but the contrarie to iu&s;tifying, is con|demning. Wherfore, as &s;anctifying being the con|trarie to polluting, doth &s;ignifie making holy; &s;o iu&s;tifying being the contrarie to co~demning, doth &s;ignifie ab&s;oluing, acquitting, pronouncing iu&s;t. And in this &s;en&s;e euermore, in the que&s;tion of iu&s;ti|fication, it is v&s;ed when it is a&s;cribed vnto God. Neither are the Papi&s;ts able to produce any one te&s;timonie, where iu&s;tification being a&s;cribed to God, (as <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 26. &amp; 8. 33.</NOTE> It is God that doth iu&s;tifie) doth &s;ignifie making righteous by infu&s;ion. This then is the fir&s;t note of difference, whereunto others may be ad|ded. <MILESTONE N="2"> For in iu&s;tification, as I &s;aid before, we haue communion with Chri&s;t, in re&s;pect of his merits imputed vnto vs, to free vs from the guilt of &s;inne, and feare of damnation, and to entitle vs to the kingdome of heauen. In &s;anctification we haue
<PB N="32" REF="20"> communion with Chri&s;t in re&s;pect of his graces, which being in him without mea&s;ure, are by his &s;pirit deriued to vs in mea&s;ure, and communicated by infu&s;ion, to free vs from the corruption and do|minion of &s;inne, and to prepare and fit vs for the kingdome of heauen.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> The matter therefore of Iu&s;tification, or that whereby we are ab&s;olued, and in re&s;pect whereof, God doth acquit vs from our &s;innes, and accepting vs as iu&s;t, doth &s;o pronounce of vs, is the merits, righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and obedience of Chri&s;t our Saui|our. For by what we are redeemed, by that we haue <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 1. 7. Colo&s;. 1. 14.</NOTE> remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, or iu&s;tification; but we are re|deemed only by the merits and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, and not by our owne; and therefore we are iu&s;tified by the righteou&s;nes of Chri&s;t, and not by that which is inherent in vs, or performed by vs: but our &s;anctification con&s;i&s;teth in the graces of Gods &s;pirit inherent in vs, and the new obedience performed by vs.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> We are iu&s;tified by imputation of Chri&s;ts righ|teou&s;nes, when God imputing to a belieuer the righteou&s;nes of Chri&s;t, and accepting of it in the belieuers behalfe, as if he had performed it in his owne per&s;on, doth not only acquit him from his &s;innes, but al&s;o accepteth of him as righteous in Chri&s;t, and as an heire of eternall life. For as Chri&s;t was made a &s;inner for vs, &s;o are we made <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5. 21.</NOTE> righte|ous before God in him: Chri&s;t was made a &s;inner for vs, by imputation of our &s;innes to him: there|fore we are made righteous before God in him, by imputation of his righteou&s;nes vnto vs. Againe, as
<PB N="33" REF="20"> we were made &s;inners, that is, guiltie of the fir&s;t A|dams tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion; <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 18. 19</NOTE> &s;o are we iu&s;tified by the o|bedience of the &s;econd <HI>Adam.</HI> But we are guiltie of the fir&s;t <HI>Adams</HI> tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion by imputation. For how &s;hould that being an action, and therefore tran&s;ient, be communicated vnto vs? Let <HI>Bellar|mine</HI> an&s;were: It is communicated to vs, &s;aith he, <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Adae peccatu~ no bis commu|nicatur per ge|nerationem eo modo, quo com|municari pote&s;t id quod tran&s;it, nimirum per imputationem. Omnibus enim imputatur, qui ex Adamo na&s;|cuntur, quoni|am omnes in lumbis Adami existentes, in eo et per eum pec|cauimus, cum ip&s;e peccauit. Bellarm. tit. 3. de ami&s;&s;. grat. &amp; &s;tat. pec. lib. 5. cap. 17.</NOTE> as tran&s;ient things v&s;e to be communicated, that is to &s;ay, <HI>by imputation.</HI> Therefore we are iu&s;tified by imputation of the obedience of the &s;econd <HI>Adam.</HI> For the obedience of Chri&s;t which he performed on earth, being tran&s;ient, how could it be commu|nicated vnto vs, but as <HI>Bellarmine</HI> &s;aith, all tran&s;ient things are communicated, viz. by imputation? The rea&s;on of which imputation is this. For as all men being in <HI>Adam</HI> as the roote of mankind, originally, are guiltie of his &s;in, it being imputed vnto them, becau&s;e in him &amp; by him, by rea&s;on of their vnion with him, all &s;inned: &s;o the faithfull being in Chri&s;t as their head or root, are iu&s;tified by his obedience, it being imputed to them, becau&s;e in him, and by him, by rea&s;on of our vnion with him, we fulfil|led the Law, and in him, and by him we &s;atisfied the iu&s;tice of God. But we are &s;anctified by the in|fu&s;ion of grace wrought in vs by the holy Gho&s;t.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5"> Iu&s;tification is the verie intitling of vs to the kingdome of heauen. Sanctification is both the badge and cognizance, whereby they are to bee di&s;cerned and knowne who are iu&s;tified, and &s;hall be <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Act. 26. 18. &amp; 20. 32.</NOTE> &s;aued, and the fitting and preparing of vs to that kingdome, whereinto no vncleane thing &s;hall enter.</P>
<PB N="34" REF="21">
<P><MILESTONE N="6"> The righteou&s;nes of iu&s;tification is perfect, (for it is the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t) and therefore of iu&s;tification it &s;elfe there are no degrees, though of the a&s;&s;urance thereof there be degrees, according to the mea&s;ure of faith. The righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of our &s;anctification, which is inherent, is vnperfect in this life, and &s;tayned with the fle&s;h; and thereof there are degrees, as we grow in grace.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="7"> We are both iu&s;tified and &s;anctified by faith, but in diuers re&s;pects. We are iu&s;tified by faith, becau&s;e by it we apprehend the righteou&s;nes of Chri&s;t, and therefore are iu&s;tified by it, not formally, as it is a power or habit in vs, or as it is a part of inherent righteou&s;nes, but relatiuely in re&s;pect of the obiect which it doth apprehend; and by it alone we are iu&s;tified, becau&s;e it is the onely grace in vs, which apprehendeth the merits of Chri&s;t to iu&s;tification. Wee are &s;anctified by faith, as a chiefe part of our &s;anctification, being as it were the roote, both of other inward graces, and outward obedience: but we are not &s;anctified by it alone, becau&s;e not only other graces inherent, but al&s;o outward obedience concurre thereto.</P>
<P>The&s;e things thus premi&s;ed, let vs con&s;ider what <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 10. The libertie of iustification.</NOTE> that libertie is, which we haue both in our iu&s;tifi|cation, and al&s;o in our &s;anctification. In both (as our freedome is an immunitie) we are freed from &s;inne, and from the Law, which is the &s;trength of &s;inne, though in different re&s;pects, which will be &s;o many more differences betwixt iu&s;tification and &s;anctification. In &s;in there are two things, the guilt therof, and the corruption. In iu&s;tification we
<PB N="35" REF="21"> are freed wholly from the guilt of &s;inne: for to be iu&s;tified, is to haue remi&s;&s;ion of &s;in <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Rom. 4. 6. 7. Freedome from guilt of &s;inne.</NOTE>, Rom. 4. 6. 7. or, which is all one, to be freed, or ab&s;olued from the guilt of it. And &s;o certaine it is, that in iu&s;tifica|tion we haue this freedome, that to be iu&s;tified, is to be freed, according to the Scriptures phra&s;e <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 7.</NOTE>, Rom. 6. 7. <HI>He that is dead, is freed from &s;in:</HI> the Greek is <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. See <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Act. 13. 38. 39.</NOTE> Act. 13. 38. 39. <HI>Be it knowen vnto you, that through Christ is preached vnto you forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;innes. And from all things, from which you could not be iustified by the law of Mo&s;es, by him euery one that be|leeueth is iustified.</HI> Where, to be iu&s;tified, is to haue pardon of &s;inne, or freedome from the guilt of it.</P>
<P>The guilt of &s;in is the obligatio~ or binding ouer of the &s;inner vnto puni&s;hment: and this bond is partly in the Law, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">As the <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, or pre|po&s;ition.</NOTE> which is the hand-writing or obligation that is again&s;t vs, binding ouer the tran&s;|gre&s;&s;or of it, to the puni&s;hment threatned in it; and partly in the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, or a&s;&s;umption.</NOTE> con&s;cience, applying the Law, morall or naturall, to the &s;inner, and from thence <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, or conclu&s;ion.</NOTE> pronouncing him &s;ubiect to puni&s;hment. From this obligation or guilt we are freed before God, and as it were in the court of heauen, &s;o &s;oone as we beleeue: and we are freed from the &s;ame in the court of con&s;cience, when we know that we be|leeue, and are a&s;&s;ured of our iu&s;tification. For, <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Act. 26. 18.</NOTE> by faith we haue remi&s;&s;ion of &s;inne: and who&s;oeuer <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Act. 13. 38 39</NOTE> beleeueth in Chri&s;t, he is iu&s;tified from the guilt thereof.</P>
<P>This our freedome containeth in it happine&s;&s;e, for as their e&s;tate is mi&s;erable, who&s;e &s;innes are not forgiuen, becau&s;e by their &s;ins they are debtors vn|to
<PB N="36" REF="22"> God, owing in re&s;pect thereof eternal death and damnation (though they only feele this burthen, who&s;e con&s;cience is throughly touched, of whom it is &s;aid, <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Prou. 18. 14.</NOTE> A wounded &s;pirit who is able to beare?) &s;o their e&s;tate is happie, who are freed fro~ the guilt of &s;inne. <HI>Dauid,</HI> though a King, flouri&s;hing in great honor, wealth, and delights; notwith&s;tanding he repo&s;eth his felicitie in the forgiuenes of &s;in, <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 32. 1. 2. Rom. 3. 6.</NOTE> P&s;al. 32. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man who&s;e wickedne&s;&s;e is forgiuen, and who&s;e &s;inne is couered, ble&s;&s;ed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie.</HI> Which &s;hould moue vs aboue all things to labour for the forgiuene&s;&s;e of &s;in, and for the a&s;&s;urance thereof. If thou beleeue in Chri&s;t, and withall confe&s;&s;e thy &s;in <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">1. Joh. 1. 9.</NOTE> and for&s;ake <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Prou. 28. 13.</NOTE> it, thou maye&s;t be &s;ure that it is pardoned.</P>
<P>Secondly, in our iu&s;tification we are freed from the <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 11.</NOTE> the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Gal. 4. 4. 5. Freedome from the Law.</NOTE> law, and that in two re&s;pects. Fir&s;t, from the malediction or condemnation of it: &s;econdly, from the lawes exaction of inherent and that per|fect righteou&s;nes vnto iu&s;tification. Vnder which double yoke of bondage all men are, that are not iu&s;tified by faith in Chri&s;t: that is, all men in them|&s;elues are &s;ubiect to the cur&s;e <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 10.</NOTE> who in the lea&s;t de|gree doe at any time in their whole life tran&s;gre&s;&s;e any part of the law, as all men oftentimes doe; and again, no man who is not in Chri&s;t, can be exemp|ted from the cur&s;e, and attaine to iu&s;tification, vn|le&s;&s;e he continue in all the things which are writ|ten in the booke of the law to doe them; which no man is able to doe, the lawe by rea&s;on of the fle&s;h being <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 3.</NOTE> impo&s;&s;ible vnto vs. Let naturall or vncon|uerted men apply this to them&s;elues. Can&s;t thou
<PB N="37" REF="22"> not by the &s;entence of the law be exempted from the cur&s;e, vnle&s;&s;e thou do&s;t not onely not commit the things forbidden, but al&s;o doe the duties com|maunded; vnle&s;&s;e thou do&s;t all, and vnle&s;&s;e thou continue&s;t in doing all, neuer failing in any one particular; and finally, vnle&s;&s;e thou continue&s;t in doing all, and euery thing commaunded in that perfect manner and mea&s;ure which the lawe pre|&s;cribeth? Alas then, how wilt thou e&s;cape the dreadfull cur&s;e, who in &s;tead of doing the duties commaunded, ha&s;t done the vices forbidden; who in &s;tead of keeping all the commaundements, ha&s;t broken them all; and in &s;tead of continuing in a totall perpetuall and perfect obedience of the lawe, ha&s;t continued in the di&s;obedience thereof? Hence we may conclude with the Apo&s;tle, that all men in them&s;elues, euen tho&s;e <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 10.</NOTE> who &s;eeke to be iu&s;tified by the lawe, bee concluded vnder &s;inne, and con&s;equently vnder the cur&s;e: and therefore haue extreame neede to &s;eeke vnto Chri&s;t, that by him they may be &s;et free from this twofold bon|dage; which is, to be vnder the cur&s;e of the lawe if we breake it, when we can doe nothing el&s;e but breake it; and to be excluded from iu&s;tification, if we doe not continue in the perfect performance of the lawe, when we are not able &s;o much as to <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 3. 5. Freedome from the cur&s;e of the Law.</NOTE> thinke a good thought, or once to will that which is &s;piritually good. But by Chri&s;t we are freed from both. Fir&s;t from the cur&s;e, as the Apo&s;tle in expre&s;&s;e tearmes teacheth: <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 13.</NOTE> <HI>Chri&s;t hath redeemed vs from the cur&s;e of the lawe, when he was made a cur&s;e for vs.</HI> He hath freed vs from the puni&s;hment of
<PB N="38" REF="23"> &s;inne, by vndergoing the puni&s;hment for vs, hee hath acquitted vs from our debts by di&s;charging them for vs. For as <HI>E&s;ay</HI> <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 53. 3.</NOTE> &s;aith, <HI>He was wounded for our tran&s;gre&s;sions, he was broken for our iniquities, the cha&s;ti&s;ement of our peace</HI> (that is, which was to pro|cure vs peace and reconciliation with God) <HI>was laide vpon him,</HI> and <HI>by his &s;tripes we are healed.</HI> And againe, <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 6.</NOTE> <HI>The Lord hath laide vpon him the iniquitie of vs all,</HI> that is, the puni&s;hment of all our &s;innes. And, <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 11.</NOTE> <HI>My righteous &s;eruant by his knowledge,</HI> that is, by the knowledge of him or faith in him, <HI>&s;hall iu|&s;tifie many, for he &s;hall beare their iniquities.</HI></P>
<P>Now, by the cur&s;e of the law from which Chri&s;t doth free vs, we are to vnder&s;tand all euill <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 91. 10.</NOTE> of pu|ni&s;hment, as well temporall as eternall: for it is ab|&s;urd to imagine with the Papi&s;ts, that Chri&s;t ha|uing freed vs from the eternall puni&s;hment, hath not freed vs from the temporall. By temporall, we meane the euils both of this life, whether corpo|rall or &s;pirituall (which are innumerable) and al&s;o in the ende of this life, <HI>viz.</HI> an euill death. Again&s;t both the&s;e it will be obiected, and fir&s;t again&s;t the former; that notwith&s;tanding their iu&s;tification, the faithfull are as &s;ubiect to afflictions and cala|mities of this life as others, and therefore to puni&s;h|ments. But I deny that con&s;equence, if you &s;peake of puni&s;hments properly, which be the cur&s;es of the law inflicted vpon men by way of vengeance, to &s;atisfie the iu&s;tice of God. For the Lord hath impo&s;ed the puni&s;hment of all our &s;innes vpon Chri&s;t; who hath fully &s;atisfied the iu&s;tice of his Father for them. And therefore as there is no con|demnation,
<PB N="39" REF="23"> &s;o no puni&s;hment (properly vnder|&s;tood) to them that are in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us. Neither can it &s;tand with the iu&s;tice of God (who is not onely mercifull, but al&s;o <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 25. 26. 1. John 1. 9.</NOTE> iu&s;t in iu&s;tifying of vs) to exact a puni&s;hment of the faithfull for the &s;a|tisfying of his iu&s;tice, for whom Chri&s;t hath alrea|dy fully &s;atisfied his iu&s;tice by bearing the puni&s;h|ment: this were to puni&s;h the &s;ame &s;innes twice, once in Chri&s;t, and againe in vs. Indeed the faith|full are &s;ubiect to cro&s;&s;es and afflictions: but all the afflictions of the godly are either trials for their good, or &s;uch iudgements as are either &s;imply fa|therly cha&s;ti&s;ements proceeding from loue, and meerely re&s;pecting the good of the party cha&s;ti|&s;ed, whereof the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh, 1. Cor. 11. 32. <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 11. 32.</NOTE> <HI>When we are iudged we are cha&s;ti&s;ed of the Lord, that we &s;hould not be condemned with the world,</HI> or el&s;e they be al&s;o <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, (according to the <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Of <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> honor, and <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> care.</NOTE> etymologie of the word which by &s;ome is giuen) when God be|&s;ides the cha&s;ti&s;ement of the party, hath al&s;o care or re&s;pect to his owne honour, which would be impeached, if hee &s;hould &s;eeme to winke at the &s;candalous offences of his children, as though he would maintaine them in their &s;ins. In which re|gard iudgement, as <HI>Peter</HI> <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 4. 17.</NOTE> &s;aith, beginneth at the hou&s;e of God. For the Lord many times correcteth tho&s;e &s;ins in the godly, both for his owne honor, and their good, which he &s;eemeth to pa&s;&s;e by in the wicked. Of this kind we haue an example in <HI>Dauid,</HI> to whom the Lord vpon his &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion for|gaue his grieuous &s;ins of murther and adulterie, notwith&s;tanding both for <HI>Dauids</HI> cha&s;ti&s;ement,
<PB N="40" REF="24"> and for the example of others, but chiefely for the maintenance of his owne glorie (which by the &s;candalous offences of Gods children, is by the wicked bla&s;phemed, as though &s;uch &s;ins were the fruits of the religion and &s;eruice of God), he would not &s;uffer the child begotten in adulterie to liue. Why? becau&s;e by that &s;in <HI>Dauid</HI> had <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">2. Sam. 12. 14.</NOTE> cau&s;ed the enemies of the Lord to bla&s;pheme. The v&s;e which we are to make hereof, is, not with the Papi&s;ts, to teach men to make &s;atisfaction to God for their &s;ins, as though Chri&s;t had not fully &s;atisfied for them alreadie: but to teach men, both to beware that they do not commit &s;in, e&s;pecially &s;candalous &s;ins; becau&s;e thereby they di&s;plea&s;e and di&s;honor God their mercifull Father, prouoking him to powre his iudgeme~ts vpon them, for their amend|ment, that they be not co~demned with the world, and for the maintenance of his owne honor: and al&s;o that hauing &s;inned, we do <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Amos 4. 12.</NOTE> meete the Lord in his iudgements, by humbling our &s;elues before him, confe&s;&s;ing our fault, and crauing pardon, that <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 11. 31.</NOTE> iudgeing our &s;elues, we may not be iudged of the Lord.</P>
<P>Again&s;t the &s;econd it is al&s;o obiected, that not|with&s;tanding their iu&s;tification, the godly die as well as the wicked. I an&s;were, that as of all afflicti|ons, &s;o al&s;o of death, the nature is changed in re|&s;pect of the faithful; to whom death it &s;elfe, though brought in by the malice of the diuel, is not a cur&s;e or puni&s;hment properly. I do not denie, but that many times, in re&s;pect of the time and manner of death, the godly are iudged and cha&s;ti&s;ed, the Lord
<PB N="41" REF="24"> in mercie killing their bodies, that he may <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 11. 30. 32.</NOTE> &s;aue their &s;oules; but from the euill of death they are wholly freed: for to them it is the end of &s;inne, and is therefore inflicted vpon vs, that &s;inne might die with vs, as <HI>Methodius</HI> <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Apud Epi|phan. haere&s;. 64.</NOTE> &s;aith, and being the end of &s;in vnto vs, it is al&s;o the end of mi&s;erie, the hauen of re&s;t, a happie pa&s;&s;age out of this vale of mi&s;erie vnto the kingdome of glorie; and &s;o not onely no cur&s;e, but al&s;o a ble&s;&s;ing, no lo&s;&s;e, but an aduan|tage, as after we &s;hall &s;hew. For yet we &s;peake but of the immunities of iu&s;tification, the principall whereof yet remaineth to be &s;poken of; that is, free|dome from &s;ubiection to damnation, to euerla&s;ting death, to the eternall wrath of God, which is the mo&s;t mi&s;erable bondage and &s;ubiection of al tho&s;e, who are not iu&s;tified by faith in Chri&s;t. But fro~ this cur&s;e al&s;o Chri&s;t hath freed the faithfull. For this is the immunitie which we haue by him; that <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">John 3. 16.</NOTE> <HI>who|&s;oeuer beleeueth in him &s;hall not peri&s;h,</HI> that there is <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 1.</NOTE> <HI>no condemnation to them that be in Christ Ie&s;us;</HI> that by his death <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 2. 15.</NOTE> <HI>he hath destroyed him that had the power of death, that he might deliuer them all, which for feare of death, were all their life time &s;ubiect to bondage;</HI> that Ie|&s;us our Sauiour deliuereth vs from the <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">1. The&s;. 1. 10.</NOTE> wrath to come.</P>
<P>And thus wee haue heard of two immunities, which wee haue in our iu&s;tification: that wee are freed from the guilt of &s;inne, and from the cur&s;e of the Law, whereto our &s;in had made vs &s;ubiect. And from hence ari&s;eth vn&s;peakeable peace and libertie to the di&s;tre&s;&s;ed con&s;cience, terrified with the guilt of &s;inne, the cur&s;e of the Law, and feare of damna|tion;
<PB N="42" REF="25"> when it receiuing Chri&s;t by faith, hath immu|nitie and freedome from them all.</P>
<P>Now followeth the other immunitie from the <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 12. Freedome from the lawes ex|action of inhe|rent righteou&s;|nes, to iustifi|cation.</NOTE> law, in re&s;pect of the exaction of perfect righteou&s;|nes to be inherent in vs, and perfect obedience to be performed by vs, vnto our iu&s;tification and &s;al|uation: vnto which yoke of bondage, as I &s;aid, all men by nature are &s;ubiect. For it is &s;ure and cer|taine, that without righteou&s;nes, and &s;uch a righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e as is fully an&s;werable to the perfect law of God, no man can be iu&s;tified.</P>
<P>Now, this righteou&s;nes mu&s;t either be inherent in our &s;elues, which is the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e that the Law requireth vnto iu&s;tification; or being perfor|med by another, (which is Chri&s;t) for vs, mu&s;t be imputed vnto vs: and that is the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e which the Go&s;pel propoundeth vnto iu&s;tification.</P>
<P>A third righteou&s;nes, whereby wee &s;hould bee iu&s;tified, cannot be named. If therefore we be not partakers of Chri&s;ts righteou&s;nes apprehended by faith, we mu&s;t &s;tand to the &s;entence of the Law; which is, either to performe perfect and perpetuall obedience, or not to bee iu&s;tified. But if Chri&s;ts righteou&s;nes be imputed vnto vs (as it is to all that apprehend it by faith) then are <HI>we iustified,</HI> notwith|&s;tanding the &s;entence of the Law, <HI>by</HI> <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 28. Galath. 2. 16.</NOTE> <HI>faith,</HI> (that is, by the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t apprehended by faith) <HI>without the workes of the Law,</HI> that is, without any re&s;pect of obedience performed by our &s;elues. And in this libertie from the Law, &s;tandeth the chiefe comfort and &s;tay of a Chri&s;tian, when hee &s;ummoning him&s;elfe, as it were in the court of his
<PB N="43" REF="25"> con&s;cience before the iudgement &s;eate of God, to be iu&s;tified, or condemned, &s;hall con&s;ider that by Chri&s;t he is freed, both from the condemnation of the Law, and from the exaction of inherent righ|teou&s;nes to iu&s;tification: &s;o that he &s;hall not need to &s;tand to the &s;entence of the Law, or to tru&s;t to any obedience performed by him&s;elfe, as it were to a broken &s;taffe, wherein there can be no com|fort, (for if God &s;hould enter into <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 143. 2.</NOTE> iudgement with vs according thereto, no man liuing could be iu&s;tified) but may &s;afely &amp; freely, without re&s;pect, either of his owne obedience, or of the &s;entence of the law, relie vpon the mercies of God, and merits of Chri&s;t; that for as much as the Lord hath giuen him grace to beleeue, &amp; by that faith hath <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 2. 10.</NOTE> e&s;pou|&s;ed him to Chri&s;t, and vnited him vnto him as his member; he hath al&s;o communion in Chri&s;ts me|rits, whereby without regard to any righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of his owne, he is iu&s;tified before God.</P>
<P>Again&s;t this part of Chri&s;tian libertie, which is mo&s;t comfortable, the Church of Rome (as it well becomes the &s;ynagogue of Antichri&s;t) doth by might and maine oppo&s;e it &s;elfe: contending, not only that we are iu&s;tified by righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e inhe|rent; but al&s;o that the &s;ame obedience, which the Law pre&s;cribeth, is in greater perfection required in the Go&s;pel vnto iu&s;tification. By which doctrine of theirs, they confound the Law and the Go&s;pell, and in &s;o doing aboli&s;h the couenant of grace, an|nihilate the maine promi&s;e of the Go&s;pell, which is the charter of our libertie, the grou~d of our faith, the foundation of all our a&s;&s;urance for iu&s;tification
<PB N="44" REF="26"> and &s;aluation. For if the Go&s;pell promi&s;e and pro|pound iu&s;tification and &s;aluation, vpon the condi|tion of our owne obedience, and that in more per|fection then the law it &s;elfe required: then is it not only a couenant of workes, as well as the law, but al&s;o impo&s;eth a heauieryoke vpon mens con&s;cien|ces, then the Law did. But it is manife&s;t that the Go&s;pell is the couenant of grace made with <HI>Abra|ham</HI> <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Galath. 3. 8. 16. 17.</NOTE>, concerning iu&s;tification by faith in Chri&s;t; whereas the Law contrariwi&s;e is the couenant of workes, which 430. yeares after was deliuered by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and did not di&s;anull the former promi&s;e, concerning iu&s;tification by faith. The condition wheron the Go&s;pell promi&s;eth iu&s;tification, is faith in Chri&s;t; the condition of the Law, our owne per|fect &amp; perpetual obedience. For the Go&s;pel <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Rom. 10. 5. &amp;c.</NOTE> &s;aith; If thou beleeue in Chri&s;t, thou art iu&s;tified &amp; &s;halt be &s;aued: the Law, If thou do&s;t the&s;e things, thou &s;halt liue thereby. The righteou&s;nes exacted in the law to iu&s;tification, is a righteou&s;nes both habitu|all inherent in our &s;elues, and actuall performed by our &s;elues. The righteou&s;nes <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 21. 22</NOTE> which without the Law is reuealed in the Go&s;pell, is <HI>the righteou&s;nes of God,</HI> that is, of Chri&s;t who is God, (for he is <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Jerem. 23. 6.</NOTE> <HI>Ieho|ua,</HI> our righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and was giuen vnto vs of God <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 1. 30.</NOTE> to be our righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e) <HI>by the faith of Ie&s;us Christ, vnto all, and vpon all that beleeue,</HI> that is, the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, who is God (though not the righteou&s;nes of the Deitie, as <HI>O&s;iander</HI> thought, but the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e both inherent in him, as he was man, as his innocencie and holine&s;&s;e, and al&s;o performed by him, as his pa&s;&s;iue and actiue obedi|ence)
<PB N="45" REF="26"> being apprehended by faith, is according to the doctrine of the Go&s;pell, imputed to euery be|leeuer vnto iu&s;tification.</P>
<P>That Chri&s;t is our righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and <HI>the</HI> <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Rom. 10. 4.</NOTE> <HI>end of the Law vnto righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e to all that beleeue,</HI> that <HI>who&s;oeuer</HI> <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">John 3. 16. Mark. 16. 16.</NOTE> <HI>beleeueth in Christ &s;hall be &s;aued,</HI> it is the maine doctrine of the Go&s;pell, the chiefe article of our religion, the charter of our inheritance, the a&s;|&s;urance which we haue of &s;aluation: which we are &s;o to hold, as that if an <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Galath. 1. 8. 9.</NOTE> Angell from heauen &s;hould teach vs another Go&s;pell, or propound vn|to vs another way of iu&s;tification, (as namely, by inherent righteou&s;nes, and our owne obedience) we ought to hold him accur&s;ed, and our &s;elues al&s;o, if we yeeld to him. For who&s;oeuer looke to be iu|&s;tified by the obedience which the Law pre&s;cri|beth, they <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 4.</NOTE> are &s;eparated from Chri&s;t, and fallen from grace.</P>
<P>We doe not deny, but that the Go&s;pell teacheth repentance as well as faith; and commendeth the duties of &s;anctification, as well as it promi&s;eth iu&s;tification. Yea, as it promi&s;eth the grace of iu|&s;tification to tho&s;e that beleeue; &s;o to them that are iu&s;tified and redeemed, it promi&s;eth the <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Luk. 1. 74. Jer. 31. 33. 34.</NOTE> grace of &s;anctification by the &s;pirit, whereby they are in|abled in &s;ome mea&s;ure to wor&s;hip God in holi|ne&s;&s;e and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. We doe al&s;o confe&s;&s;e, that a greater mea&s;ure of knowledge and obedi|ence is required of the faithfull vnder the Go&s;pell, then was vnder the Lawe; becau&s;e to whom more is giuen, of them more is required, and the greater benefit requireth the greater duties of thankeful|ne&s;&s;e.
<PB N="46" REF="27"> But when the que&s;tion is of the matter of our iu&s;tification, and merit of our &s;aluation, where|by we being &s;inners and lo&s;t in our &s;elues, &s;hould bee iu&s;tified before God, and entituled vnto the kingdome of heauen; what that is, whereby we are ab&s;olued from our &s;innes, and accepted as righte|ous, and as heires of eternall life; what that is, which will &s;tand in iudgement before God, and which we may tru&s;t vnto, when we appeare before the iudgement &s;eat of God, why the &s;entence of con|demnation &s;hould not be pronounced again&s;t vs; what that is, whereby wee are redeemed from death, and reconciled vnto God, or, as the &s;cripture vttereth the &s;ame thing in other tearmes, <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5. 19. Ephe&s;. 1. 7.</NOTE> where|by we haue remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes: it is mo&s;t plaine, that the doctrine of the Go&s;pell placeth the whole matter of iu&s;tification, and merit of &s;aluation in the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and obedience of Chri&s;t alone; by who&s;e blood, as the Apo&s;tle <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 9. 18. 19.</NOTE> &s;peaketh, and by who&s;e obedience, we are iu&s;tified. As for that righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e which is in herent in our &s;elues, though infu&s;ed of God, and that obedience which is per|formed by our &s;elues, though proceeding from grace; the Go&s;pell teacheth vs, in the que&s;tion of iu&s;tification, <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Philip. 3. 8. 9.</NOTE> to e&s;teeme it as dro&s;&s;e and dung, yea as lo&s;&s;e, that we may gaine Chri&s;t, and may be found in him, not hauing our own righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, which is pre&s;cribed in the lawe, but that which is through the faith of Chri&s;t, the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e which is of God through faith.</P>
<P>This therefore is the liberty which we haue by the grace of iu&s;tification, that wee are freed from
<PB N="47" REF="27"> that mi&s;erable bondage of the law, which exacteth an obedience and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e inherent vnto iu&s;tification, which no man is able to performe, and therefore holdeth men in &s;ubiection to dam|nation, engendring with <HI>Agar,</HI> <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Galath. 4. 24. &amp;c.</NOTE> as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh, none but &s;eruants, which &s;hall not inhe|rit with the children of the free woman, that is, who are begotten by the Go&s;pell, to be the heires of that righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e which is by faith.</P>
<P>And thus much of the libertie of iu&s;tification as <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 13. The libertie of iustification as it is a right, with the priui|ledges thereof.</NOTE> it is an immunitie. For as it is <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, or right, it al&s;o containeth many notable priuiledges.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, that we are not onely freed from the guilt of &s;inne, but al&s;o are accepted and pronounced iu&s;t, and by imputation of Chri&s;ts, both <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 9. 19.</NOTE> pa&s;&s;iue and actiue obedience made righteous, which <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Rom. 4. 6. 7. 2. Cor. 5. 21.</NOTE> im|mediately followes vpon the former, &s;o that by our iu&s;tification we are not onely made not guil|tie, but al&s;o &s;tand righteous before God, and that, by the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Secondly, that we are not onely freed from the cur&s;e of the lawe, but al&s;o are made partakers of the <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Galath. 3. 13. 14. 16.</NOTE> ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e promi&s;ed to <HI>Abraham, viz.</HI> that in his <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Gene&s;. 22. 18.</NOTE> &s;eede, which is Chri&s;t, the faithfull of all nations &s;hould bee ble&s;&s;ed. But this will be&s;t ap|peare in the particulars: for the faithfull are not onely freed from the euils of this life, whether cor|porall or &s;pirituall, as they be cur&s;es; but they are all turned into ble&s;&s;ings vnto them. For this is the priuiledge of the faithfull, that the Lord cau&s;eth all things, whether good or bad, <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 28.</NOTE> <HI>To worke toge|ther for the good of tho&s;e that doe loue him.</HI> In which
<PB N="48" REF="28"> &s;en&s;e <HI>Dauid</HI> &s;aith, <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 1. 3.</NOTE> that <HI>all things &s;ucceede well with the righteous man.</HI> As for afflictions, he both profe&s;|&s;eth in particular of him&s;elfe, <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 71.</NOTE> that <HI>it was good for him that he had been afflicted;</HI> and al&s;o in generall, pronounceth the man <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">p&s;al. 94. 12. 13.</NOTE> <HI>ble&s;&s;ed, whom the Lord doth cha&s;ti&s;e and teach in his lawe.</HI></P>
<P>Againe, corporall death is not onely no lo&s;&s;e to the faithfull, but al&s;o an aduantage; becau&s;e in it they change a &s;infull and mortall life, for a life ble&s;|&s;ed and immortall. It is not onely no cur&s;e, but al|&s;o a ble&s;&s;ing: for it is not onely the end of &s;inne and mi&s;erie, but the beginning of perfect and euerla|&s;ting happine&s;&s;e: whereupon the holy Gho&s;t <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Apoc. 14. 13.</NOTE> pro|nounceth them all <HI>ble&s;&s;ed that die in the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>Neither are the faithfull onely freed from feare of damnation, but al&s;o are put in a&s;&s;urance of euer|la&s;ting life, being <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 24.</NOTE> &s;aued in hope, which is the chiefe happine&s;&s;e that can be enioyed in this life.</P>
<P>Thirdly, we are not onely freed from the &s;en|tence of the lawe, exacting of vs perfect obedience vnto iu&s;tification, but wee haue al&s;o liberty to pleade the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e propounded in the co|uenant of grace; and to appeale from the &s;entence of the lawe, to the promi&s;e of the Go&s;pell; from the tribunall of iu&s;tice, to the throne of grace; and in the que&s;tion of iu&s;tification not at all to regarde our owne obedience, but wholly to re&s;t vpon the mercies of God and merits of Chri&s;t our &s;auiour.</P>
<P>Vpon this liberty of iu&s;tification follow other priuiledges. For fir&s;t, whereas by nature we are the children of wrath; now, <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 1.</NOTE> <HI>being iu&s;tified by faith, we haue peace with God, through our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI>
<PB N="49" REF="28"> who hath <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Colo&s;. 1. 20. 21</NOTE> reconciled vs to his Father.</P>
<P N="2">2 Whereas &s;in maketh a <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 59. 2.</NOTE> &s;eparation betweene God and vs, &s;o that naturally we &s;hunne the pre|&s;ence of God, as of a &s;euere Iudge; being iu&s;tified by the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, wee al&s;o haue free <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 2. Ephe&s;. 3. 12. 1. John 5. 14.</NOTE> acce&s;&s;e vnto God by faith, and haue libertie with boldne&s;&s;e and a&s;&s;urance that we &s;hall be heard, to make our reque&s;ts to God in the name of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3 Vpon our iu&s;tification by faith, we are endued with the <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 5. Ephe&s;. 1. 13. Rom. 8. 15. 16. Galath. 4. 6. Ephe&s;. 4. 30.</NOTE> &s;pirit of adoption, which a&s;&s;ureth vs of Gods fatherly loue towards vs, teaching vs to crie in our hearts, <HI>Abba Father;</HI> by which, being the earne&s;t of our inheritance, wee are &s;ealed vp vnto the day of our full redemption.</P>
<P N="4">4 With the hope of &s;aluation, which is <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 23. Tit. 2. 13.</NOTE> a com|panion of iu&s;tifying faith, and a con&s;equent of iu|&s;tification, whereby we liue in expectation of euer|la&s;ting happine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="5">5 With ioy <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 2. 3. 1. Pet. 1. 8.</NOTE> in the holy Gho&s;t, which <HI>Peter</HI> calleth ioy vn&s;peakeable and glorious. For the A|po&s;tle denying that the libertie of Chri&s;tians doth chiefely &s;tand in <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Rom. 14. 17.</NOTE> meat and drinke, and in the free v&s;e of outward things; &s;heweth al&s;o wherin it prin|cipally doth con&s;i&s;t. For <HI>the kingdome of God</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>is not meate and drinke, but righteou&s;nes,</HI> which is the priuiledge of iu&s;tification it &s;elfe, <HI>and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost,</HI> which are con&s;equents of the former.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, with per&s;euerance. For <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">John 8. 35.</NOTE> the Son abideth in the hou&s;e for euer, being <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 1. 5. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> &s;afely kept by the power of God through faith vnto &s;aluation. For if
<PB N="50" REF="29">
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 17.</NOTE> &s;ons, then heires, heires of God, and coheires with Chri&s;t, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Now I come to the libertie which we haue in <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 14. The libertie of &s;anctification. 1. From the de|minion of &s;in.</NOTE> our &s;anctification, and &s;o farre forth as we are &s;an|ctified. Now our &s;anctification in this life being but in part, &s;o is this libertie: which, as it is an im|munitie, is al&s;o a freedome fro~ the bondage of &s;in, and of the Law; though in other re&s;pects, then tho&s;e that haue been mentioned in the libertie of iu&s;tification.</P>
<P>For, in iu&s;tification we are freed from the guilt of &s;in; in &s;anctification, from the corruption of &s;in. But heere we are to con&s;ider, how farre forth wee are &s;et free therefrom. For the hypocriticall Papi&s;ts teach, that when a man is regenerated, or as they al&s;o &s;peake, iu&s;tified, originall &s;in is &s;o aboli&s;hed, as that it doth not only not raigne, but not &s;o much as remaine or liue in the partie &s;anctified. By which doctrine they teach men to bee de&s;perate hypo|crites, either fearing their con&s;cience, that they may haue no &s;en&s;e of &s;inne, and may plea&s;e them|&s;elues with this conceit, that they haue no &s;inne; in which re&s;pect the &s;aying of <HI>Peter</HI> <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">2. Pet. 2. 19.</NOTE> is verified of them, That whiles they promi&s;e libertie to them|&s;elues and others, they are indeed &s;eruants of cor|ruption: or if they haue any &s;en&s;e of &s;in dwelling in them, they mu&s;t per&s;wade them&s;elues they are not &s;anctified, nor iu&s;tified, and therefore not to be &s;aued: &s;uch mi&s;erable comforters they are of poore &s;inners, as to per&s;wade them that they haue not re|mi&s;&s;ion of &s;in, vtill &s;in be quite aboli&s;hed in them.
<PB N="51" REF="29"> But this doctrine they teach contrarie to the eui|dent te&s;timonies of Scripture, contrarie to the per|petuall experience of the faithfull, contrarie to the light of their owne con&s;cience; that they might thereby vphold their Antichri&s;tian doctrine of iu|&s;tification by inherent righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and of the merit of good workes, which otherwi&s;e would fall to the ground. For, if in re&s;pect of originall &s;in, re|maining and dwelling in vs, wee bee in our &s;elues &s;inners; how can we be iu&s;tified by inherent righ|teou&s;nes? If our be&s;t actions be &s;tained with the fle&s;h, and our righteou&s;ne&s;&s;es <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 64. 6.</NOTE> bee like polluted clouts; how &s;hould they merit eternall life?</P>
<P>We are therefore to hold, that in regeneration we are freed from the corruption of &s;in; not whol|ly, and at once, but in part, and by degrees; that &s;in (though mortified in part, and we freed from the tyra~nie of it, that it raigne no more with ful &s;winge and authoritie in vs) &s;till remaineth and dwelleth in vs, hindering vs from good, prouoking vs vnto euill, defiling and contaminating our be&s;t actions, neuer &s;uffering vs with the full con&s;ent of <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 17.</NOTE> will, to performe or de&s;ire that which is good. As the A|po&s;tle plainely &s;heweth by his owne example, Rom. 7. <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 14. &amp;c.</NOTE> where the concupi&s;cence remaining in him, is not only plainly called a &s;in, but de&s;cribed as a &s;in, &amp; as an <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, or a repugnancie to the law of God: the &s;en&s;e whereof (though the Papi&s;ts haue no &s;en&s;e of it) made the holy Apo&s;tle crie out, <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 24.</NOTE> <HI>Mi&s;erable man that I am, who &s;hall deliuer me from this bodie of death?</HI> Accur&s;ed therfore was the Cou~|cell of Trent <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Se&s;&s;. 5.</NOTE>, which confe&s;&s;ing that the Apo&s;tle
<PB N="52" REF="30"> calleth it a &s;in; notwith&s;tanding pronounceth them accur&s;ed, that &s;hall &s;ay it is a &s;inne. But if we &s;ay we haue no &s;in, we deceiue our &s;elues, &s;aith S. <HI>Iohn</HI> <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">1. John 1. 8.</NOTE>, and there is no truth in vs.</P>
<P>The freedome therefore which we haue in our &s;anctification, which as <HI>Augustine</HI> &s;aith, is but be|gun in this life, is not from the being of &s;in in vs al|together and at once, though we be freed from it, in part and by degrees, but from the dominion of it, that we &s;hould no more be feruants of &s;in, but being freed from &s;inne, might become feruants of righteou&s;nes, Rom. 6. 6. 18. which <HI>Augustine</HI> <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Jn Ioh. tract. 41.</NOTE> did well ob&s;erue out of the words of the Apo&s;tle, de|horting vs that &s;in &s;hould not remaine in our mor|tall bodies. <HI>He doth not &s;ay, let it not be; but, let it not raigne: for whiles thou liue&s;t, it cannot be auoided, but that &s;in wilbe in thy members; neuerthele&s;&s;e let dominion be take~ from it,</HI> &amp;c. Of this libertie the Apo&s;tle &s;pea|keth, Rom. 8. <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 1.</NOTE> the <HI>law of the &s;pirit of life which is in Chri&s;t, hath made me free from the law of &s;inne and of death.</HI> That is, the power of the quickning Spirit, which being in Chri&s;t our head, and from him communicated vnto vs, doth rule in vs as a law, doth free vs from the power of &s;in which worketh death, that it no more haue dominion (as it were a law) in vs. And Rom. 6. <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 2. &amp;c. ad 12.</NOTE> hauing proued, that &s;in neither doth, nor can any more raigne in the faith|full: becau&s;e after the &s;imilitude of Chri&s;ts death and re&s;urrection, they are dead to &s;in and ri&s;en a|gaine; and therefore, as death can no more haue dominion ouer Chri&s;t, being ri&s;en from death, no more can &s;in haue dominion ouer the faithfull be|ing
<PB N="53" REF="30"> once ri&s;en from the graue of &s;inne: afterwards, ver&s;. 14. he a&s;&s;ureth the faithfull, that &s;in &s;hall <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 14.</NOTE> not haue dominion ouer them, becau&s;e they be not vn|der the Law, but vnder grace. Likewi&s;e Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1. John 3. 9. John 8. 34.</NOTE> &s;aith, <HI>He that is borne of God, doth not commit &s;in,</HI> namely, as a &s;eruant of &s;in: yea, he addeth, that <HI>he cannot &s;in,</HI> namely, with full &s;winge and con&s;ent of will, as tho&s;e which be &s;eruants of &s;in; becau&s;e the &s;eed of God remaineth in him, whereby he is partly &s;pirit, and not only fle&s;h. And therefore as he cannot perfectly wil that which is good, becau&s;e of the reluctation of the fle&s;h; &s;o can he not will with full con&s;ent, that which is euill, becau&s;e of the reluctation of the &s;pirit.</P>
<P>Secondly, wee are in our &s;anctification freed <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 15. 2. Freedome from the domi|nion of the law.</NOTE> fro~ the Law. But we are here al&s;o to con&s;ider, <HI>quate|nus,</HI> how farre forth. For the <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Bellarm. de iustif. lib. 4. cap. 5. &amp;c. 1.</NOTE> Papi&s;ts charge vs, that we place Chri&s;tian libertie in this, that we are &s;ubiect to no law in our con&s;cience, and before God; and that we are free from all nece&s;&s;itie of do|ing good works: which is a mo&s;t diuelli&s;h &s;lander. For although they ab&s;urdly confound iu&s;tification and &s;anctification; yet they know we do not: nei|ther are they ignorant, but that we put a great dif|ference betweene them in this re&s;pect. For though we teach that the obedience of the Law is not re|quired in vs to iu&s;tification, but that wee are freed from the exaction of the Law in that behalfe: yet we deny not, but that vnto &s;anctification the obe|dience of the Law is required, and wee by nece&s;|&s;itie of dutie, bound to the ob&s;eruation thereof. We confe&s;&s;e that to be free from obedience, is to
<PB N="54" REF="31"> be the &s;eruants of &s;in, and the willing and cheere|full wor&s;hip of God, in <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Luk 1. 74.</NOTE> holines and righteou&s;nes without feare, to bee true libertie. Wee acknow|ledge that the morall law of God is perpetuall and immutable; and that this is an euerla&s;ting truth, that the creature is bound to wor&s;hip and obey his Creator, and &s;o much the more bound, as he hath receiued greater benefits. Indeed we &s;ay with <HI>Lu|ther</HI> <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">De libert. Christ.</NOTE> that in our iu&s;tification we are re&s;tored to a &s;tate of iu&s;tice, from which <HI>Adam</HI> fell; but yet, as we teach that we are no more bound to obedience, that thereby we might be iu&s;tified, then <HI>Adam</HI> who was alreadie iu&s;t; &s;o we profe&s;&s;e, that in allegiance and thankfulnes, we are more bound to obey then he, yea, we profe&s;&s;e that God doth therefore free vs from the cur&s;e, and the bondage of the law, that wee might bee inabled with freedome of &s;pirit to obey it; and that being freed from &s;in <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 18.</NOTE>, we are made the &s;eruants of righteou&s;nes. We teach, that God hauing &s;worne <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Luk. 1. 73. 74.</NOTE>, that to tho&s;e whom he iu&s;ti|fieth, he will giue grace to wor&s;hip him in holines and righteou&s;nes; no man can be a&s;&s;ured of his iu|&s;tification without obedience: that &s;anctification being the end of our <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 1. 4. 1. The&s;&s;. 4. 7. Titus 2. 14. Ephe&s;. 2. 10.</NOTE> election, calling, redempti|on and regeneration, it is a nece&s;&s;arie con&s;equent of &s;auing grace. We teach and profe&s;&s;e, that how|&s;oeuer good works do not concurre with faith, vn|to the act of iu&s;tification, as a cau&s;e thereof; yet they concurre in the partie iu&s;tified, as nece&s;&s;arie fruits of faith, and te&s;timonies of iu&s;tification. And as we teach with <HI>Paul</HI> <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 28. Galath. 2. 16.</NOTE> that faith alone doth iu&s;ti|fie; &s;o with <HI>Iames</HI> <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Jam. 2. 14. &amp;c.</NOTE>, that the faith which is alone
<PB N="55" REF="31"> doth not iu&s;tifie. Wee teach, that the blood of Chri&s;t, as it acquitteth vs from the guilt of &s;in; &s;o doth it al&s;o purge <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 9. 14.</NOTE> our con&s;ciences from dead workes, to &s;erue the liuing God; that <HI>he bare</HI> <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 2. 24.</NOTE> <HI>in his bodie vpon the cro&s;&s;e our &s;innes, that we being deliuered from &s;inne, &s;hould liue in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e:</HI> that whom Chri&s;t doth iu&s;tifie by faith, them he doth &s;anctifie by his Spirit; that <HI>who&s;oeuer</HI> <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5. 17.</NOTE> <HI>is in Chri&s;t, he is a new creature,</HI> <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 24.</NOTE> crucifying the fle&s;h with the lu&s;ts therof, and <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 1.</NOTE> walking not after the fle&s;h, but after the &s;pirit. We profe&s;&s;e that good workes are nece&s;&s;arie to &s;al|uation, though not <HI>nece&s;sitate efficientiae,</HI> as cau&s;ing it, as the Papi&s;ts teach; yet <HI>nece&s;sitate prae&s;entiae,</HI> as ne|ne&s;&s;arie fruits of our faith, whereby we are to glo|rifie God, and to te&s;tifie our thankfulne&s;&s;e, to doe good to our brethren, and to make &s;ure <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">2. Pet. 1. 10.</NOTE> our electi|on, calling and iu&s;tification vnto our &s;elues; as ne|ce&s;&s;arie foreru~ners of &s;aluation, being the vndoub|ted badges of them that &s;hall bee &s;aued, being the way wherein we are to <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 10.</NOTE> walke to euerla&s;ting life, being the euidence according to which God will iudge vs at the la&s;t day. And la&s;tly, that as by iu&s;ti|fication God doth entitle vs vnto his kingdome; &s;o by &s;anctification he doth fit and prepare vs therto.</P>
<P>We do not therefore by the doctrine of iu&s;tifi|cation through faith, aboli&s;h the Law, but rather as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 31.</NOTE>, &s;tabli&s;h it. For the more a man is a&s;&s;ured of his free iu&s;tification, the better he is enabled, and the more he is bound to obey it.</P>
<P>But although we be bound to obey the Law, as the &s;ubiects of God, and &s;eruants of righteou&s;nes; and although the Law hath &s;ingular v&s;e in tho&s;e
<PB N="56" REF="32"> that are iu&s;tified, (as being a rule of direction for our obedience, in the performance of the duties of pietie towards God, of iu&s;tice towards our neighbour, of &s;obriety towards our &s;elues; and a gla&s;&s;e of detection, to manife&s;t the imperfections of our obedience, to keepe vs from Phari&s;ai&s;me: and la&s;tly, a rodde of correction, in re&s;pect of the fle&s;h or the olde man, yet remaining in vs, that by precepts, by exhortations and comminations, it more and more may bee mortified in vs, and wee kept from the &s;pirit of &s;lumber and &s;ecurity:) yet notwith&s;tanding wee are <HI>not vnder the lawe,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 14.</NOTE> &s;aith, <HI>but vnder grace.</HI> Wee are therefore in our &s;anctification freed, though not from the obedience, yet from the &s;eruitude and bondage of the law, and that in three re&s;pects:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, in re&s;pect of the irritation of it. In which <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect; 16. Freedome from the irritation of the Law.</NOTE> regard e&s;pecially the lawe is called the <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15. 56.</NOTE> &s;trength of &s;inne: not that the lawe cau&s;eth or prouoketh &s;inne properly, for the <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 12.</NOTE> law is holy, iu&s;t and good; but onely by accident, and occa&s;ionally. For &s;uch is the corruption of our vntamed <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Nitimur in vetitum &s;em|per, cupimu&s;&abque; negata. Gens humana ruit in vetitum nefas.</NOTE> nature, vntill we be renewed by the &s;pirit of God; that when the law, which is holy and good, forbiddeth &s;inne, &s;eeking to &s;toppe the cour&s;e of our concupi&s;cen|ces, and to bridle our &s;infull affections; thereby our vntamed corruption rebelleth &s;o much the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Quod non licet, acrius vrit.</NOTE> more; &amp; that it might appeare <NOTE N="&s;" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 13. 8.</NOTE> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <HI>exceedingly &s;infull,</HI> by occa&s;ion of the lawe worketh in vs all manner of concupi&s;cence. Euen, as a deepe riuer, when nothing hindereth his cour&s;e, hath a &s;till, and as it were, a dead motion; but if you &s;eeke
<PB N="57" REF="32"> to re&s;traine or &s;toppe his cour&s;e, he will &s;well and ouerflowe all, now di&s;daining, as it were, a bridge: &s;o our corruption, when it freely taketh his owne cour&s;e, &s;eemeth to be quiet, and as it were dead: but when the commaundement commeth, <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 9.</NOTE> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, as it were to damme it vp, &s;inne reui|ueth and ri&s;eth again&s;t it, &s;welling and ouerflow|ing, as it were, his wonted bankes. In this re&s;pect, the lawe (&s;aith the Ma&s;ter of the <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Lib. 3. dist. 40. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> Sentences) <HI>is cal|led a killing</HI> letter, <HI>becau&s;e forbidding &s;inne, it increa|&s;eth concupi&s;cence, and addeth tran&s;gre&s;sion vntill grace doe free vs.</HI> But when we are regenerated by the &s;pirit of &s;anctification, and by the bond of the &s;ame &s;pirit coupled vnto Chri&s;t; we are freed from this bondage, euen as the wife is freed from the domi|nion of her husband by his death. For euen as while&s;t we were in the fle&s;h altogether vnregene|rate, the lawe, as it were our husband, occa&s;ionally and by accident begot in our &s;oules, wholly cor|rupted with &s;inne, euill motions and concupi&s;cen|ces, as the fruites and i&s;&s;ue of our fle&s;h tending vn|to death: &s;o we being regenerated, and after a &s;ort dead vnto this corruption, and con&s;equently be|ing mortified to the law in re&s;pect of the irritation thereof, and the lawe in that regard dead vnto vs, the &s;pirit of Chri&s;t, who hath vnited vs vnto him as our &s;econd husband, begetteth good motions in vs as the fruites of the &s;pirit, acceptable vnto God. This is that which the Apo&s;tle teacheth, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 1. &amp;c.</NOTE> Rom. 7. for hauing &s;aid chap. 6. 14. that &s;inne &s;hall not haue dominion ouer vs, becau&s;e we are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace, after he had an&s;wered an ob|iection,
<PB N="58" REF="33"> and preuented the abu&s;e of this doctrine, which carnall men would make thereof, as though they might &s;in freely, becau&s;e they are not vnder the law: in the beginning of the &s;euenth chapter he proueth, that we are not vnder the Law, but vn|der grace, by that &s;imilitude which euen now I mentioned: becau&s;e being regenerated and dead vnto &s;in, we are mortified to the Law, and the Law to vs in re&s;pect of the irritation thereof, cau&s;ed by our corruption; and con&s;equently are deliuered from the power of it, as a wife is freed from the dominion of her husband, when he is dead.</P>
<P>Secondly, in our &s;anctification wee are freed <NOTE PLACE="marg">Freedome from the terror or coaction of the Law.</NOTE> from the coaction and terror of the Law, breeding &s;eruile feare in me~ vnregenerate; wherby, as bond|&s;erua~ts or gally-&s;laues by y^e whip, they are enforced to the performa~ce of &s;ome outward duties, which otherwi&s;e they are vnwilling to do. For tho&s;e who are vnder the Law, as all men are by nature, are like bond-&s;laues; who for auoiding of puni&s;hment, are by terror drawne to do &s;ome forced &s;eruice, which is &s;o much the more vnwilling, becau&s;e they looke for no reward. This in the Scriptures is called &s;ometimes <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 15.</NOTE> <HI>the &s;pirit of bondage,</HI> and &s;ometimes <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">2. Tim. 1. 7.</NOTE> <HI>the &s;pirit of feare,</HI> fro~ which we are deliuered, when we receiue the &s;pirit of a|doption and &s;anctification; whereby we are ena|bled to wor&s;hip God in holines and righteou&s;nes, <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <HI>without &s;eruile feare,</HI> according to the couenant of grace made with <HI>Abraham,</HI> Luk. 1. <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Luk. 1. 74.</NOTE> And in this &s;en&s;e it is &s;aid, that the <HI>Law</HI> <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 1. 9.</NOTE> <HI>is not impo&s;ed on the iust;</HI> to whom, being as it were a law vnto them|&s;elues,
<PB N="59" REF="33"> &amp; willingly performing that which is right, the terror and coaction of the Law, &s;o farre forth as they are regenerate, is needle&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Thirdly, as we are freed from the coaction and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Freedome from the rigour or exaction of the Law.</NOTE> terror of the Law, &s;o al&s;o from the exaction and ri|gour of the Law, which they call <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">: which though it be a libertie of &s;anctification, and apper|taining to our new obedience; yet it dependeth on the libertie of iu&s;tification. For as there wee were freed from the Lawes exaction of inherent righte|ou&s;nes, to the acceptation of our per&s;ons: &s;o heere we are freed from the Lawes exaction of perfect o|bedience, to the acceptation of our actions. So that whereas the law condemneth euery the lea&s;t im|perfection or defect, not agreeing with that perfe|ction of iu&s;tice, which it pre&s;cribeth, as a &s;in, or <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, and pronounceth the partie in whom that de|fect or imperfection is, accur&s;ed: notwith&s;tanding the new obedience of Gods children, wrought in them by the Spirit of God, and performed accor|ding to the mea&s;ure of grace receiued; though de|fectiue in it &s;elf, and &s;tained with the fle&s;h, is accep|ted of God; who couereth their imperfections with the perfect obedience of Chri&s;t, and not &s;o much re&s;pecteth the perfection of the outward act, which he doth not expect from &s;uch weakne&s;&s;e, as the integritie of the heart, the vprightne&s;&s;e of the wil and de&s;ire, the &s;inceritie of the indeuor; which, if it be not wanting, the Lord <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 8. 12.</NOTE> accepteth the will for the deed, and true endeuour &s;triuing <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Phil. 3. 14. 15</NOTE> towards perfection, for the perfect performance. In which re&s;pect, the Lord, according to his gracious pro|mi&s;e,
<PB N="60" REF="34">
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Malac. 3. 17. P&s;al. 103. 13.</NOTE> <HI>v&s;eth clemencie towards vs, as a tender father v&s;eth clemencie towards his &s;onne,</HI> taking in good part the childi&s;h endeauour of his children, proceeding from an vnfained de&s;ire to plea&s;e him.</P>
<P>But our libertie in &s;anctification is not onely an <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 17. The libertie of &s;anctification as it is a right, with the priui|ledges thereof.</NOTE> immunitie, but al&s;o an <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, or right, con&s;i&s;ting of great priuiledges. For, fir&s;t we are not only freed in part from the corruption of &s;inne, which wee call mortification; but are al&s;o po&s;itiuely made righte|ous, being, as the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> &s;peaketh, made par|takers <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">2. Pet. 1. 4.</NOTE> of the diuine nature, in that flying from the corruption which is in the world by lu&s;t, we are re|nued according to the <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 4. 24.</NOTE> image of God, in holine&s;&s;e and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. For as the &s;acred oyle being powred on the head of <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 133.</NOTE> <HI>Aaron,</HI> (who was a type of Chri&s;t) di&s;tilled vnto his lower parts: &s;o the <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 45 8.</NOTE> oyle of grace wherewith Chri&s;t our head was an|nointed <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">John 3. 34.</NOTE> without mea&s;ure, is deriued euen to his inferiour members heere on earth, who are al&s;o therewith <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 1. 21.</NOTE> anointed, <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Ioh. 2. 20. 27. Iohn 1. 16.</NOTE> receiuing of his fulne&s;&s;e, euen grace for grace. Neither are wee onely freed from the &s;eruitude of &s;in, Satan, and the world, but in Chri&s;t our King, who hath ouercome <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Iohn 16. 33. Colo&s;&s;. 2. 15.</NOTE> the world, and triumphed ouer &s;in and Satan, we are al&s;o made Kings <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Apocal. 1. 6. Rom 16. 20. 2. Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 37.</NOTE>, with a&s;&s;urance to be conquerers of all the enemies of our &s;aluation.</P>
<P>And as touching the Law, we are not only freed from the irritation thereof, whereunto our owne corruption did make vs &s;ubiect, as vnto a husband, who begot foule i&s;&s;ue of vs tending to death, and &s;o left at large: but we are al&s;o ioyned to another husband which is Chri&s;t, by his Spirit, whereby
<PB N="61" REF="34">
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 4.</NOTE> he produceth in vs the fruits of the &s;pirit, to the glorie of God. Neither doth the law onely cea&s;e to prouoke vs vnto &s;in; but, when we are once &s;ancti|fied, it becommeth, as <HI>Dauid</HI> <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 24.</NOTE> &s;peaketh, a coun&s;el|lour vnto vs, and a directour vnto good things.</P>
<P>Neither are wee freed onely from the &s;pirit of bondage and feare, but are al&s;o indued with the &s;pirit of libertie and grace, the &s;pirit <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 15.</NOTE> of adoption, the &s;pirit of <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">2. Tim. 1. 7.</NOTE> power, and of loue, and of &s;obrietie: which &s;pirit hauing &s;hed <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 5.</NOTE> abroad the loue of God in our hearts, te&s;tifying vnto vs our adoption, and as an <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 1. 14.</NOTE> earne&s;t a&s;&s;uring vs of our inheritance, and enflaming our harts with a reciprocal loue of God, and of our neighbour for his &s;ake: we begin to de|light <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 22. P&s;al. 1. 2. 119. 24</NOTE> in the law of God, as concerning the inner man, neither are the Commandemens of God <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1. Iohn 5. 3.</NOTE> grieuous vnto vs, and we begin to &s;erue the Lord not onely without feare, but al&s;o with <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">1. Chron. 28. 9</NOTE> willing minds and vpright harts. For tho&s;e who are redee|med and &s;anctified by Chri&s;t, are <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 110. 3.</NOTE> <HI>a people of willingne&s;&s;e,</HI> a <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Titus 2. 14.</NOTE> a people peculiar to him&s;elfe, zea|lous of good workes.</P>
<P>And la&s;tly, concerning the rigour of the Law; we haue not only this immunitie, that the imper|fections of our &s;incere obedience are not imputed vnto vs; but al&s;o this priuiledge, that our imperfect obedience, which in it &s;elfe is worthie to be reiec|ted, notwith&s;tanding is both accepted of God, and rewarded. For Chri&s;t hauing wa&s;hed vs with his blood, and &s;anctified vs by his Spirit, hath made vs both kings, as I &s;aid before, and al&s;o <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Apocal. 1. 6.</NOTE> Prie&s;ts, or as <HI>Peter</HI> &s;peaketh, <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 2. 5. 9.</NOTE> <HI>a royall and holy Prie&s;thood, to offer</HI>
<PB N="62" REF="35"> <HI>&s;pirituall &s;acrifices acceptable to God by Ie&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> the &s;acrifice of obedience whereby we offer our &s;elues <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 12. 1.</NOTE> <HI>as a liuelie, holy and acceptable &s;acrifice vnto God, which is our rea&s;onable &s;eruice:</HI> the &s;acrifice of almes, whereby we offer our goods, with which <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 13. 16.</NOTE> <HI>&s;acrifi|ces God is well plea&s;ed:</HI> the &s;acrifice of a broken and contrite heart <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 51. 19.</NOTE> which is to God in &s;tead of all &s;a|crifices: the &s;acrifice of prayer, which is accepted <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 141. 2.</NOTE> as incen&s;e, and as the euening &s;acrifice: the &s;a|crifice of prai&s;e, that is, the <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 13. 15.</NOTE> fruit, or as <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 14. 3.</NOTE> &s;pea|keth, the calues of our lips, which the Lord prefer|reth <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 50. 13. 14. 23.</NOTE> before the &s;acrifices of goats and bulles: all which, though in them&s;elues defectiue and imper|fect, are notwith&s;tanding acceptable vnto God, through the mediation of Chri&s;t; who, making interce&s;&s;ion for vs, perfumeth <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Apoc. 8. 3. 4.</NOTE> al the&s;e &s;acrifices of ours, with the odours of his owne &s;acrifice, that &s;o they may bee acceptable, and &s;weete &s;melling &s;a|uours vnto God.</P>
<P>Neither are they only accepted, but al&s;o rewar|ded. For our <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Prou. 11. 18. P&s;al. 19. 11.</NOTE> obedience, our <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 10. 35. James 1. 12.</NOTE> confidence, our pa|tience, our <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Mat. 6. 4. 6. 18.</NOTE> prayer, fa&s;ting, almes, and <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Luk. 6. 35.</NOTE> charitable deeds haue their rewards, in &s;o much that <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Mat. 10. 42.</NOTE> a cup of cold water giuen in charitie, &s;hall not lo&s;e his re|ward. In re&s;pect whereof, wee may well &s;ay with <HI>Dauid</HI> <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 62. 13.</NOTE> <HI>vnto thee Lord, mercie: for thou rewarde&s;t a man according to his worke.</HI> Which plainly proueth, that the reward of our obedience is not to be a&s;cri|bed to the merit of our workes, (which in them|&s;elues cannot &s;tand in iudgement) but to the mer|cies of God in Chri&s;t. For there is great mercie in not imputing vnto vs the imperfections of our <PB N="63" REF="35"> works; greater, in accepting of them as if they were perfect; but greate&s;t of all in rewarding them. The con&s;ideration wherof, ought to animate and &s;tirre vs vp with willing and cheerefull minds, to obey God, to &s;erue him, to call vpon him, and to per|forme &s;uch duties as he requireth of vs; becau&s;e we are to be a&s;&s;ured, that hee doth not impute vnto vs our wants, but accept our imperfect obedience, and not only fauourablie accept it, but al&s;o graci|ou&s;ly reward it.</P>
<P>Hitherto we haue &s;poken of the common liber|tie of Chri&s;tians: which being (as we haue heard) <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 18. The &s;peciall li|bertie of Chri|&s;tians, or that which is peculi|ar to the faith|full vnder the Gospell.</NOTE> conferred vpon vs in our vocation, iu&s;tification, and &s;anctification; wee are to be exhorted to giue all diligence, both that we may be called, iu&s;tified, and &s;anctified, and al&s;o that our calling, iu&s;tificati|on, and &s;anctification may be made &s;ure vnto vs, by leading a godly life. For if we be not &s;anctified, nor iu&s;tified, nor called, then are we (what&s;oeuer wee are, rich or poore, noble or ba&s;e, learned or vnlear|ned) the mo&s;t mi&s;erable bond&s;laues of &s;in and Sa|tan; and being &s;eruants, how&s;oeuer for a time wee retaine a place in the hou&s;e of God, yet wee &s;hall not abide for euer, but when the time of &s;eparation commeth, we &s;hall be ca&s;t out: whereas contrari|wi&s;e being made free by our calling, iu&s;tification and &s;anctification, as the &s;onnes of God, wee &s;hall haue the priuiledge of &s;onnes, which is, <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">John 8. 35.</NOTE> to abide in the hou&s;e of God for euer.</P>
<P>Now followeth the Chri&s;tian libertie, which is peculiar to the faithfull vnder the Go&s;pell. For the faithfull vnder the old Te&s;tament, though they
<PB N="64" REF="36"> were &s;ons and heires, and therfore enioyed the for|mer liberties by Chri&s;t, in whom they beleeued: notwith&s;tanding vntill the fulne&s;&s;e of time came, which was the full age of the Church, they were vnder yeeres; and therefore as &s;ons, during their minoritie, were &s;ubiect to <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Gal. 4. 1. &amp;c. &amp; 3. 24.</NOTE> &s;choolema&s;ters &amp; Tu|tors, wherby are meant the pedagogie and gouern|ment of the typicall Church of the Iewes, contai|ned in the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes of <HI>Mo|&s;es;</HI> in which regard, they, though &s;onnes, &s;eemed little to differ from &s;eruants. Both the&s;e lawes were appendices of the law morall: the ceremoniall, of the fir&s;t table, determining the particulars of that peculiar wor&s;hip which he pre&s;cribed to the typi|call Church, vntill the comming of Chri&s;t. The iu|diciall, of the &s;econd, determining the particulars of that peculiar policie which hee pre&s;cribed to the Commonwealth of the Iewes. So that the ceremo|niall, were the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall lawes of that Church; the iudiciall, the ciuill lawes of that Common|wealth. Both were yokes of bondage, as the Apo|&s;tle &s;peaketh <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 1.</NOTE> in re&s;pect of the Iewes, on who&s;e con&s;ciences the&s;e lawes were impo&s;ed, binding them to the &s;trict ob&s;eruation thereof; in regard whereof, they are called an <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Act. 15. 10.</NOTE> vn&s;upportable yoke, vnder which notwith&s;tanding, the faithfull were <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Galath. 4. 3.</NOTE> <HI>held in bondage.</HI> And as touching the Gentiles, they were as a <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 14.</NOTE> wall of &s;eparation be|tweene them and the Iewes, and as the doore of <HI>Noahs</HI> Arke, excluding all from &s;aluation that were not of that Church, either as borne Iewes, or as pro&s;elytes. For the re&s;t were <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 12.</NOTE> <HI>without Chri&s;t, aliants</HI>
<PB N="65" REF="36"> <HI>from the Commonwealth of I&s;rael, &s;trangers from the co|uena~ts of promi&s;e, hauing no hope, liuing without God in the world.</HI> This wal of partitio~ <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 14. &amp;c.</NOTE> our Sauiour Chri&s;t by his death hath di&s;&s;olued, taking away all diffe|rence <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Act. 15. 9.</NOTE> betweene Iewes and Gentiles, freeing and exempting, both the one and the other, from the obedience both of the iudiciall and ceremoniall law, which were giuen to put a differe~ce betweene the Iewes and the Gentiles, vntill the fulne&s;&s;e of time, <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Galath. 4. 4.</NOTE> Gal. 4. 4. the time <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 9. 10.</NOTE> of reformation, that is, vntill the comming of the Me&s;&s;ias, by who&s;e death they were to bee <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 3. 11. 13.</NOTE> abrogated. For how&s;oeuer the faithfull, before the Church came to full age, were in bondage vnder the ceremonial, and iudicial law, as vnder &s;cholema&s;ters and Tutors; yet, when <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Gal. 4. 3. 4. 5.</NOTE> <HI>the fulne&s;&s;e of time came, God &s;ent his Sonne borne of a wo|man, and borne vnder the Law, that he might redeeme them that were vnder the law:</HI> meaning that wee are redeemed, not only from the morall law, in the re|&s;pects before named; but al&s;o from the ceremoni|all and iudiciall, euen in re&s;pect of obedience.</P>
<P>For as touching the ceremoniall law, as it was an <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Colo&s;&s;. 2. 14. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. Ephe&s;. 2. 15.</NOTE> hand-writing of ordinances which was (though vnderhand) again&s;t vs; Chri&s;t hath cancelled it, and nailed it to his cro&s;&s;e. As it was a <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 10. 1. Colo&s;&s;. 2. 17. John 1. 17.</NOTE> &s;hadow and fi|gure of things to come, Chri&s;t hath aboli&s;hed it, by performing that indeed, which it did but &s;hadow and prefigure: for the law was giuen by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> but grace and truth by Chri&s;t. For as grace is oppo&s;ed to the cur&s;e, &s;o truth to figures: the ceremonies therefore of the law gaue place as &s;hadowes to the bodie, and as figures to the truth.</P>
<PB N="66" REF="37">
<P>The ciuill or iudiciall law, being the po&s;itiue lawes of that people, Chri&s;t abrogated, when ac|cording to the prophe&s;ie of <HI>Daniel</HI> <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Dan. 9. 26. 27</NOTE>, he de&s;troying the Commonwealth of the Iewes, their citie and temple, did withall aboli&s;h their policie and lawes. For the very citie, temple, and whole &s;tate of the Iewes, being types and &s;hadowes of Chri&s;t and his Church, were, when Chri&s;t was exhibited, and his vniuer&s;all Church by preaching the Go&s;pell to all nations, planted <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Matth. 24. 14</NOTE>, to giue place; and with them, their lawes, which were to hold but till the fulne&s;&s;e of time. For as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, the Prie&s;thood (namely of <HI>Aaron)</HI> being tra~&s;lated, <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 7. 12.</NOTE> the law (name|ly of <HI>Mo&s;es)</HI> is al&s;o tran&s;lated.</P>
<P>Howbeit there is &s;ome difference betweene the abrogating of the Ceremoniall, and of the Iudicial law: the ceremonial rites, becau&s;e they were princi|pally ordained to prefigure Chri&s;t, are &s;o aboli&s;hed, that it is not lawful for Chri&s;tians to ob&s;erue them, for that were to deny that Chri&s;t is come. <HI>Ea no~ ob|&s;eruant Chri&s;tiani</HI> (&s;aith <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Contra Fau|&s;tum Manich. lib. 19. cap. 18.</NOTE> <HI>Augu&s;tine) per quae Chri&s;tus promittebatur; nec adhuc promittuntur, quia iam imple|ta &s;unt: Chri&s;tians do not ob&s;erue tho&s;e things, by which Chri&s;t was promi&s;ed; neither are they &s;till promi&s;ed, be|cau&s;e they are alreadie fulfilled.</HI> The iudiciall ordinan|ces, becau&s;e they principally tended to the ob&s;er|uation of iu&s;tice and equitie, may be v&s;ed, &s;o they be not impo&s;ed or ob&s;erued by vertue of the iudi|ciall law: for that were, though indirectly, to de|nie that the Me&s;&s;ias is alreadie come. Both lawes were dead with Chri&s;t, though they were not bu|ried, but as it were kept aboue ground, euen by
<PB N="67" REF="37"> Chri&s;tians among the Iewes, vntill the di&s;&s;olution of the temple and citie of Ieru&s;alem. After which time, the ceremonial precepts were not only dead, as <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Tho. 1^a. 2^a, quaest. 104. 3. cap.</NOTE> one &s;aith, but al&s;o deadly to the ob&s;eruers of them; but the iudicials not &s;o.</P>
<P>Now, this Chri&s;tian libertie, as it is an immuni|tie, is a freedome from all bond of con&s;cience, in <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 19. Peculiar Chri|&s;tian libertie, as it is an im|munitie.</NOTE> re&s;pect of outward things, which are neither com|manded nor forbidden in the eternall law of God. Of which there are two &s;orts, the ordinances of men concerning things indifferent, and the crea|tures of God.</P>
<P>For as touching the former, &s;eeing there is no law that bindeth the con&s;cience properly, but only the law of God, in which &s;en&s;e hee is called <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">James 4. 12.</NOTE> our only Law-giuer, &amp; &s;eeing we are freed from tho&s;e lawes of God, which determined tho&s;e particulars, which are neither commanded nor forbidden in the moral law of God: it is plaine therfore, that our con&s;cience is free in re&s;pect of the&s;e things. As for the lawes of men, whether they be eccle&s;ia&s;ticall or ciuill, they do not properly bind the con&s;cience; becau&s;e neither is &s;imple obedie~ce due vnto them, neither can they make any particular, which in re|&s;pect of the morall law, is indifferent, as being nei|ther commanded nor forbidden, to be &s;implie ne|ce&s;&s;arie. The co~&s;cience of a Chri&s;tian is exempted from humane power, and cannot bee bound, but where God doth bind it. And therefore the Apo|&s;tle, as he chargeth the Corinthians, that, &s;eeing they were <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 7. 23.</NOTE> bought with a price, they &s;hould not be the &s;eruants of me~, (which is not to be vnder&s;tood
<PB N="68" REF="38"> of externall &s;eruitude, but of the bondage of the con&s;cience) and likewi&s;e the Colo&s;&s;ians, <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Colo&s;&s;. 2. 16.</NOTE> that <HI>no man &s;hould condemne them,</HI> (that is, take vpon him to bind the con&s;cience with guilt of &s;in) <HI>in re&s;pect of meate and drinke, or holy daies:</HI> &s;o he reproueth the <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Colo&s;&s;. 2. 20. 21. 22.</NOTE> Colo&s;&s;ians, for ob&s;eruing the traditions of men, with opinion of nece&s;&s;itie, as if the con&s;cience were bound by them, or religion were to be placed in them.</P>
<P>Herein therfore the Church of Rome is al&s;o an enemie to Chri&s;tian liberty, not only in burdening Chri&s;tians with an heape of innumerable traditi|ons and ceremonies; but chiefely, in impo&s;ing them vpon the con&s;cience: teaching, that the tradi|tions of the Church are with like <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Conc. Trid. Se&s;&s;. 4.</NOTE> reuerence, and equall affection of pietie to be receiued, as the writ|ten word of God; and that the commandements of the Church, euen co~cerning outward things, do bind the con&s;cience. And although many of their ceremonies be wicked; more, ridiculous; mo&s;t of them, &s;uperfluous; yet &s;o ab&s;urd they are, as to impo&s;e them to be ob&s;erued, not only with opini|on of nece&s;&s;itie, as binding the con&s;cience, but al|&s;o of wor&s;hip, of perfection, of merit, of &s;pirituall efficacie.</P>
<P>Secondly, by this libertie we are freed from &s;cru|pulo&s;itie of con&s;cience, in re&s;pect of the creatures, which are ordained for our v&s;e; the difference of cleane and vncleane (which was made by the cere|moniall law) being taken away. <HI>Nothing,</HI> &s;aith our Sauiour Chri&s;t, <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Mat. 15. 11.</NOTE> <HI>that goeth into the mouth, defileth a man.</HI> And <HI>Paul,</HI> <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Rom. 14. 14.</NOTE> <HI>I know,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>and am per&s;waded</HI>
<PB N="69" REF="38"> <HI>by the Lord le&s;us, that there is nothing common or vn|cleane of it &s;elfe.</HI></P>
<P>But this libertie is not only an immunitie, but al|&s;o an <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, or power, both in re&s;pect of the ordi|nances <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 20. Peculiar Chri|&s;tian libertie, as it is a right.</NOTE> of men, and al&s;o of the creatures of God. For, being freed from the ceremoniall, and iudicial lawes of God, and therefore not tied to any parti|cular or certaine lawes, which &s;hould determine the particulars not me~tioned in the word of God: hereupon ari&s;eth a liberty, both to Law-giuers, and tho&s;e who are &s;ubiect to lawes. The Law-giuers are not re&s;trained to any particulars, but haue libertie to ordaine &s;uch hol&s;ome, either con&s;titutions Ec|cle&s;ia&s;ticall, or lawes ciuill, as are not repugnant to the word of God. Lawes there mu&s;t be, to deter|mine the particulars not mentioned in the generall law of God: for they are the very bond of humane &s;ocieties, nece&s;&s;arie for the execution of the lawes of God, and for the maintenance of peace and or|der among men. Neither can it be denied, but that as the iudiciall law being aboli&s;hed, it is lawfull for Law-giuers to ordaine ciuill lawes; &s;o likewi&s;e the ceremonial law being abrogated, to e&s;tabli&s;h lawes Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall. Only the que&s;tion is, who mu&s;t bee the&s;e Law-giuers. Surely, not the Presbyteries of euery pari&s;h, which neuer were in v&s;e in the Primi|tiue Church, but Synodes; as appeareth by the per|petuall practi&s;e of the Church, both in the Apo|&s;tles times, and euer &s;ince. Synodes, I &s;ay, either prouinciall, or nationall; and tho&s;e a&s;&s;embled, ei|ther out of &s;ome one nation, or out of &s;ome more then one, which &s;ome call <HI>Concilia media,</HI> or la&s;tly
<PB N="70" REF="39"> generall. The authoritie of Synodes prouinciall and nationall hath alwaies been of great regard, though there wanted a Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trate to &s;econd and confirme them, being both a&s;&s;embled and moderated by the authoritie of Metropoli|tanes and Archbi&s;hops: but when both nationall Synodes are a&s;&s;embled, and the Synodall con&s;titu|tions ratified by the authoritie of the Soueraigne, and that according to the po&s;itiue lawes of the land, authorizing him &s;o to doe; I &s;ee not, why men &s;hould not as well thinke them&s;elues bound to ob&s;erue lawes Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, as Ciuill. For though &s;ome make a difference betweene them in this behalfe, becau&s;e ciuill lawes determining particulars belonging to the &s;econd table, can|not be violated without breaking the &s;econd table, whereas eccle&s;ia&s;ticall lawes determining particu|lars appertaining to the fir&s;t table, may be broken without tran&s;gre&s;&s;ing of the fir&s;t table; yet, who &s;eeth not the weakenes of this di&s;tinction? Seeing the &s;econd table is broken by di&s;obeying the law|full authoritie of &s;uperiours (which wee ought to obey for con&s;cience &s;ake) as well by tran&s;gre&s;&s;ing the one, as the other. Superiours in the Church are to be honoured and obeied by the fifth Comman|dement, and other Scriptures <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Heb. 13. 17.</NOTE>, as well as &s;upe|riours, in the common-wealth. And if their con|&s;titutions, when they wanted the concurrence of a Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trate, were of force in y^e Primitiue Church; then much greater is their validitie, being confirmed by the authoritie of the Soueraigne, and the Soueraigne authorized thereunto by law.</P>
<PB N="71" REF="39">
<P>The freedome of the &s;ubiect is, that being freed from the yoke of the iudiciall and ceremonial law, hee may with a free con&s;cience obey any other lawes whether Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall or Ciuill, which, be|ing not di&s;&s;onant from the word of God, are or &s;hall be impo&s;ed vpon him. Which, though it be a plaine and euident truth, yet by &s;ome men it is not ob&s;erued.</P>
<P>And as touching the v&s;e of the creatures, and of al things indifferent, we are to know, that the right and dominion wee had ouer the creatures, which was lo&s;t in <HI>Adam,</HI> is re&s;tored in Chri&s;t, (for all are yours, &s;aith the Apo&s;tle <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 3. 22.</NOTE>, and you are Chri&s;ts) and that not onely for Chri&s;tians vnder the Go&s;pell, but al&s;o for all the faithfull from the beginning. For we reade, Gen. 9. <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Gen. 9. 2. 3.</NOTE>, that to <HI>Noah,</HI> who was the heire <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Heb. 11. 7.</NOTE> of the righteou&s;nes, which is by faith, the graunt was renewed, and free v&s;e of the creatures permitted. Howbeit this freedome was by the ce|remoniall law re&s;trained, not only after the giuing of the law by <HI>Mo&s;es;</HI> but al&s;o before, a difference being put <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Gen. 7. 2. 9. 4.</NOTE> betweene things cleane and vncleane: which difference by Chri&s;t is taken away. For, no <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Rom. 14. 14.</NOTE> creature is vncleane of it &s;elfe, but euery <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 4. 4.</NOTE> crea|ture is good, and nothing to be refu&s;ed, but may be receiued with thank&s;giuing. Yea of all outward things, not forbidden of God, which commonly are called things in different, the Apo&s;tle affirmeth in generall, that <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 6. 12.</NOTE> <HI>all things are lawfull,</HI> and <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Tit. 1. 15.</NOTE> <HI>to the pure all things are pure.</HI> By this libertie therefore the faithfull are priuiledged, with freedome of con|&s;cience, to v&s;e or forbeare any of the creatures of
<PB N="72" REF="40"> God created for our v&s;e, or things in different, with|out opinion of nece&s;&s;itie to bee brought <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 6. 12.</NOTE> vnder the power thereof, or placing religion therein. In which re&s;pect, <HI>Ba&s;il</HI> fitly calleth things indifferent, <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, things in our power, or left to our li|bertie.</P>
<P>But here, for auoiding of error, three things are <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 21. Application of the generall doctrine to this particular.</NOTE> from the generall doctrine to be repeated. Fir&s;t, that this al&s;o is a libertie of the &s;onnes of God: &s;e|condly, that it is &s;pirituall: and thirdly, that it is a true libertie. For as touching the fir&s;t; though all <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. That this al|&s;o is a libertie of the &s;onnes of God.</NOTE> things be pure to the pure; yet <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Tit. 1. 15.</NOTE> <HI>to them that are vn|cleane and vnbeleeuing, nothing is cleane.</HI> Though to <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 6. 12. 1. Tim. 4. 3.</NOTE> the faithfull all the&s;e outward things are lawfull; yet to the wicked and vnbeleeuers nothing is law|full, yea, tho&s;e actions, which are materially good, as being co~manded of God, as they proceed from them, are turned into &s;inne. Which is &s;poken, not to this end, to driue men into de&s;perate cour&s;es; but to force them, without further delaies, to break off the cour&s;e of their &s;innes by &s;peedie and vnfai|ned repentance, and to &s;ue vnto God for mercie and pardon in Chri&s;t; becau&s;e this is the only thing which they may lawfully doe and without &s;inne, and which vntill they doe, they doe nothing el&s;e but &s;inne, and by &s;inne hoord vp wrath again&s;t the day of wrath, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Secondly, though this libertie concerne out|ward <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. That this al|&s;o is a &s;pirituall libertie.</NOTE> things; yet it &s;elfe is inward and &s;pirituall, as being a libertie of the con&s;cience. Now the con|&s;cience re&s;pecteth God, as our outward actions and the externall fruits of our con&s;cience re&s;pect men;
<PB N="73" REF="40"> men; who may moderate or re&s;traine the externall actions, wherein the outward v&s;e of our libertie con&s;i&s;teth; the inward libertie notwith&s;tanding of the con&s;cience before God, remaining entire. <HI>They greatly erre,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Caluin, who thinke that their</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jnstit. lib. 3. cap. 19. &sect;. 10.</NOTE> <HI>Christian libertie is nothing, vnle&s;&s;e they v&s;e it before men. But they ought to thinke, that by their libertie they obtaine no new thing in the &s;ight of men, but before God; and that their libertie con&s;isteth as well in abstaining, as v&s;ing. If they know, that it is a thing indifferent before God, whether they eate fle&s;h or egges, put on red or blacke apparell: it is enough, and more then enough. The con|&s;cience is now loo&s;e, whereto the benefit of this libertie doth appertaine: therefore, though hereafter they ab|&s;taine from fle&s;h all their life, and alwaies weare one co|lour; they are neuer the le&s;&s;e free. Yea therefore becau&s;e they are free, they doe with a free con&s;cience abstaine.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, as this libertie is &s;pirituall, &s;o al&s;o a true <NOTE PLACE="marg">3. That this al|&s;o is a true li|bertie.</NOTE> libertie. Now all true and lawfull libertie of crea|tures, is limited and bounded: the libertie of the Creator alone, being vncircum&s;cribed. Where|fore if any arrogate to them&s;elues an vnbounded libertie, it is a licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and not a true liber|tie. As fir&s;t, in regard of lawes and commaunde|ments of men; there are bounds &s;et, fir&s;t to the lawgiuers, in re&s;pect both of the things comman|ded, and al&s;o of the manner of commanding. For, lawgiuers may not a&s;&s;ume vnto them a libertie to commaund what they li&s;t, but onely &s;uch things as they know, not to be repugnant to the law of God. For they mu&s;t know, that al their lawes are limited by the law of God, and them&s;elues ^a vpon paine of
<PB N="74" REF="41"> damnation, re&s;trained from commaunding that which God forbiddeth, and from forbidding that which God commandeth. For by wicked lawes, they make them&s;elues like <HI>Ieroboam,</HI> who cau&s;ed all I&s;rael to &s;inne. Moreouer, they mu&s;t be carefull, not onely to command that which is lawfull; but al&s;o in ciuill lawes, tho&s;e things which bee expedient, and profitable for the weale publike; and in lawes Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, &s;uch things as tend <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 14. 26. 40.</NOTE> to decencie, to order, and edification. Otherwi&s;e, though the &s;ub|iect may lawfully obey, in &s;uch ca&s;es; yet the Law|giuer offendeth in abu&s;ing his authoritie, which was giuen him for the good of the inferiours.</P>
<P>Againe, in re&s;pect of the manner, &s;uperiours mu&s;t keepe them within their bounds, and not take vpon them the authoritie of our <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">James 4. 12.</NOTE> one only Law|giuer, who hath power to &s;aue, and to de&s;troy; which is, to bind the con&s;ciences of men, as, by im|po&s;ing that vpon the con&s;cience as &s;implie nece&s;&s;a|rie, which God by his law hath left indifferent; or by teaching <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Mat. 15. 2. 9.</NOTE> men to place religion in the ob&s;erua|tion of their traditions. For this is the practi&s;e of the Antichri&s;t of Rome; who, v&s;urping the authority of God, and challenging to him&s;elfe a boundle&s;&s;e power, &s;itteth in the con&s;ciences of men, as God.</P>
<P>Likewi&s;e to the &s;ubiect; for as he may not think, that hee hath libertie to obey any lawes of men, though vnlawfull, and much le&s;&s;e to place religion or perfection in the ob&s;eruation of them, as the Pa|pi&s;ts do: &s;o on the other &s;ide, he may not thinke, that hee hath libertie to breake the lawes of men, though not vnlawfull, and much le&s;&s;e to place reli|gion
<PB N="75" REF="41"> or perfection therein; as they &s;eeme to doe, who v&s;e to be oppo&s;ite to the Papi&s;ts in the contra|rie extreame. For, I be&s;eech you, do not many a|mong vs, thinke them&s;elues the more religious, for refu&s;ing obedie~ce &amp; conformitie to the lawes, and cen&s;ure others as formali&s;ts and time-&s;eruers? But beloued, as we are not to iudge <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Rom. 14. 1. 3. &amp;c.</NOTE> tho&s;e, who out of weakne&s;&s;e refu&s;e conformitie; &s;o tho&s;e which be refractarie, &s;hould not thinke, either the better of them&s;elues for not conforming, or the wor&s;e of others for conforming. The kingdome <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Rom. 14. 17.</NOTE> of God doth not &s;ta~d in the&s;e things. And certainly, if <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 6. &amp; 6. 15.</NOTE> nei|ther circumci&s;ion, nor vncircumci&s;ion auaile any thing; then much le&s;&s;e the v&s;e or forbearance of tho&s;e ceremonies, which are in co~trouer&s;ie among vs. Doth not the Apo&s;tle plainly tell vs, <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 8. 8.</NOTE> that the&s;e outward things doe not commend vs vnto God, and that neither the v&s;e or forbearance of them in it &s;elfe doth make vs either better, or wor&s;e before God? But when they be v&s;ed or forborne with di&s;o|bedience to lawfull authoritie, without due regard of auoiding &s;candall, with vncharitable cen&s;uring and iudging one of another, with alienation of the affection of one brother from another; doubt|le&s;&s;e there is fault committed. And who &s;eeth not, that while contentions grow hotte about the&s;e things, both charitie and pietie waxeth cold?</P>
<P>Secondly, in re&s;pect of the creatures and things indifferent, though we haue free libertie to v&s;e or forbeare them; yet it is not a boundle&s;&s;e libertie. For the law of God hath &s;et it foure bounds, <HI>viz.</HI> pietie, loyaltie, charitie, and &s;obrietie. <HI>Pietie,</HI> re&s;pe|cting
<PB N="76" REF="42"> Gods glorie and wor&s;hip: <HI>Loyaltie,</HI> hauing reference to &s;uperiours; <HI>Charitie,</HI> to all men; <HI>Sobrie|tie,</HI> to our &s;elues. Can&s;t thou not v&s;e thy libertie in &s;ome particular, without Gods di&s;honor, or neg|lect of his &s;eruice? Remember, that <HI>whether</HI> <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 10. 31.</NOTE> <HI>you eate or drinke, or what&s;oeuer you doe, you must do all to the glorie of God.</HI> Cannot thy libertie be v&s;ed, without contempt of the Magi&s;trates lawfull authority? Remember, that God hath commanded thee to o|bey thy &s;uperiours in all lawfull things, as <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 6. 12.</NOTE> all things (not forbidden by God) are lawfull; that all <HI>authoritie is</HI> <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 1. 2. 5.</NOTE> <HI>from God,</HI> and that, <HI>hee which re&s;i&s;teth lawfull authoritie, re&s;i&s;teth God;</HI> that <HI>they which re&s;i&s;t, &s;hall receiue to them&s;elues iudgement;</HI> and that thou mu&s;t <HI>obey not only for feare, but al&s;o for con&s;cience &s;ake.</HI> Remember what S. <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith, <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2. 13. 16.</NOTE> Be &s;ubiect to all humane ordinance, whether the &s;oueraigne, or &s;ubordinate gouernours. But how? <HI>As free, and not as hauing the libertie for a cloak of naughtines, but as the &s;eruants of God.</HI> Can it not be v&s;ed without the of|fence of thy weake brother? <HI>Take heed,</HI> &s;aith the A|po&s;tle, <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 8. 9. 10. 24. Rom. 14. 15. 16.</NOTE> <HI>le&s;t thy libertie be an offence to the weake. For he that &s;candalizeth his brother, &s;inneth again&s;t Chri&s;t. Wherefore if meate offend my brother, I will not eat fle&s;h whiles the world &s;tandeth, rather then I will offend him.</HI> La&s;tly, can it not be v&s;ed in &s;ome particular, vnle&s;&s;e thou &s;halt pa&s;&s;e the bounds of &s;obrietie, tempe|rance, humilitie, mode&s;tie, frugalitie, &amp;c? Remem|ber, what the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 13.</NOTE> <HI>Brethren you are called to libertie, only v&s;e not your libertie as an occa&s;ion to the fle&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>But here ari&s;eth a doubtful que&s;tion, the expli|cation <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 22. Deci&s;ion of a doubtfull que|&s;tion, what is to be done, whe~ we &s;eeme to be in a &s;trait be|tweene di&s;obe|dience to the Magi&s;trate, and offence to the weake.</NOTE>
<PB N="77" REF="42"> wherof is needful for the&s;e times. For &s;ome|times there &s;eemeth to be a conflict betweene the law of loyaltie, and the law of charitie; as when that which the Magi&s;trate commandeth, cannot (as we thinke) be ob&s;erued without the offence or &s;can|dall of the weake. In which ca&s;e of Antiomie (which &s;ome &s;ay is our ca&s;e) diuers know not which way to turne them, and others erroneou&s;lie chu&s;e to di&s;obey the Magi&s;trate, rather then &s;eeme to offend their weake brethren.</P>
<P>Con&s;ider therefore vprightly what I &s;hall &s;ay, and the Lord giue you vnder&s;tanding minds, and tractable hearts, to &s;ee and embrace the truth.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t therefore vnder&s;tand, that we are neuer ca&s;t into &s;uch an exigent betweene two &s;innes not yet committed; but there is an i&s;&s;ue from them both without a third. Suppo&s;e therfore, that in this ca&s;e there were an Antinomie, or &s;uch an oppo&s;itio~ be|tweene the two lawes of loyalty &amp; charity, as that the one could not be ob&s;erued, without the neglect of the other. In &s;uch ca&s;es of Antinomie, we are to know, that if wee obey the &s;uperiour law, vnto which we are more bound, as hauing higher and more principal ends; the inferiour <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Matth. 12. 7. Jerem. 7. 22. Luke 14. 26.</NOTE> (which giueth place vnto it) is not broken. Now, the &s;upreme end is the glorie of God; then, the common &s;alua|tion of the Church; then, euery mans owne &s;alua|tion; then, the &s;aluation of his neighbour; then, the common outward good of the Church, or Commonwealth; then, our owne; then, our neigh|bours. So that publike and common goods are to be preferred before priuate, &amp; &s;piritual before cor|porall,
<PB N="78" REF="43"> and the glorie of God before all. Well then, thou &s;aye&s;t thou maye&s;t not yeeld to the ceremo|nies, as namely, the Surplice, the Cro&s;&s;e, and knee|ling at Communion; becau&s;e the&s;e things cannot be done without &s;candalizing of thy brother. Sup|po&s;e it were &s;o, and remember that I doe but &s;up|po&s;e it. But on the other &s;ide, thou refu&s;ing the v&s;e of indifferent things, whereunto thy Chri&s;tian li|bertie extendeth, being enioyned by lawfull au|thoritie, with &s;uch co~ditions as the&s;e are enioyned; I &s;ay vnto thee without &s;uppo&s;ition, that be&s;ides thy di&s;obeying the lawfull authoritie of a Chri&s;ti|an Church, and of a Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trate, whom thou oughte&s;t to obey euen for con&s;cience &s;ake; thou doe&s;t &s;candalize, fir&s;t, thy weake brethren be|ing affected as thy &s;elfe, who by thine example, for which thou perhaps thinke&s;t thou ha&s;t good ground, are animated, or, as the Apo&s;tle <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 8. 10.</NOTE> &s;peaketh, edified, without ground, to contemne <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">In this &s;can|dall they are deepest, who are of greatest note.</NOTE> the autho|ritie of the Magi&s;trate, and of the Church; &amp; from that contempt do many of them proceed to mi&s;like of the State; and from mi&s;like, either to &s;eparation, or to &s;ome degree of di&s;loyall di&s;contentment. Be|&s;ides tho&s;e of thine owne di&s;po&s;ition, thou doe&s;t offend them who are more loyally affected; who, if they bee not the better grounded in our <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Jud. 20.</NOTE> mo&s;t holy faith, do &s;tumble at your practi&s;e, and begin to &s;tagger in the profe&s;&s;ion and practi&s;e of religion, when they &s;ee me &s;eeming mo&s;t zealous in our re|ligion, and profe&s;&s;ing, (as they pretend) the cau&s;e of &s;inceritie, vpon no iu&s;t cau&s;e to abandon their mini&s;terie, to oppo&s;e them&s;elues again&s;t authority,
<PB N="79" REF="43"> to maintaine a faction in the Church, and wilfully (for any thing that they can &s;ee) to per&s;i&s;t in a bad cour&s;e. And hereupon many take occa&s;ion to re&s;t in outward ciuilitie, without grace, and to mi&s;like all forwardnes in religion for your &s;akes, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Now heere &s;eemeth to be <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <HI>a &s;can|dall falling two waies;</HI> indeed a &s;ingle &s;uppo&s;ed of|fence, oppo&s;ed to a double &s;candall, ioyned with di&s;obedience. If no more could be &s;aid, who would doubt on which &s;ide rather to encline? But to the&s;e Iadde other re&s;pects, that ought to be regarded more the~ a &s;uppo&s;ed &s;candall. The que&s;tion is not, as many would &s;eeme to vnder&s;tand it, whether, it being a thing arbitrarie, and meerely left vnto our owne choice, either to v&s;e the&s;e ceremonies, or to forbeare them, (as it was in the Apo&s;tles que&s;tion of eating fle&s;h) whether (I &s;ay) wee ought to ab|&s;taine, if we vnder&s;tood that a brother would bee offended at the v&s;e of them, or not: for then there were no que&s;tion, but that for auoiding of &s;candal, we ought to ab&s;taine. But the&s;e things are not ar|bitrarie, or in our choice; but impo&s;ed by lawfull authoritie, and that with &s;uch conditions, as that the ob&s;eruation of the&s;e things being indifferent in them&s;elues, becommeth re&s;pectiuely nece&s;&s;arie. Fir&s;t in re&s;pect of authoritie, which not only for feare, but al&s;o for con&s;cience <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 5.</NOTE> &s;ake, we are bound to obey in all lawfull things. This one nece&s;&s;itie of obedience is &s;ufficient to excu&s;e me from &s;candall, e&s;pecially if I do my endeuour to preuent it, as af|ter &s;hall be &s;hewed. Secondly, in re&s;pect of the con|ditions wherewith they are impo&s;ed; as, not to re|ceiue
<PB N="80" REF="44"> the Communion vnle&s;&s;e we kneele; not to go on in our mini&s;terie, vnle&s;&s;e we conforme. For, care of auoiding &s;candal re&s;pecteth arbitrarie mat|ters, and not nece&s;&s;ary duties appertaining to Gods glory, and our &s;aluation: which we mu&s;t performe, though all the world would be offe~ded therat. The care of thine owne &s;aluation mu&s;t be preferred to the &s;uppo&s;ed danger of another mans fall: the care of the Churches &s;aluation, much more: the glorie of God, mo&s;t of all. Well then, maye&s;t thou not receiue the Communion, being a dutie appertai|ning to thine owne &s;aluation, to the edification of the Church, and communion of Saints, to the glo|rie of God, vnle&s;&s;e thou wilt receiue it vpon thy knees? (it being a ge&s;ture not only lawfull, but mo&s;t conuenient to be v&s;ed in &s;uch a part of Gods wor&s;hip, as is performed with inuocation <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">J meane not only prayer, but al&s;o thanke&s;gi|uing, in regard whereof it is called the Eu|charist.</NOTE> on the name of God; e&s;pecially &s;eeing the ge&s;ture v&s;ed at meales is not to bee vrged, vnle&s;&s;e the Sacrament were with our meales, as at the fir&s;t in&s;titution with Chri&s;ts la&s;t &s;upper, and in the primitiue Church with their loue fea&s;ts, receiued; for the cau&s;e of the ge&s;ture being worthily taken away, the <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">So the cau&s;e of &s;tanding at the Pa&s;&s;eouer cea&s;&s;ing, the gesture it &s;elfe was altered by the Church, and that alteration confirmed by the practi&s;e of Christ, (who not with&s;ta~ding perfectly fuifil|led the Law.) Luke 22. 14.</NOTE> rea&s;on of retaining it cea&s;&s;eth; for which cau&s;e the Councill of <HI>Laodicea, cap.</HI> 28. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Et Concil. Constantinop. in Trullo. c. 74.</NOTE> as it forbad loue-fea&s;ts in the Church: &s;o al&s;o <HI>accubitus,</HI> the ge&s;ture v&s;ed at fea&s;ts.) I &s;ay vnto thee confidently, if thou may|e&s;t not receiue it, vnle&s;&s;e thou doe&s;t kneele; thou oughte&s;t to receiue it kneeling, though another would be offended thereat.</P>
<P>Maie&s;t thou not preach the Word (to omit o|ther parts of the mini&s;teriall function, the nece&s;&s;itie
<PB N="81" REF="44"> whereof &s;hould preuaile with vs more then a &s;up|po&s;ed &s;candall, for it &s;hall &s;office to in&s;i&s;t in this one particular) maye&s;t thou not, I &s;ay, preach the Go&s;|pell of Chri&s;t, being a dutie whereof nece&s;&s;itie is impo&s;ed vpon thee, and <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 9. 16.</NOTE> Woe bee vnto thee if thou preach not the Go&s;pell; a dutie wherby thou art bound in e&s;pecial manner to edifie the Church, and to glorifie God; vnle&s;&s;e thou yeeld to the v&s;e of &s;uch things, as are neither in them&s;elues vnlaw|full (I meane the Surplice and the Cro&s;&s;e, whereof the one in the iudgement of the Church &s;erueth for decencie, and the other rightly vnder&s;tood ten|deth to edification), neither as they are v&s;ed in our Church, being neither impo&s;ed nor ob&s;erued with &s;uper&s;tition, or opinion of nece&s;&s;itie in them&s;elues, or of wor&s;hip, as though we placed religio~ in them, and much le&s;&s;e with the other popi&s;h conceits of merit, with which they ob&s;erue all their traditions, or efficacie, which they a&s;cribe e&s;pecially to the Cro&s;&s;e? Thou oughte&s;t to preferre the glorie of God in the &s;aluation of his people by thy mini&s;te|rie, before the &s;uppo&s;ed, and perhaps but preten|ded &s;candall of others.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Yea but</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 8.</NOTE> <HI>we may not do euill, that good may come of it.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The que&s;tion is of things indifferent. For though we may &amp; mu&s;t obey Magi&s;trates, though they be euill; yet we mu&s;t obey neither good nor bad vnto euill. For wee mu&s;t obey, only, in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 5. 25.</NOTE> Lord.</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>But though the things be indifferent in them|&s;elues, yet their v&s;e may be vnlawfull.</HI></P>
<PB N="82" REF="45">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> That is, when they be impo&s;ed either with opinion of nece&s;&s;itie in them&s;elues, of religion to be placed in them, of perfection or merit to be at|tained by them, (all which conceits our Church dete&s;teth, as is manife&s;t by the doctrine, whereby ceremonies are to be weighed:) or with &s;candall (I do not &s;ay taken, but) giuen to others</P>
<P>Obiect. <HI>Yea but it is euill to offend my weake brother, that euill I may not do, that good may come of it.</HI></P>
<P>I an&s;were, in not yeelding to conformitie, thou both di&s;obeye&s;t the Magi&s;trate, and offende&s;t thy weake brother too. So that whe~ thou &s;eeme&s;t loath to do that which is lawfull and good, for feare of an imagined euill; thou adde&s;t euill to euill, that is, to di&s;obedience, &s;candall; and be&s;ides, to the mo&s;t nece&s;&s;arie duties of Gods wor&s;hip, preferre&s;t the auoiding of a &s;uppo&s;ed &s;candall.</P>
<P>For all this while I &s;peak but by &s;uppo&s;ition. For here is a &s;uppo&s;all of Antinomie or oppo&s;ition of the two lawes of loyaltie and charitie, as though the one could not be ob&s;erued without the breach of the other; which is not &s;o. For where the Ma|gi&s;trate enioyneth the v&s;e of an indifferent thing, whereat it is feared &s;ome will take offence; his du|tie is, for preuenting the &s;candall, to giue &s;ome time of information; that the weake may be in&s;tructed, as touching the indifferencie of the thing, and the &s;ufficiencie of his authoritie to command it, and of their dutie in &s;ubmitting them&s;elues to the ob&s;er|uation thereof. It is al&s;o the dutie of the Mini&s;ter, to endeuour to preuent the &s;candall, by informing his hearers, that tho&s;e things which God hath neither
<PB N="83" REF="45"> commanded nor forbidden, are things indifferent; that no &s;uch thing is vncleane in it &s;elfe; that all &s;uch things are lawfull, and &s;uch as whereunto Chri&s;tian libertie doth extend; that in all lawfull things the Magi&s;trate is to be obeyed; and there|fore that the&s;e things being enioyned, they not on|ly may, in re&s;pect of their Chri&s;tian libertie, with free con&s;cience v&s;e them; but al&s;o mu&s;t, in re&s;pect of Gods Commandement requiring obedience, yeeld to the ob&s;eruation of them. Which cour&s;e hauing been taken (as it hath among vs) if any will &s;till be offended, it is peeui&s;hnes and ob&s;tinacie, ra|ther then weakene&s;&s;e; and an offence taken, but not giuen: in which ca&s;e, the law of charitie it &s;elfe doth not bind vs: and that, in two re&s;pects, not yet mentioned. The one, in re&s;pect of God; the other, in re&s;pect of his truth. For, I may not offend God, not to offend my brother. And it is Gods truth, that Chri&s;tian libertie priuiledgeth both Chri&s;tian Lawgiuers (with &s;uch cautions as before haue bin mentioned) to ordaine &s;uch lawes co~cerning out|ward things, as they &s;hall iudge expedient: and al|&s;o the &s;ubiects, without &s;crupulo&s;itie of con&s;cience to ob&s;erue them. Now, it is a principle, <HI>Satius est na&s;ci &s;candalum quam de&s;eri verum: It is better a &s;can|dall &s;hould ari&s;e, then the truth to be for&s;aken or betrayed.</HI> Is our Chri&s;tian libertie in this point called into que&s;tion, whether Magi&s;trates may command &s;uch things, and whether &s;ubiects may obey? we mu&s;t maintaine our libertie, though others would be of|fended thereat. The Apo&s;tles, though for a time they yeelded much to the weakne&s;&s;e of the Iewes,
<PB N="84" REF="46"> doing and forbearing many things, to auoid their offence; yet when their libertie <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Galath. 2. 3. 4</NOTE> was called into que&s;tion, they re&s;olutely maintained it, not regar|ding their offence. And when as by <HI>Peters</HI> with|drawing him&s;elfe from the Gentiles, for feare of offending the Iewes, the libertie of Chri&s;tians was called into que&s;tion; <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Galath. 2. 11. 12. 13. 14.</NOTE> <HI>Paul</HI> with&s;tood him to his face, and reproued him before them all, as hal|ting in the profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pell. And &s;o mu&s;t they be content to be v&s;ed, who follow <HI>Peters</HI> ex|ample in this behalfe. Thus much by the way to per&s;wade the people to obedience and loyalty, and the Mini&s;ters to conformitie; which I be&s;eech God to effect for his Chri&s;ts &s;ake.</P>
<P>The&s;e things thus premi&s;ed concerning the na|ture <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 23. Obiections con|cerning Chri&s;ti|an libertie in outward things an&s;wered.</NOTE> and qualitie of this peculiar libertie of Chri&s;ti|ans; it will not be hard to an&s;were the obiections of tho&s;e, who runne into contrarie extreames con|cerning the &s;ame.</P>
<P><HI>Obiect.</HI> 1. For fir&s;t, on the one &s;ide, it is obiected; that &s;eeing Chri&s;t hath &s;et vs free co~cerning things indifferent, no man ought to re&s;traine vs; and ther|fore the lawes commaunding or forbidding the v&s;e of indifferent things, are again&s;t Chri&s;tian li|bertie.</P>
<P>Whereunto I an&s;were, fir&s;t: that Chri&s;tian li|bertie is wholly &s;pirituall, being a libertie of the con&s;cience and inner man, which may &s;tand with the outward &s;eruitude of <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 7. 22.</NOTE> bond&s;laues, much more with the &s;ubiection and obedience of free &s;ubiects. For though the outward v&s;e of the libertie be mo|derated by the Magi&s;trate, and confined; yet the
<PB N="85" REF="46"> inward libertie of the con&s;cience is not impaired, &s;o long as the &s;ubiect may obey with free con&s;ci|ence before God; that is, &s;o long as the Magi&s;trate &s;eeketh not to bind the con&s;cience, and to impo&s;e things not commanded of God as nece&s;&s;arie in them&s;elues, and as matters of religion before God, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Secondly, that the liberty of Chri&s;tians is a true, and therefore not an vnbounded libertie. Now, one of the bounds and limits which God hath &s;et it, is, as you haue heard, the law of loyaltie, requi|ring obedience to &s;uperiours. Wherefore a Chri|&s;tian man, though in re&s;pect of the inward man he be free, as being the &s;onne of God by adoption in Chri&s;t; yet in re&s;pect of the outward man, hee ought to be a &s;eruant, not only to his <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 2. 13. 16</NOTE> &s;uperiours, in loyaltie and obedience; but al&s;o to <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 13. 1. Cor. 9. 19. &amp;c.</NOTE> all, in be|neuolence and charitie.</P>
<P><HI>Obiect.</HI> 2 On the other &s;ide, it is obiected. 1. That for con&s;cie~ce <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 5.</NOTE> &s;ake we are to obey the Magi&s;trate; that is, that we are bound in con&s;cience &s;o to doe; therefore the lawes and commandements of the Magi&s;trate do bind the con&s;cience.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It followes not, for although we are bound in con&s;cience, to obey the lawfull co~mandements and lawes of &s;uperiours; yet that bond is not in the particular lawes of men, but in the generall com|mandement of God.</P>
<P><HI>Obiect.</HI> 3. Againe: A thing indifferent enioyned by the Magi&s;trate, becommeth nece&s;&s;arie, <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 5.</NOTE> for <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, it is nece&s;&s;arie that you be &s;ub|iect: therefore the commandement of the Magi|&s;trate
<PB N="86" REF="47"> doth binde the con&s;cience.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Neither doth this follow. For it becom|meth nece&s;&s;ary, not by the particular commaun|dement of man, but by the generall commaunde|ment of God. For, notwith&s;tanding the comman|dement of the Magi&s;trate, the thing commanded remaineth indifferent in it &s;elfe, and before God; and &s;o to bee v&s;ed with free con&s;cience, without placing any religion therein; how&s;oeuer it be|commeth nece&s;&s;arie &s;o farre forth as by the gene|rall commandement of God, I am bound thereto. And this is that which <HI>Peter</HI> <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 2. 16.</NOTE> &s;aith, that we mu&s;t obey Magi&s;trates, <HI>as free,</HI> and yet <HI>as the &s;eruants of God.</HI> Free, in re&s;pect of our con&s;ciences exempted from humane power; and yet as &s;eruants of God, bound in con&s;cience to obey him in obeying them, &s;o farre forth as he doth commaund vs to obey them.</P>
<P>The truth of the&s;e an&s;weres &s;hall not onely be demon&s;trated as it were before your eyes by a fyl|logi&s;me, wherein is concluded the bond of con|&s;cience, and nece&s;&s;itie of dutie in obeying the commaundements of men, but al&s;o by other rea|&s;ons proued.</P>
<LIST>
<HEAD>The Syllogi&s;me:</HEAD>
<ITEM>All lawfull commaundements of Magi&s;trates thou art bound in con&s;cience by the lawe of God to obey, &s;o farre forth as he requireth &s;uch commaundements to be obeyed:</ITEM>
<ITEM>This or that particular is a lawfull commaun|dement of the Magi&s;trate:</ITEM>
<ITEM>Therefore this or that particular thou art bound
<PB N="87" REF="47"> in con&s;cience by the law of God to obey, &s;o farre forth as God requireth &s;uch commaun|dements to be obeyed.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>By which argumentation wee may conceiue, that the di&s;tinction of nece&s;&s;itie v&s;ed in &s;chooles, <HI>viz.</HI> that there is <HI>nece&s;sitas con&s;equentis,</HI> which is &s;imple or ab&s;olute, &amp; <HI>nece&s;sitas con&s;equentiae,</HI> which is not &s;imple, but vpon condition of other things pre|&s;uppo&s;ed, may not vnfitly be applied to the nece&s;&s;i|tie of duetie impo&s;ed by the lawes, either of God, or man. For Gods commandement impo&s;eth the nece&s;&s;itie as it were of the con&s;equent, (without pre&s;uppo&s;ing other things) requiring &s;imple and ab&s;olute obedience. The lawe of man doth not impo&s;e the nece&s;&s;itie of the con&s;equent, or require &s;imple obedience; but it impo&s;eth onely a nece&s;&s;i|tie of the con&s;equence, that is, &s;uch a nece&s;&s;itie and no other, as may &s;oundly be concluded from the lawe of God, and &s;o farre forth as it may be con|cluded thence. Or to &s;peake more plainely: in a &s;imple &s;entence without interpo&s;ing any conditi|on, or pre&s;uppo&s;ing any antecedent whereupon it is to be inferred, I may &s;ay, either particularly <HI>this commaundement of God is nece&s;&s;arily, or by nece&s;sitie of dutie to be obeyed;</HI> or generally, <HI>all Gods commaunde|ments are nece&s;&s;arily to be ob&s;erued.</HI> And this &s;peech is of nece&s;&s;ary truth. But concerning mens com|maundements, if I &s;hall &s;ay in the generall, <HI>All the commaundements of men are nece&s;&s;arily to be ob&s;erued,</HI> the &s;peech will be fal&s;e and ab&s;urd: if in particu|lar, <HI>this commaundement of the Magistrate is nece&s;&s;arily to be ob&s;erued:</HI> this &s;peech cannot bee nece&s;&s;arie
<PB N="88" REF="48"> &s;imply, or by the nece&s;&s;itie of the con&s;equent, or (to &s;peake more plainely for the explicating of that phra&s;e) by the nece&s;&s;itie of a &s;imple &s;entence, wherein the con&s;equent (or predicat) is both &s;im|ply and nece&s;&s;arily affirmed of the antecedent or &s;ubiect; it ca~not, I &s;ay, be &s;imply nece&s;&s;arie, becau&s;e (as you heard) the generall is fal&s;e. Notwith&s;tan|ding if you pre&s;uppo&s;e the&s;e two things: fir&s;t, that all lawfull commaundements of Magi&s;trates are by the commaundement of God nece&s;&s;arily to be ob&s;erued, &s;o farre forth as he commaundeth them to be ob&s;erued: &s;econdly, that this particular is a lawfull commaundement of the Magi&s;trate; vpon the&s;e premi&s;es you may prooue that &s;peech to be true by nece&s;&s;itie of con&s;equence, <HI>viz.</HI> that this particular commaundement of the Magi&s;trate is nece&s;&s;arily to be ob&s;erued, &amp;c.</P>
<P>But &s;ome &s;ophi&s;ter will obiect, that I might as well conclude thus;</P>
<P><HI>Propo&s;.</HI> All lawfull commaundements of the Magi&s;trate mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily be obeyed:</P>
<P><HI>A&s;s.</HI> This or that particular is a lawfull com|maundement of the Magi&s;trate:</P>
<P><HI>Concl.</HI> Therefore nece&s;&s;arily to be obeyed.</P>
<P>I an&s;were, that the propo&s;ition of this &s;yllogi&s;me needeth proofe, as not being manife&s;t of it &s;elfe. You will &s;ay, it may thus be prooued.</P>
<P><HI>Propo&s;.</HI> What is commaunded of God, mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily be performed.</P>
<P><HI>A&s;s.</HI> Obedience to all lawfull commaunde|ments of Magi&s;trates is commaunded of God.</P>
<P><HI>Concl.</HI> Therefore obedience to all lawfull com|maundements
<PB N="89" REF="48"> of Magi&s;trates, is nece&s;&s;arily to be performed.</P>
<P>But I &s;ay againe the a&s;&s;umption of this &s;yllo|gi&s;me needeth &s;ome explanation. For the Lord would haue difference put betweene his owne commaundements and the lawes of men; and therefore we may not thinke, that he commaun|deth all lawes of men &s;imply to be obeyed: not &s;imply, you mu&s;t &s;ay then, but &s;o farre forth as he requireth them to be obeyed.</P>
<P>By which &s;hort di&s;cour&s;e we learne, that tho&s;e additions by which I explaned the propo&s;ition of the &s;yllogi&s;me, were nece&s;&s;arie; and that the bond of con&s;cience is not the lawe of man, but of God: that we are bound to obey mans lawes not &s;imply, but &s;o farre forth as God requireth. And la&s;tly that this &s;peech, <HI>(All lawfull commaundements of Magi&s;trates are nece&s;&s;arily to be obeyed)</HI> is true, not by the nece&s;&s;itie of the con&s;equent, as an axiome or principle which is manife&s;t of it &s;elfe; but by the nece&s;&s;itie of con&s;equence, as a conclu&s;ion ma|nife&s;ted by di&s;cour&s;e.</P>
<P>Now that the lawes of men doe not binde the con&s;cience, it may further appeare by the&s;e rea|&s;ons. Fir&s;t, becau&s;e our freedome from the lawes iudiciall and ceremoniall, which in the Scriptures is extolled for &s;o great a benefit, would be a bur|then rather then a benefit, if wee &s;hould in like manner be bound to the eccle&s;ia&s;ticall and ciuill lawes of men. Againe, if they did binde the con|&s;cience, there would be no difference betweene Gods lawes and mans lawes (in re&s;pect of out|ward
<PB N="90" REF="49"> actions) and the one &s;ort would require &s;imple obedience as well as the other, yea vn|lawfull commaundements would al&s;o binde the con&s;cience. But it is plaine, that &s;imple obedi|ence is to bee performed onely to the lawes of God. To the lawes of men we are bound, not &s;imply, but &s;o farre forth as in obeying them, we al&s;o obey God, and no further; that is, as I &s;aid, &s;o farre as God commaundeth vs to obey them. Now, how farre forth God commaundeth vs to obey the lawes of men, will ea&s;ily appeare by this di&s;tinction; for either they commaund &s;uch things as God forbiddeth, and forbid &s;uch things as he commaundeth, (which kinde of commaun|dements are &s;o farre from binding our con&s;cien|ces, as that we are bound by the lawe of God to obey him in di&s;obeying them:) or they command &s;uch things as God commaundeth, and forbid &s;uch things as he forbiddeth, that by their autho|ritie the lawes of God may the better be ob&s;erued, (to which kinde of commaundements wee are &s;imply bound, becau&s;e as in obeying them we o|bey God, &s;o in breaking them we tran&s;gre&s;&s;e the lawe of God:) or la&s;tly, they commaund &s;uch things as God hath not forbidden, and forbid &s;uch things as God hath not commanded: to the parti|cular commandeme~ts of this kind we are not &s;im|plie bound, but &s;o far forth as God hath comman|ded vs to obey them; that is, as <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 2. 16.</NOTE> free (being not &s;implie bound to tho&s;e particulars, as nece&s;&s;arie in them&s;elues, but v&s;ing them with free con&s;cience, as being indifferent, and therefore &s;uch, as wherunto
<PB N="91" REF="49"> our Chri&s;tian libertie extendeth,) and yet as &s;er|uants of God, thinking our &s;elues &s;o farre bound to ob&s;erue them, <HI>as in nece&s;&s;arie for auoiding of Scandall and contempt,</HI> which God by his law hath forbid|den. Contempt: for it is nece&s;&s;arie, &s;aith the Apo|&s;tle, <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 5. 1. Pet. 2. 13. 16.</NOTE> that wee &s;hould &s;ubmit our &s;elues to lawfull authoritie, not only for feare of puni&s;hment, but for con&s;cience &s;ake. For although wee bee free, as concerning the inner man; yet in re&s;pect of the out|ward man, we mu&s;t, as the &s;eruants of God, &s;ubmit our &s;elues to &s;uch &s;uperiours, as God hath &s;et ouer vs, and not haue our libertie, as a cloake of naugh|tine&s;&s;e. Scandall al&s;o is to be auoided. Fir&s;t, in re|&s;pect of the &s;uperiour, that by our di&s;obedience we do not &s;candalize or offend him. Wherein our Sa|uiour hath giuen vs a notable example, who, al|though he were (as hee <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Matth. 17. 25. 26. 27.</NOTE> &s;aith) free; yet was con|tent to pay tribute money, for auoiding of offence. Secondly, in re&s;pect of the &s;ubiect; that he &s;tumble not at the example of our di&s;obedience, being ani|mated thereby to doe the like. For whereas &s;ome thinke, that wee are not to obey the Magi&s;trates commandement concerning a thing indifferent, if we imagine that &s;ome weake brother wil be offen|ded thereat; they greatly mi&s;take the rule of Di|uines, who &s;ay the&s;e commandements are to bee obeyed for auoiding &s;candall, and not, that they are to be di&s;obeyed for auoiding of &s;candall. For if this were a &s;ufficient rea&s;on to excu&s;e our di&s;obedi|ence, we &s;hould not need to obey almo&s;t any com|mandement of this kind, there being &s;carce any commaundement concerning things indifferent,
<PB N="92" REF="50"> wherewith we may not imagine &s;ome weake and &s;crupulous con&s;cience will bee offended. But wee mu&s;t thinke our &s;elues more bound, for auoiding of contempt and &s;candall, to obey a lawfull com|mandement, then to di&s;obey, for auoiding a &s;up|po&s;ed offence. That which we are to do in this ca&s;e, is this: If we feare any will take offence, we mu&s;t la|bour to preuent it, by informing the partie, as be|fore hath been &s;aid. And hauing &s;o done, we mu&s;t do our owne dutie (whether he will be offended or not) in obeying the lawfull commandement of the Magi&s;trate, &s;o farre as it &s;hall be nece&s;&s;arie for auoiding of &s;candall and contempt.</P>
<P>Hitherto I haue entreated of the libertie of <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 24. The libertie of Glorie.</NOTE> grace, both that which is common to the faithfull in all ages; and al&s;o that which is peculiar to Chri|&s;tians vnder the Go&s;pell. There remaineth (in a word to be &s;poken of) the libertie of glorie; which is not only a perfect deliuerance from &s;in, mi&s;erie, and al imperfectio~s, (wherunto becau&s;e we are &s;ub|iect <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 24.</NOTE> in this life, for here is as, <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> &s;aith, <HI>incho|ata, non perfect a libertas,</HI> we ought to a&s;pire towards this perfection) but al&s;o a fruition of happines and all the priuiledges of the citizens of heauen.</P>
<P>This libertie is either of the &s;oule alone, as at our death; when we may freely and with comfort re|&s;igne our &s;oules into the hands of God, that hee may commit the &s;ame to the <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Luk. 16. 22.</NOTE> ble&s;&s;ed Angels to be tran&s;ported into heauen, where wee are vnto the end of the world, comfortablie to expect our full redemption. Or it is of the bodie al&s;o at the day of iudgement (and is therefore called <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 23.</NOTE> the redemp|tion,
<PB N="93" REF="50"> of our bodie) when it ri&s;ing vnto glorie, &s;hall be freed from the &s;eruitude <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 21.</NOTE> of corruption, this <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 15. 53. 54.</NOTE> mortall putting on immortalitie, and this corrup|tible putting on incorruption; that death being &s;wallowed vp in victorie, wee may enioy, both in our bodies and &s;oules, the <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 21.</NOTE> glorious libertie of Gods children in the kingdome of heauen. This ought we with earne&s;tnes of de&s;ire <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 22. 23</NOTE> to a&s;pire vn|to, and with certainty of <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Titus 2. 13. Luke 21. 28.</NOTE> faith to expect; that ther|by we may bee wained from the world, hauing <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Philip. 3. 20.</NOTE> our conuer&s;ation in heauen; and not either by the de&s;ires of the world (which are but <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 1. 2.</NOTE> vanities) be allured and en&s;nared, or by the terrors thereof, (which are not <NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 18.</NOTE> worthie the glorie that &s;hall be reuealed), drawne into bondage.</P>
<P>Thus haue you heard the doctrine of Chri&s;tian libertie. Now heare the v&s;e.</P>
<P>For &s;eeing this libertie is a benefit of &s;o great ex|cellencie <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 25. The applicati|on or v&s;e.</NOTE> in it &s;elfe, and of &s;uch profit and nece&s;&s;itie to vs: Our fir&s;t dutie is, to trie and examine our &s;elues by that which hath been &s;aid, whether wee haue as yet obtained this libertie, or not. If not, (as <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">John 8. 34.</NOTE> <HI>he which committeth &s;inne, is the &s;eruant of &s;inne)</HI> we mu&s;t labour to acknowledge and feele that mi&s;era|ble &s;eruitude, wherein we are, vnder &s;inne and Sa|tan (for he that is not free, and yet feeleth not his bondage, is drowned in &s;inne, euen as he that is o|uer head and eares in the water, feeleth no weight thereof) that in the &s;en&s;e of our mi&s;erie, wee may not only truely and earne&s;tly de&s;ire; but al&s;o care|fully v&s;e all meanes to attaine this libertie, and ne|uer be at re&s;t, vntill we haue obtained it. It is &s;trange
<PB N="94" REF="51"> to &s;ee what hard &s;eruices men will vndergoe, and what great &s;ummes they wil forgo, to get an earth|ly freedome; whiles this &s;piritual freedome, which is worth many worlds, will &s;carcely bee accepted, when men are called and inuited vnto it. Which &s;heweth, that men naturally, are not only &s;eruants, but willingly and wilfully continue in &s;eruitude. But you will &s;ay, what meanes are we to v&s;e? I an|&s;were, 1. Diligently and con&s;cionablie to heare the Word, as being the meanes, which God hath ordained to call you to libertie. 2. To aske, &s;eeke, knocke by earne&s;t and heartie prayer vnto God the author of this libertie, that hee would giue you the &s;pirit of libertie. 3. To turne vnto God vnfained|ly, laying hold vpon Chri&s;t by faith, and repenting of your &s;ins. <HI>Eris liber,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">August. in Joan. tract. 41.</NOTE>, <HI>&s;i fueris &s;er|uus, liber peccati, &s;eruus iu&s;titiae:</HI> You &s;hal be free from &s;in, if you will become the &s;eruants of righteou&s;|nes. If God hath alreadie called vs vnto this liber|tie, our dutie is twofold, both which the Apo&s;tle mentioneth, Galath. 5. the one, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 1.</NOTE> that <HI>we &s;tand fa&s;t in this liberty, wherewith Chri&s;t Ie&s;us hath made vs free, and not &s;uffer our &s;elues to be entangled againe with the yoke of bondage.</HI> And the rather we mu&s;t be carefull to &s;tand fa&s;t in this libertie, becau&s;e it is mightily a&s;&s;aulted by all the enemies of our &s;aluation, the fle&s;h, the world, the diuell. Now, we are to &s;tand &s;tedfa&s;t, both in the doctrine of Chri&s;tian libertie, which is the doctrine of the Go&s;pell, and not &s;uf|fer our &s;elues to bee allured, or intoxicated, either with the golden <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Apoc. 17. 4. 18. 3.</NOTE> cup of the Babylonian &s;trumpet, the church of Rome, which doth not only bereaue
<PB N="95" REF="51"> men of Chri&s;tian libertie, but al&s;o draw them into Antichri&s;tian bondage: or with the Cyrcean cup of the Libertines, which transformeth Chri&s;tia|ni&s;me into Epicuri&s;me, and the libertie of the &s;pirit into the libertie of the fle&s;h. And we are al&s;o to be &s;tedfa&s;t and re&s;olute in the practi&s;e of Chri&s;tian li|bertie: as of vocation, not to be entangled againe with the &s;eruitude of &s;in and Satan, (for, if hauing profe&s;&s;ed our &s;elues freed thereof, we be againe en|tangled therein, our latter end, as S. <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">2. Pet. 2. 20. 21.</NOTE>, will be wor&s;e then our beginning). Of iu&s;tification, as not to &s;ubiect our &s;elues to the lawes exaction of inherent and perfect righteou&s;nes to iu&s;tification, (for they which are <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Galath. 3. 10.</NOTE> of the workes of the law, are vnder the cur&s;e) but without regard of our owne righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, to relie wholly for our iu&s;tification on the mercies of God, and merits of Chri&s;t appre|hended by faith; and to hold him <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Galath. 1. 8.</NOTE> accur&s;ed, though hee were an Angell from heauen, that &s;hould teach otherwi&s;e. Of &s;anctification, as not to &s;ubiect our &s;elues to the dominion <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 12.</NOTE> of &s;inne, or to the terror or rigour of the law; but without &s;eruile feare, willingly and cheerefully to &s;erue our hea|uenly Father, being well a&s;&s;ured that he will couer our wants, and accept of our vnperfect endeuours. Of Chri&s;tian libertie in re&s;pect of outward things; as not to &s;uffer our con&s;ciences to be bound by the authoritie of any creature, inioyning them as ne|ce&s;&s;arie in them&s;elues, and much le&s;&s;e to bind our owne con&s;ciences, as &s;crupulou&s;ly and &s;uper&s;titi|ou&s;ly putting religion either in the v&s;e or forbea|rance of them. Of the glorious libertie, as not to
<PB N="96" REF="52"> &s;uffer our &s;elues by all the machinatio~s of y^e world, the fle&s;h, and the diuell, to be withdrawne from the hope and expectation of it; but comfortablie to liue as men <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 24.</NOTE> &s;aued in hope.</P>
<P>The other dutie, is that which the Apo&s;tle men|tioneth, Galath. 5. 13. <HI>Brethren,</HI> &s;aith he, <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 13.</NOTE> <HI>you are called to libertie: only v&s;e not your libertie as an occa&s;i|on to the fle&s;h, but by charitie &s;erue one another.</HI> That is, that we &s;hould be carefull, both to auoid the abu&s;e <NOTE PLACE="marg">The abu&s;e of Christiam li|bertie.</NOTE> of Chri&s;tian libertie, and al&s;o to v&s;e it aright. The abu&s;e is manifold. As fir&s;t, of the &s;auing grace of God; when men do turne <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Jud. 4.</NOTE> it into wantonne&s;&s;e, their freedome from &s;in, into a freedome to &s;in, as though they were &s;o freed from the law, as that they need not to obey it; as though good workes, becau&s;e they are not exacted to iu&s;tification, were in no re&s;pect needfull to &s;aluation. <HI>We are not free,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Luther</HI> <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">De libert. Christ.</NOTE>, <HI>by faith in Chri&s;t from workes, but from the opinion of workes, that is, from the fooli&s;h pre&s;umpti|on of iu&s;tification &s;ought by workes.</HI> Secondly, of Chri|&s;tian libertie, in re&s;pect of the creatures of God, and the v&s;e of things indifferent; when we do v&s;e them without regard of our dutie, to God, our neigh|bour, or our &s;elues.</P>
<P>The dutie which wee owe to God, is pietie; to our neighbour in generall, charitie; and in particu|lar to our &s;uperiour, obedience and loyaltie; to our &s;elues, &s;obrietie. For the&s;e, as I &s;aid, are the bounds of our libertie, which if we pa&s;&s;e in the v&s;e thereof, we abu&s;e it. The v&s;e of our libertie is contrarie to pietie. Fir&s;t, when we our &s;elues are impious, and irreligious. For though the things in them&s;elues
<PB N="97" REF="52"> be cleane, yet the v&s;e of them is vncleane to them that are impure. For as <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Titus 1. 15.</NOTE> to the pure, all things are pure, &s;o to the vnclean nothing is cleane. Second|ly, when the v&s;e of them is not &s;anctified vnto vs, <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 4. 5.</NOTE> either by the Word, as when we make more in|different things, then God in his word hath made, as drunkenne&s;&s;e, fornication, v&s;urie, &amp;c. or when we do not v&s;e them in faith and &s;ound per&s;wa&s;ion out of the word of God, which is the charter of our libertie, that we may lawfully and with a good con|&s;cience v&s;e them (for though nothing in it &s;elfe bee vncleane, yet to him <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Rom. 14. 14. 23</NOTE> that thinketh or doubteth that it is vncleane, it is &s;o to him; for as the Apo&s;tle, &s;peaking of this particular, &s;aith, <HI>What&s;oeuer is not of faith, is &s;inne:)</HI> or by the duties of inuocation. As the v&s;e of meate and drinke, without either prayer to God for his ble&s;&s;ing in the v&s;e, or thank&s;giuing for the &s;ame. Thirdly, we abu&s;e our libertie irreli|giou&s;ly, when we v&s;e it to the di&s;honor of God, or to the hinderance of his wor&s;hip and &s;eruice, as in the immoderate and vn&s;ea&s;onable v&s;e of recreati|ons, &amp;c. whereby men &s;hew them&s;elues to be <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. 2. Tim. 3. 4.</NOTE> lo|uers of plea&s;ures more then of God.</P>
<P>Likewi&s;e our v&s;e of the creatures, and of things indifferent, is again&s;t charitie, when wee v&s;e them without due regard of auoiding &s;candall and of|fence. Again&s;t loyaltie, when v&s;ing our libertie with contempt of lawfull authoritie, wee make it a cloake to couer &s;ome naughtine&s;&s;e. And la&s;tly, again&s;t &s;obrietie, when vnder pretence of Chri&s;ti|an libertie, the creatures of God, and other things indifferent, are v&s;ed, either as in&s;truments to &s;erue,
<PB N="98" REF="53"> or as en&s;ignes to di&s;play, our pride or intemperate lu&s;ts, as in the exce&s;&s;e of meate and drinke, recrea|tions, the v&s;e of the mariage bed, apparel, buildings and &s;uch like.</P>
<P>But let vs come to the right v&s;e of our Chri&s;tian <NOTE PLACE="marg">&sect;. 26. The right v&s;e of Christian libertie.</NOTE> libertie; which is twofold, either the &s;anctification of our liues, or the pacification of our con&s;ciences. As touching the former: the right v&s;e of the liber|tie of &s;auing grace is, when it is v&s;ed to the free, vo|luntarie, and cheerefull wor&s;hippe and &s;eruice of God, in holine&s;&s;e and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, for <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Luk. 1. 74. 75.</NOTE> that is the end of our libertie and redemption. The right v&s;e of Chri&s;tian liberty in outward things, is, when it is v&s;ed to a free and cheerefull &s;eruing, both one of <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 13.</NOTE> another in charitie, and of the &s;uperiour in o|bedience and loyaltie; that being free <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 9. 19.</NOTE> from all, we make our &s;elues &s;eruants vnto al, for their good. For as <HI>Luther</HI> &s;aith, <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">De libert. Christ.</NOTE> <HI>A Chri&s;tian in re&s;pect of the inner man, is free, but in re&s;pect of the outward man hee is (through charitie) the &s;eruant of all.</HI> And herein wee are to imitate the example of Chri&s;t; who, <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Philip. 2. 5. 6.</NOTE> though he were God, tooke vpon him the forme of a &s;er|uant, to make vs free; and though he were the Lord of all, <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Mat. 20. 28.</NOTE> came not to be mini&s;tred vnto, but to mini|&s;ter. And likewi&s;e of the ble&s;&s;ed Angels; who, though they be glorious &s;pirits, notwith&s;tanding take no &s;corne to be &s;ent forth into the <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 1. 14.</NOTE> mini&s;terie and &s;eruice for our good.</P>
<P>The right v&s;e of the doctrine concerning the libertie of glorie, is, truly to beleeue it, and to liue as in expectation of it; knowing, that hee which hath this <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">1. Iohn. 3. 3.</NOTE> hope, that he &s;hall be like vnto Chri&s;t at
<PB N="99" REF="53"> his appearance, will purifie him&s;elfe, as he is pure; that as he hopes to bee like him, in re&s;pect of the liberty of glorie, &s;o he may in &s;ome mea&s;ure re&s;em|ble his gratiou&s;nes, by the libertie of grace.</P>
<P>But the chiefe v&s;e of this doctrine, is, to pacifie mens con&s;ciences; without which (vnle&s;&s;e they &s;leepe in carnall &s;ecuritie) they are &s;o wonderfully perplexed, that neither can they liue in peace, nor attempt any thing almo&s;t with quiet minds. For whereas there be foure things which trouble per|plexed con&s;ciences, this doctrine is a &s;oueraigne re|medie to cleare and to appea&s;e the con&s;cience, in re&s;pect of them all. The fir&s;t, is the guilt of &s;in, and feare of damnation. For when they con&s;cience is &s;ummoned before the iudgement &s;eat of God, or terrified with the apprehen&s;ion of his wrath, as in time of temptation, or affliction, or in the houre of death; when thou doe&s;t con&s;ider the &s;eueritie of Gods ju&s;tice, who will not &s;uffer &s;inne to go vnpu|ni&s;hed, the rigour of the law, denouncing the cur&s;e of God again&s;t euery euen the lea&s;t tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, the te&s;timonie of thine owne con&s;cience, which is in &s;tead of a thou&s;and witne&s;&s;es, accu&s;ing and condemning thee of innumerable tran&s;gre&s;&s;i|ons; how can&s;t thou thinke of appearing before God, who is greater then thy con&s;cience, to be iu|&s;tified or condemned, without horror of con&s;ci|ence, and confu&s;ion of mind? But ble&s;&s;ed be God, who hath granted vs this libertie of grace, that in the que&s;tion of iu&s;tification, wherby in this life we are freed from of damnation, and entituled vnto the kingdome of heauen, we need not looke
<PB N="100" REF="54"> into our owne obedience, or to the &s;entence of the law; but may be a&s;&s;ured, if we beleeue in Chri&s;t, that God doth iu&s;tifie vs, being &s;inners in our &s;elues, without re&s;pect of our workes; that he hath freed vs from the lawes exaction of inherent righ|teou&s;nes, to the acceptation of our per&s;ons; that he imputing the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t to the be|leeuer, accepteth of him as righteous in Chri&s;t; that the faithfull man hath libertie to appeale from the tribunall of iu&s;tice, to the throne of grace, from the &s;entence of the law, to the promi&s;e of the Go&s;pell, and renouncing his owne righteou&s;nes, yea e&s;tee|ming it as dung in the que&s;tion of iu&s;tification, to re&s;t alone in the mercies of God, and merits of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>But becau&s;e the world is &s;o apt to abu&s;e this mo&s;t comfortable doctrine, and to turne this gracious libertie into carnall licentiou&s;nes; it &s;hall be need|full to adde this caution: That how&s;oeuer we are by our iu&s;tification in this life, entituled vnto the kingdome of heauen; and although by the righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e and merits of Chri&s;t alone apprehended by faith, wee are both iu&s;tified and al&s;o &s;aued: yet for as much as many deceiue them&s;elues with an idle conceit of faith, and with a vaine pre&s;umption that they are iu&s;tified, when notwith&s;ta~ding <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Prou. 30. 12.</NOTE> they remaine in their &s;ins; therefore wee mu&s;t thinke it mo&s;t nece&s;&s;arie, being once iu&s;tified by faith, and entituled vnto the kingdome of heauen, to demo~|&s;trate our faith, and our iu&s;tification by a godly life; walking in that way of good workes, which God hath <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 10.</NOTE> prepared for vs to walke in towards our
<PB N="101" REF="54"> countrie in heauen. For though wee are iu&s;tified and &s;aued by the merits of Chri&s;t alone apprehen|ded by faith; notwith&s;tanding &s;anctification is the <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Act. 20. 32.</NOTE> cognizance of them that are &s;aued, and good workes are the euidence, according <NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Rom. 2. 6.</NOTE> vnto which God will pronounce the &s;entence of &s;aluation. For as the <NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Luke 6. 44.</NOTE> tree is knowne by his fruit; &s;o he that <NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">1. John 3. 7.</NOTE> wor|keth righteou&s;nes, is righteous, and in like manner by &s;anctification our iu&s;tification is manife&s;ted. For true faith <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Galath. 5. 6.</NOTE> worketh by loue, and good workes are as the breathing of a liuely faith. And therefore though faith alone doth iu&s;tifie, as <HI>Paul</HI> <NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Galath. 2. 16. Rom. 3. 28.</NOTE> teacheth, becau&s;e it alone doth apprehend the righteou&s;nes of Chri&s;t vnto iu&s;tification; yet as S. <HI>Iames</HI> <NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Jam. 2. 14. &amp;c.</NOTE> teach|eth, that faith which is alone feuered from obedi|ence doth not iu&s;tifie, neither alone, nor at all, be|cau&s;e it is not a true faith. For euen as the bodie without breathing is knowne to be dead: <NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Jam. 2. 26.</NOTE> &s;o faith without workes is dead. We are therefore iu&s;tified in this life, and entituled vnto the kingdom of hea|uen, as to our inherita~ce, by faith without <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Rom. 4. 6.</NOTE> works; but none are actually &s;aued, nor inherit that king|dome in the life to come, but &s;uch as fir&s;t are &s;an|ctified. For as our Sauiour &s;aith, we haue indeed not only remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins by faith, but al&s;o by faith we haue our inheritance; but yet, as he &s;aith, <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Act. 26. 18.</NOTE> a|mong them that are &s;anctified.</P>
<P>The &s;econd is the con&s;cience of our manifold wants and imperfections, in tho&s;e duties which we do performe. For how can a man bee per&s;wa|ded, that God, to <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Job 15. 14. 15. 16.</NOTE> whom no creature being com|pared is pure, will allow of his imperfect and &s;tai|ned
<PB N="102" REF="55"> obedience. And if he be not per&s;waded, that his &s;eruice is acceptable vnto God; with what hart can he performe it? The doctrine therefore of Chri&s;tian libertie a&s;&s;ureth our con&s;ciences, that we are freed from the lawes exaction of perfect obedi|ence, to the acceptation of our actions: that God couering our imperfections, as an indulgent Fa|ther, with the perfect righteou&s;nes and obedience of Chri&s;t, imputeth not our wants vnto vs, but ac|cepteth of the truth of our will and de&s;ire for the deed, and our &s;incere endeuour for the perfect per|formance. And therefore a Chri&s;tian may, in re|&s;pect of this libertie, with comfort and cheereful|nes performe obedience, according to the mea|&s;ure of grace receiued, being a&s;&s;ured that our defe|ctiue and &s;tained obedience, will be accepted of God through the mediation and interce&s;&s;ion of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>The third is the &s;cruple of con&s;cience, concer|ning the v&s;e of outward things, how far forth they may be v&s;ed or forborne. For if a man be not right|ly informed herein, there wil be no end <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">&V;ide Calu. Instit. lib. 3. cap. 19. &sect;. 7.</NOTE> of &s;crupu|lo&s;itie and &s;uper&s;tition. From this &s;cruple al&s;o, the doctrine of Chri&s;tian libertie doth free vs: a&s;&s;uring vs, that to all the&s;e things our libertie doth extend, either to v&s;e them freely, or freely to forbeare the~; and that nothing is vncleane in it &s;elfe, nor yet vn|to vs, if we be &s;o per&s;waded; and that to the cleane, all things are cleane. Prouided alwaies, that the v&s;e of this libertie bee kept within the bounds before mentioned, of pietie, charitie, loyaltie, and &s;o|brietie.</P>
<PB N="103" REF="55">
<P>The fourth and la&s;t is the horror of con&s;cience in the houre of death. For how can a man with comfort giue vp his &s;oule to be &s;euered from the bodie, when he knoweth not, either what will be|come of his &s;oule after the &s;eparation thereof from the bodie, or how, and in what ca&s;e his bodie &s;hall ri&s;e againe? But this doctrine doth a&s;&s;ure vs, that Chri&s;t hath purcha&s;ed, not only a libertie of grace in this life, but al&s;o of glorie for our &s;oules again&s;t the end of our life, and for our bodies al&s;o, again&s;t the day of iudgement. So that we <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Heb. 10. 19. 20</NOTE> haue libertie or boldnes, to enter into the holy places by the blood of Ie&s;us, by the new and liuing way, which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile, that is to &s;ay, his fle&s;h; being a&s;&s;ured, that by rea&s;on of our vnion with Chri&s;t, we are ri&s;en <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 6.</NOTE> againe with Chri&s;t, and with him &s;et in the heauenly places, whither he is a&s;cended <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Iohn 14. 2. 3. &amp; 17. 24. Philip. 3. 20. 21</NOTE> to prepare a place for vs: and from whence hee will come againe to bring vs thither, that where he is, there we may be al&s;o. Wherefore in re&s;pect of this libertie, the faithfull may with comfort, both &s;urrender our &s;oules into the hands of God our mercifull Father, and al&s;o bequeath our bodies to the earth, in full a&s;&s;urance that our &s;oules &s;hall by the Angels bee tran&s;lated into hea|uen, and that our bodies &s;hall at the day of iudge|ment, bee freed from the &s;eruitude of corruption, and ri&s;e againe to glorie: this mortall hauing put on immortalitie, and this corruptible incorruption, that it being againe reunited to the &s;oule, wee may for euer and euer, enioy both in bodie and &s;oule, the glorious libertie of the citizens of heauen.
<PB N="104" REF="56"> Vnto which libertie of glorie hee bring vs, who hath &s;o dearely purcha&s;ed it for vs, euen Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us the righteous; to whom with the Father and the holy Gho&s;t, be eternall prai&s;e and glorie, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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<HEAD>Errata.</HEAD>
<P>Pag. 3. marg. lin. a fin. 3. reade <HI>c.</HI> 13. 30. &amp; <HI>c.</HI> 25. 33. p. 9. ad l. a fin. 9. write in the marg. &sect;. 4. p. 10. l. 9. r. <HI>did i&s;&s;ue.</HI> p. 33. marg. l. 21. r. <HI>Bellarm. tom.</HI> 3. p. 35. l. a fin. 3. r. <HI>one,</HI> ibid. r. <HI>happines. For</HI> p. 50. l. vlt. r. <HI>vntill.</HI> p. 67. marg. l. 3. r. <HI>corp.</HI> p. 78. l. a fin. 4. r. <HI>&s;ee men.</HI> p. 96. l. a fin. 2. r. <HI>pie|tie: first,</HI></P>
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