---------~~--~~~~;~-------- 534The Vemonflration o[the Probleme. thrhofrbymofleaGeiudgemmr. And,'D' A grat.&M•.rb.capit.(ept. If thatrhy good de· fcrrs be Godsgifts, thendoth'tlot hecrowne thy good dcferts as thine ownc deferuings, butas hisownegifts. AndinP[•Im.6]. The vngodly is iuCiified by faith •without any good dcfcrts ofhis workc!, Belidcs,&deJPi– rit.&/irerc•p-13. We dogather out of ma· ny tellimonies, thatmanlsnot iullified by the preceptsof good life, but by the faith of Icfus Cbull. And•fuch a fpeecb bathBajiif in his Commentaries vpon the 1 14-.Pfalme: Ercrnall·refl is prepared for rhofe that hauc refiCied thediue!J Oronglyin rhislife;not as a debt giue to their works,but out ofthe boun· teous grace of the moll mighty&mercifull B God.And mhisCommcntatievpon theJl. Pfd.Ifbyhimfclftheiudgmcnr ofGod were fufficient, &if hefl1old dcalc with vsfeuerely according vnco our merits, what hope were there remaining for any ofvs/which ofvs al fl10uld befaued?H•larie in hire manner,Pfa/. s J.aflirmeth,th\11 thofe workes of iullice arc nor of themfclues fufficient to merit perfetl bhlfe, vnle!Te that Gods mercy euen in rbis IV ill and dclire of iuUice, doe not impute the vicioufnctTe of mans motions and changes vnto him. Let a manattainevnto pcrfetlion ncucr fo much (faithHierom. in e<-ech.lib. 1.4.cap.46.) yerlba]l he llandin need ofmer· cy for all that: and cannot attaine vnto the fuloe!Tc of perfetlion by his merits in this life,butondybyGrace, C It i• Gods purpofe (faithPrimajiw.,inRo– m••· cap.oCiatl,) to iullrfie man,without any workes ofthe Law,or any othermeritswhat· foeuer, by fai.th alone: this is a wonderfull thing, faith Saint Chr;fof/ome,Sermon,oCiaH, ;, Rormm. capiu quart. that bee who became fo famous for·his worthy aas,could not bee iuC!ified by his good workes,but by his faith: herein is the power of faith mightily mani· felled, And fo faithPaulinm, epiffol, decim. adS""'· Although we arc able to kcepe hi• commaundcments(with his helpc)yet ought wee perforce to acknowledge our vnprofita– ble fcruicc, bccaufe wee cannot impute vnto 0ur felues a iull execution of our duty, ifwee keeperhccommaundemenrsonrly. Andin the fame fen(e faith Mamu the Heremite in D his bookede Let.eJPirituafi, VVhofoeuerwee bee that are thought worrhie the wanling of the new birth, wee doe not good workcs for any rerrrbution fake, but onely fort he kee– ping of that puritieand cleanenc!Te which i1 committcdvntovs. Andaltulebefore, The kmgdomeofheauen isnotarewardfor any workcs, butthemaeregraceof God prepa– red for his faithful! fcruanrs. And Gregorit the great alfo, Mor.libro 9· rapite 14, & libro tt.capite •s. doubrsnottoaffirme, th21 all mans iu{hce would bee found to be iniullice, i( God fl10uld vfeaC!ritl iudgemcnt, And fl. bro 5 .capire7. Thisiullice ofours beingtried •·pon the rouch(\onc of the diuine iuOice, wtll be~found iniuOice,and it is filthy•in the drfcuffion of theIudge, though it tbewfaire. in r.lle dlimarion of the doer. And Iibra 9 . • capste 14. I grow llrong vntolife,nor by me– rits, but by parden. Andcapite• 8. Note that the holy man faith not, my handslhi– ncd beeingmoll pure: but my hands nrincd. as moll pure ; becaufe as long as ~·ee ·are bound vnder the punithmentof corruption, though wee takeneuerfo muchpaines in do. 1ng good workes, yet!ball weeneuer ailaine vnto rrue puririe. And theTame Father in hit {eauenrh homily vponE<-ecbidf•bfinem faith, Let vs repofe no hope in our teares, nor m our decdcs , but in the mediation of our aduocate : And in his Commentaries vpon the firll penitentiall Pfalme: I doenor increate thee to faue mee, rru!lingiOmine owne merits, but prefuming to obraine that out of thineonely mercy,which I defpairero doe out ofmine owne deferuings. EufebiUJ Emi!fenm in like manner con6r– meth ouralfertion thus: .Though we[o·ca:e in toyle offoule and body, faith hc,and exer· cife all our powers in obedience, yet lball we neuer arraine by any defert to gctthe kmg. domcofhraucn, as arccompence f01 them. AndB&rn~Jrd, S(rmor.. Jo,de .Ammnr. Thou can(\ ncuer merit theglorieeternall,vnlclfe it bcegiuen cheefrcely)-····nor arc mans me· rits of that value to claime beauen as their i"!l due. AndStrm, in cn11t.Z3. It is fufficient for mevnro all rightcoufilCSto haue him my fauourcr,rowhomonly I hauegiuen caufeof otfencc:allthat he dothnotimputcvnto me, · is as though irwerenor arall. Notto linne is Gods iullice:&mans iullice is Godspardon. This alfoAn(dmevponRoman. ••.dirctl– ly affirmcth: Becaufcall men(faith he) were infoldcd in !inne, therefore thenceforth fal– uation confiUcth not in mans meriu, but in Gods grace:And in his Mediratlons,My life doth terri6e me, for if it be diligently exami– ned, itappearcth wholly either finne or bar– rennelfe. And iftbere beanyfruire therein, it is either fo fained, foimperfetl,and fome way fo corrupted, that it cannot but either notplcafe, ordifpleafeGod. Truelyitlsei– thcr wholly in linneand damnable,or barren &contemptible. But thisofAnfilmeis moll of all to be noted. In this death alone (faith Vlcnb<rg, he)phce al thy truli;vnto this death commit J.dccaufi, thy felfewholly,with this deathcouer thyfelf '"' Euang. wholly, and therein inwrappe thy felfewhol- pag '11 6 • ly :IfGod will iudgethec,fay,O Lord, I pur the death of our Lord Icfus Chrill betwixt mee and thee, and thy iudgemenr; no otherwrfe doe! !!and ourwirhthee: Ifhcc fay, thou ball deferued damnation, fay then, I pur the death of my Lord Iefus Chrdt b:· rwixr me,~ndmy euill c.fcferuings, I offer the merits of his mollworthy paffion,forthe merits which I fl10uld haue bad, and alas houc tbctn nor. And BtUnrminn free coofeffion hereof is 1wr to he oucrpalfcd with filencc J; ...
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