Epijfile ofs. Paalto TitnJ. CHeu3.7. God himfelfe; which is his free fauour and grace ,iby which he loueth and ccepteth his ele& inChrifl his beloned : and this is the firfl, and caufe ofall other fubfequent graces. Which is both tobe diflinguifhed from the former, because the Scripture doth aiwaies diilinguifh them in the doctrine of iuflificat ion , Rom. t r.6.Ifafgrace,thexnot ofworher;and more plainly,cap.5. t 5.much morethe grace ofGod,and the gift by grace hath abounded to tmany.As altonult be applied to this tex,not only,[. becaufe it is the proper fenfe oftheword in al fuch places as treat of the iufiification of a finnerbefore God: but a.becaufe the Apoflle by men- tioning ofgraceagaine,fecludeth all that preuifion of workes formerly mentioned, which might be motiues veto God for the bellowing of his grace,that all caufes and occafions of the free grace of Godout of God might be excluded: and 3.to free the text from that corruption which by Popi(h doctrine is falined vpon it. For how doth the Papifls wind themfelues, when they meete with this and fuch like places, that with them they may hold their blasphe- mous doctrine of iullification by workes,andhumane farisfaólion? you (hall haue the latter Iefuites of irme the fame thingvery cófidentlly with the Apoflle, that we are iu(lified freely by his grace as though they were ofhis míndeand ofours, and asifno difference were between vs in this mainematter ( which I dare fay if we were agreed in , we fhould not long difhent in any matter ofgreat moment)but they fpeake in their owne fence,and retaine a;ricke of their mental! refcruarion,which both deflroy eth the text, and ouerthroweth the foundation of religion. For z. by lufificatian, they meane not that compleat righteoufneffe of le- fus Chritl, which the Lord imputing veto vs, accepteth vs in ; but a kindof righteoufneffe, which God putteth intovs, to make vs iufl: which is nothing elfe but a phyficall change of the heart from mill to good, ora motion from iniufiice to righteoufneffe, at the firft imper- fetlly begunne ,and needeth a fecond mollification to eke it out. a. By Grace, theymeane nothing leffe then this fauour of God inChris(, ac- cepting his eletl; but certaine gifts ofgracebellowed of fauour, or ha- bitual! graces offaith, hope, and chatitie, which are daily perfected by the daily exercife of them. And what is this elfe then to fay that we are iuflified, that is, made iufl before God by the inherent righteoufneffe which he befiowethvpon vs;the which righteoufhes(not ofChri(l but) ofour owne infufed intovs (not imputedveto vs) doth formally iuflifie the finner in the fight ofGod. But this cuafion, a.offereth greatviolence to the text, whereinas we haue heard; the Apoflle oppofeth thefetwo , grace and good workes, ashis vfual manner is in all chofe placeswhere he handleth this dottrine as 667 ARomifhgift auoided. t
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