to the root in such promises, and the mind should always be raised up to the Mediator of the new covenant, in whom alone all the promises of God are yea and amen. Which, seeing it is so, and seeing all the promises of eternal life are contained in this only Mediator, Christ, as in the only ark of the covenant, neither is there any faculty given us. by God which attains to the knowledge of Christ and the understanding of his benefits, but faith only; therefore it is, that this illuminated faith, which only leads us to the knowledge of Christ, claims to itself only, all power of justifying, without any other means. Not so much because of the dignity of its act, or upon some account of charity joined with it, whereby it should be formed, but only upon the account, and by the virtue of its object, unto which it is bent, from whence it receives all this power of healing. Just as the Israelites of old, when they were envenomed with deadly poison, regained their health, not because they had eyes and a power of beholding, but because they fastened their eyes, at the command of God, upon the serpent, that was set up before their eyes. In like manner also, it comes to pass to us, that whereas it is Christ only, that bestows everlasting life and righteousness on them that behold him, and he becomes not a Saviour, unless he be received by faith, hence the inward sight of faith being fixed upon him, brings salvation. Whence, by evident demonstration, an argument is framed from principles and causes, issuing into conclusions by necessary consequence according to scriptures. As thus,

The beholding of the serpent set up, without any other condition being added, healed the wounded;

Christ is the serpent set up for us to behold:

Therefore, the only beholding of Christ set up for us, (that is, faith in him,) without any addition whatsoever, brings healing to our wounds.*

And I know the adversaries will not deny that Christ is the only serpent, who being made a curse for us, makes a medicine for our wounds. But if you ask, how? They will answer one thing, and the holy scriptures another; they affirm that this is performed, because Christ being punished for us on the cross, hath by his merits obtained for us the infusion of charity. Which, because it is the

The papists deny not Christ to be a Saviour, but they do not well agree in the manner how he saves. The council of Trent, Hosius, Andradius, Canisius, &c. differ.

perfection of the law, therefore being acquired by the merit of Christ, and received by our free-will, brings forth righteousness, not that whereby we are accounted for just, but whereby we are both truly just, and deserve life. But verily this sophism neither agrees with the history of the Israelites, nor satisfies the argument propounded. For, if those that were then wounded by the serpents, by only beholding the serpent, without any other intermediate cause, received present health; verily either this type bears not the similitude of Christ, or Christ heals us by faith in his name only, without interposing the remedy of charity. Otherwise the mutual proportion of similitude between us and them, between Christ and the serpent, will not rightly agree. They lifted up their outward eyes, we our inward, they to the serpent, we to Christ. Both, by beholding, obtain health through the promise of God; they the health of their bodies, we of our souls. They presently, in beholding at the first sight, were healed in the same moment, by no endeavour of their own, but only upon the account of the object, and by virtue of the promise. And what other thing doth this mystical shadowing forth signify, but justification freely prepared and promised to us, by the sole contemplation of the object, whereby we apprehend Christ by faith? Will you hear the promise? That every one who seeth him may not perish, but have eternal life? And elsewhere, This righteous servant of mine by his knowledge shall justify many. But what is it to see him, but to believe in him? What is the knowledge of that righteous one, but the faith of Christ, which justifies from sin? Therefore, what outward beholding was to them, that the light of faith is to us. What health was to them, justification is to us, whereby we are delivered from the curse of sin, and are absolved without punishment. But if you ask, what way? There is an answer in readiness, namely, according to the very similitude of the serpent, not by any labour of ours, but by contemplation of the object only, and by virtue of the promise. I pray you what is more evident? What more agreeable? And what then should be said to those illemployed men, who by their new doctrine, translate Free Justification, which is due only to faith, by virtue of the promise of God, unto works of charity.

15. Of sin and the healing thereof by Christ. Those of the Romish faction seem so to contend about

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the righteousness of charity, that having almost banished faith out of the city of Rome, they place all the parts of our salvation, or at least the chief, in charity and sanctification. By what scriptures will they demonstrate that? What!" say they, "doth not Christ heal us just as the brazen serpent healed the wounds of those that were hurt? Were we not all healed by his stripes? Isa. liii. Is not he the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world? Is not he the life-giving serpent, who gives cure for our wounds? And what are our wounds," say they, "but sin? What is the healing of wounds but the putting away of sins? What then, shall the serpent be more powerful in fixing his sting, than Christ in taking it out? Shall Adam be more powerful to infect nature, than Christ to cleanse it? But how is nature purged, if yet the contagion of sin remains? In a diseased body, unless the hurtful humours are purged off, health is not recovered; and the air being surrounded on every side with black darkness, begins not to shine, before, the brightness of the sun being returned, the darkness vanishes. In like manner, in the inward diseases of minds, the causes of maladies must first be taken away, before health is restored. But the causes of evils are sins, which if they are taken away by Christ, how can they remain in the saints?-But if they abide not, by necessary consequence then it follows, that the roots of all sins being cut away, they are righteous in the sight of God by that righteousness, not that which is imputed, but that which is inherent in them, which is free of all spot of sin, which carefully observes the law, which informs the mind with charity, and beautifies it with divine ornaments, and makes us partakers of the divine nature.”

That sin is said to be abolished in the adult that are regenerate, is partly true and partly false, with a different respect had to divers circumstances. But how that is understood must be explained. First, as touching the death of the Mediator which brings salvation-there is no defect in that, but it hath abundantly recovered whatsoever perished by Adam. Yea, it hath brought us benefits much greater than the evils which Adam procured unto us. But if it be asked how, and in what order the death of Christ effects this, I answer, not by denying, but by distinguishing. For, seeing two things are considerable in every sin, the guilt obliging, or the punishment of damnation, which Lombard calls passive corruption; and then active

corruption, or the very act of sin, or the infirmity of corrupted nature-therefore there is again a twofold remedy prepared for this twofold evil; guilt obliging to eternal punishment, is not only taken away in the life to come, but also in this life, by the holy laver, and continual remission of sins for the sake of a Mediator.

But the infirmity of sinning, which is concupiscence in the flesh, and ignorance in the mind, also is abolished in the regenerate; but yet after its own order, and by its own degrees. For it is daily diminished in this life by the renewing of the Spirit, and it shall be abolished in the life to come, by the resurrection of the flesh. In the mean time the relics of infirmity cleave yet to the flesh, as both death and temporal punishments cleave yet to the flesh, to exercise the saints unto combat; not to condemn them to destruction. Just as the land of Canaan was promised to the Hebrews a great while before they took possession of it. Neither was the frame of this world made immediately in one moment, but the works of God were perfected in distinct intervals of days. So neither is the whole flesh suddenly renewed, but by degrees and daily increase, it is going on unto perfection.

An example may be conveniently taken from him, who being wounded, the Samaritan, Luke x. doth not suddenly cure, but first pours wine into his wounds, washes off the blood, afterwards he adds oil, that he may mitigate the grief, and the wound may begin to cleave together. Then the wound being bound up, he puts the sick man upon the beast, and afterwards leaves him to be cured in the inn. Just so Christ, suffering the punishment of our sins in his body, by remission immediately takes away the guilt from us, pouring into our wounds the gladdening oil of the gospel, joined together with the wine of serious repentance; whereby whatsoever is deadly in the wounds, is washed away with a health-restoring pardon. But the wounds are not yet altogether healed. But health will be complete in eternal life. In the mean time he will have diseases cured in the church by godly exercises, the cross, and constant prayer. Briefly, if those men desire to know what it is which Christ hath abolished in us by his death, I will say it in a word.

Whatsoever was laid upon Christ on the cross, to be carried away for our sakes-that is taken away from us in this flesh.

Only the guilt and punishment of sin, not the matter itself of our actions, was laid upon Christ to bear upon the

cross.

The act or substance of sin, is not wholly abolished by the death of Christ in this flesh, but only the guilt and punishment of sin.

Or, more briefly let them take it thus: Whatsoever Christ, by dying, did bear for us, that alone he took away by his death in this life; Christ, by dying, did bear only the punishment of our sins, not the sins themselves in his body, whereof he had none: Therefore Christ, in this life, took away only the punishment, not the matter itself of sin, by his death. But afterwards, by his power, he shall also take away the whole matter of sin in the glory of the resurrection to come. *

16. Concerning the necessity of the practice, and care of good works.

Therefore, in this place something hath been said of faith; and all that manner of righteousness which the divine authority attributes to faith only, without works. From which, just conclusions being drawn, it evidently appears, if I am not mistaken, wherein all our righteousness consists. Not in works without faith, nor joined together with faith, but wholly in faith without works; that is, without the merits of works, or any condition of meriting. For if faith, which is nothing else but an internal and illuminated, contemplation, and receiving of Christ the Son of God, receives a free promise of life in him; I do not well see what the good deeds of our life, though excellent, can perform in this part of justification. Yet it does not follow from hence, that the holy practice of good works for necessary uses," that I may speak with Paul, is not upon any account necessary. Neither is it a reason forcible enough, if any man teaches that no trust should be put in works, that therefore there is no need of any care to do good. For what logic is this? Works should not be trusted in when they are performed-Therefore there is no need to endeavour to perform good and holy works. Or-We are no other ways justified but upon the account of faith which is

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• Christ by dying upon the cross did bear only the punishment of sin, but not our sins; afterwards by raising us up again, he will destroy both the punishment and the whole matter of sin in due time. Marginal note.