Chapter 89

That sin doth not remain in just Persons; but that the guilt of sin, is destroyed in them; and that they are clean, and acceptable to God.

IS it possible, that the blindness of some, can arrive so fare, as to think, that the favour of Christ Jesus, reacheth to this; that from them, in whom they say, that sin itself, doth still remain, yet not only the punishment is removed; but that also (for as much, as they say, they are incorporated into Jesus Christ, (who is so beloved by his Father) they are beloved, and are asceptable, and clean, because Christ is so? Well howsoever it may seem to them, that it is to honour Jesus Christ, to¹ think so higly of the love, which his Father beareth him; as that it ●uercometh the detestation which he carrieth to those persons, in whom sin remains; yet such honour as this, is wholly contrary to true honour, and to the truth of holy Scripture. It (*) Note. would certainly be no honour, for a judge, that he should for bear to punish, or that he should favour wicked persons, because they dwell with his Son. For it would appear thereby, both that such a Son, were no perfect lover of virtue, in that he so lou●d wicked ●●ruants; and that the Pather, were no lover of justice, since he tolerated and loved them, whom he ought to punish, without any partial respect.

They who are to be the acceptable seruant● of Christ our Lord, must not have the guilt of mortal sin, in their hearts; since he is the head which giveth the influx into them (as into living members) of his spirit, and grace; whereby, they lead a life, estranged from sin, and like to his. For a horrible corporal Monster, would that be; which should have the head of a man, and the body of a brute beast. And² so would it be a kind of spiritual monster, that under a head, which were just, and pure, and full of virtues, there should be living members, which yet were so very contrary to it. The branches are fresh, and full of fruit, when they live in the vine. And by this comparison, our Lord was pleased, that we should understand, that the members, which are incorporated to him by grace, are like those others; enjoying benefits of their own, which they receive from him, and by him; that so it may be accomplished, which S. Paul³ saith, That it is ordained by God, that they, who are to be saved, should be conform to the image of his Son. But how can there now, be a resemblance between that head, which ever kept the commandments of his Father; and those members, which though, they may be pardoned,⁴ and justified, are still breaking, with a perfect breach, the first, and the ninth commandment of God. Nor is there any participation, between goodness & wickedness; nor between Christ, and such as break the commaundments of his Father. For as much as himself did preach, That not every one, who should call him, Lord, Lord, should enter into the Kingdom of heaven, but he that would do the will of his Father. And so far off is it from truth, that the favour of Christ is to be thus understood, That they who break the commaundments, should be in the grace either of God, or of him; as that our Lord himself said, If⁵ you keep my commaundments, you shall remain in my love, as I have kept the commandments of my Father, and do remain in his love.

Now who is he, that will hope, that whilst he breaks the commaundments, he is believed by the Father, in respect of Jesus Christ; since Christ, by keeping those commaundments, doth remain in the love of his Father.⁶ Without doubt, the slave shall not be loved, but by the same way, that the Son was loved; nor will God embrace with his grace, and love, but such as shall keep the commaundments, as hath evidently been already showed. And (to the end that no man may be deceived in this,) when he had formerly said, Be⁷ you in me, and I willbe in you; he added afterward, Be you, in my love. And to declare what it was, to be in him, and in his love, he said, If you shallbe in me, and my words be in you, whatsoever thing you would obtain, you shall ask, and it shallbe given you. So that whosoever disobayeth his words, must not think that he is in his love; nor that he is incorporated into his body, as a living member. For this sentence of holy Scripture standeth fast, The⁸ wicked man, and his wickedness, is abhorred by God. And to declare how they who are his, are not to be abhorred, but even, in themselves, to be loved; he said to his disciples, I say not now, that I will pray to the Father for you; for⁹ the Father himself doth love you, because you have loved, and have believed, that I came from him. As if he had said, A¹⁰ while since, I said, I will pray to the Father; and he will give you another comforter; but do not you conceive, that I will so pray for you, as in the world a man desires his friend sometyms, to bestow somewhat upon some others, to whom that friend is not a friend; & so that which he giveth them, is only because he loveth the man much, that intreateth him; and those others, are as far from being beloved, and accepted, as they were before. But here it is not so; For the Father loveth you, in regard that you have loved, and believed me; and you are pleasing to him; and you have leave (as people which is beloved, by his love of yourselves; and which enjoyeth grace, and justice, which is your own) to appear in his high presence, and to ask all that, whereof you have need, in my name. And that, which I ask of him, for you, is, as for people that is beloved; and to which the Father, doth impart his blesing; both because I desire them, and because I desire them for you.

Such are they, whom Jesus Christ doth carry incorporated with himself, as living members; and for whom he obtained grace, whereby they might be pleasing to the Father, when they had it not; and after it was obtained that they might bring forth works, which¹¹ carry a condignity to the deserving of eternal life; as a just reward of such services, and as an inheritance duly derived upon sons. And if it seem a thing disproportionable to the baseness and weakness of mankind, to do a thing which carrieth a proportion of merit to the sublimity, and eternity of that heavenly kingdom;¹² thou art not here, to look upon a man, as of himself; but as being honoured, and accompanied with that celestial grace, which is infused to his soul; and so made¹³ partaker of the divine nature, as S Peter¹⁴ saith. And do thou consider him, as a living member of Jesus Christ our Lord; which being incorporated to him doth live, and work, by that spiritual inffluxe, which cometh from him, and whereby he doth partake his merits. Now¹⁵ these things are so high, as that they carry an equality with those other things, which are hoped for; and they are sufficient, to enable us to say with truth, That such as live so, do fulfil the law of God, and do that, which S. Paul required of the¹⁶ Colossians, and the¹⁷ Thessalonians, when he advised them, To live worthy of God. Of¹⁸ whom, he would never have expected the discharge of so that by the means aforesaid, it might be performed; and that it was more the work of God, then of men. For instantly, the same Apostle giveth thanks to God; For making them worthy of the portion of the Saints, in light. And what kind of portion this is, the Prophet Hieremy¹⁹ declareth saying, My portion is our Lord; and therefore I will hope for him. And David saith of God, Thou art my portion for ever. Of this portion he is worthy, who doth²⁰ accomplish the law of God, by those works aforesaid; and who is found faithful, in those trials that God doth send him; as it is written, Our Lord did try them, and he found them worthy of himself. And both for these, and those, it is also written, That God will give them, the hire of the labours, of his Saints.

Footnotes

1. Behold the pleasing mask of this errors but look on a little, & you shall see it, taken off. ↩

2. They make our Lord a kind of monster, who ma●● his living members unclean & sinful. ↩

3. Rom. 8. ↩

4. By imputation only as the Protestants say; & not by any inherent justice. ↩

5. jean. 15. ↩

6. But Protestant's would fain make themselues believe, that there were no necessity of keeping the commandments, and yet forsooth, that God and they did love one another, very heartily. ↩

7. joan. 15. ↩

8. Sap. 4. ↩

9. The eternal Father doth not only pardon us for the love of Christ; but when we are justified he doth love our very selves. ↩

10. joan. 14. & 16. ↩

11. All this originally by the only goodness and promise of God & through the meri●s of Christ our Lord ↩

12. Note, and be no longer scandalised at thine own conceits; for the Catholic doctrine, being rightly understood, will give thee no cause. ↩

13. These are great words; but it was the holy Ghost which spoke them. ↩

14. 2. Pet. 1.
    ↩

15. Note. ↩

16. Col 1. ↩

17. I h●s●. 1. ↩

18. Note this inference. ↩

19. Thre●●. ↩

20. Et facere, & pati magn, Christianis est. ↩