Chapter 91

How some passages of holy Scripture are to be understood; wherein it is said, that Christ jesus is our justice; and such other propositions as that is, for the better declaration of the precedent Chapters.

THE (*) Ho prosecuteth the same discourse, in excellent manner, and it convinceth. manner which the holy Scripture holdeth, in saying that Christ is made unto us, Wisdom,¹ justice, Sanctification, and Redemption, should not give, any body occasion to think, that just men have not a justice in them, which is their own. For if we be only just, because Christ is just; and not for the justice which is in us; as well may we say, that there is no wisdom in us, whereby we are wise; neither yet any sanctification, or redemption. S. John² saith, That the unction of the holy Ghost, which teacheth us concerning all things, is in the Just. S. Paul³ saith, you are sanctified. And S. Peter⁴ saith, you are redeemed from your vain conversation. Now⁵ for as much as Christ was not redeemed, (as having not committed sin) this redemption is to be in us; whereby we are said to be redeemed, notwithstanding that the Scripture affirmeth, that to us, Christ is made redemption. For in this, and those other manners of speech, the thing which it would say is this, That th●se things, are given us by his merit. The Apostle⁶ saith, That Christ is our life, but it will not follow hereupon that just persons do not live, in respect that our Lord saith, he that eateth me, l●ueth by me. Nor should he have the reason of a man, who, because he might hear it said, That God is the beauty of the Rose, or the strength of the Lion, or the like; would therefore deny, that these creatures have a kind of beauty, or strength, which is distinct, from the strength, or beauty of God. The holy⁷ Scripture saith, God is thy life, and the length of thy days; which manner of speech doth but employ, that God is the efficient cause of these things, and he that giveth them to us.

Neither yet, must error take away encouragement from this other speech of holy Scripture, That we are made the justice of God, in Jesus Christ; and, that the Father made us acceptable to himself in his beloved senne; and the like. For this manner of speech, is but to make us know (as was said before) the mystery of Christ his being the head; and that, just persons, are his living members who rely upon him; to the end that the good which he bestowed upon them, may both be conserved, and increased. For if, by such manner of speech, we would understand, that just persons had these good things in them, no otherwise then because Christ Jesus hath them, what could we answer to what S. Paul⁸ saith, That just persons, are justified, by the redemption which is, in Christ Jesus; whilst yet, as he was in no captivity, so could not he be capable of redemption; and therefore, it must be in them who are justified, although it be procured for them, by our Lord. The same Apostle⁹ saith, Who shall separate us, from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus; but it followeth not upon this, that the love of God is not in us, and even deeply in us; since, he saith elsewhere, That¹⁰ the love of God is poured into our hearts, by the holy Ghost, which is given us. The same manner of speech, doth he also hold, when he saith, of natural blessings, That¹¹ in God, we live, and move, and have our being. Yet will no man say, That we have no being, or life, or distinct operations, from them of God. The Scripture useth this manner of speech, to make us know, that neither we have that blessing of ourselves; nor yet that in ourselves we can conserve it, & sometimes the Apostle saith, That¹² those blessings are not ours; and that we do not obtain them for ourselves; as where our Lord saith to his disciples; You¹³ chose not me, but I chose you. And in another place he saith, It¹⁴ is not you that speak, but the spirit of your Father, speaketh in you. And lest any body might understand by this, that a man were not able to work● well, and with liberty, the Scripture saith, in other places, That¹⁵ man, doth perform such a good work, without making mention of any thing which therein, is done by God. I (saith God, by¹⁶ Ezechiel) will give you a new hart; & the same Prophet saith, Make to yourselves, a new hart. S. Paul¹⁷ saith in one place, It is neither he that willeth, nor he that runneth. And yet elsewhere he saith again, I (¹⁸ will, that which is good; and I run, & not as to any thing uncertain. And the like he saith, often elsewhere, to give us thereby to understand, That¹⁹ the good which we have, we have of God; & that both God & man, do concur to the accomplishment of a good work; but yet so, as that the glory both of the one, and the other, is due to God; since all that which is good doth come from him. And by the same manner of speech, our Lord expressed himself, when he said, My²⁰ doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. And so he might have said, My works are not mine; my justice is not mine; but of him that sent me. And he that by this manner of speech, should infer, that our Lord had not justice, or doctrine, or other blessings in himself, would be easily discerned, to be in a gross, and wicked error. His saying, My doctrine is not mine, doth but affirm thus much, I have it not of myself, but of my Father; and so, by the like words, it ought not to be inferred, That just persons, have no justice in them, which is their own. And with this agreeth that, which is said in the²¹ Council of Trent, That the justice is ours because we are justified by it, whilst it is in our souls, as in a subject. And that which our Lord saith, both here, and elsewhere also, by that speech of his, The word which you have heard, is not mine, doth also agree with that which hath here been said; because howsoever justice is in us, yet have we it not, of ourselves; but it is imparted, by the hand of God; and therefore it is said to be the justice of God.