A01956:295
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Made perfect. In heaven are none but the perfect. Talis sedes expectat talem sessorem: such a house requires such an inhabitant. On earth there is a kind of Perfection: all the faithful are perfectly justified, but not perfectly sanctified. The reprobates are perfectè imperfecti: the godly imperfectè perfecti: those perfectly imperfect, these imperfectly perfect. They are so perfect that they are acquitted in Christ, and there remains no judgement for them, but only a declaration of their pardon. Justification admits no latitude, in it nec magis nec minus, for none can be more then just. But the perfection of sanctity is wrought by degrees: non plenam induimus perfectionem, donec totam exuimus infectionem: all the stains of our infection must first be cleansed, and quite washed away; before this full perfection be given us. Christs blood doth now wholly take from us the guiltiness of sin, not wholly the pollution of sin: that blessedness is reserved only for heaven.
Made perfect. In heauen are none but the perfect. Talis sedes expectat talem sessorem: such a house requires such an inhabitant. On earth there is a kind of Perfection: all the faithfull are perfectly iustified, but not perfectly sanctified. The reprobates are perfectè imperfecti: the godly imperfectè perfecti: those perfectly imperfect, these imperfectly perfect. They are so perfect that they are acquitted in Christ, and there remaines no iudgement for them, but onely a declaration of their pardon. Iustification admits no latitude, in it nec magis nec minus, for none can be more then iust. But the perfection of sanctity is wrought by degrees: non plenam induimus perfectionem, donec totam exuimus infectionem: all the staines of our infection must first be cleansed, and quite washed away; before this full perfection be giuen vs. Christs bloud doth now wholly take from vs the guiltinesse of sin, not wholly the pollution of sinne: that blessednesse is reserued only for heauen.
Let us therefore be perficientes, going and growing up, that at last we may be Perfecti, made perfecti. This is not wrought on a sudden; a child doth not presently become a man. Even the Lord Jesus had his time of growing, and can any member grow faster then the Head? Indeed the malefactor on the cross shot up in an hour; but this was miraculous, and God seldom works by such miracles. God neither sends Angels from heaven, nor the dead from hell, to give warning to men upon earth.