A godly and learned exposition or commentary upon the three first chapters of the…A godly and learned exposition or commentarie vpon the three first chapters of the…

First, the remission of our sins, whereby the guilt and punishment due to them is taken away. Secondly, the mortification of sin, whereby the corruption of sin is removed and abolished. And we must observe, that S. John propounds this benefit generally without limitation, saying, Which washed us from our sins. That is, from all our sins: to give us to understand, that if any believe truly in Christ, he hath pardon of all his sins without any restraint or limitation, either of number, or quality, be they never so many, or never so great.

First, the remission of our sinnes, whereby the guilt and punishment due to them is taken away. Secondly, the mortification of sinne, whereby the corruption of sinne is remooued and abolished. And we must obserue, that S. Iohn propounds this benefit generally without limitation, saying, Which washed vs from our sinnes. That is, from all our sinnes: to giue vs to vnderstand, that if any beleeue truly in Christ, hee hath pardon of all his sinnes without any restraint or limitation, either of number, or qualitie, bee they neuer so many, or neuer so great.

By his blood. How can blood wash away filthiness? nay, it rather defiles a man. Answ. This washing stands not in the substance of Christs blood, but in the merit thereof: for that substance of blood which was shed is lost, and we know not what is become of it, whatsoever the Papists say: but the merit thereof remaineth still. And Christs blood deserves to purge away sin, rather than any other mans blood, as of Peter, John, &c. because his blood was the blood of God (not of the godhead) but of him who was both God and man. For the manhood of Christ was received into the union of the second person. And so it may be called the blood of God, as Paul saith, ^(a)God redeemed his Church by his blood, that is Christ, God incarnate. And so it being the blood of him, that is God, is more meritorious than the blood of any creature whatsoever. Besides Christ was appointed by God to be a public person in the work of redemption, and in his death and passion he stood in the room and stead of all his elect, so as when his blood was shed, their blood was sh, because it was shed for them. But the blood of other private men cannot answer for any besides themselves, because it is shed only for themselves. Then damnable is the doctrine of the Papists, who hold the blood of Martyrs, can merit for others, being applied unto them: for seeing they be but private men, and suffered in their own persons only, they cannot profit any other thereby.