In this their doctrine is a twofold error: I. that they make faith which justifieth, to go before justification it self, both for order of nature as also for time: whereas by the word of God, at the very instant, when any man believeth first, he is then justified and sanctified. For he that believeth, eateth and drinketh the body and blood of Christ, and is already passed from death to life, John 6. 54. The second is, that faith being nothing else with them but an illumination of the mind, stirreth up the will; which being moved and helped, causeth in the heart many spiritual motions: and thereby disposeth man to his future justification. But this indeed is as much as if we should say, that dead men only helped, can prepare themselves to their future resurrection. For we are all by nature dead in sin, and therefore must not only be enlightened in mind, but also renewed in will, before we can so much as will or desire that which is good. Now we (as I have said) teach otherwise: that faith justifieth as it is an instrument to apprehend & apply Christ with his obedience; which is the ⟨p. 83⟩matter of our justification. This is the truth, I prove it thus. In the Covenant of grace▪ two things must be considered; the substance thereof, & the condition. The substance of the covenant is, that righteousness and life everlasting is given to Gods Church and people by Christ. The condition is, that we for our parts, are by faith to receive the foresaid benefits: and this condition is by grace as well as the substance. Now then, that we may attain to salvation by Christ, he must be given unto us really, as he is propounded in the tenor of the foresaid covenant. And for the giving of Christ, God hath appointed special ordinances, as the preaching of the word, and the administration of the sacraments. The word preached is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes: and the end of the sacraments is to communicate Christ with all his benefits to them that come to be partakers thereof: as is most plainly to be seen in the supper of the Lord, in which the giving of bread and wine to the several communicants, is a pledge and sign of Gods particular giving of Christs body and blood ⟨p. 84⟩with all his merits, unto them. And this giving on Gods part cannot be effectual without receiving on our parts:
In this their doctrine is a twofold error: I. that they make faith which iustifieth, to goe before iustification it selfe, both for order of nature as also for time: whereas by the word of God, at the very instant, when any man beleeueth first, he is then iustified and sanctified. For he that beleeueth, eateth and drinketh the body and blood of Christ, and is alreadie passed from death to life, Iohn 6. 54. The second is, that faith beeing nothing else with them but an illumination of the minde, stirreth vp the will; which beeing mooued and helped, causeth in the heart many spirituall motions: and thereby disposeth man to his future iustification. But this indeed is as much as if we should say, that dead men onely helped, can prepare themselues to their future resurrection. For we are all by nature dead in sinne, and therefore must not onely be inlightened in minde, but also renewed in will, before we can so much as will or desire that which is good. Now we (as I haue said) teach otherwise: that faith iustifieth as it is an instrument to apprehend & apply Christ with his obedience; which is the ⟨p. 83⟩matter of our iustification. This is the truth, I prooue it thus. In the Couenant of grace▪ two things must be considered; the substance thereof, & the condition. The substance of the couenant is, that righteousnes and life euerlasting is giuen to Gods Church and people by Christ. The condition is, that we for our parts, are by faith to receiue the foresaid benefits: and this conditiō is by grace as well as the substance. Now thē, that we may attaine to saluation by Christ, he must be giuen vnto vs really, as he is propounded in the tenour of the foresaid couenant. And for the giuing of Christ, God hath appointed speciall ordinances, as the preaching of the word, and the administration of the sacraments. The word preached is the power of God to saluatiō to euery one that beleeues: and the end of the sacraments is to communicate Christ with all his benefites to them that come to be partakers thereof: as is most plainely to be seene in the supper of the Lord, in which the giuing of bread and wine to the seuerall communicantes, is a pledge and signe of Gods particular giuing of Christs bodie and blood ⟨p. 84⟩with all his merits, vnto them. And this giuing on Gods part cannot be effectuall without receiuing on our parts:
