A09453:148
A Reformed Catholic
A reformed Catholic: or, A declaration showing how near we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundry points of religion: and wherein we must for ever depart from them with an advertisement to all favourers of the Roman religion, showing that the said religion is against the Catholic principles and grounds of the catechism.A reformed Catholike: or, A declaration shewing how neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion: and vvherein we must for euer depart from them with an advertisment to all fauourers of the Romane religion, shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the catechisme.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1598Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1598
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.
Reason I. John. 3. 14. 15. As Moses lift up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lift up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. In these words Christ makes a comparison on this manner: when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fiery serpents: his cure was not by any physic surgery, but only by the casting of his eye up to the brazen serpent, which Moses had erected by Gods commandment: even so in the cure of our souls, when we are stung to death by sin, there is nothing required within us for our recovery, but only that we cast up and fix the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousness.
Reason I. Iohn. 3. 14. 15. As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse, so must the sonne of man be lift vp: that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life. In these wordes Christ makes a comparison on this manner: when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fiery serpents: his cure was not by any phisicke surgery, but onely by the casting of his eye vp to the brasen serpent, which Moses haderected by Gods commandement: euen so in the cure of our soules, when we are stung to death by sinne, there is nothing required within vs for our recouery, but onely that we cast vp and fixe the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousnes.
Reason II. The Exclusive forms of speech used in scripture prove thus much. We are justified freely, not of the law, not by the law, without the law, without works, not of works, not according to works, not of us, not by the works of the law but by faith. Gal, 2. 16. All boasting excluded: only believe. ⟨p. 89⟩Luc. 8. 50. These distinctions, whereby works and the law are excluded in the work of justification, do include thus much: that faith alone doth justify.