Clause 10

Testimonies out of the Prophetes and Apostles

Ieremie 31. I will haue mercie vpon their iniquities, and I will not remember their sinnes any more: & Chapter 33. also Psal. 103. O my soule, blesse thou Iehouah, and forget not all his benefites; who forgiueth al thine iniquities; who healeth all thine infirmities. And a little after, He hath not dealt with vs according to our sinnes, neither hath he rewarded vs according to our iniquities. For as the heauens are high aboue the earth; so hath his mercie preuailed towardes those that feare him. As farre as the East is from the West, so farre hath he put our offenses from vs. And 1. Iohn. 1. The bloud of his Sonne Iesus Christ hath purged vs from all our sinne. The benefites which Christ communicateth vnto his Church, by the vertue of the holie Ghost, are set out a little more fully in these last articles. Nowe his benefites are to be considered two manner of waies. First in respect of the possession which we haue in this life, and in which we stande. Moreouer in respect of the full enioying and perfection of them, which vndoubtedly we shal be partakers of, in the life to come. I vnderstand the possession of the benefits of Christ which we nowe haue in this life, thus: that euen like as there is no saluation without the Church, which is the bodie of Christ, so also all they, which are his true and liuely mēbers now haue & do vndoutedly possesse true happines; all which we comprehend in the Creed, vnder the forgiuenesse of sinnes, as the Apostle proueth Rom. 4 out of the 32. Psalme, Blessed are they, whose iniquities are forgiuen, and whose sinnes are couered.

The meaning of this Article

I Beleeue that whatsoeuer is sinne, and so called, whether it be originall, or by birth, as transgression in the loines of Adam, & the corruption that folowed of it, which I beare about in my flesh: or whether it be actuall sinne, as thoughtes, wordes, and wicked deedes, which spring from thence: I beleeue I say, that all that through faith, whereby I am engraffed and dwell in Christ, in the free and vndeserued goodnesse of God, is freely forgiuen me, and so freely, that all memorie, aswell of the fault, as of the punishment, like as if I had neuer sinned, or had no sinne, is taken away from before God: and therefore I trust that I am now already blessed.

Nowe for asmuch as nothing is more harde then to beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes, goe to, let vs see what are the causes of this certaintie concerning the forgiuenesse of sinnes. The chiefe and principall cause is, because the couenant and oath of God, which conteineth this article in it, is confirmed by the death of the testator himselfe, which is Iehouah, that God will not be any longer mindefull of our sinnes: of the testator I say, euen of God himselfe, which had made that couenant. Nowe what can be a greater confirmation of this couenant and testament, then when that personall worde who is the true and euerlasting God vouchsafeth to confirme by his death which he took vpon him in the flesh the same thing that he promised. Now it is plaine out of the 31. Chapter of Ieremy, that it is Iehouah himself that maketh that testament or couenant. And in the eight Chapter of Hebrues verses 15.16. and againe in the 9. it is plainely taught, that it is the same Iehouah, which by his death hath confirmed the same testament. Where there is a Testament (saith he) there must be the death of him that made the Testament. In which place, he also saith, that the same Christ which died, was the maker of that same Testament promised in Ieremie: Also Act. 20. Now what may be said or thought greater in heauen, or in earth, then that this article; I beleeue forgiuenesse of sinnes; should be confirmed by the death of God himselfe?

That sinne is forgiuen, not that it should not be, but that it should not be laide to our charge

Bvt whether may we say that our sinnes are so forgiuen, that no remnants therof remain in vs? No, in no case: for although sinnes be in vs, and shalbe euen vntill our death: yet notwithstanding, we beleeue, that they shall not bee laide to our charge, but for the merite of Christ shal be forgiuen vs. And therefore Saint Paul with the Prophet, pronounceth not them blessed, in whome there are no sinnes, but whose sinnes are couered. The whole matter tendeth to this, that we vndoubtedly beleeue that the Church which is the mysticall bodie of Christ, and euerie member of it, doth possesse in this life not an vncertaine and temporall; but a firme and an euerlasting forgiuenesse, not of one, or another sinne, but of all sinnes, with which they must struggle, which haue ioyned with it an incredible peace and quietnes of conscience, and therefore happines it selfe. For this is the meaning of the Prophet, when he saith, that nowe God doth crowne vs with mercie & compassion. And Iohn 5. He that beleeueth in me, hath passed from death to life. But God forbid that we should take occasion hereof to sinne, because we beleeue that our sinne is forgiuē vs. For as many as are truly engraffed into Christ through true faith, besides that benefite of forgiuenes with which the image of Sathan is couered: we begin to possesse therwithal another, to wit the restoring of the image of God, which consisteth in the mortification of the old man, and quickening of the spirit. Rom. 6. Now both these benefites are freely giuen vs of the father for Christ, into whom whilest he doth engraft vs by his holy spirit, first he couereth our sinnes by the imputation of the perfect obedience and satisfaction of Christ, then he doth further begin in vs by the same spirit that same newe obedience, which is an vndoubted testimony of our engraffement into Christe, and therefore of the forgiuenes of sinnes, Rom. 8. in the beginning of the Chapiter. For the free couenant of God doth containe these two partes, as may be seene in the 31. Chapiter of Ieremy. And hereof it commeth to passe that it is euerlasting: because both he writeth his lawe in our heartes, that is, through his spirite he beginneth a newe obedience that we depart no more from God. Ieremy 32.40. and because that being vnperfect, he will remember our sinnes no more. Where these two are, there is sure friendshippe, a constant and euerlasting couenant.