A day-starre for darke-wandring soules shewing the light, by a Christian controuersie: or briefely and plainely setting forth the mysterie of our saluation. Diuided into principles, obiections, and answeres. By Richard Niccolls, th'elder, of the Inner Temple London, Gent. deceased. Published for the generall benefit of all those who heartily, and with a true path desire their owne saluation: by I.C.

The fourth PRINCIPLE.

THe M•…•…rits of Christ crucified, and his whole Person, and all his G•…•…a∣ces and Benefits, stored vp in his Man hoode, are made ours, by being vnited vnto him, as Members of his Mysticall Body, by Faith wrought in our harts by the operation of his Spirit dwelling in his Man-hoode, and from thence descending vnto vs his Members.

Notes vpon the fourth Principle.

THe mysticall vnion, whereby Christ and his members (which are all true beleeuers and they only) are actually coupled together into one mysticall body, is not carnall, as a thing to be vnderstood accor∣ding to the common capacitie of

men, and therefore wee must not thinke that Christ and his members are ioyned together by imaginati∣on. as the minde of man, and the thing whereof he thinketh: or by consent of heart, as one friend is ioyned with another, as Ionathan and Dauid: or by mingling toge∣ther of substances, as when many ingrediences are mingled together to make one medicine, or by cor∣porall coniunction in touching, as Sea and Land are both ioyned to∣gether to make one Globe, and the part of a Building coupled together to make one Building: For although this misticall vnion betwixt Christ and all them who truely beleeue in him, is a most reall, a most neere, a most straight, and a most sure, and indissoluble vnion, and coniunction. Yet is the same rather by experi∣ence felt in the heart of the true be∣leeuer, then conceiued in his braine. The Iewes require Miracles, and the Grecians Arguments, vvhich

they may comprehend with their wit and wisedome: But God giueth the grace of vnderstanding his My∣steries to the simple and true of heart, and regardeth not the Wisedome of the wise, nor the Vnderstanding of the prudent, in which things the proud doe glory. Therefore the true Beleeuer, when hee findeth this Vnion to be aboue his capa∣citie yet because he is taught it by the Scriptures, hee beleeueth it, as it were vpon Gods bare word, and by experience hee feeleth, that by Faith wrought in his heart by the Holy Ghost, Christ with all his Merits, Benefits, and Graces, is actually made his owne, and him∣selfe Christs; according to the Co∣uenant of Grace, made vnto A∣braham, and often repeated by the Prophets. Ier. 32. 38. 39. 40. Ier. 31. 31. 32. Hos. 2. 19. 20.

Moreouer, in the Scriptures we are taught three kindes of vnions, the first, is a Naturall vnion, or con∣iunction

in nature, vvhen sundry things are conioyned and coupled by one and the same nature, as the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, being three distinct subsistences, are all one, and conioyned in one God-head, and diuine nature: but Christ, and the true beleeuer are not one as conioyned in nature; for then they twaine should be one body and soule. The second vnion, is a Per∣sonall Union, or an vnion in person, when things in nature different are so conioyned together, that they make one person, as the body and the soule make one man, and the God-head of the sonne, and his man∣hood make one Christ, but Christ and the true beleeuer are not ioyned in person: for Christ is one person, and Peter a second person, and Paul a third person; and so many men as be true Christians or members of Christ, so many seuerall persons are they. The third kinde of vnion taught in the Scriptures is in the spi∣rit:

and this is the mysticall vnion whereby Christ and his members are spiritually ioyned together into one my∣sticall body, by the operation of his diuine spirit, descending from him the head to vs his members, apply∣ing Christ vnto vs, and creating faith in our hearts: whereby, as by our onely instrument on our parts wee apprehend and receiue Christ, and are vnited vnto him: and this vnion whereby Christ and the true belee∣uer are thus actually ioyned toge∣ther, because it is wrought and made by the spirit, is called a Spirituall vnion.

In this Union the things vnited are the whole person of the true be∣leeuer, to•…•…rds, his Body and Soule, and the vvhole person of Christ, God, and Man: but yet they be so vnited, that the true beleeuer is first and immediately vnited to the hu∣mane nature or man-hood of Christ, and then by reason of the man∣hood to the word it selfe or diuine

nature: For saluation and life and the merits of Christes obedience depend vpon the fulnesse of the Godhead, which is in Christ: but yet it is not communicated vnto vs, but in the flesh, and by the flesh of Christ.

This misticall vnion may be in some sort conceiued more plainely by the consideration of the vnion of the naturall man and his mem∣bers, when vvee consider how his soule sendeth forth from his head sense and motion to all his other members of his naturall body, and that although the soule cannot from the head send sense and mo∣tion to the other members of his naturall bodie without the meanes of Arctures and Ligaments; where∣by the members of the naturall man are tied together, that by that meanes sense and motion may be conueyed from his head to the other members, and that yet the head and other members of the na∣turall body are not so fitly coneyed

and said to be the naturall mans members, because they be tied, and as it were, souldred together by ar∣ctures and ligaments of the body, as for that they receiue life, sense, and motion from his soule: then how much more may we conceiue and say, That Christ, our Head, and we our selues be one mysticall body; euen mysticall Christ's: and that we be members of his mysticall body by the communion & preparation of Christs spirit, which being by na∣ture infinit, standeth in no need of a∣ny carnal meanes to make this spiri∣tual vnion by communicating him∣selfe from Christ our Head, vnto vs his members, although Christ and we his members be distinct persons, and farre distance each from other, as in the naturall man the head and the foote.

Hence it is, that Saint Iohn saith, Heereby wee know that wee dwell in him, and he in vs, because hee hath gi∣uen vnto vs of his spirit. And hence

it is, that Saint Paul saith, If any man hath not the spirit of Christ, the same is not his.

Wouldest thou then know, that Christ is thine, and thou Christs as a true member of his mysticall bo∣dy? then laying aside all carnall conceits, haue recourse into thine owne selfe, and trie whether with the Apostle Saint Paul thou feelest thy selfe, both Body and Soule, to liue of Christs spirit: for as thou knowest that the members of thine owne na∣turall bodie are thine owne mem∣bers, because they receiue life, sense, and motion from thine owne soule; so euery true beleeuer doth know that he •…•…s a member of Christ, because that by experience he fee∣leth that his owne person, to wit, his Soule and Bodie, hath receiued and doth liue of the spirit of Christ: and againe, as certaine thou dost know, that thy members doe not liue of my soule, nor my members of thy soule, and that whatsoeuer mem∣bers

liue of thine owne soule, are the members of thine owne body: and whatsoeuer members liue of my Soule are the members of my owne body.

Euen so dost thou know, that no∣thing doth, or can, liue of the spirit of Christ but Christ and the mem∣bers of his body, and that whatsoe∣uer liueth not of Christs spirit, is no member of his.

Hence the Apostle Saint Paul (as comprised in the mysticall bo∣dy of Christ, and by experience fee∣ling the spirituall life vvhich hee re∣ceiued from the spirit of Christ) saith: I am crucified with Christ, but I liue: yet not I any more, but Christ liueth in mee, and in that I now liue in the flesh, I liue by Faith in the Sonne of God, who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for mee.

This mysticall vnion is in both the Sacraments acknowledged: for in the Sacrament of Baptisme all true beleeuers who are partakers of

the outward Sacrament of Baptisme, and thereby made and acknowled∣ged to be members of Christs visi∣ble Body, to wit, his visible Church: are by one spirit, to wit, by the on∣ly spirit of Christ, working faith in them, made members of his mysti∣call body the inuisible Church: and in the Sacrament of the Lords Sup∣per, as in token or remembrance that wee are made members of his visible Bodie, the visible Church; whose Body was broken, and his Blood shed for vs, wee communi∣cate and participate our Bread and our Wine. So also by this out∣ward action wee acknowledge the mysticall vnion vvhich wee haue vvith Christ, and one with ano∣ther by the participation and com∣munion of his spirit, of which wee spiritually liue.

But the question may be yet fur∣ther asked; how a man may dis∣cerne and know, when himselfe, or any other is spiritually dead, and

when spiritually liuing, and indued with the spirituall life here spoken of.

To vvhich it may be answered, that as vvee be naturall men, al∣though wee eate and drinke, and performe all other actions and vvorkes of men, vvho are na∣turally liuing in bodily health; yet vntill by our vnion with Christ, vn∣till by our effectuall calling, vntill by our Iustification, and vntill by our Sanctification, wee be made new Creatures in Christ, wee are dead in our sinnes, because vvee be no more able to doe any the workes of new creatures liuing vn∣to God in Christ, that is to say, we are no more able to doe any works acceptable vnto GOD, then the man naturally dead, is able to eate or drinke, or to doe any other worke or action of the man who is naturally liuing, because the vvhole naturall man, and euery part of him, is wholy corrupted

with sinne, and therefore dead in sinne, for:

First, in his minde there is no∣thing but blindnesse and ignorance, concerning heauenly matters.

Secondly, his conscience is de∣filed, being alwayes either benum∣med with sinne, or else turmoyled with inward accusations and ter∣rours.

Thirdly, his will willeth and lu∣steth after that onely which is euill.

Fourthly, the affections of his heart, as Loue, Ioy, Hope, Desire, &c. are stirred and moued to that onely vvhich is euill, and neuer to that which is good.

Lastly, the members of his bo∣dy are Tooles and Instruments of his minde for the execution of sinne.

All which corruptions and dead∣nesse in sinne are then onely cu∣red, and wee made spiritually li∣uing vnto God, When in Christ we

be made new creatures by our effectual vnion with Christ, by our effectuall calling, by our Iustification and Sanctification, which foure degrees of our regeneration, howsoeuer they in nature goe one before the other, yet too make vs new crea∣tures in Christ, doe so concurre, that the true beleeuer or regenerate person, finding himselfe to haue the one of them, may assure him∣selfe hee hath them all▪ for,

First, the true beleeuer may assure himselfe of this vnion vvith CHRIST, when hee findeth that Christ of his loue preuenting him doth begin the vnion by commu∣nicating vnto him his holy Spi∣rit, dwelling in his man hood, through the ministerie of his holy Word, and by the cooperation of the same Spirit vvith his word doth beget in him a liuely faith, by which the true beleeuer on his part, as by his onely instru ment is actually vnited vnto Christ,

but this vnion is not perceiued by the regenerate person before he be called.

Secondly, therefore the true beleeuer may assure himselfe, that he hauing a liuely faith, is effectu∣ally called to the knowledge of the things he beleeueth, for no man can effectually consent vnto the thing conteined in the Word, much lesse by a liuely faith beleeue the things herein conteined, vn∣lesse hee be first by the ministery of the Word, instructed and cal∣led to the knowledge thereof, to wit, by hauing his vnderstanding inlightned with the knowledge of the truth and his vvill thereunto perswaded.

Thirdly, the true beleeuer be∣ing by faith, as aforesaid, vnited vnto Christ, and called by the mi∣nistery of the Word to the know∣ledge of that which by a liuely faith hee beleeueth, hee may assure himselfe of his Iustification; be∣cause

that the faithfull are iusti∣fied before GOD, by the onely imputation of Christs righteous∣nesse: for in what manner Christ was made a sinner for vs, in the same manner are wee made righte∣ous by him: but Christ was made a sinner for vs by imputation of our sinnes vnto him, and there∣fore wee are made righteous be∣fore God by imputation of his righteousnesse vnto vs.

Againe, as vvee are made sin∣ners (that is) guiltie of the first Adams transgression; so are wee made not guiltie, and iustified, by the obedience of the second Adam: but wee are made guiltie of the first Adams transgression by im∣putation, and therefore wee are iustified by the imputation of the obedience of the second Adam. Now the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs, doth as vpon the onely cause and reason therof depend vpon our vnion with

Christ, made on our parts by faith onely.

Fourthly, the true beleeuer finding himselfe vnited vnto Christ, and Called, and liuely Iustified hee may assure himselfe of his Sanctification: for a liuely faith is not of our selues, but it is of GOD. By it wee are in diuers respects both iustified and sancti∣fied: by it wee are iustified, not formally, as by a meritorious ver∣tue or part of righteousnesse inhe∣rent in vs, but relatiuely in respect of the Object it apprehendeth, to wit, as by it wee apply to our selues the righteousnesse inherent in Christ Iesus man-hood: which of his owne meere mercie is impu∣ted vnto all who lay holde there∣vpon by faith: but by it wee are sanctified, as by a grace inherent in vs, as are also the graces of hope and charitie, and other sanctify∣ing graces, which being in the man-hood of CHRIST without

measure, are by his spirit from thence infused vnto vs in mea∣sure, to sanctifie vs, and make vs fit for the Kingdome of Hea∣uen: and to speake both briefely and plainely of this matter, Faith is a chiefe part of our Sancti∣fication, being, as it vvere, the roote both of other inward gra∣ces, and outward obedience which concurre to our Sanctification.

Notes

• 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 o•…•…. 10. 16.
• Pro. 3. 32. & 34 Iames 4. 6. Luke 1. 52.
• Esay 29. 14. 19.
• Gen. 22. 16. 17. 18. Esay 59. 21. 94. 10. Ezck. 37. 26. 27. 28.
• Iohn 6. 53. 56.
• 1 Cor. 1•…•…. 12.
• Gal. 2. 20.
• G•…•…l. 2. 20.
• 1 Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 5. Ephes. 4. 18.
• Ephes. 4. 19. Tit. 4. Esay 57. 20. Prou. 28. 1.
• Gen. 6. 5. Phil. 2. 13.
• Gal. 5. 24. Rom. 7. 18. 19.
• Rom. 6. 19.
• Hphes. 2. 8.