God to be good and iust. Nowe Dauid in this psalme, speaketh onely of the righteousnesse of the action, or innocency of his cause, in that he was falsely charged to haue sought the kingdome. In like manner it is said of Phineas, Psal. 166.31. that his fact in killing Zimri and Cosbie, was imputed to him for righteousnes: not because it was a satisfaction to the lawe, the rigour whereof could not be fulfilled in that one worke; but because God accepted of it as a iust worke, and as a token of his righteousnes and zeale for Gods glorie.
II. Obiect. The Scripture saith in sundrie places, that men are blessed which doe good workes. Psal. 119.1. Blessed is the man that is vpright in heart, & wal∣keth in the lawe of the Lord. Ans. The man is blessed that indeauoureth to keep Gods commandements. Yet is he not blessed simply, because hee doth so; but because he is in Christ, by whome he doeth so: and his obedience to the lawe of God is a signe thereof.
III. Obiect. When man confesseth his sinnes and humbleth himselfe by praier and fasting, Gods wrath is pacified and staied: therefore praier and fa∣sting are causes of iustification before God. Answ. Indeede men that truely humble themselues by praier and fasting, doe appease the wrath of God: yet not properly by these actions, but by their faith expressed and testified in thē, whereby they apprehend that which appeaseth Gods wrath, euen the merits of Christ, in whome the Father is well pleased: and for whose sake alone he is well pleased with vs.
IV. Obiect. Sundrie persons in Scripture are commended for perfection•• as Noe, and Abraham, Zacharie, and Elizabeth: and Christ biddeth vs all bee perfect: and where there is any perfection of workes, there also workes may iustifie. Ans. There be two kinds of perfection: perfection in parts, and perfe∣ction in degrees. Perfection in part is, when being regenerate, and hauing the seedes of all necessarie vertues, wee indeauour accordingly to obey God, not in some few, but in all and euery part of the law: as Iosias turned vnto God ac∣cording to all the law of Moses. Perfection in degrees is, when a man keepeth euery commandement of God, and that according to the rigour thereof, in the very highest degree. Nowe then whereas we are commanded to be perfe∣cted, and haue examples of the same perfection in scripture: both commande∣ments and examples must be vnderstood of perfection in parts, and not of perfection in degrees, which cā••ot be attained vnto in this life; though we for our parts, must daily striue to come as neere vnto it, as possibly we can.
V. Obiect. 2. Cor. 4. 17. Our momentany afflictions worke vnto vs a greater mea∣s••re of glorie: nowe if afflictions worke our saluation, then workes also doe the same. Ans. Afflictions worke saluation, not as causes procuring it, but as means directing vs thereto. And thus alwaies must we esteeme of works, in the mat∣ter of our saluation, as of a certen way, or a marke therein, directing vs to glo∣rie, not causing and procuring it: as Bernard saith they are, via Regni non causa regnandi. The waie to the kingdome, not the cause of raigning there.
VI. Obiect. We are iustified by the same thing whereby we are iudged: but we are iudged by our good works: therfore iustified also. Ans. The propo∣sition is false: for iudgement is an act of God, declaring a man to bee iust that is alreadie iust: and iustification is another distinct act of God, whereby he