[Syntagma sacrae theologiae: quatuor libris adornatum pro conditione ecclesiae Sardensis; Bremen, 1636]
Ludwig Crocius, born at Laasphe on the 29th day of March in the Year of Our Lord 1586, was a faithful minister and scholar of the Calvinistic persuasion. Son of Paul Crocius, he early gave proof of his aptitude for learning, serving as tutor to the young nobility of Nassau-Dillenburg and Wittgenstein-Berleburg, and succeeding his father in 1607 as preacher and inspector of Katzenelnbogen. He pursued his studies with diligence at the Herborn Academy and the University of Marburg, attaining his M.A. in 1604, and afterwards his Doctorate of Divinity at Basel in April 1609. Returning thence to Bremen, he was appointed first preacher of St. Martini’s and Professor of Philosophy and Theology at the Gymnasium Illustre, offices which he sustained with piety and learning until his final summons in December 1653 (some record 1655). At the celebrated Synod of Dort (1618–19), Crocius stood with Mathias Martinius in a tempered defence of Melanchthonian moderation, manifesting sympathy toward the Remonstrants and publicly rebuking the severity of the chair, yet subscribing to the Canons for prudential conformity. His scholarly temper led him into controversy with Balthasar Mentzer in 1621 and later with Hendrik Alting in 1640, wherein John Davenant and Joseph Hall vindicated his reputation. Esteemed for toleration and peace-making, he penned numerous works—among them the magisterial Syntagma sacrae Theologiae (1636) and the pedagogical Antisocinismus Contractus (1639). Throughout his life, Crocius exhibited a conciliatory spirit, uniting erudition and charity to the edification of Christ’s church.
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The consequences and effects of Christian faith are the union of the believer with God, justification, sanctification, and peace of conscience.
The union of the faithful with God is that whereby man is mystically, yet truly and most closely, joined unto God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, through faith, so that he remaineth in Him and is blessed forever.
This benefit is lucidly depicted in Hosea 2:19-20; Isaiah 62:4-5; the whole Song of Solomon; Matthew 18:20 and 28:20; Ephesians 5:14, 26; John 14:23; Ephesians 2:21-22 and 3:17; John 17:20-21; 1 Corinthians 6:19; John 6:56 and 14:23; 1 John 4:13; Galatians 3:26-27; Psalm 73:23-26.
Here be certain notable things:
Firstly, the union of the faithful with God is not imaginary but true. The reason is that God cometh unto man, dwelleth, and abideth in man, John 14:23; for the faithful are one in God, even as the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father, John 17:21; thirdly, for they are members of Christ, joined unto the head, Ephesians 4:16, 27, which is through faith, Ephesians 3:17.
Secondly, without union with God, man can neither do anything well, nor enjoy true tranquillity of mind, nor be blessed. He can do nothing well, in God’s judgment. This Christ teacheth in John 15:4-5; see, if it please thee, Cyril of Alexandria, book 10, on chapter 16 of John. Nor can he be with a tranquil mind, Psalm 73:25-28. Nor be saved, Psalm 36:9; John 4:10, 14; Romans 8:1. Hence Dr. Luther, in Tome 6, Jena, on the words of Christ: “I have given them My glory. What is this glory? Even that He had said afore: that they all may be one, as I and the Father are one. This is the glory, the fountain and spring, the true mine of all divine goods, of life, comfort, and blessedness, which we can only believe: this is the best, most necessary, and most comforting doctrine.”
Thirdly, even if union with God doth not altogether take away infirmities from the faithful in this life, yet it covereth and more and more purgeth them, 1 John 1:5-7; 2 Corinthians 6:14-15; John 13:1-6. Unto which place Dr. Luther saith: “What abideth in Him (Christ), that must bring forth fruit, and all such must help to bear sweet grapes: albeit among them sins also run and are used. For this is the mystery, that among them no vein can be long, that also their infirmities must be turned to good and not harm. For as soon as one abideth in Christ, it is also certain that for His sake even my sin, life, and work are pleasing unto God, and sweet fruit before Him. And though I be yet weak in faith for my person, and many infirmities and sinful lusts remain in me, yet it shall not be imputed unto me, but forgiven, so far as I do not yield unto them nor let them have room, and do not cast away faith or the gospel. For whoso abideth in the vine or stock, and cleaveth or groweth in it, his fruits must also be and remain good, though they be sometime stung by worms or hurt by caterpillars or other vermin. Likewise, though thou be yet infirm, and through sin or infirmity makest thyself unclean, yet thou must not therefore cast thyself away, but evermore cleanse and better thyself. Likewise, so long as a man abideth in Christ through faith, that he worketh with his strength and gifts of the Holy Spirit in him, yet his works must not be without strife. But if thou wilt cast away or corrupt this doctrine of faith, and fall from Christ upon thine own holiness, and wilt boast of that, and of the name of Christ, then shalt thou see that thou art in a rotten branch, and hast no part with Christ, but with chaff and straw art damned and cast away, born for the eternal fire.” Thus Dr. Luther.
Fourthly, even as the faithful are one with God through Christ, so among themselves, and therefore they have communion of good things, John 17:11, 20-23; Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 20, 27; Ephesians 4:3-6; Philippians 4:2; 1 John 4:12; 1 Corinthians 12:25-26; Romans 12:15-16. Whence also Dr. Luther: “Herein see the unspeakable comfort, that we all are members of one body, as one flesh and blood, and have the advantage that all that toucheth one member toucheth the whole body. If now the devil assault one Christian, he assaulteth not one finger but the whole body, which is all Christians in the world, yea, God and Christ Himself. Likewise, what can one desire more or better than to come into this fellowship or brotherhood, and to become a member of this body, which is called Christendom, which is such a body unto which God with all His goods hath given Himself? In sum, a mighty queen and empress on earth,” etc.
The union with God through faith is followed by evangelical justification, which is an act of divine grace, whereby God adopteth the sinner through the approbation of the obedience of the law in the surety and intercessor Christ, through the remission of sins and the imputation of righteousness in him who through faith is ingrafted into Christ.
Thus, to justify in the sacred letters is generally to absolve from the guilt of unrighteousness and to pronounce just, which in our vernacular tongue is Rechtfertigen, in Hebrew Hitzdik, in Greek dikaioō, Proverbs 17:15; Isaiah 5:23. And it is first an act of love, but secondly the manifestation thereof, and it consisteth and is exercised either through the negation of guilt and the assertion of righteousness, or through the remission of guilt and the imputation of righteousness. But the former manner is of legal justification, the latter of evangelical justification, which is a gracious act in the judgment of God concerning our eternal inheritance, whereof Psalm 143:2; Romans 3:23 and following; Galatians 2:16 and following; Isaiah 43:25; Romans 4:5; Mark 2:7. But the efficient cause thereof is the grace and love of God, Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7; the meritorious cause is the redemption made through Christ, Romans 3:24-25; 1 John 1:7 and 2:2. The proper subject thereof are they who are ingrafted into Christ through faith, or who believe in Him, Romans 3:22, 26, and 4:5. But the instrumental cause is faith alone, whereby we apprehend the grace of God and the merit of Christ unto the remission of sins, and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, and apply it unto ourselves, Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:8. But in the act of justification, proper merit and operation are opposed, Romans 3:23, 28, and chapter 11:6; Titus 3:5. Because our merits are partly none, Luke 17:10, partly imperfect, Romans 7:18, and therefore also void of all glorying, Romans 3:27; Ephesians 2:8-9. Because, finally, if our merits contributed unto justification, the merit of Christ would be either insufficient or superfluous, Galatians 2:21. But the form of justification consisteth in the remission of sins and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, Romans 4:6-8, with Psalm 32:1-2; Acts 10:43; Romans 3:25; Romans 4:3-5, 6, and chapter 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21. Against which clear testimonies, Valentin Weigel, a monstrous forger of theology from Hermes, Paracelsus, Müntzer, Tauler, and others, traduceth it as a figment of Antichrist, in his Postille, part 1, page 316. He placeth our righteousness in the imitation of Christ with the Photinians, in the place cited, and in Postille, part 2, page 316, from Paracelsus’s book 1 On Sagacious Philosophy, chapter 4, and book 2, chapter 3; albeit this imitation is the effect and consequence of man justified through faith alone, Galatians 5:6. But the proximate end thereof is adoption or acceptation of the man so justified unto eternal life, Romans 6:22, delivered from sin, Titus 3:7. See Calvin, book 3, Institutes, chapter 11, sections 2, 3, 4, 25.
But here be to be noted the following rules:
Firstly, the grace of God whereby we are justified is not a quality or gift infused and inherent in us, but the very mercy and love of God, whereby He embraceth believers in Christ; neither is it God’s essence residing in us, as Osiander raved. For the Apostle himself distinguisheth the grace of God and the gift through grace, Romans 5:15-17. For albeit, outside the application of salvation and therefore also of justification, grace may sometime in the sacred writings denote some gift granted by God or quality; yet in justification, it is nothing else than the sole mercy of God, whereby in Christ He favoureth us and remitteth sins, first, because when justification and salvation are treated, grace, mercy, and the love of God are almost taken for equivalents, Romans 3:24; John 3:16; Titus 3:4-7; Matthew 18:27, 33; secondly, because grace in justification is opposed unto works, Romans 6:14; thirdly, because by the same grace we are justified, called, and elected from eternity. But this is nothing else than the mercy and love of God, Romans 9:11; Ephesians 1:4. See Calvin, book 2, Institutes, chapter 10, sections 5, 6, 7.
Secondly, the grace and mercy whereby we are justified is not altogether absolute, but determined unto the merit and satisfaction of Christ. This rule is to be noted against the Jews and Judaizing Photinians, who with Socinus so attribute our salvation unto the mercy of God that they deny the satisfaction and merit of Christ. But the reason of this rule is that this grace is given unto us in Christ, 2 Timothy 1:9; John 4:10; John 1:17; Romans 5:10, 12; 1 Corinthians 1:4; Colossians 1:16, 17. See above, chapter 5, pages 10-12 and 1019.