this Notion and Expression as improper than reject them as untrue And our safest course in these cases is to consider what is the thing or matter intended If that be agreed upon he deserves best of Truth who parts with strife about propriety of Expressions before it be medled with Tenacious pleading about them will surely render our Contentions Endless and none will ever want an Appearance of probability to give them countenance in what they pretend If our design in teaching be the same with that of the Scripture namely to inform the Minds of Believers and convey the Light of the knowledge of God in Christ unto them we must be contented sometimes to make use of such Expressions as will scarce pass the Ordeal of arbitrary Rules and Distinctions through the whole compass of notional and artificial Sciences And those who without more ado reject the instrumentality of Faith in our Justification as an unscriptural Notion as though it were easie for them with one breath to blow away the Reasons and Arguments of so many Learned Men as have pleaded for it may not I think do amiss to review the Grounds of their Confidence For the Question being only concerning what is intended by it it is not enough that the Term or Word it self of an instrument is not found unto this purpose in the Scripture For on the same Ground we may reject a Trinity of Persons in the Divine Essence without an acknowledgment whereof not one Line of the Scripture can be rightly understood Those who assert Faith to be as the Instrumental cause in our Justification do it with respect unto two Ends. For first they design thereby to declare the meaning of those expressions in the Scripture wherein we are said to be justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absolutely which must denote either instrumentum aut formam aut modum actionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.28 Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.17 Gal. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.22 30. That is fide ex fide per fidem which we can express only by Faith or through Faith Propter fidem or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our Faith we are no where said to be justified The Enquiry is what is the most proper lightsome and convenient way of declaring the meaning of these Expressions This the Generality of Protestants do judge to be by an instrumental cause For some kind of causality they do plainly intimate whereof the lowest and meanest is that which is instrumental For they are used of Faith in our Justification before God and of no other Grace or Duty whatever Wherefore the proper Work or Office of Faith in our Justification is intended by them And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no where used in the whole New Testament with a genitive case nor in any other good Author but it denotes an instrumental Efficiency at least In the divine Works of the Holy Trinity the operation of the second Person who is in them a principal Efficient yet is sometimes expressed thereby it may be to denote the order of Operation in the Holy Trinity answering the order of Subsistence though it be applied unto God absolutely or the Father Rom. 11.35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by him are all things Again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are directly opposed Gal. 3.2 But when it is said that a man is not justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the works of the Law it is acknowledged by all that the meaning of the Expression is to exclude all efficiency in every kind of such works from our Justification It follows therefore that where in opposition hereunto we are said to be justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Faith an instrumental efficiency is intended Yet will I not therefore make it my controversie with any that Faith is properly an instrument or the instrumental cause in or of our Justification and so divert into an impertinent contest about the nature and kinds of Instruments and Instrumental causes as they are metaphysically hunted with a confused Cry of futilous terms and distinctions But this I judge that among all those notions of things which may be taken from common use and understanding to represent unto our minds the meaning and intention of the scriptural Expressions so often used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is none so proper as this of an Instrument or Instrumental cause seeing a causality is included in them and that of any other kind certainly excluded nor hath it any of its own But it may be said that if Faith be the Instrumental cause of Justification it is either the Instrument of God or the Instrument of Believers themselves That it is not the Instrument of God is plain in that it is a duty which he prescribeth unto us it is an Act of our own and it is we that believe not God nor can any Act of ours be the Instrument of his Work And if it be our Instrument seeing an Efficiency is ascribed unto it then are we the efficient causes of our own Justification in some sense and may be said to justifie our selves which is derogatory to the Grace of God and the Blood of Christ. I confess that I lay not much weight on Exceptions of this nature For 1 notwithstanding what is said herein the Scripture is express that God justifieth us by Faith It is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Faith and the uncircumcision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through or by Faith Rom. 3.30 The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith Gal. 3.8 As he purifieth the Hearts of men by Faith Act. 15.9 Wherefore Faith in some sense may be said to be the Instrument of God in our Justification both as it is the means and way ordained and appointed by him on our part whereby we shall be justified as also because he bestoweth it on us and works it in us unto this end that we may be justified For by Grace we are saved through Faith and that not of our selves it is the Gift of God Ephes. 3.8 If any one shall now say that on these accounts or with respect unto Divine Ordination and Operation concurring unto our Justification that Faith is the Instrument of God in its place and way as the Gospel also is Rom. 1.16 and the Ministers of it 2 Cor. 5.18 1 Tim. 4.6 and the Sacraments also Rom. 4.11 Tit. 3.5 in their several places and kinds unto our Justification it may be he will contribute unto a right conception of the work of God herein as much as those shall by whom it is denied But that which is principally intended is that it is the Instrument of them that do believe Neither yet are they said hereon to justifie themselves For whereas it doth neither really
produce the effect of Justification by a physical operation nor can do so it being a pure Soveraign Act of God nor is morally any way meritorious thereof nor doth dispose the subject wherein it is unto the Introduction of an inherent formal cause of Justification there being no such thing in rerum natura nor hath any other Physical or moral respect unto the effect of Justification but what ariseth meerly from the constitution and appointment of God there is no Colour of Reason from the Instrumentality of Faith asserted to ascribe the Effect of Justification unto any but unto the principal efficient cause which is God alone and from whom it proceedeth in a way of free and soveraign Grace disposing the Order of things and the Relation of them one unto another as seemeth good unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 25. It is therefore the Ordinance of God prescribing our duty that we may be justified freely by his Grace having its use and operation towards that End after the manner of an Instrument as we shall see farther immediately Wherefore so far as I can discern they contribute nothing unto the real understanding of this Truth who deny Faith to be the instrumental cause of our Justification and on other Grounds assert it to be the Condition thereof unless they can prove that this is a more natural exposition of those expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the first thing to be enquired after For all that we do in this matter is but to endeavour a right understanding of Scripture propositions and expressions unless we intend to wander extra oleas and lose our selves in a maze of uncertain conjectures Secondly They designed to declare the use of Faith in Justification expressed in the Scripture by apprehending and receiving of Christ or his Righteousness and Remission of sins thereby The words whereby this use of Faith in our Justification is expressed are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the constant use of them in the Scripture is to take or receive what is offered tendered given or granted unto us or to apprehend and lay hold of any thing thereby to make it our own as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also used in the same sense Heb. 2.16 So are we said by Faith to receive Christ Joh. 1.12 Col. 2.6 The Abundance of Grace and the Gift of Righteousness Rom. 5.17 The word of Promise Act. 2.41 The word of God Act. 8.14 1 Thes. 1.6 chap. 2.13 The Atonement made by the blood of Christ Rom. 5.11 The forgiveness of sins Act. 10.43 chap. 26.18 The Promise of the spirit Gal. 3.14 The Promises Heb. 9.15 There is therefore nothing that concurreth unto our Justification but we receive it by Faith And unbelief is expressed by not receiving Joh. 1.11 chap. 3.11 chap. 12.48 chap. 14.17 Wherefore the Object of Faith in our Justification that whereby we are justified is tendered granted and given unto us of God the use of Faith being to lay hold upon it to receive it so as that it may be our own What we receive of outward things that are so given unto us we do it by our hand which therefore is the instrument of that reception that whereby we apprehend or lay hold of any thing to appropriate it unto our selves and that because this is the peculiar Office which by nature it is assigned unto among all the members of the body Other Vses it hath and other members on other Accounts may be as useful unto the body as it but it alone is the instrument of receiving and apprehending that which being given is to be made our own and to abide with us Whereas therefore the Righteousness wherewith we are justified is the Gift of God which is tendred unto us in the Promise of the Gospel the Use and Office of Faith being to receive apprehend or lay hold of and appropriate this Righteousness I know not how it can be better expressed than by an Instrument nor by what notion of it more light of understanding may be conveyed unto our minds Some may suppose other Notions are meet to express it by on other Accounts and it may be so with respect unto other uses of it But the sole present Enquiry is how it shall be declared as that which receiveth Christ the Atonement the Gift of Righteousness which will prove its only use in our Justification He that can better express this than by an Instrument ordained of God unto this End all whose use depends on that Ordination of God will deserve well of the Truth It is true that all those who place the formal Cause or Reason of our Justification in our selves or our inherent Righteousness and so either directly or by just consequence deny all Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto our Justification are not capable of admitting Faith to be an Instrument in this work nor are pressed with this consideration For they acknowledge not that we receive a Righteousness which is not our own by way of Gift whereby we are justified and so cannot allow of any Instrument whereby it should be received The Righteousness it self being as they phrase it putative imaginary a chimaera a fiction it can have no real accidents nothing that can be really predicated concerning it Wherefore as was said at the Entrance of this Discourse the Truth and Propriety of this declaration of the Vse of Faith in our Justification by an Instrumental cause depends on the substance of the Doctrine it self concerning the nature and principal causes of it with which they must stand or fall If we are justified through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ which Faith alone apprehends and receives it will not be denied but that it is rightly enough placed as the Instrumental cause of our Justification And if we are justified by an inherent Evangelical Righteousness of our own Faith may be the Condition of its Imputation or a disposition for its Introduction or a congruous merit of it but an Instrument it cannot be But yet for the present it hath this double advantage 1 That it best and most appositely answers what is affirmed of the Vse of Faith in our Justification in the Scripture as the Instances given do manifest 2. That no other notion of it can be so stated but that it must be apprehended in order of time to be previous unto Justification which Justifying Faith cannot be unless a man may be a true Believer with Justifying Faith and yet not be justified Some do plead that Faith is the Condition of our Justification and that otherwise it is not to be conceived of As I said before so I say again I shall not contend with any man about Words Terms or Expressions so long as what is intended by them is agreed upon And there is an obvious sense wherein Faith may be called the Condition of our Justification For no more may be
in our general Enquiry into the use of it in our Justification It shall not therefore be here much again insisted on Two things we may observe concerning it 1. That it is so expressed with respect unto the whole Object of Faith or unto all that doth any way concur unto our Justification For 1. We are said to receive Christ himself Vnto as many as have received him he gave power to become the Sons of God Joh. 1.12 As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord Col. 2.6 In Opposition hereunto Unbelief is exprest by not receiving of him Joh. 11.1 Chap. 3.11 Chap. 12.48 Chap. 14.17 And it is a receiving of Christ as he is the Lord our Righteousness as of God he is made Righteousness unto us And as no Grace no Duty can have any co-operation with Faith herein this Reception of Christ not belonging unto their Nature nor comprized in their Exercise so it excludes any other Righteousness from our Justification but that of Christ alone For we are justified by Faith Faith alone receiveth Christ and what it receives is the Cause of our Justification whereon we become the Sons of God So we receive the Atonement made by the blood of Christ Rom. 5.11 For God hath set him forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood And this receiving of the Atonement includeth the Souls Approbation of the way of Salvation by the blood of Christ and and the Appropriation of the Atonement made thereby unto our own Souls For thereby also we receive the forgiveness of Sins That they may receive the forgiveness of Sin through the Faith that is in me Acts 26.18 In receiving Christ we receive the Atonement and in the Atonement we receive the forgiveness of Sins But moreover the Grace of God and Righteousness it self as the Efficient and Material Cause of our Justification are received also even the Abundance of Grace and the Gift of Righteousness Rom. 5.17 So that Faith with the respect unto all the Causes of Justification is expressed by receiving For it also receiveth the Promise the Instrumental Cause on the Part of God thereof Acts 2.41 Heb. 9.15 2. That the Nature of Faith and its acting with respect unto all the Causes of Justification consisting in receiving that which is the Object of it must be offered tendred and given unto us as that which is not our own but is made our own by that giving and receiving This is evident in the general Nature of receiving And herein as was observed as no other Grace or Duty can concur with it so the Righteousness whereby we are justified can be none of our own antecedent unto this Reception nor at any time inherent in us Hence we argue That if the Work of Faith in our Justification be receiving of what is freely granted given communicated and imputed unto us that is of Christ of the Attonement of the Gift of Righteousness of the forgiveness of Sins than have our other Graces our Obedience Duties Works no influence into our Justification nor are any Causes or Conditions thereof For they are neither that which doth receive nor that which is received which alone concur thereunto 2. Faith is expressed by looking Look unto me and be saved Isa. 45.22 A man shall look to his Maker and his Eyes shall have respect unto the Holy One of Israel Chap. 17.1 They shall look on me whom they have pierced Zech. 12.10 See Psal. 123.2 The nature hereof is expressed Joh. 3.14 15. As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life For so was he to be lifted up on the Cross in his Death Joh. 8.28 Chap. 12.32 The Story is recorded Numb 21.8 9. I suppose none doubt but that the Stinging of the people by fiery Serpents and the Death that ensued thereon were Types of the guilt of Sin and the Sentence of the fiery Law thereon For these things happened unto them in Types 1 Cor. 10.11 When any was so stung or bitten if he betook himself unto any other Remedies he dyed and perished Only they that looked unto the Brazen Serpent that was lifted up were healed and lived For this was the Ordinance of God this way of healing alone had he appointed And their healing was a Type of the Pardon of Sin with everlasting life So by their looking is the Nature of Faith expressed as our Saviour plainly expounds it in this P ace So must the Son of man be lifted up that he that believeth on him that is as the Israelites looked unto the Serpent in the Wilderness And although this Expression of the great Mystery of the Gospel by Christ himself hath been by some derided or as they call it exposed yet is it really as instructive of the Nature of Faith Justification and Salvation by Christ as any passage in the Scripture Now if Faith whereby we are justified and in that exercise of it wherein we are so be a looking unto Christ under a sense of the guilt of Sin and our lost Condition thereby for all for our only Help and Relief for Deliverance Righteousness and life then is it therein exclusive of all other Graces and Duties whatever for by them we neither look nor are they the things which we look after But so is the Nature and Exercise of Faith expressed by the Holy Ghost And they who do believe understand his mind For whatever may be pretended of Metaphor in the Expression Faith is that Act of the Soul whereby they who are hopeless helpless and lost in themselves do in a way of expectancy and Trust seek for all help and relief in Christ alone or there is not Truth in it And this also sufficiently evinceth the Nature of our Justification by Christ. 3. It is in like manner frequently expressed by coming unto Christ. Come unto me all ye that labour Mat. 11.28 See Joh. 6.35.37 45 65. Chap. 7.37 To come unto Christ for life and Salvation is to believe on him unto the Justification of life But no other Grace or Duty is a coming unto Christ and therefore have they no place in Justification He who hath been convinced of Sin who hath been wearied with the Burthen of it who hath really designed to fly from the Wrath to come and hath heard the Voice of Christ in the Gospel inviting him to come unto him for Help and Relief will tell you that this coming unto Christ consisteth in a mans going out of himself in a compleat Renunciation of all his own Duties and Righteousness and betaking himself with all his Trust and Confidence unto Christ alone and his Righteousness for pardon of Sin acceptation with God and a right unto the Heavenly Inheritance It may be some will say this is not believing but canting Be it so we refer the Judgment of it to the Church of God 4. It is expressed by flying for Refuge
things we may observe in the Apostles assignation of the causes of our deliverance from a state of sin and acceptance with God 1. That he assigns the whole of this work absolutely unto Grace Love and Mercy and that with an exclusion of the consideration of any thing on our part as we shall see immediately Ver. 5 8. 2. He magnifies this Grace in a marvellous manner For 1. He expresseth it by all names and titles whereby it is signified as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercy Love Grace and Kindness For he would have us to look only unto Grace herein 2. He ascribes such Adjuncts and gives such Epithets unto that Divine Mercy and Grace which is the sole cause of our deliverance in and by Jesus Christ as render it singular and herein solely to be adored 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rich in Mercy Great Love wherewith he loved us The exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness Ver. 4 5 6 7. It cannot reasonably be denied but that the Apostle doth design deeply to affect the Mind and Heart of Believers with a sense of the Grace and Love of God in Christ as the only cause of their Justification before God I think no words can express those conceptions of the Mind which this Representation of Grace doth suggest Whether they think it any part of their duty to be like minded and comply with the Apostle in this design who scarce ever mention the Grace of God unless it be in a way of diminution from its efficacy and unto whom such Ascriptions unto it as are here made by him are a matter of contempt is not hard to judge But it will be said these are good words indeed but they are only general there is nothing of Argument in all this adoring of the Grace of God in the work of our Salvation It may be so it seems to many But yet to speak plainly there is to me more Argument in this one consideration namely of the Ascription made in this cause unto the Grace of God in this place then in an hundred Sophisms suited neither unto the expressions of the Scripture nor the experience of them that do believe He that is possessed with a due apprehension of the Grace of God as here represented and under a sense that it was therein the design of the Holy Ghost to render it glorious and alone to be trusted unto will not easily be induced to concern himself in those additional supplies unto it from our own works and obedience which some would suggest unto him But we may yet look further into the words The case which the Apostle states the inquiry which he hath in hand whereon he determineth as to the Truth wherein he instructs the Ephesians and in them the whole Church of God is How a lost condemned sinner may come to be accepted with God and thereon saved And this is the sole inquiry wherein we are or intend in this controversie to be concerned Further we will not proceed either upon the invitation or provocation of any Concerning this his position and determination is That we are saved by Grace This first he occasionally interposeth in his enumeration of the benefits we receive by Christ Ver. 5. But not content therewith he again directly asserts it Ver. 8. in the same words for he seems to have considered how slow Men would be in the admittance of this Truth which at once deprives them of all boastings in themselves What it is that he intends by our being saved must be inquired into It would not be prejudicial unto but rather advance the truth we plead for if by our being saved eternal Salvation were intended But that cannot be the sense of it in this place otherwise than as that Salvation is included in the causes of it which are effectual in this life Nor do I think that in that expression By Grace ye are saved our Justification only is intended although it be so principally Conversion unto God and Sanctification are also included therein as is evident from Ver. 5 6. And they are no less of sovereign Grace than is our Justification it self But the Apostle speaks of what the Ephesians being now Believers and by vertue of their being so were made partakers of in this life This is manifest in the whole context For having in the beginning of the Chapter described their condition what it was in common with all the Posterity of Adam by nature Ver. 1 2 3. He moreover declares their condition in particular in opposition to that of the Jews as they were Gentiles Idolaters Atheists Ver. 11 12. Their present delivery by Jesus Christ from this whole miserable state and condition that which they were under in common with all mankind and that which was a peculiar aggravation of its misery in themselves is that which he intends by their being saved That which was principally designed in the description of this state is That therein and thereby they were liable unto the wrath of God guilty before him and obnoxious unto his judgment This he expresseth in the declaration of it Ver. 3. Answerable unto that method and those grounds he every where proceeds on in declaring the Doctrine of Justification Rom. 3.19 20 21 22 23 24. Tit. 3.3 4 5. From this state they had deliverance by Faith in Christ Jesus For unto as many as received him power is given to be the sons of God Joh. 1.12 He that believeth on him is not condemned that is he is saved in the sense of the Apostle in this place Joh. 3.15 He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life is saved but he that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him Ver. 36. And in this sense saved and Salvation are frequently used in the Scripture Besides he gives us so full a description of the Salvation which he intends from Ver. 13. unto the end of the Chapter that there can be no doubt of it It is our being made nigh by the Blood of Christ Ver. 13. Our Peace with God by his death Ver. 14 15. Our Reconciliation by the Blood of the Cross Ver. 16. Our access unto God and all Spiritual priviledges thereon depending Ver. 18 19 20 c. Wherefore the inquiry of the Apostle and his determination thereon is concerning the causes of our Justification before God This he declares and fixeth both Positively and Negatively Positively 1. In the supream moving Cause on the part of God This is that free sovereign Grace and Love of his which he illustrates by its adjuncts and properties before mentioned 2. In the meritorious procuring cause of it which is Jesus Christ in the Work of his Mediation as the Ordinance of God for the rendring this Grace effectual unto his Glory Ver. 7 13 16. 3. In the only means or instrumental cause on our part which is Faith By Grace are ye saved through Faith Ver. 8. And lest he should seem to derogate any thing from the Grace
Apprehensions who cryed Sirs What must I do to be saved 2. With respect unto this state and condition of men or men in this state and condition the enquiry is What that is upon the account whereof God pardoneth all their sins receiveth them into his favour declareth or pronounceth them Righteous and acquitted from all Guilt removes the Curse and turneth away all his wrath from them giving them Right and Title unto a blessed Immortality or life Eternal This is that alone wherein the Consciences of sinners in this estate are concerned Nor do they enquire after any thing but what they may have to oppose unto or answer the Justice of God in the commands and curse of the Law and what they may betake themselves unto for the obtaining of Acceptance with him unto life and salvation That the Apostle doth thus and no otherwise state this whole matter and in an Answer unto this Enquiry declare the nature of Justification and all the causes of it in the third and fourth Chapters of the Epistle to the Romans and elswhere shall be afterwards declared and proved And we shall also manifest that the Apostle James in the second Chapter of his Epistle doth not speak unto this Enquiry nor give an Answer unto it but it is of Justification in another sense and to another purpose whereof he treateth And whereas we cannot either safely or usefully treat of this Doctrine but with respect unto the same Ends for which it is declared and whereunto it is applied in the Scripture we should not by any pretences be turned aside from attending unto this Case and its Resolution in all our Discourses on this subject For it is the Direction Satisfaction and peace of the Consciences of men and not the curiosity of Notions or subtilty of Disputations which it is our Duty to design And therefore I shall as much as possibly I may avoid all those Philosophical Terms and Distinctions wherewith this Evangelical Doctrine hath been perplexed rather than illustrated For more weight is to be put on the steady Guidance of the Mind and Conscience of one Believer really exercised about the Foundation of his peace and acceptance with God then on the confutation of ten wrangling Disputers 3. Now the Enquiry on what account or for what Cause and Reason a man may be so acquitted or discharged of sin and accepted with God as before declared doth necessarily issue in this Whether it be any thing in our selves as our Faith and Repentance the Renovation of our Natures inherent habits of Grace and actual works of Righteousness which we have done or may do or whether it be the Obedience Righteousness Satisfaction and Merit of the Son of God our Mediator and Surety of the Covenant imputed unto us One of these it must be namely something that is our own which whatever may be the Influence of the Grace of God into it or causality of it because wrought in and by us is inherently our own in a proper sense or something which being not our own not inherent in us not wrought by us is yet imputed unto us for the pardon of our sins and the Acceptation of our Persons as righteous or the making of us Righteous in the sight of God Neither are these things capable of mixture or composition Rom. 11.6 Which of these it is the Duty Wisdome and safety of a convinced sinner to rely upon and trust unto in his Appearance before God is the sum of our present Enquiry 4. The way whereby sinners do or ought to betake themselves unto this Relief on supposition that it is the Righteousness of Christ and how they come to be partakers of or interested in that which is not inherently their own unto as good Benefit and as much Advantage as if it were their own is of a distinct consideration And as this also is clearly determined in the Scripture so it is acknowledged in the Experience of all them that do truly believe Neither are we in this matter much to regard the senses or arguings of men who were never throughly convinced of sin nor have ever in their own persons fled for Refuge unto the Hope set before them 5. These things I say are always to be attended unto in our whole Disquisition into the nature of Evangelical Justification For without a constant respect unto them we shall quickly wander into curious and perplexed Questions wherein the Consciences of guilty Sinners are not concerned and which therefore really belong not unto the substance or truth of this Doctrine nor are to be immixed therewith It is alone the Relief of those who are in themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 guilty before or obnoxious and liable to the Judgment of God that we enquire after That this is not any thing in or of themselves nor can so be that it is a Provision without them made in infinite Wisdom and Grace by the mediation of Christ his Obedience and Death therein is secured in the Scripture against all contradiction And it is the fundamental Principle of the Gospel Math. 11.28 6. It is confessed that many things for the Declaration of the Truth and the order of the Dispensation of Gods Grace herein are necessarily to be insisted on such are the nature of Justifying Faith the place and use of it in Justification the Causes of the new Covenant the true notion of the Mediation and Suretiship of Christ and the like which shall all of them be enquired into But beyond what tends directly unto the Guidance of the Minds and satisfaction of the Souls of Men who seek after a stable and abiding foundation of Acceptance with God we are not easily to be drawn unless we are free to lose the Benefit and Comfort of this most important Evangelical Truth in needless and unprofitable contentions And amongst many other miscarriages which men are subject unto whilst they are conversant about these things this in an especial manner is to be avoided 1. For the Doctrine of Justification is directive of Christian Practice and in no other Evangelical Truth is the whole of our Obedience more concerned For the Foundation Reasons and Motives of all our Duty towards God are contained therein Wherefore in order unto the due improvement of them ought it to be taught and not otherwise That which alone we aim or ought so to do to learn in it and by it is how we may get and maintain peace with God and so to live unto him as to be accepted with him in what we do To satisfie the Minds and Consciences of men in these things is this Doctrine to be taught Wherefore to carry it out of the understandings of ordinary Christians by speculative notions and distinctions is disserviceable unto the Faith of the Church Yea the mixing of Evangelical Revelations with Philosophical Notions hath been in sundry Ages the Poison of Religion Pretence of accuracy and artificial skill in Teaching is that which giveth countenance unto such a
but also the manner of our Participation of it or its Communication unto us from Faith to Faith the Faith of God in the Revelation and our Faith in the Acceptation of it being only here concerned is an eminent Revelation Righteousness of all things should rather seem to be from Works unto Works from the Work of Grace in us to the Works of Obedience done by us as the Papists affirm No saith the Apostle it is from Faith to Faith whereof afterwards This is the general Thesis the Apostle proposeth unto Confirmation and he seems therein to exclude from Justification every thing but the Righteousness of God and the Faith of Believers And to this purpose he considers all Persons that did or might pretend unto Righteousness or seek after it and all ways and means whereby they hoped to attain unto it or whereby it might most probably be obtained declaring the failing of all persons and the insufficiency of all means as unto them for the obtaining a Righteousness of our own before God And as unto Persons 1. He considers the Gentiles with all their notions of God their Practice in Religious Worship with their Conversation thereon And from the whole of what might be observed amongst them he concludes that they neither were nor could be justified before God but that they were all and that most deservedly obnoxious unto the sentence of Death And whatever men may discourse concerning the Justification and Salvation of any without the Revelation of the Righteousness of God by the Gospel from Faith to Faith it is expresly contradictory to his whole Discourse chap. 1. from ver 19. to the End 2. He considers the Jews who enjoyed the written Law and the Priviledges wherewith it was accompanied especially that of Circumcision which was the outward Seal of Gods Covenant And on many Considerations with many Arguments he excludes them also from any possibility of attaining Justification before God by any of the Priviledges they enjoyed or their own compliance therewithall chap. 2. And both sorts he excludes distinctly from this priviledge of Righteousness before God with this one Argument That both of them sinned openly against that which they took for the Rule of their Righteousness namely the Gentiles against the Light of Nature and the Jews against the Law whence it inevitably follows that none of them could attain unto the Righteousness of their own Rule But he proceeds farther unto that which is common to them all And 3. He proves the same against all sorts of Persons whether Jews or Gentiles from the consideration of the universal depravation of nature in them all and the horrible effects that necessarily ensue thereon in the Hearts and Lives of men chap. 3. So evidencing That as they all were so it could not fall out but that all must be shut up under sin and come short of Righteousness So from Persons he proceeds to Things or Means of Righteousness And 4. Because the Law was given of God immediately as the whole and only Rule of our Obedience unto him and the works of the Law are therefore all that is required of us these may be pleaded with some pretence as those whereby we may be justified Wherefore in particular he considers the Nature Use and End of the Law manifesting its utter insufficiency to be a means of our Justification before God chap. 3.19 20. 5. It may be yet objected That the Law and its works may be thus insufficient as it is obeyed by Vnbelievers in the state of Nature without the Aids of Grace administred in the Promise but with respect unto them who are Regenerate and do believe whose Faith and Works are accepted with God it may be otherwise To obviate this Objection he giveth an Instance in two of the most eminent Believers under the Old Testament namely Abraham and David declaring that all Works whatever were excluded in and from their Justification chap. 4. On these Principles and by this Gradation he peremptorily concludes That all and every one of the Sons of men as unto any thing that is in themselves or can be done by them or be wrought in them are guilty before God obnoxious unto Death shut up under sin and have their mouths so stopped as to be deprived of all pleas in their own excuse that they had no Righteousness wherewith to appear before God and that all the ways and means whence they expected it were insufficient unto that purpose Hereon he proceeds with his Enquiry how men may be delivered from this condition and come to be justified in the sight of God And in the Resolution hereof he makes no mention of any thing in themselves but only Faith whereby we receive the Attonement That whereby we are justified he saith is the Righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Christ Jesus or that we are justified freely by Grace through the Redemption that is in him chap. 3.22 23 24 25. And not content here with this answer unto the enquiry how lost convinced sinners may come to be justified before God namely That it is by the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith by Grace by the blood of Christ as he is set forth for a Propitiation He immediately proceeds unto a positive exclusion of every thing in and of our selves that might pretend unto an Interest herein as that which is inconsistent with the Righteousness of God as revealed in the Gospel and witnessed unto by the Law and the Prophets How contrary their Scheme of Divinity is unto this Design of the Apostle and his management of it who affirm that before the Law men were justified by Obedience unto the Light of Nature and some particular Revelations made unto them in things of their own especial private concernment and that after the giving of the Law they were so by Obedience unto God according to the Directions thereof as also that the Heathen might obtain the same benefit in compliance with the Dictates of Reason cannot be contradicted by any who have not a mind to be contentious Answerable unto this Declaration of the mind of the Holy Ghost herein by the Apostle is the constant Tenour of the Scripture speaking to the same purpose The Grace of God the Promise of Mercy the free pardon of Sin the Blood of Christ his Obedience and the Righteousness of God in him rested in and received by Faith are every where asserted as the causes and means of our Justification in opposition unto any thing in our selves so expressed as it useth to express the best of our Obedience and the utmost of our personal Righteousness Wherever mention is made of the Duties Obedience and personal Righteousness of the best of men with respect unto their Justification they are all renounced by them and they betake themselves unto Soveraign Grace and Mercy alone Some places to this purpose may be recounted The Foundation of the whole is laid in the first Promise wherein the Destruction of
there is no Relief or Deliverance to be expected from any of those ways of sorrow or duty that he hath put himself upon 3 In this condition it is a meer Act of Soveraign Grace without any respect unto these things foregoing to call the sinner unto Believing or Faith in the Promise unto the Justification of Life This is Gods order yet so as that what precedeth his call unto Faith hath no causality thereof 3. The next thing to be enquired into is the proper Object of Justifying Faith or of true Faith in its office work and duty with respect unto our Justification And herein we must first consider what we cannot so well close withall For besides other Differences that seem to be about it which indeed are but different Explanations of the same thing for the substance there are two Opinions which are looked on as Extreams the one in an Excess and the other in Defect The first is that of the Roman Church and those who comply with them therein And this is That the Object of Justifying Faith as such is all Divine Verity all Divine Revelation whether written in the Scripture or delivered by Tradition represented unto us by the Authority of the Church In the latter part of this Description we are not at present concerned That the whole Scripture and all the parts of it and all the Truths of what sort soever they be that are contained in it are equally the Object of Faith in the discharge of its Office in our Justification is that which they maintain Hence as to the nature of it they cannot allow it to consist in any thing but an Assent of the mind For supposing the whole Scripture and all contained in it Laws Precepts Promises Threatnings Stories Prophesies and the like to be the Object of it and these not as containing in them things Good or Evil unto us but under this formal consideration as divinely revealed they cannot assign or allow any other Act of the mind to be required hereunto but Assent only And so confident are they herein namely That Faith is no more then an Assent unto divine Revelation as that Bellarmin in opposition unto Calvin who placed knowledge in the description of Justifying Faith affirms that it is better defined by Ignorance than by Knowledge This Description of Justifying Faith and its Object hath been so discussed and on such evident Grounds of Scripture and Reason rejected by Protestant Writers of all sorts as that it is needless to insist much upon it again Some things I shall observe in relation unto it whereby we may discover what is of Truth in what they assert and wherein it falls short thereof Neither shall I respect only them of the Roman Church who require no more to Faith or Believing but only a bare Assent of the mind unto divine Revelations but them also who place it wholly in such a firm Assent as produceth Obedience unto all divine Commands For as it doth both these as both these are included in it so unto the especial nature of it more is required It is as justifying neither a meer Assent nor any such firm degree of it as should produce such effects 1. All Faith whatever is an Act of that power of our Souls in general whereby we are able firmly to assent unto the Truth upon Testimony in things not evident unto us by Sense or Reason It is the Evidence of things not seen And all divine Faith is in general an Assent unto the Truth that is proposed unto us upon divine Testimony And hereby as it is commonly agreed it is distinguished from Opinion and moral certainty on the one hand and Science or Demonstration on the other 2. Wherefore in Justifying Faith there is an Assent unto all divine Revelation upon the Testimony of God the Revealer By no other Act of our mind wherein this is not included or supposed can we be justified not because it is not justifying but because it is not Faith This Assent I say is included in Justifying Faith And therefore we find it often spoken of in the Scripture the Instances whereof are gathered up by Bellarmin and others with respect unto other things and not restrained unto the especial promise of Grace in Christ which is that which they oppose But besides that in most places of that kind the proper Object of Faith as Justifying is included and referred ultimately unto though diversly expressed by some of its Causes or concomitant Adjuncts it is granted that we believe all divine Truth with that very Faith whereby we are justified so as that other things may well be ascribed unto it 3. On these Concessions we yet say two things 1 That the whole nature of Justifying Faith doth not consist meerly in an Assent of the mind be it never so firm and stedfast nor whatever Effects of Obedience it may produce 2 That in its Duty and Office in Justification whence it hath that especial denomination which alone we are in the Explanation of it doth not equally respect all divine Revelation as such but hath a peculiar Object proposed unto it in the Scripture And whereas both these will be immediately evinced in our description of the proper Object and Nature of Faith I shall at present oppose some few things unto this Description of them sufficient to manifest how aliene it is from the Truth 1. This Assent is an Act of the understanding only An Act of the mind with respect unto Truth evidenced unto it be it of what nature it will So we believe the worst of things and the most grievous unto us as well as the best and the most useful But Believing is an Act of the Heart which in the Scripture comprizeth all the Faculties of the Soul as one entire principle of moral and spiritual Duties With the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness Rom. 10.10 And it is frequently described by an Act of the Will though it be not so alone But without an Act of the Will no man can believe as he ought See Joh. 5.40 Joh. 1.12 chap. 6.35 We come to Christ in an Act of the Will and let whosoever will come And to be willing is taken for to believe Psal. 110.3 and Unbelief is Disobedience Heb. 3.18 19. 2. All Divine Truth is equally the Object of this Assent It respects not the especial nature or use of any one Truth be it of what kind it will more than another nor can it do so since it regards only Divine Revelation Hence that Judas was the Traytor must have as great an influence into our Justification as that Christ died for our sins But how contrary this is unto the Scripture the Analogy of Faith and the Experience of all that believe needs neither Declaration nor Confirmation 3. This Assent unto all Divine Revelation may be true and sincere where there hath been no previous work of the Law nor any Conviction of sin No such thing is required thereunto nor are
only by works of Righteousness which men did themselves in Obedience unto the Commands of God but also by the strict observance of many Inventions of what they called the Church with an Ascription of a strange Efficacy to the same Ends unto missatical Sacrifices Sacramentals Absolutions Pennances Pilgrimages and other the like Superstitions Hereby they observed that the Consciences of men were kept in perpetual disquietments perplexities fears and bondage exclusive of that Rest Assurance and Peace with God through the Blood of Christ which the Gospel proclaims and tenders And when the Leaders of the People in that Church had observed this that indeed the ways and means which they proposed and presented would never bring the Souls of men to Rest nor give them the least Assurance of the pardon of sins they made it a part of their Doctrine that the belief of the pardon of our own sins and Assurance of the Love of God in Christ were false and pernicious For what should they else do when they knew well enough that in their way and by their propositions they were not to be attained Hence the principal Controversie in this matter which the Reformed Divines had with those of the Church of Rome was this whether there be according unto and by the Gospel a state of Rest and assured Peace with God to be attained in this life And having all Advantages imaginable for the proof hereof from the very nature use and end of the Gospel from the Grace Love and Design of God in Christ from the Efficacy of his Mediation in his Oblation and Intercession they assigned these things to be the especial Object of Justifying Faith and that Faith it self to be a fiduciary Trust in the especial Grace and Mercy of God through the blood of Christ as proposed in the Promises of the Gospel That is they directed the Souls of men to seek for peace with God the pardon of sin and a Right unto the Heavenly Inheritance by placing their sole Trust and Confidence in the mercy of God by Christ alone But yet withall I never read any of them I know not what others have done who affirmed that every true and sincere Believer always had a full Assurance of the Especial Love of God in Christ or of the pardon of his own sins though they plead that this the Scripture requires of them in a way of Duty and that this they ought to aim at the Attainment of And these things I shall leave as I find them unto the use of the Church For I shall not contend with any about the way and manner of expressing the Truth where the substance of it is retained That which in these things is aimed at is the Advancement and Glory of the Grace of God in Christ with the conduct of the Souls of men unto Rest and Peace with him Where this is attained or aimed at and that in the way of Truth for the substance of it variety of Apprehensions and Expressions concerning the same things may tend unto the useful exercise of the Faith and Edification of the Church Wherefore neither opposing nor rejecting what hath been delivered by others as their Judgments herein I shall propose my own thoughts concerning it not without some hopes that they may tend to communicate Light in the knowledge of the thing it self enquired into and the Reconciliation of some differences about it amongst Learned and Holy men I say therefore That the Lord Jesus Christ himself as the Ordinance of God in his work of Mediation for the Recovery and Salvation of lost sinners and as unto that End proposed in the Promise of the Gospel is the adequate proper Object of Justifying Faith or of saving Faith in its Work and Duty with respect unto our Justification The Reason why I thus state the Object of Justifying Faith is because it compleatly answers all that is ascribed unto it in the Scripture and all that the nature of it doth require What belongs unto it as Faith in general is here supposed and what is peculiar unto it as Justifying is fully expressed And a few things will serve for the Explication of the Thesis which shall afterwards be confirmed 1. The Lord Jesus Christ himself is asserted to be the proper Object of Justifying Faith For so it is required in all those Testimonies of Scripture where that Faith is declared to be our believing in him on his name our receiving of him or looking unto him whereunto the Promise of Justification and Eternal Life is annexed whereof afterwards See Joh. 1.12 chap. 3.16 36. chap. 6.29 47. chap. 7.38 chap. 15.25 Act. 10.41 Act. 13.38 39. Act. 16.31 Act. 26.18 c. 2. He is not proposed as the Object of our Faith unto the Justification of Life absolutely but as the Ordinance of God even the Father unto that end who therefore also is the immediate Object of Faith as Justifying in what respects we shall declare immediately So Justification is frequently ascribed unto Faith as peculiarly acted on him Joh. 5.24 He that believeth on him that sent me hath Everlasting Life and shall not come into Judgment but is passed from Death into Life And herein is comprized that Grace Love and Favour of God which is the principal moving cause of our Justification Rom. 3.23 24. Add hereunto Joh. 6.29 and the Object of Faith is compleat This is the Work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent God the Father as sending and the Son as sent that is Jesus Christ in the work of his Mediation as the Ordinance of God for the Recovery and Salvation of lost sinners is the Object of our Faith See 1 Pet. 1.21 3. That he may be the Object of our Faith whose general nature consisteth in Assent and which is the Foundation of all its other Acts He is proposed in the promises of the Gospel which I therefore place as concurring unto its compleat Object Yet do I not herein consider the Promises meerly as peculiar divine Revelations in which sense they belong unto the formal Object of Faith but as they contain propose and exhibit Christ as the Ordinance of God and the Benefits of his Mediation unto them that do believe There is an especial Assent unto the Promises of the Gospel wherein some place the nature and essence of Justifying Faith or of Faith in its Work and Duty with respect unto our Justification And so they make the Promises of the Gospel to be the proper Object of it And it cannot be but that in the Actings of Justifying Faith there is a peculiar Assent unto them Howbeit this being only an Act of the mind neither the whole nature nor the whole work of Faith can consist therein Wherefore so far as the Promises concur to the compleat Object of Faith they are considered materially also namely as they contain propose and exhibit Christ unto Believers And in that sense are they frequently affirmed in the Scripture to be the
Object of our Faith unto the Justification of Life Act. 2.39 Act. 26.6 Rom. 4.16 20. chap. 15.8 Gal. 3.16 18. Heb. 4.1 chap. 6.13 chap. 8.6 chap. 10.36 4. The End for which the Lord Christ in the Work of his Mediation is the Ordinance of God and as such proposed in the Promises of the Gospel namely the Recovery and Salvation of lost sinners belongs unto the Object of Faith as Justifying Hence the forgiveness of sin and Eternal Life are proposed in the Scripture as things that are to be believed unto Justification or as the Object of our Faith Math. 9.2 Act. 2.38 39. chap. 5.31 chap. 26.18 Rom. 3.25 chap. 4.7 8. Col. 2.13 Tit. 1.2 c. And whereas the Just is to live by his Faith and every one is to believe for himself or make an Application of the things believed unto his own behoof some from hence have affirmed the pardon of our own sins and our own Salvation to be the proper Object of Faith and indeed it doth belong thereunto when in the way and order of God and the Gospel we can attain unto it 1. Cor. 15.3 4. Gal. 2.20 Ephes. 1.6 7. Wherefore asserting the Lord Jesus Christ in the Work of his Mediation to be the Object of Faith unto Justification I include therein the Grace of God which is the Cause the pardon of sin which is the Effect and the Promises of the Gospel which are the means of communicating Christ and the benefit of his Mediation unto us And all these things are so united so intermixed in their mutual Relations and Respects so concatenated in the purpose of God and the Declaration made of his Will in the Gospel as that the Believing of any one of them doth virtually include the belief of the rest And by whom any one of them is disbelieved they frustrate and make void all the rest and so Faith it self The due Consideration of these things solveth all the Difficulties that arise about the nature of Faith either from the Scripture or from the Experience of them that believe with respect unto its Object Many things in the Scripture are we said to believe with it and by it and that unto Justification But two things are hence evident 1 That no one of them can be asserted to be the compleat adequate Object of our Faith 2 That none of them are so absolutely but as they relate unto the Lord Christ as the Ordinance of God for our Justification and Salvation And this answereth the Experience of all that do truly believe For these things being united and made inseparable in the constitution of God all of them are virtually included in every one of them 1 Some fix their Faith and Trust principally on the Grace Love and Mercy of God especially they did so under the Old Testament before the clear Revelation of Christ and his Mediation So did the Psalmist Psal. 130.34 Psal. 33.18 19. And the Publican Luke 18.13 And these are in places of the Scripture innumerable proposed as the Causes of our Justification See Rom. 3.24 Ephes. 2.4 5 6 7 8. Tit. 3.5 6 7. But this they do not absolutely but with respect unto the Redemption that is in the Blood of Christ Dan. 9.17 Nor doth the Scripture any where propose them unto us but under that consideration See Rom. 3.24 25. Ephes. 1.6 7 8. For this is the cause way and means of the communication of that Grace Love and Mercy unto us 2 Some place and fix them principally on the Lord Christ his Mediation and the Benefits thereof This the Apostle Paul proposeth frequently unto us in his own Example See Gal. 2.20 Phil. 3.8 9 10. But this they do not absolutely but with respect unto the Grace and Love of God whence it is that they are given and communicated unto us Rom. 8.32 Joh. 3.16 Ephes. 1.6 7 8. Nor are they otherwise any where proposed unto us in the Scripture as the Object of our Faith unto Justification 3 Some in a peculiar manner fix their Souls in Believing on the Promises And this is exemplified in the Instance of Abraham Gen. 15.16 Rom. 4.20 And so are they proposed in the Scripture as the Object of our Faith Act. 2.39 Rom. 4.16 Heb. 4.1 2. chap. 6.12 13. But this they do not meerly as they are Divine Revelations but as they contain and propose unto us the Lord Christ and the Benefits of his Mediation from the Grace Love and Mercy of God Hence the Apostle disputes at large in his Epistle unto the Galatians That if Justification be any way but by the Promise both the Grace of God and the death of Christ are evacuated and made of none effect And the Reason is because the Promise is nothing but the way and means of the Communication of them unto us 4 Some fix their Faith on the things themselves which they aim at namely the pardon of sin and Eternal Life And these also in the Scripture are proposed unto us as the Object of our Faith or that which we are to believe unto Justification Psal. 130.4 Act. 26.18 Tit. 1.2 But this is to be done in its proper order especially as unto the Application of them unto our own Souls For we are no where required to believe them or our own Interest in them but as they are effects of Grace and Love of God through Christ and his Mediation proposed in the Promises of the Gospel Wherefore the Belief of them is included in the Belief of these and is in order of nature antecedent thereunto And the Belief of the forgiveness of sins and Eternal Life without the due Exercise of Faith in those Causes of them is but Presumption I have therefore given the entire Object of Faith as Justifying or in its Work and Duty with respect unto our Justification in compliance with the Testimonies of the Scripture and the Experience of them that believe Allowing therefore their proper place unto the Promises and unto the Effect of all in the pardon of sins and Eternal Life that which I shall farther confirm is That the Lord Christ in the Work of his Mediation as the Ordinance of God for the Recovery and Salvation of lost sinners is the proper adequate Object of Justifying Faith And the true nature of Evangelical Faith consisteth in the Respect of the Heart which we shall immediately describe unto the Love Grace and Wisdom of God with the Mediation of Christ in his Obedience with the Sacrifice Satisfaction and Attonement for sin which he made by his Blood These things are impiously opposed by some as inconsistent For the second Head of the Socinian Impiety is That the Grace of God and Satisfaction of Christ are opposite and inconsistent so as that if we allow of the one we must deny the other But as these things are so proposed in the Scripture as that without granting them both neither can be believed so Faith which respects them as subordinate namely the Mediation of
Christ unto the Grace of God that fixeth it self on the Lord Christ and that Redemption which is in his blood as the Ordinance of God the Effect of his Wisdom Grace and Love finds rest in both and in nothing else For the proof of the Assertion I need not labour in it it being not only abundantly declared in the Scripture but that which contains in it a principal part of the Design and Substance of the Gospel I shall therefore only refer unto some of the Places wherein it is taught or the Testimonies that are given unto it The whole is expressed in that place of the Apostle wherein the Doctrine of Justification is most eminently proposed unto us Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of sins Whereunto we may add Ephes. 1.6 7. He hath made us accepted in the Beloved in whom we have Redemption through his Blood according to the Riches of his Grace That whereby we are justified is the especial Object of our Faith unto Justification But this is the Lord Christ in the Work of his Mediation For we are justified by the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ for in him we have Redemption through his Blood even the forgiveness of sin Christ as a Propitiation is the Cause of our Justification and the Object of our Faith or we attain it by Faith in his Blood But this is so under this formal Consideration as he is the Ordinance of God for that End appointed given proposed set forth from and by the Grace Wisdom and Love of God God set him forth to be a Propitiation He makes us accepted in the Beloved We have Redemption in his Blood according to the Riches of his Grace whereby he makes us accepted in the Beloved And herein he abounds towards us in all wisdom Ephes. 1.8 This therefore is that which the Gospel proposeth unto us as the especial Object of our Faith unto the Justification of Life But we may also in the same manner confirm the several parts of the Assertion distinctly 1. The Lord Jesus Christ as proposed in the Promise of the Gospel is the peculiar Object of Faith unto Justification There are three sorts of Testimonies whereby this is confirmed 1. Those wherein it is positively asserted As Act. 10.41 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive the Remission of sins Christ believed in as the means and cause of the Remission of sins is that which all the Prophets give witness unto Act. 16.31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved It is the Answer of the Apostles unto the Jaylors enquiry Sirs What must I do to be saved His Duty in Believing and the Object of it the Lord Jesus Christ is what they return thereunto Act. 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given unto men whereby we must be saved That which is proposed unto us as the only way and means of our Justification and Salvation and that in opposition unto all other ways is the Object of Faith unto our Justification But this is Christ alone exclusively unto all other things This is testified unto by Moses and the Prophets the Design of the whole Scripture being to direct the Faith of the Church unto the Lord Christ alone for Life and Salvation Luke 24.25 26 27. 2. All those wherein Justifying Faith is affirmed to be our Believing in him or Believing on his name which are multiplied Joh. 1.12 He gave power to them to become the Sons of God who believed on his name chap. 3.16 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life ver 36. He that believeth on the Son hath Everlasting Life chap. 6.29 This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent ver 47. He that believeth on me hath Everlasting Life chap. 7.38 He that believeth on me out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Water So chap. 9.35 36 37. chap. 11.25 Act. 26.18 That they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith that is in me 1 Pet. 2.6 7. In all which places and many other we are not only directed to place and affix our Faith on him but the Effect of Justification is ascribed thereunto So expresly Act. 13.38 39. which is what we design to prove 3. Those which give us such a description of the Acts of Faith as make him the direct and proper Object of it Such are they wherein it is called a receiving of him Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him Col. 2.6 As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord. That which we receive by Faith is the proper Object of it And it is represented their looking unto the Brazen Serpent when it was lifted up who were stung by fiery Serpents Joh. 3.14 15. chap. 12. 32. Faith is that Act of the Soul whereby Convinced sinners ready otherwise to perish do look unto Christ as he was made a Propitiation for their sins and who so do shall not perish but have Everlasting Life He is therefore the Object of our Faith 2 ly He is so as he is the Ordinance of God unto this End which consideration is not to be separated from our Faith in him And this also is confirmed by several sorts of Testimonies 1. All Those wherein the Love and Grace of God are proposed as the only Cause of giving Jesus Christ to be the way and means of our Recovery and Salvation whence they become or God in them the supream Efficient Cause of our Justification Joh. 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have Everlasting Life So Rom. 5.8 1 Joh. 4.9 10. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Rom. 3.23 Ephes. 1.6 7 8. This the Lord Christ directs our Faith unto continually referring all unto him that sent him and whose Will be came to do Heb. 10.5 2. All those wherein God is said to set forth and propose Christ and to make him be for us and unto us what he is so unto the Justification of Life Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath proposed to be a Propitiation 1. Cor. 1.30 Who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Act. 5.35 c. Wherefore in the acting of Faith in Christ unto Justification we can no otherwise consider him but as the Ordinance of God to that End he brings nothing unto us does nothing for us but what God appointed designed and made him to be
And this must diligently be considered that by our regard by Faith unto the Blood the Sacrifice the Satisfaction of Christ we take off nothing from the free Grace Favour and Love of God 3. All those wherein the Wisdom of God in the contrivance of this way of Justification and Salvation is proposed unto us Ephes. 1.7 8. In whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the Riches of his Grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Vnderstanding See chap. 3.10 11. 1 Cor. 1.24 The whole is comprized in that of the Apostle God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5.19 All that is done in our Reconciliation unto God as unto the pardon of our sins and Acceptance with him unto Life was by the presence of God in his Grace Wisdom and Power in Christ designing and effecting of it Wherefore the Lord Christ proposed in the Promise of the Gospel as the Object of our Faith unto the Justification of Life is considered as the Ordinance of God unto that End Hence the Love the Grace and the Wisdom of God in the sending and giving of him are comprised in that Object and not only the Actings of God in Christ towards us but all his Actings towards the Person of Christ himself unto the same End belong thereunto So as unto his Death God set him forth to be a Propitiation Rom. 3.24 He spared him not but delivered him up for us all Rom. 8.32 And therein laid all our sins upon him Isa. 53.6 So he was raised for our Justification Rom. 4.25 And our Faith is in God who raised him from the dead Rom. 10.9 And in his Exaltation Act. 5.31 Which things compleat the record that God hath given of his Son 1 Joh. 5.10 11 12. The whole is confirmed by the Exercise of Faith in prayer which is the Souls Application of it self unto God for the participation of the Benefits of the Mediation of Christ. And it is called our Access through him unto the Father Eph. 2.18 Our coming through him unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4.15 16. and through him as both an High Priest and Sacrifice Heb. 10.19 20 21. So do we bow our Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes. 3.14 This answereth the Experience of all who know what it is to pray We come therein in the name of Christ by him through his Mediation unto God even the Father to be through his Grace Love and Mercy made partakers of what he hath designed and promised to communicate unto poor sinners by him And this represents the compleat Object of our Faith The due Consideration of these things will reconcile and reduce into a perfect Harmony whatever is spoken in the Scripture concerning the Object of Justifying Faith or what we are said to believe therewith For whereas this is affirmed of sundry things distinctly they can none of them be supposed to be the entire adequate Object of Faith But consider them all in their Relation unto Christ and they have all of them their proper place therein namely the Grace of God which is the Cause the pardon of sin which is the Effect and the Promises of the Gospel which are the Means of communicating the Lord Christ and the benefits of his Mediation unto us The Reader may be pleased to take notice that I do in this place not only neglect but despise the late Attempt of some to wrest all things of this nature spoken of the Person and Mediation of Christ unto the Doctrine of the Gospel exclusively unto them and that not only as what is noisome and impious in it self but as that also which hath not yet been endeavoured to be proved with any Appearance of Learning Argument or Sobriety CHAP. II. The Nature of Justifying Faith THat which we shall now enquire into is the Nature of Justifying Faith or of Faith in that Act and Exercise of it whereby we are justified or whereon Justification according unto Gods Ordination and Promise doth ensue And the Reader is desired to take along with him a supposition of those things which we have already ascribed unto it as it is sincere Faith in general as also of what is required previously thereunto as unto its especial Nature Work and Duty in our Justification For we do deny that ordinarily and according unto the method of Gods proceeding with us declared in the Scripture wherein the Rule of our Duty is prescribed that any one doth or can truly believe with Faith unto Justification in whom the Work of Conviction before described hath not been wrought All Descriptions or Definitions of Faith that have not a respect thereunto are but vain speculations And hence some do give us such Definitions of Faith as it is hard to conceive that they ever asked of themselves what they do in their Believing on Jesus Christ for Life and Salvation The Nature of Justifying Faith with respect unto that Exercise of it whereby we are justified consisteth in the Hearts Approbation of the way of Justification and Salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ proposed in the Gospel as proceeding from the Grace Wisdom and Love of God with its Acquiescency therein as unto its own Concernment and Condition There needs no more for the Explanation of this Declaration of the Nature of Faith than what we have before proved concerning its Object and what may seem wanting thereunto will be fully supplied in the ensuing Confirmation of it The Lord Christ and his Mediation as the Ordinance of God for the Recovery Life and Salvation of sinners is supposed as the Object of this Faith And they are all considered as an Effect of Wisdom Grace Authority and Love of God with all their actings in and towards the Lord Christ himself in his susception and discharge of his Office Hereunto he constantly refers all that he did and suffered with all the Benefits redounding unto the Church thereby Hence as we observed before sometimes the Grace or Love or especial Mercy of God sometimes his actings in or towards the Lord Christ himself in sending him giving him up unto Death and raising him from the dead are proposed as the Object of our Faith unto Justification But they are so always with respect unto his Obedience and the Atonement that he made for sin Neither are they so altogether absolutely considered but as proposed in the Promises of the Gospel Hence a sincere Assent unto the divine Veracity in those Promises is included in this Approbation What belongs unto the Confirmation of this Description of Faith shall be reduced unto these four Heads 1 The Declaration of its contrary or the nature of privative unbelief upon the proposal of the Gospel For these things do mutually illustrate one another 2 The Declaration of the Design and End of God in and
33.24 Psal. 32.1 2. Rom. 3.23 24 25. Chap. 8.1 33 34. 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 14. Of what use the Declaration of this Process in the Justification of a Sinner may be hath been in some measure before declared And if many did seriously consider that all these things do concur and are required unto the Justification of every one that shall be saved it may be they would not have such slight thoughts of sin and the way of Deliverance from the guilt of it as they seem to have From this Consideration did the Apostle learn that Terror of the Lord which made him so earnest with men to seek after Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.10 11. I had not so long insisted on the signification of the words in the Scripture but that a right understanding of it doth not only exclude the pretences of the Romanists about the infusion of an habit of Charity from being the formal cause of our Justification before God but may also give occasion unto some to take advice into what place or consideration they can dispose their own personal inherent Righteousness in their Justification before him CHAP. V. The Distinction of a first and second Justification Examined The Continuation of Justification whereon it doth depend BEfore we enquire immediately into the nature and causes of Justification there are some things yet previously to be considered that we may prevent all Ambiguity and misunderstanding about the Subject to be treated of I say therefore that the Evangelical Justification which alone we plead about is but one and is at once compleated About any other Justification before God but one we will not contend with any Those who can find out another may as they please ascribe what they will unto it or ascribe it unto what they will Let us therefore consider what is offered of this nature Those of the Roman Church do ground their whole Doctrine of Justification upon a distinction of a double Justification which they call the first and the second The first Justification they say is the infusion or the Communication unto us of an inherent principle or habit of Grace or Charity Hereby they say Original sin is extinguished and all habits of sin are expelled This Justification they say is by Faith the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ being the only meritorious cause thereof Only they dispute many things about preparations for it and dispositions unto it Under those terms the Council of Trent included the Doctrine of the Schoolmen about meritum de congruo as both Hosius and Andradius confess in the defence of that Council And as they are explained they come much to one however the Council warily avoided the name of merit with respect unto this their first Justification And the use of Faith herein which with them is no more but a general assent unto Divine Revelation is to bear the principal part in these preparations So that to be Justified by Faith according unto them is to have the mind prepared by this kind of believing to receive Gratiam gratum facientem an habit of Grace expelling sin and making us acceptable unto God For upon this believing with those other Duties of Contrition and Repentance which must accompany it it is meet and congruous unto Divine Wisdom Goodness and Faithfulness to give us that Grace whereby we are justified And this according unto them is that Justification whereof the Apostle Paul treats in his Epistles from the procurement whereof he excludes all the Works of the Lavv. The second Justification is an effect or consequent hereof And the proper formal cause thereof is Good Works proceeding from this Principle of Grace and Love Hence are they the Righteousness wherewith Believers are Righteous before God Whereby they merit eternal life The Righteousness of Works they call it and suppose it taught by the Apostle James This they constantly affirm to make us justos ex injustis wherein they are followed by others For this is the way that most of them take to salve the seeming repugnancy between the Apostle Paul and James Paul they say treats of the first Justification only whence he excludes all Works for it is by Faith in the manner before described But James treats of the second Justification which is by good Works So Bellar. lib. 2. cap. 16. and lib. 4. cap. 18. And it is the express Determination of those at Trent Sess. 6. cap. 10. This distinction was coyned unto no other end but to bring in Confusion into the whole Doctrine of the Gospel Justification through the free Grace of God by Faith in the Blood of Christ is evacuated by it Sanctification is turned into a Justification and corrupted by making the fruits of it meritorious The whole nature of Evangelical Justification consisting in the gratuitous pardon of Sin and the Imputation of Righteousness as the Apostle expresly affirms and the declaration of a Believing Sinner to be Righteous thereon as the Word alone signifies is utterly defeated by it Howbeit others have embraced this distinction also though not absolutely in their sense So do the Socinians Yea it must be allowed in some sense by all that hold our inherent Righteousness to be the cause of or to have any influence into our Justification before God For they do allow of a Justification which in order of nature is antecedent unto Works truly Gracious and Evangelical But consequential unto such Works there is a Justification differing at least in degree if not in nature and kind upon the difference of its formal cause which is our new Obedience from the former But they mostly say it is only the continuation of our Justification and the encrease of it as to degrees that they intend by it And if they may be allowed to turn Sanctification into Justification and to make a progress therein or an encrease thereof either in the root or fruit to be a new Justification they may make twenty Justifications as well as two for ought I know For therein the inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 and Believers go from strength to strength are changed from Glory to Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 by the Addition of one Grace unto another in their exercise 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. and increasing with the encrease of God Col. 2.19 do in all things grow up into him who is the Head Ephes. 4.15 And if their Justification consist herein they are justified anew every day I shall therefore do these two things 1 Shew that this distinction is both unscriptural and irrational 2 Declare what is the continuation of our Justification and whereon it doth depend Justification by Faith in the Blood of Christ may be considered either as to the nature and essence of it or as unto its Manifestation and Declaration The Manifestation of it is twofold 1 Initial in this life 2 Solemn and compleat at the day of Judgment whereof we shall treat afterwards The Manifestation of it in this life respects either
Topicks of the name of God his Mercy Grace Faithfulness tender Compassion Covenant and Promises all manifested and exercised in and through the Lord Christ and his mediation alone Do they not herein place their only trust and confidence for this end that their Sins may be pardoned and their persons though every way unworthy in themselves be accepted with God Doth any other thought enter into their Hearts Do they plead their own Righteousness Obedience and Duties to this purpose Do they leave the prayer of the Publican and betake themselves unto that of the Pharisee And is it not of Faith alone which is that Grace whereby they apply themselves unto the Mercy or Grace of God through the mediation of Christ It is true that Faith herein worketh and acteth it self in and by Godly sorrow Repentance Humiliation Self-judging and Abhorrency Fervency in Prayer and Supplications with an humble waiting for an Answer of Peace from God with engagements unto renewed Obedience But it is Faith alone that makes Applications unto Grace in the Blood of Christ for the continuation of our justified Estate expressing it self in those other ways and effects mentioned from none of which a Believing Soul doth expect the Mercy aimed at 2. The Scripture expresly doth declare this to be the only way of the continuation of our Justification 1 Joh. 2.1 2. These things write I unto you that you sin not And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins It is required of those that are justified that they sin not it is their duty not to sin but yet it is not so required of them as that if in any thing they fail of their Duty they should immediately lose the Priviledge of their Justification Wherefore on a supposition of sin if any man sin as there is no man that liveth and sinneth not what way is prescribed for such persons to take what are they to apply themselves unto that their sin may be pardoned and their acceptance with God continued that is for the continuation of their Justification The course in this case directed unto by the Apostle is none other but the Application of our Souls by Faith unto the Lord Christ as our Advocate with the Father on the account of the Propitiation that he hath made for our Sins Under the consideration of this double Act of his Sacerdotal Office his Oblation and Intercession he is the Object of our Faith in our absolute Justification and so he is as unto the continuation of it So our whole progress in our justified Estate in all the degrees of it is ascribed unto Faith alone It is no part of our enquiry what God requireth of them that are justified There is no Grace no Duty for the substance of them nor for the manner of their performance that are required either by the Law or the Gospel but they are obliged unto them Where they are omitted we acknowledge that the Guilt of sin is contracted and that attended with such Aggravations as some will not own or allow to be confessed unto God himself Hence in particular the Faith and Grace of Believers do constantly and deeply exercise themselves in Godly sorrow Repentance Humiliation for sin and confession of it before God upon their Apprehensions of its Guilt And these Duties are so far necessary unto the continuation of our Justification as that a justified Estate cannot consist with the Sins and Vices that are opposite unto them So the Apostle affirms that if we live after the flesh we shall dye Rom. 8.13 He that doth not carefully avoid falling into the Fire or Water or other things immediately destructive of life natural cannot live But these are not the things whereon life doth depend Nor have the best of our Duties any other respect unto the continuation of our Justification but only as in them we are preserved from those things which are contrary unto it and destructive of it But the sole Question is upon what the continuation of our Justification doth depend not concerning what Duties are required of us in the way of our Obedience If this be that which is intended in this position the continuation of our Justification depends on our own Obedience and Good Works or that our own Obedience and Good Works are the Condition of the continuation of our Justification namely that God doth indispensably require Good Works and Obedience in all that are justified so that a justified estate is inconsistent with the neglect of them it is readily granted and I shall never contend with any about the way whereby they chuse to express the conceptions of their minds But if it be enquired what it is whereby we immediately concur in a way of Duty unto the continuation of our justified estate that is the pardon of our sins and acceptance with God we say it is such alone For the Just shall live by Faith Rom. 1.17 And as the Apostle applies this Divine Testimony to prove our first or absolute Justification to be by Faith alone So doth he also apply it unto the continuation of our Justification as that which is by the same means only Heb. 10.38 39. Now the Just shall live by Faith but if any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition But of them that believe unto the saving of the Soul The drawing back to perdition includes the loss of a justified Estate really so or in Profession In opposition thereunto the Apostle placeth Believing unto the saving of the Soul that is unto the continuation of Justification unto the end And herein it is that the Just live by Faith and the loss of this life can only be by unbelief So the life which we now live in the flesh is by the Faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us Gal. 2.20 The life which we now lead in the flesh is the continuation of our Justification a life of Righteousness and Acceptation with God in opposition unto a life by the works of the Law as the next words declare ver 21. I do not frustrate the Grace of God for if Righteousness came by the Law then is Christ dead in vain and this life is by Faith in Christ as he loved us and gave himself for us that is as he was a Propitiation for our sins This then is the only way means and cause on our part of the preservation of this life of the continuance of our Justification and herein are we kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Again if the continuation of our Justification dependeth on our own works of Obedience then is the Righteousness of Christ imputed unto us only with respect unto our Justification at first or our first Justification as some speak And this indeed is the Doctrine of the Roman School They teach that
the Righteousness of Christ is so far imputed unto us that on the account thereof God gives unto us Justifying Grace and thereby the Remission of Sin in their sense whence they allow it the meritorious cause of our Justification But on a supposition thereof or the reception of that Grace we are continued to be justified before God by the works we perform by vertue of that Grace received And though some of them rise so high as to affirm that this Grace and the works of it need no farther respect unto the Righteousness of Christ to deserve our second Justification and life eternal as doth Vasquez expresly in 1.2 q. 114. Disp. 222. cap. 3. Yet many of them affirm that it is still from the consideration of the merit of Christ that they are so meritorious And the same for the substance of it is the Judgment of some of them who affirm the continuation of our Justification to depend on our own works setting aside that ambiguous term of merit For it is on the account of the Righteousness of Christ they say that our own works or imperfect obedience is so accepted with God as that the continuation of our Justification depends thereon But the Apostle gives us another account hereof Rom. 5.1 2 3. For he distinguisheth three things our Access into the Grace of God 2 Our standing in that Grace 3 Our Glorying in that station against all opposition By the first he expresseth our absolute Justification By the second our continuation in the state whereinto we are admitted thereby and by the third the assurance of that continuation notwithstanding all the oppositions we meet withal And all these he ascribeth equally unto Faith without the intermixture of any other cause or condition And other places express to the same purpose might be pleaded 3. The examples of them that did believe and were justified which are recorded in the Scripture do all bear witness unto the same Truth The continuation of the Justification of Abraham before God is declared to have been by Faith only Rom. 4.3 For the instance of his Justification given by the Apostle from Gen. 15.6 was long after he was justified absolutely And if our first Justification and the continuation of it did not depend absolutely on the same cause the instance of the one could not be produced for a proof of the way and means of the other as here they are And David when a justified Believer not only placeth the Blessedness of man in the free Remission of sins in opposition unto his own works in general Rom. 4.6 7. but in his own particular case ascribeth the continuation of his Justification and acceptation before God unto Grace Mercy and forgiveness alone which are no otherwise received but by Faith Psal. 130.3 4 5. Psal. 143.2 All other works and duties of obedience do accompany Faith in the continuation of our justified estate as necessary effects and fruits of it but not as causes means or conditions whereon that effect is suspended It is patient waiting by Faith that brings in the full accomplishment of the Promises Heb. 6.12 16. Wherefore there is but one Justification and that of one kind only wherein we are concerned in this Disputation The Scripture makes mention of no more and that is the Justification of an ungodly person by Faith Nor shall we admit of the consideration of any other For if there be a second Justification it must be of the same kind with the first or of another if it be of the same kind then the same person is often justified with the same kind of Justification or at least more than once and so on just reason ought to be often Baptized If it be not of the same kind then the same person is justified before God with two sorts of Justification of both which the Scripture is utterly silent And the continuation of our Justification depends solely on the same causes with our Justification it self CHAP. VI. Evangelical Personal Righteousness the Nature and Vse of it Final Judgment and its respect unto Justification THe things which we have discoursed concerning the first and second Justification and concerning the continuation of Justification have no other Design but only to clear the principal subject whereof we treat from what doth not necessarily belong unto it For until all things that are either really heterogeneous or otherwise superfluous are separated from it we cannot understand aright the true state of the Question about the nature and causes of our Justification before God For we intend one only Justification namely that whereby God at once freely by his Grace justifieth a convinced sinner through Faith in the Blood of Christ. Whatever else any will be pleased to call Justification we are not concerned in it nor are the Consciences of them that believe To the same purpose we must therefore briefly also consider what is usually disputed about our own personal Righteousness with a Justification thereon as also what is called sentential Justification at the day of Judgment And I shall treat no farther of them in this place but only as it is necessary to free the principal subject under consideration from being intermixed with them as really it is not concerned in them For what Influence our own personal Righteousness hath into our Justification before God will be afterwards particularly examined Here we shall only consider such a notion of it as seems to enterfere with it and disturb the right understanding of it But yet I say concerning this also that it rather belongs unto the Difference that will be among us in the Expression of our conceptions about spiritual things whilst we know but in part than unto the substance of the Doctrine it self And on such differences no breach of Charity can ensue whilst there is a mutual Grant of that liberty of mind without which it will not be preserved one moment It is therefore by some apprehended that there is an Evangelical Justification upon our Evangelical Personal Righteousness This they distinguish from that Justification which is by Faith through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ in the sense wherein they do allow it For the Righteousness of Christ is our Legal Righteousness whereby we have pardon of sin and acquitment from the sentence of the Law on the account of his satisfaction and merit But moreover they say that as there is a Personal inherent Righteousness required of us so there is a Justification by the Gospel thereon For by our Faith and the plea of it we are justified from the charge of Unbelief by our sincerity and the plea of it we are justified from the charge of Hypocrisie and so by all other Graces and Duties from the charge of the contrary sins in Commission or Omission so far as such sins are inconsistent with the Terms of the Covenant of Grace How this differeth from the second Justification before God which some say we have by works on the supposition
Hereby it was plainly and fully declared that there must be such a Righteousness provided for our Justification before Men as would answer and remove that curse 4. In the Prefiguration and Representation of that only way and means whereby this Righteousness of God was to be wrought This it did in all its Sacrifices especially in the great Anniversary Sacrifice on the Day of Expiation wherein all the sins of the Church were laid on the Head of the Sacrifice and so carried away 3. He describes it by the only way of our participation of it the only means on our part of the communication of it unto us And this is by Faith alone The Righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Christ Jesus unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference Ver. 22. Faith in Christ Jesus is so the only way and means whereby this Righteousness of God comes upon us or is communicated unto us that it is so unto all that have this Faith and only unto them and that without difference on the consideration of any thing else besides And although Faith taken absolutely may be used in various senses yet as thus specified and limited the Faith of Christ Jesus or as he calls it the Faith that is in me Acts 26.18 It can intend nothing but the reception of him and trust in him as the Ordinance of God for Righteousness and Salvation This description of The Righteousness of God revealed in the Gospel which the Apostle asserts as the only means and cause of our Justification before God with the only way of its participation and communication unto us by the Faith of Christ Jesus fully confirms the truth we plead for For if the Righteousness wherewith we must be justified before God be not our own but the Righteousness of God as these things are directly opposed Phil. 3.9 And the only way whereby it comes upon us or we are made partakers of it is by the Faith of Jesus Christ then our own personal inherent Righteousness or Obedience hath no interest in our Justification before God which Argument is insoluble nor is the force of it to be waved by any distinctions whatever if we keep our hearts unto a due reverence of the Authority of God in his Word Having fully proved That no Men living have any Righteousness of their own whereby they may be justified but are all shut up under the guilt of sin and having declared That there is a Righteousness of God now fully revealed in the Gospel whereby alone we may be so leaving all Men in themselves unto their own lot In as much as all have sinned and come short of the glory of God he proceeds to declare the nature of our Justification before God in all the causes of it Ver. 24 25 26. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the Justifier of them that believe in Jesus Here it is that we may and ought if any where to expect the interest of our personal obedience under some qualification or other in our Justification to be declared For if it should be supposed which yet it cannot with any pretence of Reason that in the foregoing discourse the Apostle had excluded only the Works of the Law as absolutely perfect or as wrought in our own strength without the aid of Grace or as meritorious yet having generally excluded all Works from our Justification Ver. 20. Without distinction or limitation it might well be expected and ought to have been so that upon the full Declaration which he gives us of the nature and way of our Justification in all the causes of it he should have assigned the place and consideration which our own personal Righteousness had in our Justification before God the first or second or continuation of it somewhat or other or at least made some mention of it under the qualification of gracious sincere or Evangelical that it might not seem to be absolutely excluded It is plain the Apostle thought of no such thing nor was at all solicitous about any reflection that might be made on his Doctrine as though it overthrew the necessity of our own obedience Take in the consideration of the Apostles design with the circumstances of the context and the Argument from his utter silence about our own personal Righteousness in our Justification before God is unanswerable But this is not all we shall find in our progress that it is expresly and directly excluded by him All unprejudiced persons must needs think that no words could be used more express and emphatical to secure the whole of our Justification unto the Freegrace of God through the Blood or Mediation of Christ wherein it is Faith alone that gives us an interest than these used here by the Apostle And for my part I shall only say that I know not how to express my self in this matter in words and terms more express or significant of the conception of my mind And if we could all but subscribe the answer here given by the Apostle how by what means on what grounds or by what causes are we justified before God namely that we are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood c. There might be an end of this Controversie But the principal passages of this Testimony must be distinctly considered 1. The principal efficient cause is first expressed with a peculiar emphasis or the causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being justified freely by his Grace God is the principal efficient cause of our Justification and his Grace is the only moving cause thereof I shall not stay upon the exception of those of the Roman Church namely that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which their Translation renders per gratiam Dei the internal inherent Grace of God which they make the formal cause of Justification is intended For they have nothing to prove it but that which overthrows it namely that it is added unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely which were needless if it signifie the Free-grace or Favor of God For both these expressions gratis per gratiam freely by Grace are put together to give the greater emphasis unto this assertion wherein the whole of our Justification is vendicated unto the Free-grace of God So far as they are distinguishable the one denotes the principle from whence our Justification proceeds namely Grace and the other the manner of its operation it works freely Besides the Grace of God in this subject doth every where constantly signifie his goodness love and favor as hath been undeniably proved by many See Rom.
5.15 Eph. 2.4 8 9. 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 3.4 5. Being justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the LXX render the Hebrew particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without price without merit without cause and sometimes it is used for without end that is what is done in vain as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used by the Apostle Gal. 2.21 without price or reward Gen. 29.15 Exod. 21.22 2 Kings 24.25 without cause or merit or any means of procurement 1 Sam. 19.5 2 Sam. 24.24 Psal. 69.4 Psal. 102. In this sense it is rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 15.25 The design of the word is to exclude all consideration of any thing in us that should be the cause or condition of our justification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 favour absolutely considered may have respect unto somewhat in him towards whom it is shewed so it is said that Joseph found grace or favour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the eyes of Potiphar Gen. 29.4 but he found it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any consideration or cause for he saw that the Lord was with him and made all that he did to prosper in his hand v. 3. But no words can be found out to free our justification before God from all respect unto any thing in our selves but only what is added expresly as the means of its participation on our part through faith in his blood more emphatical than these here used by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely by his grace And with whom this is not admitted as exclusive of all Works or Obedience of our own of all conditions preparations and merit I shall despair of ever expressing my conceptions about it intelligibly unto them Having asserted this Righteousness of God as the cause and means of our justification before him in opposition unto all Righteousness of our own and declared the cause of the communication of it unto us on the part of God to be meer free Sovereign grace the means on our part whereby according unto the ordination of God we do receive or are really made partakers of that Righteousness of God whereon we are justified is by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by faith alone Nothing else is proposed nothing else required unto this end It is replied that there is no intimation that is by faith alone or that Faith is asserted to be the means of our Justification exclusively unto other Graces or Works But there is such an exclusion directly included in the description given of that faith whereby we are justified with respect unto its especial object by faith in his blood For Faith respecting the blood of Christ as that whereby propitiation was made for Sin in which respect alone the Apostle affirms that we are justified through faith admits of no association with any other Graces or Duties Neither is it any part of their nature to fix on the blood of Christ for Justification before God wherefore they are all here directly excluded And those who think otherwise may try how they can introduce them into this context without an evident corrupting of it and perverting of its sense Neither will the other evasion yield our Adversaries the least relief namely that by faith not the single grace of Faith is intended but the whole obedience required in the new Covenant Faith and Works together For as all works whatever as our works are excluded in the declaration of the causes of our Justification on the part of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely by his grace by vertue of that great Rule Rom. 11.6 If it be of grace then no more of works otherwise Grace is no more Grace so the determination of the object of faith in its act or duty whereon we are justified namely the blood of Christ is absolutely exclusive of all Works from an interest in that duty For whatever looks unto the blood of Christ for Justification is faith and nothing else And as for the calling of it a single act or duty I refer the Reader unto our preceding discourse about the nature of justifying Faith Three things the Apostle inferreth from the declaration he had made of the Nature and Causes of our Justification before God all of them further illustrating the meaning and sense of his words 1. That Boasting is excluded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 27. Apparent it is from hence and from what he affirms concerning Abraham Chap. 4. v. 2. that a great part at least of the controversie he had about Justification was whether it did admit of any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in those that were justified And it is known that the Jews placed all their Hopes in those things whereof they thought they could boast namely their Priviledges and their Righteousness But from the declaration made of the Nature and Causes of Justification the Apostle infers that all Boasting whatever is utterly shut out of doors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boasting in our language is the name of a vice and is never used in a good sense But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words used by the Apostle are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of an indifferent signification and as they are applied may denote a Vertue as well as a Vice So they do Heb. 3.6 But alwayes and in all places they respect something that is peculiar in or unto them unto whom they are ascribed Wherever any thing is ascribed unto one and not unto another with respect unto any good end there is fundamentum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foundation for boasting All this saith the Apostle in the matter of our Justification is utterly excluded But wherever respect is had unto any condition or qualification in one more than another especially if it be of works it giveth a ground of boasting as he affirms Chap. 4.2 And it appears from comparing that verse with this that wherever there is any influence of our own works into our Justification there is a ground of boasting but in Evangelical Justification no such boasting in any kind can be admitted Wherefore there is no place for Works in our Justification before God for if there were it is impossible but that a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one kind or other before God or man must be admitted 2. He infers a general conclusion that a man is justified by Faith without the Works of the Law v. 28. What is meant by the Law and what by the Works of the Law in this discourse of the Apostle about our Justification hath been before declared And if we are justified freely through Faith in the Blood of Christ that Faith which hath the Propitiation of Christ for its especial Object or as it hath so can take no other Grace nor Duty into Partnership with it self therein and being so justified as that all such boasting is excluded as necessarily exults from any differencing Graces or Works in our selves wherein all the
in every word And those other redoubled expressions all loss for him that I may win him that I may be found in him that I may know him all argue the working of his affections under the Conduct of Faith and Truth unto an acquiescency in Christ alone as all and in all Somewhat of this frame of mind is necessary unto them that would believe his Doctrine Those who are utter strangers unto the one will never receive the other 2. In his expression of all other other things that are our own that are not Christ whether Priviledges or Duties however good useful excellent they may be in themselves yet in Comparison of Christ and his Righteousness and with respect unto the end of our standing before God and acceptance with him with the same vehemency of Spirit he casts contempt upon calling them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dogs meat to be left for them whom he calleth Dogs that is evil Workers of the Concision or the wicked Jews who adhered pertinaciously unto the Righteousness of the Law v. 2. This account of the earnestness of the Apostle in this Argument and the warmth of his Expressions I thought meet to give as that which gives light into the whole of his design 6. The question being thus stated the enquiry is what any person who desires acceptance with God or a Righteousness whereon he may be justified before him ought to betake himself unto One of the ways proposed he must close with all Either he must comply with the Apostle in his Resolution to reject all his own Righteousness and to betake himself unto the Righteousness of God which is by Faith in Christ Jesus alone or find out for himself or get some to find out for him some exceptions unto the Apostles conclusion or some distinctions that may prepare a reserve for his own works one way or other in his justification before God Here every one must chuse for himself In the mean time we thus argue If our own Righteousness and the Righteousness which is of God by Faith or that which is through the Faith of Christ Jesus namely the Righteousness which God imputeth unto us Rom. 4.6 Or the abundance of Grace and the gift of Righteousness thereby which we receive Rom. 5.17 are opposite and inconsistent in the Work of Justification before God then are we justified by Faith alone through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto us The consequence is plain from the removal of all other ways causes means and conditions of it as inconsistent with it But the antecedent is expresly the Apostles Not my own but that of God Again That whereby and wherewith we are found in Christ is that whereby alone we are justified before God for to be found in Christ expresseth the state of the person that is to be justified before God Whereunto is opposed to be found in our selves And according unto these different states doth the judgment of God pass concerning us And as for those who are found in themselves we know what will be their portion But in Christ we are found by Faith alone All manner of evasions are made use of by some to escape the force of this Testimony It is said in general That no sober minded Man can imagine the Apostle did not desire to be found in Gospel Righteousness or That by his own Righteousness he meant that For it is that alone can intitle us unto the Benefits of Christs Righteousness Nollem Dictum 1. The censure is too severe to be cast on all Protestant Writers without exception who have expounded this place of the Apostle and all others except some few of late influenced by the heat of the Controversie wherein they are ingaged 2. If the Gospel Righteousness intended be his own Personal Righteousness and Obedience there is some want of consideration in affirming That he did not desire to be found in it That wherein we are found thereon are we to be judged to be found in our own Evangelical Righteousness before God is to enter into judgment with God thereon which those who understand any thing aright of God and themselves will not be free unto And to make this to be the meaning of his words I desire not to be found in my own Righteousness which is after the Law but I desire to be found in mine own Righteousness which is according to the Gospel whereas as they are his own inherent Righteousness they are both the same doth not seem a proper interpretation of his words and it shall be immediately disproved 3. That our Personal Gospel Righteousness doth intitle us unto the Benefits of Christs Righteousness that is as unto our Justification before God is gratis dictum not one Testimony of Scripture can be produced that gives the least countenance unto such an assertion That it is contrary unto many express Testimonies and inconsistent with the freedom of the Grace of God in our Justification as proposed in the Scripture hath been proved before Nor do any of the places which assert the necessity of obedience and good Works in Believers that is Justified Persons unto Salvation any way belong unto the Proof of this Assertion or in the least express or intimate any such thing And in particular the Assertion of it is expresly contradictory unto that of the Apostle Tit. 3.4 5. But I forbear and proceed to the consideration of the special answers that are given unto this testimony especially those of Bellarmine whereunto I have as yet seen nothing added with any pretence of Reason in it 1. Some say that by his own Righteousness which the Apostle rejects he intends only his Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by the Works of the Law But this was only an outward external Righteousness consisting in the observation of Rites and Ceremonies without respect unto the inward frame or obedience of the heart But this is an impious imagination The Righteousness which is by the Law is the Righteousness which the Law requires and those works of it which if a Man do he shall live in them for the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.16 Neither did God ever give any Law of Obedience unto Man but what obliged him to love the Lord his God with all his heart and all his soul. And it is so far from being true That God by the Law required an external Righteousness only that he frequently condemns it as an abomination to him where it is alone 2. Others say that it is the Righteousness whatever it be which he had during his Pharisaism And although he should be allowed in that state to have lived in all good Conscience instantly to have served God day and night and to have had respect as well unto the internal as the external Works of the Law yet all these Works being before Faith before Conversion to God may be and are to be rejected as unto any concurrence unto our Justification But Works wrought in Faith
believe in answer unto the commands of the Gospel and not to be thereon in the same instant of time absolutely justified is not to dispute about any point of Religion but plainly to deny the whole truth of the Gospel But it is Faith alone that gives power and efficacy unto Gospel Commands effectually to influence the Soul unto Obedience Wherefore this Obligation is more powerfully constraining as they are given unto those that are justified then if they were given them in order unto their Justification Secondly The Apostle answers as we do also Do we then make void the Law through Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law For although the Law is principally established in and by the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ Rom. 8.3 4. Chap. 10.3 4. Yet is it not by the Doctrine of Faith and the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto the Justification of life made void as unto Believers Neither of these do exempt them from that Obligation unto universal Obedience which is prescribed in the Law They are still obliged by vertue thereof to love the Lord their God with all their Hearts and their Neighbours as themselves They are indeed freed from the Law and all its commands unto Duty as it abides in its first consideration Do this and live the opposite whereunto is Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them For he that is under the Obligation of the Law in order unto Justification and Life falls inevitably under the Curse of it upon the supposition of any one Transgression But we are made free to give Obedience unto it on Gospel motives and for Gospel ends as the Apostle declares at large Rom. 6. And the Obligation of it is such unto all Believers as that the least Transgression of it hath the nature of sin But are they hereon bound over by the Law unto everlasting punishment or as some phrase it will God damn them that Transgress the Law without which all this is nothing I ask again what they think hereof And upon a supposition that he will do so what they further think will become of themselves For my part I say no even as the Apostle saith There is no condemnation unto them that are in Christ Jesus Where then they will say is the necessity of Obedience from the Obligation of the Law if God will not damn them that Transgress it And I say it were well if some men did understand what they say in these things or would learn for a while at least to hold their peace The Law equally requires Obedience in all instances of Duty if it require any at all As unto its Obligatory power it is capable neither of Dispensation nor Relaxation so long as the essential differences of good and evil do remain If then none can be obliged unto Duty by vertue of its commands but that they must on every Transgression fall under its curse either it obligeth no one at all or no one can be saved But although we are freed from the Curse and condemning power of the Law by him who hath made an end of sin and brought in everlasting Righteousness yet whilest we are viatores in order unto the accomplishment of Gods design for the Restauration of his Image in us we are obliged to endeavour after all that Holiness and Righteousness which the Law requires of us Thirdly The Apostle answereth this Objection by discovering the necessary Relation that Faith hath unto the Death of Christ the grace of God with the nature of Sanctification excellency use and advantage of Gospel Holiness and the end of it in Gods appointment This he doth at large in the whole Sixth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans and that with this immediate design to shew the consistency of Justification by Faith alone with the necessity of personal Righteousness and Holiness The due pleading of these things would require a just and full Exposition of that Chapter wherein the Apostle hath comprized the chief springs and reasons of Evangelical Obedience I shall only say that those unto whom the reasons of it and motives unto it therein expressed which are all of them compliant with the Doctrine of Justification by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ are not effectual unto their own personal Obedience and do not demonstrate an indispensible necessity of it are so unacquainted with the Gospel the nature of Faith the genius and inclination of the new Creature for let men scoff on whilest they please he that is in Christ Jesus is a new Creature the constraining efficacy of the grace of God and love of Christ of the Oeconomy of God in the disposition of the causes and means of our Salvation as I shall never trouble my self to contend with them about these things Sundry other considerations I thought to have added unto the same purpose And to have shewed 1 That to prove the necessity of inherent Righteousness and Holiness we make use of the Arguments which are suggested unto us in the Scripture 2 That we make use of all of them in the sense wherein and unto the ends for which they are urged therein in perfect compliance with what we teach concerning Justification 3 That all the pretended Arguments or motives for and unto Evangelical Holiness which are inconsistent with the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ do indeed obstruct it and evert it 4 That the Holiness which we make necessary unto the Salvation of them that believe is of a more excellent sublime and Heavenly nature in its causes essence operations and effects than what is allowed or believed by the most of those by whom the Doctrine of Justification is opposed 5 That the Holiness and Righteousness which is pleaded for by the Socinians and those that follow them doth in nothing exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees nor upon their principles can any man go beyond them But whereas this Discourse hath already much exceeded my first intention and that as I said before I have already at large treated on the Doctrine of the nature and necessity of Evangelical Holiness I shall at present omit the further handling of these things and acquiesce in the answers given by the Apostle unto this Objection CHAP. XX. The Doctrine of the Apostle James concerning Faith and Works It s agreement with that of St. Paul THe seeming difference that is between the Apostle Paul and James in what they teach concerning Faith Works and Justification requires our consideration of it For many do take advantage from some words and expressions used by the later directly to oppose the Doctrine fully and plainly declared by the former But whatever is of that nature pretended hath been so satisfactorily already answered and removed by others as that there is no great need to treat of it again And although I suppose that there will not be an end of contending and writing in these causes
Justification Rom. 8.33 Isa. 43.25.45.23 Psal. 145.2 Rom. 3.20 What thoughts will be ingenerated hereby in the minds of Men. Isai. 33.14 Mic. 6.7 Isa. 6.5 The Plea of Job against his friends and before God not the same Job 40.3 4 5. Chap. 42.4 5 6. Directions for visiting the sick given of old Testimonies of Jerome and Ambrose Sense of Men in their Prayers Dan. 9.7 18. Psal. 143.2.130.3 4. Paraphrase of Austine on that place Prayer of Pelagius Publick Liturgies Pag. 8. § 3. A due sense of our Apostasie from God the Depravation of our Nature thereby with the power and guilt of Sin the holiness of Law necessary unto a right understanding of the Doctrine of Justification Method of the Apostle to this purpose Romans 1 2 3 4. Chap. Grounds of the antient and present Pelagianism in the denial of these things Instances thereof Boasting of Perfection from the same Ground Knowledge of Sin and Grace mutually promote each other Pag. 18. § 4. Opposition between Works and Grace as unto Justification Method of the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans to manifest this opposition A Scheam of others contrary thereunto Testimonies witnessing this opposition Judgment to be made on them Distinctions whereby they are evaded The uselessness of them Resolution of the case in hand by Bellarmine Luk. 17.10 Dan. 9.18 Pag. 24. § 5. A Commutation as unto Sin and Righteousness by Imputation between Christ and Believers represented in the Scripture The Ordinance of the Scape Goat Levit. 16.21 22. The nature of Expiatory Sacrifices Levit. 4.29 Expiation of an uncertain Murther Deut. 21.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. The Commutation intended proved and vindicated Isa. 53.5 6. 2 Cor. 5.21 Rom. 8.3 4. Gal. 3.13 14. 1 Pet. 1.24 Deut. 21.23 Testimonies of Justin Martyr Gregory Nissen Austine Chrysostome Bernard Taulerus Pighius to that purpose The proper actings of Faith with respect thereunto Rom. 5.11 Matth. 11.28 Psa. 38.4 Gen. 4.13 Isa. 53.11 Gal. 3.1 Isa. 45.22 Joh. 3.14 15. A bold Calumny answered Pag. 38 39. § 6. Introduction of Grace by Jesus Christ into the whole of our Relation unto God and its respect unto all the parts of our Obedience No Mystery of Grace in the Covenant of Works All Religion originally commensurate unto Reason No notions of Natural Light concerning the Introduction of the Mediation of Christ and Mystery of Grace into our Relation to God Eph. 1.17 18 19. Reason as corrupted can have no notions of Religion but what are derived from its primitive state Hence the Mysteries of the Gospel esteemed folly Reason as corrupted repugnant unto the Mystery of Gâ—â—â—e Accommodation of Spiritual Mysteries unto Corrupt Reason wherefore acceptable unto many Reasons of it Two parts of corrupted Natures repugnancy unto the Mystery of the Gospel 1. That which would reduce it unto the private Reason of Men. Thence the Trinity denied And the Incarnation of the Son of God Without which the Doctrine of Justification cannot stand Rule of the Socinians in the Interpretation of the Scripture 2. Want of a due comprehension of the Harmony that is between all the parts of the Mystery of Grace This Harmomy proved Compared with the Harmony in the Works of Nature To be studied But is learned only of them who are taught of God and in experience Evil events of the want of a due comprehension hereof Instances of them All applied unto the Doctrine of Justification Pag. 53. § 7. General prejudices against the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ. 1. That it is not in Terms found in the Scripture answered 2. That nothing is said of it in the writings of the Evangelists answered Joh. 20.30 31. Nature of Christs Personal Ministery Revelations by the holy Spirit immediately from Christ. Design of the writings of the Evangelists 3. Differences among Protestants themselves about this Doctrine answered Sense of the Antients herein What is of real Difference among Protestants considered Pag. 69. § 8. Influence of the Doctrine of Justification into the first Reformation Advantages unto the World by that Reformation State of the Consciences of Men under the Papacy with respect unto Justification before God Alterations made therein by the Light of this Doctrine though not received Alterations in the Pagan unbelieving World by the Introduction of Christianity Design and success of the first Reformer herein Attempts for Reconciliation with the Papists in this Doctrine and their success Remainders of the â—gnorance of the Truth in the Roman Church Vnavoidable consequences of the corruption of this Doctrine Pag. 83. CHAP. I. JVstification by Faith generally acknowledged The meaning of it perverted The nature and use of Faith in Justification proposed to consideration Distinctions about it waved A twofold Faith of the Gospel expressed in the Scripture Faith that is not justifying Acts 8.13 Joh. 2.23 24. Luk. 8.13 Matth. 22.28 Historical Faith whence it is so called and the nature of it Degrees of Assent in it Justification not ascribed unto any Degree of it A Calumny obviated The causes of true saving Faith Conviction of Sin previous unto it The nature of legal Conviction and its Effects Arguments to prove it antecedent unto Faith Without the consideration of it the true nature of Faith not to be understood The Order and Relation of the Law and Gospel Rom. 1.17 Instance of Adam Effects of Conviction internal Displicency and sorrow Fear of punishment Desire of Deliverance External Abstinence from Sin Performance of Duties Reformation of Life Not conditions of Justification not Formal Dispositions unto it not Moral Preparations for it The Order of God in Justification The proper object of justifying Faith Not all Divine Verity equally proved by sundry Arguments The pardon of our own sins whether the first object of Faith The Lord Christ in the Work of Mediation as the Ordinance of God for the Recovery of lost Sinners the proper object of justifying Faith The Position explained and proved Rom. 3.24 25. Ephes. 1.6 7 8. Acts 10.41 Chap. 16.13 Chap. 4.12 Luk. 24.25 26 27. Joh. 1.12.3.16 36.6.29.7.38 c. Col. 2.12 1 Cor. 2.1 31. 2 Cor. 5.19 20 21. Pag. 92 93 c. CHAP. II. The nature of justifying Faith in particular or of Faith in that exercise of it whereby we are justified The Hearts approbation of the way of the Justification and Salvation of Sinners by Christ with its acquiescency therein The description given explained and confirmed 1. From the nature of the Gospel 2. Exemplified in its contrary or the nature of unbelief Prov. 1.30 Heb. 2.3 1 Pet. 2.7 1 Cor. 1.23 24. 2 Cor. 4.3 4. What it is and wherein it doth consist 3. The Design of God in and by the Gospel His own Glory his utmost End in all things The Glory of his Righteousness Grace Love Wisdom c. The end of God in the Way of the Salvation of Sinners by Christ. Rom. 3.25 Joh. 3.16 1 Joh. 3.16 Eph. 1.5 6. 1 Cor. 1.24 Ephes. 3.10 Rom. 1.16.4.16 Ephes.
3.9 2 Cor. 4.6 The nature of Faith thence declared Faith alone ascribes and gives this glory to God Order of the Acts of Faith or the method in believing Convictions previous thereunto Sincere assent unto all Divine Revelations Acts 26.27 The Proposal of the Gospel unto that end Rom. 10.11 12 13 c. 2 Cor. 3.18 State of Persons called to believe Justifying Faith doth not consist in any one single habit or act of the Mind or Will The nature of that assent which is the first Act of Faith Approbation of the Way of Salvation by Christ comprehensive of the special nature of justifying Faith What is included therein 1. A Renuntiation of all other ways Hos. 14.2 3. Jer. 3.23 Psal. 7.16 Rom. 10.3 2. Consent of the Will unto this Way Joh. 14.6 3. Acquiescency of the Heart in God 1 Pet. 1.21 Trust in God Faith described by Trust the Reason of it Nature and Object of this Trust inquired into A double consideration of special Mercy Whether Obedience be included in the nature of Faith or be of the essence of it A sincere purpose of Vniversal Obedience inseparable from Faith How Faith alone justifieth Repentance how required in and unto Justification How a condition of the New Covenant Perseverance in Obedience is so also Definitions of Faith Pag. 125. CHAP. III. Vse of Faith in Justification various Conceptions about it By whom asserted as the Instrument of it by whom denied In what sense it is affirmed so to be The expressions of the Scripture concerning the use of Faith in Justification what they are and how they are best explained By an Instrumental Cause Faith how the Instrument of God in Justification How the Instrument of them that do believe The use of Faith expressed in the Scripture by apprehending receiving declared by an Instrument Faith in what sense the condition of our Justification Signification of that Term whence to be Learned Pag. 146. CHAP. IV. The proper sense of these words Justification and to justifie considered Necessity thereof Latine derivation of Justification Some of the Antients deceived by it From Jus and Justum Justus filius who The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vse and signification of it Places where it is used examined 2 Sam. 15.4 Deut. 21.5 Prov. 17.15 Isa. 5.23 Chap. 50.8 1 King 8.31 32. 2 Chro. 6.22 23. Psal. 82.3 Exod. 23.7 Isa. 53.11 Jere. 44.16 Dan. 12.3 The constant sense of the word evinced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vse of it in other Authors to punish What it is in the New Testament Matth. 11.19 Chap. 12.37 Luk. 7.29 Chap. 10.29 Chap. 16.15 Chap. 18.14 Acts 13.38 39. Rom. 2.13 Chap. 3.4 Constantly used in a forensick sense Places seeming dubious vindicated Rom. 8.30 1 Cor. 6.11 Tit. 3.5 6 7. Revel 22.11 How often these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are used in the New Testament Constant sense of this The same evinced from what is opposed unto it Isa. 50.8 Prov. 17.15 Rom. 5.16 18. Rom. 8.33 34. And the Declaration of it in Terms equivalent Rom. 4.6 7. Rom. 5.9 10. 2 Cor. 5.20 21. Matth. 1.21 Acts 13.39 Gal. 2.16 c. Justification in the Scripture proposed under a Juridical Scheam and of a forensick Title The Parts and Progress of it Instances from the whole Pag. 169. c. CHAP. V. Distinction of a First and Second Justification The whole Doctrine of the Roman Church concerning Justification grounded on this Distinction The First Justification the nature and causes of it according unto the Romanists The Second Justification what it is in their sense Solution of the seeming Difference between Paul and James falsly pretended by this Distinction The same Distinction received by the Socinians and others The latter termed by some the continuation of our Justification The Distinction disproved Justification considered either as unto its Essence or its Manifestation The Manifestation of it twofold initial and final Initial is either unto our selves or others No Second Justification hence insues Justification before God Legal and Evangelical Their distinct natures The Distinction mentioned derogatory to the Merit of Christ. More in it ascribed unto our selves then unto the Blood of Christ in our Justification The vanity of Disputations to this purpose All true Justification everthrown by this Distinction No countenance given unto this Justification in the Scripture The Second Justification not intended by the Apostle James Evil of Arbitrary Distinctions Our First Justification so described in the Scripture as to leave no room for a Second Of the Continuation of our Justification Whether it depend on Faith alone or our Personal Righteousness inquired Justification at once compleated in all Causes and Effects of it proved at large Believers upon their Justification obliged unto perfect Obedience The commanding Power of the Law constitutes the nature of Sin in them who are not obnoxious unto its curse Future Sins in what sense remitted at our First Justification The Continuation of Actual Pardon and thereby of a justified Estate on what it doth depend Continuation of Justification the act of God whereon it depends in that sense On our part it depends on Faith alone Nothing required hereunto but the Application of Righteousness imputed The Continuation of our Justification is before God That whereon the Continuation of our Justification depends pleadable before God This not our Personal Obedience proved 1. By the experience of all Believers 2. Testimonies of Scripture 3. Examples The Distinction mentioned rejected Pag. 189. CHAP. VI. Evangelical Personal Righteousness the nature and use of it Whether there be an Evangelical Justification on our Evangelical Righteousness inquired into How this is by some affirmed and applauded Evangelical Personal Righteousness asserted as the condition of our Legal Righteousness or the Pardon of Sin Opinion of the Socinians Personal Righteousness required in the Gospel Believers hence denominated Righteous Not with respect unto Righteousness habitual but actual only Inherent Righteousness the same with Sanctification or Holiness In what sense we may be said to be justified by Inherent Righteousness No Evangelical Justification on our Personal Righteousness The Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ doth not depend thereon None have this Righteousness but they are untecedently justified A charge before God in all Justification before God The Instrument of this charge the Law or the Gospel From neither of them can we be justified by this Personal Righteousness The Justification pretended needless and useless It hath not the nature of any Justification mentioned in the Scripture but is contrary to all that is so called Other Arguments to the same purpose Sentential Justification at the last day Nature of the last Judgment Who shall be then justified A Declaration of Righteousness and an Actual Admission unto Glory the whole of Justification at the last day The Argument that we are justified in this life in the same manner and on the same Grounds as we shall be judged at the last day
the Apostle liable to be abused Answers of the Apostle unto this Objection He never once attempts to answer it by declaring the necessity of Personal Righteousness or good Works unto Justification before God He confines the cogency of Evangelical Motives unto Obedience only unto Believers Grounds of Evangelical Holiness asserted by him in compliance with his Doctrine of Justification 1. Divine Ordination Exceptions unto this Ground removed 2. Answer of the Apostle vindicated The Obligation of the Law unto Obedience Nature of it and consistency with Grace This Answer of the Apostle vindicated Heads of other Principles that might be pleaded to the same purpose Pag. 539. CHAP. XX. Seeming Difference no real contradiction between the Apostles Paul and James concerning Justification This granted by all Reasons of the seeming Difference The best Rule of the Interpretation of places of Scripture wherein there is an appearing repugnancy The Doctrine of Justification according unto that Rule principally to be learned from the Writings of Paul The Reasons of his fulness and accuracy in the teaching of that Doctrine The Importance of the Truth the opposition made unto it and abuse of it The design of the Apostle James Exceptions of some against the Writings of S. Paul scandalous and unreasonable Not in this matter to be interpreted by the passage in James insisted on Chap. 2. That there is no repugnancy between the Doctrine of the two Apostles demonstrated Heads and Grounds of the Demonstration Their scope design and end not the same That of Paul the only case stated and determined by him The designs of the Apostle James the case proposed by him quite of another nature The occasion of the case proposed and stated him No appearance of difference between the Apostles because of the several cases they speak unto Not the same Faith intended by them Description of the Faith spoken of by the one and the other Bellarmines Arguments to prove true justifying Faith to be intended by James answered Justification not treated of by the Apostles in the same manner nor used in the same sense nor to the same end The one treats of Justification as unto its nature and causes the other as unto its signs and evidence proved by the instances insisted on Pag. 557. How the Scripture was fulfilled that Abraham believed in God and it was counted unto him for Righteousness when he offered his Son on the Altar Works the same and of the same kind in both the Apostles Observations on the Discourse of James No Conjunction made by him between Faith and Works in our Justification but an opposition No distinction of a First and Second Justification in him Justification ascribed by him wholly unto Works in what sense Does not determine how a sinner may be justified before God but how a Professor may evidence himself so to be The Context opened from Ver. 14. to the end of the Chapter Pag. 569. Some of the Mistakes that have escaped in the Press may be thus corrected PAg. 10. Line 2. a fine read other p. 11. l. 24. none r. nothing p. 41. l. 30. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 42. l. 22. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 53. l. 6. r. this Author l. 25. man r. men l. 26. them p. 64. l. 4. a fine that it is p. 71. l. 21. and r. add p. 72. l. 12. r. For an p. 172. l. 17. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l 28. Hithpaol p. 174. l. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 175. l. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 176. l. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 4. a fine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 3. a fine affects p. 180. l. 22. vocation that is intended p. 199. l. 1. which was r. whereas p. 208.23 such r. Faith p. 234. l. 2. dele 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 266. l. 8. Curcellaeus p. 283. l. 23. suffered r. offered p. 311. l. 30. of him p. 362. l. 11. r. as if we p. 392. l. 20. r. more colour p. 412. l. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 436. l. 2. a fine r. other men p. 444. l. 10. proofs r. process p. 465. l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sundry other literal Mistakes and Mispointings are referred unto the candor of the Reader which I chuse rather than to trouble many with the rehearsal of what it may be few will take notice of General Considerations previously necessary unto the Explanation of the Doctrine of Justification THat we may treat of the Doctrine of Justification usefully unto its proper Ends which are the Glory of God in Christ with the peace and furtherance of the Obedience of Believers some things are previously to be considered which we must have respect unto in the whole process of our Discourse And among others that might be insisted on to the same purpose these that ensue are not to be omitted 1. The first Enquiry in this matter in a way of Duty is after the proper Relief of the Conscience of a sinner pressed and perplexed with a sense of the Guilt of sin For Justification is the way and means whereby such a person doth obtain acceptance before God with a Right and Title unto an heavenly Inheritance And nothing is pleadable in this cause but what a man would speak unto his own Conscience in that state or unto the Conscience of another when he is anxious under that Enquiry Wherefore The Person under consideration that is who is to be Justified is one who in himself is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4.5 Vngodly and thereon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 3.19 guilty before God that is obnoxious subject liable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 1.32 to the righteous sentential Judgment of God that he who committeth sin who is in any way guilty of it is worthy of Death Hereupon such a person finds himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3.10 under the curse and the wrath of God therein abiding on him Joh. 3.18 36. In this condition he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without plea without excuse by any thing in and from himself for his own relief His mouth is stopped Rom. 3.19 For he is in the Judgment of God declared in the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3.22 every way shut up under sin and all the consequents of it Many Evils in this condition are men subject unto which may be reduced unto those two of our first Parents wherein they were represented For first they thought foolishly to hide themselves from God and then more foolishly would have charged him as the cause of their sin And such naturally are the thoughts of men under their convictions But whoever is the subject of the Justification enquired after is by various means brought into his
justified in his sight Whence the Prophet says in the Psalm If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity who should stand And Ambrose to the same purpose Nemo ergo sibi arroget nemo de meritis glorietur nemo de potestate se jactet omnes speremus per Dominum Jesum misericordiam invenire quoniam omnes ante Tribunal ejus stabimus de illo veniam de illo indulgentiam postulabo quaenam spes alia peccatoribus in Psal. 119. Resh Let no man arrogate any thing unto himself let no man glory in his own merits or good deeds let no man boast of his power let us all hope to find mercy by Lord Jesus for we shall all stand before his Judgment-seat Of him will I beg pardon of him will I desire Indulgence what other hope is there for sinners Wherefore if men will be turned off from a continual regard unto the Greatness Holiness and Majesty of God by their Inventions in the Heat of Disputation if they do forget a Reverential Consideration of what will become them and what they may betake themselves unto when they stand before his Tribunal they may ingage into such apprehensions as they dare not abide by in their own personal Trial. For how shall man be just with God Hence it hath been observed that the School-men themselves in their Meditations and Devotional writings wherein they had immediate thoughts of God with whom they had to do did speak quite another Language as to Justification before God then they do in their wrangling Philosophical fiery Disputes about it And I had rather learn what some men really judge about their own Justification from their prayers then their writings Nor do I remember that I did ever hear any good man in his prayers use any expressions about Justification pardon of sin and Righteousness before God wherein any plea from any thing in our selves was introduced or made use of The Prayer of Daniel hath in this matter been the substance of their Supplications O Lord Righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces we do not present our Supplications before thee for our own Righteousness but for thy great mercies O Lord hear O Lord forgive for thine own sake O my God Dan. 9.7 18 19. Or that of the Psalmist Enter not into Judgement with thy servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal. 143.2 Or If thou Lord mark Iniquity Lord who shall stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared Psal. 130. 2 3 4. On which words the Exposition of Austin is remarkable speaking of David and applying it unto himself Ecce clamat sub molibus iniquitatum suarum Circumspexit se circumspexit vitam suam vidit illam undique flagitiis coopertam quacunque respexit nihil in se boni invenit Et cum tanta tam multa peccata undique videret tanquam expavescens exclamavit si iniquitates observaris Domine quis sustinebit vidit enim prope totam vitam humanam circumlatrari peccatis accusari omnes conscientias cogitationibus suis non inveniri Cor Castum praesumens de justitia quod quia inveniri non potest praesumat ergo omnium Cor de misericordia Domini Dei sui dicat Deo si iniquitates observaris Domine Domine quis sustinebit Quae autem est spes quoniam apud te propitiatio est And whereas we may and ought to represent unto God in our Supplications our Faith or what it is that we believe herein I much question whether some men can find in their hearts to pray over and plead before him all the Arguments and Distinctions they make use of to prove the interest of our Works and Obedience in our Justification before him or enter into Judgement with him upon the conclusions which they make from them Nor will many be satisfied to make use of that Prayer which Pelagius taught the Widow as it was objected to him in the Diaspolitan Synod Tu nosti Domine quam sanctae quam innocentes quam purae ab omni fraude rapina quas ad te expando manus quam justa quam immaculata labia ab omni mendacio libera quibus tibi ut mihi miserearis preces fundo Thou knowest O Lord how holy how innocent how pure from all deceit and rapine are the hands which I stretch forth unto thee how just how unspotted with evil how free from lying are those lips wherewith I pour forth prayers unto thee that thou wouldst have mercy on me And yet although he taught her so to plead her own purity innocency and righteousness before God yet he doth it not as those whereon she might be absolutely justified but only as the condition of her obtaining mercy Nor have I observed that any publick Liturgies the Mass-Book only excepted wherein there is a frequent recourse unto the merits and intercession of Saints do guide men in their prayers before God to plead any thing for their acceptance with him or as the means or condition thereof but Grace Mercy the Righteousness and Blood of Christ alone Wherefore I cannot but judge it best others may think of it as they please for those who would teach or learn the Doctrine of Justification in a due manner to place their Consciences in the presence of God and their Persons before his Tribunal and then upon a due consideration of his Greatness Power Majesty Righteousness Holiness of the terrour of his Glory and Soveraign Authority to enquire what the Scripture and a sense of their own Condition directs them unto as their Relief and Refuge and what Plea it becomes them to make for themselves Secret thoughts of God and our selves retired meditations the conduct of the spirit in humble supplications Death-bed preparations for an immediate appearance before God Faith and Love in exercise on Christ speak other things for the most part then many contend for 3. A clear apprehension and due sense of the Greatness of our Apostasie from God of the Depravation of our Natures thereby of the Power and Guilt of Sin of the Holiness and Severity of the Law are necessary unto a right apprehension of the Doctrine of Justification Therefore unto the Declaration of it doth the Apostle premise a large Discourse throughly to convince the minds of all that seek to be justified with a sense of these things Rom. 1.2 3. The Rules which he hath given us the Method which he prescribeth and the Ends which he designeth are those which we shall chuse to follow And He layeth it down in general That the Righteoussness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith and that the Just shall live by Faith chap. 1.17 But he declares not in particular the causes nature and way of our Justification until he hath fully evinced that all men are shut up under this state of sin and manifested how deplorable their Condition is thereby And in the Ignorance of these things in the
and unsuited unto the Genius of the present Age. For they all of them arise from or lead unto the want of a due sence of the Nature and Guilt of sin as also of the Holiness and Righteousness of God with respect thereunto And when such principles as these do once grow prevalent in the minds of men they quickly grow careless negligent secure in sinning and End for the most part in Atheism or a great Indifferency as unto all Religion and all the Duties thereof CHAP. I. Justifying Faith the Causes Object and Nature of it declared THe means of Justification on our part is Faith That we are justified by Faith is so frequently and so expresly affirmed in the Scripture as that it cannot directly and in terms by any be denied For whereas some begin by an excess of partiality which controversial Engagements and Provocations do encline them unto to affirm that our Justification is more frequently ascribed unto other things Graces or Duties than unto Faith it is to be passed by in silence and not contended about But yet also the Explanation which some others make of this general concession That we are justified by Faith doth as fully overthrow what is affirmed therein as if it were in terms rejected And it would more advantage the understandings of men if it were plainly refused upon its first proposal than to be lead about in a maze of Words and Distinctions unto its real Exclusion as is done both by the Romanists and Socinians At present we may take the Proposition as granted and only enquire into the true genuine sense and meaning of it That which first occurs unto our Consideration is Faith and that which doth concern it may be reduced unto two Heads 1 Its Nature 2 Its Vse in our Justification Of the Nature of Faith in general of the especial Nature of justifying Faith of its Characteristical Distinctions from that which is called Faith but is not justifying so many Discourses divers of them the effects of sound Judgment and good Experience are already extant as it is altogether needless to engage at large into a farther discussion of them However something must be spoken to declare in what sense we understand these things what is that Faith which we ascribe our Justification unto and what is its Vse therein The Distinctions that are usually made concerning Faith as it is a word of various significations I shall wholly pretermit not only as obvious and known but as not belonging unto our present Argument That which we are concerned in is That in the Scripture there is mention made plainly of a twofold Faith whereby men believe the Gospel For there is a Faith whereby we are justified which he who hath shall be assuredly saved which purifieth the heart and worketh by Love And there is a Faith or Believing which doth nothing of all this which who hath and hath no more is not justified nor can be saved Wherefore every Faith whereby men are said to believe is not justifying Thus it is said of Simon the Magician that he believed Act. 8.13 When he was in the Gall of Bitterness and bond of Iniquity and therefore did not believe with that Faith which purifieth the Heart Act. 15.9 And that many believed on the name of Jesus when they saw the Miracles that he did but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew what was in man Joh. 2.23 24. They did not believe on his Name as those do or with that kind of Faith who thereon receive power to become the Sons of God Joh. 1.12 And some when they hear the Word receive it with joy believing for a while but have no Root Luke 8.13 And Faith without a Root in the Heart will not justifie any For with the Heart Men believe unto Righteousness Rom. 10.10 So is it with them who shall cry Lord Lord at the last day we have prophesied in thy name whilst yet they were always workers of Iniquity Math. 7.22 23. This Faith is usually called Historical Faith But this Denomination is not taken from the Object of it as though it were only the History of the Scripture or the Historical things contained in it For it respects the whole Truth of the Word yea of the Promises of the Gospel as well as other things But it is so called from the nature of the Assent wherein it doth consist For it is such as we give unto Historical things that are credibly testified unto us And this Faith hath divers differences or degrees both in respect unto the Grounds or Reasons of it and also its Effects For as unto the first all Faith is an Assent upon Testimony and divine Faith is an Assent upon a divine Testimony According as this Testimony is received so are the Differences or Degrees of this Faith Some apprehend it on humane motives only and their credibility unto the Judgment of Reason and their Assent is a meer natural Act of their Understanding which is the lowest degree of this Historical Faith Some have their minds enabled unto it by spiritual Illumination making a discovery of the Evidences of Divine Truth whereon it is to be believed the Assent they give hereon is more firm and operative than that of the former sort Again It hath its Differences or Degrees with respect unto its Effects With some it doth no way or very little influence the Will or the Affections or work any Change in the lives of men So is it with them that profess they believe the Gospel and yet live in all manner of sins In this Degree it is called by the Apostle James a dead Faith and compared unto a dead Carkass without life or motion and is an Assent of the very same nature and kind with that which Devils are compelled to give And this Faith abounds in the World With others it hath an effectual work upon the Affections and that in many degrees also represented in the several sorts of Ground whereinto the Seed of the Word is cast and produceth many effects in their lives In the utmost improvement of it both as to the Evidence it proceeds from and the Effects it produceth it is usually called temporary Faith for it is neither permanent against all oppositions nor will bring any unto Eternal Rest. The name is taken from that Expression of our Saviour concerning him who believeth with this Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 13.21 This Faith I grant to be true in its kind and not meerly to be equivocally so called it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is so as unto the general nature of Faith but of the same special nature with justifying Faith it is not Justifying Faith is not an higher or the highest degree of this Faith but is of another kind or nature Wherefore sundry things may be observed concerning this Faith in the utmost improvement of it unto our present purpose As 1. This Faith with all the effects of it men
may have and not be justified and if they have not a Faith of another kind they cannot be justified For Justification is no where ascribed unto it yea it is affirmed by the Apostle James That none can be justified by it 2. It may produce great Effects in the Minds Affections and Lives of Men although not one of them that are peculiar unto justifying Faith Yet such they may be as that those in whom they are wrought may be and ought in the Judgment of Charity to be looked on as true Believers 3. This is that Faith which may be alone We are justified by Faith alone But we are not justified by that Faith which can be alone Alone respects its influence into our Justification not its nature and existence And we absolutely deny that we can be justified by that Faith which can be alone that is without a principle of spiritual Life and universal Obedience operative in all the works of it as Duty doth require These things I have observed only to obviate that Calumny and Reproach which some endeavour to fix on the Doctrine of Justification by Faith only through the Mediation of Christ. For those who assert it must be Solifidians Antinomians and I know not what such as oppose or deny the necessity of universal Obedience or Good Works Most of them who manage it cannot but know in their own Consciences that this Charge is false But this is the way of handling Controversies with many They can aver any thing that seems to advantage the cause they plead to the great scandal of Religion If by Solifidians they mean those who believe that Faith alone is on our part the Means Instrument or Condition of which afterwards of our Justification all the Prophets and Apostles were so and were so taught to be by Jesus Christ as shall be proved If they mean those who affirm that the Faith whereby we are justified is alone separate or separable from a principle and the fruit of Holy Obedience they must find them out themselves we know nothing of them For we allow no Faith to be of the same kind or nature with that whereby we are justified but what virtually and radically contains in it universal Obedience as the effect is in the cause the fruit in the Root and which acts it self in all particular Duties according as by Rule and Circumstances they are made so to be Yea we allow no Faith to be justifying or to be of the same kind with it which is not its self and in its own nature a spiritually vital principle of Obedience and Good Works And if this be not sufficient to prevail with some not to seek for advantages by such shameful calumnies yet is it so with others to free their minds from any concernment in them For the especial nature of Justifying Faith which we enquire into the things whereby it is evidenced may be reduced unto these four Heads 1 The Causes of it on the part of God 2 What is in us previously required unto it 3 The proper Object of it 4 It s proper peculiar Acts and Effects Which shall be spoken unto so far as is necessary unto our present design 1. The Doctrine of the Causes of Faith as unto its first Original in the Divine Will and the way of its communication unto us is so large and so immixed with that of the way and manner of the operation of efficacious Grace in Conversion which I have handled elsewhere as that I shall not here insist upon it For as it cannot in a few words be spoken unto according unto its weight and worth so to engage into a full handling of it would too much divert us from our present Argument This I shall only say that from thence it may be uncontroulably evidenced That the Faith whereby we are justified is of an especial kind or nature wherein no other Faith which Justification is not inseparable from doth partake with it 2. Wherefore our first Enquiry is concerning what was proposed in the second place namely what is an our part in a way of Duty previously required thereunto or what is necessary to be found in us antecedaneously unto our Believing unto the Justification of Life And I say there is supposed in them in whom this Faith is wrought on whom it is bestowed and whose Duty it is to believe therewith the work of the Law in the Conviction of sin or Conviction of sin is a necessary Antecedent unto Justifying Faith Many have disputed what belongs hereunto and what effects it produceth in the mind that dispose the Soul unto the receiving of the Promise of the Gospel But whereas there are different Apprehensions about these effects or concomitants of Conviction in Compunction Humiliation Self-judging with sorrow for sin committed and the like as also about the Degrees of them as ordinarily pre-required unto Faith and Conversion unto God I shall speak very briefly unto them so far as they are inseparable from the Conviction asserted And I shall first consider this Conviction it self with what is essential thereunto and then the effects of it in conjunction with that temporary Faith before spoken of I shall do so not as unto their nature the knowledge whereof I take for granted but only as they have respect unto our Justification As to the first I say The work of Conviction in general whereby the Soul of man hath a practical understanding of the nature of sin its Guilt and the Punishment due unto it and is made sensible of his own interest therein both with respect unto sin original and actual with his own utter disability to deliver himself out of the state and condition wherein on the account of these things he findeth himself to be is that which we affirm to be antecedaneously necessary unto Justifying Faith that is in the Adult and of whose Justification the Word is the external means and instrument A Convinced sinner is only Subjectum capax Justificationis not that every one that is convinced is or must necessarily be justified There is not any such disposition or preparation of the subject by this Conviction its effects and consequents as that the form of Justification as the Papists speak or justifying Grace must necessarily ensue or be introduced thereon Nor is there any such preparation in it as that by virtue of any divine Compact or Promise a Person so convinced shall be pardoned and justified But as a man may believe with any kind of Faith that is not justifying such as that before mentioned without this Conviction so it is ordinarily previous and necessary so to be unto that Faith which is unto the Justification of Life The motive is not unto it that thereon a man shall be assuredly justified but that without it he cannot be so This I say is required in the Person to be justified in order of nature antecedaneously unto that Faith whereby we are justified which we shall prove with the ensuing
necessary Condition of Justification for it is that which they call the first Justification alone which we treat about And that the Continuation of our Justification depends solely on the same causes with our Justification it self shall be afterwards declared But it is not yet proved nor ever will be that whatever is required in them that are to be justified is a Condition whereon their Justification is immediately suspended We allow that alone to be a Condition of Justification which hath an influence of causality thereunto though it be but the causality of an Instrument This we ascribe unto Faith alone And because we do so it is pleaded that we ascribe more in our Justification unto our selves than they do by whom we are opposed For we ascribe the efficiency of an Instrument herein unto our own Faith when they say only that it is a Condition or Causa sine qua non of our Justification But I judge that grave and wise men ought not to give so much to the defence of the Cause they have undertaken seeing they cannot but know indeed the contrary For after they have given the specious name of a Condition and a Causa sine qua non unto Faith they immediately take all other Graces and Works of Obedience into the same state with it and the same use in Justification and after this seeming Gold hath been cast for a while into the fire of Disputation there comes out the Calf of a personal inherent Righteousness whereby Men are justified before God virtute foederis Evangelici for as for the Righteousness of Christ to be imputed unto us it is gone into Heaven and they know not what is become of it Having given this brief Declaration of the Nature of Justifying Faith and the Acts of it as I suppose sufficient unto my present Design I shall not trouble my self to give an accurate Definition of it What are my Thoughts concerning it will be better understood by what hath been spoken than by any precise definition I can give And the Truth is definitions of Justifying Faith have been so multiplied by Learned Men and in so great variety and such a manifest inconsistency among some of them that they have been of no advantage unto the Truth but occasions of new Controversies and Divisions whilst every one hath laboured to defend the Accuracy of his own Definition when yet it may be difficult for a true Believer to find any thing compliant with his own Experience in them which kind of Definitions in these things I have no esteem for I know no man that hath laboured in this Argument about the Nature of Faith more than Doctor Jackson yet when he hath done all he gives us a definition of Justifying Faith which I know few that will subscribe unto yet is it in the main scope of it both pious and sound For he tells us Here at length we may define the Faith by which the just do live to be a firm and constant Adherence unto the mercies and loving kindness of the Lord or generally unto the spiritual food exhibited in his Sacred Word as much better than this Life it self and all the Contentments it is capable of grounded on a taste or relish of their sweetness wrought in the Soul or Heart of a Man by the spirit of Christ. Whereunto he adds The terms for the most part are the Prophet Davids not metaphorical as some may fancy much less equivocal but proper and homogeneal to the subject defined Tom. 1. Book 4. chap. 9. For the lively Scriptural Expressions of Faith by receiving of Christ leaning on him rolling our selves or our burden on him tasting how gracious the Lord is and the like which of late have been reproached yea blasphemed by many I may have occasion to speak of them afterwards as also to manifest that they convey a better understanding of the Nature Work and Object of Justifying Faith unto the minds of men spiritually enlightened than the most accurate Definitions that many pretend unto some whereof are destructive and exclusive of them all CHAP. III. The Vse of Faith in Justification It s especial Object farther cleared THe Description before given of Justifying Faith doth sufficiently manifest of what Vse it is in Justification Nor shall I in general add much unto what may be thence observed unto that purpose But whereas this Vse of it hath been expressed with some variety and several ways of it asserted inconsistent with one another they must be considered in our passage And I shall do it with all brevity possible for these things lead not in any part of the Controversie about the Nature of Justification but are meerly subservient unto other Conceptions concerning it When Men have fixed their Apprehensions about the principal matters in Controversie they express what concerneth the Vse of Faith in an Accommodation thereunto Supposing such to be the Nature of Justification as they assert it must be granted that the Vse of Faith therein must be what they plead for And if what is peculiar unto any in the substance of the Doctrine be disproved they cannot deny but that their Notions about the Vse of Faith do fall unto the Ground Thus is it with all who affirm Faith to be either the Instrument or the Condition or the Causa sine qua non or the preparation and disposition of the Subject or a meritorious cause by way of condecency or congruity in and of our Justification For all these notions of the Vse of Faith are suited and accommodated unto the Opinions of Men concerning the nature and principal causes of Justification Neither can any Trial or Determination be made as unto their Truth and Propriety but upon a previous Judgment concerning those causes and the whole Nature of Justification it self Whereas therefore it were vain and endless to plead the principal matter in Controversie upon every thing that occasionally belongs unto it and so by the Title unto the whole Inheritance on every Cottage that is built on the premises I shall briefly speak unto these various Conceptions about the Vse of Faith in our Justification rather to find out and give an understanding of what is intended by them than to argue about their Truth and Propriety which depends on that wherein the substance of the Controversie doth consist Protestant Divines until of late have unanimously affirmed Faith to be the instrumental cause of our Justification So it is expressed to be in many of the publick Confessions of their Churches This Notion of theirs concerning the Nature and Vse of Faith was from the first opposed by those of the Roman Church Afterwards it was denied also by the Socinians as either false or improper Socin Miscellnn Smalcius adv Frantz disput 4 Schlicting adver Meisner de Justificat And of late this expression is disliked by some among our selves wherein they follow Episcopius Curcellius and others of that way Those who are sober and moderate do rather decline
his Priestly Office And therefore is Justification either expresly or virtually assigned unto them also Gen. 3.15 1 Joh. 3.8 Heb. 2.13 14 15 16. Rom. 4.25 Act. 5.31 Heb. 7.27 Rom. 8.34 But yet wherever our Justification is so assigned unto them they are not absolutely considered but with respect unto their relation to his Sacrifice and Satisfaction 3 All the means of the Application of the Sacrifice and Righteousness of the Lord Christ unto us are also included therein Such is the principal Efficient cause thereof which is the Holy Ghost whence we are said to be justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 and the instrumental cause thereof on the part of God which is the Promise of the Gospel Rom. 1.17 Gal. 3.22 23. It would therefore be unduly pretended that by this Assertion we do narrow or straiten the Object of Justifying Faith as it Justifies For indeed we assign a respect unto the whole Mediatory Office of Christ not excluding the Kingly and Prophetical parts thereof but only such a notion of them as would not bring in more of Christ but much of our selves into our Justification And the Assertion as laid down may be proved 1. From the Experience of all that are justified or do seek for Justification according unto the Gospel For under this notion of seeking for Justification or a Righteousness unto Justification they were all of them to be considered and do consider themselves as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 guilty before God subject obnoxious liable unto his wrath in the curse of the Law as we declared in the Entrance of this Discourse Rom. 3.19 They were all in the same state that Adam was in after the Fall unto whom God proposed the Relief of the Incarnation and Suffering of Christ Gen. 3.15 And to seek after Justification is to seek after a discharge from this woful state and condition Such persons have and ought to have other designs and desires also For whereas the state wherein they are antecedent unto their Justification is not only a state of Guilt and Wrath but such also as wherein through the Depravation of their Nature the power of sin is prevalent in them and their whole Souls are defiled they design and desire not only to be justified but to be sanctified also But as unto the Guilt of sin and the want of a Righteousness before God from which Justification is their Relief herein I say they have respect unto Christ as set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood In their Design for Sanctification they have respect unto the Kingly and Prophetical Offices of Christ in their especial exercise But as to their freedom from the Guilt of sin and their Acceptance with God or their Justification in his sight that they may be freed from condemnation that they may not come into judgment it is Christ crucified it is Christ lifted up as the brazen Serpent in the Wilderness it is the Blood of Christ it is the Propitiation that he was and the Atonement that he made it is his bearing their sins his being made sin and the curse for them it is his Obedience the End which he put unto sin and the Everlasting Righteousness which he brought in that alone their Faith doth fix upon and acquiesce in If it be otherwise in the Experience of any I acknowledge I am not acquainted with it I do not say that Conviction of sin is the only antecedent Condition of actual Justification But this it is that makes a sinner subjectum capax Justificationis No man therefore is to be considered as a person to be Justified but he who is actually under the power of the Conviction of sin with all the necessary consequents thereof Suppose therefore any sinner in this Condition as it is described by the Apostle Rom. 3. Guilty before God with his mouth stopped as unto any pleas defences or excuses suppose him to seek after a Relief and Deliverance out of this estate that is to be justified according to the Gospel he neither doth nor can wisely take any other course than what he is there directed unto by the same Apostle ver 20 21 22 23 24 25. Therefore by the Deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin But now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God Whence I argue That which a Guilty condemned sinner finding no hope nor Relief from the Law of God the sole Rule of all his Obedience doth betake himself unto by Faith that he may be delivered or justified that is the especial Object of Faith as Justifying But this is the Grace of God alone through the Redemption that is in Christ or Christ proposed as a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood Either this is so or the Apostle doth not aright guide the Souls and Consciences of men in that condition wherein he himself doth place them It is the Blood of Christ alone that he directs the Faith unto of all them that would be justified before God Grace Redemption Propitiation all through the Blood of Christ Faith doth peculiarly respect and fix upon This is that if I mistake not which they will confirm by their Experience who have made any distinct observation of the actings of their Faith in their Justification before God 2. The Scripture plainly declares that Faith as Justifying respects the sacerdotal Office and Actings of Christ alone In the great Representation of the Justification of the Church of Old in the Expiatory Sacrifice when all their sins and iniquities were pardoned and their persons accepted with God the acting of their Faith was limited unto the Imposition of all their sins on the head of the Sacrifice by the high Priest Lev. 16. By his knowledge that is Faith in him shall my righteous Servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Isa. 53.11 That alone which Faith respects in Christ as unto the Justification of sinners is his bearing their iniquities Guilty convinced sinners look unto him by Faith as those who were stung with fiery Serpents did to the Brazen Serpent that is as he was lifted up on the Cross Joh. 3.14 15. So did he himself express the nature and actings of Faith in our Justification Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set
forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood As he is a Propitiation as he shed his Blood for us as we have Redemption thereby he is the peculiar Object of our Faith with respect unto our Justification See to the same purpose Rom. 5.9 10. Ephes. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Ephes. 2.13 14 15 16. Rom. 8.3 4. He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 That which we seek after in Justification is a Participation of the Righteousness of God to be made the Righteousness of God and that not in our selves but in another that is in Christ Jesus And that alone which is proposed unto our Faith as the means and cause of it is his being made sin for us or a Sacrifice for sin wherein all the Guilt of our sins was laid on him and he bare all our Iniquities This therefore is its peculiar Object herein And wherever in the Scripture we are directed to seek for the forgiveness of sins by the Blood of Christ receive the Atonement to be justified through the Faith of him as crucified the Object of Faith in Justification is limited and determined But it may be pleaded in Exception unto the Testimonies that no one of them doth affirm that we are justified by Faith in the Blood of Christ alone so as to exclude the consideration of the other Offices of Christ and their actings from being the Object of Faith in the same manner and unto the same ends with his Sacerdotal Office and what belongs thereunto or is derived from it Answ. This exception derives from that common Objection against the Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone namely that That exclusive term alone is not found in the Scripture or in any of the Testimonies that are produced for Justification by Faith But it is replyed with sufficient evidence of Truth that although the word be not found Syllabically used unto this purpose yet there are exceptive Expressions equivalent unto it as we shall see afterwards It is so in this particular instance also For 1 whereas our Justification is expresly ascribed unto our Faith in the Blood of Christ as the Propitiation for our Sins unto our believing in him as Crucified for us and it is no where ascribed unto our receiving of him as King Lord or Prophet it is plain that the former Expressions are virtually exclusive of the later consideration 2 I do not say That the consideration of the Kingly and Prophetical Offices of Christ is excluded from our Justification as works are excluded in Opposition unto Faith and Grace For they are so excluded as that we are to exercise an act of our minds in their positive Rejection as saying Get you hence you have no Lot nor Portion in this matter But as to these Offices of Christ as to the Object of Faith as Justifying we say only that they are not included therein For so to believe to be justified by his Blood as to exercise a positive act of the mind excluding a compliance with his other Offices is an impious Imagination 3. Neither the Consideration of these Offices themselves nor of any of the peculiar Acts of them are suited to give the Souls and Consciences of convinced Sinners that Relief which they seek after in Justification We are not in this whole cause to lose out of our Eye the state of the Person who is to be justified and what it is he doth seek after and ought to seek after therein Now this is Pardon of Sin and Righteousness before God alone That therefore which is no way suited to give or tender this Relief unto him is not nor can be the Object of his Faith whereby he is justified in that exercise of it whereon his justification doth depend This Relief it will be said is to be had in Christ alone it is true but under what Consideration For the sole design of the Sinner is how he may be accepted with God be at peace with him have all his wrath turned away by a Propitiation or Attonement Now this can no otherwise be done but by the acting of some one towards God and with God on his behalf for it is about the turning away of Gods Anger and Acceptance with him that the enquiry is made It is by the Blood of Christ that we are made nigh who were far off Eph. 2.13 By the Blood of Christ are we Reconciled who were Enemies v. 16. By the Blood of Christ we have Redemption Rom. 3.24 25. Eph. 1.7 c. This therefore is the Object of Faith All the actings of the Kingly and Prophetical Offices of Christ are all of them from God that is in the Name and Authority of God towards us Not any one of them is towards God on our behalf so as that by vertue of them we should expect Acceptance with God They are all Good Blessed Holy in themselves and of an eminent tendency unto the Glory of God in our Salvation Yea they are no less necessary unto our Salvation to the praise of Gods Grace then are the Attonement for Sin and Satisfaction which he made for from them is the way of life Revealed unto us Grace communicated our Persons sanctified and the Reward bestowed Yea in the exercise of his Kingly power doth the Lord Christ doth pardon and justifie Sinners Not that he did as a King constitute the Law of Justification for it was given and established in the first Promise and he came to put it in Execution Joh. 3.16 But in the vertue of his Attonement and Righteousness imputed unto them he doth both pardon and justifie Sinners But they are the acts of his Sacerdotal Office alone that respect God on our behalf Whatever he did on Earth with God for the Church in Obedience Suffering and Offering up of himself whatever he doth in Heaven in Intercession and Appearance in the presence of God for us it all entirely belongs unto his Priestly Office And in these things alone doth the Soul of a convinced Sinner find Relief when he seeks after Deliverance from the state of Sin and Acceptance with God In these therefore alone the peculiar Object of his Faith that which will give him Rest and Peace must be comprized And this last consideration is of it self sufficient to determine this difference Sundry things are Objected against this Assertion which I shall not here at large discuss because what is material in any of them will occur on other occasions where its consideration will be more proper In general it may be pleaded that Justifying Faith is the same with saving Faith nor is it said that we are justified by this or that part of Faith but by Faith in General that is as taken essentially for the entire Grace of Faith And as unto Faith in this sense not only a respect unto Christ in all his Offices but Obedience it self also is included in it as is evident in many
places of the Scripture Wherefore there is no Reason why we should limit the Object of it unto the Person of Christ as acting in the discharge of his Sacerdotal Office with the Effects and Fruits thereof Answ. 1. Saving Faith and Justifying Faith in any Believer are one and the same and the Adjuncts of Saving and Justifying are but external Denominations from its distinct Operations and Effects But yet Saving Faith doth act in a peculiar manner and is of peculiar use in Justification such as it is not of under any other Consideration whatever Wherefore 2 Although Saving Faith as it is described in General do ever include Obedience not as its Form or Essence but as the necessary Effect is included in the cause and the Fruit in the Fruit-bearing juyce and is often mentioned as to its Being and Exercise where there is no express mention of Christ his Blood and his Righteousness but is applied unto all the Acts Duties and Ends of the Gospel yet this proves not at all but that as unto its Duty Place and acting in our Justification it hath a peculiar Object If it could be proved that where Justification is ascribed unto Faith that there it hath any other Object assigned unto it as that which it rested in for the pardon of Sin and Acceptance with God this Objection were of some force But this cannot be done 3 This is not to say that we are justified by a part of Faith and not by it as considered essentially for we are justified by the entire Grace of Faith acting in such a peculiar way and manner as others have observed But the Truth is we need not insist on the Discussion of this Enquiry For the true meaning of it is not whether any thing of Christ is to be excluded from being the Object of Justifying Faith or of Faith in our Justification but what in and of our selves under the name of receiving Christ as our Lord and King is to be admitted unto an Efficiency or Conditionality in that work As it is granted that justifying Faith is the receiving of Christ so whatever belongs unto the Person of Christ or any Office of his or any Acts in the discharge of any Office that may be reduced unto any cause of our Justification the meritorious procuring material formal or manifesting cause of it is so far as it doth so freely admitted to belong unto the Object of Justifying Faith Neither will I contend with any upon this disadvantageous stating of the Question What of Christ is to be esteemed the Object of Justifying Faith and what is not so For the thing intended is only this whether our own Obedience distinct from Faith or included in it and in like manner as Faith be the condition of our Justification before God This being that which is intended which the other question is but invented to lead unto a compliance with by a more specious pretence then in it self it is capable of under those terms it shall be examined and no otherwise CHAP. IV. Of Justification the notion and signification of the Word in the Scripture UNto the right understanding of the nature of Justification the proper sense and signification of these words themselves Justification and to justifie is to be enquired into For until that is agreed upon it is impossible that our Discourses concerning the thing it self should be freed from equivocation Take words in various senses and all may be true that is contradictorily affirmed or denied concerning what they are supposed to signifie And so it hath actually fallen out in this case as we shall see more fully afterwards Some taking these words in one sense some in another have appeared to deliver contrary Doctrines concerning the thing it self or our Justification before God who yet have fully agreed in what the proper determinate sense or sigfication of the words doth import And therefore the true meaning of them hath been declared and vindicated already by many But whereas the right stating hereof is of more moment unto the Determination of what is principally controverted about the Doctrine it self or the thing signified than most do apprehend and something at least remains to be added for the Declaration and Vindication of the import and only signification of these words in the Scripture I shall give an account of my observations concerning it with what diligence I can The Latine Derivation and Composition of the word Justificatio would seem to denote an internal change from inherent Unrighteousness unto Righteousness likewise inherent by a Physical motion and Transmutation as the Schoolmen speak For such is the signification of words of the same Composition So Sanctification Mortification Vivification and the like do all denote a real internal Work on the Subject spoken of Hereon in the whole Roman School Justification is taken for Justifaction or the making of a man to be inherently Righteous by the infusion of a principle or habit of Grace who was before inherently and habitually unjust and unrighteous Whilst this is taken to be the proper signification of the word we neither do nor can speak ad idem in our Disputations with them about the cause and nature of that Justification which the Scripture teacheth And this appearing sense of the Word possibly deceived some of the Antients as Austin in particular to declare the Doctrine of free gratuitous sanctification without respect unto any Works of our own under the name of Justification For neither he nor any of them ever thought of a Justification before God consisting in the pardon of our sins and the Acceptation of our Persons as Righteous by vertue of any inherent habit of Grace infused into us or acted by us Wherefore the subject matter must be determined by the Scriptural use and signification of these words before we can speak properly or intelligibly concerning it For if to Justifie men in the Scripture signifie to make them subjectively and inherently Righteous we must acknowledge a mistake in what we Teach concerning the nature and causes of Justification And if it signifie no such thing all their Disputations about Justification by the infusion of Grace and inherent Righteousness thereon fall to the Ground Wherefore all Protestants and the Socinians all of them comply therein do affirm that the use and signification of these words is Forensick denoting an Act of Jurisdiction Only the Socinians and some others would have it to consist in the pardon of sin only which indeed the word doth not at all signifie But the sense of the word is to Assoil to Acquit to Declare and pronounce Righteous upon a Trial which in this case the pardon of Sin doth necessarily accompany Justificatio and Justifico belong not indeed unto the Latine Tongue nor can any good Authour be produced who ever used them for the making of him inherently Righteous by any means who was not so before But whereas these words were coyned and framed to signifie such things as are
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The doers of the Law shall be justified The place declares directly the nature of our Justification before God and puts the signification of the word out of question For Justification ensues as the whole effect of inherent Righteousness according unto the Law And therefore it is not the making of us Righteous which is irrefragable It is spoken of God Rom. 3.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That thou mayest be justified in thy sayings where to ascribe any other sense to the word is Blasphemy In like manner the same word is used and in the same signification 1 Cor. 4.4 1 Tim. 3.16 Rom. 3.20 26 28 30. Chap. 4.2 5. Chap. 5.1 9. Chap. 6.7 Chap. 8.30 Gal. 2.16 17. Chap. 3.11 24. Chap. 5.4 Tit. 3.7 Jam. 2.22 24 25. And in no one of these instances can it admit of any other signification or denote the making of any man Righteous by the infusion of an habit or principle of Righteousness or any internal mutation whatever It is not therefore in many places of Scripture as Bellarmine grants that the words we have insisted on do signifie the declaration or juridical pronuntiation of any one to be Righteous but in all places where they are used they are capable of no other but a Forensick sense especially is this evident where mention is made of Justification before God And because in my judgment this one consideration doth sufficiently defeat all the pretences of those of the Roman Church about the nature of Justification I shall consider what is excepted against the observation insisted on and remove it out of our way Lud. de Blanc In his Reconciliatory endeavours on this Article of Justification Thes. de usu acceptatione vocis Justificandi grants unto the Papists that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth in sundry places of the New Testament signifie to renew to sanctifie to infuse an habit of Holiness or Righteousness according as they plead And there is no reason to think but he hath grounded that concession on those instances which are most pertinent unto that purpose Neither is it to be expected that a better countenance will be given by any unto this concession then is given it by him I shall therefore examine all the instances which he insists upon unto this purpose and leave the determination of the difference unto the judgment of the Reader Only I shall premise that which I judge not an unreasonable demand namely That if the signification of the word in any or all the places which he mentions should seem doubtful unto any as it doth not unto me that the uncertainty of a very few places should not make us question the proper signification of a word whose sense is determined in so many wherein it is clear and unquestionable The first place he mentioneth is that of the Apostle Paul himself Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified The reason whereby he pleads that by justified in this place an internal work of inherent Holiness in them that are predestinated is designed is this and no other It is not saith he likely that the Holy Apostle in this enumeration of gracious Priviledges would omit the mention of our Sanctification by which we are freed from the service of sin and adorned with true internal Holiness and Righteousness But this is utterly omitted if it be not comprized under the name and title of being Justified For it is absurd with some to refer it unto the Head of Glorification Answ. 1 The Grace of Sanctification whereby our natures are spiritually washed purified and endowed with a principle of life Holiness and Obedience unto God is a Priviledge unquestionably great and excellent and without which none can be saved Of the same nature also is our Redemption by the Blood of Christ. And both these doth this Apostle in other places without number declare commend and insist upon But that he ought to have introduced the mention of them or either of them in this place seeing he hath not done so I dare not judge 2. If our Sanctification be included or intended in any of the Priviledges here expressed there is none of them Predestination only excepted but it is more probably to be reduced unto than unto that of being justified Indeed in Vocation it seems to be included expresly For whereas it is effectual Vocation that is intended wherein an Holy principle of spiritual life or Faith it self is communicated unto us our Sanctification radically and as the effect in its adaequate immediate cause is contained in it Hence we are said to be called to be Saints Rom. 1.7 which is the same with being Sanctified in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1.2 And in many other places is Sanctification included in Vocation 3. Whereas our Sanctification in the infusion of a principle of spiritual life and the actings of it unto an encrease in duties of Holiness Righteousness and Obedience is that whereby we are made meet for Glory and is of the same nature essentially with Glory it self whence its advances in us are said to be from Glory to Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 and Glory it self is called the Grace of life 1 Pet. 3.7 It is much more properly expressed by our being Glorified than by being Justified which is a Priviledge quite of another nature However it is evident that there is no reason why we should depart from the general use and signification of the Word no circumstance in the Text compelling us so to do The next place that he gives up unto this signification is 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but you are washed but ye are Sanctified but ye are Justified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God That by Justification here the infusion of an inherent principle of Grace making us inherently Righteous is intended he endeavoureth to prove by three Reasons 1 Because Justification is here ascribed unto the Holy Ghost ye are justified by the Spirit of our God But to renew us is the properwork of the Holy Spirit 2 It is manifest he says That by Justification the Apostle doth signifie some change in the Corinthians whereby they ceased to be what they were before For they were Fornicators and Drunkards such as could not inherit the Kingdom of God but now were changed which proves a real inherent work of Grace to be intended 3 If Justification here signifie nothing but to be absolved from the punishment of sin then the reasoning of the Apostle will be infirm and frigid For after he hath said that which is greater as heightning of it he addeth the less For it is more to be washed then merely to be freed from the punishment of sin Answ. 1. All these reasons prove not that it is the same to be Sanctified and to be Justified which must be if that be the sense of the latter
the Souls and Consciences of them that are justified or others that is the Church and the World And each of these have the name of Justification assigned unto them though our real Justification before God be always one and the same But a man may be really justified before God and yet not have the evidence or assurance of it in his own mind Wherefore that evidence or assurance is not of the nature or essence of that Faith whereby we are Justified nor doth necessarily accompany our Justification But this Manifestation of a mans own Justification unto himself although it depends on many especial causes which are not necessary unto his Justification absolutely before God is not a second Justification when it is attained but only the Application of the former unto his Conscience by the Holy Ghost There is also a Manifestation of it with respect unto others which in like manner depends on other causes then doth our Justification before God absolutely yet is it not a second Justification For it depends wholly on the visible effects of that Faith whereby we are justified as the Apostle James instructs us yet is it only our single Justification before God evidenced and declared unto his Glory the benefit of others and encrease of our own Reward There is also a twofold Justification before God mentioned in the Scripture 1 By the works of the Law Rom. 2.13 chap. 10.5 Matth. 19.15 16 17 18 19. Hereunto is required an absolute conformity unto the whole Law of God in our natures all the faculties of our Souls all the principles of our moral operations with perfect actual Obedience unto all its commands in all instances of Duty both for matter and manner For he is cursed who continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to do them And he that breaks any one Commandment is guilty of the breach of the whole Law Hence the Apostle concludes that none can be Justified by the Law because all have sinned 2 There is a Justification by Grace through Faith in the Blood of Christ whereof we treat And these ways of Justification are contrary proceeding on terms directly contradictory and cannot be made consistent with or subservient one to the other But as we shall manifest afterwards the confounding of them both by mixing them together is that which is aimed at in this distinction of a first and second Justification But whatever respects it may have that Justification which we have before God in his sight through Jesus Christ is but one and at once full and compleat and this distinction is a vain and fond invention For 1. As it is explained by the Papists it is exceedingly derogatory to the merit of Christ. For it leaves it no effect towards us but only the infusion of an habit of Charity When that is done all that remains with respect unto our Salvation is to be wrought by our selves Christ hath only merited the first Grace for us that we therewith and thereby may merit life eternal The merit of Christ being confined in its effect unto the first Justification it hath no immediate influence into any Grace Priviledge Mercy or Glory that follow thereon but they are all effects of that second Justification which is purely by works But this is openly contrary unto the whole tenor of the Scripture For although there be an order of Gods appointment wherein we are to be made partakers of Evangelical Priviledges in Grace and Glory one before another yet are they all of them the immediate effects of the death and obedience of Christ who hath obtained for us eternal Redemption Heb. 9.12 and is the Authour of eternal Salvation unto all that do obey him Chap. 5.9 Having by one offering for ever perfected them that are Sanctified And those who allow of a secondary if not of a second Justification by our own inherent personal Righteousnesses are also guilty hereof though not in the same degree with them For whereas they ascribe unto it our acquitment from all charge of Sin after the first Justification and a Righteousness accepted in Judgment in the Judgment of God as if it were compleat and perfect whereon depends our final Absolution and Reward it is evident that the immediate efficacy of the satisfaction and merit of Christ hath its bounds assigned unto it in the first Justification which whether it be taught in the Scripture or no we shall afterwards enquire 2. More by this distinction is ascribed unto our selves working by vertue of inherent Grace as unto the merit and procurement of spiritual and eternal good than unto the Blood of Christ. For that only procures the first Grace and Justification for us Thereof alone it is the meritorious cause or as others express it we are made partakers of the effects of it in the pardon of Sins past But by vertue of this Grace we do our selves obtain procure or merit another a second a compleat Justification the continuance of the favour of God and all the fruits of it with life eternal and Glory So do our works at least perfect and compleat the merit of Christ without which it is imperfect And those who assign the continuation of our Justification wherein all the effects of Divine Favour and Grace are contained unto our own personal Righteousness as also final Justification before God as the pleadable cause of it do follow their steps unto the best of my understanding But such things as these may be disputed in debates of which kind it is incredible almost what influence on the minds of men Traditions Prejudices Subtilty of Invention and Arguing do obtain to divert them from real thoughts of the things about which they contend with respect unto themselves and their own condition If by any means such persons can be called home unto themselves and find leasure to think how and by what means they shall come to appear before the High God to be freed from the sentence of the Law and the Curse due to Sin to have a pleadable Righteousness at the Judgment Seat of God before which they stand especially if a real sense of these things be implanted on their minds by the convincing power of the Holy Ghost all their subtle Arguments and Pleas for the mighty efficacy of their own personal Righteousness will sink in their minds like Water at the return of the Tide and leave nothing but Mud and Defilement behind them 3. This Distinction of two Justifications as used and improved by those of the Roman Church leaves us indeed no Justification at all Something there is in the branches of it of Sanctification but of Justification nothing at all Their first Justification in the infusion of an habit or principle of Grace unto the expulsion of all habits of Sin is Sanctification and nothing else And we never did contend that our Justification in such a sense if any will take it in such a sense doth consist in the Imputation of the
abounding in good works 1 Pet. 2.12 chap. 3.16 And so is it with respect unto the Church that we be not judged dead barren Professors but such as have been made partakers of the like precious Faith with others Shew me thy Faith by thy Works Jam. 2. Wherefore 3 This Righteousness is pleadable unto our Justification against all the charges of Satan who is the great Accuser of the Brethren of all that believe Whether he manage his charge privately in our Consciences which is as it were before God as he charged Job or by his instruments in all manner of reproaches and calumnies whereof some in this Age have had experience in an eminent manner this Righteousness is pleadable unto our Justification On a supposition of these things wherein our personal Righteousness is allowed its proper place and use as shall afterwards be more fully declared I do not understand that there is an Evangelical Justification whereby Believers are by and on the account of this personal inherent Righteousness justified in the sight of God nor doth the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto our absolute Justification before him depend thereon For 1. None have this personal Righteousness but they are antecedently justified in the sight of God It is wholly the Obedience of Faith proceeding from true and saving Faith in God by Jesus Christ. For as it was said before Works before Faith are as by general consent excluded from any Interest in our Justification and we have proved that they are neither Conditions of it Dispositions unto it nor Preparations for it properly so called But every true Believer is immediately justified on his Believing Nor is there any moment of time wherein a man is a true Believer according as Faith is required in the Gospel and yet not be justified For as he is thereby united unto Christ which is the foundation of our Justification by him so the whole Scripture testifieth that he that believes is justified or that there is an infallible connexion in the Ordination of God between true Faith and Justification Wherefore this personal Righteousness cannot be the condition of our Justificaion before God seeing it is consequential thereunto What may be pleaded in exception hereunto from the supposition of a second Justification or differing causes of the beginning and continuation of Justification hath been already disproved 2. Justification before God is a freedom and absolution from a Charge before God at least it is contained therein And the Instrument of this charge must either be the Law or the Gospel But neither the Law nor the Gospel do before God or in the sight of God charge true Believers with Unbelief Hypocrisie or the like For who shall lay any thing unto the charge of Gods Elect who are once justified before him Such a charge may be laid against them by Sathan by the Church sometimes on mistake by the World as it was in the case of Job against which this Righteousness is pleadable But what is charged immediately before God is charged by God himself either by the Law or the Gospel and the Judgment of God is according unto Truth If this charge be by the Law by the Law we must be justified But the plea of sincere Obedience will not justifie us by the Law That admits of none in satisfaction unto its demands but that which is compleat and perfect And where the Gospel lays any thing unto the charge of any Persons before God there can be no Justification before God unless we shall allow the Gospel to be the Instrument of a false Charge For what should justifie him whom the Gospel condemns And if it be a Justification by the Gospel from the charge of the Law it renders the death of Christ of no effect And a Justification without a Charge is not to be supposed 3. Such a Justification as that pretended is altogether needless and useless This may easily be evinced from what the Scripture asserts unto our Justification in the sight of God by Faith in the Blood of Christ. But this hath been spoken to before on another occasion Let that be considered and it will quickly appear that there is no place nor use for this new Justification upon our personal Righteousness whether it be supposed antecedent and subordinate thereunto or consequential and perfective thereof 4. This pretended Evangelical Justification hath not the Nature of any Justification that is mentioned in the Scripture that is neither that by the Law nor that provided in the Gospel Justification by the Law is this The man that doth the Works of it shall live in them This it doth not pretend unto And as unto Evangelical Justification it is every way contrary unto it For therein the Charge against the person to be justified is true namely that he hath sinned and is come short of the Glory of God In this it is false namely that a Believer is an Unbeliever A sincere Person an Hypocrite one fruitful in good Works altogether barren And this false charge is supposed to be exhibited in the name of God and before him Our Acquitment in true Evangelical Justification is by Absolution or pardon of sin here by a Vindication of our own Righteousness There the plea of the person to be justified is Guilty all the World is become guilty before God but here the plea of the person on his Trial is not Guilty whereon the proofs and evidences of Innocency and Righteousness do ensue But this is a Plea which the Law will not admit and which the Gospel disclaims 5. If we are justified before God on our own personal Righteousness and pronounced Righteous by him on the account thereof then God enters into Judgment with us on something in our selves and acquits us thereon For Justification is a juridical Act in and of that Judgment of God which is according unto Truth But that God should enter into Judgment with us and justifie us with respect unto what he judgeth on or our personal Righteousness the Psalmist doth not believe Psal. 130.2 3. Psal. 143.2 nor did the Publican Luke 18. 6. This personal Righteousness of ours cannot be said to be a subordinate Righteousness and subservient unto our Justification by Faith in the Blood of Christ. For therein God justifieth the ungodly and imputeth Righteousness unto him that worketh not And besides it is expresly excluded from any consideration in our Justification Ephes. 2.7 8. 7. This Personal inherent Righteousness wherewith we are said to be justified with this Evangelical Justification is our own Righteousness Personal Righteousness and our own Righteousness are expressions equivalent But our own Righteousness is not the material cause of any Justification before God For 1 It is unmeet so to be Isa. 54.6 2 It is directly opposed unto that Righteousness whereby we are justified as inconsistent with it unto that end Phil. 3.9 Rom. 10.3 4. It will be said that our own Righteousness is the Righteousness of the
unto the ultimate manifestation of Divine Glory in the Creation and Guidance of all things are sufficiently manifest And whence it appears how little force there is in that Argument which some pretend to be of so great weight in this cause As every one they say shall be judged of God at the last day in the same way and manner or on the same Ground is he justified of God in this life But by Works and not by Faith alone every one shall be judged at the last day Wherefore by Works and not by Faith alone every one is justified before God in this life For 1. It is no where said that we shall be judged at the last day ex operibus but only that God will render unto men secundum opera But God doth not justifie any in this life secundum opera Being justified freely by his Grace And not according to the Works of Righteousness which we have done And we are every where said to be justified in this life ex fide per fidem but no where propter fidem or that God justifieth us secundum fidem by Faith but not for our Faith nor according unto our Faith And we are not to depart from the expressions of the Scripture where such a difference is constantly observed 2. It is somewhat strange that a man should be judged at the last day and justified in this life just in the same way and manner that is with respect unto Faith and Works when the Scripture doth constantly ascribe our Justification before God unto Faith without Works and the Judgment at the last day is said to be according unto Works without any mention of Faith 3. If Justification and eternal Judgment proceed absolute-on the same Grounds Reasons and Causes then if men had not done what they shall be condemned for doing at the last day they should have been justified in this life But many shall be condemned only for sins against the light of nature Rom. 2.12 as never having the written Law or Gospel made known unto them Wherefore unto such persons to abstain from sins against the light of nature would be sufficient unto their Justification without any knowledge of Christ or the Gospel 4. This Proposition that God pardons men their Sins gives them the Adoption of Children with a right unto the Heavenly Inheritance according to their Works is not only foraign to the Gospel but contradictory unto it and destructive of it as contrary unto all express Testimonies of the Scripture both in the old Testament and the new where these things are spoken of But that God judgeth all men and rendreth unto all men at the last Judgment according unto their Works is true and affirmed in the Scripture 5. In our Justification in this life by Faith Christ is considered as our Propitiation and Advocate as he who hath made Atonement for sin and brought in everlasting Righteousness But at the last day and in the last Judgment he is considered only as the Judge 6. The end of God in our Justification is the Glory of his Grace Eph. 1.6 But the end of God in the last Judgment is the Glory of his remunerative Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 7. The Representation that is made of the final Judgment Math. 7. and Chap. 25. is only of the visible Church And therein the plea of Faith as to the profession of it is common unto all and is equally made by all Upon that plea of Faith it is put unto the trial whether it were sincere true Faith or no or only that which was dead and barren And this trial is made solely by the fruits and effects of it and otherwise in the publick declaration of things unto all it cannot be made Otherwise the Faith whereby we are justified comes not into Judgment at the last day See Joh. 5.24 with Mark 16.16 CHAP. VII Imputation and the Nature of it with the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ in particular THe first express Record of the Justification of any sinner is of Abraham Others were justified before him from the Beginning and there is that affirmed of them which sufficiently evidenceth them so to have been But this Prerogative was reserved for the Father of the Faithful that his Justification and the express way and manner of it should be first entered on the Sacred Record So it is Gen. 15.6 He believed in the Lord and it was counted unto him for Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was accounted unto him or imputed unto him for Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was counted reckoned imputed And it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed unto him but for us also unto whom it shall be imputed if we believe Rom. 4.23 24. Wherefore the first express Declaration of the nature of Justification in the Scripture affirms it to be by Imputation The Imputation of somewhat unto Righteousness And this done in that place and instance which is Recorded on purpose as the president and example of all those that shall be justified As he was justified so are we and no otherwise Under the new Testament there was a necessity of a more full and clear Declaration of the Doctrine of it For it is among the first and most principal parts of that Heavenly mystery of Truth which was to be brought to light by the Gospel And besides there was from the first a strong and Dangerous Opposition made unto it For this matter of Justification the Doctrine of it and what necessarily belongs thereunto was that whereon the Jewish Church broke off from God refused Christ and the Gospel perishing in their sins as is expresly declared Rom. 9.31 10.3 4. And in like manner a dislike of it an Opposition unto it ever was and ever will be a principle and cause of the Apostasie of any professing Church from Christ and the Gospel that falls under the power and deceit of them as it fell out afterwards in the Churches of the Galatians But in this state the Doctrine of Justification was fully declared stated and vindicated by the Apostle Paul in a peculiar manner And he doth it especially by affirming and proving that we have the Righteousness whereby and wherewith we are justified by Imputation or that our Justification consists in the non-Imputation of sin and the Imputation of Righteousness But yet although the first Recorded instance of Justification and which was so recorded that it might be an example and represent the Justification of all that should be justified unto the end of the World is expressed by Imputation and Righteousness imputed and the Doctrine of it in that great case wherein the eternal welfare of the Church of the Jews or their ruine was concerned is so expressed by the Apostle yet is it so fallen out in our days that nothing in Religion is more maligned more reproached more despised then the Imputation of Righteousness unto us or an Imputed Righteousness A putative Righteousness the
not able to preserve its station in the minds of men the Popish Doctrine of Justification must and will return upon the world with all the concomitants and consequences of it Whilst any knowledge of the Law or Gospel is continued amongst us the Consciences of men will at one time or other living or dying be really affected with a sense of sin as unto its guilt and danger Hence that Trouble and those Disquietments of mind will ensue as will force men be they never so unwilling to seek after some Relief and Satisfaction And what will not men attempt who are reduced to the condition expressed Micah 6.7 8. Wherefore in this case if the true and only relief of distressed Consciences of sinners who are weary and heavy laden be hid from their eyes if they have no apprehension of nor trust in that which alone they may oppose unto the sentence of the Law and interpose betweens Gods Justice and their Souls wherein they may take shelter from the storms of that wrath which abideth on them that believe not they will betake themselves unto any thing which confidently tenders them present ease and relief Hence many persons living all their days in an ignorance of the Righteousness of God are oftentimes on their sick Beds and in their dying hours proselyted unto a confidence in the ways of Rest and Peace which the Romanists impose upon them For such seasons of advantage do they wait for unto the Reputation as they suppose of their own Zeal in truth unto the scandal of Christian Religion But finding at any time the Consciences of men under disquietments and ignorant of or disbelieving that Heavenly relief which is provided in the Gospel they are ready with their Applications and Medicines having on them pretended Approbations of the experience of many Ages and an innumerable company of devout Souls in them Such is their Doctrine of Justification with the Addition of those other Ingredients of Confession Absolution Penances or Commutations Aids from Saints and Angels especially the blessed Virgin all warmed by the Fire of Purgatory and confidently Administred unto Persons sick of Ignorance Darkness and Sin And let none please themselves in the Contempt of these things If the truth concerning Evangelical Justification be once disbelieved among us or obliterated by any Artifices out of the minds of men unto these things at one time or other they must and will betake themselves For the new Schemes and Projections of Justification which some at present would supply us withal they are now way suited nor able to give Relief or Satisfaction unto a Conscience really troubled for Sin and seriously enquiring how it may have Rest and Peace with God I shall take the boldness therefore to say whoever be offended at it that if we lose the antient Doctrine of Justification through Faith in the Blood of Christ and the Imputation of his Righteousness unto us publick profession or Religion will quickly issue in Popery or Atheism or at least in what is the next door unto it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second principal Controversie is about the formal cause of Justification as it is expressed and stated by those of the Roman Church And under these terms some Protestant Divines have consented to debate the matter in difference I shall not interpose into a strife of words So the Romanists will call that which we enquire after Some of ours say the Righteousness of Christ imputed some the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ is the formal cause of our Justification some that there is no formal cause of Justification but this is that which supplies the place and use of a formal cause which is the Righteousness of Christ. In none of these things will I concern my self though I judge what was mentioned in the last place to be most proper and significant The substance of the enquiry wherein alone we are concerned is what is that Righteousness whereby and wherewith a Believing sinner is justified before God or whereon he is accepted with God hath his sins pardoned is received into Grace and Favour and hath a Title given him unto the Heavenly Inheritance I shall no otherwise propose this enquiry as knowing that it contains the substance of what convinced sinners do look after in and by the Gospel And herein it is agreed by all the Socinians only excepted that the Procatarctical or procuring cause of the pardon of our sins and acceptance with God is the satisfaction and merit of Christ. Howbeit it cannot be denied but that some retaining the names of them do seem to renounce or disbelieve the things themselves But we need not to take any notice thereof until they are free more plainly to express their minds But as concerning the Righteousness it self enquired after there seems to be a difference among them who yet all deny it to be the Righteousness of Christ imputed unto us For those of the Roman Church plainly say that upon the infusion of an habit of Grace with the expulsion of sin and the Renovation of our natures thereby which they call the first Justification we are actually justified before God by our own works of Righteousness Hereon they dispute about the merit and satisfactoriness of those works with their condignity of the Reward of eternal life Others as the Socinians openly disclaim all merit in our works only some out of Reverence as I suppose unto the Antiquity of the word and under the shelter of the Ambiguity of its signification have faintly attempted an accommodation with it But in the substance of what they assent unto this purpose to the best of my understanding they are all agreed For what the Papists call Justitia Operum the Righteousness of works they call a personal inherent Evangelical Righteousness whereof we have spoken before And whereas the Papists say that this Righteousness of Works is not absolutely perfect nor in it self able to justifie us in the sight of God but owes all its worth and dignity unto this purpose unto the merit of Christ they affirm that this Evangelical Righteousness is the condition whereon we enjoy the Benefits of the Righteousness of Christ in the pardon of our sins and the acceptance of our Persons before God But as unto those who will acknowledge no other Righteousness wherewith we are justified before God the meaning is the same whether we say that on the Condition of this Righteousness we are made partakers of the Benefits of the Righteousness of Christ or that it is the Righteousness of Christ which makes this Righteousness of ours accepted with God But these things must afterwards more particularly be enquired into 3. The third Enquiry wherein there is not an Agreement in this matter is upon a supposition of a necessity that he who is to be justified should one way or other be interessed in the Righteousness of Christ what it is that on our part is required thereunto This some say to be Faith
or before thee shall no man living be justified This must be spoken absolutely or with respect unto some one way or cause of Justification If it be spoken absolutely then this work ceaseth for ever and there is indeed no such thing as Justification before God But this is contrary unto the whole Scripture and destructive of the Gospel Wherefore it is spoken with respect unto our own Obedience and works He doth not pray absolutely that he would not enter into Judgment with him for this were to forego his Government of the world but that he would not do so on the account of his own Dutys and Obedience But if so be these Dutys and Obedience did answer in any sense or way what is required of us as a Righteousness unto Justification there was no Reason why he should deprecate a Trial by them or upon them But whereas the Holy Ghost doth so positively affirm that no man living shall be justified in the sight of God by or upon his own Works or Obedience it is I confess marvellous unto me that some should so intepret the Apostle James as if he affirmed the express contrary Namely that we are justified in the sight of God by our own Works whereas indeed he says no such thing This therefore is an Eternal Rule of Truth by or upon his Obedience no man living can be justified in the sight of God It will be said that if God enter into Judgment with any on their own Obedience by and according to the Law then indeed none can be justified before him But God judging according to the Gospel and the terms of the new Covenant men may be justified upon their own Duties Works and Obedience Ans. 1 The negative Assertion is general and unlimited that no man living shall on his own Works or Obedience be justified in the sight of God And to limit it unto this or that way of Judging is not to distinguish but to contradict the Holy Ghost 2 The Judgment intended is only with respect unto Justification as is plain in the words But there is no Judgment on our Works or Obedience with respect unto Righteousness and Justification but by the proper Rule and Measure of them which is the Law If they will not endure the Trial by the Law they will endure no Trial as unto Righteousness and Justification in the sight of God 3 The Prayer and Plea of the Psalmist on this supposition are to this purpose O Lord enter not into Judgment with thy servant by or according unto the Law but enter into Judgment with me on my own Works and Obedience according to the Rule of the Gospel for which he gives this Reason because in thy sight shall no man living be justified which how remote it is from his Intention need not be declared 4 The Judgment of God unto Justification according to the Gospel doth not proceed on our Works of Obedience but upon the Righteousness of Christ and our interest therein by Faith as is too evident to be modestly denied Notwithstanding this exception therefore hence we argue If the most Holy of the servants of God in and after a course of sincere fruitful Obedience testified unto by God himself and Witnessed in their own Consciences that is whilst they have the greatest evidences of their own sincerity and that indeed they are the servants of God do renounce all thoughts of such a Righteousness thereby as whereon in any sense they may be justified before God then there is no such Righteousness in any but it is the Righteousness of Christ alone imputed unto us whereon we are so justified But that so they do and ought all of them so to do because of the general Rule here laid down that in the sight of God no man living shall be justified is plainly affirmed in this Testimony I no way doubt but that many learned men after all their Pleas for an Interest of Personal Righteousness and Works in our Justification before God do as unto their own practice betake themselves unto this method of the Psalmist and cry as the Prophet Daniel doth in the name of the Church we do not present our supplications before thee for our own Righteousness but for thy great mercies Chap. 9.18 And therefore Job as we have formerly observed after a long and earnest defence of his own Faith Integrity and Personal Righteousness wherein he justified himself against the charge of Sathan and men being called to plead his cause in the sight of God and declare on what grounds he expected to be justified before him renounceth all his former Pleas and betakes himself unto the same with the Psalmist Chap. 40.4 Chap. 42.6 It is true in particular cases and as unto some especial end in the Providence of God a man may plead his own Integrity and Obedience before God himself So did Hezekiah when he prayed for the sparing of his life Isa. 38.3 Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight This I say may be done with respect unto temporal Deliverance or any other particular end wherein the glory of God is concerned So was it greatly in sparing the life of Hezekiah at that time For whereas he had with great Zeal and Industry reformed Religion and restored the true worship of God the cutting him off in the midst of his days would have occasioned the Idolatrous multitude to have reflected on him as one dying under a token of Divine displeasure But none ever made this Plea before God for the absolute Justification of their persons So Nehemiah in that great contest which he had about the worship of God and the service of his house pleads the Remembrance of it before God in his Justification against his Adversaries but resolves his own personal acceptance with God into pardoning mercy and spare me according unto the multitude of thy mercies Chap. 13.22 Another Testimony we have unto the same purpose in the Prophet Isaiah speaking in the name of the Church Cap. 64.6 We are all as an unclean thing and all our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags It is true the Prophet doth in this place make a deep confession of the sins of the people But yet withal he joyns himself with them and asserts the especial Interest of those concerning whom he speaks by Adoption that God was their Father and they his people Chap. 63.16 Chap. 64.8 9. And the Righteousness of all that are the Children of God are of the same kind however they may differ in Degrees and some of them may be more Righteous than others But it is all of it described to be such as that we cannot I think justly expect Justification in the sight of God upon the account of it But whereas the consideration of the nature of our inherent Righteousness belongs unto the second way of the confirmation of our present Argument I
justified but there is no force in this Argument For 1. The whole nature of Justification is not here declared but only what is required on our part thereunto The respect of it unto the Mediation of Christ was not yet expresly to be brought to light as was shewed before 2. Although the Publican makes his address unto God under a deep sense of the guilt of sin yet he prays not for the bare pardon of sin but for all that sovereign Mercy or Grace God provided for sinners 3. The term of Justification must have the same sense when applied unto the Pharisee as when applied unto the Publican And if the meaning of it with respect unto the Publican be That he was pardoned then hath it the same sense with respect unto the Pharisee he was not pardoned but he came on no such errand He came to be justified not pardoned nor doth he make the least mention of his sin or any sense of it Wherefore although the pardon of sin be included in Justification yet to justifie in this place hath respect unto a Righteousness whereon a Man is declared just and righteous wrapt up on the part of the Publican in the sovereign producing cause The Mercy of God Some few Testimonies may be added out of the other Evangelists in whom they abound As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name Joh. 1.12 Faith is expressed by the receiving of Christ. For to receive him and to believe on his name are the same It receives him as set forth of God to be a propitiation for sin as the great Ordinance of God for the Recovery and Salvation of lost sinners Wherefore this notion of Faith includes in it 1. A supposition of the proposal and tender of Christ unto us for some end and purpose 2. That this proposal is made unto us in the promise of the Gospel Hence as we are said to receive Christ we are said to receive the promise also 3. The end for which the Lord Christ is so proposed unto us in the promise of the Gospel and this is the same with that for which he was so proposed in the first promise namely The recovery and salvation of lost sinners 4 That in the tender of his person there is a tender made of all the Fruits of his Mediation as containing the way and means of our deliverance from sin and acceptance with God 5. There is nothing required on our part unto an interest in the end proposed but receiving of him or believing on his name 6. Hereby are we intitled unto the Heavenly inheritance we have power to become the Sons of God wherein our Adoption is asserted and Justification included What this receiving of Christ is and wherein it doth consist hath been declared before in the consideration of that Faith whereby we are justified That which hence we argue is That there is no more required unto the obtaining of a right and title unto the Heavenly Inheritance but Faith alone in the name of Christ the receiving of Christ as the Ordinance of God for Justification and Salvation This gives us I say our original right thereunto and therein our acceptance with God which is our Justification though more be required unto the actual acquisition and possession of it It is said indeed that other Graces and Works are not excluded though Faith alone be expressed But every thing which is not a receiving of Christ is excluded It is I say virtually excluded because it is not of the nature of that which is required When we speak of that whereby we see we exclude no other member from being a part of the body but we exclude all but the eye from the act of seeing And if Faith be required as it is a receiving of Christ every Grace and Duty which is not so is excluded as unto the end of Justification Chap. 3.14 15 16 17 18. And as Moses lifted up the Brazen Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God I shall observe only a few things from these words which in themselves convey a better light of understanding in this Mystery unto the minds of Believers then many long discourses of some Learned Men. 1. It is of the justification of Men and their right to eternal Life thereon that our Saviour discourseth This is plain in Ver. 18. He that believeth is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already 2. The means of attaining this condition or state on our part is believing only as it is three times positively asserted without any addition 3. The nature of this Faith is declared 1 By its object that is Christ himself the Son of God whosoever believeth on him which is frequently repeated 2 The especial consideration wherein he is the object of Faith unto the Justification of life and that is as he is the Ordinance of God given sent and proposed from the Love and Grace of the Father God so loved the World that he gave God sent his Son 3 The especial act yet included in the type whereby the design of God in him is illustrated For this was the looking unto the Brazen Serpent lifted up in the Wilderness by them who were stung with Fiery Serpents Hereunto our Faith in Christ unto Justification doth answer and includes a trust in him alone for deliverance and relief This is the way these are the only causes and means of the Justification of condemned sinners and are the Substance of all that we plead for It will be said that all this proves not the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto us which is the thing principally inquired after But if nothing be required on our part unto Justification but Faith acted on Christ as the Ordinance of God for our recovery and salvation it is the whole of what we plead for A Justification by the remission of sins alone without a Righteousness giving acceptance with God and a right unto the Heavenly Inheritance is alien unto the Scripture and the common notion of Justification amongst Men. And what this Righteousness must be upon a supposition that Faith only on our part is required unto a participation of it is sufficiently declared in the words wherein Christ himself is so often asserted as the object of our Faith unto that purpose Not to add more particular Testimonies which are multiplied unto the same
purpose in this Evangelist the sum of the Doctrine declared by him is That the Lord Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the World that is by the sacrifice of himself wherein he answered and fulfilled all the typical sacrifices of the Law That unto this end he sanctified himself that those who believe might be sanctified or perfected for ever by his own offering of himself That in the Gospel he is proposed as lifted up and crucified for us is bearing all our sins on his Body on the Tree That by Faith 〈◊〉 him we have adoption justification freedom from judgment and condemnation with a right and title unto Eternal Life That those who believe not are condemned already because they believe not on the Son of God and as he elswhere expresseth it make God a lier in that they believe not his Testimony namely That he hath given unto us Eternal Life and that this life is in his Son Nor doth he any where make mention of any other means cause or condition of Justification on our part but Faith only though he aboundeth in Precepts unto Believers for Love and keeping the commands of Christ. And this Faith is the receiving of Christ in the sense newly declared And this is the substance of the Christian Faith in this matter which oft-times we rather obscure then illustrate by debating the consideration of any thing in our Justification but the Grace and Love of God the Person and Mediation of Christ with Faith in them CHAP. XVIII The nature of Justification as declared in the Epistles of S. Paul in that unto the Romans especially Chap. 3. THat the way and manner of our Justification before God with all the Causes and Means of it are designedly declared by the Apostle in the Epistle unto the Romans Chap. 3.4 5. as also vindicated from Objections so as to render his discourse thereon the proper Seat of this Doctrine and whence it is principally to be learned cannot modestly be denied The late exceptions of some That this Doctrine of Justification by Faith without Works is found only in the Writings of S. Paul and that his Writings are obscure and intricate are both false and scandalous to Christian Religion so as that in this place we shall not afford them the least consideration He wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he was moved by the Holy Ghost And as all the matter delivered by him was sacred Truth which immediately requires our Faith and Obedience so the way and manner wherein he declared it was such as the Holy Ghost judged most expedient for the edification of the Church And as he said himself with confidence That if the Gospel which he Preached and as it was Preached by him though accounted by them foolishness was hid so as that they could not understand nor comprehend the Mystery of it it was hid unto them that are lost so we may say That if what he delivereth in particular concerning our Justification before God seems obscure difficult or perplexed unto us it is from our prejudices corrupt affections or weakness of understanding at best not able to comprehend the glory of this Mystery of the Grace of God in Christ and not from any defect in his way and manner of the Revelation of it Rejecting therefore all such perverse insinuations in a due sense of our own weakness and acknowledgment that at best we know but in part we shall humbly inquire into the Blessed Revelation of this great Mystery of the Justification of a sinner before God as by him declared in those Chapters of his glorious Epistle to the Romans and I shall do it with all briefness possible so as not on this occasion to repeat what hath been already spoken or to anticipate what may be spoken in place more convenient The first thing he doth is to prove all men to be under sin and to be guilty before God This he giveth as the conclusion of his preceding discourse from Chap. 1.18 or what he had evidently evinced thereby Chap. 3. ver 19 23. Hereon an inquiry doth arise how any of them come to be justified before God And whereas Justification is a sentence upon the consideration of a Righteousness his grand inquiry is what that Righteousness is on the consideration whereof a Man may be so justified And concerning this he affirms expresly that it is not the Righteousness of the Law nor of the Works of it whereby what he doth intend hath been in part before declared and will be further manifested in the proofs of our discourse Wherefore in general he declares that the Righteousness whereby we are justified is the Righteousness of God in opposition unto any Righteousness of our own Chap. 1.17 Chap. 3.21 22. And he describes this Righteousness of God by three properties 1. That it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the Law Ver. 21. separated in all its concerns from the Law not attainable by it nor any works of it which they have no influence into It is neither our obedience unto the Law nor attainable thereby Nor can any expression more separate and exclude the Works of Obedience unto the Law from any concernment in it then this doth Wherefore what ever is or can be performed by our selves in obedience unto the Law is rejected from any interest in this Righteousness of God or the procurement of it to be made ours 2. That yet it is witnessed unto by the Law Ver. 21. The Law and the Prophets The Apostle by this distinction of the Books of the Old Testament into the Law and the Prophets manifests that by the Law he understands the Books of Moses and in them Testimony is given unto this Righteousness of God four ways 1. By a declaration of the causes of the necessity of it unto our Justification This is done in the account given of our Apostasie from God of the loss of his Image and the state of sin that insued thereon For hereby an end was put unto all possibility and hope of acceptance with God by our own Personal Righteousness By the entrance of sin our own Righteousness went out of the World so that there must be another Righteousness prepared and approved of God and called The Righteousness of God in opposition unto our own or all Relation of Love and Favor between God and Man must cease for ever 2. In the way of recovery from this state generally declared in the first Promise of the Blessed Seed by whom this Righteousness of God was to be wrought and introduced for he alone was to make an end of sin and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 9.24 That Righteousness of God that should be the means of the Justification of the Church in all ages and under all dispensations 3. By stopping up the way unto any other Righteousness through the Threatnings of the Law and that Curse which every transgression of it was attended withal
much more as it includeth Obedience in it is a Work and in the later sense it is all Works And in the ensuing Context he proves that Abraham was not justified by Works But not to be justified by Works and to be justified by some Works as Faith it self is a Work and if as such it be imputed unto us for Righteousness we are justified by it as such are contradictory Wherefore I shall oppose some few Arguments unto this feigned sense of the Apostles words 1. To believe absolutely as Faith is an Act and Duty of of ours and Works are not opposed for Faith is a Work an especial kind of Working But Faith as we are justified by it and Works or to Work are opposed To him that worketh not but believeth So Gal. 2.16 Eph. 2.8 2. It is the Righteousness of God that is imputed unto us For we are made the Righteousness of God in Christ 2 Cor. 5.21 The Righteousness of God upon them that believe Rom. 3.21 22. But Faith absolutely considered is not the Righteousness of God God imputeth unto us Righteousness without Works Rom. 4.16 But there is no intimation of a double Imputation of two sorts of Righteousnesses of the Righteousness of God and that which is not so Now Faith absolutely considered is not The Righteousness of God For 1. That whereunto the Righteousness of God is revealed whereby we believe and receive it is not its self the Righteousness of God For nothing can be the cause or means of of it self But the Righteousness of God is revealed unto Faith Rom. 1.16 And by it is it received Rom. 3.22 Chap. 5.11 2. Faith is not the Righteousness of God which is by Faith But the Righteousness of God which is imputed unto us is the Righteousness of God which is by Faith Rom. 3.22 Phil. 3.9 3. That whereby the Righteousness of God is to be sought obtained and submitted unto is not that Righteousness it self But such is Faith Rom. 9.30 31. Chap. 10.30 4. The Righteousness which is imputed unto us is not our own antecedently unto that Imputation That I may be found in him not having my own Righteousness Phil. 3.9 But Faith is a mans own Shew me thy Faith I will shew thee my Faith Jam. 2.18 5. God imputeth Righteousness unto us Rom. 4.6 And that Righteousness which God imputeth unto us is the Righteousness whereby we are justified for it is imputed unto us that we may be justified But we are justified by the Obedience and Blood of Christ. By the Obedience of one we are made Righteous Rom. 5.19 Much more now being justified by his Blood v. 9. He hath put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 Isai. 53.11 By his knowledg shall my righteous Servant justifie many for he shall bear their Iniquities But Faith is neither the Obedience nor the Blood of Christ. 6. Faith as we said before is our own And that which is our own may be imputed unto us But the discourse of the Apostle is about that which is not our own antecedently unto Imputation but is made ours thereby as we have proved for it is of Grace And the Imputation of what is really our own unto us antecedently unto that Imputation is not of Grace in the sense of the Apostle For what is so imputed is imputed for what it is and nothing else For that Imputation is but the Judgment of God concerning the thing imputed with respect unto them whose it is So the Fact of Phineas was imputed unto him for Righteousness God judged it and declared it to be a Righteous rewardable act Wherefore if our Faith and Obedience be imputed unto us that Imputation is only the Judgment of God that we are Believers and Obedient The Righteousness of the Righteous saith the Prophet shall be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him Ezek. 18.20 As the wickedness of the wicked is upon him or is imputed unto him so the Righteousness of the Righteous is upon him or is imputed unto him And the wickedness of the wicked is on him when God judgeth him wicked as his Works are So is the Righteousness of a man upon him or imputed unto him when God judgeth of his Righteousness as it is Wherefore if Faith absolutely considered be imputed unto us as it contains in it self or as it is accompanied with Works of Obedience then it is imputed unto us either for a perfect Righteousness which it is not or for an imperfect Righteousness which it is or the Imputation of it is the accounting of that to be a perfect Righteousness which is but imperfect but none of these can be affirmed 1. It is not imputed unto us for a perfect Righteousness the Righteousness required by the Law for so it is not Episcopius confesseth in his disputation Disput. 43. § 7 8. that the Righteousness which is imputed unto us must be absolutissima perfectissima most absolute and most perfect And thence he thus defineth the Imputation of Righteousness unto us name y that it is gratiosa Divinae mentis aestimatio qua credentem in filium suum eo loco reputat ac si perfecte justus esset ac legi voluntati ejus per omnia semper paruisset And no man will pretend that Faith is such a most absolute and most perfect righteousness as that by it the Righteousness of the Law should be fulfilled in us as it is by that Righteousness which is imputed unto us 2. It is not imputed unto us for what it is an imperfect Righteousness For 1. This would be of no advantage unto us For we cannot be justified before God by an imperfect Righteousness as is evident in the Prayer of the Psalmist Psal. 143.2 Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight no man living no Servant of thine who hath the most perfect or highest measure of imperfect Righteousness shall be justified 2. The Imputation of any thing unto us that was ours antecedently unto that Imputation for what it is and no more is contrary unto the Imputation described by the Apostle as hath been proved 3. This Imputation pleaded for cannot be a judging of that to be a perfect Righteousness which is imperfect For the Judgment of God is according to Truth But without judging it to be such it cannot be accepted as such To accept of any thing but only for what we judg it to be is to be deceived Lastly if Faith as a Work be imputed unto us then it must be as a Work wrought in Faith For no other Work is accepted with God Then must that Faith also wherein it is wrought be imputed unto us for that also is Faith and a good Work That therefore must have another Faith from whence it must proceed And so in infinitum Many other things there are in the ensuing Explication of the Justification of Abraham the nature of his Faith and his Righteousness before God with the
He is utterly mistaken for the Apostle doth not ascribe Justification partly to Works and partly to Faith but he ascribes Justification in the sense by him intended wholly to Works in opposition to that Faith concerning which he treats For there is a plain Antithesis in the Words between Works and Faith as unto Justification in the sense by him intended A dead Faith a Faith without Works the Faith of Devils is excluded from having any influence into Justification Fourthly He adds that the Apostle compares this Faith without Works unto a rich man that gives nothing unto the poor ver 16. and a Body without a Spirit ver 26. wherefore as that knowledg whereby a rich man knows the wants of the poor is true and real and a dead body is a body so is Faith without Works true Faith also and as such is considered by Saint James Ans. These things do evidently destroy what they are produced in the confirmation of only the Cardinal helps them out with a little Sophistry For whereas the Apostle compares this Faith unto the charity of a man that gives nothing to the poor he suggests in the room thereof his knowledge of their poverty And his knowledge may be true and the more true and certain it is the more false and feigned is the charity which he pretends in these words Go and be fed or cloathed Such is the Faith the Apostle speaks of And although a dead body is a true body that is as unto the matter or substance of it a Carcass yet is it not an essential part of a living man A Carcass is not of the same nature or kind as is the body of a living man And we assert no other difference between the Faith spoken of by the Apostle and that which is justifying than what is between a dead breathless Carcass and a living animated body prepared and fitted for all vital acts Wherefore it is evident beyond all contradiction if we have not a mind to be contentious that what the Apostle James here derogates from Faith as unto our Justification it respects only a dead barren lifeless Faith such as is usually pretended by ungodly godly men to countenance themselves in their sins And herein the Faith asserted by Paul hath no concern The consideration of the present condition of the profession of Faith in the World will direct us unto the best exposition of this place Thirdly They speak not of Justification in the same sense nor unto the same end It is of our absolute Justification before God the Justification of our persons our acceptance with him and the grant of a right unto the Heavenly inheritance that the Apostle Paul doth treat and thereof alone This he declares in all the causes of it all that on the part of God or on our part concurreth thereunto The evidence the knowledge the sense the fruit the manifestation of it in our own Consciences in the Church unto others that profess the Faith he treats not of but speaks of them separately as they occur on other occasions The Justification he treats of is but one and at once accomplished before God changing the relative state of the person justified and is capable of being evidenced various ways unto the glory of God and the consolation of them that truly believe Hereof the Apostle James doth not treat at all for his whole enquiry is after the nature of that Faith whereby we are justified and the only way whereby it may be evidenced to be of the right kind such as a man may safely trust unto Wherefore he treats of Justification only as to the evidence and manifestation of it nor had he any occasion to do otherwise And this is apparent from both the instances whereby he confirms his purpose The first is that of Abraham ver 21.22 23. For he says that by Abrahams being justified by Works in the way and manner wherein he asserts him so to have been the Scripture was fulfilled which says that Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness And if his intention were to prove that we are justified before God by Works and not by Faith because Abraham was so the Testimony produced is contrary yea directly contradictory unto what should be proved by it and accordingly is alledged by Paul to prove that Abraham was justified by Faith without Works as the words do plainly import Nor can any man declare how the Truth of this proposition Abraham was justified by Works intending absolute Justification before God was that wherein that Scripture was fulfilled Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness especially considering the opposition that is made both here and elsewhere between Faith and Works in this matter Besides he asserts that Abraham was justified by Works then when he had offered his Son on the Altar the same we believe also but only enquire in what sense he was so justified For it was Thirty years or thereabout after it was testified concerning him that he believed God and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness and when Righteousness was imputed unto him he was justified And twice justified in the same sense in the same way with the same kind of Justification he was not How then was he Justified by Works when he offered his Son on the Altar He that can conceive it to be any otherwise but that he was by his Work in the offering of his Son evidenced and declared in the sight of God and man to be justified apprehends what I cannot attain unto seeing that he was really justified long before as is unquestionable and confessed by all He was I say then justified in the sight of God in the way declared Gen. 22.12 And gave a signal Testimony unto the sincerity of his Faith and trust in God manifesting the truth of that Scripture he believed God and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness And in the quotation of this Testimony the Apostle openly acknowledgeth that he was really accounted Righteous had Righteousness imputed unto him and was justified before God the reasons and causes whereof he therefore considereth not long before that Justification which he ascribes unto his Works which therefore can be nothing but the evidencing proving and manifestation of it whence also it appears of what nature that Faith is whereby we are justified the Declaration whereof is the principal design of the Apostle In brief the Scripture alledged that Abraham believed and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness was fulfilled when he was justified by Works on the offering of his Son on the Altar either by the Imputation of Righteousness unto him or by a real efficiency or working Righteousness in him or by the manifestation and evidence of his former Justification or some other way must be found out 1 That it was not by Imputation or that Righteousness unto the Justification of life was not then first imputed unto him is plain in the Text
for it was so imputed unto him long before and that in such a way as the Apostle proves thereby that Righteousness is imputed without Works 2 That he was not justified by a real efficiency of an habit of Righteousness in him or by any way of making him inherently Righteous who was before unrighteous is plain also because he was Righteous in that sense long before and had abounded in the Works of Righteousness unto the praise of God It remains therefore that then and by the Work mentioned he was justified as unto the evidencing and manifestation of his Faith and Justification thereon His other instance is of Rahab concerning whom he asserts that she was justified by Works when she had received the Messengers and sent them away But she received the Spies by Faith as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Heb. 11.31 And therefore had true Faith before their coming and if so was really justified For that any one should be a true believer and yet not be justified is destructive unto the foundation of the Gospel In this condition she received the Messengers and made unto them a full Declaration of her Faith Josh. 2.10 11. After her believing and Justification thereon and after the confession she had made of her Faith she exposed her life by concealing and sending of them away Hereby did she justifie the sincerity of her Faith and Confession and in that sense alone is said to be justified by Works And in no other sense doth the Apostle James in this place make mention of Justification which he doth also only occasionally Fourthly As unto Works mentioned by both Apostles the same Works are intended and there is no disagreement in the least about them For as the Apostle James intends by Works Duties of Obedience unto God according to the Law as is evident from the whole first part of the Chapter which gives occasion unto the Discourse of Faith and Works So the same are intended by the Apostle Paul also as we have proved before And as unto the necessity of them in all believers as unto other ends so as evidences of their Faith and Justification it is no less pressed by the one than the other as hath been declared These things being in general premised we may observe some things in particular from the Discourse of the Apostle James sufficiently evidencing that there is no contradiction therein unto what is delivered by the Apostle Paul concerning our Justification by Faith and the Imputation of Righteousness without Works nor to the Doctrine which from him we have learned and declared as 1 He makes no composition or conjunction between Faith and Works in our Justification but opposeth them the one to the other asserting the one and rejecting the other in order unto our Justification 2 He makes no distinction of a first and second Justification of the beginning and continuation of Justification but speaks of one Justification only which is our first personal Justification before God Neither are we concerned in any other Justification in this cause whatever 3 That he ascribes this Justification wholly unto Works in contradistinction unto Faith as unto that sense of Justification which he intended and the Faith whereof he treated Wherefore 4 He doth not at all enquire or determine how a sinner is justified before God but how Professors of the Gospel can prove or demonstrate that they are so and that they do not deceive themselves by trusting unto a lifeless and barren Faith All these things will be further evidenced in a brief consideration of the context it self wherewith I shall close this Discourse In the beginning of the Chapter unto v. 14. He reproves those unto whom he wrote for many sins committed against the Law the rule of their sins and Obedience or at least warneth them of them and having shewed the danger they were in hereby he discovers the Root and principal occasion of it v. 14. which was no other but a vain surmise and deceiving presumption that the Faith required in the Gospel was nothing but a bare assent unto the Doctrine of it whereon they were delivered from all obligation unto moral Obedience or good Works and might without any danger unto their eternal state live in whatever sins their lusts inclined them unto Chap. 4. v. 1 2 3 4. Chap. 5. v. 1 2 3 4 5. The state of such persons which contains the whole cause which he speaks unto and which gives rule and measure unto the interpretation of all his future arguings is laid down v. 14. What doth it profit my Brethren though a man say he hath Faith and have not Works can Faith save him suppose a man any one of those who are guilty of the sins charged on them in the foregoing verses do yet say or boast of himself that he hath Faith that he makes profession of the Gospel that he hath left either Judaism or Paganism and betaken himself to the Faith of the Gospel and therefore although he be destitute of good Works and live in sin he is accepted with God and shall be saved will indeed this Faith save him this therefore is the question proposed whereas the Gospel saith plainly that he who believeth shall be saved whether that Faith which may and doth consist with an indulgence unto sin and a neglect of Duties of Obedience is that Faith whereunto the promise of life and Salvation is annexed And thereon the enquiry proceeds how any man in particular he who says he hath Faith may prove and evidence himself to have that Faith which will secure his Salvation And the Apostle denies that this is such a Faith as can consist without Works or that any man can evidence himself to have true Faith any otherwise but by Works of Obedience only And in the proof hereof doth his whole ensuing Discourse consist Not once doth he propose unto consideration the means and causes of the Justification of a convinced sinner before God nor had he any occasion so to do So that his words are openly wrested when they are applied unto any such intention That the Faith which he intends and describes is altogether useless unto the end pretended to be attainable by it namely Salvation he proves in an instance of and by comparing it with the love or charity of an alike nature v. 15.16 If a Brother or Sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto him depart in peace be ye warmed and filled notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body what doth it profit This love or charity is not that Gospel Grace which is required of us under that name For he who behaveth himself thus towards the poor the love of God dwelleth not in him 1 Joh. 3.17 whatever name it may have whatever it may pretend unto whatever it may be professed or accepted for love it is not nor hath any of the effects of love is neither useful nor profitable Hence the