capable of encrease Resp 1. In the Sence and Manifestation of it it is 2. Where Courts are subordinate it is he that is justified in one may go on to be justified in another 3. This Text speaks only of the Continuation of it and there is a considerable difference between the first Sentence of Justification and the Continuation in that State 4. Some Original Copies of considerable Authority reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which removes all pretence The next place to this in their Opinion is Dan. 12.3 And they that turn many to Righteousness the Original is they that justifie many Resp 1. Preachers do as much Justifie as they Sanctifie their Instruction and Authority hath equal Influence on both A third place 1 Cor. 6.11 The Objection may be thus obviated Tho' sanctifying and justifying be named together yet they may be distinct Blessings and not Explicatory one of another 2. Our Lord Jesus is the Author of the One and the Spirit of God the Author of the Other 3. The Blessed Spirit of God is also a Cause of Justification in his working Faith and Sealing a Pardon but for Scriptures that prove its Forensick Sence the Reader may look Deut. 25.1 2 Sam. 15.4 1 King 8.31 Job 13.18 Mat. 11.19 and 12.37 Luk. 7.29 and 10.29 and 16.15 and on this very Subject Rom. 2.13 and 8.33 which the Papists themselves grant Thus much for the first Argument from the Etymology and usual Acceptation of the Word from Sacred Writ to which may be added the Testimony of Fathers and Prophane Authors as Chrys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homil. 15. to justifie is to declare Just the Greek Etymologist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified that is judged Just Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to esteem just and most frequently in prophane Authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Punish 2. Argument is from its contrary the contrary of making just is Sinning or Tempting to Sin but the Scripture shews us that the contrary of justifie is to condemn Deut. 25.1 Prov. 17.15 Luk. 18.14 Rom. 3.4 5. and 8.33 The usual Signification or Primitive Significations to which all others are reducible is the final result of a try'd Case to acquit or condemn treat as just or unjust upon an Antecedent judicial Tryal And Scripture uses the most favourable Signification to acquit the prophane Authors the other to Punish or Condemn from which we see no Word of the World so fit for our Justification is not properly so but a Pardon it is an Acquitment upon a Suffering or Satisfaction given Christ was properly justified we properly pardon'd but the nearness of Relation between Him and Believers the Reflection or Rebound his Justification has on our Pardon gives it the Name Christ was in some sence tho' different both condemn'd and justifi'd and so are we this makes the Word which signifies both so proper for our Justification is on a foregoing Condemnation 3. The Explicatory and Synonymous Expressions in Scripture shews it to be taken in a Forensick Sence as Remission of Sin Reconciliation with God not coming into Condemnation Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Flesh be justified 4 The Description of it in Scripture as the result of a judiciary Process we read of the Judgment Psal 143.2 1. Job 9.3 How shall Man be Just with God if he will Contend with him 2. A Judge the Judge of all the Earth will do righteously 3. Of a Law 4. Of a Guilty Person Rom. 3.19 5. Of this Law drawn up into a Charge against a Man Colos 2.14 6. And Satan as an Accuser 7. Conscience as a Witness 8. There is a Tribunal of exact Justice and a Throne of Grace as a Superiour Chancery 9. There is Faiths Pleading at the Barr of the one and appealing from the other 10. Christ as an Advocate 1 John 2.2 11. His Righteousness the Plea and the Absolving Sentence pass'd upon that account Rom. 3.26 To declare his Righteousness that he may be just and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus 5. I shall only explain that one Rom. 5.18 Even so by the Righteousness of one the free Gift came upon all men unto Justification of Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Righteousness of that one Christ as the Matter or Merit of our Justification is put in Opposition to the offence of that one Adam as the Matter or Demerit of our Condemnation so Justification as the absolving Sentence is put in Opposition to Condemnation for Holiness or Righteousness is not a proper opposite to Condemnation The laborious Gerard does not without cause say Sanctification is rather us'd for Justification than Justification for it for when the Priest did cleanse the Leper it was as much and more by Absolving and pronouncing clean than by any Physical Cure those Ceremonies could make on that Distemper Lev. 13.14 to which the New Testament alludes Heb. 10.10 By the which Will we are sanctified through the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all The immediate Fruit of the Sacrifice was Atonement Peace and Pardon our Sanctification is the immediate Fruit of the Spirit Thus much for the Signification of the Word and general Nature of the thing I shall next propose several Heads and Helps for the more distinct Apprehension and particular Knowledge of this great Mistery 1. The Relation it stands in to the other Benefits and Fruits of Christs Death 2. What is to be reckoned for the Absolving Sentence 3. When it is that the Sinner is Absolved and Justified I shall leave other Questions to the 5th ver 1. There are four great Priviledges and Fruits of Christs Death that are of a Relative Nature and as many of an absolute and Physical kind for the first four There is this Justification Redemption Reconciliation and Adoption 1. For Redemption it is taken two ways in Scripture Either for the paying of the Price or the Applicaion of the purchased Priviledge to the Person In the first Sence it is the Foundation of all the other Priviledges for it puts on the Nature of the Ransom or whatever other Name it may put on by which these Priviledges are conveyed in Justice to us Rom. 3.24 Being Justified through the Redemption Colos 1.20 Having made Peace through the Blood of his Cross Gal. 4.5 To redeem that we might receive the Adoption Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity Eph. 1.14 Vntil the Redemption of the purchased Possession There Redemption is put for the Foundation of all these Priviledges being the common Term the Scripture uses to express the Sufferings and Death of Christ by in its use and ends by that he satisfied Divine Justice by that we were freed from Death and Hell and this Foundation being laid he became the Avenger of Blood as to Satan who had slain us and recovered the Captives from that
in Vain They who did not believe in Christ would grant all his Arguments viz. that Christ died in Vain with respect to that End of Redemption of Sinners under the Law Galat. 4.5 And not only Professors of Faith but real Saints being sanctified in Heart and Life as may be seen by the Apostles answer to that Objection Rom. 6.1 The Objection lies thus If Grace be glorified in pardoning of Sin and our own Works have no Interest in obtaining the Right of Pardon then our Works are useless but our Sin useful Let 's continue in Sin that Grace may abound and the like Rom. 3.5 If our Vnrighteousness commend the Righteousness of God how can God be Righteous in punishing man Had it been the Works of any one kind of Law that the Apostle had been here excluding the most proper Answer had been by Distinction of Laws and Righteousness viz. thô Ceremonial Works be excluded yet Moral Obedience is requisite or thô the Moral Law be excluded and its Works yet Evangelical Obedience is not exâ—luded But the Apostles answer is of another kind viz. How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein and he that 's dead is justified from Sin The Strength of his Answer is founded on the necessâ—ry Connexion between Justification and Sanctification the Blâ—ssing of the one is the Badge of the other Bellarmine's Answer to this Argument savours neither of Honesty nor Subtlety viz. Saints do many things that are not Evangelical Obedience many of their Works have neither Faith as a Principle nor Gods Glory as their End but who did ever expect to be justified before God on the account of their Sins and Transgressions The very Pagans supplicate for the Pardon of such Crimes and here the Apostle is disputing against a Company of seduced Christians 2. Arg. As the Works of all Men are excluded so all kind of Works are excluded There is no Man can do any Works that can be ground of Right to Pardon or Glory We have Apostolical Testimony for this Ephes 2.9 Not of Works lest any Man should boast There are in that Text four Arguments excluding Works from our Salvation 1. An Opposite Principle Grace By Grace are we saved therefore not by Woâ—ks By Gods Gift not your Merit 2. The ill consequent that would follow our Works being exalted to such a Dignity vsz Boasting lest any Man should Boast A third is from the distorting of Divine Order in the Method of our Salvation by putting Works before the Promise We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works which God had before ordained The Divine Order lies thus 1. A Pre-ordination unto Holiness 2. An Union with Christ as the great mean thrô whom its consistent wiâ—h a just God to bestow Blessings on Man 3. There is the Blessing it self our being new moulded by a New Creation for New Ends Lastly comes in the result of all good Works unto good Works Holiness is a Possession it 's a begun Heaven and the Right of Title must be before the Possession Fourthly The Reason is added why they might be occasion of Boasting because we are the Subjects of that Grace Should Boast for we are his workmanship that we should walk in them What is in us is ours as shall be prov'd which is directly contrary to what is asserted by the Adversaries that Works from Grace will not give occasion to Glory The like is asserted of the Text A Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law and Galat. 2.16 Knowing that a Man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ I cannot here pass Bellarmine's Exception to this last Text from the Vulgar Translation which renders it thus Nisi Except by the Faith of Jesus Christ so he would make the Sence run thus A Man is not justified by the Works of the Law except these Works flow from Faith so that Evangelical Works here have room in the Matter of Justification For the Refutation of which I shall rejoin these Considerations Nisi signifies sometimes But Cic. De re nihil judicare possum nisi mihi certè persuadeo te talem virum nihil temere facere Ter. Nescio nisi mihi Deos satis scio iratos fuisse The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which often in the New Testament must be translated but and signifies adversatively Matth. 26.42 If this Cup may not pass away from me except I drink it The Opposition is there Adversative And Matth 12.4 And did eat the Shew-bread which was not lawful for him to eat but only for the Priest John 5.19 The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Synonymon of it and that is most frequently in the Septuagint and also in the New Testament put adversatively 4. The Syriack in this Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from it is the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all which signifies but so thô the Apostle wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he spoke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather took 'em both in one Sence 5. These proves that it may be as properly translated but as except but Scripture Interpreting it self shews that it must be translated but and therefore our Translation is preferable to the Vulgar For 1. Other Texts in express Terms put Faith and Works Adversatively and not Conditionally and therefore if it contradict not it self must be so understood here Rom. 3.28 A Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Without cannot signifie a Condition 2. The Text shews that the form of the Argument is Disjunctive thus A Man is either to be justified by the Works of the Law or by the Faith in Jesus Christ but a Man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ as we may see Thirdly In the Applicatory Conclusion Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law Any new Law must suppose an Abrogation of the old but that was impossible and thereâ—ore there was a necessity of Christs fulfilling it for us but he having fulfill'd it for us by a kind of Equity our imperfect Obedience is accepted for Duty but not for a Condition of Life which I shall enlarge on the second part of the Text. 3 Arg. As all Mens Works and all Works of all Men are excluded so all Law is requiring Works of us Galat. 3.21 If there had been a Law given which could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law But this has been spoken to under the third Head 4 All Evangelical Obedience being imperfect it can never be the Matter of our Justification for what needs a Pardon for it self cannot Merit a Pardon for another If it cannot stand the Test of the
for his Work trust him he is surely faithfull but never trust his Enemies you may gain your own personal Foes by Favours but never think to make God's Foes your Friends if you intend to act for God you may sooner lose ten Friends than gain one of them all your Favours will only make them Ridicule you if not put them in a Capacity to Injure you Not only may the things expected but the Expectation it self encourage you in the Administration of your Office for they who truly hope for such things at your hand will be constant Supplicants at the Throne of Grace for Piety Prudence Patience Candor and Courage for you That you may not only have a Power Faithfully to discharge your Trust but with Ease Pleasure and Success you may perform every Duty of the Station and at last descend from the Chair with an Honour greater than the Hope and Joy of your Friends at your Ascension to it in this Catalogue he counts it his Honour to be who is Your Humble Servant Walt. Cross THE HYPOTYPOSIS OR Schematical INDEX ROM 4.1 1. THe Supposition all Sinners are Justified one way whereof Abraham was a famous Pattern Page 1. 2. The Prerogatives of Abraham Prince of the Fathers p. 2. 3. The Grammatical Syntax asserted and proved viz. That according to the Flesh belongs to finding not to Abraham p. 5. 4. The Comprehensiveness of the word Flesh and sense of finding as to the Flesh 5. The Importance of the Rhetorical way of expressing this sense What shall we say then p. 12. ROM 4.2 I. An Introduction from the Momentuousness of the Doctrine of Justification p. 15. II. The Proposition that Abraham was not Justified by Works which contains four Material Parts 1. The Subject Abraham before spoken to the other three are in the Predicate or Attribute 1. Justification 2. Works 3. By. As to the first 1. The Forensical Sense of the word Justifie is asserted and proved p. 20. 2. The Correlative Priviledges are explained 1. Redemption p. 24. 2. Reconciliation p. 25. 3. Adoption p. 26. 3. The Sentence or Index of Justification viz. 4. Regeneration p. 28. 4. The Time of Justification p. 36. As to the second part Works 1. The Nature and Properties of Evangelically good Works are explain'd p. 37. 2. The Erroneous Limitations of Works refuted p. 39. As to the third part By in every Causal or Meritorious sense Works are affirm'd to be excluded p. 42. III. The Discourse on the first Argument because no Matter of Glorying has three principal parts 1. The Formation of it p. 45. 2. The Minor or Truth of it prov'd from 1. Man's Being p. 49. 2. Man's Nature Free-will p. 55. 3. Man's Guilt p. 77. 4. Man's Impotence p. 87. 3. The Major or Strength of the Argument that all Works affords ground of Glorying p. 99. ROM 3.27 I. The Litteral Explication of the Text. p. 107. II. The Supposition or Axiom the Justification of a Sinner must be in such a way as excludes boasting III. The Negative Proposition that Boasting is not excluded by the Law of Works contains 1. The Nature of the Evangelical Law p. 110. 2. The Pharisaical sense of the Law when Christians p. 116. 3. That all Laws requiring Works of us are excluded from Justification because they exclude not Boasting therefore there is excluded 1. The Nature of a Law in general p. 126. 2. The Natural Law p. 129. 3. The Moral Law p. 132. 4. The Mosaical p. 134. 5. The Evangelical p. 136. IV. The Affirmative Proposition that the Law of Faith excludes Boasting and therefore by it we are Justified contains 1. The Nature of an equal Interpretation or Exposition of a rigid Law p. 142. 2. That Christ was under a Law p. 149. 3. The Nature of that Law and its Righteousness p. 152. 4. That he Obeyed it in our room p. 155. 5. That the Law of Faith is this Mediatorial Law p. 157. Correct Page 1. line 21. for when justified r. who was justified Pag. 165. line 23. in some Copies for it 's right r. taught ADVERTISEMENT A Compend of the Covenant of Grace By Walt. Cross M A. Sold by H. Barnard at the Bible in the Poultrey Price 6 d. ROMANS IV. 2. For if Abraham were Justified by Works he hath whereof to glory but not before God THe Doctrine contain'd in this Verse is of great Moment and requires our most earnest Attention and most narrow search and enquiry into its Nature and all its Circumstances for it is How shall we be Justified before God how shall we behave our selves before such an awful Tribunal When he riseth up what shall I do and when he Visiteth what shall I answer says Holy Job Wherewith shall we come before the Lord and bow our selves before the most High will he be pleas'd with thousands of Rams or ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give my First-born for my Transgression the Fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul That God would plead with Isâ—ael made her Mountains tremble and the Foundations of her Earth to shake Mic. 6. It 's David's Deprecation Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified Psal 143. How can Man be just or Justified with God for if he will Contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Job 9.3 But it is a most certain thing That we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 14.12 Psal 139. and that every one of us must give an Account of himself to God We cannot decline it Darkness cannot hide from his sight nor Distance remove from his Presence We cannot flye from his Spirit tho' we had the Wings of the Morning He is higher than the Heaven what can we do lower than Hell whether can we go from the Depth of the Sea or the uttermost End of the Earth his Hand can bring us back He has appointed a Day Act. 17. wherein he will judge the World in righteousness Eccl. 12. and he will bring every Work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil 1 Cor. 4. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the Heart Heb. All things are naked and open to the Eyes of him with whom we have to do If there be a God there is a Governour and if there be a Governour there must be a Judgment Can we be his Creatures and his Subjects and will he be so Careless as not to take an Account of us Humane Government is but an Image of his There can be no Shaddow without a Substance Doth a Summons from Man fright us Doth the very Name of an Arraignment a Court a Judge an Appearance at a Humane Barr shake off our Security and rouse our Phlegmatick Constitution and put us into a most serious thinking frame and shall not the certain Warning of this
The Goodness of God would not suffer our Justification to be sooner for he would not keep us out of Possession of what is our Right if as a just Judge he Justified us as a Merciful Governour he would Treat us as such and let us have the Common Priviledge of Free Subjects which is his Spirit Not the later for his Justice could not give to a condemned Criminal without the Imputation of Mediatorial Satisfaction the greatest of the Favours and best of the Blessings of his Kingdom but whatever Arguments proved the former Proposition proves this As for the Antinomian Notion of Justification from Eternity it seems more absurd than the Eternity of the World There is a Threefold Use this Doctrine affords of Tryal to the Doubtfull of Support to the Dejected and of Conviction to the Carnal secure Person As to the First Whatever doth prove the Sincerity of a mans Faith the Reality of his Regeneration may be to him a sure Index and Token of his Pardon since Regeneration it self is the Justificatory Sentence As to the Second Whether the dejection or despair of Mind arise from the greatness of Sin the Violence of Temptations the strength of Lust the multitude of Backslidings or long continuance in that comfortless State or from such speculative Doctrines as the Fewness of the Chosen and fixedness of the Number of them for whom Christ died yet this one thing may support the Soul and fill it with the Joy of a pardon'd Criminal that if there be the least dram of Grace though small as a Mustard-seed Mat. 17.20 thy State is secur'd whatever come of others or however uneasie our present Condition be For the Third It is a vain thing for that man to live in Hopes and trust in Gods Mercy and Christs Satisfaction without any inward Change in the Temper of his Mind for the Sentence of Justification is never pass'd upon him untill he be Regenerate Thus the Apostle argues Rom. 6. obviating that Objection If Grace be glorified in the Pardon of Sin let us continue in sin that Grace may abound He answers How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein He that is dead is justified from sin These two are inseparable a Justification from the Guilt of sin and a Mortication from the Power and Pollution of sin I come now to the other Term of the Proposition Works which I shall first Explain by several distinguishing Characters and then secondly come to the Proposition and shew in what sense the one is deny'd Of the other how far Works are excluded from Justification For the first 1. They are Good Works neither Jews nor Gentiles ever pretended that God would justifie us for bad Works that the same should be matter of Condemnation and Justification that what needs a Pardon should deserve a pardon 2. Not meerly Good in Mens Opinions the Pharisees thought their Works better than they were Luke 16.15 they did highly esteem what God did abominate and justified themselves for it for Paul might then and should have brought Arguments to prove they would be Condemn'd for their Works And 2ly would have Corrected their Error as Christ did Mat. 5. by shewing their Works were not good they came not up to the Extent and Spirituality of the Law 3. The Apostle argues against the Works of the Law Rom. 3.20 and the Law it self v. 27. and 4.13 not against a misinterpretation of the Law Christ calls that Mat. 5. said of old and said of them the Opinion and Tradition of Rabbins not the Law and Works of the Law It 's a sandy Foundation which some lay for their Comments Systems and Sermons that only the works here meant are Mosaical in the Pharisaical sense of them without one word of proof for it for then the fault or defect would be in the Law not in the Works by the Law for this Law say some of them had only Temporal Rewards and Punishments 3. All Humane Actions works in general not as Grotius only External Works Aristotle and his Followers distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Works and Actions But Divinity that has only the Morality of Actions for its formal Object cannot exclude Internal where all Morality lyes The External works of the Apostles are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Acts as their famous and Sacred History is entituled and 1 Thes 1.3 Faith and Love are styl'd Works Besides we find Obedience Righteousness and Works of the same import through the Scripture and especially in this Epistle Rom. 6.16 of Obedience unto Righteousness and without Works and without a Man 's own Righteousness are of the same import 4. Good Works are the Fruits of the Spirit Ephâ—s 5.9 The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness rigbteousness and truth Galat. 5.22 5. Good Works are wrought by a Righteous Man Mat. 7.18 A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit neither c. Ephes 2.10 The Apostle proves that we are saved not of Works because Good Works follow our being God's Workmanship 6. Good Works must be according to Divine Command for that is the Rule and Standard between Good and Bad as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 3.4 is the formal Nature of Sin so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the formal Nature of Good Works Deut. 4.2 Good Works are call'd Righteousness because according to the Law that is the measure of the Creators right to his Creatures and of the fellow Creatures to one another Hence we are always sent to the Law and to the Testimonies if not according to these there is neither Truth nor Goodness in them Johannes Agricola the Ring-leader of Antinomians is usually condemn'd amongst Divines and it s said was Converted by Luther from this Error That Repentance was taught by the Gospel and not by the Law for the Law is the Rule of all Obedience the Gospel is a Doctrine of Joy Luke 2.10 A word of Grace Acts 20.29 because it brings the tydings of pardon to guilty Persons The Law teaches Man's Righteousness but the Gospel teaches God's Righteousness Rom. 1.17.3.21 And hence our State being mixed of Law and Gospel no Works are truly good and acceptable to God by the Law alone Not from a defect in the Law but a defect in us that cannot fulfill it Hence 7. No work is good without Faith Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14. last There is some deformity in every action by reason of some defect or want of its Conformity to the Law And 8 Its action needs a Pardon as well as every Person and therefore are only acceptable in the Name of Christ Coloss 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus The doing in Faith and the doing in his Name are all One so 't is a Justifying Faith that 's needed to justifie every action and this Composition makes the Actions truly good and as acceptable to God as those that were no ways deficient
this be if we consider how many things of far greater Moment and worse Influence this is a foundation to in each of us since in Ephes 2.2 to follow the fashion of the World is a certain sign of a Child of Disobedience I come now to the Last thing in the Verse the strength of the Argument or necessary Connexion between Justification by Works and Glorying what is just ground for the one is just ground for the other also they have a reciprocal Relation Ch. 3.27 28. if no matter of Glorying not justifieed by Works in this Verse not justified by Works because no Matter of Glorying The Reasons of the Connexion are 1. The Sameness and Identity of the Matter the difference between Praising and Justifying lyes only in Circumstances the one is before a Populacy the other is in a Court of Authority the one is a Panegyrick the other a Juridical Transaction the one supposes an Accusation or Suspicion the other not they differ as Comfort and Joy Repentance and Obedience they are of the same Intrinsical Nature Comfort and Joy are the same motion of Blood and Spirits the same Temper of Mind the Acts of Obedience and Repentance are Works of the same Law only the one supposes the Course of Obedience interrupted it 's a repeated or renew'd Obedience after Transgression as Comfort renew'd Joy after Sorrow Justification is a Vindication of Honour and Credit by Authority after some Cloud on it it is renew'd Praise or Glory Among Men there is usually another difference in degree Men are prais'd for Heroick Acts Acts of great advantage to Learning Religion or Countrey but justify'd for obeying Orders doing no Evil or Injury to them But this has no place with God for we are unprofitable Servants at best 2. Humility is the Test of all true Doctrine and therefore a proper Test for this Doctrine of Justification Whatever Doctrine tends to the debasing of a Sinner and humbling of a Creature is sound Doctrine To walk humbly with our God is the summ of our Religion and Rom. 10.3 their going about to establish their own Righteousness is called the want of Submission to God The humble Publican went home justified while the proud Pharisee standing upon his Personal Differences was rejected of God Luke 18.14 The Papists thô in Dispute with Protestants do seem to deny a Glorying to their Works yet Necessary Connexion makes the contrary Conclusion appear in their own Writings against their Will Bell. lib. 5. Ch. 3. De Just says Because it is more honourable to have somewhat of Merit than of Grace alone therefore God that he might the more Honour his Children has done this for them that they might prepare Eternal Life to themselves by their own Merits and yet more proudly Ruard Tap. in Art Lev. God forbid that the Righteous should expect Life Eternal as a poor Man doth Alms for its much more Glorious for them to possess Heaven as Victors and Triumphers do a Palm of Glory due to their own Sweats But the Scripture teaches us Psalm 115.1 to say Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory for thy Mercy and for thy Truths sake Rom. 3.19 Every mouth must be stopt before God for we have not one word to say in our own defence 3. God doth never deny Man his due Humility is the true Sentiment or Value of a Man 's own self in his own Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are only required not to think of our selves above what 's meet or not to think of our selves more highly than we ought Rom. 12.3 yea 't is added positively that we may think of our selves soberly according to the measure of Faith God has given us And because Scripture is a true Rule to our Judgment we are bid to think not above what 's written If therefore we had any Works to be justified by or any Ground to plead from as of our selves our Glorying so far would not be a Sin God ascrib'd to Abraham Glorying before Men because his due 4. Glorying is a Species of Pride but Self-justifying is a Glorying We can never be justify'd thrô the Exercise of what is most abominable to God Luke 16.15 and 18.12 God resists the proud they are Sins of the same kind and suppose a Diabolical Temper of Mind 1 Tim. 3.6 and a Mind very ignorant of it's own Condition Job 42. he owns he had utter'd what he understood not since more acquainted with God his Judgment is alter'd Paul says thô he were so sinless as to know nothing by himself he durst not adventure a Tryal upon that score yet I am not thereby justify'd 5. To be Justify'd by Sincerity would afford us as much Glorying as Adam by Perfection because his strength proportion'd It 's as much Glory for a Child to do a little thing as a Man a greater that we have receiv'd the Grace thrô a Mediator doth not abate any Glorying Adam's was Free Gift this our Sureties and Brothers Purchase nor that ours subordinate to Christ's for it 's reckon'd the sole Condition of the Covenant of Grace that gives right to Christ's Merits Christ's Merits are no Conditions of that Covenant Works Faith and Repentance are not Lex Negotio addita but Negotium it self in it This is the sense of them who would bring in Evangelical Works as giving a right to Remission of Sin or Glory It 's true the Angels are justifi'd by their Works yet Rev. 5. they ascribe all Glory to God and our Lord Jesus Christ But that is the Glory of those Works they could not perform the Work of Redemption and saving of sinful Man but we do not find them denying themselves to the Glory of not Confederating with the false fallen Ones tho' they deriv'd the Grace by which they stood from God If our Sincerity were the proper Condition or Matter of our Justification Man might Glory of God's yielding to him and coming to lower Terms All own the Works of the Innocent deserves praise but if a Nocent and Guilty Person should bring forth Works worthy of a Justificacion he should deserve more praise than the Innocent because Works of an higher value necessary to it nay more praise than the Works of our Lord Jesus Christ far easier to be Mediator for another than themselves easier for an Innocent to Merit than a guilty Person to Merit Sinlesness was a necessary Qualification in the Mediator but if one sinful could Merit the more Worth must be in the Work Therefore suppose it be granted a Working Meriting Glorying under Christ it may be equal to Adam's for if he had stood as Angels it must have been by freely given Grace but this cannot be allow'd because a more low Humility is required of us than Adam by Repentance Sorrow Grief c. Therefore I add 6. There is no Kind of Works but affords some Matter of Glory in them Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then it is excuded By what
Action to the Physician or the Medicine tho' he own them Author and Cause of the Cure Mr. Sclater is large on this Subject against Bellarm. Resp. 3. Such a Special Gift as the Spirit is the Grace of Faith and Repentance is supposes the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness tho' such Gifts as Men in Common receive viz. A Reprieve from Hell and outward Benefits may not yet such as Spiritual Life cannot be given without it A Prisoner for Treason may have Conveniencies allow'd him and some Favours but Places of Trust cannot be bestow'd on him there is a necessary Connexion among all Spiritual Blessings in due order to be possess'd whereof Faith is the first and therefore the Argument is good from the first to the last if Faith Justification Adoption Eternal Life It is of Faith that it might be of Grace Thus Poieret argues It is not Consistent with our Soveraign Lord and Governour to forgive Impenitent Persons for that were to let them have all the Glory for by yielding he should lose his own Authority and it is as inconsistent to give the best of his Blessings to them to deal equally with Friends and Foes Rebels and Obedient Subjects but to give his Spirit is to give the richest Fruit of his Love How shall then Man be saved He Answers By providing a Mediator and granting to them an Interest in his Satisfaction therefore this Interest is first in order to be enjoyed Faith and Repentance are Fruits of his Death and inseparably united with the others The first Fountain is Mercy and Favour on the Mediators Account Pardon of our Sin follows Imputation of his Righteousness immediately therefore as soon as such Gifts are Pardon is Resp. 4. That Exercise of Faith needs a Pardon being imperfect and must first be accepted before it can render us acceptable It is common Doctrine That the Person must be justifi'd before the Actions The Tree must be good then the Fruits A Cause must be before the Effect so these two things prevents this Order the Posteriority and Pollutedness of our Actions Tho' Grace is pure as from the Spirit sinful Infirmity accompanies every Action of ours and so there must be an Interest in Christ antecedently for the Pardon of these Actions Resp. 5. This would make the Covenant of Grace a Covenant of Works for our Ability to obey was from God then as is mention'd Argument 5. before Obj. 2. That we may be justilled by Obedience to the Law of Faith without boasting Rom. 3.27 Resp 1. It is the Common sence of Interpreters that the word Law here is put in figuratively for Faith or the Doctrine of Faith because it comes in the room of the Law as Christ's Satisfaction is call'd a Righteousness because it comes in place of ours for suffering is a bearing of the Threatning of the Law and not properly Righteousness 2. Beside the Name of a Law being honourable in the Jews esteem and frequently in their Mouths as the Foundation of all their distinguishing Priviledges the Apostle in imitation of them calls Faith a Law 3. From the Likeness of Faith to a Law it being a powerful productive principle of Good Works On the same account we read of the Law of the Mind the Law of the Spirit of Life may be Faith is meant by both so we read of the Law of our Members which is Flesh or our fleshly Disposition Thâ—s Chrys and Theophil Ambros and Austin among the Fathers Expound it Among Modern Divines Philip. Melanct. Calvin Pet. Mart. Gr. Gom. Pisc Beza Willet Zaegerus Pareus who say Glorying is excluded by the Law of Faith because that is to be justified by anothers Righteousness to wit Christ's which Faith apprehends Wilson adds Faith is the hand by which we receive Christ's Righteousness it is the Gift received enriches not the stretching out of the hand the poor Leper may remain poor all his days tho' he stretch out his hand as long as he is able he may starve for want if nothing be given him The Gift and the Giver is to be Gloried in and not the extended Palm Sclater thus The Law of Faith is the Gospel Law and Christ's Righteousness is the Gospel Righteousness his fulfilling of the Law for us is our Gospel Righteousness So much for Authority But to come more particularly to the Text it being the Foundation of one of our Late Controversies I am willing to shew my self not unconcerned in Sions Afflictions and throw all the Water upon that Fire I can to extinguish the Heat not the Light that may be received from it The Text is thus The APPENDIX ROM III. 27. Where is Boasting then it is excluded by what Law of Works nay but by the Law of Faith ALL the valuable Translations agree with ours and all to the Original except the Vulgar Latin which adds Thy Where is Thy boasting then And the Ethiopick who read it thus Wherein shall ye Glory in what law shall ye work there is not another law but by Faith But these are of no value to oppose others The Syriack for excluded has Aethbatela useless in vain to no purpose the word is but once in the Old Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. 12.3 The grinders cease but often in the New Ver. 31. Is the Law made void It 's the same word there it 's an Emphatical Explication because Works afford a Ground for Glorying therefore if a Man be justified by the Law he would have Matter of boasting in it The Papists add thy because they think Glorying is only excluded from Works entirely our own the Fruit of our Free-will The sense of the Aethiopick seems to be that the Works of no Law will bring us to Glory but thro' Faith without Faith the Work of no Law is acceptable The Substance of the Text lyes in this Syllogism Major Sinful Man must be Justified in such a way as must exclude all Matter of Glorying The Minor is express'd by way of a Rhetorical Dialogism by which as Calvin says the Apostle insults over his Adversaries having demonstrated the Truth he thunders against Pride the Foundation of their Error Where is boasting then The Law of Faith not of Works does exclude boasting The Conclusion is in the 28th Verse That therefore a Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law the very same Argument that is in the Text I have been treating of And because of the Affinity or rather Identity with the former I shall the more amply discourse of it and to begin with the Major Proposition I may call it the Fifth Principle of the Apostles accurately connexed Discourse the first is That Salvation Forgiveness of Sin Justification is a possible thing it is vain to preach what is not attainable Despair plucks up the very Roots of Diligence Hope is the very Spring to Vertue The second is that there is no Justification without a Righteousness God cannot be just and justifie the unjust too that is an
this Idol It 's now in Vogue and puts on many various shapes I could reckon several but shall forbear the Schemes of them till afterwards I mention them now only to show Satan's Diligence in Obscuring and Perplexing this Case that is of greatest Concern to our Souls of any in this World or the World to come and should not we be as diligent in Searching out and Contending for this Faith once deliver'd to the Saints since it is a Title to so great an Estate our Charter for Heaven And yet for the weak Christian's Comfort I must say the Doctrine may be Fundamental that may have many Problematic Questions about it that the Ignorance Doubts or Errors in will be but as the Stubble and Hay upon a good Foundation Ill Management of our Plea at a Tribunal of Grace will not make us lose the Cause when uttermost diligence is given Once more under Correction I believe that serious Christian that holds Faith as the Instrument of Justification in his Profession and the other that earnestly Contends it bears the room of a Condition often have not the least difference in their Idea's or Thoughts when they plead their Cause in Prayer before God yet when Ministers inculcate in People's Ears they may yea ought to plead their good Works at the Day of Judgment as lately has been it will soon breed this Difference in Ignorant People's Minds and they who are Teachers of others ought to be better instructed themselves A 6th Help Because the Purity of this Doctrine of Justification from any Mixture of Man's Works or Merits with it is the greatest Blessing of the Reformation from Popery In England the Discipline was very little altered the Idolatry of Worshipping of Saints fell as a Consequent of this Doctrine that ascribes all Merit to Jesus Christ This Doctrine was the Everlasting Gospel Prophesy'd of Rev. 14.6 7. and was fulfill'd in the Preaching of Zuinglius and Luther and they who followed them they were the first of the Witnesses or Protestants God illuminated with this Doctrine and encourag'd them to bear their Testimony for it thorough all manner of Persecutions For the Gospel is the Doctrine of Christ's Righteousness his Righteousness is the Evangelical Righteousness Rom. 1.17 c. 3.20 21 22. c. 9.31 32. c. 10.3 and the Righteousness of Faith or by it it is the Test of a Protestant and Shibboleth of an Heretick It is says Luther Articulus stantis aut cadentis Ecclesiae and Augustine before him Ecclesia discernit justos ab injustis non Lege Operum sed Lege Fidei And there is great Reason for it it has such an Influence on all other Doctrinal and Practical Truths The Deity of Christ if not God no Value in the Satisfaction the Trinity if no distinct Persons no Mediator Original Sin for if all not lyable to Death guilty Sinners no need of his Righteousness c. There is no fear of relapsing into Popery by any Person on whose Heart this Doctrine is impress'd but there is ground to fear that Luther was a true Prophet who said Post mortem nostram hac Doctrina rursus obscurabitur As we would Value the faithfulness of our Ancestors who suffered Martyrdom for propagating this Doctrine to us it is the most precious Inheritance we enjoy as we would Value our own Souls for there is no escaping Wrath if we neglect so great a Salvation Heb. 3. as we Value the Sacred Revelations of God for this is the Marrow of it we would seriously set about this Study How shall I be Justified before God What doth Christ's Righteousness contribute to a Sinner's Salvation What Kindness has our Lord Jesus Christ for poor Sinners But I shall come to the Words which contains these two things 1. The Explicatory Repitition of the former Proposition that Abraham found nothing as to the Flesh for if Abraham was justified by Works 2. An Argument for the Proof of it because he had nothing to Glory in before God To begin with the first of these though the Proposition is Explicatory yet such is the Subtilty of Satan and his Diligence in filling the World with darkness of Error and reflecting his black Clouds upon the Light of Scripture that the Explication it self needs a Comment or rather a Defence The 1. Thing to be explain'd is the Signification of the Word it self Justifie Never was there Word of greater Moment or Concern for Justification is the Soul of Religion and Marrow of the Gospel without it nothing in the whole Scripture could Comfort a Sinner never was Word matter of greater Strife and Contention and yet never less Reason for it but the greatness of its influence for bringing Souls out of Satans Kingdom makes it Satans principal Butt and Aim the most of all other Disputations of Religion end in Criticism but this begins with it The 1st Question is between us and Papists with whom the Swinckfeldians take part that is Whether this Word Justifie in St. Pauls Epistles especially in this when it treats of our Righteousness the Ground of our Pardon before the Tribunal of God is to be taken in a Physical or a Forensick Sense Whether for sanctifying a Sinner and making an unjust Person just or for a judicial Absolving of a guilty accused Person from the charge brought against him The latter is the common Sence and Tessera of a Protestant and the former the Shiboleth of a Papist excepting Grotius and his Followers who in this and worse take part with Papists Therefore this shall be the first Assertion That it is a Justidiction not a Justification of a Moral or Politick and Relative not an absolute Nature 1. Arg. Tho' the Word it self is barbarous in the Latin Tongue and made by Divines for the most genuine near and faithful Translation of the Original Text yet the Latin will favour this Sence for Justifica mens deorum Catul Signifies their juridical Distributions of Rewards and Punishments and an Adopted Son is call'd justus filius from Jus Right and in English we use the Word Magnifie and Glorifie not for making but esteeming Great and Glorious The Hebrew with all its Oriental Daughters do far more Confirm this Sence for one of their Conjugations usually adds declaring to the Primitive Signification as Barar pure in Arabick the Conjugation Taphahalah makes it signifie he clear'd himself or justified himself juridically in the Heb. Tame polluted Levit. 13.12 signifies to pronounce Unclean which in this Word Zadak to Justifie holds almost always in all the six Oriental Languages in Hiphiâ— as to the Greek we find it about thirty six or thirty eight times in the New Testament always in this Sence declaring esteeming or judging Just the shortest Method of the Proof is by instances of these Texts that the Papists plead for and some Protestants are willing to yield that it often signifies Forensically the Papist themselves grant the Principal place is Revel 22.11 A Forensick Justification is not
bear both the Place of a Sentence and a Condition which is needfull to reconcile these two Opinions R. 1. By Condition they mean not a Condition properly in a Law or a foederal Sence as we use the Word in Bargains between Man and Man for the Civilians inform me these three Properties make a Condition 1. Potestative that it be in the Parties Power to perform 2. Casualty in it self and to the other Party uncertain 3. Causal in that it bear a Valuable Consideration The Law will not suffer a Man to injure himself so far or another to deceive him as to get a Title to an Estate of two or three hundred Pounds per Ann. for an hundred Guineas But the Apol. informs us that This Condion is neither in our Power 2. Nor Uncertain 3. Nor Meritorious therefore not a Condition properly Nay further tho' the Gospel be a Law and this Law is the Condition of the Covenant yet it is not a Legal Condition Therefore it must be in a Physical or Logical Sence if not in a Law Sence and a Necessary Connection is enough for the one viz. Logical as if a Man be Reasonable he is capable of Learning and if capable of Learning he is reasonable and Priority enough for the other as that Wood must be laid to the Fire before it can be burnt And this Opinion is very agreeable with Condition in this Sence for there is not only a Necessary Connexion between Faith Repentance and Justification but there is a Priority the Covenant of Grace partakes more of Orderliness it is Order'd in all things than of Conditionalness for the Foundation is before the Relation the Sign before the Signification the Gift of Faith and Repentance is before its Connotation of our Pardon or being receiv'd into Favour Nay further there is not only the Gift of Faith but the exercise of this Grace as mix'd with our Faculties and become a Duty in order of Nature antecedent to this Connotation or Signification of our being now brought under Divine Favour because the way of Communicating this Gift is by Calling speaking immediately to the Soul and representing spiritual Ideas making us behold as in a Glass the glorious Image of the Lord discovering unseen and hoped for things as before and after both is further explained and the Gift cannot be without this exercise by which God and the Soul unite and mutually apprehend one another In short thus That this Gift may not only be long unperceiv'd by the Receiver but that it cannot Signifie untill in Exercise tho' as a Gift it doth signifie There is but one thing more that Justification and Glory are suspended upon these Duties of Faith and Repentance R. Either by Suspension he means no more but Necessary Consequential so we Agree and I do not find his Arguments will prove more For a Testament is fully as proper a Title that gives Name to the whole Bible as Covenant or Bargain and Civilians say the If used in Testaments which is so frequent in Scriptures is a demonstrative If that doth not Suspend but Design the thing Promised and some certain Time or Manner of Conveyance If he understand it a Legal Suspension it 's the same with a Legal Condition which he has deny'd before for Conditio est dispositionis suspensio ex eventu incerto ei opposito and has an Obliging Influence on the Promiser and Conferrs a Title of Right to the Benefit promised I might Conclude this with some Testimonies out of the Fathers but though I find Phrases to answer my Purpose I find the Style sometimes Loose and Oratorical and sometimes they Design another thing which I wish a late Author had minded who Attempts to prove the New Law out of the Fathers when Daille who was better acquainted with them says It 's in vain to make them Judges in many of the Controversies between us and the Papists and yet this Authour would bring them to Prove a more Nice Point become a very late Question In what sense the Law is New thoro the Gospel or the Gospel may be call'd a Law I shall only instance his first Citation out of Justin Martyr p. 228. c. and I am willing to be judged by any of the Subscribers that will take the Pains to read it if Justin intends any thng more than the recommending the Christian Constitution and proving it preferable to the Mosaical For he says This New Law is Posterior to Moses his Law but the Apologist's New Law has been ever since the Fall of Adam He says this New Law is Christ and his Testament Any may see he took Law in no strict Sense when he calls Christ and his Testament a Law he calls it a Testament Eight times in that Page and nigh Seventy times in that Dialogue and seldom I think not above Four times a Law without the Explicatory word Testament added yet I think this Opinion will help to wrest the Fathers out of the Papists Hands The Fathers use the Words Justifie and Sanctifie often promiscuously for making Just and Holy The common Answer by Protestants is the Fathers use the Word according to its Grammatical Signification not Forensical Use To which the Papists answer Then they were not acquainted with that sense This affords another for we may say to Sanctifie is to Justifie in the same Sense that Christ says This Bread is my Body that is a Sign of it And so we may understand the Fathers Est or Is Metonymically for est Signum and we may find enough among their Writings to shew that all the Parts and Degrees of Sanctification are Signs of Justification which doth sufficiently shew that tho' this Phrase is New that the Gift of the Holy Spirit in order to our Sanctification stands in the room and place of a Justificatory Sentence yet the Sense is not for it is the Sign yea the spiritual Initiating Sign of our being in Covenant with God This is the Covenant I will make with them I will pour out my Spirit on them Being in Covenant is a Relative Blessing as well as Justification and they are inseparable Now says the Lord my giving my Spirit imports this I take thee to be one of my People I avouch thee this Day to be mine The Prince's Proclamation of Pardon to a Rebel or the Judges Justificatory Sentence of a Person suspected accused imprison'd is the first Authoritative Signification of the Governments Favour So what is the first Sign of Divine Favour must stand in the place of a Justifying or Pardoning Sentence but these absolute Blessings that are proper to the Elect of Faith and Repentance are the first Intimations of Divine Governments receiving us into Favour therefore the Gift of them is the Absolving Sentence A third Propos'd Head was the Time of our Justification which being meant of the first Act necessarily follows from the former Proposition to be neither later nor sooner than the first Moment of our Conversion
than the others for v. 3. Abraham had Believ'd for Ten Years and yet his Works not Imputed to him and so Paul Gal. 2.16 1 Cor. 4.4 2. If Works after Faith be most Meritorious then there is most Matter of Boasting from them but Abraham had none to boast of therefore none that could Merit 3. The Works of Believers 1. Are Due 2. Not our own 3. Imperfect therefore cannot Merit But tho' there are different Opinions about what Works are excluded there is an Agreement about what Works are included Faith as a Work as the Matrimonial Consent pregnant of all the Duties of Marriage Repentance is included Sincere Obedience is included which I shall endeavour to refute on the fourth Verse The Second thing proposed was In what Sense they are Excluded I shall Treat this 1. Positively 2. Comparatively 3. Give Account of the different Notions and Respects under which others think they may be Included For the First the Text excludes them indefinitely in all respects that may be brought under the Particles with of or by for not by Works without works are the Apostle's Terms For tho' Works are the Effects Evidences Concomitants Properties of our Justification yet Justification is not by them for by denotes some Causal Influence either by Efficacy or Dignity and Works have no such Influence on our Justification 2. Comparatively they are more excluded from our Justification here on Earth before God than at the great Day of Judgment Works have a less Influence on our being Called and Entered a Member of the Church Militant here below than on our Entering the Triumphant State in Heaven for the former is meerly a Matter of Right and our Works have neither Being nor Dignity for that End but the latter is Matter of Possession and many things are requisite to Possession that are not to Purchase Our Justification at the Great Day requires Proof of our being Justified here and many things are Necessary to the Proof of Justification that are not Necessary to the first being of it Yet I much doubt any formal Process the bare appearance of the Persons in Sanctity and Glory is evidence enough 1. In Order to our going to Heaven besides the Necessity of Precept Gratitude For Right good Works are real Means of Order Preparation of our selves and helping of others thither 2. Good Works have a real Efficacy in them as all Actions have to beget and strengthen a Habit. 3. Good Works have a real Congruity in them to make us meet and fit for that Holy Fellowship and Communion above 4. Good Works are the Necessary Effects of Justification and Sanctification the Spirit of God cannot dwell in a Soul without transforming it more and more into a Likeness to Christ 5. Good Works have a real Utility in 'em for heightning our Reward in Heaven Not that they can from their own dignity Merit Degrees of Happiness more than the Being of Happiness but from the beautiful and harmonious Order of Divine Providence in advancing us from one step to another and not Conferring Degrees per saltum there is no End of the Encrease of Christ's Kingdom as to its Blessings but its Encrease is by way of a Life in a perpetual and gradual Growth 6. Heaven is truly a Reward to our Holiness here by Virtue of Divine Order and Connexion from Divine Condescendency as Basil says Manet requies sempiterna non tanquam debitum operibus redditum sed secundum munificentissimi Dei gratiam Hysichius The Kingdom of Heaven is not the Reward of Works but is the prepared Grace of God And as another says It 's proposed as a Reward more to attract us to Duty than a due Debt of our Duty and it is rather the Righteousness of Christ by which all our Actions are rendered acceptable that is Rewarded than our Actions themselves Lastly Our good Works are Necessary to Heaven as the Beginning and Growth of a thing is Necessary to its Perfection as Sowing in the Spring is Necessary to Reaping in Harvest and our being Children in Order to our being Men. Perfect Holiness is as much the Condition of Heaven as Faith is of Justification and Ordinances of Conversion and rather more for there are Exceptions in the last but none in the first The Third thing proposed was the several respects that several Persons plead Works to be necessary in Order to our Justification and herein there is a greater Variety of Terms viz. A Tenor or Hold a Plea the Form or Matter Preparations Dispositions Conditions Moral Means Merits of Dignity or Congruity than there is in Thought and Opinion and so a greater variety of Persons Professions Names and Ages of the World than there is in the thing it self for all these very different Sentiments we may find amongst the Papists themselves 1. The grossest of them as Vasquez and Cajetan fay Our Works Merit from their own Dignity that God in strict Justice could not but Reward such Pains such Mortifications such Fastings and Prayers with Heaven or Eternal Happiness this not true of Adams Covenant But a second and more Moderate sort as Marsilius Leonardus c. admit of a Tripple Allay to render them Meritorious And the first is That Christ hath merited that our Works may Merit Ours as subordinate Conditions to an Interest in his The second is from Divine Ordination because though our Actions are not worth a Pardon yet he hath Promised both a Pardon and a Heaven for them A third that lays Foundation for the former is a natural Congruity and Aptness that the diligent Worker should have a Reward and the sincere Endeavourer should not be slighted when the Bounty doth not Empoverish but Honour the Donor and that a Penitent Person should be pardoned And ever since the Interim at the first Birth of the Reformation there has been a party amongst Protestants in little or nothing differing from them called sometimes Interimists Cassandrians Majorists Conditionalists Calixtians and others that have run as far to a no less dangerous extream as Amsdorfius who said Good Works were so far from being necessary to Justification that they were pernicious and hurtful to it I do not comprehend under Conditionalists all who have asserted the Covenant to be Conditional for they have explain'd themselves that they mean no more by it than the immediate and nearest means of these Blessings viz. Justification and Glory And add many Cautious and Negative Senses that destroy the proper Nature of a Condition some five some ten but I see no Reason for their Zeal against them who say it 's not Conditional since they say it 's three to one five to one more not Conditional than Conditional viz. it 's not Conditional Antecedently it 's not Conditional Naturally it 's not Conditinal Meritoriously it 's not Conditional Legally it 's not Conditional Uncertainly and yet cry Error Error if another say it 's not Conditional and call it a Disposition of Grace thorough means to a
certain end if we take the Word Condition in its vulgar use for the whole stipulated part of the Bargain or Bond to be perform'd wholly by the restipulating party it s more apt to deceive vulgar People who have that Idaea of Condition to say its Conditional without Limitation than to say it 's not Conditional and do they think their Brethren have neither Power nor Skill to add Limitations to their not Conditional as well as they to their Conditional and fewer are Necessary viz. tho' Faith and Repentance are Gifts of Grace yet they are Duties and tho' the Lord calls effectually where he will and when yet our Consent is courted and wooed not forc'd we freely yield to the Spirits Conduct though our yielding is the Spirit 's Effect and Effects bear not the Name of Conditions The Sense then of the Apostle is this That no Works Ceremonial Moral with Faith or without it by the Spirit of Grace or Strength of Nature external or internal perfect or sincere no Works of any Law perform'd by us are either Merits Matter Form Legal Condition or Plea c. for our Justification before God they neither by Efficacy do Constitute it nor by Dignity deserve it What the Apostle has excluded without Limits we should The Arguments for the Truth of this follows next in the Text. So I come now to the second Part of the Verse which is the first Argument that proves we are not Justified by Works He hath whereof to glory but not before God The Argument is from the Topick of Impossibility or Absurdity the Matter is impossible and the Action is absurd that such a Worm as Man or any thing that is a Creature should boast or have ground of boasting before its Maker Much more absurd is it for this Creature becoming a Rebel and a Transgressor to boast of its Meritting a Pardon or rendring its Pardon a Justification If a Slave should break a Vessel of great worth and boast he could restore it or fatisfie for the Dammage when he is not his own it would be unbecoming but too mean a Type of this There are three things to be Treated in the Argument 1. The Form of it 2. The Truth of it 3. The Strength of it 1. The Form of the Argument is thus Maj. If Abraham were Justified by Works he has Matter of glorying Min. But Abraham has no Matter of glorying at least before God Concl. Ergo Abraham is not Justified by Works This is the general Interpretation of Protestants and some others Erasmus Vatablus Calvin Zegerus Beza Piscator Paraeus Dickson Hyperus Melancton Sclater Tuckney But there are Interpreters of great Number and Note that form the Argument in a contrary Method thus Maj. If Abraham were Justified by Works he would have no Matter of Glorying before God Min. But Abraham had Matter of Glorying before God viz. His Faith Concl. Therefore not Justified by Works Origen the first Interpreter says if Faith had not been a real Glory before God he would not have Imputed it to him in place of Works but there is no Reason to Impute this Error to Origen but his Popish Translator for we have no other Origen on this Epistle that I know Rufinus as we may read in his Preface to that Epistle p. 634. Basil They say there is so much of this work thy own that thou shouldst entitle it with thy own Name not Origens But tho' I have had an Herculean Labour in adding diminishing and altering yet I will not steal his Title that laid the Foundation but let the Reader ascribe the Merit of the Work to whom he will to him or to me I shall put both our Names in the Title They who form the Argument thus are of two kinds either 1. Those who differ both in Form of the Argument and in the Truth as the Papist Aquin. Sasbout Estius c. who say that Free-will affords a Man Matter of Glorying by it he has made himself differ from others Converted himself Prepared himself perform'd the Conditions of the Covenant May not a Work-man glory in his Work 2. Those who only differ in Grammar and Form as First The Fathers Chrys Faith thinks highly of God and so glorifies him Therefore he gloried not that he loved God but that God loved him Secondly Some Protestants as Bucer P. Mart. and also L. de Diu. His glorying before God was glorying in God 1 Cor. 1.31 He that glories let him glory in the Lord. Faith sends a Man out of himself to glory in God and in Christ I reject this Form of the Argument and embrace the former for these Arguments 1. The Propositions of the latter Argument are not in the Text but the contrary are the Text says not If Justified by Works he has no Matter of glorying but quite contrary He has Matter of glorying if justified by Works the Text says not He has Matter of glorying before God but Not before God so nothing of their Syllogism in the Text all the other is 2. Both the Propositions of their Argument are false The first is false That Works afford no Matter of glorying for Rom. 3.27 Glorying is not excluded by the Law of Works Eph. 2.9 If we were Sav'd by Works we would boast An Innocent Man has more Matter of Glorying in his Works that deserve a Justification than a Pardoned one whose Works deserve Damnation The Second is false That Abraham had any Matter of glorying for 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ what hast thou that thou didst not receive if thou didst receive why dost thou glory 3. We find the same Apostle forming the Argument according to the first Eph. 2.9 We are not Sav'd by Works that we may not glory v. 10. 1. Because we are God's Work 2. Thorough Christ so a Relation there before 3. Good Works the End Ergo not the Mean Christ the Mean to our Good Works not Good Works the Mean of an Interest in him 4. From the following Argument v. 3. that Faith is imputed to Abraham for Righteousness proves no matter of glorying in Faith For 1. It is a Gift Eph. 2.8 Heb. 12.2 no glorying in a Gift 1 Cor. 4.7 2. Faith put for its Object or containing its Object makes glorying in God not before God 3. For the Exercise of Faith which is receiving trusting depending affords no more Matter of boasting before God than the Beggar 's glorying of his Receiving before his Benefactor and his Bounty 5. Those who do not Err as to the Matter commit a double Fault in the Grammar of the Words 1. To translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before God or with God in God or from God as we may see from Parallel places 2 Cor. 2.17 As of God in the sight of God speak we Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God 1 John 3.21 If our Hearts Condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God So that the Sense is to have Matter of glorying
God being Judge and Witness and consequently Matter of Justification for they differ but in this that Justification presupposes the Charge of a Crime or Suspition of one Praising or Glorying doth not So that Praising and Justifying differ only as Comfort and Joy and Grotius himself being Judge on John 1.1 this is the Sense of the Phrase 2. Glorying in God is expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.17 And makest thy boast of God 1 Cor. 1.41 He that gloryeth let him glory in the Lord Psal 34.2 My Soul shall make her boast in the Lord. These two are vastly different to have Matter of Glorying in our selves in our Actions towards God God himself being our Judge and Witness and to Glory in God his Favour and Kindness when we have deserved nothing but Wrath. A second Grammatical Error is to think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differ in Scripture for we find that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glorying is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matter of Glory 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoicing is this the Testimony of our Conscience Rom. 15.17 I have therefore whereof I may Glory in things that pertain to God And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Act of Glorying 1 Cor. 5.6 Your glorying is not good 9.15 Make my glorying void 2 Cor. 5.12 Occasion to glory on our behalf But beside if Man had Matter of Glorying there might be justly glorying where there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God doth never deny any man his due The deepest Degrees of Humility God requires are but suitable Apprehensions and Conversations to what we are And Lastly a Man's Works affords Matter of Glorying as well as his Faith Heb. 11.17 James 2.20 God praises Abraham's Works as well as his Faith 6. The Criticks generally are against this Translation and so the Ancient Versions as the Ethiopick which puts a Reward here in place of Glorying and the Arabick which says If he was Justified by Works he should have Glory in them Lastly It is the making of a Neutral Verb active without any Authentick Examples to Countenance it But I come to the second thing which is the Truth of the Argument That Abraham had no Matter of Glorying before God I shall form it into this general Doctrine That no meer Man has any Matter of Glorying before God This I shall Confirm and Illustrate from these four general Topicks 1. From Mans Existence and Being 2. From his Constitution or Essence 3. From his Undoing of himself his ruining and destroying his Soul by Sin his guilt which not only affords matter for Humility but of mixing it with Sorrow Shame and Confusion of Face 4. From our Impotence to restore our selves from this Fall tho' there is matter in it to remove our Sorrow none to remove our Humility or lay a Foundation of our Glorying I shall begin with the first of these Topicks First Our Being or Existence this has seven Properties that are inseparable from it or from any Creature whether Angels above us or Beasts below us They are the seven Properties of a Creature as a Creature and the just Consideration of them is that which makes Angels never Mind themselves but be unwearied and without Intermission taken up with the Praises and Contemplations of a God These are the things which make Seraphims cover their Face and their Feet with their Wings The first is Creatures Contingency that is tho it now is it might not have been and may not be again there is no repugnancy to not Being in its Constitution which I shall thus Illustrate Before our Birth we were not Men Atheists that pretend our matter to have been from Eternity and that when we dye we only dissolve into that Common Mass yet they grant that we begin to be Men and cease to be Men and that every individual Man hath a beginning 1. If there is no Necessity of our being Men there is no Necessity of our being any thing especially Inferiour to Man as Matter is owned to be for Necessity of Existence is a high Perfection Contingency that borders next to nothing is a great Imperfection and therefore the greater Perfection is to be placed in the more perfect Being Therefore if no Necessity of his Being man there is no Necessity of being any thing Inferiour to him Necessary Existence must be the Attribute of something for since something now is something always has been and that which hath been always doth Exist by the Intrinsick Perfection of its own Essence for what suffers nothing to be before it admits of no External Cause But 2. That which hath the least Imperfection of any kind it wants this Perfection of necessary Existence whatever has any Imperfection is but a Contingent thing For if there be not a reality of Perfection to exclude a little Imperfection there cannot be a sufficient reality to exclude a greater Imperfection If the fulness of the Beings Perfections do not include a lesser Perfection they cannot include a greater for instance if Matter cannot include among its Perfections these lesser ones of Thinking Reasoning Speaking Feeling it cannot include a more Noble Perfection of Necessary Existence for not to be is a greater Imperfection than not to be Reasonable or not to be Sensitive Necessary Existence is at the greatest distance from not Being that is possible and therefore since not Being is the greatest Imperfection necessary Being is the greatest Perfection and whatever has it must want no Perfection and whatever wants it is but a Contingent thing 3. All that own a God own that necessary Existence is his incommunicable Attribute and does contain an incomparable an incomprehensible Perfection it is the highest Degree of removal from nothing a grain of Dust is better than nothing all Creatures are in a middle State between Nothing and a necessary Being Nothing is not Gods Name is Being Exod. 3.14 I am what I am his Name alone is Jehovah But Creatures are indifferent to be and not to be there is no repugnancy in us against Being nor no impossibility in our Constitution to hinder us from not Being Christ himself bears a Similitudinary Image of Independency because having once a Life given he is said to have Life in himself in his own Power but there is no Image of this Necessary Existence Atheism is very unreasonable to place this Perfection in Matter which as the Reverend Mr. Howe says is next to Nothing for it can do nothing and shall we place the Attribute that is most distant from Nothing in the Subject which is next to nothing What great ground of Humility doth this afford that I am more than a Fly it is of God not of me that I differ from the Dust or the Dirt I tread on I owe it to God I am not so much as one Breath yea the smallest particle of the most subtil Air of my self that I am more than
the Power of Heaven except the Fear of Heaven that is Religion There is a difficulty of reconciling their Opinions about this Point because they also owned a Fate which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josephus who was one of them says lib. 2. chap. 7. that they attributed all things to God and Fate but it is no wonder for wherever Error is there is Contradiction for every Man holds some Truth and whatever Error he holds is repugnant to the Truth he holds but Camero thus explains their Sense from Josephus his own words That by Faith is meant God's Providential Help but most is to be placed in Man and lib. 18. chap. 2. We are not to separate Man's Will from enclining Fate so that the Sense of it is Providence gives Occasion to Work but the Work it self is wholly Man's own 3. The Pelagians are not inferiour in this Pride to any of the former who confine all God's Grace to Man in giving of this Noble and Natural Endowment of Free-Will by which a Man is able to do all good Commanded They say none can give a Man spiritual Riches but himself for these he is justly Praised and jure Preferred to others for these can have no Being but in himself and from himself hence he taught this Form of Prayer Lord behold the Purity of my Lips by which I Pray to thee and the Innocency of my Hands which I stretch forth before thee 4. The Papists especially Jesuites and Molinists tho' others seem to diminish the Power of Free-Will when they write on that Head yet when they come to the Point of Merit they again extoll it Bel de Just lib. 5. chap. 3. because it is more honourable to obtain a thing by Merit than by Grace alone therefore that God might Honour his Children he has granted that they might prepare Eternal Life to themselves by their Merits and more proudly Ruard in Top. Art Lov. God forbid that the Righteous should expect Eternal Life as a Poor Man doth an Alms since it is more glorious for them as Victors and Triumphants to possess it as the Crown and Palm due to their Sâ—eats and Labours and their Common Doctrine is that by the strength of Nature preparing our selves we Merit ex Congruo special Grace and afterwards being made just by it we can so perfectly fulfill the Law that we Merit Heaven ex Condigno and why may not a Workman glory in his Work 5. Socinians and Arminians who hold the Freedom of the Will inconsistent with any Necessity and that it is out of the Power of God effectually to Call a Sinner when he will or according to the Terms in Dispute Grace is always resistable but the Will of Man unconquerable 6. We find many others and more ancient too much extolling Man on this account as Prudentius in his Poems on that Subject Insubjecte potens rerum arbiter arbiter idem judex Mentis propriae Powerfull being subject to none Lord of all things Lord also and Judge of thy own Mind And elsewhere He that made thee Lord of all things would he not make thy self free He that made thee King of the World would he not make thee King of thy self would he so Curtail thine Honour and Matter of glorying Besides the common Definition of it signifies no less that supposing all things in act that are fit or have Power to move or encline it it may Act or not Act or act the contrary as it will Neither God nor Angels Men or Devils have Poweâ— certainly to determine it 7. They who have their Minds better instructed yet have Practical Sentiments secretly latent in their Minds of this kind which we may learn from our Observation of our selves As 1. When Men adventure on sin because they think they can make amends by Repentance 2. When Peâ—sons delay Repentance upon this ground that they can do it afterwards 3. When Persons stifle Convictions and quench the Spirit because they think they can enjoy it again when they will 4. When Persons do not Pray from this latent Error that they have a Power to Accomplish their Designs themselves 5. When men Neglect the outward Ordinances and Means of Salvation which God has appointed not only as Means between Us and the End but as Means between our Can and our Cannot because we cannot do any thing of the Essentials of Salvation Meriting Pardon Enlightning the Understanding or Sanctifying our Wills God has prescribed these Means that we can do and has Promised to Perform that which we cannot Phil. 3. Work in and about your own Salvation with fear and trembling for he worketh in you to will and to do Now that which many Neglect the Means for is because they think they can go about the thing it self The Security that destroys the most of perishing Souls is founded on this corrupt Root that we have a Power in a very short time to do all the Business of our Salvation Were it not for this Sinners Despairing wholly in themselves wou'd be rolling themselves in the Dust and prostrating themselves before a Father of Mercies and God of Grace and constantly Watching for the Angels troubling of the Waters they would be daily waiting at Wisdoms Gates for the Spirit promised to Attendants upon appointed Means In opposition to all this I shall lay down these Eight Propositions with their several Confirmations to prove that this Noble Principle that God hath endowed Man with though it hath exalted him above Brutes it affords him no ground of Pride or glorying before God four are Positive and four Negative 1. Free-Will is a part of that Excellency by which Man is the Image of God All in Man by which he excells meer Animals he therein is God's Image This is a great Dignity to be in the Image of God but this should humble Man before God because he is but an Image tho' in respect of inferiour Creatures they being only a Vestigium or a Print of some one perfection as the Print of a Man's Foot represents but one part of him an Image represents the whole or most principal Parts Free-will is founded in Wisdom and Power and in these Man is God's Image but this Excellency affords no Matter of glorying 1. From the Scriptures own Expression Psalm 39.6 there is a Reason given why Man in his best Estate that is in the Purity of his Nature in the unfaded and unstained flower of all his Senses and spiritual Faculties is but Vanity because every Man walks in a Vain shew so we Translate it but the Original is Bezalim the same Word which in Gen. 1. is used for the Image of God Man is Vanity because at best but an Image Our greatest Perfections by Nature did not free us from Defectibility 2. Indifferency doth not represent the Will of God as terminate upon himself but as terminate upon the Creatures to him it was indifferent whether they should be or not
Abomination next to the Condemning of Innocent Thirdly No Man has any inherent Righteousness of his own whether Jew or Gentile Fourthly That all Righteousness is by a Law on this Subject he shews there is a Tripple Law The Natural Law and it's Righteousness from Chap. 1.17 to Chap. 2.17 he excludes both the Law and it's Righteousness from any Ability of this kind 2. The Mosaical and Moral Law from that Verse 17. to the 21st of the third Chapter he also excludes that Law and it's Righteousness from being able to justifie Sinners From Verse 21. he begins positively to assert and explain a third Righteousness which he calls the Righteousness of God or Righteousness of Faith and a third Law a Law of Faith All which is Evangelical for in the beginning of the Epistle he had described the Gospel and his own separation to the Office of preaching it and laid down this Doctrine Chap. 1.16 17. That it was the Power of God unto Salvation to every Believer and the Reason it is so is because therein is the Righteousness of God revealed This Righteousness after having excluded the Law with it's Works he most accurately explains from Verse 21. to the Text where he begins a Discourse which is a Conclusion from the former and a Proposition to the latter part of the Context built upon this fifth Axiom That there is a Necessity of the Justification of Sinners being in such a Method that may utterly stop their Mouth from either Glorying or Boasting God has his Glory for his ultimate End in all his Actions but there is a particular Reason that the Glory be entirely his in this great Action for a Sinner is Gods Enemy there is a Controversie between them if the Peace or Reconciliation should be so made up as Man should have any thing to brag of God were so far the Yielder and conquer'd party Man were the Victor and Triumpher in this Affair whatever Glory we ascribe to Man we derogate so much from God This may be clearly illustrated by the Transactions of Peace between Armies Nations Besiegers and Besieged they contend as much for having the Glory of the Peace on their side as for having the Victory of the War on their side And we find the Scripture punctual in ascribing the Glory to God in all the particular parts and points of this great Contrivance 1. Election Eph. 1.4 2. Permission the very letting of Man fall in Sin Strangius says Sin is none of Gods Mediums but the Permission of Sin is Rom. 11.22 Gal. 3.22 3. The Calling of Man Tit. 3.5 4. The sending of the Son into the World 5. The ordaining of such weak Ordinances for means of Conversion and Edification 6. The Calling of Men when they stand at greatest disadvantage for Conversion and so all the other parts of this whole Project and likewise we find the Scripture in nothing more punctual than in describing Man's Guilt and Impotency his Wickedness and his weakness and every thing that may contribute to humble and vilifie him in the sight of God And Satan is in nothing more diligent than to propagate this Lust of Pride it was his own first Sin and the Foundation of his Kingdom and he maintains it as the principal Pillar thereof Carnal Pride is a very strong Hold in his Kingdom it is a very difficult thing to be denied to Credit Honour and Reputation among Men But Spiritual Pride is a more subtil Sin and not easily discernable far less conquerable And if Satan can maintain this one hold we are never like to be sound about this Doctrine of Justification whatever may be our Speculative Opinions in Profession if we retain a Practical Sentiment of a Self-distinguishing Work we run a very great Danger as to our Souls Therefore as ever we would obtain this incomparable Priviledge we would endeavour to walk humbly with God and to get Self-abasing Sentiments of our Selves I come now to the Minor Proposition or second Doctrine which the Text expresses by way of Dialogism What is not and what is the way of Justification that excludes Glorying I shall begin with the Negative part viz. That Glorying is not excluded by the Law of Works The Sence of it is That if a Person can be justified by Works he doth not want Matter of Glorying for God doth not require Humility of a Man beyond his due if his own Works can answer for him before the Tribunal of God he has in Justice viz. Distributive merited his Life and where there is Matter of Merit there is Matter of Glory There are a great many attempts to diminish this Proposition viz. If a Man be justified by Works he has Matter to Glory by the Law of Works 1. Some say it is only the Ceremonial Law and it's Works 2. Others say it is only the Judicial Law and External part of the Moral which made up the Jews Civil Law 3. Others say only the Moral Law is excluded so far as obeyed without Grace 4. Others say it 's the Mosaical Law in the Pharisaical sense thereof 5. Others say 'T is the Law as requiring Perfection 6. Others as Meriting But 7. It has been the most Universal Sentiment among Protestants that all Law is excluded and all Inherent Works in sinful Men as Righteousness or being conformed to that Law It is more easie to fix upon this Question Whether or not the Evangelical Law and it's Works be excluded yea or not For though all these six Ways differ in what Law is excluded yet they generally agree that the Evangelical Law with it's Evangelical Obedience are not here excluded but put in opposition to the former and comprehended under this Notion of the Law of Faith The first thing Needfull is to enquire into the Nature of this Evangelical Law which is the Influence of the Gospel upon the Law The Moral Law and the Gospel are the two Ingredients whereof our Christian Religion is Constituted and being thus Compounded have an Influence one upon another and the Law by reason of the New Modes and Relations it receives from this blessed Yoak-fellow in the Covenant of Grace is called a New Law and a New Commandment and an easie Yoak and light Burden The New Constitution of the Law that we are under is one of the blessed Fruits of Christ's Death and this makes the Preaching of the Law Gospel to us for the Gospel strictly taken Rom. 1. to the 17. v. and Rom. 3. from the 21. to the 26. v. is a Narrative of Christ his Nature Person Offices States with the blessed Fruits thereof to us and the Manner of Application to us by the Power of the Holy Sprit But in particular the Moral Law is by the Gospel a New Law that is a Renewed Law after Man's Fall Jure the Law was quite Obliterated but he who is the Light that enlightens every one that comes into the World has re-wrote some Fundamental Parts of this Law in their Consciences
when Offenders or highly meriting Mat. 23. It was a great sin in the Pharisees to bind Burdens on others they touch'd not themselves 3. Good Salus Populi suprema Lex Plato says a Law is a Manner of Governing by fit Means to the best End No Priviledges that is Privae Leges ought to be granted without this Prospect Knowledge of Sin and Wrath are the Consequents of Divine Law but neither End nor Fruit of them but of the Transgressors 4. Publickly Proclaim'd 5. Firmly ratified by Sanction Laws are made that the Innocent may be safe among the Wicked that the Wicked's Boldness may be bridled the Law is not for a righteous Man 7. There is no kind of Law but what requires Works as its Object the Negative forbids Works the irritating make void Works according to the kind of Works they are distinguish'd Natural of Nations Civil Canonical Priviledges Poenal Customs Counsels Moral Judicial Ceremonial Evangelical and consequently the Law of Faith is not meant the Law requiring Faith for then it would be a Law of Works for Joh. 6.29 To believe is to work the work of God Gal. 5.6 Faith works by Love and the Pharisees even before Conversion as is before prov'd own'd Faith as a most acceptable Work to God so there would neither be fit distinguishing Terms of the opposite Propositions nor any Refutation ot the Apostle's Adversaries by this Sense of it it must therefore either be taken largely for the Doctrine of Faith that is the Gospel the Object of our Faith according to the Cloud of Protestant Commentators or which is Materially the same the Law that is the Object of our Faith and as such he had been before describing the Righteousness we are Sav'd by and Justifi'd by to be a Righteousness Rom. 1.17 3.22 Reveal'd to Faith to be believ'd in now this Righteousness must have a Law which is the Mediatorial Law as the other is the Mediator's Righteousness He was made under the Law to redeem us from under it Gal. 4.5 Mat. 5. He came to fulfill the Law we are Justified by his Obedience to the Law for us So by the Law of Faith is not by the Law as Directing and Commanding our Works but by the Law as believ'd to be fulfill'd by Christ in our room There can be no Pretence or shew of Reason for the other Opinion but on this bottom that by Works and Faith are meant different kind of Works But then why should the general term Comprehending all kind of Works be us'd for one Species Would that be a good Division to say God governs the Earth not by an Animal but by a Man or not by a Spirit but by an Angel and there is no ground in the Context to take the word thus by Synecdoche as shall next be prov'd For there is no Divine Law under which we are but what we may find excluded by the Apostles Arguments 1. The Natural Law and its Works are excluded Rom. 3.9 We have before proved both Jew and Gentile that they are all under sin V. 19. All the World is guilty before God not from insufficiency of the Law for Rom. 2.26 If the Vncircumcision keep the Righteousness of the Law shall not his Vncircumcision be counted for Circumcision for the Law of Nature now is the same with that in Innocence only there is a Change in the Matter Positive Laws do not bind ad semper and the Negative Laws are all the same still the Law says one thing to a married Person and another to an unmarried So tho' the Law command other things to fallen Man than to innocent Man it is not another Natural Law All the Natural Law Tertullian says was broken in Eating the Forbidden Fruit there was Theft yea Sacriledge in stealing God's Proprium there was Murder of himself and his Posterity there was Coveting there was want of Love to God and Obedience too yea Idolatry to an Incarniz'd Devil having more esteeming and adoring Thoughts of the Devil than God So the Matter of the Law is the same and the Measure of it too viz. what Reason observes or may observe to be its Duty from Divine Providence Rom. 2.5 The goodness and forbearance of God leads to Repentance The Author God the Principle Love to God the End God's glory and our good is still the same its Sanction is Perishing and Salvation Rom. 2.12 They that sin without Law perish without Law and if they observe it it shall be Circumcision to them but all are Sinners all have broken it their Conscience accuse them they detain the Truth in Vnrighteousness they did what they knew deserv'd Death Rom. 1.32 2. The Natural Law being excluded all Law is excluded for they are all reduceable to it and consequently it is comprehensive of them Mr. Baxt. Method p. 392. In illo tamen omnes eaedem fuere virtualiter aut eminenter It is the Mother and Root of them all but the further the Branches are removed from the Root the lesser they are and the more invisible and stand at a greater distance from it 1. These are its Primitive Axioms That good is to be chosen and evil to be refused and the greater the good is for Weight or Duration with the greater Desire and Endeavour to be pursued That we are to do that which is becoming us and to do as we would be done by in the like Circumstances The second Order is more determined to wit God is to be worshipped by true loving trusting adoring and Obediential Thoughts that the Innocent is not to be Hurt the Honest Man is to be Befriended the Superior to be Reverenced the Inferior to be Condescended to and the Indigent to be Supplied and many other Laws about Patience Fortitude Sobriety and Temperance The third Order is more particular Vices and Vertues are specified by which Theft Adultery Murder and the like are forbid The fourth Order is less apparent and evident to wit about Revenge Fornication Usury and Self-Murderers in some Cases which gives occasion to Civil and in some sence Canonical Laws also These are two ways reduced to the Natural Law First because both Civil and Religious Society and consequently Government is constituted by this Natural Law Rom. 13.1 There is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Their Authority is both established and limited by his and therefore their Laws ought to be subordinate to his which is the second Connexion For Rulers are not a Terror to good Works but to the Evil. Hence a Penal Law obliging to Sin or to suffer is a most unjust thing for it is a Terror to good yet a Conformity to the Laws of God is pretended to by all Law-givers even under Paganism The Moral Law is more properly this Law it self than reductively belonging to it for where Moral and Natural is opposed it is in Sciences not in Laws for what 's Moral as to the Object to wit Praise-worthy or Blame-worthy Vice
makes use of all these as Symbols of our Freedom from the Bondage of Corruption and Servitude of Sin Luk. 15. The Ring is made mention of Revel 19.8 there 's the White Raiment Rev. 2.17 there 's the Manna the Food of our Lord's Table and the White Stone with our Names upon it This expressing of a Sentence by an Action is becoming of the Divine Majesty with whom to do and to say are the same his great Work of Creation requir'd no more to its production but God's saying Let there be a Light a Firmament c. and it was so This great Work of Regeneration it 's a begetting by his Word Hos 2.14 A speaking Comfortably to the Heart and frequently a Calling Whom he Call'd he Justified his Vocation put them in a Justified State 10. Sanctification or Regeneration removes a Punishment as well as a Crime the giving of a spiritual Life takes away a spiritual Death which is the worst of Punishments The Desertion by the Spirit is the greatest Curse and that is removed by the Gift of the Spirit and what takes away the Punishment does necessarily remove the Guilt or suppose it remov'd for the greater Mercy does comprehend the lesser Lastly From the Nature of Faith Isa 53.11 By his Knowledge shall my righteous Servant justifie many it may either be by the Gift of Knowledge or by the Act of Knowledge upon him for Heb. 11.1 Faith is the Evidence of things not seen it is no sooner in being than it is in exercise The Seed of Grace is not like Material Seed to need a Time of Corruption and intermixture with the Earth before it grow but like the Beams of the Sun that act as they are received The Gift of Faith is the Idea of Heavenly things suggested into the Soul and there manifesting themselves by their own Light so that we are Receivers of the Objects of Faith when we act Faith Isa 65.24 Before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear Hence Regeneration's being the Sentence does not pecede the Exercise of Faith as a Mean This might afford more Arguments for this Truth because then the Union between us Debtors and Christ as Surety is Compleated which is not 'till we apprehend him by Faith 2. Then the Soul actually Pleads and thereâ—ore it 's Term-time the acceptable Day of our Salvation the Court sits on our Case and all the Causes of our Salvation are Cloath'd with a forensical Form from this Exercise of Faith by which we look on God as our Judge on Christ's Righteousness as our Plea on Satan as our Accuser on Christ as our Advocate and his Spirit our Council on the Law as an Indictment drawn up against us and on its Constitution and Divine Justice as a Tribunal from which we Appeal to the Chancery of the Gospel founded on Goodness and Equity Object There are some Objections against this Doctrine 1. Sanctification is a gradual thing Justification is one Act. 2. That this would Confirm the Popish Error that Justification is not a forensical or relative Act but a Physical and Absolute one To both which I Answer 1. That the Sentence of Justification is not Justification but the Declaration of it and the Gift of the Spirit for Sanctification the Sign of that Faith is an Absolute Act by which we are justified but Justification is the relative Result of all the Causes and Foundations Fatherhood or Sonship are Relative things but to be Born or to be Begotten is an absolute thing 2. In all Similitudes there is somewhat of Unlikeness and so in this For 1. He who is Judge is both Law-giver and supream Governour too in other Cases in this 2. In others we have done with the Judge when the Sentence is past but not in this 2. In others we need but one Act because we can abstain from the like Crimes but in this we need a Continual Justification or Remission Hence we daily Pray Forgive us our Sins and we have daily Encouragement that if any Man sin there is an Advocate with the Father The Court constantly sits we are always on our Knees before the Bar our Faith perpetually Pleads and Christ's always interceding and he is always heard hence a constant continued Stream of Justification Dan. 9.9 call'd Forgivenesses and Revel 19.9 the Righteousnesses or Justifications for it is the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 5.19 is translated Justification and thus may be expounded Revel 22.16 He that is Justified let him be Justified still and in this very Chapter Rom. 4. Abraham is said to be Justified by Acts of Faith several Years after his first Conversion Gen. 15.6 it was at least Ten Years after his first Faith Our Case is a continued State of Justifying or Pardoning That which recommends this Opinion to me is not only its Appearance of Truth but its Medicinalness for Reconciling the different Opinions of Persons so lately on foot for the Subscribers Apology grants 1. That Faith and Repentance are absolutely given to the Ungodly for what is Man else before that Gift 2. That Faith and Repentance are only given to the Elect. Are they not then 1. The Gifts Blessings Tokens of special Favour Symbols of divine distinguishing Love though they may be long unintelligible to the Person under the Exercise of them as the Inscription of Mene Tekel on the Wall was to the Chaldeans yet ex Natura rei intentione Authoris it imports a Person 's being Reconcil'd to God Fellowship with Heaven is begun and two cannot walk together and not be agreed Effects alway signifie their Cause Rom. 5.15 2. Can a Person be under special Favour and not Pardon'd or Reconcil'd and not Pardon'd Call'd and not Justifi'd not under Wrath and yet under Guilt or else under Divine Love and Wrath at once or that the Punishment to wit want of the Spirit spiritual Death is remov'd and not the Guilt or lyableness to the Punishment although so remov'd as eventually never to return again from the Vigour of Divine Love fix'd on that Person Rom. 5. 6. the Apostle describes a State of Grace and Justification as necessarily united But I need not inferr this from them since the Reverend Mr. Baxt. Conf. p. 40. saith To Sanctifie is to Pardon that is executively because it takes away the greatest Punishment Spiritual Death and the Sentence of Pardon must go before the Execution And further our Pardon is subservient to our Renovation by Sanctity as imperfectly now begun for being imperfect the Defect of every Act deserves Condemnation and needs Pardon and yet this Pardon is a particular Pardon following the general Pardon of our Persons by which we escape Wrath and are capable of Acceptable Obedience for the future By this the Pardon of our Persons should precede every Act of Faith and Repentance for a following particular Pardon accompanies every Act of them But the greatest difficulty is how Faith and Repentance should