decretis Publicis Politicis Ecclesiasticis fuit sancita roborata Sic ergò habent Articuli quos in Anglicum Sermonem versos exhibemus X. Of Free-will This is the condition of man after Adams fall that by his own Power and good works he cannot convert and prepare himself to Faith and calling upon God Wherefore without the grace of God which is by Christ preventing us that we may will and to operating while we will for doeing works of Pietie which are acceptable and well pleasing to God we can doe nothing XI Of Mans Justification Wee are only reputed Righteous before God for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ by Faith not for our works and merits For which cause the Doctrine of our being Iustified by Faith alone is most wholsome and full of consolation as it is explained in the Homilie about mans Iustification at more length XII Of Good Works Good works which are the fruits of Faith and follow the Iustified although they cannot expiat our sins or endure the severity of Divine Iustice Yet they are pleasing and accepted by God in Christ and necessarily flow from a true and lively Faith So that plainly by them a vive faith can be known as a tree can be judged by it's fruit XIII Of works before Justification Works which are done before the Grace of Christ and the influence of his Spirit since they do not proceed from the Faith of Iesus Christ are not at all acceptable to God neither doe they merit the grace which many call congruous Yea because they are not done according to Gods will and command we doubt not but they have the nature of sin XVII Of Predestination and Election Predestination to life is the eternal purpose of God whereby He before the setling of the foundations of the world by his Counsel hid indeed as to us Immutably decreed those whom he had chosen in Christ out of mankind should be delivered from the curse and destruction and as vessels made to honour brought to eternal Salvation by Christ. Hence those who are gifted with this notable favour of God are called in due time according to his purpose His own Spirit working they obey by Graces call are Iustified freely are Adopted to be the sons of God and made consorme to the Image of his only begotten Son Iesus Christ they walk holily in good works and in end by the mercy of God they come to eternal happiness As the pious consideration of our Predestination and Election in Christ is sweet pleasant and full of ineffable consolation to the truely Godly and to those who find in themselves the efficacie of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the deeds of the flesh and members which yet are upon the earth and by force drawing the mind to things above both because it does much establish and confirme our Faith of obtaining eternal Salvation as also because it vehemently kindles our love toward our good So it is a very destructive precipice to curious and carnal men and who are destitute of the Spirit of Christ to have alwayes the sentence of Gods Predestination proposed to their view whereby the Devil either presses them to despair or into equally pernicious security of a most impure life Thereafter the Divine Promises most be so imbraced as they are generally proposed to us in the holy Scriptures and the will of God which we have expresly revealed in Gods word is to be followed by us in our actions Atque hi quidem sunt Ecclesiae Anglicanae de Gratia Iustificatione Articuli convenientes utique cum aliarum Ecclesiarum praesertim Ecclesiae Scoticanae doctrina â—ti ex hujus Confessione Art III. VIII XII XIII manifestum est THE LIFE OF JUSTIFICATION Through faith cleared from Gal. 3 11. For the Iust shall live by faith CHAPT I. The Introduction the text the ground of this following discourse opened-up THe Doctrine of Iustification cannot but be acknowledged by all whose thoughts are taken up about an interest in everlasting felicity to be of great concernment debates or Controversies about the same cannot be esteemed vaine fruitless Digladiations Disputes about a thing of naught seing in this lyeth the Ground of all our Hop peace Eternal Salvation a Mistake or Errour as to the Theorie in this matter followed with an answerable corresponding practice I meane as to what toucheth the heart Substance of this Divine Mystery may yea must of necessity prove not only dangerous to Souls but even inevitably destructive Wherefore it cannot be justly accounted blame worthy that Churches particular persons who woule be faithful so accounted unto the grand-interests of Souls contend with alle earnestness for the faith once delivered to the Saints in this particular this being the true Basis of all Religion of Christianity without which there can be no access to nor Communion with God No peace with God nor true peace in owr own Consciences no life of Comfort here nor true hope of Salvation for ever here after No change of State nor saving change of liâ—e conversation in a word no life of Grace here nor of Glory hereafter And what then must follow upon the corrupting of this Truth upon Erroneous Apprehensions practices herein is aboundantly obvious to all such as have not sinned away all sense consideration in these matters Wherefore it is no wonder that Satan hath in all ages laboured by one Instrument or other upon one occasion or other and under one pretext or other to corrupt the pure streames of this wholesome Fountaine of Truth in one Measure or other in one particular or other that by such Mediums Arguments as he knew would be most taking seem most plausible at these Several times upon these Several occasions What way how far the corruption of this Truth was advanced in the Antichristian Church is yet known what ground their errour in this gave un to such as began to be enlightened in the knowledge of the Truth to separate from them to appear against them is manifest and what Effaies the Devil made about the beginning of Reformation or shortly after to darken this Truth by Questions Disputes even among such as hold the Truth fast as to the maine and what since by Several New Opinions or new Modes and Methods as they were called and given out to be vented and improven by Several Artifices to seeming different Ends he hath effectuated to the hardening of some in their Misapprehensions to the Corrupting of the Hearts Mindes of others and also the Staggering and Shaking of not a few may be called to minde with grief and sorrow Not to mention the bold attempt made by Socinians to overturne the whole Grounds of Christian Religion and to take away at once all the pillars of Gospel-justification The devil began early in the breaking up of the clear day of Christianity to darken this
Sun that the poor Church might for ever abide in darkness if the Church her Head and Husband had not provided a Remedie and had not effectually dispelled these Cloudes And he had no small advantage of the corrupt Iewes who had a zeal of God but not according to knowledg and had a very Specious pretext of crying up the Law prescribed by God himself and of Obedience thereunto and constant observation thereof in all points to the prejudice of the Gospel-truth in the matter of Justification And though the first rise of this difference and debate was upon occasion of the Ceremonial Law which was the dispensation of the Grace of God which the ancient Church was under while under Tutors Governours and in her Non-age state and was never rightly obeyed or improven but when in led them unto the promised Messiah Christ the end of that law in a peculiar manner the Substance thereof and vailed thereunder and which they might have known was to be done away when Christ the Substance of all those shadowes came in to the world in the due time appointed and foretold and which contrare to its very Nature End to the many prophecies of old to the signal dispensations of God giving clear significations of his mind touching the evanishing of these shadowes the Iewes principled with false Conceptions about that Law with prejudices against the truth of the Gospel and animated and encouraged by false Teachers raised up of Satan to corrupt the Doctrine of the Grace of God did strenuously contend for the constant Observation thereof either Solely as a Sufficient ground of their Justification or in conjunction with the Gospel Yet because this tookalongs with it the observation of all that Law which God had prescribed of old as the only ground in their mistaken apprehension of their Justification acceptance with God therefore we finde the Apostle Paul who was especially stirred up immediatly inspired of the Spirit to vindicat the Gospel-way of justification from this corruption after he had been singularly fitted thereunto by being in so signal a manner brought to embrace this Truth who was formerly so zealous for the Law against the Gospel in all points prosecuting the controversie to the full not only handling it in reference to the immediat Rise occasion thereof but in reference to that also where-unto of necessity it must have come where it must have landed at length And though there have been few since those dayes none at present who will contend for the Observation of the ceremonial Law in the sense for Ends urged by the jewes jewish false Apostles in the primitive times yet we must not think that therefore all the Doctrine of the Apostle hereanent is if no use to us Many debates discourses had the Apostle beside what we have recorded of him in Scripture to think that his Disputes Discourses in his Epistles concerning Justification are of no more concernment to us as to the question about justification because none now adaies plead for justification by the observation of the ceremonial Law as did the jewes against whom Paul Disputed is in my judgment no small imputation upon the Spirit of the Lord inspireing the Apostle to write these Epistles putting them into our Canon and of this such in my apprehension must be guilty who think to wave all the Apostles Discourses in this matter with this that he is only to be understood as speaking Disputing against such as cried-up the constant observation of the Ceremonial Law as such But whatever circumstantial differences whether as to the Rise or occasion or as to other things of the like Import there may seem to be or may really be betwixt the Disput as then stated as now prosecuted Yet all the Disputes Differences about the Maine Essentials of justification as also about inferiour subordinat Questions in so far as they depend upon or are influenced by the Maine will be found to be upon the matter one the same whether managed of late or of old For different Termes Expressions may be where the matter thing so expressed is really one the same And therefore as we are to observe with thankfulness the Lords love to care of His Church in providing preserving for the use Edification of the same in all ages to the end of the world such a necessary Depositum His wonderful wisdome in inspireing His Amanueâ—ses so to write as not only to refell the Errour in all its Circumstances Branches as it was then broached to the darkning of Gospel-light but so also as the Truth might remaine full cleared confirmed saifguared against all the assaults of Satan in all time coming by whatever Instruments under whatsomever new Notions Distinctions Termes of art Expressions and pretences the same may come 〈◊〉 be attacqued So are we to acquaint our selves well with the Doctrine of the Spirit of the Lord in this matter to the end we may be fully instructed in the Truth enabled to maintaine the same fortified against all new Assaults or rather old Assaults renewed howbeit mannaged by seemingly new weapons new filed Instruments Arguments It would prove long tedious to handle at length to touch in short upon them may seem to some to be but superficiary work all the various controversies that are on foot this day about the matter of justification a short discovery of the truth in this matter as to the most principal things controverted to which others may be so reduced as a Scriptural discovery of the truth as to those may serve for a discussion of the rest at least so pave the way that a solution of these Inferiour Controversies may be the more easie may therefore be sufficient to such at least whose Edification and Instruction we mostly Intend here that is Such as are not in case to improve what is written of Controversies in Scholastick abstruse termes And I judge who ever handle this Controversie in such termes only or mostly as are above the reach of ordinary Christians who are herein as much concerned as others misse that mark which they should mainely aime at that is Edification Instruction of such whose high concernment this is who have most need to be plainely instructed in this foundamental point of Truth a Practical mistake in which may prove to them deadly destructive especially of such who when under the pangs of an awakened Conscience under the convictions of sin fears of wrath pursueing for sin are then most ready to take any course that may seem to promise present ease reliefe to be led away from Christ the onely peace-maker through the slight of Satan the deceitfulness of their own heart through Ignorance of or Mis-information about the true Gospel-way of Justification peace with God whereby their Ease
sap life influence from the head much more must this be the way of getting the first change made from death to life And this way or not much different of argueing in this same debate we see the Apostle followeth Rom. 4. where from what was said of Abraham a considerable time after he was a beleever he proveth justification by faith without works or that Abraham was justified by faith not by works The Import then of the Testimony is that this life whereof beleevers are made partakers is begun continued carried on by faith therefore it is not by the works of the Law but by faith that they are justified brought into a state of life If it be true that without faith even belevers cannot be supported nor in case to live as becometh to the glory of God to their own peace Comforth in new Trials Difficulties much more is it true that without faith those who are in nature in state of Enmity to God cannot live the life of justification with it alone they can shall Before we come to speak particularly to any Truthes deducable from the words we shall premise some few things considerable CHAP. II. Naturally we are inclined to cry up Selff in Justification THe Apostle as we see in all his writtings about this matter is very carefull to cleare the question of justification so as Man may have no cause of boasting or of glorying in himself upon the account of any thing he hath or he hath done in order to justification that hereby he might cast a copie unto all such as would approve themselves faithful unto the Lord in being co-workers with Him in the Gospel that he might so much the more set himself against that innatelusting of heart that is in all naturally unto an exalting crying up of Self in the matter of their justification before Acceptance with God and especially we finde how zealously how frequently with what strength multitude of Arguments he setteth himself against cryeth down that which men do so naturally with such a vehement byasse incline unto to wit justification by their own works or by their own obedience to the Law to the end their innate pride may have ground of venting it self in boasting glorying before men From this we may premit in short the consideration of these Three things to prepare our way unto the clearing-up of the Gospel-Doctrine in this matter First That there is a corrupt byasse in the heart of men by nature a strong Inclination to reject the Gospel-Doctrine of free justification through faith in Christ to ascribe too much to themselves in that affaire as if they would hold the life of justification not purely of the free grace rich mercy of God through Jesus Christ but of themselves either in whole or in part in one measure or another Secondly That it is the duty of all who would be found faithful Ambassadours for Christ after the example of the Apostle so to preach forth the Grace of God in this mystery to explaine the same as corrupt Nature within such without as are byassed with mistakes about this matter are led away with proud carnal self conceits may have no apparent or seeming ground of boasting nor be confirmed in their natural prejudices Mistakes therein Thirdly That in very deed free Gospel-justification is so contrived ordered as that none have any real ground of boasting or of glorying in themselves or of ascribing any part of the glory thereof unto themselves as if they by their deeds works did contribute any thing to the procuring thereof It will not be necessary to speak to these at any length but only briefly to touch upon them to make way unto what followeth to be said on this weighty subject which is of so much concernment to us all As to the First of these to which we shall speak little in this Chapter thereafter of the rest in their due order it is too too apparent to be a truth from these grounds following I. This is most manifest from the many Errours false opinions that are Vented Owned Maintained with so much Violence corrupt zeal all to cry-up Self in less or in more to cry down Grace Hence so many do plead with great confidence for an Interest of our works in our justification Such as Papists who quite mistake the nature of true justification Socinians Arminians Others who side with these in less or in more will plead for a justification by our inherent Righteousnoss or works of Righteousness which we do Others that will not plead for such an early Interest of our works in this matter will plead for faith as our Gospel-Righteousness affirme that the very act of our Obedience in us is imputed for a Righteousness to us is accounted such by God so hath the same place in the New Covenant that compleet perfect obedience had in the Old Covenant of works made with Adam which as shall hereafter appear driveth us upon the same rock II. It is manifest likewise from the large frequent Disputes about this matter that we have in Paul's Epistles If there had not been a great pronness in man by nature to cry-up himself to set up his own Righteousness in matter of justification why would the Spirit of the Lord have been at so much paines to speak so to cry down Self our works in this matter as He is in these Epistles of Paul if He had not seen the great necessity thereof by reason of this strong Inclination that men Naturally have hereunto We must not think that any thing is there spoken in vaine or that the Spirit of the Lord would have left that Doctrine so fully cleared wherein our works are so expresly excluded if there had not been a necessity for it if it had not been as necessary in all after ages of the Church as at that time when first written Whatever the truth be that is so frequently pungently inculcated in the Scriptures we may saifly suppose that as the faith practice of that truth is necessary so there must be much reluctancy of Soul in us to receive the same to close with it and a strong Inclination to beleeve practise the contrary III. In the Infancy of Christianity we see what a strong Inclination there was to cry-up works what we do the Law as the only ground of justification or at least to have a share with Christ in that Interest which gave occasion to the penning of these Epistles of Paul where this matter is so fully clearly handled particularly that to the Romans that to the Galatias unto the speaking less or more hereunto in almost all his other Epistles And this Inclination to the crying up of works the Law in Opposition to the pure Gospel-way of
as the Condition of the Covenant of works and as a Rule of Obedience A duty may be duty now as required by the Law still in force as to its commanding regulating power and yet not be a part of the Condition of the Covenant of works wherein we had failed which Christ fulfilled by giving perfect obedience to that Law as the Condition of Life to which we neither did nor could give perfect Obedience and all our Obedience now though commanded by the same Law is no fulfilling in whole or in part of the Condition of the Covenant of works and therefore can not be said thus to be done twice but once and that by Christ alone He addeth But what man is he that sinneth not Therefore seing it is certaine that no man doth all that he is bound to do by the Gospel in the time measure of his faith hope love fruitfulness c. it followeth that he is a sinner and that he is not supposed to have done all that by Christ which he failed in both because he was bound to do it himself because he is a sinner for not doing of it Ans. As there is a difference betwixt obedience to the Law and the performing the Condition of the Covenant of works so there is difference betwixt sin or failing in Obedience and Violation of the Condition of the Covenant of works as our Obedience now is not the performance so our sinning is not the Violation of the Conditions of the old Couenant Beleevers performed the Conditions of the Covenant only in Christ which they could not do in themselves and therefore their sins now though transgressions of the Law are not counted Violations of the conditions of the Covenant of works under which they are not He saith 3. Yea the Gospel bindes us to that which Christ could not do for us as to beleeve in a Saviour c. Ans. And what then were these part of the Conditions of the Covenant of works If they were Christ hath performed them for He gave perfect Obedience and thereby hath freed us from that obligation If they were not neither can they now be required as part of that Condition He saith 4. The truth which this Objection intimateth we all agree in viz. That the Mediator perfectly kept the Law of Innocency that the keeping of that Law might not be necessary to our Salvation and so such Righteousness necessary in ourselves but that we might be pardoned for want of perfect Innocency be saved upon our sincere keeping of the Law of Grace because the Law of Innocency was kept by our Mediator and thereby the grace of the New Covenant merited and by it Christ Pardon Spirit Life by Him freely given to beleevers Ans. The truth expressed in the Objection is very far different from this Sociniano-Arminian Scheme of the Gospel which we have had often times proposed to us by Mr. Baxter but never yet confirmed nor do we expect ever so see it confirmed We have also at several occasions given our reasons against it and need not therefore here repeat or insist upon it Last object The same person may be really a sinner in himself and yet perfectly Innocent in Christ and by Imputation How or upon what occasion this objection is used Mr. Baxter doth not show and therefore we cannot certainely know the true meaning and Import thereof In one sense it may be very true and yet in another sense it cannot be admitted It is true in this sense The same person may be Inherently a sinner and yet legally Innocent through the Imputation of the Surety-righteousness of Christ. But it cannot be admitted in this sense The same person is legally Innocent in Christ by Imputation for this were a Contradiction What saith Mr. Baxtor to it Remember saith he that you suppose here the person Subject to be the same Man then that the two contrary relations of perfect Innocency or guiltlesness guilt of any yea much sin can be consistent in him is a gross contradiction Ans. There is no contradiction unless the matter be ad idem here it is not so for he may be guilty Inherently as to himself and yet innocent legally as to his Surety But if both be understood of a person legally considered I grant it is a Contradiction for he that is legally Innocent cannot be legally guilty in so far as he is legally Innocent whether the Charge be particular for one sin that is brought in against him or for moe or for all He saith 2. But if you meane that God reputeth us to be perfectly Innocent when we are not because that Christ was so it is to Impute error to God Ans. This cannot be their meaning for they know that God reputeth no man to be other-wayes than he is But yet it must be said that God reputeth Beleevers who have the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them Innocent as to the Violation of the Covenant of works I mean legally Innocent and so not guilty of the charge of sin death upon that account brought in against them for they are so being justified therefore there is now no condemnation to such Rom 8 1. none can lay any thing of that Nature to their Charge vers 33. He addeth But He i. e. God doth indeed first give then Impute a Righteousness evangelical to us in stead of perfect Innocency which shall as certainely bring us to glory Ans. That God doth indeed Impute that is give put upon our score an Evangelical Righteousness that is the Surety-Righteousness of Jesus Christ revealed in the Gospel in stead of our perfect personal Innocency which we neither had nor could attaine to which shall certainely bring us to glory being the Meritorious Cause thereof But Mr. Baxter's sense hereof is a manifest Perversion of the Gospel for thus he senseth it And that is He giveth us both the Renovation of His Spirit to Evangelical obedience a Right by free gift to pardon glory for the Righteousness of Christ that merited it this thus given us he reputeth to be an acceptable Righteousness in us Ans. Now that this is a clear perversion of the Gospel is manifest from these particulars beside several others else where touched 1 Hereby the Covenant of Grace is changed into a Covenant of works only with a Mitigation of the Conditions 2 Christ's Surety-righteousness is not Imputed to us neither as our legal Righteousness nor yet as our Evangelick-righteousness for at most it is only granted to be Imputed as to its Effects 3. We have no other Righteousness hereby properly imputed to us but our own Inherent Righteousness 4 Christ is hereby made of God unto us Righteousness by being made of God Sanctification to us 5 Hereby the immediat ground of our Pardon Right to Glory is not Christ's Surety-righteousness but our own Inherent righteousness 6 Christ hereby meâ—ited neither Pardon nor Glory to be
but a part of justification because a man may be for-given yet not reputed never to have broken the Law To put away guilt and to make one Righteons are two things This is most clear yet Mr. Baxter saith n. 128. Still confusim Which is wonderfull where I pray must the confusion lye Is it in this that we say Remission of sin is at most but part of justification Doth not himself say as much hereafter n. 208. when he saith that our first constitutive justification is in its own Nature a right to Impunity to life or glory Now this Right to Impunity is the same with Remission but a Right to life or glory is something more Is it in this that we say a man may be forgiven and yet not reputed one who never broke the Law That I am sure can be no confusion and contradiction for it is a contradiction to say that a man is pardoned and yet reputed one that never broke the Law for pardon is of a breach of the Law What saith he to make out this alleiged Confusion Guilt saith he is either of the fault as such or of the punishment of the fault only as the cause of punishment If all guilt both culpae poenae were done away that person were reputed positively righteous that is never to have omitted a duty or committed a sin Ans. But do we say That pardon taketh away the Reatus culpae in it self His own following words may partly be our answer But indeed saith he when only the Reatus poenae culpae quoad poenam is done away the Reatus culpae in se remaineth And this Christ himself never taketh away no not in heaven where for ever we shall be judged once to have sinned not to be such as never sinned Where is now the Confusion Mr. Baxter spoke of But yet I suppose he is in a mistake when he saith that the Reatus culpae cannot be taken away for it must be taken away legally or there shall be no justification though it can never be taken away Metaphysically the same may be said of the Reatus culpae it self seing it will alwayes be true that they did once deserve punishment are not such as never deserved punishment He addeth n. 129. that which to him is the Core of our errour That we â—hink we must be justified in Christ by the Law of Innocency which justified Christ Himself that we are quite or washed simply from all guilt of fault as well as Obligation to Punishment But neither of these do we say as hath been frequently shown We are justified by the Law of Grace by faith yet we say with Paul that the Law is not made void by faith but established the Law of Innocency must be fulfilled but it is not fulfilled by us but by Christ His Righteousness is Imputed to us and received by faith and we thereupon are justified receive Remission and Right to Glory We do not say That Adam's Law meant do this by thyself or by Christ thou shalt live yet we say that that Constitution of God do this and live must as well be established as this Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Law and that as by vertue of this Christ our Surety was to die the cursed death so by vertue of that He was to fulfill all Righteousness He 〈…〉 next n. 130. that the truth which we grope after and must reconcile us all is as followeth As if all the Reformed divines almost had been hither to but groping after the truth like blinde men groping for the wall and he and possibly two or three moe had their eyes opened to see the truth His discourse here is too long to be rehearsed that it may be examined a few observes upon it may suffice 1 He saith Christ in His sufferings did stand in the room of sinners as their Sponsor Ans. Then His Satisfaction to justice must in due time be reckoned on the score of such in whose room He suffered Why will he not say this also of Christ's Obedience seing both were performed by Him in His estate of Humiliation as the Surety of the Covenant Was He not made under the Law as well as under the Curse And was He not made of a woman given and born to us But neither can we say That Christ stood in the room of all sinners as he supposeth 2 We saith That Christ acquired a Right first to Himself of giving out the purchased benefites to sinners by a new Law viz. by what He suffered did Ans. This is denied as not yet being confirmed and it destroyeth His being a Sponsor and Surety and saith He was not born to us nor died for us but to and for Himself And yet I deny not that Christ hath gote all power and is the General dispensator of the blessings of the Covenant purchased 3 He saith Had Christ antecedently done all that He did in our person we in Him in Law sense the thing its self with its inseparable consequents effects had been all ours ipso facto Ans. There is no necessity for this seing Christ was not thereunto appointed by us or conjunctly obliged with us in the first Covenant but after we were broken did of His own accord put His Name in our Obligation and came in our Law-place so was made sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him 4 He speaketh of these benefites being given us upon termes Conditions But we shew before and here-after will have occasion to do it more fully of what Nature these termes and Conditions were and that they are not such as He meaneth 5 He saith What is given by the New Covenant we have title to upon this account because it was purchased by the perfect merite sacrifice of Christ so given us by Him and by the Father Ans. According to Him the Right that is had thus is but remote common to all even to such as perish therefore can hardly be called a Right but the only Right is had is by our performance of the termes and Conditions for he saith n. 137. that Glory is given as a Reward for our beleeving and performing the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace 6 He saith we deserved punishment Christ was punished in our stead that we might be forgiven we had forfeited life by sin Christ merited life for us by His perfection Ans. And why will he not say that Christ did this last as well as the first in our stead seing hereby the freedom of the Gift can no more be weakened than pardon by the other What followeth hath been spoken to already He granteth n. 132. That not to punish to reward are different yet he saith not to have the Gift is to be punished so non-donari here is puniri materially that it is the same
words and termes be laid aside because the terme itself by which we express our Conceptions of the truth is not in so many letters syllabs to be found in Scripture if so indeed we had quickly lost a fundamental point of our Religion and yeelded the cause unto the Socinians If the Scripture may be explained we may make use of such expressions termes sentences as will according to their usual acceptation contribute to make the truthes revealed in Scripture intelligible to such as heare us And when some termes have been innocently used in Theologie for explication of truthes whether to the more learned or to the more unlearned have pâ— ssed among the orthodox without controll or contradiction beyond the ordinary time of prescriptions it cannot but give ground of suspicion for any now to remove these old Land-marks especially when it is attempted to be done by such meanes arguments as will equally enforce a rejection of many Scriptural expressions for should all the Metaphorical expressions sentences which are in â—ature be so canvassed rejected because every thing agreeing properly to them when used in their own native soile doth not quadrate with them as used in the Scriptures in things divine where should we Land If these divine mysteries had been expressed to us only in termes adequatly corresponding with suiting the matter how should we have understood the same Therefore we finde the Lord condescending in the Scriptures to our low Capacities and expressing sublime high mysteries by low borrowed expressions to the end we might be in case to understand so much thereof as may prove through the Lord's blessing saving unto us And thereby hath allowed such as would explaine these matters unto the capacity of others to use such ordinary expressions as may contribute some light understanding to them in the truthes themselves Now when the orthodox have according to their allowed liberty made use of the word Instrument in this matter and maintained that Faith was was nothing more then an Instrument in Justification it is not faire to reject it altogether because improper though fit enough to signifie what they did intend thereby because all the properties that agree to proper Physical or artificial Instruments do not agree to it and because if the same be strickly examined according to the rules of Philosophie concerning Instrumental Causes it will be found to differ from them Mr. Baxter himself writting against D. Kendal § 47. tels us that the thing which he denieth is that Faith is an Instrument in the strick logical sense that is an Instrumental efficient cause of our Iustification that he expresly disclaâ—meth contending de nomine or contradicting any that only use the word instrument in an improper large sense as Mechanicks Rhetoricians do So that the question saith he is de re Whether it efficiently cause our Iustification as an Instrument But it may be conceived to have some efficient Influence in our Justification not as that is taken simply strickly for God's act justifying but as taken largely comprehending the whole benefite as activly coming from God as Passively received by or terminated on us that as an Instrument though not in that proper sense that Logicians or Metaphysicians take Instrumental causes and explaine them in order to physical natural Effects We know that Justification is a supernatural work effect and therefore though in explaining of it in its Causes we may make use of such termes as are used about the expressing of the Causes of Natural or Artificial Works Effects yet no Law can force us to understand by these borrowed expressions the same proper Formal Efficacy Efficiency and influence which is imported by these Expressions when used about Natural Causes Effects But Mr. Baxter against Mr. Blake § 5. tels us what great reasons he had to move him to quarrel with this calling of faith an Instrument viz. he found that many learned divines did not only assert this Instrumentality but they laid so great a stress upon it as if the maine difference betwixt us the Papists lay here And yet any might think that they had reason so to do when Papist's on the other hand laid as great stresse upon the denying of Faiths Instrumentality He tels us moreover that our divines judged Papists to erre in Justification fundamentally in these points 1. about the formal Cause which is the formal Righteousness of Christ as suffering perfectly obeying for us 2. About the way of our participation herein which as to God's act is Imputation that in this sense that legaliter we are esteemed to have fulfilled the Law in Christ. 3. About the nature of that faith which justifieth 4. About the formal reason of faiths interest in justification which is as the Instrument thereof I doubt not saith Mr. Baxter but all these four are great errors But we neither may nor can call all errors which Mr. Baxter calleth errors We have seen above how necessary truthes the two first are and have explained in part the third wherein I confesse too many yet not all of the forraigne divines have as to expression missed the explication of true Justifying faith it may be it was not their designe to describe it so as it might agree to the faith of every sincere though weak beleever but rather to shew its true nature grounds tendency when at its best yet what Papists hold on the contrare is more false absurd But as to this fourth it seemes that it hath a necessary dependance upon the foregoing and this to me seemes to be the maine reason why our Divines did owne plead for Faiths Instrumentality in the matter of Justification viz. because the Righteousness which they called the Formal or others the Material Cause thereof was not any Righteousness inherent in us as Papists said but the Surety-Righteousness of the Cautioner Christ without us And therefore they behoved to look on Faith in this matter otherwayes then Papists did and not account it a part of our Formal Righteousness but only look upon it as an hand to lay hold on bring-in the Surety-Righteousness of Jesus Christ and therefore judged it most fit to call it only an Instrumental Cause And how ever Mr. Baxter exaggerat this matter as complying with Papist's in condemning us as to all these controversies and think it no wonder they judge the whole Protestant cause naught because we erre in these and yet make this the maine pairt of the Protestant cause yet we must not be scarred from these truthes Yea because this point hath such a connexion with the other concerning that Righteousness upon the account of which we are to be Justified in the sight of God we are called to contend also for this that so much the rather that though Papist's do utterly mistake the Nature of Justification and confound it with Sanctification yet Mr. Baxter
will not do it but works of Faith or Faith proving it self lively by works 2 The very Instance of Abraham which he adduceth cleareth this for he saith vers 21. Was not Abraham our Father justified by works when he had offered his Son upon the altar Now twentie five yeers or as some compute Thirtie yeers or thereby before this time the Scriptures say that Abraham beleeved God it was reckoned to him unto Righteousness Gen. 15. hence Paul proveth Rom. 4. that he was justified by Faith Therefore if now he was justified when he offered his Son he must have been twice justified that in the same sense with the same kind of justification which can not be said Nor will it avail to say That Gen. 15. he was justified by the first justification which was by Faith of which Paul speaketh Rom. 4. But Gen. 22. he was justified with the second justification which is by works of this Iames speaketh for this distinction of justification into First Second is but a meer device of the Papist's having no ground in nor countenance from the Scriptures and beside it would follow that a meer historical dead Faith is sufficient unto the first justification and that Paul understandeth such a faith only when he said Rom. 4. that Abraham beleeved God it was counted to him unto Righteousness the contrary whereof is manifest Nor will it serve here to say that Paul speaketh of justification as begun but Iames speaketh of justification as continued for then it would follow that justification at first or as begun is by a dead faith and by such a kind of faith as devils may have consequently that of such a faith as this Paul speaketh because of such a faith Iames speaketh as we have seen But this cannot be said for it was a true lively faith that Abraham had when he beleeved the promise of the Messiah a dead faith is not the faith that justifieth first or last Yea because Iames maketh an opposition betwixt faith works in reference to justification in the sense wherein he speaketh of it it will follow that faith should not be requisite unto the Continuance of justification 3 Iames said vers 20. that Faith without works was dead and to confirme this he addeth vers 21. was not Abraham our Father justified by works c. As if he had said The faith by which Abraham was brought into an estate of justification life was a lively faith having works of obedience attending it and his obedience declared that his faith was lively and that he was truely justified by faith Ergo a faith that is lifeless and wholly without works of obedience is but dead can give no ground to conclude one justified in the way to life So that what mention he maketh of justification by works is but to prove the reality of lively faith by works true justification by faith is evidenced demonstrated not by a bare idle vaine fruitless profession 4 When Abraham was justified by his works the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeved God it was imputed unto him for Righteousness as is manifest from vers 22 23. Now by this mentioned of Abraham in the Scripture Gen. 15 6. Paul proveth Rom. 4. that he was justified by faith But if Iames were here speaking of the way of our becoming justified before God as Paul doth there could be no connexion here yea the proof should contradict the thing to be proved for to say that Abraham was justified by faith will not prove that he was justified by works nor could his being justified by works be a fulfilling a clearing confirming of that truth that faith he was justified by faith for faith works in the matter of justification are inconsistent perfectly opposite as Paul teacheth us as here Iames also teacheth us But taking justification here for its declaration manifestation it can be by works and a declaration of justification by works can be is a very signal confirmation clearing of that Testimony which saith that Abraham was justified by faith 5 By that work of offering up his son at a the command of God Abraham declared that he was no hypocrite but a true beleever and thus was he justified as Mr. Baxter will have it as we heard lately from any such accusation But a Justification from this accusation is but a justification of the truth sinceritie of faith so a confirmation evidence of justification or justification as evidenced declared and not justification as produced by its causes 6 When Iames saith vers 23. That the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeved God it was imputed to him unto Righteousness when he was justified by offering up his son vers 21. this fulfilling of the Scripture-testimony was either because at that time when he offered up his Son Righteousness was imputed unto him he was justified or because it was then manifest to be a truth that he was justified indeed But the former can not be said because Righteousness was imputed unto him and he was justified long before this Therefore it can be only understood as to its manifestation 7 This is also clear from what the Lord spoke at that time Gen. 22 12. Now I know that thou fearest God seing thou hast not witheld thy Son thine only Son from me No word here of imputing Righteousness unto him or of his being brought into a justified state but only God's solemne declaration that he was a true fearer of God so one that had true faith was really justified 8 Vers. 22. he saith Seest thou how faith wrought with his works by works was faith made perfect But how could this follow upon what he had said vers 21 Justification by works if justification be taken absolutely here not for its declaration manifestation will not prove faith's working with works But if justification be here taken for justification declared manifested the sense is plaine for such works as do evidence declare that a person is justified will manifestly prove that faith is working with these works because justification presupposeth alwayes a true lively faith that will work with works of obedience 9 Far less could it follow from justification taken absolutly by works that faith was made perfect by works but from such a work as will evidence a man to be justified it is manifest to every one that that work is a clear evidence of a true lively faith by it faith is perfected that is declared evidenced demonstrated to be faith indeed as the word perfected is used 2. Cor. 12 9. for my strength is made perfect in weakness 10 That other Inference vers 24. ye see then how that by works a man is justified not by Faith only will not follow from what went before if justification be here taken absolutely for the command so Abraham
to offer up his son was no promise and to did not call for faith but for ready obedience though upon another account he beleeved that God was able to raise him up from the dead Heb. 11 17 18 19. But Gen. 15. promises were made unto him he is said to have beleeved upon this Righteousness was imputed unto him So that Gen. 15. he was justified by faith only as the Apostle proveth Rom. 4. for thereby he confirmeth his Conclusion set down Rom. 3 28. that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law And from that other place Gen. 22. Iames could not inferre that Justification is by faith works together for then he could not inferre therefrom that the Scripture was fulfilled which said Abraham beleeved God it was imputed unto him for Righteousness because Paul doth hence inferre Rom. 4. that justification is by faith without works And what is a ground for justification by faith without works cannot also be a ground for justification by works not by faith only And thus the Apostles are made in plaine termes to contradict other by inferring contrary or contradictory conclusions from the same premises which ought not to be thought let be said But it will be said that Paul speaketh of the beginning of justification which is by faith without works but Iames speaketh of justification as continued which is by works and not by faith only This cannot satisfie for beside what is said it must first be granted hereby that this faith which Iames mentioneth when he saith not by saith only must be the same faith that Paul faith we are justified by without the deeds of the Law but this cannot be for the faith that Iames speaketh of is as we saw above a dead useless fruitless carcass no saving Faith as that is whereof Paul speaketh and whereby we are justified But now taking justification for its manifestation declaration the words of Iames are most clear carry no appearance of contradiction unto what Paul taught For his meaning is ye see then how that by works a man evidenceth proveth declareth his Justification or maketh it manifâ—st that he is a justified person not by that faith only which is but a naked fruitless dead profession 11 The same may be said of the other Instance of Rahab vers 25. She was justified by works when â—he had received the messengers not that she was brought into a justified state by that act for she received the Spies by faith Heb. 11 31. declared her faith unto them Ios. 2 10 11. And so was a beleever consequently justified before she received the Spies or they came to her Yet by this deed accompanied with so much hazard unto her self all her families she proved evidenced her faith justification 12 The Conclusion of his discourse vers 26. for as the body without the Spirit is dead fo faith without works is dead also declareth manitestly what he would be at to wit to shew that works can only demonstrate trew faith consequently prove justification for a naked profession of faith that wanteth works is dead and like a body wanting breath soul which is but a dead carcass This cannot be said of that faith whereby Paul saith and proveth that we are justified for it is true lively flowing from the Spirit of life although it be not as yet proved by outward works of obedience whereof there may be as yet no opportunity or call What is brought against this sense of the word justifie justification which we have now confirmed by the Socinian Author of the book intituled Consensus Paulâ— Iacobi c. pag. 2. c. and by the Remonstrants in their Apologie Cap. 10. is of no great weight When they say That the proposition set down vers 14. is subordinat to what is said vers 12. where the judgment of God is spoken of therefore saving justification must be here understood Ans. We grant that It is saving justification but yet it is justification that is distinct from Final Salvation We grant that Iames speaketh here of saving justification Yet he handleth not that question how by what Causes this justification is brought about but how it is evidenced proven to be true and not a meer presumptuous conjecture They say next It is said vers 25. that the Scripture was fulfilled not that it was shown to be fulfilled Aâ—s That saying of Scripture was a truth before this time even when Abraham first beleeved which was before he was circumcised as we see Gen. 15. comp with Gen. 17. Rom. 4 9 10 11. And therefore was not now first fulfilled or verified And to talk of the increase of imputation according to the increase of Faith and to measure the excellencie of faith by the excellencie of that obedience which it produceth as that Socinian Author doth is to give us nothing but the Popish justification for Relations of which Nature we hold Justification to be are not intended remitted in themselves but only as to their evidence We esteem it a Socinian dream to say that the first Narration of Faith Justification which is Gen. 15. was but a rude draught of that which was afterward Gen. 22. Abraham's faith was afterward said to be perfected by that special work of offering up his son noâ— in it self for he had a strong faith before Rom. 4 19 20 21. but in its manifestation after that signal trial It is said further Mans justification cannot be here understood for that is not necessary to salvation nor universally true seing men may justifie other upon vaine grounds Ans. Noâ— do we understand any such justification pronunced by men here but a true justification before God yet as evidenced proven declared by effects unto all that will judge understandingly spiritually so that works here are mentioned as the Effects and yet as the Causes of justification But then they object further Thas as the Apostle from that Faith which the vaine man boasted of denieth the man to be justified so from works he proveth justification that as antecedent Ans. The Apostle sheweth that the vaine man who had no more but a vaine dead empty faith had no ground to conclude himself a justified Man for this is no Cause or Condition of Justification And hence it will not follow that works by which both the reality of saâ—ing Faith of Justification thereupon may be evidenced are antecedent Causes or Conditions of Justification It is objected againe by the foresaid Socinian Author That if the meaning of these words the Scripture was fulfilled be that the Scripture was showne to be fulfilled then the meaning should be that it was demonstrated to Abraham's two servants who went with him to the mountaine by them to others But then it must be supposed that before this time that which passed Gen. 15. was known unto them it
one person should be reconciled are the Reprobate his brethen Ephes. 5 25 26. To what end did Christ give himself for his Church And all the world of mankinde belong not to his Church It was that he might sanctifie cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spotor wrinkle or any such thing but that it shâ—uld be holy and without blemish Is this a meer Possibility Then might Christ have died have no Church to present to himself faire spotless his Church might have remained full of spots wrinkles unholy full of blemishes yea should have been no Church Tit. 2 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Do all the world belong to his peculiar people doth Christ redeem all the world from all iniquity Is all the world purified made zealous of good works Or is all this meer may be which may not be 2. Corinth 5. vers 21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Was Christ made sin or a sacrifice for sin that all the world might possibly be made the Righteousness of God in him that is that possibly not one person might be made the Righteousness of God in him who can dream thus that God's intentions designes should be so loose frustrable that God should be so uncertain in his purposes Gal. 1 4. why did the Lord Jesus give himself for our sinnes It was that he might deliver 〈◊〉 from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father This is no meer Possible Deliverance and it is such as was designed not for all the world but for the us there mentioned So Chap. 4 4 5. God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sones This Real Benefite is manifestly here restricked Ioh. 17 19. for their sakes I sanctify my self that they also may be sanctified through the truth Christ sanctified himself to be an obâ—ation not to obtaine a meer may be but 〈◊〉 they for whose sakes he did sanctifie himself that is they that were given to him vers 6 9. and were his owne vers 10. were in due time to beleeve in him vers 20. might Really Actually be Sanctified through him Heb 13 12. wherefore did Jesus suffer without the gate it was that ho might sanctifie the people with his own bloud sure this is more than a may be Rom. 3 25 26. Why did God set forth Christ to be a propitiation It was to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sinnes that are past that he might be just and the justifier of him that beleeveth in Iesus a Certaine Real thing Many moe passages might be added to this purpose but these may suffice to discover the absurd falshood of this doctrine Adde 6. such passages as mention the Actuaâ— Accomplishment Effect of Christ's death where it will yet more appear that this was no meere may be or Possible thing but that which was to have a certaine Being Reality as to the persons for whom it was designed Such as Heb. 1 3â— when he had by himself purged our sinnes Can their sinnes be said to be purged who pine a way in hell for ever because of their sinnes could this be true if no man had been saved and yet if it had been a mere possible may be Redemption it might have come to passe that not one person should have been actually saved So Heb. 9 12. by his owne blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption Is a meer possible Redemption to be called an eternal Redemption and was that all that Christ obtained Then Christ's blood was more ineffectual in the truth than the type was in its typicalness for the blood of buls goats and the ashes of an hiefer sprinkling the unclean did not obtaine a possible and may-besanctification and purifying of the flesh but did actually really sanctify to the purifying of the flesh vers 13. Againe vers 14. which also confirmeth what is now said how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God So that all such for whom he offered himself and shed his blood and none else have their consciences purged from dead works to serve the living God and who darsay that this is common to all or is a meer may be which the Apostle both restricteth asserteth as a most certaine real thing Againe vers 26. but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself So that he did Actually Really and not Possibly Potentially only put away sin the sin viz. of those for whom he was a sacrifice even of them that look for him and to whom he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation vers 28. and sure no man in his wits will say that this is the whole world Gal. 3 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a curse for us 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Here are three Ends Effects of Christ's Redemption mentioned which no Man will say are common to all viz. Redemption from the Curse of the Law and this was Really not potentially only done by Christ's being made a curse for us the Communication of the blessing of Abraham and the Promise of the Spirit which are ensured to such as are Redeemed from the Curse of the Law and to none else So Ephes. 2 13 14 15 16. But now in Christ Iesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us having abolished in his flesh the enmity the Law of commandements in ordinances for to make to himself of twain one new man so making peace and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity thereby To which adde the paralled place Col. 1 21 22. 2 14 15. was all this delivery from Wrath Enmity Law of commandements whatever was against us but a meer Potential thing and a may be common to all in whose power it was to cause it take effect or not as they pleased Esai 53 5. He was wounded for our transgressions â—e was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed with