alone without the works of the Law So St. Paul assures us But however a duty it is and a necessary duty necessary even to life unless no duty be necessary or Solomon here be deceived For this is the whole duty of man Justification indeed is that act of God which by remission of Sins through Christ puts men into the state of Life here and gives them right and title unto Life eternal hereafter And though therefore an estate attainable by the Gospel only not by the Law which all have transgressed yet is it most true that so long as any shall continue wittingly and deliberately to transgress the Law they are not capable of this or any other benefit of the Gospel The Gospel it self and whole Scriptures are clear in the point Now then saith even St. Paul on whom they rely speaking of the time of the Gospel now then there is no condemnation and no condemnation is full justification but to whom to them that are in Christ Jesus but who are they that follow which walk not after the flesh but after the spirit If any man walk otherwise he hath nothing to do with Christ If we say we have Communion with him and walk in darkness we lye saith St. John and do not the truth 1 John i. 6. He that loveth not his Brother that is one of those that according to him walks in darkness and as he wants light so life too he hath no life abiding in him yea manet in morte he remains in death 1 Joh. iii. 14. And what is said of one Sinner is true of all for be not deceived neither Fornicator Adulterer unclean person or covetous or any other the like hath any inheritance in the kingdom of God and of Christ. As little therefore in justification which is the estate of life and hath right to that inheritance no marvail therefore if St. James be bold to conclude in terms clean contrary Ye see then that by works a man is justified and not by faith only James ii 24. Indeed much stir hath been about the seeming differences between these Apostles He said not amiss Meum Tuum are the common Barrators of the world and Faith and Works seem no less to have broken the peace in the Church The points have been beaten so long as some think it time now they were beaten even out of all discourse But the truth is they are some of the noblest that our Faith doth yield and unto the Christian Religion of all other most essential though most abused as discovering the necessity of the Gospel and invalidity of the Law with the main differences and union too of both Law and Gospel And peradventure are not driven so home as they might be unless by very few unto their just and right issue even unto this day If any thing lead the way unto that it must be the perfect reconciliation of these two which by divers ways and distinctions hath been attempted on either side but not I suppose with so good success as may fully satisfy for in this I take it Iliacos intra muros peccalur extra To distinguish of the Law Ceremonial and Moral as some do supposing that St. Paul excludes the works of the Ceremonial Law and St. James requires those only of the Moral is to no purpose for clear it is as the Sun that St. Paul excludes both for he disputes against Jew and Gentile but especially the works of the Moral Law as that which is broken by all and therefore cannot justify any Neither will it be more available to distinguish with others of works preceeding faith works of Nature and such as follow and are effects of faith works of Renovation and grace for St. Paul utterly rejects from the ability of justifying all works whatsoever whether before faith or after it because the Law being once broken no after-observance can so satisfy for the breach but that it will still condemn all those that shall stand at that Tribunal The distinction then of works not prevailing others fall to distinguish of justification and indeed that is the right way if it be rightly done The Romanists according to the Council of Trent make it twofold a first and a second justification From the first St. Paul removes works and St. James they suppose requires them only to the second But they are frustrate in both distinction and application too for since their second Justification is but the increase and augmentation of that Righteousness which is infused in the first they cannot be two justifications since more or less will not afford a specifick difference or numerical either And were they two yet the works which St. James requires he requires for necessary unto the first justification as well as the second for he doth instance in Rabab not justified before by their own confession And the works which St. Paul removes he removes from the second justification as well as the first as first or last never to be found in any And therefore he makes his instance in Abraham that was justified long before even that time of his instance The distinction of justification in the obtaining and of justification already obtained is much after the same manner and is choked utterly with the self same answer Others on the other side distinguish Justus factus from Justus declaratus of justification before God and justification in the Eyes of men St. James's words they refer unto this and St. Paul's to the former but most erroneously also for nothing is plainer than that both of them speak of justification in the sight of God St. James as well as St Paul for he plainly denies salvation unto faith if not accompanied with works with an interrogation Can thy faith save thee and proves too that it cannot as being a dead faith and the faith of Devils and such sure can justify neither with God nor man sooner indeed with men than with God That way therefore which is most general and hath been thought the best peradventure because the subtlest is to distinguish between the act of justifying and the Subject or Person to be justified St. James as is supposed requiring only the presence of works in the Subject which St. Paul removes only from the Act and is but thus in other terms Fides sola justificat sed fides quae justificat non est sola This may have a promising look but will not satisfy neither but is out too and that on both sides for St. Paul clearly removes the works he speaks of from the Person to be justified as well as from the act that doth justifie non operanti to him that worketh not but believeth on him qui justificat impium that justifieth the ungodly And St. James requires the works he speaks of no less than faith unto the Act as well as in the Subject His words are express ex operibus by works a man is justified and not by faith only Why but how then
shall they be reconciled surely no way so well as by looking unto their different intentions from whence it will appear that St. Paul removes works all works from being the things that do justifie and St. James requires them only as conditions and qualifications upon which we are justified For the purpose of St. Paul is by the breach of the Law to demonstrate the necessity of the Gospel that that only is the power of God unto Salvation for since all the world stands culpable before God it follows of necessity that either we must perish without remedy or else be justified by a Gospel of mercy which he well terms the justification of faith in meer opposition to works all works even faith it self as the things which may be thought to justify Now St. James intent is only to vindicate this wholsom and necessary Doctrine from the abuse of Heretical Spirits whose evil words had at once corrupted both St. Pauls meaning and their own good manners affirming that since works could not justifie no works were necessary and therefore it mattered little to observe the Law it was enough only to believe the Gospel Against these dissolute Epicures this Apostle as St. Augustin observes wholly directs his dispute the purpose whereof is not to place justification in the works of the Law for in many things saith he we offend all and if but in one yet are we guilty of the whole but only to shew that unless the works of the Law though formerly broken do come at length to accompany our faith we can never be justified by any grace of the Gospel So then if we divide rightly according to these intents we must distinguish of a twofold justification by Innocence and by Pardon for it must be either by works or by mercy a legal justification or an Evangelical And of two sorts of works subservient unto these several justifications and of two sorts of ways by which they do justify Works of Perfection and perpetual perfection that inherently justifie and formally in strictness of Law but are excluded by St. Paul as no where found in any and works of Renovation after the breach of the Law required by St. James in every one that expect the justification of the Gospel Those works perfectly keep the Law and never break it These keep the Law sincerely but after it is broken They justifie therefore in themselves and by their own worth These not so but because found in none but sinners prepare only and qualifie for the justification of Christ They justifie these obtain justification That strictly the justification of works this properly the justification of faith which is their fountain And faith alone alone without these may justifie yea cannot justifie with them for such works evacuate faith as not needing it which is St. Pauls doctrine But faith alone without these cannot justifie yea without them is not faith not a true and a living faith which is St. James his assertion And in this Reconcilation doth appear the reconciliation and opposition too of both Law and Gospel Faith and works how they conspire and meet how they jar and refuse to mingle For the justification of the Law evacuates Christ who then died in vain as St. Paul speaks For there needs no Saviour where there is no sin And the justification of Christ disanulls again that of the Law as arguing it to be broken yea and the condemnation of the Law too notwithstanding the breach So they contradict and dissolve one another But what the Gospel excludes by remission of sins it closeth withal again by the manner of remitting Never pardoning offences till they be first forsaken and men return again to the observance of the Law nor yet continuing that pardon longer than they shall continue to observe it saying unto none but the penitent Thy sins are forgiventhee nor yet unto them without saying also Sin no more lest a worse thing happen unto thee So the terms stand thus No condemnation from the Law though broken whensoever we return to observe it and until we do observe it no grace or mercy by the Gospel and so they meet and are reconciled For so far the Gospel doth establish the Law yea and farther for it not only requires but gives grace for the performance of that it doth require even the observance of the Law And this reconciliation St. Paul himself the great urger of the opposition every where doth acknowledge for they are his own words not the hearers but the doers of the law shall be justified And that the law is done by faith is evident for faith worketh by love and love is the fulfilling of the law So the Apostles are both met St. James requires Faith and Works St. Paul a working Faith working by love and that even all the Commandments of God not so as to justifie in themselves but only to qualify for the justification of Christ. The Commandments therefore are no freewill offering at pleasure no voluntary duty of gratitude only but a duty necessary unto our justification here and eternal wellfare if any be necessary For this is the whole duty of mâ—n Why but yet for there is no end of wrangling though this wrangle shall end all though a duty now and a necessary yet since the Gospel affords a Mediator were it never so due the debt we hope may be paid by another that is our Surety and that surety is Christ who hath exactly kept the Law and is made unto us Wisdom Justice Sanctification and Redemption so saith the Apostle But no surety in this kind That which is the duty of Man is every Man 's own duty and must be performed in his own Person True indeed it is Christ our Lord fulfilled the Law exactly but that we may break it in our selves and yet at the same time fulfil it in him that is our Mediator this I take it is not so true The Apostle saith indeed that he accounted all things loss and dung too that he might be found in Christ not having his own righteousness which is of the Law but the righteousness which is of God by faith Yea farther that God made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him but yet this righteousness of God is not to be taken for Gods own righteousness but only as he said in the former place for the righteousness which is of God by Faith which righteousness includes both justification which is imputative and sanctification which is inherent but yet neither in St. Paul's sence is our own because not of the Law but of grace and mercy by the faith of Christ. Be it then that Christ is made unto us Justice and Sanctification both yea Wisdom and Redemption also yet not all after one and the same manner Wisdom he is made because he hath revealed his Fathers will Redemption because he hath appointed a day to vindicate his Children
so the clashing of Truth and Errour indeed truth and truth errour and errour being silenced Righteousness and peace may meet and kiss each other the more freely And that sure will be found the right and best way too at the last For most assuredly when all contestations are terminated when all these Sophismes and subtilties of the Schools Subtilitates ultramundanae plusquam Chrysippeae Subtilties as he said beyond the Moon and such as Chrysippus never dreamt on shall vanish into air leave and forsake us utterly it will be righteousness only that shall do us good in the end this righteousness of God and our faithful endeavour in it that shall be able to give peace and comfort to the Soul in death and through death lead and light it into immortality and life No way in the world no Righteousness thither but this only the good way the way which the Prophet Samuel long since discovered I will shew you the good and the right way fear the Lord and serve him in truth and consider how great things he hath done for you A good and a right and therefore a right good way Not that every way which is good is presently right some may have the zeal of God but not according to knowledge but than undoubtedly it cannot be right unless it be good Whatsoever way it be if it cross or part with goodness it will in the same place certainly part with verity where it leaves rightousness we may be sure it leaves truth the true Doctrine being always as the Apostle testifies of it Doctrinâ— secundum pietatem a doctrine according unto piety I Tim. So Rectum est index sui obliqui That which is right doth both discover it self and other things that are crooked But be the doctrine never so right and righteous yet if the man be not so to what purpose is it Had he all truth and were endued with the knowledge of all mysteries yet if he detain that truth in unrighteousness it should profit him nothing but to augment that wrath of God which saith the Apostle is already revealed from Heaven against him When on the other side did he know nothing else nothing but Christ and him crucified as St. Paul desired to know no more yet walking faithfully in that path of Righteousness which he hath taught and â—rodden out before him his ignorance of other controvertible truths or suspension either I think would hurt him but little For Righteousness naturally doth lead into truth and unless men did first forsake it they could hardly run into dangerous errour For were not the Soul depraved with unrighteous lusts and the judgment of the mind perverted by corrupt affections it could not easily resist apparent truth or not discern manifest falshood But when the will gives it self over to be ruled by the appetite no marvel if the intellect naturally subject unto the willâ— be as easily wrapt in errour Ambition and Avarice and desire of sinning with sting of Conscience having once seized upon the Scribes and Pharisees of old what strange leaven were they soon brought to mingle with the bread of life And how mightily have the same affections since wrought in many more Hence as from the Trojan Horse so many impious but profitable deceits and devices have issued forth upon ignorant people on the one side dispensing with them for their own sins and dispensing to them other mens merits the imaginary treasure of the Church that the Church might be filled with real Hence what strange positions and unto Piety most dangerous have been formed on the other side establishing justification even in the loss of sanctification presumptuously cloathing themselves and their disciples with the righteousness of another even then when they are wilfully unrighteous in themselves And so not content upon repentance to be justified by imputation but have found out even then whilst they sin an imputative indeed a meer putative sanctification that by this means amidst the works of darkness in the paradise of conceit they may still remain Children of light But be not deceived saith St. John he that doth righteousness is righteous All which though spisse and palpable hallucinatious on both parts yet so long as the eye is not single as our Saviour speaks but blear'd with mists of profits and pleasures they may not easily be deceived less easily redressed in either They may term themselves as they please but so long as impure desires are seated in the Soul nothing shall be able to tie them to the purity of that truth which opposeth or withhold them from contending for such falshoods as sute with those desires Itching ears and lusts in the spirits neither will nor can endure sound Doctrine saith the Apostle But rather than fail will raise up unto themselves Teachers after their own lusts and at their own charge raise preserments for them too that so their hired tongues may tickle their ears when they itch smooth or smother their sins In this case who shall prevail or what shall give Men light if in favour of their evil ways they love darkness more than light It is only the search and study of Righteousness that can bring us into the way of truth and dissolve errours and their controversies by taking away their causes by removing those gross and earthly affections that like Foggs at noon darken and benight the judgment The pure and cleansed heart shall see God saith our Saviour see him perfectly hereafter see of him and his truth more clearly in the present as he doth elsewhere assure us If any man doth the will of my Father he shall know of my doctrine But besides the nature of Righteousness leading into truth the protection and providence divine seems specially to assist and direct it The very secrets of the Lord saith King David are upon them that fear him who himself having respect unto the Commandment became wiser than his Teachers But however secrets yet light enough sure shall ever spring up unto the righteous who have undoubted interest in the promise of that Comforter which unto the worlds end shall lead into all truth all that is necessary for the leading of them when this world ends into the glory of a better yea and teach them mildness in truths of less consequence for the present For did we follow righteousness and not pride and passion we should easily learn to enter on mysteries warily and to maintain our opinions soberly And when the strife is peradventure but about a crackt pane in the Window or a loose tyle in the Roof as he said well not to raise such stirs and outcryes as if the Foundation were presently endangered It is only the judgment which Righteousness hath cleared from perturbations that can discern the necessity of points and direct our prosecution accordingly instructing us not to call every problematical question by the name of necessary and infallible truth but agreeing in fundamentals either to leave superedifications to the