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
the end he may be brought to act Faith on the offered mediator Mediation accept thereof as his only Cure Remedie 7. So that when the Spirit worketh up the soul to beleeve he causeth him sweetly acquiesce in the way of Redemption revealed in the Gospel and to count it a faithful saying and worthie of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1. Tim. 1 15. and to comply sweetly with the designe thereof in all points and for that end to close with Christ and to accept of him upon his offer and particularly to rest upon him and his Righteousness revealed in the Gospel as the only ground of their hope peace This being the thing that their soul longeth after to wit how they shall get guilt taken away they be clothed with a Righteousness wherein they may with confidence appeare before God the Spirit of God when working the soul up to a compliance with the remedie held forth in the Gospel causeth them accept of Christ as made of God unto them Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption and every such soul to say In the Lord our Righteousness have I Righteousness In him alone will I look for Pardon Acceptance Reconciliation life on him alone will I roll my debt there will I rest in hope 8. Therefore this Faith though it bring the soul unto Christ as the only Redeemer and is the mans clasping his armes about him embraceing him as all his Salvation rolling all his weight upon him yet it looketh to in a special manner eyeth the Satisfaction Merites Righteousness of Christ for that is it which the man mainly now standeth in need of Justice must be satisfied saith he my sins must be pardoned I must be accepted in favour with God I must have a Righteousness where with my sins may be covered and the month of justice of the Law of my challenging conscience may be stopped whereby I may have Right to life and this being held forth in the Gospel Faith bringeth the soul to a resting on this Righteousness of Christ that he may be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3 9. This is to beleeve on Christ Ioh. 3 16 36. Act. 16 31. faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. Thus the soul refugeth it self from the storme of wrath under the wings of Christ and hideth itself as it were in him from the avenger of bloud the wrath of an angry God purseing for a broken Law And here the Man abideth hid in Christ and eleaveth to him as being glued to him and utterly unwilling to be separat from him or to appear without his garment of Righteoâ—sness which faith fasteneth on the soul and the man by faith trusteth to this way and resteth upon it with full confidence nothing doubting of his saiftie thereby 9. By this we see how the way of justification by Gospel-faith serveth both for setting forth the Glory of God the Riches of Free Grace and for abaseing of Man as also for secureing of Life unto the Beleever for 1 Hereby the Man is convinced of his guilt declareth himself to be guilty for he his guilty before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3 19. he is made speachless knowing nothing to speak in his own defence nor no apologie to give in his mouth is stopped and he can say nothing but cry out guilty I am a childe of death the Lord is Righteous should he damne me for ever I must justifie him when he speaketh and cleare him when he judgeth Psal. 51 4. 2 Hereby the Man pronunceth sweareth himself poor bare he forsaketh all and renunceth all that formerly he had any eye upon or confidence in counting them losse dung as Paul did Phil. 3. He proclameth himself Empty Lost Naked and declareth he hath nothing that he can leane to within himself He accounteth all his former Righteousness to be nothing but rotten rags and filthy rags and Professeth that he knoweth nothing within himself wherefore or whereupon he can expect Reconciliation with the Lord and to be Accepted of him 3 Thus all ground or occasion of boasting or of glorying before men is taken away from the beleever Rom. 3 27. 4 1. 4 Thus the glorious beauty of free Grace shineth forth Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace Rom. 4 16. Grace here appeareth in its own glory when free grace without us contrare to our demerites doth all provideth the Sacrifie accepteth of the same in their behalfe for whom it was offered up bringeth them to the actual participation of the fruites and effects thereof by working up their hearts to a satisfaction in it to a resting upon it all this freely out of free Love It is corruptly said by the fore mentioned Author of that discourse of the two Covenants pag. 42. that Grace appeareth in the Lord 's making Faith the condition of the promise in that great things are promised upon such a possible practicable easie condition as faith is considering the meanes and assistance promised by God to work it for this spoileth Grace of its Glory when Man is looked upon said to be the principal author of saith as he is upon the matter said to be when all that God doth is but called assistance and at least the man may challenge as his owne no small share of the Glory of acting Faith and of going so great a length in the way to Faith without any more assistence than he hath need of to eate his meat when hungry and of going on his own feet to the very place where God stood ready to lend him a hand to help him forward Not to mentione how this altereth the whole Nature of the Covenant of Grace making it nothing but a new edition of the old Covenant of works 5 It is of faith to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4 16. When all the business is wrought as it were to our hand and nothing more requisite to interesse us in the noble Effects of all than our consent this also is wrought by the Spirit of God conforme to the Covenant of Redemption can a more ensureing way be imagined Alas what ground of Confidence or of Certainty can the Arminian Socinian way followed by the formentioned Author give to a poor soul When all is made to hang upon the tottering inconstant will of man who hath no more from God but some common assistances standing ready to attend him if he advance so far his alone without them when he hath gotten them to day may run back undo all againe to morrow Apostatize for ever for this also is a part of that Gospel that this man will teach us pag. 135. if we
which is had by Faith and which every one partaketh of that beleeveth as the following words show 16. When the Apostle saith Rom. 5 19. by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous doth he meane by that obedience of one our Faith not rather the Obedience of Christ which is imputed and whereby we become Righteous As the disobedience of Adam was not some particular after deed of his posterity which was imputed to them for their disobedience but it was the particular fact of Adam eating the forbidden fruit which was imputed to all his posterity and whereby they were constituted sinners so this obedience of Christ cannot be any act of obedience in us be it Faith or what you will but the acts of Christ obeying the Law imputed to us whereby we become Righteous are constituted Righteous in the sight of God 17. When Paul said Phil. 3 9. and be found in him i. e. Christ not having mine own righteousness which it of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith can he meane by this Righteousness which he was desirous to be foundin only Faith If he had meaned Faith had not that been his own Righteousness Is not our Faith called our owne If not why saith Iames Chap. 2. shew me thy faith I will shew thee my faith And should not this Righteousness if his beleeving had been it been of the Law Or is faith according to no Law If it be according to no Law it is no act of obedience Moreover how could Faith be said to be through Faith Is Faith a mean to it self How can Faith be the Righteousness of God which is by faith Was not the Apostles scope desire to win Christ And is Faith Christ 18. If our act of beleeving be imputed to us as our Righteousness then we cannot say In the Lord have we righteousness contraire to Esai 45 24. in order to a saying in the Lord we shall be justified as vers 25. but rather in ourselves have we Righteousness in order to this end for Faith or our act of Beleeving is in our selves immediatly and is said to be our Righteousness Nor can we thus call the Lord our righteousness contrate to Ier. 43 6. But rather our own act of beleeving shall be our Righteousness trusted to as such Nor yet could we say that Christ is made of God to us righteousness As it is 1 Cor. 1 30. unless that because by vertue of his mediation our act of beleeving is made of God to us Righteousness sure I am the emphasis of the words pointeth out some other thing as hath been seen 19. Is our beleeving that rob of Righteousness wherewith the Lord covereth such as have ground to rejoice greatly in the Lord and to be joyful in their God Esai 61 10 Such might as well rejoice greatly in themselves be joyful in themselves in their Beleeving 20. Is Faith that everlasting Righteousness that the Messias was to bring in Dan. 9 24 Doth our act of beleeving last for ever Paul hinteth some other thing 1 Cor. 13. 21. When Paul saith Rom. 10 10. that with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousness must not this Righteousness be something distinct from beleeving If not we may as well say that Confession with the mouth is the same with Salvation for he addeth with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation wherefore as Confession is but a mean way unto Salvation so Beleeving is but a mean way unto Righteousness 22. Can we with any coloure of reason suppose that our act of beleeving is that Righteousness of God which is revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1. 17. Can faith be said to be revealed from it self to it self 23. Our act of Beleeving cannot be that Righteousness whereof Noah become heir Heb. 11 7. for he became heir of this Righteousness by Faith he could not be said to be come heir of Faith by Faith 24. Faith is among the works of Righteousness which we do and alâ— these works of Righteousness the Apostle excludeth from an interest in that Righteousness where-upon we are Justified as opposite to mercy Tit. 3 5. Therefore our Beleeving cannot be our Righteousness unto Justification 25. If our act of Beleeving be imputed to us for Righteousness then it alone must be that fine linen wherein the lambs bride is arayed and it must be the fine linen that is clean and white for this fine linen is said to be the Righteousness of the saints Revel 19 8. But that cannot be because our Faith is not so pure as that it may be called clean white linen the Saints themselves are ashamed of their faith as being so full of blemishes and imperfections as also because this favour granted to her to be arayed in this linen cometh in after that she hath made herself ready vers 7. which as Mr. Durham on the place sheweth is to be meaned of Faith 26. All this work about the Imputation of Faith taken properly for our act of Beleeving is made of purpose to shoot out the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ as is clear by Iohn Goodwines whole disput from his very stateing of the question part 1. pag. 7. saying But the Question in precise termes is this Whether the Faith of him who truely beleeves in Christ or whether the Righteousness of Christ himself be in the letter propriety of it that which God imputes to a beleever for righteousness or unto righteousness in his Justification Now let any judge which of the two hath more countenance in Scripture when the one to wit the Imputation of Faith is but to be drawn with any show of probability from one place of Scripture and yet how small countenance that giveth to it shall be seen hereafter and the other is so emphatically expressed in so many places both in the Old New Testament And which of the two deserve most the name of Righteousness in order to our Justification and the Imputation of which of the two is most consonant unto the genius of the Gospel Covenant which we must suppose to be far different from the Nature Constitution of the Covenant of Life made with Adam withall which of the two wayes speaketh out most distinctly the riches of the Love Grace of God giveth most sure ground of hope Confidence unto a poor wakened and distressed Soul finally which of the two is that which the seriously exercised Christian dar with fixedness of Resolution Lean the weight of his soul upon exercised Christians finde to be that whereupon they Loaning resting finde Peace Quietness of Soul CHAP. XXIII Some Arguments against the imputation of Faith Vindicated from the Exceptions of John Goodwine AFter these Reasons against the Imputation of our act of Beleeving drawn from the Scriptures we come here to Vindicate some Arguments adduced
hath more rational apprehensions there about and yet will not have Christ's Righteousness to be that Formal Righteousness upon the account of which we are Justified Yet notwithstanding we need not owne it for such an Instrument or such an Instrumental cause as Philosophers largely treate of in the Logicks Metaphysicks knowing that the Effect here wrought is no Natural Effect brought about by Natural Efficient Instrumental Causes Only we say the Scripture affirming that we are justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giveth us ground to call Faith if we will use such termes to expresse our mind an Instrument seing these expressions pointe forth some special interest influence that Faith hath in Justification no other Influence or Causation can be allowed to it conforme to the Scriptures but that which we express in our ordinary discourse not in a strick Philosophical sense by an Instrument And that so much the rather that hereby is pointed forth that which is the maine ground designe of using this terme viz. the Application of the Righteousness of Christ which is made by Faith as a meane or mid's laying hold upon without which we cannot be Justified according to the Gospel And though in these borrowed expressions from Causes metaphysical accuracy be not intended yet the true meaning intendment of the users of these termes being obvious it is but vanity to raise too much dust thereabout unless difference about other more Principal Questions in the matter of Justification enforce it as indeed all such as place the Formal Cause or reason of our justification before God in our own Inherent Righteousness and not in the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us received by faith must of necessity deny all interest of faith here as an Instrument or as any thing like it because having all their Righteousness within them they have no use for Faith to lay hold-on bring-in one from without There things may satisfie us as grounds of this Denomination 1. That in justification we are said to be receivers do receive something from the Lord not only the Passive justification itself expressed by our being justified but of some thing in order thereunto as of Christ himself the Abundance of Grace of the Gift of Righteousness the atonement the word of promise yea every thing that concurreth unto justification or accompanieth it we are said to receive Ioh. 1 12. Col. 2 6. Rem 5 11 17. Act. 2 41 10 43. 26 18. Heb. 9 15. 2. That the only Grace whereby we are said to receive these things is Faith receiving is explained to be beleeving Ioh. 1 12. Act. 2 41. comp with vers 44. we receive forgiveness of sins by faith Act. 26 18. 3. That the Surety-Righteousness of Christ is that only Righteousness â—pon the account of which we are justified before God not any Inherent Righteousness within ourselves hath been evinced above 4. That this Righteousness of the Surety must be imputed unto such as are to be Justified or reckoned upon their score hath also been evinced 5. That this Surety-Righteousness of Christ must be laid hold on by us in order to our justification hath been showne must be granted by all that acknowledge it to be the Righteousness upon the account of which we are Justified 6. That the Scripture saith expresly that God justifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith through faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith Rom. 3 24 25 28 30. Gal. 3 8 2 16. and that even when justification is denied to be by works So that Faith must have a far other interest in must otherwise concurre unto our Justification than any other Works or Graces and therefore must be looked upon as having some peculiarity of interest and influence here and this peculiarity of interest can not be otherwayes better expressed so as the matter shall be cleared then by calling it an Instrument Not as if it did concurre to the produceing of the effect of justification by any Physical operation as Physical Instruments do but as a medium mean required of us in order to Justification according to the free pleasure of God who disposeth the order methode of his bestowing of his Favours upon us aud the Relation Respect that one hath unto another as he seeth most for his own glory and for our good and that such a mean as concurreth therein and thereunto according to what is said in such a way as we be can best understand by calling it an Instrument for we can not allow it to be called any way meritorious or any formal disposition of the soul or Preparation unto the Introduction of an Inherent Formal Cause of Justification as Papists say nor can we allow it to be called such a proper Potestative Condition as some would have it to be as we saw in the forgoing Chapter 7. That no real inconvenience can follow upon the owning of Faith for an Instrument in justification for Justification is not here taken simply strickly for that which is properly God's act but more largely complexly including other things requisite unto Justification such as the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ which Faith as the Instrument or hand of the soul layeth hold on bringeth-in for this end that the man being clothed therewith may be acquitted before the Tribunal of God Pardoned accepted of as Righteous And howbeit it be God that justifieth as to this act of God justifying Faith hath no real interest or influence yet the Scripture saying that God justifieth by Faith and through faith we must acknowledge some interest that Faith hath in the work Effect as when the Scripture saith that He purifieth the heart by faith Act. 15 9. the purifying of the heart is God's work and yet it is said to be done by Faith which is our work It is said Heh 11 11 that through faith Sara herself received strength to conceive seed vers 33 34. that some through faith subdued Kingdomes stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire c. all which were the works of God yet while they are said to be done by faith faith must have had some interest influence in these effects So in working faith in the soul which is God's work alone the Lord useth the preaching of the Gospel and ministers the peoples hearkning listning to what is preached as meanes midses thereunto though preaching hearing be mens work yet God useth them for his ends and as he sendeth Preachers to preach moveth persons to hear that thereby he may according to his own will pleasure work Faith in then so he worketh Faith in souls that he may thereby Justify them Nor is it of any weight to say that if Faith be an Instrument it must work as an efficient cause because the Instrumental Cause belongeth
faith Ans. It may be so but their meaning is not I conceive to give an equal share of Interest Power Office in about justification unto Repentance with that which they acknowledge Faith to have but either their purpose is hereby to show the inseperable connexion that is betwixt faith Repentance or to show that they speak of that faith which is attended with this necessary Grace of Repentance doth effectually work the same or both rather So that their true meaning is to give the due privilege interest unto that saith which can prove it self to be real true justifying faith by effectuating Repentance never to be repented of and thus they withall satisfie an Objection or question that might be made if they had mentioned faith alone for it might be enquired How shall we know whether our faith be of the right kind or not Now their joining of Repentance with faith doth shortly answere this question Repentance being a concomitant and a fruit of true faith more sensiblie felt obvious to their perception might be to them a vive perceptible expression of true justifying faith Obj. 12. But seing faith by some is called that which doth morally qualifie the subject to be a fit patient so be justified why may not Repentance have an equal share in this moral Qualification with Faith I Ans. If we should make faith to have no other Interest in justification than Repentance hath or may be yeelded to have we may easily grant that Repentance hath the same equall Interest with faith but it is denied that faith hath no other Interest but as that which doth morally qualifie c. drieness in wood may qualifie it for the fire yet the wood may be long so before it become the subject of fire so may it be with moral qualifications many a man may be morally qualified to be a fit match for such a woman or a woman for such a man yet the marriage Relation never be made up betwixt them But this cannot be said of faith whereby the marriage is made the person is actually justified not a bare fit patient to be justified CHAP. XXX Whether Love purpose of Obedience or perseverance be Conditions of Justification BY what is said in our foregoing discourse we may know what is to be answered unto these Questions so that we need not insist long in the discussing of them Some of late lay downe for a ground and hereby give occasion to discuss these and such like questions that whatever is or may be called aâ— the Covenant of Grace is upon that account may be called the Condition of Justification thus confounding the whole order of the Gospel making all duties required of such as are in Covenant ordained of God for other ends uses to be required as Conditions of entering in Covenant and to have the same use and end in unto justification which faith hath contrary to express Scripture saying that we are justified by faith not by works of Righteousness which we do and contrary to the whole methode of the Gospel grounds laid down therein for an acceptable performance of obedience As to Love Papisit's make it the forme as they speak of faith not in it self simply considered but in order to Justification Salvation thereby saying that faith without Love is dead And it is true that true saving faith worketh by Love and that faith cannot be called Saving or Justifying which doth not excite unto acts of Love and many may deceive themselves with a faith that will not be found when tried to be of the right stamp as the Apostles Iames teacheth But yet they put no specifick difference commonly betwixt this dead faith faith informed for both as to what is essential intrinsik to faith which they hold to be an assent unto all things revealed by the Lord unto men upon the account of the Veracity and Authority of the Revealer are one the same so as one and the same faith may be sometime dead when to wit not working by Love sometime lively when formed with Love But of these things we need not here speak only we see that with them Love is in a manner more necessary unto Justification than faith must be looked on as a necessary condition thereunto even as that without which faith can do nothing And to confute this here is but vaine seing it shall serve nothing to our purpose because with them justification is the very same we call Sanctification But others who have more sound and distinct apprehensions of justification tell us That love is the condition of justification because a condition of the Covenant of Grace as if all the duties of such as are in Marriage Relations were conditions of making up the marriage Relation Others who distinguish betwixt Faith Evangelick Obedience as betwixt consent to a mans Soveraignity obeying him as Soveraigne as doth Mr. Baxter Confess p. 89 90. Yet say that Love is comprized in Faith and is some degree of Justifying Faith not properly a fruite of it because the wills apprehension of a thing good or earnest willing accepting it is the fame with Love so is the wills Consenting Electing accepting all this being in Faith Love must be comprehended in it Yea they say that as Love Faith are propounded in the Gospel as of the same necessity so they are necessary in Justification concurrent in apprehending Christ. So spoke Mr. Baxter in his Aphorismes And in his Confess p. 34 35. he saith Though Charitie as it respecteth other objects is no part of faith yet as it respecteth an offered Saviour it is as much essential to faith to receive Christ with Love as it is essential to a Saviour the object of faith to be good for us for good as good is received by love Nor was it ever the Intent of the Holy Ghost to take faith in Christ in so narrow a sense as includeth not Love to him when it is saving Faith that is spoken of In reference to all which we need say but those few following things 1. The Scriptures do plainly enough distinguish betwixt Faith Love They are reckoned as distinct fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5 22. Love joy-faith yea Faith is said to worke by love Gal. 5 6. we heare of the work of faith and labour of love 1. Thes. 1 3. we heare of Charitie out of a pure heart of faith unfaigned 1. Tim. 1 5. And the grace of our Lord saith Paul 1. Tim. 1 14 was exceeding abundant with Faith Love which is in Christ Iesus We hear of the brestplate of Faith Love 1. Thes. 5 8. 2. The Scriptures do plainly tell us that we are Justified by Faith as we heard but never saith that we are justified by love And sure as it is best for us to regulate our expressions according to the Lord's
power as that of himself he can specifie the acts of his own will without any predetermining Motion of God Can he then beleeve in Christ. Hope savingly in God yeeld Christian Obedience to all the commands of God without God's Predetermining motion upon his heart And is that Common General influx whereby he is preserved in his being his faculties power not taken away enough to make a man turn from Nature unto Grace if he will be so good natured as to bow his own will determine himself as he may Why do we then condemne the Pelagians What did or could Pelagius say more But enough of this here In the following Paragraph n. 188. He tels us that some men teach that Christ strippeth a Christian of two things his Sins his Righteousness Or that two Things must be cast away for Christ Sins Righteousness And he is not satisfied with such speeches though they be consonant to yea upon the matter the very same with the speeches of Paul Phil. 3 8 9. He faith they should speak better if they would not deceive And why saith he not so of the Apostle Paul also May it serve him that we speak as Paul did Nothing saith he is to be cast away as evil but sin True and yet the Apostle desired to be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness what was a Righteousness in his eyes before and was a Righteousness which is in the Law and wherein he was blameless he now accounted loss for Christ yea he accounted them but dung which includeth a rejecting casting of it away with detestation He addeth Righteousness truely such is good never to be cast away If it be no Righteousnâ—ss why do they falsly say that we must cast away our Righteousness Ans. Let the Apostle Paul answere this whom it concerneth as much as us And let Mr. Baxter in soberness consider how this reflecteth upon the Spirit of the Lord inspiring the Apostle to speak so As for us we are not very anxious in this matter but can freely tell Mr. Baxter that though our personal Righteousness be good Yet in the matter of justification before God and absolution from the condemnatory sentence of the Law adjudication to life we must lay it aside and betake ourselves solely to the Righteousness of Christ and seek to be found in him alone after the example of the Apostle according to the clear doctrine of the Gospel And this we are resolved to do how displeased soever Mr. Baxter be with us upon that account He addeth To cast away a false conceit of Righteousness is not to cast away Righteousness but Sin only indeed beside sin we are said justly to cast away that which would be the object matter of sin And the phrase is fitlier applied to a thing Indifferent than to a thing necessary lest it seduce Ans. To account our Righteousness consisting in our obedience to the Law to be dung as Paul did in the business of justification is all we plaid for let Mr. Baxter call it a casting away of a false conceite of Righteousness if that will satisfie him but even in this we cast away our Righteousness when we will not trust to it as our Righteousness in order to justification or as that Righteousness upon the account of which we expect to be justified in the sight of God And if Mr. Baxter be afraid of Seducing here he may know where we ground our expressions I suppose Paul was far from seducing when he spoke as he did Phil. 3 8 9. There is nothing so good saith he which may not be made the object of sin not Christ or his Righteousness or God himself excepted But we must not thus objectivly abuse them Ans. And what is all this to the purpose Doth he think that those teachers he here opposeth were enemies to holiness or would have men laying aside all thoughts of it and care about it when they spoke so He may as well inferre such things from the Apostles speaches But what is meaned secundum quid should not be understood as spoken simpliciter His reasoning here then is impertinent as also is that which followeth when he saith So holiness true Righteousness inherent or imputed may be objects of sinful pride boasting But it is not edifying doctrine therefore to say that we must cast away inherent imputed Righteousness For we plead not for casting away every thing that may be abused but for casting away our own Righteousness in the matter of justification that impured Righteousness may only take place But how imputed Righteousness can be the object of sinful pride boasting he would do well to teach us that Inherent Righteousuess may be so we know and to plead for justification upon that account is to lay the foundation of sinful pride boasting as the Scriptures teach us He addeth But yet true self denyâ—l requireth that we deny our Righteousness inherent or Imputed to be that which indeed it is not Ans. And therefore we deny that our inherent Righteousness is the ground or formalis ratio objectiva of our justification But what way Self-denyal teacheth us to deny our imputed Righteousness to be what it is not he must be pleased to informe us and to speak thus alike of both our inherent imputed Righteousness is not very faire as if there were no difference Further he tels us And so when men accounted the jewish observations to be a justifying Righteousness in competition with in opposition to Christ Paul counteth it as loss dung nothing in that respect when yet elsewhere he saith I have lived in all good conscience to this day And Christ himself fulfilled that Law Righteousness Ans. What meaneth Mr. Baxter by these jewish observations Meaneth he nothing but their observance of the Ceremonial Law But did Paul meane nothing but his consciencious observance of this Law when he said I have lived in all good conscience to this day And did he mean nothing else by that Righteousness which he counted loss dung Phil. 3 The Apostle himself distinguisheth betwixt the Law touching which he was a Pharisee and that Law touching the Righteousness whereof he had been blameless And sure before the writting of this Epistle he had preached down the observation of the Ceremonial Law and was far from the observation thereof yet now he accounted that same Righteousness which formerly was gaine to him now to be loss dung so that this could not be his Ceremonial Observances for it had been a small demonstration of his excessive desire to win Christ to count thaâ—loss now which he had before comdemned as unnecessary Yea as unlawfull had laid aside as such So that he meaneth all that which could be called his own Righteousness which is of the Law and was not that Righteousness which is through the Faith of Christ and of God by Faith And it is also
Rom. 3 22 28 30. in other places now cited and that because faith carrieth a poor convicted self-condemned sinner out of himself to seek a righteousness in Christ in upon the acount of which he may be accepted of God justified so bringeth him to close with Christ to accept of His righteousness put it on that he may appear in it before God so receive the Atonement abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness Rom. 5 11 17. And albest it may satisfie us to know that so the Lord God hath ordained it that the self-condemned sinner should flee to the Righteousness of Christ held forth in the Gospel lay hold on it lean to it thereby he may attaine Justification and Remission without enquireing after reasons of this Contrivance Yet we may clearly see the wisdom of God shining forth in this appointed way of justification for the sinner is hereby brought to swear as it were himself bare to renounce all in himself to declare profess himself a plaine bankrupt and so to despare in himself that the riches of the free grace of God everlasting love may shine forth in him in a more divine lustre in a singular heavenly beauty hereby all ground of pride boasting or glorying in himself is taken away the sinner is made to see to subscribe unto the glorious wisdom that then appeareth in that contrivance to wonder as also to see his everlasting obligation unto the Lord contriver to the Lord Ransomer So is he made to see the perfect ground of security saifty in this way when he seeth that in order to his partaking of the great blessings favoures his soul longeth for he must first be united unto Jesus Christ himself married unto Him in a perpetual marriage-Covenant that shall never be dissolved And he winneth hereby to a sure ground of peace Tranquillity of soul when he seeth that it is nothing in himself that is taken as Satisfaction to the Infinite justice of God but the Righteousness of Christ who is God Man in one person so a perfect Infinite Righteousness able fully to repare the breach made to make Satisfaction for the wrong done to the Infinite God So that upon this ground he may boast glory in the Lord alone triumph over all assaults Temptations of Satan Hereby then as the Lord hath consulted His own glory for the sinner fleing to the Righteousness of Christ as his only refuge resting there doth proclame God to be Holy Just Righteous Gracious only Wise so he hath consulted the saifty Peac joy Confidence of His own The consideration whereof should make us comply sweetly with this noble contrivance in stead of disputing against it or ourselves out of it acquiesce with all our heart in it rest there 13. We may observe further another mystery in this matter of justification to wit That the way of justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ doth not take away the necessity Usefulness of the Exercise of the Grace of Repentance Socinians others who follow their footsteps can observe no harmony here cry-out against the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness because as they suppose it 〈◊〉 the Use and Necessity of Repentance and enervateth all the commands enjoining it But 1 This mistake must certainly flow from a misconception of the true Nature Use ends of Gospel-repentance for they must of necessity Suppose that Gospel-Repentance is required for the same Ends Uses for which the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness is required otherwise they could not think that the asserting of the one should tend to the justling out of the other But whatever they imagine we assert no such thing but affirme That Christ hath purchased the whole of our Remission and Repentance whatever Papists say hath no interest herein nor hath it any merite with-it whether ex condigno or ex congruo to procure Remission the Favoure of God or Reconciliation with Him but it is only required in its own place to accompany faith to follow upon it as a sutable profitable exercise for sinners advanced to such high favoures Privileges And the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness can no more prejudge the exercise of this grace than of any other Gospel-Grace or duty such as Love Fear Hop prayer Patience c. but rather incite encourage to it 2. what was formerly said of faith its harmonious agreement with the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness will sufficiently also clear confirme this for if the Adversaries speak of legal Repentance the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness will no more take that away than faith for it preceedeth faith whereby the sinner laith hold on Christ. And if they speak of Gospel Repentance which is more to the purpose they must know that though in its Exercise at least in its remarkakle exercise it doth follow faith and in order of Nature is posteriour to it Yet it is inseparably-connected therewith so that where faith is there is must also be Repentance at least in its root begun exercise for a sinner cannot rightly accept of close with Christ as offered in the Gospel for Gospel ends in a Gospel manner according to the call of the Gospel but withall he must have a sight sense of his sins a hatred thereof as also a purpose firme fixed to turn from them unto God as also an Endeavour after new obedience Yea we finde sometimes Repentance pressed as including faith in it as when pressed in order to pardon acceptance with God Sometimes againe it is mentioned together with faith as being inseparable therefrom 3. As the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ and the justification of beleevers thereupon doth not put them in such a case as they shall sinne no more afterward so neither doth it take away the Usefulness and necessity of renewed Acts of faith and Repentance nor in the least weaken the after exercise of these Graces but rather doth excite thereunto each in their proper place and to their proper ends in order to actual pardon according to the Gospel Method in which it is required that justified persons or Believers repent of their after sinnes and by faith flee to Christ for pardon and as at the first so afterward there can be no true exercise of faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ for pardon of after sinnes without a true exercise of Repentance towards God these perpetually accompanying other yet we must not think that Repentance considered by it self and as distinct from faith hath the same Interest in the Covenant for pardon first or last that faith hath for neither doth it so act on Christ and his Righteousness in order to pardon as faith doth nor is it appointed or called for for that end and when it is enjoined and mentioned in order to Remission
Law but by the Gospel not by the Covenant of works but by the Covenant of Grace The Adversaries to Imputation alleige that we by asserting the same do establish justification by the works of the Law because the obedience of Christ was obedience to the Law and so legal Righteousness and if that be imputed to us so as we are accounted to have done what he did we must be justified by Law-righteousness consequently by the Law which is contrary to the Scriptures But in answere to this I say 1. They advert not that some of themselves do expresly call Christ's Righteousness our legal or prolegal righteousness therefore it must be a righteousness answering the Law also made ours 2. Nor do they observe that justification by the Law or by the works of the Law which the Scriptures speak so much against is not to be understood in their sense the obvious plaine and only meaning thereof being this that no man can be justified by his own personal obedience to the Law for by the Law the doers only of the Law are justified Rom. 2 13. The plaine tenor of the Law is Set down Rom. 10 5. Where Moses is mentioned as describing the Righteousness of the Law to be this that the man who doth those things shall live by them Levis 18 5. When therefore the Law saith that the man that doth these things shall live by them not the man that either doth those himself or getteth a cautioner to do them for him shall be justified it is manifest that we are not justified by the Law seing we do not these things ourselves in our oun persons but by the Gospel which only provideth this Surety proposeth justification through His Righteousness imputed received by faith Thus we see That justification through the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness doth quite annull destroy our Justification by the Law all Imputation being inconsistent with Law-justification repugnant thereunto because it is of grace what is of Grace neither is not can be of works Rom. 11 6. 3. We assert not Imputation in this sense to wit That we are accounted reputed to have done what Christ did for that cannot be God cannot judge amisse but He should judge amisse if He should judge that we did what Christ did Our meaning is this that the Beleever being now united unto Christ hath an Interest in Christ's Righteousness upon the account thereof now reckoned upon his Score by Imputation he is freed from all that the Law could charge upon him and that as fully to all ends as if he had performed that Righteousness himself 17. It is likewise here considerable That we are justified upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ imputed and yet this Righteousness of Christ is the proper meritorious cause of our justification of all that followeth there upon Some who oppose this Imputation imagine an opposition here But mistakingly they think that the Righteousness of Christ must be made the meritorious cause of it self or of that Righteousness which is imputed whileas we only say That Christ's Rightteousness is the meritorious cause of our justification Adoption c. and that it is also imputed to us for this end that we may be thereby formally righteous juridically in Law sense and so justified c. And who seeth not that it must be so seing we can be justified by no Righteousness which is not a proper meritorious cause of our justification consequently that we cannot be justified by any other Righteousness than the Righteousness of Christ so not by our own Gospel-righteousness nor by faith as suchs a Righteousness for that cannot be a meritorious cause of our justification 18. This is also a considerable part of this mystery which carnal eyes cannot see and which men carried away with prejudice at the pure doctrine of the Grace of God in the Gospel cannot sweetly comply with to wit That our justification is Solely upon the account of the Imputed Righteousness of Christ and not upon the account or because of any thing wrought in us or done by us yet our obligation to holiness conformity to the Law of God in all points is not hereby in the least weakened Paul's frequent preoccupying of this Objection in his Epistles may let us see how ready carnal hearts are to abuse the doctrine of the Grace of God revealed in the Gospel to carnal liberty and what a propensity there is in us to look for justification upon the account of our works only so that if we hear of any thing to put us of this apprehension we presently are ready to conclude that all study of and endeavour after holiness is wholly useless unnecessary and that we need not wonder much at Socinians others who do thus reasone against the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ. But Paul doth cleare to us a sweet consistency betwixt free justification upon the account of Christ's Righteousness imputed and the serious study of holiness He saw no Inconsistency betwixt the study of obedience to the Law in all points and the expectation of justification by faith in Christ alone whatever men who would seem sharp-sighted zealous for the study of holiness do suppose they cannot but see And albeit men in those dayes were ready enough to except against free justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ and to pretend that the asserting thereof did take away all study of holiness yet this is very remarkable the Apostle to remove that objection never giveth the least hint of the necessity of our works of obedience in order to our justification And though He doth frequently press to holiness yet he never maketh use of any argument thereunto which might so much as insinuat that we were justified by works in one measure or other Nay we will finde that He draweth arguments pressing unto holiness from the very nature of their Gospel-justification of their State by vertue thereof And experience proveth this day that the most effectual Medium to holiness is taken from free justification through faith in Christ alone and that the holiness and obedience of such as practise the orthodox doctrine concerning justification hath another heavenly lustre as it floweth from another fountaine standeth upon another ground and looketh more like true holiness universal sincere obedience than what is to be seen among such as lay most weight upon their own duties whether we speak of Papists Socinians Arminians or of others And whatever inconsistency men may imagine to be betwixt free justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ and the Universal Sincere Acceptable study of holiness yet the Gospel knoweth no such thing but presseth holiness though not for this end that we may thereby be put into a state of justification or might sweat foile run work for the prize as the hire wayes of our work yet upon more Spiritual
will not cordially close herewith must resolve to abide in that estate of enmity whereinto they are by Nature 10. This way of Justification as it is the only way of Peace Reconciliation with God so it layeth the ground of solide Joy Rejoyceing in hope of the glory of God of Glorying in tribulation also as Paul informeth us Rom. 5 1 2 3 4 5. Being justified by faith through Jesus Christ we have through him accesse by faith in to this grace wherein we stand rejoyce in hope of the glory of God not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience patience experience experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts c. Men may I know promise to themselves much Peace Joy and Consolation in their own false way may also deceive themselves as the Phaâ—isee did when he thanked God he was not like the publican but how had will the discovery of the deceite and cheatry prove in end God's way is the only way that will yeeld all these desirable things in truth reality and therefore we would do well to follow this way alone 11. Moreover this way of Justification will only lay the sure unfailing foundation of true Holiness and Sanctification and hence are the most spiritual convincing moving Arguments unto the study of holiness only to be taken as we see the Apostle clearing it in his Epistle to the Romans Chap 6. 7. 8. having laid down in the preceeding Chapters as a sure ba. sis thereunto the only Gospel-way of Iustification Men may think that the pressing of Justification by our own works should prove the most effectual Meane Perswasive unto the real study of holiness a most infallible Argument to set people awork to follow holiness with all their might But experience sufficiently proveth that all such who by their doctrine lay more or less of their weight upon their owne works in their Justification are so far from outstriping others in the spiritual exercise of true holiness that for the most part the very contrary is too too manifest and howbeit Adversaries to Gospel-Justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ object to the Asserters thereof that thereby they are Enemies to the study of holiness give way to laziness negligence in that exercise yet not only is their alleigance groundless seing we press holiness upon the same grounds that the Apostle doth who oft times meeteth with this objection in his way of declaring pressing the Gospel-way of justification but also experience showeth that such as have fled to Christ for Righteousness have another way of Communion with God in all holy conversation their walkeing in all the wayes of God hath a spiritual lustre heavenly beauty being compared with the walk of others strangers in practice and in opinion to the Gospel-way of being Justified through Faith in Christ. 12. Whoso ever reject this truth and do not accepte of this way of justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ received leaned to by faith do interpretativly say as much as that Christ is dead in vaine for the Apostle tels us Gal. 2 21. that he did not frustrat the grace of God for if righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vaine thereby teaching us that the crying up of the Law the Righteousness thereof and urging people to seek after a Righteousness by which they may be justified in their Obedience to the Law is a real frustrating of the grace of God a declaring that Christ is dead in vaine and consequently whoever seek after a Righteousness consisting in their personal obedience to the Law will not accepte of nor heartily practically close with the Gospel-way of justification through faith in Christ do really frustrate so far as in them lyeth all the grace of God manifested in brought to light by the Gospel where this noble way of recovering sinners is revealed more clearly fully explained than it was formerly And it is a saying upon the matter that Christ hath died in vaine for if he died not to satisfie for sinners after he had finished his course of Obedience so to make up a compleat Righteousness which might answere all the necessities of sinners lying under the sentence of a broken Law and having no way without Christ to obtaine the Crown of life but by perfect personal Obedience to the whole Law which was is to them utterly impossible If I say Christ died not for this end he died in vaine all such as will not heartily imbrace this way do on the matter say he died not for this end so as far as they can they make him to have died in vaine 13. This Consideration might also have force with us that what Paul taught as to this matter he did also practise sweetly complye with thereby casting us a copie in his own practice for thus he speaketh Phil. 3 8 9. Yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things do count them but dung that I may win Christ be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith So Gal. 2 16. knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ even we have beleeved in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ c. If therefore we would be sure in this matter we must take this course which is so corresponding in all points with the Gospel-doctrine in this matter Therefore who ever would expect to have it going well with them for evermore must resolve upon this course to be clothed with the Righteousness of Christ and get on that rob of Righteousness which is had through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith CHAP. XVIII Some of the duties of such as live the life of Justification proposed IN the last place we shall mentione this Use of the Truth formerly cleared confirmed in reference to such as have attained unto this life of justification through faith which every one may readily see That it is the duty of such as are made partakers of this life to beware of such things as may will provoke the Lord to anger will be unsutable for them who are thus graciously advanced to such an high State Privilege of grace to minde such duties as do most suite such as are so highly advanced and so greatly obliged to him that hath thus called them effectually by his grace and hath wrought up their hearts unto a full compliance with the Gospel-contrivance of free grace
the good of others should exercise communion fellowshipe with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ so walk with him as agreed with Him have their conversation in heaven Hath the Lord brought them into his houshold yea admitted them to his presence that they may kisse his hand stand before his face continually in the lower chamber of presence and should they carry as yet estranged from him Is He at peace with them and should they have jealous thoughts of him Is He reconciled unto them and should they carry as keeping up some grudge against Him 6. Such should account this state whereinto now they are brought their only blessedness here below Even as David saith Paul Rom. 4 6 7 8. also describeth the blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sin Here is the poor self-condemned sinners blessedness that he hath a righteousness imputed to him who had none of his owne and who thereupon hath his iniquities forgiven covered not imputed And such as are made partakers of this blessedness should account it their happiness that how ever it be with them as to outward things in the world yet they are now brought within the Covenant and are covered with the mantle of Christ's Righteousness and have all their iniquities covered cast into the midst of the sea so that they shall never be reckoned upon their score 7. This should be aground for them of glorying in the Lord in the hardest condition they can be into in the world being thus justified they should glory in tribulations knowing that they can suffer no loss o◠disadvantage thereby but on the contrary reap much good and advantage for tribulation worketh in such as are thus justified and at peace with God patience and patience experience experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost Ought they not then to carry under all oppressions persecutions hard usages of men upon the account of owning Christ his Interest as persons that are upon the gaining hand and reaping much spiritual advantage being now brought through grace into such a state of life And how would they hereby glorify God in the world 8. The consideration of their present state of life should cause them triumph in the midst of all difficulties temptations that they shall meetwith in their way as knowing that the life of justification whereof now they are made partakers shall continue and that it shall end in the life of glory for whom the Lord justifieth them he also glorifieth Rom. 8 30. Who shall then lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Who shall then separat such from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or persecution or distress or famine or nakedness or perill or sword Nay in all these things they are more then conquerours through him that loved them Rom. 8 33 34 35 37. Hear how Paul concludeth that matter for himself others vers 38 32. for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Should not therefore such carry as persons that cannot be made miserable How much doth the Apostle insist on this and cleare it from this ground Rom. 5 9 10. saying much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life And againe vers 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. There being then a sure ground of confidence assurance of life of compleet salvation laid in justification all such are called to rejoice in hope of the glory of God Rom 5 2. And to have confidence in the Lord that he will perfect what he hath begun to rest assured that all they which receive abundance of grace of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Jesus Christ. Rom. 5 17. 9. Yea particularly the consideration of their many sinnes should not discourage them or cause them despond for being now justified all their bygone sins are pardoned shall not be by the Lord laid to their charge againe however the memory of them may humble them cause them run to the fountaine of the blood of Jesus all their future sins shall be pardoned according the Gospel grounds after the Gospel-methode so that they shall not prejudge them of their promised possession of glory and life everlasting Now the free gift is of many offences unto justification Rom. 5 16. There is a sure way laid down in the Gospel whereby all their sins shall be taken away and the very body of death shall be killed more more dayly so that they shall not finally perish what ever Satan body of death within shall do to prejudge them of the promised inheritance Hence the Apostle inferreth from his foregoing discourse Rom. 8 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to then which are in Christ Jesus 10. Such as are thus justified should follow the example of Paul Phil. 3 7 8 9. and so account such things less for Christ which formerly were gaine yea count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord yea account them but dung that they may win Christ and be found in him Here should their heart delight be about this should their whole occupation be to win and gaine Christ more to know him the power of his Resurrection and the followshipe of his sufferings to be made conformable unto his death vers 10. that hereby Christ may be their gaine their glory their all How jealous should they be of their deceitful hearts that nothing be admitted to share of the glory due to Christ or to possesse any of that room in the heart that is due to him He should have the throne for He is well worthie of it And whatever cometh in competition with him be it within us or without us should be rejected that He alone may be exalted in our souls 11. Such as have been made partaker of this royal life of justification through a Crucified Christ laid hold on by faith should labour to keep this doctrine pure both by word deed so far as they can that 〈◊〉 grace of God that so eminently shineth forth therein may not be darkned by mens erroneous apprehensions
that so much the rather that Satan without corruption within many are so far at enmity with this doctrine of the grace of God that they laboure by all meanes either more directly or more indirectly to perverâ—tit to presse for a mixture of works upon one consideration or other in this matter which it will not admit and that because it is so crosse contrary to the corrupt inclinations of Man who is so proud of nothing that he will not be beholden to Christ for less and for more and for all We see Paul was most jealous in this matter and most zealous for the truth therefore on all occasions did assert vindicate it as we may see especially in his Epistle to the Galatians where he did so zealously withstand Peter Chap. 2 14. and immediatly did state the question vers 16. saying knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ even we have beleeved in Iesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ not by the works of the Law c. adding vers 18. that he for his part would not build againe the things which he had destroyed so make himself a transgressour Nor would he vers 21. frustrate the Grace of God 12. Finally all such as have by faith laid hold on Christ his righteousness and are by faith justified and so made partaker of this life through faith in Christ must resolve to abide in Christ by faith that life may be preserved and by new acts of faith dayly on Christ get as it were new breath that their life may be continued and thus live continually the life of justification by faith by faith take their new sinnes to Christ that they may be done away in his blood for the Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by Faith But of this we are to speak more hereafter CHAP. XIX Of the Life of Justification as to its continuance WHen it is said that the just shall live by faith there is a State pointed forth a Condition intimated that is not momentany of short continuance but such a condition or change of state is hold forth as is of a lasting Nature not only because Life doth connote some permanency for a longer or for a shorter time but chiefly because this Scriptural axiome saith especially as else where applied by the Spirit of the Lord that the just or justified man hath through faith a life in the worst of times that he is made partaker of that privilege of life which shall prove lasting continueing to the end a life that is keeptin fed nourished by Faith Having spoken therefore of this life of Justifi on as begun that we may more fully explaine the nature of it we must speak a litle of it also as continued But first we must premit some things to shew what that Justification is of the continuance of which we here speak and what we do not hereby understand when we speak of the continuance of the Life of Justification 1. We do not speak here of Justification which Antinomians tell us is from Eternity for that can be nothing but God's eternal Purpose to justifie and which cannot more be called Justification than his eternal purpose to Condemne the Reprobate to save the Elect can be called condemnation Salvation and we can no more say That there was a Justification of any man from Eternity than that there was a Condemnation or Salvation of men from eternity we must distinguish betwixt God's Purposes the Effects which he hath purposed His purposes are indeed eternal but the Effects or Events purposed have their being in time according to the Season meane and Methode when whereby God hath purposed to effectuate them And sure we are that Justification whereof the Scripture speaketh is a relative change wrought in Man in time when and not before he laith hold on Christ by Faith according to the tenor of the Gospel 2. Nor do we meane here that Justification which the same Antinomians call only declarative in this life for the true Gospel Justification is a real Relative Change whereby the beleever is brought out of a State of Wrath and Judgment where they were lying under the Curse of the Law and the sentence thereof unreconciled to God and enemies to him having their sinnes lying upon then according to the sentence of the Law therefore strangers to God's favoure countenance and so without God without Christ brought into a new State of Peace Pardon Reconciliation Friendshipe with God of which we spoke above Chap. V. We cannot then look upon the Iustification mentioned explained in the Scriptures and of which we have hitherto spoken as a meer Declaration to the beleevers Conscience of what God did from Eternity as if the admittance into favoure and Pardoning of sinnes were nothing but his Declaration to their consciences that they were accepted from eternity had pardon from eternity a notion sure that hath no feeting or foundation in the Scriptures 3. We do not here speak of that which some call Baptismal Iustification whereby they say all Infants baptized are justified which they must yeeld to be such as can doth meeth with a final total intercision yea amission as to many so be quite of another nature from that which adult beleevers partake of from which there is no final or total Apostasie to be granted according to the Scriptures But we owne no such Justification of all baptized Infants 4. Nor yet do we here speak of that which others being more wary must owne as consequentially following upon their opinion of Baptismal Regeneration of all baptized elect infants to wit a Baptismal Iustification of all baptized elect infants it being certain that there can be no Regeneration without a corresponding Justification for as such a Regeneration is not clearly revealed in the Scriptures so were it granted no Actual Justification but only a Seminal Potential Justification could be hence inferred because such as the Regeneration is said to be by such as maintaine this opinion such must the Justification be but this Regeneration which is thus owned is only said to be Initial Seminal or Potential is distinguished from Actual Regeneration See D. Burges of Baptismal Regeneration pag. 14 15 As concerning the justification of Infants though we cannot say that there is no such thing yet as the knowledge of the way of the Lords effectuating it doth not much concerne us so the Scriptures are spareing in speaking of that Subject Sure the Lord hath a way of uniteing their hearts to Christ and of justifying Regenerating Saving such of them as die in their Infancy belong to the Election of Grace though we cannot distinctly understand determinatly explaine the manner how It is more of
Spirit of God Inclining Drawing Perswading Causing the heart beleeve are real strangers to this grace whatever great Enduements Gifts or ordinary effects of the Spirit they may be possessed of The author of a Discourse of the two Covenants a book recommended to us by Mr. Baxter in his preface prefixed thereunto as a Treatise which will give us much light into the Nature of the Gospel pag. 24. tels us that man himself is not wholly passive in this change or what goes to the making of it but is so far active in it as to denominate what he doth by God's assistance to be his own act Whereby he sufficiently discovereth an Arminian designe yet so qualifieth his expressions as may abundantly show he intendeth to evade For he will not say that man is not at all passive in this change but only that he is not wholly passive and yet he dar not say this confidently but must adde or what goes to the making of it and how much he may comprehend under this who can tell But if man be not passive he must be active How far then is he active So far saith he as to denominate what he doth by God's assistance to be his own act That the act of Faith is mans act is most certain for it is he that beleeveth but the question is what change is wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God before the act of faith be exerted and what hand mans labours and endeavours have in the infusion of the new Principle the Divine Nature Is not the man purely passive in the receiving of the effect of that creating act or in the work of Regeneration That the Lord prescribeth the use of ordinary means wherein the man is to waite for the free gracious working of the Spirit is true but there is no connexion made by the Lord by any Law or Constitution betwixt the use of these meanes and the gracious work of faith nor betwixt ordinary Light Conviction and the like common effects of these meanes and Saving Grace Yet he tels us afterward that if man do but what he can do through the assistance of God's common providente in whom we live move have our being God is most ready through his good pleasure or out of the goodness of his will pleasure to work in him both to will to do savingly to carry the work quite thorow But what Scripture doth teach us this Sure I am that Phil. 2 12 13. with which he ushereth in this discourse giveth no ground for this for that is spoken to such in whom the work of Salvation is already begun and who are commanded to work it out to say that the case is the same is to overturne the whole Gospel and present us with pure Pelagianisme is there as sure certane a connexion betwixt mans work of nature God's gracious works of Grace as is betwixt the work of grace Begun Carried on His adducing afterward p. 25. the commands to make ourselves a new heart to repent c. to enforce this is but the old Pelagian argument brought againe upon the stage to which I have said what I hope will befound Consonant to the Scripture in my book against the Quakers But this man discovereth himself more plainly afterward pag. 28 where after mentioning some acts of men which cannot be called acts of super-natural grace he tels us if men will but go thus far as they can out of a real-desire to â—e happy I should make no question but that the Spirit of God would yeeld them his assistance to carry them quite through in the work of conversion Beside that connexion whereof he maketh no question though the orthodox have hithertill denied it writting against Pelagians Iesuites Arminians we may observe this here That nature can carry the work of conversion quite through having only the assistance of the Spirit of God and what difference is there then betwixt Nature Begun Grace for begun Grace needeth the assistance of the Spirit of God to work Salvation quite thorow and Nature needeth no more where are then the Infused Habites Is Regeneration only brought about by assistance Need they who are dead no more but Assistance If this Author help us to clearness in the doctrine of the Gospel it must be the Gospel that only Pelagians Iesuites Arminians Quakers owne but not the Gospel of the Grace of God revealed to us in the Word which telleth us of something more requisite unto the Conversion of a sinner to the bringing of him to Beleeve Repent than the Cooperation of God's assistance as he speaketh pag. 25. mans endeavours He tels us pag. 26. that there is a promise of divine assistance to Man using his â—ndeavours in doing what he may can do towards the performing the condition of the Covenant But he showeth us not where that promise is to be found and pag. 17. he talks of an implicit promise and this he very wonderfully inferreth from the Gospel that was preached to Abraham for thus he speaketh for God in promising blessedness to the Nations through Abrahams seed therein promised all that was absolutly necessary for him to vouch safe to make them blessed without which they could not be blessed And if so then he therein implicitly promised to assist the endeavours of men to perform the condition of the promise without the assistance of whose grace they cannot savingly beleeve repent obey Whence it would seem 1 that all men are comprehended within this promise and 2 That no more is promised in reference to the Elect than to the Reprobat 3 That the promise of faith Repentance is but a promise of of Assistance 4 And this promise of Assistance is not to assist Grace but to assist Nature 5 That the promise of Faith Repentance was but an implicite promise This is a sufficient taste of this Authors Pelagian-Gospel 4. We proceed This work of the Spirit upon the soul whereby the man is brought to a closing with and to a resting upon Christ is ordinarily wrought by the word for faith cometh by hearing hearing by the word of God Rom. 10 17. The Lord hath established that great Ordinance of Preaching for this end and for this end he blesseth it unto his chosen ones we meane not this exclusivly as iâ— the word could no other way be-blessed for he blesseth as he seeth good for this end the Reading of Meditation on the word also though the grand special mean be the Preaching as we see Act. 2 37 41. 8 26-30 26 18. The Lord it is true may send wakenings by his Judgments by other like Occasions may blesse the private Endeavours of Parents friends by their private Instructions Admonitions yet all these are no way prejudicial unto but rather contribute to the confirming of the privilege of the word as the Principal Mean
Ordinance both as leading thereunto as receiving strength thereby for what ever real beginnings the Lord may work so they have this effect to commend the word more unto these persons in special the publick Administration thereof by his Authorized Ambassadours so that whatever saving work be wrought as it is not altogether without the word some way or other made known so it tendeth to the further usmaking of the word publickly administred where it may be had as Saul when under that terrible work of God Act. 9. was directed to go to Ananias in Damascus to understand what he should do Cornelius was ordered Act. 10. to send for Peter to get instruction in the wayes of God And whatever work of Light Conviction or Terrour be wrought upon any occasion that is attended with a contrary effect is to be suspected as not of God nor saving How dreadful then their Condition is who have not the word but are without the pale of the Church where this word is preached their condition also who though living within the Church have this word as a sealed book needeth not be said 5. The condition of soul unto which the Man is brought by the Spirit accompanying the Administration of the word in order to his actual beleeving is considerable here for thereby we will be helped to understand better the Nature and Actings of Faith whereby only as a mean reliefe is brought unto the soul and to know what that reliefe is and wherein it lyeth that the distessed man is pursueing after seeking with earnesness In order to which we would know 1 That the Spirit by the Word beareth home Convictions of Sin and Misery discovereth to the man how he standeth guilty of the breach of the Law of God so chargeth sin home upon him both Original and Actual thereby fixeth guilt upon the Conscience shewing how he hath forfeited all Right to blessedness life how moreover he is under the Curse threatned to the breakers of the Law and hath the wrath malediction of God hanging over him He is made to see the sins he never saw before both of Omission Commission the sad Consequences thereof to wit how he is obnoxious to the penalty the insupporrable wrath of the living God Thus the Spirit convinceth of sin Ioh. 16 8 9. thus he openeth their eyes turneth them from darkness to light in so far Act. 26 18. thus the secrets of the heart are made manifest 1. Cor. 14 24 25. and they become lost in themselves like a lost sheep the lost piece of mency the lost son Luk. 15 6 9 24. and like one of those whom Christ came to seek to save Mat. 18 11. Luk. 19 10. These are the sinners mentioned Mal. 9 13. that is such as are now brought by the work of the Spirit to see feel their sinful condition to know that they are sinners and that they are in a lost condition 2 There is a discovery made of their Inability to relieve help themselves out of this woful condition of sin miserie They are made to see that nothing in them or in any other creature can make satisfaction unto the justice of God thereby redeem them from the Curse of the Law and from the wrath of God that is lying upon them the sense apprehension whereof doth now presse pinch them sore Which maketh them cry out with these pricked in their hearts Act. 2 37 16 30. What shall we do to be saved They see they cannot keep the Law though they could it would not availe as a Compensation Satisfaction to the Justice of God for the by gone innumerable Transgressions whereof they stand guilty Whereby we see that the troubled wakened soul in this case is brought to a desparing in himself He is under the sentence and he seeth nothing under heaven that can command Peace to his soul nothing within him nor without him beside God that can bring him out of this Prison relieve him from this dreadful sentence under which he is lying as a condemned Malefactor And we see what is properly the reliefe that he would be at and that he only desireth to wit To be freed delivered from the sentence of the Law and from the curse of God to be brought into a state of Favour Reconciliation with God that his sins may be pardoned he may be accepted of God as Righteous so brought into a State of Peace Salvation This is the plaister that his soul is longing for this is the only remedie that can relieve him this is the only good that he can be satisfied with all the Pleasures Honours Rihes of the world will bring no reliefe or ease to his distressed soul And when he findeth thaâ— this is not to be found in himself nor in any other Creature he must look for it elsewhere And thefore 3 When the Spirit of the Lord is carrying on this work he by the preaching of the Gospel convinceth the man of the reality truth thereof discovereth the Suitablness Fulness Satisfactoriness Glory Excellency of the remedie that is hold forth in that Gospel that hath brought life immortality to Light even in the Gospel of the grace of God wherein is revealed what Christ God-man hath done suffered to satisfie the justice of God therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith There he seeth that the Father is well pleased with him with the Sacrifie which he offered up for sins Whence the poor wakened sinner seeth that his case is not utterly desperate that there is hope for him through Jesus or at least that it is possible he may be saved from the wrath to come a may be of reliefe is a great reliefe And he seeth that if that Righteousness Satisfaction of Christ were made over to him or he interessed therein he were well for that would sufficiently guarde him from the wrath of God and secure him as to future blessedness Thus the Spirit by the word revealeth the Gospel of Salvation to the end the wakened sinner may see his reliefe there betake himself to the only reliefe that is held forth there 6. Hence we see that while the wakened sinner is in this condition his maine only work will be how he may be interessed in that al sufficient Redemption Purchase of Christ to the end he may be partaker of the Benâ—fites that flow there from and so be freed from the state of Sin Wrath Enmity wherein he is now â— plunged And when the Gospel calleth for Faith in order to this he findeth that it is not in his power to Beleeve but that it is the pure gift of God who must give the new heart the heart of flesh must regenerat beget him of new so create a new Principle of grace in his soul to
all who work well keep the Law of Moses shall have free Pardon Right to life And thus they were as well justified by the works of the Law as by faith for faith was also required of them And then the meaning of the Apostles Conclusion Rom. 3 28. is therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith and by the deeds of the Law for both faith works with Mr. Baxter belong to this Subservient Righteousness as he calleth it If this be consonant to the Apostles doctrine which doth so contradict it let the Reader judge 3. Saith he That therefore it appeareth that the Jewes did so fondly admire the Law their National Privileges under it that they thought the exact keeping of it was necessary sufficient to Iustification Salvation And they thought the Messiah was not to be their Righteousness as a Sacrifice for sin meriter of free Pardon the Gift of life but only a great King Deliver to redeem them by Power from all their Enemies Bondage Ans. This mistake of the Jewes concerning the Messiah speaketh nothing to the point whereupon we are that is that Paul denieth justification to be by the Law And their errour mistake about the Law is not to be limited restricted to the Ceremonial Law so the thing that we say is confirmed hereby 2 They thought the Messiah was not to be their Righteousness And Mr. Baxter will not have him to be our Righteousness save only in that he hath purchased the New Covenant wherein our faith obedience to the Law is to be looked upon as all our proper immediat Righteousness upon the account of which we are to receive Pardon Right to life 4. He saith That is was not Adam's Covenant of Innocencie or persection which the Jewes thus trusted to or Paul doth speak against as to justification though a minore ad majus that is also excluded for the Jewes knew that they were sinners that God pardoned sin as a Merciful God that their Law had Sacrifices for Pardon Expiation with Confessions c. But they thought that so far as God had made that Law sufficient to Political ends to Temporal Rewards Punishments it had been sufficient to Eternal Rewards Punishments that of it self not in meer subordination to the typified Messiah Ans. Though the jewes knew that they were sinners yet they did also suppose that by their works of obedience to the Law Moral as well as Ceremonial they might make amends so think to be justified pardoned thereby and that God would accept of them grant them life for their own Righteousness sake therefore did they laboure so much to establish their own Righteousness followed after the Law of Righteousness sought Righteousness as it were by the works of the Law What Mr. Baxter talks here of the jewes not using of that Law in subordination to the Typified Messiah hath need of Explication for as to his sense of it we see no ground thereof in all the Apostles discourse 5. He saith That the thing which Paul disproveth them by is 1. That the Law was never made for such an End Ans. Yet he said that the man which doth those things shall live by them Rom. 10 5. Levit. 18 5. Gal. 3 12. that the doers of the Law are justified Rom. 2 13. And therefore speaketh of that Law which according to its primitive institution was made for such an end 2. saith he That even then it stood in subordination to Redemption free given life Ans. This we cannot yeeld to in Mr. Baxters sense often mentioned for Paul no where giveth us to understand that their obedience to this was their immediat Righteousness Condition of Justification the meritorious cause ex pacto of their Right to Christ to life c. 3. saith he That the free Gift or Covenant of Grace containing the promise of the Messiah and Pardon life by him was before the Law and justified Abraham others without it Ans. It is true this Argument did particularly militate against the Ceremonial Law Yet this not being the Apostles onely Argument other Arguments reaching the Moral Law as well as the Ceremonial we must not limite the Apostles disput only to the Ceremonial Law 4. saith he That their Law was so strick that no man could perfectly keep it all Ans. Adde also that they could not perfectly keep any one command thereof 5. saith he That every sin deserveth death indeed though their Law punished not every sin with death by the Magistrate Ans. And this holdeth true of the Moral as of the Ceremonial Law 6. saith he That their Law was never obligatory to the Gentile world who had a Law written in their hearts therefore not the common way of justification Ans. The Apostle maketh no such conclusion that therefore it was not the common way of justification for this would suppose that it were the way of justification unto them which is directly against the Apostles disput 7. saith he That their Law as such discovered sin but gave not the Spirit of Grace to overcome it in so much as though he himself desired perfectly to fulfill it without sin yet he could not but was under a Captivity that is a moral necessity of Imperfection or sins of infirmity from which only the grace of Christ could as to guilt power deliver him Ans. Therefore the Moral Law is as well here to be understood as the Ceremonial as is manifest 8. saith he That no man ever come to heaven by that way of merite which they dreamed of but all by the way of Redemption Grace free Gift Pardoning Mercy Ans. But that way of merite attendeth all works in the matter of justification as the Apostle assureth us Rom. 4 4. Ephes. 2 8 9. is opposed to the way of Redemption Grace free Gift Pardoning Mercy Rom. 11 6. 3 21 24. Tit. 3 5 7. From these things Mr. Baxter draweth this Conclusion Therefore their conceite that they were just in the maine forgiven their sins so justifiable by the meer dignity of Moses Law which they keept by the works of the Law not by the free Gift Pardon Grace of a Redeemer by the Faith Practical Beleife of that Gift and acceptance of it with thankful penitent obedient hearts was a Pernicioue Errour Ans. 1. Nothing is here said to ground a restriction of this erroneous conceite of theirs unto the Ceremonial Law for this conceite of being justifiable by the Law and the works thereof in opposition to the free Gift Pardon Grace of a Redeemer is as applicable to the Moral as to the Ceremonial Law 2 The Apostle doth not ground his disput upon the Iewes their express rejecting of a free Gift of Pardon c. But from justification by Faith laying hold on the free Grace
must he said that by a work done long afterward men may see that the worker was justified But that should not sutte James's scope seing by this meanes they might think to delay for a long time their good works yet suppose themselves presently justified Ans. All this is but vaine language for it is all one to the scope of Iames whether this come to the actual knowledge of few or of many who they were to whose knowledge it came He is only shewing that such as had but a dead faith that brought forth no works of obedience when called for had no evidence or clear ground to assert their own justification seing Abraham's justification was thus declared by his signal obedience to all that came or ever should come to the knowledge of that act of obedience of his to the end of the world Yea had it been unknown to any yet hereby he had a sure proof to ascertaine his own heart conscience of his justification But say the Arminians Good works cannot be such a proof demonstration because it cannot be known to others whether these good works proceed from faith or not Ans. Nor is any infallible judgment here necessary or requisite nor doth the scope of Iames require any such thing who is only shewing that such as wrought not works of obedience when called for could not conclude themselves justified in a saife estate notwithstanding of all their faire profession Notwithstanding we cannot judge infallibly of principles motives ends of the good works of others yet by what may be seen of these God may be glorified Mat. 5 16. 1. Pet. 2 12. Thus we have seen that neither is that faith whereof Paul speaketh when he saith We are justified by faith without the deeds of the Law whereof Iames speaketh when he saith Ye see then how a man is justified by works not by faith only is not one the same Nor is it the same justification or justification in the same sense consideration that both the Apostles speak of And therefore how ever as to their words they seem to speak contrary to other Yet in their true sense meaning there is nothing but a sweet harmony agreement But now as to works whereof both make mentione the question remaineth whether they be one the same The forenamed Socinian Author saith that both do not speak of the same works and that Paul excludeth from justification only legal works not Evangelical And consequently that Iames must speak of Evangelical works only But sure we are Iames cannot be supposed to speak of Evangelical works in their sense seing they cannot say that Abraham's offering up Isaac or Rahab her receiving sending away the spies were Evangelical works James speaketh of works commanded by the Moral Law which he mentioneth both in general in its particular commands Iam. 2 9 10 11. And all the duties which he presseth them unto the sins which he disswadeth them from relate unto the Moral Law And what these works are whereof Paul speaketh we have seen before Others think that Iames by Works here meaneth a working faith so that his meaning when he saith that by works a man is justified is that by a working faith such as Abraham had a man is justified But though it be a truth that justifying faith is a working lively faith And that we are justified only by such a faith as is lively prompteth to obedience in every duty called for though this truth will follow by consequent from what the Apostle Iames here saith Yet I judge that both Paul Iames understand the same thing by works even duties of obedience performed to the Law of God that by Works here in Iames is not meant a working faith this not being the scope designe of Iames to clear up justification in its Causes or to shew by what meanes it is brought about but only to shew what way it is or may be evidenced proved demonstrated to ourselves or others so as we may not be deceived thereanent And real works of obedience as they evidence a true lively faith so they prove the reality of justification And the Apostles intention being to shew the vanity of that pretence whereby many deceived themselves thinking that their profession of the truth of the Gospel was enough to secure their Salvation to prove them to be in a justified saife state though they indulged themselves a liberty to walk loosly according to the flesh this acception of the word works in a proper sense is most contributive unto that designe no other acception how consonant so ever unto the Analogy of Faith doth so directly clearly contribute assistence thereunto Therefore he opposeth faith works denieth that to faith which he ascribed unto works though by consequence he put hereby a difference betwixt a dead faith a working faith Yet his principale Thesis vers 14. is that by works not by a bare profession of the truth we come to Salvation And the enquirie prosecuted is whether we have that faith that will indeed prove saving this can only be evidenced by works as his whole following discourse evinceth especially when he saith vers 18. shew me thy faith without thy works I will shew my faith by my works And vers 20. when he saith faith without works is dead vers 26. that it is as dead as a body is without breath or Spirit And this he fully confirmeth by the following instances of Abraham Rahab From what is said it is apparent how little ground there is to think that there is any real appearance of contradiction betwixt Paul James how needless it is in order to a reconciliation to say with Papists that Paul speaketh of a first justification Iames of a second or with others that Paul speaketh of justification as begun Iames of justification as continued or with Socinians that Paul denieth justification by the works of the Law James affirmeth justification by the works of the Gospel CHAP. VIII No countenance given to Justification by Works from Jam. 2 14. c. BEcause all who ascribe our justification in one sense or other all are not agreed in one the same sense unto our works seek countenance unto the same from these words of James Chapt. 2 14 forward notwithstanding that what was said concerning this passage in the fore going Chapter might be sufficient to discover the groundlesness of any such pretence where it was showen that the whole face of this place looked towards another airth and had not the least aspect unto any such conclusion Yet for a fuller Vindication of this place from this too ordinarie abuse perversion we shall examine every part thereof see what ground there is for any to alleige the same for confirmation of their particular opinions The Papists generally say that this place speaketh