decretis Publicis Politicis Ecclesiasticis fuit sancita roborata Sic ergò habent Articuli quos in Anglicum Sermonem versos exhibemus X. Of Free-will This is the condition of man after Adams fall that by his own Power and good works he cannot convert and prepare himself to Faith and calling upon God Wherefore without the grace of God which is by Christ preventing us that we may will and to operating while we will for doeing works of Pietie which are acceptable and well pleasing to God we can doe nothing XI Of Mans Justification Wee are only reputed Righteous before God for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ by Faith not for our works and merits For which cause the Doctrine of our being Iustified by Faith alone is most wholsome and full of consolation as it is explained in the Homilie about mans Iustification at more length XII Of Good Works Good works which are the fruits of Faith and follow the Iustified although they cannot expiat our sins or endure the severity of Divine Iustice Yet they are pleasing and accepted by God in Christ and necessarily flow from a true and lively Faith So that plainly by them a vive faith can be known as a tree can be judged by it's fruit XIII Of works before Justification Works which are done before the Grace of Christ and the influence of his Spirit since they do not proceed from the Faith of Iesus Christ are not at all acceptable to God neither doe they merit the grace which many call congruous Yea because they are not done according to Gods will and command we doubt not but they have the nature of sin XVII Of Predestination and Election Predestination to life is the eternal purpose of God whereby He before the setling of the foundations of the world by his Counsel hid indeed as to us Immutably decreed those whom he had chosen in Christ out of mankind should be delivered from the curse and destruction and as vessels made to honour brought to eternal Salvation by Christ. Hence those who are gifted with this notable favour of God are called in due time according to his purpose His own Spirit working they obey by Graces call are Iustified freely are Adopted to be the sons of God and made consorme to the Image of his only begotten Son Iesus Christ they walk holily in good works and in end by the mercy of God they come to eternal happiness As the pious consideration of our Predestination and Election in Christ is sweet pleasant and full of ineffable consolation to the truely Godly and to those who find in themselves the efficacie of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the deeds of the flesh and members which yet are upon the earth and by force drawing the mind to things above both because it does much establish and confirme our Faith of obtaining eternal Salvation as also because it vehemently kindles our love toward our good So it is a very destructive precipice to curious and carnal men and who are destitute of the Spirit of Christ to have alwayes the sentence of Gods Predestination proposed to their view whereby the Devil either presses them to despair or into equally pernicious security of a most impure life Thereafter the Divine Promises most be so imbraced as they are generally proposed to us in the holy Scriptures and the will of God which we have expresly revealed in Gods word is to be followed by us in our actions Atque hi quidem sunt Ecclesiae Anglicanae de Gratia Iustificatione Articuli convenientes utique cum aliarum Ecclesiarum praesertim Ecclesiae Scoticanae doctrina â—ti ex hujus Confessione Art III. VIII XII XIII manifestum est THE LIFE OF JUSTIFICATION Through faith cleared from Gal. 3 11. For the Iust shall live by faith CHAPT I. The Introduction the text the ground of this following discourse opened-up THe Doctrine of Iustification cannot but be acknowledged by all whose thoughts are taken up about an interest in everlasting felicity to be of great concernment debates or Controversies about the same cannot be esteemed vaine fruitless Digladiations Disputes about a thing of naught seing in this lyeth the Ground of all our Hop peace Eternal Salvation a Mistake or Errour as to the Theorie in this matter followed with an answerable corresponding practice I meane as to what toucheth the heart Substance of this Divine Mystery may yea must of necessity prove not only dangerous to Souls but even inevitably destructive Wherefore it cannot be justly accounted blame worthy that Churches particular persons who woule be faithful so accounted unto the grand-interests of Souls contend with alle earnestness for the faith once delivered to the Saints in this particular this being the true Basis of all Religion of Christianity without which there can be no access to nor Communion with God No peace with God nor true peace in owr own Consciences no life of Comfort here nor true hope of Salvation for ever here after No change of State nor saving change of liâ—e conversation in a word no life of Grace here nor of Glory hereafter And what then must follow upon the corrupting of this Truth upon Erroneous Apprehensions practices herein is aboundantly obvious to all such as have not sinned away all sense consideration in these matters Wherefore it is no wonder that Satan hath in all ages laboured by one Instrument or other upon one occasion or other and under one pretext or other to corrupt the pure streames of this wholesome Fountaine of Truth in one Measure or other in one particular or other that by such Mediums Arguments as he knew would be most taking seem most plausible at these Several times upon these Several occasions What way how far the corruption of this Truth was advanced in the Antichristian Church is yet known what ground their errour in this gave un to such as began to be enlightened in the knowledge of the Truth to separate from them to appear against them is manifest and what Effaies the Devil made about the beginning of Reformation or shortly after to darken this Truth by Questions Disputes even among such as hold the Truth fast as to the maine and what since by Several New Opinions or new Modes and Methods as they were called and given out to be vented and improven by Several Artifices to seeming different Ends he hath effectuated to the hardening of some in their Misapprehensions to the Corrupting of the Hearts Mindes of others and also the Staggering and Shaking of not a few may be called to minde with grief and sorrow Not to mention the bold attempt made by Socinians to overturne the whole Grounds of Christian Religion and to take away at once all the pillars of Gospel-justification The devil began early in the breaking up of the clear day of Christianity to darken this
first to convince them of their Sin and Misery by setting home the Law wekening their Consciences as Paul doth Doctrinally follow this method when he is about to cleare-up explaine the truth about Gospel-justification in his Epistle to the Romans where in the first place he convinceth all of Sin both jewes Gentiles Chap. 1. 2. 3. concluding vers 23. That all have sinned come short of the glory of God vers 9. he giveth an account of his foregoing Discourse saying we have before proved both jewes Gentiles that they are all under sin And againe vers 19. that every mouth may be stopped all the world may become guilty before God Now this work of Conviction layeth the sinner low before God for thereby the Man is discovered to himself to be undone in himself to be under Sin Wrath under the Sentence of the Law having his mouth stopped having nothing to plead for himself neither by way of Extenuation nor of Apology having nothing in himself wherewith he can come before the Lord to make Atonement for his Transgressions to make Satisfaction to justice And thus the man is made to despare in himself as being irremediably gone undone if free grace prevent him not II. Whereupon the man is made to renounce all his former grounds of Hop Confidence all his former Duties good works civility Negative Holiness what else he placed his Confidence in formerly Yea all his Righteousnesses are as filthy rags accounted as loss dung So that he hath nothing within himself as a Righteousness that he can expect to be justified by before God but on the contrary he findeth himself under the Curse that what he thought before to be his Righteousness is now by the light of the Law the discovery he hath of his natural condition founde to be sin iniquity before God therefore to be so far from bringing any reliefe unto him that thereby his anxiety is made greater his case more desperat III. The way of Gospel-justification is so contrived the wakened man whom God is about to justifie is now convinced of it that Man must be abased for he is now made to see that he is empty poor hath nothing to commend him to God no Righteousness of his own to produce nothing within him or without him except the alone Righteousness of Christ the Mediator Cautioner that can stand him in stead Nothing of his own must here come in reckoning neither alone nor in conjunction with the Righteousness of Christ for what is of Grace must not be of works otherwise Grace is no more Grace Rom. 11 6. Christ must have all the glory he who glorieth must glory alone in the Lord. And therefore is Christ made Righteousness unto us 2. Cor. 1 30. is become the Lord our Righteousness Ier. 23 6. And all His must say That in the Lord they have righteousness Esai 45 24. IV. Nothing that preceedeth faith no motions or workings of the Law no legal Repentance the like have any infallible connexion with justification nor are they any congruous disposition thereunto or a Condition thereof there being no promise made that all such as are convinced awakened have some legal terrours works of the Law upon their Spirites shall certainely be justified experience proving that several who have had deep convictions Humiliations have with the dog returned to their vomite become afterward worse than ever doth also confirme this So that after the deepest legal Humiliations works of Terrour outward Changes the like Effects of the Law though when they are wrought by the Lord intending bringing about the Elect sinner's Conversion justification they have this kindly work upon the heart to cause the Soul more readily willingly listen to the offers of Salvation Mercy in the Gospel to submit to the termes Method which God hath in His great wisdom mercy condescended unto as to the actual Conferring bestowing of the blessings purchased by Christ for His own chosen ones justification is an Act purely of God's free Grace undeserved of them on any account an act of His meer mercy Love So that they are justified freely by His grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Rom. 3 24. V. Unto this justification their good Works are not required upon what somever account for good works must follow justification not preceed it They must be first accepted through Christ before their works of holiness can be accepted The whole Gospel doth most plainely exclude works of the Law under whatsoever Notion Qualification or Restriction as we manifested above shall more manifest hereafter Yea all works upon what somever account are excluded as opposite to justification by faith through Jesus Christ. The man who had no more to say but God be merciful to me a sinner went home justified when he who said God I thank thee I am not as other men nor as this Publican c. did miss that Privilege Paul hath so directly plentifully proved that no man is justified by works that we need say no more of it and therefore in this matter of justification man hath no ground of boasting but must glory in the Lord alone VI. As without a Righteousness no man can be justified before God because His judgment is alwayes according to truth He will pronunce no man Righteous who is not so or who hath no Righteousness And as no man hath a Righteousness of his own in himself that will abide the trial of God's judgment for if He should enter into judgment with any that liveth they should not be able to stand before His judgment seat be justified but all who are justified are in themselves ungodly void of all Righteousness that can ground a sentence of absolution from the Condemnation of the Law So it is the Righteousness of Christ as Mediator Cautioner which is to them the only ground of their absolution justification this Surety-Righteousness of Christ is imputed to them by God they are clothed therewith being considered as clothed there with are pronounced Righteous by the Lord the righteous judge dealt with as such So that all the Righteousness which is the ground of their absolution from the Condemnation of the Law is without them in another who was appointed their Cautioner therefore all appearance of any ground of boasting in themselves is quite taken away by the Law of faith Rom. 3 27. the reward is now wholly of grace not of debt Rom. 4 4. VII Though faith faith only be required of us in order to our having Interest in Christ His Righteousness to justification therethrough Yet this leaveth no ground of boasting unto man or of glorying in himself for it is in it self a plaine solemne Declaration of the Beleevers Sense
those who are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped all the world become guilty before God Rom. 3 19. 8. The Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ is as much without the Law or the works of the Law done by Regenerat persons as without the Works of the Law done before Regeneration And justification by these works after Regeneration is as much inconsistent with justification by faith without the works of the Law as justification by the works of the Law done before regeneration as is manifest from the true sense of justification by faith 9. Paul excludeth all works of the Law from justification that giveth any ground of boasting and of glorying as we see Rom. 3 27. 4 2. But if justification were by works of the Law done after Faith Regeneration all boasting glorying should not be excluded Ephes. 2 9. Not of works lest any many should boast And what these works were the next Argument will shew 10. Even works are excluded unto which we are created which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Ephes. 2 8 9 10. for by grace are ye saved through Faith that not of yourselves it is the gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Now these works are works done after regeneration as is manifest 11. All works are excluded in this matter which make justification not be of mercy or of grace Rom. 3 24. Ephes. 2 8. Tit. 3 5 7. But this do works after Regeneration as well as before as Paul cleareth Ephes. 2 8 9 10. works grace cannot consist in being the ground of justification no more than in being the ground of Election Rom. 11 6. 12. Works done after regeneration belong to that Righteousness which is of the Law which Paul describeth Rom. 10 5. from Levit. 18 5. to be that the man which doth those things shall live in them But the Righteousness of the Law the Righteousness of Faith are opposite inconsistent as the Apostle cleareth there Rom. 10. 13. Works done after regeneration if made the ground of justification will made the reward of debt not of grace Rom. 4 4. as well as works done before regeneration for the Scripture holdeth forth no ground of difference in this matter 14. If works done by Faith and after Regeneration be admitted as the ground of justification God should not be said to justifie the ungodly for a Regenerat beleever working works of Righteousness is no where in Scripture called an ungodly man But the Scripture speaketh this expresly Rom. 4 5. 15. Paul tels us Rom. 4 16. that the promise was of Faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the Faith of Abraham who is the Father of ut all Now this seed which is of the Faith of Abraham are beleevers or Regenerat persons And yet as to these the Law is excluded the works thereof because if they which are of the Law be heirs Faith is made void the promise made of none effect vers 14. 16. If Justification were by the works of the Law done after Regeneration we could not upon first beleeving be justified have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ nor could we rejoice in hope of the glory of God glory in tribulation c. And yet this the Apostle expresly affirmeth Rom. 5 1 2 3. c. If justification did depend upon our after works we could not as yet have peace reconciliation or assurance or joy c. because of the uncertainty of our obedience 17. If Paul had not excluded works done after Faith Regeneration from being the Cause ground of our justification what seeming ground or occasion had there been for that objection Rom. 6 1. What shall we say then Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound What ground could any have to say We are justified by our works done after Regeneration therefore we may continue in sin that grace may abound Any might see at first how ridiculous this was 18. And if we are justified by works done after Regeneration is it not strange that in all Paul's answers unto this objection he never once sayeth nor hinteth that by these works we shall be justified no other way and yet this had been the shortest clearest solution of the objection if it been according to the doctrine of justification delivered by Paul 19. The false Apostles who were corrupting the doctrine of the Gospel of Justification did not urge works done before Faith in the Gospel as the ground of justification for they were corrupting such as had already embraced the Gospel beleeved in Christ as is clear out of the Epistle to the Galatians Therefore when Paul is confuting their errour opposing himself unto them he must deny that we are justified by works done after Faith in Christ. 20. Justification by works done after regeneration is as opposite to faith to living the life of justification by faith as justification by works done before Regeneration for the Law is never of faith so reasoneth Paul Gal. 3. 11 12. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident For the just shall live by Faith And the Law is not of Faith 21. All the works of the Law are excluded But works wrought after beleeving after Regeneration are works of the Law being required thereby Psal. 119 35. Rom. 7 22. Therefore even these works are excluded 22. When the Apostle excludeth works from being causes of justification he must meane good works for no man was ever so mad as to imagine that he could be justified by bad works But no works can be called good works but such as flow from faith from the Spirit of grace granted in Regeneration Therefore while good works are excluded these done after Regeneration are excluded What is said by Bellarmine in confirmation of his sense of these works of the Law which are excluded from justification is abundantly answered by all that write against him therefore we need not take any notice thereof There is another Evasion found out by our Adversaries in this matter another glosse put upon these works By the works of the Law there shall no flesh be justified For some say that hereby the Apostle only excludeth those works that are perfect which were required by the Law in Innocency This Evasion granteth that the Law here spoken of is not the Ceremonial Law for that was not required in Innocency but the Moral Law The end why they invent this Evasion is not to exclude works in the matter of justification but to establish their own fancie
justification by faith to cry down justification by the Law or by the works of the Law which some false Teachers were perswading those Galatians to beleeve he adduceth a passage of Scripture which saith the just shall live by faith thereby giving us to understand that the just man or the justified man is a living man for the just liveth And it is too narrow to interprete this life of eternal life this would make the Apostles argument very obscure we must therefore undeâ—stand it of a life begun here which shall certainely end in glory this is most consonant both to the Prophet's scope to the scope of the Apostle here Whence we may gather That in justification by faith there is a real life obtained by justification the soulâ— is brought into a new state of life by it such as were really dead are really made alive This may be further cleared from these particulars following I. Such are said to be born again Iob. 3 5. not only by the Spirit which may import Sanctification but also by Water which may import Iustification wherein iniquities are pardoned the Soul is washen from its guilt through the bloud of Jesus Christ represented by the Water in Baptisme Thus are they also put into a new state being delivered from the Power of darkness and translated into the Kingdome of His dear Son Col. 1 13. Christ now owneth them as His Satan hath no more power and jurisdiction over them their guilt being removed and their sinnes being pardoned for because of sin hath Satan as a jailour had power over them as so many prisoners but sin being taken away in their justification they are loosed from his bondes and delivered from his prison and power We see Paul was sent Act. 26 18. To open eyes and to turn from darkness to light from power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sinnes c. 2. Hereby they are brought into a State of Salvation and being out of harmes way they are said to be saved being now in a State of life and Salvation through Jesus Christ Ephes. 2 5 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith and how was this It was by Christ together with whom they were quickened when before they were dead in sins trespasses v. 5. So Tit. 3 5. Not by works of rigteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost But how was this work of Salvation begun See vers 7. That being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hop of eternal life So that as justification maketh way for Adoption so it bringeth Souls into a saife state a state of Salvation so as they in a sense are already denominated saved that is brought out of the state of death and put into a state of Salvation Thus are they also said to be quickened together with Him i. e. Christ having forgiveness of all their sinnes Col. 2 13. This will be further clear if we consider how 3. Those who are justified shall certainly be saved not only in respect of the Decree and purpose of God but in respect also of the Gospel constitution and the declared will of God Therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 8 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus And all such as are in Christ Jesus are justified as the Gospel cleareth And againe more clearly vers 30. And whom he justified them he also glorified The connexion betwixt these two is indissoluble So doth the Apostle not only assert but he confirmeth this Rom. 5 9. Much more being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through Him And againe vers 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive aboundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness That is who welcome embrace and receive the rich offer of grace and the rigteousness of Christ freely and graciously presented in the Gospel to all that will accept thereof shall reigne in the life by one Iesus Christ. So likewise vers last That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. 4. They who are justified are brought into a state of blessedness and therefore may well be said to live or to be made partakers of a life Rom. 4 6 7 8. Even as David also describeth 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 to whom the Lord will not impute sin See Psal. 32 1 2. If then they be brought into a state of blessedness they must be a in a state of life for death and blessedness are inconsistent 5. They are said to be redeemed and consequently brought out of the state of death wherein they were Ephes. 1 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgâ—veness of sins according to the riches of his grace In by justification is this forgiveness of sinnes whereby they are made partakers of a redemption See Col. 1. 14. Where the same is asserted by the Apoâ—â—le For further clearing of this let us see wherein this life consisteth and then we shall not only see that it is really a life but also that it is a special and excellent life To this end therefore let us consider these following particulars 1. Hereby they have Remission and pardon of their Iniquities as was now cleared and is manifest from Rom. 3 24 25. Being justified freely by this grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for the remission of sins that are past c. And by this Remission and pardon of sins they have a freedom and exemption from the Curse and wrath of God that was lying upon them and to which they were obnoxious by sin and guilt Orginal and Actual which they were to be charged with that being the penalty threatned in the Law even death and the Curse of God for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them Gal. 3 10. Deut. 27 26. O how excellent a life is this to be delivered from the wrath of the Almighty sin-revenging God and from the Curse and malediction of the great Legislator and dreadful Judge How rightly may they be said to live who are freed from the sentence of death to which they were liable from the penalty of the broken Law of the great God of Heaven and Earth and from that doom that all who shall not share of this rich privilege of Remission shall be made to hear at length depart from me ye Cursed c. A person guilty of death and lying in chaines looking for nothing but the sentence doom to be
the new Conditions purchased and so if they run well sacrifice to their own net and burn incense to their own drag because by their own industrie care in performing the Conditions now made easier than they were to Adam in the first Covenant their portion is fat their meat plenteous 10. Nor yet can we call it a Condition in their sense who will have us look upon it in the work of Justification purely as a work of ours as an act of Obedience to a command as such a work as comprehendeth in it all the works of new Obedience for thus its peculiar Use of applying Christ of apprehending his Surety-Righteousness is taken from it the whole nature of the new Covenant is changed into the old Covenant of works Christ's â—idejussorie-Righteousness is not made our immediat Gospel-Righteousness yea when we are thus justified by Faith we are justified by works whereby the whole of the Apostâ—l's disput is overturned we are taught to leane to lay our weight upon a Righteousness within ourselves contrare to the whole scope of the Gospel Upon the other hand we say Faith may be looked upon and called a Condition of the Covenant and of Justification in this sense That Christ having purchased all the good things of the Covenant all the sure Mercies of David all Grace and all Glory unto the chosen ones and the Father having promised the actual collation bestowing of all and every one of these mercies blessings so purchased and procured and Jehovah the Mediator both in the counsel of their will condescending on such a methode way of making the ransomed ones the owners of the Blessings purchased that is first to give the New Heart and the heart of fless and in effectuall calling worke them up to Faith in and Union with Christ and so draw them to the mediator and cause them accept of him wait upon him and rest there for life salvation and then to Justifie Accepte of as Righteous Adopte them and then worke the works of holiness by his Spirit more in their soul and so carrie on the work unto Perfection till grace be crowned with glory matters I say being thus wisely ordered in the councel of heaven there is a Priority of order Faith receiving Christ and resting on his Surety-righteousness going before and Justification following and a firme connexion made betwixt the two that who so ever beleeveth thus shall be justified and none shall be justified who beleeveth not thus Now when by vertue of this constitute order Method explained revealed in the Gospel the Ambassadours of Christ in obedience to their Injunctions call upon all who heare the Gospel to receive Christ and refuge themselves under his wings and receive the atonement through his Righteousness and promise them thereupon in their Masters name Pardon Peace with God Reconciliation and acceptance c. nothing more is here insinuated than that such a Methode Order is wisely determined and that there is a fixed connexion made betwixt Faith Justification so that who ever would be saved from the wrath to come would enjoy God for ever must come unto God in this way and according to this methode and must receive his blessings and Favoures in this order first beleeve and lay hold on Christ and his Righteousness and then receive Justification c. Thus we see faith is no legal Antecedent Condition no Proper or Potestative Condition but only a consequent or Evangelick Condition or a Condition denoting a fixed and prescribed Order and Method of receiving of the blessings purchased by Christ with a firme and fixed connexion betwixt the performance of the condition and the granting of the thing promised thereupon Thus Christ hath the whole glory of the work Man is abased and hath nothing to glory of in himself The reward is not of debt but purely of grace The wisdom and love of God is wonderful and remarkable All ground of carnal security and self confidence is removed A plaine and powerful ground is laid for ministers to press exhort aud obtest to Faith in the first place with all seriousness and zeal Full security and ground of confidence of being Justified and Accepted of God upon our beleeving is given The difference betwixt the Covenant of works and the Covenant of Grace is distinctly observed The Antinomian mistakes saying we are Justified from Eternity or at the death of Christ or at any time before faith are manifestly obviated And all grounds of excepting against or dissatisfaction with this way are removed from all such as will willingly comply with the designe of free grace in the Gospel CHAP. XXVIII How faith is and may be called an Instrument in Justification COncerning the Instrumentality of faith in Justification much needeth not be said howbeit too much hath been written about it that to very little edification so I judge I am sure to little use as to the clearing up of that concerning pointe of Justification the true interest of Faith therein We heard in the beginning of the proceeding Chapter how both Socinians Arminians did disowne faith its being an Instrument and Papists also before them did plead against it On the other hand the orthodox writting against Papists Socinians Arminians did unanimously assert Faith to be an Instrument or to be considered as an Instrument in the matter of Justification And few or none can be instanced of those who hold with the orthodox in all chiefe Controversies about Justification that did impugne or so much as deny Faith to be an Instrument in justification Yea Iohn Goodwine in his book of justification doth expresly call it an Instrument in justification It is true the Scripture no where calleth faith an instrument the same being no Scripture expression there needeth not be much strife about it nor will there be among such as are unanimous in the maine principal Questions about Justification or to that which is only designed intended by that expression And though the Scripture doth not use that expression interminis yet no man can hence inferre that all use of it and of the like should be laid aside nor can such be supposed to adde to the Scripture as Mr. Baxter hinteth Apol. against Mr. Blake p. 40. who call Faith an Instrument more then he can suppose that himself addeth to the Scripture when he calleth faith a Condition or a causa sine qua non for these are as little to be found expresly in the Scriptures as the other Nor do they who say Faith is an Instrument so much plead for the name as for the thing intended thereby All expressions that are not in Scripture must not be laid aside in our speaking of divine things for then we must lay aside the word Trinity Sacrament Satisfaction several others far less must the truth which we conceive can be intelligibly usefully expressed by those borrowed
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
expresly said to be the free gift of God 18. Then all that Paul meaned when he desired to be found of his judge not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law was that he desired not to be found puft up with a pharisaical conceite of the perfection meritoriousness of his works as meriteing his justification life ex condigno by their intrinsick value worth But no such thing appeareth Phil. 3. 9. where he utterly renunceth his own Righteousness which is of the Law that is a Righteousness consisting in his obedience conformity to the Law for in opposition to this he desireth to be found in that Righteousness which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith this is some other thing than his own works performed without that pharisaical opinion 19. We are saved by grace through faith not of works lest any man should boast Ephes. 2 8 9. consequently not of any works seing all works give ground of boasting And he meaneth such works unto which we are created in Christ Jesus as his workmanship and which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them vers 10. Now these works are certainly works done without any vaine conceite of merite and yet we see that by these works we are not brought into a state of Salvation 20. The Apostle excludeth works of Righteousness which we have done as opposed to Mercy grace Tit. 3 5 7. Now grace standeth in opposition to all works even to works performed without this conceite of merite as we see Rom. 11 6. else we must say that the Apostle there granteth Election to be for foreseen works performed without a conceite of merite and nothing must be called works but what is done with a Pharisaical conceite of merite intrinsick worth in them which is absurd CHAP. VII James 2 14. c. cleared Vindicated ALI who have been of old and are this day Adversaries to the way of justification before God which the Orthodox owne from the Scriptures have thought to shelter themselves under the wings of of some expressions of the Apostle Iames have therefore laboured so to explaine streatch forth the same expressions as they with their corrupt Notions about justification may seem at least to have some countenance therefrom yea and warrandise to hold fast the same And for this cause they have laboured so much and do still laboure so to expound the words of Paul as that they may carry no seeming difference unto the words of Iames for it is received as a known truth and it is willingly granted that there is no real Contradiction betwixt the two Apostles but what ever apparent or seeming disagreement there be betwixt their words yet all that difficulty is removable their words how contradictory soever they seem to be are yet capable of such an interpretation as shall manifest their harmonious agreement in the truth so that Iames saying Ch. 2 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified not by faith only dot not contradict the Apostle Paul who saith concludeth that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3 28. But a question is here made whether we should interpret Iames's words by Paul's or Paul's by Iames's Our Adversaries are much for this later to wit that we must interpret Paul's words by the words of Iames because as they alledge Paul is obscure in his doctrine many were beginning to misinterpret pervert the same that therefore Iames was necessitate to clear up that doctrine of justification so as Paul's words might be better understood But how unreasonable this is the leamed D. Owen hath lately manifested his grounds are indeed irrefragable for 1 It is a received way of interpreting Scriptures that when two places seem to be repugnant unto other that place which treateth of the matter directly designedly expresly largely is to regulate our interpretation of the other place where the matter is only touched obiter on the bye and upon some other occasion and in order to some other ends And that therefore accordingly we must interpret Iames by Paul and not Paul by Iames seing it is undenible that Paul wrote of this Subject of Justification directly on purpose to cleare up the same and that with all expresness fulness on severall occasions disputing the same in a clear formal manner with all sorts of Arguments Artificial Inartificial and answereth objections that might be moved against the same at large and with a special accuracie But on the other hand it is as certaine that Iames hath not this for his scope to open up the Nature of Justification but only toucheth there-upon in order to the other end which he was prosecuting 2 There is no ground to suppose that it was the designe of Iames to explaine the meaning of Paul no footstep of any such purpose appeareth For then his maine business should be to explaine clear up the doctrine of justification which neither is apparent from this part of the Epistle nor from any part of it at all his designe being quite another thing as is obvious 3 Nor was there any necessitie for Iames to Vindicate the doctrine of Paul from such corrupt inferences as Adversaries suppose were made therefrom for as to any such as might be made to wit as if he had given any countenance unto such as were willing to lay aside good works he himself did fully sufficiently Vindicate his owne doctrine by showing on all occasions the necessity of good works and particularly when he is speaking of Justification not only in his Epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians where he largly professedly treateth of that matter but even when he is but mentioning the same on other occasions as we see Ephes. 2 8 9 10. Phil. 3 9 10 11 c. Tit. 3 5 6 7 8. So that to imagine that Iames asserteth another interest of works in our justification than Paul doth and that to explaine Paul's meaning is not to reconcile these Apostles but to set them at further varience enmity And it cannot comport with sobriety to think or say that Iames to cleare the Apostle Paul's doctrine and to vindicate it from objections should speak to the same objections which Paul himself had spoken to fully removed and that Iames should give such answers unto these objections as Paul would not give but rather rejected And yet this must be said by our Adversaries here It will be of great use to us here to understand aright what is the plaine scope drift of the Apostle Iames for as for the designe scope of Paul in his discourses of justification it is so obviously manifest unto all that read the same that no doubt can be made thereof to wit To cleare up fully plainely the Nature Causes of this great privilege of
way If thou fleest from darkness he is light if thou seek meat he is aliment Idem de side lib. 2. c. 4. O sides the sauris omnibus opulentior O vulnerum nostrorum peccatorumque medicina praestantior Consideremus quia nobis prodest bene credere Mihi enim prodest scire quia propter me Christus suscepit infirmitates meas mei corporis subiit passiones pro me peccatum pro me maledictum factus est pro me atque in me subditus atque subjectus i. e. O faith more rich than all treasures O most excellent medicine for all our wounds sins Let us consider for it is profitable for us to beleeve well It is profitable for me to know because Christ for me took on my infirmities he underwent the passions of my body he was made sin for me-for me was he made a curse for me in me was he made a subject Macarius Homil. 20. Quicunque enim in propria sua justitiâ redemptione consistit in vanum cassum laborabit nam omnis opinio de propria justitia concepta tanquam pannus menstruatâ— mulieris in novissimo die manifestabitur sicut inquit Esaias Propheta-Petamus itaque obtestemur Deum ut induat nobis vestem salutis Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum ineffabilem lucem quem ferentes animae in aeternum non exuentur i. e. Who ever standeth in his own Righteousness redemption laboureth in vaine for all conceived opinion of our own Righteousness shall be manifest to be a menstruous cloth in the last day as the Prophet Esai saith Let us ask therefore beseek the Lord that he would cloth us with the garment of Salvation our Lord Jesus Christ that ineffable light whom if our souls put on wear they shall never be denuded thereof Even some Papists of old though few or none now since the Councel at Trent did assent unto this Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ. In Colon there was a book written an 1475. directing how to comfort dying persons wherein these words are found Age ergo dum superest in te anima in hac sola morte fiduciam tuam constitue in nulla re fiduciam habe huic mortite totum committe hac sola tetotum contege totum immisce te in hac morte in hac morte totum te involve si Dominus Deus te voluerit judicare dic Domine mortem D.N.I.C. objicio inter me tuum judicium aliter â—ecum non contendo Et si tibi dixerit quia peccatores dic mortem D.N.I.C. pono inter te peccata mea Si dixerit tibi quod meruisti damnationem dic Domine mortem D.N.I.C. obtendo inter te mala mea merita ipsiusque merita offero pro merito quod ego debuissem habere nec habeo Si dixerit quod tibi est iratus dic Domine mortem D.N.I.C. oppono inter me iram tuam i. e. Go to then while thy soul is in thee put all thy confidence in this death alone have confidence in no other thing commit thy self wholly unto this death cover thy self wholly with this death alone mixe thy self wholly in this death roll thy self wholly in this death if the Lord will judge thee say Lord I cast up the death of our Lord. J. C. betwixt me thy judgment no other way do I contend with thee And if he say to thee that thou art a sinner say I put the death of the Lord Jesus Christ betwixt thee my sins If he say that thou hast deserved damnation say Lord I hold forth the death of our Lord J. C. betwixt thee my evil merites I offer his merites for the merite which I should have had have not If he say that he is angry at thee say Lord I set up the death of our Lord J. C. betwixt me thine anger Isidorus Clarius Orat. 40. in Luc. Nos dicimus neque fide primò neque charitate sed una Dei justitiâ in Christo nobis impertitâ justificari i. e. We say we are justified at first neither by faith neither by charity but by the Righteousness of God alone in Christ bestowed upon us Albertus Pighius Controv. 2. de side Fortassis etiam nostram hanc damnarent n. Scholastici sententiam qua propriam 〈◊〉 ex suis operibus esset 〈◊〉 Deo justitiam derogamus omnibus Adae filiis docuimus una Dei in Christo niti nos pesse justitid una illa justos coram Deo destitutos propria nisi hoc ipsum astruxissemus aliquanto diligentius i. e. It may be they i. e. the Scholasticks would condemne this opinion of ours whereby we take away from all the Sons of Adam their own Righteousness which is of their own works before God did teach that we must leane upon the Righteousness of God in Christ alone that by that alone we are Righteous before God though destitute of our own if we had not confirmed it a little more diligently Idem ibid. Nam quod nen operibus nostris non in justitia nostra sed in una ignoscente iniquitates nostras misericordia benevolentiâ— erga nos divinae salutis a Deo assignandae nobis spes sit Davidis Testimonio Apost ad Rom. comprobans non alia justitiâ— niti nos posse nisi quam imputari nobis absque nostris operibus affirmat-non dicit beati qui ex operibus suis justi coram Deo sunt beatus vir qui non commisit nec fecit injustitiam sad beati quorum a Deo misericorditer remissae sunt iniquitates quorum ipse sua justitia tegit abscendit peccata i. e. That our hope of the Lord 's good will of life is not by our works nor in our Righteousness but only in the mercy of God forgiving iniquities Paul to the Rom. confirmeth by the testimonie of David proving to us that we may lean to no other Righteousness but that which he affirmeth to be imputed to us without our works He saith not blessed are they who are Righteous before God by their own works blessed is the man that hath done no iniquity but blessed are they whose iniquities are mercifully pardoned whose sins he covereth and hideth with his own Righteousness Thereafter the same man saith In illo ergo justificamur coram Deo non in nobis non nostra sed illius justitia quae nobis cum illo jam communicantibus imputatur Propriae justitiae inopes extra nos in illo docemur justitiam quaerere Cum inquit qui peccatum non noverat pro nobis peccatum fecit hoc est hostiam peccâ—ti expiatricem ut nos efficeremur justitia Dei in ipso non nostra sed Dei justitia justi efficimur in Christo quo jure Amicitiae quae communionem omnium inter amicos facit juxta vetus celebratissimum proverbium Christo insertis conglutinatis unitis sua nostra facit suas divitias
to their justification before acceptance with God was in Christ that it would be a robbing of Christ of His due honour to seek for a righteousnes else where So Chap. 33 14 15. it is promised that the Lord will cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David that hereby Iudah should be saved Israel should dwell saifely And it is further said that His spouse should wear her husbands name be called after Him the Lord our righteousness thereby professing her adherence to Him as her Husband her owning of Him as all her righteousness glorying in that that He and He alone is her righteousness In compliance herewith we should beware of expressing our conceptions about the matter of justification so as may give proud man ground of boasting of robbing Christ of His Crown Title Glory in less or in more and these expressions following seem to me justly chargable herewith I. To say That all works are not excluded in justification but such only as are done by the meer Power Strength of Nature not the works of Grace wrought by the Spirit But who seeth not how this is to set up proud Man whom Paul would have debased kept down And doth not Paul expresly tell us that neither Abraham nor David were so justified Rom. 4 And that if our father Abraham were justified by works he should have had whereof to glory though not before God vers 2 And doth he not also tell us that this would make the reward to be reckoned not of grace but of debt vers 4 would exclude faith its operations in reference to justification take away that blessed refreshful stile of God that He justifieth the ungodly vers 5 Should we not thus be saved by works of righteousness which we do not according to His mercy expresly contrary to Tit. 3 5. 2. In like manner to say That we are not justified by the works of the Ceremonial Law but by obedience to the Moral Law is peccant here also for the works of the moral Law are works of righteousness which we do such as obey this Law are considered as such cannot be called ungodly Neither doth the Apostle thus distinguish that proud man might have any Interest Nor doth he exclude only such works when he saith that Abraham was not justified by works for his works were not works of the Ceremonial Law but of the Moral which will as well give ground of boasting make the reward of debt not of grace as works of the Ceremonial Law if not more And it is manifest that Paul speaketh of that Law of obedience to it or of works commanded by it which convinceth of sin discovereth it Rom. 3 20. 7 7. maketh all the world guilty Rom. 3 19. bringeth them under the curse Gal. 3 10. is established by faith Rom. 3 31. hath the promise of life annexed to it Rom. 10 5. Gal. 3 12. Nor doth he exclude only such works when he speaketh of himself Phil. 3 9. 3. Likewise to say That all works are not excluded but only Outward works which are done out of Principle of fear not out of love faith are not inward works of grace is to adde Fewel to this fire of pride to please proud Self proud Man for who can think that only such works would lay the ground of boasting of glorying before men or that only such would make the reward of debt or that any in these daies were pleading for justification upon the account only of such works or that such works were to be understood by the Law as if the Law did command no other or that such were Abraham's works or that Paul thought of none other when he desired not to be found in his own righteousness Phil. 3 9 4. They are guilty of the same crime who say That Paul only excludeth the jewish Law for if thereby they meane only the Ceremonial Law it is manifest from what is said that hereby Self Man shal be much exalted when justification is made to be by according to the works of the Moral Law If they meane thereby the Judicial Law then justification should be by obedience to the Moral Law yea by obedience to the Ceremonial Law as well as by obedience to the Moral Law quite contrary to the whole discourse of the Apostle And if they meane all the Law that was given to the jewes then the Moral Law is included so all works are excluded which are done in obedience to any Law of God 5. It is no less injurious to truth favourable to proud Self to say with Socinus That Paul onely excludeth perfect works done in full conformity to the perfect Law of God but not our Imperfect works which through grace are accepted accounted our righteousness for even these works being works of righteouness which we do would not exclude boasting but give ground of glorying before men Neither did Abraham or Paul or any other Saint suppose that their works were perfect Nor is it Imaginable that any in these dayes did plead for justification by their own works upon the account that they were perfect wholly commensurat unto the Law Nor doth Paul insinuate in all his discourse any such Distinction or give any ground to think that Imperfect works should be the ground of justification when Perfect works are not And all this is grounded upon this gross mistake That by faith which the Apostle opposeth to works is meaned our Imperfect Obedience unto the Commands of God 6. It is injurious upon the same account to say That Paul onely excludeth such works as are accompanied with a conceite of merite none else for he excludeth all works without any such Distinction even the works of Abraham who doubtless was far from any such fonde conceite to think that his works were meritorious all such works as give ground of boasting before men though not before God And who will say that even Adam's works performed in Innocency had any proportion in the ballance of commutative justice or would merite at God's hand ex condigno And yet sure such works would have made the reward of debt according to the Compact Yea the Apostle in his way of argueing supposeth that works cannot be mentioned in this case without merites so that merite is inseparable from them And shall we think that Paul Phil. 3 9. meaned by his own righteouness only such works as he expresly accounted meritorious Or that he could or did account any of his works such 7. It runneth far in the same guilt to say That faith it self which is our work considered as our act of obedience is Imputed to us for righteousness is that righteousness upon which we are justified for how easily might proud Self lift up its head boast say it was justified because of some thing
within it or because of one work of righteouness done by it so glory in it self not in the Lord for though it were granted that faith were the gift 〈◊〉 God yet that would not sufficiently keep down pride seing such as plead for justification by good works will also grant that these good works come from the Grace of God are wrought by the Spirit yet such a justification would lay a foundation of boasting of glorying before men some would have more ground of boasting than others because of their stronger faith And justification by this way would as well be opposite to justification through Christ His Imputed righteousness by Grace as justification by good works for faith here would not be considered as bringing-in laying hold on a Righteousness without the Righteousness of Christ imputed but as a commanded duty as a piece of obedience to the Law would as well make the reward of debt ex congruo ex pacto as if justification were by works 8. It is of the same Nature to say That Paul excludeth the works of the Law but not the works of the Gospel for the same ground of pride boasting glorying should be laid that would be laid by pleading for the works of the Law because these are still works of righteousness which we do so opposite in this matter unto mercy Tit. 3 5. And Paul to exclude all boasting glorying before Men opposeth faith not considered in it Self but as laying hold on the Righteousness of Christ as carrying the Man out of himself to Christ for Righteousness unto works not Gospel-works unto works of the Law And sure we cannot say that none of Abraham's works were Gospel-works or works required in the New Covenant seing even then he was a beleever when the object of his faith or that which he laid hold on by faith in the Gospel which was preached unto him was said to be imputed unto him for righteousness And is it not plaine that if justification were upon the account of Gospel works that God should not then be said to justifie the ungodly seing he who is clothed with a Gospel righteousness cannot be called or accounted an ungodly person And yet faith looks out unto laith hold upon a God that justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4 5. In a word the asserting of this would be the same upon the matter with asserting of justification by the works of the Law for what ever is required in the Gospel is injoined by the Law so is an act of obedience to the Law which is our perfect Rule of Righteousness all our obedience must be in conformity thereunto 9. It must also be accounted dangerous for puffing-up of Self to say That we are justified by our Inherent Righteousness for then the Man could not say that all his righteousnesses were as filthy rags Esai 64 6. Nor could that be true which is Psal. 143 3. for in they sight no man living should be justified to wit if God should enter into Iudgment with him Why should Iob have abhorred himself Chap. 42 6. if he had a righteousness within him had been justified by the Lord upon the account of that inherent righteousness And had not Paul as good ground as any to assert his justification by his personal inherent holiness righteousness Yet we hear of no such thing out of his mouth but on the contrary his accounting all things but less dung that he might gaine Christ be found in His Righteousness hath a far different import How proud might man be if he had it to say that he was justified in the sight of God by works of Righteousness which he had done or by his own inherent righteousness 10. Nor will it much help the matter to say That this Inherent Righteousness is not the price laid down but onely the Condition or Causa sine qua non or the like for still man would hereby have some thing to be proud of to glory of before men because he would have it to say that his own Inherent Holiness was as well the ground of his justification the Condition thereof as Adam's obedience would have been the ground of his justification And who knoweth not that Self can wax proud be puffed up upon a smaller occasion than is this And is it not strange that Paul never once made mention of this distinction Shall we think that Paul denied Abraham to have been justified by works because Abraham looked upon them as the meritorious cause not as the Condition only of his justification or that Abraham indeed did so or that Paul included them as the condition of his justification when he said he desired not to be found in his own Righteousness meaning not his own righteousness as a price or as the Meritorious cause of his acceptance Why should David have spoken so absolutely said Psal. 143 2. enter not into judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified seing even though God should enter into judgment with His servants they should be justified as having fulfilled the condition And why should he have said Psal. 130 3. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities ô Lord who shall stand seing though the Lord should mark iniquities yet where the Person hath fulfilled the Condition hath a Personal Inherent Righteousness to hold up as the fulfilling of the condition required he is in case to stand in judgment to plead for his justification absolution upon the account of his performing all the condition required And would not vaine man have great ground of boasting here 11. Neither yet will it prevent this boasting to say That this Inherent Righteousness is but a Subordinat Righteousness whereby we have right unto the Merites of Christ which are the Principal Righteousness answering the demandes of the Law for if man have any thing in himself that can be called a Righteousness though but a Subordinat Righteouness yet such a Righteousness as giveth right ground to justification though that justification be also called only a subordinat justification conforme to the New Covenant the Condition thereof he will soon boast account his justification not of free grace but of due debt conforme to the covenant And though this be called only a Subordinat Righteousness yet proud Self will account it the Principal because upon it dependeth all his justification for thereby not onely hath he a right unto Christ's Merites but unto justification it self this being called the proper condition of the New Covenant wherein justification Adoption c. are promised as they say upon this condition And will not proud Man see that he hath a price in his hand a complâ—â—â— Righteousness conforme to the Covenant to presente unto God where-upon to seek expect the reward of debt according to the covenant And so much the rather should we abstaine from
at which they stumbled when he said Rom. 9 31 32. But Israel which followed after the law of Righteousness hath not attained to the law of Righteousness wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone And againe Rom. 10 3 4. But they being ignorant of God's Righteousness going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness c. Is it not hence clear that they rejected Christ and would not owne Him as the end of the law for Righteousness that they stumbled at Him seeking after justification life by their own personal following after the law of Righteousness by seeking to establish their own righteousness How then can this man say pag. 61. That Paul was as far from holding justification by the works of the law as performed by Christ as the jewes were who would have nothing to do with Christ but stumbled at Him while as Paul sought only to be found in Him not having his owne 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. And proclamed Christ to be the end of the law for Righteousnes to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10 4. Against Fit 3 5. where mention is made of the works of righteousness which we have done a sufficient ground laid for the distinction mentioned to prevent the stumbling of such as love to walk in the light he advanceth several answers pag. 62. c. As I. He never said that the active righteousness of Christ should be made a stander-by but that it hath a blessed influence into justification as it issueth into His passive obedience which together may be called a Righteousness for which but not with which we are justified except it can be proved to be either the Material or formal or instrumental cause of justification whoever attempt to do this will wholly dissolve the merite of it Ans. 1 All this maketh nothing to the purpose now in hand which is to show that Paul by this expression cleareth sufficiently what he meaneth by the works of the law which he excludeth from having any interest in justification viz. The works of the law performed by us in our own persons 2 What influence the active obedience of Christ hath in justication when he will not admit it to be any part of that Surety-righteousness which is imputed unto us he showeth not nor what way it issueth in to His passive obedience If all this influence be to make Him fit to be a Sacrifice we have shown above that the personal Union did that and consequently His active obedience if it had no other influence is made a meer stander by 3. A Righteousness for which a Righteousness with which is a distinction in our case without a difference for the one doth no way oppugne or exclude the other because the meritorious cause imputed made over to and reckoned upon the score of beleevers can be also that Righteousness with which they are justified 4 Whether it may be called the Material or Formal cause of justification that any ever called it the instrumental cause is more than I know is no great matter seing it may be either as the termes shall be explained which men are at freedom to do according to their own minde when they apply them unto this matter which hath so little affinity with Effects meerly Natural unto the causes of which these termes are properly applied though I should choose rather to call it the formal objective cause if necessitated to use here philosophik termes 3 That to call Christ's whole Righteousness either the Material or Formal cause of justification is to overthrow the merite of it is said but not proved It is not these philosophical termes themselves but the explication of them by such as use them in this matter that is to be regarded and none shall ever show that either of these termes as explained by the orthodox doth overthrow the merite of Christ's Righteousness both doth rather establish it He saith 2. The H. Ghost may reject the works of men from being the cause of such or such a thing yet no wayes intimat that the works of any other should be the cause thereof If the words had gone thus not by the works of Righteousness which we our selves had done this had been some what an higher ground to have inferred the opposite member of the distinction upon viz. by the works of another or of Christ. Ans. This exception is as little to the purpose as the former for these words were here brought only to show what the Apostle meant by the works of the law which he excluded from justification viz. the works which we do and not to prove immediatly that the works of any other were understood hereby 2 It is foolish thing to imagine a distinction betwixt works which we do works which we our selves do the same word in the original which vers 5. is rendered we is rendered we our selves vers 3. What poor shifts are these which men take to support a desperat cause He saith 3. To put the matter out of all question that excluding the works of the law which we had done he had no intent to imply the works which another might do he expresseth the opposition thus according to His mercy Ans. The mistake is still continued in By these words we onely cleare what the works are which are excluded viz. our personal works or works which we do or have done whose works else are accepted other places prove expresly this by consequence unless the worke of a third could be alleiged 2 The opposition here made destroyeth not the opposition which we make for when we are justified Saved by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ we are justified saved according to His mercy as well as we are justified freely by His grace when justified through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3 24. He saith 4. thereby seemeth to reply to what is last said The Apostle delivereth himself distinctly of that wherein this Mercy of God be speaks of consisteth viz. regenerating us c. Ans. But I hope the Apostles mentioning of Regeneration doth not exclude the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness the ground thereof nor can he suppose this unless he plead with Papists for justification by our good works done after Regeneration the new birth He saith 5. Such an inference is neither probable nor pertinent to the purpose because the Apostle rejecteth the works of righteousness which he nameth from being any cause antecedaneously moving God to save us not from being the formal cause of justification and we our selves saith he will not say that the works of the law which Christ hath
third yea multiplied Regeneration whereof the Scripture is silent nay it clearly depones the contrary 10. And if it be enquired how it cometh to passe that after sins may not at least gradually impaire the State of Justification as sins do impaire and weaken Sanctification I answere and this may further help to clear the business under hand The reason is manifest from the difference that is betwixt these two blessing and benefites Iustification is an act of God changing the Relative-state of a man and so is done and perfected in a moment Sanctification is a progressive work of God making a real physical change in the man whence sin may tetard this or put it back but cannot do so with the other which is but one single act once done and never recalled the gifts and calling of God being without repentance Rom. 11 29. In justification we are meerly passive it being a sentence of God pronunced in our Favours in Sanctification as we are in some respect patients so are we also Agents and Actors and thus sin may retard us in our motion and as it evidenceth our weakness for acting so it produceth more weakness Moreover Sin and Holiness are opposite to other as light and darkness therefore as the one prevaileth the other must go under and as the one increaseth the other must decress But there is no such Opposition betwixt sin pardon which is granted in Justification And whereas it may be said that sin expelleth also grace Meritoriously yet that prejudgeth not the truth in hand for it can expell grace meritoriously no further than the free constitution of God hath limited and so though it can and oft doth expell many degrees of Sanctification yet it cannot expell make null the grace of Regeneration or the Seed of God so no more can it expell or annul Justification because the good pleasure of God hath secured the one the other made them both unalterable By these particulars we see how the first doubt is removed out of the way we shall next speak to the Second which is concerning afflictions Punishments which are the fruits and deserts of sin and seem to be part of the curse or penalty threatned in the first Covenant To which we need not say much to show that notwithstanding hereof the State of Justification remains firme and unaltered These few things will suffice to cleare the truth 1. Though all affliction and suffering be the fruite consequent of the breach of the Covenant by Adam the head of mankind for if he had stood and the Covenant had not been violated there had been no Misery affliction Death or Suffering and though in all who are afflicted in this world there is sin to be found And though it cannot be instanced that God ever brought an afflicting or destroying stroke upon a Land or Nation but for the provocations of the People yet the Lord may some rimes afflict outwardly or inwardly or both a particular Person in some particular manner though not as provoled thereunto by that persons sin or without a special reference to their sin as the procuring Cause thereof as we see in Iob and as Christ's answer concerning the blinde man Ioh. 9 3. Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents that he was born blinde but that the works of God should be made manifest in him giveth ground to think 2. Though it doth oftner fall out that God doth afflict Punish and Châ—sten his people even because of their sinnes as well as other wicked persons yet the difference betwixt the two is great though the outward Camitie may be materially the same To the godly they flow from Love are designed for good are sanctified and made to do good they are covenanted mercies but nothing so to the wicked They are mercies to the one but curses to the other They speak out love to the one but hatred to the other They are blessed to the one but blasted cursed to the other They work together for good to the one but for evil to the other and all this notwithstanding that the outward affliction calamity that is on the godly may be double or treeble to that which is upon the wicked Yea there is mercy and love in the afflictions of the Godly when the prosperity of the wicked is cursed Whence we see that all these afflictions cannot endanger or dammage their Justified state 3. Though the Lord may be wroth smite in anger his own people chasten punish them in displeasure yet this wrath anger is but the wrath and anger of a Father and is consistent with fatherly Affection in God and therefore cannot be repugnant to a state of Sonshipe in them Prov. 3 11 12. Heb. 12 5-8 Psal. 89 30 33 34. Revel 3 19. 4. In all these afflictions that seem to smell most of the Curse and of the death threatned and are most inevitable such as death c. there is nothing of pure vinâ—ictive justice to be found in them when Justified persons are exercised with them for Christ did bear all that being made a curse for them and as to this the Lord caused all their iniquities to meet together upon him He drunk out the cup of Vindictive anger and left not one drop of the liquor of the Curse of the Law for any of his own to drink He alone did bear the weight of revenging justice and there is nothing of this in all that doth come upon beleevers So that the very sting of death is taken away the sting of all these Afflictions is sucked out and now they are changed into Mercies Blessings 1 Cor. 3 21 22. Therefore we must not think that they contribute the least mite unto that Satisfaction which justice required for sins Christ payed down to the full justice was fully satisfied with what he paid down nor must we think that God will exact a new satisfaction for sins or any part thereof of the hands of beleevers after he hath received a full satisfaction from the Mediator Christ did rest satisfied therewith The afflictions and Punishments then that the godly meet with being no parts of the Curse nor of that Satisfaction that justice requireth for sin nor flowing from vindictive justice but being rather fatherly chastisments mercies meanes of God can do no hurt unto their state of justification nor can any thing be hence inferred to the prejudice of that glorious state 5. But it is said Pardon and Justification is one thing and a man is no more Justified than he is Pardoned and Pardon is but the taking off of the obligation to punishment and consequently of punishment it self and seing punishment is not wholly taken off but there remaineth some part of the curse or of the evil threatned for sin and will remaine untill the resurrection it is cleare that pardon is not fully compleet not consequently Justification so long as we live But
this occasion trouble the Reader with some more of their expressions that we may see that the doctrine which is now so much cried up followed after is nothing but old Socinianisme so owned professed by such as do not deserve to be called Christians Socin de Servat lib. 4. c. 4 7 11. God justifieth the ungodly but now converted penitent after he hath left off to be ungodly the justified are not ungodly in themselves neither are they so called yea they are not sinners which is more they do not now sinne And so faith works that is obedience to the commands of Christ as the forme of faith doth justifie us before God by them through them per illa ex illis he justifieth us Smalcius disp 4. c. Frantzium Regeneration all other good works Love Prayer Obedience Faith Charity c. are so far from being effects of justification that without them justification can no way really exist for God justifieth no man but him who is compleetly adorned with all these vertues â— yea the study of good works walkeing before God were the cause though not the chiefe of the justification of Noah Abraham others who are said to be justified by faith Socin ubi supra de Serv. lib. 1. c. 4. Faith doth not justifie by its proper vertue but by the mercy goâ—d will of God who justifieth such as do such a work imputeth it for righteousness With Paul to have righteousness imputed is nothing else but to have faith imputed to be accounted just faith is so imputed to us as that because of faith we howbeit guilty of many unrighteousness are esteemed perfectly righteous or God so dealeth with us as if we were perfectly righteous who can doubt that the Apostle meaneth no other thing than that we are not righteous before God because our works require that as a due reward but because it hath so seemed good to the Lord to take our faith in place of righteousness so that we receive the reward of grace by which we are declared righteous before him More might be adduced for this end as it might be shown also how herein the Arminians conspire with them against the orthodox And as for the judgment of Papists in this point it is likewise known It will not be necessary that we insist in disproving that which hath been so much witnessed against by the orthodox writting against Papists Socinians Arminians upon these heads It will suffice I suppose if we give a few reasons why we cannot acquiesce in the doctrine proposed by the forenamed Author 1. Hereby works of obedience are exalted to the same place are allowed the same Force Influence Efficacy into Justification with Faith whereby all the Apostles disputes for Faith against Works for faith as inconsistent with exclusive of works are evacuated rendered useless So that the Apostle hath either not spoken to the purpose or hath not spoken truth either of which to say is blasphemie The Apostle argueth thus we are Justified by faith therefore we are not Justified by works This man reasoneth on the contrary we are justified by faith therefore we are justified by works because by a faith that includeth works as if the Apostle had meaned a Faith that was dead had no affinity with works 2. Hereby he confoundeth all these duties which are required of Beleevers or of such as are in Covenant with God with that which is solely required of them in order to their first entering in Covenant or into a state of Justification as â— one should say that all the marriag-duties required of such as were already in that marriage state were conditions of entering into the marriag-state 3. Hereby he confoundeth Justification with Glorification making all that Faith sincere obedience which is required in order to actual Salvation Glorification to be necessary before Justification And thereby must say that no man hath his sins pardoned so long as he liveth but if he be sincerely obedient he is in the way to a Pardon to Justification He cannot say that by a practical Faith he only meaneth such a true and lively Faith as will in due time produce these effects for as that will not consist with his explication of that practical Faith so it would crosse his whole designe The just man in the eye of this new Law as he saith p. 49. is every one that rightly beleeves repents sincerely obeyes because that is all that it requires of a man himself to his Iustification Salvation Where we see that with him Justification Salvation go together have the same conditions and he that is just must be one that hath these Conditions and he who hath not these Conditions is not just in the eye of that new Law and if he be not just in the eye of that new Law his faith cannot be accounted to him for Righteousness nor he Justified 4. The man hereby confoundeth the two Covenants or giveth us a new Covenant of Works in stead of the Covenant of Grace for this practical Faith which includeth all obedience hath the same place force efficacy in the new Covenant that compleet Obedience had in the old And this Gospel is but the old Law of works only with this change that where as the old Law required Perfect Obedience to the end in order to Justification Salvation this new Covenant of works requireth Sincere Obedience to the end in order to Justification Salvation And so thus we are Justified saved as really by upon the account of our works as Adam would have been if he had continued in obedience to the end this Faith and sincere Obedience is as really to all ends purposes as effectually and formally our Righteousness as Perfect Obedience would have been the Righteousness of Adam And thus the reward must as really be reckoned to us of debt not of grace as it would have been to Adam if he had stood And as faire a ground is laid for us to boast glory though not before God as had been for Adam if he had continned to the end The evasion he hath to make all this of grace saying p. 49 50. And yet every beleevers justification will be all of grace because the Law by which they are justified is wholly of grace was enaâ—ed in meer grace favour to undone man is not able to help him for it was wholly of undeserved grace love that God did so far condescend to Adam to all mankinde in him as to strick a Covenant with him a promise of such an ample reward upon his performance of the condition of Perfect Obedience to the end yet notwithstanding this Law was wholly of grace was enacted in meer grace favoure for neither was the Lord necessitated thereunto nor could Adam say he had deserved any such thing at God's hand the reward
to be considered afterward But what is this Faith It is a Faith saith he that hath Repentance Regeneration sincere Obedience in a holy life for its inseparable effects Then 1 this Faith is not fruite of Regeneration because Regeneration is an effect of it 2 Then upon a mans sincere Beleeving he cannot be said to have passed from death to life be freed from Condemnation nay not untill all the effects of faith be produced And this he expresseth more clearly within a line or two calling Regeneration new obedience parts of the Condition thus making men able to Regenerat themselves with some help of the Spirit according to his former doctrine Passing his inveighing pag. 134. forward against the orthodox doctrine concerning Justification by faith alone and loading it with Socinian reproaches wherein he bewrayeth more acquaintance with Popish Socinian Arminian Principles Consequences than with the Gosp. I doctrine either in Theorie or practâ—ce I proceed to examine his grounds which he laieth down Chap. 7. pag. 140 141. and prosecuteth to the end of that Chapter His grounds are Ten in number The first is That works of Evangelical obedience are never in Scripture opposed to God's grace in reference to Iustification Salvation Ans. 1 Here we have the fundamental errour of his whole discourse hinted to us when he putteth Justification Salvation together making all that is antecedently required unto Salvation to be also antecedently required unto Justification or he must acknowledge no justification untill Salvation come 2 A perfect contradiction to this ground of his we have Ephes. 2 8 9 10. for by grace are ye saved through faith not of works lest any man should boast for we are his workmanshipe created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Here grace is opposed to works to good works unto which we are created in Christ Jesus in which we are to walk and that in reference to the Salvation that is in justification The man was so wise for his own unhallowed ends as never once to take notice of this place He cannot but grant that Works Grace are opposed to other but he giveth us a very sceptick evasion telling us that then by works we are to understand either works antecedent to conversion or as they are denyed I think he would have said deemed or some such thing to merite at the hands of God or the works of the Law of Moses as erroneously contended for by the jewes or the works of the Law as Typical as opposed to things typified or the works of the Law as the Law is in its rigour opposed to the milder oeconomie of the Gospel And yet all this will not helpe the matter for Paul tels us that even Abraham was not justified by his works but by faith in opposition to works Rom. 4 1 2 3. And Abraham's works here excluded from Justification can be reduced to none of these heads of works here mentioned They were not works antecedent to Conversion for in opposition to these it is said his Faith was reckoned unto him for Righteousness long after his Conversion Nor did the holy father dreame of any merite in his works nor were these the works of the Law in any of the senses mentioned for Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness even when he was in uncircumcision Rom. 4 9 10 11. c. He taketh notice of Tit. 3 5. not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he sâ—ved us but giveth us p. 143. this glosse This change of their condition was not effected or so much as begun among them by any reformation of their own till the Gospel came to work it which is meant by the appearing of the kindness Love of God vers 4. is of like import with Ch. 2 11 12. Ans. By what either Law or Reason he restraineth that appearing of the kindness Love of God mentioned vers 4. to the Gospel I know not 2 And though the Gospel were here understood that would not help the matter for the Text saith that after this did appear he saved them that is Justified in the first place as we see vers 7. according to his mercy not by work of Righteousness 3 These works are called works of Righteousness But no works of their own before Conversion can be so called can the works of such as are foolish disobedient deceived serving diverse lasts pleasures living in malice envie hateful hating one another be called works of Righteousness and yet such were these before the kindness Love of God reached them as vers 3. showeth He thinks the same answere may be given to 2. Tim. 1 9. And so we think the same reply may suffice His 2. ground is p. 114. That Paul in speaking agaist Iustification by works giveth sufficient caution not to be understood thereby to speak against Evangelick obedience in the case That is not to speak against justification by Evangelick works which were to say he took much paines for nothing for if he had but said that the Ceremonial Law was abrogate he had sufficiently confuted justification by the Ceremonies if that had been all the Law he meaned But how proveth this man what he here alledgeth He adduceth Rom. 3 31. But I wonder how did the Apostle by his doctrine establish the Ceremonial Law In the Spirit of it saith he in as much as in preaching Iustification in the Gospel way he preached in plaine precepts the necessity of that spiritual purity unto Salvation which was but darkly taught by the Ceremonial Law Ans. 1 Then this man supposeth that he is establishing the Ceremonial Law by his doctrine in this book for he thinks that therein he is preaching up Justification in the Gospel way 2 Neither did the Ceremonial Law more darkly nor doth the Gospel in more plaine termes preach the necessity of spiritual purity as the Condition of Justification So that this Author beggeth what he cannot prove 3 But that this is the Moral Law hath been frequently shown above as also it hath been shown how what way it was established by the doctrine of justâ—fication without works so that we need not regaird his saying that by the doctrine of justification by faith they established the moral Law both in the letter Spirit of it in teaching the necessity of Evangelical obedience to it after a more spiritual forcible manner than had been taught before For this saith nothing for their pleading for obedience to this Law as a Condition of Justification which is the thing he should have said And if he know not how Justification without the works of the moral Law can consist with necessity of Obedience to the Moral Law upon Gospel grounds he is ignorant of the Gospel and hath been more educate in Socinus his School than in the orthodox Church He citeth to the
to be yet I cannot think that he shall approve of this which yet is the maine designe of the book His 8. ground p. 156. That the promise of forgiveness of sins is sometimes made unto Evangelical obedience This he goeth about to prove from 1. Ioh. 1 7. Where the Apostle is shewing the Advantages that such have as have fellowship with God through faith in Jesus Christ evidenced by their walking in the light as is clear from vers 6. and this in particular that as they will be dayly failing so they will have ready accesse to the blood of Christ to get all their sins cleansed away Neither is the Apostle here speaking of the first Pardon granted when persons are translated into a state of justification but he is speaking of such as are already in that State He citeâ—h next to this purpose 1. Pet 1 2. addeth they were not elected to the benefite of being sprinkled with the blood of Christ without obedience Making that a condition of being sprinkled with the blood of Christ which the Apostle mentioneth as a distinct medium to which they were elected in reference to eternal life the supream end as to them And he might as well say they were not elected to the benefiâ—e of obedience without being sprinkled with the blood of Christ and that too agreeth more with truth His 9. ground p. 157. is That to forgive injuries is an act of Evangelical obedience to that precept Mat. 11 25. And yet without this men cannot be pardoned so not justified Mark 11 25. Mat. 6 15. 18 35. Ans. Though men cannot be pardoned without this it will not follow that therefore it is a part of the condition of Justification but only proveth that this must be present as an evidence of their acting Faith on Jesus Christ in truth reality in order to pardon And these passages are explications of the fift petition of the Lord's prayer the sense whereof is well given in our larger Catechisme § 194. in these words which we are the rather emboldened to ask encouraged to expect when we have this testimony in ourselves that we from the heart forgive others their offences His 10. last ground is That Repentance is an act of Evangelical Obedience Act. 17 30. yet pardon of sin which is essential to justification is not to be obtained without it Luk 13 3 5. Ans. Of Repentance we have said enough above Chap. XXV I wonder how he can to this end cite Luk 13 3 5. where no mention is made of Remission of sins but perishing threatned to all that will not repent I shall not here meddle with his mis representation of our doctrine in the following pages nor with the grounds reasons of the preference he giveth unto his way seing by all that he speaks he bewrayeth utter ignorance of the Gospel truth which we owne of its true Tendency to promove Gospel holiness beyond any other way what somever hatched by Papist's Socinians that may be little or nothing beholden to Iesus Christ for Grace here or for Glory hereafter And his Insinuations as if we did not presse Repentance Holiness is little to his credite or to the credite of the cause he maintaineth seing the contrarie is so well known to say no more Nor shall insist on the grounds he layeth down to overturne the whole argueings of the Apostle in this matter seing they are upon the matter the same that others have laid down and have been before spoken to for from a tedious discourse concerning the mistaking apprehensions of the jewes about the Law the works thereof in order to justification to very little purpose he inferreth p. 117. that doubtless Paul's denial of Iustification Salvation to be by the Law is to be understood in the very same sense in which the incredulous jewes against whom he disputed did hold these so be attainable thereby Forgetting with all that what Paul wrote was dictated by the Spirit so that for the use of the Church unto the end of the world But sure if no other works were here understood than this Author will have here understood it could be of little use to the Gospel churches after the subject of the question the Ceremonial Law it self is taken away And had it not been a shorter most effectual way to have confuted the jewes errour here simply to have proven as he doth elsewhere the abolishing of that Law Beside we finde many things spoken of this Law against Justification by obedience to which the Apostle disputeth that cannot agree to the Ceremonial Law as hath been several times touched But let us hear what the true question was We must understand him saith he to deny a freedom from the eternal punishment to be attainable by legal Sacrifices also to deny that the promise of eternal life was made upon Condition of literal Circumcision a literal observation of the Mosaical Law Ans. If this had been all to what purpose I pray did the Apostle laboure so much to prove that not only the jewes but that the Gentiles also were under sin Rom. 1. 2. The Gentiles were not nor yet were to be under the Law of Ceremonies 2 How could the Apostle inferre that by the deeds of the Law there should no flesh be justified from his proving that both jewes Gentiles were guilty of the breach of the Moral Law whereby every mouth was stopped all the world become guilty before God Rom. 3 10-20 3 did only the Law of Ceremonies give the knowledge of sin Himself proveth the contrary pag. 57. 4 did the curse only belong unto the Ceremonial Law or did Christ only become a Curse in reference to the breaches of that Gal. 3 10. He will not so much as yeeld p. 119. that Paul doth on the bye deny Justification by other works And that meerly because it would destroy his fabrick of a Iudaical Socinian justification though he pretend that thereby the Apostles doctrine would be made inconsistent not only with the Faith of the holy men of old but also with his own doctrine But neither did the holy men of old express the Condition of Justification which he confoundeth with the Condition of the Covenant of mercy by loving God keeping his commandements nor doth Paul speak any such thing as we have seen what ever he with Socinians Arminians say He giveth us another character which also we heard from others before of the works by which Paul denied men were justified calling them such works which were apt to occasion boasting Ephes. 2 9. Rom. 4 2. But thus he quite perverreth both the sense of the words scope argueing of the Apostle for the Apostle cleareth that it is by grace we are saved not by works upon this very account that if we were saved or justified upon the account of any of our works man should boast Ephes. 2 9. Not of works why
heirs of God joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8 17 and are discharged as Mr. Baxter granteth himself Confess p. 102. Concl. 9. from all guilt of Eternal Punishment yea of all destructive Punishment in this life Yea they are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law Act. 13 39. They are blessed Rom. 4 5 6. And all this is so fixed that none can lay any thing to their charge Rom. 8 33 34. Yea they are said to have Everlasting Life Ioh. 5 24. Now seing all this is by Faith what necessitie is there for another Condition beside this same Faith keeping fast by Christ unto the Continuance of this State If it be said that notwithstanding hereof they are liable to future sins and these must also be forgiven and in reference to the Pardon of these other Conditions may be required in that respect these may be called Conditions of the Continuance of Justification 4. The answere to this will furnish us with another Argument for answere therefore I say That works are not the Condition of Pardon of after sins but faith going to Christ and washing in his bloud 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. If any man sin we have an advocat with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous he is the propitiation for our sins Christ is here proposed to sinning beleevers in his Priestly office as the object of their Faith in order to Pardon And Mr. Baxter in the forecited place Concl. 11 saith that when ever the Iustified do commit any sin they have a present effectual certaine remedie at hand for their pardon that is the merit of Christ's blood his Intercession the Love of God the Promise of Pardon in which they have interest the Spirit to excite them to Faith Repentance No word of works of obedience as Condition here David in order to the obtaining of the pardon of his sin did betake himself to the free mercy of God that he might get his sin covered his iniquities forgiven and his sin not imputed unto him Psal. 32 1 2. and this was in Paul's judgment Rom. 4 6 7 8. a betaking himself to imputed Righteousness without works So he betook himself to mercy and withall he desired to be purged with hysope Psal. 51 1 7. which looked to the blood of Christ that only sprinkleth consciences Heb. 9 13 14 22. 5. If Justification be continued upon Condition of works we enquire what these works are Are herein comprehended all commanded duties or all that is required of justified persons by way of duty then a faloure in any of these whether by Omission or Commission should cause an intercision of that State and a breach of that Relation But this is utterly false Yea if so the justified should become Unjustified every day for no man liveth sinneth not The reason of the Consequence is because the non-performance of the Condition upon which the State Relation of the justified is continued must make a breach in that State If it be said That not every sin but only such sins as are inconsistent with the State of Justification will make an Intercision Then it must consequently be said that upon these alone or on the non-performance of these alone doth the Continuance of Justification depend as on a Condition And what be these David's sin I hope nor Peters sin were none of these And whatever they be I suppose it will be granted except by Arminians that there is sufficient provision against these laid-in in the New Covenant of Grace and that such as are justified indeed shal never fall into such sins And then what need it be said that the State of Justification is continued upon such termes 6. By this way Proud Nature should have occasion to boast and say It was of God's Grace Mercy that I was brought into a justified State had all my former sins pardoned but for my abiding continueing therein and for the pardon of all my sins that I have committed or do commit since I am beholden to my own Gospel-obedience immediatly for Remission is granted and my Justification continued upon Condition of my personal Gospel-obedience But how inconsistent this is with the whole straine of the Gospel cannot be unknown We no where read that our sinnes are pardoned or not imputed to us in or by our Evangelick Obedience but as we are justified freely by grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3 24. so it is in through Him his bloud that we are washen our sinnes purged away Mat. 26 28. Revel 1 5. Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. 7. The dayly experience of the people of God may cleare to us what that is upon which their State is continued and upon which they seek obtaine new Remission of their new Transgressions and shew us that it is not their own personal Obedience but the Grace Mercy of God in Jesus Christ for it is to this they betake themselves daily both in reference to their being keeped in the favour of God in reference to their getting new extracts of Pardon It is to the blood of sprinkling they goe dayly that there they may be washen cleansed from all their sins sailings It is to this fountaine opened to the house of David to the Inhabitans of Ierusalem that they run with their sins uncleannesses Zach. 13 1. For it is his bloud alone that cleanseth from all sin 1. Ioh. 1 7. And so they finde by experience that they stand only by Faith and that it is through Faith in this bloud that they are keept in the favoure of God get their sins pardoned These proofs may serve for confirmation of what we say Let us now see what Mr. Baxter saith for the contrary In his Confess p. 47 he adduceth three Arguments The first is this The word expresly constituteth these Conditions of our not-loseing our State of Justification or of Continueing it And this he tels us he hath formerly shewed in many Scriptures meaning I suppose the passages he had immediatly before cited on the margine But to these I Answere in general That not one of them maketh mention of the continuance of our justification or of our not loseing of it And therefore it cannot be said from these that the word expresly constituteth these Conditions of our not-losing Justification But we shall consider them particularly Mat. 12 36 37. speaketh not of justification whereof we are now treating but of the last judgment and we see no cause of confounding this Justification whereof we speak or its Continuance with the last Judgment as Papists do confound their second justification with this judgment and abuse the same Scriptures here adduced by Mr. Baxter the like to prove their second justification to be by works Jam. 2 24. speaketh not of the Continuance or not losing of justification but of the very beginning of justification
he mindeth to Pardon he giveth also a Spirit of Repentance as both Scripture Experience proveth 3. Yet notwithstanding of this it is true that an outward Repentance where there is no inward real sanctified change wrought may hold off for a time or prorogue the inflicting of temporal strokes as we see in Aabh Nineveth others 4. It will be granted also by all the orthodox that Repentance is no proper meritorious cause of pardon not doth it make any Satisfaction to God or appease his wrath anger 4. I shall also grant that where there is true unfeigned Repentance after some sin committed there that person may saifly inferre that his sin is pardoned Repentance is a good signe of Remission because it is a good evidence that the man hath run to the fountaine to the blood of Jesus and there hath washen himself made himself cleane See Esai 1 16 17 18. 5. The Exercise of Repentance is very usefull to make sin become bitter mercy welcome to make the soul more careful watchful in time to come But the Question is whether Repentance be a proper Condition of Pardon of sins committed after Justification or not And when we speak of Repentance here we consider it by itself not as being the sensible signification expression of Faith for the Question is not whether Faith acting in through Repentance or working the soul up unto unfaigned Repentance be the Condition of Remission for that is not Repentance but Faith accompanied with acting the soul to Repentance but the Question is of Repentance considered in itself as a distinct grace from Faith And speaking of Repentance as such considered in itself I say that it is not the Condition of Remission of after sins but faith only acting in a Gospel manner on Jesus Christ his Bloud Merites And the reasons are 1. Because it is Faith not Repentance that carrieth the sinner away to the Bloud of Jesus Christ to his Merites through whom by which alone Remission is had Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. Zach. 13. 1. Heb. 9 14 22. Revel 1 5. Repentance as such layeth not hold on Christ grippeth not his Merites maketh no application of these but is wholly exercised about another object about sin 2. This would give man too great ground of boasting in himself if upon his Mourning Sorrow Repentance Pardon were to be had and would give occasion to think that there were some merite worth in that work some thing satisfying or appeasing to God for the man hereby is keeped within himself upon the account of something within himself or done by himself is he pardoned as he might suppose 3. This should be derogatorie to the Bloud Merites of Christ by which alone we have pardon first last and the Gospel is so contrived as that Christ must have all the Glory and all the methodes meanes order of the Gospel and new Covenant are in like manner framed so that man may be abased free grace exalted Christ acknowledged the only Redeemer But if our Repentance were made such a Condition there should be no application made of Christ of his bloud by the sinner No acting on him on his merites in order to the obtaining of Pardon and so no occasion of exalting free grace and Love in Christ no occasion of wondering at the wise contrivance of the Covenant of Grace in all points If it be said There is no derogating from Christ his Merites here because it is by vertue of his Merites that Repentance is made such a Condition I Ans. This is not cleared from the Scripture nor is it sutable to the frame of the Gospel-Covenant for the whole of it is so contrived as that Christ is immediatly to be made use of But this way keepeth the soul off all immediat going to applying of and resting upon Christ in order to Remission of new sinnes setteth them only upon the exercise of Sorrow Repentance within themselves 4. The Apostle Iohn pointeth out the way to beleevers of obtaining Remission-of sins 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. And if any man sin we have an Advocat with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And he is the Propitiation for our sins Now Repentance doth not make use of Christ as an Advocat as a Propitiation but Faith doth And it is the proper work of Faith in order to Remission to make use of Christ in his Priestly office to carry the soul away to his Propitiation Intercession 5. The dayly experience of the Saints evidence this when upon conviction of sin they betake themselves to the free Mercy of God in Christ to the Bloud of sprinkling crying out for Pardon for the Lord's sake and seeking to be washen in his blood It is not their Repentance or Sorrow that they flee to as the ground of their hope of Pardon but the merites of Christ held forth in the new Covenant is that fountaine wherein they must wash be cleane See Psal. 25 11. 51 7. 6. This was sufficiently held forth under the Law when for their Errours Failings dayly Transgressions the people were to bring their Sacrifices to the Priest which were to be offered up as types of Christ they were to lay their hands upon the head of the Sacrifice in signe of their resting upon the Sacrifice typified of rolling their sins upon that only Sacrifice of expecting Acceptance Pardon through it alone See Levit 4 20 26 31 35. 5 10 13 16 18. 6 7 19 22. 7. If Repentance be the Condition then this must either be said of that part of Repentance which preceedeth the acting of faith or of that which followeth This last cannot be said for then it would follow that upon the acting of faith that preceedeth there were no Remission so faith laying hold on Christ his Merites should be utterly excluded from having any Interest in the pardon of sins Nor can the first be said for then there should be Remission before without all application made of Christ by Faith Yea the very imperfect beginnings of Repentance should be judged sufficient for Remission which cannot be said If it be said that this is meaned of compleat Repentance I Ans. Compleet Repentance cannot be without Faith it is against what is said to make Repentance considered alone by itself or as abstracted from Faith the only Condition seing this would be a manifest exclusion of Faith altogether If it be said that Repentance Faith may be considered together as joyned together called the Condition of Pardon I Ans. Seing it is manifest that both do not neither can act one the same way on Christ they cannot be considered as equally sharing in the place interest of a condition And therefore I judge it saifest to say That faith acting in by Repentance or so discovering itself to
places of Scriptures annexed in the margine of the Confession confirming all are clearly hinted laid downe in these passages cited yet I shall with what brevity is possible point forth our grounds in plaine termes And 1. The Scripture is full plaine in holding forth 2 Covenant betwixt â—ehova and the Mediator a transaction concerning man or the purposes of God concerning the Salvation of Man in way of a mutual Compact both for our better understaâ—ding of that solide ground of our Peace Hope for the confirming of our staggering weak Faith And though the full explication confirmation hereof would I judge fully undermine destroy the rotten grounds of Socinians Arminians and of all who are for the Diana of Freewill and enemies to the Grace of God yet I cannot digresse thereunto here and shall only referre such as would see the same confirmed unto Mr. Dicksons Therapeutica sacra Mr. Rutherfords book upon the Covenant Taking it therefore for granted till what is by these Worthies said anent it be confuted and finding that Arminius himself in his Orat. de Sacerdotio Christi saith there was a Covenant betwixt the Lord Christ I shall but shortly inferre therefrom That it is repugnant to reason to say that the result of that Eternal Transaction and the whole intended by it was only to procure a meer Possibility of Salvation and that such a Possibility as that though it was equally for all yet it might so fall out that not one person should be saved among all the sones of Adam How unreasonable is it to imagine such a bargane betwixt the Father and the Son as among men considering what they are doing can have no place If Christ was to see his seed by vertue of this Contract then certainly God had a special eye and respect unto that seed and that feed must be distinguished from all the rest for it cannot be all else all should be saved and so Christ did not undertake to buy all nor did the Father give him all for his feed and in reference to that feed the Redemption purchased must be an Actual not a meer Potential or Possible Redemption and the Lord must have full Power Dominion over the Will of that Seed whereby he may determine their hearts unto a following of the Method which he was to prescribe and all these meanes whereby this actual Closeing with the Conditions was to be effectually wrought must have been secured for a transaction betwixt persons infinite in Wisdom must of necessity be in all things contrived in deep Wisdom So then if by vertue of this Covenant a feed was ensured to Christ it was these concerning whom the transaction was made for what interest could others have in this or advantage by it And so the Rademption was neither Universal nor yet meerly Possible no more Againe 2. The Scripture every where pointeth out the end of Christs coming dying to have been to Procure Obtaine some good to man it were endless to cite the Scriptures speaking this out plainely But if it had been only to have procured a Possibility then the proper immediat end of his dying had been only to have procured something to God viz. a Power to Him that he might without hurt to his Justice prescribe a possible way of salvation Now not to discusse that question agitated among Orthodox Divines viz. whether it was impossible for God to have pardoned the sins of man without a satisfaction made by his Son or not meaning antecedently to a decree determineing this way of manifestation of the Justice of God only I must say that as yet I can see nothing from Scripture determineing the egresses of the Relative Justice of God to be more essential to God less subject to the free determinations of his good will and pleasure than are the egresses of his Mercy nor do I see any necessity for asserting this against the Socinians seing our ground walking upon a decree is proof against all their Assaults far less see I any necessity of founding our whole debate with the Socinians upon that ground yea I cannot but judge it the result of great imprudence so to do seing the Socinians may reply that the sole ground of that Opposition to them is not only questioned but plainly denyed by such as we account Orthodox learned and may hence gather that we have no other solide ground whereupon to debate with them but such as the learned of our owne side overthrow The depths of God's Counsel are beyond our fathoming and it is hard for us to say hithertil the omnipotent can come but not one ince further I dar not be wise above what is written and I would gladly see one passage of Scripture declareing this to have been in itself utterly impossible inconsistent with God Bâ— whatever may be said of this what Scripture tels us that Christ was sen to die that he might obtain this Power unto God And further what was this power Was it a meer Power Liberty that should never have any Effect If it was to have an Effect what was that Was it only to make a new Transaction with man in order to his salvation If that was all notwithstanding of all this Power Ability not one man might have been saved Was it certanely to save some Then the Redemption cannot be called Universal nor yet meerly Possible Nay if by the death of Christ a Right Power only was obtained to God God was at full liberty to have exerced that Right Power or not as he pleased and so notwithstanding thereof man might have remained in the same Condition whereinto he was and never so much as have had one offer of life upon any termes whatever or only upon the old termes of the Covenant of works and what then should the advantage of this have been The whole Scripture speaking of the death of Christ mentioneth far other Ends respecting man If we 3. Consider how the Scripture mentioneth â— number given of the Father to Christ to be Redeemed Saved we shall see that there is neither an Universal nor yet a meer Possible Redemption for this gift is utterly repugnant to destructive of both for if conforme to the Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son there were some given to Christ to save redeem these he must actually save redeem and for these only was Christ ordained designed of the Father to be a Redeemer and upon the account of these only did he undertake the work lay down the ransome-money for it is not rational to suppose that the designe of Father Son being to save actually these gifted ones Christ would shed his blood for others who were noâ— given to him who should receive no salvation by his blood for cui bono what could be the designe of Father Son in this The matter goeth not so in humane transactions where the