shall not farther here insist on this Testimony Many others also unto the same purpose I shall wholly omit namely all those wherein the Saints of God or the Church in an humble acknowledgment and confession of their own sins do betake themselves unto the Mercy and Grace of God alone as dispensed through the Mediation and Blood of Christ and all those wherein God promiseth to pardon and blot out our Iniquities for his own sake for his names sake to bless the people not for any good that was in them nor for their Righteousness nor for their Works the consideration whereof he excludes from having any influence into any actings of his Grace towards them And all those wherein God expresseth his Delight in them alone and his Approbation of them who hope in his mercy trust in his name betaking themselves unto him as their only Refuge pronouncing them accursed who trust in any thing else or glory in themselves such as contain singular promises unto them that betake themselves unto God as Fatherless Hopeless and lost in themselves There is none of the Testimonies which are multiplied unto this purpose but they sufficiently prove that the best of Gods Saints have not a Righteousness of their own whereon they can in any sense be justified before God For they do all of them in the places referred unto renounce any such Righteousness of their own all that is in them all that they have done or can do and betake themselves unto Grace and Mercy alone And whereas as we have before proved God in the Justification of any doth exercise Grace towards them with respect unto a Righteousness whereon he declares them Righteous and accepted before him they do all of them respect a Righteousness which is not inherent in us but imputed us Herein lies the substance of all that we enquire into in this matter of Justification All other disputes about qualifications conditions causes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any kind of Interest for own Works and Obedience in our Justification before God are but the speculations of men at ease The Conscience of a convinced sinner who presents himself in the presence of God finds all practically reduced unto this one point namely whether he will trust unto his own personal inherent Righteousness or in a full Renuntiation of it betake himself unto the Grace of God and the Righteousness of Christ alone In other things he is not concerned And let men phrase his own Righteousness unto him as they please let them pretend it meritorious or only Evangelical not legal only an accomplishment of the condition of the new Covenant a cause without which he cannot be justified it will not be easie to frame his mind unto any confidence in it as unto Justification before God So as not to deceive him in the Issue The second part of the present Argument is taken from the nature of the thing it self or the consideration of this personal inherent Righteousness of our own what it is and wherein it doth consist and of what use it may be in our Justification And unto this purpose it may be observed 1. That we grant an inherent Righteousness in all that do believe as hath been before declared For the fruit of the Spirit is in all Goodness and Righteousness and Truth Ephes. 5.9 Being made free from sin we become the Servants of Righteousness Rom. 6.20 And our Duty it is to follow after Righteousness Godliness Faith Love Meekness 1 Tim. 2.22 And although Righteousness be mostly taken for an especial Grace or Duty distinct from other Graces and Duties yet we acknowledge that it may be taken for the whole of our Obedience before God and the word is so used in the Scripture where our own Righteousness is opposed unto the Righteousness of God And it is either Habitual or Actual There is an Habitual Righteousness inherent in Believers as they have put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Ephes. 4.24 As they are the Workmanship of God created in Jesus Christ unto good Works Chap. 2.8 And there is an Actual Righteousness consisting in those good Works whereunto we are so created or the fruits of Righteousness which are to the praise of God by Jesus Christ. And concerning this Righteousness it may be observed 1 That men are said in the Scripture to be just or righteous by it but no one is said to be justified by it before God 2 That it is not ascribed unto or found in any but those that are actually justified in order of nature antecedent thereunto This being the constant Doctrine of all the reformed Churches and Divines it is an open Calumny whereby the contrary is ascribed unto them or any of those who believe the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto our Justification before God So Bellarmine affirms that no Protestant Writers acknowledge an inherent Righteousness but only Bucer and Chemnitius when there is no one of them by whom either the thing it self or the necessity of it is denied But some excuse may be made for him from the manner whereby they expressed themselves wherein they always carefully distinguished between inherent Holiness and that Righteousness whereby we are justified But we are now told by one that if we should affirm it an Hundred times he could scarce believe us This is somewhat severe for although he speaks but to one yet the charge falls equally upon all who maintain that Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ which he denies who being at least the generality of all Protestant Divines they are represented either as so foolish as not to know what they say or so dishonest as to say one thing and believe another But he endeavours to justifie his censure by sundry Reasons And first he says that inherent Righteousness can on no other account be said to be ours than that by it we are made Righteous that is that it is the condition of our Justification required in the new Covenant This being denied all inherent Righteousness is denied But how is this proved what if one should say that every Believer is inherently Righteous but yet that this inherent Righteousness was not the condition of his Justification but rather the consequent of it and that it is no where required in the new Covenant as the condition of our Justification how shall the contrary be made to appear The Scripture plainly affirms that there is such an inherent Righteousness in all that believe and yet as plainly that we are justified before God by Faith without works Wherefore that it is the condition of our Justification and so antecedent unto it is expresly contrary unto that of the Apostle unto him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted unto him for Righteousness Rom. 4.5 Nor is it the condition of the Covenant it self as that whereon the whole Grace of the Covenant is suspended For as it is
which is here pleaded for But the Apostle makes an express distinction between them and as this Author observes proceeds from one to another by an ascent from the lesser to the greater And the infusion of an habit or principle of Grace or Righteousness Evangelical whereby we are inherently Righteous by which he explains plains our being justified in this place is our Sanctification and nothing else Yea and Sanctification is here distinguished from washing but ye are washed but ye are Sanctified So as that it peculiarly in this place denotes positive habits of Grace and Holiness Neither can he declare the nature of it any way different from what he would have expressed by being Justified 2. Justification is ascribed unto the Spirit of God as the principal efficient cause of the Application of the Grace of God and Blood of Christ whereby we are Justified unto our Souls and Consciences And he is so also of the operation of that Faith whereby we are Justified whence although we are said to be justified by him yet it doth not follow that our Justification consists in the Renovation of our natures 3. The change and mutation that was made in these Corinthians so far as it was Physical in effects inherent as such there was the Apostle expresly ascribes unto their washing and Sanctification So that there is no need to suppose this change to be expressed by their being Justified And in the real change asserted that is in the Renovation of our Natures consists the true entire work and nature of our Sanctification But whereas by reason of the vitious habits and practices mentioned they were in a state of Condemnation and such as had no right unto the Kingdom of Heaven they were by their Justification changed and transferred out of that state into another wherein they had peace with God and right unto life Eternal 4. The third reason proceeds upon a mistake namely That to be justified is only to be freed from the punishment due unto sin For it comprizeth both the Non-imputation of sin and the Imputation of Righteousness with the priviledge of Adoption and right unto the Heavenly Inheritance which are inseparable from it And although it doth not appear that the Apostle in the enumeration of these Priviledges did intend a process from the lesser unto the greater nor is it safe for us to compare the unutterable effects of the Grace of God by Christ Jesus such as Sanctification and Justification are and to determine which is greatest and which is least yet following the conduct of the Scripture and the due consideration of the things themselves we may say that in this life we can be made partakers of no greater Mercy or Priviledge than what consists in our Justification And the Reader may see from hence how impossible it is to produce any one place wherein the words Justification and to justifie do signifie a real internal Work and Physical operation in that this learned man a person of more then ordinary perspicuity candor and judgment designing to prove it insisted on such instances as give so little countenance unto what he pretended He adds Tit. 3.5 6 7. Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according unto his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according unto the hope of Eternal life The argument which he alone insists upon to prove that by Justification here an infusion of internal Grace is intended is this That the Apostle affirming first that God saved us according unto his Mercy by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost and afterwards affirming that we are Justified by his Grace he supposes it necessary that we should be Regenerate and renewed that we may be justified and if so then our Justification contains and compriseth our Sanctification also Answ. The plain truth is the Apostle speaks not one word of the Necessity of our Sanctification or Regeneration or Renovation by the Holy Ghost antecedently unto our Justification a supposition whereof contains the whole force of this Argument Indeed he assigns our Regeneration Renovation and Justification all the means of our Salvation all equally unto Grace and Mercy in opposition unto any works of our own which we shall afterwards make use of Nor is there intimated by him any order of precedency or connexion between the things that he mentions but only between Justification and Adoption Justification having the priority in order of nature that being justified by his Grace we should be Heirs according to the hope of Eternal life All the things he mentions are inseparable No man is Regenerate or renewed by the Holy Ghost but withal he is justified No man is justified but withal he is renewed by the Holy Ghost And they are all of them equally of Soveraign Grace in God in opposition unto any works of Righteousness that we have wrought And we plead for the freedom of Gods Grace in Sanctification no less then in Justification But that it is necessary that we should be Sanctified that we may be justified before God who justifieth the ungodly the Apostle says not in this place nor any thing to that purpose neither yet if he did so would it at all prove that the signification of that expression to be justified is to be sanctified or to have inherent Holiness and Righteousness wrought in us And these Testimonies would not have been produced to prove it wherein these things are so expresly distinguished but that there are none to be found of more force or evidence The last place wherein he grants this signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Revel 22.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui Justus est Justificetur adhuc which place is pleaded by all the Romanists And our Author says they are but few among the Protestants who do not acknowledge that the word cannot be here used in a Forensick sense but that to be justified is to go on and encrease in Piety and Righteousness Answ. But 1 There is a great objection lies in the way of any Argument from these words namely from the various Reading of the place For many antient Copies read not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the vulgar renders Justificetur adhuc but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him that is Righteous work Righteousness still as doth the Printed Copy which now lyeth before me So it was in the Copy of the Complutensian Edition which Stephens commends above all others and in one more antient Copy that he used So it is in the Syriack and Arabick published by Huterus and in our own Polyglot So Cyprian reads the words de bono patientiae Justus autem adhuc justiora faciat similiter qui sanctus sanctiora And I doubt not but that is the true reading of the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
the Souls and Consciences of them that are justified or others that is the Church and the World And each of these have the name of Justification assigned unto them though our real Justification before God be always one and the same But a man may be really justified before God and yet not have the evidence or assurance of it in his own mind Wherefore that evidence or assurance is not of the nature or essence of that Faith whereby we are Justified nor doth necessarily accompany our Justification But this Manifestation of a mans own Justification unto himself although it depends on many especial causes which are not necessary unto his Justification absolutely before God is not a second Justification when it is attained but only the Application of the former unto his Conscience by the Holy Ghost There is also a Manifestation of it with respect unto others which in like manner depends on other causes then doth our Justification before God absolutely yet is it not a second Justification For it depends wholly on the visible effects of that Faith whereby we are justified as the Apostle James instructs us yet is it only our single Justification before God evidenced and declared unto his Glory the benefit of others and encrease of our own Reward There is also a twofold Justification before God mentioned in the Scripture 1 By the works of the Law Rom. 2.13 chap. 10.5 Matth. 19.15 16 17 18 19. Hereunto is required an absolute conformity unto the whole Law of God in our natures all the faculties of our Souls all the principles of our moral operations with perfect actual Obedience unto all its commands in all instances of Duty both for matter and manner For he is cursed who continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to do them And he that breaks any one Commandment is guilty of the breach of the whole Law Hence the Apostle concludes that none can be Justified by the Law because all have sinned 2 There is a Justification by Grace through Faith in the Blood of Christ whereof we treat And these ways of Justification are contrary proceeding on terms directly contradictory and cannot be made consistent with or subservient one to the other But as we shall manifest afterwards the confounding of them both by mixing them together is that which is aimed at in this distinction of a first and second Justification But whatever respects it may have that Justification which we have before God in his sight through Jesus Christ is but one and at once full and compleat and this distinction is a vain and fond invention For 1. As it is explained by the Papists it is exceedingly derogatory to the merit of Christ. For it leaves it no effect towards us but only the infusion of an habit of Charity When that is done all that remains with respect unto our Salvation is to be wrought by our selves Christ hath only merited the first Grace for us that we therewith and thereby may merit life eternal The merit of Christ being confined in its effect unto the first Justification it hath no immediate influence into any Grace Priviledge Mercy or Glory that follow thereon but they are all effects of that second Justification which is purely by works But this is openly contrary unto the whole tenor of the Scripture For although there be an order of Gods appointment wherein we are to be made partakers of Evangelical Priviledges in Grace and Glory one before another yet are they all of them the immediate effects of the death and obedience of Christ who hath obtained for us eternal Redemption Heb. 9.12 and is the Authour of eternal Salvation unto all that do obey him Chap. 5.9 Having by one offering for ever perfected them that are Sanctified And those who allow of a secondary if not of a second Justification by our own inherent personal Righteousnesses are also guilty hereof though not in the same degree with them For whereas they ascribe unto it our acquitment from all charge of Sin after the first Justification and a Righteousness accepted in Judgment in the Judgment of God as if it were compleat and perfect whereon depends our final Absolution and Reward it is evident that the immediate efficacy of the satisfaction and merit of Christ hath its bounds assigned unto it in the first Justification which whether it be taught in the Scripture or no we shall afterwards enquire 2. More by this distinction is ascribed unto our selves working by vertue of inherent Grace as unto the merit and procurement of spiritual and eternal good than unto the Blood of Christ. For that only procures the first Grace and Justification for us Thereof alone it is the meritorious cause or as others express it we are made partakers of the effects of it in the pardon of Sins past But by vertue of this Grace we do our selves obtain procure or merit another a second a compleat Justification the continuance of the favour of God and all the fruits of it with life eternal and Glory So do our works at least perfect and compleat the merit of Christ without which it is imperfect And those who assign the continuation of our Justification wherein all the effects of Divine Favour and Grace are contained unto our own personal Righteousness as also final Justification before God as the pleadable cause of it do follow their steps unto the best of my understanding But such things as these may be disputed in debates of which kind it is incredible almost what influence on the minds of men Traditions Prejudices Subtilty of Invention and Arguing do obtain to divert them from real thoughts of the things about which they contend with respect unto themselves and their own condition If by any means such persons can be called home unto themselves and find leasure to think how and by what means they shall come to appear before the High God to be freed from the sentence of the Law and the Curse due to Sin to have a pleadable Righteousness at the Judgment Seat of God before which they stand especially if a real sense of these things be implanted on their minds by the convincing power of the Holy Ghost all their subtle Arguments and Pleas for the mighty efficacy of their own personal Righteousness will sink in their minds like Water at the return of the Tide and leave nothing but Mud and Defilement behind them 3. This Distinction of two Justifications as used and improved by those of the Roman Church leaves us indeed no Justification at all Something there is in the branches of it of Sanctification but of Justification nothing at all Their first Justification in the infusion of an habit or principle of Grace unto the expulsion of all habits of Sin is Sanctification and nothing else And we never did contend that our Justification in such a sense if any will take it in such a sense doth consist in the Imputation of the
justified in his sight Whence the Prophet says in the Psalm If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity who should stand And Ambrose to the same purpose Nemo ergo sibi arroget nemo de meritis glorietur nemo de potestate se jactet omnes speremus per Dominum Jesum misericordiam invenire quoniam omnes ante Tribunal ejus stabimus de illo veniam de illo indulgentiam postulabo quaenam spes alia peccatoribus in Psal. 119. Resh Let no man arrogate any thing unto himself let no man glory in his own merits or good deeds let no man boast of his power let us all hope to find mercy by Lord Jesus for we shall all stand before his Judgment-seat Of him will I beg pardon of him will I desire Indulgence what other hope is there for sinners Wherefore if men will be turned off from a continual regard unto the Greatness Holiness and Majesty of God by their Inventions in the Heat of Disputation if they do forget a Reverential Consideration of what will become them and what they may betake themselves unto when they stand before his Tribunal they may ingage into such apprehensions as they dare not abide by in their own personal Trial. For how shall man be just with God Hence it hath been observed that the School-men themselves in their Meditations and Devotional writings wherein they had immediate thoughts of God with whom they had to do did speak quite another Language as to Justification before God then they do in their wrangling Philosophical fiery Disputes about it And I had rather learn what some men really judge about their own Justification from their prayers then their writings Nor do I remember that I did ever hear any good man in his prayers use any expressions about Justification pardon of sin and Righteousness before God wherein any plea from any thing in our selves was introduced or made use of The Prayer of Daniel hath in this matter been the substance of their Supplications O Lord Righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces we do not present our Supplications before thee for our own Righteousness but for thy great mercies O Lord hear O Lord forgive for thine own sake O my God Dan. 9.7 18 19. Or that of the Psalmist Enter not into Judgement with thy servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal. 143.2 Or If thou Lord mark Iniquity Lord who shall stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared Psal. 130. 2 3 4. On which words the Exposition of Austin is remarkable speaking of David and applying it unto himself Ecce clamat sub molibus iniquitatum suarum Circumspexit se circumspexit vitam suam vidit illam undique flagitiis coopertam quacunque respexit nihil in se boni invenit Et cum tanta tam multa peccata undique videret tanquam expavescens exclamavit si iniquitates observaris Domine quis sustinebit vidit enim prope totam vitam humanam circumlatrari peccatis accusari omnes conscientias cogitationibus suis non inveniri Cor Castum praesumens de justitia quod quia inveniri non potest praesumat ergo omnium Cor de misericordia Domini Dei sui dicat Deo si iniquitates observaris Domine Domine quis sustinebit Quae autem est spes quoniam apud te propitiatio est And whereas we may and ought to represent unto God in our Supplications our Faith or what it is that we believe herein I much question whether some men can find in their hearts to pray over and plead before him all the Arguments and Distinctions they make use of to prove the interest of our Works and Obedience in our Justification before him or enter into Judgement with him upon the conclusions which they make from them Nor will many be satisfied to make use of that Prayer which Pelagius taught the Widow as it was objected to him in the Diaspolitan Synod Tu nosti Domine quam sanctae quam innocentes quam purae ab omni fraude rapina quas ad te expando manus quam justa quam immaculata labia ab omni mendacio libera quibus tibi ut mihi miserearis preces fundo Thou knowest O Lord how holy how innocent how pure from all deceit and rapine are the hands which I stretch forth unto thee how just how unspotted with evil how free from lying are those lips wherewith I pour forth prayers unto thee that thou wouldst have mercy on me And yet although he taught her so to plead her own purity innocency and righteousness before God yet he doth it not as those whereon she might be absolutely justified but only as the condition of her obtaining mercy Nor have I observed that any publick Liturgies the Mass-Book only excepted wherein there is a frequent recourse unto the merits and intercession of Saints do guide men in their prayers before God to plead any thing for their acceptance with him or as the means or condition thereof but Grace Mercy the Righteousness and Blood of Christ alone Wherefore I cannot but judge it best others may think of it as they please for those who would teach or learn the Doctrine of Justification in a due manner to place their Consciences in the presence of God and their Persons before his Tribunal and then upon a due consideration of his Greatness Power Majesty Righteousness Holiness of the terrour of his Glory and Soveraign Authority to enquire what the Scripture and a sense of their own Condition directs them unto as their Relief and Refuge and what Plea it becomes them to make for themselves Secret thoughts of God and our selves retired meditations the conduct of the spirit in humble supplications Death-bed preparations for an immediate appearance before God Faith and Love in exercise on Christ speak other things for the most part then many contend for 3. A clear apprehension and due sense of the Greatness of our Apostasie from God of the Depravation of our Natures thereby of the Power and Guilt of Sin of the Holiness and Severity of the Law are necessary unto a right apprehension of the Doctrine of Justification Therefore unto the Declaration of it doth the Apostle premise a large Discourse throughly to convince the minds of all that seek to be justified with a sense of these things Rom. 1.2 3. The Rules which he hath given us the Method which he prescribeth and the Ends which he designeth are those which we shall chuse to follow And He layeth it down in general That the Righteoussness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith and that the Just shall live by Faith chap. 1.17 But he declares not in particular the causes nature and way of our Justification until he hath fully evinced that all men are shut up under this state of sin and manifested how deplorable their Condition is thereby And in the Ignorance of these things in the
Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Not of Works lest any man should boast For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto Good Works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Ephes. 2.8 9 10. Yea doubtless and I count all things loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith Phil. 3. 8 9. Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our Works but according unto his own purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began 2 Tim. 1.9 That being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life Tit. 3.7 He hath once appeared in the End of the World to put away sin Heb. 9.26 28. having in himself purged our sins chap. 1.3 For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified chap. 10.14 For the Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 Wherefore unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Rev. 1.5 6. These are some of the places which at present occur to Remembrance wherein the Scripture represents unto us the Grounds Causes and Reasons of our Acceptation with God The especial import of many of them and the Evidence of Truth that is in them will be afterwards considered Here we take only a general view of them And everything in and of our selves under any consideration whatever seems to be excluded from our Justification before God Faith alone excepted whereby we receive his Grace and the Attonement And on the other side the whole of our Acceptation with Him seems to be assigned unto Grace Mercy the Obedience and Blood of Christ in opposition unto our own Worth and Righteousness or our own Works and Obedience And I cannot but suppose that the Soul of a convinced sinner if not prepossessed with prejudice will in general not judge amiss whether of these things that are set in opposition one to the other he should betake himself unto that he may be justified But it is replyed these things are not to be understood absolutely and without Limitations Sundry Distinctions are necessary that we may come to understand the mind of the Holy Ghost and sense of the Scripture in these Ascriptions unto Grace and Exclusions of the Law our own Works and Righteousness from our Justification For 1 the Law is either the moral or the ceremonial Law the latter indeed is excluded from any place in our Justification but not the former 2 Works required by the Law are either wrought before Faith without the Aid of Grace or after believing by the help of the Holy Ghost The former are excluded from our Justification but not the latter 3 Works of Obedience wrought after Grace received may be considered either as sincere only or absolutely perfect according to what was originally required in the Covenant of Works Those of the latter sort are excluded from any place in our Justification but not those of the former 4 There is a two-fold Justification before God in this life a first and a second and we must diligently consider with respect unto whether of these Justifications any thing is spoken in the Scripture 5 Justification may be considered either as to its beginning or as unto its continuation and so it hath divers causes under these divers respects 6 Works may be considered either as Meritorious ex condigno so as their merit should arise from their own intrinsick worth or ex congruo only with respect unto the Covenant and promise of God Those of the first sort are excluded at least from the first Justification the latter may have place both in the first and second 7 Moral Causes may be of many sorts preparatory dispository meritorious conditionally efficient or only sine quibus non And we must diligently enquire in what sense under the Notion of what cause or causes our Works are excluded from our Justification and under what notions they are necessary thereunto And there is no one of these Distinctions but it needs many more to explain it which accordingly are made use of by Learned men And so specious a Colour may be put on these things when warily managed by the Art of Disputation that very few are able to discern the Ground of them or what there is of substance in that which is pleaded for and fewer yet on whether side the Truth doth lye But he who is really convinced of sin and being also sensible of what it is to enter into judgement with the Holy God enquires for himself and not for others how he may come to be accepted with him will be apt upon the consideration of all these Distinctions and Sub-distinctions wherewith they are attended to say to their Authors fecistis probe incertior sum multo quam dudum My Enquiry is how I shall come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God how shall I escape the wrath to come what shall I plead in judgment before God that I may be absolved acquitted justified where shall I have a Righteousness that will endure a Trial in his presence If I should be harnessed with a thousand of these distinctions I am afraid they would prove Thorns and Briars which he would pass through and consume The Enquiry therefore is upon the consideration of the state of the Person to be justified before mentioned and described and the proposal of the Reliefs in our Justification as now expressed whether it be the wisest and safest course for such a Person seeking to be justified before God to betake himself absolutely his whole Trust and Confidence unto Soveraign Grace and the Mediation of Christ or to have some reserve for or to place some confidence in his own Graces Duties Works and Obedience In putting this great Difference unto Vmpirage that we may not be thought to fix on a partial Arbitrator we shall refer it to one of our greatest and most learned Adversaries in this cause And he positively gives us in his Determination and Resolution in those known words In this case Propter incertitudinem propriae justitiae periculum inanis gloriae Tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola misericordia Dei benignitate reponere Bellar. de Justificat lib. 5. cap. 7. prop. 3. By reason of the uncertainty of our own Righteousness and the danger of vain Glory it is the safest course to repose our whole Trust in the mercy and kindness or
Grace of God alone And this Determination of this important enquiry he confirmeth with two Testimonies of Scripture as he might have done it with many more But those which he thought meet to mention are not impertinent The first is Dan. 9.18 We do not present our Supplications before thee for our Righteousness but for thy great mercies And the other is that of our Saviour Luke 17.10 When you have done all these things which are commanded you say We are unprofitable Servants And after he hath confirmed his Resolution with sundry Testimonies of the Fathers he closeth his Discourse with this Dilemma Either a man hath true merits or he hath not If he hath not he is perniciously deceived when he trusteth in any thing but the mercy of God alone and seduceth himself trusting in false merits If he hath them he looseth nothing whilst he looks not to them but trusts in God alone So that whether a man have any good works or no as to his Justification before God it is best and safest for him not to have any regard unto them or put any trust in them And if this be so he might have spared all his pains he took in writing his Sophistical Books about Justification whose principal Design is to seduce the minds of men into a contrary opinion And so for ought I know they may spare their labour also without any disadvantage unto the Church of God or their own Souls who so earnestly contend for some kind of Interest or other for our own Duties and Obedience in our Justification before God seeing it will be found that they place their own whole Trust and Confidence in the Grace of God by Jesus Christ alone For to what purpose do we labour and strive with Endless Disputations Arguments and Distinctions to prefer our Duties and Obedience unto some office in our Justification before God if when we have done all we find it the safest course in our own persons to abhor our selves with Job in the presence of God to betake our selves unto Soveraign Grace and Mercy with the Publican and to place all our confidence in them through the Obedience and Blood of Christ. So died that great Emperour Charles the fifth as Thuanus gives the account of his Novissima So he reasoned with himself Se quidem indignum esse qui propriis meritis regnum caelorum obtineret Sed Dominum Deum suum qui illud duplici jure obtineat Patris haereditate Passionis merito altero contentum esse alterum sibi donare ex cujus dono illud sibi merito vendicet hacque fiducia fretus minime confundatur neque enim oleum misericordiae nisi in vase fiduciae poni hanc hominis fiduciam esse a se deficientis innitentis domino suo alioquin propriis meritis fidere non fidei esse sed perfidiae peccata deleri per Dei indulgentiam ideoque credere nos debere peccata deleri non posse nisi ab eo eui soli peccavimus in quem peccatum non cadit per quem solum nobis peecata condonentur That in himself he was altogether unworthy to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven by his own Works or Merits but that his Lord God who enjoyed it on a double Right or Title by inheritance of the Father and the merit of his own passion was contented with the one himself and freely granted unto him the other on whose free grant he laid claim thereunto and in confidence thereof he should not be confounded for the Oyl of mercy is poured only into the Vessel of Faith or Trust that this is the Trust of a man despairing in himself and resting in his Lord otherwise to trust unto his own Works or Merits is not Faith but Treachery that sins are blotted out by the mercy of God and therefore we ought to believe that our sins can be pardoned by him alone against whom alone we have sinned with whom there is no sin and by whom alone sins are forgiven This is the Faith of men when they come to dye and those who are exercised with Temptations whilst they live Some are hardened in sin and endeavour to leave this World without thoughts of another Some are stupidly ignorant who neither know nor consider what it is to appear in the presence of God and to be judged by him Some are seduced to place their confidence in merits pardons indulgences and future suffrages for the dead But such as are acquainted with God and themselves in any spiritual manner who take a view of the time that is past and approaching Eternity into which they must enter by the Judgment seat of God however they may have thought talked and disputed about their own works and Obedience looking on Christ and his Righteousness only to make up some small defects in themselves will come at last unto an universal Renuntiation of what they have been and are and betake themselves unto Christ alone for Righteousness or Salvation And in the whole ensuing Discourse I shall as little as is possible immix my self in any curious Scholastical disputes This is the substance of what is pleaded for that men should renounce all confidence in themselves and every thing that may give countenance thereunto betaking themselves unto the Grace of God by Christ alone for Righteousness and Salvation This God designeth in the Gospel 1 Cor. 1.29 30 31. and herein whatever difficulties we may meet withall in the Explication of some Propositions and Terms that belong unto the Doctrine of Justification about which men have various conceptions I doubt not of the internal concurrent suffrage of them who know any thing as they ought of God and themselves Fifthly There is in the Scripture represented unto us a Commutation between Christ and Believers as unto Sin and Righteousness that is in the imputation of their sins unto him and of his Righteousness unto them In the Improvement and Application hereof unto our own Souls no small part of the life and exercise of Faith doth consist This was taught the Church of God in offering of the Scape Goat And Aaron shall lay his hands on the head of the live Goat and confess over him all the Iniquities of the Children of Israel and all their Transgressions in all their Sins putting them on the head of the Goat And the Goat shall bear upon him all their Iniquities Levit. 16.21 22. Whether this Goat sent away with this burthen upon him did live and so was a Type of the life of Christ in his Resurrection after his Death or whether he perished in the Wilderness being cast down the precipice of a Rock by him that conveyed him away as the Jews suppose it is generally acknowledged that what was done to him and with him was only a Representation of what was done really in the Person of Jesus Christ. And Aaron did not only confess the sins of the People over the Goat but he also put them all on his
pleased to observe that I am not debating these things argumentatively in such propriety of Expressions as are required in a Scholastical Disputation which shall be done afterwards so far as I judge it necessary But I am doing that which indeed is better and of more Importance namely declaring the Experience of Faith in the Expressions of the Scripture or such as are analogous unto them And I had rather be instrumental in the communication of light and knowledge unto the meanest Believer then to have the clearest success against prejudiced Disputers Wherefore by Faith thus acting are we justified and have peace with God Other Foundation in this matter can no man lay that will endure the Trial. Nor are we to be moved that men who are unacquainted with these things in their Reality and Power do reject the whole work of Faith herein as an easie effort of Fancy or Imagination For the preaching of the Cross is foolishness unto the best of the natural wisdom of men Neither can any understand them but by the spirit of God Those who know the Terrour of the Lord who have been really convinced and made sensible of the Guilt of their Apostasie from God and of their actual sins in that state and what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God seeking thereon after a real solid Foundation whereon they may be accepted with him have other thoughts of these things and do find Believing a thing to be quite of another nature then such men suppose It is not a work of Fancy or Imagination unto men to deny and abhor themselves to subscribe unto the Righteousness of God in denouncing Death as due to their sins to renounce all hopes and expectations of Relief from any Righteousness of their own to mix the Word and Promise of God concerning Christ and Righteousness by him with Faith so as to receive the Attonement and therewithall to give up themselves unto an universal Obedience unto God And as for them unto whom through Pride and Self-conceit on the one hand or Ignorance on the other it is so we have in this matter no concernment with them For unto whom these things are only the work of Fancy the Gospel is a Fable Something unto this purpose I had written long since in a practical Discourse concerning Communion with God And whereas some men of an inferiour condition have found it useful for the strengthening themselves in their dependencies on some of their superiours or in compliance with their own Inclinationt to cavil at my Writings and revile their Author that Book hath been principally singled out to exercise their faculty and Good intentions upon This course is steered of late by one Mr. Hotchkisse in a Book about Justification wherein in particular he falls very severely on that Doctrine which for the substance of it is here again proposed pag. 81. And were it not that I hope it may be somewhat useful unto him to be a little warned of his Immoralities in that Discourse I should not in the least have taken notice of his other Impertinencies The Good man I perceive can be angry with Persons whom he never saw and about things which he cannot or will not understand so far as to revile them with most opprobious Language For my part although I have never written any thing designedly on this subject or the Doctrine of Justification before now yet he could not but discern by what was occasionally delivered in that Discourse that I maintain no other Doctrine herein but what is the common Faith of the most Learned men in all Protestant Churches And the Reasons why I am singled out for the object of his petulancy and spleen are too manifest to need Repetition But I shall yet inform him of what perhaps he is ignorant namely That I esteem it no small honour that the Reproaches wherewith the Doctrine opposed by him is reproached do fall upon me And the same I say concerning all the reviling and contemptuous Expressions that his ensuing pages are filled withall But as to the present occasion I beg his excuse if I believe him not that the reading of the passages which he mentions out of my Book filled him with Horrour and Indignation as he pretends For whereas he acknowledgeth that my words may have a sense which he approves of and which therefore must of necessity be good and sound what honest and sober person would not rather take them in that sense then wrest them unto another so to cast himself under the disquietment of a fit of horrible Indignation In this fit I suppose it was if such a fit indeed did befall him as one Evil begets another that he thought he might insinuate something of my denial of the necessity of our own personal Repentance and Obedience For no man who had read that Book only of all my Writings could with the least regard to Conscience or Honesty give countenance unto such a surmise unless his mind was much discomposed by the unexpected invasion of a fit of Horrour But such is his dealing with me from first to last nor do I know where to fix on any one instance of his Exceptions against me wherein I can suppose he had escaped his pretended fit and was returned unto himself that is unto honest and ingenuous thoughts wherewith I hope he is mostly conversant But though I cannot miss in the Justification of this charge by considering any Instance of his Reflections yet I shall at present take that which he insists longest upon and filleth his Discourse about it with most scurrility of Expressions And this is in the 164 th page of his Book and those that follow For there he disputeth fiercely against me for making this to be an undue End of our serving God namely that we may flee from the wrath to come And who would not take this for an inexpiable crime in any especially in him who hath written so much of the nature and use of Threatnings under the Gospel and the Fear that ought to be ingenerated by them in the hearts of men as I have done Wherefore so great a Crime being the object of them all his Revilings seem not only to be Excused but Hallowed But what if all this should prove a wilful prevarication not becoming a Good man much less a Minister of the Gospel my words as reported and transcribed by himself are these Some there are that do the Service of the House of God as the drudgery of their Lives the principle they yield Obedience upon is Spirit of Bondage unto fear the Rule they do it by is the Law in its dread and rigour exacting it of them to the utmost without mercy or mitigation the End they do it for is to fly from the Wrath to come to pacifie Conscience and to seek for Righteousness as it were by the works of the Law What follow unto the same purpose he omits and what he adds as my
the Righteousness of Christ is so far imputed unto us that on the account thereof God gives unto us Justifying Grace and thereby the Remission of Sin in their sense whence they allow it the meritorious cause of our Justification But on a supposition thereof or the reception of that Grace we are continued to be justified before God by the works we perform by vertue of that Grace received And though some of them rise so high as to affirm that this Grace and the works of it need no farther respect unto the Righteousness of Christ to deserve our second Justification and life eternal as doth Vasquez expresly in 1.2 q. 114. Disp. 222. cap. 3. Yet many of them affirm that it is still from the consideration of the merit of Christ that they are so meritorious And the same for the substance of it is the Judgment of some of them who affirm the continuation of our Justification to depend on our own works setting aside that ambiguous term of merit For it is on the account of the Righteousness of Christ they say that our own works or imperfect obedience is so accepted with God as that the continuation of our Justification depends thereon But the Apostle gives us another account hereof Rom. 5.1 2 3. For he distinguisheth three things our Access into the Grace of God 2 Our standing in that Grace 3 Our Glorying in that station against all opposition By the first he expresseth our absolute Justification By the second our continuation in the state whereinto we are admitted thereby and by the third the assurance of that continuation notwithstanding all the oppositions we meet withal And all these he ascribeth equally unto Faith without the intermixture of any other cause or condition And other places express to the same purpose might be pleaded 3. The examples of them that did believe and were justified which are recorded in the Scripture do all bear witness unto the same Truth The continuation of the Justification of Abraham before God is declared to have been by Faith only Rom. 4.3 For the instance of his Justification given by the Apostle from Gen. 15.6 was long after he was justified absolutely And if our first Justification and the continuation of it did not depend absolutely on the same cause the instance of the one could not be produced for a proof of the way and means of the other as here they are And David when a justified Believer not only placeth the Blessedness of man in the free Remission of sins in opposition unto his own works in general Rom. 4.6 7. but in his own particular case ascribeth the continuation of his Justification and acceptation before God unto Grace Mercy and forgiveness alone which are no otherwise received but by Faith Psal. 130.3 4 5. Psal. 143.2 All other works and duties of obedience do accompany Faith in the continuation of our justified estate as necessary effects and fruits of it but not as causes means or conditions whereon that effect is suspended It is patient waiting by Faith that brings in the full accomplishment of the Promises Heb. 6.12 16. Wherefore there is but one Justification and that of one kind only wherein we are concerned in this Disputation The Scripture makes mention of no more and that is the Justification of an ungodly person by Faith Nor shall we admit of the consideration of any other For if there be a second Justification it must be of the same kind with the first or of another if it be of the same kind then the same person is often justified with the same kind of Justification or at least more than once and so on just reason ought to be often Baptized If it be not of the same kind then the same person is justified before God with two sorts of Justification of both which the Scripture is utterly silent And the continuation of our Justification depends solely on the same causes with our Justification it self CHAP. VI. Evangelical Personal Righteousness the Nature and Vse of it Final Judgment and its respect unto Justification THe things which we have discoursed concerning the first and second Justification and concerning the continuation of Justification have no other Design but only to clear the principal subject whereof we treat from what doth not necessarily belong unto it For until all things that are either really heterogeneous or otherwise superfluous are separated from it we cannot understand aright the true state of the Question about the nature and causes of our Justification before God For we intend one only Justification namely that whereby God at once freely by his Grace justifieth a convinced sinner through Faith in the Blood of Christ. Whatever else any will be pleased to call Justification we are not concerned in it nor are the Consciences of them that believe To the same purpose we must therefore briefly also consider what is usually disputed about our own personal Righteousness with a Justification thereon as also what is called sentential Justification at the day of Judgment And I shall treat no farther of them in this place but only as it is necessary to free the principal subject under consideration from being intermixed with them as really it is not concerned in them For what Influence our own personal Righteousness hath into our Justification before God will be afterwards particularly examined Here we shall only consider such a notion of it as seems to enterfere with it and disturb the right understanding of it But yet I say concerning this also that it rather belongs unto the Difference that will be among us in the Expression of our conceptions about spiritual things whilst we know but in part than unto the substance of the Doctrine it self And on such differences no breach of Charity can ensue whilst there is a mutual Grant of that liberty of mind without which it will not be preserved one moment It is therefore by some apprehended that there is an Evangelical Justification upon our Evangelical Personal Righteousness This they distinguish from that Justification which is by Faith through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ in the sense wherein they do allow it For the Righteousness of Christ is our Legal Righteousness whereby we have pardon of sin and acquitment from the sentence of the Law on the account of his satisfaction and merit But moreover they say that as there is a Personal inherent Righteousness required of us so there is a Justification by the Gospel thereon For by our Faith and the plea of it we are justified from the charge of Unbelief by our sincerity and the plea of it we are justified from the charge of Hypocrisie and so by all other Graces and Duties from the charge of the contrary sins in Commission or Omission so far as such sins are inconsistent with the Terms of the Covenant of Grace How this differeth from the second Justification before God which some say we have by works on the supposition
it was in force was a duty of the Moral Law And the Works of the Law are the Works and Duties of Obedience which this Law of God requires performed in the manner that it prescribes namely in Faith and out of love unto God above all as hath been proved To say that the Apostle excludeth only Works absolutely perfect which none ever did or could perform since the entrance of sin is to suppose him to dispute with great earnestness and many Arguments against that which no Man asserted and which he doth not once mention in all his discourse Nor can he be said to exclude only Works that are looked on as meritorious seeing he excludeth all Works that there may be no place for merit in our Justification as hath also been proved Nor did these Galatians whom he writes unto and convinceth them of their error look for Justification from any Works but such as they performed then when they were Believers So that all sorts of Works are excluded from any interest in our Justification And so much weight doth the Apostle lay on this exclusion of Works from our Justification as that he affirms That the admittance of it overthrows the whole Gospel Ver. 21. For saith he if Righteousness be by the Law then is Christ dead in vain and it is dangerous venturing on so sharp a fence Not this or that sort of Works not this or that manner of the performance of them not this or that kind of interest in our Justification but all Works of what sort soever and however performed are excluded from any kind of consideration in our Justification as our Works or Duties of Obedience For these Galatians whom the Apostle reproves desired no more but that in the Justification of a Believer Works of the Law or Duties of Obedience might be admitted into a conjunction or copartnership witn Faith in Christ Jesus For that they would exclude Faith in him and assign Justification unto Works without it nothing is intimated and it is a foolish imagination In opposition hereunto he positively ascribes our Justification unto Faith in Christ alone Not by Works but by Faith is by Faith alone That the Particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not exceptive but adversative hath not only been undeniably proved by Protestant Divines but is acknowledged by those of the Roman Church who pretend unto any modesty in this Controversie The words of Estius on this place deserve to be transcribed Nisi per fidem Jesu Christi sententiam reddit obscuram particula Nisi so the vulgar Latin renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of sed or sed tantum quae si proprie ut Latinis auribus sonat accipiatur exceptionem facit ab eo quod praecedit ut sensus sit hominem non justificari ex operibus Legis nisi fides in Chrislum ad ea opera accedat quae si accesserit justificari eum per legis opera Sed cum hic sensus Justificationem dividat partim eam tribuens operibus legis partim fidei Christi quod est contra definitam absolutam Apostoli sententiam manifestum est interpretationem illam tanquam Apostolico sensui scopo contrariam omnino repudiandam esse Verum constat voculam nisi frequenter in Scripturis adversative sumi ut idem valeat quod Sed tantum So he according to his usual candor and ingenuity It is not probable that we shall have an end of contending in this World when Men will not acquiesce in such plain Determinations of Controversies given by the Holy Ghost himself The Interpretation of this place given as the meaning of the Apostle That Men cannot be justified by those Works which they cannot perform that is Works absolutely perfect but may be so and are so by those which they can and do perform if not in their own strength yet by the aid of Grace And that Faith in Christ Jesus which the Apostle opposeth absolutely unto all Works whatever doth include in it all those Works which he excludes and that with respect unto that end or effect with respect whereunto they are excluded cannot well be supposed to be suitable unto the mind of the Holy Ghost Ephes. 2.8 9 10. For by Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of Works lest any Man should boast For we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works which God hath fore-ordained that we should walk in them Unless it had seemed good unto the Holy Ghost to have expressed before hand all the evasions and subterfuges which the wit of Man in after ages could invent to pervert the Doctrine of our Justification before God and to have rejected them it is impossible they could have been more plainly prevented then they are in this context If we may take a little unprejudiced consideration of it I suppose what is affirmed will be evident It cannot be denied but that the design of the Apostle from the beginning of this Chapter unto the end of Ver. 11. is to declare the way whereby lost and condemned sinners come to be delivered and translated out of that condition into an estate of acceptance with God and eternal Salvation thereon And therefore in the first place he fully describeth their natural state with their being obnoxious unto the wrath of God thereby For such was the method of this Apostle unto the Declaration of the Grace of God in any kind he did usually yea constantly premise the consideration of our sin misery and ruine Others now like not this method so well Howbeit this hinders not but that it was his Unto this purpose he declares unto the Ephesians That they were dead in trespasses and sins expressing the power that sin had on their Souls as unto Spiritual life and all the actions of it but withal that they lived and walked in sin and on all accounts were the children of wrath or subject and liable unto eternal condemnation Ver. 1 2 3. What such persons can do towards their own deliverance there are many terms found out to express all passing my understanding seeing the intire design of the Apostle is to prove that they can do nothing at all But another cause or other causes of it he finds out and that in direct express opposition unto any thing that may be done by our selves unto that end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 4. It is not a work for us to undertake it is not what we can contribute any thing unto But God who is rich in mercy The adversative includes an opposition unto every thing on our part and incloseth the whole work to God Would Men have rested on this Divine Revelation the Church of God had been free from many of those perverse opinions and wrangling disputes which it hath been pestered withal But they will not so easily part with thoughts of some kind of interest in being the Authors of their own happiness Wherefore two
but also the manner of our Participation of it or its Communication unto us from Faith to Faith the Faith of God in the Revelation and our Faith in the Acceptation of it being only here concerned is an eminent Revelation Righteousness of all things should rather seem to be from Works unto Works from the Work of Grace in us to the Works of Obedience done by us as the Papists affirm No saith the Apostle it is from Faith to Faith whereof afterwards This is the general Thesis the Apostle proposeth unto Confirmation and he seems therein to exclude from Justification every thing but the Righteousness of God and the Faith of Believers And to this purpose he considers all Persons that did or might pretend unto Righteousness or seek after it and all ways and means whereby they hoped to attain unto it or whereby it might most probably be obtained declaring the failing of all persons and the insufficiency of all means as unto them for the obtaining a Righteousness of our own before God And as unto Persons 1. He considers the Gentiles with all their notions of God their Practice in Religious Worship with their Conversation thereon And from the whole of what might be observed amongst them he concludes that they neither were nor could be justified before God but that they were all and that most deservedly obnoxious unto the sentence of Death And whatever men may discourse concerning the Justification and Salvation of any without the Revelation of the Righteousness of God by the Gospel from Faith to Faith it is expresly contradictory to his whole Discourse chap. 1. from ver 19. to the End 2. He considers the Jews who enjoyed the written Law and the Priviledges wherewith it was accompanied especially that of Circumcision which was the outward Seal of Gods Covenant And on many Considerations with many Arguments he excludes them also from any possibility of attaining Justification before God by any of the Priviledges they enjoyed or their own compliance therewithall chap. 2. And both sorts he excludes distinctly from this priviledge of Righteousness before God with this one Argument That both of them sinned openly against that which they took for the Rule of their Righteousness namely the Gentiles against the Light of Nature and the Jews against the Law whence it inevitably follows that none of them could attain unto the Righteousness of their own Rule But he proceeds farther unto that which is common to them all And 3. He proves the same against all sorts of Persons whether Jews or Gentiles from the consideration of the universal depravation of nature in them all and the horrible effects that necessarily ensue thereon in the Hearts and Lives of men chap. 3. So evidencing That as they all were so it could not fall out but that all must be shut up under sin and come short of Righteousness So from Persons he proceeds to Things or Means of Righteousness And 4. Because the Law was given of God immediately as the whole and only Rule of our Obedience unto him and the works of the Law are therefore all that is required of us these may be pleaded with some pretence as those whereby we may be justified Wherefore in particular he considers the Nature Use and End of the Law manifesting its utter insufficiency to be a means of our Justification before God chap. 3.19 20. 5. It may be yet objected That the Law and its works may be thus insufficient as it is obeyed by Vnbelievers in the state of Nature without the Aids of Grace administred in the Promise but with respect unto them who are Regenerate and do believe whose Faith and Works are accepted with God it may be otherwise To obviate this Objection he giveth an Instance in two of the most eminent Believers under the Old Testament namely Abraham and David declaring that all Works whatever were excluded in and from their Justification chap. 4. On these Principles and by this Gradation he peremptorily concludes That all and every one of the Sons of men as unto any thing that is in themselves or can be done by them or be wrought in them are guilty before God obnoxious unto Death shut up under sin and have their mouths so stopped as to be deprived of all pleas in their own excuse that they had no Righteousness wherewith to appear before God and that all the ways and means whence they expected it were insufficient unto that purpose Hereon he proceeds with his Enquiry how men may be delivered from this condition and come to be justified in the sight of God And in the Resolution hereof he makes no mention of any thing in themselves but only Faith whereby we receive the Attonement That whereby we are justified he saith is the Righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Christ Jesus or that we are justified freely by Grace through the Redemption that is in him chap. 3.22 23 24 25. And not content here with this answer unto the enquiry how lost convinced sinners may come to be justified before God namely That it is by the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith by Grace by the blood of Christ as he is set forth for a Propitiation He immediately proceeds unto a positive exclusion of every thing in and of our selves that might pretend unto an Interest herein as that which is inconsistent with the Righteousness of God as revealed in the Gospel and witnessed unto by the Law and the Prophets How contrary their Scheme of Divinity is unto this Design of the Apostle and his management of it who affirm that before the Law men were justified by Obedience unto the Light of Nature and some particular Revelations made unto them in things of their own especial private concernment and that after the giving of the Law they were so by Obedience unto God according to the Directions thereof as also that the Heathen might obtain the same benefit in compliance with the Dictates of Reason cannot be contradicted by any who have not a mind to be contentious Answerable unto this Declaration of the mind of the Holy Ghost herein by the Apostle is the constant Tenour of the Scripture speaking to the same purpose The Grace of God the Promise of Mercy the free pardon of Sin the Blood of Christ his Obedience and the Righteousness of God in him rested in and received by Faith are every where asserted as the causes and means of our Justification in opposition unto any thing in our selves so expressed as it useth to express the best of our Obedience and the utmost of our personal Righteousness Wherever mention is made of the Duties Obedience and personal Righteousness of the best of men with respect unto their Justification they are all renounced by them and they betake themselves unto Soveraign Grace and Mercy alone Some places to this purpose may be recounted The Foundation of the whole is laid in the first Promise wherein the Destruction of
the Work of the Devil by the suffering of the seed of the woman is proposed as the only Relief for sinners and only means of the Recovery of the favour of God It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel Gen. 3.15 Abraham believed in the Lord and he counted it unto him for Righteousness Gen. 15.6 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the Head of the live Goat and confess over him all the iniquities of the Children of Israel and all their Transgressions in all their sins putting them on the head of the Goat and the Goat shall bear upon him all their Iniquities unto a Land not inhabited Lev. 16.21 22. I will go in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy Righteousness even of thine only Psal. 71.16 If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquity O Lord who shall stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared Psal. 130.3 4. Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal. 143.2 Behold he put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with folly how much less on them that dwell in houses of Clay whose foundation is in the dust Job 4.18 19. Fury is not in me who would set the Briers and Thorns against me in battel I would go through them I would burn them together Or let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me Isa. 27.4 5. Surely shall one say in the Lord have I Righteousness and strength in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and Glory Isa. 45.24 25. All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their Iniquities Isa. 53.6 11. For this is his name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 But we are all as an unclean thing and all our Righteousnesses are as filthy raggs Isa. 64.6 He shall finish the Transgression and make an End of sin and make Reconciliation for Iniquity and bring in Everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 Vnto as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his name Joh. 1.12 For as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life chap. 3.14 15. see ver 16 17 18. Be it known therefore unto you Men and Brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of Sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13.38 39. That they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith that is in me chap. 26.18 Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Where then is Boasting it is excluded by what Law of Works nay but by the Law of Faith Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3.24 25 26 27 28. For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to Glory but not before God For what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for Righteousness now to him that worketh is the Reward not reckoned of Grace but of Debt But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Even as David also describeth the Blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works saying Blessed are those whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sin Rom. 4.2 3 4 5 6 7 8. But not as the offence so also is the free Gift for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the Grace of God and the Gift by Grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many And not as it was by one that sinned so is the Gift for the judgment was by one to Condemnation but the free Gift is of many offences unto Justification For if by one mans offence Death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of Grace and of the Gift of Righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men unto condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free Gift came upon all men unto Justification of life For as by one mans Disobedience many were made sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous chap 5. 15 16 17 18 19. There is therefore no condemnation unto them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For the Law of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death and what the Law could not do in that it 's weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us chap. 8. 1 2 3 4. For Christ is the End of the Law for Righteousness unto every one that believeth chap. 10.4 And if by Grace then it is no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be of Works then it is no more Grace otherwise Works is no more Works chap. 11.6 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Knowing that a man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law for by the Works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Gal. 2.16 But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God is evident For the just shall live by Faith and the Law is not of Faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us chap. 3.11 12 13. For by Grace ye are saved through