PROPOSITION VII.

PROPOSITION VII.ConcerningJustification.As many as resist not thisLight, but receive the same, it becomes in them an holy, pure, and spiritual Birth, bringing forth Holiness, Righteousness, Purity, and all those other blessed Fruits which are acceptable toGod: By which holy Birth, to wit,Jesus Christ formed within us, and working his Works in us, as we are sanctified, so are we justified in the Sight of God, according to the Apostle’s Words;But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, 1Cor.vi. 11.Therefore it is not by our Works wrought in our Will, nor yet by good Works considered as of themselves; but byChrist, who is both theGiftand theGiver, and the Cause producing the Effects in us; who, as he hath reconciled us while we were Enemies, doth also in his Wisdom save us and justify us after this Manner, as saith the same Apostle elsewhere; According to his Mercy he saved us, by the Washing of Regeneration, and the Renewing of the Holy Ghost,Tit.iii. 5.§. I.TheDoctrine of Justificationcomes well in Order after the discussing of the Extent of Christ’s Death, and of the Grace thereby communicated, some of the sharpest Contests concerning this having from thence their Rise. Many are the Disputes among those calledChristiansconcerning this Point; and indeed, if all were truly minding that which justifieth, there would be less Noise about theNotions of Justification. I shall briefly review this Controversy as it stands among others, and as I have often seriously observed it; then in short state the Controversy as to us, and open our Sense and Judgment of it; andlastlyprove it, if the Lordwill, by some Scripture Testimonies, and the certain Experience of all that ever were truly justified.§. II.Observat.The Method of Justification taken by the Church ofRome.That thisDoctrine of Justification, hath been and is greatly vitiated in the Church ofRome, is not by us questioned; though our Adversaries, who for want of better Arguments do often make Lies their Refuge, have not spared in this Respect to stigmatize us with Popery, but how untruly will hereafter appear. For to speak little of theirMeritum ex condigno, which was no Doubt a very common Doctrine of theRomish Church, especially beforeLuther, though most of their modern Writers, especially in their Controversies with Protestants, do partly deny it, partly qualify it, and seem to state the Matter only as if they were Propagators and Pleaders for good Works by the others denied; yet if we look to the Effects of this Doctrine among them, as they appear in the Generality of their Church Members, not in Things disapproved, but highly approved and commended by their Father thePopeand all hisClients, as the most beneficial Casualty of all his Revenue,ThePope’s Doctrine ofMerits, the most beneficial of all hisRevenue.we shall find thatLutherdid not without great Ground oppose himself to them in this Matter: And if he had not run himself into another Extreme, of which hereafter, his Work would have stood the better. For in this, as in most other Things, he is more to be commended for what he pulled down ofBabylon, than for what he built of his own. Whatever then thePapistsmay pretend, or even some good Men among them may have thought, Experience sheweth, and it is more than manifest by the universal and approved Practice of their People, that they place not theirJustificationso much in Works that are truly and morally good, and in the being truly renewed and sanctified in the Mind, as in such Things as are either nor Good nor Evil, or may truly be called Evil, and can no otherwise be reckoned Good than because thePopepleases to call them so.PapistsJustification depends upon thePope’s Bulls.So that if the Matter be well sifted, it will be found, that the greatest Part of theirJustificationdepends upon the Authority of hisBulls, and not upon the Power, Virtue, and Grace of Christ revealed in the Heart, and renewing of it, as will appear.Proof 1.Their Sacraments.First, From their Principle concerning theirSacraments, which they say confer Graceex opere operato. So that if a Man partake but of them, he thereby obtains Remission of Sin, though he remains as he was; the Virtue of theSacramentsmaking up the Want that is in the Man. So that this Act of Submission and Faith to the Laws of the Church, and not any real inward Change, is that which justifieth him. As for Example;Papists Penance.if a Man make use of theSacrament, as they call it,of Penance, so as to tell over his Sins to a Priest, though he have not trueContrition, which the Lord hath made absolutely necessary for penitent Sinners, but onlyAttrition, a Figment of their own, that is, if he be sorry he hath sinned, not out of any Love to God, or his Law which he hath transgressed, but for fear of Punishment, yet doth the Virtue of theSacrament, as they affirm, procure to him Remission of Sins; so that being absolved by the Priest, he stands accepted and justified in the Sight of God. This Man’s Justification then proceedeth not from his being truly penitent, and in any Measure inwardly changed and renewed by the working of God’s Grace in his Heart, but merely from the Virtue of theSacrament, and Authority of the Priest, who hath pronounced himabsolved; so that his Justification is from somewhat without him, and not within him.Proof 2.Papist Indulgences.Secondly, This will yet more appear in the Matter ofIndulgences, where Remission of all Sins, not only past but for Years to come, is annexed to the visiting such and suchChurchesandReliques, saying such and suchPrayers; so that the Person that so doth is presently cleared from the Guilt of his Sin, and justified and accepted in the Sight of God. As for Example: He that in the greatJubileewill go toRome, and present himself before the Gate ofPeterandPaul, and there receive thePope’s Blessing; or he that will go a Pilgrimage toJames’s Sepulchre inSpain, or toMaryofLoreto, is upon the Performance of those Things promised Forgiveness of Sins. Now if we ask them the Reason how such Things as are not morally good in themselves come to have Virtue? They have no other Answer butbecause of the Church and Pope’s Authority, who being the great Treasurerof the Magazine ofChrist’s Merits, lets them out upon such and such Conditions.Papists Mass, what it is?Thus also the Invention of sayingMassis made a chief Instrument ofJustification; for in it they pretend to offerChristdaily to the Father apropitiatory Sacrificefor the Sins of the Living and Dead: So that a Man for Money can procureChristthus to be offered for him when he pleases; by which Offering he is said to obtain Remission of Sins, and to stand justified in the Sight of God. From all which, and much more of this Nature which might be mentioned, it doth appear, that thePapistsplace their Justification, not so much in any Work of Holiness really brought forth in them, and real forsaking of Iniquity, as in the mere Performance of some Ceremonies, and a blind Belief which their Teachers have begotten in them, that theChurchand thePopehaving the absolute Dispensation of theMerits of Christ, have Power to make these Merits effectual for the Remission of Sins, and Justification of such as will perform those Ceremonies. This is the true and real Method ofJustificationtaken by the Generality of the Church ofRome, and highly commended by their publick Preachers, especially theMonks, in their Sermons to the People, of which I myself have been an Ear and an Eye-witness; however some of their modern Writers have laboured to qualify it in their Controversies.Lutherand theProtestantsopposing the Pope’s Doctrine of Works, fell into the other Extreme, of no good Works necessary to Justification.This DoctrineLutherand theProtestantsthen had good Reason to deny and oppose; though many of them ran into another Extreme, so as to denygood Works to be necessary to Justification, and to preach upnot only Remission of Sins, but Justification by Faith alone, without all Works, however good. So that Men do not obtain theirJustificationaccording as they are inwardly sanctified and renewed, but are justified merely by believing thatChrist died for them; and so some may be perfectly justified, though they be lying in gross Wickedness; as appears by the Example ofDavid, who they say was fully and perfectly justified while he was lying in the gross Sins ofMurderandAdultery. As then theProtestantshave sufficient Ground to quarrel and confute thePapistsconcerning those many Abuses in the Matter ofJustification, shewing how theDoctrine of Christis thereby vitiated and overturned, and theWord at Godmade void by many and useless Traditions, theLaw of Godneglected, while foolish and needlessCeremoniesare prized and followed, through a false Opinion of being justified by the Performance of them; and theMeritsandSufferingsof Christ, which is the onlySacrificeappointed of God for Remission of Sins, derogated from, by the setting up of a dailySacrificenever appointed by God, and chiefly devised out of Covetousness to get Money by;Papists Device to get Money.so theProtestantson the other Hand, by not rightly establishing and holding forth theDoctrineofJustificationaccording as it is delivered in the holy Scriptures, have opened a Door for thePapiststo accuse them, as if they were Neglecters of good Works, Enemies to Mortification and Holiness, such as esteem themselves justified while lying in great Sins: By which Kind of Accusations, for which too great Ground hath been given out of the Writings of somerigid Protestants, the Reformation hath been greatly defamed and hindered, and the Souls of many insnared. Whereas, whoever will narrowly look into the Matter, may observe these Debates to be morein Speciethanin Genere, seeing both do upon the Matterland in one; and like two Men in a Circle, who though they go sundry Ways, yet meet at last; in the same Center.Papists Belief of Justification meets in the same Center with the—For thePapistssay,They obtain Remission of Sins, and are justified by the Merits of Christ, as the same are applied unto them in the Use of the Sacraments of the Church, and are dispensed in the Performance of such and such Ceremonies, Pilgrimages, Prayers, and Performances, though there be not any inward renewing of the Mind, nor knowing of Christ inwardly formed; yet they are remitted and made righteousex opere operato, because of the Power and Authority accompanying the Sacraments and the Dispensers of them.—Protestants Belief. So saith theWestminster ConfessionofFaith. Chap. 11. Sect. 1.TheProtestantssay,That they obtain Remission of Sins, and stand justified in the Sight of God by Virtue of theMeritsandSufferingsof Christ, not by infusing Righteousness into them, but by pardoning their Sins, and by accounting and accepting their Persons as righteous, they resting on him and hisRighteousness byFaith;whichFaith,the Act of believing, is not imputed unto them for Righteousness.So theJustificationof neither here is placed in any inward Renewing of the Mind, or by Virtue of any spiritual Birth, or Formation of Christ in them; but only by a bare Application of the Death and Sufferings of Christ outwardly performed for them: Whereof the one lays hold on a Faith resting upon them, and hoping to be justified by them alone; the other by the saying of some outward Prayers and Ceremonies, which they judge makes the Death of Christ effectual unto them. I except here, being unwilling to wrong any, what Things have been said as to the Necessity of inward Holiness, either by somemodern Papists, or somemodern Protestants, who, in so far as they have laboured after a Midst betwixt these two Extremes, have come near to the Truth, as by some Citations out of them hereafter to be mentioned will appear: Though this Doctrine hath not since the Apostasy, so far as ever I could observe, been so distinctly and evidently held forth according to the Scripture’s Testimony, as it hath pleased God to reveal it and preach it forth in this Day, by the Witnesses of his Truth whom he hath raised to that End; whichDoctrine, though it be briefly held forth and comprehended in the Thesis itself,State of the Controversy.yet I shall a little more fully explain, and shew the State of the Controversy as it stands betwixt us and those that now oppose us.§. III.Expl. 1.Firstthen, as by the Explanation of the former Thesis appears, we renounce all natural Power and Ability in ourselves, in order to bring us out of our lost and fallen Condition and first Nature; and confess, that as of ourselves we are able to do nothing that is good, so neither can we procure Remission of Sins or Justification by any Act of our own, so as to merit it, or draw it as a Debt from God due unto us;Justification springsofandfromthe Love of God.but we acknowledge all to beofandfromhisLove, which is the original and fundamental Cause of our Acceptance.Expl. 2.Christ giving himself a Sacrifice for us.Secondly, God manifested thisLovetowards us, in the sending of his beloved Son the LordJesus Christinto the World, who gave himself for us anOfferingand aSacrificeto God, for asweet-smelling Savour; and having made Peace through the Blood of hisCross, that he might reconcile us unto himself, and by the Eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot unto God, and suffered for our Sins, theJustfor theUnjust, that he might bring us unto God.Expl. 3.Thirdlythen, Forasmuch as all Men who have come to Man’s Estate (the ManJesusonly excepted) have sinned, therefore all have Need of this Saviour, to remove the Wrath of God from them due to their Offences; in this Respect he is truly said tohave borne the Iniquities of us all in his Body on the Tree, and therefore is theonly Mediator, having qualified the Wrath of God towards us; so that our former Sins stand not in our Way, being by Virtue of his most satisfactory Sacrifice removed and pardoned.To Remission of Sins.Neither do we think that Remission of Sins is to be expected, sought, or obtained any other Way, or by any Works or Sacrifice whatsoever; though, as has been said formerly, they may come to partake of this Remission that are ignorant of the History.The only Mediator betwixt God and Man.So then Christ by his Death and Sufferings hath reconciled us to God, even while we are Enemies; that is, he offers Reconciliation unto us; we are put into a Capacity of being reconciled; God is willing to forgive us our Iniquities, and to accept us, as is well expressed by the Apostle, 2Cor.v. 19.God was in Christ, reconciling the World unto himself, not imputing their Trespasses unto them, and hath put in us the Word of Reconciliation. And therefore the Apostle, in the next Verses, intreats them inChrist’s Stead to be reconciled to God; intimating that the Wrath of God being removed by the Obedience ofChrist Jesus, he is willing to be reconciled unto them, and ready to remit the Sins that are past, if they repent.A twofold Redemption.We consider then our Redemption in atwofoldRespect or State, both which in their own Nature are perfect, though in their Applicationto us the one is not, norcanbe, without Respect to the other.I.The Redemption of Christ without us.The First is the Redemption performed and accomplished byChrist for usin his crucified Body without us: The other is the Redemption wrought byChrist in us, which no less properly is called and accounted a Redemption than the former. The first then is that whereby a Man, as he stands in the Fall, is put into a Capacity of Salvation, and hath conveyed unto him a Measure of that Power, Virtue, Spirit, Life, and Grace that was inChrist Jesus, which, as the free Gift of God, is able to counter-balance, overcome, and root out the evil Seed, wherewith we are naturally, as in the Fall, leavened.II.The Redemption wrought by Christ in us.The Second is that whereby we witness and know this pure and perfect Redemptionin ourselves, purifying, cleansing, and redeeming us from the Power of Corruption, and bringing us into Unity, Favour, and Friendship with God. By the first of these two, we that were lost inAdam, plunged into the bitter and corrupt Seed, unable of ourselves to do any good Thing, but naturally joined and united to Evil, forward and propense to all Iniquity, Servants and Slaves to the Power and Spirit of Darkness, are, notwithstanding all this, so far reconciled to God by the Death of his Son, while Enemies, that we are put into a Capacity of Salvation, having the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Peace offered unto us, and God is reconciled unto us in Christ, calls and invites us to himself, in which Respect we understand these Scriptures;[70]He slew the Enmity in himself. He loved us first; seeing us in our Blood, he said unto us, Live; he who did not sin his own self, bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree; and he died for our Sin, the Just for the Unjust.[70]Eph. 2. 15. 1 John 4. 10. Ezek. 16. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 22, 24. & 3. 18.By the Second, we witness this Capacity brought into Act, whereby receiving and not resisting the Purchase of his Death, to wit, the Light, Spirit, and Grace of Christ revealed in us, we witness and possess a real, true, and inward Redemption from the Power and Prevalency of Sin, and so come to be truly and really redeemed, justified, and made righteous, and to a sensible Union and Friendshipwith God.[71]Thushe died for us, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity; and thuswe know him and the Power of his Resurrection, and the Fellowship of his Sufferings, being made conformable to his Death. This last follows the first in Order, and is a Consequence of it, proceeding from it, as anEffectfrom itsCause: So as none could have enjoyed the last, without the first had been, such being the Will of God; so also can none now partake of the first, but as he witnesseth the last. Wherefore as to us, they are both Causes of our Justification; the first theprocuring Efficient, the other theformal Cause.[71]Tit. 2. 14. Phil. 3. 10.Expl. 4.Fourthly, We understand not by thisJustification by Christbarely thegood Works even wrought by the Spirit of Christ; for they, asProtestantstruly affirm, are rather an Effect ofJustificationthan the Cause of it;The Formation of Christ in us begets good Works.but we understand theFormation of Christ in us, Christ born and brought forth in us, from which good Works as naturally proceed as Fruit from a fruitful Tree. It is thisinward Birth in us, bringing forth Righteousness and Holiness in us, that doth justify us; which having removed and done away the contrary Nature and Spirit that did bear Rule and bring Condemnation, now is in Dominion over allinour Hearts. Those then that come to knowChristthus formed in them, do enjoy him wholly and undivided, who isthe LORD our RIGHTEOUSNESS, Jer. xxiii. 6. This is to be clothed withChrist, and to have put him on, whom God therefore truly accounteth righteous and just. This is so far from being the Doctrine ofPapists, that as the Generality of them do not understand it, so the Learned among them oppose it, and dispute against it, and particularlyBellarmine. Thus then, as I may say, the formal Cause of Justification is not the Works, to speak properly, they being but an Effect of it; but this inward Birth, thisJesusbrought forth in the Heart, who is the well-beloved, whom the Father cannot but accept, and all those who thus are sprinkled with theBlood of Jesus, and washed with it. By this also comes that Communication of the Goods ofChristunto us,by which we come to be made Partakers of the divine Nature, as faithPeter, 2Pet.i. 4. and are made one with him, as the Branches with the Vine, and have a Title andRight to what he hath done and suffered for us;Christ’s Obedience, Righteousness, Death and Sufferings are ours.so that his Obedience becomes ours, his Righteousness ours, his Death and Sufferings ours. And by this Nearness we come to have a Sense of his Sufferings, and to suffer with his Seed, that yet lies pressed and crucified in the Hearts of the Ungodly, and so travail with it, and for its Redemption, and for the Repentance of those Souls that in it are crucifying as yet theLord of Glory. Even as the ApostlePaul,who by his Sufferingsis said tofill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ for his Body, which is the Church. Though this be a Mystery sealed up from all the wise Men that are yet ignorant of this Seed in themselves, and oppose it, nevertheless someProtestantsspeak of this justification byChristinwardly put on, as shall hereafter be recited in its Place.Expl. 5.Lastly, Though we place Remission of Sins in theRighteousness and Obedience of Christ performed by him in the Flesh, as to what pertains to the remote procuring Cause, and that we hold ourselvesformally justified by Christ Jesus formed and brought forth in us, yet can we not, as someProtestantshave unwarily done,excludeWorks fromJustification.Good Works are not excluded Justification.For though properly we be not justifiedfor them, yet are we justifiedin them; and they are necessary, even asCausa sine quâ non, i. e.the Cause, without which none are justified. For the denying of this, as it is contrary to the Scripture’s Testimony, so it hath brought a great Scandal to the Protestant Religion, opened the Mouths ofPapists, and made many too secure, while they have believed to be justified without good Works. Moreover, though it be not so safe to saythey are meritorious, yet seeing they are rewarded, many of those called theFathershave not spared to use the Word [Merit] which some of us have perhaps also done in a qualified Sense, butno-waysto infer thePopish Abusesabove-mentioned. Andlastly, if we had that Notion ofgood Workswhich mostProtestantshave, we could freely agree to make them not only not necessary, but reject them as hurtful, viz.That the best Works even of the Saints are defiled and polluted.For though we judge so of the best Works performed by Man, endeavouring a Conformity to the outward Law by his own Strength, andin his own Will, yet we believe that suchWorksas naturally proceed from this spiritual Birth and Formation of Christ in us arepureandholy, even as theRootfrom which they come; and therefore God accepts them, justifies us in them, and rewards us for them of his ownfree Grace. The State of the Controversy being thus laid down, these followingPositionsdo from hence arise in the next Place to be proved.§. IV.Posit. 1.First,That the Obedience, Sufferings, and Death of Christ is that by which the Soul obtains Remission of Sins, and is the procuring Cause of that Grace, by whose inward WorkingsChristcomes to be formed inwardly, and the Soul to be made conformable unto him, and so just and justified.And that therefore, in respect of this Capacity and Offer of Grace,Godis said to bereconciled; not as if he were actuallyreconciled, or did actually justify, or account any just, so long as they remain in their Sins really impure and unjust.Posit. 2.Secondly,That it is by this inward Birth of Christ in Man that Man is made just, and therefore so accounted by God: Wherefore, to be plain, we are thereby, and not till that be brought forth in us,formally, if we must use that Word,justifiedin the Sight of God; becauseJustificationis both more properly and frequently in Scripture taken in its proper Signification for making one just, and not reputing one merely such, and is all one withSanctification.Posit. 3.Thirdly, That sincegood Worksas naturally follow from this Birth as Heat from Fire, therefore are they ofabsolute Necessity to Justification, asCausa sine quâ non,Good Works areCausa sine quâ non—ofJustification.i. e. though not as the Causefor which, yet as thatin whichwe are, and without which we cannot be justified. And though they be notmeritorious, and draw no Debt upon God, yet he cannot but accept and reward them: For it is contrary to his Nature to deny his own, since they may be perfect in their Kind, as proceeding from a pure holy Birth and Root. Wherefore their Judgment is false and against the Truth that say,That the holiest Works of the Saints are defiled and sinful in the Sight of God: For thesegood Worksare not the Works of the Law, excluded by the Apostle from Justification.§. V.Posit. 1.As to the first, I prove it fromRom.iii. 25.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.Proof I.The Efficacy of Christ’s Death to redeem Man out of Evil.Here the Apostle holds forth the Extent and Efficacy ofChrist’s Death, shewing that thereby, and by Faith therein, Remission of Sins that are past is obtained, as being that wherein the Forbearance of God is exercised towards Mankind. So that though Men for the Sins they daily commit deserve eternal Death, and that the Wrath of God should lay hold upon them; yet, by Virtue of that mostsatisfactory Sacrifice of Christ Jesus, the Grace and Seed of God moves in Love towards them, during the Day of their Visitation; yet not so as not to strike against the Evil, for that must be burnt up and destroyed, but to redeem Man out of the Evil.Proof II.Secondly, If God were perfectly reconciled with Men, and did esteem them just while they are actually unjust, and do continue in their Sins, then should God have no Controversy with them[72]; how comes he then so often to complain, and to expostulate so much throughout the whole Scripture with such as our Adversaries confess to be justified, telling them,That their Sins separate betwixt him and them? Isa. lix. 2. For where there is a perfect and full Reconciliation, there is no Separation. Yea, from this Doctrine it necessarily follows, either that such for whomChristdied, and whom he hath reconciled, never sin, or that when they do so, they are still reconciled, and their Sins make not the least Separation from God; yea, that they are justified in their Sins. From whence also would follow this abominable Consequence, that the good Works and greatest Sins of such are alike in the Sight of God, seeing neither the one servesto justify them, nor the other to break their Reconciliation, which occasions great Security, and opens a Door to every lewd Practice.[72]I do not only speak concerning Men beforeConversion, who afterwards are converted, whom yet some of our Antagonists, calledAntinomians, do aver were justified from the Beginning; but also touching those who according to the common Opinion ofProtestantshave been converted; whom albeit they confess they persist always in someMisdeeds, and sometimes inheinous Sins, as is manifest inDavid’s Adultery and Murder, yet they assert to be perfectly and wholly justified.Proof III.Thirdly, This would make void the whole practical Doctrine of the Gospel, and make Faith itself needless. For if Faith and Repentance, and the other Conditions called for throughout the Gospel, be a Qualification upon our Part necessary to be performed, then, before this be performed by us, we are either fully reconciled to God, or but in a Capacity of being reconciled to God, he being ready to reconcile and justify us as these Conditions are performed; which latter, if granted, is according to the Truth we profess. And if we are already perfectly reconciled and justified before these Conditions are performed (which Conditions are of that Nature that they cannot be performed at one Time, but are to be done all one’s Life-time) then can they not be said to be absolutely needful; which is contrary to the very express Testimony of Scripture, which is acknowledged by all Christians:[73]For without Faith it is impossible to please God. They that believe not are condemned already, because they believe not in the only begotten Son of God. Except ye repent, ye cannot be saved: For if ye live after the Flesh, ye shall die. And of those that were converted;[74]I will remove your Candlestick from you, unless ye repent. Should I mention all the Scriptures that positively and evidently prove this, I might transcribe much of all the doctrinal Part of theBible. For since Christ said,It is finished, and didfinish his Worksixteen hundred Years ago and upwards;A Door of Mercy opened by Christ, upon Repentance.if he so fully perfected Redemption then, and did actually reconcile every one that is to be saved, not simply opening a Door of Mercy for them, offering the Sacrifice of his Body, by which they may obtain Remission of their Sins when they repent, and communicating unto them a Measure of his Grace, by which they may see their Sins, and be able to repent;TheAntinomiansOpinion of Reconciliation and Justification.but really making them to be reputed as just, either before they believe, as say theAntinomians, or after they have assented to the Truth of the History of Christ, or are sprinkled with the Baptism of Water, while nevertheless they are actually unjust, so that no Part of their Redemption isto be wrought by him now, as to theirReconciliationandJustification; then the whole doctrinal Part of theBibleis useless, and of no Profit: in vain were the Apostles sent forth to preach Repentance and Remission of Sins; and in vain do all the Preachers bestow theirLabour, spend theirBreath, and give forthWritings; yea, much more in vain do the People spend their Money which they give them for Preaching; seeing it is all butActum agere, but a vain and ineffectual Essay, to do that which is already perfectly done without them.[73]Heb. 11. 6. John 3. 18. Luke 13. 3. Rom. 8. 13.[74]Apoc. 2. 5.Proof 4.Butlastly, To pass by their human Labours, as not worth the Disputing whether they be needful or not, since (as we shall hereafter shew) themselves confess thebestof them issinful; this also makes void the present Intercession of Christ for Men.Christ’s daily making Intercession for us.What will become of that great Article of Faith, by which we affirm,That he sits at the right Hand of God, daily making Intercession for us; and for which End the Spirit itself maketh Intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered?For Christ maketh not Intercession for those that are not in a Possibility of Salvation; that is absurd. Our Adversaries will not admit that he prayed for the World at all; and to pray for those that are already reconciled, and perfectly justified, is to no Purpose: To pray for Remission of Sins is yet more needless, if all be remitted, past, present, and to come. Indeed there is not any solid solving of this, but by acknowledging according to theTruth, That Christ by his Death removed the Wrath of God, so far as to obtain Remission of Sins for as many as receive thatGraceandLightthat he communicates unto them, and hath purchased for them by hisBlood; which, as they believe in, they come to know Remission of Sins past, and Power to save them from Sin, and to wipe it away, so often as they may fall into it by Unwatchfulness or Weakness, if, applying themselves to this Grace, they truly repent; forto as many as receive him, he gives Power to become the Sons of God: So none areSons, none arejustified, nonereconciled, until they thus receive him in that littleSeedin their Hearts:And Life eternal is offered to those, who by patient Continuance in Well-doing, seek for Glory, Honour, and Immortality: For ifthe righteous Man depart from his Righteousness, his Righteousness shall be remembered no more. And therefore on the other Part, none are longer Sons of God, and justified, than they patiently continue in Righteousness and Well-doing. And therefore Christ lives always making Intercession, during the Day of every Man’s Visitation, that they may be converted; And when Men are in some Measure converted, he makes Intercession that they may continue and go on, and not faint, nor go back again. Much more might be said to confirm this Truth; but I go on to take Notice of the common Objections against it, which are the Arguments made use of to propagate theErrorscontrary to it.§. VI.Thefirstandchiefis drawn from that Saying of the Apostle before-mentioned, 2Cor.v. 18, 19.God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ: God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself, not imputing their Trespasses unto them.Obj. 1.From hence they seek to infer,That Christ fully perfected the Work of Reconciliation while he was on Earth.Answ.I answer; If by [Reconciliation] be understood the removing of Wrath, and the Purchase of that Grace by which we may come to be reconciled, we agree to it; but that that Place speaks no more, appears from the Place itself: For when the Apostle speaks in theperfect Time, saying,He hath reconciled us, he speaks of himself and the Saints; who having received the Grace of God purchased by Christ, were through Faith in him actually reconciled.The Difference betweenReconciledto Christ, andReconciling.But as to theWorld, he saith [reconciling] not [reconciled]; whichReconciling, though it denotes a Time somewhat past, yet it is by theimperfect Time, denoting that the Thing begun was not perfected. For this Work Christ began towards all in the Days of his Flesh, yea, and long before; forHe was the Mediator from the Beginning, and the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World: But in his Flesh, after he had perfectlyfulfilled the Law, and theRighteousnessthereof, had rent theVeil, and made Way for the more clear and universal Revelation of the Gospel to all, bothJewandGentile; hegave up himself a most satisfactory Sacrifice for Sin; which becomes effectual to as many as receive him in his inward Appearance, in hisLightin the Heart. Again, this very Place sheweth that no other Reconciliation is intended, but the Opening of a Door of Mercy upon God’s Part, and a Removing of Wrath for Sins that are past; so as Men; notwithstanding their Sins, are stated in a Capacity of Salvation: For the Apostle, in the following Verse, saith,Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ’s Stead be ye reconciled to God. For if theirReconciliationhad already been perfectly accomplished, what need any Intreating then to be reconciled?Ambassadorsare not sent after aPeacealready perfected, and Reconciliation made, to intreat for a Reconciliation; for that implies a manifest Contradiction.Obj. 2.Secondly, They object,Ver.21st of the same Chapter,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. From whence they argue,That as our Sin is imputed to Christ, who had no Sin; so Christ’s Righteousness is imputed to us, without our being righteous.Answ.But this Interpretation is easily rejected; for thoughChrist bare our Sins,andsuffered for us,and was among Menaccounted a Sinner,andnumbered among Transgressors; yet that God reputed him a Sinner, is no where proved. For it is said,[75]He was found before him holy, harmless, and undefiled, neither was there found any Guile in his Mouth. That we deserved these Things, and much more for our Sins, which he endured in Obedience to the Father; and according to his Counsel, is true; but that ever reputed him aSinner, is denied:Men’s imputed Righteousness solidly Refuted.Neither did he ever die, thatweshould be reputed righteous, though no more really such thanhewas a Sinner, as hereafter appears. For indeed, if this Argument hold, it might be stretched to that Length, as to become very pleasing to wicked Men that love to abide in their Sins: For if we be maderighteous, as Christ was made a Sinner, merely by Imputation; then as there was no Sin, not in the least in Christ,so it would follow, that there needed no more Righteousness, no more Holiness, no more inward Sanctification in us, than there was Sin in him. So then, by his[being made Sin for us] must be understood his Suffering for our Sins, that we might be made Partakers of the Grace purchased by him; by the Workings whereof we are made the Righteousness of God in him. For that the Apostle understood here a being made really righteous, and not merely a being reputed such, appears by what follows, seeing inVer.14, 15, 16. of the following Chapter, he argues largely against any supposedAgreement of Light and Darkness,Righteousness and Unrighteousness; which must needs be admitted, if Men are to be reckoned ingrafted in Christ, and real Members of him, merely by an imputative Righteousness, wholly without them, while they themselves are actually unrighteous. And indeed it may be thought strange, how some Men have made this so fundamental an Article of their Faith, which is so contrary to the whole Strain of the Gospel: A Thing which Christ in none of all hisSermonsandgracious Speechesever willed any to rely upon; always recommending to us Works, as instrumental in our justification. And the more it is to be admired at, because that Sentence or Term (so frequently in their Mouths, and so often pressed by them, as the veryBasisof their Hope and Confidence) to wit,Christ’s imputed Righteousness not found in all theBible.The imputed Righteousness of Christ, is not to be found in all theBible, at least as to my Observation. Thus have I passed through the first Part, and that the more briefly, because many, who assert thisJustificationby bare Imputation, do nevertheless confess, that even the Elect are not justified until they be converted; that is, not until this imputative Justification be applied to them by the Spirit.[75]Heb. 7. 26. 1 Pet. 2. 22.§. VII.Posit.2.By Christ formed within we are justified.I come then to the second Thing proposed by me, which is;That it is by this inward Birth, or Christ formed within, that we are(so to speak)formally justified in the Sight of God. I suppose I have said enough already to demonstrate how much we ascribe to theDeathandSufferings of Christ, as that whereby Satisfaction is made to the Justice of God, Remission of Sins obtained, and thisGraceandSeedpurchased, by and from which this Birth proceeds. The Thing now to be proved is,That by Christ Jesus formed in us, we are justified, or made just. Let it be marked, I useJustificationin this Sense upon this Occasion.Proof 1.Firstthen, I prove this by that of the ApostlePaul, 1 Cor. vi. 11.Justified, i. e.being made Just really, not by Imputation.And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. First, This [justified] here understood, must needs bea being really made just, and nota being merely imputed such; else [sanctified] and [washed] might be reputed a beingesteemedso, and not a beingreallyso; and then it quite overturns the whole Intent of the Context. For the Apostle shewing them in the precedingVerses, how theUnrighteous cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, and descending to the severalSpecies of Wickedness, subsumes,That they were sometimes such, but now are not any more such. Wherefore, as they are nowwashedandsanctified, so are theyjustified: For if thisJustificationwere notreal, then it might be alleged that theCorinthianshad not forsaken these Evils; but, though they still continued in them, were notwithstandingjustified: Which as in itself it is most absurd, so it very clearly overturneth the very Import and Intent of the Place; as if theCorinthiansturningChristianshad not wrought any real Change in them, but had only been a Belief of some barren Notions, which had wrought no Alteration in their Affections, Will, or Manner of Life. For my own Part, I neither see any Thing, nor could ever yet hear or read any Thing, that with any Colour of Reason did evince [Justified] in this Place to be understood any other ways than in its own proper and genuine Interpretation of being madejust.The Derivation of the WordJustifyconsidered, &c.And for the more clear understanding hereof, let it be considered, that this Word [justify] is derived either from the SubstantiveJustice, or the Adjectivejust: Both which Words import theSubstantive, that true and realVirtue in the Soul, as it is in itself; to wit, it signifiesreally, and notsuppositively, that excellent Quality expressed and understood among Men by the Word [Justice;] and the Adjective [just] as applied, signifies a Man or Woman who isjust, that is, in whom this Quality ofJusticeis stated: For it would not only be great Impropriety, but also manifest Falsity, to call a Manjust; merely bySupposition; especially if he were reallyunjust. Now this Word [justify]formed fromJustice, orjust, doth beyond all Question signify amakingjust; it being nothing else but a Composition of the VerbFacio, and the Adjectivejustus, which is nothing else than thus,justifico, i. e.justum facio, I make just, and [justified] ofjustusandfio, asjustus fio, I become just, andjustificatus, i. e.justus factus, I am made just. Thus also is it with Verbs of this Kind, as,sanctifico, fromsanctus, holy, andfacio;honorifico, fromhonorandfacio;sacrifico, fromsacerandfacio: All which are still understood of the Subject really and truly endued with that Virtue and Quality from which the Verb is derived.Justifiednone are while they actually remainunjust.Therefore, as none are said to besanctifiedthat are reallyunholy, while they are such; so neither can any be truly said to bejustified, while they actually remainunjust. Only this Verbjustifyhath, in a metaphorical and figurative Sense, been otherwise taken, to wit, in aLawSense; as when a Man really guilty of a Crime is freed from the Punishment of his Sin, he is said to bejustified; that is, put in the Place as if he werejust. For this Use of the Word hath proceeded from that true Supposition,That none ought to be acquitted, but the Innocent. Hence also that Manner of speaking,I will justify such a Man, orI will justify this or that, is used from the Supposition that the Person and Thing is really justifiable: And where there is an Error and Abuse in the Matter, so far there is also in the Expression.ParæusdeJust.Cont.Bell.L. 2. C. 7. P. 469.This is so manifest and apparent, thatParæus, a chief Protestant, and aCalvinistalso in his Opinion, acknowledges this; “We never at any Time said,” saith he, “nor thought, that the Righteousness of Christ was imputed to us, that by him we should be namedformally just, and not be so, as we have divers Times already shewed; for that would no less soundly fight with right Reason, than if a guilty Man absolved in Judgment should say, That he himself wasformally justby the Clemency of the judge granting him his Life.” Now is it not strange, that Men should be so facile in a Matter of so great Concernment, as to build the Stress of their Acceptance with God upon a mere borrowed and metaphorical Signification, to the excluding, or at least esteeming that not necessary, withoutwhich the Scripture saith expresly,No Man shall ever see God?Holinessrequired; thereforegood Worksare.For ifHolinessbe requisite and necessary, of which this is said, then mustgood Worksalso; unless our Adversaries can shew us anholy Manwithoutgood Works. But, moreover, [justified] in this figurative Sense is used forapproved; and indeed for the most Part, if not always in Scripture, when the Word [justify] is used, it is taken in the worst Part; that is, that as the Use of the Word that way is an Usurpation, so it is spoken of such as usurp the Thing to themselves, while it properly doth not belong unto them; as will appear to those that will be at the Pains to examine these Places.Exod.xxiii. 7.Jobix. 20. & xxvii. 5.Prov.xvii. 15.Isa.v. 23.Jer.iii. 11.Ezek.xvi. 51, 52.Lukex. 29. & xvi. 15. which are all spoken of Menjustifying the Wicked, or ofwicked Men justifying themselves; that is, approving themselves in their Wickedness. If it be at any Time in this Signification taken in good Part, it is very seldom, and that so obvious and plain by the Context, as leaves no Scruple. But the Question is not so much of the Use of theWord, where it is passingly or occasionally used, as where the very Doctrine ofJustificationis handled. Where indeed to mistake it,viz.in its proper Place, so as to content ourselves with animaginary Justification, while God requires areal, is of most dangerous Consequence. For the Disquisition of which let it be considered, that in all these Places to theRomans,Corinthians,Galatians, and elsewhere, where the Apostle handles this Theme, the Word may be taken in its own proper Signification without any Absurdity. As, where it is often asserted in the above-mentioned Epistles to theRomansandGalatians,Justified,in its proper Signification.Thata Man cannot be justified by the Law ofMoses, nor by the Works of the Law; there is no Absurdity nor Danger in understanding it according to its own proper Signification, to wit, that a Man cannot be madejustby theLaw of Moses; seeing this so well agrees with that Saying of the same Apostle, Thatthe Law makes nothing perfect. And also where it is said,We are justified by Faith, it may be very well understood of beingmade just; seeing it is also said, ThatFaith purifies the Heart; and no Doubt thepure in Heartarejust; and theJust live by Faith. Again, where it is said,We are justified by Grace, we are justified by Christ, we are justified by the Spirit; it is no ways absurd to understand it of beingmade just, seeing by his Spirit and Grace he doth make Menjust. But to understand it universally the other Way, merely forAcceptanceandImputation, would infer great Absurdities, as may be proved at large; but because I judged it would be acknowledged, I forbear at present for Brevity’s Sake. But further, in the most weighty Places where this Wordjustifyis used in Scripture, with an immediate Relation to the Doctrine ofJustification,Justificationsignifies a making just.our Adversaries must needs acknowledge it to be understood ofmaking just, and not barely in the legal Acceptation: As First, in that of 1Cor.vi. 11.But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, as I before have proved; which also many Protestants are forced to acknowledge.ThysiusDisp. deJust.Thes. 3.“Neither diffide we,” saithThysius, “because of the most great and strict Connexion, thatJustificationdoth sometimes seem also to comprehendSanctificationas a Consequence, as inRom.viii. 30.Tit.iii. 7. 1Cor.vi. 11.And such sometimes were ye, but ye are washed, &c.”Zanchius, having spoken concerning this Sense of Justification, adds, saying,Zanchiusin C. P. 2. adEph.V. 4. Loc. deJust.“There is another Signification of the Word,viz.for a Man fromunjustto be madejust, even assanctifiedsignifies fromunholyto be madeholy: In which Signification the Apostle said, in the Place above-cited,And such were some of you, &c. that is, of unclean ye are made holy, and of unjust ye are made just by the Holy Spirit, for Christ’s Sake, in whom ye have believed. Of this Signification is that,Rev.xxii. 11.Let him that is just, be just still; that is, really from just become more just, even as from unjust he became just. And according to this Signification theFathers, and especiallyAugustine, have interpreted this Word.”H. Bulling.Thus far he.H. Bullinger, on the same Place, 1Cor.vi. speaketh thus; “By divers Words,” saith he, “the Apostle signifies the same Thing, when he saith,Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified.”Proof 2.Secondly, In that excellent Saying of the Apostle, so much observed,Rom.viii. 30.Whom he called, them he also justified, and whom hejustified, them he also glorified: This is commonly called theGolden Chain, as being acknowledged to comprehend the Method and Order of Salvation. And therefore, if [Justified] were not understood here in its proper Signification of beingmade just, Sanctification would be excluded out of this Chain. And truly it is very worthy of Observation, that the Apostle, in this succinct and compendious Account, makes the Word [Justified] to comprehend all betwixtCallingandGlorifying;Righteousness, the only Medium by which from ourCallingwe pass toGlorification.thereby clearly insinuating, that the being reallyRighteous, is that onlyMediumby which from ourCallingwe pass toGlorification. Almost all do acknowledge the Word to be so taken in this Place; and not only so, but most of those who oppose are forced to acknowledge, that as this is the most proper, so the most common Signification of it: Thus divers famousProtestantsacknowledge.D. Cham.Tom. 3. deSanct.L. 10.P. 1.“We are not,” saithD. Chamierus, “such impertinent Esteemers of Words, as to be ignorant, nor yet such importunate Sophists, as to deny that the WordsJustificationandSanctificationdo infer one another; yea, we know that the Saints are chiefly for this Reason so called, because that in Christ they have received Remission of Sins: And we read in the Revelations,Let him that is just, be just still; which cannot be understood, except of the Fruit of inherent Righteousness. Nor do we deny, but perhaps in other Places they may be promiscuously taken, especially by theFathers.”Bezain C. 3. adTit.Ver. 7.“I take,” saithBeza, “the Name ofJustificationlargely, so as it comprehends whatsoever we acquire from Christ, as well by Imputation, as by the Efficacy of the Spirit in sanctifying us. So likewise is the WordJustificationtaken,Rom.viii. 30.”Melanct.in Apol. Conf. Aug.Melancthonsaith, “That to be justified by Faith, signifies in Scripture not only to be pronounced just, but also of unrighteous to be made righteous.” Also some chiefProtestants, though not so clearly, yet in Part, hinted at our Doctrine, whereby we ascribe unto theDeath of ChristRemission of Sins, and the Work of Justification unto theGrace of the Spiritacquired by his Death.Boræus,inGen.C. 15. Credidit Abraham. Deo,P. 161.Martinus Boræus, explaining that Place of the Apostle,Rom.iv. 25.Who was given for our Sins, and rose again for ourJustification, saith: “There are two Things beheld in Christ, which are necessary to our Justification; the one is his Death, the other is his arising from the Dead. By his Death, the Sins of this World behoved to be expiated: By his Rising from the Dead, it pleased the same Goodness of God to give the Holy Spirit, whereby both the Gospel is believed, and the Righteousness, lost by the Fault of the firstAdam, is restored.” And afterwards he saith; “The Apostle expresseth both Parts in these Words,Who was given for our Sins, &c. in his Death is beheld the Satisfaction for Sin; in his Resurrection, the Gift of the Holy Spirit, by which our Justification is perfected.”Idem Lib. 3. Reg. Cap. 9. V. 4. P. 681.And again, the same Man saith elsewhere; “Both these Kinds of Righteousness are therefore contained inJustification, neither can the one be separate from the other. So that in the Definition ofJustification, the Merit of the Blood of Christ is included, both with the Remission of Sins, and with the Gift of the Holy Spirit of Justification and Regeneration.”Bucerus, inRom. 4.ad Ver. 16.Martinus Bucerussaith; “Seeing by one Sin ofAdamthe World was lost, the Grace of Christ hath not only abolished that one Sin, and Death which came by it; but hath together taken away those infinite Sins, and also led into full Justification as many as are of Christ; so that God now not only remits unto themAdam’s Sin, and their own, but also gives them therewith the Spirit of a solid and perfect Righteousness, which renders us conform unto the Image of the First-begotten.”Righteousness,a Conformity to the Image of the First-begotten.And upon these Words [by Jesus Christ] he saith; “We always judge that the whole Benefit of Christ tends to this, that we might be strong through the Gift of Righteousness, being rightly and orderly adorned with all Virtue, that is, restored to the Image of God.”W. Forbesin Consider. Modest. deJust.Lib. 2. Sect. 8.Andlastly,William Forbesour Countryman, Bishop ofEdinburgh, saith; “Whensoever the Scripture makes Mention of the Justification before God, as speakethPaul, and from him (besides others)Augustine, it appears that the Word [justify] necessarily signifies not only to pronounce just in a Law Sense, but also really and inherently to make just; because that God doth justify a wicked Man otherwise than earthly Judges.How God justifies the Wicked.For he, when he justifies a wicked or unjust Man, doth indeed pronounce him as these also do; but by pronouncing him just, because his Judgment is according to Truth, he also makes him really of unjust to become just.” And again, the same Man, upon the same Occasion, answering the more rigidProtestants, who say, ThatGod first justifies, and then makes just; he adds: “But let them have a Care, lest by too great and empty Subtilty, unknown both to the Scriptures and the Fathers, they lessen and diminish the Weight and Dignity of so great and divine a Benefit, so much celebrated in the Scripture, to wit,Justificationof the Wicked. For if to the formal Reason ofJustificationof the Ungodly doth not at all belong hisJustification(so to speak)i. e.his being made righteous, then in the Justification of a Sinner, although he be justified, yet the Stain of Sin is not taken away, but remains the same in his Soul as before Justification: And so, notwithstanding the Benefit of Justification, he remains as before, unjust and a Sinner; and nothing is taken away, but the Guilt and Obligation to Pain, and the Offence and Enmity of God through Non-imputation. But both the Scriptures and Fathers do affirm, That in theJustificationof a Sinner, their Sins are not only remitted, forgiven, covered, not imputed, but also taken away, blotted out, cleansed, washed, purged, and very far removed from us, as appears from many Places of the holy Scriptures.” The sameForbesshews us at length, in the following Chapter, That this was the confessed Judgment of theFathers, out of the Writings of those who hold the contrary Opinion; some whereof, out of him, I shall note.Calv.Inst. L. 3. C. 11. Sect. 15.As, first,Calvinsaith, “That the Judgment ofAugustine, or at least his Manner of speaking, is not throughout to be received; who although he took from Man all Praise of Righteousness, and ascribed all to the Grace of God, yet he refers Grace to Sanctification, by which we are regenerate through the Spirit unto Newness of Life.”Chemnit.in Exam. Conc. Trid. de Just.P. 129.Chemnitiussaith, “That they do not deny, but that the Fathers take the Word [justify] forrenewing, by which Works of Righteousness are wrought in us by the Spirit.” And P. 130. “I am not ignorant, that the Fathers indeed often use the Word [justify] in this Signification, to wit, ofmaking just.”Zanchiusin C. 2. adEp.Ver. 4. Loc. de Just. Thes. 13.Zanchiussaith, “That the Fathers, and chieflyAugustine, interpret the Word [justify] according to this Signification, to wit, ofmaking just; so that, according to them, to bejustifiedwas no other than ofunjustto be madejust, through the Grace of God for Christ.” He mentioneth more, but this may suffice to our Purpose.

ConcerningJustification.

As many as resist not thisLight, but receive the same, it becomes in them an holy, pure, and spiritual Birth, bringing forth Holiness, Righteousness, Purity, and all those other blessed Fruits which are acceptable toGod: By which holy Birth, to wit,Jesus Christ formed within us, and working his Works in us, as we are sanctified, so are we justified in the Sight of God, according to the Apostle’s Words;But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, 1Cor.vi. 11.Therefore it is not by our Works wrought in our Will, nor yet by good Works considered as of themselves; but byChrist, who is both theGiftand theGiver, and the Cause producing the Effects in us; who, as he hath reconciled us while we were Enemies, doth also in his Wisdom save us and justify us after this Manner, as saith the same Apostle elsewhere; According to his Mercy he saved us, by the Washing of Regeneration, and the Renewing of the Holy Ghost,Tit.iii. 5.

§. I.TheDoctrine of Justificationcomes well in Order after the discussing of the Extent of Christ’s Death, and of the Grace thereby communicated, some of the sharpest Contests concerning this having from thence their Rise. Many are the Disputes among those calledChristiansconcerning this Point; and indeed, if all were truly minding that which justifieth, there would be less Noise about theNotions of Justification. I shall briefly review this Controversy as it stands among others, and as I have often seriously observed it; then in short state the Controversy as to us, and open our Sense and Judgment of it; andlastlyprove it, if the Lordwill, by some Scripture Testimonies, and the certain Experience of all that ever were truly justified.

§. II.Observat.The Method of Justification taken by the Church ofRome.That thisDoctrine of Justification, hath been and is greatly vitiated in the Church ofRome, is not by us questioned; though our Adversaries, who for want of better Arguments do often make Lies their Refuge, have not spared in this Respect to stigmatize us with Popery, but how untruly will hereafter appear. For to speak little of theirMeritum ex condigno, which was no Doubt a very common Doctrine of theRomish Church, especially beforeLuther, though most of their modern Writers, especially in their Controversies with Protestants, do partly deny it, partly qualify it, and seem to state the Matter only as if they were Propagators and Pleaders for good Works by the others denied; yet if we look to the Effects of this Doctrine among them, as they appear in the Generality of their Church Members, not in Things disapproved, but highly approved and commended by their Father thePopeand all hisClients, as the most beneficial Casualty of all his Revenue,ThePope’s Doctrine ofMerits, the most beneficial of all hisRevenue.we shall find thatLutherdid not without great Ground oppose himself to them in this Matter: And if he had not run himself into another Extreme, of which hereafter, his Work would have stood the better. For in this, as in most other Things, he is more to be commended for what he pulled down ofBabylon, than for what he built of his own. Whatever then thePapistsmay pretend, or even some good Men among them may have thought, Experience sheweth, and it is more than manifest by the universal and approved Practice of their People, that they place not theirJustificationso much in Works that are truly and morally good, and in the being truly renewed and sanctified in the Mind, as in such Things as are either nor Good nor Evil, or may truly be called Evil, and can no otherwise be reckoned Good than because thePopepleases to call them so.PapistsJustification depends upon thePope’s Bulls.So that if the Matter be well sifted, it will be found, that the greatest Part of theirJustificationdepends upon the Authority of hisBulls, and not upon the Power, Virtue, and Grace of Christ revealed in the Heart, and renewing of it, as will appear.Proof 1.Their Sacraments.First, From their Principle concerning theirSacraments, which they say confer Graceex opere operato. So that if a Man partake but of them, he thereby obtains Remission of Sin, though he remains as he was; the Virtue of theSacramentsmaking up the Want that is in the Man. So that this Act of Submission and Faith to the Laws of the Church, and not any real inward Change, is that which justifieth him. As for Example;Papists Penance.if a Man make use of theSacrament, as they call it,of Penance, so as to tell over his Sins to a Priest, though he have not trueContrition, which the Lord hath made absolutely necessary for penitent Sinners, but onlyAttrition, a Figment of their own, that is, if he be sorry he hath sinned, not out of any Love to God, or his Law which he hath transgressed, but for fear of Punishment, yet doth the Virtue of theSacrament, as they affirm, procure to him Remission of Sins; so that being absolved by the Priest, he stands accepted and justified in the Sight of God. This Man’s Justification then proceedeth not from his being truly penitent, and in any Measure inwardly changed and renewed by the working of God’s Grace in his Heart, but merely from the Virtue of theSacrament, and Authority of the Priest, who hath pronounced himabsolved; so that his Justification is from somewhat without him, and not within him.

Proof 2.Papist Indulgences.Secondly, This will yet more appear in the Matter ofIndulgences, where Remission of all Sins, not only past but for Years to come, is annexed to the visiting such and suchChurchesandReliques, saying such and suchPrayers; so that the Person that so doth is presently cleared from the Guilt of his Sin, and justified and accepted in the Sight of God. As for Example: He that in the greatJubileewill go toRome, and present himself before the Gate ofPeterandPaul, and there receive thePope’s Blessing; or he that will go a Pilgrimage toJames’s Sepulchre inSpain, or toMaryofLoreto, is upon the Performance of those Things promised Forgiveness of Sins. Now if we ask them the Reason how such Things as are not morally good in themselves come to have Virtue? They have no other Answer butbecause of the Church and Pope’s Authority, who being the great Treasurerof the Magazine ofChrist’s Merits, lets them out upon such and such Conditions.Papists Mass, what it is?Thus also the Invention of sayingMassis made a chief Instrument ofJustification; for in it they pretend to offerChristdaily to the Father apropitiatory Sacrificefor the Sins of the Living and Dead: So that a Man for Money can procureChristthus to be offered for him when he pleases; by which Offering he is said to obtain Remission of Sins, and to stand justified in the Sight of God. From all which, and much more of this Nature which might be mentioned, it doth appear, that thePapistsplace their Justification, not so much in any Work of Holiness really brought forth in them, and real forsaking of Iniquity, as in the mere Performance of some Ceremonies, and a blind Belief which their Teachers have begotten in them, that theChurchand thePopehaving the absolute Dispensation of theMerits of Christ, have Power to make these Merits effectual for the Remission of Sins, and Justification of such as will perform those Ceremonies. This is the true and real Method ofJustificationtaken by the Generality of the Church ofRome, and highly commended by their publick Preachers, especially theMonks, in their Sermons to the People, of which I myself have been an Ear and an Eye-witness; however some of their modern Writers have laboured to qualify it in their Controversies.Lutherand theProtestantsopposing the Pope’s Doctrine of Works, fell into the other Extreme, of no good Works necessary to Justification.This DoctrineLutherand theProtestantsthen had good Reason to deny and oppose; though many of them ran into another Extreme, so as to denygood Works to be necessary to Justification, and to preach upnot only Remission of Sins, but Justification by Faith alone, without all Works, however good. So that Men do not obtain theirJustificationaccording as they are inwardly sanctified and renewed, but are justified merely by believing thatChrist died for them; and so some may be perfectly justified, though they be lying in gross Wickedness; as appears by the Example ofDavid, who they say was fully and perfectly justified while he was lying in the gross Sins ofMurderandAdultery. As then theProtestantshave sufficient Ground to quarrel and confute thePapistsconcerning those many Abuses in the Matter ofJustification, shewing how theDoctrine of Christis thereby vitiated and overturned, and theWord at Godmade void by many and useless Traditions, theLaw of Godneglected, while foolish and needlessCeremoniesare prized and followed, through a false Opinion of being justified by the Performance of them; and theMeritsandSufferingsof Christ, which is the onlySacrificeappointed of God for Remission of Sins, derogated from, by the setting up of a dailySacrificenever appointed by God, and chiefly devised out of Covetousness to get Money by;Papists Device to get Money.so theProtestantson the other Hand, by not rightly establishing and holding forth theDoctrineofJustificationaccording as it is delivered in the holy Scriptures, have opened a Door for thePapiststo accuse them, as if they were Neglecters of good Works, Enemies to Mortification and Holiness, such as esteem themselves justified while lying in great Sins: By which Kind of Accusations, for which too great Ground hath been given out of the Writings of somerigid Protestants, the Reformation hath been greatly defamed and hindered, and the Souls of many insnared. Whereas, whoever will narrowly look into the Matter, may observe these Debates to be morein Speciethanin Genere, seeing both do upon the Matterland in one; and like two Men in a Circle, who though they go sundry Ways, yet meet at last; in the same Center.

Papists Belief of Justification meets in the same Center with the—For thePapistssay,They obtain Remission of Sins, and are justified by the Merits of Christ, as the same are applied unto them in the Use of the Sacraments of the Church, and are dispensed in the Performance of such and such Ceremonies, Pilgrimages, Prayers, and Performances, though there be not any inward renewing of the Mind, nor knowing of Christ inwardly formed; yet they are remitted and made righteousex opere operato, because of the Power and Authority accompanying the Sacraments and the Dispensers of them.

—Protestants Belief. So saith theWestminster ConfessionofFaith. Chap. 11. Sect. 1.TheProtestantssay,That they obtain Remission of Sins, and stand justified in the Sight of God by Virtue of theMeritsandSufferingsof Christ, not by infusing Righteousness into them, but by pardoning their Sins, and by accounting and accepting their Persons as righteous, they resting on him and hisRighteousness byFaith;whichFaith,the Act of believing, is not imputed unto them for Righteousness.

So theJustificationof neither here is placed in any inward Renewing of the Mind, or by Virtue of any spiritual Birth, or Formation of Christ in them; but only by a bare Application of the Death and Sufferings of Christ outwardly performed for them: Whereof the one lays hold on a Faith resting upon them, and hoping to be justified by them alone; the other by the saying of some outward Prayers and Ceremonies, which they judge makes the Death of Christ effectual unto them. I except here, being unwilling to wrong any, what Things have been said as to the Necessity of inward Holiness, either by somemodern Papists, or somemodern Protestants, who, in so far as they have laboured after a Midst betwixt these two Extremes, have come near to the Truth, as by some Citations out of them hereafter to be mentioned will appear: Though this Doctrine hath not since the Apostasy, so far as ever I could observe, been so distinctly and evidently held forth according to the Scripture’s Testimony, as it hath pleased God to reveal it and preach it forth in this Day, by the Witnesses of his Truth whom he hath raised to that End; whichDoctrine, though it be briefly held forth and comprehended in the Thesis itself,State of the Controversy.yet I shall a little more fully explain, and shew the State of the Controversy as it stands betwixt us and those that now oppose us.

§. III.Expl. 1.Firstthen, as by the Explanation of the former Thesis appears, we renounce all natural Power and Ability in ourselves, in order to bring us out of our lost and fallen Condition and first Nature; and confess, that as of ourselves we are able to do nothing that is good, so neither can we procure Remission of Sins or Justification by any Act of our own, so as to merit it, or draw it as a Debt from God due unto us;Justification springsofandfromthe Love of God.but we acknowledge all to beofandfromhisLove, which is the original and fundamental Cause of our Acceptance.

Expl. 2.Christ giving himself a Sacrifice for us.Secondly, God manifested thisLovetowards us, in the sending of his beloved Son the LordJesus Christinto the World, who gave himself for us anOfferingand aSacrificeto God, for asweet-smelling Savour; and having made Peace through the Blood of hisCross, that he might reconcile us unto himself, and by the Eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot unto God, and suffered for our Sins, theJustfor theUnjust, that he might bring us unto God.

Expl. 3.Thirdlythen, Forasmuch as all Men who have come to Man’s Estate (the ManJesusonly excepted) have sinned, therefore all have Need of this Saviour, to remove the Wrath of God from them due to their Offences; in this Respect he is truly said tohave borne the Iniquities of us all in his Body on the Tree, and therefore is theonly Mediator, having qualified the Wrath of God towards us; so that our former Sins stand not in our Way, being by Virtue of his most satisfactory Sacrifice removed and pardoned.To Remission of Sins.Neither do we think that Remission of Sins is to be expected, sought, or obtained any other Way, or by any Works or Sacrifice whatsoever; though, as has been said formerly, they may come to partake of this Remission that are ignorant of the History.The only Mediator betwixt God and Man.So then Christ by his Death and Sufferings hath reconciled us to God, even while we are Enemies; that is, he offers Reconciliation unto us; we are put into a Capacity of being reconciled; God is willing to forgive us our Iniquities, and to accept us, as is well expressed by the Apostle, 2Cor.v. 19.God was in Christ, reconciling the World unto himself, not imputing their Trespasses unto them, and hath put in us the Word of Reconciliation. And therefore the Apostle, in the next Verses, intreats them inChrist’s Stead to be reconciled to God; intimating that the Wrath of God being removed by the Obedience ofChrist Jesus, he is willing to be reconciled unto them, and ready to remit the Sins that are past, if they repent.

A twofold Redemption.We consider then our Redemption in atwofoldRespect or State, both which in their own Nature are perfect, though in their Applicationto us the one is not, norcanbe, without Respect to the other.

I.The Redemption of Christ without us.The First is the Redemption performed and accomplished byChrist for usin his crucified Body without us: The other is the Redemption wrought byChrist in us, which no less properly is called and accounted a Redemption than the former. The first then is that whereby a Man, as he stands in the Fall, is put into a Capacity of Salvation, and hath conveyed unto him a Measure of that Power, Virtue, Spirit, Life, and Grace that was inChrist Jesus, which, as the free Gift of God, is able to counter-balance, overcome, and root out the evil Seed, wherewith we are naturally, as in the Fall, leavened.

II.The Redemption wrought by Christ in us.The Second is that whereby we witness and know this pure and perfect Redemptionin ourselves, purifying, cleansing, and redeeming us from the Power of Corruption, and bringing us into Unity, Favour, and Friendship with God. By the first of these two, we that were lost inAdam, plunged into the bitter and corrupt Seed, unable of ourselves to do any good Thing, but naturally joined and united to Evil, forward and propense to all Iniquity, Servants and Slaves to the Power and Spirit of Darkness, are, notwithstanding all this, so far reconciled to God by the Death of his Son, while Enemies, that we are put into a Capacity of Salvation, having the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Peace offered unto us, and God is reconciled unto us in Christ, calls and invites us to himself, in which Respect we understand these Scriptures;[70]He slew the Enmity in himself. He loved us first; seeing us in our Blood, he said unto us, Live; he who did not sin his own self, bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree; and he died for our Sin, the Just for the Unjust.

[70]Eph. 2. 15. 1 John 4. 10. Ezek. 16. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 22, 24. & 3. 18.

[70]Eph. 2. 15. 1 John 4. 10. Ezek. 16. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 22, 24. & 3. 18.

By the Second, we witness this Capacity brought into Act, whereby receiving and not resisting the Purchase of his Death, to wit, the Light, Spirit, and Grace of Christ revealed in us, we witness and possess a real, true, and inward Redemption from the Power and Prevalency of Sin, and so come to be truly and really redeemed, justified, and made righteous, and to a sensible Union and Friendshipwith God.[71]Thushe died for us, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity; and thuswe know him and the Power of his Resurrection, and the Fellowship of his Sufferings, being made conformable to his Death. This last follows the first in Order, and is a Consequence of it, proceeding from it, as anEffectfrom itsCause: So as none could have enjoyed the last, without the first had been, such being the Will of God; so also can none now partake of the first, but as he witnesseth the last. Wherefore as to us, they are both Causes of our Justification; the first theprocuring Efficient, the other theformal Cause.

[71]Tit. 2. 14. Phil. 3. 10.

[71]Tit. 2. 14. Phil. 3. 10.

Expl. 4.Fourthly, We understand not by thisJustification by Christbarely thegood Works even wrought by the Spirit of Christ; for they, asProtestantstruly affirm, are rather an Effect ofJustificationthan the Cause of it;The Formation of Christ in us begets good Works.but we understand theFormation of Christ in us, Christ born and brought forth in us, from which good Works as naturally proceed as Fruit from a fruitful Tree. It is thisinward Birth in us, bringing forth Righteousness and Holiness in us, that doth justify us; which having removed and done away the contrary Nature and Spirit that did bear Rule and bring Condemnation, now is in Dominion over allinour Hearts. Those then that come to knowChristthus formed in them, do enjoy him wholly and undivided, who isthe LORD our RIGHTEOUSNESS, Jer. xxiii. 6. This is to be clothed withChrist, and to have put him on, whom God therefore truly accounteth righteous and just. This is so far from being the Doctrine ofPapists, that as the Generality of them do not understand it, so the Learned among them oppose it, and dispute against it, and particularlyBellarmine. Thus then, as I may say, the formal Cause of Justification is not the Works, to speak properly, they being but an Effect of it; but this inward Birth, thisJesusbrought forth in the Heart, who is the well-beloved, whom the Father cannot but accept, and all those who thus are sprinkled with theBlood of Jesus, and washed with it. By this also comes that Communication of the Goods ofChristunto us,by which we come to be made Partakers of the divine Nature, as faithPeter, 2Pet.i. 4. and are made one with him, as the Branches with the Vine, and have a Title andRight to what he hath done and suffered for us;Christ’s Obedience, Righteousness, Death and Sufferings are ours.so that his Obedience becomes ours, his Righteousness ours, his Death and Sufferings ours. And by this Nearness we come to have a Sense of his Sufferings, and to suffer with his Seed, that yet lies pressed and crucified in the Hearts of the Ungodly, and so travail with it, and for its Redemption, and for the Repentance of those Souls that in it are crucifying as yet theLord of Glory. Even as the ApostlePaul,who by his Sufferingsis said tofill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ for his Body, which is the Church. Though this be a Mystery sealed up from all the wise Men that are yet ignorant of this Seed in themselves, and oppose it, nevertheless someProtestantsspeak of this justification byChristinwardly put on, as shall hereafter be recited in its Place.

Expl. 5.Lastly, Though we place Remission of Sins in theRighteousness and Obedience of Christ performed by him in the Flesh, as to what pertains to the remote procuring Cause, and that we hold ourselvesformally justified by Christ Jesus formed and brought forth in us, yet can we not, as someProtestantshave unwarily done,excludeWorks fromJustification.Good Works are not excluded Justification.For though properly we be not justifiedfor them, yet are we justifiedin them; and they are necessary, even asCausa sine quâ non, i. e.the Cause, without which none are justified. For the denying of this, as it is contrary to the Scripture’s Testimony, so it hath brought a great Scandal to the Protestant Religion, opened the Mouths ofPapists, and made many too secure, while they have believed to be justified without good Works. Moreover, though it be not so safe to saythey are meritorious, yet seeing they are rewarded, many of those called theFathershave not spared to use the Word [Merit] which some of us have perhaps also done in a qualified Sense, butno-waysto infer thePopish Abusesabove-mentioned. Andlastly, if we had that Notion ofgood Workswhich mostProtestantshave, we could freely agree to make them not only not necessary, but reject them as hurtful, viz.That the best Works even of the Saints are defiled and polluted.For though we judge so of the best Works performed by Man, endeavouring a Conformity to the outward Law by his own Strength, andin his own Will, yet we believe that suchWorksas naturally proceed from this spiritual Birth and Formation of Christ in us arepureandholy, even as theRootfrom which they come; and therefore God accepts them, justifies us in them, and rewards us for them of his ownfree Grace. The State of the Controversy being thus laid down, these followingPositionsdo from hence arise in the next Place to be proved.

§. IV.Posit. 1.First,That the Obedience, Sufferings, and Death of Christ is that by which the Soul obtains Remission of Sins, and is the procuring Cause of that Grace, by whose inward WorkingsChristcomes to be formed inwardly, and the Soul to be made conformable unto him, and so just and justified.And that therefore, in respect of this Capacity and Offer of Grace,Godis said to bereconciled; not as if he were actuallyreconciled, or did actually justify, or account any just, so long as they remain in their Sins really impure and unjust.

Posit. 2.Secondly,That it is by this inward Birth of Christ in Man that Man is made just, and therefore so accounted by God: Wherefore, to be plain, we are thereby, and not till that be brought forth in us,formally, if we must use that Word,justifiedin the Sight of God; becauseJustificationis both more properly and frequently in Scripture taken in its proper Signification for making one just, and not reputing one merely such, and is all one withSanctification.

Posit. 3.Thirdly, That sincegood Worksas naturally follow from this Birth as Heat from Fire, therefore are they ofabsolute Necessity to Justification, asCausa sine quâ non,Good Works areCausa sine quâ non—ofJustification.i. e. though not as the Causefor which, yet as thatin whichwe are, and without which we cannot be justified. And though they be notmeritorious, and draw no Debt upon God, yet he cannot but accept and reward them: For it is contrary to his Nature to deny his own, since they may be perfect in their Kind, as proceeding from a pure holy Birth and Root. Wherefore their Judgment is false and against the Truth that say,That the holiest Works of the Saints are defiled and sinful in the Sight of God: For thesegood Worksare not the Works of the Law, excluded by the Apostle from Justification.

§. V.Posit. 1.As to the first, I prove it fromRom.iii. 25.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.Proof I.The Efficacy of Christ’s Death to redeem Man out of Evil.Here the Apostle holds forth the Extent and Efficacy ofChrist’s Death, shewing that thereby, and by Faith therein, Remission of Sins that are past is obtained, as being that wherein the Forbearance of God is exercised towards Mankind. So that though Men for the Sins they daily commit deserve eternal Death, and that the Wrath of God should lay hold upon them; yet, by Virtue of that mostsatisfactory Sacrifice of Christ Jesus, the Grace and Seed of God moves in Love towards them, during the Day of their Visitation; yet not so as not to strike against the Evil, for that must be burnt up and destroyed, but to redeem Man out of the Evil.

Proof II.Secondly, If God were perfectly reconciled with Men, and did esteem them just while they are actually unjust, and do continue in their Sins, then should God have no Controversy with them[72]; how comes he then so often to complain, and to expostulate so much throughout the whole Scripture with such as our Adversaries confess to be justified, telling them,That their Sins separate betwixt him and them? Isa. lix. 2. For where there is a perfect and full Reconciliation, there is no Separation. Yea, from this Doctrine it necessarily follows, either that such for whomChristdied, and whom he hath reconciled, never sin, or that when they do so, they are still reconciled, and their Sins make not the least Separation from God; yea, that they are justified in their Sins. From whence also would follow this abominable Consequence, that the good Works and greatest Sins of such are alike in the Sight of God, seeing neither the one servesto justify them, nor the other to break their Reconciliation, which occasions great Security, and opens a Door to every lewd Practice.

[72]I do not only speak concerning Men beforeConversion, who afterwards are converted, whom yet some of our Antagonists, calledAntinomians, do aver were justified from the Beginning; but also touching those who according to the common Opinion ofProtestantshave been converted; whom albeit they confess they persist always in someMisdeeds, and sometimes inheinous Sins, as is manifest inDavid’s Adultery and Murder, yet they assert to be perfectly and wholly justified.

[72]I do not only speak concerning Men beforeConversion, who afterwards are converted, whom yet some of our Antagonists, calledAntinomians, do aver were justified from the Beginning; but also touching those who according to the common Opinion ofProtestantshave been converted; whom albeit they confess they persist always in someMisdeeds, and sometimes inheinous Sins, as is manifest inDavid’s Adultery and Murder, yet they assert to be perfectly and wholly justified.

Proof III.Thirdly, This would make void the whole practical Doctrine of the Gospel, and make Faith itself needless. For if Faith and Repentance, and the other Conditions called for throughout the Gospel, be a Qualification upon our Part necessary to be performed, then, before this be performed by us, we are either fully reconciled to God, or but in a Capacity of being reconciled to God, he being ready to reconcile and justify us as these Conditions are performed; which latter, if granted, is according to the Truth we profess. And if we are already perfectly reconciled and justified before these Conditions are performed (which Conditions are of that Nature that they cannot be performed at one Time, but are to be done all one’s Life-time) then can they not be said to be absolutely needful; which is contrary to the very express Testimony of Scripture, which is acknowledged by all Christians:[73]For without Faith it is impossible to please God. They that believe not are condemned already, because they believe not in the only begotten Son of God. Except ye repent, ye cannot be saved: For if ye live after the Flesh, ye shall die. And of those that were converted;[74]I will remove your Candlestick from you, unless ye repent. Should I mention all the Scriptures that positively and evidently prove this, I might transcribe much of all the doctrinal Part of theBible. For since Christ said,It is finished, and didfinish his Worksixteen hundred Years ago and upwards;A Door of Mercy opened by Christ, upon Repentance.if he so fully perfected Redemption then, and did actually reconcile every one that is to be saved, not simply opening a Door of Mercy for them, offering the Sacrifice of his Body, by which they may obtain Remission of their Sins when they repent, and communicating unto them a Measure of his Grace, by which they may see their Sins, and be able to repent;TheAntinomiansOpinion of Reconciliation and Justification.but really making them to be reputed as just, either before they believe, as say theAntinomians, or after they have assented to the Truth of the History of Christ, or are sprinkled with the Baptism of Water, while nevertheless they are actually unjust, so that no Part of their Redemption isto be wrought by him now, as to theirReconciliationandJustification; then the whole doctrinal Part of theBibleis useless, and of no Profit: in vain were the Apostles sent forth to preach Repentance and Remission of Sins; and in vain do all the Preachers bestow theirLabour, spend theirBreath, and give forthWritings; yea, much more in vain do the People spend their Money which they give them for Preaching; seeing it is all butActum agere, but a vain and ineffectual Essay, to do that which is already perfectly done without them.

[73]Heb. 11. 6. John 3. 18. Luke 13. 3. Rom. 8. 13.

[73]Heb. 11. 6. John 3. 18. Luke 13. 3. Rom. 8. 13.

[74]Apoc. 2. 5.

[74]Apoc. 2. 5.

Proof 4.Butlastly, To pass by their human Labours, as not worth the Disputing whether they be needful or not, since (as we shall hereafter shew) themselves confess thebestof them issinful; this also makes void the present Intercession of Christ for Men.Christ’s daily making Intercession for us.What will become of that great Article of Faith, by which we affirm,That he sits at the right Hand of God, daily making Intercession for us; and for which End the Spirit itself maketh Intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered?For Christ maketh not Intercession for those that are not in a Possibility of Salvation; that is absurd. Our Adversaries will not admit that he prayed for the World at all; and to pray for those that are already reconciled, and perfectly justified, is to no Purpose: To pray for Remission of Sins is yet more needless, if all be remitted, past, present, and to come. Indeed there is not any solid solving of this, but by acknowledging according to theTruth, That Christ by his Death removed the Wrath of God, so far as to obtain Remission of Sins for as many as receive thatGraceandLightthat he communicates unto them, and hath purchased for them by hisBlood; which, as they believe in, they come to know Remission of Sins past, and Power to save them from Sin, and to wipe it away, so often as they may fall into it by Unwatchfulness or Weakness, if, applying themselves to this Grace, they truly repent; forto as many as receive him, he gives Power to become the Sons of God: So none areSons, none arejustified, nonereconciled, until they thus receive him in that littleSeedin their Hearts:And Life eternal is offered to those, who by patient Continuance in Well-doing, seek for Glory, Honour, and Immortality: For ifthe righteous Man depart from his Righteousness, his Righteousness shall be remembered no more. And therefore on the other Part, none are longer Sons of God, and justified, than they patiently continue in Righteousness and Well-doing. And therefore Christ lives always making Intercession, during the Day of every Man’s Visitation, that they may be converted; And when Men are in some Measure converted, he makes Intercession that they may continue and go on, and not faint, nor go back again. Much more might be said to confirm this Truth; but I go on to take Notice of the common Objections against it, which are the Arguments made use of to propagate theErrorscontrary to it.

§. VI.Thefirstandchiefis drawn from that Saying of the Apostle before-mentioned, 2Cor.v. 18, 19.God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ: God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself, not imputing their Trespasses unto them.

Obj. 1.From hence they seek to infer,That Christ fully perfected the Work of Reconciliation while he was on Earth.

Answ.I answer; If by [Reconciliation] be understood the removing of Wrath, and the Purchase of that Grace by which we may come to be reconciled, we agree to it; but that that Place speaks no more, appears from the Place itself: For when the Apostle speaks in theperfect Time, saying,He hath reconciled us, he speaks of himself and the Saints; who having received the Grace of God purchased by Christ, were through Faith in him actually reconciled.The Difference betweenReconciledto Christ, andReconciling.But as to theWorld, he saith [reconciling] not [reconciled]; whichReconciling, though it denotes a Time somewhat past, yet it is by theimperfect Time, denoting that the Thing begun was not perfected. For this Work Christ began towards all in the Days of his Flesh, yea, and long before; forHe was the Mediator from the Beginning, and the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World: But in his Flesh, after he had perfectlyfulfilled the Law, and theRighteousnessthereof, had rent theVeil, and made Way for the more clear and universal Revelation of the Gospel to all, bothJewandGentile; hegave up himself a most satisfactory Sacrifice for Sin; which becomes effectual to as many as receive him in his inward Appearance, in hisLightin the Heart. Again, this very Place sheweth that no other Reconciliation is intended, but the Opening of a Door of Mercy upon God’s Part, and a Removing of Wrath for Sins that are past; so as Men; notwithstanding their Sins, are stated in a Capacity of Salvation: For the Apostle, in the following Verse, saith,Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ’s Stead be ye reconciled to God. For if theirReconciliationhad already been perfectly accomplished, what need any Intreating then to be reconciled?Ambassadorsare not sent after aPeacealready perfected, and Reconciliation made, to intreat for a Reconciliation; for that implies a manifest Contradiction.

Obj. 2.Secondly, They object,Ver.21st of the same Chapter,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. From whence they argue,That as our Sin is imputed to Christ, who had no Sin; so Christ’s Righteousness is imputed to us, without our being righteous.

Answ.But this Interpretation is easily rejected; for thoughChrist bare our Sins,andsuffered for us,and was among Menaccounted a Sinner,andnumbered among Transgressors; yet that God reputed him a Sinner, is no where proved. For it is said,[75]He was found before him holy, harmless, and undefiled, neither was there found any Guile in his Mouth. That we deserved these Things, and much more for our Sins, which he endured in Obedience to the Father; and according to his Counsel, is true; but that ever reputed him aSinner, is denied:Men’s imputed Righteousness solidly Refuted.Neither did he ever die, thatweshould be reputed righteous, though no more really such thanhewas a Sinner, as hereafter appears. For indeed, if this Argument hold, it might be stretched to that Length, as to become very pleasing to wicked Men that love to abide in their Sins: For if we be maderighteous, as Christ was made a Sinner, merely by Imputation; then as there was no Sin, not in the least in Christ,so it would follow, that there needed no more Righteousness, no more Holiness, no more inward Sanctification in us, than there was Sin in him. So then, by his[being made Sin for us] must be understood his Suffering for our Sins, that we might be made Partakers of the Grace purchased by him; by the Workings whereof we are made the Righteousness of God in him. For that the Apostle understood here a being made really righteous, and not merely a being reputed such, appears by what follows, seeing inVer.14, 15, 16. of the following Chapter, he argues largely against any supposedAgreement of Light and Darkness,Righteousness and Unrighteousness; which must needs be admitted, if Men are to be reckoned ingrafted in Christ, and real Members of him, merely by an imputative Righteousness, wholly without them, while they themselves are actually unrighteous. And indeed it may be thought strange, how some Men have made this so fundamental an Article of their Faith, which is so contrary to the whole Strain of the Gospel: A Thing which Christ in none of all hisSermonsandgracious Speechesever willed any to rely upon; always recommending to us Works, as instrumental in our justification. And the more it is to be admired at, because that Sentence or Term (so frequently in their Mouths, and so often pressed by them, as the veryBasisof their Hope and Confidence) to wit,Christ’s imputed Righteousness not found in all theBible.The imputed Righteousness of Christ, is not to be found in all theBible, at least as to my Observation. Thus have I passed through the first Part, and that the more briefly, because many, who assert thisJustificationby bare Imputation, do nevertheless confess, that even the Elect are not justified until they be converted; that is, not until this imputative Justification be applied to them by the Spirit.

[75]Heb. 7. 26. 1 Pet. 2. 22.

[75]Heb. 7. 26. 1 Pet. 2. 22.

§. VII.Posit.2.By Christ formed within we are justified.I come then to the second Thing proposed by me, which is;That it is by this inward Birth, or Christ formed within, that we are(so to speak)formally justified in the Sight of God. I suppose I have said enough already to demonstrate how much we ascribe to theDeathandSufferings of Christ, as that whereby Satisfaction is made to the Justice of God, Remission of Sins obtained, and thisGraceandSeedpurchased, by and from which this Birth proceeds. The Thing now to be proved is,That by Christ Jesus formed in us, we are justified, or made just. Let it be marked, I useJustificationin this Sense upon this Occasion.

Proof 1.Firstthen, I prove this by that of the ApostlePaul, 1 Cor. vi. 11.Justified, i. e.being made Just really, not by Imputation.And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. First, This [justified] here understood, must needs bea being really made just, and nota being merely imputed such; else [sanctified] and [washed] might be reputed a beingesteemedso, and not a beingreallyso; and then it quite overturns the whole Intent of the Context. For the Apostle shewing them in the precedingVerses, how theUnrighteous cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, and descending to the severalSpecies of Wickedness, subsumes,That they were sometimes such, but now are not any more such. Wherefore, as they are nowwashedandsanctified, so are theyjustified: For if thisJustificationwere notreal, then it might be alleged that theCorinthianshad not forsaken these Evils; but, though they still continued in them, were notwithstandingjustified: Which as in itself it is most absurd, so it very clearly overturneth the very Import and Intent of the Place; as if theCorinthiansturningChristianshad not wrought any real Change in them, but had only been a Belief of some barren Notions, which had wrought no Alteration in their Affections, Will, or Manner of Life. For my own Part, I neither see any Thing, nor could ever yet hear or read any Thing, that with any Colour of Reason did evince [Justified] in this Place to be understood any other ways than in its own proper and genuine Interpretation of being madejust.The Derivation of the WordJustifyconsidered, &c.And for the more clear understanding hereof, let it be considered, that this Word [justify] is derived either from the SubstantiveJustice, or the Adjectivejust: Both which Words import theSubstantive, that true and realVirtue in the Soul, as it is in itself; to wit, it signifiesreally, and notsuppositively, that excellent Quality expressed and understood among Men by the Word [Justice;] and the Adjective [just] as applied, signifies a Man or Woman who isjust, that is, in whom this Quality ofJusticeis stated: For it would not only be great Impropriety, but also manifest Falsity, to call a Manjust; merely bySupposition; especially if he were reallyunjust. Now this Word [justify]formed fromJustice, orjust, doth beyond all Question signify amakingjust; it being nothing else but a Composition of the VerbFacio, and the Adjectivejustus, which is nothing else than thus,justifico, i. e.justum facio, I make just, and [justified] ofjustusandfio, asjustus fio, I become just, andjustificatus, i. e.justus factus, I am made just. Thus also is it with Verbs of this Kind, as,sanctifico, fromsanctus, holy, andfacio;honorifico, fromhonorandfacio;sacrifico, fromsacerandfacio: All which are still understood of the Subject really and truly endued with that Virtue and Quality from which the Verb is derived.Justifiednone are while they actually remainunjust.Therefore, as none are said to besanctifiedthat are reallyunholy, while they are such; so neither can any be truly said to bejustified, while they actually remainunjust. Only this Verbjustifyhath, in a metaphorical and figurative Sense, been otherwise taken, to wit, in aLawSense; as when a Man really guilty of a Crime is freed from the Punishment of his Sin, he is said to bejustified; that is, put in the Place as if he werejust. For this Use of the Word hath proceeded from that true Supposition,That none ought to be acquitted, but the Innocent. Hence also that Manner of speaking,I will justify such a Man, orI will justify this or that, is used from the Supposition that the Person and Thing is really justifiable: And where there is an Error and Abuse in the Matter, so far there is also in the Expression.

ParæusdeJust.Cont.Bell.L. 2. C. 7. P. 469.This is so manifest and apparent, thatParæus, a chief Protestant, and aCalvinistalso in his Opinion, acknowledges this; “We never at any Time said,” saith he, “nor thought, that the Righteousness of Christ was imputed to us, that by him we should be namedformally just, and not be so, as we have divers Times already shewed; for that would no less soundly fight with right Reason, than if a guilty Man absolved in Judgment should say, That he himself wasformally justby the Clemency of the judge granting him his Life.” Now is it not strange, that Men should be so facile in a Matter of so great Concernment, as to build the Stress of their Acceptance with God upon a mere borrowed and metaphorical Signification, to the excluding, or at least esteeming that not necessary, withoutwhich the Scripture saith expresly,No Man shall ever see God?Holinessrequired; thereforegood Worksare.For ifHolinessbe requisite and necessary, of which this is said, then mustgood Worksalso; unless our Adversaries can shew us anholy Manwithoutgood Works. But, moreover, [justified] in this figurative Sense is used forapproved; and indeed for the most Part, if not always in Scripture, when the Word [justify] is used, it is taken in the worst Part; that is, that as the Use of the Word that way is an Usurpation, so it is spoken of such as usurp the Thing to themselves, while it properly doth not belong unto them; as will appear to those that will be at the Pains to examine these Places.Exod.xxiii. 7.Jobix. 20. & xxvii. 5.Prov.xvii. 15.Isa.v. 23.Jer.iii. 11.Ezek.xvi. 51, 52.Lukex. 29. & xvi. 15. which are all spoken of Menjustifying the Wicked, or ofwicked Men justifying themselves; that is, approving themselves in their Wickedness. If it be at any Time in this Signification taken in good Part, it is very seldom, and that so obvious and plain by the Context, as leaves no Scruple. But the Question is not so much of the Use of theWord, where it is passingly or occasionally used, as where the very Doctrine ofJustificationis handled. Where indeed to mistake it,viz.in its proper Place, so as to content ourselves with animaginary Justification, while God requires areal, is of most dangerous Consequence. For the Disquisition of which let it be considered, that in all these Places to theRomans,Corinthians,Galatians, and elsewhere, where the Apostle handles this Theme, the Word may be taken in its own proper Signification without any Absurdity. As, where it is often asserted in the above-mentioned Epistles to theRomansandGalatians,Justified,in its proper Signification.Thata Man cannot be justified by the Law ofMoses, nor by the Works of the Law; there is no Absurdity nor Danger in understanding it according to its own proper Signification, to wit, that a Man cannot be madejustby theLaw of Moses; seeing this so well agrees with that Saying of the same Apostle, Thatthe Law makes nothing perfect. And also where it is said,We are justified by Faith, it may be very well understood of beingmade just; seeing it is also said, ThatFaith purifies the Heart; and no Doubt thepure in Heartarejust; and theJust live by Faith. Again, where it is said,We are justified by Grace, we are justified by Christ, we are justified by the Spirit; it is no ways absurd to understand it of beingmade just, seeing by his Spirit and Grace he doth make Menjust. But to understand it universally the other Way, merely forAcceptanceandImputation, would infer great Absurdities, as may be proved at large; but because I judged it would be acknowledged, I forbear at present for Brevity’s Sake. But further, in the most weighty Places where this Wordjustifyis used in Scripture, with an immediate Relation to the Doctrine ofJustification,Justificationsignifies a making just.our Adversaries must needs acknowledge it to be understood ofmaking just, and not barely in the legal Acceptation: As First, in that of 1Cor.vi. 11.But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, as I before have proved; which also many Protestants are forced to acknowledge.ThysiusDisp. deJust.Thes. 3.“Neither diffide we,” saithThysius, “because of the most great and strict Connexion, thatJustificationdoth sometimes seem also to comprehendSanctificationas a Consequence, as inRom.viii. 30.Tit.iii. 7. 1Cor.vi. 11.And such sometimes were ye, but ye are washed, &c.”Zanchius, having spoken concerning this Sense of Justification, adds, saying,Zanchiusin C. P. 2. adEph.V. 4. Loc. deJust.“There is another Signification of the Word,viz.for a Man fromunjustto be madejust, even assanctifiedsignifies fromunholyto be madeholy: In which Signification the Apostle said, in the Place above-cited,And such were some of you, &c. that is, of unclean ye are made holy, and of unjust ye are made just by the Holy Spirit, for Christ’s Sake, in whom ye have believed. Of this Signification is that,Rev.xxii. 11.Let him that is just, be just still; that is, really from just become more just, even as from unjust he became just. And according to this Signification theFathers, and especiallyAugustine, have interpreted this Word.”H. Bulling.Thus far he.H. Bullinger, on the same Place, 1Cor.vi. speaketh thus; “By divers Words,” saith he, “the Apostle signifies the same Thing, when he saith,Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified.”

Proof 2.Secondly, In that excellent Saying of the Apostle, so much observed,Rom.viii. 30.Whom he called, them he also justified, and whom hejustified, them he also glorified: This is commonly called theGolden Chain, as being acknowledged to comprehend the Method and Order of Salvation. And therefore, if [Justified] were not understood here in its proper Signification of beingmade just, Sanctification would be excluded out of this Chain. And truly it is very worthy of Observation, that the Apostle, in this succinct and compendious Account, makes the Word [Justified] to comprehend all betwixtCallingandGlorifying;Righteousness, the only Medium by which from ourCallingwe pass toGlorification.thereby clearly insinuating, that the being reallyRighteous, is that onlyMediumby which from ourCallingwe pass toGlorification. Almost all do acknowledge the Word to be so taken in this Place; and not only so, but most of those who oppose are forced to acknowledge, that as this is the most proper, so the most common Signification of it: Thus divers famousProtestantsacknowledge.D. Cham.Tom. 3. deSanct.L. 10.P. 1.“We are not,” saithD. Chamierus, “such impertinent Esteemers of Words, as to be ignorant, nor yet such importunate Sophists, as to deny that the WordsJustificationandSanctificationdo infer one another; yea, we know that the Saints are chiefly for this Reason so called, because that in Christ they have received Remission of Sins: And we read in the Revelations,Let him that is just, be just still; which cannot be understood, except of the Fruit of inherent Righteousness. Nor do we deny, but perhaps in other Places they may be promiscuously taken, especially by theFathers.”Bezain C. 3. adTit.Ver. 7.“I take,” saithBeza, “the Name ofJustificationlargely, so as it comprehends whatsoever we acquire from Christ, as well by Imputation, as by the Efficacy of the Spirit in sanctifying us. So likewise is the WordJustificationtaken,Rom.viii. 30.”Melanct.in Apol. Conf. Aug.Melancthonsaith, “That to be justified by Faith, signifies in Scripture not only to be pronounced just, but also of unrighteous to be made righteous.” Also some chiefProtestants, though not so clearly, yet in Part, hinted at our Doctrine, whereby we ascribe unto theDeath of ChristRemission of Sins, and the Work of Justification unto theGrace of the Spiritacquired by his Death.Boræus,inGen.C. 15. Credidit Abraham. Deo,P. 161.Martinus Boræus, explaining that Place of the Apostle,Rom.iv. 25.Who was given for our Sins, and rose again for ourJustification, saith: “There are two Things beheld in Christ, which are necessary to our Justification; the one is his Death, the other is his arising from the Dead. By his Death, the Sins of this World behoved to be expiated: By his Rising from the Dead, it pleased the same Goodness of God to give the Holy Spirit, whereby both the Gospel is believed, and the Righteousness, lost by the Fault of the firstAdam, is restored.” And afterwards he saith; “The Apostle expresseth both Parts in these Words,Who was given for our Sins, &c. in his Death is beheld the Satisfaction for Sin; in his Resurrection, the Gift of the Holy Spirit, by which our Justification is perfected.”Idem Lib. 3. Reg. Cap. 9. V. 4. P. 681.And again, the same Man saith elsewhere; “Both these Kinds of Righteousness are therefore contained inJustification, neither can the one be separate from the other. So that in the Definition ofJustification, the Merit of the Blood of Christ is included, both with the Remission of Sins, and with the Gift of the Holy Spirit of Justification and Regeneration.”Bucerus, inRom. 4.ad Ver. 16.Martinus Bucerussaith; “Seeing by one Sin ofAdamthe World was lost, the Grace of Christ hath not only abolished that one Sin, and Death which came by it; but hath together taken away those infinite Sins, and also led into full Justification as many as are of Christ; so that God now not only remits unto themAdam’s Sin, and their own, but also gives them therewith the Spirit of a solid and perfect Righteousness, which renders us conform unto the Image of the First-begotten.”Righteousness,a Conformity to the Image of the First-begotten.And upon these Words [by Jesus Christ] he saith; “We always judge that the whole Benefit of Christ tends to this, that we might be strong through the Gift of Righteousness, being rightly and orderly adorned with all Virtue, that is, restored to the Image of God.”W. Forbesin Consider. Modest. deJust.Lib. 2. Sect. 8.Andlastly,William Forbesour Countryman, Bishop ofEdinburgh, saith; “Whensoever the Scripture makes Mention of the Justification before God, as speakethPaul, and from him (besides others)Augustine, it appears that the Word [justify] necessarily signifies not only to pronounce just in a Law Sense, but also really and inherently to make just; because that God doth justify a wicked Man otherwise than earthly Judges.How God justifies the Wicked.For he, when he justifies a wicked or unjust Man, doth indeed pronounce him as these also do; but by pronouncing him just, because his Judgment is according to Truth, he also makes him really of unjust to become just.” And again, the same Man, upon the same Occasion, answering the more rigidProtestants, who say, ThatGod first justifies, and then makes just; he adds: “But let them have a Care, lest by too great and empty Subtilty, unknown both to the Scriptures and the Fathers, they lessen and diminish the Weight and Dignity of so great and divine a Benefit, so much celebrated in the Scripture, to wit,Justificationof the Wicked. For if to the formal Reason ofJustificationof the Ungodly doth not at all belong hisJustification(so to speak)i. e.his being made righteous, then in the Justification of a Sinner, although he be justified, yet the Stain of Sin is not taken away, but remains the same in his Soul as before Justification: And so, notwithstanding the Benefit of Justification, he remains as before, unjust and a Sinner; and nothing is taken away, but the Guilt and Obligation to Pain, and the Offence and Enmity of God through Non-imputation. But both the Scriptures and Fathers do affirm, That in theJustificationof a Sinner, their Sins are not only remitted, forgiven, covered, not imputed, but also taken away, blotted out, cleansed, washed, purged, and very far removed from us, as appears from many Places of the holy Scriptures.” The sameForbesshews us at length, in the following Chapter, That this was the confessed Judgment of theFathers, out of the Writings of those who hold the contrary Opinion; some whereof, out of him, I shall note.Calv.Inst. L. 3. C. 11. Sect. 15.As, first,Calvinsaith, “That the Judgment ofAugustine, or at least his Manner of speaking, is not throughout to be received; who although he took from Man all Praise of Righteousness, and ascribed all to the Grace of God, yet he refers Grace to Sanctification, by which we are regenerate through the Spirit unto Newness of Life.”Chemnit.in Exam. Conc. Trid. de Just.P. 129.Chemnitiussaith, “That they do not deny, but that the Fathers take the Word [justify] forrenewing, by which Works of Righteousness are wrought in us by the Spirit.” And P. 130. “I am not ignorant, that the Fathers indeed often use the Word [justify] in this Signification, to wit, ofmaking just.”Zanchiusin C. 2. adEp.Ver. 4. Loc. de Just. Thes. 13.Zanchiussaith, “That the Fathers, and chieflyAugustine, interpret the Word [justify] according to this Signification, to wit, ofmaking just; so that, according to them, to bejustifiedwas no other than ofunjustto be madejust, through the Grace of God for Christ.” He mentioneth more, but this may suffice to our Purpose.

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