A Compend of the Controversies of Religion, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. OF IVSTIFICATION.
§. I. That wee are justified by Fayth onlie, as the hand or instrument that layeth holde on GODS free merciemercy, and CHRISTS merit, for our abſolution.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
ROm. 5.1. Therefore beeing justified by Fayth, we hauehave peace vvith God, through our Lord Ieſus Christ.
Rom. 3.28. Wee conclude then, that a man is justified by fayth, vvithout the deeds of the Law.
Note then, That fayth is made the onlie inſtrument; and all other righteouſneſſe, except Chriſts, (whereon fayth layeth▪ onlie holde) is expreſſelie excluded.
Gal. 2.16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the vvorks of the Law, but by the faith of Ieſus Christ; even vve hauehave therefore believed in Ieſus Christ, that vvee might bee justified by the fayth of Christ, and not by the vvorks of the Law: for by the vvorks of the Law ſhall no fleſh bee justified.
Wee ſee then againe, anie inherent righteouſneſſe in man (which is his obedience to the Law) al-together excluded from having place in our juſtification; and that the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt alone, is that where-on fayth onlie layeth holde, for our abſolution. Therefore the Apoſtle ſayth, Rom. 5.9. Much more then being now justified by his blood, vvee ſhall bee ſaved from vvrath thorow him.
2. Witneſsing of Antiquitie.
THis is ordained by God, (ſayeth Ambroſe) that who believeth in Chriſt, ſhall bee ſaved, without works, by fayth onelie, getting the free remiſſion of his ſinnes. Ambroſe, in 1. Cor. cap. 1. Therefore (ſayeth Bernard) a penitent ſinner being juſtified by fayth alone, ſhall hauehave peace with God. Bern. Serm. 22. in Cant.
3. Confeſsion of Partie.
IN that the Proteſtants vrge ever (ſaith Caſſander) that wee are juſtified by fayth onelie, it is the more tollerable; ſeeing they expound, that by fayth they vnderſtand grace, that is correſpondent there-to. So that it is all one, to bee juſtified by fayth onlie, as to bee juſtified by grace, and not by workes. Caſſ. conſult. art. 4.
§. 2. That wee are not justified by our works before God, or that no inherent righteouſneſſe in vsus, is the formall cauſe of our justification.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
ROm. 3.20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law, there ſhall no fleſh bee justified in his ſight: For,
Verſe 24. Wee are justified freelie by his grace, thorow the redemption that is in Ieſus Christ.
Rom. 11.6. And if by grace, then it is no more of vvorks, otherwyſe, grace is no more grace: but if it bee of vvorks, then it is no more grace; other-wyſe vvorke is no more vvorke.
Rom. 4.4. Now to him that vvorketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Verſe 2. For if Abraham were juſtified by vvorks, hee hath vvhereof to glorie, but not before God.
Rom. 3.27. Where is boasting then? it is excluded. By vvhat Law? of vvorkes? nay, but by the Law of fayth.
Remarke then, That by all the former places, our workes are expreſſelie debarred from having anie place in juſtification, which is by grace: and grace, and our inherent righteouſneſſe, are ſo oppoſed in that worke, that they can not conſiſt: but the one is ever deſtructiue of the other.
Note alſo, That the Apoſtle cleareth playnlie that place of Iames, 2.21. ſhowing, that Abraham's juſtifying by works, was not before God, but by them that hee was declared onlie before men, to bee righteous and juſt.
Rom. 5.16. And not as it was by one that ſinned, ſo is the gift: for the judgement vvas by one vntounto condemnation, but the free gift is of manie offences vntounto justification.
Note then, That our juſtification ſtandeth in the remiſſion of ſinnes; and this remiſſion is a free gift: and if it be a free gift, then it is not of debt: and if not of debt, then not of our workes, as the Apoſtle had formerlie concluded. Rom. 4.4.
Gal. 5.4. Who-ſo-ever then of you are justified by the law, yee are fallen from grace.
Note then, That the fleeing to our owne righteouſneſſe in juſtification, is called an head-longs falling from grace, to perdition.
2. Witneſsing of Antiquitie.
THE redemption of the Blood of Chriſt, ſhould bee vile in our eyes, (ſayeth Ambroſe) nor ſhould the prerogatiue of mens works ſuccumbe to the merciemercy of God, if juſtification which is by grace, were due vntounto anie preceeding merits. So that it ſhould not bee the gift of the free beſtower, but the reward o… the meriting worker. Amb. lib. 1. de voc gentium c. 5. Remarke heere, That both our firſt juſtification, and that vvhichwhich they call the ſecond, even to the ende of our lyfe, is onlie of meere grace.
3. Confeſsion of Partie.
WEE are ſaide freelie to bee juſtified, (ſayth Benius) becauſe nothing that preceedeth our juſtification, whether it bee fayth, or works, deſerveth the grace of juſtification. Benius de efficaci Dei auxilio, c. 18. Vaſques alſo the Ieſuit, rightlie obſerveth thus, to wit, That a number of their moſt learned Doctors, whom hee accounteth good Catholicks, differ in this point onlie in words, but agree in deede. Of which number hee nameth Ʋilhelmus Pariſienſis, Scotus, Occam, Gregorie Ariminenſis, Gabriel Biel, Antididagma Colonienſe, Enchiridion Colonienſe, Iohannes Bunderius, Alphonſus de Castro, and Andreas Vega, who was preſent at the handeling of this matter, at the Councell of Trent. Vaſques, in 1. 2. quast 114. diſp. 214. c. 1.
§. 3. That it is Christ's righteouſneſſe onlie, which in justification is imputed vntounto vsus, vntounto remiſsion of ſinnes.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
ISai. 53.5. But hee vvas vvounded for our tranſgreſſions, hee vvas bruſed for our iniquities, the chaſtiſement of our peace was vponupon him, and with his ſtripes vvee are healed.
Note then, That by Chriſt's ſtripes and ſatiſfaction, is our healing or juſtification: & that this ſatiſfaction of Chriſts is made ours onlie by imputation, that Romane Doctor confeſſeth, Bellarmine, lib. 2. de justificatione, c. 10. §. deinde.
Ier. 23.6. In his dayes Iudah ſhall bee ſaved, and Iſrael ſhall dwell ſafelie, and this is his Name vvhere-by hee ſhall bee called, THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE.
Philip. 3.9. That I may bee found in him, not having mine owne righteouſneſſe, vvhichwhich is of the Law, but that vvhichwhich is thorow the faith of Chriſt, even the righteouſneſſe which is of God by fayth.
Remarke then, That the onelie righteouſneſſe where-on the Apoſtle relyeth for acceptation, is not his owne, or mans, but Chriſts, who is alſo God▪ and therefore whoſe ſatiſfaction or obedience is of an infinite vertue, to appeaſe an infinite wrath; and is by faith onelie laide holde on, and applyed, and ſo made ours, by meere imputation.
2. Cor. 5.21. For hee hath made him to bee ſinne for vsus, who knew no ſinne, that wee might bee made the righteouſneſſe of God in him.
Note then, That as Chriſt was made ſinne for vsus, that is, a ſacrifice for ſinne (as Oſe 4.8. ſinne is there taken) onlie by having our ſinnes imputed to him; ſo are wee alſo by imputation onlie made the righteouſneſſe of God in him.
Rom. 5.19. For as by one man's diſobedience manie are made ſinners, ſo by the obedience of one, ſhall manie bee made righteous.
But manie were made ſinners, being yet in his loynes, onlie by imputation, (as the Apoſtle ſayth, verſe 12. In whom all ſinned) therefore alſo by the obedience of Chriſt manie are made righteous by imputation onlie, in the act of juſtification before God, as ſaide is.
2. Witneſsing of Antiquitie.
CHRIST'S condemnation is our juſtification, ſayeth Beda, in Pſal. 87.
3. Confeſsion of Partie.
CHRIST is called our righteouſneſſe, (ſayth Bellarmine) becauſe hee hath ſatiſfied the father for vsus, and giveth to vsus that ſatiſfaction, and communicateth it ſo vntounto vsus, when hee juſtifyeth vsus, that it may bee juſtlie called our ſatiſfaction and righteouſneſſe. Bell. lib. 2. de juſtif. c. 10. §. deinde. So alſo, c. 7. §. qu…rto.