Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 24
PRINCIPLES CONCERNING MANS IVSTIFICATION IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. XXIIII.
1 THat we may hauehave a ſure foundation of aeternall life, and may worſhip God in this life with a quiet conſcience; the doctrine of mans juſtification in the preſence of God, is very neceſſary.
2 Iuſtification therefore, is a free imputation of righteouſnes, made of God, by and for Chriſt, to ſaluation vntounto eueryevery one that beleeueth.
3 But in aſmuch as God is exceedingly mercifull, and exceedinglie juſt, and that his merciemercy doth not aboliſh his juſtice, which remaineth vnviolated; it behooued, that his juſtice ſhuld be fullie ſatisfied, before ſuch time as he could poure forth his merciemercy vponupon mankind, and therefore that Chriſt ſhould be God and man.
4 For he who is onelie man, cannot be able to ſuſtaine the wrath of God; nor on the other ſide, hee who is onelie God, becauſe, that God can bee ſubject vntounto no kinde of ſuffering.
5 Therefore God the Father, beeing drawen in merciemercy, woulde hauehave his onelye begotten Sonne, at the appointed time, to become true man, without any confuſion or mingling of the natures, might reconcile men vntounto God.
6 The efficient cauſe therefore, of the righteouſnes imputed vntounto vsus, is the merciemercy of God the Father, and his free louelove towards vsus: for he it is that ſaueth and juſtifieth.
7 The materiall cauſe, is Chriſt crucified, and riſen for vsus, where three thinges come to bee conſidered: the one whereof, conſiſteth in the puniſhments, whereby hee hath moſt fullie ſatisfied for all our ſinnes: The other ſtandeth in his obedience, & the fulfilling of the whole lawe, by him for vsus: the third, is the moſt perfect repairing, and integritie of our nature in the fleſh, which Chriſt tooke vponupon him; wherby the filthines of our nature is couered, that it commeth not into the ſight of God.
8 The formall cauſe, is the verie imputation of Chriſts righteouſnes, by meanes whereof, we are accounted to be freed from ſinne, juſt, holie, and heires of aeternall life.
9 The inſtrumentall is of two ſortes, the one in reſpect of God that juſtifieth, which is Chriſt himſelfe; the other in reſpect of vsus, that lay holde vponupon imputation of righteouſnes; and the ſame is faith, imbracing firmely the promiſes of the grace of God in Chriſt.
10 The finall likewiſe is two-folde; the one in reſpect of GOD, and that is, that hee might declare his righteouſnes vntounto men, by partaking the ſame with them, and alſo the glorye of his name, the which hee maketh more cleare in the veſſels of merciemercy: the other in reſpect of vsus, that wee may at the length, enjoy indeed that life, which is laied vp for vsus in the Heauens, which now we poſſeſſe by hope onelyonly.
11 The effect inhaerent in vsus, as in a ſubject, is that newe qualitie, which is called inhaerent righteouſnes, or regeneration, which in no wiſe doth abſolue vsus in the preſence of God; but is onelyonly a moſt ſure witnes of our engraffing into Chriſt, and therefore, of our free abſolution in him.
12 This righteouſnes, ſeeing it cannot bee giuen vntounto anie, ſaue onelyonly vntounto the elect by faith, hath annexed vntounto it, the gift of perſeuerance; although by their fault, it ſeemeth ſometimes to be ceaſed.
13 Whence we gather, that they, who hauehave bene once endued by God with this righteouſnes, can neuer fal away from his grace, and as for them that ſhall neuer bee partakers heereof, they ſhall periſh for euer.
We do therefore condemne thoſe, that gaine-ſay this Doctrine.
I The LIBERTINES and the EPICVRES, who when they heare that man is not juſtified by workes, nor by his owne righteouſnes, but by the righteouſnes of another; namelie, by the righteouſnes of Chriſt imputed by faith, caſting off all care of good workes, hauehave endeuoured, and daily do labour, to bring a kinde of prophane and godles ſecurity … into the Church.
II The PAPISTS, who denie that wee are juſtified by Faith onlie, but do attribute part of our juſtification vntounto workes, and ſuch works as are meritorious.
III OSIANDER, who held that man was juſtified by the eſſentiall righteouſnes of God.
Defended by WILLIAM QVARCINVS Tarbienſis.