A Treatise of Justification, Title page – Table of contents
A TREATISE Of IVSTIFICATION.
Tending to proue that a Sinner is iuſtified before God, onelyonly by CHRISTS Righteouſnes imputed.
By William Bradſhaw.
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Creede, for William Bladon, and are to be ſold at his ſhop, neere the great North-dore of S. Pauls Church, at the ſigne of the Bible. 1615.
IMMANUEL
… Reverendiſs … Patri… Will. Sanc… A.C.
Coll Emman. Cant…
The Method.
Of Iuſtification.
In generall: of the
Word; ſignifying to make iuſt: which is,
Either by Infuſion,
Or Plea.
Thing—
1. What it is.
2. The Ground.
The degrees, in respect
Of matter
1
Compleat.
Incompleat.
2
Ʋniuerſall.
Particular.
Of forme.
1
By Aſſertion onelyonly.
By demō ſtration alſo.
2
In Colour,
In truth.
The kindes.
Of perſons inherently iust.
Otherwiſe.
Meanes by ſatisfaction.
by
Doing.
ſuffering.
by
A mans ſelfe.
Another.
The Effect, pardon, which is
1
Plenary.
In part.
2
Meerely
Merited.
More ſpecially. Of Iuſtification before
GOD;
That it is not
By our owne righteouſnes.
By Satisfaction made—
By our ſelues.
By any other Creature.
That it is by Satisfaction made,
By Chriſt his
Fulfilling the Law.
Suffering.
For the Faithfull.
Man.
By Man.
By God;
In this life.
At the day of Doome.
To the Reader.
THou cāſt not be ignorant (good Reader,) what ſpeciall differē ces hauehave bene, (and yet are) amōgſt our ſelues in ſom points, about the Iuſtification of a Sinner before GOD. Whence manie weake mindes hauehave bene ſomewhat perplexed, & ſome ſtrong ones (at leaſt in their own conceits) exceedingly diſtempered; as though there were amongſt vsus which ouer-turned Foundations, teaching blaſphemous Hereſies about this matter: whereas all of vsus with one mouth profeſſe this, That a Sinner is Iustified, not by any Formall inherent Righteouſnes in himſelfe, but onelyonly by the free & meere grace and merciemercy of GOD, through the meritorious Satisfaction of our SAƲIOVR CHRIST, the onelyonly Mediatour betweene God and a Sinner. Wherein we all giuegive all the glory of our Iuſtification & Saluation to God in Chriſt Ieſus, and therein hold the maine Foundation. We differ onelyonly in certaine Circumſtances, wherein nothing is derogated, eyther from the merciemercy of God, or merites of Chriſt, or arrogated to our owne workes.
Some of vsus hold, that a Sinner is iuſtified by the vertue & merites both of Chriſts actiue and paſſiue Obedience imputed. Otherſome, by the merites of his paſſiue obedience imputed, but not of his Actiue. A third ſort, by the merits both of his actiue and paſſiue, but not imputed.
The firſt, giues all to Chriſt, but equally diuides the vertue, betweene his actiue and paſſiue righteouſnes. The ſecond giues no leſſe to him: only that which it takes from the actiue, it giues ſuperabundantly to the paſſiue.
The thirde, giues as much to Chriſt, as eyther of the other, derogating nothing from the vertue, eyther of the actiue or paſſiue, but denying only a ſpeciall manner of Application.
The firſt of theſe opinions hath bin, & (for ought I know) is moſt generally receiued, & is that which ſeemes moſt Orthodoxall, & which in this Treatiſe I deſire to maintain. If in ſome fewe paſſages, I goe out of that beaten tracke, which they hauehave kept, who before me hauehave maintained this truth, it is not from any affectation of ſingularitie; For I neuer held it ſafe, nor any credite to walke alone, in any matter of Religion, any further then meere neceſſitie, and iuſt Apologie requires: but becauſe ſome partes of the way, which they goe, lyes ouer ſuch hills, as I am not able to climbe, I therfore hauehave ben forced ſomtimes to goe ſomewhat aſide, that I might the better come againe into the way, where it lies in the plaine.
For the other two opinions, (with due reuerence, reſerued to the maintainers of them; whome I acknowledge to bee great learned and worthie Diuines) I thinke them ſomewhat erroneous; but withall, to hauehave riſen from two poſitions (to my ſeeming) as erroneous, held or granted by ſome (if not all) who hauehave maintained the firſt.
1 That Christ by the merites of his Paſſiue obedience onelyonly, hath freed vsus from the guilt of all ſinne, both actuall and, originall, of Omiſſion and Commiſſion.
2 That in the imputation of Chriſts Obedience both Actiue and Paſſiue, God doeth ſo beholde and conſider a Sinner in Chriſt, as if the Sinner himſelfe had done & ſuffered, thoſe very Particulars which Christ did, and ſuffered for him.
The firſt of theſe, is the very ground and Foundation of the ſecond opinion: which beeing graunted, I cannot (as yet) ſ…e how it can be auoided, but that wee muſt holde the ſame. For what more can be required, to the Iuſtification of a ſinner, thē to be freed, and expiated of all ſinnes whatſoeuer, not onelyonly of Commiſſion, but Omiſſion?
Can a man poſſibly bee more iuſtified, then ſo to be freed frō all ſinne & fault, as to be eſteemed and iudged as one that neuer committed any euil forbidden, & neuer omitted any good required? Doth Chriſts actiue Righteouſnes according to the Lawe conſiſt in any thing elſe, but in the leauing vndone of whatſoeuer euill forbidden, and in the doing of all good things commanded? What then auayleth the imputation of this, when ſo much is granted to be obtained by the other? If therfore wee will firmely maintaine the firſt Opinion, I cannot ſee, but wee muſt needs forgoe this firſt Poſition, and holde
That to the very Expiation of ſinne, and the Freeing from the guilte hereof, the imputattion both of the Actiue and Paſſiue righteouſnes of Chriſt are neceſſarie, and that the …ne is not to bee ſeparated from the …her.
The ſecond Poſition taketh …mputation in ſuch a ſtrict ſenſe …s ſeemes not neceſſarie; For both the Actiue & Paſſiue righteouſnes of Chriſt, may be ſaid …o bee imputed to a ſinner, if God (without any further cōſideration) but accept that which Chriſt hath done and ſuffred, as … ful ſatisfaction, for that which a ſinner ſhould hauehave done, or ſuffted in his owne perſon: beſides that it ſeems to take away all neceſsity of the imputation of Chriſts Suffrings. For if God repute Chriſtes fulfilling of the Lawe, to be eueryevery ſinners fulfilling of the Law, then in his fulfilling thereof, is eueryevery ſuch ſinner (to whom it is in ſuch a mā ner imputed) perfectly righteous. If perfectly righteous, perfectly Iuſtifiable, what needes then Chriſt moreouer, eyther to Suffer for the Iuſtification of a ſinner, or a ſinner to be reputed to Suffer in Chriſt, to any ſuch ende?
This other poſition, (as I conceiue) hath giuen occaſion of the third Opinion. The Author thereof, (a very Learned, Reuerend, and Iudicious Diuine) denying all Imputation, both of the Actiue and Paſſiue righteouſneſſe of Chriſt (as farre as I can learne,) onelyonly in the ſtrict ſenſe aforeſaide, and that (as it ſeemes to mee,) vppon good ground, as may appeare further ſomewhat in this Treatiſe.
Our differences then (bleſſed be God,) are not ſo great, but there is both poſſibilitie, and hope of Reconciliation, and no ſuch cauſe of any fiery Oppoſiſitions one againſt an other; eſpecially, ſeeing that they who heerein are out of the way, may ſeeme to hauehave beene put out thereof, onelyonly by the blockes, that our ſelues have layde therin. I take not vponupon mee to bee a Moderator between ſo many Learned men of all ſides, or to ſee further then they, into ſo great a Myſterie.
If in ſome pety Circumſtances I hauehave diſcouered that which they hauehave ouerſeene, it is not ſo much for want of any ſharpnes of ſight in them, as for that they hauehave not ſtouped ſo lowe as I hauehave done: It beeing not ſtrange for them that look high eſt, and ſee furtheſt, to ouer-ſee much; and not vnvſuall for thoſe who are ſtanders by, (though ſimple in compariſon) to ſee ſome things, which the cunningeſt Gameſters ſometimes ouerſee.
I firſt penned this Treatiſe to teach my ſelfe, and hauehave herein oppoſed my ſelf as much as any man elſe, as may wel be known to ſome, who knowe what I hauehave formerly helde.
After, for my further Satiſfaction and information, I cauſed diuers Copies thereof to be written forth, and communicated them to ſundrie Reuerend and learned Diuines, ſubmitting the ſame to their cenſures; from whome I receiued (out of their louelove) diuers materiall Animaduerſions, and doubtes: which thogh they hauehave not bin of force to moue mee to change my mind in any material point, yet hauehave made me explane mat…rs more fully, then otherwiſe ſhould hauehave thought had bin …edfull. Yet if herein I hauehave …ot ſatisfied them, or any elſe, …hey ſhall binde me vntounto them, … they will bee pleaſed further …o animaduert, and obiect a…ainſt ſuch Particulars, where …hey ſhall reſt vnſatisfied.
That it dares thus boldly …ome foorth in publique, it is …ot ſo much from any hearte…ing it hath had from mee, as …hrough ſome priuate encou…agements from others, farre more Learned and Iudicious then my ſelfe; whome thou muſt blame, if it proue of no vſe to the Church of God.
The world I know hath long …roaned vnderunder the multitude of Books, and yet ſtill it deſires and calls for for more; The beſt is, this Booke is of ſo little b… den, that it can hauehave no m… ſenſe of it, then an Elepha… though neuer ſo loaded, … hauehave of a Flye, that ſits vpp it.
I hauehave ſaid no more of Fai… then was needfull for the v… derſtanding of the nature of Iuſtification, and of that force a… vſe that it hath therein; and … rather, for that it deſerue… Treatiſe of it ſelfe, which (b… for ſome diſtractions) I had a… tempted before now: yet I … ther deſire that ſome other more ſufficient, would take out of my hand, and take th… alſo from my hand, and poli… it, as the excellencie of the A… gument requires, then whi… certainly there is not (among all the heads of Diuinitie) a… one more neceſſary, profitabl… or comfortable, eſpecially, to afflicted and humbled Sinners.
Thus praying thee to pardon my great boldneſſe, and to take in good part this poore Eſſay, and where I may ſeeme to erre, to helpe me by thy prayers, and other meanes into the way; I bid thee Farewell in Chriſt. New-hall, April. 8. 1615.
Thine, W. B.
THE ARGVMENTS of the ſeuerall Chapters.
1. Of the Signification of the Worde.
2. What Iuſtification is.
3. Of the degrees of Iuſtification.
4. Of Iustification, by inherent Righteouſnes.
5. Of the Iuſtification of thoſe, who are not inherently Righteous.
6. Of Satisfaction in Generall.
7. Of Satisfaction in ſpeciall.
8. Of Pardon.
9. Of Iuſtification before God.
10. That no man is Righteous or iuſtifiable in Gods ſight, by the righteouſnes of the Law, or by his owne inherent righteouſnes.
11. That no man can make ſatisfaction for his owne, or an other mans ſinne.
12. That no other meere Creature, can make ſatisfaction for the ſinne of Man.
13. That the Sonne of God hath made Satisfaction for the ſinnes of all them that ſhall be iuſtified.
14. Of the pardon of ſinne, and our Adoption.
15. Of Iuſtifying Faith.
16. Of Iuſtification before men.