A Treatise of Justification, Book 1 · Chapter 1
CAP. I. The excellencie of this argument is set forth, and the definition of justification propounded, and in part expounded.
§. I.
AMong all the articles of Christian religion thereThe excellencie of this argument. is none, as I suppose, either more necessarie to be knowne, or more comfortable to be beleeved, than the doctrine of justification: whereby a faithfull man is taught to beleeve and know, that hee being a sinner in himselfe, and by sinne obnoxious to eternall damnation; is by the mercies of God, and merits of Christ through faith, not onelyonly freed from the guilt of his sinnes and from everlasting damnation, but also accepted as righteous before God in Christ, and made heire of eternall life. This doctrine in many places of the Scripture *Lib. 6. Cap. 6. §. 2.hereafter▪ to be cited, is foreign, by way of excellency called the truth aIohn 1. 17., and sometimes the truth of the Gospell bGal. 2. 5., as Gal. 2. 5. that is, the truth of God revealed in the Gospell concerning justification and salvation by the free grace of God, through the merits of Christ apprehended by faith; being also the chiefe argument contained in the Gospell, which is therefore called the power of cRom. 1. 16, 17.God unto salvation, because therein the Righteousnesse of God, even that by which we are justified and saved, is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith, or he that is just by faith shall live: which doctrine is so inviolably and incorruptly to be held, dGal. 1. 6. 8.that if an Apostle, if an Angell from heaven shall teach any other Gospell, that is, any other doctrine whereby to bee justified and saved, than by the onelyonly merits of Christ apprehended by faith, hee ought to bee held accursed. But by how much the more necessary and comfortable this doctrine is: by so much the more it is oppugned by Satan; who as at the first, hee did not abide in the truth, eIohn 8. 44.nor kept his first estate, but left his habitation rather fIude 6.than hee would (as some probably thinke) embrace this truth, namely that the second Person in Trinity should for the salvation of mankinde become flesh, and that in him the nature of man should be advanced above the nature of Angels: so hath hee ever since opposed it by all meanes, as namely by raising, not only other false teachers in the apostles times and since, but even Antichrist and his adherents in these later times, who have not onelyonly perverted this doctrine, but also subverted it, and have as it were, taken away the subject of the question: for by confounding the law and the Gospell, the covenant of workes and the covenant of grace, the benefits of justification and sanctification, and of two making but one; they have wholly abolished that great benefit of the Messias about our justification, whereby wee are freed from hell, and entituled to the kingdome of heaven, and consequently they are fallen gGal. 5. 4.from grace, having disanulled hGal. 3. 17, 18.the covenant of grace, and made the promise of none effect. For whosoever seeketh to be justified by inherenti Rom. 4. 14. righteousnesse, he is under kGal. 3. 10.the curse, he is a debtour lGal. 5. 2, 3, 4. Gal. 2. 21.to the whole law, and therefore to him Christ is become of none mOf this see more, lib. 7. c. 3. §. 10, 11, 12.effect. This being therefore a controversie of such importance, that it concerneth our very title to the kingdome of heaven, it is to bee handled with all diligence, and not without invocation of the holy Spirit of truth; whom wee beseech to guide and to direct us in setting downe the truth, to confirme and stablish us in the profession of it, and to assist and strengthen us against the enemies thereof. But before I come to confute the errours of the Papists, the enemies of the truth; I will first set downe the true doctrine of justification according to Gods word.
§. II. Iustification therefore is a most gracious and righteous action of The definition of Justification.God, whereby he imputing the righteousnesse of Christ to a beleeving sinner, absolveth him from his sinnes, and accepteth▪ of him as righteous in Christ, and as … heire of eternall life, to the praise and glory of his owne mercy and justice. Where first consider the name of the thing, which wee haveThe name. now defined, and are hereafter to handle. To justifie, if you respect the… Justificar…. notation of the Latine word, signifieth to make just, as to magnifie, importeth to make great. Neither is it to be doubted, but that the Lord, whom he justifieth, doth constitute or make just. Now the Lord maketh men just two wayes; either by imputation of Christs righteousnesse, which is out of them in Christ, as being his personall righteousnesse: or by infusion of righteousnesse, as it were, by influence into them from Christ their head. To the faithfull therefore there belongeth a twofold righteousnesse; the one of justification, the other of sanctification. The former is the righteousnesse of Christ, and therefore the righteousnesse of God, as it is often called, the righteousnesse of God; because it is the righteousnesse of him that is God, and is imputed to the beleever: the later is ours, because inherent in us, though received from God, as all our good things are. The former is perfect, as being the righteousnesse of him that is God: the later is but begun in this life, and is to be perfected in the life to come. By the former we are justified, by the later we are sanctified. If it be objected, that there seemeth little or no difference betweene these two words: for as to justifie is to make just, so to sanctifie is to make holy. And therefore as to sanctifie, is to make holy by holinesse infused: so to justifie, is to make just by justice inherent.
I answer, First, that this is contrary to the use of the word justifie▪ not onelyonly pe…petuall in the Scriptures, but also ordinary in the speeches and writings of men. Wherein God is said to justifie men, and man is said to justifie God, and one man is said to justifie another, and one and the same man to justifie himselfe without any signification of infusing righteousnesse into him, but by cleering him and pronouncing him just. Secondly, that there is no further respect to be had in this controversie to the notation of the Latine or English word, than as it is a true translation of the Hebrew word in the old Testament, and of the Greek in the new: now I shall make it evident,oLib. 2. that the Hebrew hitsdiq, and so the greeke foreign is Verbum forens…, a judiciall word taken from the courts of justice▪ which being attributed to the Iudge, is opposed to condemning, and signifieth to absolve, or to give sentence with the party questioned.
§. III. In the definition we consider justification, as an action ofThe definition of Justification explaned. 1. That it is an action of God, Rom. 8. 33. Esay 43. 25. God, whose alone worke it is; and so the Scriptures consider it in many places, as Rom. 8. 33. It is God that doth justifie, for it is he only that forgiveth sinnes, Esa. 43. 25. It is he onelyonly that can by making us righteous in Christ, give us right and title to the kingdome of heaven. It is no action therefore of our owne, or of any creature, neither is it wrought by our owne preparations and dispositions. For although every man is bound to use all meanes to attaine to justification; yet it is not of him that willeth,pRom. 9. 16. nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For if God bee the agent in justifying us, then are wee the patients. And for that cause we are never in the Scriptures exhorted to justification, or to the parts thereof (which are not our Officia or duties, but Gods Beneficia) as wee are to the duties of sanctification, whereunto we being already justified and regenerated, doe cooperate with the Spir…t of grace.
§. IIII. Secondly, when we say it is an action of God, Imputing 2. An action of God without us.the righteousnesse of Christ and absolving the beleeving sinner, and accepting him, &c. wee consider it not as an action of God within us working a positive or reall change as in sanctification, but as an action of God without us. For it is a judiciall act of God, as the Iudge oppo…ed to condemning. And therefore as by his sentence hee doth condemne, that is, make wicked; so by his sentence hee doth justifie, that is, of guilty he maketh not guilty, foreign, by his sentence God doth justifie, as Chrysostome and Oecumenius note upon Rom. 8. 33. where a judiciall proceeding in the businesse of justification is plainely described. For there is mention of the accuser of Gods elect, there is God that justifieth, and none to condemne, there is the advocate and intercessor qVerse 34.to plead for us. And as in condemning, though the hebrew word Hirshiah opposed to justifying, signifieth to make wicked (for as Tsady is to be just, and Hitsdiq to make just, that is, to justifie; so Rashah to be wicked, and Hirshiah to make wicked, that is, to condemne) yet God by condemning doth not make a reall or positive change by infusion of wickednesse into the party whom by his sentence hee maketh wicked, that is, condemneth: so in justifying, though the word doe signifie to make righteous, yet the Lord doth not, Quatenus justificat, as he justifieth, worke a reall or positive mutation in the party, whom by his sentence he maketh just, that is, justifieth, in respect of any inward dispositions or qualities, but onelyonly a relative change or mutation in respect of his estate and condition before God, and in respect of some relations to him. It is true, …hat in our justification we are of sinners made righteous; but the righteousnesse which we have by justification standeth in remission of sinne, and acceptation or constitution of us as righteous, not in our selves, but in Christ: both which are wrought by imputation of his righteousnesse. It is true also, that whom God doth justifie, he doth also sanctifie. But in justification he doth not worke a reall change in the party, as he doth in sanctification. And this … in the like actions of God, viz. adoption, redemption, and reconciliation, which three in substance differ not from justification. For all agree in the not imputing of sinne rEphes. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Rom. 4. 5, 7.by imputation of Christs righteousnesse, but are diversified by certaine relations: all which concurre in justification, that men having their sinnes forgiven, whereby they had beene either the children of the devill, by adoption are made the sonnes of God; or the vassals and bondslaves of sinne and Satan, are by redemption made the servants of God; or enemies to God, by their reconciliation become his favourites; or guilty of sinne and damnation, in their justification they are accepted as righteous in Christ▪ and consequently become Gods servants, Gods favourites, Gods sonnes; and if sonnes then also heires of eternall life. As therefore in adoption, redemption, reconciliation, there is no reall change made in the party, but onelyonly a new relation acquired, of being a sonne and h…ire to the adoptour, a servant to the redeemer, a favourite to the reconciler, which before he was not: so neither in justification is there a reall or positive change (as the Papists would have it) but foreign relative, or foreign, that is, in relation, in respect of those relations even now mentioned; and in respect of his estat… and condition before God; being in his justification translated from the estate of damnation, unto the state of salvation. Even as the councell of Trent, it selfe defineth sSess. 6. cap. 4. Vt sit translatio ab eo statu in quo homo nascitur silius primi Adami in statum grati… & adoptionis filiorum Dei per secun▪ dum Adamum Jesum Christum salvatorem nostrum.justification to be a translation from that state wherein a man is borne the sonne of the first Adam, into a state of grace and adoption of Gods sonnes, through the second Adam Iesus Christ our Saviour, which is done without any reall change wrought in the party as hee is justified. For who before was guilty of sinne and damnation: the same man remaining a sinner in himselfe, and in himselfe worthy of damnation, is in his justification absolved from the guilt of sinne, and accepted as r…teous in Christ, in whom also hee is made a servant, a favourite, a sonne of God, and consequently (as I said in the definition) an heire of eternall life.
§. V. And yet we deny not, but that those whom God reconcilethJustification though it alwaies concurreth with Gods gracious actions within us, yet it is carefully to be distinguished from them. unto himselfe, receiving them into his grace and …avour in Christ, them also he endueth in some measure with the graces of his Spirit: whom he adopteth to be his sonnes in Christ, them also he regenerateth by his holy Spirit: whom he redeemeth from the guilt of sinne, he also freeth from the dominion of sinne: and whom he justifieth by faith, he also sanctifieth by his Spirit, that is, whom he maketh just by imputation, them also he maketh just by infusion of righteousnesse: to whom he imputeth the merit of Christ his death and resurrection apprehended by faith, to them also he applieth the vertue and efficacie of Christs death and resurrection, both to mortifie sinne in them, and to raise them up to newnesse of life. By this doctrine we may trie our selves whether we be reconciled, redeemed, adopted, justified. For hereby it shall appeare, that God hath received us into his grace, if he hath also endued us with his grace. Chasidim, as they are called in the Scriptures, the favourites of God, are usually translated his holy ones, and all the faithfull, even in this life, are termed Saints. Hereby it will appeare, that we are redeemed from the guilt of sinne, if we be also freed from the dominion of sinne. Hereby it will appeare, that we are adopted, if … be also regeneratech Hereby it will appeare, that we are justified, if we …e also in some measure sanctified. But yet, howsoever these graces …waies goe together, and cannot be severed: yet must we carefully distinguish betwixt the grace of God which is in himselfe, and his graces which are in us; betwixt the actions of Gods grace without us, and the actions of his grace within us. Wherefore, though adoption and regeneration, though receiving into grace and enduing with grace, though redeeming from the guilt and purging in some measure from the corruption of sinne, though justification and sanctification are alwaies unseparable companions: yet we may not with the Papists confound them, and so place the matter of justification, and merit of salvation in our selves, as they wickedly doe; but we are religiously to distinguish them, as they are in themselves truly and really distinguished, to the praise of the glory, that is, the glorious praise of his grace, not of that which is in us, but of that which is in himselfe, whereby he hath graciously accepted us in his beloved, Ephes. 1. 6.Ephes. 1. 6.
§. VI. Thirdly, when we say it is an action of God imputing to a beleeving Justification an action of God continued.sinner, &c. We consider it, not as a suddaine and momentany action, which is of no continuance, as if all our sinnes both past, present, and to come are remitted in an instant; but as an act of God continued from our vocation, wherein the grace of faith is begotten in us, to our glorification, which is the end of our faith. For as this action of God is called the justification of a sinner; so, whiles we continue sinners, we have still need to be justified. And as we alwaies have sinne in this life: so, that it may not be imputed, we have need, that Christs righteousnesse should be imputed unto us: and that as we sinne daily, so Christ our advocate should continually make tHeb. 7. 25.intercession for us: that notwithstanding our manifold slippes, whereinto through humane frailety we fall; and notwithstanding those manifold infirmities and corruptions, which remaine in us as the relikes of originall sinne, we may be continued in the grace and favour of God, by the continued imputation of Christs righteousnesse, obtained by his continuall intercession for us. For therefore doth he continue his intercession for us, that our justification may bee continued to us: and that as wee sinne daily, so wee may daily seeke and obtaine pardon. But if justification should so be wrought once and at once, as that after that act wrought in an instance, we should no more be justified, nor no more neede remission of sinne; then must we erroniously conceive, that the sinnes which after the first moment of our justification we doe commit, are actually remitted before they bee committed; whereas God forgiveth onelyonly sinnes past, Rom. 3. 25. So shall we not onelyonly set open a gap to all licentiousnesseRom. 3. 25. (for who will so feare to commit sinne as he ought, or when he hath committed it, so sue for the pardon thereof, who is perswaded beforehand that it is already remitted) but also shall open the mouthes of our adversaries, who will be ready to say, that we Protestants ought not to pray for remission of sinne, because in our opinion (as they say) we need it not: but to this calumniation of the Papist I have elsewhere uThe Covenant of Grace. Chap. 8. pag. 109. Whether Justification bee wrought but once and at once.answered.
§. VII. If it be said, that it is a received opinion among many, that justificatio simul & semel fit, that justification is wrought at once, and but once: I answere, that that assertion is not to be admitted without distinction, nor without good caution. The distinction is this: that there is a justification of a sinner before God in … coelesti, which properly is called justification, and is that, which here I have defined: and there is a justification whereby a man already justified before God, is justified in foro conscienti…, in the court of his owne conscience: which is not properly justification it selfe, but the assurance of it. To this latter that assertion of but once and at once cannot in any good sense, be applied. For neither is the full assurance of our justification attained at once, but by degrees, wherein we are to labour and to give diligence to make, as our election and calling, so also our justification more and more sure unto us. Neither is it given but once. For by committing of any crime or any grievous sinne, by spirituall desertions, by the …orcible temptations of Satan, this act of spirituall faith, which we call assurance, may be interrupted or lost for a time; and yet by repentance, by prayer and practise of pietie it may be recovered againe; and therefore not given but once. To the former indeed it may be applied in both parts, but with a twofold caution: first, in respect of simul, at once, if it be understood as excluding degrees, and not continuance. Namely, that we are not justified by degrees, and as it were by little and little, as though our justification were not perfect at the first. For no sooner doth a man truly beleeve in Christ, but the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed to him, and in and by that righteousnesse he standeth righteous before God, as well at the first, as at the last; that righteousnesse of Christ, by which he is justified, whether first, or last, being most perfect. Therefore the righteousnesse of justification cannot be increased, neither doth our justification before God admit degrees, either in one and the same person, or yet in diverse men: howsoever the assurance of justification, and the worke of sanctification, whereby we are to be renewed in the inner *a Cor. 4. 16.man day by day have degrees, according to the degrees of our faith, and according to the measure of grace received. Secondly, when it is said that we are justified before God semel, but once, that also may be admitted, if by once be meant one continuall act. For as we are regenerated but once, because ut semel nascimur, ita semel renascimur: so faith, which is wrought in our regeneration is given but once. For that which Saint Iude saith, verse 3. of faith once given, is no lesse true of the habit, than of the doctrine of faith; which habit, being once had, is never utterly lost. For all they who have true faith, are borne of God, 1 Iohn 5. 1. Iohn 1. 12, 13. And those1 Iohn 5. 1. Iohn 1. 12, 13. who are once borne of God are never unborne againe; but being made sonnes by faith, as all the faithfull are, Gal. 3. 26. they are also madeGal. 3. 2…. Rom. 8. 17. heires of God, and coheires with Christ, Rom. 8. 17. As faith therefore is never utterly lost, no more is justification. For so long as wee have faith, so long wee are justified. But the habit of faith wee never lose, though perhaps some act of faith may sometimes bee interrupted. Therefore our justification is but one continued act, and in that sense we are justified but once.
§. VIII. Now, whereas we have defined and defended accordingThe Papists confuted, who deny it either to be an action of God, or an action without us, or continued. to the Scriptures, that justification is an action of God, and such an action as is without us, and a continued act: hence we may conclude against the Papists; first, that neither their first, nor second justification, is that justification, which is taught in the Scriptures. Not the second, for that is not Gods action, but their owne: who being justified before by habituall righteousnesse infused from God, doe themselves as they …each, by practising of good workes increase their righteousnesse, that is, justifie themselves by actuall righteousnesse, as the merit of their second justification. Not, that wee deny, that inherent righteousnesse is by practise of good workes increased; but that wee hold, that justification is not our owne act, neither that we are justified by any righteousnesse inherent in our selves, or performed by our selves, nor that the righteousnesse of justification (which is indeed the righteousnesse of Christ) can be increased, and therefore no degrees of justification.
Not the first; which they make to bee an action of God within us, working in us a reall change or positive mutation by infusion of the habits of grace, and specially of charitie, and confound it with habituall sanctification, from which notwithstanding it is necessarily to be distinguished.
Secondly, justification being an action of God, is not to bee confounded with justification passively understood, and much lesse with justice it selfe. But the Papists not onelyonly understand it passively, but also confound it with inherent Iustice.
Thirdly, they doe not hold justification to bee one continued act from our vocation, to our glorification. But such an act, as may not onelyonly be interrupted ostentimes, and lost for a time, as they say it is, by every mortall sinne, and againe be renewed, so oft as they goe to shrift; but also that it may totally and finally bee lost. Which error I have confuted at large in my Treatise of perseverance.