A Treatise of Justification, Book 2 · Chapter 1
CAP. I. Setting downe the heads of the Controversies: the first whereof is, that Iustification and Sanctification are not to be confounded. The first proofe, because the hebrew word, which signifieth to justifie, doth never signifie to make righteous by infusion of righteousnesse.
§. I.
HAving thus briefely set downe the true DoctrineThe heads of Controversie. of Iustification according to the Word of God: we are now to confute the erroneous doctrine of of the Papists. There are six maine and capitall errours, which the Papists most obstinately hold and maintaine concerning justification; and consequently so many principall heads of controversie betweene us, whereunto divers other particular questions are to be reduced. The first concerning the name; whether justification and sanctification are to bee confounded. The second concerning the moving cause, which is the justifying and saving Grace of God, which they call gratia gratum faciens. The third concerning the matter of justification. The fourth concerning the forme. The fifth concerning the instrumentall cause, which is Faith. The sixth concerning the fruits of faith and consequents of justification, which are good workes; concerning which are two maine questions. First, whether they doe justifie a man before God. Secondly, whether they doe merit Eternall Life.
§ II. The first capitall errour of the Papists is, that they confoundThe Papists confound justification and sanctification. justification and sanctification, and by confounding of them, and of two benefits making but one, they utterly abolish, as shall be shewed, the benefit of justification; which notwithstanding is the principall benefit, which we have by Christ in this life, by which wee are freed from hell, and entituled to the Kingdome of Heaven. And this they doe in two respects: for first, they hold, that to justifie in this question signifieth to make righteous by righteousnesse inherent, or by infusion of righteousnesse, that is, to sanctifie. Secondly, they make remission of sinne, not to be the pardoning and forgiving of sinne, but the utter deletion or expulsion of sinne by infusion of righteousnèsse. Thus they make justification wholly to consist in the parts of sanctification. For whereas Sanctification is partly privative, which is the taking away of sinne, which we, according to the Scriptures call mortification; and partly positive, which we call vivification; and is partly inward or habituall, consisting in the habits of Grace infused, and partly actuall which is our new obedience, and practice of good workes: all these, and onelyonly these they make to concurre to justification: which with them is partly privative, which they call remission of sinne, whereby they understand the utter deletion or extinction of sinne, wrought by infusion of perfect righteousnesse, which is an higher degree of mortification, than we can attaine unto in this life: and partly positive, and that either habituall, which they call their first justification, wherein a man of a sinner is made righteous by infusion of the habits of Grace, which is indeed regeneration: and partly actuall, which they call their second justification, wherein a righteous man is made more just by the practice of good works, whereby they merit not onelyonly the increase of righteousnesse, but also the Crowne of Eternall Life.
§ III. Of this first controversie therefore are two questions: First,The Papists ground their …rrour upon the like notation of the Latine words. whether to justifie doth signifie to make righteous by infusion of righteousnesse, which is to sanctifie. Secondly, whether remission of sinne be the utter deletion and abolition of sinne by infusion of righteousnesse. In both the Papists hold the affirmative. The former, which is a most pernicious errour, they ground upon the like notation of the Latine words to justifie and to sanctifie. That as to sanctifie is to make holy by holinesse inherent; so to justifie is to make just by infusion of righteousnesse. But though the notation of the Latine words were to be respected; yet no more could be inforced from thence, but that to justifie is to make just. And that is all, which aDe justif. lib. 2. cap. 9.Bellarmine goeth about to prove. Now God maketh men just two wayes: by imputation, as he justifieth: by infusion, as he sanctifieth them. For if a man may bee made just, not only inwardly by obtaining righteousnesse, but also outwardly by declaration, as bDe iustif. l. 2. c. 3. s…ct. Ad secundum. Potest aliquis sieri iustus tum in t…insecè per adoptionem iustitiae, tum extrinsecè per declarationem.Bellarmine himselfe saith; then much more by imputation: even as we were made sinners by Adams actuall transgression, and as Christ was made sinne, that is, a sinner for us. For even as by Adams disobedience wee were made sinners and guilty of damnation, his transgression being imputed to us: so cRom. 5. 19.are wee made just by the obedience of Christ imputed to us. And as Christ, who knew no sinne, was made a sinner by imputation of our sinnes to him; so d2 Cor. 5. 21.we are made the righteousnesse of God in him, that is, righteous in him by the imputation of his righteousnesse, who is God unto us. But indeed the force of the Latine words is to be respected no further, than as they are the true translation of the Hebrew word in the Old Testament, and of the Greeke in the New.
§. IV. The Hebrew root Tsadaq, from whence those verbs do spring,The Hebrew verbe in the first conjugation, or in Cal. which signifie to justifie, is by the Septuagint translated, sometimes foreign, to be just, blamelesse or pure. foreign, to be just, as Iob 9. 2. 15. 20. 10. 15. 15. 14. 25. 4. 33. 12. 34. 5. 35. 7. foreign to be blamelesse, as Iob 22. 3. foreign to be pure, as Iob 4. 17. sometimes foreign in the same sense, to be just, as being a translation not of a passive, but of a Neuter, as Gen. 38. 26. foreign Thamar is more just than I. So Psal. 19. 10. j…dicia Dei, foreign, Psal. 51. 6. foreign ▪ and so Rom. 3. 4. Psal. 143. 2. Esai. 43. 9. cum 41. 26. Ezek. 16. 52. In Ecclus. 18. 1. Deus solus justificabitur, the Greeke is, foreign. Sometimes foreign, to be reputed just, as Iob 11. 2. 13. 18. 40. 3. Sometimes to be justified and absolved from sinne, to bee pronounced and accepted as righteous, as Esai. 43. …6. Let us plead together, declare thou foreign first thine iniquities, that thou maist bee justified, Esai. 45. 25. in the Lord all the seed of Israel shall be justified.
The passive is onelyonly once used Dan. 8. 14. where it is said that theIn Niphal. Nitsdaq. sanctuary after 2300. dayes shall bee justified, that is expiated or purged.
In the second conjugation it signifieth to justifie, but not as the wordIn Piel. Tsiddeq. is used in the doctrine of justification: but as it signifieth either to arrogate righteousnesse to a mans selfe, as Iob 32. 2. or to attribute or ascribe it to others, as Iob …3. 32. or to shew himselfe or others righteous, as Ier. 3. 11. Ezek. 16. 51, 52.
In the third conjugation it signifieth to justifie in that sense that theIn Hiphil. Hitsdiq. question of justification: And it is verbum forense, a judiciall word used in Courts of judgement, which usually is opposed to condemning. And it signifieth to absolve and to acquit from guilt, and accepting a man as righteous, to pronounce him just, or to give sentence with him. Deut. 25. 1. If there be a controversie betweene men, and theyDeut. 25. 1. come unto judgement that the Iudges may judge them, then they shall justifie the righteous, and condemne the wicked. Prov. 17. 15. HeeProv. 17. 15. that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord: and so the word is used, 2 Sam. 15. 4. Psal. 82. 3. Iob 27. 5. Esai. 5. 23.
§. V. From the Courts of men and from humane Iudges thisTo justifie, is a judiciall word translated from Courts of judgement. word is translated to spirituall judgements, and is attributed to God the Iudge to Christ our Mediatour, and Advocate; to Preachers, as they are the Embassadours of God in Christ his stead. God is said to justifie, when he absolveth a man from sin or guilt, and pronounceth him just, Exod. 23. 7. I will not justifie a wicked man, I will not absolve or acquit him, or hold him guiltlesse. 1 King. 8. 32. and 2 Chron. 6. 23. Salomon desireth the Lord that he would judge his servants, condemning the wicked to b…ing his way upon his head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousnesse. Esai. 50. 8. ChristEsai. 50. 8. for the comfort of his members argueth, as the Apostle doth to theRom. 8 33. like purpose, Rom. 8. he is neere that justifieth me, who will contend with me—who is mine adversary—who shall condemne mee? Christ our Saviour is also said to justifie, both as our Mediator and surety paying our debt, Esai. 53. 11. (my righteous servant agni…one sui, Esai. 53. 11.that is, by faith in him shall justifie many, and he shall beare their iniquities) and also as our intercessour and advocate, to plead for us sinners appealing from the tribunall of justice to the throne of grace, 1 Iohn. 2. 2. Rom. 8. 34. Preachers also are said to justifie, Dan. 12. 3.Dan. 12. 3. both as they are the instruments of the holy Ghost to beget faith in the soules of the Elect, by which they are justified in the Court of heaven: and also as they are Embassadours and Ministers of God to pronounce remission of sinnes to them that beleeve and repent, and so to justifie them in the court of their owne Conscience.
There remaineth the fourth Conjugation importing a reciprocallIn Hithpael, Hitstaddeq. signification, in which the word is once only used, Gen. 44. 16. how shall we justifie our selves?
§. VI. These are all the places wherein I fi…de this word to beeThe Hebrew word never signifieth to make just by righteousnesse inherent. used in the old Testament. By all which it doth evidently appeare that the Hebrew word, which signifieth to justifie, doth never signifie to make righteous by infusion of righteousnesse, or by righteousnesse inherent: the which will more clearely appeare by the countrary; for as to condemne is to make wicked; so to justifie, is to make just. The word Rashah signifieth to be wicked, as Tsadaq doth signifie to be just, so Hirshiah, which signifieth to make wicked, is to condemne, as Hitsdiq, which signifieth to make just, is to justifie. As therefore they, who are condemned, are said to be made wicked, or unjust, namely by sentence: so they, who are justified, are said to be made just, viz. by sentence. But he that condemneth the wicked, whether it be God or man, though he be said, according to the force of the word, to make him wicked; yet doth not make him wicked formally, or by infusion of wickednesse inherent. Therefore, he that justifieth a man, whether he be God or man, though he be said, according to the Etymologie of the word, to make him just: yet quatenus justificat, he doth not make him just, as hee justifieth him, by righteousnesse inherent. No more than hee that condemneth the just doth make him formally wicked; nor hee that justifieth the wicked doth make him formally just; which if a man should doe, it would be no abomination to God, as by he sentence of eProv. 17. 15.Salomon to justifie the wicked is, but the contrary, Iam. 5. 19, 20. Da…. 12. 3
§. VII. And not unlike hereunto is the phrase of cleansing orThe like use in other words. polluting, that is, making cleane or uncleane, attributed to the priest in the fLevit. 13. 3. 6. &c.Law when hee was to judge of the Leprosie either in persons or things; which he was said to make cleane or uncleane, when he did but judge or pronounce them so to be. And further, this is to be noted, as a thing usuall in the Hebrew tongue, that the third Conjugation doth seeme to make that quality or thing, which is implied in the signification of the first Conjugation, not alwayes really and formally, but many times in word onelyonly, or judgement, sentence, or conceit. Thus Gadal signifieth to be great, Higdil to make great or to magnifie, which is in words to extoll, in which sense we are said to magnifie gLuk. 1. 46.God, &c. So Aman signifieth to be true, Heemin to make true, that is, to beleeve, as contrariwise not to beleeve a man is to make him a liarh1 Ioh. 5. 10., and yet a man may beleeve i2 Thes. 2. 11.a lye, which he cannot make true. Thus Rashah signifieth to be wicked, Hirshuah to make wicked by sentence; and so Tsadaq signifieth to be just, and Hitsdiq to make just, namely by sentence. And such is the ordinary use of divers Latine and English words of the like composition, as to glorifie, magnifie, vilifie, nullifie (as Herod kLuk. 23. 1….did Christ) and so to justifie: for as we are said to justifie lLuk. 7. 29.God, when wee ascribe righteousnesse unto him, to justifie other men, to justifie our selves: So God is said to justifie men, when he ascribeth or imputeth mRom. 4. 6.righteousnesse unto them.