A Treatise of Justification, Book 4 · Chapter 7
CAP. VII. Containing sixe other arguments, proving joyntly that we are justified by Christs righteousnesse, and not by ours.
§. I.
THe sixth argument: The righteousnesse, by which weArg. 6. by faith and not by workes. are justified, is the righteousnesse of faith, and not of workes, as Saint Paul aRom. 3. 20. 28. 4. 6.constantly teacheth.
The righteousnesse which is out of us in Christ isGal 2. 16. Eph. 2. 8. 9. Tit. 3. 5. 7. the righteousnesse of faith; or the righteousnesse which we receive and have by faith, or the righteousnesse of God by faith: The righteousnesse inherent is of workes. By that justice therefore we are justified, and not by this.
§. 2. The seventh: The righteousnesse of God, by which wee are justified,Arg 7. righteousnesse of iustisication not prescribed in the Law. is not prescribed in the Law to justification, but without the Law is revealed in the Gospell, bRo. 1. 17. 3. 21.Rom. 3. 21.
The righteousnesse which is out of us in Christ was not prescribed in the Law to justification, but without the Law is revealed in the Gospell: righteousnesse inherent is prescribed in the Law to justification, which in the question of justification is renounced in the doctrine cPhil 3. 8, 9.of the Gospell. This being the maine difference betweene the Law and the Gospell, that the Law to justification requireth perfect obedience to bee performed in our owne persons: the Gospell propoundeth the obedience of Christ which hee performed for us, to bee accepted in their behalf who beleeve in him. Wherfore let him be held accursed, dGal. 1. 8, 9.though hee were an Apostle, though an Angell from heaven, who shall reach justification by the legall righteousnesse, and not by the evangelicall. Againe, the Law was given as the Apostle cGal. 3. 17.saith foure hundred and thirty yeares after the covenant of Grace, and promise of justification by faith in Christ, was made to Abraham: and therefore cannot disanull that covenant which was before confirmed in Christ, that it should make the promise of none effect, which it would, if the promise of justification were made upon condition of fulfilling the Law.
§. III. Eightly, By what righteousnesse we are justified, the justiceArg. 8 the righteousnesse of iustification satisfieth Gods iustice. of God is fully satisfied. God being so mercifull in forgiving sinnes that he remaineth just, Rom. 3. 25, 26. For though he proclaime himselfe fExod 34. 7.mercifull and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth, keeping merciemercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sinne: yet he protesteth, that absolving he will not absolve, that is, by no meanes will absolve such as ought not to be absolved, that is, such as for whom his justice is not satisfied. Neither doth he indeed forgive any sinne, for which his justice is not satisfied. But as every sinne deserveth death, so it is punished with death, either with the death of the party, for whom he hath no other satisfaction: or with the death of Christ, who hath satisfied the justice of God for the sinnes of all that truly beleeve in him.
By the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him, the justice of God is fully satisfied (as Bellarmine himselfe proveth, g and therefore professeth that in him he is well pleased. Finally, g De iustif. l. 2. c. 5. §. 4 quarta ratio.saith Bellarmine, hIbid. §. at longe.Nothing more frequently doth all the Scripture testifie than that the passion and death of Christ was a full and perfect Mat. 3. 17. 17. 5.satisfaction for sinnes. He made the attonement iCol. 1. 20 1 Ioh. 2. 2. Rom. 3. 25. Ephes. 5. 2.betweene God and us, giving himselfe an offering and sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savour.
But by that righteousnesse which it inherent in us, the justice of God is not satisfied, as kDeiustif. l. 2. …. 10. §. Deinde.Bellarmine confesseth. Therefore wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ, which is out us in him, and not by righteousnesse inherent in us.
And here I will make bold, with Bellarmine to borow a speech from him, (which he borrowed as it seemes from our Writers) to the confusion of himselfe and all other Popish Iustitiaries. For where Osiander had argued, that God accepteth for a satisfaction no justice, but that which is infinite, and consequently none but his owne uncreated and essentiall righteousnesse, Bellarmine answereth: lDe iustif. l. 2. …. 5. sine.God indeed doth not accept as a true satisfaction for sinne, any justice, but that which is infinite, because sinne is an infinite offence. But that some justice may be finite, that is, of infinite price and valour, it is not necessary that it should be the essentiall justice of God, but it is sufficient that it be the justice of an infinite person, such as Christ is, God and man. Therefore the obedience, the passion and death of the Sonne of God, though in it selfe and essentially it was a created justice and finite, notwithstanding in regard of the person, who obeyed, suffered, and died, it was infinite, and in the true rigour of justice it was a propitiation for our sinnes, and not for our sinnes alone, but for the sins of the whole world. From whence I argue thus, that justice, which is of infinite value, the Lord accepteth as a true satisfaction for sinne, and that which is not of infinite value he doth not accept; for the offence of sinne is infinite. But the righteousnesse of Christ onelyonly is of infinite value, ours is not: therefore the Lord accepteth Christs righteousnesse, and not ours, as a true satisfaction for sinne.
§. IV. Ninthly, they that cannot be justified without remission of sin, Arg. 9. no man iustified without remission of sinne.are justified neither by inherent righteousnesse, because they are sinners, nor without the righteousnesse of Christ imputed; without which, as there can be no satisfaction for sinne, so no remission of sinne.
But no man can be justified without remission of sinne. Therefore no man is justified by righteousnesse inherent, but onelyonly by the righteousnesse of Christ.
§. V. The tenth, that is to be esteemed the true doctrine of justification,The true doctrine of iustification is comfortable. which doth minister sound comfort to the distressed conscience of the faithfull; and that falfe, which is a racke to the conscience of Gods children, when they are humbled under the hand of God.
The doctrine of justification by the merits and obedience of Christ imputed, ministreth singular comfort to the distressed conscience of the faithfull, even in the agony of death: assuring the beleeving sinner, that howsoever the devill accuseth, the Law convicteth, the conscience confesseth his demerits: yet notwithstanding, if hee truly beleeve in Christ, he shall be accepted of God as righteous in Christ, and as an heire of eternall life; Christs sufferings and obedience being imputed unto him, and accepted of God in his behalfe, as if he had suffered and performed the same in his owne person.
But the doctrine of justification by inherent righteousnesse, is, as it were, a racke to mens consciences. For when a man being summoned to appeare before the judgement seat of God, shall seriously consider with himselfe, what he shall oppose to the accusations of Satan, to the conviction of the Law, to the Testimony of his owne Conscience, confessing himselfe to be a most wretched sinner, to the judgment of God, the most righteous judge: If he looke backe to his owne conversation, as having nothing to trust to, but his owne righteousnesse, he shall finde sufficient matter of despaire. He may say with mIn libello de Miseria hominis.Anselme, Terret me vita mea, &c. my life doth terrifie me: for being diligently examined, my whole life almost appeareth either to bee sinne or barrennesse: and if there seeme to bee any fruit therein, it is either so counterfeit, or unperfect, or some way or other corrupted, as that it can doe no other, but either not please, or displease God. And summoning himselfe before the judgement seat of God, hee findeth himselfe to bee in great straits. On this side, saith he, will be accusing sinnes, on that side terrifying justice: under, will lye open the horrible gulfe of hell; above, an angry Iudge; within, a burning conscience, without, a flaming world—where shall I be hid, how shall I appeare? to be hid is impossible, to appeare is untolerable. To avoide these straits, there is no way but to renounce the doctrine of justification by works or inherent righteousnes, and to fly to the doctrine of the Gospell teaching justification by the grace of God, freely without respect of works through the merits of Christ received by faith: and to appeale from the tribunall of Gods justice to the throne of his mercy. For whiles a man retaineth this opinion, that he can bee no otherwise justified than by his owne good workes, or inherent righteousnesse, he can never be soundly perswaded, that his righteousnesse is sufficient for that purpose, but ever hath just caufe not onelyonly of doubting but also of despaire. And this is the cause of that Popish opinion, that no man without speciall revelation can be assured of the remission of his sinnes, or of salvation.Argument eleven from experience.
§. VI. The eleventh and last argument shall be taken from experience. For when men seriously considering of their justification before God, as a judiciall act of God (as the word it selfe importeth) shall sincerely, and in the feare of God, set themselves before his judgement seat, where they must receive the sentence either of absolution or condemnation; and shall bethinke themselves, what, they being accused of Satan, and convicted by the testimony of their owne Conscience, have to oppose to the just judgement of God, why sentence of condemnation should not passe against them; they would utterly disclaime their owne righteousnesse. For as Augustine, and other of the Fathers observe, as before I have noted, out of the eight and nine verses of Prov. 20. joyned together, cum Rex justus sederit in solio, quis potest dicere mundum est cor meum, when the righteous King shall sit upon his throne, who can say, my heart is cleane? yea, the best of the Papists, when By deadly sicknes…e, as Gods messenger, they have beene summoned to come before Gods judgement, they have beene forced to leave their schoole-trickes, and sophisticall distinctions; and plainely renouncing their owne righteousnesse, to rest wholly upon the mercies of God and the merits of Christ. Insomuch that many who have lived Papists, have in this most weighty point died reformed Catholicks. And to this purpose there is extant among them in divers Bookes a forme of visiting the oQuestiones authore Anselmo morientibus proponisolit ae per universum christianum or bem. D. Vssher de succiss. pag. 194 & respons ad Iesuit pag. 513. Chemnit. exam. part. 1. pag. 143. Card. Hosii confess▪ Petricovi. ens. c. 73. fol. 143. b. f.sicke, wherein both the Pastor is directed what to say, and the sicke person is instructed what to answere. The Pastor therefore having demanded these questions, Brother dost thou rejoyce that thou shalt dye in the faith? doest thou confesse that thou hast not lived so well as thou ought? Doth it repent thee? hast thou a will to amend, if thou hadd'st space of life? Dost thou beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ dyed for thee? doest thou beleeve that thou canst not bee saved but by his death? and having received affirmative answers to every question, he inferreth this exhortation; that whiles his soule remaineth in him, he should place his whole affiance in the death of Christ, and in no other thing: and that if God will judge him, if hee shall say unto him thou art a sinner, that thou hast deserved damnation, that hee is angry with thee; he should say, O Lord I interpose the death of thy Sonne betweene me and thy judgement, betweene my sinnes, and thee, betweene mee and my bad deserts, betweene me and thine anger. In the edition printed at Venice, pOr do baptizandi cum modo visit andi impress. venet…. an. 1575. fol. 34.there are these two questions, dost thou beleeve that thou shalt come to glory not by thine owne merits but by the vertue and merit of Christs passion? And a little after, dost thou beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ died for our Salvation, and that no man can bee saved by his owne merits, or by any other meanes, but by the merit of his passion? unto both which an affirmative answere was made: but both blotted out in the Index expurgatorius qImpress. Madriti apud. Alphons. Gemos. ann…. 1584.set forth by Cardinall Quiroga.