A Treatise of Justification, Book 6 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. Bellarmines third principall argument, from the removall of those causes which may be given, why faith doth justifie alone.
De iustif. l. …. cap. 16.§. I.
HHis third principall argument is taken from the removall Three causes.of those causes (he meaneth reasons) which may be given why faith alone doth justifie. All which, as he saith, may be reduced to three heads. The first, is the authority of Gods word. For if the Scriptures any where expresly say, that faith alone doth justifie, it must he beleeved, though no other cause could be rendred.
The second is the will of God justifying: namely because it hath pleased God to grant justification upon the onelyonly condition of faith.
The third is the nature of faith it selfe, because it is the proper…y of faith alone to apprehend justification, and to apply it unto us and to make it ours. Besides these I have rendred other causes; the chiefe and principall whereof is this: because we are justified not by any righteousnesse inherent in our selves, but onelyonly by the righteousnesse of Christ which being out of us in him is imputed onelyonly to them that beleeve, and is received onelyonly by faith.
§. II. But these three causes or reasons which he mentioneth, will notThe first cause authority of Scriptures. easily be remov'd: the first the authority of the Scriptures, this being the maine doctrine of the Gospell. Yea, (but saith Bellarmine) it is no where said in expresse termes that faith alone doth justifie when we, saith he, have expresse termes, that a man is justified by workes, and not by faith onelyonly, Iam. 2. 24. Answ. To the place in the Epistle of Iames, I shall answere fully in his due aLib. 7. c. 8.place. OnelyOnly here I say thus much. That Saint Iame… speaketh not of the justification of a sinner before God, by which he is made or constituted just, (of which our question is:) but of that, whereby a just man already justified before God, may be approved declared and knowne both to himselfe and others to be just. And that the Apostle Iames speaketh not, either of workes as causes, but as signes of justification; or of the habit of true faith: but of the profession of faith, or faith professed onelyonly: and concludeth, that a man is justified, that is, knowne and approved to be just, not onelyonly by the profession of the true faith, but by workes also: a godly conversation being, as it were, the life and soule of the profession, and without which it is dead. But though in expresse tearmes it be not said in so many words and Syllables, that faith doth justifie alone: yet this doctrine is by most necessary consequence deduced from the Scriptures. And what may by necessary consequence be deducted out of the Scriptures, that is contained in the scriptures, as all confesse. Wherunto may be added, that the Fathers so conceived of the doctrine of the scriptures, who with one consent, as you have heard bSupr. cap. 9.have taught according to the scriptures, that by faith we are justified alone. And the Papists must remember, that by oath they are bound to expound the scriptures according to the cōsent of the fathers.
§. III. Now that this doctrine is contained in the Scriptures, IOur first argument. have plentifully proved before, cSupr. cap. 8.and something here shall bee added. There are but two righteousnesses onelyonly mentioned in the Scriptures, by which wee can bee justified, either that which is prescribed in the Law, which is a righteousnesse inherent in our selves, and performed by our selves; or that which is taught in the Gospell, which is the righteousnesse of Christ inherent in him and performed for us. The former is the righteousnesse of the Law, or of workes: the latter, is the righteousnesse of faith. A third righteousnesse by which wee should bee justified cannot be named. And betweene these two there is such an opposition made in the Scriptures, that if wee bee justified by the one, we cannot by the other. If therefore the Scriptures teach that wee are justified, by faith and not by workes, it is all one, as if they said, that wee are justified by faith alone. If it bee all one to say, by faith and not by the workes of the Law, or by faith alone: then saith Bellarmine, I demand, whether Bellarm. obiect.all workes and every Law be excluded, or not. For if all workes be excluded, then faith it selfe, which Ioh. 6. 29. is the worke of God, and if every Law, then the Law of faith, and consequently faith it selfe; and so to be iustified by faith, shalbe nothing else, but to be justified without faith. Answ. it is plaine, that by the Law is meant the Law of workes, and by the workes of the Law all that obedience which is prescribed in the Law. Now in the Law, which is the perfect rule of righteousnesse, all inherent righteousnesse is prescribed. Then, saith Bellarmine, faith it selfe and the act of faith is excluded from the act of justification. I answere, first in this question the Apostle opposeth faith to workes, dRo. 3. 28. & 4. 5and therefore faith is not included under workes. Secondly, faith, as it is either an habit or an act, and so part of inherent righteousnesse, doth not justifie, but, as hath beene said, relatively, in respect of the object, which being received by faith doth justifie, as it was the br…sen serpent apprehended by the eye which did heale, and not the eye properly.
§. IV. Againe the Scriptures teach, that we are justified, gratis gratiâ Out second argument.per sanguinem Christi per fidem. Gratis, that is, freely, without respect of any good workes done by us, no not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee have done, Tit. 3. 5. but by his meere grace and favour when we had deserved the contrary, through the bloud and alone satisfaction of Christ, received onelyonly by faith. To the word gratis, Bellarmine answereth, that it excludeth our owne merits, (which indeed can be none) but not the free gifts of God, as love, and penitencie, and the like: for then faith also should be excluded. That followeth not; for when wee are justified by faith onelyonly, we are justified gratis: gratis saith the Apostle, freely, by his grace through the merits of Christ by faith bringing onelyonly faith to justification as the Fathers have taught, and that not to bee any essentiall cause of our justification, but onelyonly to be the instrument and hand to receive Christ, who is our righteousnes and therfore it is the condition required on our part in the covenant of grace. The rest, as love, and hope, and repentance, &c. being not the conditions of the covenant, but the things by covenant promised to them that beleeve. VponUpon the condition of faith (which is also the free gift of God) the Lord promiseth remission of sins and justification, and to those who are redeemed and justified by faith, he doth by oath promise the graces eL…. 1. 73, 74, 75. Heb 8. 10. Ier. 31. 33, 34.of sanctification. So that faith only on our part is required to the act of justification, besides which we bring nothing else thereunto: but love, and the rest of the graces, as Augustine saith of workes, non precedunt justificandum, sequuntur justificatum, and therefore wee are justified by faith alone.
§. V. And by this the second head is also proved: namely, that it is theThe second cause, the will of God. good pleasure of God to grant justification upon the condition of faith alone. If ye looke into all the promises of the Gospell, ye shall find that they interpose only the condition of faith. See Act. 8. 37. & 10. 43. & 13. 38, 39. Ro. 4. 5. Gal. 2. 16. and so every where. Before the incarnation of Christ, it was the good pleasure of God, by faith onelyonly to justifie the faithfull, as Bellarmine himselfe hath confessed. And doth he require any other condition of us? are not we justified as they were? By his knowledge, that is, by faith in him, *Esa. 53. 11.my righteous servant shall justifie many.
Yea, but the Scriptures (saith Bellarmine) much more plainely exact the condition of Penance, and of the Sacraments to justification, thanBellarmines objections, that other conditions are required. of faith, as Ezek. 18. 27. The wicked if hee repent of his sinnes shall live. Luk. 13. 4. unlesse yee repent, ye shall likewise perish. Ioh. 3. 5. unlesse a man be borne a-new of water and the holy Ghost, he shall not enter into the Kingdome of God. Answ. Many things are required to salvation, which are not required to justification: which as they be necessary forerunners of glorification, so are they the fruits of faith and consequents of justification viz. repentance and newnesse of life, which is the thing mentioned in these places. Againe happinesse (which consisteth partly in justification or remission of sinnes, which is beatitudo viae and partly in eternall life which is beatitudo patri… ) is oftentimes attributed to those things which are not the causes of happines, but the notes and markes of them that be happy. There is but one happinesse properly, and that is to be in Christ, who is eternall fIoh. 5. 12. 20. Ioh. 6. …7.life, whom whosoever hath, hath eternall life. Of this happinesse Christ alone is the foundation and the cause, and faith the instrument of our union and communion with Christ. All other virtues and graces are but the fruits, and consequently the signes and markes of faith, or of our being in Christ by faith. And therefore are not so many beatitudes (though they are blessed that have them) but so many notes of one and the same happinesse. It is true, that if we be sorry for our sinnes, because by them we have displeased him who hath been so gracious a God unto us, if we confesse them, crave pardon for them, and forsake them, all which are duties of repentance, the Lord hath promised to forgive them. And yet these are not causes of our justification before God, but fruits of faith by which we come to be justified in our owne conscience. By faith we obtaine remission of sinnes, and by these duties of repentance which are the fruits of justifying faith we attaine to the assurance of it. That prayer which somuch prevaileth with God, is the prayer of faith. gRom. 10 14.That repentance which is to life is caused by faith, without which it is impossible to please God: and therefore the Disciples, when they understood that the Gentiles were brought to beleeve in Christ, conclude, that God had given them repentance unto life, Act. 11. 18. As for the Sacraments: the justification which is assigned to them, doth not hinder justification by faith onelyonly, but serveth to seale and to assure it.
§. VI. The third cause or reason proving that faith doth justifieThe third cause because it is the property of faith onelyonly to receive Christ. alone is, because it is the property of faith to apprehend and to apply the promise of justification to our selves. For the clearing whereof I desire the reader to call to minde what hath beene said concerning the two degrees of justifying faith. For by the former wee apprehend, receive and embrace Christ who is our righteousnesse offered in the promises of the Gospell to our justification before God. By the other wee apply the promises of the Gospell to our selves, that we may be justified in our owne consciences. Both which actions of receiving and applying the promises to our …elves, cannot be ascribed to any other grace, but are proper to faith onelyonly.
To this argument Bellarmine shapeth two answeres, the formerBellarmines first cavill. whereof is a meere cavill at the word apprehension, which wee make proper to faith: as if by apprehending we did meane the first act of the understanding, when it conceiveth the object. But this point I cleared before in the first question concerning the nature of faith: where I shewed, that this apprehension whereof Bellarmine speaketh, goeth before all judgement of the minde. And that the understanding having first conceived and apprehended the object, judgeth of it either by withholding the assent, if it be doubtfull, which is called doubting; or by giving assent, either weakely, which is opinion; or firmely which is knowledge: this firme assent or knowledge is grounded either upon the evidence of the thing; which is either manifest in it selfe, and that is foreign, the cleare intelligence; or manifested by discourse which is foreign, or science: or else the thing being not evident, either to sense or reason, upon the infallible authority of God speaking in his word, which is Faith. By this beleefe we receive Christ, not onelyonly in our judgements by assent; but also, if this assent be lively and effectuall, we receive, embrace and lay hold upon him, as our Saviour, with all our soules: acknowledging him, in our judgements, in our hearts desiring to bee made partakers of him, in our wils resolving to professe him to bee our Saviour, and to obey him as our Lord, &c.
§. VII. This is the apprehension whereof we speake, and which isWhat it is to apprehend Christ. peculiar to fai…, as it is evident. Be it, saith Bellarmine, that justification after a sort is apprehended by faith. Surely it is not so apprehended, that indeed it is had, and doth inhere: but onelyonly that it is in the minde after the manner of an object apprehended by an action of the understanding and will, and so saith he, love and joy apprehend.
In these things Bellarmine sheweth himselfe to be a diviner rather than a divine: we doe not say that in our justification before God, justification is apprehended by faith, but the righteousnesse of Christ unto justification. And that this righteousnesse of Christ, though not inherent in us, is as truely and really made ours by imputation; as our sinnes, though not inherent in him, were made his, when he truely and really suffered for them. By this hand of faith we receive Christ, Ioh. 1. 12. by it we receive and embrace the promises, Heb. 11. 16. by it we receive remission of sinnes, Act. 10. 43. & 26. 18. By this mouth, as it were, hIoh. 6. 54.of the soule we eate the body of Christ and drinke his bloud. That, which hee speaketh of justification being in the minde after the manner of an object apprehended by an action of the understanding and the will; may in some sort be verified of the apprehension of speciall faith, applying justification to the beleever. But to say, that after this manner love and joy apprehend it, is against sense. For faith apprehendeth it by a perswasion, yea, by a firme perswasion, upon which follow, love and joy, not apprehending, but loving and rejoycing at that, which faith doth apprehend. But these two are not incident unto a Papist, who renounceth speciall faith. For canst thou love Christ, and rejoyce in him as thy Saviour, if thou be not by speciall faith perswaded, that thou shalt be saved by him? Seeing then unto our justification before God we are to receive Christ, as hath beene said, by a true and lively assent: and unto justification in the court of our owne conscience, by a plerophory or assured perswasion we are to apply the promises to our selves; which are the peculiar acts of faith, and cannot be attributed to any other grace: it followeth therefore from the proper nature of faith, that by it alone we are justified.
§. VIII. His second cavill is taken from the Sacraments, which by His second cavill; from the Sacraments.our confession, as he saith, doe apply the promises, and justification it selfe to the receiver: therefore saith he, faith doth not justifie alone, after the manner of an instrument applying. In this argument he greatly pleaseth himselfe, but without cause. For first, when we say, that faith alone doth justifie, we meane, that in us nothing concurreth to the act of justification with faith; but without us, we acknowledge many things to justifie. Secondly, faith justifieth alone, ut manus accipientis; the Sacraments, ut manus dantis. Thirdly, faith, doth actually justifie before God; the Sacraments doe not justifie before God, but serve to seale our justification to our owne consciences, neither doe they actually conferre grace, but confirme it, as the seales iRom. 4: 11.of that righteousnesse which is by faith. When as therefore the termes of washing, cleansing, sanctifying, saving, are attributed to Sacraments, these phrases are to be understood Sacramentally. And this is our answere: as for those, which Bellarmine frameth for us, hee hath good leave to make or to marre them at his pleasure.