Aphorisms of Justification, Quotations
Sayings of excellent Divines; added to satisfie you who charge mee with Singularity.
D. Twisse his Discovery of Dr. Iacksons vanity, p. 528.
WHat one of our Church will maintain, that any one obtaines actuall Redemption by Christ without Faith? especially considering that Redemption by the Blood of Christ, and forgivenesse of sinnes are all one, Eph. 1. 17. Col. 1. 14.
Byshop Hooper cited by Doctor Jackson.
(Christ] onelyonly received our infirmities and Originall Disease, and not the contempt of him and his Law.
Expounded by Dr. Twisse against Dr. Iackson, pag. 584.
His meaning in my judgement is onelyonly this, that Christ hath made satisfaction for the imperfections of our Faith and holinesse, although we continue therein untill death: But he hath not made satisfaction for the contempt and hatred of his Word, &c. in case men doe continue therein unto death.
Alstedius Distinct. Theol. c. 17. pag. 73
The condition of the Covenant of Grace, is partly Faith, and partly Evangelicali obedience or holinesse of life proceeding from Faith in Christ.
Idem ibid. cap. 23.
Christ is our Righteousnesse in a causall sense, but not in a formall sence.
Sadeel. advers. human. satisfact. pag. 213.
Christs satisfaction is to them profitable to whom it is truly applied. The way of application is this, that the merits of Christ be imputed to us: This imputation is done when the Holy Ghost begetteth in us a true faith, which receiving the benefit of Christ, doth at once also produce in us the true fruits of our Regeneration.
Rivetus in Disput. de Satisfactione.
God was not bound to accept the satisfaction performed by another, although sufficient; unlesse (which he could not) man had satisfied himself, and had born the punishment due to his sin; therefore there was a necessity that a Covenant should intercede, and God himself propound a Mediator.
That there must an agreement intercede on his part who was satisfied, I have proved, without which the satisfaction had been in vain, Ibidem.
Ibidem. ibid. Thes. 4, 5, 6.
The Act which in satisfaction God performeth, it is of a supreme Judge, freely relaxing his own Law, and transferring the penalty on another: So that in this relaxation Gods supreme dominion may be observed: For how could God have relaxed his Law, if he had not been the supreme Rector, or had been under a Law himself? And by the transferring the penalty from the sinner, & exacting it of the surety, the relation of a party offended, as such, is removed from God, &c. Iam. 4. 12.
So he proceedeth to prove, that God could and did relax his Law, as being positive, and so relaxable; that it is abrogate, not expounded foreign. And what of it was relaxable, and what not, &c.
Bellarmine confesseth (l. de just. cap. 7.) that our opinion is right, if we mean, that Christ merits are imputed us, because they are given us, and we may offer them to God the Father for our sins, because Christ undertook the burden of satisfying for us, and reconciling us to God. Which Rivet approveth, Disp. de justific.
Dr. Twisse Vindic. Grat. l. 2. par. 2. crim. 3. §. 6.
I confesse salvation, and so pardon and adoption, are offered to all and singular men on condition they beleeve &c. And so I deny not, that Redemption is so farre obtained for all and every man.
Dr. Twisse against Cotten, pag. 74.
Still you prove that which no man denyeth, viz. That God purposed life to the world upon condition of obedience and repentance; provided that you understand it right, viz. that obedience and repentance is ordained of God, as a condition of life, not of Gods purpose.
Dr. Twisse Consid. of Tilenus Synod dort & Arles reduced to prac. pag. 61.
Ger. Vossius interpreteth the will of God touching the salvation of all of a conditionall will, thus; God will have all to be saved, to wit, in case they beleeve; which conditionall will in this sence, neither Austin did, nor doe we deny.
Idem pag. 143, 144.
I willingly professe that Christ dyed for all in respect of procuring the benefit (of pardon and salvation) conditionally, on condition of their faith.
So also, pag. 154, 161, 165, 170, 194. And Discovery of Doctor Iacksons vanity, p. 527. 551.
Iunius Parallel. l. 3. Heb. 5. 9.
For the promise of salvation is made to obedience, and be queathed to it in the Testament of Christ himself dying.
Paraeus in Hebr. 5. 9.
To obey Christ is not onelyonly to professe his Name, but to acknowledge him the onelyonly perfect Redeemer, to cleave to him in true affiance, and to live worthy the Gospell. This condition in the whole Gospell is required in those that shall be saved. Universall Grace belongeth onelyonly to the obedient.
Piscator in Heb. 5. 9.
Christ is not the Author of salvation to all men, but onelyonly to those that obey him, that is, who beleeve his Promises, and obey his Precepts.
Aretius in Heb. 5. 9.
The benefit of Redemption is universall, and indeed belongs to all in generall, so be it we obey him.
Calvin in Luk. 1. 6.
We must so expound whatsoever the Scripture speaks of the Righteousnesse of men, that it overthrow not the forgivenesse of sins, whereon it resteth as a building on its foundation. They who simply expound it, that Zachary and Elizabeth were righteous by Faith, because they were freely accepted of God for the Mediatours sake, do wrest the words of Luke to a strange sence: And as to the matter it self, they say something, but not the whole. I confesse indeed, that the righteousnesse which is ascribed to them, ought to be acknowledged as received from the Grace of Christ, and not to the merit of works; yet the Lord, because he imputed not to them their sins, doth dignifie their holy life, with the title of Righteousness. The folly of the Papists is easily refelled, who oppose this Righteousness to the Righteousness of Faith; when as it flowes from it, so it ought to be placed in subordination to it, that so there be no disagreement between them.
Perkins Vol. 1. p. 662. The true Gain.
And lest any should imagine, that the very act of Faith in apprehending Christ, justifieth, we are to understand, that Faith doth not apprehend by power from it self, but by vertue of the Covenant. If a man beleeve the Kingdome of France to be his, it is not therefore his; yet if he beleeve Christ and the Kingdome of Heaven by Christ, to be his, it is his indeed; Not simply, because he beleeves, but because he beleeves upon commandment and promise: For in the tenour of the Covenant, God promiseth to impute the obedience of Christ to us, for our righteousness, if we beleeve.
Perkins Vol. 1. p. 476. on Hab. 2. 4.
Justice mentioned in the word is two-fold, the justice of the Law, and the justice of the Gospell: The justice of the Law hath in it all points and parts of justice, and all the perfection of all parts; and it was never found in any upon earth except Adam and Christ. The justice of the Gospell hath all the parts of true justice, but it wants the full perfection of parts. And this kinde of justice is nothing else but the conversion of a sinner, with a purpose, will, and endeavour to please God, according to all the Commandments of the Law. Thus was Noah just, Iob, Zachary, Elizabeth; and thus must the just man be taken in this place, Hab. 2. 4.
Sop. 649. in the true Gain.
God doth as it were keep a double Court, one of justice, the other of Mercy. In the Court of justice he gives judgment by the Law, & accuseth every man that continueth not in all things, &c. In this Court nothing can stand but the Passion and Righteousnesse of Christ; and for the best works that we can doe, we may not look for any acceptation or reward, but use the plea of David, Enter not into iudgement with thy servant, O Lord, for no flesh shall be justified in thy sight. Now in the Court of Grace and Mercy God hath to deall with his own children, that stand before him justified and reconciled by Christ, and the obedience of such he accepteth in this Court, and mercifully regardeth, though imperfect—for christ.
Perkins, Vol. 1. pag. 124. On the Creed.
Christ as he is set forth in Word and Sacraments is the object of Faith.—Faith apprehendeth whole Christ.—pag. 125. First, it apprehendeth the very body and blood of Christ; and then in the second place the vertue and benefits.—Whereas some are of an opinion that faith is an affiance or confidence, that seemes to be otherwise; for it is a fruit of Faith.
That Faith is so large as to contain very many acts, see Zanchy on Eph. 1. in loco communi de fide.
That Word and Sacraments are the instruments of Justification on Gods part, Zanchy affirmes on Ephes. 1. loco communi de justificatione,
That the form of Righteousnesse is conformity to the Law, he teacheth on Phil. 1. 11.
That there is a necessity of a two-fold Righteousnesse, one imputed, the other inherent. Zanchy ibid, & freq.
Dr. Willet on Rom. 2. contr. 3. 7.
Good workes are required as a condition in those which are to be saved, not as a meritorious cause of their salvation.
The meaning of this sentence the doors of the law shall be justified, is the same: God will approve, justifie, reward them that do the works of the Law, whether Jew or Gentile: Yet it followeth not that a man is therefore justified by the works of the Law: But God approveth and rewardeth the workers, not the hearers and professours: So here the Apostle treateth not of the cause of justification, which is faith without the works of the law; But of the difference between such as shall be justified, and such as are not. Faïus. They onelyonly which have a lively Faith, which worketh and keepeth the Law in part, and supplyeth the rest which is wanting in themselves by the perfect obedience of Christ, they shall be justified; not those which onelyonly professe the Law, and keep it not. The Apostle then here sheweth who shall be justified, not for what.
By these words it is evident that Dr. Willet and Faius acknowledge sincere obedience to be a condition of justification, or of those that shall be justified, though not a cause, as they say (I think mistakingly) Faith is.
Dr. Davenant Animadversions on Gods love to mankind, p. 385. 386.
The Doctrine of Predestination permitteth no man to perswade himself that his salvation is certain, before he finde that he is truly converted, truly faithfull, truly sanctified.
Because you will perhaps hear Mr. Owen before Grotius, see Mr. Ball on Covenant. p 290.
There is a two-fold payment of debt, one of the thing altogether the same which was in the Obligation; and this ipso facto freeth from punishment, whether it be paid by the debtor himself, or by his surety. Another of a thing not altogether the same which is in the Obligation, so that some act of the Creditor or Governour must come unto it, which is called remission; in which case deliverance doth not follow ipso facto upon the satisfaction; and of this kind is the satisfaction of Christ.—Thus this great learned, holy Divine as almost England ever bred, doth go on (even in Grotius his own words translated) betwixt whom (had he been living) and Mr. Owen would have been but impar congressus.
Ball on Covenant, p. 240.
As these false Teachers 2 Pet. 2. 1. were called into the Covenant, accepted the condition, beleeved in Christ, for a time rejoyced in him, and brought forth some fruit, so we confesse they were bought by the blood of Christ, because all these were fruits of Christs Death, whereof they were made partakers.
As in the Parable, Mat. 18. 25. the Lord is said to remit to his servant a 1000▪ talents when he desired him, viz. Inchoately, or upon condition, which was not confirmed, because he did not forgive his fellow-servant: So the false Prophets are bought by the bloud of Christ, in a sort, as they beleeved in Christ. We read of Apostates who had bin enlightned, &c. Heb. 6. 5, 6, 7. and did revolt from the Faith; To these men their sins were remitted in a sort in this world, and in a sort they were bought with the blood of Christ, but inchoately onelyonly, and as they tasted the word of life. Had they eaten the word of life, had they soundly and truly beleeved in Christ, they had received perfect and consummate remission of sins, both in this world, and in the world to come; they had been perfectly redeemed and reconciled to God; But because they did not eat, but tasted onelyonly, they received not perfect Remission, they were not perfectly redeemed.
Idem. pag. 225.
There is this mutuall respect betwixt the promise and stipulation; that the promise is as an argument which God useth, that he might obtain of man what he requireth; and the performance of the thing required, is a condition without which man cannot obtain the promise of God.
Idem, pag. 43.
Of this Covenant be two parts, 1. a Promise: 2. a stipulation. The Promise is, that God will pardon the sinnes of them that repent unfeignedly, and beleeve in his mercy.
2. The Stipulation is, that they beleeve in him that justifieth the ungodly, and walk before him in all well-pleasing.
See him also delivering the most of Amiraldus doctrine, p. 244, 245.
Molinaeus de elect. ex fide, p. 316.
We know remission is not obtained before Prayers (for it.) But I say that it was decreed before Prayers▪ and that it is sought by Prayers, although it be decreed.
Scarpius symphonia. p. 93.
The substance of the Covenant lyeth in the promise of grace made in Christ, and the Restipulation of Faith and Gratitude.
Paraeus in Genes. 17. p. 1130.
The substance of the Covenant lyeth in the promise of free Reconciliation, Righteousness, and life eternall, by and for Christ freely to be given, and in the restipulation of our Morall Obedience and Gratitude.
Bullinger. Decad. 1. Serm. 6. pag. 44.
We say, Faith justifieth for it self, not as it is a quality in our minde, or our own work: but as Faith is a gift of Gods grace having the promise of Righteousnesse and life, &c. Therefore Faith justifieth for Christ, and from the grace and Covenant of God.
Mr. Ant. Burgesse of Iustif. Lect. 14. p. 117.
Scripture maketh no pardon of sin to be but where the subject hath such qualifications as this of forgiving others. It is not indeed put as a cause, or merit, but yet it is as a qualification of the subject; therefore our Saviour repeateth, Except ye forgive others, &c. So Act. 10. 43. Rom. 3. 15. So 1 Ioh. 1. 9. If we confesse, &c. By these and the like Scriptures it is plain, That remission of sinne is given us only in the use of these Graces.
Mr. Burges of Iustif. Lect. 18. pag. 148, 149.
Prop. 2. Although the Scripture attributes pardon of sin to many qualifications in a man, yet repentance is the most expresse and proper duty.—If we speak of the expresse formall qualification, it is repentance of our sins, &c.
Prop. 3. None may beleeve, or conclude that their sins are pardoned before they have repented, Mat. 3. 2. Luk, 13. 3.
Prop. 4. There is a necessity of repentance if we would have pardon, both by necessity of Precept, and of means. The Spirit of God worketh this in a man to qualify him for this pardon, pag. 150.
You see then that Faith is not the only condition of remission, and consequently nor of justification.
Not as an appeal to men, but to fill up the vacant pages, and satisfy you who charge me with singularity, have I added these promiscuous Testimonies, supposing you can apply them to their intended uses.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Baxter, Aphorisms of Justification (1655)