The True Doctrine of Justification Asserted and Vindicated, To the reader
TO THE Chriſtian Reader.
Chriſtian Reader,
WEre I not already ingaged (I know not how) in this publike way of Controverſies, I ſhould wholly decline ſuch ſervice; partly becauſe of that ill fate, (if I may ſay ſo) which doth accompany books through the various Palates of thoſe that reade them, whereby they are unwilling agnoſcere quod Dei eſt, or ignoſcere quod hominis eſt; partly becauſe of expectation, (which is an heavy prejudice) all men judging it reaſonable, that now in theſe latter times there being the advantage of all the abilities of thoſe who went before us, a man ſhould not ſo much libros, as theſauros ſcribere, write not Books, but rich Treaſuries, as the heathen ſaid; partly becauſe this controverſall way doth ſo poſſesse the intellectual part, that the affectionate part is much dulled, and made remiss thereby. Even a Papiſt, Granada (in his way of Devotion) ſaid, A Learned man that was buſied in ſuch kinde of imployment, ſhould reckon himſelf in the number of thoſe wretched Captives that are ad metalla damnati, Though all the day long they dig up Gold, yet they are not any whit inriched by it, but others for whom they work: And Rodericus (as I remember) relate…h of Suarez, De perfec.that he was wont to ſay, He eſteemed that little pittance of time, which conſtantly every day he ſet apart for the private examination of his own conſcience, more then all the other part of the day, which he ſpent in his voluminous Controverſies. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of doting about queſtions, 1 Tim. 6.4.but the Greek word foreign ſignifieth to be ſick and languiſhing, which doth declare the nature of needleſſe diſputations, that they fret away, and make to conſume the true power of Godlineſſe. God once only ſpake out of a thorny buſh, and as the Iſraelites were to go out of the military Camp to gath…r manna, ſo muſt a man ſhuntedious diſputes, who would injoy the fat and marrow of Chriſtian Religion. But notwithſtanding theſe d…ſcouragements, yet the Apoſtle with a vehement obteſtat…o… cals upon Timothy, 1 Tim. 6.10.and in him all faithfull Miniſters to preſerve that good thing committed to their Charge, ſo that it is the duty of Miniſters not only by Preaching, but otherwiſe as occaſion ſerveth, to ſee that the golden treaſure depoſited in the Church, be not debaſed with droſſy errors,Probl. Sect. 9. quae. 2. or the childrens neceſſary food mingled with deſtructive poyſon. Truth is a Depoſitum. Ariſtotle doth rationally conclude, That it is a greater injustice to deny a little thing depoſited, then a great ſumme that we are indebted for, becauſe he that depoſiteth any thing in our cuſtody, truſteth in us as a faithfull friend; the other expecteth only juſtice from us. Now of all points of Divinity, there is none that with more profit and comfort we may labour in, then in that o… Juſtification, which is ſtiled by ſome, articulus ſtantis & cadentis eccleſiae, The Church ſtands or fals, as the truth of this is aſſerted, and a modeſt, ſober vindication of this point from contrary errors, will not hinder, but much advantage the affectionate part of a man, even as the Bee is helped by her ſting to make honey. Gods way of Juſtification is for the truth of it above naturall reaſon, and therefore there is required a ſupernatural Revelation to manifest it: Inſomuch that the Divine Authority of the Scripture is in nothing more irradiant, then in the diſcovery of this glorious way of our Juſtification. But it hath been a ſtumbling block, and a rock of offence to many mens hearts, who look for a Philoſophicall Juſtification, or righteouſneſſe of works, either wholly iſſuing from our free will (as they ſuppoſe) or partly from it, and partly from the grace of God, and on this hand, have erred the Pelagians, Papists, Arminians and Socinians: But while the Orthodox have been diligent to keep this fountain pure from the filth thoſe Philiſtims daily threw in, There aroſe up another error on the right hand, which the Apoſtle Paul in his Epistles doth many times▪ Antidote aga…nst, viz. ſuch a ſetting up of Free-Grace in Juſtification, that ſhould make the Law as to all purpoſes uſeleſſe, and while it extolleth pr…viledges debaſes duties; That as the Arminians on the one ſide, think it moſt abſurd that the ſame thing ſhould be officium requiſitum & donum promiſſum, a duty required on our part, and yet a gift promiſed on Gods part; So on the other ſide the Antinomian cannot at the ſame time ſee the fulneſſe of Grace, only in blotting out our ſins, and yet at the ſame time, A necessity of repentance, without which this Juſtification could not be obtained. Hence it is they fix their Meditations and Diſcourſes upon the promiſſory part of the Scripture, not at the ſame time attending to the preceptive part. But whether it be their weakneſſe or their wilfulneſſe, they ſeem to be upon thoſe paſſages of Scripture, which ſpeak of Gods grace and Chriſts ſatiſfaction, as David in Sauls arms, which were an hinderance, not an advantage to him. Men deſtitute of ſound knowledge and Learning, ſhould be afraid leſt they doe foreign 2 Pet. 3.16. wreſt the Scripture, and that foreign to their own deſtruction. It is no leſſe a ſin (ſaith Oecumenius) to torture the Scripture by perverſe interpretation, then it was to torment and Crucifie the very bodies of the Apoſtles: but to how many ignorant men attempting beyond their ſtrength in Controverſies of Divinity, hath that faln out,Adverſus indoctum. which did to one Lucian ſpeaks of, who finding Orpheus his harp conſecrated to Apollo in a certain Temple, bribed the Prieſt of the Temple, thinking to make the ſame melody which Orpheus uſed to do, which he attempting, through his ignorance made ſuch an horrid ſound, that it inraged all the dogs neer him, which preſently fell on him, and tore him in pieces.
It is therefore good for men in all humility and modeſty, not to think of themſelves above what they ought, or to affect to be Doctors, before indeed they have been Diſciples.
But to my matter in hand, I ſhall briefly give an account of my method in this Treatiſe. Whereas in Juſtification many things are conſiderable, the efficient and impulſive Cauſe, Gods grace, the meritorious Cauſe, Chriſts ſatisfaction, the inſtrumentall Cauſe, Faith; and ev…ry one of theſe hath many Debates upon it by Learned men; Yet I have inſiſted upon that where…n the nature of it doth conſist, and becauſe that is made by ſome two fold, partly in remiſſion of ſins, partly in imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, this Diſcourſe is wholly upon the former, indeavouring to clear all the Doctrinal and Practical doubts that are of greateſt conſequence in this matter. And if God ſhould bleſſe this part with any good ſucceſſe, to eſtabliſh the mindes of thoſe that waver, I ſhall (with Gods assiſtance) proceed to the other point, viz. The Imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſſe; the miſtaking of which point, is no mean cauſe of Antinomianiſm. I am not ignorant, how ſubject to blindneſſe and ſeverall imperfections the beſt of men are, whereby through after-thoughts, they ſee ſuch an argument might have been more ſtrongly managed, and ſuch expressions better ordered, inſomuch that moſt men may ſay, as Luther ſaid of his Books, He could (like Saturn) eat up his own children: It is alſo to be conſidered how difficult it is, with pure ends and godly intentions, aiming only at the glory of God, and edification of others, to undertake ſuch a buſineſſe as this is; therefore in all theſe exerciſes, it is good to go out of our ſelves, depending upon the ſtrength of God only, and not to boaſt as if we had not received. Tutius vivitur, quando totum Deo damus, Et in nihilo gloriandum eſt, quia nihil noſtrum eſt.
One thing more I am to inform thee of, which is, that in the former part of this treatiſe, I have more remiſly ſpoken of Juſtification in the generall (becauſe that will more pertinently be handled in the other point of imputed righteouſneſſe) and have indeavoured more vigorouſly to proſecute the other part which is wholly ſpent about pardon of ſin. Theſe things premiſed, I leave thee to the Lord, who teacheth his children to profit.
Thine in Chriſt Jeſus Anthony Burgess.