A Fresh Antidote Against Neonomian Bane, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. More Places of Scripture Vindicated from Falſe Gloſſes.
Section 1. Of Daniel 9.24. §. 2. Of Epheſ. 1.4. §. 3. 2 Cor. 5.19. examined. §. 4. Of Gal. 5.7, 8. §. 5. The Sence of the Apoſtle James. §. 6. Mr. H. and Mr. Cl. Anſwered.
Section 1. MR. Hum. interprets Daniel 9.24. thus, He ſhall make reconciliation for iniquity, and ſo ſhall bring in an everlaſting righteouſneſs, i. e. he ſhould by his death procure a Covenant or Law of Grace; by our performance whereof (without the law) we are righteous and muſt be ſaved. 'Tis that is our righteouſneſs, if Chriſt had not procured for us this New Law we could not be ſaved.
Reſp. Let us ſee how Mr. H's. Gloſs will hold with the Text, for I am ſure it holds not with the Analogy of Faith, Seventy weeks ſhall be diſtributed [foreign in which word lies the Key of the Propheſie, not to our purpoſe now to ſpeak to] upon thy People [i.e. the Church of the Jews here] and upon the City of thy Holineſs [or Holy City] to finiſh tranſgreſſion, to make an end of ſin [theſe Events ſeem in our Engliſh to be the ſame, but they are not in the Original, the firſt is moſt agreeable to the Margent] foreign to reſtrain tranſgreſſion, i. e. by the Reformation of Ezra and Nehemiah, in the compaſs of theſe 72 Weeks, but to make an end foreign make an end of ſins or ſin-offerings, by the offering up of Chriſt within the 72 Weeks] and to make expiation for ſin [true, not typical, and perfect Expiation by the Expiation made by the Blood of Chriſt] and to bring everlaſting righteouſneſs [foreign to bring in eternal righteouſneſs, or the righteouſneſs of ages Lxx foreign: We ſhall go no further in the Prophecy, This Prophecy is generally owned to belong to the firſt coming of Chriſt, and in this Verſe the time is ſet in a myſterious manner to the coming of Chriſt, his offering up and erecting the Goſpel Church, the Angels the Events that ſhould fall out in this compaſs of time, eſpecially toward the latter end, in the Sacrifice of Chriſt, wherein he ſhould make an end of ſin foreign the aboliſhing Sin by the ſacrifice of himſelf, Heb. 9.26. wherein he alſo finiſhed all ſin-offerings. 2. He ſhould put it away by making atonement and Expiation, Lxx. foreign, to blot out, and attone for tranſgreſſion. foreign in pih. ſignifieth to make Expiation and Atonement by Sacrifice, even to the blotting them out, and full ſatisfaction to Divine Juſtice, for then ſin is expiated when the Debt-Book is cancell'd; thus the bloud of the Sacrifice was ſprinkled on the Book of the Law, and on all the People, ſo that there is plenary ſatisfaction in the bloud of Chriſt, and thereby a righteouſneſs everlaſting brought in, i. e. preached, called foreign, Rev. 14.6.2. Thereby revealed and made manifeſt, freed from the Vails and Shadows of the Old Teſtament, for tho it was given us in Chriſt before the World began, and lay obſcured long under the Old Teſtament Types, yet now was made manifeſt by the appearing of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath aboliſhed Death [foreign, nulling or abandoning death] and brought life and immortality to light through the Goſpel, the Apoſtle ſeeming plainly to allude to theſe expreſſions of Daniel, the bringing in of righteouſneſs, is plainly no more than the bringing the ſacrifice and ſatisfaction of Chriſt for everlaſting righteouſneſs, oppoſed to the righteouſneſs of the legal Sacrifices, which was but temporary, offered every year, but this Expiation of Chriſt was one offering and the righteouſneſs of Ages; or if it carry any thing diſtinct from preceding Events, that it be not to be underſtood of the paſſive obedience of Chriſt, the Spirit of God expreſſeth to all the fulneſs thereof; he adds this to ſignifie the active obedience of Chriſt, which is alſo everlaſting, and to be underſtood always as a complement of that perfect righteouſneſs of Chriſt.
In Anſwer to Mr. H. I ſay, 1. Chriſt himſelf is the everlaſting righteouſneſs, its not procured, but its that which procures. 2. The Righteouſneſs of Chriſt is here propheſied of, not the righteouſneſs of our ſelves. 3. Its the Righteouſneſs that expiates the old tranſgreſſions, and therefore here is nothing of a New-Law ſpoken of. 4. Juſtifying righteouſneſs is ſuch as ſatisfies the Law broken, and therefore there muſt be at leaſt Expiation in it. 5. Its very abſurd, and contradictio in adjecto, to talk of a Law of Grace, if thereby be meant a law for Juſtification; and again abſurder, to talk of performing the condition of a law without law. 6. How is new-law-righteouſneſs, for its but imperfect obedience, and therefore will be quite wipt away at death; for when things that are perfect are come, thoſe that are imperfect are done away; you will ſay, it may laſt in a perfect righteouſneſs, than the New Law will turn into he old; for they make imperfection to be a proper adjunct of the works of the New-Law, and appropriate to it to diſtinguiſh it from the old law. So that here they are juſtified by the New Law, and in Heaven by the Old Law: What a ſtir do theſe men make with the Law? and how do they ſhift and ſhirk from one law to another, ſwerving from Faith and Truth, to laws ſingly, making themſelves great teachers of the laws, but underſtanding neither what they ſay, nor whereof they affirm, I would fain know whether Daniel was juſtified by his own New Law righteouſneſs? it ſeems he did not underſtand that that kind of Juſtification was then a-foot, and its a Wonder the Angel Gabriel could come to tell him, that in a few years hence the Meſſias ſhould come and bring in old ſelf righteouſneſs again for Juſtification, which is ſo choice and precious a Commodity, that it ſhall coſt him his blood to purchaſe, Would not Daniel be amazed at it, that a man ſo beloved as he was, was ignorant of it, but that very day, as v. 16. According to thy righteouſneſs, I beſeech thee, let thy anger and thy fury be turned away; a Neonomian will Gloſs thus, i. e. according to our righteouſneſs of the New Law, v. 18. We do not preſent our ſupplications to thee for our righteouſneſs [i. e. ſay the Neonomians, the righteouſneſs of the Old Law, not of the New] but for thy great mercy, that, ſay they, is the Law of Grace, ſo they will have their Belly-full of law ſhortly.
§. 2. Mr. H. gives a wild Gloſs upon Eph. 1.4. According as he hath choſen us in Chriſt. before the Foundation of the World; he ſaith, the Election of Grace is the Election of Grace, and Gods chooſing us, is the taking the Way and Method of Grace, and not of Works, a choice way of ſaving.
Reſp. Ay indeed its a choice way to ſave by Grace, and not by Works, but to ſave by Grace and yet by Works is a Contradiction in Paul's Logick. Election is in Chriſt, how according to common Notion of Election is over hard to conceive, but take it in this Notion, and here is even Day-light, if you take it for the Law of Grace, the Law is the Will of the Law-giver, and that's all one with the Goſpel, there's no difficulty in it.
Reſp. This Man is ſo fond of his New Law, that ask him of what Place of Scripture you will, what it means, and he will tell you its the New Law, what is Election? The New Law, what is Redemption? Purchaſe of the New Law? How are you juſtified by the Righteouſneſs of the New Law; how ſhall you be judged by the New Law? what's the Goſpel? the New Law; may not theſe Men be fitly call'd Neonomian, that thus New Law it, its hard to conceive how Election is in Chriſt, why? Becauſe he cannot conceive Chriſt to be a common Perſon or Head of the Elect, and that Chriſt as ſuch was choſen, and the whole Body in him; but tell him, that we are choſen in the New Law, and the Difficulty is removed; and you ſee what he makes of the Goſpel, it is the Law-giver, I think its Time to give over talking with Men whoſe Wits go a Wool-gathering, once more though
§. 3. 2 Cor. 5.19. God was in Chriſt reconciling the World to himſelf, not imputing their Treſpaſſes, and hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation; the Word is, the Goſpel declaring to the World this purchaſed Pardon, the Pardon is General, a ſtanding Pardon, an Act of Grace; yet if any will have Benefit by it, he muſt look into the Act, and ſee how he is to be qualified.
Reſp. The Goſpel, he ſaith, is the Declaration of the New Law, the making of which was an Act of general Pardon, for all the World; and for this Pardon Chriſt atoned, none could obtain this but Chriſt; and here all the Rogues and Whores in the World continuing ſo, are pardoned at once; now the ſilly Antinomian talks only of the Pardon of Believers before Faith, now a Neonomian doth Antinomize to Purpoſe, and Mr. H. is willing Chriſt ſhall have the Honour of ſaving Peter, ſo far as he ſaved Judas, and ſo far it's from the Love of the Father in ſending his Son to fulfil the Law, how? By no Obedience to it, or Satisfaction for wrong done to him in it, and in this Sence he will allow Grace is without Condition; i. e. as much as Creation is Grace, and God's giving a Law at firſt; it's true, whatever Act God puts forth at firſt to a Created Being, in a way of Nature, or Juriſdiction, or Mercy; it may be ſaid to proceed from his Sovereignty, but it cannot ſhine forth in a way of Grace, unleſs it be the beſtowing ſome good Thing in a way of Speciality, Peculiarity, and in Diſtinction from others; not to do ſomething in general, for all the World in common, this is not that which will bear the Name of Grace; likewiſe, conſidering that what he calls a Law of Grace is but an Exhibition of a Law of Works; for it is but, do believe; God had made the firſt Law as much a Law of Grace, as this, had the World been as full of People as ſince, and more, for it had been eaſier to perfect Man to perform than now, an un-performable condition is to lapſed man. This is Grace without conditions (he ſaith) even as much as the firſt Covenant; for God made that Covenant without Man's cauſing it, the Condition was lege conſtitura, in the law enacted, the previous cauſes of a law, whether it proceed from the meer pleaſure of the Legiſlator, or obtained from him by Petition or Purchace, are not conſidered in the law by the Subject, its the tenour of it that he looks at, and is concerned in it, therefore the making a law, the proper nature whereof is to be conditional, and promulgatting of it to all the world, is no Pardon; therefore he ſoon trips up the heels of his General Pardon, in ſaying, If any come to look for benefit by this Pardon, Act of Grace, Law, Covenant, Teſtament, (any thing, a declaration of the will of God, as he ſaith, which being a law is not therefore Grace) he muſt read it, and ſee the conditions or terms that God requires. And are not theſe conditions required of all the World? are they therefore pardoned becauſe they are required of them? its required of every man (he ſaith) to believe, repent, walk ſincerely in order to the benefit, if theſe be the conditions of the Covenant, then not free, becauſe working conditions are required of all the World, which by the World are unperformable. The main of the Text he cannot ſee, he is ſo dazled with his New Law, v. 18. All things are of God [even the reconciliation of the World, as well as its new Creation, and therefore the righteouſneſs by which reconciliation is made, is of God, and therefore ſaith] reconciling us [by Expiation and Satisfaction, for ſo the word foreign, ſignifying reconciling by an Expiatory Sacrifice] to himſelf [the enmity was between the Sinner and God, and God in this Grace is the firſt mover of Reconciliation] by or in Jeſus Chriſt [in whom the righteouſneſs of Satisfaction is] giving to us the word of reconciliation [i. e. the Goſpel in which this reconciliation is preached, whereby the Sinner ſeeing the preventing love of God in the myſtery of Reconciliation, by the Impetration of Chriſt, he may have the application of this Grace alſo by Faith, for this is the great doctrin that reconciles the heart and brings him to believe. This he repeats v. 9. ſhewing only exegetically, that we who are to be ſaved are the world in the ſenſe of the Scripture in this truth, by an uſual ſynecdoche of the choice part being put for the whole, and the whole for the better part not imputing their Treſpaſſes] ſhew which is the great thing done in reconciliation of a Sinner to God, its non-Imputation of ſin, which contains Imputation of righteouſneſs, for wherever ſin is not Imputed to condemnation, righteouſneſs is Imputed to Juſtification ſo here its manifeſt that its not our own righteouſneſs that is Imputed to Juſtification, but his only by which reconciliation is made, and ſin not imputed, whence it follows alſo that our ſins were Imputed to Chriſt, or elſe there could not be the non-Imputation of them unto us.
§. 4. Mr. Cl. makes a long Diſcourſe to acquaint us, that Paul and James do both mean Juſtification by Faith to be Juſtification by Works; that Paul in denial of Juſtification by works only, means works of the law; then, I ſay, he excludes all works, for all works performed for Juſtification are works of the law, and to ſay that ſuch are Goſpel-works, is to ſay, the Sea burns. And that James ſpeaks of Abraham's Juſtification before God by Faith in conjunction with Works; That Paul makes a perfect excluſion of all works of any law from Juſtification, i e. works of our own performance hath been ſufficiently made to appear; what he alledgeth for Paul's meaning, p. 70. may be a little ſpoken to, and undertakes to tell us, from Gal. 5.5, 6. compared with chap. 6.15. that Paul intends works as well as faith when he rejects works from Juſtification: I muſt ſay as I have ſaid, If Paul was of their mind, it is ſtrange that in Two Epiſtles he had not acquainted us what he meant, when he ſhall only intend Jewiſh Services which the Gentiles are not concerned in, and perfect works of the Moral Law, which none ever performed, ſince the Fall, but Chriſt alone, that he ſhould mean Goſpel-works, and not tell us, what were the Goſpel-works which he meant, when Goſpel-works whereby any man ſeeks Juſtification, are law-works, and therefore contradictio in adjecto. The Apoſtle to the Galatians, v. 4. makes a ſolemn Proteſtation, that whoever is [i. e. profeſſeth to be] juſtified by law [by his own works of a law] hath abdicated Chriſt, and fallen from Grace, where there cannot be a law of Grace; for to aſſert a law in our Juſtification by our performance of the works of it, is to fall from Grace; now it is ſtrange that he did not ſpecifie the Law and Works that he intended we are juſtified by. Mr. Cl. ſaith he did, in his ſpecifying Love and the New Creature. Verſe 6. in Chriſt Jeſus neither circumciſion availeth any thing, nor uncircumciſion, but faith that worketh by love; the Apoſtle had ſaid before, as for us our expectation of righteouſneſs is only by faith, for its nothing that availeth at all in Chriſt but a true faith, and that is true which worketh by love, which bringeth forth goodfruits, and one of the more eminent is inſtanced in, which is love; now he doth here ſet by all the other Graces and Duties, in compariſon of faith, becauſe it hath a peculiar nature of receiving a juſtifying righteouſneſs from without, and in denying and rejecting it ſelf, or any doing by us for that end; hence he ſaith, its not any works of the circumciſion, that is of thoſe that profeſs Juſtification by Works in the Jewiſh Religion, nor of the works of the uncircumciſion, i.e. works of the Chriſtian Religion, that ſignifies any thing, but true Faith only; this is the plain meaning of the Apoſtle. As for Chap. 6.15. it ſignifies nothing as to our adverſaries. v. 14. He ſhewed how his glorying was always in the Croſs of Chriſt, both unto Juſtification and Sanctification; for to be in Chriſt, implies both, and he deſires and looks for no other ground of rejoicing than the Croſs of Chriſt; neither is there any other ground to any one, Jew or Gentile; there is nothing in either that is to be valued but the new Creature, which is the life of Juſtification and Sanctification, both which is by being in Chriſt Jeſus, he being to every Believer whatever he is for Righteouſneſs and Life; ſo that here is nothing to exalt the new creature to righteouſneſs for Juſtification, but to exalt Chriſt Jeſus to be all and in all to the new creature for righteouſneſs in Juſtification; and as the Head and Root of Holineſs in Sanctification.
§. 5. And now it will appear what the ſence of James is, The main Scope of the Apoſtle in chap. 2. is, to exhort to the impartial exerciſe of Charity to the Saints, and after many Arguments, v. 14. he tells us, not to exerciſe Love and Charity is a ſign of a falſe Faith, ſuch as will not ſave us, as plainly appears by, v. 15.16, 17. Even as the Apoſtle Paul ſaith, true faith is that which worketh by love; ſo he ſaith, that which doth not work by love in the exerciſe of true and faithful charity is dead faith, being alone, i. e. having no fruits but an outward Name and Profeſſion only; and further, v. 18. How, ſaith he, wilt thou demonſtrate to another perſon that thou haſt faith, thou ſaiſt to another, I have faith, but ſaith that other, demonſtrate it to me by thy works, that it may appear to me by thy works, I will ſhew thee my works, whereby thou ſhalt conclude I have faith, and juſtifie me and my profeſſion before all men that have a queſtion or doubt thereof: Thou believeſt it may be, by an hiſtorical or dogmatical faith, as to ſome things, ſo do the Devils: But (v. 20.) wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead, i. e. wilt thou have demonſtration of it, how dead? It is not juſtifying faith, and therefore not ſaving, for all true, ſaving faith is juſtified againſt all objections men can make againſt it. 1. He inſtances in Abraham, the obedience of Abraham to God was a ground of mens juſtification of Abraham as a true Believer, provided his action was good obedience which ſeemed ſo unnatural, wherefore God himſelf witneſſeth to his obedience, as good, and an eminent effect of true Faith, therefore he was juſtified by works, not as to his ſtate before God, for he was in a juſtified ſtate before, but firſt, provided his obedience were good, all men muſt juſtifie Abraham to be an eminent Believer. Again, God bore witneſs to Abraham's obedience as good, therefore Abraham was juſtified to be a true Believer from his works. So that Abraham was juſtified as to his faith, as true, good and eminent, by his, or from his obedience; therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, thou ſeeſt how his faith co-works with his works, i. e. he did theſe actions in faith, and faith carrying him on to ſuch works, his faith was perfected thereby, i. e. as a Tree that hath its fruits growing upon it, all true faith thriving and flouriſhing in that manner. He inſiſts upon Abraham's again, and tells us, That the Scripture was fulfilled, [or is proved to be true] in two great things. 1. That it ſaith, he was juſtified by faith, i. e. he believed God, and it was counted to him for righteouſneſs; what was imputed, his faith? No, it was the bleſſing in the Promiſe, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt and his righteouſneſs, that he believed. 2. The Scripture ſaith, his faith worked by love, therefore it was not a dead faith; he was called the friend of God, he was from the greatneſs of love he had to God, ready to yield any obedience to God, thence the Apoſtle denies not, that he was juſtified by faith only, as to his Perſon, but that God declared and witneſſed alſo to his obedience, as approved of by him, which in the ſence the Apoſtle is ſpeaking of, was a Juſtification as to his Faith, and the goodneſs of it in his particular acts of obedience, v. 24. you ſee therefore that a man is juſtified by works, [a man may have an approbation of his works, and a commendation from God for them] and not of his faith only [God may commend and approve of a mans works as well as his faith, for indeed it is a Juſtification by way of commendation and approbation of a mans faith and works which the Apoſtle James here ſpeaks of.] Likewiſe v. 25. Rahab the harlot was ſhe not juſtified by works [i. e. did ſhe not approve her ſelf to be a true Believer?] when ſhe received the meſſengers, and had ſent them out another way. The World would be apt to condemn this action of Rahab, as treachery to her Native Country, and therefore God juſtifies her in this particular action, that it was good, being done in faith, God witneſſeth to it in his Word, and juſtifies her as a Believer, in foro mundi, by this eminent act of her, v. 26. whence having given theſe inſtances, he concludes, as a body without a ſpirit is dead, ſo is faith without works dead; and that was the thing which he undertook to prove, that faith, i. e. ſuppoſed or profeſſed, is dead, if it be fruitleſs; hence, he ſaith, Believers have been juſtified to be ſo by God, in giving Teſtimony to their works, as true fruits of ſaving faith. Wherefore we may conclude, that James and Paul are agreed in all. 1. That James ſpeaks of faith in general, a Profeſſion of Chriſtian Faith, and that ſuch Profeſſion is empty and profitable to our ſelves and others, as alſo dead in it ſelf, if it is not juſtified by good works; ſo the Apoſtle Paul often ſpeaks of ſaving faith, and our Saviour Chriſt, that we can have no better Argument of each others truth of faith than the fruit growing upon the tree, this is without queſtion to v. 19. 2. He proves it in that they were true Believers, had a double Juſtification. 1: By Faith only, and here he concurs with Paul concerning his Juſtification before God, v. 23. and yet he had ſuch a faith as wrought by love, for the Scripture calls him the friend of God. 2. That there is a Juſtification of a Perſon as to a particular act, as well as his Perſon and State, and therefore the inſtance of Abraham's offering his Son, and Rahab is brought in, and this is that Juſtification which the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaks not ſo much of, but the Spirit of God doth in ſeveral caſes, as Abel and Enoch, God teſtifying ſome way to their Services in foro mundi, and ſo Job, whom God juſtified againſt the unjuſt charges of his Friends; ſo Phineas his zeal for the glory of God in the matter of Cosbi, that ſeemed a raſh and mutinous piece of Uſurpation. God juſtified him in it, declared his high approbation thereof. Hence James ſpeaks of faith that accompanies ſalvation, at large, and condemns that as falſe and hypocritical, that is not fruitful. 2. He ſpeaks of Juſtification at large, which is by faith in foro divino, before God, and in foro humano, before Men; by works and fruits of faith, that in foro divino, is by faith only without works. 1. In that he ſaith, no works of ours can anſwer God's law, v. 10. He that keeps, or pretends to keep, the whole law, and offends in one point, is guilty of all; whence ariſeth this unanſwerable Argument, They that cannot keep the whole law of God without offending in out point, can never be juſtified before God by works, but none can do ſo, Ergo. 2. He aſſerts Juſtification by faith before God in the inſtance of Abraham's faith, uſing the ſame Expreſſion, and doth not deny this to be true Juſtification, and full before God, but only Abraham brought forth the fruits before Men, from his faith working by love he is called the friend of God; thus God juſtified him in his obedience as a true Believer, Ergo, he concludes, as all true faith, ſo true juſtifying faith hath ſuch fruit. 3. James ſhews how God often bears witneſs and approves of particular actions which men are ready to condemn, ſuch as Abraham's offering up his Son, and Rahab's giving up the City, and ſuch a Teſtimony that they performed it by faith in Chriſt and his Righteouſneſs; for no other are approved of by God as Goſpel-Works, and thus you have the full ſcope of James, not contradicting the Apoſtle Paul at all, but ſpeaking only of another Juſtification in foro humano, in the effects that Men ſee, and the approbation that God gives.
§. 6. Hence I anſwer Mr. Cl. who ſaith, the ſame Juſtification is intended by Paul and James, I ſay, James intends the ſame Juſtification before God, in foro Dei, aut …egis, when he ſpeaks of Juſtification by Faith, but he intends not the ſame when he ſpeaks of Juſtification by works; he intends, as Paul doth, ſo far as he ſpeaks of Juſtification by Faith, but when he ſpeaks of the ſame perſons juſtification by works, it intends only Gods declaration of his approbation of the particular Acts of obedience and bearing witneſs thereto, of the true faith in foro humano by word or evidences, as in that whole of Hebr. 11. And in divers other Scripture James ſpeaks of Juſtification of a mans perſon; It is true and here its aſcribed to his faith, the righteouſneſs he receives by faith is imputed to him, but the faith is not all the approbation that he hath, not all his Juſtification he is alſo juſtified coram hominibus. He doth not ſay works were imputed to him for righteouſneſs? But he and his works for his perſon, then his obedience being accepted by God in Chriſt, God witneſſeth before men to his faith and obedience, and to his faith by owning his obedience. So that he ſpeaks both of the Juſtification of his perſon and of his faith too but in divers reſpects.
2. Can his faith ſave him, Implying, that tho faith without works cannot ſave, yet faith with works will; for Saved, and Juſtified, both belong to the ſame Subject.
R. True, but that doth not prove that Juſtifying and Saving is in all reſpects the ſame, for there may be works as well as faith in that reſpect ſaving, becauſe both accompany Salvation, but its not therefore that Saving in all reſpects is Juſtifying, for there's ſaving in ſanctification and glorification; and tho faith without it be ſuch as in time produceth works will not ſave upon any account, yet it follows not that works do juſtify before God.
3. He ſpeaks of the perſon of Abraham being Juſtified, and there was a concurrence of his works with his faith in his Juſtification.
R. There was in foro humano, for he could not appear unto men that he had faith but by works, if Abraham ſaith he is a believer and righteous before God, another man will ſay ſhew me ſuch works as will argue it to me? So Abraham ſhews his obedience, and his faith concurrs to it for he could do ſuch works but by Faith, and God witneſſeth to them Heb. 11. coram hominibus.
4. He rejects being Juſtifyed by Faith only.
R. 1. He cannot be Juſtifyed by Faith that is dead and barren. 2ly, He cannot be Juſtifyed before God and man too without works. 3ly, There was not any held a mans Faith was juſtifyed by his faith but his perſon, and that his faith was juſtifyed to men by his outward demeanour in exerciſing viſible graces.
5. The reaſon that he coucheth in that Similitude, v. 26. ſhews, that he ſpeaks of the Juſtification of the perſon. viz. That ſuch a faith cannot Juſtify becauſe its dead.
R. The words are, as the body without the ſpirit is dead, ſo faith without works is dead. Theſe words ſhew only what was the drift of the Apoſtles diſcourſe from the 14 v. viz. to ſhew that faith which bringeth not forth good works is not true, it will not ſave, it will not profit, it is no better than reprobates may have, it is not Juſtifying before God or Man. Now then for Mr. Cl. Pairs of Antith. he ſaith, A man is juſtifyed by works, as James ſaith, a man is Juſtifyed without works of the law, i. e. ſaith he, A man is Juſtifyed by ſuch works as are in the nature of living faith, but not by ſuch as are works of the law.
R. All works and faith it ſelf as a qualification are works of a Law, and whereby no fleſh living ſhall be juſtify'd, Gal. 3.11. and tho the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, and owns Abraham's Juſtification by faith before God as Paul doth Rom. 4. yet he no where ſaith a perſon is juſtifyed by works before God, if he had ſaid ſo he had directly contradicted the Apoſtle Paul, but the Reconciliation is thus, a believer is not Juſtified by works before God, but he is juſtifyed by works of faith or fruits of it before man. 2d. Pair, A man is Juſtifyed by faith, and a man is not Juſtifyed by Faith only. Reconc. A man is Juſtifyed by that faith that includes works, but not by that faith that is without works. Recon. A man is Juſtifyed by faith objectively which produceth works before God, and man is not Juſtifyed without works before man. The 3d, Pair is thus, A man is Juſtifyed by Faith and a man is Juſtifyed by Works, I reconcile thus, a man is juſtifyed by that faith which brings forth works, and a man is juſtifyed by thoſe works.
R. Recon. a man is juſtifyed before God by faith, a man is juſtifyed before man by works. By all which it appears that Paul and James are agreed in the nature of true Faith and Juſtification by it in the ſight of God; but only James ſpeaks of Juſtification in a larger ſence, to wit, Juſtification in foro humano, as well as Divino, and therefore he aſcribes a kind of Juſtification to works, ſo that a man cannot be Juſtifyed by Faith alone, in the largeſt ſence, ſeeing he cannot be Juſtifyed before man without works. Now if he had meant as our Neonom. do, he muſt have aſcribed all Juſtification to works only, for they hold our Juſtification by Faith to be no otherwiſe than as a work. Mr. Cl. ſeems to boaſt himſelf in expreſſion of the Pſal. 106.3. 1. concerning Phineas, where foreign is uſed the ſame root, which is uſed of Abraham's Faith, Gen. 15.6. Where the thing that Abraham believed in the Promiſe, God Imputed to him for righteouſneſs as the Apoſtle expounds Gal. 3.6.8. for he ſaw Chriſt in that Goſpel preached to him as our Saviour witneſſeth, and as the word there is an Active ſignification. It is a Paſſive in Niph. with the Pſalm. it plainly referrs to the particular Act of Phineas. It is ſaid, that Phineas ſtood up and executed Judgment and the Plague was ſtayed, and it was reckoned to foreign for Righteouſneſs, for a noble righteous juſt Act, to all Generations, its not ſaid that the Lord accounted it him for the righteouſneſs of his perſon before God, but God bore witneſs to the ſeaſonableneſs and juſtice of the action in ſtaying of the Plague, and ſuch an effect being thereof, all men have ſince judged it a righteous juſt Act to all Generations. So that the word is not uſed imperſonally but perſonally and paſſively, and the Act which he perform'd is the Nominative Caſe, neither is foreign uſed imperſonally but the thing that God promiſes and he believes is the Nominative Caſe.