A Confutation of the Heresies and Errors of Thomas Collier, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Of Juſtification.
THat Article of our Faith which concerns the Juſtification of a ſinner in the ſight of God, muſt needs be acknowledged to be of great importance, and we ought to be more careful of nothing, then that our minds be not corrupted from the ſimplicity of the Goſpel, and we moved from our ſted faſtneſs thereabout; and therefore although Mr. Collier in the Book before me hath ſaid but little directly to that point, yet obſerving divers things therein very oppoſite to, and inconſiſtent with the truth in this matter, I could not paſs them without ſome remark.
And in the firſt place I ſhall briefly propoſe what the Scripture teacheth us, and then examine Mr. Colliers notions that are contrary to the truth revealed therein.
The term Juſtification is conſtantly in the Scriptures ſpeaking of this matter taken in a Law-ſenſe, as it imports the acquitting of a perſon by the ſentence of a Judge; The Juſtification of a ſinner by God, is,
The gracious ſentence of God by which for Chriſts ſake apprehended by Faith, he loooſeth the ſinner from his Obligation to Eternal wrath and puniſhment; and accounts him righteous to the obtai…ing of Life and Glory.
1. It is the ſentence of God as a Judge acquitting, Rom. 8. 32.
2. It is a gracious ſentence without any reſpect to our worthineſs, or works of Righteouſneſs that we have done or can do, Rom. 3. 24. Eph. 2. 8, 9, 10.
3. The meritorious cauſe of our Juſtification is the Obedience of Chriſt both paſſive and active; and our actualVoet. Select. Diſput. pars 5. p. 281. Juſtification is the effect or conſequent of the imputation thereof unto us. Juſtification in the formal reaſon thereof, doth ſpeak two things.
1. A diſcharge from condemnation; or, the remiſſion of ſins; which was purchaſed by the death and blood-ſhedding of Chriſt; Gal. 3. 13. Eph. 1. 7. The benefit of which purchaſe r…dounds to us, becauſe of Gods reckoning upon our account, or imputing to us what our ſurety ſuffered in our ſtead, Iſa. 53. 6. 11.
2. The adjudging of us to be Heirs of, and ſo inrighting us in, Life and Glory, for the ſake of Chriſts active Obedience imputed to us in like manner, Rom. 3. 22. ch. 4. 4, 5. & 5. 19. Gal. 2. 15. & ch. 3. 11, 12.
4. True and lively Faith whereby we receive Chriſt and his benefits freely given of God to us, and reſt on him and his Righteouſneſs, is the inſtrument of our Juſtification, Joh. 1. 12. Rom. 5. 17. So that Faith alone juſtifieth (though juſtifying Faith is never alone, but worketh by love) and that Righteouſneſs for the ſake of which we are juſtified before God, was wrought out and fulfilled only by Chriſt; who was made ſin for us, although he knew no ſin, that we might be made the Righteouſneſs of God in him. And therefore in the buſineſs of Juſtification, Faith is oppoſed to all good works, as excluſive of them from any influence into the obtaining of our pardon and acceptance with God, Rom. 3. 20, 21, 22. & v. 28. chap. 4. 4, 5. Gal. 2. 16. ch. 3. 11, 12.
The firſt mention of this Article, that I meet with in Mr. Colliers Book is ch. 1. p. 12. where after ſome boaſting of his clear ſtating the matter in his Body of Divinity, he thus writes,
If any perſons dare to maintain, that any are juſtified before God without Faith and Holineſs as the terms thereof, though not the deſerving cauſe; I muſt leave them to their own underſtanding without all Scripture grounds; for my own part I fully, on good grounds, believe the contrary.
Notwithſtanding Mr. Colliers ſwelling words of vanity, and contempt of the underſtanding of others; I muſt tell him, even theſe words are not ſo clear and ſcriptural, but that they give juſt occation to ſuſpect his own underſtanding to be dark, and his judgement to be unſound. For although true and juſtifying Faith is pregnant with good works, and whoſoever is juſtified is ſanctified alſo; and that Faith conſidered as a Grace inherent in us, belongs to our ſanctification: yet doth not the Scripture any where allow good works the ſame influence into our Juſtification as it doth unto Faith; which is a clear evidence that it is not the act of believing, …r any other holy duty for which we are juſtified: but that in this buſineſs, Faith is to be conſidere as relative to Chriſt, and that it is the object of Faith apprehended thereby on the account of which its ſaid to juſtifie. And this Mr. Collier cannot but own, if he underſtands what is aſſerted by himſelf in his Bod… of Div. concerning the imputation of Chriſts Righteouſneſs unto us in order to our Juſtification before God; For if we are juſtified freely by Grace, and are preſented without ſpot before God in an imputed Righteouſneſs, then can our good works have no intereſt in the reaſon of our acceptance with him. And indeed if this were not ſo, we could not be juſtified at all, foraſmuch as the Lord is of purer eye: then to behold iniquity; and our ſanctification is imperfect, ſo that if all our Righteouſneſſes, ſo far forth as ours be examined in ſtrictneſs of juſtice, they will be found but filthy raggs, a Covering too narrow, and a Bed too ſhort. Yea if thoſe that plead moſ… for the intereſt of good works in our Juſtification, would ſeriouſly conſider what themſelves dare abide by before the tremendous tribunal of the great Judge; they muſt all fly to Bellarmines tutiſſimum eſt, and put an end to this controverſie, by acknowledging that they dare not venture into Gods ſight, nor paſs out of the World to his Judgement-ſeat in their own Righteouſneſs.
But indeed there is another principle laid down once and again by Mr. C. in thoſe Chapters of his Book already examined, which (if true) renders all diſcourſes of deliverance from wrath to come by Chriſt needleſs, and without ground; It is this,
That the penalty of the breach of the firſt Covenant, was only temporal death, and Eternal damnation is inflicted on men only for ſinning againſt the Goſpel, the Law of Faith.
Now if this were true, Beſides that in ſome reſpects it renders the condition of thoſe that never heard of Chriſt more eligible then thoſe who live under the ſound of the Goſpel.
1. If there be no Law threatning Eternal death,Ferg. Differ. of Moral Virtue & Grace, p. 107. but the Law of Faith, then there is no ſuch thing as forgiveneſs and remiſſion of ſin in the World; For the Goſpel denounceth damnation only againſt final impenitency and unbelief; and as theſe are not pardoned nor pardonable, ſo on the other hand, if there be no Law threatning Eternal death beſides the Goſpel, then is there no other ſin we need forgiveneſs of.
2. If this be true, Then Chriſt never dyed to free any from wrath to come (which yet is plentifully aſſerted in the Scriptures; wherein we read alſo that his death was for the Redemption of the tranſgreſſions that were under the firſt Covenant, Heb. 9. 15.) For it is non-ſenſe to ſay that he hath freed us from the curſe of the Goſpel; yea it is a repugnancy, unleſs you will introduce another Goſpel to relieve againſt the terms of this, nor will that ſerve the turn, unleſs you likewiſe find another Mediator to out-merit this. Thus Mr. Ferguſon, in anſwer to one of Mr. Colliers mind.
So then if Mr. C. will abide by this notion, and the juſt conſequences thereof, his ſenſe of our Juſtification muſt either be contradictory to himſelf, or elſe very corrupt and unſound.
Another paſſage that hath a bad aſpect this way, you meet with Addit. Word, p. 50. where he gives this reaſon why his ſuppoſed deliverance of the damned will not extend to any degree of Glory, but only a deliverance from pain and miſery, For they are under no promiſe of reward of Good works, becauſe they had none.
That God will graciouſly reward the good works of Believers, is granted, ſo that beſides that joy and glory that all Saints have an immediate right to by virtue of their intereſt in Chriſt, every one ſhall receive a ſuperadded Crown, according as his work ſhall be; which layeth a foundation for our believing the enjoyment of different degrees of Glory among the bleſſed in another world. But to ſuppoſe, as Mr. C. here doth, That the admiſſion of perſons into the Kingdom of God is for the ſake of their own good works, is contrary to the whole current of Scripture, and cannot conſiſt with a ſound Judgement concerning our Juſtification; but neceſſarily leads to a Popiſh or Socinian notion thereof. I cannot ſee what good works the Thief upon the Croſs had to procure his admiſſion into the Kingdom of God; yet he being freely juſtified by Grace, went immediately from the Croſs to Paradiſe.
To conclude this; no leſs offenſive is that paſſage we meet with, p. 59.
The Proteſtants to be rid of Popiſh meritorious works, run themſelves too much in both principle and practice, beyond almoſt all works of Charity.
This hath a long time been the clamour of the Jeſuites againſt the faithful Miniſters of the Goſpel; and for Mr. Colliers joyning with them in this calumny and ſlander (of which neither he nor they can ever make proof, at leaſt ſo far as concerns their Doctrine) there is no reaſon; but their refuſing to advance the good works of men into the room of Chriſt, and to aſſign unto them, what we are alone beholding to his Righteouſneſs for. On other accounts none plead the neceſſity of good works, nor preſs men to holineſs with greater earneſtneſs, and force of Scripture reaſon then they do, as cannot but be known to all that are converſant in their Writings. And therefore publick ſatisfaction for this reproach caſt (not on particular perſons, but) on the whole Proteſtant intereſt, is juſtly expected from Mr. Collier.
But however, foraſmuch as it appears that Mr. C. is little acquainted with the wholſome Doctrine of Orthodox Proteſtants, I will give him a taſte of what they teach concerning the neceſſity of Good works.
In Synopſi purioris Theologiae, written by Polyander Rivet, Wallaeus and Thyſius (no obſcure men amongſt the Proteſtants.) After they have in their 33 chap. laid down, and abundantly confirmed that truth concerning our Juſtification, which I have before touched; in the 34ch. they profeſſedly treat of our holineſs or Good works, which are the fruits of a lively and juſtifying Faith; concerning which they ſay §. 24.
Neceſſitas bonis operibus multifariam tribuitur. Neceſſaria enim dicuntur,
1. Neceſſitate praecepti divini.
2. Neceſſitate medii, ad Dei gloriam & ſalutem noſtram ordinati
3. Neceſſitate cultus & obſequii, Deo ex obligatione noſtrâ naturali, debiti.
4. Neceſſitate bonae & tranquillae conſcientiae, de ſua electione & vocatione ad ſalutem ſibi probe conſciae. 5. Neceſſitate officii charitatis proximo praeſtandi.
The ſenſe is this,Good works are neceſſary on divers accounts: They are ſaid to be neceſſary,
1. Becauſe commanded of God.
2. They are neceſſary as a medium ordered (or in order) to the Glory of God, and our own Salvation.
3. They are neceſsary, in that they are the Worſhip and Obedience that we are by the Law of nature obliged to perform to God.
4. They are neceſſary for the keeping a good and peaceful Conſcience, comfortably witneſſing to our Election of God, and calling unto Salvation.
5. They are neceſſary on the account of that office of love, that we ought to perform unto our Neighbour.
I might heap up teſtimonies of this kind; and will at any time, if called to it, evince from the confeſſions of Faith of all the reformed Churches, and from the Writings of all the worthy reformers that treat of this ſubject, as alſo from theirs w…o of late have aſſerted our Juſtification by free Grace through the imputation of Chriſts Obedience both active and paſſive to us, w…thout the works of the Law, That they all plead for a neceſſity of good works on the account, and for the ends, before mentioned. So then their Doctrine deſerves not this calumny; and if any have not practiſed according to their principles and profeſſion, let them bear their own burthen and ſhame; however, I ſuppoſe it is eaſie to manifeſt, that no where under Heaven is impiety of every kind more abundant, then amongſt the Popiſh merit-mongers. And I muſt ſay again, That as the Writings of Proteſtants need no Advocate in this matter, they ſufficiently ſpeaking for themſelves; ſo in this charge of Mr. Colliers againſt them, thus cauſeleſly Printed to the World, and accommodate (though perhaps not deſignedly) to help forward the ruine of the Proteſtant intereſt, and introduce Popery, he hath raiſed a monument of his own petulancy and ignorance, that will remain to his ſhame as long as his Book is in the hands of men, to be read by them.