Justification Without Conditions, Letter
TO My Deare Flock in the City of NEVV-SARUM, unto which, God, and their own Choise, have made me an Over-seer.
Loving, and Beloved Brethren,
IT was a frequent saying in the mouth of Luther, That after his death, the Doctrine of Justification would be corrupted. A few years last past have contributed more to the fulfilling of his Prediction, then all the time that went before: Can there be a greater evidence of mens Apostacy from this Article of our Faith, then their branding of the Doctrine it self, with a mark of Heresie? Though our Adversaries are grown more subtle to distinguish, yet they are as wide from the true Doctrine of Justification by Christ alone, as the perverters of the Faith in Luthers daies. It is not easie to number up all the wiles and methods wherewith Satan hath assaulted this Foundation-Truth; he knew it was too grosse, to tell men, That they must be justified by Works, seeing the Scriptures are so expresse against it; And therefore mens wits must be set on work to find out some plausible distinctions and extenuations, a little to qualifie and and sweeten this Popish leaven, to take off the odium of the phrase, and to rebate the edge of those Scriptures which usually are brought against it. It is true (say they) we are not Justified by Works of Nature, but we are Justified by Works of Grace; and though we are not Justified by Legal, or old Covenant Works, yet wee are Justified by Evangelical or New Covenant Works performed by our selves; And againe, works though they are not Physicall Causes (which no man ever affirmed) yet they are morall Causes, or Conditions of our Justification; though they do not mer… in a strict sense, by their innate worth and dignity, yet in a large sense, and by vertue of Gods Promise and Covenant, they may be said to merit our Justification and Salvation. Or if these will not doe it, the matter is dispatched, if Faith may be but taken in a proper sense, the foreign credere fetches in all other works within its circumference. But that delusion which is least apt to bee suspected by wel-meaning Christians, is the calling Works, or Inherent Holinesse, by the name of Christ, the successe of this bait, we have seen of late in too many, who have dallied so long with the notion of a Christ within them aGrounded on Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of glory. Whereas Christ in you is no more then Christ preached among you. foreign is rendred among in the same verse., that they have quite forgotten, nay, some have utterly denied, the Christ without them, that God-man, who is the onelyonly Propitiation for our sins.
How much cause then, my Brethren, have we, of continuall thankfulnesse unto our God, who in so generall a defection hath been pleased, to keep us that we are not led aside with the deceivablenesse of this unrighteousnesse, and to lead us to that rock which is above us? For how ever the world doth account of Pharisisme, yet they that have any acquaintance with the mind of God, know there can be hardly named a greater sin bV…x … est peccatum, quam Justificationem, ex operibus quaerere. Twis. Vi…. Grat. l. 1. p. 2. sect 2. prope sinem▪, then the establishing our own… righteousnesse.
It is the good pleasure of God (for which everlasting praise be given unto him) to reveale those things unto babes, which are hiden from the wise and prudent; The Gospel hath been, and will be a mystery to the worlds end. Humane reason cannot conceive how men should buy without mony; or become rich, by stripping and emptying of themselves; attain unto righteousnesse by renouncing and abhorring their own righteousnesses. Hence it is that the Doctrine of an unconditionate Covenant, and the Free Justification of a sinner, is looked upon, by our learned Rabbies as such a foolish and ridiculous conceit. A great Master cDr. Hammon… Sermons, p. 144.in our Israel speaks strangely of it. Unconditionate promises (saith he) beget onelyonly an irrational, fallacious, foundationless Faith, which the bigger it swells, the more dangerous it proves. And a little after, he calls the Faith and Hope begotten by such promises, A dependance on some fatal chain, (some Necromantick trick of believing, thou shalt be saved, and thou shalt be saved) nay, on Satan himself, some responce of his Oracle, &c. And not much before dPag. 141., It is a miracle (says he) that they who believe this Doctrine of unconditional Pr…mises, are yet restrained from making this so natural a use of it, from running into all the riots in the World. I remember a good Note of his, from John 7.48 eAt an Act Sermon in Ox…n., That the greatest Schollars, are not always the soundest Christians. We see Christianity is not Book-Learning, nor is Faith attained to, by strength of parts. I should (might I be so bold) humbly ask this Learned Doctor, Whether the Faith and Hope of all the Saints, we read of in the Scripture, were an irrational, fallacious, and foundationless Faith? Now let him shew us any one of them, that in his addresses unto God, did ever plead a Conditional Promise… That of Hezekiah, 2 King. 20.3. is of a peculiar consideration: I remember Luther calls it, Stulti loquium Hezekiae fEnarrat. in Psal. 45.. Others that excuse it, say, That Hezekiah draws his Argument, not from his own works, but from Gods; he reasons from what God had done for him, that he would do more, and bestow the mercy which then he needed gMr. Caryl on Job.. But besides him, from the beginning of Genesis, to the end of the Revelation, we do not finde that any of Gods people have used any other plea unto God, or have had any other support for their Hope and Confidence; then his free promises of Grace and Mercy; not onelyonly the woman of Canaan, the Publican, and such as they were;Matth 15 22. Luke 18.13. & 23.42. Gen. 18.27. & 32.9, 10. Num. 14.18, 19. 2 Sam. 23.5. 1 Cor 4 4. Phil 3.9. but Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Paul, &c. have all of them, Fled for refuge unto these promises; their Faith never knew any other bottom or foundation besides this. Is it an irrational thing to receive life, as a gift, and not as wages? It were very strange, if the Mercy and Faithfulness of God, should not be as sure a Foundation to relie upon, as our own Works? I will be bold to say, Whosoever do build upon other Foundations, besides the free Promise of Mercy, they will have no better success, then he who built his house upon the Sand, Matth. 7.27. They may (perchance, when it is too late) experiment the fallacy, they have put upon their own souls. The Doctor is as much mistaken in the use of the point, as he is in the Doctrine; to say, That the natural use of it, is to run into all the ri…s in the world; he might have taken notice where the Holy Ghost makes another use of it, Tit. 2.11. Luke 1.74. 2 Cor. 7.1. And right reason would have suggested, that the freer the Promise is, the more is the love and bounty of the Promiser shewn: Now Love naturally begets Love▪ Publicans (saith our Saviour) will love those that love them;Matth 5.46. Luke 7.47. and can a man believe so great a benefit, as the free remission of his sins, and not love him that hath remitted them? Possibly a man that hath received this Grace, but in the notion, may draw such untoward conclusions from it; but for any true Believer to sin upon this ground, is as impossible, as that light should become darkness, 1 John 3.3, 9.
I must confess, the loose and unev…n walking of many Professors, hath given too much occasion unto Adversaries to Blaspheme this Doctrine: And though it be unjust in them, to charge the faults of Professors upon their Profession; yet you cannot but see how much it concerns them, who have hope of Salvation, through Christ alone, to vindicate the honor of this Grace, and by their exemplariness in wel-doing, to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. The vindication of this Doctrine lies as much upon private Christians, as it doth upon Ministers; the strongest Arguments against it, are but the Suppositions, and Consequences of carnal Reason, which are soonest confuted, by a holy Conversation; in which respect illiterate men may be irrefragable Disputants, and women may nonplus the learnedst Doctor. And therefore whilest I am in this Tabernacle, I shall not cease to stir you up, by putting you in remembrance of these things, though you know them, and are established in the present truth.
Some of you know, how unwillingly I undertook this Publick Imployment, being more inclined to the Truel, then the Sword; to build up my Hearers in their most Holy Faith, then to engage in Controversies against Oppos…rs: And truly, nothing could have induced me to it, but the tendency of the Work to your Edification; that the simplicity of the Gospel may abide amongst you, and that you may stand fast in the Truth which you have received, being able to answer the cavils of them that do oppose it. It was not least in my eye, That our honest Neighbors, who (by the evil arts of some that affect preheminence) have been prejudiced and disaffected towards us, may see, and satisfie themselves, Whether we believe and contend for any other Faith, then that which was once delivered …nto the Saints; for surely, they will have but little comfort in separating from us, without a cause: I must needs tell them their account at last, will not be with joy, who have rejected the counsel of God against themselves.
Whatsoever success this Discourse may finde with others, I doubt not but it will be an acceptable service unto you. I desire, that it may provoke you, to be more instant in Prayer for me, that …tterance may be given me; and that my Labors in the Wo… of the Gospel, may be more successful unto you, and to all others that do partake of them: Which will be the greate… joy on …arth unto him, who is
Yours in the nearest Bonds, W. Eyre. The Third day of the Ninth MonethMonth. 1653.