Justification Without Conditions, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Wherein Mr. Woodbridges Introduction, Text, Doctrine, and Proofs, are briefly considered.
HAving passed Mr. Woodbridges Out-works, we shall now proceed to survey the Fort it self, which (in his own conceit) is built so impregnable, That nothing consistent with the Scriptures, can be brought against it. How ever, I am not discouraged from attempting it, knowing, That strong holds more unlikely to be vanquished, have been laid flat and level with the ground, Lam. 4.12. 2 Cor. 10.4, 5.
In his Preface, he tells the worthy Sir, to whom he communicated his Notes, That he will not trouble him with his Introduction to the Text; or the Applicatory part of his Sermon. It was very little that he spake in either; but I well remember, that he began and concluded with a great mistake. In his Introduction he told us, that the scope of this Epistle was to prove, That we are justified by Faith, i. e. (as he explained it) That we are not justified in the sight of God, before we believe; and that Faith is the condition on our part to qualifie us for Justification; whereas the scope of the Apostle (as shall be shewn more largely hereafter) was not to assert the time of our Justification, but the matter of it; he intended not to shew when, but wherewith we are justified; to wit, not by Works, or Righteousness in us, but by the Righteousness of Christ freely imputed to us; which we apprehend, and apply by Faith aCalv. de vera Pacif. p. 317.. By taking Faith in a proper sense, as a condition required on our part, he accuseth the Apostle of Self-contradiction; who all along denies, That we are justified by works; seeing Faith considered as a condition, is a work of ours, no less then love.
In that part of his Application, where he addressed himself to unbelievers, he told them, That Christ was not a High Priest or Advocate to them, and that they had no Court of Mercy to appeal unto; which was all one, as if he had said, Christ did not die for them; and that they had no more ground to believe in him, then the Devils themselves; and consequently that their case was desperate and irrecoverable, though final unbelievers have not Christ for their High Priest; for he neither died, nor prayed for them, Joh. 17.9. Yet he performed both acts of his Priesthood, scil. Oblation and Intercession, for all that were given him by the Father, long before the Conversion of many of them. He laid down his life, not onelyonly for those sheep that were called, but for those also that were not then gathered into his fold, Joh. 10.15, 16. And in the seventeenth of John, he says expresly, That he prayed not onelyonly for them that did believe, but for them also that should believe in him. Vers. 20. Though it be true, That Christ shed not his Blood for Reprobates, yet we know not who are reprobated, until it shall be made manifest by their final unbelief. Indeed, we cannot say to an unbeliever, That Christ did die for him; and we have as little reason to say, That Christ did not die for him, seeing the Word doth reveal neither; and by affirming the latter, we do quite bar up the door of Hope, which ought to be held open to the worst of sinners. Our duty is to declare, That Christ is come into the world to save sinners, and to exhort all men every where to believe him. We were as good bid the Devils to believe, as those for whom Christ is not a High Priest; it is in vain for any to believe in Christ, if he never prayed, nor offered up himself a Sacrifice unto God for them; but seeing Mr. W. hath not troubled his Friend with these passages, I shall not trouble the Reader any longer about them.
§. 2. That the Saints, or true Believers (under which notion he writes to the Romans bSee Chap. 1.7.) are justified by Faith; We do readily yeeld it to be a truth, it being in terminis in the Text. I dare say, no man that is called a Christian, did ever deny it; and therefore he might have spared his pains in transcribing any more places of Scripture for confirmation of it. But I do much marvel, That so learned a man as Mr. W. who pretends to be more then ordinarily accurate, should take in hand a controverted Text, and never open the Terms, nor state the Question which he meant to handle; for though it be a sinful curiosity for men by Dicotomies and Tricotomies, Divisions and Subdivisions, to mince and crumble the Scriptures, till it hath lost the sense; yet surely, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, ought rightly to divide c2 Tim. 2.15. foreign quid sit. Bez. in loc. Full. Miscel. sac. l. 3. c. 16.the Word of Truth, explain things that are obscure and dubious; and where divers senses are given (as he knows there are of this Text) to disprove the false, and confirm that which he conceives is true.
§. 3. There is a vaste distance between the Apostles Proposition [a man is justified by Faith,] and Mr. Woodbridges Inference, Ergo, Justification doth in no sence precede Faith. Justification by Faith, and Justification before Faith, are not opposita, but diversa; though they differ, yet they are not contradictory to each other: The Scriptures which prove the former, intend no strife, or quarrel against the latter; in a word, The proof of the one, doth not disprove the other. The Scripture which he made his theam, Rom. 5.1. Therefore being justified by Faith, we have peace with God, &c, concludes nothing at all against Justification before Faith; For (1) we may without any violence to the Text, place the Comma after justified, (as thus) Being justified, by Faith we have peace with God: This reading is agreeable both to the Apostles scope, and to the Context. His scope here was not to shew the efficacy of Faith in our Justification, but what benefits we have by the death of Christ dWillet. in Rom. 5 p. 235. Pa…aeus. Ib. prima effic… cia mortis Christ… est justificatio. &c.; the first of which is Justification, and the consequent thereof is peace with God. Again, the Illative Particle (Therefore) shews, that this place is a Corollary, or Deduction from the words immediately foregoing, which ascribed our Justification wholly to the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Chap. 4 ult. The Apostle thence infers, Being justified q. d. Seeing we are justified freely, without works, by the death of Christ, by Faith we have peace with God; the Lord powerfully drawing our hearts to believe this, we have boldness and confidence towards God, the cause of fear being taken away; or as the Syriack and vulgar Latin read it, Let us have peace with God; let us by Faith improve this Grace, for the establishing of our hearts in perfect peace. Now according to this reading, his own Text will give in evidence against him, That Faith is not the cause or antecedent, but an effect and consequent of our Justification, procured and obtained by the death of Christ. But (2) if we take the words, as commonly they are read, the sence comes all to one, scil. That being justified by Christ (who is the sole object of our Faith) we have peace with God; who by the Faith which he creates in us, causeth us to enjoy this reconciliation; by vertue whereof, our Conscience is so firmly grounded, that we are not moved by any temptation, or beaten down by any terror Diodat. in loc.. The Work of Faith is not to procure our Justification, but to beget peace in our Consciences. So then, the words being rightly understood, they neither deny Justification before Faith, nor assert Justification by the act or habit of Faith, which Mr. W. would conclude from thence.
§. 4. The next Scripture, whose suffrage is desired against us, is Gal. 2.16. We have believed in Christ, that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ. Where (sayes Mr. W.) Justification is expresly made a Consequent of Faith. To which I Answer (1) That this doth no more infer, That we are not justified before we believe, then that of our Saviour, Matth. 5.44, 45. Love your enemies, &c. that ye may be the children of your Father in Heaven, 1. Pet. 2.9.infers, That works do go before adoption, contrary to Eph. 1.5, 6. 1 Joh. 3.3. the phrase [that ye may be] there, is as much, as that ye may be manifested and declared; that ye may shew your selves; fDiodat. on Matth. 5.45.or, that all men may know, that ye are the children of God, by practising a duty so much above the reach of Nature and Morality. A like place we have, Rom. 3.26. God set forth his Son to declare his Righteousness, that he might be just. Now shall we hence infer, That God was not just before?gUt se sanctum & justum declararet, seu ut gloriam justitia illustraret. Pa… in loc. or that Gods justice was a consequent of his sending Christ? Now if we can understand that clause, [that he might be just] That he might be known, and acknowledged to be just: Why may we not as well take this of the Apostle, [that we might be justified] in the same construction, that we might know that we are justified, and live in the comfort and enjoyment of it: So that, not the Being of our Justification, but the Knowledge and Feeling of it, is a consequent of Faith. Things in Scripture are then said to be, when they are known to be; so John 15.8. our Saviour tells the Disciples, That if they did bear much fruit, they should be his Disciples, i. e. They should be known and manifested to be his Disciples, as Chap. 13.35. Our Saviour is said at his Resurrection, to have become the Son of God, Acts 13.33. Because, then (as the Apostle speaks) he was powerfully declared to be the Son of God, Rom. 1.3. Again, things are sa…d not to be, which do not appear, as Melchisedec is said to be without Father and Mother, &c. Heb. 7.3. Because his Linage and Pedigree, is not known; so we are said to be justified, or not justified, according as this Grace is revealed to us. But (2) in the Text it is, We have believed, that we might be justified by Faith; so that from hence it can be inferred onelyonly, That we are not justified by Faith, before believing; and that the sentence of Justification is not terminated in our Consciences, before we do believe.
§. 5. His next Proof is grounded upon the order of the words, Rom. 8.30. As glory (saith he) follows Justification, so doth Justification follow Vocation unto Faith. Whereunto I answer, (…) That the order of words in Scripture, do not shew the order and dependance of the things themselves: The Jews have a Proverb, Non esse prius aut posterius in Scriptura hSalom. Jarchi. in Gen. 6.3.. The first and last must not be strictly urged in Scripture; for that is not always set first, which is first in Nature: If we should reason from the order of words in Scripture, we should make many absurdities iSee Babing. on Gen. 4.…., as 1 Sam. 6.14. It is said that they clave the Wood of the Cart, and offered the Kine for a burnt offering unto the Lord: And then in the next Verse it follows, That the Levites took down the Ark out of the Cart; as if they had clave the Cart before the Ark was taken down, which could not be. In 2 Tim. 1.9. it is said, God hath saved us, and called us; yet I suppose Mr. W. will not say, That men are saved, before they are called. So though Vocation be set before Justification, yet it doth not follow, that it precedes it in order of Nature. (2) The Apostles scope here, is not to shew in what order these Benefits are bestowed upon us, but how inseparably they are linked unto our Predestination; and that it is Impossible, either sin or affliction should make them miserable, whom God hath chosen. (3) I see no inconvenience at all, in saying, That the Apostle here speaks of Justification, as it is declared and terminated in our Consciences, which some learned men kMr. Owen. Mr. Kendal against Goodwin, cap 4. p. 138.145.do make the formale of Justification; and in this respect, I shall grant him, That Justification is a consequent of Vocation.
§. 6. Mr. Woodbridges next Allegation is from Rom. 4.24. Righteousness shall be imputed to us, if we believe. Ergo, It was not imputed before we did believe. I answer, That the consequence is not necessary; for this Particle (if) is used sometimes declaratively: It doth not always propound the condition, by which a benefit is obtained, but sometimes it serves to describe the person to whom the benefit doth belong lSee Mr. Walkers Socinianism Discovered, p. 224.. Descriptions are taken from Effects and Consequences, as well as from the Causes or Antecedent Conditions: As for instance, If a man (saith the Apostle) purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, 2 Tim. 2.21. The Papists infer from hence, That a man is made a vessel of honor, by purging himself, &c. Our Protestant Divines mD. Sutcliff on Rom. 11. p. 61.do answer, That the place proves not, that a man is hereby made, or becomes a vessel of honor, but that hereby he is manifested and known to be a vessel of honor. So Heb. 3.6. Whose house are we, if we hold fast our confidence, and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end. Which we are not to understand, as if these things did make us to be the house of God, but that hereby we appear, and approve our selves to be the house of God nDr. Jo…es on …e plate.. This Conjunction (if oD…. Dow…. of Justif. l. 7. c. 4 sect. 16. …. 473.) is many times annexed unto the Marks and Cognizances of such as shall be saved, or are happy, which do shew, Non propter quid beand… sunt, vel servandi, sed quales beati sunt, quales servandi. Not upon what conditions, but what manner of persons are finally saved. I see no reason, but it may be so understood in this place; his Righteousness is imputed to us, if we believe, q. d. Hereby we may know, and be assured, that Christs Righteousness is imputed to us, that we, whether Jews, or Gentiles, are the persons to whom this grace belongs; if God hath drawn our hearts to believe, and obey the Gospel; in regard that none do, or can believe, but such as are ordained to life pActs 13.48. & 2.47., and to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ. The Lord works Faith in none, but in them, to whom he hath imputed the Righteousness of his Son.
§. 7. The other Scriptures he hath brought, conclude as weakly against us, as any of the former, as Acts 10.43. Thorow his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins. And Acts 26.18. That they may receive forgiveness of sins— who are sanctified by Faith; with Acts 13.39. By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses. To which (says Mr. W.) might be added, multitudes of other places. I confess his Concordance would have furnished him with many such places, but no more to the purpose, then these he hath cited; which though they affirm, That Believers are justified, yet they deny not the Justification of the Elect, before believing. In the former it is, Whosoever believeth, shall receive remission of sins; it is not, By believing, we obtain remission of sins, or God doth not discount mens sins unto them, till they do believe. The giving of remission, and the receiving of remission, are two things; the former is Gods act, who is the onelyonly Justifier, the latter is ours; the former is properly Justification, and not the latter; though it be called so in a passive and improper sence. We know a Prince pardons a malefactor when he gives his consent, That the Sentence of the Law should be reversed, and confirms it with his Hand and Seal: This Pardon is valid in Law, and secures the offender from punishment, though it come not to his hands for a good while after. So a Father gives, and bequeaths an Estate to his Childe that is an Infant; which by the donation of the Father, belongs to the Childe, though the Childe do not receive, and enjoy it, till he comes to age. So God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their sins unto them; Though no man doth receive and enjoy this Grace, till he doth believe; we obtain remission of sins by Christ alone, but we receive it by Faith.
§. 8. In the 13 of the Acts 39 the Apostle shews the excellency of the Gospel above the Law; or the priviledge of the Saints in the New Testament, above them that lived under the Old Administration; Who (saith he) are justified from all things, &c. There was a cleansing and purgation of sin provided in the Law, but not like unto that which is revealed in the GospelqZech 13.1….. For (1) the Law did not cleanse them from all sins, for some sins it allowed of no Sacrifice at all; as for Blasphemy, sins of presumption, &c. But now the Blood of that Sacrifice, which is exhibited in the Gospel, cleanseth us from all sin, 1 Joh. 1.7. Mark 3.28. (2) Those Sacrifices made them clean, but in an External Typical manner, as To the purifying of the flesh, Heb. 9.13. they could not make them perfect, as pertaining to the Conscience, Heb. 10.12. Whereas the cleansing which is made by the Blood of Christ, is Spiritual and Internal, It purgeth mens consciences from dead works, Heb. 9.14. They that are purged herewith, have no more conscience of sin, de jure, if not de facto, Chap. 10.2. They have the answer of a good conscience toward God, q. d. They can plead not guilty, 1 Pet. 3.21. (3) The legal cleansing was by Sacrifice after Sacrifice, Heb. 10.3. Whereas Christ by one Sacrifice, once offered, hath taken away all the sins of his people; or as it is in Daniel, hath made an end of sin: So that here is nothing at all of the time of our Justification, though he affirms, That they that believe, are thus perfectly justified; yet it follows not from this, or any other Text, That the Elect are not justified, before they believe; and much less, That a man is justified by the gratious act or habit of Faith.
§. 9. Mr. W. Pag. 2. gives his Reader our Sence of these Scriptures. The onelyonly Answer (saith he) which is given to these, and the like Texts, is this, That by Justification we are to understand a Justification in the Court of Conscience, or the Evidence and Declaration of a Justification already past before God: So that Faith is said to justifie us, not because it doth justifie us before God, but because it doth declare to our Consciences, that we are justified. Now because this report is very imperfect, I shall crave the patience of the Reader, whilest I declare our Judgement a little more fully, concerning this Matter, together with the Grounds and Reasons that do uphold it; and then I shall return to secure this Answer against the Exceptions Mr. W. hath made against it. But first, I shall shew the several Explications which Divines have given of his Proposition [A man is justified by Faith.]