Justification Without Conditions, To the reader 1 – Title page
READER,
THe great Work of them who are Embassadors for Christ, to beseech men in his stead, to be reconciled unto God, is to reveal the Will and Love of the Father, in making him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him. The manifestation of the Excellency, Fulness, Sufficiency, and absolute preheminence of that Righteousness, so wrought out, from the Councel of the Will of God, dispensed in a Covenant of Grace, is that, which in the pursuit, and discharge of the Trust committed to them, they cheifly, through the strength of God, do, or ought to lift up themselves unto. In this Labor of the Gospel, hath the Author of the ensuing Treatise, evinced his Fellowship and Communion, by the travel of his minde, (accompanied with those advantages of Abilities, and Learning, which make such undertakings acceptable, and useful) which he hath laid out therein. The persons, occasion, and other circumstances, related unto, in this Discourse, I am utterly unacquainted withal, but onelyonly by the light which concerning them, it self holds out unto me; which being not a sufficient bottom for a Judgement of this notoriety, I am not called, no more then desired to deliver my Thoughts concerning them. Every mans work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every mans work, of what sort it is. Of the Matter treated on herein, various are the Thoughts of Learned Men; those doubtless seem to have the advantage, who walk in a professed compliance with the design of God, to give the Son of his Love, with his Love and Grace in him, the preheminence in all things. To deliver my Thoughts concerning the severals, argued, and disputed in this Treatise, neither the minute of time, whereunto for this expression of my self I am confined, will admit me, nor doth my present aim require: [Especially considering that I have at large delivered my self to the main Head of the whole, in my Book of the Perseverance of the Saints, and Answer to Mr. John Goodwin on that subject, now almost cleared off the Press.] For the present, I shall only say, That there being too great evidence of very welcome entertainment, and acceptance, given by many to an almost pure Socinian Justification, and Exposition of the Covenant of Grace, even amongst them, into whose hearts God seems to have shined, in some measure, to give the light of the knowledge of his glory, in the face of Jesus Christ, all solid, learned, sober, endeavors, for the Vindication, of the absoluteness freedom, independency, and preheminence of that Grace in Jesus Christ, whereby we are saved, will doubtless finde acceptance with the Children of Gospel-Wisdom, and all that love the glory of him that bought us. Amongst such Labors and Endeavors (Christ an Reader) I commend to thy consideration, the ensuing Treatise, and commit thee to the Lord.
Westminster▪ Nov. 7. 1653. JOHN OWEN.
VINDICIAE Justificationis Gratuitae. Justification without Conditions; OR The Free Justification of a Sinner, Explained, Confirmed, and Vindicated, from the Exceptions, Objections, and seeming Absurdities, which are cast upon it, by the Assertors of Conditional Justification: More especially from the Attempts Of Mr. B. Woodbridge in his Sermon, Entituled [Justification by Faith] Of Mr. Cranford in his Epistle to the Reader, and of Mr. Baxter in some Passages, which relate to the same Matter. Wherein also, the Absoluteness of the New Covenant is proved, and the Arguments against it, are disproved. By W. EYRE, Minister of the Gospel, and Pastor of a Church in the City of New Sarum.
Rom. 3.24.
Being justified freely by his Grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ.
Dei gratia non erit gratia ullo modo, nisi gratuita fuerit omni modo,
Aug. de pec. Orig. l. 2. c. 24.
LONDON: Printed for R. I. and are to be sold by Edward Forrest Book-seller in Oxford. 1654.