Of Free Justification by Christ, Book 1 · Part 12
The Absurdities that arise from the Osorian Righteousness.
WHich things, seeing they are guarded with most sure confirmations of Evangelical Scripture, hence it necessarily follows, that all this Discourse of yours about righteousness falls down from the foundation. For if there is no union with God the eternal father but to those, who by on exact observation of the law conform and direct all their actions to the Osorius. The servile and mercenaly doctrine of the Papists.will of God, which is the law of equity and rule of Iustice: you make us not now to be Sons, nor Heirs according to the promise, but mercenaries according to the condition of the law: Moreover by this means also it will come to pals. that the promise is sure to no man in his life time, which is directly oppofite not only to the mind of Paul, but also to the genuine condition of Sons. For who in the time of this life lives so exactly according to the commands of God, that hitherto he hath never passed the limits thereof, or knows what he will do in the remainder of his life? Whereby it will come to pass that the mind must needs waver hither and thither, with a perpetual uncertainty. Moreover if that be accounted sure by the word and promise of the Gospel, that they are heirs as many as are ingrafted into Christ, then the Kingdom of God must of necessity be an inheritance, If an inheritance, then it is not a recompence nor a reward, but a The Kingdom of God is an Inheritance, therefore not a reward, it belongs to Sons, therefore not to Servants. August. lib. de haeres.Patrimony, which is not due to deeds, but to the spiritual birthright. If to the birth-right, then the bestowing of the Inheritance goes before all deeds. Afterwards Pious deeds follow, according to the saying of Augustine, which is no less true than firm: Good works follow him, that is justified, but go not before him, that is to be justified. Wherefore if that most pure and eternal Nature account us for Sons, as it was proved above, in which there sticks not any stain of unrighteousness, upon the like account it follows, The cause which makes us the Sons of God, the same also makes us Iust; but faith only makes us Sons, therefore the same also makes us Iust. The cause which justifies on God's part is his Predestination. Ephes. 1.that the cause which joyns us to God as Sons, the same also makes us just in the sight of God.
But that we may rightly examine, what that cause is, first the degrees of causes must be distinguished, of which some are related unto God, and others to men. On Gods part in the first place comes his infinite Mercy, Predestination, Election, the Grace of the Promise and Vocation, of which Paul speaks in more places than one: Who hath Predestinated us, saith he, unto the adoption of Sons by Iesus Christ, whom he hath Predestinated, that they should be conformed to the Image of his Son, them he hath also called, whom he hath called, them he hath also justified, &c.
In the next order follows the Rom. 8. Vocation, the Donation of Christ, his Obedience, Death and Merits,Donation of his Dear Son, his Obedience, Death, Sufferings, Merits, Redemption, Resurrection, Forgiveness of Sin: As for those things which proceed from God, there is no great controversie between us. But our Opinions differ concerning those things, which are called causes on Man's part; to wit, whether there is one cause only or more? Whether Faith only without What the cause of justification is on Man's part. Lib. 2. de just. Osorius.Works, or Works joined together with Faith? And this is the thing about which now we contend, O Osorius, for in these Books you do dispure about the righteousness of works at such a rate, that you suppose Faith, only without these additions, so Insufficient to perform any thing towards the purchasing Salvation, that it is your Opinion, That this Faith of Christ only, if it be separated from the help of Works, deserves not to be called the Faith of Chrit, but a head-strong rashness, an insolent confidence, an impudent boldness, an outragious madness, an execrable Wickedness: Which sort of Words, how little modesty they savour of, it is needless here to inquire. But how far they differ from truth, and the inviolable authority of Sacred Scriptures, it will be requisite to take notice; because at present this is the matter of debate between us.
And first, if you understand it concerning this common Fellowship of Men with one another; and Offices of mutual obedience between Man and Man, there is no man so unreasonable as to separate Faith from the operation of Charity in that sense. For thus Faith, Hope, and Charity have a Faith, Hope, and Charity in what … they are joyned together.necessary connexion. But if the … is applied, beyound the publick society of Human Life to those things that peculiarly belong to Salvation, and have a relation to God himself; That if now the cause should be erquired for, which gives us a right to the adoption of the Sons of God, and which purchases us righteousness before him. Herein Paul in Disputing against you, doth so far take away all righteousness from works, and leaves Faith alone, that he judges him that mingleth any thing besides for the obtaining Salvation, to be a destroyer of Faith, an Enemy of Grace, and consequently an Enemy of Rom. 4. Gal. 2. Arg. If righteousness comes by the Law, Christ dyed in vain. Gal. 2. Christ dyed … in vain, therefore righteousness is not by the Law. The … between Paul and Osorius.the Cross of Christ. For, if those, saith he, that are of the Law, are heirs, Faith is made void, the promise is made of none effect. And also elsewhere: If righteousness comes by the Law, then Christ dyed in vain. Thus you hear Paul manifestly asserting, what it is, that makes us heirs of the Inheritance and Salvation, not the Law, but Faith: And that these two are so contrary in the Office of Iustifying, that if the Law be admitted, Faith is wholly overturned, the Death of Christ is made void, the grace of the promise fails.
Now let us compare Osorius disputing of righteousness with Paul, He affirms, that Man is justified by Faith without Works. Your opinion on the contrary pleads that righteousness doth so much consist of Works without Faith, that Faith doth nothing else but prepare for Holy Works. He asserting a twofold righteousness of Works and of Faith, of Grace, and of Merit, so distinguishes between both, that he sets the one against the other, by a mutual opposition; as if they were things, that could by no means consist together, but the one destroys the other: And he makes that evident by the example of the Israelites, and the Gentiles; of whom those grasping at righteousness by Works, fell from true righteousness: These, because they sought after righteousness by Faith, solely and simply obtained it.
You on the contrary being neither deterred by their fearsul example, nor regarding the Apostolical Instruction; and making no distinction between these so different kinds of righteousness, you seem to comprehend all in that one righteousness of the Law, as if the righteousness of Faith were none at all. The Words of Paul are very manisest: To him that worketh, the reward Roman. 4.is reckoned to be, not of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his Faith is imputed unto him for righteousness. What can any Man say more expresly? Afterwards he adds. freely, denying that it could be imputed freely if it were due for Works. On the contrary, Osorius seems to be of such an opinion, that he acknowledges no imputation of righteousness at all. He who afferts we are justified by the Faith of Galat. 2.Christ, and not by Works; What doth he else but remove Works utterly from the justification of Faith? Your assertion, which makes the Faith of Christ, if works are shut out, to be no Faith, but … and execrable Wickedness: What else doth it in these words, but bring a Gospel not from Heaven, Lib. 2. pag. 46.but from Portugal, wholly differing from that which we have received from Paul. Which seeing we are commanded by the Apostle not to suffer, so much as in an Angel, without wishing him accursed, what may be answered to you in this case, I commit to your self to consider. Paul reasons thus: If of Grace, then not of Works, otherways Grace is not Grace: If of Merit then not Freely: For in that which is free, there can be no merit or debt.