The Covenant of Life Opened, Part 1 · Chapter 19

The Covenant of Life Opened · Part 1 · Chapter 19

p. 152CHAP. XIX. 1. The place of Evangelick works in the New Covenant. 2. Possession of glory and right to glory considerably different. 3. A twofold right to life. 4. We are not justified by Works. 5. The place of declarative justification by Works, Jam. 2. discussed. 6. Faith and Works different. 7. Possession of life and right to life cleared. 8. Faith and finall believing both commanded in the Law, finall unbelief not the sin forbidden in the Gospel onelyonly. 9. How life is promised to works Evangelick.

IT's a grave and weighty Question to rid marches between the two Covenants in their conditions, the one requiring the obedience of Works, the other Faith: It's not to be said that for fifeteen hundred years no man did doubt of the necessitie of good Works,The necessitie of Works by the Law of faith, an old question in the Church. Paul propones the objections of the Antinomians, Shall we sin and continue in sin, that Grace may abound? Rom. 6.1. this they spake through the occasion of what he taught, chap. 5. some have said they are hurtfull, because we abuse them, some arbitrarie and indifferent,, because they are not necessary to justification. p. 153O!Our mistakes of Works, of Grace, of VVord, of God, & of the works of God. what pronnesse in us to suck out of the doctrine of free Grace poyson, how kindly to desire there were no Law against treason, because the Prince pardons; All sin is virtually Atheisme, to wish the existence of a Law, and so of a just holy and unchangeable God were not, and we can hardly believe this. And 2. what rising of heart and carnall reason is there against the first acts of providence, why, and what necessity was there to make a Law to forbid the eating of an Aple, God foreseeing that thence should come the ruine and endlesse damnation of all. It had been good God had never created such a Tree. 2. That the eating thereof had never been forbidden. 3. That it had never had such a name, as the the tree of knowledge, for it deceived Evah. 4. That God had not given free-will to Adam. 5. That he had given him confirming grace in the first moment of Creation. But,

Observe 1. Satan started first the dispute concerning the equity of the Law, and that we are Disciples of and appr…ntises to Satan, when we tosse and rackot arguments in our carnall heart-Logick against the holy Law of God, Gen. 3.2. and make the heart a ferrie boat to cary messengers and divellish thoughts hither and yonder, in questioning the goodnesse of the Law, and the acts of providence, and therefore it is speaking Grace, to close with the sweetnesse not only of the Law written in the heart,Its grace to close with all sorts of commāds. and these inbred principles of honesty and truth, to hurt none, to obey God, (for Satan raised not the first dispute about these) but with all the judgements and testimonies of God, as David, Psal. 119.127, 128. vers. 86. All thy commandements are faithfull, 1 Sam. 12.7. Stand still that I may reason with you of all the righteous acts of the Lord. Its a mind like Christs that hath an heart prejudice at no one command, by an other, and is sweetly friended with all that God commands, Math. 3.15. It becomes us to fulfill all rightenesse, and O! how sweet to have no heart quarrell, but a sweet stouping of soul unto, and an adoring of God in all providences, and acts or decrees he hath concluded or done in time or from Eternitie. These draw deep in the decree of Reprobation, God had an hatefull designe against me. 2. The Gospel is an untrue and fabulous dispensation. What a spirit is Galaenus who reproacheth Moses because he teacheth not that God works ever and by necessity p. 154Galaenus de usupartuum.of nature, Alphonsus decimus rex Castellae. Melius ordinatiusque singula conderentur. Pamphlet printed an. 1647. p. 31.what is most good for the creature. And that Prince who said, that if he had been Counsellour to God in the time of the Creation, many things should have been created ordinatius & melius, in a better order and state, then they were. Let the man be remembred who called the Gospel a fable, and the spirits who reproach the Scripture as inkie wisedom. 1. A bare dead forme bare flesh, &c. and weak ones under desertion, who feed upon reports and lying news from Satan, God hated me before time, and carries on a design of eternall ruine to me, therefore I have no right to hear, to pray, to eat, to sleep. 2. Yet the necessity of good works is asserted by Luther, the Augustine Confess. and Apol. Arti. 20. docent nostri, Luther, Gal. 5. In libello de votis Monasti. Chemn. Loc. Com. de bonis oper. cap. 1. qu 3. pag. 21, 22. Confess. August. & Apol art. 20. Docent nostri, quod necesse sit bona opera facere, non ut confidamus per ea gratiam mer…ri sed propter voluntatem De…, lib. 6. Concor. p. 666. Some necessarie distinctions touching the necessity of Evangelick works.Gal 5&c. Evangelick works are necessarie, not to merite, but by the will and commandement of God: Calvin calleth them inferiour causes of the possession of our salvation. The dispute began upon occasion of the book called Interim Anno —M.DLXVIII. and in Colloquie at Altenburge, Melanthone and the Divines of Wittenberge assented to the necessitie of good works, but the followers of Flaccius Illyricus dissented: The Authors of the book of Concord condemne these of Flaccius their way, and deny a necessity of efficiency in works to deserve salvation, but yeeld a necessity of their presence, that the work of salvation be not hindered.

3. These distinctions are necessary. 1. There is a jus and right to Gospel life eternall. And 2. there is actuall possession of life eternall.

2. There is a twofold jus, One by the purchase of merit, and the payed ransome of blood; There is a right secundary by promise, every promise giveth a right in a manner: but its unproper.

3. There is promise of life formally federall. 2. There is a promis… of life consequentèr federall.

4. There is an order of things, one going before the other as the Antecedent and the Consequent, and in order of cause and effect.

5. Law-obedience doth much differ from Gospel-obedience, as Law-commands from Gospel-commands.

6. GOD sent his Sonne to justifie persons, but not to justifie works, not to make inherent obedience perfect or our righteousnesse before God.

p. 155Asser. 1. If the new Covenant be considered strictly and formally in its essence,Faith thogh weak justifieth. he that beleeveth whether his faith be weake or strong is justified and saved, Joh, 3.18, 36. Joh. 5.24. Act. 15.9, 10, 11. Rom. 3.16. Rom. 4.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Rom. 5.1. for faith justifieth as lively faith, and not as great or small: Otherwise none should be justified and saved but the strong beleever, whereas Christ died for the weak in the faith, Rom. 14.

Hence M^r. Sibs excellently.Bruised Reed, pag. 107, 108. Know that in the Covenant of Grace God requires the truth of Grace, not any certain measure, and a spark of fire is aswell fire as the whole element thereof, we must look to Grace in the sparkle aswell as the whole flame, all have not the like strong, yet the like precious faith, whereby they lay hold and put on the perfect righteousnesse of Christ, a weak hand may receive a rich Jewell, a few grapes will shew that the plant is a vine not a thorne: There is a roome in heaven for thee who judges thy self; for the number of lambes, and babes weak in the faith in this Kingdome▪ do far exceed the number of the strong and aged in Christ; for the Scripture names the whole flock, little ones, babes, his sheep, they are not a flock of fathers and strong ones.

Asser. 2. There is a right to life by promise,The right faith gives to life, it justifieth not as Law-obedience. he that beleeves shall be saved. Promissio facit jus, & creat debitum: Godlinesse hath the promise of this life, and of that which is to come; And because a promise as a promise cannot create an equality betwixt the work and the wages, as is proven, this is an unproper right, and not proper debt, and takes not away the nature of a free gift: This is no consequence at all,The fulfilling of the condition of the Covenant of grace, canno… justifie, as the fulfilling of the condition of the Covenant of Works shuld have justified. the performing of the condition of the Covenant of Works doth justifie Adam by Law-works, so as he is no sinner, hath fulfilled the Law, hath right to life eternall; Ergo, to beleeve to the end, and fulfill to the end, and fulfill the condition of the Covenant of Grace doth justifie the beleever, by Evangelick works, make him no sinner, but a perfect fulfiller of the Covenant of Grace, and one who hath due right by working to life eternall. Certainly then, 1. doing Evangelick gives us as good right to eternall life, without the price and ransome of blood, as doing legall gives to the same life. 2. When we sin and fall in atrocious offences, Adulteries, Paricide, Robbing, p. 156we have as good right to Justification by works, and life eternall by Evangelick works, suppose he be a robber all his life, as was the repenting theef, as Adam, suppose he had perfectly fulfilled the Law. Now though believing be the condition of the Covenant of Grace, it is of a farre other nature then perfect doing, to the end, and constant fulfilling of the whole Law, in thought, word, and deed with all the heart, and the soul and mind, and all the strength. For there is no sin here, and so no place for punishing justice, or wrath, none can so believe, but he sins and so deserves everlasting wrath. If it be said, that by the Covenant of Works he doeth deserve it, but not by the Covenant of Grace, for Christ hath merited to him life eternall. Ans. 1. We speak now of the right that a Believer hath by Evangelick works to justification and life, as contradistinguished from the merits of Christ, this opinion saith that a man is justified by Evangelick doing, because God hath made the like promise, and the like jus and right by promise, to doing Evangelick, that he made to Law-doing, if Christs merits be added to qualifie Evangelick works, to adde to them the worth that they have, then Christs merits must give life eternall by way of merit, or a vertue of meriting condignly to our Evangelick doing, as Papists say, and so Christ hath made us saviours and redeemers of our selves, and this is a right to life ex condigno more then Adams most perfite Law-obedience had. 2. The Covenant of Grace commanding faith, doeth by this opinion command all that the Law of Works doeth, but in an Evangelick way, that they be done sincerely: Ergo, it must forbid all sin which the Law forbids; But the Law forbids not only unbelief, finall unbelief, but all the works of the flesh: Also Christ must come foreign to louse and dissolve the Law, which he denyes, Math. 5. for if the Covenant of Grace condemne nothing but finall unbelief,The right of redemp…ion is not ours, by Evangelick doing, as the place, Rev. 22.14 mistaken, is exponed by some▪Rev 22:14 Christ in this Covenant must dissolve the Law; but Christ sayeth, he that breaks or teacheth men to break these is the least of the Kingdome of God.

But there is an other jus and right to life eternall, by which Christ dying hath satisfied the Law, expiated our sins, restored as much and more glory to God by passive obedience, by his sufferings, as we had taken glory from God by our evill doing, and so merited to us life eternall. If any say abusing that place, Rev. 22. p. 15714. that we obtain this foreign and right to the Tree of Life, and to Christ our life and everlasting glory (which is our only right, the only Charter of blood) by keeping the Commandements Evangelically; he must say that we first may keep the Commandements Evangelically before we have right to life, to Christ, and so before we beleeve. 2. That we merit Christs right or merite by doing, and that by Evangelick works, we buy right to Christ and Christs merits, and so Christ hath not merited to us a jus and right and title to life everlasting by dying, and grace and a gracious right to do his Commandements by his death, but that we, by doing his Commandements, do earne and sweat for a right to Heaven, which is to say, that we by doing, merite and deserve the price of Redemption, and that we merite Christ to our selves, by doing,By Christ dying, we obtaine right to life and to Christ, not by works. whereas it is he and he alone, that hath merited to us Grace and Glory, and all title to Heaven. Not to say that a Charter of life from such a noble Superiour as Christ by the purchase of blood, and of such blood, the blood of God, Act. 20.28. is some better then to have eternall liveliehood and free-hold from our duty and lubrick best works, which are polluted with sin, and by which, though we were Evangelically conscious to our selves of nothing, yet should we not be therefore justified, 1 Cor. 4.4. for the righteousnesse in which is Davids blessednesse before Christ, and Abrahams before the Law, and ours under the Gospel, is in forgiving of iniquity, covering of sin, not imputing of sin, Rom. 4.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. But in all the Scripture our sins are never said to be pardoned and not imputed to us, by our own most Evangelick doing, for we are justified freely by his Grace, through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Rom. 3.24. not by the Redemption that is in us, and are washen from our sins in his Blood, Eph. 1.7. Col. 1.14. Mat. 26.28. Rev. 1.5. and sufferings, not by our Evangelick doings, and if such a case could stand, the Martyrs, sure, might well be justified by their own blood, and since no pardoning, wash…ng, Law-satisfying vertue, can be in faith, works, or our Evangelick deservings, they can not justifie us nor keep and occupy the Chair of Christ. And the fault were the lesse,Via ad regnum, non causa regna…i. if our works were onelyonly called the way to the kingdom, not the cause of raigning, but they are called perfect, both in their nature, and conforme to the rule, p. 158and also in order to the end, to justifie us before God, and to save us. And if so, all in Christ may say, we have no sin, contrary to Scripture, Jam. 3.2. 1 King. 8.46. Eccles. 7.20. Prov. 20.9. Jam. 2.10. Yea though he that is guilty in one offends in all, yet in the sight of God, all flesh shall be justified, this way, Psal. 143.2.There cannot be a perfection in our faith and Evangelick works in order to the Gospel, more then to the Law, to justifie us. Nor can it be said that such works are perfectly conform to the Gospel, because the doers beleeving in the lowest degree fulfills the condition of the Gospel. But where it is said that the Gospel commands only faith in the lowest degree; Then the Centurions faith, the faith of the woman of Canaan, and the greatest faith shall not be required in the Law. For the condition of the Covenant of Grace cannot (say they) be required in the Covenant of Works, and it is not required in the Gospel under the pain of sinning against the Covenant of Grace, and of damnation, for then all who have not faith in the highest degree should be damned, and violate and break the Covenant of Grace, contrary to the whole Gospel, which saith that these who have weak faith are justified and saved, and so the greatest faith shall be will-worship and a work of supererogation. And because this way saith that all and every one of mankind are under the Covenant of Grace, then 1. there shall be none living under the Law. 2. no Law, but only to beleeve in CHRIST, shall lay an obligation on any, Jews, Christians, under pain of wrath.

And if James be to prove that we are justified by works, and yet mean, that both faith and works concur as causes, though faith more principally, If faith & works concur jointly as causes of our justification, neither can James deny truely that we are justified by faith, nor Paul that we are justified by works.how can Paul deny that we are justified by works, If Peter and John jointly work a miracle and heal the creeple man, suppose the influence of John in the miracle be more, yet it is not to be denyed, that Peter wrought the miracle. Nor doth the Scripture say that we are more principally justified by faith, and lesse principally justified by works, but the places alledged for salvation by works (if works have a causative influence) specially Matth. 25. speaks more for the preheminence of works. Nor doth the Scripture insinuate any thing of the first and second Justification, or of growing in Justification, in having our sins not imputed to us to our very day of death; and the Question must be, Rom. 4. whether Abraham was justified by works done before p. 159circumcision, or not, Rom. 4. when as faith was not reckoned to Abraham, when he was in uncircumcision, and the blessednesse of righteousnesse by faith cometh both upon circumcision and uncircumcision, vers. 9. and he had faith and righteousnesse and was in Christ and regenerated, when he was justified. Though some taught Justification by the works of the ceremoniall Law, yet Paul Gal. 3.10. states the Question of works agreeable to the Morall Law, that are absolutely perfect, and must be done by Grace. And Paul might justly in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians have excepted himself, David, Abraham, and all the regenerate, for they are justified by giving almes to the poor, Mat. 25. as was Rachab, by receiving and lodging the spyes.English Divines Annot. on Jam. 2.Jas 2 The English Divines say, How could the Scripture conclude from Abrahams being justified by works, whence he offered his Son Isaac, unlesse by works here we understand a working faith, the Apostle must mean the same by works, vers. 21. that he meaneth by faith, 23. for he cannot say vers. 23. the Scripture was fulfilled (in Abrahams being justified in the work of offering his son, v. 21.) which saith, Abraham beleeved God, and it was counted to him for righteousnesse: Except it must be meant, that the work of offering his son Isaac was counted to him for righteousnesse. Now the letter of the Text expresly vers. 23. saith that beleeving God was counted to Abraham for righteousnesse, Believing and faith, Jam. c. 2. v. 21, 23. must be believing and working faith.Jas 2:21Jas 2:23then the work of offering his Son must either be the beleeving declared by offering his son, and faith working by that act of offering, or if they be two sundry things, he must then say this in effect, Abraham was justified by the work of sacrificing, vers. 2…. causatively before God, Ergo, the Scripture is fulfilled, vers. 23. and Abraham is justified by beleeving causatively before God, vers. 23. which we cannot ascribe to the Apostle, according to their minde who make faith and works the two collaterall and joint causes of Justification before God: as if one would say Peter wrought the miracle. Ergo, the Scripture is fulfilled that Iohn wrought the miracle. So Abraham was justified by works, vers. 21. Ergo, Abraham was justified by faith, 23. 2. The faith which Iames debarres from Justification must be the faith, Iam. 2. by which Paul strongly proves, Rom. 3. c. 4. we are justified without works. If faith and works concurre as p. 160collaterall causes in our Justification before God, as the Papists contend; but the faith which James excludes from Justification, is no faith at all. But only (1.) fair words to the hungry and naked,The faith which Jam. excludes from justification is not the faith that Paul speaks of, Rom. 3. Gal. 3. but a bastard faith only. See Cartwright, see D. Fuilk against the Jesuites of Rhems, Jam. 2.Rom 3Gal 3Jas 2 and giving them supply for no necessity either of hunger or nakednesse, and which cannot save, and so is no faith, and so can have no saving influence with works to justifie and save, but such is the faith which James excludes foreign v. 14, v. 15. the faith of Paul, saves, Rom. 4. Rom. 5. purifies the heart, Acts 15.9. (2.) A dead faith is no saving and living faith, no more then a dead corps is a living man, v. 17. (3.) A faith that cannot be shown to others in good works, as this v. 18. is no faith, for it hath no motions of life. (4.) A faith of the same nature, with the faith of the Devils, who beleeve and tremble, v. 19. (5.) A faith which a vain empty professour imagines to be a living faith, when it is dead, without works, as this v. 20. can have no joint influence of life to justifie and save with good works; all which saving influences contrair to this, saving faith hath.

2. It is to be observed that James maketh mention of two sorts of faiths, Stapleton de sola fide justificante, l. 8. c. 9. haec autem fides siue charitate mortua est.ch. 2. which the Adversarie confounds. 1. All alongs, v. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. he gives vive characters of a dead painted faith, which is in foreign in the vaine empty boaster, ver. 20. 2. He showes us of a lively faith of Abraham, which wrought with his Works, now it is a lewd error to make Abrahams faith, and the faith of believing Rahab of the same nature with the faith of the vain empty Hypocrite, who's faith is nothing but fair words, and with the faith of Divels. So the Papists, Lorinus, Estius, Jam. 2. seu ficta & hypocritica, 1 Tim. 1. quantum ad perfectae justitiae vitam & veritatem, non autem quantum ad s…ips…m sibique propriam virtutem, &c. Lorin. Commen in Jac. 2.26. (Sicut enim corpus) non fit comparatio cum homine mortuo; … cum corpore, nam homo mortuus non potest proprie vocari homo; sed corpus mortuum est propric…t…pus. Quo etiam pacto fides siue operibus, est vere fides, litet mortua —Nec sa…is placet … addit (Caj…tan in Comment.) fidem sine operibus mortuam, quoniam opera sunt concomitantia …. Estius Com▪ non comparat Apostolus fidem mortuam cum homine mortuo, sed …um corpore mort…, sicut ergo corpus mortuum est vere & proprie corpus, ita fides mortua vere & proprie fides est.Jas 21 Tim 1Jas 2:26Stapleton, Mavochius, Bellarmine make it an Hypocriticall and dead faith, and lively faith as Abrahams was, a vitall receiving of Christ and a believing the Lord, so as believing is counted p. 161for righteousnesse, to differ not in nature and essence from the faith of the Devils, whereas in the faith of sound Believers there is a Godly submitting and leading captive of the understanding to the obedience of Christ, because it is the Lord that speaks, and so a receiving of the Word as the Word of God, 2 Cor. 10.5. 1 Thes. 2.13. Math. 22.32. which is not in the faith of Divels. (3.) There is in it a receiving of Christ, Joh. 1.11. a fiduciall resting of the heart upon God in Christ. And the word foreign is to confide, to betake himself to a lu…king place, where one may be safe from a storme, Psal. 2.12. Psal. 11.1. Psal. 31.2. Deut. 32.37. Psal. 118.9. Judg. 9.15. come and … under my shaddow. And this is contradistinguished from the Divels and Hypocrites who cannot seek their lodging nor a hiding place against wrath in the Lord.

2. It is to lean and rest the body,Expressions of a lively faith. 2 Sam. 1.6. Saul leaned upon his spear, and by a Metaphore it is to cast the burden upon the Lord, Isa. 50.10. Psal. 55.22. hence the word that notes a staffe,foreign Inniti, herere, recumbere est corporis, 2 King. 5.18. & 7.2. The Lord answered upon whose hand the King leaned ▪ Gen. 1….4. leane down under the tree. 2 Chro. 14.11. … cryed to the Lord, help us, help us, for we … upon thee. foreign aspexit cum delectationes cum foreign est inniti, recumbere. foreign silere tacere, Ezek. 27.17. Ps 131.2. foreign In Kal. … est, …, amore … & bitumine …njunctis. Shimler in Lexico.2 Kgs 5:182 Kgs 7:2Gen 1:42 Chr 14:11Ezek 27:17Ps 131:2 2 Sam. 22.18. Isa. 3. the Lord hath broken the stay and the staffe of bread, Isa. 30.1. and this is to be done often, when there is no present duty to be done, nor any work required of us, but only a fiduciall relying upon the Lord alone, as at the Red Sea Moses and the people were to leane upon JEHOVAH only, not to act, which cannot be said of the faith of Divels and Hypocrites. (3.) It is to look with delight and confidence, Isa. 17.7. as oppressed servants, Psal. 123▪1, 2. (4.) There is a word that notes to be silent, not to speak, not to move, Josh. 10.12, 1…. the Sun was silent, it moved not: It notes a Godly submission that the soul dar not speak against God, Psal. 37.7. rest in the Lord, file Jehov… : LXX. sub ditus esto Domino, Psal. 62.6. whence faith teacheth us to submit and hold our peace and lay the mouth in the dust, as a spirit dantoned of God, Lev. 10.3. Job 1.21. Lam. 3▪ 28. Ezek. 16.6…. which is far from Hypocrites. (….) To believe is to cleave to God, from a root that signifies to adhere as thing… glewed together with pick or glew, Psal. 63▪ …. Josh. 23.8. p. 162Deut. 11.22. so we become one Spirit with the Lord,foreign Firmiter initi unde sumitur pro securum esse, …o quod con…fidentiam sequatur securitas oppo…nitur dubitationi. Est inaliquo spes omnes sic re…ponere, ut secure quies…at animus adversus omnia pericula & res ardu…s suscipere audeat. 2 Cor. 3. (6.) It is a word of near adherence foreign to lean firmly upon any with hope of securitie, 2 King. 18.5. hast thou leaned upon this reed? Hos. 10.13. Psal. 13.6. Psal. 31.7. Deut. 12.10. Thou shalt dwell safely, confidently, it places the soul under the Rock of Omnipotencie. (7.) It is to roll thy self upon God, and is borrowed from heavy bodies, Josh. 10.18. Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, Genes. 29.3. Psal. 22.9. he trusted in the Lord, rolling himself on the Lord. Prov. 16.3. commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. Cartwright sayeth it is a Metaphore from men who, being oppressed with a burden, transfer it off themselves upon one who is mightier and stronger: it is excellent when the heart rolles all its cares upon the Lord, and disburdens it self upon him. (8.) There is a word that noteth to leane, to stay or stablish, to strengthen, Isa. 48.2. 2 Chron. 32.8. the people rested themselves upon the word of Ezekiah, Cant. 2.5. stay me with flagons, Psal. 71.6. I have leaned upon thee from the womb, and it notes to draw near, Ezek. 24.2. so it is to strengthen and make strong the heart that is trembling and shaking if it be not stayed upon God.foreign A summo ad imum de…olvit. And shall all these excellencies of faith, be in the faith of Divels and Hypocrites? and therefore it is most absurd to make the faith of Abraham all one in nature with the faith of Divels and Hypocrites,foreign Innixus conjunctus, vicinus fuit, confirmavit, sta…ilivit. Saving faith noteth farre other lively acts then can be in the faith of hypocrites. and to make the difference only in having Works, and no Works, as if there were the same heart leaning, soul rolling, and cleaving to the Lord by faith in Abraham, and in Hypocrites and Divels who tremble.

3. That Scripture, Abraham believed and it was counted to him for righteousnesse: Is not Gen. 22. when he did justifie himself by the work of sacrificing Isaac: But it is Gen. 15.6. when the son of promise Isaac, a type of Christ is promised to him: at which time there was no work at all required of Abraham, but only believing the promise, for what should Abraham act or do to further the fulfilling of that promise, for he believed that Gospel▪ promise in the mean time, with a faith lively, and having with it as a concomitant a resolution to walk before God and be perfect, … then the Text shall say, Gen. 15.6. Abraham resolved to be fruitfull p. 163in good works, when he heard the promise, and that resolution of good works was counted to him for righteousnesse which is most violent.

4. Who so are justified causally and in the sight of God by Workes, as James saith, to him workes are counted as the forma… cause, for so James from Scripture, ver. 23. Abraham, foreign, believed God and it was counted to him for righteo…nesse. Which sayeth, by that faith he was declared or by that … was justified, which was imputed to him for righteousn…e. But his beleeving or his faith living and working like the …ody quickened with the Spirit, was counted to him for righte…snesse. Now except it be yeelded that James speaks of two …aiths, one dead and empty, ascribed to the hypocrite, ver. …, 15, 16. another lively and working, ascribed to Abraham▪ …er. 23. and except this be denied, that Abraham was …, ver. 23. not by that same faith; It must follow that A…ahams empty beleeving, ver. 23. was that which was count… …o him for righteousnesse, Gen. 15.6. but James cannot be so …derstood, but when he saith, the Scripture Gen. 15.6. … …ulfilled; for his faith in beleeving the promised seed, Ge… …. he shows that Abraham was justified by faith without …, as Paul, Rom. 4. and when he saith he was justified … …orks in offering his son, as Gen. 22. he saith he was … …lared just, or not justified by the empty and idle faith of … hypocrites; but by a faith that did prove it self to be lively. So that James proveth that we are not justified by a dead faith that neither hath, nor can have good works. As his Adversaries said, and Paul proves, Rom. 4. that we are not justified and saved by works, that is by our own inherent perfect righteousnesse, because, Rom. 3. all have sinned, Jew and Gentile. Because Abraham then should boast as a perfect man, free of sin, and he needed no Redeemer, the Law of works should save him, and so he needed not remission of sins, nor the non-imputation of iniquity. But there is a mids between these, and Iames saith that is to be justified by faith, by a metonymie of the effect, by faith made known to be lively, not to the world only, but to their own conscience, for if Iames should mean that we are justified by works properly as counted to us for righteousnesse, he could not say, vers. 21. p. 164Abraham was justified by works, when he offered his son, vers. 22. he cannot infer, vers. 2…. thou sees that his faith wrought with his works: What faith? He had spoken of works, vers. 21. not one word of Abrahams …aith, yet he saith, because Abraham was justif…d, that is declared to be really, before God, to his own conscienc… and others justified, his faith did work in a lively way as reall in an… by his works, and you see that Abrahams faith, Gen. 15.6. was perfect… by works, Gen. 22. when he offered his son. Now it was not … as touching the nature of it, and the act of justifying, for … ▪ Rom. 4. cites Gen. 15.6. to prove that Abraham was justified by … faith in beleeving the promise of the blessed seed, some 25. year… as others reckon 30. years before he sacrificed Isaac, Gen. 22.… that it must follow that Abraham was not justified by works▪ no… his … perfect in its lively operations untill he offered his son Isaac: …hen the contrair of this, the Scripture tells us, for by faith he … his Countrey, C. 12. By faith beleeving the promise he was … Rom. 4. many year… before: Therefore these words, seest thou … faith, must mean that his faith came out to view by his works.

But the…e be learned and godly Protestants who … that James must speak of …ustification reall and before God, and … declared Justification before men only? Answ. Its true, … to name them. But these are subordinate: James speaks not … a faith only declared, nor of a justification onelyonly declared to the world: But of a declared Justification that is reall before God. 2. That is declared to the man himself, and to the world. And that James speaks of a Justification before God,James speaks of reall justification before God, but under the notion as declared and manifested to men & to the conscience of the so justified the Text saith: Because he saith, ver. 14. What can that faith profite? Which is empty, he must mean, what can it profite before God, to save and justifie? As the word, 1 Cor. 13.3. if I have not love foreign, it profits me nothing before God. 2. Can that faith (it is not well translated leaving out the particle in the new Translation, can faith save him?) save him? Then he must speak also of reall faith, and so reall salvation and so of justification before God. 3. The examples of the Justification of Abraham, of Rahab, which were reall, must say something to the same purpose. 2. That he speaks of reall Justification to the mans own conscience as p. 165well as to the world if clear in the Text also. For James speaks to the conscience and privitie of the man who saith that he is justified, and hath faith, vers. 18. foreign. 19. foreign, thou hast faith, thou beleeves, the Devils also beleeve, he would have the hypocrite to discusse his own conscience, and solidely to know, whether his Faith and Justification be reall or not; And James wakens all visible professours in this Epistle (as Iohn also doth) to try his Religion whether it be true and solide, or vain: by Chap. 1. being a doer of the Word, and not a hearer only, 23▪ 24. by visiting the fatherlesse, vers. 27. by loving and respecting the poor that are Godly, as well as the rich, Ch. 2. by trying his faith whether it be dead or lively, by bridling the tongue, Ch. 3.

And therefore the Arminians and others do but lose their labour, who say Iames doeth not speak here of Justification declared to the world,Remonste… Apol. c. 10· fol. 13 col. 2. Jacobum de justificationis declaratione non loqui docent verb… ipsa. Quis enim adeo v… cors est qui cum Apostolo contendere voluerit, an homo declaretur justus ex fide, fides enim quatenus fiducia est & distincta ab operibus pietatis, non est nisi in cord… hom…is. Theologia enim eorum non patitur credere hoc verum esse — nam ne de operibus ipsis constare potest an sint bona opera: non enim possunt esse bona nisi ex fide fi…t, ex fide enim fieri non modo non potest alteri declarari, sed ne illi ipsi, id constare potest, qui ea facit. Quia reprobus illa eadem opera praestare potest. because the world cannot judge infallibly whether our works by which we are declared to be justified, are sincere or not. For 1. we say that Iames doth speak of Justification declared to the world, for he speaks of real Justification before God but as declared, not to the world only, but to the conscience also of the doer. 2. Because the world can not infallibly judge of our Justification and works, therefore they cannot judge at all. Its a loose consequence: For we may declare our selves to our own conscience and to others by our good works, that we are before God justified. Otherwise because men connot see our good works, nor the principles from which they proceed, whether from saving faith or not, nor the ends for which they are, whether for the glory of God, or not, men should not glorifie our heavenly Father: Contrair to Matth. 5.16. nor should the Gentiles glorify God in the day of visitation: As 1 Pet. 2.12. because they cannot infallibly … whether they be good works or not and done in faith and for Go…: Nor is Abraham declared to be justified because of a secret heart-…tention to offer his son to God in the court of men (but in the co…t of his own conscience he may) yet his journeying to p. 166the place where he was to sacrifice his son, his building an Altar, his laying on wood, his binding his son and stretching out his hand to kill him, may well declare him to be a justified man to the world and to men. Trelcatius, the Professours of Leyden, Calvine, Beza, Paraeus, yea a Papist Cajetan hath said well to this point. Not to adde that Scripture shall never admit,Trelcatius senior de Justifica 1. Class. Arg. 373. Paulus, per quod homines credentes justificantur coram DEO, docet. J…cobus▪ quo modo justificari cognoscantur. 2. Paulus, fide verâ solum nos justificaris Jacobus, quanam sit vera illa fides, ab effectis, probat. 3. Paulus huic verae fidei tribuit justificationem sine operibus ut causis justificationis ▪ J…cobus fidei fictae detrahit hanc vim, & contra veram probat ab effectis veris, 4. Paulus negat bona opera praecedere justificandum: Jacobus dicit ea justificatum sequi. 5. Paulus à causis justificationis ad effecta discendit, quibus detrahit coram Deo vim justificandi, ut in solidum id tribuat Dei gratiae & Christi merito. Calvin. Instituti li. 111. c. 17. n. 11. Iucidunt in duplicem Paragolismum: Alterum in justificationis, alterum in fidei vocabulo. — Tu credis (inquit) quod Deus est, sane si nihil en istâ fide continetur, nisi ut credatur Deum esse, jam nihil mirum est si non justificet. — nec vero dum hec adimitur quicquam derogari putamus fidei Christiana. — N. 12. Justificari … Paulo dicimur, cum obliterata justitiae nostrae memoria justi reputamur▪ eo si expectasset Jacobus praepostere ci…asset. Illud ex Mose, Credidit Abraham Deo. — Si absurdum est effectum sua causa prior…m esse, aut falso testatur Moses eo loco, imputatum fuisse Abrahae fidem in justitiam, aut ex ea quam in Isaac offerendo praestitit obedientia, justitiam non fuit … nondum concepto Ismaele, qui jam adoleverat, antequam nasceretur Isaac, fide sua … fuit Abraham. We are not Evangelically justified by Works. Professores Leyden. in Synosi Pur. Theolo. Dis. de Justific. & in Cens…a Confessio. Remonstrant. c. 10. pag. 145. Apud Paulum nomen Justificationis sumitur pr… ipso justificandi actu, qui solius DEI est tanquam causae efficientis principalis, fidei tanquam causae instrumentalis. Apud Jacobum pro fidei professione fides sumitur. that Abrahams and Rahabs sins were pardoned, their iniquities not imputed, and they delivered from cond…mnation, by the works of offering Isaac, receiving the spies, fighting the Lords battels, suffering persecution of Saul. For Iames, if he say any thing for this cause, that good works are the formall cause of our righteousnesse, our merits, and in the very place of the satisfaction of the blood shed by Christ, we shall so be formall causes not of the declaratory act of justifying (for that may be thought to be the Lord our Justifiers act) yet of our own Justification, and so should we fight and run for the Crowne of inherent righteousnesse of works, as well as for the Crown of Life. And what Scripture is there for that? 3. A man shall be as just and sinlesse, as he may say, I have no sin, I am just: And in order to the Covenant of Grace, which forbids no sin (as some p. 167for this way do teach) but finall unbeleef, he no more needs forgivenesse of sins and the blood of sprinkling, nor pardoning grace, then the Elect Angels, or Adam in the state of innocency, and to that, Prov. 20.9. as to that, Eccles. 7.20. 1 Ioh. 1. Who can say I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? The man Evangelically justified can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sinne. 4. No… needs such a man pray, forgive me my sins, as I forgive, &c. for he is justified from all Law-sins, who is inherently holy and Evangelically just: And so the Gospel is a new Law which does not forbid all sins that the Law forbids, and the man is not under sinne, though he sinne against the love of Christ. According to that, if ye love me keep my Commandements, Joh. 14.15. so he once, ere he die, beleeve. For the Law (say the Authors) forbids not unbeleef, nor any Evangelick unthankfulness against the Law of a ransome-payer, which yet, I judge the Law of Nature and Nations condemnes: The Covenant of Grace forbids no sin, but finall unbeleef, and the beleever can not be guilty of that except he fall away.

5. And it may justly be asked,C…jetanus in Jacob. c. 2 v. 23. Adver…e, prudens Lector▪ quod Jacobus non sentit fidem absque operibus mortuam esse (quoniam constat nos justificari per fidem absque operibus ut pare… in infantibus ▪ &c.) sed sentit fidem si…e operibus hoc est …enuentem operari esse mortuam▪ & impleta est (Scriptura) quoad executionem maximi operis, ad quod parat… erat fides Abrahae, — uterque v…rum dicit: Paulus quidem quod non factis ceremonialibus aut judicialibus secundum se, sed fidei gratia justificamur. Jacobus autem quod non fide sterili, sed fide… foecunda operibus justificamur. What a faith James, Chap. 2. speaks of. whether the beleever Evangelically justified, who needs no grace of pardon of Redemption from sin in order to the Covenant of Grace, needs the grace of renovation to keep him to beleeve, for he needs no pardon for the weaknesse of his finall beleeving, for the smallest weak faith is a fulfilling of the Covenant of Grace. To these adde, if James mean by foreign, faith alone, v. 24. by which he sayes we are not justified, foreign, no other then the dead faith, ver. 20. and the faith which cannot save, the faith of fair words to the hungry and naked, when the vain man gives him nothing necessary for his body, 16. the faith without works, 17. the faith that cannot be shown to men, 18. such a faith as devils, 19. and vain hypocrites boast of, 20. then sure the conclusion is for us, and agreeable to the scope of Iames, v. 24. foreign, ye see then a man is justified before men and to himself, and so really declared before God, p. 168justified and saved by works as the fruits of saving faith, foreign, and not by faith only which is dead and without works. For 1. he cannot exclude saving and lively faith:David Pareus, Com in Jacobum c. 2. Absurde enim diceret fidem, v. 21 cooperatam fuisse operibus (nisi opera senechdochice su…cret, per metonymam effecti pro ipsa fide operibus conspicua) 1. Juberet videre, quod non erat & quod non dixerat: Quia fidei nullam mentionem fecerat: potius diceret, vides opera fuisse cooperata &c. 2. Absurde etiam diceret, ver. 22. Credidit Abraham Deo Scripturam opere impletionis filii impl…m fuisse Scriptura enim de fide & Justificatione Abrahami impleri non poterat, nisi per fidem justifica…tem, cujus in historia oblationis nulla habetur mentio▪ imo sibi contradic…ret, ver. 20. …x operibus, & ver. 22. ex fide Abrahamum justificatum asserens. 3. Absurde etiam ex Scriptura Credi… ▪ Abraham Deo inferret, ver. 24. videtis ex operibus justificari hominem▪ Potius … contrarium inferendum erat. Videtis ex fide justificari hominem, …on ex fide, &c▪ … Jaco. Arminius disput. priva. 8. …h. 7. Justificatio apud Jacobum pro … & declaratione Justificationis, quae fide fii & operibus, sed alia ratione quam …a qua fides▪ … ▪ & justitiam à DEO propositam apprehendit quae cêrte fide & operibus non apprehenditur, sed apprehensa declaratur — fides non accipitur eo modo quo apud. Paulum, pro assensu nempe fiduciali, sed pro fidei confessione & professione quomodo fides sumpta se habet ut oper… nempe ut … bonis operibus jun…a declaret & manifeste… hominem justificatum, & sic justificat, &c. Catech. Ruccov. c 9. de Prophe… munere, l. C. pag. 193. For that beleeving God is counted to Abraham for righteousnesse, saith Iames ▪ ver. 23. for then the conclusion should contradict the premisses, and he should say, Abraham was justified by sound and lively beleeving. Ergo, we are not justified by only sound and lively beleeving. 2. The Adversaries, Socinians, and Arminians, who by this Text, say we are justified by works, know no Gospel-faith, by which we are justified, but faith including essentially new obedience, the crucifying of the old man, the walking in the Spirit, and repentance; as else where I cite. Therefore when Iames saith we are not justified by faith only, he must mean a naked dead assent: as in the former verses; We are not justified; and that is it which we say: Iames denies not but sayes that Abraham beleeved, Gen. 15.

6. (It is only beleeving but lively and not dead, not a naked assent, which was counted to him for righteousnesse) and Gen. 15. Rom. 4. he was thereby justified; and therefore Paul and Iames are well reconciled. And the faith here excluded must be a dead faith, not a lively faith and a true faith, as the body without the soul is a true body and hath the nature of a true body, though it be no living body. So (say they) the faith that Iames excludes is a true faith, when as it is evident, it is no more true faith then the faith of Devils and Hypocrites. 3. It is false by the Papists p. 169way and Arminians also, that we are not justified by faith only, which is a true and generall assent to the Word of God,**James can hardly be understood to speak of the Popish second Justification by works. for they teach that in the first Justification, we are justified by faith only without works, as Paul proves, but in the second Justification when a man of just is made more just (say they) he is justified by works; as saith Iames, c. 2. Now by this they are forced to say, Iames speaks not of the first Justification, but of the second, but beside that the Scripture knows not two Justifications, Iames must deny that the unconverted hypocrites, and Rahab the harlot were justified by only faith, as Paul saith, and it were most incongruous to teach unconverted ones who never knew the first Justification, how they were not justified in the second Justification. And if James be speaking of the nature and causes of the same Justification before God only, with Paul and not of the effects thereof, it were false that James saith (with reverence to the holy Lord) that we are not justified by faith foreign without works, for Paul sayes it, and proves it strongly from the Scripture, and never insinuates that we are justified in a second Justification by works. And sure he should not have denyed all the Jews, all the Gentiles, all the world, Rom. 3 9, 19, 29, 30. David a man according to Gods heart, and much in communion with God, when he penned the 32. Psalm, and Abraham a beleever and effectually called, Gen. 12. and justified, when he, Gen. 15.6. beleeved the promise of the seed, Rom. 4. to be justified by works in their second, or their Evangelick Justification.

Yea when James saith we are not justified foreign only, he must mean fidem solitariam, a faith solitary which hath no works conveying it, as man sees not with eyes that are solitary and plucked out of the heart, and separated from hearing, smelling, and the senses, though faith, if true and properly so called (as they say this is) must justifie as the eye sees only foreign, and the e…re onelyonly, not the eye, hears, now this faith hath a causative influence in Justification as well as works (if it be proper and true faith, as they say it is, as the body without the spirit hath the nature of a body) and so James had no more ground for him to say, ye see then that we are not justified by faith only, then to say, ye see then that we are not justified by works only. For works separated from faith p. 170are no lesse dead works & cannot justifie, 1 Cor. 13.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Then faith separated from works, & really pulled from them, as in an hypocrite, is a true faith. Obj. When James saith that a man is justified by works, not by faith only, he maketh faith and works concomitant in that procurement of Justification, and in that kind of causality, for he saith not, as he is commonly interpreted (not by faith which is alone) but by faith only foreign. Ans. He is not more commonly, nor soundly and truely interpreted, he is not justified by faith which is alone, fide solitariâ, by dead faith. For solâ fide justificamur. Faith hath the only vertue of justifying as an instrument, and so is the Adverbe foreign Solùm taken, Matth. 5.47. If ye salute your brethren foreign only, what do ye more then Publicans? Where foreign notes duties only naturall excluding these which only converts in a spirituall way can do, Matth. 8▪8. Only say the word, What foreign only Jam. 2. noteth.Jas 2foreign it clearly saith that a mandat of Omnipotency only in CHRIST could heal the sick servant; but yet that Omnipotency is not really separated from justice, wisedom, mercy, Matth. 9.21. foreign If I only touch him, I shall be whole. But the act of touching was conjoined with the act of hearing: Who hath touched me? Yet the act of hearing had no causative influence in the drawing vertue out of Christ, but only the act of touching did extract the vertue, as Christ saith, Luk. 8.50. Mar. 5.36. Fear not, foreign, only beleeve, saith Christ to the Ruler; can it be said, but this excludes works as touching the apprehending of the power and mercy of Christ in raising the dead Damosel. And yet that beleeving was not solitary, but conjoined with love, reverence, submission, 35. So Luk. 8.50. Mat. 21.19. And Act. 3.16. The faith that is by Christ hath given this creeple perfect soundnesse. Heb. 11.30. By faith the walls of Jericho fell. It were strange to say (by Peter's and John's good works and holinesse, the creeple man was made whole) and (by good works the walls of Jericho fell) and yet there were good works, love, mercifulnesse, courage in the Priests who compassed the walls of Iericho, and in Peter and Iohn. Adde to these that by good works we must more and more justifie and pardon our own sins, and must more and more buy a right to the Tree of Life, p. 171as they teach, citing Rev. 22.14. and more merit, ex pacto Euangelico, life eternall: and so our works and merites must be joint causes with the blood of Christ, and the Martyrs blood and Christs blood must have paralel and collateral influence with Christs blood to buy right to the Tree of Life; Yea and Paul already justified, even in the progresse of that which is called his Evangelick Justification, Phil. 3. would be in another condition, 9. That I may be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousnesse which is of God by faith. And why should Arminians and Socinians deny it to be Pauls own. For 1. it is inherent righteousnesse. 2. It is not infused as Papists say, but acquired as they teach.Cateche. Raccov. c. 9. pag. 194. 3. It came (say they) from Pauls own free-will indifferent to will or nill.

But how is the Scripture fulfilled in Abrahams beleeving, Iam. 2.23.

Ans. The Apostle spake often of faith foreign and beleeving, v. 14. twice, v. 17. once, v. 18. thrice, v. 19. twice, v. 20. once, v. 22. twise, that is nine times, thereof Emphatically, v. 23. by way of excellency the Scripture was then fulfilled ▪ Abraham foreign, beleeved, and it was counted to him for righteousnesse, as its written, Gen. …5.6. before God and man and to his own conscience, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar. That was reall, visible and conspicuous believing and righteousnesse, to deny himself so far for God: For James is much for Religion made known to a mans self, and to men, and hath far other Adversaries in the other extremity then Paul had, even the old Gnosticks, who, in opposition to the Jews and Pharisees, laid aside the Law, doing of the Law, Jam. 1.22, 23. all works, c. 2.14. all conscience of bridling the tongue, c. 13.1, 2. of peaceable and mortified living, c. 4. c. 5. and thought it godlinesse to hear the word in the Assemblies, ch. 2.1, 2, 3. without love to the Brethren, and to keep in their head a room, empty faith, and professed fair, and gave good words, but no garments to the naked, v. 14, 15. And James had good cause to treat of a visible and declared faith, but yet not meerly declared, but which was reall and can save, 14. and of justification such, as that of Abraham and Rachab, as was sen…sible p. 172and reall and not in a bare profession: For Iames speaks of a profiting and saving faith, Iam. 2.14. What doth it profite, &c. Can faith save him? Another devise is here alledged, of a formed faith animated with charity and that justifies (say Papists) and an unformed faith void of charity, and that, say they, doth not justifie:Socinus, tract. de justific. p. 58. Meminisse debemus fidem hanc qua scilicet justificamur, esse obedientiā. Socin. de Chris. Servat, p. 3. c. 2. In Christum …redere nihil aliud est quam ad ipsius Christi normam & praescriptum obedientem, praebere. Cateche. Raccovien. de prophetico, I. C. munere, c. 9. pag. 193 Ergo tu obedientiam sub fide comprehendis? Sic est Jac. 2. ut fidem Abrahae ex operibus consumma…am ▪ p. 194. they expone that. Vt penitentiam agamus; non secundum carnem ambulemus, — null… peccati habitum contrahamus, omnium vero virtutum Christianarum habitus comparemus. Remonstr. Armini. Confess. c. 10. th. 2. Vtique necesse est fidei praescriptum non alio modo hic (quatenus justificat) consideretur, quam qu…tenus proprietate sua naturali obedientiam fidei includit: Hac ratione considerata fides totam hominis conversionem Euangelio praescriptam suo ambitu continet, Remon. Apologia fol. 113, 114. Edward Poppius. August. Porta. fol. 28.Jas 2 And the same way, but in other expressions, Arminians and Socinians teach, that to believe and do good works, and to repent and walk in all the Commandements of Iesus Christ, is to believe, or compleat formed and Evangelick faith. But we distinguish them as the Scripture. Its true, Rom. 4.9. faith is said to be imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse, and so v. 3. v. 5. but it is not meant of the act or work of believing, that was counted for Abrahams formall righteousnesse, there should so no room be left to the satisfaction of Christ, reckoned to be ours: if all the righteousnesse of God, Rom. 10.3. 1 Corin. 5.21. Phili. 3.9. should be turned over in an act of believing, mixt with much doubting and in our sinfull obedience; And the Socinians have more reason for them to say, there is no necessity of any reall satisfaction of blood payed for us, then the Arminians and Papists: For if our righteousnesse and inherent obedience may be of grace esteemed formall righteousnesse before God, by a free Evangelick paction and an act of Gods free-will: the Lord might have esteemed the eating of an aple, or any act of obedience, our formall righteousnesse, and so Christ dyed in vain, to become our righteousnesse, where an act of a sinfull man, or a deed of the Law, even the Law of faith is sufficient. What needs the shedding of the blood of God? Frustrà fit per plura, quod aequè benè potest fieri per pauciora. There's no need of reall satisfaction.

2. Faith imputed doth well bear the sense of the object that faith layes hold on, as our righteousnesse, Rom. 3.21. Now the p. 173righteousnsse of God without the Law is manifested. What righteousnesse of God? ver. 22. Even the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ unto all. Now if the righteousnesse of God is manifested without one Law, to wit, of works, why not without another Law, of faith and of inherent Gospel-righteousnesse? And what need that Christ should die, if the act of beleeving should be that precious righteousnesse of God, and that according to the Law of faith? This by the way. As hope is put for the object hoped for? As Rom. 8.24. Hope that is seen is not hope, that is, the thing possessed, the salvation which we have in present possession, is not hoped for. Col. 1.5. For the hops sake laid up in heaven, that is, the thing hoped for. For the grace of hope is not laid up in heaven. ver. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory. So faith here put for the thing beleeved; so saith the Martyr, my love is crucified, that is, Christ my loved or beleeved one is crucified: So by faith in his name is this man made whole. It were strange to say, by faith, and repentance, and mortification is this man made whole. And it must be said, if so be that faith includes repentance. Now Peter denies, Acts 3.12. this, why marvail ye, as if we by our power and holinesse had made this man to walk? Its not our holinesse, but Jesus Christ hath done it, even God, the God of Abraham, &c. ver. 13. hath done it: And yet, ver. 16. faith in his Name hath made him strong: That is, faith or beleeving in his Name, that is, in his Power, Authority, God-head, hath made him strong. Ergo, faith is put for the thing or righteousnesse beleeved: So Heb. 11. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, that is, by love the soul and form of faith, say Papists, and by repentance and new obedience, which is all one with faith, say Socinians, the walls of Jericho fell. So by faith they subdued Kingdomes, stopped the mouths of Lions. What influence reall or physicall had faith in slaying men,Fai…h is pu… for the obj…ct of faith. in refraining the hungry Lions to eat Daniel? None at all: But thus the mighty God beleeved in by these men, subdued Kingdomes, stopped the mouths of Lions; if it be replyed there is not alike reason of justifying faith, which is dead as touching the influence and causality to justifie, as there is of the faith of miracles in these points; it is replyed, there is every way the same reason: For as Abrahams dead faith, if it p. 174had been dead could no more have justified and saved him, then the hypocrites dead faith can save and justifie him, as James saith, 2.14, 15, 16, &c. So could not these worthies recorded, Heb. 11. have casten down the walls of Jericho, subdued Kingdomes, stopped the mouths of Lions by faith, if that faith had been as dead in its nature, as the faith of the vain Gnostick and Hypocrite, who saith to the brother o… sister naked, depart in peace, be thou warmed and filled, and yet gives him not these things that are needfull to the body, Jam. 2.15, 16. And this we must say, except we admit that the fancied faith of the Hypocrite can remove mountains, nor is it place to dispute whether Reprobates as Judas have saving faith in working miracles, it is sure their faith of miracles cannot be a Hypocriticall faith such as is, Iames 2.14, 15, 16. (3.) The Scripture differenceth between faith and love, and faith and repentance. As 1. we are not once said to be justified by faith, but are never said to be justified by love, repentance, almes deeds. Its easie with an active ingine to labour to prove how faith includes love: And so doth hope and love include many other works and gifts of the Spirit,The Scrip…ure and sound reason distinguish between faith and new obedience. but the Holy Ghost distinguisheth them. As (2.) by faith as from a saving principle, Abraham sojourned in the Land, by faith Noah builded an Ark, Iacob blessed the sons of Ioseph, Moses would not be called the Son of Pharaohs daughter, yet to build an Ark is not to beleeve in God; we pray in faith, hear in faith, yet these are not the same.

(3.) Mar. 1.15. Repent and beleeve, Act. 20.21. Testifying repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Iesus, Heb. 6.1. Not laying the foundation of repentance from dead works, and faith toward God, 1 Tim. 1.5. Love and a good conscience and faith unfained, Phil. 5. Love and faith, 1 Thes. 1.3. We thank God, remembring your work of faith, and labour of love, Heb. 6.10. Labour of love. 11. The full assurance of hope. 12. Faith and patience. We beleeve in Christ: but do we repent in Christ? 4. Faith is a leaning on God, Isa. 10.20. Isa. 26.3. Isa. 50.10. love is not so. Faith is a coming to God by way of affiance, Ioh. 5.40. Matth. 11.28. Ioh. 6.37. a receiving of Christ, Ioh. 1.11. an eating of his flesh, and drinking of his blood, Ioh. 6.54, 55, 56. p. 175not any of these can be said of love, of repentance, of new obedience.

(4.) If to beleeve in Christ as Lord and Law-giver be formally (for effectively and practically we may with that Learned and Pious D. Prestoun say it is) a consenting to Christs Dominion and Government over us to obey him (though to consent at the Corronation and to swear an oath of loyaltie to a King be widely different from obeying his Laws) as unbeleef is a rebellion against his Government, Luk. 19.17. then well may Adam, in the Covenant of Works, be said to be justified and saved by faith;To give our selves to J…sus C…rist to be ruled & commanded by him as Lord and King, is not formally to beleeve in him. for if to beleeve in God Redeemer, be to give our selves to obey him as Lord Redeemer, and if this surrendering be the obedience of works by which we are justified and saved and perfectly righteous before God, upon the same reason to beleeve in God Law-giver and Creator in the Covenant of Works, and for Adam to surrender himself Covenant wayes, by a legall faith shall be the Law obedience of works by which Adam is justified and saved, and so he is saved by Law-faith, as we are by Gospel-faith.

And this is to be remembred, that for one to give himself to Christ as his Lord to be governed and commanded, and to be willing to obey him is neither formally faith (though it may be conjoined with beleeving) nor obedience, but an intention or purpose to obey. And 1. shall we then be justified by works, that is, by a purpose and intention to work? 2. There are in us May resolutions and purposes like May blossomes, that wither before Harvest, as some are willing but not obedient, Isa. 1.19. One saith he will go work in his fathers Vineyard, it may be he purposes to work, but yet he works not, Mat. 21.30. nor is a practic…ll purpose of heart to obey either obedience or faith formally.

5. If to be justified by faith in Christ as not only Jesus who saves, but as Lord who commands, then we are justified by love, for we are to love him not as Jesus only, but also as Lord, 1 Cor. 16.22. Eph. 6.24. especially since all the works of the Law come under the command of love, Matth. 22.3.7. Luk. 7.27. Deu. 6.5. Rom. 13.8.

(6.) All these, thy faith hath saved thee, Matth. 9. Luk. 7. only beleeve, must be of this truth, thy good works hath saved thee: p. 176only do good works. And it is strange that Paul saith, Eph. 2.8. By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of your selves, it is the gift of God. 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Nor could Paul make an opposition between grace and works (as in Rom. 11.6.) if the grace of beleeving and good works were one in the New Testament, for so we should be saved by works, and not by works. And Paul by an foreign, takes that away. Yea but we are saved, that is, justified and delivered from obligation to wrath by the works of free-grace. He answers, nay, but neither are we saved or justified by these works of grace as by means or causes.See the Learned Commenter, D. Trochrigge, on Eph. ….8, 9. For we are first saved and justified before we can do good works, for good works are the fruits of free-grace, since v. 10. we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus (and so justified and saved in Christ Jesus) to good works, that we should walk in them. Yea and Paul undenyably removeth this doubt, 1 Cor. 4.4. I know nothing by my self (that is, by his grace I am free of such sinnes as bring condemnation, and so he must abound in works of grace) foreign, yet thereby (and notwithstanding of all my inherent holinesse by works of grace) I am not justified. (7.) There should be no ground of gloriation and boasting more then this, by the Socinian and Arminian way, if we should be justified by works which come from free-will not determined by any grace either habituall or actuall which is merited by the death of Christ, but do proceed from pure free-will which separateth the beleever from the non-beleever: Then might we glory and boast that we are not in the debt of Christ or of his grace for that which is our formall righteousnesse before GOD, and so no flesh can say they are justified by grace, but that we are justified by nature the same way that Adam should have been justified without being beholden to CHRIST or to his death.Right or jus to life eternall, & possession of, or the way to life eternal, are much different.

Asser. 3. There are not properly the same causes of the possession of Life Eternall, and of the righteousnesse of Life Eternall: The ransome of Christs blood is only the cause of the right. For jus or right to Life Eternall is a legall and a morall thing, e…s morale, and hath a morall cause, as a man hath right to such a City being the Lord and owner thereof by birth, or money▪ or p. 177conquesse, or by gift or grant of a Prince or of the Citizens themselves, but possession and injoying the houses and rents of the City is a Physicall thing, ens Physicum, and hath a Physicall cause, as eating, drinking, lodging, sleeping, wearing of cloaths to defend the body from the cold. So the legall right a man hath to the bread and lodging he hath in an Innes, but the Physicall causes, are hunger, appetite, bodily necessities so require and his pleasure to make use of such necessities. Hence the eating, drinking,Christs blood is the right of merite to life eternall, good works the way and meanes by which we come to the possession thereof. Calvinus Instr. l. 3. c. 15. n. 21. Respo. ad 1. Arg. Istis nihil obstat quo minus opera Dominus tanquam causas inferiores amplectatur. Sed unde id? Nempe quos su… misericordia aeternae vitae haereditati destinavit, eos ordinaria sua dispensatione per bona opera inducit in ejus possessionem. Quod in ordine dispensationis praecedit, posterioris causam nominat. may be Physically good, and the right, jus legale, very bad, he may have no right to the bread, when he comes to it only by spoil and rapine. So the legall right, jus legale to life eternall is the ransome of blood that Christ payed, our Goel, our friend and kinsman, to make the inheritance ours; but that great (I may say) almost Apostolick light, M^r. John Calvin saith good works, are, as it were, the inferiour causes of the possession of life. So simple possession is one thing, and qu… jure aut titulo, but by what Law-right he possesseth, is another thing.

But 1. Good works are necessary, necessitate praecepti, by the command of God and promise, 1 Thes. 4.4. 1 Cor. 6.20. Eph. 2.10. Matth. 28.20. and where it is said, 1 Tim. 4.8. Godlinesse is profitable to all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. foreign the promise is opposed to the Law. And that is a strong Argument, Gal. 3.18. foreign If the inheritance be of the Law, it is no more of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise, Covenant-promise: What is that to the Galatians and to us Gentiles? M…ch every way. For three notable points are therein. 1. The heavenly inheritance promised to the seed, to Christ and his, ver. 16. not a p…or earthly Canaan, as Socini…ns and Papists say, were promised to Abraham and his seed, except they say that an earthly Canaan was promised to Christ. 2. That Covenant-promise of an heavenly inheritance made to Abraham, the p. 178same is made to the believing Galatians, the Gentiles and their seed, else Paul saith nothing for the Doctrine of Justification by faith to the Gentiles, contrair to the purpose of the Apostle. 3. There is an inheritance by Covenant-promise a promise of eternall life made not to works as the price that buyes the right: for, sure, then Christ must have dyed in vain. 3. Works are not necessary simply,The necessity of good works. necessitate medii: for then we must exclude all Infants; But the necessity of a Precept inferreth a necessity of means ordinary to all capable of a Command, that they do good, and sow to the Spirit, that they may reap of the Spirit life everlasting, Gal. 6.8. (3.) They are necessary for the glory of God, Math. 5.16. 1 Pet. 3.1, 2. 1 Pet. 2.12. (4.) They are necessary by the law of gratitude, which is common both to the Covenant of Works and of Grace, as we are debters to God for being, so to God-incarnate as ransoned ones for everlasting life▪ 1 Cor. 6.20. Luke 1.75. 1 Pet. 1.18. and eternall well-being.

But such as will have our works the formall cause of our justification, they put them in the chair of Christs merite, and they must be meritorious as Adams legall obedience should have been: yea, but not, but by and of gracious estimation, God so esteeming them, say they. True: but, as is proven, neither was Adams obedience meritorious, but by Gods estimation: Yea and Calvine gives a power of meriting ex pacto to our works. But our works of grace are dyed and washen in Christs blood, and justified that they may justifie us.The Scrip…ure speaks of justifying of persons, not of works. But the Scripture speaks nothing of justifying of works, or not imputing sin to our works. Antinomians dream of a freeing of both the person and works of a justified man from Law-obligation, and that is a way indeed to justifie works of murther and adultery in David or any justified man from being sins against the Law of God: But because our works of grace have an intrins…call power of meriting and justifying communicated to them by the merits of Christ, they must be far more our formall righteousnesse before God, then Adams righteousnesse was his justification and life before God. And if our works of grace have no power of merite or worth communicated to them from Christs death, then must it follow, though Christ had never dyed, our works may have the same gracious esteem of God, the same power of meriting, of justifying p. 179and saving they now have. Yea, and since Christ hath redeemed us from our vain conversation, 1 Pet. 1.18. by his blood: Why but, as he hath redeemed us from hell,How wee are redeemed from our vaine conversation. and purchased salvation to us, by giving us grace by our own good works after conversion to redeem and justifie and save our selves, so he hath redeemed us from our vain conversation, 1 Pet. 1.18. by giving us grace to do such works, before we be redeemed from our vain conversation, and before we be converted, as we may merite our conversion and Redemption from our vain conversation? If it be said, he absolutely and without any condition that is required, on our part, by his blood redeems all, whom he hath given his Son Christ to die for, from their vain conversation. 1. All mankinde without exception (for by their way he hath died for them all) must be redeemed from their vain conversation and converted: Nothing can be more false. 2. The Gospel to no purpose, and the Gospel-Commands shall in vain crave obedience, or so much as the duty of hearing the Gospel, from such as are not yet redeemed from their vain conversation, or not yet converted: For that Redemption is promised to them …bsolutely, without any condition required of them, saith this way.

Obj. If works have a causative influence on the possession of glory, as working on wages, and fighting on victory, Objections against the distinction of right to life, & possession of life, removed.then must they have influence on just possession also: For possession, except it be just, is no possession, but usurpation.

Answ. Possession is essentially the enjoying of any thing pleasant, gainfull, yea or honest, whether the title be just or unjust. The Title is accidentall to the Possession.

Obj. 2. He that possesseth the Crown, The title or right is accidental to the nature of possessiōpossesseth the Diamonds and pretious stones and the worth of the Crown; Therefore he that possesseth life, possesseth the right and title to it.

Answ. True: but hence it followeth not but possession and right to what we possesse do differ in their nature. Nor do we properly possess the right of possession: for the right or title is modus rei, non res, the maner of and the due or the undue way of the possession thereof.

Obj. 3. **Possessiō of life, and due right to life, ar both from Christ but diverse wayes.Is not possession of eternall life from Christ, as well as the title or right to the Crown from Him?

p. 180Ans. True, both are from Christ, but not the same way. Possession of the Crowne is the enjoying thereof, and is from free grace, and we, as willing and sanctified agents, make use thereof: But Christ alone bought with his blood the title and right to it. And when he gave his life for the rightfull and due possession of glory to us, we did contribute nothing either request or help to procure the title, and the grace to enter in to the possession by faith is the fruits also of free grace. Nor can it be denyed but our good works, by which we enter into possession of the Crown, are also the fruit of Christs death: but yet not so as there is any meritorious or federall power of deserving the possession communicate to our works; Only they are made by Christs death the oblidged way to the possession of life.

Obj. 4. How then is there a promise of the life to come made to Godlinesse, 1 Tim. 4.8?

Answ. That promise is neither a promise of the Covenant of Works, for by the deeds of the Law no flesh can be saved: Nor is it a federall promise of the Covenant of Grace, strictly so called, except any would say that it is called a promise especially for faith, which is speciall Godlinesse,How the promise is made to godlinesse. and the acknowledging of the truth, which is according to godlinesse, Tit. 1.1. and so a promise made to the Godly in so far as he is in Christ by faith, and in Christ is the promise of life, 2 Tim. 1.1. Nor 3. is the promise of a title and right, which is made to Christ our Ransone payer, made to our Godlinesse, as if it did buy our right to life eternall, or were the price thereof. 4. Life is promised to Believers who work, not because they work: And 5. the Lord in these only showeth the order of bringing men to glory, not the causes of the right and title to glory, except we say the mowing of the first quarter of the Meadow is the cause of the mowing of the second, because it makes way to the mowing of the second, and the mowing of the second quarter is a cause of the mowing of the third, and so forth, untill all be mown. As, because God gives grace to work, to run, to use means, therefore he giveth, of free grace, the crown of life in the possession thereof.

Obj. Adams Law-obedience should only have so, and by this way been the cause or way to the possession?

p. 181Ans. Not so, if Adam had perfected his obedience, he should have claimed life by right of sinlesse, federall merit, ex pacto, without suiting of it by any title of grace merited by CHRIST, not so we. Its true beleevers are called foreign, worthy, Rev. 3. but that is legally in Christ the Head, not that the meritorious worth of Christ goeth out of himself and renders our works intrinsecally meritorious.