Gospel Truth Stated and Vindicated, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Of Justification by Faith, with a Digression about Repentance.
TRUTH. I Have spoken of Justifying Righteousness, chap. 7.
Though Faith be no way a Meritorious Cause of a Sinner's Justification, yet God hath promised to Justifie all such as truly Believe; and requires Faith, as an indispensible Qualification in all whom he will Justifie for Christ's Merits; declaring, That Unbelief shall not only hinder Mens knowing that they are Justified, but that it is a bar to any Person's being Justified while he continues an Unbeliever.
Reader, Note, 1. There is a Righteousness for which a Man is Justified: This is only Christ's Righteousness: This is the Foundation of the Promise, and the Merit of the Blessing promised: Nothing can add to it, or mingle with it; it's sufficient, and alone sufficient to satisfie Justice, atone for Guilt, and merit Acceptance and Life.
2. There's to be considered, what the Condition of the Person is whom this Mercy is promised to. He is one that hath this Grace of true Faith, and exerts it into Act. This Grace is also required and commanded as indispensibly necessary to the Participation of Forgiveness. Christ's Righteousness shall not be imputed to this use, unless we believe: And nothing shall hinder our Title to this Benefit, if we do believe in Christ; for the Promise is inviolable. And this Faith being a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise, some call it a Subordinate Righteousness; not meaning any Righteousness for which Sin is forgiven, for it's Christ's Righteousness alone for which God Justifies us; but it's our answering that Rule by which Christ applieth his Righteousness for our Remission, and a Right to Life; and his Promise is the Ground of our Title.
Having premised these things for Explication of the Truth, I proceed.
ERROUR. The whole use of Faith in Justification, is only to manifest that we were Justified before; and Faith is no way necessary to bring a Sinner into a Justified State, nor at all useful to that End.
Proved that this is the Dr's. Opinion.
The Doctor, p. 85. puts this Objection; Is not Believing required to the Justification of the Ungodly? Answ. An ungodly Person, after he is Justified, doth Believe. But you will say, It is an Act of Christ by Faith. Ans. Then Christ doth not Justifie alone, &c. Nay, I say more; Christ doth Justifie a Person before he Believes, &c. He cannot believe that which is not; and if he be not Justified before he Believes it, he believeth that which is false; but he is first Justified before he Believes, then he believes that he is Justified. The Doctor then asks, But what doth Faith serve for? He answers, It serves for the Manifestation of that Justification which Christ put upon a Person by himself alone. P. 86. We do not Believe, that we may be Justified, but because we are Justified. P. 578. God doth add never a tittle of Pardon it self more to him that is a Believer, than to that Person not yet converted to the Faith, &c. P. 597. I say, Faith, as it takes hold of Christ's Righteousness, it doth not bring this Righteousness of Christ to the Soul, but doth only declare the Presence of that Righteousness that was there even before Faith was. He in that Page denies Faith to be so much as an Instrumental Cause of Justification. In very many places he declares, We are not Virtually, but Actually Justified before Faith. If thou ask when he thinks the Elect are Justified. The Doctor tells us, It's from Eternity, at Christ's death; and the latest time, is, before we are born. See p. 101, 255, 361, 362, 616, &c. See more, ch. 1, 2, 3, 11.
Wherein the Difference is not.
1. It is not: Whether Faith, or any Grace, be a jot of the meriting Righteousness for which we are Justified? 2. Nor, Whether Faith, or any Grace, add any thing to the Value of Christ's Merits? These I deny; yea, I add, That if Christ's Righteousness could be applied for Pardon to the vilest Sinner before he Believes, it would Justifie him; but God hath declared it shall not be applied to Unbelievers. 3. Nor, Whether we are Justified the same moment as we truly Believe in Christ, and the Blessing is not suspended for any time longer? This I affirm, because God Justifies us by the Promise, as his Instrument; and this Promise declares that he will Justifie him that Believes: It's a Christ truly Believed in, doth Justifie us; and a Christ so Believed on, cannot but Justifie us. 4. Nor, Whether an elect Person once Justified, shall by Christ's care be kept in a Justified state? 5. Nor, Whether God hath decreed, That the Elect shall certainly Believe, and so be Justified? 6. Nor, Whether True Faith be an Infallible Sign of Justification? These four last I do affirm.
Wherein the Real Difference is.
1. Whether we are Justified before we Believe? This the Doctor affirms, and I deny. 2. Whether the Use of Faith in Justification be only to manifest our Justification, which we personally had before? This the Doctor affirms, and I deny; and add, That Faith Justifies us by receiving Christ, and therein answers the Ordination of God, who hath promised to Justifie the Believer by the Application of Christ's Righteousness in this gracious Effect of it upon the guilty Soul.
The Truth Confirmed.
What I have said, chap. 1. Of the State of the Elect; and chap. 11. Of the Necessity of Faith to Union with Christ; and chap. 3, 4, 10. render Enlargement needless: Yet I shall add,
1. We are Justified by Faith, is the common Language of the Holy Ghost, Rom. 5. 1. Gal. 2. 16, &c. What is it to be Justified by Faith, if we are Justified before Faith? It contributes to our being Justified, or words express nothing in a case of the highest moment. Rom. 3 20. God justifieth the Circumcision by Faith and the Heathen through Faith: Must not Faith be at least present? It's impossible to exert an Act by a Thing, when that Thing is not.
2. Faith is enjoyned as an indispensible Means of Justification by Christ, and complied with by All Converts to that End. Act. 16. 30. Believe, and thou shalt be saved. Rom. 10. 9, 10. If thou believe with thine heart, thou shalt be saved; for with the heart man believeth to righteousness, (not to Assurance only.) To be Justified, was a Benefit which Paul, and the other Converts, had an Eye to in Believing. Gal. 2. 16. We have believed, That we may be justified by the faith of Christ. The Blessing of Justification is limited to a Believer, and extended to such by such conditional and indefinite Clauses as these: Rom. 4. 23, 24. To us it shall be imputed (for Righteousness) if we Believe on him that raised up Christ from the dead. Act. 10. 43. Whosoever Believeth in him, shall receive Remission of Sins. What a gross Notion would it create, That Faith should be required by God, in order to a Benefit, and this Faith acted by the guidance of the Spirit, as a Means to partake of that Benefit, and this Benefit proposed and limited to all under an express respect to that Faith; and yet that Benefit is ours before Faith hath a Being?
3. The Gospel denounceth and declareth All Condemned, till they do Believe: It declares they are so, and denounceth they shall be so: Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not on the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. And ver. 18. He that believeth on him, is not condemned; but he that believeth not, is condemned already. Here's the Case of all Men by the Fall; They are Condemned, and under Wrath. Here's the way of Relief; A Christ believed on: And they that believe, their Condemnation is revers'd. Here's the Case of every Man that believeth not; Wrath abideth on him: The Condemning Sentence remains, and Men are distributed into Condemned, or Justified; and this as Believers, or Unbelievers. Oh! that any can think, all this Wrath that abides, is no more than want of an Assurance that we are Justified! Sure it's more danger! Joh. 8. 24. If you believe not, you shall die in your sins. Mark 16. 18. He that believeth not, shall be damned. Then they must be liable to Damnation whilst in Unbelief, or they could not be Damned for Unbelief. To be Condemned and Justified are Opposites; at once none can be both: Nor can God Justifie a Man whom he then and still Condemns.
4. Unbelief is the cause why Men are barred from Justi…cation, and remain obnoxious to Misery. Joh. 5. 40. Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life. What undid the Jews? Heb. 3. 18, 19. They could not enter, because of Unbelief. And ch. 4, 6, 7. And if Unbelief did not obstruct Life, and a Right to it; the Apostle would oddly inferr, ch. 4. ver. 1, 2, 3. Let us therefore fear, lest a Promise being left us of entring into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it, &c. for we which have believed, do enter into rest.
How easily might I argue this Point, from the Nature of Justification, as it's a judicial Act of God, by a Gospel-Rule supposing Christ's Satisfaction? As also, from the immediate Effects of Justification, which are all suspended as to Unbelievers: God in all his Carriage not executing the Justifying Sentence on them, but the contrary; he leaves them many years Slaves to Sin and Satan, void of his Spirit, admitting them to no Communion with him, rejecting their Prayers, barring them from his Table, suffering them to blaspheme and dishonour him; he suffers them to remain Curses and Plagues to other Souls, &c. Doth God deal thus with the Justified? What short of Hell is the Execution of the Curse, if these be not?
Reader, I leave it to thy self to judge, whether all these things make Faith of no more use, than to shew us the goodness of our state; which we were as much possessed of before, only we did not know it? Is that all the change on believing, which such great Expressions import? Is our being now washed and justified, 1 Cor. 6. 11. no more than we now know it? Is Assurance all the motive we can honestly use with Sinners to believe? Or the want of it, all the Danger we have to threaten them with, to any beneficial purpose, against their abiding in Unbelief?
TESTIMONIES.
You have already heard the Assembly, and the Congr. of Elders at the Savoy, Confes. chap. 11. a. 4. saying, The Elect are not Justified, until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ to them. See ch. 1. Of the State of the Elect: Where I cited this; Lesser Catech. Q. What Benefits do they that are effectually called, partake of in this Life? A. They that are effectually called, partake of Justification, Adoption, &c. You see that the Assembly do suppose our Calling, to our being Justified; and Justification is a Benefit flowing from it. In the next Answer, they tell us, We are Justified by receiving Christ's Righteousness by Faith alone. So not before Faith.
The New-England Synod, p. 18. thus confute that Speech of the Antinomians; viz. To say we are Justified by Faith, is an unsafe Speech; we must say, We are Justified by Christ. The Synod fully prove this is false; and add, To say a Man is Justified before Faith, or without Faith, is unsafe, as contrary to the language of the Scripture.
Dr. Owen, in his Treat. of Justif. p. 299. saith, It must be remembred, that we require Evangelical Faith, in order of Nature antecedently unto our Justification, by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto us; which also is the Condition of the Continuation of it. This is as plain as can be, and this he oft proves. p. 306, &c.
The Grounds of the Doctor's Mistake.
Because God Justifies the Ungodly, that is, the Man who the moment before he believed to Justification was ungodly; yea, and who still remains ungodly in the Eye of the Law of Works, needing daily Forgiveness by Grace; therefore God Justifies him who continueth wholly ungodly fifty years after. Because Christ alone Justifies, as he whose Satisfaction and Merits are the only Righteousness for which we are Justified; therefore he thinks there is nothing else present in our Justification, not considering that God Justifies, the Spirit Justifies, the Gospel-Promise Justifieth, in sences distinct from Christ: And so doth Faith, though not as what meriteth, yet as what the Promise requireth in all whom God will Justifie for the sake of Christ's Merits. Because it's Christ, the Object of Faith, Justifies; therefore Faith in that Object is not requisite to Justification; though it's as plain as the Word of God can speak, it's a Christ believed on which Justifies: It's not Faith, without a Christ, can do it; and Christ, without Faith, will not do it; but on our Believing, he will not fail to do it. Because we must, in order to Assurance of Pardon, believe our Sins are actually pardoned; therefore our actual Pardon is the Object of the Faith by which we obtain Pardon; and so he sets our Pardon, instead of God, Christ, and the Gospel-Promises, which are the Scripture Objects of Justifying Faith. Because Faith is the Evidence of Invisible Realities still remaining Invisible; therefore it's whole Use is, to manifest our Pardon before our Pardon hath a Being.
Object. The Doctor lays great stress on Ezek. 16. 6, &c. and very often builds this and other of his Opinions upon it.
Answ. He doth so, and without the least Ground. For,
1. That Chapter doth not describe the Dealings of God with a particular Soul, in order to Salvation; but with Israel, as a Political Body, in a peculiar Covenant. It shews how mean and idolatrous their Original was; how graciously God singled them out, and dignified them above the rest of the World by many Privileges; and among the rest, by making a Covenant of Peculiarity with them. But this Covenant is not the Covenant of Eternal Life: For ver. 59. it was a Covenant they broke: And ver. 61, 62. it's called Thy Covenant, as opposed to My Covenant. Dare any Man say that all the Jews were Washed, Quickned, Justified? &c. Yet each of these were true of the whole Body in this Chapter. See what a Character is given of their Temper and Carriage, after all this is said of them; and sure it cannot agree to a Justified Soul, or a Soul decked with Grace: See from ver. 14. to ver. 23. And had the Doctor considered this Chapter, he would find most of his Opinions baffled, on the same grounds as he thinks a Verse or two can serve him. Ver. 3, 4, 8. In the day they were born, they were unwashed, unloved, out of the Covenant. Where is Justification, &c. from Eternity, or from the time of Conception? Ver. 23. When after they were washed, and in Covenant, God denounceth, Woe, woe unto thee! for their wickedness. May not Wrath then be preached to an elect Person? Ver. 27, 38, 43. I'll judge thee, and give thee blood in fury, and recompence thy ways upon thy head. Doth Sin do a Believer no harm? Is there no displeasure in God against the Elect for Sin? When God saith, Thou hast fretted me, &c. when, v. 58. thou hast born thy lewdness, and thy abominations; can it be true, That no Elect Person bears his own Sin? Nor ought he to charge himself therewith? Or doth not God charge him with it?
2. Admit that the Birth of a Child was a resemblance of Israel's first becoming God's Covenant-People, in Abraham, or at Mount Sinai; and admit that this People's becoming the Lord's, were an Exemplar of every elect Person's Recovery; yet all that can be inferred is, That an Elect Person is vile, miserable and guilty, when God comes effectually to call him. When thou wert in thy blood, I said unto thee, Live. But what's this to Justification before Faith? Doth God quicken a Soul before he wash it? and doth not that Soul believe? What Life can there be that excludes Faith? A quickned Soul believes as soon as quickned; and the Text shews you, that it's quickned before it's washed.
A Digression concerning the Necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness.
The Doctor judging we are Justified before we Believe; it's no wonder he tells us, we are forgiven before we confess sin, p. 255, &c. or repent. But my business in this Digression, is with Men of more Orthodox Principles, who yet seem to be doubtful in this Point: I shall therefore state the Point between these.
Wherein the difference is not.
1. It is not: VVhether Faith or Repentance be any part of the Meriting Righteousness for which we are Justified? 2. Nor, VVhether the Habits of Faith and Repentance be wrought at the same time, and included in the Regenerating Principle? 3. Nor, VVhether Convictions of a lost State, and some degree of Humblings and Sorrow, are necessary to drive a Soul to Christ? 4. Nor, VVhether there must be an Assenting Act of Faith, before there be any Exercise of Repentance under the power of the VVord; which must be believed in some degree, before it operate to these effects? 5. Nor, VVhether ingenuous Sorrow for Sin, in the sence of actual Pardon, be after that Pardon? 6. Nor, VVhether Repentance, as it consists in Fruits meet for it, as External Reformation, a Fruitful Life, and the like, must follow Pardon; it being against the Tenor of the Promise, that Forgiveness should be suspended so long after a Man believes, and repents with his heart? 7. Nor, Whether Justification be equally ascribed to Faith and Repentance? For we are said to be Justified by Faith; which imports, that Repentance is but a disposing Condition; and Faith the receiving Condition: Repentance without Faith is unavailable, as Faith without Repentance is impossible: Faith seems to compleat all, and in a manner comprehend all. These things Orthodox Divines are agreed in.
The seeming Difference.
VVhether a sincere purpose of Heart, to turn from Sin and Idols to God, be absolutely necessary to Forgiveness of Sin?
The other parts of Repentance are excluded out of the Question, by what you have read before. And this is that part of it which the word lays a great stress on; from hence Repentance is called foreign, Mat. 2. 8, &c. A change of mind, or purpose. And Conversion refers to this, as the principal part of it.
Proved that Repentance, as it lies in a sincere purpose to turn from Sin and Idols to God, is necessary to Forgiveness.
1. The Repentance God so commands, in order to Forgiveness, can include no less than this, Act. 3. 19. Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out: And Act. 2. 38. Repent, and be baptized in the name of Christ, for the remission of sins. To preach Repentance and Remission, is Christ's Charge to his Ministers, Luk. 24. 47. And none can doubt, that before the Person of the Messias became the disputed Truth in the VVorld, the chief Subject of God's message to Men, was a Call to Repentance.
2. Repentance is a Grace to which Pardon is promised; and upon the working of it, Forgiveness is given: And Impenitency continues Guilt where-ever it reigns. How much of the Bible must I transcribe, if I quote all places that prove these? Ez. 18. 30. Act. 3. 19. Act. 26. 18. To turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sin, &c. Mark 1. 4. And preach the Baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins. Luk. 13. 3. Except you repent, you shall all perish. Christ was exalted, to give Repentance, and Remission of Sins, Act. 5. 31. Nay the Sin against the Holy Ghost is unpardonable; because it's impossible to bring the Committer of it to repentance, Heb. 6. 16. Are all these things consistent with Pardon before Repentance? Can I be subject to perish and pardoned at once? Can God command Repentanee, under a Promise of Pardon, and yet suppose I must be pardoned before? Is the turning of the Heart from the power of Satan to God, urged and directed to this end, that I may receive forgiveness, and none follow my turning, but all be before it?
3. There's no Saving Faith that includes not this purpose in it: Can I fiducially consent to Christ, and not intend to leave my wickedness? Dr. Owen well proves, That Justifying Faith cannot be, without a purpose of heart to obey God in all things. (Treat. of Justif. p. 40.) And adds Neither is it possible that there should be any exercise of this Faith, but where the Mind is prepared, disposed and determined unto universal Obedience. See the Assemblies and Elders Account of Saving Faith, ch. 9.
4. Without this Purpose, we do not accept of Christ as the Way to God. It would be strange, that the great Term of Life should terminate in Christ, who is the Means, without any respect to God, who is the End: Whereas Christ is able to save such as come to God by him, Heb. 7. 25. and others he will not save, Act. 20. 21. God was not thus over-looked when Paul testified Repentance towards God, and Faith towards Christ. And indeed, without this purpose, the Soul never answers God's Call; and so must be Pardoned before effectually Called.
5. We cannot receive Christ as King, without this Repentance of Heart. To receive him as King, is to renounce all Usurpers, and resolve Obedience to his Will: And we must receive him as King, or Lord, or it is not the Christ we so receive: Col. 2. 6. As you have received Christ Jesus, the Lord. God gives him, a Leader and Commander, Isa. 55. 4. And so must we take him, or never hope for Forgiveness by him.
6. Without this purpose of Heart, no Man accepts of Christ for Sanctification. The Assembly and Elders at the Savoy, tell us, Conf. chap. 14. a. 2. That Saving Faith accepts of Christ for Sanctification. I am sure, God gives Christ to bless you, in turning every one of you from his iniquities, Act. 3. 26. And can that Soul believe to Forgiveness, that thus receives him not? Or can any one thus receive him, who intends not to turn from Sin to Holiness?
7. A resolved purpose to continue in Sin and Rebellion against God, is Damning, let Men pretend what they please. I hope I need not prove, but one of these Purposes must have place in every Heart, when it is dealing with Christ about Salvation. And I think I have proved, That a Resolution to continue Rebels, will bar any Man from a possessing of Christ. See chap. 10.
8. It's not to be allowed, that it should not be necessary to renounce our Sins with our Hearts, in order to Pardon; when it is necessary to renounce our own Merits, or Righteousness. Is the one opposite to Christ, and is not the other so? Will one make us backward to accept of Christ, and will not the other do the same? Is the one inconsistent with a true Approbation of a Saviour? The other is no less: For Christ is to save from the Power of Sin, as well as the Guilt; and he that submits not to him with a desire of both, duely accepts him for neither.
I might further evidence this from the necessary fitness of Repentance for Pardon. It is very unsuitable to the Nature and Government of God to pardon a Sinner that resolves to rebel, and not to return: This seems too low a Provision for his Honour, &c. Nay, it would render our Faith a meer selfish thing; and all our Compliance, to be a meer concern for our own Impunity; whiles Sin is still resolved, and God's Dominion rejected, and Christ's Design of restoring the Image of God, slighted and opposed. It were easie to shew, that Repentance and Faith are so near to, and inclusive of each other, that one is put for the other; and the Call to one, is a Call to each.
The Judgment of others.
The Assemb. Confes. ch. 16. a. 3. say, Although Repentance be not to be rested in, as any Satisfaction for Sin, or any Cause of the Pardon thereof, which is the act of God's Free Grace in Christ; yet it is of such necessity to all Sinners, that none may expect Pardon without it. You see, though they justly exclude the Merit and Causality of Repentance; yet they affirm, and by many Texts prove the Necessity of it to Pardon; and forbid any Expectation of Pardon without it. And in their Directory of the Visitation of the Sick, they advise a seasonable propounding of Christ and his Merits, for a Door of Hope; but it is to none but to every penitent Believer.
The Elders at the Savoy tell us, ch. 15. a. 5. There is no Sin so great, that shall bring Damnation on them who truly repent; which makes the constant Preaching of Repentance necessary.
Dr. Owen tells us, That before the first Act of Justifying Faith, there be Convictions, Shame, Fear, Sorrow, and other afflictive Passions; and hereon a Resolution doth ensue, utterly to abstain from Sin, with sincere Endeavours to that purpose, &c. Treat. of Justif. p. 299. he tells us, That without this in the order of the Gospel, an Interest in it, (i. e. Christ's Righteousness,) is not to be attained, &c. And again; Justifying Faith includeth in its Nature the entire Principle of Evangelical Repentance; so that it is utterly impossible that a Man should be a true Believer, and not at the same instant of time be truly Penitent: And therefore are they so frequently joyned in Scripture, as one simultaneous Duty: Yea, the Call of the Gospel unto Repentance, is a Call to Faith, acting it self by Repentance, &c. And then tells us, The First Act of Faith respecting the Grace of God in Christ, is not conceived in order of time to precede its actings in Self-displicency, Godly Sorrow, and Universal Conversion from Sin to God. See p. 300, 301. These things Dr. Owen asserts, though he ascribes no Causality of Pardon to Repentance: Which will offend none who deny any Grace in Man to be a Cause of Forgiveness; among whom I own my self. See Mr. Anthony Burgess's Reasons for the Necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness, True Doct. of Justif. lib. 1. p 157.
Thus I have done with this Debate; which lies (I hope) more in words than some unthinking Men imagine: And the generality of Divines affirm as I do.