Institutes of the Christian Religion Abridged by Edmond Bunnie, Book · Book 3 · Chapter 17
Cap. 17. The agreement of the promiſes of the Lawe and the Goſpell.
THey which alledge the promiſes of ye law to ouerthrow iuſtificatiō of faith, and ſo thereby doe reaſon,Deut. 7.23 Iere. 73.23 Deut. 11.26 that either ſuch bleſſings, are idle and fruitleſſe, or that iuſtification is not of faith alone, he beateth downe in this order: that whoſoeuer wil obteine iuſtification, muſt néedes leaue the law, and as it were brought into libertie from the bondage thereof, not that carnall libertie which ſhoulde drawe vsus from kéeping of the Law, ſhoulde allure vsus to thinke all thinges lawfull, and to ſuffer our luſt, as it were the ſtaies being broken, and with looſe raines to runne riot: but the ſpirituall liberty which may comfort & raiſe vsus, in a diſmaide and ouerthrowne conſcience, ſhewing it to be frée from the curſe, and damnation, wherewith the lawe helde it downe faſt bounde and tyed. This deliuerance from the ſubiection of the lawe wee obteine, when by faith wee take hold of the mercy of God in Chriſt, whereof we are certified of the forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, with the féeling wherof the law did pricke and bite vsus.
Gal. 2.16 Pſalm. 19.122 This hée confirmed by an example, of Paul and Dauid, If the faithfull remooue from the law into faith, that they in faith finde righteouſneſſe, which they ſée to bee abſent from the law: truely they forſake the righteouſneſſe of the law.
3 Therefore the promiſes of the lawe, if they bée conſidered in themſelues,Leuit. 18.5 Eze. 20.11 Rom. 10.5 or hauehave reſpect to ye merites of workes, vtter not their effectualneſſe towardes vsus, and are after a ſort aboliſhed: but when the promiſes are put in place of them, they not onelyonly bring to paſſe, that we our ſelues are acceptable to GOD, but that our workes alſo hauehave their thankes: and that for thrée cauſes of Gods liberalitie: wherby it cōmeth to paſſe, yt the works of the faithful are acceptable to god, firſt that GOD turning away his ſight from the workes of his ſeruantes, which deſerue reproch, embraceth thē in Chriſt, and by the meane of faith, reconcileth them to himſelfe without the meane of workes. Secondly, of his fatherly louelove and tender mercy, he lifteth vp workes to great honour, not waying the worſhineſſe of them. Thirdly, hée receaueth the ſame works with pardon, not imputing the imperfection wherewith they are defiled.
4 The place of Peter which they alledge of Cornelius, to make for their purpoſe, doeth proue nothing leſſe then that man is prepared to receaue the grace of GOD by the endeuour of good workes, but by contrariwiſe (ſéeing there is a double accepting of man with GOD) firſt when finding nothing in man but only miſerie,Gal. 5.5 yet of his great liberalitie hee receiueth him fréely.
5 Laſt of all, when by the ſame hée hath newe begotten him, and newly fourmed him into a newe life, he nowe imbraceth him as a new creature, garniſhed with the gifts of the holy ſpirite, (wherof Peter ſpeaketh in this place) hée ſetteth downe plainely and ſheweth that Cornelius was fréely accepted, before that his good workes coulde bée accepted: & this is the meaning of other places which witneſſe that God is gentle and merciful,Hebe. 1.5 Deut. 29.18 2. Sam. 22 to the obeiers and followers of righteouſneſſe.
6 But that ſuche places may better be vnderſtood, firſt he willeth vsus to conſider whether it be a promiſe of the law or a promiſe of the Goſpell, for both theſe two may not bee vnderſtood in one ſenſe: for the promiſes of the law, alwayes vnderunder condition,Pſalm. 1.5 Eſay. 33.14 if wee will doe it, &c. doe promiſe reward: but the promiſes of the goſpel although they are pronounced almoſt with ſuch like wordes, as when it is ſaide that the Lorde kéepeth the couenant of mercy, with all them that louelove him, &c. yet hee rather ſheweth what are his ſeruants, which hauehave faithfully receiued his couenant, then they doe expreſſe the cauſe why GOD ſhould doe good to them.
7 Moreouer hee entreateth ſpecially of two ſuch kindes of ſpeaches: firſt, of them yt garniſh good workes with the title of righteouſnes, that is to ſay, they doe reſpect ſuch workes, not ſo much in reſpect of them, that they are doone of mē, as that they are commanded in the law: for in the ſame ſenſe, it is no maruell if they be garniſhed with the title of righteouſneſſe,Deut. 6.6.26 Deut. 24.13 Pſalm. 106.30 Luke. 1.6 ſéeing that both the obedience of the ſame lawe, doeth containe an abſolute righteouſneſſe, & the kéeping of eueryevery commandemēt a part of righteouſneſſe.Gen. 4.4 Pſa. 106.30.3…
8 Then alſo he ſpeaketh of the other that is of them, which affirm that man is iuſtified by good workes, and firſt hée determineth that works in themſelues preuaile nothing at all, and that we are iuſtified by only faith: But when the faithfull hauehave obteined this fréee iuſtification, now the good workes which followe, hauehave another valuation, then after their owne deſeruing: neither are they falſly counted vnrighteous, or imputed for righteouſneſſe.
9 The better to confute the ſame, hée wringeth his aduerſaries ſo on eueryevery ſide with a horned argument, that by no meanes they can eſcape, for if they obiect the righteouſneſſe of workes to aſſaile the righteouſneſſe of faith, they may many wayes be driuen, to be forced to confeſſe that there is no worke that is not both corrupted with tranſgreſſions adioyned with it, and with the corruptneſſe of it ſelfe, that it can not hauehave the honour of righteouſneſſe: but if they graunt that they come from the righteouſneſſe of faith, that works otherwiſe vnpure,Deut. 2.7 Iob. 4.8 ſhoulde bee imputed to righteouſneſſe, or elſe acknowledge only the righteouſneſſe of faith, without the which righteouſnes of workes, is nothing, or els by their righteouſnes of workes, they muſt néedes make a vipers birth.
10 Hée proſecuteth this argument more at full, graunting that by this meanes,Rom. 3.7 there is not onelyonly righteouſneſſe in partes, as our aduerſaries would hauehave it,Iam 1.12 Pſal. 11.6 but alſo that it is allowed of God, as if it were a perfect and full righteouſneſſe:Matth. 5.3 yet becauſe the iuſtification of faith is the fundation, the ſame ought not to be lifted vp to deſtroy this: for by only faith, not only we our ſelues, but alſo our workes are iuſtified. And this is the righteouſneſſe of workes which the Scripture ſo often ſpeaketh of.
11 Becauſe they are diligent to alledge much out of Iames againſt this doctrine, firſt hee merily laugheth at their boldneſſe, which while they gnaw at iuſtification of faith, and ſo drawe Paul to fight with Iames, in ye meane ſpace they determine no marke of righteouſneſſe, where conſciences may ſtay at reſt. Moreouer hee ſheweth what was the ſcope of the Apoſtle, and where the aduerſaries are deceiued, that is to ſay, in a double deceit: firſt of faith.
12 Moreouer of iuſtification, for the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of the declaration of righteouſneſſe, but not of imputation, (as they hauehave thought) neither doth hée diſpute by what reaſō we are iuſtified, but he requireth of the faithfull a working righteouſneſſe.
13 That which they obiect out of Paul; that the doers of the law,Rom. 2.1… not the hearers are iuſtified, doth tend to none other ende, but yt the Apoſtle may caſt down ye Iewes from fooliſh confidence, which boaſted themſelues of the onelyonly knowledge of the Lawe, when in the meane time they were the greateſt deſpiſers of it, & it may be caſt vponupon their owne pates.
14 In theſe places where the faithfull doe boldly offer their righteouſnes to the iudgement of God to bee examined, and require that ſentence be geuen of them according to it: two things are to be conſidered. Neither woulde they bring into iudgement the whole life,1. Sam. 26.13 2. Cor. 2.12 Pſalm. 36.9 but ſome ſpeciall cauſe, neither doe they claime to thēſelues righteouſnes, in reſpect of the perfection of God, but by compariſon of wicked and naughtie men, ſo they ſtande not againſt frée iuſtification of faith. Dauid when hée required the Lord to render to eueryevery man according to his righteouſnes & trueth, ment not yt the Lorde ſhoulde examine by himſelfe, and reward eueryevery man according to his deſertes, but hée tooke the Lorde to witneſſe, how great his innocencie was in compariſon of the wickedneſſe of Saul. So Paul defendeth his faithfull and honeſt dealing, which he knew to be pleaſing to the mercifull kindneſſe of God againſt all euill ſpeaking of men. Paul ſaith alſo, that hée knoweth no euill by himſelfe, but that he is not thereby iuſtified, becauſe hée knewe that the iudgement of God farre ſurmounteth the bleare eied ſight of men, and howſoeuer the godly defende their innocencie againſt the hypocriſie of the vngodly, yet when they hauehave to doe with God alone, they crie with open mouth.
15 In that by certaine other places they woulde aſcribe to the wayes of the faithfull righteouſneſſe and life,Pro. 20.5 Eze. 18.9 Eph. 1.4 they do very euill reaſon, that the vprightneſſe of the faith is a ſtep toward immortality, but the ſame is of fatherly kindnes, not that their workes as the ſchoolemen dreame, are by the accepting of GOD aduaunced to the price of equalitie.