A Treatise of Justifying Righteousness, Book 2 · Aphorism 127 – Aphorism 128
Aphorism.
SEE Rom. 8. 4, 13.Ibid.
Animadvers.
In Rom. 8. 4. the Righteousness of the Law is said to be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. But I see not what this makes for you, who speak of an Evangelical Righteousness, which is contradistinct to Legal Righteousness. And for the words themselves, if they speak of a perfect and exact fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law, then it is by Imputation. And so Calvin expounds it, Hee ad veniam referre necesse est, &c. And so one more ancient than Calvin or Luther expounds that in the Canticles; Thou art all fair my Love, and there is no spot in thee: Sine macula deputatur, quia culpa non imputatur. Otherwise it must be understood of an inchoate and imperfect fulfilling, which is not sufficient unto Justification. See Psal. 18. 21, 22, 23. & 119. 6. B. Davenant in answer to Bellarmine objecting this place, makes use of both Expositions. De Just. act. c. 52. p. 562. That in Rom. 8. 13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall dye. But if ye through the Spirit, mortifie the deeds of the flesh, ye shall live: That, I say proves, that a continued course in sin is damnable; and that Holiness and Obedience is necessary unto Salvation: Which by the beginning of the Paragraph may seem to be all that you aimed at, and it were pity any should deny you this: But it proves not (as ye in words immediately foregoing, and so also those before-cited, you seem to intend) that a personal Righteousness is necessary unto Salvation.
Reply.
1. An inchoate and imperfect Righteousness (as you call it; and truly quoad materiam remotam) is sufficient to justifie us against the Accusation of Not fulfilling of the Gospel-Conditions.
2. Instead of discussing the sense of this Text, I will refer you to Ludov. de Dieu in loc. where also you shall find the same Doctrine that I deliver. Rom. 8. 13. proves fully, not only that Obedience is necessary to Salvation, necessitate praecepti, but that it is a proper Condition of it, and necessary necessitate medii. I would you would have told me how it is necessary?
And here by the way, let me mind you of one thing, which I have not fully done yet: You make a great difference between the Condition of Justification, and the Condition of Salvation. Indeed both have the same Condition, if you speak of right to Salvation, and of justifying that Right against all Accusers. (And as Reatus poenae is the most full proper Guilt, so this contrary Justification is the most full proper Justification.) When a man is accused to be Reus mortis, the Child of Death; he that proves him to be non-reum, doth thereby justifie him against that Accusation. Now that is proved, by proving him to have performed the Condition of Life, or not done that which Death is denounced against. This Text in hand saith, [If ye live after the flesh ye shall die: But if ye by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye shall live.] Here is a a great part of the New-Law. Now if a man be accused as guilty of this Death, he that proveth that he lived not after the flesh, but mortified it, doth most properly justifie him. And yet here is no talk of Justification or pardon of sin in the Text: What of that? The same Covenant promiseth or giveth Justification and right to Salvation on the same Conditions; but more frequently mentioneth Salvation, as containing all other benefits: But certainly he that against an Accuser proves a man's interest in a promise of Salvation, doth eo nomine justifie that man, though that Promise mention not Justification. Our first accepting Christ for Lord and Saviour (supposing our taking God for our only God, and chief Good) doth give us an immediate right to Justification and Salvation; and if then we died, we should be saved. But our obeying Christ, and confiding in him as a Lord and Saviour (according to our Covenant) doth continue (as a Condition) our right to both Justification and Salvation. It seems to me an ungrounded fancy (such as Divines have spun many of, to perplex poor Souls and themselves, going the Schoolmens way of adding their devised conceits, even while they blame them) to make one thing (the single act of Faith only) to be the Condition of Justification, and Obedience to be the Condition of Glorification. And yet (to deal freely with you) I meet with none more guilty of this than you. For you discern, that the ordinary Doctrine of Faith's justifying as an Instrument, is not exact or proper, and therefore you affirm it to be the sole Condition of Justification. Whereas other Divines tell me, that Faith and Obedience are both Conditions of Justification (and in that are like) but Faith only is the Instrument of Justification: (And in that they differ.)
Aphorism.
HE that maketh Faith and Obedience to Ibid.Christ to be only the fulfilling of the Condition of the New-Covenant, and so to be only Conditions of Justification, doth give them no part of the work of his Righteousness, seeing he came not to fulfil the Gospel, but the Law.
Animadvers.
1. The fulfilling of the Law is that whereby we are justified, as by the transgression of the Law we are condemned. Now Christ hath fulfilled the Law for us, having made satisfaction for our breach of it, Gal. 3. 10, 13. therefore by Christ's Satisfaction we are justified. This the Gospel doth hold unto us, requiring of us Faith to receive Christ, and to apply his Satisfaction, that we may take the benefit of it, and be justified by it, Acts 13. 38, 39.
But, 2. The Gospel doth not joyn Obedience with Faith, as the Condition of our Justification, though it require Obedience as that which doth follow upon justifying Faith, and slow from it. Tit. 3. 8.
Reply.
1. The fulfilling of the Conditions of the New-Law, is that whereby we are justified against the Accusation, 1. Of non-fulfilling it: 2. And so of having no part in Christ, nor pardon by him; 3. But being guilty of the far sorer punishment: Even as for the non-fulfilling of this Condition, all the World (that hear the Gospel) are condemned. Now Christ hath not fulfilled this Condition for us; and therefore we are not in this justified by his Satisfaction.
2. The Gospel doth joyn Obedience with Faith as the Condition of Salvation; therefore also of justifying our right to that Salvation, which is the justifying of us.
3. You seem to yield the Thesis it self, that it is not any incroaching upon the honour of Christ, to make Faith in him, and Obedience to him, to be only the fulfilling of the Conditions of the New-Covenant. And I know no other fault that can be charged on this Doctrine.