An Antidote Against Heresy, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Of Justification.
AND whom he called, Truth.them he alſo Juſtified; and we are Juſtified or accounted righteous in the ſight of God, not for any works or worthineſs of our own, but for the only merits of Jeſus Chriſt, and by faith in him, our ſins being imputed unto him, and his Righteouſneſs unto us.
Adverſaries to this Doctrine are the Papiſts,Errours. with their brethren the Anabaptiſts. The Anabaptiſts teach, That we are not juſtified by faith alone, but by the croſs and affliction. The Papiſts affirm, 1. That we are not juſtified by faith only, but by faith and works together, and works in their account carry the greateſt ſtroke. 2. That we are juſtified by faith, not as an Inſtrument, but as a vertue meriting or deſerving, and ſo tis a part of that Righteouſneſs whereby we are juſtified before God. 3. That we are juſtified before God by a Righteouſneſs that is inherent in us; infuſed, not imputed. 4 Oſiander imagined, That we are ſubſtantially righteous in Chriſt, as well in Eſſence as in quality; and that the truly righteous do not apprehend Chriſt by faith, but have him and his Righteouſneſs eſſentially derived unto them; ſo that in our Juſtification God conveying himſelf into us, maketh us a part of himſelf: So the Familiſts ſay, That every one of their family is Chriſt, godded with God, and deified. 5. Many Phariſaical Chriſtians there be that think to be juſtified by civil and external Righteouſneſs. 6. And certain Libertines, That taking no care of weldoing think to be juſtified by faith alone, or a ſolitary faith. 7. A world of carnal people regard neither faith nor works, and yet hope to be ſaved as well as the beſt.
This point of Juſtification,Antidote is the greateſt that is in Controverſie between us and the Papiſts, which they quite overthrow, and therewith the whole Goſpel, burying Chriſt again, that is riſen for our Juſtification: For if our works before or after Juſtification do merit grace and life by congruity or condignity, then is Chriſt in vain, and become of no effect.
To the Adverſaries we ſay; Firſt, 1. That we are juſtified without works by faith alone; not that faith is or can be alone without good works, in reſpect of its Eſſence; but in the act of Juſtification it is alone, as it is an Inſtrument of Juſtification. Pſalm 143.2. Enter not into judgment with thy ſervant, for in thy ſight ſhall no man living be justified, Iob 15.15. What is man that he ſhould be juſt, or he that is born of a woman that he ſhould be righteous. Rom. 3.20. By the works of the Law ſhall no fleſh be juſtified. Gal. 3.11. And that no man is juſtified by works, is evident For the juſt ſhall live by faith. Rom. 3.28. We conclude then, that a man is justified by faith without works. Good works indeed may juſtifie us before men as an evidence of our faith, and of this S. Iames ſpeaks, Iames 2.24. Ye ſee then how by works a man is juſtified: But before God we are juſtified only by the perfect Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, applyed unto us by the hand of faith, wherein our own works have not the leaſt finger.
Secondly, we are juſtified by faith, not as the cauſe, but only as an Inſtrument of our Juſtification; not as it is a vertue inherent in us, but as it goes forth, and apprehends and applies Chriſt unto us; not by the merit of faith, but by the merits of Chriſt applyed by faith; and therefore it is ſaid, Rom. 3.22. The righteouſneſs of God is by, faith of Jeſus Chriſt unto all that believe: And v. 24. We are juſtified through the redemption that is in Ieſus Chriſt. And Phil. 3.9. The righteouſneſs whereby we are juſtified before God, is called the righteouſneſs that is through the Faith of Chriſt: and the Righteouſneſs by faith; and therefore when it is ſaid we are juſtified by faith, it notes the uſe or effect, not the merit or dignity of faith: For 1 Cor. 1.30. Christ is made unto us Righteouſneſs. And 2 Cor. 5.21. We are made the Righteouſneſs of God in him.
Thirdly, There is a glorifying Righteouſneſs in the world to come; In this world a ſanctifying & a juſtifying Righteouſneſs; that wherewith we ſhall be dothed in the world to come, is both perfect and inherent, that wherewith we are ſanctified in this life is inherent, but not perfect; that wherewith we are juſtified is perfect, but not inherent. The Righteouſneſs whereby we are juſtified before God, is not inherent in us but in Chriſt; in us, not by inheſion, but imputation; the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, whereby we are juſtified, is not infuſed, but imputed to us, and accounted ours: So Rom. 4.5. Abraham was iuſtified by a Righteouſneſs imputed or accounted unto him. 2 Cor. 5.21. We are made the Righteouſneſs of God in him; the Righteouſneſs of God, not ours; in him, not in us, Auguſt. Enchirid. cap. 41.
Fourthly, When we ſay we are juſtified by faith alone, we do not mean a faith that is alone, that is ſolitary without good works, but a living faith, and a working faith; for a dead faith cannot juſtifie, and a living faith cannot be idle, but worketh by love, Gal. 5.5. We are juſtified by faith alone, without works; not that works are ſeparated from faith, or can be; but only excluded from the act of Juſtification.
The parts of our Juſtification, are, 1. The imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſs. 2. Forgiveneſs of our ſins. The inward moving cauſe is Gods mercy: the outward is Chriſts merit. The formal cauſe is the imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſs; the inſtrumental faith, and faith without works; whereby works are excluded not from the nature of Faith, but from the act of Juſtification.