The Doctrine of Justification by Faith, Treatise · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Question stated.
S. 1. I Shall omit things impertinent, nor take notice of personall clashings, which do rather minister strife, then edification: And because I have at large handled this doctrine in another Tract, I shall confine my self to Mr. Eyres Book, intending to approve what is right, and to reject that which is not agreeable to the Word: Yet I shall omit quotations as much as may be, sith the Doctors are not authentick proof, and the Protestant Doctrine is well known. I shall not give any just cause of offence, and if any be offended without just cause, I shall not value it. I ought and dare to assert the truth, and in defence of it I doubt not of Gods assistance.
S. 2. I come now to state the Question, and first I will inquire concerning free grace.
Free grace is to beare much sway in this dispute, I will begin with that. In the Scripture it is mentioned as concerning Election, Justification, and Sanctification. In Election, Rom. 11. 5. A remnant according to the Election of grace, and the Election obtain'd, and the rest were blinded, Vers. 7. Ephes. 1. 6. To the praise of the glorie of his grace: and, Rom 9 When th… h…d done neither good, nor evill, that the purpose of God according to Election might stand. Against the Jesuites, and Arminians we have asserted, that Gods grace in election is most free, and that God did not elect one before another for merits or faith foreseene.
2. Grace is free as used in justification, R…m. 3. 24 justified freely by his grace, yet vers. 25. through faith in his blood: the fre…n…ss of Gods grace in j…st…fication consists in this, that of rich mercy he pardons our sins in Christ, and accepts of the satisfaction of a mediator for us, and of us for the righteousness of Christ; yet Gods free grace doth not exclude Christs righteousness, nor our faith, but stablisheth both, Rom. 3. Vers. …4. 25. Eph. 2. 8. the …ocinians wickedly seek to exclude Christs merits, and satis…action; others seeke to exclude our faith.
3. G…ace is free as it is used in sanctification, Eph 2. 1. 2. Rom. 9. 14. 15. 16. Hee hath mercy on whom he will, i. e. freely giving preventing grace, so the O…hod…x Doctors defend against the Pelagiant… that g…ace is not given according to m…rits. We have disliked in the Arminians, that they have taught that the good use of nature, and common aid deserves grace, and we rej…ct the saying of the Schoolem…n, Facienti quod in se est, Deus non denegat gratiam: hence we deduct this Corollary, that the doctrine of free grace rightly taught doth not exclude, but requires faith in justification.
S. 3. of justification by faith.
Against the Papists we have asserted, that justification is not a phisicall act, but a juridicall act, (i. e.) justification is not by inherent righteousness, but God as Judge in the Court of mercy remits sin to the believer through Christs merits, and absolves the sinner repenting, and believing: yet we hav… constantly taught, that though justification and santification are distinct, yet that no man is justified that is not sanctified. We say that we are not justified by our inherent righteousness, nor by our works, and we reject their distinction into the fi…st and second justification.
We prove that the word justification is to be taken juridicè, sensu forensi, for the act of God as Judge in some Court, and that cannot be in the Court of the Law, for that condemnes, it must be then in the Court of the Gospell, that pardons sin, and delivers from condemnation, to which condemnation justification is opposed. Our Doctrine then is, That God in time in the Court of mercy doth justifie the believer in and through the merits of Christ
Mr. Eyre takes faith in this point objectively, for the object of faith, (i. e.) Ch…ist, and the sense then is, we are justified by faith, (i. e.) by Christ, and this he affirmes to be the opinion of our ancient Protestant Divines, Pro. 58.
B…t this is not so: the Scripture, though it affirme that we are justified by the righteousness of Ch…ist, or by his blood, death, &c.) et when it mentions justification by faith, it meanes that we believe, that faith that is in us, so Joh. 3. 16. Rom. 3. 25. Gal. 2 16. &c. and our Protestant Divines in the point of justification take faith subjectively, see. Confess. Auglic: Article 11. so the Belgi…e, Augustane, Saxon, Wirt…nberg, &c. so Dr. Prid. Lect. de Iustific. Calvine Institut. &c. and this is the constant doctrine of the Protestants; yet we say, that we are justified by faith, that we with the Apostle affirme that we are justified through faith in his blood through the redemption that is in Christ; and so we reject the Arminian fancie that faith, the foreign Credere, the believing is imputed to us for the fullfiling of the law: we also di…er from the Papists, in that we say, that the speciall object of our faith is Christ crucified; in that we say, that a saving faith is a fiduciall assent, and that we say, faith doth receive and unite to Christ, and so we are justified by Christ, and reject their conceits, concerning faith, being a bare assent, and that they say it doth justify dispositively, helping to introduce the habit of charitie, and we do not attribute merit to faith as it justifies.
Our Divines have affirm'd that faith doth justify instrumentally, and relatively: this Mr. Eyre, Dr. Hammond, and Mr. Baxter dislike: but the doctrine is sound, and the terme is Orthodoxe, instrumentally, how? as a spirituall bond uniting to Christ, so Joh. 1. 12. we are so in Christ, and then hee is ours; we have union with him by faith, and then communion, and interest in his m…rits, so Rom. 8. 1. Phil: 3. 9. yet they say that it justifies us with respect to Christ, resting on his death, and so relatively, if you will, (i. e.) it engraffs into Christ, and embraceth, and applieth him, it seeketh justification in Christ alone, and Mr. Baxters reason against this doctrine is not of any force; for God by faith doth ingraffe us into Christ, and we by faith put on Christ, and so we are justified: And so it is Gods instrument, and it is the spirituall bond of our union with Christ; and yet we denie it not to be a condition required in the Court of the Gospell: but it is both a condition required, and the spirituall bond receiving Christ. Repentance is also a condition required in the Court of the Gospell, yet that is not the spiritual bond; and faith and repentance are not our Evengelicall righteousness: so then faith in the matter of justification is to be taken subjectively, and it is a fiduciall assent, and it doth justifie us, being the spiritual bond that doth ingrasse us into Christ. Yet it is not our Evangelicall righteousness.
2. Mr. Eyre goes on, and affirms, that justification is an immanent act of God, (i. e.) it is his decree not to punish such men. Here we grant that God before the world was made, did intend to justifie such men, but we denie that this decree of God is justification. God did intend to save his Elect in and through Christ, nor did God intend to save them but in and through Christ, and Christ is the cause of all the good things that concerne their salvation. And so wee say that God did intend not to punish them eternally in hell, but to redeeme them by Christ, to call them, to justifie, and to glorifie them, but the decree of justification is not justification it selfe, no more then the decree of glorification is glorification it selfe. Justification is the juridicall act of God in the Court of mercy, imparting remission of sins to believers.
3. Mr. Eyre adds, that justification is taken, pro re volita, for the thing wiled, so we have discharge from the law by Christs death, and we grant through Christ we obtaine remission of sins and deliverance from the curse of the law, and from hell, yet we have not this bestowed on us till we we believe. Christ pai'd the price of our redemption, and that redemption is in Christ. Rom. 3. 24. but he is a propritation set forth to us through faith in his blood. Christ did then obtaine redemption for us by paying the price, yet we are under the curse of the law, and condemned in the Gospell, till we believe, when we believe, the curse of the law is taken off, and we are justified in the Court of the Gospell.
Mr. Eyre saith, that justification is taken for the declared sentence of absolution, and forgiveness, and so God is said to justifie when he declares it, and that is done more generally to all the elect, more particularly to individualls in the word, and in Gods works. 1. In his word, the Gospell being an absolute promise, so God declares it to the elect
2. In his works; in laying our sins on Christ, and in discharging Christ at the resurrection, and also in declaring it in foro Ecclesiae, in the Church, by the use of his Ordinances, and inwardly in the conscience, and at last before the whole world: thus Mr. Eyre.
We confesse that justification is the act of God, in the Court of mercy, it is the sentence of the Gospell doth absolve us; and the Sacraments set this forth, and seale it up, but this is justification it selfe, the justification mentioned in the Scripture, and justification before God, the Gospell doth not declare this to any in absolute promises. The sentence of the Gospell is, He that believeth shall be saved. Christs death and passion is presupposed, for Christs merits the Court of the Gospell is set up, and through his redemption the believer is pardoned. Christ then paid the price of our redemption and at his resurrection had a full discharge so far as concern'd the office of Mediator, yet the Court set up must passe on according to the sentence. He that believeth not shall be damned. He that beliveth shall not be condemned.
In the close compare all together, you take faith objectively, and yet you say that it doth justifie declaratively in our conscience, by evidencing it to us when we believe: these things do not accord, for you take it objectively, and subjectively too; you say, and unsay, and contradict your selfe: thus are men of parts, and learning intangled when they leave the truth.
S. 4. But to make all more plaine, I will yet with convenient brevitie add a few words more, and then proceed to the dispute.
1. The word Justifie is to be taken juridicè, for a juridicall act of God, the word faith is to be taken subjectively, for our believing in Christ; the faith in us is to be, not only a dogmaticall faith, or a bare assent of the understanding, but a fiduci…all assent, or an affi…nce placed on Christ; yet all justifying faith is not a full perswasion that our sins are forgiven, strong faith hath this certainty of evidence; yet that faith that adheres to Christ is a saving faith: and we say that we are justified by faith, not as the meritorious cause, but because faith doth unite to Christ, by whose righteousnesse we are just…fied, and because faith is a condition required in the Court of the Gospel; yet the foreign credere, the believing is not imputed for the fulfilling of the Law, nor is it our Evangelicall righteousensse: but we are justified by faith, because faith receiveth and uniteth to Christ, and because they that are in Christ are freed from condemnation: And though these words, we are justified by faith, cannot be understood so as if it did import our justification in the court of our conscience. yet it is true that faith doth evidence this to the consciences of the godly; so that I cannot joyne with those that say that faith doth not evidence this to the conscience, yet I must with them affirme, that whereas the Scripture doth mention our justification by faith, it cannot be so understood. We are justified before God, by faith in Christ, and yet faith growing strong doth evidence this to the conscience, but that is not called justification, but peace, joy, inward sealing, …asting how good the Lord is.
I come now to lay downe, and to assert these positions.
1. Justification by faith is not an immanent, and eternall act of God.
2. Faith in the point of juctification is not to be taken objectively but subjectively.
3. We are not justified ever since Christs resurrection.
4. We are not justified before faith, or without faith.
5. Faith and repentance though they are conditions required in the Court of the Gospell, yet they are not our Evangelicall righteousness, nor are we justified by our works that are from obedience of faith.