The Mystery of the Gospel Vindicated and Socinianism Examined, Commentary on text · Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII.
Of Iustification and Faith.
THIS Chapter, for the Title and Subject of it, would require §. 1.a large & serious consideration; But by M. Biddles loose procedure in this businesse, (whom only I shall now attend) we are absolved from any strict inquiry into the whole Doctrine that is concerned herein. Some briefe Animadversions upon his Questions, and suiting of Answers to them, will be all that I shall go forth unto. His first is,
Q. How many sorts of Iustification or Righteousnesse are there?
This Question supposeth Righteousnesse and Justification to be the same: which is a grosse notion for a Master of Arts. Righteousnesse is that which God requires of u…, Justification is his Act concerning man, considered as vested or induced with that Righteousnesse which he requires: Righteousnesse is the Qualification of the person to be Justifyed; Justification the Act of him that Justifies. A mans legall honesty in his tryall, is not the sentence of the Judge pronouncing him so to be, to all ends and purposes of that honesty. But to his Question M. B. answers from Rom. 10. 5. the Righteousnesse which is of the Law, and Phil. 3. 9. The Righteousnesse which is of God by Faith.
It is true, there is this twofold Righteousnesse that men may §. 3.be partakers of, a Righteousnes consisting in exact, perfect & compleat obedience yeilded to the Law, which God required of man under the Covenant of workes, and the Righteousnesse which is of God by Faith, of which afterwards: Answerable hereunto there is, hath been, or may be, a twofold Justification: the one consisting in Gods declaration of him, who performes all that he requires in the Law, to be Just and Righteous, and his acceptation of him according to the Promise of Life, which he annexed to the obedience, which of man he did require. And the other Answers that Righteousnesse which shall afterward be described. Now though these two Righteousnesses agree in their generall end, which is Acceptation with God, and a reward from him, according to his Promise, yet in their own natures, causes, and manner of attaining, they are altogether inconsistent & destructive of each other; So that it is utterly impossible they should ever meet in and upon the same person.
For the description of the first, M. B. gives it in answer to §. 4.this Question.
How is the Righteousnesse which is of the Law described?
Ans. Moses describeth the Righteousnesse which is of the Law, that the man that doth these things shall live by them, Rom. 10. 5.
This description is full and compleat. The doing of the things of the Law, or all the things the law requireth, to this end that a man may live by them, or a keeping of the commandements that we may enter into life, make up this Righteousnesse of the Law. And whatsoever any man doth, or may do, that is required by the Law of God, (as believing, trusting in him, and the like,) to this end, that he may live thereby, that it may be his Righteousnesse towards God, that thereupon he may be Justifyed, it belongs to this Righteousnesse of the Law here described by Moses. I say whatever is performed by man in Obedience to any Law of God to this end, that a man may live thereby, and that it may be the mater of his Righteousnesse, it belongs to the Righteousnesse here described: and of this we may have some use, in the consideration of M. B's ensuing Queries. He addes,§. 5.
What speaketh the Righteousnesse which is of Faith?
A. Ro. 10. 8, 9. The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that is, the word which we preach, that if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
The Object of Justifying Faith, namely, Iesus Christ as dying, and rising againe from the dead to the obtaining of Eternall Redemption, and bringing in Everlasting righteousnesse, is in these words described. And this is that which the Righteousnesse of Faith is said to speake; because Christ dying and rising is our Righteousnesse. He is made so to us of God, and being under the consideration of his death, and Resurrection received of us by Faith, we are Justifyed.
His next question is,
In the Iustification of a Believer is the Righteousnesse of Christ imputed §. 6.to him, or is his own Faith counted for Righteousnesse?
Ans. Rom. 4. 5. His Faith is counted for Righteousnesse.
What M. B. intends by Faith, and what by accounting of it for Righteousnesse, we know full well. The Iustification he intends by these expressions is the plaine old Pharisaicall Justification, and no other: as shall elsewhere be abundantly manifested. For the present, I shall only say, that M. Biddle doth most ignorantly oppose the imputing of the Righteousnesse of Christ to us, and the accounting of our Faith for Righteousnesse, as inconsistent. It is the accounting of our Faith for Righteousnesse, and the Righteousnesse of workes that is opposed by the Apostle. The Righteousnesse of Faith, and the Righteousnesse of Christ are every way one and the same; the one denoting that whereby we receive it, and are made partakers of it, the other that which is received, and whereby we are Justifyed. And indeed there is a perfect inconsistency between the Apostles intention in this expression, to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly, his Faith is accounted to him for Righteousnesse, taken with his explication of it, that we are made partakers of the Righteousnesse of Christ by Faith, & therein he is made Righteousnesse to them that believe, with M. B's interpretation of it, which is (as shall be farther manifested) to him that worketh and believes on him, that Justifies the righteous his obedience is his righteousnesse. But of this elswhere.
The next Question and Answer is about Abraham and his §. 7.Justification, which being but an instance exemplifying what was spoken before, I shall not need to insist thereon. Of his believing on God only, our believing on Christ, which is also mentioned, I have spoken already, and shall not trouble the Reader with repetition thereof.
But he farther argues.§. 8.
Doth not God justifie men because of the full price Christ payd to him in their stead, so that he abated nothing of his right, in that one drop of Christs blood was sufficient to satiisfy for a thousand worlds? if not, how are they Saved?
Ans, Being Justifyed freely, Rom. 3. 24. Eph. 1. 17.
That Christ did pay a full price, or ransome for us that he did stand in our stead, that he was not bated any jot of the penalty of the Law, that was due to sinners, that on this account we are fully acquitted, and that the forgivenesse of our sinnes is by the Redemption that is in his blood, hath been already fully and at large evinced; Let M. B. if he please, attempt to evert what hath been spoken to that purpose.
The expression about one drop of Christs blood is a fancy, or imagination §. 9.of idle Monkes, men ignorant of the Righteousnesse of God, and the whole nature of the mediation which our blessed Saviour undertook; wherein they have not the least communion. The close of the Chapter is?
Did not Christ merit Eternall life and purchase the kingdome of Heaven §. 10.for us?
Ans. The gift of God is Eternall Life, Rom. 6. 23. It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome, Luk. 12. 32.
Eternall life is the gift of God, in opposition to any merit of ours, and in respect of his designation of him, who is eternall Life, to be our Mediatour, and purchaser of it; yet that Christ did not therefore obtain by his blood, for us eternall Redemption Heb. 9. 12. that he did not purchase us to himselfe, Tit. 2. 14. or that the merit of Christ for us, and the free Grace of God unto us, are inconsistent, our Catechist attempts not to prove Of the reconciliation of Gods purpose, and good pleasure, mentioned Luk. 12. 32. with the Satisfaction and merit of the Mediatour, I have spoken also at large already.
I have thus briefely passed through this Chapter, although is treateth of one of the most important heads of our Religion, because (the Lord assisting) I intend the full handling of the Doctrine opposed in it, in a just Treatise to that purpose.