Paræus de Just. Cont. Bell. L. 2. C. 7. P. 469.This is so manifest and apparent, that Paræus, a chief Protestant, and a Calvinist also in his Opinion, acknowledges this; “We never at any Time said,” saith he, “nor thought, that the Righteousness of Christ was imputed to us, that by him we should be named formally just, and not be so, as we have divers Times already shewed; for that would no less soundly fight with right Reason, than if a guilty Man absolved in Judgment should say, That he himself was formally just by the Clemency of the judge granting him his Life.” Now is it not strange, that Men should be so facile in a Matter of so great Concernment, as to build the Stress of their Acceptance with God upon a mere borrowed and metaphorical Signification, to the excluding, or at least esteeming that not necessary, without which the Scripture saith expresly, No Man shall ever see God? Holiness required; therefore good Works are.For if Holiness be requisite and necessary, of which this is said, then must good Works also; unless our Adversaries can shew us an holy Man without good Works. But, moreover, [justified] in this figurative Sense is used for approved; and indeed for the most Part, if not always in Scripture, when the Word [justify] is used, it is taken in the worst Part; that is, that as the Use of the Word that way is an Usurpation, so it is spoken of such as usurp the Thing to themselves, while it properly doth not belong unto them; as will appear to those that will be at the Pains to examine these Places. Exod. xxiii. 7. Job ix. 20. & xxvii. 5. Prov. xvii. 15. Isa. v. 23. Jer. iii. 11. Ezek. xvi. 51, 52. Luke x. 29. & xvi. 15. which are all spoken of Men justifying the Wicked, or of wicked Men justifying themselves; that is, approving themselves in their Wickedness. If it be at any Time in this Signification taken in good Part, it is very seldom, and that so obvious and plain by the Context, as leaves no Scruple. But the Question is not so much of the Use of the Word, where it is passingly or occasionally used, as where the very Doctrine of Justification is handled. Where indeed to mistake it, viz. in its proper Place, so as to content ourselves with an imaginary Justification, while God requires a real, is of most dangerous Consequence. For the Disquisition of which let it be considered, that in all these Places to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, and elsewhere, where the Apostle handles this Theme, the Word may be taken in its own proper Signification without any Absurdity. As, where it is often asserted in the above-mentioned Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, Justified, in its proper Signification.That a Man cannot be justified by the Law of Moses, nor by the Works of the Law; there is no Absurdity nor Danger in understanding it according to its own proper Signification, to wit, that a Man cannot be made just by the Law of Moses; seeing this so well agrees with that Saying of the same Apostle, That the Law makes nothing perfect. And also where it is said, We are justified by Faith, it may be very well understood of being made just; seeing it is also said, That Faith purifies the Heart; and no Doubt the pure in Heart are just; and the Just live by Faith. Again, where it is said, We are justified by Grace, we are justified by Christ, we are justified by the Spirit; it is no ways absurd to understand it of being made just, seeing by his Spirit and Grace he doth make Men just. But to understand it universally the other Way, merely for Acceptance and Imputation, would infer great Absurdities, as may be proved at large; but because I judged it would be acknowledged, I forbear at present for Brevity’s Sake. But further, in the most weighty Places where this Word justify is used in Scripture, with an immediate Relation to the Doctrine of Justification, Justification signifies a making just.our Adversaries must needs acknowledge it to be understood of making just, and not barely in the legal Acceptation: As First, in that of 1 Cor. vi. 11. But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, as I before have proved; which also many Protestants are forced to acknowledge. Thysius Disp. de Just. Thes. 3.“Neither diffide we,” saith Thysius, “because of the most great and strict Connexion, that Justification doth sometimes seem also to comprehend Sanctification as a Consequence, as in Rom. viii. 30. Tit. iii. 7. 1 Cor. vi. 11. And such sometimes were ye, but ye are washed, &c.” Zanchius, having spoken concerning this Sense of Justification, adds, saying, Zanchius in C. P. 2. ad Eph. V. 4. Loc. de Just.“There is another Signification of the Word, viz. for a Man from unjust to be made just, even as sanctified signifies from unholy to be made holy: In which Signification the Apostle said, in the Place above-cited, And such were some of you, &c. that is, of unclean ye are made holy, and of unjust ye are made just by the Holy Spirit, for Christ’s Sake, in whom ye have believed. Of this Signification is that, Rev. xxii. 11. Let him that is just, be just still; that is, really from just become more just, even as from unjust he became just. And according to this Signification the Fathers, and especially Augustine, have interpreted this Word.” H. Bulling.Thus far he. H. Bullinger, on the same Place, 1 Cor. vi. speaketh thus; “By divers Words,” saith he, “the Apostle signifies the same Thing, when he saith, Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified.”
Proof 2.Secondly, In that excellent Saying of the Apostle, so much observed, Rom. viii. 30. Whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified: This is commonly called the Golden Chain, as being acknowledged to comprehend the Method and Order of Salvation. And therefore, if [Justified] were not understood here in its proper Signification of being made just, Sanctification would be excluded out of this Chain. And truly it is very worthy of Observation, that the Apostle, in this succinct and compendious Account, makes the Word [Justified] to comprehend all betwixt Calling and Glorifying; Righteousness, the only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification.thereby clearly insinuating, that the being really Righteous, is that only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification. Almost all do acknowledge the Word to be so taken in this Place; and not only so, but most of those who oppose are forced to acknowledge, that as this is the most proper, so the most common Signification of it: Thus divers famous Protestants acknowledge. D. Cham. Tom. 3. de Sanct. L. 10. P. 1.“We are not,” saith D. Chamierus, “such impertinent Esteemers of Words, as to be ignorant, nor yet such importunate Sophists, as to deny that the Words Justification and Sanctification do infer one another; yea, we know that the Saints are chiefly for this Reason so called, because that in Christ they have received Remission of Sins: And we read in the Revelations, Let him that is just, be just still; which cannot be understood, except of the Fruit of inherent Righteousness. Nor do we deny, but perhaps in other Places they may be promiscuously taken, especially by the Fathers.” Beza in C. 3. ad Tit. Ver. 7.“I take,” saith Beza, “the Name of Justification largely, so as it comprehends whatsoever we acquire from Christ, as well by Imputation, as by the Efficacy of the Spirit in sanctifying us. So likewise is the Word Justification taken, Rom. viii. 30.” Melanct. in Apol. Conf. Aug.Melancthon saith, “That to be justified by Faith, signifies in Scripture not only to be pronounced just, but also of unrighteous to be made righteous.” Also some chief Protestants, though not so clearly, yet in Part, hinted at our Doctrine, whereby we ascribe unto the Death of Christ Remission of Sins, and the Work of Justification unto the Grace of the Spirit acquired by his Death. Boræus, in Gen. C. 15. Credidit Abraham. Deo, P. 161.Martinus Boræus, explaining that Place of the Apostle, Rom. iv. 25. Who was given for our Sins, and rose again for our Justification, saith: “There are two Things beheld in Christ, which are necessary to our Justification; the one is his Death, the other is his arising from the Dead. By his Death, the Sins of this World behoved to be expiated: By his Rising from the Dead, it pleased the same Goodness of God to give the Holy Spirit, whereby both the Gospel is believed, and the Righteousness, lost by the Fault of the first Adam, is restored.” And afterwards he saith; “The Apostle expresseth both Parts in these Words, Who was given for our Sins, &c. in his Death is beheld the Satisfaction for Sin; in his Resurrection, the Gift of the Holy Spirit, by which our Justification is perfected.” Idem Lib. 3. Reg. Cap. 9. V. 4. P. 681.And again, the same Man saith elsewhere; “Both these Kinds of Righteousness are therefore contained in Justification, neither can the one be separate from the other. So that in the Definition of Justification, the Merit of the Blood of Christ is included, both with the Remission of Sins, and with the Gift of the Holy Spirit of Justification and Regeneration.” Bucerus, in Rom. 4. ad Ver. 16.Martinus Bucerus saith; “Seeing by one Sin of Adam the World was lost, the Grace of Christ hath not only abolished that one Sin, and Death which came by it; but hath together taken away those infinite Sins, and also led into full Justification as many as are of Christ; so that God now not only remits unto them Adam’s Sin, and their own, but also gives them therewith the Spirit of a solid and perfect Righteousness, which renders us conform unto the Image of the First-begotten.” Righteousness, a Conformity to the Image of the First-begotten.And upon these Words [by Jesus Christ] he saith; “We always judge that the whole Benefit of Christ tends to this, that we might be strong through the Gift of Righteousness, being rightly and orderly adorned with all Virtue, that is, restored to the Image of God.” W. Forbes in Consider. Modest. de Just. Lib. 2. Sect. 8.And lastly, William Forbes our Countryman, Bishop of Edinburgh, saith; “Whensoever the Scripture makes Mention of the Justification before God, as speaketh Paul, and from him (besides others) Augustine, it appears that the Word [justify] necessarily signifies not only to pronounce just in a Law Sense, but also really and inherently to make just; because that God doth justify a wicked Man otherwise than earthly Judges. How God justifies the Wicked.For he, when he justifies a wicked or unjust Man, doth indeed pronounce him as these also do; but by pronouncing him just, because his Judgment is according to Truth, he also makes him really of unjust to become just.” And again, the same Man, upon the same Occasion, answering the more rigid Protestants, who say, That God first justifies, and then makes just; he adds: “But let them have a Care, lest by too great and empty Subtilty, unknown both to the Scriptures and the Fathers, they lessen and diminish the Weight and Dignity of so great and divine a Benefit, so much celebrated in the Scripture, to wit, Justification of the Wicked. For if to the formal Reason of Justification of the Ungodly doth not at all belong his Justification (so to speak) i. e. his being made righteous, then in the Justification of a Sinner, although he be justified, yet the Stain of Sin is not taken away, but remains the same in his Soul as before Justification: And so, notwithstanding the Benefit of Justification, he remains as before, unjust and a Sinner; and nothing is taken away, but the Guilt and Obligation to Pain, and the Offence and Enmity of God through Non-imputation. But both the Scriptures and Fathers do affirm, That in the Justification of a Sinner, their Sins are not only remitted, forgiven, covered, not imputed, but also taken away, blotted out, cleansed, washed, purged, and very far removed from us, as appears from many Places of the holy Scriptures.” The same Forbes shews us at length, in the following Chapter, That this was the confessed Judgment of the Fathers, out of the Writings of those who hold the contrary Opinion; some whereof, out of him, I shall note. Calv. Inst. L. 3. C. 11. Sect. 15.As, first, Calvin saith, “That the Judgment of Augustine, or at least his Manner of speaking, is not throughout to be received; who although he took from Man all Praise of Righteousness, and ascribed all to the Grace of God, yet he refers Grace to Sanctification, by which we are regenerate through the Spirit unto Newness of Life.” Chemnit. in Exam. Conc. Trid. de Just. P. 129.Chemnitius saith, “That they do not deny, but that the Fathers take the Word [justify] for renewing, by which Works of Righteousness are wrought in us by the Spirit.” And P. 130. “I am not ignorant, that the Fathers indeed often use the Word [justify] in this Signification, to wit, of making just.” Zanchius in C. 2. ad Ep. Ver. 4. Loc. de Just. Thes. 13.Zanchius saith, “That the Fathers, and chiefly Augustine, interpret the Word [justify] according to this Signification, to wit, of making just; so that, according to them, to be justified was no other than of unjust to be made just, through the Grace of God for Christ.” He mentioneth more, but this may suffice to our Purpose.
§. VIII.
Proof 2.Secondly, That it is by this Revelation of Jesus Christ, and the new Creation in us, that we are justified, doth evidently appear from that excellent Saying of the Apostle included in the Proposition itself, Tit. iii. 5. According to his Mercy he hath saved us, by the Washing of Regeneration, and Renewing of the Holy Ghost, &c. Now that whereby we are saved, that we are also no Doubt justified by; which Words are in this Respect synonymous. The immediate Cause of Justification is the inward Work of Regeneration.Here the Apostle clearly ascribes the immediate Cause of Justification to this inward Work of Regeneration, which is Jesus Christ revealed in the Soul, as being that which formally states us in a Capacity of being reconciled with God; the Washing or Regeneration being that inward Power and Virtue, whereby the Soul is cleansed, and clothed with the Righteousness of Christ, so as to be made fit to appear before God.
Proof 3.Thirdly, This Doctrine is manifest from 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Examine your own selves, whether ye be in the Faith; prove your own selves: Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be Reprobates? First, It appears here how earnest the Apostle was that they should know Christ in them; so that he presses this Exhortation upon them, and inculcates it three Times. The Cause of Reprobation is Christ not known by inward Revelation.Secondly, He makes the Cause of Reprobation, or Not-justification, the Want of Christ thus revealed and known in the Soul: Whereby it necessarily follows, by the Rule of Contraries, where the Parity is alike (as in this Case it is evident) that, where Christ is inwardly known, there the Persons subjected to him are approved and justified. For there can be nothing more plain than this, That if we must know Christ in us, except we be Reprobates, or unjustified Persons; if we know him in us, we are not Reprobates, and consequently justified ones. Like unto this is that other Saying of the same Apostle, Gal. iv. 19. My little Children, of whom I travail in Birth again, until Christ be formed in you; and therefore the Apostle terms this, Christ within, the Hope of Glory, Col. i. 27, 28. Now that which is the Hope of Glory, can be no other than that which we immediately and most nearly rely upon for our Justification, and that whereby we are really and truly made just. And as we do not hereby deny, but the original and fundamental Cause of our Justification is the Love of God manifested in the Appearance of Jesus Christ in the Flesh, Christ by his Death and Sufferings has opened a Way for our Reconciliation.who by his Life, Death, Sufferings, and Obedience, made a Way for our Reconciliation, and became a Sacrifice for the Remission of Sins that are past, and purchased unto us this Seed and Grace, from which this Birth arises, and in which Jesus Christ is inwardly received, formed, and brought forth in us, in his own pure and holy Image of Righteousness, by which our Souls live unto God, and are clothed with him, and have put him on, even as the Scripture speaks, Ephes. iv. 23, 24. Gal. iii. 27. we stand justified and saved in and by him, and by his Spirit and Grace, Rom. iii. 24. 1 Cor. vi. 11. Tit. iii. 7. So again, reciprocally, we are hereby made Partakers of the Fulness of his Merits, and his cleansing Blood is near, to wash away every Sin and Infirmity, and to heal all our Backslidings, as often as we turn towards him by unfeigned Repentance, and become renewed by his Spirit. Those then that find him thus raised, and ruling in them, have a true Ground of Hope to believe that they are justified by his Blood. But let not any deceive themselves, so as to foster themselves in a vain Hope and Confidence, that by the Death and Sufferings of Christ they are justified, so long as Sin lies at their Door, Gen. iv. 7. Iniquity prevails, and they remain yet unrenewed and unregenerate; lest it be said unto them, I know you not. Let that Saying of Christ be remembered, Not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter, but he that doth the Will of my Father, Matt. vii. 21. To which let these excellent Sayings of the beloved Disciple be added; Little Children, let no Man deceive you; he that doth Righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth Sin is of the Devil; because if our Heart condemn us, God is greater than our Heart, and knoweth all Things, 1 John iii. 7. & 20.
Many famous Protestants bear Witness to this inward Justification by Christ inwardly revealed and formed in Man. Boræus in Gen. P. 162.As M. Boræus: “In the Imputation,” saith he, “wherein Christ is ascribed and imputed to Believers for Righteousness, the Merit of his Blood, and the Holy Ghost given unto us by Virtue of his Merits, are equally included. The Testimonies of famous Protestants of inward Justification.And so it shall be confessed, That Christ is our Righteousness, as well from his Merit, Satisfaction, and Remission of Sins obtained by him, as from the Gifts of the Spirit of Righteousness. And if we do this, we shall consider the whole Christ proposed to us for our Salvation, and not any single Part of him.” The same Man, P. 169. “In our justification then Christ is considered, who breathes and lives in us, to wit, by his Spirit put on by us; concerning which putting on the Apostle saith, Ye have put on Christ.” And again, P. 171. “We endeavour to treat in Justification, not of Part of Christ, but him wholly, in so far as he is our Righteousness every Way.” And a little after: “As then blessed Paul, in our Justification, when he saith, Whom he justified, them he glorified, comprehends all Things which pertain to our being reconciled to God the Father, and our Renewing, which fits us for attaining unto Glory, such as Faith, Righteousness, Christ, and the Gift of Righteousness exhibited by him, whereby we are regenerated, to the fulfilling of the Justification which the Law requires; so we also will have all Things comprehended in this Cause, which are contained in the Recovery of Righteousness and Innocency.” And P. 181. “The Form,” saith he, “of our Justification is the divine Righteousness itself, by which we are formed just and good. This is Jesus Christ, who is esteemed our Righteousness, partly from the Forgiveness of Sins, and partly from the Renewing and the Restoring of that Integrity, which was lost by the Fault of the first Adam: So that this new and heavenly Adam being put on by us, of which the Apostle saith, Ye have put on Christ, ye have put him on, I say, as the Form, so the Righteousness, Wisdom, and Life of God.” Inuncunas.So also affirmeth Claudius Albertus Inuncanus, see his Orat. Apodict. Lausaniæ Excus. 1587. Orat. 2. P. 86, 87. Zuinglius.Zuinglius also, in his Epistle to the Princes of Germany, as cited by Himelius, C. 7. P. 60. saith, “That the Sanctification of the Spirit is true Justification, which alone suffices to justify.” Estius.Estius upon 1 Cor. vi. 11. saith, “Lest Christian Righteousness should be thought to consist in the Washing alone, that is, in the Remission of Sins, he addeth the other Degree or Part, [but ye are sanctified] that is, ye have attained to Purity, so that ye are now truly holy before God. Lastly, Expressing the Sum of the Benefit received in one Word, which includes both the Parts, But ye are justified (the Apostle adds) in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, by his Merits, and in the Spirit of our God, that is, the Holy Spirit proceeding from God, and communicated to us by Christ.” R. Baxter.And lastly, Richard Baxter, a famous English Preacher, in his Book called Aphorisms of Justification, P. 80. saith, “That some ignorant Wretches gnash their Teeth at this Doctrine, as if it were flat Popery, not understanding the Nature of the Righteousness of the new Covenant; which is all out of Christ in ourselves, though wrought by the Power of the Spirit of Christ in us.”
§. IX.
Object.But if it be queried, Whether we have not said, or will not affirm, that a Man is justified by Works?
Answ.I answer; I hope none need, neither ought to take Offence, if in this Matter we use the plain Language of the holy Scripture, which faith expresly in answer hereunto, James ii. 24. That Works are necessary to Justification.Ye see then how that by Works a Man is justified, and not by Faith only. I shall not offer to prove the Truth of this Saying, since what is said in this Chapter by the Apostle is sufficient to convince any Man that will read and believe it; I shall only from this derive this one Argument.
Arg.If no Man can be justified without Faith, and no Faith be living, nor yet available to Justification without Works, then Works are necessary to Justification: