An Apology for the True Christian Divinity / Being an explanation and vindication of the principles and doctrines of the people called Quakers

by Robert Barclay

But the first is true: Therefore also the last.

For this Truth is so apparent and evident in the Scriptures, that for the Proof of it we might transcribe most of the Precepts of the Gospel. I shall instance a few, which of themselves do so clearly assert the Thing in Question, that they need no Commentary, nor farther Demonstration. And then I shall answer the Objections made against this, which indeed are the Arguments used for the contrary Opinion, Heb. xii. 14. Without Holiness no Man shall see God. Matt. vii. 21. Not the Sayers, but the Doers are blessed.Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven. John xiii. 7. If ye know these Things, happy are ye if ye do them. 1 Cor. vii. 19. Circumcision is nothing, and Uncircumcision is nothing, but the Keeping of the Commandments of God. Rev. xxii. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have Right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the Gates into the City: And many more that might be instanced. From all which I thus argue:

Arg.If those only can enter into the Kingdom that do the Will of the Father; if those be accounted only the wise Builders and happy that do the Sayings of Christ; if no Observations avail, but only the Keeping of the Commandments; and if they be blessed that do the Commandments, and thereby have Right to the Tree of Life, and Entrance through the Gates into the City; then Works are absolutely necessary to Salvation and Justification:

But the first is true: And therefore also the last.

The Consequence of the Antecedent is so clear and evident, that I think no Man of sound Reason will call for a Proof of it.

§. X.

Answ.Answer; As to God we are indeed unprofitable, for he needeth nothing, God needeth nothing.neither can we add any Thing unto him: But as to ourselves, we are not unprofitable; else it might be said, that it is not profitable for a Man to keep God’s Commandments; which is most absurd, and would contradict Christ’s Doctrine throughout. Doth not Christ, Matt. v. through all those Beatitudes, pronounce Men blessed for their Purity, for their Meekness, for their Peaceableness, &c? And is not then that for which Christ pronounceth Men blessed, profitable unto them? Moreover, Matt. xxv. 21, 23. Those that had improved their Talents, were called good and faithful Servants.Doth not Christ pronounce the Men good and faithful Servants that improved their Talents? Was not their doing of that then profitable unto them? And Ver. 30. it is said of him that hid his Talent, and did not improve it, Cast ye the unprofitable Servant into utter Darkness. If then not improving of the Talent made the Man unprofitable, and he was therefore cast into utter Darkness, it will follow by the Rule of Contraries, so far at least that the Improving made the other profitable; seeing, if our Adversaries will allow us to believe Christ’s Words, this is made a Reason, and so at least a Cause instrumental of their Acceptance; Well done, good and faithful Servant, thou hast been faithful over a few Things, I will make thee Ruler over many Things; enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord.

Obj. 2.Secondly, They object those Sayings of the Apostle, where he excludes the Deeds of the Law from Justification; as first, Rom. iii. 20. Because by the Deeds of the Law there shall be no Flesh justified in his Sight. And Ver. 28. Therefore we conclude, that a Man is justified by Faith, without the Deeds of the Law.

Answ. 1..Answ. We have shewn already what Place we give to Works, even to the best of Works, in Justification; and how we ascribe its immediate and formal Cause to the Worker brought forth in us, but not to the Works. But in answer to this Objection, I say, there is a great Difference betwixt the Works of the Law, and those of Grace, or of the Gospel. The Works of the Gospel or Grace distinguished from those of the Law.The first are excluded, the second not, but are necessary. The first are those which are performed in Man’s own Will, and by his Strength, in a Conformity to the outward Law and Letter; and therefore are Man’s own imperfect Works, or Works of the Law, which makes nothing perfect: And to this belong all the Ceremonies, Purifications, Washings, and Traditions of the Jews. The second are the Works of the Spirit of Grace in the Heart, wrought in Conformity to the inward and spiritual Law; which Works are not wrought in Man’s Will, nor by his Power and Ability, but in and by the Power and Spirit of Christ in us, and therefore are pure and perfect in their Kind (as shall hereafter be proved) and may be called Christ’s Works, for that he is the immediate Author and Worker of them: Such Works we affirm absolutely necessary to Justification, so that a Man cannot be justified without them; and all Faith without them is dead and useless, as the Apostle James saith. Now, that such a Distinction is to be admitted, and that the Works excluded by the Apostle in the Matter of Justification are of the first Kind, will appear, if we consider the Occasion of the Apostle’s mentioning this, as well here, as throughout his Epistle to the Galatians, where he speaks of this Matter and to this Purpose at large: Which was this, That whereas many of the Gentiles that were not of the Race or Seed of Abraham, as concerning the Flesh, were come to be converted to the Christian Faith, and to believe in him, some of those, that were of the Jewish Proselytes, thought to subject the faithful and believing Gentiles to the legal Ceremonies and Observations, as necessary to their Justification: The Occasion of the Apostle’s speaking of the Works of the Law, which are excluded.This gave the Apostle Paul Occasion at length, in his Epistle to the Romans, Galatians, and elsewhere, to shew the Use and Tendency of the Law, and of its Works, and to contra-distinguish them from the Faith of Christ, and the Righteousness thereof; shewing how the former was ceased and become ineffectual, the other remaining, and yet necessary. And that the Works excluded by the Apostle are of this Kind of Works of the Law, appears by the whole Strain of his Epistle to the Galatians, Chap. i, ii, iii, and iv. For after, in Chap. iv. he upbraideth them for their Returning unto the Observation of Days and Times, and that, in the Beginning of Chap. v. he sheweth them their Folly, and the evil Consequence of adhering to the Ceremonies of Circumcision, then he adds, Ver. 6. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth, but Faith, which worketh by Love; and thus he concludes again, Chap. vi. Ver. 15. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth, nor Uncircumcision, but a new Creature. From which Places appeareth that Distinction of Works before-mentioned, whereof the one is excluded, the other necessary to Justification. For the Apostle sheweth here, that Circumcision (which Word is often used to comprehend the whole Ceremonies and legal Performances of the Jews) is not necessary, nor doth avail. Here then are the Works which are excluded, by which no Man is justified; but Faith, which worketh by Love, but the new Creature, this is that which availeth, which is absolutely necessary: For Faith, that worketh by Love, cannot be without Works; for, as it is said in the same 5th Chapter, Ver. 22. Love is a Work of the Spirit; also the new Creature, if it avail and be necessary, cannot be without Works; seeing it is natural for it to bring forth Works of Righteousness. Again, that the Apostle no Ways intends to exclude such good Works appears, in that in the same Epistle he exhorts the Galatians to them, and holds forth the Usefulness and Necessity of them, and that very plainly, Chap. vi. Ver. 7, 8, 9. The Usefulness and Necessity of good Works.Be not deceived, saith he, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a Man soweth, that shall he also reap: For he that soweth to the Flesh, shall of the Flesh reap Corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap Life everlasting. And let us not be weary of Well-doing, for in due Season we shall reap, if we faint not: Doth it not hereby appear, how necessary the Apostle would have the Galatians know that he esteemed good Works to be? To wit, not the outward Ceremonies and Traditions of the Law, but the Fruits of the Spirit, mentioned a little before; by which Spirit he would have them to be led, and walk in those good Works: As also, how much he ascribed to these good Works, by which he affirms Life everlasting is reaped. Now, that cannot be useless to Man’s Justification, which capacitates him to reap so rich an Harvest.