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therefore ought in any wife to be carefully perus'd, before a Man paffes a Judgment upon the Doctrin of this Article.

Now whofoever has read the aforefaid Homily, must have obferv'd, 1. That (in how different Senfes foever the Word may be used in either Scripture or other Writers) yet our Church does in this Homily, and confequently in this Article alfo, by Juftification moft certainly mean being in a State of Favor with God, being accounted righteous before him, having our Sins forgiven, fo that they fhall not be imputed to us. 2. That when our Church condemns the Doctrin of Juftification by Works, fhe does not deny the Neceffity of our living in Obedience to God's Laws, as that without which we cannot poffibly be faved; but she denies, that any Works of ours are strictly good, or have a real Worth of their own, fo as to merit or deferve Remiffion of our Sins upon their own account. 3. That by Faith our Church means not the bare Act of Believing, as feparate from other Inftances of Obedience; but a lively Faith, a Faith that works by Love, and is accompanied with every Branch of Gofpel Holiness. 4. That when fhe afferts and maintains Juftification by Faith, he does not mean, that Faith is of it self meritorious, or can deserve Remiffion of Sins at God's hand; but that we do by Faith lay hold upon the Merits of Chrift, by whom alone our Peace with God is made, and for whofe Sake alone we are juftified. Faith therefore is the Inftrument by which a Man applies to himself the Virtue of Chrift's Sacrifice. And confequently, 5. When the Church teacheth Juftification by Faith only, fhe does in reality mean the very fame, as if fhe had faid, We are juftified by Christ only, that is,

to

to ufe (a) her own Expreffions, We put our Faith in Chrift, that we be justified by him only, that we be justified by God's free Mercy,and the Merits of our Savior Christ only, and by no Virtue and good Works of our own, that is in us, or that we can be able to have, or to do, for to deferve the fame: Chrift himself only being the Caufe meritorious thereof.

From whence it follows, that when Juftification by Faith, is by our Church oppos'd to Juftification by Works, the Word By is used in different Senfes, and confequently the Oppofition is not exact. For Works are by our Adverfaries confider'd as the meritorious Caufe of Juftification, and the Word By expreffes their meritorious Caufality: whereas Faith is not by us confider'd as the meritorious Cause of Juftification (and confequently the Word By does not exprefs their meritorious Caufality) but as the Inftrument by which Chrift's Satisfaction is applied to particular Perfons; and confequently the Word By, when applied to Faith, expreffes (what I may call) the inftrumental Caufality, or the applicatory Caufe of our Juftification. Wherefore, when our Church faies, we are justified by Christ's Merits only, in Oppofition to our Adverfaries, who fay, we are justified by our own Works (in what Meafure or Degree, is another Queftion) there is a direct Oppofition; and then the Word By in both contradictory Oppofitions is ufed in the fame Senfe but not otherwife.

From what has been faid, our Church's Intention and Doctrin about Juftification by Faith are abundantly manifeft, tho' they are unhappily worded. And the Truth is, St. Paul having fpoken fo much of Juftification by Faith, in a Senfe which the Compilers of our Articles and Homilies do not feem

(a) Homily of Salvation, Third Part, near the beginning.

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feem throughly to have understood, occafion'd them, in Oppofition to a moft notorious Falfhood and most pernicious Doctrin of the Papifts, to exprefs the real Truth in the Apostle's own Phrase; but in a Senfe, tho' in no wife contrary to, yet fomewhat different from, what he (as later Writers have evidently fhewn) did moft certainly intend thereby.

These things being premis'd, I proceed to the I Propofitions contain'd in this Article.

The First Propofition. The Reason of it is plain, because (according to what I obferv'd upon the foregoing Article) our own Works are not strictly good. But fee the Second Question of Turretin's Locus Decimus fextus.

The Second Propofition. See the fame Author in the Third Question of the fame Locus. For fince our own Works are excluded in the foregoing Queftion, and there is no Pretence of any other Mediator; therefore we are juftified by Christ only.

The Third Propofition. See the fame Perfon in the Seventh Question of the fame Locus.

The Fourth Propofition is the neceffary Confequence of the other Three. For if the Doctrin of Juftification, as taught in the Homily referr'd to, is proved in the forecited Places of Turretin; 'tis confequently wholfom, because true, and founded on the Holy Scriptures. And it cannot but be full of Comfort alfo, because it affures us of Happiness upon fuch infallible Grounds, as the Malice of Men and Devils can't affect or undermine.

The Reader fhould alfo compare the Fourth Chapter of the Sixth Book of Limborch's Syftem, with those Parts of Turretin which I have juft now referr'd to.

The

The TWELFTH ARTICLE.

A faith,

Of good Works.

LBEIT that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after Juftification, cannot put away our fins, and endure the feverity of God's judgment; get are they pleafing and acceptable to God in Chrift, and do fpring out neceffarily of a true and lively faith, infomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known, as a tree difcerned by the fruit.

This Article contains Four Propofitions.

1. Good Works are the Fruits of Faith, and follow after Juftification.

2. Good Works cannot put away our Sins, and endure the Severity of God's Judgment.

3. Good Works are pleafing and acceptable to God in Christ.

Good Works do fpring out neceffarily of a true and lively Faith, infomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known, as a Trec difcerned by the Fruit.

For the better understanding this Article, the Terms and Diftinctions premised in the Tenth Article must be carefully obferved. It must also be farther noted, 1. That our Church does not allow any Works, which are done before Juftification, to be fo much as imputatively good; as appears from the Thirteenth Article. 2. That by faith, in the former Part of this Article, our Church means a lively faith, as fhe expreffes her felf in the latter Part of it.. That thofe Works which she calls good, meaning that they are imputatively fuch,

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are Works performed in Obedience to God's Commandments. These things being premised,

The First Propofition has Two Branches. First Good Works (that is, Works imputatively good, and perform'd in Obedience to God's Commandments) are the Fruits of Faith. See the Tenth Chapter of the Fifth Book of Limborch's Syftem. Secondly, good Works follow after fuftification, that is, thofe Works or Inftances of Obedience to God's Commandments, which follow after Juftification, are imputatively good. See the Fourth Question of Turretin's Locus Decimus feptimus.

The Second has alfo Two Branches, the laft of which depends on the Firft. Good Works cannot endure the Severity of God's Judgment. That is, Because those Works, which we perform, are not strictly good, tho' they are fpeciously or comparatively fuch; therefore they cannot in themfelves, or upon their own account, or real and intrinsic Worth, endure the Severity of God's Judgment, which muft needs discover and condemn the Imperfection of them. See the Second Question of Turretin's Locus Decimus feptimus. From whence it neceffarily follows, that good Works cannot put away our Sins, or merit our Pardon for former evil Actions. For that which is it self so imperfect, as in its own Nature to need Pardon; can't merit Pardon for fomething else.

The Third Propofition. See the Third Question of Turretin's Locus Decimus feptimus. For God can't be fuppos'd to have made that neccffary to Salvation, which is not pleasing and acceptable to himfelf. And that good Works are pleasing and acceptable to God in Chrift, is evident. Becaufe, fince they cannot of themselves endure the Severity of God's Wrath, they can't be pleafing and accepta

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