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ARTICLE THE ELEVENTH.

Of the Justification of Man.

WE ARE ACCOUNTED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD, ONLY FOR THE MERIT OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, BY FAITH, AND NOT FOR OUR OWN WORKS OR DESERVINGS, WHEREFORE THAT WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH ONLY, IS A MOST WHOLESOME DOCTRINE, AND VERY FULL OF COMFORT, AS MORE LARGELY IS EXPRESSED IN THE HOMILY OF JUSTIFICATION.

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JUSTIFICATION, in the language of Scripture, signifies the being accounted just or righteous in the sight of God; or the being placed in a state of salvation. "When God justifies a man, says Mr. Veneer, "it is by forgiving him his trespasses, and accepting, esteeming, and rewarding him as a righteous person, although he is not really and strictly such. To justify, in the common spiritual notion of it, is to absolve from guilt, to discharge from punishment."

The word justification, or justify, when applied to Christians in the New Testament, always refers to the present life, as in this passage, Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from

wrath

wrath through him (a);" here Justification is spoken of as having already taken place, but Salvation is mentioned as being future; that is, Justification is in this world, Salvation in the next. Justification is the remission of sins here on earth; Salvation is the attainment of happiness in heaven. In this article it is said, "We are accounted righteous," and "We are justified," which are synonymous expressions, both in the present tense, and referring to the present life. And the following article speaks of "Works which follow after Justification," which still more clearly shews that justification refers to the present life.

This article was directed against the Popish doctrine of Human Merit, which our Reformers, with reason, considered as inconsistent with the whole scheme of Redemption through Christ alone, and in particular as striking at the very root of the Christian duty of humility. Let us attend to the words in the Latin, which is much clearer than the English; Tantum propter meritum Domini ac Servatoris nostri Jesu Christi, per Fidem, non propter opera et merita nostra, justi coram Deo reputamur. Observe, that Faith is not opposed to Works, but the merit of Christ is opposed to the merit of our Works—propter meritum Christi-non propter opera et merita

(a) Rom. c. 5. v. 9.

nostra

VOL. II.

[PART III. nostra-and it is per Fidem, not propter Fidem (b). It is here asserted that WE ARE ACCOUNTED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD, ONLY FOR THE MERIT, that is, on account of the merit, OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, BY FAITH, that is, through our faith, AND NOT For, that is, not on account of, OUR OWN WORKS OR Our works never can have any

DESERVINGS.

merit towards procuring pardon of our sins, from their own intrinsic worth; they cannot justify, or tend to justify us. Nor has our faith any merit of this kind; we are not said to be justified propter meritum Fidei or propter Fidem, but per Fidem. The blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the meritorious cause of our justification; but it operates through our faith, faith being the means or condition upon which it has pleased our Almighty Father to offer to his sinful creatures forgiveness of their past offences. And this is the express declaration of Scripture: "The righteousness

(b) Wherever the justification or salvation of man by faith is mentioned in Scripture, the expression is είσει, ἐκ πίσεως, διὰ πίσεως οι διὰ τῆς πίτεως, but never διὰ πίσιν or dià Tãy misw. Vide Rom. c. 1. v. 17. c. 3. v. 22. 28, and 30. Gal. c. 3. v. 3. Eph. c. 2. v. 8. It is well known that dia when it governs a genitive case signifies per, and when it governs an accusative case it signifies propter; that is, in the former case it indicates the means, in the latter the cause.

righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his Grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus (c)." By the faith, which in this passage, and also in our article, is said to justify, we are to understand that lively" faith, which worketh by love (d),” which purifieth the heart, which keepeth the commandments of God. The doctrine of Justification by Faith was maintained by the early Christians: Clement of Rome, after speaking of the Jews, says, "And we also, being called by the same will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, neither by our own wisdom, or knowledge, or piety, or by works which we have done in the holiness of our hearts, but by that faith by which God Almighty has justified all men from the beginning (e)." Upon these grounds our Church declares that the merit of

(c) Rom. c. 3. v. 22-26. (d) Gal. c. 5. v. 6.

(e) Ep. 1.

OUR

OUR OWN WORKs has no share in our justification, in opposition to Papists, who assert, that man's inherent righteousness is the meritorious cause of his justification, and that good works "ad vitam æternam consequendam vere promereri (f)."

It may be proper upon this occasion to explain some passages in the Epistles of St. Paul and St. James, relative to Justification, which at first sight appear to be inconsistent with each other. St. Paul says, that "A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law (g).' And again, that "A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ (h)." St. James says, "A man is justified by works, and not by faith only (i)." St. Paul and St. James both allude to the case of adult converts to the Gospel; and in order to reconcile these seemingly contradictory assertions, we must consider the particular object which each had in view, and also distinguish between the first entrance into a state of justification, and the continuance in that state. St. Paul, when he makes the above declarations, is arguing, as clearly appears from the context, against those judaizing Christians, who contended that circumcision,

(f) Conc. Trid. de Bon, Op, cap. 11,

(g) Rom. c, 3. v. 28.

(i) C. 2. v. 24:

(h) Gal. c. 2. v. 16.

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