Part II. Chap. 2. XXV. plify'd in the In For a further Proof of the forefaid Particular I fhall here fhew, that Abraham was juftify'd not All at once, but by Degrees more and more. Hence St Paul defcribing the feveral Degrees of Abraham's Juftification, be- The fame exem gins the matter from its very Original, and teaches that stance of AbraAbraham then first approv'd himself faithful to God, ham. and fo was justify'd, when being call'd, by Faith be obey'd going out, viz. of his own Country, and not knowing whither he was to go, Hebr. 11.8. Abraham further approv'd himself faithful to God, and fo was further juftify'd, inafmuch as by Faith he fojourn'd in the Land of Promife, v. 9. He was ftill further juftify'd, in that being not weak in Faith, he confider'd not his own Body now dead, as it were with old Age &c. but against Hope believ'd in Hope that be fhould become the Father of a numerous Offspring according to God's Promife: to which St Paul refers, Rom. 4. 18-22. and Hebr. 11.12. But then at length Abraham did in the highest Manner approve himfelf unto God, when by Faith, he being try'd, offer'd, i. e. was ready to offer up Ifaac his only begotten Son of Sarah, and of whom it was faid, that in Ifaac fhall thy Seed be call'd, Hebr. 11, 17, 18. And hereupon Abraham's Juftification was in a ftill much higher Manner perfected, or rather was perfected in the highest Manner it could be by any fingle Act of Faith and Obedience, inafmuch as a greater Trial of Abrabam's Faith and Obedience can't, I think, be fuppos'd, than that of offering Ifaac. So that there wanted nothing to confummate Abraham's Juftification as to this Life, but his Continuing in the fame Faith and Obedience to his Life's End. XXVI. fwer'd. Having had this Occafion to fhew, how Abraham's An objection o Juftification was perfected by Degrees, hence arifes an the Solifidians to eafy Answer to that Objection of the Solifidians and Jam. 2. 21. anothers against the exprefs Words of St James, Chap. 2. 21. viz. that Abraham was justify'd by Works, in offering Ifaac bis Son upon the Altar. For hereto they object, that altho' Abraham is here faid to be justify'd vi by Offering his Son, yet he was juftify'd long afore by Faith in the fight of God, as appears from Gen. 15. 6. where Part II. XXVII. The Diftin&tion where it is faid that he believ'd in the Lord, viz. as to God's Promife that he should have a numerous Seed, and be counted it to him for Righteousness. Whence they infer, that the Juftification mention'd by St James fignifies only that Abraham by offering Ifaac was declar'd righteous before Men, not that he was then ju Aify'd before God. To this Objection, I fay, the Anfwer is eafy from what has been afore obferv'd concerning Abraham's gradual Juftification. For thence it appears, that altho' Abraham was afore justify'd before God, yet he might nevertheless be faid to be alfo then juftify'd before God, when he was ready to offer his Son; forafmuch as Juftification is not done All at once, as in the Objection is falfely fuppos'd, but by Degrees; and confequently Abraham's offering his Son was a means of the Juftification being continued, which he bad afore in a leffer Degree. To fhew the Weakness of this Objection further, I obferve, that if the faid Objection fhould hold good, then St Paul likewise could not have infer'd from the very fame Place which the Solifidians make use of in the forefaid Objection, viz. Gen. 15. 6. that Abraham was then justify'd by Faith: forafmuch as afore this, viz. Gen. 12. 14. Abraham had approv'd himself faithful unto God in leaving his Country &c. and fo was then, and confequently afore what is men. tion'd Gen. 15.6. first justify'd. On which Account St Paul begins (Hebr. 11.8.) the Account of Abraham's Faith and Juftification with the Inftance last cited, viz. By Faith Abraham, when he was call'd to go out - went out c. as has been afore obferv'd in §. 25. Wherefore the fame Anfwer, which the Solifidians would give to others to the Argument here alledg'd by me, they fhould take themselves, viz. that Justification is not done All at once, but a continued Act, every Day more and more to be perfected. Which Method of our Juftification ferves further to between Right to fhew, that the Diftinction between Right to a Thing and in a Thing and in a Thing is altogether frivolous, as it is apply'd frivolous as to Juftification. to the Bufinefs of our Juftification. He that, having perform'd the whole Condition of the Gofpel-Covenant for for the State he is in, has thence by Virtue of the Gofpel-Covenant a Right to the Kingdom of Heaven; the Same, fhould he dy the next moment, has alfo a Right of neceffity in the Kingdom of Heaven, there being no other intervening Condition requir'd by the GofpelCovenant on the part of the faid Perfon himself. 'Tis true, that if God prolongs the Perfon's Life, then it is requir'd of him to lead an holy Course of Life, and to increase in Holinefs. But this is not requir'd to get a new Right which he had not afore, but only to preJerve the Right he had afore; and that as 2 Pet. 1. 11. An Entrance may be minister'd unto him abundantly into the everlafting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Christ. The Cafe is this: Declarative Juftification, as is afore obferv'd §. 22. anfwers in all refpects to Conftitutive Juftification. Hence he that believes, repents, loves God and his Neighbour, and expreffes this and other his inward Piety by pious Words and Deeds, as Opportunity offers it felf or he is able for the prefent, fuch an one has attain'd the first Grace of Juftification. If he be taken out of this World forthwith, and before he has Strength or Opportunity to bring forth the Fruits of his inward Piety by a religious Course of Life; at the last Judgment he fhall be judg'd according to his inward Piety, or the inward Works of Faith, Repentance, Charity, &c. which he did exprefs by Words and Deeds fuitable to the State he was in. According to this his lefs perfect Degree of Piety, God for his great Mercy in Chrift fhall give him Forgiveness of Sins and Inheritance among them that are fanctify'd, but a leffer Inheritance or Degree of Happiness, than that which fhall be affign'd to fuch as have attain'd to a more perfect Degree or Habit of Piety by leading a long religious Courfe of Life. For it is obfervable, whereas 2 Pet. I. II. it is faid, that to fuch an Entrance fhall be minifter'd abundantly into the Kingdom of Chrift, thereby is meant, that an Entrance fhall be minifter'd more abundantly to fuch, i. e. they shall enter into the greater Joys of their Lord, proportionably to their greater Piety in this Life. O 2 Lastly, Part II. Chap. 2. Part II. XXVIII. Laftly, the Method of our Juftification afore §: 21. Chap. 2. laid down clearly fhews, that the Right to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is granted in the first JuftificaThe Right to E- tion, is not an abfolute but conditional Right, as deternal Life granted in the firft Ju- pending on the Condition of leading an holy Course ftification is only of Life for the future, if God fhall grant Life; and and fo may be therefore the faid Right to the Kingdom of Heaven is Recall'd of Taken Revocable, or may be Loft or Forfeited, if the Condition a Conditional Right away. XXIX. requir'd for the future be not perform'd. This is the manifeft Doctrin of the Holy Scripture, of the Catholick Church, and fo of our Church. Indeed the Opinion that the first Juftification is Abfolute, and confequently that he that is once endued with justifying Faith, can never fall from it, and eternally perish, is no other than an abfurd Fiction, and of very dangerous Confequence. For which Caufe it will be worth while largely to fhew the Truth of the contrary Doctrin; to which Purpose we shall beftow a whole Chapter, viz. Chap. 10. of this fecond Part. Of the Causes of Having fhewn What Juftification is, and by what our Juftification. Method it is brought about and confummated, it re mains in the last place to speak of the Causes of our Juftification. And 1, the principal Efficient Caufe thereof is God alone; for Juftification is an Act of God only according to Rom. 8. 33. It is God that juftifies. 2ly, what is call'd in Metaphyficks the Pro-egumenal Caufe of our Juftification, i. e. that which inwardly difpofes the principal Cause and incites him to act, is acknowledg'd by All to be the great Love of God to Man. 3ly, the Pro-catar&tical Caufe of our Juftification, or that which outwardly moves the principal Caufe to act, is according to Scripture and the Catholick Church the alone Satisfaction or Merits of Chrift; whence this Caufe is often ftyl'd the Meritorious Caufe of our Juítification. 4, Faith and the Reft of the Christian Virtues, and the Actions proceeding from them are our very Righteoufnefs, whereby as by the Formal Caufe we are faid to be properly justify'd; and alfo whereby as the Caufe without which Not, (as it is call'd) i. e. as the Means or Condition to be perform'd, we obtain the Free Free-gift of the Forgiveness of Sins and of Eternal Life. Whereas fome earnestly contend for an inftrumental Caufality of Faith in the Bufinefs of our Juftification, it is nothing elfe but a meer empty Subtilty, as fhall be fhewn in Chap. 7. concerning Faith. Part II. XXX. The Close of And here I fhall clofe this Differtation concerning Juftification, as it relates to God as the Efficient Cause this Chapter. thereof. As to its Pro-egumenal Caufe nothing need be faid, when it is agreed by All that it is to be refer'd to the great Love of God to Man. As to the Pro-catarEtical or Meritorious Caufe of our Juftification, great Controverfies have been raised about it in these last Centuries or Ages; as alfo as to the Formal Cause and Condition of Juftification on our Part. Wherefore I fhall treat particularly of thefe Caufes fo difputed about, and firft of the Meritorious Caufe of our Juftification, or Chrift's Satisfaction. CHA P. III. Of that Part of the Gospel-Covenant, which relates to Chrift our Redeemer, and particularly of the Satisfaction of Chrift. Having explain'd that Part of the Gofpel-Covenant I. faction. which relates properly to God, I proceed to that Gofpel-Covenant which relates properly to the God-Man Jefus Christ our respects chrift, is which properly Redeemer. This Part Chrift himself denotes in that contain'd chiefly Summary Account he gives us of the Gofpel-Covenant, in Chrift's SatisLuk. 24.46. by these words, It behov'd Christ to Suffer, and to rife from the Dead the third Day. So that this Part of the Gofpel-Covenant is diftinguishable into two general Branches, viz. Chrift's Paffion and Refurrection. The End of both which we are briefly told by St Paul, Rom. 4. 25. where he teaches us, that Chrift was deliver'd for our Offences, and rofe again for our Juftification, i.e. by his Death he made Satisfaction for our Sins, and by his Refurrection he gave unquestionable Proof, that the Satisfaction, which he had made, was accepted by God, |