SEVEN ARGVMENTS, to prove, that in order of working God doth iustifie his Elect, before they doe
actually beleeve.
With some Answers to the Objections
that some make against the same.
THis Proposition being contradicted, VVe are justified before God, before the act of our beleeving: This is the Proposition which I doe now undertake to vindicate, by the assistance of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose honour is not a little concerned in it. I will first of all lay downe seven Arguments for the confirmation of the Truth: and then I will answer [Page 2] unto five Objections, brought by some ag [...]inst it.
The Proposition;
We are justified before God, before the a [...] of our beleeving.
Argument I.
LEt me speake for those that are not abl [...] to speake for themselves; I meane th [...] little Babes, to whom belongs the Kingdome of God. I argue thus: Infants do [...] not beleeve; But Infants are justified: Therefore some that doe not beleeve, are justified: Which if it be granted, it will follow, tha [...] some are justified before they beleeve. Tha [...] Infants are justified, need no proofe; Tha [...] Infants beleeve not, must be proved, ( [...] though the Church of England hath lon [...] since put it out of doubt.) First, Faith commeth by hearing, Rom. 10. 17. How sh [...] they beleeve in him of whom they have n [...] heard? Shall wee say, that Infants in th [...] Wombe heare the Word? Secondly, Fait [...] is a Knowledge, as some say; a Perswasion as others; a T [...]st, as others: But Infan [...] [Page 3] are capable neither of Trust, Perswasion, O [...] Knowledge; therefore Infants are not capable of Faith. But some have said, That Infants heare the Word of God, beleeve in God, and love God, in an un [...]nowne, way; is sometimes John Baptist sprang in his Mothers Wombe for joy, at the salutation of the Blessed Virgin: But Saint Augustin [...] did answere long agoe, not more wittily then truly, That this was done by a singular Miracle. Neither doth this conclude, other Infants to beleeve any more, then wee may conclude, all Asses to be good Counsellors, because wee reade, that Balaams Asse spake more wisely then her Master.
Argument II.
HE that is in Christ, is justified; But we must be in Christ, before we can beleeve: Therefore we must be justified, before we can beleeve. The Major is plaine, the Minor is proved, That we most be in Christ before we can beleeve: To beleeve, is a fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5. But wee must be in Christ, before wee can bare fruit; Therefore wee must be in Christ, before wee can beleeve. [Page 4] Joh. 15. 4. As the Branch cannot beare frui [...] of it selfe, except it abide in the Vine, [...] more can yee, except yee abide in me. Secondly, if Faith be a good fruit, it is required, that men must be good Trees, before they can bring it forth; otherwise, Grape [...] should be gathered of Thornes, and Figge [...] of Thistles, Matth. 12. 33. If you will, the Argument may be this: He that hath th [...] Spirit of Christ, hath Christ; But wee have the Spirit before wee beleeve; Therefore we [...] have Christ before wee beleeve.
Argument III.
ALL the Elect of God are justified before God; But some of the Elect of God doe not yet beleeve: Therefore some that doe not beleeve, are justified before God; and so by consequence, before they beleeve. The Major is proved: They that cannot be charged with any thing, are justified; But none of the Elect of God can be charged with any thing: Therefore the Elect are justified. The Minor is proved; Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? it is God that [Page 5] justifies: Who is hee that condemneth? it is Christ that dyed, yea, rather that is risen againe, Rom. 8. 33. He rose againe for our justification, Rom. 4. 23.
Argument IV.
THey that have their sinnes taken away, are justified; But the Elect have their sinnes taken away before they beleeve: Ergo, The Elect are justified before they beleeve. The Major is proved: Blessed is the man whose iniquitie is forgiven, and whose sinne is covered, Rom. 4. 7. The Minor; That the Elect have their sinnes taken away before they beleeve, is proved Joh. 1. 29. Behold the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world; and Esay 35. 8. The Lord hath layd on him the iniquities of us all; and 1 Pet. 2. 24. Himselfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the Tree; and Rom. 6. 6. Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sinne might be destroyed. Did Christ take away sinne, or not? Did hee beare them? Did hee destroy the body of sinne? If you say, No; how will you escape the [Page 6] Sword of the Spirit? If you say, Yea; I desire no more.
Argument V.
WE were made sinners in the first Adam, before we had done good or evill; Therefore we are made righteous in the second Adam, before we have done good or evill. This consequence is proved. Rom. 5. 18, 19. As by the offence of one, Judgement came upon all men to Condemnation; even so by the righteousnesse of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life: for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. If you shall place the Emphasis of this Text, in All, and Many, you will cause the hearts of the universall Gratians to leape for joy; which (I beleeve) you would not willingly doe. Therefore you must be forced to place the Emphasis in As, and So: As wee sinned all in the loynes of the first Adam, So were wee all made righteous in the loynes of the second Adam, The [Page 7] Lord Christ. And this agreeth with the Ministerie of Reconciliation; to wit, That God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himselfe, not imputing their trespasses unto them, 2 Cor. 5. 19. Truly, this Argument was of so great force, that it did wring out of Cardinall Bellarmine this confession, as the Apostle teacheth, Rom. 5. That Christ may be put on, without a proper act of our soule: I confesse, I differ from the Cardinall, in his meanes of putting on Christ; yet this his confession I acknowledge to be true.
Argument VI.
WHere there is full satisfaction made, and the partie offended accepting that satisfaction, and contented to rest in it, there must needes follow perfect remission of sinnes; But in Christ crucified (before we beleeved) was full satisfaction made, and God was contented to rest in that satisfaction: Therefore there will follow perfect remission of sinnes, &c. First, that there was full satisfaction made in Christ, is proved Heb. 10. 11, 12, 13, 14, vers. [Page 8] For by one offering hee hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. But the second, that God is therewith contented to rest in that satisfaction, wee have the witnesse of the Father, Matth. 3. 17. This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased. Aquiesco, saith Beza. See Esay 53. 11. Hee shall see the travaile of his soule, and shall be satisfied.
Argument VII.
IF wee are not justified in his sight before wee beleeve, then are wee unjust sinners, workers of iniquitie; then doth the Lord hate us, for hee hateth all the workers of iniquitie, Psal. 5. You know what absurditie will follow, if you say, wee must beleeve before God can love us: But if God hate us to day, and love us to morrow, let Arminius with his disciples heare this, and wonder, why they should be blamed that say; Wee may be loved to day, and hated to morrow; Children of God to day, and of the Devill to morrow: when they who would seeme their greatest Adversaries, [Page 9] will not spare to say; Wee may be hated to day, and loved to morrow; the Children of the Devill to day, and of God to morrow. But that God loved us first, before wee beleeved, when wee were enemies, in our bloud, &c. is so plaine, that I will not willingly so dishonour you, as once to conceive that you will denie it.
Here is an end of the seven Arguments; which (if need had required) might have beene seventie. Now I will answer the Objections.
Objection 1.
VVee are justified by Faith; therefore, not before Faith.
Answer.
- First, it should have concluded, not before the act of beleeving.
- Secondly, I denie the consequence, and say, wee may be justified both by it, and yet before, in a different sense.
This Proposition, VVee are justified by Faith, is very ambiguous. Hee was not a [Page 10] Foole who (an hundred yeares since) said, That this Proposition was one of those things, hard to be understood; which they that are unlearned and unstable, wrest as they doe other Scriptures, to their owne destruction, 2 Pet. 3. 16. I would our Age had not proved it true, that the misunderstanding of this Proposition hath turned upside downe the Doctrine of Justification amongst pudling Preachers.
There is in this Proposition two words ambiguous and doubtfull:
The first (Justified) which sometimes in Scriptures signifieth to be reputed, reckoned, or accounted Just; as, It is God that justifieth. Sometimes it is taken for to be declared, or manifested to be Just; as, By workes a man is justified, James 2. 24. If you take Justified in the first sence, wee say, wee are not reputed or reckoned Just by the act of beleeving. If you take Justified in the second sence, I say, wee are justified (that is, declared to be Just) by beleeving; Faith manifesting to our Consciences, that wee are Just before God: By Faith wee understand, that God hath freely justified us in his Sonne.
[Page 11] Another word ambiguous in this Proposition, is (Faith) which is diversly taken: sometimes for the act of Faith, or beleeving; and sometimes for the object of Faith, the thing beleeved: as, Faith was reckoned unto him for righteousnesse, Rom. 4. that is the object of Faith: So that it is all one as if hee had said, God or Christ was reckoned to him for righteousnesse. If wee understand the act of Faith; then I say, as before, wee are not reckoned Just by the act of our Faith: if by Faith wee understand the object of our Faith; then I say, wee are reckoned or reputed Just by God, in, by, or through Christ Jesus, our Faith.
Objection 2.
Hee that beleeveth not, is condemned alreadie, John 3. 18.
Answer. This is all one with, Hee that beleeveth not, shall be damned: which you must understand of finall unbeleefe, which I grant to be a Note of Damnation.
Objection 3.
Without Faith it is impossible to please God: therefore wee cannot be justified without it.
Answer. I denie the Consequence; and I perceive so will you also, when you please: For you will affirme, a justified person may displease God; and then, why is it not possible for a man to displease God, and yet be justified? To please God, is so to doe those things which God approves in us to be well done; which wee cannot doe, without Faith. That this is the meaning of the Apostle, is plaine by his reason; For he that commeth unto God, must beleeve &c. Wee cannot come unto God, before wee beleeve; but cannot God come unto us, before wee beleeve. Now Justification is Gods act upon a sinner, not a sinners act upon God.
This also answereth the fourth Objection. Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne.
Objection 5.
VVee are by nature the Children of wrath, &c.
Answer. This were of some force, if you could prove us altogether in the estate of nature as well in Gods account as in our esteeme, and so quite exempted from grace untill wee beleeve; which you cannot doe, for the Apostle witnesseth the contrary, 2 Tim. 1. 9. According to his owne purpose and grace given us before the world began: if grace were given before the world began, surely before ever wee beleeved.
God is Alpha and Omega; therefore what hee promiseth shall come to passe to his, is done with him, Rev. 21. 6. For his works were finished from the foundation of the world, Heb. 4. 3. And so I rest