(3.) This distinction of two justifications, as used and improved by those of the Roman church, leaves us, indeed, no justification at all. Something there is, in the branches of it, of sanctification ; but oi jus- tification nothing at all. Their first justification, in the infusion of a habit or principle of grace, unto the expulsion of all habits of sin, is sanctification, and nothing else. And we never did contend that our justification in such a sense, if any will take it in such a sense, doth consist in the imputation of the I'ighteousness of Clirist. And this justification, if any will needs call it so, is capable of degrees, both of increase in itself and of exercise in its fruits; as was newly declared. But, not only to call this our justification, with a general respect unto the notion of the word, as a making of us personally and inherently righteous, but to plead that this is the justification through faith in the blood of Christ declared in the Scripture, is to exclude the only true, evangelical justification from any place in religion. The second branch of the distinction hath much in it like unto justifica- tion by t/ie law, but nothing of that which is declared in the gospel. So that this distinction, instead of coining us two justifications, ac- cording to the gospel, hath left us none at all. For, —
(4.) There is no countenance given unto this distinction in the Scripture. There is, indeed, mention therein, as we observed before, of a double justification, — the one by the law, the other according unto the gospel ; but that either of these should, on any account, be sub-distinguished into n first and second of the same kind, — that is, either according unto the law or the gospel, — there is nothing in the
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Scripture to intimate. For this second justification is no way appli- cable unto what the apostle James discourseth on that subject. He treats of justification ; but speaks not one word of an increase of it, or addition unto it, of a first or second. Besides, he speaks expressly of him that boasts of faith; which being without works, is a dead faith. But he who hath the first justification, by the confession of our adversaries, hath a true, living faith, formed and enlivened by charity. And he useth the same testimony concerning the justifica- tion of Abraham that Paul doth; and therefore doth not intend another, but the same, though in a diverse respect. Nor doth any believer learn the least of it in his own experience ; nor, without a design to serve a farther turn, would it ever have entered the minds of sober men on the reading of the Scripture. And it is the bane of spiritual truth, for men, in the pretended declaration of it, to coin arhitrary distinctions, ^vithout Scripture ground for them, and ob- trude them as belonging unto the doctrine they treat of They serve unto no other end or purpose but only to lead the minds of men from the substance of what they ought to attend unto, and to engage all sorts of persons in endless strifes and contentions. If the authors of this distinction would but go over the places in the Scripture where mention is made of our justification before God, and make a distri- bution of them into the respective parts of their distinction, they would quickly find themselves at an unrelievable loss.
(o.) There is that in the Scripture ascribed unto our first justifi- cation, if they will needs call it so, as leaves no room for their second feigned justification; for the sole foundation and pretence of this distinction is a denial of those things to belong unto our justification hy the blood of Christ which the Scripture expressly assigns unto it. Let us take out some instances of what belongs unto the first, and we shall quickly see how little it is, yea, that there is nothing left for the pretended second justification. For, — [1.] Therein do we receive the complete " pardon and forgiveness of our sins," Rom. iv. 6, 7; Eph. i. 7, iv. 82 ; Acts xxvi. 18. [2.] Thereby are we " made righte- ous," Rom. V. 19, X. 4; and, [3.] Are freed from condemnation, judg- ment, and death, John iii. 16, 19, v. 25; Rom. viii. 1 ; [4.] Are reconciled unto God, Rom. v. 9, 10 ; 2 Cor. v. 21 ; and, [5.] Have peace with him, and access into the favour wherein we stand by grace, with the advantages and consolations that depend thereon in a sense of his love, Rom. v. 1-5. And, [6.] We have adoption therewithal, and all its privileges, John i. 12 ; and, in particular, [7.] A right and title mito the whole inheritance of glory. Acts xxvi. IS; Rom. viii. 17. And, [8.] Hereon eternal life doth follow, Rom. viii. 80, vi. 23. Which things will be again immediately spoken unto upon another occasion. And if there be any thing now left for
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their second justification to do, as such, let them take it as their own ; these things are all of them ours, or do belong unto that one justifi- cation wnich we do assert. Wherefore it is evident, that either the Jirst justification overthrows the second, rendering it needless ; or the second destroys the first, by taking away what essentially belongs unto it: we must therefore part with the one or the other, for con- sistent they are not. But that which gives countenance unto the fiction and artifice of this distinction, and a great many more, is a dislike of the doctrine of the grace of God, and justification from thence, by faith in the blood of Christ; which some endeavour hereby to se7id out of the way upon a pretended sleeveless errand, whilst they dress up their own righteousness in its robes, "and exalt it into the room and dignity thereof.