These general observations being premised, which are sufficient of themselves to discard this objection from any place in the minds of sober men, I shall only add the consideration of what answers the a,postle Paul returns unto it, with a brief application of them unto our purpose.
The objection made unto the apostle was, that he made void the law, that he rendered good works needless ; and that, on the supposi- tion of his doctrine, men might live in sin unto the advancement of grace. And as unto his sense hereof we may observe, —
1. That he never returns that answer unto it, no not once, which some think is the only answer whereby it may be satisfied and re- moved,— namely, the necessity of our oivn personal righteousness and obedience or works, in order unto our justification before God. For that by "faith without works," he understandeth faith and works, is an unreasonable supposition. If any do yet pretend that he hath given any such answer, let them produce it ; as yet it hath not been made to appear. And is it not strange, that if this indeed were his doctrine, and the contrary a mistake of it, — namely, that our personal righteousness, holiness, and works, had an influence into our justifi- cation, and were in any sort our righteousness before God therein, — that he who, in an eminent manner, every where presseth the necessity of them, showeth their true nature and use, both in general and in particular duties of all sorts, above any of the writers of the New
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Testament, should not make use of this truth in answer unto an ob- jection wherein he was charged to render them all needless and useless? His doctrine was urged with this objection, as himself ac- knowledged; and on the account of it rejected by many, Rom. x. 3, 4; Gal. ii. 18. He did see and know that the corrupt lusts and depraved affections of the minds of many would supply them with subtle arguings against it ; yea, he did foresee, by the Holy Spirit, as appeareth in many places of his writings, that it would be per- verted and abused. And surely it was highly incumbent on him to obviate what in him lay these evils, and so state his doctrine upon this objection as that no countenance might ever be given unto it. And is it not strange that he should not on this occasion, once at least, somewhere or other, give an intimation that although he re- jected the works of the law, yet he maintained the necessity of evan- gelical works, in order unto our justification before God, as the condition of it, or that whereby we are justified according unto the gospel ? If this were indeed his doctrine, and that which would so easily solve this difficulty and answer this objection, as both of them are by some pretended, certainly neither his wisdom nor his care of the church under the conduct of the infallible Spirit, would have suffered him to omit this reply, were it consistent with the truth which he had delivered. But he is so far from any such plea, that when the most unavoidable occasion was administered unto it, he not only waives any mention of it, but in its stead affirms that which plainly evidenceth that he allowed not of it. See Eph. ii. 9, 10. Hav- ing positively excluded works from our justification, — " Not of works, lest any man should boast," — it being natural thereon to inquire, "To what end do works serve? or is there any necessity of them?" instead of a distinction of works legal and evangelical in order unto our justification, he asserts the necessity of the latter on other grounds, reasons, and motives, manifesting that they were those in particular which he excluded; as we have seen in the consideration of the place. Wherefore, — that we may not forsake his pattern and example in the same cause, seeing he was wiser and holier, knew more of the mind of God, and had more zeal for personal righteousness and holiness in the church, than we all, — if we are pressed a thousand times with this objection, we shall never seek to deliver ourselves from it, by answer- ing that we allow these things to be the condition or causes of our justification, or the matter of our righteousness before God, seeing he would not so do.
2. We may observe, that in his answer unto this objection, whether expressly mentioned or tacitly obviated, he insisteth not any^vhere upon the common principle of moral duties, but on those motives and reasons of holiness, obedience, good works alone, which are
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peculiar uuto believers. For the question was not, whether all man- kind were obliged unto obedience unto God, and the duties thereof, by the moral law? but, whether there were an obligation from the gospel upon believers unto righteousness, holiness, and good works, such as was suited to affect and constrain their minds unto them ? Nor will we admit of any other state of the question but this only: whether, upon the supposition of our gratuitous justification through the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, there are in the gospel grounds, reasons, and motives, making necessary, and efficaciously influencing the minds of believers unto obedience and good works? For those who are not believers, we have nothing to do with them in this matter, nor do plead that evangelical grounds and motives are suited or effectual to work them unto obedience: yea, we know the contrary, and that they are apt both to despise them and abuse them. See 1 Cor. i. 23, 24; 2 Cor. iv. 4. Such persons are under the law, and there we leave them unto the authority of God in the moral law. But that the apostle doth confine his inquiry unto believers, is evi- dent in every place wherein he raaketh mention of it : Rom. vi. 2, 3, " How shall we, that are dead unto sin, live any longer therein ? Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ," etc.; Eph. ii. 10, " For we are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Wherefore, we shall not at all con- tend what cogency unto duties of holiness there is in gospel motives and reasons unto the minds of imbelievers, whatever may be the truth in that case ; but what is their power, force, and efficacy, towards them that truly believe.