Bellarmine useth several arguments to prove that the faith here intended by James 'is justifying faith considered in itself; but they are all weak to contempt, as being built on this supposition, that true justifying faith is nothing but a real assent unto the catholic doctrine or divine revelation: De Justificat. lib. i. cap. 15. His first is, " That James calleth it ' faith' absolutely, whereby always in the Scripture true faith is intended." Ans. 1. James calls it a dead faith, the faith of devils, and casteth all manner of reproach upon it; which he would not have done on any duty or grace truly evangelical. 2. Every faith that is true as unto the reality of assent which is given by it unto the truth, is neither living, justifying, nor saving; as hath
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been proved. 3. They are said to have faith absolutely, or absolutely to believe, who never had that faith which is true and saving, John ii. 23; Acts viii. 13. Secondly, He urgeth, " That in the same place and chapter he treats of the faith of Abraham, and affirms that it wrought with his works, chap. ii. 22, 23; but this a vain shadow of faith doth not do : it was therefore true faith, and that which is most properly called so, that the apostle intendeth." Ans. This pretence is indeed ridiculous; for the apostle doth not give the faith of Abra- ham as an instance of that faith which he had treated with so mucli severity, but of that which is directly contrary unto it, and whereby he designed to prove that the other faith which he had reflected on was of no use nor advantage unto them that had it; for this faith of Abraham produced good works, which the other was wholly without. Thirdly, He urgeth verse 24, " 'Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only;' for the faith that James speaks of justifieth with works, but a false faith, the shadow of a faith, doth not so : it is therefore true, saving faith whereof the apostle speaks." Ans. He is utterly mistaken: for the apostle doth not as- cribe justification partly to works, and partly to faith ; but he ascribes justification, in the sense by him intended, wholly to works, in oppo- sition to that faith concerning which he treats. For there is a plain antithesis in the words between works and faith as unto justification, in the sense by him intended. A dead faith, a faith without works, the faith of devils, is excluded from having any influence into justifi- cation. Fourthly, He adds, " That the apostle compares this faith without works unto a rich man that gives nothing unto the poor, verse 16; and a body without a spirit, verse 26: wherefore, as that knowledge whereby a rich man knows the wants of the poor is true and real, and a dead body is a body ; so is faith without works true faith also, and as such is considered by St James." Ans. These things do evidently destroy what they are produced in the confirma- tion of, only the cardinal helps them out with a little sophistry; for whereas the apostle compares this faith unto the charity of a man that gives nothing to the poor, he suggests in the room thereof his knowledge of their poverty. And his knowledge may be true, and the more true and certain it is, the more false and feigned is the charity winch he pretends in these words, " Go, and be fed and clothed." Such is the faith the apostle speaks of. And although a dead body is a true body, — that is, as unto the matter or substance of it, a car- case,— yet is it not an essential part of a living man. A carcase is not of the same nature or kind as is the body of a living man. And we assert no other difference between the faith spoken of by the apostle and that which is justifying, than what is between n dead, breathless carcase, and a living animated body, prepared and fitted
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for all vital acts. Wherefore, it is evident beyond all contradiction, if we have not a mind to be contentious, that what the apostle James here derogates from faith as unto our justification, it respects only a dead, barren, lifeless faith, such as is usually pretended by ungodly men to countenance themselves in their sins. And herein the faith asserted by Paul hath no concern. The consideration of the present condition of the profession of faith in the world, will direct us unto the best exposition of this place.
(3.) They speak not of justification in the same sense nor unto the same end; it is of our absolute justification before God, — the justifi- cation of our persons, our acceptance with him, and the grant of a right unto the heavenly inheritance, — that the apostle Paul doth treat, and thereof alone. This he declares in all the causes of it ; all that on the part of God, or on our part, concurreth thereunto. The evi- dence, the knowledge, the sense, the fruit, the manifestation of it in our own consciences, in the church, unto others that profess the faith, he treats not of; but speaks of them separately as they occur on other occasions. The justification he treats of is but one, and at once ac- complished before God, changing the relative state of the person jus- tified ; and is capable of being evidenced various ways, unto the glory of God and the consolation of them that truly believe. Hereof the apostle James doth not treat at all; for his whole inquiry is after the nature of that faith whereby we are justified, and the only way whereby it may be evidenced to be of the right kind, such as a man may safely trust unto. Wherefore, he treats of justification only as to the evidence and manifestation of it; nor had he any occasion to do otherwise. And this is apparent from both the instances whereby he confirms his purpose. The first is that of Abraham, verse 21-23 : for he says, that by Abraham's being justified by works, in the way and manner wherein he asserts him so to have been, " the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was im- puted unto him for righteousness." And if his intention were to prove that we are justified before God by works, and not by faith, because Abraham was so, the testimony produced is contrary, yea, directly contradictory, unto what should be proved by it ; and accord- ingly is alleged by Paul to prove that Abraham was justified by faith without works, as the words do plainly import. Nor can any man declare how the truth of this proposition, " Abraham was justified by works," (intending absolute justification before God,) was that where- in that Scripture was fulfilled, " Abraham believed God, and it was im- puted unto him for righteousness;" especially considering the oppo- sition that is made both here and elsewhere between faith and works in this matter. Besides, he asserts that Abraham was justified by Avorks then when he had offered his son on the altar ; the same we