3. That Paul is very troublesome to all the Phaiisees of this age ; who therefore turn themselves a thousand ways to escape the au- thority of the word and truth of God, by him fully declared and vindicated against their forefathers, labouring to fortify themselves with distinctions, which, as they suppose, but falsely, their predeces- sors were ignorant of Paul then, this Paul, denies all works, all works whatsoever, to have any share in our justification before God, as the matter of our righteousness or the cause of our justification ; for, —
(1.) He excludes all works of the law, as is confessed. The works of the law are the works that the law requires. Now, there is no Avork whatever that is good or acceptable to God but it is required by the law ; so that in excluding works of the law, he excludes all works whatever,
(2.) He expressly excludes all works done hy virtue of grace and after calling, which, *if any, should be exempted from being works of the law; for though the law requires them, yet they are not done from a principle, nor to an end of the law. These Paul ex- cludes expressly, Eph. ii. 8-10, " By grace are ye saved;
not of works." What works? Those which "we are created unto in Christ Jesus."
(3.) All works that are luorks are excluded expressly, and set in opposition to grace in this business : Rom. xi. 6, " If it be by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace : but if it be of works, then is it no more grace ; otherwise work is no more work;" and chap. iv. 3-5.
(4.) All works are excluded that take off from the absolute free- dom of the justification of simmers by the redemption that is in Christy Rom. iii. 20-28. Now, this is not peculiar to any one sort of works, or to any one work more than to another, as might be demonstrated ; but this is not a place for so great a work as the thorough handling of this doctrine requires. He adds : —
Q. Can you make it appear from elsewhere that Paul intended to exclude from justification only the perfect works of the law, which leave no place for either grace or faith, and 'not such works as include both; and that by a justifying faith lie meant a ivorking faith, and such a one as is accompanied with righteousness?
A. Eph. ii. 8-10; Rom. iv. 3-5, xi. 5, 6, iv. 14, IG; Gal. v. 6; Horn. i. 17,18.
574 VINDICI^ EVANGELICiE.
Ans. 1. Still Paul and bis doctrine trouble tbe man, as tbey did bis predecessors. That Paul excluded all works, of wbat sort soever, from our justification, as precedaueous causes or conditions tbereof, was before declared. Mr B. would only bave it tbat tbe perfect works of tbe law only are excluded, wben, if any works take place in our justification witb God, tbose only may be admitted ; for certainly if we are justified or pronounced rigbteous for our works, it must be for tbe works tbat are perfect, or else tbe judgment of God is not according to trutb. Tbose only, it seems, are excluded tbat only may be accepted, and imperfect works are substituted as tbe matter of a perfect rigbteousness, without which none shall stand in the presence of God. But,—
2. There is not one test of Scripture mentioned by Mr B. whence he aims to evince bis intention but expressly denies what he asserts, and sets all works whatever in opposition to grace, and excludes them all from any place in our justification before God! so that the man seems to have been infatuated by his pharisaism to give direction for his own condemnation. Let the places be considered by tbe reader.
3. Tbe grace mentioned as tbe cause of our justification is not tbe grace of God bringing forth good works in us, — which stand there- upon in opposition to tbe works of tbe law, as done in tbe strength of the law, — but tbe free favour and grace of God towards us in Christ Jesus, which excludes all works of ours whatever, as is undeniably manifest, Rom. iv. 4, xi. 5, 6.
4. It is true, justifying faith is a living faith, purging the heart, working by love, and bringing forth fruits of obedience; but that its fruits of love and good works have any causal influence into our justification is most false. We are justified freely by grace, in op- position to all fruits of faith whatever which God bath ordained us to bring forth. That faith whereby we are justified will never be without works; yet we are not justified by the works of it, but freely, by the blood of Christ. How and in what sense we are justified by faith itself, what part, office, and place, it bath in our justification, its consistency in its due place and office witb Christ's being our rigbt- eousness, and its receiving of remission of sins, which is said to be our blesseduess, shall elsewhere, God assisting, be manifested.
Wbat, then, bath Mr B. yet remaining to jDlead in this business? The old abused refuge of opposing James to Paul is fixed on. This is tbe beaten plea of Papists, Socinians, and Arminians. Saith he : —