RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Justification
the Lord's day. And Tertullian's piety was not simply self-righteousness, as one may see from his tractate on baptism and his writing concerning repentance. Jovinian, as opposed to the idea of a special reward for supererogatory action, such as that of virginity, admits only a Christian position which rests on Christ and is established by faith and baptism, in which the Father and Son dwell in the believer.
More clearly than Augustine, Ambrose rests salvation and the certainty of it on the historical work of Christ. Yet he advances the doctrine of merit, almsgiving, and especially virginity. To Augustine more than to any one the Roman Church owes its doctrine of justification. For him 2. Augus- Christianity is a present rest in God tine's — a conception, shaped, although not
Teaching, immediately, by his experience, first, of distance from God, and then by the inward commotion of a finding of God. His earlier, differing from his later, teaching on sin and grace is drawn not directly from his conflict with Pelagius but from his study of Paul and from Neoplatonic sources. His personal experience is for him the key, and as with Paul and later with Luther sin and grace are the two poles of all Christian knowledge. Outside of grace mankind is a "mass of lost souls " which may through God's grace be reunited to God. According to Augustine the Law said: "Do what thou orderest!" the Gospel: "Give what thou orderest! " That is, grace is preeminently a power of religious and ethical renewal. Concerning forgiveness of sins Augustine holds that (1) baptism as foundation of Christianity confers forgiveness of sins; (2) forgiveness is bound to justification; (3) there exists a continual forgiveness even for the baptized Christian. Fruitful for piety is the personality of Christ — his inner life, his humility, his entire manifestation the highest proof of love, his death the ground of forgiveness of sins. But grace through Christ is present by means of "word and sacrament," not clearly connected with Christ's historical work but in the strict sense creative. As operating or prevenient it establishes, as cooperating it alone sustains, the Christian position. From it comes justification, i.e., renewal, which makes one actually righteous; instead of evil concupiscence comes good concupiscence. The entire Christian life becomes a process of sanctification wherein is merit which the Christian must gain for himself. He teaches a justification by a faith that works through love. In De fide et operibus, along with faith, works are so emphasized as to make this writing valuable to Roman Catholic histories of dogma to-day. He approaches the Reformation doctrine when he gives a more mystical turn to faith— such a union with Christ that all that is Christ's becomes ours. In love to God a present life from and in God is attained. But here is no personal certainty of salvation.
Scholastic theology adhered to Augustine's didactic definitions, at the same time it was influenced by the religious impulse originating in him. Yet here Semipelagianism and Augustinianism appeared in many shades of conflicting differences. According to the Tridentine confession, justification
is not simply, but includes, forgiveness of sins. According to Thomas Aquinas, it is a consequence of forgiveness of sins — a physical infu- 3. Scholas- sion of grace. Other church teachers tic and regard the connection as ethical, thus Roman its elation to the historical redemptive Catholic work is uncertain. The infusion of Teaching, grace is variously interpreted: the substance of the Holy Spirit is planted in men (Peter the Lombard); sanctifying grace is identified with love (Duns Scotus); the Tridentine seeks to combine both views. Later dogmatics side with Thomas. According to the Roman teaching, justifying grace is a pure gift of grace — a heritage from Augustine. Merit (meritum de condigno) is first grounded on sanctifying grace, while the corresponding action of man is rewarded by infusion of justifying grace (meritum de congruo). Concerning this the Tridentine was silent. Later theology teaches that grace is not given for merit. Yet if one does what he can he may humbly hope that God will lend his grace. Others do not admit a psychological necessity of a preparation for reception of grace. In the Roman Catholic Church the increase of grace received, eternal life, and the winning of a higher glory in that life are subjects of human merit. According to Thomas the three signs of a state of grace are: joy in God, scorn of worldly things, consciousness that one is not guilty of mortal sin.
For Luther the fundamental question was concerning the gracious God, and how one might be justified in the judgment of God. Through a painful experience in the complete renunciation of his own righteousness, he understood the Pauline word — by grace alone through faith in Christ. Justification includes not merely forgiveness, 4. The which has precedence, but inner justi- Lutheran fication. Grace is pardoning mercy, Position, and faith is trust. Christ himself in his person and his historical work is man's righteousness. The law can only increase sin and it demands God's righteous judgment against the sinner. The law must indeed be preached; yet God's proper work begins when he comforts the alarmed conscience by the gospel of forgiveness in Christ. Wherever faith lays hold on Christ and becomes one with him, Christ's righteousness becomes our righteousness; God declares man righteous and forgives his sin. Thus Christ becomes the power of a new life. Later, Luther speaks of a beginning, an advancing, and a completed justification yet to be hoped for. Never could faith by reason of an inner quality be regarded as justifying. The Christian position is grounded in God's gracious judgment. Luther warns against confusing the certainty of salvation with the feeling of it. He combines baptism and justification but without precise theological treatment. Through Melanchthon the doctrine of justification received its first symbolic form (The Augsburg Confession, q.v.). We are righteous before God, not " by our own strength, merits or works," but by faith alone. Justification is grounded in Christ and is mediated by faith alone. In the " Apology " the impelling interest of the Reformation against the Roman
Justification