An antidote agaynst poperie: most necessarie for all in this back-slyding age. Wherein 1. The trueth is confirmed, by authoritie of scriptures, witnessing of antiquitie, and confession of the popish partie. 2. Popish scripturall arguments are answered, by the exposition both of father and of their own doctours / by William Guild.

The state of the Question.

FOR clearing the state of this Contraversie,* 1.1 it is to bee con∣sidered, that this word [IVSTI∣FIE] in Scripture, is sometyme taken largelie, and then (as our learned Divynes confesse) it com∣prehendeth both Absolutiō from sinne, and Sanctification by grace, as two conjunct benefits given vn∣to vs through Christ: so that in this sense beeing justified, as the Apostle speaketh ROM. 8.30. and TIT. 3.7. wee are not onlie recon∣ciled, but renewed: and so wee willinglie yeelde, that this our ju∣stification standeth not onelie in the imputation of CHRIST'S righteousnesse, and remission of sinne, but lykewyse in the infusion of inherent righteousnesse, which

thing made the Fathers frequent∣lie take the word [IVSTIFIE] a•• all one with [SANCTIFIE.]

But the question beeing what the word [IVSTIFIE] taken more stricklie, signifieth in those places wherein the doctrine of a sinners absolution before GOD, and acceptation vnto eternall lyfe particularlie is handled by the A∣postle in his Epistles, speciallie to the ROMANS and GALATIANS; where by the confession of Roma∣nistes themselues, it is taken (as Cardinall Tolet witnesseth) for absolving,* 1.2 as a judiciall terme, and opposit to condemning. In which sense wee call Iustification, a gra∣cious action of GOD'S, as the Iudge whereby remitting all the sinnes of the Elect, and accepting the righteousnesse of their Head, His owne Sonne, hee pronoun∣ceth those who belieue in Him, righteous, and heyres of eternall lyfe, to the Prayse of the Glorie of His grace, altho of themselues they were guiltie of condemnation.

Of which justification,* 1.3 the prin∣cipall efficient, is GOD; the im∣pulsiue cause, is His gracious mer∣cie; the meritorious cause, is CHRIST'S death onelie; the persons justified, are onelie the Elect, who belieue in CHRIST; the formall cause, consisteth in the remission of sinne; and imputa∣tion of CHRIST'S righteous∣nesse, the instrumentall; whereby it is offered to vs, is the Word and Sacramentes; and that whereby wee receaue it, is Fayth; and the finall cause of all, is the Prayse of the Glorie of His Grace, and our Peace with GOD in CHRIST.

In this action, then, wee en∣quyre, How, or wherewith, wee may compeare before the Tribu∣nall of GOD'S exact justice, wi∣thout feare of condemnation? And having that whereby wee may an∣swere all accusations agaynst vs, which thing wee saye wee can not doe, except that as CHRIST in our persons, and for vs, was con∣demned, and crucified; so that wee

in Him bee justified, and absolved and as our sinnes imputed to Him brought Him to death: so His righ∣teousnesse ONLIE imputed to vs▪ bringeth vs to lyfe, beeing (as Bel¦larmine speaketh) given to vs; s•…•… that wee may offer vp the same to GOD the Father for our sinnes because Hee hath taken the bur∣den vpon Him, to satisfie for vs (sayeth hee) and to reconcile v•…•… to GOD His Father.

The Romanistes, on the contra¦rie,* 1.4 in their Councell of Trent affirme, That the immediate an•…•… proper cause of our justification, whereby wee are translated from beeing children of wrath, and en¦ter into friendship with GOD, i•…•… infused righteousnesse, onlie inhe¦rent in man himselfe; which the•…•… affirme to bee absolute, and per¦fect, and therefore call it tha•…•… whyte & vnspotted Robe, where∣with wee must present our selue•…•… before the Tribunall of GOD, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 attayne vnto eternall lyfe. There∣fore, sayeth Andradius, expoundin•…•…

that Canon of the Councell, be∣cause hee can not bee sayde to bee just, who is alltogether defyled with sinne, therefore the LORD infuseth in him Charitie, by whose power and force, (sayeth hee) all his sinnes are washen away, ex∣tinguished, and expelled. And so, they esteeme that GOD is not re∣conciled with Man, but by the ex∣pelling of sinne, thorowe infused righteousnesse,* 1.5 (as Bellarmine sayeth) even as darknesse is by light. And therefore, they call that Righteousnesse, Gratia gratum fa∣ciens; or, That grace which procureth acceptation. And whosoever will say, That that grace whereby wee are justified, is the onlie favour of GOD, let him bee accursed, (sayeth the Councell of Trent,)

Wherefore,* 1.6 hee who will haue the pardon of his sinnes, according to the mynde of that Councell, must interpone betweene him, and GOD'S wrath: not CHRIST'S satisfaction immediatelie, and on∣lie, as Scripture teacheth; but his

owne inherent righteousnesse: an•…•… then hee may belieue, that hee is reconciled, and accepted, when by this righteousnesse first had, hi•…•… sinnes are expelled.

And what they woulde seem heerein to ascrybe to CHRIST'S merit, it is not, That for it onelie and immediatelie, the LORD doeth reconcile with vs, and ac¦cept vs in favour, vnto eterna•…•… lyfe: but that for it, there is infu¦sed in vs, that newe qualitie of i•…•…¦herent righteousnesse, whereby wee are justified. Which is a much to say, as that wee are just•…•…¦fied, not for CHRIST'S, but fo•…•… our owne righteousnesse. So th•…•… CHRIST'S righteousnesse, an•…•… satisfaction, is onelie the merito¦rious cause, where frae wee ha•…•… in our selues something inheren•…•… which we may oppose to GOD'•…•… justice,* 1.7 & relye vpon, thereby im¦mediatelie, and formerlie, to b•…•… justified. Yea, some of them d•…•… so farre derogate from the righ¦teousnesse of CHRIST, in th•…•…

matter of IVSTIFICATION,* 1.8 that they are bold to affirme, That our inherent righteousnesse, doeth make vs acceptable to GOD, without anie relation to CHRISTS merit: and, that it hath not anie force of conciliating GOD'S favour vnto vs, from the blood and merites of CHRIST, but onelie from its owne intrinsicall perfection.

Besides which first Iustification, they make also a second, which is an increase of the first, and which, they say, is requyred by good workes; which promeriteth a far∣der righteousnesse, than that which is infused ••n the first. The workes of which second Iustification, so promerited by the workes of the first, doe merite agayne (say they) everlasting lyfe. So that they will haue CHRIST's righteousnesse on∣lie in the first Iustification, to me∣rite their inherent righteousnesse; and thereafter themselues to me∣rite, both the increase of farder righteousnesse heere; and that

righteousnesse againe, to merite vnto themselues eternall lyfe here¦after. Contrarie to which their errour in the matter of Iustifica∣tion, these Scriptures militate.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Beza in tit. 3. 7. Bor∣thaus in gē. 15. p. 162 Synop¦sis pu¦rior. theol. thes. 3 Pare∣us de justif. lib. 2. cap. 3 Zach. in eph 2. 4.
• * 1.2

  Tolet, as also Soto, in Rō. 8.33
• * 1.3

  Rom. 4.5.3.24.3.25.8 33. Psal. 32.1. Rom. 3 12. Ephes 1.6. Rom. 5.1.
• * 1.4

  Sess. 6 can. 10. 11 See Bell. l. 2. de justif. cap. 2 §. Quod autē.
• * 1.5

  Bell. l. 2. de justif. cap. 2 §. Quod si.
• * 1.6

  Can. 11
• * 1.7

  Vasq. in 2^a 2 ^a di∣spus. 224.
• * 1.8

  cap. 7 Parag 43. Sua∣rez. lib. 7. de gra•• sancto¦ficāte. cap. 5