 Section 20 of the Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 of Justification by Faith, both the name and the reality defined. In this chapter and the seven which follow, the doctrine of justification by faith is expounded and opposite errors refuted. The following may be regarded as the arrangement of these chapters. Chapter 11 states the doctrine and the four subsequent chapters by destroying the righteousness of works confirm the righteousness of faith each in the order which appears in the respective titles of these chapters. In Chapter 12 the doctrine of justification is confirmed by a description of perfect righteousness. In Chapter 13 by calling attention to two precautions. In Chapter 14 by a consideration of the commencement and progress of regeneration in the regenerate. And in Chapter 15 by two very pernicious effects which constantly accompany the righteousness of works. The three other chapters are devoted to refutation. Chapter 16 disposes of the objections of opponents. Chapter 17 replies to the arguments drawn from the promises of the law or the gospel. Chapter 18 refutes what is said in support of the righteousness of faith from the promise of reward. There are three principal divisions in the eleventh chapter. One, the terms used in this discussion are explained sections one through four. Two, Oseander's dream as to essential righteousness impugned sections five through thirteen. Three, the righteousness of faith established in opposition to the righteousness of works. Sections. One, connection between the doctrine of justification and that of regeneration. The knowledge of this doctrine very necessary for two reasons. Two, for the purpose of facilitating the exposition of it the terms are explained. One, what it is to be justified in the sight of God. Two, to be justified by works. Three, to be justified by faith. Definition. Three, various meanings of the term justification. One, to give praise to God and truth. Two, to make a vain display of righteousness. Three, to impute righteousness by faith by and on account of Christ. Confirmation from an expression of Paul and another of our Lord. Four, another confirmation from a comparison with other expressions in which justification means free righteousness before God through faith in Jesus Christ. One, acceptance. Two, imputation of righteousness. Three, remission of sins. Four, blessedness. Five, reconciliation with God. Six, righteousness by the obedience of Christ. Five, the second part of the chapter. Oseander's dream as to essential righteousness refuted. One, Oseander's argument, answer. Two, Oseander's second argument, answer. Third argument, answer. Six, necessity of this reputation. Fourth argument, answer. Confirmation, another answer. Fifth and sixth arguments and answers. Seven, seventh and eighth arguments. Eight, ninth argument, answer. Nine, tenth argument, answer. Ten, in what sense Christ is said to be our righteousness. Eleventh and twelfth arguments and answers. Eleven, thirteenth and fourteenth arguments, answers. An exception by Oseander. Imputed and begun righteousness to be distinguished. Oseander confounds them. Fifteenth argument, answer. Twelve, sixteenth argument, a dream of Oseander, answer. Other four arguments and answers. Conclusion of the refutation of Oseander's errors. Thirteen, last part of the chapter. Refutation of the Sophists pretending a righteousness compounded partly of faith and partly of works. Fourteen, Sophistical evasion by giving the same name to different things, two answers. Fifteen, second evasion, two answers. First answer, pernicious consequences resulting from this evasion. Sixteen, second answer showing wherein, according to scripture, justification consists. Seventeen, in explanation of this doctrine of justification, two passages of scripture produced. Eighteen, another passage of scripture. Nineteen, third evasion, epistical objection to the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Three answers. Fourth evasion, three answers. Twenty, fifth evasion founded on the application of the term righteousness to good works and also on their reward. Answer, confirmed by the invincible argument of Paul. Sixth evasion, answer. Twenty-one, Oseander and the Sophists being thus refuted the accuracy of the definition of justification by faith established. Twenty-two, definition confirmed. One, by passages of scripture. Two, by the writings of the ancient fathers. Twenty-three, man justified by faith, not because by it he obtains the spirit and is thus made righteous, but because by faith he lays hold of the righteousness of Christ and objection removed. An example of the doctrine of justification by faith from the works of Ambrose. One, I trust I have now sufficiently shown how man's only resource for escaping from the curse of the law and recovering salvation lies in faith. And also what the nature of faith is, what the benefits which it confers and the fruits which it produces. The whole may be thus summed up. Christ given to us by the kindness of God is apprehended and possessed by faith by means of which we obtain in particular a twofold benefit. First, being reconciled by the righteousness of Christ, God becomes instead of a judge, an indulgent father. And secondly, being sanctified by his spirit, we aspire to integrity and purity of life. This second benefit, that is regeneration, appears to have been already sufficiently discussed. On the other hand, the subject of justification was discussed more cursorily because it seemed of more consequence first to explain that the faith by which alone through the mercy of God we obtain free justification is not dustitude of good works. And also to show the true nature of these good works on which this question partly turns. The doctrine of justification is now to be fully discussed and discussed under the conviction that as it is the principal ground on which religion must be supported, so it requires greater care and attention. For unless you understand first of all what your position is before God and what the judgment which he passes upon you, you have no foundation on which your salvation can be laid or on which piety towards God can be reared. The necessity of thoroughly understanding this subject will become more apparent as we proceed with it. Two, lest we should stumble at the very threshold, this we should do where we to begin the discussion without knowing what the subject is, let us first explain the meaning of the expressions to be justified in the sight of God to be justified by faith or by works. A man is said to be justified in the sight of God when in the judgment of God he is deemed righteous and is accepted on account of his righteousness. For as iniquity is abominable to God, so neither can the sinner find grace in his sight so far as he is and so long as he is regarded as a sinner. Hence wherever sin is, there also are the wrath and vengeance of God. He, on the other hand, is justified who is regarded not as a sinner but as righteous and as such stands acquitted at the judgment seat of God where all sinners are condemned. As an innocent man when charged before an impartial judge who decides according to his innocence is said to be justified by the judge as a man is said to be justified by God when removed from the catalog of sinners, he has God as the witness and a surter of his righteousness. In the same manner, a man will be said to be justified by works if in his life there can be found a purity and holiness which merits an attestation of righteousness at the throne of God or if by the perfection of his works he can answer and satisfy the divine justice. On the contrary, a man will be justified by faith when excluded from the righteousness of works, he by faith lays hold of the righteousness of Christ and closed in it appears in the sight of God not as a sinner but as righteous. Thus we simply interpret justification as the acceptance with which God receives us into his favor as if we were righteous and we say that this justification consists in the forgiveness of sins and the imputation of the righteousness of Christ. See sections 21 and 23. Three, in confirmation of this, there are many clear passages of scripture. First, it cannot be denied that this is the proper and most usual signification of the term but as it were too tedious to collect all the passages and compare them with each other, let it suffice to have called the reader's attention to the fact he will easily convince himself of its truth. I will only mention a few passages in which the justification of which we speak is expressly handled. First, when Luke relates that all the people that heard Christ justified God, Luke 729, and when Christ declares that quote wisdom is justified of all her children, Luke 735, Luke means not that they conferred righteousness which always dwells in perfection with God, although the whole world should attempt to wrest it from him, nor does Christ mean that the doctrine of salvation is made just. This it is in its own nature but both modes of expression are equivalent with attributing due praise to God and his doctrine. On the other hand, when Christ abrades the Pharisees for justifying themselves, Luke 1615, he means not that they acquired righteousness by acting properly but that they ambitiously courted a reputation for righteousness of which they were destitute. Those acquainted with Hebrew understand the meaning better for in that language the name of wicked is given not only to those who are conscious of wickedness but to those who receive sentence of condemnation. Thus when Bathsheba says quote, I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders, end quote, she does not acknowledge a crime but complains that she and her son will be exposed to the disgrace of being numbered among reprobates and criminals, 1 Kings 121. It is indeed plain from the context that the term even in Latin must be thus understood that is relatively and does not denote any quality. In regard to the use of the term with reference to the present subject, when Paul speaks of the scripture quote, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith Galatians 3.8, what other meaning can you give it than that God imputes righteousness by faith? Again when he says quote that he, God, might be just and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus, Romans 3.26, what can the meaning be if not that God in consideration of their faith frees them from the condemnation which their wickedness deserves? This appears still more plainly at the conclusion when he exclaims quote, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us? Romans 8.33 and 34. For it is just as if he had said, who shall accuse those whom God has acquitted? Who shall condemn those for whom Christ fleeds? To justify therefore is nothing else than to acquit from the charge of guilt as if innocence were proved. Hence when God justifies us through the intercession of Christ, he does not acquit us on a proof of our own innocence, but by an imputation of righteousness so that through not righteousness in ourselves we are deemed righteous in Christ. Thus it is said in Paul's discourse in the Acts, quote, through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things which he could not be justified by the law of Moses. Acts 13, 38 and 39. You see that after remission of sins, justification is set down by way of explanation. You see plainly that it is used for acquittal. You see how it cannot be obtained by the works of the law. You see that it is entirely through the interposition of Christ. You see that it is obtained by faith. You see in fine that satisfaction intervenes since it is said that we are justified from our sins by Christ. Thus when the publican is said to have gone down to his house justified, Luke 18, 14, it cannot be held that he obtained this justification by any merit of works. All that is said is that after obtaining the pardon of sins he was regarded in the sight of God as righteous. He was justified therefore not by any approval of works but by gratuitous acquittal on the part of God. Hence Ambrose elegantly terms confession of sins legal justification. Without saying more about the term, we shall have no doubt as to the thing meant if we attend to the description which is given of it. For Paul certainly designates justification by the term acceptance when he says to the Ephesians, quote, having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved Ephesians 1, 5, and 6. His meaning is the very same as where he elsewhere says, quote, being justified freely by his grace, Romans 3, 24. In the fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans he first terms it the imputation of righteousness and hesitates not to place it in forgiveness of sins, quote, even as David also described it the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed righteousness without works, saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, et cetera, Romans 4, 6 through 8. There indeed he is not speaking of a part of justification but of the whole. He declares moreover that a definition of it was given by David when he pronounced him blessed who has obtained the free pardon of his sins. Once it appears that this righteousness of which he speaks is simply opposed to judicial guilt. But the most satisfactory passage on this subject is that in which he declares the sum of the gospel message to be reconciliation to God who is pleased through Christ to receive us into favor by not imputing our sins, 2 Corinthians 5, 18 to 21. Let my readers carefully weigh the whole context for Paul shortly after adding by way of explanation in order to designate the mode of reconciliation that Christ who knew no sin was made sin for us undoubtedly understands by reconciliation nothing less than justification. Nor indeed could it be said, as he elsewhere does, that we are made righteous by the obedience of Christ, Romans 5, 19, were it not that we are deemed righteous in the sight of God in him and not in ourselves. 5. But as Oceander has introduced a kind of monstrosity termed essential righteousness by which, although he designed not to abolish free righteousness, he involves it in darkness, and by that darkness deprives pious minds of a serious sense of divine grace. Before I pass to other matters, it may be proper to refute this delirious dream. And first, the whole speculation is mere empty curiosity. He indeed heaps together many passages of scripture showing that Christ is one with us, and we likewise one with him, a point which needs no proof. But he entangles himself by not attending to the bond of this unity. The explanation of all difficulties is easy to us who hold that we are united to Christ by the secret agency of his spirit, but he had formed some idea akin to that of the Manichees desiring to transfuse the divine essence into men. Hence his other notion that Adam was formed in the image of God because even before the fall Christ was destined to be the model of human nature. But as I study brevity, I will confine myself to the matter in hand. He says that we are one with Christ. This we admit, but still we deny that the essence of Christ is confounded with ours. Then we say that he absurdly endeavors to support his delusions by means of this principle, that Christ is our righteousness because he is the eternal God, the fountain of righteousness, the very righteousness of God. My readers will pardon me for now only touching on matters which method requires me to defer to another place. But although he pretends that by the term essential righteousness, he merely means to oppose the sentiment that we are reputed righteous on account of Christ, he however clearly shows that not contented with that righteousness which was procured for us by the obedience and sacrificial death of Christ, he maintains that we are substantially righteous in God by an infused essence as well as quality. For this is the reason why he so vehemently contends that not only Christ, but the Father and the Spirit dwell in us. The fact I admit to be true, but still I maintain it is rested by him. He ought to have attended to the mode of dwelling, that is, that the Father and the Spirit are in Christ, and as in him the fullness of the Godhead dwells, so in him we possess God entire. Hence, whatever he says separately concerning the Father and the Spirit has no other tendency than to lead away the simple from Christ. Then he introduces a substantial mixture by which God, transfusing himself into us, makes us as it were a part of himself. Our being made one with Christ by the agency of the Spirit, he being the head and we the members, he regards as almost nothing unless his essence is mingled with us. But as I have said, in the case of the Father and the Spirit, he more clearly betrays his views, namely that we are not justified by the mere grace of the mediator and that righteousness is not simply or entirely offered to us in his person, but that we are made partakers of divine righteousness when God is essentially united to us. Six, had he only said that Christ by justifying us becomes ours by an essential union and that he is our head, not only insofar as he is man, but that as the essence of the divine nature is diffused into us, he might indulge his dreams with less harm and perhaps it were less necessary to contest the matter with him. But since this principle is like a cuttlefish, which by the ejection of dark and inky blood conceals its many tales, if we would not knowingly and willingly allow ourselves to be robbed of that righteousness which alone gives us full assurance of our salvation, we must strenuously resist. For in the whole of this discussion, the noun righteousness and the verb to justify are extended by Oceander to two parts, to be justified being not only to be reconciled to God by a free pardon, but also to be made just and righteousness being not a free imputation, but the holiness and integrity which the divine essence dwelling in us inspires and he vehemently asserts, C. Section 8, that Christ is himself our righteousness not in so far as he by expiating sins appeased the Father, but because he is the eternal God and life. To prove the first point, that is, that God justifies not only by pardoning but by regenerating, he asks whether he leaves those whom he justifies as they were by nature making no change upon their vices. The answer is very easy, as Christ cannot be divided into parts, so the two things, justification and sanctification which we perceive to be united together in him are inseparable. Whomsoever therefore, God receives into his favor, he presents with the spirit of adoption whose agency forms them anew into his image. But if the brightness of the sun cannot be separated from its heat, are we therefore to say that the earth is warmed by light and illumined by heat? Nothing can be more opposite to the matter in hand than this simile. The sun by its heat quickens and fertilizes the earth by its rays, enlightens and illumines it. Here is a mutual and undivided connection and yet reason itself prohibits us from transferring the peculiar properties of the one to the other. In the confusion of a two-fold grace which Ociander obtrudes upon us, there is a similar absurdity because those whom God freely regards as righteous, he in fact renews to the cultivation of righteousness, Ociander confounds that free acceptance with this gift of regeneration and contends that they are one in the same. But scriptures, while combining both, classes them separately, that it may the better display the manifold grace of God. Nor is Paul's statement superfluous that Christ is made unto us, quote, righteousness and sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1.30. And whenever he argues from the salvation procured for us from the paternal love of God and the grace of Christ, that we are called to purity and holiness, he plainly intimates that to be justified is something else than to be made new creatures. Ociander, on coming to scripture, corrupts every passage which he quotes. Thus when Paul says, quote, to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifyeth thee ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness, he expounds justifying as making just. With the same rashness, he perverts the whole of the fourth chapter to the Romans. He hesitates not to give a similar gloss to the passage which I lately quoted, quote, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifyeth, end quote. Here it is plain that guilt and acquittal simply are considered and that the apostles' meaning depends on the antithesis. Therefore his futility is detected both in his argument and in his quotations for support from scripture. He is not a wit sounder in discussing the term righteousness when it is said that faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousness after he had embraced Christ, who is the righteousness of God and God himself and was distinguished by excellent virtues. Hence it appears that two things which are perfect are viciously converted by him into one which is corrupt. For the righteousness which is there mentioned pertains not to the whole course of life or rather the spirit testifies that though Abraham greatly excelled in virtue and by long perseverance in it had made so much progress, the only way in which he pleased God was by receiving the grace which was offered by the promise in faith. From this it follows that as Paul justly maintains there is no room for works in justification. Seven, when he objects that the power of justifying exists not in faith considered in itself but only as receiving Christ, I willingly admit it. For did faith justify of itself or as it is expressed by its own intrinsic virtue, as it is always weak and imperfect, its efficacy would be partial and thus our righteousness being maimed would give us only a portion of salvation. We indeed imagine nothing of the kind but say that properly speaking, God alone justifies. The same thing we likewise transferred to Christ because he was given to us for righteousness. While we compare faith to a kind of vessel because we are incapable of receiving Christ unless we are emptied and come with open mouth to receive his grace. Hence it follows that we do not withdraw the power of justifying from Christ when we hold that previous to his righteousness he himself is received by faith. Still, however, I admit not the torturous figure of the sophist that faith is Christ as if a vessel of clay were a treasure because gold is deposited in it. And yet this is no reason why faith though in itself of no dignity or value should not justify us by giving Christ just as such a vessel filled with coin may give wealth. I say therefore that faith which is only the instrument for receiving justification is ignorantly confounded with Christ who is the material cause as well as the author and minister of this great blessing. This disposes of the difficulty that is how the term faith is to be understood when treating of justification. Eight, Ociander goes still farther in regard to the mode of receiving Christ holding that by the ministry of the external word the internal word is received that he may thus lead us away from the priesthood of Christ and his office of mediator to his eternal divinity. We indeed do not divide Christ but hold that he who reconciling us to God in his flesh bestowed righteousness upon us is the eternal word of God and that he could not perform the office of mediator nor acquire righteousness for us if he were not the eternal God. Ociander will have it that as Christ is God and man he was made our righteousness in respect not of his human but of his divine nature. But if this is a peculiar property of the Godhead it will not be peculiar to Christ but common to him with the Father and the Spirit since their righteousness is one in the same. Thus it would be incongruous to say that that which existed naturally from eternity was made ours but granting that God was made unto us righteousness what are we to make of Paul's interposed statement that he was so made by God? This certainly is peculiar to the office of mediator for although he contains in himself the divine nature yet he receives his own proper title that he may be distinguished from the Father and the Spirit but he makes a ridiculous boast of a single passage of Jeremiah in which it is said that Jehovah will be our righteousness Jeremiah 23 6 33 verse 16 but all he can extract from this is that Christ who is our righteousness was God manifest in the flesh. We have elsewhere quoted from Paul's discourse that God purchased the church with his own blood Acts 20 verse 28 were anyone to infer from this that the blood by which sins were expiated was divine and of a divine nature who could endure so foul a heresy? But Ociander thinking that he has gained the whole cause by this childish caval swells, exalts and stuffs whole pages with his bombast whereas the solution is simple and obvious that is that Jehovah when made of the seed of David was indeed to be the righteousness of believers but in what sense Isaiah declares quote by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many Isaiah 53 11 let us observe that it is the Father who speaks he attributes the office of justifying to the Son and adds the reason because he is righteous he places the method or medium as it is called in the doctrine by which Christ is known for the word hod is more properly to be understood in a passive sense hence I infer first that Christ was made righteousness when he assumed the form of a servant secondly that he justified us by his obedience to the Father and accordingly that he does not perform this for us in respect of his divine nature but according to the nature of the dispensation laid upon him for though God alone is the fountain of righteousness and the only way in which we are righteous is by participation with him yet as by our unhappy revolt we are alienated from his righteousness it is necessary to descend to this lower remedy that Christ may justify us by the power of his death and resurrection nine if he objects that this work by its excellence transcends human and therefore can only be ascribed to the divine nature I concede the former point but maintain that on the latter he is ignorantly deluded for although Christ could neither purify our souls by his own blood nor appease the Father by his sacrifice nor acquit us from the charge of guilt nor in short perform the office of priest unless he had been very God because no human ability was equal to such a burden it is however certain that he performed all these things in his human nature if it is asked in what way we are justified Paul answers by the obedience of Christ did he obey in any other way than by assuming the form of a servant? we infer therefore that righteousness is manifested to us in his flesh in like manner in another passage which I greatly wonder that Ociander does not blush repeatedly to quote he places the fountain of righteousness entirely in the incarnation of Christ quote he has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Corinthians 5 21 Ociander in turgid sentences lays hold of the expression righteousness of God and shouts victory as if he had proved it to be his own phantom of essential righteousness though the words have a very different meaning that is that we are justified through the expiation made by Christ that the righteousness of God is used for the righteousness which is approved by God should be known to mere tyros as in John the praise of God is contrasted with the praise of men John 12 43 I know that by the righteousness of God is sometimes meant that of which God is the author and which he bestows upon us but that here the only thing meant is that being supported by the expiation of Christ we are able to stand at the tribunal of God sound readers perceive without any observation of mine the word is not of so much importance provided Ociander agrees with us in this that we are justified by Christ in respect he was made an expiatory victim for us this he could not be in his divine nature for which reason also when Christ would seal the righteousness and salvation which he brought to us he holds forth the sure pledge of it in his flesh he indeed calls himself living bread but in explanation of the mode adds quote my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed John 655 the same doctrine is clearly seen in the sacraments which though they direct our face to the whole not to a part of Christ yet at the same time declare that the materials of righteousness and salvation reside in his flesh not that the mere man of himself justifies our quickens but that God was pleased by means of a mediator to manifest his own hidden and incomprehensible nature hence I often repeat that Christ has been in a manner set before us as a fountain whence we may draw what would otherwise lie without use in that deep and hidden abyss which streams forth to us in the person of the mediator in this way and in this meaning I deny not that Christ as he is God and man justifies us that his work is common also to the Father and the Holy Spirit in fine that the righteousness of which God makes us partakers is the eternal righteousness of the eternal God provided effect is given to the clear and valid reasons to which I have it birded 10 moreover, lest by his cavals he deceived the unwary I acknowledge that we are devoid of this incomparable gift until Christ become ours therefore to that union of the head and members the residents of Christ in our hearts in fine the mystical union we assign the highest rank Christ when he becomes ours making us partners with him in the gifts with which he was endued hence we do not view him as at a distance and without us but as we have put him on and been engrafted into his body he deigns to make us one with himself and therefore we glory in having a fellowship of righteousness with him this disposes of Ociander's Calumny that we regard faith as righteousness as if we were robbing Christ of his rights when we say that destitute in ourselves we draw near to him by faith to make way for his grace that he alone may fill us but Ociander's burning the spiritual union insists on a gross mixture of Christ with believers and accordingly to excite prejudice gives the name of Zwinglians to all who subscribe not to his fanatical heresy of essential righteousness because they do not hold that in the supper Christ is eaten substantially for my part I counted the highest honor to be thus assailed by a haughty man devoted to his own impostatures though he assails not me only but writers of known reputation throughout the world and whom it became him modestly to venerate this however does not concern me as I plead not my own cause and plead the more sincerely that I am free from any sinister feeling in insisting so vehemently on essential righteousness and an essential inhabitation of Christ within us his meaning is first that God by a gross mixture transfuses himself into us as he pretends that there is a kernel eating in the supper and secondly that by instilling his own righteousness into us he makes us really righteous with himself since according to him this righteousness is as well God himself as the probity or holiness or integrity of God I will not spend much time in disposing of the passages of scripture which he adduces and which though used in reference to the heavenly life he rests to our present state Peter says that through the knowledge of Christ quote are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by them he might be partakers of the divine nature second Peter one for as if we now were what the gospel promises we shall be at the final advent of Christ nay John reminds us that quote when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is first John three two I only wish to give my readers a slender specimen of Oceander it being my intention to decline the discussion of his frivolities not because there is any difficulty in disposing of them but because I am unwilling to annoy the reader with superfluous labor end of section twenty section twenty one of institutes of the christian religion book three this is a liberbox recording all liberbox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit liberbox dot org institutes of the christian religion book three by john calvin translated by henry beverage chapter eleven part two eleven but more poison lurks in the second branch when he says that we are righteous together with god i think i have already sufficiently proved that although the dogma were not so pastiferous yet because it is frigid and jay june and falls by its own vanity it must justly be dispatched by all sound and pious readers but it is impossible to tolerate the impiety which under the pretense of a two-fold righteousness undermines our assurance of salvation and hurrying us into the clouds tries to prevent us from embracing the gift of expiation in faith and invoking god with quiet minds oceander derides us for teaching that to be justified is a forensic term because it behaves us to be in reality just there is nothing also to which he is more opposed than the idea of our being justified by a free imputation say then if god does not justify us by acquitting and pardoning what does paul mean when he says quote god was in christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and quote he made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of god in him second chrithians five nineteen and twenty one here i learned first that those who are reconciled to god are regarded as righteous then the method is stated god justifies by pardoning and hence in another place justification is opposed to accusation roman's eight thirty three this antithesis clearly demonstrating that the motive expression is derived from forensic use and indeed no man moderately verdant in the hebrew tongue provided he is also of sedate brain is ignorant that this phrase thus took its rise and thereafter derived its tendency and force now then when paul says that david quote describe it the blessedness of the man unto whom god imputed righteousness without works saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven roman's four six and seven and psalm thirty two one let oceander say whether this is a complete or only a partial definition he certainly does not adduce the psalmist as a witness that pardon of sins as a part of righteousness or concurred with something else in justifying but he includes the whole of righteousness in gratuitous forgiveness declaring those to be blessed quote whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered and quote and quote to whom the lord will not impute sin and quote he estimates and judges of his happiness from this that in this way he is righteous not in reality but by imputation oceander objects that it would be insulting to god and contrary to his nature to justify those who still remain wicked but it ought to be remembered as i already observed that the gift of justification is not separated from regeneration though the two things are distinct but as it is too well known by experience that the remains of sin always exist in the righteous it is necessary that justification should be something very different from reformation to newness of life this latter god begins in his elect and carries on during the whole course of life gradually and sometimes slowly so that if placed at his judgment seat they would always deserve sentence of death he justifies not partially but freely so that they can appear in the heavens as if closed with the purity of christ no portion of righteousness could pacify the conscience it must be decided that we are pleasing to god as being without exception righteous in his sight hence it follows that the doctrine of justification is perverted and completely overthrown whenever doubt is instilled into the mind confidence in salvation is shaken and free and intrepid prayer is retarded yea whenever rest and tranquility with spiritual joy are not established hence paul argues against objectors that if the inheritance be of the law it is no more of promise galatians three eighteen that in this way faith would be made vain for if respect be had to works it fails the holiest of men in that case finding nothing in which they can confide this distinction between justification and regeneration oceander confounding the two calls them a twofold righteousness is admirably expressed by paul speaking of his real righteousness or the integrity bestowed upon him which oceander terms his essential righteousness he mournfully exclaims quote oh wretched man that i am who shall deliver me from the body of this death roman seven twenty four but retaking himself to the righteousness which is founded solely on the mercy of god he breaks forth thus magnificently into the language of triumph who shall lay anything to the charge of god's elect it is god that justify it and quote who shall separate us from the love of christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword roman's eight thirty three and thirty five he clearly declares that the only righteousness for him is that which alone suffices for complete salvation in the presence of god so that that miserable bondage the consciousness of which made him a little before lament his lot derogates not from his confidence and is no obstacle in his way this diversity is well-known and indeed is familiar to all the saints who grown under the burden of sin and yet with victoria's assurance rise above all fears oceander's objection as to its being inconsistent with the nature of god falls back upon himself for although he clothes the saints with a two-fold righteousness as with a coat of skin he is however forced to admit that without forgiveness no man is pleasing to god if this be so let him at least admit that with reference to what is called the proportion of imputation those are regarded as righteous who are not so in reality but how far shall the sinner extend this gratuitous acceptance which is substituted in the room of righteousness will it amount to the whole pound or will it be only an ounce he will remain in doubt vibrating to this side and to that because he will be unable to assume to himself as much righteousness as will be necessary to give confidence it is well that he who would prescribe a lot to god is not the judge in this cause but this saying will ever stand true that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judges psalm fifty one verse four what arrogance to condemn the supreme judge when he acquits freely and try to prevent the response from taking effect quote i will have mercy on whom i will have mercy and quote and yet the intercession of moses which god calmed by this answer was not for pardon to some individual but to all alike by wiping away the guilt to which all were liable and we indeed say that the lost are justified before god by the burial of their sins for as he hates sin he can only love those whom he justifies but herein is the wondrous method of justification that closed with the righteousness of christ they dread not the judgment of which they are worthy and while they justly condemn themselves are yet deemed righteous out of themselves i must admonish the reader carefully to attend to the mystery which he boasts he is unwilling to conceal from them or after contending with great prolixity that we do not obtain favor with god through the mere imputation of the righteousness of christ because to use his own words it were impossible for god to hold those is righteous who are not so he at length concludes that christ was given to us for righteousness in respect not of his human but of his divine nature and though this can only be found in the person of the mediator it is however the righteousness not of man but of god he does not now twist his rope of two righteousnesses but plainly deprives the human nature of christ of the office of justifying it is worthwhile to understand what the nature of his argument is it is said in the same passage that christ is made unto us wisdom first chrithians one thirty but this is true only of the eternal word and therefore it is not the man christ that is made righteousness i answer that the only begotten son of god was indeed his eternal wisdom but that this title is applied to him by paul in a different way that is because quote in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and righteousness collosions two three that therefore which he had with the father he manifested to us and thus paul's expression refers not to the essence of the son of god but to our use and is fitly applied to the human nature of christ for although the light shown in darkness before he was closed with flesh yet he was a hidden light until he appeared in human nature as the son of righteousness and hence he calls himself the light of the world it is also foolishly objected by oceander that justifying far transcends the power both of men and angels since it depends not on the dignity of any creature but on the ordination of god where angels to attempt to give satisfaction to god they could have no success because they are not appointed for this purpose it being the peculiar office of christ who quote has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us collosions three thirteen those who deny that christ is our righteousness in respect of his divine nature are wickedly charged by oceander with leaving only a part of christ and what is worse with making to god because while admitting that god dwells in us they still insist that we are not justified by the righteousness of god for though we call christ the author of life in as much as he endured death that he might destroy him who had the power of death in the book of Hebrews two fourteen we do not thereby rob him of this honor in his whole character as god manifested in the flesh we only make a distinction as to the manner in which the righteousness of god comes to us and is enjoyed by us a matter as to which oceander shamefully aired we deny not that that which was openly exhibited to us in christ flowed from the secret grace and power of god nor do we dispute that the righteousness which christ confers upon us is the righteousness of god and proceeds from him what we constantly maintain is that our righteousness and life are in the death and resurrection of christ i say nothing of that absurd accumulation of passages with which without selection or common understanding he has loaded his readers in endeavoring to show that whenever mention is made of righteousness this essential righteousness of his should be understood as when david implores help from the righteousness of god this david does more than a hundred times and as often oceander hesitates not to pervert his meaning not a whit more solid is his objection that the name of righteousness is rightly and properly applied to that by which we are moved to act or write but that it is god only that worketh in us both to will and to do the philippines two thirteen for we deny not that god by his spirit forms us a new to holiness and righteousness of life but we must first see whether he does this of himself immediately or by the hand of his son with whom he has deposited all the fullness of the holy spirit that out of his own abundance he may supply the wants of his members when although righteousness comes to us from the secret fountain of the godhead it does not follow that christ who sanctified himself in the flesh on our account is our righteousness in respect of his divine nature john seventeen nineteen not less frivolous is his observation that the righteousness with which christ himself was righteous was divine for had not the will of the father impelled him he could not have fulfilled the office assigned him for although it has been elsewhere said that all the merits of christ flow from the mere good pleasure of god this gives no countenance to the phantom by which oceander fascinates both his own eyes and those of the simple for who will allow him to infer that because god is the source and commencement of our righteousness we are essentially righteous and the essence of the divine righteousness dwells in us in redeeming us says isaac quote he god put on righteousness as a breastplate and in helmet of salvation upon his head isaac fifty nine seventeen was this to deprive christ of the armor which he had given him and prevent him from being a perfect redeemer all that the profit meant was that god borrowed nothing from an external quarter that in redeeming us he received no external aid the same thing is briefly expressed by paul in different terms when he says that god sent him forth quote to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins and quote this is not the least repugnant to his doctrine in another place that quote by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous roman five nineteen in short everyone who by the entanglement of a two-fold righteousness prevents miserable souls from resting entirely on the mere mercy of god mocks christ by putting on him a crown of plated thorns thirteen but since a great part of mankind imagine a righteousness compounded of faith and works let us hear show that there is so wide a difference between justification by faith and by works that the establishment of the one necessarily overthrows the other the apostle says quote yay doubtless and i count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of christ jesus my lord for whom i have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dong that i may win christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of christ the righteousness which is of god by faith philippians three eight and nine you see here a comparison of contraries and an intimation that everyone who would obtain the righteousness of christ must renounce his own hence he elsewhere declares the cause of the rejection of the jews to have been that quote they being ignorant of god's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves onto the righteousness of god roman's ten three if we destroy the righteousness of god by establishing our own righteousness then in order to obtain his righteousness our own must be entirely abandoned this also he shows when he declares that boasting is not excluded by the law but by faith roman's three twenty seven hence it follows that so long as the minutest portion of our own righteousness remains we have still some ground for boasting now with faith utterly excludes boasting the righteousness of works cannot in any way be associated with the righteousness of faith this meaning is so clearly expressed in the fourth chapter to the romans as to leave no room for cavill or evasion quote if abraham were justified by works he has whereof to glory and quote and then it is added but not before god roman's four two the conclusion therefore is that he was not justified by works he then employs another argument from contraries that is when reward is paid to works it is done of debt and not of grace but the righteousness of faith is of grace therefore it is not of the merit of works away then with the dream of those who invent a righteousness compounded of faith and works fourteen the sophists who delight in sporting with scripture and in empty cavills think they have a subtle evasion when they expound works to mean such as unregenerated men do literally and by the effect of free will without the grace of christ and denied that these have any reference to spiritual works thus according to them men is justified by faith as well as by works provided these are not his own works but gifts of christ and fruits of regeneration paul's only object in so expressing himself being to convince the jews that in trusting to their own strength they foolishly irrigated righteousness to themselves whereas it is bestowed upon us by the spirit of christ alone and not by studied efforts of our own nature but they observe not that in the antithesis between legal and gospel righteousness which paul elsewhere introduces all kinds of works with whatever name adorned are excluded relations three eleven and twelve for he says that the righteousness of the law consists in obtaining salvation by doing what the law requires but that the righteousness of faith consists in believing that christ died and rose again roman's ten five through nine moreover we shall afterwards see at the proper place that the blessings of sanctification and justification which we derive from christ are different hence it follows that not even spiritual works are taken into account when the power of justifying is ascribed to faith and indeed the passage above quoted in which paul declares that abraham had no ground of glorying before god because he was not justified by works ought not to be confined to a literal and external form of virtue or to the effort of free will the meaning is that though the life of the patriarch had been spiritual and almost angelic yet he could not by the merit of works have procured justification before god fifteen the school men treat the matter somewhat more grossly by mingling their preparations with it and yet the others instill into the simple and unwary a no less pernicious dogma when under cover of the spirit in grace they hide the divine mercy which alone can give peace to the trembling soul we indeed hold with paul that those who fulfill the law are justified by god but because we are all far from observing the law we infer that the works which should be most effectual to justification are of no avail to us because we are destitute of them in regard to vulgar papists or school men they are here doubly wrong both in calling faith assurance of conscience while waiting to receive from god the reward of merits and in interpreting divine grace to mean not the imputation of gratuitous righteousness but the assistance of the spirit in the study of holiness they quote from the apostle he that comes to god must believe that he is and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him he bruise eleven verse six but they observed not what the method of seeking is then in regard to the term grace it is plain from their writings that they labor under a delusion for lumbard holds the justification is given to us by christ in two ways first says he quote the death of christ justifies us when by means of it the love by which we are made righteous is excited in our hearts and secondly when by means of it sin is extinguished sin by which the devil held us captive but by which he cannot now procure our condemnation and quote you see here that the chief office of divine grace in our justification he considers to be it's directing us to good works by the agency of the holy spirit he intended no doubt to follow the opinion of augustin but he follows it at a distance and even wanders far from the true imitation of him both obscuring what was clearly stated by augustin and making what in him was less pure more corrupt the schools have always gone from worse to worse until at length in their downward path they have degenerated into a kind of palagianism even the sentiment of augustin or at least his motive expressing it cannot be entirely approved up for although he is admirable in stripping man of all merit of righteousness and transferring the whole praise of it to god yet he classes the grace by which we are regenerated to newness of life under the head of sanctification sixteen scripture when it treats of justification by faith leads us in a very different direction turning away our view from our own works it bids us look only to the mercy of god and the perfection of christ the order of justification which it sets before us is this first god of his mere gratuitous goodness is pleased to embrace the sinner in whom he sees nothing that can move him to mercy but wretchedness because he sees him altogether naked and destitute of good works he therefore seeks the cause of kindness in himself that thus he may affect the sinner by a sense of his goodness and induce him in distrust of his own works to cast himself entirely upon his mercy for salvation this is the meaning of faith by which the sinner comes into the possession of salvation when according to the doctrine of the gospel he perceives that he is reconciled by god when by the intercession of christ he obtains the pardon of his sins and is justified and though renewed by the spirit of god considers that instead of leaning on his own works he must look solely to the righteousness which is treasured up for him in christ when these things are weighed separately they will clearly explain our view though they may be arranged in a better order than that in which they are here presented but it is of little consequence provided they are so connected with each other as to give us a full exposition and solid confirmation of the whole subject seventeen here it is proper to remember the relation which we previously established between faith and the gospel faith being said to justify because it receives and embraces the righteousness offered in the gospel by the very fact of its being said to be offered by the gospel all consideration of works is excluded this paul repeatedly declares and in two passages in particular most clearly demonstrates in the epistle to the romans comparing the law in the gospel he says moses describe it the righteousness which is of the law that the man which does those things shall live by them but the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the lord jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that god has raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved romans ten five and six nine do you see how he makes the distinction between the law in the gospel to be that the former gives justification to works whereas the latter bestows it freely without any help from works this is a notable passage and may free us from many difficulties if we understand that the justification which is given us by the gospel is free from any terms of law it is for this reason he more than once places the promise in diametrical opposition to the law if the inheritance be of the law it is no more of promise galatians three eighteen expressions of similar import occur in the same chapter undoubtedly the law also has its promises and therefore between them in the gospel promises there must be some distinction and difference unless we are to hold that the comparison is in that and in what can the difference consist unless in this that the promises of the gospel are gratuitous and founded on the mere mercy of god whereas the promises of the law depend on the condition of works but let no pester here allege that only the righteousness which men would have chewed upon god of their own strength and free will is repudiated since paul declares without exceptions that the law gained nothing by its commands being such as none not only of mankind in general but none even of the most perfect are able to fulfill love assuredly is the chief commandment in the law and since the spirit of god trains us to love it cannot but be a cause of righteousness in us though that righteousness even in the saints is defective and therefore of no value as a ground of merit eighteen the second passage is quote that no man is justified by the law in the sight of god it is evident for the just shall live by faith and the law is not of faith but the man that does them shall live in them galatians three eleven and twelve abacus two four how could the argument hold unless it be true that works are not to be taken into account but are to be altogether separated the law he says is different from faith why because to obtain justification by it works are required and hence it follows that to obtain justification by the gospel they are not required from this statement it appears that those who are justified by faith are justified independent of may in the absence of the merit of works because faith receives that righteousness which the gospel bestows but the gospel differs from the law in this that it does not confine justification to works but places it entirely in the mercy of god in like manner paul contends in the epistle to the romans that abraham had no ground of glorying because faith was imputed to him for righteousness romans four two and he adds in confirmation that the proper place for justification by faith is where there are no works to which reward is due quote to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt and quote what is given to faith is gratuitous this being the force of the meaning of the words which he there employs shortly after he adds quote therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace romans four sixteen and hence in first that the inheritance is gratuitous because it is procured by faith how so but just because faith without the aid of works leans entirely on the mercy of god and in the same sense doubtless he elsewhere teaches that the righteousness of god without the law was manifested being witnessed by the law in the prophets romans three twenty one for excluding the law he declares that it is not aided by works that we do not obtain it by working but our destitute when we draw near to receive it nineteen the reader now proceeds with what fairness the sophists of the present day cavill at our doctrine when we say that a man is justified by faith alone romans four two they dare not deny that he is justified by faith seeing scripture so often declares it but as the word alone is nowhere expressly used they will not tolerate it's being added is it so what answer then will they give to the words of paul when he contends that righteousness is not of faith unless it be gratuitous how can it be gratuitous and yet by works by what cavils moreover will they evade his declaration in another place that in the gospel the righteousness of god is manifested romans one seventeen if righteousness is manifested in the gospel it is certainly not a partial or mutilated but a full and perfect righteousness the law therefore has no part in it and their objection to the exclusive word alone is not only unfounded but is obviously absurd does he not plainly enough attribute everything to faith alone when he disconnects it with works what i would ask is meant by the expressions quote the righteousness of god without the law is manifested and quote being justified freely by his grace and quote quote justified by faith without the deeds of the law romans three twenty one twenty four twenty eight here they have an ingenious subterfuge one which though not of their own devising but taken from origin and some ancient writers is most childish they pretend that the works excluded are ceremonial not moral works such profit do they make by their constant wrangling that they possess not even the first elements of logic do they think the apostle was raving when he produced in proof of his doctrine these passages quote the man that does them shall live in them Galatians three twelve quote cursed is everyone that continue with not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them Galatians three ten unless they are themselves raving they will not say that life was promised to the observers of ceremonies and the cursed announced only against the transgressors of them if these passages are to be understood of the moral law there cannot be a doubt that moral works also are excluded from the power of justifying to the same effect are the arguments which he employs quote the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin Romans three twenty quote the law worketh wrath Romans four fifteen and therefore not righteousness quote the law cannot pacify the conscience and quote and therefore cannot confer righteousness quote faith is imputed for righteousness and quote and therefore righteousness is not the reward of works but is given without being due because quote we are justified by faith and quote boasting is excluded quote had there been a law given which could have given life fairly righteousness should have been by the law but the scripture has concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Galatians three twenty one and twenty two let them maintain if they dare that these things apply to ceremonies and not to morals and the very children will laugh at their effrontery the true conclusion therefore is that the whole law is spoken of when the power of justifying is denied to it twenty should anyone wonder why the apostle not contented with having named works employs this addition the explanation is easy however highly works may be estimated they have their whole value more from the approbation of God than from their own dignity for who will presume to plume himself before God on the righteousness of works unless in so far as he approves of them who will presume to demand of him a reward except in so far as he has promised it it is owing entirely to the goodness of God that works are deemed worthy of the honor and reward of righteousness and therefore their whole value consists in this that by means of them we endeavor to manifest obedience to God where for in another passage the apostle to prove that Abraham could not be justified by works declares quote that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannal that it should make the promise of none effect relations three seventeen the unskillful would ridicule the argument that there could be righteous works before the promulgation of the law but the apostle knowing that works could derive this value solely from the testimony and honor conferred on them by God takes it for granted that previous to the law they had no power of justifying we see why he expressly terms them works of law when he would deny the power of justifying to them that is because it was only with regard to such works that a question could be raised although he sometimes without addition accepts all kinds of works whatever as when on the testimony of David he speaks of the man to whom the Lord imputed righteousness without works Romans four verses five and six no cavals therefore can enable them to prove that the exclusion of works is not general in vain do they lay hold of the frivolous subtlety that the faith alone by which we are justified quote worketh by love and quote and that love therefore is the foundation of justification we indeed acknowledge with Paul that the only faith which justifies is that which works by love but love does not give it it's justifying power nay it's only means of justifying consists in its bringing us into communication with the righteousness of Christ otherwise the whole argument on which the apostle insists with so much earnestness would fall quote to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not believeth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness and quote could he express more clearly than in this word that there is justification in faith only where there are no works to which reward is due and that faith is imputed for righteousness only when righteousness is conferred freely without merit 21 let us now consider the truth of what was said in the definition that is that justification by faith is reconciliation with God and that this consists solely in the remission of sins we must always return to the axioms that the wrath of God lies upon all men so long as they continue sinners this is elegantly expressed by Isaiah in these words quote behold the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear but your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear Isaiah 59 1 and 2 we are here told that sin is a separation between God and man that his countenance is turned away from the sinner and that it cannot be otherwise sins to have any intercourse with sin is repugnant to his righteousness hence the apostle shows that man is at enmity with God until he is restored to favor by Christ Romans 5 8 through 10 when the Lord therefore admits him to union he is said to justify him because he can neither receive him into favor nor unite him to himself without changing his condition from that of a sinner into that of a righteous man we add that this is done by remission of sins for if those whom the Lord has reconciled to himself are estimated by works they will still prove to be in reality sinners while they ought to be pure and free from sin it is evident therefore that the only way in which those whom God embraces are made righteous is by having their pollutions wiped away by the remission of sins so that this justification may be termed in one word the remission of sins 22 both of these become perfectly clear from the words of Paul quote God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation end quote he then subjoins the sum of his embassy quote he has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Corinthians 5 19 to 21 he here uses righteousness and reconciliation indiscriminately to make us understand that the one includes the other the motive of obtaining this righteousness he explains to be that our sins are not imputed to us therefore you cannot henceforth doubt how God justifies us when you hear that he reconciles us to himself by not imputing our faults in the same manner in the epistle to the Romans he proves by the testimony of David that righteousness is imputed without works because he declares the man to be blessed quote whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered end quote unto whom the Lord impudeth not iniquity Romans 4 6 Psalm 32 1 and 2 there he undoubtedly uses blessedness for righteousness and as he declares that it consists in forgiveness of sins there is no reason why we should define it otherwise accordingly Zacharias the father of John the Baptist sings that the knowledge of salvation consists in the forgiveness of sins Luke 1 77 the same course was followed by Paul when in addressing the people of Antioch he gave them a summary of salvation Luke states that he concluded in this way quote through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses Acts 13 38 39 thus the apostle connects forgiveness of sins with justification in such a way as to show that they are all together the same and hence he properly argues the justification which we owe to the indulgence of God is gratuitous nor should it seem an unusual mode of expression to say that believers are justified before God not by works but by gratuitous acceptance seeing it as frequently used in scripture and sometimes also by ancient writers thus Augustine says quote the righteousness of the saints in the world consists more in the forgiveness of sins than the perfection of virtue and quote to this corresponds the well-known sentiment of Bernard quote not to sin is the righteousness of God but the righteousness of man is the indulgence of God and quote he previously asserts that Christ is our righteousness in absolution and therefore that those only are just who have obtained pardon through mercy 23 hence also it is proved that it is entirely by the intervention of Christ's righteousness that we obtain justification before God this is equivalent to saying that man is not just in himself but that the righteousness of Christ is communicated to him by imputation while he is strictly deserving of punishment this vanishes the absurd dogma that man is justified by faith in as much as it brings him under the influence of the spirit of God by whom he is rendered righteous this is so repugnant to the above doctrine that it never can be reconciled with it there can be no doubt that he who is taught to seek righteousness out of himself does not previously possess it in himself this is most clearly declared by the apostle when he says that he who knew no sin was made an expiatory victim for sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Corinthians 5 21 you see that our righteousness is not in ourselves but in Christ that the only way in which we become possessed of it is by being made partakers with Christ since with him we possess all riches there is nothing repugnant to this in what he elsewhere says quote God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us Romans 8 3 and 4 here the only fulfillment to which he refers is that which we obtain by imputation our Lord Jesus Christ communicates his righteousness to us and so by some wondrous ways insofar as pertains to the justice of God transfuses its power into us that this was the apostles view is abundantly clear from another sentiment which he had expressed a little before quote as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Romans 5 19 to declare that we are deemed righteous solely because the obedience of Christ is imputed to us as if it were our own just to place our righteousness in the obedience of Christ wherefore Ambrose appears to me to have most elegantly adverted to the blessing of Jacob as an illustration of this righteousness when he says that as he who did not merit the birthright in himself personated his brother put on his garments which gave forth the most pleasant odor and thus introduced himself to his father that he might receive a blessing to his own advantage though under the person of another so we conceal ourselves under the precious purity of Christ our first born brother that we may obtain an attestation of righteousness from the presence of God the words of Ambrose are quote Isaac's smelling the odor of his garments perhaps means that we are justified not by works but by faith since carnal infirmity is an impediment to works but errors of conduct are covered by the brightness of faith which merits the pardon of faults and quote and so indeed it is for in order to appear in the presence of God for salvation we must send forth that fragrant odor having our vices covered and buried by his perfection All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Ricky Sinclair Institutes of the Christian Religion Book 3 by John Calvin Translated by Henry Beveridge Chapter 12 Necessity of contemplating the judgment seat of God in order to be seriously convinced of the doctrine of gratuitous justification The divisions of this chapter are 1. A consideration of the righteousness of God overturns the righteousness of works as is plain from passages of scripture and the confession and example of the saints sections 1 through 3 2. The same effect produced by a serious examination of the conscience and a constant citation to the Divine Tribunal sections 4 and 5 3. Hence arises in the hearts of the godly not hypocrisy or a vain opinion of merit but true humility this illustrated by the authority of scripture and the example of the publican sections 6 and 7 4. Conclusion Arrogance and security must be discarded every man throwing an impediment in the way of the Divine Goodness in proportion as he trusts to himself sections 1 Source of error on the subject of justification Sophists speak as if the question were to be discussed before some human tribunal it relates to the majesty and justice of God hence nothing accepted without absolute perfection passages confirming this doctrine if we descend to the righteousness of the law the curse immediately appears 2. Source of hypocritical confidence illustrated by a simile exhortation, testimony of Job, David and Paul 3. Confession of Augustine and Bernard 4. Another engine overthrowing the righteousness of works vis a serious examination of the conscience and a comparison between the perfection of God and the imperfection of man 5. How it is that we so indulge this imaginary opinion of our own works the proper remedy to be found in a consideration of the majesty of God and our own misery a description of this misery 6. Christian humility consists in laying aside the imaginary idea of our own righteousness and trusting entirely to the mercy of God apprehended by faith in Christ this humility described proved by passages of scripture 7. The parable of the publican explained 8. Arrogance, security and self-confidence must be renounced general rule or summary of the above doctrine 1. Although the perfect truth of the above doctrine is proved by clear passages of scripture yet we cannot clearly see how necessary it is before we bring distinctly into view the foundations on which the whole discussion ought to rest first then let us remember that the righteousness which we are considering is not that of a human but of a heavenly tribunal and so beware of employing our own little standard to measure the perfection which is to satisfy the justice of God it is strange with what rashness and presumption this is commonly defined nay, we see that none talk more confidently or so to speak more blusteringly of the righteousness of works than those whose diseases are most palpable and blemishes most apparent this they do because they reflect not on the righteousness of Christ which if they had the slightest perception of it they would never treat with so much insult it is certainly undervalued if not recognized to be so perfect that nothing could be accepted that is not in every respect, entire and absolute and tainted by no impurity such indeed as never has been and never will be found in man it is easy for any man within the precincts of the schools to talk of the sufficiency of works for justification but when we come into the presence of God there must be a choice to such talk the matter is there discussed and earnest and is no longer a theatrical legomachy hither must return our minds if we would inquire to any purpose concerning true righteousness the question must be how shall we answer the heavenly judge when he calls us to account let us contemplate that judge not as our own unaided intellect conceives of him but as he is portrayed to us in scripture see especially the book of Job with a brightness which obscures the stars a strength which melts the mountains an anger which shakes the earth a wisdom which takes the wise in their own craftiness a purity before which all things become impure a righteousness to which not even angels are equal so far is it from making the guilty innocent a vengeance which once kindled burns to the lowest hell Exodus 34 verse 7 Nahum 1 verse 3 Deuteronomy 32 verse 22 let him, I say, sit in judgment on the actions of men and who will feel secure insisting himself before his throne quote who among us, says the prophets shall dwell with the devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings he that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly end quote et cetera Isaiah 33 verses 14 and 15 let who so will come forth nay, the answer shows that no man can for, on the other hand we hear the dreadful voice quote if thou, Lord, shouldest mark our iniquities O Lord, who shall stand end quote all must immediately perish as Job declares quote shall mortal man be more just than God shall a man be more pure than his maker behold, he put no trust in his servants and his angels he charged with folly how much less in them that dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust which are crushed before the moth they are destroyed from morning to evening end quote Job 4 verses 17 through 20 again, quote behold, he puteth no trust in his saints yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight how much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water end quote Job 15 verses 15 and 16 I confess indeed that in the book of Job references made to a righteousness of a more exalted description than the observance of the law it is of importance to attend to this distinction for even could a man satisfy the law he could not stand the scrutiny of that righteousness which transcends all our thoughts hence, although Job was not conscious of offending he is still dumb of astonishment because he sees that God could not be appeased even by the sanctity of angels where there works weighed in that supreme balance but to advert no farther to this righteousness which is incomprehensible I only say that if our life is brought to the standard of the written law we are lethargic indeed if we are not filled with dread at the many maledictions which God has employed for the purpose of arousing us and, among others, the following general one quote cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them end quote Deuteronomy 27 verse 26 in short the whole discussion of this subject will be insipid and frivolous unless we cyst ourselves before the heavenly judge and anxious for our acquittal voluntarily humble ourselves forcing our nothingness 2. Thus then must we raise our eyes that we may learn to tremble instead of vainly exulting it is easy indeed when the comparison is made among men for everyone to plume himself on some quality which others ought not to despise but when we rise to God that confidence instantly falls and dies away the case of the soul with regard to God is very analogous to that of the body in regard to the visible firmament the bodily eye while employed in surveying adjacent objects is pleased with its own perspicacity but when directed to the sun being dazzled and overwhelmed by the refogens it becomes no less convinced of its weakness than it formerly was of its power in viewing inferior objects therefore, lest we deceive ourselves by vain confidence let us recollect that even though we deem ourselves equal or superior to other men this is nothing to God by whose judgment the decision must be given but if our presumption cannot be tamed by these considerations he will answer us as he did the Pharisees quote, ye are they which justify yourselves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God end quote, Luke 16 verse 15 go now and make a proud boast of your righteousness among men while God in heaven abhors it but what are the fillings of the servants of God of those who are truly taught by his spirit quote, enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified end quote, Psalm 143 verse 2 another, though in a sense somewhat different says, quote, how should man be just with God if he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand end quote, Job 9 verses 2 and 3 here we are plainly told what the righteousness of God is namely, a righteousness which no human works can satisfy which charges us with a thousand sins while not one sin can be excused of this righteousness, Paul that chosen vessel of God had formed a just idea when he declared, quote, I know nothing by myself yet am I not hereby justified end quote, 1 Corinthians 4 verse 4 3 such examples exist not in the sacred volume only all pious writers show that their sentiment was the same thus, Augustine says, quote of all pious men groaning under this burden of corruptible flesh and the infirmities of this life the only hope is that we have one mediator Jesus Christ the righteous and that he intercedes for our sins end quote what do we hear? if this is their only hope where is their confidence and works when he says only, he leaves no other Bernard says, quote and indeed where have the infirm, firm security and safe rest but in the wounds of the Saviour hold it then the more securely the more powerful he is to save the world frowns, the body presses the devil lays snares I fall not because I am founded on a firm rock I have sinned a grievous sin conscience is troubled but it shall not be overwhelmed for I will remember the wounds of the Lord end quote he afterwards concludes quote my merit therefore is the compassion of the Lord plainly I am not devoid of merit so long as he is not devoid of commiseration but if the mercies of the Lord are many equally many are my merits shall I sing of my own righteousness? oh Lord I will make mention of thy righteousness alone that righteousness is mine also being made mine by God end quote again in another passage quote man's whole merit is to place his whole hope in him who makes the whole man safe end quote in like manner reserving peace to himself he leaves the glory to God quote let thy glory remain unimpaired it is well with me if I have peace I altogether abjure boasting lest if I should usurp what is not mine I lose also what is offered end quote he says still more plainly in another place quote notice the church solicitous about merits God purposely supplies her with a firmer and more secure ground of boasting there is no reason for asking by what merits may we hope for blessings especially when you hear in the prophet quote thus saith the Lord God I do not this for your sakes oh house of Israel but for mine holy names sake end quote Ezekiel 36 verses 22 and 32 it is sufficient for merits to know that merits suffice not but as it is sufficient for merit not to presume on merit so to be without merits is sufficient for condemnation end quote the free use of the term merits for good works must be pardoned to custom Bernard's purpose was to alarm hypocrites who turned the grace of God into licentiousness as he shortly after explains quote happy the church which neither wants merit without presumption nor presumption without merit it has ground to presume but not merit it has merit to deserve not presume is not the absence of presumption itself a merit heed therefore to whom the many mercies of the Lord furnished ample grounds of boasting presumes them more securely that he presumes not end quote 4 thus indeed it is aroused consciences when they have to do with God fill this to be the only asylum in which they can breathe safely for if the stars which shine most brightly by night lose their brightness on the appearance of the sun what think we will be the case with the highest purity of man when contrasted with the purity of God for the scrutiny will be most strict penetrating to the most hidden thoughts of the heart as Paul says it quote will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counselors of the heart end quote 1 Corinthians 4 verse 5 will compel the reluctant and dissembling conscience to bring forward everything even things which have now escaped our memory the devil aware of all the iniquities which he has induced us to perpetrate will appear as accuser the external show of good works the only thing now considered will then be of no avail the only thing demanded will be the true intent of the will hence hypocrisy not only that by which a man though consciously guilty before God affects to make an ostentatious display before man but that by which each imposes upon himself before God so prone are we to soothe and flatter ourselves will fall confounded how much so ever it may now swell with pride and presumption those who do not turn their thoughts to this scene may be able for the moment calmly and complacently to rear up a righteousness for themselves but this the judgment of God will immediately overthrow just as great wealth amassed in a dream vanishes the moment we awake those who as in the presence of God inquire seriously into the true standard of righteousness we will certainly find that all the works of men if estimated by their own worth are nothing but vileness and pollution that what is commonly deemed justice is with God mere iniquity what is deemed integrity is pollution what is deemed glory is ignominy 5. Let us not decline to descend from this contemplation of the divine perfection to look into ourselves without flattery or blind self-love it is not strange that we are so deluded in this matter seeing none of us can avoid that pestilential self-indulgence which as scripture proclaims is naturally inherent in all quote every way of a man is right in his own eyes end quote says Solomon Proverbs 21 verse 2 and again quote all the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes end quote Proverbs 16 verse 2 what then does this hallucination excuse him no indeed as Solomon immediately adds quote end quote that is while a man flatters himself by raring an external mask of righteousness the Lord weighs the hidden impurity of the heart in his balance seeing therefore that nothing is gained by such flattery let us not voluntarily delude ourselves to our own destruction to examine ourselves properly our conscience must be called to the judgment seat of God his light is necessary to disclose the secret recesses of wickedness which otherwise you deeply hid then only shall we clearly perceive what the value of our works is that man so far from being just before God is but rottenness and a worm abominable and vain drinking in quote iniquity like water end quote for quote who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one end quote Job 14 verse 5 then we shall experience the truth of what Job said of himself quote if I justify my own mouth shall condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall prove me perverse end quote Job 9 verse 20 nor does the complaint which the prophet made concerning Israel apply to one age only it is true of every age that quote all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way end quote Isaiah 53 verse 6 indeed he there comprehends all to whom the gift of redemption was to come both of the examination ought to be continued until it have completely alarmed us and in that way prepared us for receiving the grace of Christ for he is deceived who thinks himself capable of enjoying it until he have laid aside all loftiness of mind there is a well-known declaration quote God resistive the proud but give if grace to the humble end quote 1 Peter 5 verse 5 6 but what means is there of humbling the mercy of God by our utter indigence and destitution for I call it not humility so long as we think there is any good remaining in us those who have joined together the two things to think humbly of ourselves before God and yet hold our own righteousness in some estimation hitherto taught a pernicious hypocrisy for if we confess to God contrary to what we fill we wickedly like to him but we cannot he is completely crushed therefore when you hear from the prophets quote thou wilt save the afflicted people but wilt bring down high looks end quote Psalm 18 verse 27 consider first that there is no access to salvation unless all pride is laid aside and true humility embraced secondly that humility is not a kind of moderation by which you yield to God some article of your right humble in regard to each other when they need to conduct themselves hotly nor insult over other though they may still entertain some consciousness of their own excellence but that it is the unfaithful submission of a mind overwhelmed by a serious conviction of its want and misery such is the description everywhere given by the word of God when in haughty because of my holy mountain I will also leave in the midst of thee and afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the name of the lord end quote Zephaniah 3 verses 11 and 12 does he not plainly show who are the humble viz those who lie afflicted by a knowledge of their poverty on the contrary he describes the proud lives nothing but hope in the lord thus also in Isaiah quote to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word end quote Isaiah 66 verse 2 again quote thus save the high and lofty one that inhabitive eternity whose name is holy I draw in the high and holy place and to revive the heart of the contrite ones end quote Isaiah 57 verse 15 by the term contrition which you so often hear understand a wounded heart which humbling the individual to the earth allows him not to rise with such contrition must your heart be wounded if you would according to the declaration of god be exalted with the humble if this is not your case you shall be humbled our divine master not confining himself to words has by a parable set before us as in a picture a representation of true humility he brings forward a publican who standing a far off and not daring to lift up his eyes to heaven smites upon his breast laments aloud and exclaims quote god be merciful to me a sinner end quote Luke 18 verse 13 let us not suppose that he gives the signs of humility when he dares not come near or lift up his eyes to heaven but smiting upon his breast confesses himself a sinner let us know that these are the evidences of his internal feeling with him our lord contrasts the Pharisee who thanks god quote I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this publican I fast that he is the gift of god but because of his confidence that he is righteous he departs from the presence of god unaccepted and abominated the publican acknowledging his iniquity is justified hence we may see how highly our humility is valued by the lord our breast cannot receive his mercy until deprived completely of all opinion of its own worth when such Christ was sent into the world by his father was quote to preach good tidings to the meek end quote quote to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the lord and the day of vengeance of our god to comfort all that mourn to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes end quote Isaiah 61 verses 1 through 3 in fulfillment of that mission the only persons whom he invites to share in his beneficence are the quote rary and heavy laden end quote in another passage he says quote I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance end quote Matthew 11 verse 28 9 verse 13 8 therefore if we would go away for the call of Christ we must put far from us all arrogance and confidence the former is produced by a foolish persuasion of self-righteousness when a man thinks that he has something in himself which deservedly recommends him to God the latter may exist without any confidence in works for many sinners intoxicated with the pleasures of vice think not of the judgment of God it is not less necessary to shake off torpor of this description than every kind of confidence in ourselves in order that we may haste to Christ unencumbered and while hungry and empty be filled of his blessings never shall we have sufficient confidence in him unless utterly distrustful of ourselves never shall we take courage in him until we first despond of ourselves never shall we have full discarded all self-confidence and trust solely in the certainty of his goodness we are fit to upper hand and obtain the grace of God quote when as Augustine says forgetting our own merits we embrace the gifts of Christ because if he should seek for merits in us we should not obtain his gifts end quote with this Bernard admirably accords merely passing through them just as if a wall were to boast of producing the ray which it receives through the window not to dwell longer here let us lay down this short but sure and general rule that he is prepared to reap the fruits of the Divine Mercy who has thoroughly emptied himself I say not of righteousness he has none but of a vain and blustering show of righteousness for to whatever extent God end of section 22 recording by Ricky Sinclair being sanctified daily .blogspot.com