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Ant. I pray you, sir, give me leave to speak a word by the way; was not he justified before this time?

Evan. If he did not believe in Christ before this time, as I conceive he did not, then certainly he was not justified before this time.

Ant. But, sir, you know, as the apostle says, "It is God that justifieth; and God is eternal; and, as you have shown, Christ may be said to have fulfilled the covenant of works from all eternity, and if he be Christ's now, then was he Christ's from all eternity." And therefore, as I conceive, he was justified from all eternity.

Evan. Indeed, God is from all eternity, and in respect of God's accepting of Christ's undertaking to fulfil the covenant of works, he fulfilled it from all eternity: and in respect of God's electing of him, he was Christ's from all eternity. And therefore it is true, in respect of God's decree, he was justified from all eternity; ¹ and he was justified meritoriously in the death and resurrection of Christ; ² but yet he was not justified actually, till he did actually believe in Christ; for, says the apostle, (Acts 13:39), "By him all that believe are justified." ³ So that in the act of justifying, faith and Christ must have a mutual relation, and must always concur and meet together; faith as the action which apprehendeth, and Christ the object which is apprehended; for neither doth Christ justify without faith, neither doth faith, except it be in Christ.

Ant. Truly, sir, you have indifferently well satisfied me in this point; and surely I like it marvellously well, that you conclude no faith justifies, but that whose object is Christ.

Evan. The very truth is, though a man believe that God is merciful and true to his promise, and that he has his elect number from the beginning, and that he himself is one of that number, yet if this faith do not eye Christ, if it be not in God as he is in Christ, it will not serve the turn: for God cannot be comfortably thought upon out of Christ our Mediator; "for if we find not God in Christ," says Calvin, Instit. p. 155, "salvation cannot be known." Wherefore, Neophytus, I will say unto you, as Mr. Bradford said unto a gentlewoman in your case, "Thus, then, if you would be quiet, and certain in conscience, then let your faith burst forth through all things, not only that you have within you, but also whatsoever is in heaven, earth, and hell; and never rest until it come to Christ crucified, and the eternal sweet mercy and goodness of God in Christ."

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[Back] [1] "The sentence of justification was, as it were, conceived in the mind of God by the decree of justifying, (Gal 3:8), 'The Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith.'" Ames. Med. cap. 37, sec. 9,—"In which sense grace is said to be given us in Christ before the world began." (2 Tim 1:9) Turret. loc. 16. q. 9. th. 11.—"Sins were pardoned from eternity in the mind of God." Rutherford's Exer. Apolog. 110:1, cap. 2. sec. 21. p. 53. The same Rutherford adds, "It is one thing for a man to be justified in Christ, and that from eternity: and another for a man to be justified in Christ in time, according to the gospel-covenant. Faith is not so much as the instrument of eternal and immanent justification and remission of sins." Ibid. p. 55.

[Back] [2] "Justification may be considered as to the execution of it in time; and that again, either as to the purchase of it, which was made by the death of Christ on the cross, concerning which it is said, (Rom 5:9,10), 'That we are justified and reconciled to God by the blood of Christ; and that Christ reconciled all things unto God by the blood of the cross,' (Col 1:20). And elsewhere, Christ is said to be 'raised again for our justification,' (Rom 4:25). Because, as in him dying, we died, so in him raised again and justified, we are justified; that is, we have a certain and undoubted pledge and foundation of our justification. Or as to the application of it," &c. Turret. ubi sup. "The sentence of justification was pronounced in Christ our head, risen from the dead," (2 Cor 5:19). Ames, ubi sup.—"We were virtually justified, especially when Christ having finished the purchase of our salvation, was justified, and we in him as our head," (1 Tim 3:16, 2 Cor 5:19). Essen. Comp. cap. 15, sec. 25.

[Back] [3] "Actual justification is done in time, and follows faith." Turret. loc. 16. q. 9. th. 3.—"Justification is done formally when an elect man, effectually called, and so apprehended of Christ, apprehends Christ again," (Rom 8:30). Essen. ubi supra.—"The sentence of justification is pronounced virtually from that first relation which ariseth from faith," (Rom 8:1). Ames. ubi supra.

Upon the whole, it is evident our author keeps the path trodden by orthodox divines on the subject; and though, in order to answer the objections of his adversary, he uses the school terms, of being justified in respect of God's decree, meritoriously, and actually, agreeably to the practice of other sound divines; yet otherwise he begins and ends his decision of this controversy, by asserting in plain and simple terms, without any distinction at all, "That a man is not justified before he believes, or without faith." So his answer amounts just to this, "That God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect; and Christ did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them." Westm. Confess. cap. 11. art. 4.