Jones on Article XI: Of the Justification of Man

” They are the enemies of the cross of Christ.’ — A man may be an enemy of the cross of Christ when he is a right Papist, given to monkery ; I warrant you he is in this opinion, that with his own works he doth merit remission of his sins, and satisfieth the law through and by, his own works ; and so

thinketh himself to be saved everlastingly Now all these

that be in such an opinion, they be the enemies of the cross of Christ, of his passion and blood-shedding. For they think in themselves Christ needed not to die, but so they despise his bitter passion : they do not consider our birth-sin and the cor- ruption of our nature ; nor yet do they know the quantity of

our actual sins All faithful and true Christians believe only

in his death, they long to be saved through his passion and

blood-shedding, this is all their comfort For Christ only

and no man else merited remission, justification, and eternal felicity for as many as will believe the same ; they that will not believe it shall not have it ; for it is no more, but, ’ believe

and have.’ For though we do our uttermost, yet is it all

imperfect, when ye examine them by the rigour of the law ; which law serveth to bring us to the knowledge of our sins, and so to Christ ; and by Christ we shall come to the quietness of our conscience.”. ..Ser. 23?‘d Sun. after Trinity.

” So that we are now fulfillers of the law by his fulfilling, so that the law may not condemn us. For he hath fulfilled it, so that we believing in him are fulfillers of the law, and just before the face of God. For Christ with his passion hath deserved that all that believe in him shall be saved, not through their own good works, but through his passion. Here thou seest whereupon hangeth thy salvation, namely, believing in the Son of God, which hath prepared and gotten heaven for all those that believe in him, and live uprightly according to his word.” — Ser. on Luke ii. 42.

” Our salvation cometh not of ourselves, of our works, or merits of men, but only of the grace of God through faith. In the which words (Eph. ii. 8 — 10.) St. Paul reproveth all them that think our justification doth come by other things than by

the grace of God and by Christ To faith in the Scripture is

attributed our justification, not because faith is the author of our justification ; for the author of our justification is Christ ; but justification is attributed to faith, because faith receiveth the mercy of God, and believeth the promises of God made to just men and believers to be fulfilled. So faith i3 the organ and the mean, by the which we perceive our justification to come of the only mercy of God, and it maketh us to believe the Scrip- tures, that show that we are justified by grace through faith Without all works.”— On Eph. ii. 8 — 10.

” God hath not found a new way of late for us to be saved by, but hath appointed one means for all ages, by which only we shall please him ; that is, the merits and death of his dear Son Christ Jesus our Lord. He is the strong rock, upon whom what house soever is builded, shall stand : all other be builded on the sand, and therefore shall fall.” — Exp. Aggeus.

” The mean whereby we are made partakers of this free remission of sins in the death and resurrection of Christ, is

faith in Christ. ’ For all ’ (saith Peter) ’ that believe in him shall receive remission of sins through his name,’ God doth freely offer unto us remission of sin and peace in Christ : the

mean and instrument to receive it withal is faith This

doctrine of justification by faith in the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus is witnessed by all the prophets. It is no new doctrine, but old, not only proceeding from the apostles but also from the prophets.” — Ser. Acts x. 34.

” Now to attribute justification to our merits or works,

is to make of none effect the merit of Christ, to make grace no grace.

” He”’ (Christ) “was made partaker of man’s mortal nature, that by death he might destroy him that had imperic and

dominion of death, to say the devil His death so obedient

with the Father’s will, that it was not only a sacrifice, but also a just recompense to satisfy for all the world, solely and only, as Christ taught Nicodemus, John iii..iv…and such a sacrifice as once for all sufficeth.” — Decl.

” Faith doth not only show us Christ that died and now sitteth at the right hand of God ; but also applieth the merits of his death unto us, and maketh Christ ours ; faith laying nothing to gage unto the justice of God but the death of Christ, and thereupon claimeth mercy of God’s promise, the remission

of sin Although faith be the means whereby it is received,

yet hath neither faith, nor charity, nor contrition, nor the word of God, nor all those knit together, sufficient merits wherefore we should obtain this remission of sin ; but the only cause wherefore sin is forgiven is the death of Christ. Now mark the words of St. Paul. ’ Freely ’ (saith he) ’ we are justified by his grace.’ ” — Ibid.

” ‘By the works of the law no man shall be justified before God.’ Thou hast here, that together all good deeds, yea, the

very best as those of God’s law, cannot bring us just before God, and do justify no man ; for that it was not made for this purpose to justify, but that through the same, sin might be

known Show me why dost thou so much detest to grant

that we obtain the divine justice through faith, and that all our sins be freely and for nought forgiven us, for Christ’s sake alone, if that we put our confidence in him ? Doth not Peter the apostle confess and preach this, when he saith, that God by faith, that is, through the affiance of his mercy, purgeth the hearts and souls of men ? Also when he proclaimeth, that there is none other name besides that one of Christ given to men under heaven, by the which they may obtain salvation.

Whether is not Palu wholly in this ’ Therefore, we being

justified by faith, have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ ” — Curio’s Decl.

“Because all men be sinners and offenders against God, and breakers of his law and commandments, therefore, can no man by his own acts, works, and deeds, (seem they never so good) be justified and made righteous before God ; but every man is constrained to seek for another righteousness or justification to

be received at God’s own hands In these foresaid places,

(Rom. iii. x. viii.) the apostle toucheth specially three things, which must concur and go together in our justification ; upon God’s part, his great mercy and grace ; upon Christ’s part, justice, that is, the satisfaction of God’s justice, or price of our redemption by the offering of his body and shedding of his blood, with fulfilling of the law perfectly and thoroughly ; and upon our part, true and lively faith in the merits of Jesus Christ, which yet is not ours but by God’s working in us.” — Horn, on Salvation.

” Now because none other virtue can so apprehend the mercy of God, nor certify us so effectually of our salvation as

this living faith doth ; therefore hath the Scripture imputed our justification before God, only unto faith among all other vir- tues j not without other virtues following, but without any

other work or deed justifying This is the faith without the

which ‘it is impossible to please God.’ Through Christ

Jesus is all fulfilled that the prophets prophesied of him afore ; thus is he become the salvation of all faithful believers, even the Lamb of God, which hath been sacrificed since the begin- ning of the world.”— The Old Faith.

” Lord God what a derogation unto God’s high glory is this, to teach that we may trust in our works, that we may challenge our inheritance by our working, that our working may deserve

to receive immortality good works must needs follow faith ;

but not that we may set any of them in the room of Christ, nor make them the satisfaction to God for our sins.” — Confutation of Standish.

” We suppose that a man is justified by faith without the

deeds of the law. (Rom. iii.) Wherefore works do not

justify, but faith ’ If Abraham (saith he) was justified by

works, be hath whereupon he may boast, but not before God.’ For what saith the Scripture? (Gen. xv.) ‘Abraham gave credence to God, and that was reckoned unto him for right- eousness.’ And in the end of the fourth chapter, he saith, it was not written for him only that it was reckoned to him for

righteousness, but also for us to whom it shall be reckoned

Christ deserved all things unto us with his blood. And we are justified freely. (Rom. iii.) The heritage was not gotten by our labour, but by Christ’s.” — Old Learning and New.

” We believe and confess concerning justification, that as it cometh only from God’s mercy through Christ, so it is per- ceived and had of none who be of years of discretion, otherwise

than by faith only, which faith is not an opinion, but a certain persuasion wrought by the Holy Ghost in the mind and heart of man, wherethrough as the mind is illuminated, so the heart is suppled to submit itself to the will of God unfeignedly ; and so showeth forth an inherent righteousness, which is to be discerned in the article of justification, from the righteousness which God indueth us withal, in justifying us, although inse- parably they go together. And this we do… for conscience sake, that it may be quiet, which it never can be, if we confound without distinction forgiveness of sins, and Christ’s justice imputed to us, with regeneration and inherent righteousness.”

” Thus see you, that repentance without faith availeth nothing, but enunied and joined with faith is a singular and high treasure. For by faith doth God hear us. By faith are

we blessed By faith are we purified. By faith are our

hearts made clean. By faith are we made the sons of God.

By faith are we justified Thus have I declared unto you

that the only means to obtain remission of your sins, and to be made heirs of eternal glory, is unfeignedly to repent and faith- fully to believe, that through this repentance and faith, God will undoubtedly, for Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us all our sins, receive us again into favour, and make us heirs of his eternal glory.” — Christmas Banquet.

” What is justification ? Of unrighteous to be made right- eous by the righteousnesses of Christ, which we conceive by faith.” — Demands, fyc.

” Proving by the manifest Scriptures of God that faith only, justifieth before God, yea, and that without works ; as St. Paul saith, ‘we hold that a man is justified by faith without the works of the law.’ Again, ’ we know that a man is not justified by the deeds of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.’ For this” (justification) ” cometh only by the

alone faith in the merciful promises of God made to all faithful penitent sinners in the blood of Christ ; as the apostle saith, ’ by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of your- selves. It is the gift of God, and cometh not of works, lest any man should boast […] to ‘Common Places,’ fyc.

” We say that man is born and does live in sin, and that no man can truly say his heart is clean ; that the most holy man is an unprofitable servant ; that the law of God is perfect, and requires of us a full and perfect obedience ; and that we cannot in any way keep it perfectly in this life, and that there is no mortal who can be justified in the sight of God by his own deserts ; and therefore, our only refuge and safety is in the mercy of God the Father by Jesus Christ, and in the assuring ourselves that he is the propitiation for our sins, by whose blood all our stains are washed out ; that he has pacified all things by the blood of his cross ; that he, by that only sacrifice which he once offered upon the cross hath perfected all things. Now if there be any who think not that this sacrifice is suffi- cient, let them go and find out a better ; but as for us, because we know this is the only sacrifice, we are contented with it alone, nor do we expect any other.” — Apology of the Church.

” ’ Lively faith is not alone without charity ; ergo not faith only but coupled ivith charity cloth justify.’ (Osorius.) If all things that go commonly after a certain manner together, and be done together, must be coupled and applied to one and the self-same operation, by this reason it must come to pass, that he that hath feet, eyes, and ears, and have them not by themselves alone, therefore he shall be supposed to go not upon his feet only, but to walk upon his eyes, and to see with his ears. For

the matter goeth none otherwise in faith, hope, and charity

If a question be demanded, what tiling it is that doth justify us in the sight of God, and obtain us everlasting life ? I do

answer, that it is faith, yea, and faith only By what means ?

Through Jesus Christ the Mediator What kind of

faith is that ? not an idle nor a dead faith, but a lively faith

and a working faith.” — On Justification, against Osorius.

See also Articles XII. XIII. and XV.