Trollope on Article XI: Of the Justification of Man

After asserting man’s inability by reason of his natural infirmities to worK out his own salvation, so that he must inevitably have perished if his reconciliation with God had depended, upon any inherent merit of his own, our Church proceeds, in the eleventh Article, to direct attention to the

• redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set ’ forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to

• declare his righteousness for the remission of sins, and to *be the iustifier of him that believeth in Jesus’ (Rom. iii. 24.). ‘ln passing from the tenth Article to the eleventh, says Dr. Hey, * we pass from the closet to the tinbunal ;

• from the principles of action of each individual, to his trial

• at the judgment-seat of Christ.’

2. What is the import of the term Justifi- cation ?

As used in this Article, the term Justxjvcation is clearly synonymous with being * accounted righteous before God.’ It has in fact 9k forensic acceptation, and signifies acquittal of an offender, as opposed to his condemnation ; not indeed his acquital on the ground of innocence, but as being freed from punishment by the divine mercy, and being esteemed and rewai’ded as righteous without being strictly so.

3. In what sense is the corresponding Greek term used; and has its varied signification any Theological importance ?

The Greek word for Justification is Sucaiotrvvrif which is also frequently rendered righteou^negs, and in many instanoes wherein its rorensic import would be more correctly re- tamed. Thus, for instance, in Jerem. xxiii. 6, The Lord our Righteousness might be translated, The Lord our Justi- Ration, Compare also Rom. i. 17. iv. 13. i. 3, 4. 26. It is also sometimes necessary to distinguish between a first and a ^7ia/ justification; between the commencevient and the comvUtion of a man’s justified state ; and this distinc- tion will be one means of reconciling the alleged discrepancy between St. Paul and St. James.

4. To what doctrine is this Article opposed ; and how does the antithesis, which it exhibits, indicate its real bearing ?

Althoup^h in opposition to the Romish doctrine of human merit, which asserts that man’s inherent righteousness €id vitam tetemam cansequendam vere promereri, our Church maintains that we are justified ’ by faith, and not for our

• own works or deservings/ she does not imply that we are saved b faith without moi*al virtue. By a reference to the LatiQ Ai’tide, it will be distinctly seen that the anti- thesis lies not between tf and workSy but between the merit of Christ and the merit of human conduct. The ex- pressions are * propter meritum Christie pner fidem, propter opera et mertta 7wstra. Hence faith is the appointed ’ means, which is afterwards marked bv the ablative, sola ‘Jide ; whereas the meritorious cause is indicated neither by

• the ablative, nor hj per, but by propter,

5. Shew that Justification by Faith only is the doctrine of the Scriptures.

Justification by Faith only is unquestionably the doctrine of Scripture. Thus St. Paul distinctly affirms (Rom. iii. 22. 28.) :—* The righteousness of God, which is by faith of ’ Jesus Christ, is unto all and upon all them that believe : ’ for there is no difierence : for all have sinned and come ’ short of the glory of Ood ; being justified freely by his

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’ gnce. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified b^ faith ’ without the deeds of the law.’ And again (Eph. li. 8.) :

• By grace are ye saved, through faith ; and that not of your-

• selves : it is the gift of God : not of works, lest any man

• should boast/ Albeit however that this doctrine is the very essence of Gospel truth, it is highly important to ob- serve that the Apostle’s caution against velf-righteouinesa is widely diiferent from a deolai’ation in favour of no right- eousness at all.

6. Whence does it appear that St. Paul assigns a justifying” effect to an active faith only.

St. Paul does not speak of works generally, but of the works of the Law ; and he is evidently confuting those Ju- daizing teachers who maintained that the observance of the Mosaic ritual was still binding upon Christians. Bv this faith however, to which he attributes a justifying effect, it is manifest that we are to understand an active and lively faith ; or, as he himself describes it, * a faith which worketh

• by Love ’ (Gal. v. 6.). Thus also he expressly declares, — and there are a multitude of passages to the same effect scattered through his writings, — that * God will render to ’ every man according to his works ; tribulation and ’ anguish unto eveiy soul of man that doeth evil, and glory

• and honour and peace to every man that worketh good ;* so that * not the hearers of the Law shall be just oefore ‘God, but the doers of the Law shall be justi^ed’ (Rom. ii. 6. 13.).

7. How do you reconcile the statements of St. James with those of St. Paul, on the subject of Jtistification by faith only ?

St. Paul’s doctrine was perverted in very early times into an assurance that faith in Christ, without works of any kind, was sufficient to ensure salvation ; and hence it was that St. James wrote his Epistle to denounce the error. Nor does he in any degree contradict St. Paul’s doctrine, by sabring that * Faith without works is dead,’ and that ’ a ’ man is justified by his works, and not by faith only’ TJames ii. 20. 24.). The one Apostle is speaking of a lively and CLCtive faith ; the other, of a dead and barren belief, such as the devils may possess (James ii. 19.) : the one is urging the Christian’s nreedom from the yoke of legal obedience ; the other is maintaining the necessity of practical virtue.

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8. If good works are a condition of man’s Salva- tion, how can it be said that God justifies freely ?

By the covenant, into which Christians are admitted with God by Baptism, they receive remission of sins, and are placed in a state of Salvation, on account of the merits of Christ, without any act of obedience on their part to merit his favour. I^ is said therefore to justify them freely by hut grace ; and the annexation of the condition of faith and holiness no more destroys the freedom of the gift, than the pardon of a criminal oy an earthly tribunal is vitiated by the implied condition that the oftence is not to be repeated.

9. Is the merit of Christ’s righteousness, as some suppose, imputed to Christians ?

It is no where asserted or implied in Scripture that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers, and thereby considered as their own by a transfer of merit. Their own faith, on the other hand, is said to be ’ counted unto them * for righteousness ’ (Rom. iv. 3. 6.) ; while the atoning sacrifice of Christ upon the cross is stated to be the only meritorious cause of Salvation.

10. On what ground is Justification by Faith declared to be a wholesome and comfortable doctrine ?

It is affirmed to be a wholesome doctrine, because it humbles the pride of self righteousness, and leads to salutary reflection on those inward pollutions against which ’ the ’ wrath of God is revealed’ (Kom. i. 18.) ; and it is said to he full qf comfort, because it secures the acceptance of sin- cere though imperfect endeavours after righteousness, which God has promised to reward for the sake of the all-suflicient atonement of Christ.

11. What is the Homily to which reference is made in this Article ?

Since there is no ’ Homily of Justification,’ it is generally supposed that that entitled * a Sermon of the Salvation of ’ all mankind’ is intended, from the fact that it treats very largely of the doctrine of Justification by faith.

12. Quote a passage from the Homily, in which the doctrine of the Article is asserted.

’ The true understanding of this doctrine is not that this our own act to believe in Christ, or this our faith in Christ, which is within us, doth justify us, or deserve our justifica- tion unto us ; for that were to count ourselves to be justi- fied by some act or virtue that is within ourselves : but that although we hear God’s word and believe it, although we have faith, hope, charity, repentance, dread and fear of God within us, and do never so many works thereunto : yet we must renounce the merit of all our said virtues and good deeds, which we either have done, shall do, or can do, as things that be far too weak, and insignificant, and im- perfect, to deserve remission of our sins and our justifica- tion. Therefore we must trust only in God’s mercy, and that Sacrifice which our High Priest and Saviour Christ Jesus, the Son of God, once offered for us upon the cross, to obtain thereby God’s grace and remission, as well of our original sin in baptism, as of all actual sin committed by us after our baptism, if we truly repent and turn un- feignedly to him again.’

13. Give a few extracts from the works of the early Fathers, which bear upon the subject of man’s Justification.

Clem. Rom. ad Cor. I. c. 32. We, who are called by his

will in Christ Jesus, are not Jttstified b^ ourselves, nor by

our wisdom, nor understanding, nor godliness, nor by works

that we have done in the sanctity of our hearts ; but by that

faith, whereby God Almighty has justified all who have been

justified from the beginning qf the world. Polycarp, ad Phil, c. 1. Te are saved by grojcey not by works ; but by the will qf God through Jesus Christ. Cyprian, Epist. 6ow

Th£ blessing, which was given to Abraham, belongs to Christians also : for if Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for rionteous7iess, so whosoever liveth by faith is found righteous. See also Iren. Hser. iv. oc. 13. 67. Test, ad Quirin. iii. 42.

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