ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE READER.

THE following Dissertations, good Christian reader, originally undertaken for another purpose, (to know which matters little,) and intended for the brief employment of an hour, but which, as the abundance, and, as it were, tide of matter flowed in upon me, and (which is no wonder in such a subject) as difficulty grew out of difficulty, reached this present size, are now printed and committed to your judgment. If I am accused of boldness in publishing so unpolished a work, and of not being afraid to submit it to the nice criticism of this learned age, I shall not defend myself by the well-known apologies of authors. I have done it, not so much through the solicitations of friends (though these were not wanting) as from the conviction that my work, whatever be its intrinsic merits, would be of service to young students in theology, and to such who are as yet but novices in the Epistles of St. Paul.

If it shall be of the least service in bringing them to a true judgment on this most necessary controversy; if in the reading of St. Paul's Epistles (worthy indeed of continued and persevering study) it shall so assist them, as to prevent their wresting to their own destruction, and that of the flock hercafter to be committed to their care, those hard sayings, duovónτa, which not unfrequently, and especially in this question, occur in his writings; if, in short, it be to them a timely antidote against this Solifidianism, or rather libertinism, which some in these dregs of time teach openly and shamelessly, and which many, by incrusting it with empty distinctions in sermons and writings, have palmed upon their hearers and readers, and still do so; if it answer but these ends, I shall be more than fully repaid. The sneers, dislike, and reproaches of those who are so desperately fond of their once received opinions, I hold for naught. We are engaged in a most useful subject, and which (as far as I am aware)

ADVERTISEMENT.

has never yet been treated of in a single and full work. So until a better appears mine may be made use of; but on this condition, that the reader must not expect to find the delicacies and elegance of language, but must be content (and especially in so hard and difficult a subject) with perspicuity of style; neither must he expect accurate arrangement; inasmuch as, following the guidance of one's own mind, and writing for one's self more than for others, I have explained each subject as it occurred to me. Hence you will find some things, though not I hope actually misplaced, still not in their proper place. Elsewhere, especially in the second Dissertation, you will meet with long digressions, which, that they may not offend you, be pleased to recollect that they are neither useless nor entirely irrelevant. If, too, in explaining St. Paul's Epistles, I have not been so fortunate in gaining the sense of one or two passages, as I could have wished, I trust to meet with the reader's clemency, if he fairly attends to the main subject and design of the Apostle.

Lastly, if, kind reader, you gain any benefit from this our work, first thank God, the Fountain and Giver of every good, for it; and then entreat the Lord by your fervent prayers for the author, who, though disputing about Gospel righteousness, confesses himself to be (and he says it from his heart) the chiefest of sinners, and in the same Lord

FAREWELL.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION.

(Page 3.)

Difficulty of the undertaking—method to be pursued.

DISSERTATION I.

CHAP. I.

(Page 6.)

The sense of St. James expounded—what the word 'justify' signifies in the New

Testament; shewn by many proofs, that this word is used in its judicial sense,

meaning to pronounce, or determine, to be innocent. The particle 'by,' in

St. James, signifies only the indispensable cause, or preceding condition.

CHAP. II.

(Page 11.)

The conclusion of St. James corroborated; first, by proofs drawn from Scripture,

of which there are two divisions: one, of those passages which speak in general

terms of obedience as necessary to justification: the other, of those which re-

quire works of repentance in particular.-An objection of our adversaries

answered.-Faith and repentance of the same importance in the process of jus-

tification, both only conditions or moral instruments.-What peculiar faith is

that, to which the sacred Scriptures ascribe so much? On what account

does faith so much excel all other virtues ?

CHAP. III.

(Page 19.)

A second proof drawn from the nature of justification.-Justification includes

three things, the judge, the accused, and the law. What law that is by which

we shall be condemned or acquitted, shewn.-Hence an argument deduced.

The third argument from the nature of faith.-The three acts into which faith is

divided by divines, considered (knowledge, consent, confidence.)—That justifi-

cation is not necessarily connected with any of these, proved.

CHAP. V.

(Page 28.)

The fourth argument taken from the proceedings of God in the last judgment.—

The judgment of God in the next world will in every respect correspond with

the Divine justification in this.—Our works in that judgment regarded not as

mere signs of faith, but as a very principal part of the condition prescribed in

the Gospel covenant.

CHAP. VI.

(Page 32.)

The fifth and last argument, drawn from the implicit confession of our adver-

saries. Two facts unanimously allowed by reformed divines; first, that the

faith which justifies should be a living faith, that is, productive of good works.

Secondly, that good works are undeniably necessary to salvation. The necessity

of good works to justification, shewn from both these points.

DISSERTATION II.

CHAP. I.

(Page 43.)

The various schemes of divines for reconciling St. James and St. Paul.-Those

who suppose St. James to speak of the justification of man's faith before other

and not before God, refuted.

men,

CHAP. II.

(Page 46.)

Their opinion considered, who suppose St. Paul to speak of a true and lively

faith, but St. James of a false and feigned one.-This overturned by various

arguments, and the objections of this party answered.

CHAP. III.

(Page 54.)

The third opinion considered is theirs who, to reconcile St. James and St. Paul,

divide justification into the first and second.-It is shortly proved, that this

opinion is both false, and also repugnant to the reasoning of the Apostles.-

The same shewn of the opinion of Placæus concerning the twofold accusation,

from which we are freed in justification.

The true method of removing this difficulty.-St. Paul to be interpreted from

St. James, and not St. James from St. Paul.-St. Paul uses the words faith

and works with different meanings.-What he means by faith.-That with him

faith is all the obedience required by the Gospel, clearly argued and proved.-

The contrary opinion of Grotius refuted.

CHAP. V.

(Page 64.)

Faith is used for all the obedience which the Gospel requires, because it is the

beginning and root of all Gospel righteousness; Rom. x. 11. compared with

verses 13, 14, and explained.-For nearly the same reason all piety is called

knowledge in the Holy Scriptures.-The reason why St. Paul, describing the

conditions required on our parts unto salvation, makes so frequent use of this

word, further investigated.-Chiefly on two accounts; first, to express the easy

performance of the condition; secondly, to take away all merit.

CHAP. VI.

(Page 71.)

What St. Paul means by works. It is shewn from what has been said,-that he

does not speak of every work, but those of a certain kind, those namely of

the Mosaic law. This proved from St. Paul's words, both in his Epistle to the

Romans and that to the Galatians.-In the next place St. Paul so opposes the

Mosaic law as also to refute the Jewish additions to it.-Lastly, since he had

also to contend with the Gentile philosophers, he by the way disputes against

the works of the natural law, works done by the mere force of nature.

CHAP. VII.

(Page 76.)

The arguments by which St. Paul rejects the Mosaic law from justification ex-

plained. The Apostle's argument affects those precepts of the law which are

called moral, but only so far as they form part of the conditions prescribed in

the Mosaic covenant.-Hence the arguments must be divided into two kinds,

those which include the whole law, and those which refer to the ritual part of

it only. The first argument which relates to the whole law of Moses is taken

from its want of pardoning grace, or of remission of sins.-Whether the law of

Moses under any view of it can be deemed a law of entirely perfect obedience?

-Does the reasoning of the Apostle in Romans, chapter iii. ver. 20; and

Galatians, chapter iii. ver. 10, depend on this idea?-This question answered

in the negative.-Arguments to the contrary answered.