A40370:356
Of free justification
Of free justification by Christ written first in Latin by John Fox, author of the Book of martyrs, against Osorius, &c. and now translated into English, for the benefit of those who love their own souls, and would not be mistaken in so great a point.Of free justification by Christ written first in Latine by John Fox, author of the Book of martyrs, against Osorius, &c. and now translated into English, for the benefit of those who love their own souls, and would not be mistaken in so great a point.
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1694
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But this good Friend ours thinks this should by no means be suffered: Who so fights against us, as if all the Nature of Salvation consisted not in 1Justification (the name whereof he doth not account worthy of any mention) but in Justice it self, not in the growth, but in the perfection of Virtues: And as if it were not allowable, otherways to aspire to those just rewards of Felicity, but by performing these Offices of Life, which are contained in the Law.
But this good Friend ours thinks this should by no means be suffered: Who so fights against us, as if all the Nature of Salvation consisted not in 1Iustification (the name whereof he doth not account worthy of any mention) but in Iustice it self, not in the growth, but in the perfection of Vertues: And as if it were not allowable, otherways to aspire to those just rewards of Felicity, but by performing these Offices of Life, which are contained in the Law.
- 1Osorius by no means receives the word justification.
O miserable condition of Mortal Men, if those things are true, which you Evangelize to us. But by what Authority of the Gospel do you confirm those things, which you assert? ⟨p. 193⟩You say, There is no reason that any Man should be joined to God, unless 1he be a Friend to him. I hear you. What then? But no Man can be his friend unless he be like him. That is harder: Let the induction proceed. But the Divine similitude consists wholly of the study and exercise of true Virtue. From all this therefore it is concluded. That there is no other way, that joins us to God, but what consists in the performance of Virtue, and in worthy Offices.