A42457:117
An antidote against error concerning justification, or, The true notion of justification, and of…An antidote against errour concerning justification, or, The true notion of justification, and of…
An antidote against error concerning justification, or, The true notion of justification, and of justifying faith, cleared by the light of scripture, and solid reason, from several mistakes of the words, which misapprehensions prove the seeds of dangerous errors by ... Thomas Gataker ... ; to which is added, The way of truth and peace, or, A reconciliation of the holy apostles S. Paul and S. James, concerning justification by faith without works, Rom. 3.28, by works and not by faith only, Jam. 2, 21, 24, by Charles Gataker ...An antidote against errour concerning justification, or, The true notion of justification, and of justifying faith, cleared by the light of scripture, and solid reason, from several mistakes of the words, which misapprehensions prove the seeds of dangerous errours by ... Thomas Gataker ... ; to which is added, The way of truth and peace, or, A reconciliation of the holy apostles S. Paul and S. James, concerning justification by faith without works, Rom. 3.28, by works and not by faith only, Jam. 2, 21, 24, by Charles Gataker ...
London: printed by J.C. for Henry Brome, 1670
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
And it seems to me very strange, that this learned man should say that the word [Greek or Hebrew] or just should in these books be seldom or never meant of punitive justice. For the Annotator himself acknowledges that the word of Justifying here is a juridical term, and as in juridical proceedings, so here there is a Judge, a Client, and a Law, and that the Judge here is God: now a Judge is called a just or righteous Judge, not in regard of showing favour, or moderation and mercy, but in regard of doing Justice equally and indifferently, according to the strict right of each ones cause that comes to be tried before him. and Justitia forensis, that Justice that is exercised in Courts and courses of judicature, is as well absolutive as punitive, that is, consists as well in acquitting the guiltless, as in condemning the guilty, Deut. 25. 1. and Justice is the same in either; and that Gods Justice doth as well appear in the acquitting us for Christ, as in exacting a payment for us from Christ, Isaiah 53. 7. Albeit the word [Greek or Hebrew] or righteous, and its conjugates, is not very frequently found in the writings of the New Testament applied to Courts and courses of judicature, because seldom occasion to entreat of them, nor are they over-frequently attributed to God, as a Judge, and to his judgement, yet where they are, it is apparent enough, that they have an eye to retributive justice, consisting in the assoiling of the guiltless and doing Justice upon the guilty. To such manner of judicature had our Saviour Christs words questionless respect (tho directed to private judgement) and not to any favourable or equitable compliance, when he said to his hearers, John 7. 24. Judge not according to sight or outward appearance, but Judge [Greek or Hebrew], just or righteous judgement. Yea, when of himself and the judgement that he will in his appointed time execute, he saith, John 5. 30. As I hear, so ⟨p. 26⟩I judge, and my judgement is just. Which place the Annotator himself expounds, as of saving those that believe on him, so of damning those that reject him. And what other sense can the word bear in those passages of Gods people in the Apocalypse, but of vindicative and punitive Justice, when praising God for avenging them on their cruel Persecutors, they say, just and true are thy ways,