The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

2. The Apostle adds a Reason of this exclusion of Works, not of Works left any one should boast. God hath ordained the order and method of our Justification by Christ in the way expressed, that no man might have ground, reason, or occasion to glory or boast in or of himself. So it is expressed, 1 Cor. 1.21, 30, 31. Rom. 3.32. To exclude all glorying or boasting on our part, is the design of God. And this consists in an ascription of something unto our selves, that is not in others, in order unto Justification. And it is Works alone that can administer any occasion of this boasting; For if Abraham were justified by Works, he had whereof to glory, Rom. 4.2. And it is excluded alone by the Law of Faith, Rom. 3.27. For the nature and use of Faith, is to find Righteousness in another. And this boasting, all Works are apt to beget in the minds of men, if applied unto Justification. And where there is any boasting of this nature, the design of God towards us in this Work of his Grace, is frustrated what lieth in us.

That which I principally insist on from hence, is, that there are no boundaries fixed in Scripture unto the interest of Works in Justification, so as no boasting should be included in them. The Papists make them meritorious of it, at least of our second Justification as they call it. This, say some, ought not to be admitted; for it includeth boasting, Merit and boasting are inseparable. Wherefore say others, they are only causa sine qua non, they are the condition of it; or they are our Evangelical Righteousness before God whereon we are Evangelically justified, or they are a subordinate Righteousness, whereon we obtain an interest in the Righteousness of Christ; or are comprised in the condition of the new Covenant ⟨p. 524⟩whereby we are justified, or are included in Faith, being the form of it, or of the essence of it, one way or other: For herein men express themselves in great variety. But so long as our Works are hereby asserted in order unto our Justification, how shall a man be certain that they do not include boasting; or, that they do express the true sense of these words, not of works lest any man should boast. There is some kind of Ascription unto our selves in this matter, which is boasting. If any shall say, that they know well enough what they do, and know that they do not boast in what they ascribe unto Works, I must say that in general I cannot admit it. For the Papists affirm of themselves, that they are most remote from boasting; yet I am very well satisfied that boasting and merit are inseparable. The question is not what men think they do, but what Judgment the Scripture passeth on what they do. And if it be said, that what is in us, is also of the Grace and Gift of God, and is so acknowledged, which excludes all boasting in our selves, I say it was so by the Pharisee, and yet was he an horrible boaster. Let them therefore be supposed to be wrought in us in what way men please, if they be also wrought by us, and so be the Works of Righteousness, which we have done, I fear their Introduction into our Justification, doth include boasting in it, because of this assertion of the Apostle, not of Works lest any man should boast.