The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

As unto what is delivered by the Apostle James, so far as our Justification is included therein, things are quite otherwise. He doth not undertake to declare the Doctrine of our Justification before God, but having another design in hand as we shall see immediately, he vindicates it from the abuse that some in those days had put it unto, as other Doctrines of the Grace of God which they turned into licentiousness. Wherefore it is from the writings of the Apostle Paul, that we are principally to learn the truth in this matter, and unto what is by him plainly declared is the interpretation of other places to be accommodated.

As unto what is delivered by the Apostle James, so far as our Justification is included therein, things are quite otherwise. He doth not undertake to declare the Doctrine of our Justification before God, but having another design in hand as we shall see immediately, he vindicates it from the abuse that some in those days had put it unto, as other Doctrines of the Grace of God which they turn'd into licentiousness. Wherefore it is from the writings of the Apostle Paul, that we are principally to learn the truth in this matter, and unto what is by him plainly declared is the interpretation of other places to be accommodated.

4. Some of late are not of this mind: They contend earnestly that Paul is to be interpreted by James, and not on the contrary. And unto this end they tell us that the Writings of Paul are obscure, that sundry of the ancients take notice thereof, that many take occasion of errors from them, with sundry things of an alike nature, indeed scandalous to Christian Religion. And that James writing after him, is presumed to give an interpretation unto his sayings, which are therefore to be expounded and understood according unto that interpretation. Ans. (1) As to the vindication of the Writings of St. Paul, which begin now to be frequently reflected on with much severity (which is one effect of the secret prevalency of the Atheism of these days) as there is no need of it, so it is designed for a more proper place. Only I know not how any person that can pretend the least acquaintance with Antiquity can plead a passage out of Irenaeus wherein he was evidently himself mistaken, or a rash word of Origen, or the like in derogation from the perspicuity of the Writings of this Apostle, when they cannot but know how easy it were to overwhelm them with Testimonies unto the contrary from all the famous Writers of the