The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

In general to prove the necessity of Works unto all that profess the Gospel or Faith in Christ thereby. (2.) To evidence the vanity and folly of their pretence unto Justification, or that they were justified and should be saved, by that Faith that was indeed so far from being fruitful in good Works, as that it was pretended by them only to countenance themselves in Sin. Unto these ends are all his arguings designed and no other. He proves effectually that the Faith which is wholly barren and fruitless as unto Obedience, and which men pretended to countenance themselves in their sins, is not that Faith whereby we are justified, and whereby we may be saved, but a dead carcass, of no use nor benefit, as he declares by the Conclusion of his whole Dispute, in the last Verse of the Chapter. He doth not direct any how they may be justified before God, but convinceth some that they are not justified by trusting unto such a dead Faith, and declares the only way whereby any man may really evidence and manifest that he is so justified indeed. This design of his is so plain, as nothing can be more evident, and they miss the whole scope of the Apostle, who observe it not in their Expositions of the Context. Wherefore the principal design of the Apostles being so distant, there is no repugnancy in their Assertions, though their words make an appearance thereof. For they do not speak ad idem, nor of things eodem respectu. James doth not once enquire how a guilty convinced Sinner, cast and condemned by the Law, may come to be justified before God; and Paul speaks to nothing else. Wherefore apply the Expressions of each of them unto their proper design and scope, as we must do, or ⟨p. 566⟩we depart from all sober Rules of Interpretation, and render it impossible to understand either of them aright, and there is no disagreement or appearance of it between them.

Secondly, they speak not of the same Faith. Wherefore there can be no discrepancy in what one ascribes unto Faith, and the other denies concerning it, seeing they understand not the same thing thereby, for they speak not of the same Faith. As if one affirms that fire will burn, and another denieth it, there is no contradiction between them, whilst one intends real fire, and the other only that which is painted, and both declare themselves accordingly. For we have proved before that there are two sorts of Faith wherewith men are said to believe the Gospel, and make profession thereof, as also that which belongs unto the one, doth not belong unto the other; None I suppose will deny but that by Faith in the matter of our Justification, St. Paul intends that which is [Greek or Hebrew] or properly so called. The Faith of Gods Elect, precious Faith, more precious then Gold, the Faith that purifieth the heart, and works by love, the Faith whereby Christ dwelleth in us, and we abide in him, whereby we live to God, a living Faith, is that alone which he intendeth. For all these things, and other Spiritual effects without number doth he ascribe unto that Faith which he insisteth on, to be on our part the only means of our Justification before God. But as unto the Faith intended by the Apostle James, he assigns nothing of all this unto it; yea, the only Argument whereby he proves that men cannot be saved by that Faith which he treats of, is that nothing of all this is found in it. That which he intends is, what he calls it, a dead Faith, a Carcass without breath, the Faith of Devils, a wordy Faith, that is no more truly what it is called, than it is true Charity to send away naked and hungry persons without relief, but no without derision. Well may he deny Justification in any sense unto