factions deserve forgiveness of sin, nor are, on account of our works, esteemed righteous before God; but we obtain forgiveness of sins, and are counted righteous before God for Christ's sake, out of grace, through faith."* Nearly in the same words is our article expressed, "We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works and deservings.”† The Protestant, and as we believe the Scriptural, view therefore of justification is briefly this :-the sinner, convinced of his guilt and pollution, but especially of the former, is directed to the promises of God, in which forgiveness of sin, and the gift of the Holy Spirit are assured to every penitent believer. These promises are all founded upon the person and work of Christ. If the sinner by faith appropriates these promises, or as it is sometimes expressed, apprehends Christ in his various offices, he is by that faith justified; his sins are forgiven, he is counted righteous, or, according to the well-known formula, Christ's righteousness is imputed to him. By justifying faith, the Protestant, we must take care to observe, means, not a mere assent to the truths of revelation, but a lively trust which has for its object Christ and the merits of Christ. The forgiveness of sins, or the being counted righteous for Christ's sake, in which, according to this view, the essence of justification consists, is not a mere outward thing, of which the sinner is not conscious, but an inward assurance; the acquittal is pronounced, not merely in the court of heaven, but in the court of conscience, (in foro conscientiæ); and there it produces peace of mind towards God, deliverance from the burden of guilt, and the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. The faith, which is the

organ through which these blessings are conveyed to the soul, necessarily works by love, and is productive of the fruits of the Spirit; so that, although in the nature of things justication precedes santification, yet the two are never separated, any more than light, which flows from the sun, and is therefore subsequent in the nature of things, can be separated from its source.

Such is, in a few words, the Protestant theory of justification, as may be seen in any of the Reformed confessions. Let a quotation, taken from one of the most clearly drawn up of these confessions, suffice in proof"From sin and death there is no redemption or justification by natural strength, or by the righteousness of the law, but only through the grace of God in Christ, who, making an atonement not only for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world, by the only sacrifice of his death, and by the merits of his most perfect obedience, hath redeemed us from wrath and the curse; who hath effectually called us, thus redeemed, by the word of the Gospel, and the spirit of grace out of the kingdom of sin and death, into the kingdom of grace and life, and hath sealed us through the sacraments of his grace; who justifies and adopts as sons us, thus called and sincerely repenting, on account of the atonement of Christ, apprehended by lively faith, and imparted to believers, as members of Christ, out of mere grace."§ It will

ing his shade upon the believer, under which shadow his sins are no longer visible to God." But the objection is of no force. It is true that (objectively) our justifying righteousness is, and ever remains, in Christ; but it is subjective also, not only because, as is above remarked, it produces in the heart peace towards God and the spirit of adoption, but also because faith, which, according to Protestant views, is the instrument of justification, is entirely a subjective thing. Roman Catholicism has, as will be shewn hereafter, nothing corresponding to the Protestant notion of faith; and therefore cannot conceive how the righteousness of Christ, apprehended by faith, thereby at once becomes subjective, or a matter of personal consciousness.

§"A peccato et morte nulla est redemtio aut justificatio per vires naturæ,

be perceived that what the Protestant view chiefly lays stress on, is calming the perturbations of conscience, and restoring peace to the mind of the penitent, by the promise of a complete and free forgiveness of sin through faith, or simple trust, in Christ. It directs the penitent to look out of himself to that "full, perfect, and sufficient atonement" made once for all for the sins of the world. And it represents God as full of mercy and love towards all who, feeling their own unworthiness, rely entirely upon the merits of their Saviour.

We are now prepared to seize the true spirit of the Romish doctrine of justification, inasmuch as it was framed by the Council of Trent professedly in opposition to the Protestant confessions of faith. It will be found, we think, that in the same proportion in which the Protestant view counteracts, the Romish is calculated to revive, those sentiments respecting the divine character which are peculiar to heathenism.

The section of the Tridentine canons which relates to justification begins with the observation that, since erroneous doctrines on the subject had, to the great detriment of souls, and of the unity of the Church, become widely prevalent, it was of great importance to lay down distinctly what the Catholic Church had ever, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, held to be the true and sound view. The council then proceeds, at great length, and with more than usual care, to state, firstly, what the doctrine of the Church is, and secondly, to anathematize all who

aut per justitiam legis, sed per solam Dei gratiam in Christo, qui nos in peccatis mortuo mortuos unico mortis suæ sacrificio, et perfectissimo obedientiæ merito, pro nostris, nec tantum pro nostris, sed totius mundi peccatis plenissime satisfaciendo, ab irâ et maledictione redemit; qui redemtos, per verbum evangelii et spiritum gratiæ, ex regno peccati et mortis, ad regnum gratiæ et vitæ efficaciter vocavit, et per sacramenta gratiæ obsignavit; qui vocatos et sincere resipiscentes, propter solum Christi meritum, fide vivâ apprehensum, et fidelibus, ceu ipsius Christi membris, ex merâ gratiâ imputatum, a peccatis justificat, et in filios adoptat.' Declaratio Thorunensis (a Polish confession, drawn up A.D. 1645.)

should maintain opinions at variance with it. It is not without reason that peculiar care was bestowed upon the preparation of this section by the Fathers of Trent. A sure instinct led them to perceive that they were dealing with a fundamental point of difference between them and their opponents.

The doctrine of the Romish Church is briefly as follows:-the sinner, not from any merits of his own, is called outwardly by the word, and also inwardly by divine grace, to partake of the blessings of salvation."* If he obeys the call, the next step is to believe what God has declared in his word, and especially the declaration, that the sinner is justified by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.† The sinner, trembling through fear of the divine justice, is, by these announcements of the Gospel, encouraged to hope that God will be merciful to him for Christ's sake. Repentance and hatred of sin are the next steps in the process.§ All this is but preparatory to justification itself, which next follows, and consists not merely in the remission of sins, but in sanctification also, and the renewing OF THE INNER MAN BY THE HOLY GHOST;|| so that from

* Sess. 6. c. 5. Declarat præterea (synodus) ipsius justificationis exordium in adultis a Dei per Christum Jesum præveniente gratiâ sumendum esse, hoc est ab ejus vocatione, quâ, nullis eorum existentibus meritis vocantur: ut, qui per peccatum a Deo aversi erant per ejus excitantem gratiam ad convertendum se ad suam ipsorum justificationem, eidem gratiæ libere assentiendo, disponantur.

Sess. 6. c. 6. Disponuntur autem ad ipsam justititiam dum excitati divinâ gratiâ et adjuti, fidem ex auditu concipientes, libere moventur in Deum, credentes vera esse quæ divinitus revelata et promissa sunt, atque illud imprimis, a Deo justificari impium per gratiam ejus, per redemptionem quæ est in Christo Jesu.

Ibid. Et dum peccatores se esse intelligentes, a divinæ justitiæ timore, quo utiliter concurtiuntur, ad considerandam Dei misericordiam se convertendo, in spem eriguntur.

§ Ibid. Ac proptera moventur adversus peccata per odium aliquod, et detestationem, hoc est, per eam pœnitentiam, quam ante baptismum agi oportet.

Hanc dispositionem seu præparationem justificatio ipsa consequitur; quæ non est sola peccatorum remissio sed et sanctificatio, et renovatio interioris ho

being unrighteous, a man is made righteous. That is to say, his justifying righteousness is, not the merits of Christ imputed to him, but the work of the Holy Spirit inherent in him. When the Apostle (Paul) says we are justified by faith, and freely, his words are to be understood in that sense in which the Catholic church has ever taken them, viz., that faith is the beginning of salvation, the foundation and root (not the instrument therefore) of justification, since without it it is impossible to please God; and freely, inasmuch as none of those things which precede justification, whether faith or works, merit the grace itself of justification.* Justification, being received in the manner aforesaid, admits of degrees; and by obeying the commands of God and of the Church, we become more and more justified.† With respect to the good works of the justified man, they merit eternal life; for since from Christ, the head, virtue flows continually into the members of his body, which virtue precedes, accompanies, and follows their good works, we must suppose that they who are justified are able, by works done, through the grace of God, fully to satisfy the divine law, after the measure of this life, and to merit eternal life if they die in grace. Yet works are not meritorious, unless they be done in the strength, and through the grace, of Christ.

minis, per voluntariam susceptionem gratiæ-unde homo ex injusto fit justus.

*Sess. 6. c. 9. Cum vero Apostolus dicit, justificari hominem per fidem et gratis; ea verba in eo sensu intelligenda sunt, quæ perpetuus Ecclesiæ Catholicæ consensus tenuit, et expressit, ut scilicet per fidem ideo justificari dicamur, quia fides est humanæ salutis initium, fundamentum, et radix omnis justificationis .. gratis autem justificari ideo dicamur quia nihil eorum quæ justificationem præcedunt, sive fides, sive opera, ipsam justificationis gratiam promeretur.

+ Ibid, c. 10. Sic ergo justificati per observantiam mandatorum Dei et Ecclesiæ, in ipsa justitiâ per Christi gratiam acceptâ, crescunt, atque magis justificantur.

Ibid, c. 16. Atque ideo bene operantibus usque in finem, et in Deo sperantibus, proponenda est vita æterna, et tanquam gratia filiis Dei per Christum Jesum misericorditer promissa; et tanquam mer

We have thus given a sketch of the Romish doctrine of justification, selecting only the leading and characteristic points. To complete our view of it, it may be useful to append some of the anathematizing clauses of the section. If any one, the Council decrees, shall maintain that the sinner is justified by faith alone, meaning that nothing else is necessary to obtain the grace of justification;§ or that justification consists merely in the imputation of Christ's righteousness, or the remission of sins, to the exclusion of infused grace ;|| or that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy, and that by this faith alone we are justified; or that justification, once reccived, is not augmented in God's sight by good works, but that these works are only the fruit, and signs, of justification;** let him be accursed. To these we add one more canon, highly important and significative. "If any one shall maintain that to the sinner, falling into sin and repenting, after having received the grace of justification, his offence is so remitted, and

ces ex ipsius Dei promissione bonis ipsorum operibus et meritis fideliter reddenda. Cum enim ille Christus Jesus tanquam caput in membra et tanquam vitis in palmites, in ipsos justificatos jugiter virtutem influat, quæ virtus bona eorum opera semper antecedit, et comitatur, et subsequitur, . . nihil ipsis justificatis amplius de esse credendum est, quominus plene illis quidem operibus, quæ in Deo sunt factæ, divinæ legi pro hujus vitæ statu satisfecisse, et vitam æternam suo etiam tempore, si tamen in gratiâ decesserint, consequendam vere promeruisse conseantur.

§ Sess. 6. can. 9. Si quis dixerit solâ fide impium justificari, ita ut intelligat nihil aliud requiri, quod ad justificationis gratiam consequendam co-operetur. . . anathema sit.

Ibid. can. 11. Si quis dixerit homines justificari vel solà imputatione justitiæ Christi, vel solâ peccatorum remissione, exclusâ gratiâ, et caritate anathema sit.

...

Ibid. can. 12. Si quis dixerit fidem justificantem nihil aliud esse quam fiduciam divinæ misercordiæ, peccata remittentis propter Christum vel eam fiduciam solam esse quâ justificamur, anathema sit.

** Ibid. can. 24. Si quis dixerit justitiam acceptam non conservari, atque etiam augeri coram Deo per bona opera; sed opera ipsa fructus solummodo et signa esse justificationis adeptæ, non autem ipsius augendæ causam; anathema sit.

liability to eternal punishment so done away, as that there remains no liability to temporary punishment (i.e. penance,) either in this life or in purgatory in the life to come, before he can enter the kingdom of heaven : let him be accursed."*

Let us now collect into one view the points of difference between Rome and ourselves. Both parties agree in this, that Christ is the sole meritorious cause of our being accepted before God, in that he has, by his sufferings and death, taken away the sin of the world. Both parties, too, hold that this work of redemption must be appropriated, or made a personal possession by the sinner, in order to his deriving advantage from it. Both, finally, affirm that forgiveness of sin and holiness are equally necessary to salvation, and always go together. It would seem, then, that here is a broad basis of doctrine on which pious persons of both communions may meet, and recognize their common Christianity. And, in truth, when we quit the ground of theological controversy, it is surprising, as well as consolatory, to see how much practical agreement exists between pious Romanists and Protestants, who are both found renouncing all merit of their own, and relying only on the mercy of God in Christ. It is when we view the matter as a question of abstract doctrine, and compare the dogmatic statements of the Romish Church with those, for instance, of our own, that serious, nay essential, differences will be found to exist. These concentrate themselves chiefly in two points: what our justifying righteousness consists in, and the nature of justifying faith.

I. It will have been observed that, according to the Romish view, the righteousness whereby man is justified is not imputed, but inherent, an inherent spiritual quality, infused into the soul by divine grace. The doctrine of the Reformed churches,

*Sess. 6. can. 30. Si quis dixerit, post acceptam justificationis gratiam, cuilibet peccatori pænitenti ita culpam remitti, et reatum æternæ pænæ deleri, ut nullus remaneat reatus pænæ temporalis exsolvendæ vel in hoc seculo, vel in futuro in purgatorio, antequam ad regna cælorum aditus patere possit: anathema sit.

on the contrary, without a single exception, is that our justifying righteousness is not inherent but imputed, that we are counted righteous for Christ's sake, or in the words of the well-known formula, Christ's righteousness imputed to us is what justifies us in the sight of God. It is not here the place to examine, at full length, the grounds on which Romanists defend their view. Suffice it to say, that Scripture knows nothing of it. It is needless to refer to the well-known passages in the Epistle to the Romans, from which we gather, with undoubting certainty, that justication consists in the forgiveness of sins, and the imputation of righteousness, gratuitously through faith in Christ. There is but one passage which can, with any show of reason, be adduced in favour of justification by inherent righteousness. It is that in Romans v.- -“Being justified by faith we have peace with God, . . . . and the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us." The tridentine doctors have not omitted to adduce this passage in support of their statements. But the context shows that St. Paul must be understood quite otherwise. Not love on our part towards God, but God's love to us, is what he says is shed abroad in our hearts; or in other words, "the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God," conveys into the heart a sense of God's redeeming love, and fills the Christian with joy and peace in believing.

But let us observe what follows, in the way of natural consequence, from this doctrine of inherent justifying righteousness. The righteousness which justifies us is, according to Rome, something wrought in us, and as much our own as our souls are, which, though originally from God, are separate, if not independent existences. Now it is admitted on all sides that our justfying righteousness must be perfect; it must be such as shall fully answer the demands of the divine law. Here then at once arises a difficulty. Can any righteousness of our own be so perfect as to come up to these requirements? Christian experience answers in the negative.

What, then, must the effect of such a doctrine be on the mind of the awakened sinner? If the law of God be presented to him in its full spirituality and strictness, the effect, plainly, will be to deprive him of all peace of conscience, if not to drive him to despair. For the more he looks into himself, the less will he find there on which he can rely as a ground of acceptance with God. Increased selfknowledge only produces increased self-condemnation. The more the

Christian grows in grace, the more evil does he see in his best thoughts and actions. And, what is more, Scripture pronounces this feeling of self-condemnation to be an essential part of Christian holiness. The publican was commended because, renouncing his own righteousness, he cried, "God be merciful to me a sinner." The best part of our sanctification consists in a broken and contrite heart, which sees nothing in itself but what, if tried strictly by God's law, is deserving of condemnation. The more holy, therefore, the Christian becomes, the less will he be inclined to look into himself for the righteousness wherein he is to be justified before God. And if he be told that he must, notwithstanding his consciousness of its imperfection, look upon the work of grace in him as what constitutes his title to pardon, the result will be, that he will remain, to the end of his course, in a state of doubt whether or not he is accepted. The more he consults conscience, the less satisfactory will be the response.

Such is the state of gloom and doubt in which the Romish doctrine leaves the sinner, if the divine law be present to his mind in its ideal perfection. There is, however, an expedient, too characteristic of the Romish Church, by which an attempt is made to reconcile her statement with the facts of Christian experience, viz., lowering the requirements of the divine law. We have already had occasion to remark how this has followed as a natural consequence from the dogma that the regenerate man can fulfil the law of God; we see the same unhappy result in the case before us. Since, at all events, man is to be justified by inherent righteousness, that

righteousness must be such as he can attain to; it must not exceed his powers; the ideal must be lowered to the level of the possible; in other words, the requirements of the law must be reduced so as to meet the necessity of the case. In his section on justification, Bellarmin notices the obvious objection to the Romish doctrine, that our inherent righteousness never can be said to be perfect. "Our adversaries," are his words, "say that the imputation of Christ's righteousness is necessary, not only because sin still remains in us, but also because our inherent righteousness is not so perfect as that it can absolutely justify." But what is his answer to the objection? "But we shall easily refute that argument, if our adversaries are content to abide by Scripture. For inherent righteousness, as we read in Scripture, consists chiefly in faith, hope, and love. Wherefore if we can prove that faith, hope, and love, can be in this life perfect, it will at the same time be proved that the imputation of Christ's righteousness is not necessary."* He then attempts to prove that these Christian graces may be, and have been, often exhibited in perfection in this life. His remarks on charity, or love, are curious-"Lastly, as regards love, in which above all our righteousness consists, it is evident that many men, all the martyrs for example, have attained to a perfect love. : Nor are examples wanting in Scripture of saints who have loved God with all their heart!"+ Thus does this eminent theologian, in this respect we fear the true representative of his Church, lower the requirements of God's law, so as to make them compatible with the doctrines of the Council of Trent.

II. The other great point of difference between us and Romanists is as regards the nature of justifying faith. It may with truth be affirmed,