The proper sense of these words, justification, and to justify, considered — Necessity thereof — Latin derivation of justification — Some of the ancients deceived by it — From “jus,” and “justum;” “justus filius,” who — The Hebrew הִצְדִּיק — Use and signification of it — Places where it is used examined, 2 Sam. xv. 4; Deut. xxv. 1; Prov. xvii. 15; Isa. v. 23; l. 8, 9; 1 Kings viii. 31, 32; 2 Chron. vi. 22, 23; Ps. lxxxii. 3; Exod. xxiii. 7; Job xxvii. 5; Isa. liii. 11; Gen. xliv. 16; Dan. xii. 3 — The constant sense of the word evinced — Δικαιόω, use of it in other authors, to punish — What it is in the New Testament, Matt. xi. 19; xii. 37; Luke vii. 29; x. 29; xvi. 15; xviii. 14; Acts xiii. 38, 39; Rom. ii. 13; iii. 4 — Constantly used in a forensic sense — Places seeming dubious, vindicated, Rom. viii. 30; 1 Cor. vi. 11; Tit. iii. 5–7; Rev. xxii. 11 — How often these words, δικαιόω and δικαιοῦμαι, are used in the New Testament — Constant sense of this — The same evinced from what is opposed unto it, Isa. l. 8, 9; Prov. xvii. 15; Rom. v. 16, 18; viii. 33, 34 — And the declaration of it in terms equivalent, Rom. iv. 6, 11; v. 9, 10; 2 Cor. v. 20, 21; Matt. i. 21; Acts xiii. 39; Gal. ii. 16, etc. — Justification in the Scripture, proposed under a juridical scheme, and of a forensic title — The parts and progress of it — Inferences from the whole
Unto the right understanding of the nature of justification, the proper sense and signification of these words themselves, justification and to justify, is to be inquired into; for until that is agreed upon, it is impossible that our discourses concerning the thing itself should be freed from equivocation. Take words in various senses, and all may be true that is contradictorily affirmed or denied concerning what they are supposed to signify; and so it has actually fallen out in this case, as we shall see more fully afterwards. Some taking these words in one sense, some in another, have appeared to deliver contrary doctrines concerning the thing itself, or our justification before God, who yet have fully agreed in what the proper determinate sense or signification of the words does import; and therefore the true meaning of them has been declared and vindicated already by many. But whereas the right stating hereof is of more moment unto the determination of what is principally controverted about the doctrine itself, or the thing signified, than most do apprehend, and something at least remains to be added for the declaration and vindication of the import and only signification of these words in the Scripture, I shall give an account of my observations concerning it with what diligence I can.
The Latin derivation and composition of the word “justificatio,” would seem to denote an internal change from inherent unrighteousness unto righteousness likewise inherent, by a physical motion and transmutation, as the schoolmen speak; for such is the signification of words of the same composition. So sanctification, mortification, vivification, and the like, do all denote a real internal work on the subject spoken of. Hereon, in the whole Roman school, justification is taken for justifaction, or the making of a man to be inherently righteous, by the infusion of a principle or habit of grace, who was before inherently and habitually unjust and unrighteous. Whilst this is taken to be the proper signification of the word, we neither do nor can speak, ad idem, in our disputations with them about the cause and nature of that justification which the Scripture teaches.
And this appearing sense of the word possibly deceived some of the ancients, as Austin in particular, to declare the doctrine of free, gratuitous sanctification, without respect unto any works of our own, under the name of justification; for neither he nor any of them ever thought of a justification before God, consisting in the pardon of our sins and the acceptation of our persons as righteous, by virtue of any inherent habit of grace infused into us, or acted by us. Wherefore the subject-matter must be determined by the scriptural use and signification of these words, before we can speak properly or intelligibly concerning it: for if to justify men in the Scripture, signify to make them subjectively and inherently righteous, we must acknowledge a mistake in what we teach concerning the nature and causes of justification; and if it signify no such thing, all their disputations about justification by the infusion of grace, and inherent righteousness thereon, fall to the ground. Wherefore, all Protestants (and the Socinians all of them comply therein) do affirm, that the use and signification of these words is forensic, denoting an act of jurisdiction. Only the Socinians, and some others, would have it to consist in the pardon of sin only; which, indeed, the word does not at all signify. But the sense of the word is, to assoil, to acquit, to declare and pronounce righteous upon a trial; which, in this case, the pardon of sin does necessarily accompany.