We believe that penitent sinners are justified before God, only by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and not works; yet that good works in Christ are acceptable to God, and spring out of a true and living faith.

THIS article contains two cardinal propositions: first, justification by faith only; second, good works.

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ONLY.

Justification by faith only is a fundamental doctrine, and should be studied with great care. It is a doctrine upon which no one can afford to be mistaken. Luther styles it the article of a standing or falling church. Christianity contains a complete system of doctrines, none of which can be dropped out without marring the whole system. As the student advances along the line of Christian doctrine, he will be more and more delighted and surprised at its completeness. He will see that nothing can be added to or taken from it. It is one complete whole. Justification, in law, means "the showing in court of a sufficient reason why a party charged, or accused, did that for which he is called to answer.' In theology it means "the treating of sinful man as though he were just; to pardon, to absolve." It may also be defined as the accepting of penitent believers as righteous through the merits of Christ; not by the imputation of Christ's active righteousness, nor by the imputation of his active and passive righteousness together, but through, or on account of, his passive righteousness.

Mr. Watson says that "justification and the remission or forgiveness of sin are substantially the same thing." Mr. Otterbein said that "justification and the pardon of sin are one and the same gracious gift." To show that

this is the true idea of this doctrine, we will turn to the Scriptures Acts 13:38, 39: "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man [Christ] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." Now read Romans 3:25, 26: "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." It will be seen at once that justification and the remission or forgiveness of sins mean substantially the same thing. Each sustains the same relation to the righteousness of Christ. On account of the righteousness of Christ, who died for (instead of) us, we are justified, forgiven, or pardoned. When a penitent believer is justified he is pardoned, and when he is pardoned he is justified.

It should be kept in mind that we are not justified or pardoned on account of anything we have done, or can do. Neither are we justified or pardoned by the mere prerogative of the Almighty. The true, and indeed the only possible, ground of our justification is the atonement made by the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. If satisfaction had not been rendered to the divine law, God could not have been just and at the same time justified or pardoned the guilty. This, as we have seen, is clearly taught in Romans 3:25, 26. There must be a perfect righteousness somewhere. A perfect law was broken and nothing less than a perfect righteousness could satisfy its claims. It must in every way be equal to the demand. The righteousness of Christ was not, as in the case of a righteous man relatively perfect, but absolutely perfect. "He knew no sin"; he was a "Lamb without spot." Jesus Christ was the only being in the universe who could render satisfaction to the law.

Do the Scriptures warrant us in the belief that the atonement made by Christ was vicarious and propitiatory? As this doctrine is more fully treated under Article III.,

it will only be necessary in this connection to give a few plain passages of Scripture. Romans 5:8: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for [instead of] us." I. Peter 3:18: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for [instead of] the unjust." Romans 5:6: "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for [instead of] the ungodly." From these and many other passages of similar import, it is evident that Christ died for (instead of) us, as a proper substitute, and thereby rendered satisfaction to the law, so that God can now be just and justify all that believe in Jesus. Herein is a most wonderful display of the justice and mercy of God,-"of his justice, in requiring a sacrifice, and absolutely refusing to give salvation to a lost world in any other way; and of his mercy in providing the sacrifice which his justice required." Man was absolutely helpless. The curse of the broken law was upon him, from which he could not deliver himself. In Galatians 3:13 Paul says, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us"; that is, he took our place, and in our stead rendered satisfaction to the law.

Justification by faith is, and always has been, the doctrine taught and believed by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. The great body of orthodox Christians hold the same view. There is no doctrine set forth in the Holy Scriptures more pleasing and comforting than this one, as it puts salvation within easy reach of every one. "Whosoever will" may come and be saved

rich and poor, high and low- without money and without price. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

That we may not be misled on this cardinal doctrine, it may be well to state that while faith is a condition of salvation, it is not the cause of it. In the gracious plan of human redemption everything is in the most complete order and harmony; and it is highly important that this order be understood. The first, or moving, cause of justification is the love of God manifest to us by the gift

of his Son. The Holy Spirit, who is the executive officer in the Holy Trinity, is the efficient cause. The suffering and death of Jesus Christ, as a proper substitute, is the meritorious cause. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the conditional cause. What a stupendous manifestation of love and mercy, that God, the Eternal Father, should so arrange in the great plan of human redemption, that he can accept our faith in the room of obedience, which we failed to render! Mr. Wesley said, "Surely the difficulty of assenting to the proposition that faith is the only condition of justification, must arise from not understanding it. We mean thereby thus much, that it is the only one thing without which no one is justified - the only thing that is immediately, indispensably, absolutely requisite in order to pardon.

In this article of the Confession we say that "we believe that penitent sinners are justified before God, only by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Do the Scriptures sustain this proposition? A few plain passages will suffice. Acts 13:39: "And by him [Christ] all that believe are justified." Romans 3:26: "To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Romans 5:1: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Galatians 3:24: "Wherefore the law was our school-master to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." If the doctrine of justification by faith is not true, how are we to explain these passages? The language could not be more explicit. The same great doctrine is taught in Galatians 2:16; Romans 4:3, 5, 9, 22; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23.

Justification is an instantaneous work, and admits of no degrees. The moment a penitent sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ with the whole heart, he is justified pardoned. pardoned. The wisdom and goodness of God in providing such a plan of salvation for a lost and ruined world ought to fill every heart with the most profound gratitude. Such a manifestation of love challenges the

admiration of angels, and ought to be accepted by man with thanksgiving and praise.

GOOD WORKS.

Now, while the Scriptures abundantly teach that "penitent sinners are justified before God, only by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," they nowhere teach that it is by a faith that is alone. Faith and good works mutually imply each other. A living faith always produces good works. A man can no more live by faith without good works than he can live without breathing. In James 2:17 we read that "faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." Verse 22: "By works was faith made perfect." Verse 26: "Faith without works is dead." We are not only justified by faith, but we are to "live by faith" and "walk by faith." The psalmist's motto was, "Trust in the Lord and do good." In this article of the Confession we say that "good works in Christ are acceptable to God and spring out of a true and living faith." This declaration of belief is not only thoroughly scriptural, but is in perfect harmony with individual experience.

A bishop of the Episcopal Church says: "When I was about entering the ministry, I was one day in conversation with an old Christian friend, who said, 'You are to be ordained; when you are ordained, preach to sinners as you find them; tell them to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and they shall be as safe as if they were in heaven; and then tell them to work like heroes." Dr. Spencer says: "Though faith alone justifies, yet that faith which justifies is not alone, but joined with charity and good works. Though good works are not the cause why God crowneth us, yet we must take them in our way to heaven or we shall never come there."

Good works in Christ, which spring out of a true and living faith, are always conformable to truth and justice. Paul lays down a rule by which every Christian would do well to be governed: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I. Corinthians 10:31). In Colossians 3:17 we have a similar injunction. Good works thus performed are not