[Institutiones Theologicae Ex Optimis Autoribus Concinatae (ex officinâ Francisci Moyardi, 1658)]

Johannes Hoornbeek (4 November 1617, Haarlem – 23 August 1666, Leiden), was a Dutch Reformed theologian. He was a student and a follower of Gisbertus Voetius, writing with him on spiritual desertion. Like his teacher Voetieus, he was also later a professor of theology at the University of Leiden and University of Utrecht. The two universities were closely related in the 17th century, and both the teacher and his students participated in the intellectual “Utrecht Circle.” Another member of the circle was Hornbeek's student colleague Andreas Essenius. The circle was also known as De Voetiaanse Kring (The Voetian Circle), and it was one of the most influential intellectual circles of the Dutch second Reformation.

Johannes Hoornbeek (4 November 1617, Haarlem – 23 August 1666, Leiden), was a Dutch Reformed theologian. He was a student and a follower of Gisbertus Voetius, writing with him on spiritual desertion. Like his teacher Voetieus, he was also later a professor of theology at the University of Leiden and University of Utrecht. The two universities were closely related in the 17th century, and both the teacher and his students participated in the intellectual “Utrecht Circle.” Another member of the circle was Hornbeek's student colleague Andreas Essenius. The circle was also known as De Voetiaanse Kring (The Voetian Circle), and it was one of the most influential intellectual circles of the Dutch second Reformation.

Table of Contents:

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Chapter XI. On Justification

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I. Of the First and Principal Part of Communion with Christ

The primary and principal head of our communion with Christ is seated in our justification before God through Him.

Ames saith: The communion of blessings flowing from union with Christ is that whereby the faithful are made partakers of all those things which they need for living well and blessedly unto God, Ephesians 1:3, “Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings.” Romans 8:32,“He that spared not His own Son.” Therefore, this communion bringeth a translation and change of state to the faithful, from the state of sin and death to the state of righteousness and eternal life, 1 John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death unto life.” This change of state is double: relative and absolute or real. The relative change of state is that which consisteth in the reputation [or reckoning] of God, Romans 4:5,“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 5:19,“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.”

II. Of the Term “Justification”

Justification signifieth the judicial act of God, whereby He absolveth the guilty man and reputeth [or reckoneth] him righteous.

Gomarus saith: To justify is a word not born in Latium, but in the Church, for expressing the Hebrew word Tsiddek or Hitsdik, and the Greek dikaioō; whose signification in the sacred letters is only threefold in kind. The first is of the judge, to judge righteous, in mind, Psalm 143:2; Romans 3:19-20, or in speech, Deuteronomy 25:1, absolutely, Romans 4:2; 8:33, or relatively to accusation and contrary to condemnation; the second is of the indicator, to indicate righteous, Luke 16:15, with Matthew 23:28; Revelation 22:11. The third, finally, is of the vindicator, to vindicate or liberate, Romans 6:7. The first is proper; the other two are derived from it by metaphor.

Walaeus saith: The word justification, frequently used in this matter by the Scriptures, doth not signify any infusion of righteousness or holiness, as the Romanists feign; but:

  1. To free and absolve the accused and brought into judgment.
  2. To esteem and pronounce as righteous.
  3. To attribute the praise and reward of righteousness; all which three are conjoined in this act and flow from the same fountain.

Therefore, it is a judicial word, taken by similitude from a guilty person accused before a judge and absolved by his sentence. Yet we do not deny that God also sanctifieth him whom He justifieth, that thereafter he may live according to righteousness and bring forth works of gratitude; but we assert that these are distinct benefits; and although they are always together, yet they are not the same; nor are we justified before God because of the holiness which is in us, as we shall demonstrate afterward. The arguments which are brought for the true opinion are diverse and invincible:

  1. From the use of the Hebrew word Hitsdic, Proverbs 17:15, “He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.” Isaiah 5:23, “Woe unto them that justify the wicked for reward.” Ezekiel 16:51, “Thou hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.”
  2. From the Greek word dikaioō or dikaiousthai in the New Testament, Luke 7:29, “And all the people that heard Him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.” Matthew 12:37, “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Romans 3:4, “That Thou mightest be justified in Thy sayings, and mightest overcome when Thou art judged.”
  3. From legal justification, Romans 2:13, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified”; where the word justification cannot be taken for the infusion of righteousness, because the doers of the law are thereby just in themselves, in that they perform the law; but they are said to be justified before God because they are esteemed just before God and receive the reward of righteousness. As a like place is extant, Romans 8:4, “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,” that is, the reward of righteousness.
  4. From diverse places of Scripture where it treateth of justification by faith, where manifestly it is put for to absolve, and is opposed to condemnation, as Job 9:2; Psalm 143:2, “Enter not into judgment with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.” Romans 8:33, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” 1 Corinthians 4:4, “For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord.”
  5. From the addition of the particle “before Him,” Romans 2:13; Psalm 143:2, or “in His judgment.” For what would it signify that righteousness is infused before God? But to be justified before God most commonly signifieth to be absolved from guilt before the tribunal of God.
  6. From equivalent phrases whereby to justify is explained; as Luke 18:13, the publican prayeth that God would be merciful to him a sinner; which Christ, verse 14, interpreteth, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other”; therefore, to be justified and to have God merciful are the same. So Romans 4, for the same and equivalents are put to justify, verse 2, to impute righteousness by grace, verse 4, to forgive and cover sins, verse 7, and not to impute sins, verse 8. Likewise, 2 Corinthians 5:19, for the same he putteth to reconcile with God, and not to impute sins, and to make us the righteousness of God in Christ. Likewise, Ephesians 1:6, to make us accepted in the Beloved.
  7. Because this benefit of justification is distinguished throughout in Scripture from sanctification, as in the Epistle to the Romans, where in the first five chapters it treateth of our justification, in the three following of sanctification, and 1 Corinthians 1:30, Christ is said distinctly to be made unto us justification and sanctification. As also 1 Corinthians 6:11, we are said to be justified and sanctified in Him.

III. Particular and Universal Justification

The justification of the person is one particular, of the cause; another universal, of the person.

Gomarus saith: The justification of God from its object is either particular or universal. The former is that whereby He judgeth a particular righteousness, an act, Deuteronomy 24:13; Psalm 106:31; James 2:21, with Genesis 22:12, or a controversial matter, 2 Chronicles 6:23; the latter, whereby He judgeth the person, with universal righteousness, righteous, Psalm 143:2; Galatians 2:6.

IV. Legal and Evangelical Justification

The justification of the person is one legal, another evangelical; and after we all have fallen from that, the faithful are preserved by this.