Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	believe_v	faith_n	justification_n	5,240	5	9.4416	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41483	The banner of justification displayed: or; a discourse, concerning the deep, and important mystery of the justification of a sinner wherein the severall causes thereof, being both numerous and various, are from the first to the last diligently enquired after, and their severall contributions towards so great and happy a work, clearly distinguished, and assigned to their proper causes (respectively.) and more particularly is shewed, how God, how the grace of God, how the decree of God, how the soveraign authority of God; how Christ, how the active obedience [of] Christ, how the passive obedience of Christ, how the resurrection of Christ, how the knowledge of Christ; how the spirit of God, how faith, how repentance, how works, how remission of s[in,] how the word, how the minister of the word, how the P[ope?] himself which is justified, may all truly, though upon severall accounts, and after different manners, be sayed to justifie.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1659 (1659)	Wing G1150A; ESTC R221574	62,441	91

Justification opened by understanding considering and believing it with a sound and living Faith and such which is operative by love The Scripture gives a loud and distinct sound of all these things and somewhat further of them hereafter Thirdly God contributeth yet further towards the justification of a sinner by his Soveraign Authority For by means hereof that Law or Decree according to the Tenor and by vertue of which the sinner is justified of which somewhat more presently becomes inviolable uncontrollable and not lyable to any over-rulement or nullification by any power or Authority whatsoever according to that of the Apostle Paul It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Rom. 8. 33. Meaning that there is no person or creature whatsoever that hath any authority or power to recind or make invalid that Act or rather that Law of God wherein and according unto which he justifieth a sinner which nevertheless might be done and so the justification of the believing sinner fall to the ground and his person notwithstanding his justification by God be lyable to condemnation if the Authority of God by which he is justified were subordinate and not soveraign or supream 4. And lastly God contributeth towards the justification of a sinner In actu excercito that reall help and assistance by his Spirit in conjunction with other means of ●n externall nature by which the sinner is enabled to believe in Jesus Christ and this with a living and operative Faith and so by vertue of that Decree or Law of his concerning Justification He that believeth in my Son Jesus Christ is or shall hereby be justified he comes to be interessed in that state of blessedness as David terms it I mean Justification Sect. 2 Secondly The Grace of God as it importeth the divine Attribute commonly known by that name for sometimes the word signifieth the Act or acting of this Attribute and otherwhile the happy success or effect of this acting contributeth towards the justification of a sinner as it effectually disposeth him to shew kindness and do good where there is no preceding Merit nor any provocation Motive or Inducement administred why he should either shew the one or do the other and more particularly as it thus disposeth him to give his only begotten Son unto those to whom he was no wayes indebted or engaged for any Courtesie and to impute Faith for Righteousness unto that is to justifie a believing sinner who hath deserved no favour or respects of love either in this kind or any other from him but the contrary In this respect and consideration we are sayd to be Justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3. 24 Tit. 3. 7. and to be saved by Grace Eph. 2. 58. We are sayd to be justified freely or Gift-wise {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by his grace not so much I conceive if at all because we are justified upon the account of the satisfaction made by Christ for our sins in his death in this respect we may rather be sayd to be justified righteously or justly then freely by Grace But we are sayd to be justified freely by the Grace of God because Jesus Christ by whom we are justified and this justly and righteously on Gods part was given freely and out of meer Grace by God to bring this great blessedness upon us we having no wayes not only not obliged him to do any such great and worthy thing for us but on the other hand wholly dis-obliged him from us as his Creatures and provoked him by our rebellion against him So that in strictness of notion the Grace of God by which we are sayd to be freely justified is not meerly or simply Grace but in the Apostles Emphaticall expression {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rom. 5. 20 that is Grace in her greatest super-redundancy and height of exaltation To do good where or from whence none hath been received is the genuine property of Grace to do good against evill or where and from whence injury and unkindnesses have been received is the property of grace wel advanced and of considerable growth and strength in the Soul But to do the greatest good which the Doer is capable of doing where and from whence he hath received the greatest evill which he is capable of suffering is the property of grace {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as it were overgrown and magnifying it self above it self in any limited or created perfection This is a true and lively Character of that grace by from or through which as the Scriture speaks we are justified and saved So then the grace of God justifieth us as it moved and prevailed with him first by the gift of Jesus Christ to put himself into a capacity of justifying us as or though Sinners and Offenders and 2. By acting according to this capacity to and in our actuall justification Thirdly Justification may be attributed to the Decree Sect. 3 of God I mean to the Decree of God concerning it because or as this ratifieth and establisheth it according to the terms on which it is granted and taketh place This is that which maketh Faith in Jesus Christ available and effectuall unto Justification which giveth vertue and force unto it I mean unto Faith for the production and raising of so glorious and blessed an effect as the justification and consequently the salvation of a Sinner is This is the will i. The pleasure purpose or Decree of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life which includes his Justification John 6. 40. By the way these words in this passage which seeth the Son do not express any essentiall part of the Will or Decree of God concerning either the justification or salvation of a Sinner but are inserted by Christ occasionally only viz. because the Jews with whom he now reasoned had the corporeall or externall sight of him and yet believed not on him v. 36. without which he affirmeth unto them in the place cited that such a sight of him would stand them in no stead as to matter of justification or salvation because the Will of God required of men Faith in him as well with the sight as without the sight of him in order to the obtaining of this For that the corporeall beholding of Christs person is not necessary by any Decree of God or otherwise either for the justification or salvation of men is evident by those words of Christ unto Thomas Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed Joh. 20. 29. Now there is no blessedness of man without justification Rom. 4. 6. 7 8. So then it is the Decree purpose will or pleasure of God that gives being unto justification in that way wherein and upon those terms whereon it is now obtained Faith in Christ considered in it self and apart from the Decree of

constructive vertuall or consequentiall Acts acted or done in the doing of some one so there may be nay there alwaies is an answerable variety of Effects produced by and so Attributable unto this one Act. When a Prince prefers some Head of a Family to a great place of profit and power in the State or any other person who is a Lover of his Friends and Relations in blood he may be sayd to cast honour upon this person to better his condition in the World to raise his Family to give every particular Member hereof hope of being better accommodated in matters of this life yea in case he doth bestow this preferment upon him for his Fathers or any of his Ancestors sake as for any worth in them or for any good Service done by them or the like in preferring him he may be sayd to impute the worth or faithfulness of such an Ancestor unto him But all such Acts as these are but mediate constructive or consequentiall and so are their respective effects to be interpreted likewise A Prince when he prefers a man in strict propriety of speaking doth nothing else but prefer him or which is the same confers some place of profit or of honour upon him In like manner when God justifieth a man he may be sayd to bless him to translate him from Death to Life to give him a lawfull Title or Claim to eternall life and his Heavenly Kingdome and because he doth it upon the account and for the sake of the Obedience of Christ as well active as passive although in a more peculiar manner upon the account of the latter the Scripture constantly ascribing Justification unto the blood death sufferings c. of Christ and never to my remembrance unto his active Obedience unless haply as presupposed unto his passive and as qualifying it for its high Service I say because God justifieth men for the sake of Christ and for what he hath done and suffered in serving his counsell and good pleasure he may when he justifieth any man be sayd to impute the righteousness or obedience of Christ unto him And because in order to this Act of his I mean his Act of justifying a man he requires Faith of him and Faith only in the sense formerly declared and asserted when he justifieth him he may be sayd to count or to impute his Faith unto him for righteousness Again when he justifieth a man because he graciously confers upon him a righteousness of his own Invention and Contrivance and doth not justifie him with for or upon any righteousness found in him whom he justifieth therefore when he justifieth him he is sayd to impute righteousness unto him i. as it were To gratifie him with a righteousness remission of sins being a righteousness properly enough so called in as much as he who is chargable with no sin which is his priviledge or case who hath all his sins justly and authoritatively remitted must needs be looked upon as an Observer of the whole Law But when God justifieth a person he doth none of these things to him in a direct formall or immediate way but constructively or consecutively only All that he doth upon such terms is only this he justifieth him i. He remitteth unto him all his sins remission of sins being that absolute and compleat righteousness wherewith a sinner is invested by God in his justification besides which such a person is not capable of any nor standeth in need of any for the attainment of any end or benefit of righteousness whatsoever And as for those that have been the greatest sinners and neither gave Meat unto Christ when he was an hungry nor Drink when he was thirsty nor cloathed him when he was naked c. If so be God should remit these and all other their sins unto them which yet he cannot without their timely repentance and contrary practising for a season because this would be to deny himself I mean his righteousness and truth they should hereby become as righteous and as capable of the reward of righteousness as the greatest Saints and those who continued for the longest time walking with God This concerning remission of sins and what part it beareth in the great and mysterious work of Justification 15. That the Scriptures or Word of God are not Sect. 15 meer Standers by neither or Lookers on in the business of Justification but have somewhat to do in reference unto it and for the promoting it sufficiently appears from these and such like sayings of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 17. Send men to Joppa and call for Simon whose Sirname is Peter who shall tell the words whereby thou and all thy House shall be saved Act. 11. 13 14. Abraham believed God i. The word of God and it was counted unto him for righteousness Rom. 4. 3. True Faith whether in the Act or Habit or both having such an essentiall Connexion by the will and pleasure of God as we have heard with justification and never failing to obtain it whatsoever any wayes worketh Faith or contributeth towards the raising of it in the Soul must needs in that respect and so far have an hand in justification according to that known Principle in Reason formerly mentioned Quod est causa causae est etiam causa causati That which in any consideration gives being to the Cause is in that respect a Cause of the Effect produced by it Now the Scripture or the Word of God I mean the Mind Councell or Will of God which are the substance matter or truth contained and held forth in and by the Scriptures which we are taught in them to call the word of God which matter or truth are held forth likewise taught and declared in part other-wayes then in the Scriptures as by the light of Nature Works of Creation of Providence c. I say the Scripture or Word of God thus understood is the only object or subject matter of that hearing by which Faith ordinarily cometh as the Apostle even now informed us meaning that Faith by which men are justified And as Sanctification is ascribed unto the Word o● God Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is the truth Joh. 17. 17. Mediante fide by the intervening and mediation of Faith or the belief of it Heb. 4. 2 So may Justification by the same mediation be ascribed unto it likewise Yea Faith it self which justifieth more immediatly and directly and consequently Justification may be ascribed unto it not only as it is the subject matter or object of that hearing by which the Faith which justifieth is produced as hath been already sayd but as it is such a word or the matter of it so qualified and conditioned that it is very apt pregnant and potent to work or raise that Faith in the hearts and minds of men which by Divine Institution as we have heard is justifying For it is

God in that behalf although it be a means or condition of the best and most proper complexion or consideration for God to entertain or pitch upon in a Decree for justification yet would it not be a proper or sufficient means to justifie any man because in such a consideration I mean as separated or divided from the justifying Decree of God as it hath neither any naturall nor morall dignity or worth commensurable to so high and sacred an effect as Justification so neither would or could it have any Instituted or Superadded authority from any other hand whatsoever wherby to carry or atchieve it whereas if it be meet to suppose that the justifying Decree of God could or would have joyned it self or taken into communion with it self any other thing habit or act as suppose love humility patience or what ever besides Faith in Christ for the work of Justification this by vertue of the soveraign Authority or force of the divine Institution or decree in conjunction with it would have justified all those in whom they had been found Those Ordinances Vestments Ceremonies and Observations recorded and described Levit. 8. and elsewhere as enjoyned by God under the Law for the creation and consecration of Aaron and his Successors together with the inferiour Priests of the Tribe of Levi into their respective Offices of the Leviticall Priesthood were simply and in themselves considered very comely and proper for the investiture and making of Priests of this Order yet would no use or application of them to any person or persons of what Tribe or Family soeve● have made any Priest to serve at Gods Altar either with acceptation unto him or benefit unto the people had there not a Divine Institution or Law from God interceded for the authorizing or validating of these things to the making o● constituting of such Priests In which respect the Law is sayd to make men high Priests Heb. 7. 28. and consequently may as well be sayd to make Priests of the inferiour Order likewise In like manner though the●e be an aptitude in Faith in Christ above any other Grace or qualification for the justification of a Sinner yet that which makes it actually and effectually justifying is the Decree or Will of God in that behalf Yea the death of Christ it self would not be justifying as now it is did not the Will of God interpose for the authorizing of it in that kind according to what we read Heb. 10. 10. By the which Will viz. of God we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all So that the Offering of it self of the body of Jesus Christ doth not sanctifie and by the same reason doth not justifie men but as appointed or ordained by the Will of God hereunto or to speak more warily and properly not without the authoritative concurrence of the Will of God with it for the exhibition of such a benefit or blessing unto the World Sect. 4 Fourthly The Authority of God being as hath been sayd soveraign and supream and so the act award and determination of it not obnoxious to any defeisance check or annulment by any other Authority whatsoever contributes unto the justification of a sinner I mean unto the Justification which himself hath contrived and declared for such in his word full and finall and irreversible ratification and establishment This is that which the Apostle cleerly supposeth or implies where he demands Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect i. e. Of those who believe as is evident It is God that justifieth as if he should say If it were any other but God who should justifie them although in the same way wherein God now justifieth them yet might their Justification be repeatable at least by God and further matter of accusation might be layd to their charge But now God being he that justifieth them and there being none above him nor yet equall unto him in Authority the●e is no fear that their justification should be obstructed recinded or made invalid by any whosoever or that any further Crime or matter of guilt should be charged upon them that should be of force by any equitable Law whatsoever or otherwise to condemn them Sect. 5 Fifthly Christ as God may be sayd to justifie in all those considerations or respects wherein Justification hath been ascribed unto God yea being one and the same God in nature and essence with the Father he acteth and doeth all the same things in reference to the Creature in conjunctiou and communion with him Secondly Being {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} God and Man or Man subsisting in the humane Nature personally united to the Godhead by the willing offering up of himself as a Lamb without spot in Sacrifice unto God the Father he made Attonement for Sinners in such a sense wherein the Scripture is to be understood when it so speaketh notwithstanding his Justice and perfect hatred of sin yea notwithstanding his threatning of Adam and all his Posterity with death in case of his sinning The death of a Person of that transcendent worth and dignity was in true esteem and so judged by the un-erring understanding and wisdome of God a valuable and equitable consideration why he should actually and without any other thing intervening pardon the ●in of the world as it is called Joh. 1. 29. that is the sin of Adam as imputed or communicated in the guilt of it unto all his Posterity together with all the actuall sins of all such of his Posterity as should believe in him To say that Christ by his sufferings merited either the justification or salvation of those who should believe in him as it is no Scripture expression so neither is it exegeticall or explicative of any Scripture expression nor as far as at present my memory serveth me expressive of any Scripture notion and however it is too narrow and scant an expression of that Grace of of God in the death of Christ herein commended by him both unto men and Angels unless we shall exclude from this Grace all Infants dying in Infancy or before they are arriv'd at a capacity of believing And as it is not so proper to say that the blood of Bulls and Goats c. under the Law merited those Leviticall purgations or sanctifications which yet they who were ceremonially unclean obtained by them as to say that they were a competent and sufficient satisfaction and so esteemed by God for such uncleannesses and so dissolved the guilt contracted by them In like manner it is more agreeable to Scripture both notion and phrase and to the nature of the thing it self to say that Christ in or by his death being so highly considerable as it was made or gave satisfaction for the sins of men and hereby made way for the pardon and remission of them by God then to say that by his death he merited the pardon of these sins or the

nature and so weighty a consequence as the Doctrine of justification is it is safest and best for edification to use such terms which do with greatest propriety and strictness of notion answer and unsold the words and phrases wherein God himself hath in the Scriptures delivered his mind and counsell in such things unto us If it be here Objection-wise demanded But if Christ made a full and compleat satisfaction by his death for the sins of men and hereby satisfied the justice and wisdome of God so that he cannot justly or equitably require any thing further either from men themselves or from any other on their behalf in order to their discharge absolution or justification from their sins how or upon what account doth he still capitulate with men about their justification imposing Faith upon them a Faith working or apt to work by love yea and works themselves too according to the judgment of some whose words in this case are not guilty if their sense be innocent in the nature of a condition without the performance whereof no justification is to be had notwithstanding the satisfaction made by Christ for their sins Or how is the satisfaction made by Christ compleat and full if justification be not given upon it without the addition or intervening of some qualification or performance in men And if God having received full satisfaction from Christ in his death for the respective debts or sins of men should yet require satisfaction at their hands also in punishment for the same debt whether they believe in him or no should he not be unjust Or is it consistent with Justice to demand the same debt twice or to exact a second satisfaction when one hath been given already and this every wayes compleat and full and so acknowledged by the Creditor and Receiver himself I answer 1. The compleatners or fulness of Christ's satisfaction is not to be o● imated by the will or counsell of God about the application of it or actuall communication of the vertue o● benefit of it unto particular men but by the proportion which it beaneth unto the ●n unto which it relateth in the nature of a p●i e ransome consideration or satisfaction If it be commensurable in rationall worth or value unto these i. If it be a matter or thing of that Nature consequence and consideration that God may with the salvage or sufficient demonstration of the glory of his Justice or perfect hatred of sin wisdome c. pardon the sins and transgressions of men without any thing added thereunto by way of satisfaction or punishment it is in reason to be ●udged a sufficient or compleat satisfaction although upon some other account he suspend the benefit or actuall application of it unto particular men upon reasonable requirements of them otherwise In case a Prince or Nobleman charitably and bountifully disposed should intend the redemption of a company of persons out of captivity and in order hereunto should freely give unto him under whom they are in bondage and who hath power to set them at liberty a summ of money fully answerable according to the usuall rate in such cases to the liberty of these persons but should withall desire of or covenant with him to whom he hath given or payd the sayd money and who is the present Lord of these Captives that he should not actually discharge or set at liberty any man of them untill they had tendered or made a thankfull acknowledgment of his Grace and bounty towards them In this case I say the condition of acknowledgment required of these Captives by their great Benefactors before they are permitted actually to partake of the benefit of the price of their redemption doth no waies argue any scantness or insufficiency in this price but only declares the will and pleasure of him that ransometh them concerning their behaviour before their actuall redemption If it be here demanded But what if any or all the C p●ives in this case should so far forget themselves or be neglective of their own welfare as not to tender or make such an acknowledgment to their Benefactor what becomes of that money or price layd down by him for their redemption would it not argue want of wisdome o● providence in him that should lay down a vast summ of money for the redemption of such persons the far greater part of which he knew before-hand would be never the better for it nor accept of their liberty upon such terms as he meant to impose on them in order thereunto I answer 1. to the former of these demands in case any or all the Captives mentioned should be so desperately careless of their own welfare as not to accept of their deliverance upon those equitable and easie terms on which it is offered them and may be enjoyed by them their Benefactor may notwithstanding have consideration for his money satisfactory unto him as viz. both the conscience and honour of his most worthy and heroick Act in sparing no cost to being men out of misery and th●aldome Nor doth the Scripture anywhere suspend the glorious and high contentment which God takes in that transcendent Act of his Grace in the gift of his Son for the redemption of the world upon the Faith of those who believe on him by means thereof or upon the great benefit which by means of their Faith they actually receive from it but upon the intrinsecall and divine worth and adorableness of the Act it self Yea the Scripture seems to make that great Act of Grace we speak of of one and the same consideration or contentment unto God whethermen reap benefit by it or no For we are unto God sayth the Apostle 2 Cor. 2. 15. the sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish So that Christ i. His Grace vouchsafed unto the world by Christ for their salvation is of the same or like savour sweet and pleasing unto God whether men accept it and so are saved by it or whether they reject it and perish notwithstanding it It is true upon another account God is highly oftended with men when they reject his Grace as viz. Because herein they act most foolishly and irrationally not because they diminish or make any breach upon his contentment in vouchsafing such Grace unto them 2. To the latter demand whether it would not argue want of wisdome or providence c. I answer 1. That it argues neither want of wisdome or providence in him that shall part with a great summ of money for the ransome of many thousand Captives although he should know before-hand that the greater part would be never the better for it nor accept of their freedome upon the terms imposed on them in order thereunto in case it be supposed that he knew that a considerable part of them however would accept of the favour to the unspeakable benefit of their enlargement Yea as was lately argued though he had fore-known that none of them

highly acceptable with God as being every wayes qualified with Innocency Righteousness Holiness c. and so meet by his death to make Attonement for the sin of the World So then as that which the unblemishedness of the Beast for Sacrifice under the Law exhibited towards that Attonement which was made by the offering of it was the meetness of this offering of it for acceptance with God and consequently for this acceptance it self in order to his pardoning or passing by that ceremoniall impurity or uncleanness for which it was offered In like manner the active Obedience of Christ in conjunction with the absolute holiness and inward purity of his person rendered his death or the Oblation of himself a Sacrifice every wayes meet and worthy acceptance with God and consequently accepted with him for the expiation or Attonement of the sins of all men If Christ had been so much as touch'd with the least tincture of defilement with sin he had not been a Priest after the order of Melchisedech holy harmless undefiled separated from sinners c. but rather after the order of Aaron who needed to offer Sacrifice for their own sins Neither had he been in any condition or regular capacity to have made Attonement for the sins of others untill he had first fully expiated his own That the active Obedience of Christ doth not operate in or about or towards justification in that way or notion which some have conceived as viz. by an imputation of the particular acts thereof in the letter and formality of them unto those that believe whereby they should be constituted or made properly and formally righteous we have demonstrated at large in a just treatise upon that Subject where it is made good upon several accounts that the sayd notion hath neither countenance from the Scriptures nor any tolerable consistency wth the clearest Principles of reason Sect. 7 7. What place or interest the Death or passive Obedience of Christ hath in or about justification we have in like manner Briefly intimated in our Fifth Section It rendereth that great Act of God in the justification of a sinner every wayes comely and honourable unto him and worthy of him and consequently makes him most willing and free to it The Holy Ghost speaks plainly enough of that comeliness which the sufferings of Christ put upon the justification of a sinner by God giving some intimation withall that unless this Act had by one means or other been made thus comely for him he would never have lift up his heart or hand unto it For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things meaning God in bringing many Sons unto Glory to consecrate or make perfect the Captain of their salvation through sufferings Heb. 2. 10. That meetness or comeliness for God here spoken of intending the salvation and glorification of many to effect it in noother way then by the sufferings of him who was to be the Prince or Captain of their salvation respecteth mainly if not solely his Act in justifying them in order to their salvation and glorification For otherwise supposing them already justified there needed more the life then the death of Christ to save them according to that of the Apostle Paul But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 8 9 10. We see here 1. That our justification is ascribed unto the blood or death of Christ and 2. That our salvation our justification or reconciliation unto God presupposed unto his life i. Unto that power which is given unto him in that life which now he lives in glory at the right hand of the Father to exercise for the saving of all those that believe in him Life frequently imports vigour activity liveliness of strength or power for action as death imports weakness and imbecility for action If you ask me But how or in what respect doth the passive Obedience or death of Christ render the act of justification as now it is exerted or performed by God so comely or honourable for him Or how may we conceive that either it would have been uncomely or less comely for him to have appeared in it in case his hand had not been strengthned by the death of Christ unto it Or doth it not well enough become the great God to forgive sin freely and without satisfaction I answer 1. Whether we conceive the import of those words spoken by God unto Adam and in him unto all his Posterity being yet in his Loyns In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death either in the nature or notion of a dreadfull threatning in case of disobedience or of a most sacred and severe Law to restrain sin and disobedience the difference I confess is not much materiall as far as at present I apprehend it was no wayes honourable or comely for God to suffer either the one or the other to be trodden or trampled under foot by the Creature to whom they were given without looking after them or calling for some satisfactory account for the contempt measured out unto them It cannot reasonably be thought but that God by the denunciation of such a threatning or promulgation and sanction of such a Law awakened and amused both Heaven and Earth and raised great expectations in both what the issue or consequence would be Now then Adam and his Posterity being as was sayd now in him rising up in disobedience in the very face as it were and presence of so terrible a threatning if God should have passed by and made no words of this high mis-demeanour he might seem either on the one hand to repent that he had so sorely threatned them and therefore now proceeded not to execution or else on the other hand that he was content and willing enough to be neglected or affronted by his Creature both which would have been very uncomely and dishonourable unto him Nor would it have been of much more comely an interpretation had he accepted any thing of an inferiour value or less considerable instead of a Compensation or satisfaction and had not stood upon a just and full vindication of his Soveraign Authority his excellent Wisdome his Righteousness and Equity in his proceedings with his Creature the glory of all which were very injuriously handled and suffered deeply in Adams prevarication So then Adam and his mis-carrying with so high a hand of disobedience there devolved a necessity upon God if he meant to glorifie himself like himself and as God either to punish the whole brood of Transgressours according to the full exigency of their demerit or which is the same according to the tenor and import of the threatning or

prepared according to his mind for him to work or act upon or about justifyingly And when God doth justifie such a person he doth introduce a new form as Viz. Righteousness remission of sins or justification passive for these I take to be much the same into matter rightly and appropriatly disposed for the reception of it which matter is as hath been said the sinner now believing As when fire heateth the water that is hung over it or otherwise applyed unto it the water is the matter upon which the fire acteth in this act of calefaction and the heat which it causeth in the water is the form which it induceth or introduceth into it This briefly for the materiall Cause of Justification The finall Cause of Justification is commonly distinguished into that which is subordinate or less principal and Sect. 19 that which is ultimate and supream The former is with one consent affirmed to be the great benefit or blessedness of the Creature or person justified which Blessednesse standeth in two particulars chiefly deliverance from under the guilt of sin with all the misery consequentiall hereunto and an investiture with a regular Title or Claim unto that immortall and undefiled Inheritance which is reserved in the Heavens to be enjoyed in due time by all those who shall be found in a due capacity to be admitted into part and fellowship therein The ultimate or supream end or materiall Cause of Justification is concluded with a Nemine contradicente as far as I know to be the Glory of God partly in the just vindication of a sinner from under the guilt of sin and from the punishment incurred thereby and partly in the Salvation and eternall Glorification of the person so vindicated As for the opinion or notion of those who conceive that God designeth nothing acteth nothing in strictness and propriety of consideration for himself or for his own Glory ultimately but all for the good and benefit of his Creature I shall not upon this occasion either plead or implead it only I shall crave leave to say this that as far as I have yet looked into it and conversed with it I do not find it so extravagant or uncouth or so hard of reconcilement either with the Scriptures where they seem most contradicting it or with any the received grounds or principles of Christian Religion as I suppose it is like to seem unto many at its first appearance and hearing And though there may be more in the opinion were it narrowly examined and scan'd from the one end of it unto the other as well for the glory of God as for the benefit and comfort of the Creature yet because such an examination of it may haply require a just Treatise and more of the ordinary rank of Professors are more like to be startled or amazed at it then to embrace it I shall therefore forbear to encumber the commonly received Doctrine concerning the finall Cause or ultimate end of Justification with any further mention of it Thus we have shewed how great a number and what variety as well of things as of persons there are all both of the one kind and the other joyning hand in hand and making as it were one shoulder to bring the great blessing of Justification upon the head of a poor sinner God who is wonderfull in counsell and excellent in working a judged it meet that a matter of so gracious and rare of so profound and wonderfull a contrivance should pass through many hands before his Creature Man to whom it was meant and intended should be invested with the actuall possession and enjoyment of it There is scarce any thing of a more humbling consideration to the height and pride of the Spirit of a man then to be subjected to a multiplicity of dependences especially upon such either persons or things which he either judgeth but equal unto but most of all if beneath himself for the obtaining of that of which he stands in need and without which he fully understands that it cannot be well with him Such a posture or subjection as this sets him of● at the greatest distance in his condition from God in point of true Greatness and Glory Nor is there any thing in all the unlimited circumference of the blessedness of God that renders him greater or more glorious in the eyes of his Creature then his {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or self sufficiency and his absolute independency upon all whether persons or things whatsoever besides himself And doubtless in such cases where the number of dependencies is not established by any indispensable Law or Decree of God they that can contract themselves to the smaller number of them for the enjoyment of themselves with comfort and contentment will reduce their present conditions to the nearest affinity whereof it is capable with the blessedness of God himself But where God hath by any revealed appointment or declared will suspended the attainment of any spirituall enjoyment priviledge or blessing upon mens application of themselves unto him in the use of such and such means of what number or kind soever their non-subjection to this Law or appointment of his in the neglect of any one of these means is of a very dangerous and sad presage that they will fall short in the attainment of the blessing And for this reason my Soul cannot but sadly lament over the case and condition of all those who have in the ignorance vanity and pride of their Spirits turn'd their backs upon the Ministry of the Gospel setting their Faces towards Fancies and conceited Methods of their own though of Satans Inspiration for their justification in the sight of God whereas it hath been evidently shewed and proved from the Mouth of Godhimself that amongst those various Actors in and about the great business of Justification which have been presented upon the Theater of this brief Discourse he hath assigned a worthy co-operation or part unto the Ministry and Ministers of the Gospel Therefore they who disdain to have the royall Robe of Righteousness or Justification put upon them by men of this Function and Office as judging them unworthy and too mean to serve them in so high and sacred a Concernment for any hope that I am able upon any good ground to give them of a better Issue they are never like to wear it FINIS These Books following are to be sold by Henry Eversden at the Grey-hound in Pauls Church-yard IMputatio Fidei Or a Treatise of Justification wherein the imputation of Faith for Righteousness mentioned in Rom. 4. 5 6. is explained by Mr. John Goodwin Minister of the Gospel In Quarto Triumviri Or the Genius Spirit and Deportment of the three Men Mr. Richard Resbury Mr. John Pawson and Mr. George Kendall in their late Writings against the Free Grace of God in the Redemption of the World and vouchsafement of means of Salvation unto men briefly described in their native and

justification of a sinner For in propriety of speech a person is not sayd to merit any thing for another but for himself only When a man hath unjustly taken away any thing from another or hath any way injured him his friend by giving a reasonable or valuable consideration to the person injured for the damage sustained by him may properly be sayd to make satisfaction for him or for the wrong done by him by reason whereof he is in equity free from being impleaded or moles●ed by Law or otherwise by him to whom he had done the wrong But it is somewhat improper to say that a man in this case by making satisfaction for his friend merited that freedome for him So when a man gives a price or summ of money for the ransome of a Captive it is not usuall nor proper to say that hereby he meriteth his liberty A man is very unproperly sayd to merit that which he purchaseth at a price whether for himself or for another Now that which Christ in or by his death contributeth towards the justification of a sinner is frequently in the Scriptures expressed under the notion of a purchase of a price payed of a ransome redemption c. but no where of merit And yee are not your own for yee are bought with a price meaning out of the hand and power and from under the guilt of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ whose therefore you are by right of purchase to honour and serve him 1 Cor. 6. 20. See also the following Chapter v 23. with 2 Pet. 2. 1. So Mat 20. 28. and Mar. 10. 45. And to give his life a ransome for many So again Who gave himself a ransome for all men 1 Tim. 26. So also Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Tit. 2. 14. So Christ hath redeemed us c. Gal. 3. 13. And hast redeemed us to God And Revel 5. 9. see also Rom. 3. 24. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Eph. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. Heb. 9. 12. c. And besides I do not see any reason why it may not be as truly and properly sayd that God the Father in giving his only begotten Son out of his bosome to dye for the justification of men and salvation thereupon contributed by way of merit towards their justification and salvation as Christ by dying And verily why that Act of God the Father should not be reputed every whit as great in point of merit in reference to the great business of justification as the Act of Christ in offering up of himself by death in order thereunto I apprehend not Certain I am that the Scripture commendeth and setteth it forth upon the same o● as great terms of grace honour and admiration as the other Joh. 3 16 Rom. 8. 31 32. Rom. 5. 8. To omit other places of like import Now of the two it is I conceive less probable and Gospel-like that the respective contributions of the Father and the Son towards justification should be of the one and the same kind then of a different Yet of the same kind they would be if both should contribute thereunto by way of merit Nor do I see how any clear place will be left for praise and thanks unto God the Father from persons justified for their justification in case it may be sayd that Christ properly merited their justification For to render or give unto a person only that which in rigour or strictness of justice either himself or another hath merited or deserved for him especially where no occasion or tentation is in the way to perswade him to do otherwise is scarce any matter of praise to him that doth it nor of engagement unto thankfulness upon him who receiveth only his own in such a case It is true there is somewhat a●i●e consideration upon a valuable price payd for that which is bought or purchased If a friend layes down a summ of money for the purchase of procurement of my liberty and this fully commensurable therewith and according to agreement with him of whom he is to purchase it I am thus far or in this respect no great Debtor of thanks unto him who sets me at liberty upon such terms But in case he from whom I am to receive my liberty if I ever enjoy it being a prudent and just man and withall at liberty to keep me in bondage for ever what terms soever should be offered for my ransome and moreover shall be so principled that in regard of my foul misdemeanor by which I became a Captive he could not condescend to grant my liberty but upon terms highly materiall and considerable in this case I say I shall be a signall Debtor unto him for my liberty if he shal so far commiserate my misery as to move any of his Friends or Relations to stand by me in this my great Exigent and to do or suffer that for the procurement of my liberty upon which he can and will willingly grant it and especially he being no wayes engaged unto me by any service done by me or courtesie received from me Now this is the case between God the Father and men in the gracious business of justification First He was at full liberty men having sinned whether ever to have justified any person or not on what terms soever Secondly Being by nature infinitely prudent and just he could not judge it meet for him in case he should be willing or inclinable to justifie men to do it otherwise then upon terms every wayes becoming those his Attributes Thirdly Such terms as these were not to be procured or had but only from Jesus Christ and him voluntarily submitting himself unto death for this end Fourthly and lastly Jesus Christ though willing both to do and to suffer what ever he did in either kind for the justification of men yet would not have undertaken the business nor actually either done or suffered any thing in order to their justification had not the Father been willing to part with him yea and actually sent him into the world with order and commission from himself both to do and suffer whatsoever should be requisite on his part thereunto Joh. 3. 16. 12. 10. 18. 12. 44 45. 49. In these respects besides others the generation of men are most signally indebted unto God the Father for their justification notwithstanding a valuable consideration or price layed down for the procurement of it But concerning the word * Merit since it is so generally used by Protestant Divines and other learned and worthy men in their writings and discourses about justification to express the congruity compleat sufficiency yea and super-sufficiency of the doings and sufferings of Christ for the procuring of it and this without any inconvenience as far as I know occasioned thereby I shall not contend for the laying it aside or censure in the least those that shall use it only I conceive that in Points Doctrins of so mysterious a

{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} very often signifieth ot to make perfect i. Compleatly to qualifie the Captain of their salvation Christ that was to procure their deliverance from death by making Attonement for them through sufferings proportionable to so great ●n Atchievement and consequently to put him into a capacity of suffering by investing him with the humane Nature as is plainly layd down v. 14. the Apostle I say having asserted this he gives this account of it in the words following For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one meaning that the one and the other are both of one and the same Original or Descent as viz. From God by the Line of Adam and likewise of one and the same nature or blood as Act. 17. 26. And hath made of one blood all Nations of men And withall that it was meet that thus it should be for conformity sake unto the Leviticall Type where the high Priest and those that were Legally purified or sanctified by him were both of one and the same nature and likewise descended from one and the same Progenitors 2. It was very agreeable both to the goodness and wisdome of God that he who by his appointment and at his instance should serve Adam and his posterity in so arduous and difficult an undertaking as by his own death to re-instate them in a condition of life and peace should be satisfied with and enjoy this sore travail of his Soul and not sink or be wholly crushed under it and consequently that he should not only suffer death but overcome death or which is the same be raised again from the dead that so he might be capable of that great recompence of Reward which so transcendent a Service both unto God and men well deserved Upon this account also the Lord Jesus Christ was the only person either in actuall being or in possibility of being that was accomplished or meetly qualified for that great undertaking of raising up the Tabernacle of Adam which was fallen and of saving that which was lost For were it granted or supposed which yet I cannot encourage any man to suppose that some Creature might have been found or else made so holy harmless undefiled and separate from sinners the shedding of whose blood or whose death for Adam and his posterity might have been so considerable in the sight of God as that he could have judg'd it competently salvant of the glory of his wisdome and of the awfulness and dread of his Soveraignty to have remitted the transgression of Adam and his upon the account thereof yet is it no wayes probable that the considerableness or worth of this Sacrifice would or could have ab●unded so high above the purchase or procurement of the redemption of Adam and his posterity as to in-title or to in-right him that should have offered it to a glorious Resurrection also such as was meet for him that had been the Author of salvation to a lost World And if the Glory wherein Christ appeared upon Tabor was so exceeding great that it only became the only begotten Son of God being a Garment too above measure rich for any person to wear but the only Son of the King of Kings to which sense many of the Expositors carry that of the Evangelist Joh. 1. 14 much more would such a transcendency in Glory wherewith God hath judged it meet to invest and dignifie him that is now the Saviour of the World As the making him higher then the Heavens placing him at his own right hand giving him a Name above every Name that is named c. have been vastly disproportionable to the Line of any meer created Being whatsoever And yet the Apostle plainly declareth that such an high Priest became us i. Was necessary for us to have in respect of those high and vast Concernments which were to pass through his hands and to be transacted by him who amongst other glorious Prerogatives should be made higher then the Heavens Heb. 7. 26. In these Considerations and haply in some others like unto them the contributions of the passive Obedience and Sufferings of Christ were soveraignly necessary to render the high transaction or dispensation of God the justification of sinners worthy of him and of a regular and cleer consistence with his Glory As for the Tenent of those who resolve this great Act or Dispensation of God we speak of I mean Justification partly into the Soveraignty of his Greatness or Authority and partly into the abundance of his Grace and Goodness and liberty of his Will and partly into the Obedience and regular Conversation of men themselves excluding the death of Christ from any part or fellowship therein at least by way of Attonement or satisfaction for sin I conceive it to be broadly inconsistent with the tenor and purport of the Scriptures in places and passages without number 8. The Resurrection or raising of Christ from the dead Sect. 8 in conjunction with his Glorification which followed upon it advanceth the business of Justification by the assurance given hereby from God unto the Souls and Consciences of men that he is well a paid and fully satisfied concerning that great Debt of the sin of the World the discharge whereof was undertaken by Christ in his death hereby encouraging men who had incur'd his displeasure by sinning to believe in him accordingly for their justification This is the express Doctrine of the Apostle Peter Who verily was fore-ordained speaking of Christ before the foundation of the World but was manifested in these last times for you who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him Glory that your Faith and hope might be in God and consequently that you might be found or put into a state of justification without which Faith and hope in God were little available 1 Pet. 1. 20. And in this consideration doubtless it was that the Apostle Paul affirmed Christ to be raised again for our justification Who was sayth he speaking of Christ delivered viz. unto death for our sins and was raised again for our justification Rom 4. 25. meaning that he was raised again from the dead including in his Resurrection by a kind of Synecdoche the great Glory and Dignity given him by God upon it that hereby a rationall way might be made for sinners to believe in him or in God for the Gospel indifferently useth the one expression and the other to the same effect in order to their justification Whilst the Surety o● he that hath undertaken the payment of a Debt is kept in Prison there is no likelyhood that the debt is payd or the Creditor satisfied And upon this ground the Apostle Paul reasoneth first thus But if Christ be not risen then is our Preaching vain and your Faith is also vain 1 Cor. 15. 14. And again vers. 17. And if Christ be not raised your Faith is vain yee are yet in your sins

sins is to be had yet it legitimates or authorizeth the person for the reception of this blessed Accommodation from the hand of Faith And for this reason also it may well be conceived to have the promise of Justification or Remission of sins made unto it as well as Faith it self Sect. 13 13. That good works have their part also in the great businesse of Justification is the expresse affirmation of the Scripture Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by Faith only Jam. 2. 24. Again Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar Jam. 2. 21. We have already upon occasion argued and shewed the Interest of Works in or about Justification Peruse 11. We shall here partly adde and partly repeat 1. That that Justification which consists in Remission of sins and which enstates a person in a right of title and claim to Eternal Life is not attained but by sinners being brought into Communion with Christ in his Death or which is the same into part and fellowship in this Death which is the only procuring cause of this Justification by way of purchase 2. That whatsoever bringeth men hither I mean into Communion of or with the Death of Christ must be sealed and authorized by God hereunto 3. That a true and unfaigned Faith in God through Jesus Christ sometimes called Faith in Christ yea and several other wayes expressed as hath been already observed and this Faith only not any work or works of what kinde soever or in what number soever injoyned in the Moral Law hath a commission or power from God to bring men into or to give men part and fellowship in the Death of Christ Therefore Good works have thus farre no part or interest at all in Justification as it standeth in Remission of sins being excluded here-from by the same Law by which Boasting also is excluded which the Apostle termeth the Law of Faith Where is Boasting then It is excluded By what Law Of Works Nay but BY THE LAW OF FAITH Rom 3. 27. By this Law Faith hath the office or work of justifying men in this sense and with this kinde of Justification setled upon and confirmed unto it self alone There is another kinde of Justification which the Scripture also frequently speaks of under this name as was noted 11. which consists in the approbation commendation or vindication of a person from guilt or blame whether justly or unjustly imputed unto him Of this kinde of Justification when it is duely and justly given or pronounced Good Works in one kinde or other and for the most part those of the Moral Law have a special and particular interest in it being the only regular ground upon which the act or sentence of such a Justification can or ought to proceed And though God by means of his appropriate priviledge of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or knowing the heart can and doth upon a sufficient ground secretly and in himself approve of him who as yet only believeth I mean with a true and unfeigned Faith and before he hath any wayes justified or commended this his Faith by good works yet he is not wont to signifie or declare by one means or other this his approbation of any particular person untill he hath shewed the World his Faith by his Works Nor doth he require of any man to judge of any other person as a man justified in his sight by a true and unfaigned Faith who hath not given either unto him or unto some others from whom he may receive the information a fair and reasonable account by works suteable of such a Faith residing in him And questionlesse it was this kinde of Justification of which the Apostle James discourseth so largely in his Second Chapter as appeareth all along the Context from vers 14. to the end Therefore when he demands vers 21. Was not our Father Abraham justified by works when he had offered his Son Isaac upon the Altar Evident it is that by Abrahams being justified he doth not mean that Abraham had his sins pardoned for he had been thus justified long before And besides his offering up his Son Isaac upon the Altar could be no means of obtaining Remission of sins from God But when he is said to have been justified by works when he had offered c. the meaning is that upon this great testimony given by Abraham of the truth and effectualnesse of his Faith God highly approved of him loved him and dealt by him as by a person righteous and just and called him his Friend The tenour of the story in Genesis fully accordeth herewith For immediately upon Abrahams stretching forth his hand and taking the knife to slay his Son the Angel of the Lord called unto him ●ut of Heaven and sayd Lay not thine hand upon the Lad neither do thou any thing unto him for now I know that thou fearest God seeing that thou hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son from me Gen. 22. 11 12. A second time also the Angel upon this offering up of his Son called unto him out of Heaven and sayd By my self have I sworn saith the Lord for because thou hast done this thing and hast not with-held thy Son thine only S●n That in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy Seed as the Stars of the Heaven and as the Sand which is upon the Sea shore and thy Seed shall possess the Gate of his Enemies And in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my Voyce Gen. 22. 15. 16 17 18. In these passages is that justification of Abraham expressed and contained whereof the Apostle James speaketh affirming him to have obtained it at the hand of God by Works as well as by his Faith which he sayth wrought together with them meaning towards the procuring or obtaining of this justification or approbation from God and was by them perfected or made perfect i. Was declared to be perfect that is sound and good or else was perfected {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. Became effectuall to the obtaining of its proper end Viz. The approbation and love of God with favourable and friendly respects from him which is the perfection Viz. Arguitivè or Argumentatively of any thing As on the contrary when any thing pretending to be a means for the compassing of such or such an end proves yet unable to effect it this argueth though haply not alwayes demonstratively the imperfection or weakness of it In much a like sense to that wherein Abraham as we have heard is sayd to have been justified by works is Rahab the Harlot also i. Who formerly had been an Harlot sayd to have been justified v. 25. The meaning is that upon Rahab's Demonstration of the reality and truth of her Faith in exposing her life to danger by entertaining and hiding the Spies sent

himself or make himself rich yea somewhat more properly then when it is said that the hand of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 10. 4. In like manner when a man doth that upon which or by means wherof he shall certainly be justified this fruit or reward of his Action his justification may without the violation of any Rule either of Grammar or of Rhetorick be ascribed unto him Hence it follows God having by a perpetuall and inviolable Decree setled the great benefit and priviledge of justification upon believing that when soever any person man or woman shall life up his heart hereunto I mean to believe by this Action he may be said to justifie himself not indeed after any such manner or upon any such terms as God is said to justifie men upon their believing as viz. Authoritatively or as having a soveraign right to justifie whom or upon what terms he pleaseth or the like but in such a way or sense only wherein a person may be said to do that which upon his Action is done unto him by another Of this Construction or Dialect there are instances more then a few in the Scriptures It may be here demanded but is it meet or tolerable to say that a man when he believeth imputeth righteousness unto himself or forgiveth himself his sins and yet both these are done unto him by another viz. God upon his believing yea these are as hath in effect been formerly sayd but interpretative expressions of justification it self And therefore it seems that whosoever may in any sense be said to justifie may in the same sense be said to do both the one and the other of these and this in reference to any or all of these persons whom they are sayd to justifie To this I answer 1. That the Expressions put to the Question in this Demand are indeed uncouth and harsh grating upon eares that have any competent tast of Words Nor do I judge them fitting to be applied to or spoken of him that believeth But 2. When a man is said by believing to justifie himself the meaning is not that he absolveth himself from his sins or pronounceth a Sentence of absolution over himself or that he imputeth righteousness unto himself or the like but only that he levieth puts forth or performs such an Act whereby he prevaileth with God according to his gracious Covenant and promise to justifie him and therein to do all these things to him or for him As when a man is said to save himself which as we heard is the Apostles own expression the meaning is not either that by a strong hand or by any physicall power he over-matcheth the Devill and keeps himself out of his Clutches and from being carried or thrust by him into Hell or that he invests himself with the state of blessedness and glory which is signified and meant by Salvation but that he takes such a course as viz. By believing and persevering in it unto the end whereby he shall find favour in the sight of God to do these things for him Now to say a man by believing takes an effectuall and direct course to prevail with God to forgive him his sins to impute righteousness unto him c. are as proper and convenient expressions as to say that he prevails with him to justifie him yet 3. and lasty It may be considered that one and the same thing may admit of severall considerations and different respects and in and under some one of these considerations and respects may admit of some attributions of which it is not so regularly or smoothly capable under another As for instance Salvation or the saving of the Soul is one and the same act yet it may be considered either as it is procurable at the hand of God by men as viz. by Faith and continuance in well-doing or as it is a rescuing or vindication of men by strength of Arm from the power of the Devill or as it is an actuall instating in or putting men into a reall possession of that blessedness and glory which God hath assigned by promise unto his Saints and those that shall be saved Now in either of these two latter considerations it is not ascribable unto men but in the first of the three as we have heard it is In like manner the act of justifying is one and the same act yet it admits of sundry considerations 1. It may be considered either as an act of God imputing righteousness unto men or as an act of his forgiving men all their sins or as an act of Grace and high favour purchased at his hand by Christ for men or lastly As an act attainable from God by men for themselves by performing of such conditions or terms upon and according unto which he hath covenanted and promised the vouchsafement of it The former considerations of the act we speak of are of that nature and import that in respect of none of them it is attributable unto men they all importing such things which are above the Line of men But in the consideration last mentioned it may in very passable and convenient Language be attributed unto men who believe in reference to themselves Nor need it be offensive unto any man to hear it said that men who believe in that sense justifie themselves There are two other Causes of Justification yet remaining not mentioned in the Title Page amongst those that have been insisted on Viz. The Materiall and the Finall of these in few words Concerning the materiall Cause of Justification Sect. 18 they who make it to be either Christ himself or the Righteousness of Christ either active or passive or both express themselves very unproperly and confound two Causes alwaies distinct and contradistinguished Viz. The efficient and the materiall the former being alwaies extrinsecall the latter intrinsecall to the effect or thing caused by them in conjunction with the other two Causes And besides in so notioning the matter or material Cause of Justification they decline the ordinary Rule by which men who love exactness and propriety as well in conceiving as in speaking are wont to walk in both in Cases of like nature and import For whereas no Action as no Accident besides hath any matter or materiall Cause properly so called yet being an effect or somewhat that is caused there must be some Vice-matter or somewhat answering the nature or consideration of such a materiall Cause found in it or relating to it Now that which relateth unto an Action with greatest Affinity unto matter or to a materiall Cause properly so called is Subjectum recipiens or Circa quod as Logicians speak that is the Subject receiving the Action or the Object upon which the Action is acted According to this notion the believing or repentant sinner or which is the same the person justified or to be justified is the materiall Cause of Justification Such a person exhibits or presents as it were unto God matter duly fitted and