they bid their owne workes of the Law adiew and do no more dreame of iustification by them Secondly that GOD for the cure of their weak consciences tells them in the Gospell that if they beleeve in Christ this beleeving shall bee as good as a perfect compleat righteousnesse by this hee would make GOD a pure Socinian one who takes the Crowne from Christ and the righteousnes from GOD and man and sets it on the head of mans Faith which in the best beleevers and even in Abraham himselfe was mingled with much doubting and many infirmities In a word though all Orthodox Divines doe according to the Scriptures acknowledge that upon a mans beleeving truly in Christ GOD doth impute to him the perfect and compleat righteousnes of Christ which is made his before he can truly apply it by Faith Yet it can never enter into the heart of a true Christian but his soule will abhorre to thinke that any mans beleeving should bee to him as good as perfect compleat righteousnes or that GOD should accept it in stead of perfect righteousnesse and rather then the righteousnes of Christ GOD and man who is made unto us of GOD righteousnes 1 Cor. 1.30 and in whom we are found to have the righteousnes of GOD by faith Philip. 3.9 To conclude this passage let me adde this as a foule absurdity For if hee speake by experience that conscience leads men naturally to thinke that there can be no iustification without righteousnesse which is a perfect fulfilling of the Law Which I confesse my conscience and my reason tell mee and GODS word teacheth mee plainely Then what is become of his conscience who contrary to all truth and reason and the common conscience of all men will teach iustification without any true righteousnesse at all either of Christ or our owne and will crowne mans weak Faith with the Crown of righteousnesse which onely belongs to Christ and his perfect obedience Socinianisme SO that now the state and drift of the question is not either First whether Faith without an object or as separated from Christ bee imputed for righteousnesse for such a Faith doubtles in the point of justification was never dreamt of by any man that kept his 〈◊〉 company men may as well fancy a living man without a soulâ— or a wise man without his witts as a Faith without an object much lesse was such a Faith conceived by any man to bee imputed for righteousnesse Christianisme IN the fourth part or passage he first propounds five foolish quaeres which he denieth to concerne the state of the question Secondly he propounds a sixt quaere and that in plaine and precise termes hee affirmes I will first particularly answere the 5. quaeres and after lay downe the â—iâ—t at large and addresse my selfe to the confutation of his discourse upon it And first whereas he pronounceth him a mad man who dreames of faith without Christ the object or thinks that faith which believes not in Christ should be imputed for righteousnesse Here I must be bold to put him in mind that thus he dreames in the next Chapter where he boldly affirmes and by divers arguments laboureth to prove that the Faith of Abraham which was imputed to him for righteousnes was not a beleeving in Christ neither was Christ and his righteousnes the object of it And therefore by his owne confession and his owne wordes hee doth there play the mad man and keepes not his wits company but his fancy runs wild while he strives to prove that Abrahams Faith imputed to him for righteousnesse was not a beleeving in Christ. The second Quaere NEither is it any part of the intent of the question to enquire whether Faith bee the meritorious cause of a mans justification For both they that affirme and they that deny the imputation of Faith for righteousnes deny the meritoriousnes of Faith every way how ever it is true that they thaâ— would seeme most to disclaime it and cast it further from them doe yet in some of their most beloved tenets draw very neare unto it as will afterwards appeare Answer HEre behold either grosse ignorance or wilfull lying against knowledge and conscience For all the learned know that Faith and beleeving are held by the Church of Rome to be a principall part of mans righteousnesse and workes which GOD imputes and accounts meritorious of justification and of eternall life ex condigno Yea he himselfe in the passage next before hath plainely affirmed that Faith to him that beleeveth as Abraham did is as good as perfect and compleat righteousnes which if it be true then Faith must needs be as perfect and compleat righteousnesse is the meritorious cause of justification And therefore that which he here saith is verified in himselfe though he would seeme most to disclaime the merit of Faith and to cast it furthest from him yet in some of his most beloved tenets hee drawes very neare to it yea hee embraceth it with his heart in his whole discourse the maine drift whereof is to exalt Faith into the place of Christs most meritorious righteousnesse and to put the Crowne upon it For what can be imagined more meritorious of justification then that which GOD in a proper sense judgeth and counteth for righteousnes and for which he doth justifie men and counts them righteous The third Quaere NEither is it the question whether faith be the formall cause of justification that is whether GOD doth justifie a man with his faith as a Painter makes a wall white with whitenes or as a Master makes his Scholler learned with knowledge or learning conveyed into him for both parties make the forme of justification to be somewhat really different from Faith which is the genuine tenet of Arminius Answer THis quere is very ridiculous for to imagine a quality or act in man to be the formall cause of justification which is GODS act is the fancy of a distempered braine and the conceit of a mad man His exposition of his quaere shews his want of Logicall skill For the whitenesse wherewith the Painter makes a wall white is a forme introduced into the wall it is not the formall cause of his action of painting and so learning produced in a scholler is forma docti the forme of a Scholler as hee is made learned not the formall cause of his masters teaching surely his expounding of his quaere by such dissonant similitudes sheweth that hee had need of a Master to teach him some better knowledg and learning and to set on him some better stamp and superscription of rationall authority His phrase of learning conveyed is somewhat improper for learning is not conveyed into a Scholer but produced and begotten in him Let him not therefore condemne tropes of speech seeing he himselfe can and doth often speak tropically and improperly But to come home to his quaere If by justification hee meanes imputative justification in which GOD justifies a man by imputing
righteousnesse to him and man is justified by believing that GOD counts him righteous in Christ then wee deny not that faith in some respect is the formall cause of justification For in this justification taken passively as it is mans receiving by faith that which GOD imputes to him that is as it is a mans believing that God reckons him among the righteous and counts him to be in the state of a justified person so his actuall faith and believing is the forme of his justification But take Justification according to his owne opinion for GODS imputeing faith in a proper sense for righteousnesse Then is faith that somewhat by which a man stands in the state of a person Justified before GOD even his formall righteousnesse or that at least which is in stead of formall righteousnes Thus he is every way taken and entangled in his owne words Lastly what that is which hee saith is the genuine tenet of Arminius hee doth not expresse whether it be that faith is really different or not different from the forme of Justification for his words are included in a parenthesis which might very well be left out onely this I know that Arminius professeth this to be his genuine tenet That faith is imputed to the beleever for righteousnes sensu proprio non mâ—tonymico in a proper sense without a trope In Epist. ad Hippolitum de Collibus If elsewhere hee alters his tenet and writes otherwise It is but the common disease the vertigo and giddinesse of the Socinian faction to doe as here their fellow disciple doth in this his hovering and wavering discourse that is to say and gainesay affirme and deny the same things through the inconstancy of their windy braines and mindes unsetled The 4 Quaere NOr yet doth the question make any quaere at all whether Christ be the sole meritorious cause of justification of a sinner for both they that goe on the right hand of the question and they that goe on the left hand are knit together in the same mind and iudgment concerning this Answere WHosoever denyeth such a Spirituall union communion between Christ and the penitent and believing sinner iustified as doth make Christs righteousnesse and satisfaction to become his ransome and righteousnesse and to be imputed by GOD to him and to make him accepted by GOD as one cleane from the guilt of sinne and righteous in his sight This man denyeth Christ to be the meritorious cause of the Justification of a sinner For till Christ with his satisfaction be communicated and appropriated to the faithfull yea till his righteousnes be so made theirs and set on their skore that they have a right and interest in it Christ is no more meritorious of Justification to them then hee is to Infidels and reprobates for it is as impossible for Christ to be actually meritorious of Justification to any man who hath not an interest in him as for one mans money to ransom another who is a captive upon whose skore it was never set noâ— so much interest therein given to him that it is paid for him and accounted for his ransome 5 Quaere NEither doth the question as it is here propounded intâ—nd any dispute at all whether the active obedience of Christ falling in with the passive and considered in coniunction with it be that whereby Christ merited the Justification of sinners or that which GOD hath a principall respect and recourse unto in the Justification of sinners for this also is acknowledged on both sides at least by the greater partie of both Answere BVt while he denyes GODS communicating and imputeing Christs whole obedience hee denies the merit of them in our Justification and when hee affirmes that faith and not Christs righteousnesse is the thing imputed for righteousnesse to iustification he denies Christs obedience active and passive to be that which GOD hath a principall respect and recourse unto in the iustification of sinners and therefore here he contradicts himselfe and saith untruely that all sides hold the merit of Christs whole obedience when in his Doctrine he utterly overthrowes it The 6 Quaere which he alloweth and affirmeth BUt lastly the question in plaine tearmes is this whether the faith of him that truly beleeves in Christ or whether the righteousnesse of Christ himselfe that is that obedience that Christ performed to the morall Law consisting of all those severall and particular acts of righteousnesse wherein he obeyed in the letter and propriety of it bee that which GOD imputes to a beleever for righteousnesse in his justification so that he that beleeves is not righteous onely by account or by GODS gracious reputing and accepting of him for such but is rigidly literally and peremptorily righteous constituted and made as perfectly and compleatly and legally righteous as Christ himselfe no difference at all betweene them quoad veritatem but onely quoad modum the justified every whit as righteous as the iustifier both righteous with the selfesame individuall righteousnes onely this difference betweene one and the other the iustified weares iâ— as put upon him by another by imputation the iustifier weares it as put upon him by himselfe or by inherency That the Scriptures no where countenance any such imputation of the righteousnes of Christ I trust the spirit of truth directing and assisting to make manifest in the sequele of this discourse and to give good measure of truth to the Reader heaped up by testimonies from the Scripture pressed downe by the weight of many arguments demonstrations running over with the cleare approbation of many Authors learned and sound and every way greater then exception Multa fidem promissa levant Answere TO this question laid downe in plaine and precise termes I answer First that to move this question except with purpose to discover and oppose Socinus and his followers who affirme it and stand for imputation of faith in a proper sense for righteousnes is not to be tolerated among true Christians but to dispute for that damned errour which takes the Crowne from the all-sufficient righteousnes of Christ and sets on the head of mans weake faith is most hereticall impudency as in my whole answere I shall prove aboundantly Secondly his absurd expounding of Justification by Christs righteousnes imputed and how in this question the righteousnes of Christ and the iustifying of men by it are to be understood is a notable point either of calumny in slandering our doctrine and reporting it corruptly or of subtilty that when his opinion is proved to be blasphemous hee may have some starting holes through which hee may shift away and make an escape pleading that hee mistooke our Doctrine of being righteous by Christs righteousnesse imputed and ignorantly did oppose it First no man standing for the imputation of Christs righteousnes doth affirme that every particular act of Christ which hee performed was necessary to make up a perfect and sufficient righteousnes but that his righteousnesse containes in it all his acts
which he beleeved to wit Christ promised for righteousnes and salvation was that which by GOD was upon Abrahams beleeving counted to him for righteousnes It was not his faith simply considered in it selfe but his faith embracing Christ promised and possessing him with his righteousnes and satisfaction which was reckned to him for righteousnes and as to him so to every one that beleeveth his faith is counted to him for righteousnes For all true beleevers who by faith lay hold on Christ the promised seed of Abraham and beleeve GOD to be their shield and exceeding great reward in him they are by one spirit baptised into one spirituall body with Christ united to him their spirituall head and made his lively members and sensible partakers of his perfect obedience righteousnes and full satisfaction for redemption remission of sinnes justification and perfect salvation and need not any more to seeke the reward of blessednes by the righteousnes of their owne workes performed according to the tenour of the Law by every man in his owne person but in the LORD Iesus Christ who is Iehovah Zid-kenu the LORD our righteousnes Ier. 23.6 and the end and fulfilling of the Law for righteousnes to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10.4 they have perfect righteousnes And in him GOD is become their reward and the lot and portion of their inheritance Psal. 16.5 And that gracious and free favour which GOD shewed to Abraham when hee beleeved in Christ promised and firmely without staggering applyed to himselfe the blessing promised being fully perswaded that GOD who of his free grace promised was by his power able to performe though by the course of nature and by reason of the deadnesse of Sara's wombe he himselfe seemed to bee and indeed was uncapable of that blessing The same hee will shew to all true beleevers who are Abrahams faithfull seed and children of promise that is as hee reckoned Abrahams faith for righteousnes so hee will count their faith to them for righteousnes that is he will accept and account them for righteous persons as indeed they are not for any workes of their owne nor by any righteousnesse performed according to the letter of the law in their owne persons but by the righteousnes which is through the faith of Christ and is called the righteousnes of faith because it is the righteousnes of Christ GOD and man given to them of GOD and of them apprehended and applyed by faith For being thus justified by faith and having communion with Christ of his full satisfaction and righteousnes GOD whose judgement is according to truth doth certainely judge and count them as truly they are righteous in his sight becomes in Christ their shield and exceeding great reward This is the Orthodox exposition of the Apostles wordes in this Chapter generally received by all both ancient and moderne Divines famous for learning and godlinesse The corrupt and hereticall exposition of the Apostles words made by Socinus and maintained by his followers the Arminians and other fanaticall Sectaries THey of the Socinian faction doe generally hold and obstinately affirme that Abrahams beleeving and his faith taken in a proper literall sense without any trope is here said by the Apostle to be counted to Abraham for righteousnes in stead of all righteousnes which either Abraham himselfe was by the Law bound to performe in his owne person or any surety could performe for him And in like manner to every one that beleeveth his faith is in a proper sense said to bee counted for righteousnes even his faith by it selfe and not the righteousnes of Christ with it This is their exposition And upon these wordes of the Apostle thus falsly and corruptly interpreted they build all their hereticall opinions and doctrines concerning justification of the faithfull before GOD namely these following First that faith as it is in every beleever even as it is inherent in him and is his owne faith and beleeving is the onely thing which GOD of his grace and mercy and out of his absolute soveraigne power and dominion is pleased to ordaine appoint and account for all the righteousnes which a man shall have for his justification though in truth and according to Law and the rule of justice it is not righteousnes being weak oftentimes and full of imperfections Secondly that the Spirit of GOD in these wordes of the Apostle did not intend or meane any communion of the righteousnes and perfect obedience performed by Christ to the Law as our surety and in our stead nor imputation of that righteousnes to every true beleever for justification nor GODS accepting of the faithfull for righteous by that righteousnes communicated to them and of them applyed possessed and enjoyed by faith By faith and believing they do not understand that applying faith which is a gift and worke of GODS Spirit in the elect regenerate and sanctified by which they do believe and are perswaded that they are in Christ and Christ is their head and they as lively members of his mysticall body have communion of all his benefits even of his full satisfaction and perfect righteousnes for justification and full remission of all their sinnes But by faith and believing they understand onely a confidence in GOD that hee will performe his promises made in Christ and an assent unto his word that it is true The tenour of which word and promises they conceive to be this That Christ in his pure unspotted humane nature hath by his righteousnesse suffering and obedience unto death meritted such high favour with GOD that GOD in honour to him is pleased to accept and account the faith of them that believe in him and rest on him for their Saviour for perfect righteousnesse and requires no other righteousnesse to constitute and make them in any sort formally righteous in their justification When they acknowledge that the perfect righteousnesse and satisfaction of Christ is the meritorious cause of our justification they do not meane that they are communicated to us and so apprehended and possessed of us by faith that we are thereby indeed and in GODS account righteous before GOD and justified or that they deserve and are worthy that GOD should so account us for them But their mind and meaning is that Christ by his righteousnesse hath merited that GOD for his sake and in favour to him should account faith to us for righteousnesse without either our owne workes of the Law or Christs righteousnesse imputed to us and made ours by communion And when they say that faith is imputed for righteousnes as an instrument they doe not meane as the instrument or spirituall hand applying Christ his righteousnes to bee after a sort the formall righteousnesse of the believer but that faith as it is the instrument by which the believer doth believe that Christ hath purchased this favour that his believing should be the only thing accounted to him for righteousnes so onely and no other way GOD reckons to him
5 Argument FIftly the faith imputed to Abraham ver 3. is that faith wherein he is said not to be weak ver 19. and is opposed to doubting of the promise of God through unbeliefe ver 20. But the righteousnes of Christ cannot be conceived to be that wherein Abraham was not weak neither doth the righteousnes of Christ carry in it any opposition to doubting of the promise through unbeliefe being a thing of a differing kind and nature from it But betweene faith properly taken or a firme beleeving and doubting through unbeliefe there is a direct and perfect opposition And therefore it is faith in this sence and not the righteousnes of Christ which is said to bee imputed for righteousnesse Answer I Answer that though Christs righteousnesse bee a thing different from the beleevers faith yet when the beleever by a strong faith and without doubting possesseth Christ and his faith doth spiritually comprehend in it Christs righteousnesse then GOD counts it to him for righteousnes that is judgeth him a righteous man by communion of Christs righteousnesse but doth not iudge his faith and Christs righteousnes to be one the same very thing This argument is not to the matter It may bee turned against himselfe thus The more strong a man is in faith and farre from doubting of the promise through unbeliefe the more firmely he is united to Christ and the more full communion hee hath of Christs righteousnesse and with more reason may hee being so faithfull be counted righteous and Christs righteousnes under the name of faith be imputed to him This was Abrahams case he was strong in faith and doubted not and therefore having firme union with Christ and communion of all his benefits GOD justly imputed faith to him for righteousnesse and counted him so beleeving iustified and righteous by Christs righteousnesse and so in like case GOD will deale with other beleevers The sixt Argument SIxtly that faith which was imputed to Abraham was that by which he was assured that he who had promised was able also to doe it verse 21. and 22. But the righteousnesse of Christ is not capable of any such description as this that by it Abraham was fully assured c. Therefore it is not that which was imputed to Abraham Answer I Answer to this as to the former It is not to the matter untill he first prove that the name of one thing may not bee used by a Metonymie to expresse another except these two things be both one the same thing we wil deride such foolish arguments Though Christs righteousnesse be not one and the same thing with faith yet the more it doth assure us of the performance of GODS promise in Christ the more closely it comprehends Christs righteousnes and the more iust cause there is that under the name of faith Christs righteousnesse should be imputed by a Metonymie The seventh Argument SEventhly that which shall be imputed unto us for righteousnesse is said to be our beleeving in him that raised up Christ from the dead verse 24. But the righteousnesse of Christ is not our beleeving on him that raised Christ from the dead therefore it cannot be that that is said to bee imputed for righteousnesse unto us Answer THere is no faith under the name whereof Christs righteousnesse may so fitly bee expressed as that which is a beleeving on him who raised up Christ from the dead for we cannot truely beleeve GODS raising of Christ from death but withall wee must beleeve that GODS justice is by him our surety fully satisfied and his Law fulfilled in our behalfe and we being partakers thereof and enjoying it by faith GOD may justly impute this faith to us for righteousnesse Thus his arguments being all from his matter are easily turned upon himselfe 8 Argument EIghtly whereas the question or point of imputation in justification is handled onely in this passage of Scripture for those other places Gal. 3. and Iames 2. onely mention it but insist not at all upon any declaration or explication thereof it is no wayes probable but that the Apostle should speake somewhat distinctly and plainely of the nature of it otherwise hee might seeme rather to lay a stumbling block in our way then to have written any thing for our learning and comfort If wee take the word faith or beleeving so often used in this Chapter in the proper and plaine signification of it for that faith whereby a man beleeves in Christ then the tenour of the discourse is as cleere and full as may be the streame of the whole Chapter runnes limpid and untroubled but if wee bring in a tropicall and metonymicall signification and by faith will compell Paul to meane the righteousnesse of Christ we cloath the Sun with sackcloath and turne Pauls perspicuity into a greater obscurity then any light in the Scripture knoweth how to comfort or to relieve The word faith being a terme frequently used in Scripture is yet never found to signifie the righteousnesse of Christ the holy Ghost never putting this sword into that sheath neither is there any rule of Grammar or figure in Rethorick that knowes how to salve up the inconsistence of such an interpretation Answer THis argument is no more but his owne bare affirmation that it is probable the Apostle in this place where he handles the point of imputation would speak plainly and it is more plaine to speak of faith imputed in a proper sense the tropicall and metonymicall sense or interpretation brought in is a compelling of Paul to meane by faith the righteousnesse of Christ and thereby we cloath the sun with sackcloath in which multiplicity of words wee finde much vanity As for imputation in justification it is not the maine and principall point which the Apostle insists upon the maine and principall points of justification are in the 3. and 5. Chapter handled plainely and in the 8 9 and 10. Chapters where he plainely teacheth that the righteousnes by which wee are constituted and made righteous before GOD is Christs obedience and fulfilling of the Law The imputation of faith comes in onely by the way being occasioned by that testimony of Moses concerning Abraham which the Apostle brings to prove that iustification is not by our owne performance or workes of the Law but by a righteousnes which GOD gives even the fulfilling of the Law by Christ for our redemption which wee receive and enioy by faith so certainely that if we bee faithfull beleevers in Christ then are wee righteous euen in GODS account for true faith cannot be nor subsist in any who hath not communion of Christs righteousnesse This to all iudicious men is more plaine and limpid and cleere then to take faith in a proper sense and to set on it the Crowne of Christs righteousnesse especially seeing the Apostle in the 6. and 11. verses sheweth that the thing properly imputed is righteousnesse and therefore not faith which cannot properly be called or counted righteousnes yea he
fulfilling of the Law for our sakes Ibid. Artic 3. And concerning faith they teach that in justification before God it trusteth neither in contrition nor love nor any other vertues but in Christ alone it is the onely meane and instrument which receives the free grace of GOD the merit of Christ and remission of sinnes and resteth on Christs most perfect obedience by which hee fulfilled the Law for us which obedience is imputed to beleevers for righteousnes Ibid Artic. 3. Calvin is so zealous and so plaine and perspicuous in teaching and maintaining the doctrine of justification by the communion and imputation of Christs perfect obedience to the Law even his full satisfaction and righteousnes that among Christians who read Calvins institutions one would think the very Father of lyers the Divel himselfe should if not blush and be ashamed yet in policy and subtilty be afraid to call Calvin for a witnes on his side in this point least the most simple should see and discerne him for an open lyer and forger and abhorre and hisse him out with derision The Doctrine of Calvin concerning justification I will lay downe in certaine Articles gathered from his owne writings especially his Institutions Lib. 3. cap. 11. and 12. First hee affirmes in plaine wordes that justification consists in remission of sinnes and the imputation of Christs righteousnes cap 11. ss 2. As for the word remission of sinnes hee useth it two wayes somtimes in a large sense for that act of GOD by which he doth communicate and impute the full satisfaction of Christ unto his elect and faithfull so that the whole guilt of all sinnes both of commission and omission is thereby taken away and they are no more accounted nor appeare in his sight as sinners In this sense he calls remission of sinnes in his comment on Rom. totum justificationis and in his Instit. 3. cap. 11. sect 4 totam justificationem For indeed when the guilt of all sinnes of omission and commission are taken away by that part of Christs satisfaction imputed which is called his passive obedience or voluntary suffering of the penalties of the Law and the defects which come in by the sinnes of omission supplied by his active obedience in fulfilling the righteousnes which the Law requires which is the other part of Christs satisfaction imputed so that now the elect are reputed and esteemed as righteous men who have the defects which came by omission supplied and have no more the sinnes of commission or omission imputed the guilt being taken away this is perfect and whole justification and is very fitly called by the name of remission to distinguish it from justification by our own workes and by our owne inherent righteousnes But sometimes hee useth this word remission in a more strict sense for that part of GODS act of communicating and imputing Christs satisfaction which respects the passive obedience of Christ which takes away the guilt of sinnes committed but doth not supply the omission of righteousnesse and in this sense he makes remission of sinnes but a part of justification And GODS imputing of the active part of Christs satisfaction and counting the faithfull righteous by it imputed hee makes the other part of iustification in the wordes before cited Lib. 3. cap. 11. ss 2. Secondly he constantly teacheth and affirmeth that there is no righteousnesse by which a man can stand before GODS tribunall and bee accepted for righteous in his sight but onely the full satisfaction of Iesus Christ and his perfect righteousnesse which he GOD and man performed in our nature For that which is not intire and absolute and without all staine and spot of sinne such as never hath beene nor shall bee found in any meere man can never be accepted of GOD but is with him sleighted and vilified beyond all measure And whosoever prate of any righteousnes in mens owne workes or doings they have no true thought nor least sense of the justice of GOD but make a mock of it Instit. lib. 3. cap. 12. ss 1.3 and 11.16 Thirdly he affirmeth that man is justified by faith when hee is excluded from the righteousnesse of workes and by faith layeth hold on the righteousnesse of Christ with which hee being cloathed doth appeare in the sight of GOD not as a sinner but as a righteous man Instit. 3. cap. 11. ss 1. And the same chap. ss 11. This is that admirable way of justifying that being covered with Christs righteousnesse men doe not feare the iudgement of which they are worthy and while they deservedly condemne themselves they are reputed righteous without themselves Fourthly concerning the office of faith in iustification he teacheth that faith being in it selfe weake imperfect and of no dignity worth price or value is never able to iustifie us by it selfe but by bringing Christ unto us who is given to us of GOD for righteousnesse it is not our righteousnesse but it makes us come with the mouth of the soule wide opened that we may bee capable of Christ. And it is as a vessell or pot for as the pot full of money enricheth a man so faith filled with Christ and his righteousnes is said to iustifie us and to bee counted for righteousnesse It is a foolish thing to mingle our faith which is onely the instrument of receiving righteousnesse with Christ who is the materiall cause and both the Author and minister of this great benefit cap 11. ss 7. And againe ss 17. Faith is hereupon said to iustifie because it receiveth and embraceth righteousnesse offered in the Gospell Fiftly hee affirmeth that the righteousnesse by which beleevers are iustified and stand righteous before GOD is not in themselves but in Christ even his perfect obedience and righteousnesse communicated to them by imputation ss 23. Lastly hee sheweth how this righteousnesse comes to bee the righteousnesse of beleevers and to bee so communicated to them that GOD doth justly impute it to them for justification and accepteth it as if it were their owne to wit by meanes of their spirituall union and conjunction with Christ by which they are made partakers of Christ and with him and in him possesse al his riches Sect. 10.20.23 This is the summe of Calvins Doctrine concerning iustification briefly comprised and collected out of his wordes in the places before cited where the Reader may bee fully satisfied Beza in the doctrine of iustification by faith doth fully agree with Luther and Calvin in all the former articles First he saith that faith is not any such virtue as doth iustifie us in our selves before GOD for that is to set faith in the place of Christ who alone is our whole and perfect righteousnesse But faith iustifieth as it is the instrument which receiveth Christ and with him his righteousnesse that is most full perfection and we say that wee are iustified by faith onely because it embraceth Christ who doth iustifie us with whom it doth unite and couple us that wee may bee
receives either the inward testimony of the Spirit and is enlightned by GOD to see that he is in the state of righteousnesse absolved and iustified or by inward sense of his sanctification Faith and other graces proper to the righteous iustified is declared and made manifest to his owne conscience that he is justified and righteous and hath all his sinnes pardoned and is accepted of GOD for a righteous man This is that which wee are taught by Christ to pray for in that petition forgive us our debts or trespasses that is pacify and cleare our consciences by manifesting to us that we are justified and have remission of all our sinnes by thy free grace and by communion of Christs full satisfaction and thus wee are to understand the word wheresoever it is opposed to the accusations of Satan and the horrours and troubles of conscience as a remedie against them as Rom 8.33 Secondly it signifies declaring and proving men righteous in foro humano in the judgement and sight of men openly and that by outward fruites of Faith and externall workes of righteousnes and holinesse When GOD enableing us and moving us to doe such workes and bring forth such fruites as are by his word continually pronounced and proclaimed to be righteous and holy works and evidences of justification doth thus declare and prove us to be faithfull and righteous hee is said to justifie us before men In this sense the word is used Iob 13.18 where Iob saith that if hee may plead before GOD the integrity of his life he knoweth hee shall be justified as afterward he did cap. 31. and was thereby declared to be righteous and so justified And Iam. 2.21 where it is 〈◊〉 that Abraham was justified by workes that is declared to be a righteous man Thirdly it signifies judging and declaring men to bee persons justified and righteous in the universall judgement at the last day when the LORD Christ shall by the evidence of their workes of love and charity done to him in his members declare them to bee his faithfull servants and children of his Father justified by the communion of his righteousnes and in him worthie of eternall life and also adjudge them unto the inheritance of the kingdome of Glory In this sense the word is used Rom. 5.16.18 where it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justification of life and is opposed to the sentence of everlasting condemnation These are all the significations of the word iustifie recorded in the Scriptures And this great promiser here sheweth himselfe ignorant of them all and therefore how little satisfaction he hath given to any but such fooles as delight to fill themselves with huskes let the learned iudge Socinianisme THat Iesus Christ the naturall sonne of GOD and supernaturall sonne of the Virgin Marie ran a race of obedience with the Law as well Ceremoniall as Morall and held out with every letter iot and title of it as farre as it any wayes concerned him dureing the whole continuance of his life in the flesh no mans thoughts ever rose up to deny but those that denyed him the best of his being I meane his God-head which of you can convince mee of sinne was his chalenge to the nation of the Iewes whilst he was yet on earth Iohn 8.46 And remaines through all ages as a challenge to the whole World He that can cast the least aspersion of sinne upon Christ shall shake the foundation of the peace and safety of the Church That this Christ offered himself as a Lamb without spot in sacrifice upon the Crosse to make an atonement for the World and to purge the sinnes of it I know no spirit at this day abroad in the world that denyes but that which wrought in Socinus formerly and still workes in those that are baptized into the same spirit of errour with him I conceive it to bee a truth of greater authority amongst us then to meet with contradiction from any that Iesus Christ is the sole entire meritorious cause of every mans iustification that is iustified by GOD or that that righteousnesse or absolution from sinne and condemnation which is given to every man in his iustification is somewhat yea a principall part of that great purchase which Christ hath made for the world even as GOD for Christs sake freely forgave you Forgivenesse of sinnes or iustification is from GOD for Christs sake hee is worthie to be gratified or honoured by GOD with the iustification of those that beleeve in him It 's a truth which hath every mans iudgement concurrent with it that Faith is the condition appointed by GOD and required on mans part to bring him into communion and fellowship of that iustification and redemption which Christ hath purchased for the children of men and that without beleeving no man can have part or fellowship in that great and blessed businesse Christianisme IN this second part he doth promise foure severall propositions which hee conceives to bee out of question and undenyable By the first proposition hee makes a faire shew in words but his heart is farre removed and his meaning is wicked and so will appeare if we observe how hee in another place afterwards explaines himselfe First though hee seemes to acknowledge Christ to bee GOD yet he takes away the use of his being GOD as well as man in the worke of our redemption For if GOD by his supreme sovereigne power can dispense with the law of his iustice and instead of Christs full satisfaction made for us to the law and imputed to us and made ours can and doth accept our weake Faith for the perfect righteousnesse of the Law what use is there of Christs being GOD in our nature For all Orthodox Divines doe give this reason why it was necessary that Christ should be GOD in our nature viz. That his suffering and righteousnesse performed in our nature might be of value to iustifie all the sonnes of men who have communion of them and to whom they are imputed This communion and imputation while he denyeth hee takes away the use of Christs being GOD in our nature Secondly in affirming that Christ obeyed the whole Law in every letter jot and title he doth mock and delude his hearers and readers for he doth not hold that he fulfilled the Law onely for us but primarily for himselfe his words imply so much for he saith he obeyed the Law as far as concerned himselfe while he continued in the flesh and he dorh hereafter roundly affirme that Christ was bound to fulfill the Law for himselfe which is in effect a denying of his eternall God-head for if he be GOD infinite in glory and excellency his God-head must needes exempt the Manhood personally united to it from all bondage of the Law and make it worthy of glory at GODS right hand from the first assumption of it He continued in the flesh and obeyed the Law onely for us without all doubt as the Prophet foretold Esa. 9.6
saying To us a Child is borne and to us a Son is given Thirdly as he denies the satisfaction of Christ to be imputed to us so he denies the imputation of our sinnes to Christ and that very closely and cunningly under colour of that challenge which Christ made to the Iewes which of you can convince me of sinne For our Saviour speakes of sinne committed by himselfe and such aspersion none can say upon him But all our iniquities GOD laid upon him and he bare all our sinnes Esa. 53. And was made sinne for us 2 Cor. 5 21. and to cast this aspersion of all our sinnes on him is a sure foundation of the peace and safety of the Church In the second proposition hee doth most notoriously aequivocate and play the Hypocrite First in that he seemes to acknowledg the sacrifice of Christ to be an attonement and satisfaction for the world and a propitiatory sacrifice for the sinne of it Secondly in that he denyeth his Lord and Master Socinus and calles the Spirit which wrought in him a Spirit of error whereas indeed he himselfe is lead by the same Spirit and doth deny Christ to be the propitiatory sacrifice for our sinnes as far as Socinus ever did For in a propitiatory sacrifice offered to purge sinne and to make attonement there were three necessary requisits First the thing offered must be of his owne proper goods for whom it was offered so the Law required and therefore David durst not offer for his sinne that which was not his owne Purchased with his money 2. Sam. 24 24. Secondly the owner whose expiatory sacrifice it was did lay his hand upon the head of the Beast which was to be offered and thereby in a type imposed all his sinne and guilt upon it so that it became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his guilt Levit 5 6. and Exod. 30.10 and did beare upon it all his sins Lev. 16.22 Thirdly this sacrifice offered up by the Priest in that manner which GOD praescribed in the Law GOD accepted as a propitiation for him it was set on his skore and covered his sinne as the Hebrew words signifie Levit. 1.4 He who denies any one of these overthrowes the sacrifice of attonement Now this dissembler doth with Socinus deny all these things in Christs offering of himselfe a sacrifice of attonement to purge sinne First he denies the true reall Spirituall union betweene Christ and the persons pardoned and justified by which Christ and they are made one body and hee is their head and they his members For if he and the faithfull be one then all his goods are theirs and their debts are his and his satisfaction and righteousnesse is theirs and is set on their skore which he denyeth and altogether opposeth and so denyes their interest and propriety in Christ and their union with him as his Master Wotton did in expresse word In his Essayes of Justification Secondly he also denieth that the sinnes of the faithfull were layd on Christ and imputed to him and in this he chargeth GOD with notorious injustice who laid the punishments of all our sinnes on Christ without the sinnes For he saith that Christ bare the punishmeÌ„ts though hee had no share in our sinnes by any imputation Thirdly he denyeth that the sacrifice of Christs suffering and obedience offered up by him is imputed to us set on our skore and accepted for us And thus in the doctrine of Christs sanitisfaction and attonement he declares himselfe a true disciple of Socinus lead by the same spirit of error and of the same opinion though in words he denyes it And what he here seemes to grant is no more but what all Socinians yeeld unto In the third proposition viz. that Christ is the sole and entire miraculous cause of every mans justification c. Hee doth aequivocate and delude the simple and while hee deceives them hee is deceived himselfe as the Apostle saith of wicked seducers 2 Tim. 3 13. For if he doth understand his owne words that Christ is the sole meritorious cause of every mans justification that is justified by GOD he must needs grant that Christs satisfaction made to GODS justice and his perfect righteousnesse as it is meritorious and of great value in it selfe so it is appropriated communicated imputed to him that is it is made actually meritorious for him and makes him worthy to be counted righteous and to be iustified for his words signify so much though hee is in his purpose and meaning as contrary as darknesse is to light for he meanes no more but that Christ meritted for himselfe that GOD should gratifie and honour him with the justification of those that believe in him so hee explaines himselfe in the last words It is certaine that a thing may be merritorious in it selfe for the worth of it but it cannot be meritorious to any particular person till it be appropriated to him and set on his skore Wotton his Master this point being proved to his face with undeniable arguments was driven to disclaime the word merit denyed Christs meritting for the faithfull and rejected it as a thing not named in Scripture in his Essayes of Justification Besides this deceiving of himselfâ— and misconceiving of his owne words I find here much absurdity First in that he is wavering and not setled in his Iudgment for in many places he holds faith to be the righteousnesse of a man justified and here he calles absolvtion from sinne and condemnation the righteousnesse which is given to every man in his justification I grant that in a man iustified there is no righteousnesse inhaerent but his cleanenesse from guilt of all sinnes both of commission and omission and in this sense Calvin Luther and others say that all the righteousnesse in a man iustified is the remission of his sinnes that is his cleanenesse from the guilt of them but this is not the righteousnesse which iustifieth him and which is communicated to him to make him cleane and to worke this cleannesse from the guilt of his sin that is the righteousnesse inhaerent in Christ which makes him cleane and puts him in a stare of righteousnesse before GOD but this profound Doctor with that stamp and superscription of rationall authority which hee conceiveth to be set on him hath not yet searched into the deep things oâ— GOD. Secondly he is most absurd in imagining that Christ hath purchased favour and honour witâ— GOD that he might iustifie theâ—… that believe in him by Procuring that faith in a proper sense should be accepted for righteousnesse For Christ as he was GOD man was infinitely of himselfe in favour and honour with GOD and humbled himselfe onely for us and in our behalfe fulfilled the Law not to purchace honour and favour to himselfe nor to make himselfe worthy to be gratified and honored by GOD as hee affirmeth Thus wee see his absurdities and his deceiving of himselfe The fourth
their owne consciences by the inward testimony of his spirit and the inward sense and experience of inward grace and outwardly in this life before men and publiquely in the last judgements by their good workes which are evidences of their faith and of their union and communion with Iesus Christ and of their regeneration by his spirit and adoption unto GOD in him First GOD the father is the primary efficient cause of our justification Rom. 3.26.30 and 4.5 and 8.33 Secondly the inward moving cause is GODS owne free grace favour and love Rom. 3.24 Tit. 3.7 The outward moving or impulsive cause is Christs mediation Isa 53.11 Iohn 1â— 21 1 John 2.2 The instrumentall cause is Christ the mediatour communicating his whole obedience to us when by the spirit which GOD sheds on us through him wee are made one body with him 1 Cor. 12.13 Tit. 3.6 The meanes by which wee come to bee justified are either principall viz. the lively operation of the spirit spirituall union with Christ the pure and holy humanity of Christ or lesse principall the word and ministery thereof the Sacraments faith and the like as appeares Rom. 3.25.28 and 10.14 Gal. 3.8 Heb. 9.14 1 Iohn 1. â— Dan. 12.3 The materiall cause that is the righteousnesse it selfe by which they are justified that is made counted and declared to be righteous is Christs perfect righteousnes obedience and satisfaction which he GOD and man performed in our nature in the state of humiliation Rom. 3.24.25 Rom. 5.19 and 8.4 The formall cause of justification is that communion between Christ and us and that reciprocall imputation of our sinnes to Christ and of his righteousnes and full satisfaction to us which communion ariseth and floweth from the spirit which GOD sheds on us through Christ which spirit dwelling in us in some measure so as he dwelleth in the man Christ from whom hee is derived to us doth make us one spirituall body with Christ and works in us faith and all holy graces affections by which we adhere and cleave to Christ and apply and inioy his righteousnes so that it is our formall righteousnes not inherently but imputatively and by spirituall communion for it is that which doth constitute and make us righteous Rom. 5.17 18 19. and 8.4 and â—0 4 and 2 Cor. 5.21 The immediate fruit and benefit of our iustification is the state of righteousnes and of cleanenesse from the guilt of sinne and acceptation with GOD Rom. 3.25 and 4.2 also peace with GOD Rom. 5.1 The end and use of our iustification is the satisfaction and declaration of GODS iustice in that he iustifieth us by the full satisfaction of Christ and not otherwise neither by it till he communicates it to us and makes it ours Also the manifestation of his mercy free grace and bounty in that he would give his sonne to become man and to make satisfaction to the full when no other could bee found able to satisfie for us neither could his iustice by any other meanes be satisfied also in that hee would give us his spirit to unite us to his sonne and to bring us to a true communion of his righteousnes and to worke faith in us by which we receive and enioy Christ with all his benefits Rom. 3.24.26 Tit. 3.4 Ephes. 1.6.12 The contrary Doctrine of Socinus and his faction THough they grant that GOD is the chiefe efficient cause and his free grace mercy and love the inward moving cause yet they erre in the impulsive and instrumentall cause and make Christ and his righteousnes no otherwise meritorious but by procuring that GOD should count faith in a proper sense for righteousnes to them that beleeve neither any other way an instrument of iustification but by bringing faith to this honour to be accepted for or in stead of righteousnes Secondly they deny all causality of Christs righteousnes in justification except onely by way of efficiency whereas indeed and in truth it is the matter about which justification is exercised for what is justification but the communicating of that righteousnes to men and the imputing of it and declaring of them to be thereby righteous the very name of justification signifies so much and what is the forme of a justified man as he is righteous but righteousnes to imagine a righteous and justified man without righteousnes is as if one should dreame of a living man without life or soule Thirdly they deny the principall ground of justification to wit spirituall union and communion with Christ which cannot stand without imputation of Christs righteousnes for communion and union doe necessarily bring with them imputation If wee have communion of Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse GOD must needs judge and count them to be ours for his judgement is according to truth And faith which is an inferiour and subordinate meanes they set up in the place of Christs righteousnes Fourthly as they deny the materiall cause of iustification by reiecting Christs righteousnes from being the proper matter about which it is exercised so also the forme or formall cause even the mutuall communion and reciprocall imputation of our sinnes to Christ and Christs satisfaction and righteousnes to us whereby it is made our formall righteousnes not inherently but spiritually and imputatively for they acknowledge no formality but inherency Fiftly they deny the immediate fruit and benefit of justification to wit that state of righteousnes cleannesse from the guilt of sinne and acceptation with GOD wherein the justified are firmely established before GOD and stand in his sight which is the chiefe honour and prerogative of GODS Saints and their greatest comfort in all their afflictions and temptations Lastly they take away the true end and use of justification to wit the revelation of GODS infinite justice mercy bounty and free grace for they overthrow his infinite justice while they teach that GOD by his soveraign power puts his justice to silence and without Christs full satisfaction made to it for us and made ours by communion and imputation doth accept our weake faith in stead of it and makes himselfe as countable for it in all rewardes as hee would doe for the perfect fulfilling of the Law by our selves or by Christ in our stead They extenuate and vilifie GODS mercy bounty and free grace by setting up faith in stead of Christs perfect righteousnes and making it the condition of the new covenant For whatsoever is given or promised to us upon a condition to be on our part performed is not a gift of free grace and bounty And when justice may bee turned out of doores without a compleat satisfaction there is nothing left for mercy wherein to shew the power of it The infinite mercy of GOD doth appeare in this that when his infinite iustice required that wee should all be damned without a full satisfaction which none could make but the sonne of GOD in our nature and that performed for us and made ours Hee would give his onely sonne