As the Israeiltes were healed by beholding the Brazen Serpent so are we saved by believing in Christ Fox p. 1659. but the Looking up of it self did not procure Health to the Israelites but the Promise made in the Object which was the Brasen Serpent therefore in the same manner are we saved by our Faith and Spiritual looking upon the Body of Christ Crucified not that the Action in it self of Believing as it is a quality in Man doth so deserve but because it taketh that Dignity and Vertue from the Object Jesus Christ Augustine compares our Souls to Lanthorns that hath no Light in them of themselves till Christ shines there The latter Helvetian Confess saith c. 11. Because Faith doth apprehend Christ our Righteousness and doth attribute all to the praise of God in Christ in this respect Justification is attributed to Faith chiefly because of Christ whom it receiveth and not because it is a work of ours Belgia Artic. 22. We do justly say with St. Paul We are Justified by Faith without the Works of the Law yet to speak properly we do not mean that Faith by it self and of it self doth justifie us which is but only as an Instrument whereby we apprehend Christ who is our Justice But if we say it justifies Conditionally we must say it justifies of it self What was accounted to Abraham for Righteousness Zanch. on Phil. 3. not the Action by which but that which he did believe or Faith not in respect of it self apprehending but in respect of the Object apprehended Faith taken as a Quality doth not Justifie us c. Rivet Cathol Orthod Bellarm. l. 1. de Justific c. 17. Rhem. in Annot. Rom. 3. The Papists tell us That Faith doth not justifie as an Instrument in apprehending the Righteousness of Christ but as a proper and true cause it actually justifieth by the Dignity Worthiness and Meritorious Work thereof and say these words in Scripture justificari ex fidem per fide do betoken an Actual force and power in Faith to Justification and then saith the Jesuite Faith is a Work we are justified by Faith Ergo by a Work To this he adds That Faith is our Justice it self Ergo not the Apprehension only of Righteousness This he Builds on Rom. 4.5 They tell us That Faith justifies us per modum causae efficientis Meritoriae as a Proper Efficient and Meritorious Cause And Bellarmine tells us That if we could be perswaded that Faith doth justifie Impetrando promerendo suo modo inchoando Justificationem then we would never deny that Love Fear Hope and other Vertues did justifie as well as Faith Now to avoid the Absurditities they are forced upon by the Protestant Arguments they have two shifts 1. That this Merit is not from us but from God because Faith is the Gift of God's Grace and therefore though we be justified by Merit we are justified by Grace too and that it is of Grace that our Faith Merits 2. They say That Faith Merits Justification non ex condigno of the worthiness of it but de congruo of the fitness of it and this is that which our Neonomians say That it qualifies and disposeth us to Justification so that the justifying a Believer is the doing a thing that is fit and meet to be done the Person being disposed and qualified thereunto It 's sad that Protestants should now come to lick up the Papists Vomit and re-assert those gross Errours in Fundamental Truths that all our Orthodox and Famous Opposers of the Popish Heresie have refuted and decryed by one Consent But that this Errour might the better be swallowed by Protestants the subtle Enemy of Truth and Mankind forgeth it again gives it a good heat and brings it upon his Anvil polisheth it and makes it much more plausible to look upon The Arminians say Faith justifies sensu proprio the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere the very Act of believing is imputed to us for Righteousness being accepted of God and accounted to us as the whole Righteousness of the Law So we are justified by Faith in the sight of God not by its Merit for they ascribe all the Merit of Justification to Christ but only they ascribe to it a conditional subordinate Righteousness by vertue of the Ordination of God For Arminius saith Armin. in declar sentent ad ordines Holland Westfris Ipsa fides tanquam Actus juxta Evangelii Mandatum prestitus Imputatus coram Deo in sive ad Justitiam idque in gratia cumque non sit ipsamet justitia legis i. e. Faith it self as an Act performed according to the command of the Gospel is Imputed before God in or unto Righteousness and that in Grace when it is not the very Righteousness of the Law * J. Goodw. Treatise of Justif p. 22. I shall give the refined and sublimed Notion of this Arminian Doctrine from a Man of no small dexterity in pleading for it He saith That that which God precisely requires of Men to their Justification instead of the Works of the Law is Faith or to believe in the proper and formal signification he doth not require of us the Righteousness of Christ for our Justification this he required of Christ himself for it that which he requires of us for this purpose is our Faith in Christ himself not in the Righteousness of Christ i. e. in the Active Obedience of Christ if Paul had certified and said to Men That the Righteousness of Christ should be Imputed to Men for their Righteousness it had been quite beside his Scope which was plainly to make known the Counsel and Pleasure of God concerning that which was to be performed by themselves though not by their own strength for their Justification which he affirms from place to place to be nothing else but Faith or Believing To have said thus unto them That they must be justified by Christ or by Christ's Righteousness and withal not to have plainly signified what it is that God requires of them to give them part in Christ's Righteousness without which they could not be justified had been to cast a Snare upon them rather than open a Door of Life and Peace and hence proceeds to prove that Abraham's Faith or Believing it self was Imputed unto him for Righteousness and he palliates it thus That he understands it but as a means of coming at the Righteousness but he defends this Proposition That we are justified by Faith sensu proprib non Metonymico Now see what the Neonomian says expresly of your indispensible Qualification though you Sir always will look one way while you row another The Question in one of you is plainly asked and answered by a great Leader and Guide among you Con. 13. When it is said that Faith is Imputed to us for Righteousness Is it Faith indeed that is meant or Christ's Righteousness believed on Mr. B. Scripture Gospel Defended p. 32. Contr. 13. Answ A strange and bold
God but unto the Faith of Believers 2. He makes no distinction that Works are of two sorts some excluded from Justification and not others but he expresly rejects his own Righteousness i. e. his personal inherent Righteousness whatever it be and however it be wrought 3. He makes a plain distinction of his twofold Estate 1. That of Judaism before Conversion 2. He proceeds to give an account of himself and Estate after Conversion The words of Davenant on this Passage in my Judgment are sober and weighty The Apostle here teacheth what that Righteousness is whereby we are accepted before God viz. which is apprehended by Faith He shews the cause why it is ours by right i. e. the Apostle shews it in this place because we are inserted into his Body and coalesce with him into one Person therefore his Righteousness is reputed ours De Justisic hab c. 38. For whereas some begin to interpret our being in Christ and being found in him so as to intend no more but our Profession of the Faith of the Gospel the Faith of the Catholick Church in all Ages concerning the Mystical Union of Christ and Believers is not to be blown away with a few empty Words and unproved Assertions The Answer then is full and clear unto the general Exception viz. That the Apostle rejects our Legal but not our Evangelical Righteousness For 1. The Apostle rejects neither absolutely but in comparison of Christ and with respect to the special end of Justification before God or a Righteousness in his sight 2. In that sense he rejects all our own Righteousness but our Evangelical Righteousness in the sense pleaded for is our own inherent in us performed by us 3. Our Legal and Evangelical in the sense pleaded for is the same 4. The Apostle rejects in this case all the Works of Righteousness that we have done Tit. 3.5 but our Evangelical Righteousness consists in the Works of Righteousness which we do 5. He disclaims all that is our own See more in the Treatise of Justification 535. Here the Society was adjourning but that a worthy Divine acquaints Mr. Calvinist that he saw the Reverend Mr. Richard Vines in a corner whereupon Mr. Calvinist return'd There is none here but hath a venerable Esteem for that famous Divine unless Mr. Neonomian who will however if he finds he is against him be so ingenuous as to knock under the Table Sir we beseech you lend us your help here against this confident Neonomian and New Divinity and in defence of the Apostle Paul whose Doctrin he is making Dung of trampling it down as Mire in the Streets Mr. Rich. Vines Phil. 3.7 8 9 10. After the Apostle had in the beginning of this Church fortified the Christian Philippians with a Caveat against such as did yet stand upon and pretend their Circumcision Christ a Christian 's only Gain by Rich. Vines sometime Master of Pembrook-hall Cambridge and their Jewish Prerogatives in opposition to Christ after this he gives a threefold account of himself 1. He sheweth what account he had of himself in respect of those Priviledges that others did insist upon c. V. 4. p. 1. 2. He shews what account he had of himself when Christ was discovered to him c. 3. He sheweth what account he had of himself in respect of perfection V. 12 c. p. 4 5 6. V. 8. p. 19. You have heard what reckoning the Apostle had of his own Righteousness in his unregenerate state and upon the discovery of Christ unto him he came to a loss of all that which before he counted gain Now in this Verse he goes on to shew you what account he had still of Christ and of all things besides Christ after some strength and experience he had of Christ yea doubtless any more than so Yea and more than that I account them still it is a rhetorical Speech wherein the Apostle riseth higher in his expression with greater overflow of affection verifying all things besides Christ as loss and dung he repeats it three times over a note of affection I count all things loss I have suffered the loss I account them but dung and then it is for Christ and that Christ who is my Lord. Suppose the Apostle had been thus spoken to 't is true you forsook all your former Gains and you professed all should go for Christ your self your Wealth your Zeal your Righteousness in the Law you valued all as nothing while Christ was new and fresh in your memory and before you had tasted of his Yoak and Cross But what say you now Paul now you have been beaten with Rods stoned Shipwrackt c. 2 Cor. 11.15 What now Paul are you of the same mind still is not your Courage cooled Nay doubless saith Paul I did and I do I am not changed I do account all things I reserve not one thing to lye between me and Christ not my good Works not any thing within me nor without me that I value or esteem my Righteousness my Obedience to the Law my Fasting my Scourging I count them but Loss and Dung for Christ c. p. 19 20. Doct. 4. That gracious Duties and Performances of a Man in the state of Grace are to be disclaimed in the matter of his Justification or his Righteousness before God p. 44. V. 1. The Papists will not hear this Doctrin for tho' with much ado they will quit their good Works that are done in an unregenerate state without and before Faith yet those Works of a regenerate Man that are besprinkled with the Blood of Christ Here 's your Doctrin Mr. Neonomian they will have them come in for their Justification for thus they say Christ merits for us that we may merit for ourselves that Christ is our Saviour by making us our own Saviours Christ is our justifier by making us justifie ourselves he giveth us Mony and we lay it down what is this It is to keep up good Duties say they and you which otherwise would fall to the ground whereas the true Spring and Whetstone of Obedience to God is Faith and Love and Thankfulness upon the apprehension of the Pardon of our Sins let a Man have Christ for his Righteousness and let a Man be ungodly if he can the love of Christ constraineth us c. p. 44 45 46. This Phrase of Speech All things Loss and but Dung mine own Righteousness both before and after Grace I count all to be but Dung that I may win Christ There is the Faith of Adventure and the Faith of Assurance p. 129. Proof of Doctrin 'T is for the gaining of Christ that a Christian counteth all things in the World as Dung and suffereth the loss of all things It 's a strange trade that a Man must lose to gain he must be a Beggar and Bankrupt that he may be rich he must be nothing that he may have Christ Yea his Works after Grace received all that I did know and all
the Works of it and therein is a Neonomian and the rather because by that Rectoral Rule of Government which he hath usurp'd to himself and the Rule of Sin he hath judicially Sentenced all his Opposers to the Name of Antinomians or Abetters of them Insomuch that all our first Protestant Reformers and any known by the Name of Calvinists fall under his severe Censure as Ignorant Setters up of the Name of Christ and his Grace against his Government I thought it meet to call in the long-ago deceased Doctor also under what Name or Title soever he is pleased to call him whom he carries about to scare Children with and as a Trophy of his pretended Triumph that he might be made speak and the World may hear what he hath to say for himself and be acquainted how he is abused and that he may be hereafter permitted to rest quietly in his Grave and not used as Wickliff was i. e. Burnt for an Heretick so many Years after be hath been dead In a Word Shall we stand still with our Fingers in our Months in such a Day of Peace and Liberty while we are Brow-beaten or wheadled out of the great Fundamental Points of Eternal Life and Salvation which in all Ages of Antichristian Tyranny have triumph'd over the smartest Persecutions through the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of his Testimony in the Faith and Patience of the Saints who have not loved their Lives unto Death in the Heroick Defence of them against the very same sort of Opposition And who I pray will harm us now if we as strenuously defend the Truth as it is audaciously attack'd Have any of us suffered to the spoiling of our Goods in the Defence of Truth of a subordinate and subservient Nature to these and shall we suffer all this in vain and cast our selves tamely at the Feet of such a confident Invader of our most choice and precious things in the World yea our very Life in Christ What is it that affrightens us Doth the Scripture Law or Learning terrify us If so little a Foot-man can run us out of Breath how do we think to contend with Horses Dragooners I mean if they should come And if in the Land of Peace we are wearied what shall we do in the Swelling of Jordan If Popery should ever over-run us again which God forbid and we should be called to bear Testimony to these Truths at Fire and Paggot as the Famous Martyrs have done It 's to be feared now that many Protestants would provide for their Safety by flying to the Neonomian Asylum But to conclude however we shrink from the despised Truths of Christ shuffle and cut with him and sometimes huff and bounce at him or some Truth of his I am fully assured the God of Glory and all Grace who hath hitherto preserved the pure Doctrine of his Gospel not only from the impure Mixtures of Pretenders to Holiness the crafty Methodists of Satan as an Angel of Light but also from his open Rage as a roaring Lion will continue yet to maintain it against all the bâ—ting Winds of False Doctrine That Christ hath his Fan in his Hand and will thoroughly purge his Floor and that if any Man lay any other Foundation than what is laid which is Jesus Christ and continues so to do his Root shall be Rottenness and his Blossom go up as Dust I. C. Some of the Paradoxes contained in the Neonomian Scheme 1. SINS of the Elect are not forgiven immediately upon nor meerly by Christ's Enduring Sufferings but there were by Divine Appointment to interpose a Gospel Promise of Pardon the Work of the Spirit for a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise in the Person to be pardoned and a Judicial Act of Pardon by that Promise on the Person thus conformed to the Rule thereof 2. The Gospel hath another Sanction to the Preceptive Part of the Law than the Covenant of Works had Though nothing be abated in the Rule of Sin and Duty yet Blessings are Promised to Lower Degrees of Duty and a continuance in a state of Death with a Barr to the Blessing are not threatned against every Degree of Sin as the Covenant of Works did 3. This Change of the Sanction supposeth the Death of Christ and his honouring the Law by his perfect Obedience wherein God hath provided for his own Glory while he promiseth Life by Forgiveness to Imperfect Man and yet insists on some Degrees of Obedience to which of his meer Grace he enableth us 4. The Degrees of Obedience the Covenant of Redemption secures to the Elect tho' the Grant therein is pleadable only by Christ as the stipulating Party for us and our Personal Claim depends upon the Gospel Covenant whereof Christ is Mediator 5. The Gospel-Sanction determins as certain a Rule of Happiness and Misery as the Law of Works did tho' it be not the same for while it promiseth a Pardon to all believing repenting Sinners and declares a Barr to Pardon to the Impenitent Rejecters of Christ and Gospel-Grace it fixeth true Repentance and Faith unfeigned to be the Terms of Pardon 6. When it promiseth Heaven to the sincerely holy persevering Believer it fixeth sincere Holiness and Perseverance in Faith as the Terms of possessing Heaven 7. Hence the use of Faith and Holiness as to those Benefits is not fron the Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise 8. Our applying Christ's Righteousness and relying on it would no more Justifie us than our Holiness would Save us were it not for the Gospel-Promise God will justifie for Christ's sake all such as believe 9. God in dispensing Gospel-promised Blessings doth judicially determine a Conformity to this Rule of the Promise When he forgives he judicially declares a Man hath true Faith when he admits to Heoven he judicially declares a Man sincerely holy and persevering 10. The Wedding-Garment Matth. 22.11 is true uniting Faith 11. Forgiving Adopting Glorifying and Conveyance of every Gospel-Benefit given on God's Terms are Judicial Acts of God as a Rector if not he doth blindly and promiscuously dispense them without any regard to our being Believers 12. With respect to what is declared the Gospel is a Law of Faith and it especially insists on that Sincerity of Grace and Holiness which the Rule of the Promise makes necessary in it's Description of the Person whom it makes Partaker of it's included Benefits 13. The Merits of Christ are the Cause of this Gospel-Ordination his Righteousness Imputed is the Cause for which we are Justified and Saved when we do answer the Rule of the Gospel 14. The Righteousness of God Phil. 3.9 principally intends the Gospel Holiness of a Person justified by Christ's Righteousness both which by Faith in Christ all his Members shall be perfect in 15. The Grace of God is hereby stated as free as is Consistent with his Government and judicial rectoral Distribution of Rewards and Punishments THE Ancient Gospel
is Actually and Absolutely procured for the Elect before Faith and shall infallibly be applyed to them all in time seemeth to reach the Scope intended by the Godly Learned whose Spirits have more particularly laboured to hold forth the whole Truth in this precious part of Soul-Reconciling Doctrine and Soul-Supporting Mystery of the Gospel To say That we are Justified by vertue of a singular Promise in the Court of Conscience and in our own Persons in which sence the Scripture constantly saith We are Justified by Faith is not that I know of affirmed by any And for this he quotes Chamier Cham. Tom. 3. lib. 12 13. Sect. 18. Nobis persuasissinum est remissa esse peccata antequam Credidimus We are verily perswaded that our Sins are forgiven before we believe for we deny that Infants do believe And Perkins Perkins on Gal. 3.16 who saith Christ is first Justified i. e. Acquit of our Sins and we Justified in him And Dr. Ames saith The Transaction between God and Christ was a certain previous application of Redemption and our discharge unto our Suâ—ety Ames Medul lib. 1. c. 24. § 3. and unto us in him which to that secondary Application to be performed in us hath the respect of a kind of Efficacious pattern so that that the Application to him is the Representation of this Application to us and this is produced by vertue of that And he saith § 3. Hence our discharge liberatio nostra from Sin and Death was not only established in God's Decree but also in Christ and granted and communicated to us in him before it could be perceived by us Rom. 5.10 11. Hence the Father and the Son are said to send the Spirit to the performing of this Application John 14.16 and 16.7 And in the Chapter of Justification Am. Med. c. 27. §. 9. He tells us what the sentence of Justification is 1. It was in the Mind of God as it were conceived by him by his Decree of Justifying Gal. 3.8 2. It was in the Christ our Head pronounced when he rose from the Dead 2 Cor. 5.19 3. Virtually pronounced in that first relation which ariseth from Faith ingenerated in the Heart Rom. 8.1 4. Expresly pronounced by the Spirit witnessing with our Spirits our Reconciliation with God Rom. 5.5 Hence it appears that the Doctrine of our Justification before Faith is not an Errour but a Great and Glorious Truth and it is no prejudice to the Doctrine of Justification by Faith but the Foundation Ground and Reason of it neither is it any Door opened to Licentiousness an unbeliever having no more Confirmation or Encouragement to persist in Sin thereby than by the Doctrine of Election which gives none but as Mr. Norton saith It 's no small part of the Ministry of Reconciliation that God Imputed to Christ the Sins of the Elect before they did believe and will never Impute them unto the Elect. Neither is my speaking of Faith's taking hold of Christ's Righteousness and saying That it brings not Christ's Righteousness to us but presupposeth it given and granted such an absurdity as you would make it For Dr. Ames saith very distinctly Justifying Faith precedes Justification it self as a cause of its Effect but Faith apprehending Justification necessarily presupposeth and follows Justification as the Aâ—â— doth the Object about which it is Conversant and this I take to be the true Notion of Justification That Great Man for Holiness and Learning Chamier saith I deny that Faith is the cause of our Justification for then our Justification would not be of Grace Cham. Parstrat Tom. 3. l. 13. c. 10. Sect. 18. but of our selves but Faith is said to justifie not because it effecteth Justification but because it is effected in the Justified Person and in another place he saith Faith doth neither merit obtain or begin our Justification Lib. 22. c. 12. Sect. 5. and Sect. 9. for if it did then Faith should go before Justification both in nature and time which may in no wise be granted for Faith it self is a part of Sanctification now there is no Sanctification but after Justification which really and in its own nature is before it I think Sir I have cleared my self sufficiently from the Charge of Errour in this Point viz. That our Justification is in being before Faith And now Sir before we proceed to the other part of your Charge concerning the manner of Faith's Justifying let us hear your Arguments against Justification in any sense going before Faith Neonom One Real Difference between us is Whether we are Justified before we believe Which I deny for 1. We are Justified by Faith is the common Language of the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.1 Gal. 2.16 D. W. p. 105. Antinom We own it and say too that we are Justified by Faith and this doth not prejudice but confirm what we assert Neon Faith is enjoyned as an effectual means of Justification by Christ Antinom We deny not that Faith required in the Gospel and wrought by the Spirit is as an effectual means of Application of Justification but therefore it follows not that it 's in being before That which is not in being cannot be applyed Neonom The Gospel denounceth and declareth all condemned till they do believe Antinom The Gospel declares only their state of Condemnation under the Law the Gospel properly condemns not and we own that every one by nature is a Child of Wrath and in the sense of the Law is a condemned Person and every one is shut up under the Law as the Apostle saith till Faith comes his New-Covenant Blessedness belonging to him is not yet made manifest nor is his Nature and State changed Neonom Vnbelief is the Cause why men are barred from Justification and remain obnoxious to Misery Antinom It is God that justifies and no Sin can barr God's Act of free Mercy in pardon of a Sinner in the Pardon of Unbelief as well as of other Sins when God will justifie It 's very absurd to say Sin barrs God's Act of Pardon It 's true Unbelief influenceth a Sinner as to his own Acts and will be charged upon him as his Fault and will aggravate that Condemnation which he hath under the Law because from his own corrupt Will and Affection he will not receive Pardon and Life that is offered in the General and Indefinite Tender thereof made in the Gospel And therefore Christ saith John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that you may have Life Heb. 3.18 19. They could not enter by reason of unbelief Unbelief on our part doth keep us from Christ but hinders not on God's part that effectually draws all the Elect justifying of them and working Faith in them Rom. 8.29 30. Eph. 1. The whole Unregenerate state is a Barr till God break it by Regeneration which is a free Work of Grace as Justification is an Act of Grace and must be found where-ever a Sinner is Justifyed by Faith and that in
order thereunto Neonom The other Question in difference between us is Whether the Vse of Faith in Justification be only to manifest our Justification which we personally had before This you affirm and I deny And add That Faith justifies by receiving Christ and therein answers the Ordination of God who hath promised to justifie the Believer by application of Christ's Righteousness in this gracious effect of it upon a guilty Soul D. W. p. 105. Antinom You alter the Terms of my Expression to make for your own turn My Words were these Quest What doth Faith serve for Dr. C. p. 85. Answ It serves for the manifestation of that Justification which Christ puts upon a Person by himself alone that you by believing on him may have the Declaration and Manifestation of your Justification And I say That it is not the Condition without which we receive no benefit from Christ but rather a manifestation thereof My Words are not That the use of Faith is only a manifestation but I say Rather a manifestation of Benefits received than a condition of receiving benefits And I say it is a Declaration and Manifestation And what is the Promise in the hand of Faith but a Declaration of the Grace of God in Justification of a Sinner and thereby a manifestation of it unto the Conscience Whereby Justification comes to be in foro Conscientiae For I say Where the Condemnation of a Sinner is by the Law there the Absolution of the Sinner is by the Gospel but Condemnation of a Sinner is in Conscience by the Law therefore there his Absolution is by the Gospel and that 's by a Gospel-Sentence pronounced and believed which Sentence is God's Declaration and Faith sealing to the Truth of it applies it and is the Eccho of the said Declaration in the Soul And you say Faith justifies as receiving Christ and you say well Christ is received in the believing of the Gospel-Declaration The Declaration in the Gospel is Life by Christ See 1 John 2.25 This is the Promise that he hath promised us evrn eternal Life 1 John 5.11 And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son and this is the witness of God which he hath testifi'd of his Son Ver. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself It should be Testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This very believing is a Testimony of the Truth of the Promise and his part in it as by the latter part of the 10th Verse appears He that believeth not makes God a Liar and as the truth of the Promise concerns himself ver 12. He that hath the Son hath Life this believing he saith is having the Son as declared in the Promise and Record that takes in the Declaration believingly And this is apprehending and applying and relying on the Promise and Christ in it both as Truth and Goodness Believing is our modus recipiendi or manner of receiving and we do believe that we may receive and apprehend him unto Justification You add and say first Faith justifies by receiving of Christ but you say it 's Application of Christ's Righteousness as to gracious Effects you mean only You do not deal above-board you are not for the application of Christ's Righteousness it self imputed to us and put on by us in believing We have noted your Error in this kind already you 'll not have Christ's Righteousness imputed to us for our Righteousness according to all the Language of the Scripture but only the Effects given us as effectual Calling Sanctification and Glorification So that the Righteousness of Christ justifies no otherwise than it sanctifies and glorifies for it doth these as Effects But I pray express your self more clearly how Faith Justifies or what part Faith hath in Justification according to your Sense without so much ambiguity Neonom The difference is not Whether Faith or any other Grace be a Jot of the meriting Righteousness for which we are justified D.W. p. 104. Antinom But it is whether Faith or any other Grace be a qualifying Condition for Justification if it be so let me alone to prove it a meriting Righteousness whether you call it so or no. Neonom Nor whether Faith or any Grace add any thing to the vaine of Christ's Merits These I deny D. W. p. 104. Antinom No wonder for you have rated Christ's Merits S. Clara dicit omnes convenire scientium de causa efficicate meritorià Justificationis efficiens est Deus meritoria Christus solum ergo controversitur de formuli De Justif Peccatoris how much their Value shall be Valeant quantum valere possunt But there are other things quasi merita at least that must give right to the Benefits procured by Christ's Merits which you call your subordinate Righteousness Neonom Yea I add that if Christ's Righteousness could be applyed for Pardon to the vilest Sinner before he believes it would justifie him but God hath declared that it shall not be applied to Vnbelievers Antinom That 's not for God hath declared the contrary that he justifies the ungodly and if Justification as God's Act be not applied to us first before we are Believers there would never be any Believers for Justification is the cause of Sanctification and not Vice versa But Justification by Faith i. e. Justification as applied by a sensible gracious Act of ours is after Sanctification and we must distinguish in Application of Righteousness between Gods Acts and ours for God must apply Grace before we can partake of it Neonom Nor whether we are Justified the same Moment as we truely believe in Christ and the Blessing is not suspended for any time longer This I affirm because God justifies us by the Promise as his Instrument and this Promise declares that he will justifie him that believes Antinom You 'll own then that we shall not stay for the Benefit if we perform the Condition God will pay ready Mony but the Qualification must be first in us by Nature But why I pray Is it not manners at least to give God the Honour of being first in this Work and say We believe in that moment we are justified 2. I find now you will not have Faith to be the Instrument of Justification but have found out another whereas you find fault with me that I will not have Faith the Instrumental Cause of Justification in its being no more than a passive receiving Instrument and you 'll have the Promise to be the Instrument declaring Justification and what can Faith do but receive this Declaration and thereby declare to the Conscience of the Sinner what the Gospel-Instrument declares Neonom Nor whether an Elect Person once justified by Christ shall be kept by Christ's Care in a justified state Antinom You do not suppose then that Justification is certainly durable in it's one Nature that it is an everlasting Righteousness but that it is loosable
the New Testament are so often repeated which shew Justification to be sought only in the Person of Christ John 1.12 and 3.15 16. and 6.40 47. and 14.1 54. Rom. 4.5 and 3.26 Acts 10.43 and 25.18 Rom. 3.26 A Sinner is justified by Faith not properly as it is a Quality or Action Pemble of Justific ch 11. § 2. which by its own Dignity and Merit deserves at God's Hands Remission of Sins or is by God's favourable Acceptance taken for the whole and perfect Righteousness of the Law which is otherwise required of a Sinner but only in Relation unto the Object of it the Righteousness of Christ which it embraceth and resteth upon Justification is a Gracious Act of God upon a Believer whereby for the Righteousness sake of Christ Imputed by God Nortons Eang p. 300. and applyed by Faith he doth freely discharge him from Sin and Curse and accept him as Righteous in the Righteousness of Christ and acknowledge him to have a Right unto Eternal Life Q. 73. How doth Faith justifie a Sinner in the sight of God A. Faith justifies a Sinner in the sight of God not because of those other Graces that do always accompany it Assemb Large Catech. or of good Works which are the Fruits thereof nor as if the Grace of Faith or any Act thereof were Imputed to him for Justification only as it is an Instrument by which he receiveth and applyeth Christ and his Righteousness Q. 32. What is Justification A. Justification is an Act of God's Free Grace whereby he pardoneth all our Sins Shorter Catech. and accepteth us as Righteous in his sight only for the Righteousness of Christ received by Faith alone Whom God effectually calleth he freely justifieth not by Infusing Righteousness into them but by pardoning their Sins Confess c. 11. and by accounting and accepting their Persons as Righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christ's sake alone not by Imputing Faith it self the Act of Believing nor any other Evangelical Obedience as their Righteousness but by Imputing the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ unto them they receiving and resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith which Faith they have not of themselves it is the Gift of God We are accounted Righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith Artic. 11. of the Church of Engl. and not for our own Merits and Deservings wherefore that we are Justified by Faith only is a most wholesom Doctrine and very full of Comfort c. The Righteousness of Christ as it 's Christ's and performed by him so it is ours as it 's Meritorious of Grace Efficacious of Faith it self that is to be wrought in us it 's ours therefore I say by way of Right because by the Decree of the Father and Purpose of the Son it 's wrought for us tho' not in our Possession as to Sense and Acknowledgment of so great a Benefit bestowed Haec enim agnitio this Acknowledgment ariseth from Faith The Righteousness of Christ is said to be Imputed to us and his Merits to be applyed by Faith not before God but in our Consciences as there is a Sense of it begotten in our Hearts by Faith and an Acknowledgment of the Saving Application from the Love of God which we taste by Faith and Spiritually perceive Justifying of us and Adopting us to be his Sons from whence ariseth Peace of Conscience Whence the Righteousness of Christ is said to be Imputed to us by Faith because it is not known but by Faith that it is Imputed to us by God and then at length we are said to be Justified by that kind of Justification and Absolution from our Sins which begets or produceth peace of Conscience Dr. Twiss C. 1. p. 2. de Elect. He speaks of Justification in a double Acceptation 1. As the Righteousness of Christ is applyed to us before Faith and Repentance by reason of which Righteousness we obtain Efficacious Grace to believe in Christ and Repent 2. He understands Justification to be that Notification that is by Faith made to our Consciences or in the Court of Conscience and this is saith he that Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Remission of Sin Justification and Absolution which follows Faith There 's none of us saith he say that wicked vitious Person allowing themselves to live in their Sins are bound to believe Christ dyed for them for my part I think otherwise that whilst all are commanded to believe in Christ they are not bid presently to believe that Christ dyed for them but rather to rest themselves upon Christ by Faith to renounce themselves and their own Works and cast themselves down at the Feet of Mercy this is only properly called Faith on Christ fides in Christum the other is only Faith concerning Christ Hence Mr. Norton hath these words Orthod p. 315. These are both Truths 1. Justification hath a Being before the Elect do believe 2. That the Elect are not Justified before they do believe Justification is the Object Faith is the Act or being actually Justified is an Effect Faith is the Instrumental Cause the Cause is before the Effect Maccovius Disput XVI distinguishes Justification into Active and Passive Active Justification signifies God's Absolution of a Guilty Person from Guilt for the sake of Christ's Satisfaction and accounting him Righteous for his Righteousness Imputed The Differences between this and Passive Justification by Faith are 1. This is one undivided Act of God Absolution by Faith is repeated 2. Active precedes Faith Passive follows c. A Digression concerning the Necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness Neonom GEntlemen if you please for a Diversion after this Arduous Attempt that I have made to bring in the true Doctrine of the Catholick Church let us make a little digression for our Recreation and treat upon a Point that hath not so much difficulty in it for having got in Faith to justifie as a qualifying Act I doubt not now but to pleasure some of its Relations and find them a place in Justification too Antinom Stay not so hasty I do not find you have yet attained your End about Faith festina lentè cry not Victoria yet but however Gentlemen seeing he is for a digression let him have it for he hath been in digression from Truth all along I know not how he can digress from the way he hath been in hitherto but by coming into Truth Neonom You judging we are justified before we do believe it 's no wonder if you tell us We are forgiven before we confess Sin p. 255. and repent and therefore I would enquire of the necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness D. W. p. 113. Antinom As a Qualifying Condition Gentlemen this is no digression for it 's the Right Line and Method that Bellarmine and all the Papists have taken in handling the Doctrine of Justification first to bring in Faith to justifie as
with a Connexion of Promises and Threats and so performed as such only are legal and must be reckoned as belonging to the Law of Works but all Evangelical Duties are performed from a Principle of Grace and not for Reword or Fear But let us hear your Proof Neonom Who can doubt this if they consider 1. The Covenant of Innocency promised to nothing below sinless and perfect Obedience D. W. p. 104. Antinom It promised to Man upon Obedience which God required and so it is in every Covenant the Obedience required is perfect in respect of the Covenant let it be more or less that is required No Covenant admits of any Abatement or Defect in the Conditions required 2. If this be a Covenant of Innocency your Covenant opposed to it must be a Covenant of Nocency because as you say it admits of a contrary Condition viz. A sinful Obedience Neonom The Threatnings of the Covenant of Innocency admitted no Repentance or after-relief to the Guilty They did fix the Curse irrevocable in case of any Transgression Antinom Who told you the Covenant of Works would admit of no Relief for the Guilty if not how came any How came it to pass that Relief was given before the Sentence was passed upon Man Surely if the Covenant could not admit of it by Vertue of it's Constitution it could not have been just with God to have given it 2. As to Repentance it did naturally belong to the Breach of God's Law and Man's falling into Misery Indeed it did not admit of Repentance as an Expiation of the Sin and a Condition of Life no more doth the Gospel so that Law and Gospel are agreed in that 3. And as to the irrevocable fixing of the Curse grant it was so yet not without admitting a Relief provided it might consist with the irrevocable Curse i. e. That the Law might have it's full Satisfaction both to Sufferings and Obedience as it had in Christ the Sentence of the Law is not repealed or revoked in the Covenant of Grace but confirmed and fulfilled whereby the Guilty have their Relief The Law is not against the Promise Gal. 3.21 No God forbid it 's well pleased with it because it hath all that it can require The Law is not dispensed with in saving Sinners it hath it's Ends Christ being the end of the Law for Righteousness to all that believe The Gospel establisheth the Law Neonom 2. No Overture of Life or door of Hope or Argument to Conversion with Hopes of Acceptance could be framed out of those Legal Threats and Promises Turn ye Turn ye was not the Language Antinom Nor from any other upon Terms of the like Nature viz. Do and Live And why was it that no Door of Hope is open to Man fallen upon those Terms it was because he â—id not do and now is dead and he must live now before he can do till Grace give Life it 's but a Conviction to him that God faith Turn you Turn you for till God give him Life and turn him Turn you turn you is but the Triumph of the Law and all the Turnings of a poor Sinner in his Natural Estate is no more than the turning of a Dead Carcase it 's dead still there 's no returning to Life by turning till the effectual Voice of Christ prevail who is the Resurrection and the Life Neonom See any one of the Calls to Faith and Repentance or Holiness thus back'd with Promises and Threats be not Evangelical Antinom Calls to Faith and Repentance as Commands to Sinners to perform the Acts and Duties thereof upon Threats and Promises and as those Works that shall bring us into Covenant are so far from being Evangelical as they are highly Legal yea super-legal 1. Legal for it makes a Covenant of Works What matter if God require not the same Individual Act as a Condition of Life if he require another What if instead of forbearing to eat an Apple the Condition be now to forbear the eating of a Pear What if perfect Obedience was then required and imperfect now Both were Obedience only now you 'll have a Dispensation for Sin to come into the Condition which reflects upon the Holiness and Justice of God or Power of God that he did not nor could give us Life in a way of perfect Obedience and sinless but must have Recourse to sinful Likewise the only Obligation that lies upon a meer natural Man to obey God when he commands Faith and Repentance is the Law for he is under no other Law but that of Works 2. It is also super-legal 1. To bring fallen Man into Covenant upon working Conditions is more than was with Adam he did not work himself into Covenant God took him freely into Covenant without Conditions all the Condition was Perseverance for keeping him in Covenant as yours is 2. God here requires Works where there 's no Power God gave Adam the Power before he required Obedience Calvin In my Approbation Gentlemen you do but lose time Mr. Antinom argues at a mighty low rate I will take his Position and put it into right Terms and then see Mr. Antinom how you like it Salvation by Gospel-Grace is so necessary to a Sinner for the working Faith Obedience Good Works and Perseverance in the way to Heaven that without it he cannot perform them or continue in them Antinom So I like it well Neonom That 's quite contrary to my Sence For I do not say that Salvation by Grace is the Cause of sincere Faith and Obedience and Perseverance but that Sincerity in Performance of Faith and Obedience with Perseverance is necessary as a Cause of Salvation I spake before of coming into Justification by qualifying Faith and Repentance by the Government ef a Rule of Righteousness and Misery our Minds being thereby affected with Hopes and Fears I will now shew you that by this Gospel-Constitution Persevering Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works are necessary to Salvation D. W. p. 137. Antinom I have told you that if these be right i. e. True Gospel-Holiness they be a great part of Salvation and they are no more necessary than a Part is to the Whole All Graces and Duties are the necessary parts of a saved Sinner And there are two sorts of Necessaries Essentially necessary and Necessary as to well-being as Anima rationalis is essentially necessary to a Man But there are many things as to Integrity Ornaments and Usefulness Now I say as these things are in Salvation or belonging to it for being in their kind for well-being Usefulness Adorning c. so they are necessary But if you look upon them and Salvation as two distinct things they are not necessary to give you right to any part of Salvation Neonom He that made Faith necessary to Justification hath made Obedience necessary to Salvation Antinom It seems by you Justification and Salvation are specifically distinct which they are not they differ but as Genus and Spectes
of God as Rector Antinom If you understand Judicial in respect of the Justice of God answered by the Righteousness of Christ purchasing all good Gifts and Blessings for Sinners that deserve nothing but Wrath it may be said of Justification But if you understand Judicial in respect of any Duty Grace or Qualification that is found in us tho' wrought by the Spirit I abhor it as an abominable Position And your Saying the Wedding Garment was Faith and not the Righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith is a wretched wresting and Abuse of Scripture turning the sweet and precious Doctrine of our Lord and Saviour against himself I shall meet with you again upon these Points more largely therefore I pass them over briefly now But in the mean time take notice that all our Protestants and particularly the Assemblies Catechism define Justification and Adoption always Acts of Free Grace Neonom If so doth he despense these blindly and promiscuously without any regard to our being Believers c. or no Whether our Faith be true or no any one would blush to affirm Antinom I would know whether if God distribute his Free Grace to poor wretched and worthless Creatures according to his Election and distinguishing Mercy doth he do it blindly because he finds no Reason in them And I pray doth God dispense the Grace of Faith blindly if he doth it without respect to Men's being Believers first So if they believe before they shall have the Gift of Faith and their Faith must be true too before they have Faith given I can ' but think you are Fricatae Frontis or you would blush at the delivery of these things Neonom With respect to what is above declared the Gospel is a Law of Faith a Law of Liberty c. And it especially insists on that Sincerity of Grace and Holiness which the Rule of the Promise makes necessary in it's Description of the Person whom it makes Partaker of it's included Benefits Antinom You do here begin to make Conclusions on your Premises but your Premises not holding Water your Conclusions will no way follow you conclude the Gospel is a Law of Faith We have briefly shewed as you have given occasion that the Gospel as such is no Law and hath not a Sanctio it 's wholly a Promise of Life and the Performance of the Promise doth not depend upon any thing a Sinner can do as a Foederal Condition I shall shew fully hereafter that there is no ground from that place Rom. 3. nor that of James 1. to conclude the Gospel to be a Law i. e. A Command of Duty for a Condition with a Sanction of Threats upon the Non-performance or Promises as Rewards upon the Performance whether the Condition be Perfect of Imperfect Obedience You make the Sincerity of Grace and Holiness to be this Condition and you call it the Rule of the Promise which you say is not the Precept neither neither is it the Promise but a Rule that is neither Precept or Promise So what your Rule is he is wise that knows And you say this Rule makes Sincerity necessary in the Discription of the Person So the Rule of the Promise describes a Person only and therefore makes him not but tells us he must be sincere before he hath any thing to do with the Promise From whence hath he this Sincerity described From Law or Gospel From God or himself If from God then by way of Grace and Gift and so through the Promise If of our selves it 's Dross They that are in the Flesh cannot please God and therefore much less perform such a Duty for which God will give the promised Benefits Neonom And the main of our Ministry consisteth in pressing Men to answer the Rule of Gospel Promises Antinom What this means is very strange when you say the use of Faith and Holiness as to Benefits is not from their Conformity to the Precept Therefore what do you press them unto when you press them to answer the Rule of the Gospel When the Conformity to the Precept doth no good I suppose in the same Sence as you say Obliquity in regard of the Precept will do no hurt But the main of our Ministry consists in Preaching Christ and bringing Sinners unto him and building them up in him Neonom And disswading Men from those things which the Gospel threatens shall hinder their Interest in all or any of their Benefits with an Aggravation of their Misery if they be final Rejecters of Grace Antinom Whatever befalls Sinners retaining their sinful state and rejecting Grace is from the Law and not from the Gospel To talk of a Gospel-Threat is a Catechresis at best and nothing else can save it from being a Bull. But what are those that will hinder a Sinner from the Benefit of being turned from Darkness to Light This I can suppose is the Non-improvement of the Grace which you take every one to have which either hinders or makes that they are not converted Neonom We call Men to be reconciled to God upon which we know God will be at Peace with them Antinom But you tell them not according to 2 Cor. 5.18 That all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ And this is the ground of the Ministry of Reconciliation and the ground of Perswasion to Sinners to be reconciled unto God But this Portion of Scripture to the End of the Chapter you take to be hardly Canonical Neonom These things will help thy Conceptions still remembring that the Merits of Christ are the Cause of this Ordination Antinom The Councel of God is the Cause of the Ordination of Salvation Means and Order But you mean they will help to blunder and confound poor Men's Conceptions Per Nebulam per Caliginem per Somnium Non lectore tuis opus est sed Apolline libris But you would have us not to forget the Causa sine qua non of this rare Gospel Scheme You should have told us that your own corrupt Imagination was the Procatarctick Cause of this new Law Ordination Neonom His Righteousness imputed is the Cause for which we are Justified and Saved when we answer the Gospel Rule Antinom It 's ad Graecas Calendas when a poor wretched Sinner must be saved then Christ is the cause of setting up this new Law and that we should be justified thereby when we perform the imperfect Conditions thereof and that 's your answering the Gospel Rule Since Christ hath put a Barr upon the Old Law now we must set up for a Righteousness of our own to answer the Gospel-Rule by and that 's not Conformity to the Precept neither but answering the Gospel-Rule by Imperfection Is not this sad Divinity Neonom And I exclude not this Righteousness when I affirm That the Righteousness of God Phil. 3.9 principally intended the Gospel-Holiness of a Person Justified by Christ's Righteousness Both which by Faith in Christ all his Members shall be
look upon this as a Justification of this Child it being a declared Sentence of God concerning it's standing in his Favour and unchangeable Love 2. The Text is particular in the Reason of this Declaration to Rebecka ver 11. that we may see that God accomplish'd his purpose of Election in the applying of the Grace thereof without Works not so much as upon the Account of Faith as a Work because the Children were not capable of doing Good or Evil the Application of his distinguishing Love could not be upon that Account viz. Of any Condition found in them nor could the Foresight of any such thing in them be the Cause of God's Purpose in Election and shews it's one and the same Righteousness that an Infant and Adult Person is Justified by Neonom Because an Eldest Son is an Heir in the Womb therefore an Elect Person who is in time to he Adopted is an Heir in the Womb. Calvin There 's a Difference between an Heir and Adoption If you know there is an Elect Person in the Womb as Rebecka did he is a more sure Heir to Heaven than ever any great Man's Son was to an outward Estate And as to Adoption that may not be till some time after For that is the Grace of Sonship It 's one thing to be a Son and another to have the Grace of Sonship And is the calling them the Sons of God manifestly taking them into the number and endowing them with the Priviledges of the Sons of God The Relation of an Heir and the state of Adoption admit of different Considerations The State of Adoption is the grown state of an Elect Person he is put into Possession of the Estate and all Priviledges sit together with Christ in Heavenly Places as a Coheir And thus we are the Children of God by Faith Gal. 3.26 The Spirit bearing Witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God and so Heirs ex abundanti Joynt-Heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Let us now hear what our approved Calvinists say in this Point that speak most particularly and distinctly to it Speak Dr. Amesius Dr. Ames The Transaction between God and Christ was a certain previous Application of our Redemption and Discharge to our Surety and to us in him which hath the Nature of a certain efficacious Pattern to that Secondary manner of Application which is compleated in us so that this is the representation of that this is produced by vertue of that Now it 's inferred hence That our Freedom from Sin and Death was not only determined in God's Decree but also granted and communicated to us in Christ before it is perceived by us Chap. 24. § 3. Mr. Rutherford pray speak you wrote against Antinomianism Sane priusque electus credit c. Certainly before an Elect Person doth believe the Wrath of God and all the Effects of his Wrath are removed from the Persons by vertue of Christ's Satisfaction Exercit. Apologet. per gratiâ p. 45. Mr. Pemble That God doth actually love the Elect before they are Regenerate or can actually believe may appear further by these Reasons 1. Where God is actually reconciled there he actually loveth for Love and Reconciliation are inseparable but with the Elect before they are converted and believe God is Actually Reconciled Ergo he loves them before Faith and Conversion The Minor is evident because before they are Born a full Atonement and Satisfaction is made for their Sins by Christ and accepted on God's part whereupon all Actual Reconciliation must needs follow 2. God did Actually Love the Elect before Christ's time when Actual Reconciliation was not yet made much more therefore after the Atonement made 3. Justification Effectual Vocation and Faith are Fruits of God's Actual Love c. De gratiâ fide p. 22. Chamier Persuasissimum est c. We are most fully perswaded that our Sins are forgiven before we believe for certainly we deny Infants to act Faith and yet their Sins are forgiven them And although it be true that our Sins be forgiven before we believe i. e. before we know it as Actual Believers we do believe the Remission of our Sins because this is proposed to us yea promised to us in the same words which we relye upon by Faith and it 's Sealed by the same Spirit whereby that word is Truth Panstr Tom. 3. lib. 13. c. 10. Antinom I think I see Mr. Baxter appear in this Cause though I suppose he is seldom in this Society Calvin I pray let us hear Sir what you say to this Point Mr. Baxter The Anabaptists bring Eph. 2.3 against Baptism of Infants and say Because they are by Nature Children of Wrath the Promise belongs not to them Ans What though we are by Nature Children of Wrath doth it follow that we may not be otherwise by Grace the state of Wrath goes first in order of Nature and whether in order of time also is not worth our disputing but may not a state of Grace immediately succeed Jeremy was Sanctified in the Womb and John Baptist and the Infants that Christ Blessed were all by Nature Children of Wrath and yet by Grace were in a better state As they come from old Adam they are Children of VVrath but as they receive of the Grace procured by the Second Adam so they are not Children of wrath If a Prince should Entail some Honours upon all your Children you might well say by Nature or as they were your Children they were not Honourable or Noble and yet by the Favour of the Prince they might be all Honourable from the VVomb The Godly at Age may say that they are still by Nature Children of wrath even when they are sure they are Children of God by Grace and they use in their Confessions to say That we by Nature are Enemies to God Fire-brands of Hell R. Baxter of Inf. Bapt. p. 110 111. Calvin I would willingly hear what the Learned and Judicious Mr. J. Cotton saith Mr. J. Cotton in Answer to that Objection made by the Anabaptist against Infant Baptism Faith comes by Hearing Ergo Infants have not Faith Ans It is no Extraordinary thing which Christ speaks concerning Infants when he saith Except you receive the Kingdom of God as little Children c. and they cannot receive it without Christ nor without Faith in Christ and yet received not Christ nor Faith by their own immediate Hearing of the Word and for the second thing which you make Essential to Union with Christ viz. a Heart fitly disposed to apprehend and receive Christ be not unwilling to understand that which is Truth The Heart is fitly disposed by Faith to apprehend or apply Christ when Faith is begotten in the Heart for by this Gift of Faith begotten in us Christ apprehends us and by the same Gift of Faith the Heart is fitly disposed to apprehend Christ even in Infants for when Faith is wrought in Infants the Heart is quickned with Spiritual Life and made a
when we are Pardoned the whole Meritorious Cause of Pardon be that Atonement and what is required of Sinners is only a meetness to receive the Effects of it Antinom What do you mean by the whole Meritorious Cause Do you exclude Christ's Active Obedience from the Meritorious Causes And do you mean the Merit of Satisfaction or Procurement There 's a great deal of difference in the Case before us and what is the meetness whether it be not a meetness of Congruity if not of Condignity And whether this meetness be not of the Effects of Christ's Merits and if not from what other Cause it ariseth Neonom Nor whether this Atonement is the only way of Forgiveness which we can apprehend Antinom I had thought a meetness to be forgiven had been with you one way to be forgiven which you make to be distinct from Atonement and the Meritorious Cause of Forgiveness Now Sir you say these things are not the Question but they are questionable to me you might have told us of a Thousand more Questions which are not ours for there is no one thing but in genere disparatorum is separate from all other things in the World But after Sir you have freed our Brains from the mixture of all Impertinent Questions I pray put your Finger upon the very Spot Neonom The Real Difference lyes in two Things 1. Whether the Elect were Actually discharged of all their Sins at the time that Christ made Atonement D. W. p. 16. Antinom The Question is whether a Believer is not to look upon the laying of his Sins on Christ his full Release for I speak of an Elect Believer I say not that any other can whether Elect or no for all the burden and load of Sin was long ago laid on Christ it is not now to do Neonom Having spoken to the Question before I insist now only upon this Whether the very Act of laying Sin upon Christ on the Cross be the discharge of the Elect from all Sin Antinom You state your Questions still with great Ambiguity for what mean you by the Act of laying Sin on Christ The laying Sin on Christ must suppose and imply all things that conduced to the making him a compleat Sacrifice for Sin God's Acts and his own on God's part it 's to be supposed there was not only a charge of Christ but a discharge on Christ's part not only a Subjection to the Charge but a Suffering by way of Satisfaction not only an undertaking of the Debt but a payment I suppose you mean whether the Atonement that Christ made was in any sence a discharge unto the Elect for no wise Person will give a Discharge to a Debtor till the Money be paid or Suretiship accepted now then we distinguish of Pardon it was perfect and compleat by way of Impetration for all the Elect but it hath not an Actual Application till the Persons are in being to whom it is to be applyed and that Application in regard of the time of their Lives is according to the dispensation of Grace Now all this you seem to grant and need not put to any further Question you say Christ made full Atonement for Sin and it shall be certainly applyed you say only that a Sinner is not discharged till Application we distinguish of Discharge 1. There 's that which is Vertual and Fundamental and Real in Christ or else he could not have rose for the Charge upon him was our Sins and he must have a Discharge as a Surety and it was the Elects Discharge in the Mind of God and of Christ and really transacted But 2ly There 's a personal sensible Discharge which is at or by Application Now then in the same sence that Christ bore our Sins by Imputation as a Representative in that sence we were Discharged for the Discharge must be as large and full as the Charge to the very Person of Christ and all he undertook for or else he is bearing Sin still and the Sins of some of the Elect must be still upon him And 3ly If Christ obtained what he bore our Sins for then he had a Discharge not only for his own Person but for all he undertook for and represented and Christ having made good and full payment cannot remain undischarged for he finished the work which his Father appointed him to do Neonom But we can claim no Interest in his Atonement till we Believe Antinom A Sinner's first Ground of Claim is the Promise and free Offer of Christ in the Gospel and Faith is a laying hold upon him and receiving of him in whom is full Atonement and Pardon It is one thing to have Jus ad rem and another to have Jus in re a Child new Born or to be Born Heir of an Estate hath a good Right to the Inheritance else he could not be Heir which is previous and lyes dormant until the time of Claim and Possession and therefore the Apostle seems to speak in this way of Allusion Eph. 1.11 He saith In whom we have obtained an Inheritance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it 's grounded upon what he said ver 7. in whom we have Redemption And Dr. Goodwin saith That the Apostle speaks not there of the Redemption that we have here i. e. the Fruits of Redemption but of the Work of Redemption which Christ himself hath wrought which is the cause of all the Redemption we receive And 2dly We have Redemption in Christ as in a common Person and we have it not only when it is applyed to us but we have it in him as we had Condemnation in Adam before we were Born into the World so we had Redemption in Christ when he dyed So Dr. Goodwin on Eph. 1. Neonom It was not that Will or Purpose of God or Christ that the laying our Sins on Christ should be the Immediate Discharge of the Elect John 6.40 1 Pet. 1.2 D. W. p. 17. Antinom It was the Will and Purpose of God and Christ that upon Christ's Satisfaction for Sin he should have an immediate Discharge and all the Elect Vertually and Really in him a general Discharge but not manifested and personally applyed to particular Persons and in this sence the Elect are Discharged at and by Application and the places mentioned hold forth no more than this and this is all the Dr. saith That the Church had a general Discharge in Christ not a particular Application till Being Neonom This overthrows the whole Scheme so wisely contrived for the distribution of the Effects of his Death Antinom It may overthrow your Scheme but it overthrows no true Scheme of the Gospel Mystery Antinom Things are so adjusted that forgiving the Elect should be the Effect of Christ's Kingly Office as well as his Priestly Office Acts 5.31 1 Cor. 6.11 Acts 26.18 Antinom Christ wrought out our Forgiveness by way of Atonement as a Priest and God was Atoned and Appeased thereby and therein he also Gloriously Triumphed in his
Answer And would it be so absurd to say a Believer may be discharged before the Death of Christ were not the Faithful under the Old Testament discharged before the Death of Christ We say when the Charge of Sin is taken off from one and laid upon another there is a discharge real in one sence or another Generaliter but not particulariter here is a blotting out of Sin quoad Deum though not quoad Conscientiam Christ took away Sin by way of Suretiship before he did it Actually and so the Faithful before his Coming were saved Neonom If this Errour hold the Gospel Notion of Forgiveness by the Blood of Christ is destroyed D. W. p. 19. Antinom You mean I suppose if this be Truth No It confirms Gospel Forgiveness by the Blood of Christ but prove that it destroys it Neonom Forgiveness denotes a Person guilty it is a Judicial Act of God as Rector Acting by a Gospel Rule Antinom The Apostle saith He justifies by free Grace through the Redemption of Christ that he may appear just also in so doing because his Justice is satisfied He shews God justifies sitting on a Throne of Grace Grace is the Impulsive Cause so far as it consists in the Pardon of a Sinner but it is through the Righteousness of Christ to shew forth his Righteousness and in forgiving in and through the Righteousness of Christ he hath the high concurrence of Justice therein that as he is a Gracious Justifier so he is justified as Righteous by doing it in this way and whereas you say It 's a Judicial Act of God Acting by a Gospel Rule I think you should rather say It is a Gracious Act of God Acting according to the Rules of Justice therein for so the Apostle clearly describes it Rom. 3.24 25. And methinks you turn my Stomach to hear you give so pitiful a low and mean Title to God as a Rector as if he were but a Mayor of a Corporation or some little Earthly Prince Neonom And this supposeth the full and perfect Atonement made by Christ and the Grant made in Vertue thereof Antinom What have we been Disputing about all this while I am glad to see Mr. Neonomian's Ingenuity that now he grants all we Dispute about only differs in naming a thing you say the Atonement of the Wrath of God by Christ for Sinners which is in my sence Fundamentally and Really Pardon quoad Deum is full compleat and perfect and that Forgiveness supposeth it and the Grant made in the Vertue thereof if you had said it had been the Grant made in the vertue thereof I take it you had spoken your own sence fuller than to say it supposeth the Grant made in the vertue thereof unless you mean the Grant made to Christ as our Representative which comes more to our sence but let these Mistakes in Expression pass You seem to distinguish between a Discharge and a Discharge so do we you distinguish between an accepted Atonement for us and giving out the Grant and Patent to us and so do we between Impetration and Application and so do we between Forgiveness in foro Dei and Forgiveness in foro Conscientiae or Evangelii but as to that first I find you do not Love to call it Forgiveness though you think it carries the Nature of Forgiveness in it why should you represent me as such an Heretick to scare People from my Ministry upon the meer naming a thing by a word which by your own terms contain the Nature and Substance Neonom But Forgiveness supposeth a Person Guilty Antinom Christ's bearing Sin supposeth all the World is become Guilty before God and the Elect as well as others and therefore he became a Propitiation for Sin to God that we who are by Nature under the Law and thereby Condemned as Children of Adam and in our own Consciences and thereby guilty might receive Forgiveness of Sins or an Atonement both signifying the same thing by believing A Man is reus quoad Deum reus quoad Ministrationem Legis in Conscientiâ and in this sence shut up under the Law till Faith comes and then is his Personal and Particular Discharge through the Blood of Christ and this last I apprehend to be the Justification by Faith which the Apostle Paul speaks so frequently of neither do I say that this or that Man hath any part in Christ or Pardon any more than in Election and Redemption till he doth believe Neonom But you are of Opinion a Person is never guilty Antinom I never had any such Opinion if you distinguish right concerning Guilt Neonom You say Man that Sins were laid on Christ before we were Born and therefore never upon us Antinom How old are you Was not Christ's Death and Suffering almost 1700 years ago And do you not say Sins were laid then on Christ and if they were then laid on Christ they cannot return to us in the sence as they were taken off from us and therefore they are never upon us in the same manner as they are on those that are not Elect and this must be in respect of Guilt quodamodo some kind of guilt distinguish then of guilt there is guilt in respect of the Righteous Judgment of God in foro Dei and guilt that accompanies the Letter of the Law setting in with our Consciences and in that sence the Law worketh Wrath. Sins were laid upon Christ and they lye upon us but not both in the same Manner nor for the same End Neonom A Judicial Act by a Rule there is none Antinom What your new terms of Art mean I will not trouble my self my Scheme as you term it of Justification imports that God graciously pardons in a way of Manifestation of his Justice and all God's Acts are according to the Rule of his good Pleasure and Will and that 's enough Neonom For the Gospel Grant of Pardon is not to the Elect as Elect but as penitent Believers neither is the Atonement of Christ supposed to our Forgiveness Antinom Pardon as to the Nature of it belongs to Sinners as such eo nomine Faith and Penitency is given together with Remission of Sins and how can you have the Face to say I do not suppose Atonement in Forgiveness or belonging to it when it 's upon that account that you have fell so foully upon me because you think I lay too great a stress on Atonement and give too much to it in Forgiveness Neonom You own the laying of our Sins on Christ before the making of Atonement and without our Sins lay on Christ he could not justly be punished Antinom And do not you own that it's first in Nature to making Atonement and how could Christ be justly punished without he had the Merit upon him either by his own Sins or by the Sins of others but I find you own a Man may be justly punished that deserves it in no sence whatever Neonom So that our Discharge being a
Justitia Mediatoris not Justitia Mediatoria 2. You say this Righteousness is so Imputed to a true Believer as for the sake thereof he is pardoned I am sure by your so you mean another sence than we mean that we are only pardoned effective and that 's no more than we are sanctified and glorified for it's sake and this appears by your second Difference p. 39. where you say the difference is not Whether our Justification and all other Benefits when we are partakers of them be the Fruits of this Righteousness as the only Meritorious Cause So that you have no reason to quarrel with me for saying That through Christ's bearing of Sin we appear in perfect Holiness speaking there of Glory for you say Justification and all other Benefits flow from it therefore in the same manner as we are Justified by the Righteousness of Christ in the same manner we are sanctified and glorified i. e. effective in your sence 3. You say also pleadable for these Uses i. e. for all Uses in a like manner 4. As if they had personally done and suffered what Christ did as Mediator for them your meaning is That it 's as well done as if they had done it themselves A Man may do a thing as well as another that he doth not for another in his stead yea a Man may do a thing for another and not do it in his stead as a Taylor makes a Minister a Suit of Cloaths but doth not do it in his stead because it 's not his Business to make his Cloaths but it 's another thing for a Man to come and preach for him that is to do it in his stead because it 's his proper Work Profession and Business 5. And hereby you say they are delivered from the Curse What mean you by the Curse We shall find this Curse is not the whole Vindicative Wrath of God only Eternal Curse And for our Comfort you tell us this is all the Attonenement or meriting Price of saving Benefits that God can demand of us It 's so in our stead as that God can exact no other Atonement and so a Security from God's hurting us In a Word the Description of Imputation here that you have given is but a meer piece of Sophistry that Imputed Righteousness may be any thing for all this and we shall see by and by what you will have it be Neonom Nevertheless this Mediatorial Righteousness is not subjectively in them nor is there a Change of Person betwixt them and Christ neither are they as righteous as he but there remain Spots and Blemishes in them until Christ by his Spirit perfect that Holiness begun in all true Believers which he will effect before he bring them to Heaven Antinom Now you come to the Negative part of your Description which should have been first and having said nothing of the thing at first you tell us it 's nothing at last 1. You say this Mediatorial Righteouscess Sir is not subjectively in us I know no Judicious Divine ever talked so nor would you if you understood mediatorial Righteousness as it 's apparent you do not 2. You say there 's no change of Person betwixt Christ and them You mean that the Believer becomes not Christ nor Christ the Believer We mean so too 3. You say too that Believers are not as righteous as he you mean such a Righteousness Mediatorial 4. You basely insinuate that their Righteousness in Justification is imperfect for the Spots and Blemishes we speak of is in respect of Righteousness Neonom I question not whether Christ by his Righteousness merited for all the Elect that they should in his time and way be certainly Partakers of it's saving Effects and did not only purchase a conditional Grant of those Effects viz. That Proposition He that believeth shall be saved P. 39. Antinom It seems Christ then merited a certainty of Salvation only of the Elect I thought their Salvation was made certain by Election the Foundation of God stands sure 2 Tim. 2.19 Your meaning is Christ's Merits made our Salvation certain which in respect of Election was uncertain 2. And but certain in another way viz. Of a Conditional Grant that is not yet performed and belongs to the Non-elect as well as to the Elect and there 's yet an Uncertainty remaining notwithstanding the Certainty purchased 3. It 's very odd to say Christ purchased a Proposition and a conditional one too the Condition whereof must be something not purchased to be performed by us that we may have the Gift promised For if the Certainty depend upon the Merit and Purchase then both the Condition and Promise is purchased and then the Purchase is absolute I would know whether the certainty of the Salvation of the Elect be purchased conditionally or absolutely if purchased conditionally then this Proposition The Elect shall be saved is yet uncertain in respect of the Purchase of Christ and is but a contingent Proposition and not certain which is a Contradiction If you say Christ purchased absolutely the Salvation of the Elect all your contingent Purchase falls to the Ground But Christ purchased Persons absolutely not conditional Propositions and is he that believes shall be saved a conditional Proposition indeed Neonom Nor whether besides these Effects being made ours the very Righteousness of Christ be imputed to true Believers as what was always undertaken and designed for their Salvation and is now effectual to the actual Pardon and Acceptance to Life yea is pleadable by them for their Security and is as useful to their Happiness as if themselves had done and suffered what Christ did Antinom Gentlemen you would think that Mr. Neonomian had here owned the Doctrine of Imputation but it is nothing so he doth but sham it still Mark he says Besides the Effects of Christ's Righteousness the very Righteousness of Christ is imputed as to Effects or Effectualness i. e. Pardon and Acceptance is the Effects but he tells you not that it is the proper and immediate Righteousness he will have the Righteousness of Christ to have some Effects and is imputed as to such So that Sanctification and Glorification being Effects are as much the Imputation of the very Righteousness of Christ It 's a strange thing to confound the Cause and Effects to tell us the very Cause is imputed and presently to tell us he means the Effects This is to talk Daggers for Cause and Effect are opposita But he saith the Righteousness of Christ is what was undertaken and designed for their Salvation and is effectual and in that Sense imputed Very good so that it was a subordinate means to accomplish that end as was also Creation which was by Christ Col. 1. preaching the Gospel their Calling Sanctification hence the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness is but to give it a place in the order of means for our Salvation and in that order of means hath it's Effects But he saith there is a Priviledge by it as
well as a proper Effect it 's pleadable for their Security I would know how it comes to be pleadable is it from its own certainty to us and our Salvation by it or from our performance of the condition of the Grant if a Conditional Grant he purchased we cannot plead the certainty of our state from the purchase but very remotely after another plea first if the condition of the Grant be never so small we must first plead it before we can plead the purchase we must have a plea for the right to the purchase before we can have any plea to the Grant by the purchase Lastly he saith The Righteousness of Christ is as useful this way as any as if Christ had suffered in their stead he means i. e. a New Gospel will do your business as well as the Old and True Neonom I question not whether Christ by his Righteousness merited that Believers shall be perfectly Holy even without Spot and Blemish Antinom But you say Christ's Merits are Imputed only as to their Effects and in that sence the Merits of Christ are Imputed for Sanctification in the same manner as to Justification Neonom I doubt not but Spots and Blemishes may consist with his Justified State c. Antinom Nor I Spots as to Inherent Holiness but by vertue of Christ's Righteousness Imputed unto Justification he is without Spot before God this Righteousness hath no Spot in it but you charge it for Errour to say they are so Righteous that they have no Spot in them Neonom The difference lyes in these Points 1. Whether there be a change of Person between Christ and the Elect this you affirm and I deny Antinom I affirm there is in the true Gospel Sence not in such a forced inviduous Sense that you would put upon us Neonom 2. Whether the Mediatorial Righteousness of Christ be subjectively in us This you affirm and I deny Antinom It 's false I affirm it not Neonom Whether we be as Righteous as Christ be a proper and safe Speech This you affirm I deny though I yield that we are for the sake of his Righteousness delivered from the Guilt of Sin and entitled to Life yea accepted with God against all Excluding Bars Antinom We deny a Believer is as Righteous as Christ in respect of Justitia Meditoria the Righteousness Imputed is not that Righteousness neither is it communicable by Imputation but it 's the Justitia Mediatoris that is quasi the Material Cause of our Justification materia ex quâ you make it Imputed but in the Effect and in the best sense you make it but a cujus gratia res est and so we are Sanctified and Glorified but we say the Righteousness of Christ is the Material Righteousness of our Justification no other Righteousness or Condition coming in with it in the Imputation and that thereby Believers are as free from the Condemnation of the Law and in the Eye of Justice as Christ himself if his Righteousness had not been such he could not have arose from the Dead You say you yield that for the sake of Christ's Righteousness we are delivered from Guilt How Is it not because he bore the Guilt and satisfied for it It 's this bearing Guilt and satisfying God's Justice that we by Faith stand in and all our Guilt covered by it 's this very Satisfaction in the full Nature of it is Imputed to us You say accepted of God against all Excluding Bars This is little better than Nonsence however your meaning lyes very fair in it that our acceptance to God's positive Favour and Love is not here but elsewhere and Acceptance as to Excluding Bars is only a Negative acceptance an Acceptance and no Acceptance the removing the Bars and Obstacles to acceptance supposeth there may be an acceptance upon some other Terms It is a miserable thing that Christ's Righteousness should do no more than remove a Bar. The Apostle saith We are accepted in the Beloved Eph. 1. he should have said The Bars of acceptance are removed by the Beloved now provide for your Acceptance as well as you can Neonom Whether because Christ is perfectly Holy can we be said to be perfect in Holiness upon the account of any Imputation of his Holiness to us or we so Esteemed by God This I affirm you deny Antinom You should affirm it upon your Principles allowing no Imputation but as to the Effects of his Righteousness and I tell you in a perfect Person such as Adam in Innocence and Christ the Second Adam there is no difference between Personal Righteousness and Holiness Neonom The Question is Whether the Elect Believer before he is perfectly Holy is wholly without Spot Filth and Blemish This you affirm and I deny though I grant that those Spots Blemishes and Filth shall not subject them to the Curse and Wrath of God nor forfeit Saving Benefits Antinom We say in respect of the perfect Righteousness of Jesus Christ that is Imputed unto a Believer he is perfect and without Spot in the Eye of God's Justice and that in Christ this Righteousness is perfect Holiness and as such is theirs as in their Head Col. 1.19 21 22. Chap. 2.10 And in your Divinity you say these Spots c. shall not subject them to Curse and Wrath If so it hath perfectly freed them from the Charge of Sin in the Eye of God's Justice all their Iniquities are forgiven and their Sin covered with the Righteousness of Christ that they stand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the Throne Rev. 14. For if Justice charge them with Sin i. e. lay it to their Charge it must condemn them to the Curse and Wrath due but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect it is God that Justifieth Rom. 8.33 And then follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who shall Condemn Therefore where there 's just Accusing before God there 's also Condemning and hence though there be remaining Sins and Corruptions in the holiest Believer yet God mark◠them not so as to lay them to their Charge in the way of Vindicative Justice they are not say you subjected to Curse and Wrath. Neonom I shall confirm my Positions 1. There is no Change of Person between Christ and the Elect. D. W. p. 41. Antinom I pray what do you mean by that Position Neonom Christ was the Saviour and never ceased to be so we are saved Christ was the Redeemer and we the Redeemed Christ forgives we forgiven Antinom Imputation of Christ's Righteousness in Redemption for Justification or Forgiveness doth not denominate us Saviours or Redeemers Relata sunt contraria negantia and as they stand mutually affected cannot be converted into each other you are now upon a sure side A Father cannot be the Son in that respect as he is the Father and yet he may be a Son too and therefore relata sunt contraria quia referuntur ad idem subjectum attributionis and
though they are contraries yet do consist ex mutua alterius affectione and hence omnis integra relatio constat ex duabus partibus in respect of one the relatum is causa and correlatum the Effect In the respect of the other the relatum is effectum and the correlatum causa Redeemer and Redeemed are Mutual Causes and Effects and yet Contraries and the Contraries yet do Exist by the Mutual Affection that they have to each others Neonom What is all this to the purpose Antinom I would hereby give you to know that I understand the Logical Difference between Redeemer and Redeemed and if you knew it your self you would be ashamed to use this Argument to any Men of Learning but such studyed Divines take themselves to have such puzzling Pates that they can be dictators to all Men. Neonom It 's prophane Arrogance for us to pretend to his Prerogatives and it 's Blasphemy to debase him among their number who were Enemies and without Strength Antinom Logick failing it 's not amiss to betake your self to some high strains of Rhetorick some great words may make a Man look big but never affright Wise Men from the Truth Neonom My secâ—nd Argument is The Meditorial Righteousness of Christ is not subjectively in us Antsnom No nor by Imputation neither i. e. Justitia Mediatoria but Justitia Mediatoris is both subjectively in Christ and us Originalitèr in Christ Imputativè in or upon us we are the Subjects by your leave of Imputed Righteousness and Christ of Imputed Sin and this very subjectiveness cuts off both your Arguments at once because the very proposition that we are the Subjects of Imputed Righteousness denies our selves to be the Authors of that Righteousness and affirms another to be so my very saying that the Creditor took another's Bond for my Debt and delivered up my Bond to me upon his Payment doth sufficiently acquaint all rational Men that I not only ascribe the Payment to another Man but do affirm that his Money was accepted on my Account and if any should hear me say that I became a Surety because he paid my Debt they would think I were Mad but if I say that the Creditor took such an one as Pay-master in stead of me and his Money paid was reckoned to me no Man but would judge it very good sence besides Mr. Neonomian Neonom I do not speak of Inherent Righteousness of which he is not only the Pattern but also is the Cause and Worker Phil. 3.9 Antinom We would not mistake you you would be understood that we are the Subjects of Inherent Righteousness and I tell you so are we of Imputed Righteousness genere Imputationis Christ is not as Christ is the subject of our Sins genere Imputationis That which God Imputes to us and Faith Applies to us we are the Subjects of it for subjectum is cui aliquid adjungitur and here is a note of Conjugate Arguments wherein is Abstractum concretum modus Agendi Justus is subjectum Justitiae Imputatae and in this pair of Relates the adjunct is also the cause of the Subject which is a Logical Mystery that every unstudied Divine doth not understand As for Phil. 3.9 which you pervert and understand of our Inherent Righteousness we shall examine that anon I see you are very fond of your first Argument and every Argument must run into it like a Mathematical Principle that must clinch every demonstratâ—on such as this Three Angles of a Triangle are equal to two square Angles or that any two Lines not Parallel protracted will at last cut c. Now say you if Christ's Righteousness be Imputed to us who was a Saviour then we are Saviours and it runs thus if a Surety pays my Debt then I am a Surety if my Father pays my Debt I am thereby made a Father whether I have Children or no. If a Rich Merchant pay the Debt of a Poor Cobler and fetch him out of Ludgate the Cobler hereby becomes a Merchant A Justice of Peace takes off the Penalty from a Constable for some Fault whereby he hath forfeited his Office and therefore the Constable must become a Justice of Peace The absurdity of your Inference hence easily appears Imputation of the Action of one Party to another no way inferrs Physical Change or Individual Identity but signifies a Relative Change not of one into another but of both to the Law the Law takes the Surety for the Debtor and the Original Debtor to be a Pay-master in the Surety As the Sponsor becomes a reputed Debtor and the principal Debtor becomes the reputed Pay-master and note when we speak of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness we understand not the Imputation of his Offices as you would have us is not that the Commutation here meant by you Neonom It 's Inconsistent with the Nature of Gospel Imputation Antinom It is Inconsistent with our Doctrine of Imputation but must necessarily follow from your Notion of Mediatorial Righteousness and all your Inferences upon this Hypothesis is but Fighting with your own Shadow and therefore we shall leave you therein Canere tuis Musis your Arguing affects us not in the least Calvinist The Doctrine of Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to us to Justification and a sweet permutation of Persons in a Law sence and relation we must assent and stand by notwithstanding all your Cavils against it the Scriptures are plain and express for it and will stand as Bulwarks to defend this Doctrine against all Papists Socinians and Neonomians and because you Mr. Neonomian quote Dr. Owen would have us to believe that he is a Patron to your Notions and Men that read him not may think so from your Authority I would disabuse them and shew you now naked how diametrically opposite to you that Learned Doctor is he saith There is in Scripture represented to us a Commutation between Christ and Believers Dr. Owen of Justific p. 39. as unto Sin and Righteousnes i. e. in the Imputation of their Sins unto him and of his Righteousness unto them In the Improvement and Application hereof unto our Souls no small part of the Life and Exercise of Faith doth consist This was taught the Church in the Offering of the Scape-Goat Levit. 16.21 22. This Goat was sent away with this Burden upon him and whether he did Live and was a Type of the Life of Christ in his Resurrection or whether he perished in the Wilderness being cast down the Precipice of a Rock c. it s generally acknowledged what was done to him and with him was only a Representation of what was done really in the Person of Christ He did not transfuse Sin from one Subject to another but transferred the Guilt of it and to evidence this translation of Sin from the people unto the Sacrifice Aaron in his Confession put and fixed both his Hands on his Head Thence the Jews say That all Israel was made as Innocent on the
stood bound for Onesimus to Philemon and unless Philemon had accounted Paul's Payment or Obligation to Onesimus in respect of any Wrong sustained by him Onesimus is still peccant and an unreconciled Offender in the Eve of Philemon Now the Effects of Righteousness is the Benefits received by Imputation not Imputation it self Suppose the nearest Effects of Christ's Righteousness as Satisfaction Reconciliation Justification Adoption Imputation is cause of those Effects God is satisfied and reconciled and justifies the Sinner because he imputes and reckons to him the payment or appeasing Act of the Surety I argue then 1. That which is a Benefit received by vertue of Imputed Righteousness is not imputed Righteousness it self but God's being satisfied reconciled and Justifying us is the Benefit only of Imputed Righteousness Ergo. As to the Major That thiâ—g which is received by vertue of something else is not the same with it nay they are contraria affirmantia Now God's giving us the Benefit of Imputed Righteousness is that which doth in a way of Justice result from the said Righteousness imputed The Imputation is the Gift of Grace therefore Christ's Righteousness is first imputed and graciously reckoned ours to all intents and purposes Hence results in a way of Justice God's Satisfaction Reconciliation and the Sinners Justification Hence it will needs follow if there be no more in Imputation than God's being satisfyed reconciled Justifying I will say how comes it to pass You 'll say Through Christ's Righteousness it 's an Effect of it I say so too But how come we to have these Effects if God never reckoned and accounted Christ's Righteousness unto us either we are righteous some way or other before God declares us righteous or we are not If not it 's not a true Sentence If we are righteous we are so by our own Righteousness or anothers if by anothers it must be some way or other ours either by Communication of it essentially or by reckoning and esteeming it unto us as if it were ours but to reckon the Effect only is not Imputing of it at all Arg. 2. To say the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness is only the bestowing of the Effects is to ascribe Justification to the Righteousness of Christ in no other sence than we do Sanctification and Glorification for it is to say that Justification is but a Meritorious Benefit and so is Sanctification and Glorification for all those are purchased and procured by him Now there 's a vast difference between payment of a Debt owing and making a purchase of a new Estate it 's true Christ did both he satisfied and he purchased as for the purchase Money there 's no need it should be Imputed to us if the Estate being purchased be bestowed freely it is enough but as for Satisfaction made for our Wrong or Debt this must be reckoned and accounted to us before we can come at a Legal Discharge or procured Riches Arg. 3. To say Christ's Righteousness is Imputed to us only as to Effects is to say That there is some other Righteousness besides this for us to be Justified by for it implies that we are become Righteous by another Righteousness the Priviledge of having whereof is only procured by Christ's Righteousness and the plain truth of it the Original Rise of this Notion is only to open way for another Righteousness to come in to our Justification which is another Gospel yea not only contrary to Sound Doctrine but Radically Destructive to the true Grace and Gospel of Jesus Christ Arg. 4. If we cannot have the Effects of the Righteousness of Christ unless the very Righteousness of Christ be Imputed to us then the Righteousness of Christ is Imputed otherwise than in Effects but we cannot have the Effects of the Righteousness of Christ c. The Consequence of the Major is so clear it needs no proof I prove the Minor we cannot have the Effects of the Righteousness of Christ unless his very Righteousness be Imputed The Reasons are 1. Because our Offences will stand in the Eye of Justice and we shall remain unrighteous having no Righteousness of our own nor any of another reckoned to us For we can be Righteous no other way but by our own or by anothers and Christ's Righteousness signifies nothing as to us if it be not placed to our account and hence being not made Righteous by it can never be Sanctified c. 2. We can have none of the Effects because they all proceed from Love of Reconciliation unto Sinners now the Enmity being not taken away by Satisfaction there is no Reconciliation and therefore we cannot possibly partake of the Effects of Christ's Righteousness Arg. 5. To say we have only the Effects Imputed is to deny Imputation for the Effects are not ours by Imputation but Personally and Really as suppose Justification God doth not Justifie us by Imputing Justification but really upon Imputed Righteousness 2. If Christs very Righteousness be not Imputed or Accounted to us in Justification some other Righteousness must for God cannot Justifie a Sinner without accounting him Righteous by some very Righteousness either of his own or of anothers 2. I prove that the very Righteousness of Christ is Imputed Arg. 1. That Righteousness that satisfied the Justice of God for our Offences is Imputed unto us but the very Righteousness of Christ satisfied the Justice Ergo The Major is very evident for if A do pay Money for B and D to whom it is due accepts it in discharge of B's Debt then D doth place it to B's Account and gives a Receipt accordingly to A as having paid him so much for the use of B. As for the Minor that the very Righteousness of Christ satisfied the Justice of God for us it appears 1. By his Intention in giving himself for us and God's accepting of us in him as his Beloved 2. Because if God be satisfied for our Breach of the Law it can be no other Righteousness that could do it it must also be the very Righteousness and not the Effects now that which God was satisfied with upon our account is accounted to us for if it be not accounted to us it is not accepted for us our Debt stands still and the Hand-writing against us 3. If the very Righteousness of Christ do not satisfie no Effects of Righteousness can for nihil dat quod non habet Arg. 2. That Righteousness which Christ our Advocate pleads for us is Imputed to us But Christ our Advocate pleads his very Righteousness for he entred in with his own Blood and pleads those very Sufferings and that payment upon our very account Heb. 9.14 C. 10.19 20. C. 7.25 Arg. 3. That Righteousness which answers all the demands of the Law on behalf of a Sinner is Imputed to Justification but it was Christ's very Righteousness answered all the demands of the Law in Active and Passive Obedience Rom. 10. Ergo Minor there 's nothing that the Law expects expresly as to
him P. 47. Antinom It would take up deservedly some Paper to shew the Error and Sophistry of what you have spoken The Summ is that you deny Christ to be a publick Person and that all that Grace and Fulness that is in him by reason of the Hypostatical Union of both Natures and that Unction without measure which he received was only to qualify him singly and for himself as an Individual Person and not to be conveyed and communicated unto us and therefore none of his Fulness is received by us that the Spirit not his Spirit Neither do we live by vertue of our Union to him as a Root Head Fountain but if we partake of the Divine Nature as the Apostle Peter Eph. 2. ch 1. saith We are made Gods If we partake of the Vertues of Christ we rob him and they are no more in him You abuse the Similitude of Husband and Wife used by the Apostle Eph. 5. and would make it run on Four Feet You consider not that Adam and Eve at first was the true Type the Apostle aims at to represent Christ and his Church by Eve being taken out of Adam had her Nature in him first and was created out of him and so was Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone You must distinguish between the Individual Person and Qualification of the first Adam and his publick Capacity Headship and common Nature he had a peculiar distinct Person and Habits belonging to it as such but he had also a common Nature communicable to his Wife and to his Posterity by Propagation not only Eve's Nature but ours was in him radically And therefore the Prophet Malachy saith that God made but one at first Mal. 2.15 though he had the residue of the Spirit and could have made more as he did in the Creation of Angels but therefore one that he might seek a Seed of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now this Seed of God was found in the Seed of the Woman that was made out of Man and was but one as Adam was made but one common Person so Christ and the Church his Wife is made out of him created in him as Eve was and have a Nature common in Christ And doth it follow that because Adam had the common Nature to Eve and his Posterity 1. That his Individual Qualities were communicated taken from him and given to Eve Was Adam turned into Eve Was Adam's Wisdom Holiness his Natural or Moral Vertues taken from Adam and given to her or them The common Nature of a Genus is communicated and propagated by Individuals without robbing the Individual Mankind is propagated daily by Individuals yet those Individuals lose nothing of their proper Adjuncts If Men were not Strangers to Logick and Natural Philosophy and ordinary Terms of Law they would not make so much ado about this common Nature of Christ which in him is Mystical and Transcendent I shall not here enlarge but enquire what is the Opinion of the Protestant Divines Calv. Dr. Davenant I pray speak in this matter what your Sense is Dr. Davenant on Col. 1.19 1. There was in Christ a fulness of habitual Grace neither take we this to be Infinite seeing it was a created Qualitas and inhered in the mind of Christ which also was a Creature it could not be infinite but by fulness of Grace we understand all those Perfections to which the Nature of Grace doth extend it self 2. We consider why Christ ought to have a fulness of Grace 1. E Debito congruitatis it was due to him in a way of meetness by reason of his Union to the Word 2. It was meet that which was nearest to the influencing Cause should partake most of the Influx 3. There was Debitum necessitatis It was necessarily due from the Supposition of the End by reason of the Habitude or relation of Christ himself to the Humane Nature for Grace was conferred upon him not as a private Person but as an universal Principle from whom it is transfused into other Men you say it 's not by Transfusion p. 47. All things ought to be full and in an oneness The Evangelist shews that Grace is diffused to us Eph. 4.7 And on Colos 2.10 1. To be compleat in Christ 1. Is spoken from the Effect Christ is not only perfect in whom dwells all the Fulness of the Godhead but he makes us perfect and compleat we having all things in him and his Doctrine necessary to Salvation 2. The Second Reason is taken from his Office Christ is the Head As to the first We have perfect Wisdom right Knowledge of the Doctrine of the Gospel John 17.13 1 Cor. 2.2 2. We have compleat Righteousness for Satisfaction to the Law of God and for our Sins 3. In Christ we have Sanctification or inherent Righteousness For what is Sanctification other than the washing away of our Errours and Vices whereby we are set at a distance from God and the Susception of Gifts and Graces whereby we may draw nigh to God in his Service And this is done as we stand united to Christ by his Spirit Rom. 1.4 ch 8. 9. In eo non ex eo aut per eum solummodo In him not from him or by him only but he saith We are compleat in him to give us to understand that we have that foresaid Wisdom Righteousness and Holiness not as we behold Christ as existing far from us but as we are incorporated in Christ as we have Christ abiding and dwelling in us and we have this Grace from Christ not the Stream from the head Fountain for it 's not needful that he that will drink of a Fountain should go into the Fountain But it 's otherwise here for we cannot receive of Christ's Fulness unless we are in him As the Old Adam is in us as the cause of Corruption and Death so the New Adam dwells in us as the Cause of Righteousness and Salvation So we are said to be in Christ to dwell in him to abide in him John 15.4 5. Whatever therefore Men hope or please themselves with of Grace Righteousness Sanctification or Glorification it will prove a meer Mock and Dream if they be not in Christ and Christ in them And now Christ is in us and we in him when we are united to our Head and grafted as Branches into the Vine by the Bond of the Spirit and Faith wrought by the Spirit in our Hearts Rom. 8.9 John 3.36 Calv. Speak to this Point Dr. Horton In that Text Rom. 8.2 There are three Terms before us There 's Life the Spirit of Life there 's the Law of the Spirit of Life 1. By Life we are to understand the Grace of Holiness and Sanctification not that which is inherent in our Nature being regenerate but the full and perfect Holiness which is in the Humane Nature of Christ as the proper Subject of it this is the Fountain from which there is a continual flowing of Grace to all that are truly
God unto Salvation but not as the Cause this were to change the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works our good Works are the effects of Grace the Reward of good Works are a Reward of Grace Good Works are necessary to Salvation as the Way not as an Instrument or Cause Faith is necessary to Salvation as an Instrument The Active and Passive Obedience of Christ is necessary as a meritorious Cause Calvin Mr. Antisozzo I pray do you now speak impartially to this Point Antisozzo I think I have met with his Scheme before now and as I take it it runs thus and the Question that lies before us is this What Influence the Sacrifice of Christs Death and the Righteousness of his Life have upon our acceptance with God The Gentleman that I once disputed with stated the Question so and resolved it as follows Antisozzo p. 580. All that I can find in Scripture about this is That to this we owe the Covenant of Grace That God being well-pleased with the Obedience of Christ's Life and the Sacrifice of his Death for his sake entred into a new Covenant with Mankind wherein he promises pardon of Sin and eternal Life to those who believe and obey the Gospel I think this is exactly your Scheme Mr. Neonomian Neonom Yes and something more D. W. p. 8. viz. That the Gospel barrs all Vnbelievers and dead Sinners from Pardon and Adoption and denounceth the continuance of Condemnation against them limiting it's Benefits to such as believe Antisozzo This Scheme contains three things 1. A Description of the Covenant of Grace 2. An Assertion that this Covenant of Grace is owing to the Sacrifice and Righteousness of Christ 3. A Supposition that this Righteousness and Sacrifice of Christ hath no other Influence upon our acceptance with God but that for his sake he enrted into such a Covenant with Mankind 1. His Description is this A Promise of the pardon of Sin and Eternal Life to those who believe and obey the Gospel Neonom You will not I hope deny this to be a true Description of the Covenant of Grace Antisozzo But I will for all your hast It is a Description so liable to Exceptions that it describes neither the whole of the Covenant nor a New Covenant nor upon the matter any Covenant at all Neonom If you prove what you say Eris mihi magnus Apollo I 'll strike out your Name from my Book and if I can be convinced I must subscribe yours Antisozzo You shall see what I can do presently 1. This Description gives us very little of a true Covenant of Grace For 1. Tho you think to put us off with a Promise of Pardon and Life to those that believe and obey the true Covenant of Grace hath given us a Promise of that Faith whereby we may believe and of that New Heart whereby we are enabled to obey the Gospel And First We have the Promise of the right Faith in the true Covenant John 6.37 Eph. 1.8 And least it should be said Faith is a common Gift as other things are the Apostle hath his reply ready Eph. 1.19 Secondly We have a direct and express Promise too of that New Heart from which we give to God new Obedience Ezek. 36. Ver. 26 27. c. 2. This Description gives but very little of the true Covenant of Grace there 's a Promise of Pardon and Life to them who believe and obey but Perseverance in Faith and Obedience is left to the Desultory and Lubricous Power of Free Will whereas in the true Câ—venant of Grace there 's an Undertaking that the Covenant shall be immutable both on God's part Jer. 32.38 4. God hath said He will not turn away from doing them good And 2ly He hath promised That they shall not depart from him c. p. 583. 2. As it describes not the whole of the Covenant so it describes not the Nature of a new Covenant 1. It describes no New Covenant in opposition to the Old Covenant of Works The Covenant with Adam promised Life upon condition of Oâ—edience and those Commands as easie as those now given to Mankind and much easier too if we consider Adam's Natural Strength 2. We are told by you that Christ hath added to the Moral Law i. e. to the Moral Duties required by the New Law Faith and Repentance which is to lay more Load on those that were overcharged before So that as you make Covenants Adam's was much the better Covenant of the two but you have wisely shuffled in a Promise of the Pardon of Sin which may seem to give this Covenant a Preheminence above that of Adam But that will not mend the matter both because it 's better to have no Sin in our Natures than such a Remedy better to have no Wound than such a Plaister and also because the Promise of Pardon as you say is suspended upon the condition of Faith and Obedience which without a Supernatural real Influx of immediate Divine Power reduceth the Promise to an impossibility of Performance 2ly This Covenant described is no new Covenant in opposition to the Old Administration of the Covenant of Grace there were the same Promises then that we have now the same Moral Precepts that we have now Though the Word Gospel come in for a Blind yet the Apostle assures us the Gospel was preached to Abraham 3. Upon the matter it 's no Covenant of Grace at all p. 584. For 1. A Promise of Pardon and Life upon condition of believing and obeying is neither better nor worse than a Threatning of Condemnation and Death to them who believe not and obey not It may with equal right be called a Threatning of Death as a Promise of Life It 's no more of Grace than a Covenant of Wrath And therefore 2ly If it be lawful to consider Man as the Word of God describes him dead in Sins and Trespasses It 's no Covenant at all to him For what is the nice difference betwixt the Promise of Life to him that obeys when it 's certain before-hand he cannot obey and no Promise at all c. Neonom Well Sir pray let us call another Cause Do you argue like a Voucher to my Book Mr. Calvinist he is a sharp Man and he doth this only for Argumentation sake he is of my mind for all this Antisozzo No do not you believe that you wheadled me in to vouch for your Book I know not how but I shall stick the closer upon your Skirts for that I have not done with you yet Calvin I will then propound one Question to Mr. Antisozzo Whether the Covenant of Grace be owing to the Sacrifice of Christs Death and so be distinct from that he calls the Covenant of Redemption Because our time now is up speak only what your Judgment is in this Point Antisozzo Mr. Neonomian I must tell you I have narrowly pryed into this Paradox That the Covenant of Grace is owing to procured by and
Question if it be not Faith it self that is meant The Context is so far from relieving our Understandings that it contributeth to our unavoidable Deceit and Ignorance Read over the Texts and put but Christ's Righteousness every where instead of the word Faith and see what a Scandalous Paraphrase you will make the Scripture is not so audaciously to be corrected Calvin Now I shall shew you how by the Orthodox Protestants this Doctrine of Neonomanism hath been opposed as Antichristian and Destructive to the Grace of God Pemble's Treat of Justif c. 2. p. 164. fol. The Learned Mr. Pemble gives the Anatomy of this Doctrine after that he had shewed that Faustus Socinus Michael Servetus Christophorus Ostodorus and Arminius were the Forgers next to the Jesuits and Propagators of this Doctrine Armin. saith he branches out his Opinion in three distinct Propositions 1. Justitia Christi Imputata nobis Christ's Righteousness is Imputed to us 2. Justitia Christi non Imputata in Justitiam the Righteousness of Christ is not Imputed for Righteousness 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere Imputatur in Justitiam Believing it self is Imputed for Righteousness We now meddle with the last more roundly expressed Ipsum fidei Actum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere Dito Imputari in Justitiam Armin. Epist ad Hippolitum idque sensu proprio non Metonymecè The same is the Opinion of his Fellows the Remonstrants of Voetius Peter Bertius Episcopius c. with whom Bellarmine agrees in the Interp. of Rom. 4. de Justific c. 17. lib. 1. In summ their Opinion runs thus God in the Legal Covenant required exact Gbedience of his Commandment but now in the Covenant of Grace he requires Faith which in his gracious estimations stands instead of that Obedience to the Moral Law which we ought to perform Which comes to pass by the Merit of Christ for whose sake God accounts our imperfect Faith to be perfect Obedience This Assertion exactly Neonomianism and in place thereof we defend this Proposition God doth not Justifie a Man by Faith properly imputing unto him Faith in Christ for his perfect Obedience to the Law and therefore accounting him Just and Innocent in his sight which we prove by these Reasons I 'll but name them 1. We are not Justified by any Work of our own though given by Grace but believing is an act of our own Ergo not by believing The Major is manifest by Scripture which teach we are saved by Grace Eph. 2.5 Tit. 3.6 Rom. 11.6 The Minor is evident that Faith is a Work of ours for though John 6.29 Christ saith this is the Work of God c. yet our Adversaries will not conclude thence that Faith is God's Work within us and not our Work by his help for they 'l say It 's not God believes and Christ repents c. They have two shifts 1. We are not Justified by any Work of our own done by our own strength but by the Aid of Grace A. This distinction of Works done without Grace and Works done by Grace was devised by one that had neither Wit nor Grace being a trick to elude the force of such Scriptures as exclude them indefinitely to our Justification c. Wherefore it s without all ground in Scripture thus to Interpret these Propositions A Man is not Justified by Works i. e. by Works done by the Power of Nature before and without Grace A Man is Justified by Grace i. e. by Works done by Aid of Grace 2. They say We are not Justified by any Works of our own i. e. by any Works of the Law but by a Work of the Gospel such as Faith is we may be Justified by there 's no ground in Scripture for this distinction nor in reason for both tell us that Works commanded in the Law and in the Gospel are one and the same for the substance of them Luke 10.27 Deut. 6.5 What Sin against the Gospel that is not a Transgression of the Law Is Charity one doth not the Law command it Is Faith one doth not the Law enjoyn the same Obj. But it commands not Faith in Christ A. It doth for that which commands us in general to believe commands us to believe whatever God shall make known to us Arg. 2. God only accounts that perfect Righteousness of the Law which is so in deed and in truth but Faith is not the perfect fulfilling of the Law Ergo Here our Neonomians will except and say They differ from the Arminians in saying That Christ only hath merited that our Imperfect Righteousness shall be accepted instead of perfect which hath worser absurdity in it as shall appear Arg. 3. We are not Justified by two Righteousnesses existing in two divers Subjects but if we are Justified by Christ's Righteousness and the VVork of Faith we are Justified by two Righteousnesses existing in two Subjects Ergo. I shall only leave with you the Opinion of the Orthodox Protestants concerning Justification by Faith who have strenuosly opposed the Papists Socinians Arminians and Neonomians in this Point He is Justified by Faith who excludes the Righteousness of VVorks Calv. Instit lib. 3. c. 111 de Justific fidei and apprehends the Righteousness of Christ wherewith being cloathed in the sight of God he appears not as a Sinner but Justified So that we Interpret Justification simply an Acceptance whereby God doth account us for Righteous Ones who are received into his Favour and we say That it i. e. Acceptio Acceptance is placed in the Remission of Sins and Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ Justification hath two parts Remission of Sins and Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Mr. Perkins in the Order and Causes of Salv. c. 37. p. 81. Remission of Sins is that part of Justification whereby he that believes is freed from the Guilt and Punishment by the Passion of Christ Colos 1.21 22. 1 Pet. 2.24 Imputation of Righteousness is the other part of Justification whereby such as believe having the Guilt of their Sins covered are accounted Just in the fight of God through the Righteousness of Christ 2 Cor. 5.21 Psal 32.1 Rom. 4. tot cap. Phil. 3.8 9. The form of Justification is as it were a kind of Translation of the Believers Sins unto Christ and again Christ's Righteousness unto the Believer by a Reciprocal and Mutual Imputation Justification is the Gracious Sentence of God whereby for the sake of Christ apprehended by Faith Ames Medul c. 27. he absolves a Believer from Sin and Death and counts him Righteous Rom. 3.22 24. § 17 18. Christ is the adequate Object of Faith as it justifies Faith also upon no other account justifies but as it apprehends that Righteousness for which we are justified and that Righteousness is not in the Truth of any Axiom to which we give Assent but in Christ alone who was made Sin for us that we may be the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Hence those Sermons in
should have excepted some and reserved them for good Works but as to those Essential how comes it that a Man can have no more than is of a contingent Proposition the Judgment whereof is Opinion Neonom Nor whether it be the Influence of the Spirit that we are Holy Obedient and enabled to every good Work D. W. p. 125. Antinom Nor would it have been the question if Adam had persevered in the performance of the Conditions of the Law Covenant he would have done all by the Influence of the Spirit Neonom Nor whether it is for the sake of Christ's Merits and Incense and of Free Grace that any Grace or Duty of ours is rewarded or becomes the means of any Benefit these I affirm Antinom Yes for it was through these Merits and Grace that God would suffer us to try for Life in another Covenant of Works he might have taken the advantage of our breaking of the first Covenant as he did upon the Fallen Angels but Christ hath Merited and Grace hath been so far free as to set up another Covenant of Works that we may try for it once more as for your affirming or denying it signifies not much Men that are used to speak always with Mental Reservation will resolve Cases of Conscience like the Oracle of Apollo that you 'll come from them as wise as you went Neonom Nor whether any Holiness internal or external any Obedience Work or Duty do at all Merit the Promise or is the Meritorious Cause of Righteousness for which any promised Mercy is bestowed this I deny Antinom It seems you abdicate the word Merit but if it be an Honest Reward as due Debt it is as good the Catholicks will bate you the word if you allow the thing though you put a Fools Coat upon it Neonom I own that all is of Gift though given in an Order suitable to our condition in a state of Tryal Antinom So was Creation and Created Holiness in Adam and God's taking him into Covenant in an Order suitable to his Condition in a state of Tryal but you see what his Tryal came to We are miserable if our state in Grace be such a state of Tryal Neonom Nor whether the Law be a Rule of Duty This I affirm and you too though you deny any Threatning or Promise to back God's Law as to the Elect. D. W. p. 126. Antinom We affirm it to be not only a Rule of Duty but to stand in full force as to all its Promises and Threatnings that it still promiseth Life to perfect Obedience and threatens Death to the least Disobedience in all without distinction therefore we deny not Threatnings and Promises to back God's Law as to the Elect. Neonom Nor whether the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy this you own but you place it wholly on the Decree and Christ's Care Antinom Gentlemen observe now after all this noise he owns that I say the Elect ought to be Holy and will be Holy but saith I place it wrong can I place it better than on Christ's Care I think in all our Fears and Doubtings we should cast all our Care upon him by believing his Truth and Faithfulness in the Promise because he careth for us and hath said He will never leave nor forsake us I desire to have no better Security for Holiness and Perseverance in it than the Love of God and the Care of Christ is this a fault Neonom You deny that God hath required as it indispensibly necessary to our Inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect. Antinom In your sence I do and if you stand so much on those Terms I shall justly call them into question so far as is necessary in my sence by works you here chiefly understand as I take it works after Faith and Repentance are such Works indispensibly necessary to the Inheriting any Blessing promised to the Elect Is not Union with Christ Faith c. Blessings promised to the Elect What Works was done before and after the Saving Union with Christ if they were indispensibly necessary how could Infants be saved And how do they Inherit Blessings that Repent and Believe just before they go out of the World And how came the Thief upon the Cross to be Saved Neonom You judge Christ hath done all for us and enjoineth nothing for us to do in order to any good thing Antinom He hath done all in the way of Covenant Condition and doth not admit us to be Rivals or Partners with him in our best Works and how can I think that he enjoineth us nothing when I own we ought to be Holy and shall be Holy From what should it be but from Christ's Commands and Care to furnish us with Rules Principles and Strength to be Holy Doth he not work in us to will and to do Neonom Nor whether a Penitent Believer shall be saved if he die before he hath time for further Obedience Antinom Then your indispensible Necessity falls to the ground and it seems the first Law of Grace will save a Man and the second is not indispensibly necessary nay it may be a kindness to die upon the fulfilling the condition of the first Law by Faith and Repentance before he comes to run the risk of fulfilling the Condition of the second Law by persevering Works lest he lose all again I am glad I have done with your Whethers let 's come next to your Neithers for we are as wise as we were before about our Question Neonom I 'll tell you then the real difference Whether Faith and Repentance be indispensibly required that we may be Justified for the sake of Christ's Righteousness Antinom Gentlemen do but take notice how fond he is of his first Justification by Works which we dispatcht t'other day and do declare we are not Justified by Faith and Repentance in your Sence and that to be justified by Faith and Repentance as Conditionating Federal Qualifications though Merited by Christ is downright Popery whether you call such Conditions Merits or no and therefore in affirming it you assert Popish Doctrine and that will stand to though all the Divines in Town affirm it with you and if what 's done already will not be enough we 'll have t'other touch upon that Point when you please Neonom It 's whether Holiness or sincere Obedience and Perseverance are the Way to Heaven and are required of the Elect as the Conditions of their obtaining Salvation Antinom You should have told us what you mean by a Way whether the first way or second Remote or next Antecedent or Consequent Conditions what Salvation you mean whether the Salvation of Justification Sanctification or Glorification there 's as much reason good Works should qualifie us for the Salvation of Sanctification as for Justification and Glorification how comes it to pass that all Salvation is not obtained the same way If we must obtain Salvation by good Works we must do good Works before we are
of the Gospel is the Righteousness of another the Righteousness of God in him of another in another 2 Cor. 5. last Now take this for a Rule What Righteousness soever it be that justifieth a Man with God it must be perfect whether it be a Righteousness of the Law or the Gospel Again it must be his own Now that it is our own it is not meant as if the Gospel Righteousness was not ours tho' it be not our own originally yet it must be ours derivatively from Christ it is not our own being in us but it is ours by Imputation imputed or accounted to us it is not our own by Works but it is ours by Faith it is not our own of our selves but it s ours of God Neonom Hold not too much of that Doctrin you make us to be as Righteous as Christ This Doctrin of imputing the very Righteousness of Christ to us I cannot down with it 's Christ's Righteousness but it cannot become ours but in the effect Mr. R. V. But I say the Righteousness we stand upon must be perfect and it must be ours legal Righteousness is perfect if a Man fall by one Sin whether in doing or misdoing the Ladder is broken On the other side the Righteousness of Christ it is perfect if it be not perfect it cannot be Righteousness 't is made a Sinners by Imputation by Faith in Christ p. 162 163. Neonom My whole Book is to prove this Man's Doctrin to be false Mr. R. V. Come on then Mr. Reonom I will come to the Demonstration That there are but two sorts of Righteousnesses and by this Point I must drive you and every Man up into a corner for a Man must be brought to a choice of one of them and if he standeth upon one of them which is by the Law he falleth the Point will drive you to a necessity of Christ and Faith Now that there are but two will appear thus The Righteousness of the Law and the Righteousness of God are described named distinguished Rom. 10.6 7 8 9. and Chap. 11.3 Now mark in Scripture you find these Phrases and Expressions Grace free Grace Christ or Redemption of Christ the Promise or the Gospel Faith the Righteousness of God you may find all these upon one File ranked together Neonom Ay but I value one if joined with a Duty and Benefit before all those according to my Logick Mr. R. V. On the other side you shall find the Law Works our own Righteousness Debt our Wages by Debt Boasting and Glorying these make another File There 's no third all must come under one of these Files if it be one it 's the Righteousness of God by Faith of Christ if it be the other it 's the Righteousness of the Law by our own Works By this 't is plain that there are but two sorts of Righteousness And consider the two Adams were certainly but two common Roots and the foundation of two Covenants the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace Neonom Stay there I deny all that Doctrin Mr. R. Vines But I 'll go on The Adams being two consequently the Covenants are two and consequently the Righteousnesses are of two sorts and no more p. 164 165 166. You confound Law and Gospel learn the difference between Law and Gospel it is of the greatest Consequence most useful to the Conscience of Man in the World to the settlement of an Estate in regard of Life and Salvation to his Soul Law promiseth Life and Salvation to the Doer upon condition of perfect and perpetual Obedience The Gospel freely promiseth Justification to every one that believeth in Christ Neonom But this believing is doing Mr. R. V. This Gospel Righteousness excludeth Works as any cause in the World by which you should be justified with God Many will be looking for good Tidings from the Law which is only brought to you as the Olive-leaf in the Mouth of the Gospel p. 167 168. Doct. These two sorts of Righteousnesses are inconsistent and opposite the one to the other not having mine own but having the Righteousness of God The Scripture is full of their Oppositions and Contrarieties for if you mark it 's said to be of the obedience of one by which we are made Righteous not the obedience of two viz. mine own and Christ's together but one directly see Rom. 5.21 And do you see every where a plain Opposition between Faith and Works the Law and Faith Works and Grace Doth there not come a But Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 16. chap. 5.4 Rom. 9.31 32. See how they are opposed 1. It is excluded as Matter of our Righteousness with God for that which is the Matter of our Righteousness with God is the Obedience of Christ Now to bring your own Righteousness into this place as the Matter of your Righteousness with God is to mingle your Obedience with Christ's So it 's not the Obedience of one but the Obedience of two 2. It 's excluded as the Motive to move God if you bring your own Righteousness into this place you mingle it with free Grace Rom. 3.24 if you make it any Motive you must bring it into the place of Jesus Christ 3. It 's excluded as the Instrument which should receive the Righteousness of God if you bring it into this then you bring it into the place of Faith for Faith is only the Hand that taketh hold of the Gospel Righteousness therefore he saith the Righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ Now if there be no room for these three it followeth 't is thrust out a Doors pag. 171 172. Neonom Then you may thrust me and my Book both out of Doors for it hath been my Design wholly throughout my Book to establish this Righteousness of our own these three ways 1. To join it with the Righteousness of Christ in Justification under the Name of subordinate Righteousness and a Condition c. 2. To foist it into the Grace of God as a Motive under the Name of Meetness 3. To give it the same place and nature in Justification as Faith in that I make Faith to justifie as its doing and as a working Condition Mr. R. V. Out of this Description we shall take up four Points 1. They that are in Christ have Righteousness with God there 's an Emphasis in the words they that are in Christ have the Righteousness the only Righteousness c. The Papists say We have Righteousness by Works we say we have it by Imputation yet they that have this Righteousness by Imputation have it truly and they are made Righteous by it pag. 176. They have this Righteousness with God mark they have that which sets them right with God into a state of favour and acceptation that which dischargeth all Guilt and Condemnation They have that which freeth them from every Charge every Endictment every Sentence of the Law of God they have that which setteth them into Friendship and