will end in their Damnation And so Conscience hath no just Accusation in Hell or here as for any sinning against Mercy nor do they owe God thanks for any XLVI Whereas God hath made through Christ a general Act of Grace or Gift of Christ Pardon and Life eternal to all the World on condition of fiducial Acceptance of it as a Free Gift and commanded the Offer of it to all and will doubly condemn the final Refuser and by this Gospel-gift as his Instrument pardoneth and justifieth the believing accepters These men deny the very being of this Gospel Act They deny it to be either Christ's Law or Covenant or Grant XLVII They hold that Christ in our stead did all that the Law bound us to do as if he had been a Husband a Father a Souldier c. XLVIII They say That Christs satisfaction by Sacrifice was the the sâ—lutio ejusdem the payment of the same debts of suffering that was due to us and not properly satisfaction which is Redditio aequivalentis or tantidem alias in dâ—biti as if he had suffered death Spiritual by loss of Holiness and the torments of Hell by an accusing Conscience and the hatred of God XLIX They say That by the Imputation of his Righteousness habitual and actual we are judged perfectly Just that is such as have no sin yet he suffered in our Person for our sins which we are reputed never to have L. They say That the Inherent and Active Righteousness which consisteth in our Faith Repentance Love and sincere Obedience wrought by Christ in us doth not Constitute us Righteous in Subordination to Christs meritorious Righteousness in any part or degree that is that it is Righteousness that in tantum maketh no man ever the more Righteous than if he had it not q.d. Albedâ— quae non fâ—cit album or Patâ—rnitas quae non constituit Patrem not distinguishng universal and particular Righteousness LI. They talk of Justification in meer ignorant confusion not knowing the various senses of the Word or the divers parts of the Work They deride that distinctions which no reason can deny they confound Justifying Efficiently Justifying Constitutively Justifying Virtually by the Gospel-Gift or Law of Grace Justifying by Eâ—iâ—eâ—ce Justifying by Witness Justifying by Plea and Advocate Justifying by Judicial Sentence and by Execution They set the Causes against each others as if it were a thing that had but one Cause when they meet with the word used for Senâ—e and Justification by decisive Judgment they Exclude all the included and supposed Acts that is making Men just Efficiently constitutive Matter and Form or Subject and Relation the Gospel Donation and Condonation and all such previous Acts And when they have done not knowing what they affirm or deny they only cry up the name of Christs Righteousness Imputed not knowing what Imputation is nor what sort of Cause Christs Righteousness is whether Efficient or Material or Formal by Constitution and and think its true Meritorious Causality is too little And in their description excluded sentential decisive Justification which they had denominated it to be making it to be only the Donation of Christs perfect Righteousness as in its Essence to be ours and so joyning the efficient and constitutive Causes yet leaving out the Instrumental Efficient which is the Gospel Donation or Covenant-Gift and calling Faith the instrumental Cause which is no Efficient Cause but a Moral Reception of the Free-Gift and a Moral Qualification as a Receptive Condition for our Title to the possession And whereas God never Judged a man Righteous till he had made him Righteous they say That to Justify is not to make Righteous but to judge Righteous and yet describe judging by making Yea and exclude the sentential Justification at the day of Judgment thinking that it is all perfectly at our first Justification Sentenced As if God the Father Christ as King or Prophet the Holy Ghost the Covenant of Grace Faith had no hand in our Justification but Christs Righteousness imputed only LII They talk much against being Justified by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere the Act of Faith and when they have done ignorantly are the maintainers of it against those that deny it For when we say that Faith doth not Justify us as that Phrase signifieth Efficiency but that we are only said to be Justified by it as signifying a Receptive Condition or Qualification they say that it Justifieth us as an Instrument which is an Efficient Cause And it is the very Act or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere or nothing which they call that Instrument And thus they make a War against themselves while they ignorantly accuse they know not what LIII They blindly take Paul by Works to mean all humane Acts when as 1. The whole scope of his disputing is against Justification by the Worâ—s which are set in opposition or competition with Justification by Christ and by Free Grace such as the Jews thought the keeping of Moses's Law was which is the Law that he doth all along speak of 2. And he expresly describeth the Works that he excluâ—eth to be those that are supposed to make the Reward to be of Debt for the value of the Work and not of Grace And do they know any Protestant that is either for Justification or Salvation by any such Works or for the being of any such 3. And is not Faith a humane Act And doth not Paul most plainly and frequently say we are Justified by it And did he call Faith Works LIV. But to answer this they erre as grosly saying that by Faith imputed for Righteousness and our being Justified by Faith is not meant the the Act or Habit of Faith but the Oâ—ject Christ's Righteousness not sticking hereby to turn all such Texts into worse than Nonsence Put Christ's Righteousness instead of the Word Faith in all those Texts and try how it will run And why is Faith named if it have no part in the Sense They say That it Justifieth not as a Work I say it Justifieth not efficiently at all much less as a Work in Paul's sense that maketh the Reward to be not of Grace but of Debt Nor doth it Justify as an Act in genere for then a quatenâ—s ad omne every Act would Justify nor yet as a meer good Act or Work For then every good Act would Justify as it doth But we are Justified by 1. This Faith in specie which is our Fiducial Reception of Christ. 2. And that as it is formally made by God the condition of our participiation of the Gift which is Christ and his Justifying Meritorious Righteousness Christ is not instead of Faith and Faith is not instead of Christ It is Christ believed in and received and not Christ without belief and reception And when they say That it is the Object and not the Act they multiply the Proclamations of their undistinguishing ignorance unskilfully pretending to distinguish For the Object Christ
XVIII Of the distinction of sides quâ—â— and fidâ—s qua Justiâ—icaâ— what it meaneth Cont. XIX Whether we are Justified by the Law of Innocency saying obey perfectly and live Cont. XX Whether by works Paul means acts in genere or what sort of Acts. Cont. XXI Are any works of man meritorious Cont. XXII Is obedience a part of Justifying Faith Cont. XXIII Is any more necessary to the keeping or not losing our Justification than to its beginning Cont. XXIV Is Pardon and Justification perfect the first moment Cont. XXV Is nolâ—e punire or non punire not punishing true pardon Cont. XXVI Is future sin pardoned before Cont. XXVII Is any one punished for pardoned sin Cont. XXVIII Is punishing one that Christ died for unjust punishing one sin twice Cont. XXIX Are regenerate believers under any guilt of any but corrective punishment or should ask pardon of any other Cont. XXX What is it to be judged according to our works Cont. XXXI What Law is it that Paul calleth the Law of works which cannot justify Cont. XXXII How and why it is so called Cont. XXXIII What is Pauls drift in his disputes about Justification Cont. XXXIV What is the drift of James Cont. XXXV Mâ—st a believer any way plead his Faith Repentance or Holiness to his Justification or trust to them Cont. XXXVI Hath Justification and Salvation the same conditions Do those works save us that do not justify us Cont. XXXVII Have we any Justification against false accusations of Infidelity c. Cont. XXXVIII Doth faith justify as a righteousness or any personal righteousness in subordination to Christs Abundant Scripture proof of the affirmative Cont. XXXIX Is Gods accepting Christs righteousness for us the imputing of it Cont. XL. Whether Christs sufferings merit Eternal life for us seeing the Law said Do this and live and not suffer and live Cont. XLI Whether Christ being the end of the law for righteousness prove that Adams first law justifieth us as fulfilled by Christ Cont. XLII Whether the sufferings of Christ merit our freedom from nothing but what he suffered in our stead Cont. XLIII And so whether Christs sufferings merit not our freedom from habits and acts of sin which Christ had not Cont. XLIV And so whether his sufferings redeem us from Spiritual death seeing we suffered it and not be Cont. XLV Is this the reason of our deliverance from the curse of the law because we suffered the equivalent of everlasting Hell Fire in Christ Cont. XLVI Is it true that Christs active obedience only meriteth Heaven for us and therefore that only meriteth Sanctification Cont. XLVII Is it true that Repentance can be no condition of Justification because it followeth it Qu. XLVIII How can faith and repentance give a right to the righteousness of Christ which must first give us that faith and repentance Qu. XLIX Is it true that we must be practical Antinomians unless we hold that only Christs Active righteousness merited grace and glory for us Qu. L. Is this proved by Rom. 7.4 The Conclusion A Breviate of the Doctrine of Justification Pr. 1. WE must first agree what Righteousness is Righteousness is formally a Relation And therefore must have the definition of a Relation I need not tell Schollars what that is 2. The subject of this Relation is first mens actions and habits and their Titles and Rights and then their Persons as the subject of these 3. Righteousness is a Relation to the Rule or Law And is an Agreeableness thereto If it be Gods Law it is Righteousness before God If but mans it is but humane Righteousness 4. As a Law hath two parts the precept and the retribution of reward and punishment so there are two sorts of unrighteousness and righteousness As to the precept Obedience is Righteousness and Sin is Unrighteousness As to the Retribution Right to Impunity and to the promised Reward is the Persons Righteousness and so contrary 5. Righteousness materially is either 1. Particular in some one cause or few causes 2. Or Vniversal and perfect in all causes 6. Righteousness particular is either in some small matter that we are not made happy by 2. Or in some great cause which our happiness dependeth on 7. The first Law required personal perfect constant obedience on pain of death and so justifieth none without it 8. Adam was the Father of all mankind from whom they spring but he did not so represent the Persons of all that were to spring of him as if his obedience without their own would have justified any of them at age If Adam had not sinned Cain should have been condemned if he sinned and so others 9. The first Law being broken man was made uncapable of either part of Justification by it either as one that sinned not or as one that was not by it to be condemned And so it was no more to him a Promise or Covenant of Life the Condition being now become impossible and so no condition and the threatning becoming as a Sentence 10. This Law neither gave mentioned or owned any Surety Substitute or Mediator 11. But the blessed Lawgiver our Creator would not so lose his Creature but the eternal word presently interposing undertook mans Redemption and God gave man a new Law of Life or a Covenant of Grace promising him a Mediator in the fullness of time and giving him freely for his sake both pardon of his sin and right to Life on the Terms of Grace therein prescribed and commanding him future obedience especially in the reception of his Grace and use of the means of Grace appointed him 12. This Law of Grace was made to Adam the lapsed head of all mankind and so to all mankind in him And it was renewed to Noah in the same capacity so that all fallen mankind was put under this Law of Grace in that first Edition of it made to Adam and Noah And were neither left lawless nor utterly desperate as under the meer damning violated Law which now no more offered Life to any the condition being become of natural impossibility God is not to be supposed to say now to sinners If you be not Sinners you shall liâ—â— when it 's known that they are 13. Abraham being eminently righteous according to this Law of Grace and Believing a special promise of God and not withholding his only Son in his obedience to his command God made with him moreover a Covenant of peculiarity superadded to the common Law of Grace In which he chuseth out his Seed as a peculiar Holy Nation from whom the Meâ—â—iah should come in whom all the Nations of the Earth shouâ—d be blessed This promise was renewed to Isaac and Jacâ—b Gen. 26.4 5. Because that Abraham obeyed my Voice and kept my Charge my Commandments my Statutes and my Laws 14. This Covenant of Peculiarity with Abraham nulled not the common Law of Grace made to mankind nor was it ever nulled or abroâ—ate but perfected after Though men make themselves
sigâ—s that must coâ—fute them for our Justification And the Judgment is not to be managed as at a human juâ—icature by talking it out with every Person but by an universally convincing Light that at once can shew every man in the World his own partâ—cular case as in it self it is not Sigâ—s not Riâ—htâ—ousnâ—sâ— that hath the promises of Râ—wâ—rd And there is no Righteousness that so far maketh not a man Righteous and so far Justifiable XCI They some of them say that we shall need no Justification against any false Accusation For who should accuse us Christ will not Consâ—ience will not and Devils say they will have something else to do And they know that false accusation will be in vain before such a Judge The sum of this is that there will indeed be no day of Judgment and no Justification by decisive Sentence yea and no Salvation for actual Glorification will be a Sentence manifested by Execution which Mr. Lawsâ—n thought was called the Judgment And if no Judgment then no Judge no Reward no Condemnation and no Punishment If any Judgment there must be Persons and a Cause to be tryed and judged 1. The Cause of that day will not be whether Christ be a sufficient Saviour or have made sufficient satisfaction It is not for Christ to judge himself It is not to judge God whether he elected us It is not to judge whether we were of the Seed of Adam or whether we ever sinned Or whether the Law of Innocency condemn us And our sin deserve everlasting Punishment There is no justifying us against any such Accusation It must be all confess'd we were the sinful Children of Adam we deserved Condemnation But the Cause will be 1. Whether we are lyable by Guilt to future Punishment And against this our Pardon justifyeth us 2. And whether we have Right to the Heavenly Inheritance And in this the Gospel-Donation Covenant or Promise justifieth us and both thro' the Merits of the Sacrifice and Righteousness of Christ 3. And the other part of the Cause of that day is whether we have part in Christ and the Merits of his Righteousness In which our Faith and God's Covenant will justifie us 4. And the Question being Whether this Faith be that which had the promise and not a Counterfeit the description of it by its Acts and Part and not only by adventitious Signs must be our justifying Evidence The faith that hath the Promise is essentially Christianity or a Covenant accepting of God the Father Son and Spirit of Christ as our Teacher Priest and King by affiance expressed in assent consent and subjection And all that is essential to this yea the necessary integrality and modification have their parts in being the Cause of the day And as to the Case of Accusation 1. A Virtual Accusation by the Law which we have broken and condemneth us requireth a Justification if there were no more 2. The Glory of Christ's Merits Righteousness and Grace requireth a Justification of us against our real Guilt 3. And is not Satan the Accuser of the Brethren and that before God And did not his Malice so work against Job though God contradicted him It is certain that sentential and apologetical Justification relates to Accusation virtual or actual and Condemnation Who shall condemn us it is God that justifieth us And if we are not justified against false Accusations we shall never be justified against any But we all confess that we are made righteous efficiently by Grace and constitutively by Righteousness in despight of all Satans true accusations and against all our own unworthiness ungodliness antecedently and guilt and that before all Works and Perseverance save a true accepting Faith in Christ But if we shall in judgment be decisively deâ—lared righteous by that which constituteth us righteous of which no knowing man herein can doubt God judging all things truly as they are then certainly will men by decisive declaration be judged righteous as being pardoned and adopted by the Merits of Christ and qualified by true Faith Repentance and Obedience for that Guift XCII They absurdly hold that to be justifâ—ed as to the sincerity of our Faith from the charge oâ— Hypocrisie or unsoundness it is not the Justification of the Person A contradiction that I am ashamed to be long in confuting Is it the Faâ— and not the Person that is to be judged Is it not as it is the Persoâ—s Faith What is it to â—â—stifie his Faith but to justifie him to be a true â—elieving Christian and so to be an Heir of the Prâ—mise The necessâ—ry qualifâ—cation of Faith 〈◊〉 â—t be operative is as truly a part of the condition of the Promises as that Faith be Faith indeed Indeed some sound Divines say That Faitâ— justâ—fiâ—th us as sinnâ—rs and Works justifiâ—th our Faith as â—câ—usâ—d Believers But they never meant thâ—â— by justifying our Faith it â—ustiâ—eth not our Persons But that we are at fâ—rst coâ—stitutâ—d just and adopted upon the â—â—ndition of a consentiâ—â— covenanting Fâ—ith bâ—fâ—re we hâ—ve time to sheâ— it by outward Works and that we are contiâ—ue and judged jâ—stified and intitled â—â— Liâ—e oâ— condition of our Performance of the Essentials â—f oâ— Covenant XCIII Thâ—â— hold thâ—t we are justified â—â— the sâ—me Law or Câ—vâ—â—â—â—t of Innocency which condemneth â—â— Because â—ay they we have fulfilled it in and by Câ—â—â—â—t falsly as is aforesaid supposing that Câ—râ—st was either such a Surety as wâ—â— in the same Bond diâ—jâ—nctively with the principal or else that the principal man was allowed to do his Duty or â—ear his Suffering by another And so they deny the Gospel-Covenant and Gift which is that indeed which justifieth us by the way of Redemption falsly supposing that the very damning Law doth justiâ—e us by way of Prevention as innocent as having fulfilled it in Christ XCIV They suppose that Christ will not judge and justifie us acâ—ording to any Law by which he governed us but only by declaring his absolute Deâ—ree and Will giving no Reason of his Sentence from the cause of different performance or â—on performance of the Persâ—ns jâ—dged and so that Judgment is no act of Moral Government or of Reward contrary to all the Scripture XCV They falsly suppose that Paâ—â—â— of siâ— iâ— no Justification constitutive or senteâ—tiâ—l Because say they that doth but save us from Punisâ—ment but to be Righteous is to be by imputation such as have kept all the Law and so hâ—ve never sinned But we have no such Righteousness aâ— they thus feign when the Question is whether we are sâ—nners We must confess it and â—ot plead that we have no sin But when the Question is whether we are to be condemned Pardon is oâ—r Righteousness and having the Pardon of all sin original habitual and aâ—tual of omissiâ—n and commission we are in stâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 pâ—â—â—uâ—â— and if thâ—◠〈◊〉 enough to intitle uâ— tâ— Glory Aâ—option added to it is And so 〈◊〉 Riâ—ht is â—â—stiâ—â—â—d XCVI
explaining in what sense Christs Righteousness is imputed to us and how not 3. And do they tell us with any agreement what Righteousness of Christ they call Imputed Some say only the Passive some also the Active Some also the habitual and some also the Divine Much less agree they to what Effects it is imputed and how far 4. Also the name of Faith is used without a due and true explication of their meaning One by Faith meaneth not Faith but Christs Righteousness Another calls it an Instrument and yet denieth it to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere that is the Act of Faith indeed as if any thing else was that instrument Another saith it is but one Physical act and not like contracting a Moral complication of many Physical Acts One saith it is but one Act and all other Acts of Faith he that looketh to be Justified by denieth the Doctrine of Grace or true Justification and so leave men to despair because they can never tell which that single is and how to escape the damning Doctrine of Justification by works One saith it is the Understandings assent Another that it is the Wills recumbency or trust One saith it is only Faith in Christ that Justifieth and not in God the Father or the Holy Ghost One saith it is only Faith in Christs Priestly Office and not in Christ as Prophet or King some say it is not Faith in his whole Priestly Office either his Intercession or Heavenly Priesthood but only in his Sacrifice and Obedience Another that it is only the trusting on his Imputed Righteousness Another that it is none of all these but only the belief that we are already Justified by Christ One saith we are Justified only at once by the first numerical Act of Faith and never by any after Act Another that an Act of the same Species continueth our Justification And this confusion is from the vain fantasy of men that will divide and mince and yet will not sufficiently distinguish and know not that by Faith is meant our becoming Christians and continuing such 5. So they talk loud against Works in the Case of Justification and know not what either Paul or James or Christ meaneth by works But they dream that Works and Acts are of the same signification As if every humane Act were that which Paul meaneth by works contrary to his express explication And so to be Justified by Faith must be to be Justified by Works One saith we will grant Justification by Faith if you take it aright to be a going wholly out of our selves and denying all our own righteousness and going to Christ and his Righteousness alone But is their chosen Metaphor of Going out and Going to an Act or no Act If an Act than it is works if they may be believed If no Act then their meaning is we confess that you are Justified by Believing if you do not believe You are Justified by Faith if Faith be nothing and by coming to Christ if you come not to him or it be nothing Such is the sence of these Confounders and Corrupters But these and many such mistakes are to be opened in their proper place That which I here intend is not a confutation of this or that writer but to give them a breviate of my own Judgment who will not read what I have largely written in many books long ago pretending that the length of the books is their reason and yet have not so much conscience as to suspend their censures no nor their back-biting false accusations of that which they have not leisure to understand or read They judge hard cases which they never digested by any answerable Study and Scruple not Judging and Slandering perâ—ons unheard Corrupting the Gospel and so excellent a Subject as the Doctrine of Grace and of the Office and Merits and Judgment of Christ and so of Christianity it self is a matter that conscience should more tenderly fear than wearing a Surplice or kneeling at the Sacrament or communicating with a Church that useth the Common-Prayers To think those unworthy of their Communion that use such Ceremonies or forms of prayer and at the same time to prophane so high a part of the name of God as is his Grace in Christ and his Justifying Governing and Saving works and this quoad verba by corrupting it even in Essentials and then to defame as erroneous those that are not as Ignorant and Erroneous as themselves and to foment malice and errour and Sects by such lying defamations This is a Nonconformity which I earnestly desire that no man that loveth Christ or Free grace or the Church or his own Soul may ever take for his duty or his honour or rashly as a sequacious admirer of any mistaken leader be ever guilty of What is straining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel if this be not And of how ill a constitution is such a blind and partial conscience I shall here study brevity and first explain the Doctrine of Grace and Righteousness and Justification in some self-evident Propositions And next briefly resolve about fifty doubts or Controversies hereabout THE CONTENTS 1. THe nature of Justification explained Controv. I. Whether it be an Immanent Act in God and from Eternity Cont. II. Whether the Covenant of Grace be made only with Christ or with us also Cont. III Whether the Covenant of Grace have any condition required of us Cont. IV Whether our performance of the Condition efficiently justify us Cont. V. Whether we are justified by Christs righteousness imputed to us And whether the Scripture say we are Cont. VI. In what sense is Christs Righteousness imputed to us Cont. VII What Righteousness of Christ is it that is ours and imputed to us the Passive the Active the Habitual or the Divine or all Cont. VIII Whether Christs Righteousness be the Efficient Material or Formal cause of our Righteousness or Justification Cont. IX Whether the Vnion between Christ and believers be not so near as maketh them the same Subject and so the Accident of Christs righteousness to be ours in itself Cont. 10. Are we not so righteous by an Vnion with Christ as we are sinners by our Vnion with Adam Cont. XI Is not Christs Righteousness ours as our sins were his by imputation Cont. 12. Doth Christs Righteousness cause our Sanctification in the same sort of Causality as it causeth our Justification Cont XIII Is it faith itself that is said to be imputed to us for Righteousness or only Christs or Christs Righteousness Cont. XIV Whether Grace be Grace and free if it have any condition Cont. XV. Whether Repentance be any condition of Pardon and Justification and to affirm it do not equal it with Faith Cont. XVI Whether faith justify us as a meritorious cause or as a dispositive cause of receiving Justification or as a meer condition or an Instrumental cause Cont. XVII Is Justifying faith an act of the understanding or of the Will Cont.
uncapable of the benefits 15. God useth none of fallen mankind according to the severity of the first Law but givâ—th to all men undeserved forfeited Mercy and bindeth them to use some means for their recovery to repent in hope and to receive and thankfully use the measures of mercy which he vouchâ—â—â—eth them And all men shall be judged according to that edition of the Law of Grace which they were under and the receiving and using the Grace or Mercy which was given or offered them 16. When the peculiar Seed was formed into a Nation God gave them by Moses a peculiar Law which exempliâ—ied the Holiness of the first Law but had the Promises and Grace of the second with the peculiar additions and plainlier pointed out the Messiah to come but by a way of operous Ceremonies and severe Discipline suitable to their rude minority 17. In the fulness of time Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost in a Virgin and being God and Man aâ— made by the Will of the Deity was made a Subject under a Law peculiar to himself according to his peculiar works and this Law given to our Mediator had three parts 1. That he should perfeâ—tly obey the Law of Innocency so far as it was fitted to his case and overcome the Tempter 2. That he should perfectly keep the Law of Moseâ— so far as it agreed to him 3. That he should perfectly do all that was proper to the Redeemer in being a Sacrifice for sin clearing and publiâ—hing the New Covenant sealing it by Miracles rising again instituting his Word Sacraments and Ministry ascending giving the Spirit interceding in Heaven c. his promised reward being the success of his undertaking the saving of his Church and his Glory in the glorifying of God the Father This is the peculiar Law to the Mediator 18. That which is called The Covenant between the Father and the Son is this Covenant made to and with Christ Inâ—arnate and the fore-decâ—â—eing thereof with the Prophecies of it If there be more it is past our reach 19. Christ perfectly fulfilled all that he undertook and this as the second Adam not a Natural Root but a Voluntary Sponsor Not our Substitute or Servant sent by us but chosen by tâ—e Father and sent by him to do all his Will for Mans Redemption 20. As he took the common Nature of Man so the sins of all and not only of the Elect were the causes of his sufferings and said upon him and the fruits of his sufferings and merits were some common and some peculiar to the Elect. 21. He being not as Adam our natural Parent was not meerly by natural generation to convey his benefits to the Redeemed but by such means as he should chuse and Man consent to even by a holy Covenant or Contract being also his Doctrine and his Law in several respects which Covenant having great and precious Promises is Gods Instrument of Donation and Condonation and our title to all the blessings promised by which God doth give us right to Pardon and Salvation This Law of Grace is the Rule of our duty and the Rule by which we shall be judged 22. This Law or Covenant giveth a Conditional Pardon to all in the tenour of it with Adoption and Right to Life Eternal But actual Pardon and Right accrueth to none till the Condition be performed which is to be Believers or their Infant seed dedicated to God by Covenant Consent 23. This Condition is not that we our selves make God amends or satisfaction or give him any thing that hath any merit in Commutative Justice or do any kind of work which shall make the reward to be of debt and not of grace But it is the Belief of and Consent to the Covenant of Grace and the Believing Acceptance of the gifts and grace of the Covenant according to their nature and 〈◊〉 their proper use and is the same thing which is to be professed in Baptism which is the solemnizing of this mutual Covenant and in which God the Father Son and Holy Ghost do give themselves to us for grace and glory and we give up our selves by consent to him believingly accepting his grace and penitently renouncing the lusts of the flesh the world and the Devil and so are sacramentally invested in a state of Justification Adoption and Spiritual Life 24. The profession of this Faith and Consent in Baptism maketh men visible Christians and Church members and true heart consent in Faith maketh men Living and Justified Members 25. This belief and consent or performance of the Condition is not the Efficient Cause of our Pardon or Justification but is the necessary 〈◊〉 position or qualification of the Receiver in the very nature of the Act suitable and needful and by Divine Institution and Promise made the Condition and acceptable 26. Though we are not capable Receivers of Justification till we thus penitently and believingly consent yet when we do so it is the merit of Christs Righteousness by which we are justified For the Covenant of God is but his Instrument by which he giveth us Christ to be our Head and Life in and with him and so giveth us Justification as procuâ—â—d by his Merits 27. Justification is a word of many senses sometimes it signifieth making us righteous sometimes the Law or Covenants virtuâ—l judging us righteoâ—s it being the Rule of Judgment sometimes Gods esteeming us righteous in his own mind sometimes for a Justifying by â—vidence or Witness sometimes by â—poloâ—y of an Advocate sometimes by the Sentence of the Judge and sometime for the Execution of that Sentence But the notable special sorts are three Making just â—udging just and Vsing as just And they that will dispute of Justification and not tell in what sense they take the word do but abuse their time and talk 28. No man is judged righteous by God that is not first made righteous 29. He that is made righteous is justifiable in Judgment and virtually justified in Law 30. No sinner is made righteous as to the Preceptive part of the Law of Innocency it being a contradiction to have been a sinner and no sinner 31. Pardon of sin doth not make the fact done to be undone or not done nor the sin to be no sin nor not to have deserved punishment But it remitteth the punishment and the fault so far as it inferreth punishment because of the merit and satisfaction of the Mediator and delivereth the sinner from that which he was bound to suffer by the violated Law 32. To make a man righteous before God that hath sinned all these things must concur 1. He must have a Mediator that must answer the Ends of the Law that condemneth him and so meriteth his Justification 2. This Saviour must make him a Pardoning and Justifying Covenant to convey the right of the purchased benefits to him 3. He himself by grace must perâ—orm the Conditions of that Covenant accepting the free gift believingly according to its
nature and use 4. Upon this the Covenant by virtue of the foresaid Merit of the Mediator must effectually justifie him 33. Though we have no Righteousness of our own that is so denominated by the Law of Innocency yet have we a Righteousness to plead for our Justification from its Sentence which by our Mediator was performed to it by which the Law-giver hath received satisfaction and we must have the personal subordinate â—ighteousness required by the Covenant of Grace 34. All that are made righteous are esteemed and judged righteous and used as righteous 35. Pardon of Sin and Right to Life are not that Righteousness which answereth the Precept of the Law But they are that Righteousness which justifieth us against the Accusation that we are not to be saved but to be damnâ—d 35. Christs Perfeâ—â— Obâ—diâ—nce to the Law of Innocency exempteth uâ— from the necessity of perfect obedience to it and from all duty of obeying it as the condition of life But he did not Repent and Believe in obedience to his own Law of Grace to exempt us from the necessity of Repenting and Believing which we must do our selves by his grace or perish 36. To make a man righteouâ— implieth that he was before unrighteous But to judge him righteous supposeth him to be righteous yet either accused of unrighteousness or accusable Justification here supposing either actual or virtual Accusation 37. The Law is the Virtual Accuser but that speaketh nothing but truth viz. that we sinned and deserved damnation Satan is the Actual Accuser and the Father of Lies 38. We shall not be justified by denying the true Accusation of the Law but by denying the false Accusation of Satan That we are sinners must be granted and that our sin deserved Hell But that we have no part in Christ that we are unpardoned unreconciled sinners that we are unbelievers impenitent unregenerate unholy or hypocrites must be denied or we perish As also that hereupon we ought to be damned and not to be glorified 39. By this it is very plain how far a man must be justified in Judgment by his own personal Righteousness and also how to understand Matth. 25 â—nd all the descriptions of the last Judgment and the Reasons there assigned of the Sentence and what it is to be Justified or Condemned by our words and to be judged according to our works or what we have done in obedience or disobedience to the Law of grace and what is meant in James by being justified by works and not by faith alone For though Christs righteousness is to be then honoured it is not his part but ours that is by him to be Examined and Judged And it is the Law of Grace by which we must be judged which prescribed us the Conditions of Pardon and Salvation The performance of which must therefore be the cause of the day to be Examined and Judged 4. To justify a mans Right to Salvation is to justify the man when his right is the thing tried Therefore the causes of our Right to Salvation are necessary causes of our Justification All this is plain and I think not by a Christian to be denied And is not here enough to be the matter of our Christian peace and concord in this one point of Justification But we are not so happy It is a greater number of Controversies that the teachers of Christians have raised about it than many hours will serve to handle I will name some that are too many and yet far from all and give you my sense of them plainly and briefly that you may truly understand the matter and me Cont. 1. Passing by all the old quarrels about Christs Person by the Arrians Nestorians Eutychians Monothelites Phantasiastae and abundance more about Justification it self the first that I shall mention is that which a few great and worthy men have unhappily raised Whether Justification be not an Immanent act in God and so eternal This they assert and I deny There is nothing in God but God Nothing therefore that hath beginning and end but all is Eternal But Relations and Extrinsick denominations and also Effects may begin and end The world was not from Eternity God did not make it from Eternity nor was the creator of it from Eternity in proper speech And yet no Act as it is in God had beginning or end for it is God himself But Gods Essential will or word is not called creating till it actually create So is it in Justification Nothing is new in God besides Relation and Denomination but much is new by and from God Justification is a transient act of God It is the act of his Covenant and his Judgment and Execution Therefore he that saith Elect Infidels are Justified from Eternity Contradicteth Gods word that saith we are justified by faith and till then are under Condemnation Cont. 2. Whether the Covenant of Grace be made only with Christ or with us also The first is put into a Catechism where I am sorryer to find it than in Maccovius Cluto Cocceius and Cloppenburgius The Covenant made with Christ is not the same that is made between Christ and us and which we celebrate in Baptism It is not only Christ that is baptized but all his members And baptism is the mutual Covenant We are the receivers of the Relation to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and we are the Promisers the word Restipulation is too presumptuous If we are not Covenanters we can be no Covenant breakers nor have right to the benefits of such a Covenant It is the same thing that in several respects is called a Law and a Covenant And if we are not under Christs Law we are Lawless or not his Subjects Deny Christs Law and Covenant to us and you will subvert all Christianity and deny the rule of Judgment and Justification Cont. 3. Whether the Covenant of grace have any condition required of us Ans Here we first shew our weakness in contending about the word Condition while we agree not of the sense though till men made a difference on this ill occasion there were few words that men were more agreed in of such a Subject And the word we must use hath no other name that I remember which our Grammar hath taught us to call such Conjunctions by as If is but Conditional nor any other name that Law and Civil use hath taught us to call the thing defined by but CONDITION without circumlocution uncouthness or obscurity The common definition of Lawyers is that it is Lex addita negotio quaâ— donec praestetur eventum suspendit It is in our case the Mode of the Law or Promise requiring a Duty or Moral Act or qualification on the presence or absence performance or non-performance whereof the Law or Donation annexeth or suspendeth the event This is a Condition as it is in the Law or Covenant or Promise being but its Modus But as it is in the person and performance it is
either the Objectiors speak de nomine or de re If but of the Name One they shall call it One if that will please them and let them only distinguish the Parts of that One If they â—ill say that the Covenant made by the Father with the Mediator and the Law made for him are one and the same with the Covenant made by the Fatâ—â—â— and Son and Holy Spirit with us and that our Baptismal Covenant is no Covenant but only a part of the Covenant of which that with Christ aforesaid is another part I will not use their phrase but let me understand them that it is only the Name of One or Two that they contend about and we will fit our words accordingly I think on several accounts they are to be called Divers Covenants If they dislike it let us enquire whether the various Precepts of one Covenant make not various duties to Christ and to us and whether the various Promises of it have not various Conditions some to be performed by Christ and some by us Our present Question is Whether that part of the Covenant which promiseth and giveth Pardon of sin Justification Adoption and right to Glory have any Condition as the Modus of the gift We will rather follow them in unmeet terms than leave them thence a pretence to confound names and things and hide their errour by the confusion All Divines ancient and modern reformed and and unreformed that I know of agreed with us in the conditionality of the said Promise and by the form of Baptism shewed the Churches consent till Maccovius in Holland and Dr. Crispe and other Antinomians in England began to subvert the Gospel on pretence of magnifying the freeness of Grace and yet they durst never attempt to alter the Form of Baptism as this Opinion will require Contr. 4. By what hath been said the fourth Controversie is already resolved viz. Whether our performance of the Condition of Justification doth efficiently justifie us Some say because we say that Christ doth not justifie us till we perform the condition by believing that therefore we make our own Faith or performance to justifie proximately and Christ but remotely and so to do more than Christ to our Justification Ans 1. As to the phrase Scripture saith that we are justified by Faith that word not signifying an eâ—â—â—ciency but a receptive qualifying condition but it never saith that Faith doth jusâ—ifie us much less thâ—t we by it justifie our selves Our performance or Faith is no efficient cause but as to two parts of our Justification it hath a twofold Office 1. As to our Justification by the Merits of Christs Righteousness against this charge that damnation is due to us for sin our Faith is the Condition of our Pardon and Justification that is the moral qualification which God hath made necessary to make us capable receivers of it As laying down Arms and taking his Pardon thankfully may make a Rebel capable of Pardon but doth not pardon him if the pardoning Act say This shall be the Condition And by his Pardon he is justifiable against the charge of being liable to death 2. But as to the subordinate part of Justification against the falâ—e charge that we are no believers nor repent and so have no part in Christ here our own Faith is the very Matter of Righteousness by which we must be in tantum so farâ— justified As truth and innocency is against every false accusation And to say that because Christs Merits justifie us not before and without our Faith and performance of the Condition therefore our Act justifieth us more than Christ or efficiently at all is a thing unworthy of an answer being below the thoughts of an intelligent Disputer How much the capacity or incapacity of the Receiver doth as to all the various changes in the world both physical and moral when yet efficiently it doth nothing is not wholly unknown to any sober thinking man As the same sun-shine maketh a Weed stink and a Rose sweet so the same Act of Oblivion or conditional Justifying Law or Covenant doth justifie the capable and not the uncapable though no mans Faith doth effect any part of his own Justification Mr. Troughton and such others denying Faith to be the Condition of our Justification by the Promise hath drawn me to speak the largelier of this Contr. 5. Whether we are justified by Christs Righteousness imputed to us and whether the Scripture say so Ans The Scripture oft saith that Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness and that is Faith in Christ And it saith that Righteousness is imputed or reckoned to us that is we are reckoned or reputed righteous Rom. 4.11 22.6 And that sin is not imputed that is not charged on us to punishment or damnation Rom. 5.13 4.8 Psal 32. v. 2. 2 Cor. 5.10 The words of Imputing Christs Righteousness to us I find not in Gods Word and therefore think them not necessary to the Churches peace or safety But as for the sense of those words no doubt but it may be good the Papists themselves own them in the same sense as many Protestant Divines profess to use them as I have proved Contr. 6. In what sense is Christs Righteousness imputed to us Answ It is accounted of God the valuable consideration satisfaction and merit attaining Gods ends for which we are when we consent to the Covenant of Grace forgiven and justified against the condemning Sentence of the Law of Innocency and reconciled and accepted of God to Grace and Glory Q. But did not Christ represent our persons in his Righteousness so that it is imputed to us as ours as if we our selves had been and done what he was and did as righteous Ans This being the very heart of all the Controversie should be decided only by Scripture and nothing added or diminished That Christ is the second Adam and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sponsor Surety or Interposer and a Mediator between God and Man that suffered for us the just for the unjust a price and a sacrifice is all found in scripture Wise and peaceable men here will be as fearful of humane Inventions and Additions as in Discipline or Ceremonies at least But because all are not such we must speak to men as they are There are several sorts of Sureties or Sponsors Few represent the very person at least not all If men will needs impose on us their own word of Representation for peace sake we accept it in a sound sense In a limited sense it is true that Christ represented us that is he suffered in our stead that we might not suffer He obeyed and was perfectly righteous as Mediator in our Natures and so far in our stead as that such perfect Righteousness should not in our selves be necessary to our Justification But he did not absolutely represent us he was not our Delegate Our persons did not in a Law-sense do in and by Christ what he
did or possess the habits which he possessed or suffered what he suffered Nor doth God account us so to have done for that were to mistake I have rendred a multitude of reasons to prove this in my Treatise of Justifying Righteousness The contradiction is enough that we are accounted never to have sinned because Christ never sinned and yet we are accounted to have suffered or satisfied for sin because Christ did so or at least that we need a pardon by his blood and must ask for pardon and must suffer correcting punishments and long be without necessary grace and glory when yet we are accounted never to have sinned but from birth to death to have fulfilled all Gods Law in Christ I have fully proved that this Doctrine subverteth the sum of all the Gospel and Religion to which I refer you Contr. 7. What Righteousness of Christ is it that is ours and imputed to us the Passive the Active the Habitual or the Divine or all Answ Divines are here fallen into four Opinions I. Many of our most famous Divines say that it is only Christs sufferings that are imputed to us as our Righteousness to Justification being Justitia Meritâ— the rest being Justitia Personae to qualifie Christ to merit for us Thus Paraeus Scultetus Wendeline Beckman Vrsine Piscator Olevian Camero with his followers and many more These are far from thinking that we fulfilled all the Law in Christ or are righteous because he fulfilled it II. The second sort think that the Active and Passive Righteousness are imputed to us as our Righteousness III. The third sort are for the Passive Active and Habitual imputed IV. The fourth think so also of the Divine which is the Deity it self for there is nothing in God but God Andrew Osiander is for our Justification by the Divine Essence but I think rather by Communication than Imputation Thus hath our weakness distracted and disgraced us But Mr. Bradshaw truly noted that if the sense of Imputation were well agreed of the rest might well be reconciled viz. that no Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us in the strict sense of Representation as if we our selves were legally accounted to have been done or suffered what Christ did was and â—uffered But in the just sense of Imputation all is imputed to us that is Christs Habitual Active and Passive Righteousness fulfilling his own part of the Covenant advanced in dignity by the Union of the Divine nature and perfection was the true meritorious cause of our Justification and not any one of these alone Cont. 8. Whether Christs righteousness be the efficient material or formal cause of our Righteousness and Justification Ans It s pity that poor people must be thus tempted with Controversies of Logick But what remedy Christs righteousness as materially and formally his merited our Justification But for the accidental relation of righteousness in Christ to be the accidental relation of righteousness to every believer is impossible unless the Subject be the same If Christ be the believing sinner and as many persons as there be such or all these be the same person with Christ then his individual righteousness is formally theirs else not For as noxa caput sequitur so no accident is the same numerically in various Subjects They that deny this wanted but the same advantages to have believed Transubstantiation and renounce the common principles But that Christs righteousness is the meritorious cause of ours is past doubt And therefore they that affirm and they that deny it to be the material cause which is the common Doctrine of Protestant disputers do but differ about a name For if Adam had merited his own glorification had not his works been both the meritorious cause and the material that is the matter of that meritorious righteousness And why may we not say so of Christ It is therefore the material because it is the meritorious that is the meriting matter For righteousness being a Relation hath strictly no matter but a Subject And Christs Acts and habits were the first Subject of that righteousness of his person whose merit justifieth us But the believer is the Subject of his own personal righteousness thus merited by Christ It 's pity that holy things should be brought down to such Logical trifling but more pity that Church teachers that will do so should abuse them by their ignorance in their own way The matter of the righteousness which meriteth our Justification from the Laws damnation of us is Christs own righteousness unless by the matter you mean the Subject person But the matter of our subordinate righteousness is in and of our selves of which anon Cont. 9. Whether the Vnion between Christ and believers be not so near as maketh them the same Subject and so the accident of Christs righteousness to be ours Ans So some think but this tremendous mystery must not be rashly and profanely handled In a Union Specifick of humanity all mankind is one with Christ that is of one Species of humane nature And so that which is predicated of one as such is predicated of the other In a Political Vnion Christ as the head and the Church as the body make one Society as parts constituting the whole And so whatever is predicated of a part meerly as a part is predicable of both But that which is predicated of the whole as a whole is properly predicable of neither alone And that which is predicated of the Head as a head is not predicable of the body nor that of the head which is proper to the body nor that of one member which is proper to another But some things by way of Communication may be predicated of the whole for the sake of a part So the Church is called sinful and imperfect for our sake though Christ be not so And it is eminently holy and glorious because Christ is so that is secundum quid But no Vnion will make us righteous and personally happy by anothers righteousness and happiness unless it were a personal Union natural or Legal at least as to Relative rights The question then is whether every believer be one person with Christ And if so whether one natural person or one Legal as a lawful vicarius is They that hold the first plead that the same Spirit that is in Christ is the same divine nature and maketh us one natural person But where doth the Scripture say so The Sun is not one Individual with every Plant that it quickeneth nor every plant with it A nettle or rose is not the Sun nor is it the illuminater of the World that maketh day c. But they have so much from the Sun as it communicateth and no more So we are not Christ nor the Eternal and Natural Son of God nor infinite in Wisdom and Goodness nor perfectly just and glorified as Christ is But we have from Christ so much of the Spirit as he communicateth And nothing is ours meerly because it is his and
which must be done by our selves and though without him we can do nothing yet by him we must believe and be new Creatures and by him that strengtheneth us we can do something and must work out our Salvation while he worketh in us to will and to do The purchase then and Donation is by Christ but the voluntary acceptance is by us by the operation of his Grace which is not to make up any deficiency in Christs part or to be a supplement to his Righteousness nor to bear any part of the same office in our Justification but it 's that which subordinately is required of us as the Condition of Pardon and Life by his own Law or Covenant of Grace And so far it is imputed to us for Righteousness Contr. 14. Whether Grace be Grace or Free if it have any Condition Ans As free and great as God will have it but not such as the wicked man would have it who would be saved from pain but not from Sin or without any Condition required of him The Covenant is made conditional for the use that the commands are made to bring man to his Duty and to convey the Benefit in a sapiential congruous way but not as requiring a price for the Benefits He that pardoneth a Traytor on condition that he thankfully accept it and will not spit in the Princes face and rebel again doth pardon freely without a price And as our Duty and Act denieth not that it's Grace by which we do it so the necessity of Grace thereto denieth it not to be our Duty or our Act when we believe The Covenant giveth some Mercies absolutely but not all He that would be from under all Conditions of Gods Promises would be from under all Law and all threatnings For what kind of Law is that which hath no Conditions of Reward and Punishment Obj. But when the Condition it self is promised it is equal to absolute Ans 1. If that be true still it is conditional Why do you not say so then not that it hath no Conditions but that it is a conditional Promise equal to an absolute 2. But stay a little Is the condition promised to all that the conditional promise is made to even to all that hear the Gospel or that are baptized If you say that the conditional Promise is made to none but the Elect you deny the Gospel which is to be preached to all the World 3. Will you cast out Baptism by this Argument and so visible Christianity Or will you new mold it into an absolute Form Or will you say that it is no Covenant If you suppose not God the Father Son â— and Holy Ghost to be there given to us with pardon and right to Life upon condition of our believing acceptance and that we there profess that acceptance which is the Condition you suppose not that it is Baptism indeed And when your little notions shall lead you to deny Gods Law and Covenant Gospel Baptism and so Christianity as visible they are scarce fit notions to make you pass for Orthodox and to be turned against others as erroneous 4. But how is it that God promiseth the Condition it self and to whom I find Prov. 1. 23. Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit to you I will make known my Words unto you Is it if you do first turn Then there is some degree of turning necessary as a condition to the promised special gift of the Spirit Or is it that you may turn Then God promiseth his Spirit and Word to help even those to turn that yet turn not which must suppose some Condition of consent or non-resistance required which they could perform I find that it 's all mens duty to pray and I read Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find c. And so that to ask and seek saving Faith is a Duty to him that hath but common Faith And God commandeth no man to ask or seek in vain A meer command to use means implieth that they are not vain God then giveth as Dr. Twisse oft saith as out of Augustine the posse credere where yet the act of Faith doth not follow and it is not a meer Passive but an Active Power And where he giveth Grace which causeth the Act it self did God Promise it before hand to that man any more than to others He promiseth Christ to call all his Elect But this giveth no right to any individual Person before he is born or before he believeth Therefore not to the first Faith For God to tell men what he will do with his Elect is one thing and to enter into Covenant with a man and give a right thereby is another This Covenant hath it's Coâ—ditions Contr. 15. Here comes in also the Controversie whether Repentance be any Condition of Pardon or Justification And whether to affirm it be not to equal it with Faith Ans Read these Texts of Scripture and judge Ezek. 14.6 18.30 Luk. 13 3 5. Act. 2.38 8.22 17.30 31. 26.18 20. Mar. 1.4 Lu. 24.47 Act. 5.31 11.18 13.24 20.21 Luk. 15.7 c. 2. Faith in Christ as it is the remedying Grace ever â—supposeth Faith in God as God and Repentance towards God Act. 20.21 as it's end and is connoted when it is not exprest He that saith Take me and trust me as your Physician and I will cure you implieth 1. If you desire to be cured 2 If you will take my Medicines To believe in Christ is to trust that through his Mediation a penitent returning Sinner shall be pardoned and accepted of God and saved Holiness is the Souls health and Christ believed in is the remedy Repentance and Holiness are necessary as the end for themselves and Faith in the Mediator is necessary as the use of the Remedy The Office or Nature of these is not the same though both be Conditions Yet as Repentance is the change of the Mind so repenting of unbelief is Faith it self denominated with respect to the terminus à quo Unhappy wits set things as opposite which God hath connexed and made coordinate Contr. 16. Whether Faith justifie us as a meritorious Cause or as a dispositive Cause of receiving Justification or as a meer Condition or as an Instrumental Cause Ans If these Logical names had never been used plain Christians would have understood what is necessary without them 1. That the Promise maketh Faith a Condition making unbelief a stop to the benefit and Faith the removal of that stop is past all doubt And the Promise being the Donative Instrument and its Condition being its Mode the interest of a Condition is most certainly the formal Law-interest that Faith hath as to our Justification 2. And Dr. Tâ—â—ssâ—'s forementioned name of Causa dispositiva i e. recipiendi is undoubtedly also â—pt and signifieth both the Nature of the Act and the Offâ—ce 〈…〉 as a Condition For in both respects it is
the nâ—â—â—ssary qualification of the Patient or Reâ—â—iver i. e. naturally and legally necessary such as dispositio materiae is said to be in Physicks 3. And as for the notion of an Instrumental Cause of Justification it is past doubt that properly taken neither Faith nor any act of ours is any such nor doth justifie us efficiently at all But if any be so fond of the invented notion of an Instrument as that they will use it though unaptly they must say 1. That it is not an Efficient but a Recipient Instrument Dr. Kendall calls it like Boys catching the Ball in their Hats or as a Spoon is in eating But it is not an Instrument of Physical Reception but Moral To Trust is no more a Reception than to Love The active Acceptance of a Saviour given with his benefits is a Moral Receiving of him which disposeth us as the Condition of the Covenant to receive Justification that is to be justified And in this lax sense you may call it all these if you please viz. a Condition a Dispositive Cause and a Receiving Instrument 4. A Meritorious Cause it is not in a Commutative or strict sense But if you will call that meritorious which is pleasing to God as congruous to his free gift and design of grace whence some are called Worthy in the Gospel so the thing is not to be denied and so all are reconciled Contr. 17. Is justifying Faith an act of the understanding or will Ans Both and therefore it is no one Physical act only nor Instrumental in a strict Physical sense Contr. 18. What act of Faith is it that justifieth as to the Object whether only the belief of the truth of the Promise or of the whole Gospel also or the affiance on Christs Righteousness or on his Truth or on his Intercession or taking him wholly for our Saviour Prophet Priest and King And whether Faith in God the Father and the Holy Ghost do justifie or all these And if but one which is it and wheâ—her all the rest are the works which Paul excludeth from Justification Ans To say that only one Physical act of Faith is it that we are justified by and all the rest are those works is a perverse corrupting of Christianity and not to be heard without detestation For it will utterly confound all persons to find out which that one act is which they indeed can never do And it will contradict the substance of all the Gospel There is no such thing as Faith in Christ which containeth not or includeth not Faith in God as God both as he is our Creator and as reconciled by Christ and as the Giver of Christ to us John 3.16 and as the end of all the work of Redemption Nor is there any such thing as Faith in Christ which is true and saving that includeth not or connoteth not the Knowledge of Christ and Love and Desire and Thankfulness and Consent Nor did ever God tell us of a Faith in Christs Imputed Righteousness only that must justifie us which is not also a Faith in his Person Doctrine Law Promise and Example and his Intercession in the Heavens And to say that only the Act of Recumbency on Christs Righteousness as imputed to our Justification is that act of Faith by which we are justified and that Believing in God his Majesty Truth Wisdom Goodness and the believing in Christ as he is the Prophet Teacher King of the Church and the Resurrection Life and Judge of all and believing in the Holy Ghost as the Sanctifier Comforter and Witness and Advocate of Christ and believing and trusting the Promise of God for Life Eternal or for any grace except Christs Righteousness imputed that all this Faith in God in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and all our Love to Christ and desire after him and prayer for his grace and thankfulness for it c. are all none of the Faith which Justification is promised to but are the Works by which no man is justified and that he is faln from grace that seeketh to be justified by such works that is by true Faith in God as God and in Christ as Christ This is a new Gospel subverting Christs Gospel and making Christianity another thing and this without any countenance from the Scripture and contrary to its very scope The Faith by which we are justified is one Moral act containing many Physical acts even our fiducial Consent to the Baptismal Covenant and dedication of our selves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost to be our Reconciled God our Saviour and our Sanctifier to give us Pardon Adoption Holiness and Glory which is our Christianity it self as such Contr. 18. But though this be the Faith quae justificat which justifieth us is it not only Recumbency on Christs Imputed Righteousness quâ— talis which hath the Office of Instrumentality and is â—ides quâ— justificans Ans Such quibbling and jingling of a meer sound of words is usual in ludicrous Disputations of Lads But it 's pity it should pass as the last remedy against plain truth in so great a matter First it must be remembred that no Faith justifieth efficiently and therefore neither quae nor quâ justificans is to signifie any such thing but a meer Moral qualification of the recipient subject so that to be justified by Faith is but to be justified by it as that which God hath promised Justification on as the qualifying Condition But if it be not the same thing that is here called Fides quae and quâ but in the first part they speak of the Habit and in the second of the Act had it not been plainer to say The same Habit of Faith hath several Acts as believing in God in Christs Intercession Kingdom c. but none of these Acts do justifie us but one only viz. trusting to the Imputation of his Righteousness And so both the quae and quâ is â—denied to all Acts save that one This is their plain meaning which is denied to be truth and is a human dangerous invention Yet it 's granted them that it is not every Act of Faith that is made the Condition of Justification or Salvation It is necessary that the formal Object Gods Veracitâ— be believed to make it true Faith and that the Gospel or Covenant of Grace be believed with Consent as aforesaid to make it to be the true Christian Faith in essence and it 's of necessity that every thing be believed which we know that God revealeth But it is the Christian Faith that hath the Promise of Justification and that not any one single Act of it but all that is essential to it and that which belongeth but to its Integrity ad bene esse when it existeth is also so far conducible to our Justification as Abrahams believing that Isaac should live and have seed when he went to sacrifice him yet Justification may be without some Acts as Salvation may without many due Acts of Obedience
Bâ—t a part it hath as is confessed and for that part it must be trusted and pleaded and no man must trust to be saved without faith repentance and obedience Heb. 12.14 Mar. 16.16 Luk. 13.3 5. I conclude all in Dr. Prestons words Treatise of Faith p. 44 45. And of the Attributes p. 71. â— Justifying Faith defined is a Grace or habit infused into the Soul whereby we are enabled to believe not only that the Messiah is offered to us but also to take and receive him as a Lord and Saviour that is both to be saved by him and obey him No man believeth Justification by Christ but his faith is mainly grounded on this Word of God In Scripture we find that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and that he is the Lamb slain for the forgiveness of sins That he is offered to every creature That a man must thirst after him and then take up his Cross and follow him Now come to a believer going out of the World and ask him what hope he hath to be saved he will be ready to say I know that Christ is come into the World and offered up and I know that I am one of them that have a part in him I know that I have fulfilled the conditions as that I should not continue willingly in any known sin that I should love the Lord Jesus desire to serve him above all I know that I have fulfilled these conditions and for all this I have the word for my ground c. So far Dr. â—reston Cont. 36. Hath Justification and Salvation the same conditions and do works save us which do not justifie us Ans 1. The works which Paul excludeth from Justification he excludeth from saving us Eph. 2.5 8 9. Tit. 3.5 so Jam. 2.14 c. 2. Justification begun and our right given to Salvation have the same condition 3. Justification in the last Judgment is the justifying of our right to Glory and hath the same condition with our glorification Mat. 25. Come ye blessed c. But more is necessary to final Justification and Salvation than to our first right as is before shewed Cont. 37. Is there any such thing as a Justifying us against Satans false accusations As that a believer is no believer impenitent an hypocrite c. Some say the Devil will not be so foolish knowing that God knoweth all Ans If Justification relate not to Accusation Divines have hitherto much wronged the Church in maintaining it so commonly as they have done If it do 1. It is either to a true or a false accusation Against a true accusation no man can be justified but must confess the charge If it be said that we sinned and that this sin deserved death it must â—e confessed and we cannot be justified directly against this charge For Guilt and Righteousness cannâ—t consist as to the same particular cause But if it be said 1. That we are unbelievers impenitent hypocrites c. 2. Or that we have no part in Christ 3. Or that we are not pardoned accepted reconciled and adopted for his meritorious righteousness and intercession and were not thus constituted just 4. And that therefore we have no right to life but ought to be condemned All these are false accusations against which we may and must be justified 2. And Satan is a Lyar and a Murderer and the accuser of the brethren And his knowledge hindred not his malice from falsly accusing Job to God himself nor from tempting Christ himself to the most odious sin 3. But it sufficeth us that Justification relateth not only to Actual Accusation but to â—â—â—tual yea to Possible And if â—od declare the Righteousness of his Servants by his â—ight Sentence or Execution though none accuse them either Satan or Conscience it stiâ—l relateth to possible Accusation They that deny all this must needs say that at Judgment and before as to any Sentence there will be no Juâ—tâ—fiâ—ation at aâ—l because no Accusation true or faâ—se And if no Justification nor Condemnation then no Judgment which is all contrary to an Artiâ—le of Faith Contr. 38. But though all this prove that we are justified by Faith yâ—â— not as a Rightâ—ousness so that it is questioned whether any personal Righteousness consisting in our performance of the Condition of the Covenant be thâ—t which we are justified by here or at last in suboâ—â—â—nation to Christs â—ighteousness which needs no supplement from us Ans 1. This Question is either of the Thing or of the bare Name of â—ighteousness whether it should so be called 1. Aâ— to the Thing it is fuâ—ly proved already that Faith Repentance and Obedience are of flat necessity to our Salvation and therefore to the Jusâ—â—â—ying of our Claim of Right to that Salvation And thereforâ— to Justiâ—â—e the Person as to that Right and Claim that he is one that truly hath such right For the Person is justified by the justifying of his Cause I suppose none of this will be denied 2. And as to the Namâ— 1. The definition will prove it apt That which is Righteous denominateth the subject accordingly Every Cause in Judgment is Righteous or Unrighteous And the Person is Righteous so far as his Cause is so If it be said against a Believer that he hath no right to Châ—ist and 〈◊〉 his Right is his Righteousness as against thi◠〈◊〉 This Right is no natural being at â—ll buâ— Moral Relation called Dâ—â—ness Yet this is hiâ— â—uâ—â—ifying Righteousness But the fundamenâ—â—â— of that Right is quid absolutum It is an aâ—surd contradiction to say that a man hath any Righteousness that doth not so far constitute 〈…〉 as it is to say that a man hath Learning Wâ—t Honesty Goodness which do not so far make him Learned Wise Honest or Good Or the Paper hath whiteness that maketh it not white 3. But we ever distinguish between Total Righteousness and Partial in tantum or secundum quid And betwâ—en that Righteousness in tantum which Salvation is laid on and that which is of small concern And also between Christs part and mans And so we still say 1. That Christs part needeth no supplement from ours nor do we perform the least tâ—at belongs to him 2. But his own Law Will and Covenant hath laid a necessary part on us 3. That by this we are no further justified than in tantum as it is a Righteousness of ours that is Faith in it self as such justifieth us only against the false Charge of Infidelity Repentance only against the false Charge of Impenitency Holiness and Sincerity against the false Charge of unholiness and hypocrisie c. But as the Condition of the Covenant they prove our right to Christ and Life And so as the Donation in the Gospel is the Titulus 〈◊〉 fundamentum iuriâ— so Faith and Repentance are the Conditio tituli There is a Partial Righteousness which every wicked man may have which entiâ—leth no one to Salvation The Devil himself may
to be first called and then justified and then glorified Rom. 8.30 2. That which goeth before Pardon and that as a Condition goeth before Justification But Repentance goeth before Pardon Acts 5.31 Luke 24.47 3.3 Acts 2.38 3.19 8.22 1 John 1.9 Mark 4.12 But of this I have given large proof elsewhere 3. All the grace of the Spirit is a preparation for Heaven But that eminent gift of the Spirit which in Scripture is called the Seal Earnest and first Fruit is promised upon repenting and believing and therefore followeth them and is 1. The Habit of Divine Love which is the New Nature and more than the first seed of grace 2. And the Spirit related to us as an in-dwelling possessing Agent of Christ to sanctifie us to the end 3. And in those times to many the extraordinary gifts of Miracles Tongues c. 1. Faith and Repentance went before Baptism in the Adult even as a Condition of it and its benefits Mark 1.4 Acts 13.34 19.4 Matt. 3.11 John 1.26 Mark 16.16 John 4.1 Acts 2.38 41 8.12 13 36 37 38. 9.18 22.16 But that gift of the Spirit which is called the Farnesâ— Seal and first Fruit was either given in or after Baptism ordinarily though to Cornelius before but not before Faith and Repentance It is called therefore Baptizing with the Holy Ghost See Mat. 3.11 Acts 1.5 2.33.38 8.15.17 10.2 Rom. 5.5 Tit. 3.5 2. And the Spirit is said to be promised and given to believers after faith and because they were adopted sons Eph. 1.13 Prov. 1.23 Gal. 4.6 3.14 Rom. 8.15 16.30 2 Cor. 1.22 5.5 Therefore our Divines commonly put Vocation as giving the first acts of Faith and Repentance before Sanctification as Rom. 8.30 doth before Justification and Glorification And yet Faith and Repentance are gifts of the Spirit too and so are many commoner gifts in unsanctified men But as the daylight is seen before the Sun rising and as Satan is not said to possess all that he tempteth So some gifts of the Spirit and some motions and operations of it go before the proper giving of the Spirit itself and his possessing us 3. It is no absurdity but the wise order of God that one gift of the Spirit shall be antecedent to another and the reception and exercise of it by us be a condition of that other For God will morally induce us to our duty by suitable motives He that denieth this subverteth the Gospel 4. I have elsewhere at large proved the falshood of this Doctrine that Impenitent Infidels are justified by the imputation of Christs Righteousness It is enough that Christs righteousness is reputed by God to be the meritorious cause of all our grace even of justification before we are justified Qu. 48. How can faith or repentance entitle us to that righteousness of Christ which must first give us a right to themselves and all Grace Ans 1. Faith and Repentance give us not a Title in strict sence but the Covenant or Promise that is the Gospel Donation is our Title and Faith and Repentance are but Conditions of our Title which on several accounts make us morally capable receivers of Right 2. Christs Righteousness did merit all grace of God before it justifieth us and we are reputed righteous by it It is a great error to say that we must be reputed righteous by Christs Righteousness given and imputed to us to that use before we can have any fruits of the merits of his righteousness Even the outward call of the Gospel is a fruit of it Qu. 49. Is it true that we must be practical Antinomians unless we hold that only Christs active righteousness merited grace and glory for us Qu. 50. Is this proved by Rom. 7.4 Ans 1. Some mens words are used to hide the sense and not to open it What is the meaning of Practical Antinomianism Is it to be the opposers of all Gods Laws or only some and which And doth he not mean that the judgment must be first against them How far are we under the Law and how far not 1. The Law of Innocency as a Covenant requiring perfect personal obedience as the necessary condition of life we are not under It ceased by the first sin cessante subditi capacitate We must not suppose that God saith to all sinners You shall be saved if you be not sinners Conditiâ—nâ— prateâ—◠〈◊〉 transit in sententiam We are not under the Law of Mâ—â—â—s as such even that which was written in stone is done away 2 Cor. 3.7 c. If this be Antinomianism I am an Antinomian that â—â—ve written so much against them 3. We are only under the Law of Christ into whose hand all power is given And that is 1. The Law of reprieved and redeemed nature 2. All his supernatural revelation and so much of Moses Law as he hath assumed If the objecter think that we are under any other so do not I except the subordinate Laws of men 2. That Law of Grace which we have and that freedom from the Law of Works are merited both by Christs Active and Passive righteousness Ad. Qu. 50. Rom. 7.4 hath no such thing but only that Christ hath delivered men from the bondage of the Law of works which did neither justify nor sanctify and hath subjected and engrafted us unto himself that we might by him be made holy unto God Conclusion THe Reader may now perceive what abundance of great notional errours some men have corrupted the Doctrine of Justification with by presumptuous spinning webs out of their own fancies raising one errour out of another departing from the Word of God I. A radical errour is that the Law of Innocency made to Adam is it that justifieth us by its â—â—c hâ—c vivâ—s as fulfilling it in Christ II. Another is that is that Covenant of perfection which Paul meaneth by the Law of Works and the fac hoc c. And that the Jews Law was such as made Innocency its condition of life III. That the sense of Adams Law was Do this by thy self or another or else thou or thy surety shall die IV. That Christ did obey and suffer merit and satisfy in so full and strict a representing and personating every one of the Elect as that they did and suffered it in and by Christ in the sence of the Law of Works or in Gods account and that it was not in the third person of a mediator to communicate the Effects freely as he pleased by another Covenant And so that Gods imputing righteousness to us is his accounting us to have done and suffered in Law sense what Christ did This is the root of all the rest subverting the Gospel itself V. And so that God accounteth us to be Innocent and never to have sinned by Omission or Commission from birth to death and to have all that is required to merit Heaven because we did it in Christ and also to have suffered in
Dyet and Rest and not to work or eat or sleep till the Spirit moveth them And God maketh use of Reason and Order in things Spiritual as well as in things Natural And the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets LXXVI They reprove us for perswading Unconverted Men to Pray because the Prayer of the Wicked is abominable and they â—â—ould stay till they have the Spirit of Prayer And is a Tavern or a Whore-house a sitter plâ—ce to get that Spirit than on their knees by Prayer when God himself saith To thee shall aâ—l flâ—sh câ—me seâ—k the Lord while he may â—e founâ— call upon him wâ—ile he is near Let the Wickâ—d â—â—â—sak his way c. wicked Prayers of wicked men that are but to quiet them in sin are abominable and no prayer of an Impenitent unbeliever hath any promise of certain success But Aâ—ab and Niâ—eve and millions of Sinners have found that there are some prayers of the unregenerate that are better than none Aâ—d do they think when we perswade them to Pray that we perswade them to continue Impenitent No it is but perswading them to Turn and Live For praying is a returniâ—â— motion and we say but as Peter Repent and Pray if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgâ—â—â—â— thee Not to exhort men to Pray is not to exhort them to desire Grace and true Conversion Common Grace and Natural Self-love have their desires which are not all in vain it s better to be near the Kingdom of God than to be dispisers of it God hath fixed the time of the Lord's day and the undisposed must not say we will not keep it till the Spirit move us As it is a dutâ— to Relieve the Poor so it is to Pray as soon as God commandeth it and none must say I will not Give or Pray till the Spirit move me but wait for more help of the Spirit in the way of duty LXXVII That because no man can come to Christ too soon therefore no man can too soon believe that he is Elect and Justified though he have no evidence to prove it and though he know not God or Christ or the Spirit or the Gospel LXXVIII That men are bound to Believe that Christ Believed for them and Repented for them and must no more question their Faith and Repentance than they must question Christ as Saltmarsh speaketh as if Christ had had Sin to repent of or a Saviour to save him from it and as if this were no Covenant-Condition required of our selves as necessary to our Justification They may next say Christ that is Holy for them shall be Saved in stead of them LXXIX That to Believe that we are Elect and Justified is fides Divina a Believing the word of God because his Spirit 's witness of it by inspiration is his word LXXX That nothing done by an unregenerate man by common Grace maketh him any fitter to Believe and be Converted that if he were without it because it is sin LXXXI That it is no Grace which is not unresistible and because we cannot Merit it we cannot resist and forfeit it LXXXII That Pardon and Justification being perfect the first Moment of our Faith therefore it is only one momentous Act of Faith only that Justifieth us and no Act of Faith it self Justifieth us after that hour This is held by the more moderate sort who say not that we are Justified before Faith LXXXIII That we must act from Lâ—â—â— but not â—or Life as if Natural Life were not to be used for Spiritual Life LXXXIV They hold That Sin being all past present and future Pardoned at first we must not ask Pardon any more but only the fuller Belief and Sense of Pardon LXXXV They hold that no Sin or declining of a Justified Person should ever make him doubt of his Justification LXXXVI They hold that the meaning of Rom. 8.28 is That all the sin that an Elect or Justified man committeth shall certainly work for his greater good when the Text speaketh but of Enemies and Sufferings and all the Providences of God As if it were the way of God's Wise and Holy Government so far to encourage men to sin as to assure all that love God beforehand that the more they sin the better it shall be for them whereas he hath filled the Scripture with so many terrible threatnings against Sin and Backsliding And as if â—o â—ustiâ—ied person by sin did ever gnow worâ—e than â—efore or love God lâ—â—â— or at all displeâ—se him Or it were for our good to be worse and love God less or displease him or lose aâ—y meâ—sures of Grace and Glory 〈◊〉 Title LXXXVII They take Justification in the Great day of Judâ—mâ—â—t to be none of our proper Justification by Faith because that was done before but a Declaâ—â—â—â—â—â— of â—â— As if Justification had but one degree and the word but one sence or any were persectâ—r Justification than that and a Deâ—isive Sentential Declaration were not the most eminent LXXXVIII Those that confess works of Obedience to Christ to be the Condition of Glorification yet deny it to be a Condition of Justification in Judgment when as to Justifie us in Judgment is to Justifie our right to Impurity and Glory and so the Condition must be the same LXXXIX Though God oft and plainly saith That all men shall be judged according to their works and according to what they have done in the Body good or evil and to judge is either by decisive sentence to Justifie or to Condemn or executively to Reward and Glorify on to Punish yet many that Confess that men shall be so Judged do deny that they shall be so Justified though Justifying be Judging XC Though the word According to their works do plainly signify The Cause to be then decided in order to the sentence of Salvation or Damnation and Christ Mat. 25. and elsewhere hath largely enumerated the parts of the Cause and call it Righteousness and that with a Caâ—â—al particle and though the Scripture mention our inherent and acted Righteousness in terms of the same signification above Six â—undred times and that as the thing that pleaseth God and that he loveth hateing the contrary telling us that the unrighteous shall not enter into Heaven c. Yet do they feign that all that Godliness which hath the promise of this Life and That to come and which God is said as a Righteous Judge to Reward and Crown is mentioned only as a sign of the Elect and Rightâ—ous and of Faith and not as the Cause to be then decided or as a Rewarded thing And for whom is this sâ—â—n so solemnly produced God knoweth us without Signs His Light in our Consciences will make us know our selves by Internal Perâ—eption And if it be to confute the Devil and his servants that slander us it is for want of Righteousness and not only for want of siâ—â—s of it that we are accused and it is more than