consciences of all sinners Contrariwise Christ Iesus is perfectly righteous and in him are three inestimable benefits answerable to the three former euils first the sufferings of Christ vpon the Crosse sufficient for all mens sins secondly the obedience of Christ in fulfilling the Law thirdly the perfect holinesse of the humane nature of Christ and these are three soueraigne medicines to heale all wounded consciences and as three running streames of liuing waters to bathe and to supple the bruised and contrite heart Now commeth Faith and first layeth hold on the sufferings or passiue obedience of Christ which being imputed and appived to the sinner hee is deliuered from guilt and condemnation and so the first deadly wound is cured Againe Faith layeth hold vpon his actiue obedience in fulfilling the Law which being imputed and applyed the person of the sinner is accepted as perfectly iust before God and so the second deadly wound is cured Thirdly Faith applyeth the holinesse of his humane nature called his habituall or originall righteousnesse whereby hee is accepted of God as perfectly holy and so the third deadly wound is cured And thus we see how this righteousnesse is become ours and wee it And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken touching the meaning of the wordes Now followeth the vse of doctrine And to omit many other doctrines which might be gathered out of this place I will content my selfe with this one which the wordes doe naturally afford being almost expressed in the Text to wit hence we are taught what is the formall cause of the iustification of a sinner before God viz. a reciprocall translation of our sinne vnto Christ and his righteousnesse vnto vs the which comprehendeth the whole forme of Iustification wherein there are two things first a not imputing of sin secondly an imputing of righteousnesse for that our sinnes may not be imputed vnto vs necessarily they must be imputed vnto Christ and that we of sinners may become iust his righteousnesse must be imputed vnto vs. In a word then the forme of Iustification is the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ vnto the beleeuer for the remission of sinnes and for righteousnesse This point because it is a fundamentall principle and a maine ground and piller of our religion and not a little controuerted betweene the church of Rome and vs I will stand the longer in the handling of it both that we may be confirmed in the truth of so necessary doctrine as also armed with the armour of proofe against all the assaults of the aduersaries wherewith they shall impugne it And that wee may proceede in some order wee will consider these three things first what imputation is secondly that it is the formall cause of the Iustification of a sinner before God thirdly we will touch some of the principall obiections which are alledged to the contrary by that apostaticall and hereticall Church of Rome And to beginne with the name Imputation is a Metaphor borrowed not from numbers Arithmetique as some haue thought but from a kinde of contract called acceptilation wherein the creditor is content to accept the payment of the suretie in the behalfe of the debter euen as if hee had discharged it in his owne person Touching the vse and acception of the word it is two-fold in Scriptures the first is when an inherent qualitie or action proceeding thence is imputed vnto reward or punishment for reward mention is made of it Rom. 4.4 to him that worketh the wages are imputed an example of it wee haue in Phinchas Psal 106.31 whose worke the Lord imputed vnto him for righteousnesse that is hee approued it accepted it and rewarded it for the faith of the worker For punishment wee haue an instance 2 Sam. 19.19 where the varlet Shimei doth beseech Dauid on this manner Let not my Lord impute wickednesse vnto me that is let him not inflict the punishment of my sinne vpon mee 2. Tim. 4.26 At my first answering no man assisted mee but all forsooke me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge The second is when something out of a mans selfe is by imputation made his as though it were inherent in him or wrought by him thus it is vsed Rom. 2.26 Thy vncircumcision is made Circumcision if thou beest an obseruer of the Law So to Philemon verse 18. If Onesimus hath done thee any hurt impute it to me or set it on my score I will repay and in this latter sense we are to speake of it in this place Imputation therefore may be thus described It is an action of God accepting the all-sufficient and perfect Obedience of Christ in the behalfe of the beleeuing sinner vnto satisfaction and iustification Now then to come to the first point that Imputation thus described is the forme of the iustification of a sinner before God though many arguments might be vsed yet I will content my selfe with these two both which are contained in this Text the former whereof may be framed thus After what manner Christ became a sinner after the same manner wee are made iust but hee became a sinner not by infusion of any corrupt qualities into his holy nature which were blasphemie once to conceiue but by imputation of our sin onely therefore we are iust before God not by infusion of any habituall grace into our corrupt natures but by imputation of his righteousnesse onely This argument is firme and inuincible and cannot be deluded being so surely grounded vpon this Text If it be replyed as indeede it is that if this reason of reciprocall imputation be so firme and of such force why doe not the like consequents follow of both to wit why doth not the imputation of our sinne vnto Christ as well bring with it inherent corruption in him as the imputation of his righteousnesse vnto vs inherent grace in vs. Ans The reason is farre vnlike for first though sin be of a very poysonfull nature yet there is not the like force and power in sinne to defile and to pollute as in grace to purge and to sanctifie Rom. 5.15 The gift is not so as is the offence noting that there is more vertue and efficacie in grace to sanctifie and to saue then in sinne to defile and to destroy And indeed Grace is like vnto fire which though it be for quantitie small yet for efficacie great Againe the humane nature of Christ is so replenished with holinesse that it is not at all capable of sinne but mans nature is not so stained and corrupted with sinne but that it is capable of grace being at the first created after the Image of God and afterward againe to be reâ—…ed by Christ and therefore considering that Christ is not so capable of sinne as man is of holines the reason is of no moment The latter reason may be gathered out of the wordes of the Apostle where hee saith That wee might be made the righteousnes of God in him Whence I
sanctified and by the same iustice and no other for that which is imputed to iustifie is also infused to sanctifie and is inherent in vs at the least in the fruit and efficacie of it To explane this further the person who is iustified ceaseth to be a sinner in regard of guilt wholy and in regard of the corruption of nature also in part which though it be not altogether abolished yet it receiueth a deadly wound in the very act and instant and neuer raigneth after yea to proceede further at the very same time and in the same act hee is presently sanctified and therfore worthily esteemed and adiudged of God holy and iust presently I say in regard of all the parts and substance of holinesse which is afterward to receiue his accomplishment by degrees in this life and in death to be wholy consummate and finished Ob. Lastly they vrge and say that it cannot stand with Gods iustice to iustifie and absolue a sinner for Prou. 17.15 To iustifie the wicked and to condemne the iust both these are abhominable to the Lord. Ans Indeed to iustifie the wicked person and to acquite him in iudgement without all manner of satisfaction made eyther by himselfe or some other were iniustice But God which iustifieth the vngodly as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 4.5 doth acquite and absolue them for the all-sufficient satisfaction of Christ and they though they be wicked and vngodly before their iustification yet in it and by it they become righteous both before God and also in themselues in part * ⎠* FINIS A right godly Prayer made by Mr. Newhouse to be said either Morning or Euening as accasion shall serue changing some few words * ⎠* MOst mercifull and louing father in Iesus Christ we beseech thee to remoue all impediments which vsually hinder vs in this exercise of prayer quicken vp our hearts with feare and reuerence of thy Maiestie in feeling of our owne wants in a desire to receiue a supply of them from thee and in assurance to be heard of thee in all our suites and requests to put vp our praiers and supplications vnto thee O Lord our God wee doe here in thy presence acknowledge and confesse that we are of our selues most wretched and miserable sinners both in respect of the corruptions of our hearts as also the transgressions of our liues more particularly we doe acknowledge the infidelitie of our hearts whereby wee haue not yet learned to depend vpon thy prouidence for the things of this life nor vpon thy mercy for the saluation of our soules hence comes impatience vnder the crosse discontentation with our present estate doubting and distrustfulnes in regard of our saluation immoderate care and desire of the things of this life we confesse also the Atheisme and profanes both of our mindes and harts whereby all our thoughts and affections are estranged from thee and so glued fastened to the things of this world that wee can take more ioy and delight in doing our owne wills and in seruing our owne lusts then euer we would doe in seruing and obaying thee we acknowledge likewise the pride of our harts whereby wee doe exalt our selues in the vanitie of our owne conceits against thy Maiestie and aboue our brethren whom thou hast made far more excellent then our selues our security of the flesh whereby wee put away the day of euill and wrath farre from vs promising vnto our selues immunitie from all thy curses and plagues notwithstanding wee walke in sinne and in the stubbornes of our harts our vaine-glory whereby wee desire praise and commendation among men more then thy glory our selfe-love whereby wee loue our owne ease libertie peace carnall pleasures more then thy Maiestie more then our brethren our hipocrisie whereby wee content our selues with an outward name and profession of religion and holines before men not regarding the truth and power of godlines answerably our liues abound in all actuall transgressions against euerie one of thy commaundements we haue liued in the contempt of thy prouidence and haue not beene ashamed to commit sinne and wickednes in thy sight in the abuse of thy mercies and haue not beene drawen neerer vnto thee in the neglect of thy iudgments and fatherlie chasticements partly vpon others and partlie vpon our selues and haue not profitted thereby to true repentance and reformation of life in the profanation of all thy holy ordinances thy Word Sacraments this exercise of Prayer neither preparing our selues hereunto aright nor being conuersant therein with that care diligence conscience as we ought and therefore haue missed of that fruit of edification we might haue reaped by the reuerent and religious handling of these thy diuine ordinances in the abuse of thy creatures vnto intemperancy and excesse whereby we haue disabled our selues to thy worship and seruice to the duties of our particular callings Many other sinnes haue wee committed the least whereof if thou shouldest lay vnto our charge wee were neuer able to appeare in thy presence or to answer thee one of a thousand wee beseech thee to deale fauourably with vs as thou art wont to doe with thy children that call vpon thy name and seeke thee in the truth of their harts and in the middest of iudgement remember mercie open our blind eyes that we may come to a particular knowledge of our owne sinnes touch our hard and stonie harts that wee may sigh and grone vnder the burden of them being heartily displeased with our selues because therein we haue dishonoured thy name Stirre vp our hearts also that wee may hunger and thirst after Christ and his righteousnesse and after euery drop of his most precious bloud in him alone be well pleased with vs and for his merit and righteousnesse vouchsafe mercifully and freely to doe away all our offences wash them all away in the precious bloud of Iesus Christ and our hearts from the filthinesse and impuritie of them all Say vnto our soules thou art our saluation let thy holy and good spirit of Adoption cry in our hearts through Iesus Christ Abba-Father telling and perswading vnto our consciences by the inward testimonie of the same Spirit that our sins are pardoned and we stand discharged of them all before thy tribunall seate And because our faith is weake partly through the manifold corruptions that be in our hearts and partly through the innumerable transgressions that breake out into our liues we beseech thee to strengthen the same by the often consideration meditation and application of thy mercifull promises made vnto vs in Christ stirring vp our vnbeleeuing hearts to assent vnto and to apply the same that wee may receiue comfort thereby specially in the time of danger and distresse and namely in the agonie of conscience and in the houre of death And because there can be no greater enemie to true Faith then is carnall confidence and vaine presumption confound this hellish and damnable corruption in euery one of our harts
our guilt and punishment shall be translated vnto Christ alone and not the fault as Bellarmine and the Rhemists would haue it then necessarily by righteousnesse in the second member wee must vnderstand the reward and fruit of righteousnesse which cannot stand because the very righteousnesse it selfe is imputed to iustification as afterward we shall shew Secondly it is vnequall and vniust yea altogether impossible to impose our guilt vpon Christ and not our sinne because sinne and guilt goe inseperably together and where there is no sinne there can be no guilt therefore that our guilt might be laid vpon Christ necessarily our sinne must after a sort be made his and annexed vnto him that is by imputation Wherefore the more conuenient exposition and as I take it the better befitting this place is if by sinne we vnderstand a grieuous and notorious sinner the abstract emphatically noting the haynousnesse of the offence And indeede the offence must needes be great not which he had committed but which was imputed vnto him all the sinnes of the Elect their periuries blasphemies adulteries murthers oppressions and Heresies being laid vpon him so that he might iustly be termed and yet without disgrace vnto his person Luther in Gal. 3.13 Caluin idem blasphemus periurus haereticorum haereticissimus as Luther speaketh Now if any man shall reply and say these are contrary one to another for Christ to be a sinner and to be no sinner the answere is easie there is no contradiction vnlesse the same respect be obserued in both hee is verily a sinner and verily no sinner in a diuers and sundry consideration hee is verily no sinner properly personally and by act of inherencie he is a sinner truely yet relatiuely and by act of imputation For vs. That is so many of vs as are elected and doe beleeue for we may not thinke that our Sauiour Christ vndertooke the discharge of all mens sinnes before God to answere and satisfie the iustice of God for them all for then why are not all men saued Col. 1.14 In whom we haue redemption by his bloud that is the remission of sinnes Out of which place I reason thus All that are effectually redeemed by Christ on Gods part they haue the pardon of their sins but all and euery particular singular man haue not the pardon of their sinne ergo all and euery particular man are not effectually redeemed by Christ on Gods part The proposition is manifest out of the wordes of the text where redemption and remission of sinnes are inseperably yoaked and coupled together and reason doth enforce the same that where the iustice of God is fully satisfied nothing can be further obiected vnto or required of the sinner on satisfaction necessarily followeth and dependeth the abolishment of all sinne and guilt for the Assumption that is likewise cleere For if all men had the pardon of their sins then some who are effectually called iustified sanctified and vnited vnto Christ may totally fall away from grace and finally perish which is a hellish and vncomfortably doctrine the reprobates may be members of the Catholike Church which is a Popish doctrine then the gifts and calling of God should be such whereof hee did repent him if the pardon of sinne once giuen could be frustrate and made void Wherefore those men that hold and teach that our Sauiour Christ tooke vpon him the discharge of all mens sinnes to appease and pacifie the wrath of God for them all as well of Caine as of Abel of Esau as of Iacob of Pharaoh as of Moses of Iudas as of Peter of reprobate as of elect they erre and are greatly deceiued as might be shewed at large if this Text did giue me so fit occasion That we That is so many of vs as doe beleeue Here comes three things to be expounded first what this righteousnesse here mentioned is secondly why it is called the righteousnesse of God thirdly how we become it and it ours This righteousnesse that wee may the better conceiue wee must remember this distinction There is in Christ a twofold righteousnesse according to the diuersitie of his nature the one is vncreated and infinite which is the righteousnesse of the Deitie called by Diuines his essentiall righteousnesse the other is created and finite which is the righteousnesse of the humanitie The former is not here intended or spoken of by the Apostle as may appeare by two reasons first this righteousnesse is infinite and therefore incommunicable and if it could be communicated yet the finite creature were not capable of it considering that that which is infinite can neither be part nor accident of that which is finite secondly if wee could be capable of it wee should be Deified and then the Apostle might more sitly haue said that wee might be made righteous Gods in him then the righteousnesse of God in him Wherefore the dotage of Osiander concerning the iustification of a sinner by his essentiall righteousnesse is to be abhorred and renounced as blasphemous heresie absurd and ridiculous euen to common sense As for the place 2 Pet. 1.4 where it is said that the faithfull are made partakers of the diuine nature it maketh nothing for the patronaging of this errour for by Nature is not meant substance but diuine qualities of wisdome holines righteousnes liuelily representing the nature of God who is wisdome holines and righteousnesse it selfe The latter is the righteousnes of the humanity which is here which is two-fold originall which is the puritie and integritie of his nature viz. the conformitie of the whole man vnto the will of God actuall which is eyther actiue which he achiued in fulfilling the Law or passiue in his sufferings Now this whole righteousnesse is imputed vnto vs to iustification as after wee shall declare In the second place this righteousnesse is called the righteousnesse of God and that for three causes first because God is the sole Author and giuer of it Nature doth not afford neither good education al that free-will the good vse of the gifts of Nature doth or can afford is no more but an outward ciuil righteousnes before men which cannot iustifie a sinner before God secondly God alone accepteth it for in the behalfe of the sinner therby giuing him absolution from guilt and title and interest vnto life thirdly in respect of the subiect because it is in that person which is not onely man but also God in whom it is reserued as in a store-house for the vse of the Church Thirdly this righteousnesse becomes ours after this manner Sinne is that which makes a man vnrighteous and the childe of wrath and vengeance now in sinne there are three things hurtfull vnto man the first is condemnation or guilt which is an obligation to punishment the second is actuall disobedience vnto the morall Law the third is originall corruption the fountaine of all sinne these are three deadly wounds and three running sores in the harts and