of it which I have been careful to keep to in my last Sheets Nay tho' I say farther that when the Satisfaction of another is imputed to the Justification of a Man the Trespasses of that other after a sort must be said imputed to him and yet neither is that Satisfaction Formaliter made his that is justified nor that Trespass Formaliter made his that makes the Satisfaction but Effective or Meritorie only in the one's bearing the Punishment and the other obtaining the Benefit of it This being understood when our Divines do account that we are justified by Christ's Satisfaction so as to be made just by it and accordingly to be made righteous by the Righteousness of another which is being made just by Imputation Such Words I count ought to be a little changed and the Sence verified It should not be said by but through Christ's Satisfaction through his Righteousness through the Imputation of it and then that Truth which is in it is this that through Christ's Satisfaction or Righteousness or Imputation of it as the Meritorious Cause which we know is an external Cause moving the Efficient to act we are indeed justified but by no means must we understand them so as that it is the Formal Cause of our Justification But the truth is here that our former Polemical Divines even the chief in opposition to a Man's being justified by any Works Merits or Righteousness of his own maintain'd against the Papists that it is by Christ's Righteousness Sub genere causae formalis that we are justified or that Christ's Righteousness is so made ours by Faith as to be the Formal Reason of our Justification Our excellent Dr. Davenant undertook this Task whosoever in those times did not but where the Scripture is for us we are to trust no Mortal against it The Question as he proposes it is Quae qualis illa justitia sit quae coram Deo hominem justificat hoc est cujus intuitu ipse Deus hominem à peccato poena peccati liberum pronunciet atque favore suo vita aeterna dignum reputet Let us define the Thing by its Form and speak this Hoc est in short Cujus intuitu hominem credentem justum reputat Now Cujus intuitu all know is all one with Id propter quod that is the Meritorious Cause only when he would maintain that Christ's Righteousness is the Causa formalis that is Causa per quam we are justified He therefore being put to it is forced to affirm thus In Justificatione talis formalis causa ponenda est quae simul meritoria esse possit His Reason for it is out of the same Quiver that is more Words for the bearing out an absurd Affirmation by putting some Face upon it I am sufficiently assured he hath shot beyond the Mark and I will not go after his Arrow By the way there are two places I remember where we are said to be justified by Christ's Blood but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and should be translated through his Blood and must be interpreted no otherwise than Cujus intuitu that is as the Meritorious Cause I say not as by Faith in his Blood which is the Formal Cause of our Justification When we speak therefore and allow our Divines to speak of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness as they ordinarily do we must understand them so as never to make our selves the Proprietors of that righteousness Legally or any way else impossible or that Faith so makes it ours as to be our Formal Righteousness which when we see such great Divines have held no wonder if the lesser Fry do swallow but that it is the Cause for which as I have said before not the Cause by which we are justified And here I will give Mr. Williams Notice that this is the Reason why the very Righteousness of Christ cannot be imputed to us but in the Effects because I say that if it were imputed to us In se it must according to our opposite Brethren be then our Formal Righteousness which he and I are to deny I must confess I think Mr. Williams might not have so fully digested this before as likewise myself as he may now and that the Expression of his which I have exagitated in my Book with that which follows in his that Christ's Righteousness is pleadable by the Believer as if himself had done and suffered what Christ did as also To impute to one what is suffered by another is to esteem the one undertaken for in the Sufferings of the other and to deal with him as if himself had suffered are shot too high For if a Man had made Satisfaction himself or God did impute Christ's Satisfaction to him so as if himself had made it then were this his Formal Righteousness and there were no need of that of Faith this alone being that which must immediately justifie him If therefore there be such a thing to be expected ever from Mr. Williams as any Vestigia retrorsum I will be ready to look for the Prints thereof made in the Words I have quoted as well as his Brethren may in any others But the Difficulty concerning the Point of the Concurrence of Christ's Righteousness and Ours in the matter of Justification is not yet off our hands For there is a Sermon of Mr. Gibbons that Mr. Baxter often commended which I think fit to mention This Gentleman hath treated the Doctrine of Justification as I. Righteousness says he is a Conformity to the Law A Man is actually justified when he is constituted righteous The New Law runs thus He that believes shall not perish The Believer keeps or fulfils this Law Faith therefore is imputed to him for Righteousness The Law-Giver by his very making the Law constitutes him righteous and the Judge must pronounce him so The Gospel then justifies Qua lex Lata Faith justifies Vi Legis latae As the King's Stamp gives the Value to the Money I set this together and quote it for the clearness of it and my approbation to it Nevertheless he tells us also That it is Christ's Satisfaction in respect to the Law of Works that is our proper Legal Righteousness and I call it says he Our Righteousness because it becomes imputed to us upon believing These are Words that in appearance are Ambidextrous holding with the Hound and running with the Hare as the Proverb is unless we put an Understanding upon them which I am not sure that very ingenuous but young Man did As likewise such Words or Sence as Mr. Williams hath somewhere concerning this double Righteousness Christ's and Ours accounting the one the Principal and the other Subordinate to it Now if Mr. Gibbons or Mr. Williams hitherto should have conceived our Righteousness we call Evangelical to be Subordinate to Christ's which was His but not Our Legal Righteousness Sub ratione ejusdem causae they are Mired But when thus much is forelaid that Christ's Righteousness
THE Righteousness of God Revealed in the GOSPEL OR An IMPARTIAL ENQUIRY into the Genuine Doctrine of St. PAVL In the Great but much Controverted ARTICLE of JUSTIFICATION By Mr. JOHN HUMFREY Of making Books there is no End and much Study is a Weariness to the Flesh Let us hear the Conclusion of the Matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole of Man Ec. 12.13 14. LONDON Printed for T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside 1697. TO THE READER HAVING seriously read this Treatise concerning the Justification of a Sinner I sound so clear and distinct an Account given of it that as it gave me no small Satisfaction so I could not but think it worthy to be perused by others For though the Learned Author departs in some things from the common Opinion yet he doth it so modestly that candid Persons though contrary minded will not blame him for it And his Reasons are such that it is possible they may be convinced by them and perswaded to embrace his Explication of this weighty Doctrine However his Drift and Intention is so evidently Holy viz. to prevent Mens falling into the most dangerous Errors that he may hope for their Pardon who think him not to be altogether in the Right himself For as to the main Business no Man more strenuously asserts the Doctrine of our Church of Justification by Faith only accorto the Explication which is made of it in our Homilies in the Second Part of the Sermon of Salvation in these Words This Saying That we be justified by Faith only freely and without Works is spoken for to take away clearly all Merit of our Works as being unable to deserve our Justification at God's Hands And thereby most plainly to express the Weakness of Man and the Goodness of God the great Infirmity of our selves and the Might and Power of God the Imperfectness of our own Works and the most abundant Grace of our Saviour Christ and therefore wholy to ascribe the Merit and deserving of our Justification unto Christ only and his most pretious Blood-shedding But although this Doctrine be never so true as it there follows that we be justified freely without all Merit of our own Good Works as St. Paul doth express it and freely by this lively and perfect Faith in Christ only as the ancient Authors use to speak it yet this true Doctrine must be also truly understood and most plainly declared lest carnal Men should take unjustly occasion thereby to live carnally after the appetite and will of the World the Flesh and the Devil Now this being the very Scope of this Author to declare the right Vnderstanding of this Doctrine so plainly that no Man may thereby take any Occasion of Carnal Liberty he hopes his Endeavour will be acceptable to all those that love the Lord Jesus in Sincerity Amen Nov. 24. 1696. SY ELIENS Worcester Apr. 7. 1697. SIR THE Papers you were pleased to send me I have carefully perused and I am not without Hopes that through the Blessing of God they may allay those unreasonable Heats which have made so great a Noise about the Point of Justification and yet we are told that they all agree in the Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction and the Covenant of Grace as founded upon it But we find by too common Experience that it is possible for Men upon their own Mistakes to grow as warm in this Matter as if they were disputing with the Jews as St. Paul did in his Epistle to the Romans But if such Persons would lay aside Prejudices and Impartially consider the State of the Case at that Time they would far better understand this Controversy and not think so hardly of their Brethren For nothing can be plainer to me than that St. Paul opposes that which he calls The Righteousness of God by Faith Rom. 1.17.3.21.10.3 to their own Righteousness which was by the Law And which made the Reward not of Grace but of Debt And Faith is taken by him as a Term opposite to the Law and importing the Grace of the Gospel Therefore it is of Faith that it might be of Grace Phil. 3.5 So that Justification by Faith is in other Words being justified by the Grace of the Gospel Rom. 3.27 28.4.15 manifested by the Doctrine of Christ and procured by his Sufferings which are granted both by them and us to be the only meritorious Cause of our Justification The remaining Dispute then can only be concerning those Terms on which we may be made Partakers of this Grace of the Gospel which is communicated to Mankind as the Effect of Christ's Satisfaction Which is very different from that which St. Paul managed against all such as set up their own Works whether according to the Law of Nature or of Moses against the Gospel of Christ and thought there was no necessity of any such Propitiation by Christ as St. Paul asserted in order to the Remission of Sins and the Favour of God For the Jews believed that the Righteousness of the Law as it was performed by them was sufficient in order to their Acceptance with God and that there was such a Proportion between their Works and the Favour of God as made it a Debt of Justice Which Opinion remains among them to this Day as appears by this Saying of Manasseh Ben-Israel Hinc meritis Gratiam Dei acquiri non est Dubitandam By which it seems that the Jews have not alter'd their Opinions since the Apostles Days but all that understand Christianity aright do agree that there is no other meritorious Cause of our Acceptance with God but the Propitiation which Christ hath made Colos 1.14 In whom we have Redemption through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins Titus 3.5 6. And not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us that being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life But here comes the material Question to be resolved How we come to receive the Benefits of Christs Sufferings To answer this Distinctly we must consider them Two Ways 1. As they respect Mankind or those in General for whom Christ died 2. As they belong to Particular Persons The former are those Benefits which result from God's Acceptance of Christ's Sacrifice on behalf of Mankind which the Apostle calls God's being in Christ 2 〈◊〉 5.19 reconciling the World to himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them If this be meant of actual Pardon then all the Sins of the World are not imputed upon Christ's Death without any Act on their Parts and so the Ministry of Reconciliation would be to no purpose which the Apostle immediately adds was committed to them To what End if the Sins of the World were already forgiven But the Apostle saith v. 20. That it was to perswade Men to be reconciled to God i. e. to believe and repent and
as the full Tale be brought in or no Righteousness of Christ imputed no Merits of Christ otherwise to be applied Whereas if the End of Christ's doing and suffering what he did in our behalf was that what we do our selves by his Spirits preventing and assisting Grace shall be imputed to us for Righteousness which is the very Truth seeing the Scripture says it that it is our Faith to wit a sound Faith working by Love is and shall be so imputed that is our Faith Repentance New Obedience is accepted in regard to the Reward instead of that Righteousness the Law required to our Justification then we see what Line we have given us for the actuating our Faith and reliance on God's Grace Goodness Mercy and Christ's Merits for Pardoning our Failings as I am saying and taking what is done in such good part as to reward it with Life seeing it is for Christ's sake altogether for his Merits sake only not for its value that it finds acceptation which is the greatest Encouragement to our Endeavours and consequently to a Holy Life that can be in the World I will add that God our Judge who is gracious and wise does consider the diverse Natures Tempers Natural Infirmities Temptations of Men and Women and hath his Grains of Allowance for all according to these Circumstances so as that shall be accepted for the Condition performed in one that falls exceeding short of what is done by another Alas there are such diverse Sizes of God's Children so vast a disproportion I mean as to the Degrees of their Grace that one would hardly think them the Children of the same Father What a Difference is there between a Seth and a Sampson Rahab and Elizabeth Who would think that one Heaven should hold them both He knoweth our Frame and remembreth we are but Dust Upon which Account we read so often of his Compassions toward the Weak and Fainting which gives us this Ground for our trust in him to bear with our Frailty in mollifying to some the Condition Not but all must be Sincere but that this Sincerity is of diverse Degrees in the Sence I speak in regard to God's Acceptance and Grace which hath no Bounds to be set by any And now if any pious Brother shall go to take away this Doctrine from us and the Fruit of it I will wish him to take heed to his own and consider whither it leads If Christ hath died for the Sinner so that God looks on the Sinner to have satisfied the Law in Christ then should he preach this Gospel He should declare to all and every of his Hearers that God is in Christ reconciled to him and that he is to believe it's Christ hath died for Sinners thou art a Sinner All are Sinners Christ hath died for all and thou art to believe thy Sins forgiven Thou art not to believe only that there is Forgiveness of Sins and Everlasting Life but that these Articles through Christ are thy Possession Who loved Me and gave himself for Me. In Christ's Obedience and Sâ—fferings thou hast obeyed the Law and satisfied the Penalty and therefore art justified and in a State of Salvation As for Good Works they are indeed to be done out of Gratitude afterward God commands them and they please him and they do good to Men and therefore thou must do them but nothing is to be done for thy self but believe only in order to thy Justification and Salvation Let a Man but believe once in good earnest that it is so he cannot choose but love God and Jesus Christ and that Love will constrain him to Obedience If you hold the Doctrine of Election he must not stick at that but he must believe also he is Elect and indeed that none but the Elect can believe that is thus believe Or that there can be this Fiducia specialis misericordiae in none ever but the Elect only and therefore is it called The Faith of God's Elect. And what says any of my sober Brethren to this Doctrine Can he find in his Heart to preach it when Christ when John when Peter Acts 2.38 when they began to preach did preach Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand I confess that Luther as I apprehend did at first preach at this rate which was the way to fetch in so many by the Shoals as he did from Popery when the World was groaning under the Burden of their Priests Impositions their Penances Satisfactions Fastings Scourgings praying to Saints worshipping Images Pilgrimages Indulgences besides the Vows of Chastity Poverty and Monastical Obedience as to the more Religious whereby they were made to believe they merited Salvation for themselves and others It was glad Tydings now and a welcome Gospel to the World at this time to tell them that it is Faith alone in opposition to these Works that justifies and saves Men. Nevertheless when that excellent Man saw the Effect of his own Doctrine that such as he had turned from Popery began to run as fast to Antinomianism and Libertinism he saw occasion to change his Preaching to press the Law and Repentance as much as others Nor was the Doctrine of Preparatory Works Man's lying at the Pool Refused but Sated and Approved by his Followers A Convinced Sinner is the only Subjectum capax Justificationis even with Dr. Owen Of Just p. 133. The Second PART I Know that several of our chiefest Divines have been so far from imbibing the Sence of this Righteousness which is my Theme The Righteousness of God revealed in the Gospel that their Doctrine in opposition to the Papists is extream in the thwarting without being truly aware of it When those Prudential Catholicks who understand that Qualitas Gratiae infusa non Natura sua sed ex Dei acceptatione ordinatione habet ut Hominem Deo gratum reddat are to be heard rather than them Nay the deep and acute Mr. Baxter so far as I remember any thing he has never came to lay this Righteousness of God enough to his Thoughts when nothing almost else escapes him as it appears by his frequent approbation or mention of the Learned Sober Logically Judicious Mr. Anthony Wotton and sometimes Mr. Hotchkis his Follower I will examine therefore a little into Mr. Wotton's Opinion Justification by him is thus defined It is Reconciliationis pars qua Deus in Christum credentibus fidem reputans ad justitiam omnia illis peccata condonat Reconciliation is God's Return into Grace and Favour with Sinners as he says whom Sin had made his Enemies through Satisfaction given him by Christ God is said to be angry with Sin and Sinners and upon Christ's Satisfaction and their Repentance to be appeased or reconciled Not that Man's Repentance or Christ's Satisfaction works any change in God but Ex Connotatione Objecti God is denominated Man's Repentance changes himself and Christ's Satisfaction makes a change in the Order of Things but God is unchangeable while yet the
it and are liable to the Curse Gal. 3.10 Our Justification against this Charge is by an Acknowledgment of the Indictment but we plead a Stature made in the Year of our Lord Christ's Death when and where it is Enacted That whosoever believes and repents shall be freed from that Condemnation That is Our Plea in short is a Pardon upon Christ's Satisfaction But this Pardon being General and Conditional there arises the Charge of the Gospel This Charge is that we have not performed the Condition And our Justification against this Charge is by pleading Not Guilty for the Performance of the Evangelick Condition accepted through Mercy and Christ's Merits is our Righteousness as Not Guilty which is shewn before of this Charge of Non-performance Here De Re I agree with Mr. Baxter but De Nomine I am not satisfied yet to allow any other than one Justification Our Justification at Judgment Come ye blessed for when I was hungry ye fed me is plainly the Evangelick Condition performed and that is the Righteousness according to which the Sentence passes and as is the Justification of the Judge such must be that of the present Law whereby he judges and that is therefore our Evangelical Justification As for the Charge of the Law I count it can have no place at the Judgment of God for the Satisfaction of Christ and the Pardon upon it cannot there be brought in question If a Charge may be supposed the Satisfaction of Christ which is our Plea against it is not Ours or imputed to us for Ours not imputed In se I and Mr. Baxter hold and so cannot be here our Formal Righteousness without which a Legal Justification thereby arises not Besides this the Pardon granted upon Christ's Satisfaction is that Universal Conditional Remission which precedes Justification and when it comes to be Absolute or Actual to any one it is the Consequent of his Justification and must not be Justification itself as some make it I am not willing therefore to apprehend that because here are two Righteousnesses there are two Justifications for Christ's Righteousness as the Meritorious Cause of it goes into that Evangelical one and makes not Another But I would have one only Justification yet set forth in Scripture and spoken of by Divines under a double Consideration as Strictly and Largely taken Under a Strict and Precise Consideration I suppose nothing but what goes into the Form of it may be said of it Under a Large and Complex Consideration I allow the thing and benefit tho' Cause and Effect which was my heretofore Scruple may be comprized in our speaking of one and the same Justification I will press this Difficulty no further nor move any other but will break off with that Resolution I take up from Chemnicius and he by the Stile I suppose from Luther Quae dialectica subtilitate dissolvi non possunt piscatoria simplicitate praecidantur And as to these aforesaid Charges or Accusations I say this only that let as many be raised as any can raise they need not every one a Particular but are all discharg'd by one Universal Evangelical Justification FINIS COROLLARIVM IN the Year 1684 I wrote four or five Sheets entituled Two Steps toward obtaining my Liberty of Preaching and a Third Step after but both at that time without effect I will suppose a Man Episcopally Ordained and one that holds Communion with the Church Such a Man yet cannot have a Living or a Lecture we know without his Declaration of Assent and Consent and his Subscription according to the Canons with Conforming in all Things beside But there is nothing to hinder him the Preaching an Occasional Sermon Prayers being duly read in any Church only the want of a License to Preach Unto such a License in the Act of Vniformity is required his Reading the Thirty Nine Articles and Assent to them before the Bishop and nothing else A Canon need not be urged it were unmerciful when an Act connives The Act indeed as well as Canons requires more to the Preaching as a Lecturer or Beneficed Man but no more to a License to Preach The Uniformity Act requiring this is bound up with the Common Prayer and is made part of that Book In the Preface hereof there is a Clause to this Sence That if any Doubts shall arise about the Vnderstanding any Matter contained in the Book the Person shall resort to the Bishop or Archbishop and he shall resolve the same That the Articles are of various and doubtful Interpretation it is apparent by the Ministers of diverse Judgments some Arminians some Calvinists subscribing them and that with Allowance of the Church If then such a Man as before qualified shall make or set down his own Construction of every such Article as he scruples and then in his reading the Article read also his Sence of it and it be such as the Bishop allows to be Orthodox a License upon this Account Salva Conscientia may be had I cannot give an unfeigned Assent to these Articles all without a Liberty of Explication but with one I may And upon that Supposition there is the Eleventh Article Entituled Of the Justification of Man which concerns me in regard to this present Book We are accounted righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Works or Deservings Wherefore that we are justified by Faith only is a wholesome Doctrine and very full of Comfort as is more largely expressed in the Homily of Justification Art 11. By the Words Faith only I understand what Paul means by Faith without Works that is Faith in opposition to Works that would make the Reward to be of Debt and not of Grace or to the Works of the Law Works which the Law requires to Justification which none have and if any be justified at all it must be therefore without them not in opposition to Repentance and Evangelical Obedience And though it be for Christ's sake or his Merits not Ours that he accounts us righteous yet is our Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience the Condition upon which he does it or rather the Righteousness itself which upon the Account of Christ's Deservings he accepts unto Life everlasting So I have it in these mentioned Sheets J. H. ERRATA PAge 9. l. 28. for First r. Fifth p. 11.21 for Meritory r. Meritoriè p. 14. l. 34. for its r. it with a Full-point p. 15. l. 32. for Sated r. Stated p. 18. l. 26. in the Margin for that r. by which p. 31. l. 32. for rearum r. reatum p. 27. l. 2. for Cause r. Cause An ADVERTISEMENT from the Bookseller THere are several Papers of Four or Five Sheets apiece written formerly by this Author called The Middle Way of Election of Redemption of Justification of the Covenants Law and Gospel of Perfection As also Peaceable Disquisitions which Treat Of the Natural and Spiritual Man of Praying by the Spirit of Preaching by Demonstration of it of Assurance of the Arminian Grace of the Possibility of Heathens Salvation of the Reconciliation of Paul and James of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness with other Incidental Matters One of which Middle Papers that of Justification was Reprinted two Years since with the Quotation of what concerns that Subject out of the other and since that One Sheet so called and his Six Sheets last Year called Pacification All which may be bound up together with this present Discourse for any that desires them In that Book called Pacification there is the Case of Non-Resistance and Passive-Obedience Stated and Resolved the Doctrine whereof Abjured in the two former Reigns is here in this King's Reign Recorded for a Memoriae Sacrum to those which are to come Whosoever hath those Six Sheets they are desired in Page 35. Line 20. to put in the word not which the Printer hath left out to the contradicting the Scope of the Book T. P.
which is rather the Consequence of this Acceptance with God Rom. 3.28 Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law i. e. A man is received into the Favour of God not by his own Works but according to the Grace of the Gospel and the Terms contained therein And this I take to be St. Paul's meaning 3. The Righteousness of Christ may be said to be imputed two ways 1. So as it becomes our Personal Righteousness which is called Formal Imputation 2. So as the Benefit of Christ's Righteousness and Satisfaction redounds to our Advantage If the former Sense be allowed these Consequences follow 1. That we must be as Righteous as Christ was for if Personal Righteousness can be transferred the Person on whom it is transferred must have that very Righteousness which was in Christ himself and so must be as Holy and Innocent as he was which I hardly think any will pretend to 2. That there can be no Remission of Sin as to such who have this perfect Righteousness no more than there could be to Christ himself Imputation for Remission of Sin and of Personal Righteousness are inconsistent For the one must suppose Guilt and the other cannot when the Personal Righteousness is actually imputed There may be antecedent Guilt before the Imputation but where there is perfect Righteousness actually imputed there can be no personal Guilt for if there be it can be no perfect Righteousness as to him 3. That there can be no Conditions required where a perfect Righteousness is imputed For a Condition is in order to something to be obtained but here the full Benefit is already received by the Imputation of a perfect Righteousness and it is absurd to suppose Conditions for the obtaining of what is past It cannot then be denied that those speak consonantly enough to this Hypothesis who exclude all Conditions from the new Covenant but very dangerously as to the Design of Charity since our Saviour himself bids us to pray to God to forgive our Trespasses as we forgive others which I think supposes a Condition on our Parts in order to Remission But if no more be meant by Imputation of Christ's Righteousness but that the Sufferings of Christ were in our stead and for our Advantage as to Remission and Justification I do most heartily and freely own it 4. The Apostles Argument against Merit and Boasting do by no means hold against such an Evangelical Righteousness as comes from the Grace of God and tends wholly to the Honour of it which is so clear that I need not to prove it This is a short Account of my Thoughts in this Matter and I think we do not differ in the Substance however we may in the manner of Explication I am Your Friend and Servant ED. WIGORN Mr. Humfrey Chester Apr. 12. 1997. I Receiv'd by Piece-meal as it came from the Press all your Book entituled Of the Righteousness of God in the Matter of Justification except the Title Page and the Epistle which I read over as it came to my Hands with Pleasure and Profit The great Doctrine of Justification is by you stated more agreeably to the Scriptures than I have met with it in any other Author You do I confess in some Places express your Sense obscurely so that it may perhaps be mistaken by unwary Readers but if in those Places I rightly apprehend your Meaning I do not at present remember any thing I have to object against it However I intend the next Week to read over the whole together and if any Objections shall then occur to my Thoughts you shall hear further from me It will I doubt not be a good Antidote against the Antinomian Doctrines which some Persons who decry do implicitly and by necessary Consequence assert by the false Notion they have entertain'd of Christ's imputed Righteousness I am SIR Your Affectionate Brother N. CESTRIENS An ADVERTISEMENT from the Author READER TO make a stay to camulate more Testimony to this Book though of the like Right Reverend Persons to no other end but to signify their Consent or Approbation of it might give thee Occasion to censure me for a seeker of vain Glory which does little become such a one as I rather than thy Edification I will use this spare Leafe therefore to another Purpose When I reprinted my Middle way of Justification which I printed at first about 25 Years ago I thought of writing no more on that Point But afer a while there being something I conceived needful for Finishing my Work I took occasion from the Difference among our United Brethren in a single Sheet called my One Sheet to draw up a Conclusion of the whole Matter so thorowly as I could to my own Mind intending it for my last that I cannot think fit this Book being now later and like to be canvased more than the other should come abroad without it as the Substance of this as well as that Book before and that I have wrote between or any else I can write on this Subject Having therefore this little room to fill I cannot consult my Own Content and Thy Profit better than to do it with this Citation from thence as follows To understand aright St. Paul's Justification by Faith we must consider with whom it is he contends The Jews as the best skill'd in Rabbinical Learning does tell us did generally maintain the Doctrine of Freewill not doubting but every one could do as God commanded if he would himself * This is the meaning of that Jewish saying All things are in the Power and disposal of Heaven except the Fear of God for that they believed was in their own they having no Notion as Pelagius at first of Grace All that God hath spoken we will do And having receiv'd the Law from God's Mouth the Excellency whereof was their Glory they supposed in the observation of the Outside that they kept it accounting the Reward promised therein due to them thereupon from God as what in Justice they merited for their Deeds Insomuch that some thought themselves so righteous as not to sin at all or need Pardon Touching the Law blameless All these have I kept from my youth up and others that sinned being lick'd whole by Sacrifice they thought all well boasting themselves as the Only People the Only Righteous in the Earth Not to mention what we all know out of the Acts that some of them were Converts to Christianity did yet remain of the Opinion that their Law was to be kept The Apostle now sets himself against †Not that this great I 〈◊〉 was for 〈◊〉 of the Jewâ— that is a 〈◊〉 and unâ—â—…thy 〈…〉 the Life and â—â—â—â—…tion of Man 〈…〉 that Justification by Faith in Opposition to the Law must not be understood as to that of Moses only but to the whole Law of Works these Jews and lets them know that no Man neither Jew nor Gentile is righteous
in God's sight whatsoever they were in their own but that all have sinned and need that Messias they expected to make Reconciliation for their Sins that our Lord Jesus Christ being that true Messias by his Death answering their Legal Sacrifices hath born the Curse of the Law and so redeemed us from it That God's undeserved Goodness here in accepting of Sinners through this meritorious Sacrifice of his to Pardon and Life upon Condition which he gives the Grace also to perform presupposed and by me acknowledg'd it is another Righteousness and not that of the Jews Not that Paul calls his own as a Jew or not a Righteousness of Works Perfect Works but a Righteousness of Faith which makes the Reward only of Grace Of Faith that it may be of Grace a Righteousness of Faith but a true Faith working by Love which is an Internal Righteousness though imperfect and not as the External Works of the Jews was is that Righteousness of God in opposition to the Terms of the Law whereby we are justified and saved The Apostle I observe in one place speaking of Faith calls it the Obedience of Faith the same Word if you compare that Text Rom. 11.30 31. with the Margin signifying both to Believe and Obey And the People believed God and his Servant Moses I will conclude hereupon that Christ's Redemption in the immediate fruit thereof which is the Grant of a General Pardon through his Satisfaction to all the World on Condition being laid as a foundation To be justified by Faith is to be justified by performing that Condition To be justified by Faith Believe me at parting is in St. Paul's Mind to be justified by the Obedience of Faith in opposition to the task of the Law that is in St. Paul's Mind I say opposing the Jew by embracing the Christian Religion and living according to it Reader In p. 14. l. 34. correct the Word its and make it it with a Full Point after Other Errataes you may find at the end of the Book or mend your self OF THE Righteousness of GOD In the Matter of JUSTIFICATION The First PART BEcause upon the right Understanding of what the Apostle means by the Righteousness of God without the Law revealed now in the Gospel which indeed is dark and hardly understood I think by Papist or Protestant in their Disputes and much less by our Brethren in their present Differences does depend the Elucidation of the Great Article of Justification whereof I wrote some Sheets formerly called The Middle Way and more lately six Sheets called Pacification I have thought good yet to write a few more upon some further increase of my own Knowledge about this Subject And under this Title I beseech God for his Light and Truth and for Integrity of Heart and Pardon of my Weakness and Failings for my self and for the removal of Prejudice from and the establishing the Judgment of others who shall read what is written The Search after Truth is indeed hard Work it is digging in a Mine It was so to me in writing on this Point at first and it is still What I dig up is but rude it is the Ore as it comes naturally and that is best to edifie those that would improve it I am one whose Genius is averse from any Notion imposed and receives none without distrust that does not arise first out of my own Mind or that I see something new to cultivate it I do not only bear with others but do like them often better that they differ from me because I know I differ from the most Where the Mine though is Gold as the Scripture is there is no Dust of it but must be saved The least Dust of Gold is Gold and if any other who hath better Words and Parts will be at the pains to sift and order what I have digged I doubt not but they may make Gold of that which I have brought to be but the Dust of Gold When a Book is so Methodized as it does exhaust its Subject there is no coming after it But when there is only some Ore turn'd up something of Notion for others to refine a riper Wit will be encouraged to an Endeavour of bringing that Something to more perfection It is so with my Middle-Way Books I am content to be but the Digger I expect some others should be the Refiners of what I have digged The Trent Doctrine which is the perfect papists I must confess is lead them bâ— St. Austine They say Justification is the making a Man just Ex impio Christianum by Infusion of Grace inherent or Charity Being justified freely by his Grace Augustine being immersed in his Dispute with Pelagius could think of Grace in no Sence but this and by Freely Gratis justified he understood only that Works preparatory did not merit this infusion which the Trent-Doctors also say after him The Efficient Cause quae efficit is the Spirit the Instrumental Cause qua efficitur Baptism the Meritorious Cause propter quam Christ's Death the Formal Cause per quam of Justification is this Grace infused Gratia Habitualis Habitual Righteousness making the Man before ungodly now righteous in God's sight This habitual Righteousness then being infused by Baptism they say does abolish Sin so that there remains in the Baptized after the Opus Operatum nothing that is Peccatum but Fomes Peccati only and upon that Account is perfect so by the Law justifies and the Works proceeding from it meritorious of Salvation This is their Opinion and they fall foul on us for holding Justification by Pardon only or by Christ without inherent Grace as if Good Works were laid aside by us altogether Our Protestants therefore renouncing this Charge do grant an habitual Righteousness or Grace infused as necessary in the justified Person but deny this Righteousness to be that which justifies him they deny Justification to be Regeneration and distinguish these as two things It is not this inherent Righteousness say they that can be opposed between the Wrath of God and our Conscience of Sin to be the Cause Propter quam we are not condemned No there is a Righteousness they add without us that is the Righteousness of Christ performed for us and by our Faith made ours that we rely upon to do this for us Our inherent Grace is inchoate imperfect and cannot standing in Judgment before God This being now partly well on both sides there is a Middle Way appears which we must take between them It is true against the Papists that there is no such Righteousness inherent though infused by the Holy Spirit as does abolish Sin and make us so just that we can oppose it to Gods Wrath so as to render him appeased with the Sinner or that the Conscience can rest on it as that Proper quod he is forgiven or saved It is true likewise against the common Protestant that there is not any Righteousness without us that can be made ours so as we
should be accounted righteous in another's Righteousness and to be that thing Per quod we are justified There is no such Matter in reality but in notion only When one Man is justified and not another something there must be in the one that is not in the other This Righteousness now whatsoever it be as imperfect as it is confessedly yet wrought by the Spirit of God is that and must be that which is the Form per quam he is accepted or justified when the Satisfaction and the Righteousness of Christ we all at least Protestants do grant to be the Ground or Reason of that Acceptation that is the Meritorious Cause propter quam we are pardoned and saved It is not therefore the Papists infused perfect Righteousness for there is no such nor the Protestants imputed Righteousness for that is not ours both of which answer the Law if we could plead them and would make the Reward of Debt But it is a Third Thing The Righteousness of God without the Law as the Apostle calls it a Righteousness now revealed in the Gospel in opposition to Works that is meritorious perfect Works which we have and must have and yet answer not the Law but makes our Justification therefore of Mercy or Grace which is the Righteousness as yet quite out of sight of the most we must advance Paulo Duce in the Doctrine of Justification In one Verse of David's Psalms we have him praying thus Hear my Prayer O Lord answer me in thy Righteousness Where we see a Righteousness of God according to which he is accepted And yet in the next Verse do these Words follow And enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified Where we see a Righteousness according to which no Man can be heard no Man can be accepted no Man can stand in his sight Psal 143.1 2. Thus much then is plain that here is a Righteousness and a Righteousness A Righteousness I may say of strict Justice or a Righteousness of gracious Acceptation A Righteousness which is Severe Justice or Paternal Justice The Righteousness of a condescending Father or of a rigid Judge David does as it were appeal from the one to the other Any one may express themselves in other Terms as please them best But such a Distinction then is to be made in reality according to the Scriptures I will therefore offer yet these other words There is a Righteousness as to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Righteousness to be most plain and full according to the Law or Covenant of Works whereby God might deal with us if he would and so no Man could Live Or a Righteousness according to the Covenant of Grace which is this Righteousness the Apostle means now revealed as that by which he does deal with us in the Gospel God is not unrighteous says one Apostle to forget your Labour of Love Heb. 11.10 If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just says another to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from our Unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1.9 It is a righteous thing with God to render to you rest when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed 2 Thes 1.7 I have fought a good Fight and kept the Faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the righteous Judge shall give me and all that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable to him for he will render to Man his Righteousness Job 33.26 Judge me Lord according to my Righteousness and according to my Integrity Psal 7.8 The Lord rewarded me according to my Righteousness for I have kept the ways of the Lord Psal 18.20 21. Remember me O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Isa 38.3 Remember me O God concerning this and wipe not out my good Deeds I have done for the House of my God and the Offices thereof Neh. 13.14 Remember me O God for good ch ult v. ult By these and the like places the Righteousness of God this Righteousness the Apostle speaks of may be taken Subjective or Terminative in regard to himself or in regard to us Or to wave School-Terms and speak surer on His part or on Our part On God's part this Righteousness is his Grace or Condescention towards us in pardoning the Failings and accepting the Endeavours of all penitent believing Men and Women so long as they be sincere notwithstanding those Failings unto Life according to the New Covenant And on Our part it is these Endeavours thus accepted or that which we do our believing or repenting how frail soever if sincere being the Condition required of us in that Covenant to our Justification and Salvation Now the Righteousness of God without the Law without the performance thereof is manifest says the Apostle It was always in the World but occult as Austine I have said in my first Sheets does speak 'till the Preaching of the Gospel How is that Why in regard to the Foundation I count on which it stands For other Foundation can no Man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 This Righteousness of God which is I say on God's part his Grace or Condescention toward us in passing by our Failings and accepting our sincere Endeavour unto Life notwithstanding all our Imperfections is procured for and vouchsafed to us upon the Account of Christ's Satisfaction and Righteousness the meritorious Cause of the Acceptance and Salvation of all that were saved under the Old Testament as well as of us now but that this Grace stood and was vouchsafed then upon this Account upon Christ's Account was dark to them and they saw it not as we now do and therefore is this Righteousness of God said to be revealed now tho' always afoot so as they had the benefit then or else none before now could have been saved I am not ashamed of the Gospel for therein the Apostle goes on is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith From Faith to Faith And what means that Why this is the meaning * There is one Religion Law or Rule for all Mankind to obtain Life by which being the Law of our Lapsed Nature or Remedying Law containing God's Grace administred to all the Earth in a Threefold State of such as were or are without the Law or before it and under the Law and under the Gospel As this Administration is Threefold so hath the Faith which is the Condition thereof been diversified But now is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith The Righteousness of God is the Righteousness of this Law which hath ever been afoot in the World and tho' a Heathen hath not that Faith as is required of the Christian in the Third Edition of it or that which was required of the
to be Pardon because the Formal Righteousness of our Justification which is the Righteousness of Faith only imputed to us for Righteousness is not a Righteousness that hath offended in nothing and obeyed in every thing as Mr. Truman describes Pardon but is an inchoate imperfect Righteousness that hath Failings covered with Christ's Satisfaction and its Work done I may say still accepted only through his Merit so that the more acute this Man is and the further he does go the more he is out and must be so long as he hath not once the Sence upon his Mind through his whole Book called The Great Propitiation nor in his other two of the Righteousness of God which the Apostle himself gives us as the Handle and the only Handle to understand his Doctrine of Justification by This one thing yet is to be noted that these worthy Men that define Justification by Pardon only and say it is impossible that a Sinner can be justified or made and accounted righteous any otherwise do yet plead for a Personal Evangelical Righteousness as necessary to Justification as much or more than others Witness Sir Charles Wolesley This now to me is a Contradiction unless it be understood à parte post only For if Pardon only can make a Sinner righteous how can there be any Personal Righteousness preceding it The Matter is thus Before a Man believes and repents he is not pardoned or made righteous by Pardon that is certain When a Man performs the Evangelick Condition it is the Evangelick Law or God by it as his Instrument makes him or constitutes him righteous and being thereby so made God must account him so which is all one with imputing that Condition performed for Righteousness or justifying him This Constitutive Justification then proceeding in Order of Nature though not in Time Pardon and Life do follow as the Fruit or Benefits of it Note here that when the Evangelick Law does constitute the Performer of the Condition righteous it is righteous quoad hoc only for he is ungodly that is Not righteous still as I say before in regard to the Law but righteous as not guilty of the Accusation of his Non-performance of the Condition of the Gospel So that after this Righteousness Quoad hoc a Universal Righteousness of Not Guilty of any Omission or Commission that brings a Man into a State as if he had offended in nothing and fulfilled the Law in every thing as Mr. Truman describes Pardon does manifestly appear to be a farther Benefit or Blessing than Justification strictly taken What may be understood by it largely taken may be considered hereafter before I have done The Third PART BEfore I come to any Close of my Discourse there is a matter of Four Things to be proposed whether by way of Question or Objection it is indifferent as necessary for the Satisfaction of such as have the Reason Candour and Christian Humility to seek it The First is this The Scripture and those therefore that duly preach it does call upon all Men to believe and repent in order to their Justification and Salvation and when Faith and Repentance are required as Conditions of being justified how can that which is pre-requisite as a Condition be made or become the Form Formal Cause or Formal Reason of Justification This I put first because I believe here that nothing almost that a Scholar who hath got Aristotelian Terms in his Head putting his Physical Constructions on Divinity Points is like to be more gravell'd at than at this But it is nothing let Terms or Words be once look'd through for it is this is the very thing I affirm and stand upon that what God hath made the Condition of his Covenant and the Blessings thereof and so of our Justification before it is performed when perform'd does become the Formal Righteousness that justifies us God does by that Act of Imputation Instrumentally done by his Word make our Faith which is not in itself a Righteousness to become our Righteousness and as it becomes a Righteousness it is made the Formal Reason of our Justification There is the Carpenter's Work the Bricklayer's Work the Smith's Work goes to the Building a House There must be therefore Timber Bricks and Iron prepared and the preparing these are Conditions of the Building or Materials before but when the House is built they all put together are the House it self and as a House the Formal Cause Formal Reason or Form of it A Second Thing to be proposed is this Our Divines we know do ordinarily bring together Remission of Sin and the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness into the Matter of our justification and when the Assembly have given us a Definition comprizing the same Things I do in mine why should I offer another Unto this I will make that Answer as ought to content any honest Man that would have but such a one as he would be allowed himself to give and I say that I do readily give my Suffrage to the Assembly's Catechism to be learned and used above any I know and am not concern'd though a Learner of it be not so accurate in his Understanding as to see any Difference between my Definition and theirs when what is in mine is in theirs and what in theirs is in mine I am perswaded that a believed grosser Knowledge of the Principles of Religion is better for ordinary People than that which is more exact and I receive all that is in their Definition only with liberty of Explication In Justification I acknowledge a Forgiveness and an Imputation of Christ's Obedience but I do not acknowledge either as our Formal Righteousness I say Forgiveness is a Benefit we receive by it but it is not the Formal Reason of it and I acknowledge Christ's Righteousness imputed Sub genere causae efficientis per modum meriti and so received by Faith not in itself but in the Merit of it only And I give Notice that he who thinking more does say that Christ's Righteousness In fe is made ours Legally tho' Physically and Morally he disowns it that Man must make it to justifie us Sub ratione causae formalis when perhaps he does not know it which is an unadvised Position I look upon as that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our former great Divines which gave the Rise to Antimonianism A Third Thing to be proposed is Our Protestants have their Mouths full of Christ's Righteousness imputed when the Scripture hath no such Expression and what hath not Authority from Scripture may be again refused Eadem facilitate says Hierom as it hath been received It is sit therefore this be a little examin'd into and there may be two Questions ask'd The one What is there in the thing at bottom as to the reality and truth of it The other And what then shall we say to it For the First That which is in reality in this Matter The Imputation of Christ's Righteousness is that Christ by the
this Comfort here tho' none else in the World for this alone is worth a World that we may must ought to trust lean cast our selves upon the Satisfaction and Merit of Christ for pardoning all our Failings and accepting our poor Mite and if the Soul remains in doubt it must quiet itself upon him If with the Pharisee I justifie myself God may condemn me If I condemn myself with the Publican he may acquit me And what must I do in this Case Behold O Lord I am at thy Bar and I commit my Cause unto my Judge Thy Bar is a Bar or Throne of Grace I cast myself on thy Grace And the Lord send me a good Deliverance at the Great Day As for Actual Pardon and Life that follows Justification the Merit is to be attributed to that which procured Justification on that Condition There is nothing of Merit but Christ's throughout It is Christ's Satisfaction runs through all I must still say as the Meritorious Cause when Performance of the Condition becomes thereby the Formal Cause of our Justification I know how hardly this is like to be received by many when Dr. Owen will allow nothing of any Personal Righteousness or any Works Legal or Evangelical but excludes them all from our Justification supposing that if it be of Works any way it is not of Grace at all when it is therefore of Faith or upon the Evangelick Condition that it may be of Grace Dr. Owen is a Person whose Name I honour for his Worth Learning Comprehensive Parts and one in whom was more of a Gentleman as to his Deportment than in any Divine I knew ever among us Yet is he more Authorative sometimes in his Book than he needs which being liable to hurt the humbly Inquisitive I will speak the more positively in this matter that the Doctor is out as I believe and never came to the plain true knowledge of what Paul means by the Works he opposes to Faith in this Point of Justification Which Works are such as would justifie a Man in the Apostles Account if he had them but that no Man is justified by Works because he has them not This I am past doubt is Paul's meaning and in this particular the Learned and Honoured Sir Charles Wolesley before quoted is rather to be attended A Man says Sir Charles that has not a Legal Sinless Perfection is that Paul means by the Ungodly Rom. 4.5 In my first Papers I wrote I had this Sence of the place and I have it before and in my Pacification I say the like of that Text * For solving this Matter Austin and from him the Schools distinguish of Opera Naturae and Opera Gratiae We are not saved by Works or according to Works done in our own Strength but by Works done by Grace But is this the Apostle's meaning No I have shewn in my Book of Just that One Thing of Three wherein Austin was out and hath misled the Schools is this Notion of Grace By Grace he understands still this inherent Grace or Operation of God's Spirit in us when Paul understands it of that without his Favour or Condescension to us Not of Works but of Grace is all one as not of Desert but of Favour only Grace is Mercy without or contrary to Merit Now when the Papist receives the Solution mentioned the Protestants generally will have all Works tho of the Regenerate to be but Rags and Christ's Righteousness alone to save us But they are both out for Paul's meaning it plainer than they think Not by Works of Righteousness we have done The Righteousness which the Jew hath done is living according to the Law of Moses The Righteousness which the Gentile hath done is his living according to the Law of Nature There is neither one or the other that fulfil that Righteousness which answers God's Law so as it should be able to save him and therefore it is of Grace or Mercy that Any are saved Pacif. p. 29. Not by the Works of Righteousness we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us Which Words have put so many to the inventing Distinctions when the right understanding is to make none the meaning being only Not by the Works of Righteousness we have done because we have not done them and it must be of Mercy therefore and in another way we are saved or not at all See the Quotation above The Works then I have said there and here and must still say which Paul means are such as would justifie us such as would make the Reward of Debt if we had them that is perfect Works Such says the Judicious Le Blanc as the Law requires to Justification And as for that the Doctor hath in answer to this that it is a wild Imagination that the perfect Works of the Law will not justifie us but imperfect Works which answer not the Law will do so it does confirm what I judge of the Doctor 's Conceptions that certainly he never understood the Apostle as to this Matter who I say excludes not Works of the Law from Justification as if they would not justifie us if we had them but because none have them to be justified by them It is therefore the Righteousness of God the Righteousness of the Evangelick Condition that he in his Mercy through Christ's Merits hath instituted in the room of Works to justifie the Christian And as for the Doctor 's quoting Socinus saying this to prejudice the Reader against it I must needs say I like this excellent Doctor 's Judgment the meaner and seeing I took the Notion from Scripture and am sure I am no Socinian myself Socinus was a Man of Reason and it is to be lik'd the better for that It is a thing whether so proposed or not more worth the Thoughts of a serious Man how the Doctrine of Justification as formerly it hath been taught and is maintained by the Doctor can be made to lodge with the Doctrine of Sanctification or Regeneration in the same Scripture or be preached together in the same Gospel The Papists are so careful to have these agree that they make them one The Protestants are so careful to keep them asunder that they will not have any Works of ours not Faith itself as a Work or the Fruits of it Repentance and a Good Life to be brought into our Justification least by going to establish our own Righteousness we submit not to the Righteousness of God and perish Let the Works be wrought in us says the Doctor Of Just p. 524. if they be also wrought by us I fear their Introduction into our Justification doth include beasting This he adds is a dangerous Point even like to make us lose all the Benefit we might otherwise expect by the Grace of God I cannot but remember since I was young holy Mr. Shepherd's Book The Sincere Convert and do reflect sometimes on that Terror the Reading that and the like Books hath wrought in