either in Matter or Manner The Use I shall make of this is of Refutation for since none can pretend to be justified by any Works but such as are good and acceptable in the sight of God and none are such that want the foremention'd Qualifications all the distinctions of Adversaries about the Kinds of Works are to no purpose That this may be more evident I shall rank them under these four Kinds 1. The Socinians who say that the Apostle means Works in their Perfection that are excluded from a divine condescendency to our Impotency he will not require what we cannot perform but will justifie us for what we can Resp 1. If we did and always had perfectly fulfill'd the Law we should have been justifi'd by its Works Rom. 2.13 The doers of the Law shall be justified 2 Tit. 3.7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done 2. It would heinously reflect on the Holiness of God as a Law-giver or Judge to make an Imperfect Law or to Judge a Man just for Imperfect Performance of a Perfect Law Gal. 3.10 Cursed is he that continues not in all things c. The Second Opinion is of them who exclude the Mosaical Law and these of two and may be more sorts 1. Some exclude only Ceremonies and indeed the Controversie began about them Act. 15. the Instances by Paul most mention'd are of that kind Gal. 2.14 16. and by their resemblance of a Remedying Nature the Jews mistook them for the thing it self Thus Lombard and the Schoolmen Alphons a Cast Dom. a Soto But the Law the Apostle speaks of as the Rule of the Works he excludes cannot be Confin'd so narrowly for Rom. 2.15 it 's a Law that the Gentiles had Rom. 3.20 28. a Law that bound all Flesh a Law by which the Knowledge of sin Rom. 4.14 a Law that worketh Wrath. 2. By others the whole Works of the Mosaical Law are excluded in the Pharisaical Sense of them that is as separated from the Essential Duties of the Covenant as given to Adam Noah and Abraham Respon 1. I grant that the Pharisees did mistake the Law in its Extent and Intent too the former Christ corrects Mat. 5. but it 's very reasonable to think that they who had now embraced Christ to whom the Apostle writes had forsaken that Error for the Apostle's Dispute is of another kind not what was their Duty or Work but what place this Work or Duty had with respect to its Reward Whether or not it was truly Meriting and his Business is to prove that let their Works be what they would they could never serve for this Use and the Apostle tells them Rom. 10.4 5. that they did not know Christ compleatly viz. that he was the End of the Law who would put such a Value on their own Works Sir Nor. Knat Observes on Rom. 2.14 that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Work of the Law signifies the Office of the Law this was to Convince a Man of Sin that he might fly to Christ as Galat. 3. 't is called a School-master to bring us to Christ The Law is the Mean He is the End The Moral Law was a Mean to make them sensible of their Need of Christ and the Ceremonial was a Mean to represent him as the End of the other as One who was a Sacrifice and gave satisfaction for their Breach of the Law 2. The Apostle gives no Countenance to this Opinion in his Phrase for Galat. 3.21 If there had been a Law given c. There is an Impossibility in any Law or its Works prescribed to Adam Noah or Abraham since Man was a Sinner to Merit in any sense Justification at the Hand of God 3. Romans 3.20 21 22. The Apostle calls the Works he excludes Works of the Law not in any abstracted sense but Works that the Law required and the Mosaical Law comprehended all the former Laws under it as Joh. 7.32 Ye received Circumcision of Moses not that it was of him but of the Fathers And when the Mâ—saical and the Christian Constitution are opposed Mosâ—ical comprehends the whole Old Testament State 4. The Righteousnesses that are in this Epistle opposed are God's and Mâ—n's not Adam's essential Duties in the first Edition of the Naked Covenant and Moses his in the Political Administration of it Rom. 3.22 The Syriac renders it thus The Righteousness of God by the hand of Faith on that Jesus Christ Not a Righteousness that is God's Gift and is acceptable to God by Virtue of his prescribing it as the Condition he required a Righteousness that lay in the Fruits of Faith or in the Nature of Faith from its Conformity to the Law of the Covenant but a Righteousness that Faith as a Hand takes hold of 5. This Law the Apostle speaks of comprehends all inward Obedience all Righteousness Vid. Ch. 3. and 7. of this Epistle nay the Pharisee Mat. 22. did conclude Love to God to be the great Duty of the Law 3. The third Opinion is of Grotius who if the Writings that go under his Name and have so much Corrupted the Age be his own he was both a Papist and Apostate or if Mr. Baxter's Grotian Errors and that other Book called Grotius Papizans or Walleus in N. T. Preface be to be Credited indeed his Doctrine on this very Point of Justification is a very great Proof it as his Comments on the Epistles doth testifie especially this for tho' they are as Corrupt as he in their Disputes yet rarely in their Expositions are any Papists so Corrupt His Doctrine is thus 1. Works that are only External Civil deserving Praise of Men and by Humane Strength performable are excluded from an Interest in Justification 2. Faith of God is an Esteem of his Attributes and Faith of Christ is the Knowledge of him and his Doctrine 3. To Justifie is to Purifie to Cleanse from Vice so the Works are hypocritical the Faith historical and that which Devils has the Justification papistical Resp 1. It 's very improbable that the Apostle should Dispute so Nervously that a Man cannot be Internally Sanctified by External Works and as improbable that any should be so absurd to maintain it that a Man may become Just by Hypocritical Performances that external Civility is internal Holiness 2. That Law Rom. 7.7 14. requir'd more than external Works 3. Abraham had better Works than External and Paul when he knew nothing by himself yet not thereby Justified did not mean only External 4. They were what Works the Law requir'd and the God that searcheth Hearts nevâ—r made a meer External Law to Judge Men by 4. The fourth Opinion is that which is common among Papists 1. Works before Faith are excluded but not after Faith Sorrow for Sin without the Aids of Grace doth not Merit Preparatory Works to Grace doth not Merit though some and that generally allow a Congruity and Fitness to them others as Becanus deny it This is no more true
1. It is a Righteousness from God as the Author of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it 's expressed in the third of the Philippians it is the Gift of his Grace the Contrivance of his Wisdom and the Effect of his Power It is the Gift of his Grace Rom. 5.17 Much more they which receive abundance of Grace and of the Gift of Righteousness 2 Tim. 1.9 It is a Grace given us in Christ before the World began but is now made manifest By this Righteousness of God Death is abolished and Life and Immortality brought to light God that so loved the World as to give his Son for them gave all things with him and this none of the least of the Gifts which is as freely given as any other for we are Justified freely by his Grace It is also a Fruit of the depth of the Riches of the Knowledge of God the Angels stand amazed at the Contrivance the most Sagacious of them would have been non-plus'd if asked by what Righteousness a Sinner could be justified It 's one of those things God hath prepared that neither Eye hath seen nor Ear heard nor ever Heart considered it is also an Effect of Infinite Power what Power less could have united Divine and Humane Nature in one Person What Power less could have made a Virgin Conceive What Power less could have brought a Clean thing out of an Unclean and Caused one to be born of a Woman and partake of Humane Flesh and Blood and yet be Sinless It is a kind of Generation none can declare What Power less could have done that great Work and Service he was appointed by this Law The Angels that excell in Strength being all put together could never have performed a thousand part of it the restoring of all things to their Primitive Beauty and Order What Power less could bear the Burden of Guilt the weight of one Sin is an intolerable burden to a Soul No Man were able to stand if God should mark Iniquity but this sure Foundation Stone bore the guilt of the whole World but never did yield nor give way did neither shrink split or flinch he is a tried Stone and found to be a sure Foundation he could rise again from the Grave notwithstanding the weight of this Grave-stone of Guilt 2. It 's the Righteousness of God Subjectively because the Righteousness of that Person who is God as the Blood of the Humane Nature is called the Blood of God to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood All the Works of his Person by Reason of their Conformity to the Mediatorial Law are called Righteousness Rom. 10.3 Have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God for Christ is the end of the Law So we see the Righteousness of God is the Righteousness of Christ ◠Person in whom the Law gained all its ends for he obeyed all its Precepts he suffered all its Threatnings and he purchased all its Promises too 3. It 's the Righteousness of God in Opposition to all Humane Righteousness it 's his in Opposition to our own he is Jehovah our Righteousness not Adam's or Mans Righteousness 4. It is the Righteousness which alone God can accept a Sinner for he cannot be Just and yet justifie a Guilty Person for any other Righteousness but this he is the Lamb that takes away the Sins of the World This was the Sacrifice God was well pleased with God is pleased with the Sacrifices of a broken Spirit for part of Duty being Sincere but for no part of the price This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Isa 42.21 The Lord is well pleased for his Righteousness sake Act. 13. For all that Believe by him are justified from all things By the Obedience of one many are made Righteous Rom. 5.19 Secondly It is without Law 1. As to its Existence obliging us it was not directed or regulated by Ceremonial Judicial or Moral Law for tho' it may be call'd the Natural Law of a Mediator because one cannot be a Mediator without performing such Duties yet it 's distinct from any other Law Moral or Natural taken in its whole Latitude these are distinguish'd as a part from the whole 2. It was manifested without the Law now for tho' the Ceremonial did represent it that Dispensation was at an end it was now more perspicuously Taught the Moral never taught it 3. We are interested in it without Law we cannot be interested in any other Righteousness without obeying the Law Directing and Commanding it but we are interested in this by Believing Thirdly It is witness'd to by the Law and Prophets Isa 2.2 Out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Prucknerus thus This is the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 The Hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 The Word of Faith Rom. 10.8 This is the Gospel the Gospel is the Narration of all Christ has done for us with the offer of it to us and all he did was ordered by the Mediatorial Law and therefore is called a Law Hackspanus thus Jalkut on this place says All the Consolations which God is to give to Man shall arise out of Sion for it is said Out of Sion shall go forth a Law Hence the Jews did expect their Salvation as well as we and they bear Testimony that it is no new Law but a new Doctrine and the Text it self calls it the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem to wit that Word which was the Subject of the Apostolical Sermons which Rom. 1. was the Gospel Another Testimony we have from the 19th Psalm where it is said The Law of the Lord is Perfect Converting the Soul that by this is meant the Apostolical Doctrine may be seen from Rom. 10.18 where it 's cited that it was Prophesied their sound should go to the Ends of the Earth that the Gospel Light should be as Vniversal as that of Sun and Moon The Papists pretend to prove the Corruption of the Original Text because what the Hebrews calls Lines both the Version of the Seventy and the New Testament translated Sound their sound went unto all the Earth but in Sence they are agreeable For the Sun and Moon have their Course by Lines which Lines do Tipifie the Travels of the Apostles and their Followers or the spreading of a Voice by Lines in the Air Bellarm. Capell and Grot. think the Word was formerly read Kolam and by Corruption turned into Kavam but the Masora Marks it to be an once read Word whereas Kolam by their marks is read fifteen times As the Prophets bare Testimony to this Law so they do to its Righteousness Jer. 23.6.33.16 This is the Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Abravanel reads thus This is the Name whereby the Lord shall call him to wit the Messias our Righteousness wherein he grants the Office of the Messiah but denies his Divinity but the Accent joining Lord and
Law may meet with external Changes in its Administration either by Dispensation when positive only as the Ceremonial or an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abatement of the Rigor in Words but the Law the same that suffers the change 3. The Law may suffer some Change in particular Precepts which are its Integral Parts A Man is the same Man still thô he lose his Thumb Collective Bodies are capable of Increase or Decrease so Jus Collectum of Derogation Surrogation or Erogation but Abrogation or Obrogation alters the Essence and until the Moral Law is Abrogate we cannot expect one specifically distinct from it But the Opposition is perspicuous thus A Law that requires your Works a Law to be obey'd by you and a Law that requires your Faith a Law fulfill'd by another for you which you ought to believe and it thus Answers the Argument we are justified by most perfect Obedience but we perform'd it not it was Christ Fourthly It is manifest from the Context and Harmony of the Apostles Discourse he had all along join'd the Laws and the Works together which he excluded from Justification First The pure Natural Law among the Gentiles Secondly The manifold Mosaical now he tells us of a Righteousness and a Law that we may and must be justified by if at all is it reasonable or possible to separate these two Ver. 21 22. But now the Righteousness of God is manifested Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ If the one be the Righteousness of Christ the Mediator surely the other is the Law of it shall we separate the Righteousness of Faith and the Law of Faith The Text would not be a good Conclusion from what precedes without this that which he had prov'd was there is no Justification by the Deeds of the Law but only by the Righteousness of God Well says he if the Case be so Where is your Boasting it is excluded He draws his Conclusion Triumphing over them How By the Law of Faith You are justifi'd by the Righteousness of God you are justifi'd in a way that excludes Boasting the Law of Faith excludes Boasting and the Righteousness of God justifies you do not then these two Coincide the one as the Work the other as the Command if it were another Law requiring a new kind of Obedience and Righteousness distinct from what he had spoken of he had drawn a Conclusion without any Premises There are two things should have been enlarged on First To prove that this Righteousness is the Righteousness of Christ as Mediator The Second Whether or not this Law of Faith referrs to the Righteousness as the Rule of it or the Faith by which it is applied Both which I must deferr to some proper Verses in the fourth Chapter only at present as to the first that 2 Pet. 1.1 may perswade any unprejudic'd Person Thorough the Rsghteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ As to the second our Confession of Faith says We are not justifi'd by Faith or that is not imputed to us it self as an Act nor any other Evangelical Obedience But this is to be treated in ver 3. Fifthly This Law is a Law we can be justifi'd by and it is before prov'd that we cannot be by any Law requiring Obedience of us Sixthly The difficulties that attend the Explication of it by Socinians Arminians aliis melioris notae who say this Law is the Law of Christ the Mediator not as made under it but as a Law-giver requiring Faith and Repentance of us as the Condition of an Interest in his Merits and Justification by them I say the difficulties that attend it render it the less credible 1. This Gospel-law or Law of Faith must be a perfect Law requiring Faith in Perfection Repentance in Perfection and so other Evangelical Obedience Mr. Bull in his Examination who is Zealous for this New Law and who as Mr. Pitcarn one of his many Adversaries says is of the greatest Acumen of the kind he not only owns it but proves it from Christs own Words Mat. 5.48 when he was Promulgating his Law Be ye perfect as my Father in Heaven is perfect 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ On which he thus Acutely Comments The Commands of growth have no Bounds nor Limits until we come to the Unity of the Faith and the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ and it is a certain Truth that there is no Duty in the Gospel wherein Gods Law only requires sincere and not perfect Obedience Patience should have its perfect Work and that 's a special part of Evangelical Obedience Either the Gospel Law or Law of Faith must require Perfection of Obedience in these Duties or some other Divine Law else God would become an Indulger of Sin by Law if it be by another Law viz. the Moral that he requires perfect Obedience and by this sincere only then these two Laws differ but in Degree not in Specie or Kind because both require the same Duties or Works and so this Gospel Law would be no Distinct Law but only the Measure of sincere Obedience would receive a new use which we own it has to wit to be an Index and Mark of our Justification tho' we cannot own that use of its giving Right but to proceed a distinct Law they must hold or quit their Cause or this Foundation of it for the Text sets the Law of Faith down as an opposite Law to that of Works and that they hold 1. Then if it be a perfect Law requiring perfect Obedience there is no possibility of Justification in this Life Poppius the Arminian grants the Conclusion that our Obedience must be consummate before our Assurance and others distinguish between a Compleat and Partial Justification the former is not they say until the day of Judgment But this is not all the difficulty for it 's the adding a Load to a Burden Is this Gospel to a Man that is unable to perform the least part of the Moral Law to tell him that God or the Mediator requires perfect Obedience to it for the Future and another too Or is this Gospel to say you shall perish Aeternally and have the Fire of Hell seven times heated if you obey not this Gospel It s indeed a Conditional Hell but it 's more dreadful than the Law-Hell and the Condition is more impossible because we have less Power to shun this difficulty of two perfect Laws Mr. Bull owns no other perfect Law but this Gospel-Law since Man fell but by shunning one difficulty he falls into two as great 1. Then the Moral Law is abrogated beside the falsness of the Doctrine it self for it is impossible that should cease to be our Duty to love God with all our Heart and Soul what Advantage brings Christs Death To abrogate one perfct Law and
has Conditionally died for all and sincere Obedience to this new Law of Faith is the Condition which they say is called Faith from the Facility and Easiness of obeying it because it requires no more Obedience but with a Proportion to our Faith and the Measure of our Faith is the Perspicuity and Assurance of Divine Revelation The Socinian and Arminian deny Merit but that is from the Odium of the Word only for Crellius the Socinian says No Master of Justice and Equity would rob his Servant of a due Reward for a fault or two God would not lay such a snare in the way of Wicked Men to deprive them of Hopes and discourage them from Duty And Poppius the Arminian describes the Christian Religion by those Works that consist in Obedience to the Commands of God and Christ and on respect to which depends the Reward of Eternal Life yea which he is not to have without the Work be Plenè Consummatum intirely and fully Perfect And the Papists mean no more by Merit they do not think their Works merit Heaven by a strict Commutative Justice that is us'd in Bargains nor Distributive in the rigour of the first Covenant but in Justice attemper'd with Equity and tinctur'd with the meriting Blood of Christ a Justice arising between a Foederal Promise and the most mean Condition And the Sincere as well as Learn'd Mr. Baxter says in his Catholick Theology he only differs from them in the Word because offensive and that we ought rather to rejoice the Papists have so much Truth among them than reject the Truth because they hold it But whether he dy'd in this Opinion that our Works gave such a Right to the Reward I doubt for in his little Book against Dr. Crisps Errors he says I formerly believ'd the formal Nature of Faith to lye in Consent as he elsewhere explains it the Marriage Consent that binds to all the Duties of the Married State and so gives Right to all the Priviledges but now says he â— Recant it which he could not do so often as he us'd without great Measures of Humility I believe says he it lies in Trust this makes the Right to lie in the Object for it is I depend on Christ as the Matter or Merit of my Pardon my Life my Crown my Glory But thirdly the Gospel which is the equal Interpretation of the Law in its exactness plainly teaches us that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Equity is to be apply'd to the Subject of the Law and the Law by immutable Justice requir'd Death but there was place for Equity in change of Persons a Sponsor or Surety might be admitted to dye and some way there must be Infiniteness in the Death because an Infinite Majesty offended but the Law left it doubtful whether the Infiniteness must be in the Duration of Suffering or Dignity of the Sufferer and Equity has interpreted it of the latter As if a Father was permitted to suffer for a Son or a Summe should be paid in Gold which the Words of the Law required to be paid in Silver or Copper For Equity is saith Aristotle a Correction of the Law wherein it is deficient in Words by reason of its Universality Or I think better an Explication of the Words of the Law according to the Will of the Law-giver in an extraordinary emergent Case Or as Crellius says it is a Justice mixt with Mercy or a Virtue mitigating the Acrimony of the Law from Consideration of Circumstances as St. James says The Wisdom that is from above is Pure Peaceable Gentle and Easie to be entreated full of Mercy and good Fruits the Fruit of Righteousness is sown in Peace And thus generally Protestants expound the Equity of the Law to be Gods admitting yea giving Christ as a Surety for us he was made under the Law as a subsequent Surety The first Covenant did not say Thou Adam either first or second Adam shalt die for then the first Covenant had been the Covenant of Grace still there was no need of another Covenant as the Reverend Mr. Baxter doth strenuously prove but when we were under the Curse of the Law he came in and took our Room and became a Curse to redeem us from it and the Law as fulfilled by him for us is to us truly a Law of Faith according to the Text For farther Explication and Confirmation of which I shall propose these four Heads First That all the Functions and Offices of our Lord Jesus Christ all he said and did or suffered was in Obedience to a Law Secondly I shall a little explain the Nature of this Law and its Righteousness Thirdly That Law he did fulfill for us in our Room and Stead Fourthly That Law and its Righteousness is to us a Law of Faith and consequently the Law here mentioned in the Text it is not proposed to us as a Rule of our Obedience but as a matter of our Faith yea our Faith Interests us in it and makes its Righteousness effectively ours For the Proof of the first We find by Eternal Compact between the Father and the Son in the Mediatorial Covenant the Son came under a Mediatorial Law Psal 40.6 7 8 9. In that Emphatical Account of it we may make these Observations 1. There was a Compact by which he calls God his God O my God 2. By Vertue of that Covenant which was recorded in the Volume of the Book his place was to become a Servant Lo I come I am ready to obey 3. His Service was to fulfill the Divine Will I delight to do thy Will 4. This Will was a Legal Will Thy Law is within my Heart for Law is a just act of a Superiors Will. 5. The Law required him to be a Sacrifice Heb. 10.10 By the which Will we are sanctified through the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all 6. That no other Sacrifice either pleased God without this or but this Sacrifice and Offerings thou didst not desire 2. By Vertue of this undertaking the Son became under an Obligation to obâ—y this Law Heb. 2.17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren And Luke 24.46 And thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the Dead Yea this Obligation did extend to the most Minute Particles of his Life John 4.4 He must needs go through Samaria 3. In an answerableness to this Obligation he did all he undertook Hence is it said of him He did all things well and John 8.28 29. I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me I do always those things that please him And Chap. 4.34 My Meat is to do the Will of him that sent me and to finish his Work Psal 69.4 5. Then I restored that which I took not away O God thou knowest my foolishness and my Sins are not hid from thee John 15. It is applied to Christ and Theod. in Lat. Graec. expounds it thus It is