Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	faith_n	law_n	moral_a	1,475	5	9.2774	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94870	Lutherus redivivus, or, The Protestant doctrine of justification by Christ's righteousness imputed to believers, explained and vindicated. Part II by John Troughton, Minister of the Gospel, sometimes Fellow of S. John's Coll. in Oxon ... [quotation, Augustine. Epist. 105].	Troughton, John, 1637?-1681.	1678 (1678)	Wing T2314A; ESTC R42350	139,053	283

Spirit to abide with us for ever Joh. 14.16 And the powring out of the Spirit was reserved till his Work of Redemption was finished and he should be possessed of Glory John 16.7 And then he promised the Spirit ●o lead us into all truth to reveal himself to us and to glorifie him in us v. 12 13 14. Lastly He prayed for sanctifying Grace and perseverance for them that did and all that should hereafter believe till they all come to be one in him John 17.15 16 21. And wherefore is the Power of giving Grace committed to the Mediatour if not purchased by him and why doth he interceede for that he never bought and paid for If then Christ purchased Grace as well as a Right to Life then Justification giveth a Right to Grace as well as to Life it self and so is more than Pardon 5. I argue from the Impulsive Causes Pardon is an Act of meer Mercy but Justification is an Act of Justice therefore it is not meer Pardon God justifieth Believers not as a meer Act of Favour though free Mercy be the Foundation and the prime impulsive cause of Justification and all the Fruits of it but immediately it is an Act of Justice Justice being the immediate Impulsive Cause It is not only a Just thing with God to justifie a Sinner through Christ that he may do it without wrong to his Justice as some gloss it but it is an Act of proper Justice having received satisfaction to his Law to justifie and acquit him it would not be just to deny it This is intimated Rom. 8.33 35. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that Justifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who shall indite or implead them in course of Law or Judgment or else there is enough to be charged against them The Reason is because it is God that justifieth God who is to be Judge to give the Sentence and therefore will justifie judicially or as an Act of Judgment And the ground of this is in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who shall condemn in Judgment seeing Christ has died and so satisfaction is made to Justice When we pardon an Offence which we might justly punish we do cedere de jure forbear our Right and Justice gives place to Mercy but Justice cannot pardon or acquit unless it be satisfied unless it have what is right and due according to Law Object But it is said That God pardoneth legally and judicially by virtue of the Evangelical Law so it is an Act of Justice as well as of Mercy Vid. Justiif Evang. p. 23. So Truman They say a Sinner is not pardoned by Free Grace and Absolute Pardon but upon conditions and terms required in the Gospel to be performed by him which when he hath performed the Evangelical Law doth justifie him pronounce him pardoned and so his Pardon is an Act of Justice according to the Gospel Law though not according to the Law of Works which is content with nothing but Satisfaction Answ Let any fair Disputant judge whether this 〈◊〉 not to shift the Question They have said ●●at Justification is meer Pardon bare Pardon nothing but Pardon and yet it is not ab●●ute Pardon but Pardon upon condition to 〈◊〉 performed by him that will receive Pardon ●●re not these Conditions when persormed our ●●angelical Righteousness This they con●●d for And are they not a positive Righteousness Yes they are Gospel Obedience ●●hat sence is it then to say we are pardoned ●●thout any positive Righteousness that Pardon alone is all our Righteousness It may be ●●ese conditions are so small and so necessary to ●●e receiving of pardon ex natura rei that ●●y are not to be accounted as any righteousness Nay but in the Gospel Law all the ●●oral Duties that were required in the Cove●●nt of Works are required still though not ●●th the same necessity of perfection And ●●w they are much more difficult than before ●●me Moral Duties are required also and necessary which were not directly nnd properly ●●uties under the First Covenant as Self-de●●l Mortification and bearing the Cross ●●sides these the Gospel prescribeth new posi●●e Duties which neither were nor could be ●●uties under the Law of Works viz. Faith ●●ve and Obedience to the Mediator with 〈◊〉 holy and reverend use of all the positive In●●tutions of the Gospel Are these small things ●●s it necessary to meer Pardon that the pardoned should not only return to their forme Duty but also receive new Terms and Conditions which were never their Duty before If a Prince subdue Rebels and then promi●● them Impunity if besides returning to the●● ancient Duty and Allegiance they will receive some new Terms which he shall please to impose on them doth he freely pardon them doth he not deal with them as in a way 〈◊〉 Mercy so in a way of Soveraignty giv●● them new Laws and making advantage to himself and accession to his Power by occasion 〈◊〉 their misdemeanour Besides this is ve●● improper to talk of legal and judicial Pardon Pardon by a Law For a Law is properly preceptive and judicial Proceedings are acquiting or condemning for keeping or breaki●● the Law Pardon is granted by supersed●● the Sentence of the Law at least the Execution of it or by a Promise or Declaration 〈◊〉 Grace which when establisht for securiti●● sake and promulgated is sometimes called a● Act of Grace yet it hath not the full Natur● of a Law It is the Soveraign Legislator wh●● pardoneth who hath power to relax the Execution of the Law a Law cannot pardon But the plain meaning of those men is Th●● God seeing through the Fall it was become impossible for man to keep and so to be sa●● by the Law of Works was pleased to ma●● a new milder and easier Law and to decla●● that if they would keep it they should 〈◊〉 pardoned and saved Pardon then with the●● is nothing else but a waving of the Covena●● of Works i. e. God will not proceed with men according to that Covenant if they will submit to his new Covenant so then for all their specious words of meer Pardon to exclude Christ's Righteousness they only mean that God will not execute his First Covenant which men have broken but will save them if they fulfil his Second Covenant i. e. will be righteous and obedient according to the Gospel and thus they acknowledg a righteousness of a man 's own besides pardon whereby he must he justified 6. The Law requireth a positive righteousness by the fulfilling of it The end of every Law being obedience to it Just Evang p. 38 39. Therefore Justification cannot be Pardon of Sin without Imputation of Righteousness 'T is said That the Law of Works required a sinless perfect righteousness which Christ hath satisfied for but the Law of Grace is a better Covenant accepting an imperfect Righteousness But this is nothing to the purpose let the righteousness be

to his Righteousness being imputed to us The Learned may find every one ●● these Objections against the Imputation 〈◊〉 Christ's Righteousness with some others ●● the like kind urged to the same purpose by Bellarmin and answered by B. Davenant for substance as we do de Justi Cap. 24. and B. Downam in many Chapters of his Learned Discourse of Justification Object It is further objected Our own works an● said to be accounted to us for Righteousness as that Act of Phincas in slaying Zimri an● Cozby Numb 25.7 Psal 106.30 31. And restoring the poor Man's Pledge Deut. 24.13 It shall be righteousness to thee before the Lord And the keeping of all God's Commandments Deut. 6.25 It shall be our Righteousness if 〈◊〉 observe all these Commandments before the Lord Therefore Christ's Righteousness is not immediately imputed to us for our Justification Answ When our own works are said to be ou● Righteousness or accounted for Righteousness it is only meant that God doth accept then and reward them Thus he promised Phines the Priest-hood for ever which was yet revoked for the sins of Elies Sons 1 Sam. 2.30 c. And the Reason subjoyned sheweth ho● this Righteousness was accounted viz. Th●● that honour me I will honour and those that a●● spise me shall be lightly esteemed It was accounted for Righteousness i. e. honoured and rewarded Thus mercy to the Poor shall be our righteousness before God i.e. he is pleased with it and will reward it with like kindness when we need it Psal 41.1 And our keeping all the Commandments shall be our Righteousness shall be accepted and rewarded as the obedience of Children But all this proveth not that we shall be made the Children of God have our sins forgiven and be intituled to Grace and life for our own obedience We acknowledge obedience to Gods Commands is our Righteousness whereby we are morally and inherently righteous i.e. conformable to God's Law and Will and this while imperfect is our inchoate or imperfect Righteousness and when it shall be consummate it will be our perfect and compleat righteousness as B. Davenant saith well against the Papists Calumnies de Just cap. 22. But the Righteousness for which we are pardoned accepted and made Heirs of Life must be every way a perfect and compleat righteousness even the righteousness of Christ as the same Author saith Apertè affirmamus Deum justissimum neminem justificare h.e. cap. 22. p. 311. ut exposuimus à reatu absolvere justum declarare ad vitam aeternam quae est justitiae praemium acceptare nisi interveniente vera perfecta justitia quae etiam verè fiat ipsius justitia And again Dicimus neminemjustificari nisi qui donetur justitia tam cumulatâ tamque perfectâ Ibid. ut Deus in illum oculos conjiciens non possit eadem donatum pro jnsto non habere It is pleaded that Faith is imputed for Righteousness in the same manner that other Works are and so justifieth but as they do and is our Righteousness as they are and thus they interpret Gen. 15.6 Abraham's Faith was accounted for Righteousness i.e. it was reckoned a noble and excellent Act of Faith with which God was well pleased and would reward it Answ 1. Faith in the Promise of Pardon and Life of meer Grace and Free Gift cannot be counted any part of our Righteousness To trust in the general in the Goodness Power and Promises of God is required by the Moral Law and is a Natural or Moral Duty and so a part of our universal Righteousness or Conformity to that Law But to trust in the Promise of Forgiveness and Mercy which only is the Faith in question is not required by the Moral Law but supposeth us Breakers of it and to be under its Condemnation it only seeks for Mercy proposed in a new supervening Promise and therefore is not our Righteousness as Works are The Apostle taketh occasion from a notable Instance of Abraham's Faith in a particular case 2ly and its obtaining the Promise of Great Blessings to argue That Faith in the general Mercy of God in Christ doth obtain Justification Rom. 4.2 3. and that with the exclusion of all works v. 5. To him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly Faith is imputed for Righteousness and this Justification is explained by having sins forgiven covered not imputed v. 6 7. Faith therfore is imputed for righteousness only as it doth obtain the forgiveness of sin the acceptance of them that have no works that are ungodly in themselves and this must be by the Righteousness of Christ not by its self being our righteousness Object It is also said If we are justified immediately by the Righteousness of Christ imputed then there is nothing for us to do to obtain Justification we must only believe we are justified and we are justified Answ There is nothing for us to do to purchase Justification this is done by Christ But we must apply this purchase to our selves by believing or trusting in it flying to it for Justification When a Ransom is paid for a Captive there is nothing left for him to do to purchase his liberty yet he must accept and challenge the Fruit of this Purchase to himself before he can enjoy it Though Adam hath procured and intituled to death upon all his Posterity yet that Curse reacheth not us till we receive a Being from and do habitually consent to his Sin In like manner Christ purchased life for all the Elect yet they do not partake of it till they are ingrafted into him and we do at least habitually consent and trust to be saved by him Object Lastly it is argued If Christs Righteousness be properly imputed then we should perfectly be delivered from all sin and misery and immediately brought to Heaven Answ Justification it self obtaineth remission of all sins and an immutable right to life or the Favour of God and an actual entrance into that Favour this every justified person doth obtain upon believing 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life Rom. 8.1 Justification hath its proper effect in this life viz. it taketh away sin and the Curse or Obligation to Punishment it reconcileth to God and brings us into that Favour which will endure for ever but God having redeemed us by his Son intendeth not only to justifie us from our sins and give us the Life promised by the Law but also to make us his Children to give us glory in Heaven to make us Partakers of his Sons Glory and Kingdom And for this it pleases him to breed us to nurture and sit us for it by conflicting with sin by overcoming the World and the Devil that the Glory of his Son and Grace may appear the more Therefore the imperfect troublesome state of Believers in this life is not because their Justification is not perfect but because God hath a further design

Rom. 4.14 If they that are of the Law be Heirs faith is made void and be Promise of none effect The Apostle here proveth from v. 9. That Justification was ●ot restrained to the Jews because the Promise was made to Abraham's Faith which justifyed him and made him the Father of all Believers while he was yet uncircumcised therefore the Law here spoken of was the Law of Moses which was given after Abraham and the Promise is of his being Heir of the World or Head of the Faithful viz. That God would raise up a Church in and from him which should be saved by Faith as he was and Faith here is Abraham's Faith in that Promise by which he was justifyed before he was circumcised and by which all ●is Seed shall be justifyed directing their saith more expresly to Christ v. 14. Now saith the Apostle if they that are of the Law the Jews are Heirs of the Promise i. e. by the Law for by Faith they were Heirs as well as the Gentiles then the Promise and Faith were made void i. e. Abraham and his Seed by Faith without that Law could not be justifyed because men at that time were to be justifyed only by that Law and further he saith ver 11 12 13. That Abraham was justifyed by Faith before he was circumcised and received circumcision as the Seal of the righteousness which he had being uncircumcised to shew that the Gentiles shall be justifyed by Faith though they were not circumcised nor obliged to the Law of Moses and that the Jews though circumcised and observing the Law of which circumcision was a Badge should be justifyed by Faith as he was and not by that circumcision v. 11 12. He received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the righteousness of the Faith which he had ye● being uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them to believe though they be no● circumcised that righteousness may be imputed unto them also and the Father of circumcision to them that are not of the circumcision only bu● also walk in the steps of that Faith of our Father Abraham which he had yet being uncircumcised The Father of circumcision to them that are not of the circumcision only i. e. not because they were circumcised and had th●● Law of Moses but because they walked in the steps of his Faith of the acceptance where of Circumcision was a Seal He adds another reason v. 15. why the Law could not make them heirs of the Promise for by the Law is the knowledge of Sin and where there is no Law there is no transgression i. e. th● Law as given to the Jews did but shew the● their duty and so convince them of sin because they could not keep it and therefore that could not make them heirs of the promise but on the contrary if they must stand and be tried by that Law then the Promise was to no purpose and Faith in it had no force ergò the Jews were not justifyed by the Law of Moses they were brought into Canaan for the Promise Deut. 9.5 not for their keeping the Law and that was a Type of their attaining eternal life Argument 4. Rom. 5.1 c. the Apostle having proved that we are justified by Faith lays down the Effects of this Justification where first he speaketh of Justification as a thing done and transacted already to Believers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being therefore justifyed by Faith or when we are justifyed by Faith and then he descendeth to the Effects 1st Peace or reconciliation with God v. 1. which he amplifyeth v. 10 11. When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son and being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life i. e. brought to glory and through him we have received the atonement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and glory in God on that account which is proved by the comparison of our fall in Adam v. 12. ad sinem viz. as by being born of Adam we are enemies to God under his wrath and condemnation so by believing in Christ we are reconciled to God and have peace with him A second Effect of Justification here mentioned is access into that grace or favour wherein we now stand v. 2. i. e. present favour with God and freedom of access to him A third rejoycing in hope of glory v. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we boast the highest kind of rejoyceing A fourth rejoycing in tribulation v. 3 4. in confidence of spiritual benefit by them and deliverance out of them A fifth a pouring of the Love of God into the heart v. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All these flow from Justification in this Life as natural fruits in Believers but if we are justifyed by obedience none of these can stand 1st There is no justification in this life it is no past or present certain thing but a future and uncertain If obedience to the Gospel be that whereby we must be justifyed then we are not justifyed till our obedience be fulfilled and that is not till the Soul be out of the Body We are told that there is a sententiall Justification when the Judge shall pronounce us acquitted which is not till Judgement but there is a constitutive Justification by the Judgement of the Law in this Life when the Law pronounceth us Righteous according to it and to be such as the Judge will justify but neither will this hold the Gospel cannot judge a man to have fulfill'd it before he hath fulfill'd it which it must do if it judge or pronounce us righteous for the obeying the Gospel to our lives end before we be dead The compleat condition of Justification they acknowledge is obedience to the end of our lives and Justification is an acquitting us and accepting us to life for that obedience therefore till that obedience be performed the Gospel doth not acquit us nor pronounce us Heirs of Life therefore there is no constitutive Justification in this life by obedience Imperfect or inchoate Justification which they sometimes speak of when a man begins to obey the Gospel is nothing but a probability of being justifyed For if a man fall from his Integrity he shall never be justifyed though he obeyed for a time no not in part nor his condemnation lessned All that can be said is That such a man is in that way wherein if he continue to the end he shall be justifyed but if he continue not to the end he shall no more be justifyed than he that never entred into that way Nor can these Effects of Justification stand upon the foundation of obedience 1st Not peace and reconciliation with God For if we are to be justifyed by obeying the Gospel to our lives end then God is not at peace with us nor reconciled to us till then There is a suspension of the execution of the Curse of the Law and there is a Law of Life given by which when we have fulfilled it we shall

did they are accounted to have done Christ was a common and publick person in that he intended his Obedience not for himself nor for any one person but for the whole Company of the Elect Christ and they are one in Law in that the benefit of his satisfying the Law was intended for them and in time conferred on them But he was not a common person or one in Law with them so as they might be properly reckoned to have done what he did for this holdeth only where the common person is a Delegate or Commissioner of others when they appoint him their Representative give him his Instructions and Authority to act in their Name then they are lookt upon as doing what he doth and not else But it was God the Father and not Men that sent Christ and appointed him to die for the Elect gave him all his Instructions what to do and suffer and then accepted it for them being done by his own Appointment not by theirs But are we not made Righteous with Christ's Righteousness Quest and so may be accounted to have obeyed or fulfilled the Law in him Answ We are made righteous with his righteousness not morally as if we were made personally Holy and obedient by it or were so accounted by God but legally we are made righteous that is justified by his righteousness acquitted from condemnation and accepted to life eternal Therefore we are justified as sinners as ungodly Rom. 4.5 7. in the way of repentance and acknowledgment of our sins by faith in the promise of life through Christ But we are not justified as innocent or blameless in our selves Justification doth not find us righteous but makes us righteous viz. it acquitteth and reconcileth us guilty condemned sinners for the righteonsness of Christ and thus we are made righteous in Law such as shall not be condemned but have eternal life Are we then justified according to the Premiant and Retributive part of the Law Quest and not according to the Preceptive part also Answ We are justified according to the Precept as well as according to the Promise Christ having fulfilled or obeyed the Precepts for us and thereby procured all the reward that was promised with some addition of happiness because of the eminency of his Person and Obedience He also purchased deliverance from the Curse threatned by undergoing the Curse for us yet we cannot be said to have obeyed the Precepts or to have born the Curse in him in any proper sence He did it in our behalf that we might thereby be justified and brought to life as certainly as if we were innocent but not that we should be accounted really innocent in our own persons M. Baxt. 4. disput of Just p. 263. As for the distinction of Righteousness according to the Precept and according to the Sanction or retributive part of the Law and that again divided into the promise and the threatning Idem Answer to Dr. Tully p. 50. Righteousness according to the Promise being jus ad donum a right to the thing promised and righteousness according to the threatning being jus ad impunitatem a right to impunity or to escape punishment this distinction I say as to the matter of Justification is very needless and impertinent For it is the fulfilling of the Precept which gives right to the reward promised and the violation of the Precept which intituleth to punishment What though the righteousness of obedience to the Precept and the right to the blessing of the Promise differ as the cause effect yet the latter doth oppose the former when we are to be justified before God so that if we have right to life on the account of Gods Promise to the righteousness of Christ and this righteousness be his obeying the precept of the Law then his obedience to the precept is imputed to us also and is the foundation of our right to the Promise The like is to be said of our right to impunity which is founded upon Christs suffering the punishment for us and therefore his suffering the penalty is imputed to us also and thus that which is built upon this distinction falls to the ground viz. That Righteousness as to the Promise and Threatning of the Law being in some sort distinct from the Righteousness of Obedience to the Precept that therefore we may have the former without the latter i.e. we may have a right to life by the promise of the Gospel and a right to be delivered from wrath and yet Christ's Righteousness of Obedience and Suffering not to imputed to us For this is the immediate Cause and Foundation of our right both to avoid the penalty and inherit the promise The rest of Mr. Trueman's Arguments I pass by as being directed against the Antinomians only and not touching us as also what he writes against the Imputation of Christ's active and passive Obedience in the sence before explained which is repeated by a later Author Just Evang p. 54. as being partly impertinent and partly answered in the first Chapter This later Author giveth us three Arguments against the Imputation of Christs Righteousness p. 56. though he doth as the others before him miss the state of the Question reporting our Opinion thus That Christ's Righteousness is so imputed to us as if we are accounted to have personally done and suffered what he did p. 57. His third Argument runneth wholly upon this mistake therefore I shall pass it by the two first deserve some consideration The First Argument is If every Believer be personally righteous before God in the very individual Acts of Christs Righteousness p. 58. one of these two things will thence ensue Either that Christ in his own person did perform all the particular Acts of Righteousness required as due from each saved person or else That every saved persons righteousness before God is identically and numerically the same with Christ in his publick capacity as Mediator and so every saved person is personally righteous with a Righteousness that hath a stock of merit in it sufficient to save the World Answ This Argument is untrue both in the dilemma and in the consequence In the dilemma because there is no opposition betwixt the Members of it viz. Christs performing the obedience due from every Believer and their being righteous with a Righteousness that hath an infinite merit in it These are not destructive the one of the other The consequence is untrue because neither of these things follow from the Doctrine of Imputation The Error of this worthy person proceeded from his thrusting two Arguments into one when the Form of it would not bear it I shall therefore take leave to separate them and answer them apart The one is If we be justified by the very personal Righteousness of Christ then he must have performed all the Duties that belong to every particular Believer the Ceremonial and the Moral to the married and to the