the Beleevers score and this indeed is no act of just debt but of grace 7. Againe as was said above if Faith properly taken or the act of Beleeving be imputed for Righteousness God should not be the justifier of the ungodly nor could Faith act upon God as such with truth And yet the Apostle tels us here expresly that Faith acteth upon God as one that Justifieth the ungodly He who hath a Righteousness in himself is no ungodly man and God justifying a righteous man could not be said to justifie the ungodly But if we take faith here for the object of faith or for the Righteousness of Christ which faith fleeth unto and layth hold on all is clear harmonious for then that man is not a worker but beleeveth he beleeveth on God that justifieth the ungodly that is one that hath no Righteousness in himself but must have it elsewhere even imputed to him and bestowed upon him through Faith when he thus heleeveth or layelh hold on Christ's Righteousness this Righteousness which by faith he leaneth to is counted on his score for Righteousness he is thereupon justified 8. Leaving what was formerly adduced against this glosse from vers 6 7. 8. of this Chapter Chap. XVIII we shall see what other passages in this chapter will say against it The Faith that was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness when he was in uncircumcision vers 9 10. is the same with the Righteousness of faith which he had being uncircumcised vers 11. But this Righteousness of faith is not his act of Beleeving nor Faith taken properly as an act of Obedience but the Righteousness of the promised seed of the woman in whom all Nations of the earth should be blessed embraced by faith for it is this and not the meer act of beleeving that was sealed by the signe of Circumcision vers 11. for this Sacrament was a seal of the Covenant we know Sacraments seal the whole Covenant all the promises thereof to such as beleeve never seal our Faith or the like to be our Righteousness 9. The same that was imputed to Abraham for Righteousness will be imputed to all beleevers vers 11. But that is not the pure act of Beleeving for Abrahamt act of Beleeving was a strong act and is declared and explained to be such but every beleever who yet must be justified hath not such a strong act of faith as Abraham had And we cannot say that some are lesse some are more justified because the faith of some is weak and the faith of others is strong and yet this must be said if the act of Beleeving be imputed for a Righteousness for the Righteousness of one shall be greater than the Righteousness of another their Justification must hold correspondence with the ground thereof 10. That which was imputed to Abraham will be imputed to all beleevers for a Righteousness vers 11. must be a Righteousness which such have imputed unto them who do beleeve for it is added that he might be the father of all them that beleeve though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed unto them also Abraham had Righteousness imputed to him or reckoned upon his score through faith while he was uncircumcised that he might be the Father of Beleevers among the Gentiles to whom also when they beleeve a Righteousness will be imputed as it was to Father Abraham 11. It is againe called vers 13. the Righteousness of faith through it he sais the promise was to Abraham to his seed but the promise is not through faith as an act of virtue obedience in us for then it should be through the Law but as the promise was made upon the account of the Righteousness of the promised seed our faith can not be said to procure or purchase the promise so its application is by Faith laying hold on gripping to that Righteousness 12. If faith properly taken were imputed it should be made void the promise of none effect they that are of the Law should be heires for faith taken properly for the act of Beleeving belongeth to the Law when it is made our Righteousness it is opposite to the free promise for what is promised or given upon the account of Righteousness or any thing within us is not a free gracious promise And when a free gracious promise is taken away all the right use of Faith is taken away so Faith is made void for the very essence of justifying faith lyeth in looking to laying hold on leaning to a free gracious promise 13. The Apostle vers 15. proveth that they who are of the Law cannot be heirs consequently that Faith or the act of Beleeving cannot be imputed for Righteousness as it is our act done in obedience to the Law by this reason because the Law worketh wrath c. And this also maketh against the Imputation of faith properly taken because that is an act of obedience to the Law cannot become our Righteousness being Imperfect consequently not conforme to the Law which requireth Perfection in all duties or other wayes threatneth wrath And if any shall deny this of faith viz. that it belongeth to the Law they must say that there is no Law for it consequently that not to beleeve is no sin for the Apostle addeth where no Law is there is no transgression 14. The ground of the free promise is that which must be Imputed and laid hold on by Faith But that cannot be Faith properly taken as our act for then the promise should not be of grace as it is expresly said to be vers 16. nor should it be sure if it depended upon our faith not upon that which faith laith hold on These things beside what was mentioned before from this same Chapter vers 6 7 8 23 24. may satisfie us in this matter and sufficiently evince that it is not the Apostles meaning that Faith properly taken as our act or our act of Beleeving is imputed unto Righteousness but that the Object of Faith or the Righteousness of Christ laid hold on and applied by Faith is that Righteousness which is reckoned upon the beleevers score Let us now in the next place see what the Adversaries say to make us beleeve that Paul saith Rom. 4. That our very act of Beleeving is imputed to us for Righteousness that thus the Apostle must be understood not as meaning the object of faith or the righteousness of Christ. The forecited Author Iohn Goodwin of Iustifie Part. 1 Ch. 2. adduceth some grounds for his glosse which must be examined His first ground is the letter of the Scripture that speaks it once twice yea a third a fourth time vers 3 9 22 23 24. Certanely saith he there is not any truth in Religion not any article of âhe Christian beleefe that can boast of the letter of the Scripture more full expresse
it may look more conforme to their works when their works are no way conforme to it So likewise they are ignorant of god of His Holiness Righteousness because they see that if He be Such as the Orthodox say He is according to His Word they cannot stand before His justice therefore they deny His justice altogether as do Socinians or Imagine Him to be all Mercy c. so imagine Him to be altogether such an one as themselves therefore are not very zealous for any other righteousness than what may come most readily to hand they themselves can make up with their own diligence care never remembering that the justice of God must be satisfied therefore deny all Satisfaction as do Socinians or suppose Christ hath satisfied for all procured a New Covenant or way to life wherein we may bring what we have it will be accepted there is no more to do Nor remembering that we must have an Interest in Christ by faith ere we have any Interest in His Merites Satisfaction that the whole of our Salvation is so contrived as Man may be abased Christ only exalted III. A vaine conceite that all things in Religion must be just as we apprehend them to be our blinde corrupt byassed Reason Understanding must be the Supream judge Determiner of all these Mysteries Hence the Socinians down-right say that ãâã the Scripture say what it will how oft it will they are to beleeve to receive nothing but according to their Reason so that what their blinded Reason cannot comprehend they may will reject And others who possibly will not so plainely lay down this ground Yet in stead of conforming their judgments and Apprehensions to the word of being led by it do frame a conception of the Matters of God in their own heads then cause the Scriptures comply with their Apprehensions by Interpreting them accordingly So that following a corrupt guide here they cannot but incline to that way which suiteth most with that corrupt Principle be most averse from compliance with the Mystery of God which is most opposite there-unto IV. Natural corrupt self love is another evil Principle concurring to this effect by its malignant Influence We love to cry-up ourselves to have something of our owne to boast of to glory of before men and hence we cannot naturally comply so sweetly with that way which taketh away all boasting leaveth no ground for man to glory in any thing save in the Lord such is the way of faith of Gospel-justification Rom. 3 27 4 2. V. A vaine groundless high conceite that people have of themselves of what they do as if there were worth excellency in it to oblige God to bestow upon them what reward they think meet not knowing that when they have done all they can they are but unprofitable that they have nothing but what they have received that for any good they do they are more beholden to God than God is beholden to them that the best of their actions are so defiled that they could not answere for one of them nor stand if God should enter into judgment with them strickly mark iniquity Psal. 130 3 143 2. VI. Pride of heart is another malignant cause of this Aversation Unwillingness to comply with God's way of this strong Inclination to the way of justification by Works This was it which led the jewes away from Christ the end of the Law for righteousness they would not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God Rom. 10 3. because they would not bow themselves to take on this Righteousness therefore they were at so much paines labour to establish their own to cause it stand Proud man would work enjoy the reward of his laboures will not willingly hearken to any other way he will not be beholden to free Grace nor ascribe glory to the Lord Mediator but will still be at the old way of the first Covenant at work wages that he may have it to say he hath erned purchased the crown of life with his own hands industrie Therefore from this we should all take warning to look about us to guard against this strong violent torrent that is ready to carry us headlong to our ruine to be jealous of our treacherous hearts Hence also we may see whence it cometh that the Gospel getteth so little footing among many how nothing less than the mighty power of God will be able to prevail with a Natural Soul cause it comply with the Gospel-way of justification submit it self unto the Righteousness of God hold on Christ by faith Further We need not wonder to see so many riseing-up in all ages against the Gospel of the Grace of God corrupting the Gospel-Doctrine of justification seing blinded unmortified Man is not in case to be cast in its mould nor willing to embrace it untill he be broken broken over againe CHAP. III. The Doctrine of justification should be keeped pure with all diligence what dangerous expressions should be shunned WE come next to speak a word unto the Second particular mentioned to wit That all who would be found faithful Ambassadours be accepted of the Lord should endeavoure both in practice in Doctrine to keep this doctrine of the Grace of God pure unmixed particularly guard against the giving ground or occasion to proud Nature to cry-up Self in the matter of justification by any expression used in the explication thereof We see here elsewhere how careful Paul is in this Matter using such expressions as may most emphatically exclude man all his paines set free grace on high that God alone may be exalted for here elsewhere he debaseth man excludeth all his works even the works of the best of men even his works who was the father of the faithful he crieth up Christ as all free grace as beginning carrying on all consonant to what the Prophet Esaias said Esai 45 24 25. Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness strength or as it is in the Margine Surely he shall say of me in the Lord is all righteousness strength Even to him shall men come In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified shall glory So that such as look to Him as it is vers 22. come to Him as it is vers 24. have all their righteousnesses in the Lord from Him and in Him alone are they shall they be justified shall glory not at all in themselves So Ieremiah Chap. 23 6. expresseth the matter very emphatically holding it forth as one of Christ's glorious comfortable Titles of honour that He shall be called the Lord our Righteousness thereby Importing that all the Saints their righteousness in order
within it or because of one work of righteouness done by it so glory in it self not in the Lord for though it were granted that faith were the gift ãâã God yet that would not sufficiently keep down pride seing such as plead for justification by good works will also grant that these good works come from the Grace of God are wrought by the Spirit yet such a justification would lay a foundation of boasting of glorying before men some would have more ground of boasting than others because of their stronger faith And justification by this way would as well be opposite to justification through Christ His Imputed righteousness by Grace as justification by good works for faith here would not be considered as bringing-in laying hold on a Righteousness without the Righteousness of Christ imputed but as a commanded duty as a piece of obedience to the Law would as well make the reward of debt ex congruo ex pacto as if justification were by works 8. It is of the same Nature to say That Paul excludeth the works of the Law but not the works of the Gospel for the same ground of pride boasting glorying should be laid that would be laid by pleading for the works of the Law because these are still works of righteousness which we do so opposite in this matter unto mercy Tit. 3 5. And Paul to exclude all boasting glorying before Men opposeth faith not considered in it Self but as laying hold on the Righteousness of Christ as carrying the Man out of himself to Christ for Righteousness unto works not Gospel-works unto works of the Law And sure we cannot say that none of Abraham's works were Gospel-works or works required in the New Covenant seing even then he was a beleever when the object of his faith or that which he laid hold on by faith in the Gospel which was preached unto him was said to be imputed unto him for righteousness And is it not plaine that if justification were upon the account of Gospel works that God should not then be said to justifie the ungodly seing he who is clothed with a Gospel righteousness cannot be called or accounted an ungodly person And yet faith looks out unto laith hold upon a God that justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4 5. In a word the asserting of this would be the same upon the matter with asserting of justification by the works of the Law for what ever is required in the Gospel is injoined by the Law so is an act of obedience to the Law which is our perfect Rule of Righteousness all our obedience must be in conformity thereunto 9. It must also be accounted dangerous for puffing-up of Self to say That we are justified by our Inherent Righteousness for then the Man could not say that all his righteousnesses were as filthy rags Esai 64 6. Nor could that be true which is Psal. 143 3. for in they sight no man living should be justified to wit if God should enter into Iudgment with him Why should Iob have abhorred himself Chap. 42 6. if he had a righteousness within him had been justified by the Lord upon the account of that inherent righteousness And had not Paul as good ground as any to assert his justification by his personal inherent holiness righteousness Yet we hear of no such thing out of his mouth but on the contrary his accounting all things but less dung that he might gaine Christ be found in His Righteousness hath a far different import How proud might man be if he had it to say that he was justified in the sight of God by works of Righteousness which he had done or by his own inherent righteousness 10. Nor will it much help the matter to say That this Inherent Righteousness is not the price laid down but onely the Condition or Causa sine qua non or the like for still man would hereby have some thing to be proud of to glory of before men because he would have it to say that his own Inherent Holiness was as well the ground of his justification the Condition thereof as Adam's obedience would have been the ground of his justification And who knoweth not that Self can wax proud be puffed up upon a smaller occasion than is this And is it not strange that Paul never once made mention of this distinction Shall we think that Paul denied Abraham to have been justified by works because Abraham looked upon them as the meritorious cause not as the Condition only of his justification or that Abraham indeed did so or that Paul included them as the condition of his justification when he said he desired not to be found in his own Righteousness meaning not his own righteousness as a price or as the Meritorious cause of his acceptance Why should David have spoken so absolutely said Psal. 143 2. enter not into judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified seing even though God should enter into judgment with His servants they should be justified as having fulfilled the condition And why should he have said Psal. 130 3. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities ô Lord who shall stand seing though the Lord should mark iniquities yet where the Person hath fulfilled the Condition hath a Personal Inherent Righteousness to hold up as the fulfilling of the condition required he is in case to stand in judgment to plead for his justification absolution upon the account of his performing all the condition required And would not vaine man have great ground of boasting here 11. Neither yet will it prevent this boasting to say That this Inherent Righteousness is but a Subordinat Righteousness whereby we have right unto the Merites of Christ which are the Principal Righteousness answering the demandes of the Law for if man have any thing in himself that can be called a Righteousness though but a Subordinat Righteouness yet such a Righteousness as giveth right ground to justification though that justification be also called only a subordinat justification conforme to the New Covenant the Condition thereof he will soon boast account his justification not of free grace but of due debt conforme to the covenant And though this be called only a Subordinat Righteousness yet proud Self will account it the Principal because upon it dependeth all his justification for thereby not onely hath he a right unto Christ's Merites but unto justification it self this being called the proper condition of the New Covenant wherein justification Adoption c. are promised as they say upon this condition And will not proud Man see that he hath a price in his hand a complâââ Righteousness conforme to the Covenant to presente unto God where-upon to seek expect the reward of debt according to the covenant And so much the rather should we abstaine from
such expressions in this matter that we finde no mention made of two fold Righteousness of a twofold Justification the one subordinat the other Principal in the Scriptures but all expressions in this matter framed designedly to abase man make all appear to be of free grace that he who glorieth may glory in the Lord. And as Self will be ready in this to make that which is called a Subordinat Righteousness a Prinpal Righteousness so it will have this faire plausible ground to do so to wit That upon our own Righteousness we are Immediatly accepted of God as Righteous especially when the Merits of Christ are made subservient unto our personal Righteousness as procuring the New covenant that therein our Personal Righteousness shall be accepted accounted perfect compleet though it be not so in it self we thereupon immediatly justified accepted of God as Righteous as they love to speak who assert these things 12. Though faith be indeed the mean of our justification that is the onely thing required of us in order to our Interest in Christ actual participation of the benefites of His Redemption of justification in the first place according to the Gospel methode Yet it is too favourable to proud Self to call it such a Condition as hath a far more dangerous Import That is 1. To call it a Condition withall deny that it is an instrumental Cause or that it is to be considered in the matter of justification as it laith hold on Christ His Righteousness 2. To say that the very act of faith or the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã credere is imputed for Righteousness that Paul is to be so understood Rom. 4. as speaking properly not metonymically 3. To say that this is the Righteousness which is imputed to us in order to justification not the Righteousness of Christ except as to its Effects in respect of some whereof Yea the chiefe only immediat it is equally Imputed to all Reprobat as well as Elect. 4. To say that this faith is our Gospel-Righteousness because a Righteousness is perfect adequate to the Rule of the New Covenant 5. To say that this faith hath the same place consideration consequently the same force efficacy in the New Covenant that perfect obedience had in the Old Covenant with Adam 6. To say that Christ hath purchased the New Covenant that this shall be the condition of persons partaking of the benefites thereoâ withall 7 To say that Christ hath died for all by his death made Satisfaction to justice for the breach of the Law so purchased freedom from the Curse of the Law to all equally at least conditionally whereby it is apparent that all are put in statu quo prius in the state they were once in that equally now have new conditions proposed unto them which if they performe they are righteous upon that performance are freed from the Curse made heirs of Glory and thus the New Covenant is of the same Nature kinde with the Old only its Conditions are a little altered made more easie their Performance of the condition must-have a ãâã with it at least ex pacto though not ex condigno as neither Adam's Perfect obedience could have had And the performers of this condition in this case may reflect upon their own deed lay their weight on it it being their Righteousness may plead upon it as their immediat ground of right before God unto justification Acceptance Let any man now consider these things see whether or not the asserting of faiths being such a condition as this be not a plaine gratification of proud Self the laing down a ground for vaine man to boast of glorying though not-before God yet before others And whether this be not an ascribing more to faith than is done by such as yeelding it to be a condition of the mean appointed of God required of us in order to justification say with all that it is to be considered not in it self nor as an act of our obedience but as an Instrument or mean laying hold upon the Righteousness of Christ without us that it may be ours our onely Righteousness where upon we may expert according to the Gospel justification absolution c. 13. It tendeth too much to blow up proud Self to say That if works of Obedience be not the Condition of our first justification yet they may be called the Condition of our Second justification or of the Continuance of our justification for as the Scripture speaketh nothing of a Second justification so to assert our works to be the Condition thereof is to crosse the argueings of the Apostle manifestly to lay a foundation of glorying for Man for if even Abraham had been justified by works a considerable time after he was first justified and first a beleever he should have had whereof to glory though not before God as saith the Apostle Rom. 4 2. And vers 3. he proveth that he was justified by faith that after he had been a beleever for that passage Abraham beleeved God it was imputed to him for righteousness was not spoken of at his first beleeving so cannot be properly meaned of his First justification onely but some yeers there after therefore must be true of his Second justification if there were any such Yea the just liveth by faith a passage that the Apostle useth as wee have seen to prove justification by faith both here in our Text Rom. 1 17. all alongs both first last so that the beginning continuance of this life of justification is by faith not by works 14. It is also dangerous to say That the work of the Law convining of sin with the Effects Consequences thereof Sorrow griefe Anxiety Legal Repentance c. are either Dispositions Preparations or Conditions of justification or Meritorious thereof by way of Congruity as if there were a certaine constituted connexion betwixt these the blessing of justification made by any Law or promise of God as if none could be justified that had not these sensible affecting Effects going before Sure the asserting of this cannot but contribute much to stirre up foster pride in Man give occasion to think that man himself hath done or suffered something that calleth for procureth in congruity at least meriteth justification CHAP. IV. Justification is so contrived in the Gospel as man may be abased have no ground of boasting THirdly we come to speak to the third thing mentioned above to wit That justification is so contrived begun carried on that man hath no real or apparent ground of glorying before men or of boasting in himself A few particulars will sufficiently cleare this I. The Lord 's ordinary usual Method in bringing His Chosen ones into a justified State is
Rom. 3 22 28 30. in other places now cited and that because faith carrieth a poor convicted self-condemned sinner out of himself to seek a righteousness in Christ in upon the acount of which he may be accepted of God justified so bringeth him to close with Christ to accept of His righteousness put it on that he may appear in it before God so receive the Atonement abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness Rom. 5 11 17. And albest it may satisfie us to know that so the Lord God hath ordained it that the self-condemned sinner should flee to the Righteousness of Christ held forth in the Gospel lay hold on it lean to it thereby he may attaine Justification and Remission without enquireing after reasons of this Contrivance Yet we may clearly see the wisdom of God shining forth in this appointed way of justification for the sinner is hereby brought to swear as it were himself bare to renounce all in himself to declare profess himself a plaine bankrupt and so to despare in himself that the riches of the free grace of God everlasting love may shine forth in him in a more divine lustre in a singular heavenly beauty hereby all ground of pride boasting or glorying in himself is taken away the sinner is made to see to subscribe unto the glorious wisdom that then appeareth in that contrivance to wonder as also to see his everlasting obligation unto the Lord contriver to the Lord Ransomer So is he made to see the perfect ground of security saifty in this way when he seeth that in order to his partaking of the great blessings favoures his soul longeth for he must first be united unto Jesus Christ himself married unto Him in a perpetual marriage-Covenant that shall never be dissolved And he winneth hereby to a sure ground of peace Tranquillity of soul when he seeth that it is nothing in himself that is taken as Satisfaction to the Infinite justice of God but the Righteousness of Christ who is God Man in one person so a perfect Infinite Righteousness able fully to repare the breach made to make Satisfaction for the wrong done to the Infinite God So that upon this ground he may boast glory in the Lord alone triumph over all assaults Temptations of Satan Hereby then as the Lord hath consulted His own glory for the sinner fleing to the Righteousness of Christ as his only refuge resting there doth proclame God to be Holy Just Righteous Gracious only Wise so he hath consulted the saifty Peac joy Confidence of His own The consideration whereof should make us comply sweetly with this noble contrivance in stead of disputing against it or ourselves out of it acquiesce with all our heart in it rest there 13. We may observe further another mystery in this matter of justification to wit That the way of justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ doth not take away the necessity Usefulness of the Exercise of the Grace of Repentance Socinians others who follow their footsteps can observe no harmony here cry-out against the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness because as they suppose it ãâã the Use and Necessity of Repentance and enervateth all the commands enjoining it But 1 This mistake must certainly flow from a misconception of the true Nature Use ends of Gospel-repentance for they must of necessity Suppose that Gospel-Repentance is required for the same Ends Uses for which the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness is required otherwise they could not think that the asserting of the one should tend to the justling out of the other But whatever they imagine we assert no such thing but affirme That Christ hath purchased the whole of our Remission and Repentance whatever Papists say hath no interest herein nor hath it any merite with-it whether ex condigno or ex congruo to procure Remission the Favoure of God or Reconciliation with Him but it is only required in its own place to accompany faith to follow upon it as a sutable profitable exercise for sinners advanced to such high favoures Privileges And the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness can no more prejudge the exercise of this grace than of any other Gospel-Grace or duty such as Love Fear Hop prayer Patience c. but rather incite encourage to it 2. what was formerly said of faith its harmonious agreement with the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness will sufficiently also clear confirme this for if the Adversaries speak of legal Repentance the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness will no more take that away than faith for it preceedeth faith whereby the sinner laith hold on Christ. And if they speak of Gospel Repentance which is more to the purpose they must know that though in its Exercise at least in its remarkakle exercise it doth follow faith and in order of Nature is posteriour to it Yet it is inseparably-connected therewith so that where faith is there is must also be Repentance at least in its root begun exercise for a sinner cannot rightly accept of close with Christ as offered in the Gospel for Gospel ends in a Gospel manner according to the call of the Gospel but withall he must have a sight sense of his sins a hatred thereof as also a purpose firme fixed to turn from them unto God as also an Endeavour after new obedience Yea we finde sometimes Repentance pressed as including faith in it as when pressed in order to pardon acceptance with God Sometimes againe it is mentioned together with faith as being inseparable therefrom 3. As the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ and the justification of beleevers thereupon doth not put them in such a case as they shall sinne no more afterward so neither doth it take away the Usefulness and necessity of renewed Acts of faith and Repentance nor in the least weaken the after exercise of these Graces but rather doth excite thereunto each in their proper place and to their proper ends in order to actual pardon according to the Gospel Method in which it is required that justified persons or Believers repent of their after sinnes and by faith flee to Christ for pardon and as at the first so afterward there can be no true exercise of faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ for pardon of after sinnes without a true exercise of Repentance towards God these perpetually accompanying other yet we must not think that Repentance considered by it self and as distinct from faith hath the same Interest in the Covenant for pardon first or last that faith hath for neither doth it so act on Christ and his Righteousness in order to pardon as faith doth nor is it appointed or called for for that end and when it is enjoined and mentioned in order to Remission
as a cause so is our Righteousness Justification inseparable as the full Effect CHAP. IX Other passages of the N. T. briefly mentioned which plead for this Imputation of Christs Righteousness THere are other passages of Scripture beside these mentioned in the preceeding chapter and against which I finde no Exceptions made by Mr. Goodwine in the forecited Book which yet do with no small clearness and fulness of evidence plead for the truth which we owne to wit The Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto Beleevers in order to their Justification These we shall not insist upon but only mentione in short seing the full insisting upon them will not be necessary after what is said in the Explication Vindication of foregoing passages 1 Rom. 1 17. For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith The Apostle is here giving a reason proving the Gospel whereof he was not ashamed to be a preacher of to be the power of God unto Salvation that to every one that beleeveth be he jew or be he Gentile viz. Because there is a Righteousness revealed therein which sinners only stand in need of that Righteousness of God that is not only a Righteousness which is devised by God and is accepted in His sight but an excellent Righteousness even the Righteousness of one who is God and a Righteousness revealed for faith to lay hold on receive that which faith leaneth to first and last when it is weakest and when it is strongest that thereby the poor sinner who formerly was dead by law may live as one reconciled to God So that hence we see Sinners have need of a Righteousness and this Righteousness is the Righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel that it may be received by faith and so Imputed made over to the poor sinner in order to his Justification and acceptance with God 2 Rom. 4 11. And he i. e. Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seal of the Righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that righteousness might be imputed to them also Here is a Righteousness and a Righteousness called the Righteousness of faith because received applied only by faith and a Righteousness whereof circumsion was appointed a seal granted to Abraham as such and a Righteousness which was imputed to Abraham that he might be the Father of all them that beleeve for it is added that Righteousness might be Imputed to them also And this must be the same Righteousness that was Imputed to Abraham the same way Imputed the same way received that there migt be no essential difference betwixt the way of justification of Father and Children The Aethiopick Version may serve for a commentary and he had circumsion a signe of his righteousness which He gave him and the signe thereof that this might be made known unto him that God justified Abraham by faith when he was not at that time circumcised that they may know that they also are justified by faith 3. Rom. 4 24 25. But for us also to whom it shall be Imputed if we beleeve on Him who raised up tesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences was raised againe for our justification Here is some thing said to be Imputed this must be in order to justification And this that is Imputed cannot be faith it self or our act of beleeving for what is said to be Imputed is promised to be Imputed upon condition of faith or our beleeving on Him who raised up Iesus our Lord. So that it must be the Righteousness of Christ consisting in His Mediatory work which He undertook performed for His owne for it is added that He was delivered for their offences that is He was delivered unto the death to make satisfaction for their sinnes He rose againe that He might declare He had given full Satisfaction that He might apply this Surety-righteousness of His to the end they might be justified Socinus doth not understand this therefore de Servat part 4. p. 333 saith It is most certaine that the Apostle doth not speak of any Imputation of the righteousness of Christ but assert that the faith or credite we give God because He hath called Iesus Christ our Head from death to eternal life shall be accounted unto us in the place of righteousness just as faith whereby Abraham gave credite to the words of God was Imputed to him for righteousness But the Text hereby is manifestly perverted for it saith that some thing shall be imputed if we beleeve which can not be faith but something distinct from faith which is to be Imputed upon condition of faith And what can this be else than the Surety-righteousness of Christ who is here mentioned as dying riseing in the place and for ãâã good of His people that they might be justified And further if it were faith it self that were here said to be Imputed in order to justification the justified man should not be one that is in himself ungodly because he hath a Righteousness in himself and he who hath a Righteousness in himself is not ungodly yet it is said Rom. 4 5. That God justifieth the ungodly Againe That which is Imputed must be a Righteousness without works vers 6. but if faith it self be Imputed a work is Imputed and not a Righteousness without works and this would also lay down a ground of boasting make the reward of debt not of grace v. 14. 4. Rom. 10 10. For with the heart man beleeveth unto Righteousness with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation The Apostle had been before vers 4. telling us That Christ was the end of the law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth thereafter he discriminateth the way of justification by the law and by the Gospel under the Notion of a Righteousness which is of the law and a Righteousness which is of faith then more particularly he describeth the Righteousness of faith or a Righteousness is had unto Salvation in through faith vers 9. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved which he proveth in the 10. vers now cited therein sheweth how by this beleeving that God hath raised the Lord Jesus from the dead Salvation is brought about viz. That by beleeving with the heart a Righteousness is obtained received and this righteousness must be Christs even His Surety-righteousness for faith looketh on Him as raised from the dead that by God as having now received full Satisfaction from Him thereupon bringing Him as it were out of prison And in the Text cited we see that by faith a Righteousness is received or faith is the way unto the possession of a Righteousness as Confession is the
cause of the formal objective cause which some call the Formal others the Material cause and the Inferiour Meane or Instrumental cause Here also these two are confounded made one viz. We are justified by faith faith is Imputed unto Righteousness That these are far different shall be cleared hereafter But what answereth he He saith 1. If their meaning be simply so that we are justified by that which faith apprehendeth they speak more truth than they are aware of But that whatsoever faith apprehendeth should justify is not true Ans. Who speaketh thus I know not yet I see little danger in it their meaning being only this in that expression we are justified by that which faith apprendeth that Christ His Righteousness which justifying faith in the act of justifying laith hold on is the formal objective cause or that upon the account of which we are justified this no way saith that our faith is that Righteousness for which we are justified Next he saith If men ascribe justification in every respect to that which faith apprehendeth they destroy the Instrumental Iustification of faith Ans. No man that I know doth or will ascribe Justification in every respect unto that which faith apprehendeth so they need not destroy the Instrumental use of faith in Justification for as to the Instrumental justification of faith I understand it not it seemeth to be a very catachrestick expression In end he addeth If faith justifieth any way it must of necessity be by Imputation or account from God for righteousness because it is all that God requires of men to their justification in stead of the righteousness of the law Therefore if God shall not impute or account it to them for this righteousness it would stand them in no stead at all to their justification because there is nothing useful or available to any holy or saving purpose but only to that whereunto God hath assigned it If God in the New Covenant requires faith in Christ for our justification in stead of the righteousness of the law in the old this faith will not passe in account with him for such righteousness but his command and Covenant for beleeving and the obedience it self of beleeving will both become void of none effect the intire benefite of them being suspended upon the gracious pleasure purpose of God in the designation of them to their end Ans. Whatever interest or place Faith hath in the New Cov. in the matter of justification it hath it from Gods sole appointment designation it is all that which is now required of us in order to our justification entering into Covenant with God yet unless we change alter its true nature and assigne another place power to it that God hath the Crown is keeped on the head of the Mediator His Righteousness is only owned received produced by the sinner as it were in face of Court rested upon by faith in order to justification But when faith is said to be imputed for Righteousness that is when our act of beleeving is made our Righteousness said to be so accounted esteemed by God all this to shoot out the Righteousness of Christ and to take away the Imputation thereof to us as the only ground of our justification not only are the native kindly actings of justifying faith destroyed but the very nature gentus of the New Covenant is altered it is made to be the same in kinde with the first Covenant with this gradual difference that the first Covenant required full perfect obedience the second one act of obedience only viz. Faith as a Peppercorn as some speak in stead of a great rent our whole Righteousness for no other Righteousness will our adversaries grant to be really imputed to us save what they grant of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness only as to Effects and thus they make the Lord to repute for that is the meaning of imputing with them that to be a Righteousness which at best is but imperfect not every way conforme to the command of God enjoining it Whereby thus one imperfect act of obedience viz. Faith is made that whereupon the wakened sinner is to rest and lay his whole weight wherein he is to refuge himself from the wrath of God which he is to hold up as his legal defence against all accusations coming in against him and all this use is to be made of faith immediatly in stead of Christ His Surety-righteousness Whence we see that it is false to say 1 That if faith justifieth any way it must of necessity be by Imputation for righteousness For it justifieth as the mean appointed of God to lay hold on an Imputed Righteousness and to carry the soul forth thereunto The reason added is vaine for though it be all that God requires of men to their justification it is not that Rightheousness which is imputed unto Justification or the ground thereof but the Mean or Instrument of a soul 's partaking of that Righteousness of Christ which is the only ground or formal objective reason 2 It is false to say That if God shall not account it to them for righteousness it shall stand them in no stead to justification For it is required as the meane whereby the Sinner is married unto Christ partaketh of His Righteousness in order to justification and is as the legal production of the righteousness of the Surety in face of court as the ground of absolution to be pleaded stood unto The reason he here addeth is of no force because faith is assigned of God to this end purpose as the Gospel cleareth only to this end that so the Mediator alone may weare the Crown beare the weight of sinners nothing in us or from us may share with Him in that glory It is false 3 to say or suppose as his following words intimate That faith in the New Covenant hath the same place force efficacy which the righteousness of the law had in the old Covenant For then Faith should be Meritorious ex pacto should give ground of glorying before men It is 4 false to say That if faith hath not this place force efficacy in the New Covenant the command for beleeving beleeving it self shall be vaine Seing it hath another use designed to it of God and it is required for another end as is said according to the gracious pleasure purpose of God Lastly Chap. 8. pag. 93. c. he argueth from Gal. 3 12. thus If the Scriptures do not only no where establish but in any place absolutely deny a possibility of the translation or removing of the Righteousness of Christ from one person to another then there is no Imputation of Christ's Righteousness But the former is emphatically true from this place Ergo c. Ans. This upon the matter is but what Socinus said lib. 3. cap. 3. viz.
That one mans deed can no more be the deed of another than one mans death or paine can be the death or paine of another that in deeds of the law the deed it self is not simply called for but the proper deed of every one who is under the law that nothing can be more ridiculous than to say that one mans righteousness can be the righteousness of another who is unrighteous in himself that it is against common sense to say that one may obey for another But howbeit we easily grant there neither is nor can be any physical translation or removing of Righteousness from one to another yet to deny all legal translation is to deny all Suretiship cautionry yea and all Satisfection therefore the Socinians who see the force of this consequence do peremptorily deny that Christ made any Satisfaction to justice or payed the debt of the chosen ones as their Surety such as deny this legal translation of Christ's Righteousness would do well to consider if they do not hereby weaken the truth concerning Christ's Satisfa ion His dying in the Room place Stead of the Elect. As for the thing it self every one that knoweth what a Surety is knoweth that his payment of the debt is by law reckoned on the score of the principal debtor so transferred upon him as he is no more liable to the charge of the Creditor or to the execution of the law against him for non-payment than if he himself had laid down the full Summe He would prove what he alleigeth thus This Scripture doth not barely and simply deny a possibility of translation of the Righteousness of the law from one person to another but denieth it emphatically Ans. Howbeit it be a truth that no meer-mans righteousness is derivable from him to another set this Text proveth no such thing but only telleth us the nature ãâã of the Covenant of works viz. that it required personal and perfect obedience of him that would have right to the promised reward Which speaketh nothing against the new contrivance of the Gospel wherein the Supream God and Law-giver the great Rector of the world did in Mercy Love appoint Jesus Christ to be the Mediator Surety for the chosen ones to pay their debt suffer for them did ordaine a way how they should in due time come to have an Interest in to partake of that Surety-righteousness of Christ Jesus that so they might be justified dealt with as Righteous persons having Christ's Surety-righteousness imputed to them reckoned upon their score when by faith they close with Him and lay hold on it He addeth for proof for it denies a possibility of it to be done even by faith which was the likeliest hand to have done it if the nature of the thing had not resisted the doing of it Ans. The meaning of these werds the law is not of faith is only to shew That the way of justification by faith by the law are so far different that they cannot agree together but not to show that by faith Beleevers are not made partakers of the Righteousness of Christ or have it not imputed unto them reckoned upon their score as the whole scope circumstances of the place show That therefore is not true which he addeth By which it appeareth also that be i.e. the Apostle had an Intent particularly to make the righteousness of the law as performed by Christ himself uncapable of this translation or Imputation For though the law should be against the Imputation of the Righteousness of one man who is Naturally and every way under the law obliged by his being to obey the law unto another yet it is not against the Imputation of the Righteousness of one who is God so under the law only by voluntary Submission is appointed thereunto by the Supream Law-giver Rector unto all such as were committed given to Him to save that way in a way condescended upon by Jehovah and the Mediator He proceedeth The meaning of these words the law is not of faith must be this that the righteousness of the law doth not arise or come upon any man out of his faith or by his beleeving this is proved because the very doer shall live in or by them Ans. It is true the law-way of justification or the way of justification revealed in and by the law and hold forth in the old Covenant saith only that the man that doth these things shall live in them and doth not prescribe the way of justification through faith But the Gospel revealeth how the righteousness of the law which was part of our debt being performed and payed by the Lord Jesus the Surety appointed of God is transferred and imputed unto those He did represent He addeth further The word law here is put for the Righteousness or fulfilling of the law Ans. And why also shall not the word be taken in that sense in the following vers where it is said Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law so the meaning will be from the curse of the righteousness or fulfilling of the law Againe what though the word had that Import here can any thing more hence follow than that personal Righteousness is not derivable now from one man to another so as to stand for his personal righteousness But how shall this sense of the words make them a proof or confirmation of what was said in the former verse He answereth to this saying The Apostle in the former verse had delivered it for a truth that no man could be justified by the law i.e. by the righteousness or works of the law because the Scripture saith the just shall live by faith Now because this consequence might seem doubtful upon this account that it might be said why may not the just live by faith by the works of the law too may not the righteousness of the law be made over to them by faith No saith the Apostle The law is not of faith there can be no legal rigteousness drawn upon men by faith c. Ans. This confirmation is manifestly perverted for there was no occasion for that question whether the righteousness of the law could be made over by faith whether it be taken in his sense viz. Whether the Righteousness of Christ performed to the law could be made over and received by faith as appeareth from what he had said of the Gospel-way vers 8 9. Or whether it be taken in this sense that the righteousness of the law performed by a meer-man only for himself according to his obligation can be now made over to another by faith for no man over dreamed of such a thing But enough of this froathy trash What he talketh afterward of the opposition betwixt the law and faith in the matter of justification is utterly impertinent because quite mistaken and misunderstood by him for he only
way weakened by our Assertion of the Imputation of Christ's whole Surety-righteousness He addeth Christ hath taught us to pray for forgiveness of Sins now to pray for that and yet to conceite ourselves as righteous as Christ was is rather to mock than to worship Ans. This expression to conceite ourselves as righteous as Christ was is none of ours though it may admit of a good sense as being true quoad veritatem though not quoad modum yet because it is so ambiguous liable to misconstruction I chose rather to forbear it seeing no necessity touse it And to conceite our selves legally juridically righteous with the Imputed Surety-righteousness of Christ is very consistent with praying for pardon for Christ's Surety-righteousness is not nor yet said to be imputed for this end immediatly that all our after actions should be sinless but to this end rather that we may have actual pardon of by past sinnes of future sins too after the methode of the Gospel and that none of our sins should actually procure our Condemnation or prejudge us of eternal Felicity but that notwithstanding thereof we should not come into condemnation but enter into life He saw that what he here objecteth against the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness will militat as much against the Imputation of Faith which must derive a righteousness upon the person as perfect and compleat as the Righteousness of the Law so can leave as little place for Remission as what we plead for and therefore to obviat this he tels us That when faith is imputed another thing is imputed then the righteousness of the Law it self to wit faith by name in stead of it Now any other righteousness or any other thing imputed for righteousness besides the righteousness of the Law will bear a consistency of sin with it of remission Ans. If by the righteousness of the Law here he only meaneth that which we performe in our own persons it is true that is inconsistent with sin or pardon but it is false if he understand thereby the righteousness of the Law performed by another Christ our Surety And sure if his faith be accounted a Righteousness it must be a Righteousness or God's estimation is not just if it be a Righteousness it must be accompanied with all the privileges of a Righteousness as himself saith and consequently exclude all Sin Remission if these be such concomitans of an Imputed righteousness He addeth when a perfect Sanctification is imputed to a man for his justification that man can be no more reputed to have sin in him than to be obnoxious to death which is opposite to justification Ans. And no wonder for perfect Sanctification being a perfect inherent holiness cannot without a contradiction but exclude sin But who speak of such an Imputation of Sanctification We know no such thing for Sanctification is wrought inherent in us not imputed to us If he meane by this perfect Sanctification the perfect Obedience and Righteousness of Christ imputed to us we say though that perfect Sanctification or Righteousness could be consistent with no sin in Christ yet when imputed to us it can consist with sin inherent in us with pardon of sin also as we have already cleared Further saith he But when that which either is no Sanctification or at most but an imperfect Sanctification is imputed for Righteousness in a mans justification place is left for inherencie of sin consequently for the forgiveness of it Ans. That which is no Sanctification or at most but an imperfect Sanctification must either be no Righteousness or at most an imperfect righteousness and therefore cannot be reputed or accounted a perfect righteousness and so cannot be imputed to a person in order to justification Or if we should suppose that God did make it really repute it to be a righteousness it must be a compleat righteousness consequently inconsistent with pardon because it shall hereby become a compleat inherent Holiness Righteousness Obj. 8. Chap. 15. pag. 153. c. Whoseever is perfectly righteous or as righteous as Christ is in him God can see no sin But every beleever saith this opinion which we impugne is as perfectly compleatly righteous as Christ himself is Therefore c. Ans. How false this consequence is was manifested above Chap. 6. Mystery 15. And now waving that expression of being as righteous as Christ himself is I distinguish the Major thus Whosoever is perfectly righteous with an inherent Righteousness taking perfection here not for kind but for degrees in him God can see no sin true but in this sense the Minor is false Whosoever is perfectly Righteous with an Imputed righteousness in him God can see no sin or order to actual condemnation it is true but then the Conclusion containeth nothing but truth It is true God could see no sin in Christ because there was no sin existing in Him yet He can see sin in beleeves in whom sin existeth notwithstanding they be clothed with the perfect Righteousness of Christ which only maketh that God can see no sin in them for which He will actually bring them into condemnation and this is consonant to Scripture Rom. 8 1. Obj. 9. Another Reason he proposeth Chap. 16. pag. 154. c. alleiging That by this Imputation of Christ's Righteousness we confound the two Covenants of Works of Grace But as to this we have cleared the truth above Chap. 6. Mystery 16. Nor need we be much troubled at his bold alleigance foâ not we but he others with him by his opinion in pleading for the sole Imputation of faith as our Gospel Righteousness to which some adde other works of obedience do turne the Gospel into a new Covenant of Works for if faith properly taken alone or conjunct with other works of Righteousness which we do be all our Gospel-righteousness we are justified by our own personal obedience righteousness and this was the plaine tenor of the Covenant of works The variation of the obedience now required from what was of old though now it be but as a pepper corne in comparison of the greater rent formerly required doth make no alteration in the Nature and Essence of the Covenant for justification life is still by works of righteousness which we do and which are our owne But when the Righteousness of a Surety is imputed we are upon that account accepted though the righteousness wrought by the Surety be obedience to the same Law that was in force under the first Covenant which we were obliged unto lying under the Curse of as it must needs have been seing He did substitute himself in our place took our debt upon Him the Covenant is altered for the first Covenant knew no Righteousness but what was our owne personal did not admit of a Surety Thus these two Covenants are not confounded by us but kept manifestly distinct we cannot owne their
Gospel-way of justification as being a way to bring us back againe to the old Covenant of works with a meer pretext of some ease as to the Conditions or Termes Yet he would prove that the two Covenants are made one by us thus where the parties Covenanting are the same the things covenanted for are the same and the Conditions or agreement the same there the Covenants are every way the same But if the Righteousness of the Law imputed to us be the agreement or Condition of the New Covenant all the three persons things Conditions are the same Ans. 1 It may be questioned if either the persons Covenanting or the things Covenanted for in both Covenants be the same every way but to speak of this is not our present purpose 2 The Covenants do not agree as to their Conditions for the condition required in the Covenant of works was a proper antecedent condition which is a cause of the thing promised but the Condition of the New Covenant is only a consequent condition denoting nothing else than a connexion or order betwixt the thing promised the condition required 3 The Righteousness of the Law imputed to us is no condition required of us in the New Covenant but it is required of us that by faith we close with Christ thereby come to have an Interest in Christ in all His Righteousness to all ends and purposes which our case and necessity calleth for 4 This Righteousness of the Law was called for from us in our own persons in the old Covenant but in the New Covenant the righteousness is Imputed to us when we beleeve in Him And this as is said is enough to distinguish these Covenants But he thinks The Righteousness of the Law imputed from another wrought by ourselves do not much differ the substance being the same Ans. Yet this difference may make a substantial difference in the two Covenants for when the Covenant of Works did not admit of the performance of the Conditions by a Surety as himself proved by foure Arguments pag. 155. And the Covenant of Grace holdeth forth justification only through the Righteousness of another imputed to us received by faith Though the Righteousness mentioned in both consist in conformity to the same Law yet the Covenants cannot but substantially differ as is obvious to every one Beside that the righteousness imputed consisteth in more than in Obedience to the Law for it comprehendeth his whole Surety-righteousness that took in His Sufferings also The following objection which he preoccupieth is purely his owne so I leave it Obj. 10. Chap. 17. pag. 158. c. That for which Righteousness is imputed to those that beleeve cannot be imputed to them for righteousness But the Righteousness of Christ is that for which righteousness is imputed to those that beleeve Ergo. The Assumption he thinks none will deny but such as deny the righteousness to be the Meritorious Cause of that Righteousness or justification which is conferred upon men The Major he thus proveth If it be Impossible that the thing merited should be the same thing with that which is the Meritorious Cause thereof then it is not only not true but impossible that the Righteousness of Christ should be the Righteousness of a beleever But the former is true Ergo c. Aus This is nothing but a pure fallacy founded upon a palpable mistake viz of confounding righteousness justification as if they were one the same To discover this let us put Iustification for Righteousness in the first Argument thus That for which beleevers are justified cannot be imputed to them for righteousness But the Righteousness of Christ is that for which beleevers are justified Therefore c. Who seeth not now how false the Major propositions is how impertinent ridiculous the probation thereof is justification which is the Effect or the thing merited is not the same thing with the Righteousness of Christ the Meritorious cause thereof Obj. 11. pag. 160. If the Righteousness of Christ be imputed to a beleever for righteousness in his justification then the meritorious cause of his justification is imputed But that cannot be imputed Ergo c. He proveth the Minor which is denied thus Because the Meritorious cause being a kind of Efficient can not be either the matter or the forme of that whereof it is Efficient It is an Inviolable Law amongs the foure kindes of causes Material Formal Final Efficient that the two former do only ingredi composition or effectum are partes rei constitutae that the two latter are alwayes extrinsecal stand without Ans. All which is but vaine argueing grounded upon this palpable mistake that justification is a physical Effect like the whiteing of a wall which is the example whereby he illustrats the matter therefore he thinketh that these termes are used in this matter in as proper a sense as when they are applied to physical causes Effects whileas the matter is quite otherwise many of these termes are here used but in a metaphorical sense But to the matter whether Imputed Righteousness be called the Material cause with some or the formal cause with others of justification is no great matter seing every one hath liberty to explaine in what sense he useth these termes in this matter I should rather choose to use the terme if such like termes must be used of the formal objective cause or Reason This is enough to us That it is that whereby they become juridically righteous that upon the consideration whereof now imputed to them they are pronounced Righteous justified so is the meritorious cause of their justification that Righteousness which covereth them upon the account of which they are declared pronounced Righteous as the payment of the Surety is as the meritorious cause in Law of the absolution of the debtor the ground upon which he is absolved being accounted his payment because the debtor Surety are one person in Law As in a juridical sentence of Absolution of an accused debtor there is no proper formal or material cause so neither in the matter of justification which is God's juridical Act Sentence Yet I cannot acquiesce to what he addeth saying That only remission of sins or absolution from punishment is as the forme applied unto or put upon the matter the matter or subject it self where unto this forme is applied Not only because according to his own argueing one thing cannot be both matter forme of the same thing but because Remission of sins in hereby made the whole of justification whereas to speak properly it is but an Effect or consequent or at most a part thereof the person justified is properly absolved from the accusation declared to be Righteous so is legally constituted or put into a state of Righteousness or of Righteous persons whereupon followeth freedom from guilt or punishment a
therefore enquire after Mr. Baxter's sense see wherein he really differeth from us in this matter In his late Treatise of justifying Righteousness against D. Tully The first part as the Title page sheweth is of Imputed Righteousness opening defending the true Sense confuting the false Here then belike we shall finde his meaning as to this question In his preface to this book he giveth us his sense in these words That Righteousness is imputed to us that is we are accounted Righteous because for the merites of Christ's total fulfulling the conditions of his Mediatorial Covenant with the Father by His Habitual Holiness His Actual perfect Obedience His Sacrifice or Satiâfactory Suffering for our sins in our stead freely without any merite or conditional act of mans God hath made an act of oblivion Deed of Gift pardoning all sin justifying Adopting giving Right to the Spirit Life eternally to every one that beleevingh accepteth Christ the gifts with by from Him when we accept them they are all ours by vertue of this purchased Covenant-gift But this I Judge cannot give satisfaction for upon the grant of the Act of Oblivion as he calleth it which in his judgment is extended to all Mankind no man in particular can be called or accounted Righteous or have Righteousness imputed to him more than another so upon this account all are equally Righteous have equally Christ's Righteousness imputed to them that is no man hath it As for these Effects pardon justification Adoption Right to the Spirit to Life they cannot be called the Righteousness of Christ no more than the Effect can be called the cause And though they become ours when we accept them or rather when we accept of Christ yet upon that account meerly it can not be said that the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us no otherwayes for that is nothing but the Socinian Concession formerly mentioned it cannot Satisfie the orthodox The questin is about the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness the Answer given is concerning the Effects thereof given to us But these Effects are not the Righteousness of Christ nor are they to be called a Righteousness nor are they in Scripture so called unless we say with Ioh. Goodwin that Righteousness Imputed is nothing but free justification Yea these Effects must presuppose a Righteousness in the persons receiving them either Inherently or by way of Impuâation for God will justifie no man or declare no man to be Righteous who is not Righteous And concerning this Righteousness is our question And Mr. Baxter giveth us nothing here for this unless it be our beleeving this is that which Servetus Socinians Arminians say In opposition to this which he calleth a short plaine explication of Christianity he setteth down what others say as necessary to go in to our Christianity so tels us that according to them we must say That Christ was habitually actually perfectly Holy obedient imputatively in our particular persons thath each one of us did perfectly fulfill that Law which requireth perfect habites act in and by Christ imputatively and yet did also in by him suffer ourselves imputatively for not fulfilling it imputatively did ourselves both satisfie God's justice and merite heaven and that we have ourselves imputatively a Righteousness of Perfect holiness obedience as sinless must be justified by the Law of Innocency or works as having ourselves imputatively fulfilled it in Christ. And that this is our sole-righteousness that faith it self is not imputed to us for Righteousness no not a meer particular subordinat Righteousness answering the conditional part of the new justifying Covenant as necessary to our participation of Christ His freely given Righteousness As touching the latter part of this discourse about the Imputation of Faith its being called our particular subordinat Righteousness it is true Several of the Orthodox have appeared against it we shall also speak our judgment of it hereafter But as to the former part which is only pertinent to our purpose now in hand I know not if ever any Orthodox person uttered his minde after this manner Yea I wote not if Antinomians themselves have at any time expressed themselves in all points as is here set down But be it so that they have thus expressed their meaning that these expressions here set down are not meer Consequences Inferences drawn by Mr. Baxter himself from their opinions assertions yet Mr. Baxter cannot but know that the Orthodox are against them in these assertions as well as he to me it appeareth no faire to set down these words as containing that opinion which all must hold who cannot fully embrace Mr. Baxter's owne judgment as if there were no Medium betwixt the Socinian or Arminian judgment on the one hand the Antinomian opinion on the other hand whileas he cannot but know the contrary Nether is this a âât sure way to cleare up the true sense of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness at least that sense which we owne In the Book pag. 24. he againe setteth down his own judgment or sense of Imputation which he taketh to be the true healing middle way Part whereof is as followeth That as Christ suffered in our stead that we might not suffer and obeyed in our Nature that perfection of obedience might not be necessary to our justification and this in the person of a Mediator and Sponsor for us sinners but not so in our persons as that we truely in a moral or civil sence did all this in and by him Even so God reputeth the thing to be as it is and so far Imputeth Christ's Righteousness and Merites and Satisfaction to us as that it is reputed by Him the true Meritorious Cause of our justification that for it God maketh a Covenant of Grace in which he freely giveth Christ pardon and life to all that accept the gift as it is so that the Accepters are by this Covenant and Gift as surely justified and Saved by Christ's Righteousness as if they had obeyed and satisfied themselves Not that Christ meriteth that we shall have grace to fulfill the Law ourselves and stand before God in a Righteousness of our own which will answere the Law of works and justify us but that the Conditions of the GÃft in the Covenant of Grace being performed by every penitent Beleever that Covenant doth pardon all their sins as God's Instrument and giveth them a Right to life eternal for Christ's merites As to this though it may seem faire a far advancement yet I shall crave leave to say these few things against it 1. When he saith That Christ suffered in our stead I would know in whose stead it was Whether it was in the stead of some select persons or in stead of all If in the stead of some select persons only then these select persons must
to be in another manner in Him than any others whatever 9. He addeth so far imputeth Christ's Righteousness as that it is reputed by Him the true Meritorious cause of our justification But it was reputed and estimate so to be before this Imputation for it was accepted as such therefore Imputation must denote something more than this Reputation even a reckoning of it as it were now upon their Scoce and accounting it theirs or them to have a full special and actual Interest therein in order to their justification and absolution from the charge of guilt and death brought in against them whereby they are accounted and reckoned to be Righteous because of that Imputation therefor pronounced such in justification so that now it is the objectum formalâ or the ratio formales objectiva of our justification 10. When he addeth that for it God maketh a Covenant of Grace if those words mean that in this also Christ's Righteousness is said to be imputed then it seemeth it is equally imputed unto all Adam's posteâity for with him all are comprehended within this Covenant But this were as much as to say it is imputed to none in particular Moreover it may be thought that this is explicative of what went immediatly before so Christ's righteousness shall be repute the true Meritorius Cause of our justification in that it was the Meritorious cause of the Covenant of Grace now hereby the immediat ground of justification will be the Gospel-righteousness he speaketh of that is our performance of the conditions of the New Covenant of Grace Christ's Merites Satisfaction Righteousness shall be only a remote ground But we shall show hereafter how groundless it to say That Christ procured the New Covenant by His Merites Satisfaction 11. He saith in which i.e. Covenant of Grace He freely giveth Christ pardon Life to all that accept the gift as it is That all these are hold-forth in the Covenant that such as receive Christ receive pardon and Life is true But what is that to accept the gift as it is what is meaned by this gift 12. He addeth so that the accepters are by this Covenant Gift as surely justified and saved by Christ's Righteousness as if they had obeyed Satisfied themselves But this is not by vertue of any immediat of that Righteousness unto them whereby they are looked upon as Righteous in the sight of God but by vertue of faith whereby the gift is accepted that is offered in the Covenant which faith is indeed immediatly imputed to them according to him reputed their Gospel-righteousness they thereupon are reputed Righteous so justified as such for the Righteousness of Christ is only imputed in that it is reputed the meritorious cause of the New Covenant 13. Though Christ hath not merited that we shall have grace to fulfill the Law ourselves c. Yet he will say that Christ hath merited that faith shall be the Condition of the New Covenant consequently that we may stand before God even as the great Law giver so before His Law also in that Gospel-righteousness as he calleth it of our own which will justifie us 14. In end when he saith the Covenant of grace doth pardon give right to Life for Christ's Merites I suppose because of what is already observed it is only upon the account that Christ's Meâites have purchased this Covenant not because they become our Immediat Righteousness whereupon we are justified have pardon he should rather say conforme to what went before that this Covenant doth Pardon give Right to Life for faith our Gospel-righteousness the condition thereof These are my Exceptions against this supposed healing middle way the grounds why I cannot acquiesce therein as the right way He tels us againe pag. 45. Note 3. That it is ordinarily agreed by Protestants that Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us in the same sence as our sins are said to be imputed to Him And to this I also heartily acquiesce hence inferie That as Christ was made sin by that Imputation so we are made righteous by vertue of this Imputation as our sins were laid on Him as the sins of the people were laid on the scape goat the type so His Righteousness is put on us as He came in our Law-place so we come in His As our sins imputed to Him were the immediat procuring cause of His stripes punishment or suffering so His Righteousness imputed to us is the Immediat procuring cause of our justification c. As Christ was repute legally or juridically though not inherently a sinner because of this Imputation of our sins to Him therefore dealt with punished chastened as if He had been a real sinner because He stood in our Law-place to His Righteousness being imputed to us we are repute legally juridically though not inherently Righteous thereupon are dealt with justified accepted c. as if we had been really Righreous because now standing in His Law-place So that if Mr. Baxter will stand to this that ordinarily protestants agree unto I am fully Satisfied had he done so from the beginning many of his discourses would have been forborne And whether he or others who owne what protestants agree unto be to be reckoned among the self conceited wranglers as he speaketh in the following page indifferent men may judge I conceive if he would yet stand to this he should alter that which he gave us in the fore-mentioned words as the only healing middle way For that middle way as he calleth it giveth us a far other sheme than can be drawn out of this wherein protestants are commonly agreed as is obvious He tels us Chap. 2. where he cometh to state the question pag. 51. that we must distinguish of Imputation giveth us six senses thereof five whereof are such as I know not if even Antinomians did owne them They are these 1. To repute us personally to have been the Agents of Christ't Acts the Subjects of His Habites passion in a physical sense I know not who in their wits would affirme this to me it is not a fit way to end or clear controversies to raise so much dust needlesly imagine senses out of our owne heads as if they were owned maintained by some what is the 2 Or to repute the same formal relation of Righteousness which was in Christ's Person to be in ours as the Subject But this is only a consequent of the foregoing 3. saith he or to repute us to have been the very Subjects of Christ's Habites passion the Agents of His Acts in a Political or Moral sence not a physical as a man payeth a debt by a Servant or attornay ordelegate If this be the only meaning of his Political Moral sense I suppose no man will owne it either for no man will say That Christ was our Servant Attornay
is therefore a Third sense wherein neither Christ's Righteousness that is His Habites Acts Sufferings are said to be physically translated and put in us or upon us nor are they said to be Imputed to us meerly in their Effects as Socinians say but wherein Christ's Surety-righteousness consisting in His Obedience Suffering is in a Law-sense made over to beleevers put upon their score now accounted theirs they because thereof accounted Righteous legally and juridically and have therefore the Effects bestowed on them This being so obvious I wonder that Mr. Baxter cannot see it When a debtor is lying in prison for debt and a friend cometh Satisfieth the creditor for him by paying the summe in his place stead the Law doth not impute that payment to the debtor meerly in the effects but imputeth the payment it self not in its Physical acceptation as if it judged that he was the man that in his own Physical person told the money with his own hands brought it out of his own purse as the other did but in its legal force vertue efficary unto him accounted him in this Legal sense to be no more a debter unto the creditor therefore one that hath right to his liberty must therefore be set free from prison So in our case the Righteousness of Christ in a legal sense as to its efficary vertue is made over to the Beleever he thereupon is accounted Righteous and no more a debtor and therefore free of the Penalty Further Although he say that Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us in the Effects Yet he knoweth that that is in his judgment but very remotely and that really these effects are more proximely the effects of Faith which he calleth our Gospel-righteousness and that the Immediat effect and product of Christ's Righteousness is the New Covenant and this New Covenant being made with all Mankind as he thinketh Christ's Righteousnes is in this immediat Effect imputed to all flesh Reprobat as well as Elect. And this is in part cleared from the words Immediatly following when he saith In as much as we are as really pardoned justified Adopted by them as the Meritorious Cause by the Instrumentality of the Covenants Donation as if we ourselves had done suffered all that Christ did For this Instrumentality of the Covenant includeth the performance of the Condition thereof i. e. faith this Faith is properly imputed for Righteousness as he saith And therefore as the Covenant is the Effect of the merites of Christ so pardon and Salvation must be the Effects of Faith and the Effects of Christ's Righteousness only in that he did procure the Covenant which conveyeth these to us upon Condition of our performing of this faith which is therefore called by him our Gospel-Righteousness He giveth us next foure wayes n. 31. pag. 60. wherein the Lord is said to be our Righteousness an Expression that doth emphatically more than sufficiently express the meaning of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness 1. In that saith he He is the meritorious cause of the pardon of all our sins our full justification Adoption Right to glory by His Satisfaction and Merites only our justification by the Covenant of Grace against the Curse of the Law works is purchased Ans. He cannot be said by him to be the Meritorious Cause of pardon c. But in as far as He is the Meritorious cause of the Covenant in which these benefites are promised upon Condition of faith our Gospel-righteousness which properly and only is our Imputed Righteousness according to him and so Christ is our Righteousness in meriting that faith shall be repute our Gospel-righteousness in order to our obtaining of Pardon and Right to glory But moreover where is our Righteousness For Pardon is no Righteousness neither is justification Adoption or Right to Glory properly a Righteousness But do presuppose a Righteousness after which we are enquiring and cannot finde that Christ is made to be that to us and consequently either faith must be it or there is none The other senses are 2. In that He is the legislator Testator donor of our Pardon justification by this new Covenant 3. In that He is the Head of Influx King Intercessour by whom the Spirit is given to Sanctifie us to God cause us sincerely performe the Conditions of the Iustifying Covenant 4. In that He iâ the righteous judge justifier of Beleevers by sentence of judgment Ans. All these three will make the Father to be our Righteousness as well as the Son for He is legislator He draweth to the Son sendeth the Spirit to Sanctifie us He judgeth by the Son justifieth 2. But none of these nor all of these give us the true Import of that glorious Name according to the true scope of the place Ier. 23 6. of which we have spoken above In like manner n. 32. he giveth us four senses of these words we are made the Righteousness of God in Him The 1. is In that as he was used like a sinner for us But not esteemed one by God so we are used like innocent persons so far as to be saved by Him Ans. As He was used by God like a sinner so was He legally accounted a sinner otherwise God would not have used Him as a sinner Therefore if we be used like innocent persons we must be in God's esteem legally juridically innocent through Christ's Righteousness imputed so must be saved by Him The 2. is In that through His Merites upon our union with Him when we beleeve consent to Hiâ Covenant we are pardoned justified so made Righteous really that is such as are not to be condemned but glorified Ans As I said neither pardon nor justification maketh us Righteous but suppose us to be Righteous and therefore in justification we are declared pronounced Righteous thereupon pardoned Moreover all our Righteousness that we have in order to justification pardon is according to Mr. Baxter our Faith which is is reputed to be our Gospel Righteousness is said to be properly Imputed to us thus Christ suffered in our stead that our faith might be accounted our Righteousness Though pardon will take away condemnation yet as we have cleared above more must be had in order to Glorification His 3. 4. are In that the divine Nature Inherent Righteousness are for His merites In that God's justice holiness truth wisdom mercy are all wonderfully Demonstrated in this way of Pardoning justifying of sinners by Christ. Ans. This last hath no ground as the sense of the words And as for the. 3. Before he make it the sense of the place 2 Cor. 5 21. he must say That Christ was a sinner inherently which were blasphemy for otherwayes that beautiful correspondence that is betwixt the First the Last part of the verse must be laid a side
contrary to the manifest scope of the place He tels us n. 36. pag. 61. It is an errour contrary to the scope of the Gospel to say that the Law of Works or of Innocency doth justifie us as performed either by our selves or by Christ for that Law condemneth curseth us we are not efficiently justified by it but from or against it Ans. I shall not say that we are justified by the Law of works efficiently yet I hope Mr. Baxter will not say that upon the fall that Law or Covenant was quite abolished annulled if it was only dispânsed with in order to the admitting of a Surety which it did not provide or give place to in its primitive Institution we may saifly say That it must be satisfied both as to the commands as to the penalty ere we can escape wrath obtaine Life for this Law said as himself confesseth pag. 63. Obey Perfectly Live sinne dye And though it condemne curse us sinners Yet it hath nothing to say against our Surety nor against any clothed with His Surety-righteousness whereby all the demands of this Law and Covenant were Satisfied Hence he inferreth n. 37. Therefore we have no Righteousness in Reality or Reputation formally ours which consisteth in a conformity to the preceptive part of the Law of Innocency we are not reputed Innocent But only a Righteousness which consisteth in Pardon of all sin right to Life with sincere performance of the condition of the Covenant of Grace that is true faith Ans. If by formally ours he mean Inherently ours I grant what he here saith but I deny it if by formally ours he meane that by which we may be denominated formally Righteous for by Imputation we have a Righteousness whereby we are formally righteous legally Juridically this Righteousness must needs consist in conformity to the Lawes commands It is true we are not repute inherently Innocent Yet we are repute non-sinners legally hence cometh our Pardon Right to Life which of it self is no Righteousness but the Result of a Righteousness So that with him Beleevers have no Righteousness in order to justification but faith the Gospel Righteousness as was said above this he saith here in effect yet more plainely fully pag. 64. He addeth n. 38. pag. 62. our Pardon puts not away our guilt of fact or fault but our guilt of and obligation to punishment God doth not repute us such as neversinned or such as by our Innocency merited heaven but such as are not to be damned but to beglorified because pardoned Adopted through the Satisfaction merites of Christ. Ans. Though pardon as pardon will do no more than he here granteth Yet Righteousness justification presupposing Righteousness will take away the Reatum culpae not as if it would make us such as never sinned for that is Impossible but because by Righteousness imputed we are now reputed sinless Legally that is not guilty of the fact in order to punishment this must be that we may not only not be damned but may be glorifeed according to the Constitution that said Obey perfectly live And though now every pardoned man shall be glorified Yet that is not meerly and formally upon the account of Pardon but because no man is pardoned till he have the compleet Righteousness of Christ consisting in obedience and iâ Suffering imputed to him whereby beside pardon he obtaineth a right to glory He cometh to cleare the matter of Imputation of Christ's Righteouss by the Imputation of Adam's sin which is a good Medium the Apostle going before us herein Rom. 5. And though he saith somethings n. 41. p. 65. wherewith I am not Satisfied yet I passe because not much to our present purpose come to n. 42. p. 66. where he saith As Adam was an head by Nature therefore conveyed guilt by Natural Generation so Christ is a Head not by nature but by Sacred contract therefore conveyeth right to pardon Adoption and Salvation not by Generation but by Contract or Donation So that what was to be Naturally in Adam seminally and virtually though not personally in existence even that it is in order to our benefite by Him to be in Christ by contract or the New Covenant virtually though not in personal existence when the Covenant was made Ans. As Adam was an Head by Nature so was he by Covenant and as Christ is an head by Covenant so is He an Head by supernatural Influences and conveyeth His blessings by Regeneration as well as by Covenant And therefore what was to be Naturally in Adam seminally and virtually though not personally in existence that is to be in Christ by supernatural Regeneration virtually And as his Effects of Adam's fall are conveyed by Natural generation so that we are made partakers thereof actually by actual partaking of our Natural being so the Effects of Christ's Righteousness are conveyed by Spiritual Regeneration we are actually made partakers thereof when we partake of this Spiritual being He proceedeth n. 43 They therefore that look upon justification or Righteousness as coming to us immediatly by Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to us without the Instrumental Intervention and conveyance or Collation by this deed of Gift or Covenant do confound themselves by confounding and overlooking the causes of justification That which Christ did by His merites was to procure the New Covenant Ans. Though the Instrumental Intervention of a Covenant be acknowledged Yet Righteousness must come to us immediatly by Imputation of Christ's Righteousness For His Righteousness imputed is our Righteousness and is only that Righteousness whereby we become formally Righteous in order to justification The difference lyeth here betwixt us Mr. Baxter thinketh thaâ Christ's Righteousness is imputed in that it purchased the New Covenant and consequently is euqlly imputed to all for the Covenant with him is equally made with all and in and through the new Covenant which conveyeth pardon and life to such as performe the conditions thereof i.e. beleeve so are inherently Righteous these benefites are bestowed so Christ's Righteousness is not the immediat ground of our justification and Right to Glory but our own Personal Righteousness Faith called our Gospel-righteousness Christ's Righteousness is only the immediat ground of the Covenant being the Meritorious cause thereof the immediat ground whereupon our faith is so far advanced But our judgment is that though Christ convey the blessings purchased covenant-wayes yet the Covenant it self is not purchased by His Merites the way of conveyance is this that He first by His Spirit worketh the soul up to faith in Christ then communicateth Christ His Righteousness unto the beleever upon that immediat ground of Christ's Imputed Surety-righteousness whereupon they become Righteous in the sight of God they are justified pardoned receive a right to the Crown And though the difference here may appear to be but small yet to
Bonefites which are freely given us for the sake thereof Ans. This is but what we heard when he was clearing the state of the question there Chap. XIII we shewed that his sense was not satisfying for in his judgment as we found there is no Righteousness truely ours in order to justification but our Faith which he calleth our Gospel-righteousness which by Christ's Merites is advanced to this dignity of being the potestative Condition of the New Covenant wherein pardon Right to life is promised upon Condition of Faith so faith is our Immediat Righteousness in order to the obtaining of these favoures Christ's Merites have only procured them remotely in procuring this Covenant But we hear no mention made by him of any such Imputation as whereby Christ's fide jussory or Surety-righteousness is really made over and Imputed to Beleevers that they thereby may become formally Righteous in the sight of God and be justified as such so pardoned and have right to life immediatly upon the account of this Surety-righteousness made theirs Nor hear we any clear ground laid down by him whereupon Christ's Righteousness can be called Ours we thereupon be reputed of God legally Righteous dealt with as such We hear of Benefites bestowed because of His Merites But we hear not that Pardon and Right to Glory are made the Immediat result and effect of Christ's Merites Righteousness but only mediat by the Interveening of the New Covenant whereby our Faith the condition thereof called our Gospel Personal Righteousness is made the Immediat cause of our possessing these benefites whereby he giveth occasion at least to judge that he maketh our faith the Immediat procuring Meritorius Cause of Pardon and Right to life However between his way that which he here rejecteth which we also reject neither asserting that Christ was our Instrumental Second cause nor claiming a strick propriety in the same Numerical Habites c. which were in Christ as if we became Subjects of the same Accidents speaking of what Christ did suffered in a Physical sense we know owne a Midway whereby Christ's Obedience Suffering considered not Physically but legally juridically are transferred communicated unto us not as Physical accidents from one Physical subject to another but in a Law juridical sense And though this Imputing communicating of Christ's Surety-righteousness cannot be explained by nor appear consistent with Logical or Metaphysical Notions applicable only to Physical Entities as considered as such to wich Mr. Baxter in all his Explications of this matter doth so frequenily laboure to restrick us contrary to all Reason Yea and to Common sense Yet we must owne it for a truth knowing that these fundamental truthes recorded in Scripture and held forth to us only by divine Revelation stand in no need of Aristotle's learning in order to their being Savingly understood practified And that Law-termes are more fit to help us to some understanding in this matter which is hold forth in Scripture as a juridical act than Metaphysical termes and yet we see no ground to say that this matter whereof we treat must in all points keep even a resemblance unto Iustinian's modes knowing that it is a divine Mystery and unparallelable He saith 2. He that is made Righteousness unto us iâ also made wisdom Sanctification Redemption to us but that sub genere causae Efficientis non autem constitutivae We are not the Subjects of the same Numerical wisdom and Holiness which ãâã Christ plainly the Question is whether Christ or His Righteousness Holiness Merites and Satisfaction be our Righteousness constitutivly or only efficiently The matter and forme of Christ's personal Righteousness is ours as an efficient cause but it is neither the neerest matter nor the forme of that Righteousness which is Ours as the subjects of it that is it is not a Constitutive cause nexly material or formal of it Ans. 1. It is true He who is made Righteousness to us is also made Sanctification c. and that He is made Sanctification by being an Efficient cause but it will not follow that He must be also the Efficient cause and no other of our Righteousness which is of a far other Nature and is no Inherent inwrought thing as is Sanctification 2. It is true we are not the Subjects of the same numerical Wisdom and Holiness which is in Christ neither can we be if they be considered Physically but yet we can be Subjects of the same Numerical Righteousness Legally and juridically considered thus we are to consider it here not Physically however Mr. Baxter ad nauseam usque inculcat this for we consider it and must consider it as a Surety-righteousness we know that that same Individuat payment and Satisfaction made by the Surety is in Law-sense the Debtor's and imputed to him as the ground of his liberation from trouble and distress at the hands of the Creditor 3. Hence we see that Christ's Surety-righteousness consisting in His Obedience and Sufferings is that whereby we are constituted Righteous in the sight of God in a legal sense and need not enquire whether it be the neerest matter or forme or both of our Righteousness for these Metaphysical termes have no place here though Mr. Baxter can never hold of them We are made Righteous in a Law-sense not Physically by Christ's Imputed Righteousness and upon this account it is ours legally it is folly to enquire for Physical matter and forme or Constitutive causes of Moral or juridical Beings or Effects as Phylosophers do when speaking of Physical or of Metaphysical beings He saith 3. If our Union with Christ were Personal making us the same person then doubtless the accidents of his person would be the accidents of ours so not only Christ ' Righteousness but every Christians would be each of ours But that is not so nor is it so given us by him Ans. We acknowledge no Union with Christ making us the same person with Him Physically it seemeth Mr. Baxter will understand it no otherwayes But we acknowledge an Union legal Political foederal whereby we become one person juridical in Law-sense and as to this Mr. Baxter's accidents have no substantial place or Consideration The 4. Object is you do seem to suppose that we have none of that kind of Righteousness at all which consisteth in Perfect Obedience Holiness but only a Right to Impunity and Life with an Imperfect Inherent Righteousness in our selves The Papists are forced to confess that a Righteousness we must have which consisteth in a Conformity to the preceptive part of the Law not only the Retributive part But they say it is in our selves and we say It is Christ's Imputed to us Thus he proposeth it but if I were forming the objection I would say That Mr. Baxter Supposeth we have no Righteousness at all in order to justification beside our Act of Faith for as
a bare may be of forgiveness by a New Covenant offering the same upon new termes What next Expositors saith he commonly say that to be made sin for us is but to be made a Sacrifice for sin so that Christ took upon Him neither our numerical guilt of sin it self nor any of the same species but only our Reatum poenae or debt of punishment or left the wranglers make a verbal quarrel of it our Reatum culpae non quâ talem in se sed quatenus est fundamentum Reatus poenae Ans. Yet some Expositors will say more and that in full consonancy with the Scriptures as Esai 53 6. And however all we say is hereby sufficiently confirmed for if He be made a sacrifice for our sins our sins must necessarily be imputed to him as the sins of the people were typically laid upon the Sacrifices and therefore Christ must have taken on Him not physically but legally our very numerical guilt without which he could not be accounted reus poenoe or obnoxious to our punishment What he meaneth by the reatus culpae qua talis in se he would do well to explaine If his meaning be that Christ was not legally accounted guilty this is denied for then he could not have been a Sacrifice for our sins to have died in our stead Wrangling is not good Yet Turpe'est Doctori c. He addeth And so His Righteousness is ours not numerically the same Relation that he was the subject of made that Relation to us nor yet a Righteousness of the same species as Christ's is given to us at all Ans. Though Christ's numerical Righteousness be not ours physically yet that same is made over to us legally as it is one the same Individual payment that is made by the Surety and made over in Law unto the debtor And therefore what he addeth is to no purpose But saith he His Righteousness is the Meritorious cause reason of another Righteousness or justification distinct from His freely given us by the Father Himself by His Covenant Ans. Righteousness and justification are not one and the same more than the cause is the same with the Effect As Christ's Righteousness is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification so it must be legally made ours in order to our Justification otherwayes we cannot be accounted Righteous and legally free of the Charge brought in against us And this is not granted us by a Covenant with new Conditions in Mr. Baxter's sense as hath been evinced already Therefore he is in a great mistake when he concludeth that they that will not blaspheme Christ by making guilt of sin it self in its formal relation to be His own so Christ to be formally as great a sinner as all the Redeemed set together they that will not overthrow the Gospel by making us formally as Righteous as Christ in kind measure must needs be agreed with us in this part of the controversie For we have shown how far we are from Blasphemy how groundless his Insinuation is founded only on his Physical or Metaphysical acceptation of things here which we understand only legally and juridically according to all right and reason And as for subverting of the Gospel it is one of our choise grounds of Reason against his way because by it the Gospel is indeed changed and the true and native Gospel-way of Salvation is indeed removed and a Sociniano-Armintan Gospel substitute in its room which is daily more and more confirmed by books coming out wherein Mr. Baxter's grounds are owned and more Socinianisme Arminianisme vented than Mr. Baxter himself hath yet had the confidence to express in his own books witness Mr. Allens discourse of the two Covenants ushered in with Mr. Baxter's preface and others of that kind much commended and cryed up by Mr. Baxter 9. Object When you Inferre that if we are reckoned to have perfectly obeyed in and by Christ we cannot be againe bound to obey ourselves afterward nor be guilty of any sin you must know that it is true that we cannot be bound to obey to the same ends as Christ did which is to redeem us or to fulfill the Law of works but yet we must obey to other ends viz. in gratitude and in love to God and to do good and the like Though I think the objection is not so favourably proposed as it might be seing that end to Redeem should not here be mentioned for though it was the end of Christ's coming in to our Law-place yet it cannot be said to be properly the end of that Obedience he performed while he was in our Law-place proximely Let us see how ever what he saith to it 1. Hence saith he it clearly followeth that Christ obeyed not in each of our persons legally but in the person of a Mediator seing His due obedience ours have so different ends and a different formal-relation His being a conformity proximatly to the Law given Him as Mediator that they are not so much as of the same species much less numerically the same Ans. I think rather that hence it clearly followeth that Christ did indeed obey the Law as it was the Condition of the Covenant of works in each of the Elect's person legally for though His Obedience and ours now after faith have far different ends yet His Obedience as Obedience to the Law of works had the same end that our Obedience should have had by that Law viz. the fulfilling of the same in order to the obtaining of a Right to Life and if not to lose all The Law given Him as Mediator taken in its latitude is not the Law whereof the objection speaketh for it speaketh of the Law of works under which Adam was and all his posterity in him and under the breach of which we lay And Christ's obeying in the person of a mediator doth not hinder His representing His own legally for He was such a Mediator as was a Sponsor and Surety and came in our Law-place and undertook our debt Therefore though Christ's Obedience to the special Law given to Him as Mediator was not of the the same kind with the obedience required of us yet the obedience He performed to the Moral Law in our place stead and as our Surety and Sponsor was the very same debt we were oweing He saith 2. Either this Obedience of Gratitude is a duty or not if not it is not truely obedience nor the omission sin If yea then that duty was made a duty by some Law And if by a Law we are now bound to obey in gratitude or for what ends so ever either we do all that we are so bound to do or not if we do it or any of it then to say that we did it twice once by Christ once by ourselves is to say that we were bound to do it twice then Christ did not all that we were bound to but half Ans. We distinguish betwixt the Law
whoso ever beleeveth in Him shall receive Remission of sins 2. It is the way which all the Ancients took found to be a saife sure way therefore it should be to us a way worthy of all acceptation Abraham beleeved God preaching to him the Gospel the object of his faith or the summe substance of the Gospel that is the Righteousness of Christ was imputed to him thereby he was justified so doth Paul clear the matter to us Rom. 4 1 2 3. What shall we say then that Abraham our father as pertaining to the flesh hath found c. for if Abraham were justified by works he hath to glory but not before God for what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeved God it was counted to him for righteousness And if we enquire what this was which Abraham did beleeve or where in was it that he beleeved God Paul tels us Gal. 3 8. That it was the Gospel And the Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying in thee shall all Nations be blessed Now though these words in thee shall all Nations be blessed be not expressly repeated Gen. 15. where it is said that Abraham beleeved God it was imputed to him for righteousness Yet this was the chiefe principal part of that promise of multiplying of his seed was therefore both before this time mentioned together with that promise Gen. 12 2 3. twice there-after to wit Gen. 18 18. 22 17 18. And further this is called the Covenant which God made with the fathers Act. 3 25. and therefore it must have been the chiefe thing which Abraham's faith did fix upon who is therefore called the Father of the faithful as being the Father of many nations Rom. 4 16 17. And this is the sure promise that is made sure to all the seed must be laid hold on by faith Rom. 4 16. And upon this account Abraham is said to have seen the day of Christ to have been glad Ioh. 8 56. And as Abraham took this way so did others take it before him such as Abel who by faith offered unto God a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous Heb. 11 4. And Enoch who pleased God by Faith and Noah who became heir of the Righteousness which is by faith Heb. 11 5 6 7. So David under the Law describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works c. Rom. 4 6 7 8. Psal. 32 1 2. This then being such a paved way we must close with it and seek after no other 3. This way is by getting or putting on a Righteousness with which God will be well pleased and with which alone he is will be satisfied for it is called the Righteousness of God Rom. 3 21 22. And the Righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3 9. as being not only a Righteousness which God hath found out who knew best how to bring about the Salvation of his chosen ones to his own glory which alone will be acceptable to Him but as being also the Righteousness of one who is God even of Jesus Christ God-man the Saviour Cautioner and this is made over to beleevers imputed to them and they receive it by faith that it may become theirs and they may stand before justice clothed with it thereby answere all that Law justice can say against them or lay to their charge Can sinners finde out fall upon a Righteousness more excellent in it self or more pleasing or satisfying unto God whereupon a distressed soul pursued by justice and the âerrours of the Lord can with more confidence rest and relye then this is which is the Righteousness of God the Righteouness wrought by him who was and is the Fathers equal God over all blessed for ever and is Lord our Righteousness Ier. 23 5. is made of God to us Righteousness 1 Cor. 1 30 What can sinners invent that can once be compared here-with Can any thing which they themselves can do yeeld more ground of Peace Confidence No certainely 4. This way demonstrateth both the Justice Mercy of God so a way wherein the Lord hath given a great demonstration of his wonderful Grace Mercy and a way also wherewith justice is fully satisfied This the Apostle doth fully declare Rom. 3 24 25 26. being justified freely by his grace through she redemption that is in Iesus Christ. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness to declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just c. And this should commend it higly unto us that when neither Angel's nor men could have found out a way how Mercy Grace might have shined forth in the Salvation of poor sinners with all how Justice should have had satisfaction the Infinite Wisdom of God hath found out this way whereby Justice and Mercy are no more as it were at odds but concurring to the justification of a poor sinner Whatever way else we take should we with these Micah 6 7. come before the Lord bow ourselves before the high God should we come before him with brunt Offerings with calves of a yeer old It were all in vaine He would not be pleased with thousands of rams nor with ten thousands of rivers of oil Should we give our first born for our transgression the fruit of our body for the sin of our Soul What would that avail It could be no Satisfaction to Justice the Lord would not be just in justifying such sinners 5. The sad disappointment that such as took another course to the end they might be justified Accepted have met with should be as an hand upon the margine to us to beware of tradeing in the footsteps of their folly lest we fall into the same pit of ruine We read Rom. 9 31 32. that Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness did not attaine to the Law of righteoâsness Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone They were at much paines to follow after the Law of Righteousness thinking thereby to attaine unto Righteousness so to be justified but after all their paines travail they did misse their mark came short of what they projected They would not take the way of Faith they would not by faith lay hold on Christ and put on His Righteousness but they stumbled at that stumbling stone they sought after a Righteousness by their own works which they supposed were the works of the Law but were not so indeed for they sought after the Law of Righteousness but as it were by the works of the Law And therefore they could not reach their intended end how confident so ever
charity Concil Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 10. whereby we see this Justification whereof they say Iames speaketh Chap. 2. is manifestly nothing else but the very grouth of Sanctification and so they know no Iustification at all distinct from Sanctification wherefore we need say no more against the same it being Justification formerly explained which we treat of and not of Sanctification whereof they seem only to speak when they mentione Iustification and indeed this their Iustification which is true Sanctification admitteth of various and different degrees of this they may imagine not only a first and a second but according to the various degrees thereof a third and a fourth yea a Tenth Twentieth if they please The Scripture it is true maketh mention of twosold Iustification one by the Works of the Law another by Faith but it asserteth with all that these are inconsistent and that no man living can be justified the first way by the works of the Law Mr. Baxter beside the difference he maketh betwixt Justification as Begun and as Continued in reference to the different conditions required to the one and to the other imagineth a twosold Iustifieation or two Iustifications or as he saith against D. Tullie pag. 167. rather two parts of one yet in his last Reply to Mr. Cartwright pag. 46. he maketh them as distinct as are the two lawes he speaketh of the first he saith is by God the Creatour the second by Christ the Redeemer and in order to the vindication clearing of this he speaketh much of a twosold Righteousness In his writtings against Mr. Cartwright pag. 70. giving us several to the number of thirteen differences betwixt them making the one to consist in out Non-obligation to punishment by the Law of works because of its dissolution upon Satisfaction made by Christ to be without us in the merite satisfaction of Christ to be in substance the same with Pardon to be opposite to that guilt which sin in general procureth to be but the tantundem of what the Law required to justify us from a true Accusation that we by sin deserve death c. And the other to consist in our Non-obligation to the far greater punishment to be within us done by us to consist in innocency or notguiltiness to be opposite to that guilt which one particular sin procureth to be the idem required in the new Law to justifie us from a false Accusation that we have not performed the Conditions of the new Covenant c. all which to examine is not my present purpose only I shall say as to this two sold Justification that it is an explication of the matter which we have not in Scripture which I judge should only regulat both our Conceptions Expressions in this affaire and what ever pleasure men may take to give way to their Luxuriant phancies yet it will be safest for us to follow the threed of the Word and to speak of this mysterie according to Revelation and not according to our Apprehensions And of all men I judge Mr. Baxter should be most averse from creating new Termes Words Expressions in these divine things who expresseth himself so angry-like especially in his later writtings in words which to some may seem to favour little of sobâiety or of modesty against such as contend about words when it may be they are but defending the received orthodox doctrine from his new Notions and Expressions as being Censorious dividers Word-souldiers I know not what But as to the matter in hand in particular as to this second Iustificaâion or rather first for it is supposed to be first in order of nature if not in time also which is founded upon our Innocency or performance of the Conditions of the new Covenant Faith Repentance New Obedience so is a declaring of us Righteous because of our inherent Righteousness I shall only say these few things 1. That I finde not this new Iustification explained expressed nor so much as hinted by the Apostle in all his discourses and disputes about this subject though he hath spoken very much of Iustification and on all occasions did vindicate clear up the gospel-truth thereanent If it be said That all this is sufficiently hinted more then hinted by the Apostle when he tels that Faith is imputed unto Righteousness I answere What the proper meaning of this Expression is shall be shown hereafter where it shall also be manifested that the Faith here said to be imputed is not our act of Faith but Christ his Righteousness laid hold on by faith or the object of Faith held forth in the Gospel received by Faith And for answere to this I judge it sufficient to say That the Apostle is manifestly there speaking of that other Iustification which we owne for the only Iustification hold forth in the Gospel whereby Remission of sins is had Peace with God through a Righteousness without of that Iustification which taketh away all glorying both before God man and wherein God is hold forth to be laid hold on by Faith as one that justifieth the ungodly and of that Justification which is from the Accusation of the Law by all which many other Particulars observable in the Apostles discourse there it is undeniable that he is speaking of that other Iustification which we asserte If it be said That all this is sufficiently imported when Faith is made the Condition of Justification we are said to be justified by faith I answer What way Faith is the Condition of Justification is so to be called shall be seen afterward only I say that what the Scripture speaketh of this can give no ground for a new distinct Justification because this new Iustification is rather a Iustification of Faith or of the Beleever because of his faith purely upon the account of his Faith for it is a sentence of judgment pronunceing the man to be a Beleever because he is so his faith to be right Faith because it is so than any Iustification of him by faith Not to mentione this that together with faith as the Condition Repentance New Obedience is joyned then there must be a Iustification of works or of the man by yea because of works which cannot be imported by being Iustified by faith because that is alwayes opposed to Iustification by works Beside that even in mens courts there are not two distinct sentences of the judge required in deciding of a Controversie depending upon the clearing of a Condition one anent the truth of the Condition the other anent the thing depending upon that Condition but the Condition being instructed to be performed the one sentence is given out much less is this requisito here where we have to do with God who knoweth whether the Condition be performed or not and needeth not that we instruct the same against the Accusations of Satan or of the
world in order to his information Moreover there is but one Accusation here brought in against the man from the Law from the Righteous Iudge to wit That he is a sinner therefore a son of death therefore there is but one sentence requisite for as for that Accusation that the person hath not performed the Condition of the new Covenant neither will the Law-giver or judge nor can the Law bring it in against a Beleever and what Satan the accuser of the Brethren or what a blinde or prejudged World or what a man 's own blinde deceitful heart shall or can herein do is of no consideration in reference to a Iustification which is before God in his sight But 2. Against this twofold Iustification I would say that all that is mentioned concerning Gospel Iustification in Scripture agreeth but to one the very contrary thereof must be attributed to the other new-coyned Iustification according to his own explication thereof the one is by faith the other is for faith the one is by faith alone withour works the other is because of Faith Works too the one is an act of God's free Grace the other is an act of pure Iustice the one is of a sinner and of an ungodly person the other is of a Righteous man as such because such the one taketh away all boasting and all gloriation even before men the other not the one maketh the reward of free grace the other of due debt the one is because of a Righteousness without us the other because of a personal inherent Righteousness The publicans language God be merciful to me a sinner suiteth the one best The Pharisees language or some thing like it God I thank thee I am a beleever c. suiteth the other best In the one the one the man can plead no innocencie in the other he can must plead himself not guilty in the one the sinner must say with David Psal. 143 2. enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified in the other he may and must say enter into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight I shall be justified Other things or this Nature might be mentioned but these are sufficient 3. This New Justification must of necessity be a justification of conscience or in it or terminated in it because it is not before God or in his sight where the world or the deceived heart the chiefe accusers here do not compear to accuse Satans accusing them before God can cause no trouble to them untill he come as an Accuser before conscience give in false summonds there And therefore it is not the Justification by Faith treated of in Scripture as himself proveth in his Confession Chap. 8. pag. 189. c. 4. This will make way for moe Iustifications than two for as faith must be justified so must Repentance so must also Works Perseverance in them to the end If it be said that all these make but one compleet Condition therefore give ground but to one sentence I answer Then no man can have this sentence pronounced upon him to wit to be one that hath performed the Condition until he hath persevered unto the end finished his course this being the first Iustification at least in order of Nature before the other a man must be dead before he be justified from the Law yea or with this Iustification and yet we hear of Iustification in this life Further this will make way for moe Justifications upon this account that it is a declaration of the man to be what he is indeed to have what he hath indeed so as hereby tho man who hath true saving faith must be justified upon that account so the man that hath but an historical faith must be justified in so far in comparison of him that is a meer infidel and may plead his own cause so far even before God's tribunal so may the man that hath but a legal Repentance in respect of him that hath none at all the man that performeth Works materially good though not in a right manner in comparison of him that doth not so much himself tels us pag. 8 ag Cartwright of a 3 sold Accusation 1. that we are not beleevers 2. That we are not true beleevers 3. that we are ââlifidians that accordingly there must be several wayes of justification 5 This will lay the ground for God's multiplying or frequently reiterating of one the same Iustification for Iustification presupposeth alwayes an Accusation seing neither God nor the Law will ever accuse a Beleever of being no Beleever only Satan the world his own Misguided Conscience it now if the Accusation of these or of Satan alone as he seemeth to insinuat p. 81. else where against Mr. Cartwright be enough to lay the foundation of such a Iustification then as oft as this Accusation is renewed how oft that may be who can tell must the Lord reiterat his sentence of Iustification and pronunce the man a true Beleever and it will not be sufficient to say that it will suffice if the Lord manifest to the Mansconscience that he a beleever for why shall that be sufficient now more than at the first and if this take away the necessity of reiterating the sentence it will also say that there was no necessity for pronuncing the sentence of his being a beleever at the first None need to say that this same may be alledged against our Iustification before God for the Iustification we only owne is in reference to the Accusation of the Law of Justice of God the Righteous Judge under whose Curse the sinner lyeth until he be justified when he is once justified through faith in Christ he is no more troubled with their Accusations for neither God nor Law nor Gospel accuse a Beleever of being an Unbeleever under the Curse againe whatever Satan his own misguided conscience or others may do 6. He groundeth his twosold Iustification p. 93. 94. upon a twosold Covenant with distinct conditions a twosold Accusation for non-performance of the one of the other But thus as he shall make us to be justified by the old Covenant of works that by the principal justification an absurdity that he frequently loadeth our opinion with so he maketh all the justification which is according to the new-Covenant to be upon because of our own personal Righteousness which is also repugnant to the whole Gospel We do not performe the conditions of the first Covenant and all the liberation from the Curse of that Covenant under which we are by Nature is through the Surety-Righteousness of Christ imputed to us received by faith and the Gospel or new-Covenant revealeth no other way of Justification to us As for the distinct accusations we have said enough already Neither the Lord nor his Law do
the full price of Redemption conforme to the Eternal compact betwixt Jehovah Him make an absolute actual purchase of all those that were given to him to be saved did buy purchase all the Favours Blessings Privileges for them which were afterward to be actually bestowed in the time after the way methode condescended upon by Jehovah the Mediator I am here speaking of such as came to have a being in the world after Christ had in the fulness of time come laid down the price not of those who lived before when Christ's death Satisfaction had only a Moral being yet full efficacie to produce the same saving effects on beleevers and though in this respect all the Elect may be said to have been virtually justified when Christ laid down the actual price and was justified from all the charge of their debt that was laid upon him as in some sense it may be said that all the Elect were virtually Justified in Him when he undertook to make satisfaction for their debt yet there is no actual Justification before Faith according to the Scriptures that speak of justification of adoption of Sanctification by Faith shewing that these Benefites Privileges follow Faith as to their actuall being though they were from eternitie decreed as was also Glorification were actually procured by Christs death in which respect as also in respect of Christs undertaking or substituting himself in the room of sinners they may be said to have been virtually Sanctified Glorified even then It is true that before Faith the justification actual of the Elect is every way secured all things tending thereunto are concluded firmly laid all the other anteceding causes are existent before Faith for Christ is appointed substitute Mediator Christ hath accepted undertaken the work of Mediation He is come in the fulness of time hath laid down the full price The Father is satisfied with the price paid The Father laid upon him the iniquity of all the Elect He hath born it made full satisfaction therefore he is accepted of the Father as Head of the Elect justified possessed of glory so as they may be said to be risen with him in heavenly places to wit virtually meritoriously all this before faith Thus God was in Christ reconciling the Elect world unto himself not imputing trespasses unto them because he imputed them to Christ made him sin who know no sin this before the word of Reconciliation ministred by the Ambassadours of Christ hath wrought them up unto God by faith 2 Cor. 5 18 19 20. And this I think was more then what Mr. Baxter saith confess pag. 225 226. to wit that he was providing a sufficient remedie for the pardon of it if they would accept of it freely given for the world here spoken of is the world of the Elect though he think otherwayes ibid. the Lords not imputing their sin unto them was more then his not dealing with them according to the desert of their sin but in mercy for as yet many of them had not a being and so were not capable of being dealt with according to the desert of their sin but it importeth what is more emphatically expressed thereafter vers 11. to wit that God was laying their sins on Christ ' and making him sin as to its demerite or guilt for them that they might in due time be made the Righteousness of God in him Yet notwithstanding of all this actual justification Reconciliation is not before ãâã as is clear from many passages of Scripture asserting our justification life to by faith Rom. 1. 17. 3. 28. 9 1. Ephes 2 8. Gal. 2 16 20. Ad it cannot be said to evite the force of these the like Scriptures that this is to be understood only of justification as to our feeling sense apprehension for the case which the Apostle proveth all to be into before justification in his Epistle to the Romans Chap. 1. 2. 3. is such as cannot consist with a justified state as to be under sin Rom. 3 9. to have their mouth stopped be guilty before God vers 19. But it is manifest that many who are now not under the Law nor under sin but delivered from under both yet may do want the sense feeling of their justification doubt thereof And beside this crosseth the whole scope of the Apostle in proving justification by faith which is to evince that justification is not by the works of the law or the works of Righteousness which we do so that the justification whereof the Apostle speaketh cannot be by works but by faith alone but the manifestation of justification to our sense consciences can well be by works as Iames sheweth proveth Chap. 2. Works can contribute unto this but not unto that justification whereof the Apostle speaketh in his Epistles to the Romans Galattans which is justification in the sight of God That justification is not before faith is manifest from the condition which the Scripture telleth us such are into who have not yet beleeved for if that condition be such as is inconsistent with a state of justification Reconciliation there can be no justification before faith now the Scripture telleth us that such as beleeve not are condemned Ioh. 3 18. dead in trepasses sins children of wrath Ephes. 2 1 2 3. Without Christ without God in the world strangers from the Covenants of promise Ephes. 2 12. have made God a liar 1 Ioh. 5 10. cannot please God Heb. 11 6. By all which many like passages that might be cited it is manifest that before faith there is no real justification Faith is required in order to adoption Remission of sins and therefore must be before justification Ioh. 1 12. Act. 10 43. Gal 3 26. Act. 13 38 39 of 26 18. But enough of this seing M. Baxter hath abundantly confuted it in his Confess pag. 229 c. Some move this Objection If we are justified by faith then faith is in order before justification consequently the act is before the object whereas on the contrary the act depends upon the object not the object upon the act Thus Bellarmâ de justif lib. 1. c. 10. disputeth against the assertion that maketh the special mercy of God to be the object of justifying faith wherein the ground of the whole debate lyeth in a mistake of that special mercy of God and whatever mistake may be at least as to expression in the assertion which Bellarmine opposeth yet Bellarmius Opinion can no way be owned who doth so defend the object of faith as that he maketh justifying faith to be nothing but Historical Faith Learned grave Mr. Norton in his Orthodox Euangelist Ch. 14. p. 314. in answering this objection distinguisheth betwixt the being of justification our being Justified or betwixt justification in
abstracto i. e. without the receiving subject thereof in concreto i. e. together with the beleever The first which signifieth Remission of sins and Righteousness to Acceptation prepared though not yet conferred upon the Elect he saith hath a being before Faith and so the object is before the act though the ather be after faith But I conceive there is no great necessitie of this for answering of the argument if any should propose it to evince justification before faith and Bellarm. adduceth it not to this end as we saw for I see no ground to assert justification to be the object of justifying faith as if in order to justification we were called to beleeve that we are justified and that our sins are pardoned as was said above And as for this justification considered in the abstract which is said to have a being not only in the Purpose of God but also in the Covenant between the Father the Mediator in the Purchase of Christ not only is it not called justification in Scripture but also in so far as it is the object of faith as all other revealed truthes are it is of the elect in general and not of this or that particular person so that though justifying faith may beleeve that God Purposed Christ Purchased the Covenant of Redemption did expresly containe the justification of the Elect yet it doth not beleeve in order to the mans justification that he in particular so was justified either in the Purpose of God or in the Purchase of Christ or in the Covenant betwixt Iehovah the Mediator nor is this Faith called for because this object is not a revealed truth Yet this same justifying Faith is of that Nature as to produce afterward reflecting acts whereby the man may see his own justification be perswaded of it in truth hence also be perswaded that the Lord Purposed to justifie him in particular that Christ Purchased his justification in particular and that it was an article of the Covenant of Redemption that he in particular should be justified 2. While it is said That the just liveth by faith we see that faith is the way whereby persons come actually to live the life of justification and hence it can not it self be the matter of their life What interest properly faith hath in this affaire must be debated afterward to wit whether it be properly imputed as the matter of our Righteousness or only be to be considered as an Instrument or as a Condition how so 3. We see That this living by Faith proveth that there is no justification by works in the sight of God whence it is manifest that faith here cannot be considered as a work of the Law or as a duty enjoined by the Law or under any such consideration 2 That works have no interest as a cause or condition with Faith in justification 3 That the life of justification as to its continnation is by faith and by faith as opposite to works for the just or the man already justified liveth by faith This being also questioned we will have occasion to speak more to it afterward 4. While it is said the just liveth by faith it is considerable That this faith in its kinde and not in such or such measure is here said to be the meane whereby persons come to live the life of justification So that this true Faith how weak so ever is the only mean of interessing a soul in this privilege of justification This will give occasion to speak of the object of this justifying faith which will help to cleare the nature of it Our larger Catechisme qu. 72. giveth us such a definition or description of justifying faith that may satisfy us as to most of these difficulties The answere is this justifying faith is a saving grace Heb. 10 39. wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit 2 Cor. 4 13. Ephes. 1 17 18 19. word of God Rom. 10 14 17. whereby he being convinced of his sin misery of the disability in himself all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition Act. 2 37. 16 30. Ioh. 16 8 9. Rom. 5 6. Eph. 2 1. Act. 4 12. not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the Gosspel Ephes. 1 13. but receiveth resteth upon Christ and his Righteousness therein hold forth for pardon of sin Ioh. 1 12. Act. 16 31. 10 43. for the accepting and accounting of his person Righteous in the sight of God for salvation Phil. 3 9. Act. 15 11. And this question is none of these particulars wherein Mr. Baxter in his Confess desireth to dissent from the said Catechisme as the next Question is as we shall hear We may hence take notice of these particulars concerning this faith ' whereby it may be known distinguished from what some may mistake for it 1. As to its nature kinde it is saving for all such as have this grace of justifying faith are in the sure way of salvation whatever faith persons may have if they have not this they are not in the sure path of life There is a faith of miracles both Active Passive as we may say that is a faith to do miracles and a faith to receive miracles wrought upon them The first was that which the Apostles had and others who wrought Miracles and is to be understood Mat. 17 20 21. Luk. 17 6. The other is that which some of those had who received miraculous cures as the woman Mal. 9 21 21. and that Man who cried out I beleeve help mine unbeleefe Mark 9 24. and the man of lystra Act. 14 9. and others This in it self considered is not a saving grace Iudas had this faith whereby he cast our devils and had commission to work miracles with the rest Mat. 10 8. Luk. 9 1 6 10. So also the Seventy disciples Luk. 10 9 17 19. And how great a privilege so ever this was yet Christ told them vers 20. that it was a far greater matter and much greater ground of joy to have their names written in heaven whereby he giveth us also to understand that these are distinct different from other and also separable Many saith Christ Mat. 7 22 23. will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name in thy name have cast out devils in thy name have done many wonderful works And then will I professe unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity And it is of this Faith that Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 13 2. though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have no charity I am nothing Importing that this Faith may be where there is no saving Christian Love There is an Historiâal faith that is a beleeving not only of the histories recorded in the word of God but of the whole Revelation of God's minde there yet only
the end he may be brought to act Faith on the offered mediator Mediation accept thereof as his only Cure Remedie 7. So that when the Spirit worketh up the soul to beleeve he causeth him sweetly acquiesce in the way of Redemption revealed in the Gospel and to count it a faithful saying and worthie of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1. Tim. 1 15. and to comply sweetly with the designe thereof in all points and for that end to close with Christ and to accept of him upon his offer and particularly to rest upon him and his Righteousness revealed in the Gospel as the only ground of their hope peace This being the thing that their soul longeth after to wit how they shall get guilt taken away they be clothed with a Righteousness wherein they may with confidence appeare before God the Spirit of God when working the soul up to a compliance with the remedie held forth in the Gospel causeth them accept of Christ as made of God unto them Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption and every such soul to say In the Lord our Righteousness have I Righteousness In him alone will I look for Pardon Acceptance Reconciliation life on him alone will I roll my debt there will I rest in hope 8. Therefore this Faith though it bring the soul unto Christ as the only Redeemer and is the mans clasping his armes about him embraceing him as all his Salvation rolling all his weight upon him yet it looketh to in a special manner eyeth the Satisfaction Merites Righteousness of Christ for that is it which the man mainly now standeth in need of Justice must be satisfied saith he my sins must be pardoned I must be accepted in favour with God I must have a Righteousness where with my sins may be covered and the month of justice of the Law of my challenging conscience may be stopped whereby I may have Right to life and this being held forth in the Gospel Faith bringeth the soul to a resting on this Righteousness of Christ that he may be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3 9. This is to beleeve on Christ Ioh. 3 16 36. Act. 16 31. faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. Thus the soul refugeth it self from the storme of wrath under the wings of Christ and hideth itself as it were in him from the avenger of bloud the wrath of an angry God purseing for a broken Law And here the Man abideth hid in Christ and eleaveth to him as being glued to him and utterly unwilling to be separat from him or to appear without his garment of Righteoâsness which faith fasteneth on the soul and the man by faith trusteth to this way and resteth upon it with full confidence nothing doubting of his saiftie thereby 9. By this we see how the way of justification by Gospel-faith serveth both for setting forth the Glory of God the Riches of Free Grace and for abaseing of Man as also for secureing of Life unto the Beleever for 1 Hereby the Man is convinced of his guilt declareth himself to be guilty for he his guilty before God ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Rom. 3 19. he is made speachless knowing nothing to speak in his own defence nor no apologie to give in his mouth is stopped and he can say nothing but cry out guilty I am a childe of death the Lord is Righteous should he damne me for ever I must justifie him when he speaketh and cleare him when he judgeth Psal. 51 4. 2 Hereby the Man pronunceth sweareth himself poor bare he forsaketh all and renunceth all that formerly he had any eye upon or confidence in counting them losse dung as Paul did Phil. 3. He proclameth himself Empty Lost Naked and declareth he hath nothing that he can leane to within himself He accounteth all his former Righteousness to be nothing but rotten rags and filthy rags and Professeth that he knoweth nothing within himself wherefore or whereupon he can expect Reconciliation with the Lord and to be Accepted of him 3 Thus all ground or occasion of boasting or of glorying before men is taken away from the beleever Rom. 3 27. 4 1. 4 Thus the glorious beauty of free Grace shineth forth Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace Rom. 4 16. Grace here appeareth in its own glory when free grace without us contrare to our demerites doth all provideth the Sacrifie accepteth of the same in their behalfe for whom it was offered up bringeth them to the actual participation of the fruites and effects thereof by working up their hearts to a satisfaction in it to a resting upon it all this freely out of free Love It is corruptly said by the fore mentioned Author of that discourse of the two Covenants pag. 42. that Grace appeareth in the Lord 's making Faith the condition of the promise in that great things are promised upon such a possible practicable easie condition as faith is considering the meanes and assistance promised by God to work it for this spoileth Grace of its Glory when Man is looked upon said to be the principal author of saith as he is upon the matter said to be when all that God doth is but called assistance and at least the man may challenge as his owne no small share of the Glory of acting Faith and of going so great a length in the way to Faith without any more assistence than he hath need of to eate his meat when hungry and of going on his own feet to the very place where God stood ready to lend him a hand to help him forward Not to mentione how this altereth the whole Nature of the Covenant of Grace making it nothing but a new edition of the old Covenant of works 5 It is of faith to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4 16. When all the business is wrought as it were to our hand and nothing more requisite to interesse us in the noble Effects of all than our consent this also is wrought by the Spirit of God conforme to the Covenant of Redemption can a more ensureing way be imagined Alas what ground of Confidence or of Certainty can the Arminian Socinian way followed by the formentioned Author give to a poor soul When all is made to hang upon the tottering inconstant will of man who hath no more from God but some common assistances standing ready to attend him if he advance so far his alone without them when he hath gotten them to day may run back undo all againe to morrow Apostatize for ever for this also is a part of that Gospel that this man will teach us pag. 135. if we
beleeve Mr. Baxter's Preface Beside that hereby no man can win to any solide Peace or Joy so long as he liveth for he is but still performing the Condition of his Justification and perfecting it by his works so that till they be at an end the Condition of Justification is not performed and consequently no Justification and it is the maine scope of this mans discourse to prove the interest of Gospel-obedience as he calleth it as a Condition as well as Faith or rather as a part or best part of practical Faith in the matter of Justification 10. Hence we may also see how erroneous dangerous that definition of faith as Evangelical Christian Justifying is which the mentioned Author giveth us pag. 38. to wit Such an hearty assent consent unto God's declaration in the Gospel by his Son concerning Christ himself his Grace Favour towards men by him concerning their own duty as causeth a man to expect from God and to act in a way of duty according to the tenor of such a declaration his own concerns in it This upon the matter is the very faith of Adam only Adam heard no word of Christ so it is but a Law-faith no Gospel-Faith And againe more plainly by way of explication he saith pag. 39. nor is it a bare beleefe that God will for Christ's sake pardon save as many as truely repent amend their lives become new creatures unless they so beleeve all this as seriously heartily to repent themselves of their former folly and to return to their duty in new Evangelical obedience Not only doth this man take away from Justifying saving Faith all that peculiar closing with Christ accepting of him as Redeemer all particular special eye or respect had to his Righteousness Mediation but he maketh Iustification depend on works as well as on faith or on works as the integral parts of practical justifying faith It is true Saving faith cannot but bow incline the man in whom it is to all holy Obedience But to make these thus to be included in Faith as the Condition of Justification is to give us the Socinian Iustification the Socinian Faith for the true orthodox justification faith and if this be the Gospel justification Gospel faith which as Mr. Baxter thinks this look will help us unto the Socinians are better acquainted with the Gospel than the orthodox have been or are And to evince this which is all I need to do here I shall propose a few of their Assertions concerning Faith that the Reader may judge what harmonie is betwixt this Author them The Racov. Catech. cap. 9. de fide tels us that faith is a Trust in God whereby we not only confide in him but also obey him This is short yet fully the same with our Auther's Socinus himself dial de justif f. 11. what is that to beleeve in his name It is receive him to beleeve his words to confide in him finally to obey him And in not in dial f. 25. he tels us that the faith by which we are justified doth containe obedience to the commands not as an effect but as its substance forme yea faith he it is obedience it self And againe de fid oper f. 60. he faith I will have nothing else than to conâide de in Christ and this is done receiveth its perfection as it were its forme when obedience is yeelded unto his commands So that betwixt justifying faith good works there is no difference See him further f. 123. 134. Smalcius de divin Christ. cap. 14. f. 38. tels us that faith in Iesus Christ is a firme assent unto what he hath said a confideing truely so called whereby not only we firmly beleeve what he hath said concerning us but we confide in him adhere to him this is much more than our Author saith heartly embrace his doctrine as celestial saving placeing our considence hope in him as such so great a King as our Priest fy upon our Author that is less orthodox than this Socinian hanging wholly upon him with a firme hope to obtaine these things which he hath promised to such as obey him that is if we amend our lives according to his prescriptien we are confident to receive remission of sins deliverance from death eternal life But you will say there is no mention made of good works in this faith See therefore what he saith disp 6. cont Frantz de bon ope Thes. 53 55 63 68. We do not saith he consider two parts of faith Trust in God Obedience to his commands but we distinguish them as if they were two for albeit really they may be taken for encthing are one they can be some way distinguished Obedience is rather the forme of faith or faith it self than any part of it And in this the Arminian Remonstrants in their Confess cap. 10. s. 1 2 3. do homolegate with the Socinians telling us that faith comprehendeth all the commands of the Gospel and that the command of Faith must no other-way be considered than as by a natural proprietie it includeth obedience and is a fruitful mother of good works and that faith thus considered comprehendeth a mans whole conversion prescribed in the Gospel Socinus is plaine Synops. 1. s. 8. and tels us that the way of justification is the same under both Covenants seing in both on God's part was required Remission of sins on mans part Repentance Obedience to his commands which is truely that very faith that every did ever will make man acceptable unto God And then tels us that we must beware to make sanctification an effect of justification These things may shew that this part at least of this Authors Gospel is more learned out of the Socinian Arminian Scholes than out of the Scriptures and if we would be guided into this we may follow other more ancient leaders than is this Author whom else where I suppose Mr. Baxter calleth Mr. W. Allen. 11. We would also take notice of this That when the Scripture saith the just liveth by faith or we are justified by faith the meaning must not be we are justified by Hope or we are justified by Love or we are justified by Patience or by any other Grace for though all these Graces of the Spirit may be conceived as springing from one and the same root seed of God which is planted in the soul in the new birth and though we may by our acute wits so explaine each as to include the rest more or less Yet as divine Revelation is the ground of all our Faith in this matter so Scripture expressions are the best guide to us in our Expressions Conceptions about this matter And as the Scripture doth speak of and name these Graces as formally distinct ascribing to each their distinct and several Operation End and Use so
we never read that we are said to be justified by Love or by Patience or by Hope or any other but alwayes by Faith This certanely must instruct us that Faith here hath a peculiar and singular interest must be considered as looking to Christ in a different way from Hop Love which also have Christ for their object or Christ must be the object of Faith in another manner under some other consideration than he is the object of other graces 12. It is also considerable that it is simply said the just man liveth by faith or we are justified by faith and not the just man liveth or we are justified by a strong faith or by a faith continueing to the end Though it be true that a true lively Faith is of that Nature that it will continue to the end and will grow yet we may not say that only a strong Faith or a Faith as continueing to the end is the condition of the Covenant or of Justification for hence it would follow that as no man of a weak yet true and sincere Faith could be said to be Justified so no man could be said to be Justified untill his Faith had endured to the end which is contrary to Scripture speaking of beleevers while in their infancy as justified adopted as partakers of or at least as having a Right to the consequences of Justification such as Pardon Peace Glorying in Tribulation and Comfort c. The promise granteth Justification and Adoption to Faith that is of the right kinde no mention is made of that Qualification thereof He that beleeveth is passed from death to life and shall never die c. Ioh. 3 36. Ioh. 3 16 18. Ioh. 1 12. If the meaning of such as make Faith as continneing to the end the condition of the Covenant and of Justification were this That Faith as continued in to the end is the Mean of Continuance in the Covenant and in the state of Justification they should speak truth for the just liveth by faith first last as by Faith they are brought into the estate so by faith they are continued therein Faith maketh the first Union Faith continueth it But of this we shall have occasion to speak more afterward 13. This faith is not one single act of the soul nor seated in one faculty The various things spoken of it in Scripture and the various objects it acteth upon and is exercised about and the various and different necessities which beleevers stand into with the corresponding uses which faith serveth for in these necessities cleare it to be no one single act of the Soul I would rather call it the act of the whole Soul than the act of any faculty whatsomever CHAP. XXII Our act of Faith is not imputed to us a Righteousness Wproceed now to cleare at some further length several Particulars touched in the foregoing Chapt. contributing to the explication of our Justification by Faith The first great Question anent Faith is whether it be imputed unto the Beleever as his Righteousness whereupon he is justified Adversaries to the truth both Socinians Arminians do plainly assert that our faith or that grace of faith is the very thing which is imputed to the Beleever for his Righteousness They are all convinced that the sinner must be clothed with a Righteousness some way or other in some sense or other ere he can be Justified for the Lord is Righteous will not justifie the wicled that is such as have no Righteousness and being willing to yeeld to the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ they substitute in place of Christ's Righteousness Faith properly taken or our act of Beleeving as is it performed by us in obedience to the Gospel-command Socinus de Serv. lib. 4. c. 4. Cum igitur c. i.e. seing he teacheth by the example of Abraham that Righteousness is imputed when can doubt that nothing else can hereby be under stood but that we arerighteous before God because it hath seemed good to the Lord to account our faith in place of Righteousness And thereafter That faith is imputed unto righteousness is nothing else than that faith is accounted to us in place of Righteousness but not that the Righteousness of christ is imputed to us cap. 11. Themselves say that that saith justifieth not by its proper worth but because it apprehendeth Christ But that apprehension of Christ of yours is a meer humane fiction a most vaine dream And when we read that faith was imputed to Abraham for Righteousness or unto Righteousness we have no reason to think that mention is there made of the Righteousness of another when it is manifest that he is speaking of his own In his dial de Justis f. 14 15. he tels us that faith is by God imputed to us for Righteousness he accounteth that in place of Righteousness faith is in very deed that whereby the Scripture witnesseth that we are justified that is accounted Righteous before God have our sinnes pardoned This faith maketh us acceptable unto God unto eternal life And in not ad dial f. 27. Nothing else was said than that faith is accounted to us of God imputed for Righteousness that that faith is truely in us who will deny seing these words are said to exclude the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness The Arminians do homologate with the Socinians in this Arminius himself cont Perkins faith expresly that faith it self is imputed to us in Praf ad Hyppolit this faith he is my opinion about justification that faith that alone is imputed unto Righteousness that by it we are justified before God absolved from our sins and accounted righteous pronunced declared by God giving sentence from the tribunal of grace Some blaine ine for saying that the act of faith it self the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã credere is imputed unto Righteousness that in a proper sense not metonymically I say faith is imputed unto us unto righteousness for Christ for his righteousness sake He owneth the same decl Sent. ad Ord. f. 65. 66. in Resp. ad 31. Artic. f. 152-154 John Goodwine in his Treatise of Justification Part. 1. Ch. 2. asserteth the same most considently from Rom. 4. whose reasons hereafter shall be examied The same purpose he prosecuteth Part. 2. Ch. 6. answering the arguments of the orthodox against that imputation which shall be considered in due time Mr. Baxter in his Confess pag. 18 19. Excepteth against some words in our larger Catechisme Confession of faith to wit that it is denied that the grace of faith or any act thereof is imputed for Justification unless it be thus understood that our faith is not imputed to us as being in stead of a perfect Righteousness of Obedience to the ends as it was required by the Law of works nor is our faith the matter or the meritorious cause of the remission of our sin or of our right to
is conceived to have when justified upon the account of which he is justified he should not only have occasion but even cause of boasting before men notwithstanding of the disproportion betwixt faith the weight of glory for it might then be said that he had made himself to differ that he had laid down out of his own purpose the whole price that was required and so had according to the termes of the Compact made a purchase of glory to himself as the man with the pin in his sleeve if the Law Covenant had so stood that all that gave the Prince a Pin out of his sleeve shall receive such such great things he only a few moe were so good merchants as to give the Pin when others did not might well have boasted said he had not gotten those great things for nothing for he laid down the full price condescended upon by Law Covenant and had ground of boasting at least before men though not before the Prince who graciously condescended to reward so richly such a mean gift 3 This answere will say that there had been no ground of boasting even by the old Covenant of works though man had keeped the Law perfectly for even then it might have been said that the weight of glory was not given for the really worth excellency of perfect Obedience Perfect Obedience Holiness having its sufficient reward in its own besome for it is a reward to it self But he saith If men had fulfilled the Law bin justified that way there had been some pretence of boasting or glorying in themselves Ans. And why not also if faith be now accounted the fulfilling of the Law and be now imputed to us as all our Righteousness Let us see if the reasons which he bringeth for the former will not also evince this His first is this Because such a Righteonsness had held some proportion at least that should have been given to it Rom. 4. vers 4. God had given them no more than what they had at least in some sort deserved Ans. But who can tell us what that proportion or that sort would have been And may not also the Righteousness of Faith which is here supposed to be of our selves and not the meer gift of God be said to hold some proportion at least in some fort Yea may it not in this respect be said to hold a greater proportion viz. that the exerting of the act of Faith now would argue more strength of free will to that which is good that Perfect Obedience in Adam for though we should suppose that man now had as full a power to beleeve if he would as Adam had to obey yet it cannot be denied but there is much more opposition now even within to that which is good than there was in Adam and consequently that the vertue appearing in the acting of Faith must be conceived as greater than what could have appeared in Adam's full obedience who had nothing within to oppose him or prove a remora in his way As it would argue more valour for a weak souldier to go a quarter of a mile fighting with his enemies in the way then for a giant to go twentie miles wherein he should meet with no opposition But though the proportion were granted to be greater betwixt the reward and Adam's Obedience than is betwixt the reward Faith yet there must be will be a proportion granted for majus minus non variant speciem degrees make no variation in kinde 2 Can or will it be said that God had given the perfect obeyer no more than he had in some sort at least deserved if we should suppose there had been no promise made of such a reward to obeyers or antecedently to a Covenant And if this cannot be said as it cannot be said by any I suppose who seriously consider the matter then the reward was made such only by God's free Condescension God had in that case given what they had deserved according to the Covenant made wherein such a reward was promised to obeyers and in justice bestowing it as a reward upon such as did fulfill the condition Now when Faith is said to have the same place in the New Covenant that Perfect Obedience had in the old and so the same Efficacy influence in the reward withall it is supposed that Faith is now no more the gift of God than Perfect Obedience was under the old Law is it not as true now that God giveth no more than what beleevers have by Faith at least in some sort deserved by vertue of the Compact New Covenant wherein this reward is promised as it would have been under the old Covenant And is it not hence also manifest that the New Covenant is made to be of the same Nature with the Old and that the reward is as well now of debt as is would have been by the Old Covenant Is it not also hence undeniable that hereby there is a proportion acknowledged in some sort betwixt Faith the Reward where is then the difference Let us see if his next reason will helpe here Secondly he saith because if they had made out their happiness that way they had done it out of themselves that is out of the strength of those abilities which were essential to their Natures in the strickest most proper sense that can be spoken of or applied to a creature their owne Ans. 1 When he supposeth as we saw in the Exception the act of Beleeving to be from a mans self must we not also say that the beleever making out his happiness this way doth it out of himself though not out of the strength of abilities essential to his Nature 2 I much doubt if those abilities if he speak of moral abilities as he must or speak nothing to the purpose can be said to have been essential to mans Nature for then it would follow that man after he lost these abilities as it must be granted he did when he fell was no more a compleet man wanting something that was essential to his nature These abilities may be said to have been natural or con-natural to him considering the state the Lord thought good to create him in and so not meerly supernatural but how they can be said to have been Essential to his Nature I see not 2 When God gave Adam these Abilities and thereby furnished him with a sufficient stock was he not to acknowledge God for all that he did or was he afterward to act without dependance upon or influence from God the first Cause If not as it is confessed when it is said to be so only in a sense that can agree to a creature and when Faith is here supposed to be from mans self acting in the same dependance on God and receiving the same influence from him as the first Cause may not Faith also be said to be mans own in as strick
proper a sense as can be spoken of or applied to a Creature And even though we speak of Faith in the orthodox sense as being the gift of God yet seing it floweth nativly from the new Nature given in Regeneration is said to be mans faith his act all this difference will not exclude all occasion of boasting glorying before men more then Abraham's works would have done if he had been justified by them And yet the Gospel-way of Justification perfectly excludeth all boasting being so contrived in all points as that he who glorieth may only glory in the Lord. Argum. 5. If Faith be imputed unto us for Righteousness then are we justified by that which is Imperfect which it self needeth a Pardon seing no mans Faith is perfect in this life But there is no Justification to be looked for before God by that which is Imperfect but by that which is Perfect Therefore c. He excepteth These words then we are Iustified by that which is imperfect may either have this sense that we are justified without the concurrence of any thing that is simply perfect to our justification or that somewhat that is comparativly imperfect may some wayes concurre contribute towards our justification In the first sense the proposition is false in the later sense the assumption goeth to wreck Ans. This distinction is to no purpose for it doth not loose the difficulty in regard that the argument speaketh of a Righteousness as the formal cause or as the formal objective cause of Justification or as that upon the account of which the person is Pronunced Declared to be Righteous and Justified and so is levelled against Faith concluding that it cannot be our Righteousness or the formal Objective cause of our justification as it is said and supposed to be by such as say that it is imputed to us for Righteousness for it is made by them to be all the Righteousness that is imputed to us that because of its Weakness Imperfection He addeth in application of this distinction The truth is that the Imputation of faith for Righteousness presupposeth somewhat that absolutely perfect as absolutly necessary unto justification Had not the Lord Christ who is perfect himself made a perfect atonement for sin there had been no place for the Imputation of faith for righteousness for it is through this that either we beleeve in him or in God through him it is through the same atonement also that God justifieth us upon our beleeving that is imputes our faith unto us for righteousness Ans. This presupposal doth not helpe the matter for notwithstanding thereof Faith it self is made the only Imputed Righteousness and faith is not considered as an Instrument receiving Christ's Righteousness and the Atonement there through but as a work making the reward of the Atonement to be of debt ex pacto and not of free grace and so to have a worth a merite in it Our Adversaries will not grant that this presupposed Righteousness of Christ whereby the perfect Atonement was made is imputed unto us for this is expresly denied and beside they say that it was equally made for all and so is equally imputed to all so far as that thereby all are put into such a state as notwitstanding of the former breach made they may now upon the new termes of Faith receive the promised reward And thus it is manifest that with them this imperfect thing saith is that for upon the account of which they are justified As for example that we may hereby illustrate cleare the matter if we should suppose that Christ had by his Atonement delivered all from wrath due for the former transgression of the Covenant and had put them into the former state wherein Adam was before he fell procured that God should take a new essay of them and make promise of life unto them upon the old termes as some who plead for Universal Redemption say God might have done had he so pleased after the Atonement was made in this case might it not be said that every person that should now be Justified upon the performance of these termes were justified by the performance of the Condition as by his own Righteousness that this new Obedience were all the Righteousness he had declared to have when justified should he not be justified upon the account thereof solely And was he more obliged unto the Atonement of Christ than others who did violate of new these Conditions And seing now Faith is put in the same place and made to have the same Force Efficacy shall we not now be Justified by this one act of Obedience as we would have been in the other case by perfect Obedience And if it be so is it not manifest that we are justified by a Righteousness that is Imperfect that all the presupposal of a perfect Atonement doth not availe 2 When it is said that it is through the Atonement made by Christ that we beleeve in him or in God through him it must be granted that Christ hath purchased Faith that either to all or to some and if to all then either absolutly or upon condition if to all that absolutly then all should have faith if upon condition we desire to know what that condition is If not to all but to some only then Christ cannot be said to have died alike for all 3 as to that he faith viz. That it is through the same atonement that God imputeth our faith to us for righteousness justifieth us upon our beleeving it being the same that others say who tell us that Christ hath procured faith to be the condition termes of the new Covenant we shall say no more now than that we see no ground to asserte any such thing here after we shall give our reasons Argum. 6. If faith be imputed to us for Righteousness then God should rather receive a Righteousness from us then we from him in our Iustification But God doth not receive a righteousness from us but we from him in Iustification Therefore c. He excepteth by denying the consequence upon these reasons 1 Because God's imputing Faith for righteousness doth no wayes implye that faith is a righteousness properly so called but only that God by the meanes thereof upon the tender of it looks upon us as righteous yet not as made either meritoriously or formally righteous by it but as having performed that condition or Covenant upon the performance whereof he hath promised to make us righteous meritoriously by the death sufferings of his owne son formally with the pardon of all our sins Ans. All this can give no satisfaction for 1 If no Righteousness be imputed to us in order to Justification but Faith and if faith it self be hereby made no Righteousness then we are justified without any Righteousness at all God shall be said to pronunce them Righteous who have no Righteousness
at all or Justification must be some other thing than a pronunceing or declaring of a man Righteous 2 Why have we heard so much above said for Faiths being Righteousness why have there been so many passages of Scripture adduced to confirme this particuiarly such as mention the Righteousness of faith or the Righteousness of God by faith But it may be this salvo is added a Righteousness properly so called Yet then it will follow that it must be at least a Righteousness improperly so called and that must be an improper speach faith is imputed for righteousness and if that be an improper speech why is there so much noise made about the impropriety of the speech when we take Faith for the object of faith in that sentence faith imputed unto righteousness All that great clamoure must now recurre upon the excepter and his followers 3 If this which he hath given be the meaning of these words faith imputed unto righteousness let any judge whether our sense of them or this be most genuine freest of trops figures which of the two is apparently farthest fetched 4 Faith then it seemeth is tendered unto God faith being but a Righteousness improperly so called we tender unto God in our Justification a Righteousness only that is improper thereupon are declared Righteous whether properly or improperly I know not 5 If upon the tender of Faith God look upon us as Righteous then we mâst be righteous for we must be what he seeth acknowledgeth us to be And then I ask whether doth he look upon us as properly Righteous or as improperly Righteous 6 If God look upon us as having fulfilled the condition of the Covenant as Righteous upon that account then he must look upon us as properly righteous faith must be a proper righteousness or he must say that Christ hath purchased that an improper Righteousness shall be the Condition of the Covenant for we heard he said that Christ had purchased that Faith should be the condition But the performance of the Condition of God's Covenant must be hold for a proper Righteousness as perfect obedience was under the first Covenant And we heard lately that Faith was truely properly called a Righteousness that it might be so called with truth in sufficient propriety of speech in his answere to the first argument 7 If we be righteous by faith be looked upon as such by God having performed the condition of the Covenant it is not imaginable how we shall not be if not meritoriously yet at least formally Righteous seing as Adam by Perfect Obedience would have performed the Condition of that Covenant under which he was and thereby had been both Meritoriously formally Righteous so must it be now in respect of faith which is made to have the same place force efficacy in the new Covenant and that through the procurment of Christ that Perfect Obedience had in the old Covenant 8 He saith we are made meritoriously righteous by Christ's sufferings But what is the meaning of this Is this the meaning thereof that Christ's sufferings hath merited a Righteousness to us Then hereby nothing is spoken to the point for we are not now speaking of Christ's Righteousness but of ours And againe I would enquire what Righteousness hath it merited unto us Whether a meritorious Righseousness or a formal Righteousness as he distinguishad or both Or is the meaning this That through Christ's merites sufferings we have a Righteousness which is meritorious If so I enquire what is that Righteousness Whether is it Christ's Righteousness imputed to us made ours or is it our Faith that becometh meritorious If this last be said that is granted which was denied Faith must be accounted our meritorious Righteousness If the former be said imputation of Christ's Righteousness will be granted more than we dar say 9 He saith we are made formally righteous with the pardon of sins But this is never proved and it hath been often asserted And how will he make this a Formal Righteousness Righteousness properly so called Is this any conformity to a Law in whole or in part Did not himself insinuat in his answere to the first Argum. that nothing can with truth and in sufficient propriety of speech be called a Righteousness but what is a conformity to the Law of God And sure I am Pardon of sins is not any such conformitie 10 The summe of this answere is this Faith is not imputed as a Righteousness but it is said to be imputed unto Righteousness because it is the fulfilling of the Condition of the new Covenant whereby we come to be made Righteous meritoriously by Christ's death Righteous formally with the pardon of sins And what a wiredrawn untelligible self-contradictory sense this is let every one judge He denieth the consequence 2. Because suppose that this inference lay in the bowels of what we hold that faith were a proper righteousness yet neither would this argue that therefore God should receive a righteousness from us in our justification for we rather receive our faith from God for our justification shen God from us in our justification though I grant that in a sense a far off with much adoe it may haply be made a truth that God receives our faith from us in our justification Ans. But sure though Adam's obedience was originally from God efficiently he being the First Cause yet had Adam been justified according to that Old Covenant he had been justified by his own works not by the Righteousness of another bestowed on him by God so he had been said to have presented his own Righteousness unto God in order to his justification and God might have been said to have received it from him in his justification or rather in order thereunto Now just so is it here as to Faith for faith is our work we come with it to God he taketh it from us thereupon justifieth us according to our Adversaries opinion not in a sense a far off or made with much ado as he supposeth but in a sense most plaine obvious He saith lastly That that imputation of faith for righteousness which he protecteth supposeth a righteousness given unto received by men because it could not be truely said that God doth impute faith for righteousness unto any man except he should make him righteous upon his beleeving Now as it is impossible that a man should be made righteous without a righteousness in one kinde or other so is it impossible also that that righteousness wherewith a man is made righteous in justification should be derived upon him from any other but from God alone for this righteousness can be none other but forgiveness of sins Ans. 1 How can the Imputation of Faith suppose a Righteousness given unless the Righteousness be given before Faith be imputed seing what is supposed is alwayes first in order
pregnant for it Ans. We finde it only twice said in express termes that faith is counted for Righteousness vers 5. and againe vers 9. that faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness It is then too widely spoken when he saith that there is not any truth in Religion nor any article of the Christian Faith that can boast of more full expresse pregnant letter of Scripture yea even though it were as oft as expresse as he allegeth but we must let many such confidente expressions passe with him 2 The question is not touching the letter or the words but the true meaning if a truth be but once delivered in the Scriptures it is sufficient to command our faith but words never so oft repeated when corruptly glossed yeeld no foundation to faith We know what Papists say of these words This is my body which with them is as full expresse and pregnant a proof of their dream as this passage of Paul's is of our Adversaries fancies And we know what Arrians say of these words My Father is greater than I And yet their false glosses cannot be embraced for truthes let them boast of expresse Scriptures never so much And what errour I pray or heresie is it that doth not pretend to the like Let us see his next ground 2. Saith he The scope of the place rejoiceth in the Interpretation given I grant indeed that this is a good rule or interpreting of Scriptures for it is as a sure threed to lead us through many labyrinths But which is the miserie many imagine that to be the scope of the place which is not so indeed thus pervârting or mistaking the scope they must needs pervert all Yet let us see how he would make the scope contribute to his Notions The Apostles maine drift saith he was to hedge up with thornes that false way of Iustification which lay through works legal performances with all to open and discover the true way of justification that is to make known what they must do what God requireth of them to their justification that is as Ioh. 6 28 29. faith or to beleeve in the proper formal signification not the righteousness of Christ this he required of Christ himself he requireth our faith in Christ himself nos in his righteousness Ans. Paul's scope is indeed to hedge up all Justification by the Law or by the works thereof in subordination to this other of shewing that in the Gospel the Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1 17. And therefore he cannot speak for the Imputation of Faith in its proper formal signification for that is a work commanded by the Law of God the Imputation thereof is expresly alledged by our adversaries to shoot out the Righteousness of God which is revealed from faith to faith 2 To say that the Apostle here only requireth faith in Christ and not faith in his Righteousness in order to Justification is either to divide Christ his Righteousness or to give us an Historical Faith in stead of justifying Faith that is such a faith in Christ as is the faith of any other truth revealed in the Scriptures such as the creation of the world And this is indeed to make a fundamental Alteration in the Gospel Covenant to destroy the true Nature of Justifying faith 3 It is true the Apostle is withall shewing what we must do in order to our Justification but this no way impeacheth the interest of Christ's Righteousness as the formal ground of the Justification of the ungodly but rather establisheth it for he sheweth that we are not now Justified by our doing or working but by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us received by Faith 4 Though God doth not require of us the performance of the Righteousness of Christ yet he requireth of is that we lay hold thereupon and be covered therewith by faith that under that rob we may appear before our judge for to this end is Christ made of God unto us Righteousness and is become the Lord our Righteousness 1. Cor. 1 30. Ier. 23 6. And he requireth of us that we renunce all our own Righteousness in this affaire acknowledge the Righteousness of Christ the only Righteousness upon which we are to be justified and therefore he willeth us to say that in the Lord have we Righteousness Esai 45 24. He is pleased to add Therefore for Paul to have said that the righteousness of Christ should be imputed unto them had been quite beside his scope Why so His telling them what was required of themselves maketh nothing against this but doth rather confirme it for when faith is pressed upon us it is clearly supposed that the Righteousness of Christ is Imputed this being the peculiar work of faith as justifying to bring in put on Christ's Righteousness and so where our Redemption or Justification by Christ is mentioned faith though it be not expresly mentioned is to be understood as the Mean or Instrument whereby the same is applied to us as also the Redemption Righteousness of Christ is to be understood where Justification by faith is only expressed And as sometimes we finde both expresly mentioned so both are most emphatically comprehended and included in that expression now under consideration Such a glorious firme connexion is betwixt all these Causes of our Justification such a beautiful harmonie of grace that as they cannot be separated so the deforming misplaceing or any way altering of any one piece thereof destroyeth the harmonie darkeneth the beauty of the whole In the third place he argueth against faiths being here taken Tropically or Metonymically to this end adduceth these confiderations 1. It is not likely that the Apostle in this great weighty point should time after time in one place after another without ever explaining himself through out the whole disputation use such an harsh uncouth expression or figure of speach as is not to be found in all his writting beside nor in all the Scriptures Ans. Figurative expressions are neither harsh in themselves being rather emphatically explicative and more forcible upon the understanding as to the uptaking of these mysteries nor are they strange uncouth to the Apostle even in this matter as might be abundantly evinced almost as to every expression used in this matter or at least as to such expressions as are about the maine parts thereof Let any read Paul's writtings on this subject here his Epistle to the Gallatians he shall finde this true almost in every Chapter But it should satisfie us that the Holy Ghost hath thought fit to expresse the matter thus that to prevent mistakes he hath given both here elsewhere abundance of clear plaine and down right expressions for a supply as hath been shown above so as none may mistake but such as will wilfully step aside to follow their own wayes And it is not
faire for such to object this who of all others make the Scriptures to speak most figurativly tropâcally when they have a minde to evade the dint of our arguments from Scripture of which very many instances might be adduced It cannot but seem strange to any who hath read the Scriptures with attention to hear one with such confidence saying that the naming of the act for the object is such an harsh uncouth expression figure of speach as is not to be found in all the Scriptures againe when the same man hereafter cannot but confess that Hop is oft put for the thing hoped for and is manifest from Rom. 8 24. Col. 1 5 27. else where also faith put for Christ Gal. 3 23. twice 25. once This putting the object for the act is a known and common Hebraisme His 2. consideration is this It is evident said he that that faith or beleeving which vers 3. is said to be imputed to Abraham for righteousness is opposed to works or working vers 5. Now between faith properly taken works and so between beleeving working there is a constant opposition but between the active obedience of Christ works there is no opposition Ans. It is most true that in the matter of justification beleeving is opposed to working that constantly and therefore he is concerned to look to it who will have us considering Faith here only in such a way as it cannot be opposed to but every way agree with works as one of them 2 The opposition betwixt our Righteousness consisting in works which we do the Surety-Righteousness of Christ consisting not in his Obedience Active only as he mistakingly supposeth all alongs but in both active passive Obedience whereby he gave full satisfaction to the Law in all its demands is so Palpable that it cannot be well dissembled far less denied His 3. Consideration is that it is said vers 5. His faith is imputed to him where it is evident that that faith whatsoever we understand by it which is imputed for Righteousness is His that is some what that truely properly may be called his before such imputation be made unto him Now it cannot be said of the Righteousness of Christ that that is any mans before the imputation of it be made unto him But faith properly taken is the beleevers before it be imputed at least in order of nature if not of time Ans. The words vers 5. are His faith is counted for or unto Righteousness And so whatever be understood by faith it may in some respect at least in order of nature be his before it be counted for or unto Righteousness or reckoned upon his score Yea it must so be that it may rightly be reckoned on his score And this is clear of the Righteousness of Christ which becometh the beleevers by faith and is given to him bestowed upon him so made his by vertue of his union with Christ through faith His mistake lyeth here that he taketh these words counted for Righteousness to be every way the same with imputing to or bestowing upon a person while as the formal difference is manifest though the one includeth the other Accounting unto Righteousness doth in this matter presuppose the Imputation or bestowing of that which is counted to such an end Further why may not his faith denote the object of his faith as our hope or our love may denote the object of our hope love And whence then shall there any necessitie arise to say that that object shall be truely properly called his before the Imputation of it be made unto him taking this Imputation for bestowing as he seemeth here to do but if Imputation be taken for counting on their score it presupposeth their interest in the same prior in order of nature as is said that most manifestly In the fourth place he saith Though we should grant a trope in this place by faith its object should be meaned Yet it will not follow that the Righteousness of Christ should be here said to be imputed but either God himself or the promise of God for it was God be beleeved vers 3. Ans. In that promise made to Abraham which he beleeved the summe of the Gospel was comprehended as Paul himself teacheth us Gal. 3 8. And this promise was a bundle of promises and therefore is called promises in the plural number Gal. 3 16 21. and was the Covenant confirmed of God in Christ vers 17. the Inheritance vers 18. life vers 21. which cannot be had without a Righteousness Ibid. even the Righteousness of Faith that was to come to wit of Christ vers 22 23 24. who is the only mediator vers 20. and is there expresly called Christ was to be revealed Hence they that have beleeved in Christ Jesus are baptized into Christ and have put on Christ and are in Christ are Christ's are Abraham's seed heirs according to the promise vers 26 27 28 29. And if such be Abraham's seed Abraham must have been such himself that Father Children may be of one Complexion for the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the Righteousness of faith Rom. 4 13. that is through the Righteousness of Christ the object of faith who is expresly called Faith Gal. 3 23 25. And it is added Rom. 4 14. for if they which are of the Law be heirs faith is made void and the promise made of none effect Faith that may be Christ the object of faith is made void all the actings of faith upon him are vaine of none effect conforme to what the same Apostle saith Gal. 2 21. If Righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vaine And as this Faith is made void so the promises of this Faith that was to come are of no effect Therefore the object of Abraham's Faith was Christ the promised Messiah that Faith that was to come and the Righteousness of that Faith He reckoneth up in the following words to very little purpose the several objects of faith from Ioh 3 16. 5 46. 20 31. 8 24. Rom. 10 9. 1. Pet. 1 21. Ioh. 12 44. 1. Ioh. 5 10. And supposeth that no where Christ's Righteousness is mentioned as the Object But where ever Faith or its Object is mentioned in the matter of justification Christ's Righteousness is never excluded more then himself for as himself was the Cautioner so his Righteousness was fide-jussry faith acting upon one must necessarily act on both these being inseparable beside that elsewhere this is expresly enough mentioned Yet he granteth that it is of nearer concernment to the maine to beleev this righteousness of Christ than the beleeving of many other things besides comprehended in the Scriptures But why I pray if this belong not to the object of justifying
will save justifie us but his Righteousness laid hold on brought home applied by Faith that so all might see be convinced of the necessity of faith whereby the soul goeth out to Christ layeth to his Righteousness and might not satisfie themselves with a Notion of Christ his Righteousness never applied by Faith but be enduced to lay hold on him by Faith to the end they might have an interest in Christ's Righteousness the same being upon their faith bestowed upon them and reckoned upon their score The expression is most emphatick to hold forth the necessity now of faith according to the Lord 's Soveraigne appointment as if thereby Christ's Righteousness their faith were become one thing as being wholly inseparable in this affaire so that it cometh to one whether by faith we understand the Grace as acting upon connoting the Object or the Object as acted upon by the Grace of Faith as in that expression the Righteousness of faith Rom. 4 13. Faith may either be interpreted to be Christ as said hold on by faith so the meaning will be through the Righteousness of Christ laid hold on by Faith faith may be the same way explained in the following vers 14. 16. for if they which are of the Law be heirs faith is made void i. e. if the grand heritage come by the Law by obedience to it the Gospel holding forth Christ to be laid hold on by faith is made void as to this end and againe vers 16. therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace i. e. it is of by Christ laid hold upon by Faith that it might be by grace Or faith in all these may be interpreted to be faith as acting upon the object Christ his Righteousness the consequence force of the words will be found to be the same whether of these wayes we explaine the matter As when speaking of the Israelits stung in the wilderness it were all one to say they were healed by the brazen serpent to wit looked to or they were healed by their look to wit upon the brazen serpent for still it will be understood that all the vertue came from the brazen serpent or him rather that was typified thereby yet so as it was to be looked upon that their looking was but an Instrumental mean thereunto and when a mean thereunto must include the object looked unto We hear it sometimes said of persons miraculously cured that their Faith made them whole while as the vertue came from the object acted upon by faith as Peter fully explaineth the matter saying Act. 3 16. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong Thus we see how this matter may be saifly must be understood when the vertue and efficacy of the Principal cause is attributed to the Instrumental cause And yet lest any should stumble at the expression pervert it as many do to day the Apostle abundantly Caveats against this by telling us so plainely so fully so frequently of the Righteousness of God which is had by faith through faith as we have seen never speaketh of a Righteousness had because of faith or for Faith nor saith he that faith is our Righteousness while treating of Justification CHAP. XXV Faith is not our Gospel-Righteousness OUr Adversaries to strengthen their Assertion of the Imputation of Faith in a proper sense to the exclusion of the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ have other two Positions which they own maintaine One is that our Faith or our act of beleeving is the whole of our Gospel-Righteousness And the other is That Christ hath procured that it should be so by procuring the New Covenant whereof this faith is made the Condition To this last we shall speak something in the next Chapter of the other here How much Mr. Baxter doth contend for our Faith 's being called accounted our Gospel-Righteousness is known The forenamed Author of the discourse of the two Covenants is very plaine pag. 48 c. where he is explaining what God's counting Abraham's faith to him for Righteousness is There he tels us that he takes it to signifie thus much to wit That God in a may of special grace or by vertue of a new Law of grace favour which was established by God in Christ Gal. 3 17. that is in reference to what Christ was to do suffer in time then to come did reckon his practical faith to him for Righteousness that is that which in the eye of that new Law should passe in his estimation for righteousness subordinat to Christ's Righteousness which procured this grant or Law And thereafter pag. 40. he tels us That it is an act of God's special favour by vertue of his new Law of grace that such a faith as he hath described that is a faith taking in all Gospel Obedience as we saw above comes to be reckoned or imputed to a man for Righteousness through God's imputing it for righteousness to stand a man in the same if not in a better stead as to his eternal concerns as a perfect fulfilling of the original Law from first to last would have done Christ's Righteousness being presupposed the only Meritorious Cause of this grant or Covenant Thereafter pag. 50. he tels us there are two things which constitute make up the Righteousness of the Law of Grace first that which consisteth in the forgiveness of sins 2. the righteousness of sincere obedience And in inference to both he saith faith is imputed for righteousness be vertue of the Law of Grace for saith he faith as practical is imputed to a man for righteousness as it is that all that which is required of him himself by the Law of Grace to entitle him to the righteousness which consisteth in remission of sins And then as to the second he saith pag. 52. That faith is imputed for righteousness which is practical or productive of sincere obedience without which properây it is not a fulfilling of the Law of Grace as a condition of the promised benefites consequently cannot justifie a man in the eye of that Law for as he addeth there must be repentance forgiving men their injuries faith must be such as worketh by love then he tels us that Abraham was justified by his works Jam. 2. All which abomination of doctrine perversion of the right wayes of the Lord we are not here to examine It is enough in reference to the clearing of what is now before us under consideration that we see here a plaine dâlmeation explication made of that Gospel which Mr. Baxter said this Treatise would lead us into the knowledge of which is the very same upon the matter with that Gospel which Socinians Arminians hold forth joyning herein with Papists as we saw in part above Chap. XVIII towards the beginning we shall at
this occasion trouble the Reader with some more of their expressions that we may see that the doctrine which is now so much cried up followed after is nothing but old Socinianisme so owned professed by such as do not deserve to be called Christians Socin de Servat lib. 4. c. 4 7 11. God justifieth the ungodly but now converted penitent after he hath left off to be ungodly the justified are not ungodly in themselves neither are they so called yea they are not sinners which is more they do not now sinne And so faith works that is obedience to the commands of Christ as the forme of faith doth justifie us before God by them through them per illa ex illis he justifieth us Smalcius disp 4. c. Frantzium Regeneration all other good works Love Prayer Obedience Faith Charity c. are so far from being effects of justification that without them justification can no way really exist for God justifieth no man but him who is compleetly adorned with all these vertues â yea the study of good works walkeing before God were the cause though not the chiefe of the justification of Noah Abraham others who are said to be justified by faith Socin ubi supra de Serv. lib. 1. c. 4. Faith doth not justifie by its proper vertue but by the mercy goâd will of God who justifieth such as do such a work imputeth it for righteousness With Paul to have righteousness imputed is nothing else but to have faith imputed to be accounted just faith is so imputed to us as that because of faith we howbeit guilty of many unrighteousness are esteemed perfectly righteous or God so dealeth with us as if we were perfectly righteous who can doubt that the Apostle meaneth no other thing than that we are not righteous before God because our works require that as a due reward but because it hath so seemed good to the Lord to take our faith in place of righteousness so that we receive the reward of grace by which we are declared righteous before him More might be adduced for this end as it might be shown also how herein the Arminians conspire with them against the orthodox And as for the judgment of Papists in this point it is likewise known It will not be necessary that we insist in disproving that which hath been so much witnessed against by the orthodox writting against Papists Socinians Arminians upon these heads It will suffice I suppose if we give a few reasons why we cannot acquiesce in the doctrine proposed by the forenamed Author 1. Hereby works of obedience are exalted to the same place are allowed the same Force Influence Efficacy into Justification with Faith whereby all the Apostles disputes for Faith against Works for faith as inconsistent with exclusive of works are evacuated rendered useless So that the Apostle hath either not spoken to the purpose or hath not spoken truth either of which to say is blasphemie The Apostle argueth thus we are Justified by faith therefore we are not Justified by works This man reasoneth on the contrary we are justified by faith therefore we are justified by works because by a faith that includeth works as if the Apostle had meaned a Faith that was dead had no affinity with works 2. Hereby he confoundeth all these duties which are required of Beleevers or of such as are in Covenant with God with that which is solely required of them in order to their first entering in Covenant or into a state of Justification as â one should say that all the marriag-duties required of such as were already in that marriage state were conditions of entering into the marriag-state 3. Hereby he confoundeth Justification with Glorification making all that Faith sincere obedience which is required in order to actual Salvation Glorification to be necessary before Justification And thereby must say that no man hath his sins pardoned so long as he liveth but if he be sincerely obedient he is in the way to a Pardon to Justification He cannot say that by a practical Faith he only meaneth such a true and lively Faith as will in due time produce these effects for as that will not consist with his explication of that practical Faith so it would crosse his whole designe The just man in the eye of this new Law as he saith p. 49. is every one that rightly beleeves repents sincerely obeyes because that is all that it requires of a man himself to his Iustification Salvation Where we see that with him Justification Salvation go together have the same conditions and he that is just must be one that hath these Conditions and he who hath not these Conditions is not just in the eye of that new Law and if he be not just in the eye of that new Law his faith cannot be accounted to him for Righteousness nor he Justified 4. The man hereby confoundeth the two Covenants or giveth us a new Covenant of Works in stead of the Covenant of Grace for this practical Faith which includeth all obedience hath the same place force efficacy in the new Covenant that compleet Obedience had in the old And this Gospel is but the old Law of works only with this change that where as the old Law required Perfect Obedience to the end in order to Justification Salvation this new Covenant of works requireth Sincere Obedience to the end in order to Justification Salvation And so thus we are Justified saved as really by upon the account of our works as Adam would have been if he had continued in obedience to the end this Faith and sincere Obedience is as really to all ends purposes as effectually and formally our Righteousness as Perfect Obedience would have been the Righteousness of Adam And thus the reward must as really be reckoned to us of debt not of grace as it would have been to Adam if he had stood And as faire a ground is laid for us to boast glory though not before God as had been for Adam if he had continned to the end The evasion he hath to make all this of grace saying p. 49 50. And yet every beleevers justification will be all of grace because the Law by which they are justified is wholly of grace was enaâed in meer grace favour to undone man is not able to help him for it was wholly of undeserved grace love that God did so far condescend to Adam to all mankinde in him as to strick a Covenant with him a promise of such an ample reward upon his performance of the condition of Perfect Obedience to the end yet notwithstanding this Law was wholly of grace was enacted in meer grace favoure for neither was the Lord necessitated thereunto nor could Adam say he had deserved any such thing at God's hand the reward
had been reckoned to Adam if he had stood of debt not simplie and absolutly but ex pacto by reason of the compact So that we see the cases run parallel the Covenant is of the same nature kinde The difference betwixt the Power granted to Adam now to man to performe the conditions required is with him the same upon the matter for if man will go the length he can may he may be sure of God's help to convoy him all the length he should And what had Adam more And as for the diversitie of the conditions which then were Perfect Obedience now only Sincere that can make no alteration in the Nature of the Covenant and beside I see not why this Man can not as well say that if man now will go as far as he may can by his own stock of power unto the performance of Perfect Obedience God will certainly give him his help to carry him forward as he saith that if man will now go all the length he can unto the performance of Faith Repentance new sincere obedience God is ready willing to contribute his help to carry him forward thereunto 5. He confoundeth the right to with the possession of life eternal as to their Causes Antecedents for as new holy Obedience is by us made the way to the possession of the Kingdom so by him it is made the way or cause of the Right jus to the Kingdom for he requireth it as antecedent to a mans Justification first being brought into a Covenant state with God when he first receiveth the Right to the inheritance And thus the Inheritance is made to be of the Law not of promise contrare to Gal. 3 18 for the whole and sure Right thereunto is had by Obedience to the Law with him I shall say no more to this here because there is a sufficient confutation of this to be found in Mr. Durham on the Revel pag. 234. c. where that digression is handled concerning the way of Covenanting with God of a sinner obtaining of Iustification before him And in all such as write against Papists and Sociniant on this head But if it be asked may not faith be called our Gospel-Righteousness be said to be imputed to beleevers as such a Righteousness without any wrong done to the Righteousness of Christ which keepeth still its own place of being our legal or pro legal Righteousness I Ans. Though it be true that Faith is now required of all that would be Justified yet I no where finde that it is called our Gospel Righteousness and I judge it not saife to admit expressions without warrand of the word in this tender matter especially such expressions as have a manifest tendency to corrupt rather then explicate the truth in this particular as I judge will be found true of this expression for how beit it be said by the Asserters thereof that Faith is but a less principal Subordinat Righteousness Yet in effect according to their explication of the whole doctrine as may be seen by this Treatise last mentioned answered it is made the Principal only Righteousness that is imputed to us for Christ's Righteousness say they is only imputed as to is effects or in its causality See Baxter against D. Tully p. 70. just as Suarez said de divin gr lib. 7. de sanct hom c. 7. § 39. cited by Mr. Rutherfoord Exercie Apel. Exerc. I. c 2. pag. mihi 64. the merites of Christ are not given to us that we might be formally justified but that they may be a price wherewith we may buy a Righteousness whereby we may be formally justified as he who giveth a price to another whereby he may buy clothes is said to clothe him not foomally but effectivly morally as is manifest And even as to these effets it dependeth wholly upon Faith and this Faith is only said to be properly imputed for our Righteousness And beside they tell us that the Righteousness of Christ is alike common to all to the Reprobat as well as to the Elect and so it can be imputed properly to none And as to its effective âmputation as Suarez calleth it or Imputation as to its effects or in its causality as others speak after that it is offered held forth to all hath the same common effects unto all untill the condition be performed that dependeth wholly upon mans performance of the Condition And as to its antecedent effects it is equally absolutly imputed to all that is it is imputed to none but the effects thereof are equally made common to all in making Salvation possible the condition to be faith and the like And as to the special effects as they may be called which depend on faith when one beleeveth so fulfilleth the Condition he hath thereby a Gospel-Righteousness or this Faith of his is reckoned upon his score for a Gospel-Righteousness thereupon he receiveth Pardon Justification c. Now let any Judge whether or not these effects are not more the effects at least more immediatly of their own Gospel-Righteousness than of Christ's for Christ by all his Righteousness did purchase these effects to all a like that conditionally and now they themselves by their own personal Gospel Righteousness of Faith do make an actual purchase of these effects according to the Covenant ex pacto And to say That Christ did by his merites purchase the New Covenant doth but confirme what I have now said towit That all that which Christ procured was That all such as should acquire a Gospel-Righteousness of their owne shonld be justified c. And thus Christ died to purchase a vertue merite to our faith that to this end it should become a Gospel-Righteousness whereby they might have whereof to boast to glory before men at least Hence we see that Christ's Righteousness might rather be called the Subservient ours the Principal And further which may justly make Christians ab horre this opinion Thus this poor convinced sinner pursued by justice for a broken Law is called to leane his whole weight of Acceptance with God found all his hope of Pardon Justification upon his own Faith or Gospel Righteousness as the only Righteousness wherewith he is to be covered the only Righteousness which is imputed unto him not upon Christ his Righteousness for what Christ did or purchased was common to all had only a conditional vertue which the personal Righteousness reduceth into act so must have a principal share of the glory for as to what Christ did Iudas had the same ground of thankfulness praise that Peter had Peter no more then Iudas and thus Peter was to sing the song of praise for his Justification Pardon unto his own personal Faith Gospel-Righteousness If this be not the Native result of this doctrine let any put it in to practice which I shall be
loath to advise trye whether thereby more of their weight is laid on Christ or on their own faith And on the other hand let any serious exercised Christian be enquired see if their practice agree with this doctrine If it be said That there is no such hazard so long as Faith is not considered here as abstracted from its Object Christ but is considered with a respect thereunto I Ans. 1 We have seen what a poor general respect faith by some of our Adversaries is said to have to Christ whereby it is made nothing but a meer historical faith the Author of the Discourse of the two Covenants p. 31. saith that even that faith that had not the Messias in the promise is imputed for Righteousness 2 As for such as confesse that justifying faith hath a special respect to Christ his Righteousness we would know whether it hath this respect that it peculiarly refugeth the soul there from the storme of wrath and bringeth in thence Christ's Righteousness or cartieth the man out to it that he may lean upon it plead the same as the only ground of his Absolution from the sentence of the Law And if this be granted then it is manifest that the beleever hath no Righteousness but Christ's Surety-righteousness where withall he desireth to appeare before God this is it alone to which he leaneth through which alone he hopeth for Pardon Acceptance without the least reflecting act of soul upon his own Faith 3 But againe if so faith must stand alone as acting thus in a peculiar manner on Christ which no work else is fitted to do therefore Faith Works must not be joyned together nor must Faith be considered in this affaire as comprehending all Obedience in it as we see they say 4 But when Faith is made our Gospel-Righteousness in whole or in part howbeit they say they consider Faith as acting on its object Christ yet it is manifest that it is then considered with relation to its object in a Physical or metaphysical manner as all acts specified from their objects may must be considered but not in a theological sense as required in the Gospel to bring-in the Surety Righteousness of Christ to leane the soul thereupon as its only Righteousness for when it is said to be our whole Gospel Righteousness it is considered as a moral vertâe as an act of Obedience in us constituting us Righteous in a formal sense according to the new Law which is hereby fully in all points performed obeyed much more when works are joyned with it doth it with works put on a far other respect than to be the hand receiving the Atonement the gift of Righteousness But saith Mr. Baxter against Mr. Cartwright p. 179. In regaiâd of that justification which is from the accusation of the Law of works I say faith is but a condition no otherwise justifieth but because it is made that condition by a New-Law per legem remediantem we must be judged by that Law therefore when the case is whether we have performed the conditions of that new law or not then faith is materially that Righteousness by which we must be justified against all accusations of Non-performance Ans. 1 I doubt if such as never heard a report of Christ shall be judged by the New-Law far lesse by it alone 2 God will not call in question a Beleevers faith nor accuse him of Non-performance Nor will the Gospel or New-Law do it so that the Beleever needs not plead his performance in reference to a Justification at the tribunal of God 3 When Faith is made a Condition by a New-Law thereby become the beleevers Righteousness this Righteousness is the Condition and is therefore a Righteousness because made a condition by that new Law yea elsewhere ibid. pag. 106. this Righteousness is said to be compleet perfect as all Righteousness must be we see what weight is laid upon it And when there is no other Righteousness properly imputed to us for as for that Imputation of Christ's Righteousness which he would yeeld to as the only sound sense it is but what Iesuites Socinians Arminians yeeld to we cannot be satisfied with who seeth not how this matter is framed so as all the weight of the soul must be laid upon this personal Righteousness especially when it is made another Sort of Condition than we can acknowledge it to be as shall be seen afterward and when it is the immediat ground of our Right to Pardon Justification Adoption c. for Christ's purchase was to him general common and no more for one than for another and to all conditionally If it be said What hazard is there so long as Christ's Righteousness is held to be that which satisfieth for the breach of the Covenant of Works is full Satisfaction to justice and which hath purchased the New-Covenant and the new easie termes our Righteousness in performing the new easie termes whereby we come to have Right to life all the benefites purchased by Christ is no way prejudicial unto that nor robbeth not Christ's Satisfaction of the least of the glory due to it I Ans. The hazard still continueth for hereby ãâã Gospel Righteousness be it Faith alone or Faith Works together is made the immediate sole ground of our Right to the benefites for what Christ did was general common and He by what he did made no particular purchase of any good unto any but procured the New-Covenant and the new grant of life upon the easie termes alike unto all the satisfaction which he made unto the Law giver for the breach of the old Covenant was not as a peculiar Cautioner for any in particular but was equally for all as much for the damned as for the saved So that our Right to the benefites cometh purely wholly from our performance of the New-Termes which Christ is said to have purchased Therefore though our personal Righteousness hath no interest in purchasing the New Covenant or in making satisfaction to Justice unto that end yet Justice being now satisfied equally for all and the New Covenant being purchased alike for all our personal Righteousness is that which must bear the glory of our interest in the benefits the Obligation where in we stand to Christ upon that account is the same that others are under who reap none of the benefites which we reape by our New Righteousness And here it is also manifest that Faith if that should be made the Gospel-Righteousness alone without works in order to the justification of a sinner is not conceived to act upon Christ as the Lord our Righteousness that the soul may put on his Surety-righteousness thereby answere all challenges of the broken Law but is conceived as our Work and as our Performance of the New Conditions and as such is rested upon leaned to Whereby man
hath ground of glorying before men in himself and not in the Lord alone for all have alike ground of glorying upon that account seing what the Lord did was common to all and this new personal Righteousness maketh the difference But it will be said That Christ's Righteousness being acknowledged to be our only legal Righteousness whereby we answere the charge of the Law the asserting of a Gospel-Righteousness whereby we come to have an interest in that legal Righteousness can do no prejudice I Ans. Beside that this maketh two distinct Righteousness as the one a meane to obtean another the one within us a price ex pacto for the other without us and all this in order to Absolution from one charge of the Law brought in against the sinner hereby as to us our personal Righteousness is really made our legal Righteousness because it is made that Righteousness whereupon this man and not the other that wants it is freed from the charge of the Law for according to this way Faith is not imployed to lay hold on Christ's Righteousness that by presenting that Surety-Righteousness unto justice the soul may escape the charge but when the charge of violation of the Law of God is brought in against the sinner his only reliefe is his Gospel-Righteousness which he presenteth whereupon he pleadeth for Pardon Absolution by vertue of the new Covenant which Christ hath purchased for should he alledge the death satisfaction of Christ that should give no reliefe because that was for all alike thereby the New Covenant was purchased where in the Gospel Righteousness whether Faith alone or Faith New Obedience was set down as the Condition and therefore it can stand him in no avail but he must refuge himself from wrath under the wings of his own Gospel-Righteousness for he hath no other and thereupon rest secure be confident of his Absolution from all that the Law could charge against him As for example if the Princes son should by a valuable price given to the Prince procure new Termes and Conditions to be proposed to a company of condemned treatours lying in prison if any one of these were challenged for the old crime threatned with the execution of the sentence past upon that account it would be of no avail to him to say the Princes son hath laid down a valuable price to buy me from death because he knew that he did that for all the rest in purchasing a New Covenant new conditions but the first sure course he would take would be to present his performance of the new conditions say the charge cannot reach me because I have performed the Conditions of the New Covenant procured by the Princes son This I suppose is plaine cleare this in our case would be found to be the only saife course that poor challenged sinners would take if they should act according to the doctrine of our Adversaries to which as I said I should not dar to advise one or other But really the Gospel-way which is opposite to this is plaine saife if we have but so much humility as to complye therewith And a difference may seem small in the debate which yet in practice may prove great of dangerous consequence CHAP. XXVI Christ did not procure by his death the New Covenant or the termes thereof WE heard what the Author of the discourse of the two Covenants what Iohn Goodwine said of this New Covenant As the foundation of their assertion of the imputation of faith properly taken they tell us that the New Covenant wherein this Righteousness is required as the condition thereof is founded wholly in the blood of Christ so that whatever is required of man by way of condition of his acceptation with God becomes accepted to that end upon account of Christ's suffering Mr. Allen p. 16. p. 53. 54. saith Nor doth this that faith accompanied with obedience is imputed for righteousness at all derogate from the obedience sufferings of Christ in reference to the ends for which they serve Because the whole Covenant all the parts termes of it both promises of benefites the Condition on which they are promised are all founded in Christ his undertaking for us and all the benefites of it accrue to us upon our beleeving obeying upon his account for his sake Mr. Baxter also telleth us in his book against D. Tully p. 66. That that which Christ did by his merites was to procure the new Covenant And elsewhere p. 181 that they were the meritorious cause of the forgiving Covenants the like he âaith elsewhere frequently The Arminians ground the imputation of faith upon the merites obedience of Christ Apol. f. 113. And Arminius himself disp 19. thes 7. that justification is attribute to faith not because it is the very righteousness which may be proposed to God's rigide severe judgment howbeit acceptable to God but because by the judgment of mercy triumphing over judgment it obtaineth pardon of sins is graciously imputed unto righteousness the cause of which is both God righteous merciful Christ by his obedience oblation intercession And in his Epistle ad Hyppolet he tels us that the word imputing signifieth that faith is not the righteousness it self but that it is graciously accounted for righteousness whereby all worth is taken away from faith except that which is by God's gracious estimation that gracious estimation of God is not without Christ but in respect of Christ in Christ for Christ. Christ by his obedience is the impetrating cause or meritorious why God imputeth faith to us unto righteousness And againe in his Artic. perpend de justif What fault is it so say that faith by free gracious acceptation is accounted for righteousness because of Christ's obedience But with this assertion we are not satisfied for these reasons 1. The Arminians who maintaine this so confidently make it the whole of what Christ merited by his death Satisfaction saying that Christ by his death did so satisfie the offended party as he would be favourable to the offender and so say that he acquired to the father a jus a will to enter into a new Covenant with men See their Confess c. 8. § 9. collat cum Apolog. c. 8. § 9. and as the learned Voetius inferreth Select dispp p. 2. p. 233 234. it followeth hence that Christ was not in very deed our Cautioner that he died not in our room stead that he did properly obtaine acquire nothing to us that he did not sustaine the person of the elect while he suffered on the crosse 2. ... that Christ procured no more but a power or liberty unto God of prescribing new Conditions and some go so far as to say that this liberty was such only at the Lord might if he had pleased have appointed the old way of works againe for the condition So said
Grevinchovius ag Amesius But it is true they yeeld more who grant that he purchased the New Covenant Yet by this purchase they can not say that Christ died to redeem us from our sinnes from the wrath of God from a vaine conversation to save us And indeed the same person last named saith expresly that Christ died not properly to saye any one And what can else be said by such as make this the whole of what Christ did purchase And how-rational is that consequence which the same person hath when he saith it might so have come to passe that Christ had had the end of his death that no one had fulfilled the new Covenant had been saved for they will not grant that Christ did purchase faith 3. Hence we see that such as say that this was all which Christ procured by his Death Merites do manifestly spoile us of all the rich Benefites which Christ hath purchased as being no immediat fruites of his death such as Faith Justification Adoption Sanctification Grace Glory thus evacuat the whole vertue of the death of Christ And this do Mr. Allen's words p. 54. import while he saith that all the benefites of the Covenant accrue to us upon our beleeving obeying upon his account for his sake and so they do not accrue to us upon his account for his sake immediately but immediatly upon the account for the sake of our Beleeving Obeying only for Christ's sake is this connexion made 4. Who ever assert that Christ hath purchased the framing Constitution of this Covenant in its termes conditions ought to confirme this their assertion out of Scripture till this be done we are a liberty to deny it how confidently so ever it be affirmed It is certane that such a principal point ground article of our Religion would not be darkly expressed in the Scriptures far less wholly passed over in silence as for any thing that yet is made to appear it is for as for 1. Cor. 1 30. Ier. 23 6. which Mr. Allen citeth any may see how impertinent they are that we say no more 5. If so then we must say with Papists that Christ hath procured a worth to our Faith Obedience to merite ex pacto the good things promised unto such as are beleevers obedient Yea hereby there would be more of merite in our Faith then in Christ's obedience 6. We mnst say that Christ hath purchased that we might be Justified by an Imperfect Righteousness For sure our faith new Obedience is not perfect even when sincere they laboure of many Imperfections have drosse faultiness admixed As also that he hath purchased that an Imperfect Righteousness should be accounted estemed a perfect Righteousness consequently that the judgment of God shnuld not be according to truth which were blasphemeous iniquous to imagine 7. Thus in effect Christ should be made the minister of sin by changing the conditions of the old Law which were perfect compleet Obedience into an obedience far short of that thus he must be come either to dissolve the Obligation of the Law that it should not exact now what it did exact of old or to loose us from the Obligation thereof that we should be in part Law less neither of which can be asserted yet this Position maketh clear way for either or for both 8. Then we must say that Christ hath purchased such a way of Justification as leaveth ground to men to glory boast though not before God yet before men for hereby he is made to purchase the renewing of the old Covenant of works with some mitigation as to tht termes though with little mitigation as to the persons unless we say with these Arminians that Man is as able to beleeve obey sinâerely if he will as Adam was to obey perfectly But sure Christ came for a far other end than to leave man any ground of boaâting or of glorying in himself for his Justification Salvation as having made himself to differ 9. Then Christ hath purchased a way whereby man might hold his Pardon Justification Adoption c. more of himself than of Christ for Christ by this way cannot be said to have purchased our Pardon Justification c. but only that we should have these favoures upon our Faith or have such such a reward of our Faith Obedience As he who procureth that a person shall have such a benefite upon condition he performe such a piece of service cannot be said to have procured that reward for notwithstanding of this procurement if it may be so called which is at best but a conditional uncertain thing the person might never have gote the reward 10. Then the making of the New Covenant and the making of it on these termes should be an act of meer Justice in God and not an act of his free Grace Love good Pleasure Will Kindness for it is Justice Righteousness in God to do that which Christ hath purchased procured to be done though it is true it may thus be accounted a meer favoure that it was of God's free will to enter into such termes of agreement with the Mediator to yeeld to the making of such a condition upon Christ's purchase But the Apostle tels us Ephes. 1 9. that God made known unto us âhe mysterie of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself Which mysterie of his will is the New Covenant dispensation of grace in the Gospel it is ascribed not to the merites of Christ but to God's good Pleasure to the Purpose which he purposed in himself So the saving of such as beleeve floweth from the love of God as well as no less then the sending of Christ Ioh. 3 16. God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son that every beleever in him should not perish but have everlasting life So Ephes. 3 9 10 11. the fellowshipe of the mysterie was hid in God the manifold wisdom of God which shineth forth in the New Covenant was according to the eternal Purpose which he had purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is ascribed to God's Love Ioh. 3 16. will Ioh. 6 40. 11. I grant it may be said that as Christ hath purchased to his own Pardon Justification Adoption Salvation so as a consequence of this he hath purposed the Meanes or rather the Application of the meanes thereunto that so the good things purchased may be actually conferred according to the manner methode condescended upon by Jehovah and the Mediator in the Coveuant of Redemption for He hath chosen us in himself having predestinat us unto the Adoption of children by Iesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us acctpted in the beloved in whom we have redemption
through his blood the forgivness of sins c. Ephes. 1 4 5 6 7. the chosen ones are predestinated both to the end to the meanes leading to the endâ But this matter is not consistent with their Assertion who say that Christ by his death hath purchased Faith New Obedience to be the Condition of the Covenant because by their Universal Redemption they leave all at an uncertainty especially when also they will not grant that Christ hath purchased Faith itself to any person 12. It must be said ... that Christ purchased the termes of the new Covenant ... and purchased that God should abolish the Law quite and not require a conformitie thereunto as our Righteousness by vertue of the new Covenant nor exact full Obedience to the Law from any in our name consequently it must be said that Christ hath purchased that the Law giver should wholly passe from that established Constitution do live without any real accomplishment thereof or requiring the accomplishment thereof from any on their behalf to the end the Lord might be just when he is the justifier of him that beleeveth in Jesus 13. This assertion also stricketh against Christ's being the Surety of the New Covenant for it is not the work of a Surety as such to purchase the Making Constitution of a Covenant but to confirme ratifie the same to engage for the party for whom he is a Surety that he shall performe the conditions accorded to in the Covenant so to establish the Covenant or contract already agreed unto constituted 14. Thus it should be said that Christ died rather for graces than for persons to wit That Faith new obedience may be elevated beyond their ordinare sphere exalted to be the Condition of the New Covenant But the whole Scriptures speak otherwise of Christ's death 15. If this were the thing that Christ procured he could not be said to have Redeemed any not so have died in the room stand of any but only for our good as say the Sociniant To purchase a new Covenant is not to be a Propiltation an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to âear our sins to Reconcile any unto God 16. Mr. Baxter himself against Mr. Cartwright p. 91. hath these words And therefore the Performer the Accepter did themselveâ NB. choose on what termes it i.e. Christ's Righteousness should be applied to us or be made ours quoad fructus And the termes resolved on were the New Covenants conditions which are now required of us to our participation hereof These words import some other rise unto this Covenant than the purchase of Christ. CHAP. XXVII How Faith is and may be called a Condition of the new Covenant and of Justification how not IT may be of some use ... to enquire in what way faith is and may be called a Condition ... The orthodox never denied that it may be called a Condition ... yet with all we must alwayes look upon Faith as an Instrument or Instrumental Meane in Justification because of its being as the hand of the soul to receive bring-in grip-to lay hold on the Righteousness of Christ as the Righteousness of a Cautioner of a publick person to the end they might be Justified Absolved from the sentence of the Law Accounted pronunced Righteous in the sight of God Upon the other hand Socinians Arminians who cast the whole Gospel in a new mould of their own deny Faith to be an Instrument assert that it is only a Condition or a cause sine qua non as they speak And this they do that their doctrine about Justification which is wholly corrupt may appeare to hang the better together We heard how they denied the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness now they must of necessitie also deny Faith to be considered here as an Instrument â for they know that it was called an Instrument meerly upon ãâã account of the Surety-Righteousness of Christ which it was to apply to receive to put on They affirmed that Faith properly taken was imputed unto Righteousness by vertue of Christ's merites was accepted of God for a Righteousness was so accounted now consequentially they must say that Faith together with new Obedience which they also ãâã conjoine as making up one Righteousness is to be looked upon us a Condition or causa sine qua non Socinus de Iustis tels us that though that obedience which ãâã performe unto Christ be neither the different nor Meritorious cause of our Iustification eternal Salvation yet it is the causâ sine quation as they say The same he saith Synops justis 2. p. 14. So doth Volkelius do vera Relig. lib. 4 c 3. Smalc Coner Frantz disp 4. p. 103. So the Remonstrants in their Apologief 112. Faith say they if we consider the matter aright cannot properly be called an Instrument of Iustification nor can the act of beleeving be an Instrumental action far less can it as an Instrument be opposed to faith as an action Corvin cont Tilen Faith carrieth that respect unto the gift of adoption that it is an obedience required of God upon condition of which the gift of adoption is decerned unto the sinner for a reward faith is not a meanes or instrument but a condition ordained of God for obtaining of life Simon Episcop disp 22. faith in this matter cometh to be considered not as an instrument apprehending Christ's Righteousness imputed but as apprehending Christ Iesus by whom that Righteousness is obtained It cannot be called properly an instrument but a condition prescribed by required in the Gospel-Covenant without which God will not pardon sin impute Righteousness Lawyers as may be seen in Spigely Calvinilexic âurid tell us of various sorts of Conditions Some Possible Some impossible Some certaine some uncertaine Some ... Voluntarie conditions say they do suspend the whole obligation untill they be performed Casual also necessary conditions do only prorogue the effect of the obligation the obligation itself its force is instantly perfected A condition thus taken they usually define Suspensio cujus de futuro effectus vel confirmatio pendet or futurus eventus pendet or leââ adposita hominum actionibus eas suspendens or Modus qui suspendit actum donec ca existente confirmetur or Modus vel causa que suspendit id quod agitur donec ex post facto confirmetur They tell us with all that the word Conditio is some time in the Law taken pro Modo though in many things these two differ much and that it is the same with ratio lex pactio pactum fortuna status locus jus causa so that it admitteth of various significations and in which of these significations here definitly to take it the Scripture giveth no determination for it is no scripture-expression in this matter And if it be said that the termes used in Scripture in this matter such as these beleeve
than Justification c. And though it be true that in this case what is inconditione non est in obligatione as to the actual possession yet we cannot think but the holy Just God having received satisfaction from the Mediator in behalfe of such for whom it was laid down is under an obligation as we may conceive and speake unto the Mediator to cause him see of the travel of his soul to give him his seed and those he purchased and in due time to call them effectually work Faith in them then Justifie c. Adopt them c. thus bestow all the benefites purchased upon then in the time methode wisely determined But if Mr. Baxter understand by this jus actuale that is constituted upon the performance of the condition a plaine and simple Right unto the benefite we can acknowledge no such Condition lest we render the death of Christ void for in him alone have we all our Law-title Right to all the blessings of the Covenant to Faith all that follow upon it That we may put an end to this we shall first shew in what sense we cannot admit Faith to be a Condition then shew in what sense we do admit the denomination As to the first we say 1. We cannot admit it to be a Condition in their sense who will have Justification so to depend upon it as on a Procuring Cause some way or other meriting at least ex pacto or ex congruo as Bellarm saith that benefite as a Reward for this destroyeth the Freedome of Grace that shineth forth in our Justification overturneth the whole nature of the Covenant of Grace spoileth Christ of his glory and doth man to come in as a sharer in the glory of that purchase 2. We cannot admit it to be a Condition in their sense who take a new Obedience with it for this taketh away the special Use of Faith and its special End in laying hold on refuging the soul under the wings of the Surety-Righteousness of Jesus Christ This changeth the nature of the Covenant of Grace maketh it a new Covenant of Works giveth ground of boasting of glorying before men yea maketh the reward of Justification and what followeth thereupon to be of debt not of grace And such a Condition in the Covenant of Grace we cannot owne 3. We cannot admit it to be a Condition in their sense who make it strickly a Potestative Condition placeing it in the power free will of man to beleeve or not as he will for as this overturneth the whole Covenant of Grace and exalteth proud man so it parteth at least the glory of Redemption betwixt Christ Man giveth man ground to sing to the praise of his own Lord free will to say he hath made himself to differ he oweth but halfe thanks hardly so much to Jesus Chaist for all that he hath done and suffered in order to the purchasing of Salvation 4. We cannot own it for a Condition in their sense who make it or it our new obedience together our Gospel-Righteoâsness that Righteousness which only is properly Imputed to us Reckoned upon our score as the Righteousness upon the account of which we are Justified for thus the nature of the Covenant of Grace is changed God is made to estimate that for a Righteousness which is no fulfilling of the Law Christ is made to have procured that it should be so that his own Surety-Righteousness should no otherwayes be imputed 5. We cannot account Faith a Condition in their sense who ascribe to it or to it with works the same Place Use Efficacie in the new Covenant that Perfect Obedience had in the old Covenant of Works for this maketh the New Covenant nothing but a new Edition of the old and shooteth Christ the Lord our Righteousness far away who is should be our immediat Righteousness that in him we might be found hid secured from the dint of the Law-Curse and with all giveth proud man too palpable ground of boasting contrare to the whole Contrivance of the Gospel-Covenant 6. We cannot owne it for a Condition in their sense who reject it and disowne it for an Instrument or an Instrumental Meane in our Justification because they deny that particular and special Use which it hath in our Justification so pervert its whole Gospel-Nature It s special use work in Justification being to lay hold on the Lord Jesus his side jussorie-Righteousness to carry the Man out of himself as renuncing his own Righteousness every thing that is not Christ his Righteousness that as poor empty naked he may lay hold on rest upon the Surety-Righteousness of the publick person Cautioner Jesus Christ for thus Christ his Righteousness are put by and he getteth not that rent of glory that is only due to him the soul is made to leane upon something beside this Rock of ages 7. We cannot admit it for a Condition in their sense who will have us hereby to have gotten a legal Title or Right unto Justification other benefites according ... following the same seing this puts the crown upon Mans head as having by his deed acquired a jus Law-right unto these blessings which become hereby a reward not of grace but of just debt We acknowledge all our Right Title to all the blessings of the Covenant to be from Christ the only purchaser of him must we hold all that all may be of free grace he even he alone may have all the Glory having redeemed us with his precious bloud purchased the whole Inheritance of grace glory for us 8. We cannot account it a Condition in their sense who plead for Universal Redemption because thereby Christ is only made to have purchased something to all alike that Conditionally no more grace glory for Peter than for Iudas but Peter by his own Paines Industrie by his Faith New Obedience did purchase the whole personal and immediat Right unto the blessings which he enjoyeth and hath received no more from Christ than what Iudas had so hath no more ground of exalting him for Redeemer than those have who perish seing what he purchased was common to all no more for one in particulur than for another for this setteth the crown upon mans head who hath saved himself by his sweating paines labour and spoileth our Lord Redeemer of his glory 9. Nor can we account it a condition in their sense who will have the whole or principal part of what Christ purchased to be the New Covenant the Termes Conditions thereof as if Christ had been a Cautioner for none in particular but had so far redeemed all as to have brought them into such an estate wherein they might now work won for themselves run fight for the prize according to
the new Conditions purchased and so if they run well sacrifice to their own net and burn incense to their own drag because by their own industrie care in performing the Conditions now made easier than they were to Adam in the first Covenant their portion is fat their meat plenteous 10. Nor yet can we call it a Condition in their sense who will have us look upon it in the work of Justification purely as a work of ours as an act of Obedience to a command as such a work as comprehendeth in it all the works of new Obedience for thus its peculiar Use of applying Christ of apprehending his Surety-Righteousness is taken from it the whole nature of the new Covenant is changed into the old Covenant of works Christ's âidejussorie-Righteousness is not made our immediat Gospel-Righteousness yea when we are thus justified by Faith we are justified by works whereby the whole of the Apostâl's disput is overturned we are taught to leane to lay our weight upon a Righteousness within ourselves contrare to the whole scope of the Gospel Upon the other hand we say Faith may be looked upon and called a Condition of the Covenant and of Justification in this sense That Christ having purchased all the good things of the Covenant all the sure Mercies of David all Grace and all Glory unto the chosen ones and the Father having promised the actual collation bestowing of all and every one of these mercies blessings so purchased and procured and Jehovah the Mediator both in the counsel of their will condescending on such a methode way of making the ransomed ones the owners of the Blessings purchased that is first to give the New Heart and the heart of fless and in effectuall calling worke them up to Faith in and Union with Christ and so draw them to the mediator and cause them accept of him wait upon him and rest there for life salvation and then to Justifie Accepte of as Righteous Adopte them and then worke the works of holiness by his Spirit more in their soul and so carrie on the work unto Perfection till grace be crowned with glory matters I say being thus wisely ordered in the councel of heaven there is a Priority of order Faith receiving Christ and resting on his Surety-righteousness going before and Justification following and a firme connexion made betwixt the two that who so ever beleeveth thus shall be justified and none shall be justified who beleeveth not thus Now when by vertue of this constitute order Method explained revealed in the Gospel the Ambassadours of Christ in obedience to their Injunctions call upon all who heare the Gospel to receive Christ and refuge themselves under his wings and receive the atonement through his Righteousness and promise them thereupon in their Masters name Pardon Peace with God Reconciliation and acceptance c. nothing more is here insinuated than that such a Methode Order is wisely determined and that there is a fixed connexion made betwixt Faith Justification so that who ever would be saved from the wrath to come would enjoy God for ever must come unto God in this way and according to this methode and must receive his blessings and Favoures in this order first beleeve and lay hold on Christ and his Righteousness and then receive Justification c. Thus we see faith is no legal Antecedent Condition no Proper or Potestative Condition but only a consequent or Evangelick Condition or a Condition denoting a fixed and prescribed Order and Method of receiving of the blessings purchased by Christ with a firme and fixed connexion betwixt the performance of the condition and the granting of the thing promised thereupon Thus Christ hath the whole glory of the work Man is abased and hath nothing to glory of in himself The reward is not of debt but purely of grace The wisdom and love of God is wonderful and remarkable All ground of carnal security and self confidence is removed A plaine and powerful ground is laid for ministers to press exhort aud obtest to Faith in the first place with all seriousness and zeal Full security and ground of confidence of being Justified and Accepted of God upon our beleeving is given The difference betwixt the Covenant of works and the Covenant of Grace is distinctly observed The Antinomian mistakes saying we are Justified from Eternity or at the death of Christ or at any time before faith are manifestly obviated And all grounds of excepting against or dissatisfaction with this way are removed from all such as will willingly comply with the designe of free grace in the Gospel CHAP. XXVIII How faith is and may be called an Instrument in Justification COncerning the Instrumentality of faith in Justification much needeth not be said howbeit too much hath been written about it that to very little edification so I judge I am sure to little use as to the clearing up of that concerning pointe of Justification the true interest of Faith therein We heard in the beginning of the proceeding Chapter how both Socinians Arminians did disowne faith its being an Instrument and Papists also before them did plead against it On the other hand the orthodox writting against Papists Socinians Arminians did unanimously assert Faith to be an Instrument or to be considered as an Instrument in the matter of Justification And few or none can be instanced of those who hold with the orthodox in all chiefe Controversies about Justification that did impugne or so much as deny Faith to be an Instrument in justification Yea Iohn Goodwine in his book of justification doth expresly call it an Instrument in justification It is true the Scripture no where calleth faith an instrument the same being no Scripture expression there needeth not be much strife about it nor will there be among such as are unanimous in the maine principal Questions about Justification or to that which is only designed intended by that expression And though the Scripture doth not use that expression interminis yet no man can hence inferre that all use of it and of the like should be laid aside nor can such be supposed to adde to the Scripture as Mr. Baxter hinteth Apol. against Mr. Blake p. 40. who call Faith an Instrument more then he can suppose that himself addeth to the Scripture when he calleth faith a Condition or a causa sine qua non for these are as little to be found expresly in the Scriptures as the other Nor do they who say Faith is an Instrument so much plead for the name as for the thing intended thereby All expressions that are not in Scripture must not be laid aside in our speaking of divine things for then we must lay aside the word Trinity Sacrament Satisfaction several others far less must the truth which we conceive can be intelligibly usefully expressed by those borrowed
closed entered into this âs denied and abundantly confuted by Mr. Durham in the forecited Digression 4. But the Question is if Repentance hath the same Place Office Use Consideration in Justification that Faith hath so that it may be every way as well as fully called the Coudition of Justification as Faith is so that it is called for in order to Justification upon the same account and under the same formality that Faith is called for Socinians Arminians as we heard above joine Repentance Faith in the same Order Place ascribe the same Office Use Power unto both in order to Justification And Mr. Baxter tels us Confess pag. 37. n. 19. That Repentance is made by God in the Gospel a proper Condition of our first general pardon of sin as well as Faith is And he laith down a ground for this interest of Repentance which I suppose will reach to the including of other works also in the foregoing n. 18. saying a quatenus ad omne valeâ consequentia If faiths formal interest in pardon be as it is the Condition of the act of pardon then whatsoever is such a Condition must have the same Kind of formal interest as faith By the first general purdon of sin here he meaneth Justification for with him Remission of sins Justification is all one thing And yet afterward pag. 96. Concl. 29. he hath words which would seem to give some peculiar interest unto Faith so contradict what is here said for he saith If any say that seing faith hath a peculiar aptitude to this office therefore it must have a peculiar Interest I answere so it hath For I it doth alone without merites or any positive Gospel works of obedience as such at least procure as far as belongs to its office our first full Justification 2. The love of Christ received Gratitude c. are but as modification of Faith which is called the receiving itself Though some of them be distinct physical acts yet all the rest morally considered are but as it were the modification of faith I mean of that act which is the acceptance of Christ life freely given c. Now I suppose he will grant as he doth above as we may see that Repentance hath not that peculiar aptitude to this office that Faith hath consequently cannot have that peculiar Interest as he confesseth I suppose also that he will put Repentance in the same rank with Gospel-Works of Obedience consequently it must no more share of that special Interest that belongeth to Faith in this office than they I suppose likewise that he will grant Repentance to be but a Modification of Faith as well as Love Gratitude and then I would know how Repentance can be said to be as proper a Condition of Justification as Faith is Sure if it be as proper it must have as peculiar an interest for this peculiarity of Interest cannot respect its aptitude meerly but it s deââgned appointed state in that office otherwayes the objection which he moved and answered should have this sense seing Faith hath a peculiar aptitude to this office therefore it must have a peculiar aptitude to this office which were non sense Now that Repentance hath not the same Interest in Justification that Faith hath we judge evident from these grounds 1. The Scripture tels us that we are justified by Faith and that several times not only saith it but proveth it as we saw above But it no where saith that we are justified by Repentance And reason would require that such as say that Repentance hath the same Interest in Justification that faith hath should tell us where it is said we are justified by Repentance for when it is thus said of Faith no where thus said of Repentance there must be a vast difference as to their interest in Justification unless they can give us some Scripture expressions concerning the Interest of Repentance aequivalent to this we are justified by Repentance If it be said That this is equipollent when it is said Repent that your sins may be blotted out Repentance Remission of sins are joyned together the like I answer Leaving the particular examination of these the like passages alledged untill afterward I shall only say this at present 1 That justification Remission of sins are not every way the same Though Mr. Baxter hath several times said it yet in his Catholick Theolog. of God's Covenant c. Sect. XIII n. 203. he saith our first constitutive justification is in its own Nature a Right to impunity this as he oft elsewhere tels us is Remission to life or glory Now what is beside a Right to Impunity also a Right to life glory is more than Remission of sins And therefore the consequence from Remission to Justification cannot stand 2 In like manner because it is said Luk. 6 37 forgive it shall be forgiven you it may be inferred that for-giving of our Neighbour some fault that he hath done us is the Condition of our Constitutive Justification hath as great an interest in our Justification as Faith it seâf and by it we have as really Right to impunity and Right to life glory as by Faith It is true Mr. Allen will not think this very absurd who reasometh from this same passage not far otherwise In his discourse of the two Covenants pag. 52. Yet I suppose others will I doubt if Mr. Baxter shall make this one the same thing with Faith as he laboureth in his Catholick Theol. to make Faith Repentance one It will be said when we are said to be Justified by Faith it is all one as if we were said to be Justified by Repentance for Mr. Baxter cleareth Of God's Govern Sect. XII how Faith Repentance is all one thing I Ans. 1 if the Spirit of the Lord had but once said in his word that we were justified by Repentance we might then be allowed to think of such explications as might make either both one thing or shew how both hath the same interest in Justification but when the Scripture never once saith that we are justified by Repentance for us to devise such explications as to make the Scripture speak what it never speaketh is not faire nor is it to edification because it hath no tendency to explaine the matter as expressed in the Scriptures and is so far from clearing up the truth that it darkeneth all for hereby we are taught to understand faith wherever we hear of Repentance Repentance where mention is made of Faith so that we may ascribe all to Repentance that is spoken of Faith Heb. 11. say that Repentance is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen c. 2 Though it is true the word Repentance as we have seen is sometime taken so largely as to include faith yet that will not allow us
to say we are Justified by Repentance as we are justified by Faith It is best for us to follow Scripture language The Scripture expresly denieth that we are justified by works yet Repentance is sometimes taken in such a large sense as to include all acts of Obedience This way then would allow us to sav we are justified by all works of obedience even as to constitutive Justification as we are by Faith Yet Mr. Baxter in his Confess p. 89 90. putteth a difference betwixt Faith Evangelick Obedience as to this Constitutive Justification making the one like consent to marriage relation or taking one to be my Captaine the other like conjugal fidelity obedience or obeying the captain sighting under him tels us that he no more comprizeth all Obedience in Faith than conjugal obedience in the marriage consent 3 That Repentance is not the same with Faith in the matter of justification in reference to which we now speak of both will appear from our following reasons So that whatever paines be taken to make them one on other accounts will be to no purpose as to our present business 2. If Repentance have the same interest in Justification that Faith hath then works shall have the same interest with Faith but this is diametically opposite to all the Apostles disput Rom. 3. 4. Gal. 2. 3. The reason of the Consequence is because Repentance includeth works is a special work act of obedience itself Mr. Baxter tels Confess p. 94. That Paul's scope is both to take down Moses's Law especially its necessity conceited sufficiency the Dignity of legal works consequently of any works that therefore by works Paul meaneth to exclude only merites or works which are conceited Meritorious or which for the worth of the dead done should procure Pardon acceptance with God without a Mediators blood so Paul himself described the works that he speaketh against Rom. 4 4. That they are such as make the Reward to be not of Grace but of debt Ans. This is but the same we heard before from Iohn Godwine and the same answer may suffice 1 If the scope of Paul had been only to take down Moses's Law why did he speak so much of the Gentiles shew how they were all under sin therefore must be justified by Faith not by the Law or by works This had no manifest tendency to that scope 2 Why brought he in the Instance of Abraham who was before the Law of Moses Abraham's not being justified by works could not prove the insufficiency of Moses's Law thereunto 3 To think that the Jewes did conceite that they would obtaine Pardon Acceptance with God only by their laborious performance of Ceremonies costly Sacrifices excluding all Moral acts of obedience is apparently groundless contrary to Rom. 9 30 31 32. 10 3 4 5. would say that Paul took not a right medium to destroy that conceite for his neerest surest course had been to have shown the nullity of that Law now under the Gospel hereby all occasion of further debate being perfectly removed 4 Paul is so far Rom. 4 4. from describing the works that he speaketh of to be such only as make the reward of debt that he proveth that Justification cannot be by works by this medium because then the reward should be reckoned not of grace but of debt and so telleth us that all work make the reward of debt This is a manifest perversion of the Apostles argument for he saith not now to him that so worketh as to conceite his works meritorious the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt but now to him that worketh far less can this be the meaning or construction of the words now to him that maketh the reward to be not of grace but of debt for what sense is here And further the meaning of the following words must accordingly be this but to him that so worketh as not to make the reward of debt but of grace his working is counted for Righteousness While as the Apostle saith a plaine other thing But to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Sure working without this conceite of merite is not beleeving on him that justifieth the ungodly neither are these works counted for Righteousness for holy Abraham wrought without that conceite yet he was not justified by works vers 2 3. Nor did David meane that mans blessedness did consist in the imputation of such works nor did he describe that blessedness when he said blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven c. Consider 1. Cor. 4 4 Ephes. 2 9. Phil. 3 9. Tit. 3 5. 3. Repentance hath no instrumentall acting on Christ his Righteonsness in order to our being justified But Faith hath this as was shown in the foregoing Chapter Therefore Repentance hath not the same Interest in Justification that Faith hath It is requisite necessary in order to our Justification that we be clothed with a Righteousness even the Surety-Righteousness of Christ and Faith only can lay hold on this put it on not Repentance Repentance doth not act so upon any thing without a man to bring it home that it may become the mans Righteousness it hath other work acteth upon another object upon sin within the man It is true Mr. Baxter in his Catholick Theol. of God's Government Sect. XI will have faith rather to be called a receiving cause than an Instrumental a medium or dispositive cause of the effect justification as as received but not as given And then Sect. XII he calleth Repentance a disposit to materiae recipientis too a part of the condition of the Covonant But we think it needless here to distinguish with him betwixt receiving Iustification being Justified we do not call Faith an Instrument of God's act Justifying as was said above If Faith Repentance be dispositive causes of the effect causa dispositiva be part of the causa materialis as he also saith I suppose they are not meer causae sine quibus non as he said elsewhere But to our business we have cleared before how âaith acteth in the matter of Justification how it receiveth an imputed Righteousness laith hold on this Surety-Righteousness of Christ applieth it to the end the accused impeached man may have wherewithall he may stand before the Tribunal of God be accepted of as Righteous in his Cautioner through his Cautioners Righteousness imputed to him now received by Faith though Mr. Baxter do account Faith's accepting of Christ life offered on that condition only its aptitude to the office that the formal reason of its office as to our Justification is its being the performed condition of the Covenant as he there speaketh yet that will not invalidat our argument for 1 Faiths aptitude as he calleth it or
rather its work acting in Justification is not meerly an accepting of Christ life offered on that condition but it is the accepting laying hold on leaning to applying the Surety-Righteousness of Christ presupposing the accepting of Christ himself 2 Though it may be said that the neerest formal Reason of Faiths office is the Lord's appointment yet this being too too Philosophical here contributeth nothing to the clearing up of the matter in order to practice so neither was Philosophical accuracy the ground whereupon they went who said that Faiths interest in Justification was as an Instrument but rather their end was to cleare the matter in order to Practice so as poor souls might not fall into mistakes this I judge to be the best Theological acuracie howbeit he should account many such speaches nothing but unintelligible phrases and such doctrine to containe such senselesness consequents as the opening up of would offend as he there speaketh 3 It is certaine that Repentance doth not so act on Christ and his Surety-Righteounsness in order to Justification as Faith doth Repentance as such is no acceptance of a free gift far less of a gift of Righteousness of an Atonement there-through Repentance acteth not thus on Christ Yea the reason he giveth Confess p. 39. why Repentance was made a condition of pardon doth sufficiently shew that it cannot have that interest that Faith hath His reason is this Because without it Repentance God the Redeemer cannot have their end in pardoning us Nor can the Redeemer do all his work for which we do accept him for his work is upon the pardoning of us to bring us back in heart life to God from whom we were fallen strayed This was Christ's work Therefore the condition which Christ maketh are as if he should say If you will be saved by me are willing that I shall bring you back to God I will both bring you into his favour by Pardon and into a capacity of personal pleasing enjoying of him Now our Repentance is our consent to return to God the change of our mindes by turning from former sin that was our idol being willing by Christ to be restored to obedience By this I say it is clear that Repentance hath a more direct aspect upon reference to the consequences of Pardon Justifiction itself we grant its necessity unto all the ends mentioned and its necessary presence in such as are Justified that its contrare or positive impenitency cannot consist with Faith in such as are to be Justified Yet that will not give ground to inferre that it hath the same Interest Influence Consideration in Justification that Faith hath Mr. Baxter In his Confess p. 39 40. seemeth to grant this whole Argument when he expresseth himself thus This I say that man may see I do not level Faith with Repentance much less as they charge me with actual external works of obedience which in this first remission justification I take not to be so much as existent What he addeth concerning the Ratio formaâts why faith or Repentance have such an interest in our Pardon to wit because God hath made them the Conditions of the promise cannot hinder our conclusion untill first it be proved that God hath made Repentance such a Condition we are speaking here of the difference that is betwixt the two as to their Nature Aptitude which he confesseth to be very great also as to their place use because of the great difference that is betwixt them as to Nature Aptitude 4. If the Interest of Faith be not as it is a work or inward grace inherent in the soul but as such a going out of the soul from it self all its own inherent good and from all external privileges or what may be called adherent personal good unto an offered Mediator that it may embrace him lay hold on and lean to his jussorie-Righteousness then Repentance cannot share in this Interest with it But the former is true Therefore c. The Conncection may be cleared from what is already said we are not speaking of that here which Mr. Baxter will have to be the neerest formal reason nor of that only which he will have to be its nature aptitude but of its Use proper Actings in this office in reference to the end Justification which are such as cannot agree to Repentance as is manifest Himself tels us in his Confess p. 89 90. That he takes Repentance to be to our faith in Christ as the breaking off from other Suitors Lovers turning the mind to this one is to Marriage Whereby we see that though Repentance be necessarily required in one that is a beleever and that faith can not be without Repentance Yet Repentance hath no place in the office of Justification it hath no plaine formal immediat interest in the receiving of Justification as that turning to the minde from other Suitors to that one hath no formal interest or place in closeing the Marriage Covenant though it be a very necessary prerequisite unto right closing consenting the marriage Covenant This giveth ground for another Argument 5. As upon the account that a woman hath changed her minde from other Suitors to one it cannot be said or inferred that therefore the Marriage Relation is made up with that one Suitor which is done only by a formal full explicite Consent so upon the account that one is a penitent it cannot be formally inferred that that persons is in Covenant with Christ and is Justified Because as Mr. Baxter hath told us Repentance is unto Faith but as the womans changing her mind from other Suitors to one is to the consenting unto the Marriage proposal And if upon a Persons being a Penitent it cannot be formally inferred that he is in Covenant with God a Justified person then Repentance hath not that interest in Justification that Faith hath for upon a mans beleeving it can formally immediatly be inferred that he is in Covenant and is Justified I say formally because consequentially it will also follow that a Penitent man meaning one that is truely penitent is justified upon this account that where ever there is true Repentance there is also true Faith But as the change of the womans mind is not formally the making up of a marriage Covenant So neither is Repentance that which formally constitutes a man a Covenanter with Christ and a Justified person only Faith doth this as the womans consent maketh up the marriage-Relation 6. Iâ Repentance hath the same interest in Justification with Faith then as our Adversaries say that Faith is imputed to us as our Gospel Righteousness so must they say that our Repentance is imputed to us for Righteousness But beside the reasons whereby we proved above that Faith was not imputed to us as our Gospel Righteousness which will also serve here mutatis mutandis we may adde
this that there is nothing in Scripture giving the least countenance hereunto even as to words or expressions 7. If Repentance have such an interest in Justification as Faith hath then this must either be true of Repentance as begun or as perfected I meane as to pârts But of neither it can be true not of begun Repentance for questionless there are some beginnings of Repentance before Faith taking Repentance largly as it is here taken as the womans change of her minde from other Suitors is before her closeing a Marriage Covenant with this man then it would follow that a man were Justified before Faith which I suppose will not be said Not of compleeted Repentance for that followeth faith for thus it followeth godly sorrow 2. Cor. 7 10. and is expressed by that Carefulness Clearing of ourselves Indignation Fear Vehement desire Zeal Revenge mentioned 2. Cor. 7 11. all which must follow Faith And repenting Ephraim Ier. 31 19. said after I was turned I repented after I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded c. This being instructed being turned includeth Faith the rest that followed upon it are expressions of Repentance and hence it would follow if only compleeted Repentance be that Repentance that hath the Interest in justification that Faith hath a man cannot be said to be justified upon his beleeving no not untill Repentance be brought to this Perfection And then Faith cannot be the consenting act whereupon the bargane is closed 8. Repentance can bring nothing in that can stay or prove a support unto an awakened soul pursued with the sense of wrath for the breach of the Law nor can it present any thing unto God as a ground whereupon to be delivered from guilt wrath as Faith can do doth by laying hold on Christ his Righteousness an only sufficient ground whereupon the poor soul can have hope and with confidence can expect Absolution Therefore it cannot have the same interest in justification The antecedent is clear undeniable the Consequence is also manifest because this interest in the matter of justification must be estimate according to the ground of Hope that is yeelded thereby unto the poor vexed tossed soul the ground of Confidence that is had thereby of Acceptance of God 9. To say that Repentance hath the same interest in justification that Faith hath will prove I judge dangerous doctrine to many poor wakened sinners prove a meane to keep them off the Rock of ages and at least a meane to hinder or retard their motion Christ-ward in order to Peace Reconciliation with God for experience teacheth such as deale with wakened Consciences that the most of their work oft times is to keep them from resting on someting within themselves in order to Peace and particularly from relying resting upon some sort of Griefe Sorrow or Repentance which they conceive to be in themselves to bâing them unto a cleanly resting upon Christ his Righteousness forsaking all other things And when now they hear that Repentance hath the same interest in justification that Faith hath how will they be fortified in their Resolutions so that all the labour paines of Ministers or other Christians may prove much fruitless unless the Lord come in a wonderful manner many others may perish in their presumptuous thoughts founded on their inward Sorrow Repentance as they supposed because they would never go out of themselves to leane to Christ his Righteousness It is true These of the contrary minde presse not Repentance alone but Faith Repentance together Yet by their way I finde not the right Gospel-exercise of Faith-pressed that is faith bringing in an imputed Righteousness or laying hold on Christ for Righteousness refuging the Soul in Him resting upon that as the only absolutly surest ground of Confident appearing before God and of expecting Pardon Peace but only such or such an act of faith pressed as being now under the New Covenant in the same place that Perfect Obedience had in the Old whereby as the Old Covenant is but renewed so the wakened or alarmed sinner is but taught to look after lean to something within himself as his immediat Righteousness upon which he must be justified 10. If the Surety-Righteousness of Christ imputed by God received by Faith be only that Righteousness upon the account of which the poor sinner is to be accepted of God as Righteous to be absolved from the Curse of the Law As we have above proved it to be then Repentance cannot have the same interest in justification that Faith hath because it neither doth nor can so lay hold upon this Cautionary-Righteousness as Faith doth Or we might frame the argument thus If Repentance have the same interest in justification that Faith hath Christ's Cautionary-Righteousness shall not be the only Righteousness with which the soul that is to be justified must be clothed because Repentance cannot put on Christ his Righteousness as faith doth But this last cannot be said for reasons given already 11. If Repentance hath the same interest in justification that faith hath then even by Gospel justification there should be ground left to man to boast to glory before men the reward should not be of grace but of debt contrary to Rom. 3. 4. The Consequence is clear because Repentance acteth not on a Righteousness without us and can be considered no other way then as an act of Obedience in man and so as a work and Faith by this way goeth under the same Consideration is not considered as bringing-in the Surety-Righteousness of Christ and laying hold on it alone as it is by our way for both are looked upon as dispositive causes and as parts therefore of the material cause and as proper potestative conditions just as perfect obedience was under the Old Covenant And whatever difference be acknowledged to be betwixt them as to their Essence Aptitude whereby Faith is said to be an acceptance of the gift formally Repentance not so in its averting act as Mr. Baxter is speaking Cath. Theol. ubi supra Sect. XII n. 201. whatever it may be as to other acts yet they are both made formal Potestative conditions as is said so solely considered as works done by us and all such as was evidenced above make the reward of debt give ground of boasting because being our formal works they are made the immediat formal legal ground of our Justification being made our immediat formal perfect Gospel-Righteousness as was seen above 12. Adde to these That if Repentance have the same Interest in Justification that Faith hath God cannot be beleeved on as the justifier of the ungodly contrare to Rom. 4 5. for Faith Repentance are hereby made the mans personal Righteousness and Mr. Baxter tels us Confess p. 46. n. 38. that there is no such thing
in rerum natura as a true Righteousness which doth not formaliter make the person so far Righteous Now a Righteous man can not be an ungodly man that were a contradiction It is not here enough to say that the man is ungodly before he be Justified for in the act of justifying or while he is a justifying he is considered not as ungodly but as Righteous yea antecedenter to his being Justified he is considered as a Righteous man is therefore justified because Righteous in himself having performed the conditions whereby he becometh personally Righteous And therefore while he is justified God doth not justifie an ungodly man But it will be said that this will as well follow upon our way I Ans. Not at all because though we place Faith in priority of Nature before Justification yet we make not faith a personal Righteousness so that while the beleever is justified a man guilty in himself void of all Righteousness in himself is justified so that God justifieth an ungodly man But it will be said By our way the beleever is considered as clothed with Christ's Righteousness upon that account cannot be called nor accounted an ungodly man I Ans. He is still notwitstanding an ungodly man in himself having nothing wherewith to satisfie justice or to procure Peace to himself but what he hath imputed to him from a Cautioner And thus God is justifier of the ungodly in himself that by his faith proclaimeth himself such one that is not in case to pay one farthing of his own debt Other Arguments may be brought from our foregoing debate against the Imputation of Faith in a proper sense and Faiths justifying as a work I shall now proceed to examine what is alledged for the Interest of Repentance Obj. 1. Mr. Baxter In his Confession pag. 37. n. 19. citeth some passages of Scripture whereby he thinks to prove that Repentance is made by God in the Gospel a proper Condition of our first general Pardon of sin as well as Faith is The first whereof is Luk 13 35. But this I judge is miscited there being nothing there that looketh here away possibly it should be Luk. 13. v. 3 5. of this place we will have occasion to speak afterward The next he citeth is Act. 3 19. Repent ye therefore be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Ans. But 1 Repent here can not be meaned of the acting of that Repentance whereof we are here speaking to wit of that particular special grace which is distinct from Faith that because of the exegetical terme added be converted So that Repent here can denote nothing else but a turning from all their sinful opinions wayes and an embraceing the Gospel way of Salvation that thereby they may be saved for ever And 2 Neither is the Apostle speaking here of constitutive justification or of our first general Pardon but of a blotting out of sins a long time hereafter to wit when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord at his second coming as the following verses shew So that 3 As by this blotting out of sins all the favours great rewards of free grace which the Righteous judge will give in that day are signified or comprehended under it which he mentioned especially that it might suite the charge of the grievous guilt of killing the Prince of life which he was laying home upon them so under the other two termes of Repenting being Converted the whole of the duties required in the Gospel are to be understood If it be said That Repent be Converted is as much as Repent beleeve so the Particular grace of Repentance is here understood I Ans. 1 Then it will follow that neither are conditions of Pardon here but both are requiâed in order to Pardon at the great day when Christ shall come agaiâe for the blotting out of sins here mentioned is said to be at that time as the following words clear 2 This will say only though it were the true meaning thereof as it is not that Repentance is required of those that would expect of Christ Pardon at his second coming as well as faith which we deny not 3 This Repentance should not be compleet Gospel Repentance because it is anteriour to Conversion or to Faith while as the best part of true Repentance followeth as we cleared above Obj. 2. He citeth next Act. 2 38 Repent be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins Ans. 1 This would plead for Repentance alone without Faith 2 It would plead for as great an interest for Baptisme as for Repentance Neither of which can be owned as true Therefore the true meaning of the place is Turn from your former way of seeking slavation by your own corrupt Imaginations Superstitions which led you out of blinde zeal to crucifie the Lord Christ embrace the Gospel of Salvation now preached to you through that Lord whom ye crucified that ye may receive Remission of sins through Faith in him be baptized that you may have the outward signe of your professing of having Remission of sins through him a seal of Remission granted to you through him And this may be cleared from the promise subjoined ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost which is no where promised unto Repentance but unto the faith of the Gospel and the receiving of Christ therein was accordinglâ bestowed Act. 8 12. with 15 17. 9 17. 13 52. 15 7 8. 19 1 2 6. And what Peter exhorted then unto they did vers 41. And what was it that they did They gladly received his word that is willingly and cheerfully they embraced the Gospel and so were added to the Church Obj. 3. He citeth Act. 26 20. that they should repent return to God and do works meet for repentance Ans. But here is no mention made of Justification or of Remission of sins And who denieth but people are to Repent return to God do works meet for Repentance This is not the thing that is here in question If he mean vers 18. where it is said To open their eyes to turne them from darkness to light from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivness of sins inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith that is in me I Ans. There is no word of Repentance here but express mention made of Faith It is true turning from darkness to light e. will include Repentance Yet it is by Faith that both Forgivness of sins the Inheritance Sanctification is had for by Faith that is in me may referre to all these three And though this should be denied Yet all that could be hence inferred would amount but to this That Repentance is necessarily called for in these who receive forgivness and
the Inheritance or would receive them But all this is nothing to our present question Obj. 4. He citeth in the Margine Luk. 24 47. And that Repentance Remission of sins should be preached in his name And Luk. 15 7. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth Ans. This last place maketh no mention of Pardon or of Justification only saith that Repentance will Include Faith doth import the whole Conversion of a sinner unto God whereof Faith in Christ is the first chiefe step As to the other place we told before that by Repentance here is understood all that duty which is called for in the Gospel this being a short summe of the whole preaching of the Gospel that therefore by Remission of sins all the blessings favours that sinners need are promised in the Gosspel must be understood So that this maketh nothing against us Yea if these two expressions were strickly to be taken it would give ground to inferre that Repentance alone were the Condition of Remission But what saith all this to the purpose now in hand do any of these expressions give the least coloure to inferre that Repentance strickly taken hath the same use Interest in Justification that Faith hath Obj. 5. Others possibly may urge Act. 8 22. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee Ans. 1 If this place prove any thing that way it will say as much for the Interest of Prayer in Justification equal to the Interest of Faith as for the Interest of Repentance 2 Yea plead for these only with exclusion of Faith or at least for the Sufficiency of Repentance prayer without Faith which is not here expresly mentioned 3 But Repent here is taken in a comprehensive sense as including Faith its ground Cause whereof it is the expressive evidence sensible effect So that the presence of Repentance in such as would be Pardoned may hence be well inferred which is granted necessary upon several accounts but the present question is whether it hath the same Place Office Influence in Justification Pardon that Faith hath Obj. 6. It may be some will fârther object Luk. 13 3 5 except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And this likely was the passage which Mr. Baxter cited in the first place the printer putting vers 35. for 3. 5. through a mistake But I Ans. This place only proveth what is not denied to wit That Repentance is necessarily required of such as would be saved And if hence it be inferred that therefore not only its presence but its interest is the same with Faiths in Justification the Interest of good works of all commanded duties may be hence inferred to be the same with Faiths in justification because these are as necessary in order to Salvation as is Repentance Obj. 7. Prov. 28 13. He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but who so confesseth forsaketh them shall finde mercy Ans. 1 If forsaking of sin be here taken strickly for Repentance if this place be urged pertinently to the point now in hand Confession of sin will be made to have the same influence will be made more necessary than Faith it self which is not here expresly named 2 Finding mercy is not strickly to be understood of Justification or of meer Pardon but is to be taken more largly for Felicity here hereafter as being opposed to a not prospering And so hence can only be inferred the necessity of the presence of confessing forsaking of sin in such as would finde grace mercy in the eyes of the Lord would prosper in all their wayes Obj. 8. Christ is sent to preach good tidings to the meek the broken hearted the mourners to such as are under the Spirit of heaviness Esai 61 1 2 3. Ans. This place indeed proveth that Christ was annointed to preach good tidings unto the meek to binde up the broken hearted to comfort all that mourne to appoint give unto them beauty for ashes the oile of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness but here as the Repentance imported is something more than ordinary as the expressions intimate so the good that Christ is here said to be sent to do unto them is something more than ordinary to wit Comfort Joy in an high measure which is more than meer Pardon or Justification some pardoned justified may stand in need hereof being indeed mourners in ashes under a spirit of heaviness notwithstanding of their being in a justified state So that this place cometh not home to the point now in question Obj. 9. Is not this to favoure the Antinomians who say that Repentance is needless and is a meer legal duty neither to be urged nor practised under the Gospel Ans. Though we say that Repentance hath not the same Place Office Interest in about Justification Remission of sins that Faith hath Yet we give no countenance unto the Antinomian errour because we affirme Repentance to be necessary in all such as are Justified and the real beginnings of Gospel Repentance to be also necessary unto such as are to be justified I say the beginnings because I conceive the principal parts or workings of saving Gospel-Repentance follow faith and upon Faith in Christ is the union betwixt Christ the Beleever made and the man brought into a justified state Seing then we presse urge the exercise of Repentance as a constant duty require it in all such as would enjoy Peace Comfort here be saved here after we yeeld nothing unto the Antinomians And against them we urge the same Scriptures that have now been alledged others also as irrefragable proofs of the necessity of this grace though to other ends than to be justified thereby in such manner as we are said to be Justified by Faith Obj. 10. Do not our Divines ordinarily say prove that Faith Repentance are Conditions of the Covenant of Grace I Ans. True but their meaning is not that Repentance is the same way a Condition of Justification that faith is but that terme Conditions of the Covenant they take largely to wit to signifie import the duties required of such as are within the Covenant of Grace not strickly for Conditions of entering into Covenant These two are carefully to be distinguished many things may be called the Conditions of marriage that is duties of married persons to other that can not be called Conditions of making up the marriage Relation as is manifest so is it here Many duties are required of Beleevers that neither are nor can be called Conditions of Justification or of entering into Covenant with God Obj. 11. But do not many both in sermons in writtings even when speaking of Pardon of justification joyn Repentance with
faith Ans. It may be so but their meaning is not I conceive to give an equal share of Interest Power Office in about justification unto Repentance with that which they acknowledge Faith to have but either their purpose is hereby to show the inseperable connexion that is betwixt faith Repentance or to show that they speak of that faith which is attended with this necessary Grace of Repentance doth effectually work the same or both rather So that their true meaning is to give the due privilege interest unto that saith which can prove it self to be real true justifying faith by effectuating Repentance never to be repented of and thus they withall satisfie an Objection or question that might be made if they had mentioned faith alone for it might be enquired How shall we know whether our faith be of the right kind or not Now their joining of Repentance with faith doth shortly answere this question Repentance being a concomitant and a fruit of true faith more sensiblie felt obvious to their perception might be to them a vive perceptible expression of true justifying faith Obj. 12. But seing faith by some is called that which doth morally qualifie the subject to be a fit patient so be justified why may not Repentance have an equal share in this moral Qualification with Faith I Ans. If we should make faith to have no other Interest in justification than Repentance hath or may be yeelded to have we may easily grant that Repentance hath the same equall Interest with faith but it is denied that faith hath no other Interest but as that which doth morally qualifie c. drieness in wood may qualifie it for the fire yet the wood may be long so before it become the subject of fire so may it be with moral qualifications many a man may be morally qualified to be a fit match for such a woman or a woman for such a man yet the marriage Relation never be made up betwixt them But this cannot be said of faith whereby the marriage is made the person is actually justified not a bare fit patient to be justified CHAP. XXX Whether Love purpose of Obedience or perseverance be Conditions of Justification BY what is said in our foregoing discourse we may know what is to be answered unto these Questions so that we need not insist long in the discussing of them Some of late lay downe for a ground and hereby give occasion to discuss these and such like questions that whatever is or may be called aâ the Covenant of Grace is upon that account may be called the Condition of Justification thus confounding the whole order of the Gospel making all duties required of such as are in Covenant ordained of God for other ends uses to be required as Conditions of entering in Covenant and to have the same use and end in unto justification which faith hath contrary to express Scripture saying that we are justified by faith not by works of Righteousness which we do and contrary to the whole methode of the Gospel grounds laid down therein for an acceptable performance of obedience As to Love Papisit's make it the forme as they speak of faith not in it self simply considered but in order to Justification Salvation thereby saying that faith without Love is dead And it is true that true saving faith worketh by Love and that faith cannot be called Saving or Justifying which doth not excite unto acts of Love and many may deceive themselves with a faith that will not be found when tried to be of the right stamp as the Apostles Iames teacheth But yet they put no specifick difference commonly betwixt this dead faith faith informed for both as to what is essential intrinsik to faith which they hold to be an assent unto all things revealed by the Lord unto men upon the account of the Veracity and Authority of the Revealer are one the same so as one and the same faith may be sometime dead when to wit not working by Love sometime lively when formed with Love But of these things we need not here speak only we see that with them Love is in a manner more necessary unto Justification than faith must be looked on as a necessary condition thereunto even as that without which faith can do nothing And to confute this here is but vaine seing it shall serve nothing to our purpose because with them justification is the very same we call Sanctification But others who have more sound and distinct apprehensions of justification tell us That love is the condition of justification because a condition of the Covenant of Grace as if all the duties of such as are in Marriage Relations were conditions of making up the marriage Relation Others who distinguish betwixt Faith Evangelick Obedience as betwixt consent to a mans Soveraignity obeying him as Soveraigne as doth Mr. Baxter Confess p. 89 90. Yet say that Love is comprized in Faith and is some degree of Justifying Faith not properly a fruite of it because the wills apprehension of a thing good or earnest willing accepting it is the fame with Love so is the wills Consenting Electing accepting all this being in Faith Love must be comprehended in it Yea they say that as Love Faith are propounded in the Gospel as of the same necessity so they are necessary in Justification concurrent in apprehending Christ. So spoke Mr. Baxter in his Aphorismes And in his Confess p. 34 35. he saith Though Charitie as it respecteth other objects is no part of faith yet as it respecteth an offered Saviour it is as much essential to faith to receive Christ with Love as it is essential to a Saviour the object of faith to be good for us for good as good is received by love Nor was it ever the Intent of the Holy Ghost to take faith in Christ in so narrow a sense as includeth not Love to him when it is saving Faith that is spoken of In reference to all which we need say but those few following things 1. The Scriptures do plainly enough distinguish betwixt Faith Love They are reckoned as distinct fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5 22. Love joy-faith yea Faith is said to worke by love Gal. 5 6. we heare of the work of faith and labour of love 1. Thes. 1 3. we heare of Charitie out of a pure heart of faith unfaigned 1. Tim. 1 5. And the grace of our Lord saith Paul 1. Tim. 1 14 was exceeding abundant with Faith Love which is in Christ Iesus We hear of the brestplate of Faith Love 1. Thes. 5 8. 2. The Scriptures do plainly tell us that we are Justified by Faith as we heard but never saith that we are justified by love And sure as it is best for us to regulate our expressions according to the Lord's
Revelation of this mysterie so it cannot but be offensive to use such expressions as not only are not scriptural but also seem inconsistent with Scriptural expressions when the Scripture saith expresly frequently that we are Justified by faith and that in opposition to works and not only saith it but proveth it it cannot be justifiable in us to say that we are Justified by Love seing that would at least seem to crosse the Apostle's assertion the force whereof is as ours abundantly evince against the Papists that we are Justified only by Faith consequently by no other grace neither by Love nor by Hope nor by Patience c. 3. By the Scriptures telling us that we are Justified by Faith never saying that we are Justified by any other grace as by Love c. we are given to understand that Faith hath other Operations Uses Ends in the office of justification than Love or any other grace hath And therefore to insinuate that love hath the same Interest Office in about justification that Faith hath is to deny or overturn the proper specifick actings of Faith in order to justification And how small a matter soever this may appear to be at first yet when it is further prosecuted or the ground of this searched into or its designe tendency considered impartially it will befound of a deeper consequence to tend to the alteration of the whole specifick nature of the Covenant of Grace as it is distinct from the Covenant of Works for though both Faith Love may must be looked upon as acting upon the same object Christ yet when Faith is conceived as acting no other way than Love and both as potestative Conditions or as parts of one Potestative Condition and no other way it is plaine enough how the special actings of faith in compliance with the designe of God's Wisdom Grace and Love in the Gospel contrivance and thereupon in receiving resting upon Christ as the alone propitiating Sacrifice and on his Surety-Righteousness as that alone by vertue of which they are to expect Justification Acceptance with God to receive the Atonement are laid aside And the beleeving soul is supposed not to act on Christ nor apply Him his Righteousness in order to the being Acquit from the sentence of the Law from the Curse due for the breach of the same in that particular manner that both its case condition requireth and the Gospel pointeth forth and the experience of soul attaining hereby to Peace doth confirme 4. It is true there is Love to Christ in the soul that beleeveth and it must be so and it is true also that this Love is called for in the Gospel but hence it will not follow that Love is the Condition of Justification or that every thing that is present with or accompanieth faith in justification hath the same Life Ends and Interest in Justification or the same Influence thereupon that faith hath far less will it follow that that which followeth faith and whereby faith worketh through all the after-carriage of a Beleever hath the same Place Power and Interest in about justification that faith hath as we shewed above of Repentance 5. If by this Love nothing else were meaned but that Love of desire that necessarily accompanieth the souls accepting and closeing with what is good or offered as good sure it would have given no ground of offence to have called it so would have been more acceptable than to have called it otherwayes even though speaking strickly the Love of desire may be called Love and is a Love in its own kinde and therefore I judge that denomination might have been rather chosen which would have given no offence than the other which to avoide suspicion and offence calleth for so much waste of words to render the expression less noxious especially seing for all that is said in clearing of the same all ground of suspicion is not removed but that some other thing was intended than that meer Love of desire that is inseparable from the will 's earnest pursuite after or embraceing any good thing offered especiasly when it is said That Ioh. 16 27. 14 21. make Love the antecedent Condition of God's Love Christ's Love to the person And that that goeth with Remission and is a Love of Reconciliation and Reconciliation comprehendeth Remission At least you will never shew out of Scripture that the procureing God's Love and the Procuring Remission Reconciliation have not the same conditions for hereby it is manifest that Love even as distinct from faith as it is Ioh. 16 26 because ye have loved me have beleeved that I am come out from God is made as formal full a Condition of Reconciliation Pardon consequently of justification as faith his Yea that both faith Love are made Conditions procuring God's Pardon Reconciliation Thus speaketh Mr. Baxter against Mr. Cartwright pag. 202. But lest any should think that either of these places cited should prove what Mr. Baxter alledgeth them for it would be considered 1 That Ioh. 14 21. He is speaking of such as are already beleevers justified when he is speaking of such as have already Christ's commandemants keep them 2 He speaketh of the Fathers of his own Love of such in the future time which cannot be meaned in reference to his Disciples unless we think they were not yet justified contrary to the very forgoeing verse many other passages in that discourse particularly Chap. 14 1 15 3 4 5 9. 3 This is meaned of a Love of Manifestation as Christ's own words added exegetically declare And I will Love him will manifest my self to him 4 This same sort of expression of Love is also to be understood Ioh. 16. as the whole scope cleareth this being spoken to perswade them that they should receive the returne of their prayers should not ask the Father in vaine for such a Love carrieth he towards you as if he had said that in a manner I need not intercede for you 5 And so the Love of the disciples here mentioned is that Love of complacencie which they had in Christ in abiding still in his Company and delighting in him whom they had followed as their Master all alongs and the cause from whence this flowed is added and have beleeved that I came out from God As to the second particular to wit Purpose of obedience M. Baxter in his Aphorismes told us that as the accepting of Christ for Lord which is the hearts Subjection is as essential a part of justifying faith as the accepting him for Saviour So consequently sincere obedience which is the effect of the former hath as much to do in justifying us before God as some Affiance which is the fruit of the latter Hereby he would seem to give the same Interest unto actual Obedience in Justification that he giveth unto Affiance which cannot be
wanting unto Justifying Faith yea himself confesseth to be an essential act of Faith in the margine of these words Printed with Mr. Cartwrights observations and his Reply pag. 204. But in his Confess as we heard above p. 89 90. he putteth as great a difference betwixt faith Evangelick Obedience as betwixt the Consent to Marriage Relation and the conjugal Fidelity Obedience of a wife to her husband So that hereby it is manifest that with him all Obedience cannot comprized in faith so cannot be a Condition with Faith of Justification and this he saith pag. 90. expresly So that I do no more as I am accused comprize all Obedience in Faith because I comprize a Love to the Redeemer a Consent to be governed by him then I comprize all Coujugal Obedience Fidelity of a woman to her husband in the Marriage ââvenant or Consent because I comprize in it Love to the Man a Covenant of fidelity obedience to the future His meaning is not then that actual Obedience is either a part of faith or hath the same interest of a Condition in Justification that faith hath Therefore he tels us more plainly positively his meaning as to this Confess pag. 38 39. n. 22. This Covenant saith he meaning the Covenant that a Beleever entereth with Christ as a Saviour and in him with the offended majestie containeth an engagement to future obedience So that though our first faith be not the same thing with Obedience to Christ yet in taking Christ for King it essentially containeth a Resolution Covenant to obey him Hereby we see that a Resolution Promise or Covenant to obey Christ for the future is essentially included in faith as justifying consequently that this must be as kindly a part of the Condition of Justification as any thing in Faith And next that the ground of this is because justifying faith as justifying doth as kindly really take Christ for a King as for a Priest This is further explained by what he saith immediatly before n. 21. The very nature of this saving Faith is to be a Heart-Covenanting of a Sinner with Christ as a Saviour Even as is a Covenant of a woman to her husband a Souldier to his Commander a Subject to his Prince a Scholler to his Master it is our becoming his Disciples By which we see these things laid down as truthes to be received 1. That the souls Covenanting with Christ or accepting of him as offered in the Gospel is like the Covenanting of a woman with her Husband of a Souldier with his Commander a Subject to his Prince c. 2. That as the Woman Souldier or Subject Resolve Covenant Promise to performe obedience unto the Husband Commander or King so the Sinner in Covenanting with Christ doth Resolve Covenant and Promise to performe Obedience unto Him 3. That therefore this Resolution Covenanting Promising to performe obedience being essential to Justifying Faith is a formal Condition of Justification the meaning of faiths being the Condition of Iustification must be this the Man's Resolution Covenanting Promising to performe Obedience is the Condition of Iustification or at least this part of faith as well as others is the Condition 4. And the ground of this is because Justifying faith even as Iustifying or in order to Iustification acteth as directly expresly on Christ as a King as on Christ as a Priest In Answere to which I shall but briefly say these things 1. The similitudes adduced halt in one thing that one thing is all as to our present business A woman Covenanting with her husband and thereby promising obedience or a Souldier with his Commander or a Subject with his Prince presuppose acknowledge Power Strength in themselves to performe the obedience promised upon the Supposition Conviction of this power ability in themselves to performe what shall be commanded they willingly of their own accord promise to put forth that Power Strength Ability of theirs unto the performance of obedience that shall be required But it is not so in our case The Sinner who is now supposed to be about Covenanting with Christ through the Spirit of Conviction Humiliation is put far from all his natural Pelagian conceits apprehensions of himself of his own abilities He is now made to see that as he hath nothing at present wherewith to Satisfie God for the sins that are charged upon him nor to allure Christ to do for him unless it be wretchedness miserie that may move Christ to compassionate his case so he can do nothing for the future that can be accepted of God till he be renewed He is made to see that there is a Natural Impotency I mean not a physical impotency as if he wanted a soul or Faculties in him to any thing that is good a pravitie of Will whereby it is impossible that he can do any thing conforme to the will of God untill he be Regenerated made willing by an omnipotent Power have a new active Principle of life and grace given unto him or infused in him by the Spirit of Jesus 2. Whereupon it is manifest That a sinner in that plight in that Condition we must consider him to be who is now seeking to be Justified and to be delivered from the wrath of God for sin in fleeing to Christ for refnge cannot be thought to be making any such Promises or having any such Resolutions in order to his Justification and Freedom from the Curse of the Law He that is throughly convinced of his total Impotencie will not think while he is under the power of these Convictions of making any Engagements for obedience in time to come Yea where any such things really were it might be feared that the work of Conviction was not keep enough and that such so acting would not receive Christ freely as he is offered in the Gospel but rather came with a price in their hand a parcel of faire promises for the future of doing that which was not in their power But it will possibly be said That though there be no express and explicite Engaging Promiseing here yet there cannot but be a virtual engageing as in the making of Marriage though the woman do not explicitly promise obedience yet her engagement is included in her acceptance of the person I Answere Let us suppose that the woman is every way as unable to obey her husband as the sinner not yet converted is to obey the commands of God that from her husband alone she must receive that whereby she shall become able then see if her consenting to the match do formally include even virtually her engagement to future obedience I do not suppose by all this that the Beleever is under no Obligation or Engagment to Obedience for as he hath received a principle of obedience even the new heart the willing minde and the renewed faculties so he is
finde no where required in order to Justification This is no where called a Condition of Justification We are no where said to be Justified by this Resolution This is inconsistent with the frame of a poor wakened soul seeking Justification This would in part make the gift of Justification not free of free grace but to be of works or of a Resolution for works and so would give ground in part at least of boasting of glorying contrare to the whole frame of the Gospel And so this would lessen the difference betwixt the Old Covenant of works and the New Covenant of Grace Having thus dispatched the second particular we come unto the Third to wit to enquire whether perseverance be a Condition of Justification And of this we need not speak much seing by what is already said it is apparent how false this is Every thing that is required of such as are Beleevers cannot be called a Condition of Justification It is said that a Condition suspendeth the obligation to bestow the benefite promised upon Condition untill it be performed And so it will hence follow that if Perseverance to the end be the Condition of Justification no man can be justified untill he have persevered to the end so no man shall be justified in this life whereby an end is put to all our present debate the subject thereof being taken out of the way If it be said That faith is the Condition of Justification as it endureth to the end I Ans. That that faith which will endure to the end is the Condition I grant But I deny That Faith is the Condition of Justification as it endureth to the end we no where read of Faiths being the Condition under this reduplication as enduring to the end for then it would follow that no lively faith how strong so ever could unite a soul to Christ untill it had endured to the end and so man upon his first Beleeving ãâ¦ã be never so livly strong can be said to be justified to have passed from death to life contrare to all the Scriptures And this would too much assimilate the New Covenant unto the Old wherein Adam was to work out his dayes work to the end ere he had Right to his wages Yea hence it would follow that in this life there were none of the fruites of justification to be had such as Peace with God Accesse to God Glorying in tribulations Joy Comfort contrare to experience the Scriptures Rom. 5 1 2 3 4 5 11. 8 35. to the end Luk. 7 50. Mat. 9 2. 2. Thes. 2 16. Heb. 6 18 19. 1. Pet. 1 4. So that in a word from what hath bein said it is evident how little ground M. Br. hath to glory in this way of his and though to an inadvertent person it may appeare Plausible what is adduced for a reason yet when considered it will be found fioath and a florish of words for be it so that justifieing faith receive whole Christ which we doe not deny for Christ is not divided for as there is but one faith so but one Christ. And I will have occasion to speake more fully to this matter afterward Yet what doth Mr. Baxter gain hath he gained his Pepper-corne of Faith or Gospel-obedience to be imputed unto us for Righteousness according to the new law he should say the new edition of the Old Covenant or rather the Old Covenant newly established no by no means for be it grainted That Iustifieing Faith as such respected Christ equally as King and Prophet as it doth him as Priest which yet I deny and shall without divideing Christ make it appeare I aske him how doth it receive Christ Jesus the Lord Surely he cannot but say as he is offerred in the Gospel well then the Lord who knoweth what we are offereth him to us and makes him to us wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and redemption so that God in the offer of his Christ as a King lookes upon the sinner in the same capacitie to obey him as in the offer of him as a Priest he is to pay his debt and that is not onely in no capacitie but as opposit to such a thing of himself Hence it as evident that Faith receives Christ as a King not by promiseing or purposeing to obey him but from a Conviction of its own aversion to purpose to please God that he by his Kingly Power shall kill the enmity Conquer the soul bring it to purpose as well as practise work in it to will as well as to doe cast down imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and bring every thought in captivitie to his obedience so when Faith acts on him as a Prophet there is in this act neither purpose nor promise to obey him as a teacher c. But from a Conviction that the mind is not onely void of light but it is prepossessed with corrupt principles so that the man that hath nothing but the soul of a man takes up the whole Gospel Mysterie as foolishness And it is impossible for him to know these things since they must be spiritually discerned I say from this Conviction he receives Christ as his wisdom as he that shall give him an understanding to know him that is true and to make him who is not onely as a beast but so much worse that his light is darkenesse of a quick understanding in the feare of the Lord and wise to salvation Now this exactly answereth the sinners need and hath all his wants made up by Jesus Christ according to his riches in glory and God's end in makeing his Christ to poor sinners wisdom Righteousness c. That so he who glorieth may glory in the Lord. Now if Mr. Baxter will Consider this he will even lay aside his Pepper-Corne as of no Price for here all is without money and without Price to the poor soul c. and he is considered as a receiver of all from Christ. CHAP. XXXI Gospel-obedience is not the Condition of Justification THough as we heard Mr. Baxter himself will not say that Gospel-obedience is the Condition of Justification yet he recommendeth a book to us to peruse to the end we may receive much light in the knowledge of the Gospel I meane the discourse of the two Covenants formerly mentioned wherein this is asserted with great confidence And though this be sufficiently confuted by what is said yet we shall in short take some notice of the grounds of this Mans Confidence give some remarks upon what he saith He tels us pag. 132. That the sense in which the Apostles did assert it i.e. Justification by Faith without the works of the Law was that faith Iustifieth without works antecedent to beleeving This is what Bellarmin other Papist's say without works as the works of a literal observation of Moses law which was opposed by the jewes to faith This is but his fiction and its grounds may come
of God Gal. 2 20. Yet faith receiveth him as God manifest in the flesh 1. Tim. 3 16. as the word made flesh Ioh. 1 14. as the Christ the Son of the living God Matt. 16 16. Ioh. 6 63. as the Immanuel God with us Esai 7 15. Mat. 1 23. Luk 1 31. 2. Faith taketh him wholly as to his Offices as a Prophet as a Priest as a King Faith embraceth him as that great Prophet Act. 3 22. as the Word of God that came out of the bosome of the Father to reveal his mind counsel for our Salvation Ioh. 1 17 18. Faith receiveth him also as Priest offering up himself to God a sacrifice for sins and making Satisfaction to the justice of God as Interceeding with the Father Ephes. 5 2. Heb. 2 17. 7 25. 9 14 28. Hence we hear of Faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. And Christ crucified is proposed to Faith to receive feed upon And in order to Justification Pardon faith as we shall hear hath a special eye unto the Surety Righteousness of Christ. Faith also receiveth him as a King to subdue their souls to himself to make them Subjects to swey his scepter in their souls to subdue all their spiritual Enemies to Support Rule Guide Defend them by his Spirit Esai 33 22. Act. 5 31. Psal. 110. through out 3. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Relations he hath taken on in reference to his people to wit as an Husband Ephes. 5 30 31 32. as an Head Ephes. 5 23. 1 22. Col. 1 18. as the Chief-Corner stone Ephes. 2 20. 1. Pet. 2 4 5 6 7. as a Vine Ioh. 15 1 2 5. As a Witness Leader Commander Esai 55 4. as a Light Esai 42. 6. 49 9. Faith receiveth him under whatsoever Title Denomination he is held forth for the comfort of his People 4. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Work imported Ends designed by these Offices Relations Denominations which he took upon him under which he holdeth forth himself 5. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Furniture Qualifications whereby he was fitted for the discharge of the duties belonging to the Offices which he did execute both in his Estate of Humiliation Exaltation for throughing perfecting of the work which he undertook to do so that Faith receiveth him as the Anointed of the Lord as having the Spirit of the Lord upon him as having all Fulness all Power Authority even the Spirit without measure Esai 61 1. Luk. 4 18. Ioh. 3 34. 1 14 16. Col. 1 19. 2 3 9 10. Mat. 28 18. 6. Faith receiveth him wholly as to all the sinners Necessities Cases Wants Straits Difficulties which they either are or may be into from first to last All the Vessels must hang on Him as the nail that it fastened in a sure place Esai 22 24 25. Faith eyeth Him Him alone seeketh the upmaking of all in Him alone as knowing that in Him only sinners can be compleet Col. 2 10. out of his fulness must they receive grace for grace Ioh. 1 16. Therefore is he held forth as fournished with all richly that we stand in need of as a Store house Treasurie of all necessaries as having Eye salve Gold Rayment what we need Revel 3 18. 7. Faith receiveth Him with all the Sufferings Crosses Inconveniences that can follow Faith taketh up the Crosse followeth Christ. Mat. 10 37 38. Mark 8 34. Mat. 16 24. Luk 9 23. Next I say That Christ as revealed held forth offered in the Gospel is the object of Saving Justifying faith And so 1. He is received as the result to speak so of the wonderful Contrivance Designe of free Grace Love Goodness Mercy Wisdom concerning the glorifying of God in the Salvation of the chosen ones in through Him faith here observeth closeth chearfully with that gracious Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah or God Father Son and Holy Ghost and the Son in order to the Salvation of poor man through the Sones becoming Mediator God-man becoming Cautioner for such as were given unto Him and coming in their Law-place and suffering for them and their debt c. Faith closeth with and embraceth this foundamental Ground of Salvation in all its Parts Ends Meanes and so receiveth Christ as standing in such a place and as engageing to through such a designe of Love free Grace so far as the Beleever cometh to know understand the same to be revealed We may consider to this end Esai 53. through out Ephes. 1 3. forward Rom. 3 21-27 and other places there see how Christ is held forth 2. He is received as the great Gift of God Ioh. 4 10. as the Soveraigne Mean through which all the great designe of Grace is brought about in a glorious manner as the authorized Ambassadour of God and messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3 1. as the grand Effect of Love Grace Goodwill Tu. 3 4. Ioh. 3 16. as fore-ordained and set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. and as made of God unto us wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption 1. Cor. 1 30. He is received as the Power of God and as the Wisdom of God 1. Cor. 1 24. as He in whom God was reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 2. Cor. 5 19. and as made sin though he knew no sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2. Cor. 5 21. that is as the Lord our Righteousness Ier. 23 6. Thus faith in receiving Christ as thus held forth in the Gospel eyeth God the Giver the Sender the Maker of Christ to be sin and eyeth God as the Justifier of the ungodly in him Rom. 4 5. and as the Reconciler of us to himself by Christ 2. Cor. 5 18. as forgiving sins and granting Redemption through Christ's blood according to the riches of his Grace wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom prudence Ephes. 1 7 8. Here is the incomprehensible riches of the Mercy Grace of God Father Son Holy Ghost eyed as the Object according to their peculiar methode order of working in this grand affaire 3. He is received as offered held forth in the Promises Thus was he embraced of old as the promised Messiah and as the substance of all the Promises which the Fathers of old saw a far off Heb. 11 13. Ioh. 8 56. That promise made to Abraham that in him all Nations should be blessed was the Gospel Gal. 3 8. and contained a bunddle of promises vers 16. And the faith of this was that faith by which Abraham was justified Rom. 4 16-22 Hence all the promises are made good in and through him and they are all yea amen in him 2. Cor. 1 20. And he is
to act faith upon him sutablâe with hope confidence Therefore as he is a King to subdue Enemies the faith of his people is to act upon him as such when they would have their spiritual Enemies subdued as He is a Prophet to teach the faith of his people must act upon him as such when they would have Light Counsel Direction so as He is a Priest to Die Satisfie make Atonement Reconciliation Peace their Faith is to act upon him as such when they would have Guilt removed Peace made up betwixt God their souls Sixtly The end designe of asserting Christ as King to be as specially the Object of Faith in Justification as is Christ as Priest may sufficiently render it suspicious for it is as we touched above to bring-in our Obedience as distinct from Faith or as included in it to be the Condition of Justification the same manner of way that Faith is though as was cleared above the consequence will not be fouâd good The reall question here as is well observed by others is not whether any thing of Christ â to be excluded from being the Object of Justifying Faith But what in and of our selves under the name of Receiving Christ as King is to be admitted to share with Faith in its place and interest in our Justification Seventhly To say that faith acteth in order to justification in as special a manner on Christ as a King as on Christ as a Priest is to alter the Nature Use Ends of Faith in this work to give it the Place Power of a proper potestative condition as it is a vertue work of ours not to look upon it as bringing all sutable supplies in a distinct manner from Christ as was shown above and this is but sutable to that alteration of the Nature of the New Covenant that is made by the asserters of this whereby it is of the same specifick nature with the Old Covenant of Works as if it were no more but a new Edition thereof with some alterations as to the Conditions Let us now see what Mr. Baxter saith to the contrary in his Catholick Theol. p. 2. of moral works Sect. 7. p. 55. c. He tels us n. 105. That to be justified by faith in Paul's sence is all one as to be justified by becoming Christians Ans. We grant with him that to be a Believer a Disciple and a Christian are all one in the Gospel sense that by the same Faith by which one is justified he is a Christian also but this proveth not that Faith in order to justification acteth not in a special manner on Christ as a Priest and we have found how Paul both in his Doctrine and in his own Practice explaineth the acting of Faith in Justification This may serve for an answere also to what he saith n. 106. to wit that the faith by which we are justified is essentially a beleeving fiducial consent to our Covenant relation to God the Father Son Holy Ghost for we grant that it is but one the same Faith which doth all this but yet this Faith may be conceived as acting in a peculiar manner in order to justification We grant also that it is the same faith by which we have Right to the benefites of the Covenant by which we are justified Yet we say that in order to Justification that same Faith which receiveth whole Christ and thereby a Right to the benefites of the Covenant acteth in a peculiar manner on Christ as Priest in order to Justification He tels us next n. 108. That the faith by which we are justified hath God the Father for its object as essentially as Christ the Saviour Ans. And we do not deny God the Father to be the Object of that Faith by which we are justified And will he say that Faith in God without Christ will justifie a sinner or that there is any beleeving in God the Father now without beleeving also in Christ The places he citeth Ioh. 17 3. 13 1. shew the contrary Adam's Faith indeed was such before the fall but our Faith now must be of another kinde It is to as little purpose for him to say n. 109. That it is as essential to this faith to beleeve in Christ as the Purchaser of Holiness heaven as to beleeve in him as the purchaser of pardon For he purchased all as a Priest not as a Prophet or King when faith acteth on him as a purchaser it acteth on him as a Priest But he addeth And to beleeve in him as the Teacher Ruler of the Church as to beleeve in him as the justifier of beleevers True because beleeving in him as a Ruler beleeving in him as the justifier of beleevers are both to beleeve in him as a King And this is not the thing that is denied Beleeving in Christ as the justifier of beleevers is not the same with beleeving in him as a Priest in order to justification which is the thing he should have said here if he would have spoken to the purpose What he saith n. 110. concerning Faith's being the act of the whole soul having for its object God the Father Son Holy Ghost in Christ all that is essential to him as a Saviour was granted asserted also by us formerly but it maketh nothing to our present question He tels us n. 111. That to say that some one only of these parts of Christ's office as they are conceptus inadaequati of a Saviour is the only object of justifying faith or that by beleeving in Christ as our Teacher Ruler as well as Priest as a Iustifying judge as well as a justifying Sacrifice and as a fulfiller of the Law is to âxpect justification by works as Paul denyeth it This is a vaine distinguishing a falsifying the doctrine of Faith Iustification a departing from the Scripture simplicity by corrupting seeming subtility one of those humane Inventions which have wronged the Church Ans. These are but angry words carry with them no force of reason And who is most guilty of vaine distinguishing of falsifying the doctrine of Faith Justification c. he or such as he opposeth in this matter indifferent persons are at freedom to judge And whether his new Doctrine or the old which he so violently in all his writtings oppugneth hath more of seeming subtility in it to the wronging of the Church in its peace quiet every one may judge by the effects But as to the matter in hand he may know 1 that there is a difference betwixt saying that some one only part of Christ's office is the only object of justifying Faith as he here speak saâing that faith whose adaequate object is confessed to be as large as he himself doth make it in order to a souls justification acteth in special manner on Christ as a Priest not excluding Christ as a King or
as a Prophet but rather including whole Christ according to the manner above mentioned which is the thing we say 2 Where readeth he of Faith in Christ in order to justification as our Teacher or Ruler or Justifying judge or justifying Sacrifice He should remember what he said n. 107. when speaking against the Phrase justifying faith faith justifying us as being humane not Scriptural at all 3 Indeed beleeving in Christ as Teacher Ruler c in our sense cannot inferre justification by works but he knoweth that it was for this end to bring Works in with Faith as equal Conditions or parts of one Condition of Justification that this new question was stated by him in his Aphorismes And whether such doctrine be consonant to Paul's or not we have seen in part above He addeth n. 112. That it is but the same deluding subtilty vaine curiosity playing with deceitful words to say that we are justified by faith quatenus recipit Christ justitiam as it beleeveth in Christ's Sacrifice perfect obedience only not as it beleeveth in him as Teacher Ruler Sanctifier judge when the Scripture saith no such thing at all but simply maketh faith in Christ supposing faith in God the Father to be that by which we must be justified Ans. We minde not to be startled at his bold angry expressions for we meet with them so oft Whether the Scripture warrandeth us to say what we have said or not the Reader is at liberty to judge from what is said And we have nothing here yet said by him to prove that we are justified by Faith in Christ as Teacher or Ruler which is it we are looking for here More of this Stuffe we have n. 113. This distinction saith he is founded on another falshood supposed which is that the effects of all Christ's saving works are as distinctly to be ascribed to Receiving acts of faith as they are to the the several procuring acts of Christ the object of Faith which is another corrupting addition to God's word Ans. Who it is that saith so as to all the several effects I know not Nor do I see any necessity to say so as to some in special as to Justification we but follow the Scripture going before us as is shown And we make no addition but he is the man that is singularly guilty of adding to God's word in this pointe for he saith that faith in order to justification acteth not only in a special manner on Christ as Priest which is the truth we say and owne with the Scriptures but also on Christ as a King and as a Prophet as a judge yet giveth us us not one passage of Scripture to confirme this but thinks we must be satisfied with his assertions subtile distinctions vaine curious expressions answering his own Philosophical Notions with which he seemeth to be much taken and we very little What followeth there I have nothing to do with He hath a large discourse of various Receivings n. 114. 115. to what purpose as to the business we are now upon I do not well see yet let us see how he endeth it God's Covenant saith he doth give us Christ life that is Iustification Sanctification Glorification in title or right in one gift to be accepted by one entire faith as the Condition not making at all the order of the gifts faiths respect to them in that order to be any of the Ratio Proprietatis Ans. 1 Will he not distinguish betwixt having of these benefites in Title or Right having them in possession He must sure or he must say that beleevers are already perfectly Sanctified and Glorified 2 Will he say that there is no more required to the actual Possession of Glory full Sanctification than here he saith is required unto the Title But it is like he will comprehend under this Faith all after Gospel-obedience But then all this must preceed to justification c. as well as to actual Glorification so none shall be justified till they be Glorified or he must admit of differences here 3 As notwithstanding of what he saith here he will I suppose grant that Faith hath a Further special acting or manner of acting on Christ in order to obtaining of Light Life Strength and other things necessary in for grouth in Sanctification so he may suffer us to say that notwithstanding of this Faith in a special manner eyeth acteth upon Christ as a Priest in order to justification for there is no more inconsistency in the one than in the other The humane instances whereby he thinks to make this plainer n. 116. do not help here A wifes relation saith he is founded in her marriage consent Now if he be a noble man a rich man a wise man a good man they knew all this by knowing it were induced to consent are to have their proportionable benefites by his Nobility Riches c. Yet their Title to these benefites ariseth not from the act of their consent as it respecteth these benefites distinctly but meerly by consent unto their Relation Ans. Notwithstanding hereof when the woman is charged by her Creditors to pay her debt her running to her husbands Wisdom Nobility Goodness will not avail her but she must in a special manner run to his Riches must from thence bring a Satisfactory payment unto her Creditors And if he whom she hath taken for her husband hath already satisfied the debt she is to instruct that before the judges before whom her alleidging that her now-husband is a great Noble man and a most Wise man c. will not avail We grant also that by Faith the Beleever is united married unto Christ hath thereby a Right unto Him to all his Benefites according to their necessity Yet will the Lord have that in order to their actual justification they shall apply his Merites lay hold thereon as it were produce the same in face of Court as the only ground of their Discharge as in order to their actual Glorification he will have them doing many other things In end n. 117. he tels us that to say faith justifieth me as it is the receiving of Christ's Righteousness not as it is the receiving of Christ as a Teacher Ruler c. is a confounding or seducing saying But as yet we have seen no strong reasons evinceing this to be such a seducing or confounding saying but the contrary is apparent from what is said Let us see why he judgeth thus For sayeth he if it intimate that faith justifieth us as an efficient cause principal or instrumental it is false But we have seen before that faith may be considered here as an Instrument to say this is neither to confound nor seduce otherwayes all the Reformed yea his friend Iohn Goodwine have been Confounders deceivers none but Mr. Baxter with Papists Socinians some Arminians
our Pardon whatever seeming assurance we had formerly So that this place speaketh nothing of the Condition of our pardon but of the condition rather of our Sense Feeling grounded Assurance of Pardon which is a far different thing These are the Scriptures whereby he would prove his first argument His 2. Arg. is this Our first faith having the nue nature of a Covenanting with Christ giving ourselves to him taking him for our Lord Redeemer therefore it followes that as the Covenant making accepting was of necessity as the condition of our first right remission so is our Covenant keeping of the same necessity to our continued right And that God is as it were disobliged if we should not keep Covenant And the keeping hath more in it than the bare making No Covenant-relations usually are entered among men but the Covenant keeping is more than the making and the conditions of their continued right more then of their first right So it is with a Subject to his Prince wife to a husband Souldier to a commander Scholer to his Teacher Servant to his Master c. Promising will give them the first right but performing in the essentials must continue it it or will cease for the end of the promise was its performance And in that respect faith which is the Covenant is inferiour to obedience which is promised though in other respect it may be superiour Ans. 1 Though Justifying Faith be also a Covenanting faith and of uniteth he soul with Christ Yet in order to Justification it hath not to use his words the true Nature of a Covenanting with Christ nor a giving up ourselves to Him but rather it is a receiving resting on Him and his Righteousness and a fleeing to his Merites for refuge 2 Nor doth faith in order to Justification as we cleared above receive Christ or goe to him as Lord King but rather as Priest 3 Nor doth the receiving of Christ at first as King formally include Obedience or a promise of obedience as was also manifested above 4 Therefore from this first acting of faith in order to justification it can no way follow that Obedience or Covenant keeping as he speaketh is the condition of our continued Right or of our continued justification 5 What God hath promised upon Covenant-keeping he is it is true disobliged from giving to speak so when the Covenant is not keeped But we find not that he hath promised Justification or the continuance thereof upon these termes 6 There is no Covenants among men that can fully quadrate either with God's Covenanting with us or with the matter of Justification about which we are now speaking The sentences of judges absolving the debitor upon the payment of the Cautioner instructed agreeth more with this and we finde not in such sentences any such-like Conditions mentioned of their Continuance in force 7 Some of these Relations or Covenants mentioned are purely aliene being betwixt a Master his servant and the Captain and the Souldier these are meer mercenary contracts having Obedience service for their only end promiseing a reward upon that Condition Our justification hath no likeness to this 8 Even in these Relations every act of disobedience or non-performance of the duties required doth not dissolve the Relation and therefore it cannot be said that upon the contrare performance as a condition the continueing of the Relation dependeth Mr. Baxter seeing this addeth a restriction in the essentials And in our case I would require what he will account Essential It must be that sure the contrary whereof is inconsistent with a Justified state and what can this be but a total Apostasie From which there is full securitie laid-in in the New Covenant which is not in any of the Covenants among men which he hath mentioned And this total Apostasie must include a full renuncing of Christ his Righteousness as to Justification And this rather would say that the continuance of Justification dependeth on the continuance of Faith adhereing to Christ his Righteousness to this I shall willingly assent And this taketh away the force of the 3. Arg. which he adduceth saying 3. Arg. If there were no more necessary to the continueing of our Iustification but only the same thing which did constitute it then we should be justified by no none act of faith to our lives end but only the first instantaneous act so our faith after that instant should never more be justifying faith But that 's false c. Ans. This whole argument I yeeld unto for I plead not against the interest of faith here but against our works being the condition of continued Justification as was said above CHAP. XXXVI Of the Interest of Repentance in the Pardon of after-sinnes WE spoke before Chap. 29. of Repentance in order to the first pardon of sinnes or to justification and in the foregoing Chapter we shew that the continuance of Justification did not depend on our works as the Condition thereof But now the question will be moved touching Repentance Whether it may not be said to be required as a Condition of the Continuance of Justification or at least as a Condition of the Pardon of sins committed after justification Concerning which we would premit these things 1. It is granted that Repentance is not only necessary at the first Conversion of a sinner but is a Grace that is constantly to be exercised by a Beleever so long as he liveth both in respect of its terminus a quo of its terminus ad quem or both in respect of its aversive of its conversive part for he is still more more to depart fâom sin and to turne unto God and to all the wayes of his Commandements Psal. 119 59. The very body of death is constant matter of groaning and mourning unto him Rom. 7 24. his dayly iniquities transgressions ought to keep him low and to put him to this exercise Beside what at extraordinarie times of publick wrath or judgment against the Land Church or Place he liveth in or judgments upon his own neer Relations Familie c. or upon occasion of his own more hainous out breakings as in David Psal. 51. 2. It is also granted That where is no Repentance or no true Repentance for sinnes committed there is no ground for that man to suppose that his sin is pardoned I do not here speak of the measure or expressions of Repentance for there may be mistakes on both hands some thinking their Repentance is naught because not in such a sensible measure as they think is required may therefore inferre that their case is worse than indeed it is others upon the other hand may suppose they have repented when it is not so so inferre pardon when they have no ground But this is granted that where true sincere Repentance is not there is no Pardon from God of sins whereof such are guilty for to such as
all who work well keep the Law of Moses shall have free Pardon Right to life And thus they were as well justified by the works of the Law as by faith for faith was also required of them And then the meaning of the Apostles Conclusion Rom. 3 28. is therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith and by the deeds of the Law for both faith works with Mr. Baxter belong to this Subservient Righteousness as he calleth it If this be consonant to the Apostles doctrine which doth so contradict it let the Reader judge 3. Saith he That therefore it appeareth that the Jewes did so fondly admire the Law their National Privileges under it that they thought the exact keeping of it was necessary sufficient to Iustification Salvation And they thought the Messiah was not to be their Righteousness as a Sacrifice for sin meriter of free Pardon the Gift of life but only a great King Deliver to redeem them by Power from all their Enemies Bondage Ans. This mistake of the Jewes concerning the Messiah speaketh nothing to the point whereupon we are that is that Paul denieth justification to be by the Law And their errour mistake about the Law is not to be limited restricted to the Ceremonial Law so the thing that we say is confirmed hereby 2 They thought the Messiah was not to be their Righteousness And Mr. Baxter will not have him to be our Righteousness save only in that he hath purchased the New Covenant wherein our faith obedience to the Law is to be looked upon as all our proper immediat Righteousness upon the account of which we are to receive Pardon Right to life 4. He saith That is was not Adam's Covenant of Innocencie or persection which the Jewes thus trusted to or Paul doth speak against as to justification though a minore ad majus that is also excluded for the Jewes knew that they were sinners that God pardoned sin as a Merciful God that their Law had Sacrifices for Pardon Expiation with Confessions c. But they thought that so far as God had made that Law sufficient to Political ends to Temporal Rewards Punishments it had been sufficient to Eternal Rewards Punishments that of it self not in meer subordination to the typified Messiah Ans. Though the jewes knew that they were sinners yet they did also suppose that by their works of obedience to the Law Moral as well as Ceremonial they might make amends so think to be justified pardoned thereby and that God would accept of them grant them life for their own Righteousness sake therefore did they laboure so much to establish their own Righteousness followed after the Law of Righteousness sought Righteousness as it were by the works of the Law What Mr. Baxter talks here of the jewes not using of that Law in subordination to the Typified Messiah hath need of Explication for as to his sense of it we see no ground thereof in all the Apostles discourse 5. He saith That the thing which Paul disproveth them by is 1. That the Law was never made for such an End Ans. Yet he said that the man which doth those things shall live by them Rom. 10 5. Levit. 18 5. Gal. 3 12. that the doers of the Law are justified Rom. 2 13. And therefore speaketh of that Law which according to its primitive institution was made for such an end 2. saith he That even then it stood in subordination to Redemption free given life Ans. This we cannot yeeld to in Mr. Baxters sense often mentioned for Paul no where giveth us to understand that their obedience to this was their immediat Righteousness Condition of Justification the meritorious cause ex pacto of their Right to Christ to life c. 3. saith he That the free Gift or Covenant of Grace containing the promise of the Messiah and Pardon life by him was before the Law and justified Abraham others without it Ans. It is true this Argument did particularly militate against the Ceremonial Law Yet this not being the Apostles onely Argument other Arguments reaching the Moral Law as well as the Ceremonial we must not limite the Apostles disput only to the Ceremonial Law 4. saith he That their Law was so strick that no man could perfectly keep it all Ans. Adde also that they could not perfectly keep any one command thereof 5. saith he That every sin deserveth death indeed though their Law punished not every sin with death by the Magistrate Ans. And this holdeth true of the Moral as of the Ceremonial Law 6. saith he That their Law was never obligatory to the Gentile world who had a Law written in their hearts therefore not the common way of justification Ans. The Apostle maketh no such conclusion that therefore it was not the common way of justification for this would suppose that it were the way of justification unto them which is directly against the Apostles disput 7. saith he That their Law as such discovered sin but gave not the Spirit of Grace to overcome it in so much as though he himself desired perfectly to fulfill it without sin yet he could not but was under a Captivity that is a moral necessity of Imperfection or sins of infirmity from which only the grace of Christ could as to guilt power deliver him Ans. Therefore the Moral Law is as well here to be understood as the Ceremonial as is manifest 8. saith he That no man ever come to heaven by that way of merite which they dreamed of but all by the way of Redemption Grace free Gift Pardoning Mercy Ans. But that way of merite attendeth all works in the matter of justification as the Apostle assureth us Rom. 4 4. Ephes. 2 8 9. is opposed to the way of Redemption Grace free Gift Pardoning Mercy Rom. 11 6. 3 21 24. Tit. 3 5 7. From these things Mr. Baxter draweth this Conclusion Therefore their conceite that they were just in the maine forgiven their sins so justifiable by the meer dignity of Moses Law which they keept by the works of the Law not by the free Gift Pardon Grace of a Redeemer by the Faith Practical Beleife of that Gift and acceptance of it with thankful penitent obedient hearts was a Pernicioue Errour Ans. 1. Nothing is here said to ground a restriction of this erroneous conceite of theirs unto the Ceremonial Law for this conceite of being justifiable by the Law and the works thereof in opposition to the free Gift Pardon Grace of a Redeemer is as applicable to the Moral as to the Ceremonial Law 2 The Apostle doth not ground his disput upon the Iewes their express rejecting of a free Gift of Pardon c. But from justification by Faith laying hold on the free Grace
Merites of a Mediator he argueth against justification by the Law the works thereof And according to the Apostle's Methode do we argue 3 To cover Justification by our own inherent Righteousness having the same place in the New Covenant which inherent Righteousness Obedience had in the old by these fine words Faith a Practical beleef of the Gift acceptance of it with thankful penitent obedient hearts is not such ingenuous dealing as the Importance of the matter requireth But this will be clearer by what followeth But saith he the true way of Righteousness was to become true Christians that is with such a penitent thankful accepting practical beleefe or affiance to beleeve in God as the giver of Salvation in Christ as the Redeemer his Spirit as our life Sanctifier and to accept Christ and all his procured Benefites Iustification Life as purchased by his Sacrifice Meritorious Righteousness given in the New Covenant on this Condition and so to give up ourselves to his whole saving work as to the Physician of our souls only Mediator with God This is the summe of Paul's doctrine on this point Ans. Not to speak of this matter here which is elsewhere done I shall only say that we are not enquiring after the true way of Righteousness but after the true way of Justification before God And enquire where the Apostle teacheth that all the Righteousness required unto justification must be within us none at all imputed as this Summe holdeth forth Where he teacheth that this faith including works all obedience is the only meane of justification Where he teacheth that this inherent imperfect Righteousness of ours is the immediat ground and meritorious Cause ex pacto of our justification Salvation Where he teacheth that Christ's Righteousness is no otherwise ours than as purchasing the New Covenant wherein our own personal Righteousness is made the Potestative Condition of our Justification Salvation And yet these and several other Particulars of this alloy doth Mr. Baxter hold forth as taught in Scripture as hath been seen elsewhere CHAP. V. Works excluded in Justification are not works only done before Faith nor perfect works required in the Law of Innocency nor outward works only THe other Evasion which such as plead for the Interest of Works in Justification fall upon to evite the dint of the Apostle's argueing concludings against Works is That by the works of the Law which Paul excludeth from justification works are meant which are done before Conversion Faith by the strength of Nature not the works of grace done after This is the Evasion of Bellarmine others But against this we have these Reasons to propose 1. When the Scripture saith we are justified by faith the meaning is that so soon as a soul beleeveth in Christ by a true Faith he is justified before God But this opinion saith That a man is not justified when he beleeveth in Christ No not untill he performe Works of Righteousness after he hath beleeved And thus we may conceive a man to be a beleever yet not to be justified which is contrary to the Gospel 2. If we were justified by the Works of Regenerat persons we should be justified by works that are imperfect and consequently by an imperfect Righteousness for these works being made our Righteousness if we be justified by them as our Righteousness we must be justified by an imperfect Righteousness for they are not perfect neither as to parts nor as to degrees Esai 64 5. 1. Ioh. 1 8 10. 1. King 8 46. 2. Chron. 6 36. Eceles 7 20. 3. Regenerat persons have renunced their own Righteousness in the matter of justification before God therefore they judged that they were not justified thereby And this is registrate in the word for our Instruction example that we may learne also to renunce our own works in this business The Antecedent is clear from these Instances 1 David saying Psal. 130 3. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquity o Lord who shall stand And in opposition to this he betakes himself to free Remission saying vers 4. But there is forgiveness with thoe So Psal. 143 2. And enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified So that if God should enter in judgment with the best even with his servants they could not expect to be justified by their works even by their best works So when he saith Psal. 32 1 2. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered c. he renunceth all justification by the best of his works for Paul Rom. 4 6 7. giveth the meaning hereof to be that David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works 2 Paul also renunceth his Righteousness in this matter that several times for he saith 1. Cor. 4 4. for I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justified And he speaketh of himself while in the State of Regeneration So Gal. 2 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Iesus Christ even we have beleeved in Iesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ not by the works of the Law And Phil. 3 9. he desired to be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law No man can think that by his own Righteousness here he meaneth only works done before he was regenerate 4. The Instances whereby Paul proveth Justification by Faith without the works of the Law confirmeth this that works after regeneration are excluded as well as works before for 1 Abraham was a regenerat man when his saith was said to be imputed to him Rom. 4 1 2 3. compared with Gen. 15. for before this time Gen. 12 1. he obeyed the call of God by faith Heb. 11 8. See also Rom. 4 9 10 11. 2 David another Instance of Justification by Faith was also regenerat when he was justified as Paul cleareth Rom. 4 6 7. by the imputation of a Righteousness without the works of the Law 5. The Apostle excludeth simply the works of the Law from being the Righteousness of any in point of justification And we have no warrant to except or distinguish where the Law excepteth not nor distinguisheth The works of Regenerat persons are works works of the Law as well as any other And Paul doth absolutely simply exclude works the works of the Law from being the ground of justification 6. By what reason can it be evinced that the Law or the Works of the Law signifie works before Regeneration or works done before faith more than other works Do these words carry this sense where ever they are used Or can it be demonstrated that they carry this express sense any where 7. Are only regenerat persons said to be under the Law Now the Apostle speaketh of all the works of
the principles from which nor the ends to which our works proceed are intended There is as much need of a divine heart-searching knowledge to discerne the sincerity of works as of faith it self He may see that all this will make as much against Christ's saying Mat. 5 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works glorifie your Father which is in heaven And that Ioh. 13 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye love one another and that 1. Pet. 2 12. Having your Conversation honest among the Gentiles they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of Visitation Nor is it to the purpose to say that he was the justifier who was the imputer of Righteousness that is God for works of obedience may declare that God hath imputed Righteousness unto the person hath justified him and this is all we say that Abraham was in this sense justified by his works that he was declared to be justified indeed before God by his works Some were pleased to express their sense of Iames's words thus That Iames speaks of works as justifying our faith not as justifying our persons meaning only that the Apostle did not consider works here as the Cause or Condition of the persons being justified before God but as the effect evidence proving the mans faith to be sound saving and consequently the man thereby to have been justified which sense is the same with what we have given but Mr. Baxter saith it is as plaine as can be that it is the person not his Faith which is here said to be justified Ans. The person it is true is said here to be justified but not causatively but declaratively that is It is not said that by works his justification is effectuated but that it is declared that because it is hereby declared that the man is a true beleever thus his faith is manifested to be of the right kind which is all that was intended by that expression Yet Mr. Baxter will not say that works do effectually produce our justification for Faith doth not so But yet he will have both to justifie as Conditions or as parts of one Condition Only he addeth that they do not justifio as equal parts of the Condition for Faith is the principal but as the secondary less principal part of the Condition Ans. Yet Iames hinteth at no such thing but giveth the preference to works Yea excludeth the faith whereof he speaketh altogether from having any interest in justification as being nothing but a dead carcass a vaine fruitless unprofitable thing so hath no kind of causality or procurement in justification But he addeth as a reason 1. That when it is said we are justified by works the word by implieth more than an idle concomitanoy Ans. I shall easily grant this but withall say that this will not give unto works any causality in justification but only evince works to be an evidence of justification as the cause is said to be manifested by the effect He addeth 2. When the Apostle saith By works not by faith only he plainly makes them concomitant in procurement or in that kind of causality which they have Especially seing he saith not as he is commonly interpreted not by faith which is alone but by faith only ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ans. Then hath fruitless dead faith which devils may have a kind of causality in justification which is expresly contrary to the scope all the reasonings of the Apostle And therefore the common interpretation must be admitted But he addeth 3. Therefore he saith that faith is dead being alone becaâse it is dead as to the use purpose of justifying This appears from his comparison in the former vers 16. that this is the death he speaks of so works make faith alive as to the attainment of its end of justification Ans. If it be thus how could he then say before that faith was the principal part of the Condition can that be the principal part of the Condition which is dead useless without the other must be quickened in order to its usefulness by the other I would think that other looked rather like the principal part and most considerable necessary seing this were but a dead Cypher without it But the truth is the Apostle as is said hath a far other designe sheweth that that faith which they pretended unto as sufficient to ground their conclâsion of their justification hope of Salvation was no true saving faith at all but a dead thing so no works could make it of any use as to justification because it behoved first to flow from another principle even from a principle of saving grace and then it would evidence prove itself to be of the right kind by good works that would flow from it But saith he When the Apostle saith that faith did work in with his works it clearly aimeth at such a working in with as maketh them conjunct in the work of justifying Ans. No such matter for the Apostle is only there shewing as the whole context cleareth that Abraham's faith was another sort of faith than that whereupon they relyed even a faith that did prompt to the most difficulte duties when the call of God came so did work in with his performances but not in order to justification for he was justified already many yeers before this He addeth And when he saith that Faith was made perfect with works it is not only a manifesting to be perfect But as the habite is perfected in its acts because they are the end to which it tendeth as marriage is perfected per congressum procreationem or any Covenant when its Conditions are performed Ans. The whole of the context sheweth that faith was perfected purely as to its manifestation as by the like expression is clear 2. Cor. 12 9. Col. 4 12. Mat. 5 48. Nay though It were granted that faith were perfected by works as the end to which it tendeth that would say nothing for the interest of faith in justification but in Salvation let is be granted that justification is perfected by faith without works as marriage is by consent without what he addeth we have what we desire That works are a Condition of entering into Covenant or of the Covenant in order to justification as required before justification is still denied He saith further elsewhere against Mr. Cartwright p. 212. That by works faith was made perfect as is hath naturam medii viz. conditionis to the continuation consummation of justification Ans. That the continuation of justification hath other media or Conditions than the beginning hath is not yet made apparent far less can any such thing be drewn from this passage to continuance the same the Apostles scope not being to speak to any such thing nor
can it be supposed that he looketh on such whose proud conceits he was here depressing as already justified as to the beginning of justification seing a dead faith which was all the faith they had is no Condition of justification at all And as to consummation of justification as he speaketh Abraham's saith was not yet perfected neither could be before his death He addeth finally That obedience perfecteth faith as it is part of that necessary matter not necessary at the first moment of beleeving but necessary afterward when he is called to it whereby he is to be justified against the charge of non-performance of the New Covenants Condition even against the Accusation of being an unbeleever or hypocrite Ans. If obedience perfect faith thus it is only as evidenceing proving the man a true beleever no hypocrite or one that hath only a meer profession which is the thing we say if it be looked on as the Condition of the Covenant so as the ground of justifying the man from the charge of non-performance of that Condition it standeth only for itself for its own part cannot not be said upon that account to perfect faith as when both abstaining from murther and from stealing is called for the absteaning from stealing cannot be said to perfect the other though it ground a Mans justification from the charge of stealing And therefor by this assertion faith can as well be said to perfect works as works be said to perfect faith Mr. Baxter giveth this ground of Agreement betwixt Paul Iames that Paul is about this question What is the Righteousness which we must pload against the Accusation of the Law or by which we are justified as the proper Righteousness of that Law And this he well concludeth is neither works nor faith But the Righteousness which is by faith that is Christ's Righteousness Ans. Paul speaketh to this question how sinners come to be justified before God therefore cleareth up the matter of justification in all its causes and not only sheweth what that Righteousness is which must be pleaded against the accusation of the Law but also what way we come to be partakers of that Righteousness in order to our being justified before God to wit by faith without the deeds of the Law If faith be not that Righteousness why did Mr. Baxter say that Rom. 4. where it is said that faith is imputed unto Righteousness faith is taken for our act not for the object of faith or Christ's Righteousness laid hold on by faith But now what question handleth Iames His question is saith he What is the Condition of our âustification by this Righteousness of Christ whether faith only or works also Ans. And doth not Paul also speak to this question when he saith We are justified by faith Will not Mr. Baxter grant that faith is the Condition of our justification by this Righteousness If Iames then handle this question there shall be no agreement betwixt him Paul but a manifest contradiction for Paul saith that we are justified by faith without the deeds of the Law that is upon Condition of Faith as Mr. Baxter will grant Iames saith that we are justified not by faith only but by works as the Condition here is a perfect contradiction both speaking ad idem the one saying we are justified by faith without works the other saying by faith works What the true question is whereof Iames speaketh we have shown above the âeby manifested a cleare harmonie betwixt the Apostles left no ground of suspicion of any contradiction He saith next that Paul doth either in express words or in the sense scope of his speach exclude only the works of the Law that is the fulfilling of the Conditions of the Law ourselves But never the fulfilling of the Gospel Conditions that we may have part in Christ. Ans. Whether the works of the Law which Paul excludeth be so to be understood or not we have seen above only I say now that both speak of the same Law that is the Moral Law both consequently speak of the same obedience that is obedience to the same Law And nothing can be alledged to prove that Paul meaneth works as taken for the fulfilling of the Conditions of the Law ourselves Iames meaneth the same works as taken for the fulfilling of the Conditions of the Gospel ourselves And further the faith that Iames speaketh so much of is none of the Gospel Conditions of justification for it is but a dead carcass an unprofitable thing But his following words saying Indeed if a man should obey the commands of the Gospel with a legal intent that obedience should be but legal shew that by the works of the Law he meaneth some thing in opposition to the commands of the Gospel wherein he joineth with Socinians But we owne no commands of the Gospel but such as are enjoined by the Law of God even the Moral Law of which Iames speaketh expresly vers 10 11. He tels us 3. for clearing of this agreement That Paul doth by the word Faith especially direct our thoughts to Christ beleeved in for to be justified by Christ to be justified by receiving Christ is with him all one Ans. This is all very true sure he must also say that to be justified by Christ to be justified by works is not all one for all obedience or works is not receiving of Christ. But now what doth Iames direct us to by the word Faith which he mentioneth doth he not direct our thoughts to Christ beleeved in If not it cannot be justifying Faith he speaketh of as Mr. Baxter supposeth If yea why doth he adde works more than Paul doth Shall Paul's directing our thoughts to Christ beleeved in exclude works and Iames's directing our thoughts the same way include them Where is then the agreement But 4. he addeth that when Paul doth mentione Faith as the Condition he alwayes implieth obedience to Christ. Ans. It is denied that he implieth obedience as the Condition of Justification And Mr. Baxter himself will grant this I suppose as to justification begun or as to our fiâst justification as he speaketh in replying to Mr. Cartwright which is enough for us for we know no second justification distinct from the first whereof either of the Apostles do speak And I like not that which he addeth saying He i.e. Paul implieth obedience in requiring Faith as truely as he that subjecteth himself to a Prince doth imply future obedience in his engagement to obey for this maketh justifying faith a plaine engagment to obey And thus to be justified by faith is to be justified by a formal engagment to obey a formal engagment to obey is a receiving of Christ for to be justified by faith to be justified by receiving Christ is all one Mr. Baxter in his Catholick Theol. part 2. n. 365. giveth us five particulars of justification by works
that Iames standeth for that he accounteth undeniable by any thing but prejudice Ignorance siding peevishness So that it must be unquestionable that Iames speaketh of all those particulars that he speaketh of justification by works in no other sense the contrary whereof we have seen already Yet let us see what these particular respects are wherein as he saith works are not excluded from being Conditions of our justification or the matter of it 1. Saith he That faith itself which is our act an act of obedience to God is the fiducial accepting beleefe in God the Father Son Holy Ghost for the benefites of the Covenant is the Condition of our first Cevenant-Right to these benefites Ans. To speak of Saving Faith in its full latitude or of that faith whereby the Covenant is fiâst made up as such is not to the present purpose but of faith only or of its acting in order to justification and as to this himself lately told us that Paul by the word Faith doth especially direct our thoughts to Christ beleeved in so that faith in this matter is not considered as our work or as an act of obedience in us as our personal Righteousness but as the Mean Hand or Instrument laying hold on Christ his Righteousness And if this be the meaning of Iames when he saith we are justified by works that we are justified by faith we shall not contend as to the thing though we conceive Iames handleth another purpose as is said 2. Saith he That this faith is not actual obedience to Christ as Christ at first but only to God as God But it is the souls subjection to Christ as Christ which is our Covenant-consent to our future obedience virtually though not actually containeth our future obedience in it Ans. This upon the matter is but the same with the former needeth no furder answere as to our present question concerning the meaning of Iames when he saith we are justified by works for if this faith be not actual obedience Iames doth not mean actual obedience by the word works but only that Faith which is a consent to future obedience But what the Faith is whereby we are justified what is its peculiar acting in order to justification we have shown elsewhere And to distinguish betwixt obedience to Christ as Christ and to God as God is to be unnecessarily critical by Mr. Baxeer we see that all the after obedience of beleevers is obedience to God as God though their first Faith be said to be a fiducial accepting beleefe in God the Father Son Holy Ghost and this be said virtually to containe after obedience which therefore must be obedience to God Father Son Holy Ghost And their first Faith is no obedience to Christ as Christ though Christ as Christ call invite yea command sinners to come unto him beleeve in him 3. He saith That there is somewhat of Love Consent or willingness of Desire of Hop of Repentance which goeth to make up this Moral work of Faith as it is the Condition even our first Christianity itself Ans. All this somewhat of Love Consent c. which necessarily attendeth Faith for that they make up this moral work of Faith as integral parts thereof I see no ground to assert only shew the true nature genius of that Faith whereby we are justified for it is no where said that we are justified by Love Hop or Repentance as for Consent or willingness desire they are included in Faith But all this yet saith nothing for the Interest of Works as it is pleaded in our justification And if Iames mean no other thing by works he shall give little ground to any to assert justification by works as is done this day by too many 4. He saith That at the making of a Covenant is for the performing of it subjection is for obedience Marriag for conjugal duties so our said first covenanting-Covenanting-faith is for our future faith Hop Comfort grateful obedience Holiness And these are the secondary parts of the Condition of Salvation And so are the secondary parts of our justifications Condition as continued or not lost consummat For to justifie us is to justifie our Right to Impunity Glory Ans. How different Faith as justifying or in its acting in order to justification is from this Covenant making Subjection Marriage as explained applied to this purpose by Mr. Baxter is elsewhere showne 2 That these graces are required in order to Salvation we grant shall not stand to call them secondary parts of the Condition of Salvation as to its possession But 3 we are here speaking of justification and not of Salvation which two differ as we conceive much more being required to the one in case persons live after their first Faith than to the other 4 We have shown elsewhere that justification as continued hath the same Conditions that justification as begun hath of loseing of justification we read not in the Scriptures nor yet consummat justification these are Mr. Baxters new Notions with which we are not satisfied 5 Our Right to Impunity Glory is had by Christ alone when we are possessed of his Surety-Righteousness through Faith and thus are justified by Faith And how justification is a justification of that Right Mr. Baxter would do well to explaine In the last place he saith That our own performance of the Condition of the free Gift of Impunity Glory by the New Covenant purchased by Christ's Righteousness is the thing to be tried judged in God's judgment And therefore we must so far be then justified from the charge of not performing that Condition of being Infidels unsanctified Impenitent hypocrites Apostats so of having no part in Christ the free gift even by our personal Evangelical Faith Holiness Repentance Sincerity Perseverance Ans. Then it seemeth Iames speaketh only of works in order to final Salvation or our justification at the day of judgment and not in order to our justification here when first brought out of nature into the State of Grace And if so what ground can any hence have to inferre our present justification to be by works unless they think that whatever is required antecedent unto our Final Salvation is required also antecedent to our first justification which I know Mr. Baxter will not say And if this be all that Iames saith why did not Mr. Baxter give this as a ground of reconciling Iames with Paul that Iames speaks of works in order to Final Salvation but Paul excludeth them in reference to justification This would have had greater agreement with what the Orthodox say than to tell us of works being the secondary parts of the Condition of our Justification and that Iames includeth them as such when he saith we are justified by works and not by Faith only CHAP. IX John Forbes his Arguments against the Imputation of Christ's
places of Scriptures annexed in the margine of the Confession confirming all are clearly hinted laid downe in these passages cited yet I shall with what brevity is possible point forth our grounds in plaine termes And 1. The Scripture is full plaine in holding forth 2 Covenant betwixt âehova and the Mediator a transaction concerning man or the purposes of God concerning the Salvation of Man in way of a mutual Compact both for our better understaâding of that solide ground of our Peace Hope for the confirming of our staggering weak Faith And though the full explication confirmation hereof would I judge fully undermine destroy the rotten grounds of Socinians Arminians and of all who are for the Diana of Freewill and enemies to the Grace of God yet I cannot digresse thereunto here and shall only referre such as would see the same confirmed unto Mr. Dicksons Therapeutica sacra Mr. Rutherfords book upon the Covenant Taking it therefore for granted till what is by these Worthies said anent it be confuted and finding that Arminius himself in his Orat. de Sacerdotio Christi saith there was a Covenant betwixt the Lord Christ I shall but shortly inferre therefrom That it is repugnant to reason to say that the result of that Eternal Transaction and the whole intended by it was only to procure a meer Possibility of Salvation and that such a Possibility as that though it was equally for all yet it might so fall out that not one person should be saved among all the sones of Adam How unreasonable is it to imagine such a bargane betwixt the Father and the Son as among men considering what they are doing can have no place If Christ was to see his seed by vertue of this Contract then certainly God had a special eye and respect unto that seed and that feed must be distinguished from all the rest for it cannot be all else all should be saved and so Christ did not undertake to buy all nor did the Father give him all for his feed and in reference to that feed the Redemption purchased must be an Actual not a meer Potential or Possible Redemption and the Lord must have full Power Dominion over the Will of that Seed whereby he may determine their hearts unto a following of the Method which he was to prescribe and all these meanes whereby this actual Closeing with the Conditions was to be effectually wrought must have been secured for a transaction betwixt persons infinite in Wisdom must of necessity be in all things contrived in deep Wisdom So then if by vertue of this Covenant a feed was ensured to Christ it was these concerning whom the transaction was made for what interest could others have in this or advantage by it And so the Rademption was neither Universal nor yet meerly Possible no more Againe 2. The Scripture every where pointeth out the end of Christs coming dying to have been to Procure Obtaine some good to man it were endless to cite the Scriptures speaking this out plainely But if it had been only to have procured a Possibility then the proper immediat end of his dying had been only to have procured something to God viz. a Power to Him that he might without hurt to his Justice prescribe a possible way of salvation Now not to discusse that question agitated among Orthodox Divines viz. whether it was impossible for God to have pardoned the sins of man without a satisfaction made by his Son or not meaning antecedently to a decree determineing this way of manifestation of the Justice of God only I must say that as yet I can see nothing from Scripture determineing the egresses of the Relative Justice of God to be more essential to God less subject to the free determinations of his good will and pleasure than are the egresses of his Mercy nor do I see any necessity for asserting this against the Socinians seing our ground walking upon a decree is proof against all their Assaults far less see I any necessity of founding our whole debate with the Socinians upon that ground yea I cannot but judge it the result of great imprudence so to do seing the Socinians may reply that the sole ground of that Opposition to them is not only questioned but plainly denyed by such as we account Orthodox learned and may hence gather that we have no other solide ground whereupon to debate with them but such as the learned of our owne side overthrow The depths of God's Counsel are beyond our fathoming and it is hard for us to say hithertil the omnipotent can come but not one ince further I dar not be wise above what is written and I would gladly see one passage of Scripture declareing this to have been in itself utterly impossible inconsistent with God Bâ whatever may be said of this what Scripture tels us that Christ was sen to die that he might obtain this Power unto God And further what was this power Was it a meer Power Liberty that should never have any Effect If it was to have an Effect what was that Was it only to make a new Transaction with man in order to his salvation If that was all notwithstanding of all this Power Ability not one man might have been saved Was it certanely to save some Then the Redemption cannot be called Universal nor yet meerly Possible Nay if by the death of Christ a Right Power only was obtained to God God was at full liberty to have exerced that Right Power or not as he pleased and so notwithstanding thereof man might have remained in the same Condition whereinto he was and never so much as have had one offer of life upon any termes whatever or only upon the old termes of the Covenant of works and what then should the advantage of this have been The whole Scripture speaking of the death of Christ mentioneth far other Ends respecting man If we 3. Consider how the Scripture mentioneth â number given of the Father to Christ to be Redeemed Saved we shall see that there is neither an Universal nor yet a meer Possible Redemption for this gift is utterly repugnant to destructive of both for if conforme to the Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son there were some given to Christ to save redeem these he must actually save redeem and for these only was Christ ordained designed of the Father to be a Redeemer and upon the account of these only did he undertake the work lay down the ransome-money for it is not rational to suppose that the designe of Father Son being to save actually these gifted ones Christ would shed his blood for others who were noâ given to him who should receive no salvation by his blood for cui bono what could be the designe of Father Son in this The matter goeth not so in humane transactions where the
left and ensured by his death unto the heires of salvation Upon his Death Satisfaction made in his death hath he gote all power in heaven earth a power to quicken whom he will Matth. 28 18. Ioh. 5 21 22 27. Phil. 2 9 10. Hence we are said to be compleat in him Col. 2 10. to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in celestials to which no doubt Faith Repentance do belong in him Ephes. 1 3. Is it not from hence that the divine power hath given unto us all things that pertaine unto life and godliness 2. Pet 1 3 Nay Paul tels us expresly Phil 1 29. that it is given to us in the behalfe of Christ to beleeve on him And certainly there is a promise of Faith Repentance and all the promises are yea amen in Him 2. Cor. 1 20. all the Blessings contained in the Covenant are made sure by his death who was the surety of this better Testament Heb. 7 22. this Testament was to have force by his death Heb. 9 15 16 17 18 the New heart heart of flesh is promised in the Covenant comprehendeth Faith Repentance they being some of his Lawes which he hath also promised to write in the heart Ier. 31 33 Heb. 8 10. Ezech. 11 19 20 36 26 27. We have moreover seen that Sanctification Holiness from which Faith Repentance cannot be separated were purchased by Christ intended in his death whence he is made of God unto us Sanctification 1. Cor. 1 30. If it be not purchased by Christ how come we by it is it a thing in our Power and an act of our owne Free Will Then as I said before we are beholden to ourselves for Faith and all that follow upon it then farewell all Prayer for Faith Repentance all Thanksgiving to God for it This is pure Pelagtanisme If it be said that it is the free gift of God Ephes. 2 8. and a Consequent of electing love I Answere all the fruites of election which are to be wrought in us are procured by the blood of Christ for all are conveyed to us in a Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediator Surety and with Christ he giveth us all things Rom. 8 32. we are blessed in Him with all spiritual blessings according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world Ephes. 1 3 4. So we are predestinate unto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ Ephes. 1 5. and adoption is not had without Faith Ioh. 1 12. can we have Actual Redemption in Christ's blood Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. even forgiveness of sinnes and not have also in his blood Faith without which there in no actual redemption or forgiveness of sinnes to be had when Christ gave himself for us that he might purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2 14. did he not purchase Faith without which we cannot be such when the Renewing of the holy Ghost is shed on us abundantly through I. C. Tit. 3 5 6. have we not Faith also through him May we not pray for Faith and can we pray for any thing not in Christ's name See 2. Tim. 1 9. 1. Pet. 1 3. Rom. 8 32 39. Luk. 22 32. Againe 13. All that Christ died for must certanely be Saved But all Men shall not be saved That all for whom Christ died must certanely be saved is hence apparent 1. That all who have Saving Faith Repentance shall be saved will not be denyed that Christ hath purchased Faith Repentance to all for whom he died we have showne above 2. These who shall freely get all things fâom God must get Salvation for all things else signifie nothing without that but all they for whom Christ was delivered shall get all things Rom. 8 32. 3. They whom nothing shall separate from the Love of Christ and from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord must certainly be saved But all they for whom Christ hath died will in due time have ground to say this Rom. 8 34 35 39. 4. All they to whose charge nothing can be laid shall be saved But this will be true of all that Christ died for for Christ's death is held forth as the ground of this Rom. 8 33 34. 5. They for whom Christ interceedeth shall undoubtedly by saved But Christ interceedeth for all for whom he died Rom. 8 33 34. 6. All who are sanctified shall be saved But all that Christ died for shall in due time be sanctified Sanctification being as we shewed above one principal intended end of Christ's death 7. All Christ's Elected sheep shall be saved But such are they for whom Christ died as was showne 8. All that God Christ love with the greatest love imaginable shall certainly be saved But such are they for whom Christ died Ioh. 3 16. 15 13. Act. 20 28. Eph. 5 25. 9. All that become the Righteousness of God in Christ shall be saved But that shall be true of all for whom he died or was made sin or a sacrifice for sin 2. Cor. 5 21. 10. All that shall be blessed in having their sins pardoned shall be saved Rom. 4 6 7 8. But all for whom Christ died shall have this Redemption Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. 11. All they whom Christ knoweth acnowledgeth shall be saved Mat. 7 23. But he knoweth all them for his sheep Ioh. 10 14 17. for whom he died 12. All for whom Christ rose againe shall be saved seing he rose for our justification Rom. 4 25. But he rose againe for all those for whom he died Rom. 4 25. who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our justification Rom. 8 34. 13. All who shall be planted together with Christ in the likeness of his resurrection shall be saved But that is true of such as he died for Rom. 6 5. 14. All they in whom the old man shall be crucified that the body of sin might be destroyed that hence-forth they should not serve sin shall be saved But that is true of such as he died for Rom. 6 6 7 8. knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin for he that is dead is freed from sin Now if we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him c. 15. All they who shall be made Kings Priests unto God shall be saved But all the redeemed shall be such Rev. 1 5 6. 5 10. See worthy Mr. Durham on the Revel p. 303. 16. If Christ must see of the travail of his soul then these he died for must be saved But the former is true Esai 53 11. 17. All whom Christ shall Justifie shall be saved But he shall justify all whose iniquities he beareth Esai 53 11. Thus is this sufficiently proved It is
his death we cannot then imagine with Socinians that all the Reconciliation mentioned in Scripture is of us to God as if God's Anger Wrath were not appeased taken out of the way nor with Arminians that Christ obtained an Universal Reconciliation of God to all but no Reconciliation of man to God friendship betwixt enemies must be mutual if a Reconciliation be and our state before this was enmity Rom. 5 10. Col. 1 20 21. and God's wrath was against us upon us Ephes. 2 3. Ioh. 3 36. But now how will this agree with Universal Redemption Is God Reconciled to all when many perish under his wrath for ever Can God be said to be upon the death of Christ Reconciled to all when it may so fall out that not one soul shall have peace with God How cometh it to passe that many whose Reconciliation Christ hath purchased live die enemies to God Sure the Apostle tels us 2. Cor. 5 19. that to whom God is reconciled to them he doth not impute sin he assureth us that all such as are reconciled to God by the death of his Son shall be saved Rom. 5 10. Adde 29. That it seemeth hard to say That Christ laid down his life a Price a Ransome a Sacrifice an Atonement Propitiation c. to Purchase Procure Merite Grace Glory to make Reconciliation Peace betwixt God such as were already suffering the vengeance of eternal fire to satisfie for their sinnes who were already condemned to the torments of hell fire and yet this must be said by such as assert Universal Redemption Was Christ so prodigal of his blood as to cast it away for such as were irrecoverably gone If it be said that this is no more hard than to say that Christ suffered for such as were already glorified Any may see how vast the difference is for such as were glorified were glorified upon the account of Christs Death which was to be in the time appointed designed by Father Son When one promiseth a summe for redeeming of so many slaves the summe according to mutual agreement is to be payed at such a day the slaves may be presently relieved in contemplation of the price which is accepted is to be payed hereafter at the time appointed But when one cometh to lay down Ransome-money he cannot be said to lay it downe for such are are dead that he knoweth to be dead many years ago so uncapable of Redemption Further 30. If Christ died for all then he intended to die for all then the Father also intended that he should die for all then he intended that it should be a Redemption for all that thereby all should be Redeemed for to what end else should Christ die redeem if not that such as he died for Redeemed be Redeemed Delivered Or to what other end should God intended that Christ should die for all than to the ends mentioned in Scripture of which we have spoken And how can we say that God did intend the Redemption of all when all are not actually Redeemed Are his intentions so fallible and frustrable If it be said that he Intended only a Possible Salvation and not Actual I Ans. The Scripture speaketh no such thing as we have seen And how unsuteable is it to the wisdom of God to send his Son actually to die and bear the curse and only intend thereby a Possible Redemption which might never prove Actual to any one soul If it be said That he Intended an Actual Redemption but Conditionally I Answer Redemption upon a Condition is but a Conditional Redemption that is but a Potential Possible Redemption unlesse you say that the condition is also purchased and then as to God it is an Absolute Redemption intended as such doth it suite the wisdom of God to intend Redemption to all and not intend also the Condition by which alone it must become Actual which he alone can work but will not Must we thus ascribe such intentions to God as must hang upon mans will be subordinate thereunto Or if he see that the Condition will never be performed how can we think that he intendeth any thing upon a Condition that shall never be But enough of this at present Moreover 31. This doctrine of Universal Redemption is derogatory to the solide consolation of the Redeemed Weakeneth the grounds of their song and therefore it is not to be admitted This Argument is fully solidely prosecuted and vindicated from what can be allaiged against it by the learned solide divine Mr. Durbam in his Comment on the Revelation pag. 304. 305. And to him shall I referre the Reader only I shall crave leave to adde this That by our Adversaries grounds the song of the Saved shall not run as it doth Revel 5 9 10. But rather thus We have saved our selves out of every kinred tongue people nation have made our selves unto God Kings Priests For whereas Christ by his blood Redeemed all of every kinred and tongue and people nation and not some only out of them we our selves have by our own free good will made a difference betwixt our selves and the rest and we are no more beholden to Christ for all that we have attained to then the damned in hell are for whom Christ shed his blood as well as for us to whom he purchased by his blood death as much as for us as Adversaries say So that I see not how Arminians can think to joine in this Song have any share of this Consolation which is solely founded upon the Redemption of Christ as a peculiar no common blessing Let them consider it for it concerneth them not a little seing all that come to glory will sing to the honour of their Redeemer upon other grounds as we see then these are which our Adversaries lay down and plead so earnestly for If any say that Christ moreover hath purchased faith to some even to all that are actually saved I Answer As neither the Arminians nor semi-Arminians I mean the followers of Camero will say this or grant so much so the granting of it will ever the other Universal Conditional Redemption for the Scripture speaketh but of one kind of Redemption of one Price laid down of one Covenant betwixt Jehovah the Mediator of one Giving unto Christ of Persons to be redeemed Shall we think that Christ would lay down as great a ransome for such as he was not to purchase faith unto as for the rest Shall we think that he would lay down his life in vaine make no purchase thereby And of the Reprobat for whom he was not to purchase thereby And of the Reprobat for whom he was not to purchase faith he knew he could make no purchase for without faith his death would be of no advantage unto them And where do we read that all were
exception upon condition of acceptance as also an offer of Faith Repentance Conversion with all the consequences thereof 7. An Universal will in God to call into this Covenant and unto the Participation of the benefites thereof all every man 8. An Universal execution of this will or promulgation of this Gospel or New Covenant unto all every one by common favours benefites bestowed on all whereby all are called to believe in a merciful pardoning God and all have abundance of Mercies Meanes of Recovery of life for the Lord now governeth the world only on termes of grace 9. Upon this followeth an Universal Command to all men to use certaine duties meanes for their Recovery by Faith Repentance 10. An Universal pardon of the first Sin so far at least that no man shall perish for the meer Original sin of Nature alone unless he adde the rejection of grace 11. Hence followeth an Universal Judgment Sentence on all in the great day only according as they have performed the new Gospel Conditions 12. Some also adde an Universal Subjective Grace whereby all are enabled to performe the conditions of the new Covenant 13. Universal proper Fruits Effects of this death whereby all the outward favours that Heathens enjoy are said to be purchased for them by Christ why not also what Devils enjoy Finally 36. This assertion of Universal Redemption layeth the ground of maketh way to a new frame of the Covenant of Grace quite overturning its Nature and transforming it into a new Covenant of Works making it one the same with that as to kinde only to differ as to the change of Conditions to be performed by man for as in the first Covenant Adam was to obtain right to possession of life promised in by for through and upon the account of his fulfilling the Condition of perfect obedience imposed by the Lord so in the New Covenant man is to obtaine acquire to himself a right to possession of the Life promised in by for through upon the account of his performance of the Condition of Faith new obedience now imposed in the Gospel and all the difference is that in stead of perfect obedience to the Law which was the Condition of the first Covenant now Faith sincere Gospel Obedience is made the Condition And thus we can no less he said to be justified by works of the Law or which we do then Adam should have been said to have been so justified had he stood and this justification giveth as great ground of boasting unto man of making the reward of debt not of grace as justification by the first Covenant would have done for though it be said that Christ hath made satisfaction to justice for the breach of the first Law thereby purchased to all upon Condition Justification Salvation yet this removeth not the difficulty for what is purchased by Christ's death is made Universal Common to all and so can be nothing according to our Adversaries but a putting of all men in statu quo prius in case to run obtaine the prize for themselves as God's absolute free love put Adam in that Condition at first Christ's death though thereby as they say he purchased the New Covenant which with them is the chiefe if not the only effect fruit of his Death Merites can be no more than a very remote ground of Right to Life Salvation unto any person for it is made Universal Common to all so that all have equal share therein advantage thereby man himself by performing the new Conditions only making the difference so that the immediat ground of the Right to life which any have is their own Faith Obedience or performance of the New Covenant-conditions Whereby it is manifest that as to our Particular and Immediat Right to Happiness we are to plead our own works lean to them as our ground whereupon we may stand appear before God's Tribunal and upon the account thereof plead for the crown as our due debt having now run for it performed the Condition agreed upon and so sing praises to our selves in stead of singing praises to our Redeemer Hence the Righteousness wherein we must appear before God is not the Righteousness of Christ but our own for the Righteousness of Christ say they is only imputed in regard of its effects whereof the new Covenant is the All or the Chiefe and so that doth not become the Righteousness of any man nor can be said to be imputed to any man properly which also they assert but his own Faith is only imputed properly which also they plead for as his Righteousness not as a Way Medium or Methode of Gospel-Righteousness especially when Gospel-Obedience is adjoyned The Righteousness of Christ being thereby only accounted to be imputed in that it hath procured that our own Gospel Righteousness Faith new Obedience shall be imputed to us as our Immediat Righteousness the ground of our Right to Glory What accord is betwixt this frame of the Covenant of Grace that way of justification held forth by Socinians Arminians Papists the learned will easily see and how contrary it is to the Covenant of Grace held forth in the Gospel hitherto professed maintained by the orthodox every one acquainted therewith cannot be ignorant it is obvious how opposite this is unto what the Apostle saith Phil. 3 8 9. yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith And Tit. 3 5 6 7. Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace we should be made heârs according to the hope of eternal life And Rom. 3 20 21 22 24. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified but now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifest even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ. And many other places It is no less clear how hereby the true nature of justifying faith and Gospel Obedience is perverted withall how dangerous this is if put into practice or if men act live accordingly every serious exercised Christian knoweth FINIS The Contents of the Chapters CHAP. I. THE Introduction to the Work and the Text Gal 3.
11. opened up Pag. 1 CHAP. II. Naturally we are inclined to cry up Self in Iustification 12 CHAP. III. The Doctrine of Iustification should be kept pure with all diligence and what dangerous expressioâs should be shunned 15 CHAP. IV. Iustification is so contrived in the Gospel as man may be abased and have no ground of boasting 22 CHAP. V. In Iustification there is a state of Life 25 CHAP. VI. What mysteries are in Iustification 34 CHAP. VII Justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ cleared out of the Old Testament the passages vindicated from the exceptions of JOHN GOODWINE 57 CHAP. VIII Some passages out of the New Test. confirming the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness vindicated from the exceptions of JOHN GOODWINE 66 CHAP. IX Othen passages of the New Test briefly mentioned which plead for the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness 94 CHAP. X. Some Arguments for the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness vindicated from the exceptions of Mr. JOHN GOODWINE 98 CHAP. XI Objections taken out of Scripture by Mr. GOODWINE against the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto Iustification Answered 118 CHAP. XII Some other Objections proposed by JOHN GOODWINE examined 147 CHAP. XIII Mr. BAXTER's opinion concerning Imputation examined 182 CHAP. XIV How Christ is our Suretie what Mr. BAXTER saith as to this examined 202 CHAP. XV. Mr. BAXTER's Answers to some of our Arguments for Imputation examined 209 CHAP. XVI Mr. BAXTER's further opposition to the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness examined 226 CHAP. XVII Reasons enforcing the practice of the Truth vindicated 247 CHAP. XVIII Some of the Duties of such as live the life of Iustification proposed 254 CHAP. XIX Of the life of Iustification as to its continuance 259 CHAP. XX. The State of Iustification remaineth notwithstanding after-sins punishments 273 CHAP. XXI Iustification is by Faith what this Faith is and how it is wrought 280 CHAP. XXII Our act of Faith is not imputed to us as a Righteousness 296 CHAP. XXIII Some Argum against the Imput of Faith vindicated from the exceptions of I. G. 303 CHAP. XXIV The Imputation of Faith it self is not proved from Rom. IV. 5. 314 CHAP. XXV Faith is not our Gospel-Righteousness 327 CHAP. XXVI Christ did not procure by his death the New Covenant or the terms thereof 335 CHAP. XXVII How Faith is may be called a Condition of the New Cov. of Iustification how not 339 CHAP. XXVIII How Faith is and may be called an Instrument 346 CHAP. XXIX What interest Repentance hath in our Iustification that it is no Condition of the same 357 CHAP. XXX Whether Love purpose of New Obedience or Perseverance be Conditions of Iustification 374 CHAP. XXXI Gospel-Obedience is not the Condition of Iustification 383 CHAP. XXXII Of the Object of Iustifying Faith 391 CHAP. XXXIII The Righteousness of Christ is the special Object of Faith in Iustification 398 CHAP. XXXIV Faith in Iustification respecteth not in a special manner Christ as a King but as a Priest 403 CHAP. XXXV Faith is the only Condition on our part of the continuance of Iustification 414 CHAP. XXXVI Of the Interest of Repentance in the pardon of after-sins 426 The Contents of the Appendix CHAP. I. IMputation both of Christ's Active Passive obedience necessarie 431 CHAP. II. Christ underwent the Curse of the Law 442 CHAP. III. We must not lean to any Righteousness within us whereby to be justifyed 452 CHAP. IV. The Law by the works whereof Paul denyeth that we are justifyed is not the Iewish Law 465 CHAP. V. Works excluded in Iustification are not only works done before Faith nor perfect works required in the Law of Innocency nor outward works only 473 CHAP. VI. By works which Paul excludeth is not meant the merit of Works 481 CHAP. VII Iames 2. 14. cleared vindicated 486 CHAP. VIII No countenance given to Justification by works from Iam. 2. 14 c. 497 CHAP. IX John ãâã Arguments against the Imputation of Christ's a Active Obedience examined with a View of Wendeâân's ãâã against it 506 CHAP. X. The Fathers give Countenance to the Doctrine of Imputation some Papists approve it 518 Arguments against Universal Redemption 526 ERRATA PAg. 1. l. 13. for woule read would p. 2. l. 17. r. Essaies p. 3. l. 3. r. Essentials p. 4. l. 4. r. safeguarded l. 7. r. to be attacqued l. 39. r. Notions p. 7. l. 36. r. held forth l. 41. r. out p. 8. l. 18. r. just p. 9. l. 11. r. comfort p. 12. l. 5. r. twig p. 18. l. 31. r. for in thy sight p. 20. l. peâult r. laying p. 21. l. 6. r. expect p. 24. l. 38. r. oftentimes p. 28. l. 17. for this r. his p. 31. l. 34. for faisty r. feasting p. 33. l. 2. for possion r. possession l. 9. r. standeth p. 37 l. 2. r. transgressor l. 17. r. finned l. ult r. bare p. 38. l. 9. r. notwithstanding p. 42. l. 8. r. length l. 31. r. derision p. 46. l. 6. r. layeth down l. 18. for of r. if l. 32. r. Justice l. 37. r. appeareth l. 38. r people p. 57. l. 10. r. toile l. 11. r. wages p. 58 l. 23. r. the Nature and Native work p. 59. l. 30. r. made over unto p. 60. l. 42. r. than what p. 69. l. 24. r. Christ's p. 70. l. 33 r. than the Righteousness p. 75. l. ulâ r. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã p. 76. l. 1. r. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã p. 81. l. 26. r. prosecution p. 82. lin 3. Ã fine r. Christ. p. 84. l. 20. r. Spirit of the Lord. l. penult r. believers l. 85. l. 9. r. of the Moral p. 90. l. 12. r. and if we be made p. 91. l. 6. r. all the iniquities l. 8. r. head of the goat p. 92. l. 6. r these words p. 94. l. 22. dele of p. 95. l. 1. 8. r. circumcision p. 97. l. â r. suteablenesse p. 104. l. 36. r. Nor is it p. 134. l. 25. r. as faith it self p. 159. l. 30. r. evacuateth p. 187. l. 24. r. immediate imputation of p. 434. l. 14. r. chargeable p. 476. l. 37. r. words p. 501. l. 3. Ã fine r. drawn ibid. r. countenance p. 512. l. 8 r. repetition p. 514. l. 24. for hoas r. how p. 521. l. 12. r. Frater meus p. 533. l. 22. r. If not then he was not l. 24. r. If he knew then he knew that they would l. 28 dele of l. 32. r. shall he not p. 537. l. 23. r. not one man l. 35. r. Priests p. 538. l. 22 23. r. but have all their sins charged upon their own score p. 539 l. 35. r. trespasses l. 36. r. doubtlesse p. 541. l. 10. r. fundamentally l. 14. 16. r. actual p. 551. l. 17. r. of all these l. penult for is r. as
denote one the same thing the last being explicative of the former Ezek. 18 30. Repent turn yourselves And this is imported by many Synonimous expressions in the Old Testament as Seeking the Lord Deut. 4 29. Turning to the Lord vers 30. Returning to the Lord. Hos 5 4. Seeking the face of God 2. Chron. 7 14. the like See also Revel 3 19. 4. It is sometimes expresly distinguished from Godly sorrow mentionned as a Consequent or fruite effect of it 2. Cor. 7 9 yee sorrowed to Repentance 10. for Godly sorrow worketh Repentance 5. Sometime it is expresse distinguished from Faith as Act. 20 21 Repentance toward God faith toward our Lord Iesus Christ. Heb. 6 1. not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead works of faith towards God So Ier. 31 19. after I was turned that is wrought up to faith I repented 6. Sometime it signifieth nothing else upon the matter but a receiving of the Gospel a beleeving in Christ not only Mark. 1 15. repens ye beleeve the Gospel where the later is explicative of the former but also in many other places where Bapist's ministrie is spoken of the summe whereof is said to have been Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Mat. 3 2. and his baptisme was called the Baptisme of Repentance Mark. 1 4 or unto Repentance Mat. 3 11. See also Luk. 3 3. Act. 13 24. Now that this preaching of Repentance Baptisme of or unto Repentance which is said to have been Iohn's ministrie work was the preaching of Faith in the Messiah Paul telleth us expreslie Act. 19 4. Then said Paul Iohn verily baptized with the baptisme of Repentance saying unto the people that they should beleeve on him which should come after him that is on Christ Iesus So that by this Commentary of Paul's we understand both what was the scope of his Baptisme of Repentance also what was the meaning of his calling on his hearers to Repent to wit to embrace Christ who came after him to beleeve in him And by this Commentary we may understand the purpart of Christ's preaching Mat. 4 17. from that time Iesus began to preach to say Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand And this is called Mark 1 14. the Gospel of the Kingdom of God As also of the preaching of the Apostles Seventy disciples when they were sent to say the Kingdom of God was come or is nigh unto you Luk. 10 9. Mat. 10 7. which is called the Gospel Luk. 9 6. and Repentance Mark. 6 12. they went out preached that men should Repent By this also we may understand the meaning of these the like passages Mat. 9 13 I am not come to call the Righteous but sinners to Repentance So Mark 2 17. Luk. 5 32. as likewise of that passage Luk. 15 7 10 joy in heaven over one person that repenteth for this is Christ's saving of the man that was lost Mat. 18 11. Luk. 15 4. 19. 10. See also Mat. 11 20. Act. 2 38. 11 18. 26 18. 20. compared together 7. Sometime it denoteth a recovery from some measure of defection into which persons are backsliden as Revel 2 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen Repent do shy first works So Ch. 3 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received heard hold fast Repent 8. Sometime it is distinguished from works of Obedience that follow upon it flow from it as Mat. 3 8. bring forth fruits meet for Repentance that is fruits suiting or answerable unto a Christian state or a state of beleeving in Christ which before we saw was denoted by Iohn's Baptisme So Luk. 3 8. Act. 26 10. 9. Sometime it includeth all that is required in order to Salvation upon mans part as 2 Pet. 3 9 not willing that any should pertâh but that all should come to Repentance So that Repentance includeth all that is requisite to escape perishing So Luk. 13 3 5 except ye Repent ye shall all likewise perish So also Act. 5 31. to give Repentance to Israel Remission of sins where as Remission of sins may comprehend all the spiritual favours and privileges which Christ bestoweth so Repentance may include all the graâes blessings which he bestoweth in order to the actual participating of these privileges Thus we may understand it Act. 17 30. but now commandeth all men every where to Repent that is by the preached Gospel wherever it cometh commandeth all men to relinquish their courses of vanity to embrace the Gospel of Salvation to walk accordingly So Luk. 24 47. And that Repentance Remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations which is the short summe of the Apostles Commission to wit to exhort to all Christian duties imported by Repentance hold forth all Gospel privileges as an encouragment thereunto included in Remission of sins Having premitted these things in order to the clearing of the question we would know further 1. That the Question is not whether the doctrine of Papists about Repentance in order to Justification be to be owned in whole or in part for none now appeareth in the direct owning of their Assertions who commonly are utterly ignorant of true Justification as different from Sanctification as may sufficiently appeare by the very naming of their positions for 1 They look upon Repentance as having force efficacy to expell sin as light hath to expell darkness taking Remission to be a destroying of the very being of sin expelling of Corruption by contrary gracious Qualities inherent Holiness of which they make Repentance a part 2 They make Repentance concurre as a material cause dssposing the soul for receiving a gracious Quality for the expelling of sin 3 They make Repentance to obtain pardon by way of merite and 4 by way of Satisfaction Not to mention 5 their Sacrament of Pennance All which the Reader will finde not only rejected but also shortly solidly confused by worthy judicious Mr. Durham in his Comment on the Revel in that digression on Repentance pag. 251. 2. Nor is the Question whether the Lord call for Repentance as a duty at the hands of such as either are to be Justified or are already Justified for both these we willingly grant as being divine truthes richly confirmed in the Scriptures what ever Antinomians say to the contrary 3. Nor is the Question whether Repentance be a Condition of the Covenant or not For if by a Condition of the Covenant we understand every thing that is a duty required of the Covenanters it is readily granted as was said that Repentance is a duty required of such as are really in Covenant with God but if by a Condition of the Covenant be meaned a duty required in order to the closing of the Covenant or entering into Covenant upon the performing of which the Covenant is immediatly
justification by the Law cannot conclude against the Ceremonial Law only for 1 all the world are not guilty of transgressing only the Ceremonial Law and yet because all the world are become guilty before God the Apostle inferreth Rom. 3 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified 2 So that other Argument ibid. for by the Law is the knowledge of sin cannot conclude against the Ceremonial Law only 3 Justifieation by the deeds of the Ceremonial Law only repugneth not to the justification through the Righteousness of God without the Law and which is by Faith of Jesus Christ and through the Redemption that is in Christ. 4 The Law of Ceremonies alone doth not exclude boasting 5 Abraham's works were not works of the Ceremonial Law only 6 works of the Ceremonial Law only do not exclude glorying nor make the reward of debt not of grace 7 Beleeving on him that justifieth the ungodly is opposed as well to him that worketh according to other Lawes as to him that worketh according to the Ceremonial Law Rom. 4 5. 8 Imputed Righteousness mentioneth Rom. 4 7 11. is as much opposite in the matter of justification to other observances as to Mosaical Observances 9 Forgiveness of sins mentioned Rom. 4 7 8. is as inconsistent with the observation of other Lawes as of the Ceremonial Law 10 Justification by the Faith of Christ is as opposite to the Moral Law as to the Ceremonial Law And thus reasoneth the Apostle Gal. 2 16. 11 That Curse denounced Deut. 27 26. by which the Apostle proveth Gal. 3 10. that justification can not be by the works of the Law is not against transgressours only of the Ceremonial Law 12 Obedience to the moral commands is as little a living by faith as was obedience to the Ceremonial Law And by this Argument Paul proveth Gal. 3 11. that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God because the just shall live by faith 13 This is clear also from vers 12. 13. to mentione no more And the Law is not of faith which holdeth not true only of the Ceremonial Law but the man that doth them shall live in them which was the Tenor of the Old Covenant Rom. 10 5. Levit. 18 5. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law And sure this is from the Curse of other Lawes than of the Ceremonial Law 8. Though it were true that Paul's conclusion was only against Justification by Mosaical Observances Yet by good consequence it might hence be inferred that there is no Justification by the works of the Moral Law Partly because the Apostle's Mediums Arguments are general as we saw reach further than to the Ceremonial Law Partly because if it were not thus all the Apostles disput should be of no use or value unto us now the subject of that controversie being quite removed Partly because the Ceremonial Law belonged to the first table being God's institute worshipe obedience thereunto required by the Second Command Partly because so long as that Law was not abrogated obedience thereunto was their Gospel Righteousness as well as obedience to other Law 's is now called our Gospel-Righteousness And if that could not then justifie them no more can this now justifie us We do not by all this say that the Ceremonial Law had no place or interest in this disput for the Jewes being pertinacious adherers unto this the false Teachers urging the observation of this even upon the Gentile Churches gave occasion first rise unto this Question for they alleiged there was no Justification or Salvation without the observation hereof But as they did not restrict the Law the works thereof purely unto the Mosaical Rites Typical Ceremonies but urged the observation of the whole Law which comprehended moral precepts as well as Ceremonial Injunctions so the Apostle argueth against Justification by the works of the Law in general without any particular limitation expressed or hinted unto the Ceremonial Observances Mr. Baxter in his Cathol Theol. part 2. Sect. 26. where he would tell us how Paul Iames agree about justification by works n. 362. saith that The key of understanding Paul's discourses of justification is to know 1. That the grand question which he first manageth is whether the Gentiles may not be saved without keeping the Iewish Law as well as the Iewes with it Ans. 1 But our Principal difficulty here is to understand what Mr. Baxter meaneth by the Iewish Law for if he meane all that which was prescriscribed unto the Jewes as a Rule of their obedience we assent but then the Moral Law is as much concerned here as the Ceremonial or judicial And these as such being abrogated the disput concerneth us as well as them in respect of the Moral Law But if he mean hereby only the Law of Ceremonies we have shown that howbeit this might have given the first rise unto the disput yet the disput was not wholly purely restricted thereunto Nor doth the Apostle only speak to that abstracted or restricted consideration of the Law in his pleading against a justification by the works of the Law as we have seen This he doth when he pleadeth for the Abrogation of that Law against the observation of it 2 Mr. Baxter as it would seem supposeth that Paul made no question concerning the Jewes themselves but yeelded that they were justified saved by their Law for the question was saith he whether the Gentiles might not as well be saved thereby as the Iewes But where findeth he this either asserted or granted by the Apostle or the Question thus stated by the Apostle 2. Saith he To prove the Affirmative he proveth that the Jewes themselves cannot be saved or justified meerly or primarily by the Law notwithstanding the divinity great excellency of it But must be justified by a Saviour free given Pardon Right to life to which the sincere keeping of Moses Law was intended to be but subservient Ans. 1 Then the Question concerned the Jewes as well as the Gentiles Paul did no more grant justification by the Law to the one than to the other 2 Where findeth Mr. Baxter these restrictions Merely or Primarily in all the Apostles disput This is not faire to pervert the Apostles plaine peremptour absolute Conclusions restrick them to a certain limited sense that they may the better be subservient to our designes our Hypotheses Do the Apostles Mediums only serve to prove that justification is not by the Law Meerly or Primarily Which of them all I pray hath only this force 3 Though the keeping of Moses's Law be here said to be but subservient Yet according to Mr. Baxter it was all their Righteousness no other was properly imputed to them upon it immediatly they received Pardon Right to life as merited thereby ex pacto the Saviour only procuring the New Covenant that is that
given unto him to redeem Yea are not the given ones clearly distinguished from the rest Ioh. 17 6 9 as we cleared above Againe 32. If the Redemption of Christ be Universal and Conditioonal it must necessarily follow that Christ laid down his life and the price of his blood as much for Iudas and all the Reprobate as he did for Iohn and all the Elect for the Redemption being Conditionally for all it cannot be more for one then for another And yet this cannot be said as appeareth from the reasons formerly adduced This would lay that the Fathers and Christs love was equal towards all and that no more was purchased for the one than for the other and that the Elect have no more benefite by Christs death than the Reprobat have and that Christ had no more an eye to Redeem the Elect by his death than to Redeem the Reprobat was no more a Cautioner for the one than for the other all which and the like cannot but be looked upon as most absurd Shall we think that Christ became sin as well or as much for Iudas as for Peter Shall we think that He redeemed all alike from the Curse of the Law These sound ill to Christian ears So 33. we may thus reason Either Christ's Redemption is Conditional Universal as to the Price laid down Satisfaction made or as to the Application Actual bestowing of the benefites purchased But neither can be said to the advantage of the Adversaries cause for if the last be said we willingly grant that some of the benefites as Justification Adoption and actuall Glorification are conferred in a manner conditionally but some as faith and the New heart are given absolutely and this cannot Help the Adversaries cause for they will not say that either all have faith bestowed upon them or that all are by believing Justified Adopted c. and so this is not Universall and if the first be said to wit That Christ laid down his life Conditionally it must be said that Christ did not lay down his life Absolutely but upon some condition and what can that Condition be upon which the death of Christ was suspended If it be said that the faith of those to whom it was to be preached was the Condition then it must be said that christ did not die untill these believed or that his death was no satisfaction or price untill they actually believed and then the Father could not be well pleased with the price as a satisfaction until mens Faith came to make it an Actual price which is both absurd and contrary to Scripture If it be said That Christ did absolutely lay down his life a satisfactory Ransom and that for all yet so as none that would not fulfil the Condition should be redeemed I Answer If it was an Absolute satisfactory Ransome accepted as such something must have been purchased thereby all behoved actually really to be delivered from the Law from the curse or from something by vertue of that Absolute Price and they could not be made to pay over againe what was payed by the price of his blood for Justice could not call for two satisfactions And if all were upon this Absolute Price payed Redeemed from the Law the Curse the Sentence of the first Covenant no man shall now die for that broken Covenant If it be said No man was Absolutely delivered even from that but only Conditionally I Ans. How then was it an Absolute Price Or what was purchased thereby If it be said That a possibility of Freedom was absolutely purchased Ans. This was rejected above and the Scripture inferreth Actual Redemption from Christs purchase He shall justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Esai 53 11. which saith That all whose iniquities he did bear shall be Actually Really Justified by him not have a meer Possibility of Justification Further 34. We may thus argue If Christ died for all every one He either died for all Absolutely or Conditionally The first cannot be said for the reasons already adduced militate against that Nor can it be said that He died for all Conditionally for then either he died to purchase Life Salvation to all upon Condition of their performance of something proposed as a Condition or to purchase salvation and all the meanes thereunto or Conditions thereof Conditionally But neither of these can be said Therefore c. The major is clear from this that the enumeration is full noother way can this Conditional Redemption be conceived or explained The minor may be thus confirmed The first way cannot be said to wit that life and salvation was purchased to all upon a Condition to be by them performed that is upon Condition of their believing for either this Condition is in the power of every son of Adam or not if it be not in their power as all but Pelagians will confess then this Redemption is no Redemption for a Redemption of Captives upon a Condition impossible to them is as good as no Redemption Nor can the last way be said to wit that Redemption and all the Conditions Means thereof were Conditionally purchased for what can be assigned as the Condition of these Conditions And though there were a Condition of the Lords working of Faith assigned which yet we finde not in Scripture yet that would not help the matter for that Condition of Faith would it self be a mean to salvation and so purchased Conditionally upon another Condition and that other Condition must be purchased upon another Condition so in infinitum which is absurd As also 35. this is considerable That the asserting of Universal Redemption goeth not alone but there are several other Universalities also affirmed and maintained either as Consequences or Concomitants or Grounds thereof which the Scripture knoweth not such as these 1. An Universal Love Philanthropie towards all every one without any difference which they lay down as the ground of the Sending of Christ to die for all indiscriminatly 2. An Universal Will in God to save all which they call an Antecedent Will and hold forth as a Velleity or a wish desire that all might be saved as if God could not effectuat whatever he desired or could have a velleity towards any thing which either he could not or would not effectuat 3. An Universal Predestination conditional which expression Amerald used untill the Synods in France did disswade him therefrom 4. An Universal gift of all to Christ or an Universal gift of Christ to all that is a Will purpose that Christ should lay down his life for all and Redeem all at least Conditionally 5. An Universal Justification conditional And why not also an Universal Salvation conditional 6. An Universal Covenant of Grace made with all mankinde in Adam wherein is a free universal deed of gift of Christ first and of Pardon Spirit Glory in by him to all Mankinde without