the Scripture where any thing besides faith and believing is said to be counted to man for righteousnes is that place of the Psalmist Psal. 106. and 31. where the godly zealous act of Phinees in executing just judgement on Zamri and Cosbi is said to be counted to him for righteousnes Now the meaning of the wordes there cannot be that this act of Phinees was accepted of GOD and counted to him for righteousnes to justification For then it will follow that a man may bee justified before GOD by one act or worke of his owne Which the Apostle here utterly condemneth as a grosse errour and bends his whole discourse against it The true sense and meaning of the phrase is no more but this that Phinees performing such an act of godly zeale as is proper onely to a faithfull righteous man who by the spirit of regeneration dwelling in him is so united unto Christ that by faith he was a true partaker of his righteousnes GOD upon this act gave him the testimony of righteousnes and declared and judged him to bee a righteous man truly justified Therefore the Apostles phrase of counting faith to the beleever for righteousnes which he often useth in this Chapter signifieth after the same manner GODS counting a true beleever for a righteous man and giving him the testimony of righteousnes because he is righteous indeed by communion of Christs righteousnesse which hee hath apprehended applied and enjoyeth by faith The confutation of the false hereticall exposition of the Apostles wordes maintained by the Socinian faction FIrst whereas they hold that faith considered by it selfe in a proper literall sense without consideration of the object or laying hold on Christ and his righteousnes is counted to the beleever for righteousnes to justification and GOD requires in and of us no other thing for righteousnes neither our owne workes performed in our owne persons according to the Law nor Christs perfect righteousnes and fulfilling of the Law made ours by spirituall union and communion with Christ and accepted of GOD for us This I prove to bee false hereticall and blasphemous by these arguments following First faith taken in a proper sense is a part of our conformity and argument 1 obedience to the Law of GOD which above all things requires that wee give honour to GOD by beleeving him and his word and by trusting in him as our onely rock the GOD of our strength and salvation They therefore teaching that faith in a proper sense is counted for righteousnes doe teach that wee are iustified by a worke of obedience to the Law performed in our owne persons and GOD requires on our behalfe no other righteousnes for justification which Doctrine the Apostle utterly condemnes Therefore their opinion and exposition is hereticall and more impious then the Pelagian and Popish heresies concerning iustification Secondly that which was properly argument 2 imputed to Abraham and is so imputed to true beleevers is righteousnes so the Apostle in plaine wordes expresseth verse 6. and 11. but faith in a proper sense is not righteousnes For righteousnes is perfect conformity to the Law as sinne is transgression of the Law yea humane righteousnes is a mans keeping of the whole Law and his observing to doe all GODS commandements with his whole heart all the dayes of his life as wee read Deuteronomie 8. Thirdly that which chargeth argument 3 GOD with errour and falshood in his iudgement is blasphemous This opinion that GOD counts faith for righteousnes that is thinketh iudgeth and esteemeth it to bee righteousnes in a proper sense chargeth GOD with errour and falshood in his iudgement For faith is not any true righteousnes properly Therefore this opinion is blasphemy If they plead that GOD by his absolute soveraignty of power may accept and repute that for righteousnes which is not true righteousnes This doth but more entangle them and involve them in errour For GOD and his soveraigne power are all one as GOD cannot lye nor make contradictories true so his sovereignty of power cannot either make that to bee righteousnes which is not or truely iudge it so to bee Neither can his infinite iustice bee satisfied without perfect fulfilling of his Law nor allow any man to bee iustified without righteousnes nor will his truth suffer him to count any iust who is not iust Therefore by this base shift and wicked pretence devised to hide and cover their blasphemy they do runne further into blasphemy and make his soveraigne power a tyrant and oppressour of his iustice and truth argument 4 Fourthly that opinion which taketh away and denyeth the meanes by which GOD is revealed to be infinitely iust mercifull and wise and makes the satisfaction of Christ and his perfect fulfilling the Law a vaine and needlesse thing is most hereticall impious and blasphemous This opinion that GOD by his sovereigne power can and doth accept and count imperfect faith for perfect righteousnes takes away the meanes by which GODS iustice mercy and wisdome are revealed to be infinit yea it extenuates and vilifies GODS iustice mercy bounty and wisdom and makes Christs full satisfaction a vaine superfluous and needlesse thing Therefore it is an impious and blasphemous opinion First that which reveales GOD to be infinitly iust is that he cannot be reconciled to men that have sinned without execution of iustice to the full and a full satisfaction made according to his iust Law if not by men in their owne persons which is impossible yet by their mediator and surety in their behalfe and by him communicated to them and made theirs as truly as if they had fulfilled the Law in their owne persons And though this satisfaction be of infinit value yet it cannot profit them nor actually merit for them till they be partakers of it truely and really by spirituall communion This is that meanes by which GOD is known to be infinitly iust Secondly when GODS infinite iustice was so strict that nothing could satisfie it nor redeeme mankind but a satisfaction of infinite value made for them And when all the world was not able to find such a satisfaction that his wisedome should finde one out and have it ready before hand in her eternall treasures even a full satisfaction performed in mans nature by GOD the eternall son and also the meanes to make it truely and really the satisfaction of every man truely beleeving that is by the Holy Ghost shed on them through the Sonne Christ and making them one spirituall body with him This reveales GOD to be infinite in wisedome Thirdly in that GOD the Father would in this case give his onely begotten sonne to be humbled in our nature and to obey suffer and make such a satisfaction for poore miserable men in that the sonne would willingly take all this upon him to doe and suffer whatsoever iustice could require and in that the holy Ghost when this satisfaction could not otherwise profit men nor bee made theirs doth not
City to whom as yet I was unknown that I was a green headed novice carryed away with anger and passion rather then zeal yet divers of you my learned Brethren did judge otherwise of me and my labours and God blessed them and made them and your assistance of me therein powerfull and effectuall to the quelling of those errors and to the suppressing of them at that time by putting the Author of them to silence And now for 20. yeares and more they have been buryed in oblivion untill this new Adversary hath raked them up as coales out of ashes and out of a surreptitious Booke which the First Adversary had composed Printed beyond the Seas and procured to be brought in by stealth and sold underhand did bring them into the pulpit and from thence with a tumultuous noyse proclaymed them most confidently Now because I have sufficiently acted my part heretofore in opposing these errors and also divers of you have entered into the lists and with zeale and courage have begun to fight against the reviver of them I should have refrayned my selfe from further medling but because this common adversary hath singled me out and provoked me by a proud challenge to answere his writings I have once more undertaken to answer his challenge which Answer being sent to him privately might there have restâ—d if his most reproachfull and rayling reply full of lyes absurdities contradictions blasphemies and intollerable scoffes and reproaches had not forced me to send it abroad into the world to justifie it selfe from the rayling and slanderous clamours which he and his disciples and factious followers have raised against it I here commend it to your grave censure in hope that the goodnesse of the cause which herein I maintaine will cover mine infirmities and will stirre you up to perfect and finish what I have begun The Truth for which you shall fight is strong and will prevaile all power might glory and victory is Gods for whose cause you stand and our Lord Jesus Christ on whose perfect rigteousnesse you strive to keep the Crown hath all power given him in heaven and in earth To this God eternall and omnipotent and to his eternall Sonne our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and to the most holy and blessed Spirit three persons in one God I commend you and your holy and faithfull labours in my dayly Prayers humbly supplicating to his Majesty for this Grace that I may continue till death Your fellow Soldier and labourer in his Vineyard GEORGE WALKER THE ANSWERERS PREFACE To the first Chapter THE question which is propounded and the state and drift thereof laid down in this first Chapter is in the Authors own words this whether the faith of him that truely beleeves or the righteousnesse of CHRIST be imputed for righteousnesse in the act of justification In this question the imputing of Faith is opposed to the imputing of Christs righteousnesse for righteousnesse to justification which no Orthodox Christian durst attenâ—â— to doe at any time for the godly learned in the Scriptures and acquainted with the writings of Orthodox divines both ancient and Moderne from the time of the Apostles to this day doe alwayes joyne Faith with Christs righteousnesse in the act of justification and do never account them such opposites as doe the one exclude the other and cannot both stand together and be reputed for righteousnesse to beleevers in justification Though the Apostle doth oppose justification by faith to justification by works of the Law performed by every man in his owne person as two opposites which cannot stand together in GODS justification of sinners And this all true Christians receive imbrace and hold for a solid truth and a fundamentall article of Christian Religion Yet they abhorre and detest the opposing of Faith and Christs righteousnes in GODS imputing of righteousnes to beleevers and doe with an unanimous consent teach that in this justifying act of GOD Christs righteousnesse of which all true beleevers have communion is that which GOD in a proper sense is said to accept and repute for righteousnesse and Faith as it receives and applies Christs righteousnesse is said to be imputed but in an improper speech the name of the act being used to signifie the object which we see frequently in Scripture as for example Gal. 3.2.25 where the name Faith is used to signifie the thing beleeved that is the doctrine of the Gospell and Coloss. 1.5 where the name Hope is used to signifie the thing hoped for that is the inheritance and reward laid up for us in Heaven of which kind many more instances may be produced But as for them who have called into controversie the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and having propounded this question whether Faith or the righteousnes of Christ is imputed in the act of justification have set up Faith and thrust out Christs righteousnesse they have ever beene branded by all true Churches of Christ for pestilent Heretikes and enemies of GODS saving truth The first mover of this question was one Petrus Abilardus a pestilent and blasphemous Heretick who being full of the spirit of pride and error did in disputing and writing deny the communion of Christs perfect satisfaction obedience and righteousnesse and the imputation of them for righteousnesse in the justification of true beleevers This filthie wretch was gelded for corrupting and defiling of a Maid and for his blasphemous heresies Saint Bernard and the Bishops of France caused him to be excommunicated and condemned for an Heretike and his blasphemous books to be burned publikely The next instrument of the Devill after him mentioned in former Histories was Servetus that blasphemous Heretike who for heresies and blasphemies which hee dispersed as a vagabond in several Countries in divers books was by Master Calvin discovered apprehended at Geneva condemned and burned and dyed blaspheming Christ most horribly as Beza testifieth in vita Calvini The third notorious Heretike who in writing and bookes published did maintaine this wicked errour and by his Disciples dispersed it in Transilvania Polonia and other adjoyning Countries was Faustus Socinus whose blasphemous faction and sect still continueth and infesteth those Countries at this day The fourth Grand Master and propagatour of this heresie who brought it into Holland nearer unto us was Arminius He did first secretly teach and instill it into the eares and hearts of many disciples and afterwards did openly professe it as we read in his Epistle ad Hyppolytum de collibus wherein he confesseth that he held Faith to be imputed for righteousnesse to justification not in a Metonymicall but in a proper sense And although this and other errours held by him are condemned in the late Synod of Dort yet his disciples the Remonstrants doe obstinately persist in this errour though some of that sect would seeme to decline and disclaime it The fift perverse publisher of this heresie who first openly professed it in England and in manuscript Pamphlets and Printed Bookes
transgressor and doth pronounce him just The third is a Iudiciary sense lesse properly so called when a supreme Iudge by soveraignety of power doth acquit and absolve a man and remit the penalty of the Law which he deserves upon weighty consideration knowne to himselfe and doth deliver him and discharge him as if he were an innocent and righteous man The first Physicall sense he rejects and playes upon Bellarmine for reteining and using the word Iustifie in that sense And yet he himselfe immediatly acknowledgeth that GOD upon a mans Iustification begins to Iustifie him Physically by infusing into him habituall and inhaerent righteousnesse But this he saith is in Scripture called Sanctification The second sense he also disclaimes and in this dispute embraceth the third sense to wit that Iustification signifies GODS forgiving a man freely all that he hath done against the Law and his acquiting and discharging of a man from the guilt and punishment due by the Law for such offences not for any consideration which can be pleaded for him according to the Law but for somwhat done for him in this case to relieve him out of the course order and appointment of the Law His reason why he embraceth this sense is because he conceives Iustification to stand in forgivenesse of sinne which belongs to the Law in no respect at all In all this part and passage I find not one particle of solid truth but many grosse errors and falshoods for of all the three significations of the word Iustifie by him here named onely the first may passe in some tollerable construction but not in his sense for though GOD in the creation made our first Parents after his owne Image and similitude in perfect righteousnesse indued with a naturall and habituall uprightnesse conformable to his revealed will and Law and in this respect may be said to have Iustified that is made them upright as the wise Preacher saith Eccles. 7.29 GOD made man upright Yet whether this act of creation was a Physicall act of GOD or rather a voluntary act of his will of his wisdome and counsell and so may be called Artificial is something disputable As for the framing and making of the man Christ the blessed seed by the power of the holy Ghost pure holy upright and iust from his first conception this was a spirituall and supernaturall act and the holinesse and righteousnesse was a supernaturall gift given from above not introduced by naturall generation nor raised from naturall principles That making of men righteous in their sanctification which Bellarmine speaks of is not iustification in a naturall but in a spirituall sense For the spirit of GOD worketh those habits and graces of holinesse in men whom GOD hath begotten of his owne will in the word of truth And therefore when Bellarmine or Goodwin or any other call this a Physicall iustifying they erre grossely For if it be any iustification at all it is spirituall and morall But for my part I finde not that by the Spirit of GOD in Scripture any habituall holinesse of men begun in this life is called righteousnesse simply in it selfe But as the Saints regenerate and faithfull are called righteous in respect of their communion with Christ and participation of his righteousnes So their sanctity or habituall holinesse is called righteousnesse not simply in it selfe but by coniunction with the righteousnesse of Christ the head of the body which as it iustifies them by constituting and making them righteous so also it iustifies their rectified holy actions which they performe by the moâ—ions of the spirit and by Faith in Christ as learned Beza well observed and truth affirmeth Lib. contra Anonymum and their sanctification cannot be called iustification but by reason of coniunction with iustification in the same person For if it were possible for a sinfull man to be made perfectly holy and conformable to GODS Law in his owne person yet having formerly transgressed the Law and failed in many things â—his nâ—w conformity to the Law by reason of those sinnes and failings will prove a lame righteousnesse not fit to satisfie the Law and to be accepted for perfect righteousnesse to justification because if a man keepe the whole Law and faile in one point he is guilty of all Iam. 2 10. No righteousnesse can justifie which is not a perfect obedience and conformity of the whole man to the whol law in his whole life froÌ„ the beginning to the end Secondly that signification of the word Iustification which hee calls a judiciary sense properly so called is as he describes it a foolish fiction of his owne braine for never did any but a mad-man dreame of Iustifying sinners by a subordinate Judge absolving them from punishment according to the strict termes and rules of the Law for that were to give a false sentence and to pronounce a man free from all transgression of the Law and a perfect fulfiller of it in his owne person All our learned and Iudicious Divines doe hold that the full satisfaction and obedience of CHRIST being communicated and imputed to true believers they are absolved and have their sinnes pardoned and are counted and iudged righteous by GOD as men who have satisfied the Iustice and iust Law of GOD by CHRIST their head and surety not in their own persons which the Law in strict termes requires this is justification in the Iudiciary sense which is approved by the learned Thirdly that Iudiciary sense improperly so called which he approves allows in this dispute is an Hereticall and Socinian conceipt for so long as GOD the supreme Iudge of all the world is immutable and infinite in Iustice he neither can nor will dispense with his eternall iust Law in any iot or tittle but will have it perfectly fulfilled either by our selves or some sufficient surety in our behalfe and will forgive no sinner without a full suffering and satisfaction made to the Law in the same kind which the law requires though not in every mans person and this full satisfaction must be communicated to every one and made his owne by union with CHRIST his head before that GOD will iudge or account him righteous and pardon al his sinnes To imagin a somewhat in consideration whereof GOD forgives sinners and accepts them as if they were righteous besides the full satisfaction of GODS Justice and just law is to conceive GOD to bee mutable and not the same in his infinite justice at all times and to affirme it is Samosatenian and Socinian Blasphemy Fourthly in arguing against the second sense by him propounded he wrestles with his owne shadow and fights against a fiction of his owne braine and discovers his blindnesse and ignorance of the dictinction and difference betweene Legal and Evangelicall justification and righteousnesse Legal righteousnesse is the condition of the first covenaÌ„t of works and consists in perfect conformity and obedience to the law performed by every man in his owne person and
no man can be legally justified but by his owne personall righteousnesse Evangelicall righteousnesse is CHRISTS perfect righteousnesse and fulfilling of the Law in the behalfe of all the elect and faithfull It was not the Law nor our works of the Law which moved GOD to give CHRIST to be our surety and redeemer but he of his owne free love and bounty gave Christ and Christ the Sonne of GOD out of his love humbled himselfe to become man and to fulfill the law for us Neither doe wee obtaine Communion of Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse by the workes of the Law but by the Gospell preached believed as the Apostle teacheth Gal. 3.2 And therefore though Christ his righteousnes be a perfect fulfilling of all obedience which the law requires of man GOD did exact of him every farthing of our debt both in active and passive obedience and in respect of the matter and substance his satisfaction may be called after a sort legall and is so called by Luther yet as it was for us not for himselfe and performed by him our head not by every one of us in our owne persons and is received and applied by Faith not by our workes of the Law and is brought unto us by the Gospell not by the Law and is given to us freely by GODS grace not merited or procured by any thing in our selves so it is not legall but Evangelicall and GODS justifying of us and counting us righteous by it is not a proceeding upon legall grounds nor pronouncing us legally just as this calumniator doth either foolishly imagine or falsely slander and misreport our Doctrine Fiftly in arguing for his owne false and forged sense of the word Justification he hath three reasons all which are for us and prove our Doctrine not his opinion For if this make a sense of the word Justification good because it doth intimate the former guiltinesse of him that is justified as wel as it doth discharge him from all punishment which is his first reason then is our Doctrine of justification by imputation of Christs satisfaction for all our sinnes very good and sound for it intimates a guiltinesse in him who is to bee iustified as well as a discharge from punishment Secondly we doe not plead for our iustification any consideration according to the Law that is wee doe not plead our owne innocency nor satisfaction and righteousnes performed in our own persons but we plead more then somewhat done for us even all Christs obedience active and passive by GODS free grace communicated to us not obtained or merited by our works of the law Thirdly though the law iustifies no sinner but threatens the curse death and condemnation as the due reward of the transgressors of it Yet it iustifies all who are free from all sinnes committed against it and are made righteous by the perfect fulfilling of it to the utmost And therefore when the Gospell hath brought us to the Communion of Christs full satisfaction by which we are made free from all sinne and perfect fulfillers of the law in him our head as GOD doth forgive us our sinnes and counts us righteous so the law is no more against us 1 Tim. 1.9 but is witnesse for us that in Christ we are worthy of remission and iustification By this are manifest the grosse errours and absurdities which he uttereth in this first part of his preparative Chapter But that his ignorance in the Doctrine of justification may more fully appeare I will lay downe the severall significations of the words justification and justifying wherein the Spirit of God doth use them in the holy Scriptures First the word iustifie and iustification signifie making men righteous or constituting or seting them in the state of righteousnesse This signification is justified by several testimonies of Scripture as Rom. 5.19 Where many are said to be made or constituted righteous by the obedience of Christ even as by Adams disobedience many were made sinners and 1 Cor. 1.30 and 2 Cor. 5.21 Where Christ is said to bee made unto us righteousnesse and wee are said to be made the righteousnesse of God in him And Rom. 3.24 and 4 5. Where we are said to be iustified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ. And God is said to justifie the ungodly which cannot be meant of counting judging and pronouncing but of making them righteous by the Communion of Christs righteousnesse For to iustifie the wicked by judging and pronouncing them righteous without making them such is aoâ—mination to the LORD Prov. 17.15 And in this sense Preachers of GODS Word are as instruments under GOD said to iustifie many by bringing them unto righteousnesse and are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iustifiers Dan. 12.3 This iustifying wee may very fitly call radicall or fundamentall iustification This Luther and other learned Divines call actionem individuam because it is GODS action of communicating Christs righteousnesse in a moment and not by degrees successively and in it men are mere patients and do not worke with GOD no more then Adam did in GODS first creating of him upright in his Image Even regenerate Infants may thus be iustified and are iustified before they actually beleeve Secondly the word iustifie signifieth GODS iustifying of men by Faith that is his counting and reputing them righteous upon their actuall beleeving and his enableing them to feele themselves partakers of the righteousnesse of Christ and to enioy it by Faith in this sense the word is used Rom. 4. Where GOD is said to iustifie us by imputing righteousnesse and counting Faith for righteousnesse that is counting a true beleever a righteous person And thus the word is to bee taken where we are said to bee iustified by Faith without the workes of the Law The Apostle doth much urge and presse this iustification Rom 4 and Gal. 3. because though in this taken actively GOD onely acteth yet taken passively as it is received of us and we by Faith feele and discerne in what account we are with GOD and by beleeving enioy Christs satisfaction for remission of sinnes and for righteousnes wee may be said to worke with GOD by way of receiving as a begging hand doth in receiving gifts freely given and put into it This iustifying doth necessarily presuppose the former and doth assure us of it For the iust GOD whose iudgement is according to truth cannot râ—pute us righteous till we have communion of Christs righteousnesse and be thereby truly righteous And this Justification Divines call imputative It springs from the former as from the root and is builded on it as on the foundation Thirdly this word iustifie signifies a manifesting and declaring of men to be righteous and iustified and that three wayes First in foro conscientiae in the court or iudgement of our own conscience when a man being troubled in his conscience with the sight of his sinnes and his want of righteousnesse after humble prayer and poenitent seeking
against the invincible rocke of the holy Scriptures and seekes to turne them like a rowling stone against a barke they rowle and rebound back and tumbling upon him grind him to powder· For if hee had ten thousand instances of Scripture wherein the fruite and benefit which men receive are signified by the names of the things which are the causes and meanes of them yet still it will appeare that the fruite is not received except men have first an interest and propriety in the causes and meanes of it And thus you see his fift part or passage proved to bee a rotten heap of stinking lyes absurdities and grosse errors Socinianisme WHerefore to draw towards the close of this first Chapter and withall to give a little more light that it may bee seene to the bottome cleerely both what wee affirme and what we deny in the question propounded First when we affirme the faith of him that beleeveth to be imputed for righteousnes The meaning is not either 1o. That it should be imputed in respect of any thing it hath from a man himselfe or as it is a mans owne act nor yet in respect of any thing it hath from GOD himselfe or from the spirit of GOD producing raising of it in the soule though it be true it requires the lighting downe of the mighty arme of GOD upon the soule to raise it Neither 3 o is it imputed for righteousnes in respect of the object or as or because it layeth hold upon Christ or his righteousnes though it be also true that that faith that is imputed for righteousnes must of necessity lay hold upon Christ and no other faith is cable of this imputation besides because if faith should justifie or be imputed as it layes hold upon Christ it should justifie out of the inhaerent dignity worth of it and by vertue of that which is naturall and intrinsecall to it there being nothing that can be conceived more naturall and essentiall to faith then to lay hold upon Christ this is the very life and soul of it and that which gives it its specificall being and subsistence Therefore to make the object of faith as such the precise and formall ground of its imputation is to make hast into the midst of Samaria whilest men are confident they are travailing towards Dotha◠It s the giving of the right hand of felowship to the Romish justification which makes faith the meritorious cause of it in part But lastly when with the Scriptures we affirme that faith is imputed for righteousnesse our meaning is simply and plainely this that as GOD in the first covenant of workes required an absolute and through obedience to the whole Law with continuance in all things for every mans justification which perfect obedience had it beene performed had beene a perfect righteousnesse to the performer and so would have justified him So now in the new covenant of grace GOD requires nothing of any man for his justification but onely faith in his Sonne which faith shal be as availeable effectuall to him for his justification as a perfect righteousnes should have beene under the first covenant this is that which is meant when faith is said to bee imputed for righteousnes which is nothing but that which is taught generally by Divines both ancient and moderne Sic decretum dicit a Deo ut cessante lege solam fidem gratia Dei posceret ad salutem Ambrosius In Rom. 4. that is that the Apostle saying that to him that beleeveth his faith is imputed for righteousnes affirmeth that GOD hath decreed that the Law ceasing the grace of GOD will require of men onely faith for salvation and again upon Chap. 9. of the same Epistle Sola fides posita est ad salutem onely Faith is appointed to salvation Calvin writing upon Rom. 10.8 hath wordes of the same importance and somewhat more cleare and full ex hac distinctionis nota colligimus sicut lex opera exigit Evangelium nihil aliud postulas nisi ut fidem afferrent homines ad recipiendam Dei gratiam that is from this distinction we gather that as the Law exacted workes so the Gospell requires nothing else but that men bring faith to receive the grace of GOD. If GOD requires faith in the Gospell for that same end for which he requireth workes or perfect righteousnes in the law it necessarily followes that he shall impute this faith for that righteousnes that is accept from men upon the same termes and bee countable unto them the same favours rewards and priviledges upon it that should have beene given unto men in regard of that righteousnes had it beene performed or fulfilled otherwise he should require it for such an end or upon such tearmes as hee would refuse to make good unto it when the creature hath exhibited and tendered it unto him To require it for righteousnes or in stead of righteousnes and not to accept it for righteousnesse when it is brought to him should bee as apparant a breach of Covenant with GOD as it would be in a rich creditour that should compound and agree with his poore debtors for 1. in the pound or the like but when they brought the mony to him should refuse to take it upon any such tearmes or to discharge them of their debt and give them out their bonds Christianisme IN this last part or passage which is a meere confusion and distraction of wordes hee gives more then a little light that his Socinian heresie in this point of justification maintained with much non sense may bee seene to the bottome cleerely First hee takes upon him to shew that faith is imputed and how it is imputed Secondly hee strives to shew that Christs righteousnes is not imputed The first is in the wordes before recited The second followes hereafter First I will sift his wordes already rehearsed And after proceed to the second The summe of his speech last recited may be reduced into a Syllogisme of non sense without forme mood or figure The proposition and assumption whereof are contradictory And the conclusion damned Socinian heresie so that here I may say with the Poet. Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici His proposition runnes thus Faith is neither imputed for righteousnes in respect of any thing which it receives from man the proper subject of it nor as it is mans act who useth it and performes the acts of beleeving nor in respect of any thing which it hath from GOD or his spirit in the production of it nor in respect of the object Christ and his righteousnes nor in respect of the life and soule of it which gives to it the specificall being and subsistence to wit the application of Christ and laying hold on him The Assumption BVt faith is imputed to men and is counted and accepted as sufficiently for justification and upon the same tearmes under the Gospell as perfect righteousnes of workes and of obedience to the whole Law
which he beleeved to wit Christ promised for righteousnes and salvation was that which by GOD was upon Abrahams beleeving counted to him for righteousnes It was not his faith simply considered in it selfe but his faith embracing Christ promised and possessing him with his righteousnes and satisfaction which was reckned to him for righteousnes and as to him so to every one that beleeveth his faith is counted to him for righteousnes For all true beleevers who by faith lay hold on Christ the promised seed of Abraham and beleeve GOD to be their shield and exceeding great reward in him they are by one spirit baptised into one spirituall body with Christ united to him their spirituall head and made his lively members and sensible partakers of his perfect obedience righteousnes and full satisfaction for redemption remission of sinnes justification and perfect salvation and need not any more to seeke the reward of blessednes by the righteousnes of their owne workes performed according to the tenour of the Law by every man in his owne person but in the LORD Iesus Christ who is Iehovah Zid-kenu the LORD our righteousnes Ier. 23.6 and the end and fulfilling of the Law for righteousnes to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10.4 they have perfect righteousnes And in him GOD is become their reward and the lot and portion of their inheritance Psal. 16.5 And that gracious and free favour which GOD shewed to Abraham when hee beleeved in Christ promised and firmely without staggering applyed to himselfe the blessing promised being fully perswaded that GOD who of his free grace promised was by his power able to performe though by the course of nature and by reason of the deadnesse of Sara's wombe he himselfe seemed to bee and indeed was uncapable of that blessing The same hee will shew to all true beleevers who are Abrahams faithfull seed and children of promise that is as hee reckoned Abrahams faith for righteousnes so hee will count their faith to them for righteousnes that is he will accept and account them for righteous persons as indeed they are not for any workes of their owne nor by any righteousnesse performed according to the letter of the law in their owne persons but by the righteousnes which is through the faith of Christ and is called the righteousnes of faith because it is the righteousnes of Christ GOD and man given to them of GOD and of them apprehended and applyed by faith For being thus justified by faith and having communion with Christ of his full satisfaction and righteousnes GOD whose judgement is according to truth doth certainely judge and count them as truly they are righteous in his sight becomes in Christ their shield and exceeding great reward This is the Orthodox exposition of the Apostles wordes in this Chapter generally received by all both ancient and moderne Divines famous for learning and godlinesse The corrupt and hereticall exposition of the Apostles words made by Socinus and maintained by his followers the Arminians and other fanaticall Sectaries THey of the Socinian faction doe generally hold and obstinately affirme that Abrahams beleeving and his faith taken in a proper literall sense without any trope is here said by the Apostle to be counted to Abraham for righteousnes in stead of all righteousnes which either Abraham himselfe was by the Law bound to performe in his owne person or any surety could performe for him And in like manner to every one that beleeveth his faith is in a proper sense said to bee counted for righteousnes even his faith by it selfe and not the righteousnes of Christ with it This is their exposition And upon these wordes of the Apostle thus falsly and corruptly interpreted they build all their hereticall opinions and doctrines concerning justification of the faithfull before GOD namely these following First that faith as it is in every beleever even as it is inherent in him and is his owne faith and beleeving is the onely thing which GOD of his grace and mercy and out of his absolute soveraigne power and dominion is pleased to ordaine appoint and account for all the righteousnes which a man shall have for his justification though in truth and according to Law and the rule of justice it is not righteousnes being weak oftentimes and full of imperfections Secondly that the Spirit of GOD in these wordes of the Apostle did not intend or meane any communion of the righteousnes and perfect obedience performed by Christ to the Law as our surety and in our stead nor imputation of that righteousnes to every true beleever for justification nor GODS accepting of the faithfull for righteous by that righteousnes communicated to them and of them applyed possessed and enjoyed by faith By faith and believing they do not understand that applying faith which is a gift and worke of GODS Spirit in the elect regenerate and sanctified by which they do believe and are perswaded that they are in Christ and Christ is their head and they as lively members of his mysticall body have communion of all his benefits even of his full satisfaction and perfect righteousnes for justification and full remission of all their sinnes But by faith and believing they understand onely a confidence in GOD that hee will performe his promises made in Christ and an assent unto his word that it is true The tenour of which word and promises they conceive to be this That Christ in his pure unspotted humane nature hath by his righteousnesse suffering and obedience unto death meritted such high favour with GOD that GOD in honour to him is pleased to accept and account the faith of them that believe in him and rest on him for their Saviour for perfect righteousnesse and requires no other righteousnesse to constitute and make them in any sort formally righteous in their justification When they acknowledge that the perfect righteousnesse and satisfaction of Christ is the meritorious cause of our justification they do not meane that they are communicated to us and so apprehended and possessed of us by faith that we are thereby indeed and in GODS account righteous before GOD and justified or that they deserve and are worthy that GOD should so account us for them But their mind and meaning is that Christ by his righteousnesse hath merited that GOD for his sake and in favour to him should account faith to us for righteousnesse without either our owne workes of the Law or Christs righteousnesse imputed to us and made ours by communion And when they say that faith is imputed for righteousnes as an instrument they doe not meane as the instrument or spirituall hand applying Christ his righteousnes to bee after a sort the formall righteousnesse of the believer but that faith as it is the instrument by which the believer doth believe that Christ hath purchased this favour that his believing should be the only thing accounted to him for righteousnes so onely and no other way GOD reckons to him
one of his faithfull seed is here meant GODS setting of Christs righteousnes on every true beleevers skore and putting it on his account and judging counting and esteeming him no more guilty of sinne but perfectly righteous by that Evangelicall righteousnes which is called the righteousnes of GOD 2 Cor. 5.21 because GOD performed it in mans nature and the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4.13 and not of workes because it is applyed and enjoyed by faith Philip 3.9 For the confirmation of this exposition and iustifying of this truth wee need seeke no other arguments but such as may bee gathered from the Apostles owne words as in other of his Epistles so especially in this to the Romans argument 1 The first argument is drawne from the 2. Chapter of this Epistle v. 26. where this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it signifies to bee imputed or counted is first used by the Apostle in the very same phrase as here in this Chapter 4.3.5 9. If saith he the uncircumcision keep the righteousnes of the law shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision By uncircumcision in the first clause we must necessarily understand a Gentile uncircumcised as learned Beza in his notes observes and that by a trope of speech which is called Metonymia adjuncti for with some reason it may be supposed that an uncircumcised man may observe the precepts of righteousnes contained in the law but it is against common sense to suppose that the fore-skin of any mans flesh not cut off should performe the righteousnes of the Law no man in his right wits will father such a senseles meaning upon the learned Apostle The same word in the second clause as Beza also well observes cannot with any reason bee thought to signifie the foreskin of mans flesh not cut off that is uncircumcision in a proper sense for that cannot but most falsely be reputed and counted for circumcision because they are contradictories one to another But here by a trope or Metonymie called Metonymia signipro re signatâ the word uncircumcision signifies the state of Gētilisme Neither doth it signifie that state barely considered by it selfe but as comprehending in it the righteousnes of the Law which the uncircumcised man hath kept and performed in that state as the wordes necessarily imply for the Apostle doth not say that uncircumcision simply but uncircūcision which hath kept the righteousnes of the Law shall bee counted for circumcision So that here is a Metalepsis or double trope to wit first uncircumcision put for Gentilisme of which it is a signe or adjunct and secondly put not onely for that state of a Gentile but also for the righteousnesse of the Law kept by the man in that outward state of a Gentile uncircumcised which is a Metonymie of the subject containing for the thing contained Yea if wee looke thoroughly into the phrase wee shall see that the state of the man uncircumcised or the man in that estate put for that which hee hath done and performed even the righteousnes of the Law By circumcision we cannot with reason understand the outward cutting away of the foreskin of mans flesh neither taken literally and carnally as the corrupt blind Iewes did take it for a worke of righteousnesse and obedience to the Law for justification The Apostle affirmes Galatians 5.3 that so taken it was an obligation by which the circumcised was bound under paine of cutting off for ever to performe the whole Law And for a righteous Gentile to bee brought under this bondage was no benefit but a miserable condition an ill reward of his keeping the Law Neither can circumcision be here taken sacramentally as it was an outward signe and seale of the righteousnes of faith and of mortification and all vertues of holynesse by which men are sanctified to GOD and become his peculiar people For Ishmael Esau and all the Sonnes of Belial in Israel even Elies wicked Sons and the rest were partakers of the outward signe and sacrament of circumcsion and yet being destitute of the inward grace signified their circumcision was no reward to them but was a witnes to condemne them But the circumcision here mentioned by the Apostle is an honour benefit and a good condition and therefore undoubtedly signifies the inward circumcision of the heart in the Spirit and not in the letter so the Apostle doth expound himselfe verse 29. that is true mortification and sanctification The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be counted signifies here in a full sense judging counting approving accepting and using accordingly Now all laid together the meaning of the Apostle must necessarily be this without any contradiction That if a man uncercumcised do keep and observe with all holy endeavour the commandements of GODS Law and the righteousnesse thereof his state of Gentilisme and of outward uncircumcision comprehending in it a conscionable observing of GODS holy commandement shall be accounted and judged by GOD and by all who judge aright as it is indeed the state of mortification and sanctification which by the Prophets is called circumcising of our selves to the LORD and puting away the foreskin of our hearts Ier. 4.4 And this man though uncircumcised in the flesh and a Gentile in outward estate shall be counted of GOD for a true Israelite without guile circumcised with circumcision of the heart in the Spirit whose praise is not of men but of GOD. This sense and meaning of the words of this phrase is so cleare and manifest and so perfectly agreeable to all true reason that no man can deny it unlesse hee will set himselfe to rebell against the light And this phrase being the same with that which is made the ground of this dispute Rom. 4. where the same Apostle saith that faith and believing were counted to Abraham and so are to every true believer for righteousnes yea being the onely place in all this Epistle wherein the Apostle useth the phrase of imputing or counting except onely in this 4. Chap. and once in the 5. Chapter where hee saith sinne is not imputed it must needs give light to these speeches and words in controversie and as it hath the first place in this Epistle so it deserves to goe before as a guide to lead us to the understanding of the rest Wherefore if we will follow the Apostle himselfe and tread in the same steps after him being the surest guide and best expounder of his owne meaning we must by Abrahams believing by a Metalepsis or double trope with our learned Divines understand Abraham setled in the state of a true believer united by one Spirit unto GOD in Christ and having communion of his satisfaction and righteousnes which were of force and efficacy from the beginning to save justifie all the faithfull and to make GOD their reward And by faith imputed we must not understand faith by it selfe in a proper sense but the state and condition of a faithfull man and also that which faith
way and what not Now that which GOD precisely requires of men to their justification in stead of the works of the Law is their faith or to beleeve in the proper and formall signification He doth not require of us the righteousnes of Christ for our justification this hee required of Christ himselfe that which hee requires of us for this purpose is our faith in Christ. Therefore to certifie or say unto them that the righteousnes of Christ should be imputed to them for righteousnes would fall short of his scope and intent this way which was plainely and directly this to make known unto them the counsaile and good pleasure of GOD concerning that which was to be done and performed by them to their justification which he affirmeth from place to place to be nothing else but their faith in Christ or beleeving whereas to have said thus unto them that they must be justified by Christ or by Christs righteousnes and withall not to have plainely signified what GOD requires of them and will accept at their hand to give them fellowship in that righteousnes For justification which is by Christ and without which they could not be justified had beene rather to cast a snare upon them then to have opened a dore of life and salvation unto them Christianisme His second way of arguing to proue his opinions from the scope of the place and the intent of the Apostle in this discourse of justification His maine argument reduced into forme runs thus The scope of the place and intent of the Apostle is to hedg up with thornes the false way of justification which lay through works and to turne men from it as also to discover the true way to them to wit what they must do and what GOD requireth of them to their justification and what hee will accept at their hands instead of the workes of the Law and that is it which he here saith is imputed for righteousnesse But faith and believing in a proper and formall signification is that which they must do and performe to their justification which also GOD requires of them instead of workes of the Law and will accept at their hands instead of them Therefore faith in a proper sense is here said to be imputed To this argument I answere First that in the first proposition there is some truth affirmed but immediately contradicted and many falsehoodes intermingled That the Apostles scope and intent is to hedge up the false way of justification which lay through workes and to discover the ture way we grant for truth But like a mad or drunken man he immediately contradicts the truth which he had affirmed and tels us that the right way is doing and performing something which GOD requires at our hands to our iustification And what is this but the way which lyes through workes For to doe and perform somthing required of us that it may be accepted of GOD at our hands to our justification is to seek justification by the way of working in the judgement of men that are sober and in their wits Besides this manifest contradiction I find also much falshood and evill meaning 1. In saying the truth that the false way lyeth through works that is works performed in obedience to the Law by every man in his own person which is the true intent and meaning of the Apostle he hath a further wicked meaning namely that our seeking after the righteousnesse of Christ which consists in his works of obedience to the Law is the way which lyeth through works to justification and therefore the false way And this he declares to be his meaning in that he immediatly after labours to beat men off from Christs righteousnesse Wherfore I justly tax him here not onely of blasphemy in calling the righteousnesse Christ who is the way the truth and the life and seeking justification through it a false way but also of stupidity and blindnesse in that he cannot see the difference between our seeking justification by the righteousnesse offered to us in the Gospel to be apprehended by faith even Christs righteousnesse and our doing works of the Law for our justification or Christs performing works of the Law in his own person For Christs righteousnesse as it was performed by himselfe was legall and according to the strict termes of the Law but as it comes to us by communion and is applyed by faith it is Euangelicall 2. In that he saith God requires somthing to be done of men for their Justification which God imputes to them and accepts at their hands instead of the works or righteousnesse of the Law Hereby he sets up justification by some thing which a man doth and performeth which the Apostle altogether opposeth in this discourse and his whole scope is bent against it and his whole intent and drift is to shew that we are justified not by giving or doing but by receiving that which is freely given of GOD and reputed for righteousnes even the righteousnesse of him who is GOD and is called therfore the righteousnesse of God Chap. 3.21 and 10.3 Hereby also he brings in a doing and performing of somthing by men which is accepted of God over and above that which the Law requireth which is a meere Popish fiction tending to dishonour the Law and to make it an imperfect rule of mans wel doing And withall he makes the new Covenant a condicionall Covenant and not of free Grace promising justification and salvation upon condition of mens doing In the second place his assumption wherein he affirms that faith and beleeving in the proper and formall signification is that which men must doe and performe and which God requires and will accept at their hands instead of works of the Law for justification it contains in it most grosse Socinian errour and much absurdity and untruth First in that he calls faith and beleeving a thing done and performed by men this is directly contrary to the Apostle who teacheth that faith is not of our selves but is the gift of God Ephes. 2.8 and that we of our selves are not sufficient to think much lesse to do that which God can accept but our sufficiencies of God 2 Cor. 3.5 and it is God which worketh in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 so that faith and beleeving are not a condition performed by us to oblige God but a part of the Grace freely promised in the Covenant and given to us even the worke and motion of his Spirit in us Secondly in that he sets up faith instead of all righteousnesse and perfect fullfilling of the Law hereby he doth professe himselfe a Socinian Hereticke in plain terms and conspires with those Heretickes to overthrow the justice of God in our justification and to make Christs satisfaction vaine and needlesse as I have before shewed After his arguing for the imputation of faith he proceeds here in his second way of arguing as he did in the former
to dispute against Gods imputing of Christs righteousnes in iustification His reasons are 3. First because God required Christs righteousnes of Christ himselfe and therefore it is not required of GOD for our righteousnesse to iustification Secondly because the scope of the Apostle is to shew what must be done and performed by us and what GOD requires at our hands to iustification and Christs righteousnesse is not any thing performed by us and therefore is not here said to be imputed Thirdly if the Apostle had said that we must be iustified by Christ and his righteousnesse without any other thing performed by us this had beene to cast a snare upon us rather then to open to us a dore of life and salvation To which I answere that as his denying of Christs righteousnes to be imputed is Hereticall so also are his reasons brought to confirme his opinion First in that he saith GOD doth not require of us the righteousnes of Christ for our iustification this phrase is not onely harsh and unsavory but also full of calumny and close slander It is harsh and absurd like as if one should say that GOD requires the same particular and individuall act done by another to be not done by him but by us which implies a grosse contradiction It is also full of close calumny for hereby he goeth about to make men beleeve that the orthodox doctrine of iustification by the communion and imputation of Christs righteousnes is a teaching and supposing that GOD requires of us for iustification that we be performers of the same individuall works of the law in the propriety and formality of them which Christ performed and so he openly expresseth his mind in another place which is a base slander as I have before shewed Secondly in that he saith God required Christs righteousnesse of Christ himselfe and not for our iustification This implies that Christ had need of iustification and was bound to fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law as a thing requisit for himselfe and it savours very rank of the Samosatenian and Socinian heresie which denyeth Christs eternall deity for if Christ his humane nature being from the first conception most pure upright and holy was personally united to the eternall Son God equall with the father and so was the Son of God and heir of all things who can doubt but that he in himselfe was worthy of glory at Gods right hand from his birth as his taking of our nature upon him was altogether for us so his infirmities sufferings death and continuance on earth for the performance of all righteousnes and obedience to the Law was for us and for all the elect both them who of old before his comming beleeved in him promised and to come and also for them who now doe beleeve in him already come exhibited and exalted to glory in his humanity To say or thinke that he had need to iustifie and make righteous himselfe by his workes and to merit glory in heaven by his righteousnes is in effect to deny that hee is GOD infinitely worthy of all glory as he was the onely begotten sonne of GOD and heire of all things His second reason is a manifest falshod to wit that the scope of the Apostle is to shew what is to be done and performed by us which GOD may accept at our hands to our justification For the Apostles scope is to shew that wee are justified freely by GODS grace by the things which Christ did for our redemption cap. 3.24 and that obedience righteousnes and satisfaction of Christ we must not obtaine by any workes of our owne according to the Law it is freely given us of GOD and faith is the hand by which wee receive it and our evidence that we are justified by it His third reason is blasphemy and contradiction of Christs owne words For our Saviour professeth and affirmeth that he alone is the dore John 10.7 the way Iohn 14.6 and hee who makes him the way and dore and seeks justification life and salvation by the way of his righteousnes hee is a true disciple of Christ and his Apostles But to call the teaching of men in this way the casting of a snare upon them is blasphemy Far be it from me and from all true Christians not to detest and abhorre such impiety and not to thinke him worthie of the curse of Anathema Maranatha who with his mouth proclaimeth and with an obstinate heart maintaineth that teaching of iustification by Christ and his righteousnes is casting of a snare on men and not of the dore of life and salvation to them Socinianisme THirdly that interpretation which is set up against it and contendeth for the imputation of Christs righteousnes is cleerely overthrowne by severall circumstances and passages in the context First it hath no appearance of a likelyhood in it that the Apostle in the great and weighty point of justification wherein doubtlesse he desired if in any subject besides to speak with his understanding as his owne phrase is that is that what hee himselfe conceives and understands may bee clearly understood by others should time after time and in one place after another without ever explaining himself or changing his speech throughout the whole disputation use so strange harsh and uncouth an expression or figure of speech as is not to be found in all his writings besides to say that faith and beleeving is imputed for righteousnes but to meane that indeed it is the righteousnesse of Christ that is imputed were to speake rather that he might conceale his mind then reveale it Christianisme IN this third way of arguing he layeth downe his arguments against the true Orthodox interpretation of Saint Pauls speeches concerning imputation of faith for righteousnes which interpretation he goeth about to overthrow by severall circumstances or passages in the context I will first sift his first argument here laid downe and then propound and answer the rest Answer to the first argument IN this argument there are more impudent lyes then full pauses or sentences The first impudent lye is that the Apostle expressing the state of righteousnes or of a man justified by Christs righteousnes by the name of faith and beleeving imputed for righteousnes to him should use an harsh strange and uncouth speech and expression what is the man so ignorant of the first grounds of Rhetorick that a trope or figure of speech is harsh strange and uncouth with him It is but a Metonymie to expres by the name of Faith and beleeving the state of a beleever or a faithfull man or the object of faith which faith hath laid hold on so fast that they cannot be separated but he who hath the one hath the other also and by righteousnes to expresse the state of a righteous man justified And when we say faith is imputed for righteousnes to meane that the state of a beleever is counted the state of righteousnes or of a man justified or that faith
5 Argument FIftly the faith imputed to Abraham ver 3. is that faith wherein he is said not to be weak ver 19. and is opposed to doubting of the promise of God through unbeliefe ver 20. But the righteousnes of Christ cannot be conceived to be that wherein Abraham was not weak neither doth the righteousnes of Christ carry in it any opposition to doubting of the promise through unbeliefe being a thing of a differing kind and nature from it But betweene faith properly taken or a firme beleeving and doubting through unbeliefe there is a direct and perfect opposition And therefore it is faith in this sence and not the righteousnes of Christ which is said to bee imputed for righteousnesse Answer I Answer that though Christs righteousnesse bee a thing different from the beleevers faith yet when the beleever by a strong faith and without doubting possesseth Christ and his faith doth spiritually comprehend in it Christs righteousnesse then GOD counts it to him for righteousnes that is judgeth him a righteous man by communion of Christs righteousnesse but doth not iudge his faith and Christs righteousnes to be one the same very thing This argument is not to the matter It may bee turned against himselfe thus The more strong a man is in faith and farre from doubting of the promise through unbeliefe the more firmely he is united to Christ and the more full communion hee hath of Christs righteousnesse and with more reason may hee being so faithfull be counted righteous and Christs righteousnes under the name of faith be imputed to him This was Abrahams case he was strong in faith and doubted not and therefore having firme union with Christ and communion of all his benefits GOD justly imputed faith to him for righteousnesse and counted him so beleeving iustified and righteous by Christs righteousnesse and so in like case GOD will deale with other beleevers The sixt Argument SIxtly that faith which was imputed to Abraham was that by which he was assured that he who had promised was able also to doe it verse 21. and 22. But the righteousnesse of Christ is not capable of any such description as this that by it Abraham was fully assured c. Therefore it is not that which was imputed to Abraham Answer I Answer to this as to the former It is not to the matter untill he first prove that the name of one thing may not bee used by a Metonymie to expresse another except these two things be both one the same thing we wil deride such foolish arguments Though Christs righteousnesse be not one and the same thing with faith yet the more it doth assure us of the performance of GODS promise in Christ the more closely it comprehends Christs righteousnes and the more iust cause there is that under the name of faith Christs righteousnesse should be imputed by a Metonymie The seventh Argument SEventhly that which shall be imputed unto us for righteousnesse is said to be our beleeving in him that raised up Christ from the dead verse 24. But the righteousnesse of Christ is not our beleeving on him that raised Christ from the dead therefore it cannot be that that is said to bee imputed for righteousnesse unto us Answer THere is no faith under the name whereof Christs righteousnesse may so fitly bee expressed as that which is a beleeving on him who raised up Christ from the dead for we cannot truely beleeve GODS raising of Christ from death but withall wee must beleeve that GODS justice is by him our surety fully satisfied and his Law fulfilled in our behalfe and we being partakers thereof and enjoying it by faith GOD may justly impute this faith to us for righteousnesse Thus his arguments being all from his matter are easily turned upon himselfe 8 Argument EIghtly whereas the question or point of imputation in justification is handled onely in this passage of Scripture for those other places Gal. 3. and Iames 2. onely mention it but insist not at all upon any declaration or explication thereof it is no wayes probable but that the Apostle should speake somewhat distinctly and plainely of the nature of it otherwise hee might seeme rather to lay a stumbling block in our way then to have written any thing for our learning and comfort If wee take the word faith or beleeving so often used in this Chapter in the proper and plaine signification of it for that faith whereby a man beleeves in Christ then the tenour of the discourse is as cleere and full as may be the streame of the whole Chapter runnes limpid and untroubled but if wee bring in a tropicall and metonymicall signification and by faith will compell Paul to meane the righteousnesse of Christ we cloath the Sun with sackcloath and turne Pauls perspicuity into a greater obscurity then any light in the Scripture knoweth how to comfort or to relieve The word faith being a terme frequently used in Scripture is yet never found to signifie the righteousnesse of Christ the holy Ghost never putting this sword into that sheath neither is there any rule of Grammar or figure in Rethorick that knowes how to salve up the inconsistence of such an interpretation Answer THis argument is no more but his owne bare affirmation that it is probable the Apostle in this place where he handles the point of imputation would speak plainly and it is more plaine to speak of faith imputed in a proper sense the tropicall and metonymicall sense or interpretation brought in is a compelling of Paul to meane by faith the righteousnesse of Christ and thereby we cloath the sun with sackcloath in which multiplicity of words wee finde much vanity As for imputation in justification it is not the maine and principall point which the Apostle insists upon the maine and principall points of justification are in the 3. and 5. Chapter handled plainely and in the 8 9 and 10. Chapters where he plainely teacheth that the righteousnes by which wee are constituted and made righteous before GOD is Christs obedience and fulfilling of the Law The imputation of faith comes in onely by the way being occasioned by that testimony of Moses concerning Abraham which the Apostle brings to prove that iustification is not by our owne performance or workes of the Law but by a righteousnes which GOD gives even the fulfilling of the Law by Christ for our redemption which wee receive and enioy by faith so certainely that if we bee faithfull beleevers in Christ then are wee righteous euen in GODS account for true faith cannot be nor subsist in any who hath not communion of Christs righteousnesse This to all iudicious men is more plaine and limpid and cleere then to take faith in a proper sense and to set on it the Crowne of Christs righteousnesse especially seeing the Apostle in the 6. and 11. verses sheweth that the thing properly imputed is righteousnesse and therefore not faith which cannot properly be called or counted righteousnes yea he
one Anselme on Rom 5. saith that by the righteousnes of one comming upon all the elect they come unto justification that they may bee justified by participation of Christs righteousnesse These with many other testimonies which might easily bee gathered out of the Ancients from the primitive times untill Luther doe abundantly shew the impudency of this man who so peremptorily affirmeth that the communion and imputation of Christs righteousnesse for iustification was never dreamed of among ancient writers but onely faith imputed for righteousnesse in a proper sense all these Ancients before named testifie the contrary But to descend to Orthodox writers of this last age since Luther It is well knowne that they generally hold imputation of our sinnes to Christ and of Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse to us for iustification to bee the forme of iustification by which beleevers are iustified Luther acknowledged that it was the doctrine of Saint Bernard concerning iustification by Christs righteousnesse imputed and not by our owne workes which moved him to suspect the popish doctrine and to grow into dislike and loathing of their religion And in his commentary on Galat where he doth debase the righteousnesse of workes and doth most highly extoll the righteousnesse of faith he telleth us that faith being weak in many of GODS children cannot be accepted for righteousnesse of it selfe that is in a proper sense and therefore there is necessarily required imputation of righteousnesse for iustification on Galatians 3.6 In editione Jenensi Tom. 1. pag. 32. hee saith faith obtaines what the Law commands and what is that but obedience and righteousnesse and againe by faith Christ is in us yea one bodie with us but Christ is righteous and a fulfiller of the Law wherefore wee all doe fulfill it while Christ is made ours by faith Also Tom. 3. p. 539. when Paul ascribes iustification to faith wee must of necessity understand that hee speakes of faith laying hold on Christ which makes Christ of efficacy against sinne and the Law Also Tom. 2. pag. 515. Faith settles us upon the workes of Christ without our owne workes and translates us out of the exile of our sinnes into the kingdome of his righteousnesse And Tom. 1. pag. 410. Sinne is not destroyed unlesse the Law be fulfilled but the Law is not fulfilled but by the righteousnes of faith and page 437. To keepe the Law is to have and possesse Christ the fulfiller of the Law And Tom. 4. pag. 44. Faith iustifieth because it comprehendeth and possesseth that treasure to wit Christ and page 45. wee say that Christ doth forme faith or is the forme of faith And Tom. 2. upon Genesis The laying hold on the promises is called sure and firme faith and doth justifie not as it is our work These speeches shew plainely that Luther conceived Christs righteousnes to be after a sort the formall righteousnes of the believer though not formally inherent yet formally possessed and enjoyed by faith Concerning this justifying righteousnes Luther also teacheth that it is not in our selves but in Christ even his fulfilling of the Law for us made ours and imputed to us Tom. 1. pag 106. By faith saith hee are our sinnes made no more ours but Christs upon whom GOD hath laid the iniquities of us all and he hath borne our sinnes And on the other side all his righteousnes is made ours for he layes his hand upon us And pag 178. The righteousnes of a Christian is the righteousnes of another and comes to him from without It is even Christ who is made unto us of God righteousnes so that a man may with confidence glory in Christ and say Christ his living doing and suffering is mine no otherwise then if I had lived done and suffered as he did as the married man possesseth all that is his wives and the wife all the goods which are her husbands for they have all things common because they are become one flesh and so Christ and the Church are one spirit by faith Christs righteousnes is made ours and all his are ours yea himselfe is ours And Tom. 2. pag 86. The righteousnes by which we are justified before GOD is not in our owne persons but without our selves in GOD because man shall have no cause to boast of his owne proper righteousnes before GOD. And Tom. 2. pag 385. A Christian is not formally righteous by reason of any substance or quality in him but relatively in relation to Christ in whom hee hath true righteousnes Melancthon in Epist. ad Rom. 8.4 saith wherefore Pauls meaning is thus to be taken that Christ is given for us that we may be counted to have satisfyed the Law by him and that for him we may be reputed righteous Although we our selves do not satisfie the Law anothers fulfilling of it is freely given to us and is imputed to us and so the Law is imputatively fulfilled in us And so when the Apostle saith that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes that is hee who hath Christ is righteous hee is reputed to have satisfied the Law and hee imputatively hath that which the Law requires And on chap. 10.4 upon these wordes Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes c hee saith this is the simple meaning Christ is the fulfilling of the Law to the believer and hee who hath Christ that is believes in him is righteous and hath imputatively what the Law requires The Booke of concord subscribed by so many hundreds of Evangelicall Ministers of the reformed Churches in Germany in the Articles of justification saith that when we speak of justifying it is to be knowne that these three objects concurre which are to be believed 1. The promise of the benefit that is mercy for remission of sinnes and justification 2. That the promise is most free which excludes our merits 3. The merits of Christ which are the price and propitiation and a little after faith doth not justify because it is a worke worthy by it selfe that is in a proper sense but onely because it receives the mercy promised And againe How shall Christ be our mediator if in justification we do not use him for our mediator that is if we do not feele that for him we are reputed righteous The Divines of the Augustane confession condemned Osiander who held that the righteousnes of faith was the essentiall righteousnes of GOD and also them who taught that Christ is our righteousnes onely according to his humane nature And in the Epitome of the Articles controverted by some they with one consent affirmed that the righteousnesse of faith is remission of sinnes reconciliation and adoption to be Sons of God for the obedience of Christ onely which by faith alone of meere grace is imputed to all beleevers Artic 3. de fidei justitia And this obedience of Christ which is imputed for righteousnes they affirme to be the obedience which hee performed both in his death and passion and also in his
partakers of him and all his goods which being imputed to us are sufficient that wee may bee absolved before GOD and deemed righteous Confess cap. 4. ss 7. in notes on Romans 3.22.24 Secondly that faith sends to Christ for perfect righteousnesse to justification and that it assures us of salvation through his righteousnesse alone because whatsoever is in Christ is imputed to us as if it were our owne if so bee wee embrace him by faith The righteousnesse of Christ which is imputed hee describeth to bee the greatest and most absolute perfection of righteousnesse consisting in these two things First that he hath no sinne in him Secondly that hee hath fulfilled all the righteousnesse of the Law confess cap. 4 ss 8. in his notes on Rom 3.22.26 and Rom. 4.5 and 5.12 and Phil. 3.9 Thirdly hee sheweth that wee come to have communion of Christs righteousnesse by spirituall union and mariage with Christ. If saith he wee bee united and ioyned together into fellowship with Christ by faith nothing is more properly ours then Christ and whatsoever is Christs confess 4. ss 9. Fourthly hee pronounceth that it is no lesse then wicked blasphemie to denie the mutuall and reciprocall imputation of the sinnes of beleevers to Christ and of Christs perfect satisfaction to beleevers Lib. contra Anonymum de justificatione Fiftly hee affirmes that righteousnesse which iustifieth men before GOD must bee both a full satisfaction for sinne and also a perfect fulfilling of GODS commandements in every part on Rom 3.20 Our learned Whitakers in his answere to Campions 8th reason pagâ—8 â—8 and in the 8 Book against Duraeus pag 177.182 183. doth pithily dispute and stoutly maintaine the Doctrine of the righteousnes of Christ imputed which he proves to be the onely perfect righteousnes able to justifie us before GOD. Master Perkins also in his Golden Chaine Chap. 37. makes the translation of the beleevers sinnes to Christ and Christs righteousnes to the beleever by a mutuall reciprocall imputation the very forme of iustification Polanus in Syntagmate Theolog l. 6 c. 36. doth maintain the same dâ—ctrine with Luther Calvin MelaÌ„cthon Beza Whitakers proves every point fully by plain testimonies invincible argumeÌ„ts out of the holy Scriptures And in his Symphonia catholica he brings testimonies of the ancients affirming every article of our doctrine and in his Theses de iustifi hee shewes the consent of the most famous Orthodox Divines of the reformed religion since Luther As for Musculus and Junius whom hee brings as favourers of his errour with other later Dâ—vines let their owne writings speake and declare how wickedly hee doth abuse them in bringing their wordes to overthrow the imputation of Christs righteousnes Musculus on Rom. 8.4 expounds the Apostles wordes that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us to be meant first of all imputatively by the righteousnesse of another even of Christ which is also ours for wee are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones and Rom. 10.3.4 and by the righteousnesse which iustifieth beleevers hee understands Christs perfect righteousnesse imputed to us Also Iunius thes 35. and 36. doth affirme that the righteousnesse of faith imputed to beleevers is the righteousnesse which the Law requires performed by Christ differing onely in this that legall righteousnesse is every mans fulfilling of the Law in his owne person but this Evangelicall is the fulfilling of the Law by Christ GOD and man our surety and mediatour And for this Socinian hereticall opinion of faith imputed in a proper sense for righteousnesse in iustification No man can shew greater enmity against it nor with greater detestation oppose and condemne it then Paraeus in his commentary on the Romans and in other his workes Thus much for the vindicating of the best learned both Ancient writers and moderne Divines from the foule slanders most falsly belched out against them by this most impudent forger of false witnesses without any feare of GOD or shame of men And by their owne testimonies and plaine wordes rehearsed out of their owne writings I have made manifest their unanimous consent in the true Doctrine of iustification by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to true beleevers and of them apprehended and applyed by faith Now I leave it to all indifferent readers and zealous Christians to consider whether it bee not their dutie both to take heed to themselves and also to admonish others that they have no fellowship with so openly profest Socinian sectaries as this man and his followers are you see the Doctrine which they maintaine is wicked and blasphemous heresie And after many admonitions given by grave learned Divines divers publick coÌ„fuatations censures often passed in publique against this errour they still persist in their pestilent heresie and are more mad to disperse it then before And when truth cannot help them they flee for aide to the father of lyars and make lyes their refuge and in forging lyes they sinne being condemned of themselves even against their knowledge and conscience as the Apostle foretold of heretikes Tit. 3.11 How wilfully against the known truth and his owne conscience this desperate man hath proclaimed Luther Calvin Beza Musculus Iunius and others to bee of his opinion I have sufficiently proved if ever he hath looked into the writings of any of them his own eyes have taught him how opposite they are to his heresie But it is no new and strange thing for heretikes to sin being condemned of themselves when they are once subverted The Apostle hath foretold us that we must expect no better from such in that place before named Tit. 3 11. Now in conclusion I appeale to all Christian readers and desire their opinion and judgement in the particulars following First whether I have not in all this answere declared and expressed what I meane by the righteousnesse of Christ which I have proved to be imputed to beleevers for justification If I have made manifest by plaine profession that by the righteousnes of Christ I understand his perfect fulfilling of the whole Law of God and performing whatsoever the Law requires of man for righteousnesse even a full satisfaction made in mans behalfe to the Law of justice Then I appeale to the judgement of all reasonable men whether my adversary hath not most wickedly belyed me in word and writing for he hath both wayes charged me that I neither hold Christs habituall holynes and uprightnes of his humane nature nor his active obedience to the whole Law or any righteousnes of workes by him performed nor both these together to be the righteousnes of Christ imputed and thereupon he clamours against me that I hold and teach a righteousnes of Christ which never was in Christ I confesse I have ever taught and held That neither the habituall nor actuall righteousnes of Christ alone nor both together without his satisfaction of justice by bearing our sinnes and suffering the punishments due to them are a sufficient ransome to redeeme us nor a compleat and perfect obedience and fulfilling of the whole able to justifie us in the sight of GOD and to reconcile us to him Now to affirme that all three together are imputed is not to deny the imputation of the two first though they that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Calumniators may so wrest the words Secondly whether hee who hath beleeved and preached and in writing maintained for 28 yeares last passed to this houre what hee in this answere hath professed held and maintained can without wilfull lying and more then Jesuiticall forging be reported abroad confidently charged for a turnecoat whom this Adversary by this his Socinian learning and Sophistry hath so confounded and convinced him that hee is wholly turned to be of the same opinion and hath vowed to maintaine his Socinianisme both publikely and privatly to the utmost of his power So this mans followers have reported and have withall added that so many as have come within his breath are all illuminated by him and being converted to his opinion do rejoyce in the light by which he hath shined into their hearts Thirdly whether this Answer to his Socinianisme be such that both it and the Author of it have nothing in them but words and passion and that herein hee is strangely and monstrously metamorphosed from a Minister of Christ into an Angell of darknes besmearing the brightnes of his face with the foot and grease of Hell that the words and phrases of this answere are the black Princes coine and there is little in it besides cursing and rayling For many such fiery darts hath this Adversary throwne against the Answerer in a scurrilous Libel fraught with lies forgeries absurdities contradictions and blasphemies and sent forth under the name of a replie which is also confuted by the Answerer and the filthynesse thereof so plainely discovered that all true Christians and modest men will say of it that the reciting of it is a full confutation From all such wicked spirits the GOD of truth defend his Church and People and grant a free passage to his Gospel and to his faithfull Ministers a doore of utterance that they may preach among all men every where the unsearchable riches of Christ. To this GOD of truth let us consecrate our tongues and pens and resolve with both to maintaine his truth by his grace and the assistance of his Spirit so long as strength breath and life shall last And to him let us give all glory now and ever Amen FJNJS December 8. 1640. Jmprimatur THOMAS VVYKES Epistolica Collatio cum Bertio pag 1. 2. Lib. con Anonymum Wotton de Reconciliatione 1 Cor. 2.12 1 Part. 2 Part. 3. Part. 4. Part. Ans. Answer Answere Answere