actually a breaker of it is excluded as not justifying before God If you fulfil the Royal Law ye do well so speak ye and so do as they that shall be judg'd thereby 8. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live No man can be dead and justified before God for so He may be justified that lives after the flesh therefore they only can be justified that are alive from whence this follows If the living are justified and not the dead and that none can live to God but such as have mortified the deeds of the Body through the Spirit then none can be justified but they who have mortified the deeds of the Body through the Spirit so that Justification does not go before but is subsequential to the mortification of lusts and sanctification of the Soul through the Spirits operation 9. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God How clearly will it appear to any but a cavelling and tenatious Spirit that man can be no farther justified then as he becomes obedient to the Spirits leadings for if none can be a Son of God but he that 's lead by the Spirit of God then none can be justified without being led by the Spirit of God because none can be justified but he that is a Son of God so that the way to Justification and Son-ship is through obedience to the Spirits leadings that is manifesting the holy Fruits thereof by an innocent life and conversation 10. But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoyceing in himself alone and not in another Be not deceived for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap If rejoycing and acceptance with God or the contrary are to be reaped from the work that a man soweth either to the Flesh or to the Spirit then is the Doctrine of Acceptance and ground of Rejoycing from the works of another utterly excluded every man reaping according to what he hath sown and bearing his own burden 11. Was not Abraham our Father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by Faith only He that will seriously peruse this Chapter shall doubtless find some to whom this Epistle was wrote of the same Spirit with the Satisfactionists and Imputarians of our time they fain would have found out a Justification from Faith in the Imputation of anothers Righteousness but James an Apostle of the most high God who experimentally knew what true Faith and Justification meant gave them to understand from Abrahams self-denying Example that unless their Faith in the purity and power of God's Grace had that effectual Operation to subdue every beloved lust wean from every Dallila and intirely to resign and sacrifice Isaac himself their Faith was a Fable or as a Body without a Spirit and as Righteousness therefore in one person cannot justifie another from unrighteousness so whoever now pretends to be justified by Faith whilst not led and guided by the Spirit into all the Wayes of Truth and Works of Righteouness their Faith they will find at last Fiction 12. Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is Righteous as God is Righteous but he that committeth sin is of the Devil From whence it may be very clearly argued that none can be in a state of Justification from the Righteousness performed by an other imputed unto them but as they are actually redeemed from the commision of sin For if he that commits sin is of the Devil then cannot any be justified compleatly before God who is so incompleatly redeem'd as yet to be under the captivity of lust since then the Devil's Seed or Off-spring may be justified but that 's impossible It there follows that as he who doth Righteousness is Righteous as God is Righteous so no farther is he like God or justifiable for in whatsoever he derrogates from the works of that Faith which is held in a pure Conscience he is no longer Righteous or justifi'd but under condemnation as a Transgressor or dissobedient person to the Righteous Commandment and if any would obtain the true state of Justification let them circumspectly observe the Holy Guidings and Instructions of that Unction to which the Apostle recommended the Antient Churches that thereby they may be led out of all ungodliness into Truth and Holiness so shall they find acceptance with the Lord who has determined never to justifie the wicked Refuted from right Reason 1. Because it 's impossible for God to justifie that which is both opposite and destructive to the purity of his own Nature as this Doctrine necessarily obliges him to do in accepting the wicked as not such from the imputation of anothers Righteousness 2. Since man was justified before God whilst in his native Innocency and never condemned till he had err'd from that pure state he never can be justified whilst in the frequent Commission of that for which the Condemnation came therefore to be justifi'd his Redemption must be as intire as his fall 3. Because sin came not by Imputation but actual Transgression for God did not condemn his Creature for what he did not but what he did therefore must the Righteousness be as personal for acceptance otherwise these two things will necessarily follow first that he may be actually a sinner and yet not under the curse secondly That the power of the first Adam to death was more prevalent then the power of the second Adam unto life 4. It s therefore contrary to sound reason that if actual sinning brought death and condemnation any thing besides actual obedience unto Righteousness should bring Life and Justification for Death and Life Condemnation and Justification being vastly opposite no man can be actually dead and imputatively alive therefore this Doctrine so much contended for carries this gross absurdity with it that a man may be actually sinful yet imputatively righteous actually judged and condemned yet imputatively justified and glorified In short he may be actually damned and yet imputatively saved otherwise it must be acknowledged that obedience to Justification ought to be as personally extensive as was disobedience to condemnation In which real not imputative sense those various tearms of Sanctification Righteousness Resurrection Life Redemption Justification c. are most infallibly to be understood 5. Nor are their words Impute Imputed Imputeth Imputing used in Scripture by way of application to that which is actual and inherent as the Asserters of an Imputative Righteousness do by their Doctrine plainly intimate but so much the contrary as that they are never mentioned but to express men really and personally to be that which is imputed to them whether as guilty as remitted or as righteous for instance What man soever of the house of Israel that killeth
the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Come let the unprejudiced judge if this Scripture-Doctrine is not very remote from saying his Nature cannot forgive sin therefore let Christ pay him full satisfaction or he will certainly be avenged which is the substance of that strange Opinion 5. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel I will put my Law in their inward Parts I will forgive their iniquity I will remember their sin no more Here is God's meer Grace asserted against the pretended necessity of a satisfaction to procure his Remission And this Paul acknowledgeth to be the dispensation of the Gospel in his eight Chapter to the Hebrews So that this New Doctrine doth not only contradict the Nature and Design of the second Covenant but seems in short to discharge God both from his Mercy and Omnipotence 6. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the Remnant of his Heritage He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy Can there be a more express passage to clear not only the possibility but real inclinations in God to pardon sin and not retain his anger for ever since the Prophet seems to challenge all other Gods to try their excellency by his God herein describing the supremacy of his Power and superexcellency of his Nature that he pardoneth iniquity and retaineth not his anger for ever so that if the Satisfactionists should ask the Question Who is a God like unto ours that cannot pardon iniquity nor pass by transgression but retain his anger until some-body make him satisfaction I answer Many amongst the harsh and severe Rulers of the Nations but as for my God he is exalted above them all upon the Throne of his Mercy who pardoneth iniquity and retaineth not his anger for ever but will have compassion upon us 7. And forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors Where nothing can be more obvious than that which is forgiven is not paid And if it is our duty to forgive without a satisfaction received and that God is to forgive us as we forgive them then is a satisfaction totally excluded Christ further paraphrases upon that part of his Prayer v. 14. For if ye forgive their trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you Where he as well argues the equity of Gods forgiving them from their forgiving others as he encourages them to forgive others from the example of God's Mercy in forgiving them which is more amply exprest in chap. 18. where the Kingdom of Heaven that consists in Righteousness is represented by a King Who upon his Debtors Petition had compassion and forgave him but the same treating his fellow Servant without the least forbearance the King condemned his unrighteousness and delivered him over to the Tormentors But how had this been a fault in the Servant if his Kings Mercy had not been proposed for his Example How most unworthy therefore is it of God and blasphemous may I justly tearm it to be in any's daring to assert that forgiveness impossible to God which is not only possible but enjoyn'd to men 8. For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting Life By which it appears that God's Love is not the effect of Christ's satisfaction but Christ is the proper Gift and Effect of Gods Love 9. To him gave all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive Remission of sins So that Remission came by believing his Testimony and obeying his Precepts and not by a pretended satisfaction 10. If God be for us who can be against us He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all Which evidently declares it to be God's Act of free Love otherwise if he must be paid he should be at the charge of his own satisfaction for he delivered up the Son 11. And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them How undeniably apparent is it that God is so far from standing off in high displeasure and upon his tearms contracting with his Son for a satisfaction as being otherwise uncapable to be reconciled that he became himself the Reconciler by Christ and afterwards by the Apostles his Ambassadors to whom was committed the Ministry of Reconciliation 12. In whom we have redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Now what relation satisfaction has to forgiveness of sins or how any can construe Grace to be Justice the meanest understanding may determine 13. But the God of all Grace who hath called us unto his eternal Glory by Christ Jesus He does not say that God's Justice in consideration of Christ's Satisfaction acquitted us from sins past present and to come and therefore hath called us to his eternal Glory but from his Grace 14. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his onely begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Which plainly attributes Christ in his Doctrine Life Miracles Death and Sufferings to God as the Gift and Expression of his Eternal Love for the Salvation of men 1. In abolishing that other Covenant which consisted in External and shadowy Ordinances and that made none clean as concerning the Conscience 2. In promulgating his message of a most free and universal tender of Life and Salvation unto all that believed and followed him the Light in all his Righteousness the very end of his appearance being to destroy the works of the Devil and which every man only comes to experiment as he walks in a holy subjection to that measure of Light and Grace wherewith the fulness hath enlightned him 3. In seconding his Doctrines with Signs Miracles and a most innocent-self-denying-life 4. In ratifying and confirming all with great love and holy resignation by the offering up of his Body to be crucified by wicked hands who is now ascended far above all Heavens and is thereby become a most compleat Captain and perfect Example So that I can by no means conclude but openly declare that the Scriptures of Truth are not onely silent in reference to this Doctrine of Satisfaction but that it 's altogether inconsistent with the Dignity of God and very repugnant to the Conditions Nature and Tendency of the second Covenant concerning which their Testimony is so clear The Absurdities that unavoidably follow the Comparison of this Doctrine with the sence of Scripture 1. THat God is gracious to forgive
slay thou not for I will not justifie the wicked Whereon I ground this Argument That since God has prescribed an inoffensive life as that which only can give acceptance with him and on the contrary hath determined never to justifie the wicked then will it necessarily follow that unless this so much believ'd imputative Righteousness had that effectual influence as to regenerate and redeem the Soul from sin on which the malidiction lies he is as far to seek for justification as before for whilst a person is really guilty of a false matter I positively assert from the authority and force of this Scripture they cannot be in a state of Justification and as God will not justifie the Wicked so by the acknowledg'd reason of contraries the Just he will never condemn but they and they onely are the justified of God 2. He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are an abomination to the Lord. It would very opportunely be observ'd that if its so great an abomination in men to justifie the Wicked and condemn the Just how much greater would it be in God which this Doctrine of Imputative Righteousnes necessarily does imply that so far disengages God from the person justified as that his guilt shall not condemn him nor his innocency justifie him but will not the abomination appear greatest of all when God shall be found condemning of the Just on purpose to justifie the Wicked and that he is there to compel or else no Salvation which is the tendency of their Doctrine Who imagine the Righteous and Merciful God to condemn and punish his Innocent Son that he having satisfied for our sins we might be justified whilst unsanctified by the imputation of his perfect Righteousness O why should this horrible thing be contended for by Christians 3. The Son shall not bear the iniquity of his Father the Righteousness of the Righteous shall be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die again when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness and doth that which is lawful and right he shall save his Soul alive yet saith the House of Israel The Ways of the Lord are not equal Are not my Wayes equal If this was once equal it 's so still for Gods unchangeable and therefore I shall draw this Argument That the condemnation or justification of persons is not from the imputation of an others Righteousness but the actual performance and keeping of God's Righteous Statutes or Commandments otherwise God should forget to be equal Therefore how wickedly unequal are those who not from Scripture evidences but their dark conjectures and interpretations of obscure passages would frame a Doctrine so manifestly inconsistent with God's most pure and equal Nature making him to condemn the Righteous to death and justifie the wicked to life from the imputation of an others Righteousness a most unequal way indeed 4. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a Rock c. How very fruitful are the Scriptures of Truth in Testimonies against this absurd and dangerous Doctrine these words seem to import a two-fold Righteousness the first consists in Sacrifice the last in Obedience the one makes a talking the other a doing Christian I in short argue thus If none can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but they that do the Fathers Will then none are justified but they who do the Fathers Will because none can enter into the Kingdom but such as are justified since therefore there can be no admittance had without performing that Righteous Will and doing those Holy and perfect Sayings Alas to what value will an Imputative Righteousness amount when a poor Soul shall awake polluted in his sin by the hasty calls of death to make its appearance before the Judgment Seat where 't is impossible to justifie the wicked or that any should escape uncondemned but such as do the Will of God 5. If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love From whence this Argument doth naturally arise If none are truly justified that abide not in Christ's love and that none abide in his love who keep not his Commandments then consequently none are justified but such as keep his Commandments Besides here is the most palpable opposition to an Imputative Righteousness that may be for Christ is so far from telling them of such a way of being justified as that he informs them the reason why he abode in his Fathers love was his obedience and is so far from telling them of their being justified whilst not abiding in his love by virtue of his obedience imputed unto them that unless they keep his Commands and obey for themselves they shall be so remote from an acceptance as wholly to be cast out in all which Christ is but our Example 6. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you We have almost here the very words but altogether the same matter which affords us thus much without being Christ's Friend there 's no being justified but unless we keep his Commandments it 's impossible we should be his Friends it therefore necessarily follows that except we keep his Commandments there is no being justified or in short thus If the way to be a Friend is to keep the Commandments then the way to be justified is to keep the Commandments because none can obtain the quality of a Friend and remain unjustified or be truly justified whilst an Enemy which he certainly is that keeps not his Commandments 7. For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified From whence how unanswerably may I observe Unless we become doers of that Law which Christ came not to destroy but as our Example to fulfil we can never be justified before God wherefore obedience is so absolutely necessary that short of it there can be no acceptance nor let any fancy that Christ hath so fulfill'd it for them as to exclude their obedience from being requisite to their acceptance but only as their Pattern For unless ye follow me saith Christ ye cannot be my Disciples and it is not only repugnant to Reason but in this place particularly refuted for if Christ had fulfil'd it on our behalf and we not enabled to follow his Example there would not be doers but one doer only of the Law justified before God In short if without obedience to the Righteous Law none can be justified then all the hearing of the Law with but the meer imputation of anothers Righteousness whilst