justification by faith to cry down justification by the Law or by the works of the Law which some false Teachers were perswading those Galatians to beleeve he adduceth a passage of Scripture which saith the just shall live by faith thereby giving us to understand that the just man or the justified man is a living man for the just liveth And it is too narrow to interprete this life of eternal life this would make the Apostles argument very obscure we must therefore undeâ—stand it of a life begun here which shall certainely end in glory this is most consonant both to the Prophet's scope to the scope of the Apostle here Whence we may gather That in justification by faith there is a real life obtained by justification the soulâ— is brought into a new state of life by it such as were really dead are really made alive This may be further cleared from these particulars following I. Such are said to be born again Iob. 3 5. not only by the Spirit which may import Sanctification but also by Water which may import Iustification wherein iniquities are pardoned the Soul is washen from its guilt through the bloud of Jesus Christ represented by the Water in Baptisme Thus are they also put into a new state being delivered from the Power of darkness and translated into the Kingdome of His dear Son Col. 1 13. Christ now owneth them as His Satan hath no more power and jurisdiction over them their guilt being removed and their sinnes being pardoned for because of sin hath Satan as a jailour had power over them as so many prisoners but sin being taken away in their justification they are loosed from his bondes and delivered from his prison and power We see Paul was sent Act. 26 18. To open eyes and to turn from darkness to light from power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sinnes c. 2. Hereby they are brought into a State of Salvation and being out of harmes way they are said to be saved being now in a State of life and Salvation through Jesus Christ Ephes. 2 5 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith and how was this It was by Christ together with whom they were quickened when before they were dead in sins trespasses v. 5. So Tit. 3 5. Not by works of rigteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost But how was this work of Salvation begun See vers 7. That being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hop of eternal life So that as justification maketh way for Adoption so it bringeth Souls into a saife state a state of Salvation so as they in a sense are already denominated saved that is brought out of the state of death and put into a state of Salvation Thus are they also said to be quickened together with Him i. e. Christ having forgiveness of all their sinnes Col. 2 13. This will be further clear if we consider how 3. Those who are justified shall certainly be saved not only in respect of the Decree and purpose of God but in respect also of the Gospel constitution and the declared will of God Therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 8 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus And all such as are in Christ Jesus are justified as the Gospel cleareth And againe more clearly vers 30. And whom he justified them he also glorified The connexion betwixt these two is indissoluble So doth the Apostle not only assert but he confirmeth this Rom. 5 9. Much more being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through Him And againe vers 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive aboundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness That is who welcome embrace and receive the rich offer of grace and the rigteousness of Christ freely and graciously presented in the Gospel to all that will accept thereof shall reigne in the life by one Iesus Christ. So likewise vers last That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. 4. They who are justified are brought into a state of blessedness and therefore may well be said to live or to be made partakers of a life Rom. 4 6 7 8. Even as David also describeth the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin See Psal. 32 1 2. If then they be brought into a state of blessedness they must be a in a state of life for death and blessedness are inconsistent 5. They are said to be redeemed and consequently brought out of the state of death wherein they were Ephes. 1 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgâ—veness of sins according to the riches of his grace In by justification is this forgiveness of sinnes whereby they are made partakers of a redemption See Col. 1. 14. Where the same is asserted by the Apoâ—â—le For further clearing of this let us see wherein this life consisteth and then we shall not only see that it is really a life but also that it is a special and excellent life To this end therefore let us consider these following particulars 1. Hereby they have Remission and pardon of their Iniquities as was now cleared and is manifest from Rom. 3 24 25. Being justified freely by this grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for the remission of sins that are past c. And by this Remission and pardon of sins they have a freedom and exemption from the Curse and wrath of God that was lying upon them and to which they were obnoxious by sin and guilt Orginal and Actual which they were to be charged with that being the penalty threatned in the Law even death and the Curse of God for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them Gal. 3 10. Deut. 27 26. O how excellent a life is this to be delivered from the wrath of the Almighty sin-revenging God and from the Curse and malediction of the great Legislator and dreadful Judge How rightly may they be said to live who are freed from the sentence of death to which they were liable from the penalty of the broken Law of the great God of Heaven and Earth and from that doom that all who shall not share of this rich privilege of Remission shall be made to hear at length depart from me ye Cursed c. A person guilty of death and lying in chaines looking for nothing but the sentence doom to be
that they were all caused to meet together on Him Esai 53 6. He therefore was made a Sacrifice for sin or dealt with punished as a sinner though no sinner inherently but only by Imputation for He did bear our griefs carried our sorrowes was wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities Esai 53 4 5. to wit now imputed to Him by God reckoned upon His account who knew no sin in Himself inherently So are we made the Righteousness of God in Him 2 Cor. 5 21. that is have His Righteousness who is God imputed to us who were in our selves inherently sinners being in Him by faith are dealt with as Righteous The manifest scope of the place the plaine Import of the word must enforce this truth on all who are not more than ordinarily blinded with prejudice Secondly as Adam's posterity who were not existing when he transgressed the Law of God but were only in his loines federally comprehended with him in that covenant by God's voluntary disignation appointment so did not actually really eat that fruit which Adam did eat yet have that sin guilt so imputed unto them that it is really accounted theirs not meerly in its Effects for its Effects are not truely Imputed neither can be saied to be so for that natural contagion corruption of Nature which is truely propagated to the posterity all actuall trangressions the fruits thereof cannot be said to be imputed because they are really theirs inherent in them But that original sin which is the guilt of Adam's first sin is only it which can be imputed unless we mean such an Imputation whereby our actual sinnes which we commit are said to be imputed to us when they are laid to our charge we actually punished therefore to them who did not actually commit it in their own person by vertue of this Imputation they are accounted guilty of that self same sin therefore are dealt with punished upon the account thereof no less than if they had actually committed it themselves in their own persons no less than Adam himselfs was punished therefore So are Beleevers being by faith united unto Christ made real members of His mystical body now interessed in Him as His Children Brethren made partakers of His Righteousness have it imputed unto them for all ends uses as if it had been their own without any Imputation The reading of the Apostles discourse Rom. 5. from vers 12. forward to the end may satisfy any as to this whole affaire who will yeeld themselves captives unto Truth for upon this doth the Apostle found His whole discourse explication of the rich advantages had by Christ His Righteousness clearing illustrating the same by that similitude of Adam whom He expresly calleth the figure of Him that was to come vers 14. so asserteth that as by one man sin entered into the world death by sin so death passed upon all beâ—ause all did sinne so by one man Jesus Christ the second Adam righteousness ontered into the world life by it so life passed upon all that were in Him because they are righteous in Him or have His righteousness imputed unto them Nay in the following verses the matter is cleared with an advantage unto Beleevers in Christ. But saith he vers 15 16 17 18 19. not as the offence so also is the free gift for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God the gift by grace by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many c. And so he goeth on to shew what how great things beleevers receive from Christ with no less Yea rather with much more of a certainety than the Posterity of Adam were interessed in what he did and therefore as judgment was by one to condemnation saith he so the free gift is of many offences unto justification if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they who beleeve or receive aboundance of grace of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Iesus Christ. And as the offence of one Adam was imputed unto all thereby guilt judgment came upon all making them liable to condemnation So by the righteousness of one Jesus Christ imputed to all that receive this aboundance of grace of the gift of righteouseess the free gift of justification cometh unto them reconciling them to God instating them for life And the ground reason of this is laid down vers 19. for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so were guilty made liable to judgment condemnation So by the obedience of one that perfect obedience to the Law that Christ performed opposite to Adam's transgression disobedience shall many be made righteous that is constituted righteous therefore dealt with as such through this imputed righteousness so justified made heirs of life for vers 21. he addeth as sin hath reigned unto death even so grace must reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. They then who will deny or oppose themselves unto this Imputation of Christ's righteousness must do manifest violence unto the whole discourse of the Apostle in this place Thirly Hence another evidencing ground of this imputation for as what is done by a publick person representing others whether upon one ground after one manner or another is accounted legally to be done by those who are represented they are dealt with accordingly as Adam was a publick person representing all his posterity that were to come of him by ordinary generation according to the ordination appointment of God So Christ of whom Adam was a figure was a publick person representing all whom the Father had given to Him for whom He had undertaken for whose sake He sanctified Himself Ioh. 17 19. become their Brother taking on their Nature Heb. 2 11 14. becoming like them in all things sin only excepted Heb. 2 17. comp with Heb. 3 15. Therefore He took not upon Him the Nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Heb. 2 16. He was the Captaine of their Salvation vers 10. He is also made called the Head of the Church which is His body fulness Ephes 1 22 23. 5 23. Col. 1 18. and so He with His Church make up one mystical body whereof He is the Head Beleevers are members Thus there is a closs mystical union betwixt Christ Beleevers beyond any union that is in Nature whether it be that of Head members of Root Branches of King Subjects or of that betwixt Husband wife for all these are but dark resemblances of this Spiritual Union betwixt Christ Beleevers which is therefore compared unto these in part explained thereby for our better understanding of the matter but none of
sinners before He can be looked upon as a Righteous person or be dealt with as a Righteous person He must first have a Righteousness imputed to him and bestowed upon him for how can God whose judgement is according to truth look upon a person as Righteous and conferre privileges upon him due only to such as are Righteous who is not Righteous indeed Must He not first bestow a Righteousness upon him reckon a Righteousness upon his Score to the end He may be just and Righteous when He is the justifier of him that beleeveth Lastly He said Here is neither peer nor peep of the least ground or reason to perceive that by Righteousness in this Scripture should be meant the Righteousness of Christ. Ans. It is enough that the Text saith Righteousness is imputed for the man here spoken of hath not a Righteousness of his own as the Apostle hath proved in the preceeding Chapters doth here take for granted And therefore this Imputed Righteousness must be the Righteousness of another and it must be such a Righteousness of another as can found free Remission of Sins And whose Righteousness else can this be if it be not Christ's Is there any third competitour here imaginable must it not be the Righteousness of Him whom faith goeth out unto laith hold on in order to justification Must it not be His Righteousness who was the Mediator who laid down the price of Redemption was a propitiation as He told us in the preceeding Chapter Some men in alleiging a difference betwixt a Righteousness imputed to us Sinners and the Righteousness of Christ as if there could be any other Righteousness imputable to us except the Surety-righteousness of Christ as they expresly in this joine with Socinians See Volkel de vera Relig. lib. 5. cap. 21. p. 565. with Papists Arminians so they declare themselves utter strangers to the Gospel yea greater strangers than those were against whom the Apostle wrote who took it for granted that if any Righteousness from without or that was not by any thing which we do were imputed it behoved to be the Righteousness of the Mediator And this we may conceive is the reason why the Apostle doth not say in so many express words that it was the Righteousness of Christ for who could have thought of another Fourthly Rom. 5 19. a place with its whole contexture pregnant for our purpose for the Apostle is not onely here confirming but also illustrating this whole matter from the Imputation of Adam's Sin unto his posterity after many various and emphatick expressions used there-anent from vers 12. and forward he saith here vers 19 for as by one mans disobedience many were made Sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Socinus de Servat lib. 4. cap. 6. is so bold as to tell us That he supposeth there is nothing written in the Scriptures that hath given us a greater occasion of erring than that comparison betwixt Adam Christ which Paul made did prosecute at length here And he would cleare to us the comparison thus That as by Adam's Sin disobedience it came to passe that all men were condemned and died so by Christ's righteousness and obedience it came to passe that they wero absolvod and did live for Christ by His own Righteousness and Obedience by vertue of the decree of God did penetrate the heavens there to reigne for ever and there he begote eternal life and everlasting blessedness both to Himself and to His. How aliene this is from the whole of the Apostle's discourse needs not be declared seing there is not one word giving the least hint of the Apostle's designe to be to declare how what way Christ obtained power and authority to save Yet He goeth on to tell us That as Adam's fault made him guilty of death whence it came to passe that all mankind that are procreat of him after that guilt is obnoxious to death so Christ by His Righteousness purchased to Himself eternal life whence it cometh te passe that who ever are procreat of him partake of this life But He never once taketh notice that Paul giveth for the ground of all mankind's becoming guilty of death their sinning in him vers 12. even such as had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression vers 14. yea in every verse this cause is noted or pointed at it being Notour of it self that ifall mankind did sin in Adan Adam's sin must be imputed unto them so Christ's Righteousness must be imputed unto all His inreference to their justification that with a much more Let us now see what Iohn Goodwine excepteth pag. 142. c. It is not here said He said that by the Imputation of Adam's disobedience men are made formally Sinners but simply sinners that is either obnoxious to death and condemnation or else sinners by propagation not Imputation Ans. This is the same upon the matter with Bellarmin's answer de justif lib. 2. cap. 9. here we have a distinction proposed without any explication to wit betwixt simply sinners and formally sinners And what can he meane by formally sinners possibly he meaneth that which otherwise is expressed by inherently sinners And if so though Adam's posterity so soon as they come to have a being have an universal corruption of Nature convoyed by propagation yet that is not it which is properly said to be Imputed for that which is imputed is the guilt of Adam's sin whereby they become sinners that is guilty legally and so obnoxious to punishment death condemnation this is enough for us for as the posterity of Adam have the sin of Adam so imputed to them that they become guilty and obnoxious to wrath so Beleevers have the Righteousness of Christ imputed unto them and they thereupon are accounted legally righteous 2 Whileas he will not grant that Adam's posterity are sinners by imputation he joineth with the Socinians who turne these words vers 12. 〈◊〉 not in whom but because or whereas which the Ethiopick version doth better sense saying Because that sin is imputed unto all men even unto them who know not what is that sin And the Arabick turne thus seing all have now sinned and the Syriack word is Behi or Bhi which may as well be interpreted in whom as because And in several other places this praeposition so construed as here in the Greek hath this same import as Mark 2. 4. Luk 5 25. 11 22. Rom. 6 21. Phil. 4 10. 1. Thes. 3 7. But enough of this here seing that matter is sufficiently cleared by the orthodox writting against the Socinians and we have also spoken of it against the Quakers Againe saith He Neither doth the Apostle here oppose unto or compare the Obedience of Christ with the disobedience of Adam as one Act unto or with another but as Satisfaction to and with the provocation or the Remedie to and with the
as a cause so is our Righteousness Justification inseparable as the full Effect CHAP. IX Other passages of the N. T. briefly mentioned which plead for this Imputation of Christs Righteousness THere are other passages of Scripture beside these mentioned in the preceeding chapter and against which I finde no Exceptions made by Mr. Goodwine in the forecited Book which yet do with no small clearness and fulness of evidence plead for the truth which we owne to wit The Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto Beleevers in order to their Justification These we shall not insist upon but only mentione in short seing the full insisting upon them will not be necessary after what is said in the Explication Vindication of foregoing passages 1 Rom. 1 17. For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith The Apostle is here giving a reason proving the Gospel whereof he was not ashamed to be a preacher of to be the power of God unto Salvation that to every one that beleeveth be he jew or be he Gentile viz. Because there is a Righteousness revealed therein which sinners only stand in need of that Righteousness of God that is not only a Righteousness which is devised by God and is accepted in His sight but an excellent Righteousness even the Righteousness of one who is God and a Righteousness revealed for faith to lay hold on receive that which faith leaneth to first and last when it is weakest and when it is strongest that thereby the poor sinner who formerly was dead by law may live as one reconciled to God So that hence we see Sinners have need of a Righteousness and this Righteousness is the Righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel that it may be received by faith and so Imputed made over to the poor sinner in order to his Justification and acceptance with God 2 Rom. 4 11. And he i. e. Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seal of the Righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that righteousness might be imputed to them also Here is a Righteousness and a Righteousness called the Righteousness of faith because received applied only by faith and a Righteousness whereof circumsion was appointed a seal granted to Abraham as such and a Righteousness which was imputed to Abraham that he might be the Father of all them that beleeve for it is added that Righteousness might be Imputed to them also And this must be the same Righteousness that was Imputed to Abraham the same way Imputed the same way received that there migt be no essential difference betwixt the way of justification of Father and Children The Aethiopick Version may serve for a commentary and he had circumsion a signe of his righteousness which He gave him and the signe thereof that this might be made known unto him that God justified Abraham by faith when he was not at that time circumcised that they may know that they also are justified by faith 3. Rom. 4 24 25. But for us also to whom it shall be Imputed if we beleeve on Him who raised up tesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences was raised againe for our justification Here is some thing said to be Imputed this must be in order to justification And this that is Imputed cannot be faith it self or our act of beleeving for what is said to be Imputed is promised to be Imputed upon condition of faith or our beleeving on Him who raised up Iesus our Lord. So that it must be the Righteousness of Christ consisting in His Mediatory work which He undertook performed for His owne for it is added that He was delivered for their offences that is He was delivered unto the death to make satisfaction for their sinnes He rose againe that He might declare He had given full Satisfaction that He might apply this Surety-righteousness of His to the end they might be justified Socinus doth not understand this therefore de Servat part 4. p. 333 saith It is most certaine that the Apostle doth not speak of any Imputation of the righteousness of Christ but assert that the faith or credite we give God because He hath called Iesus Christ our Head from death to eternal life shall be accounted unto us in the place of righteousness just as faith whereby Abraham gave credite to the words of God was Imputed to him for righteousness But the Text hereby is manifestly perverted for it saith that some thing shall be imputed if we beleeve which can not be faith but something distinct from faith which is to be Imputed upon condition of faith And what can this be else than the Surety-righteousness of Christ who is here mentioned as dying riseing in the place and for 〈◊〉 good of His people that they might be justified And further if it were faith it self that were here said to be Imputed in order to justification the justified man should not be one that is in himself ungodly because he hath a Righteousness in himself and he who hath a Righteousness in himself is not ungodly yet it is said Rom. 4 5. That God justifieth the ungodly Againe That which is Imputed must be a Righteousness without works vers 6. but if faith it self be Imputed a work is Imputed and not a Righteousness without works and this would also lay down a ground of boasting make the reward of debt not of grace v. 14. 4. Rom. 10 10. For with the heart man beleeveth unto Righteousness with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation The Apostle had been before vers 4. telling us That Christ was the end of the law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth thereafter he discriminateth the way of justification by the law and by the Gospel under the Notion of a Righteousness which is of the law and a Righteousness which is of faith then more particularly he describeth the Righteousness of faith or a Righteousness is had unto Salvation in through faith vers 9. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved which he proveth in the 10. vers now cited therein sheweth how by this beleeving that God hath raised the Lord Jesus from the dead Salvation is brought about viz. That by beleeving with the heart a Righteousness is obtained received and this righteousness must be Christs even His Surety-righteousness for faith looketh on Him as raised from the dead that by God as having now received full Satisfaction from Him thereupon bringing Him as it were out of prison And in the Text cited we see that by faith a Righteousness is received or faith is the way unto the possession of a Righteousness as Confession is the
that it is nothing to the present question But this we say That all men by nature and so Beleevers before they be justified by faith in Christ are not only under the Curse because of sin but are under the demand of the law or the commanding power of the law requiring perfect obedience in order to the reward And that therefore both these demands of the law must be satisfied by their Surety and the same must be imputed to them and reckoned upon their score before they can be looked on as free of the Curse and as heirs of the Reward promised to full perfect obedience 3. We are not saith he therefore exempted from keeping the law no not in respect of justification it self because we have transgressed it but because 1. having once transgressed it we are utterly uncapable of such an observation whether personally or by imputation which may amount to justification or exemption from punishment 2. That relaxation or release from an observation of or dependance upon the law by justification accrueth unto us by meanes of our dependance upon Christ for justification through his death Rom. 7 4. Ans. 1 If our transgression of the law doth not exeem us from the obligation to keep it perfectly in order to justification then ere we be justified that obligation must be satisfied as well as the obligation to punishment and so the law must be perfectly keeped as well as its penalty suffered And seing we our selves can do neither our Surety must do it for us that must be accepted for us imputed to us 2 Nor can it be said that our uncapableness to keep it so as may amount to justification doth exeem us from the obligation or destroy the lawes power to require that of us more than our uncapableness to suffer the penalty so as may amount to a justification doth or can exeem us from the obligation to suffer or destroy the lawes power to require the penalty of us It is true that no man now is called of God to endeavoure this way of justification yet all such as live without the Gospel have not the better more sure way through faith in Christ made known unto them The obligation to perfect obedience remaining after the transgression saith that ere a man that was both obliged to Suffer and to yeeld perfect obedience can be justified the law as to both these demands must be satisfied the Sureties Satisfaction to both must be reckoned upon his score 3 Justification Exemption from punishment are not one the same in our case more than pardon Righteousness 4 The Exemption that accrueth to beleevers saith not that there was no obligation upon mankind both to suffer and to obey in order to justification anteriour to Christs doing both 4. God never required saith he pag. 210. of any man but only of Christ both exactness of obedience to the law subjection to punishment due to the transgression of the law conjunctim but divisim only He that shall perfectly keep the law is not bound to suffer the penalty Ans. 1 Then our transgressing of the law should exeem us from the obligation to obedience contrare to what was granted in the First Exception 2 Though he who perfectly keepeth the law is obnoxious to no punishment yet he who breaketh the law as we all did in Adam beside our daily transgressions is obnoxious to punishment this obnoxiousness to punishment no more dissolveth his obligation to obedience than his transgression was able to do And therefore we are all considered in our Natural state obliged to both conjunctim for we are borne sinners and yet born under the obligation of keeping the law of God 3 Gods requiring both of Christ who was Mediator Surety saith that both were required of us for what was required of him as Surety was required of the principal debtors 5. He saith In case a Man hath transgressed the law hath suffered whether by himself or by some other for him the full punishment threatned he is no further a debtor unto the law neither in point of punishment nor of obedience for the punishment is of equal consideration to the law with the most absolute conformity and as no man can be obliged to fulfill the law twice for his justification so neither is it reasonable to conceive that he who hath suffered the full penalty that being as satisfactory to the law as the exactest obedience should be still bound to the observation of the law Ans. When the law promiseth life to the fulfillers as well as threatneth death to the transgressours the suffering of death for the transgression is not such a fulfilling of the law as hath the promise of life annexed to it Devils though now suffering the vengeance of eternal fire the death threatned yet cannot be said to be fulfilling the law or obeying unto life nor can they be said to be justified nor to be suffering any thing in order thereunto In order therefore to our justification Acceptance with God as heirs of the life promised who were both obnoxious to punishment also obliged to give perfect obedience to the law the law as to both must be satisfied Nor can we say that the punishment of Devils is of equal consideration to the law with the conformity yeelded thereunto by the confirmed Angels And though the suffering of the penalty in lawes penal or such as promise no reward unto the obeyers may be said to be of equal consideration with the keeping of the law yet this cannot be said in lawes which promise a Reward to the observers as well as threaten a punishment to transgressours Nor can the man that suffereth the punishment suppose to the full that is threatened in the law be said to have fulfilled the law and to have deserved the reward promised to obeyers 2 Though Christ hath both obeyed the law suffered the punishment yet the law is not twice fulfilled but once because as was granted such as were sinners and obnoxious to punishment were also obliged to yeeld perfect obedience for transgression did not destroy this obligation As when a man is punished for breach of a law that not only required obedience under such a penalty but also promised a reward to the observers when he is put to performe what was commanded ere he can have the promised reward he is not put to fulfill the law twice for his punishment was but Satisfaction to one part of the law or to threatning but it was no satisfaction of the law as to the reward promised Arg. 6. If there be no justification without a perfect Righteousness no such Righteousness to be found but the Righteousness of Christ performed to the law then of Necessity this Righteousness must be imputed to us unto justification But the former is true Ergo c. The ground of this Argument is that justification is the pronouncing of a person righteous justification being
the good of others should exercise communion fellowshipe with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ so walk with him as agreed with Him have their conversation in heaven Hath the Lord brought them into his houshold yea admitted them to his presence that they may kisse his hand stand before his face continually in the lower chamber of presence and should they carry as yet estranged from him Is He at peace with them and should they have jealous thoughts of him Is He reconciled unto them and should they carry as keeping up some grudge against Him 6. Such should account this state whereinto now they are brought their only blessedness here below Even as David saith Paul Rom. 4 6 7 8. also describeth the blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sin Here is the poor self-condemned sinners blessedness that he hath a righteousness imputed to him who had none of his owne and who thereupon hath his iniquities forgiven covered not imputed And such as are made partakers of this blessedness should account it their happiness that how ever it be with them as to outward things in the world yet they are now brought within the Covenant and are covered with the mantle of Christ's Righteousness and have all their iniquities covered cast into the midst of the sea so that they shall never be reckoned upon their score 7. This should be aground for them of glorying in the Lord in the hardest condition they can be into in the world being thus justified they should glory in tribulations knowing that they can suffer no loss o◠disadvantage thereby but on the contrary reap much good and advantage for tribulation worketh in such as are thus justified and at peace with God patience and patience experience experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost Ought they not then to carry under all oppressions persecutions hard usages of men upon the account of owning Christ his Interest as persons that are upon the gaining hand and reaping much spiritual advantage being now brought through grace into such a state of life And how would they hereby glorify God in the world 8. The consideration of their present state of life should cause them triumph in the midst of all difficulties temptations that they shall meetwith in their way as knowing that the life of justification whereof now they are made partakers shall continue and that it shall end in the life of glory for whom the Lord justifieth them he also glorifieth Rom. 8 30. Who shall then lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Who shall then separat such from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or persecution or distress or famine or nakedness or perill or sword Nay in all these things they are more then conquerours through him that loved them Rom. 8 33 34 35 37. Hear how Paul concludeth that matter for himself others vers 38 32. for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Should not therefore such carry as persons that cannot be made miserable How much doth the Apostle insist on this and cleare it from this ground Rom. 5 9 10. saying much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life And againe vers 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. There being then a sure ground of confidence assurance of life of compleet salvation laid in justification all such are called to rejoice in hope of the glory of God Rom 5 2. And to have confidence in the Lord that he will perfect what he hath begun to rest assured that all they which receive abundance of grace of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Jesus Christ. Rom. 5 17. 9. Yea particularly the consideration of their many sinnes should not discourage them or cause them despond for being now justified all their bygone sins are pardoned shall not be by the Lord laid to their charge againe however the memory of them may humble them cause them run to the fountaine of the blood of Jesus all their future sins shall be pardoned according the Gospel grounds after the Gospel-methode so that they shall not prejudge them of their promised possession of glory and life everlasting Now the free gift is of many offences unto justification Rom. 5 16. There is a sure way laid down in the Gospel whereby all their sins shall be taken away and the very body of death shall be killed more more dayly so that they shall not finally perish what ever Satan body of death within shall do to prejudge them of the promised inheritance Hence the Apostle inferreth from his foregoing discourse Rom. 8 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to then which are in Christ Jesus 10. Such as are thus justified should follow the example of Paul Phil. 3 7 8 9. and so account such things less for Christ which formerly were gaine yea count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord yea account them but dung that they may win Christ and be found in him Here should their heart delight be about this should their whole occupation be to win and gaine Christ more to know him the power of his Resurrection and the followshipe of his sufferings to be made conformable unto his death vers 10. that hereby Christ may be their gaine their glory their all How jealous should they be of their deceitful hearts that nothing be admitted to share of the glory due to Christ or to possesse any of that room in the heart that is due to him He should have the throne for He is well worthie of it And whatever cometh in competition with him be it within us or without us should be rejected that He alone may be exalted in our souls 11. Such as have been made partaker of this royal life of justification through a Crucified Christ laid hold on by faith should labour to keep this doctrine pure both by word deed so far as they can that 〈◊〉 grace of God that so eminently shineth forth therein may not be darkned by mens erroneous apprehensions
the score of Beleevers as if he had recalled the former pardon granted for he remembereth their sin no more Ier. 31 34. Heb. 8 12. 10 17. And for future sins by vertue of their State they have access to seek for pardon and have ground 3 The Righteousness of Christ which is a perfect Righteousness is fully and perfectly communicated and imputed so as thereby they become the Righteousness of God in Christ 2. Cor. 5. last He is their whole Righteousness in order to Iustification and wholly their Righteousness as made of God Righteousness unto them Ier. 23 6 1. Cor. 1 30. And with this Righteousness they are wholly perfectly covered to expect it as found hid there Phil. 3 9. are made Righteous Rom. 5 19. 10 4. 4 They are now wholly Reconciled unto God and have Peace with Him and not by halfes or in some certain respects only as if in other respects they were still Enemies or in a state of Enmity Being justified by faith they have Peace with God Rom. 5 1. once they were enemies but now they are reconciled vers 10. by Christ they have now received the Atonement vers 11. once alienated enemies in their mindes by wicked works but now reconciled Col. 1 21. once a far off but now made neer Ephes. 2 13. the enmity being staine vers 16. No more strangers or forreigners now but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God vers 19. Then is the Lord pacified toward them for all that they have done Ezek. 16 63. 5 They are compleetly translated into a new Covenant state not halfe the children of Saran and half the children of God not halfe in Nature and halfe in the state of Grace not half translated halfe not Ephes. 2 13 19. Col. 1 21. not halfe quickened with Christ and halfe not Ephes. 2 5. They are not now halfe without Christ or aliens from the common wealth of Israel or strangers from the Covenants of promise c. Ephes. 2 12. There is a perfect change as to their state 1. Cor. 6 11. 6 They are secured as to final Condemnation There is no condemnation for them Rom. 8 1. being beleevers they shall not perish but have eternal life Ioh. 3 15 16. He that beleeveth is not condemned vers 18. See also Ioh. 3 36. 6 47. They are passed from death unto life Ioh. 5 24. 1. Ioh. 3 14. being discharged of all guilt of eternal punishment which formerly they deserved by their sinnes And all this holdeth good notwithstanding of their after sins which as we shall shew do not annull or make any such breach upon their state of Justification It is true these sins must also be Pardoned will be Pardoned but yet when they are pardoned their Justification as to their state is not hereby more perfected as to these respects formerly mentioned It holdeth good also notwithstanding of what shall be at the great day for that will put no man in a new Justified state who was not Reconciled to God before It is true there will be many additions as to the Solemnitie Declaration Consequences Effects thereof in that day but not withstanding hereof the state of Justification here as to what respecteth its grounds the essential change it maketh together with the Right that beleevers have thereby unto all that in that day they shall be put in possession of is perfect may be said so to be Propos. 7 By what is said it is manifest how in what respects this life of Iustification differeth from the life of Sanctification 1 Sanctification maketh a real Physical change Iustification maketh a Relative change And thereby they come to have a new State or Relation unto the Law unto God the judge 2 Sanctification is continueing work wherein beleevers are more more built up daily Iustification is an act of God or a juridcial sentence Absolving a sinner pronunceing him free of the charge brought in against him and not liable to the penalty 3 Sanctification is a groÌ„wing and increasing work admitteth of many degrees is usually weak and small at the beginning Iustification doth not grow neither doth it admit of degrees but is full compleet adequate unto all ends here 4 Sanctification is ever growing here and never cometh to full Perfection before death Justification is perfect adequate unto all ends as we shewed 5 Sanctification is not alike in all but some are more some are less sanctified But Iustification is equal in all none being more justified then others 6 Some measures degrees of Sanctification which have been attained may be lost againe But nothing of Iustification can really be lost for we are not here speaking of the sense and feeling of Justification which frequently may be lost but of Justification it self 7 Sanctification is a progressive work Iustification is instantaneous as was shown 8. Sanctification respecteth the Being Power Dominion of â—in in the beleever and killeth subdueth and mortifieth it Iustification respecteth its guilt demerite taketh away guilt and the obligation to punishment or obnoxiousness to the paying of the penalty 9 In justification a man is accepted upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him and received by Faith But in Sanctification grace is infused and the Spirit given to perfecte holiness in the fear of God 10 In Iustification there is a right had unto life and unto the rich recompence of reward upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ imputed whence they are said to have passed from death to life But in Sanctification they are made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light 11 Unto Iustification nothing is required but faith in Christ whereby the soul may become united to Him have a right to his benefites But unto Sanctification all the graces of the Spirit are requisite and all the exercises of the same all diligence is required and an adding of Vertue to Faith of Knowledge to Vertue of Temperance to Knowledge of Patience to Temperance of Godliness to Patience of Brotherly kindness to Godliness of Charity to Brotherly kindness 2 Pet. 1 5 6 7. Propos. 8 Hence it followeth also thar there is no ground to assert a first a second Justification as Papists do meaning by the first an Infusion of an inward Principle or Habite of Grace which is no Justification nor part thereof but the beginning of Sanctification and by the Second another Justification which with them is an Effect or Consequent of the former having good work which flow from the foresaid infused principle of grace love for its proper formal cause This Justification they say is by works where as the former is by faith and yet this second they make to be an Incrementum an increase of the first and for this they say the church prayeth when she saith Lord increase our saith hope
beleeve Mr. Baxter's Preface Beside that hereby no man can win to any solide Peace or Joy so long as he liveth for he is but still performing the Condition of his Justification and perfecting it by his works so that till they be at an end the Condition of Justification is not performed and consequently no Justification and it is the maine scope of this mans discourse to prove the interest of Gospel-obedience as he calleth it as a Condition as well as Faith or rather as a part or best part of practical Faith in the matter of Justification 10. Hence we may also see how erroneous dangerous that definition of faith as Evangelical Christian Justifying is which the mentioned Author giveth us pag. 38. to wit Such an hearty assent consent unto God's declaration in the Gospel by his Son concerning Christ himself his Grace Favour towards men by him concerning their own duty as causeth a man to expect from God and to act in a way of duty according to the tenor of such a declaration his own concerns in it This upon the matter is the very faith of Adam only Adam heard no word of Christ so it is but a Law-faith no Gospel-Faith And againe more plainly by way of explication he saith pag. 39. nor is it a bare beleefe that God will for Christ's sake pardon save as many as truely repent amend their lives become new creatures unless they so beleeve all this as seriously heartily to repent themselves of their former folly and to return to their duty in new Evangelical obedience Not only doth this man take away from Justifying saving Faith all that peculiar closing with Christ accepting of him as Redeemer all particular special eye or respect had to his Righteousness Mediation but he maketh Iustification depend on works as well as on faith or on works as the integral parts of practical justifying faith It is true Saving faith cannot but bow incline the man in whom it is to all holy Obedience But to make these thus to be included in Faith as the Condition of Justification is to give us the Socinian Iustification the Socinian Faith for the true orthodox justification faith and if this be the Gospel justification Gospel faith which as Mr. Baxter thinks this look will help us unto the Socinians are better acquainted with the Gospel than the orthodox have been or are And to evince this which is all I need to do here I shall propose a few of their Assertions concerning Faith that the Reader may judge what harmonie is betwixt this Author them The Racov. Catech. cap. 9. de fide tels us that faith is a Trust in God whereby we not only confide in him but also obey him This is short yet fully the same with our Auther's Socinus himself dial de justif f. 11. what is that to beleeve in his name It is receive him to beleeve his words to confide in him finally to obey him And in not in dial f. 25. he tels us that the faith by which we are justified doth containe obedience to the commands not as an effect but as its substance forme yea faith he it is obedience it self And againe de fid oper f. 60. he faith I will have nothing else than to conâ—ide de in Christ and this is done receiveth its perfection as it were its forme when obedience is yeelded unto his commands So that betwixt justifying faith good works there is no difference See him further f. 123. 134. Smalcius de divin Christ. cap. 14. f. 38. tels us that faith in Iesus Christ is a firme assent unto what he hath said a confideing truely so called whereby not only we firmly beleeve what he hath said concerning us but we confide in him adhere to him this is much more than our Author saith heartly embrace his doctrine as celestial saving placeing our considence hope in him as such so great a King as our Priest fy upon our Author that is less orthodox than this Socinian hanging wholly upon him with a firme hope to obtaine these things which he hath promised to such as obey him that is if we amend our lives according to his prescriptien we are confident to receive remission of sins deliverance from death eternal life But you will say there is no mention made of good works in this faith See therefore what he saith disp 6. cont Frantz de bon ope Thes. 53 55 63 68. We do not saith he consider two parts of faith Trust in God Obedience to his commands but we distinguish them as if they were two for albeit really they may be taken for encthing are one they can be some way distinguished Obedience is rather the forme of faith or faith it self than any part of it And in this the Arminian Remonstrants in their Confess cap. 10. s. 1 2 3. do homolegate with the Socinians telling us that faith comprehendeth all the commands of the Gospel and that the command of Faith must no other-way be considered than as by a natural proprietie it includeth obedience and is a fruitful mother of good works and that faith thus considered comprehendeth a mans whole conversion prescribed in the Gospel Socinus is plaine Synops. 1. s. 8. and tels us that the way of justification is the same under both Covenants seing in both on God's part was required Remission of sins on mans part Repentance Obedience to his commands which is truely that very faith that every did ever will make man acceptable unto God And then tels us that we must beware to make sanctification an effect of justification These things may shew that this part at least of this Authors Gospel is more learned out of the Socinian Arminian Scholes than out of the Scriptures and if we would be guided into this we may follow other more ancient leaders than is this Author whom else where I suppose Mr. Baxter calleth Mr. W. Allen. 11. We would also take notice of this That when the Scripture saith the just liveth by faith or we are justified by faith the meaning must not be we are justified by Hope or we are justified by Love or we are justified by Patience or by any other Grace for though all these Graces of the Spirit may be conceived as springing from one and the same root seed of God which is planted in the soul in the new birth and though we may by our acute wits so explaine each as to include the rest more or less Yet as divine Revelation is the ground of all our Faith in this matter so Scripture expressions are the best guide to us in our Expressions Conceptions about this matter And as the Scripture doth speak of and name these Graces as formally distinct ascribing to each their distinct and several Operation End and Use so
finde no where required in order to Justification This is no where called a Condition of Justification We are no where said to be Justified by this Resolution This is inconsistent with the frame of a poor wakened soul seeking Justification This would in part make the gift of Justification not free of free grace but to be of works or of a Resolution for works and so would give ground in part at least of boasting of glorying contrare to the whole frame of the Gospel And so this would lessen the difference betwixt the Old Covenant of works and the New Covenant of Grace Having thus dispatched the second particular we come unto the Third to wit to enquire whether perseverance be a Condition of Justification And of this we need not speak much seing by what is already said it is apparent how false this is Every thing that is required of such as are Beleevers cannot be called a Condition of Justification It is said that a Condition suspendeth the obligation to bestow the benefite promised upon Condition untill it be performed And so it will hence follow that if Perseverance to the end be the Condition of Justification no man can be justified untill he have persevered to the end so no man shall be justified in this life whereby an end is put to all our present debate the subject thereof being taken out of the way If it be said That faith is the Condition of Justification as it endureth to the end I Ans. That that faith which will endure to the end is the Condition I grant But I deny That Faith is the Condition of Justification as it endureth to the end we no where read of Faiths being the Condition under this reduplication as enduring to the end for then it would follow that no lively faith how strong so ever could unite a soul to Christ untill it had endured to the end and so man upon his first Beleeving 〈…〉 be never so livly strong can be said to be justified to have passed from death to life contrare to all the Scriptures And this would too much assimilate the New Covenant unto the Old wherein Adam was to work out his dayes work to the end ere he had Right to his wages Yea hence it would follow that in this life there were none of the fruites of justification to be had such as Peace with God Accesse to God Glorying in tribulations Joy Comfort contrare to experience the Scriptures Rom. 5 1 2 3 4 5 11. 8 35. to the end Luk. 7 50. Mat. 9 2. 2. Thes. 2 16. Heb. 6 18 19. 1. Pet. 1 4. So that in a word from what hath bein said it is evident how little ground M. Br. hath to glory in this way of his and though to an inadvertent person it may appeare Plausible what is adduced for a reason yet when considered it will be found fioath and a florish of words for be it so that justifieing faith receive whole Christ which we doe not deny for Christ is not divided for as there is but one faith so but one Christ. And I will have occasion to speake more fully to this matter afterward Yet what doth Mr. Baxter gain hath he gained his Pepper-corne of Faith or Gospel-obedience to be imputed unto us for Righteousness according to the new law he should say the new edition of the Old Covenant or rather the Old Covenant newly established no by no means for be it grainted That Iustifieing Faith as such respected Christ equally as King and Prophet as it doth him as Priest which yet I deny and shall without divideing Christ make it appeare I aske him how doth it receive Christ Jesus the Lord Surely he cannot but say as he is offerred in the Gospel well then the Lord who knoweth what we are offereth him to us and makes him to us wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and redemption so that God in the offer of his Christ as a King lookes upon the sinner in the same capacitie to obey him as in the offer of him as a Priest he is to pay his debt and that is not onely in no capacitie but as opposit to such a thing of himself Hence it as evident that Faith receives Christ as a King not by promiseing or purposeing to obey him but from a Conviction of its own aversion to purpose to please God that he by his Kingly Power shall kill the enmity Conquer the soul bring it to purpose as well as practise work in it to will as well as to doe cast down imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and bring every thought in captivitie to his obedience so when Faith acts on him as a Prophet there is in this act neither purpose nor promise to obey him as a teacher c. But from a Conviction that the mind is not onely void of light but it is prepossessed with corrupt principles so that the man that hath nothing but the soul of a man takes up the whole Gospel Mysterie as foolishness And it is impossible for him to know these things since they must be spiritually discerned I say from this Conviction he receives Christ as his wisdom as he that shall give him an understanding to know him that is true and to make him who is not onely as a beast but so much worse that his light is darkenesse of a quick understanding in the feare of the Lord and wise to salvation Now this exactly answereth the sinners need and hath all his wants made up by Jesus Christ according to his riches in glory and God's end in makeing his Christ to poor sinners wisdom Righteousness c. That so he who glorieth may glory in the Lord. Now if Mr. Baxter will Consider this he will even lay aside his Pepper-Corne as of no Price for here all is without money and without Price to the poor soul c. and he is considered as a receiver of all from Christ. CHAP. XXXI Gospel-obedience is not the Condition of Justification THough as we heard Mr. Baxter himself will not say that Gospel-obedience is the Condition of Justification yet he recommendeth a book to us to peruse to the end we may receive much light in the knowledge of the Gospel I meane the discourse of the two Covenants formerly mentioned wherein this is asserted with great confidence And though this be sufficiently confuted by what is said yet we shall in short take some notice of the grounds of this Mans Confidence give some remarks upon what he saith He tels us pag. 132. That the sense in which the Apostles did assert it i.e. Justification by Faith without the works of the Law was that faith Iustifieth without works antecedent to beleeving This is what Bellarmin other Papist's say without works as the works of a literal observation of Moses law which was opposed by the jewes to faith This is but his fiction and its grounds may come
Christ the ground meritorious cause thereof is a far other thing And when he saith Apologie ag Mr. Eyre § 4. that he is well content to call Christ's Righteousness of Satisfaction the matter of ours and that the imputation of Christ's Righteousness taken for Donation is the forme of Constitutive Iustification that sentential adjudication of Christ's Righteousness to us is the forme of our sentential Iustification That Faith in order to Justification doth in a special manner eye the Righteousness of Christ is clear from Esai 45 24 25 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I Righteousness then followeth In the Lord shall alâ— the seed of Israel be justified This truth is also clearly held forth when faith in the matter of Justification is called faith in Christ's blood Rom. 3 25. for when faith laith hold on the bloud of Christ it cannot but lay hold on his Surety-Righteousness whom God set forth to be a Propitiation and in through whom there was a Redemption wrought vers 24. for this hlood was the Redemption-money the price payed in order to Redemption 1. Pet. 1 18 19. And the blessedness of Justification is through the Imputation of Righteousness without our works Rom. 4 6. and therefore faith in order to the obtaining of this blessedness must eye and relye upon this Righteousness which is the Righteousness of him who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our Justification vers 25. where we may also observe a manifest difference betwixt this Righteousness which consisteth in his being delivered for our offences and our Justification the one being the Cause as was said the other the Effect Moreover this same truth is clear from Râ—m 5 17. where we read of the receiving of the gift of righteousness which is by faith and that in order to a reigning in life by one Jesus Christ where also we see a difference put betwixt this gift of Righteousness Reigning in life which is also more cleare in the following vers 18. Even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto Iustification of life this righteousness of one to wit one Jesus Christ is the Cause and the Iustification of life is the Effect And further this difference is againe held forth vers 19 20 21. Our being made Righteous is different from the obedience of one Christ Jesus and by the Imputation of this Obedience to us do we become Righteous as our being made sinners is different from Adam's act of Disobedience and we are made sinners by the Imputation of it to us And as sin death are different when it is said that sin hath reigned unto death so Eternal life is different from Righteousness when it is said so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life We need say no more of this seing it clearly followeth from what was formerly at length confirmed to wit That justification is by the Righteousness of Christ imputed CHAP. XXXIV Faith in Justification respecteth not in a special manner Christ as a King but as a Priest MR. Baxter did long ago in his Aphorismes tell us That the Accpting of Christ for Lord is as essential a part of Iustifying Faith as the accepting of him for our Saviour that is as he explained himself That faith as it accepteth Christ for Lord King doth justifie And this was asserted by him to the end he might cleare confirme how Sincere Obedience cometh in with Affiance to make up the Condition of Justification for his Thesis LXXII did run thus As the accepting of Christ for Lord which is the hearts Subjection is as essential a part of Justifying Faith as the accepting of him for our Saviour So consequently sincere obedience which is the effect of the former hath at much to do in justifying us before God as Affiance which is the fruit of the later Hence the question arose and was by some proposed thus Whether faith in Christ qua Lord be the justifying act or whether the Acceptation of Christ as a Lord and not only as a Priest doth justifie And Mr. Baxter in his Confess p. 35. § 13. saith that it is not only without any ground in God's word but fully against it to say that faith justifieth only as it apprehendeth Christ as a Ransome or Satisfier of justice or Meriter of our Iustification or his Righteousness as ours not as it receiveth him as King or as a Saviour from the staine tyranny of sin I have shewed before that the moving of this question is of little use in reference to that end for which it seemeth it was first intended to wit to prove that Sincere Obedience hath as much to do in Justification as faith or Affiance hath where I did shew the inconsequence of that consequence That because Justifying Faith receiveth Christ as King Therefore Obedience is a part of the Condition of Justification yea or therefore a Purpose or a promise of Obedience is a part of the Condition of Justification So that in order to the disproving of that Assertion that maketh obedience or a Purpose or a promise of obedience an essential part of the Condition of Justification we need not trouble ourselves with this question Yet in regaird that the speaking to this may contribute to the clearing of the way of Justification by faith which is our great designe we shall speak our judgment there anent And in order thereunto several things must be premitted As 1. The question is not whether Christ as a King belongeth to the compleet adequate object of that faith which is the true justifying faith for this is granted as was shown above this faith being the same faith whether it be called True Faith or Saving Faith or Uniting Covenanting faith or Justifying faith it must have one the same adequate Object 2. Nor is the Question whether Faith in order to Justification doth so act on Christ as a Priest as to exclude either virtually or expresly the consideration of any other of his offices or of Christ under any other of his offices for under whatever office Christ be considered when faith acteth upon him whole Christ is received and nothing in Christ is or can be excludeth So that there is no virtual exclusion nor can there be any express exclusion of any of his offices when he under any other of his offices is looked to a right received for such an exclusion would be an open rejection of Christ and no receiving of him 3. When we speak here of receiving of Christ as a Priest or in respect of his Sacerdotal Office it is all one as if we named his Sacerdotal work or what he did in the discharge of that office offering up himself a Satisfactory Sacrifice and giving his blood and life for that end and suffering inwardly outwardly what was laid upon him by the Father in order to the making of full Satisfaction to justice
sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him The way how Reconciliation was brought about is here set down to the end the ministrie of Reconciliation mentioned vers 18. and whereby persons are beseeched to be Reconciled vers 20. may be understood and such as are called upon may know in special what to do in order to be reconciled to wit close with him and be in him and be united to him who was made sin for sinners that they might be clothed with a sufficient Righteousness in him so that this points out Faith 's eyeing Christ as such a Cautioner having the debt of sinners imputed to him and becoming a Sacrifice for sin 6. Gal. 2 16 20. We have beleeved in Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. And what he did when he thus beleeved in Christ that he might he jâ—stified he plainly tels us vers 20. saying I am crucified with Christ thus he wan to the life of justification by eyeing Christ on the crosse making satisfaction unto justice and assenting unto that way acquieseing in it resting relying upon it And in the same vers he tels us that his faith by which he lived was on the Son of God who have himself for him that is unto death 7. Gal. 3 11 13. The just shall live by faith This is the Text we are upon and we have cleared how this life here mentioned is the life of justification But what is the speciall object of this faith in order to justification That is clearly enough pointed to vers 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us It is Christ Christ as Redeeming from the Curse of the Law that by being made a curse for us which only looks to his Priestly office 8. Phel 3 9 10 11. Paul was desireous to be found in Christ to be partaker of his Righteousness alone which was by faith But what was it in Christ that the eye of his Faith was mainly fixed upon He sheweth that vers 10 11. That I may know him the power of his resurrection the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his death c. Christ's Sufferings Death Resurrection were most in his eye 9. Ioh. 3 14 15. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternal life The special object of faith here is Christ as lifted up that is as Crucified Ioh. 12 32 33. It will not be sufficient for weakening of these reasons to say That none of these conclude that faith in order to Justification eyeth Christ as a Priest only for 1 They sufficiently prove that faith in this matter of Justification goeth to Christ as a Priest and eyeth his Sacrifice Bloud Redemption through his death and we are called to prove no more because it lyeth upon those who are of another judgment to shew us from Scripture that Faith in order to the obtaining of justification acteth on Christ's Kingly office receiveth him as Lord. 2 We know what outcryes Papists make against the like Arguments of Protestants for justification by faith because it is not said we are justified by faith alone 3 Though the Scriptures do not as plainly say that faith in justification doth not in an especiall manner eye Christ as King Prophet as it saith we are not justified by works Yet we are bound to follow the light of the word and to regulate our conceptions by what we finde there expressed if we finde not any mention made of faith in Christ's command or Government or the like relating to his Kingly office as we heare of Faith in his Blood the like relating to his Priestly office we may saifly judge that the one being so clearly mentioned so frequently is a denying of the other that is never mentioned Secondly The very case condition wherein such are who are desireous justification may cleare this for they are now awakened made to see their natural state of death wherein they are under the sentence of the Law under the Curse Malediction of God And therefore the thing which their soul now seeketh after is a sutable Reliefe something that may answere this case and may prove a fit Reliefe to them thus imprisoned in chaines because of their Debt Transgressions And therefore as all Reason requireth so experience proveth that these wakened sinners seek after the Satisfaction through the Death Merites of Christ that they may have an Interest therein and the benefite thereof to the quieting of their souls They lay hold on the Sufferings of Christ that they may be hid in his wounds as it were that so they may be healed by his stripes and have a Righteousness under which they may with confidence stand and appear before God They become crucified with Christ sweetly acquiesceing in resting satisfied with contentedly accepting of and confidently resting relying upon his Merites his Death his Payment Sntisfaction 〈◊〉 justice Seing then that this as experience proveth is the way that pursued souls take to refuge themselves under a Crucified Christ to flee to his Death Merites this or Christ as a Priest dying paying the debt must be the special Object of the Faith of an hunted soul panting after justification or freedom from Condemnation Thirdly Christ's other Offices as his Kingly or Prophetical office do not hold him forth as immediatly sutable unto souls under this pressure nor is there any thing properly belonging to these offices that promiseth immediat Reliefe unto a Soul in this case seeking after Reconciliation with God Pardon of sinners which is only had by Christ's Death Bloud Rom. 5 9 10. 3 25. Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. Christ by his Kingly or Prophetical office doth not act towards God in the behalfe of sinners but by his Priestsly office he doth Heb. 5 1 5 6 7. And it is after this that poor sinners pursued with the sense of wrath do seek this can only give present futable Reliefe Fourthly The Faith of Beleevers under the sense of sin guilt under the Law was thus led to act on the promised Messiah when he was typified unto them by their Sacrifices they were to put their hands on the head of the Sacrifice thereby rolling their sin guilt upon the Sacrifice or on Him rather who was the true Sacrifice represented by these outward Sacrifices thereby professing their Faith in Him as the only Satisfying Sacrifice that could make Atonement Pacifie an angrie God deliver them from wrath Fiftly Christ is held forth as having taken an these different offices and as to shew his being a full compleet mediator able to answere all our necessities and â—s authorized to give forth sutable reliefe so to instruct us how 〈…〉
flow therefrom be accounted one the same thing but two distinct parts of one compleet effect And therefore the mentioning of the one in stead of the whole proveth no confusion or sameness but rather an inseparablness which is yeelded He move â—in an objection against himself â— 5. thus How can God be said to impute a Righteousness to a man which never was nor ever had a being no Righteousness at least of that kind whereof we now speak having ever been but that perfect obedience which Christ performed to the Law This indeed is a very rational question for our Author talketh much of an imputed Righteousness and never doth nor yet can tell us what that is that can deserve the name of a Righteousness Let us heare what he answereth 1. saith he There is as express compleet a Righteousness in the Law as ever Christ himself performed Ans. But what Righteousness is or can be in a Law but what is there by way of prescription And who doubts 〈◊〉 the perfection of this that acknowledgeth the perfection of the Law This is utterly impertinent to the purpose in hand where the question is of a Righteousness consisting in conformity to the Law and which must be attribute to man to whom the Law is given And what if it be said saith he that God in remission of sins through Christ from out of the Law imputeth to every man that beleeveth such a Righteousness as is proper to him Ans. To say this is to speak plaine non-sense for what is that to furnish a man with a Righteousness out of the Law Can a man be changed into a Law or can a man have any Righteousness prescribed by a Law but by thoughts words deeds bearing a conformity to the commands of the Law And how can 〈◊〉 pardon cause this transformation can the pardon of murther or of any prohibited act make that act conforme to the Law Pardon thus should be a self destroyer for an act that is no transgression of a Law can need no pardon and thus pardon should make itself no pardon What he subjoineth hath bin spoken to elsewhere He giveth a 2. answere saying To say God cannot impute a Righteousness which never had a being i.e. which never was really actually performed by any man is to deny that he hath power to forgive sinâ— Ans. This hath been is full denied it never hath been nor never shall be proved that forgivness of sin is the imputation of a Righteousness Though he addeth from Rom. 4 6. 3 28. c. that it is the imputation of such a Righteousness as consisteth not noâ—es made up of any works performed to the Law by any man which is but a Righteousness that never had a being Ans. This is but a plaine perverting of the Scriptures which speak only of works in that exclusion done performed by us as the whole scope and all the circumstances of the passages demonstrate to any man who will not willingly put out his owne eyes and it were a meer imposing upon the Understandings of the most ordinary Reader and a miserable mispending of time to goe about the evincing of this which is so obvious But what desperat shifts will not a wrong cause put men to use who will not be truths captives His 5. Conclusion cometh here also to be considered It is this He that is fully discharged from his sins needeth no other Râ—ghteousness to give him-Right 〈◊〉 unto life This is as false as the rest for the Law is do this live and pardon for transgressions is not the same with doing of the Law What is his reason death is the wages of sin is of sin only being due to no creature in any other respect nor upon any other terme whatsomever But what then Now he that it free of death no wayes obnoxious thereunto cannot but be conceived to have a right unto life there being neither any middle condition between death life wherein it is possible for a reasonable creature to subsist nor againe any capacity of life but by some right â—itle thereunto Ans. Though this be true as to us now that he who is no wayes obnoxious unto death hath a right unto life Yet the consequence that he would draw from it is not good to wit that that only which taketh away the obnoxiousness unto death giveth also a right to life because God hath inseparably joined these effects together as also their distinct causes together and giveth them inseparably so that he who is pardoned hath also a right to life not meerly upon the account that he is pardoned but because together with the imputation of the Satisfaction of Christ whence floweth pardon he imputeth also Christ's Righteousness upon which followeth the right to life And howbeit now as to us there is no middle state betwixt these two Yet in Adam there was for while he stood he was not obnoxious unto death and yet he had not right unto life but was to work out perfect his rask to that end But he tels us That while Adam stood he was already in possession fruition of life else he could not be threatned with death Ans. This is not the life whereof we are speaking we are speaking of the life promised by that Covenant unto perfect obedience But it seemeth that he joyneth with the 〈◊〉 in this granting no life promised to Adam but a Continuance of what he was already in possession of He enquireth If he had not a right unto life by his freedome from sin but was to purchase this right by an ctlual fulfilling of the Law it would be known what quantitâ—eâ— of obedience to the Law he must have paid before he had made this purchase how long he must have obeyed keept the Law Ans. There is no necessity of any exact knowledge of these things our maine question doth not â—â—and or â—all with the knowledge or ignorance of them Yet we may say and that is sufficient that that Law or Covenant requiring perfect obedience and perpetual without the least omission or commission he must have paid all that obedience which the Law required of him to the day of his transâ—â—â—gration or change to glory before the 〈◊〉 had been made He addeth for had he lived a two yeers in his integrity uprightness without the least touch of any transgression he hâ—d still but a debtor of obedience to the Law upon the same termes that he was at the beginning the least interruption or breach in the course of his obedience had even now been the forfeiture of that life he enjoyed Ans. How long Adam should have lived upon earth before his translation to glory we know not nor is it of use for us to enquire it is sufficient to know that he was to finish his course to persevere in obedience to the end if he would not both forfeit the life he had and the expectation of
price is considerable Now that the Scripture mentioneth some given to Christ that in distinction from others is clear Ioh. 17 2. that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him So vers 12. Those that thou gavest we I have keept and none of them are lost c. So Ioh. 6 37. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me vers 40. And this is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing Joh. 17 9. I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine 10. And all thine are mine mine are thine and I am glorified in them 11. Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am c. Whence we see that Christ had no charge of the rest was under no tye to save them nor would be so much as pray for them but as for the given ones Joh. 10. called his sheep for these he laid downe his life prayed and for these was â—e to give an account nay which is more these had a special Interest in God's heart affection were thereupon given to Christ. They were the Father's given of the Father to the Son and so fully discriminated from all the rest and both Father Son stand engadged to carry these thorow unto salvation all which considered it is most plaine that the Redemption was Particular Actual conforme to the Undertaking Transaction Nay 4. If we will consider the fountaine love from whence the sending of Christ came we will see how unreasonable it is to imagine an Universal meer Possible Redemption as the proper end effect of Christ's death merites It is said Ioh. 3 16. A place which our Universalists look upon as most favourable for them that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that all beleevers in him might have eternal life This love is held forth as unparallelable a love greater than which cannot be conceived a love demonstrated by the greatest effect imaginable sending giving his only begotten to give his life a ransome to die for sinners and it must be contrary to all reason to imagine that all this was to procure a Redemption by which it was possible that not one man should be Actually Redeemed Christ himself saith Joh. 15 13. greater love hath no man thaâ— this that a man lay down his life for his friends See also Rom. 5 8. And shall we think that the effect of all this Non-such Love both of the Father of the Son was only a Possible Salvation and Redemption and that all this love should be outed and possibly not one man saved Either the Lord knew that some would get good by this fruite of wonderful love or not then he was not omniscient and then the Father gave his Son the Son came both were the effect of the greatest love imaginable yet neither of them knew that any one soul should be saved for all that If he knew that they would get good by it either by themselves alone without his Grace or not If the first why would he send his Son to die why would Christ come to die for such as they saw would never have a will to be saved by his death If the last be said then seing the greatest expression of of love was to send his Son in the Son to come die how can we think that that was for all when the grace to improve that death profite by it was not designed for all Sayeth not Paul Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all how shall not with him also freely give us all things Importing that that was Impossible Shall we imagine that that is the greatest love which is common to all is not able to effectuate the salvation of those upon whom it is set and how can this be that the greatest effect of this greatest love shall be common to all smaller effects not common also See also 1. Ioh. 4 9 10 11. where this speciall love by which Christ was sent is made peculiar unto beleevers for Iohn is speaking of none else So is this love peculiarly terminated on Christ's Wife Church Ephes. 5 26 26. hath gracious saving effects Gal. 2 20. Tit. 3 4 5 6 7. Ephes. 2 4 5 6. Rom. 8 36 37. 2. Thes. 2 16 17. Revel 1 5 6. Beside that this love is mentioned as an Old Everlasting Unchangable Love Ier. 31 3. Ephes. 1 3 4. Rom. 9 11. Ioh. 13 1. Zeph. 3 17. And is all this nothing but a General Common thing that cannot save one soul if Lord Freewil do not consent of his own accord Moreover 5. if we consider the ends assigned to the Death of Christ mentioned in Scripture we shall see that it was some other thing than a meer Possible Delivery Redemption common to all mankinde Mat. 8 11. He came to save that which was lost and not to make their salvation meerly possible for if that were all Christs argument should have had no strength So 1. Tim. 1 15. Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinner if it were a meer possibility that might never take effect how should this faithful saying be worthy of all acception So Luk. 19 10 where the matter is exemplified in Zaccheus Mat. 1 21. the reason of the name Iesus given to the Redeemer is because he shall save his people from their sinnes that is Actually Really and not Potentially or Possibly only and this cannot be meaned of all for he saveth not the Reprobat from their sins at least not from the sin of unbeleef by the confession of Adversaries But here no sin is excepted and therefore is his death restricted to his people whom he saveth from all their sinnes Heb. 2 14 15. there is another end of his death mentioned viz. that he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage This was no meer Possible Deliverance but Actual Effectual and it was not common to all for it is restricted to his Brethren vers 11 12 17. and to sones 13. to the children which God gave him vers 13 14. to the Seed of Abraham vers 16. and againe vers 17. wherefore in all things it behoved him to be make like unto his brithren that he might be a Merciful Faithfull High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the people Behoved Christ to be a Merciful Faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God only to make a Possible Reconciliation whereby it might be that not
is with Him alone that the poor convinced wakened Sinner hath to do And this is the justification that we are most concerned to know the nature of to understand what way it is brought about or to be had This is the justification which the Apostle alwayes denieth to be by works asserteth alwayes to be by faith in opposition to works As for a justification of our selves against the false Accusations of Satan the unjust Surmises of our own treacherous Hearts mis-informed Consciences the groundless Alleigances of men judging not according to truth but according to their owne mis-apprehensions whereof Iob's friends were guilty in an high measure It is not that justification whereof the Apostle treateth And whatever Interest good works may have herein as real fruites of an upright working faith consequenly as evidences of our Interest in Christ of our being in a state of justification Yet they are utterly excluded from having an Interest in that justification which is before God in His sight here Christ's Righteousness Laid hold on by faith only taketh place The Argument whereby the Apostle disproveth this justification by the works of Law in the sight of God is in the following words where he ushereth-in the argument with an It is Manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew That the Argument was irrefragable that the truth thereby was certaine beyond Contradiction Now the Argument is taken from the opposition that is betwixt Faith the Law or the works of the Law in the matter of justification A ground whereupon the Apostle goeth in his whole Disput upon this matter as we see Rom. 3 27 28. 4 1 2 3 4 5. 9 32. Gal. 2 16. and therefore it must be a certaine truth That if justification before God be by faith it can not be by works consequently whoever assert justification by works destroy Gospel-justification by faith and hence it is also Manifest That justification cannot be by both together Faith works conjoined because what is of faith cannot be of works these two being here inconsistent Rom. 11 6. That Gospel-justification is by faith the Apostle proveth from that known sentence the just shall live by faith a sentence which the Apostle adduced first of all when he was to handle this question in his Epistle to the Romans Chap. 1. vers 17. saying for therein i.e. in the Gospel is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith Where we see that this Sentence confirmeth the whole nature contents of the Gospel that is That the Righteousness of God i.e. the Righteousness which only will stand in Gods Court be accepted of him in order to the justifying of sinners which is the Righteousness of one who is God is revealed from faith to saith that is to say is hold forth to be embraced bysinners through faith first last this Righteousness thus embraced laid hold on by faith is the onely ground of the life of justification so that beleevers their living by faith saith their faith laith hold on the Righteousness of God revealed in the Gospel as the onely ground of their life As to the passage it self it is cited our of Habakuk chap. 2. vers 4. where the Prophet being told vers 3. that howbeit sometime would passe ere the promised delivery should come Yet it would come that therefore he all the People of God should waite for it live in the certaine expectation thereof addeth these words as being told him of the Lord that his Soul which is lifted up is not upright in him how variously these words are rendered by diverse we need not mentione the meaning is this That such as will not in faith patience waite with confidence upon the Lords promise that shall be made good in His good time but in their pride impatience of heart will think to anticipate their delivery by sinistrous sinful meanes declare that their heart is not upright that they are void of true faith Upon the other hand it is said the just shall live by his faith that is Such as are real true beleevers will waite in the exercise of faith till God's time come by this faith trusting leaning to the faithful promise of God through the Messiah in whom all the promises are yea amen 2 Cor. 1 20. they shall have a life of it they shall be carried thorow supported strengthened comâ—orted And much to this same Purpose is this passage cited by the Apostle Hebr. 10 37 38. For yet a little while he that shall come will come will not tarry now the just shall live by faith c. of which we have spoken elsewhere in all these places the Apostle leaveth out the pronoun his which the Prophet useth but that maketh no great alteration the matter being clear that sufficiently understood The Septuagints make a great alteration when they render the words thus The just shall live by my faith The great difficulty is how these words of the Prophet spoken of such as were already justified beleevers his saying of them that they shall live by their faith for we need not owne that sense of the words which some think may not improbably be given to wit That he who is by his faith just or justified shall live can be applicable to the Apostl'es purpose to prove justification by faith Not to mentione what others say to this nor judging it very necessary to enquire anxiously into this matter seing the Spirit of the Lord 's moving inspireing of Paul to alleige apply this passage of Old Testament truth for confirmation of what he was about to prove may fully satisfie us as to its pertinency though we should not satisfie all by proprosing our thoughts concernin it â— Conceive the ground may be this That this being a general truth universally true that even beleevers who are already changed have a life begun in them must all their life long make use of faith gripping to the promises as yea amen in Christ promised come who is the Substance Kirnel of them all to the end they may be supported Strengthened Upheld carried thorow Difficulties Distresses Darknesses Temptations the like without fainting or doing what is unbeseeming a living Beleever in the day of trial so that their whole life even unto the end is kept-in continued by faith bringing new supplies influences from the head through the promises it will hence follow that without faith no man can at first attaine to this life change from death yea that in this case faith is much more necessarily requisite yea faith only without works is must be the only way to justification of life for if the progress continuance of this life or renewing of it after decayes be had by faith drawing
sap life influence from the head much more must this be the way of getting the first change made from death to life And this way or not much different of argueing in this same debate we see the Apostle followeth Rom. 4. where from what was said of Abraham a considerable time after he was a beleever he proveth justification by faith without works or that Abraham was justified by faith not by works The Import then of the Testimony is that this life whereof beleevers are made partakers is begun continued carried on by faith therefore it is not by the works of the Law but by faith that they are justified brought into a state of life If it be true that without faith even belevers cannot be supported nor in case to live as becometh to the glory of God to their own peace Comforth in new Trials Difficulties much more is it true that without faith those who are in nature in state of Enmity to God cannot live the life of justification with it alone they can shall Before we come to speak particularly to any Truthes deducable from the words we shall premise some few things considerable CHAP. II. Naturally we are inclined to cry up Selff in Justification THe Apostle as we see in all his writtings about this matter is very carefull to cleare the question of justification so as Man may have no cause of boasting or of glorying in himself upon the account of any thing he hath or he hath done in order to justification that hereby he might cast a copie unto all such as would approve themselves faithful unto the Lord in being co-workers with Him in the Gospel that he might so much the more set himself against that innatelusting of heart that is in all naturally unto an exalting crying up of Self in the matter of their justification before Acceptance with God and especially we finde how zealously how frequently with what strength multitude of Arguments he setteth himself against cryeth down that which men do so naturally with such a vehement byasse incline unto to wit justification by their own works or by their own obedience to the Law to the end their innate pride may have ground of venting it self in boasting glorying before men From this we may premit in short the consideration of these Three things to prepare our way unto the clearing-up of the Gospel-Doctrine in this matter First That there is a corrupt byasse in the heart of men by nature a strong Inclination to reject the Gospel-Doctrine of free justification through faith in Christ to ascribe too much to themselves in that affaire as if they would hold the life of justification not purely of the free grace rich mercy of God through Jesus Christ but of themselves either in whole or in part in one measure or another Secondly That it is the duty of all who would be found faithful Ambassadours for Christ after the example of the Apostle so to preach forth the Grace of God in this mystery to explaine the same as corrupt Nature within such without as are byassed with mistakes about this matter are led away with proud carnal self conceits may have no apparent or seeming ground of boasting nor be confirmed in their natural prejudices Mistakes therein Thirdly That in very deed free Gospel-justification is so contrived ordered as that none have any real ground of boasting or of glorying in themselves or of ascribing any part of the glory thereof unto themselves as if they by their deeds works did contribute any thing to the procuring thereof It will not be necessary to speak to these at any length but only briefly to touch upon them to make way unto what followeth to be said on this weighty subject which is of so much concernment to us all As to the First of these to which we shall speak little in this Chapter thereafter of the rest in their due order it is too too apparent to be a truth from these grounds following I. This is most manifest from the many Errours false opinions that are Vented Owned Maintained with so much Violence corrupt zeal all to cry-up Self in less or in more to cry down Grace Hence so many do plead with great confidence for an Interest of our works in our justification Such as Papists who quite mistake the nature of true justification Socinians Arminians Others who side with these in less or in more will plead for a justification by our inherent Righteousnoss or works of Righteousness which we do Others that will not plead for such an early Interest of our works in this matter will plead for faith as our Gospel-Righteousness affirme that the very act of our Obedience in us is imputed for a Righteousness to us is accounted such by God so hath the same place in the New Covenant that compleet perfect obedience had in the Old Covenant of works made with Adam which as shall hereafter appear driveth us upon the same rock II. It is manifest likewise from the large frequent Disputes about this matter that we have in Paul's Epistles If there had not been a great pronness in man by nature to cry-up himself to set up his own Righteousness in matter of justification why would the Spirit of the Lord have been at so much paines to speak so to cry down Self our works in this matter as He is in these Epistles of Paul if He had not seen the great necessity thereof by reason of this strong Inclination that men Naturally have hereunto We must not think that any thing is there spoken in vaine or that the Spirit of the Lord would have left that Doctrine so fully cleared wherein our works are so expresly excluded if there had not been a necessity for it if it had not been as necessary in all after ages of the Church as at that time when first written Whatever the truth be that is so frequently pungently inculcated in the Scriptures we may saifly suppose that as the faith practice of that truth is necessary so there must be much reluctancy of Soul in us to receive the same to close with it and a strong Inclination to beleeve practise the contrary III. In the Infancy of Christianity we see what a strong Inclination there was to cry-up works what we do the Law as the only ground of justification or at least to have a share with Christ in that Interest which gave occasion to the penning of these Epistles of Paul where this matter is so fully clearly handled particularly that to the Romans that to the Galatias unto the speaking less or more hereunto in almost all his other Epistles And this Inclination to the crying up of works the Law in Opposition to the pure Gospel-way of
given out against him would think himself a living man if in stead of that sentence which he was every houre looking for he should hear of a free and gracious pardon Much more may this state of Remission be looked upon as a state of life 2 They are hereby freed from that death Slavery and Tyranny which the Law did exercise over them before and doth exerce over all such as are not yet justified for as the Law discovereth sin Rom. 3 20. So it worketh wrath Rom. 4. 15. And thereby hath dominion over a man binding him over in chains as it were unto the wrath Curse of God But Christ hath now delivered them from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for them Gal. 3 13. And they by faith having fled to him are pardoned and the Law hath no more to say especially seing it is satisfied by the Cautioners being made a Curse and having fulfilled it in our Nature and place Rom. 8 3 4. Thus are they freed from and dead to the Law by the body of Christ Rom. 7 4. O what a noble sweet and refreshing life is this to be free of this Slavery and Bondage whereby the Law is alwayes lying about the neck of the poor sinner the Curse and wrath of God as oft as he sinneth And adde to this 3. That they are freed from the just and well grounded managment of the Law against them by Saâ—an or a wakened Conscience I say just and well grounded managment for I grant the Devil and a mis-informed Conscience can bring forth the Law and terrifie therewith a true beleever by charging him with the transgressions thereof even after these transgressions are pardoned but this is unjust and illegal and the beleever is under no obligation to acknowledge these Charges or to admit them but on the contrary to reject them as being groundless contrary to the tenor of the Gospel But the unbeleever and unjustified Soul is laid open to all these fearful charges and dreadful challenges to all those summons that are as so many poisoned darts shot into his very heart every one of which is a death to him which he seeth not how to evite Must not then this be a considerable and noble heavenly life to have sin pardoned and thereby be freed from these Soul-affrighting Heart-pierceing Conscience-burning and Mind-tormenting Acculations Charges Libels and Dittayes brought home and delivered by the wicked Accuser of the Brethren and a wakened enligtened Conscience Must there not be many lives in this one 2. Hereby they have peace and Reconciliation with God being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5 1. God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5 18 19. They are now reconciled Rom. 5 10. So Col. 1 20. And having made peace through the blood of His cross by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself Herein also they have received the Atonement Rom. 5 11. And the Enmity is abolished Ephes. 2 15. And slaine v. 16. So that the enmity on both hands is taken away they are reconciled unto the Lord who before were alienated and enemies in their mindes by wicked works Col. 1 21. And the Atonement being made the wrath of God is apaced towards them and that Law-wrath under which they did formerly lye is quite removed and they are no more looked upon nor dealt with as Enemies but owned and regarded as reconciled friends And who can express the good and sweet of this life or who can conceive what an heaven lyeth wrapped up here How justly may he be accounted a dead man who is an Out lawer and a Rebel to God who tasteth nothing of the Kindness and Friendship of God getteth nothing from Him as from a Friend but all as from an Enemie even all the outward favoures he enjoyeth in the World how great and glorious so-ever they be in the eyes of men And on the other hand how happy is he and how justly and deservedly may he be called a living man who can call God his Friend go to Him as to a Friend receive all from Him as from a Friend how inconsiderable so-ever in the eyes of the World the things be which he getteth This is a life the Good the Advantage the Joy the Comfort the Peace of which who can express 3. Hereby they are absolved and acquitted from all that could be justly laid unto their charge for justification in Scripture is expressive of a juridical Act of a just Judge absolving a person from the guilt laid to his charge and from the sentence of the Law due upon the account of that where with he was charged and never doth denote a making of righteous by infusing of tigteousness or by making any real physical change within whatever Papists say as wee see Deut. 25 1. 2 Sam. 15 4. Prov. 17 15. Esai 50 8. 1 King 8 31 32. Exâ—d 23 7. Mat. 12 37. Luk. 7 29. 16 15. And in multitudes of moe places O! what a life is here when a poor self-condemned sinner standeth before the Judge the righteous Lord hath his sinnes charged upon him and the Law brought forth cursing every transgressour for every transgression and justice appearing against him calling for the execution of the sentence according to Law and for death vengeance due by Law and upon all this can look for nothing but doom and present execution of the dreadful sentence what a life I say is it for such a sinner standing in this posture to have a sentence of absolution pronounced and be openly declared righteous and not worthy of death or free of the charge given in against him and thus is it with Beleevers according to the Gospel constitution for though they have sinned come short of the glory of God in themselves yet now they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ and that by faith Rom. 3 22 23 28. Gal. 2 16. Though they were Unrighteous Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers Effeminat Abusers of themselves with mankind Theeves Covetous Drunkards Revilers and Extortioners yet now they are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6 9 10 11. God justified the Ungodly Rom. 4 5. The Circumcision by faith and the Uncircumcision through faith Rom. 3 30. 4. The ground of this sentence of Absolution passed upon them or in their favours will more manifest both the Reality and Excellency of this life Though they in themselves have been and are sinners and ungodly cannot plead not guilty nor adduce any ground in themselve where upon they can plead Exemption from the penalty of the Law but as they stand guilty in Law so they stand convicted in their own Consciences their mouthes are stopped and they are become guilty Rom. 3 19. They know and acknowlege that they have sinned and come short of the glory of God vers 23. so can expect nothing but
Heaven They are no more Strangers and Forreigners but fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2 19. 3 Being by Adoption Children they are heirs heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ Rom. 8 17. Gal. 4 7. They are now begotten to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for them 1. Pet. 1 4. Hence they are heirs of Salvation Heb. 1 14. Being Abrahams seed they are heirs according to the promise Gal. 3 29. these promises they do inherite Heb. 6. 12. What a life hath the Son and heire of a great King when he may look upon the many great Dominions Kingdomes of his Father as his own But what a greater life is it when a poor sinner that is now adopted through faith may look thorow all the great and precious promises contained in the Book of God and say all these are mine and may look up to Heaven to that glory which eye hath never seen nor ear heard nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive say all that is mine through Jesus Christ I am served heire thereunto have the begun possion thereof in mine Head Elder Brother Jesus Christ 4. Being adopted they have the earnest of the Spirit sealing them to the day of Redemption for in Christ they have obtained an inheritance are sealed with that holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession Ephes. 1 11 13 14. 4 30. And who can express what a life this is 5 Being adopted they have free access to the throne of Grace with boldness God being their Father the door standeth open they may approach with liberty freedom filial Boldness for through Christ they have an access by the Spirit unto the Father Ephes. 2 18. And in Him they have boldness access with Confidence by the faith of Him Ephes. 3 12. They may now come boldly unto the throne of Grace that they may obtaine mercy finde grace for help in time of need Heb. 4 16. By Him they have access by faith into the grace wherein they stand Rom. 5 2. And here certainely is a life the riches of the joy Comfort whereof cannot be expressed 6 Being adopted they receive the Spirit of adoption whereby they are delivered from that Spirit of Bondage under which they were formerly are now Principled Spirited â—mboldened to cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15 That slavish fear under which they some time were is away they have now the reverential fear of Children which doth not hinder but encourage them to approach with freedom Enlargment of Spirit now they have the Spirit of prayer Supplication whereby they can call on God as their Father in Christ because they are Sones God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into there hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 4 6. What a resurrection from Death unto life is this to have heart tongue loosed to be in case to speak unto the Father in the language of the Spirit through Jesus Christ 7. Being adopted they have a right to all the Privileges of the Sones of God are under the Fatherly Care Inspection Provision Protection Leading Teaching Chastisement of their kind God Father Psal. 103 13 Prov. 3 11 12. 14 26. Mat. 6 30 32. 1 Pet. 5 7. Heb. 12 6. And o what a bundle of Mercies of life is here The beleever may welcome all the Dispensations of God receive them as out of the hand of a tender-hearted Father say Thus thus doth my Father unto me this is the hand working of a Father about me This how sharpe so ever it seem to be yet is the effect of tender love floweth from the heart bowels of a kinde compassionat Father to me 6. Their justification saith They are translated out of nature delivered from that death under which they did lye formerly unable to performe any even the least vital act of life for before justification they are united unto Christ by faith life is begun in their soul the seed of life is beginning to bud in them to bring forth fruit when they are enabled to beleeve to act faith upon to receive Jesus Christ as He is offered in the Gospel The spiritual life is in them is working when it moveth them Christ-ward powerfully draweth inclineth their Soul to close with Christ. This faith is the work of the Spirit of God alone It is not of our selves but the gift of God Ephes. 2 8. This beleeving is according to the working of his mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Ephes. 1 19 20. Therefore is the Spirit called the Spirit of faith which all beleevers have 2 Cor. 4 13. for now in order to the effectual producing of this grace of faith in the Soul their mindes are enlightened to understand Spiritually Savingly the things of God Act. 26 18. For God revealeth them unto them by His Spirit who only knoweth the things of God which Spirit they have received that they might know the things that are freely given them of God 1 Cor. 2 10 11 12. Now they have received the Spirit of Wisdom Revelation in the knowledge of Him the eyes of their understandings being enlightened Ephes. 1 17 18. And as their mindes are changed so is their heart for the heart of stone is taken away the heart of flesh is given according as was promised Ezek. 36 26. their wills are renewed inclined unto good They have gotten the one heart the New Spirit Ezek. 11 19. The Lord hath wrought in them both to will to do Phil. 2 13. Their heart is circumcised to love the Lord according as was promised Deut. 30 6. And the Lord hath put His Spirit in them Ezek. 26 27. thereby hath drawn them unto Christ Ioh. 6 44 45. all which saith that the life of God of Grace is begun in their souls the Spirit of life hath taken possession of them abideth there worketh These things cleare how justly the justified soul may be said to live in what respects the justified state is a real state of life CHAP. VI. What mysteries are in Justification WHat was said in the foregoing Chapter may by way of use First discover unto us that Kindness and Love of God our Saviour that hath appeared unto men whereof the Apostle speaketh Tit. 3 4. For this is one remarkable Instance thereof and calleth for Admiration and praise from us upon that account O! what Tenderness Love and Pity appeareth here And what a wonderful Grace is this that is here manifested what condescension of Love and free Grace is clearly legible in this business And how clear and distinct will all this appear to a self condemned sinner arraigned
in its convinced Conscience before the tribunal of God and then seeth in the Gospel a well contrived way of absolution closeth with it How will all this shine forth unto them with a heavenly Lustre and Majestie And how sweetly will their hearts acquiesce in this Sure and Saife way of obtaining life Secondly This may discover unto us what a manifold wisdom of God is to be seen observed in the Gospel dispensation that even Principalities and powers may look into and wonder at as it is said to be made known unto them by the Church Ephes. 3 10. That is by what they see and observe in the administration thereof in the Church And in this part of Gospel-device there are several things remarkable that may give us ground to wonder at this manifold Wisdom of God The whole is a mysterie and this is a prime part of the mysterie and in this mysterie there are many mysteries a short view of which may be of some use to us 1. What a mysterious and wonderful thing is it That such as are dead by Law lying under the sentence thereof so bound over to the wrath of God according to the threatning of the Law which is just and righteous in all points and such as have nothing to defend themselves by from the threatned death unto which they are obnoxious nor any thing whereby to make Satisfaction to the demandes of the Law or to the offended Law-maker or where with to appease Him should notwithstanding hereof be Really Formally and Effectually absolved from the sentence of the Law by the sentence of the Judge and so made and declared to live juridically in Law-sense and to be as free of the curse and penalty of the Law as if they had never been guilty of the transgression thereof And thus is it here indeed Such as were dead in trespasses and sinnes and in the uncircumcision of the flesh are quickened together with Christ Ephes. 2 1 5. Col. 2 13. He who before had the wrath of God on him and abiding on him by beleeving on the Son of God hath everlasting life Ioh. 3 36. And they who were in a manner condemned already yet by beleeving on Him are not condemned yea have eternal life Ioh. 3 15 18. 2. What a mysterie is this That God who is righteous and just and the righteous Judge of the World and who hath declared that he looketh upon it as an abomination for any man to justifie the wicked Prov. 17 15. And whose judgement is alwayes according to truth Rom. 2 2. Should be one that justifieth the Ungodly And yet so is He said to be and so is He stiled and so is He held forth as the object of faith Rom. 4. 5. But to him that worketh not but beleeveth on Him that justifieth the Ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Papists others who will not suffer their Reason to follow Revelation but will measure all the mysteries of the Gospel by the corrupt rule of Reason and wiredraw those according to the dictats of this pretend an Inconsistency here and therefore will rather pervert the whole nature of Gospel-justification than yeeld to the Spirits Revelation of the matter Hence it is that they say a person cannot be justified by God untill he be a Godly man and have a Righteousness within him upon the account of which he must be justified little adverting That by their own principles it would follow that no man should ever be justified for seing God is a God of righteousness and it is a sure and certaine thing that His judgment is alwayes according to truth He could not absolve a Person as righteous that were not perfectly righteous and void of all sin where is the man not out of his wits that dar say this remembering what David said Psal. 130. 3. 143. 2. But here lyeth the truth the mystery Such as are really and truely Ungodly in themselves and have nothing of their own but unrighteousness within them and whose righteousnesses are but as filthy rags Esai 64 6. are yet justified by God upon the account of a perfect righteousness imputed to them received by faith In the judgment of God such as in themselves are Ungodly are considered as clothed with the perfect righteousness of the Mediator Christ that Head publik person which free grace putteth on them they receive stand under by faith and so are justified declared to be righteous by God whose judgment herein and sentence is most righteous most consonant to truth for he justifieth such as are righteous though not with their own inherent righteousness yet with the righteousness of their cautioner now made theirs 3. Here is another piece of this mystery That Transgressours of the Law shall be Absolved and Justified yet the Law established which threatneth death to Transgressours and promiseth life only to such as observe it in all points Who can reconcile this seeming Contradiction that is not acquanted with the glorious mystery of the Gospel Paul a man well acquanted with this mystery tels us expresly that the Gospel-way of justification which he preached and fully cleared in his Epistles derogateth nothing from the Law but establisheth it Rom. 3 31. Where after he had cleared confirmed the Nature and Causes of Gospel-justification had said vers 30. that He was one God who would justifie the circumcision or Jewes by faith and the uncircumcision that is the Gentiles through faith hy obvâ—ateth this objection that some might have proposed said What shall then become of the Law you make it void by speaking of faith ascribing justification to it as a mean in opposition contradiction to works he answereth Do we then make void the Law through faith That be far from us yea we establish the Law So that there is nothing in this Gospel justification that weakeneth or maketh void the Law but on the contrary it is thereby more fully confirmed and established for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteouness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8 2 3. Here is then the mysterie Transgressours of the Law are justified upon the account of what their Mediator and Surety their publik person Representer did suffered for Satisfaction to Law Justice the Law-giver by what He did suffered the Law is more established then it would have been by any thing that we did or could suffer for He made Satisfaction to all its demands there was perfect obedience given thereunto its commands answered in all points by our Lord Jesus Christ who knew no sin nor was deceite found in His mouth 2 Cor. 5 21. Esai 53 9. And because it was violated by sinners the Curse threatned was due therefore He did also
them nor all of them do fully unfold the mystery And in it there is ground enough to suppose Christ to be a publick person a Representative as also for asserting of this Imputation because Beleevers being thus united unto Christ are made partakers of His righteousness of what He as Head Husband did suffered in their room place they thereupon are blessed with all the fruits effects thereof Fourthly His being called a Surety Heb. 7 22. doth also give ground confirmation unto this Imputation for as He who becometh Surety for another undertaketh to do or suffer what he for whom he is Surety was obliged to do or suffer As when Paul became Surety for Onesimus bound himself as such unto Philemon he would have Philemon requiring all that Onesimus was due to him at his hand reckoned upon his score he undertook to satisfie him for this debt or for what he could crave of Onesimus as we see Philem. vers 18 19. If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that upon mine account I Paul have written it with mine own hand I will repay it So what the cautioner doth or suffereth as such or according to his undertaking is reckoned upon the score of the Principul debtor as Paul's paying of what Onesimus imputed to was endue te Philemon was to be reckoned on the score of Onesimus him that he thereby might be freed from all pursuite of Law or action against him at the Instance of Philemon Wherefore as Christ becoming Surety for His Children saying to the Father Lo I come in the volumne of they book it is written of me I delight to do thy will ô God Psal. 40 7 8. Heb. 10. 7. did take upon Himself the debt of sinners engaged to pay all that is both to give perfect Obedience to the Law fulfill all Righteousness Mat. 3 15. as also to pay the penalty to make Satisfaction to Justice by becoming a Curse suffering Griefs Sorrowes Bruisings Mockings the cursed death of the Cross for all this He did willingly cheerfully I have said He a baptisme to be baptized with meaning His death how am I straitened or pained untill it be accomplished Luk. 12 50. He laid down His life that He might take it againe no man took His life from Him against His will but He laid it down of His own accord Ioh. 10 17 18. And as Christ did really actually performe all that He did undertake so that He said upon the Cross it is finished It must of necessity follow that all they for whom He became Surety undertook to do suffer what was laid upon Him must have that Imputed made over unto them they must be clothed with that rob of Righteousness which He did make for them must appear before the throne of justice clothed therewith Fiftly Christ's making proper full Satisfaction to the Father in the Name room of His people saith also That there is an Imputation of Christ's Righteousness unto them for whom He performed that Righteousness as His Satifaction must be for them So that if Imputation be denied Satisfaction also must be denied Hence the Socinians wickedly deny both indeed who ever deny the one must also deny the other or not speak consequentially for when one laith down a satisfactory price for another it must be reckoned upon the score of imputed to that other to the end he may be dealt with as if he had laid it down himself thereby be freed from what otherwayes he must have undergone if upon the account of that Satisfaction he be not so freed it cannot be called a Satisfaction for him When Christ laith dwon his life for His sheep His sheep must not dye perish for if they perish He did not die for them if they perish not because of His dying for them His death must be imputed to them upon the account of it they must be saved So that Christ's dying for His own is dying in their Room Person place Stead as the particle for manifestly importeth 2 Sam. 18 33. Gen. 44 33. Numb 3 12. Rom. 5 6 7. Hence His Ransome is expresly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2 6. Many moe arguments might be here adduced for confirmation of this Truth but I shall satisfy my self at present with these few plaine ones so proceed 8. This Mystery is also considerable here That both the justice of God the Mercy free Grace of God take place in this matter Socinians cry up the Mercy free Grace of God in the matter if justification but it is to this end that they may with more desperat confidence shut out the Justice of God so as it may have no place there therefore they deny all Satisfaction Redemption Atonement c. except what is meerly metaphorical because they cannot see how justice mercy both can with joint hands concurre to our justification But the Apostle better taught than they better acquainted with the mind of Christ in this Mystery than they are seeth no Inconsistency But rather declareth the sweet perfect harmony concurrence of these in this mystery telling us Rom. 3 24 25 26. That we are justified freely by His grace yet addeth through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His bloud to declare His righteonsness c. And againe to declare His righteousness that He might be just the justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus Here is a free grace triumphing yet Justifice declared and manifested God declared to be just and His righteousness manifested yet sinners and beleevers justified freely by grace So Eph. 1 7 8. There is a Redemption through the price of bloud yet a free pardon of sinnes according to the riches of Gods grace wherein He hath abounded towards us in all wisdome prudence But if it be enquired wherein appeare to this mercy and freedom of grace in our justification seing there was a Satisfaction made to justice for all the sinnes of His peaple I answer 1 was it not an Act of wonderful free grace mercy that when the Lord might have executed the sentence of the Law upon us according to that threatning that day thou eats thou shalt die and so have made us sinners who transgressed the Law to die and suffer yet He would accept of a Satisfaction at the hands of a Surety Cautioner 2 Was it not Act of grace mercy to us that He himself would provide a Surety and put His name in our obligation so make Him sin for us who know no sin lay all our iniquities upon Him that He might bear the punishment due to us for the same See Ioh. 3 16. 3 Was it no Act of Soveraigne grace mercy that God should both provide
a Mediator Surety for us accept of His Mediation and Satisfaction most freely out of free Grace and Love when we neither had done nor could do any thing to move Him hereunto or to procure this at His hands yea when all our carriage all that He could see in us did rather cry aloud for the contrary dealing 4 Was it no Act of Soveraigne Grace that God should provide all this remedie for a few whom He did choose for Him self out of free Grace and Love and gave away to Christ to bee redeemed by Him leaving the rest passing them by though no more unworthy than such as were chosen 5 Is it no Act of grace mercy that in order to this great favour of justification no more should be required on our part than faith in Jesus Christ seing this very faith including an Union with and a marriag-consent unto Christ is in it self a favour nothing in a manner inferiour to the pardon of all our sinnes to the accepting of us as Righteous in His sight 6 Is justification no Act of grace and mercy though it be upon the account of the obedience and Satisfaction of Christ when that very faith which is only required of us in order to our full interest in Christ His merites is also the free gift of God Ephes. 2 8 If these particulars will not aboundantly say that we are saved in justification by grace by the exceeding riches of Gods grace kindness towards us through Christ Jesus according to Ephes. 2 7. what will 9. Here is a great and wonderful mystery in this matter That the Innocent should suffer and the guilty escape go free The Socinians that they may strengthen them selves in their mischievous prejudices against the Satisfaction of Christ imagine an Impossibility here an Inconsistency with Justice that an Innocent person should be put to suffer But what ever they dream who will walk in these mysterious matters by no other guide than the dim light of corrupt nature it comporteth aboundantly with Justice that the Surety be put to pay what he hath undertaken to pay for the principal debtor And here was no wrong done to our Surety Jesus Christ who willingly undertook this debt and was lord of His own life having absolute power to lay it down and power to take it up againe and to raise him self from the dead knowing withall how richly to compensate make up that loss another way so as He should be no loser when He should see His Seed and receive the rich reward of His laboures from the Father whose Servant He was in this affaire Here is then a mystery of wisdom Grace and Love that the Innocent Lamb of God who knew no sin who did no violence nor was guile found in his mouth 2 Cor. ◠21. Esai 53 9. Who when He was reviled reviled not againe 1 Pet. 2 22 23. Who was Holy harmless undesiled and separat from sinners Heb. 7 26. That He should be made sin by God 2 Cor. 5 21. And so legally guilty obnoxious to the punishment due for sin that He should be made an High Priest to offer up Him self a sacrifice for sin Heb. 9 14 28. That He should bear our grieves carry our sorrowes and be wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities that the punishment of our peace should be upon Him He should stripes be oppressed afflicted and be cutt off out of the Land of the living have strokes upon Him make His grave with the wicked be bruised be put to griefe and make His soul an offering for sin Esai 53 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. That he who could not be charged with sin should yet be put to suffer most grieveous torments immediatly in his soul Mat. 26 37 38. 27 46. Luk. 22 44 Ioh. 12 27. And paines in his body Mat. 26. 27. Chapters That He should die and that He should die the Shamful Painful and cursed death of the Cross Gal. 3 13. Phil. 2. 8. And upon the other hand that we who were the sinners and guilty and so obnoxious to all the miseries of this life to death it self and to the paines of hell and wrath of God for ever should escape and be healed by His stripes Esai 53 5. 1 Pet 2 24. become the righteousness of God in Him 2 Cor. 5 21. And be justified and made heirs of the promises O! what an unsearchable mystery of Love and free grace shineth forth here 10. This is also a Part of this Mystery That nothing should be forgiven yet all should be forgiven Nothing was forgiven to our Surety He paid all that was required of Him for the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all He gave full obedience to the Law in all its demandes made a perfect compleat Satisfaction for our Offences so that the Father was well pleased in Him the same was at two several times declared expressed out of heaven once at His Baptisme Mat. 3 17. againe at His Transfiguration Mat. 17 5. The sword of Justice was awakened against Him though He was Gods fellow Zech. 13 7. And did abate Him nothing of what was due The Lord Jesus gave him self for us an offering and a Sacrifie to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes. 5 2. He is a perfect High Priest continueing for ever having an unchangable Priest-hood and therefore is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him for He needeth not daily as the High Priests under the Law to offer up Sacrifie first for His own sinnes then for the People for this He did once when He offered up Himself for the word of the Oath maketh Him a Priest who is consecrated for ever more Heb. 7 24 25 26 27. And yet though He had nothing forgiven or abated to Him while standing in our room but paid all to the outmost farthing all notwithstanding is freely forgiven to us and we have blessedness by the Lords forgiving our Iniquities covering our sins or not imputing them to us Psal. 32 1 2. Rom. 4 7 8. Our Redemption is forgiveness of sinnes Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. And all sinnes must be forgiven to us or our Redemption should not be perfect nor we saved for one sin would ruine us for ever because if the Lord should mark iniquity enter in to judgment no man should stand no flesh should be justified Psal. 130 3. 143 2. 11. Here is another Mystery considerable in our justification That though thereby we be declared pronounced righteous so acquite absolved from what was or might be charged upon us Yet we have need of Pardor must be freely pardoned Socinians cannot or will not 〈◊〉 Conexion that Infinite Wisdom hath made here therefore make use of forgiveness free pardon of sinnes as an Argument wherewith to fight
disease Otherwise he should make sins of Omission to be no disobedience be cause Omissions are no Acts. Ans. The Apostle so compareth the Obedience of Christ with the disobedience of Adam as the Satisfaction with the provocation or as the Remedie with the disease as that withall chiesly he cleareth up the manner way thereof to be by Imputation thus That as Adam's sin of disobedience which includeth both Omission Commission being a Violation of the Law of the Covenant was imputed to his posterity they hence became guilty obnoxious to death yea were punished with original Corruption which cometh by propagation the consequences thereof so Christ's obedience which was full compleat is imputed unto Beleevers whereupon they become Righteous in order to their recovery out of their Natural state of sin and misery Further He saith By that obedience of Christ whereby it is here said that many are or shall be made Righteous that is jusâ—ified we cannot understand that Righteousness of Christ which consists only in obedience to the Moral Law but that Satisfactory Righteousness or obedience which He performed to that peculiar Law of Mediation which was imposed upon him and which chiesly consisted in his sufferings Ans. By the obedience of Christ unto the Law of Mediation strickly so taken as distinguished from His obedience to the Moral Law beleevers could not be made Righteous as the posterity of Adam are made sinners by his disobedience for that could not be properly imputed as this is as hath been shown so Paul's similitude should halt But 2. Why is Christ's obedience to the Law of Mediation set in opposition to His obedience to the Moral Law seing this was a part of that unto this He obliged Himself in undertaking the Mediation Was He not by the Law of Mediation bound as well to give obedience to the Law as to suffer the penalty And was He not obliged to both as Surety in room place And then why may not both be imputed unto them 3. Why should obedience here be thus restricked to the Law of Mediation He addeth two reasons but neither are valide The 1. is this Because otherwise the opposition â—etwixt Adam's disobedience which was but one single Act and Christ's Obedience if it were his universal conformity to the Law would not hold Ans. This same man told us in his former exception That Christ's obedience in respect of Adam's disobedience was considered opposed as the Satisfaction to the provocation as the Remedie to the disease now if this be true Christ made Satisfaction for no provocation but for that single act of eating the forbidden fruit what He did suffered should be only a Remedie for that one distemper if so how shall the rest of the Provocations and diseases be taken away or are there no more Provocations or diseases 2. Adam's disobedience was no Single act of disobedience but a disobedience including the breach of the whole Moral Law Saith not Iames that he who offendeth in one is guilty of all Iam. 2 10. prove it too in the following vers The 2. is this The Effect that is here attributed to this obedience of Christ to wit justification or Righteous making of many is constantly appropriated to the death blood of Christ. Ans. This that is attributed to the blood death of Christ elsewhere to wit our justification sheweth that the death of Christ is not understood exclusively for by His death exclusivly considered we cannot-be made Righteous for the Imputation of another's suffering though it may exeem from death suffering yet it cannot constitute Righteous in reference to the commanding Law 2. The death of Christ must not be looked on as one act of obedience but as including all His foregoing acts of obedience belonging to His State of humiliation whereof His death was the crowning piece so as including as His whole suffering so His whole obedience to the Law under which he was made for He is said to have been obedient unto death even unto the death of the cross Phil. 2 8. not that the death of the cross was all His obedience as it was not the whole state of His humiliation but the terminating remarkable act thereof as it was not all His suffering His whole life being a life of suffering 3. If this obedience be understood of this one act of obedience in His dying justification be looked upon as the effect of this only what shall become of His Soul-sufferings while He was in an agonie in the garden But if the act of obedience in His death include these why not His whole state of humiliation And if it include all this why not also His obedience to the Law seing His being made under the Law belongeth to His state of humiliation as the Apostle tels us Gal. 4 4. He excepteth furder saying Suppose that by the obedience of Christ we should here undorstand His active obedience to the Moral Law yet it will not hence follow that men must be justified or made Righteous by it in such a way of imputation Ans. If by Christ's obedience to the Moral Law we be made Righteous as the posterity of Adam were made sinners by the disobedience of Adam that obedience of Christ must necessarily be imputed to us as Adam's disobedience was imputed to his posterity for there is no other way imaginable Let us hear his reason to the contrary For certaine it is said he that that justification or Righteous-making whereof the Apostle speaketh vers 19. is the same with that which He had spoken of v. 16 17 18. Now that Righteousness vers 17. is described vers 16. to be the gift i.e. the forgiveness of many offences i.e. of all the offences whereof a man either doth or shall stand guilty of before God unto justification and evident it is that that Righteousness c. cannot stand in the Imputation of a fulfilling of the Law Ans. 1. Though making Righteous and justification be inseparable yet they are not formally one the same but Righteous-making to wit by Imputation is antecedent unto justification the ground thereof as becoming sinners is not formally to be condemned but is prior to it the ground thereof 2. That free gift mentioned vers 16. is not free forgiveness but is that which is opposite to judgment or guilt or reatus tending to condemnation so is the same with that which is called the Grace of God the gift by Grace vers 15. and the gift of Righteousness vers 17. which is in order to justification free pardon As therefore the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 guilt is not the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemnation but tendeth thereunto so neither is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free gift the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justification but leadeth thereunto is followed therewith 3. Nor can the Adversary Himself take these words vers
in what He Suffered in His state of Humiliation for to us a Childe was born and to us a Son was given He was made under the law for us that he might redeem such as â—ere under the law that they might receive the Adoption of Sones Esai 9 5. Gal. 4 4 5. 2. This active obedience of Christ saith he was serviceable to that same great End whereunto our righteousness and obedience are subservient viz. the glory of God the advancement of His Kingdom Ioh. 8 49. 7 18. Ans. And was not His death Sufferings also subservient unto this great end Will it therefore follow that He died not to make Satisfaction to justice for the sinnes of His people And if this cannot follow what ever Socinians imagine how shall it or can it hence follow that His obedience was not to satisfie the demands of the law and to procure the reward to His people Is there any Inconsistency betwixt His fulfilling the law as Mediator and Surety in the room of His people His doing it for the glory of God the advancement of His Kingdom 3. Another enâ— saith he is the exemplariness of it Ans. This is but another arrow taken out of the quiver of the Socinians is of no force to weaken our argument seing a subordinat less principal end doth not destroy a more principal end Was He not exemplary to us in His death Sufferings shall we therefore say That there was no satisfaction for sins intended thereby And what is there here peculiar unto Christ as Lord Mediator seing the lives of other Saints are also exemplary 4. It had saith he an excellent Importance to draw to Imitation Ans. This is the same with the preceeding and deserveth no further answere 5. It was saith he a meanes of continueing His person in the love and complacâ—ncy of His Father which was a thing of absolute necessity for the carrying on of the great work of Redemption for if He had once miscarried who should have mediated for Him Ioh. 15 10. 8 29. Ans. As to His Person He was God equal with the Father in power and Glory It were therefore blasphemy once to suppose that His person stood in need of this for any such end or to suppose that He could have failed as to any act of obedience thereby have displeased God Wherefore His obedience being the obedience of one who was is God over all blessed for ever it could not be necessary to Himself unto any such end Therefore it behoved to be wholly for us for whom He was made under the law as He was given to us and borne for us 6. It was saith he of absolute necessity to qualify fit the Sacrifice for the Altar and render Him a person meet by His death and Sacrifice of Himself to make attonement for the world and to purge and take away the sin of it Ans. Shall we think that He who was God was not a fit enoug Sacrifice for the world but that He must be made fit and prepared by acts of obedience And as for His Humane Nature which was no person but did subsist in the Divine Nature being assumed into the subsistence thereof was it not sufficiently fitted to be a Sacrifice by its personal union with the Godhead was it not thereby Holy Harmless undefiled separat from sinners which is all that the Apostle requireth Heb. 7 26 Was not the Humane Nature personally united unto the Godhead from the very first moment of conception The holiness then that consisteth in Acts of Actual obedience was not required unto this Union and after this Union it was not possible that He could sinne as it is not possible that the glorified now in Heaven can break the Lawes that we break here while on earth and yet it will not follow that they are under the same particular obligations to particular acts of commanded duties that we stand under So nor was Christ as to Himself under the obligation of the pâ—rticular duties of the law to which He willingly submitted Himself gave obedience but all this was for us Nor was this necessarily required to make His Sacrifice Holy for His Humane Nature being once united to the Divine could not otherwayes be but holy and without sin and so a sinless and holy Sacrifice And withall we would take notice that the Actions of the Mediator were the Actions of the person and not of either of the Natures alone therefore must not be looked upon as the Actions of a meer man So that His acts of obedience were the acts of obedience of God man or of that person that was God He needeth not then tell us that the Absolute holiness and Righteousness of the humanity it self was of necessary concurrence unto His obedience for we grant it and this flowed from the hypostatical union but that which we deny is That there was an Holiness and Righteousness in acts of outward obedience to the law requisite thereunto as if the humane Nature by vertue of the hypostatical union had not been holy and harmless untecedently unto those outward acts of obedience and so had not been a sinless and holy Sacrifice if He had been offered up in His Infancy or before He was in capacity to do any commanded acts He needeth not say as he doth pag. 204. that we conceive that Christ-man might have been righteous without doing the works of Righteousness which is all one as to say that He might have been Righteous though He had transgressed for not to keep the law in those to whom the law is given is nothing else but to transgress For we neither do nor need assert any such thing for by vertue of the hypostatical union He was Righteous and could not transgress or do any thing contrary to what was imposed upon Him but we say that by vertue of this union as to Himself the Humane Nature was not under the law as we are but He was under the law that He might fulfill it for others not to fit and qualifie Him to be a meet Sacrifice as if for this His Humane Nature had not been meet enough before To this he saith pag. 205. Let this Supposition be admitted that Christ had suffered in the womb and that this Suffering of His had been fully Satisfactory yet had He been as perfectly righteous in this case and consequently had kept the law perfectly as now He hath done for the law requireth of Infants during their Infancy nothing but holiness of Nature I Ans. 1. This is enoug to confirme what we say viz. That all His after actual obedience was not necessary to this end 2 And beside though this holiness of Nature was conforme to the law upon the matter yet it was not a formal obedience unto the law if we speak of Him in reference to Himself for the Humane Nature had this Holiness by vertue of the Hypostatical union and Christ when
from the Sun in one act expelling darkness bringing in light which are here adduced for illustration have no force to prove any thing here in regard there is no correspondence in all points betwixt Matters Natural Matters meerly Moral or Political There is no Medium betwixt light and darkness or the habite and its privation but there is a Medium here betwixt Transgressing of the law perfect obedience to the law unto the end Adam so long as he stood was no Transgressour yet he had not then given perfect obedience to the end according to the Covenant So there is a Medium betwixt Freedom from the Penalty the Right to the Reward as was shown above Arg. 7. If do this live be an everlasting Rule of God which shall never be dissolved then must the Active obedience of Christ be imputed unto Men in justification that so they may be said to have done this and so live But the former is true Ergo c. That these words do this and live containe a determination constitution of the Lord as unalterable as these words That day thou eats thou shalt die cannot well be denied and therefore if because of this latter no man can be saved unless their Surety die for them so because of that former no man can have right to the reward unless his Surety performe perfect obedience And as the one is imputed to the Beleever so must the other be Imputed also in order to his compleat Salvation Against this he excepteth pag. 216. c. thus In this sense I grant that do this and live is an everlasting Rule that is it is hath been and shall be everlastingly true that who so ever shall fulfill the law perfectly shall live But not in this sense that it is the only perpetual and standing Rule whereby and according to which men must be justified and so saved for in this sense it neither is nor ever was nor ever shall be a rule of God for God hath alwayes had and for ever will have another rule for the justification of men Ans. 1. Was it not a Rule of life justification to Adam in the state of Innocency was he not according to that Covenant where in he stood to purchase the good promised by his doing It may be the Excepter thinketh with the Socinians that no more was promised to Adam than what he had in possession 2. We do not assert it as a standing rule whereby we should now expect to be justified but we say that it being a constitution of God's as well as the other viz. That day thou eats thou shalt die It must be satisfied as well as the other And as the rule of faith taketh not away Christs suffering of death according to what was threatened in the law so nor doth the law of faith take away His obedience according to the command of the law and as Christs paying down of the Penalty was necessary for our freedom from death so His giving full obedience to the law is necessary to our life though as was said we need not nicely thus distinguish save to shew the necessity of the Imputation of both Arg. 8. That Righteousness which God accepteth on our behalfe is the Righteousness imputed to us in justification But the Righteousness of Christ is that Righteousness which God accepteth on our behalf Ergo c. He excepteth pag. 217. 1. Denying the Major because God may and doth accept that for us or on our behalf which yet He need not impute to us at He accepted of Abrahanis prayer in the behalf of Ismael of the prayer of Elisha for the Shumanites Son and yet neither was imputed to the other Ans. But all this a thousand Instances of the like nature can evince nothing for the Argument speaketh of what is accepted of God in order to justification as the ground and meritorious cause thereof which the Instances adduced come not nigh unto He addeth In like manner these in whose behalf Christs Sufferings were accepted receive an unspeakable benefite blessing by them but this operats nothing to the Inference of the Imputation pleaded for that is that God must look upon these Sufferings of Christ as if they had personally endured them on whose behalf they are accepted Ans. Then it seemeth not only is the Imputation of Christs active obedience denied but also the Imputation of His death and Sufferings and no more is granted than what Socinians will yeeld unto 2 The Imputation we plead for is not such as maketh God to look upon these Sufferings of Christ as if Beleevers had personally endured them but such as maketh God to look upon them as the Sufferings of Christ as Surety Head Publick person in the room stead of His chosen ones which Sufferings payment of the Penalty by the Surety being made over unto reckoned upon the score of Beleevers they are upon the account thereof accepted dealt with as if they themselves had so Suffered and Satisfied in their own persons 2. He distinguisheth thus If by the Righteousness of Christ the proposition meaneth precisely that obedience which He exhibited to that general common law whereunto all Men are obliged considered apart from His obedience to that particular law of Mediator given to Himself alone so it is false If by Righteousness be here meant that obedience of Christ commonly called passive or both active and passive together so it may be true but then the other will be found tardy Ans. 1 Christs obedience to that general law by which all men were obliged did as well belong to His law of Mediation and was comprehended under it as His giving up Himself to Suffering to death for as Mediator He was made under the law as well as suffered the Curse 2 The Minor proposition is to be understood of the whole Surety-righteousness consisting not only in Suffering but also in actual obedience to the law when this is granted the whole we seek is granted Neither is the former proposition found tardy as appeareth from what is said the Syllogisme is good and no Paralogisme what ever he supposeth Arg. 9. If Christ were a publick Person standing in the place or stead of all those that should beleeve in Him then all that He did and Suffered is to be looked upon reputed by God as done Suffered by these consequently are Imputed to them But the former is true Ergo c. Sure if Christ was a publik person standing in the place and room of the chosen ones all that He did as such a person or as a Surety as to that whâ—â—h law and justice required of them they were obliged unto must needs be imputed unto them reckoned upon their score and they must be dealt with upon the account thereof as if all had been done suffered by themselves We do not say that all He did Suffered is or must be
otherwise than by the Imputation of it then must it needs be imputed to us in our justification But the former is true Ergo. c. He excepteth p. 225. The Righteousness of Christ concurreth toward justification by qualifying His person for that Sacrifice of himself by which justification hath been purchased for all those that beleeve Ans. The Argum. is to be understood of His whole Surety-righteousness and not of His active obedience only 2 Even as to this it was answered above that it was not requisite unto this end His humane nature being sufficiently hereunto qualified by the personal union by which His bloud became the bloud of God and all He did and Suffered was the deed Suffering of Him who was God Arg. 11. If we may truely be said to be dead crucified with Christ to be quickened have risen againe with Him c. then may we truely be said to have fulfilled the law with Christ consequently that should be imputed to us But the former is true Ergo c. These expressions pointe forth the closs union that is betwixt Christ and Beleevers thereupon their Interest in what He did and suffered as Mediator Surety publick person to the end they may have right to and possession of the great benefites purchased and procured by Him So they hold forth Christs suffering dying riseing c. as a publick person in their room in their stead as their Representative so that it is râ—ckoned for them and upon their score and they are so interessed therein as that they are to be dealt with as if all these things had been done suffered by themselves And though in these expressions mentioned there be no express mention made of Christs fulfilling the law yet they sufficiently hold forth that which by parity of reason will enforce this as well as the other for they pointe forth Beleevers their union communion with Christ as to His Mediatory work to which His fulfilling of the law did belong Against the consequence he saith These expressions have no such Inference for if we could be said to have fulfilled the law with Christ our own fulfilling it in Him should rather be said to be imputed to us than His fulfilling it for us Ans. 1 This will say as much against the Imputation of Christs sufferings for we are said to be dead with Christ therefore not Christs death but our own death in Him should be said to be imputed to us But the Scripture knoweth no such thing 2 The meaning of the expression is we say but to denote emphatically the imputation of what Christ did suffered unto us for our own fulfilling of the law in Him is but His fulfilling of it for us the same imputed to us so as we are dealt with no otherwayes than if we had done it our selves as our being dead buried with Christ is but His dying in our place stead or our having such an Interest in His death burial as that we are dealt with as if in a manner we had died our selves But he supposeth there is a difference as to this betwixt Christs dying His fulfilling the law saying When the Scripture saith we are dead c. with Christ the meaning is not that God looked upon us as if we had laid down our Natural lives by death when he laid down His as if this laying down our lives were a satisfaction to His justice for then we might be said to have satisfied for redeemed our selves But these expressions import either a profession of such a death in us which holds proportion with or hath a likeness to the death of Christ or else this death it self really wrought in us by that death of Christ. Ans. We do not asserte the meaning of these expressions to be That God looketh upon us as if we had laid down our Natural lives c. But that beleevers have such an Interest in Christs death as being the death of their Surety Redeemer Head Husband and publick person that they receive the benefites advantagâ—â— thereof no less really effectually than if they themselves in their own persons had dyed satisfied the same being now imputed unto them laid hold on by faith 2 Though these expressions at least some of them in some places of Scripture as Rom. 6. may do import what is here expressed yet the full import of these Expressions is not hereby exhausted as the scope circumstances of the places may cleare as particularly that expression Gal. 2 20. I am crucified with Christ these Ephes. 2 5. 6. He addeth against this That Gal. 2 20. The expression is taken in the latter sense importing that the natural death of Christ for Paul others had wrought upon him in a way of assimilation to it self had made him a dead man to the world Ans. Paul is rather clearing confirming how he was become dead to the law and alive unto God vers 19. in through the vertue of Christs death crucifixion in which he had such an Interest that he accounted him self as it were hinging-on the cross in with Christ did so rest upon that by faith owne that Sacrifice alone that he Christ as it were were become one person he owed his being dead unto the law onely thereunto had it as really flowing therefrom following thereupon as if he himself had hung upon the cross as a satisfactory Sacrifice To that Ephes. 2 5 6. he saith The meaning is not that God looks upon them as quickened from a natural or corporal death as Christs quickening riseing againe was Ans. Nor do we say that this is the meaning nor need we either think or say so but this we say that the expression holdeth this forth that Christ dyed rose againe as a publick person Surety that Beleevers have so neer an Interest in His Mediatory work so closs an union with the Mediator that they are as one person in law so that they are really made partakers of some of the fruites of what Christ did suffered already shall as really partake of what is yet to be communicated as if they themselves had laid down that purchasing price Let us hear what he giveth for the meaning The meaning saith he is either to signifie the profession that is made by us of that newness of life which in way of a Spiritual Analogy answers that life whereunto Christ was quickened and rose againe or else the new life it self wrought in us Ans. That the Apostle is not here speaking of a meer profession is manifest nor is he speaking only of a new life wrought in them for he addeth and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus Nor doth that which he saith invalidate the meaning which we give for that effect or inwrough quickening is spoken of as flowing from Christs
is justified is justified out of the inherent dignity of that which justifieth him but he that is justified by faith is justified by the free gracious acceptation of it by God for that which is justifying in its own Nature by vertue of its inherent worth dignity Ans. What God Imputeth reputeth to be a Righteousness in order to justification must be accounted such or a man shall be justified without all consideration of a Righteousness and so be pronounced declared Righteous though he be not Righteous upon any account or in any manner of way And if faith be not accounted for the self same thing or for the equivalent with the Righteousness of the Law how shall it be accounted a Righteousness in order to the justification of a sinner who is under the Curse of the Law who because of the breach of the Law hath no right to life wherefore faith must have that inherent worth that the Righteousness of the Law should have had else it cannot be a Righteousness whereupon a sinner can be justified before God who is Just and Righteous and will not pronounce such to be Righteous as are not Righteous 2 If God upon a man's faith will as fully justify a man as if he had fulfilled the Law either that faith must be a Righteousness and so accounted which he here denieth or the man must be declared Righteous who hath no Righteousness and so the judgment of God should not be according to truth or upon his beleeving he must be justified as being Righteous by an Imputed Righteousness which is the thing he peremptorily denieth 3 When one is justified by faith by God's free gracious Acceptation of it this act of grace must either import that faith is accepted as a Righteousness so accounted of God or still the beleever shall be declared and pronounced Righteous though he hath no Righteousness or the meaning of this Acceptation must be that God hath graciously condescended to appoint this mean way of sinners having an Interest in the Righteousness of Christ whereby he may be accounted Righteous justified as really as is he had performed that Righteousness himself in his own person in this sense it is most true but utterly destructive of his designe 4 If faith be accepted for that which is justifying in its own Nature by vertue of its Inherent worth dignity it must either be that which is of such inherent worth or it must be accepted for that which it is not so a man must be judged by God to have that which he hath not He concludeth thus Wherefore the Imputation of faith for righteousness may well stand with personal sins in him to whom this Imputation is made in respect of which sins he remaines obliged to repent but the Imputation of a perfect legal Righteousness makes a man perfectly righteous in the letter formality of it Ans. Then it seemeth that by the Imputation of faith for Righteousness a man standeth not invested possessed of a full entire right unto life for that he said before was a privilege wholly inconsistent with the least tincture of sin 2 If by a perfect legal Righteousness he meane a Righteousness required of the Law performed by us personally we plead not for the Imputation of any such but if he mean a Righteousness consisting in full conformity to the Law performed by Christ graciously imputed to us received by faith that is well consistent with inherent personal sins What he meaneth by making a man perfectly righteous in the letter formality of it I know not till some be pleased to explaine it Obj. 6. Another argum he prosecuteth pag. 149. c. thus If men be as Righteous as Christ himself was in his life there was no more necessity of His death for them than for himself then the just should not have died for the unjust but for the just Ans. If we had not transgressed the Law there had been no necessity that either we or any for us should have died but having transgressed the Law thereby fallen under the Curse wanting all right to life we must have a Surety-righteousness whereby not only the Curse shall be taken away but the blessing of Abraham may come upon us we may have a full right to life therefore both the Active passive Righteousness of Christ is necessary 2 Christ died for the unjust because His death which was the period terminating act of His obedience and Surety righteousness which He undertook to performe in our room and Law-place was for sinners lying under the Curse void of all right title to life He imagineth that first Christ's Active Righteousness is imputed thereby the person is constituted Righteous then inferreth the nonâ— necessity of Christ's death By we say that Christ's whole Surety-righteousness consisting in what He did suffered in His state of Humiliation in our room and as Cautioner is at once imputed and not in parts that so the necessity of sinners may be answered in all points He thinks to prove this consequence by these words Gal. 2 21. If righteousness be by the Law then Christ died in vaine rejecting the sense of the word Law viz. as importing the works of the Law as performed by us in our own person thereby doing violence to the whole Scope of the place to the constant acceptation of the expression supposing that the Consequence will be strong though the works of the Law as performed by Christ be here understood that meerly upon this false ground Because the Righteousness of Christ's life imputed had been a Sufficient every wayes a compleat Righteousness for us Nor need we say as he saith in our name That there was a Necessity that Cbrist should did that so the righteousness of His life might be imputed to 〈◊〉 For the necessity of His death arose from our transgressing of the Law being under the Curse Obj. 7. Chap. 14. pag. 151. He alleigeth that this Imputation evaniateth Remission of Sins saying for if men be righteous with the same righteousness wherewith Christ was righteous they have no more need of pardon than He had Ans. We spoke to this above Chap. 6. Mystery 11. therefore need say no more here then that the Consequence is null that the probation is insufficient for though we be constituted Righteous through the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness it is but a Surety-righteousness not our own inherently the Surety not being of our appointing or fitting furnishing our pardon is a Consequent Effect of this Imputation 2 The consequence is no more valide from the Imputation of the Active Righteousness of Christ than from His passive and Satisfaction and so with Sociâ—ians he must also hereby deny Christ's Satisfaction that he may establish his free Remission But Gospel free forgiveness is rather established than any
before the bargane be made and may also be paid down some time before he obtaine the purchase We owne only such consequential conditions here as are but the means and Methods appointed of God for such and such ends which have an immedial connexion with the end here intended And therefore we neither say nor imagine that a man may have the Righteousness of Christ or Faith yet not be justified for in the very moment as was said that a Man acteth true Gospel-and so justifying faith he hath the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him and is justified Every priority in order of Nature doth not conclude also a priority as to time far less can a man be supposed to have the Righteousness of Christ without God's Act of Imputation But Finally all these Argueings returne upon his own head for when he saith that faith is Imputed for Righteousness meaning by faith our act of beleeving he must also say that a man may beleeve and yet not be justified untill his faith be Imputed unto Righteousness by God whose work alone this is and his reply to this will relieve us Obj. 24. That which was Imputed to Abraham for Righteousness in his justification is imputed to other beleevers also But the faith of Abraham was imputed to him for Righteousness Ergo c. And for proof of all he referreth us to what he hath said Chap. 2. upon Rom. 4. Ans. We shall not here anticipat the consideration of that place and of this Argument founded there upon seing afterward we will have a fitter occasion to speak hereunto Obj. 25. Here is his last argument which he largely prosecuteth Chap. 21. pag. 188. c. and it would seem that it is here adduced againe for we had it once if not oftner before that he may take occasion to vent his mind against the Imputation of Adam's sin to his posterity Thus he Argueth If the Righteousness of the Law be not imputable or derivable in the letter and formality of it from one mans person to another then cannot the Righteousness of Christ be imputed to any man in justification But the former is true therefore c. Ans. What may be answered unto this Argum. the Reader may see in the foregoing Chapter Object last I shall not here repeat but go on to take notice of what he saith to that objection which he moveth against himself and proposeth thus If the transgression of the Law be imputable from one Mans person to another then may the Righteousness of the Law be imputed also But the former is hence evident because the sin of Adam is imputed to his posterity He first excepteth against the Major and denieth the Consequence thereof and giveth reasons of his denial 1. There is saith he no such Emphatical restraint of the guilt and punishment to the transgressour as there is of the reward to the performer of obedience for Gal. 3 12. the very man that hath done them shall live by them which is no where said of the Transgressour Ans. But all this is loose reasoning for as the Law saith God will visite the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation so it saith that He will shew mercy to thousands of them that love Him and keep His Commandements and here the one is as Emphatick as the other 2 As he readeth Gal. 3 12. that the man that doth them shall live in them so we read Ezek. 18 3. the soul that sinneth it shall die and Gal. 3 10. Deut. 27 26. Cursed is every one that abideth not in all things which are written in the Law to do them which words do Import as emphatical a restraint as the other But of that Gal. 3 12. we have said enough above we might also mentione that which was said to Adam in the day thou eats thou shalt die which seemeth to have no less an Emphatick Import But 2. he mentioneth this difference Sin saith he is ever greater in ratione demerity than obedience is in ratione meriti Adam might by his transgression merite condemnation to himself and posterity yet not have merited by his obedience Salvation to both because if he had kept the Law he had only done his duty Luk. 17 10. so had been but an unprofitable servant Ans. All this saith nothing where a Covenant is made promising life to the obeyer as well as threatning death to the transgressour Albeit Adam could not be said to have merited life by his obedience in way of proper and strick merite yet in way of merite expacto he could have been said to have merited for the reward would have been reckoned to him not of grace but of debt and there would have been ground of boasting and glorying Rom. 3 27. 4 2 4. How beit he had done but his duty when he had obeyed to the end yet the condescending love of God promising the reward to perseverance in obedience to the end was sufficient to found this Whether Adam had merited Salvation to all his posterity if he had kept the Covenant to the end or not is not our present question to enquire j this we know that by one man sin entered into the world death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5 12. And upon the other hand this we know that Christ was made sin for His as a publick person and all His promised Seed and Children are made the Righteousness of God in Him 1. Cor. 1 30. 2. Cor. 5 21. and those are sufficient for our purpose 3. He saith The Imputableness of the transgression of the Law rather overthroweth the Imputation of the obedience of it than any wayes establisheth it for the more Imputable that is punishable the transgression is the less imputable that is rewardable is the obedience of it Ans. This is very true when we speak of the same man as of Adam in both for he could not both be a Transgressour and a Final Observer of the Law and so both obedience and Transgression could not be imputed to himself Let be to any other the Imputation of the one did quite evacuat the other But what maketh this meer shift to his present purpose which is to show if he could that the Righteousness and obedience of the Second Adam the Lord from heaven is not as imputable to His Spiritual Seed Issue as the Sin and Transgression of the first Adam who was of the earth earthy 1. Cor. 15 47. was imputable to his Natural Seed Next he cometh to the Minor and denieth the Imputation of Adam's sin and this seemeth to be his maine buliness wherein he complieth with the Socinians and others Let us hear him first saith he the Scripture no where affirmes either the Imputation of Adam's sin or of the Righteousness of Christ. Ans. The contrary is sufficiently proven above all his reasons cannot evince what he saith He tels us
Righteousness of Christ which meriteth our Impunity quoad damnum sensum which Meriteth our Right to the Gift of life both sub ratione doni as a Gift sub ratione Condonations as a forgiveness of the forfeiture of the poena damni And then addeth That so there is here no room for the conceite that Christ's Death was only to purchase pardon His Righteousness to merite life Ans. We have said before that we need not be so curious here in distinguishing if both be granted to make up a Compleat Righteousness to purchase both we have all we desire and from what hath been said formerly it is manifest that both are requisite Mr. Baxtor granted as much before as we see in the foregoing paragraph Note 6. Nor saith Mr. Baxter any thing here to invalidate what we have said Sure not to have this Gift was no punishment to Adam before he sinned what-ever it might be said to be after his sin Nor is forfeiture of that properly which a Man never had neither in Right nor in possession And therefore Adam could not be said properly nor we in him to have forfeited glory but only that blessedness and felicity wherein he was created and that Righteousness that was concreated So that beside the taking away of this forfeiture there will be a Righteousness of Obedience requisite according to that Constitution do this live in order to the obtaining of a Right for us unto the life of Glory And to this he assenteth in end when he saith That the same Merites of Christ's Active Passive Habitual Righteousness do causo our Glory For we do not separat them Nor need we curiously enquire whether Christ's Suffering were first Satisfactory then Meritorious His Obedience first Meritorious and then Satisfactory as he speaketh it being sufficient to us that both made up a compleat Righteousness performed for us by Him as our Surety coming in our Law-place whereby justice was satisfied and life merited Nor need I say as he supposeth n. 135. too many hold That heaven is our Reward for our perfection of Holiness and Obedience in and Christ more than that pardon is our Reward for our Satisfaction in by Christ. Yet as Christ satisfied as a Sponsor in the stead room of sinners as he confessed so it may be said that Christ obeyed as a Sponsor in their room stead that as the one was requisite for purchase of pardon so the other was requisite for purchase of Glory and that as we must be Interessed in the one imputed to us received by faith to the end we may be pardoned so we must be Interessed in the other imputed to us and received by faith both being Integral parts of one compleat Surety-righteousness to the end we may have a Right to Glory Nor can I say with him Ibid. That eternal life is ours by Christ's free Gift as a Reward to Christ for His own Merites for then we could not say that Christ suffered properly in the roome of any as their Sponsor and this would take away that fundamental relation betwixt Christ the Chosen ones that were given to Him of the Father and for whose sake He sanctified Himself was made a Curse made under the Law and became the Father's Servant and was made a Surety Blessings came through Christ as the appointed Mediator not from Him as the principal Donor speaking of Him as Mediator The blessing of Abraham cometh on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ Gal. 3 14. The God Father of our Lord Iesus Christ blesseth us with all spiritual blessings in Christ according as He hath chosen us in Him hath predestinat us unto the Adoption of Children by Iesus Christ hath made us accepted in the Beloved Ephes. 1 3 4 5 6. It is God who saveth us according to His mercy by the washing of Regeneration the renewing of the Holy Ghost which He shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hop of eternal life Tit. 3 5 6 7. Christ is the way to the Father Ioh. 14 6. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself 2 Cor. 5 19. Yet it is true that Christ is now exalted as King and Prince and giveth the Crown of life Revel 2 10. as the great Administrator and Executor of His own Testament yet not as if He had purchased all these things firstly or primarily to Himself and were now become the Sole or Principal Donor for this doth overturn the tenor forme of the Covenant of Redemption He tels us n. 141. That Christ's Righteousness is made ours as our sinnes were made his Which is all that we desire We grant that Christ never had the Reatum culpae in it self he saith that sin was Imputed to Him as to the punishment deserved that is He assumed the Reatum poenae But sure the Reatus poenae being a dueness of punishment because of sin He could not come under this Obligation unless the Reatus culpae had been Imputed to Him not in it self physically but juridically in ordine ad poenam And accordingly we must have the Righteousness of Christ in order to its Effects and this is more than to have the meer Effects themselves as he saith we shall grant to him that we have it not in the relation of a Meritorious cause to all uses if he will grant to us that we have it in the relation of a meritorious Cause to those uses which God accepted it for hath assigned to it in the Gospel as he seemeth to grant ibid. Though we do not assert such an Imputation as he calleth the rigide sense thereof n. 142. whereby God is supposed to repute us to have done that in by Christ which we never did by Him yet we see no reason why we may not say that God judged Christ to be the publick legal person yea himself in the appendix to his Premonition yeeldeth that Christ may be called our Vicarius poenae or Substitute And when we say He is a Publick legal person we say not that He is as many persons as there be redeemed sinners in the world as Mr. Baxter speaketh but that He was such a publick legal person as did represent in Law all that were given to Him as their publick Head Surety And what he saith n. 143. of the various sorts of Sureties some of which are very Impertinent as the 3â— for no man calleth an Agent a Surety the 5. for no man calleth a pay-master who is the debtors Instrument servant or delegat a Surety doth not much help him seing there are no such Sureties among Men nor no manner of Suretyship that can quadrat with Christ's Suretiship in all things and therefore it is to no purpose to say Christ is not such a Surety as is among men in this or that or in the
examined by an assise is really changed as to his Law state when cleared by an assise and pronunced not guilty and so absolved as to that whereof he was accused and set at liberty he is now a free man in Law much more is there a great change in a mans Law-state when before he was guilty of death lying bound in fetters keeped unto the day of execution and now getteth a free Remission of all when of a Man of death he is made a free liege as there is a change in a mans state and Relation when he is made an Adopted son so is there a new state wherein the sinner is brought when he is absolved from the sentence of the Law and declared a Righteous man Sanctification Regeneration and Glorification do all of them hold forth a new real State whereinto he is brought who is made partaker thereof so Iustification with Adoption held forth a new relative state which is also real as real is opposed to what is false or imaginary Hence is it that a beleever is justified even while he is sleeping not acting faith as a person remaineth in a married state though not actually consenting unto the match the consent once granted enstateth the person in that new Relation Propos. 2. This new state of Iustification is continueing permanent not in this sense that God reneweth frequently reiterateth the enstating of them into this new relative state but in this sense that once justified alwayes justified they are fixed preserved in that state as Adoption is a permanent state because once adopted alwayes a child of God Hence it is called a grace wherein me stand Rom. 5 2. It is a state of Reconciliation and Peace wherein we stand It is no fluctuating state wherein one may be to day be out of it to morrow and againe brought into it The ground of this sentence is fixed lasting and permanent to wit the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ once clothed therewith never naked or spoiled thereof againe the gifts and calling of God being with out Repentance Rom. 11 29. The foul's union with Christ through faith is lasting and abiding once in Him alwayes in Him once a member of his mystical body married to him as his spouse and alwayes so for he must finally present all such holy without spotâ— or wrinkle or any such thing Ephes. 5 27. Faith whereby the knot is made and the marriage consent is given remaineth as to its root and habite Christ prayeth that it fail not Luk. 22 32. They are keeped by the power of God through faith unto Salvation 1. Pet. 1 5. All the arguments proving Perseverance of the Saints which we cannot here summe-up do confirme this Propos. 3. Hence Iustification is a State that is not Interrupted and broken off and renewed and reiterated againe as it cannot be quite taken away and annulled so neither can it be broken off for a time so as for that time they should be in a non-justified state the marriage once made is not broken the sentence once pronunced is not recalled sinnes once pardoned by God are not laid againe to his charge The Spirit that once spoke peace said Son be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee will not be againe a Spirit of bondage unto fear Rom. 8 15. If Iustification could at any time be thâ—s interrupted Adoption behoved to be interrupted with it and so a childe of God behoved to be for that time a childe of the devil The Scripture speaketh not of any such relapse into the state of Nature Sin And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus by the Spirit of our God 1. Cor. 6 11. once brought out of Nature never reduced into that state againe No more new Iustification than new Adoption once quickened never againe brought into a state of death in trespasses sins Ephes. 2 1 5. for such are then brought into a saife state being quickened together with Christ as Christ being raised from the death dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6 9. so they who are planted with him in the likeness of his Death and Resurrection may alwayes reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ vers 4 5 11. Hence there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8 1. They are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6 14. And this holdeth true notwithstanding of after-sins for if after-sins remanent sinnes and corruption could break of this relation and make an alteration in this state no man should be said to be one day in a justified state for the best of men falleth seven times a day in sin and no man can say that he is free of sin there being no perfection here there could be no state of Justification consequently no state of Adoption and Reconciliation if after-sins could break of this Relation or Relative State a beleever could not be said to be partaker of any of the privileges attending this state for one day to end New sins indeed call for new Remissions but these new Remissions are fatherly pardons and not such a sentence of absolution as the person had at first when translated out of the Rate of Death into Life for then the person was not a reconciled Son but now he standeth in a state of Reconciliation and Sonshipe his new pardons are the pardons of a Father granted to a Son as we see Psal. 89 30 31 32 33 34. If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments if they break my statutes keep not my commendements then will I visite their transgression with the rod their iniquity with stripes never the less my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my fatihfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone of my lips So 1 Ioh. 1 8 9. If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 2 1 2. My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocat with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And he is the Propitiation for our sins Psal. 103 3 8 9 12 13. Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger plenteous in mercy he will not alwayes chide neither will he keep his anger for ever as far as the east is from the West so far hath heremoved our transgressions from us like as a Father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him So this state remaineth firme and unbroken notwithstanding of the various changes which are in their apprehensions concerning it these may
alter many a time in one day But the Lords thoughts are not as our thoughts nor are his wayes as our wayes Esai 55 8 9. His sentence judgment remaineth the same how alterable so ever ours be He is in one minde though we be in many Propos. 4. Hence also it is manifest that Iustification is an Instantaneous act that is it is not a work that is carried on by degrees but a sentence pronunced by the Lord the Righteous Judge once for all Though hereafter they still need renewed pardons so may have moe sinnes actually pardoned this yeer than they had the last yeer yet Justification as relating to their state is no progressive work We hear not of a grouth in Iustification as we hear of a growth in Sanctification for as for that word Revel 22 11 he that is Righteous let him be Righteous still or let him be justified still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not import a growth or progress in Iustification but a continuance in that state beside that others read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Ar. Mont. The complut edition as also the Syriack Arabick Versions This relative change that is made in Iustification is like the relative change that is made in Adoption now the act of Adoption is an Insantaneous act and not a work that is carried on by degrees nor doth it admit of a grouth so that an adopted childe of God can not be more the adopted childe of God this yeer than they were the last yeer though the sense and clear Perception of the one and of the other may doth admit of degrees is not so full clear alwayes at the first as it may be afterwards Propos. 5. Hence it followeth That justification is equal in all that is that all who are justified are alike justified none more than others as none are more Adopted than others speaking of these who are made partaker of the privilege None can be said to be more a son than another so none can be said to be more justified than another who is also justified the Lord's sentence absolveth all equally from all their sins who beleeve and admitteth them all equally into a State of Favoure and Reconciliation They equally passe from death unto life they have equally peace with God they have all an equal imputation of the Righteousness of Christ or a share therein none more or less then others though the faith which laith hold on the Righteousness of Christ be not a like strong in all for it is faith in the same kinde in all and the promise is to the kind and not to the measure or degree of faith It is no where said that we are justified by a faith of such a measure or degree but by faith importing that how weak so ever saith be if it be faith of the right kinde it inteâ—esseth a soul in Christ in his Righteousness whereupon he is justified It is true one may have many moe sins pardoned than another Yet both being Pardoned Iustified they are equally absolved from all that could be laid to their charge he that was the greater sinner is not more liable to the Law then he who was the least offender for the sentence of Pardon or Absolution doth equally free both from all hazard of Condemnation as when two persons are pardoned the one whereof hath committed many crimes worthie of death the other but one they are both equally pardoned freed from prison and from the sentence and set at liberty So also when two persons are pardoned the one whereof hath a greater debt remitted the other a lesser they are equally pardoned the one is not more discharged though discharged of more than the other but both are alike discharged of all their debt freed from all trouble of Law upon the account of their debt So in Iustification all who are justified how great so ever the difference be among them as to the sinnes whereof they were guilty are alike justified because alike freed from the accusation and curse of the Law alike made partakers of the Privileges of Persons pardoned have alike interest in the Favoure of God Right to glory As to what difficulty may arise from the consideration of after sinnes we shall speak to that afterward Propos. 6. The State of Iustification is perfect at the first or Iustification is perfect and compleet to all ends and uses This is clear from what is already said for if Iustification be not an act privilege that admitteth of degrees or of increase and doth not grow more and more dayly it must be perfect at first or adequate to all ends and purposes for which it is appointed or have that perfection that is competent to it It is true it is not so perfect as that it can never be out of sight or as if the sense feeling of it might not grow or become greater nor yet is it so perfect compleet as it thereby the justified person were freed from all sin or all the consequences of sin in this life for it is not hereunto appointed nor granted for these ends But in these respects and for these ends it is may be said to be perfect I That all their former sins are pardoned how many how hainous so ever they have been for then all their sins are cast into the depths of the sea Micah 7 19. are not found Ier. 50 20. In those dayes in that time saith the Lord the iniquitie of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none the sins of judah they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve He taketh away all iniquity Hos. 14 2. Then he imputeth no iniquiâ—y Psal. 32 2. but covereth forgiveth sins without exception Rom. 4 7 8. Thus he redeemeth Israel from all his iniquities Psal. 130 8. He forgiveth their iniquitie remembereth their sin no more Ier. 31 34. Heb. 8 12. 10 17. He cast all their sins behinde his back Esai 38 17. Hereby is remission of sinnes without any exception Rom. 3 25. Mat. 26 28. Mark 1 4. Luk. 3 3. Act. 2 33. 5 31. 10 43. 26 18. Eph. 1 7. Col. 1 14. He forgiveth all trespasses Colos. 2 13. and forgiveth all iniquity Psal. 103 3. 2 These sins once pardoned blotted out and cast behinde God's back are not againe laid to the charge of the justified persons once forgiven alwayes forgiven It is true Satan may renew the charge and use false summonds against the Beleever it is also true that after-sins may waken feares bring old sins againe to remembrance the Lord may let them see their former debt not to charge it upon them but to bring them on their knees to humble them the more to cause them cry for and seek out new extracts of the Pardon received yet the sinnes that God once pardoneth he never writteth down againe upon
Covenant of Grace securing them from Condemnation they have accless ground in Law to plead this Right so to plead for actual Pardon in the termes according to the methode of the Gospel I do not say that the justified while lying in sin without making application to Iesus Christ acting faith on him in order to pardon have ground to plead for actual pardon for that is repugnant to the Methode of the Gospel requireing new acts of faith in order to new acts of Pardon I mean the implicit acts if faith to speak so in reference to dayly infirmities unseen sins the more explicit acts of faith in reference to grosser sins seen lamented But they have ground to plead for grace to discover their sins to humble them for their sins to excite their soul to renewed acts of faith in Christ and thereupon to expect according to the Gospel methode Remission and to plead for it in the merites of Christ unto which they have a sure Right Therefore 4. New sins cannor annul the state of justification because not only are beleevers secured that de eventu they shall not come into Condemnation for these sins but even as to any legal dueness of punishment that new sins may bring them under there is a sure saife remedie at hand the blood of Christ that taketh away all sin to which they are called to go that they may wash their souls there by faith and be clean be delivered from guilt 4. For further clearing of this we could consider that there is a difference to be put betwixt Sin in order to its direful effects considered in it self and considered as it is in the Iustified Though sin in it self is alwayes mortiferous and exposeth to the curse and wrath of God having a malignant demerite constantly attending it Yet it is not so being considered as it is in the justified for as poison is alwayes deadly in it self working towards death yet it is not so as in a person who hath received a sufficient antidot Though every act of felonie in it self make obnoxious unto death according to the Law yet some acts as committed by one who can read will not have that effect so the beleever is antidoted by the Covenant of Grace that howbeit sin remaine still deadly in its own nature yet as to him it cannot produce these effects 5. Though after sins in a justified person may have before they be pardoned very sad effects in reference to Comfort or comfortable Improvment of their Privileges Advantages yet they cannot disinherite them or put them from their Right Though leprosie did deprive the leper of the comfortable enjoyment and use of his own house yet it did not destroy his right though the miscarriages of the prodigal son did incapacitate him for any present enjoyment of his interest in his Fathers affection yet they did not destroy his Sonshipe Luk. 15 17. So though sins not yet washed away in such as have been justified may and will certainly prejudge them of many comfortable Advantages which they might otherwayes have yet they do not take away their Sonshipe nor their Right to the Inheritance of sones 6. Though after sins not yet pardoned through faith do and will stirr up Fatherly Anger Displeasure against them who are justified and become his Adopted children Esai 54 7 8. Yet they bring not justified man under pure judicial wrath and under the Curse and Law-anger so as God is no more their Father but hath cast them out of his familie fatherly favour It is one thing to be under the frowns gloomes of an angry Father another thing to be under the severe aspect of an angry judge 7. It is considerable also That through grace and the Lord 's great love and wisdom after-sins are so far from destroying their State and Right to the inheritance that upon the contrare they are ordered to the Justified mans good and further establishment in grace not that sin it self hath any such natural tendency but it is by accident to sin which is so ordered by the wise disposal of a loveing Father making all things work togerher for good and thus counter-working Satan without Corruption within making that which Satan had designed to their ruine and destruction contributo to their good advantage by giving them fresh occasion of exercising Humility Repentance of Renewing their gripping of Christ by Faith of Watching more with Diligence here-after as also hereby they are put to search examine themselves to try their Rights Securities thus to make their calling election sure to their further establishment comfort in the Holy Ghost 8. Thus we see whatever present alteration after sins not yet taken to Christ to the end they may be pardoned through his blood do or can make as to the present Condition of the justified yet their State remaineth firme unshaken for thereby they fall not againe under the old Covenant nor under the sentence thereof nor under pure Law wrath pure Justice the Curse of a broken Covenant but being under Grace not under the Law they are secured as to Condemnation Rom. 8 1. as to the loss of the favour friendship of God Rom. 8 35 39. for not only is the guilt of Original sin of all their preceeding Actual sins taken away through faith in Christ when they were justified but there is a sure way condescended upon betwixt Jehovah the Mediator how their after-sins shall be Pardoned taken out of the way the same method and way is declared in the Gospel made sure by the Covenant of Grace and by their being in the Covenat they have a right unto the promises thereof and ground to press for the performance so for Remission for all things requisite thereunto or following thereupon yea they have a sure pledge of Remission already to wit the actual Pardon of what is past and their past Justification that is a comforting strenthening word Rom. 5 9 10. much more then being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we are enemies we were reconcile â— to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life so is that Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 9. We may adde That if sins afterward committed could take away Justification then they should also take away Adoption Regeneration so the justified man should by after sins not only become an unjustified man but also the child of God should become againe the childe of the devil the Relation should be quite broken off he who was borne againe should return unto his former state of black Nature thus there should be a second a
we never read that we are said to be justified by Love or by Patience or by Hope or any other but alwayes by Faith This certanely must instruct us that Faith here hath a peculiar and singular interest must be considered as looking to Christ in a different way from Hop Love which also have Christ for their object or Christ must be the object of Faith in another manner under some other consideration than he is the object of other graces 12. It is also considerable that it is simply said the just man liveth by faith or we are justified by faith and not the just man liveth or we are justified by a strong faith or by a faith continueing to the end Though it be true that a true lively Faith is of that Nature that it will continue to the end and will grow yet we may not say that only a strong Faith or a Faith as continueing to the end is the condition of the Covenant or of Justification for hence it would follow that as no man of a weak yet true and sincere Faith could be said to be Justified so no man could be said to be Justified untill his Faith had endured to the end which is contrary to Scripture speaking of beleevers while in their infancy as justified adopted as partakers of or at least as having a Right to the consequences of Justification such as Pardon Peace Glorying in Tribulation and Comfort c. The promise granteth Justification and Adoption to Faith that is of the right kinde no mention is made of that Qualification thereof He that beleeveth is passed from death to life and shall never die c. Ioh. 3 36. Ioh. 3 16 18. Ioh. 1 12. If the meaning of such as make Faith as continneing to the end the condition of the Covenant and of Justification were this That Faith as continued in to the end is the Mean of Continuance in the Covenant and in the state of Justification they should speak truth for the just liveth by faith first last as by Faith they are brought into the estate so by faith they are continued therein Faith maketh the first Union Faith continueth it But of this we shall have occasion to speak more afterward 13. This faith is not one single act of the soul nor seated in one faculty The various things spoken of it in Scripture and the various objects it acteth upon and is exercised about and the various and different necessities which beleevers stand into with the corresponding uses which faith serveth for in these necessities cleare it to be no one single act of the Soul I would rather call it the act of the whole Soul than the act of any faculty whatsomever CHAP. XXII Our act of Faith is not imputed to us a Righteousness Wproceed now to cleare at some further length several Particulars touched in the foregoing Chapt. contributing to the explication of our Justification by Faith The first great Question anent Faith is whether it be imputed unto the Beleever as his Righteousness whereupon he is justified Adversaries to the truth both Socinians Arminians do plainly assert that our faith or that grace of faith is the very thing which is imputed to the Beleever for his Righteousness They are all convinced that the sinner must be clothed with a Righteousness some way or other in some sense or other ere he can be Justified for the Lord is Righteous will not justifie the wicled that is such as have no Righteousness and being willing to yeeld to the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ they substitute in place of Christ's Righteousness Faith properly taken or our act of Beleeving as is it performed by us in obedience to the Gospel-command Socinus de Serv. lib. 4. c. 4. Cum igitur c. i.e. seing he teacheth by the example of Abraham that Righteousness is imputed when can doubt that nothing else can hereby be under stood but that we arerighteous before God because it hath seemed good to the Lord to account our faith in place of Righteousness And thereafter That faith is imputed unto righteousness is nothing else than that faith is accounted to us in place of Righteousness but not that the Righteousness of christ is imputed to us cap. 11. Themselves say that that saith justifieth not by its proper worth but because it apprehendeth Christ But that apprehension of Christ of yours is a meer humane fiction a most vaine dream And when we read that faith was imputed to Abraham for Righteousness or unto Righteousness we have no reason to think that mention is there made of the Righteousness of another when it is manifest that he is speaking of his own In his dial de Justis f. 14 15. he tels us that faith is by God imputed to us for Righteousness he accounteth that in place of Righteousness faith is in very deed that whereby the Scripture witnesseth that we are justified that is accounted Righteous before God have our sinnes pardoned This faith maketh us acceptable unto God unto eternal life And in not ad dial f. 27. Nothing else was said than that faith is accounted to us of God imputed for Righteousness that that faith is truely in us who will deny seing these words are said to exclude the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness The Arminians do homologate with the Socinians in this Arminius himself cont Perkins faith expresly that faith it self is imputed to us in Praf ad Hyppolit this faith he is my opinion about justification that faith that alone is imputed unto Righteousness that by it we are justified before God absolved from our sins and accounted righteous pronunced declared by God giving sentence from the tribunal of grace Some blaine ine for saying that the act of faith it self the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere is imputed unto Righteousness that in a proper sense not metonymically I say faith is imputed unto us unto righteousness for Christ for his righteousness sake He owneth the same decl Sent. ad Ord. f. 65. 66. in Resp. ad 31. Artic. f. 152-154 John Goodwine in his Treatise of Justification Part. 1. Ch. 2. asserteth the same most considently from Rom. 4. whose reasons hereafter shall be examied The same purpose he prosecuteth Part. 2. Ch. 6. answering the arguments of the orthodox against that imputation which shall be considered in due time Mr. Baxter in his Confess pag. 18 19. Excepteth against some words in our larger Catechisme Confession of faith to wit that it is denied that the grace of faith or any act thereof is imputed for Justification unless it be thus understood that our faith is not imputed to us as being in stead of a perfect Righteousness of Obedience to the ends as it was required by the Law of works nor is our faith the matter or the meritorious cause of the remission of our sin or of our right to
and too metaphysical apprehensions notions in this matter cannot but be displeasing And too much Philophical accuracy in the clearing up of these mysteries is not the most edifying saife way of explication 2. We are not against the use of the terme Condition in this matter knowing that faith may well be called a condition but the question is in what sense we must take the word condition And to say that it is taken as commonly used for the condition of a free gift will not satisfie in our case because though the gift which we expect by faith is to us indeed free yet it is a purchased free gift such a free gift as these who get it have all the legal title Right thereunto through the Caâ—tioners purchase payment only come to the possession of it through Faith according to the wise methode Connexion made by the Soveraigne Lord. Adam's perfect obedience might have been called the condition of a free gift and we cannot give the same place power to Faith in the New Covenant that perfect obedience had in the old for Adam if he had perfectly obeyed had gote his reward without any intervention of a Price by a Mediator purchasing it but we must hold all our reward solely of Christ that he may have the glory of all 3 as if can denote a Condition so by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can denote an instrumental cause Himself tels us som-where in his Confut of Ludom Colvinus alià s Ludov Molinaeus that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoteth an efficient cause we read that we are Iustified by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And further though these passages which he citeth and the conditional if and the conditional forme of the promise do indeed express a Condition yet they do not say or prove that the terme Condition is the only one terme that properly expresseth the nearest formal interest of faith in Justification or that the terme of an Instrument is no way fit to express this neer formal interest of faith in justification seing to be justified by faith or through faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all which the Scripture useth is as expressive of an Instrumental interest as if thou beleeve c. is expressive of a condition He saith ibid. p. 89. Conclus 10. That the difference betwixt him others is not that he giveth any more to works than they but that they give more to faith than he consequently to man if he be guilty of equalling faith obedience too much it is not by bringing up works too high to be Instruments of Iustification as they make Faith but in taking down Faith too much consequently in too much abaseing all acts of man Ans. If he bring up works to Faith in our Justification give a like interest to both he giveth more to works than the orthodox will do And when we call faith an Instrument in justification we give not so much to it as they do who call it conditio potestativa and give it the same place in the New Covenant that perfect obedience had in the old as was seen above And who ever say this are so far from debasing man his actions that they give him as much ground of glorying boasting as ever Adam would have had if he had fulfilled the condition given full perfect Obedience And he cannot but know that that terme Instrument was of purpose applied to Faith in this matter to depresse man to keep the crown upon the head of Christ as it is apt enough to do if it be but candidely understood taken as it is applied and no further nor vexed with metaphysical niceties a way that might render every borrowed terme whether from arts or sciences how expressive so ever of our meaning explicative of the matter intended utterly useless It is true when he calleth faith only a causa sine qua non he seemeth to giveless to Faith than we do if that terme be taken in its strick sense as it is by Philosophers taken who will not have it called a Cause at all but rather conditio sine qua non But thus he depresseth it below that place interest which is due to all the institutions appointments of God as such for none of them can rightly be called conditio sine qua non and no more in reference to that effect end for which they are appointed of him and far less can Faith be said to be only conditio sine qua non in reference to justification seing by the unalterable appointment of the Soveraigne Lord justification so dependeth upon is connected with Faith that who ever beleeveth to wit savingly or with that Faith which here we only understand whensoever he beleeveth doth immediatly passe from death unte life and is justified But no man will say that the effect doth so much depend upon or is connected with that which is but a conditio sine qua non as was before shewn in several Instances And where is then his Conditio Potestativa is that but a causa fatua But ibid. Conclus 9. he tels us that one maine reason which constrained him to deny that Faith is an Instrument in justification is because he dar not give so much of Christ's honour to man or any act of mans as to be an efficiont cause of pardoning himself Ans. When we make Faith an Instrument in justification we make it not an Instrument of the act of pardoning which is solely the Lords act but taking justification largly as including the Righteousness of Christ the only ground thereof we say that in reference to Christ this Surety-Righteousness of his which is imputed in order to the Lord 's justifying Pardoning of us faith acteth as an Instrument apprehending Christ his Righteousness upon that account is to be considered as an Instrument in the matter of justification And himself Concl. 11. ibid. saith that he ever held that it is only faith that is the receiving of Christ that faith being the only receiving grace wherein no meer moral duty or grace doth participate of its honour or nature it was therefore by God peculiarly destinated or appointed to the office of justifying as fittest to the glorying of free grace of God Redeemer therein And if this be the all as to the substance of what we say or the most of that which we meane when we call faith an Instrument what ground was there of differing from his brethren or what ground was there to feare that Christ's honour should have been wronged thereby Sure while Faith is called an Instrument as receiving Christ his Righteousness in order to justification Christ is more honoured in that affaire than when our Faith is made our Gospel-Righteousness called a perfect Righteousness so our whole Righteousness as some a chiefe part of it as others upon the account of which we are
to be considered afterward But what is this Faith It is a Faith saith he that hath Repentance Regeneration sincere Obedience in a holy life for its inseparable effects Then 1 this Faith is not fruite of Regeneration because Regeneration is an effect of it 2 Then upon a mans sincere Beleeving he cannot be said to have passed from death to life be freed from Condemnation nay not untill all the effects of faith be produced And this he expresseth more clearly within a line or two calling Regeneration new obedience parts of the Condition thus making men able to Regenerat themselves with some help of the Spirit according to his former doctrine Passing his inveighing pag. 134. forward against the orthodox doctrine concerning Justification by faith alone and loading it with Socinian reproaches wherein he bewrayeth more acquaintance with Popish Socinian Arminian Principles Consequences than with the Gosp. I doctrine either in Theorie or practâ—ce I proceed to examine his grounds which he laieth down Chap. 7. pag. 140 141. and prosecuteth to the end of that Chapter His grounds are Ten in number The first is That works of Evangelical obedience are never in Scripture opposed to God's grace in reference to Iustification Salvation Ans. 1 Here we have the fundamental errour of his whole discourse hinted to us when he putteth Justification Salvation together making all that is antecedently required unto Salvation to be also antecedently required unto Justification or he must acknowledge no justification untill Salvation come 2 A perfect contradiction to this ground of his we have Ephes. 2 8 9 10. for by grace are ye saved through faith not of works lest any man should boast for we are his workmanshipe created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Here grace is opposed to works to good works unto which we are created in Christ Jesus in which we are to walk and that in reference to the Salvation that is in justification The man was so wise for his own unhallowed ends as never once to take notice of this place He cannot but grant that Works Grace are opposed to other but he giveth us a very sceptick evasion telling us that then by works we are to understand either works antecedent to conversion or as they are denyed I think he would have said deemed or some such thing to merite at the hands of God or the works of the Law of Moses as erroneously contended for by the jewes or the works of the Law as Typical as opposed to things typified or the works of the Law as the Law is in its rigour opposed to the milder oeconomie of the Gospel And yet all this will not helpe the matter for Paul tels us that even Abraham was not justified by his works but by faith in opposition to works Rom. 4 1 2 3. And Abraham's works here excluded from Justification can be reduced to none of these heads of works here mentioned They were not works antecedent to Conversion for in opposition to these it is said his Faith was reckoned unto him for Righteousness long after his Conversion Nor did the holy father dreame of any merite in his works nor were these the works of the Law in any of the senses mentioned for Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness even when he was in uncircumcision Rom. 4 9 10 11. c. He taketh notice of Tit. 3 5. not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he sâ—ved us but giveth us p. 143. this glosse This change of their condition was not effected or so much as begun among them by any reformation of their own till the Gospel came to work it which is meant by the appearing of the kindness Love of God vers 4. is of like import with Ch. 2 11 12. Ans. By what either Law or Reason he restraineth that appearing of the kindness Love of God mentioned vers 4. to the Gospel I know not 2 And though the Gospel were here understood that would not help the matter for the Text saith that after this did appear he saved them that is Justified in the first place as we see vers 7. according to his mercy not by work of Righteousness 3 These works are called works of Righteousness But no works of their own before Conversion can be so called can the works of such as are foolish disobedient deceived serving diverse lasts pleasures living in malice envie hateful hating one another be called works of Righteousness and yet such were these before the kindness Love of God reached them as vers 3. showeth He thinks the same answere may be given to 2. Tim. 1 9. And so we think the same reply may suffice His 2. ground is p. 114. That Paul in speaking agaist Iustification by works giveth sufficient caution not to be understood thereby to speak against Evangelick obedience in the case That is not to speak against justification by Evangelick works which were to say he took much paines for nothing for if he had but said that the Ceremonial Law was abrogate he had sufficiently confuted justification by the Ceremonies if that had been all the Law he meaned But how proveth this man what he here alledgeth He adduceth Rom. 3 31. But I wonder how did the Apostle by his doctrine establish the Ceremonial Law In the Spirit of it saith he in as much as in preaching Iustification in the Gospel way he preached in plaine precepts the necessity of that spiritual purity unto Salvation which was but darkly taught by the Ceremonial Law Ans. 1 Then this man supposeth that he is establishing the Ceremonial Law by his doctrine in this book for he thinks that therein he is preaching up Justification in the Gospel way 2 Neither did the Ceremonial Law more darkly nor doth the Gospel in more plaine termes preach the necessity of spiritual purity as the Condition of Justification So that this Author beggeth what he cannot prove 3 But that this is the Moral Law hath been frequently shown above as also it hath been shown how what way it was established by the doctrine of justâ—fication without works so that we need not regaird his saying that by the doctrine of justification by faith they established the moral Law both in the letter Spirit of it in teaching the necessity of Evangelical obedience to it after a more spiritual forcible manner than had been taught before For this saith nothing for their pleading for obedience to this Law as a Condition of Justification which is the thing he should have said And if he know not how Justification without the works of the moral Law can consist with necessity of Obedience to the Moral Law upon Gospel grounds he is ignorant of the Gospel and hath been more educate in Socinus his School than in the orthodox Church He citeth to the
are free of this charge 2. saith he If it meane that faith is the condition of justification as it receiveth Christ's Righteousness only it hath either one or two falshoods We only say that in order to the obtaining of justification Faith acteth in a peculiar manner on Christ's Righteousness Merites conceive that in this there is neither one nor two falshoods 1. saith he if it mean that faiths receiving act is the formalis ratio conditionis or that it justifieth not quà conditio donationis but qua receptio justitiae Christ it is false Ans. We are not here speaking precisely of the formalis ratio conditionis in such a Philosophical Notion for we say that Faith in order to Justification receiveth Christ's Righteousness that the Lord hath so appointed Let Philosophers break their heads on these rationes formales the qua's quae's we speak of this matter so as every soul concerned may understand it And then saith he 2. that only the Accepting of Righteousness justifieth us that is is the condition of justification is a falshood This he should have proved to have been a falshood but in all this discourse of this we have had nothing like a proof only confident Assertions that in great number But in his Confession pag. 35. where he hath the same discourse for substance he citeth several passages of Scripture on the margine as if they were confirmations of what he saith And yet not one of them cometh home to the point in hand as a short view may discover For Col. 2 6. proveth what we deny not to wit that Beleevers receive Christ Jesus the Lord We have shown above that whole Christ belongeth to the Object of Faith that is Justifying but we are here speaking of the special acting of that faith in order to Justification Psal. 2 12. only proveth that such shall perish as do not kisse submit to the Son that kissing submitting unto him is required in order to being saved Mat. 11 28 29. saith that such as would have rest ease that is freedom from sin misery here hereafter must come to Christ take his yoke upon them Learne of him And in order to that particular rest ease had in Justification we say also that they must come to Christ take on his Righâ—eousness which is easie though it seem a yoke to unrenewed Nature Luk. 19 27. Proveth indeed that such as will not have Christ to reigne over them shall perish but doth doth not prove that in order to Justification Christ must be received as a King Rom. 10 9 10. proveth that faith eyeth Christ as raised from the dead by God which respecteth his Death Sacrifice that for a Righteousness in order to the life of Justification which is what we say Mat. 17 5. Mark 9 7. prove what is not denied to wit that it is the will of God that Christ his only beloved Son should be heard obeyed in all things And Ioh. 10 3 4 9 27. only proveth that Christ's sheep know hear his voice And who denieth this Ioh. 12 46 47 48. showeth what benefites beleevers shall receive what shall be fall unbeleevers but touch nor the point now in hand Act. 2 30 33 34 36 38. Proveth that Christ is indeed a King that all such as would be saved must receive him as the exalted King Act. 3 22 23 26. Proveth that he is that Prophet that was spoken of by Moses that he Died Rose againe sent forth the Gospel to the end that poor sinners might be turned from their iniquities But there is nothing here to prove that Faith in its special acting in order to justification receiveth layeth hold on Christ as well as a Prophet as on Christ as a Priest Act. 5 31. saith that Christ is exalted to be a Prince a Saviour for to give Repentance to Israel Remission of sins but what is this to the question now in hand Ioh. 13 35. 15 8. 8 31. sheweth the genius disposition kindly work of his disciples to wit to love one another to bear fruite to continue in his word all which we willingly grant Luk. 14 26 27 33. Evinceth that right coming to Christ is inconsistent with a predominant Love to any terrene thing how neer dear so ever But toucheth not the question now in hand These are all the passages he adduceth there none of them come neer the question CHAP. XXXV Faith is the only Condition on our part of the continuance of justification HAving spoken of Iustification as to its beginning or as to a Beleevers entering into that State of Life having spoken to some Questions for further clearing of the truth We come to speak a word or two of the Continuance of this Privilege State That it is a continueing and permanent State we have seen above The Question then that we have to discuss is Upon what termes Conditions is this State continued or what is it which the Lord requireth in order thereunto or whether any thing more be required of us for continueing this Relation than was at first required to the making of it that is whether Faith alone or Faith together with Works of sincere obedience Mr. Baxter in his Confess p. 47 n. 40. tels us that there is much more goeth to the continuing consummating our Iustification then doth at first to justifie us as to the condition on our parts to be performed to that end This Continueing of our State of Iustification Not-losing of it he maketh one the same and that which he requireth as necessary unto the Not-losing or Continueing of this State he maketh to be Sincere obedience many particular materials of that obedience as to be humble to forgive others to confess Christ suffer for him if called to it That we may know both the State of the difference the Consequence thereof we would premit these things 1. It is readily on all hands granted yeelded unto that there is an Holiness Personal Obedience Conformity to the Law called for at the hands of all Justified persons that are come to age The denial therefore of what Mr. Baxter others that joyn with him do here assert cannot with any shew of reason be loaded with this foule inference that hereby we cry down or lay aside all necessity of Holiness of sincere obedience for we still affirme that the Law is in force obligeth unto obedience and that all such as are justified have received a new frame disposition of soul inclineing them to obedience Yea that they have now both peculiar Obligations unto Holiness and also Advantages Helps thereunto They are his wormanship created in Christ Jesus unto Good Works which God hath before ordained that they should walk in them Ephes. 2 10. 2. Mr. Baxter tels us Confess p. 102. that it
the life of glory which was promised upon his compleeting his work of obedience He addeth Notwithstanding the Scriptures of the New Test. seem to place the immediat right or capacity which beleevers have to the Kingdom of heaven eternal glory rather in the grace of Adoption than in any Righteousness whatsoever even Remission of sins itself not excepted Ans. I have spoken to this elsewhere and shall only say here That hereby he hath destroyed his Conclusion for hereby we see that in order to the attaining of right to life more is requisite than meer Remission for he cannot say that Remission of sins Adoption is all one having clearly hinted the contrary here having also denied Righteousness to be the ground of Adoption while as before he made Righteousness Remission of sins all one He shall never prove that Adoption is without the Imputation of Righteousness Let us heare his reason The reason whereof may haply be this because the life blessedness which come by Iesus Christ are of far higher nature excellency and worth than that which was Covenanted to Adam by way of wages for his work or obedience to the Law therefore require an higher fuller richer capacity or title in the creature to interesse him therein than that did work faithfully performed is enough to entitle a man to his wages but the gift of an inheritance requirtth a special grace or favour Ans. As this is but dubiously asserted so it is to no purpose for though some difference may be granted betwixt the glory now had by the Gospel that promised to Adam in several respects Yet it was a life of glory that was promised to Adam our Adoption is not without the imputation of a Righteousness Nor was Adam's obedience such a work as in strick justice called for wages without a Covenant The Imputation of Righteousness is indeed a special grace Favoure therefore fit enough to found Adoption His 6. Conclusion is this That Satisfaction which Christ made to the justice of God for sin whereby he procured Remission of sins or perfect Righteousness reconciliation with God for those that beleeve consists only in that obedience of his which he performed to that peculiar special Law of Mediation which God imposed upon him which we commonly though perhaps not altogether so properly call his passive obedience not at all in that obedience or subjection which he exhibited to that common Law of nature which we call moral Ans. Though if we should speak strickly of satisfaction as distinguished from obedience as relating to the punishment for sin the substance of this Conclusion might be granted Yet taking Satisfaction more largly as relative to our whole debt it must necessarily include his obedience to the Law moral 2 Though for explications sake we may speak of Christ's Active of his Passive obedience distinctly Yet there was suffering satisfaction in all his Active obedience as it is commenly called there was action meriting in all his Passive Obedience as it is commonly called His supposing Remission of sins Perfect Righteousness is already discovered to be a mistake 4 The special Law of Mediation required of Christ both obedience suffering he speaketh without ground when he restricteth it to his passive obedience as it is commonly called only His reason is Because nothing can be satisfactory to divine justice for sin but that which is penal Heb. 9 22. for doubtless where there is Satisfaction there is may be remission Ans. This confirmeth only what we granted of satisfaction taken strickly But cannot prove that Satisfaction largely taken may not or cannot yea or must not include obedience this being part of our debt to the Law and to the Lawgiver nor will it prove that there was nothing of Satisfaction in Christ's obedience which he performed in his state of humiliation It is true where there is Satisfaction there is may be Remission but Remission is not all that we stand in need of But he will have that obedience which Christ exhibited to the moral Law no way penal And his reason is because it was required of man in his innocency imposed by God upon Adam before his fall Yea still lyeth shall lye to the dayes of eternity upon men Angels Ans. Yet for all this it might be was penal unto Christ who was not meer man but God man in one person And for Him who was God above all Law that man cometh under to subject him self to that Law which was imposed upon man as a Viator must needs be penal it being a part of his subjection as made under the Law a piece of his humiliation for thus in part he took upon him the forme of a servant was made in the likeness of men being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself became obedient unto death Phil. 2 7 8. Gal. 4 4. What they do who are in glory is not to the purpose for here we are speaking of the obedience subjection of such as are Viators not Comprehensors And Adam while innocent was a Viator and Christ to pay that debt which was required of us all as Viators did humble himself to performe the obedience of a Viator in our place in our stead that so he might give full satisfaction pay our whole debt From hence there is no ground for his Inference to wit that Therefore man was punished that by order appointment of God before his fall that now the glorified Saints Angels yea Iesus Christ himself are now punished in heaven For 1 it might be was penal to him who was God which was duty unto man in innocency as is cleared 2 The Obedience of Saints Angels now in glory far less that of Jesus Christ himself if it can properly be called obedience is not the duty of Viators therefore utterly impertinent to our purpose We do not say that Adam's obedience was penal it being his duty but Christ's was seing no Law required such obedience of him who was God nor was it necessary even to his humane Nature in order to life for himself for the hypostatical union fully removed that necessity either made him as to himself in respect of his humane nature a comprehensor or in the nearest capacity to it even when he was subjecting himself to the obedience of a Viator for us and as standing in our room But he saith the Scriptures themselves no where ascribe this satisfaction to Christ's Active obedience but still to his passive And here he citeth many passages of Scripture to no purpose seing none of these give any hint of the exclusion of his active obedience but rather do include it or else he may as well say that all Christ's active obedience was no way necessary or requisite unto the work of Redemption because these passages do
and to all his Spiritual benefites And though these Sacraments do in a more special manner represent Christ as suffering or as dying Yet it is no good consequence hence to inferre that his dying alone shedding his blood is our Righteousness for his death is principally specially there held forth as being the last compleeting act of his Mediatory obedience in his state of humiliation unto which all his former acts of obedience had a special respect in which they did all ultimatly terminate And by what reason will it be proved that nothing done or suffered by Christ can be any part or portion of our Righteousness in him but what is distinctly expressly represented pointed forth by these seales What shall then become of his soul sufferings in the Garden on the Crosse these were not his bloud nor his broken body therefore according to him make no part of our Righteousness in Christ. But we dar not say this His Third ground is from Heb. 10 5 6 7. c. cited out of Psal. 40. And thus he argueth The obedience of Christ in the matter of our Righteousness is of no larger extent than is the will of God which he did obey by which we are sanctified But this is restrained only to the offering of Christ. Ans. The minor is here denied there being no such restraint made as is alleiged for he came to do all the will of God therefore was baptised that he might fulfill all Righteousness It was not seâ—ving to the Apostles scope to mentione any other act of obedience than his offering up of himself but his mentioning no other there will not exclude all mentioned elsewhere Sure the Adversarie will not exclude the promptitude readiness of mind that Christ had unto the offering up of himself long before the appointed time as being no part of that obedience that he performed It cannot then be said that by his once offering up of himself at the last alone we are sanctified by nothing going before in conjunction with this But he tels us that our Iustification Reconciliation c. are ever attributed unto the bloud death Crosse of Christ. Ans. Never exclusively as to his preceeding obedience Yea we are to be saved by his life Rom. 5 10. justification is upon Christ's Righteousness vers 18. And all this will as well conclude for the exclusion of his foregoing obedience from being requisite in Christ as he said above to the end he may be Righteousness to us as for excluding of it from being any part of our Righteousness as also the next thing he saith concerning Paul's respecting in his preaching only the crosse of Christ for the Apostle is not there speaking meerly of the matter of our Righteousness but of the Gospel way of Salvation through a crucified Mediator which the wisdom of this world despised And to this sure our Author will willingly acknowledge that more belongeth than his death abstractivly considered His fourth ground is from Heb. 10 18. whence it followeth saith he that iâ— nothing which is in Christ himself before his death consisteth the remission of our sins so consequently our righteousness Ans. We willingly grant that in nothing that Christ did before his death considered abstractly from his death and separatly by it self did remission of sins consist or to speak more properly was satisfaction made in order to remission Yet hence it will not follow that all his preceeding obedience was no part of his Righteousness or of that whereof we are made partakers in him more than it will follow that it was not requisite in him to the end he might become Righteousness to us If any said as he seemeth to alleige that all our iniquities both original actual were pardoned in his preceeding actual obedience which I shall be loath to say nor know I who speaketh so then his argueing were good that then Christ should be made to dye without a cause If any say as he insinuateth also pag. 104. that Christ was offered only to remove the punishment of our sin and not the sin or guilt thereof I shall not approve of it Yet I cannot assent to what he saith Ibid. That the very offering of Christ for sin secludes all things preceeding whatsoever from all vertue or efficacy of removing iniquity for then it should seclude his soul sufferings which sure were no small part of the Satisfaction made by him for sin Neither will it hence follow that all his foregoing acts of obedience made no integral part of that Surety-Righteousness which he undertook to performe He citeth for his first ground 1. Ioh. 1 7. To which we say That it is true the bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin because it was the bloud of him who had fulfilled all Righteousness in his death had compleeted that Satisfaction he undertook to do He tels us againe pag. 105. from Rom. 4. That unto eternal blessedness it is sufficient to have remission of sins But he remembereth not that all such as have remission of sins there have Righteousness also imputed without works we deny that Righteousness consisteth in remission of sins alone But in all this he is disputing only against such who say that remission of sins is had by the imputation of Christ's actual obedience by his death freedome from punishment is obtained with such I have nothing to do To what he here addeth of the difference betwixt an innocent man a just man enough hath been said already elsewhere His sixt last ground pag. 108. is builded upon the Law of the Priesthood which saith he was ordained of God for this end to make expiation of our sins to bring us unto God which two were shadowed in two actions in the day of Expiation viz. in offering sacrifice c. in carrylng the names of the tribes ingraven in the stones on his shoulder brest plate And this is so far from making against us that it consirmeth rather our opinion for that carrying of the names of the Tribes on the Ephod which was upon the other holy garments together with that plate of pure gold that was upon the mitre on the forefront having engraven upon it HOLINESS TO THE LORD Exod. 28. was sufficient to typifie hold forth Christ's holy obedience Righteousnest could not typifie his death sacrifice And without a Righteousness there is no coming or approaching unto God this Righteousness is some other thing than meer remission of sins His argueing from the Priests first entry on their office at 30. Yeers of age Christ's doing the like Luk. 3 21. to inferre that no action performed by Christ before that time can be accounted the action of expiation of sin or of reconciliation of us to God is most vaine for 1 we make no limitation or restriction of his expiatory work to what he did before he was 30 yeers of age 2
of what is denied to wit that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word becoming man did become upon that account necessarily subject to the Law for himself His 2. Arg. is If Christ did performe active obedience in our room so as it might be imputed to us unto Righteousness then we should be no longer obliged to performe active obedience to the Law The reason of this he taketh from the like saying as we are not obliged to undergo eternal death because Christ hath sustained that in our room Ans. To this enough hath been said elsewhere I shall only here say That it will no more hence follow than from the Satisfaction of Christ whatever Socinians alleige that we are loosed from all obedience to the Law but only that we are loosed from that obedience which was required under the Old Covenant of works to wit to perfecte obedience thereby obtaine the prize as our reward of debt and faile in the least lose all which were the Conditions of the Old Covenant and as to this we deny the minor He replieth by denying what is now in question to wit That Christ performed active obedience in our room to procure eternal life to us affirming that he was bound to do it for himself so did merite nothing to ut thereby Ans. This is but what was said above hence it is cleare that in his judgment Christ wrought for the crown of glory to himself did merite it to himself so had no Right thereto before by vertue of his hypostatical union let be possession albeit all the Angels were to worshipe him his throne was for ever ever Heb. 1 6 8. He addeth If notwithstanding of Christ's active satisfaction we be obliged to satisfie actively so notwithstanding of his passive satisfaction we should be bound to satisfie passively that is suffer eternal death Ans. All the obedience now required is no satisfaction to the Old Covenant-Conditions Christ hath satisfied that and left no part thereof for us to do And therefore it will not follow that we are bound to suffer eternal death or any part of the Curse as such To that answere that some gave that by Christ's active obedience we have this advantage that we are more obliged unto rigide exact obedience He replieth That then we should not sin by short-coming or negligence Ans. But by that rigide exact obedience is not meaned full conformitie unto the Law but such a conformitie as was the Condition of the Old Covenant as is said that is we are now freed from obtaining the crown or right thereto by perfect conformity which to us is impossible from loseing of the crown upon the least escape or failing All obedience runneth now in another channel though the commands the Law as a Law rule of walk remaine the same His 3. Arg. is The Scripture every where speaking of our justification pardon mentioneth Christ's passive not his active obedience As Esai 53 5 6. Rom. 3 24 25. 5 9. Gal. 3 13. 1. Ioh. 1 7. Ans. It is denied that the Scripture doth every where mentione only Christ's passive obedience and the contrary hath been frequently showne And as to the places mentioned none of them containe any exclusive particle or hinte the exclusion of his active obedience And our Adversaries themselves must understand these the like passages Synecdochically otherwayes they shall exclude Christ's soul sufferings as well as his active obedience restrick all to his death bloud shed on the crosse which yet they will not do Now followeth his answere to some Arguments for the contrary Arg. 1. Two things are required unto our Salvation delivery from death the gift of life that is had by expiation of sin by his suffering this by the donation of Righteousness or imputation of his active obedience He answereth The passive obedience of Christ both expiateth sin giveth life his death giveth life 1. Pet. 2 24 3 18. Ans. True but the reason is because it was the death of one who had fulfilled all Righteousness we need not speak of his obedience of his sufferings so distinctly as to ascribe to each severally these several effects It is better I judge to take both conjunctly as one compleet Righteousness for us one meritorious cause of all the benefites procured thereby Arg. 3. for the Arg. 2. I passe as judging it not cogent The actual disobedience of Adam made us sinners He answereth If by actual obedience of Christ in the Conseq his active obedience be understood for his passive may also be called actual in that actually not potentially only he suffered that imputed to us the consequens is denied for Christ's passive obedience imputed hath restored unto us what we lost by Adam's disobedience Ans. But thus the comparison that Paul maketh Rom. 5. betwixt Adam's disobedience Christ's obedience is taken away He opposeth the Righteousness of Christ to the offence of Adam now Christ's death suffering is no where called his Righteousness So he opposeth obedience to disobedience therefore as the disobedience was the violation of the Law obedience must be the keeping of the Law Christ's death imputed is no Righteousness answering the commands of the Law and therefore though it did merite the recovery of what we lost in Adam being the death of one that fulfilled all Righteousness Yet considered abstractly by it self without his active obedience it cannot be our formal Righteousness with which we must be covered as having which we must be considered when justified of God who pronunceth none Righseous but such as are Righteous indeed Arg. 4. With Christ's active obedience his passive was conjoined He ans Denying the conseq that therefore the one cannot be imputed without the other for things conjunct can be distinguished as the one can be known so also imputed without the other Ans. But they are so conjoined as being integral parts of one compleat Surety-Righteousness Satisfaction for our debt therefore belong to his Estate of humiliation during which in all his obedience there was suffering for a part of his subjection was that he was made under the Law even under the commanding power thereof because otherwayes being God Man in one person he was not subject to the Law as a Viator in reference to himself So in all his sufferings there was obedience And what is thus inseparably conjoined we ought not to separate especially seing our case necessity calleth for the imputation of both Arg. 5. If only Christ's passive obedience were imputed then only the halfe of Christ should be given unto us contrary to Esai 9 6. He Ans. denying the Conseq because it is one thing to be given to us another thing to be imputed even Christ's humanity deity is given unto us Ans. But Christ was so given as that all he did suffered as such a given publick person
which our case called for was to be made over to us in order to our receiving the grand benefites of pardon life Now it was necessary for us to have a Righteousness consisting in perfect obedience to the Law because of that Constitution Do this live Suffering as such is no obedience to the Law He addeth Their opinion is hard who deny that Christ's passive obedience is imputed to us unto Righteousness that it is the cause of the reward or of life eternal How could Christ's blood purge us from all sin if it were not the Cause of our Righteousness how should he give his flesh for the life of the world if life were not restored to us thereby hoâ— should we be healed by his stripes if we were not sanctified by him how should Christ's death be our life if we gote not life thereby betwixt freedone from the Curse of the Law right to the everlasting inheritaâ—ce there is no middle state Ans. 1 We deny only that Christ's passive obedience alone is imputed to us unto Righteousness for alone considered being only the paying of the penalty it is not the Righteousness required in the Law 2 The paying of a penalty though it may deliver from punishment yet cannot procure a right to the reward promised to keeping of the Law as is manifest therefore Christ's passive obedience considered alone cannot procure a right to that reward of life that was promised to the fulfilling of the Law by obedience 3 Christ's blood being the blood of one that fulfilled also the Law and conjunct with that obedience both purgeth from sin meriteth life And so we say of the rest following only I cannot see how pertinently in the last sanctification is mentioned for we are speaking of right to life eternal 4 It is true as to us now there is no midd'le state betwixt freedom from the Curse of the Law Right to the Inheritance â— because Christ's whole obedience both active passive is imputed as a compleat Satisfaction Righteousness whereby we come to obtaine both a freedome from the Curse a right to the Inheritance But in Adam before he fell there was a middle state for so long as he stood he was free of the Curse yet was to finish his course of obedience in order to obtaining the right to the promised reward unless it be said that no more was promised than the continuance of what he possessed It was excpted That the Law is not fulfilled by suffering the punishment for the Law the command is one but punishment fulfilleth not the commandement it only satisfieth the threatning Therefore the suffering of the punishment can not be the cause of the reward He ans by denying the Antec saying that by suffering of the punishment the Law is fulfilled by the Mediator partly formally in that he suffered the punishment due to us by the Law partly efficiently in that by his sufferings he not only took away the Curse but acquired a holiness to us with holiness life eternal Ans. This answere is no way satisfying for suffering of the punishment as such is no obedience to the Law and of the fulfilling of the Law by obedience to the commands thereof did the Exception only speak no man will say that such as are now suffering the punishment in hell are any way fulfilling the Law Neither is that holiness procured by Christ's death any fulfilling of the Law according to the Old Covenant such a fulfilling is required in order to the obtaining of a right to the reward of life promised in that Covenant He answereth againe that when the threatning of the Law is satisfied that is done which the Law commandeth to be done so in part the Law is fulfilled Ans. Suffering as such is no commanded thing the Law constituting a penalty maketh only suffering to be due but doth not enjoine any suffering So that though the Law be satisfied with a Satisfaction laid down by another so far as that the other is not to suffer Yet by this paying of the penalty the Lawes commands are not fulfilled in whole nor in part And the Law as to the commands must be fulfilled ere a right to the reward promised to obedienceâ— be obtained Arg. 6. is taken from passages of Scripture mentioning the active obedience of Christ such as Dan. 9 24. Ier. 23 6. 1. Cor. 1 30. Rom. 5 19. Phil. 2 8. He Ans. 1. That these places do not prove that Christ's active obedience is imputed so as by it we are accounted observers of the Law Ans. These passages sufficiently prove that his active obedience belongeth to that Righteousness Satisfaction which is imputed unto us the fruites of the Righteousness of Christ imputed are here as well ascribed to his active as to his passive obedience of the places in particular we have said enough elsewhere our disput here is not about imputation but about that which is imputed or that which is reckoned to us as our Righteousness this we say cannot be pure suffering of the penalty for that as such is no Righteousness nor no where is it so called He Ans. 2. That it only followeth that the reforming of our corrupt nature could not be had from Christ by Christ without his active obedience Ans. The same may as well be said of the passive obedience so the cause shall be yeelded unto the Socinians But the matter is clear That Christ is our compleat Righteousness not effectivly for he worketh no compleat legal Righteousness in us that is a Righteousness according as was required in the Old Covenant And beside the expiation of sin he brought in a Righteousness which is called everlasting Dan. 9 24. which can not be understood of our imperfect sanctification And beside that he is our Sanctification he is our Righteousness 1. Cor. 1 30. therefore must be our Righteousness another way than by working it in us for so is he our Sanctification And Rom. 5. our justification life is directly ascribed to his Obedience Righteousness To that Phil. 2 8. he saith The meaning is that Christ from his birth to his death did so accommodate himself to his Fathers will that he suffered all most patiently that was to suffer even the cursed death of the crosse Ans. It was a suffering of what he was to suffer even to come under the Law for that was a part of his humiliation the text saith he humbled himself became obedient and there is no ground to restrick the word Obedient to his suffering only Arg. 7. Christ was made under the Law for us Gal. 4 4 5. He Ans. He was made under the Law for our good that he might be a fit Mediator Ans. Why may not we as well admit the same sense of Christ's being said to be made a curse for us to wit that it was only for our good and so give up the Cause
sufficiat non est pallium breve quod secundum Prophetam non possit operireduos justitia tua justitia in aeternum te pariter me opertet larga aeterna justitiâ— in me quidem operit multitudinem delictorum i. e. Shall I make mention of my Righteousness Lord I will make mention of thine only for that is also mine because thou art made of God unto me Righteousness Is it to be feared that that one shall not serve two It is not a short cloak that according to the Prophet cannot cover two thy Righteousness is an everlasting Righteousness that large eternal Righteousness shall cover both thee me in me indeed it shall cover a multitude of sins Id. Dom. 1. post Octav. Epiph. Serm. 1. Veruntamen ut jam non sit quod causeris O homo contra inobedientiam Adae datur tibi obedientia Christi ut si gratis venundatus es gratis redimaris i. e. But that thou ô man should not have whereof to complean fore against the disobedience of Adam which he said before was imputed the obedience of Christ is given unto thee to the end that if thou be sold for nothing thou shalt also be redeemed for nothing Idem Epist. 190. ad Innocent Pont. Rom. Quid namque ex se agere poterat ut semel amissam justitiam recuperaret homo servus peccati vinctus diaboli assignata est ei proinde aliena qui caruiâ— sua ipsa sic est Venit Princeps mundi in Salvatore non invenit quicquam cum nihilominus innocenti manus injecit justissime quos tenebat amisit quando is qui morti nihil debebat accepta mortis injuria jure illum qui obnoxius erat mortis debito Diaboli solvit Dominio Qua enim justitia id secundo exigeretur homo siquidem qui debuit homo qui solvit nam si unus inquit pro omnibus mortuus est ergo omnes mortui sunt ut viz saâ— factio unius omnibus imputetur sicut omnium peccata unus ille portavit nec alter jam inveniatur qui forte fecit alter qui satisfecit quia Caput Corpus unus est Christus Satisfecit ergo Caput pro membris Christus pro Visceribus suis c. quod si dixerit Pater tuus addixit te Respondebâ— sed Frater men's redemit me cur non aliunde justitia quia aliunde reatus alius qui peccatorem constituit alius qui justificat a peccato alter in semine alter in sanguine An peccatum in semine peccatoris non justitia in sanguine Christi non convenit filium portare iniquitatem patris fraternâ— fieri exortem justitiae i. e. For what could man a servant of sin a bound slave of the devil do of himself to recover the Righteousness which he had once lost Therefore another is assigned unto him because he wanted his own the same is so The Prince of the world came found nothing in the Saviour when notwithstanding he put hands on the Innocent he lost those most justly when he held when he who owed nothing to death having received the injurie of death he did by right loose him who was liable to the debt of death deliver him from the Dominion of Satan for by what Right could he exact that the second time seing as it was man who owed so it was man who payed for if one he saith died for all then are all dead that to wit the Satisfaction of one might be imputed to all as that one did bear the sins of all Neither now is it found that one did the wrong another satisfied for the Head the body are one Christ the Head therefore did satisfie for the members Christ for his own bowels But if he shall say Thy Father bound thee over I shall answer but my Brother hath redeemed me why should not Righteousness be from another as guilt was from another one who made man a sinner another who justifieth from sin the one in the seed the other in blood Was sin in the seed of a sinner shall not Righteousness be in the bloud of Christ. It is not right that the Son should bear the iniquity of the Father be defrauded of the Righteousness of his Brother Idem Serm. ad Milites Templi c. 1. Qui peccati meritum tulit suam nobis donando justitiam ipse meritis debitum solvit reddit vitam sic namque mortua morte revertitur vita quemadmodum ablato peccato redit justitia porro mors in Christi morte fugatur Christi nobis justitia imputatur c. Qui nostram induit carnem subiit mortens putas suam nobis negabit justitiam Voluntarie incarnatus voluntarit passus voluntarie crucifixus solam à nobiâ— retinebit justitiam afterward ibid. Unus peccavit omnes tenentur rei unius innocentia soli reputabitur uni Unius peccatum omnibus operatum est mortem unius justitia uni viâ—am restituet Haud Dei justitia magis ad condemnâ—ndum quam ad restaurandum valuit aut plus potutt Adam in malo quà m Christus in bono Adae peccatum imputabitur mihi Christi justitia non pertinebit ad me i. e. He who took away the desert of sin giving to us his Righteousness the same by his merites paid the debt restored life for if death be dead life returneth even as sin being taken away Righteousness returneth Moreover death is banished away in Christ's death and Christ Righteousness is imputed to us c. He who took on our flesh underwent death thinks thou that he shall deny to us his Righteoysness He who willingly was incarnate willingly suffered willingly was crucified shall he withold his Righteousness from us?-one man sinned all are guilty shall the innocency of one be accounted only to one One mans sin hath wrought death unto all shall the Righteousness of one restore life only to one Shall God's Righteousness be more powerfull to condemne than to restore Could Adam do more in sin than Christ in good Shall Adam's sin be imputed unto me shall not Christ's Righteousness belong unto me Ambros. lib. 3. de Virginit p. 100. Omâ—ia Iesus est nobis si volumus Si vulnus curari defideras Medicus est Si febribus aestuas sons est Si gravaris iniquitate justitia est si auxilio indiges virtus est Si mortem times vita est si câ—lum desideras via est si tenebras fugis luxest si cibum quaeris alimentum est i. e. Christ is all things to us if we be willing if thou desirest to have thy wound cured he is the chyrurgen if thou burn with feavers he is a fountain If thou be burdened with sin he is Righteousnâ—ss If thou want help he is vertue If thou fear death he is the life if thou desirest heaven he is the
holy men how farther they advance in the truth please themselves the less therefore do more understand that they have need of Christ of his Righteousness given unto them wherefore they relinquish themselves and leane upon Christ alone This cometh not to passe because they become of a more base Law spirit Yea the further they advance in holiness they are of greater spirits see more clearly FINIS Arguments against Universal Redemption AS concerning the point of Universal Redemption we finde various sentiments or various explications of the matter given to us by Adversaries for they do not all agree in their apprehensions of the thing Some explaine the matter thus God sent his only begotten Son to be a Redeemer and Propitiator for Adam and all his Posterity who by his death did pacific an angry God and restore Mankinde to their lost inheritance so as all who are now condemned are not condemned for their former sins and guilt for Christ hath abundantly satisfied for these but for their Unbeleef for not beleeving in the Redeemer of the world and for rejecting the Reconciliation made the grace of God declared in the word And thus they must say that Christ hath died for all sinnes but Unbeleefe and that salvation doth not certainly follow upon this Reconciliation and so that it is rather a Reconciliableness than a Reconciliation and they must necessarily maintaine that this matter is revealed unto all and every son of Adam who otherwise cannot be guilty of Rejecting this reconciliation other wayes it shall be of no advantage to them unless they say that the want of the Revelation putteth them out of a capacity of being guilty of Unbeleefe and so they must necessarily be saved and thus their condition shall be undoubtedly better than is the condition of such as hear the Gospel and then the revelation of the Gospel shall be no Favour but a Prejudice rather And in reference to this they devise an Universal Antecedanious Love whereby God out of his Infinite Goodness was inclined to desire the happiness and salvation of every mothers son and therefore to send his Son to die for as if God had such Natural Necessary Inclinations and as if all his Love to Mankinde and every appointment of his concerning us were not the free act of his good pleasure and as if there were any such Antecedent Conditional will in God that could or might have no issue or accomplishment but as Lord Freewil would and as if the Love that sent Christ were only such a Poor Conditional Inclination towards all Mankinde which the Scripture holdeth forth as the greatest of Loves as the ground or all the Effects Grants which mans full Salvation calleth for But why could not this Love effectuat the good of all Therefore they tell us that Justice being injured by sin unless it were satisfied that Love of God whereby he wisheth well to all sinners could effectuat nothing as to the recovery of any upon this ground they imagine Christ was sent to make an Universal Atonement so Justice being satisfied might not obstruct the salvation of any whose Freewill would consent unto termes of new to be proposed Others hold forth the matter thus Christ according to the eternal Counsel of God did properly die for this end and by his propitiatory sacrifice obtaine that all and every man who beleeve in Him should for his sake actually obtaine Remission of sins Life Eternal but others in case they would Repent Beleeve might obtaine it But thus we hear no word of Christs obtaining any thing to any in particular no word of his obtaining Faith Repentance and what Counsel of God can this be to send Christ to die for persons upon that condition which he knew they would not could not performe And what by this meanes hath Christs Propitiatory Sacrifice obtained more than a meer possibility of salvation to either one or other Shall we imagine that God designeth good to persons who shall never enjoy it Or that God hath Conditional Intentions Designes By this means Christs death was designed and no person designed thereby to be saved yea Christ should be designed to die and that for no certain end unless to procure a meer possibility by stopping the mouth of justice that it should not stand in the way but then we can not say that God sent Christ to die for any man much less for all Others express the matter thus Christ out of the gracious Decree Purpose of God did undergoe death that he might procure obtaine Reconciliation with God for all sinners whatsomever without any difference before that God would open againe the door of salvation enter into a new Covenant of Grace with sinners But this Reconciliation hath no more force or import but that God might enter againe into a Covenant with sinners and so there is no Actual Reconciliation of sinners unto God And all that is obtained is for God nothing for man save a Possibility of Salvation by a new Covenant nor are we told whether Christ hath satisfied for the breach of the First Covenant so that that sin is fully pardoned unto all or not untill the condition of the second Covenant be performed nor are we told upon what account the sins against the second Covenant are pardoned Or if they be unpardonable Others explaine the matter thus Christ died for all and every man not only that God might without any violation of Justice enter into a new Covenant with sinners upon what condition he pleased but that it should be upon this Condition that man should be united with Christ the Cautioner and not only that Redemption Salvation should be possible to all but that really most certainly Salvation should be bestowed on such as Christ thought good But seing Christ knew that his death would profite none but these few whom he had designed to what purpose should he have laid downe his life for the rest And how can his death be a price of Redemption for the rest How can Christ be said to satisfie for the rest Did he purchase Faith to these few and would he not purchase Faith to the rest yet lay downe the great price for them What was the end obtained for the rest was it only a Possible Call of all Justice bein satisfied But of what import could that Possible Call be if Salvation was not also possible unto them And whereunto is that Call They will not say it is unto Salvation but to Faith But did not Christ know that this call would not be obeyed by them Did he procure Grace unto them to obey it then he procured Faith and if he procured Faith than he procured Salvation Againe if Justice be satisfied for these others why are they not liberat If they say the new Condition is not fulfilled Then it cannot be simply said that Christ satisfied Justice on their behalfe for
1. Cor. 15 3. Christ died for our sinnes 1. Pet. 2 24. who his owne self bear our sinnes in his own body on the tree by whose stripes we are healed How can we then imagine that all this was a meer may be seing he was so bruised for our iniquities so died for our sins so bear our sinnes in his own body as that thereby all in whose room he stood are healed by his stripes The Apostle doth moreover fully clear this matter Rom. 5 6. Christ died for the ungodly was this for all Or was it to have an uncertaine End effect No vers 9. much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The ungodly and the sinners for whom he died are such as become justified by his blood shall at length be fully saved from wrath And againe vers 10. for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Upon his death followeth Reconciliation with God then Salvation and his death is for no more than his life is for By him also they receive an atonement vers 11. As the consequences effects of Adam's sin did Certainly and not by a may be redownd to all that he represented engadged for so the fruites effects of Christ's death do as certainly come unto such as are his as the Apostle cleareth in the following verses laying the advantage on the side of Christ his vers 15. much more the Grace of God and the gift by grace by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many vers 16. but the free gift is of many offences unto justification vers 17. much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the Gift of Righteousness shall reigne in life by one Iesus Christ vers 18. even so by the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life vers 19. so by the obedience of one shall many be made Righteous vers 21. so might grace reigne through Righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Is all this a Common thing and a meer may be or Possibility Ioh. 10 11. he giveth his life for his sheep vers 15. But may they for all that perish No in no wise vers 28. and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish He came that they might have life and might have it more abundantly vers 10. To the same purpose he saith Ioh. 6 33. that he giveth life unto the world not such a life sure as may never quicken any Upon Christ's death doth the Apostle inferre Rom. 8 32. that the Elect shall have all things vers 33 34 35. that they are free from all Accusations or any Hazard therefrom being justified and having Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession to secure them at all hands thereupon they have assurance that nothing shall separate them from the love of God Act. 20 28. Christ hath purchased a Church with his own blood The whole world is not this Church nor is this purchase an uncertane may be And all this Real Certaine Effect of Christ's death was foretold by Daniel Chap. 9 24 to finish the transgresion and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness c. And who can imagine that this is Universal or Uncertane If we will 7. Consider some other Ends of the death of Christ which the Scripture pointeth forth which are not to be found among Heathens or any except the few Chosen ones Ordained to life we shall see how unreasonable the Adversaries are Gal. 4 5. Christ died to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sones Was this end fruit left at an Uncertanty Shall we thinks that Christ might have died yet one man receive this Adoption Was this Adoption purchased upon an uncertain Condition Or was this purchased equally for all Then such as received it might have thanked their owne well natured Freewill upon that account But let us consider some other fruits Gal. 1 4. who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world So 1. Pet. 2 24. He bear our sins in his own body on the tree but for what end That we being dead to sin should live unto Righteousness Chap. 3 18. Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust To what end and purpose To bring us to God Heb. 10 10. by the which will we are sanctified How came this to passe Through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all So he suffered without the gate that he might sanctify the people Chap. 13 12. Revel 1 5 6. he loved us and washed us from our sins in his owne blood But was this all No it is added And hath made us Kings Priests unto God and his Father So Ch. 5 9 10. thou was â—tain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and what more And hast made us unto our God Kings Priests c. So 2. Cor. 5 15. He died for all But for what end and purpose That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe See Col. 1 22. These the like passages do clearly pointe forth a special end of Christ's Death which was designed both by the Father that sent him by himself and shall we suppose that this great chiefe designe was made to hang upon the lubrick uncertain will of man Shall Christ be beholden to mans good will for the purchase he made at so dear a rate If not why are not all these ends attained in all for whom he died Did Christ fail in laying down the Ransome Or doth not the Father keep condition Who can say either of these Then surely there can be no reason to say that Christ made an uncertain bargain purchased only a Possibility of these fruites which he knew not if ever he should attaine in any one Nor to say that he died for all Let us further 8. take notice That for whom Christ died he died to take away their sins And that so as they may be fully Pardoned never brought on reckoning againe that is that they be Remitted Pardoned and that the poor sinner may not suffer therefore This sure must be the import of that prayer forgive us our trespasses If then Christ by his death hath taken away sin and purged it away making satisfaction to justice therefore how can we think that justice can punish the sinner in hell fire for these same sinnes But let us see what the Scripture saith 1. Ioh. 3 5. he was manifested to take away our sins Ephes. 1 7. we have redemption in his blood what Redemption forgiveness of sins according to the riches of
did know then sure this death was more particularly designedly intended for them than for the rest and upon what account to what end should Christ lay down his life a Ransome for such as he knew certainly should never be the better thereof And why would the Father send him to die for such 3. This Condition is either in mans sole power without the help of the Grace of God to performe or not If it be in mans power from what Scripture shall this Pelagianisme be confirmed How shall then the new Covenant of Grace be distinguished in specie from the Covenant of Works made with Adam If this Condition be not in mans power but the Grace of God must work it Then either God will work it in all or not If not why would God purchase good things to people upon a Condition which they could not performe which he alone could work in them resolved not to worke in them If he will worke it in all then all shall certainly be saved Againe if this Condition be the free gift of God then either God will give it Absolutely to all and so all shall certainly be saved or Absolutely to some then none but they shall be saved and why should Christ die for the rest Or Conditionally to all And if so the doubt will recurre concerning that Condition which either must be Absolutely given so we are where we were or Conditionally and so still the doubt recurreth 4. This condition is either purchased by Christ or it is not If not then we owe no thanks to Christ for it nor for what is obtained upon that Condition more then others who performe not the Condition so obtaine nothing but to ourselves only who make ourselves to differ and so may we sing praises to ourselve put the crown upon our owne heads and give no song of praise to the Redeemer but what such as go to hell are bound to give contrary to all Christian Religion If Christ hath purchased this Condition then it is done either Absolutly of Conditionally If Absolutely than all shall Absolutely have it if Conditionally we enquire what is the Condition And whatever it be we may move the same questions concerning it 5. By this meanes the act should creatits owne object for Faith in the death of Christ is ordinarily given as the Condition and this faith maketh the death of Christ valide which otherwayes would not be 6. This maketh all the vertue of Christs death to depend upon mans act so that if man will all shall be saved if not no man shall be saved notwithstanding that Christ died for them 7. This makes Christ but at most a half Mediator doing one part of the work and man coming in to compleete it must be the other half mediator and so at least must have the halfe of the Praise 8. where saith the Scripture that if we beleeve Christ died for us or that Christ died for all or for any Conditionally It is true some of the effects of Christ's death are bestowed Conditionally taking the word conditionally not properly as if the performance of that Condition did in proper Law sense procure a right to these mercies for through the merites of Christ's blood have we a right properly to all but improperly as denoteing nothing but the Methode way of God's bestowing the blessings purchased first this and then upon the souls acting of that another as for example first faith then upon the souls acting of Faith Justification then Sanctification c. and upon the souls acting of Sanctification Glorification but the death of Christ cannot therefore be called Conditional more than the will or purpose of God can be called conditional because some of the things willed may depend upon other as upon a condition 9. Then by performing the Condition man should procure to himself a Legal Right and Title not only to the death of Christ but to Justification Adoption Sanctification yea to Glorification yea and that a more near effectual Title Right than what was had by Christ's death for the Title had by Christ's death if it can be called a Title was far Remore Common to such as shall never have any profite by it but the other is Certain Particular Proxime giveth possession â—us in re 10. Then Christ's blood as shed upon the crosse was but a Poâ—â—ntial thing having no power or vertue in it self to redeem any it was but a poor Potential price and all its vertue of actual purchasing procureing is from mans performing the Condition this and this only giveth it Power Efficacy and so Christ is beholden to man for giving vertue unto his Blood and making it effectual which before was a deadineffectual thing Then let any judge who should have the greatest share of the Glory of Redemption Man or Christ. 11. was Christ's death Absolute in no respect or was it as to some things I mean belonging to Grace Glory Absolute if in nothing then Man must certanely have a great share of the glory if it was Absolute as to any thing what was that and why was it more Absolute as to that than as to other things And why should it then be simply without limitation said that Christ died for all Conditionally For Further confirmation of our 19. Argument confutation of our Adversaries position we adde 21. That Christ Jesus is heard of the Father in all that he asketh Psal. 2 8. Ioh. 11 41 42. and as an High Priest he entred into heaven Heb. 9 11 12. now to appear in the presence of God for us vers 24. to prepare a place Ioh. 14 2. to act the part of an Advocat interceding with the Father in the behalfe of all such for whom he died 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. If then Christ whom his Father heareth alwayes intercedeth in the behalfe all these for whom he died either he did not die for all or all must certainly be saved That Christ's Intercession Death are for the same persons will be and must be denyed by our Adversaries But to us it is most manifest from these grounds 1. To Intercede pray are as Essential Necessary Acts of the Priestly office as to offer sacrifice and the Apostle Heb. 9. cleareth up how Christ did in truth what the High Priest among the Jewes did in the type for as the High Priest alone went once every yeer into the second tabernacle or holy of holies not without blood which he offered for himself and the errours of the people vers 7. So Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle by his owne blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption vers 12. Hence he is said to Live for ever to make Intercession for us Heb. 7 25. and he is an Advocat with the Father 1. Ioh. 2 1. Hence then it is
to die for the ungodly Rom. 5 6. to be made a curse for us Gal. 3 13. and to be made sin 2. Cor. 5 21. and other expressions of the like Kind have the same import From whence it is evident that Christ took the debt upon him that was justly to be charged upon the account of sinners that he became one person in Law with sinners the principal debtor that he payed satisfied for all the debt and that in their room and place and that therefore all these for whom he died must certainly be delivered from the Debt and from the Charge Consequences thereof These things are manifest of themselves and need no further confirmation Now seing all are not delivered from the debt of sin nor from the punishment due because of sin we cannot say that Christ died as a Cautioner for all for sure his death was a compleat payment of all the debt he undertook to pay and to satisfie for Nor can we say that he died as a Cautioner for he knew not whom far lesse that he died as a Cautioner and yet none might possibly receive advantage thereby Not yet can we say that he died as a Cautioner and payed for some sinnes of all and not for all their sinnes for whom he died seing he was a Compleet Cautioner So then as Christ died in their roome stead as their Cautioner Sponsor for whom he died wrong should be done to Him if all these for whom he was a Cautioner should not at length actually be delivered out of prison freed from the accusation of the Law They for whom he died being in him legally when he died and morally virtually dying in him and with him must not in justice be made to pay their own debt satisfie the Law over againe Christ's stricking hands as the phrase is Prov. 22 26. and so putting his name in the obligation and accordingly making satisfaction the Principal 's name is blotted out and he free in the time appointed for he bare our griefs and carryed our sorrowes c. Esai 53 4 5. and by meanes of death he delivered them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Heb. 2 14 15. This matter will be further clear if we consider 26. How the death of Christ was a Satisfaction and none can deny this but Antichristian Socinian Others willingly grant that Christ did substitute himself in the room of sinners and was willing to undergo the punishment threatned in the Law against sin that the sinners for whom he undertook satisfaction might be freed So he bare their sins Esai 53 11. 1. Pet. 2 24. And he was made sin 2. Cor. 5 21. Hence he is called a Propitiation 1. Ioh. 2 3 4 10. Rom. 3 25. Whereby we see that Christ took upon him the whole Punishment that was due to sin and that God whom sinners had offended was well pleased with what he did and suffered according to that undertaking yea more pleased than he was displeased with all the sinnes of those for whom he suffered for hereby His Authority Justice was made to appear more glorious excellent How then can we think that many of those it may be all for whom he gave that satisfaction may notwithstanding possibly be made to make satisfaction for themselves as they may by our Adversaries way Was not his satisfaction full compleat Why should any then for whom he gave that satisfaction be liable to Punishment Is this consonant to justice Did not the Lord Jehovah send Christ sit him with a body for this end Psal. 40 6. Heb. 10 5. laid upon Him the iniquities of us all Esai 53 6. that He might make full satisfaction for them to justice suffer for them all that the Law could demand of them or they were liable unto by the broken Law Did not Christ do suffer all which he undertook to do suffer for this end And did not the Father accept of what he did suffered as a full Compensation Satisfaction And seing this cannot be denied it is manifest that this was done by Christ as a Cautioner Heb. 7 22. how can it be imagined that the Principal debtor shall not thereupon have a fundamental right to freedom pardon in due time after the Gospel method be actually Discharged delivered from the penalty of the Law Redeemed by the Satisfactory Price payed by the Cautioner accepted of the Creditour Doth not the denying of this certain infallible Effect call in question the value worth of Christ's satisfaction and give ground to say that Jehovah was not Satisfied with the price or that Christ made no Satisfaction Did not Christ make Reconciliation for the sinnes of his people Heb. 2 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adde for a further confirmation of this 27. That Christ's death was a propitiating sacrifice He gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes. 5 2. He offered up himself once Heb. 7 27. He is a sacrifice for us 1. Cor. 5 7. the lamb of God which beareth or taketh away she sin of the world Ioh. 1 29. He offered up himself without spot to God Heb. 9 14. he was once offered to bear the sinnes of many Heb. 9 28. we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all he offered one sacrifice for sin for ever Heb. 10 10 12. Now as the sacrifices under the Law which were a type of this did not procure a General Possible benefite but did procure a Real favour only to the People of God for they sanctified to the purifying of the flesh Heb. 9 13. So certainly this Real Perfect sacrifice must have a Peculiar Real Effect sprinkle consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9 14. And this is not a thing common to all nor is it a meer Possible thing They must then do a great indignity unto the Sacrifice of Christ who speak of an Universal meerly Possible Redemption Adde to this 28. How upon this Sacrifice which Christ offered up in his death we read of a Reconciliation made Ephes. 2 16. and that he might Reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having sâ—aine the enmity by it or in himself 2. Cor. 5. 10. when we were enemies we were Recenciled to God by the death of his Son Col. 1 20. and having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to Reconcile all things unto himself Therefore is he called our Peace Ephes 2 14. he maketh Peace vers 15. we have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 5 1. Now this Reconciliation being of parties that are at variance must be a Reconciliation of both to other and so a mutual Reconciliation and Christ effectuateth both and both are purchased by
his death we cannot then imagine with Socinians that all the Reconciliation mentioned in Scripture is of us to God as if God's Anger Wrath were not appeased taken out of the way nor with Arminians that Christ obtained an Universal Reconciliation of God to all but no Reconciliation of man to God friendship betwixt enemies must be mutual if a Reconciliation be and our state before this was enmity Rom. 5 10. Col. 1 20 21. and God's wrath was against us upon us Ephes. 2 3. Ioh. 3 36. But now how will this agree with Universal Redemption Is God Reconciled to all when many perish under his wrath for ever Can God be said to be upon the death of Christ Reconciled to all when it may so fall out that not one soul shall have peace with God How cometh it to passe that many whose Reconciliation Christ hath purchased live die enemies to God Sure the Apostle tels us 2. Cor. 5 19. that to whom God is reconciled to them he doth not impute sin he assureth us that all such as are reconciled to God by the death of his Son shall be saved Rom. 5 10. Adde 29. That it seemeth hard to say That Christ laid down his life a Price a Ransome a Sacrifice an Atonement Propitiation c. to Purchase Procure Merite Grace Glory to make Reconciliation Peace betwixt God such as were already suffering the vengeance of eternal fire to satisfie for their sinnes who were already condemned to the torments of hell fire and yet this must be said by such as assert Universal Redemption Was Christ so prodigal of his blood as to cast it away for such as were irrecoverably gone If it be said that this is no more hard than to say that Christ suffered for such as were already glorified Any may see how vast the difference is for such as were glorified were glorified upon the account of Christs Death which was to be in the time appointed designed by Father Son When one promiseth a summe for redeeming of so many slaves the summe according to mutual agreement is to be payed at such a day the slaves may be presently relieved in contemplation of the price which is accepted is to be payed hereafter at the time appointed But when one cometh to lay down Ransome-money he cannot be said to lay it downe for such are are dead that he knoweth to be dead many years ago so uncapable of Redemption Further 30. If Christ died for all then he intended to die for all then the Father also intended that he should die for all then he intended that it should be a Redemption for all that thereby all should be Redeemed for to what end else should Christ die redeem if not that such as he died for Redeemed be Redeemed Delivered Or to what other end should God intended that Christ should die for all than to the ends mentioned in Scripture of which we have spoken And how can we say that God did intend the Redemption of all when all are not actually Redeemed Are his intentions so fallible and frustrable If it be said that he Intended only a Possible Salvation and not Actual I Ans. The Scripture speaketh no such thing as we have seen And how unsuteable is it to the wisdom of God to send his Son actually to die and bear the curse and only intend thereby a Possible Redemption which might never prove Actual to any one soul If it be said That he Intended an Actual Redemption but Conditionally I Answer Redemption upon a Condition is but a Conditional Redemption that is but a Potential Possible Redemption unlesse you say that the condition is also purchased and then as to God it is an Absolute Redemption intended as such doth it suite the wisdom of God to intend Redemption to all and not intend also the Condition by which alone it must become Actual which he alone can work but will not Must we thus ascribe such intentions to God as must hang upon mans will be subordinate thereunto Or if he see that the Condition will never be performed how can we think that he intendeth any thing upon a Condition that shall never be But enough of this at present Moreover 31. This doctrine of Universal Redemption is derogatory to the solide consolation of the Redeemed Weakeneth the grounds of their song and therefore it is not to be admitted This Argument is fully solidely prosecuted and vindicated from what can be allaiged against it by the learned solide divine Mr. Durbam in his Comment on the Revelation pag. 304. 305. And to him shall I referre the Reader only I shall crave leave to adde this That by our Adversaries grounds the song of the Saved shall not run as it doth Revel 5 9 10. But rather thus We have saved our selves out of every kinred tongue people nation have made our selves unto God Kings Priests For whereas Christ by his blood Redeemed all of every kinred and tongue and people nation and not some only out of them we our selves have by our own free good will made a difference betwixt our selves and the rest and we are no more beholden to Christ for all that we have attained to then the damned in hell are for whom Christ shed his blood as well as for us to whom he purchased by his blood death as much as for us as Adversaries say So that I see not how Arminians can think to joine in this Song have any share of this Consolation which is solely founded upon the Redemption of Christ as a peculiar no common blessing Let them consider it for it concerneth them not a little seing all that come to glory will sing to the honour of their Redeemer upon other grounds as we see then these are which our Adversaries lay down and plead so earnestly for If any say that Christ moreover hath purchased faith to some even to all that are actually saved I Answer As neither the Arminians nor semi-Arminians I mean the followers of Camero will say this or grant so much so the granting of it will ever the other Universal Conditional Redemption for the Scripture speaketh but of one kind of Redemption of one Price laid down of one Covenant betwixt Jehovah the Mediator of one Giving unto Christ of Persons to be redeemed Shall we think that Christ would lay down as great a ransome for such as he was not to purchase faith unto as for the rest Shall we think that he would lay down his life in vaine make no purchase thereby And of the Reprobat for whom he was not to purchase thereby And of the Reprobat for whom he was not to purchase faith he knew he could make no purchase for without faith his death would be of no advantage unto them And where do we read that all were
exception upon condition of acceptance as also an offer of Faith Repentance Conversion with all the consequences thereof 7. An Universal will in God to call into this Covenant and unto the Participation of the benefites thereof all every man 8. An Universal execution of this will or promulgation of this Gospel or New Covenant unto all every one by common favours benefites bestowed on all whereby all are called to believe in a merciful pardoning God and all have abundance of Mercies Meanes of Recovery of life for the Lord now governeth the world only on termes of grace 9. Upon this followeth an Universal Command to all men to use certaine duties meanes for their Recovery by Faith Repentance 10. An Universal pardon of the first Sin so far at least that no man shall perish for the meer Original sin of Nature alone unless he adde the rejection of grace 11. Hence followeth an Universal Judgment Sentence on all in the great day only according as they have performed the new Gospel Conditions 12. Some also adde an Universal Subjective Grace whereby all are enabled to performe the conditions of the new Covenant 13. Universal proper Fruits Effects of this death whereby all the outward favours that Heathens enjoy are said to be purchased for them by Christ why not also what Devils enjoy Finally 36. This assertion of Universal Redemption layeth the ground of maketh way to a new frame of the Covenant of Grace quite overturning its Nature and transforming it into a new Covenant of Works making it one the same with that as to kinde only to differ as to the change of Conditions to be performed by man for as in the first Covenant Adam was to obtain right to possession of life promised in by for through and upon the account of his fulfilling the Condition of perfect obedience imposed by the Lord so in the New Covenant man is to obtaine acquire to himself a right to possession of the Life promised in by for through upon the account of his performance of the Condition of Faith new obedience now imposed in the Gospel and all the difference is that in stead of perfect obedience to the Law which was the Condition of the first Covenant now Faith sincere Gospel Obedience is made the Condition And thus we can no less he said to be justified by works of the Law or which we do then Adam should have been said to have been so justified had he stood and this justification giveth as great ground of boasting unto man of making the reward of debt not of grace as justification by the first Covenant would have done for though it be said that Christ hath made satisfaction to justice for the breach of the first Law thereby purchased to all upon Condition Justification Salvation yet this removeth not the difficulty for what is purchased by Christ's death is made Universal Common to all and so can be nothing according to our Adversaries but a putting of all men in statu quo prius in case to run obtaine the prize for themselves as God's absolute free love put Adam in that Condition at first Christ's death though thereby as they say he purchased the New Covenant which with them is the chiefe if not the only effect fruit of his Death Merites can be no more than a very remote ground of Right to Life Salvation unto any person for it is made Universal Common to all so that all have equal share therein advantage thereby man himself by performing the new Conditions only making the difference so that the immediat ground of the Right to life which any have is their own Faith Obedience or performance of the New Covenant-conditions Whereby it is manifest that as to our Particular and Immediat Right to Happiness we are to plead our own works lean to them as our ground whereupon we may stand appear before God's Tribunal and upon the account thereof plead for the crown as our due debt having now run for it performed the Condition agreed upon and so sing praises to our selves in stead of singing praises to our Redeemer Hence the Righteousness wherein we must appear before God is not the Righteousness of Christ but our own for the Righteousness of Christ say they is only imputed in regard of its effects whereof the new Covenant is the All or the Chiefe and so that doth not become the Righteousness of any man nor can be said to be imputed to any man properly which also they assert but his own Faith is only imputed properly which also they plead for as his Righteousness not as a Way Medium or Methode of Gospel-Righteousness especially when Gospel-Obedience is adjoyned The Righteousness of Christ being thereby only accounted to be imputed in that it hath procured that our own Gospel Righteousness Faith new Obedience shall be imputed to us as our Immediat Righteousness the ground of our Right to Glory What accord is betwixt this frame of the Covenant of Grace that way of justification held forth by Socinians Arminians Papists the learned will easily see and how contrary it is to the Covenant of Grace held forth in the Gospel hitherto professed maintained by the orthodox every one acquainted therewith cannot be ignorant it is obvious how opposite this is unto what the Apostle saith Phil. 3 8 9. yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith And Tit. 3 5 6 7. Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace we should be made heâ—rs according to the hope of eternal life And Rom. 3 20 21 22 24. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified but now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifest even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ. And many other places It is no less clear how hereby the true nature of justifying faith and Gospel Obedience is perverted withall how dangerous this is if put into practice or if men act live accordingly every serious exercised Christian knoweth FINIS The Contents of the Chapters CHAP. I. THE Introduction to the Work and the Text Gal 3.