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 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
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
satisfie that demand by dying the shameful death of the cross undergoing the wrath curse due to us for sin thereby making a more perfect Satisfaction unto the Sanction and threatning part of the Law than we could have done by lying in hell for ever more And by faith closeing with Christ resting upon Him as such a satisfying Cautioner Redeemer the sinner acknowledgeth the Law in all its force confessing himself a Transhressour and obnoxious to the Curse now presenting to the Law Law-giver the obedience Satisfaction of Christ whereby both its commands Sanction are fully answered resting thereupon as the only ground of his Absolution from the sentence of the Law for his guilt and of his right to the Crown which he formerly had forfeited 4. Here is another mystery That such as are unrighteous and Ungodly should be declared and pronunced Righteous In justification the person is declared not guilty of what was laid to his charge in order to punishment that juridically and so he is declared free from the punishment that the Accuser was seeking to have inflicted upon him and so is declared pronunced to be a righteous man though not one that hath not sinneth yet now one that is juridically righteous But how can this be seing every man and woman is guilty before God and is come short of the glory of God The mystery lyeth here as was said The righteousness of their Cautioner Christ is reckoned upon their score and is imputed to them they receive it by faith and so it becometh theirs for now by faith they are united unto Christ become members of His mystical body He being the Head and true Representative thereby He and they are one Person in Law being one Spirit as the Husband and the Wife are one person in Law being one flesh and as the Representer and Represented the Cautioner principal debtor and thus they have a true Interest in His Righteousness obedience to the Law which He yeelded not upon His own account being not obliged thereunto antecedently to His own voluntary condescension for us for as to His person He was God and so not obnoxious to any such Law imposed upon man who is in the way to the obtaining of a Crown as the end of his race yea nor was this requisite as to His humane Nature which by vertue of the personal union with the God-head was as to it self either in Patria and in possession of the State of blessedness or in a capacity thereto without working therefore And it is certaine that therefore His being made under the Law was for His owne people that in their room He might in the Nature of Man give perfect obedience to the Law and so make up a righteousness with which they might all become clothed by Imputation on Gods part by faith receiving it on their part and so be justified Hence-saith the Apostle by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5 19. And thus are they who are unrighteous in themselves being Transgressours of the Law constituted righteous as to the Commands of the Law by the righteousness of their Cautioner As also they are though guilty in themselves obnoxious to wrath yet pronunced free and absolved from that charge by the Imputation of the Satisfaction of Christ made in His sufferings death who did bear our griefs and carry our sorrowes and was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed Esai 53 4 5. 1 Pet. 2 24. And his own self bear our sins in His own body on the tree 3. There is likewise a mystery here That the Imputation of the obedience and Righteousness of Christ doth not take away the Imputation of His Satisfaction nor make His Satisfaction useless of no Importance or necessity as Socinians imagine who cast the whole Gospel in the mould of their own corrupt Reason and understanding For they think if Christs Righteousness be imputed to us we are perfectly righteous and if we be perfectly righteous we have no sin if we have no sin there is no need of Satisfaction for our sin But they little consider that we are both guilty of the broken Law and also nothwithstanding obliged to perfect obedience It is unreasonable to think that Adam by his breach of the Law was exeemed delivered from any obligation to obey the Law sin doth not neither can dissolve that obligation otherwayes the best way of being freed from the Lawes of God or Man were to break them cast them at our heels We then being transgressours still under the obligation of obedience to the whole Law our Mediator and Cautioner must not only obey the Law for us to the end we may inherite the promised reward but must also make Satisfaction for the Violation of the Law to the end we may escape Gods Curse wrath threatned in the Law and due to us for the breach of the same Had we perfectly kept the Law we had then had no need of any Satisfaction for our breach thereof but being guilty of sin this Satisfaction and the Imputation thereof to us is absolutely necessary And though we need not nicely here distinguish betwixt this Righteouness Satisfaction in reference to the different ends and say that by His Righteousness imputed to us we have right to the Crown by His Satisfaction freedom from death which was the penalty of the broken Law for God hath joined both together for both ends what He hath thus joined together as we should not separat so neither may we nicely scrupulously distinguish but adore the wonderful wisdom of God in this contrivance and observing our necessity of both sweetly acquiesce in and thankfully accept of both But you will say if we be perfectly righteous by the Imputation of Christs righteousness what need have we of any more are we not possessed of right to the reward and being righteous are we not free of our sin I answer It is true indeed if we said that Christs Righteousness or compleet obedience was first imputed to us or if the Scripture gave any ground to say so there might be some coloure for this Exception but as the Scripture giveth no such ground so neither do we assert it Only we have need of both both are graciously imputed and received by faith yea we being sinners if we might speak of an order here Satisfaction must first be imputed that thereby we may be freed from the sentence of the Law which most presseth a wakened convinced sinner who is most anxious hereanent crying out How shall I escape the wrath and curse of God But as the Lord hath graciously and wonderfully knit the effects together so is the Cause Both Christs obedience and Sufferings were so woven together that they belonged both to made up His
the Humane Nature was first conceived was God-man and the person was under no law so was not under the obligation of any such law but was made under the law as Mediator and so for us and not for himself nor it is any more to advantage to except againe say that His meaning is not that there was an absolute necessity that he should keep the law upon the same termes every wayes which now He hath done as that He should performe the same Individual acts of obedience or the same number of acts in case He had been called to suffer any white sooner but that untill the very Instant in which He should suffer whether it were sooner or later He should in all things submit himself unto the good pleasure of God For it doth hence sufficiently appear That all his after obedience in all these particular acts was not necessary to fit Him as a Sacrifice so could not be necessary for Himself And therefore seing He had been a sufficiently holy Sacrifice had He been offered up before the actual performance of these commanded duties in the law it is manifest that these duties were not required unto the end alleiged but that as He was made under the law for us so all His actual obedience to the law was for us and not for himself The Excepter in end perceiving the Invalidity of all his own discourse here closeth the matter thus pag. 206. But however suppose this necessity or use of the Righteousness of Christ could not be sufficiently cleared yet since there are many others of undeniable evidence the position so much contended for to wit that the Godhead of Christ sufficiently qualified Him for such a Sacrifice as He was makes nothing at all for the Imputation of His Righteousness Therefore we shall not trouble either our selves or our Reader any further with untying an Impertinent knot What these others of undeniable evidence are we have not yet seen and sure this one ground is sufficient to demonstrat that his obedience to the law in all points was not for himself nor to qualifie him as a Sacrifice but for us and therefore it must be imputed made over to us and become our Righteousness whereby and whereupon together with his Sufferings made over to us also we are to be justified and accepted of God as Righteous and not only have pardon of sinnes but also a Right to the Inheritance and to the reward promised upon obedience 7. As Christ saith he p. 206. was a Sacrifice so was He and yet is is to be for ever Hebr. 7 27. c. An High-Priest and that Righteousness of His we speak of qualifieth Him that is contributeth to His qualification for Priesthood as well as it did for His Sacrifice Ans. Seing it cannot be proved that his actual obedience to the law which is the Righteousness we are here speaking of was necessary to qualifie him to be a Sacrifice here on earth much less can it be proven that it was necessary to qualifie him for his Priest-hood in heaven And all these qualifications mentioned Heb. 7 26 He had before that actual obedience was either performed or he in a capacity to performe it therefore his actual obedience was not necessary thereunto 8. That holy pleasure saith he and contentment which Christ himself took in these works of Righteousness may be looked upon as one considerable end Ioh. 4 34. Ans. So took He pleasure and delight to Suffer He had a Baptisme to be baptized with and how was he straitned or pained till it was accomplished Luk. 12 50. Shall we then say that therefore his death was not to make Satisfaction for the sins of his own These are but Socinian Evasions that have no force to weaken the truth in the least And thus notwithstanding of all his Exceptions this Argument abideth in its strength We proceed to another Arg. 5. If we be debtors unto the law and that not only in matter of punishment but in perfection of obedience also then did Christ â—ot only suffer death for us that we might be delivered from the Curse but also fulfilled the law that so we may be reputed to have fulfilled the law in him or by the Imputation of His fulfilling of the law to us Otherwise the law should yet remaine to be fulfilled by us But the former is true Ergo c. The force of the Argum. lyeth here that we were debtors unto the law not only as to the punishment which we had deserved by transgression but also as to perfect conformity thereunto and therefore coming in our law-place taking on our debt did not only undergoe the punishment for us but did also yeeld perfect obedience And this compleet Surety-righteousness of Christ consisting both in doing and Suffering must be imputed unto us and reckoned upon our score to the end we may be justified and Accepted of God as Righteous have Right not only to Impunity but also to the Reward promised to the obedient He excepteth p. 208. c. Against the Minor upon these grounds 1. If the meaning saith he be that we who are beleevers are debtors to the law in perfection for our justification it is false But as for these that beleeve not in Christ it may be true in this sense that if they mean to be justified and to escape the punishment otherwise than by Christ they must keep the whole law Ans. 1 We say not that Beleevers who are already justified through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ are debtors unto the law for this end but that ere they could be justified and accepted of God as Righteous they were obliged to perfect obedience as well as to suffer the penalty and seing this was impossible unto them their Surety was to do it and he did it and what he did was imputed unto them and reckoned upon their score 2 As for Unbeleevers ans such are all by Nature seing it is confessed that they ere under this obligation then it is necessary that before they be justified either they or a Surety for them must satisfy both these demands of the law And though none be now under a command to give perfect obedience unto the law to the end they may be justified but such as hear the Gospel are commanded to beleeve in Christ and to accept of him by faith that they may have an Interest in his Righteousness so be justified yet that taketh not away this Imputation but establisheth it rather because Christ having satisfied all the demands of the law both in doing and in Suffering and that as a Surety Head Redeemer and publick Person by beleeving in him they receive this and have it made over unto them 2. If the proposition saith he meaneth that Beleevers are debtors of perfect obedience to the law in a way of Sanctification thankfulness This is true but it concerneth not the question Ans. Nor do we speak of this knowing
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
obvious Sense of the whole purpose and of every sentence used by the Spirit of the Lord in that matter is to usurpe a Supra-papal power and Authority over the Scriptures of truth and a most ready way to render them wholly useless 2 As for our sense of this Expression who that will willingly be ruled by the Scriptures cannot submit unto it Let us but look to the very first place cited by himself Rom. 3. consider the whole preceeding discourse of the Apostle from Chap. I 18. forward particularly Chap. 3 19. Where the Apostle closeth his discourse tending to evince both jewes Gentils to be under the Curse by saying Now we know that what things so ever the law saith it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Is not this to be understood in respect of their own personal deeds works See then his conclusion vers 20. Therefore by the deeds of of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight Can any man that hath not renounced common sense understand this otherwise than that no man shall be justified in the sight of God by his own personal works seing this is the only native conclusion that floweth from the premisses seing by their own personal works they can be justified before men seing the following words for by the law is the knowledge of sin that is the law proveth evinceth all that we do to be short sinful enforce this likewise Is not this also enforced by these words vers 23. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Is it imaginable that justification through the Imputed obedience of Christ to the law can evince that we are not justified freely by His grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ vers 24 If this general sense were the true meaning what ground was there for that vers 27. Where is boasting then It is excluded By what law of works no by the law of faith Would Justification by Christs obedience give ground of boasting And what ground were there for that objection vers 31. Do we then make void the law c. in the following Chapter when speaking of Abraham doth he or can any man imagine that the Apostle doth mean any other works when be denieth that Abraham was justified by works than Abraham's own personal works And meaneth he or can he meane any other works when he saith vers 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt But it were tedious to prosecute this matter further that is so clear in it self to every ordinary Reader that it must needs argue a desperat designe together with unpasrallel'd boldness thus with confidence peremptoriness to assert the contrary He saith 2. If the Apostles charge had been in delivering of this doctrine either to have made or to have given allowance for any such distinction certainly he should have been unfaithful in his trust in giving the honour due to the works of Christ unto a thing of a far inferiour nature viz to faith as he doth Gal. 2 16. Where he saith not but by the works of Jesus Christ but by faith Ans. This answere is in a great measure sick of the same distemper of presumption with the former We must not think that the Apostle is still to be blamed for unfaithfulness when he speaketh not as we would have him speak Christian sobrâ—ety should reach us to search for Gods mind in the expressions He hath thought good to use for signifying of His mind These against whom the Apostle here wrote whose errour in the matter of justification he was confuting never had a thought of such a general groundless sense as we have here obtruded upon us nor can it come into the thought of any rational man when then should we suppose that the Apoâ—â—le should have spoken to such a thing 2 Paul giveth not the honour due to the works of Christs unto any thing of an Inferiour Nature no not to faith whatever this Author misunderstanding the Apostle's mind perverting his words would make his Reader beleeve as we shall have occasion to shew hereafter This Author setreth Christ and Faith at variance whileas the Apostle every where sheweth their agreement indissoluble union 3 Taking faith in this Authors sense we see That by his own Confession the ascribing of that unto faith which he doth ascribe to it in the matter of â—ustification is a giving of that honour unto it which we say is due to Christs obedience So that the question betwixt him and us is whether Christ and His obedience or Faith of a far inferiour Nature must have that honour We see no ground to imagine that Paul would give the honour that Universal obedience might call for unto one act of obedience or think that he would cry up one act of obedience that is faith cry down all other acts of obedience far less that he would cry up faith in prejudice of the full perfect obedience of Jesus Christ the Redeemer and Surety He saith 3. If Paul's intent had been to have reserved a place in Iustification for the works of the law as performed by Christ his indefinite expression would have been as a snare upon men to cause them passe over the great things of their Iustification Ans. Paul's indefinite expression neither was nor could have been a snare unto any nor came such an imagination ever in the head of any man but such an one as can stumble in the most even path being blinded with prejudice at the truth drunk with love to his own Inventions which he cannot otherwise maintaine but by new and unheard-of fictions What great things of justification could I pray Paul's expressions cause any passe over Why are not some of these great things mentioned He saith 4. If this had been Paul's meaning it cannot be once imagined but that he would have made use of such a distinction or reservation would have been glad if without trenching upon some Gospel-truth he could have come over so neer unto the jewes who where chiefly incensed against Paul for passing over the law in justification Now had he said that be did not exclude the righteousness of the law by faith but advance it rather only he preached that they could not be justified by their own observation of it who seeth not how this would have taken off great part of their opposition Ans. It is a wonder to see how some men can shut their eyes that they should not see what is most obvious and what is in plaine termes asserted in the Scriptures Did not Paul say expresly enough Rom. 3. ult That he did not make void the law through faith but did establish it doth he not also plainly tell us where the difference lay betwixt him the jewes what it was especially
what one member of the body natural doth the whole may be said to do But not so in the mystical body the body of Christ cannot be said to have wrought miracles c. Ans. Nor de we asserte an agreement betwixt this mystical body a natural body in all points But yet as Christ accounteth Himself a sufferer when the members of His body are suffering as such So what Christ did as an Head to His mystical Body and Spiritual Kingdom according to the designation and appointment of God who made Him both King Lord must redound to their advantage according to their necessity and therefore what He did as a publick Head Representative must be imputed unto them who are of His Body were undertaken for represented by Him He saith 2. Though the benefite of what the head doth be communicated to the whole body yet what the head doth is no wayes to be imputed to hand or to foot Ans. The hand or foot needeth no imputation of what is done by the head but a community or political body and every member thereof needeth an Imputation of what is done for their good in their Law-place by their Head publick Representative And in this matter we look upon Christ as such an Head Against the Marriage Union betwixt Christ Beleevers mentioned as another ground to cleare this Imputation he saith 1. It is true the wife by marriage comes to be endowed with all that is her husbands but this endowing is no ingredient into the marriage it self but a fruit thereof so the right which a beleever hath to the Righteousness of Christ accrueth unto him by upon this Spiritual marriage and therefore it cannot be imputed to him The marriage must be first made up before the right be had unto this Righteousness Ans. If the right unto Christ's Righteousness accrue unto Beleevers by upon their Spiritual marriage with Christ this Righteousness must be imputed to them and reckoned upon their score or made over unto them as the dowrie is made over to the wife and reckoned hers upon her marriage We grant the marriage is first made up and that this is done by faith and yet at the very act of beleeving this Righteousness is imputed This marriage Union is first in order of nature but no time interveeneth betwixt this Union and the Imputation of Righteousness He saith 2. all that is the husbands is not every way the wifes nor for every use purpose but only in a way of expediency and beneficialness as his clothes are not hers to put on so the beleever must take heed of assuming the glorious rob of His Righteousness to himself otherwayes than in the benefite and comfort of it Ans. All that is the husband's becometh the wifes by Marriage for every use and purpose that her necessity calleth for and the nature of the thing admitteth as his riches becometh hers to her maintainance and to the paying of her debt and his honour becometh hers to the exalting of her to a Sutable state of honour even so must Christ's Righteousness become the Beleevers that his debt may be payed and he saved out of the hand of justice advanced to a state of life and have right to glory Obj. 3. Chap. 11. pag. 118. If God hath sufficiently provided otherwayes for the justification of his people He doth not impute this Righteousness of Christ for that end But God hath provided otherwayes for this end Which he thus prodeth He that is compleatly justified by having his sins forgiven is justified without this Imputation But a beleever is sufficiently justified before God by the forgiveness of sins Ergo. Ans. Though a person justified is pardoned yet justification includeth more than meer pardon of Sins Justification is the pronouncing and accepting of a person as Righteous and therefore the person so justified and accepted must be righteous and seing he is not inherently righteous he must be righteous by Imputation What he said to this purpose before Chap. 5. of his book to which he here remitteth us hath been examined already What he addeth here shall now be considered waving mens Sayings wherewith I purpose not to medle here He citeth againe to this purpose Rom. 4 6 7. to which we spoke above He supposeth that the Apostle here did intend a full description of justification But this he cannot clearly evince he forgetteth that the Apostle maketh mention of Imputed Righteousness and that not as one and the same thing with free Remission but as inseparable from it The Apostles designe was not to give here a full Definition or description of Justification it being Sufficient to the purpose he had in hand to mention so much thereof as did clearly irrefragably confirme the same viz. That the blessed state of justification is not brought about or had by the works of the Law yea as is said that very Imputation of Righteousness is not only included in the word blessedness by which this State of justification is expressed for a blessed man is one who not only is freed from guilt and punishment but hath also a right to the Crown and to the rich recompense of reward which is not had without a Righteousness but is plainly also expressed when he saith Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works Here is a Righteousness even a positive Righteousness mentioned and a Righteousness imputed and a Righteousness without our works of obedience to the Law Hence we need not assert any Synecdoche here or say that a part is put fot the whole which yet is no unusual thing in Scripture and might be admitted here even in this matter without any absurdity seing where one part of this business is mentioned the other is necessarily understood because of the necessary inviolable connexion that is betwixt them He saith further pag. 130. If forgiveness of sins be but a part and the worser half of our justification then when the Scripture saith we are justified by His blood Rom. 5 9. the sense must be we are justified by half through his blood but the better halfe of our justification must come another way for by his blood we cannot have his active Righteousness imputed to us 1. We use not to make such comparisons betwixt these things here called parts had in justification as to call the one the better part and the other the worser part both being requisite to make up our state of blessedness and necessary thereunto 2. When the Scripture saith we are justified by His blood the meaning is not we are justified by the half through His blood for half justification is no justification 3 Nor is the Reason added of any force for by blood here we may as well understand by a Synecdoche His active Righteousness as all His passive both being but integral parts of His Surety-righteousness emphatically expressed by His death or blood
fault guilt charged on him by the law So that here is a long series of efficient causes bringing down from Adam's person guilt a distinct numerical person guilt of everyone of this later posterity Ans. 1. The fundamentum of that relation of guilt is more properly proximely the foederal relation of the person to Adam than the Natural relation and the fundamentum of this foederal relation is not Generation but the free Ordination and Constitution of God 2 What he meaneth by these words and Adam's generation being the communication of a guilty nature with personality to his Sons and Daughters is the fundamentum next following his personal fault and guilt charged on him by the Law I do not know If his meaning be that the Communication of a guilty Nature by the peccatum originale originatum is the fundamentum of the following personal fault and guilt by reason of the peccatum originale originans that is if he say that the corrupted Nature is the ground of the Imputation of Adam's transgression it is not consonant to truth nor to what himself said above pag. 34. against Placeus But if he meane that Adam's Generation being the communication of a guilty Nature is the fundamentum that next followeth his personal guilt charged on him by Law I must say I do not understand what he would be at though the words seem to express some such thing But the truth that I shall lay down is this That all Adam's posterity being federally in him sinned in him and fell with him in his first transgression by vertue whereof when they come physically by natural Generation to partake of his Nature they are first in order of Nature guilty of Adam's transgression and then have a corrupt Nature communicated as a punishment and consequent of the other this Corrupt Nature being sin hath its own guilt attending it also 3 Though this long series of Efficient causes be requisite to the production of a distinct numerical person from Adam's person in a physical and natural sense yet every one of these physically distinct numerical persons do immediatly derive from Adam their legal and foederal personalities that is these same persons considered foederally are equally and alike neer to Adam their federal Head and Representative And therefore the guilt of Adam's sin cometh from him immedratly to each one of them foederally considered and is consequently the same numerical guilt and all this is founded upon their Federal Union with and Interest in Adam He saith 2. And it is not the same sort of guilt or so plenary which is in us for Adam's act as was on him but a guilt Analogical or of another sort that is he wes guilty of being the wilfull sinning person so are not we but only of being persons whose being is derived by Generation from the wilful sinning persons besides the guilt of our own inherent pravity that is the Relation is such which our persons have to Adam's person as makes it just with God to desert us and to punish us for that our pravity together This is our guilt of original sin Ans. 1 Hereby that original sin whereof we are speaking here viz Adam's breach of Covenant seemeth quite to be taken away for not only is it said that original sin as in us is another sort of thing than what it was in Adam and so not only not the same numerically as he formerly said but not the same specifically but moreover it is said to be only an Analogical guilt yea in end it is made just nothing for it is said that we are guilty of being persons whose being is derived from the wilfull sinning persons and this is no guilt at all no mans simple being let it be by generation from the most prodigiously guilty and wicked persons that can be can be imputed to him for guilt for his receiving a being is contrary to no Law And beside when he addeth by way of Explication that the Relation is such which our persons have to Adam's person as makes it just with God to deserte us he must either make the simple Relation to be the guilt or the ground of guilt and its Imputation The Simple Relation without some guilt following it and founded upon it cannot make it just with God to desert us c. For sin only can do this that Relation is not sin If he say That guilt is Superadded upon this account it is just with God thus to punish I would ask what is this guilt It is not Adam's sin but some analogical thing which Scripture knoweth nothing of and Reason can give us no account whence it came He cannot say that it came from Adam's sin for if we be federally united to Interessed in Adam as we are as he confessed we were and if upon that account we be reputed guilty the same Individual guilt which was on Adam must be upon us and if our guilt be of another sort he must give us another Adam from whom that other analogical sort floweth The Scripture saith that we all sinned in Adam Rom. 5 12. which were not truth if his individual sin were not ours or if ours were of another sort and only analogical But this is the fruit of Mr. Baxter's casting all these things in Aristotle's mould But moreouer 2 It hath a foule aspect towards Pelagianisme to make our guilt another than Adam's because that Adam was the wilful sinning person and so are not we for this is to confirme the Pelagians who say that that sin was only Adam's because he was the only wilfully sinning person we had no will therein 3. He saith And this guilt cometh to us by Natural propagation and resultancie from our very Nature so propagated Ans. It is true we come to be actually charged with this guilt to have it imputed to us when we partake of our beings by Natural Generation or propagation and that because of our federal Union with Interest in Adam and exclusive of this it cannot be said to come to us by resultancy from our very Nature so propagated for the guilt of all Adam's after-Transgressions should as well be said to come to us after this manner as the guilt of that one Transgression Disobedience of which only the Scripture maketh mention Rom. 5. He cometh next to consider our contrary Interest in Christ tels us 1. Our persons are not the same as Christ's person nor Christ's as ours nor ever so judged or accounted of God Ans. Physically this is true but it is not true legally for when he came in the Law-place of the Elect become Surety for-them they and he became one person in Law He saith 2. Our persons were not Naturally seminally virtually in Christ's person any further than He is Creator Cause of all things as they were in Adam's Ans. Adam was a natural Head our Lord is a Spiritual Supernatural Head as to
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