and beleeving which wee on our part must performe for iustification life and salvation And hereby they abolish the freedome of the new Covenant and make it a Covenant conditionall and not of free grace For what soever is covenanted-and promised upon a condition to be performed is not absolutely free nor freely given and so according to their Doctrine they that are iustified by faith are not freely iustified by grace whereas they plead Scripture for their errour and alledge that iustification and life is promised upon condition of beleeving If you beleeve you shall be saved I answer that this is a grosse and absurd mistake For every conditionall proposition doth not propound the conditition of a Covenant which the party to whom a thing is promised must performe that the promise may bee made good to him for such a condition whensoever it is performed makes the thing covenanted a due debt which the promiser is bound to give But oftentimes a conditionall proposition propounds the meanes by which a free gift is received or the qualification by which one is made capable and fit to receive and enjoy a free gift as for example it is often said in Scripture if yee will heare and hearken yee shall eate the good of the land and shall live and not be destroyed Isay 1.19 Ier. 26.3 and many other places If we love one another GOD dwelleth in us 1 Iohn 4. If we walke in the light we have fellowship one with another 1 Iohn 1.2 If we confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and just to forgive 1 Iohnâ— 9 If a man be just and do that which is right he shall surely live Ezech 18.5.21 In all which and the like places there is no condition of the Covenant propounded but onely the way and meanes to receive blessing or the quality condition by which men are made capable and fit to enjoy the blessing and somtimes the signes tokens and effects of them that are in a blessed estate And even so when GODS word saith If you believe yee shall be saved There is no condition of the Covenant propounded to be performed on our part for justification and salvation but onely the qualification by which GOD of his free grace doth qualify and fit us to be iustified and saved and the meanes by which hee enables us to receive righteousnes and to lay hold on salvation which is freely given to us in Christ. Vpon these particulars severally observed out of their owne words and writings I strongly conclude that this opinion being builded upon such a blasphemous and Hereticall ground and upheld and maintained by such blasphemous arguments must needs be most impious Hereticall and blasphemous Having already proved the Socinian and Arminian opinion to be most false and abominable I proceed to answere the particular arguments contained in this 2. Chapter which was by the Authors owne hand delivered unto me to be answered And because he and his followers shall not complaine of misrelating any of his words I will as I have done in the former Chapter first lay downe his owne words Socinianisme THe first argument brought to prove that faith and believing are in a proper sense Rom. 4. said to be imputed to the believer for righteousnes in justification and not the righteousnes of Christ. First the letter of this Scripture speakes what we affirme plainely and speakes no parable about it yea it speakes it once and twice yea it speakes it the third and fourth time and is not ashamed of it Abraham beleeved GOD and it was imputed to him for righteousnes verse 3. Againe to him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted to him for righteousnes verse 5. And yet againe verse 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnes The same phrase and expression is used also verse 23.24 Certainely there is not any truth in religion not any article of our beliefe that can boast of the letter of the Scripture more full expresse and pregnant for it what is maintained concerning the imputation of faith hath all the authority and countenance from the Scriptures that wordes can lightly give whereas the imputation of Christs righteousnes in that sense which many magnifie hath not the least reliefe either from any sound of wordes or sight of letter in the Scripture Christianisme HIs first argument reduced into the forme of a syllogisme runs thus That opinion which hath the Letter of the Scripture more full expresse and pregnant for it then any truth in religion or article of our beliefe and hath all the authority and countenance from the Scripture that wordes can lightly give is certainely true This opinion concerning the imputation of faith in a proper sense is such Therefore it is a true and sound opinion That this imputation of faith may boast of the letter of Scripture and of all the authority and countenance that wordes can give hee proves because the letter of the Scripture speakes it once twice yea thrice and foure times to wit in this Chapter Rom. verse 3.5 22 23 24. to which I will adde a fift time verse 9. The more true that the proposition is the more false is the assumption wherein hee assumes most falsely to his opinion that which in no wise belongs to it and thereupon inferres a most false conclusion I answere therefore that his assumption is an heap of impudent lyes First the killing letter of the Scripture may give some countenance to it that is speeches of Scripture understood and urged literally which are spoken by GODS spirit tropically and in a figure This Saint Austin calls the killing letter because they who take the words properly and so urge them obstinately they slay their owne soules But the true literall sense of the wordes which are improperly literall will never give any countenance to this hereticall opinion as I have shewed before most fully 2 I cannot but accuse him here of most intollerable impudency in that he affirmes that this most Hereticall opinion hath more full expresse and pregnant testimony from the letter of the Scripture then any truth in Religion or any article of Religion and hath all the authority and countenance from the Scripture that words can give when as in all the Scripture faith is not once said to be imputed for righteousnes in a proper sense in all the word of GOD and is onely seven times said to be counted or imputed for righteousnes and that tropically while the Apostle useth the phrase borrowed from that improper speech which is spoken of Abraham Gen. 15.6 That when Abraham believed GOD he counted it to him for righteousnes For it is manifest that in this Chapter he altogether insists upon that speech and doth but repeat it six times and so likewise Gal. 3.6 Saint Iames also once useth it speaking of declarative justification to prove that Abraham was justified by workes Iam. 2.23 that is declared before men to be righteous because the Scripture saith Abraham believed GOD and it was imputed to him for righteousnes So that of Saint Iames may
be believed faith is not the righteousnesse for which man is accepted with GOD as the Socinians teach but that by which man obteines the testimony of righteousnes as Iustine Martyr understands this phrase Now that Christ and his fulfilling of the law is truely and properly the righteousnes by which all believers are justified constituted and made righteous before GOD the Scriptures do in proper literall speech as well as improperly more often affirme as Isa. 61.10 Rom. 3.24 Rom. 4 6. Rom. 5.17 18 19· Rom. 8.4 and 10.3.4 and Phil. 3.9 and 1 Cor. 1.30 and 2 Cor. 5.24 these twelve places do plainely teach and affirme that the righteousnes by which men are made and constituted righteous in iustification is Christs obedience and satisfaction made to the Law for our redemption and nine of them are proper speeches so that here wee see the communion of Christs righteousnesse which hee opposeth hath more authority and countenance from the Scripture and more full expresse and pregnant testimony from the letter of it If I should instance in other truths of Religion as that there is one true GOD even Jehovah and none beside him or that hee created all things or concerning the deity of Christ and of the holy Ghost or concerning redemption by Christ or the last Iudgment resurrection and life eternall ten expresse and pregnant testimonies of Scripture might be brought to prove any one of them for every one wherein imputation of faith is named So that here we see what he cannot proue by argument he goeth about by impudent outfaceing to impose upon his hearers and readers But let us examine the proofe of this bold assertion even his assumption which certainely is as poore weake and begerly as his forehead is strong like brasse in impudent affirming it The letter of the Scripture saith hee affirmes it plainely once and twice yea a third and fourth time Therefore it is most certainely true To this I answere that the letter of the Scripture affirmes that faith and believing was counted to Abraham and is to other believers but not in a proper sense but tropically and so many things are often affirmed by the letter of the Scripture which if we understand them in a proper sense are most false as for example GOD is said to repent Gen 6. two severall times to wit ver 6.7 and Ier. 26. three severall times viz. ver 3 13.19 and Amos 7.3 6. and Iud 2.18 and 1 Sam. 15.11 Psal. 135.14 Ier. 18.10 with many more So likewise an hand and armes and eyes and mouth are often attributed by the letter of the Scripture to GOD which speeches if wee should understand in a proper sense they would prove a killing letter to us therefore this is a most absurd and ridiculous proofe well beseeming the thing which it is brought to prove And as he falters in his Logick and his reasons so he shewes ignorance of rhethorik for he takes it for a certaine truth that one phrase foure times used must needs be taken in a proper literall sense But rhetorik would have taught him that to use divers tropicall speeches together is an Allegory and elegancy of speech often used in Scripture as the places last cited shew To which let me add one most pregnant instance Gal. 3. where the word faith in a discourse of justification is used ten times in an improper sense for the Gospel which is the word of faith and teacheth iustification by Christ and by believing in him and not by our owne workes which the Law requires to wit verses 3 5 7 8 9 12 14 22 23 25. Now it may be he perceived little strength in his argument brought for his imputation of faith notwithstanding his great braggs and therefore he shootes one fooles bolt against the imputation of Christs righteousnes which is an argument or syllogisme consisting of an assumption without a proposition or a conclusion expressed but I can coniecture what he meant to conclude namely that the imputation of Christs righteousnes in iustification is a mere faction and ought not to be believed The imputation of Christs righteousnesse in that sense which many magnifie hath not the least reliefe either from sound of words or light of letter in the Scripture To which I answer first that if this were granted which is most false yet it doth not follow that faith alone in a proper sense is imputed Ridiculum caput saith he in the Comedie quasi necesse sit si justitia Christi non dicitur imputari fidem reputari pro justitia It is a ridiculous conceipt to thinke that if Christs righteousnes be not imputed therefore faith alone in a proper sense must be said to bee imputed David tells us that Phinees his executing of iudgement was imputed to him for righteousnes and Saint Iames saith that Abraham was iustified by works not by faith alone why then are not works as well as faith imputed But secondly I answer that his assertion is most false and I prove it from the very wordes of the Apostle in the 4. Chapter verse 6. where he saith that to the blessed man righteousnes is imputed without workes and verse 11. where he gathereth that to the beleeving Gentiles though uncircumcised righteousnes shal be imputed Now faith is not righteousnes as hee himselfe confesseth for righteousnes is perfect conformity to GODS law this is not to bee found in all the world but only in Christ he alone hath in mans nature fulfilled the law As for faith evē in Abrahā himselfe it was stained with many doubtings and feares at some times as when he called his wife his sister for better safety and so it is in the best beleevers Beleeving also is but a dutie and a worke of obedience to the Law but this which is here said to bee imputed is a righteousnes without workes or any thing performed in our owne persons therefore faith is not the righteousnes which is here said to be imputed but the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith and couched under the name of faith and beleeving Socinianisme SEcondly the scope of the place rejoyceth also in this interpretation that faith should be taken properly in all those passages cited and from tropes and metonymies it turneth it selfe away It is apparent to the circumspect Reader that the Apostles maine intent and drift in this whole discourse of justification was to hedge up with thornes as it were that false way of justification which lay through workes and to put men from attempting any going that way and to open and discover the true way of justification wherein men shall not faile to attain that Law of righteousnes before GOD that is in plaine speech to make knowne unto them what they must doe and what GOD requireth of them to their justification and what he will accept at their hands this
proposition is that faith in the judgement of every man is the condition required by GOD on mans part to bring him into that communion of justification and redemption which Christ hath purchased c. In which I finde delusion and falshood First hee doth not meane a gift grace or Spirituall qualification appointed by GOD by which as by the hand of the soule stretched out wee must lay hold on Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse for justification and redemption though his words pretend so much but hee meanes that faith is the condition of the new covenant which man must on his part performe in stead of all righteousnesse which the Law requires and so it is in the new covenant the condition of life as workes of the Law and of righteousnesse were the condition of the old covenant This is the very haeresie and damned error of Socinus Secondly he doth here make the covenant of grace a covenant of life not freely but upon a condition performed on mans part and so a covenant of workes contrary to Scripture Rom. 11.6 Thirdly hee erres grossly in imagining faith not to be a free gift of grace but a worke performed on mans part as workes were required in the old covenant Fourthly hee falsely chargeth all honest and godly men to be of his judgment I know that all Orthodox Divines abhorre and detest this opinion Fiftly hee affirmes a manifest untruth in saying that without beleeving none can have part in justification and redemption for no regenerate Infants which die in their Infancy do actually believe and yet being by the Spirit of regeneration engraffed into Christ they have communion of his ransome and righteousnesse are justified before GOD and saved Socinianisme IT 's evident from the Scriptures that GOD in the act of every mans justification doth impute or account righteousnes to him or rather somewhat for or in stead of righteousnes by meanes of which imputed the person justified passeth in account as a righteous man though hee be not properly or perfectly such and is invested accordingly with those great priviledges of a man perfectly righteous deliverance from death and condemnation and acceptation into favour with GOD. The reason of which imputation or why GOD is pleased to use an expression of righteousnesse imputed in or about the justification of a sinner seemes to be this the better to satisfie the naturall scruple of the weake and feeble conscience of men who can hardly conceive or thinke of a justification or of being justified especially by GOD without a perfect legall righteousnesse Now the purpose and counsell of GOD in the Gospell being to justifie men without any such righteousnesse the better to salve the feares of the conscience touching such a defect and to prevent and stay all troublesome thoughts or quaeres which might arise in the mindes of men who when they heare of being justified are still ready to aske within themselves but where is the righteousnesse conceiving a legall righteousnes to be as necessary to justification as Isaac conceived of a Lamb for a burnt offering Gen. 22. He GOD I meane is graciously pleased so far to condescend to men in Scripture treatie with them about the weighty businesse of justification as in effect to grant and say to them that though hee findes no proper or perfect righteousnes in them no such righteousnesse as passeth under the name of righteousnes with them yet if they truely beleeve in him as Abraham did this beleeving shall be as good as a perfect compleat righteousnes unto them or that hee will impute rihteousnes to them upon their beleeving Christianisme THe first thing in this passage to wit GOD imputing righteousnesse to every man in his justification is a thing evident by the Scriptures and I willingly grant it But I abhorre and detest as heresie that which he adds out of his owne conceit to wit that GOD doth rather impute somewhat in stead of righteousnes which cannot make a man properly or perfectly righteous This is a blasphemous imagination that GOD can iudge falsly and account a thing for righteousnes which is not and esteeme a man righteous who is not properly righteous Secondly that which immediately followes is no lesse blasphemous to wit that a man may be invested by GOD with the great priviledges of a man perfectly righteous namely delivâ—rance from sinne and condemnation and acceptation into favour with GOD though he be no such man For hereby GOD is charged either with injustice and iniquitie or with errour in his judgement Thirdly his taking upon him to give a reason of GODS purpose and counsell is Luciferian pride and presumption For who knoweth the minde of GOD or hath beene of his counsell Rom. 11.34 Saint Paul who was taken up into the third heaven could never finde out any such counsell of GOD neither durst give a reason of GODS purpose and counsell but onely the good pleasure of his owne will Fourthly in the declaration of his reason I find many errours and untruths as first that a mans conscience can hardly thinke of being justified by GOD without a perfect legall righteousnesse Every regenerate man and true beleever can upon his owne knowledge and experience give him the lye and tell him that the weakest conscience of any who hath true Faith being taught by the Gospell can very easily thinke and beleeve that GOD justifies him by an Evangelicall righteousnesse even Christs perfect fulfilling of the Law which is farre more perfect then that legall righteousnesse which the Law requires of every man in his owne person This Abraham beleeved and was fully perswaded of it this David professes and Saint Paul preached and I know no true Christian who doth not both thinke and beleeve it If any man be found doubting of this it is because the spirit of Antichrist and Socinus doth worke strongly in him Secondly the thing which he imagineth being so notoriously false there can be no reason given of it but a reason as false as the thing it self And indeed so it is here For first hee assure most falsely that GODS purpose in the Gospell is to justifie men without any such righteousnesse as the Law requires in every man that is the perfect fulfilling of the Law For though GOD doth not purpose to iustifie men by their owne fulfilling of the Law every one in his owne person yet by Christs righteousnesse and his fulfilling of the Law in their stead and by communicating and imputing that righteousnesse to them he purposeth in the Gospell and professeth that men shall bee and are by him iustified and this is in Christ such a righteousnes as the Law requires for proofe of this see Rom. 8.4 and 10.4 Secondly the fathers upon GOD his own false and wicked conceits to wit First that GOD goeth about to cure an infirmity in his people which is not to be found in any of them after they are called to beleeve in Christ and to be his people for then
confidently affirme that there is not one Orthodox writer to be found since that time which ever held that faith in a proper sense is imputed for righteousnes and denyed the imputation of Christs righteousnes Servetus Socinus Arminius and the rest of their sect branded for hereticks are the onely maintainers of that opinion To his testimonies and his impudent boasting of the generall consent of interpreters I answere First joyntly and in generall That of all the testimonies which hee hath cited there is not one which either affirmes that faith taken in a proper sense is imputed for righteousnesse or denies the imputation of Christs righteousnes Moreover that all Divines who are the most zealous opposers of his interpretation may say the same words which he cites out of Authors and yet hold justification by Christs righteousnes imputed yea and in proving that truth may with good reason presse and urge the same words rightly understood Soe that a more odious example of folly and impudency cannot be shewed then hee here shewes himselfe by making his folly strive for Mastery with his impudency Secondly for the particular testimonies which he brings both out of ancient and moderne writers They say no more but what Saint Paul saith and wee all acknowledg and embrace for truth viz. That Abraham beleeving that in Christ and through his satisfaction GOD was become his reward was thereupon counted righteous and GOD counted faith to him for righteousnes and so are we all iustified not by our owne righteousnes of workes performed to the Law in our own persons but by faith laying hold on the righteousnes of Christ which is counted for righteousnes not in a proper sense but relatively as it comprehends Christ and his righteousnes which Calvin calls apprehending the goodnes of GOD and trusting in it First for Tertullians words I take them as he doth render and rehearse them and so the rest in order and will take a light view of them that wee may see his vanity in citing testimonies which make nothing for him but some directly against his opinion Tertulian Lib. 5. c. 3 against Marcion BVt how the children of faith and of whose faith if not of Abrahams for if Abraham beleeved GOD and it was deputed to him for righteousnesse and hee thereby obtained the name of the father of many nations wee by beleeving GOD are therefore much rather iustified as Abraham was And lib. de patientia cap. 6. Abraham beleeved and was deputed by him to righteousnesse but hee tried his faith by patience when he was commanded to sacrifice his sonne All this wee grant for here is not a word of imputing faith in a proper sense onely an affirmation that Abraham by beleeving obtained this at GODS hands that he was accounted and reputed to be in the state of a righteous man which we all professe Origen in Epist. ad Romanos Cap. 4. verse 5. IT seemes in this present place that whereas many beleevings of Abraham werk before now in this beleeving his whole faith was gathered together and so was reputed to him for righteousnesse and againe in the same place Abraham was not by GOD testified to bee righteous for his circumcision but for his faith for before his circumcision hee beleeved GODS and it was counted to him for righteousnesse If Origens meaning be as Beza gathered from these and other wordes in that place that Abrahams faith and all his acts of beleeving made up a perfect righteousnesse and conformity to GOD will and law then is hee in as great an errour as the Papists who set up iustification by a mans owne inherent righteousnesse and his testimony is to be abhorred But if his meaning bee that by his beleeving and not by his circumcision he obtained from GOD this testimony that he was righteous by a righteousnesse beleeved then he is full for us and against his interpretation Justine Martyr Dialog with Trypho ABraham not for his circumcision but for his faith obtained the testimony of righteousnesse for before he was circumcised it is said of him Abraham beleeved GOD and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Wee grant that Abraham beleeving GOD to bee his reward in Christ this faith was the evidence of his being righteous by apprehension of Christ and his righteousnesse and therefore by it he obtained a testimony from GOD that he was in the state of righteousnes And Justine Martyres words say the same and so he is cleare for us against them who make faith the righteousnes imputed in a proper sense and not the evidence of righteousnesse Chrysostome on Rom. 4.23 saith that the Apostle HAving spoken many and great things concerning Abraham and his faith saith wherefore is it written but that wee might learne that we also are justified as hee was because wee have beleeved the same GOD and on Gal. 3.6 For what was he the worse for not being under the Law nothing at all for his faith was sufficient to him for righteousnesse All this we grant For as Abrahams faith laying hold on GOD as his reward in Christ by communion of his righteousnesse was sufficient to him for righteousnesse so is our faith also sufficient for us to iustification because by it wee possesse Christs righteousnesse Augustine on the 148 Psal. saith FOr by beleeving wee have found what the Iewes lost by not by unbeleeving for Abraham beleeved GOD and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse and on Psal. 140. for I beleeve in him who justifieth the ungodly that my faith may be imputed to mee for righteousnes and in his book de natura gratia For if Christ dyed not in vaine the ungodly is justified in him alone to whom beleeving in him that justifieth the ungodly faith is accounted to him for righteousnesse and in his 68. sermon de tempore Abraham beleeved GOD and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse See that without any worke hee is iustified by faith and whatsoever was possible to be conferred on him by his observation of the Law his beleeving alone gave it all unto him where note that beleeving gives righteousnes and is not the righteousnes given in iustification Primasius on Rom. 43. saith ABrahams faith by the guift of GOD was so great that both his former sinnes were forgiven and this faith alone is said to be accepted before all righteousnes that is before all righteousnes of his owne not instead of Christs righteousnes For if it had not laid hold and possessed the full satisfaction of Christ it could not have gotten pardon of his sinnes Beda's words which he citeth concerning the faith which is imputed are onely these not every faith but that onely which worketh by love This is a certaine truth for no faith can bring to us a true sense and assurance of our communion with Christ but that which worketh by love Haymo on Rom. 43 saith Quia credidit Deo c. Because hee beleeved GOD it was imputed to him for righteousnesse
one Anselme on Rom 5. saith that by the righteousnes of one comming upon all the elect they come unto justification that they may bee justified by participation of Christs righteousnesse These with many other testimonies which might easily bee gathered out of the Ancients from the primitive times untill Luther doe abundantly shew the impudency of this man who so peremptorily affirmeth that the communion and imputation of Christs righteousnesse for iustification was never dreamed of among ancient writers but onely faith imputed for righteousnesse in a proper sense all these Ancients before named testifie the contrary But to descend to Orthodox writers of this last age since Luther It is well knowne that they generally hold imputation of our sinnes to Christ and of Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse to us for iustification to bee the forme of iustification by which beleevers are iustified Luther acknowledged that it was the doctrine of Saint Bernard concerning iustification by Christs righteousnesse imputed and not by our owne workes which moved him to suspect the popish doctrine and to grow into dislike and loathing of their religion And in his commentary on Galat where he doth debase the righteousnesse of workes and doth most highly extoll the righteousnesse of faith he telleth us that faith being weak in many of GODS children cannot be accepted for righteousnesse of it selfe that is in a proper sense and therefore there is necessarily required imputation of righteousnesse for iustification on Galatians 3.6 In editione Jenensi Tom. 1. pag. 32. hee saith faith obtaines what the Law commands and what is that but obedience and righteousnesse and againe by faith Christ is in us yea one bodie with us but Christ is righteous and a fulfiller of the Law wherefore wee all doe fulfill it while Christ is made ours by faith Also Tom. 3. p. 539. when Paul ascribes iustification to faith wee must of necessity understand that hee speakes of faith laying hold on Christ which makes Christ of efficacy against sinne and the Law Also Tom. 2. pag. 515. Faith settles us upon the workes of Christ without our owne workes and translates us out of the exile of our sinnes into the kingdome of his righteousnesse And Tom. 1. pag. 410. Sinne is not destroyed unlesse the Law be fulfilled but the Law is not fulfilled but by the righteousnes of faith and page 437. To keepe the Law is to have and possesse Christ the fulfiller of the Law And Tom. 4. pag. 44. Faith iustifieth because it comprehendeth and possesseth that treasure to wit Christ and page 45. wee say that Christ doth forme faith or is the forme of faith And Tom. 2. upon Genesis The laying hold on the promises is called sure and firme faith and doth justifie not as it is our work These speeches shew plainely that Luther conceived Christs righteousnes to be after a sort the formall righteousnes of the believer though not formally inherent yet formally possessed and enjoyed by faith Concerning this justifying righteousnes Luther also teacheth that it is not in our selves but in Christ even his fulfilling of the Law for us made ours and imputed to us Tom. 1. pag 106. By faith saith hee are our sinnes made no more ours but Christs upon whom GOD hath laid the iniquities of us all and he hath borne our sinnes And on the other side all his righteousnes is made ours for he layes his hand upon us And pag 178. The righteousnes of a Christian is the righteousnes of another and comes to him from without It is even Christ who is made unto us of God righteousnes so that a man may with confidence glory in Christ and say Christ his living doing and suffering is mine no otherwise then if I had lived done and suffered as he did as the married man possesseth all that is his wives and the wife all the goods which are her husbands for they have all things common because they are become one flesh and so Christ and the Church are one spirit by faith Christs righteousnes is made ours and all his are ours yea himselfe is ours And Tom. 2. pag 86. The righteousnes by which we are justified before GOD is not in our owne persons but without our selves in GOD because man shall have no cause to boast of his owne proper righteousnes before GOD. And Tom. 2. pag 385. A Christian is not formally righteous by reason of any substance or quality in him but relatively in relation to Christ in whom hee hath true righteousnes Melancthon in Epist. ad Rom. 8.4 saith wherefore Pauls meaning is thus to be taken that Christ is given for us that we may be counted to have satisfyed the Law by him and that for him we may be reputed righteous Although we our selves do not satisfie the Law anothers fulfilling of it is freely given to us and is imputed to us and so the Law is imputatively fulfilled in us And so when the Apostle saith that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes that is hee who hath Christ is righteous hee is reputed to have satisfied the Law and hee imputatively hath that which the Law requires And on chap. 10.4 upon these wordes Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes c hee saith this is the simple meaning Christ is the fulfilling of the Law to the believer and hee who hath Christ that is believes in him is righteous and hath imputatively what the Law requires The Booke of concord subscribed by so many hundreds of Evangelicall Ministers of the reformed Churches in Germany in the Articles of justification saith that when we speak of justifying it is to be knowne that these three objects concurre which are to be believed 1. The promise of the benefit that is mercy for remission of sinnes and justification 2. That the promise is most free which excludes our merits 3. The merits of Christ which are the price and propitiation and a little after faith doth not justify because it is a worke worthy by it selfe that is in a proper sense but onely because it receives the mercy promised And againe How shall Christ be our mediator if in justification we do not use him for our mediator that is if we do not feele that for him we are reputed righteous The Divines of the Augustane confession condemned Osiander who held that the righteousnes of faith was the essentiall righteousnes of GOD and also them who taught that Christ is our righteousnes onely according to his humane nature And in the Epitome of the Articles controverted by some they with one consent affirmed that the righteousnesse of faith is remission of sinnes reconciliation and adoption to be Sons of God for the obedience of Christ onely which by faith alone of meere grace is imputed to all beleevers Artic 3. de fidei justitia And this obedience of Christ which is imputed for righteousnes they affirme to be the obedience which hee performed both in his death and passion and also in his