of all vertues of Holinesse by which men are sanctified to God and become his peculiar people for Ismael Esau and all the prophane persons of Israel circumcised were partakers of the outward signe and Sacrament of circumcision and yet were destitute of tâ—e inward Grace signified And in neither respect can uncircumcision or the person uncircumcised nor Gentilismâ— together with the keeping the righteousnes of the Law be counted truely for circumcision nor reckoned in the place of it But here by circumcision is meant the circumcision of the heare in the Spirit and not in the Letter for so the Apostle doth expound himselfe verse 29. the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} shall be counted signifies here in a full sense judging counting approving accepting and using accordingly Now all laid together the meaning of the Apostle in these wordes is this that if a man uncircumcised doe keepe all the Commandements and performe the righteousnes of the Law his state of Gentilisme comprehending in it the righteousnes of the Law shall be counted and accepted for the state of an holy and righteous man circumcised in heart and hee though uncircumcised in flesh and a Gentile in outward estate shall be counted of God a true Israelite without guile truely circumcised with inward spirituall circumcision of the heart in the spirit whose praise is not of men but of God This sence and meaning of the wordes and of this phrase is so cleere and manifest and so perfectly agreeable to all true reason that none can deny it unlesse hee will set himselfe to rebell against the light and this phrase being the same which this Apostle doth use againe where hee mentions counting and imputing of faith and beleeving for righteousnes to Abraham and to every true beleever doth give light for the discovering of the true sense and meaning of the wordes the phrase being the very same Wherefore if we will follow the Apostle himselfe and tread after him in the same steps being the surest guide and best expounder of his owne wordes and meaning we must by Abrahams beleeving by a Metalepsis or double trope with our learned Divines understand Abraham standing in the state of a true beleever united by one spirit unto God in Christ and having communion of his satisfaction and righteousnes which were of force from the beginning to save and iustifie and to make God the reward of the beleever And by faith imputed or counted for righteousnes wee must not understand faith in a proper sense but by a double trope for the state and condition of a true faithfull man and for that which faith comprehends and includes in it even the perfect righteousnes and full satisfaction of Christ God and man By righteousnes we must understand the state of a man justified or Evangelicall righteousnes communicated to the justified man and made his for iustification And by counting and imputing we must understand the accepting approving esteeming iudging of Abraham and every true beleever so soone as he appeares faithfull to be in the state of a man iustified and Gods setting on his skore and counting imputing to him being faithfull the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith which is indeed and in truth made his by spirituall union and communion with Christ Heare then the true paraphrase upon the Apostles words shewing the true sense and meaning of them Abraham upon a true inward spirituall sense of his union and communion with Christ did beleeve and was surely perswaded that God was his reward and this his beleefe and faith comprehending Christ for righteousnes and containing in it after a sort the righteousnes of Christ God counted it to him for righteousnes that is set it on his skore and reckoned it to him for iustification and judged esteemed and accepted him for a man truly righteous as indeed he was and so whosoever doth not rest on his owne workes for iustification nor seeketh thereby to be iustified but by faith seeketh that righteousnes which makes him righteous by the communion of it when in himselfe by nature he is ungodly his faith comprehending in it Christ and his righteousnes is counted for righteousnes because it settles him in the state of a righteous man and Gods setting on his skore Christs satisfaction and righteousnes doth accept him for a man iustified A second argument confirming the exposition is drawn from the Apostles owne wordes in the fourth verse now to him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace but of dâ—bt whereby it is manifest that the thing counted for righteousnes brings with it a reward also to the beleever which is counted not of debt buâ—…grace now there is nothing which can bring the reward of eternal life and Glory to a beleever when it is counted to him and set on his skore but the perfect righteousnes and satisfaction of Jesus Christ that all grant to bee meritoribus of eternall life to all that are partakers of it and because the communion and imputation of it is of Gods free grace and the faith by which we receive apply and enjoy it is Gods free gift therefore the reward to wit eternall life is of free Grace and not of debt as the Apostle here saith Whereupon the the Conclusion followes that the thing counted for righteousnes is the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith Thirdly in the 6. and 7. verses the Apostle teacheth expressely that the thing imputed by God is righteousnes and such a righteousnes as being imputed brings forgivenesse of iniquity and covers sinnes and so makes the beleever blessed Now there is no righteousnes to be found among all mankinde besides Christs perfect righteousnes and full satisfaction and that is a perfect propitiation for all sinnes and an expiation of all iniquity to them who by faith have put on Christ therefore it is the true righteousnes which is imputed to every beleever for justification Fourthly that which is here said to be imputed to Abraham and to every beleever is for righteousnesse to iustification for the discourse of the Apostle here and in the 3. and 5. chap. is altogether of iustifying as appeares chap. 3. verse 20. 24. 26. 28. 30 and also chap. 5. 1. 16. 18 19. in all which places he mentions iustification and iustifying And here in this 4. chap. he brings Abrahams example and Davids testimony to shew how we are iustified now there is nothing which doth serve to us for righteousnes to iustification but that which is found in Christ our Mediatour even his righteousnes and perfect fulfilling of the Law so this Apostle doth plainely affirme and teach chap. 5. 19. and chap. 8. 3. 4. and Chap. 10. 3. 4. Therefore this righteousnes is upon the true beleeving of Abraham and the faithfull counted and imputed to them and set on their skore for their iustification Fiftly that exposition of a phrase or speech of Scripture which is warranted by other places of Scripture wherefore that phrase
is used is to be judged the best exposition this none can with any reason deny for the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture is the best expounder of his owne meaning Now this exposition that imputing or counting a thing for righteousnes is no more but declaring a man thereby to be righteous and giving him the Testimony of righteousnes is warranted by other Scriptures wheresoever it is used Therefore this is to be judged the best exposition For confirmation of the assumption or minor we have that place of holy Scripture Psal. 106. in which onely and no where else a thing is said to be imputed or counted to a man for righteousnes viz. Phineas his godly zealous act of executing judgement on Zimri and Câ—sbi then Phineas stood up saith the Psalmist and executed judgement and that was counted to him for righteousnes now no man can understand that this act was accepted of God for righteousnes to justification for then a man may be iustified before God by one godly and zealous act of his owne which is that which the Apostle utterly condemneth for a grosse errour and bends his whole discourse against it The true sense and meaning of this phrase is no more but this that Phineas performing such a godly zealous act as is proper to a faithfull righteous man onely who hath the Spirit of regeneration and of sanctification dwelling in him uniting him to Christ and making him by faith a true partaker of 〈◊〉 righteousnes God upon this act gave him the Testimony of righteousnes and declared him to be a righteous man truely iustified Therefore the phrase of imputing or counting faith for righteousnes signifieth no more but this that the true beleever is counted a righteous man and God giveth him the Testimony of righteousnes because he is indeed partaker of Christs righteousnes which he hath apprehended and applied by faith If I should insist upon humane testimonies and the opinions of Orthodox expositours of these wordes both ancient and moderne for the further proofe of this exposition a large volume would be little enough for the particular rehearsing of them all let these five arguments suffice The Confutation of the false exposition made by Socinus and other Hereticks his Disciples as Wotton Goodwin and their Companions FIrst whereas they hould that faith in a proper literall sense that is considered in it selfe without relation to any other thing is counted to every true beleever for righteousnes to iustification and God requireth in and of us no other thing for righteousnes neither our workes performed in our owne persons according to the Law nor Christs perfect righteousnes and fulfilling of the Law made ours by spirituall union and communion and accepted of God for us This I prove to be false hereticall and blasphemous by these Arguments following First Faith taken in a proper sense is a part of our conformity and obedience to the Law of God which above all things requires that we give honour to God by beleeving him and his word and trusting in him as our onely Rock and the God of our strength and salvation They therefore teaching That faith in a proper sense is counted for righteousnes do teach that we are iustified by a worke of obedience to the Law performed in our owne persons and that this is the onely righteousnes which God requires any way of us for iustification Therefore their opinion is hereticall more impious then the Pelagian and Popish Heresies concerning iustification Secondly that which was imputed to Abraham and is imputed to true beleevers is righteousnes so the Apostle affirmes ver. 6. and 11. But faith is not righteousnes taken in a proper sense for righteousnes is a perfect conformity to the Law as sinne is transgression of the Law Therefore faith in a proper sense is not righteousnes Thirdly that which chargeth God with error and falsehood in his iudgement is blasphemy This opinion that God counts faith for righteousnes that is thinketh iudgeth and esteemeth it to be righteousnesse taken in a proper sense chargeth God with error and falsehood in his Iudgement Therefore it is blasphemy If they pleade that God by his soveraigne power may graciously count that which is not righteousnes for righteousnes to the beleever I answere that God by his soveraigne power cannotly nor erre nor Iudge unrighteously it is contrary to his infinite and eternal Iustice which wil not be satisfied without fulfilling of his iust Law and perfect righteousnes communicated and imputed to us Therefore this is a base shift and wicked pretence devised to cover their blasphemy by that which is indeed a greater blasphemy Fourthly that opinion which denyeth and taketh away the meanes by which God is revealed to be infinitely Iust mercifull and wise and makes the satisfaction of Christ and his perfect fulfilling of the Law a vaine and needlesse thing is most Hereticall impious and blasphemous This opinion that God by his soveraigne power can and doth count and accept faith in a proper sense for righteousnes to Iustification without imputation of Christs satisfaction and righteousnes takes away these meanes and makes Christs fulfilling of the Law a vaine and needlesse thing Therefore it is an impious hereticall and blasphemous opinion The meanes by which God is revealed to be infinitly Iust mercifull and wise are these Namely First that he cannot be reconciled to man without a full satisfaction made to his iust Law by mens surety in their stead and by him communicated to them and made theirs as truely as if they had fulfilled the Law in their owne persons and though the satisfaction be of infinite valve yet it cannot profit them till they have communion of it and be partakers thereof this is that which reveales God to be infinitely Iust and that his infinit iustice being so strict he would mercifully give his owne Son to become man and in mans nature to make such a full satisfaction for men and by his Spirit shed on them through Christ would unite them unto him in one body and communicate him with all his benefits and satisfaction to them to be truely theirs and to satisfy for them This reveales his infinite mercy bounty and wisedome And by these meanes this opinion takes away Gods iustice while it sets God forth to be such a one as can dispence with is iustice and accept faith in a proper sense for righteousnes which is no righteousnes but onely a weake imperfect worke and duty which we owe to the Law If Gods justice may thus be dispensed with and a weake thing in fraile man counted for righteousnes without any communion or imputation What need was there of Christs Death suffering and obedience God might as well have accepted the sacrifice of a Lamb or the suffering and obedience of a meere man and so the full satisfaction of Christ is vaine and needlesse and it was want of wisedome in God to spend so much of Christs blood and obedience in vaine when by his
soveraigne power he might have accounted a lesse thing for mans ransome Therefore this opinion is blasphemy Fiftly that opinion which overthrowes the sacraments of the Gospel and the true use of them is hereticall and blasphemous This opinion that Christs righteousnes and obedience is is not imputed to the saithfull doth so for the Sacraments are seales of our communion with Christ and the Lords Supper rightly received is called the communion of the faithfull and when these herâ—ticks deny that the righteousnes of Christ is imputed to the faithfull they deny their communion with Christ for if Christs righteousnes be communicated spiritually to them and made theirs God whose judgement is according to truth cannot but impute it to them and set it on their skore and count it theirs in his true Iudgment If he should not count it theirs and impute it to them he should judge unjustly and erre in his Iudgement and the Sacraments which are Seales of communion are lying Seales if it be not communicated nor imputed Therefore this opinion is hereticall and blasphemous Sixthly that opinion which is invented and maintained by Hereticks who deny the eternall God head of Christ and tends to perswade men that there is no use of Christs being God and man in one person is Hereticall and blasphemous This opinion is such and tends to take away the use of Christs being God and man in one person and to perswade men there is no use of his being God and man in one person for all Orthodox Divines teach that it was necessary Christ should be Goâ—â—hat the obedience and suffering of his man-hood for a time might be the suffering and obedience of God and so of infinite value and of more worth then if the elect had suffered for ever in Hell in their owne persons and that the fulfilling and obedience of him alone in our nature should be of more value then if they all in their owne persons had suffered and obeyed as much as he did They also teach that the satisfaction and righteousnes which Gods infinite justice required and without which it could not be satisfied for the removing of so great an evil as Gods infinite wrath and eternall death and torment in Hell and for the bringing in of eternall righteousnes making men worthy of and fit for eternall glory in Heaven which is an infinite good could not be performed by any but by him who is God and man in one person And therefore the infinite evil which was to be taken away by Christs suffering and the infinite good which was to be procured by his obedience and righteousnes required necessarily that he should be God and man in one person But the authors of this opinion by denying that Gods infinite justice stands in strength and requires such a satisfaction or that every beleever hath need to have such a satisfaction communicated to him made his by spirituall union and imputed to him they take away the use of Christs God-head and the causes and reasons for which it was necessary that he should be God and in conclusion they deny Christ to be God Therefore this opinion is Hereticall and Blasphemous Lastly that opinion which is builded on Hereticall and blasphemous grounds and is maintained and upheld by blasphemous Arguments which shake and raze the maine foundations of true Religion is most Hereticall and blasphemous And such is this opinion for it is builded upon this blasphemous ground That God by his Soveraigne power may do and will things contrary to his Iustice that is count and accept that for righteousnes which is not righteousnes 〈◊〉 worthy to be counted one Act of perfect righteousnes for such is the faith of fraile man taken in a proper sense The arguments by which it is commonly maintained are also blasphemous viz. That Christs righteousnes is not the righteousnes of true beleevers neither is it imputed to them by God for Iustification for they say God cannot Iustify one by the righteousnes of another and therefore he cannot Iustify us by Christs righteousnes What is this but an expresse denyall of the union of the faithfull with Christ for if he be one with us and we with him then are our sinnes made his and in him satisfied and his righteousnes made ours and we are Iustified by it as it is ours and not the righteousnes of another nor so different from us but that he and all his benefits are ours and we have interest in them and enjoy and possesse them so far as every one hath need of them Secondly they argue that the righteousnes of one cannot be sufficient for all the elect nor counted to them all for righteousnes which is in effect a denying of Christ to be God and man in one person for if they acknowledg him to be God they must needes acknowledge that his righteousnes and fulfilling of the Law is of more worth and value then if all men in the world had fulfilled the Law in their owne persons without fayling in one point Thirdly they argue that if Christs satisfaction and righteousnes be so made ours and imputed to us that the Law may be said to be fulfilled in us and we may be said to have satisfied Gods Iustice in and by him our surety and our head then is there no place left for pardon and free forgivenes of our sinnes for pardon and satisfaction are contrary By which they overthrow the Doctrine of redemption and of Christs satisfaction and deny Christ to be our redeemer and to have payd our ransome and made a full satisfaction for our sinnes to Gods Iustice contrary to the Scriptures and the Iudgement and beleefe of all Christian Divines which teach that Christ hath payd our ransome and made a full satisfaction and so is properly our redeemer and though Gods Iustiâ—â— exacted of Christ our surety a full ransome and did not abate to him the least farthing of our debt yet we are freely pardoned and have free forgivenesse and are freely iustified by Gods grace because he did freely give Christ to satisfie and fulfill the Law for us and doth freely by his grace and by the free guift of his Spirit unite us to Christ and make us partakers of his satisfaction and imputing his satisfaction freely to us doth for it freely forgive our sinnes and iustify us Fourthly while they argue that faith in a proper sense is all the righteousnes which the faithfull have for Iustification and yee dare not affirme that faith is any formall righteousnes but deny that any formall righteousnes is required in iustification Hereby they deny the Saints iustified to be righteous contrary to the Scriptures which call the faithfull Iustified the righteous and the generation of the righteous which they cannot be without a formall righteousnes which doth constitute and give being to a righteous and iustified man as he is righteous and Iustified wherefore this is a monstrous opinion contrary to common sense and reason Fiftly while
is more scandalous and offensive that he professing the holy Ghost to be the best iudge for determining controversies doth immediately contradict himselfe by saying that he leaves his meaning and intent to be debated by men and makes such men as himselfe stamped with a rationall Authority the judges of his meaning What is this but the heresie of the Arminians who hold that their right reason as they call it and not the word of the spirit speaking plainely in the Scriptures is the best Iudge of the spirits meaning and intent in obscure places and how scandalous and offensive it is for him to profes such excellent things of himselfe before hand and in the whole progresse of his disputation to run so far from the Spirits meaning and from all right reason as I shall prove by my siâ—â—ing and answering of his Arguments I leave to the Godly wise and learned to Judge His first Argument FIrst he undertakes to prove That faith in a proper senâ—e is affirmed by the Apostle to be imputed for righteousnes and not the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith Because the phrase of imputing faith for righteousnes is once yea twice yea a third and fourth time used by the Apostle in this Chapter and therefore hath all the Authority and countenance from the Scriptures that wordes can give whereas the imputation of Christs righteousnesse hath not the least reliefe either from any sound of wordes or sight of letter in the Scriptures Answere IN this Argument he shewes himselfe as bould in affirming manifest untruthes as ignorant both of Rhetorick and Logick In Rhetorick it is counted an excellent ornament of speech to continue a trope and it is called an Allegory he is ignorant who knoweth not this In Logick he is counted a boldlying Sophister who holds that a Syllogisme a true and perfect Argument hath a proposition which is manifestly false And what more grosse ignorance in Logick then to hold two propositions to be negative and affirmative in respect of one another which consist of divers subjects and that an affirmative and the negative may both be true All these absurdities appeare in this Argument First in that he affirmes the Apostles speech to be proper and the sense to be properly literall because he useth the same phrase foure times hereby he shewes his Ignorance of the continuance of a trope which Rhetoricians esteeme an elegant Allegory and which is most frequent in the Scripture For Jer. 26. the Lord is said to repent 3 severall times viz. ver. 3. 13. 19. and yet the speech is not proper but improper for God cannot properly be said to repent as appeares Num. 23. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 29. Here then he sheweth as much Ignorance of Rhetoricke and of the frequent use of rhetorical Allegories in the Scripture as he seemes to shew of Logick when he makes his affirmative viz. Faith is imputed for righteousnes and affirmes it to be true and withall saith that the negative intâ—parably accompanying it is a truth also when Logick teacheth that if the affirmative be true the negative must needs be false If by the negative he meanes this viz. Christs righteousnesse is not imputed He erres two waies from Logick first by calling the negative inseparably accompanying his affirmative Secondly by speaking ambiguously a speech which may beare divers senses which Logick abhorres in a disputation Secondly he shewes himselfe a bould lving Sophister when he affirmes most falsely and impudently 〈◊〉 That no truth in Religion nor article of our faith can boast of the Letter that is of the proper literall sense of the Scripture more full expresse and pregnant then that speech or proposition which is foure times used in one Chapter For the contrary is most manifestly true as divers places shew where one and the same thing is often affirmed and yet the speech is not proper but tropicall I will instance in one place which is most convincing viz. Gal. 3. where the word Faith is ten times used in an improper sense for the word of faith the Gospel as it is opposed to the Law carnallie understood viz. verse 3 5 7 8 9 12 14 22 23 25. Now the maine proposition-of his Syllogisme being so manifestly false his conclusion inferred from thence is certainely most false viz. that this speech of Saint Paul Faith is counted for righteousnes is properly literall and not improper and tropicall The second Argument coâ—ched under the other runs thus if it be reduced into aâ—Syllogisme That which hath not the least releife either from any sound of wordes or sight of letter in the Scripture is an untruth and a meere fiction the imputation of Christs righteousnes hath not the least releife either from sound of wordes or sight of letter in Scripture Therefore it is a meere fiction The Assumption or Minor of this Syllogisme is most false and therefore the conclusion hath no truth in it I prove it most false by the Apostles owne wordes for in the fourth v. he saith that to the blessed man God imputeth righteousnes without workes and verse 11. where he saith that as to Abraham faith was imputed before hee was circumcised so God shewed that righteousnes should be imputed to the beleeving Gentiles though uncircumcised In which two places he shewes that by beleeving and faith imputed to Abraham and all true beleevers the Spirit of God meanes righteousnes couched under the name of faith and beleeving Now this righteousnes cannot be faith it selfe in a proper sense for every act of faith is a worke but this is a righteousnes imputed to us without workes done by us in our owne persons besides faith and all the beleeving of the most faithfull cannot make up one duty or worke of true and perfect righteousnes such as God can impute to justification for faith in the best beleevers even in Abraham himselfe was stayned with many doubtings fears But here must needes bâ—e meant that righteousnes in which the most just God can see no imperfection and therefore counts it for righteousnes to justifie all that are partakers of it And this can bee no other but the righteousnes which Christ God and man performed in mans nature therefore the contrary of the Assumption is most true The third which hee calls his second mayne Argument or proofe is drawne from the scope of the place and the intent of the Apostle in his discourse of justification here in these Chapters of this Epistle it runs thus being reduced into a Syllogisme The scope of the place and intent of the Apostle is to hedge up as it were with thornes the false way of justification which lay through workes and to put men by from attempting any going that way and also to discover the true way of justification to them that is to make knowne unto them what they must doe and what God requires of them for justification and what hee will accept at their hands instead of the workes
his owne sinne but ours not in himselfe but in us and in his 6. Sermon de verbis Apostoli God the Father saith he made him sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him Behold here two things the righteousnes of God yet our owne in him not in our selves Leo the first in his 70. Epistle saith that by the innocency of one we are all made innocent and that by righteousnes derived unto men from him who hath taken mans nature upon him Bernard in his 190. Epistle saith as one hath borne the sinnes of all so the satisfaction of one is imputed to all It was not one which forfeited and another which satisfied for the head of the body is one Christ Also in Sermon ad Milites Templi he saith Death is made to flee away in the Death of Christ and Christs righteousnes is imputed to us And a little after he who hath willingly bin incarnate willingly suffered and beene willingly crucified will he keepe back his righteousnes onely from us And againe One man sinned and all are held guilty and shall the innocency of one viz. Christ bee imputed only to one Anselme in Rom. 5. saith that by the righteousnes of one comming upon all the elect they come unto iustification that they may bee iustified by participation of Christs righteousnes These with many other Testimonies which might be produced out of Ancient Writers from the Primitive times untill Luther doe abundantly shew that they all by faith imputed never dreamed of faith imputed in a proper sense but only the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith But to descend to Orthodox Writers of this last age since Luther It is well knowne that they generally held imputation of our sinnes to Christ and Christs satisfaction and righteousnes to us to be the forme of iustification by which beleevers are iustified Luther if wee may beleeve his owne wordes acknowledgeth that it was the Doctrine of Saint Bernard concerning justification by the righteousnes of Christ imputed and not by our owne workes which moved him first to loath the popish Doctrine and to grow into suspition and dislike of that religion And in his Commentary on the Galathians where he doth most highly extoll the righteousnes of faith and debateth the righteousnes of workes hee tels us that faith being weake in many of Gods Children cannot bee accepted for righteousnes of it selfe that is in a proper sense and therefore there is necessarily required imputation of righteousnes for justification in Gal. 3. 6. See further in the very wordes of Luther gathered out of his owne writings and digested into common places by Fabricius who cites the tome and page for every word and sentence which are these first concerning justifying faith he saith faith obtaines what the Law commands and what is that but obedience and righteousnes 1 Tom. pag. 32. And againe by Faith Christ is in us yea one body with us But Christ is righteous and a fulfiller of Gods Commandements wherefore wee all by him doe fulfill them while Christ is made ours by faith also Tom. 3. page 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 Death sinne and the Law Also 2. Tom. pag. 515. Faith settles us upon the workes of Christ without our owne workes and translates us out of the exile or captivity of our sinnes into the Kingdome of his righteousnes And Tom. 1. pag. 410. Sinne is not destroyed unlesse the Law be fulfilled But the Law is not fulfilled but by the righteousnesse of faith And page 437. To keepe the Law is to have or possesse Christ the perfect fulfiller of the Law And Tom. 4. Page 44. Faith iustifies because it apprehendeth and possesseth that treasure viz. Christ And Page 45. we 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 worke but the worke of God These speeches shew plainely that Luther conceived Christ with his righteousnesse to bee after a sort the formall righteousnesse of the beleeverâ— though not formally inherent in him 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. page 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 page 178. The righteousnesse of a Christian is anothers righteousnes 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 don and suffered as he did as the Married man possesseth all which 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 in Christ Christs righteousnes is made our righteousnes and all his are ours yea he himselfe is ours And Tom. 2. page 86. The righteousnes by which we are iustified before God is not in our owne persons but without our selves in God because man shall have no cause to be puffed up with an opinion of his owne proper righteousnes before God And Tom. 2. page 385. A Christian is not formally righteous by reason of any substance or quality in him but relatively in relation to Christ in whom he 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 bee counted to have satisfied the Law by him and that for him wee may be reputed righteous Although we our selves doe not satisfie the Law anothers fulfilling of it 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 to every beleever that is he that hath Christ is righteous hee is reputed to have satisfied the Law and hee imputatively hath that which the Law requires And in chap. 10. 4. upon these wordes Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes c. he saith this is the simple meaning Christ is the end that is the fulfilling of the Law to the beleever and he who hath Christ that is beleeves in Christ is righteous and hath imputatively what the Law requires The Booke of concord subscribed by so many hundred Euangelicall Ministers of the reformed Churches in Germany in the
Articles of Iustification saith that when we speake of iustifying faith it is to be knowne that these three obiects concurre which are to bee beleeved 1. the promise of the benefit that is mercy for remission or iustification 2. That the promise is most free which excludes our merits 3. The merits of Câ—râ—st which are the price and propitiation and a little after Faith doth not iustifie because it is a worke worthy by it selfe that is in a proper sense but onely because it receaves the mercy promised And again how shall Christ be our Mediatour if in iustification wee doe not use him for our Mediatour that is if we doe not feele that for him we are reputed righteous The Divines of the Augustin confession câ—ndemne 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 righteousnes of faith is remission of sinnes reconciliation to God and adoption to be Sonnes of God for the obedience of Christ only which by faith alone of meere grace is imputed to all believers Articulo 3. de fidei iustitia 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 fulfilling of the Law for our sakes Ibid. Artic. 3. And concerning faith they teach that in iustification before God it trusteth neither in contrition nor love nor any other vertues but in Christ alone it is the onely meane and instrument which apprehends and receives the free grace of God the merit of Christ and remission of sinnes and it resteth on Christs most perfect obedience by which he fulfilled the Law for us which obedience is imputed to beleevers for righteousnes Ibid. Artic. 3. Calvin is so zealous and so cleere and manifest in teaching and maintaining the Doctrine of Justification by the communion and imputation of Christs perfect obedience satisfaction and righteousnes that among Christians Calvins Institutions me thinkes the very Father of lyers the Devill himselfe should if not blush and bee ashamed yet in policy be afraid to call Calvin for a witnesse against it least all that heare him should hate him and hisse him for his open lying The Doctrine of Calvin concerning iustification consists of these speciall Articles laid downe plainely Institut lib. 3. cap. 11. First hee affirmes in plaine wordes that Iustification consists in remission of sinnes and imputation of Christs righteousnes Sect. 2. Secondly he shewes what he meanes by remission of sinnes sometimes he takes remission of sinnes in a large sense for that act of God by which he doth communicate and impute the full satisfaction of Christ unto his Elect and faithfull that the whole guilt of all sinnes both of omission and coâ—…ission is taken away and they are no more accounted nor appeare in his sight as sinners In this sense he calls remission of sinnes totum iustificationis in his Comment on Rom. 4. and totâ—m iustificationem whole iustification Instit. lib. 3. ca 8. 4. For indeed when the sinnes of commission are taken away by that part of Christs satisfaction imputed which is called his passive obedience or voluntary suffering of the penalties of the Law and the sinnes of omission by his active obedience in fulfilling the righteousnes which the Law requires which is the other part of Christs imputed satisfaction so that the Elect are now reputed as righteous men who have the defect which came by Omission supplied and have no more the sinnes of Omission imputed to them this is perfect and whole iustification as he truely calls it But sometimes he useth the word remission of sinnes in a more strict sense for that part of Gods act of communicating and imputing of Christs satisfaction which respects the passive obedience of Christ which takes away the guilt of sinnes committed but doth not supply the omission of righteousnes and in this sense he makes remission of sinnes but a part of iustification and Gods imputing of the active part of Christs satisfaction and counting the faithfull righteous by it imputed hee makes the other part of iustification in the wordes before cited out of his Institutions lib. 3. cap. 11. Sect. 2. Thirdly he constantly teacheth and affirmeth that there is no righteousnesse by which a man can stand before Gods Tribunall and be accepted for righteous in his sight but onely the full satisfaction and perfect righteousnes of Christ which he the Sonne of God performed in the nature of man for that which is not intire and absolute and without all staine and spot such as never hath beene nor shall be found in any meere man can never be accepted of God but is with him sleighted and vilified beyond all measure and whosoever prates of any righteousnes in mens owne workes or doings they have no true thought nor the least sense of the iustice of God but make a mock of it Institut lib. 3. cap. 12. Sect. 1. and 3. and 11. 26. Fourthly he affirmeth that man is iustified by faith when he is excluded from the righteousnes of works by faith layeth hold on the righteousnes of Christ with which he being cloathed doth appeare in the sight of God not as a sinner but as a righteous man Instit. lib. 3. cap. 11. Sect. 1. And in the same chap. Sect. 11. He saith Haec est mirabilis iustificâ—…i ratio ut Christi iustitia tecti non exhorreant iudicium quo dignisunt dum seipsos merito damnant insti extra se censeantur Fiftly concerning the Office of faith in iustification he teacheth that faith being in it selfe weake and imperfect and of no dignity or worth price or value is never able to iustifie us by it selfe but by bringing Christ unto us who is given to us for righteousnes it is not our righteousnes but makes us come with the mouth of the soule opened that we may be capable of Christ and it is as a vessell or Pot for as the pot full of money enricheth a man so faith filled with Christ and his righteousnes is said to iustifie us and to be counted for righteousnes and therefore he saith that it is a foolish thing to mingle our faith which is onely the instrument of receiving righteousnes with Christ who is the materiall cause and both the Author and Minister of this great benefit chap. 11. Sect. 7. And in the 17. Sect. hee saith that faith is hereupon said to iustifie because it doth receive and embrace the righteousnes which is â—ffered in the Gospell Sixtly he affirmes that the righteousnes by which bâ—â—eevers are iustified and stand righteous before God is not in themselves but in Christ even his perfect obedience and righteousnes communicated to them by imputation Sect. 23. Lastly he
of the Law and that is it which he heare saith is imputed for righteousnes Now faith and beleeving in the proper and formall signification is that which they must doe and performe to their justification which also God requires of them inst ad of the workes of the Law and will accept at their hands instead of them Therefore it is faith in a proper sense which is here by the Apostle to be counted for righteousnes In the first proposition we have an heape of lyes mixt with contradiction first in that he saith the scope of the Apostle is to put men from the false way of justification which lies through workes and to discover the true way by making them know what they must doe and performe for justification here like a mad or drunken man he contradicts himselfe for who doth not see that the way of doing and performing is the way which lyes through workes and that if a thing done and performed by us be counted for righteousnes to iustification then the way of iustification lies through workes done by us which if they be iust and lawfull are workes of the Law Secondly if he by the way which lay through workes understands mens owne workes done in obedience to the Law of God it is true which he saith that this is the false way and that which hee calls the true way viz. by mens doing and performing is either the same with it or else worse and so hee speakes a most grosse untruth in calling it the true way being the same with the false way but if by the way which lies through workes he meanes seeking after Christs righteousnes which consists in workes of obedience to the Law then his wordes are most false wicked and blasphemous in that he calls this the false way to iustification Thirdly in that he saith God requires something to be don and performed by men for their iustification and that is it which the Apostle saith is imputed for righteousnes this is most false neither doth the Apostle intend any such thing in this place for this is to set up iustification by doing and workes of our owne which he altogether opposeth and his whole scope is bent against it and to shew that all which we are to looke to is to receive that which is freely given of God and imputed to us for righteousnes that is the righteousnes of him who is God as he often calls it in this Epistle as Rom. 3. 2. and 10. 3. here then behold how hee makes the new covenant a conditionall Covenant and not of free grace promising iustification and salvation upon condition of mens doing In briefe besides the contradictions and other absurdities and untruthes in this Argument before noted I finde these grosse errours in the carriage of it One is in that he saith God doth not require of us the righteousnes of Christ for iustification this hee required of Christ himselfe To which I answer that God requires nothing of us for our iustification for wee are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3. 24 that is by the free gift and communion of the satisfaction which Christ made for our redemption but yet the thing which God requires in our behalfe is that satisfaction and righteousnes of Christ and the qualification of us for the receiving applying and enjoying of that righteousnes for iustification is faith which is not of our selves but is the gift of God Ephes. 2. 8. for God worketh in us the will and power to beleeve and actuall beleeving also Phil. 2. 13. and all this by his spirit dwelling in us uniting us to Christ and so bringing us to communion of all his benefits even of his righteousnes to iustification and this is the true intent and scope of the Apostle to draw us from seeking iustification by any worke which we can doe or which God requires of us for that end and to make us looke up to the redemption which is in Christ and in his satisfaction apprehended by faith to rest for iustification as for this phrase of Gods requiring Christs righteousnes of us it is harsh and unsavoury yea absurd as if one should say God requires that the particular and individuall act done by another bee not done by him but by us which implies a contradiction but this that God requires the righteousnes of Christ not for our justification but of Christ himselfe this implies that Christ had need of iustification and was bound to fulfill the righteousnes of the Law for himselfe and savours of Socinian and Samosatenian Heresie which denies Christs God-head for if Christs humane nature being from the first conception most pure upright and holy was personally united to his God-head and so the Sonne of God and Heire of all things who can doubt but that in himselfe he was worthy of all Glory at Gods right hand from his birth as his taking of our nature upon him was altogether for us so his infirmities sufferings death and continuance on Earth for the performance of all righteousnesse and obedience to the whole Law was for us and for all the Elect who of old beleeved in him to come for them and who now doe in beleeve him exalted to Glory according to his humanity to thinke or say that he had need to justifie himselfe and to merit by his righteousnes the state of Glory is in effect to deny that he was God infinitely worthy of all Glory as he was the onely begotten Sonne of God and Heire of all things Another grosse error is that he calls faith and beleeving a thing don and performed by us when as the Apostle affirmes and all Christians confesse that our beleeving and faith is not of our selves but the gift of God and the worke and motion of his Spirit in us A third untruth and grosse absurdity or rather blasphemy is in the last wordes where he affirmes that if the Apostle had said unto them that they must bee justified by Christ or by Christs righteousnes this had beene rather to cast a snare upon them then to have opened a dore of life and saluation unto them Farre bee it from mee and all true Christians not to detest and curse with the curse of Anathema Maranatha that mouth which proclaimes and obstinately maintaines that teaching iustification by Christ and by his righteousnes is casting of a snare on men and not opening adore of life and salvation to them In the third place he layes down his arguments against the true Orthodox interpretation of Saint Pauls speeches concerning imputation of faith for righteousnes which interpretation he goeth about to overthrow by severall circumstances or passages in the context The first Argument reduced into forme runs thus that the Apostle who desired to speake to mens understanding should in the weighty point of iustification time after time and often without ever explaining himselfe or changing his speech use so strange harsh and
uncouth an expression and figure of speech as is not to be found in all his writings is a thing most unlikely and not to be beleeved But this interpretation viz. Fathers upon him such an harsh expression and figure of speech without ever explaining of himselfe as is not to be found in all his writings saying that faith or beleeving is imputed for righteousnes time after time without over changing his speech and meaning that indeed Christs righteousnes is imputed which was to speake rather that he might conceale his mind then reveale it Therefore this interpretation layeth on the Apostle a thing incredible and is false and not to be beleeved To the Assumption I answer that it is an heape of manifest and impudent lies First it is no harsh strange and uncouth expression to use a figure of speech and by saith and beleeving to meane the state or a man in the state of a true faithfull beleever and by righteousnes the state or a man in the state of righteousnes or of a righteous man and to say that faith and beleeving is counted for righteousnes meaning that the state of a beleever having by faith spirituall communion with Christ is a state of righteousnes and the man which is in that estate is reputed of God in the state of righteousnes for this same expression and figure of speech the Apostle useth severall times in the foure last verses of the 2. Chapter of this Epistle where by circumcision he understands sanctification of the heart in the Spirit verse 29. and also 26. and also a circumcised Jew v. 27. and by uncircumcision he meanes an uncircumcised Gentile and also the state of Gentilisme as Beza observes and common sense teacheth and here is discovered a second impudent lye in that he saith this figure of speech is not to bee found in all the Apostles writings A third bold lye and manifest falshood is that the Apostle time after time useth the phrase of faith or beleeving imputed without ever explaining himselfe or changing his speech for that which hee calls faith and beleeving and saith it is imputed in the third and 5. ver. he explaining himselfe and changing his speech both in the 6. and 11. verses calls it righteousnes and saith God imputeth righteousnes and righteousnes is imputed Thus you see how hee hath bent his tongue and pen like a bow for lyes and shootes them forth thick and threefold like poysoned arrowes as if his quiver were the armory of the Father of lyers the Prince of darknesse The second Argument is briefly this that which is imputed for righteousnes is called his faith first before it is imputed verse 5. to him that beleeveth his faith is counted for righteousnes But the righteousnes of Christ cannot truely and properly be called his who is a true beleever before it is imputed Therefore the righteousnes of Christ is not here to be understood under the name of faith The righteousnes of Christ by spirituall union and common with Christ is as truely the true beleevers as his faith is his for Christ is made unto him righteousnes 1 Cor. 1. 30. and he is made the righteousnes of God in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 21. and that in order of nature before it is counted his righteousnes For God whose judgement is according to truth doth not count that to the beleever which he hath not before or at the same time doth communicate to him Secondly I answer that if faith which is here called his faith be faith in a proper sense and bee imputed for righteousnes then is man justified by his owne inherent righteousnes and by a worke done and performed in his owne person which is worse then Popery The object of that faith which is here said to be imputed is God himselfe or the promise of God and not the righteousnes of Christ for to understand that the righteousnes of Christ is meant by God is to set up a trope which is not a figure of speech but a monster of speech Therefore Christs righteousnes is not here said to be imputed The object of Abrahams faith was the promise of Christ and that in Christ God was his sheild and his great reward Gen. 15. 1. Now no man can in beleeving by true faith separate Christs satisfaction and righteousnes from Christ himselfe if he enjoy Christ by faith he enjoyes Christs benefits also and to beleeve God to be our reward is to beleeve that God is become our righteousnes and so our reward for the blessed reward is the reward of righteousnes and therefore this argument rightly framed out of the 3. v. from Abrahams beleeving God is strong against him Here againe I note his ignorance in Rhetoricall tropes in that hee saith a double trope in one word is a monster of speech whereas Rhetorick calls it a Metalepsis and counts it an ornament of speech I here also observe his vaine tergiversation for hee saith that the Holy Ghost in the rehearsall of the things which belong to the object of faith and which are beleeved doth never make the least mention of Christs righteousnes and immediately reckons many things which we are in Scripture required to beleeve amongst which is Christ himselfe and the doctrine of Christ and the promise of Christ the testimony which God hath given of his Sonne and the resurrection of Christ every one of which includes Christs righteousnes for if we beleeve in Christ aright we cannot but beleeve in him as a fulfiller of all righteousnes the Doctrine concerning Christ is that he is made unto us of God righteousnes that hee is the end of the Law for righteousnes to every beleever The promise of Christ of old was that Christ is the Lord our righteousnes Ier. 23. 6. and that he would cloath us with the Robe of righteousnes Isay 61. 10. the Testimony which God hath given of him is that in him wee have eternall life 1 Iohn 5. 11. which is the reward of his righteousnesse and therefore righteousnesse in him His resurrection is the evidence of his righteousnesse and perfect satisfaction as the Scriptures testifie And thus hee saith one thing and after brings many Scriptures to confute himselfe and at last grants what before hee denyed that Christs righteousnesse is to bee beleeved Hee saith that some beleeve Christs righteousnesse who beleeve not Christ himselfe which is indeed a Monster of Speech Sense and Reason In a word when the Spirit of God teacheth to beleeve the righteousnesse of God for Iustification Romans 10. 3. and in many other places which can be no other but Christs perfect righteousnes and satisfaction as appeares Rom. 3. 24. and againe calls this righteousnes the righteousnes of faith he plainely shewes that it is beleeved applyed enioyed and possessed by faith Christs righteousnes can in no tollerable sense be called that faith whereby Abraham beleeved in God that quickneth the dead Therefore under the name of that faith
it is not sayd to be imputed for righteousnes God neither quickned Christ nor raised him till he had fulfilled all righteousnes neither doth he quicken any dead but through his righteousnes and by his Spirit communicating it to them and therefore under the name of such a faith Christs righteousnes is by a Metonymie said to be imputed Abrahams faith was that wherein he was not weake neither doubted of Gods promise ver. 19. 20. but Christs righteousnesse is not that faith Therefore it is not here sayd to be imputed The more strong that Abraham was in faith and far from doubting and staggering by unbeliefe the more firmly was he united to Christ and had more full communion of his righteousnes and the more stedfastly did he stand in the state of a righteous man and more justly might God count him for a righteous man And therefore this Argument makes against him Abrahams beleeving that God who had promised was able to performe was the faith imputed But this was not Christs righteousnesse Therefore Christs righteousnes was not imputed The more that Abraham rested on Gods power and ability to performe the more communion he had of Christs righteousnes and the more justly did God count him for a righteous man and impute Christs righteousnes to him The faith which God imputes to us for righteousnes is our beleeving him which raised Christ from the dead But this is not Christs righteousnes Therefore it is not imputed Our beleeving in God who raised Christ from the dead is our assurance that Christ had made full satisfaction for us and therefore the righteous God who raised him up is satisfied for us and hath accepted his righteousnes to be our righteousnes and doth count us so beleeving and applying it to be in the state of righteousnes Therefore this is for us and not against us The 8th. Argument is a bare affirmation that to take faith in a proper sense is more plaine and cleare and better beleeving the Apostle in this discourse where he largely handles the point of justification Therefore he here meanes faith in a proper sense for that is more comfortable then to teach imputation of Christs righteousnes The Apostle plainely expresseth that faith imputed is righteousnes imputed verse 6. 11. and it is more comfortable for us to rest on Christs righteousnes besides which there is no true and perfect righteousnes to be found performed in our nature then to build on faith which in the best is mingled and stayned with many doubtings often times Therefore the Apostle undoubtedly intends Christs righteousnes and so he doth expresse in plaine wordes Chap. 5. 19. Chap. 8. 4. and Chap. 10. 4. After these Arguments he takes upon him to answere those places wherein the word faith and hope are used to signifie their objects that is the things beleeved and hoped for and here he doth use notable tergiversation and trifling First he grants that the Apostle useth such tropes of speech for indeed it is undenyable Secondly he opposeth and saith that the habit of faith may be used to signifie the object but not the act whereas in the examples named Gal. 1. 22. â—and 3. 23. and Colo. 1. â—5 the habit and act espescially the act of beleefe and hope are to be understood and indeed the Apostle doth name the habit as often as the act in this present discourse where he saith faith is imputed for righteousnes Thirdly he grants that the act sometimes may be put for the object but then he flees to his old shift that Christs righteousnes is not the obiect of beleeving which I have before proved it to be Lastly contrary to all reason he denies Christs righteousnes to be the obiect of faith as it is iustifying whereas it is indeed the onely proper obiect of it Thus he shamefully trifles to shew his impudency and perversenes The fourth way of Confirmation IN the fourth and last place he undertakes to confirme his opinion by testimony of learned Divines both ancient Fathers and moderne writers even from the primitive times to the yeare 1500 after Christ And here he confesseth that he dares not upon his owne reading be consident that they generally were of his opinion but onely resteth upon another mans testimony whom he nameth not Belike it was some notorious and infamous Socinian Heretick whom he is a shamed to name for his Author and that his confession is not out of humility and modesty but out of Satanicall subtilty to vent his poysonfull lyes under the person of another as the Devill did vent his by the Serpent Gen. 3. I easily gather by his impudent boldnesse in that upon a lying report he dares charge his adversaries with calumny and false report raised upon his opinion unworthy the tongue or pen of sober and learned men to make either Arminius or Socinus the Authors of it and that he is not ashamed nor blusheth to affirme that from the time of Luther and Calvin the fairest streame of interpreters runs as to water and refresh his interpretation To the first I answere That though the anciently condemned Heretick Peter Anilard who was gelded for his incontinency by a man whose Daughter he had abused layd the first ground of this opinion that Christs satisfaction is not imputed for justification as Saint Bernard shewes Epist. 190. yet the first Authors who expressely affirmed that faith in a proper sense without a trope is by the Apostle sayd to be imputed for righteousnes were Socinus Part 4. Chap. 4. de Christo servatore and Chap. 11. And Arminius in Epist. ad Hippolitum de collibus Thes. 5. And to his false pretence of the maine streame of writers since Calvin and Luther running to refresh his interpretation I oppose this challenge that he cannot name one Orthodox Writer since that time which ever held that faith in a proper sense is imputed for righteousnesse and denyed the imputation of Christs righteousnesse Socinus Arminius and that hereticall sect are the onely maintainers of that opinion An Answere to all his Testimonies TO his Testimonies and his impudent boasting of the generall consent of interpreters I answere first jovntly and in generall That of all the Testimonies which he hath cited there is not one which either affirmes that faith taken in a proper sense is imputed for righteousnesse or denyes the righteousnesse of Christ to be imputed to us and accepted of God for our justification yea that all Divines who are the most zealous opposers of his interpretation may say the same wordes which his Authors say and yet hold iustification by Christs righteousnes imputed yea and in proving that truth may with good reason presse the same wordes and speeches rightly understood So that a more odious example of impudency and folly cannot be imagined then he here makes himselfe by making his folly and absurdity to strive for Mastership with his impudency Secondly for the particular testimonies which he
cites out of Tertullian Origen Iustin Martyr Chrysostom Augustine Primasius Beda Haymo and Anselme and out of later Writers to wit Luther Bucer Peter Martyr Calvin Musculus Bullinger Gualâ—er Aretius Illyricus Pelicanus Humius Beza Iunius Pareus they are no more but what Saint Paul saith and we all acknowledg and imbrace for truth namely that Abraham beleeving God was counted a righteous man and faith was counted to him for righteousnesse and so are we all iustified not by our owne righteousnesse and workes of the Law performed in our owne persons but by faith counted for righteousnesse for faith insted of our owne workes layes hold on the righteousnes of Christ and apprehending and comprehending it is counted for righteousnes not in a proper sense but as it comprehends Christ and his righteousnes which Calvin calles apprehending the goodnes of God and trusting in it And therefore it is truely affirmed by Iustine Martyr that Abraham obtained the testimony of righteousnes viz. that he was a righteous man not because of his circumcision but because of his faith which wordes imply That faith is not the righteousnes of the beleever but the evidence of his communion with Christ in his righteousnes and satisfaction The Testimony which he cites out of Musculus is expressely contrary to his interpretation for the wordes are Commendata esse debebat hac fides noÌ„ propriae qualitatis sed propositi Dei respectu that is This faith ought to be commended not in respect of the proper quality of it that is Not in a proper sense but in respect of the purpose of God wherby he hath appointed that to beleeve in Christ he wil impute it for righteousnes propter ipsum that is because of Christ himselfe in whom they beleeve By which wordes it is plaine that faith is not imputed in a proper sense to the beleever but in respect of Christ in whom he beleeveth and whose righteousnes he applies by faith The wordes which he cites out of Aretius are also strong for us against himselfe viz. That God imputed righteousnes to Abraham that is so accepted his faith that hereupon he counted him for a righteous man by imputative righteousnes which righteousnes cannot be any thing inherent as faith and our owne workes are but the righteousnes of Christ besides which there is no righteousnes to be found in all the world perfect and fit to iustify man before God Illyricus his wordes are as plaine against him as our hearts can wish viz. That begging faith apprehending the righteousnes of Christ is imputed to him in sted of his owne righteousnes where note that the reason why God doth impute faith for righteousnes is because it apprehends Christs righteousnes not because it of it selfe in a proper sense is fit to be counted righteousnes being but a poore begging hand and being inherent in the beleever which imputative righteousnes can in no wise be Thus in all his testimonies we have not one word to prove that faith taken in a proper sense is onely imputed for righteousnes and not the righteousnes of Christ But many Testimonies by him cited prove directly the contrary interpretation But because I will not have such a forger and false suborner of witnesses goe away without the brandes of forgery and notorious impudency I will bring in the best learned of the Ancients and also of late Orthodox Divines even those whom he cals to witnesse for him and make them speake in theâ—r owne wordes and testify to all the world That by faith imputed for righteousnes they understand not faith it selfe in a proper sense but the satisfaction and righteousnes of the Lord Iesus Christ God and man performed arcording to the Law in our nature and in our behalfe First Iustin Martyr testifieth that we being in our selves wicked and ungodly cannot possibly become righteous or be iustified but onely in the Sonne of God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Now if onely in the Sonne of God and by union and communion with him which all have who are in him then onely by his righteousnesse For as the same Author in the same place saith It is his righteousnesse and nothing else which can cover our sin Justin Martyr Epist ad Diognetum And in his exposition of faith he saith That Christ as well by his exact conversation of life that is his perfect righteousnes as by his undeserved death hath abolished and covered our fall and fayling which came in by Adam Irenaeus is so strict for our communion with Christ in his obedience unto death and for our reconciliation and justification thereby that he imputes Christs obedience to us and saith In secundo Adamo reconciliati sumus obedientes usque ad mortem facti Lib. 4. adversus Haereses cap. 14. Athanasius in his 2 Tome Pag. 270. of Comelius edition saith That it is most necessary for us to beleeve Scriptures that Christ who hath freed us from the curse is the first fruites of the masse of mankind who are by him redeemed and that the perfect fulfilling of the Law by him the first fruites is imputed to the whole masse his wordes are in Greeke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} And in his Booke of the Incarnation of the word of God he affirmeth that we shall live and be saved because we are partakers of the righteousnes without spot which Christ God in the flesh brought into the World Gregorie Nyssen Oration 2. in Cantic. Canticorum saith Christ having the filth or guilt of my sinnes transferred upon himselfe hath communicated his perfect purity to me and made me partaker of that beautie which is in himselfe Ambrose saith as Adam is the paterne of death because of sinne So is Christ the paterne of life because of his ousnesse Commentar. in cap. 7 Lucae Lib. 5. Chrysostom saith If a Iew aske thee how can all the world be saved by the righteous doings of one Christ Thou maist answere even so as all the world is condemned by one Adams disobedience cap. 5. ad Rom. Homil. 10. That is by the communion and imputation of them Cyrill saith Lib. 11. in Ioan. cap. 25. Christ being the author of the Law and yet subiecting himselfe to the Law by his obedience and righteousnes brings the blessing and life unto us And Lib. de recta fide he saith It is absurd to thinke that we should be made heires of the punishment of the first Adam by his disobedience and should not be made partakers of the righteousnesse of the second who doth bring us backe to life by his most perfect obedience Theodoret. Sermo 10. de curat Graec. affectionum saith It is very convenient that he who so highly praised righteousnes should in his comming in the flesh fulfill righteousnes for men Augustin Enchirid ad Laurentium cap. 41. saith he was made sinne that we might be made righteousnes not our owne but Gods righteousnes not in our selves but in him even as he was sinne not
it was by adding some thing and substracting others that in consideration hereof it was thought requisite to print it in that very shape in which it came at first from betweene his hands for to this alone hath the Reply reference and to couple both it and the Reply in one volume I am consious of no other designe that the publisher propounded to himselfe but onely this to cleare the Reply and the Authour of it from those false and foule imputations of lying forging c and to wash off from the face of that truth they pleade for those blacke coullers of Socinianisme and Arminianisme which Mr. Walkers pencill hath drawne over it that appearing to the eye of the world out of his cloathing their innocency might bee acknowledged in the judgements and consciences of reasonable men The accomplishment of which designe will I dare say satisfyingly recompence his cost and labour and inlarge his heart towards the God of peace and truth who hath given successe to so just so pious so commendable an undertaking Farwell AN EPITOME OF Mr. Walkers Answer OR A speciall receipt by a moderne Divine against the Dangerous infection of an Orthodox Truth REcipe 21. folio's or leaves of papyrus as close written as may well be read Sosinus and Arminius well beaten together and strained through a course boulter of an English discourse A handfull of good Scriptures carelesly gathered and well steeped in the standing water of a new laid interpretation Add hereunto two or three Hebrew roots of reading a sufficient quantity of Learning about a third part Of the hearb called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in Engling lack-love 6 leaves at the least of blacke tongue-wort some fifteene slips of tropes and metonymies gathered where they never grew as many as you can come by of the drugg called diabolico-pseudo lobetico 12 ounces of the simple called insultory or assafetidea as much of the sweet and savory hearb discretion halfe a scruple Let all these bee made up into the body of a discourse and swallowed downe without chewing upon a full stomacke and take heede of drinking any sound interpetation after them and there is little feare that the truth will ever doe you any harme Probatum est Reader if thou had'st rather take a little paines then be angry I desire thee to releive the Printer with thy pen and to reforme thy Booke before thou readest it according to these subsequent directions In the Preface Page 9 line 5. for serapp r. scrap p 11 l. 1. for present r. pleasant l. 18. for {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} p. 12. l. 25. for passages r. pages p. 13. l. 13. for discrologie r. aischrologie l. 14. for messenger r. messengers l. 15. for magnificant r. magnificent In the discourse p. 6. l. 31. for corponeris r. còmponens p. 8. l. 29. for opinion any r. opinion that any p. 13. l. 13. for Divinity who r. 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Here l. 18. for word discourse r. wordie discoâ—se l. ult. for too r. to p. 22. l. ult. for misperisiar r misprision p. 26. l. 13. for our r. owne p. 29. l. 27. for no satisfaction r. no such satisfaction p. 32. l. 15. for this is r. is this p. 33. l. 27. for first r. fullest p. 34. l. 20. for saith further r. saith he further p. 37. l. 24. for skill r. still p. 40. l. 33. for promises r. premisses p. 43. l. 2. for justification r. or free justification p. 47. l. 9. for hihobular r. triobular p. 48. l. 19. for black in so r. so black and p. 55. l. 26. for neighbours r. neighbour p. 59. l. 33. for mee r. men p. 65. l. 25. for contradiction r. contradictions p. 70. l. 2. for belived r. beleeving p. l. 10. for not for r. not of us for p. 74. l. 2. for to speak r. to speak to p. 86. l. 12. for interpres r. interpretesse p. 95. l. 37. for censured r. conceived A DEFENCE OF THE TRVE SENCE AND MEANING of the words of the holy Apostle ROM. 4. v. 3. where it is said that Abraham beleeved GOD and it was counted to him for Righteousnes and v. 5. to him that beleeveth his Faith is counted for Righteousnesse and v. 9. for we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousnes THE true sence and meaning of the holy Apostle in these speeches according to the common judgement of the most godly learned and judicious Divines of the best Reformed Churches is this That upon Abrahams beleeving the Promise of God that God would be his shield and exceeding great reward and that God would raise up out of his loynes the blessed Seed Christ the Redeemer in whom all the Elect and faithfull of all Nations being gathered unto God and by one Spirit Baptised and united together into one spirituall body with him their spirituall head and made lively and sensible partakers of his perfect obedience righteousnesse and full satisfaction for redemption remission of sins justification and perfect salvation should become Abrahams faithfull seed and partakers of the same reward and should wee more seeke the reward of blessednesse by the righteousnesse of their owne workes performed according to the tenour of the Law in every mans owne person but in the Lord Iesus Christ who is the Iehovah Zidkenu the Lord our righteousnes and God the lot and portion of every true beleever upon Abrahams beleeving of the promise and firmely without staggering applying to himselfe this blessing promised and upon his full perswasion that God who promised out of his free grace was by his power able to performe though he by course of Nature and by reason of the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe seemed and indeed was uncapable of that blessing God the Lord counted this to him for righteousnesse that is accepted and accounted him for a righteous man as indeed he was not for any workes of his owne or by any righteousnesse performed in his owne person according to the Law but by the righteousnesse of faith that is the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended and applyed by Faith for being thus justified by faith and having this Communion with Christ of his full satisfaction and righteousnesse God becomes in Christ our sheild and exceeding great reward The Corrupt exposition of the Apostles wordes by the Hereticke Socinus and his followers the Arminians and other fanaticall Sectaries THey all hold and obstinately affirme that Abrahams beleeving and his faith taken in a proper literall sense without any trope was counted to him for righteousnes instead of all righteousnes which either Abraham him selfe in his own person or any surety in his owne person or any surety in his behalfe could performe to the Law of God And upon these words thus wrested they build all their hereticall
Doctrines and opinions concerning justification of the faithfull before God to wit First that faith as it is in every beleever a guift of God even as it is inherent in him and is his owne faith and beleeving is the onely thing which God of his grace and mercy and out of his absolute sovereigne power and dominion is pleased to ordaine appoynt and account for all the righteousnesse which a man shall have for his justification though in truth and in strictnesse of the Law and according to the rule of justice it is no righteousnes being weake oftentimes and full of infirmities That the spirit of God by the Apostle in these words did not intend or meane any of the Communion of the righteousnes and perfect obedience performed by Christ to the Law as our surety and in our stead nor any imputation of that righteousnes to every true beleever for justification nor Gods accepting of the faithfull for righteous by their communion of that righteousnes applied possessed and enjoyed by faith By faith and beleeving they doe not understand that guift and worke of Gods spirit in the elect regeneraâ—e and sanctified by which they doe beleeve and are perswaded that they are in Christ and Christ is their head and they as members have communion of all his benefits even of his full satisfaction and perfect righteousnes for remission of all their sinnes and for justification and by this perswasion and beleeving they have a sweet and lively sence feeling and fruition of Christs satisfaction and righteousnes and rest on them as on the covering and propitiation of their sinnes and their righteousnes by which they stand righteous before God and are justified but by faith and beleeving they understand no more but a confidence in God that he will performe his promises made in Christ and an assent unto his word that it is true the tenour of which word and promises they conceive to be this that Christ in his pure perfect humane nature by his righteousnes sufferings and obedience unto death hath merited such high favour with God that God in honour to him is pleased to accept and account the faith of them that beleeve him to bee a sufficient Saviour for righteousnes and requires noe other righteousnes to constitute them and make them after any sort formally righteous in their justification When they acknowledge that Christ his perfect satisfaction and righteousnes is the meritorious cause of our justification they doe not meane that Christ his satisfaction and righteousnes are communicated to us and by faith so apprehended and possessed that wee thereby are indeed and in Gods account righteous before God and are justified and they deserve that hee should so account us for them but this is their mind and meaning that Christ by his righteousnes and obedience hath merited that God for his sake should account faith to us for righteousnes without either our owne workes of the Law or his righteousnes imputed to us and made ours by communion and when they say faith is imputed for righteousnes as an instrument they meane not as the spirituall hand or instrument applying Christ his righteousnes to bee after a sort the formall righteousnes of the beleever but that faith as it is the instrument by which the beleever doth beleeve that Christ hath purchased this favour that faith should be the onely thing accounted to him for righteousnes The Orthodoxe Exposition I will prove and confirme from the wordes of the Apostle himselfe and other strong Arguments in the first place and afterwards will confute and overthrow the Hereticall Exposition The true Exposition defended FOr the right understanding of the Apostles wordes three things are first to be considered and explained First what is here meant by faith and beleeving Secondly what righteousnes is here meant Thirdly what is meant by imputation By faith in this place wee must not understand that naturall habit and power which is common to all reasonable men who upon their knowledge of things spoken or promised doe give willing assent unto them that they are true either for the Authority of the speaker whom they doe respect and judge to bee faithfull or because they see good reason in the things spoken and promised and if the things promised tend to their owne good they rest upon them confidently and perswade themselves that they are sure and certaine of them already or shall receive and enjoy them in due time without faile But here by faith we are to understand that supernaturall guift and grace of beleeving wrought in the elect regenerate by the spirit shed on them abundantly through Iesus Christ Tit. 3. 6. which is therefore called most holy faith Iude 20. this faith agreeeth with the other in these foure poynts First as that is an habit and power of beleeving so is this secondly as that containes in it notitiam in intellectu a knowledge and notice of the things spoken beleeved so doth this And as that containes in it assensum in voluntate an assent of the wil so doth this also And as that faith when it goeth no further is called historical so this also And as that faith when it reacheth to good things promised to our selves particularly to apply them and rest on them hath also fiduciam in corde affectionibus a trust and confidence of the heart and affections in it so hath this also and is cald a firme perswasion trust confidence but they differ in divers things First that is a naturall power or habit This is spirituall wrought in men by the Spirit of God dwelling in them and uniting them to Christ in one mysticall body Secondly that hath in it no knowledge but naturall arising from light of naturall reason nor any assent of the will or confidence in the heart and affections but such as are drawne stirred up and wrought by meanes of naturall light and common causes this hath in it a spirituall knowledge arising from the spirit of God enlightning the understanding the Spirit also enclines and moves the will to give assent and confirmes the heart with confidence and firme perswasion Thirdly that is common to all reasonable men This is proper to the elect regenerate and sanctified by the holy Ghost shed on them through Christ and is the first and the radicall grace and vertue of renovation 4. That hath for the object or things beleeved either naturall and worldly things onely or things heavenly and supernaturall seene and discern'd through the darke mist of naturall reason and assented to rested on with a carnall and unsanctified will and heart This hath for the object things supernaturall and heavenly and spirituall discerned by supernaturall light assented to with an holy and sanctified will confirmed to the heart by a spirituall sence and sweet taste of the things promised wrought by the holy Spirit in the true beleever apprehending and applying them But to come neere to the Text the
beleeving which the Apostle speakes of in the 3. verse and also in the 9. and 22. verses is the faith and beleeving of Abraham who divers yeares before this beleeving which is said to be counted to him for righteousnes was called out of his owne Country and by faith obeyed Gods calling and went and soâ—ourned in the Land promised to him and his seed as appeares Heb. 11. 8. 9. he had overcome and slaughtered foure mighty Kings and their victorious armâ—es by faith and confidence in Gods promises anâ—Melchizedeck King of Salem the Priest of the most High God had blessed him as we read Gen. 14. and after thâ—se things the Lord appeared and spake to Abraham and said feare not I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward and withall hee renewed his promise of the blessed seed by meanes of which seed all the families of the Earth should be blessed in Abraham and should become his faithfull children besides his naturall seed and posterity which should come of the Sonne and Heire of his owne bowells as appeares Gen. 15. 1. 4. These were the promises which God made to Abraham and which Abraham beleeved to be true and resting upon the Lord by firme faith and beliefe for the performance of them the Lord counted it to him for righteousnes Gen. 15. 6. or as the Apostle expresseth the same sentence in the same sence though in wordes somewhat different it was counted to him verse 5. even faith was reckoned to him for righteousnes verse 9. Now this faith and beleeving was first an holy spirituall beleefe and the faith of a man long before called of God and saâ—ctified by his Spirit and made obedient to God and his word Secondly It was a beleefe not only of the promise of Christ the blessed seed in generall but more specially that Christ according to the flesh should come out of his owne bowels and that by Christ the Sonne of God made man of his seed the redemption both of him and of all his faithfull seed that is all true beleevers should be wrought and performed Gods wrath appeased the Law fulfilled Justice satisfied perfect righteousnes brought in for their justification and by his and their union with Christ by one spirit and Communion of all his benefits they should have God for their portion and reward for their sheild and defence and should not need to seeke the blessing and reward of eternall life from their owne workes or their owne righteousnes and fulfilling of the Law in their owne persons but meerely from the free grace of God and of his free guiâ—t in Christ as a reward of Christs righteousnesse freely given to them and of them apprehended by faith and beleeving Thirdly this faith of Abraham was not a weake but a strong faith and beliefe without staggering even a full perswasion that God who quickneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as if they were and was able to make good and to performe what hee had promised yea it was a beleeving in hope against hope that God could out of a dead body and womb raise up a lively seed and make them spiritually righteous who are by nature and according to the Law wicked sinners All these things are manifest by the places before cited Gen 15. and by the expresse wordes of the Apostle in this chap from the tenth verse to the end of the Chapter And thus you see what is meant by faith which is here said to be counted for righteous Secondly the righteousnes here meant is not the righteousnes which is according to the strictnesse and tenour of the Law that is righteousnes of a mans own works performed by every man in his owne person to the Law of God for the Apostle doth dispute altogether against that righteousnes and proves that neither Abraham was justified or counted of God righteous for it as appeares in the 2. 5. 6. 13. verses nor any other at any time as appeares in the Chapter before And Chap. 8. 3. and 9. 32. 10. 3. But here is meant an Euangelicall righteousnes which doth not consist in any worke or workes performed by a man himselfe in his owne person nor in any grace or vertue inherent in himselfe but is a righteousnesse which God of his owne free grace doth impute to the true Beleever who by one Spirit is united to Christ and hath communion with him and is called the righteousnes of Faith and doth exclude legal justification by righteousnesse of a mans owne workes as appeares in the whole discourse of the Apostle in this and the former Chapter and in diverse other places of this Epistle especially ver. 13. of this 4 Chap. and in Chap. 3. 27. 28. Thirdly the phrase of imputing or counting a thing to one signifies both in the Old and New Testament an Act of judgement and estimation by which a thing is judged esteemed reckoned and accounted to be as it is indeed and then it is just and according to truth but when a thing is counted or judged thought and esteemed to be as it is not then it is unjust and not according to truth Now Gods thoughts are alwaies just and his judgement is according to truth Rom. 2. 2. And therefore a lust imputing and counting is here ment for God doth account and Iudge of all persons and things so as they are Of uniust counting and imputing falâ—ely we have some examples in Scripture as 1 Kings 1 21. where Bathsheba saith to David I and my Sonne Solomon shallbe counted offenders that is vsurping Adonijah and his wicked Company will so esteeme and judge us of reputing and counâ—ing truely as the thing is we have examples also as Nehemiah 13. 13. where it is said of the chosen Levites that they were counted faithfull viz upon former experience of their faithfulnes and therefore the Office of distributing to theâ—Brethren was counted to them And Levit 17. 4. â—here it is said Blood shall be imputed to that man he hath shed blood and shall be cut off from among his people And Psal 22. 30. a sâ—ed shall serve him it shallbe counted to the Lord for a generation Moreover this word impute or count signifies sometimes in the most proper sense a bare Act of the Iudgment and thought as Pro. 17. 28. where a â—oole is said to be counted wise when he holdeth his peace that is men for the present judge or thinke him wise at least in that point of silence Sometimes it signifies in a more full sense not onely thinking Iudging and counting persons to be good or bad just or unjust innocent or guilty but also dealing with them and using them accordingly as in the places before named 1 Kings 1. 21. Nehem. 13. 13. and Levit. 17. 4. and Psal 22. 30. also 1 Sam. 2â— 15. where Abimelech purging himselfe before Saul from the offence of conspiracy with David against him as Doeg had falsely accused him saith Let not the King impute any thing unto
they deny that the faithfull are constituted and made formally righteous by the obedience of Christ communicated and imputed to them which the Apostle in expresse wordes doth affirme Rom. 5. 19. and 8. 4. and 10. 4. they fall into the heresie of the Pelagians and are forced to deny that Adams sinne and disobedience is communicated and imputed to his posterity and they are formally sinners by it And rather then they will yeeld that Infants which die before they commit actuall transgression in their owne persons are by death punished because they are guilty of Adams sinne they do blasphemously affirme that God being offended and moved to wrath by the sinnes of Parents will out of the magnificence of his Iustice destroy Innocent Babes with their sinfull Parents which is contrary to Gods word and Law teaching us â—hat Children shall not die for the sins of their Parents unlesse they be partakers with them either by communion and imputation or by imitation and approbation whereas they bring for instance that the Children of Korah were destroyed with their Father though they were Innocent and not partakers in the sinne here in they contradict the Scriptures which expressely affirme that the Children of Korah dyed not Num. 26. 11. for they upon Moses his threatning escaped and fled from their Fathers Tents in all likely-hood and onely they perished who would not be admonished by Moses to separate from the Congregation of Korah but adher'd to him wer partakers of his conspiracy sin Sixtâ—y when they for a colour of their heresie confesse in word that Christs righteousnes is the meritorio us cause of justification and yet deny communion and imputation of it to beleevers they fall into this horrible opinion That Christ by his righteousnes doth iustifie Infidels and impenitent Reprobates as much as he iustifies the elect and faithfull For if it be not communicated and imputed to beleevers in their iustification then have they no more interest in the merit thereof then Infidels and damned Reprobates it is onely meritorious and of worth value and sufficiency to iustifie them s it is to all mankind even to Infidels and what benefit a and merit of it they have it is by their owne free will making use of it which Infidels might do if they would for they have the merit of it as much as beleevers can have without communion and imputation of it Lastly while they argue that as in the first covenant God required workes of the Law performed by every man in his owne person and this was the condition which man was to performe for obtaining of life and that covenant of life was not free but conditionall so in the new covenant God requires in us faith and beleeving as the condition which we on our part must performe for Iustification and so for the obtaining of eternall life and salvation Hereby they affirme the new covenant to be a covenant conditionall and not of free grace for whatsoever is covenanted and promised upon a condition to be performed is not absolutely free nor freely given and so the faithfull are not iustified freely bâ—grace whereas they plead that iustification aâ—d life is promised upon condition of beleeving If you beleeve you shall be saved This is â—grosse and absurd mistake for every conditionall proposition doth not propound the condition of a covenant for that 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 yâ—â— will heare and hearken ye shall be saved and not destroyed your Soule shall live and yee shall eaâ—e the good of the Land Isay 1. 19. Ier. 26. 3. and 36. and many other places If we love one another God dwelleth in us Ioh. 4. 12. If we walke in the light we have fellowship one with another 1 Ioh. 1 7. If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgive 1 Joh. 1. 9. If a man be iust and do that which is right he shall surely live Ezek. 18. 5. 21. in all which and the like places there is no condition of the covenant propounded but onely the meanes and the way to receive blessing or the quality and condition by which men are made câ—pable and fit to enjoy blessing and sometimes the effects and fruites of them that are in a blessed estate and even so when the Scripture saith If yee beleeve yee shall be iustified there is noe condition of the covenant propounded to be performed on our part for iustification and salvation but onely the qualification by which God doth qualify us and fit us by his free grace to be iustified and saved and the meanes by which he enables us to receive righteousnes and to lay hold on saâ—vation which is freely given to us in Christ Vpon these particulars severally observed out of their owne wordes and writings I strongly conclude that this opinion being builded upon such blasphemous and hereticall groundes and maintained and upheld by such blasphemous arguments must needes be most impious hereticall and blasphemous Having already proved the Sâ—cinian and Arminian opinion to be most false impious and hereticall and blasphemous I proceed to discover the weakenesse and absurdity of Mr. Goodwins Arguments contained in the 2 Chapter of his Socinian discourse which he hath attempted to publish in Print as I heare which arguments Ī am challenged to answere and for that purpose he hath with his owne hand delivered them to me Against which I cheerefullie set my selfe and stand for the truth The maine ground upon which he pretends to build his Arguments by which he labours to prove imputation of faith in a proper sense for righteousnesse and that faith and not the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith is counted for righteousnes is the 4th. Chap of the Epistle to the Româ—ns Before his disputation he professeth that none by any wit of learning under Heaven is so fit to determinate what is imputed for righteousnes in iustification as the holy Ghost speaking in the Scriptures and yet he saith he leaves his meaning and intent in many things unto men to debate which they onely can declare to whom he reveales the secret of his counsell and amongst these being the true begotten of the truth he seemes to intimate that he will prove himselfe to be one by some Stamp or superscription of a rationall authority set upon him though in common esteeme he be but like other men and the neerer he is to the truth the farther off he is from the approbation of many men greatest pretendeâ—s to the truth Though the rude multitude of his Disciples give just offence by proclayming him to be the great light of Gods Church revealed in these last times yet in him it