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
his servant that is Let him not thinke or judge his servant guilty nor deale with him or use him as a Conspiratour Sometimes it signifies by a Metonymie of the cause for the effect condemning and punishing an offence in a guilty person as he hath deserved and to deale with him and use him as hee is justly thought and judged to have deserved as 2 Sam. 19. 19. Shimei said Let not my Lord impute iniquity unto me he doth not desire that David would not thinke nor judge nor count his iniquitie to be no iniquitie that had beene against all reason but that for the satisfaction which he had made in coming first of all to the house of Joseph to meet David and to bring him againe to his Kingdome David would graciously pardon his offence and not proceed against him and punish him as justly and worthy of punishment Sometimes it signifies by a Metaphor to count one thing as it were another or no better then another or of the same value as Prov. 27. 14. where a flattering salutation or blessing given with a loud voyce is said to be counted a Curse that is esteemed no better then if it were a Curse Somtimes to use one as if he counted him of another Condition as Gen. 31. 15. where it is said of Laban that he counted his Daughters strangers that is used them as if he had counted them strangers and Iob. 31. 10. where Iob saith that God counteth him for his enemy that is afflicteth and plagueth him as if he counted him an enemy Somtimes the word signifies to skore up or to put upon a mans account or reckoning either the offence or debt which he himselfe runs into as Rom. 5. 13. where it is said that sinne is not imputed when there is no Law that is it is not â—o skored up that men are punished for it and it is not judged and punished in them or the debt which he takes upon him for another as Philemon verse 18. If he hath wronged thee or is indebted to thee put that on mine account that is impute and count it to me and set it on my skore Now the severall significations of the severall wordes being thus laid open I proceed more particularly to the true sense and meaning of every word in these speeches and to shew how far the speeches may be extended And first by Faith and beleeving which is counted to every true beleever and was counted to Abraham for righteousnesse I understand here according to the judgment of the most Orthodox Divines the true holy spirituall faith and beleefe which is before shewed to have bin in Abraham and which is proper to the elect regenerate and is said to be imputed to them for righteousnesse Bâ—righteousnesse is here meant Evangelical righteousnesse which is opposed to the legal righteousnesse of workes which is inherent in every man and is every mans fulfilling of the Law in his owne person even the perfect satisfaction and righteousnesse of Christ God and man â—uâ—mediator and surety which he the Son of God in mans Nature performed to the Law and which is apprehended by every true beleever and applied to himselfe by a lively saith and whereof he hath communion and is truely made partaker by his Spirituall union with Christ of whose mysticall body he is a member being Bâ—ptized and engrafâ—ed thereinto by one Spirit By the imputing and counting of that faith for righteousnesse to Abraham and to every one of his faithfull seed is here ment Gods setting of Christs righteousnesse on the skore and puting it on the account of every truâ—beleever and and his jâ—dging esteeming and counting them no more guilty of sinne but perfectly righteous by that Evangelical righteousnesse which is called the righteousnesse of God 2 Cor. 5. last ver. because it is the righteousnesse of God performed in our Nature and the righteousnesse of faith and not of workes because the faithfull obtaine and enjoy and apply it by beleeving and not by working the workes of the Law Rom. 4. 11. 13. For the confirmation of this exposition and justifying of this truth we need seek no further Arguments but such as may be gathered from the Apostles owne words as in other of his Epistles so especially in this to the Romans The first argument is drawne from the wordes of the Apostle in the second chap of this Epistle verse 26. where this word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as it signifies to be imputed or counted is first used If saith hee the uncircumcision keep the righteousnes of the Law shall not his uncircumcision bee counted for Circumcision by uncircumcision in the first clause we cannot understand the fore-skinne of the flesh not cut off it is most absurd and against common sense and reason to thinke or to suppose that it can or could performe and keepe the righteousnes of the Law but by vncircumcision is ment a Gentile not circumcised as Beza the most learned judicious and accurate Critik and searcher out of the sense of everyword and sentence in the new Testament doth expound the word and so we have in this word a Metonymie of the aâ—janct for the Subject The same word in the second clause as Bâ—za also well observes doth not here signify the foreskin or uncircumcision in a proper sense for that cannot but most falsely be reputed and counted for circumcision because they are contradictories one to another but the state and condition of him who is uncircumcised even the outward state of Gentilisme and here is another Metonymie of the same kind even the signe put for the thing signified yea it signifies not the state of a Gentile or uncircumcised man barely considered in it selfe but as comprehending in it the righteousnesse of the Law which the man uncircumcised hath kept and performed in that state as the words necessarily imply for the Apostle doth not here suppose onely uncircumcision but the observation of the righteousnesse of the Law in the state of uncircumcision and so here is a Metalepsis or double trope even a metonymie also of the thing conteyning for the thing contained that is of the Subject for the adjunct and also of the cause for the effect that is the man in the state of uncircumcision keeping the righteousnes of the law for the righteousnes of the law by him performed By circumcision we cannot understand the outward cuting away of the foreskin of the flesh neither â—aken literaly and carnally as the corrupt Jewes did take it for a worke of righteousnes and obedience to the Law for justification so it was an obligation by which the circumcised was bound under pain of cutting off for ever to performe the whole Law as appeares Gal. 5. 3. And for a righteous Gentile to be brought under this bondage was no benefit but a miserable condition neither can circumcision be here taken sacramentally as it was an outward signe and seale of the righteousnes of faith and of Mortification and
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
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
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