is therefore a Third sense wherein neither Christ's Righteousness that is His Habites Acts Sufferings are said to be physically translated and put in us or upon us nor are they said to be Imputed to us meerly in their Effects as Socinians say but wherein Christ's Surety-righteousness consisting in His Obedience Suffering is in a Law-sense made over to beleevers put upon their score now accounted theirs they because thereof accounted Righteous legally and juridically and have therefore the Effects bestowed on them This being so obvious I wonder that Mr. Baxter cannot see it When a debtor is lying in prison for debt and a friend cometh Satisfieth the creditor for him by paying the summe in his place stead the Law doth not impute that payment to the debtor meerly in the effects but imputeth the payment it self not in its Physical acceptation as if it judged that he was the man that in his own Physical person told the money with his own hands brought it out of his own purse as the other did but in its legal force vertue efficary unto him accounted him in this Legal sense to be no more a debter unto the creditor therefore one that hath right to his liberty must therefore be set free from prison So in our case the Righteousness of Christ in a legal sense as to its efficary vertue is made over to the Beleever he thereupon is accounted Righteous and no more a debtor and therefore free of the Penalty Further Although he say that Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us in the Effects Yet he knoweth that that is in his judgment but very remotely and that really these effects are more proximely the effects of Faith which he calleth our Gospel-righteousness and that the Immediat effect and product of Christ's Righteousness is the New Covenant and this New Covenant being made with all Mankind as he thinketh Christ's Righteousnes is in this immediat Effect imputed to all flesh Reprobat as well as Elect. And this is in part cleared from the words Immediatly following when he saith In as much as we are as really pardoned justified Adopted by them as the Meritorious Cause by the Instrumentality of the Covenants Donation as if we ourselves had done suffered all that Christ did For this Instrumentality of the Covenant includeth the performance of the Condition thereof i. e. faith this Faith is properly imputed for Righteousness as he saith And therefore as the Covenant is the Effect of the merites of Christ so pardon and Salvation must be the Effects of Faith and the Effects of Christ's Righteousness only in that he did procure the Covenant which conveyeth these to us upon Condition of our performing of this faith which is therefore called by him our Gospel-Righteousness He giveth us next foure wayes n. 31. pag. 60. wherein the Lord is said to be our Righteousness an Expression that doth emphatically more than sufficiently express the meaning of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness 1. In that saith he He is the meritorious cause of the pardon of all our sins our full justification Adoption Right to glory by His Satisfaction and Merites only our justification by the Covenant of Grace against the Curse of the Law works is purchased Ans. He cannot be said by him to be the Meritorious Cause of pardon c. But in as far as He is the Meritorious cause of the Covenant in which these benefites are promised upon Condition of faith our Gospel-righteousness which properly and only is our Imputed Righteousness according to him and so Christ is our Righteousness in meriting that faith shall be repute our Gospel-righteousness in order to our obtaining of Pardon and Right to glory But moreover where is our Righteousness For Pardon is no Righteousness neither is justification Adoption or Right to Glory properly a Righteousness But do presuppose a Righteousness after which we are enquiring and cannot finde that Christ is made to be that to us and consequently either faith must be it or there is none The other senses are 2. In that He is the legislator Testator donor of our Pardon justification by this new Covenant 3. In that He is the Head of Influx King Intercessour by whom the Spirit is given to Sanctifie us to God cause us sincerely performe the Conditions of the Iustifying Covenant 4. In that He iâ— the righteous judge justifier of Beleevers by sentence of judgment Ans. All these three will make the Father to be our Righteousness as well as the Son for He is legislator He draweth to the Son sendeth the Spirit to Sanctifie us He judgeth by the Son justifieth 2. But none of these nor all of these give us the true Import of that glorious Name according to the true scope of the place Ier. 23 6. of which we have spoken above In like manner n. 32. he giveth us four senses of these words we are made the Righteousness of God in Him The 1. is In that as he was used like a sinner for us But not esteemed one by God so we are used like innocent persons so far as to be saved by Him Ans. As He was used by God like a sinner so was He legally accounted a sinner otherwise God would not have used Him as a sinner Therefore if we be used like innocent persons we must be in God's esteem legally juridically innocent through Christ's Righteousness imputed so must be saved by Him The 2. is In that through His Merites upon our union with Him when we beleeve consent to Hiâ— Covenant we are pardoned justified so made Righteous really that is such as are not to be condemned but glorified Ans As I said neither pardon nor justification maketh us Righteous but suppose us to be Righteous and therefore in justification we are declared pronounced Righteous thereupon pardoned Moreover all our Righteousness that we have in order to justification pardon is according to Mr. Baxter our Faith which is is reputed to be our Gospel Righteousness is said to be properly Imputed to us thus Christ suffered in our stead that our faith might be accounted our Righteousness Though pardon will take away condemnation yet as we have cleared above more must be had in order to Glorification His 3. 4. are In that the divine Nature Inherent Righteousness are for His merites In that God's justice holiness truth wisdom mercy are all wonderfully Demonstrated in this way of Pardoning justifying of sinners by Christ. Ans. This last hath no ground as the sense of the words And as for the. 3. Before he make it the sense of the place 2 Cor. 5 21. he must say That Christ was a sinner inherently which were blasphemy for otherwayes that beautiful correspondence that is betwixt the First the Last part of the verse must be laid a side
the new Conditions purchased and so if they run well sacrifice to their own net and burn incense to their own drag because by their own industrie care in performing the Conditions now made easier than they were to Adam in the first Covenant their portion is fat their meat plenteous 10. Nor yet can we call it a Condition in their sense who will have us look upon it in the work of Justification purely as a work of ours as an act of Obedience to a command as such a work as comprehendeth in it all the works of new Obedience for thus its peculiar Use of applying Christ of apprehending his Surety-Righteousness is taken from it the whole nature of the new Covenant is changed into the old Covenant of works Christ's â—idejussorie-Righteousness is not made our immediat Gospel-Righteousness yea when we are thus justified by Faith we are justified by works whereby the whole of the Apostâ—l's disput is overturned we are taught to leane to lay our weight upon a Righteousness within ourselves contrare to the whole scope of the Gospel Upon the other hand we say Faith may be looked upon and called a Condition of the Covenant and of Justification in this sense That Christ having purchased all the good things of the Covenant all the sure Mercies of David all Grace and all Glory unto the chosen ones and the Father having promised the actual collation bestowing of all and every one of these mercies blessings so purchased and procured and Jehovah the Mediator both in the counsel of their will condescending on such a methode way of making the ransomed ones the owners of the Blessings purchased that is first to give the New Heart and the heart of fless and in effectuall calling worke them up to Faith in and Union with Christ and so draw them to the mediator and cause them accept of him wait upon him and rest there for life salvation and then to Justifie Accepte of as Righteous Adopte them and then worke the works of holiness by his Spirit more in their soul and so carrie on the work unto Perfection till grace be crowned with glory matters I say being thus wisely ordered in the councel of heaven there is a Priority of order Faith receiving Christ and resting on his Surety-righteousness going before and Justification following and a firme connexion made betwixt the two that who so ever beleeveth thus shall be justified and none shall be justified who beleeveth not thus Now when by vertue of this constitute order Method explained revealed in the Gospel the Ambassadours of Christ in obedience to their Injunctions call upon all who heare the Gospel to receive Christ and refuge themselves under his wings and receive the atonement through his Righteousness and promise them thereupon in their Masters name Pardon Peace with God Reconciliation and acceptance c. nothing more is here insinuated than that such a Methode Order is wisely determined and that there is a fixed connexion made betwixt Faith Justification so that who ever would be saved from the wrath to come would enjoy God for ever must come unto God in this way and according to this methode and must receive his blessings and Favoures in this order first beleeve and lay hold on Christ and his Righteousness and then receive Justification c. Thus we see faith is no legal Antecedent Condition no Proper or Potestative Condition but only a consequent or Evangelick Condition or a Condition denoting a fixed and prescribed Order and Method of receiving of the blessings purchased by Christ with a firme and fixed connexion betwixt the performance of the condition and the granting of the thing promised thereupon Thus Christ hath the whole glory of the work Man is abased and hath nothing to glory of in himself The reward is not of debt but purely of grace The wisdom and love of God is wonderful and remarkable All ground of carnal security and self confidence is removed A plaine and powerful ground is laid for ministers to press exhort aud obtest to Faith in the first place with all seriousness and zeal Full security and ground of confidence of being Justified and Accepted of God upon our beleeving is given The difference betwixt the Covenant of works and the Covenant of Grace is distinctly observed The Antinomian mistakes saying we are Justified from Eternity or at the death of Christ or at any time before faith are manifestly obviated And all grounds of excepting against or dissatisfaction with this way are removed from all such as will willingly comply with the designe of free grace in the Gospel CHAP. XXVIII How faith is and may be called an Instrument in Justification COncerning the Instrumentality of faith in Justification much needeth not be said howbeit too much hath been written about it that to very little edification so I judge I am sure to little use as to the clearing up of that concerning pointe of Justification the true interest of Faith therein We heard in the beginning of the proceeding Chapter how both Socinians Arminians did disowne faith its being an Instrument and Papists also before them did plead against it On the other hand the orthodox writting against Papists Socinians Arminians did unanimously assert Faith to be an Instrument or to be considered as an Instrument in the matter of Justification And few or none can be instanced of those who hold with the orthodox in all chiefe Controversies about Justification that did impugne or so much as deny Faith to be an Instrument in justification Yea Iohn Goodwine in his book of justification doth expresly call it an Instrument in justification It is true the Scripture no where calleth faith an instrument the same being no Scripture expression there needeth not be much strife about it nor will there be among such as are unanimous in the maine principal Questions about Justification or to that which is only designed intended by that expression And though the Scripture doth not use that expression interminis yet no man can hence inferre that all use of it and of the like should be laid aside nor can such be supposed to adde to the Scripture as Mr. Baxter hinteth Apol. against Mr. Blake p. 40. who call Faith an Instrument more then he can suppose that himself addeth to the Scripture when he calleth faith a Condition or a causa sine qua non for these are as little to be found expresly in the Scriptures as the other Nor do they who say Faith is an Instrument so much plead for the name as for the thing intended thereby All expressions that are not in Scripture must not be laid aside in our speaking of divine things for then we must lay aside the word Trinity Sacrament Satisfaction several others far less must the truth which we conceive can be intelligibly usefully expressed by those borrowed
Faith to distinguish it from that Historical Faith which though true in its kind yet is not from the saving grace of God nor hath it effects accompanying Salvation 3. Though this Faith be one the same by which the Beleever liveth first last and which proveth serviceable useful to him on all occasions to all ends uses that his several necessities call for Yet in reference to these various ends uses it acteth not after one the same manner in all points Faith acteth not every way after one the same manner in order to get Strength for Duties that it acteth in order to get Sin Pardoned It acteth not the same way for Subdueing the reigning power of sin that it acteth for Justification nor doth it act the same way for Comfort and upholding strength in a day of trial that it acteth in order to Justification And yet we need not say that it acteth distinctly differently according to every distinct benefite and blessing that is had thereby The diffeâ—ent natures of the necessities we stand into with the different wayes of the â—ord's communicating what we stand in need of according to the various Relations he standeth in various offices he hath taken on in reference to his peoples good may satisfie us herein according as these several particular necessities may come under one head reliefe may be conveyed to them after one the same manner All which will be best discerned by the understanding Christian in his application to Christ according to his Condition wants which he would have helped supplied 4. Hence though the Principal Object of this Faith be alwayes one and the same Yet there may be some peculiarities in that object which Faith eyeth more in one case than in another As we finde the Saints in their adresses to God in their several straits necessities sometimes pitching upon one attribute of God sometimes upon another according as thereby Faith presented God to the soul in a sutablness to the present case it was in and so when dispensations seemed to crosse the promises Faith eyed God as Faithful Unchangable when enemies appeared strong difficulties invincible and the like Faith took hold on God as the Almighty to whom nothing was impossible when sin appeared as a discouragment to drive them from their hopes Faith took hold of the mercy of God c. So when a poor sinner is under the convictions of sin threatnings of the Law Faith must take up Christ in a sutableness thereto eye something in Him that peculiarly suiteth that case when againe the beleever hath need of Light Instruction Strength Comfort Throwbearing the like he fixeth his eye on some thing in Christ that suiteth that particular necessity and so Faith acteth accordingly And thus though the object remaine the same and Christ be alwayes made use of Yet Faith may and doth act more immediatly on Christ as Prophet when in one case whereunto this office carrieth a respect and at another time more immediatly directly on Christ as a King when the present necessity calleth for help from Christ as King againe faith acteth on him as a Priest when only that which Christ as a Priest did can answere their present necessitie Yet which is carefully to be observed to prevent Mr. Baxter's challenge I do not say nor see I any necessity to say that these several acts of Faith are as so many several Conditions unto the receiving of the several favours taking the terme Condition in his sense I do not say that Faith acting one way on Christ is a proper Condition of Justification Faith as acting another way on Christ is the proper Condition of Adoption that Faith acting a third way on Christ is the proper Condition of Sanctification c. but that as the effects benefiâ—es which sinners stand in need of are ascribed unto several effectuating acts of Christ to the several Relations offices he hath taken on so Faith in order to the receiving of these benefites acteth suitably on Christ the Beleever is taught so to do by the Spirit of the Lord to his Comfort Hope Encouragment 5. I presuppose here the Formal Object of all divine faith which is the Truth Veracity of God for all divine faith giveth credite unto divine Revelations upon the Credite the Truth Veracity of the Revealer Thus saith the Lord who is true who is Truth itself is the sole Formal ground Ratio of this Faith 6. I presuppose here also that Comprehensive Material Object of all divine Faith which is the whole will mind of God concerning whatsomever thing it be revealed whether by the Scriptures or by the Light of Nature If the Truth Veracity of God be the only Formal Ground of this Faith then all that this God revealeth must be beleeved received as true when known to be revealed by Him By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God Heb. 11 3. we beleeve all things which are written in the Law the Prophets Act. 24 14. Yea in the whole word of God I do not here determine what particular Truthes revealed in the word are necessarily to be expresly explicitly beleeved by every one that hath a true Saving Faith what not only this I say that many particular truthes are revealed whereof a true Beleever may be ignorant yet have a true Saving Faith receiving all which he knoweth to be revealed by the Lord rejecting no one Truth whatsomever that he knoweth to be revealed But we are here to speak of that Object of Faith which immediatly directly concerneth our delivery from our natural state of sin and miserie and our eternal Salvation And this we judge to be whole Christ Iesus as he is hold forth and revealed in the Gospel We say Christ Jesus 1 wholly and 2 as he is held forth and revealed in the Gospel And both these for explications sake may be branched out in several particulars I say then first That whole Christ is the object of Saving or Justifying Faith Hence are we so often times commanded to Receive him to Beleeve in on Him in his name Faith is expressed by a Coming to him Eating Drinking of Him Receiving of him c. Ioh. 1 12. 3 16 36. 6 29 35 37 40 44 47 51 54 55 58. 7 38. Act. 10 41 13 38 39. 26 18. Rom 3 22. Gal. 2 16. and many moe places Hence this Faith is called the Faith of Christ Gal. 2 16. and the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2 20. So then Saving and Justifying Faith taketh whole Christ. 1. Faith taketh him closeth with him wholly as to his Natures Faith receiveth him as Mediator God Man in one person though it be formally terminated on him as God Ioh. 14 1. as the Son
Righteousness imputed 2 It is also to be considered that in that clause Abraham beleeved God it was counted to him for Righteousness it is not said that Faith or his Beleeving was counted to him for Righteousness but that it was counted c. and that is not his Faith but the marrow of the Gospel which God at that time preached unto him and so there is nothing in this clause immediatly ascribed to this act but a third thing is understood Lastly he saith The righteousness of Christ is not the object of faith as justifying only the Scriptures propose his Righâ—eousness or obedience to the Law as that which is to be beleeved so it may be termed a partial object as is the creation of the world that Cain was Adam's son But the object of faith as justifying properly is either Christ himself or the promise of God concerning the Redemption of the world by him Ans. 1 Hereby we see that in stead of a justifying faith he giveth us a meer historical faith and indeed such as deny the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness must of necessity substitute a new sort of faith in room of that which we owne for the only Justifying faith But though justifying faith containe in it that historical faith presuppose it yet it includeth more hath other peculiar actings of soul upon and towards Christ his Righteousness which here we cannot separate far less oppose to other as our Adversary doth in reference to the mans liberation from the sentence of the Law the Curse due to him for the breach thereof now charged home upon him by the Lord an awakened conscience 2 By Christ's Righteousness we do not understand his simple innocency or freedom from the transgression of the Law but his whole Mediatory work in his state of humiliation as satisfying the offended Law-giver answering all the demands of the Law both as to doing suffering which debt we were lying under 3 Justifying Faith eyeth him thus runneth to him accepteth of him as he is thus set forth by God to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. and as making Reconciliation for faith receiveth the atonement Rom. 5 11. and it receiveth abundance of grace of the gift of Righteousness vers 17. Justifying faith must receive him as the Lord our Righteousness as made of God to us Righteousness Therefore is this Righteousness of God called also the Righteousness of Faith or the Righteousness of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve Rom. 3 22. A Righteousness which is through the Faith of Christ or the Righteousness which is of God by Faith Phil. 3 9. Thus have we examined all that this Man hath brought by way of Reason for as for Authorities on the one hand or other I purposely wave them in this whole discourse to prove that Faith properly taken is imputed for Righteousness that the tropical sense commonly received by the orthodox which we have also chosen to follow notwithstanding that there is another sense given of the words by some to evite in part this tropical sense and by which the Adversaries against whom we here deal can receive no advantage is to be utterly laid aside rejected in answering him we have answered others also who do but-urge the same things Yet if any should enquire If the Apostle doth not meane that faith properly taken is our Righteonsness is imputed to us accounted our Righteousness why would he say so plainly that Faith is imputed or counted for Righteousness I Answere The expressions which the Holy Ghost hath used should satisfie us though we should know no reason beside his good pleasure why he did express the matter so It is our part to search into his meaning according unto the surest rules of finding out the sense of the Scriptures among which this is to be reckoned as a â—â—ite one not to be rejected viz. to attend the scope with the connexion cohesion of the words as they lye contribute unto that scope together with the common plaine frequently reiterated expressions assertions of the Spirit of God in other places where the same matter is treated of for to the end that we may be exercised in the study of the Scriptures in comparing Scripture with Scripture for finding out the mind of the Lord hath he thought good to express the same matter in diverse places in various wayes in some places more plainly what in other places appeareth more obscure And it cannot be judged a saife way of interpreting Scripture to fix upon one expression give it a sense or take it in such a sense as tendeth manifestly to darken the whole doctrine of the Spirit of the Lord concerning that truth and to crosse the scope to mat the connexion and to contradict multitudes of other passages of Scripture It is not unusual for the Apostle to use several expressions in a figurative sense How oft is the word Law taken for obedience to the Law What sense could be made of Gal. 3 25. if the word Faith should be there taken properly not for its object as also vers 2 5. of that same Chapter And what sense shall we put upon these expressions They which are of faith Gal. 3 7 9. as many as are of the works of the Law vers 10. upon many such like if all these words must be taken properly Nay how little of this whole matter of Justification is expressed to us without Trops figures which yet do not darken but give a more special divine lustre unto the Truthes so expressed How oft is the word Hop put for its object for the thing hoped for And though this might satisfie us herein yet further if I might adventure to give a reason of this manner of expression here ot rather to pointe forth what this expression should signifie hold forth to us I would say That Paul is not handling this Controversie about Justification in a meer speculative manner therefore doth not use such Philosophical Metaphysical Notions expressions there about as some now think so necessary that without the same they judge themselves not in case to explaine the matter to the capacity of the meanest which would rather have darkened then explained the matter to the ordinary capacity of Christians as I judge the way that some of latetake in explicating this matter contributeth much more to the darkning of the same at least to me But the Apostle is handling this matter in a practical manner so as both such he wrote unto the Church of Christ to the end of the world might so understand this necessary fundamental truth as to put the same in practice And therefore doth say that Faith is imputed unto Righteousness to shew that it is not the Righteousness of Christ conceived in our heads that
denote one the same thing the last being explicative of the former Ezek. 18 30. Repent turn yourselves And this is imported by many Synonimous expressions in the Old Testament as Seeking the Lord Deut. 4 29. Turning to the Lord vers 30. Returning to the Lord. Hos 5 4. Seeking the face of God 2. Chron. 7 14. the like See also Revel 3 19. 4. It is sometimes expresly distinguished from Godly sorrow mentionned as a Consequent or fruite effect of it 2. Cor. 7 9 yee sorrowed to Repentance 10. for Godly sorrow worketh Repentance 5. Sometime it is expresse distinguished from Faith as Act. 20 21 Repentance toward God faith toward our Lord Iesus Christ. Heb. 6 1. not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead works of faith towards God So Ier. 31 19. after I was turned that is wrought up to faith I repented 6. Sometime it signifieth nothing else upon the matter but a receiving of the Gospel a beleeving in Christ not only Mark. 1 15. repens ye beleeve the Gospel where the later is explicative of the former but also in many other places where Bapist's ministrie is spoken of the summe whereof is said to have been Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Mat. 3 2. and his baptisme was called the Baptisme of Repentance Mark. 1 4 or unto Repentance Mat. 3 11. See also Luk. 3 3. Act. 13 24. Now that this preaching of Repentance Baptisme of or unto Repentance which is said to have been Iohn's ministrie work was the preaching of Faith in the Messiah Paul telleth us expreslie Act. 19 4. Then said Paul Iohn verily baptized with the baptisme of Repentance saying unto the people that they should beleeve on him which should come after him that is on Christ Iesus So that by this Commentary of Paul's we understand both what was the scope of his Baptisme of Repentance also what was the meaning of his calling on his hearers to Repent to wit to embrace Christ who came after him to beleeve in him And by this Commentary we may understand the purpart of Christ's preaching Mat. 4 17. from that time Iesus began to preach to say Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand And this is called Mark 1 14. the Gospel of the Kingdom of God As also of the preaching of the Apostles Seventy disciples when they were sent to say the Kingdom of God was come or is nigh unto you Luk. 10 9. Mat. 10 7. which is called the Gospel Luk. 9 6. and Repentance Mark. 6 12. they went out preached that men should Repent By this also we may understand the meaning of these the like passages Mat. 9 13 I am not come to call the Righteous but sinners to Repentance So Mark 2 17. Luk. 5 32. as likewise of that passage Luk. 15 7 10 joy in heaven over one person that repenteth for this is Christ's saving of the man that was lost Mat. 18 11. Luk. 15 4. 19. 10. See also Mat. 11 20. Act. 2 38. 11 18. 26 18. 20. compared together 7. Sometime it denoteth a recovery from some measure of defection into which persons are backsliden as Revel 2 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen Repent do shy first works So Ch. 3 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received heard hold fast Repent 8. Sometime it is distinguished from works of Obedience that follow upon it flow from it as Mat. 3 8. bring forth fruits meet for Repentance that is fruits suiting or answerable unto a Christian state or a state of beleeving in Christ which before we saw was denoted by Iohn's Baptisme So Luk. 3 8. Act. 26 10. 9. Sometime it includeth all that is required in order to Salvation upon mans part as 2 Pet. 3 9 not willing that any should pertâ—h but that all should come to Repentance So that Repentance includeth all that is requisite to escape perishing So Luk. 13 3 5 except ye Repent ye shall all likewise perish So also Act. 5 31. to give Repentance to Israel Remission of sins where as Remission of sins may comprehend all the spiritual favours and privileges which Christ bestoweth so Repentance may include all the graâ—es blessings which he bestoweth in order to the actual participating of these privileges Thus we may understand it Act. 17 30. but now commandeth all men every where to Repent that is by the preached Gospel wherever it cometh commandeth all men to relinquish their courses of vanity to embrace the Gospel of Salvation to walk accordingly So Luk. 24 47. And that Repentance Remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations which is the short summe of the Apostles Commission to wit to exhort to all Christian duties imported by Repentance hold forth all Gospel privileges as an encouragment thereunto included in Remission of sins Having premitted these things in order to the clearing of the question we would know further 1. That the Question is not whether the doctrine of Papists about Repentance in order to Justification be to be owned in whole or in part for none now appeareth in the direct owning of their Assertions who commonly are utterly ignorant of true Justification as different from Sanctification as may sufficiently appeare by the very naming of their positions for 1 They look upon Repentance as having force efficacy to expell sin as light hath to expell darkness taking Remission to be a destroying of the very being of sin expelling of Corruption by contrary gracious Qualities inherent Holiness of which they make Repentance a part 2 They make Repentance concurre as a material cause dssposing the soul for receiving a gracious Quality for the expelling of sin 3 They make Repentance to obtain pardon by way of merite and 4 by way of Satisfaction Not to mention 5 their Sacrament of Pennance All which the Reader will finde not only rejected but also shortly solidly confused by worthy judicious Mr. Durham in his Comment on the Revel in that digression on Repentance pag. 251. 2. Nor is the Question whether the Lord call for Repentance as a duty at the hands of such as either are to be Justified or are already Justified for both these we willingly grant as being divine truthes richly confirmed in the Scriptures what ever Antinomians say to the contrary 3. Nor is the Question whether Repentance be a Condition of the Covenant or not For if by a Condition of the Covenant we understand every thing that is a duty required of the Covenanters it is readily granted as was said that Repentance is a duty required of such as are really in Covenant with God but if by a Condition of the Covenant be meaned a duty required in order to the closing of the Covenant or entering into Covenant upon the performing of which the Covenant is immediatly
of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith The question is not whether Christ be made Sanctification to us but whether that Sanctification be any part of that Righteousness which Christ is made of God to be unto us What more He addeth It is God who honoureth these that honour him praiseth his Saints as the excellent on the Earth his Jewels peculiar Treasure adorneth with his own lovely image partakers of the divine Nature and members of Christ as his own flesh And it is Satan wicked men that vilifie dishonour them Ans. This is but a Continuance of the same cheat for it is no part of the question whether the Saints should be vilified or honoured But the question is whether the Saints should rob God of his glory and ascribe that unto themselves which is due unto him be it in less or in more We know the Saints are God's excellent ones his Jewels his peculiar treasure but all this is through the free underserved grace of God making them beautiful lovely with his own graces and partakers of his divine Nature And therefore we say that for all that they ought to be humble knowing what their birth â—ativity was and whence all this is come and who ought to have the glory of all this and notwithstanding of this what is the sole ground of their justification before God and what is that Righteousness upon the account whereof they are justified in the sight of God And I have oft lamented it saith he furder that these very men that hold this kind of doctrine of self-abosement as having no part of Righteousness nor share at all in any good work are yet too oft so proudly conceited of their own goodness even for holding that they have none for which they are praise worthie as that their pride is no small trouble to the Churches all about them Ans. I shall not plead for pride or proud conceits in any but whether such as lay down doctrinal grounds of pride and teach men to be proud or such as lay down contrary grounds but do not practise accordingly be most blame worthie I leave Mr. Baxter to judge One thing I would ask How Mr. Baxter came to know that such as he opposeth here were proudly conceited of their own goodness Pride a proud conceit lyeth most within is not obvious to the view of every one especially being upon such a ground I hope Mr. Baxter will not take upon him to judge of hearts And if it be by their contendings for that which they conceive to be truth If this be an infallible mark no man can be judged more proud than is Mr. Baxter none having in this matter contended by so many so great volumnes as he hath since his Aphorismes come abroad that indeed to the no small trouble of the Churches And further some might think that if Mr. Baxter did aright lament that any were proudly conceited of their own goodness he should not have laid doctrinal grounds for fomenting of this pride nor moved such an objection against himself as he doth here for no man can rightly lament at the practice of that doctrine which himself embraceth teacheth He proceedeth â— 177. Whatever is of God is good whatever is good is laâ—dable or praise-worthie meriteth to be esteemed as it is Ans. True therefore God who is the Author thereof should have the glory it should be esteemed as it is to the glory of God not to puff us up with proud conceits or to be the ground we leane to in order to be justified accepted of God He addeth n. 178. All the Sanctified are inherently righteous but with an imperfect Righteousness which will no further justifie them in judgment save only against this Accusation that they are unholy Ans. Mr. Baxter then is much to blame who will have this Imperfect Righteousness to be a perfect Righteousness as being our Gospel Righteousness and the Poâ—estative condition of our Justification absolution at judgment and so the immediat sole formal ground of our Justification before God But this answere is also impertinent for these he here writteth against speak not of a particular justification from this or that false Accusation but of that justification before God whereof Paul treateth in his Epistles to the Romans Galatians which is a justification of the ungodly Rom. 4 5. He addeth n. 179. There is no Righteousness which will not justifie him that hath it in tantum so far as he is Righteous for the contrary is a contradiction for to be just is to be justifiable Ans. This is sick of the same impertinency with what went before for the question is not concerning a particular Righteousness a particular justification upon that account but of a general justification as to our state that from the just accusation of Law justice under which we stand by Nature in reference to which all our inherent Righteoâ—sness how great so ever it be is no ground nor part of the merite or formalis ratio of that Paul had no small share of this Righteousness when he said he knew nothing by himself And yet he addeth Yet am I not hereby justified 1. Cor. 4 4. and we would say the same speak after this manner if Mr. Baxter would suffer us Next n. 181. for 180. he saith All the Righteousness which formally justifieth us is our own or on ourselves where it justifieth us for to be made just or justified in the first sense constitutivly is nothing else but to be made such as are personally themselves just Pardon of sin is made our own Right to Christ glory is made our own though Christ's Righteousness was the only meritorious cause of all this which therefore is may be called our Material Righteousness as that which meriteth it is the matter Ans. There seemeth to be nothing here but confusion for 1 he speaketh ambiguously when he saith that all that Righteousness which formally justifieth us is our own or on ourselves for this may be true whether by that Righteousness he mean the Surety-Righteousness of Christ which he doth not meane for he is too much against the imputation of that as we have seen beeause we say that is made ours by imputation in order to our justification upon the account thereof or whether he mean our own inherent Righteousness but then if this be his meaning it is false that we are hereby formally justified unless he mean as before only a particular justification which is nothing to the point as was said 2 To be made just to be justified are not formally the same but to such only who Love confusion 3 He who is made just is but constituted justifiable is not eo ipso constitutive justified But Mr. Baxter loveth his own Expressions Explications of them