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
Articles of Iustification saith that when we speake of iustifying faith it is to be knowne that these three obiects concurre which are to bee beleeved 1. the promise of the benefit that is mercy for remission or iustification 2. That the promise is most free which excludes our merits 3. The merits of Câ—râ—st which are the price and propitiation and a little after Faith doth not iustifie because it is a worke worthy by it selfe that is in a proper sense but onely because it receaves the mercy promised And again how shall Christ be our Mediatour if in iustification wee doe not use him for our Mediatour that is if we doe not feele that for him we are reputed righteous The Divines of the Augustin confession câ—ndemne Osiander who held that the righteousnes of faith was the essentiall righteousnes of God And also them who taught that Christ is our righteousnes onely according to his humane nature And in the Epitome of the Articles controverted by some they with one consent affirmed that the righteousnes of faith is remission of sinnes reconciliation to God and adoption to be Sonnes of God for the obedience of Christ only which by faith alone of meere grace is imputed to all believers Articulo 3. de fidei iustitia And this obedience of Christ which is imputed for righteousnes they affirme to be the obedience which hee performed both in his death and passion and also in his fulfilling of the Law for our sakes Ibid. Artic. 3. And concerning faith they teach that in iustification before God it trusteth neither in contrition nor love nor any other vertues but in Christ alone it is the onely meane and instrument which apprehends and receives the free grace of God the merit of Christ and remission of sinnes and it resteth on Christs most perfect obedience by which he fulfilled the Law for us which obedience is imputed to beleevers for righteousnes Ibid. Artic. 3. Calvin is so zealous and so cleere and manifest in teaching and maintaining the Doctrine of Justification by the communion and imputation of Christs perfect obedience satisfaction and righteousnes that among Christians Calvins Institutions me thinkes the very Father of lyers the Devill himselfe should if not blush and bee ashamed yet in policy be afraid to call Calvin for a witnesse against it least all that heare him should hate him and hisse him for his open lying The Doctrine of Calvin concerning iustification consists of these speciall Articles laid downe plainely Institut lib. 3. cap. 11. First hee affirmes in plaine wordes that Iustification consists in remission of sinnes and imputation of Christs righteousnes Sect. 2. Secondly he shewes what he meanes by remission of sinnes sometimes he takes remission of sinnes in a large sense for that act of God by which he doth communicate and impute the full satisfaction of Christ unto his Elect and faithfull that the whole guilt of all sinnes both of omission and coâ—…ission is taken away and they are no more accounted nor appeare in his sight as sinners In this sense he calls remission of sinnes totum iustificationis in his Comment on Rom. 4. and totâ—m iustificationem whole iustification Instit. lib. 3. ca 8. 4. For indeed when the sinnes of commission are taken away by that part of Christs satisfaction imputed which is called his passive obedience or voluntary suffering of the penalties of the Law and the sinnes of omission by his active obedience in fulfilling the righteousnes which the Law requires which is the other part of Christs imputed satisfaction so that the Elect are now reputed as righteous men who have the defect which came by Omission supplied and have no more the sinnes of Omission imputed to them this is perfect and whole iustification as he truely calls it But sometimes he useth the word remission of sinnes in a more strict sense for that part of Gods act of communicating and imputing of Christs satisfaction which respects the passive obedience of Christ which takes away the guilt of sinnes committed but doth not supply the omission of righteousnes and in this sense he makes remission of sinnes but a part of iustification and Gods imputing of the active part of Christs satisfaction and counting the faithfull righteous by it imputed hee makes the other part of iustification in the wordes before cited out of his Institutions lib. 3. cap. 11. Sect. 2. Thirdly he constantly teacheth and affirmeth that there is no righteousnesse by which a man can stand before Gods Tribunall and be accepted for righteous in his sight but onely the full satisfaction and perfect righteousnes of Christ which he the Sonne of God performed in the nature of man for that which is not intire and absolute and without all staine and spot such as never hath beene nor shall be found in any meere man can never be accepted of God but is with him sleighted and vilified beyond all measure and whosoever prates of any righteousnes in mens owne workes or doings they have no true thought nor the least sense of the iustice of God but make a mock of it Institut lib. 3. cap. 12. Sect. 1. and 3. and 11. 26. Fourthly he affirmeth that man is iustified by faith when he is excluded from the righteousnes of works by faith layeth hold on the righteousnes of Christ with which he being cloathed doth appeare in the sight of God not as a sinner but as a righteous man Instit. lib. 3. cap. 11. Sect. 1. And in the same chap. Sect. 11. He saith Haec est mirabilis iustificâ—…i ratio ut Christi iustitia tecti non exhorreant iudicium quo dignisunt dum seipsos merito damnant insti extra se censeantur Fiftly concerning the Office of faith in iustification he teacheth that faith being in it selfe weake and imperfect and of no dignity or worth price or value is never able to iustifie us by it selfe but by bringing Christ unto us who is given to us for righteousnes it is not our righteousnes but makes us come with the mouth of the soule opened that we may be capable of Christ and it is as a vessell or Pot for as the pot full of money enricheth a man so faith filled with Christ and his righteousnes is said to iustifie us and to be counted for righteousnes and therefore he saith that it is a foolish thing to mingle our faith which is onely the instrument of receiving righteousnes with Christ who is the materiall cause and both the Author and Minister of this great benefit chap. 11. Sect. 7. And in the 17. Sect. hee saith that faith is hereupon said to iustifie because it doth receive and embrace the righteousnes which is â—ffered in the Gospell Sixtly he affirmes that the righteousnes by which bâ—â—eevers are iustified and stand righteous before God is not in themselves but in Christ even his perfect obedience and righteousnes communicated to them by imputation Sect. 23. Lastly he
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
is used is to be judged the best exposition this none can with any reason deny for the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture is the best expounder of his owne meaning Now this exposition that imputing or counting a thing for righteousnes is no more but declaring a man thereby to be righteous and giving him the Testimony of righteousnes is warranted by other Scriptures wheresoever it is used Therefore this is to be judged the best exposition For confirmation of the assumption or minor we have that place of holy Scripture Psal. 106. in which onely and no where else a thing is said to be imputed or counted to a man for righteousnes viz. Phineas his godly zealous act of executing judgement on Zimri and Câ—sbi then Phineas stood up saith the Psalmist and executed judgement and that was counted to him for righteousnes now no man can understand that this act was accepted of God for righteousnes to justification for then a man may be iustified before God by one godly and zealous act of his owne which is that which the Apostle utterly condemneth for a grosse errour and bends his whole discourse against it The true sense and meaning of this phrase is no more but this that Phineas performing such a godly zealous act as is proper to a faithfull righteous man onely who hath the Spirit of regeneration and of sanctification dwelling in him uniting him to Christ and making him by faith a true partaker of 〈◊〉 righteousnes God upon this act gave him the Testimony of righteousnes and declared him to be a righteous man truely iustified Therefore the phrase of imputing or counting faith for righteousnes signifieth no more but this that the true beleever is counted a righteous man and God giveth him the Testimony of righteousnes because he is indeed partaker of Christs righteousnes which he hath apprehended and applied by faith If I should insist upon humane testimonies and the opinions of Orthodox expositours of these wordes both ancient and moderne for the further proofe of this exposition a large volume would be little enough for the particular rehearsing of them all let these five arguments suffice The Confutation of the false exposition made by Socinus and other Hereticks his Disciples as Wotton Goodwin and their Companions FIrst whereas they hould that faith in a proper literall sense that is considered in it selfe without relation to any other thing is counted to every true beleever for righteousnes to iustification and God requireth in and of us no other thing for righteousnes neither our workes performed in our owne persons according to the Law nor Christs perfect righteousnes and fulfilling of the Law made ours by spirituall union and communion and accepted of God for us This I prove to be false hereticall and blasphemous by these Arguments following First Faith taken in a proper sense is a part of our conformity and obedience to the Law of God which above all things requires that we give honour to God by beleeving him and his word and trusting in him as our onely Rock and the God of our strength and salvation They therefore teaching That faith in a proper sense is counted for righteousnes do teach that we are iustified by a worke of obedience to the Law performed in our owne persons and that this is the onely righteousnes which God requires any way of us for iustification Therefore their opinion is hereticall more impious then the Pelagian and Popish Heresies concerning iustification Secondly that which was imputed to Abraham and is imputed to true beleevers is righteousnes so the Apostle affirmes ver. 6. and 11. But faith is not righteousnes taken in a proper sense for righteousnes is a perfect conformity to the Law as sinne is transgression of the Law Therefore faith in a proper sense is not righteousnes Thirdly that which chargeth God with error and falsehood in his iudgement is blasphemy This opinion that God counts faith for righteousnes that is thinketh iudgeth and esteemeth it to be righteousnesse taken in a proper sense chargeth God with error and falsehood in his Iudgement Therefore it is blasphemy If they pleade that God by his soveraigne power may graciously count that which is not righteousnes for righteousnes to the beleever I answere that God by his soveraigne power cannotly nor erre nor Iudge unrighteously it is contrary to his infinite and eternal Iustice which wil not be satisfied without fulfilling of his iust Law and perfect righteousnes communicated and imputed to us Therefore this is a base shift and wicked pretence devised to cover their blasphemy by that which is indeed a greater blasphemy Fourthly that opinion which denyeth and taketh away the meanes by which God is revealed to be infinitely Iust mercifull and wise and makes the satisfaction of Christ and his perfect fulfilling of the Law a vaine and needlesse thing is most Hereticall impious and blasphemous This opinion that God by his soveraigne power can and doth count and accept faith in a proper sense for righteousnes to Iustification without imputation of Christs satisfaction and righteousnes takes away these meanes and makes Christs fulfilling of the Law a vaine and needlesse thing Therefore it is an impious hereticall and blasphemous opinion The meanes by which God is revealed to be infinitly Iust mercifull and wise are these Namely First that he cannot be reconciled to man without a full satisfaction made to his iust Law by mens surety in their stead and by him communicated to them and made theirs as truely as if they had fulfilled the Law in their owne persons and though the satisfaction be of infinite valve yet it cannot profit them till they have communion of it and be partakers thereof this is that which reveales God to be infinitely Iust and that his infinit iustice being so strict he would mercifully give his owne Son to become man and in mans nature to make such a full satisfaction for men and by his Spirit shed on them through Christ would unite them unto him in one body and communicate him with all his benefits and satisfaction to them to be truely theirs and to satisfy for them This reveales his infinite mercy bounty and wisedome And by these meanes this opinion takes away Gods iustice while it sets God forth to be such a one as can dispence with is iustice and accept faith in a proper sense for righteousnes which is no righteousnes but onely a weake imperfect worke and duty which we owe to the Law If Gods justice may thus be dispensed with and a weake thing in fraile man counted for righteousnes without any communion or imputation What need was there of Christs Death suffering and obedience God might as well have accepted the sacrifice of a Lamb or the suffering and obedience of a meere man and so the full satisfaction of Christ is vaine and needlesse and it was want of wisedome in God to spend so much of Christs blood and obedience in vaine when by his
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
of the Law and that is it which he heare saith is imputed for righteousnes Now faith and beleeving in the proper and formall signification is that which they must doe and performe to their justification which also God requires of them inst ad of the workes of the Law and will accept at their hands instead of them Therefore it is faith in a proper sense which is here by the Apostle to be counted for righteousnes In the first proposition we have an heape of lyes mixt with contradiction first in that he saith the scope of the Apostle is to put men from the false way of justification which lies through workes and to discover the true way by making them know what they must doe and performe for justification here like a mad or drunken man he contradicts himselfe for who doth not see that the way of doing and performing is the way which lyes through workes and that if a thing done and performed by us be counted for righteousnes to iustification then the way of iustification lies through workes done by us which if they be iust and lawfull are workes of the Law Secondly if he by the way which lay through workes understands mens owne workes done in obedience to the Law of God it is true which he saith that this is the false way and that which hee calls the true way viz. by mens doing and performing is either the same with it or else worse and so hee speakes a most grosse untruth in calling it the true way being the same with the false way but if by the way which lies through workes he meanes seeking after Christs righteousnes which consists in workes of obedience to the Law then his wordes are most false wicked and blasphemous in that he calls this the false way to iustification Thirdly in that he saith God requires something to be don and performed by men for their iustification and that is it which the Apostle saith is imputed for righteousnes this is most false neither doth the Apostle intend any such thing in this place for this is to set up iustification by doing and workes of our owne which he altogether opposeth and his whole scope is bent against it and to shew that all which we are to looke to is to receive that which is freely given of God and imputed to us for righteousnes that is the righteousnes of him who is God as he often calls it in this Epistle as Rom. 3. 2. and 10. 3. here then behold how hee makes the new covenant a conditionall Covenant and not of free grace promising iustification and salvation upon condition of mens doing In briefe besides the contradictions and other absurdities and untruthes in this Argument before noted I finde these grosse errours in the carriage of it One is in that he saith God doth not require of us the righteousnes of Christ for iustification this hee required of Christ himselfe To which I answer that God requires nothing of us for our iustification for wee are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3. 24 that is by the free gift and communion of the satisfaction which Christ made for our redemption but yet the thing which God requires in our behalfe is that satisfaction and righteousnes of Christ and the qualification of us for the receiving applying and enjoying of that righteousnes for iustification is faith which is not of our selves but is the gift of God Ephes. 2. 8. for God worketh in us the will and power to beleeve and actuall beleeving also Phil. 2. 13. and all this by his spirit dwelling in us uniting us to Christ and so bringing us to communion of all his benefits even of his righteousnes to iustification and this is the true intent and scope of the Apostle to draw us from seeking iustification by any worke which we can doe or which God requires of us for that end and to make us looke up to the redemption which is in Christ and in his satisfaction apprehended by faith to rest for iustification as for this phrase of Gods requiring Christs righteousnes of us it is harsh and unsavoury yea absurd as if one should say God requires that the particular and individuall act done by another bee not done by him but by us which implies a contradiction but this that God requires the righteousnes of Christ not for our justification but of Christ himselfe this implies that Christ had need of iustification and was bound to fulfill the righteousnes of the Law for himselfe and savours of Socinian and Samosatenian Heresie which denies Christs God-head for if Christs humane nature being from the first conception most pure upright and holy was personally united to his God-head and so the Sonne of God and Heire of all things who can doubt but that in himselfe he was worthy of all Glory at Gods right hand from his birth as his taking of our nature upon him was altogether for us so his infirmities sufferings death and continuance on Earth for the performance of all righteousnesse and obedience to the whole Law was for us and for all the Elect who of old beleeved in him to come for them and who now doe in beleeve him exalted to Glory according to his humanity to thinke or say that he had need to justifie himselfe and to merit by his righteousnes the state of Glory is in effect to deny that he was God infinitely worthy of all Glory as he was the onely begotten Sonne of God and Heire of all things Another grosse error is that he calls faith and beleeving a thing don and performed by us when as the Apostle affirmes and all Christians confesse that our beleeving and faith is not of our selves but the gift of God and the worke and motion of his Spirit in us A third untruth and grosse absurdity or rather blasphemy is in the last wordes where he affirmes that if the Apostle had said unto them that they must bee justified by Christ or by Christs righteousnes this had beene rather to cast a snare upon them then to have opened a dore of life and saluation unto them Farre bee it from mee and all true Christians not to detest and curse with the curse of Anathema Maranatha that mouth which proclaimes and obstinately maintaines that teaching iustification by Christ and by his righteousnes is casting of a snare on men and not opening adore of life and salvation to them In the third place he layes down his arguments against the true Orthodox interpretation of Saint Pauls speeches concerning imputation of faith for righteousnes which interpretation he goeth about to overthrow by severall circumstances or passages in the context The first Argument reduced into forme runs thus that the Apostle who desired to speake to mens understanding should in the weighty point of iustification time after time and often without ever explaining himselfe or changing his speech use so strange harsh and
his owne sinne but ours not in himselfe but in us and in his 6. Sermon de verbis Apostoli God the Father saith he made him sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him Behold here two things the righteousnes of God yet our owne in him not in our selves Leo the first in his 70. Epistle saith that by the innocency of one we are all made innocent and that by righteousnes derived unto men from him who hath taken mans nature upon him Bernard in his 190. Epistle saith as one hath borne the sinnes of all so the satisfaction of one is imputed to all It was not one which forfeited and another which satisfied for the head of the body is one Christ Also in Sermon ad Milites Templi he saith Death is made to flee away in the Death of Christ and Christs righteousnes is imputed to us And a little after he who hath willingly bin incarnate willingly suffered and beene willingly crucified will he keepe back his righteousnes onely from us And againe One man sinned and all are held guilty and shall the innocency of one viz. Christ bee imputed only to one Anselme in Rom. 5. saith that by the righteousnes of one comming upon all the elect they come unto iustification that they may bee iustified by participation of Christs righteousnes These with many other Testimonies which might be produced out of Ancient Writers from the Primitive times untill Luther doe abundantly shew that they all by faith imputed never dreamed of faith imputed in a proper sense but only the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith But to descend to Orthodox Writers of this last age since Luther It is well knowne that they generally held imputation of our sinnes to Christ and Christs satisfaction and righteousnes to us to be the forme of iustification by which beleevers are iustified Luther if wee may beleeve his owne wordes acknowledgeth that it was the Doctrine of Saint Bernard concerning justification by the righteousnes of Christ imputed and not by our owne workes which moved him first to loath the popish Doctrine and to grow into suspition and dislike of that religion And in his Commentary on the Galathians where he doth most highly extoll the righteousnes of faith and debateth the righteousnes of workes hee tels us that faith being weake in many of Gods Children cannot bee accepted for righteousnes of it selfe that is in a proper sense and therefore there is necessarily required imputation of righteousnes for justification in Gal. 3. 6. See further in the very wordes of Luther gathered out of his owne writings and digested into common places by Fabricius who cites the tome and page for every word and sentence which are these first concerning justifying faith he saith faith obtaines what the Law commands and what is that but obedience and righteousnes 1 Tom. pag. 32. And againe by Faith Christ is in us yea one body with us But Christ is righteous and a fulfiller of Gods Commandements wherefore wee all by him doe fulfill them while Christ is made ours by faith also Tom. 3. page 539. when Paul ascribes iustification to faith wee must of necessity understand that hee speakes of faith laying hold on Christ which makes Christ of efficacy against Death sinne and the Law Also 2. Tom. pag. 515. Faith settles us upon the workes of Christ without our owne workes and translates us out of the exile or captivity of our sinnes into the Kingdome of his righteousnes And Tom. 1. pag. 410. Sinne is not destroyed unlesse the Law be fulfilled But the Law is not fulfilled but by the righteousnesse of faith And page 437. To keepe the Law is to have or possesse Christ the perfect fulfiller of the Law And Tom. 4. Page 44. Faith iustifies because it apprehendeth and possesseth that treasure viz. Christ And Page 45. we say that Christ doth forme faith or is the forme of faith And Tom. 2. upon Genesis The laying hold on the promises is called sure and firme faith and doth justifie not as it is our worke but the worke of God These speeches shew plainely that Luther conceived Christ with his righteousnesse to bee after a sort the formall righteousnesse of the beleeverâ— though not formally inherent in him yet formally possessed and enjoyed by faith Concerning this justifying righteousnes Luther also teacheth that it is not in our selves but in Christ even his fulfilling of the Law for us made ours and imputed to us Tom. 1. page 106. By faith saith hee are our sinnes made no more ours but Christs upon whom God hath laid the iniquities of us all and he hath borne our sinnes and on the other side all his righteousnes is made ours for he layes his hand upon us And page 178. The righteousnesse of a Christian is anothers righteousnes and comes to him from without it is even Christ who is made unto us of God righteousnes so that a man may with confidence glory in Christ and say Christ his living doing and suffering is mine no otherwise then if I had lived don and suffered as he did as the Married man possesseth all which is his Wives and the Wife all the goods which are her Husbands for they have all things common because they are become one flesh and so Christ and the Church are one Spirit by faith in Christ Christs righteousnes is made our righteousnes and all his are ours yea he himselfe is ours And Tom. 2. page 86. The righteousnes by which we are iustified before God is not in our owne persons but without our selves in God because man shall have no cause to be puffed up with an opinion of his owne proper righteousnes before God And Tom. 2. page 385. A Christian is not formally righteous by reason of any substance or quality in him but relatively in relation to Christ in whom he hath true righteousnes Melancthon in Epist ad Rom. 8. 4. saith wherefore Pauls meaning is thus to be taken That Christ is given for us that we may bee counted to have satisfied the Law by him and that for him wee may be reputed righteous Although we our selves doe not satisfie the Law anothers fulfilling of it freely given to us and is imputed to us and so the Law is imputatively fulfilled in us and so when the Apostle saith that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes to every beleever that is he that hath Christ is righteous hee is reputed to have satisfied the Law and hee imputatively hath that which the Law requires And in chap. 10. 4. upon these wordes Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes c. he saith this is the simple meaning Christ is the end that is the fulfilling of the Law to the beleever and he who hath Christ that is beleeves in Christ is righteous and hath imputatively what the Law requires The Booke of concord subscribed by so many hundred Euangelicall Ministers of the reformed Churches in Germany in the