the nâ—â—â—ssary qualification of the Patient or Reâ—â—iver i. e. naturally and legally necessary such as dispositio materiae is said to be in Physicks 3. And as for the notion of an Instrumental Cause of Justification it is past doubt that properly taken neither Faith nor any act of ours is any such nor doth justifie us efficiently at all But if any be so fond of the invented notion of an Instrument as that they will use it though unaptly they must say 1. That it is not an Efficient but a Recipient Instrument Dr. Kendall calls it like Boys catching the Ball in their Hats or as a Spoon is in eating But it is not an Instrument of Physical Reception but Moral To Trust is no more a Reception than to Love The active Acceptance of a Saviour given with his benefits is a Moral Receiving of him which disposeth us as the Condition of the Covenant to receive Justification that is to be justified And in this lax sense you may call it all these if you please viz. a Condition a Dispositive Cause and a Receiving Instrument 4. A Meritorious Cause it is not in a Commutative or strict sense But if you will call that meritorious which is pleasing to God as congruous to his free gift and design of grace whence some are called Worthy in the Gospel so the thing is not to be denied and so all are reconciled Contr. 17. Is justifying Faith an act of the understanding or will Ans Both and therefore it is no one Physical act only nor Instrumental in a strict Physical sense Contr. 18. What act of Faith is it that justifieth as to the Object whether only the belief of the truth of the Promise or of the whole Gospel also or the affiance on Christs Righteousness or on his Truth or on his Intercession or taking him wholly for our Saviour Prophet Priest and King And whether Faith in God the Father and the Holy Ghost do justifie or all these And if but one which is it and wheâ—her all the rest are the works which Paul excludeth from Justification Ans To say that only one Physical act of Faith is it that we are justified by and all the rest are those works is a perverse corrupting of Christianity and not to be heard without detestation For it will utterly confound all persons to find out which that one act is which they indeed can never do And it will contradict the substance of all the Gospel There is no such thing as Faith in Christ which containeth not or includeth not Faith in God as God both as he is our Creator and as reconciled by Christ and as the Giver of Christ to us John 3.16 and as the end of all the work of Redemption Nor is there any such thing as Faith in Christ which is true and saving that includeth not or connoteth not the Knowledge of Christ and Love and Desire and Thankfulness and Consent Nor did ever God tell us of a Faith in Christs Imputed Righteousness only that must justifie us which is not also a Faith in his Person Doctrine Law Promise and Example and his Intercession in the Heavens And to say that only the Act of Recumbency on Christs Righteousness as imputed to our Justification is that act of Faith by which we are justified and that Believing in God his Majesty Truth Wisdom Goodness and the believing in Christ as he is the Prophet Teacher King of the Church and the Resurrection Life and Judge of all and believing in the Holy Ghost as the Sanctifier Comforter and Witness and Advocate of Christ and believing and trusting the Promise of God for Life Eternal or for any grace except Christs Righteousness imputed that all this Faith in God in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and all our Love to Christ and desire after him and prayer for his grace and thankfulness for it c. are all none of the Faith which Justification is promised to but are the Works by which no man is justified and that he is faln from grace that seeketh to be justified by such works that is by true Faith in God as God and in Christ as Christ This is a new Gospel subverting Christs Gospel and making Christianity another thing and this without any countenance from the Scripture and contrary to its very scope The Faith by which we are justified is one Moral act containing many Physical acts even our fiducial Consent to the Baptismal Covenant and dedication of our selves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost to be our Reconciled God our Saviour and our Sanctifier to give us Pardon Adoption Holiness and Glory which is our Christianity it self as such Contr. 18. But though this be the Faith quae justificat which justifieth us is it not only Recumbency on Christs Imputed Righteousness quâ— talis which hath the Office of Instrumentality and is â—ides quâ— justificans Ans Such quibbling and jingling of a meer sound of words is usual in ludicrous Disputations of Lads But it 's pity it should pass as the last remedy against plain truth in so great a matter First it must be remembred that no Faith justifieth efficiently and therefore neither quae nor quâ justificans is to signifie any such thing but a meer Moral qualification of the recipient subject so that to be justified by Faith is but to be justified by it as that which God hath promised Justification on as the qualifying Condition But if it be not the same thing that is here called Fides quae and quâ but in the first part they speak of the Habit and in the second of the Act had it not been plainer to say The same Habit of Faith hath several Acts as believing in God in Christs Intercession Kingdom c. but none of these Acts do justifie us but one only viz. trusting to the Imputation of his Righteousness And so both the quae and quâ is â—denied to all Acts save that one This is their plain meaning which is denied to be truth and is a human dangerous invention Yet it 's granted them that it is not every Act of Faith that is made the Condition of Justification or Salvation It is necessary that the formal Object Gods Veracitâ— be believed to make it true Faith and that the Gospel or Covenant of Grace be believed with Consent as aforesaid to make it to be the true Christian Faith in essence and it 's of necessity that every thing be believed which we know that God revealeth But it is the Christian Faith that hath the Promise of Justification and that not any one single Act of it but all that is essential to it and that which belongeth but to its Integrity ad bene esse when it existeth is also so far conducible to our Justification as Abrahams believing that Isaac should live and have seed when he went to sacrifice him yet Justification may be without some Acts as Salvation may without many due Acts of Obedience
THE Scripture Gospel defended AND Christ Grace and Free Justification Vindicated Against the Libertines Who use the names of CHRIST FREE GRACE and JUSTIFICATION to subvert the Gospel and Christianity and that Christ Grace and Justification which they in zealous Ignorance think they plead for to the injury of Christ the danger of Souls and the scandalizing of the weak the insulting of Adversaries and the Dividing of the Churches Yet charitably differencing the wordy Errours of unskilful Opiniaters from their Practical Piety And the mistaken Notions of some Excellent Divines from the gross Libertine Antinomian Errours In Two Books The first A Breviate of Fifty Controversies about Justification written about thirteen years past and cast by till now after many provocations by Press Pulpit and Backbiting The second upon the sudden reviving of Antinomianism which seemed almost extinct near Thirty four years And the re-printing of Dr. Crisp's Sermons with Additions with twelve Reverend Names prefixed for a decoy when some of them abhor the Errour of the Book and know not what was in it but yielded by surprize only to declare that they believed him that told them that the Additions were a true Copy By RICHARD BAXTER an Offender of the Offenders of the Church by Defending the Truth and Duty which they fight against Lux oculos vexat ubi noctua luminis osor Putrida suspecti vexabunt ulcera tactus LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside 1690. HEB. 11.5 6. Without Faith it is impossible to please God He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Luke 19.17 Well thou good Servant Because thou hast been faithful in a very little have thou Authority over ten Cities So Mat. 25.21 Mat. 25.34 40 46. Inherit the Kindgom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World For I was hungry and ye gave me Meat In as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it to me And these shall go into Everlasting Punishment and the Righteous into Life Eternal Gen. 22.16 17 18. By my self have I sworn saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy Son c. John 16.27 The Father himself loveth you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God 1 John 3.12 13. Whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight and this is his Commandment that we believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and Love one another Rev. 3.4 They shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Rev. 3.10 Because thou hast kept the Word of my Patience I will keep thee c. Mar. 7.29 For this saying go thy way the Devil is gone out c. Mat. 5.20 Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 12.36 37. Every idle Word that Men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment For by thy Words thou shalt be Justified and by thy Words thou shalt be Condemned Jam. 2.24 You see then that by Works a man is Justified and not by Faith only So v. 13. to the end Rom. 8.29 30. Whom he foreknew them he predestinated to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first born among many Brethren And whom he did predestinate them he also called And whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them be also glorified Luke 18.13 14. I tell you This man went down Justified rather than the other Prov. 17.15 He that Justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the Just even they both are abomination to the Lord. Of Faith imputed to Righteousness and our being Justified by Faith See Rom. 3.30 26. Rom. 4.11 22 23 24. He that considereth the different sence of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first usually signifying the Practical or Preceptive matter that is Righteousness the second Active efficient Justification and the third the State of the Just Qualitative or Relative or ipsam Justitiam will the better expound the Word Justification as it is in our Translations Rom. 4.24 25. For us also to whom it shall be imputed not is before we believe if a Conditional we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our Justification Not only obeyed and suffered for our Justification but was raised for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 efficiently to make us just relatively and qualitatively and so to justify us and consequently to judge us just Exodus 23.7 I will not justify the wicked Obj. Rom. 4 5. He justifieth the ungodly Answ Yes By making him Just by Pardon Adoption and Godliness As he healeth the sick and raiseth the dead in sensu diviso Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins 13.38 By him all that believe are Justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses See Titus 3.6 7. 1 Cor. 6.8 9 10 11. Rom. 2.13 14. 1 Peter 1.16 17. 2 Co◠9.6 Rev. 20.12 13. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works c. Which is oft said in Scripture John 5.22.29 The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all Judgment to the Son and hath given him authority to Execute Judgment They that have Done Good to the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil to the Resurrection of damnation 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but to all that love his appearing See Heb. 6.10 1 Cor. 15.58 Col. 3.24 Heb. 11.26 2. Thes 1.5 6 7. Mat. 5.12 Mat. 6.2.4.6 5.12 10.41.42 10.29 1 Cor. 9.17 Rom. 2.5.10 Mat. 7.4 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness So Rom. 10.10.13 Mat. 6.14 15. If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will forgive you But if ye forgive not men Neither will 1 Joh. 3.17 Let no man deceive you He that doth Righteousness is Righteous Isa 1.16 17 18. Cease to do evil c. Come now If your sins be red as crimson Isa 55.6 7. Seek the Lord while he may be found c. Let the wicked forsake his way c. Let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy on him c. Acts 10.35 In every nation he that feareth God and
uncapable of the benefits 15. God useth none of fallen mankind according to the severity of the first Law but givâ—th to all men undeserved forfeited Mercy and bindeth them to use some means for their recovery to repent in hope and to receive and thankfully use the measures of mercy which he vouchâ—â—â—eth them And all men shall be judged according to that edition of the Law of Grace which they were under and the receiving and using the Grace or Mercy which was given or offered them 16. When the peculiar Seed was formed into a Nation God gave them by Moses a peculiar Law which exempliâ—ied the Holiness of the first Law but had the Promises and Grace of the second with the peculiar additions and plainlier pointed out the Messiah to come but by a way of operous Ceremonies and severe Discipline suitable to their rude minority 17. In the fulness of time Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost in a Virgin and being God and Man aâ— made by the Will of the Deity was made a Subject under a Law peculiar to himself according to his peculiar works and this Law given to our Mediator had three parts 1. That he should perfeâ—tly obey the Law of Innocency so far as it was fitted to his case and overcome the Tempter 2. That he should perfectly keep the Law of Moseâ— so far as it agreed to him 3. That he should perfectly do all that was proper to the Redeemer in being a Sacrifice for sin clearing and publiâ—hing the New Covenant sealing it by Miracles rising again instituting his Word Sacraments and Ministry ascending giving the Spirit interceding in Heaven c. his promised reward being the success of his undertaking the saving of his Church and his Glory in the glorifying of God the Father This is the peculiar Law to the Mediator 18. That which is called The Covenant between the Father and the Son is this Covenant made to and with Christ Inâ—arnate and the fore-decâ—â—eing thereof with the Prophecies of it If there be more it is past our reach 19. Christ perfectly fulfilled all that he undertook and this as the second Adam not a Natural Root but a Voluntary Sponsor Not our Substitute or Servant sent by us but chosen by tâ—e Father and sent by him to do all his Will for Mans Redemption 20. As he took the common Nature of Man so the sins of all and not only of the Elect were the causes of his sufferings and said upon him and the fruits of his sufferings and merits were some common and some peculiar to the Elect. 21. He being not as Adam our natural Parent was not meerly by natural generation to convey his benefits to the Redeemed but by such means as he should chuse and Man consent to even by a holy Covenant or Contract being also his Doctrine and his Law in several respects which Covenant having great and precious Promises is Gods Instrument of Donation and Condonation and our title to all the blessings promised by which God doth give us right to Pardon and Salvation This Law of Grace is the Rule of our duty and the Rule by which we shall be judged 22. This Law or Covenant giveth a Conditional Pardon to all in the tenour of it with Adoption and Right to Life Eternal But actual Pardon and Right accrueth to none till the Condition be performed which is to be Believers or their Infant seed dedicated to God by Covenant Consent 23. This Condition is not that we our selves make God amends or satisfaction or give him any thing that hath any merit in Commutative Justice or do any kind of work which shall make the reward to be of debt and not of grace But it is the Belief of and Consent to the Covenant of Grace and the Believing Acceptance of the gifts and grace of the Covenant according to their nature and 〈◊〉 their proper use and is the same thing which is to be professed in Baptism which is the solemnizing of this mutual Covenant and in which God the Father Son and Holy Ghost do give themselves to us for grace and glory and we give up our selves by consent to him believingly accepting his grace and penitently renouncing the lusts of the flesh the world and the Devil and so are sacramentally invested in a state of Justification Adoption and Spiritual Life 24. The profession of this Faith and Consent in Baptism maketh men visible Christians and Church members and true heart consent in Faith maketh men Living and Justified Members 25. This belief and consent or performance of the Condition is not the Efficient Cause of our Pardon or Justification but is the necessary 〈◊〉 position or qualification of the Receiver in the very nature of the Act suitable and needful and by Divine Institution and Promise made the Condition and acceptable 26. Though we are not capable Receivers of Justification till we thus penitently and believingly consent yet when we do so it is the merit of Christs Righteousness by which we are justified For the Covenant of God is but his Instrument by which he giveth us Christ to be our Head and Life in and with him and so giveth us Justification as procuâ—â—d by his Merits 27. Justification is a word of many senses sometimes it signifieth making us righteous sometimes the Law or Covenants virtuâ—l judging us righteoâ—s it being the Rule of Judgment sometimes Gods esteeming us righteous in his own mind sometimes for a Justifying by â—vidence or Witness sometimes by â—poloâ—y of an Advocate sometimes by the Sentence of the Judge and sometime for the Execution of that Sentence But the notable special sorts are three Making just â—udging just and Vsing as just And they that will dispute of Justification and not tell in what sense they take the word do but abuse their time and talk 28. No man is judged righteous by God that is not first made righteous 29. He that is made righteous is justifiable in Judgment and virtually justified in Law 30. No sinner is made righteous as to the Preceptive part of the Law of Innocency it being a contradiction to have been a sinner and no sinner 31. Pardon of sin doth not make the fact done to be undone or not done nor the sin to be no sin nor not to have deserved punishment But it remitteth the punishment and the fault so far as it inferreth punishment because of the merit and satisfaction of the Mediator and delivereth the sinner from that which he was bound to suffer by the violated Law 32. To make a man righteous before God that hath sinned all these things must concur 1. He must have a Mediator that must answer the Ends of the Law that condemneth him and so meriteth his Justification 2. This Saviour must make him a Pardoning and Justifying Covenant to convey the right of the purchased benefits to him 3. He himself by grace must perâ—orm the Conditions of that Covenant accepting the free gift believingly according to its
nature and use 4. Upon this the Covenant by virtue of the foresaid Merit of the Mediator must effectually justifie him 33. Though we have no Righteousness of our own that is so denominated by the Law of Innocency yet have we a Righteousness to plead for our Justification from its Sentence which by our Mediator was performed to it by which the Law-giver hath received satisfaction and we must have the personal subordinate â—ighteousness required by the Covenant of Grace 34. All that are made righteous are esteemed and judged righteous and used as righteous 35. Pardon of Sin and Right to Life are not that Righteousness which answereth the Precept of the Law But they are that Righteousness which justifieth us against the Accusation that we are not to be saved but to be damnâ—d 35. Christs Perfeâ—â— Obâ—diâ—nce to the Law of Innocency exempteth uâ— from the necessity of perfect obedience to it and from all duty of obeying it as the condition of life But he did not Repent and Believe in obedience to his own Law of Grace to exempt us from the necessity of Repenting and Believing which we must do our selves by his grace or perish 36. To make a man righteouâ— implieth that he was before unrighteous But to judge him righteous supposeth him to be righteous yet either accused of unrighteousness or accusable Justification here supposing either actual or virtual Accusation 37. The Law is the Virtual Accuser but that speaketh nothing but truth viz. that we sinned and deserved damnation Satan is the Actual Accuser and the Father of Lies 38. We shall not be justified by denying the true Accusation of the Law but by denying the false Accusation of Satan That we are sinners must be granted and that our sin deserved Hell But that we have no part in Christ that we are unpardoned unreconciled sinners that we are unbelievers impenitent unregenerate unholy or hypocrites must be denied or we perish As also that hereupon we ought to be damned and not to be glorified 39. By this it is very plain how far a man must be justified in Judgment by his own personal Righteousness and also how to understand Matth. 25 â—nd all the descriptions of the last Judgment and the Reasons there assigned of the Sentence and what it is to be Justified or Condemned by our words and to be judged according to our works or what we have done in obedience or disobedience to the Law of grace and what is meant in James by being justified by works and not by faith alone For though Christs righteousness is to be then honoured it is not his part but ours that is by him to be Examined and Judged And it is the Law of Grace by which we must be judged which prescribed us the Conditions of Pardon and Salvation The performance of which must therefore be the cause of the day to be Examined and Judged 4. To justify a mans Right to Salvation is to justify the man when his right is the thing tried Therefore the causes of our Right to Salvation are necessary causes of our Justification All this is plain and I think not by a Christian to be denied And is not here enough to be the matter of our Christian peace and concord in this one point of Justification But we are not so happy It is a greater number of Controversies that the teachers of Christians have raised about it than many hours will serve to handle I will name some that are too many and yet far from all and give you my sense of them plainly and briefly that you may truly understand the matter and me Cont. 1. Passing by all the old quarrels about Christs Person by the Arrians Nestorians Eutychians Monothelites Phantasiastae and abundance more about Justification it self the first that I shall mention is that which a few great and worthy men have unhappily raised Whether Justification be not an Immanent act in God and so eternal This they assert and I deny There is nothing in God but God Nothing therefore that hath beginning and end but all is Eternal But Relations and Extrinsick denominations and also Effects may begin and end The world was not from Eternity God did not make it from Eternity nor was the creator of it from Eternity in proper speech And yet no Act as it is in God had beginning or end for it is God himself But Gods Essential will or word is not called creating till it actually create So is it in Justification Nothing is new in God besides Relation and Denomination but much is new by and from God Justification is a transient act of God It is the act of his Covenant and his Judgment and Execution Therefore he that saith Elect Infidels are Justified from Eternity Contradicteth Gods word that saith we are justified by faith and till then are under Condemnation Cont. 2. Whether the Covenant of Grace be made only with Christ or with us also The first is put into a Catechism where I am sorryer to find it than in Maccovius Cluto Cocceius and Cloppenburgius The Covenant made with Christ is not the same that is made between Christ and us and which we celebrate in Baptism It is not only Christ that is baptized but all his members And baptism is the mutual Covenant We are the receivers of the Relation to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and we are the Promisers the word Restipulation is too presumptuous If we are not Covenanters we can be no Covenant breakers nor have right to the benefits of such a Covenant It is the same thing that in several respects is called a Law and a Covenant And if we are not under Christs Law we are Lawless or not his Subjects Deny Christs Law and Covenant to us and you will subvert all Christianity and deny the rule of Judgment and Justification Cont. 3. Whether the Covenant of grace have any condition required of us Ans Here we first shew our weakness in contending about the word Condition while we agree not of the sense though till men made a difference on this ill occasion there were few words that men were more agreed in of such a Subject And the word we must use hath no other name that I remember which our Grammar hath taught us to call such Conjunctions by as If is but Conditional nor any other name that Law and Civil use hath taught us to call the thing defined by but CONDITION without circumlocution uncouthness or obscurity The common definition of Lawyers is that it is Lex addita negotio quaâ— donec praestetur eventum suspendit It is in our case the Mode of the Law or Promise requiring a Duty or Moral Act or qualification on the presence or absence performance or non-performance whereof the Law or Donation annexeth or suspendeth the event This is a Condition as it is in the Law or Covenant or Promise being but its Modus But as it is in the person and performance it is
either the Objectiors speak de nomine or de re If but of the Name One they shall call it One if that will please them and let them only distinguish the Parts of that One If they â—ill say that the Covenant made by the Father with the Mediator and the Law made for him are one and the same with the Covenant made by the Fatâ—â—â— and Son and Holy Spirit with us and that our Baptismal Covenant is no Covenant but only a part of the Covenant of which that with Christ aforesaid is another part I will not use their phrase but let me understand them that it is only the Name of One or Two that they contend about and we will fit our words accordingly I think on several accounts they are to be called Divers Covenants If they dislike it let us enquire whether the various Precepts of one Covenant make not various duties to Christ and to us and whether the various Promises of it have not various Conditions some to be performed by Christ and some by us Our present Question is Whether that part of the Covenant which promiseth and giveth Pardon of sin Justification Adoption and right to Glory have any Condition as the Modus of the gift We will rather follow them in unmeet terms than leave them thence a pretence to confound names and things and hide their errour by the confusion All Divines ancient and modern reformed and and unreformed that I know of agreed with us in the conditionality of the said Promise and by the form of Baptism shewed the Churches consent till Maccovius in Holland and Dr. Crispe and other Antinomians in England began to subvert the Gospel on pretence of magnifying the freeness of Grace and yet they durst never attempt to alter the Form of Baptism as this Opinion will require Contr. 4. By what hath been said the fourth Controversie is already resolved viz. Whether our performance of the Condition of Justification doth efficiently justifie us Some say because we say that Christ doth not justifie us till we perform the condition by believing that therefore we make our own Faith or performance to justifie proximately and Christ but remotely and so to do more than Christ to our Justification Ans 1. As to the phrase Scripture saith that we are justified by Faith that word not signifying an eâ—â—â—ciency but a receptive qualifying condition but it never saith that Faith doth jusâ—ifie us much less thâ—t we by it justifie our selves Our performance or Faith is no efficient cause but as to two parts of our Justification it hath a twofold Office 1. As to our Justification by the Merits of Christs Righteousness against this charge that damnation is due to us for sin our Faith is the Condition of our Pardon and Justification that is the moral qualification which God hath made necessary to make us capable receivers of it As laying down Arms and taking his Pardon thankfully may make a Rebel capable of Pardon but doth not pardon him if the pardoning Act say This shall be the Condition And by his Pardon he is justifiable against the charge of being liable to death 2. But as to the subordinate part of Justification against the falâ—e charge that we are no believers nor repent and so have no part in Christ here our own Faith is the very Matter of Righteousness by which we must be in tantum so farâ— justified As truth and innocency is against every false accusation And to say that because Christs Merits justifie us not before and without our Faith and performance of the Condition therefore our Act justifieth us more than Christ or efficiently at all is a thing unworthy of an answer being below the thoughts of an intelligent Disputer How much the capacity or incapacity of the Receiver doth as to all the various changes in the world both physical and moral when yet efficiently it doth nothing is not wholly unknown to any sober thinking man As the same sun-shine maketh a Weed stink and a Rose sweet so the same Act of Oblivion or conditional Justifying Law or Covenant doth justifie the capable and not the uncapable though no mans Faith doth effect any part of his own Justification Mr. Troughton and such others denying Faith to be the Condition of our Justification by the Promise hath drawn me to speak the largelier of this Contr. 5. Whether we are justified by Christs Righteousness imputed to us and whether the Scripture say so Ans The Scripture oft saith that Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness and that is Faith in Christ And it saith that Righteousness is imputed or reckoned to us that is we are reckoned or reputed righteous Rom. 4.11 22.6 And that sin is not imputed that is not charged on us to punishment or damnation Rom. 5.13 4.8 Psal 32. v. 2. 2 Cor. 5.10 The words of Imputing Christs Righteousness to us I find not in Gods Word and therefore think them not necessary to the Churches peace or safety But as for the sense of those words no doubt but it may be good the Papists themselves own them in the same sense as many Protestant Divines profess to use them as I have proved Contr. 6. In what sense is Christs Righteousness imputed to us Answ It is accounted of God the valuable consideration satisfaction and merit attaining Gods ends for which we are when we consent to the Covenant of Grace forgiven and justified against the condemning Sentence of the Law of Innocency and reconciled and accepted of God to Grace and Glory Q. But did not Christ represent our persons in his Righteousness so that it is imputed to us as ours as if we our selves had been and done what he was and did as righteous Ans This being the very heart of all the Controversie should be decided only by Scripture and nothing added or diminished That Christ is the second Adam and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sponsor Surety or Interposer and a Mediator between God and Man that suffered for us the just for the unjust a price and a sacrifice is all found in scripture Wise and peaceable men here will be as fearful of humane Inventions and Additions as in Discipline or Ceremonies at least But because all are not such we must speak to men as they are There are several sorts of Sureties or Sponsors Few represent the very person at least not all If men will needs impose on us their own word of Representation for peace sake we accept it in a sound sense In a limited sense it is true that Christ represented us that is he suffered in our stead that we might not suffer He obeyed and was perfectly righteous as Mediator in our Natures and so far in our stead as that such perfect Righteousness should not in our selves be necessary to our Justification But he did not absolutely represent us he was not our Delegate Our persons did not in a Law-sense do in and by Christ what he
which must be done by our selves and though without him we can do nothing yet by him we must believe and be new Creatures and by him that strengtheneth us we can do something and must work out our Salvation while he worketh in us to will and to do The purchase then and Donation is by Christ but the voluntary acceptance is by us by the operation of his Grace which is not to make up any deficiency in Christs part or to be a supplement to his Righteousness nor to bear any part of the same office in our Justification but it 's that which subordinately is required of us as the Condition of Pardon and Life by his own Law or Covenant of Grace And so far it is imputed to us for Righteousness Contr. 14. Whether Grace be Grace or Free if it have any Condition Ans As free and great as God will have it but not such as the wicked man would have it who would be saved from pain but not from Sin or without any Condition required of him The Covenant is made conditional for the use that the commands are made to bring man to his Duty and to convey the Benefit in a sapiential congruous way but not as requiring a price for the Benefits He that pardoneth a Traytor on condition that he thankfully accept it and will not spit in the Princes face and rebel again doth pardon freely without a price And as our Duty and Act denieth not that it's Grace by which we do it so the necessity of Grace thereto denieth it not to be our Duty or our Act when we believe The Covenant giveth some Mercies absolutely but not all He that would be from under all Conditions of Gods Promises would be from under all Law and all threatnings For what kind of Law is that which hath no Conditions of Reward and Punishment Obj. But when the Condition it self is promised it is equal to absolute Ans 1. If that be true still it is conditional Why do you not say so then not that it hath no Conditions but that it is a conditional Promise equal to an absolute 2. But stay a little Is the condition promised to all that the conditional promise is made to even to all that hear the Gospel or that are baptized If you say that the conditional Promise is made to none but the Elect you deny the Gospel which is to be preached to all the World 3. Will you cast out Baptism by this Argument and so visible Christianity Or will you new mold it into an absolute Form Or will you say that it is no Covenant If you suppose not God the Father Son â— and Holy Ghost to be there given to us with pardon and right to Life upon condition of our believing acceptance and that we there profess that acceptance which is the Condition you suppose not that it is Baptism indeed And when your little notions shall lead you to deny Gods Law and Covenant Gospel Baptism and so Christianity as visible they are scarce fit notions to make you pass for Orthodox and to be turned against others as erroneous 4. But how is it that God promiseth the Condition it self and to whom I find Prov. 1. 23. Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit to you I will make known my Words unto you Is it if you do first turn Then there is some degree of turning necessary as a condition to the promised special gift of the Spirit Or is it that you may turn Then God promiseth his Spirit and Word to help even those to turn that yet turn not which must suppose some Condition of consent or non-resistance required which they could perform I find that it 's all mens duty to pray and I read Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find c. And so that to ask and seek saving Faith is a Duty to him that hath but common Faith And God commandeth no man to ask or seek in vain A meer command to use means implieth that they are not vain God then giveth as Dr. Twisse oft saith as out of Augustine the posse credere where yet the act of Faith doth not follow and it is not a meer Passive but an Active Power And where he giveth Grace which causeth the Act it self did God Promise it before hand to that man any more than to others He promiseth Christ to call all his Elect But this giveth no right to any individual Person before he is born or before he believeth Therefore not to the first Faith For God to tell men what he will do with his Elect is one thing and to enter into Covenant with a man and give a right thereby is another This Covenant hath it's Coâ—ditions Contr. 15. Here comes in also the Controversie whether Repentance be any Condition of Pardon or Justification And whether to affirm it be not to equal it with Faith Ans Read these Texts of Scripture and judge Ezek. 14.6 18.30 Luk. 13 3 5. Act. 2.38 8.22 17.30 31. 26.18 20. Mar. 1.4 Lu. 24.47 Act. 5.31 11.18 13.24 20.21 Luk. 15.7 c. 2. Faith in Christ as it is the remedying Grace ever â—supposeth Faith in God as God and Repentance towards God Act. 20.21 as it's end and is connoted when it is not exprest He that saith Take me and trust me as your Physician and I will cure you implieth 1. If you desire to be cured 2 If you will take my Medicines To believe in Christ is to trust that through his Mediation a penitent returning Sinner shall be pardoned and accepted of God and saved Holiness is the Souls health and Christ believed in is the remedy Repentance and Holiness are necessary as the end for themselves and Faith in the Mediator is necessary as the use of the Remedy The Office or Nature of these is not the same though both be Conditions Yet as Repentance is the change of the Mind so repenting of unbelief is Faith it self denominated with respect to the terminus à quo Unhappy wits set things as opposite which God hath connexed and made coordinate Contr. 16. Whether Faith justifie us as a meritorious Cause or as a dispositive Cause of receiving Justification or as a meer Condition or as an Instrumental Cause Ans If these Logical names had never been used plain Christians would have understood what is necessary without them 1. That the Promise maketh Faith a Condition making unbelief a stop to the benefit and Faith the removal of that stop is past all doubt And the Promise being the Donative Instrument and its Condition being its Mode the interest of a Condition is most certainly the formal Law-interest that Faith hath as to our Justification 2. And Dr. Tâ—â—ssâ—'s forementioned name of Causa dispositiva i e. recipiendi is undoubtedly also â—pt and signifieth both the Nature of the Act and the Offâ—ce 〈…〉 as a Condition For in both respects it is
Christ for our sins the curse threatned to us and as the last objecter saith eternal damnation equivalently And so we had sin and no sin And Christ must die and we must pray for the pardon of that sin which in Gods account or imputation we never had VI. When the Text tells us that Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness that Righteousness is imputed to believers that is They are accounted righteous according to the justifying Covenant of Grace upon their believing in Christ for his meritorious Righteousness and Sacrifice giving them by the new Covenant their gracious relation to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost with right to further Grace and Glory they tell us that by Faith is not meant Faith but Christs Righteousness and by Righteousness imputed to us is meant God 's accounting us to have done all that Righteousness by Christ which he did for us Many more such humane inventions corrupting our Faith at least in notion too many fight for as if they were necessary truths of God Postscript REader the Author of the following objections is Mr. Stephen Lob I had thought not to have named him till I saw but Yesterday his Books of Free Grace which I never before heard of though it was printed almost ten year ago It is so considerable a confutation of Antinomian errours that I commend it to thy reading And being my self in great pain expecting death and like to write in these Controversies no more that I have once more as a Speculator or Watchman blown the Trumpet to warn men of the danger of the Other Gospel that subverteth the Gospel of Christ I have this Peace of Conscience that the blood of the seduced will not be required at my hands And if that M.S. of Mr. Stone of New-England which Mr. Lob so praiseth may by him be yet recovered I intreat his endeavour In which I cannot doubt but Mr. Increase Mather will assist him tho his name be prefixt among the twelve And I commend to some honest Bookseller to reprint Mr. Thomas Welds History of the New-England Antinomian Libertinism it being out of press And I hereby intreat Mr. William Manning of Suffolk if living to Print the excellent Treatise of Justification of his which I have long ago read And Mr. Samuel Clerk Author of the Annot. to Print his sound Treatise which I long ago read on the same Subject And though my own Judgment be for the Imputation of Christs Passive Active and Habitual righteousness dignified by the Divine as the full and the sole meritorious cause of all Grace and Glory as making up the condition of his Mediatorial Covenant imposed on him by God Yet I intreat the Learned Reader to peruse the Writings of those great Divines that are for the Imputation of the Passive only Ursine Olevan Paraeus Scultetus Wendeline Beckman and the rest with Camero Placaeus and all that party of famous French Divines who all effectually confute the false sense of Imputation of the Active Righteousness which Mr. Bradshaw confuteth with many others as if we had done it by Christ and were our selves the Subjects of it and are justified by that Law that condemneth us Jan. 20. 1690. R.B. An Answer to some Animadversions of a Friend tending to the further explication of some passages which through brevity were not understood § 1. SIR Your notes have so much Judgment and moderation and so little if any thing contrary to what I assert that they require nothing from me but a repeated explication of that which you observed not as before explained But when it is enough for me to explain my own Words and Doctrine you put me on another task to seek after the explication of another mans which I am not obliged to on any account but for your Satisfaction It is enough for me to speak true Doctrine in the most intelligible manner that I can without examining whether other mens expressions be sound or apt § 2. I begin with your own Notes And 1. I hope that few are so ignorant that meddle in these matters as to doubt of what you say that no one term much less one Metaphor or similitude can adequately express any of the Mysteries of Grace and no one Metaphor must be carried too far Omne simile est etiam dissimile And all set together so far as they are thereto intended must instruct us § 3. I know none but the Socinians that think a Mediator and a Sponsor inconsistent or deny Christ to be a Sponsor And methinks your words for their consistency import a greater difference between them than there is It is part of Christs Mediation to be a Sponsor These terms therefore express no difference but between the whole and the part But what a Sponsor Christ is is all the doubt which I a little opened and you pass by It is not agreed by expositors what the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaneth in that one only place of Scripture where it is used Very learned expositors think that as Moses was called Gods Mediator or Sponsor to the people as being his Spokesman and in his name assuring them that this was Gods Covenant which he would perform and returning the peoples answer to God and praying for them but not undertaking for them and personating them so Christ is here likened to him and called the Mediator and Sponsor of the new and better Covenant not as he personateth or undertaketh for Covenanting Subjects but only as he representeth God the Father to man and is his Sponsor to us But as Paul saith he is not a Mediator of one so I see not but though chiefly he be Gods Sponsor to man yet withal he be there called a Sponsor also as well as a Mediator for man to God But all the doubt is what a Sponsor for man he is And first we must enquire what Covenant he is a Sponsor of No doubt but Gods Covenant with the Mediator as such is one and Gods and the Mediators Covenant with man solemnized in baptism is another And yet no doubt but these two have such relation as that in some sort or respect they may be called one He that saith they are not two is plainly confuted by the constitutive defining parts the Divers Parties Matter Terms and Ends. It was not said to Christ but by Christ Repent and believe in Christ or be damned Pardon and Salvation are not offered to Christ to be received by Faith in himself Yet as the Laws of the Land though several are One Instrumentum Regiminis So we call all the Laws of Nature usually singularly The Law of Nature and so we say The Civil Law the Canon Law Gods Law c. Now the question is what Covenant Christ was the Sponsor of 1. In his own proper Covenant he did Spondere praestare to suffer for us and to obey for us in the just sence in due place explained to rise and ascend for us to intercede for us to
word It was strictest Justice as upon Christ It was perfect Justice as to the ends of Government But it was not strictest Justice as to us nor as strictest signifieth the strict fulfilling or executing of the threatning of the Law For it was not so executed but the sinner mercifully pardoned § 6. You note that Christ must take our guilt on him or else he could not take our punishment Ans 1. He took not the Reatum facti or the Reatum â—ulpae For 1. Our guilt was the accident of one Subject and that which Christ took of another Therefore the accidents were not the same 2. Else sin however taken in its reatus culpae would have made him culpable and formally a sinner and hateful to God and like to Satan Which he was not 2. He took upon him the Reatum poena seu obligationem ad â—oenam But not ours individually the same but one of his own instead of ours Christs guilt and ours were divers accidents of divers persons The obligations nor the Subjects were not the same Our obligation to punishment was an act of the Law which we broke So was not Christs That Law never bound him to punishment But his own voluntary undertaking and his Fathers imposition Our guilt was the occasion and reason of Christs assumed guilt As our punishment individually was not it that he suffered but his own punishment to prevent ours He suffered the just for the unjust to redeem us to God God tells us plainly that Christ suffered for our sins and was made sin that is a Curse or Sacrifice for sin for us that we might not suffer And cannot we receive this plain Gospel without spinning so many additional webs of our own Christs taking our guilt and puniâ—hment is no more but his voluntary suffering in our stead that we might be pardoned not by that suffering immediately but by his free donation in the Law of Grace in his time and on his terms § 7. You note that though we are justified by our own Faith Repentance and Obedience to the Gospel against the false charge of being unbelievers impenitent and ungodly Yet to be free from the curse of the Law and obtaining right to life it is Christs Righteousness that we must plead Ans Very true thus 1. It is only Christs Righteousness that we must plead as the Satisfying and meriting cause 2. It is only the free Donation of the New Covenant which we must plead as our Title or Fundamentum juris and conveying cause of right 3. It is our Faith and Repentance in various respects which we must plead as the conditio tituli praesâ—iâ—a which is the necessary moral receptive disposition of the Subject receiving These things are all very plain and sure § 8. You seem to doubt whether by the Law of Works Paul meant not the Law of Innocency And first you seem to mistake me as if I had said that he meant only the Ceremonial Law I say no such thing But the whole Law of Moses considered meerly as a law and by the Jews ill separated from Faith and Grace was an operous Yoak and of severe penalties to the transgressours and though it gave pardon for some faults it was not meerly for the task of sacrificing but for the great Sacrifice typified The Law as a Law doth only Command and threaten and promise life to them that do all things written but gave not grace to do it The Jews left out the true sence of the types and promise which intended the Messiah in whom it was that the promissory part of the Law was made and thought the very task of duty or works would procure their acceptance and pardon when they failed If you are not satisfied with this reason why Paul calleth it the Law of Works find out a better if you can But most certainly that is a great mistake that Moses and Paul describe the Law of Innocency It 's tedious to recite the proof 1. It 's enough that the Law of Innocency as a Covenant was before ceased cessante capacitate subditorum When all men had 2000 years been Originally and Actually sinners will you feign God with all that solemnity to make such a Law as this I know and you must know that no Son of Adam is Innocent And I make now a Law that if you â—re and will continue innocent you shall live Else you shall die This is too gross to be feigned of God 2. It is enough that when the Law was made they were all under actual mercy which was the grace of the new pardoned Covenant 3. Yea that the Covenant of Grace had so long before been made with all fallen mankind in Adam â—nd Noah and renewed to Abraham with speâ—ial promises And doth God now repeal or hide it 4. What need we more proof than so many Laws about Sacrificing and Confessing for forgiveness Which the Law of Innocency knew not And why else did God deliver the Law as a God of Redeeming mercy I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of Egypt proclaiming his name Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord the Lord God Merciful and Gracious forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin 6. Peruse all the Contexts in Pauâ— and you will be satisfied See Camero de triplice faedere which Dr. Bolton of Liberty was so taken with and magnifieth and Anthony Burges of the Law proving Moses Law to belong to a Covenant of Grace But I have more fully opened all thiâ— in my Methodus Theologiae No doubt but Pauls dâ—sputes have great difficulty but this much is very plain § 9. Your next question is about the nature of Faith whether if it be placed in the will and include consent it be not confounded with Love whose object is goodness I have answered this oft and largely in divers Books and therefore must here be excused from saying any more than this viz. 1. You must distinguish between Faith Physically taken and Faith morally taken 2. Between its formal act and its material I. Physically some one natural act constituted by one Object is called Faith But morally taken it comprehendeth divers Physical Acts both of the Intellect and Will And as it is Justifying and Saving it is so taken Yea morally it is sometime in Scripture taken largelier for our Christian Faith as God the Father Son and Holy Ghost the Promise Grace and Glory are all the constituting Objects of it in their truth and goodness and sometime more narrowly as altogether distinct from Hope and Love It is taken in the first sense when it is said to be the condition of Justification and Salvation And here what you said of the necessity of conjoyning the many similitudes which express Christs Office to us when but one of them in a Text is named the same must be said of Faith in Christ A Moral act which hath many Physical acts must be named by some one the rest being connoted or implied for it would be uncomely to name
long ago so oft said By Righteous is meant Justifiable in general And the plain meaning is Christ having merited and freely given Pardon and Life to all sinners that will fiducially accept his purchased Gift it is not now keeping the Law of Innocency or Works but only the said fiducial Acceptance of Christ and his free Grace that is required on their part to their Right or Justification If by Imputed we meant Reputing it the MATTER of our total Righteousness then it were an unsound sense But briefly and plainly Faith in Christ is reckoned to us as the Matter of our imperfect personal subordinate Righteousness and as the Instituted Medium of our Reception of our Vnion with Christ and our Right to Pardon and Life for the Merit of his Righteousness And I think this is plain and full For Righteousness to be imputed is meant no more but that Gâ—d accounteth the person Righteous But the imputing Faith to this is but to reckon it to be what it is 1. As the Matâ—er of one 2. As the Medium or Condition of the other § 13. You here give me an Epitome of Dr. John Owens Book of Justification which you judge the best that you have seen and say it is faithfully collected to save me the labour of reading it to shew me how nearly we agree Ans I have perused the Book but being now absent from it cannot judge whether you have rightly epitomized or recited it and therefore shall speak to it as yours and not as his Thanking you for endeavouring to spare my labour but not for calling me to judge of other mens Writings Only I must say I am glad of so much Moderation as is in it but I â—etter understand many other Books of Justification eâ—pecially Mr. â—ruman Sir Charles Wolsâ—ey Mr. Gibbâ—ns Sermon Mr. Wotton Mr. Gataker a Manuscript of Dr. Twisses though I agree not with him in his exclusion of Christs Active Righteousâ—â—ss as justifying us Le Blâ—nk Placaeus yea â—ohn Goâ—dwin Mr. Hoteâ—kis and many others § 14. Yâ—u take Imputing Righteouâ—ness to be the foundation of Reputing us righteous and not the same thing Ans The Controversie is de re or de nomine De re we agree that a man must be made Righteous before he is Reputed so De nomine I deny that St. Paul by imputing doth mean making us Righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by all confessed to signifie Accounting Reckoning or Reputing Making us Righteous goeth before Reckoning it to us on account John Goodwin will tell you of many more senses of Imputation than you recite and more considerable § 15. II. You suppose an Imputation of Righteousness to us which was not ours before that Imputation Ans Again de re there is a Donation of such But de nomine I deny that this is it that the Scripture calleth Imputing You make this to contain two Acts and you Name three 1. A grant or Donation of the thing it self to be ours 2. A will of dealing with us accordingly 3. An actual so dealing with us Ans 1. De nomine I deny that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth in Scripture signifie the giving of Righteousness to him that had it not but the reckoning it on account to him that by gift first had it 2. Nor doth it primarily signifie willing to use and using as righteous but only by consequence inferreth it But 2. De re here is no Explication how Imputing is giving or how Righteousness is given us There is no question but all the Righteousness that we have is given us by God But the very heart of the Controversie is How the Righteousness of Christ is given us and made ours In that Righteousness is found 1. The Matter 2. The Form 1. The matter is 1. The Habits 2. The Acts of Christ in the Divine and Humane Nature Are these given us and do we possess them in themselves The Acts are past and so are nothing now and nothing is no bodies actual possession The Acts and Habits were Accidents which sine interitu cannot pass from Subject to Subject Divers Subjects prove diversity of Accidents 2. The Form is a Relation and so an Accident also And they must needs be two Accidents that are Formal Righteousness in Christ and us unless we are the same Subject Person Therefore neither matter nor Relative form in Christ and Man is the same individual Accident How then is it ours What is there in it besides matter the subject and fundamentum and form it's plain that 1. The Benefits are given us and are our own by that Gift All that consist in jure in right as to Christ to the Love of the reconciled Father the Communion of the Spirit to further Grace Pardon Glory are all given us instrumentally by the new Covenants donative Act The inherent habits and the Acts are given us by the Holy Ghost And 2. These Benefits being given us for the Sacrifice and Merits of Christ the price is said by a Metonymy of the cause for the Effect to be given us because it is given for us It was God the Father to whom Christ paid the price of our Redemption and gave his Active and Passive Righteousness for us But Morally and Reputatively it is no unmeet phrase to say that is given to us which is given for us in our necessity and to purchase us all this If the King would ransom all his Subjects that are Slaves to the Turks and paid a million for their Freedom he may well be said to give them a million though it be but a Metonymical Speech seeing he gave it for them Though it was the Freedom or Benefits and not the Money which indeed they received And so it is here So God giveth us Christs Righteousness Merits and Satisfaction but not properly the things themselves If there be any more to be said as given us I should have been glad to know what it is but your Words shew it not Were it the very same Individual Righteousness that Christ hath Acts Habits and Formal Relation made in themselves our own accidents it would follow that we are really perfect in Acts Habits and Relation and need neither more Pardon nor increase of Grace nor should pray for any nor use means for any nor are we liable to any corrective Penalty nor to any want of the Spirits help but have present right to all that is due to a perfect righteous man with much more such which is all false Yet is it truly and fitly said that Christ is our Righteousness that is the purchaser and giver of it and that he is made of God to us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption on the same account Yea though some deny it his Righteousness may be called the material cause of our Righteousness as ours is our Jus ad impunttatem vitam because it is the matter of it 's meritorious cause For if Adam had merited Life himself his meritorious Acts and
Posterity say some as in him that if he stood God would continue him and his Posterity and if he fell God would take it as if all his Posterity then personally sinned in him and so that either we were all then personally in him or God by Imputation would take us to have so been And so that God's Covenant and Imputation made Adams sin ours further than it is by natural propagation not truly distinguishing between our being Personally in him and being but Virtually and Seminally in him And feigning God to make Adam not only the Natural Father and Root of Mankind but also Arbitrarily a Constituted Representer of all the Persons that should spring from him and so that God made them sinners that were none and that before he made them men II. Whence they infer that Christ was by Gods imposition and his own sponsion made the Legal Representative Person of every one of the Elect taken singularly so that what he did for them God reputeth them to have done by him III. Hereby they falsly make the Person of the Mediator to be the legal Person of the sinner and deny the true Mediatorship IV. But they cannot agree when this Personating of the Elect began Some say It had no beginning but was from Eternity because Election was from Eternity and we were Elected in Christ and so were Persons from Eternity in him V. Others say That it began at the making of the World Christ being then the first of Gods Works in a Super-angelical Nature emaning from the Divine which contained all our Persons in it as the Beams are of or in the Sun VI. Others say that this Personation began at the giving to Adam the first Law or Covenant of Innocency and that Christ was a person in the Bond or Covenant And that the meaning of it was Thou or Christ personating thee shall perfectly Obey or Thou or He shall Die the threatned death for Sin VII Others say that this Personation began at the making of the Promise Gen. 3. of the Seâ—d of the Woman c. And so that Christ personated none under the first Covenant VIII Others say that it began at Christs Incarnation when he took the Nature of Man and therewith all our Persons IX Others say that it began on his Cross or at least at his Humiliation and that he only suffered in our persons X. Others say that it begins at our Believing and our Union with Christ by Faith and then he by Union personateth us XI They deny Gods Covenant or Law of Innocency that required our Personal Obedience as the condition of Life XII They forge a Law that God never made that saith Thou or thy Surety shall Obey Perfectly or Dye XIII They falsly say that God justifyeth none that are not really or imputatively perfectly Innocent Obedient and such as never Sinned but kept all that Law XIV They confound Gods Covenant with Christ as Mediator imposing on him his Mediatorial part and the Covenant of the Father and Son with faln Man imposing on them the terms of Recovery and Life XV. They hold that the first Law and some of them also Moses's Law is done away as to all the Elect but is still in force to all the Reprobates and was in force to Christ But whether it bound him to Obedience as our Representative antecedently to mans fall or only consequently they are in their confusion at a loss And they hold that its curse and penalty sentenced after the fall by God fell on all the Reprobate and on Christ but none of it on any of the Elect as having been suffered by Christ fully for them As I have said The promissary part of that Law ceased and so did the condition of the promise by mans sin making it impossible but the threat did transire in sententiam And if Christ was antecedently in the bond of Obedience for us he was bound not to Eat of the forbidden Tree and bound to dress the Garden and bound to take Eve for his Wife c. which are all false If he were bound by it as our representative after the fall it bound him when it ceased and bound not us which is false And therefore it was only the Law of perfect Innocency anew imposed on himself by the Mediatorial Covenant that bound him And if the Penal Sentence and Curse be Executed on all the Reprobate then it is not ceased And then it must be a Penalty and that Curse even on the Elect before they believe because till then they have no part in Christ And after they believe they must bear part of that Penalty called a Curse which was fixed and not reversed and pardoned that is The privation of those degrees of Grace Peace and Joy which they should have had if there had been no sin The Curse on the Earth Sorrow in Child-bearing and Death These cease not now to be Penals but are Sanctified Penalties A Curse turned to a Blessing an Evil made a Medicine to our good Correction is truly Penal tho' profitable Christ suffered to attain his own Ends and not to cross them His Ends was not to free the Elect from his own Government or Correcting Justice XVI They affirm that the Covenant is made only with Christ for us but not with us As it God made none with man and Baptizing and Christianity were not Covenanting XVII They feign God to have made an eternal Covenant with his Son that is God imposing on God the Law of Mediation XVIII They most dangerously affirm that Christ took not only the punishment of our sin and that guilt or Reatum poenae which is an assumed obligation to suffer the punishment deserved by us to be Vicarius poenae but all our very Sins themselves the very Essence of the Sin of all the Elect the Reatum Culpae So that tho' he never did sin himself yet all our sins habitual and actual positive and privative of commission and omission became truly and properly Christs own sins And so that he was truly judged a hater and blasphemer of God and Holiness and the greatest murderer adulterer thief lyar perjured Traytor in all the World the sins of all the Elect being truly His sins Of which Dr. Crisp is positive and large XVIIII They say that God laid these sins of ours on him and made him properly sin for us and not only a Sacrifice for sin And so that God is the Maker of the greatest Sin XIX They say that Gods Imputation being truly but the accounting one to be what he is had not God made him a Sinner his imputing or reckoning him such had been a Lye which is true tho' they nifer Falshood from it taking Imputation of Sin strictly for a true Estimation XX. They that make this Imputation to be before the Incarnation make God to make himself this great Sinner that is Christ while he was meer God And so make us a wicked God When Satan can but Tempt us to sin
is considerable 1. In esse reali in himself 2. Or in esse objectivo which is but in esse cognitâ— in Idea or Notion Christ in esse reali indeed Justifieth us by Dying for us and Meriting for us and doing that which Faith never did But Christ in esse objectivo or cognito and in our minds is the form of this Faith in specie it self and not to be Justified by the Act of Faith in Christ is not to be Justified by the Object as such for the Object essentially specifieth the Act thus illogycal heads confound Holy things LV. But these that must have the Oâ—jâ—ct of this Faith only to Justify exclude most essential parts of the Object it self The Baptismal Faith is not their Justifying Faith Belief in God the Father and in the Holy Ghost is none of it and so God the Father and the Holy Ghost are none of the Justifying Object when as it is essential to Christ as the Object to be one with the Father and sent by Him and to be his express Image and the way to Him c. And to be Conceived by the Holy Ghost and to be attested and to operate by him LVI Yea these undistinguishers are such dividers that they exclude most that is essential to Christ himself as Mediator from being the Object of their Justifying Faith It is not his Prophetical Office nor his Holy Example or Doctrine nor his Kingly Office either in Legislation or Judgment tho' it be as King that he Justifieth by Sentence and Execution It is not any part of his Priestly Office but his Righteousness habitual instead of habitual and original Righteousness active instead of our active Righteousness and passive instead of our punishment It is not his Priestly Intercession in Heaven nor his giving the Holy Ghost nor his Raising Judging or Glorifying us that are the Objects of this Faith LVII But yet they will fallaciously seem subtile by distinguishing and say that tho' none of these are the Objects of Fides qua Justificat Faith as Justifying yet they are the Objects of Fides quae Justificat of that Faith which Justifieth by another Act meer fallacy 1. Here they must take Faith for the Habit for if it were for the Act two divers Acts are not the same 2. How is that Habit quae Justificat when they say only Reception by its Instrumentality Justifieth and that 's only the Act 3. But qua Justificat fallaciously implyeth that Faith Efficiently Justifieth whereas it is only a Dispositio Moralis Receptiva as a Condition and they deny its constitutive Causality and that Fides qua Fides Justifieth at all and as a dispositive Condition it is a belief in much more than Christs Imputed Righteousness LVIII And these ill dividing men pretending to subtilty telling us that it is but one Act of Faith by which it justifieth are so far from being able to tell what that one Act is That it is enough to cast all their Disciples into despair if till they know it they must not know that they are justified LIX For they feign it to be one only Physical Act whereas in Moral Subjects an Act containeth many Physical Acts Faith in Christ is a Covenanting Act like a contract of Marriage or between Prince and Subjects or Captain and Soldiers which is many Physical Acts. LX. Hereupon they are at a loss in what faculty it is whether the Intellects Assent or the Wills Consent or Affiance or Practical Obedience and whether it be one Act only â—amâ—ro or only specie and what individuates an Act LXI And they unavoidably cast men upon their supposed justification by works while they seign all Acts save that one they know not what to be Works Yea many take every Act to be Works as is aforesaid As when they say that it is only resting on Christs Righteousnesâ— as made ours in it self by imputation they hereby make the Belief of the Godhead and of the truth of the Gospel and of the Life to come and Repentance and Confessions and Love to God and to Christ and Thankfulness and Prayer and Self-denial to be all works of the Law which Free Grace in this excludeth If Assent be that one Justifying Act then he that thinketh it is Consent or Hope or Trust or that denying his own Righteousness is any part of it is fallen from Grace by looking for Justification by Works LXII They do not only say that Grace is not free if it have any positive Condition but also if it have any negative Condition that is that if a pardon be offered a Traytor on Condition that he will not refuse it cast it in the fire and spit in the Face of him that offereth it or will not seek his Death this is no free pardon unless he may have leave to hate and stab the Prince that pardoneth him And here you see what these take for Works even such things as are neither Works nor Acts at all but meer nothings Not to resist oppose refuse dispise Grace not to believe the Devil and his agents that call Christ a deceiver and that deny God and the life to come I do not say that such meer negatives are all the condition of pardon and justification but these are included in the positive condition and yet to take any of these for any part of the condition is supposed to be to look for Justification by Works because all such conditions are taken for Works save one simple Act of Faith LXIII This is because they know not what a meer Condition is when they have laid Salvation on the denial of it when as it is no cause at all as such of the effects but as imposed it is a bar put to the effect till the Condition be performed as the Lawyers say Lex addita negotio quae doâ—â—â— praestetur eveâ—tum suspendat and as performed it is the removing of that impedâ—ment Opening the Windows or not shutting them is no cause of the Light nor opening our Eye-lids any cause of our seeing but a removing of that which hindereth the light It is a necessary disposition of the Receiver but no efficient cause of the effect and so is Faith to our Justification or Pardon And therefore note That whereas many Reforming Protestants write for the instrumentall Interest of Faith in our Justification I number not them with the forementioned subverters of the Gospel for by Instrumentality they mean no Efficiency but Receptivity unhappily using the name of an Instrument improperly and without due explâ—â—ation and as Dr. Twise tollerably calleth it Causam dispositivam subjecti recipientis so Dr. Kendal likeneth it to boys playing at ball or cat that make their hats the instruments to catch the ball or cat in This giveth them no efficiency so that they only miscarry by choosing an equivocal Name and placeing too much of the Controversie on that Name when there be proper words enough at hand and also in that they distinguish not duly between
Physical and Moral Reception when they should tell us that Faith is not the Physical but the Moral Reception of Christ to Receive in sensu Physico is nothing else but to be the Passive tâ—rminus of an Agents efficiency and is signified by Passive Verbs To receive Justification Sanctification Adoptiâ—n Physically is nothing but Justificari Sanctificari c. to be Justifâ—ed Sanctified Adopted But to receive Morally is Accipere to accept the gift by consent and exercise thâ—t consent by contract and containeth as is aâ—oresaid many Physical Acts as to receive a Tutor a Master a Physitian a King a Husband c. And such is Faith a receiving not of righteousness only but of Christ with all his offered benefits And when they say that other Acts or Graces may be Conditioâ—s but none but Faith is the Instrument 1. Certainly that called by them Instrumentality is but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crederâ— the Act it self in specie and the Conditionality is the nearest reason of its Interest in our Justification 2. And there is nothing more in the Nature of Assent Trust or any Act of Faith beâ—â—des meer Acceptance or Consent why they should be called Receiving than in Love Desire Gladâ—ess Hope or Seeking 3. And Accepting Christ as our Teacher King and Intercessor in Heaven is as much conditional and necessary to our Justiâ—â—cation and Salvation as accepting his Justiâ—â—cation and Deliverance from Punishment That which men are most averse to Love Holiness and Obedience is made the Condition of that which men more easily accept And indeed those that in sensu Phyâ—ice they call Other Conditional Acts are but modifications or parts of the same Moral Act which is the Condition The Faith by which we are justified is that true Christianity which includeth our believeing consent to God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost our belief of Christ and our thankful acceptance of him to be our Teacher Intercessor or Priest and King with his offered Grace and that this acceptance is with Desire Love and Hope exprest in a holy Contract or Covenant This is the Souls Marriage with Christ and Allegiance to him and it includeth the renouncing our trust in all Creatures or in any Righteousness of our own so far as they would usurp the least part of Christ's Office Work or Honour None of all this is Justification by Works LXIV They erroneously tell us That nothing is Properly a Condition which is it self a Free Gift As if God could not Command and Give the same thing and make his Command a congruous means of Giving LXV They erroneously hold that nothing can be called a Condition of one Gift of the Covenant which is not a Condition of all Whereas God hath many Anticedent Gifts before any Condition be so much as imposed Without any Condition he gave us our Being and gave us a Saviour and the Gospel and the conditional Covenant and offers of Grace And why may not the reception and use or not rejecting of a former Gift of Grace be made a condition of the giving of more To him that hath shall be given may not Faith be the gift of God and yet be the condition of Justification and Salvation LXVI They erroneously hold that when a man is once justified the continuance of his justification is Absolute and hath no imposed conditions contrary to Christs own words Joh. 15. and many plain texts of Scripture LXVII They erroneously put Free Grace and Free Will in such opposition as if nothing could be an act of Free Grace which imposeth any condition on Free Will which is true if by Free Will they mean Freedom of Natural sufficiency as Free without Grace from vitious habits and inclinations for we have no such Free Will But these men know not what Free Will is nor distinguish Freedom from Prohibitions and from Constraint and necessitating predeterminating efficient Premotion from Moral Freedom LXVIII In some points forementioned about Faith and Justification the unapt Words and Methods of some Reformers give them advantage But Dr. Crispe and the gross Antinomians take Faith to be neither Cause nor Condition of Justification but meerly the receptive belief that we are Justified already before we were born so that Faith justifieth only in our consciences which is but to be conscious that we are Justified LXIX Accordingly Dr. Crispe maintaineth that Election and Justification are known only by two means The Spirit within revealing it and Faith receiving it that is The Spirit inwardly saying Thou art Elect and Justified and Faith believing this so that neither of these Justifie us but only make us know it LXX They mâ—stake the meaning of the Witness of the Spirit As if it were but an inward Inspiration and Impulse equal to a voice saying Thâ—u art Elect and Justâ—fied Whereas it is an Inherent Impress and so an objective Evidencing witness even the Divine Nature and Image of God and the habit of Divine â—â—lial Love by which Gods Spirit marketh us out as adopted As likeness of the child to the Father and love are an evidencing witness of true Son-ship And as Reason is a witness that we are Men And as Learning is a witness that we are Learned So Sanctity is an evidencing witness that we are the children of God Holiness to the Lord is his Mark And he that nameth the name of Christ departing from iniquity hath Gods Impres Yet there are other subsequent parts of the Spirits witness that is 1. Causing us to exercise 2. And to know the Grace that he hath given us 3. And exciting in us a joyful perception of it LXXI Hereby they destroy the assurance and comfort of most if not almost all true Christians in the world because they have not that inspiration or certain inward word of assurance that they are Elect and Justified I have known very few that said they had it And of those few some fell to Debauchery and some to doubting And though Prophetical Inspiration prove it self to them that have it it s not possible for others to know but that a counterfeit Fanatick conceit may be it LXXII Hereby the Ungodly are dangerously tempted to damning presumption and security while if they do but confidently believe that they are Elect and Justified they are quieted in sin LXXIV Dr. Crispe copiously maintâ—ineth that a Man cannot be sure that he is Justified either by Sâ—â—cerity or Vâ—iversal Obedience or love to the Goâ—ly or any such Grace To the dishonour of Holiness the contradiction of Scripture and the ovâ—â—throw of the comfort of Believers LXXV They tell us that we must not fix sâ—t times for Prayer or other Worship but stay till Gods Spirit move us or tell us when to Pray As if God were not the God of Order but of Confusion and did not move us as reasonable creatures by a rational guidance of us They would be loth to follow their crooked Rule in commoâ— things and to keep no set-times for their Trading Labours
sigâ—s that must coâ—fute them for our Justification And the Judgment is not to be managed as at a human juâ—icature by talking it out with every Person but by an universally convincing Light that at once can shew every man in the World his own partâ—cular case as in it self it is not Sigâ—s not Riâ—htâ—ousnâ—sâ— that hath the promises of Râ—wâ—rd And there is no Righteousness that so far maketh not a man Righteous and so far Justifiable XCI They some of them say that we shall need no Justification against any false Accusation For who should accuse us Christ will not Consâ—ience will not and Devils say they will have something else to do And they know that false accusation will be in vain before such a Judge The sum of this is that there will indeed be no day of Judgment and no Justification by decisive Sentence yea and no Salvation for actual Glorification will be a Sentence manifested by Execution which Mr. Lawsâ—n thought was called the Judgment And if no Judgment then no Judge no Reward no Condemnation and no Punishment If any Judgment there must be Persons and a Cause to be tryed and judged 1. The Cause of that day will not be whether Christ be a sufficient Saviour or have made sufficient satisfaction It is not for Christ to judge himself It is not to judge God whether he elected us It is not to judge whether we were of the Seed of Adam or whether we ever sinned Or whether the Law of Innocency condemn us And our sin deserve everlasting Punishment There is no justifying us against any such Accusation It must be all confess'd we were the sinful Children of Adam we deserved Condemnation But the Cause will be 1. Whether we are lyable by Guilt to future Punishment And against this our Pardon justifyeth us 2. And whether we have Right to the Heavenly Inheritance And in this the Gospel-Donation Covenant or Promise justifieth us and both thro' the Merits of the Sacrifice and Righteousness of Christ 3. And the other part of the Cause of that day is whether we have part in Christ and the Merits of his Righteousness In which our Faith and God's Covenant will justifie us 4. And the Question being Whether this Faith be that which had the promise and not a Counterfeit the description of it by its Acts and Part and not only by adventitious Signs must be our justifying Evidence The faith that hath the Promise is essentially Christianity or a Covenant accepting of God the Father Son and Spirit of Christ as our Teacher Priest and King by affiance expressed in assent consent and subjection And all that is essential to this yea the necessary integrality and modification have their parts in being the Cause of the day And as to the Case of Accusation 1. A Virtual Accusation by the Law which we have broken and condemneth us requireth a Justification if there were no more 2. The Glory of Christ's Merits Righteousness and Grace requireth a Justification of us against our real Guilt 3. And is not Satan the Accuser of the Brethren and that before God And did not his Malice so work against Job though God contradicted him It is certain that sentential and apologetical Justification relates to Accusation virtual or actual and Condemnation Who shall condemn us it is God that justifieth us And if we are not justified against false Accusations we shall never be justified against any But we all confess that we are made righteous efficiently by Grace and constitutively by Righteousness in despight of all Satans true accusations and against all our own unworthiness ungodliness antecedently and guilt and that before all Works and Perseverance save a true accepting Faith in Christ But if we shall in judgment be decisively deâ—lared righteous by that which constituteth us righteous of which no knowing man herein can doubt God judging all things truly as they are then certainly will men by decisive declaration be judged righteous as being pardoned and adopted by the Merits of Christ and qualified by true Faith Repentance and Obedience for that Guift XCII They absurdly hold that to be justifâ—ed as to the sincerity of our Faith from the charge oâ— Hypocrisie or unsoundness it is not the Justification of the Person A contradiction that I am ashamed to be long in confuting Is it the Faâ— and not the Person that is to be judged Is it not as it is the Persoâ—s Faith What is it to â—â—stifie his Faith but to justifie him to be a true â—elieving Christian and so to be an Heir of the Prâ—mise The necessâ—ry qualifâ—cation of Faith 〈◊〉 â—t be operative is as truly a part of the condition of the Promises as that Faith be Faith indeed Indeed some sound Divines say That Faitâ— justâ—fiâ—th us as sinnâ—rs and Works justifiâ—th our Faith as â—câ—usâ—d Believers But they never meant thâ—â— by justifying our Faith it â—ustiâ—eth not our Persons But that we are at fâ—rst coâ—stitutâ—d just and adopted upon the â—â—ndition of a consentiâ—â— covenanting Fâ—ith bâ—fâ—re we hâ—ve time to sheâ— it by outward Works and that we are contiâ—ue and judged jâ—stified and intitled â—â— Liâ—e oâ— condition of our Performance of the Essentials â—f oâ— Covenant XCIII Thâ—â— hold thâ—t we are justified â—â— the sâ—me Law or Câ—vâ—â—â—â—t of Innocency which condemneth â—â— Because â—ay they we have fulfilled it in and by Câ—â—â—â—t falsly as is aforesaid supposing that Câ—râ—st was either such a Surety as wâ—â— in the same Bond diâ—jâ—nctively with the principal or else that the principal man was allowed to do his Duty or â—ear his Suffering by another And so they deny the Gospel-Covenant and Gift which is that indeed which justifieth us by the way of Redemption falsly supposing that the very damning Law doth justiâ—e us by way of Prevention as innocent as having fulfilled it in Christ XCIV They suppose that Christ will not judge and justifie us acâ—ording to any Law by which he governed us but only by declaring his absolute Deâ—ree and Will giving no Reason of his Sentence from the cause of different performance or â—on performance of the Persâ—ns jâ—dged and so that Judgment is no act of Moral Government or of Reward contrary to all the Scripture XCV They falsly suppose that Paâ—â—â— of siâ— iâ— no Justification constitutive or senteâ—tiâ—l Because say they that doth but save us from Punisâ—ment but to be Righteous is to be by imputation such as have kept all the Law and so hâ—ve never sinned But we have no such Righteousness aâ— they thus feign when the Question is whether we are sâ—nners We must confess it and â—ot plead that we have no sin But when the Question is whether we are to be condemned Pardon is oâ—r Righteousness and having the Pardon of all sin original habitual and aâ—tual of omissiâ—n and commission we are in stâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 pâ—â—â—uâ—â— and if thâ—◠〈◊〉 enough to intitle uâ— tâ— Glory Aâ—option added to it is And so 〈◊〉 Riâ—ht is â—â—stiâ—â—â—d XCVI