Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	faith_n	law_n	work_n	3,455	5	6.4588	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A71284	A defence of the true sence and meaning of the words of the Holy Apostle, Rom. chap. 4, ver. 3, 5, 9 in an answer to sundry arguments gathered from the forenamed Scriptures by Mr. Iohn Goodwin, which answer was first dispersed without the authors name, but since acknowledged by Mr George Walker : together with a reply to the former answer, or, animadversions upon some of the looser and fouler passages thereof / by Iohn Goodwin.	Walker, George, 1581?-1651.; Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1641 (1641)	Wing W356; ESTC R20590	41,397	65

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 C●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

Doctrines and opinions concerning justification of the faithfull before God to wit First that faith as it is in every beleever a guift of God even as it is inherent in him and is his owne faith and beleeving is the onely thing which God of his grace and mercy and out of his absolute sovereigne power and dominion is pleased to ordaine appoynt and account for all the righteousnesse which a man shall have for his justification though in truth and in strictnesse of the Law and according to the rule of justice it is no righteousnes being weake oftentimes and full of infirmities That the spirit of God by the Apostle in these words did not intend or meane any of the Communion of the righteousnes and perfect obedience performed by Christ to the Law as our surety and in our stead nor any imputation of that righteousnes to every true beleever for justification nor Gods accepting of the faithfull for righteous by their communion of that righteousnes applied possessed and enjoyed by faith By faith and beleeving they doe not understand that guift and worke of Gods spirit in the elect regenera●e and sanctified by which they doe beleeve and are perswaded that they are in Christ and Christ is their head and they as members have communion of all his benefits even of his full satisfaction and perfect righteousnes for remission of all their sinnes and for justification and by this perswasion and beleeving they have a sweet and lively sence feeling and fruition of Christs satisfaction and righteousnes and rest on them as on the covering and propitiation of their sinnes and their righteousnes by which they stand righteous before God and are justified but by faith and beleeving they understand no more but a confidence in God that he will performe his promises made in Christ and an assent unto his word that it is true the tenour of which word and promises they conceive to be this that Christ in his pure perfect humane nature by his righteousnes sufferings and obedience unto death hath merited such high favour with God that God in honour to him is pleased to accept and account the faith of them that beleeve him to bee a sufficient Saviour for righteousnes and requires noe other righteousnes to constitute them and make them after any sort formally righteous in their justification When they acknowledge that Christ his perfect satisfaction and righteousnes is the meritorious cause of our justification they doe not meane that Christ his satisfaction and righteousnes are communicated to us and by faith so apprehended and possessed that wee thereby are indeed and in Gods account righteous before God and are justified and they deserve that hee should so account us for them but this is their mind and meaning that Christ by his righteousnes and obedience hath merited that God for his sake should account faith to us for righteousnes without either our owne workes of the Law or his righteousnes imputed to us and made ours by communion and when they say faith is imputed for righteousnes as an instrument they meane not as the spirituall hand or instrument applying Christ his righteousnes to bee after a sort the formall righteousnes of the beleever but that faith as it is the instrument by which the beleever doth beleeve that Christ hath purchased this favour that faith should be the onely thing accounted to him for righteousnes The Orthodoxe Exposition I will prove and confirme from the wordes of the Apostle himselfe and other strong Arguments in the first place and afterwards will confute and overthrow the Hereticall Exposition The true Exposition defended FOr the right understanding of the Apostles wordes three things are first to be considered and explained First what is here meant by faith and beleeving Secondly what righteousnes is here meant Thirdly what is meant by imputation By faith in this place wee must not understand that naturall habit and power which is common to all reasonable men who upon their knowledge of things spoken or promised doe give willing assent unto them that they are true either for the Authority of the speaker whom they doe respect and judge to bee faithfull or because they see good reason in the things spoken and promised and if the things promised tend to their owne good they rest upon them confidently and perswade themselves that they are sure and certaine of them already or shall receive and enjoy them in due time without faile But here by faith we are to understand that supernaturall guift and grace of beleeving wrought in the elect regenerate by the spirit shed on them abundantly through Iesus Christ Tit. 3. 6. which is therefore called most holy faith Iude 20. this faith agreeeth with the other in these foure poynts First as that is an habit and power of beleeving so is this secondly as that containes in it notitiam in intellectu a knowledge and notice of the things spoken beleeved so doth this And as that containes in it assensum in voluntate an assent of the wil so doth this also And as that faith when it goeth no further is called historical so this also And as that faith when it reacheth to good things promised to our selves particularly to apply them and rest on them hath also fiduciam in corde affectionibus a trust and confidence of the heart and affections in it so hath this also and is cald a firme perswasion trust confidence but they differ in divers things First that is a naturall power or habit This is spirituall wrought in men by the Spirit of God dwelling in them and uniting them to Christ in one mysticall body Secondly that hath in it no knowledge but naturall arising from light of naturall reason nor any assent of the will or confidence in the heart and affections but such as are drawne stirred up and wrought by meanes of naturall light and common causes this hath in it a spirituall knowledge arising from the spirit of God enlightning the understanding the Spirit also enclines and moves the will to give assent and confirmes the heart with confidence and firme perswasion Thirdly that is common to all reasonable men This is proper to the elect regenerate and sanctified by the holy Ghost shed on them through Christ and is the first and the radicall grace and vertue of renovation 4. That hath for the object or things beleeved either naturall and worldly things onely or things heavenly and supernaturall seene and discern'd through the darke mist of naturall reason and assented to rested on with a carnall and unsanctified will and heart This hath for the object things supernaturall and heavenly and spirituall discerned by supernaturall light assented to with an holy and sanctified will confirmed to the heart by a spirituall sence and sweet taste of the things promised wrought by the holy Spirit in the true beleever apprehending and applying them But to come neere to the Text the

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 C●r●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 c●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 co●…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 tot●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 iustific●…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 ●ffered in the Gospell Sixtly he affirmes that the righteousnes by which b●●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